Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Grave Mode

By means of Your Cross, O Lord, You abolished death. * To the robber You opened Paradise. * The lamentation of the myrrhbearing women You transformed, * and You gave Your Apostles the order to proclaim to all * that You had risen, O Christ our God, * and granted the world Your great mercy.

Κατέλυσας τῷ Σταυρῷ σου τὸν θάνατον, ἠνέῳξας τῷ Λῃστῇ τὸν Παράδεισον, τῶν Μυροφόρων τὸν θρῆνον μετέβαλες, καὶ τοῖς σοῖς Ἀποστόλοις κηρύττειν ἐπέταξας, ὅτι ἀνέστης Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, παρέχων τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος.

Apolytikion for Timothy of the 70 in the Fourth Mode

Since thou hadst been instructed in uprightness thoroughly and wast vigilant in all things, thou wast clothed with a good conscience as befitteth one holy. Thou didst draw from the Chosen Vessel ineffable mysteries; and having kept the Faith, thou didst finish a like course, O Hieromartyr and Apostle Timothy. Intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

Χρηστότητα ἐκδιδαχθείς, καὶ νήφων ἐν πάσιν, ἀγαθὴν συνείδησιν ἱεροπρεπῶς ἐνδυσάμενος, ἤντλησας ἐκ τοῦ Σκεύους τῆς ἐκλογῆς τὰ ἀπόρρητα, καὶ τὴν πίστιν τηρήσας, τὸν ἴσον δρόμον τετέλεκας, Ἀπόστολε Τιμόθεε. Πρέσβευε Χριστῷ τῶ Θεῷ, σωθῆναι τὰς Ψυχὰς ἡμῶν.

Apolytikion for Martyr Anastasius the Persian in the Fourth Mode

Thy Martyr, O Lord, in his courageous contest for Thee received the prize of the crowns of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal God. For since he possessed Thy strength, he cast down the tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons' strengthless presumption. O Christ God, by his prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful.

Ο Μάρτυς σου Κύριε, έν τή αθλήσει αυτού, τό στέφος εκομίσατο τής αφθαρσίας, εκ σού τού Θεού ημών, έχων γάρ τήν ισχύν σου, τούς τυράννους καθείλεν, έθραυσε καί δαιμόνων, τά ανίσχυρα θράση, αυτού ταίς ικεσίαις Χριστέ, σώσον τάς ψυχάς ημών.

Seasonal Kontakion in the First Mode

Your birth sanctified a Virgin's womb and properly blessed the hands of Symeon. Having now come and saved us O Christ our God, give peace to Your commonwealth in troubled times and strengthen those in authority, whom You love, as only the loving One.

Ὁ μήτραν παρθενικὴν ἁγιάσας τῶ τόκω σου, καὶ χείρας τοῦ Συμεὼν εὐλογήσας ὡς ἔπρεπε, προφθάσας καὶ νὺν ἔσωσας ἡμᾶς Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός. Ἀλλ' εἰρήνευσον ἐν πολέμοις τὸ πολίτευμα, καὶ κραταίωσον Βασιλεῖς οὓς ἠγάπησας, ὁ μόνος φιλάνθρωπος.

Services and Sacraments

January 22, 2023 – 15^th Sunday of Luke

SERVICES THIS WEEK:

Sunday, January 22 – 15^TH SUNDAY OF LUKEOrthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am,

Friday, January 27 – PARAKLESIS TO THE THEOTOKOS, 6:30 pm

Saints Constantine and Helen Church, Westland

We strongly encourage those who will not be attending church to participate in services through our website at https://www.stcons.org/video-streaming

If you wish to follow along with the text, please use this link: https://dcs.goarch.org/

VIDEO ARCHIVE: Previously recorded Sunday Divine Liturgy services will now be archived and available on our website! Go to https://www.stcons.org/video-streaming and you can click on the service you would like to view. Fr. Teodor’s sermon link will also be posted weekly to facebook weekly.

LIGHT A CANDLE AND SAY A PRAYER: When you are not able to attend church, you can purchase a candle from our church website (home page or video-streaming page), which be lit before the following service or a service that you specify. Please give specific names, living or deceased, that you would like Father to remember in prayer. Father will light candles one hour before each service. For Sunday services, please place candle orders prior to 8:00 am Sunday morning.

Please Pray For: George, Irene, Matthew, Maria, Tom, Stefanos, Leonidas, Gus, Connie, Maria, Brenda, Panagiota, Nicholas, Vicki, Susan, Tom, Suzanne, Tom, Thomas, Jim, Panagioti, Gloria, Evans, Phyllis, Marti, Marty, Janet, John, Paul, Zacharias, Vanessa (Vasiliki), Jake, Maegan, Irene, Lisa, Pat, Jonathan, Alexandra, Tracy, Dianna, Betty, Catherine, Susan, Evelyn, Gregg, Peter, Angela, Bill, Carrie, Vito, Pete, Amalia, Stephanie, Lisa, Anastasia, Kylie, Effie, Nicholas, and Maria.

Names may be added to the prayer list by request. If you would like to add a name to the prayer list, or if there is a name that should be removed from the prayer list, please contact the church office at stcons2@gmail.com

Saints and Feasts

January 22

The Righteous Martyr Anastasius of Persia

Saint Anastasius was a Persian by race, the son of a Magus, and a soldier in the Persian army in the days of Chosroes II, King of Persia, and Heraclius, Emperor of New Rome. The Saint's Persian name was Magundat.

When Chosroes captured Jerusalem in the year 614 and took the Precious Cross away captive, Magundat heard the report of the miracles that came to pass through the Cross of our salvation. Being of a prudent mind, perplexed that an instrument of torture should be so highly honored by the Christians, yet seized with longing to learn their Faith, he diligently sought out instruction in the whole divine dispensation of Christ: His Incarnation, Passion, and Resurrection. When he learned what he sought to know, his soul was filled with wonder and joy. Withdrawing to the Holy City, he was baptized by Saint Modestus, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and became a monk, receiving the new name of Anastasius.

As he read the lives of the Saints and the accounts of the holy Martyrs, his heart was kindled with love for them to such a degree that he prayed to be counted worthy of a martyr's end like unto theirs. Finally, unable to contain his longing, he left his monastery. Encountering certain Persian Magi at Caesarea, he rebuked them for their delusion. Since Palestine was still held in the captivity of the Persians, he was taken before the Persian ruler, questioned, beaten, and imprisoned. He was then taken with other captives to Persia, where, after many tortures, refusing to espouse again the error of his fathers, he was hanged up by one hand, strangled with a noose, and beheaded. The translation of his holy relics is celebrated on the 24th of this month.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Grave Mode. Psalm 28.11,1.
The Lord will give strength to his people.
Verse: Bring to the Lord, O sons of God, bring to the Lord honor and glory.

The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to Timothy 4:9-15.

Timothy, my son, the saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and suffer reproach, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Till I come, attend to the public reading of scripture, to preaching, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophetic utterance when the council of elders laid their hands upon you. Practice these duties, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress.

Προκείμενον. Grave Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 28.11,1.
Κύριος ἰσχὺν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ δώσει.
Στίχ. Ἐνέγκατε τῷ Κυρίῳ υἱοὶ Θεοῦ, ἐνέγκατε τῷ Κυρίῳ δόξαν καὶ τιμήν.

τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Τιμόθεον α' 4:9-15.

Τέκνον Τιμόθεε, πιστὸς ὁ λόγος καὶ πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος. Εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ κοπιῶμεν καὶ ὀνειδιζόμεθα, ὅτι ἠλπίκαμεν ἐπὶ θεῷ ζῶντι, ὅς ἐστιν σωτὴρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων, μάλιστα πιστῶν. Παράγγελλε ταῦτα καὶ δίδασκε. Μηδείς σου τῆς νεότητος καταφρονείτω, ἀλλὰ τύπος γίνου τῶν πιστῶν ἐν λόγῳ, ἐν ἀναστροφῇ, ἐν ἀγάπῃ, ἐν πνεύματι, ἐν πίστει, ἐν ἁγνείᾳ. Ἕως ἔρχομαι, πρόσεχε τῇ ἀναγνώσει, τῇ παρακλήσει, τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ. Μὴ ἀμέλει τοῦ ἐν σοὶ χαρίσματος, ὃ ἐδόθη σοι διὰ προφητείας μετὰ ἐπιθέσεως τῶν χειρῶν τοῦ πρεσβυτερίου. Ταῦτα μελέτα, ἐν τούτοις ἴσθι, ἵνα σου ἡ προκοπὴ φανερὰ ᾖ ἐν πᾶσιν.

Gospel Reading

15th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 19:1-10

At that time, Jesus was passing through Jericho. And there was a man named Zacchaios; he was a chief collector, and rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaios, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it they all murmured, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." And Zacchaios stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost."

15th Sunday of Luke
Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 19:1-10

Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, διήρχετο τὴν ῾Ιεριχώ· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ ὀνόματι καλούμενος Ζακχαῖος, καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν ἀρχιτελώνης, καὶ οὗτος ἦν πλούσιος, καὶ ἐζήτει ἰδεῖν τὸν ᾿Ιησοῦν τίς ἐστι, καὶ οὐκ ἠδύνατο ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄχλου, ὅτι τῇ ἡλικίᾳ μικρὸς ἦν. καὶ προδραμὼν ἔμπροσθεν ἀνέβη ἐπὶ συκομορέαν, ἵνα ἴδῃ αὐτόν, ὅτι ἐκείνης ἤμελλε διέρχεσθαι. καὶ ὡς ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον, ἀναβλέψας ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς εἶδεν αὐτὸν καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτόν· Ζακχαῖε, σπεύσας κατάβηθι· σήμερον γὰρ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου δεῖ με μεῖναι. καὶ σπεύσας κατέβη, καὶ ὑπεδέξατο αὐτὸν χαίρων. καὶ ἰδόντες πάντες διεγόγγυζον λέγοντες ὅτι παρὰ ἁμαρτωλῷ ἀνδρὶ εἰσῆλθε καταλῦσαι. σταθεὶς δὲ Ζακχαῖος εἶπε πρὸς τὸν Κύριον· ἰδοὺ τὰ ἡμίση τῶν ὑπαρχόντων μου, Κύριε, δίδωμι τοῖς πτωχοῖς, καὶ εἴ τινός τι ἐσυκοφάντησα, ἀποδίδωμι τετραπλοῦν. εἶπε δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς ὅτι σήμερον σωτηρία τῷ οἴκῳ τούτῳ ἐγένετο, καθότι καὶ αὐτὸς υἱὸς ᾿Αβραάμ ἐστιν. ἦλθε γὰρ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ζητῆσαι καὶ σῶσαι τὸ ἀπολωλός.

Parish News and Updates

EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES:

TLC LUNCHEON: Our TLC Luncheon will be held THIS Tuesday, January 24th at 12:00 noon. Start the New Year with excellent food and even better conversation! All ages are welcome to attend; please RSVP to Caryl Lowes at 734.751.3683 or cvlowes@gmail.com

ADULT BIBLE STUDY: Adult Bible Study will meet on Tuesday, January 24^th on the ZOOM platform. We will continue our study of the Book of Matthew. ZOOM LINK is: https://zoom.us/j/7345256789, Meeting ID: 734 525 6789. All adults are welcome to join, no pre-registration is required.

HOPE & JOY “GOD’S LOVE IS SO BIG!”: On Sunday, January 29^th, following church services all families with children 4-12 years old, their siblings and GOYA age teens are invited to immediately meet in HCC for a complimentary lunch, a Chat with Father, a heart craft, a heart exercise activity...LOTS OF FAITH, FUN AND SMILES!!! There is a sign up sheet outside the church library, or you please RSVP to stcons2@gmail.com or call 734.525.6789 as soon as possible so we may prepare!

MOMS’ SUPERBOWL SNACK SALE: On Sunday, February 12^th immediately following church, you can purchase yummy grab and go munchies for the big game! Take and bake dips, fun appetizers, sweet treats and savory snacks will all be available for sale. Perfect for Superbowl snacking and Valentines Day giving!

GREEKFEST 2023! Mark your calendars now for Saturday February 18^th and Sunday, February 19^th! Saints Constantine and Helen will be hosting our 3^rd annual Greek Fest, and expanding it to a two-day indoor Greek Festival! We are planning delicious Greek food and pastries, Live Greek music and dancing, and much more!

GreekFest Volunteers and Sponsors needed! This year, our church is offering Festival Sponsorships for area businesses, and also Family listings in our festival program book. Volunteers are needed before and during the festival. There will be people at the coffee hour with sponsorship and volunteer forms. Forms are also available at the church office.

ORATORICAL FESTIVAL: The St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival will be held on Sunday, March 5^th at our parish. The festival centers around faith, education, and fellowship. It is a national program where Orthodox youth, grades 7 – 12, present speeches discussing the Greek Orthodox faith and the Church. Youth get to explore and deepen their faith; and hone their public speaking, writing, and personal presentation skills. They can also earn cash awards at the parish level and scholarship awards if they make it to the Nationals. For more information, https://www.goarch.org/oratorical, or any 7^th grade – 12^th grade Sunday School teacher.

NEWS AND NOTICES

PARAKLESIS NAMES: On Friday evening, January 27th at 6:30 pm we will be having a Paraklesis to the Theotokos service. Please attend this beautiful service and submit the names of those living that you would like remembered in prayer. There are prayer sheets inside today’s bulletin and available at the Pangari and the Church office.

STEWARDSHIP CARDS: If you haven’t already, we encourage you to submit your card today, indicating the time, talent and treasure that you will offer as a member of the Church, the Body of Christ on earth. Stewardship pledge cards are available at the church office, or at the Pangari. Parishioners can also complete the 2023 Stewardship Card online at https://www.stcons.org/stewardship

ANNUAL HOME BLESSINGS: After the Epiphany and through the beginning of Lent, Father Teodor will be available for home blessings. This is a beautiful and very important tradition of our church; every Orthodox Christian should have their home blessed annually. Please call the office to schedule your home blessing for the new year. If you wish to schedule a blessing for the new year, contact the church office to be added Fr. Teodor’s calendar. (stcons2@gmail.com or 734.525.6789)

PHILOPTOCHOS “ONE WARM COAT” DRIVE: The St. Helen Philoptochos is collecting clean, gently worn and new coats during January and February for their “One Warm Coat” drive. Coats will be distributed to needy and homeless people in our community. Coats can be left in the collection box near the church office.

AHEPA DISTRICT 10 SCHOLARSHIPS - AHEPA District 10, which encompasses Michigan, is offering scholarships for graduating high school students and for current college students! Sixty scholarships totaling $80,000 were distributed in 2022. Applications are available now at ahepadistrict10.org/educational-foundation and are due on April 1, 2023.

OCW – 30^th ANNIVERSARY LUNCHEON: The Orthodox Christian Women of MI will be holding their 30^th Anniversary Luncheon on Sunday, February 5^th at 1;00 pm at the St. Mary’s Cultural and Banquet Center in Livonia, MI. For more information, contact Gia Cherpes-See at gcsee1@gmail.com

MEMORIAL SERVICES: Please call the church office to schedule all memorials and coffee hour sponsorships at least two weeks in advance. On the day of the service, please bring a list of family names you would like Father to remember in prayer. Koliva will be distributed at the coffee hour; if you wish to bring in paximadia, koulourakia, or other dry cookie it may also be distributed. Coffee Hour sponsorship is not required, however the church is grateful to those who wish to make a sponsorship donation of $150, and the HCC will set up a table with cloth and coffee, etc. for your family.

REMEMBER THE CHURCH IN YOUR WILL:You’ve supported the church your whole life, remembering us in your estate plan will help the church when you’re gone. Consult your estate planner or contact the Church office for information. We are grateful to our parishioners who have left bequests to the church in the last few years.Their loving legacy made a big difference! May their memory be eternal.

Wisdom of the Fathers

For Christ's presence is like that of some life-giving, scented balsam which restores health, enriches life and gives savor to the soul, the thoughts, the words of a man. In brief, distance from Christ means corruption and death, and closeness to Him means salvation and life.

Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic

Prolog, 4 February

Christ is the salvation that comes, and Zacchaeus is the house to which He comes.