October 20
St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2019-10-20
Bulletin Contents
St. Demetrios Calendar
Readings and Information
Parish News and Events
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Saints and Feasts
Wisdom of the Fathers
Hymns of the Day
Message from His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios
St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church
General Information
- Phone:
- (781) 237-5561
- Fax:
- (781) 237-8612
- Email:
- office@stdemetriosweston.org
- Street Address:
- 57 Brown Street
- Weston, MA 02493
Contact Information
Services Schedule
Matins Sunday - 8:30 a.m. Weekdays - 9:00 a.m.
Liturgy Sunday - 9:30 a.m. Weekdays - 9:30 a.m.
Past Bulletins
- Publish Date:
- 2019-10-13
- Publish Date:
- 2019-10-06
- Publish Date:
- 2019-09-22
- Publish Date:
- 2019-09-15
- Publish Date:
- 2019-09-08
- Publish Date:
- 2019-09-01
St. Demetrios Calendar
6TH SUNDAY OF LUKE, October 20
- Orthros & Divine Liturgy, 8:30 am
- Church School
- Greek Dancing, 12 noon
- Pilgrimage Meeting
TUESDAY, October 22
- Greek School, 4 pm
WEDNESDAY, October 23
- Prayer Shawl Ministry, 1 pm
FRIDAY, October 25
- Great Vespers for St. Demetrios Feast Day, 6 pm
SATURDAY, October 26
St. Demetrios
- Orthros & Divine Liturgy, 8:30 am
7TH SUNDAY OF LUKE, October 27
Metropolitan Methodios of Boston presiding
- Orthros & Divine Liturgy, 8:30 am
- Church School
Readings and Information
Today’s Epistle Reading (II Corinthians 9:6-11) is found on page 93 in your spiral Gospel and Epistle Book.
Today’s Gospel Reading (Luke 8: 26-39) is found on page 102 in your spiral Gospel and Epistle Book.
Resurrectional Apolytikion, “Although the stone” is found on page 103 in your Blue Liturgy Book.
Thanksgiving prayers, for after Communion, are found on page 91 in your Blue Liturgy Book.
TODAY’S USHERS: Chris Pashos, Captain; George Gatzunis; Steve Sotir; Dean Coclin; Linda Theoharis; Gina Pagonis; Tom Gatzunis; Laz Vekiarides; Nick Mitrokostas.
TODAY’S MEMORIAL: 3 years for Fred Mouyos.
TODAY’S FELLOWSHIP HOUR: is graciously hosted by the Simmoneau Family.
TODAY’S GREETERS: Carol and Arthur Loridas.
Parish News and Events
ST. DEMETRIOS BOOKSTORE
The ecclesiastical year has begun and our bookstore has
re-opened. Please stop by to view the rich collection of inspirational books for adults and children, as well as icons, crosses and prayer bracelets from various
Greek monasteries.
BAKERS NEEDED FOR ST. DEMETRIOS VESPERS RECEPTION
Bakers are needed to make Greek pastries and other baked goods for the reception following Great Vespers for St. Demetrios this Friday, October 25th. If you have any
questions find Presbytera Elaine during coffee hour.
PHILOPTOCHOS RETREAT– LISTENING TO OUR FAMILIES, FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES, & GOD
St. Demetrios Philoptochos invites you to a morning retreat on November 9th at Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Library Reading Room from 9-1pm. Dr. George Stavros, Clinical Associate Professor of Pastoral Psychology, Executive Director of the Danielsen Institute at Boston University. He will provide us with a morning on fine-tuning our listening skills so we can become more present to our family, friends, colleagues, and God. Cost: $35.00. See Taslene Gatzunis to sign up or email Nikki Stournaras at nstournaras@gmail.com
PHISHING SCAM
It has come to our attention that someone is sending
fraudulent emails pretending to be Fr. Nick and asking for electronic gift cards. Please do not respond to this message and immediately mark as spam and delete. Many of the emails are being sent from a gmail email account– our parish email addresses are not associated with gmail. They will have “@stdemetriosweston.org” as the ending.St. Demetrios and its priests will never ask for funds via electronic gift cards ever. If you have any questions or concerns please call the main office, 781-237-5561.
ST. DEMETRIOS FEASTDAY CELEBRATIONSOCTOBER 25TH, 26TH, & 27TH
Friday, Oct. 25th
Great Vespers, 6 pm. Clergy and faithful of the area have been invited to join us.
Saturday, Oct. 26th
Orthros & Divine Liturgy, 8:30 am for St. Demetrios with a light reception after.
Sunday, Oct. 27th
Orthros & Divine Liturgy 8:30 am with Metropolitan Methodios presiding.
SILENT AUCTION UPDATE
The Silent Auction Committee of the 60th Anniversary Gala would like to thanka ll donors who have contributed to our auction. Thank you so much, we appreciate all that you have done. Stay tuned for more information to come about our fabulous items, available for bidding on the evening of November 2nd.
-Kathy Hamilton, Suzanne Polymeros, Bobi Koukounaris, and Carolyn DelGizzi
YOUTH BASKETBALL
We look forward to the 2019-20 Metropolis Basketball season. This program is a great opportunity for kids ages 8 to 18 to enjoy competition and fellowship with other Orthodox youth from throughout the Boston area.Teams will be finalized in early October and games will begin before Thanksgiving. For more information or to Register your son(s) and/or daughter(s), please contact the Church Office or email Emanuel “Jack” Markis at EJMarkis@Markislaw.com
60th Anniversary Gala Dinner-Dance
In celebration of the 60th Anniversary of St. Demetrios, join us for the Gala Dinner Dance on Saturday, November 2nd at the Westin Waltham-Boston Hotel. Reception 6 pm, dinner 7 pm. Enjoy the music of Enosis. Wonderful Silent Auction Items! Tickets: $175/person. After October 6th, $190/person. Young Adults 30 years or under: $150/person. To purchase tickets online visit: http://bit.ly/stdemetrios60th Complimentary parking and hotel rooms are available at a special group rate.
For further information, please contact Eleni Condakes at (781) 235-8429 or Philippa Condakes at (781) 235-0759.
FR. MANIKAS LIBRARY
Check out the magazine "Cyprus Today" which is available for circulation. If interested, you are welcomed to
borrow. So we can keep track of the interest of these magazines, please fill in your last name and the dates (month and year) on the label on the back cover. Allowed check out period is one month.
PHILOPTOCHOS CATERING
Philoptochos is delighted to offer their St. Christine's Catering Program. Visit the church website under the Philoptochos page to view the ordering menu. Thanks for using the Philoptochos Catering.
SAVE THESE DATES
Friday, October, 25 - Vespers for St. Demetrios
Saturday, October 26 - St. Demetrios Feast Day Liturgy
Saturday, November 2 - St. Demetrios Gala Dinner Dance, Westin Hotel in Waltham
SPONSORING FLOWERS
If you would like to sponsor altar flowers in memory of loved ones or in honor of a special occasion please contact the church office for more details on available dates.
SPONSORING FELLOWSHIP HOUR
The calendar is open for any one wishing to sponsor coffee hour this coming year. If you are interested please contact Pam Brody at 781-864-6427.
USHERING GUIDELINES
As the Church School year comes to a start, we ask that everyone assist us by waiting patiently in your seats for the children to receive Holy Communion first so that they may get to their classes.
In order to facilitate this process as efficiently as possible, we ask that Church School Teachers, Children and their parents be dismissed first for communion. All other parishioners are asked to stay in their seats and wait for the ushers to dismiss their row. We appreciate your patience and your support!
ST. DEMETRIOS ORTHO-TAXI SERVICE
We miss you when you are not with us! If you need a ride to and from church consider taking the St. Demetrios Ortho-Taxi service. If you are interested call the church office (781-237-5561) by Friday at noon for Sunday Liturgy, or two days in advance for other services or events. You will receive a call from your driver to arrange pick-up times. The roundtrip fare is $5 to be donated to the Senior Guild.
SUNDAY GREETERS
We are looking for additional people to help greet/welcome our parishioners to church on Sunday mornings. All those who are interested in being a part of this wonderful program please contact Angel Hatgelakas through Marianne at the church office. Tel: 781-237-5561 or email: office@stdemetriosweston.org. Thank you.
USHERING
If you are interested in joining the Usher Team please contact Georgia Gefteas at gaghome1@gmail.com or 978-973-7476.
WWW.GOARCH.ORG
The webpage of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has a great amount of resources for anyone looking to learn more about the faith. You can find the daily readings of the church, information about saints, what we believe, and prayers for any occasion. Additionally, you can stay up to date with news that affects us as Christians. Be sure to check www.goarch.org regularly!
PHILOXENIA HOUSE
Located near HCHC in Brookline, the Philoxenia House offers a home and hospitality to patients and those who accompany them while they are undergoing treatment in the Boston area. For several years a few of us visit the home twice a year to try to brighten their lives by planting flowers. This is a joy for us. For more information regarding this ministry please contact Betty Titus, 781.237.4748, or Eleanor Spiliakos, 978.443.3746.
WHAT IS THE ORTHODOX CHURCH
Being asked this during our festival a number of times — we as Orthodox Christians ought to respond:
“The Orthodox Christian Church is a worldwide body of believers who confess and worship Jesus Christ as the Son of God, as Lord and Messiah. This body has a tangible and continuous history of Christian faith and practice from the time of Christ’s Apostles. The use of the adjective ‘orthodox’ to describe the Church dates back to the earliest centuries and was applied to those Christians who maintained the tradition transmitted by Christ’s Apostles (1 Thess 2:15)”
FR. MANIKAS LIBRARY
Come and visit the Fr. Manikas Library and check out one of our many books on a variety of different topics. After Divine Liturgy, please stop by the library and see what we have to offer. See Cindi Dabrowski in the library for assistance on picking out a selection to take home and further your knowledge of our faith.
DAILY READINGS APP
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has developed and released a Daily Readings App for iOS and Android. It offers the daily Epistle and Gospel readings of the day as well as the saints that are commemorated on that day. Furthermore, it offers prayers, dates of future Feast Days and fasting guidelines.
It’s a great resource that is offered by our Archdiocese. Sign into your app store and download it today!
BE THE BEE WEBSERIES
The National Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries offers a weekly web video series on YouTube called “Be the Bee” each week a question or theme about our faith is answered in just 5 minutes! Check out this new and interesting approach to learning about our faith! Go to: www.youtube.com/user/y2am to see the entire series!
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Epistle Reading
Prokeimenon. First Tone. Psalm 32.22,1.
Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us.
Verse: Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous.
The reading is from St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians 9:6-11.
Brethren, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work. As it is written, "He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever." He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your resources and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for great generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
Gospel Reading
6th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 8:26-39
At that time, as Jesus arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, there met him a man from the city who had demons; for a long time he had worn no clothes and he lived not in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beseech you, do not torment me." For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him; he was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters, but he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside; and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them leave. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. When the herdsmen saw what happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how he who had been possessed with demons was healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them; for they were seized with great fear; so he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but he sent him away, saying, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
Saints and Feasts
October 20
Matrona the Righteous of Chios
October 20
Gerasimus of Cephalonia
Saint Gerasimus was from the Peloponnesus, the son of Demetrius and Kale, of the family of Notaras. He was reared in piety by them and studied the Sacred writings. He left his country and went throughout various lands, and finally came to Cephalonia, where he restored a certain old church and built a convent around it, where it stands to this day at the place called Omala. He finished the course of his life there in asceticism in the year 1570. His sacred relics, which remain incorrupt, are kept there for the sanctification of the faithful.
October 20
Artemius the Great Martyr of Antioch
Saint Artemius lived during the years of Saint Constantine the Great, and was appointed by him to be Governor of Alexandria; later, he was honoured with the rank of patrician. During the reign of Julian the Apostate, in the year 361, Artemius appeared before the Emperor and censured him for his apostasy. For this, he endured many torments and was finally beheaded.
October 20
Andronicus the Righteous Martyr
October 21
Martyrs Theodote and Socrates
October 21
Monday of the 6th Week
October 21
Hilarion the Great
This Saint was born at Tabatha, near Gaza in Palestine, of pagan parents. Sent as a young man to Alexandria to be educated, he learned the Christian Faith and was baptized. While in Egypt he heard the fame of Saint Anthony the Great, and upon meeting that truly great man, the Father of monks, Saint Hilarion determined to devote himself also to the ascetical life. He returned to Gaza, when, he gave himself over to extreme fasting and unceasing prayer. Because of the miracles which he soon began to work, he found himself compelled by his growing renown to leave Gaza, to escape from the throngs of people coming to ask his prayers. In his journeys he visited Egypt, and came again with longing to the place where Saint Anthony had lived; but he was not able to remain in any one place for long, since despite all his attempts to conceal himself, the light of the grace that was in him could not be hid. After passing through Egypt and Libya, and sailing to Sicily, he came at last to Cyprus, where he ended the course of his life at the age of eighty, in the year 372.
October 21
Our Righteous Father Christodoulus, the Wonderworker of Patmos
October 21
Righteous Philotheus
October 21
John the New Martyr of Peleponnesos
October 22
Tuesday of the 6th Week
October 22
Abercius, Equal-to-the-Apostles and Wonderworker of Hierapolis
Saint Abercius, Bishop of Hierapolis in Phrygia in the times of Marcus Aurelius, was adorned with the grace of wonderworking and with apostolic zeal. During a festival in honour of Apollo, the chief deity of Hierapolis, the holy bishop was instructed in a revelation to destroy the idols. He went to the temple by night and overturned the statues of Apollo and the others. When this was discovered, the Saint boldly cried out that the gods, becoming drunk from the wine of the libations offered them, had struck one against another in their confusion. A multitude of furious pagans came to avenge the insult to their gods, but when the Saint cast the demons out of three afflicted young men, fear fell upon the idolaters and they with the whole city became Christian. After many labours, and afflictions, Saint Abercius reposed in peace about the year 167 (or, according to some, 186).
October 22
Seven Holy Martyred Youths of Ephesus
The Seven Youths hid themselves in a certain cave near Ephesus in the year 250, to escape the persecution of Decius. By divine grace, a sleep came upon them and they slept for 184 years, until the reign of Saint Theodosius the Younger, when the doctrine of the resurrection was being assailed by heretics. They then awoke, that is, were resurrected, confirming in the sight of all the bodily resurrection; and again after a short time, by divine command, they reposed in the Lord in the year 434.
October 23
James (Iakovos) the Apostle, brother of Our Lord
According to some, this Saint was a son of Joseph the Betrothed, born of the wife that the latter had before he was betrothed to the Ever-virgin. Hence he was the brother of the Lord, Who was also thought to be the son of Joseph (Matt. 13: 55). But some say that he was a nephew of Joseph, and the son of his brother Cleopas, who was also called Alphaeus and Mary his wife, who was the first cousin of the Theotokos. But even according to this genealogy, he was still called, according to the idiom of the Scriptures, the Lord's brother because of their kinship.
This Iakovos is called the Less (Mark 15:40) by the Evangelists to distinguish him from Iakovos, the son of Zebedee, who was called the Great. He became the first Bishop of Jerusalem, elevated to this episcopal rank by the Apostles, according to Eusebius (Eccl. Hist., Book II: 23), and was called Obliah, that is, the Just, because of his great holiness and righteousness. Having ascended the crest of the Temple on the day of the Passover at the prompting of all, he bore testimony from there concerning his belief in Jesus, and he proclaimed with a great voice that Jesus sits at the right hand of the great power of God and shall come again upon the clouds of heaven. On hearing this testimony, many of those present cried, "Hosanna to the Son of David." But the Scribes and Pharisees cried, "So, even the just one hath been led astray," and at the command of Ananias the high priest, the Apostle was cast down headlong from thence, then was stoned, and while he prayed for his slayers, his head was crushed by the wooden club wielded by a certain scribe. The first of the Catholic (General) Epistles written to the Jews in the Diaspora who believed in Christ was written by this Iakovos.
October 23
Our Righteous Father Ignatius, Patriarch of Constantinople
October 24
Thursday of the 6th Week
October 24
Arethas the Great Martyr & Syncletiki and her two daughters
These Martyrs contested for piety's sake in the year 524 in Najran, a city of Arabia Felix (present-day Yemen). When Dhu Nuwas, ruler of the Himyarite tribe in south Arabia, and a Judaizer, took power, he sought to blot out Christianity, especially at Najran, a Christian city. Against the counsels of Arethas, chief man of Najran, the city surrendered to Dhu Nuwas, who immediately broke the word he had given and sought to compel the city to renounce Christ. Led by Saint Arethas, hundreds of martyrs, including women, children, and babes, valiantly withstood his threats, and were beheaded and burned. After the men had been slain, all the free-born Christian women of Najran were brought before the tyrant and commanded to abjure Christ or die; yet they rebuked the persecutor with such boldness that he said even the men had not insulted him so contemptuously. So great was their faith that not one woman was found to deny Christ in all Najran, although some of them suffered torments more bitter than most of the men. In alliance with Byzantium, the Ethiopian King Elesbaan liberated Najran from Dhu Nuwas soon after and raised up churches in honour of the Martyrs. Najran became a place of pilgrimage until the rise of Islam a century later. At the end of his life King Elesbaan, who was also called Caleb, retired into solitude as a hermit; he sent his crown to Jerusalem as an offering to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. He also is commemorated on this day as a saint. Saint Arethas' name in Arabic, Harith, means "plowman, tiller," much the same as "George" does in Greek.
October 24
Sebastiane the Martyr
October 24
Maglorious of Sark
October 25
Friday of the 6th Week
October 25
The Holy Martyrs Marcian and Martyrius the Notaries
These Martyrs were disciples of Saint Paul the Confessor (see Nov. 6). Martyrius was a subdeacon, Marcian a chanter and reader. They were beheaded by the Arians in the year 346. Miracles were wrought at their tomb, and demons were cast out; Saint John Chrysostom began the building of the church in their honour in Constantinople, and it was completed by patriarch Sisinius.
October 25
Tabitha, who was raised from the dead by Peter the Apostle
October 25
Chrysaphios (or Chrysaphos) the Martyr
October 25
Martyr Chrysanthe
October 26
The Holy Great Martyr Demetrius the Myrrh-streamer
Saint Demetrius was a Thessalonian, a most pious son of pious and noble parents, and a teacher of the Faith of Christ. When Maximian first came to Thessalonica in 290, he raised the Saint to the rank of Duke of Thessaly. But when it was discovered that the Saint was a Christian, he was arrested and kept bound in a bath-house. While the games were under way in the city, Maximian was a spectator there. A certain friend of his, a barbarian who was a notable wrestler, Lyaeus by name, waxing haughty because of the height and strength of his body, boasted in the stadium and challenged the citizens to a contest with him. All that fought with him were defeated. Seeing this, a certain youth named Nestor, aquaintance of Demetrius', came to the Saint in the bath-house and asked his blessing to fight Lyaeus single-handed. Receiving this blessing and sealing himself with the sign of the precious Cross, he presented himself in the stadium, and said, "O God of Demetrius, help me!" and straightway he engaged Lyaeus in combat and smote him with a mortal blow to the heart, leaving the former boaster lifeless upon the earth. Maximian was sorely grieved over this, and when he learned who was the cause of this defeat, he commanded straightway and Demetrius was pierced with lances while he was yet in the bath-house, As for Nestor, Maximian commanded that he be slain with his own sword.
October 26
Commemoration of the Great Earthquake in Constantinople
The great earthquake commemorated here took place in 740, during the reign of Leo the Isaurian, the first of the Iconoclast emperors.
October 26
Eata of Hexham
October 27
7th Sunday of Luke
October 27
Nestor the Martyr of Thessaloniki
As mentioned in the account concerning Saint Demetrius (October 26), this Saint contested during the reign of Maximian, in the year 290.
October 27
Kyriakos, Patriarch of Constantinople
October 27
Procla, wife of Pontius Pilate
Wisdom of the Fathers
For if we, going about on the earth which is familiar and well known to us, being encompassed with a body, when we are journeying in a strange road, know not which way to go unless we have some one to lead us; how should the soul, being rent away from the body, and having gone out from all her accustomed region, know where to walk without one to show her the way?
Homily 28 on Matthew 8, 4th Century
Some say, 'Why do they [demons] possess people?' I answer those who wish to have this explained that the reason of these things is very deep. Somewhere one of His saints addressed God by saying, 'Your judgments are a vast abyss.' As long as we bear this in mind, we will perhaps not miss the mark.
Commentary on Luke, Homily 44. (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture; vol 3: Luke, Intervarsity Press)
Hymns of the Day
Resurrectional Apolytikion in the First Tone
When the stone had been sealed by the Jews and the soldiers were guarding Thine immaculate Body, Thou didst arise on the third day, O Saviour, granting life unto the world. Wherefore, the powers of the Heavens cried out to Thee, O Lifegiver: Glory to Thy Resurrection, O Christ. Glory to Thy Kingdom. Glory to Thy dispensation, O only Friend of man.
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Transfiguration Monastery
Apolytikion for Great Martyr Artemius in the Fourth Tone
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.
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Transfiguration Monastery
Apolytikion for St. Demetrios in the Third Tone
The world has found in you a great champion in time of peril, as you emerged the victor in routing the barbarians. For as you brought to naught the boasts of Lyaios, imparting courage to Nestor in the stadium, in like manner, holy one, great Martyr Demetrios, invoke Christ God for us, that He may grant us His great mercy.
Seasonal Kontakion in the Second Tone
O Protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, mediation unto the creator most constant: O despise not the voices of those who have sinned; but be quick, O good one, to come unto our aid, who in faith cry unto thee: Hasten to intercession and speed thou to make supplication, O thou who dost ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honor thee.
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Transfiguration Monastery