Sunday Morning Orthros/Matins 8:15am, Divine Liturgy 9:30am; Saturday Great Vespers 5:00pm (October thru May); Weekday Services (see Online Calendar, Sunday Bulletin & Monthly Newsletter); Confession (by appointment).
As the deliverer of captives, and the protector of the poor; a physician of the sick, the defender of kings; O Great Martyr St. George Victorious, intercede to Christ our God, to save our souls.
During the reign of Maximian, about the year 289, Antiochus the Commander-in-Chief of the Roman forces sent Andrew with many other soldiers against the Persians, who had overrun the borders of the Roman dominion. Saint Andrew persuaded his men to call upon the Name of Christ, and when they had defeated the Persians with unexpected triumph, his soldiers believed in Christ with him. Antiochus, learning of this, had them brought before him. When they confessed Christ to be God, he had Andrew spread out upon a bed of iron heated fiery hot, and had the hands of his fellow soldiers nailed to blocks of wood. Antiochus then commanded some thousand soldiers to chase the Saints beyond the borders of the empire. Through the instructions of Saint Andrew, these soldiers also believed in Christ. At the command of Antiochus, they were all beheaded in the mountain passes of the Taurus mountains of Cilicia.
First Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Matthew 28:16-20
At that time, the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age. Amen."
Prokeimenon. 3rd Mode. Psalm 46.6,1.
Sing praises to our God, sing praises.
Verse: Clap your hands, all you nations.
The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 15:1-11.
Brethren, I would remind you in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast -- unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
12th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 19:16-26
At that time, a young man came up to Jesus, kneeling and saying, "Good Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you call me good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which?" And Jesus said, "You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to him, "All these I have observed; what do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America mourns the passing of Presvytera Margaret (Pavlides) Orfanakos of Wayne, New Jersey who passed away to the Lord, peacefully and surrounded by her family on Monday, August 13th, 2018. She was 75 years old.
As we celebrate this blessed Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, “in radiant joy with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs together with the angels and the apostles,” we give thanks to God for the revelation of His abundant grace and glorious power through the life and witness of the Virgin Mary.
How to Forgive & Be Forgiven (8-12-2018)
For those who were outside yesterday, the haze in the sky was evident and it is being caused by 64 wildfires in the province of Ontario Canada. Certainly, we also heard about the fires in northern California that are now classified as the largest in their state’s history. These fires are incredibly destructive. Several people have died, homes have been destroyed as well as valuable forest land and precious wildlife habitat. Today, I want to speak to you about another type of fire that is just as dangerous and just as destructive.
Ask yourselves, “Have I ever been so angry and hurt by another person that I cannot stand to be around them--I avoid them and I cannot even look at them? When I see them, all I think about is what they did to me? Even when I’m not around them, even if many days, weeks, months or years have passed, if I think about them, the hurt and anger arise in my heart, and then I think about what I would have done differently in the past, what I would say if I could confront them now, what kind of negative consequences they deserve for their behavior.” Sound familiar? These are all smoky signs pointing to the fire of bitterness and resentment raging within us.
Today’s gospel reading from the 11th Sunday of Matthew (18:23-35) is about a servant/slave with that same fire of resentment. He found one of his fellow slaves, who owed him a hundred denari, grabs him by the throat and demands payment (v.28). When his fellow slave begs for patience (v.29), he refuses and has the fellow slave thrown in prison (v.30).
How do firefighters battle brush and forest fires? Primarily with water. We Christians fight the fire of hurt, anger, bitterness and resentment with the water of forgiveness. The servant/slave today seemingly forgot or ignored the fact that he had experienced the shower of forgiveness from the king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants/slaves (v.23). This servant owed him 10,000 talents—a lifetime of wages (v.24). 1.25 million times greater than the 100 denari owed him by his fellow servant. As the king was ordering for him and his family to be sold in order to make payment (v.25), the servant begged the king for patience and promised to pay everything back (v.26). Surprisingly, the king goes way beyond patience and releases the slave and forgives the debt (v.27).
This Parable of the Unforgiving Servant seems so simple but why is it at times that we struggle like the slave with the huge debt? Why is it so difficult to forgive other people at times? C.S. Lewis said once, “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea until we have someone to forgive.” Perhaps some thoughts from the little booklet “Forgiveness & Reconciliation: How to Forgive Others and Receive Forgiveness” (Conciliar Press) by Hieromonk Jonah, former Metropolitan Jonah of the Orthodox Church of America, can help us. He says, “to forgive means to restore a bond of love and communion when there has been a rupture.” This rupture is caused by sin when one or both persons have acted selfishly, not considering the feelings and sensitivity of the other person. This could be anything from a little denari of a harsh word to 10,000 talents of theft, adultery or murder. Jonah says that “when the bond is broken with other people, we tend to objectify them and judge them, not seeing them as persons but only as objects of our anger and hurt” The unforgiving slave only saw his fellow slave in terms of the 100 denari that he owed. Metropolitan Jonah continues, “The longer we nurture the anger and alienation, the more deeply the resentment takes hold in our heart, and the more it feeds on our soul.” My guess is the unforgiving servant had stewed a long time about his predicament (how “little” he owed the king and how “much” his fellow servant owed him) and blamed others for it instead of himself.
Jonah says that “forgiveness means laying aside our judgments of the other person and our own sinful reactions, and then accepting others for who they are.” We must not only forgive others but ourselves as well. Otherwise, we “alienate ourselves from God, punishing ourselves and then ascribe this punishment to Him.” This is a most important point that bears repeating. If we don’t forgive ourselves, that’s our problem, not God’s. He is ready and willing to forgive us but that is predicated on our own willingness to forgive others and ourselves. This is what Jesus means at the end of today’s passage when He states, “So my heavenly Father also will do to you (e.g. be angry and deliver you to the torturers until payment is made, v.34) if each of you from his heart does not forgive his brother his trespasses” (v.35). The punishment is self-imposed, not God-imposed.
Fr. Leonidas Contos (In Season and Out of Season, pp.50-54)said that forgiveness is three dimensional. 1) the vertical dimension which seeks and receives forgiveness from God, 2) the horizontal one that offers forgiveness to our neighbor who hurt us, and 3) the inward dimension that is peace of heart, mind and soul resulting from the first two and forgiving ourselves.
What are the barriers to reconciliation and forgiveness? Jonah state that “reconciliation is forgiveness in action.” “We need to look at what is in ourselves that prevents us from reconciling—perhaps some fear or expectation of the other.” Are we afraid the other person will not accept our forgiveness, or will they not forgive us, or he/she might hurt us again? This is often the case with those who are closest to us because “the deeper bonds of love and intimacy, the sharper the pain of alienation through offenses…and intimacy presupposes vulnerability.” Jonah notes that forgiveness is difficult “because it makes us look at our selfishness, our judgment, our expectations and ourselves.” We often don’t want to take a long, hard look at who we truly are—at what lies within our heart, soul and mind. “When we have old wounds, even from childhood, we are all the more likely to project onto others our ideas and expectations, which are even more distorted by the old resentments.” This dynamic plays out in all sorts of relationships: spouses, employees, bosses, students, teachers, monks, nuns, abbots, abbesses, priests, parishioners.
St. Paul wrote 19Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," [Dt.32:35] says the Lord (Romans 12:19). We should not even take revenge in our thoughts, much less our words and actions.
Metropolitan Jonah observes, “When we are irritated by a person we are close to, it is not their problem, but rather our own. The irritation is our reaction.” Instead of trying to change them, we should “simply accept them with their character flaws and all.” If we have difficulty doing this, we must ask ourselves “if we want to be angry, bitter, resentful and unhappy?” Perhaps we do because that is more familiar to us. We cannot change other people. “We can only change ourselves.”
So, when we decide we want to be joyful and forgive, Jonah offers these steps we can take. First, “pray to God and ask Him to show us ourselves and to help us love and forgive”. Love and forgiveness come from God, not us. The Apostle Paul wrote, 12Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. (Colossians 3:12-13).
Second, “we need to be quiet and let God show us” how and when to do this. We should not impulsively try and take control of the situation. The Serenity Prayer is helpful here: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Third, “we need to be watchful so that we do not allow ourselves to nurse resentment and bitterness.” If we get angry or hurt when we see or hear of the person who offended us, then that’s a sign that “we still have some resentment against them.” We must remember that “forgiveness comes in stages” because “the roots are deep in our passions.” What we must not remember is the offenses and wrongs that have been done to us. If we do, it’s like inflicting the hurt over and over each time. However, it’s the not the offending person, but ourselves, that are doing the hurting. Forgive and forget are both essential aspects towards reconciliation.
In addition, to water, firefighters use axes to cut down trees and brush, robbing the fire of further fuel. We Christians use the axe of our will. Metropolitan Jonah explains: we can help cultivate a spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation within us by not reacting to offenses, whether intentional or not. “Our reactions are purely our own responsibility, and not caused by any provocation.” The goal of the spiritual life is “complete self-mastery.” Spiritual maturity helps us exercise greater control over our reactions. This must extend from our behaviors and actions inward towards our thoughts and feelings. “When our thoughts accuse others and we begin to be upset, then we need to cut off the thoughts and recognize that they are temptations.”
Besides water and the axe, firefighters also use fire to fight fire through controlled burns that once again rob the wildfire of further fuel. We Christians employ the fire of God’s love and forgiveness. Therefore, when someone asks for forgiveness, we must always return it. This is our debt, what we own to each other. Jonah sheds light on the dynamic. If we cannot do that, then we need to look within and see if “pride, vainglory, arrogance and conceit” are preventing us from forgiving. Often “we refuse to forgive because we feel justified in our resentment and bitterness. We cast all the blame and criticism on the other, and blind ourselves to the reality of our own faults. Thus, we live in delusion. To harbor bitterness is unadulterated pride and conceit and we alienate ourselves from Christ. Resentment and bitterness are a cancer to the soul.” Forgiveness and reconciliation are the surgery and chemotherapy to fight against this cancer and bring healing to our souls and bodies.
Let us conclude today with some food for thought. Fr. Anthony Coniaris (Message Sun. Gospels vol.2, p.122) said today’s “parable is not so much a painting for us to admire but rather it is a mirror to be held up before us so we can see who we really are.” He also wrote that “God cannot fill that which is already full.” If we are full of bitterness and resentment, there is no room for God’s love and forgiveness. We must let go. We Americans love our freedom. Fr. Coniaris wrote (Meet Jesus vol.2, p.13) that “forgiveness is freedom! A wonderful release takes place inside us as we forgive someone. As we let go of our anger and hostility, we experience a tranquility and peace that only comes from God.” In today’s Gospel we heard that “Other slaves who witnessed this [the servant not forgiving the debt of his fellow servant] and were troubled by it, went to the king and told him what happened (v.31). St. Theophylact of Ochrid says these witnessing servants represent the angels, who hate evil and love good, and who watch over us constantly. Nothing we do is hidden from them.
Mark Twain once said, “Forgiveness is the fragrance that the flower leaves on the heel of the one who crushed it.” The king of today’s parable, who of course represents God Himself, harshly admonished the unforgiving servant saying, “I forgave you all that debt because you begged me (v.32). Should you not also have had compassion on you fellow servant just as I had pity on you?” (v.33). Leave the fragrance of God’s love and forgiveness wherever you go. Amen!
ST. GEORGE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
Rev. Fr. Richard Demetrius Andrews, Presbyter
1111 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105, (651) 222-6220, www.stgeorgegoc.org
August 19, 2018 12th SUNDAY OF MATTHEW
TODAY’S EVENTS: Greek Festival 11am.
Epistle Reader: Stephen Kanavati Prosfora: anonymous
Fellowship: Greek Festival Head Greeters: Yodahe Gamada & Bob Baffa
Thursday 08-23 Glad Tidings mailing – volunteers needed 10:00AM
Saturday 08-25 DIVINE LITURGY in Eau Claire, WI 9:30AM
Sunday 08-26 ORTHROS (8:15am) &DIVINE LITURGY- 13th SUNDAY OF MATTHEW 9:30AM
Greek Dance practice 6:30PM
Wednesday 08-29 ORTHROS (8:00am) &DIVINE LITURGY- BEHEADING OF FORERUNNER 9:00AM
Prep Social Hall for floor waxing – volunteers needed 11:00AM
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Thank you! To all the patrons and volunteers at our Greek Festival this weekend. Thanks for helping to make for another successful event. Visitors are encouraged to come to our church tours and are invited to join us for worship any Sunday throughout the year. For more info: http://www.stgeorgegoc.org/visitors/
Need Strong Arms: floors will be stripped and waxed over Labor Day weekend. Volunteers are needed to move tables and chairs in the social hall on Wed. Aug.29 11am or later, Sat. Sept. 1 at 4pm and Sun. Sept 2 before 11:30am for fellowship hour. Contact Julie if you can help!
Lexington Parkway Construction Alert: Resurfacing project on Lexington Parkway between I-94 and Selby Avenue will cause major traffic disruptions and road closures beginning August 15.
Think About It: When one follows the will of God, no insurmountable obstacles will stand in the way. St. Leo of Optina (+1841)
Labor Day Weekend Family Retreat: Join other Orthodox families at the St. Iakovos Retreat Center in Wisconsin, August 31-Sept 2, 2018. Dr. Philip Mamalakis will speak on “The Vocation of Parenthood”. See post in social hall or visit https://sites.google.com/view/chicagofamilysynaxis. Register by Aug 22.
St. Paul Classic Parking Ban: on Sunday, September 9, 2018 until 1:00pm. No parking allowed on north side of Summit Ave due to the Bike Tour; cars parked in posted no parking zones will be tagged and towed.
Philoptochos: the first meeting will be on Sunday, September 9th at noon.
Metropolitan Nathanael in Twin Cities: on Wednesday September 12th as part of his listening tour throughout the Metropolis of Chicago. Our parish will host the event 6-9pm. Plan to be here that evening! More info tba.
Annual Church Picnic: will be held on Sunday, September 16 at Hidden Falls Park, off of Mississippi River Blvd in St. Paul (https://www.stpaul.gov/facilities/hidden-falls-regional-park), following liturgy.
75th Anniversary Album: is in the final stages, editing and reviewing the digital quality of the photos to ensure the highest print quality. Much progress has been made over the past few months. Thank you for your patience.
John Pitsavas Memorial Scholarship: eligible high school seniors and college students are invited to apply for the 2018-2019 academic year by submitting an essay discussing the topic: “All Things are Possible to the One Who Believes in Christ (Mark 9:23); discuss how this verse relates to your own life as an Orthodox Christian student.” Deadline is September 15, 2018. Applications and guidelines available in the social hall or office.
MCP Fundraising Gala: Sunday, September 16, 4-7pm on the terrace of the Stillwater Public Library, 224 3rd Street N, Stillwater. Tickets for the Lyn Olson Medical Crisis Program Annual Fundraising Gala are on sale for $30 in the bookstore on Sundays, in church office on weekdays or at www.lomcp.com.
Church Fathers Speak: All the Saints are our helpers, but above all is the Panagia Theotokos Virgin Mary. She is greatly compassionate and loves all mankind, especially sinners. Thus, she intercedes for us constantly, praying to her Son and our God Jesus Christ. His mother has become our mother. St. Anthimos of Chios (+1960)
Summer Cash Flow: please continue to make stewardship contributions throughout the summer so that we don’t have to use our savings to pay our bills. Please don’t wait until the end of the year to fulfill your pledge.
Prosopon Iconography Workshop: October 7-13 at St. Mary’s Orthodox Cathedral in northeast Minneapolis. For details on “Holy Prophet Elijah, Basic & Advanced Workshop”, see brochure posted in social hall or contact Marilyn Johnson at 612.378.0606 or mjohnson@umn.edu.
Patristic Wisdom: If you want to become a servant of Christ, you must accept everything He suffered for our sake: scorn, insults, humiliations, being spit upon and beaten. If you endure all these things, then you are bearing a small cross and following Christ. With comfort, worldly honor and courteous talk, there is no progress or salvation. Elder Joseph the Hesychast (+1959)
Prothesis Table Project Complete: with the installation of the new Extreme Humility icon in the new niche above the new antiprothesis cabinet (aka skeuvophylakion), in addition to the new cabinet for the prothesis (table of preparation). Look for photos in August Glad Tidings. Thanks to Anastasia Mastrogiorgis for the design work. This is a tremendously beautiful and practical addition to our sanctuary.
Metropolis Clergy Laity: the Twin Cities has been chosen to host the next Metropolis Clergy Laity September 25-29, 2019. The St. George and St. Mary Church communities will co-host. Stay tuned for more details!
Support Mount Athos: the historic center of Orthodox Christian monasticism in the world is on a small peninsula in the northern Greece that is home to 20 monasteries, most dating back 1,000 years, and their dependencies. The Mount Athos Foundation of America (MAFA) seeks to restore, preserve, promote and support these monastic communities. For more info: www.mountathosfoundation.org
2019 Pilgrimage to Russia: Icon Art Studios is hosting another pilgrimage to Russia in the early or late summer of 2019. Preliminary information is currently available. Please contact Deb Korluka if you would like to receive information regarding the upcoming plans. Thank you!
Wisdom from the Church Fathers: Just as anyone who climbs a rotten ladder risks his life, so also honor and power are dangers to humility. St. John Climacus of the Ladder (+649)
New Map Available: "Orthodox Bishops and Parishes in the United States" showing: a) locations, names and jurisdictions of all active Orthodox bishops in the United States and b) the total number of Orthodox parishes in each US county. The map is in PDF format and can be downloaded here.
Videos Updated: check our parish YouTube channel to see videos for 2018 Lenten lectures and Lenten retreat. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmLF0t0U6p0ZEBTuGwqFLoQ . Other videos include 75th Anniversary, Introduction to Orthodox Christianity, Holy Land pilgrimage, and previous lectures and retreats.
Photos Updated! On parish website www.stgeorgegoc.shutterfly.com.
Sermons Updated: and posted on our website through May 31, 2018. More to come, including children’s sermons in 2018. http://stgeorgegoc.org/pastors-corner/fr-ricks-sermons/
Welcome Visitors Thank you for joining with us in prayer and fellowship. The worship of the Orthodox Church is deeply rooted in and very similar to that of the early Christian Church. Unique sensory stimuli and mystery are elements that go back even to the liturgy of the Jewish temple. Everything in an Orthodox Christian church communicates the majestic presence of God the Holy Trinity with His Saints. It is literally heaven on earth. It is a sad consequence of the divisions in Christianity that we cannot extend a general invitation to receive Holy Communion. Visitors are invited to receive the blessed bread (antithoron) at the conclusion of the liturgy. We pray and work for the reconciliation and unity of all Christians. If you are interested in learning more about Orthodoxy, please contact Fr. Rick at fatherrick@stgeorgegoc.org. We are proud of our Greek heritage, but one does not have to be of Greek descent, nor speak Greek to be a Greek Orthodox Christian.
Note to Orthodox about Holy Communion: Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ is one of the most Holy experiences for a Christian in order to be granted the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. We are never worthy to partake of Divine Nature. Yet, it is essential that we prepare ourselves for this sacred Communion by constant prayer, reading the Scriptures, regular fasting and periodic Confession. At a minimum, we should fast all morning before Communion, arrive at the beginning of Liturgy, and come for Confession at least once a year. In addition, we should not have separated ourselves from the Church through serious sin. Otherwise, please refrain from Communion to avoid “judgment…not discerning the Lord’s body” (1Cor. 11:29). Contact Fr. Rick for pastoral guidance.
Glad Tidings deadline: The 10th of each month. Glad Tidings email: gladtidings@stgeorgegoc.org Sunday Bulletin Deadline: Wednesday Noon each week. Email: office@stgeorgegoc.org
Liturgy Guide 08-19-2018