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).
The holy Martyrs Adrian and Natalie confessed the Christian Faith during the reign of Maximian, in Nicomedia, in the year 298. Adrian was a pagan; witnessing the valor of the Martyrs, and the fervent faith with which they suffered their torments, he also declared himself a Christian and was imprisoned. When this was told to his wife Natalie, who was secretly a believer, she visited him in prison and encouraged him in his sufferings. Saint Adrian's hands and feet were placed on an anvil and broken off with a hammer; he died in his torments. His blessed wife recovered part of his holy relics and took it to Argyropolis near Byzantium, and reposed in peace soon after.
In all probability, the icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir was painted in Constantinople. In the twelfth century, Patriarch Luke Chrysoberges sent it to Kiev to Great Prince Yuri Dolgruky. The icon was kept in the convent at Vyshgorod, whence the holy Prince Andrew of Bogoliubovo brought it to Vladimir. The icon is one of the most venerated in Russia, having been carried by princes in military campaigns, prayed before by rulers for the welfare of the people, and flocked to by the faithful of all walks of life. At the election of the metropolitans and patriarchs, the names of the candidates were placed before this holy icon, and after prayer, the lot chosen; Patriarch Tikhon the Confessor was elected this way. The icon is celebrated also on June 23 and May 21, the last feast being established to commemorate the deliverance of Moscow in 1521 from the onslaught of the Tartar Khan Makhmet-Girei.
Second Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Mark 16:1-8
When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Jesus. And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?" And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back, for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you." And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid.
Prokeimenon. 4th Mode. Psalm 103.24,1.
O Lord, how manifold are your works. You have made all things in wisdom.
Verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul.
The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 16:13-24.
Brethren, be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. Now, brethren, you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints; I urge you to be subject to such men and to every fellow worker and laborer. I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicos, because they have made up for your absence; for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such men. The churches of Asia send greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. All the brethren send greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. If any one has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
13th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 21:33-42
The Lord said this parable, "There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. Afterward he sent his son to them, saying 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.' And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons." Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?'"
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.
Tithing: Possible with God (8-19-2018)
“You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.” This is a common saying to express how people can exchange favors for mutual benefit. In today’s Epistle reading (1Corinthians 15:1-11), the Apostle Paul says that “Christ died for our sins” (v.3). Some people think Christ did something for me, so I must do something for Him. In today’s Gospel reading from the 12th Sunday of Matthew (19:19-26), the Rich Young Ruler had a similar attitude. He wanted Jesus to scratch his back with ‘eternal life’ (v.16), so he asks Jesus how he can scratch His back by saying, “What good thing shall I do?” (v.16). But is this really how it works? Jesus gives us something and so we must give something back to Him? Not really, because God does not need anything from us or anyone else. 19to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:19)
If this is true, that God is whole and complete, why does Jesus tell the Rich Young Ruler to “keep the commandments” (v.17) in order to inherit “eternal life”? Because, it’s not God who needs something, it is we humans that need everything from God. The commandments were one of many gifts that God gave to us. Think of it this way, God made us—He gives us life (gift #1), God knows how we work so He gives us instructions--His commandments (gift #2)--so we also will know how we work best. Eternal life is also a gift (#3) that in a sense has already been given. We just need to know how to accept it or receive it.
Now, maybe we’re like the rich young ruler who says to Jesus, “All these things [the commandments enumerated by Jesus in vv.18-19] I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” (v.20). And Jesus tells him and us “Go, sell your possessions and give the money to the poor and follow Me” (v.21). How do we respond to that? Would we walk away from Jesus grieving and crying like the rich young ruler (v.22) or would you joyfully leave everything immediately, delighted that the Master invited us into His inner circle like the future Apostles Peter, James and John responded to the call of Christ (Tuesday 12th Week of Matthew Gospel – Mark 1:16-22)?
Over the past two millennia, millions of men and women have followed the literal command of the Lord by selling all their possessions to become monks, nuns and missionaries. We who are here today, have either not yet received this direct call or have rejected it. Yet, all of us, every single one of us, have received the same call to give generously and sacrificially to God and each other in the life of His Church. The biblical model for giving in order to support God’s house of worship and ministry is tithing, giving one tenth of our material wealth each year. [see Malachi 3:8-10 “In tithes and offerings”; Gen.14:17-20; Leviticus 27:30-32; Numbers 18:21-28; Deuteronomy 12:6,11,17; 14:22-28; 26:1,12,13; 2Chronicles 31:5-6,12; Nehemiah 10:37-38; 12:44; Amos 4:4; Matthew 23:23; Mark 12:41-44; Luke 18:12; Hebrews 7:5-9]
Our stewardship program for the current year is drawing to a close, and the program for the following year will begin in the next month or two. How will we respond to the letters, cards, phone calls and personal appeals? Will we delight in the opportunity to give or will we turn away in grief? Or will we get irritated, complaining because someone is asking us on behalf of Christ to give? Let’s face it, our church, our Metropolis of Chicago and our Archdiocese of America have not embraced and spread the message of tithing in stewardship giving.
At our Greek Festival this weekend a lot of people will ask how much money we make. A few will ask what we do with the money. Do we give it to charity? In fact, we only give a small percentage of all our Greek Festival revenue to charitable causes and the rest we use for the daily operating expenses. In other words, “thanks for coming to our festival and paying our bills for us”. Unfortunately, because of the lack of emphasis on tithing, this is true for most of 550 parishes throughout the Greek Archdiocese of America.
Some may say that all my giving to different churches and charities approximates ten percent of my income. However, this is not the biblical model. The tithe is meant for the local church alone. All other benevolent giving, also called offerings and almsgiving in the Scriptures, is above and beyond the tithe. God is not asking for most of us to sell everything. Rather, He is only asking for ten percent. We can keep the other ninety percent. How can we be sad about this? The government takes way more than this in taxes. Giving a tenth is much easier to accept when we realize that what we have or earn is not truly ours in the first place because everything we have, everything we receive is ultimately from God. It belongs to Him. He gave it to us first and in order to teach us the joy of giving, He only asks for us to give a tenth back to Him. He asks, God does not demand. The Church does not demand. God wants us to want to give a tithe freely, joyfully, with thanksgiving.
Some may say that I am not rich like the young ruler in today’s gospel. If I did have a larger income or an inheritance or a lot of investments or property or if I won the lottery, I would definitely be able to give more to God in His Church. The biblical model of tithing did not distinguish between rich or poor because it is based on proportional giving. It is not like our old system of dues which sets a fixed amount of giving for everyone. The more one has, the more they should give.
After the rich young ruler departs, Jesus says to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24And again I say to 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.” The statistics support what Jesus is saying because the more wealth and income one has, typically he or she actually gives less as a percentage to church and charity. The disciples’ respond to Christ’s statement saying, “Who then can be saved?” (v.25). In other words, and it is true today, most of us are rich. How can we be saved? Most of us have all the wealth we will ever need—more than enough.
Jesus’ response back to them is the key. He says, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (v.26). In other words, tithing, giving a tenth back to God, is a matter of faith. It is a test of our faith. If we debate that tithing is indeed what God commands, if we kind of pooh-pooh tithing as if does not apply to us, if we outright reject it saying, “I’m not giving any more money because of xyz reasons: then where is our faith in God? Jesus did not force the rich young ruler to sell everything. Neither does God, nor the Church force us to tithe. Yet, this is the command. We are to give. That will determine if we enter the kingdom. How the priest, the parish council, the bishop, the Metropolis council, the Archbishop and the Archdiocese council handle our tithing to the Church, that will determine if they enter the kingdom. It will be impossible for us to become tithers until we start exercising greater faith and trust in God. Like it or not, one of the main ways we express our faith in God is through our material giving to Him in the life of the Church. 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 26, 2018 13th SUNDAY OF MATTHEW
TODAY’S EVENTS: none.
Epistle Reader: Stephen Kanavati Prosfora: Rita Kanavati
Fellowship: Alice Kappos Head Greeters: Bill Clemons & Jimmy Theros
Wednesday 08-29 ORTHROS (8:00am) & DIVINE LITURGY- BEHEADING OF FORERUNNER 9:00AM
Office closed
Prep Social Hall for floor waxing – volunteers needed 11:00AM
Saturday 09-01 Move tables & chairs in social hall – volunteers needed 4:00PM
Sunday 09-02 ORTHROS (8:15am) & DIVINE LITURGY- 14th SUNDAY OF MATTHEW 9:30AM
Move tables & chairs in social hall – volunteers needed 11:00AM
Greek Dance practice 6:30PM
Monday 09-03 Labor Day Holiday – office closed
Tuesday 09-04 Catechism Class- Intro to Orthodoxy with Father Richard Andrews 7:00PM
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Sympathies & Prayers: to George Canas whose father, Chris, fell asleep in the Lord on August 22; funeral service was yesterday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. May his memory be eternal!
Exterior Restoration- began on Friday and will continue for about three weeks. Brick, block and tuckpointing will be repaired or replaced as needed. This project will cost $113,000. All parish council members and many others have already pledged financial support. Please join us in this important work. Thank you!
Metropolitan Nathanael in Twin Cities: on Wednesday September 12th as part of his listening tour throughout the Metropolis of Chicago. Our parish will host. 6pm Meet and Greet, 7-9pm Talk with Questions and Answers. Please rsvp online https://midwesttour.squarespace.com. If interested in helping host, please contact office.
Think About It: It is God’s task to administer the world and the soul’s task to guide the body. St. Thalassios the Libyan (7th cent.)
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!
Intro to Orthodoxy: a 12-week class on the basics of Eastern Orthodox Christianity will be held this Fall on Tuesday evenings 7-9pm beginning Tuesday, September 4th. The class is open to everyone, especially inquirers and those interested in converting to Orthodoxy. Classes are held at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Saint Paul, MN. See insert for details; register online atwww.meocca.org.
Thank you! To all the patrons and volunteers at our Greek Festival last 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/
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.
Lexington Parkway Construction Alert: Resurfacing project on Lexington Parkway between I-94 and Summit Avenue will cause major traffic disruptions and road closures beginning August 15.
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.
Wisdom from the Church Fathers: If we wish to escape the slavery of the passions let us not fool ourselves and make excuses for our sins. Neither let us philosophize salvation for Jesus Christ is not a philosophy, but a person, the Way, the Truth, the Life, with whom we must have a close relationship. St. Symeon the New Theologian (+1022)
Philoptochos: the first meeting will be on Sunday, September 9th at noon.
Youth: Sunday School begins on September 16th! Register with form (see Nathaniel) or online. Thank you to everyone who helped us out with the Greek Festival. It was amazing to see so many people giving their time and talents!
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.
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: Where love is expressed, there is Christ. And where humility exists, the grace of God takes up residence, reigns and transforms into Paradise. Where love and humility are absent, there the devil takes up his abode and causes people to live in hell already in this life jeopardizing their place in the next life. St. Paisios the Athonite (+1994)
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.
Sunday Fellowship Hour: If you have not served, not served recently, or would like to serve, please call Naomi Tsantir at 612-781-6485 to schedule. You can be paired up too. "Many hands make less work for all"
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.
Patristic Wisdom: Every good deed done for the sake of Christ gives us the grace of the Holy Spirit. But prayer gives us this grace most of all. We can pray anytime and anywhere. Prayer is always possible for everyone: rich and poor, noble and humble, strong and weak, healthy and sick, righteous and sinful. St. Seraphim of Sarov (+1833)
IOCC Emergency Kits: September is National Preparedness Month. IOCC is encouraging everyone to take the time to create emergency supply kits, for both your family and your parish. To assemble your kit, store items in airtight plastic bags, and put them all in one or two easy-to-carry containers. Be sure to include enough food, water, and medical supplies to last for at least 72 hours. See checklist inserted in today’s bulletin.
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 08-26-2018
MEOCCA Catechism Class Fall 2018
September 12 with Metropolitan Nathanael
Emergency Kits for National Preparedness Month