Weekly Update

GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST!

Stewardship Thank You from the Parish Board

During this time of pandemic and uncertainty, you, the faithful of St. Nicholas parish, have continued to be diligent in keeping up with stewardship contributions. You have made your offerings to the Lord in such a way that it is an ongoing source of encouragement to the Parish Board as we seek to discern the Lord's will in our parish community. The money is just a tool to do God's work, but we also take it as a symbol of your engagement and commitment to that work being done through our parish. On behalf of Father Charles and the Parish Board, thank you all, and may the Lord continue to bless your generosity.

Dormition Fast Begins

The Dormition Fast begins on Saturday 1 August. This begins our preparation for one of the most holy feasts of the Church, the Dormition (Falling Asleep) of our Most Holy Lady, The Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. All are encouraged to take the time to view this 15-minute video which offers an excellent overview of the feast and teachings and practices of the Holy Church concerning it. At St. Nicholas we will celebrate the traditional Paraklesis service during the fast, according to the following schedule. We encourage everyone to join us for at least one (and preferably all of these very special supplicatory services.

Paraklesis schedule:

Sunday 2 August: 4pm
Wednesday 5 August: 7pm
Sunday 9 August: 4pm
Wednesday 12 August: 7pm

Feast of the Transfiguration

The Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord (6 August) celebrates the appearance in glory (metamorphosis) of Christ on Mount Tabor, revealing His glory to His disciples Peter, James and John "as far as they could bear it." Read more about this feast of the Church here. Following the Divine Liturgy we have the traditional blessing of the fruit, which all are invited to bring to church for the feast.

Thursday 6 August: Divine Liturgy, 8am (followed by blessing of the fruit)

Upcoming Activities

Saturday 1 August, 3pm: Sacristy cleanout and cleanup
Saturday 8 August (time to be announced): Altar server training

Signup Links

St. Nicholas Live Streaming Services

A reminder that the Divine Liturgy is livestreamed each Sunday here on the St. Nicholas Greenwood YouTube channel -- don't forget to subscribe to the channel to receive updates
Virtual Coffee Hour: Connect via Zoom, beginning at 11:30am: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83508000853

Opportunities to Serve Your Neighbor

As we celebrate the Lord's Resurrection, we must continue to remember the critical importance of loving our neighbor (Mt 22:34-40), as the Lord commanded us to do ( "my neighbor is my salvation"). Love is demonstrated both in prayer and deed. Please remember your neighbors in this time of acute need. Here are some specific ways to help:

Virginia hospitals across the state are experiencing a severe shortage of blood, and the UVA Medical Center is encouraging healthy and eligible individuals to contact the American Red Cross to make an appointment to donate. Our Archbishop Daniel and our seminarians have already done so!
Cultivate Charlottesville, Blue Ridge Area Food Bank and its network, Cville Community Cares, and Albemarle County’s Equity and Inclusion Office have worked together in various combinations to create the food availability schedules and a beautiful new online Food Map showing some of the food resources on our City and County. (Source: Charlottesville Community Cares' Newsletter June 23)
Grace Grocery, our neighborhood food pantry at Crozet United Methodist Church, has several volunteer opportunities including set up, client help and clean up for food distributions, unloading food from truck, computer assistant, which are listed on the website. They provide training for first time volunteers. You can ask to be placed on their volunteer email list. Email: foodpantry@crozetunitedmethodist.org Phone: 434-823-4420
Please also keep an eye on Support Charlottesville, which is a hub for opportunities to give (and receive) material support. This is a very good way to stay informed, get involved and help your neighbors in need.

Stewardship Reminder

Despite the current (temporary) modification to the parish's schedule of services, meetings, and events, all parishioners are reminded of the pledges they have made as part of their stewardship commitment of time, talent and treasure. Some parishioners may encounter financial hardship during this time of crisis, and we can only give as we are able. That said, the parish must continue to meet its budgetary obligations and operating expenses. Please continue sending your contributions by to the church via US Mail:

St. Nicholas Orthodox Church

PO Box 6981

Charlottesville, VA 22906

Special Intentions, Needs and Requests

A reminder to contact Father directly (fr.charles@mailbox.org | 443-204-4542) with any special prayer requests, intentions or concerns/needs, and he will make sure these are addressed.

Recent Prayer Requests

+All who have reposed in the Lord this week due to the pandemic

+Syl (newly-departed, great uncle to Stephanie J.), and for Mable

+Sam (friend of Darya L.)

Marcia (friend of Sue M., healing)

Gabriel (catechumen)

Tatiana (illness)

Liubov (mother of Anya B., healing)

Nicholas (friend of Sue M., healing)

Karen B. (healing)

Mary S. (healing)

Dorian (health and protection)

Chaplain Robby (serving those in prison)

Chaplain Joseph (serving those in prison)

Bill (mission work)

Elaine (mission work)

Fr. Robert and Pani Dobrodyka Christine (retirement)

All those working in defense of human dignity, justice and equality during this time of unrest

The hungry and the homeless, and all those struggling with mental illness and infirmity

All children born and unborn and for their parents

All those struggling financially during the pandemic, and for those whose basic necessities are out of reach

All medical personnel, first responders and others ministering to the sick, and those rendering vital services to their neighbors

All those in high-risk populations during this pandemic

Schedule of Upcoming Services

Saturday 1 August: Dormition Fast Begins

Sunday 2 August
9am: 3rd & 6th Hours
9:30am: Divine Liturgy

4pm: Paraklesis (Dormition Fast)

Wednesday 5 August

7pm: Paraklesis (Dormition Fast)

Thursday 6 August: Feast of the Transfiguration

8am: Divine Liturgy, followed by the blessing of the fruit

Sunday 9 August
9am: 3rd & 6th Hours
9:30am: Divine Liturgy

4pm: Paraklesis (Dormition Fast)

Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 7th Tone

By Thy Cross Thou didst destroy death. To the thief Thou didst open Paradise. For the Myrrhbearers Thou didst change weeping into joy, and Thou didst command Thy disciples, O Christ God, to proclaim that Thou art risen, granting the world great mercy.

Apolytikion for Translation of the relics of Stephen in the 4th Tone

The crown of the Kingdom hath adorned the brow of thy head because of the contests that thou hast endured for Christ God, thou first of the martyred Saints; for when thou hadst censured the Jews' madness, thou sawest Christ thy Saviour standing at the right hand of the Father. O Stephen, ever pray Him for us, that He would save our souls.

Resurrectional Kontakion in the 7th Tone

The dominion of death can no longer hold men captive, for Christ descended, shattering and destroying its powers. Hell is bound, while the Prophets rejoice and cry: “The Savior has come to those in faith; enter, you faithful, into the Resurrection!”

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Eighth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 20:11-18

At that time, Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that He had said these things to her.

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 7th Tone. 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 the Corinthians 1:10-17.

Brethren, I appeal to you by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brethren. What I mean is that each one of you says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas," or "I belong to Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispos and Gaius; lest any one should say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Gospel Reading

8th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 14:14-22

At that time, Jesus saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves." Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." They said to him, "We have only five loaves here and two fish." And he said, "Bring them here to me." Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. Then he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.

Wisdom of the Fathers

And another thing too we learn, the self-restraint of the disciples which they practised in necessary things, and how little they accounted of food.

St. John Chrysostom

Homily 49 on Matthew 14, 4th Century

For being twelve, they had five loaves only and two fishes; so secondary to them were the things of the body: so did they cling to the things spiritual only. And not even that little did they hold fast, but gave up even it when asked.

St. John Chrysostom

Homily 49 on Matthew 14, 4th Century

The miracle of the bread revealed the One through Whom the soil, when planted with seed, multiplies. What was done invisibly, once brought to light, proclaimed Who it is that always works invisibly. It was not only at that time that Jesus with five loaves does many great things. In the world He was not idle or inactive but was always at work feeding everyone and taking nothing for Himself. Because He was unknown, therefore, He came feeding, eating and feeding, so that through those things that are seen, He Who was unseen might appear.

Eusebius of Emesa

Homily 8.12. Taken from: Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. Vol: Matthew 14-28. Intervarsity Press, 2002, p. 9.

Saints and Feasts

August 02

Translation of the Relics of Stephen the Protomartyr

After the First Martyr had been stoned to death (see Dec. 27), Gamaliel, his teacher, encouraged certain of the Christians to go by night and take up the Saint's body and bury it in his field, which was at a distance of some twenty miles from Jerusalem and was called by his name, "Kaphar-gamala," that is, "the field of Gamala," where Gamaliel himself was later buried. About the year 427, a certain pious man called Lucian, who was the parish priest of a church near to that field, received from God a revelation in a dream concerning the place where the First Martyr was buried. He immediately made this known to John, the Patriarch of Jerusalem. Thus, coming to the place indicated, and digging there, they found a box with the word "Stephen" in Aramaic letters. On opening it, they took these most sacred relics and transferred them to Jerusalem with great honor and in the company of a very great multitude of the faithful.