Sundays in the fall, winter & spring:
Matins: 9 a.m. & Divine Liturgy 10a.m. except during the summer
Summer hours for Sundays in July and August:
Matins: 8:30a.m. & Divine Liturgy 9:30a.m.
Fourth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Luke 24:1-12
On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel; and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of man must be delivered in to the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise." And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told this to the apostles; but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.
But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home wondering at what had happened.
The Reading is from Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7
IN THOSE DAYS, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said, "it is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." And what they said pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochoros, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaos, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands upon them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women
The Reading is from Mark 15:43-47; 16:1-8
At that time, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. And Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. And he bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.
And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 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 anyone, for they were afraid.
This Saint was Bishop of Amasia in Pontus, in the days of Licinius (reigned 308-324), fellow Emperor and brother-in-law of Saint Constantine the Great. Licinius' wife Constantia, sister of Saint Constantine, had as handmaid a virgin named Glaphyra. When it became known that Licinius had conceived a sinful desire for her. Constantia secretly sent Glaphyra away to the East. Coming to Amasia, she took refuge with Saint Basileus. When Licinius learned of this, he furiously commanded that both be brought before him. When the soldiers came for them, however, Saint Glaphyra had already departed to the Lord; she is also commemorated this day. Saint Basileus was taken alone to Nicomedia, where he was beheaded. His body was cast into the sea, but through divine revelation was found again and brought back to Amasia.
About the beginning of His thirty-second year, when the Lord Jesus was going throughout Galilee, preaching and working miracles, many women who had received of His beneficence left their own homeland and from then on followed after Him. They ministered unto Him out of their own possessions, even until His crucifixion and entombment; and afterwards, neither losing faith in Him after His death, nor fearing the wrath of the Jewish rulers, they came to the sepulchre, bearing the myrrh-oils they had prepared to annoint His body. It is because of the myrrh-oils, that these God-loving women brought to the tomb of Jesus that they are called the Myrrh-bearers. Of those whose names are known are the following: first of all, the most holy Virgin Mary, who in Matthew 27:56 and Mark 15:40 is called "the mother of James and Joses" (these are the sons of Joseph by a previous marriage, and she was therefore their step-mother); Mary Magdalene (celebrated July 22); Mary, the wife of Clopas; Joanna, wife of Chouza, a steward of Herod Antipas; Salome, the mother of the sons of Zebedee, Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus; and Susanna. As for the names of the rest of them, the evangelists have kept silence (Matt 27:55-56; 28:1-10. Mark 15:40-41. Luke 8:1-3; 23:55-24:11, 22-24. John 19:25; 20:11-18. Acts 1:14).
Together with them we celebrate also the secret disciples of the Saviour, Joseph and Nicodemus. Of these, Nicodemus was probably a Jerusalemite, a prominent leader among the Jews and of the order of the Pharisees, learned in the Law and instructed in the Holy Scriptures. He had believed in Christ when, at the beginning of our Saviour's preaching of salvation, he came to Him by night. Furthermore, he brought some one hundred pounds of myrrh-oils and an aromatic mixture of aloes and spices out of reverence and love for the divine Teacher (John 19:39). Joseph, who was from the city of Arimathea, was a wealthy and noble man, and one of the counsellors who were in Jerusalem. He went boldly unto Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and together with Nicodemus he gave Him burial. Since time did not permit the preparation of another tomb, he placed the Lord's body in his own tomb which was hewn out of rock, as the Evangelist says (Matt. 27:60).
Symeon was a first cousin of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was the son of Clopas (or Cleopas, also called Alphaeus), the brother of Joseph the Betrothed. He became the second Bishop of Jerusalem, as a successor to James the Brother of God. He ended his life when he was crucified during the reign of Trajan, in 107, at the age of 120.
These holy Martyrs, who were from various regions, suffered martyrdom together when they were beheaded in Cyzicus, a city in Asia Minor on the southern coast of the Sea of Marmara.
Both of these Saints were disciples of the Apostle Paul, who mentions them in his Epistle to the Romans, saying: "Jason and Sosipater my kinsmen greet you" (16:21). Jason was from Tarsus of Cilicia, and became bishop there. Sosipater was from Patras of Achaia, and became Bishop of Iconium. When they had shepherded their churches well for a long time, they departed west that they might profit others also, and arrived finally at the island of Corfu, where they were the first to preach the Gospel to its people. They suffered many things for Christ's Name, drew many souls to salvation, and finished the course of their life there. In the ancient city of Corfu, a church from the first centuries, built in their honour and bearing inscriptions that mention the Saints by name, verifies the historical account concerning them.
James was one of the Twelve, like his brother John (celebrated on Sept. 26), whom the Lord called "Sons of Thunder," because they became great preachers and because of their profound theology. It was the Saint's boldness in preaching the Gospel that Herod Agrippa, the son of Aristobulus and grandson of Herod the Great, could not endure, and so he took him into custody during the days of the Passover, and slew him with the sword (Acts 12: 1-2); and thus he drank the cup of which the Saviour had spoken to him prophetically (Matt. 20:23). As for Herod, the following year he went down to Caesarea, and, as the Acts of the Apostles records: "Upon a set day, Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration" to the elders of Tyre and Sidon; and the flatterers that surrounded him "gave a shout, saying, 'it is the voice of a god, and not of a man.' And immediately an Angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory; and like his grandfather (see Dec. 29) "he was eaten of worms and gave up the spirit" (Acts 12:21-23)
This great Prophet of God, Jeremias, who loved his brethren and lamented for them greatly, who prayed much for the people and the Holy City, was the son of Helkias of the tribe of Levi, from the city of Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. He was sanctified from his mother's womb, as the Lord Himself said concerning him: "Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth from the womb, I sanctified thee; I appointed thee a prophet to the nations" (Jer. 1:5). He prophesied for thirty years, from 613 to 583 B.C. During the last captivity of the people in the reign of Sedekias, when only a few were left behind to cultivate the land, this Prophet remained with them by the permission of Nabuzardan, the captain of the guard under Nabuchodonosor. He wept and lamented inconsolably over the desolation of Jerusalem and the enslavement of his people. But even the few that remained behind transgressed again, and fearing the vengeance of the Chaldeans, they fled into Egypt, forcibly taking with them Jeremias and Baruch his disciple and scribe. There he prophesied concerning Egypt and other nations, and he was stoned to death in Taphnas by his own people about the year 583 B.C., since they would not endure to hear the truth of his words and his just rebukes. His book of prophecy is divided into fifty-one chapters, and his book of lamentation into five; he is ranked second among the greater Prophets. His name means "Yah is exalted."
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Christos Anesti! CHRIST IS RISEN! Alethos Anesti! TRULY HE IS RISEN!
Orthodox Christians greet each other with the joyous greeting “Christ is Risen” and the response is “Truly (indeed) He is Risen”. During the Paschal period, we do not kneel during our worship, as kneeling is a symbol of penitence, whereas, standing is the sign of Christ’s victory and joy in our midst.
Memorial: One year memorial for Connie Mellides, beloved wife to George Mellides. Beloved daughter to Frank and Labia Doumanis. Beloved mother to Stacey Hawley, Evan Mellides and Lauren Venekas, mother-in-law to Sean Hawley, Amy Mellides, Dimitri Venekas. Beloved grandmother to Katelyn, Ashley and Stephen Hawley, Maura, Alaina and Zachary Mellides. Beloved sister to Marina Mairagas, Steve and John Doumanis.
Beloved godmother and aunt to many nieces and nephews. Eternal be her memory. Fellowship hour is sponsored by the Mellides family
40 Day Blessing: Today we welcome into the church for the traditional infant and motherhood blessing
Iliana Karras, the daughter of Mark and Nicole. Congratulations!
Kali Parea (Good Company): Will meet this Tuesday, May 5th at noon in our fellowship hall. Lunch and dessert will be served. See you there!
Orthros: 9:00AM Epistle: Acts 9:32-42 (pg. 1271) |
Divine Liturgy: 10:00AM Gospel: John 5:1-15 (pg. 1240) |
Acolytes: Christian Essner, Justin Gikas, Doug Hermo, Dan Hermo, Lucas Shoshilos, Willliam Karanikolas
Narthex: Rea Hunter, Ron Grant, Nick Karras
Ushers: Peggy Goulet, Nick Karras, Nick Pirsos |
Reader & Greeter: GOYA
Fellowship Hour Sons of Pericles & Maids of Athena
Prosforon: The Mellides Family
Artoclasia: The Mellides Family |
AHEPA Ramapo 453 is hosting the 12th ANNUAL CIGAR EXTRAVAGANZA DINNER to benefit the EDUCATION, FACILITY and COMMUNITY OUTREACH programs of AHEPA and SAINT NICHOLAS. Join us on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 at SEASON’S in Washington Twp. NJ. Event starts at 6:30p.m. until? Dress is “Smart Casual”. Non-smokers welcome to enjoy the fabulous dinner and music. Smoking is segregated outdoors only. Donation $160/person. Contact Angelo Lefer at 201-638-5498 /angelo5763@msn.com or Nick Pirsos at 201-268-1830 / pirsos100@verizon.net or John Tsadilas at 201-707-2657 / jtsadilas@verizon.net. Please visit our web page at: www.ahepa453.org for further information.
Saint Nicholas Charity Golf Classic:The “19th Annual Saint Nicholas Charity Golf Classic” will be held on Monday, June 22, 2015 at the Haworth Country Club in Haworth, NJ. Contact Charlie Charllis at 201-245-6057 or Chris Pappas at 201-444-6860. There are also other ways to support this great event. If you can't participate as a golfer or as a sponsor, you may make a monetary donation; donate gift card(s), gift basket(s) or gifts to help create a basket. Your generosity will be appreciated! For additional information contact Claire Melissas at 201-742-5521 happyfaceyiayia@aol.com
Save the Dates: Vacation Church School (August 3-7) Saint Nicholas VCS returns this year, for five days! We are excited for another fun and educational week! Stay tuned for registration information. If you have any questions, contact Sam Williams at youth@stnicholasnj.org or at 201 652 4774 ext. 15
Summer at Camp Good Shepherd CGS (linwood macdonald ymca) Branchville, NJ: CGS is the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of NJ overnight summer camp experience that features faith, fellowship and fun! 3 sessions- ages 8-12 attend (JOY) July 12-18; ages 12-18 attend GOYA week 1: July 19-25 and/or GOYA week 2: July 26-Aug. 1. For more information, contact Sam Williams at youth@stnicholasnj.org.
The Annual Greek Festival is Returning on September 25-27! St. Nicholas Church needs your service and talents to make our Festival a success and a fun event that our children and grandchildren can continue to experience. Do you have skills in cooking and leading the kitchen, baking, contractor/carpentry skills for set up, communication and people skills for our workforce …or just volunteer your help and we will get you involved. Making a difference is rewarding and can be fun. Contact Fr. Bill at frbill@stnicholasnj.org or Evans Agrapidis at ecagrapidis@aol.com or 201-835-9007. “Always strive to put your time and talents to good use for the benefit of others.”
Prayers for our Loved Ones: We have developed a community prayer chain that you can sign up for and join simply by providing email contact information. The baptismal first names of your loved ones will be in an expanded group email that will be sent when urgent prayer requests are received by the church or our group. When a need arises, a brief and simple email will go out asking everyone on the list to simply whisper a prayer for that person or family the moment they receive the email and as the Lord leads them to in the days ahead. In this day and age when practically everyone is on either email and/or text we can reach so many, so quickly, and could they not spare a moment to pray? The prayer of the righteous person avails much. Contact Irene Ayvas at iayvas@yahoo.com to have someone added to the prayer chain.
Our Offerings: Stewardship is composed of our personal offering of our “first fruits” according to Holy Scripture. Stewardship is not dues. Because offerings of time and talent are more difficult to measure, one gauge of our personal response to God is our average “treasure” pledge per steward household. Thus far in 2015, we have 268 steward households pledging a total of $255,179. It takes approximately $1200/household per year to cover the parish’s annual operating expenses or $100/month per household, estimating 500 steward households. Thank you for your love, your labor and your response to our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.