St. Stephen Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2018-09-30
Bulletin Contents
Exaltation
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St. Stephen Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (707)235-0316
  • Street Address:

  • 11055 Hirschfeld Way

  • Rancho Cordova, CA 95670


Contact Information




Services Schedule

 

Saturday

Vespers: 3:00pm

Sunday

Matins: 8:45am

Liturgy: 10:00am


Past Bulletins


Saints and Feasts

Exaltation
September 27

The Elevation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross

Saint Helen, the mother of Saint Constantine the Great, when she was already advanced in years, undertook, in her great piety, the hardships of a journey to Jerusalem in search of the cross, about the year 325. A temple to Aphrodite had been raised up by the Emperor Hadrian upon Golgotha, to defile and cover with oblivion the place where the saving Passion had been suffered. The venerable Helen had the statue of Aphrodite destroyed, and the earth removed, revealing the Tomb of our Lord, and three crosses. Of these, it was believed that one must be that of our Lord, the other two of the thieves crucified with Him; but Saint Helen was at a loss which one might be the Wood of our salvation. At the inspiration of Saint Macarius, Archbishop of Jerusalem, a lady of Jerusalem, who was already at the point of death from a certain disease, was brought to touch the crosses, and as soon as she came near to the Cross of our Lord, she was made perfectly whole. Consequently, the precious Cross was lifted on high by Archbishop Macarius of Jerusalem; as he stood on the ambo, and when the people beheld it, they cried out, "Lord have mercy." It should be noted that after its discovery, a portion of the venerable Cross was taken to Constantinople as a blessing. The rest was left in Jerusalem in the magnificent church built by Saint Helen, until the year 614. At that time, the Persians plundered Palestine and took the Cross to their own country (see Jan. 22, Saint Anastasius the Persian). Late, in the year 628, Emperor Heraclius set out on a military campaign, retrieved the Cross, and after bringing it to Constantinople, himself escorted it back to Jerusalem, where he restored it to its place.

Rest from labour. A Fast is observed today, whatever day of the week it may be.


Nikitas
September 28

Nikitas the Great Martyr

This Saint was of high birth among the Goths beyond the Danube River. He was taken by Athanaric, pagan ruler of the Goths, and after being tortured, was burned to death for his confession of Christ. According to some, this took place during the reign of Saint Constantine the Great; according to others, under the Emperor Gratian.


Euthemia
September 29

Euphemia the Great Martyr

Saint Euphemia was from Chalcedon and lived in virginity. According to some, she suffered martyrdom during the reign of Diocletian, in 303; according to others, in 307. Her sacred relics are preserved in the Patriarchate in Constantinople.


Sophia
September 30

Sophia & her three daughters: Faith, Hope, and Love

These Saints were from Italy and contested for the Faith about the year 126, during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. Faith was twelve years old, Hope, ten, and Love, nine; each was tormented and then beheaded, from the eldest to the youngest. Their mother Sophia mourned at their grave for three days, where she also fell asleep in peace; because of her courageous endurance in the face of her daughters' sufferings, she is also counted a martyr. The name Sophia means "wisdom" in Greek; as for her daughters' names, Faith, Hope, and Love (Charity), they are Pistis, Elpis, and Agape in Greek, and Vera, Nadezhda, and Lyubov in Russian.


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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Seventh Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 20:1-10

On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.

Seventh Orthros Gospel
يوحنا 20: 1-10

1 في ذلك الزمان وفِي أَوَّلِ الأُسْبُوعِ جَاءَتْ مَرْيَمُ الْمَجْدَلِيَّةُ إِلَى الْقَبْرِ بَاكِراً، وَالظّلاَمُ بَاقٍ. فَنَظَرَتِ الْحَجَرَ مَرْفُوعاً عَنِ الْقَبْرِ. 2فَرَكَضَتْ وَجَاءَتْ إِلَى سِمْعَانَ بُطْرُسَ وَإِلَى التِّلْمِيذِ الآخَرِ الَّذِي كَانَ يَسُوعُ يُحِبُّهُ، وَقَالَتْ لَهُمَا: ((أَخَذُوا السَّيِّدَ مِنَ الْقَبْرِ، وَلَسْنَا نَعْلَمُ أَيْنَ وَضَعُوهُ!)). 3فَخَرَجَ بُطْرُسُ وَالتِّلْمِيذُ الآخَرُ وَأَتَيَا إِلَى الْقَبْرِ. 4وَكَانَ الاِثْنَانِ يَرْكُضَانِ مَعاً. فَسَبَقَ التِّلْمِيذُ الآخَرُ بُطْرُسَ وَجَاءَ أَوَّلاً إِلَى الْقَبْرِ، 5وَانْحَنَى فَنَظَرَ الأَكْفَانَ مَوْضُوعَةً، وَلَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يَدْخُلْ. 6ثُمَّ جَاءَ سِمْعَانُ بُطْرُسُ يَتْبَعُهُ، وَدَخَلَ الْقَبْرَ وَنَظَرَ الأَكْفَانَ مَوْضُوعَةً، 7وَالْمِنْدِيلَ الَّذِي كَانَ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ لَيْسَ مَوْضُوعاً مَعَ الأَكْفَانِ، بَلْ مَلْفُوفاً فِي مَوْضِعٍ وَحْدَهُ. 8فَحِينَئِذٍ دَخَلَ أَيْضاً التِّلْمِيذُ الآخَرُ الَّذِي جَاءَ أَوَّلاً إِلَى الْقَبْرِ، وَرَأَى فَآمَنَ، 9لأَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَكُونُوا بَعْدُ يَعْرِفُونَ الْكِتَابَ: أَنَّهُ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَقُومَ مِنَ الأَمْوَاتِ. 10فَمَضَى التِّلْمِيذَانِ أَيْضاً إِلَى مَوْضِعِهِمَا. 

 

 


Gospel Reading

The Reading is from Mark 8:34-38; 9:1

The Lord said: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."

مرقس 8: 34-38 ، 9: 1

34 في ذلك الزمان دَعَا يسوع الْجَمْعَ مَعَ تَلاَمِيذِهِ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: ((مَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ وَرَائِي فَلْيُنْكِرْ نَفْسَهُ وَيَحْمِلْ صَلِيبَهُ وَيَتْبَعْنِي. 35فَإِنَّ مَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يُخَلِّصَ نَفْسَهُ يُهْلِكُهَا، وَمَنْ يُهْلِكُ نَفْسَهُ مِنْ أَجْلِي وَمِنْ أَجْلِ الإِنْجِيلِ فَهُوَ يُخَلِّصُهَا. 36لأَنَّهُ مَاذَا يَنْتَفِعُ الإِنْسَانُ لَوْ رَبِحَ الْعَالَمَ كُلَّهُ وَخَسِرَ نَفْسَهُ؟ 37أَوْ مَاذَا يُعْطِي الإِنْسَانُ فِدَاءً عَنْ نَفْسِهِ؟ 38لأَنَّ مَنِ اسْتَحَى بِي وَبِكَلاَمِي فِي هَذَا الْجِيلِ الْفَاسِقِ الْخَاطِئِ، فَإِنَّ ابْنَ الإِنْسَانِ يَسْتَحِي بِهِ مَتَى جَاءَ بِمَجْدِ أَبِيهِ مَعَ الْمَلاَئِكَةِ الْقِدِّيسِينَ)).1 وَقَالَ لَهُمُ: ((الْحَقَّ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ: إِنَّ مِنَ الْقِيَامِ هَهُنَا قَوْماً لاَ يَذُوقُونَ الْمَوْتَ حَتَّى يَرَوْا مَلَكُوتَ اللَّهِ قَدْ أَتَى بِقُوَّةٍ)).

 

 


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Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion of Elevation of the Holy Cross in the First Tone

Lord, save Your people and bless Your inheritance, granting our rulers to prevail over adversaries, and protecting Your commonwealth by Your Cross.

Kontakion of Elevation of the Holy Cross in the Fourth Tone

Lifted up on the Cross by Your free will, Christ God, grant mercies to the new commonwealth that bears Your name. Gladden our faithful rulers by Your power, giving them victories over their adversaries. May Your alliance be for them a weapon for peace, an invincible standard.
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Wisdom of the Fathers

The sign that thou lovest God, is this, that thou lovest thy fellow; and if thou hatest thy fellow, thy hatred is towards God. For it is blasphemy if thou prayest before God while thou art wroth. For thy heart also convicts thee, that in vain thou multipliest words: thy conscience rightly judges that in thy prayers thou profitest nought.
St. Ephraim the Syrian
ON ADMONITION AND REPENTANCE.

Let us then, bearing in mind all the things which have been said, show forth great love even towards our enemies; and let us ease away that ridiculous custom, to which many of the more thoughtless give way, waiting for those that meet them to address them first.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 18 on Matthew 5, 4th Century

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Announcements

Thursday, September 27th 

Divine Liturgy for the

Exaltation of the Precious Cross

  at 6:00 pm

 

 

Saturday, October 6th 

 Fall Hafleh 

  at 6:00 pm

 

Saturday, October 20th 

Family Night

Movie, Pizza, and Q&A's

at 6:00 pm

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Forms & Flyers

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