St. Stephen Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2019-01-27
Bulletin Contents
Allsaint
Organization Icon
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

Allsaint
January 25

Tatiana the Martyr of Rome

Saint Tatiana was the daughter of a most distinguished consul of Rome. She became a deaconess of the Church, and for her confession of the Faith of Christ, she endured many torments. As she was suffering, angels punished her tormentors with the same torments they inflicted on her, until they cried out that they could no longer endure the scourges invisibly brought upon them. She was beheaded during the reign of Alexander Severus (111-135).


Allsaint
January 26

The Holy Martyrs Hermylus and Stratonicus

Saints Hermylus and Stratonicus contested for piety's sake during the reign of Licinius, in the year 314. Saint Hermylus was a deacon, and Stratonicus was his friend. For his confession of Christ, Hermylus was beaten so fiercely that his whole body was covered with wounds. Stratonicus, seeing him endure this and other torments that left him half dead, wept with grief for his friend. From this he was discovered to be a Christian, and when he had openly professed his Faith and had been beaten, he and Hermylus were cast into the Danube River, receiving the crown of martyrdom.


Allsaint
January 27

Sabbas (Sava), Archbishop of Serbia

Saint Sabbas (Sava), the first Archbishop and teacher of the Serbs, and the most beloved of all the Saints of Serbia, was born in 1169, and was named Rastko by his parents. He was the son of Stephen Nemanja, the ruler of Serbia, who is better known as Saint Symeon the Myrrh-streamer (see Feb. 13). As a young man, Rastko fled secretly to the Holy Mountain, Athos, to the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon. When his father learned of his flight, he sent soldiers after him. Before they could seize him, he was tonsured a monk with the name of Sabbas, after Saint Sabbas the Sanctified (celebrated Dec. 5). Soon after, he entered the Monastery of Vatopedi, where his father joined him in 1197. Together they rebuilt the Monastery of Hilandar and made it a great spiritual center for their countrymen. In 1200 Saint Symeon reposed, and his body became a source of holy myrrh; in 1204 Saint Sabbas was compelled to return to Serbia with his father's relics, that he might restore peace between his two brothers, who were struggling over the rule of the kingdom. The grace of Saint Symeon's relics, and the mediations of Saint Sabbas, healed the division between his brethren. After persuading the Emperor in Constantinople and the Ecumenical Patriarch to grant autocephaly to the Serbian Church, the Saint against his will was ordained first Archbishop of his native land in 1219, where he labored diligently to establish the Orthodox Faith. In 1221 he crowned his brother Stephen first King of Serbia (the memory of Saint Stephen, First Crowned King of Serbia, is kept on September 24). In 1234, foreseeing by divine grace his coming departure to the Lord, he resigned the archiepiscopal throne, named his disciple Arsenius as his successor, and made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Mount Sinai; while returning through Bulgaria, he fell asleep in peace in 1236. Because he has been ever since the national hero of Serbia and an invincible bulwark strengthening the Orthodox Faith, the Moslem Turks burned his incorrupt relics in the year 1594. See also June 28.


BACK TO TOP

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

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.

Second Orthros Gospel
مرقس 16: 1-8

1وَبَعْدَمَا مَضَى السَّبْتُ، اشْتَرَتْ مَرْيَمُ الْمَجْدَلِيَّةُ وَمَرْيَمُ أُمُّ يَعْقُوبَ وَسَالُومَةُ، حَنُوطاً لِيَأْتِينَ وَيَدْهَنَّهُ. 2وَبَاكِراً جِدّاً فِي أَوَّلِ الأُسْبُوعِ أَتَيْنَ إِلَى الْقَبْرِ إِذْ طَلَعَتِ الشَّمْسُ. 3وَكُنَّ يَقُلْنَ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُنَّ: ((مَنْ يُدَحْرِجُ لَنَا الْحَجَرَ عَنْ بَابِ الْقَبْرِ؟)) 4فَتَطَلَّعْنَ وَرَأَيْنَ أَنَّ الْحَجَرَ قَدْ دُحْرِجَ! لأَنَّهُ كَانَ عَظِيماً جِدّاً. 5وَلَمَّا دَخَلْنَ الْقَبْرَ رَأَيْنَ شَابّاً جَالِساً عَنِ الْيَمِينِ لاَبِساً حُلَّةً بَيْضَاءَ، فَانْدَهَشْنَ. 6فَقَالَ لَهُنَّ: ((لاَ تَنْدَهِشْنَ! أَنْتُنَّ تَطْلُبْنَ يَسُوعَ النَّاصِرِيَّ الْمَصْلُوبَ. قَدْ قَامَ! لَيْسَ هُوَ هَهُنَا. هُوَذَا الْمَوْضِعُ الَّذِي وَضَعُوهُ فِيهِ. 7لَكِنِ اذْهَبْنَ وَقُلْنَ لِتَلاَمِيذِهِ وَلِبُطْرُسَ: إِنَّهُ يَسْبِقُكُمْ إِلَى الْجَلِيلِ. هُنَاكَ تَرَوْنَهُ كَمَا قَالَ لَكُمْ)). 8فَخَرَجْنَ سَرِيعاً وَهَرَبْنَ مِنَ الْقَبْرِ، لأَنَّ الرِّعْدَةَ وَالْحَيْرَةَ أَخَذَتَاهُنَّ. وَلَمْ يَقُلْنَ لأَحَدٍ شَيْئاً لأَنَّهُنَّ كُنَّ خَائِفَاتٍ.

 

 


Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 6th Tone. Psalm 31.11,1.
Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous.
Verse: Blessed are they whose transgressions have been forgiven.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 3:12-16.

BRETHREN, take care lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we share in Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end, while it is said, "Today, when you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." Who were they that heard and yet were rebellious? Was it not all those who left Egypt under the leadership of Moses?

البروكيمنون. 6th Tone. مزمور 31: 11، 1.
ابتهجوا بالرب وتهللوا يا أبراره
طوبى للذي غُفرت آثامه

فصل من رسالة بولس الى العبرانيين 3: 12-16.

يَُّا إِخْوَة، اُنْظُرُوا أَنْ لاَ يَكُونَ فِي أَحَدِكُمْ قَلْبٌ شِرِّيرٌ بِعَدَمِ إِيمَانٍ فِي الاِرْتِدَادِ عَنِ اللهِ الْحَيِّ، بَلْ عِظُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ، مَا دَامَ الْوَقْتُ يُدْعَى الْيَوْمَ، لِكَيْ لاَ يُقَسَّى أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ بِغُرُورِ الْخَطِيَّةِ. لأَنَّنَا قَدْ صِرْنَا شُرَكَاءَ الْمَسِيحِ، إِنْ تَمَسَّكْنَا بِبَدَاءَةِ الثِّقَةِ ثَابِتَةً إِلَى النِّهَايَةِ، إِذْ قِيلَ: ((الْيَوْمَ إِنْ سَمِعْتُمْ صَوْتَهُ فَلاَ تُقَسُّوا قُلُوبَكُمْ، كَمَا فِي الإِسْخَاطِ)). فَمَنْ هُمُ الَّذِينَ إِذْ سَمِعُوا أَسْخَطُوا؟ أَلَيْسَ جَمِيعُ الَّذِينَ خَرَجُوا مِنْ مِصْرَ بِوَاسِطَةِ مُوسَى؟


Gospel Reading

The Reading is from Luke 18:18-27

At that time, a ruler came to Jesus and asked him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.' " And he said, "All these I have observed from my youth." And when Jesus heard it, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." But when he heard this he became sad, for he was very rich. Jesus looking at him said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For 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." Those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" But he said, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

لوقا 18: 18-27

18 في ذلك الزمان دنا إلى يسوع إنسان مجرباً له وقائلاً: ((أَيُّهَا الْمُعَلِّمُ الصَّالِحُ ، مَاذَا أَعْمَلُ لأَرِثَ الْحَيَاةَ الأَبَدِيَّةَ؟)) 19فَقَالَ لَهُ يَسُوعُ: ((لِمَاذَا تَدْعُونِي صَالِحاً؟ لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ صَالِحاً إِلاَّ وَاحِدٌ وَهُوَ اللهُ. 20أَنْتَ تَعْرِفُ الْوَصَايَا: لاَ تَزْنِ. لاَ تَقْتُلْ. لاَ تَسْرِقْ. لاَ تَشْهَدْ بِالزُّورِ. أَكْرِمْ أَبَاكَ وَأُمَّكَ)). 21فَقَالَ: ((هَذِهِ كُلُّهَا حَفِظْتُهَا مُنْذُ حَدَاثَتِي)). 22فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ يَسُوعُ ذَلِكَ قَالَ لَهُ: ((يُعْوِزُكَ أَيْضاً شَيْءٌ: بِعْ كُلَّ مَا لَكَ وَوَزِّعْ عَلَى الْفُقَرَاءِ ، فَيَكُونَ لَكَ كَنْزٌ فِي السَّمَاءِ ، وَتَعَالَ اتْبَعْنِي)). 23فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ ذَلِكَ حَزِنَ ، لأَنَّهُ كَانَ غَنِيّاً جِدّاً. 24فَلَمَّا رَآهُ يَسُوعُ قَدْ حَزِنَ ، قَالَ: ((مَا أَعْسَرَ دُخُولَ ذَوِي الأَمْوَالِ إِلَى مَلَكُوتِ اللهِ! 25لأَنَّ دُخُولَ جَمَلٍ مِنْ ثَقْبِ إِبْرَةٍ أَيْسَرُ مِنْ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ غَنِيٌّ إِلَى مَلَكُوتِ اللهِ!)). 26فَقَالَ الَّذِينَ سَمِعُوا: ((فَمَنْ يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يَخْلُصَ؟)) 27فَقَالَ: ((غَيْرُ الْمُسْتَطَاعِ عِنْدَ النَّاسِ مُسْتَطَاعٌ عِنْدَ اللهِ)).

 

 


BACK TO TOP

Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion of Sabbas (Sava), Archbishop of Serbia in the Third Tone

Thou wast a guide of the way that leadeth to life, and a first prelate and teacher; for thou wast the first to enlighten thy fatherland, O Saint Sabbas, having given it rebirth in the Holy Spirit. Thou didst plant thy sanctified children like olive trees in the spiritual Paradise. Wherefore, as we honour thee as an equal of the Apostles and holy hierarchs, we implore thee; Pray to Christ God to grant us great mercy.

Kontakion of Sabbas (Sava), Archbishop of Serbia in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone

The Church of thy people glorifieth thee as her first great prelate and a companion of the Apostles, O Saint. But since thou hast boldness with Christ God, by thy prayers save us from all harm that we may cry to thee: Rejoice, O divinely-wise Father Sabbas.
BACK TO TOP

Wisdom of the Fathers

For Christ's presence is like that of some life-giving, scented balsam which restores health, enriches life and gives savor to the soul, the thoughts, the words of a man. In brief, distance from Christ means corruption and death, and closeness to Him means salvation and life.
Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic
Prolog, 4 February

Christ is the salvation that comes, and Zacchaeus is the house to which He comes.
Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic
Prolog, 4 February

BACK TO TOP

Support St. Stephen's

 

amazon smile

 

BACK TO TOP

Announcements

 

valentines 2019

 

 

 

BACK TO TOP