Sunday Schedule:
Orthros: 8:30 a.m.
Divine Liturgy: 9:30 a.m.
Bible Study:
Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
REOPENING FOR WORSHIP
While we are not completely open for worship, we are able to gather for Liturgy with limited seating based on social distancing precautions. The parish is following protocols to help protect and keep safe all that gather for worship.
If you have any questions about the reopening, do not hesitate to contact Fr. Tom by phone or email. You can find the reopening protocol and information on our website. Please share this information with those you know who do not use email or are not on our contact list.
WATCH ONLINE
Though our parish is open for worship, we will continue to live stream the services. You can go directly to www.youtube.com/TransGOC or www.facebook.com/transchurch to participate. A weekly list of services can be found on our website www.transchurch.org.
For those who do not have internet and are Comcast customers, you can watch services on local cable access television. Please consult your local listings for times.
OUR LIFE ONLINE
Though the church will be open for worship, many will not feel comfortable attending, but would still like to light a candle or support the parish. We thank everyone for his or her continued generosity and encourage your continued use of our secure online giving platform.
1) Lighting a vigil candle. Please contact the Pat Mahoney (pmahoney7@comcast.net or 978 436 0998) or the church office (info@transchurch.org or 978-458-4321). Pat will make sure that your vigil candle is lit. Donation: $10. As with all donations, you can still mail in a check or you can make a donation online at www.transchurch.churchgiving.com . This site keeps your information safe and secure.
2) Making your donations. We welcome all of your donations online. You are able to make your stewardship, offering basket, candle, memorial, or general donations by using the website above. Your donations help support the ministries of the parish. Although you may not be in the church building, the essential ministries of the parish continue.
3) Our worship can still be found online. We all know it is not the same, but it is the best way to help those who are not comfortable or are unable to attend. Hopefully soon we will all be able to gather, but until then we welcome you to our live steaming of services. We hope to continue to provide live streaming of services as we begin to reopen the parish. If you choose not to attend, please continue to participate online.
4) Many have found comfort in being able to participate in the worship of our parish during this extraordinary time. Even though we have opened the parish for worship we hope to continue this ministry. We would need to invest in some new technology. If you are interested in supporting this ministry financially or participating in the production aspect, please speak with Fr. Tom.
PARISH OFFICE IS REMOTE
Our parish office is currently open remotely from 9 am to 2 pm. If you need to come to the office, please call and set up an appointment. It may take a little longer to provide you with some of the information, but we will strive to do so in a timely fashion.
METROPOLIS DINNER PROVIDES OVER 5000 MEALS
The Metropolis of Boston has teamed up with Lombardo’s to provide meals to Healthcare Workers and those in need. We thank everyone who purchased a ticket and provided 7.5 meals per donation. To date the Metropolis has received donations to provide over 5500 meals. We exceeded our goal thanks to all the donors.
BECOME A ‘TRANSFIGURATION ANGEL’ AND TOGETHER WE CAN CHANGE LIVES
For the past 7 weeks 52 households have participated in the Transfiguration Angels Initiative. For the next 4 weeks, on Sunday evening, Fr. Tom will send out an email with a target charity and each one will make a donation to that particular charity. Sometimes we will have to send in checks and other times we may be able to donate online directly to the charity or organization. The amount of the donation is not the target, but increasing the number of individuals and families who participate each week and our consistency in giving. Working together we will be able to make an impact on others lives and at the same time open our hearts to the love of our Resurrected Lord. Join the 51 households that have participated in the Transfiguration Angel Initiative. Make a difference.
With each donation, you are encouraged to include a simple note. “I(We) am(are) from the Transfiguration Church in Lowell. Please accept this donation and (my)our prayers for good health and continued good works.” Additionally, we ask that you send Fr. Tom an email (frtom@transchurch.org) each week telling him that you sent a donation, not the amount, only that you participated.
Remember, we will be making donations each week, so plan your giving accordingly. A donation of $5, $10, $25 or more, together with the donations of all the other Transfiguration Angels, will certainly have a positive impact on the lives of so many, many more. What you give is totally up to you and dependent on your current financial situation.
Donations made by the Transfiguration Angels so far consist of: Week 1 to the Merrimack Valley Food Bank, week 2 to the Merrimack Valley Catholic Charities, week 3 to Life Connections, week 4 to St. Paul's Soup Kitchen, week 5 Dracut Food Pantry, week 6 The Wish Project, week 7 Living Waters Center of Hope. Be sure to watch for the Sunday email from Fr. Tom to see what week 8 will be.
HELLENIC WOMEN’S CLUB, INC. SCHOLARSHIP
The Hellenic Women's Club, Inc., EOK, is offering scholarships to young women of Greek descent pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees. Each scholarship, in the amount of $5,000, will be awarded based on academic achievement, leadership and community service.
The application deadline is June 30, 2020. For more details and application materials, visit The Hellenic Women’s Club’s website: www.hellenicwomensclub.org To access EOK Scholarship Application materials on the website: click on the What We Do tab at the top of the Homepage and then click on the EOK Scholarships tab section.
OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES
During this time of crisis, we need to take care of one another, friends, family, and stranger. If you, or anyone you know, is having difficulties because of the COVID-19 crisis, please let us know. We know that there are those who would never think of asking facing financial difficulties. We will help as we are able.
To enable us to offer help, if you are able, we welcome your donations. You can send a donation to the church or go online and donate. Go to www.transchurch.churchgiving.com, sign in and click on the Outreach Donation button and make your one-time or recurring donation. Large or small, your donation can make a difference. Thank you in advance.
STEWARDSHIP PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, our God, accept our offerings as You accepted the gifts of Your people throughout the ages. We offer these gifts to Your glory, for the support of the ministries of Your holy Church, for the alleviation of suffering and hunger, and for the proclamation of Your Gospel to the whole world.
Grant us Your blessing, Lord our Savior, that we may always be faithful stewards, continuing to share the gifts you have given us, by the power of Your grace, mercy and love. May Your name be glorified forever. Amen.
Trinity votive candles (To Sponsor a Candle please call the Church Office.)
†Vigil Light at the Side Altar (Icon of the Theotokos): Available
†Vigil Light at the Icon of Christ: In Loving Memory of Deborah Victoria Skrekas and George Skrekas
†Vigil Light at the Theotokos: In Loving Memory of Ioannis "John" Zaralidis from his family
†Vigil Light at the Icon of the Forerunner: Available
†Vigil Light at the Foot of the Holy Cross: Available
We will be live streaming services through our YouTube channel whenever possible - www.youtube.com/TransGOC Please see the online calendar for the full schedule.
SUNDAY, JUNE 21 SECOND SUNDAY OF MATTHEW
Orthros, 8:30 am
Liturgy, 9:30 am
Father's Day
Graduate Sunday
SUNDAY, JUNE 28 THIRD SUNDAY OF MATTHEW
Orthros, 8:30 am
Liturgy, 9:30 am
MONDAY, JUNE 29
Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul Liturgy, 9:30 am
TODAY’S PARISH COUNCIL: Nick Kouloungis, Carl Maib & Marc Gulezian
TODAY’S GREETER: Georgia Genna
Prokeimenon. First Mode. Psalm 32.22,1.
Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us.
Verse: Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 2:10-16.
Brethren, glory and honor and peace for every one who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality. All who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. When Gentiles who have not the law do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or perhaps excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
2nd Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 4:18-23
At that time, as Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left their boat and their father, and followed him. And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people.
When You were transfigured on the mountain, O Christ our God, You showed Your disciples Your glory as far as they could bear. So now, for us sinners also, let this same eternal light shine forth through the prayers of the Theotokos. O Giver of Light, glory to You.
This Martyr, who was born to a pagan father and a Christian mother, was from Cilicia, confessed the Christian Faith before the Proconsul Marcian, and was perfected in martyrdom at the age of eighteen, when he was put into a sack with sand and venomous serpents and cast into the sea. Saint John Chrysostom has a homily in his honour.
After the expulsion of Eudoxius from the see of Antioch, the Arians of Antioch, believing that Meletius of Armenia would uphold their doctrines, petitioned the Emperor Constantius to appoint Meletius Bishop of Antioch, while signing a document jointly with the Orthodox of Antioch, unanimously agreeing to Meletius' appointment (see Feb. 12); this document was entrusted to Eusebius, Bishop of Samosata. Meletius, however, after his Orthodoxy became apparent, was banished, and the Arians persuaded Constantius to demand the document back from Eusebius, as it convicted their perfidy. Imperial officers were sent; Eusebius refused to surrender the document without the consent of all who had signed it; the officers returned to the Emperor, who furiously sent them back to Eusebius with threats. But so great a zealot for the true Faith, so staunch an enemy of the Arians, so fearless a man of valor was Saint Eusebius, that when Constantius' officers arrived, threatening to cut off his right hand unless he surrendered the document, Eusebius held out both hands. When Constantius learned of it, he was struck with astonishment and admiration.
This took place in 361, the last year of the reign of Constantius; he was succeeded by Julian the Apostate, who was slain in Persia in 363; Jovian succeeded Julian, and Valentinian succeeded Jovian in 364, making his brother Valens Emperor of the East. Valens, who supported the Arians, exiled Eusebius to Thrace in 374. The bearer of the edict of Eusebius' banishment arrived in the evening; Eusebius bade him keep silence, or else the people, learning why he had come, would drown him: and Eusebius, though an old man, left his house alone on foot by night. After Valens was slain at Adrianopole in 378 (see Saint Isaacius, Aug. 3), the holy Eusebius returned from exile under the Emperor Gratian, and he ordained for the churches of Syria men known for their virtue and Orthodoxy. About the year 380, as he was entering a certain village to enthrone its bishop, whom he had consecrated, an Arian woman threw a clay tile from the roof, and it crushed his head; as he was dying, he bound the bystanders with oaths that they not take the least vengeance. Saint Gregory the Theologian addressed several letters to him (PG 37:87, 91, 126-130); he had such reverence for him, that in one letter to him, commending himself to Saint Eusebius' prayers, he said, "That such a man should deign to be my patron also in his prayers will gain for me, I am persuaded, as much strength as I should have gained through one of the holy martyrs.
This Martyr was from Rome and lived in virginity, having Christ alone as her Bridegroom. Of her own accord she courageously presented herself to the pagans as a Christian, and was tortured to death, according to some, in the reign of Valerian (253-260). Her holy relics were then taken to Sicily, where they immediately became a source of great miracles.
He that was greater than all who are born of women, the Prophet who received God's testimony that he surpassed all the Prophets, was born of the aged and barren Elizabeth (Luke 1: 7) and filled all his kinsmen, and those that lived round about, with gladness and wonder. But even more wondrous was that which followed on the eighth day when he was circumcised, that is, the day on which a male child receives his name. Those present called him Zacharias, the name of his father. But the mother said, "Not so, but he shall be called John." Since the child's father was unable to speak, he was asked, by means of a sign, to indicate the child's name. He then asked for a tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And immediately Zacharias' mouth was opened, his tongue was loosed from its silence of nine months, and filled with the Holy Spirit, he blessed the God of Israel, Who had fulfilled the promises made to their fathers, and had visited them that were sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, and had sent to them the light of salvation. Zacharias prophesied concerning the child also, saying that he would be a Prophet of the Most High and Forerunner of Jesus Christ. And the child John, who was filled with grace, grew and waxed strong in the Spirit; and he was in the wilderness until the day of his showing to Israel (Luke 1:57-80). His name is a variation of the Hebrew "Johanan," which means "Yah is gracious."
This Martyr practiced the ascetic discipline in Nisibis of Mesopotamia; she was of such great beauty that the report of her came to the persecutor Selenus, and every attempt was made to make her deny Christ. After many horrible tortures, she was cruelly dismembered by the executioners, then beheaded, in the year 310 (or, according to some, in 302, during the reign of Diocletian).
Saint David, who was from Thessalonica, lived a most holy and ascetical life. For some years, he took up his dwelling in the branches of an almond tree, exposed to all the elements and extremes of the weather. He reposed in peace during the reign of Saint Justinian the Great, in the sixth century.
Saint Samson was from Rome and flourished during the reign of Saint Justinian the Great. Being a physician, he came to Constantinople, where he so distinguished himself for his virtue and his love for the sick and the poor that Patriarch Menas ordained him priest. The Emperor Justinian was healed by him, and out of gratitude built him a large hospital, which was afterwards known as "The Hospice of Samson." Saint Samson is one of the Holy Unmercenaries.