Sunday Schedule:
Orthros: 8:30 a.m.
Divine Liturgy: 9:30 a.m.
Bible Study:
Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
JOIN US FOR FELLOWSHIP
Everyone is welcome to join the Fellowship Hour following services for coffee and conversation! We encourage social distancing during coffee fellowship and encourage everyone to continue to act in responsible a manner to ensure the health and safety of all.
PARAKLESIS SERVICES
Traditionally we offer a Paraklesis or Suplication Service during the first 15 days of August. During this service we pray for the health and well-being of others. If you would like to submit names of the living to be remembered during the service, please submit them to the church office or bring them to services. A form is included in the flyer section below. Please consult the calendar below for service days and times of the services.
CHOIR TO RESUME IN FALL
The Choir needs you! We thank our wonderful chanters, Patty and Melanie, for covering for us during these difficult COVID times. Thankfully, with vaccinations in place, we are looking to start up the choir again in the fall. We are in desperate need of voices! Please join us, no experience necessary. OUR FIRST REHEARSAL WILL BE ON SUNDAY AUGUST 22ND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING LITURGY. Bring friends, family, children, and whoever you think would like to sing! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact our director, Stephanie Gulezian, at stephaniegulezian@gmail.com or our organist, Marc Gulezian, at mgulezian22@gmail.com.
SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHING OPPORTUNITY
The Transfiguration Sunday school Ministry is looking for enthusiastic individuals to teach our children and young adults beginning this coming Fall for the year 2021-2022. This opportunity encourages creative ideas using art and technology to short class lessons. The teaching staff always share ideas and support one another during the year.
We would like to welcome you to our team! For more info contact Corrine at corrinedubay@gmail.com.
OPENING PROTOCOLS FOR CHURCH CONTINUE
The opening of the church for services continues to expand. We ask that you follow the CDC guidelines. Those who are vaccinated, masks are optional. Those who are not fully vaccinated are strongly encouraged to continue mask usage to help protect themselves and others, especially our children. Through the summer we will continue with pew spacing. You are welcome to seat yourself as you enter the church. As you move around the facility, please keep social distancing in mind.
We are excited to welcome you back for worship as you feel comfortable. We are also excited to begin reinstalling many of our ministries and events. Please offer your assistance as we begin the process of ramping up our calendar.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENTS!
Keep two dates in mind. 1) The annual Golf Tournament will be held on Saturday, September 18. More information will be mailed during the next couple of weeks about playing and underwriting the event. 2) After great success with our ‘Grecian Food Festival – Drive Thru’ event at the beginning of June, we are discussing holding another event in mid-October.
CHECK OUT OUR INSERTS AND FLYERS
Weekly, in the section following the announcements you will find inserts and flyers about special events and ministries. Please make sure to check out this section.
SUMMER OFFICE HOURS
The office will be changing the hours to summer hours – Mondays in July and August will be closed. Tuesday through Friday the office will be opened 9:00am to 1:00pm.
WATCH SERVICES ONLINE
Worship services continue to be live streamed through YouTube at www.youtube.com/transgoc. A weekly listing of services can be found on our website www.transchurch.org and listed on the calendar found in this bulletin.
HELP ONLINE
Some still do not feel comfortable physically attending services, but would still like to light a candle or support the parish. Your continued generosity is greatly appreciated. We encourage your continued use of our secure online giving platform for single or repeating donations, https://transchurch.churchgiving.com. Of course, you are still welcome to mail in a check to make your donation.
1) To light a vigil candle, please contact 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 for you. Donation: $10. As with all donations, you can mail in a check or you can make a donation online.
2) You are able to make your stewardship, weekly basket offering, candle, memorial, special event, or general donations by using our secure website. Your donations help support the ministries of the parish.
Trinity votive candles (To Sponsor a Candle please call the Church Office.)
†Vigil Light at the Side Altar (Icon of the Theotokos): In Memory of those who have died during the pandemic and for the health of those recovering. - Chuck and Amelia Karayianis
†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: In Loving Memory of Peter Stavrou. May his memory be eternal.
Paraklesis Service Name Submissions
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, August 8 SEVENTH SUNDAY OF MATTHEW
†Orthros, 8:30 am
†Liturgy, 9:30 am
Coffee Fellowship following Liturgy
Monday, August 9
Paraklesis, 6:30 pm
Wednesday, August 11
Paraklesis, 6:30 pm
Friday, August 13
Paraklesis, 6:30 pm
Saturday, August 14
Forefeast of the Dormition – Vespers at Dracut, 7:00 pm
Sunday, August 15 FEAST OF DORMITION
†Orthros, 8:30 am
†Liturgy, 9:30 am
Coffee Fellowship following Liturgy
TODAY’S PARISH COUNCIL: Costas Tsioulis, Christian Zouzas & Chuck Nestor
UPCOMING EVENTS
August 18
Parish Council Meeting, 6:30 pm
August 22
Ninth Sunday of Matthew
August 29
Beheading of John the Baptist
September 5
Eleventh Sunday of Matthew
Monthly Trisagion
September 6
Labor Day – Office Closed
September 7
Parish Council Meeting, 6:30 pm
September 8
Nativity of The Theotokos – Liturgy, 9:30 am
September 12
Sunday Before Holy Cross
3 Year Memorial for Angelike Flannagan
September 14
Feast of the Holy Cross, 9:30 am
September 17
St. Sophia and her daughters – Liturgy, 9:30 am
September 18
11th Annual Golf Tournament
Prokeimenon. Plagal Second Mode. Psalm 27.9,1.
O Lord, save your people and bless your inheritance.
Verse: To you, O Lord, I have cried, O my God.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 15:1-7.
Brethren, we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves; let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to edify him. For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached thee fell on me." For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
7th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 9:27-35
At that time, as Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you." And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly charged them, "See that no one knows it." But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.
As they were going away, behold, a dumb demoniac was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the dumb man spoke; and the crowds marveled, saying, "Never was anything like this seen in Israel." But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the prince of demons."
And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, 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 Saint was one of the illustrious Orthodox Bishops called to Constantinople by the holy Patriarch Nicephorus to defend the veneration of the holy icons against Leo the Armenian (see Mar. 8). Saint Emilian was sent into exile by Leo about the year 815, and gave up his soul to the Lord amidst many afflictions and sufferings for the sake of his confession.
After Judas by transgression fell from his apostleship (Acts 1: 25), and hanging himself out of despair ended his life with a wretched and shameful death (Matt. 27: 5), then, that the number of the Twelve not be lacking, all the disciples gathered in one place after the Ascension of the Savior (the number of men and women being 120), and they chose two men from among them, Joseph, called Barsabas, who was also surnamed Justus, and Matthias, and they set them in the midst. Then they prayed to God and cast lots, "and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven Apostles" (Acts 1: 15-26). And thus, having taken the place of Judas, Matthias fulfilled the work of apostleship and the prophecy concerning Judas, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David: "And his bishopric let another take" (Ps. 108(109):8). After this, it is said, Matthias preached the Gospel in Ethiopia, and completed his life there in martyrdom.
This Saint, who was born in Spain, was the Archdeacon of the Church of Rome, caring for the sacred vessels of the Church and distributing money to the needy. About the year 257, a harsh persecution was raised up against the Christians by Valerian. Pope Sixtus, who was from Athens, was commanded to worship the idols, and refused; before his martyrdom by beheading, he committed to Laurence all the sacred vessels of the Church. When Laurence was arrested and brought before the Prefect, he was questioned concerning the treasures of the Church; he asked for three days' time to prepare them. He then proceeded to gather all the poor and needy, and presented them to the Prefect and said, "Behold the treasures of the Church." The Prefect became enraged at this and gave command that Laurence be racked, then scourged with scorpions (a whip furnished with sharp iron points - compare II Chron. 10:11), then stretched out on a red-hot iron grill. But the courageous athlete of Christ endured without groaning. After he had been burned on one side, he said, "My body is done on one side; turn me over on the other." And when this had taken place, the Martyr said to the tyrants, "My flesh is now well done, you may taste of it." And when he had said this, and had prayed for his slayers in imitation of Christ, he gave up his spirit on August 10, 258.
This Martyr was from Catania in Sicily and contested during the reign of Diocletian. He presented himself of his own accord to Calvisianus the Governor, who put him to exceedingly harsh torments. As Euplus was on the rack, Calvisianus commanded him to worship Mars, Apollo, and Aesculapius; he answered he worshipped the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He was beheaded in the year 304.
These Martyrs contested in Nicomedia about the year 288. When Diocletian stirred up his persecution of the Christians, Anicetus presented himself openly and said that all who worship idols are blind and senseless. He was beaten with rods so ruthlessly that his bones appeared from the rents and wounds in his flesh. As he was suffering further torments, his nephew Photius came and embraced him, calling him his father and his uncle. He was also put to many tortures with him. They were then imprisoned together for three years. Finally they were cast into a furnace, where they gave up their spirits, and their bodies were preserved unharmed. Saint Anicetus is one of the Holy Unmercenaries.
The divine Maximus, who was from Constantinople, sprang from an illustrious family. He was a lover of wisdom and an eminent theologian. At first, he was the chief private secretary of the Emperor Heraclius and his grandson Constans. But when the Monothelite heresy became predominant in the royal court, out of hatred for this error the Saint departed for the Monastery at Chrysopolis (Scutari), of which he later became the abbot. When Constans tried to constrain him either to accept the Monothelite teaching, or to stop speaking and writing against it - neither of which the Saint accepted to do - his tongue was uprooted and his right hand was cut off, and he was sent into exile, where he reposed in 662. At the time only he and his few disciples were Orthodox in the East. See also January 21.
This Prophet (whose name means "who is like God?"), was a Morasthite from the land of Judah. He prophesied more than fifty years in the days of Joatham, Ahaz, and Hezekias, Kings of Judah. These kings reigned in the eighth century before Christ. From this it is clear that this Michaias is not the one who was the son of Iembla (or Imlah-III Kings 22:8), who censured Ahab and was murdered by Ahab's son Joram, as the Synaxaristes says; for this Joram reigned the ninth century before Christ. Yet Michaias was still prophesying, as mentioned above, in the days of Hezekias, who was a contemporary of Hosea and Esaias, and of Hoshea, the last King of the ten tribes of Israel, when that kingdom was destroyed by Salmanasar (Shalmaneser), King of the Assyrians (IV Kings 17: 1 - 16; 18: 1). This Michaias is sixth in rank among the minor Prophets. His book of prophecy is divided into seven chapters; he prophesied that the Christ would be born in Bethlehem (Michaias 5: 2). In the reign of Saint Theodosius the Great, the holy relics of the Prophets Michaias and Abbacum were found through a divine revelation to Zebennus, Bishop of Eleutheropolis (Sozomen, Eccl. Hist., Book VII, 29).