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St. Luke Church
Publish Date: 2024-04-07
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St. Luke Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (413) 525-4551
  • Fax:
  • (413) 525-4552
  • Street Address:

  • 400 Prospect Street

  • East Longmeadow, MA 01028
  • Mailing Address:

  • 400 Prospect Street

  • East Longmeadow, MA 01028


Past Bulletins


Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Third Mode

Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad, for the Lord by His Might, has created a Dominion. He has conquered death by death, and become the first-born of the dead. He has delivered us from the depths of Hades, and has granted the world great mercy.

Apolytikion for Sun. of the Holy Cross in the First Mode

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

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal Fourth Mode

To you, Theotokos, invincible Defender, having been delivered from peril, I, your city, dedicate the victory festival as a thank offering. In your irresistible might, keep me safe from all trials, that I may call out to you: "Hail, unwedded bride!"
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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Eleventh Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 21:14-25

At that time, Jesus revealed himself to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. And he said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go." (This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) And after this he said to him, "Follow me." Peter turned and saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved, who had lain close to his breast at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?" When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?" Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!" The saying spread abroad among the brethren that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?" This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things; and we know that his testimony is true. But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.


Epistle Reading

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 Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:1-6.

BRETHREN, since we have a high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is bound to offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not take the honor upon himself, but he is called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, "Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee"; as he says also in another place, "Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek."


Gospel Reading

Sunday of the Holy Cross
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."


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Memorial and Trisagion Prayers

Memorial and Trisagion Prayers

04/07/2024

There are no Memorial or Trisagion prayers today


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Parish News

Parish News

04/07/2024

1. Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross

Schedule of Services was emailed out and is also on our website

2.  Saints Constantine and Helen will be hosting the Presanctified Liturgy on Wednesday at 6: 30 pm; Lenten meal to follow.

3. Philoptochos News 

Philoptochos News:
 
Philoptochos will be passing a second tray today in support of the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology
 
Membership Drive 2024

Don't forget to pledge your support today! Extra forms available in the fellowship hall!

WE invite each of you to help champion the call to philanthropic duties on all three levels of the Philoptochos ministry; National, Boston Metropolis, and our very own St. Luke Chapter. WE recognize our collective impact makes a difference! 

The Philoptochos Easter Mailer will be arriving shortly

Please review all the giving opportunities available to you and your family leading up to Pascha. These giving opportunities include your gift of time not only to the Philoptochos ministry but also to the St. Luke community at large.

Together with your family, we encourage you to embrace the traditions established within our church by bringing your children with you to the baking workshops, Epitaphios decorating, or committing to dyeing a dozen or two of the red eggs needed for Holy Saturday. Together let’s pass these Pascha traditions to every generation to come!

Save the Dates!

Philoptochos Easter Baking Workshops
 
JOIN US THIS WEEK!
 
Breads: Friday, April 26, 2024 at 10am Lunch will be provided 

 

Save the date! 
 
Sunday, April 7, 2024 our St. Luke Chapter will host an enhanced Lenten Coffee Hour following Divine Liturgy 
 
WHY? On the Third Sunday of Lent, observing the Veneration of the Holy Cross, Philoptochos chapters sponsor a Lenten Event, following the Divine Liturgy, with proceeds dedicated to operating expenses of the Hellenic College Holy Cross School of Theology. 
 
Something NEW!
 
The Philoptochos ministry has created its first POP-UP artisan shopping opportunity located in the fellowship hall. The items being sold are handmade and created by the talented Bess Zaharis! All sales generated are going to the Philoptochos Scholarship Fund as our ministry is in the process of laying the groundwork to establish NEW Scholarship opportunities for the Oratorical Festival finalists proceeding to the Metropolis level and National Finals. Furthermore, we hope to create a special scholarship to honor the legacy of our beloved Father Elias Velonis. 

 

Thank you for your continued support!

 

 


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Words from the Saints and our Fathers

Words from the Saints

04/07/2024

“It is a great art to succeed in having your soul sanctified. A person can become a saint anywhere. He can become a saint in Omonia Square*, if he wants. At your work, whatever it may be, you can become a saint through meekness, patience, and love. Make a new start every day, with new resolution, with enthusiasm and love, prayer and silence — not with anxiety so that you get a pain in the chest.”

— St. Porphyrios, Wounded by Love

* Omonia Square: the commercial center of Athens, also synonymous with vice and corruption


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Saints and Feasts

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April 07

Sunday of the Holy Cross

With the help of God, we have almost reached the middle of the course of the Fast, where our strength has been worn down through abstinence, and the full difficulty of the labour set before us becomes apparent. Therefore our holy Mother, the Church of Christ, now brings to our help the all-holy Cross, the joy of the world, the strength of the faithful, the staff of the just, and the hope of sinners, so that by venerating it reverently, we might receive strength and grace to complete the divine struggle of the Fast.


Allsaint
April 07

Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and Enlightener of North America

Born in 1865 in the region of Pskov, our Father among the Saints Tikhon was tonsured a monk in 1891 and ordained to the priesthood in the same year. In 1897 he was consecrated Bishop of Lublin, and a year later appointed Bishop of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, with his see extending to all of North America from 1900 onwards. He did much to unite the Orthodox Christians of a great many ethnic backgrounds in North America, so that there was indeed one flock under one shepherd. In 1907 he was made Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov, and in 1913, Archbishop of Lithuania.

In 1917, when he was Metropolitan of Moscow, he was elected to be the first Patriarch of Russia in over 200 years, in times that could not have been more difficult. After the Revolution of 1917, the persecution of the Russian Church by the atheist government grew more bold and more fierce with every year. By nature a meek and peace-loving man, Tikhon sought to determine, while giving only to God that which is God's, what could be given to Caesar to preserve peace and avoid the shedding of blood. At his departure on the feast of the Annunciation in 1925, Saint Tikhon made the sign of the Cross thrice, pronouncing the words, "Glory to Thee, O God!" Because of the many unspeakable sufferings he endures as Patriarch, he is honoured as a Confessor.

Note: St. Tikhon's repose was on the Feast of the Annunciation according to the Old Calendar (March 25), but on the New Calendar his repose falls on April 7.


Allsaint
April 07

Righteous Father Savvas the New of Kalymnos


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Wisdom of the Fathers

The key to knowledge is the humility of Christ. The door of the Kingdom of Heaven is open, not to those who only know in their learned minds the mysteries of faith and the commandments of their Creator, but to those who have progressed far enough to live by them.
St. Bede the Venerable
Unknown, 8th century

To deny oneself means to give up one's bad habits; to root out of the heart all that ties us to the world; not to cherish bad thoughts and desires; to suppress every evil thought; to avoid occasions of sin; not to desire or to do anything out of self-love, but to do everything out of love for God. To deny oneself, according to St. Paul means "to be dead to sin. . . but alive to God."
St. Innocent of Alaska
The Lenten Spring, SVS Press, p. 147, 19th Century

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