TODAY: January 29, 2017

Sunday of the Canaanite

SERVICE SCHEDULE:

Orthros & Divine Liturgy    8:30AM

Sunday School  After the distribution of Holy Communion

Epistle: II Corinthians 6:16-18; 7:1 Page 92

Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28 Page 93

(The Epistle and Gospel Readings can be found in the Divine Liturgy Books in the pew rack.)

MEMORIALS: Lete-Mariam Zewde ~ 1 Year

Theodora Hatzikosta ~ 3 Year

PROSFORON OFFERER:  Eleni Katapodi

NARTHEX DUTY TEAM:  Group 1

TODAY’S FELLOWSHIP IS OFFERED BY:  The Daughter’s of Penelope

THIS WEEK AT HOLY TRINITY:

Sunday, January 29

15th Sunday of St Luke

8:30am Orthros & Divine Liturgy

4pm Metropolis Greek Letters Day Program, St. Demetrios, Upper Darby, PA

Sermon just before Holy Communion

Monday, January 30

Three Hierarchs

8:30am Orthros & Divine Liturgy

12pm St. Elpida Serving Emmanuel Dining Room

Monday, January 30th - Wednesday, February 1st Fr. Christos will attend a Metropolis wide Clergy Retreat in Annapolis, MD.

Tuesday, January 31

NO 11am Old Testament Bible Study (WILL RESUME FEBRUARY 7th)

Wednesday, February 1

12:30 Bible Study

5pm Greek School

6pm Girls and Boys Basketball Practice

6pm Choir Practice (in LIBRARY)

Thursday, February 2

Presentation of our Lord

8:30am Orthros & Divine Liturgy

Saturday, February 4

DVYC GOYA Ski Trip

Welcome 

The Holy Trinity Family welcomes all our visitors. We hope that you enjoyed the Divine Service of the Church of the Book of Acts. You participated in the most ancient Christian Service written by Saint John Chrysostomos- the Golden Mouth. The Sacrament of Holy Communion is distributed ONLY to those Baptized and/or Chrismated Orthodox Christians who have prepared according to our Sacred Tradition. We invite you to come forward, if you wish, at the end of the Divine Liturgy to receive the blessed bread. If you have any questions about the Orthodox Church or would like to discover how to join this Ancient Christian Faith please see Fr. Christos at the coffee hour downstairs at the Hellenic Community Center or call the church office for an appointment 302-654-4446. We thank you and may the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and yours abundantly always.  

 This Sunday’s Hymns

Ἀπολυτίκιον Ἀναστάσιμον. Ἦχος βαρύς.

Κατέλυσας τῷ Σταυρῷ σου τὸν θάνατον, ἠνέῳξας τῷ Λῃστῇ τὸν Παράδεισον, τῶν Μυροφόρων τὸν θρῆνον μετέβαλες, καὶ τοῖς σοῖς Ἀποστόλοις κηρύττειν ἐπέταξας· ὅτι ἀνέστης Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, παρέχων τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος.

Resurrectional Apolytikion. Grave Mode.

By means of Your Cross, O Lord, You abolished death. To the robber You opened Paradise. The lamentation of the myrrhbearing women You transformed, and You gave Your Apostles the order to proclaim to all that You had risen, O Christ our God, and granted the world Your great mercy.

Τοῦ Ἁγίου. Ἠχος δʹ.

Καὶ τρόπων μέτοχος, καὶ θρόνων διάδοχος, τῶν Ἀποστόλων γενόμενος, τὴν πρᾶξιν εὗρες Θεόπνευστε, εἰς θεωρίας ἐπίβασιν· διὰ τοῦτο τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας ὀρθοτομῶν, καὶ τῇ πίστει ἐνήθλησας μέχρις αἵματος, Ἱερομάρτυς Ἰγνάτιε. Πρέσβευε Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ, σωθῆναι τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν.

For the Saint.  Mode 4.

Becoming a partner with the Apostles in way of life and successor to their thrones, O God-inspired Saint, in the active life you found an entrance to contemplation. Hence you rightly expounded the word of truth, and you shed your blood in struggling for the faith, O Hieromartyr Ignatius. Intercede with Christ our God, beseeching Him to save our souls. (SD)

Ἦχος πλ. δʹ.

Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ πανσόφους τοὺς ἁλιεῖς ἀναδείξας, καταπέμψας αὐτοῖς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν τὴν οἰκουμένην σαγηνεύσας, φιλάνθρωπε, δόξα σοι.

Mode pl. 4.

Blessed are You, O Christ our God. You made the fishermen all-wise, by sending down upon them the Holy Spirit, and through them You drew the world into Your net. O Lover of mankind, glory to You.

Κοντάκιον. Ἦχος αʹ.

Ὁ μήτραν παρθενικὴν ἁγιάσας τῷ τόκῳ σου, καὶ χεῖρας τοῦ Συμεὼν εὐλογήσας ὡς ἔπρεπε, προφθάσας καὶ νῦν ἔσωσας ἡμᾶς Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός. Ἀλλ' εἰρήνευσον ἐν πολέμοις τὸ πολίτευμα, καὶ κραταίωσον Βασιλεῖς οὓς ἠγάπησας, ὁ μόνος φιλάνθρωπος.

Kontakion. Mode 1.

You sanctified the virginal womb by Your birth, O Lord, and blessed the hands of Symeon fittingly, O Christ God; and even now You came and saved us. Now, give peace to our Nation in time of war, and empower our Leaders, so loved by You, the only onewho loves humanity.

Synaxis of The Three Hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, & John Chrysostom

Apolytikion in the First Tone

The three most great luminaries of the Three-Sun Divinity have illumined all of the world with the rays of doctrines divine and true; they are the sweetly-flowing rivers of wisdom, who with godly knowledge have watered all creation in clear and mighty streams:

The great and sacred Basil, and the Theologian, wise Gregory, together with the renowned John, the famed Chrysostom of golden speech. Let us all who love their divinely-wise words come together, honouring them with hymns; for ceaselessly they offer entreaty for us to the Trinity.

Kontakion in the Second Tone

Receive, O Lord, the Sacred Heralds who preached God, the pinnacle of Teachers, unto the enjoyment of Your riches and rest. You have received their labors and their suffering as being above and beyond all fruitful offering. For You alone glorify Your Saints.

Reading:

This common feast of these three teachers was instituted a little before the year 1100, during the reign of the Emperor Alexis I Comnenus, because of a dispute and strife that arose among the notable and virtuous men of that time. Some of them preferred Basil, while others preferred Gregory, and yet others preferred John Chrysostom, quarreling among themselves over which of the three was the greatest. Furthermore, each party, in order to distinguish itself from the others, assumed the name of its preferred Saint; hence, they called themselves Basilians, Gregorians, or Johannites. Desiring to bring an end to the contention, the three Saints appeared together to the saintly John Mavropous, a monk who had been ordained Bishop of Euchaita, a city of Asia Minor, they revealed to him that the glory they have at the throne of God is equal, and told him to compose a common service for the three of them, which he did with great skill and beauty. Saint John of Euchaita (celebrated Oct. 5) is also the composer of the Canon to the Guardian Angel, the Protector of a Man's Life. In his old age, he retired from his episcopal see and again took up the monastic life in a monastery in Constantinople. He reposed during the reign of the aforementioned Emperor Alexis Comnenus (1081-1118).

 Bible Study Classes

Wednesdays

@ 12:30pm

Discovering Orthodox Christianity

(Please see syllabus below)

w/George Righos & John Lazare

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Adult Bible Class 2016-2017

Begins: Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2016

Leaders: George Righos, John Lazare

Meeting: Wednesdays at 12:30 – 2:30 pm

Discovering Orthodox Christianity

Discovering Orthodox Christianity is a series of talks, shows, and presentations in High Definition digital video form designed to introduce and explain the basic teaching of Orthodox Christianity. Production of videos is sponsored by the Leadership 100 Endowment Fund and the videos are available through the Holy Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The series covers a wide range of topics with the goal of educating the viewer in simple, easy to understand terms.

The presenters in the videos, are esteemed members of the clergy and laity, many of them professors at Holy Cross Seminary, or experts in their studies. Also, participating in the presentations is His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, Orthodox Hierarchs and other well know personalities of Theological studies.

In addition to the video presentations, our lessons are always supplemented by relevant bible studies and commentaries making the class most interesting and easy to understand. We hope and pray you will be able to attend and enjoy with us the studies in our Orthodox Faith.

Please don’t forget to invite a friend. Everyone is welcomed.

Looking forward to see you and share with you our Christian love,

in Christ,

George Righos & John Lazare

 Dec 7        The Ecumenical Patriarchate: Aspects Of Past And Present

Lesson #10       with His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America

Class will resume January 11, 2017

Three Hierarchs 2017“Let all of us who are enamored of their words come together and sing hymns to honor them. For they are ever interceding with the Trinity on our behalf.”  (Apolytikion)

My Beloved,

Today our Holy Church celebrates the memory of our Fathers among the Saints, great Ecumenical Teachers and Hierarchs, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom. According to the teaching of our Orthodox Church, no saint should be considered higher than another. This is why in the 11th century, a joint feast was established in order to end dissension among Christians in the imperial city of Constantinople. By proclaiming the Synaxis of the three Hierarchs we are taught once again that unity should be at the heart of every liturgical celebration. 

 As Orthodox Christians, our Church life is marked by a series of steps celebrating this spiritual unity. By our baptism, we are united to Christ’s resurrection. By our chrismation, we are bound by the grace of the Holy Spirit. By receiving Holy Communion, we become partakers of God’s grace given for “the life of the world”. By the sacrament of confession, we are reconciled with the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. During the sacrament of Marriage, the mystery of the relationship between Christ and His Church is embodied by the new married couple. Union and unity are reasons for spiritual joy and celebration. It is important to reflect on this aspect of today’s feast, as we collectively proclaim the memory of the most influential Church Fathers.

Progressively, the memory of the three Hierarchs was associated with the Greek Letters. They do not simply represent the state of philosophy and theology during the 4th century; they also represent a crucial aspect of the relationship between faith and reason. Particularly in our society, with its materialistic way of thinking, faith is often said to be incompatible with reason, and even more so with scientific knowledge. But as Saint John Chrysostom once wrote: “Some, who seek out everything by reasoning, turn aside from the faith; but reasoning produces shipwreck, while faith is a safe ship. For where there is no faith, there is no knowledge; when anything springs from our reasoning, it is not (true) knowledge.” Although God is a mystery which the seed of faith has planted in our hearts, at the same time God illuminates our reason and encourages us to search for truth in the rational, as well as in the spiritual worlds. The three Holy Hierarchs teach us that the protection of the faith comes with a deep love for wisdom, as well as for the transmission of this wisdom. For Church and school go together. In the history of the Orthodox Church, especially at the time of the Ottoman Empire, the Churches were the main institutions which provided education. They were known as the krypha scholia, as “secret schools.”

As your Metropolitan and Spiritual Father, I wholeheartedly encourage parents to expose our youth as much as possible to their rich cultural and spiritual tradition, which is their personal legacy to them. I would also like to acknowledge the wonderful work done in our schools by talented teachers who work with dedication and perseverance. Through the prayers of the Three Hierarchs, Saint Basil the Great, Saint Gregory the Theologian and Saint John Chrysostom, may we all become the true followers of their life and teaching, in the spirit of unity, communion and charity. May their commitment for a culture illuminated by the Holy Spirit encourage us according to the psalms: “The mouth of the righteous shall meditate on wisdom.” (Psalm 36:30)

With Paternal Love and Blessings,

† E V A N G E L O S    Metropolitan of New Jersey

ΤΡΙΩΝ ΙΕΡΑΡΧΩΝ 2017

 «Βλέπετε οὖν πῶς ἀκριβῶς περιπατεῖτε, μή ὡς ἄσοφοι, ἀλλ' ὡς σοφοί, 

ἐξαγοραζόμενοι τόν καιρόν, ὅτι αἱ ἡμέραι πονηραί εἰσί.» (Εφεσ. ε’ 15-17)

Ἀγαπητοί μου ἀδελφοί, Σύμπασα ἡ Ἑλληνορθόδοξος Κοινότητα ἑορτάζει, τιμᾶ καί πανηγυρίζει τήν μνήμη τῶν Ἁγίων Τριῶν Ἱεραρχῶν. Ὁ Μέγας Βασίλειος, ὁ Ἰωάννης ὁ Χρυσόστομος καί ὁ Γρηγόριος ὁ Θεολόγος ὑπῆρξαν καί συνεχίζουν ἀενάως νά ὑπάρχουν στήν ζωή τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μας τά φωτεινά καί ὁλόλαμπρα παραδείγματα πίστεως, γνώσεως καί χριστιανικῆς βιοτῆς. Οἱ Ἅγιοι Τρεῖς Ἱεράρχες συνδύασαν αὐτές τίς ἀρετές καί τό ἀποτέλεσμα που προέκυψε ἦταν ἀπαράμιλλο! Ἡ κατά κόσμον μόρφωσή τους, μιᾶς καί κατείχαν ὅλες τίς γνώσεις τῆς ἐποχῆς τους, συνδυάστηκε καί ἑνώθηκε μέ τόν φωτισμό τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος καί ὡς ἐκ τούτου ξεπέρασαν σέ σοφία καί ἀρετή καί τούς πλέον πανεπιστήμονες, οἱ ὁποῖοι τότε ἀλλά καί σήμερα διατείνονται καί πρεσβεύουν πώς εἶναι ἀδύνατον νά συνδυαστεῖ ἡ πίστη μέ τήν λογική. Οἱ Τρεῖς Ἱεράρχες, πιστοί στήν διδακαλία τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου καί τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μας ξεκαθάρισαν πώς ἐκεῖ πού σταματάει ἡ λογική τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἡ πεπερασμένη καί περιορισμένη, ξεκινᾶ τό μεγαλεῖο τοῦ Θεοῦ, δηλαδή ἡ πίστη. Ὅ,τι δέν μποροῦμε νά δοῦμε μέ τά ἀνθρώπινα μάτια, τό βλέπουμε μέ τά μάτια τῆς ἀθάνατης ψυχῆς μας. Καί αὐτό ὁνομάζεται πίστη, ἐμπιστοσύνη δηλαδή σέ κάτι τό ὁποῖο δέν ψηλαφοῦμε κατά τό ἀνθρώπινο.

 Βλέπουμε λοιπόν, ὅτι οἱ Ἅγιοι Τρεῖς Ἱεράχες παρέλαβαν καί υιοθέτησαν τήν ἀρχαία ἑλληνική φιλοσοφική σκέψη καί τήν ἀπογείωσαν σέ ἀνώτερα ἐπίπεδα, ἀφοῦ μέχρι τότε ἧταν ἀτελῆς. Πράγματι, οἱ ἀρχαίοι Ἕλληνες διψούσαν γιά ἀρετή καί πίστευαν βαθιά   αὐτό πού τούς ἔλειπε ὅμως ἦταν ἡ ἀποκάλυψη τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ Θεοῦ, καί ὡς ἐκ τούτου μέσω τοῦ Ἀποστόλου Παύλου, συνεργείᾳ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος, τούς ἀποκαλύφθηκε. Ἔτσι, οἱ Τρεῖς Ἱεράρχες συνδυάζοντας τίς δύο μοναδικές διδασκαλίες, μᾶς παρέδωσαν ἕνα ὁλοκληρωμένο σύστημα πίστεως, σοφίας, ἀρετῆς καί κατ’ἄνθρωπον τελειότητας. Μᾶς ἀπέδειξαν δέ, πώς ἡ πίστη μέ τήν ἐπιστήμη καί τήν γνώση, δέν εἶναι ξένες καί ἀπομονωμένες, ἀλλά ἡ μία ὁδηγεῖ στήν ἄλλη   ὅσο περισσότερο ὁ ἄνθρωπος γνωρίζει και ἐρευνᾶ, τόσο πιό κοντά πλησιάζει στόν ἀληθινό Θεό.

 Γιά ὅλους αὐτούς τούς λόγους ἀλλά καί γιά πολλούς ἄλλους πού εἶναι ἀδύνατον νά παρετεθοῦν, ἡ Ἐκκλησία μας ὥρισε τούς τρεῖς μεγάλους αὐτούς Πατέρες, οὐ τυχαίως, ὡς τούς προστάτες καί φωτιστές τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν Γραμμάτων. Τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν Γραμμάτων πού ἔδωσαν τά φῶτα τους σέ ὁλόκληρη τήν οἰκουμένη καί συνεχίζουν. Τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν Γραμμάτων πού τιμοῦν τόν ἄνθρωπο ὡς ὁλοκληρωμένη ὀντότητα μέ ἀθάνατη ψυχή. Τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν Γραμμάτων πού διδάσκουν τήν σοφία, τήν εἰρήνη, τήν ἀγάπη, τήν δικαιοσύνη, καί ὅλες τίς ἀρετές που διδάσκει ὁ Σωτήρας μας Ἱησοῦς Χριστός, διά τοῦ Ευαγγελίου Του καί διά τῶν Ἁγίων Πατέρων. Τῳν Ἑλληνικῶν Γραμμάτων, πού καί ἐμεῖς ἔχουμε τήν μεγάλη τιμῆ νά κατέχουμε, νά γνωρίζουμε καί νά ἀγαποῦμε ἀλλά καί τήν μεγάλη ευθύνη νά διδάξουμε καί νά μεταλαμπαδεύσουμε στίς ἑπόμενες γενεές.

Ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί,

Εἴμαστε ὑπερήφανοι πού εἴμαστε Ἔλληνες ἀλλά καί εὐλογημένοι πού γεννηθήκαμε Χριστιανοί Ὀρθόδοξοι! Σέ μία λοιπόν ἐποχή δύσκολη καί κρίσιμη, ὅπου ὅλα ἐξαθλιώνονται, ἡ Γνώση ἐξευτελίζεται καί ἡ Πίστη ἱσοπεδώνεται, ἐμεῖς οἱ Ἑλληνορθόδοξοι Χριστιανοί, πού ζοῦμε στήν Ἀμερική, ἀγαποῦμε τήν Πατρίδα καί πιστεύουμε στόν ἀληθινό Θεό, ἀς ἀγωνιστοῦμε ἀκόμα περισσότερο ὥστε νά κρατήσουμε τά ἰδανικά τῆς φυλῆς καί τήν πίστη τῶν Πατέρων μας. Ἀς ἀγωνιστοῦμε νά διατηρήσουμε τήν ΓΛΩΣΣΑ μας, τήν γλῶσσα πού μιλοῦσε ὁ Χριστός μας, οἱ Πατέρες μας, οἱ ἀρχαίοι ἡμῶν πρόγονοι   τήν γλῶσσα πού φώτισε τόν κόσμο διά τῆς ἑλληνικῆς Φιλοσοφίας καί τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου. Μιά γλῶσσα πού δυστυχῶς πολλές φορές δέν ἐκτιμοῦμε καί ἴσως τήν ἀφήσουμε νά χαθεῖ. 

Ὡς Ποιμενάρχης καί Πνευματικός σας Πατέρας σᾶς παρακαλῶ νά ἀγωνισθοῦμε ὅλοι μαζί ἑνωμένοι, Κλῆρος καί Λαός, ὥστε να κρατήσουμε τήν γλῶσσα μας, μέ τίς εὐχές καί πρεσβείες τῶν Προστατῶν μας Ἁγίων Τριῶν Ἱεραρχῶν. Εὔχομαι δέ, στά παιδιά μας πού σπουδάζουν στά ἑλληνικά μας σχολεῖα καθώς καί στούς διδασκάλους τους, καλή ἐπιτυχία καί πρόοδο!

Μετά πατρικῆς ἀγάπης καί διαπύρων εὐχῶν,

Ο ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΙΤΗΣ

† ὁ Νέας Ἰερσέης ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ

The 2017 Parish Council will take the Oath of Office

TODAY Sunday, January 15th

Nicholas Demourtzidis

Leonidas Fotakos

Georgia Halakos

Anthanasios Hatzis

Stefanos Karakasidis

Athanasios Karas

Michael Kirifides

John Koninis II

Spiros Mantzavinos

Stavros Nicholas

John Pennias

George Rassias

Evangelia Tsavalas

Paraskevi Wolcott

Petros Xarhoulakos

When you pray…

 "THROUGH EVERY PRAYER AND ENTREATY REMAIN IN CONSTANT SUPPLICATION AT ALL TIMES IN THE SPIRIT BEING WATCHFUL IN THIS WORK FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL THE SAINTS." 

 Ephesians 6:18 

Prayers for Health...

Andreas, Anna, Barbara, Caroline, Catherine, Chris, Christine, Clara.Doug, Eleni, Faye, George

Gerasimos, Gregg, Gus, Jacob, Katherine, Kathryn, Marika, Mary, Matina, Nicholas, Spyros

Stephanie, Taylor, Tena

We ask that you give baptismal names only.