Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Fifth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Luke 24:13-35

At that time, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see." And he said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, but they constrained him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?" And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, who said, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Third Mode. Psalm 46.6,1.
Sing praises to our God, sing praises.
Verse: Clap your hands, all you nations.

The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 9:32-42.

IN THOSE DAYS, as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints that lived at Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years and was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed." And immediately he rose. And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. Now there was at Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. In those days she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him entreating him, "Please come to us without delay." So Peter rose and went with them. And when he had come, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping, and showing tunics and other garments which Dorcas made while she was with them. But Peter put them all outside and knelt down and prayed; then turning to the body he said, "Tabitha, rise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand and lifted her up. Then calling the saints and widows he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

Gospel Reading

Sunday of the Paralytic
The Reading is from John 5:1-15

At that time, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda which has five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and troubled the water; whoever stepped in first after the troubling of the water was healed of whatever disease he had. One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your pallet, and walk." And at once the man was healed, and he took up his pallet and walked.

Now that day was the sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who was cured, "It is the sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your pallet." But he answered them, "The man who healed me said to me, 'Take up your pallet, and walk.' "They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Take up your pallet, and walk'?" Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you." The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.

News & Upcoming Events

Christos Anesti! Cristos Anesth!

Orthodox Christians greet each other with the joyous greeting of “Christ is Risen” and the response is “Truly (indeed) He has Risen”. During the Paschal period, we do not kneel during our worship, as kneeling is a symbol of penitence, whereas, standing is the sign of Christ’s victory and joy in our midst.

Memorial: A 40 day memorial for Katherine Dellas, beloved wife of James, mother of Lisa and her husband Richard and George and his wife Kimberly. Grandmother of Molly, Patrick, Sam, Jake and Hadley. Great grandmother to Cruz.
Eternal be her memory. Fellowship hour is sponsored by the Dellas family.

Philoptochos: Please plan on attending the Philoptochos Tricky Tray on May 11^th at 6:00pm . It will be a fun filled evening. Tickets are available for $10 from Irene Moreira. All attendees must be 18 years old or over.

GOYA: Mother’s Day marks the beginning of the spring planting season. Let’s celebrate Moms and spring by filling our homes and gardens with flowers and plants! Come see our potted annuals, herbs, hanging baskets, and smiling GOYAns! Support the Youth Ministries of the Saint Nicholas GOYA on Sunday, May 7^th at fellowship hour. See insert.

Metropolis of New Jersey 2017 Clergy Laity Assembly: The Annual Metropolis of NJ Clergy Laity Assembly will convene at the Venetian in Garfield, NJ tomorrow Monday, May 8^th; at the Grand Banquet, tomorrow night, beginning at 6:30p.m., His Eminence Metropolitan Evangelos will honor several of our stewards/parishioners for their service to our Metropolis and/or our parish.

Congratulations to the honorees: Claire Melissas, our Philoptochos honoree; Chris Pappas, our community honoree; Plato Eliades our parish elder honoree; Evans Agrapidis, our parish council honoree; Andrew Bacalakis, our senior choir member honoree; Chris Gasparis, our GOYA honoree and Angela Rokkos Bachardy, our PTO honoree. May the Lord grant each of them many more years to serve His Church.

AHEPA: The Ramapo Ahepa Chapter is proud to announce that the 14th Annual Cigar Night Extravaganza will be held on Wednesday, May 24^th, 2017 at Seasons in Washington Township, NJ. We deeply appreciate your previous support for this event. Your continued support is greatly appreciated. For Reservations contact John Tsadilas at 201-707-2657 or email, jtsadilas@verizon.net

Wyckoff Day: Our Saint Nicholas Parish Council is once again preparing for the annual Wyckoff Day on June 3^rd at the Wyckoff YMCA. Event is 11:00am until 6:00 pm. We are proud to announce that our Saint Nicholas Juniors/GOYA dancers will be performing at 1:45 pm. Please come and promote our Faith, promote our Festival, support our youth and our Wyckoff community. Questions? Please contact Claire Melissas 201-742-5521 or Nick Karras 201-848-9361.

Saint Nicholas Charity Golf Classic: On Monday, June 19^th, Saint Nicholas will sponsor its 21^st Charity Golf Classic at Haworth Country Club in Haworth, NJ. The proceeds from this event will support the Church sponsored charities, ministries and activities. How can you assist our church’s efforts? In addition to golfer registration, there are a variety of sponsorship opportunities available. Please remember you do not have to be a golfer to show your support. You can help by making a monetary donation or purchasing a sponsorship. As part of our prize selections we will be preparing Gift Baskets. We are in need of donations of wine, dry goods (i.e. crackers, fruits) to include in these baskets. Also restaurant gift certificates, sporting event and concert tickets would be very much appreciated. Drop off donations to the office or our table set up in the Parish Center during Fellowship Hour on Sundays. Your generosity will be appreciated! For additional information contact Roseanne Psomas at 201-704-5866 roseannepsomas@aol.com or Chrissie Toskos at 201-788-2246 taurus03@aol.com .

Vacation Church School: Save the Date: July 31- August 4, 2017 9am-12:30pm for children 5-11 years of age. More information will follow.

Daughters of Penelope: The Daughters of Penelope are holding their final fund-raiser before the summer. If you go to the Blue Moon Cafe in Wyckoff on Tuesday, May 23^rd for lunch or dinner, a percentage of your bill will be donated to our Agape Chapter. (Can't get there that day?) Take-out, gift certificates or E-Gift Cards are an option. As always, your support will assist in funding our charities. Please present the special coupon with each purchase. Coupons will be available during the Sunday Fellowship Hour after the Liturgy or through e-blasts sent through the Saint Nicholas Office.

The Orthodox Ladies Prayer Group: Welcomes anyone interested in attending prayer meetings held on the 2^nd and 4^th Thursday evening of each month at 7:30pm in the Theotokos chapel. We spend a dedicated time of informal prayer lifting up our nation, church community and our families and friends. All prayer requests are kept confidential. Please feel free to call either the church office or Irene Ayvas 201-803-2307, with any urgent or ongoing prayer requests you would like added to our list or submitted through the “Email Prayer Chain”.
“Email Prayer Chain” Sign-Ups: This may be one of the easiest things you can do to serve your community. With today’s technology the majority of people read emails on a daily basis. We are simply asking for members of our congregation to sign up for our “Email Prayer Chain”, and they will receive occasional urgent prayer requests when a need arises for someone in immediate crisis. We ask only that you take a moment and pray for that person. It’s that simple, yet so powerful. If you are interested in being a part of this ministry, please email Irene Ayvas at iayvas@yahoo.com with your email contact info or call at 201-803-2307.

Readers & Greeters: We are always looking for volunteers to greet parishioners on Sunday and to read the Epistle during the Divine Liturgy. If you are interested in this ministry, contact Katherine Corniotes at 201-327-3645.

Saint Nicholas Benevolent Fund: In his Epistle, Saint James teaches that “faith without works is dead.” Giving alms (charity) is an act of faith through good works. The joyous Paschal season is the opportunity to assist a family or a person in need. Anyone can donate anonymously to the Saint Nicholas Benevolent Fund. Mail your donation check or drop it in the collection plate in our Narthex. “God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7). God bless you always for your open heart! You have made a difference! Contact Fr Bill for info frbill@stnicholasnj.org

Mortgage Burning Campaign: Participate in making Saint Nicholas debt free! Pledge your contribution towards our goal of debt freedom. Contact Nick Pirsos at pirsos@verizon.net or see the message board outside the fellowship hall (by the trophy case).

“Candle Money”! The Parish Council authorized a pilot program that will provide a tax deduction record for your candle donations. Thanks to a parishioner, booklets of different denominations have been printed. These are available for purchase at the office or narthex on Sundays. The candle money comes in a $2 booklet of 25 for a cost of $50; a $5 booklet of 10 for a cost of $50; a $10 booklet of 5 for a cost of $50 and a $20 booklet of 5 for a cost of $100. The candle money can only be used for candle donations. It is non-refundable, must be used for its full value and cannot be used in exchange for cash. We hope this will prove a convenience for all who make use of it.

Parish Stewardship by the Numbers: Stewardship is composed of our personal offering of time, talent and treasure. Stewardship is not dues but is based on Holy Scripture. Since time and talent offerings are more difficult to measure, one measurement of our response to God is our average “treasure” pledge per steward household. In 2016, we had 430 steward households that donated a total of $347,301 or 51% of our budgetary needs. To date in 2017, we have 225 steward households that have pledged a total of $216,960.

Saints and Feasts

May 07

Sunday of the Paralytic

Close to the Sheep's Gate in Jerusalem, there was a pool, which was called the Sheep's Pool. It had round about it five porches, that is, five sets of pillars supporting a domed roof. Under this roof there lay very many sick people with various maladies, awaiting the moving of the water. The first to step in after the troubling of the water was healed immediately of whatever malady he had.

It was there that the paralytic of today's Gospel way lying, tormented by his infirmity of thirty-eight years. When Christ beheld him, He asked him, "Wilt thou be made whole?" And he answered with a quiet and meek voice, "Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool." The Lord said unto him, "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." And straightaway the man was made whole and took up his bed. Walking in the presence of all, he departed rejoicing to his own house. According to the expounders of the Gospels, the Lord Jesus healed this paralytic during the days of the Passover, when He had gone to Jerusalem for the Feast, and dwelt there teaching and working miracles. According to Saint John the Evangelist, this miracle took place on the Sabbath.

May 07

Commemoration of the Precious Cross that appeared in the sky over Jerusalem in 351 A.D.

On this day in the year 351, not long after Cyril had succeeded Maximus as Archbishop of Jerusalem, during the reign of Constantius, the son of Saint Constantine the Great, on the day of Pentecost, the sign of the Cross appeared over Jerusalem. Saint Cyril, in his letter to the Emperor Constantius, says, "At about the third hour of the day, an enormous Cross, formed of light, appeared in the heaven above holy Golgotha and reaching to the holy Mount of Olives, being seen not by one or two only, but manifest with perfect clarity to the whole multitude of the city; not, as one might suppose, rushing swiftly past in fancy, but seen openly above the earth many hours in plain sight, and overcoming the beams of the sun with its dazzling rays" (PG 33:1 16q).

May 07

Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem

May 07

Akakios the Centurion of Byzantium

May 07

Repose of St. Nilus, abbot of Sora

May 07

Pachomios the New Martyr of Patmos

May 08

John the Apostle, Evangelist, & Theologian

The feast today in honour of the holy Apostle John commemorates the miracle taking place each year in Ephesus, in which a certain dust or powder, called manna, suddenly poured forth from his tomb and was used by the faithful for deliverance from maladies of both soul and body. For an account of his life, see September 26.

May 08

Synaxis of the Holy Powder (or manna) which emitted from the tomb of Saint John the Theologian

May 08

Arsenios the Great

Saint Arsenios was a deacon of the Church of Rome, born of an illustrious family, and wondrous in virtue. In the days of Saint Theodosius the Great, he was chosen to be the tutor of the Emperor's young sons, Arcadius and Honorius. While living at the imperial palace in Constantinople, compassed with all luxury and innumerable temptations to sin, Arsenios often besought God with tears to guide him to salvation. This prayer was answered one day when a voice came to him saying, "Arsenios, flee from men, and thou shalt be saved." He sailed secretly to Alexandria, and from there went to Scete, where he became a monk. Yet after he had withdrawn from the world, and was come among the most illustrious monks of his day, he heard, 'Arsenios, flee, be silent, pray always, for these are the causes of sinning not." Following this call, he separated himself even from his fellow monks, practicing extreme silence. On Saturday evenings, he would turn his back on the setting sun, and would stretch out his hands in prayer to Heaven, till the sun shone upon his face the following morning, and only then would he sit down. Once a monk came to visit him, and looking into his cell saw Arsenios entirely like a flame of fire. After living some fifty-five years as a monk, and attaining to heights reached by few, he reposed in peace about the year 449, at the age of ninety-five.

May 09

The Holy Prophet Esaias (Isaiah)

The Prophet Esaias, the son of Amos, was descended from a royal tribe. He prophesied in the days of Ozias (who is also called Azarias), Joatham, Ahaz, and Hezekias, Kings of Judah. About 681 B.C, in the reign of Manasses, the son and successor of the most pious Hezekias, when this Prophet was censuring Manasses' impiety and lawlessness, he was sawn asunder with a wooden saw, and thus received a martyr's end.

Of all the Prophets, he is called the most eloquent because of the beauty and loftiness of his words. His book of prophecy, divided into sixty-six chapters, is ranked first among the greater Prophets. The Fifth Ode of the Psalter, "Out of the night my spirit waketh at dawn unto Thee, O God . . ." is taken from his book. It was this holy Prophet who foretold that a Virgin would conceive in the womb (7:14); that not an ambassador, nor an angel, but the Lord Himself would save fallen man (63:9); that the Messiah would suffer, bearing our sins (ch. 53). His name means "Yah is helper."

Assembly of Bishops News

Go and Make Disciples: Evangelization and Outreach in US Orthodox Parishes

04/24/2017

http://assemblyofbishops.org/news/2017/evangelization-study-report

The first ever, national study on evangelization and outreach in Orthodox parishes in the United States has been released by the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA. The report 'Go and Make Disciples: Evangelization and Outreach in US Orthodox Parishes' explores the practices and strategies developed by some Orthodox parishes that can be viewed as 'exemplary' in their missionary and outreach efforts.

Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion of Great and Holy Pascha in the Plagal First Mode

Christ is risen from the dead, by death, trampling down upon death, and to those in the tombs He has granted life.

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Third Mode

Let the Heavens rejoice; let earthly things be glad; for the Lord hath wrought might with His arm, He hath trampled upon death by death. The first-born of the dead hath He become. From the belly of Hades hath He delivered us, and hath granted great mercy to the world.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal Fourth Mode

Though You went down into the tomb, You destroyed Hades' power, and You rose the victor, Christ God, saying to the myrrh-bearing women, "Hail!" and granting peace to Your disciples, You who raise up the fallen.

The translations of hymns are under copyright and used by permission. All rights reserved. These works may not be further reproduced, in print or on other websites or in any other form, without the prior written authorization of the copyright holder:

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Past Bulletins

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Epistle Reading

Gospel Reading

News & Upcoming Events

Saints and Feasts

Sunday of the Paralytic

Commemoration of the Precious Cross that appeared in the sky over Jerusalem in 351 A.D.

Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem

Akakios the Centurion of Byzantium

Repose of St. Nilus, abbot of Sora

Pachomios the New Martyr of Patmos

John the Apostle, Evangelist, & Theologian

Synaxis of the Holy Powder (or manna) which emitted from the tomb of Saint John the Theologian

Arsenios the Great

The Holy Prophet Esaias (Isaiah)

Assembly of Bishops News

Go and Make Disciples: Evangelization and Outreach in US Orthodox Parishes

04/24/2017

Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion of Great and Holy Pascha in the Plagal First Mode

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Third Mode

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal Fourth Mode