Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2021-08-01
Bulletin Contents
Worship Guidelines
Hymns of the Day
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Saints and Feasts
Wisdom of the Fathers
News and Announcements
This Week's Events
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Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • 7076426916
  • Street Address:

  • 1224 Alabama Street

  • Vallejo, CA 94590

Contact Information

Fr. Ninos Oshaana
Priest

fatherninos@gmail.com | 408-910-1144

Services Schedule

A full listing of all our services and events is provided in this bulletin.  

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“Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am in the midst of them.” -Matthew 18:20

 

Since the time of the Apostles, the Divine Liturgy has offered us communion with our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ through hymns, prayers, the hearing of the Scriptures and the great miracle of the Holy Eucharist for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

Upon entering this holy church, you are entering into worship with the angels and saints who continually worship God in heaven and are sanctified by His presence. Through your prayerful and heartfelt participation, through your sincere repentance and desire for union with Christ, the Divine Liturgy we celebrate today can be for you a powerful experience of "the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit" (2 Corinthians 13:14). Join in this holy and grace-filled work by following the service in the Divine Liturgy book in your pew or by simply being present, praying in your heart, “Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.”

 

Past Bulletins


Worship Guidelines

We enter the temple of God with reverence, humbly and quietly so as not to disturb those who are in prayer and as an expression of faith and awareness of the presence of the Lord, his saints and angels. No loud talking, irrelevant conversations, joking, etc. should take place in the Narthex or in the Sanctuary at anytime. To stand during worship is to affirm that we are in the presence of the Almighty God. The elderly, the sick and children may be seated as needed. There are specific parts of the service during which no one should be moving about. These parts of the service are: 

The Small Entrance, the Epistle and Gospel; the Cherubic Hymn, Great Entrance, Nicene Creed, the hymn Se Ymnoumen, the prayers: "Take, eat, this is my Body..." and, "we offer to you these gifts...", the prayer of institution: "And make this bread the precious Body of your Christ...", the Lord's Prayer,  Holy Communion, the sermon, dismissal prayer, any special services, e.g, memorial services. Whenever the Priest is facing the people or outside of the altar, everyone should stand wherever they are.

Dressing for God: The church is not just any ordinary place. We dress as modestly and respectfully as we can, because we are in the presence of God Himself. If invited by any earthly king or queen, we would dress in our finest clothes. Therefore, we should dress similarly when accepting an invitation from the Lord of Heaven. The way Orthodox Christians dress, both in and outside the temple, reflects their way of life and dedication to and fear of God. We dress modestly at all times, not in a flashy or provocative way that brings attention to ourselves.  

GENTLEMEN: Collared, button-up shirts, clean dress pants, sweaters or vests, ties and coats. Avoid jeans and shorts.

LADIES: Modest dresses and blouses, knee-length skirts or longer, clean dress pants. Avoid jeans or shorts, short skirts, skin-tight clothing, and strapless or sleeveless tops, high-heels shoes as they make noise on our floors. Head coverings may be worn, according to the biblical tradition and are available in the narthex.

Only Orthodox Christians may participate in Holy Communion. Please be in church at the beginning, say the pre-communion prayers the previous evening or in the morning, fasting from food this morning (unless there is a medical reason) and had a recent confession. Allow the altar boys to place the red cloth under your chin. Do not wipe your mouth with it but consume everything that may be on your lips. Ladies please avoid wearing lipstick or lip-gloss when receiving Holy Communion.

 

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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 5th Tone

To the Word, coeternal with the Father and the Spirit, born of the Virgin for our salvation, let us, the faithful, give praise and worship. For he willed to be lifted up on the cross in the flesh, to endure death and raise the dead by his glorious resurrection.

Apolytikion for Proodos of the Holy Cross in the 1st Tone

Save, O Lord, save your people and bless your inheritance. Give vict'ry to those who battle evil and protect us all by your holy cross.

Seasonal Kontakion in the 7th Tone

You were transfigured on the mountain, O Christ our God, showing your disciples as much of your glory as they could bear, so that when they see you crucified they will know that you suffer freely, and they will tell all the world that you are truly the radiance of the Father.
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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 5th Tone. Psalm 11.7,1.
You, O Lord, shall keep us and preserve us.
Verse: Save me, O Lord, for the godly man has failed.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 12:6-14.

Brethren, having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

Gospel Reading

6th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 9:1-8

At that time, getting into a boat Jesus crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on his bed; and when Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say 'Rise and walk?' But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" he then said to the paralytic -- "Rise, take up your bed and go home." And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

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Saints and Feasts

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August 01

Procession of the Precious Cross

Because of the many diseases that occur in the month of August, the custom prevailed of old in Constantinople to carry the precious Wood of the Cross in procession throughout the city for its sanctification and its deliverance from illnesses. It was brought forth from the imperial treasury on the last day of July and placed upon the Holy Table of the Great Church of the Holy Wisdom; and beginning today, until the Dormition of the Theotokos, it was carried in procession throughout the city and was set forth for veneration before the people.

Allsaint
August 01

The Holy Seven Maccabee Children, Solomone Their Mother, and Eleazar Their Teacher

The names of the Holy Maccabees are Abim, Anthony, Guria, Eleazar, Eusebona, Achim, and Marcellus. They were Jews by race and exact keepers of the Laws of the Fathers. They lived during the reign of Antiochus, who was surnamed Epiphanes ("Illustrious"), the King of Syria and an implacable enemy of the Jews. Having subjugated their whole nation and done many evil things to them, not sparing to assail the most sacred matters of their Faith, he constrained them, among other things, to partake of swine's flesh, which was forbidden by the Law. Then these pious youths, on being apprehended together with their mother and their teacher, were constrained to set at nought the Law, and were subjected to unspeakable tortures: wrackings, the breaking of their bones, the flaying of their flesh, fire, dismemberment, and such things as only a tyrant's mind and a bestial soul is able to contrive. But when they had endured all things courageously and showed in deed that the mind is sovereign over the passions and is able to conquer them if it so desires, they gloriously ended their lives in torments, surrendering their life for the sake of the observance of the divine Law. The first to die was their teacher Eleazar, then all the brethren in the order of their age. As for their wondrous mother Solomone, "filled with a courageous spirit, and stirring up her womanish thoughts with a manly wrath" (II Macc. 7:21), she was present at her children's triumph over the tyrant, strengthening them in their struggle for the sake of their Faith, and enduring stout-heartedly their sufferings for the sake of their hope in the Lord. After her last and youngest son had been perfected in martyrdom, when she was about to be seized to be put to death, she cast herself into the fire that they might not touch her, and was thus deemed worthy of a blessed end together with her sons, in the year 168 before Christ.

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Wisdom of the Fathers

In this case indeed He discloses also another sign, and that no small one, of His own Godhead, and of His equality in honor with the Father. For whereas they said, "To unbind sins pertains to God only," He not only unbinds sins, but also before this He makes another kind of display in a thing which pertained to God only; the publishing the secrets in the heart. For neither had they uttered what they were thinking.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 29 on Matthew 9, 4th Century

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News and Announcements

Parish General Assembly - After Liturgy

Please join us in the hall today after Liturgy for our Parish General Assembly


The Dormition Fast

August 1st is the beginnning of the Dormition Fast in memory of the Falling Asleep of the Theotokos, lasting until the feast of the Dormition on August 15th. During this time, a Paraklesis service will be offered every day at 5pm from August 1st-13th. Please join us for some of these services to ask supplication of the Holy Mother during this fast.


Orthodox Faith and Life Classes

On Wednesdays, starting August 4th at 6pm, please join us for our Orthodox Faith and Life classes to learn more about and delve deeper into the Orthodox Faith.


Choir Members wanted!

Fr. Ninos is currently looking for those who may be interested in joining the choir for Sts. Constantine and Helen. Members of the choir would sit in the front pews and lead the rest of the congregation in singing for Liturgy and other services. Please contact Fr. Ninos if you are interested!


Sunday Collection Offering

For many years, we used to pass around a tray for the Sunday collection offering. During the COVID restrictions, we stopped that practice as part of the guidelines that were given to us. However, this change was actually more appropriate from a spiritual perspective as only our worship experience should be the focus while inside the church. Instead of passing the tray again, we have now placed a small box in the narthex where you can make your Sunday offering, stewardship or other gifts when you enter or when you leave. Thank you and may God bless you for your generosity!


Candles and Offering

When we light a candle upon entering the church, we offer it with our heartfelt prayer to God for ourselves, family and friends. The wax represents our life that is passing away and the flame represents our soul which was illumined by the light of Christ through the Holy Spirit at our baptism. Lighting a candle signifies our commitment to following Christ until our death. 

There is a slot in the narthex table where you can deposit whatever donation you want to offer for the candles. These donations are one of the ways that help us sustain the parish expenses. If you don't have any cash with you this time, please take a candle regardless and offer something next time. Thank you and God bless you! 


Concerning the Antidoron

Please be careful when receiving the antidoron after Liturgy. It is holy bread that has been blessed upon the holy altar, so we would like to try our best to avoid dropping it or leaving crumbs to be stepped on.


Prayer List

Please keep in your prayers the servants of God: Xander, Rommel, Stephanie, Samir, Demetra, Alina, Katerina, Roula, Harriet, Pauline, and Dale.

If you have anyone else you would like to add to this list, please email Joshua at JWGray92@protonmail.com


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This Week's Events

  • Upcoming Events

    August 1 to August 15, 2021

    SUN
    MON
    TUE
    WED
    THU
    FRI
    SAT
    1
    AUG
    8:30AM Orthros
    10:00AM Divine Liturgy
    11:30AM General Assembly
    5:00PM Paraklesis
    2
    5:00PM Paraklesis
    3
    5:00PM Paraklesis
    4
    5:00PM Paraklesis
    6:30PM Orthodox Faith and Life Class
    5
    5:00PM Paraklesis
    6
    Transfiguration of the Lord
    8:30AM Orthros
    10:00AM Divine Liturgy
    5:00PM Paraklesis
    7
    5:00PM Great Vespers
    8
    8:30AM Orthros
    10:00AM Divine Liturgy
    5:00PM Paraklesis
    9
    5:00PM Paraklesis
    10
    5:00PM Paraklesis
    11
    5:00PM Paraklesis
    6:30PM Orthodox Faith and Life Class
    12
    5:00PM Paraklesis
    13
    5:00PM Paraklesis
    14
    5:00PM Great Vespers
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