A Word from Father Alex

Fellow Parishioners and Friends:

If you and yours are remaining in the area this weekend, I hope to see you at our parish home. After worship, friends old and new will be waiting for you during Fellowship Hour.

Please come join us, and read on for details on everything coming our way next month. The liturgical new year of Sep. 1 will be here before you know it, and then off we go!

Fondly,

Fr. Alex

Sunday Notes

TODAY'S ALTAR SERVERS: All servers welcome
Altar Team Archangels Michael and Gabriel: Eliot Hess, Leland Hess, Linus LaFond (Asst. Cap.) and Mark Saad
Cap., Mario Salzillo

TODAY'S MYRRHBEARER: Carla Saad.
Caps., Elena Salzillo and Sydney LaFond

TODAY'S NARTHEX TEAM:
Parish Council Member: Steve Christo.
Usher Member: Maria Orfanos.

HOMILY: “The Miracles of Christ in 2026 - 27.”

EPISTLE: Joan Maimonis.

ALTAR FLOWERS: Altar flower sponsorships are a wonderful way to remember a loved one or celebrate a family event. Contact the Church Office for details (sponsorships are $125).

FELLOWSHIP HOUR: This month and beyond, Fellowship Hour sponsors are welcome and needed. Sign up in the hall this weekend or use our SignUpGenius link.

KOLIVA PREPARATION: Parishioners often ask for help in preparing Koliva and may contact Gina Drugas to order a plate for a memorial ($125 per Koliva).

WORSHIPPING FROM HOME: STREAMING AND INTERNET MINISTRY:

ACCESS SERVICES VIA FACEBOOK:
St. Gregory the Theologian Greek Orthodox Church | Facebook

ACCESS SERVICES VIA YOU TUBE:
St. Gregory The Theologian Live - YouTube

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

First Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Matthew 28:16-20

At that time, the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw Him they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age. Amen."

Epistle Reading

12th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 15:1-11

Brethren, I would remind you in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast -- unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Gospel Reading

12th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 19:16-26

At that time, a young man came up to Jesus, kneeling and saying, "Good Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you call me good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which?" And Jesus said, "You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to him, "All these I have observed; what do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.

And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Saints and Feasts

August 23

12th Sunday of Matthew

August 23

Apodosis of the Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary

Concerning the Dormition of the Theotokos, this is what the Church has received from ancient times from the tradition of the Fathers. When the time drew nigh that our Savior was well-pleased to take His Mother to Himself, He declared unto her through an Angel that three days hence, He would translate her from this temporal life to eternity and bliss. On hearing this, she went up with haste to the Mount of Olives, where she prayed continuously. Giving thanks to God, she returned to her house and prepared whatever was necessary for her burial. While these things were taking place, clouds caught up the Apostles from the ends of the earth, where each one happened to be preaching, and brought them at once to the house of the Mother of God, who informed them of the cause of their sudden gathering. As a mother, she consoled them in their affliction as was meet, and then raised her hands to Heaven and prayed for the peace of the world. She blessed the Apostles, and, reclining upon her bed with seemliness, gave up her all-holy spirit into the hands of her Son and God.

With reverence and many lights, and chanting burial hymns, the Apostles took up that God-receiving body and brought it to the sepulchre, while the Angels from Heaven chanted with them, and sent forth her who is higher than the Cherubim. But one Jew, moved by malice, audaciously stretched forth his hand upon the bed and immediately received from divine judgment the wages of his audacity. Those daring hands were severed by an invisible blow. But when he repented and asked forgiveness, his hands were restored. When they had reached the place called Gethsemane, they buried there with honor the all-immaculate body of the Theotokos, which was the source of Life. But on the third day after the burial, when they were eating together, and raised up the artos (bread) in Jesus' Name, as was their custom, the Theotokos appeared in the air, saying "Rejoice" to them. From this they learned concerning the bodily translation of the Theotokos into the Heavens.

These things has the Church received from the traditions of the Fathers, who have composed many hymns out of reverence, to the glory of the Mother of our God (see Oct. 3 and 4).

August 23

Our Holy Father Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons

The Holy Hieromartyr Irenaeus was born in Asia Minor about the year 120, and in his youth was a disciple of Saint Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna. Saint Irenaeus was sent to Lyons in Gaul, to be a fellow labourer of Pothinus, Bishop of Lyons (celebrated June 2), who had also been a disciple of Saint Polycarp. After the martyrdom of Saint Pothinus, Saint Irenaeus succeeded him as Bishop of Lyons. Besides the assaults of paganism, Irenaeus found himself compelled to do battle with many Gnostic heresies, against which he wrote his greatest work, A Refutation and Overthrow of Knowledge Falsely So Called . He was also a peace-maker within the Church. When Victor, Bishop of Rome, was prepared to excommunicate the Christians of Asia Minor for following a different tradition celebrating Pascha, Irenaeus persuaded him to moderate his zeal, and mediated peace. He made Lyons an illustrious bastion of Orthodoxy and a school of piety, and sealed his confession with martyrdom about the year 202, during the reign of Septimius Severus. He is not to be confused with Saint Irenaeus, Bishop of Sirmium, also celebrated today, who was beheaded and cast into a river in 304 under Diocletian.

Wisdom of the Fathers

Rise from love of the world and love of pleasure. Put care aside, strip your mind, refuse your body. Prayer, after all, is a turning away from the world, visible and invisible. What have I in heaven? Nothing except simply to cling always to You in undistracted prayer. Wealth pleases some, glory others, possessions others, but what I want is to cling to God and to put the hopes of my dispassion in Him (cf. Ps. 72:25, 28).

St. John Climacus

Ladder of Divine Ascent, Step 28: On Prayer; Paulist Press pg. 277, 6th century

Spiritual delight is not enjoyment found in things that exists outside the soul.

St. Isaac of Syria

Unknown, 7th century

Ministries, Programs & Parish Updates

SERVICES FOR SUNDAY, August 23, 12TH SUNDAY OF MATTHEW
We look forward to worshipping with you at Saint Gregory:
Orthros, 8:30 AM
Divine Liturgy, 9:30 AM
(Sunday School classes are on break until the fall; Fellowship Hour follows Divine Liturgy)

STREAMING DETAILS/MEDIA FOR THIS SUNDAY, August 23
Access Services via You Tube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgvnXFV6xK1Nhm8ID84jFNg

Access services and join our community on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/saintgregorythetheologian

Join our community on Instagram:
@saintgregorythetheologian

PHILOPTOCHOS BACK-TO-SCHOOL DRIVE, THROUGH AUG. 30
Throughout August, please bring school backpacks (boys and girls, all ages), crayons, rulers, pens, pencils and other school supplies to Saint Gregory. They can be dropped off in the Narthex donation bin. Alternatively, select items from our Amazon wishlist and have them sent directly to the church. Thanks for your support of local children and families.

PARISH PICNIC & MINISTRY CELEBRATION, SEP. 13
Our children, families and parishioners are invited to join us for our annual picnic. Families can register for Sunday School, and our GOYAns will have their first meeting of the year. If you can bring a main, side, dessert or drink item, please contact Fr. Alex. We need the following: Hamburger/hotdog buns; potato/macaroni salad; veggie platter; fruit platter/salad; other side ideas; water, juice and soda; desserts. Other "mains" are very much welcome too.

SUNDAY SCHOOL RESUMES, SEP. 20
Our teachers are busy preparing for another year of learning, faith and friendship with our children. Parents, please register your children as soon as possible via the emailed registration link, or see a Sunday School leader at the Sep. 13 picnic. We pray our children have an inspirational 2026 – 27 school year at Saint Gregory.

ORTHODOX LIFE: MIRACLES OF CHRIST, BEGINS SEP. 27
In connection to this year’s parish-wide theme focusing on the miracles of the Lord, Fr. Alex will lead us on a study of these scriptural narratives. Materials will be provided, and we will meet on select Sundays during Fellowship Hour. Coming meeting dates: Sep. 27, Oct. 11 and Oct. 28. All are welcome; no prior experience with Bible study is needed.

INSTANT CHURCH DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE TABLE
Next month we will set up a table in the fellowship hall to assist parishioners with understanding and using our new Instant Church Directory. Further, we will offer on-site photos for you and your family for use in the directory. Meantime, follow the directions within our helpful flyer to edit and personalize your profile. Contact Fr. Alex or Steve Christo with any questions.

MOMMY & ME MINISTRY
Next month (September), we are planning to launch this ministry group for younger mothers to gather in faith, support and friendship. Interested? Please contact Greta Loukos.

MAKING PROSFORA FOR SUNDAY LITURGY
Interested in making prosphora? Don't know where to start? The following link contains an annotated recipe that will help even a novice baker have success: https://tinyurl.com/mb73wtwe. Please feel free to reach out to Stephanie LaFond with any questions, and contact Fr. Alex if you would like to bake a loaf (or more) for a coming Sunday.

STEWARDSHIP MINISTRY 2026
Many thanks to all those Stewards who have already committed for 2026. If you have not yet had the opportunity, now would be a wonderful time. 2026 Stewardship materials are in the Narthex and available on our parish website's Stewardship page.

FELLOWSHIP HOUR SIGN-UP RESOURCES
All parishioners are invited to host Fellowship Hour on a coming Sunday. In addition to the sign-up poster in the hall, we can now easily learn more and sign up online. Fellowship Hour is a beloved, significant tradition at our parish that speaks to Christian fellowship and hospitality. Thanks in advance for your support, and contact Fellowship Hour Chair Brian Kaufman with any questions: [email protected]

RIDES TO CHURCH
George Dimitriou, our Driving Ministry chair, would be happy to help you or a loved one make it to Saint Gregory for worship and events. Contact George directly: [email protected]; 781.769.2085.

LOST & FOUND
When parishioners find items about the church, they leave them with the church office. You will find a mail tray labled for lost and found. If you have misplaced a small item, or found one, please stop by the office.

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS
Fr. Alex: Tue., 11 am - 3 pm; Wed., 9 am - 1 pm; Thur., 9 am - 1 pm; or by appointment when convenient for our parishioners. Please note that on occasion, Fr. Alex may be seeing to a pastoral situation, visiting with another parishioner, attending a Metropolis event, or otherwise engaged in Church life during office hours.

Church Office Adminstrator Mirna Zelic:
Mon. - Fri. - 9:30 am - 1:30 pm
Contact Mirna: [email protected]; 508.337.9986.

Calendar: Next Two Weeks

Saint Gregory Parish Calendar

August 23 to September 6, 2026

Sunday, August 23

8:30AM Orthros

9:30AM Divine Liturgy

Sunday, August 30

8:30AM Orthros

9:30AM Divine Liturgy

Sunday, September 6

8:30AM Orthros

9:30AM Divine Liturgy