Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal 4th Tone

Ἐξ ὕψους κατῆλθες ὁ εὔσπλαγχνος, ταφὴν καταδέξω τριήμερον, ἵνα ἡμᾶς ἐλευθερώσῃς τῶν παθῶν. Ἡ ζωὴ καὶ ἡ Ἀνάστασις ἡμῶν, Κύριε δόξα σοι.

From on high did you descend, O merciful Lord. For us did you endure three days in the tomb that we may be released from passions in this world, you who are our resurrection and our life, glory unto you O Lord.

Apolytikion for Translation of the relics of Stephen in the 4th Tone

The crown of the Kingdom hath adorned the brow of thy head because of the contests that thou hast endured for Christ God, thou first of the martyred Saints; for when thou hadst censured the Jews' madness, thou sawest Christ thy Saviour standing at the right hand of the Father. O Stephen, ever pray Him for us, that He would save our souls.

Βασίλειον διάδημα, εστέφθη σή κορυφή, εξ άθλων ών υπέμεινας, υπέρ Χριστού τού Θεού, Μαρτύρων πρωτόαθλε, σύ γάρ τήν Ιουδαίων, απελέγξας μανίαν, είδές σου τόν Σωτήρα, τού Πατρός δεξιόθεν, Αυτόν ούν εκδυσώπει αεί, υπέρ τών ψυχών ημών.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Grave Tone

Επί τού όρους μετεμορφώθης, καί ως εχώρουν οι Μαθηταί σου τήν δόξαν σου, Χριστέ ο Θεός εθεάσαντο, ίνα όταν σε ίδωσι σταυρούμενον, τό μέν πάθος νοήσωσιν εκούσιον, τώ δέ κόσμω κηρύξωσιν, ότι σύ υπάρχεις αληθώς, τού Πατρός τό απαύγασμα.

You were transfigured on the mountain, O Christ our God, showing to Your disciples Your glory as each one could endure. Shine forth on us who are sinners all Your light never ending. Through the prayers of the Theotokos, Light-bestower, glory to You.

Saints and Feasts

August 02

9th Sunday of Matthew

August 02

Translation of the Relics of Stephen the Protomartyr

After the First Martyr had been stoned to death (see Dec. 27), Gamaliel, his teacher, encouraged certain of the Christians to go by night and take up the Saint's body and bury it in his field, which was at a distance of some twenty miles from Jerusalem and was called by his name, "Kaphar-gamala," that is, "the field of Gamala," where Gamaliel himself was later buried. About the year 427, a certain pious man called Lucian, who was the parish priest of a church near to that field, received from God a revelation in a dream concerning the place where the First Martyr was buried. He immediately made this known to John, the Patriarch of Jerusalem. Thus, coming to the place indicated, and digging there, they found a box with the word "Stephen" in Aramaic letters. On opening it, they took these most sacred relics and transferred them to Jerusalem with great honor and in the company of a very great multitude of the faithful.

August 04

Seven Holy Youths of Ephesus

The Seven Youths hid themselves in a certain cave near Ephesus in the year 250, to escape the persecution of Decius. By divine grace, a sleep came upon them and they slept for 184 years, until the reign of Saint Theodosius the Younger, when the doctrine of the resurrection was being assailed by heretics. They then awoke, that is, were resurrected, confirming in the sight of all the bodily resurrection; and again after a short time, by divine command, they reposed in the Lord in the year 434.

August 04

Seven Holy Youths of Ephesus

August 06

Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Our Lord had spoken to His disciples many times not only concerning His Passion, Cross, and Death, but also concerning the coming persecutions and afflictions that they themselves would endure. Since all these evils were near at hand, but the enjoyment of good things which they hoped to receive in their stead was yet to come, our Savior desired to give them full assurance, evidently and openly, concerning that glory which is prepared for those who endure to the end. Therefore, fulfilling that which He had promised shortly before, that "there be some standing here which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in His Kingdom" (Matt. 16:28), He took His three foremost disciples and ascended Mount Tabor, where He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as the light. Suddenly, together with this dread and marvelous effulgence of light, there appeared those pinnacles of the Prophets, Moses and Elias, who spoke with the Lord Jesus concerning His saving Passion which was about to take place. Standing before Him as reverent servants, they showed that He is the Lord of both the living and the dead, for Moses came forth from Hades, having died many centuries before, and Elias, as it were from heaven, whither he had been taken up while yet alive. After a little while a radiant cloud overshadowed them and out of the cloud they heard that same voice which had been heard at the Jordan at the Baptism of Christ, testifying to the Divinity of Jesus and saying: "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well-pleased; hear ye Him" (Matt. 17: 5).

Such are the marvels, truly worthy of God, celebrated in this present feast, which is an image and prefiguring of the future state of the righteous, whose splendor the Lord spoke of, saying: "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun" (Matt. 13:43). It is because of this that the Kontakion of this Feast is said daily (when there is not a great feast) in the Service of the Typica in perpetual commemoration of the glory that will be the lot of the Saints. According to tradition, the Lord's Transfiguration came to pass forty days before His Crucifixion; this is why the Transfiguration is celebrated forty days before the Exaltation of the Cross.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Προκείμενον. Plagal 4th Tone. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 75.11,1.
Εὔξασθε καὶ ἀπόδοτε Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν.
Στίχ. Γνωστὸς ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ ὁ Θεός, ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ μέγα τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ.

τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Κορινθίους α' 3:9-17.

Ἀδελφοί, Θεοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν συνεργοί· θεοῦ γεώργιον, θεοῦ οἰκοδομή ἐστε. Κατὰ τὴν χάριν τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν δοθεῖσάν μοι, ὡς σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων θεμέλιον τέθεικα, ἄλλος δὲ ἐποικοδομεῖ. Ἕκαστος δὲ βλεπέτω πῶς ἐποικοδομεῖ. Θεμέλιον γὰρ ἄλλον οὐδεὶς δύναται θεῖναι παρὰ τὸν κείμενον, ὅς ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. Εἰ δέ τις ἐποικοδομεῖ ἐπὶ τὸν θεμέλιον τοῦτον χρυσόν, ἄργυρον, λίθους τιμίους, ξύλα, χόρτον, καλάμην, ἑκάστου τὸ ἔργον φανερὸν γενήσεται· ἡ γὰρ ἡμέρα δηλώσει, ὅτι ἐν πυρὶ ἀποκαλύπτεται· καὶ ἑκάστου τὸ ἔργον ὁποῖόν ἐστιν τὸ πῦρ δοκιμάσει. Εἴ τινος τὸ ἔργον μένει ὃ ἐποικοδόμησεν, μισθὸν λήψεται. Εἴ τινος τὸ ἔργον κατακαήσεται, ζημιωθήσεται· αὐτὸς δὲ σωθήσεται, οὕτως δὲ ὡς διὰ πυρός. Οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ναὸς θεοῦ ἐστε, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν; Εἴ τις τὸν ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φθείρει, φθερεῖ τοῦτον ὁ θεός· ὁ γὰρ ναὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἅγιός ἐστιν, οἵτινές ἐστε ὑμεῖς.

Prokeimenon. Plagal 4th Tone. Psalm 75.11,1.
Make your vows to the Lord our God and perform them.
Verse: God is known in Judah; his name is great in Israel.

The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 3:9-17.

Brethren, we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another man is building upon it. Let each man take care how he builds upon it. For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw - each man's work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If any one destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are.

Gospel Reading

9th Sunday of Matthew
Κατὰ Ματθαῖον 14:22-34

Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἠνάγκασεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοὺς μαθητὰς ἐμβῆναι εἰς τὸ πλοῖον καὶ προάγειν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ πέραν, ἕως οὗ ἀπολύσῃ τοὺς ὄχλους. Καὶ ἀπολύσας τοὺς ὄχλους ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὄρος κατ᾽ ἰδίαν προσεύξασθαι. ὀψίας δὲ γενομένης μόνος ἦν ἐκεῖ. Τὸ δὲ πλοῖον ἤδη σταδίους πολλοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἀπεῖχεν, βασανιζόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν κυμάτων, ἦν γὰρ ἐναντίος ὁ ἄνεμος. Τετάρτῃ δὲ φυλακῇ τῆς νυκτὸς ἦλθεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς περιπατῶν ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν. Οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ ἰδόντες αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης περιπατοῦντα ἐταράχθησαν λέγοντες ὅτι Φάντασμά ἐστιν, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου ἔκραξαν. Εὐθὺς δὲ ἐλάλησεν [ὁ ᾽Ιησοῦς] αὐτοῖς λέγων, Θαρσεῖτε, ἐγώ εἰμι· μὴ φοβεῖσθε. Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ Πέτρος εἶπεν, Κύριε, εἰ σὺ εἶ, κέλευσόν με ἐλθεῖν πρὸς σὲ ἐπὶ τὰ ὕδατα· ὁ δὲ εἶπεν, ᾽Ελθέ. καὶ καταβὰς ἀπὸ τοῦ πλοίου ὁ Πέτρος περιεπάτησεν ἐπὶ τὰ ὕδατα καὶ ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν ᾽Ιησοῦν. Βλέπων δὲ τὸν ἄνεμον ἐφοβήθη, καὶ ἀρξάμενος καταποντίζεσθαι ἔκραξεν λέγων, Κύριε, σῶσόν με. Εὐθέως δὲ ὁ ᾽Ιησοῦς ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα ἐπελάβετο αὐτοῦ καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ, ᾽Ολιγόπιστε, εἰς τί ἐδίστασας; καὶ ἀναβάντων αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ πλοῖον ἐκόπασεν ὁ ἄνεμος. Οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ προσεκύνησαν αὐτῷ λέγοντες, ᾽Αληθῶς Θεοῦ υἱὸς εἶ. Καὶ διαπεράσαντες ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν εἰς Γεννησαρέτ.

9th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 14:22-34

At that time, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. But immediately he spoke to them, saying "Take heart, it is I; have no fear."

And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "O man of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they entered the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.

Parish News and Events

Fellowship Hour

Today's Fellowship Hour is hosted by Presbytera Anna in honor of Swiss Independence Day (August 1). Please enjoy some homemade Swiss delicacies!

Saint Irene Chrysovalantou

In honor of the feast of St. Irene Chrysovalantou (July 28), we are blessing apples today at the end of Liturgy.

Father on Vacation

Father will be away from the parish on vacation beginning on Saturday, August 15, after Liturgy until Tuesday, August 25. If there is an emergency, please contact Dimitri Tsihlis at [email protected] / 603-496-8412. He will then contact the Metropolis to make arrangements. Please do not call the Metropolis yourself. Also please be on the lookout whether we will be getting a substitute priest for those two Sundays.

Supplication (Paraklesis) Services to the Theotokos

It is traditional during the Fast of the Dormiton (August 1 to August 14) to pray the Supplication Service (Paraklesis) to the Theotokos. We will have these services on Monday, August 3 at 6:30 pm, and on Monday, August 10 and Wednesday, August 12 at 6:30 pm. If you have not already submitted the names of the living to be commemorated at these services, please send your list to Father at [email protected] or bring them the night of the service.

Last Service at Holy Transfiguration, Franklin

The last divine Liturgy at the Holy Transfiguration Church in Franklin will take place on Saturday, August 8 at 10:00 am. At the end of Liturgy we will be transporting the sacred vessels, icons, and other objects to Holy Trinity. It would be a nice farewell if as many of our parishioners as possible could be present for this last Liturgy.

Can You Help Out the Coalition?

From the Coalition Against Homelessness:

As temperatures rise, we’re seeing more guests visit the Resource Center, and our supplies are running low! We’re currently in need of new men’s and women’s underwear, socks, peanut butter, packaged snacks, cereal, belts, and shoelaces. Your support helps us continue providing essential items to everyone who walks through our doors.

Please bring these items as soon as possible, as the need is great! Please leave them on the first table in the Church Hall (next to the bed linen collection). Thank you for your generous spirit!

You Definitely Need this Cook Book!

A new Cook Book, Food for the Soul: The Saintly Kitchen (put together by Presbytera Anna) is now in print and for sale! Each of the recipes (from all over the world) is paired with a Saint. You can learn more about the Saints while making a delicious dish connected (sometimes humorously) to the Saint. The Cook Books are selling for $20 a piece; the profit is going to help fund the Outreach Ministry’s annual Christmas Dinner for the Homeless. There will be a sign up sheet to order the Cookbook from the next round of printing! If you want a copy, pleae sign up today, since the next order is being placed tomorrow.

Take a Chance on a Great Raffle Prize

You have a chance to win a great basket of fine wines and chocolates. This raffle is sponsored by the Outreach Ministry; the proceeds will help fund their annual Christmas Party for the Homeless. Tickets are $5 a piece; please see Presbytera or a member of the Outreach Ministry to get some. The drawing will be on Sunday, September 6.

Bedding Donations for Friends of Forgotten Children

The Outreach Ministry will be collecting donations of new bed sets and bed sheets for the Friends of Forgotten Children charity organization. Please note that, although the name of the organization mentions children, they take care of adults as well, and they are actually mainly in need of adult size bedding. Please bring all donations to the miniature bed on the front table in the Church Hall. Thank you for your generosity! The drive will go on until the Feast of the Dormition, August 15.

We are also in need to sunscreeen and bug spray.

Council Supply Point Person

The inventory and ordering of things needed in the kitchen has been somewhat haphazard up to this point. The Parish Council has decided that each month there will be a point person to oversee inventory and ordering. The point person for August is Alexander Newman. If during the course of working in the kitchen or using the bathrooms you notice that something is needed, please let the Point Person of the Month know.

Helping Hands Ministry

Do you need some help with cutting the lawn or doing some housework? These things can become difficult as we get older. If you find yourself in this dilemma, please get in touch with our Helping Hands Ministry. Members of our parish have volunteered to do yard work, small repairs, household chores or other such odd jobs, please get in touch with our Helping Hands! Please give Presbytera a call (603-953-3051) and she will put you in touch with someone to help!

Mark Your Calendar

August 3--Supplication Service

August 6--Transfiguration, Blessing of Grapes

August 8--Last Liturgy in Franklin

August 10--Supplicaton Service

August 12--Supplication Service

August 14--Name Day Vespers at Assumption Church, Manchester

August 15--Dormition of the Theotokos

August 15 (after Liturgy)--August 25--Father away on Vacation

Parish Events of the Week

Sunday, August 2--9th Sunday of Matthew / The Transference of the Relics of the Holy Martyr and Archdeacon Stephen

9:00 am--Orthros

10:00 am--Divine Liturgy

Blessing of Apples for St. Irene Chrysovalantou at the end of Liturgy

Monday, August 3

6:30 pm--Supplication (Paraklesis) Service to the Theotokos

Thursday, August 6--The Transfiguration of our Lord

10:00 am--Divine Liturgy followed by the Blessing of Grapes

Saturday, August 8

10:00 am--Final Liturgy at Holy Transfiguration, Franklin

Sunday, August 9--10th Sunday of Matthew

9:00 am--Orthros

10:00 am--Divine Liturgy

40 Day Memorial for Barbara Economides

RESET Meeting immediately after Liturgy in the Church

Sunday School Teachers Meeting after RESET

Bulletin Inserts

St. Irene Chrysovalantou

A brief biography of St. Irene. Today we are blessing apples in her honor, asking for her intercession.

Food for the Soul: The Saintly Kitchen

Now is the time to order your copy of this Cookbook which brings together saints, old and new, known and unknown, with recipes connected to their lives, their feast days, and sometimes in the most unusual ways. Order your copy now for the next printing.

Food for the Soul Cookbook Tasting Event

November 7, 2026 in the church hall. Enjoy a buffet of delicacies, along with a special wine, all made from recipes in the Food for the Soul Cookbook. Tickets are $20. Make sure to put this event on your calendar.

Diakonia Newsletter

Read the latest Diakonia Newsletter for this Sunday

https://bulletinbuilder.org/diakonia-newsletter/2026-08-02?source=bulletin_web

August 2, 2026

General Information

Contact Information

Services Schedule

Past Bulletins

Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal 4th Tone

Apolytikion for Translation of the relics of Stephen in the 4th Tone

Seasonal Kontakion in the Grave Tone

Saints and Feasts

9th Sunday of Matthew

Translation of the Relics of Stephen the Protomartyr

Seven Holy Youths of Ephesus

Seven Holy Youths of Ephesus

Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Gospel Reading

Parish News and Events

Parish Events of the Week

Bulletin Inserts

St. Irene Chrysovalantou

Food for the Soul: The Saintly Kitchen

Food for the Soul Cookbook Tasting Event

Diakonia Newsletter