Holy Cross Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2024-08-25
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Holy Cross Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • 724-346-9937
  • Street Address:

  • 950 Maple Dr

  • Hermitage, PA 16148-2333


Contact Information








Services Schedule

Wednesdays: Daily Vespers 6 pm; Bible Study after

Saturdays: Great Vespers 6 pm; Confessions heard after

Sundays: Matins 9 am, Divine Liturgy 10 am

 


Past Bulletins


Sunday August 25, 2024

     

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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Eighth Tone

From on high didst Thou descend, O Compassionate One; to burial of three days hast Thou submitted that Thou mightest free us from our passions. O our Life and Resurrection, Lord, glory be to Thee.
You descended from on high, O compassionate One, and consented to a three-day burial, to free us from the passions. O Lord, our life and resurrection, glory to You!

Apolytikion for Apostle Bartholomew in the Third Tone

O Holy Apostles, intercede with the merciful God that He grant unto our souls forgiveness of offenses.
O holy Apostles, make intercession to our merciful God, that He grant our souls forgiveness of offenses.
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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Ninth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 20:19-31

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in His side, I will not believe." Eight days later, His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in My side; do not be faithless, but believing." Thomas answered Him, "My Lord and My God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, you may have life in His name.


Epistle Reading

9th Sunday of Matthew
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
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.


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Wisdom of the Fathers

The principle and source of the virtues is a good disposition of the will, that is to say, an aspiration for goodness and beauty. God is the source and ground of all supernal goodness. Thus the principle of goodness and beauty is faith or, rather, it is Christ, the rock of faith, who is principle and foundation of all virtues. On this rock we stand and on this foundation we build every good thing (cf. I Cor. 3:11).
St. Gregory of Sinai
On Commandments and Doctrines no. 83, Philokalia Vol. 3 edited by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware; Faber and Faber pg. 228, 14th century

Christ did not command the winds to cease at that time, but Himself stretched forth His hand and took hold of Peter, because here faith was required of him. When we do not do our part, divine (grace) slows and stands still.. . . it was not the wind that did Peter harm; his lack of faith sank him. Where faith is fruitfu, firm and strong, none of the evils that may befall us can do us any harm.
St. John Chrysostom
The Gospel Commentary edited by Hieromonk German Ciuba, 2002, 4th Century

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Saints and Feasts

August 25

9th Sunday of Matthew


August 25

Return of the Body of Bartholomew the Glorious Apostle

Saint Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles, and had Galilee as his homeland; this is all that is known of him for certain according to the history of the Gospels. Concerning his apostolic work, certain say that he preached in Arabia and Persia, and especially in India, bringing to them the Gospel written by Saint Matthew, which had been written originally in Hebrew, and which was found there one hundred years later by Pantaenus, formerly a stoic philosopher and later an illustrious teacher of the Christian school in Alexandria (see Eusebius, Eccl. Hist., 5: 10). Other accounts say that he went to Armenia. According to some, he ended his life by being crucified, or by being flayed alive, in Albanopolis (Urbanopolis) of Armenia. This also confirms an ancient tradition preserved by the Armenians. According to some, Bartholomew and Nathanael are the same person, because the Evangelists who mention Bartholomew do not mention Nathanael; and John, who alone mentions Nathanael as one of the Twelve, says nothing of Bartholomew. Indeed, Bartholomew is a patronymic, "son of Talmai," which means "bold, spirited" (see also Jesus of Navi 15:14; II Kings 3:3), and Nathanael could have had this as a surname. According to the Synaxarion of the Menaion on April 22, however, it is Simon the Zealot and Nathanael who are the same; the Evangelists who mention Simon the Zealot (or "the Canaanite") do not mention Nathanael.


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Announcements

Memory Eternal

With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we announce the repose of one of our parishioners, Betty Pappus. Betty fell asleep in the Lord on the night of August 5th. Please keep Betty and her family in your prayers.


Memorial Service for Betty

Because many parishioners were unable to attend the funeral service for Betty Pappas, we will be offering a parastas for Betty at her grave on her 40th day after her death. We will meet at Saint John's Orthodox Cemetery on September 14th at 6 pm. We encourage all of our parishioners to come and pray for Betty. Please note that as this is a Saturday, we will be serving the Parastas in place of vespers. Saturday is the day marked in the weekly cycle for the departed as well as the 14th being our Parish Feast Day. I can not imagine a better time for us to get together as a parish and pray for one of our own.


Bible Study

Starting on September 11th, our parish will be offering a weekly bible study. Our bible study will start at 6 pm in the Church with prayer. Invite your friends!


Lipstick

Please avoid kissing the holy icons while wearing lipstick. The lipstick leaves a residue on the icons that can actually seep into the paint and permanently stain the icons. We also ask that you please remove your lipstick before partaking in communion. Wearing lipstick while taking communion results in the spoon and ultimately the body and blood of Christ being stained by the lipstick. 


Pastoral Meetings by Appointment

Father Spyridon is available by appointment to serve your pastoral needs. Please do not hesitate to contact him via email or phone to set up appointments.  


Commemoration Slips

You will now find commemoration slips at the candle stand. These slips are for people to be added to our parish prayer list. Names should be added of people who have recently fallen ill, pregnancies, newborns, or recently departed. If the person is not an Orthodox Christian, their name should be added only under the non-Orthodox spot. If there is someone you wish to have commemorated who departed this life more than 40 days ago, please give the name directly to Father and he will pray for them during Proskomedia. After filling out the commemoration slip, please place it in the small basket on the candle stand. The altar boys will collect them during Liturgy so that they can be added to our prayers.


Family Prayer Lists

Before the Divine Liturgy, the priest prays for the people. To assist with this, we ask that all parishioners create a list of living family members and a list of departed family members to be commemorated before the Divine Liturgy. Please note all names on the list must be Orthodox Christians.


Prayer List

Please keep the following in your prayers:

Living:

  • Psa. Sarah and the child to be born of her
  • Mary Ann
  • Virginia 
  • Helen
  • Janet

Departed:

  • Betty

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Parish Calendar

  • Calendar

    August 25 to September 8, 2024

    Sunday, August 25

    9:00AM Matins

    10:00AM Divine Liturgy

    Saturday, August 31

    6:00PM Great Vespers

    Sunday, September 1

    Ecclesiastical New Year

    9:00AM Matins

    10:00AM Divine Liturgy

    Monday, September 2

    Office Closed - Labor Day

    Wednesday, September 4

    ROEA Congress - Detroit

    Sunday, September 8

    Nativity of the Theotokos

    9:00AM Matins

    10:00AM Divine Liturgy

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