Father Paisius McGrath, Presbyter

Glory to Jesus Christ! Greetings to the faithful members and families of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. May our Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless and guide us as we grow in our Faith and strengthen our Holy Community as we serve Him together!

Today on the 4th Sunday of Saint Matthew we hear the story of our Lord's healing of the Centurion's servant of his illness. In Today's Gospel Reading from Saint Matthew 8:5-13, we hear the account of a non believing Roman military leader who comes to Jesus Christ for the healing of his servant. He had great faith that Jesus would be able to heal his servant even though they were not believers. In this dialogue it becomes evident that the Centurion had faith and believed that Jesus could heal simply by speaking the words. This evident fact caused Jesus to marvel at such great faith and to grant the request on the basis of this man's certain faith. But our Lord also uses this encounter to teach that the Kingdom of Heaven will be filled with those of Faith regardless of where they come from, while many who expect to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven will be shut out because of a lack of true and abiding faith. This was a warning to the Jewish people of the time of Jesus Christ who expected that they were the inheritors of the Kingdom but lacked the true Faith necessary. But as the people of God in the Church we also are called to pay heed to the level of our own Faith as well, lest we also be shut out of the Kingdom of Heaven because of a lack of true faith. Let us grow in true faith and faithfulness everyday!

Your Pastor;

Father Paisius R McGrath

Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 3rd Tone

Let the heavens sing for joy, and let everything on earth be glad. * For with His Arm the Lord has worked power. * He trampled death under foot by means of death; * and He became the firstborn from the dead. * From the maw of Hades He delivered us; * and He granted the world His great mercy.

Seasonal Kontakion in the 2nd Tone

O Protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, mediation unto the creator most constant: O despise not the voices of those who have sinned; but be quick, O good one, to come unto our aid, who in faith cry unto thee: Hasten to intercession and speed thou to make supplication, O thou who dost ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honor thee.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 3rd Tone. Psalm 46.6,1.
Sing praises to our God, sing praises.
Verse: Clap your hands, all you nations.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 6:18-23.

Brethren, having been set free from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once yielded your members to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness for sanctification.

When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But then what return did you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Gospel Reading

4th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 8:5-13

At that time, as Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching him and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress." And he said to him, "I will come and heal him." But the centurion answered him, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard him, he marveled, and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth." And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; be it done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed at that very moment.

Wisdom of the Fathers

"Even on the Cross He di not hide Himself from sight; rather, He made all creation witness to the presence of It's Maker."

Saint Athanasius the Great

"Do not ask for love from your neighbor, for if you ask and he does not respond, you will be troubled. Instead show your love for your neighbor and you will be at rest, and so will bring your neighbor to love."

Saint Dorotheos of Gaza

Saints and Feasts

July 22

Mary Magdalene, Myrrhberer & Equal-to-the-Apostles

Saint Mary was from Magdala in Galilee on the Sea of Tiberias, and for this was named Magdalene. When the Lord Jesus cast out seven demons from her, from which she had been suffering, she became His faithful and inseparable disciple, following Him and ministering unto Him even to the time of His crucifixion and burial. Then, returning to Jerusalem together with the rest of the Myrrh-bearers, she prepared the fragrant spices for anointing the body of the Lord. And on the Lord's day they came very early to the tomb, even before the Angels appeared declaring the Resurrection of the Lord. When Mary Magdalene saw the stone taken away from the tomb, she ran and proclaimed it to Peter and John. And returning immediately to the tomb and weeping outside, she was deemed worthy to be the first of the Myrrh-bearers to behold the Lord arisen from the dead, and when she fell at His feet, she heard Him say, "Touch Me not." After the Lord's Ascension, nothing certain is known concerning her. Some accounts say that she went to Rome and later returned to Jerusalem, and from there proceeded to Ephesus, where she ended her life, preaching Christ. Although it is sometimes said that Saint Mary Magdalene was the "sinful woman" of the Gospel, this is nowhere stated in the tradition of the Church, in the sacred hymnology, or in the Holy Gospels themselves, which say only that our Lord cast seven demons out of her, not that she was a fallen woman. "Madeleine" is a form of Magdalene.

July 27

Panteleimon the Great Martyr & Healer

This Saint, who had Nicomedia as his homeland, was the son of Eustorgius and Eubula. His father was an idolater, but his mother was a Christian from her ancestors. It was through her that he was instructed in piety, and still later, he was catechized in the Faith of Christ by Saint Hermolaus (see July 26) and baptized by him. Being proficient in the physician's vocation, he practiced it in a philanthropic manner, healing every illness more by the grace of Christ than by medicines. Thus, although his parents had named him Pantoleon ("in all things a lion"), because of the compassion he showed for the souls and bodies of all, he was worthily renamed Panteleimon, meaning "all-merciful." On one occasion, when he restored the sight of a certain blind man by calling on the Divine Name, he enlightened also the eyes of this man's soul to the knowledge of the truth. This also became the cause for the martyrdom of him who had been blind, since when he was asked by whom and in what manner his eyes had been opened, in imitation of that blind man of the Gospel he confessed with boldness both who the physician was and the manner of his healing. For this he was put to death immediately. Panteleimon was arrested also, and having endured many wounds, he was finally beheaded in the year 305, during the reign of Maximian. Saint Panteleimon is one of the Holy Unmercenaries, and is held in special honor among them, even as Saint George is among the Martyrs.

Upcoming Services and Events

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Calendar

July 21 to July 28, 2024

Sunday, July 21

Saint Symeon Fool of Christ

4th Sunday of Saint Mathew

9:30AM Orthros

10:00AM Divine Liturgy

Wednesday, July 24

6:00PM Daily Vespers and talk with Potluck Meal

Saturday, July 27

Holy Martyr Panteilemon

9:30AM Chrismation Trent and Rachel Milam

10:00AM Orthros and Divine Liturgy

6:00PM Great Vespers

Sunday, July 28

5th Sunday of Saint Mathew

Saint Irene of Chrysovalantou

9:30AM Orthros

10:00AM Divine Liturgy

Announcements

ANNOUNCEMENTS

In July 1974 Turkey invaded the island nation of Cyprus. To this day the Turkish occupiers hold one third of the country. Only the Greek side is recognized by the international community. Please see the Archepiscopal Encyclical on the 50th Anniversary of the invasion of Cyprus by Archbishop Elpidoforos in the bulletin insert.

This morning we offer a special welcome to all our visitors, we thank you for worshipping with our Parish Community today. Please join us once again!

Let us continue to pray for those of our Parish Community who are recovering in various ways. Let us always remember that praying for each other is important and beneficial to all!

We ask that everyone continue to pray for our Parish Catechumens and Inquirers as they continue to learn more about faith and embracing our Holy Orthodox Faith.

We offer a reminder that following the Divine Liturgy on Sunday July 21 we will have the Annual Blessings of Vehicles as a part of our celebration yesterday of the Feast of the Holy Prophet Elijah (Elias). We invite everyone to participate in this.

This week on Saturday, July 27, we will celebrate the Feast of Saint Panteilemon with Orthros and Divine Liturgy. Saint Panteilemon is one of the Saints known as the Unmercenary Healers and Physicians because they were physicians who were granted by God the special grace of healing. Saint Panteilemon also is very important for us here at Holy Trinity in that a portion of his relics are contained in our Holy Altar.

We are pleased to announce that here at Holy Trinity we will be forming a new group for fellowship and learning which we are calling Practical Orthodoxy. In this group we will be learning more of the traditions and practices of our Orthodox Faith and how we are called to live as Orthodox Christians. For more information, please talk with Father Paisius and Cassidy and Crystal Anderson.

We offer a reminder that this week the construction on our new Church Roof will be taking place and so we encourage everyone to pray as the contractors do this work in helping to strengthen and beautiful our Church Building.

We are pleased to announce that the printed copies of our Parish schedule for July are now available in the Narthex and Church Side Entrance. Please pick up your copy and join us in the prayer and worship of our Parish Community. The July calendar is also on the church website at https://holytrinitybiloxi.org/.

CHRISMATION

We are pleased to announce that this week on Saturday, July 27 at 9:30 am the servants of God, Trent and Rachel Milam, will be received into the Holy Orthodox Faith through Holy Chrismation. Their sponsors will be Ethan and Alex Adkins from Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton Mississippi. Let us pray for Trent and Rachel and their sponsors and their families for blessing of God upon them all!

BIRTHDAYS

Today we offer our best wishes and congratulations to Analyse Dubuisson who celebrates her birthday on July 22, and Lisa Taylor who celebrates her birthday on July 25, and Jaime Ross who celebrates her birthday on July 26. May the Lord our God bless His servants Analyse, Lisa, and Jaime. May He grant to them many more blessed and happy years!

If we missed your anniversary or birthday it means we don't have you information listed on our roster. Please let us know so we can make the updates.

PRAYERS FOR THE SICK AND RECOVERING

Pray for Saidi Maalouf, Mousa Maalouf, Niki Arnold, Wilson Arnold, Karen Henderson, Photine Hagicostas, Louie Peters, and Demetri Vlahos as they recover from their illnesses. May the Lord our God quickly heal His servants. Get well soon.

Please let Father Paisius know of any parishioner who is sick so we may pray for them.

ORTHODOX STEWARDSHIP

Orthodox Christian Stewardship is a way of life, which acknowledges accountability, reverence, and responsibility before God. A primary goal of Stewardship is to promote spiritual growth and strengthen faith. Becoming a Steward begins when we believe in God, to whom we give our love, loyalty and trust and act on those beliefs. As Stewards, we affirm that every aspect of our lives comes as a gift from Him. Stewardship calls on the faithful to cheerfully offer back to God a portion of the gifts with which they have been blessed. See bulletin inserts for the 2024 Stewardship Pledge Form and a current list of parishioners who have pledged for this year.

Bulletin Inserts

General Information

Contact Information

Services Schedule

Past Bulletins