St. Alexis of Wilkes-Barre Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2024-10-13
Bulletin Contents

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St. Alexis of Wilkes-Barre Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • 860-664-9434
  • Street Address:

  • PO Box 134, 108 E Main St

  • Clinton, CT 06413-0134


Contact Information




Services Schedule

Please see our online calendar for dates and times of Feast Day services.


Past Bulletins


Welcome

Jesus Christ taught us to love and serve all people, regardless of their ethnicity or nationality. To understand that, we need to look no further than to the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). Every time we celebrate the Divine Liturgy, it is offered "on behalf of all, and for all." As Orthodox Christians we stand against racism and bigotry. All human beings share one common identity as children of God. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatian 3:28)

Members of our Parish Council are:
Greg Jankura - Vice President
Position Vacant- President
Sharon Hanson - Member at Large
Luba Martins - Member at Large
Susan Egan - Treasurer
Dn Timothy Skuby - Secretary

Pastoral Care - General Information

Emergency Sick Calls can be made at any time. Please call Fr Steven at (860) 322-2906, when a family member is admitted to the hospital.
Anointing in Sickness: The Sacrament of Unction is available in Church, the hospital, or your home, for anyone who is sick and suffering, however severe. 
Marriages and Baptisms require early planning, scheduling and selections of sponsors (crown bearers or godparents). See Father before booking dates and reception halls!
Funerals are celebrated for practicing Orthodox Christians. Please see Father for details. The Church opposes cremation; we cannot celebrate funerals for cremations.

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Announcements

Upcoming Events

Scoops for Troops - Ice Cream Social, Sunday, October 20th. There will be a brief presentation after Liturgy, but before the Post-Communion Prayers.

The Baptism of Bryn Littlefield, daughter of Malcolm and Anastasia Littlefield will take place on Sunday, October 27th. The Service will begin with the Prayers of Excercism at 9:00a and move right into the Liturgy. Please don't be late.

Diocean Assembly

The Assembly this year occurs on Oct 25th & 26th, and will be held in Cumberland, RI. Jim Ifkovic will be our delegate this year. I will be leaving for the Assembly on Thursday afternoon. There will be NO Vespers on Saturday Night, October 26th.

Stewardship

Stewardship forms were emailed out to everyone on our mailing list. The are also available in the back of the candle desk. Please be sure to return them to me before the end of the month as we will be using the pledges to generate our budget for the following year. We will also be putting our ministries together as well.

Parish on Cross Road

The "study guide" to be filled out by parishioners, at the request of His Beatitude, are also located at the candle desk.

Please return the Stewardship forms and the Study Guide questions to me by the end of the month, at the latest. We need the stewardship forms so that we can complete the budget for next year at our next council meeting in October. I need the the Metropolitan's survey forms so that I can review them and prepare a final report for the All-American Council.

 

His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon has issued the following call for prayer:

“On this day, in many of our churches, we celebrate the protecting veil of the most holy Mother of God. In light of the widening conflict in the Middle East, this commemoration of the merciful Protection of the Theotokos could not be timelier. I ask all our clergy and faithful to pray for peace in the region and in the world; for restraint and wisdom on the part of leaders; for healing and recovery for victims of violence; and for reconciliation, forgiveness, and love on the part of all. Our Lord Jesus Christ is himself the Peace of God, and this Peace came into the world through the most holy Theotokos. Let us pray to our most pure Lady with fervent supplications that the world might receive, through her, the peace from above.” 

Clergy and faithful are encouraged to support International Orthodox Christian Charities in their emergency support work in the region.

Donations can be made at iocc.org

 

Looking for good introducctions to Orthodoxy?

 First, please have a look at OrthodoxIntro:  https://www.orthodoxintro.org/

OrthodoxIntro is a true first-stop introduction to Orthodox Christianity as a website.  It has basic information, such as the content of the gospel and what the day-to-day life of an Orthodox Christian looks like, as well as the key feature -- Q&A email with qualified, canonical Orthodox clergy, which I believe is much-needed, considering how much confusion there is on the Internet.  Our team of clergy not only answer questions but also help people find local parishes to plug into, which is the ultimate aim of their work.

2) Second, I'd like to point you to our YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@AncientFaithMinistries

Here you can find many live shows and other podcasts covering numerous topics.  These can edify and educate both you and your parishioners, and of course this material often acts toward evangelism for those who use YouTube.

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Prayers, Intercessions and Commemorations

Many Years! To Vinny and Marlene Melesko on the occasion of their birthdays.

Pray for: All those confined to hospitals, nursing homes, and their own homes due to illness; for all those who serve in the armed forces; widows, orphans, prisoners, victims of violence, and refugees;

  • All those suffering chronic illness, financial hardship, loneliness, addictions, abuse, abandonment and despair; those who are homeless, those who are institutionalize, those who have no one to pray for them;
  • All Orthodox seminarians & families; all Orthodox monks and nuns, and all those considering monastic life; all Orthodox missionaries and their families.
  • All those who have perished due to hatred, intolerance and pestilence; all those departed this life in the hope of the Resurrection.

Please let Fr. Steven know via email if you have more names for which to pray.

  • Departed: Fr Anthony, Nona, Mat Ann Sovyrda,
  • Clergy and their families: Fr Sergei B, Fr David K, Fr Patrick B, Dn Timothy
  • ​Catechumen: Robert, Abbie, Matthew, Joseph, Mary, Kevin, and Sarah
  • Individuals and Families: Luba, Suzanne, Gail Galina, Evelyn, Rosemary, John, Daniel & Dayna, Kristen, Charles, Victor, Susan
  • Birthdays and Name’s Days this Month: Vincent Melesko (10/8), Lloyd Davis (10/10), Marlene Melesko (10/12), Greg Jankura (10/24)
  • Anniversaries this Month: John and Joan Skrobat (10/17)
  • ​Expecting and Newborn: Lynn, David and their unborn child, Keree, Steve and their unborn child 
  • ​Traveling: Michael
  • ​Sick and those in distress: Thomas, Sheri, Joanna, Joshua, Remy, Stormy, Scott, Anne, Noah, Nancy, Cathy, Joe, Stephen, Susan Hayes

Today’s commemorated feasts and saints

15th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST — Tone 6. Glorification of St. Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow, Enlightener of the Aleuts, and Apostle to the Americas (1977—Sept 23rd O.S.). Holy and Glorious Apostle Thomas (1st c.). Monastic Martyr Macarius of St. Anne Skete (Mt. Athos—1590). 

  • Again we pray for those who have lost their lives because of the wars in Ukraine and in the Middle East: that the Lord our God may look upon them with mercy, and give them rest where there is neither sickness, or sorrow, but life everlasting.
  • Again we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, for those who are suffering, wounded, grieving, or displaced because of the wars in Ukraine and in the Middle East.
  • Again we pray for a cessation of the hostilities against Ukraine and the Middle East, and that reconciliation and peace will flourish there, we pray thee, hearken and have mercy.
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Parish Calendar

  • St Alexis Parish

    October 13 to October 21, 2024

    Sunday, October 13

    Sunday of the 7th Ecumenical Council

    9:30AM Divine Liturgy

    Monday, October 14

    Martyrs Nazarius, Gervasius, Protasius, & Celsus

    Tuesday, October 15

    Lucian the Martyr of Antioch

    Josefiak

    8:30AM Matins

    Wednesday, October 16

    Longinus the Centurion

    Thursday, October 17

    Hosea the Prophet

    John & Joan Skobrat - A

    8:30AM Matins

    Friday, October 18

    +Evelyn Leake

    Luke the Evangelist

    Saturday, October 19

    Joel the Prophet

    Susan Hayes - B

    5:30PM Great Vespers

    Sunday, October 20

    Ice Cream Social

    6th Sunday of Luke

    Victor Hoehnebart

    9:30AM Divine Liturgy

    Monday, October 21

    Hilarion the Great

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Saints and Feasts

October 13

Sunday of the 7th Ecumenical Council

On the Sunday that falls on or immediately after the eleventh of this month, we chant the Service to the 350 holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, which gathered in Nicaea in 787 under the holy Patriarch Tarasius and during the reign of the Empress Irene and her son, Constantine Porphyrogenitus, to refute the Iconoclast heresy, which had received imperial support beginning with the Edict issued in 726 by Emperor Leo the Isaurian. Many of the holy Fathers who condemned Iconoclasm at this holy Council later died as Confessors and Martyrs for the holy Icons during the second assult of Iconoclasm in the ninth century, especially during the reigns of Leo the Armenian and Theophilus.


October 13

Carpus, Papylus, Agathodorus, & Agathonica, the Martyrs of Pergamus

Saint Carpus was Bishop of the Church of Thyatira in Asia Minor and Papylus was his deacon, whom he had ordained. Seized as Christians and tormented in Thyatira, they were taken to Sardis, whither Agathodorus, their servant, followed them, and also confessed Christ, and was tormented with them. Together with Agathonica, the sister of Saint Papylus. they were all beheaded during the reign of Decius, in the year 250.


October 14

Righteous Paraskeve of Serbia

Saint Paraskeve was born in Thrace in the eleventh century. In her youth she went to Constaninople, and thence journeyed to the Holy Land in pursuit of the ascetical life. After struggling for many years in the wilderness of the Jordan, she was moved by God to return to her homeland. She continued her monastic labours there for a few more years, and then reposed in peace.


October 16

Longinos the Centurion

This Martyr was in the service of Pontius Pilate at the time of Christ our Saviour's Passion. While standing guard at the Cross and beholding the earthquake and all that came to pass, he cried out with fear, "Truly this was the Son of God" (Matt. 27:54). After the Resurrection, he forsook the military and departed for Cappadocia, his homeland, where he preached Christ. By the agency of Pontius Pilate, Tiberius Caesar had him arrested and beheaded.


October 17

Hosea the Prophet

According to some, Hosea, whose name means "God is help," was from the tribe of Issachar, or more likely, from that of Reuben; he was the son of Beeri. He is the first in order of the twelve minor Prophets and the most ancient of all. He prophesied in the days of the divided Kingdom; the Lord told him to take a harlot to wife (Hosea 1:2), and then an adulteress (ibid., 3:1). The harlot, a known sinner, was a figure of the Kingdom of Israel in Samaria, which openly worshipped idols; the adulteress, lawfully married yet sinning secretly with her lovers, was a figure of the Kingdom of Judah in Jerusalem, which, while having the Temple, and the priesthood, and the divine worship according to the Law, stealthily served the idols also. The Prophet Hosea prophesied for sixty years, and lived for some ninety years, from 810 to 720 B.C. His book is divided into fourteen chapters.


October 18

Luke the Evangelist

This Apostle was an Antiochean, a physician by trade, and a disciple and companion of Paul. He wrote his Gospel in Greek after Matthew and Mark, after which he wrote the Acts of the Apostles, and dedicated both works to Theophilus, who, according to some, was Governor of Achaia. He lived some eighty-six years and died in Achaia, perhaps in Patras, the capital of this district. His emblem is the calf, the third symbolical beast mentioned by Ezekiel (1:10), which is a symbol of Christ's sacrificial and priestly office, as Saint Irenaeus says.


October 19

John the Wonderworker of Kronstadt

Saint John of Kronstadt was a married priest, who lived with his wife in virginity. Through his untiring labours in his priestly duties and love for the poor and sinners, he was granted by our Lord great gifts of clairvoyance and miracle-working, to such a degree that in the last years of his life miracles of healing--both of body and soul--were performed countless times each day through his prayers, often for people who had only written to him asking his help. During his lifetime he was known throughout Russia, as well as in the Western world. He has left us his diary My Life in Christ as a spiritual treasure for Christians of every age; simple in language, it expounds the deepest mysteries of our Faith with that wisdom which is given only to a heart purified by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Foreseeing as a true prophet the Revolution of 1917, he unsparingly rebuked the growing apostasy among the people; he foretold that the very name of Russia would be changed. As the darkness of unbelief grew thicker, he shone forth as a beacon of unquenchable piety, comforting the faithful through the many miracles that he worked and the fatherly love and simplicity with which he received all. Saint John reposed in peace in 1908.


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Hymns of the Day

Tone 6 Troparion (Resurrection)
The Angelic Powers were at Your tomb;
the guards became as dead men.
Mary stood by Your grave,
seeking Your most pure body.
You captured hell, not being tempted by it.
You came to the Virgin, granting life.
O Lord, Who rose from the dead,//
glory to You.

Tone 4 Troparion (St. Innocent)
O Holy Father Innocent,
in obedience to the will of God,
you accepted dangers and tribulations,
bringing many peoples to the knowledge of truth.
You showed us the way;
now by your prayers help lead us//
into the Kingdom of Heaven!

Tone 6 Kontakion (Resurrection)
When Christ God, the Giver of Life,
raised all of the dead from the valleys of misery with His mighty hand,
He bestowed resurrection on the human race.//
He is the Savior of all, the Resurrection, the Life, and the God of all.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit

Tone 2 Kontakion (St. Innocent)
Your life, O holy Father Innocent, Apostle to our land,
proclaims the dispensation and grace of God!
For, laboring in dangers and hardships for the Gospel of Christ,
you were kept unharmed and exalted in humility.//
Pray that He may guide our steps in the way we should go!

now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Tone 6 Kontakion (Steadfast Protectress)
Steadfast Protectress of Christians, 
Constant Advocate before the Creator;
despise not the entreating cries of us sinners, 
but in your goodness come speedily to help us who call on you in faith. 
Hasten to hear our petition and to intercede for us, 
O Theotokos, for you always protect those who honor you!

COMMUNION HYMN

Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest!
The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance! He shall not fear evil
tidings! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Gospel Reading

Sunday of the 7th Ecumenical Council
The Reading is from Luke 8:5-15

The Lord said this parable: "A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the path, and was trodden under foot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew, and yielded a hundredfold." And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy; but these have no root, they believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience." As he said these things, he cried out "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."


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Wisdom of the Fathers

When you see life's pleasures, beware that they might not distract you, for they conceal death's snares. Likewise a fisherman casts not his hook to no purpose. As bait for his hook, the enemy uses the delusion of sensuality to arouse desire, that he might thereby catch men's souls and subject them to himself. A soul which has been caught to serve the enemy's will then serves as a snare for other souls, for it conceals the grief of sin with its apparent delight.
St. Ephraim the Syrian
A Spiritual Psalter no 43, pg. 74, 4th century

Since there are certain people who find great fault with us for adoring and honoring both the image of the Savior and that of our Lady, as well as those of the rest of the saints and servants of Christ, let them hear how from the beginning God made man to His own image. For what reason, then, do we adore one another, except because we have been made to the image of God? As the inspired Basil, who is deeply learned in theology, says: "the honor paid to the image conveys to the original.," and the original is the thing imaged from which the copy is made.
St. John of Damascus
The Orthodox Faith, 4.16. Catholic University of America Press in Washington D.C. Translated by Frederic H. Chase, Jr. volume 37, page 370., 8th Century

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Beyond the Sermon

Parables are stories using everyday life to teach spiritual truths about God, about His Kingdom, and about our lives. The word “parable” refers to a short narrative that has spiritual value, even if it is not necessarily literally true. There may be several connections between a specific parable and the reality it portrays. Parables are the teaching method Jesus chose most often to explain eternal life, and to show the love of God and the expectations He has for us.
In this passage, the Lord tells a parable of a sower sowing a field. The parable teaches us about our choices and the dispositions of our hearts. We may sometimes find ourselves not keeping the Word of God, and not bearing fruit, that is, not having our hearts open to Christ. Nevertheless, God calls us to recognize the hardness of our hearts, and to turn to Him so that we may be filled with the Holy Spirit and bear fruit.
Behind every parable, there is a deeper meaning of our faith. The Sower, who is God, goes about in a field that has been plowed, walking in between the crevices with a bag of seeds, throwing them on both sides. He sows the Word of God, who is Christ, so that He may take root in our hearts and bear many blessings in our lives and the lives of others.
In the first case, the seed falls by the wayside, so the devil plucks it because it does not take root and, therefore, is not “profitable.” It never bears fruit. In the second case, the seed falls on the rocky part of the field and does not grow any lasting roots. The temporary growth disappears when harmful things, like temptation or a trial of suffering, come to us. We might mistakenly think God has abandoned us when, in reality, He is providing us the space to exercise our free will, so that we may approach him voluntarily. When grace seems to withdraw, we may turn our backs on Him and take comfort in worldly pleasures. So, we fall away. Again, the seed bears no fruit. In the third case, the seed falls in the part of the field with thorns, and these thorns represent the riches, cares, and pleasures of life. In other words, the Word of God does not take root because the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life choke it. In the last case, the seed falls on noble and good hearts which hear it and keep it and, therefore, become profitable, as they bear much fruit and yield a crop. These are the hearts that are open to God, hear His Word, and keep it. The Word of God, which is the presence of Christ, transforms the hearts that long for God to dwell in them.
Difficult situations may occur to us at times, but they are not necessarily permanent. As such, the parable is both a warning for us to guard our hearts in God, and an invitation to turn around when we have not kept the Word of God in our hearts. Saint Cyril of Alexandria says that some of us might enter the church and feel joyful that it is full of people. We hear the Gospel and praise God, and we hear the sermon and praise the preacher, but when we go out, we forget what we heard and go about our usual business without storing the words of God in our hearts. So that the Divine Seed, the Word of God, may blossom in us well, he says, let us first cast out of our minds worldly cares and unprofitable anxiety which makes us seek the things of this world. God the Sower sows and teaches, and His Word falls upon His listeners everywhere. We might choose to become like hard soil, that is, we might choose to harden our hearts to Christ and His Word. We might also choose to forget the Word of God when we hear it, so we become like a rock, where roots cannot get water. We might even prefer to follow the things of this world, so that they become thorns and choke the Word of God in us.
On the other hand, like good soil, we may choose to open our hearts sincerely to Christ, so that He, the Word of God, will take root, change us, and cause us to be fruitful. Jesus says that those who become fertile soil do three things: keep the Word, bear fruit, and do so with patient endurance. Holding the Word with an honest and good heart, we bring forth fruit with patience. This is a powerful message for all of us today.
We rush daily to achieve our goals, even materialistic ones, in this life. Most of the time, we realize that we need patience to accomplish our goals. More importantly, as we grow in Him through His Word, we begin to understand and be inspired to rush with great zeal to grow spiritually. As we open ourselves to His Word, our hearts are set aflame to seek spiritual goals in our lives. Through patience, humility, prayer, participation in the Holy Sacraments of the Church, and continued study of the Scriptures and Church Fathers, we achieve our goals.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear, the Lord says. Jesus often uses this phrase to teach us to keep our spiritual senses awake so faith can take root in our souls. We have human senses such as sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. We also have spiritual senses that we obtain in baptism and the Holy Spirit. We hear God’s Word, and we open the eyes of our hearts (also known as the nous) by participating in the work of the Holy Spirit.
We taste and see that the Lord is good, as we receive His Body and Blood in Holy Communion. We smell the prayers through the incense, and we touch the physical creations God has sanctified, such as icons, water, and oil. As we develop our spiritual senses, we naturally begin to spread the Gospel and invite everyone on earth to experience the love of our God and Creator.
The positive impact of the parables depends on the hearers’ willingness to hear. Jesus often calls upon His hearers to listen carefully. We, as human beings, are created by God through the Word, Who is Christ, in the Holy Spirit. As such, we have the potential to respond to God’s Word if we do not choose to close our ears to Him. Jesus speaks not only the words of life, but He is the Word and the Light, Who is life-giving power. God
calls us to receive that Light and life by opening our ears and opening our hearts. As the seed grows in the field and bears fruit when it finds good soil, water, and sun, so also does the Word of God grow in our hearts to transform us into new people. When He finds the soil of faith, the water of good works, and the sun of grace, we become the vineyard of the Lord and we bear everlasting fruit.
The Son of God is the Vine, and we are the branches. The Father is the Sower, He is the Vinedresser, that is, the one who cultivates vines. Jesus is the Seed and the Sun, and the Holy Spirit is the water. We receive His Life, His Word, His sacraments, and eternity, as He is the Tree of Life Who nourishes us, the branches. We bear fruit for our own salvation, as well as the salvation of others. The Lord asks us to open our hearts to Him, to become hearers of the Word. We have the free will to make our hearts and souls fertile ground for the grace of God. When we pray and read the Scriptures daily, we become fertile ground for the Word of God. When we prepare our hearts to hear and participate in the words of the Divine Liturgy, which contains the Word of God, Jesus Christ, we become soil that bears much fruit. When we partake of His Body and Blood, we eat of the Tree of Life and inherit Paradise. By opening our ears and hearts to Christ the Logos, we are transformed, and with patience, we bear much fruit for our salvation and the whole world’s salvation.

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A Little Extra

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