Sunday 8/20
11^th   Sunday of Matthew +Orthros @8:15am & Divine Liturgy  @9:30am

A 40 Day Memorial Service will be held for the repose of the soul of our beloved +Rev Fr Konstantine  π. Κωνσταντίνου Tsigas. He was our Saint Andrew spiritual father of 42 years,  beloved husband of Spiridoula (Stavropoulos),  father of:  Vasiliki (Panagiotis Fotinis) and Katerina (George Papaioanou), father-in-law of Eleni (Zuras Tsigas), and grandfather to seven grandchildren.

An Annual  Memorial Service will be held for the repose of the soul of our beloved +Vagios Βαΐου (Van) Paftinos, beloved husband of Angeliki, devoted father of Peter (Linda) Paftinos Jane (Demetrios Speros), and Christina Nicholas and loving grandfather.  

May their memory be eternal. Αιωνία ημήνη αυτών!

Please join the families for refreshments and fellowship in our Social Hall in honor of their blessed memory.

Baptism: On Saturday August 26^th, 2023, at 2:00pm Ryan and Katerina (Constantinou) Brooks will baptize their son.

Sunday 8/27
12^th Sunday of Matthew | St Phanurius +Orthros   @8:15am & Divine Liturgy  @9:30am

Participation in services is also available via livestream - go to: Home | St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church (orthodoxws.com) and choose LIVESTREAM on the Menu bar 

Prayers/Liturgy can always be found at: https://www.agesinitiatives.com/dcs/public/dcs/dcs.html

Online Giving System: Website: https://www.standrewgonj.org/ and choose PayPal / online WeShare | Consider making your donations using our   New Abundant App

Coffee Hour on Sunday is hosted  and sponsred by:
The Families  of: +Fr Konstantine Tsigas and +Van Paftinos  in honor of their loved ones’ blessed memory.  
8/27 Karnegies Family sponsor , 9/3 still OPEN, 9/10 DOP, 9/17 Philoptochos, 9/24 Parish Council

Bagels are donated by Jimmy Psaras of ALFA BAGELS on Route 10 in Randolph, NJ

Coffee is donated by Aristotle Leontopoulos of Coffee Associates in Edgewater, NJ

GOYA Kick-Off Meeting and Pizza Social
9/7/2023 6:30 pm (5:30 for GOYA Board)

The NNJ YAL is having a Panigiri! 
Join fellow Greek Orthodox young adults ages 18-35 for a Panigiri on Saturday August 19th at Whitechapel Projects in Long Branch, NJ. Each ticket includes a dinner buffet, cash bar and music by DJ Kon. Early bird tickets are only available until July 21st.  Afterwards, the ticket price will increase so make sure you grab them before then!  To purchase a ticket, please visit:  https://nnjyalpanigiri.eventbrite.com

SAINT BASIL ACADEMY 
2023 Walk-a-Thon is on Saturday  September 30^th from  11am-2pm
Blessing of the Waters, Beautiful Campus Walk, Cookout, Bounce Castles, Games…
$25 suggested donation pp  | more info email Lauren at [email protected]

Scripture Talkreveals the Scriptures one week at a time.
A different priest is invited each week to help guide our discussion.The meeting begins every Tuesday, 7-8 pm EST, on Zoom.  Weekly Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88548756745
Please share this ministry as we continue to unveil the Word of God.

phishing / CON ARTISTS TEXTS:  Someone is sending out texts asking for assistance and signing Fr John’s name. This is not Fr John’s  cell number. His  cell number is 973-219-2941. Please report the text as junk and delete and block the number. We contacted the FBI about this problem and was informed that they do not take a case like this. We hope no one was fooled by these criminals. Please tell your friends. Fr will never reach out to anyone  asking for “assistance” in this way. Thank you for your patience and understanding. God Bless!

Safety team :The Parish Council has a Safety team, but we need members to help us develop materials for training, planning, and to be present during services to help us be more vigilant and effective in a real emergency.If you want to learn more or participate on the Safety team, please email [email protected] (see attached PDF for more details) 

2023 MERCEDES-BENZ  RAFFLE!  TICKETS $25 EACH | DRAWING SEP. 24,  2023, 1PM

Please sell your raffle tickets, mail, or bring in your money with the stubs to the office, and consider selling more tickets in front of the church. 

We need your help to make this year’s raffle a success! Sign up for JUST 2 HOURS and sell raffle tickets! Sit and  read or even bring your laptop (Wi-Fi available). 

To schedule times email [email protected] or call 973-584-0388. It is an easy way to help our church meet our annual budget and unforeseen expenses. We have made over $1,000 in just one day by manning the curbside raffle ticket sales. Please consider helping out in this easy way. Your church needs your support. 

Lord’s voice 8-20-23

THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE APOSTLE IN EXCEEDING THE RIGHTS

The Apostle Paul, in the 9th chapter of his 1st Epistle to the Corinthians, from which the present passage comes, offers his own example for imitation, in the way that he followed the example of Christ.

Without a trace of complacency, he develops the issue that he did not use the right, of the "authority", as he says in the text, to be fed from the communities that he is serving. He didn't want to live, burdening the faithful, even a little, even though he offered his whole life and his spiritual wealth for the spread of the Gospel and the consolidation of faith. In other words, he also sacrificed his right, which was derived from his apostolic office, and which obviously cost him many extra labors, to avoid any malicious hint about his work.

Paul, as we have written before, founded the Church of Corinth, which he loved deeply. His apostolic work in Corinth had a great impact and effect, but this does not mean that many problems of a moral and spiritual nature did not arise. Paul's holiness and selflessness seem to have disturbed various pseudobrothers and pseudo-apostles, who acted there, and those who, in order to justify their spiritual misdeeds, dangerously accused the Apostle. Several believers, influenced by their slanders, began to question Paul's apostolic office. That is, instead of admiring Paul’s self-denial and his sacrificial attitude, they were scandalized by the fact that he did not burden the churches with his maintenance, as was the case with other Apostles, and, therefore, they considered that he should not be counted among them. Paul grieves and apologizes, not in order to defend himself, but in order to help the believers understand their mistake and the danger to the Church from the division of its unity.

The believers are the proof of Paul's apostleship

That is why the Apostle tells the Corinthians that they are "the seal", the proof of his apostolicity. And that the true believers are his apology to those who accuse him of not being an Apostle. That is, his work in the Church, the apostolic attraction of so many people in the sea of unbelief and idolatry of cosmopolitan Corinth, the dangers, the toils, the daily threat of death for the sake of Christ and the spreading of His word, is the testimony for the authenticity of the office of the Apostle. Given that apostolic authority is not an external force of imposition on others, like worldly authority.

In the Church, "office" and "authority" is man’s gift to serve other people with the love and the spirit of Christ, members of the body itself, the body of Christ. The example of this truth is found in the person of the Lord. Jesus Christ is the Lord. And He offers His sovereignty, His divine power and energy with His love, goodness and mercy to every human being.

The material rewards of the apostolic work

It would not be possible for the Apostle Paul not to recognize or ignore the Lord’s command that the preachers of the Gospel should live from the preaching (Luke 10:7). For this reason, and with a series of three examples, he shows that it is natural for the Apostle to be fed by those whom he is serving. Initially, he writes that just as no soldier takes part in a campaign with his own expenses, so also the worker of the Gospel is entitled to be supported by the apostolic work he is doing. Then, because just as the vine grower who plants and cultivates a vineyard has the right to eat its fruit, so also the Apostle has the right to be supported by the Church, which he is loyally serving. And finally, just as the shepherd who labors day and night, caring for his sheep is fed with their milk, so the spiritual shepherd of the rational flock deserves to receive the necessities of life from the faithful he is pastoring. Let him suffice, that is, for a little consolation of the body and only the necessary food, as St. Chrysostom emphasizes. In fact, to Scripturally support the above, he also presents arguments from the Old Testament.

The special attitude of the Apostle Paul

Paul records, on the one hand, his legal rights, which, however, he himself does not wish to claim. He is not scorning the Old Testament law, he does not disparage reason or promote himself as superior to the other Apostles. His attitude reveals for the umpteenth time the transcendence of sacrificial love in Christ. In a world that is constantly claiming rights forgetting, usually, the obligations to others, with first and foremost being that of love, the ethos of the Apostle, who endured everything so as not to interject any obstacle to the Gospel of Christ, is an inexhaustible source inspiration for everyone.

 Archim. N.K

Rummage Sale -  NOW accepting items for Rummage Sale of Sept 8-10

Saturday 8/26

Faith Kitchen – AHEPA & DOP Hosting

@2pm Brooks  Baptism

Sunday 8/27

12^th Sunday of Matthew | St Phanurius +Orthros   @8:15am & Divine Liturgy  @9:30am

@11:30am Daughters of Penelope Meeting in Roon 102

@1pm Goya BBQ   Sifnios home

Friday 9/1

Ecclesiastical New Year +Orthros@8am & Divine Liturgy  @9:15am

Sunday 9/3

13^th Sunday of Matthew +Orthros @8:15am & Divine Liturgy  @9:30am

Memorial Service: + Evangelos Kernegis

Monday  9/4

 Labor Day

Thursday  9/7

@4:30pm Hellenic Afternoon School AGIASMOS in church, Open House in Social Hall

Friday 9/8

+Nativity of the Theotokos +Orthros@8am & Divine Liturgy  @9:15am

@9-6pm Annual Rummage Sale

Saturday   9/9

@9-6pm Annual Rummage Sale

Sunday 9/10

Sunday before the Holy Cross + Orthros @8:15am & Divine Liturgy  @9:30am

@10-4pm Annual Rummage Sale

Prayer for a Sick Person:

Heavenly Father, physician of our souls and bodies, who have sent Your only-begotten Son and our Lord Jesus Christ to heal every sickness and infirmity, visit and heal (me) Your servant from all physical and spiritual ailments through the grace of Your Christ. Grant (me) patience in this sickness, strength of body and spirit, and recovery of health.  Lord, You have taught us through Your word to pray for each other that we may be healed.  I pray that You heal (me) as Your servant and grant (me) the gift of complete health. For You are the source of healing and to You I give glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Please keep these names in your prayers

Gregory, Brandon, Michelle, Kevin, Vivian, Elaine, Anna, Vasilios, Maryanne, Joseph, Angeliki, Alexandra, Taxiarchis, Prez Spiridoula and family, Eleni, Sultana, Stephanie, Christos, Theoseva, Antonia, Costatninos, Eleni, Ioannis, Terry Ann, George, Elias, Eleni, Robert, John, Christina, Helen, Vasileke,  John, Efrosini, Nicholas, Nino, Paulina, Christos,   Stanley,  Efthimios, Anastasia, Katrina, Georgia, George, Michael, Helen,  Evangelia, Christine, Rebecca, Argiros, Paul, Gavin, Christos, John, Michelle, Katie,  Nicole, Ioanna, Angela, Stefanos, Eugenia, Sarah, Vasilios, Alexandros, Nikolaos, Kyriaki,  James,   Florence,  Konstantinos, Ekaterini, Antonia, Georgia, Olga,  Angeliki,  Vasilis,  Hariklia, Alex, Peter, Alexandra, Dimitra, Kenneth, Andy, Dutch, Danny, Irene, Pamela, Anita, Maria,  Sophia, Ioannis, Maurice, Pat, Bonita, Maria,  Deryl, Mary, …..

If you would like us to remember you or your loved one in our prayers, please contact the office. 973-584-0388 or send us an email to [email protected]   

Names will be kept on this list for approximately 3 months. Please resubmit Names if needed.   Fr. John will pray for the Names above during the Proskomide “Offering of gifts” during the first part of the Divine Liturgy when our priest prepares the mystical gifts of bread and wine. Please keep these names in your prayers as well.