Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the First Mode

The stone had been secured with a seal by the Judeans, * and a guard of soldiers was watching Your immaculate body. * You rose on the third day, O Lord * and Savior, granting life unto the world. * For this reason were the powers of heaven crying out to You, O Life-giver: * Glory to Your resurrection, O Christ; * glory to Your eternal rule; * glory to Your dispensation, only One who loves mankind.

Τοῦ λίθου σφραγισθέντος ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ στρατιωτῶν φυλασσόντων τὸ ἄχραντόν σου σῶμα, ἀνέστης τριήμερος Σωτήρ, δωρούμενος τῷ κόσμῳ τὴν ζωήν. Διὰ τοῦτο αἱ Δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐβόων σοι Ζωοδότα· Δόξα τῇ ἀναστάσει σου Χριστέ, δόξα τῇ Βασιλείᾳ σου, δόξα τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ σου, μόνε Φιλάνθρωπε.

Apolytikion for Apodosis of Transfiguration in the Grave Mode

You were transfigured upon the mountain, O Christ our God, showing to Your disciples Your glory as much as they could bear. Do also in us, sinners though we be, shine Your everlasting light, through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Giver of light. Glory to You.

Μετεμορθώθης εν τώ όρει Χριστέ ο Θεός, δείξας τοίς Μαθηταίς σου τήν δόξαν σου, καθώς ήδυναντο, Λάμψον καί ημίν τοίς αμαρτωλοίς, τό φώς σου τό αϊδιον, πρεσβείαις τής Θεοτόκου, φωτοδότα δόξα σοι.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Grave Mode

You were transfigured upon the mount, O Christ our God, and Your disciples, in so far as they could bear, beheld Your glory. Thus, when they see You crucified, they may understand Your voluntary passion, and proclaim to the world that You are truly the effulgence of the Father.

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.

Services and Sacraments

AUGUST 13, 2023 – 10^th Sunday of Matthew

Memorials:

DAN COLOVAS – 1 year

JAMES APOSTOLOS – 10 years

Coffee Hour Sponsor

May their memory be eternal!

SERVICES THIS WEEK:

Sunday, August 13^th – 10th SUNDAY OF MATTHEW, Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

Tuesday, August 15^th – DORMITION OF THE THEOTOKOS, Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am Saints Constantine and Helen Church, Westland

We strongly encourage those who will not be attending church to participate in services through our website at https://www.stcons.org/video-streaming

If you wish to follow along with the text, please use this link: https://dcs.goarch.org/

VIDEO ARCHIVE: Previously recorded Sunday Divine Liturgy services are archived and available on our website! Go to https://www.stcons.org/video-streaming and you can click on the service you would like to view.

LIGHT A CANDLE AND SAY A PRAYER: When you are not able to attend church, you can purchase a candle from our church website (home page or video-streaming page), which be lit before the following service or a service that you specify. Please give specific names, living or deceased, that you would like Father to remember in prayer. Father will light candles one hour before each service. For Sunday services, please place candle orders prior to 8:00 am Sunday morning.

PLEASE PRAY FOR: Nick, Marian, Christopher, Sarantos, George, David, Marcos, Evangela, Lela, Doris, Dawn, Panagioti, Nannette, Joanna, Suzanne, Lambrine, Nick, Fotini, Niki, George, Matthew, Tom, Stefanos, Georgia, Leonidas, Gus, Connie, Maria, Brenda, Panagiota, Nicholas, Vicki, Susan, Tom, Thomas, Jim, Panagioti, Gloria, Evans, Phyllis, Marti, Marty, Janet, John, Paul, Zacharias, Vanessa (Vasiliki), Jake, Maegan, Irene, Lisa, Pat, Jonathan, Alexandra, Tracy, Dianna, Betty, Catherine, Susan, Evelyn, Gregg, Peter, Angela, Bill, Carrie, Vito, Pete, Amalia, Stephanie, Lisa, Anastasia, Kylie, Effie, Nicholas, and Maria.

If you would like to add a name to the prayer list, or if there is a name that should be removed from the prayer list, please contact the church office at [email protected]

Saints and Feasts

August 13

10th Sunday of Matthew

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. First Mode. Psalm 32.22,1.
Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us.
Verse: Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous.

The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 4:9-16.

Brethren, God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are ill-clad and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become, and are now, as the refuse of the world, the off-scouring of all things. I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me.

Προκείμενον. First Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 32.22,1.
Γένοιτο, Κύριε, τὸ ἔλεός σου ἐφ' ἡμᾶς.
Στίχ. Ἀγαλλιᾶσθε δίκαιοι ἐν Κυρίῳ

τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Κορινθίους α' 4:9-16.

Ἀδελφοί, ὁ θεὸς ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐσχάτους ἀπέδειξεν ὡς ἐπιθανατίους· ὅτι θέατρον ἐγενήθημεν τῷ κόσμῳ, καὶ ἀγγέλοις, καὶ ἀνθρώποις. Ἡμεῖς μωροὶ διὰ Χριστόν, ὑμεῖς δὲ φρόνιμοι ἐν Χριστῷ· ἡμεῖς ἀσθενεῖς, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἰσχυροί· ὑμεῖς ἔνδοξοι, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἄτιμοι. Ἄχρι τῆς ἄρτι ὥρας καὶ πεινῶμεν, καὶ διψῶμεν, καὶ γυμνητεύομεν, καὶ κολαφιζόμεθα, καὶ ἀστατοῦμεν, καὶ κοπιῶμεν ἐργαζόμενοι ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσίν· λοιδορούμενοι εὐλογοῦμεν· διωκόμενοι ἀνεχόμεθα· βλασφημούμενοι παρακαλοῦμεν· ὡς περικαθάρματα τοῦ κόσμου ἐγενήθημεν, πάντων περίψημα ἕως ἄρτι. Οὐκ ἐντρέπων ὑμᾶς γράφω ταῦτα, ἀλλʼ ὡς τέκνα μου ἀγαπητὰ νουθετῶ. Ἐὰν γὰρ μυρίους παιδαγωγοὺς ἔχητε ἐν Χριστῷ, ἀλλʼ οὐ πολλοὺς πατέρας· ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ἐγέννησα. Παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς, μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε.

Gospel Reading

10th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 17:14-23

At that time, a man came up to Jesus and kneeling before him said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him." And Jesus answered, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me." And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move hence to yonder place,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting." As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day."

10th Sunday of Matthew
Κατὰ Ματθαῖον 17:14-23

Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἐλθόντων αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸν ὄχλον προσῆλθεν αὐτῷ ἄνθρωπος γονυπετῶν αὐτὸν καὶ λέγων· Κύριε, ἐλέησόν μου τὸν υἱόν, ὅτι σεληνιάζεται καὶ κακῶς πάσχει· πολλάκις γὰρ πίπτει εἰς τὸ πῦρ καὶ πολλάκις εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ. καὶ προσήνεγκα αὐτὸν τοῖς μαθηταῖς σου, καὶ οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν αὐτὸν θεραπεῦσαι. ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς εἶπεν· ὦ γενεὰ ἄπιστος καὶ διεστραμμένη! ἕως πότε ἔσομαι μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν; ἕως πότε ἀνέξομαι ὑμῶν; φέρετέ μοι αὐτὸν ὧδε. καὶ ἐπετίμησεν αὐτῷ ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ τὸ δαιμόνιον καὶ ἐθεραπεύθη ὁ παῖς ἀπὸ τῆς ὥρας ἐκείνης. Τότε προσελθόντες οἱ μαθηταὶ τῷ ᾿Ιησοῦ κατ᾿ ἰδίαν εἶπον· διατί ἡμεῖς οὐκ ἠδυνήθημεν ἐκβαλεῖν αὐτό; ὁ δὲ ᾿Ιησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· διὰ τὴν ἀπιστίαν ὑμῶν. ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως, ἐρεῖτε τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ, μετάβηθι ἐντεῦθεν ἐκεῖ, καὶ μεταβήσεται, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀδυνατήσει ὑμῖν. τοῦτο δὲ τὸ γένος οὐκ ἐκπορεύεται εἰ μὴ ἐν προσευχῇ καὶ νηστείᾳ. ᾿Αναστρεφομένων δὲ αὐτῶν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς· μέλλει ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοσθαι εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν αὐτόν, καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγερθήσεται. καὶ ἐλυπήθησαν σφόδρα.

Parish News and Updates

EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES:

WORSHIP SERVICES RETURN TO THE CHURCH NEXT WEEK! This Sunday, August 13^th, will be the final worship service held in the Hellenic Cultural Center. Following today’s service all items will be returned to the church (helping hands welcome!). Services will be held in our newly completed church beginning Tuesday, August 15^th. (Tis Panagia’s)

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS: Fr. Teodor and his family are expected to return to town on August 14^th. While Annette remains out and the office is staffed by volunteers, it is still a good practice to call the church office before you come by, to be sure the building is open. Church email at [email protected] and church office phone, 734.525.6789 will be closely monitored, so please leave a message and somebody will get back to you within 24 hours. As always, in an emergency situation, contact Fr. Teodor at 248.330.3177.

PHILOPTOCHOS GENERAL MEETING: There will be a General Meeting of the St. Helen Philoptochos on NEXT WEEK, August 20^th. Meeting will be held following the Divine Liturgy in the multi-purpose room (library.) Please plan to attend.

TLC LUNCH: Our first Tuesday Lunch Club of the new season will be held on Tuesday, August 29^th at 12:00 noon in the HCC. Join us as we say goodbye to summer with a tasty lunch and some great company. All ages are welcome! Please RSVP to Caryl Lowes at 734.751.3683 no later than August 25^th.

REGISTER NOW FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL! Our Sunday School classes will begin on Sunday, September 10^th. Please register your children, Pre-K through 12^th online at our website, https://www.stcons.org/documents/sunday-school-registration

MEN’S CLUB GOLF OUTING: The St Cons Men’s Club is currently seeking Event Sponsors. 11th Annual Charity Golf Outing to raise funds to support our Feed the Needy Program. The outing will be held on Saturday, September 9^th at Fellows Creek Golf Club in Canton. Contact Jeff Zeh at 484.868.8736 or the church office for more information.

GREEK FESTIVALS: There’s still plenty of Live Greek music and dance, and delicious Greek food and drink to be enjoyed this summer! Please support our sister churches as they offer their Greek Festivals:

GREEKFEST – ASSUMPTION: August 17 – 20, Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, St. Clair Shores www.assumptionfestival.com
YASSOU FESTIVAL – HOLY TRINITY: August 18 – 20, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Grand Rapids www.grgreekfest.com
TASTE OF GREECE – NATIVITY: August 24-27, 2023, Nativity of the Virgin Mary Church, Plymouth www.michigangreekfestival.com

NEWS AND NOTICES:

BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLIES: Our St. Helen Philoptochos is working with FOCUS Detroit to help provide school supplies for low-income students at the Commonwealth Development Academy in Detroit. THIS IS THE FINAL SUNDAY to bring school supplies and leave them in the blue bins outside the church (HCC) entrance. All items must be new and in the original packaging.

SUMMER SURVIVAL: Even though church attendance unfortunately decreases during the summer months, we have had several significant building and property maintenance expenses this year, along with regular utilities and other program expenses. That is why, again this year, we are asking for your help by making an additional donation to our “Summer Survival” campaign. Please sign up on the board in the narthex to help cover a needed expense. You can make a donation online at stcons.org or by cash or check at the church office (or by mail). Your help will make a big difference!

TIME TO REGISTER FOR FALL YOUTH PROGRAMS!

Our parish youth programs are gearing up for fall! Registration forms were sent out to our Sunday School families this week, with registration forms for Sunday School, Dance Group, and Basketball teams. At Saints Constantine and Helen, the goal of our Youth Programs is to make God’s love present to our youth; challenge and inspire them to live their relationship with Christ every day; and to provide opportunities for them to meet and form life-long friendships with other Orthodox Christian children. Listed below are the St Cons youth programs and contact information if you’d like to learn more.

SUNDAY SCHOOL Pre-K to High School, our religious education program teaches our young people about Orthodox Faith. Contact: Frances Marinos [email protected]

ALTAR BOYS Young men, 3^rd grade and up, assist clergy in leading the community worship by serving in the Holy Altar. Contact: Fr. Teodor Petrutiu [email protected] or Pete Simakas [email protected]

H.O.P.E. & J.O.Y. GROUPS Children K – 6^th grade and their families meeting after church for faith, friendship, food and fun! Contact: Lisa Madias [email protected] or Zoe Miller [email protected]

G.O.Y.A. Teenagers in 7^th-12^th grades participate in outreach, service projects, learning about our faith and social events. Contact: Maria Haviland [email protected] , Kosta Theodorou [email protected] , or Elaina Tsikaris [email protected]

DANCE Our program offers instruction in folk dancing from various regions of Greece for children of all abilities and levels. Contact: Joy Kisabeth [email protected] or Christina Vougiouklakis [email protected]

GREEK SCHOOL The Three Hierarchs Greek School program is a joint ministry with Nativity Church, Plymouth. Contact: Anna Liakou-Hentrik at [email protected]

AND COMING SOON – BIDDY BASKETBALL!

Contact: Joy Kisabeth [email protected]

MEMORIAL SERVICES: Please call the church office to schedule all memorials and coffee hour sponsorships at least two weeks in advance. On the day of the service, please bring a list of family names you would like Father to remember in prayer. Requested Coffee Hour sponsorship donation is $150, and the HCC will set up a table with cloth and coffee, etc. for your family. Koliva will be distributed at the coffee hour; if you wish to bring in paximadia, koulourakia, or other dry cookie it may also be distributed.

REMEMBER THE CHURCH IN YOUR WILL:You’ve supported the church your whole life, remembering us in your estate plan will help the church when you’re gone. Consult your estate planner or contact the Church office for information. We are grateful to our parishioners who have left bequests to the church in the last few years. Their loving legacy made a big difference! May their memory be eternal.

Wisdom of the Fathers

Here Christ is not speaking of that faith which believes in Him undoubtingly and knows Him to be true God, but of the faith (needed) to work miracles. If ye have faith, He said, so exceedingly warm and burning as a grain of mustard seed (for these are its qualities), and if it is believed without a doubt that ye will perform signs, then ye will receive such power, that if ye desire to move the very mountains, ye will move them.

St. John Chrysostom

The Gospel Commentary, edited by Hieromonk German Ciuba, 2002, 4th Century

For a man to have such faith appears simple, but it is, on the contrary, something very lofty, not easily attained by many. Such faith is born of boldness before God; but such boldness comes (only) from pleasing God. Beloved, great labour is needed to acquire, through pleasing God, such boldness before Him that one firmly believes that he will grant all that one asks; as it is written, Ask, and it shall be given to you.