5 PM Saturdays - Vespers
9 AM Sundays - Orthros
10 AM Sundays - Divine Liturgy
Sunday School (Sept-May) following Holy Communion
ان تلميذات الرب تعلمن من الملاك كرز القيامة البهج وطرحن القضية الجدّية وخاطبن الرسل مفتخرات وقائلات : قد سبي الموت وقام المسيح الاله مانحاً العالم الرحمة العظمى.
Prokeimenon. Fourth Tone. Psalm 103.24,1.
O Lord, how manifold are your works. You have made all things in wisdom.
Verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 10:1-10.
Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened. For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law, that every one who has faith may be justified. Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on the law shall live by it. But the righteousness based on faith says, Do not say in your heart, "Who will ascend into heaven?" (that is, to bring Christ down) or "Who will descend into the abyss?" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach); because, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved.
البروكيمنون. Fourth Tone. مزمور 103:1، 24.
ما أعظم أعمالك يا رب صنعتها كلها بالحكمة
Verse: باركي يا نفسي الرب
فصل من رسالة القديس بولس الرسول الى اهل رومية 10: 1-10.
يَُّا إِخْوَة، إِنَّ مَسَرَّةَ قَلْبِي وَطَلِْبَتِي إِلَى اللهِ لأَجْلِ إِسْرَائِيلَ هِيَ لِلْخَلاَصِ. لأَنِّي أَشْهَدُ لَهُمْ أَنَّ لَهُمْ غَيْرَةً لِلَّهِ وَلَكِنْ لَيْسَ حَسَبَ الْمَعْرِفَةِ. لأَنَّهُمْ إِذْ كَانُوا يَجْهَلُونَ بِرَّ اللهِ وَيَطْلُبُونَ أَنْ يُثْبِتُوا بِرَّ أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَمْ يُخْضَعُوا لِبِرِّ اللهِ. لأَنَّ غَايَةَ النَّامُوسِ هِيَ: الْمَسِيحُ لِلْبِرِّ لِكُلِّ مَنْ يُؤْمِنُ. لأَنَّ مُوسَى يَكْتُبُ فِي الْبِرِّ الَّذِي بِالنَّامُوسِ: ((إِنَّ الإِنْسَانَ الَّذِي يَفْعَلُهَا سَيَحْيَا بِهَا)). وَأَمَّا الْبِرُّ الَّذِي بِالإِيمَانِ فَيَقُولُ هَكَذَا: ((لاَ تَقُلْ فِي قَلْبِكَ مَنْ يَصْعَدُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ؟)) أَيْ لِيُحْدِرَ الْمَسِيحَ، أَوْ ((مَنْ يَهْبِطُ إِلَى الْهَاوِيَةِ؟)) أَيْ لِيُصْعِدَ الْمَسِيحَ مِنَ الأَمْوَاتِ لَكِنْ مَاذَا يَقُولُ؟ ((اَلْكَلِمَةُ قَرِيبَةٌ مِنْكَ فِي فَمِكَ وَفِي قَلْبِكَ)) أَيْ كَلِمَةُ الإِيمَانِ الَّتِي نَكْرِزُ بِهَا لأَنَّكَ إِنِ اعْتَرَفْتَ بِفَمِكَ بِالرَّبِّ يَسُوعَ وَآمَنْتَ بِقَلْبِكَ أَنَّ اللهَ أَقَامَهُ مِنَ الأَمْوَاتِ خَلَصْتَ. لأَنَّ الْقَلْبَ يُؤْمَنُ بِهِ لِلْبِرِّ وَالْفَمَ يُعْتَرَفُ بِهِ لِلْخَلاَصِ.
5th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 8:28-34; 9:1
At that time, when Jesus came to the country of the Gergesenes, two demoniacs met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one would pass that way. And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" Now a herd of many swine was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons begged him, "If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine." And he said to them, "Go." So they came out and went into the swine; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and perished in the waters. The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, and what had happened to the demoniacs. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood. And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city.
28 في ذلك الزمان لَمَّا جَاءَ يسوع إِلَى الْعَبْرِ إِلَى كُورَةِ الْجِرْجَسِيِّينَ ،اسْتَقْبَلَهُ مَجْنُونَانِ خَارِجَانِ مِنَ الْقُبُورِ هَائِجَانِ جِدَّاً ، حَتَّى لَمْ يَكُنْ أَحَدٌ يَقْدِرُ أَنْ يَجْتَازَ مِنْ تِلْكَ الطَّرِيقِ. 29وَإِذَا هُمَا قَدْ صَرَخَا قَائِلَيْنِ: ((مَا لَنَا وَلَكَ يَا يَسُوعُ ابْنَ اللَّهِ؟ أَجِئْتَ إِلَى هُنَا قَبْلَ الْوَقْتِ لِتُعَذِّبَنَا؟)) 30وَكَانَ بَعِيداً مِنْهُمْ قَطِيعُ خَنَازِيرَ كَثِيرَةٍ تَرْعَى. 31فَالشَّيَاطِينُ طَلَبُوا إِلَيْهِ قَائِلِينَ: ((إِنْ كُنْتَ تُخْرِجُنَا، فَأْذَنْ لَنَا أَنْ نَذْهَبَ إِلَى قَطِيعِ الْخَنَازِيرِ)). 32فَقَالَ لَهُمُ: ((امْضُوا)). فَخَرَجُوا وَمَضَوْا إِلَى قَطِيعِ الْخَنَازِيرِ ، وَإِذَا قَطِيعُ الْخَنَازِيرِ كُلُّهُ قَدِ انْدَفَعَ مِنْ عَلَى الْجُرُفِ إِلَى الْبَحْرِ وَمَاتَ فِي الْمِيَاهِ. 33أَمَّا الرُّعَاةُ فَهَرَبُوا وَمَضَوْا إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ، وَأَخْبَرُوا عَنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ ، وَعَنْ أَمْرِ الْمَجْنُونَيْنِ. 34فَإِذَا كُلُّ الْمَدِينَةِ قَدْ خَرَجَتْ لِمُلاَقَاةِ يَسُوعَ. وَلَمَّا أَبْصَرُوهُ طَلَبُوا أَنْ يَنْصَرِفَ عَنْ تُخُومِهِمْ. 1 فَدَخَلَ السَّفِينَةَ وَاجْتَازَ وَجَاءَ إِلَى مَدِينَتِهِ.
These Apostles of the Seventy are mentioned in Acts 6:5. Saint Prochoros became Bishop of Nicomedia and reposed in peace. Saint Nicanor was stoned to death in Jerusalem. Saint Timon became Bishop of Bostra in Arabia and ended his life in martyrdom by fire at the hands of the pagans. Saint Parmenas died in peace in Jerusalem.
Saint Irene, who was from Cappadocia, flourished in the ninth century. Because of her great beauty and virtue, she was brought to Constantinople as a prospective bride for the young Emperor Michael (842-867); however, as Saint Joannicius the Great foretold, it was God's will that she assume the monastic habit instead. She shone forth in great ascetical labours, and suffered many attacks from the demons; while yet a novice, she attained to the practice of Saint Arsenius the Great, of praying the whole night long with arms stretched out towards Heaven (see May 8). God showed forth great signs and wonders in her, and she became the Abbess of the Convent of Chrysovalantou. She was granted the gift of clairvoyance and knew the thoughts of all that came to her. She appeared in a vision to the king and rebuked him for unjustly imprisoning a nobleman who had been falsely accused. Through a sailor from Patmos to whom he had appeared, Saint John the Evangelist sent her fragrant and wondrous apples from Paradise. She reposed at the age of 103, still retaining the youthful beauty of her countenance. After her repose, marvelous healings beyond number have been wrought by her to the present day.
Saint Joseph of Arimathea was a prominent Jewish leader during the time of Jesus Christ. He is mentioned in the Gospels as being a rich man from Arimathea who was a secret disciple of Christ due to his status in the Sanhedrin. After the crucifixion and death of our Lord, Joseph approached Pontius Pilate out of piety and asked for the body of Jesus so that he might bury it honorably. He, together with Saint Nicodemus, removed the body of Christ from the cross in the presence of the Theotokos and the Myrrh-Bearing Women, wrapped it in a linen shroud, anointed it with spices, and laid it in a new tomb that he owned. This disciple later traveled the world proclaiming the Gospel until he reposed in peace in England. The Church commemorates him individually on July 31st and along with the Myrrh-Bearing Women and Nicodemus on the 3rd Sunday of Pascha (the Sunday of the Holy Myrrh-Bearers).
Satuday, August 3
5pm Vespers
Sunday, August 4
9am Othros
10am Divine Litrugy
In today's Gospel, the whole toewn goes out to meet Jesus. The response we would expect would be for them to be overjoyed as the people of Samaria were following the Lord's encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. However, in this case, they are afriad and ask him to leave. He does. He respects their freedom as tragic as their choice may be. When a person is blessed with an encounter of the Holy Spirit (and in His abundant mercy He reaches out to us all the time - to believers and unbelievers alike) how we respond directs our life in reference to the eternal horizon towards death and judgment. The demons know this in today's episode. They beg not to be tortured before "the time." Sadly, the town's follk through their fear and attachment to worldly things don't have this understanding of who it is who is beofre them or they willingly refuse to believe. Ironically, the demons' response tells us more about who Jesus is and our need to listen to Him, then the ordinary people in today's Gospel. May we seek the grace of God to always respond to Him and not turn away. Glory to God! Fr. Ephraim