5 PM Saturdays - Vespers
9 AM Sundays - Orthros
10 AM Sundays - Divine Liturgy
Sunday School (Sept-May) following Holy Communion
لتفرح السماويات وتبتهج الارضيات ، لأن الرب صنع عزاً بساعده ، ووطئ الموت بالموت، وصار بكرالاموات ، وأنقذنا من جوف الجحيم، ومنح العالم الرحمة العظمى.
Prokeimenon. Third 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 Galatians 1:11-19.
Brethren, I would have you know that the gospel which was preached by me is not man's gospel. For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it; and I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother.
البروكيمنون. Third Tone. مزمور 46: 6، 1.
سبحوا لإلهنا سبحوا
Verse: صَفِّقوا بِالأكُفِّ يا كُلَ الشُّعوبِ
فصل من رسالة بولس الاولى الى غلاطية 1: 11-19.
يَُّا إِخْوَة، أُعَرِّفُكُمْ الإِنْجِيلَ الَّذِي بَشَّرْتُ بِهِ، أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ بِحَسَبِ إِنْسَانٍ. لأَنِّي لَمْ أَقْبَلْهُ مِنْ عِنْدِ إِنْسَانٍ وَلاَ عُلِّمْتُهُ. بَلْ بِإِعْلاَنِ يَسُوعَ الْمَسِيحِ. فَإِنَّكُمْ سَمِعْتُمْ بِسِيرَتِي قَبْلاً فِي الدِّيَانَةِ الْيَهُودِيَّةِ، أَنِّي كُنْتُ أَضْطَهِدُ كَنِيسَةَ اللهِ بِإِفْرَاطٍ وَأُتْلِفُهَا. وَكُنْتُ أَتَقَدَّمُ فِي الدِّيَانَةِ الْيَهُودِيَّةِ عَلَى كَثِيرِينَ مِنْ أَتْرَابِي فِي جِنْسِي، إِذْ كُنْتُ أَوْفَرَ غَيْرَةً فِي تَقْلِيدَاتِ آبَائِي. وَلَكِنْ لَمَّا سَرَّ اللهَ الَّذِي أَفْرَزَنِي مِنْ بَطْنِ أُمِّي، وَدَعَانِي بِنِعْمَتِهِ أَنْ يُعْلِنَ ابْنَهُ فِيَّ لأُبَشِّرَ بِهِ بَيْنَ الأُمَمِ، لِلْوَقْتِ لَمْ أَسْتَشِرْ لَحْماً وَدَماً وَلاَ صَعِدْتُ إِلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ إِلَى الرُّسُلِ الَّذِينَ قَبْلِي، بَلِ انْطَلَقْتُ إِلَى الْعَرَبِيَّةِ، ثُمَّ رَجَعْتُ أَيْضاً إِلَى دِمَشْقَ. ثُمَّ بَعْدَ ثَلاَثِ سِنِينَ صَعِدْتُ إِلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ لأَتَعَرَّفَ بِبُطْرُسَ، فَمَكَثْتُ عِنْدَهُ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْماً. وَلَكِنَّنِي لَمْ أَرَ غَيْرَهُ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ إِلاَّ يَعْقُوبَ أَخَا الرَّبِّ.
8th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 10:25-37
At that time, a lawyer stood up to put Jesus to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read?" And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live."
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
25 في ذلك الزمان دنا إلى يسوع نَامُوسِيٌّ قَامَ يُجَرِّبُهُ قَائِلاً: ((يَا مُعَلِّمُ وَقَالَ مَاذَا أَعْمَلُ لأَرِثَ الْحَيَاةَ الأَبَدِيَّةَ؟)) 26فَقَالَ لَهُ: ((مَا هُوَ مَكْتُوبٌ فِي النَّامُوسِ. كَيْفَ تَقْرَأُ؟)) 27فَأَجَابَ: ((تُحِبُّ الرَّبَّ إِلَهَكَ مِنْ كُلِّ قَلْبِكَ ، وَمِنْ كُلِّ نَفْسِكَ ، وَمِنْ كُلِّ قُدْرَتِكَ ، وَمِنْ كُلِّ فِكْرِكَ ، وَقَرِيبَكَ مِثْلَ نَفْسِكَ)). 28فَقَالَ لَهُ: ((بِالصَّوَابِ أَجَبْتَ. اِفْعَلْ هَذَا فَتَحْيَا)). 29وَأَمَّا هُوَ فَإِذْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يُبَرِّرَ نَفْسَهُ ،قَالَ لِيَسُوعَ: ((وَمَنْ هُوَ قَرِيبِي؟)) 30فَأَجَابَ يَسُوعُ وَقَالَ : ((إِنْسَانٌ كَانَ نَازِلاً مِنْ أُورُشَلِيمَ إِلَى أَرِيحَا ، فَوَقَعَ بَيْنَ لُصُوصٍ ، فَعَرَّوْهُ وَجَرَّحُوهُ ، وَمَضَوْا وَتَرَكُوهُ بَيْنَ حَيٍّ وَمَيْتٍ. 31فَعَرَضَ أَنَّ كَاهِناً نَزَلَ فِي تِلْكَ الطَّرِيقِ ، فَرَآهُ وَجَازَ مُقَابِلَهُ. 32وَكَذَلِكَ لاَوِيٌّ أَيْضاً ، إِذْ صَارَ عِنْدَ الْمَكَانِ جَاءَ وَنَظَرَ وَجَازَ مُقَابِلَهُ. 33وَلَكِنَّ سَامِرِيّاً مُسَافِراً جَاءَ إِلَيْهِ ، وَلَمَّا رَآهُ تَحَنَّنَ،34فَتَقَدَّمَ وَضَمَدَ جِرَاحَاتِهِ ، وَصَبَّ عَلَيْهَا زَيْتاً وَخَمْراً ، وَأَرْكَبَهُ عَلَى دَابَّتِهِ ، وَأَتَى بِهِ إِلَى فُنْدُقٍ وَاعْتَنَى بِهِ. 35وَفِي الْغَدِ لَمَّا مَضَى أَخْرَجَ دِينَارَيْنِ وَأَعْطَاهُمَا لِصَاحِبِ الْفُنْدُقِ ، وَقَالَ لَهُ: اعْتَنِ بِهِ ، وَمَهْمَا أَنْفَقْتَ أَكْثَرَ فَعِنْدَ رُجُوعِي أُوفِيكَ. 36فَأَيُّ هَؤُلاَءِ الثَّلاَثَةِ تَرَى صَارَ قَرِيباً لِلَّذِي وَقَعَ بَيْنَ اللُّصُوصِ؟)) 37فَقَالَ: ((الَّذِي صَنَعَ مَعَهُ الرَّحْمَةَ)). فَقَالَ لَهُ يَسُوعُ: ((اذْهَبْ أَنْتَ أَيْضاً وَاصْنَعْ هَكَذَا)).
Of these Saints, Olympas and Rodion became disciples of Peter, the chief Apostle, and came to Rome, where they were beheaded by Nero. The others reposed in peace, having become bishops: Sosipater of Iconium, Quartus of Beirut, and Erastus of Paneas, or Paneias (which was also called Caesarea of Philippi); Saint Erastus had been chamberlain of the city of Corinth (Rom.16:23).
Saint John was born in 555 on the island of Cyprus in the city of Amathus; his father, Epiphanius, was a ruler of Cyprus. The Saint was consecrated Archbishop of Alexandria in 608. A man of exemplary uprightness, in his zeal for Orthodoxy he strove mightily to fight the many heresies among the Christians in Egypt; but above all, he was famous for his singular generosity, humility, and sympathy towards all, especially the poor. His mercy was so great that the report of it reached the Persian invaders of Jerusalem, who desired to see him because of it. Saint John reposed in 619, at the age of sixty-four.
This Apostle, one of the Twelve, was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and was a compatriot of Andrew and Peter. He was instructed in the teachings of the Law, and devoted himself to the study of the prophetic books. Therefore, when the Lord Jesus called him to the dignity of apostleship, he immediately sought out and found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of Whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph" (John 1.45). Having preached Jesus the God-man throughout many parts of Asia Minor, and having suffered many things for His Name's sake, he was finally crucified upside down in Hierapolis of Phrygia.
The Nativity Fast is one of four main fast periods throughout the ecclesiastical year. Beginning on November 15 and concluding on December 24, the Nativity Fast gives individuals the opportunity to prepare for the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior in the Flesh on December 25. By abstaining from certain food and drink as well as focusing more deeply on prayer and almsgiving we can find that the primary aim of fasting is to make us conscious of our dependence upon God.
Satuday, November 16
No Vespers - Diocesan SOYO Gather at Bishop John's
Sunday, November 17 - 9th Sunday of St Luke
9am Othros
10am Divine Litrugy
Sunday School
11:30am Parish Council
Are you missing a shoe? Have you ever noticed on the Icon of the Theotokos of Tender Mercy which is for veneration on the solea that Christ God has a sandal dangling from his foot? It symbolizes his willingness to become man, to suffer which is to say to embrace and make our suffering, weaknesses his own. This is so we can receive healing, mercy and hope and, in turn offer it to our neighbors. May we find comfort and healing today in the parable of the Good Samaritan and so in turn become good Samaritans to all whom we meet who are wounded and struggling just as we are. Glory to God! Fr. Ephraim
Bishop Thomas of our Archdiocese wrote a couple of years ago these words of encouragement as we look to the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ:
As we enter the season of the Nativity Fast, we prepare our lives through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in anticipation of the incarnation of Christ. The Apostle and Evangelist John writes in his gospel, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Jn. 1:14) The reception of the divine Word into our lives, in an ever-greater fullness, is the focus of our entire lives – beholding His glory, grace, and truth. I pray that you will join me in being intentional with this year’s Nativity Fast rather than prematurely celebrating the birth of Christ with an unprepared heart. What joy we will experience when we arrive at the Feast of the Nativity having prepared our minds, hearts, and bodies for the coming of the Lord!
Nativity Fast begins November 15.