Small Paraklesis - Wednesday 6:00PM
Great Vespers - Saturday 5:00PM
Matins - Sunday 8:30AM
Divine Liturgy - Sunday 9:30 AM
Confessions - Saturday after Vespers or upon request
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 Orestes was from Tyana of Cappadocia. During the persecution of Diocletian, this Martyr's ankles were pierced with long nails; being bound to a wild horse and violently dragged by it, he gave up his spirit in the year 289.
Saint Menas, who had Egypt as his fatherland, contested in Cotyaeion of Phrygia in 296 during the reign of Diocletian and Maximian. A soldier distinguished for his valour in war, he renounced his rank and withdrew to devote himself to ascetical struggles and prayer in the mountains. Filled with zeal and more than human courage, he presented himself in the midst of a pagan festival in Cotyaeion and declared himself to be a Christian. After terrible torments which he endured with astonishing courage, he was beheaded. His martyrium in Egypt became a place of universal pilgrimage; evidence of ancient journeys to his shrine have been found as far away as Ireland. The glory and refuge of the Christians of Egypt, he has been revealed to be a worker of great miracles and a swift defender for all who call on him with faith; besides all else, he is also invoked for help in finding lost objects.
This greatest and most beloved of all Christian orators was born in Antioch the Great in the year 344 or 347; his pious parents were called Secundus and Anthusa. After his mother was widowed at the age of twenty, she devoted herself to bringing up John and his elder sister in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. John received his literary training under Anthragathius the philosopher, and Libanius the sophist, who was the greatest Greek scholar and rhetorician of his day. Libanius was a pagan, and when asked before his death whom he wished to have for his successor, he said, "John, had not the Christians stolen him from us." With such a training, and with such gifts as he had by nature, John had before him a brilliant career as a rhetorician. But through the good example of his godly mother Anthusa and of the holy Bishop Meletius of Antioch (see Feb. 12), by whom he was ordained reader about the year 370, he chose instead to dedicate himself to God. From the years 374 to 381 he lived the monastic life in the hermitages that were near Antioch. His extreme asceticism undermined his health, compelling him to return to Antioch, where Saint Meletius ordained him deacon about the year 381. Saint Meletius was called to Constantinople later that year to preside over the Second Ecumenical Council, during which he fell asleep in the Lord. In 386 Bishop Flavian ordained John presbyter of the Church of Antioch. Upon his elevation to the priesthood his career as a public preacher began, and his exceptional oratorical gifts were made manifest through his many sermons and commentaries. They are distinguished by their eloquence and the remarkable ease with which rich imagery and scriptural allusions are multiplied; by their depth of insight into the meaning of Scripture and the workings of God's providence; and, not least of all, by their earnestness and moral force, which issue from the heart of a blameless and guileless man who lived first what he preached to others. Because of his fame, he was chosen to succeed Saint Nectarius as Patriarch of Constantinople. He was taken away by stealth, to avoid the opposition of the people, and consecrated Patriarch of Constantinople on February 28, 398, by Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria, who was to prove his mortal enemy.
At that time the Emperor of the East was Arcadius, who had had Saint Arsenius the Great as his tutor (see May 8); Arcadius was a man of weak character, and much under the influence of his wife Eudoxia. The zealous and upright Chrysostom's unsparing censures of the lax morals in the imperial city stung the vain Eudoxia; through Theophilus' plottings and her collaboration, Saint John was banished to Pontus in 403. The people were in an uproar, and the following night an earthquake shook the city; this so frightened the Empress Eudoxia that she begged Arcadius to call Chrysostom back. While his return was triumphant, his reconciliation with the Empress did not last long. When she had a silver statue of herself erected in the forum before the Church of the Holy Wisdom (Saint Sophia) in September of 403, and had it dedicated with much unseemly revelry, Saint John thundered against her, and she could not forgive him. In June of 404 he was exiled to Cucusus, on the borders of Cilicia and Armenia. From here he exchanged letters with Pope Innocent of Rome, who sent bishops and priests to Constantinople requesting that a council be held. Saint John's enemies, dreading his return, prevailed upon the Emperor to see an insult in this, and had John taken to a more remote place of banishment called Pityus near the Caucasus. The journey was filled with bitter sufferings for the aged bishop, both because of the harshness of the elements and the cruelty of one of his 310 guards. He did not reach Pityus, but gave up his soul to the Lord near Comana in Pontus, at the chapel of the Martyr Basiliscus (see May 22), who had appeared to him shortly before, foretelling the day of his death, which came to pass on September 14, 407. His last words were "Glory be to God for all things." His holy relics were brought from Comana to Constantinople thirty-one years later by the Emperor Theodosius the Younger and Saint Pulcheria his sister, the children of Arcadius and Eudoxia, with fervent supplications that the sin of their parents against him be forgiven; this return of his holy relics is celebrated on January 27.
Saint John was surnamed Chrysostom ("Golden-mouth") because of his eloquence. He made exhaustive commentaries on the divine Scriptures and was the author of more works than any other Church Father, leaving us complete commentaries on the Book of Genesis, the Gospels of Saints Matthew and John, the Acts, and all the Epistles of Saint Paul. His extant works are 1,447 sermons and 240 epistles. Twenty-two teachers of the Church have written homilies of praise in his honour. Besides his feasts today and on January 27, he is celebrated as one of the Three Hierarchs on January 30, together with Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory the Theologian.
It should be noted that, because September 14 is the Exaltation of the Cross, the Saint's memory has been transferred to this day.
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Transfiguration Monastery
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Narthex Press
Ninth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 20:19-31
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in His side, I will not believe." Eight days later, His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in My side; do not be faithless, but believing." Thomas answered Him, "My Lord and My God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, you may have life in His name.
Prokeimenon. Third Mode. 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.
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."
Special Services:
2024 STEWARDSHIP and financials as of 11/9/2024
Goal: $555,660
Pledged: $512,221
Received To Date of Pledged: $406,825
Pledges Submitted: 194
DOME ICONOGRAPHY financials as of 11/9/2024
Total Project value: $411,000
Balance in the account at the beginning of the campaign: $110,898
Pledged (including grant): $215,720
Number of pledges: 37
Needed: $84,382
TODAY, AFTER SERVICE:
Living Word Bookstore: Psalter book ($20 or large letters $35)
UPCOMING EVENTS:
For those of you who are not familiar with the process, here is How It Works: The Psalter is the Book of Psalms divided into twenty sections, or kathisma. So to start a group, we need twenty people willing to commit to reading one kathisma per day. Each kathisma takes ten - fifteen minutes to read. On the first day of the fast, each person begins reading a different kathisma. For example: On Day One, Maria would begin on Kathisma 1, John would read Kathisma 2, Peter would read Kathisma 3, and so on. On Day Two, Maria would read Kathisma 2, John would read Kathisma 3, Peter would read Kathisma 4. We continue in this manner until we reach the end - Kathisma 20. And with twenty people each reading one kathisma per day, between them the Psalter is being read in its entirety every day of that fasting period. On the twenty-first day, we begin again where we started, individually reading the entire Psalter a total of twice during the forty days.
For any questions, please call Cristina Korzun at (972) 821-6161. Due date to respond: Tuesday, November 12. 2024
Attention All Greek Dance Troupes: If you found any costume pieces at home, please return by Sunday, Nov 10 as we are taking a costume inventory for ALL dance groups. Conversely, if you are missing any apparel or shoes, please check with Sandra as she has some clothing/shoes that are not costume related. There is a pair of men’s shoes in particular.
Prayer Request – November 10, 2024
(Please use the baptismal names when commemorating.
If it is not available, please use the first name.)
Members of our parish who are in hospital or rehab:
Name: Baptismal name:
Members of our parish who are in assisted living or nursing home:
Name: Baptismal name:
Members of our parish who are ill / in recovery:
Name: Baptismal name:
Members of our parish who have chronic illnesses:
Name: Baptismal name:
Members of our parish with limited mobility:
Name: Baptismal name:
Family members who fell asleep in the Lord in the last 40 days:
As this information is not always easy to find, kindly let us know of anyone else that should be on this list.
8:30AM Orthros
9:30AM Divine Liturgy
10:45AM Sunday School
11:30AM FALL GENERAL ASSEMBLY
6:00AM Hours and Divine Liturgy
6:00PM Vigil
6:00AM Hours and Divine Liturgy
6:00PM Vespers
Nativity Lent
11:00AM Homeschool Co-op
8:00AM Orthros, Divine Liturgy
4:00PM Confession
5:00PM Great Vespers
8:30AM Orthros
9:30AM Divine Liturgy
11:00AM Church School Fair
11:00AM Coffee Hour - Potluck
12:00PM Philoptochos Meeting
12:15PM Explore Orthodoxy Class
6:00PM Great Vespers and Lity
7:00PM Gladsome Light Dialogues
5:30AM Orthros and Divine Liturgy
11:00AM Homeschool Co-op
4:00PM Confession
5:00PM Great Vespers
8:30AM Orthros
9:30AM Divine Liturgy
10:45AM Sunday School
11:00AM Coffee Hour - Potluck
12:15PM Explore Orthodoxy Class
5:30AM Orthros and Divine Liturgy