St. Stephen Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2024-12-08
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St. Stephen Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (707)235-0316
  • Street Address:

  • 11055 Hirschfeld Way

  • Rancho Cordova, CA 95670


Contact Information




Services Schedule

 

Saturday

Vespers: 3:00 pm

Sunday

Matins: 8:15 am

Liturgy: 9:30 am


Past Bulletins


Saints and Feasts

December 08

Apodosis of the Presentation of the Theotokos into the Temple


December 08

Katherine the Great Martyr of Alexandria

Saint Catherine, who was from Alexandria, was the daughter of Constas (or Cestus). She was an exceedingly beautiful maiden, most chaste, and illustrious in wealth, lineage, and learning. By her steadfast understanding, she utterly vanquished the passionate and unbridled soul of Maximinus, the tyrant of Alexandria; and by her eloquence, she stopped the mouths of the so-called philosophers who had been gathered to dispute with her. She was crowned with the crown of martyrdom in the year 305. Her holy relics were taken by Angels to the holy mountain of Sinai, where they were discovered many years later; the famous monastery of Saint Catherine was originally dedicated to the Holy Transfiguration of the Lord and the Burning Bush, but later was dedicated to Saint Catherine. According to the ancient usage, Saints Catherine and Mercurius were celebrated on the 24th of this month, whereas the holy Hieromartyrs Clement of Rome and Peter of Alexandria were celebrated on the 25th. The dates of the feasts of these Saints were interchanged at the request of the Church and Monastery of Mount Sinai, so that the festival of Saint Catherine, their patron, might be celebrated more festively together with the Apodosis of the Feast of the Entry of the Theotokos. The Slavic Churches, however, commemorate these Saints on their original dates.


December 08

Mercurios the Great Martyr of Caesarea in Cappadocia

Saint Mercurius came from Cappadocia, and was the son of Gordian, a Scythian. A young man, and a soldier of high rank, he refused to offer sacrifice to the idols, and after torments was beheaded during the reign of Valerian (253-260).


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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Second Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Mark 16:1-8

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Jesus. And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?" And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back - it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, He is not here; see the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see Him, as He told you." And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Second Orthros Gospel
مرقس 16: 1-8

1وَبَعْدَمَا مَضَى السَّبْتُ، اشْتَرَتْ مَرْيَمُ الْمَجْدَلِيَّةُ وَمَرْيَمُ أُمُّ يَعْقُوبَ وَسَالُومَةُ، حَنُوطاً لِيَأْتِينَ وَيَدْهَنَّهُ. 2وَبَاكِراً جِدّاً فِي أَوَّلِ الأُسْبُوعِ أَتَيْنَ إِلَى الْقَبْرِ إِذْ طَلَعَتِ الشَّمْسُ. 3وَكُنَّ يَقُلْنَ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُنَّ: ((مَنْ يُدَحْرِجُ لَنَا الْحَجَرَ عَنْ بَابِ الْقَبْرِ؟)) 4فَتَطَلَّعْنَ وَرَأَيْنَ أَنَّ الْحَجَرَ قَدْ دُحْرِجَ! لأَنَّهُ كَانَ عَظِيماً جِدّاً. 5وَلَمَّا دَخَلْنَ الْقَبْرَ رَأَيْنَ شَابّاً جَالِساً عَنِ الْيَمِينِ لاَبِساً حُلَّةً بَيْضَاءَ، فَانْدَهَشْنَ. 6فَقَالَ لَهُنَّ: ((لاَ تَنْدَهِشْنَ! أَنْتُنَّ تَطْلُبْنَ يَسُوعَ النَّاصِرِيَّ الْمَصْلُوبَ. قَدْ قَامَ! لَيْسَ هُوَ هَهُنَا. هُوَذَا الْمَوْضِعُ الَّذِي وَضَعُوهُ فِيهِ. 7لَكِنِ اذْهَبْنَ وَقُلْنَ لِتَلاَمِيذِهِ وَلِبُطْرُسَ: إِنَّهُ يَسْبِقُكُمْ إِلَى الْجَلِيلِ. هُنَاكَ تَرَوْنَهُ كَمَا قَالَ لَكُمْ)). 8فَخَرَجْنَ سَرِيعاً وَهَرَبْنَ مِنَ الْقَبْرِ، لأَنَّ الرِّعْدَةَ وَالْحَيْرَةَ أَخَذَتَاهُنَّ. وَلَمْ يَقُلْنَ لأَحَدٍ شَيْئاً لأَنَّهُنَّ كُنَّ خَائِفَاتٍ.

 

 


Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 4th Tone. Psalm 67.35,26.
God is wonderful among his saints.
Verse: Bless God in the congregations.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 3:23-29; 4:1-5.

Brethren, before faith came, we were confined under the law, kept under restraint until faith should be revealed. So that the law was our custodian until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a custodian; for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no better than a slave, though he is the owner of all the estate; but he is under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. So with us; when we were children, we were slaves to the elemental spirits of the universe. But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

البروكيمنون. 4th Tone. مزمور 67: 35، 26.
عجيب هو الله في قديسيه
Verse: في المجامع باركوا الله

فصل من رسالة بولس الاولى الى غلاطية 3: 23-29 4: 1-5.

يَُّا إِخْوَة، قَبْلَمَا جَاءَ الإِيمَانُ كُنَّا مَحْرُوسِينَ تَحْتَ النَّامُوسِ، مُغْلَقاً عَلَيْنَا إِلَى الإِيمَانِ الْعَتِيدِ أَنْ يُعْلَنَ. إِذاً قَدْ كَانَ النَّامُوسُ مُؤَدِّبَنَا إِلَى الْمَسِيحِ، لِكَيْ نَتَبَرَّرَ بِالإِيمَانِ. وَلَكِنْ بَعْدَ مَا جَاءَ الإِيمَانُ لَسْنَا بَعْدُ تَحْتَ مُؤَدِّبٍ.لأَنَّكُمْ جَمِيعاً أَبْنَاءُ اللهِ بِالإِيمَانِ بِالْمَسِيحِ يَسُوعَ. لأَنَّ كُلَّكُمُ الَّذِينَ اعْتَمَدْتُمْ بِالْمَسِيحِ قَدْ لَبِسْتُمُ الْمَسِيحَ. لَيْسَ يَهُودِيٌّ وَلاَ يُونَانِيٌّ. لَيْسَ عَبْدٌ وَلاَ حُرٌّ. لَيْسَ ذَكَرٌ وَأُنْثَى، لأَنَّكُمْ جَمِيعاً وَاحِدٌ فِي الْمَسِيحِ يَسُوعَ. فَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ لِلْمَسِيحِ فَأَنْتُمْ إِذاً نَسْلُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَحَسَبَ الْمَوْعِدِ وَرَثَةٌ. وَإِنَّمَا أَقُولُ: مَا دَامَ الْوَارِثُ قَاصِراً لاَ يَفْرِقُ شَيْئاً عَنِ الْعَبْدِ، مَعَ كَوْنِهِ صَاحِبَ الْجَمِيعِ. بَلْ هُوَ تَحْتَ أَوْصِيَاءَ وَوُكَلاَءَ إِلَى الْوَقْتِ الْمُؤَجَّلِ مِنْ أَبِيهِ. هَكَذَا نَحْنُ أَيْضاً: لَمَّا كُنَّا قَاصِرِينَ كُنَّا مُسْتَعْبَدِينَ تَحْتَ أَرْكَانِ الْعَالَمِ. وَلَكِنْ لَمَّا جَاءَ مِلْءُ الزَّمَانِ، أَرْسَلَ اللهُ ابْنَهُ مَوْلُوداً مِنِ امْرَأَةٍ، مَوْلُوداً تَحْتَ النَّامُوسِ، لِيَفْتَدِيَ الَّذِينَ تَحْتَ النَّامُوسِ، لِنَنَالَ التَّبَنِّيَ.


Gospel Reading

The Reading is from Luke 17:12-19

At that time, as Jesus entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices and said: "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus's feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then said Jesus: "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" And he said to him: "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."

لوقا 17: 12-19

12 في ذلك الزمان فِيمَا يسوَع دَاخِلٌ إِلَى قَرْيَةٍ اسْتَقْبَلَهُ عَشَرَةُ رِجَالٍ بُرْصٍ ، فَوَقَفُوا مِنْ بَعِيدٍ 13وََرَفَعُوا صَوْتاً قَائِليِنَ : ((يَا يَسُوعُ ، يَا مُعَلِّمُ ، ارْحَمْنَا ! )). 14فَنَظَرَ وَقَالَ لَهُمُ: ((اذْهَبُوا وَأَرُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ لِلْكَهَنَةِ)). وَفِيمَا هُمْ مُنْطَلِقُونَ طَهَرُوا. 15فَوَاحِدٌ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا رَأَى أَنَّهُ شُفِيَ ، رَجَعَ يُمَجِّدُ اللهَ بِصَوْتٍ عَظِيمٍ، 16وَخَرَّ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ عِنْدَ رِجْلَيْهِ شَاكِراً لَهُ. وَكَانَ سَامِرِيّاً. 17فَأَجَابَيَسُوعُ وَقَالَ : ((أَلَيْسَ الْعَشَرَةُ قَدْ طَهَرُوا؟ فَأَيْنَ التِّسْعَةُ؟ 18أَلَمْ يُوجَدْ مَنْ يَرْجِعُ لِيُعْطِيَ مَجْداً لِلَّهِ غَيْرُ هَذَا الْغَرِيبِ الْجِنْسِ؟)) 19ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ: ((قُمْ وَامْضِ، إِيمَانُكَ خَلَّصَكَ)).

 

 


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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 7th Tone

Thou didst abolish death by Thy Cross; Thou didst open Paradise to the thief; Thou didst transform the myrrh-bearers' lamentation, and didst bid Thine Apostles to preach that Thou art risen, O Christ God, granting great mercy to the world.

حطمت بصليبك الموت، وفتحت للص الفردوس، وحولت نوح حاملات الطيب، وأمرت رسلك ان يكرزوا ، بانك قد قمت ايها المسيح الاله ، مانحاً العالم الرحمة العظمى.

Apolytikion of Apodosis of the Entry in the Fourth Tone

Today is the prelude of God's pleasure and the proclamation of man's salvation. The Virgin is clearly made manifest in the temple of God and foretells Christ to all. Let us also cry out to her with mighty voice, "Hail, fulfillment of the Creator's dispensation."

Apolytikion of Great Martyr Catherine in the Plagal of the First Tone

Let us praise the most auspicious bride of Christ, the divine Katherine, protectress of Sinai, our aid and our help. For, she brilliantly silenced the eloquence of the impious by the sword of the spirit, and now, crowned as a martyr, she asks great mercy for all.

Apolytikion of Great Martyr Mercurius in the Fourth Tone

Thy Martyr, O Lord, in his courageous contest for Thee received as the prize the crowns of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal God. For since he possessed Thy strength, he cast down the tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons' strengthless presumption. O Christ God, by his prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful.

Kontakion of Great Martyr Catherine in the Second Tone

O friends of martyrs, now divinely raise up a renewed chorus, praising the all-wise Katherine. For, she proclaimed Christ in the arena, trampled on the serpent, and spat upon the knowledge of the orators.

Kontakion of Great Martyr Mercurius in the Second Tone

O wise one, thou wast initiated solemnly in matters divine, O all-renowned Mercurius, and becamest an acceptable sacrifice when eagerly thou didst drink the cup of Christ God; and now thou dost ceaselessly pray for us all.

Kontakion of Apodosis of the Entry in the Fourth Tone

Today, the most pure temple of the Savior, the precious bridal chamber and Virgin, the sacred treasure of God, enters the house of the Lord, bringing the grace of the Divine Spirit. The Angels of God praise her. She is the heavenly tabernacle.
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Wisdom of the Fathers

So great an evil is envy. For not against strangers only, but even against our own, is it ever warring.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 40 on Matthew 12, 4th Century

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