Sunday Schedule:
Orthros: 8:30 a.m.
Divine Liturgy: 9:30 a.m.
Bible Study:
Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
FELLOWSHIP
We welcome everyone to join us for Fellowship in the Philoptochos room.
BASIL NEEDED FOR ELEVATION OF THE HOLY CROSS
Elevation of the Holy Cross will be celebrated on September 14th and September 15th. Basil will be needed. If you have any extra in your garden or want to grab a pot at Market Basket, we welcome any donation.
REGISTER NOW – TRANSFIGURATION CHURCH PARISH RETREAT
All are welcome to the Transfiguration Church Parish Retreat which will be at the St. Methodios Faith and Heritage Center, Contoocook, NH September 20th – 22nd. Please refer to attached flyer or the one posted in the Narthex with details and QR code to register.
SAVE THE DATE – 100th ANNIVERSARY EVENTS
TICKET SALES ARE NOW OPEN for our 100th Anniversary Gala Dinner Dance which will be held at Lenzi's Banquet Hall on Saturday, October 12th starting at 6pm. Please log in using the Link here to order your tickets. Plans have been underway for this once in a lifetime celebration for the past year and we are very excited that the event is finally drawing near. PLEASE get your tickets soon! Tables of 10 are highly encouraged!! Assistance with purchasing tickets on the site will be available during coffee hour - see Noule Demetri. For those who are unable to attend but wish to make a monetary donation, please visit the site where there will be an opportunity to give!
SAVE THE DATE - Our “O Come All Ye Faithful” Christmas Concert featuring talented, professional musicians will be held on December 8th.
We’d love to reach out to former parishioners and have them join in on the celebrations. If you have names and contact information of friends and family members who’ve moved away, please email those to [email protected] so that we can extend the invitations to them!
PHILOPTOCHOS
Clothes Drive – Textile donations may be dropped off in 13 gallon bags at the Outreach Center (465 Fletcher St.) on Sunday 9/8 from 12 to 1 pm, Wednesday 9/12 from 10 am to 2 pm, Monday 9/16 from 11 am to 2 pm. Additional dates will be announced as they become available. PLEASE DO NOT DROP OFF AT THE CHURCH. Contact Angela Hastings with any questions. Thank you.
No-Bake-Sale - Philoptochos continues its strong commitment to and financial support of HCHC through Scholarships awarded to worthy and dedicated students. If you haven’t returned your envelope, on Sunday, Sept.15 after Liturgy Philoptochos will be collecting HCHC donations. Thank you.
General Meeting - You are invited to Philoptochos General Meeting September 18 beginning at 6:30pm in the Philoptochos Room. A Fellowship Meal Buffet and socializing will start the evening before the business meeting. Hope to see you there.
Save-the-Date - Benefit Tea November 3 in Fellowship Hall. More information to follow.
SAVE THE DATE- GOLF TOURNAMENT
Our 14th Annual Golf Tournament is on October 28, 2024, at the Indian Ridge Country Club in Andover.
PLEASE NOTE NEW EMAIL ADDRESSES!!
New email addresses for church contacts. See the reverse side of the bulletin for an updated listing of email address with the domain @transfigurationlowell.org.
Trinity votive candles (To Sponsor a Candle please call the Church Office.)
†Vigil Light at the Side Altar (Icon of the Theotokos): Available
†Vigil Light at the Icon of Christ: In Loving Memory of Deborah Victoria Skrekas and George Skrekas
†Vigil Light at the Theotokos: In Loving Memory of Ioannis "John" Zaralidis - from his family
†Vigil Light at the Icon of the Forerunner: In Loving Memory of John Tavoularis on the 1 Year anniversary. Our best, Husband, Father and Friend.
†Vigil Light at the Foot of the Holy Cross: In Loving Memory of George Tsoukalas - from his family
Joint Parish 2024
Joint Parish Retreat 2024 Schedule
Philoptochos General Meeting
Buy A Brick Order Form
Sunday, September 8 NATIVITY OF THE THEOTOKOS
†Orthros 8:30 am
†Liturgy 9:30 am
40 Day Churching for Lea and baby Olivia Eleni
Tuesday, September 10
Parish Council Meeting, 6:30 pm
Wednesday, September 11
Stewardship Meeting
Sunday School Meeting, 6:30 pm
Saturday, September 14
The Elevation of the Holy Cross
†Orthros 8:30 am
†Liturgy 9:30 am
Sunday, September 15 SUNDAY AFTER HOLY CROSS
†Orthros 8:30 am
†Liturgy 9:30 am
TODAY’S PARISH COUNCIL: Philip Eliopoulos, Ann Marie Stelman & Olivia Sintros
UPCOMING EVENTS
September 17
St. Sophia and her daughters – Liturgy (chapel), 9:30 am
September 18
Philoptochos General Meeting, 6:30 pm
September 19
Orthodoxy on Tap - Boston - Guest Speaker will be Fr. Dan Suciu
September 20 - 22
Transfiguration Family Retreat in Contoocook, NH
September 22
First Sunday of Luke
September 29
Second Sunday of Luke
1 Year Memorial for George Eliopoulos
2 Year Memorial for Ethel Eliopoulos
First day of Sunday School and Welcome Back Cookout
October 2
Bible Study
October 6
Third Sunday of Luke
Monthly Trisagion
Memorial for Family members of Fr. Gregory Floor
October 8
Parish Council Meeting, 6:30 pm
October 9
Bible Study
October 12
100th Anniversary Gala Dinner Dance
Prokeimenon. Plagal Second Mode. Psalm 27.9,1.
O Lord, save your people and bless your inheritance.
Verse: To you, O Lord, I have cried, O my God.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 6:11-18.
Brethren, see with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that would compel you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who receive circumcision do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh. But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule, upon the Israel of God. Henceforth let no man trouble me; for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.
Sunday before Holy Cross
The Reading is from John 3:13-17
The Lord said, "No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him."
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Cross Press
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Narthex Press
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Narthex Press
According to the ancient tradition of the Church, the Theotokos was born of barren and aged parents, Joachim and Anna, about the year 16 or 17 before the birth of Christ. Joachim was descended from the royal line of David, of the tribe of Judah. Anna was of the priestly tribe of Levi, a daughter of the priest Matthan and Mary, his wife.
Today, the day following the Nativity of the most holy Theotokos, we celebrate the synaxis of Saints Joachim and Anna, honouring them as her parents.
These Martyrs, sisters according to the flesh, were from Bithynia. They lived in virginity on a mountain near the Pythian hot springs of Bithynia, devoting themselves to asceticism and prayer. Betrayed to the local governor, Fronto, they were subjected to frightful tortures, and so gave up their holy souls into the hands of God. They contested for the Faith during the reign of Maximian, in the year 304.
This saint lived in the fifth century. Out of remorse for the adultery that she committed with another man, she fled from her husband's house, renamed herself Theodore, clothed herself as a man, and pretending to be a eunuch, entered a monastery of men. Her identity as a woman was discovered only after her death.
This saint was a bishop in Italy. Fleeing from the persecution of Diocletian in 298, he came to Bithynia, where he went from place to place converting many from the idols to the true God. Because of this, one day as he was celebrating the Divine Liturgy in the Church of the Archangels, they who worshipped wood and stones fell upon him and beat him to death with staves and stones.
The church that is honoured far above all others is that of the Holy Resurrection, which Saint Constantine the Great constructed at the place of Golgotha, where our Saviour was crucified and buried. For a long time this place had been purposely buried beneath the earth by the Jews and heathen; furthermore, during the reign of Hadrian (117-138), a temple dedicated to Aphrodite was built over the site so that this sacred place might be even further desecrated and fall into utter oblivion. It was here that the Cross was hidden. However, at the command of the pious Emperor Constantine, excavations were made and the tokens of the saving Passion were found. It was here, then, that the very great and magnificent temple named in honour of Christ God's Resurrection-the Anastasis-was built under the supervision of the blessed Helen, while Dracilian was Eparch of Palestine and Macarius was Archbishop of Jerusalem. It was the latter, also, who exalted the venerable Cross and performed the consecration of this temple in the year 336.
Saint Helen, the mother of Saint Constantine the Great, when she was already advanced in years, undertook, in her great piety, the hardships of a journey to Jerusalem in search of the cross, about the year 325. A temple to Aphrodite had been raised up by the Emperor Hadrian upon Golgotha, to defile and cover with oblivion the place where the saving Passion had been suffered. The venerable Helen had the statue of Aphrodite destroyed, and the earth removed, revealing the Tomb of our Lord, and three crosses. Of these, it was believed that one must be that of our Lord, the other two of the thieves crucified with Him; but Saint Helen was at a loss which one might be the Wood of our salvation. At the inspiration of Saint Macarius, Archbishop of Jerusalem, a lady of Jerusalem, who was already at the point of death from a certain disease, was brought to touch the crosses, and as soon as she came near to the Cross of our Lord, she was made perfectly whole. Consequently, the precious Cross was lifted on high by Archbishop Macarius of Jerusalem; as he stood on the ambo, and when the people beheld it, they cried out, "Lord have mercy." It should be noted that after its discovery, a portion of the venerable Cross was taken to Constantinople as a blessing. The rest was left in Jerusalem in the magnificent church built by Saint Helen, until the year 614. At that time, the Persians plundered Palestine and took the Cross to their own country (see Jan. 22, Saint Anastasius the Persian). Late, in the year 628, Emperor Heraclius set out on a military campaign, retrieved the Cross, and after bringing it to Constantinople, himself escorted it back to Jerusalem, where he restored it to its place.
Rest from labour. A Fast is observed today, whatever day of the week it may be.