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Holy Trinity
Publish Date: 2026-11-01
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Holy Trinity

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (918) 583-2082
  • Fax:
  • na
  • Street Address:

  • 1222 S. Guthrie Ave.

  • Tulsa, OK 74119


Contact Information






Services Schedule

Saturday Evening Vespers: 5:30 pm

Sunday Morning Orthros 8:30 AM

Sunday Morning Divine Liturgy 9:30 AM


Past Bulletins


Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal First Tone

Let us the faithful give praise and worship to the Logos, coeternal with the Father and the Spirit, born of the Virgin for our salvation; for of His own goodwill he consented to ascend the cross in the flesh and endured death and raised the dead by His glorious resurrection.
Τὸν συνάναρχον Λόγον Πατρὶ καὶ Πνεύματι, τὸν ἐκ Παρθένου τεχθέντα εἰς σωτηρίαν ἡμῶν, ἀνυμνήσωμεν πιστοὶ καὶ προσκυνήσωμεν, ὅτι ηὐδόκησε σαρκί, ἀνελθεῖν ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ, καὶ θάνατον ὑπομεῖναι, καὶ ἐγεῖραι τοὺς τεθνεῶτας, ἐν τῇ ἐνδόξῳ Ἀναστάσει αὐτοῦ.

Apolytikion for Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian in the Third Tone

Sainted Unmercenaries and Wonder Workers, regard our infirmities; freely you have received, freely share with us.
Άγιοι Ανάργυροι καί θαυματουργοί, επισκέψασθε τάς ασθενείας ημών, δωρεάν ελάβετε, δωρεάν δότε ημίν.

Apolytikion of the Church in the Plagal Fourth Tone

Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, * ὁ πανσόφους τοὺς ἁλιεῖς ἀναδείξας, * καταπέμψας αὐτοῖς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, * καὶ δι' αὐτῶν τὴν οἰκουμένην σαγηνεύσας,*  Φιλάνθρωπε, δόξα σοι.

 

O blessed are You * O Christ our God * Who by sending down * The Holy Spirit upon them * Made the fishermen wise, and through them * Illumined the world* And to you * The universe is ever drawn * All glory to you O Lord

Seasonal Kontakion in the Second Tone

A protection of Christians unshamable, intercessor to our Holy Maker, unwavering, please reject not the prayerful cries of those who are in sin. Instead, come to us, for you are good; your loving help bring unto us, who are crying in faith to you: hasten to intercede and speed now to supplicate, as a protection for all time, Theotokos, for those who honor you.
Προστασία τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἀκαταίσχυντε, μεσιτεία πρὸς τὸν Ποιητὴν ἀμετάθετε. Μὴ παρίδῃς ἁμαρτωλῶν δεήσεων φωνάς, ἀλλὰ πρόφθασον, ὡς ἀγαθή, εἰς τὴν βοήθειαν ἡμῶν, τῶν πιστῶς κραυγαζόντων σοι· Τάχυνον εἰς πρεσβείαν, καὶ σπεῦσον εἰς ἱκεσίαν, ἡ προστατεύουσα ἀεί, Θεοτόκε, τῶν τιμώντων σε.


Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Eleventh Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 21:14-25

At that time, Jesus revealed himself to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. And he said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go." (This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) And after this he said to him, "Follow me." Peter turned and saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved, who had lain close to his breast at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?" When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?" Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!" The saying spread abroad among the brethren that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?" This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things; and we know that his testimony is true. But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

Eleventh Orthros Gospel
Κατὰ Ἰωάννην 21:14-25

Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἐφανέρωσεν ἑαυτὸν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ, ἐγερθεὶς ἐκ νεκρῶν, καὶ λέγει τῷ Σίμωνι Πέτρῳ· Σίμων Ἰωνᾶ, ἀγαπᾶς με πλέον τούτων; Λέγει αὐτῷ· Ναὶ Κύριε, σὺ οἶδας ὅτι φιλῶ σε. Λέγει αὐτῷ· Βόσκε τὰ ἀρνία μου. Λέγει αὐτῷ πάλιν δεύτερον· Σίμων Ἰωνᾶ ἀγαπᾶς με; Λέγει αὐτῷ· Ναί, Κύριε, σὺ οἶδας ὅτι φιλῶ σε. Λέγει αὐτῷ· Ποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατά μου. Λέγει αὐτῷ τὸ τρίτον· Σίμων Ἰωνᾶ, φιλεῖς με; ἐλυπήθη ὁ Πέτρος, ὅτι εἶπεν αὐτῷ τὸ τρίτον, φιλεῖς με; Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Κύριε, σὺ πάντα οἶδας, σὺ γινώσκεις ὅτι φιλῶ σε. Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς. Βόσκε τὰ πρόβατά μου. Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, ὅτε ἦς νεώτερος, ἐζώννυες σεαυτόν, καὶ περιεπάτεις ὅπου ἤθελες, ὅταν δὲ γηράσῃς, ἐκτενεῖς τὰς χεῖράς σου, καὶ ἄλλος σε ζώσει, καὶ οἴσει ὅπου οὐ θέλεις. Τοῦτο δὲ εἶπε, σημαίνων ποίῳ θανάτῳ δοξάσει τὸν Θεόν. Καὶ τοῦτο εἰπών, λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἀκολούθει μοι. Ἐπιστραφεὶς δὲ ὁ Πέτρος βλέπει τὸν μαθητὴν ὃν ἠγάπα ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἀκολουθοῦντα, ὃς καὶ ἀνέπεσεν ἐν τῷ δείπνῳ ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπε· Κύριε, τίς ἐστιν ὁ παραδιδούς σε; τοῦτον ἰδὼν ὁ Πέτρος λέγει τῷ Ἰησοῦ· Κύριε, οὗτος δὲ τί; λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ἐὰν αὐτὸν θέλω μένειν ἕως ἔρχομαι, τί πρὸς σέ; σύ μοι ἀκολούθει μοι. Ἐξῆλθεν οὖν ὁ λόγος οὗτος εἰς τοὺς ἀδελφούς. Ὃτι ὁ μαθητὴς ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἀποθνῄσκει, καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ὅτι οὐκ ἀποθνήσκει· ἀλλ' ἐὰν αὐτὸν θέλω μένειν ἕως ἔρχομαι, τί πρὸς σὲ; Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ μαθητὴς ὁ μαρτυρῶν περὶ τούτων, καὶ γράψας ταῦτα, καὶ οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθής ἐστιν ἡ μαρτυρία αὐτοῦ. Ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ ὅσα ἐποίησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἅτινα ἐὰν γράφηται καθ' ἕν, οὐδὲ αὐτὸν οἶμαι τὸν κόσμον χωρῆσαι τὰ γραφόμενα βιβλία. Ἀμήν.


Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Fourth Tone. Psalm 15.3,8.
Among the saints who are in his land, the Lord has been wondrous.
Verse: I see the Lord before me continually.

The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 12:27-31; 13:1-8.

Brethren, you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, then healers, helpers, administrators, speakers in various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

Προκείμενον. Fourth Tone. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 15.3,8.
Τοῖς ἁγίοις τοῖς ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτοῦ ἐθαυμάστωσεν ὁ Κύριος.
Στίχ. Προωρώμην τὸν Κύριον ἐνώπιόν μου διαπαντός.

τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Κορινθίους α' 12:27-31, 13:1-8.

Ἀδελφοί, ὑμεῖς δέ ἐστε σῶμα Χριστοῦ, καὶ μέλη ἐκ μέρους. Καὶ οὓς μὲν ἔθετο ὁ θεὸς ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ πρῶτον ἀποστόλους, δεύτερον προφήτας, τρίτον διδασκάλους, ἔπειτα δυνάμεις, εἶτα χαρίσματα ἰαμάτων, ἀντιλήψεις, κυβερνήσεις, γένη γλωσσῶν. Μὴ πάντες ἀπόστολοι; Μὴ πάντες προφῆται; Μὴ πάντες διδάσκαλοι; Μὴ πάντες δυνάμεις; Μὴ πάντες χαρίσματα ἔχουσιν ἰαμάτων; Μὴ πάντες γλώσσαις λαλοῦσιν; Μὴ πάντες διερμηνεύουσιν; Ζηλοῦτε δὲ τὰ χαρίσματα τὰ κρείττονα. Καὶ ἔτι καθʼ ὑπερβολὴν ὁδὸν ὑμῖν δείκνυμι. Ἐὰν ταῖς γλώσσαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαλῶ καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, γέγονα χαλκὸς ἠχῶν ἢ κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον. Καὶ ἐὰν ἔχω προφητείαν, καὶ εἰδῶ τὰ μυστήρια πάντα καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γνῶσιν, καὶ ἐὰν ἔχω πᾶσαν τὴν πίστιν, ὥστε ὄρη μεθιστάνειν, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐθέν εἰμι. Καὶ ἐὰν ψωμίσω πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντά μου, καὶ ἐὰν παραδῶ τὸ σῶμά μου ἵνα καυθήσωμαι, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦμαι. Ἡ ἀγάπη μακροθυμεῖ, χρηστεύεται· ἡ ἀγάπη οὐ ζηλοῖ· ἡ ἀγάπη οὐ περπερεύεται, οὐ φυσιοῦται, οὐκ ἀσχημονεῖ, οὐ ζητεῖ τὰ ἑαυτῆς, οὐ παροξύνεται, οὐ λογίζεται τὸ κακόν, οὐ χαίρει ἐπὶ τῇ ἀδικίᾳ, συγχαίρει δὲ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, πάντα στέγει, πάντα πιστεύει, πάντα ἐλπίζει, πάντα ὑπομένει. 8 Ἡ ἀγάπη οὐδέποτε ἐκπίπτει· εἴτε δὲ προφητεῖαι, καταργηθήσονται· εἴτε γλῶσσαι, παύσονται· εἴτε γνῶσις, καταργηθήσεται.


Gospel Reading

5th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 16:19-31

The Lord said, "There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazaros, full of sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Lazaros in his bosom. And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazaros to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazaros in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' But Abraham said, 'They have Moses, and the prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to them, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.'"

5th Sunday of Luke
Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 16:19-31

Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος· ῎Ανθρωπος δέ τις ἦν πλούσιος, καὶ ἐνεδιδύσκετο πορφύραν καὶ βύσσον εὐφραινόμενος καθ᾿ ἡμέραν λαμπρῶς. πτωχὸς δέ τις ἦν ὀνόματι Λάζαρος, ὃς ἐβέβλητο πρὸς τὸν πυλῶνα αὐτοῦ ἡλκωμένος καὶ ἐπιθυμῶν χορτασθῆναι ἀπὸ τῶν ψιχίων τῶν πιπτόντων ἀπὸ τῆς τραπέζης τοῦ πλουσίου· ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ κύνες ἐρχόμενοι ἀπέλειχον τὰ ἕλκη αὐτοῦ. ἐγένετο δὲ ἀποθανεῖν τὸν πτωχὸν καὶ ἀπενεχθῆναι αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀγγέλων εἰς τὸν κόλπον ᾿Αβραάμ· ἀπέθανε δὲ καὶ ὁ πλούσιος καὶ ἐτάφη. καὶ ἐν τῷ ᾅδῃ ἐπάρας τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ, ὑπάρχων ἐν βασάνοις, ὁρᾷ τὸν ᾿Αβραὰμ ἀπὸ μακρόθεν καὶ Λάζαρον ἐν τοῖς κόλποις αὐτοῦ. καὶ αὐτὸς φωνήσας εἶπε· πάτερ ᾿Αβραάμ, ἐλέησόν με καὶ πέμψον Λάζαρον ἵνα βάψῃ τὸ ἄκρον τοῦ δακτύλου αὐτοῦ ὕδατος καὶ καταψύξῃ τὴν γλῶσσάν μου, ὅτι ὀδυνῶμαι ἐν τῇ φλογὶ ταύτῃ. εἶπε δὲ ᾿Αβραάμ· τέκνον, μνήσθητι ὅτι ἀπέλαβες σὺ τὰ ἀγαθά σου ἐν τῇ ζωῇ σου, καὶ Λάζαρος ὁμοίως τὰ κακά· νῦν δὲ ὧδε παρακαλεῖται, σὺ δὲ ὀδυνᾶσαι· καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσι τούτοις μεταξὺ ἡμῶν καὶ ὑμῶν χάσμα μέγα ἐστήρικται, ὅπως οἱ θέλοντες διαβῆναι ἔνθεν πρὸς ὑμᾶς μὴ δύνωνται, μηδὲ οἱ ἐκεῖθεν πρὸς ἡμᾶς διαπερῶσιν. εἶπε δέ· ἐρωτῶ οὖν σε, πάτερ, ἵνα πέμψῃς αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου· ἔχω γὰρ πέντε ἀδελφούς· ὅπως διαμαρτύρηται αὐτοῖς, ἵνα μὴ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔλθωσιν εἰς τὸν τόπον τοῦτον τῆς βασάνου. λέγει αὐτῷ ᾿Αβραάμ· ἔχουσι Μωϋσέα καὶ τοὺς προφήτας· ἀκουσάτωσαν αὐτῶν. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· οὐχί, πάτερ ᾿Αβραάμ, ἀλλ᾿ ἐάν τις ἀπὸ νεκρῶν πορευθῇ πρὸς αὐτούς, μετανοήσουσιν. εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ· εἰ Μωϋσέως καὶ τῶν προφητῶν οὐκ ἀκούουσιν, οὐδὲ ἐάν τις ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῇ πεισθήσονται.




Saints and Feasts

November 01

5th Sunday of Luke


November 01

Cosmas and Damian the Holy Unmercenaries of Asia, and their mother Theodota

These Saints were from Asia (that is, Asia Minor). After the death of their father, their Christ-loving mother Theodota reared them in piety and in all manner of virtue, and had them instructed in every science, especially that of medicine. This became their vocation, and they went about healing every illness and malady, bestowing healing freely on both men and beasts alike; because of this, they are called "Unmercenaries." And thus, having completed the course of their life, they reposed in peace.


November 01

David the Righteous of Evia




HTGOC Tulsa Calendar

  • HTGOC Calendar

    November 1 to November 15, 2026

    Sunday, November 1

    8:30AM Orthros

    9:30AM Divine Liturgy

    11:30AM Inreach/Outreach Ministry Meeting

    Monday, November 2

    His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros' Name Day

    Tuesday, November 3

    6:30AM Men’s Study Group

    Wednesday, November 4

    5:00PM Paraklesis

    6:00PM GOYA Basketball Practice

    6:00PM Journey to Fullness Video Catechism Series

    Saturday, November 7

    Daughters of Penelope-Thanksgiving Meal Prep

    5:30PM CANCEL TONIGHT-Vespers

    Sunday, November 8

    8:30AM Orthros

    9:30AM Divine Liturgy

    10:45AM Special Prayer for Veterans Day

    11:00AM Community Thanksgiving Meal and Talent Show (hosted by Daughters of Penelope)

    Tuesday, November 10

    6:30AM Men’s Study Group

    Wednesday, November 11

    5:00PM Paraklesis

    6:00PM GOYA Basketball Practice

    6:00PM Journey to Fullness Video Catechism Series

    Friday, November 13

    St. John Chrysostom

    8:30AM Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy

    Saturday, November 14

    8:00AM Hall Reserved

    5:30PM Vespers

    6:00PM GOYA Event: Farm Fun

    Sunday, November 15

    8:30AM Orthros

    9:30AM Divine Liturgy



Community News and Info

Note About Security at Church

It is up to all of us to make sure the Church and Hall are secure before leaving the premises.  There have been a few occasions recently when the first person arriving in the morning has found doors unlocked and or open, lights on, and air conditioning running all night.

We ask that everyone practices good stewardship and care for our community, our church, and hall, with the following:

  • Confirm all lights are off.  If you are the last one in a room/classroom/area, please turn off the light. 
  • Air Conditioning/Heat:  the thermostats are programmed and should not need to be adjusted on a regular basis.  If you adjust a thermostat, plesae return it to the schedule when leaving. 
  • Doors/Locks: If you unlock a door, please lock it before you leave.  If you are the last one to leave, please make sure all doors are locked and secure, even if someone else opened or unlocked it.

Please continue to confirm that the Alarm is disarmed before entering the chruch or hall, including hte North Kitchen Door, thank you.

Community Thanksgiving Meal and Talent Show Next Sunday, November 8

Thank you to the Daughters of Penelope who will be hosting our Community Thanksgiving meal after services next week, please plan to stay and join us, and show off your talents!  Reach out to Martha to sign up for the Talent Show: (918) 798-9485.

Inreach/Outreach Ministry Meeting This Week

Our Inreach/Outreach Ministry will have a meeting after Services/Coffee Hour this week.

Men's Group

Our men's group will meet at 6:30am this Tuesday.

Paraklesis

Please join us for Paraklesis this Wednesday at 5pm. 

Sunday Church School

Our Sunday Church School classes will meet this week. Our students and teachers will receive communion thne proceed to their classes.

GOYA News

Registration for the Metroplis of Denver GOYA Basketball Tournament is open!  All GOYAns and coaches, please register as soon as you can, please reach out to Father George if you have any questions or need help getting registered.  The Tournament will take place in Dallas, January 15-18, 2027.

We will have GOYA Basektball practice this Wednesday, at 6pm (after Paraklesis).  All middle school and high school age students at Holy Trinity are welcome!  

Our next GOYA event will be Saturday evening, October 24th.  We look forward to getting together for a bonfire and pumpkin carving.  More details to come in the next couple of weeks.

Journey To Fullness - Orthodoxy Video Series Continues This Wednesday

A 16-episode video series created by Fr. Barnabas Powell through Ancient Faith Ministries, designed to introduce inquirers to the Orthodox Christian Faith. Though it was made with inquirers in mind, all can benefit from this video series - regardless of whether they have lived their entire lives in the Church or are encountering her for the first time. The goal of this class is to give everyone who takes it an opportunity to journey deeper into the fullness that is the Orthodox Christian Faith.  

We'll continue this Wendnesday at 6pm (after Paraklesis).  Thanks once again to our Inreach & Outreach Ministry for making this available 

 



Diakonia Newsletter

“Love is Patient, Love is Kind…But the Corinthians were neither.” — Reflections From Today’s Reading – I Corinthians 12:27-31; 13:1-8

“Love is Patient, Love is Kind…But the Corinthians were neither.” — Reflections From Today’s Reading – I Corinthians 12:27-31; 13:1-8

Fr. George Parsenios (HCHC ’96)

"Love is Patient; love is kind.” So says St. Paul in today’s epistle reading, taken from First Corinthians 13. These well-known verses are famously printed on posters and plaques—even refrigerator magnets—and they are often read at Protestant and Catholic weddings all over America. Everyone knows the verses and everyone loves them. But few understand them. Far from being a sentimental meditation on romantic love, these famous lines are a rhetorically powerful rebuke to a divided church. Love may be patient and kind, but the Corinthians were neither. They battled against one another over who had more wealth, who had more knowledge of God, or who had deeper spiritual experiences. Paul told the Corinthians that “love is not jealous or boastful” because he had to correct them a few chapters earlier for jealous striving (3:3), and for boasting about spiritual gifts (4:7). He told them that love is slow to judge (13:5) because he commanded them previously to stop dragging each other before pagan judges in public courts (6:1-11). And he said that love hopes all things (13:7), because the Corinthians had a shaky hope in the Resurrection of the dead (15:13). When he wrote that “love is patient and kind,” St. Paul was not poetically reflecting on love with pretty words. He was admonishing a strife-ridden community and confronting their arrogance. We are correct, therefore, to associate these verses with weddings and family concord, not because of how they make us feel, but because of how they make us act. Not sentimental emotions, but real self-sacrifice is the cornerstone of a strong marriage, a firm friendship and any lasting relationship. Husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, clergy and laity show their love for one another not by what they say, but by what they do.  

Fr. George Parsenios is Professor of New Testament at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. www.hchc.edu


The Ten Commandments: A Document of Divine Guidance

The Ten Commandments: A Document of Divine Guidance

The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue (from the Greek deca, meaning ten, and logos, meaning word), form a foundational ethical code that guides humanity in worshiping the true God and in building a society that reflects God's will on earth. Preserved through the centuries as a treasure of Christian civilization, the Commandments have been embraced by the Christian Church as a basic moral standard governing people's responsibilities toward both God and one another. Few documents have exerted a greater influence on religion and morality.

Moses stands as one of the most significant figures of the Old Testament, renowned for his leadership and as a religious forerunner of Judaism. God called him to lead the people of Israel out of Egyptian bondage into the wilderness north of Mount Sinai, between Egypt and Palestine, where they would begin a new chapter of their history. Moses was familiar with this region, having spent forty years there in exile under the guidance of his father-in-law Jethro.

 

Three months after the Exodus, Moses sought God's guidance so that the Israelites might live faithfully and peacefully under divine protection. In response, God summoned Moses to Mount Sinai to receive His covenant and convey it to the people. The Israelites accepted God's word, declaring, “All that the Lord has spoken, we will do” (Exodus 19:8).

Moses remained with the Lord for forty days. At the end of that time, God gave him two stone tablets containing the divine commandments, written by the finger of God (Exodus 31:18). When Moses descended the mountain and witnessed the people's idolatry, he broke the tablets (Exodus 32:19). God later replaced them. (Exodus 34:1).

The text of the Ten Commandments is preserved in two Old Testament accounts: Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-18. Aside from the prohibition concerning images and the command to observe the Sabbath, the Commandments contain moral principles shared by all humanity. Their meaning was further deepened by the teachings of Jesus Christ, especially in the Sermon on the Mount. Christ summarized the entire law in two commandments: to love God with all one's heart, soul, and strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself (Mark 12:29-31; cf. Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Leviticus 19:18). In these two commandments, Jesus reveals the enduring purpose and fulfillment of the Ten Commandments.

Faith in Action

Choose one of the Ten Commandments and intentionally live it with greater purpose each day this week. Begin and end each day with prayer, asking God to help you grow in love for Him and for your neighbor.

Based on a longer article, The Ten Commandments: A Document of Divine Guidance, by Rev. George Mastrantonis, found on goarch.org (https://bit.ly/4ikvFtl) 

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