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July 14, 2013 sunday of the holy fathers The Commemoration of the Holy Fathers of the First Six Ecumenical Councils. In the Ninth Article of the Nicea-Constantinople Symbol of Faith proclaimed by the holy Fa- thers of the First and Second Ecumenical Councils, we confess our faith in “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.” By virtue of the catholic nature of the Church, an is the Church’s supreme authority, and possesses the competence to resolve major questions of church life. An Ecumenical Council is comprised of archpastors and pastors of the Church, and representatives of all the local Churches, from every land of the “oikumene” (i.e. from all the whole inhabited world). The Orthodox Church acknowledges Seven Holy Ecumenical Councils: The First Ecumenical Council (Nicea I) (May 29, and also on seventh Sunday after Pascha) was convened in the year 325 against the heresy of Arius, in the city of Nicea in Bithynia under StCon- stantine the Great, Equal of the Apostles. The Second Ecumenical Council (Constantinople I) (May 22) was convened in the year 381 against the heresy of Macedonias, by the emperor Theodosius the Great. The Third Ecumenical Council () (September 9) was convened in the year 431 against the heresy of Nestorius, in the city of Ephesus by the emperor Theodosius the Younger. The Fourth Ecumenical Council (Chalcedon) (July 16) was convened in the year 451, against the Monophysite heresy, in the city of Chalcedon under the emperor Marcian. The Fifth Ecumenical Council (Constnatinople II) (July 25) “Concerning the Three Chapters,” was convened in the year 553, under the emperor Justinian the Great. The Sixth Ecumenical Council (Constantinople III) (January 23) met during the years 680- 681, to fight the Monothelite heresy, under the emperor Constantine Pogonatos. The fact that the Seventh Ecumenical Council (Nicea II) is not commemorated today testifies to the antiquity of today’s celebration. The Seventh Council, commemorated on the Sunday near- est to October 11, was convened at Nicea in the year 787 against the Iconoclast heresy, under the emperor Constantine and his mother Irene.

1510 audubon drive • columbia, missouri, 65201 • tel. 573.817.0050 / fax 573.449.8452 email: [email protected] • web: www.saintlukecolumbia.org at the small we sing Ἀπολυτίκιον. Ἦχος β. . Mode 2. τε κατῆλθες πρὸς τὸν θάνα‐ τον, ἡ Ζωὴ ἡ hen You descended unto death, O Lord who Ὅἀθάνατος, τότε τὸν ᾅδην ἐνέκρωσας τῇ Wyourself are immortal Life, then did You mor- ἀστραπῇ τῆς Θεότητος· ὅτε δὲ καὶ τοὺς τεθνεῶτας tify Hades by the lightning flash of Your Divinity. ἐκ τῶν καταχθονίων ἀνέστησας, πᾶσαι αἱ δυνάμεις Also when You raised the dead from the netherworld, τῶν ἐπουρανίων ἐκραύγαζον· Ζωοδότα Χριστὲ ὁ all the Powers of the heavens were crying out: O Giv- Θεὸς ἡμῶν δόξα σοι. er of life, our God, glory be to You.

Ἀπολυτίκιον του ναου. πλ. α´. Apolytikion for the Church. Mode 5. ουκάν τον πανύμνητον καὶ ἅγιον ἀπόστολον, he holy Apostle, the All-hymned Luke, * who is Λτὸν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας γνωστὸν συνθέτην Tacknowledged by the Church of Christ * as the τῶν Πράξεων τῶν Ἀποστόλων, τόν τε σεμνὸν recorder of the , * and the splen- τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου Χριστοῦ ὑπομνηματιστήν, did author of the of Christ. * Let us praise ἀξίως τιμήσωμεν ὕμνοις ὁσίοις, ὡς νοσημάτων with sacred hymns as a physician, * who heals the in- ἀνθρωπίνων καὶ φυσικῶν ἀσθενειῶν θεραπευτήν, firmities of man, * and the ailments of nature, * who τὸν καθαίροντα πληγὰς τοῦ πνεύματος, καὶ cleanses spiritual wounds, and prays unceasingly for ἀδιαλείπτως πρεσβεύοντα ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν. our souls.

Κοντάκιον. Ἦχος β´. . Mode 2. ροστασία τῶν Χριστιανῶν καταίσχυντε, με- Protection of Christians that cannot be put to Πσιτεία πρὸς τὸν Ποιητὴν μετάθετε, μὴ παρί- O shame, mediation unto the creator most con- δῃς ἁμαρτωλῶν δεήσεων φωνάς, λλὰ πρόφθασον, stant: O despise not the voices of those who have ὡς γαθή, εἰς τὴν βοήθειαν ἡμῶν, τῶν πιστῶς κραυ- sinned; but be quick, O good one, to come unto our γαζόντων σοι. Τάχυνον εἰς πρεσβείαν, καὶ σπεῦσον aid, who in faith cry unto you: Hasten to intercession εἰς ἱκεσίαν, ἡ προστατεύουσα εί, Θεοτόκε, τῶν τι- and speed to make supplication, O you who ever pro- μώντων σε. tects, O , those that honor you. THE READINGS OF THE DAY reading gospel reading The letter of paul to Matthew 6:22-33 :8-15 ITUS, my son, the saying is sure. I de- he Lord said, “The eye is the lamp of sire you to insist on these things, so that the body. So, if your eye is sound, your those who have believed in God may whole body will be full of light; but if Tbe careful to apply themselves to good deeds; Tyour eye is not sound, your whole body will these are excellent and profitable to men. But be full of darkness. If then the light in you is avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dis- darkness, how great is the darkness! No one sensions, and quarrels over the law, for they are can serve two masters; for either he will hate unprofitable and futile. As for a man who is the one and love the other, or he will be de- factious, after admonishing him once or twice, voted to the one and despise the other. You have nothing more to do with him, knowing cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore that such a person is perverted and sinful; he I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, is self-condemned. When I send or what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor Tychicos to you, do your best to come to me about your body, what you shall put on. Is not at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the life more than food, and the body more than winter there. Do your best to speed Zenas the clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they nei- lawyer and on their way; see that they ther sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet lack nothing. And let our people learn to apply your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not themselves to good deeds, so as to help cases of of more value than they? And which of you by urgent need, and not to be unfruitful. All who being anxious can add one cubit to his span of are with me send greeting to you. Greet those life? And why are you anxious about clothing? who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; Amen. they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear? For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” announcements upcoming church services: ORTHROS WILL NOT BE CELEBRATED ON July 21. will begin on 10am on July 21.

fr. CHristmas in july Fr. Michael will be away from July 10 - 30. In the Support the Voluntary Action Center’s 22nd An- event of a pastoral emergency, please contact St. nual Christmas in July picnic by purchasing a Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, St. Louis, MO, $10 raffle ticket. This event provides a Christmas (314) 361-6924. themed picnic for low-income families. Funds raised help the VAC to provide basic needs and remember the church emergency services to Boone County’s low-in- Remember that the Church needs your finan- come citizens. See Karen Sade or Donna Hoffman cial assistance even when you are traveling. To as- by July 21 to purchase a ticket. sis the Church’s needs, please send your periodic stewardship gift to the Church before you leave town. give a month towards our future A little over one year ago we purchased land for our future growth. As we did last year, we would like to offer families and individuals the opportunity to There was in the Cells an old man help offset our additional mortgage payment with a donation of $640. If you would like to sponsor called Apollo. If someone came one month for 2013, please contact Fr. Michael. to find him about doing a piece Thus far we have received committments for 4 of of work, he would set out joyfully, “saying, ‘I am going to work with 12 months. As always, your geneorsity is a blessing to our community! Christ today, for the salvation of warm up columbia - donations needed my soul, for that is the reward he gives. St. Luke’s Philoptochos will be collecting new or —sayings of the gently used coats, blankets, winter hats, and gloves for low income families, the elderly and disabled individuals in Columbia through August 18th. This is an anual event sponsored by the Voluntary ” Action Center. All items should be laundered prior to donation. synaxarion The Church venerates the Holy Fathers of A brief summary of the dogmatic theology the Ecumenical Councils because Christ has of the First Six Ecumenical Councils is formu- established them as “lights upon the earth,” lated and contained in the First Canon of the guiding us to the true Faith. “Adorned with the Council of Trullo (also known as Quinisext), robe of truth,” the doctrine of the Fathers, based held in the year 692. The 318 Holy Fathers of upon the preaching of the Apostles, has estab- the First Ecumenical Council are spoken of in lished one faith for the Church. The Ecumeni- this Canon I of Trullo as having: “with una- cal Councils, are the highest authority in the nimity of faith revealed and declared to us the Church. Such Councils, guided by the grace of consubstantiality of the three Persons of the the Holy Spirit, and accepted by the Church, are Divine nature and, ... instructing the faithful to infallible. adore the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with one The Orthodox Church’s conciliar defini- worship, they cast down and dispelled the false tions of dogma have the highest authority, and teaching about different degrees of Divinity.” such definitions always begin with the Apostol- The 150 Holy Fathers of the Second Ecu- ic formula: “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit menical Council left their mark on the theology and to us...” (: 28). of the Church concerning the Holy Spirit, “re- The Ecumenical Councils were always pudiating the teaching of Macedonius, as one convened for a specific reason: to combat false who wished to divide the inseparable Unity, so opinions and heresies, and to clarify the Or- that there might be no perfect mystery of our thodox Church’s teaching. But the Holy Spirit hope.” has thus seen fit, that the dogmas, the truths The 200 God-bearing Fathers of the Third of faith, immutable in their content and scope, Ecumenical Council expounded the teaching constantly and consequently are revealed by that “Christ, the Incarnate Son of God is One.” the conciliar mind of the Church, and are given They also confessed that “she who bore Him precision by the holy Fathers within theological without seed was the spotless Ever-, glo- concepts and terms in exactly such measure as rifying her as truly the Mother of God. is needed by the Church itself for its The 630 Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecu- of salvation. The Church, in expounding its menical Council decreed that “the One Christ, dogmas, is dealing with the concerns of a given the Son of God... must be glorified in two na- historical moment, “not revealing everything in tures.” haste and thoughtlessly, nor indeed, ultimately The 165 God-bearing Holy Fathers of the hiding something” (St Gregory the Theolo- Fifth Ecumenical Council “in synod anathema- gian). tized and repudiated Theodore of Mopsuestia (the teacher of Nestorius), and Origen, and Didymus, and Evagrius, renovators of the Hel- admit the aforementioned pious dogmas, and lenic teaching about the transmigration of souls does not teach or preach accordingly, let him be and the transmutation of bodies and the impi- anathema” (Canon I of the Council of Trullo). eties they raised against the resurrection of the In addition to their dogmatic definitions, dead.” the Holy Fathers of the Ecumenical Councils The 170 Holy Fathers of the Sixth Ecumen- exerted great efforts towards the strengthening ical Council “taught that we ought to confess of church discipline. Local Councils promul- two natural volitions, or two wills [trans. note: gated their disciplinary canons according to the one divine, and the other human], and two nat- circumstances of the time and place, frequently ural operations (energies) in Him Who was in- differing among themselves in various particu- carnate for our salvation, Christ, our true lars. God.” The universal unity of the Orthodox In decisive moments of Church history, the Church required unity also in canonical prac- holy Ecumenical Councils promulgated their tice, i.e. a conciliar deliberation and affirmation dogmatic definitions, as trustworthy delimi- of the most important canonical norms by the tations in the spiritual battle for the purity of Fathers of the Ecumenical Councils. Thus, ac- , which will last until such time, as cording to conciliar judgment, the Church has “all shall come into the unity of faith, and of the accepted: 20 Canons from the First, 7 Canons knowledge of the Son of God” (Eph. 4: 13). In from the Second, 8 Canons from the Third, and the struggle with new heresies, the Church does 30 Canons from the Fourth Ecumenical Synods. not abandon its former dogmatic concepts nor The Fifth and the Sixth Councils concerned replace them with some sort of new formula- themselves only with resolving dogmatic ques- tions. The dogmatic formulae of the Holy Ecu- tions, and did not leave behind any disciplinary menical Councils need never be superseded, canons. they remain always contemporary to the living The need to establish in codified form the Tradition of the Church. Therefore the Church customary practices during the years 451-680, proclaims: and ultimately to compile a canonical codex “The faith of all in the Church of God hath for the Orthodox Church, occasioned the con- been glorified by men, which were luminaries in vening of a special Council, which was wholly the world, cleaving to the Word of Life, so that devoted to the general application of churchly it be observed firmly, and that it dwell unshak- rules. This was convened in the year 692. The ably until the end of the ages, conjointly with Council “in the Imperial Palace” or “Under their God-bestown writings and dogmas. We the Arches” (in Greek “en trullo”), came to be reject and we anathematize all whom they have called the Council in Trullo. It is also called the rejected and anathematized, as being enemies “Quinisext” [meaning the “fifth and sixth”], be- of Truth. And if anyone does not cleave to nor cause it is considered to have completed the ac- tivities of the Fifth and Sixth Councils, or rather of Rome with his wife Priscilla (they are com- that it was simply a direct continuation of the memorated on February 13 on the Greek Calen- Sixth Ecumenical Council itself, separated by dar). During the reign of the emperor Claudius just a few years. (41-54) all the Jews were banished from Rome, The Council in Trullo, with its 102 Canons so St Aquilla and his wife were compelled to (more than of all the Ecumenical Synods com- leave. They settled in Corinth. A short while bined), had a tremendous significance in the later, the holy Apostle Paul arrived there from history of the canonical theology of the Ortho- Athens preaching the Gospel. Having made the dox Church. It might be said that the Fathers of acquaintance of Aquila, he began to live at his this Council produced a complete compilation house and labored together with him, making of the basic codex from the relevant sources for tents. the Orthodox Church’s canons. Listing through Having received Baptism from the Apostle in chronological order, and having been ac- Paul, Aquila and Priscilla bacame his devoted cepted by the Church the Canons of the Holy and zealous disciples. They accompanied the Apostles, and the Canons of the Holy Ecumeni- apostle to Ephesus. The Apostle Paul instructed cal and the Local Councils and of the holy Fa- them to continue the preaching of the Gospel thers, the Trullo Council declared: “Let no one at Ephesus, and he himself went to Jerusalem, be permitted to alter or to annul the aforemen- in order to be present for the feast of . tioned canons, nor in place of these put forth, or At Ephesus, Aquila and Priscilla heard the bold to accept others, made of spurious inscription” preaching of a newcomer from Alexandria, the (2nd Canon of the Council in Trullo). Jew Apollos. He had been instructed in the fun- Church canons, sanctified by the authority damentals of the Faith, but knew only the bap- of the first Six Ecumenical Councils (includ- tism of John the Forerunner. They called him ing the rules of the Seventh Ecumenical Coun- over and explained more precisely about the cil in 787, and the Constantinople Councils way of the Lord. of 861 and 879, which were added later under After the death of the emperor Claudius, the holy Photius), form the basis of Jews were permitted to return to Italy, and Aq- THE RUDDER, or KORMCHAYA KNIGA (a uila and Priscilla then returned to Rome. The canon law codex known as “Syntagma” or “No- Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romans recalls mokanon” in 14 titles). In its repository of grace his faithful disciples, “Greet Priscilla and Aqui- is expressed a canonical norm, a connection to la, my coworkers in Christ Jesus, who put forth every era, and a guide for all the local Orthodox their heads for my soul, whom I do not alone Churches in churchly practice. thank, but also all the Church of the Gentiles Aquila, Apostle of the 70: It is pos- and the church of their household” (Rom. 16: sible that he was a of the Apostle Paul, 3-4). St Aquila did not long dwell in Rome: the a native of Pontus and a Jew, living in the city Apostle Paul made him a bishop in Asia. St Aq- uila zealously labored at preaching the Gospel in Stephen sent them in turn to the Makhra mon- Asia, Achaia and Heraklia. He converted pagans astery. Having returned to his monastery, St Ste- to Christ, he confirmed newly-converted Chris- phen ordered life in it according to a cenobitic tians in the faith, he established presbyters and Rule. destroyed idols. St Priscilla constantly assisted When St Sergius of Radonezh moved form him in the apostolic work. St Aquila ended his his monastery, in order to find a place for his as- life a martyr: pagans murdered him. According cetic deeds, St Stephen then received him, and to the Tradition of the Church, St Priscilla was gave the great ascetic Sergius his own disciple killed together with him. Simon, who knew the surrounding area quite of Makhra (Makhrishche) well. St Sergius settled together with Simon was a native of Kiev. He accepted monasticism on the island of Kirzhach, where he founded a at the monastery of the Caves, where he spent monastery. several years in deeds of obedience and prayer. St Stephen was strict with himself and in- The oppressions of the Latins compelled him to dulgent towards others. He worked for the mon- journey on to Moscow, where Great Prince Ivan astery the hardest of all, he zealously guided the II (1353-1359) graciously received him, per- brethren to the ways of salvation with gentle mitting him to settle in the locale of Makhra not and quiet talks, and he worevery old and coarse far from Gorodisch, 35 versts from the Sergeev clothing. monastery. The monk lived to extreme old age, became Having built himself a cell and spending his a schemamonk and died in 1406 on July 14. In life at ascetic labors, and esteeming silence, he 1550 during the construction of a new stone did not accept those wishing to join him. But church in the name of the Holy , his holy then he yielded to the requests, and in this way, relics were found to be incorrupt. They were in 1358 he founded a monastery, in which he glorified by blessings of help in various sick- was established as igumen. nesses and misfortunes for all who called on the Living near his monastery were the Yurkov name of the saint. brothers. Fearing that the land which they ruled might be given over to the monastery, they threatened to kill the holy ascetic. The admoni- tions of the monk did not help. St Stephen then moved to a different place. Sixty versts north of Vologda, at the River Avnezha, he founded with his disciple Gregory a monastery in the name of the Holy Trinity. Great Prince Demetrius Io- annovich sent books and other liturgical items to the Avnezhsk wilderness, but