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Sunday After the Week of June 13th 2021 , June 13th 2021 for This Week’s Sunday of the Holy Fathers Service Schedule Special Tuesday, June 15 “Save us, O Son of God, Paraclesis to the who were taken up in glory to heaven from us. Mother of God______5:30pm We sing to You, .” , June 19 Hymn for the Ascension Feast Saturday of the Souls / “You ascended in glory, O our God, Service / Matins______8am after You filled the Disciples with joy, Divine Liturgy______9am by promising to send them the , Great Vespers______5pm and You blessed them and established their faith, that You are the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world.” Sunday, June 20 Holy Resurrection Hymn (Plagal 2nd Tone) Orthros / Matins______8:15am “When the angelic powers appeared at your tomb Divine Liturgy______9:30am and those who guarded You became as though dead, Kneeling Service immediately and standing by Your sepulchre was Mary following the Divine seeking Your pure and sacred body. For You did vanquish Hades and uncorrupted by its touch You came unto the woman, Memorial Service bestowing the of life O You who rose from the dead. Lord we give glory to You.” This morning we offer the Hymn for the Holy Fathers Memorial Service for the , Louwers. his “Supremely blessed are You, O Christ our God. You established the holy Fathers upon the earth as beacons, memory be eternal and through them You have guided us all to the true Faith, O greatly merciful One, glory be to You.” Hymn for our Patron Peter & Paul “O Leaders of the Apostles, and teachers of the world, intercede with the Master of all that He may grant peace unto the world, and to our souls His great mercy.” for the Ascension Feast “When You had fulfilled the dispensation for our sake, and united things on earth with the things in heaven, You were taken up thither in glory, O Christ our God, going not away from any place, but continuing inseparable, and to them that love You crying out: I am with you, and there is, therefore, none against you.” Scripture Readings : Acts 20: 16-18, 28-36 – : John 17:1-13

In place of “We have seen…,” We sing, “You ascended in glory…” 1 Sts. Peter & Paul, Greek Orthodox Sunday After the Feast of the Ascension 20:16-18, 28-36 IN THOSE DAYS, Paul had decided to sail past alert, remembering that for three years I did not Ephesos, so that he might not have to spend time cease night or day to admonish every one with in Asia; for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if tears. And now I commend you to God and to the possible, on the day of Pentecost. And from Miletos word of his grace, which is able to build you up he sent to Ephesos and called to him the elders of and to give you the inheritance among all those the church. And when they came to him, he said to who are sanctified. I coveted no one’s silver or gold them: “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, ministered to my necessities, and to those who to care for the church of God which he obtained were with me. In all things I have shown you that with the blood of his own Son. I know that after my by so toiling one help the weak, remembering departure fierce wolves will come in among you, the words of the Lord , how he said, ‘it is more not sparing the flock; and from among your own blessed to give than to receive.’ “ And when he had selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be all. According to John 17:1-13 At that time, Jesus lifted up his the words which you gave me, eyes to heaven and said, “, and they have received them and the has come; glorify your know in truth that I came from Son that the Son may glorify you, you; and they have believed that since you have given him power you did send me. I am praying over all flesh, to give eternal life for them; I am not praying for the to all whom you have given him. world but for those whom you And this is eternal life, that they have given me, for they are mine; know you the only true God, all mine are yours, and yours and Jesus Christ whom you have are mine, and I am glorified in sent. I glorified you on earth, them. And now I am no more having accomplished the work in the world, but they are in the which you gave me to do; and world, and I am coming to you. now, Father, you glorify me in Holy Father, keep them in your your own presence with the glory name, which you have given me, which I had with you before the that they may be one, even as we world was made. are one. While I was with them, “I have manifested your name to the men whom I kept them in your name, which you have given you gave me out of the world; yours they were, me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost and you gave them to me, and they have kept your but the son of perdition, that the scripture might word. Now they know that everything that you be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you; and these have given me is from you; for I have given them things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.”

Petra News, Week of June 13th, 2021 2 Feast of the Ascension The Feast of the Ascension disciples to the Mount of our Lord God and Savior of Olives. Here, He Jesus Christ is celebrated commissioned them to be each year on the fortieth day His witnesses “in Jerusalem, after the Great and Holy Feast and in all Judea and Samaria, of Pascha (). Since the and to the end of the earth” date of Pascha changes each (Acts 1:8). It is also at this year, the date of the Feast of time that the disciples were the Ascension changes. The directed by Christ to “go Feast is always celebrated on and make disciples of all a . nations, baptizing them in The Feast itself commemorates the name of the Father and when, on the fortieth day the Son and the Holy Spirit” after His Resurrection, Jesus (Matthew 28:19). Jesus also led His disciples to the Mount told them that He would of Olives, and after be with them always, “even them and asking them to to the end of the world” wait for the fulfillment of (Matthew 28:20). the promise of the Holy Spirit, He ascended into As the disciples watched, Jesus lifted up His hands, heaven. blessed them, and then was taken up out of their The story of the Ascension of our Lord, celebrated sight (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9). Two appeared as one of the Twelve Great Feasts of the Church, to them and asked them why they were gazing into is found in the book of the Acts of the Apostles heaven. Then one of the angels said, “This same 1:3-11. It is also mentioned in the of Mark Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, (16:19) and Luke (24:50-53). The moment of the shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him Ascension is told in one sentence: “He was lifted going into heaven” (Acts 1:11). up before their eyes in a cloud which took Him The of The Ascension of Our Lord is a joyous from their sight” (Acts 1:9). icon. It is painted with bright colors. Christ is Christ made His last appearance on earth, forty shown ascending in His glory in a mandorla A days after His Resurrection from the dead. The mandorla is a design which is almond-shaped or Acts of the Apostles states that the disciples were round. Inside the mandorla is the figure of a holy in Jerusalem. Jesus appeared before them and person. Christ blesses the assembly with His right commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, hand. In His left is a scroll. The scroll is a symbol of but to wait for the “Promise of the Father”. He teaching. This icon shows that the Lord in heaven stated, “You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit is the source of blessing. In addition, Jesus is the not many days from now” (Acts 1:5). source of knowledge. The icon reminds us that Christ continues to be the source of the teaching After Jesus gave these instructions, He led the and message of the Church, blessing and guiding

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3 Petra News, Week of June 13th, 2021 Sunday of the Fathers of the 1st

Council of Nicaea in 325, depicted in a Byzantine fresco in the Basilica of St. Nicholas in modern Demre, .

The seventh Sunday after the Feast of Holy Pascha the Emperor , equal to is observed by the Orthodox Church as the Sunday the Apostles, summoned the First Ecumenical of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council. This Council in Nicaea, a city of Bithynia. It was in this day commemorates the 318 God-bearing Fathers place that the of the Church gathered in who gathered in Nicaea in 325 at the request of the 325. All of them, with one mouth and one voice, Emperor, Constantine the Great, to address declared that the Son and Word of God is one in the heresy of together with other issues essence with the Father, true God of true God. The that concerned the unity of the Church. Fathers composed the holy symbol of Faith, the Arius was a protopresbyter of the Church of Nicene : , and in 315, he began to blaspheme “We believe in one God. The Father Almighty. against the Son of God saying that He was not Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible the true God, consubstantial with the Father, but and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the rather a work or creation of God and different Son of God, the only begotten, begotten of the from the essence and glory of the Father. He also Father before all ages. Light of Light; true God of taught that the Son of God had a beginning. These true God; begotten not made; of one essence with teachings shook the faithful at Alexandria. The the Father, by whom all things were made; who of Alexandria, Alexander, attempted to for us men and for our came down from correct Arius through admonitions, cut him off heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and from , and finally deposed him in the Virgin Mary, and became man. And He was 321 through a local council. Arius continued with crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, his heretical teachings, creating controversy and and was buried. And the third day He rose again division in the churches of other cities, which led according to the Scriptures; and ascended into to a theological and ecclesiastical crisis throughout heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; and the Christian Church. he shall come again with glory to judge the living Moved with divine zeal and concern for unity, and the dead; whose Kingdom shall have no end.”

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Petra News, Week of June 13th, 2021 4 Continued from page 3. Continued from previous page. those to whom He has entrusted his work. The Fathers also anathematized Arius for his The occupies a very special place in this heretical beliefs and teachings, cutting him off icon. She is in the center of the icon, immediately from the Church. below the ascending Christ. The gesture of her Recognizing the divine Fathers of the First hands is gesture of . She is clearly outlined Ecumenical Council as heralds of the Faith after by the whiteness of the garments of the angels. the divine Apostles, the Church of Christ has The Theotokos is depicted in a very calm pose. appointed this present Sunday for their annual This is quite different from the appearance of , in thanksgiving and unto the the Disciples. They are moving about, talking to glory of God, unto their praise and honor, and one another and looking and pointing towards unto the strengthening of the true Faith. heaven. The entire group, the Theotokos and the The icon of the Sunday of the Fathers of the First disciples represent the Church. Ecumenical Council depicts Saint Constantine The icon of the Ascension includes some who did together with the God-bearing Fathers and Saints not witness the Ascension. St. Paul is shown to the of the Church who attended the Council and left of the Theotokos, but we know that he was not affirmed the unity of the Faith through the Nicene present at the Ascension. At that time, St. Paul did Creed. The Fathers are shown holding the text of not yet believe in Jesus. But he became a Christian the Creed, also referred to as the Symbol of Faith. and one of the greatest Apostles and missionaries of Church. The icon expresses the sovereignty of Christ over His Church; He is its Head, its guide, its source of inspiration and teaching; it receives its commission and ministry from Him, and fulfills it in the power of the Holy Spirit.

END OF Covid-19 Restrictions for Worship & Fellowship Boulder County has lifted mandatory restrictions for Covid-19. We also have the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan . Our sister parishes in the Denver and Front Range area have also lifted their restrictions. What does this mean for our ? 1. Reservations are no longer required. 2. We may worship indoors and use the fellowship hall with no restrictions on the number of people. 3. Social Distancing is no longer required. 4. Mask-use is still recommended for those who are un-vaccinated.

5 Petra News, Week of June 13th, 2021 News & Announcements Summer Parish Book Read Honoring our Graduates If you are new to our parish, or have not Today we honor the following graduates: picked up your book, please take one copy High school: Natalie Louwers, Sophie of ‘Come, Let us Worship,’ by Father Swiszcz, Richard Nicholas Jacky Patrick O’Grady. The book is a gift for you. Make it a spiritual goal to read a College: Amanda Alexandra Traxler, chapter a week during these summer months. This Constandina Brown, Dimitri Brown, is wonderful reading which explains the , Sarah Torrance (Phd) and how the faithful can best participate in the We will offer a special prayer for our of Holy . Copies of the book are located on the graduates at the end of service today. table behind the Bishops throne (south side). Congratulations Graduates! Celebrating our Patron Feast Day, Morning Study & Fellowship June 29th Bible Study will resume Our church family is preparing for our Parish Feast Day, in early August Sts Peter and Paul, celebrated on June 29th. This is a very special day for our parish. His Eminence Metropolitan There will be a special Bible Study Isaiah will be with us for the Divine Liturgy. Our sister focusing on the special readings and parishes will be joining us. We need help with preparations. celebrating the Feast of We are planning a very special lunch & reception. Please the Transfiguration of our Lord and the reach out to Father Jordan @ [email protected] Dormition of the Mother of God. If you are interested or have any questions, Youth Ministry: Summer Events please contact Father Jordan. July schedule: Sunday, July 11, Teen Pool Party & lunch, after church at the home of Fr Jordan & Presbytera Marika (middle & high school children & parents are invited) Saturday, July 31, Joy & Hope Pool Party & Lunch at the home of Fr Jordan & Presbytera Marika (pre k - 5th grade & parents are invited) Philoptochos 17th Annual Taste of Bookstore September 10-12, 2021 We are here for you! Philoptochos The ToO Planning Committee, along with the Parish would be happy to help you with your Council, has decided to hold a smaller scale in-person bookstore purchase on Sunday’s after event focusing on food, dancing, and community! Please Liturgy. Please see Lis Troicky or Julie mark your calendars for Sept 10-12 to help host the best Powers. event in Boulder County. Volunteer schedule coming Grocery Gift Cards soon via Flocknote. Contact Nicole Tsiouvaras, Nick Remember to purchase your grocery gift Karis or Nick Kallan to help. cards and old Chicago pizza Palz from Julie Powers on Sunday or contact her directly at [email protected].

Petra News, Week of June 13th, 2021 6 Saints Peter & Paul 5640 Jay Road, Boulder, CO 80301 303.581.1434 • stspeterandpaulboulder.org

Resurrection Service, 2021 About Our Parish We welcome visitors worshiping with us today. Reverend Father Jordan Brown Our diverse church family encompasses [email protected] many converts to the Orthodox Christian Parish Council Faith, as well as Greek, Arab, Romanian, Serbian and Russian Orthodox . Nick Kallan - President The foundation of the Orthodox Church Steven Dzilvelis - Vice President are the teachings and Holy Tradition of Brian Gregory - Treasurer Jesus Christ. We follow the first Christians Philip Haratsaris - Secretary who began to worship Jesus Christ after the Bateh and Resurrection. Oliver Huskey Kostas Pagratis Please introduce yourself to our priest and members of our George Saliba community. We also encourage you to join us for our fellowship after services in the parish hall and visit our bookstore. If you are Philoptochos interested in learning more about the Orthodox Christian faith, Presidents - Dana Gall and please visit with our priest, Fr. Jordan Brown. Sharon Dzilvelis Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church Treasurer - Julie Powers Holy Communion is reserved only Youth / Goya for baptized and/or chrismated Fr. Jordan Brown Orthodox Christians who have properly prepared by prayer, , Choir Director and . Presbytera Marika Brown The Orthodox Church understands Recurring Services the reception of Holy Communion Orthros - Sundays, 8:15am to be the highest expression of our Divine Liturgy - Sundays, 9:30am faith. Both Orthodox and non- Great - Saturdays, 5pm Orthodox alike are invited to receive Confession by appointment. the ‘antidoro’ (blessed bread ) at the end of the Divine Liturgy.