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Feasts and Commemorations for this Week Holy Cross Greek Orthodox

Address: 6134 Black Bill Rd., Flagstaff, AZ 86004 Mailing Address: PO Box 2164, Flagstaff, AZ 86003 Phone: (928) 225-3814 Web: www.holycrossflagstaff.org Wine / Oil Allowed Fish Allowed Strict Fast Cheese / Dairy Allowed Email: [email protected] Rev. Earl J. Cantos Prayer List: Phone: (928) 225-3814

Please keep the following intentions in your prayers this week: Services Schedule:  For Jay Howington’s continued progress towards full recovery and Orthros 9:00 AM Divine 10 AM for strength for the Howington family as they care for Jay. Bulletin for Sunday, January 27, 2019 Save the Dates! Fifteenth Sunday of Luke 2/2 Flagstaff Family Food Center 3:30p-6:00p Contact Mary Grove. Removal of the Relics of , of 2/3 Orthros 9:00a, Church School 9:15a, 10:00a (Church School Liturgy) Hymns of The Day 2/10 Orthros 9:00a, Church School 9:15a, Divine Liturgy 10:00a 2/17 Orthros 9:00a, Church School 9:15a, Divine Liturgy 10:00a Resurrectional in the Second Mode 2/24 Orthros 9:00a, Church School 9:15a, Divine Liturgy 10:00a When you descended to the realm of death You as life immortal rendered to Monthly Memorial Service Hades a mortal blow by Your all radiant divinity. And when You from infernal depths and the darkness below did raise the dead. All the hosts of heaven's Refer to e-mailed Parish Updates for additional events and details. powers did proclaim and cry out, O life giving Christ and our God we give glory.

Congratulations! Apolytikion for Relics of John Chrysostom in the Plagal Fourth Mode Congratulations to Darrell Padilla and Jerry Vasilatos who each re- Grace shining forth from thy mouth like a beacon hath illumined the universe, ceived a St. Basil coin in the Vasilopita cutting last week! The parish and disclosed to the world treasures of uncovetousness, and shown us the wishes many blessings for each of you and your families in this new heights of humility; but while instructing us by thy words, O Father John Chrys- ostom, intercede with the Word, Christ our God, to save our souls. year! Holy Cross Church Apolytikion in the First Mode Save, O Lord Your people, and bless Your inheritance; grant victory to the faithful against the adversaries of the Faith, and protect Your people by the power of Your Cross.

Congratulations also to Christine Chavez of Palm Springs, CA , who Seasonal in the First Mode won a $5 Starbucks e-gift card in our first “Find the hidden image” con- Your birth sanctified a Virgin's womb and properly blessed the hands of test to promote the HCGOC website www.holycrossflagstaff.org! Symeon. Having now come and saved us O Christ our God, give peace to Your commonwealth in troubled times and strengthen those in authority, whom You love, as only the loving One.

Epistle Reading and Feasts Commemorated Prokeimenon. Mode 1, Psalm 48.3,1 15th Sunday of Luke My mouth shall speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart shall bring forth understanding. Removal of the Relics of John Chrysostom, Verse: Hear this all you nations. Archbishop of Constantinople This event took place on this day in the year 438, when Theodosius the Younger had Removal of the Relics of John Chrysostom, been Emperor for thirty years; he was the son Archbishop of Constantinople of Arcadius, and Eudoxia, who had exiled Saint The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 7:26-28; John. The Archbishop of Constantinople at that time was Proclus, who had been the Saint's 8:1-2 disciple (see Nov. 13 and Nov. 20).

Demetrios the of Constantinople Brethren, it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, Demetrios was about twenty-five years old when he blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heav- achieved a degree of prominence in the city of Constantinople as a busi- ens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first ness entrepreneur of no small talent, as a result of which he found him- for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did this once for all self looked upon with favor as proprietor of one of the best hotels and when he offered up himself. Indeed, the law appoints men in their weak- taverns in the entire country. He catered to some of the country’s most famous figures as well as to visiting dignitaries from other lands and was ness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the considered not only an eminently successful man but one of the prized law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect for ever. Now the point eligible bachelors of the land. With all this he never allowed himself to in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is relax his concern for the Church and was a deeply religious follower of seated at the right hand of the of the Majesty in heaven, a minis- Jesus Christ. Competitive businesses soon sprang up in emulation of ter in the sanctuary and the true tent which is set up not by man but by his success, but all of them, which were mostly organized by Turks, were doomed to failure, and Demetrios prospered more than ever in spite of them. As his prosperity in- the Lord. creased and his competition lessened, there set in an envy among the failures that grew more ominous as time passed. There was a particular group of truculent young Turks who banded together in a common hatred for the handsome Demetrios and plot- Gospel Reading ted his downfall.

15th Sunday of Luke As fate would have it, there was a scuffle among just such a gang of malevolent Turks The Reading is from Luke 19:1-10 outside the hotel operated by Demetrios. Demetrios went into the street to quell the disturbance. In the melee one of the young hoodlums stabbed another, whereupon the finger of suspicion was pointed at the hated Christian, and he was ultimately charged At that time, Jesus was passing through Jericho. And there was a man with the murder. The rights of a Greek in those days were practically nonexistent, and named Zacchaios; he was a chief collector, and rich. And he sought to despite his innocence Demetrios was hauled before a tribunal. Demetrios served as see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he his own counsel, calling on witnesses at the scene whose credibility was dismissed in the face of the perjured testimony of his enemies, each of whom swore it was the hand was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a syca- of the Greek that wielded the death blade. No amount of eloquence of the innocent more tree to see him, for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus man, nor the overwhelming evidence of the fraudulent aspects of the whole sordid af- came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaios, make fair, had any effect on the vizier who sat in judgment. haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it As much to serve their own vindictiveness as to embarrass Demetrios, a compromise was offered by the vizier, who proposed that in exchange for what they considered the they all murmured, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a proper gesture, the charges would be dropped. It was suggested that he disavow Jesus sinner." And Zacchaios stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the Christ and embrace Islam openly, an act for which he would be completely exonerated. half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of It was anticipated that no man in the eighteenth century would give up his life for Christ, anything, I restore it fourfold." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation especially in a Muslim country where he could be allowed to continue his prosperous has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son way of life. To the everlasting credit of the gallant young Demetrios, he scorned the proposal, choosing to die for Christ. He was executed in Constantinople on January 27, of man came to seek and to save the lost." 1785. Peter the Righteous of