sign in sign up
<<
Home , Acts 15, Joseph the Hymnographer, Luke the Evangelist

SAINT GREEK ORTHODOX june 11, 2017

THE SUNDAY OF all he Sunday following is dedicated to All Saints, both those who are known to us, and those who are Tknown only to God. There have been saints at all times, and they have come from every corner of the earth. They were Apostles, , Prophets, Hierarchs, Monastics, and Righteous, yet all were perfected by the same Holy Spirit. The Descent of the Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to rise above our fallen state and to attain sainthood, thereby fulfilling God’s directive to “be holy, for I am holy” (Lev. 11:44, 1 Peter 1:16, etc.). Therefore, it is fitting to commemorate All Saints on the first Sunday after Pentecost. This feast may have originated at an early date, perhaps as a celebration of all martyrs, then it was broadened to include all men and women who had borne witness to by their virtuous lives, even if they did not shed their blood for Him. St Peter of Damascus, in his “Fourth Stage of Contemplation,” mentions five categories of saints: Apostles, Mar- tyrs, Prophets, Hierarchs, and Monastic Saints (PHILOKALIA [in English] Vol. 3, p.131). He is actually quoting from the , Tone 2 for Saturday Matins, after the first stichology. St of the Holy Mountain (July 14) adds the Righteous to St Peter’s five categories. The list of St Nicodemus is found in his book THE FOURTEEN OF ST PAUL (Venice, 1819, p. 384) in his discus- sion of I Corinthians 12:28. The hymnology for the feast of All Saints also lists six categories: “Rejoice, assembly of the Apostles, Prophets of the Lord, loyal choirs of the Martyrs, divine Hierarchs, Monastic Fathers, and the Righteous....” Some of the saints are described as Confessors, a category which does not appear in the above lists. Since they are similar in spirit to the martyrs, they are regarded as belonging to the category of Martyrs. They were not put to death as the Martyrs were, but they boldly confessed Christ and came close to being executed for their faith. St (January 21) is such a . The order of these six types of saints seems to be based on their importance to the Church. The Apostles are listed first, because they were the first to spread the throughout the world. The Martyrs come next because of their example of courage in professing their faith before the enemies and persecutors of the Church, which en- couraged other to remain faithful to Christ even unto death. Although they come first chronologically, the Prophets are listed after the Apostles and Martyrs. This is because the Old Testament Prophets saw only the shadows of things to come, whereas the Apostles and Martyrs experienced them firsthand. The also takes precedence over the Old Testament. The holy Hierarchs comprise the fourth category. They are the leaders of their flocks, teaching them by their word and their example.

1510 audubon drive • columbia, missouri, 65201 • tel. 573.817.0050 / fax 573.449.8452 email: [email protected] • web: www.saintlukecolumbia.org at the small entrance we chant

Ἀπολυτίκιον. Ἦχος πλ. δ. apolytikion. Mode 8. ξ ὕψους κατῆλθες ὁ εὔσπλαγχνος, ταφὴν κατα- ou descended from on high, O compassionate Ἐδέξω τριήμερον, ἵνα ἡμᾶς ἐλευθερώσῃς τῶν πα- YOne, and condescended to be buried for three θῶν· ἡ ζωὴ καὶ ἡ ἀνάστασις ἡμῶν, Κύριε δόξα σοι. days, so that from the passions You might set us free. Our life and resurrection, O Lord, glory be to You. Ἀπολυτίκιον των αγιων. ηχος δ´. Apolytikion for the saints. Mode 4. ῶν ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ Μαρτύρων σου, ὡς πορ- our Church is arrayed in the holy blood of Your Τφύραν καὶ βύσσον τὰ αἵματα, ἡ Ἐκκλησία σου YMartyrs who witnessed throughout the world, as στολισαμένη, δι’ αὐτῶν βοᾷ σοι, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, τῷ though in purple and fine linen. Through them she λαῷ σου τοὺς οἰκτιρμούς σου κατάπεμψον, εἰρήνην cries to You, Christ our God, Send down to Your peo- τῇ πολιτείᾳ σου δώρησαι, καὶ ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν τὸ ple Your tender love, grant peace from above to Your μέγα ἔλεος. commonwealth, and to our souls Your great mercy.᾽ Ἀπολυτίκιον του ναου. πλ. α´. Apolytikion for the Church. Mode 5. ουκάν τον πανύμνητον καὶ ἅγιον ἀπόστο- he holy Apostle, the All-hymned Luke, * who is Λλον, τὸν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας γνωστὸν συνθέτην Tacknowledged by the Church of Christ * as the re- τῶν Πράξεων τῶν Ἀποστόλων, τόν τε σεμνὸν τοῦ corder of the , * and the splendid Εὐαγγελίου Χριστοῦ ὑπομνηματιστήν, ἀξίως τιμή- author of the Gospel of Christ. * Let us praise with sa- σωμεν ὕμνοις ὁσίοις, ὡς νοσημάτων ἀνθρωπίνων cred hymns as a physician, * who heals the infirmities καὶ φυσικῶν ἀσθενειῶν θεραπευτήν, τὸν καθαίρο- of man, * and the ailments of nature, * who cleanses ντα πληγὰς τοῦ πνεύματος, καὶ ἀδιαλείπτως πρε- spiritual wounds, and prays unceasingly for our souls. σβεύοντα ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν. Κοντάκιον. Ἦχος ΠΛ δ´. . Mode 8. ς ἀπαρχὰς τῆς φύσεως, τῷ φυτουργῷ τῆς Planter of creation, Lord, to You does the entire Ὡκτίσεως, ἡ οἰκουμένη προσφέρει σοι Κύριε, O world bring as an offering the God‐bearing τοὺς θεοφόρους Μάρτυρας, ταῖς αὐτῶν ἱκεσί- Saints, as being nature’s first fruits. At their earnest αις, ἐν εἰρήνῃ βαθείᾳ, τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν σου, διὰ entreaty, keep Your Church in a state of pro‐ foundest τῆς Θεοτόκου συντήρησον, πολυέλεε. peace, through the , O Lord abundantly merciful. THE READINGS OF THE DAY

reading gospel reading The letter of paul to the Matthew 10:32-33; 37-38; 19:27-30 Hebrews 11:33-40; 12:1-2

rethren, all the saints through faith over- he Lord said to his disciples: “Whoever con- powered kingdoms, administered justice, fesses me before men I will also confess before Bobtained promises, stopped the mouths of Tmy Father who is in heaven. But whoever de- lions,quenched the power of fire,escaped the edge nies me in front of others I will also deny before of the sword,became strong in weakness, grew my Father who is in heaven. Whoever loves father mighty in war and caused foreign armies to flee. or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and Women received their dead by resurrection. Oth- whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not ers were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, worthy of me. Whoever does not take his cross and that they might obtain a better resurrection. Oth- follow after me is not worthy of me.” Then Peter ers were tried by mocking and scourging, yes, by said, “Behold, we have left everything and followed chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they you. What then will we have?” said to them, were sawn apart, they were tempted and they were “Amen, I tell you that you who have followed me, at slain with the sword. They went around in sheep the regeneration, when the Son of Man will sit on and goat skins, being destitute, afflicted, and ill- the throne of his glory, you also will sit on twelve treated. And yet the world was not worthy of them! thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Every- They wandered in deserts, mountains, caves, and one who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, the holes of the earth. All of them received a testi- mother, wife, children, or lands for my Name’s sake mony through their faith but they did not receive will receive a hundred times [more] and will inher- the promise because God had made provision for it eternal life. But many who are first will be last, us to have something better, and they were not to and many who are last will be first!” reach apart from us. And so, seeing that we are surrounded by such a great a cloud of wit- In its nature, repentance has two sides nesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin to it, both of which are beneficial dur- which so easily entangles us. Let us run with endur- ing the course of our life. The first is ance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on contrition over the mistakes we’ve Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. “made, and the second is correction of the misguided acts through which we’ve transgressed. —Elder of Vatopaidi” announcements Saturday, January 25, Great Vespers, 5pm

upcoming church services: Wednesday, June 14, Great Vespers, 5pm Thursday, June 15, St. Augustine, Divine Liturgy, 9am Saturday, June 17, Great Vespers, 5pm

apostle’s fast as not to draw attention to him/herself, becoming The Apostle’s Fast begins tomorrow. a distraction to others. Traditionally women wear dresses or skirts of at least knee length; dresses, golF tournament blouses / tops should, at minimum, include short Thank you to all who helped with the Golf Tourna- sleeves and cover the shoulder. Women should ment fund raiser. not wear lipstick or lip gloss to Church - it leaves garage sale a residue on the and on the Thank you to all who donated and volunteered to spoon. Men should dress in pants and polo or but- help with the Garage Sale.! ton-down shirts. Shorts should never be worn in Church. Additionally, tight-fitting clothing is not bookstore appropriate for women or men. Visit the Bookstore for your summer reading! give a month towards our future coffee hour Help offset our additional mortgage payment with Are you celebrating a birthday, name day or an- a donation of $640. If you would like to sponsor niversary? Please consider signing up for Coffee one month for 2017, please contact Fr. . Hour to honor your loved ones. Celebrations are not provided by the parish, but are at the discretion ride sharing and delight of each family. Please let Fr Michael know if you are willing to of- altar server robe donations fer a ride on Sundays. We are requesting donations to cover the costs of Purple barrel replacing our Altar Server robes. Thus far we have Don’t forget the the purple barrel next time you are collected $2250 of the $3000 necessary to pur- at the grocery store. Donations are picked up by chase 20 robes. If you would like to make a dona- the local food bank. Thank you! tion, please see Fr. Michael church attire There is no allowance for Church “summer- wear.” An Orthodox Christian should always dress for Church in modest attire (in every season), so The Monastic Saints are those who withdrew from Theologian, and together they set off to . In the this world to live in monasteries, or in seclusion. They city of Hieropolis by the power of their prayers they did not do this out of hatred for the world, but in or- destroyed an enormous viper, which the pagans wor- der to devote themselves to unceasing prayer, and to shipped as a god. The holy Apostles Bartholomew and do battle against the power of the demons. Although Philip with his sister confirmed their preaching with some people erroneously believe that and nuns many miracles. are useless and unproductive, St had a At Hieropolis there lived a man by the name of high regard for them: “ are a light for monks, and Stachys, who had been blind for 40 years. When he the monastic life is a light for all men” (LADDER, Step received healing, he then believed in Christ and was 26:31). baptized. News of this spread throughout the city, and The last category, the Righteous, are those who at- a multitude of the people thronged to the house where tained holiness of life while living “in the world.” Ex- the apostles were staying. The sick and those beset by amples include and his wife Sarah, , Sts demons were released from their infirmities, and many Joachim and Anna, St Joseph the Betrothed, St Juliana were baptized. The city prefect gave orders to arrest the of Lazarevo, and others. preachers and throw them in prison, and to burn down The feast of All Saints achieved great prominence in the house of Stachys. At the trial pagan priests came the ninth century, in the reign of the Byzantine Emper- forth with the complaint that the strangers were turn- or Leo VI the Wise (886-911). His wife, the Holy Em- ing people away from the worship of the ancestral gods. press Theophano (December 16) lived in the world, Thinking that perhaps some sort of magic power but was not attached to worldly things. She was a great was hidden away in the clothes of the apostles, the benefactor to the poor, and was generous to the mon- prefect gave orders to strip them. But Saint Mariamne asteries. She was a true mother to her subjects, caring became like a fiery torch before their eyes, and none for widows and orphans, and consoling the sorrowful. dared touch her. They sentenced the saints to death. Even before the death of St. Theophano in 893 or The Apostle Philip was crucified upside down. Sud- 894, her husband started to build a church, intending denly there was an earthquake, and a fissure in the to dedicate it to Theophano, but she forbade him to do earth swallowed up the prefect of the city, together so. It was this emperor who decreed that the Sunday with the pagan priests and many of the people. Oth- after Pentecost be dedicated to All Saints. Believing ers took fright and rushed to take down the apostles that his wife was one of the righteous, he knew that she from the crosses. Since the Apostle Bartholomew had would also be honored whenever the Feast of All Saints not been suspended very high, they soon managed to was celebrated. take him down. The Apostle Philip, however, had died. The Holy Apostle Bartholomew was born at Cana of After making Stachys Bishop of Hieropolis, the Apos- and was one of the Twelve Apostles of Christ. tle Bartholomew and Saint Mariamne left the city and After the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pen- moved on. tecost, it fell by lot to the holy Apostles Bartholomew Preaching the Word of God, Mariamne arrived in and Philip (November 14) to preach the Gospel in Syr- Lykaonia, where she peacefully died (February 17). ia and Minor. In their preaching they wandered The Apostle Bartholomew went to India, where he through various cities, and then met up again. Accom- translated the Gospel of Matthew into their language, panying the holy Apostle Philip was his sister, the holy and he converted many pagans to Christ. He also vis- Saint Mariamnne. ited Greater Armenia (the country between the River Traversing the cities of and Myzia, they un- Kura and the upper stretches of the Tigrus and Eu- derwent much hardship and tribulations, they were phrates Rivers), where he worked many miracles and stoned and they were locked up in prison. In one of healed the daughter of King Polymios from the de- the villages they met up with the Apostle John the mons afflicting her. In gratitude, the king sent gifts to the apostle, who refused to accept them, saying that he Feast day of the Apostle Bartholomew, but also the sought only the salvation of the souls of mankind. Feast days of many other saints, composing about 300 Then Polymios together with his wife, daughter, canons in all. Saints , Cyril of Alex- and many of those close to them accepted Baptism. andria, Epiphanius of and certain other teach- And people from more than ten cities of Greater Ar- ers of the Church regard the Apostle Bartholomew as menia followed their example. But through the in- being the same person as Nathanael (:45-51, trigues of the pagan priests, the Apostle Bartholomew 21:2). was seized by the king’s brother Astiagus in the city Holy Apostle of the Seventy was born of Alban (now the city of Baku), and crucified upside on the island of Cyprus into the family of the tribe of down. But even from the cross he did not cease to pro- Levi, and he was named Joseph. He received his educa- claim the good news about Christ the Savior. Finally, tion at , being raised with his friend and fel- on orders from Astiagus, they flayed the skin from the low student Saul (the future Apostle Paul) under the Apostle Bartholomew and cut off his head. Believers renowned teacher of the Law, . Joseph was placed his in a leaden coffin and buried him. pious, he frequented the Temple, he strictly observed In about the year 508 the holy relics of the Apostle the fasts and avoided youthful distractions. During Bartholomew were transferred to Mesopotamia, to the this time period our Lord Jesus Christ began His pub- city of Dara. When the Persians seized the city in 574, lic ministry. Seeing the Lord and hearing His Divine Christians took the relics of the Apostle Bartholomew Words, Joseph believed in Him as the Messiah. Filled with them when they fled to the shores of the Black with ardent love for the Savior, he followed Him. The Sea. But since the enemy overtook them there, they Lord chose him to be one of His Seventy Apostles. were compelled to leave the coffin behind, and the pa- The other Apostles called him Barnabas, which means gans threw it into the sea. By the power of God the cof- “son of consolation.” After the Ascension of the Lord fin miraculously arrived on the island of Lipari. In the to Heaven, Barnabas sold land belonging to him near ninth century, after the taking of the island by the Ar- Jerusalem and he brought the money to the feet of the abs, the holy relics were transferred to the Neapolitan Apostles, leaving nothing for himself (:36-37). city of Beneventum in , and in the tenth century When Saul arrived in Jerusalem after his conversion part of the relics were transferred to . and sought to join the followers of Christ, everyone The holy Apostle Bartholomew is mentioned in the there was afraid of him since he had persecuted the Life of the Hymnographer (April 4). Hav- Church only a short while before. Barnabas, however, ing received from a certain man part of the relics of the came with him to the Apostles and reported how the Apostle Bartholomew, Saint Joseph conveyed them to Lord had appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus his own monastery near , and he built a (:26-28). church in the name of the Apostle Bartholomew, plac- Saint Barnabas went to to encourage the ing in it a portion of the relics. Saint Joseph ardently de- believers, “Having come and having seen the grace of sired to compose hymns of praise in honor of the saint, God, he rejoiced and he urged all to cleave to the Lord and he fervently besought God to grant him the ability with sincerity of heart” (:23). Then he went to do so. to Tarsus, and brought the Apostle Paul to Antioch, On the Feast day in memory of the Apostle Bar- where for about a year they taught the people. It was tholomew, Saint Joseph saw him at the altar. He beck- here that the disciples first began to be called Chris- oned to Joseph and took the holy Gospel from the al- tians (Acts 11:26). With the onset of famine, and tak- tar table and pressed it to his bosom with the words, ing along generous alms, Paul and Barnabas returned “May the Lord bless you, and may your song delight to Jerusalem. When King Herod killed Saint James the the whole world.” And from that time Saint Joseph be- son of , and had the Apostle Peter put under gan to write hymns and canons to adorn not only the guard in prison to please the Jews, Saints Barnabas and Paul and Peter were led out of the prison by an of preached at Antioch, and after a certain while they the Lord. decided to visit the other cities where they had visited They hid out at the house of Barnabas’ aunt Maria. earlier. Saint Barnabas wanted to take Mark along with Later, when the persecution had quieted down, they him, but Saint Paul did not want to, since earlier he returned to Antioch, taking with them Maria’s son had left them. A quarrel arose, and they separated. Paul John, surnamed Mark. Under the inspiration of the took with him and went to Syria and , while Holy Spirit, the prophets and teachers there imposed Barnabas took Mark with him to Cyprus (:36- hands upon Barnabas and Paul, and sent them off to 41). do the work to which the Lord had called them (Acts Having multiplied the number of believers, Saint 13:2-3). Arriving in , they sailed off to Cyprus Barnabas traveled to Rome, where he was perhaps the and in the city of Salamis they preached the Word of first to preach Christ. God in the Jewish synagogues. Saint Barnabas founded the episcopal see at Me- On they came across a sorcerer and false diolanum (now Milan), and upon his return to Cyprus prophet named Bar-Jesus, who was close with the pro- he continued to preach about Christ the Savior. Then consul Sergius. Wishing to hear the Word of God, the the enraged Jews incited the pagans against Barnabas, proconsul invited the saints to come to him. The sor- and they led him out beyond the city and stoned him, cerer attempted to sway the proconsul from the Faith, and then built a fire to burn the body. Later on, hav- but the Apostle Paul denounced the sorcerer, who ing come upon this spot, Mark took up the unharmed through his words suddenly fell blind. The proconsul body of Saint Barnabas and buried it in a cave, placing believed in Christ (:6-12). upon the saint’s bosom, in accord with his final wishes, From Paphos Barnabas and Paul set sail for Per- the Gospel of Matthew which he had copied in his own gamum of , and then they preached to the hand. Jews and the at Pisidian Antioch and through- Saint Barnabas died in about the year 62, at age out all that region. The Jews rioted and expelled Paul seventy-six. In time, the burial spot was forgotten, but and Barnabas. The saints arrived in Iconium, but learn- numerous signs took place at this spot. In the year 448, ing that the Jews wanted to stone them, they withdrew during the time of the emperor Zeno, Saint Barnabas to and Derben. There the Apostle Paul healed appeared three times in a dream to Archbishop Anthi- a man, crippled in the legs from birth. The people mus of Cyprus and indicated the place where his rel- assumed them to be the gods Zeus and Hermes and ics were buried. Starting to dig at the indicated spot, wanted to offer them sacrifice. The saints just barely Christians found the incorrupt body of the saint, and persuaded them not to do this (:8-18). upon his chest was the Holy Gospel. When the question arose whether those converted It was during this time that the Church of Cy- from the Gentiles should accept circumcision, Barn- prus began to be regarded as Apostolic in origin, and abas and Paul went to Jerusalem. There they were received the right of choosing its head. Thus Saint warmly received by the Apostles and elders. The Barnabas defended Cyprus against the pretensions of preachers related “what God had wrought with them the opponent of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, the and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gen- heretic surnamed Knapheios, who had usurped the pa- tiles” (Acts 14:27). triarchal throne at Antioch and tried to gain dominion After long deliberations the Apostles collectively re- over the Church of Cyprus. solved not to impose any sort of burden upon The “It is Truly Meet” of the Mother of God is Christians except what was necessary: to refrain from in the high place of the altar of the cathedral church of the pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from the Karyes monastery on Mount Athos. things strangled, and from blood (Acts 15:19-20). Let- One Saturday night an Elder went to Karyes for ters were sent with Barnabas and Paul, and they again the all-night Vigil. He left, instructing his to remain behind and read the service in their cell. As Saint Barnabas of Vetluga was born in Great Usti- it grew dark, the disciple heard a knock on the door. ug. Before going off into the wilderness he was a priest When he opened the door, he saw an unknown in one of the city churches. In 1417 the monk settled who called himself , and he invited him to come at one of the banks of the River Vetluga at Red Hill, in. They stood before the icon of the Mother of God where he labored in solitude for 28 years, “toiling for and read the service together with reverence and com- God in psalmody and prayer, he subsisted on grass and punction. acorns.” In the words of the author of his Life, there During the Ninth Ode of the , the disciple came also to Saint Barnabas “wild animals, and many began to sing “My soul magnifies the Lord...” with the bears lived near his cell. He, however, walked among Irmos of Saint Cosmas the Hymnographer (October them, as though among , watching after them and 14), “More honorable than the Cherubim....” delighting with them; rejoicing in the great God that The stranger sang the next verse, “For He has re- these beasts had become tame for him.” garded the low estate of His handmaiden....” Then he There was not a single human habitation in the area chanted something the disciple had never heard be- of Red Hill as far off as 50 versts. Occasionally wilder- fore, “It is truly meet to bless Thee, O Theotokos, ever- ness people would visit “for a blessing,” and he would blessed and most pure, and the Mother of our God...” predict to them that after his repose on the banks of the Then he continued with, “More honorable than the River Vetluga “God would multiply the human habita- Cherubim....” tion, and upon the place of his dwelling monks would While the hymn was being sung, the icon of the live.” Theotokos shone with a heavenly light. The disciple According to Tradition, in 1439, before he settled at was moved by the new version of the familiar hymn, the River Unzha, Saint Macarius (July 25) came there and asked his guest to write the words down for him. for instruction and guidance. Saint Barnabas died in When the stranger asked for paper and ink, the disciple old age on June 11, 1445. After the death of the ascetic, said that they did not have any. at the place of his efforts many monks came to dwell The stranger took a roof tile and wrote the words “from various lands” and “after them farmers” and of the hymn on its surface with his finger. The dis- “many people did spread all along this river all the way ciple knew then that this was no ordinary monk, but to the great River Volga.” At Red Hill the monks built the Gabriel. The angel said, “Sing in this two churches, one in honor of the Most Holy Trinity, manner, and all the Orthodox as well.” Then he disap- and the other, over the grave of the monk, dedicated peared, and the icon of the Mother of God continued to the Wonderworker. They founded a to radiate light for some time afterward. cenobitic monastery, which received as its name “the The Eleousa Icon of the Mother of God, before Varnavinsk wilderness-monastery.” The Life of Saint which the hymn “It Is Truly Meet” was first sung, was Barnabas was written in 1639 by a monk of the Var- transferred to the katholikon at Karyes. The tile, with navinsk monastery, “the most venerable Jo- the hymn written on it by the Archangel Gabriel, was seph (Dyadkin), who later, in the imperial city of Mos- taken to Constantinople when Saint Nicholas Chryso- cow, was in charge of the directory of book printing.” berges (December 16) was . For the authentication and verification of the miracles, Numerous copies of the “It Is Truly Meet” Icon are which occurred at the grave of the monk, in that same revered in Russian churches. At the Galerna Harbor of year of 1639 there was an uncovering of the holy relics Peterburg a church with five cupolas was built in honor under the direction of Patriarch Joasaph. of the Merciful Mother of God, and into it they put a With the passing of time at the place of the Var- grace-bearing copy of the “It Is Truly Meet” icon sent navinsk monastery there arose the district town Var- from Athos. navin, and the chief church of the monastery became the cathedral church dedicated to the Holy Apostle Barnabas.