SAINT LUKE the EVANGELIST GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH June 8, 2014
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SAINT LUKE THE EVANGELIST GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH June 8, 2014 HOLY PENTECOST In the Church’s annual liturgical cycle, Pentecost is “the last and great day.” It is the celebration by the Church of the coming of the Holy Spirit as the end - the achievement and fulfillment - of the entire history of salvation. For the same reason, however, it is also the celebration of the beginning: it is the “birthday” of the Church as the presence among us of the Holy Spirit, of the new life in Christ, of grace, knowledge, adoption to God and holiness. This double meaning and double joy is revealed to us, first of all, in the very name of the feast. Pentecost in Greek means fifty, and in the sacred biblical symbolism of numbers, the number fifty symbolizes both the fulness of time and that which is beyond time: the Kingdom of God itself. It symbolizes the fulness of time by its first component: 49, which is the fulness of seven (7 x 7): the number of time. And, it symbolizes that which is beyond time by its second component: 49 + 1, this one being the new day, the “day without evening” of God’s eternal Kingdom. With the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Christ’s disciples, the time of salvation, the Divine work of redemption has been completed, the fulness revealed, all gifts bestowed: it belongs to us now to “appropriate” these gifts, to be that which we have become in Christ: participants and citizens of His Kingdom. The Holy Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates suffered for Christ in Heraklea on February 8, 319. At the time of his sufferings the holy Great Martyr Theodore ordered his servant Varus to bury his body on the es- tate of his parents in Euchaita. The transfer of the relics of the Great Martyr Theodore took place on June 8, 319. On this day we also recall a miracle of the icon of the Great Martyr Theodore in a church dedicated to him at a place called Karsat, near Damascus. A group of Saracens had turned this church into their residence. There was a fresco on the wall depicting Theodore. One of the Saracens shot an arrow into the icon of the Great Martyr. From the saint’s face, where the arrow had stuck into the wall, blood flowed before the eyes of everyone. A short while later, the Saracens who had settled in the church killed each other. Accounts of this miracle are given by the Anastasius of Mt. Sinai (April 20) and John of Damascus (December 4). 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 sing first antiphon. Apolytikion of the feast. Mode 8. Verse: The heavens declare the glory of God: the fir- lessed are You, O Christ our God. You made the mament proclaims the work of his hands. Bfishermen all-wise, by sending down upon them By the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save the Holy Spirit, and so through them You drew the us. world into Your net. O Lover of mankind, glory to You. Verse: Day to day utters the word: and night to night Verse: You have given him his heart’s desire: you proclaims knowledge have not denied him the request of his lips. Ταῖς πρεσβείαις τῆς Θεοτόκου, Σῶτερ, σῶσον ἡμᾶς. Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ πανσόφους Verse: There is no speech or language: where their τοὺς ἁλιεῖς ἀναδείξας, καταπέμψας αὐτοῖς τὸ Πνεῦμα voices are not heard. τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ δι’ αὐτῶν τὴν οἰκουμένην σαγηνεύσας, By the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save φιλάνθρωπε, δόξα σοι. us. Verse: For you came to meet him with blessings of Verse: Their sound has gone out into all the earth: goodness: and placed a crown of precious stones upon his and their words to the ends of the world. head. Ταῖς πρεσβείαις τῆς Θεοτόκου, Σῶτερ, σῶσον ἡμᾶς. Blessed are You, O Christ our God… Verse: Glory...Both now... Verse: He asked you for life: and you gave him length By the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save of days for ever and ever. us. Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν… second antiphon. Entrance…then… Verse: The Lord hear you in the day of trouble: the Blessed are You, O Christ our God… name of the God of Jacob shield you. Save us, O good Comforter, we sing to you alleluia. Kontakion. Mode 8. Verse: May he send you help from the sanctuary: hen the Most High God came down and con- and support you out of Sion. Wfused the tongues,* He divided the nations.* Save us, O good Comforter, we sing to you alleluia. When He distributed the tongues of fire,* He called all to unity.* And with one voice we glorify the all-holy Verse: May he remember your every sacrifice: and Spirit. accept your burnt offering. Κοντάκιον. Ἦχος πλ. δ´. Save us, O good Comforter, we sing to you alleluia. τε καταβὰς τὰς γλώσσας συνέχεε, διεμέριζεν ἔθνη ὁ Verse: Glory…Both now… ὍὝψιστος, ὅτε τοῦ πυρὸς τὰς γλώσσας διένειμεν, εἰς Ὁ Μονογενής Υἱός. ἑνότητα πάντας ἐκάλεσε, καὶ συμφώνως δοξάζομεν τὸ third antiphon. πανάγιον Πνεῦμα. Verse: The king will rejoice in your strength, O Lord: instead of trisagion… he will exult exceedingly in your salvation. All those who have been baptized… communion hymn Your good Spirit shall guide me in the land of upright- ness. Alleluia… THE READINGS OF THE DAY epistle reading gospel reading The Acts of the Apostles Acts 2:1-11 john 7:37-52; 8:12 hen the day of Pentecost had come, they n the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus were all together in one place. And sud- stood up and proclaimed, “If any one thirst, Wdenly a sound came from heaven like the Olet him come to me and drink. He who be- rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house lieves in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his where they were sitting. And there appeared to heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on said about the Spirit, which those who believed in each one of them. And they were all filled with the him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were When they heard these words, some of the peo- dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every ple said, “This is really the prophet.” Others said, nation under heaven. And at this sound the mul- “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to titude came together, and they were bewildered, come from Galilee? Has not the scripture said that because each one heard them speaking in his own the Christ is descended from David, and comes language. And they were amazed and wondered, from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” So saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galile- there was a division among the people over him. ans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid own native language? Parthians and Medes and hands on him. Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and The officers then went back to the chief priest Cappadocia, Pontos and Asia, Phrygia and Pam- and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you phylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to not bring him?” The officers answered, “No man Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and ever spoke like this man!” The Pharisees answered proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them them, “Are you led astray, you also? Have any of telling in our own tongues the mighty works of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? God.” But this crowd, who do not know the law, are ac- cursed.” Nikodemos, who had gone to him before, Therefore, after you have kept the and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing festival of Pentecost, keep one week and learning what he does?” They replied, “Are you more festival, and after that fast; from Galilee too? Search and you will see that no for it is reasonable to rejoice for the prophet is to rise from Galilee.” Again Jesus spoke “gift of God, and to fast after that to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he relaxation… who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will —from the apostolic have the light of life.” constitutions” announcements Saturday, January 25, Great Vespers, 5pm RECEIVED INTO THE CATECHUMENATE: Matthew and Eva Yeager upcoming church services: Monday, June 9, Monday of the Holy Spirit, Divine Liturgy, 8:30am Wednesday, June 11, St. Luke the Blessed Surgeon of Simferopol, Orthros / Div. Liturgy, 8:30am Saturday, June 14, Great Vespers, 5pm THERE IS NO FASTING THIS WEEK. church attire pilgrimage to the holy land There is no allowance for Church “summer- Brochures and registration forms are available wear.” An Orthodox Christian should always dress in the Narthex. $350 deposits are due by 6/16. for Church in modest attire (in every season), so as not to draw attention to him/herself, becoming blessings in a backpack a distraction to others.