SAINT LUKE the EVANGELIST GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH June 12, 2016
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SAINT LUKE THE EVANGELIST GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH june 12, 2016 the sunday of the fathers of the first ec. council On the seventh Sunday of Pascha, we commemorate the holy God-bearing Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council. The Commemoration of the First Ecumenical Council has been celebrated by the Church of Christ from ancient times. The Lord Jesus Christ left the Church a great promise, “I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mt. 16:18). Although the Church of Christ on earth will pass through difficult struggles with the Enemy of salvation, it will emerge victorious. The holy martyrs bore witness to the truth of the Savior’s words, endur- ing suffering and death for confessing Christ, but the persecutor’s sword is shattered by the Cross of Christ. Persecution of Christians ceased during the fourth century, but heresies arose within the Church itself. One of the most pernicious of these heresies was Arianism. Arius, a priest of Alexandria, was a man of immense pride and ambi- tion. In denying the divine nature of Jesus Christ and His equality with God the Father, Arius falsely taught that the Savior is not consubstantial with the Father, but is only a created being. A local Council, convened with Patriarch Alexander of Alexandria presiding, condemned the false teachings of Arius. However, Arius would not submit to the authority of the Church. He wrote to many bishops, denouncing the decrees of the local Council. He spread his false teaching throughout the East, receiving support from certain Eastern bishops. Investigating these dissentions, the holy emperor Constantine (May 21) consulted Bishop Hosius of Cordova (Aug. 27), who assured him that the heresy of Arius was directed against the most fundamental dogma of Christ’s Church, and so he decided to convene an Ecumenical Council. In 325, 318 bishops representing Christian Churches from various lands gathered together at Nicea. Among the assembled bishops were many confessors who had suffered during the persecutions, and who bore the marks of torture upon their bodies. Also participating in the Council were several great luminaries of the Church: St Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia (December 6 and May 9), St Spyridon, Bishop of Tremithos (December 12), and others venerated by the Church as holy Fathers. With Patriarch Alexander of Alexandria came his deacon, Athanasius (who later became Patriarch of Alexandria (May 2 and January 18). He is called “the Great,” for he was a zealous champion for the purity of Orthodoxy. In the Sixth Ode of the Canon for today’s Feast, he is referred to as “the thirteenth Apostle.” The emperor Constantine presided over the sessions of the Council. In his speech, responding to the welcome by Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea, he said, “God has helped me cast down the impious might of the persecutors, but more distressful for me than any blood spilled in battle is for a soldier, is the internal strife in the Church of God, for it is more ruinous.” 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 απολυτικιον της εορτησ. Ἦχος δ´. apolytikion of the feast. Mode 4. νελήφθης ἐν δόξῃ, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, χα‐ ou ascended in glory, O Christ our God, after You Ἀροποιήσας τοὺς Μαθητάς, τῇ ἐπαγγελίᾳ τοῦ Yfilled the Disciples with joy, by promising to send ἁγίου Πνεύματος, βεβαιωθέντων αὐτῶν διὰ τῆς them the Holy Spirit, and You blessed them and estab- εὐλογίας, ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ λυτρωτὴς τοῦ lished their faith, that You are the Son of God, the Re- κόσμου. deemer of the world. αναστασιμον. Ἦχος πλ. β.´. resurrectional. Mode pl. 2. γγελικαὶ Δυνάμεις ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμά σου, καὶ οἱ hen the angelic powers appeared at Your grave, the Ἀφυλάσσοντες ἀπενεκρώθησαν· καὶ ἵστατο Wsoldiers guarding it feared and became as dead. Μαρία ἐν τῷ τάφῳ, ζητοῦσα τὸ ἄχραντόν σου Σῶμα· And standing by the sepulcher was Mary who was seek- ἐσκύλευσας τὸν Ἅδην, μὴ πειρασθεὶς ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ· ing Your immaculate body. You devastated Hades, not ὑπήντησας τῇ Παρθένῳ, δωρούμενος τὴν ζωήν. Ὁ afflicted by it. You went to meet the virgin, and granted ἀναστὰς ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, Κύριε δόξα σοι. eternal life. You resurrected from the dead. O Lord, glo- ry to You. απολυτικιον της εορτησ. Ἦχος δ´. apolytikion of the feast. Mode 4. Ἀνελήφθης ἐν δόξῃ… You ascended in glory… απολυτικιον των πατερων. Ἦχος πλ. δ´. apolytikion of the fathers. Mode pl. 4. περδεδοξασμένος εἶ, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ upremely blessed are You, O Christ our God. You es- Ὑφωστῆρας ἐπὶ γῆς τοὺς Πατέρας ἡμῶν θεμε‐ Stablished the holy Fathers upon the earth as beacons, λιώσας, καὶ δι᾽ αὐτῶν πρὸς τὴν ἀληθινὴν πίστιν, and through them You have guided us all to the true πάντας ἡμᾶς ὁδηγήσας· πολυεύσπλαγ‐ χνε, δόξα σοι. Faith, greatly merciful One, glory be to You. Ἀπολυτίκιον toy naoy. Ἦχος πλ. a´. Apolytikion of the Church. Mode pl. 1. ουκάν τον πανύμνητον καὶ ἅγιον ἀπόστολον, τὸν he holy Apostle, the All-hymned Luke, * who is ac- Λτῆς Ἐκκλησίας γνωστὸν συνθέτην τῶν Πράξεων Tknowledged by the Church of Christ * as the recorder τῶν Ἀποστόλων, τόν τε σεμνὸν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου of the Acts of the Apostles, * and the splendid author of Χριστοῦ ὑπομνηματιστήν, ἀξίως τιμήσωμεν ὕμνοις the Gospel of Christ. * Let us praise with sacred hymns ὁσίοις, ὡς νοσημάτων ἀνθρωπίνων καὶ φυσικῶν as a physician, * who heals the infirmities of man, * and ἀσθενειῶν θεραπευτήν, τὸν καθαίροντα πληγὰς τοῦ the ailments of nature, * who cleanses spiritual wounds, πνεύματος, καὶ ἀδιαλείπτως πρεσβεύοντα ὑπὲρ τῶν and prays unceasingly for our souls. ψυχῶν ἡμῶν. Κοντάκιον. Ἦχος πλ. β´. Kontakion. Mode pl. 2. ὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πληρώσας οἰκονομίαν, καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ hen you had fulfilled the dispensation for our Τγῆς ἑνώσας τοῖς οὐρανίοις, ἀνελήφθης ἐν δόξῃ, Wsake, and united things on earth with the things Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, οὐδαμόθεν χωρι ζόμενος, ἀλλὰ in heaven, You were taken up thither in glory, O Christ μένων ἀδιάστατος, καὶ βοῶν τοῖς ἀγαπῶσί σε· Ἐγώ our God, going not away from any place, but continuing εἰμι μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν, καὶ οὐδεὶς καθ᾽ ὑμῶν. inseparable, and to them that love You crying out, “I am with you, and there is, therefore, none against you.” THE READINGS OF THE DAY epistle reading gospel reading Acts of the Apostles 20:16-18, 28-36 John 17:1-13 IN THOSE DAYS, Paul had determined to sail t that time, Jesus, lifting up his eyes to heav- past Ephesus in order not to spend time in Asia en, said: “Father, the time has come! Glorify Ibecause he was in a hurry: if possible, he wanted Ayour Son, so that your Son may also glorify to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. From you, even as you gave him authority over all flesh, Miletus, Paul sent a message to Ephesus and called to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. to himself the presbyters of the Church. When they This is eternal life: that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you have sent, Je- arrived, he told them, “Keep watch over yourselves sus Christ. I have glorified you on the earth! I have and over the flock among which the Holy Spirit has accomplished the work which you have given me made you overseers! Be shepherds of the Church to do! Now, Father, glorify me with yourself with of the Lord and of God, which he has purchased the glory I had with you before the world existed. I with his own blood. For I know this, that after my have revealed your Name to the people whom you departure, vicious wolves will enter in among you have given me out of the world. They were yours, and they will not spare the flock. From among your and you have given them to me; they have kept own group, men will arise who will speak perverse your word. Now they have known that all things things in order to draw away the disciples after you have given me are from you. The words you them. Therefore, keep watch! Remember that for have given me, I have given to them. They have re- a period of three years, I did not cease night and ceived them and they have known for certain that day to warn everyone with tears. Now, brethren, I I came forth from you, and they have believed that entrust you to God, and to the word of his grace you sent me. I pray for them; I do not pray for the which is able to build [you] up and to give you the world, but for those whom you have given me, for inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I they are yours. All things that are mine are yours, covet- ed no one’s silver, or gold, or clothing. You and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. I am yourselves know that these, [my] hands, served my no longer in the world, but these are [still] in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep needs and those who were with me. In all things, I them through your Name which you have given have given you an example, that by this kind of hard me, so that they may be one, even as we are one. work you should support the weak and remember While I was with them in the world, I protected the word of the Lord Jesus, as he himself said, ‘It them in your Name.