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The Bells 06:27:21

The Bells 06:27:21

Saint Mary’s Orthodox June 27th, 2021 The Bells of St. Mary’s

[email protected] | Father Nathaniel Choma | 1(330) 402-0352

Scripture Readings The Herald Epistle: Hebrews 11:33 - 12:2 uick reminder that the proposed date to Gospel: Matthew 10: 32-33, Q paint & seal the 37-38; 19: 27-30 boiler room is July 3rd at 11 Music AM. We’ll need as many hands as possible to make 1st Sunday after Pentecost short work of it. Please Sunday of All mark your calendar to help so that we can get our Hall Special Tone: Pages 240 - 242 back to normal sooner! Upcoming Services:

6/27: Divine Liturgy 10 AM A long-awaited Baptism ou all are invited to attend the baptism of Moxie 6/28: Begin Apostle’s Fast Y here at our parish on Saturday, July 24th at 1 PM. We will 7/3: Confessions 3 PM; Great have a meal together afterward, and if you would like to help in Vespers 4 PM any way, please contact Fr. Nathaniel frst!

7/4: Divine Liturgy 10 AM To add some recognition of the work of God in our lives, the baptism date was chosen almost by Euphemia herself! Based on 7/7: Divine Liturgy 9 AM her birthday, July 23rd is Euphemia’s 40th day. July 24th is the (Nativity of ); commemoration of St. Euphemia’s miracle at the Council of Moleben to St. Nectarios 6:30 . July 24th is also the commemoration of the Blessed PM; Spiritual Education 7 PM Olga, who Pani and Father prayed to every night of Pani’s 7/10: Confessions 3 PM; Great pregnancy. (Fr. Nathaniel also met the Blessed Olga’s daughter in Vespers 4 PM Alaska!) Lastly, July 24th is the anniversary of when Pani and Father began dating! 7/11: Divine Liturgy 10 AM Glory to God for all of His providence and direction in our lives! 7/12: Divine Liturgy 9 AM (Sts. Peter & Paul) We look forward to being able to share the event of Euphemia’s baptism with you all. If you have any questions or concerns 7/14: Spiritual Education 7 PM regarding the baptism, don’t hesitate to talk to Fr. Nathaniel right away! Thank you in advance!

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Commemorations this week: Large Hearts:

Small Hearts:

Eternal Lamp:

Christ Lamp:

Theotokos Lamp: Happy Birthday! St. Nicholas Lamp: Best wishes are extended to Ryan Scinto, Nick Magura, & Jack Hiller Dormition Lamp: on their birthdays this week! May God grant them many more! Prayer List Mnohija L’ita! Coffee Social Clergy & Family Gail Tony Olga Tifany Robbie A very special thanks to those Met Gregory Fr. Kenneth Jennifer who volunteered to put on our Pani Mary Michael Renay frst return to cofee socials this Fr. Michael Debbie Greg morning! May God bless the Fr. Edward Scott John work of their hands! Join us Fr. Michael Megan Marlene Zachary Christine outside and enjoy on another’s Fr. James Pani Kathy Ben Steven company this morning! Fr. James Joyce Herbert Fr. Andrew Mary Mary As a reminder, cofee socials Fr. Frank Jerry Ann don’t happen on their own! Until Pani Connie Janell Irene we get back to the standard Fr. Robert Eliana Michael schedule, we need volunteers to Pani Kathy Ann help out! Talk to Father Pani Betty Sem. Fr. Tony Sem. Dylan Nathaniel today about working Pani Dolores Sherrie Sem. Nicholas next week’s cofee social! Pani Nicole Karl Sem. Thomas Fr. Vincent Carolyn Sem. Aydin Pani Christyn Darcy Fr. Kenneth Paul David Fr. John Loreina Barbara Dn. Peter Gregory Melva Saundra Philip Laity Molly Larry Benjamin Evelyn Waleska Austin Amy Ron Chuck Judy Marie

2 Saint Mary’s Orthodox Church June 27th, 2021 A very important message he vote regarding the proposal for the name change of the Church is today after the Divine Liturgy. T Please stay and make sure that your vote is counted. Please know that we are intending no discussions regarding this vote, as everyone has had 4 weeks in which to voice concerns and questions.

The Board of Directors is proposing the following:

“The Parish of St. Mary’s acquire a DBA (doing - business - as) attachment to our parish name, to solve the issues that have come up in recent years regarding many Church accounts having diferent Parish names. If a DBA is unobtainable (based on the direction of our attorney), the proposal instead is to change the Parish name wholly to ‘St. Mary’s Orthodox Church’.”

This action must be taken, as we have seen the negative efects of not addressing the issue: no credit cards, land-sale contract problems, and now investment issues. Thank you all!

Saints of the Day Holy Prophet Elisha (Elisseus) (10th c. BC)

he and spiritual heir of the Prophet (July 20), his story can be found in II Kings. T Unlike most of the Old Testament prophets, he was granted the gift of working many miracles. He reposed in peace at a great age. The Fathers tell us that he was anointed by Elijah in the year 908 BC and reposed in peace at a great age in 839 BC. He was buried in Samaria. Even after his death, miracles of wonderworking were performed through his .

St Methodios, of (847)

e was born to wealthy parents in Syracuse of Sicily. He entered monastic life and in time became a H priest in the service of Patriarch Nikephoros. Because of his great and well-known zeal for the holy , he was cruelly persecuted by a succession of iconoclast emperors. Around 815, he was sent as an ambassador to Rome on behalf of the Patriarch, who had been exiled by the Emperor Leo the Armenian. When he returned to Constantinople upon Leo's death, he was immediately exiled and imprisoned by Leo's successor, Michael the Stutterer. Upon Michael's death he was freed for a short time, but soon the Emperor Theophilus had him exiled to an island where, says the Prologue, "he spent seven years in prison with two common robbers, in damp conditions, without light and without sufcient food, as if in a grave." When the pious Empress Theodora restored the Empire to , he was freed and elevated to Patriarch of Constantinople. On the Sunday of Orthodoxy, we commemorate the restoration of the Holy Icons by Theodora and Methodios. Despite many attacks by heretics while he was Patriarch, he served faithfully and reposed in peace.

St John Mavropos, Metropolitan of Euchaïta (1100)

e is best known for his part in the institution of the of Sts Basil the Great, Gregory the H Theologian and (see January 30). The appeared to him and revealed that all three are united and equally honored in heaven, thus dispelling a spirit of factionalism

3 Saint Mary’s Orthodox Church June 27th, 2021 that was disturbing Constantinople. He is the composer of the Canon to the Most Sweet and the Canon to the Guardian Angel, both found in many prayer books. He reposed in peace. Mavropos is a nickname meaning ‘Black-foot'.

You are meant to be a blessing! Yes, you! By: Fr. Powel Ouch! That hurt! It wouldn’t have hurt anymore if he’d actually hit me with his fsts. He had confronted me with the reality that my words had so ofended his friend that that friend didn’t want anything to do with God anymore. Oh No!

I was young and foolish (of course now I’m old and foolish, but, oh well), and I had tried to explain why a certain tragedy had happened to his family. I said that they had brought this tragedy on themselves because they weren’t “under God’s protection.” What a stupid thing to say to someone who is hurting!

To be sure, we do bring things on ourselves by our choices, but to suggest to this hurting family that God would have protected them but He chose not to since they weren’t on His “side” at the moment. I repent!

Look at our lesson today in Romans 2:14-28:

BRETHREN, when the Gentiles who have not the law do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conficting thoughts accuse or perhaps excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. But if you call yourself a Jew and rely upon the law and boast of your relation to God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed in the law, and if you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth – you then who teach others, will you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” Circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law; but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then those who are physically uncircumcised but keep the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For he is not a real Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical.

Paul tells these Romans that when any human, even a human not blessed with the wisdom of the truth given to God’s people, does what is right, he proves that God’s wisdom is in the hearts of men if they would only follow it.

Unfortunately, Paul was dealing with his own tribe of people who had, actually, had centuries of spiritual advantage in having the wisdom of God revealed to them through and the Prophets. To be sure,

4 Saint Mary’s Orthodox Church June 27th, 2021 God gave this treasure to the Jews precisely for the reason of having them share it with the world, be an example to the world of a society shaped by God’s wisdom, and be a blessing to the whole world through their sharing this wisdom with everyone.

But, instead, they allowed their treasure to become a source of spiritual pride and arrogance. They made what was meant for everyone, a badge of pride exclusively belonging to them and they allowed their shortsighted pride to turn them into something they were never meant to be! Paul plainly speaks to them in such a way that there is no doubt where they went wrong. They boast of having the revealed wisdom of God but then never keep it. However, those who didn’t have such a blessing prove the Jews have no reason for arrogant, ethnic pride because these gentiles are keeping the Law without having the benefts of the Law. Paul calls these faithful Gentiles “a law to themselves.”

Today, God loves the whole world. Every person, regardless of their skin color, national origins, their education, or their economic status, is valued beyond worth by God. You are blessed to BE a blessing! The only purpose for Him giving His wisdom to anyone, any tribe, any nation, is so that blessed people will share it, live it, and show it to everyone else by being Orthodox on Purpose.

P.S. Dear Lord, when Your life is my priority and living faithfully to You is my focus, my life becomes a blessing to all around me. And You made it to be this way because You love me and You love all around me. You want me to be like You and You are so selfess that everything You do is for others. You are complete within Yourself so You need nothing. And that means every word You say, every act You do, and every thought You think is for others. I am meant to be a blessing to others because You live in me. Help me to be that way! Amen.

A Little about St. Euphemia

Great- Euphemia the All-praised, of Chalcedon (304)

he was born in Chalcedon to noble Christian parents. When Priscus, the locul Proconsul, celebrated a S public sacrifce to Ares, forty-nine Christians including Euphemia hid themselves to avoid idolatry. Their absence was noticed, and they were found and brought before Priscus. After torturing all of them for eleven days, on the twelfth day he singled out Euphemia because of her beauty and began to fatter her, hoping in this way to draw her away from the Faith. When his eforts proved useless, he ordered her to be more savagely tortured than any of her fellow believers. She was miraculously preserved intact through many , fnally giving her soul into God's hands when she was thrown to wild beasts. Her devout parents retrieved and buried her body. Her relics are preserved in the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Commemoration of the Miracle (451) of Great-martyr Euphemia the All-praised, of Chalcedon (304)

t Euphemia is commemorated on (Sept 29, Old Calendar); today we commemorate the S miracle wrought by her relics during the Fourth Ecumenical Council. After much debate and no progress among the defenders of Orthodoxy and the proponents of the Monophysite heresy, the two

5 Saint Mary’s Orthodox Church June 27th, 2021 parties agreed each to write their diferent defnitions of the Faith in two separate books, and to ask God to show them the truth. They placed the two books in the case containing St Euphemia's relics, sealed the case, and departed. After three days of constant vigil and supplication, they opened the in the presence of the Emperor, and found the Monophysite book under the feet of the Saint, and the Orthodox book in her right hand.

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