ST. N ICHOLAS WEEKLY BULLETIN January 22, 2017 The Holy Apostle Timoy This Week’s News
PITA BAKING IS STARTING. ere will be a Dough Rolling Session, THIS Saturday, January 21st, 9:00 am to noon, and a Pita Baking Session, Sat - urday, February 11th, 9:00 am to noon. Please mark your calendars. Questions? talk to Chris Toda, 508-832-6271. Also, The Thir-Second Sunday after Pentecost let her know if you’ll be coming. Re - Apostolic Rding: 1 Timoy 4:9-15 • Gospel: Luke 19:1-10 member: ere’s a job for everyone! (The Conveion of Zacchæus) ANGELA PRIZIO DEMAKE fell asleep Tone 6 • Mans Gospel 9 in the Lord this past Monday. Calling home. If you haven’t gotten a notice yet, A MEMORIAL SERVICE is held today hours are Sunday, 2:00pm - 7:00pm at please talk to Fr. Nick. Also, if there is a for the departed members of the Nace Mercadante Funeral Home. e funeral specific time that is more convenient for family .May their memory be eternal. service will be here at St. Nicholas, you, please e-mail or call (508-335-7378) Monday at 10:00am, preceeded by call - Fr. Nick to arrange it. TODAY’S COFFEE HOUR is spon - ing hours beginning at 9:00am. A full sored by Ileana Nace in memory of the obituary, with details, is available at: PLEASE RETURN YOUR EXTRA members of the Nace family, fallen www.mercadantefuneral.com. May our HOLY WATER BOTTLES! Many of you asleep. loving Lord rest her soul with the right - have Holy Water bottles at home. Please eous! return the ones you’re finished using. Holy Trini News THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE You can give them to Fr. Nick when he St. Mary’s Albanian Orthodox Church FAITH/ CREDINȚA (the Archdiocesan comes to bless your house, or just bring parishioners are hosting a coffee social to Church on Sunday. Magazine) is now availabl e at the can - at Holy Trinity on ursday, January 26, dles. Please take a copy home with you. A NEW PARISH COUNCIL WILL BE 2:00pm. THE BLESSING OF HOMES AT ELECTED IN JANUARY, (the THEOPHANY CONTINUES. As in the two-year term of the Parish past, we are setting times to bless your Council expires this year). Dates to Remember Please consider offering a Sat, Jan 21 Pita Dough Rolling, 9am-noon Greete Tm 4: stewardship of your time in Sat, Feb 4 Staff Orthodox Food Pantry Dimitri Saffron and Sn Fahey this important ministry. We Fri, Feb 10 Mustard Seed Meal, 5pm also are asking for people to Sat, Feb 11 Pita Baking, 9am-noon Coffee Hour Cln-up Crew A: serve on other Parish commit - Sat, Feb 18 Saturday of Souls, Lit 10am Margarite LanDry , tees, if you would like to focus Sun, Feb 19 Meatfare Sunday ChriStine MaSterjohn , Feb 26 Cheesfare Sunday your efforts in just one area. Sun Mon, Feb 27 Great Lent Begins All Altar Serve Invited However you’d like to serve, Sun, April 16 Great and Holy Pascha please speak with Fr. Nick. 34 Gold Street, Shrewsbury, MA 01545-6238 Voice: 508.845.0088 Fax: 508.845.8850 e-mail: [email protected] web: www.StNicholasChurch.org A Parish of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in the Americas e Holy Trinity staff and residents Timothy, for a last farewell (2 Tim. 4:9). would like to thank Elaine Voutas of Saint Timothy ended his life as a Sts. Anargyroi Greek Orthodox martyr. e pagans of Ephesus cele - Church in Marlboro, for making brated a festival in honor of their idols, “lapghans” for the residents! and used to carry them through the city, accompanied by impious ceremonies Communi News and songs. Saint Timothy, zealous for Notre Dame Academy (Catholic, col - the glory of God, attempted to halt the lege prep school for young women) is procession and reason with the spiritu - ally blind idol-worshipping people, by inviting seventh grade and transfer stu - preaching the true faith in Christ. dents to spend an academic day at NDA e pagans angrily fell upon the through May 1st. If you’re interested holy apostle, they beat him, dragged contact the Admissions Office at ad - him along the ground, and finally, they [email protected]. stoned him. Saint Timothy’s martyrdom Venerini Academy is holding an open occurred in the year 93. your on Sunday aernoon, January In the fourth century the holy relics e Holy Apostle Timothy was from 29th. For more information: of Saint Timothy were transferred to the Lycaonian city of Lystra in Asia www.veneriniacademy.com. Constantinople and placed in the Minor. Saint Timothy was converted to church of the Holy Apostles near the Christ in the year 52 by the holy Apostle tombs of Saint Andrew and Saint Luke. Paul (June 29). When the Apostles Paul e Church honors Saint Timothy as and Barnabas first visited the cities of one of the Apostles of the Seventy. Lycaonia, Saint Paul healed one crippled In Russian practice, the back of a from birth. Many of the inhabitants of priest’s cross is oen inscribed with Lystra then believed in Christ, and Saint Paul’s words to Saint Timothy: “Be Namedays among them was the future Saint Tim - an example to the believers in speech January 17 othy, his mother Eunice and grand - and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” St. Anthony the Great mother Loida (Lois) (Acts 14:6-12; 2 (1 Tim. 4:12). Anthony eodore Christo Tim. 1:5). Scott Anthony Maynard e seed of faith, planted in Saint A Prayer of Anthony Rucho Timothy’s soul by the Apostle Paul, Fr. Laurence Tony Nicholas Trakadas brought forth abundant fruit. He be - LET uS PRAY To THE LoRD , January 18 came Saint Paul’s disciple, and later his St. Athanasios of Alexandria constant companion and co-worker in hen all the difficulties and anas Lolo the preaching of the Gospel. e Apos - Wtroubles of life seem to over - Arthur Peterson tle Paul loved Saint Timothy and in his power us at once, Lord, come quickly Epistles called him his beloved son, re - January 22 to our aid and give us the wisdom and membering his devotion and fidelity strength we need to deal with it all. e Holy Apostle Timothy with gratitude. From on high, reach down and seize Rev. Fr. Timothy Lowe He wrote to Timothy: “You have us, as it were, pulling us out of the Timothy Rucho followed my teaching, way of life, pur - depths of our problems and difficul - January 25 pose, faith, longsuffering, love, and pa - ties and rescuing us in your love. Do St. Gregory the eologian tience” (2 Tim. 3:10-11). e Apostle not forget us, but help us always. Rev. Fr. Gregory Christakos Paul appointed Saint Timothy as Bishop Dr. Gregory Tsongalis For you are God and we give you of Ephesus, where the saint remained glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: January 28 for fieen years. Finally, when Saint Paul now and forever, and unto ages of St. Ephraim the Syrian was in prison and awaiting martyrdom, ages. Amen. Rev. Fr. Ephraim Peters he summoned his faithful friend, Saint Let no one Despise your you he liturgical cycle is now directing saved and to come to the knowledge of is good advice for every bishop and Tus toward preparation for Great the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4), and the par - presbyter. It is also good advice for each Lent and Pascha. is Sunday’s Gospel ticular comfort those have who answer one of us. If we presume to teach or lead, reading tells the story of the repentance God’s call, having faith and trust in we need first and foremost to show how of Zacchæus the tax collector. e Epis - Him. it is done through our own life: our tle reading is from St. Paul’s first letter St. Paul tells Timothy: “Command words, but especially our deeds, actions to Timothy, 4:9-15. St. Paul’s Pastoral and teach these things.” (v. 11) St. John and thoughts. Letters — First and Second Timothy, Chrysostom offers a helpful explanation “Till I come, attend to the public and Titus — were addressed personally of why St. Paul says both “command and reading of scripture, to preaching, to to the leader of a local church. He of - teach.” He observes that depending on fered them advice on how to deal with the circumstance a person in authority, teaching.” (v. 13) e early Christian organizational and pastoral matters such as a bishop or presbyter, or a parent communities were organized much like within their communities. When writ - or teacher, might have to ‘command,’ the Jewish synagogues out of which they ing to Timothy, he especially spoke of that is, to be unequivocal or directive. In grew. As part of their service, in addi - the qualifications for holding leadership other cases teaching is required. If you tion to the eucharist, there were read - positions within the Church; how the do one when you should do the other, ings of scripture, preaching (that is, an local bishop or presbyter, and deacons you’ll look silly. For example, when explanation of the scripture), and teach - should comport themselves for the well- there is a clear moral imperative — ing (namely, the practical application). being of the community. ese letters ‘don’t take that, it doesn’t belong to you’ We do much the same today. are oen cited during ordinations. — teaching is not the appropriate “Do not neglect the gi you have, Even though the advice is directed stance. An authoritative voice is re - which was given you by prophetic utter - primarily toward those with spiritual re - quired. In other circumstances, when ance when the council of elders laid sponsibilities in the community, much the issue is a matter of subtle choices, or their hands upon you.” (v. 14) In St. of the advice still can be helpful to each where a person is inexperienced or ill- Paul’s time ordination was by an Apos - of us. e reading begins with this affir - informed, shouting a command would tle, but the council of presbyters (el - mation: “e saying is sure and worthy not only be inappropriate, but probably ders/priests) consented by laying their of full acceptance. For to this end we toil offensive and hurtful. Gentle words of and strive, because we have our hope set instruction are what is called for in this hands on the candidate, along with the on the living God, who is the Savior of situation. Apostle. By “prophetic utterance” St. all people, especially of those who be - St. Paul is giving this advice to Tim - Paul is referring to those spiritually lieve.” (v. 9-10) St. Paul is speaking espe - othy because he was relatively young for gied persons who pointed out the cially of the difficulties of ministry. Keep the responsibility that had been laid on unique and charismatic qualities of in mind all of the sufferings that Paul him. Timothy was about thirty five Timothy himself. Paul doesn’t want and the other Apostles endured: impris - when St. Paul was writing to him. He Timothy to forget the gis God has onment, floggings, exile, shipwreck. had been with St. Paul since he was given him. Many met a terrible death. ey were around seventeen. ey had a long rela - “Practice these duties, devote your - abused even by members of their own tionship. So, he tells him, “Let no one self to them, so that all may see your communities. It is out of this experience despise your youth, but set the believers progress.” (v. 15) one of the ways that we that St. Paul urges Timothy to maintain an example in speech and conduct, in can see God at work in the world is in his focus. “We toil and strive, because love, in faith, in purity.” (v. 12) He isn’t the progress each of us makes in the we have our hope set on the living God.” saying that Timothy is not capable, or spiritual life. When we practice what we e impulse to preach the Gospel is not ‘up to the job.’ Just that he should recog - have been taught and devote ourselves grounded in human ambition and nize that some people might be uncom - pride. It is based on the hope and faith fortable because of his relative youth. A to the life in Christ, not only do we our - we have in God, and the desire to share little later on, in Chapter 5, he offers him selves benefit, but we also encourage this hope with others. specific advice on how to relate to per - others. ey see the change in us and God is “Savior of all people, espe - sons older and younger than he, both grow in hope. cially of those who believe.” is is a men and women. In this particular is is St. Paul’s advice to Timothy. beautiful expression of a proper Chris - verse he focuses on the central aspect: It is his advice to us as well. tian attitude to evangelism. It embodies Timothy’s own behavior. He tells Timo - both God’s desire that “everyone be thy that he needs to be the example. is Fr. Nichos Aposto