Saint Joseph Melkite Greek Catholic Church 130 North Saint Francis Cabrini Avenue Scranton, PA 18504 Rev. Father Michael Jolly— Pastor 570-213-9344 E-Mail: [email protected] Reader Michael Simon Web: http://melkitescranton.org Reader John Fitzgerald Webmaster: Sal Zaydon Parish Office 570-343-6092 October 27, 2013 7th Sunday After The Holy Cross Tone 6 and Orthros Gospel 1 The Daughter of Jairus Liturgy Schedule: Sunday Orthros 8:55 am Saturday Vesper Liturgy 5 pm Sunday Divine Liturgy 10:00 am Compline Weds 8:30PM Holy Confession—after Vespers and Compline Parish Notes: Liturgy Intentions The Qurban consecrated at this morning’s liturgy was October 27, 2013 baked by Mary Clark. Mary Sue Betress - Moses Taylor Cardio- The Annual Ladies Society Spaghetti Dinner was a roaring Pulmonary Department success! Thanks to the dedicated servers, kitchen crew and donors! We sold 146 tickets and we cleared $1600 Karen Bolus—1 Year—Her family Festival read out and thank you luncheon, today after November 2, 2013 Liturgy. Anna and Fran Bolus—daughter Barbara Albert If you have not already given, it’s not too late to send your gift to the Bishop’s Appeal. YOUR Melkite Church is Gloria Kelly—Jim and Betsy Zaydon counting on YOUR support. Show you love for our Melkite Church and offer your gratitude to God by giving a generous gift today. Every dollar you give will directly touch the lives of your Melkite brothers and sisters and help those who suffer the loss of homes and loved ones in the Middle East. Please respond with a generous heart to the call of our Father and Shepherd, Bishop Nicholas. Let’s have 100% of our parish contribute to the Bishop’s Appeal! Donation cards and envelopes are available in the narthex. Today’s cover icon The Holy Martyr Nestor of Thessalonica suffered in the year 306 in the city of Thessalonica together with the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica (October 26). The Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom Antiphons: First Antiphon Through the prayers of the Mother of God Tone 2 Pg. 11 Second Antiphon O Son of God, who are risen from the dead Tone 2 Pg. 11 Hymn of incarnation Tone 4 Pg. 13 Third Antiphon Resurrectional Troparion Tone 6 Pg. 18 Hymns: Resurrectional Troparion Tone 6 Pg 18 Saint Nestor Tone 4 Your martyr, O Lord, received the crown of immortality from you O our God, on account of his struggles. Armed with your strength, he has vanquished his persecutors, and crushed the powerless arrogance of demons. Through his supplications, O Christ God, save our souls. Saint Joseph Tone 2 Pg 20 Kontakion Tone 4 Pg 21 Prokiemenon (Tone 6) Ps.27: 9, 1 O Lord, save your people and bless your inheritance! Stichon: To you, O Lord, I have called: O my Rock, be not deaf to me! Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians 2:4-10 BRETHREN, God, who is rich in mercy, by reason of his very great love with which he has loved us even when we were dead by reason of our sins, brought us to life together with Christ, and you have been saved by grace. [God] raised us up together, and enthroned us together in heaven in Christ Jesus, so that he might show in future ages the overflowing riches of his grace, through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith: and that, not on your own, for it is God’s gift, and not the result of work which might have been a pretext for anyone to boast. For we are his workmanship, we who were created in Christ Jesus through good works which God has pre-planned so that we could walk in them. Alleluia (Tone 6) Ps.90: 1, 2 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High abides in the shadow of the God of heaven. Stichon: He will say to the Lord, “My wall, my refuge, my God in whom I will trust!” The Holy Gospel According to St .Luke 8 8: 41-56 At that time behold, there came a man named Jairus to Jesus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue; and falling at the feet of Jesus, he entreated Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying. And it happened as He went that He was pressed upon by the crowds. And a certain woman who for twelve years had had a hemorrhage, and had spent all her means on physicians, but could not be cured by anyone, came up behind Him and touched the tassel of His cloak; and at once her hemorrhage ceased. And Jesus said, “Who touched Me? But as all were denying it, Peter, and those who were with Him, said, “Master, the crowds throng and press upon You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?” But Jesus said, “Someone touched Me; for I perceived that power had gone forth from Me.” But the woman, seeing that she had not escaped notice, came up trembling, and falling down at His feet, declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched Him, and how she had been healed instantly. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved thee; go in peace.” While he was yet speaking, there came one from the house of the ruler of the synagogue, saying to him, “your daughter is dead; do not trouble Him.” But Jesus on hearing this word answered the father of the girl, “Do not be afraid; only have faith and she shall be saved.” And when He came to the house, He allowed no one to enter with Him, except Peter and James and John, and the girl’s father and mother. And all were weeping and mourning for her. But he said, “Do not weep; she is asleep, not dead.” And they laughed at Him, knowing that she was dead. But He, taking her by the hand, cried out, saying, “Girl, arise! “And her spirit returned, and she rose up immediately. And He directed that something be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened. According to an early account of his death, Loupos, a October 26 servant of St. Demetrius, after taking proper care of the body, took the saint’s neckscarf, having collected the soil Feast of St Demetrius the Myrobelite soaked with his blood in it. Taking also the royal ring, which the saint was wearing on his hand, and dipping it in his holy blood, Loupos was able to accomplish many St Demetrius and the miracles of healing through it. An oratory was established on the site of the Saint’s martyrdom and a memorial erected in it. The Saint’s relics were concealed beneath it lest they be taken and the Armor of God city lose its protector. When they began exuding fragrant myrrh in the tenth and eleventh centuries, the tomb was unearthed and the Saint came to be called Demetrius the Myrobelite (myrrh-gusher). “GREAT ARE THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS of faith!” This exclamation is heard several times each year as we Demetrius the Prayer-Warrior remember the exploits of spiritual giants like the three young Hebrews who survived the fiery furnace in Originally depicted holding a cross or the spear by which Babylon (Dan) or the Great-martyr Theodore the Recruit he was martyred, St Demetrius is now often shown astride who suffered in Asia Minor in the early fourth century. a horse, clad in the “armor of God,” either defending the The latter’s namesake, Theodore the General is described city of Thessalonika from invaders or slaying the as fighting courageously “with the weapons of gladiator whom Nestor killed, symbolizing the power of faith” (troparion) and “the Word of God as a Demetrius’ prayers for Nestor as he entered combat. spear” (kondakion). The power of Demetrius’ faith is told in the traditional These references and others like them allude to the story of his vicarious defeat of the gladiator Lyaeus, imagery employed by St Paul in his Epistle to the recorded in the ninth-century version of the saint’s life by Ephesians. While he affirms that we are saved through Anastasius the Librarian. Demetrius, a young but faith in Christ’s work, not our own, he encourages us to dynamic Christian, had won the enmity of some leading actively don the “whole armor of God that you may be pagans in the city for converting a number of young able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph 6:11). St people to Christ. He was denounced for his faith during a Paul goes on to expand on this image telling us to “Stand, celebration in honor of the Eastern Roman emperor, therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put Maximian, and imprisoned in the baths near the palace on the breastplate of righteousness and having shod your and the arena where games and sacrifices were to be held feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all in homage to the emperor. taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one and take the As part of the festivities, Maximian offered a rich reward helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which us to any Thessalonian who would battle one-on-one with the word of God” (Eph 6:14-17).