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St Dimitrios Week of October 25th 2020 Sunday, October 25th 2020 Hymns for the 6th Sunday of Luke Sts Peter & Paul Weekly Services Resurrection Hymn (3rd Tone) “Let all things above in heaven rejoice, Wednesday Evening, Oct 28 and let all things below on earth be glad. Holy Protection of the Evening Divine Liturgy______6pm With all the might and strength of His arm an eternal deed the Lord did perform. Saturday, October 31 Beneath His feet He has trampled down death by death, Sts Stachys & Nicholas and first born of the dead has He become. Orthros______8am From the womb of Hades has He delivered us, Divine Liturgy______9am and to all the world has granted His great redeeming mercy.” Saturday, October 31 Hymn for St Dimitrios Great Vespers______5pm “All the world has you, its mighty champion, Saturday Vespers * fortifying us in times of danger, Time Change * and defeating our foes, O Victorious One. Please note, beginning November 7, * So, as you humbled Lyaios’s arrogance Saturday Great Vespers * by giving courage to Nestor in the stadium, will begin at 4pm. * thus, O holy Great Demetrios, * to Christ our God pray fervently, * beseeching Him to grant us His great mercy.” Fellowship Hall Closed on Sunday Hymn for Sts Peter and Paul “O leaders of the Apostles, and teachers of the world, Due to the present challenges and intercede with the Master of all t health care guidelines, the Fellowship hat He may grant peace unto the world, Hall will remain closed on Sundays and to our souls His great mercy.” effective immediately.The welcome committee and Parish Council will Kontakion Hymn offer coffee & pastry ‘To Go’ at the “A Protection of Christians unshamable, end of service. We hope and pray intercessor to our Holy Maker, unwavering, this situation is temporary, and at reject not the prayerful cries of those who are in sin; the appropriate time we will be able instead, come to us, for you are good; to open the Parish Hall for Sunday your loving help bring unto us, who are crying in faith to you: Fellowship. Please be respectful and hasten to intercede, and speed now to supplicate, patient with these guidelines. as a protection for all time, Theotokos for those who honor you.” Scripture Readings Epistle: Galations 1:11-19 Gospel: St Luke 8:26-39

1 Sts. Peter & Paul, Greek Orthodox Church Sixth Sunday of Luke Epistle: St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians 1:11-19 Brethren, I would have you know that the gospel I was born, and had called me through his grace, which was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ. confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, how I persecuted the church of God violently but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned and tried to destroy it; and I advanced in Judaism to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to beyond many of my own age among my people, Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and remained with him so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles fathers. But when he who had set me apart before except James the Lord’s brother. The Gospel According to Luke 8:26-39 At that time, as Jesus arrived at entered the swine, and the herd the country of the Gadarenes, rushed down the steep bank there met him a man from the into the lake and were drowned. city who had demons; for a long When the herdsmen saw what time he had worn no clothes and happened, they fled, and told it he lived not in a house but among in the city and in the country. the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he Then people went out to see cried out and fell down before what had happened, and they him, and said with a loud voice, came to Jesus, and found the “What have you to do with me, man from whom the demons Jesus, Son of the Most High God? had gone, sitting at the feet of I beseech you, do not torment Jesus, clothed and in his right me.” For he had commanded the mind; and they were afraid. And unclean spirit to come out of the those who had seen it told them man. (For many a time it had how he who had been possessed seized him; he was kept under guard, and bound with demons was healed. Then all the people of the with chains and fetters, but he broke the bonds surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him and was driven by the demon into the desert.) to depart from them; for they were seized with Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And great fear; so he got into the boat and returned. he said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered The man from whom the demons had gone begged him. And they begged him not to command them that he might be with him; but he sent him away, to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of swine saying, “Return to your home, and declare how was feeding there on the hillside; and they begged much God has done for you.” And he went away, him to let them enter these. So he gave them proclaiming throughout the whole city how much leave. Then the demons came out of the man and Jesus had done for him.

Petra News, Week of October 25th, 2020 2 The Holy and Great Martyr Dimitrios This glorious and wonderworking was born for Christ; be brave and strong!’ After several in the city of Salonica of well-born and devout days, the Emperor sent soldiers to the prison to parents. Begged of God by these childless parents, kill Dimitrios. They came upon the saint of God Dimitrios was their only son and was, because at prayer, and ran him through with their spears. of this, most carefully Christians secretly took cherished and educated. his body and gave it His father was the military burial, and there flowed commander of Salonica, from it a healing myrrh and, when he died, the by which many of the Emperor made Dimitrios sick were healed. A small commander of his place. church was very soon In doing this, the Emperor built over his relics. Maximian, an opponent An Illyrian nobleman, of Christ, particularly Leontius, became sick of recommended him to an incurable illness. He ran persecute and exterminate up prayerfully up to the the Christians of Salonnica. relics of St. Dimitiros and Dimitrios only disobeyed was completely healed, and the Emperor: he openly in gratitude built a much confessed and preached larger church in place of the Christ the Lord in the old one. The saint appeared city. Hearing of this, the to him on two occasions. Emperor was furious with When the Emperor Dimitrios and, at one time, Justinian wanted to take the on his way back from a war saint’s relics from Salonica against the Sarmathians, to Constantinople, a spark went to Salonica especially of fire leapt from the tomb to look into the matter. and a voice was heard: The Emperor, therefore, summoned Dimitrios ‘Leave them there, and don’t touch!’, and thus and questioned him about his faith. Dimitrios the relics of St. Dimitrios have remained for all proclaimed openly before the Emperor that he time in Salonica. As the defender of Salonica, St. was a Christian, and, furthermore, denounced Dimitrios has many times appeared and saved the the Emperor’s idolatry. The enraged Emperor cast city from calamity, and there is no way of counting him into prison. Knowing what was awaiting him, his . The Russians regarded St. Dimitrios Dimitrios gave his goods to his faithful servant, as the protector of Siberia, which was overcome Lupus, to give away to the poor, and went off to and annexed by Russia on October 26, 1581. prison, glad that suffering for Christ was to be his Sts Peter Paul will celebrate the Feast of St lot. In the prison, an angel of the Lord appeared Dimitrios on Sunday, October 25th. to him and said: ‘Peace be with thee, thou sufferer

3 Sts. Peter & Paul, Greek Orthodox Church Stewards of the Faith Having faith can be difficult. Keeping faith in the face Faith is often accompanied by struggle as we of doubt is the ongoing struggle of every Christian search for the truth. Doubt instills humility. Doubt since the earliest days of . We dedicate motivates us to learn to grow. In spite of his doubt, the first Sunday after Easter to , the Apostle Thomas remained open to the truth of forever remembered as “Doubting Thomas” because the Resurrection. When he saw the Risen Christ, he doubted the first reports he immediately believed of the Resurrected Christ. and became a great apostle In the Gospel of Mark of the faith. His doubt led (9:22), we read that when the him to a greater faithful. disciples couldn’t help him, Stewardship of our faith a father brings his epileptic in Jesus Christ calls us son to Jesus in desperation, to do those things that saying,” … if you can do protect and strengthen anything, have compassion the faith that lies within on us and help us.” Jesus us. Taking the time to replies to the father’s lack of learn about our Orthodox faith, “If you can believe, all Christian, praying to God things are possible to him for understanding and who believes.” The father’s guidance, and worshipping response is a prayer we can with others as the the Body pray every day: “Lord, I of Christ - all these things believe; help my unbelief. protect and strengthen our Faith is our trust in God. faith. As stewards of the Faith is our trust that He faith, instructs watches over us and has a us to “always be ready to plan for us: “For I know the give defense to everyone thoughts that I think toward who asks you a reason for you, says the Lord, thoughts the hope that is in you….”1 of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a Peter 3:15) hope” ( 29:11). Living with the uncertainty Faith is not a big rule book of “dos and don’t.” It is of daily life requires faith. Uncertainty also invites about loving and seeing Jesus Christ in the other. doubt. But doubt does not indicate a lack of faith. Stewardship of our faith in Jesus Christ calls us As theologian and philosopher Paul Tillich has to do those things that reflect our faith to others, written, ‘Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is one living our faith through our actions. As Jesus tells element of faith. “Doubt is a part of our journey of us, “By this all will know that you are my disciples, faith, but we need to face our doubt honestly and if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). directly.” There is no better way of sharing the faith that lies

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Petra News, Week of October 25th, 2020 4 Continued from the following page. within us than to see Christ in others and to love and care for them. Through faith, God’s will is accomplished in the world. Our great example is Mary, the Theotokos, the Mother of our Lord. When OCF ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP came to her at the Annunciation, tradition and CAMPUS MINISTRY hymnology hold that all creation awaited her response. In faith and obedience to the will of st God, Mary replied to the angel, “Behold, I am the Sunday, November 1 handmaid of the Lord; let it be according to your DINNER & word” (Luke 1:38). Mary responds with faith in FELLOWSHIP order to fulfill God’s will for all the world. Invitation to all college-aged Research has shown that as Christians we seek Christians in Colorado! three things from our church: Transcendence, Join us at Sts Peter & Paul at ... Significance, and Fellowship. Transcendence is to know God and to experience His presence. This 4:00pm - Dinner and Fellowship we do through prayerful participation in Liturgy 5:30 - 6:00pm – Paraclesis and the sacraments. Significance is the desire to Service have a purpose - to do something meaningful Questions? Contact Fr Jordan, 720.329.5212 - most often in service to our fellow man. Panteli Stathopulos, 720.883.8391 Fellowship is connecting with others through meaningful relationships. The Church offers opportunities for Transcendence, Significance Fall 2020: Hybrid Retreat and Fellowship, and in their pursuit, we also “WE ARE THE serve and support the Church and fully become members of the Body of Christ. To be stewards CHURCH” of the faith we are also called to be stewards of November 6th, Evening: Online our local church which nurtures our faith and November 7th Afternoon: Online the faith of others. Or at St Spyridon in Ft Collins, Stewardship is an act of faith. When we believe, or at St Catherine in Greenwood Village stewardship follows. Stewardship is faith in November 8th Mid-day: Online action; action motivated by humble gratitude to Register by 10/23: God for His blessings in our life. Online for $10 at As Saint John tells us about all that is written in www.ocf.net/we-are-the-church/ his Gospel, “… these things are written that you Questions? may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of Contact [email protected] God, and that by believing you may have life in or call 720.883.8391 His name” (John 20:31).

5 Sts. Peter & Paul, Greek Orthodox Church News & Announcements Adult Education Grocery Gift Cards Wednesday Morning Bible Study Philoptochos sells gift cards to Safeway, Natural Grocers October 28, 10am Vitamin Cottage, Whole Foods and Sprouts. Also Please join via live stream zoom available are OLD CHICAGO PIZZA PALZ, an $11 or in person. gift card that you redeem at an Old Orthodox Faith Series Chicago restaurant by ordering any Topic: Worship and Prayer large pizza valued up to $25! Restaurants November Schedule: are located in Broomfield, Saturday, November 7 & 21, 5:15-6pm Arvada, Denver, Thornton, Westminster, Class is open to all parents, adults and inquirers. This Loveland, Ft. Collins, Greeley, Brighton, series will take place in the church. Contact Father Aurora, Lakewood, Highlands Jordan with any questions. Ranch. Please contact Julie Powers ([email protected], 970.412.5338) Home Visitations to purchase these gift cards. She will Father Jordan is available to make home either mail them to you or deliver them visitations for our elderly, shut ins, and all to you on Sunday after Liturgy. those with ‘high risk’ health challenges. King Soopers Shoppers Please do not hesitate to contact Father Jordan to schedule a visit. Parishioners All you have to do is create an account with ‘high risk’ health challenges are welcome to visit the with your King Soopers loyalty card church during the week to schedule a time to pray and (or alternate id, your phone number) receive the Holy Sacraments. on their website at kingsoopers.com. Once your account is created, you will Sunday School link your loyalty card to “Sts Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox on Saturday Church Philoptochos” by doing the following: 1) Sign in to your account and select “community rewards” (left hand November schedule: side, under my account); 2) Search for “Sts Peter & Paul Saturday, November 7 & 21, Greek Orthodox Church Philoptochos”, under category 4pm - 6pm “faith based”; 3) Select enroll. Remember to use your Please note the new time for loyalty card whenever you shop and the Philoptochos will Saturday Vespers Evening Prayer and ‘Saturday School.’ receive a portion of your purchase. Saturday Great Vespers will begin at 4 pm starting in the We CAN’t Help Without You! month of November. We encourage families to participate in the Evening Prayers. The Fellowship Dinner will begin OUR Center is in need of canned food at 4:45 pm. Classes for our youth and adults will begin at donations (meat, tuna, chicken, etc). There 5:15 and end at 6 pm. Please be respective of the Health is a box outside the church building to drop Guidelines related to masks and keeping social distance. off your donation. If you would like us to shop for you, we If you would like to sponsor a meal in November, please will be taking donations. You can contact Ashley Dzilvelis reach out to either Father Jordan or Aaron. at ashleydz1@hotmail. com or send money via Venmo to @AshDz. You can also mail a check to Julie Powers, please If you have any questions, please contact Aaron Wall, contact her for her address ([email protected]), and “Saturday” school coordinator @ [email protected] put “Our Center” in the memo line. or (720) 400-6579.

Petra News, Week of October 25th, 2020 6 Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox Church 5640 Jay Road, Boulder, CO 80301 303.581.1434 • stspeterandpaulboulder.org

About Our Parish Priest We welcome visitors worshiping with us today. Reverend Father Jordan Brown Our diverse church family encompasses Parish Council many converts to the Orthodox Christian Faith, as well as Greek, Arab, Romanian, President - Erica Gerakos Serbian and Russian Orthodox Christians. Vice President - Nicholas Kallan The foundation of the Orthodox Church Treasurer - Brian Gregory are the teachings and Holy Tradition of Secretary - Phillip Haratsaris Jesus Christ. We follow the first Christians Philoptochos who began to worship Jesus Christ after the Presidents - Dana Gall and Crucifixion and Resurrection. Sharon Dzilvelis Please introduce yourself to our priest and members of our Treasurer - Julie Powers community. We also encourage you to join us for our fellowship Youth / Goya after services in the parish hall and visit our bookstore. If you are interested in learning more about the Orthodox Christian faith, Fr. Jordan Brown please visit with our priest, Fr. Jordan Brown. Choir Director Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church Presbytera Marika Brown Holy Communion is reserved only Recurring Services for baptized and/or chrismated Orthodox Christians who have Orthros - Sundays, 8:15am properly prepared by prayer, fasting, Divine Liturgy - Sundays, 9:30am and confession. Great Vespers - Saturdays, 5pm Confession by appointment. The Orthodox Church understands the reception of Holy Communion to be the highest expression of our faith. Both Orthodox and non- Orthodox alike are invited to receive the ‘antidoro’ (blessed bread ) at the end of the Divine Liturgy.