Second Sunday of the Evangelist Luke  

Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church 8306 NC HWY 751 Durham NC 27713 919-484-1600 [email protected] www.stbarbarachurchnc.org News & Announcements October 1, 2017

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 Ananias, Apostle of the 70 10/1/2017  Romanos the Melodist 10/1/2017  The Holy Protection of the Theotokos 10/1/2017  John Koukouzelis the Psalti 10/1/2017

NEWCOMERS AND VISITORS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME

Sunday Worship Schedule: Matins 9:00 am & Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

To Our Visitors and Guests We welcome you to worship with us today, whether you are an Orthodox Christian or this is your first visit to an Orthodox Church, we are pleased to have you with us. Although Holy Communion and other Sacraments are offered only to baptized and chrismated (confirmed) Orthodox Christians in good standing with the Church, all are invited to receive the Antidoron (blessed bread) from the priest at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy. The Antidoron is not a sacrament, but it is reminiscent of the agape feast that followed worship in the ancient Christian Church. After the Divine Liturgy this morning please join us in the Church Hall for fellowship and refreshments. Please complete a Visitor’s Card before you leave today and drop it in the offering tray, or give it to one of the parishioners after the service, or mail it to the Church Office.

Today’s Readings:

Make your vows to the Lord our God and perform them. Verse: God is known in Judah; his name is great in Israel.

The reading is from St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians 6:16-18; 7:1

Brethren, you are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will live in them and move among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore come out from them, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfect in the fear of God.

Εὔξασθε καὶ ἀπόδοτε Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν. Στίχ. Γνωστὸς ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ ὁ Θεός, ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ μέγα τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ.

Πρὸς Κορινθίους τὸ ἀνάγνωσμα είναι απο β' 6:16-18, 7:1

Ἀδελφοί, ὑμεῖς ἐστε ναὸς Θεοῦ ζῶντος, καθὼς εἶπεν ὁ θεός ὅτι Ἐνοικήσω ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσω· καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτῶν θεός, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔσονταί μοι λαός. Διὸ, Ἐξέλθετε ἐκ μέσου αὐτῶν καὶ ἀφορίσθητε, λέγει κύριος, καὶ ἀκαθάρτου μὴ ἅπτεσθε· κἀγὼ εἰσδέξομαι ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἔσομαι ὑμῖν εἰς πατέρα, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἔσεσθέ μοι εἰς υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας, λέγει κύριος παντοκράτωρ. Ταύτας οὖν ἔχοντες τὰς ἐπαγγελίας, ἀγαπητοί, καθαρίσωμεν ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ παντὸς μολυσμοῦ σαρκὸς καὶ πνεύματος, ἐπιτελοῦντες ἁγιωσύνην ἐν φόβῳ θεοῦ.

8307 The Gospel According to Luke 6:31-36

The Lord said, "As you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful."

8308 Ἐκ τοῦ Κατὰ Λουκᾶν Εὐαγγελίου τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα 6:31-36

Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος· καθὼς θέλετε ἵνα ποιῶσιν ὑμῖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ποιεῖτε αὐτοῖς ὁμοίως. καὶ εἰ ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας ὑμᾶς, ποία ὑμῖν χάρις ἐστί; καὶ γὰρ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας αὐτοὺς ἀγαπῶσι. καὶ ἐὰν ἀγαθοποιῆτε τοὺς ἀγαθοποιοῦντας ὑμᾶς, ποία ὑμῖν χάρις ἐστί; καὶ γὰρ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ποιοῦσι. καὶ ἐὰν δανείζητε παρ᾿ ὧν ἐλπίζετε ἀπολαβεῖν, ποία ὑμῖν χάρις ἐστί; καὶ γὰρ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἁμαρτωλοῖς δανείζουσιν ἵνα ἀπολάβωσι τὰ ἴσα. πλὴν ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν καὶ ἀγαθοποιεῖτε καὶ δανείζετε μηδὲν ἀπελπίζοντες, καὶ ἔσται ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολύς, καὶ ἔσεσθε υἱοὶ ὑψίστου, ὅτι αὐτὸς χρηστός ἐστιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀχαρίστους καὶ πονηρούς. Γίνεσθε οὖν οἰκτίρμονες, καθὼς καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν οἰκτίρμων ἐστί.

 Today is National Church Music Sunday Each year, on the first Sunday in October (on or after the Feast of St. Romanos the Melodist, the patron saint of church musicians), parishes across the Archdiocese of America celebrate NATIONAL CHURCH MUSIC SUNDAY. This commemoration was inaugurated by His Eminence, Archbishop Iakovos of North and South America in 1982, and has been re-affirmed by His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios of America. NATIONAL CHURCH MUSIC SUNDAY is a day we set aside particularly to honor the contributions of local choir members, psaltai, and music educators who serve their churches through the hymnology of our Orthodox Church. In addition, it is a day when we recognize the work of the diocesan choir federations as well as the National Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians, who through their music ministry, strive to enhance the development of church choirs, church musicians, and liturgical music at diocesan and archdiocesan levels. To these ends, the National Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians encourages local parishes to use NATIONAL CHURCH MUSIC SUNDAY to recognize the contributions of church musicians at three levels each year:  To fully experience this Special Sunday Parishioners are asked to come to Church by 9:45 to hear the "Doxology" that was prepared by Fr. Murtos, our youth Choir will introduce the first set of Kyrie Eleisons after the “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Divine Liturgy, and also be prepared to hear version D-36, of the cherubic hymn done by our Adult Choir during the Divine Liturgy. The antiphonal nature of the adult and youth choir can only be experienced by your presence in Church. This Special Service should not be missed.

 To honor your LOCAL CHURCH MUSICIANS: our choir directors Donna Trohanis, Costa Constantinou, Eleni Christakos and Catherine Mariakakis and choir members, your chanters Pete Marinos, Panagioti Mavroidis, and Anthony Thompson, and organist Bessie Chronaki church musicians for their service to the parish;  To reaffirm your support of your METROPOLIS CHOIR FEDERATION and participate in its activities; and

 To support your national church ministry, the work of the NATIONAL FORUM OF GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH MUSICIANS by becoming a Steward of the National Forum and making a contribution to its Annual Church Music Fund Drive held during October.

The official arm of our Archdiocese responsible for liturgical music activities and the development, education, and support of church musicians is the National Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians. Chartered in 1976 as an official auxiliary of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the National Forum serves as the liaison among local church musicians, the Metropolis Church Music Federations, and our Archdiocese. The National Forum also serves as the gathering place for church musicians to discuss issues related to liturgical music and to formulate needed responses. The National Forum has four major areas of focus: • Support for CHOIRS, providing resources and activities to improve the quality of choirs and the availability of choral music in the church • Support for CHANTERS and the preservation of BYZANTINE CHANT • Support for YOUTH CHURCH MUSIC PROGRAMS, including hymnology and junior choirs • Support for CLERGY, including parish music ministries, and support for clergy On this day, your support of this dedicated organization is encouraged.

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Welcome Rabbie Bach and Community Midrasha Teens

Community Midrasha, a program of the Jewish Federation, engages teens in learning about Jewish culture, history, and religion and inspires participants to make a lifelong commitment to Jewish learning, practice and community. We are a pluralistic Jewish learning community for all teens (grades 8-12), regardless of synagogue affiliation or prior religious education.

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We Welcome OCF Spokespersons Melina Nolas of Duke University and Katherine Victoria Lane of UNC

We greet you with joy as we announce the date for College Student Sunday, benefiting Orthodox Christian Fellowship. To support the incredible efforts of our students, College Student Sunday will be the first Sunday of October, running in conjunction with OCF’s Orthodox Awareness Month. This year, the date falls on OCTOBER 2.

Orthodox Christian Fellowship continues to provide students with opportunities to encounter Christ and grow in their Orthodox faith through their growing network of on campus OCF chapters led by talented students, clergy, and lay advisors as well as through programs such as regional retreats, College Conference, Real Break, and the Summer Leadership Institute. OCF continues to make every effort to connect new freshmen to campus chapters and local parishes through the First Forty Days Initiative, which involves extensive effort from our student leaders and spiritual advisors to contact every incoming freshman within their first forty days on campus. We wholeheartedly pray for and strongly encourage your support of these noble efforts by ensuring that the contact information for your parish’s graduating high school seniors be sent each and every year to the OCF National Office for dissemination to our dedicated local chapters!

Blessing of the Waters Today as We Start Sunday School

As we know, water is essential for life. God has covered most of the earth (71%) in water, and He has created man to be physically comprised mostly of water (60%).

Water is a great and essential gift from God, and the fundamental nature of water is to give, sustain, and nurture life.

But the true nature of water is found in its relationship to the salvation of man and of the world. Water is blessed to be used as the means through which a person is “born again” in the Sacrament of Baptism. Water is blessed to be used for the sanctification of people, animals, homes, business, and any useful object.

During the blessing of water – either at the Annual Feast of Theophany or at any other “Agiasmó” (“Blessing”) Service, a wonderful miracle is manifest.

God the Holy Spirit, is invoked by the Bishop or his Presbyter (Priest) to descend upon the water, and change its natural properties. It again becomes incorrupt, remaining transformed and fresh for a very long time. Holy Water receives the grace of the Holy Spirit to heal illnesses, to drive away demons, to preserve and protect people and their homes, and to sanctify the faithful as well as various objects whether for church or home use.

Thus, Orthodox Christians drink Holy Water with profound faith and reverence sometimes even daily. They also bless their homes, their children, as well as their “comings and goings” throughout the year.

It is important to know that the blessing of water restores the water to its original state. The prayer at the blessing of water reveals the true “nature” and “purpose” of water, and thus of the world: the

sanctification of creation. Being restored through the blessing to its proper function, Holy Water becomes a means of communion with God.

Water is seen by the Church as a prime element of creation. In the prayers said for its blessing, we ask that the original purpose of water — as a source of life, blessing, and holiness — be revealed to one who drinks it and who is sprinkled with it.

In the Old Testament Book of Genesis, creation began when the Spirit of God “moved over the face of the waters.” In the blessing of water it is understood that the world and everything in it is “very good” (Genesis 1:31), and when it becomes corrupted, God restores it by effecting the new creation in Christ, His Divine Son and Our Lord, and by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

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No Coffee Hour Host Today – Please Consider Hosting a Coffee Hour

ATTENTION SAINT BARBARA PARISH! Celebrate with your Church Family your next special occasion! Consider sponsoring a coffee hour in the social hall after Liturgy on Sundays to commemorate a birthday, graduation, nameday, anniversary, or even for the pleasure of just hosting for your Parish. Signing up is easy.... just place your name on the 'signup coffee hour' sheet located on the table in the hallway nearest the social hall. For details or questions, contact Helen Paliouras at: 919-942-4229 or [email protected]

Upcoming Events

Youth Day at Hill Ridge Farms (date TBA) 703 Tarboro Road Youngsville, NC 27596 [email protected] (919) 556-1771

First Saint Barbara Community Night – Friday November 3, 2017

Saint Romanos the Melodist The hymnologists of the Orthodox Church are Christians of virtue and great faith, having been endowed with musical talent as well as the power of religious inspiration. Their creations have enriched our worship services and have helped turn our souls towards God. Perhaps the greatest of all hymnologists is St. Romanos the Melodist. Many other hymnologists had written ecclesiastical hymns, but none of them inspired the Christians as much as St. Romanos. Romanos was a Syrian Christian who lived in the beginning of the 6th century. A convert to Orthodoxy from Judaism, he was ordained a deacon and served in the Church of Beirut. His talent was great. Unlike others, he wrote his hymns in simple language and produced a pleasant meter in the verse by the way he accented words. The hymns he composed appealed to the hearts of the people, and are still sung today. Romanos has been called "Sweet Singer" (Glykophonos), "Melodist" (Melodhos), and "Righteous Chanter" (Psaltis Dhikeosinis). Romanos wrote hundreds of hymns celebrating the mystery of the Incarnation, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, and the living of a Christian life. One of his most famous compositions is the hymn celebrating the Nativity of our Lord, "Today the Virgin gives birth to One who is above all living things..." (I Parthenos Simeron). St. Romanos is also said to have composed the Akathist Hymn, a kontakion which we still chant during the Heretismoi services during Great Lent. Romanos died on October 1st in 510 AD. He was a productive genius and artist, writing and accenting thousands of kontakia. He has been called the patron saint of all who sing for the Church. Others say he is the leader in the world of religious hymnology. Surely, he has made a profound contribution to divine worship and deserves to be recognized by all who sing and by all who listen to the hymnology of our services. ______

October 2017 Religious Calendar 1 - 2nd Sunday of Luke - 9:00 am 8 - 3rd Sunday of Luke - 9:00 am 15 - Sunday of the Fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council - 9:00 am 22 - 6th Sunday of Luke - 9:00 am 26 - Thursday - St. Demetrios - 9:00 am 28 - Saturday - Holy Protection of the Theotokos - 9:00 am 29 - 5th Sunday of Luke - 9:00 am

Saint Barbara Philoptochos News

 Holy Cross/Hellenic College Collection- thanks to your generosity $295 was collected Sunday September 10. Our Philoptochos chapter voted to send a total of $400 dollars to HC/HC.

 Fanouropita Event- Sunday September 17 marked the third year the Philoptochos has held a Fanouropita Event to benefit Youth Ministry- Metropolis of Atlanta. $159 was collected and our Philoptochos chapter voted to send 200 to the metropolis for youth ministries.

 Coffee Fellowship - Please join us for a morning of fellowship -Tuesday October 10 @10 am- Panera's (South Point) 1680 in North Carolina 27713 For directions call them at 919-544-8360.

 Saturday October 28@11am-Bean Trader's (Durham) 105 W Nc 54 Hwy #249, Durham, NC 27713 For directions you can call them at 919-484-2499.

 Our chapter also contributed to the WRAL sponsored food drive through Central Carolina Food Bank (September 20) to assist victims of hurricanes Harvey and Irma. We purchased and delivered $100 worth of paper towels and case of Peanut butter. Please consider joining St Barbara's Philoptochos. Our next General Membership Meeting is October 22 after Church Services. You’re are welcomed to attend to Come and see what we are all about!

From the Desk of President Catherine Mariakakis 10