Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council The Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon July 18, 2021 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 250 Gallows Hill Road, Westfield, New Jersey 07090 908.233.8533 www.holytrinitywestfield.org Live streaming services http://holytrinitywestfield.org/parish-news/ Rev. Fr. Peter Delvizis, Parish Priest On this Sunday we commemorate the 630 Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council held in Chalcedon; On this the eighteenth day of the month we commemorate: St. Emilianos of Bulgaria; The Holy Martyrs St. Paul, St. Thea and St. Valentine; Our Righteous Father St. Stephanos, Archbishop of Constantinople Third Tone Ηχος γ’ Click links for Scripture Readings Fourth Morning Gospel: St. Luke 24:1-12 Εωθινόν Δ΄ Epistle Reading: St. Titus 3:8-15 Ελληνικά Gospel Reading: St. Matthew 5:14-19 Ελληνικά Apolytikion of the Resurrection: “Let all things above in heaven rejoice, and let all things below on earth be glad. With all the might and strength of His arm an eternal deed the Lord did perform. Beneath His feet He has trampled down death by death, and first born of the dead has He become. From the womb of Hades has He delivered us, and to all the world has granted His great redeeming mercy.” Apolytikion of the Holy Fathers: “Supremely blessed are You, O Christ our God. You established the Holy Fathers upon the earth as beacons, and through them You have guided us all to the true Faith, O greatly merciful One, glory to You.” Apolytikion of the Church: “Blessed are You, O Christ our Lord and God, You who made all wise the fishermen Your Apostles, sending down upon them Your Spirit, which is Holy and through their work drawing the world into Your net, glory to You Who loves mankind.” Kontakion: “A protection of Christians unshamable,* Intercessor to our Holy Maker, unwavering,* please reject not* the prayerful cries of those who are in sin.* Instead, come to us for you are good;* your loving help do bring to us,* who are crying in faith to you:* hasten to intercession* and speed now to supplication,* as a protection for all time,* Theotokos, for those who honor you.” Vigil Light in memory of Louis Chergotis, Ted and Peter Karagannis Sacraments and Rites Baptism: Today, the baptism for Isla Elizabeth, daughter of Kathryn and Robert Anderson-Leonard, will be celebrated. Godmother is Victoria Elizabeth Anderson. 40-Day Blessing: Today the churching of Blake, son of Zachery and Danielle Wacker, will be celebrated. Also the churching of Harris Andreas, son of Lia Papathomas and Anthony DiIonno, will be celebrated. Memorials: Your prayers are requested this morning at the memorial service for Kostas Xarhoulakos, 1 year. Liturgical Schedule Sunday, July 25, Orthros, 8:15 AM; Divine Liturgy, 9:30 AM The Fourth Ecumenical Council Held in Chalcedon Together, in 451, Emperor Marcian and Empress Pulcheria called another general council, this time on a far broader scale, to give the Church the opportunity to resolve the differences while still being completely faithful to the Nicene Creed. This illustrious council became known as the Fourth Ecumenical Council. With 630 bishops in attendance, it was the largest of all seven of the Ecumenical Councils. It was held in Chalcedon, not far from Constantinople, in Asia Minor. This council defended the teaching of Saint Cyril on the “hypostatic union” of Christ’s divine and human natures as expressed at the Council of Ephesus of 431. It also expressed the Antiochian emphasis on the genuine humanity of Jesus as expressed in the Formulary of Peace, as well as the Roman emphasis on the ongoing distinctiveness of the fully divine and fully human natures of Christ, as expressed in the language of Leo’s Tome. Indeed, when Leo’s Tome was read, all the bishops were reported to have cried out, “Peter has spoken through Leo!” But the Pope’s statement was not the last word. It also was subjected to scrutiny by the fathers at the Council, who decided to select parts of it to be woven into the Council’s final doctrinal definition. The Chalcedonian Definition states that Jesus Christ is indeed the Logos incarnate, the very Son of God “begotten of the Father before all ages” (Nicene Creed). It reaffirms that the Virgin Mary is truly Theotokos, since the one born from her “according to the flesh” in Bethlehem is the uncreated, divine Son of God, one of the Holy Trinity. In His human birth, the Council declared, the Word of God took to Himself the whole of humanity, becoming a real man in every way, but without sin. Thus, according to the Chalcedonian Definition, Jesus of Nazareth is one person or hypostasis in two natures—human and divine—united “without change, without confusion, without division, without separation.” He is fully human. He is fully divine. He is perfect God and perfect man. As God, He is “of one essence” (homoousios) with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. And as man, He is “of one essence” (homoousios) with all human beings, as the Formulary of Peace had declared. The union of divinity and humanity in Christ is called the hypostatic union. This expression means that in the one, unique person, or divine hypostasis, of Christ, divine nature and human nature are united in such a way that they are neither changed, nor confused, nor separated, nor divided. Christ is one Person Who is both human and divine. One and the same divine person (or hypostasis) is the Son of God and the Son of Mary. Prayer List Angela, Nick, Lindsey, Alexandria, Evdokia, Chris, Zach, Notis, Erica, Christina, Fran, Joan, Hellen, Joseph, Angela, Cleopatra, James, Rosa, George, Kathy, Stephanie, Theresa, Dorothy, Shannon, Jeff, Jeffrey, Rowena, Craig, Paul, John, Marien, John, Vasilia, Hellen, Na-talia, Angela, Katherine, Patricia, Lily, Thomas, Brennan, Elvira, Bill, Alicia, Diane, Dianna, Mi-chael, Nicholas, Pete, Ann, Amanda, Stephanie, Emma, Marco, Lisa, Margaret, Daniel, George, Ann, Dacia, Tonya, Susan, Chris, George, Eleni, Jim, Jean, Elliott, Priscilla, Maria, Vincent, Patricia, Harry, Andrea, Peter, Edward, Aristotelis, Anna, Elizabeth, Anna, Angela, John, Stephanie, Michael, Victor, Floarea, Andy, Ramon, Augusta, Donald, Gloria, Charles, Anastasia, Deborah, Fotini, Bill, Joan, Rose, Ashleigh, Tom, Andrea, Marc, Vasili, Dorka, Stavroula, Maroulla Notice to Parishioners Please check the church coat closet for coats/jackets/sweaters/suit that have been left behind. There is one blue suit and 11 other items that must be picked-up. Support the National Spiritual Father’s Campaign A Message from our Parish Council President To contribute please visit: www.supportourfathers.org to make direct payments. Registration link: app.campdoc.com/register/cgsn 2021 Stewardship Campaign Update Currently 316 Stewards have pledged $424,018! 2021 Stewardship Goal: $843,500 Current Pledges: $424,018 Funding Needed: $419,482 Orthodox Christian Stewardship Orthodox Christian Stewardship is a way of life that acknowledges our responsibility before God. A primary goal of Stewardship is spiritual growth. We become Stewards when we believe in God and begin to act on our beliefs. As Orthodox Christians, we acknowledge that every aspect of our life is a gift from Him. We are called to cheerfully offer back to God a portion of the gifts with which we have been blessed. How to become a member in Good Standing Step 1: A Stewardship Commitment Card must be filled out for every calendar year. Click the link below: • Stewardship Commitment Card • Visit the church website to learn more about the stewardship program, http://holytrinitywestfield.org/stewardship-program/ Step 2: Pay stewardship at the following link: • Donate Now (Please pledge before donating). Recurring stewardship donations or one-time donation can be made online. • Stewardship donations can also be made by check or cash using your Weekly Offering envelopes. The 2021 Stewardship Commitment Cards have been mailed to all parishioners. Please make every effort to submit your Stewardship Card today if you have not already. Your continued financial support will enable the church to minister to our parish and the community. We are counting on every parishioner to help provide the resources the church needs to carry out Christ’s mission. Thank you for your support! Apostolic Visit of His All Holiness This Fall My Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου! (Ψαλμός 117:25) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! (Psalm 117:25 LXX) With unsurpassed joy, we announce on the Feast of the Glorious Twelve, the Apostolic Visit of His All Holiness BARTHOLOMEW, Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch to the United States, October 23 – November 3, 2021. This Visit, the first in twelve years, will commence the day following the Thirtieth Anniversary of the Election of His All-Holiness as Ecumenical Patriarch, and include the same anniversary of His Enthronement on the venerable See of the First-Called Apostle Saint Andrew on November 2nd. The Apostolic Visit will inaugurate the Centennial Celebration of the founding of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (1922 – 2022), which will be observed next year across the country. The Ecumenical Patriarch will begin by being welcomed in our Nation’s Capital at the highest level of diplomatic and ecclesiastical dignity. The official itinerary will be shared in the coming weeks, and it will include a visit to the Metropolises of Pittsburgh and Chicago, with a major ecumenical event taking place at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. The Visit will conclude in New York City, and will culminate in a dedicatory “Opening of the Doors” of the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center on the very anniversary of his Enthronement as Ecumenical Patriarch.