Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost
Afterfeast of the Transfiguration St. Myron, Bishop of Crete
August 8, 2010 Tone 2
Epistle: 1 Cor. 9:2-12 Gospel: Matt. 18:23-35
Today’s Schedule
9:00AM Hours:
Greeters: Cindy Coomer
9:30AM Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
Epistle: Ryan Sima
Communion Aides:
Chapel Cleaners:
Treas. Aides:
11:00AM Fellowship
11:15AM Sunday School Teachers’ Meeting
Today’s Hymns
1st Antiphon: Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us!
2nd Antiphon: O Son of God who was transfigured on the mount, save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia!
Resurrection Hymn [Tone 2]: When thou didst descend to death, O Life Immortal, Thou didst slay hell with the splendor of Thy Godhead! And when from the depths Thou didst raise the dead, all the powers of heaven cried out: O Giver of Life! Christ our God! Glory to Thee!
Transfiguration Hymn [Tone 7]: Thou wast transfigured on the Mount, O Christ God. Revealing Thy glory to Thy disciples as far as they could bear it. Let Thine everlasting light shine upon us sinners! Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Giver of Light, glory to Thee!
Hymn of SS Peter and Paul: (Tone 4) O First-Enthroned of the Apostles! Teachers of the Universe! Entreat the Master of all, to grant peace to the world and great mercy to our souls!
Resurrection Hymn [Tone 2]: Hell became afraid, O Almighty Savior, seeing the miracle of Thy Resurrection from the tomb! The dead arose! Creation, with Adam, beheld this and rejoiced with Thee! And the world, O my Savior, praises Thee forever!
Transfiguration Hymn [Tone 7]: On the mountain wast Thou transfigured, O Christ God, and Thy disciples beheld Thy glory as far as they could see it; so that when they would behold Thee crucified, they would understand that Thy suffering was voluntary, and would proclaim to the world that Thou art truly the Radiance of the Father!
Prokeimenon: The Lord is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation!
Hymn to the Theotokos: Magnify, O my soul, the Lord was transfigured on Mount Tabor! Your birthgiving was incorruptible! God came from your body and appeared on earth in flesh, dwelling among men. Therefore we magnify you, O Theotokos!
EPISTLE: Brothers and Sisters… 1 Corinthians 9:2-12
If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. My defense to those who examine me is this: Do we have no right to eat and drink? Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock? Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain." Is it oxen God is concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ.
GOSPEL: Matthew 18:23-35
At that time, Jesus said to Peter, "Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, 'Pay what you owe.' So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."
THE UNFORGIVING SERVANT Because the man who did not forgive his debtor ten denarii did not injure his fellow slave but made himself liable to the debt of ten thousand talents of which he had formerly been absolved. Therefore, when we do not forgive others, we do not forgive ourselves. Let us not, then, merely say to God: ‘Do not remember our sins,’ but let all of us address to ourselves the words: ‘Let us not remember the offenses of our fellow slaves committed against us.’ (St. John Chrysostom, THE FATHERS OF THE CHURCH: St. John Chrysostom Homilies on St. John 1-47, Vol. 33, pg 400)
THE APOSTLES In sending them, remember, he said this: “See, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves,” something no less a marvel than the former one. After all, for those in the guise of sheep to prevail over wolves is no less remarkable than for those apprehended in the midst to overcome; but even more remarkable is for men twelve in number to win over the world. Exercise dominion in the midst of your foes. He did not say, “Conquer in the midst of your foes,” but Exercise dominion so as to indicate not the spoils coming from battle array but the lordship coming from command. After all, the apostles, having Christ within them, prevailed in the manner of people doing everything by command. Hence all doors were open to them, and the believers obeyed more compliantly than any slave, selling their possessions and laying the proceeds at the feet of the apostles, not presuming to take anything for their own needs. (St. John Chrysostom, Commentary on the Psalms, pg.18)
ST. PAUL INTERPRETING SCRIPTURE In today’s Epistle (1 Corinthians 9:2-12), St. Paul engages in a form of Scriptural interpretation which we might call allegory – he obviously rejects a literal reading of Deuteronomy 25:4, and gives the text a spiritual meaning. This form of “allegorical” interpretation of Scripture was commonly used by the first Christians.“…whatever language the Fathers use to describe their exegetical practice (and there is no great consistency here), they all interpret Scripture in a way we would call allegorical, and allegoria is the usual word the Latin Fathers use from the fourth century onwards to characterize the deeper meaning they are seeking in the Scriptures. Some of the Fathers, it is true, attack what they call allegory and its use; but what they are attacking are the results (particularly the results that Origen came up with) and not the method.… Even the Antiochen Fathers admit of a deeper spiritual meaning (which they call not allegoria but the ‘contemplative’ meaning—kata theorian).… the idea that the text means what the author meant it to mean—the idea, almost, that the meaning of a text is a past historical event—give us a sense that the meaning of a text is something objective, something unproblematic…(Augustine) takes it for granted that the meaning of a text is what the author intended (Andrew Louth, DISCERNING THE MYSTERY: AN ESSAY ON THE NATURE OF THEOLOGY, pp 96-98)
GOD GRANT MANY YEARS to Luke Wesley Smith, baptized on August 7 in the presence of his Godfather, A. Michael Schwaninger, and Great-Grandmother, Mary Spudich.
GOD GRANT THEM MANY YEARS
Birthday: Romulus Nedea, Dn. Steve Gresh
Anniversary: Brad and Aven Miter, Tim and Ann McLarnan
YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO Assumption Greek Orthodox Church to help celebrate their Patronal Feast commencing with Great Vespers this coming Saturday, August 14th at 7:00PM (we will not be holding Vespers at St. Paul’s that evening) followed by a reception provided by the Ladies Philoptochos Society. The church is located at 1127 E. High St., Springfield, OH 45505.
BIBLE STUDY AND ADULT EDUCATION
· FINDING HAPPINESS discussion group will next be meeting Wednesday, August 11 at 11:00AM and we’ll be discussing pages 137-155, “Anger.” Everyone is welcome to join the discussion whether or not you have read the book or participated previously.
AUGUST CHARITY This month's charity is being given to a local Dayton woman who was paralyzed in an accident - she has reached the life time maximum of her health insurance policy, and so the policy was terminated. Both her car and home have been repossessed by the bank. She is in need of some funds to help her with purchasing some personal items for her day to day life in a nursing home. Please do remember in your prayers, those made destitute because of illness or injury, those in nursing homes who are wards of the state, those impoverished by disasters of any kind.
THANK YOU for the compassionate response of your parish to the people of Haiti...Six months after a deadly earthquake claimed tens of thousands of lives in Haiti, CWS remains at work assisting Haitians in their long, slow process of recovery. You and your community are a part of that ongoing story, thanks to the CWS Kits you helped to provide when we needed them most...We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support we have received from Orthodox parishes across the United States...Yours in Christ, Rev. John L. McCullough, Executive Director and CEO (Church World Service)
DONATIONS FOR ST. VINCENT DE PAUL Elizabeth Wiese is working on her Girl Scout bronze award and is collecting donations. The bronze award is the highest award a junior girl scout can earn. Her bronze award project is to help St. Vincent de Paul Women’s and Family Shelter by providing their residents with personal health care kits. She is asking for donations of items she needs to assemble the health care kits that will contain a small size soap, shampoo, shower shoes, razor, washcloth, etc. She is posting a complete list of items she needs on the bulletin board. There will be a box in the coat room. Collection will end in the end of August, Aug 29th. If you have any questions please ask Elizabeth or her mom Kerrie .
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Icon Exhibit: The Gift of Transfiguration:
Changed Life and Lives
What: An exhibition of more than 100 icons, both ancient & new
When: 10 AM to 6 PM on Friday, August 20th
10 AM to 6 PM on Saturday, August 21st
12- 5 PM on Sunday, August 22
Where: St. Paul’s Sanctuary
How much? Free and open to the public
Bonus: Orthodox Bishop of Pittsburgh, His Grace, Bishop Melchizedek, will preside at a choral vespers on August, 21, at 7 PM and will offer a reflection on the meaning of icons at 8PM, followed by a small reception. On Sunday August 22, the Bishop will celebrate the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom at 9:30 AM, followed by a service of blessing for the new icons at 11:00 AM, and a reception in the parish hall at 11:30 AM.
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO: (sign-up sheets on bulletin board)
· Take charge of the “Cookie Table” for the Icon Exhibit, which includes organizing volunteer bakers.
· Bake (or donate) cookies for the Icon Exhibit.
· Physically be present in the church building during the hours of the Exhibit.
ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEERS needed to copy and collate our new directory. Please speak with Mary Kay Smith or email office@stpdayton.org.
FROM FR. TED’S BLOG
Reading the Scriptures: The Role of Prayer In the current blog series on reading the Bible; should have links to the other blogs in the series
This Week’s Schedule DORMITION FAST
Monday, August 9 Apostle Matthias and Glorification of Ven. Heman of Alaska
2 Cor. 5:10-15 Mark 1:9-15
8:30AM Matins
9:15AM Office Hours
Tuesday, August 10 Holy Martyr and Archdeacon Lawrence of Rome (258)
2 Cor. 5:15-21 Mark 1:16-22
Wednesday, August 11 Holy Martyr and Archdeacon Euplus of Catania (304)
2 Cor. 6:11-16 Mark 1:23-28
8:30AM Matins
9:15AM Office Hours
11:00AM Adult Discussion: FINDING HAPPINESS pages 137-155, “Anger”
Thursday, August 12 Martyrs Anicletus and Photius of Nicomedia (305-306)
2 Cor. 7:1-10 Mark 1:29-35
Friday, August 13 St. Tikhon, Bishop of Vorónezh (1783)
2 Cor.7:10-16 Mark 2:18-22
8:30AM Matins
9:15AM Office Hours
Saturday, August 14 Prophet Micah (8th c. B.C.)
1 Cor. 1:26-29 Matt. 20:29-34
7:00PM Great Vespers and Artoclasia: Assumption Greek Church, Springfield, OH
7:40PM Reception
Sunday, August 15 The Dormition of Our Most-Holy Lady,
Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary
Phil 2:5-11 Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28
9:00AM Hours:
Greeters:
9:30AM Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
Epistle: Mark Pearson
Communion Aides:
Chapel Cleaners:
Treas. Aides:
11:00AM Fellowship