June 16, 2002Today: Sunday, June 16, 2002 - Sunday of the Holy Fathers
Κυριακή των Αγίων Πατέρων
THE EPISTLE READING: Acts of the Apostles 20:16-18; 28-36
THE GOSPEL READING: Saint John 17:1-13
Saint of the Day: The Holy Father Tychon, Bishop of Cyprus
Church Calendar:
Church Calendar
Saturday, June 22 Saturday of the Souls Orthros 8:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy 9:30 a.m.
10:45 a.m. Pinecrest Cemetery 11:30 a.m. Beechwood Cemetery
Sunday. June 23 Sunday of the Pentecost Orthros 8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy 9:45 a.m.
Monday, June 24 Monday of the Holy Spirit Orthros 8:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy 9:30 a.m.
Saturday, June 29 Saints Peter and Paul Orthros 8:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy 9:30 a.m.
Sunday, June 30 All Saints Day Orthros 8:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy 9:30 a.m.
Readings:
Today’s Epistle
Verse: Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our Fathers.
For you are just in all you have done.
The reading is from the Acts of the Apostles.
Chapter 20: 16-18; 28-36
In those days Paul had decided to sail past Ephesos, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. And from Miletos he sent to Ephesos and called to him the elders of the church. And when they came to him, he said to them: Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you guardians, to feed the church of the Lord which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
Today’s Gospel: Saint John: 17:1-13
At that time, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify thee, since thou hast given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. I glorified thee on earth, having accomplished the work which thou gavest me to do; and now, Father glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made.
“I have manifested thy name to the men whom thou gavest me out of the world; thine they were, and thou gavest them to me, and they have kept thy work. Now they know that everything that thou hast given me is from thee; for I have given them the works which thou gavest me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from thee; and they have believed that thou didst send me. I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom thou hast given me, for they are thine; all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou has given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in thy name, which thou hast given me; I have guarded them, and one of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they many have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
Jesus came down from heaven as the Eternal Son of the Father, but when He went to the seat of honour and glory at God’s right hand, He took with Him our human nature. He returned to His Father as God-man. It was our nature in everything except its sin, that sat down at the right hand of God. The Son of God descended to become one of us and ascended to enable us to ascend with Him. Through the ascension and enthronement of Christ, all human nature has been enthroned at the right hand of the Father. Since the manhood of Jesus was taken up to the heavenly places, our manhood will also be taken up. The Ascension is proof that man was made for heaven not for the grave, for glory not for corruption. St. Paul does not hesitate to describe Christians as “enthroned above the heavens, in Christ Jesus.”
Anthony Coniaris . Daily Vitamins for Spiritual Growth Vol 1 p.163
The Fathers of the Church
The great defenders of Nicene Orthodoxy were Saint Athanasius the Great, bishop of Alexandria and the Cappadocian bishops, Saint Basil the Great, his brother Saint Gregory of Nyssa and their friend Saint Gregory Nazianzen. These fathers of the Church taught and explained the true Christian faith, suffering greatly for their defense of the central doctrine of Orthodox Christianity, that God is the Most Holy Trinity: three uncreated and divine persons of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, in one and the same uncreated, divine nature.
Past Bulletins:
- November 16, 2003
- November 9, 2003
- January 19, 2003
- January 12, 2003
- January 5, 2003
- June 23, 2002
- June 16, 2002
- June 9, 2002
- June 2, 2002
- May 19, 2002
- May 26, 2002
- May 12, 2002
- April 14, 2002
- April 21, 2002
- April 28, 2002
- April 7, 2002
Church office:
225-8117
Father Alex's personal line: 225-5060
Life threatening emergency answering service: 239-4736
