SS.

kosmas & damianos Orthodox Church (goa)

703 W. Center Street, Rochester, MN (507) 282-1529 http://www.holyanargyroi.org church@holyanargyroi.org Rev. Fr. Mark Muoz, Proistamenos
/APOLYTIKIA FOR TODAY , , , . , . , , , , . Though the tomb was sealed by the Judeans and soldiers guarded Your pure body, You arose, O Savior, on the third day giving life to the world. Therefore, O Giver of life, the heavenly powers praise You: Glory to Your resurrection O Christ, Glory to your Kingdom, Glory to Your dispensation, O Lover of mankind.
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Thy Martyrs, O Lord, in their courageous contest for Thee received as the prize the crowns of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal God. For since they possessed Thy strength, they cast down the tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons' strengthless presumption. O Christ God, by their prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful. /KONTAKION FOR TODAY , , , , , , . , , , , . O Protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, mediation unto the Creator most constant: despise not the suppliant voices of those who have sinned; but be quick, O good one, to come unto our aid who in faith cry unto you: Hasten to intercede, and speed to make supplication, you who ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honor you.

3rd Sunday of luke

Sts. Sergius & Bacchus the Martyrs October 7th, 2012

Todays scripture readings

Epistle reading

St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians 9:6-11 BRETHREN, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work. As it is written, "He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever." He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your resources and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for great generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

Gospel pericope

Luke 7:11-16 At that time, Jesus went to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large crowd from the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." And he came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all; and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and "God has visited his people!" _____________________________________________________________________________ Today the Lords Prayer will be recited in English, Greek, Slavonic, Arabic, Aramaic, Romanian, and Spanish; the Trisagion Hymn will be chanted by Father in Arabicrepresenting and elevating the pan-Orthodox character of our parish family!

COMMUNION PRAYERS
I believe and confess, Lord, that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, Who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. I also believe that this is truly Your pure Body and that this is truly Your precious Blood. Therefore, I pray to You. Have mercy upon me, and forgive my transgressions, voluntary and involuntary, in word and deed, known and unknown. And make me worthy without condemnation to partake of Your pure Mysteries for the forgiveness of sins and life eternal. Amen. Behold, my Maker, I approach Holy Communion. Burn me not as I partake, for You are fire which burns the unworthy, but cleanse me from every stain. Receive me today, Son of God, as a partaker of Your mystical Supper. I will not reveal Your mystery to Your enemies, nor will I give You a kiss as did Judas. But as the thief I confess to You: Lord, remember me in Your kingdom. Seeing the Divine Blood, have fear, O man, for it is coal that burns the unworthy. It is Gods Body that deifies and nourishes me; it deifies the spirit and nourishes the mind mystically. You have smitten me with yearning, O Christ, and with Your divine love You have changed me. Burn away my sins with spiritual fire and make me worthy to be filled with Your joy, that rejoicing in Your goodness, I may magnify Your two Comings. How shall I, who am unworthy, enter into the splendor of Your saints? If I dare to enter the bridal chamber, my clothing will accuse me, since it is not a wedding garment; and being bound up, I shall be cast out by the angels. In Your love, Lord, cleanse the vileness of my soul and save me. Loving Master, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, let not these holy Gifts be to my condemnation because of my unworthiness, but for the cleansing and sanctification of soul and body and the pledge of the future life and kingdom. It is good for me to cling to God and to place in Him the hope of my salvation. Receive me today, Son of God, as a partaker of Your mystical Supper. I will not reveal Your mystery to Your enemies. Nor will I give You a kiss as did Judas. But as the thief I confess to You: Lord remember me in Your kingdom.

Announcements
Liturgical/Program Schedule:
TODAY: Philoptochos Enrollment Sunday & Loukoumades Mon. Oct. 8th: AC/DC, Gospel of St. Luke, 6pm (books are now available!) Wed. Oct. 10th: GOYA Faith Night, 6pm Sat. Oct. 13th: Great Vespers, 6pm Sun. Oct. 14th: Youth Team Meeting after Liturgy Philoptochos Enrollment Sunday: Please join us for fellowship, Loukoumathes, and coffee in the
church hall following liturgy TODAY. The Philoptochos Society is welcoming new members. All Orthodox Christians (including men) and non-Orthodox Christians (who are married to Orthodox Christians) are encouraged to join. Your enrollment supports the Philoptochos Society and our mission work. Please consider this donation. Thank you! Do you enjoy sharing your Faith with others?: Christ Lutheran Church has asked our parish to assist them in an event in Dec. in which they will highlight Orthodox Christmas traditions from around the world. It is a one-time event and a chance for us to set a good example for Orthodoxy. There will be a planning meeting on Oct 8th at Christ Lutheran Church in Byron at 7pm. If you are interested; please see Calli or email: callikelly@pitel.net. Thank you. NEED HELP? Do you have any yard work or lawn mowing needs? Could you use a hand with a simple project around the house? If so, consider hiring our GOYAns as we raise funds for our next mission trip with Project Mexico. Please see Halina or Mike with any questions and to set up a project date. By email: woroncow.halina@mayo.edu; mbrekke@racmn.com. We want to help! Thank you!

HOW TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNIONOrthodox

Christians in good standing are encouraged to receive Holy Communion frequently, provided they have prepared themselves spiritually, mentally and physically. They must be on time for the Divine Liturgy, and be in a Christ-like, humble state of mind. They should be in a confession relationship with their priest or spiritual father, have observed the fasts of the Church, and they should have self-examined their conscience. On the day of receiving Holy Communion, it is not proper to eat or drink anything before coming to church. When you approach to receive Holy Communion, state your Christian (baptismal) name clearly, and hold the red communion cloth to your chin. After receiving, wipe your lips on the cloth, step back carefully, hand the cloth to the next person and make the sign of the Cross as you step away. Please do not be in a rush while communing! Please take special care not to bump the Holy Chalice.

Pearls from the Desert

What is more precious than anything in the world? Time! And what do we waste uselessly and without being sorry? Time! What do we not value and what do we disregard more than anything? Time! When we waste time, we lose ourselves Time is given by God to use correctly for the salvation of the soul and the acquisition of the life to come The Lord will call us to account for having stolen time for our own whims, and for not using it for God and our souls. St. Sebastian of Optina

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Todays liturgical commemorations

The Holy Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus:
These holy and wonderful martyrs and heroes of the Christian Faith were at first noblemen at the court of Emperor Maximian. The emperor himself esteemed them greatly because of their courage, wisdom and fidelity. But when the emperor heard that his two noblemen were Christians, his love for them turned into rage. Once, when there was a great sacrificial offering to idols, the emperor demanded that Sergius and Bacchus offer sacrifices with him, but they openly refused to obey the emperor in this. Beside himself with rage, the emperor commanded that their military garments, rings and emblems be stripped from them and that they be dressed in women's clothing. He then placed iron hoops around their necks and paraded them through the streets of the city of Rome, to be mocked by everyone. Afterward, he sent them to Antiochus, his deputy in Asia, for torture. Antiochus had risen to his position with Sergius and Bacchus's help, as they had at one time recommended him to the emperor. When Antiochus implored them to deny Christ and save themselves from dishonorable suffering and death, these saints replied: ``Both honor and dishonor, both life and death-all are the same to him who seeks the Heavenly Kingdom.'' Antiochus cast Sergius into prison and ordered that Bacchus be tortured first. His minions took turns beating the holy Bacchus until his whole body was broken. Bacchus's holy soul departed his broken and bloodied body, and in the hands of angels was borne to the Lord. St. Bacchus suffered in the town of Barbalissos. Then St. Sergius was led out and shod in iron shoes with inward-protruding nails. He was driven, on foot, to the town of Rozapha, in Syria, and was beheaded there with the sword. His soul went to Paradise where, together with his friend Bacchus, he received a crown of immortal glory from Christ, his King and Lord. These two wondrous knights of the Christian Faith suffered in about the year 303.

Adult religious ed

Adult Catechism Developing Communion

Join us Monday, oct. 8th 6:00pm @ church For fellowship and study As we begin a new class:

the gospel of st. luke: good news for the poor

Orthodoxys worship- by fr George metallinos

The Divine Liturgy is the centre of ecclesiastic worship in whole, culminating in the Divine Eucharist, the centre of Orthodox life, experience and conscience. According to Fr. Al. Schmemann, a major liturgiologist of our time, the Divine Liturgy can be regarded as a journey or a course that eventually leads us to our final destination, during which course every stage is equally important. This course begins, from the moment that the faithful leave their homes to go to the liturgical assembly. The assembling of the body is the first and fundamental act that introduces the faithful into the new world that God instituted in History, i.e., the Church. The faithful assemble inside the temple, in order to participate in the Liturgy, along with all of the Saints and their brethren in Christ both the living and the departed. This act culminates in the Minor Entrance, during which all of the assembly, along with the Bishop, journey towards the celestial sacrificial altar. One cannot be perceived a Christian, outside the liturgical assembly. In times of persecutions, the Christians placed themselves in great danger in order to participate in the assemblies of the local communities. The expression I belong to the Church means: I participate in Her liturgical assemblies; because it is through them, that the here and now of the ecclesiastic body manifests itself. It is the synagog (=the gathering together) of the people of God in which even the catechumens and the repentant also participate to a certain extent - and not just an elite of chosen ones. The faithful constantly deposit their sinfulness before the Divine Love, so that it may be transformed, through repentance, into sanctity. That is why the Holy Fathers recommend frequent participation in the liturgical assemblies; because that is how the powers of Satan are undone ..... in the congruence of the faith (Saint Ignatius the God-bearer, 107). In the first part of the Liturgy, up to the end of the Scriptural recitations, it was the custom for the catechumens to also participate, which is why it was called the Liturgy of the Catechumens. The remaining part is called the Liturgy of the Faithful, and it contains the Sacrament of the Divine Eucharist, whose main characteristic is the sacrifice. The Eucharist is a theophany (a manifestation of God), and as such, it transforms all of Creation into a theophany. With the Divine Eucharist, the Church offers Her bloodless sacrifice. The faithful offer Gods gifts (Thine own, of Thine own, do we offer Thee), confessing their unworthiness and their spiritual poverty ( ..... for we have done nothing good on earth .....). The only reciprocation to Gods gifts that we can offer is to consciously subject ourselves to Divine Love. The Divine Eucharist is not a prayer or a ritual like other services. It is the mystery of Christs actual presence in the midst of His praying Church. It is firstly Christs Eucharist (=thanksgiving), then it becomes ours also, because, without ceasing to be co-seated with the Father on high, Christ is also simultaneously here below, invisibly, with

us. According to the blessed Chrysostom, Whensoever (the faithful) receives Holy Communion with a clean conscience, he is performing Pascha (Easter) ... There is nothing more in the Sacrament performed for Pascha, than in the Sacrament now being performed. By partaking of Christs humanity (=human nature), which is distinctly and indivisibly joined to His Godhood, the faithful receives inside him all of Christ and becomes joined to Him in this way. In the Divine Eucharist, the ecclesiastic body experiences a perpetuated Pentecost. Pentecost, Eucharist and Synod in the life of the Church are all linked to the actual presence of Christ in the Holy Spirit. This is what our liturgical language also expresses; we speak of spiritual mysteries, spiritual sacrifice, worship in the spirit, spiritual table, spiritual body, spiritual food and drink, etc. Everything becomes spiritual during the Divine Liturgy, not in the sense of a certain idealizing or immaterializing on our part, but on account of the actual presence of the Holy Spirit therein. Above all, however, the Divine Eucharist becomes the sacrament of unification of the Church. Those participating in it become ONE in Christ (Galatians 3:28), through the unity of their hearts (in one voice and one heart ....). That is what the Apostle Paul teaches in his Epistle I to Corinthians (10:15-17). The one ecclesiastic body relates therein to the Eucharist bread: For we, the many, are one bread, one body. This is why it is such a contradiction, when all of the faithful do not receive Holy Communion, even though all of them have heard the Eucharist-thanksgiving prayers in preparation of Holy Communion... Holy Communion transmits Christs life into each member, so that it may live in Christ, together with all the other members. Saint Simeon the New Theologian sees this union with Christ as a lifting of Mans solitude: For the one participating in the divine and deifying graces is in no way alone, but with You, my Christ, the three-sunned light, which lights the entire world ... . With Holy Communion, the individuals become members of the Lords Body and thereafter, individual survival mutates into a communion of life. Ever since the first centuries, the very existence of the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified (Gifts) verifies the need to participate in the Divine Eucharist. Naturally, none of the above occurs through any kind of automation, but only when the participants live the life of an ecclesiastic body. That is why he who eats and drinks unworthily, is eating and drinking of a crime unto himself (Corinthians I, 11:29). During the Divine Liturgy, the Church is literally lifted to the heavens, partaking of the death, the Resurrection and the Ascension of Christ and living Her own ascension into the heavenly realm. And You have not abstained from doing everything, until You have lifted us all to heaven and bestowed us with Your future kingdom ..., we confess during the Liturgy. The Liturgy becomes the Paschal gathering of all those who encounter the Lord and enter His kingdom. The worship of the Church is thus directed by the historical past of Divine Providence, to the confirmed-in-Christ future.