Weekly Sunday Bulletin – 16th Sunday of Luke

Apolytikion Pl. Δ

Ἐξ ὕψους κατῆλθες ὁ εὔσπλαγχνος…
From on high did You descend O merciful Lord. For us did You endure three days in the tomb. That we may be, released from passions in this world. You who are our resurrection and our life, glory unto you O Lord!

Apolytikion for Apodosis of Presentation

Rejoice, thou who art full of grace, O Virgin Theotokos, for from thee hath risen the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, enlightening those in darkness. Rejoice, thou also, O righteous Elder, as thou receivest in thine arms the Redeemer of our souls, Who also granteth unto us the Resurrection.

Apolytikion for St. Demetrios

Μέγαν εύρατο εv τοίς κιvδύvοις…
The world found in you a great champion in dangers a victor who could turn the nations back! As you restrained Levi in the arena, you also inspired Nestor to courage! Therefore, holy, great martyr, Demetrios, entreat Christ God to grant us great mercy!

Kontakion

Ό μήτραν παρθενικήν…
Your birth sanctified a Virgin’s womb and fittingly blessed the hands of Symeon. You have now come and saved us O Christ, our God. In troubled times, as the only loving One, give peace to Your commonwealth and strength to those in civil authority, whom You love.

Memorial

Irene Loulakis (40 days) survived by her son Nicholas (Evangelia) and grandchildren Maria, Steven and Irene

Trisagia

George J. Demis (40 days) survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, brother and sister Helen Stavrakis

Richard Kondel (3yrs) survived by his brother George and sister Helen and brother-in-law Leander and niece Katherine

James and Pauline Kondel parents of George Kondel

Josephine Papadales (11yrs) survived by son Basil and grandson Michael

Irene Athanasakos (15yrs) survived by daughters Antonia Hyland, Elizabeth Athanasakos, son Van (Carol) Athanasakos , 4 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren

Rose (Zoe) Patounis (24yrs) survived by his son Paul (Candace) and granddaughter Nicole

Triodion Begins Today

Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee

The Pharisees were an ancient and outstanding sect among the Jews known for their diligent observance of the outward matters of the Law. Although, according to the word of our Lord, they “did all their works to be seen of men” (Matt. 23:5), and were hypocrites (ibid. 23: 13, 14, 15, etc.), because of the apparent holiness of their lives they were thought by all to be righteous, and separate from others, which is what the name Pharisee means. On the other hand, Publicans, collectors of the royal taxes, committed many injustices and extortions for filthy lucre’s sake, and all held them to be sinners and unjust. It was therefore according to common opinion that the Lord Jesus in His parable signified a virtuous person by a Pharisee, and a sinner by a Publican, to teach His disciples the harm of pride and the profit of humble-mindedness.

Since the chief weapon for virtue is humility, and the greatest hindrance to it is pride, the divine Fathers have set these three weeks before the Forty-day Fast as a preparation for the spiritual struggles of virtue. This present week they have called Harbinger, since it declares that the Fast is approaching; and they set humility as the foundation for all our spiritual labors by appointing that the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee be read today, even before the Fast begins, to teach, through the vaunting of the Pharisee, that the foul smoke of self-esteem and the stench of boasting drives away the grace of the Spirit, strips man of all his virtue, and casts him into the pits of Hades; and, through the repentance and contrite prayer of the Publican, that humility confers upon the sinner forgiveness of all his wicked deeds and raises him up to the greatest heights.

All foods are allowed the week that follows this Sunday.

Great Lent 2014 A synchronous year for East and West

2014 is a year where Eastern and Western Christianity celebrate Pascha (Easter) on the same date, April 20! While Pascha is the same date, Great Lent begins some time apart, on March 5 (Ash Wednesday) for the West, but on February 9 (the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee) of the Triodion, the preparatory weeks leading up to Lent begins. Besides looking at the calendar, how do you know when the Triodion begins? We’re often asked “What is the chant playing on the Liturgica.com home page?” The answer is that it’s the “Glory and Now” from Matins that preceeds the signal hymn of the Sundays of the Triodion:
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit………….Open to me, O giver of life, the gates of repentance……
That statement sets the tone for the Triodion. The following Sunday, the Sunday of the Prodigal Son introduces another hymn limited to the Triodion: Psalm 136.
By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. Alleluia.
So now two key themes have been introduced to help us prepare for Lent itself: repentance and restoration. And, with that in mind, here are four recordings for the period of the Triodion and Great Lent, which begin with these themes and then build across the entire Lenten period. All four are Eastern Orthodox, three in English, oen in Greek, as there are no recently released Lenten recordings in Western chant forms.
We wish you a spiritually productive and blessed Lenten season.

Epistle Reading

The Reading is from St. Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy 3:10-15

TIMOTHY, my son, you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions, my sufferings, what befell me at Antioch, at lconion, and at Lystra, what persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceivers and deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Gospel Reading

Luke 18:10-14
Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee

The Lord said this parable, “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”