Weekly Sunday Bulletin – September 2nd, 2018
14th Sunday of Matthew – September 2, 2018
Saint of the Day – Mammas the Martyr
Saint Mammas was from Gangra of Paphlagonia. He was born in prison, where his parents were suffering for Christ’s sake and ended their lives. He was named Mammas because, after he had long remained without speaking, he addressed his foster mother Ammia as “mamma.” He contested for Christ about the year 275.
Parish Council on Duty:
George Georgakakis, Karyl Zitis, Katherine Ziegler, Basil Economou, Michael Haralambis, John Clidas
Liturgical Guide
Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal First Mode
Τὸν συνάναρχον Λόγον Πατρὶ καὶ Πνεύματι…
Let us worship the Word, O ye faithful, praising Him that with the Father and the Spirit is co-beginningless God, Who was born of a pure Virgin that we all be saved; for He was pleased to mount the Cross in the flesh that He assumed, accepting thus to endure death. And by His glorious rising, He also willed to resurrect the dead.
Apolytikion for Martyrs Mammas in the Fourth Mode
Ο Μάρτυς σου Κύριε…
Thy Martyr, O Lord, in his courageous contest for Thee received the prize of the crowns of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal God. For since he possessed Thy strength, he cast down the tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons’ strengthless presumption. O Christ God, by his prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful.
Apolytikion of St. Demetrios in the Third Mode
Μέγαν εύρατο εv τοίς κιvδύvοις …
Greatness has been found in danger. You are champion of the world. A victor who could turn the nations back. You boldly encouraged Nestor to defeat Lyaeus in the arena. Therefore, holy great martyr Demetrios, intercede with Christ our God, to grant us His great mercy.
Seasonal Kontakion in the Fourth Mode
Ιωακείμ καί Άννα όνειδισμού ατεκνίας…
In your holy birth, Immaculate One, Joachim and Anna were rid of the shame of childlessness; Adam and Eve of the corruption of death. And so your people, free of the guilt of their sins, celebrate crying: “The barren one gives birth to the Theotokos, who nourishes our life.”
Epistle Reading ~
St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians 1:21-24; 2:1-4.
Brethren, it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has commissioned us; he has put his seal upon us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
But I call God to witness against me – it was to spare you that I refrained from coming to Corinth. Not that we lord it over your faith; we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith. For I made up my mind not to make you another painful visit. For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. For I wrote you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.
Gospel Reading ~
Matthew 22:2-14
The Lord said this parable, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast; but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves are killed, and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.’ But they made light of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment; and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Memorial
George Bacatselos (40 days) survived by his son Costas and by his brother Platon (Rita) Bakatselos and family.
Trisagion
Gus Stavrakis (40 days) survived by his wife Helen.
Maria Kirilova Peneva (1 yr) survived by her daughter Aneta Zlateva.
Fr. Andrew’s FYI
FYI today is adapted from a an article shared with me via a link by Paula Kirifides. It is by Susan Wright, an Orthodox Christian who has a program on ANCIENT FAITH RADIO-Orthodox Womanhood-helping women live out the ancient faith in the modern world. Well worth the read
Ways to Start the Church New Year Off Right
Are you ready for the new year? I don’t mean 2019–I mean the new Church year!
In the Orthodox Church, our liturgical new year begins on September 1st. At the beginning of a new year, we pray for God’s blessing, give thanks for all things, and enter into the year with a renewed zeal for the things of the Lord.
Practically speaking, however, how do we do this? How can we begin the new year with a focus on Christ and his Church? Here are a few ideas to get you started:
1. Create Spiritual Goals
One nice way to begin the new year is by creating some spiritual goals for yourself and your family. This should always be done under the guidance of your priest or spiritual father, who knows you and your family situation intimately.
There are often four areas that Orthodox Christians focus on: prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and study.
You may decide to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God Nurturer of Children each week. Or, maybe you want to create a binder with fasting recipes. Perhaps you’ll decide to volunteer as a family at a local charity. Or, you might choose to read one spiritual book each month. Whatever your goal may be, this can be a powerful way to begin the new year.
2. Clean Out the House
One place to begin when making a fresh start is with the physical home. Think of it as “spring cleaning” for the fall.
You can focus especially on the tasks of your home that support your spiritual life, if you’d like, such as:
-tidying up your icon corner
-organizing bookshelves with spiritual books
-taking inventory of items you need (more incense, a new children’s Bible that is age appropriate for your kids, a family prayer book, etc.)
This could also be a good time to collect unused or outgrown items and donate them to a charity. Make it a family project by having each child look through their collection of toys or books and selecting items to give away. Start the new year off with less clutter!
3. Establish Routines
Another way to create a fresh start with the new liturgical year is by establishing spiritual routines in your home. I would encourage you to start small and focus on getting one routine in place before beginning another. You could start with a personal and/or family prayer routine.
It can be easy, especially for new converts, to try to implement several new spiritual routines in the family life at once. This can often lead to burnout, frustration, and even resentment. Routines to focus on could include: praying evening prayers, reading a children’s Bible together each night, reading or listening to the story of the saint of the day, attending Vespers, or attending feast day liturgies.
4. Add Feast Days to the Family Calendar
One simple yet profound way to tie together the liturgical life of the Church and the day-to-day life of the family is to include Feast Days on the family calendar.
Go through all of the paper calendars in the house and write in the Feast Days. If the Fourth of July is on the calendar, shouldn’t the Feast of the Transfiguration be also?
If your family uses digital calendars, you can add Feast Days and fasting periods on those as well. In addition, if older children have planners for school, they can include the Church calendar on those too.
These simple activities can profoundly, and positively, impact the way that your family begins the new Church year.
Educational Ministries ~ Youth and Adults
St. Demetrios GOYA The first GOYA meeting will be today after the Divine Liturgy.
District GOYA Welcome Back Pool Party
Saturday, September 8 – 1-4pm ~Seasons of Boca Raton Clubhouse ~ 6540 NW 30th Ave Boca Raton FL 33496
$20 Per GOYAN, $7 per adult
What to Bring: Modest and Church event appropriate swimsuit (1 piece for girls, board shorts for boys), Towel, Dry Change of Clothes, Athletic Clothing (in order to play basketball/volleyball), Closed-toed Shoes REQUIRED for Basketball
Lunch Potluck: The event will begin with lunch in the clubhouse. We agreed at our District GOYA meeting to treat this like a “potluck” where each parish brings something for the lunch. Sides (Salad, Baked Beans to serve 130 people) – Saint Demetrios. Please email districtgoya@gmail.com or call Fr. Steven Klund at
(561) 994-4822 if you have any questions or issues.
Junior Choir Do you know what Katy Perry, John Legend, Kevin Costner, Carrie Underwood and Justin Timberlake have in common? They all started in the church choir! We are calling all future stars, young and old, to join the new Junior Choir. If you are interested, call Mona at (954) 240-3271.
Greek School The Greek School at St. Demetrios will offer six classes during the academic year 2018-19. Classes A’, B’, Γ’, Δ´ and Adult Beginner are scheduled to meet on Mondays from 4:15 to 6:00 PM. The Advanced Modern Greek class will meet from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Registration details will be announced as soon as the website is updated. For more information, please call the St. Demetrios office at 954-467-1515 Monday through Thursday. Welcome to all who wish to explore the Modern Greek language and its 3,000+ year history.
Σας προσκαλούμε στη μελέτη της ωραίας ελληνικής γλώσσας που έχει βαθειές ρίζες στην αρχαιότητα.
Youth Programs Volunteers Our community is blessed with a holistic youth program that includes Sunday School, Greek School, Dance, GOYA, HOPE/JOY and a Youth Library. All these programs need volunteers to share in the fulfilling work of educating our youngsters. All volunteers must fill out an application each year. Please pick up an application from the table in the south narthex and turn it in to the office or to the appropriate youth adviser.
Stewardship
What opportunities are there for Stewardship ?
- Enjoy a vibrant and faith-filled life at St. Demetrios·
- Be a good steward of the relationships God has given to you.
- Demonstrate good Stewardship in the workplace
- Plant a tree, turn out a light, clean up trash on a hiking trail
- Volunteer at St. Demetrios or at a local nonprofit
- Donate to St. Demetrios Church by participating in the Stewardship program.
Your financial stewardship provides the basic resources needed to operate and serve those within our parish.
Please support your church in year 2018 with your time, talent and treasure.
279 of your fellow parishioners/families have done so.
Don’t delay, pledge today!
Call the office for more information or fill out a pledge card.
Thank you!
Announcements
Guest Organist Thank you to Judy Jimokas; today’s guest organist.
Visiting Angels These caring parishioners visit the sick and the homebound. If you are interested in being a part of this ministry, call the church office. Please refer to the bulletin for upcoming meetings.
Philoptochos Philoptochos will be launching a new member drive. More details about their upcoming events next week.
Save the Date Sunday, September 9 is the start of youth and adult educational programs. There will be an Artoklasia, a welcome back Pastitsio luncheon and an honoring of our Archangel Michael nominees and honorees.
Large Hall Renovation Renovation The door to the DJ booth has been installed. Molding has been installed around the stage and throughout the room.
Car Donation Dr. Hionis has generously agreed to donate all proceeds from the sale of his 2006 Cadillac DTS with 66,000 miles to St. Demetrios. It has new tires and is in excellent condition. The asking price is $4,000. Please contact the church office or one of the Parish Council members if you are interested in purchasing this car while simultaneously helping St. Demetrios.
Calendar of Events for the Week
Sunday 9/02
9:00am/10:00am Orthros/Divine Liturgy
12:00pm GOYA meeting
Monday 9/03 Labor Day
Office closed
Thursday 9/06
1:00pm Philoptochos meeting
Saturday 9/08 Nativity of the Theotokos
9:00am/10:00am Orthros/Divine Liturgy
Sunday 9/09 Start of educational programs
Archangel Michael Honorees Celebration
9:00am/10:00am Orthros/Divine Liturgy
11:15am Sunday School
12:00pm Pastitsio Luncheon
12:30pm Greek dance
