FATHER DEMETRI TSIGAS cell phone: Orthros: 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy: 10:00 AM Fellowship Hour: Noon

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1 SAINT KATHERINE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 5965 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne, Florida Church Phone: (321) fax (321) Church hall: (321) website: FATHER DEMETRI TSIGAS cell phone: Orthros: 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy: 10:00 AM Fellowship Hour: Noon Church office hours: Mon. through Fri. 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. / Sat. closed & Sun. closed during Liturgy ~ VISION & MISSION STATEMENT ~ Our Vision (dream) is to be a growing, loving, united Orthodox Christian family open to all. Our Mission (job) is to grow our faith in Christ through love and respect, with humility and forgiveness. Sunday, MAY 31, 2015 Festal Morning Gospel Eighth Sunday of Pascha SUNDAY OF PENTECOST Hermeias of the 70 Apostles Martyr Eusebios ~ Welcome to Our Guests ~ We are delighted that you are with us today. Please keep in mind that according to the Holy Canons and teachings of the Orthodox Church, you must be a baptized and chrismated member of the Orthodox faith in good standing in order to receive Holy Communion. You are welcome to receive a portion of the blessed bread (antidoron) distributed at the end of the Divine Liturgy. Please join us for coffee hour following services.

2 Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom Ἀπολυτίκιον Πεντικοστής - Ήχος Πλ. Δ - p Εὐλογητὸς εἶ Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν ὁ πανσόφους τοὺς ἀλιεῖς ἀναδείξας, καταπέψας αὐτοῖς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ δι αὐτῶν τὴν οἰκουμένην σαγηνεύσας, φιλάνθρωπε, δόξα σοι. (3) Apolytikion of Pentecost - Plagal 4th Mode - p Blessed are You, O Christ our God. You made wise men of poor fishermen by sending down upon them Your Holy Spirit, and through them You caught the whole world. O Lover of mankind, glory to You. Κοντάκιον - Ήχος Πλ. Δ - p Ὅτε καταβὰς τὰς γλώσσας συνέχεε, διεμέριζεν ἔθνη ὁ Ὕψιστος ὅτε τοῦ πυρὸς τὰς γλώσσας διένειμεν, εἰς ἑνότητα πάντας ἐκάλεσε, καὶ συμφώ νως δοξάζομεν τὸ πανάγιον Πνεῦμα. Kontakion for Pentecost - Plagal 4th Mode - p When he came down and confused the tongues of men, the Most High divided the nations. But in sending forth parted tongues of flame He called all mankind to unity that with one accord we might glorify His all Holy Spirit. The Reading is from the Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11 WHEN THE DAY of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondered, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontos and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visi- 2

3 tors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." The Reading is from The Gospel of John 7:37-52; 8:12 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, "If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, 'Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.'" Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. When they heard these words, some of the people said, "This is really the prophet." Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the scripture said that the Christ is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?" So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. The officers then went back to the chief priest and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why did you not bring him?" The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this man!" The Pharisees answered them, "Are you led astray, you also? Have any of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, who do not know the law, are accursed." Nikodemos, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, "Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?" They replied, "Are you from Galilee too? Search and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee." Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Today we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, which happened and is always celebrated 50 days after the Resurrection of our Lord. At Pentecost, the disciples received the Holy Spirit as tongues of fire, fulfilling the promise that Christ had given them while He was still with them. This spirit was the Comforter who would lead them into the fullness of the Truth concerning God and would be for them their final preparatory gift from God for their ministry. As Orthodox Christians we each receive the seal of the Holy Spirit when we are chrismated into the Faith. This is our personal Pentecost. This feast reminds us of our apostolic calling as baptized and chrismated members of the Church-to spread the Gospel in word and deed wherever we happen to find ourselves in the world. 3

4 Please pray for our: Spiritual Leaders: Patriarch Bartholomew; Archbishop Demetrios; Metropolitan Alexios; & Fr. Demetri Civil Leaders: President Barack Obama, US Congress & Supreme Court; Governor Rick Scott; all our civil authorities and our armed forces. Parish Leadership: Parish Council & Philoptochos members, Chanters & Choir, Sunday & Greek School teachers and students, our Youth Group leaders and children. Those who are sick, awaiting surgery, recovering from surgery, in need of prayers and/or shut in: Pauline Porch, Sophia Tenreiro, Alexandra Diamond, Peter Katsoulas, Mae Charos, Joyce Ninos, Theresa Sempepos, Peter & Dorothy Pappademetriou, Nicholas, Gus Drivas, Bill & Ellen Werner, Olga, Despina Kalimnios, Ashley, Elias Corpas, Nazieh & Yvonne Yacoub, Savannah & Zander Kelly, Vada Ganakos, Mirsini Sirounis, Katherine, Don, Penny, Princeton, Suzanne Orosz, Faye Nicholas, Gerry & Chris, Veton, Mark, Spiros Catechis, Ayad Saad & family, JoAnne Macheras, John Cominos, Van Katehakis, Lisa Waddell, Michael Donohue, Angela DeCosta, Marlaine Manus, Ann Prieston, Anna, Kris Stamatis, Anastasia, Kyriaki, Renee, Olga Taran, George & Sue Kanazeh, John Paul Figari, Matina, Gabriel & Markos Pongpipat, George, Mirek, James Burkhardt, Maria, Mary Katsenes, Maria, Lisa, Sylvia Demopoulos, Alexandra, Merielle, Joyce Stavrakis, Taylor Pappas, Mike Niscia, Pam Hogan, Despina, Peggy & Rosemary George, Connie Ortolani, Maria Brewster, Iakovos, Efstratia, Sarah Wells, Ann Figari, Jan & Mary. For those expecting: Spyros & Sarah Nomikos, Olga & Doug Weber For those with new babies: Those serving in the Military: Joseph Abadiotakis, Jr., Elias Panayiotis Maldonado, Nicholas Tsamoutales, Yanni Tshontikidis, Harold David Ballard, Samuel Joseph III, Nicholas Cannaverde, Travis Hunter, Ethan Macheras, Matthew Ryan Stinnett, James Christian Figari. For peace in the Middle East and the protection of Christians in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan & predominantly Muslim lands. For the protection and freedom of the kidnapped Metropolitan Boulos Yazigi and Archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim, both of Aleppo, Syria. Those preparing for Marriage: Andrew Roman & Evangelia Fotopoulos, Sotiria Tutzarakis & Matthew Stinnett, Nicolas Melitas & Julie Noble. Those preparing for Ordination: Dan Kennedy College Students: Arianna Bendlin, Telly Galanopoulos, Tony Galanopoulos, Alyssa Giglio, Sade Jelani, Jamila Jelani, Alyssa Karas, Marianthi Karas, Peter Karas, Kimberley Koines, Dana Marie Koines, Jennifer Loso, Esther Muradov, Tommy Panouses, Ashley P. Buckles, James Petersen, Catherine Psarakis, Kathleen Rogers, George Saad, Noha Saliba, Catie Sergis,, Costas Stathis, Alex Stathis, Mary Jane Tutzarakis, Elizabeth Gaherty, Brandon Kitsopoulos, Melanie Niarhos, Ronnie Rickard, Jessica Saad. (If you know of anyone that should be added to this list, please call the Church office.) 4

5 ~ TODAY ~ Welcome Fr. Konstantine & Presvytera Spyridoula Tsigas KNEELING PRAYERS WILL BE READ FOLLOWING DIVINE LITURGY see p. 11 ~ Upcoming Liturgies & Events ~ THIS WEEK IS FAST FREE Thurs., June 4th - Pizza with the Priest (and Presvytera) at their home for Junior & Senior HS & College Students. See p. 6 for more info Sat., June 6th - Philoptochos End of Year Luncheon at Victoria s at 1 pm on Merritt Island. Please call Despina if you would like to attend. Mon., June 8th - Apostles Fast Begins Sun., June 14th - Give Me Liberty Conference 5 pm See p. 10 for more information Wed., June 24th - Nativity of St. John the Baptist Orthros 9am Divine Liturgy 10 am June 24-27th - Clergy Laity & Metropolis Philoptochos Conference Columbia SC Mon., June 29th - Synaxis of the Holy Apostles - Orthros 9 am Divine Liturgy 10 am Please turn your cell phones & pagers off or on vibrate before entering Church 5

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7 We are keeping the feast of Pentecost and of the Coming of the Spirit, and the appointed time of the Promise, and the fulfillment of our hope. St. Gregory Nazianzen, On The Holy Pentecost This Sunday we celebrate the beginning of the history of the Church on the fiftieth day after Pascha. The Feast Day of Pentecost is the day of the appearance of the Spirit of God in the Church. Today we celebrate the fulfillment of the Resurrection. The Lord has given us everything we need to follow Him in the way of life that leads to eternal life, to true happiness. At His Ascension, our Lord told the Apostles that the Holy Spirit would come to them, and then they would become witnesses to Him to all the ends of the earth. They would witness to everything which Christ had done: His miracles and teaching, His crucifixion, death, resurrection, victory over sin and death and finally His Ascension into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father in glory The Holy Spirit is the Paracletos, that the Lord promised to send to His Church, to guide and protect the Church for ages to come. But the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles for much more than just preaching, or evangelism -the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles to integrate them into the Life of Christ to make them, and each and every one of us, adopted sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father. It is by the Holy Spirit that we are spiritually awakened and receive the light of faith. The Holy Spirit not only opens our hearts to God and His love, but also teaches us how we must live and gives us the power to do so. That is why we need the Holy Spirit so that the love of God and the new life of our Lord s Resurrection can be nurtured in our hearts. Though we may know be aware of it, all of us have also experienced our own individual Pentecost when we were chrismated, we received the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is the gift of the Holy Spirit given to us that unites us to Christ, as members of His body, and gives us the strength to take up our cross and follow Him. May the same Holy Spirit Who filled the first apostles with the fire of God`s presence and power fill us today! +ALEXIOS Metropolitan of Atlanta 7

8 FROM THE CHANCELLOR S DESK Pentecost (also called Trinity Day or Descent of the Holy Spirit) is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, celebrated fifty days after Pascha. Fifty days after the Resurrection, on the Jewish feast of Pentecost, while the disciples and many other followers of Jesus Christ were gathered together to pray, the Holy Spirit descended upon them in the form of "cloven tongues of fire," with the sound of a mighty rushing wind, and they began to speak in languages that they did not know. There were many visitors from the Jewish Diaspora to Jerusalem at that time for the Jewish observance of the feast, and they were astonished to hear these untaught fisherman speaking praises to God in their alien tongues. This account is detailed in the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2. The number fifty, as in the fiftieth day after Pascha, stands for eternal and heavenly fulfillment, seven times seven, plus one. The Orthodox Church sees Pentecost as the final fulfillment of the mission of Jesus Christ and the first beginning of the messianic age of the Kingdom of God, mystically present in his Church. It is traditionally called the beginning of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Besides celebrating the coming of the Holy Spirit, the feast also celebrates the full revelation of the divine Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Hymns of the Church, celebrate the sign of the final act of God's self-disclosure to the world of His creation. To Orthodox Christians, the feast of Pentecost is not just a celebration of an event in history. It is also a celebration their membership in the Church. They have lived Pentecost and received "the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit" in the sacrament of chrismation. Celebration of the Feast For the feast of Pentecost, the icon of the Holy Trinity, the three angelic figures who appeared to Abraham, is placed in the center of the church for veneration. This icon is used with the traditional Pentecost icon. The church building is decorated with flowers and the green leaves of the summer to show that God's divine breath comes to renew all creation. Green vestments and coverings are also used. Left: Three angelic figures who appeared to Abraham The Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom is offered with special hymns replacing the standard Antiphons. The hymns O Heavenly King and We have seen the True Light are sung for the first time since Pascha, calling the Holy Spirit to come and abide in us, and proclaiming that we have received the heavenly Spirit. 8

9 The Great Vespers of Pentecost (Sunday) are offered immediately following the Divine Liturgy and features three long prayers at which the faithful kneel for the first time since Pascha. The Monday after Pentecost is the Feast of the Holy Spirit in the Orthodox Church, and the Sunday after Pentecost is the Feast of All Saints. Even though the start of the Church year is considered to start in September, the liturgical center of the annual cycle of Orthodox worship is the feast of Pascha, preceded by Great Lent, and Pre-Lent, and followed by the fifty days of paschal celebration until the feast of Pentecost. Until the start of the next Great Lent, the Sundays and weeks following Pentecost, are numbered from Pentecost. Liturgical readings and hymns will be based on the weeks after Pentecost as listed in the Octoechos, Apostolos, and Lectionary arranged Gospel. Faithfully yours, +Fr. George Tsahakis Chancellor Hosting Fellowship Hour If any parishioners, families, group of families, koumbari or friends would like to host a fellowship hour following Sunday Liturgy please contact : Church office Or - admin@saint-katherine.org Available dates: This is a wonderful opportunity to extend our Christian hospitality with one another and any guests or visitors who attend our services. Duties: Set up the two coffee pots in hall Provide a simple snack, Clean up May 31 June 14 (Fasting), 21 (Fasting) & 28 (Fasting) During fasting periods, store bought cookies w/o egg or dairy products are: Nabisco Classics (oatmeal raisin, cinnamon swirls) Nabisco Social Tea Biscuits, Oreos. 9

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11 THE OFFICE OF THE KNEELING PRAYERS OF PENTECOST As the faithful kneel, the Priest, also kneeling at the Royal Doors and facing the people, reads the first Prayers aloud. PRIEST: Lord, pure and undefiled, existing before all eternity, invisible, incomprehensible, unsearchable, unchanging, surpassed by none, not to be calculated, long-suffering, the only immortal One, You abide in the unapproachable light. You created heaven and earth, and all the creatures that inhabit them, supplying all their needs even before they ask. To You we pray and You we entreat, loving Master, the Father of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, Who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven to be incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, the glorious Theotokos. At first You taught in words, but then showed us by deeds, when in enduring the saving Passion You gave to us Your humble, sinful and unworthy servants an example of how to offer our prayers in the bending of our heads and knees for our own transgressions and for the failings of the people. All-merciful and loving Lord, hear us whenever we call upon You, but especially on this day of Pentecost, on which, after our Lord Jesus Christ had ascended into the heavens, to be seated at Your right hand, God and Father, He sent the Holy Spirit on His holy disciples and Apostles. As He came to rest upon each of them, and all were filled with His overflowing grace, they spoke in strange tongues of Your mighty works and prophesied. As we now pray to You, hear us, and be mindful that we are lowly and deserving of judgment; recall our souls from the bondage of sin. Your own compassion interceding for us. Accept us as we kneel before You crying the familiar, "I have sinned!" We have been dependent on You from our mother's womb; You 11

12 are our God. But because our days have been vainly squandered, we are stripped of Your help, without any defense. Even so, encouraged by Your mercies, we cry: Remember not our sins committed in youth and ignorance, and purge our secret thoughts. Do not spurn us in old age; when our strength fails us, do not forsake us; before we are returned to the earth, make us worthy to return to You, and treat us with Your favor and grace. Measure out Your mercies against our transgressions; contrast the depths of Your pity to the multitude of our offenses. From Your holy dwelling place look down upon the people present here in expectation of Your rich mercy; visit us in Your goodness; free us from the oppression of the Evil One; make our lives secure within Your holy and sacred laws. Entrust Your people to a faithful guardian angel; gather us all into Your kingdom; grant forgiveness to those who hope in You; remit them and us our sins; cleanse us through the work of Your Holy Spirit; put an end to the wiles of the enemy. PRIEST: Blessed are You, Master, Almighty Lord, for You light the day with the light of the sun and brighten the night with the rays of fire. You enabled us to pass the span of the day and so come to the beginnings of the night. Hear our prayer and that of all Your people, and forgive us all our deliberate and unwitting sins; receive our evening petitions and send upon Your inheritance the abundance of Your mercy and compassion. Encompass us with Your holy Angels; arm us with the weapons of Your righteousness; fortify us within Your truth; make Your strength our garrison, spare us all adverse circumstances and all assaults of the adversary. Finally, vouchsafe to us this evening, and the impending night, perfect, holy, peaceful, sinless, free of disturbing visions, and all the days of our lives, through the 12

13 prayers of the Holy Theotokos and of all the Saints who have pleased You through the ages. PRIEST: Lord Jesus Christ our God, You have bestowed Your peace on humankind, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, to be with us even in thus life as a perpetual inheritance to believers never to be taken away. On this day You have sent this grace upon Your disciples and Apostles in a way more manifest, giving utterance to their lips by means of fiery tongues, so that every human race, hearing in our own language received the knowledge of God, and, illumined by the light of the Spirit, emerged from error as from darkness, and in the distribution of visible tongues of fire, and by extraordinary power, were taught faith in You, and were enlightened to speak of You, as of the Father and the Holy Spirit, as one Godhead, one power, one sovereignty. As the reflection of the Father, the perfect and immutable likeness of His essence and nature, the source of salvation and grace, open the lips of this sinner and teach me how and for what I should pray. For You know the great number of my sins, yet Your compassion will overcome their enormity. For in fear I stand before You, casting my soul's despair into the sea of Your mercy. Govern my life, as You govern all creation by the unspoken word and the power of wisdom, calm haven of the stormtossed, and make known to me the way in which I should walk. Grant me the Spirit of wisdom in my thoughts, the Spirit of prudence in my ignorance. Let the Spirit of the awe of You, overshadow my deeds. Renew a steadfast Spirit in my breast, and let Your guiding Spirit make firm my errant mind, so that each day, led by Your good Spirit towards that which is profitable, I may be worthy to keep Your commandments, ever mindful of Your 13

14 glorious and soul searching presence. Do not allow me to be beguiled by the world's corrupting delights, but rather to desire the enjoyment of future treasures. For You, Master, have said, that whatever we ask in Your name, we shall without fail receive from Your co-eternal God and Father. Thus I, too, the sinner, at the descent of Your Holy Spirit, beseech Your goodness. All that I have asked, grant me for salvation. Yes, Lord, You are the lavish giver of everything good, giving far in excess of what we ask. You are the compassionate and merciful One Who, though sinless, became sharer in our flesh, and bending in love towards those who bend the knee to You, You became the propitiation for our sins. Now then, Lord, grant Your people Your mercies; hear us from Your heavenly dwelling place; sanctify them by the power of Your saving right hand; shelter them in the shadow of Your wings; do not spurn the work of Your hands. It is against You alone that we sin, but it is You alone we worship; we know no alien god to adore, not to stretch out our hands to any other deity, O Master. Remit our offenses, and as You receive our petitions on bended knee, extend to us all a helping hand. Accept our common prayer as a pleasing fragrance, rising up to Your blessed kingdom. PRIEST: Lord, Lord, as You save us from every arrow that flies by day, protect us from everything that lurks in darkness. Accept the lifting up of our hands as an evening sacrifice. And enable us to pass the course of the night blamelessly, untempted by evil, and rid us of all disturbance and fear induced by the Evil One. Grant contrition to our soul, and to our thoughts due concern for our trial on the day of Your awesome and just judgment. Transfix our bodies with awe of You, and deaden our earthly members, so that in the quiet of sleep we may be cheered by the contemplation of Your judgments. Distance from us every 14

15 improper imagining and harmful desire. Instead raise us up at the hour of prayer strengthened in faith and growing in Your commandments. PRIEST: The never-failing spring, bursting with life and light, creative power co-eternal with the Father, You fulfilled surpassingly the plan for the salvation of humankind, shattering the unbreakable bonds of death and the bolts of Hades and trampling the throngs of evil spirits. You presented Yourself as a blameless victim for us, offering Your pure body, chaste and untouched by sin, in sacrifice, and by that terrible and indescribable oblation granted us everlasting life. You descended into Hades and broke down its gates, and sojourning among those below, You showed them the way of ascent. As for the Prince of Evil, that dragon of the deep, You snared him in an inspired lure, binding him in circles of darkness, in Your infinite power made him fast in the nether world, in the eternal fire and the outer darkness. The glorious wisdom of the Father, You are the great help of those in peril, giving light to those in darkness and the shadow of death. Lord of everlasting glory, beloved Son of the Most High, eternal light of eternal light, Sun of righteousness, hear our supplications and give rest to the souls of Your servants, our fathers and brothers and other kin by blood, and all of the household of faith who have since fallen asleep and whose memorial we keep this day. For in You is the strength of all and in Your hand You hold the far reaches of the earth. Almighty Master, God of our Fathers and Lord merciful Lord of the living and the dead, Creator of all mortal nature, composed and again dissolved, of life and of death, of earthly existence and of the departure hence, You measure out the years for the living and set times of death, bringing down to Hades and raising up, fettering in weakness and liberating in power; You provide aptly for the present and 15

16 fittingly dispose what is to come, restoring those who are wounded by the sting of death with the hope of resurrection. Master, Lord of all, our God and Redeemer, the hope of all, at the ends of the earth and far away at sea, on this latter great and saving day of Pentecost You disclosed to us the mystery of the holy, consubstantial, co-eternal and life-giving Trinity, indivisible yet distinct, and in the descent and presence of Your holy and life-giving Spirit poured out its grace upon Your holy Apostles in the form of fiery tongues, making them proclaimers and confessors of our holy Faith, of true knowledge of God. On this universal and salutary feast, deign to accept petitions for those imprisoned in Hades, thus giving us great hope, and relief to the departed from their grievous distress and Your comfort. Hear us, humble and pitiable, as we pray to You, and give rest to the souls of Your Servants who have departed this life, in a place of light, a place of renewed life, a joyous place, shunned alike by pain and sorrow and sighing. And place their spirits where the Righteous dwell, counting them worthy of peace and repose; for the dead do not praise You, Lord, nor do those in Hades dare to offer You glory, but it is we the living who bless and entreat You and offer You propitiatory prayers and sacrifices for their souls. PRIEST: O God, great and eternal, holy and loving, having deemed us worthy to stand at this hour in the presence of Your unapproachable glory, to sing in praise of Your wondrous acts, be gracious to Your unworthy servants and grant us grace to offer You in contrition of heart the thrice-holy doxology and thanksgiving for the great gifts You have bestowed on us and continue always. Lord, be mindful of our weakness, and do not 16

17 let us be lost in our wrongdoing, but show mercy as we humble ourselves, so that, escaping the darkness of sin, we may walk in the day of justice, and girded with the armor of light, we may live free of the assaults of the Evil One, and so with courage glorify You the only true and loving God in all things. Truly great is Your mystery, Master and Maker of all, of the temporary separation of Your creatures, to be united again in everlasting rest. We confess Your grace in all things, for our entrances into this world and our departures, of which our hope of resurrection and a life of bliss, according to Your certain promise, are the guarantee. May we enjoy it in Your future second coming. For You are both the pioneer of our resurrection and the just but compassionate judge of our lives and Master and Lord of our reward. In ultimate condescension You shared in our flesh and blood and in our passions, willingly assuming them in the depth of Your compassion so that having Yourself been tempted, You offered Yourself freely as helper to us who are tempted. Thus You united us all to You in Your freedom from passion. Will You, then, Master, accept our prayers and entreaties, and give rest to everyone's fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters and children, or of the same family or people, and all the souls that have gone before to their rest in the hope of the resurrection to everlasting life. And place their spirits and their names in the book of life, the bosom of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in the land of the living, in the kingdom of the heavens, in the bliss of Paradise, Your angels of light leading all into Your holy mansions. And on the day You have ordained, raise up our bodies as well according to Your unfailing promises. In departing our bodies to dwell in You our God, there is no death for Your servants Lord, but rather a change from the more sorrowful to the better and more pleasing, to rest, to joy. 17

18 And if we have in any way sinned against You, be merciful to them and to us; for no man is free of stain in Your sight though he live but a day. Only You, Who came sinless to earth, our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we all hope to find mercy and remission of sins. Thus as good and loving God, remit and forgive them and us our failings, whether witting or unwitting, committed in knowledge or ignorance, intentionally or unaware, in deed or in thought, in word, in all goings about. Both to those who have gone before and to us who await, give release and repose, granting us and all Your people a good and peaceful end, opening up to us Your heart of love and mercy at Your terrible and awesome Coming and judging us worthy of Your kingdom. PRIEST: Great and most high God, You alone are immortal, abiding in unapproachable light. In wisdom You created the world; You separated the light from the darkness, and set the sun, the greater light, to rule the day, and the lesser light, the moon, and the stars, to rule the night. You have judged us, though sinners, at this present hour to come into Your presence, giving thanks and offering You our evening praise. Loving Lord, let our prayer rise as incense before You, and accept it as a fragrant offering. Make this evening and the coming night peaceful for us. Gird us with the armor of light. Deliver us from the terror of the night and from everything that lurks about in the darkness. And let our sleep, which You have given us for rest, given our weakness, be free of all demonic images. Yes, Master of all, source of all blessings, so that, even as we slumber in our beds, we may speak Your Name in the night, and so, enlightened by the contemplation of Your statutes, we may rise, our souls rejoicing, to glorify Your goodness, offering prayers and supplications to Your compassion, 18

19 for our own sins and for those of all Your people, asking that, at the intercession of the holy Theotokos, You will show them mercy You can now share our website with your family and friends and have them buy their cookbooks directly from our website. We are now set up with PayPal for cookbook purchases and eventually stewardship and donations! 19

20 STEWARDSHIP PRAYER In the name of Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Amen. Lord Jesus Christ our God, accept our offerings as You have accepted the gifts of Your people throughout the ages. We offer these gifts to Your glory, for the support of the ministries of Your Holy Church, for the alleviation of suffering and hunger, and for the proclamation of Your Gospel to the whole world. Grant us Your blessing, Lord our Savior, that we may always be faithful stewards, continuing to share the gifts you have given us, by the power of Your grace, mercy and love. May Your name be glorified forever. Amen STEWARDSHIP 127 Stewards Pledging $117,045. Paid to date $67, Friends of St. Katherine have paid $17,457. [For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34 THE JESUS PRAYER Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, Υἱέ Θεοῦ, ἐλέησόν με τὸν ἁμαρτωλόν. (τὴν ἁμαρτωλόν if prayed by a female) Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.