Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church Sunday, February 24, 2019 Sunday of the Prodigal Son

Transcription

1 Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church Sunday, February 24, 2019 Sunday of the Prodigal Son SAINTS OF THE WEEK Tarasios, Archbishop of Constantinople Celebrated on February 25 Tarasios was a layman, senator, and chief secretary to Empress Irene, who ruled as regent for her ten-year-old son Constantine VI Porphyrigenitos. During the Iconoclast crisis, Patriarch Paul stepped down and withdrew to a monastery, but he recommended Tarasios to succeed him. For the longest time, Tarasios refused, considering himself unworthy, but he soon gave in under the condition that an Ecumenical Council be convened. Within a week, Tarasios was ordained a reader, priest, bishop, and then patriarch in eighth-century Constantinople. He summoned the Seventh Ecumenical Council, inviting over three hundred bishops from all over the empire to end the heresy of iconoclasm. He also reunited all the patriarchates with Constantinople. For twentytwo years, he wisely governed the Church. Tarasios led a strict ascetic life. He used all his money to feed and comfort the poor, impoverished, widows and orphans. When Emperor Constantine had tired of his wife, wishing to send her to a monastery and marry a relative, Tarasios refused to dissolve the emperor s marriage. He counseled, rebuked, and then excommunicated them. Empress Irene deposed Constantine. As Tarasios was dying, he defended himself against the demons who tried to get the saint to admit to sins he had not committed. He was buried in a monastery that be built on the Bosphorus. Many miracles were worked at his grave. Venerable Agapios of Mt. Athos, March 1 Agapios was a novice monk on Mt. Athos at the monastery of Vatopedi. One day he was taken prisoner by Hagarene pirates who landed on the shores of Mt. Athos. He was taken to Magnesia and sold into slavery to an agha, where he was bound in chains and worked for twelve years. When he was not working, he was imprisoned in a dark dungeon. Agapios did not lose hope, and he fervently prayed to the Mother of God. One night while sleeping, the Theotokos appeared to Agapios, telling him to arise and go without fear to his elder. When he awoke, he found his chains unlocked. Agapios did what he was told and made his way back to his elder on Mt. Athos. Testing the humility of Agapios, the elder told him to return to his master until he receives permission to be set free. Therefore, Agapios returned to captivity. Seeing the great humility and faith of Agapios, the master not only freed Agapios but he himself and his two sons departed with him to the Holy Mountain South Archer Road, Justice, Illinois (708) , fax (708) Web: office@holycrossil.org Rev. Fr. Demetrios Kounavis - Parish Priest

2 ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΗΜΕΡΑΣ Ἀδελφοί, ὁ θεὸς ὁ εἰπὼν ἐκ σκότους φῶς λάμψαι, ὃς ἔλαμψεν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν πρὸς φωτισμὸν τῆς γνώσεως τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν προσώπῳ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἔχομεν δὲ τὸν θησαυρὸν τοῦτον ἐν ὀστρακίνοις σκεύεσιν, ἵνα ἡ ὑπερβολὴ τῆς δυνάμεως ᾖ τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ μὴ ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐν παντὶ θλιβόμενοι, ἀλλʼ οὐ στενοχωρούμενοι ἀπορούμενοι, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐξαπορούμενοι διωκόμενοι, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐγκαταλειπόμενοι καταβαλλόμενοι, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἀπολλύμενοι πάντοτε τὴν νέκρωσιν τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι περιφέροντες, ἵνα καὶ ἡ ζωὴ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι ἡμῶν φανερωθῇ. Ἀεὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες εἰς θάνατον παραδιδόμεθα διὰ Ἰησοῦν, ἵνα καὶ ἡ ζωὴ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ φανερωθῇ ἐν τῇ θνητῇ σαρκὶ ἡμῶν. Ὥστε ὁ μὲν θάνατος ἐν ἡμῖν ἐνεργεῖται, ἡ δὲ ζωὴ ἐν ὑμῖν. Ἔχοντες δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα τῆς πίστεως, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, Ἐπίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα, καὶ ἡμεῖς πιστεύομεν, διὸ καὶ λαλοῦμεν εἰδότες ὅτι ὁ ἐγείρας τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν καὶ ἡμᾶς διὰ Ἰησοῦ ἐγερεῖ, καὶ παραστήσει σὺν ὑμῖν. Τὰ γὰρ πάντα διʼ ὑμᾶς, ἵνα ἡ χάρις πλεονάσασα διὰ τῶν πλειόνων τὴν εὐχαριστίαν περισσεύσῃ εἰς τὴν δόξαν τοῦ θεοῦ. EPISTLE READING FOR THE DAY Brethren, it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. Since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, "I believed, and so I spoke," we too believe, and so we speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. GOSPEL READING FOR THE DAY The Lord said this parable: "There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me.' And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his belly with the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to make merry. Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, 'Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"

3

4 Τα δημιουργήματα χειραγωγούν στην ευσέβεια. Αγ. Γρηγορίου Νύσσης «Εάν κάποιος, κυριευθεί από την πλεονεξία, και σαν άλλη θάλασσα, επεκτείνει την υπερβολική επιθυμία για τα κέρδη, που τρέχουν μέσα σε αυτήν από παντού με τρόπο άπληστο, αυτός, βλέποντας προς την πραγματική θάλασσα, ας θεραπεύσει το πάθος του. Γιατί, όπως εκείνη δεν ξεπερνάει το όριό της, μολονότι δέχεται αμέτρητες ποσότητες υδάτων, που εισρέουν σε αυτήν, αλλά παραμένει στο ίδιο σημείο, σαν να μην έχει προστεθεί σε αυτήν καμία νέα ποσότητα νερού, κατά τον ίδιο τρόπο και ο άνθρωπος, όταν παραμένει στα όριά του, απολαμβάνοντας τα αγαθά, τα οποία αποκτά, δεν μπορεί να συναυξάνει μαζί με τον πλούτο των αγαθών και τη λαιμαργία της απόλαυσης. Αλλά, ενώ δεν σταματά η εισροή των αγαθών μέσα του, διατηρεί στα μέτρα της την επιθυμία της απόλαυσης. Εφόσον, λοιπόν, δεν μπορεί η απόλαυση να ξεπεράσει τα φυσικά της όρια, για ποιο λόγο να επιδιώκουμε τις πλέον αυξήσεις των εσόδων, τη στιγμή που ποτέ δεν προσφέρουμε από το πλεόνασμα, το οποίο προκύπτει από τα νεότερα κέρδη, προκειμένου να ελεήσουμε τους άλλους; Επειδή όμως, όπως ερμηνεύσαμε την έννοια της ματαιότητας, ματαιότητα είναι ή λόγος ανόητος, ή πράγμα ανώφελο, νομίζω ότι καλά αρχίζει ο Εκκλησιαστής από αυτό το σημείο το λόγο. Και αυτό για να μην θεωρήσουμε ως υπαρκτό τίποτε από όσα γίνονται, ούτε και από όσα λέγονται, εφόσον αποβλέπει προς αυτόν εδώ το σκοπό, δηλαδή στην παρούσα ζωή. Γιατί κάθε ανθρώπινη προσπάθεια που καταβάλλεται για κάτι πέρα από τη ζωή, μοιάζει με τα παιχνίδια που παίζουν στην άμμο τα νήπια. Γι αυτά η απόλαυση των έργων σταματά μαζί με την προσπάθεια για τα έργα. Γιατί μόλις σταματήσουν να χτίζουν, σωριάζεται και η άμμος γύρω της, χωρίς να αφήσει κανένα σημάδι των κόπων, που κατέβαλαν τα παιδιά. Αυτό είναι ο ανθρώπινος βίος. Άμμος η φιλοδοξία, άμμος η εξουσία, άμμος ο πλούτος, άμμος καθετί που απολαμβάνουν σωματικά οι άνθρωποι με κόπο. Μέσα σε αυτά τα ανύπαρκτα ματαιοπονούν τώρα οι μικρόψυχοι και υποβάλλονται σε πολλούς κόπους για το κάθε ένα από αυτά, και μόνο όταν εγκαταλείψουν το χώρο της άμμου, εννοώ τη σωματική ζωή, τότε θα καταλάβουν καλά την ματαιότητα της εδώ διαμονής. Γιατί η απόλαυση μένει πίσω μαζί με τη υλική ζωή, ενώ δεν παίρνουν μαζί τους τίποτε άλλο εκτός από την συνείδηση μόνο».

5 March 9: Free Vision Screening, 11am-3pm March 10: Macaronada Luncheon March 11: Great Lent Begins March 17: Sunday of Orthodoxy March 21: Monthly H.O.P.E. Group March 26: Philoptochos Feed the Hungry at Annunciation Cathedral March 30: Vespers of the Holy Cross March 31: Sunday of the Holy Cross with Greek School Program and Luncheon SAVE THE DATE April 19-20: Philoptochos Easter Bake Sale April 20: Saturday of Lazarus Children s Retreat and the making of the palms April 21: Palm Sunday Luncheon May 3: Bright Friday Feast May 5: 2:00pm - Greek Parade on Halsted Street STEWARSHIP 2019 May 11: Parish Trip to the St. Iakovos Retreat Center, WI May 12: Mother s Day Breakfast JUNE GREEK FESTIVAL Stewardship cards can picked up in the church office. We ask that you prayerfully consider what you will offer to our beloved parish of Holy Cross in Our beloved parish requires approximately $915 per day to operate or an annual pledge average of $1670 per family. As always, we remain appreciative for all that you lovingly give.

6 Sunday of the Prodigal Son Through the parable of today's Gospel, our Saviour has set forth three things for us: the condition of the sinner, the rule of repentance, and the greatness of God's compassion. The divine Fathers have put this reading the week after the parable of the Publican and Pharisee so that, seeing in the person of the Prodigal Son our own wretched condition -- inasmuch as we are sunken in sin, far from God and His Mysteries -- we might at last come to our senses and make haste to return to Him by repentance during these holy days of the Fast. Furthermore, those who have wrought many great iniquities, and have persisted in them for a long time, oftentimes fall into despair, thinking that there can no longer be any forgiveness for them; and so being without hope, they fall every day into the same and even worse iniquities. Therefore, the divine Fathers, that they might root out the passion of despair from the hearts of such people, and rouse them to the deeds of virtue, have set the present parable at the forecourts of the Fast, to show them the surpassing goodness of God's compassion, and to teach them that there is no sin -- no matter how great it may be - - that can overcome at any time His love for man. **************************** Acquiring the Holy Spirit Prayer, fasting, vigil and all other Christian activities, however good they may be in themselves, do not constitute the aim of our Christian life, although they serve as the indispensable means of reaching this end. The true aim of our Christian life consists in the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God. As for fasts, and vigils, and prayer, and almsgiving, and every good deed done for Christ s sake, they are only means of acquiring the Holy Spirit of God. But mark, my son, only the good deed done for Christ s sake brings neither reward in the future life nor the grace of God in this. -St. Seraphim of Sarov **************************** The Nearness of the Saints To many people the Saints seem far removed from us. But the Saints are far only from people who have distanced themselves - they are very close to them that keep Christ s commandments and possess the grace of the Holy Spirit. In heaven all things live and move in the Holy Spirit. But this same Holy Spirit is on earth, too. The Holy Spirit dwells in our Church; in the sacraments; in the Holy Scriptures; in the souls of the faithful. The Holy Spirit unites all men, and so the Saints are close to us; and when we pray to them they hear our prayers in the Holy Spirit, and our souls feel that they are praying for us. -St. Silouan the Athonite

7

8 Today Church School WEEKLY EVENTS Tuesday, February 26 6:00pm - Parish Potluck with Trivia Night Wednesday, February 27 6:00pm - Holy Unction 7:00pm - Orthodox Book Study Thursday, February 28 9:30am - 11:30am - H.O.P.E. Group outing to Oak Lawn Children s Museum 11:00am - Orthodoxi Zoe 7:00pm - Greek Festival Planning Meeting Saturday, March 2 8:30am - Saturday of the Souls 10:00am - Greek School with Report Cards 1:00pm - Set up for Apokreatiko Luncheon Sunday, March 3 Church School Apokreatiko luncheon after Church - An Afternoon in Paris MEMORIALS Anastasios Tsiganos, Sr., 9 years May his memory be eternal! Σήμερα Κατηχητικό Σχολείο ΗΜΕΡΟΛΟΓΙΟ Τετάρτη, 26 Φεβρουαρίου 6.00μ.μ. - Οικογενειακό Potluck Τετάρτη, 27 Φεβρουαρίου 6.00μ.μ. - Άγιο Ευχέλαιο 7.00μ.μ. - Μάθημα στα αγγλικά Πέμπτη, 28 Φεβρουαρίου 9.30π.μ π.μ. - Συνεδρίαση Η.Ο.Ρ.Ε. στο Oak Lawn Children s Museum 11.00π.μ. - Ορθόδοξη Ζωή 7.00μ.μ. - Συνεδρίαση Φεστιβάλ 2019 Σάββατο, 2 Μαρτίου 8.30π.μ. - Ψυχοσάββατο 10.00π.μ. - Ελληνικό Σχολείο 1.00μ.μ. - Ετοιμασίες για το Αποκριάτικο Κυριακή, 3 Μαρτίου Κατηχητικό Σχολείο Αποκριάτικο Γλέντι μετά την Εκκλησία - «Μεσημέρι στο Παρίσι» Today s coffee fellowship is hosted by our Philoptochos Society. Everyone is invited to our community hall to enjoy fellowship. The St. Anna Women s Group is selling Orthodox greeting cards for any occasion. Special requests are accepted as well. Please see Presvytera Katerina for details. All proceeds benefit Christ s ministries through our beloved parish. Please support this worthy effort!