St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church Lowell, Massachusetts Sunday of the Holy Fathers of Fourth Ecumenical Council July 16, 2017
ST. GEORGE ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH 44 Bowers Street, Phone: (978) 452-4816 Lowell, MA 01854 Fax: (978) 452-6041 Email: fatherfaris@comcast.net Web: www.saintgeorgelowell.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/saintgeorgelowell Rt. Rev. Fr. Leonard Faris, Pastor WORSHIP SERVICE Sunday: Matins (Orthros) Service 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m. Sunday School, Every other Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. Church Office Hours; Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Divine Liturgy begins at 10:00 a.m. and we should not arrive late. When we do arrive late and the Epistle or Gospel is being read or the priest is preaching the sermon or the Great Entrance is taking place, please REMAIN in the Vestibule until it is finished before entering the Church. At the end of the Divine Liturgy please keep your conversation until the Coffee Hour. We should leave the Church in silence. Important Notice: The reception of Holy Communion is limited to Orthodox Christians who have prepared them- selves by prayer, fasting and recent Confession. Confessions are heard on Sunday mornings during the Matins Service or by special appointment. The Eucharistic Fast begins at midnight on Saturday and ends up with the receiving of Holy Communion. If you are on medication or a young child, you can have a light breakfast before coming to church. If you have any questions, please call Fr. Leonard. Thank you, + Father Leonard Prayer Requests and Bulletin News: All prayer requests and articles for the weekly bulletin must be submitted each week by Noon, Tuesday: emailed to Fr. Leonard at fatherfaris@comcast.net or call 978-452-4816, otherwise, the requests and articles will be published the following week. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT If anyone is in the hospital it is the duty of the family to inform the priest so that he can visit the patient. Also, if anyone is homebound and would like to receive Holy Communion, he/she or a family member should contact Fr. Leonard to make arrangements to bring the Sacrament to the shut-in. Fr. Leonard is always happy to bring the Sacraments to those in Hospitals, Nursing Homes or at home. Thank you and God bless!
Troparion of the Resurrection, Tone 5 Let us believers praise and worship the Word, co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, born of the Virgin for our salvation; for he took pleasure in ascending the Cross in the flesh, to suffer death, and to raise the dead by his glorious Resurrection. Entrance Hymn Ha-lum-mu li-nas-jud, wa-nar-ka lil-ma-sih, khal-lis-na ya bna l-lah, ya man qa-ma min bal-nil-am-wat, li-nu-rat-til la-ka, Hal-li-lu-ia Troparion of the Resurrection, Tone 5 (repeated) Troparion of the Holy Fathers, Tone 8 Thou, O Christ, art our God of exceeding praise Who didst establish our Holy Fathers as luminous stars upon earth, and through them didst guide us unto the true Faith, O most merciful One, glory to Thee. Troparion of St. George, Tone 4 As deliver of captives and defender of the poor, healer of the infirmed, champion of kings, victorious great martyr George, intercede with Christ our God, for our souls salvation. Kontakion for Ordinary Sundays, Tone 2 O protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, mediation unto the Creator most constant, O despise not the suppliant voices of those who have sinned; but be thou quick, O good one, to come unto our aid, who in faith cry unto thee: Hasten to intercession, and speed thou to make supplication, thou who dost ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honor thee.
Epistle: Paul 3:8-15 Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God of our Fathers. For Thou art just in all that Thou hast done for us. The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Titus Titus, my son, the saying is sure. I desire you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to apply themselves to good deeds; these are excellent and profitable to men. But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels over the law, for they are unprofitable and futile. As for a man who is factious, after admonishing him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is perverted and sinful; he is self-condemned. When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. And let our people learn to apply themselves to good deeds, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not to be unfruitful. All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen. Gospel: Matthew 5:14-19 The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew The Lord said to His Disciples: You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father Who is in heaven. Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Prayers are being offered for the Health and Safety of: Nora Abdelahad Connie Abodeely Lorice Ansara Phyllis Arsenault June Behrakis Ed & Lillian Betor David and Cindy Boragine Ida Boragine Miriam Calache George Ellis Mr. & Mrs. Elias Grivas Veronique, Annabelle & Chloe Groff Duayne Habib Rosalind Hajjar & Family Mary Howie Joanne Husson Lloyd Jennings Joe Kadir Fr. Stephen and Family Charlie Kanavos Rose Lowe Marcotte Family Thomas Marcotte Eric Soucy Amad Tayebi Jack Trottier Dr. Vartan & Lisa Yeghiazarians & Family Vanessa Warman Genia Yeghiazarians Christian Yianopoulos Nahil Zananiri Prayers are being offered in Memory of: Charles Abdelahad George Abodeely Miriam Abodeely Mazen Alwarad Toula Anasoulis Andrew Ansara Elias Ansara John Ansara Maurice Ansara Gladys Assaly Linda Assaly Yaacoub Awad Juliette Bahou Laurice Bahou Widad Batten James Jimmy Beaudry Mary Bogosian Dorothy Boragine Sal Boragine Cleopatra Bouras Sofie & Paul Brown Toma Calache Dr. Christos Daoulas Fred Ead Frances Ellis Frank Ellis George & Elsie Faris Mary T. Faris Connie Fumia Elizabeth & Joseph Ghareeb John & Irene Gkolias George P. Habib Philip Hajjar Zena Hanson Eleanor Husson N. Mary Husson Terry Husson Kadir Emtisal & Musalam Kazmeh Siham Khadij Lynda Lawrence George Lowe Efthymios & Paraskevi Manolis Nafie Moses Frederick & Matilda Noonan Anisse Saad Hanna Saad Mary Saati George W. & Mary Saba Badwi Sabbouh Freda Sadak Veto & Vasiliki Selvagio Eleanor Shalhoup Fred Simon Judy Skaff Mildred & Arthur Skaff Minnie Skaff Nellie Husson Skaff Ricky Skaff Stephen Skaff T. Michael Skaff J. B. Taleb Elaine Viera Leon Yeghiazarians Charles Zaharias Mary Ann Zaharias MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE ETERNAL!!
Fathers of the First Six Councils The Orthodox Church acknowledges Seven Holy Ecumenical Councils: The First Ecumenical Council (Nicea I) (May 29, and also on seventh Sunday after Pascha) was convened in the year 325 against the heresy of Arius, in the city of Nicea in Bithynia under Saint Constantine the Great, Equal of the Apostles. The Second Ecumenical Council (Constantinople I) (May 22) was convened in the year 381 against the heresy of Macedonias, by the emperor Theodosius the Great. The Third Ecumenical Council (Ephesus) (September 9) was convened in the year 431 against the heresy of Nestorius, in the city of Ephesus by the emperor Theodosius the Younger. The Fourth Ecumenical Council (Chalcedon) (July 16) was convened in the year 451, against the Monophysite heresy, in the city of Chalcedon under the emperor Marcian. The Fifth Ecumenical Council (Constnatinople II) (July 25) Concerning the Three Chapters, was convened in the year 553, under the emperor Justinian the Great. The Sixth Ecumenical Council (Constantinople III) (January 23) met during the years 680-681, to fight the Monothelite heresy, under the emperor Constantine Pogonatos. The fact that the Seventh Ecumenical Council (Nicea II) is not commemorated today testifies to the antiquity of today s celebration. The Seventh Council, commemorated on the Sunday nearest to October 11, was convened at Nicea in the year 787 against the Iconoclast heresy, under the emperor Constantine and his mother Irene.
Dear Parishioners and Friends: As in prior years, we will participate in the Lowell Folk Festival which is scheduled for July 28-30, 2017. The Folk Festival is a great way to exhibit our ethnic pride by selling our natural homemade ethnic food to the Lowell community. The Folk Festival is St. George s biggest fundraiser each year. Last year s Folk Festival expenses were approximately $6,500. We welcome all donations from our parishioners and friends to defray these expenses. Our goal is to defray all expenses and make this a very successful event with a huge profit. Please help us to achieve this goal. If you would like to donate this year, please make your check payable to St. George Church. Memo: Folk Festival Donation. We appreciate your support and dedication. Thank you, Folk Festival Committee Please send your donations to: Saint George Antiochian Church Folk Festival Donation Attention: Folk Festival 44 Bower St. Lowell, MA 01854 We are in need of volunteers to work at our booth for all shifts: Friday July 28 4:30pm - 10:30pm Saturday July 29 10:00am - 2:00pm 1:45pm - 6:00pm 5:30pm - 10:30pm Sunday July 30 10:00am - 2:00pm 1:45pm - 6:30pm If you would like to volunteer, please contact the Folk Festival Committee members: Ron Tayebi rontayebi@yahoo.com Andrew Saati andrewsaati21@yahoo.com Azar Louh alouh33a@yahoo.com Mack Louh mackzlouh@yahoo.com Chris Louh dicethree@hotmail.com Steven Louh xostevenox26@hotmail.com