St. Anthony The Great Antiochian Orthodox Church 4031 Aurora Rd.; Melbourne, Florida Mailing address : P.O.Box 267, Melbourne, FL 32902 Phone: (305) 812-4940 E-Mail: elia_shalhoub@yahoo.com Very Rev. Fr. Elia Shalhoub, Pastor & Dean of South Florida Deanery Pastor s address: 2295 Oklahoma St.. W. Palm Beach, FL 33406 WELCOME GUESTS We at St. Anthony s Orthodox Church welcome all who are with us in prayer this morning. If you are a first time visitor, please fill out the guest form located on the literature table. Following services, please join us for sharing of fellowship, coffee, and food. St. Anthony s is a pan-nationality Orthodox community, under the omophorion of Metropolitan JOSEPH within the Self-ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. Divine Liturgy Variables on Sunday, July 31, 2016 Tone 5 / Eothinon 6; Sixth Sunday after Pentecost & Sixth Sunday of Matthew Holy and Just Eudokimos of Cappadocia Righteous Joseph of Arimathea; Germanos, bishop of Auxerre NOTE TO CLERGY: Remember to include this special petition in the Great Litany before the one for the head of state, as directed by the Antiochian Archdiocese. Deacon: For Metropolitan Paul, Archbishop John, and for their quick release from captivity and safe return, let us pray to the Lord. Choir: Lord, have mercy. During the Little Entrance, chant the Resurrectional Apolytikion. The Eisodikon (Entrance Hymn) is O come, let us worship save us, O Son of God, Who art risen from the dead After the Little Entrance, chant the apolytikia in the following order: RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE FIVE Let us believers praise and worship the Word; coeternal 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. APOLYTIKION OF ST. EUDOKIMOS IN TONE FOUR (**Be quick to anticipate**) The One that hath called thee from the earth to Heaven to dwell * preserveth thy body uncorrupted after thy death, O saintly Eudokimos; * for in living modestly and chastely, O blest one, * thou didst keep thy flesh free of all stain and defilement; * with boldness, therefore, pray unto Christ that we may all be saved.
APOLYTIKION OF ST. ANTHONY THE GREAT Thou didst become like the zealous Elijah in his condition, and followed John the Baptist in his upright ways. Becoming a dweller in the wilderness, and an establisher of the universe by thy prayer O Father Anthony. Wherefore intercede thou with Christ our God to save our souls. KONTAKION OF THE TRANSFIGURATION IN TONE SEVEN Thou wast transfigured on the mount, and Thy Disciples, in so far as they were able, beheld Thy glory, O Christ our God; so that, when they should see Thee crucified, they would remember that all Thy suffering was voluntary, and could declare to all the world that Thou art truly the effulgent Splendor of the Father. THE EPISTLE (For Sixth Sunday after Pentecost) Thou, O Lord, wilt preserve us and keep us from this generation. Save me, O Lord, for the Godly man hath disappeared. The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans. (12:6-14) Brethren, having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, and serve the Lord. Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. THE GOSPEL (For Sixth Sunday of Matthew) The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (9:1-8) At that time, Jesus got into a boat, crossed over and came to His own city. And behold, they brought to Him a paralytic, lying on his bed; and when Jesus saw their faith He said to the paralytic, Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven. And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, This man is blaspheming. But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, Your sins are forgiven, or to say, Rise and walk? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins He then said to the paralytic Rise, take up your bed and go home. And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they marveled, and they glorified God, Who had given such authority to men. ~ The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom continues as usual. THE DISMISSAL Priest: May He Who rose from the dead, Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His allimmaculate and all-blameless holy Mother; by the might of the Precious and Life-giving Cross; by the protection of the honorable Bodiless Powers of Heaven; at the supplication of the honorable, glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John; of the holy, glorious and all-laudable apostles; of the holy, glorious and right-victorious Martyrs; of our venerable and God-bearing Fathers; of Saint N., the patron and protector of this holy community; of the holy and righteous ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna; of the holy and just Eudokimos of Cappadocia; Righteous Joseph of Arimathea; and Germanos, bishop of Auxerre, whose memory we celebrate today, and of all the saints: have mercy on us and save us, forasmuch as He is good and loveth mankind. Priest: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy upon us and save us. Choir: Amen.
Announcements EPISTLE READINGS Please read with a loud voice July 31 Subdeacon John St. Paul to the Romans. (12:6-14) Aug. 7 Stephanie Enstice St. Paul to the Romans. (15:1-7) Aug. 14 Subdeacon John St. Matthew. (14:14-22) Aug. 21 Debbie Thieme St. Paul to the Corinthians. (3:9-17) Aug 28 Lou Abraham St. Matthew. (17:14-23) Julia Mariano (July 28) Richard Enstice (July 28) Gabriella Baika (July 30) May God grant you many years! Sunday School registration starts today. Please fill out the registration form. September 11 - first day of Sunday School Dormition Fast (August 1 - August 15) The Feast of the Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos and Ever- Virgin Mary is celebrated on August 15 each year. The Feast commemorates the repose (dormition and in the Greek kimisis) or "falling-asleep" of the Mother of Jesus Christ, our Lord. The commemoration of the Dormition of the Theotokos and the preparation for the Feast begin on August 1 with a period of fasting. A strict fast is followed on most of the days (no meat, dairy, oil, or wine), with the exceptions of fish on the Feast of the Transfiguration (August 6) and the day of the Dormition. Oil and Wine are allowed on Saturdays and Sundays. It has been a year since John Archambeau s brother David Archambeau has fallen asleep. (July 27) May His Memory be Eternal. Please pray for the healing of Elia Bitar, Shirley Young, Ann Shark, Alix Hall, Gene Popow, Jeries Adili, Michealle Carey, Josh Valance, Beverly Delida, Nina and Diogo Penas, Mary Robinson, Beth Manzini, John Archambeau, Holly Blank, Alex & Soula.
Volunteerism or Stewardship As faithful stewards of God s holy House, we have a sacred obligation and responsibility not simply to volunteer a few extra moments, but rather to humbly and joyfully offer our time, our talents, and our resources back to God in the management and care of that which He has given to us. And this responsibility belongs to all of us, clergy and laity alike. St. Paul wrote to Titus and told him to appoint elders (presbyters) in every town, and referred to the bishop as God s steward, specifying the many qualities he will need to be a good steward and overseer of God s holy House (1:5ff). We can see the depth of this as well in Jesus words to Peter: Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Feed my lambs Tend my sheep Feed my sheep (John 21:15-19). And again, when St. Paul was speaking about his own ministry of preaching the gospel, he said: Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission (1 Corinthians 9:16-17). In Greek, this word commission is the word for stewardship. So you see that even if he did not want to do it of his own free will, he knew that he must preach anyway, for that was what was entrusted to him by God! As for the laity, the words of the two Patrons of our Patriarchate, Ss. Peter and Paul, are quite straightforward. From St. Paul: This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy (1 Corinthians 4:1-2); and from St. Peter: As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God s varied grace (1 Peter 4:10). Yes, it is true, my friends! There is no human being alive who has not received a gift from God. We have all been blessed by God with certain gifts and talents and opportunities to use them! and are called upon to give back a portion of these blessings in thanksgiving for what we have received, and for the glory of His holy Name. This is what we call Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). So, whether we are serving at the altar, changing the candles, working on the budget, vacuuming the carpet, singing in the choir, fixing the broken door, teaching Church School, cooking in the kitchen, overseeing Youth Ministry, cutting the grass, teaching Bible Study, chanting, greeting people in the back of the church, making Holy Bread, offering a donation, putting the Festival or Bazaar together, cataloguing books for the library, counting the money, working in the office, visiting the lost sheep, staying after to lock the doors, visiting the sick and shut-ins, reading the epistle, ushering, folding the weekly bulletin, planning a special event, visiting those in prison, caring for the elderly, serving coffee hour, working in an organization, serving on the Parish Council, preaching a sermon, or being a shut-in who can t get out of the house yet prays each day for our people and calls others on the phone once in a while to simply say hello, and whatever else I may have forgotten we are ALL of infinite value to our God and a vital part of the management and stewardship of His holy Church. This shows us, then, that the Church is not a charity at which we volunteer; rather, She is our Mother whom we serve.
Let us, therefore, be faithful and righteous in our stewardship. He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another s, who will give you that which is your own?" (Luke 16:10-12). Remember, in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25), the Master was not upset because the third servant didn't volunteer, but rather because he didn't make good use of his talent, and did not care properly for that with which he was entrusted. Let us all go forth and be faithful to our calling, each in his or her own way, and as we heard in the Conference theme a few years ago: See that you fulfill the ministry which you have received in the Lord (Colossians 4:17).
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ABOUT COMMUNION We are happy that you have joined us today. Indeed, we pray for the unity of the Faith for the day when all of Christianity are united as ONE and can share a common Chalice. However, this is not the case as yet. The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist (Holy Communion) is offered only to Orthodox Christians who are in complete harmony with the Faith and prepared themselves through fasting and prayer. We hope that you do understand and if you have questions or wish to embrace the Orthodox Christian Faith, please talk with Father Elia. If you are a guest or otherwise not a regular communicant, please give your baptismal name when receiving. If you wish, feel free to share the Antidoran with those around you not taking communion.