SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 2016 Sunday of Forgiveness Cheesefare Sunday The translation of the relics of Nikephoros, patriarch of Constantinople; Poplias and Marios the bishops. Tone 8 Eothinon 8 SAINT ELIAS ORTHODOX CHURCH 408 E. 11 STREET AUSTIN, TX 78701 (512) 476-2314 www.sainteliaschurch.org TH WELCOME to all our visitors worshipping with us! Please be sure to sign the Guest Book or fill out a Visitor s Card and drop it in the collection plate (or give it to a greeter). Please be our guest downstairs in the Fellowship Hall for coffee and refreshments after the service this morning. We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you personally to Saint Elias. We re glad you re here!
ST ELIAS ORTHODOX CHURCH A Parish of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America and the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America METROPOLITAN JOSEPH, PRIMATE BISHOP BASIL, BISHOP OF WICHITA Parish Office: The Parish Office is located at: 12731 Research Blvd, Ste. A110 Austin, TX 78759 Church Office Phone: (512) 476-2314 Church Hall Phone: (512) 476-2316 Office Hours: Tuesday Friday 10:00 AM 4:00 PM Church & Clergy email addresses: Office: stelias_austin@sbcglobal.net Very Rev. Fr. David Barr, Pastor frdavidbarr@gmail.com Rev. Fr. Raphael Daly, Assistant Pastor synaxis@gmail.com Very Rev. Fr. Traian Buican tbuican@yahoo.com Reverend Archdeacon Niketas Sanders niketas@yahoo.com Reverend Deacon Gregory Farman gregfarman@gmail.com Parish Council: Officers: Mark Cherry, Chairman Ronnie Long, Vice Chairman Adam Wall, Treasurer Imad Zaccak, Secretary Nesreen Khoury, Financial Sec. Members: Joshua Treviño Phillip Gunter David Jabour James Mercier Abraham Ghebremicael Michael Friends Organizational Representatives: Choir: Bill Attal Church School: Ronnie Long FOSJD: Adam Wall Ladies Guild: Sh. Geri Farman Check out our parish website: www.sainteliaschurch.org 2 Sacraments: Baptism, Matrimony, Adult Initiation Contact the Church Office and set up an appointment with the Pastor to discuss the arrangements for these sacraments. Pastoral Care of the Sick Please call the Parish Office with names of the sick and hospitalized of the parish so they can receive proper pastoral care. Offering the Holy Bread Sign up to offer Holy Bread by calling the Church Office. Become a Member of St. Elias We would love to have you be a part of our community! Please talk to the Pastor or call the Church Office to get an information packet on becoming a member of the parish. Times for Confession: Confessions are heard before Vespers on Wednesday and Saturday evenings, and by appointment during the week. One of the priests will be available in the church starting at 5:00 PM prior to Vespers. You may also call the church office or email one of the priests to set up an appointment for confession. To indicate your desire to go to Confession, come to the front right pew and wait for the priest. Due to time constraints, the priests will not be able to hear confessions between the two Divine Liturgies.
THE DIVINE LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM 8:30 AM Liturgy: Congregational Singing We will be using the blue-covered Congregational Liturgy books found in the pews this morning for the 8:30 AM Divine Liturgy. Check the Early Liturgy supplement for music for the Troparia of the day. 10:30 AM Liturgy: St. Elias Choir The Divine Liturgy may be found in the white Visitor s Liturgy books. When we reach the point in the service for Antiphons and hymns, the ones for today's service are listed below and on the next page. 1st Antiphon It is good to give praise unto the Lord, and to chant unto Thy name, O Most High. Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Saviour, save us. To proclaim in the morning Thy mercy, and Thy truth by night. Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Saviour, save us. Upright is the Lord our God, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Saviour, save us. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Saviour, save us. 2nd Antiphon The Lord is King, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength and He hath girt Himself. O Son of God who art risen from the dead, save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia! For He established the world which shall not be shaken. O Son of God who art risen from the dead, save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia! Holiness becometh Thy house, O Lord, unto length of days. O Son of God who art risen from the dead, save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia! Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. and Only-begotten Son 3rd Antiphon Troparion of the Resurrection (Tone 8) The Daily Hymns Troparion of the Resurrection (Tone 8) From the heights thou didst descend, O compassionate One; and thou didst submit to the three-day burial, that thou mightest deliver us from passions. Thou art our Life and our Resurrection, O Lord, glory to thee. 3
Troparion of the Prophet Elias (Tone 4) The incarnate Angel and the Prophets summit and boast, the forerunner of the second coming of Christ our God, Elias the glorious, from above sent down his grace upon Elisha; he doth cast out sickness and doth also cleanse lepers; and unto all that honour him, he poureth forth streams of cures. Kontakion of Cheesefare Sunday (Tone 6) Teacher of wisdom, Bestower of virtue, who teachest the thoughtless and protectest the poor: Strengthen and enlighten my heart, O Master. Give me word, O Word of the Father, for behold my lips will not be restrained from crying to thee: Have mercy on me, the transgressor, O merciful Lord. Prokeimenon in Tone 3 (from Psalm 47) Sing praises to our God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. Clap your hands, all ye nations; shout unto God with a voice of rejoicing. The Reading is from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Romans 13:11 14:4 Brethren, salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed; the night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions. One believes he may eat anything, while the weak man eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains pass judgment on him who eats; for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for God is able to make him stand. Alleluia Verses (from Psalm 91) It is good to give praise unto the Lord, and to chant unto Thy name, O Most High. To proclaim in the morning Thy mercy, and Thy truth by night. The Holy Gospel St. Matthew 6:14-21 The Lord said, If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I 4
say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The Sermon: Father Raphael Daly Today s Commemorations Holy Bread is offered by Sh. Geri Priscilla on her birthday for her Godchildren Zoe Slockett and Diana Welsch on their birthdays. Prayers are requested for the health and recovery of Adele Homsieh. Prayers are requested for the health of Teresa Shannon. Prayers are requested for the repose of the soul of Khouriya Jedonne Rhudy, wife of Fr. Stephen Rhudy. May her memory be eternal. Prayers are requested by Bishop BASIL for Metropolitan Paul of Aleppo, Syria, and the Syrian Orthodox Archbishop Youhanna (John), also from Aleppo, Metropolitan Saba and the clergy and people of our sister diocese of Bosra-Hauran, Shamassy Janice Marie Bourquin, Father Constantine Dimas, Father Michael and Kouriya Angelina Keiser, Archdeacon Meleteios Marx, Khouriya Mireille Pavez, Salome, and David Sebits. Departed remembered from the Parish Dyptichs: for the repose of Jack Nik Couravallos ( 3/7/1970). This name comes from the parish dyptichs the record of those who have been buried from St. Elias. May their memory be eternal! At the Divine Liturgy during the Great Entrance, we normally commemorate only Orthodox Christians by name among the living and departed since this is the Church praying for the Church. Non-Orthodox are remembered liturgically in prayers at Vespers and other intercessory services of the Church. 5
On Receiving Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church: Only Orthodox Christians who are prepared through prayer, fasting, and a recent sacramental confession should approach the Chalice for the Eucharist. The Orthodox Church does not practice open communion and has no intercommunion with other churches (non-orthodox). If you have any questions concerning this, please talk to one of the priests before taking communion. And Remember to receive Holy Communion, one should be present at the Divine Liturgy no later than the time for the Epistle and Gospel readings. We feed both our minds and our hearts as part of the Orthodox Christian life. To feast on the Lord without listening to his words is disrespectful. ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 13 Our Greeters this morning are Bob and Janet Bennett (8:30) and Imad Zaccak (10:30). Next week's greeters Florin Matei and James Nials. Thank you for this important ministry of hospitality. Please Join us for Coffee Hour Refreshments in the Church Hall after the Liturgy. Today s refreshments are provided by those with last names beginning with D-I. Great Lent is Here! here is a Guide to Fasting and Abstinence in the Orthodox Church in T the pamphlet rack in the Narthex of the Church. This is an aid for you in your preparation for the Great Fast. If you have any questions on fasting or how to keep the fast in your home, please talk to Father David. Forgiveness Vespers his evening at 6:00 PM, the service which begins Lent Vespers with T the Exchange of Forgiveness- will be served. Let us set out with joy upon the season of the Fast, and prepare ourselves for spiritual combat. Let us purify our soul and cleanse our flesh; and as we fast from food, let us abstain also from every passion. Rejoicing in the virtues of the Spirit may we persevere with love, and so be counted worthy to see the solemn Passion of Christ our God, and with great spiritual gladness to behold His holy Passover. -from the Vespers of Forgiveness 6
Coffee Hour Schedule March 13: D-I (Cheese Fare) March 20: J-Q* (Sunday of Orthodoxy) March 27: R-Z* April 3: A-C Mark your calendars for your week and participate in this ministry of fellowship in our parish. And remember, help clean up afterwards on your Sunday We Need Holy Bread! Attention Holy Bread Bakers: We are out of holy bread in the freezer at church. We need some supplies for Great Lent coming up. If you could make some bread and put it in the freezer, it would be a great help. And if you want to offer the Holy Bread on any given Sunday, simply send an email early in the week and we can get your name and request in the bulletin. Thanks! Friday Nights in Lent Study on the Great and Holy Council of the Orthodox being held in June, 2016 On Friday evenings in Lent after the Akathist, we will have a study and discussion on the upcoming Great and Holy Council of the Orthodox scheduled to take place June 16-27, 2016 in Crete. This Council will deal with several issues that we face in the Church today. We will look at the topics, the various draft statements, and become more aware of what is being planned this summer. Diaper Drive for Annunciation Maternity Home In honor of The Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, March 25th, the Ladies Guild of St. Elias is sponsoring a Diaper Drive for the Annunciation Maternity Home in Georgetown, Texas (http://www.thematernityhome.org). Now through March 26th. Drop off diapers, size #6 in the designated box in the parish hall. What better way to honor LIFE! In addition to our celebration of the great Feast of the Annunciation in worship --this almsgiving is a way to honor Christ and the Theotokos in a tangible way. Annunciation Maternity home in Georgetown is doing great work to help women who might otherwise be tempted to abort their babies. They help them for two years with education, jobs, child care and 7
spiritual/emotional development so that they--and their babies will do well. Let's help them do this great work! Please help us reach our goal of 300 boxes/bags of diapers (size #6)! Looking for a Ride from Northwest Austin A Romanian Orthodox woman recently moved to Austin is looking for a ride to church for the second Liturgy. She lives in an apartment complex on Lakeline Blvd South in Cedar Park. If you are able to assist with transportation please call the church office 512-476-2314 Amazon Smile Do you shop with Amazon? If so, if you log on to Amazon with http://smile.amazon.com/ and then choose St Elias Orthodox Church in Austin as your chosen organization, the church will receive a portion of your purchase as a donation. It s not a large percentage (.5%), but if everyone who uses Amazon did it through Smile, it can add up to quite a bit over a year. Signing up is easy. We hope you ll consider it! Good Work Opportunities at St. Elias: Meals for Caritas! We are helping the homeless and needy in our community by providing meals for Caritas. Caritas feeds 300-350 people in need Monday-Friday of every week. Our community provides a meal for 100+ on the first Monday of each month. How can you be involved? We need the following: Sponsor a meal! We need monthly sponsor(s) for each meal. Sponsors will donate $100+ to cover the cost of the food. Sunday Afternoon Prep! We need a small team of helpers each month to prepare on the Sunday afternoon before the meal Next Opportunity: April 3 How do you want to help? Contact Kh. Luanne Barr for more information and to volunteer your help. 8
Scholarship Funds Time to Apply! The Arthur and Theodore Jabour Scholarship St. Elias has set up a scholarship fund in the names of Arthur and Theodore Jabour available for Orthodox high school seniors and college students in Central Texas. For more information on this scholarship, download the application at www.sainteliaschurch.org/announce or call the Church Office. The deadline for this Scholarship is May 15. The Rabab Sayegh Scholarship St. Elias has set up a scholarship fund in the name of Rabab Sayegh available for Orthodox high school seniors and college students in Central Texas. For more information on this scholarship, download the application at www.sainteliaschurch.org/announce or call the Church Office. The deadline for this Scholarship is May 15. The Francis Maria Scholarship The Francis Maria Scholarship is available for Orthodox high school seniors and college students in the US and Canada. For more information on this and other scholarships, go to www.antiochian.org/scholarships. The deadline for this scholarship is May 15. The Harry and Florence Kouri Scholarship The Harry and Florence Kouri Scholarship is available for a 2016 DOWAMA Graduating High School Senior. For more information on this and other scholarships, go to www.antiochian.org/scholarships. The deadline for this scholarship is April 25. Women s Scholarships Each year, the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Women of North America are able to award scholarships, usually in the amount of $500 each, to help women continue their education in order to improve their circumstances and those of their families. The qualifications for the scholarship are as follows: 1. The applicant must be a female over 25 years of age; 2. The applicant must be a member in good standing of a parish of the Antiochian Archdiocese; 3. The applicant must be actively involved in her parish; 4. The applicant must be applying for or registered in an academic or trade program of study; and 5. The applicant must demonstrate financial need. The application deadline is June 1. For more information please contact Geri Farman, Ladies' Guild President, (gerifarman20@gmail.com). 9
News from our Parish Organizations: Church School Regular Sunday School is in session. If you have any questions, please see our Church School Director Ronnie Long! OCF Check out our schedule on the UT OCF Facebook Group for more updates. Orthodox Young Adults & Fellowship of St. John Please contact Adam Wall at awall1981@gmail.com or Fr. Raphael for information about the Fellowship's activities. SOYO (Teens) We had a great barbecue last week at the Long s thanks for joining us. See Fr. Raphael for upcoming events. Parish Council The next Parish Council Meeting will be March 15 at 7 PM. Ladies Guild Check the bulletin board in the fellowship hall for the list of activities that need your help! Choir The Choir rehearses at 7:00 PM on Wednesday evenings. If you are interested in singing in the choir, talk to Director Bill Attal. They will be happy to have you. IOCC Metropolitan Committee Get involved with the International Orthodox Christian Charities local Committee. For more information, contact Imad Zaccak: austinmet@iocc.org Catechumens at St. Elias: ur catechumens at St. Elias are Charlie Drozdyk, Dylan Evans, Erin O Foley, Laura Forsberg, Calvin Galant, Faith Galant, Benjamin Mahoney, Cristina Navarro, Mark Vaughan, and Andrew Washington. Please make every effort to welcome them to the parish as they make their journey to Orthodoxy. Are You Interested in Becoming Orthodox? f you are interested in becoming a member of the Orthodox Church I either through baptism or chrismation, please talk to Father David in the next few weeks. If you aren t ready to make a decision now, that s OK, we can enroll catechumens at any time during the year. 10
Making Prayer Requests at the Liturgy P lace prayer request lists on the tray on the analogion before or during the first part of the Liturgy (prior to the Epistle and Gospel). They will be picked up during the liturgy and commemorations will be made. Afterward you may pick your list back up with a piece of antidoron placed on it which is helpful for those who would like to reuse the list in the future. Thanks! SaGE (Sex and God Education) on March 26 Attention Teens and Parents: On Saturday, March 26, we will be offering an education opportunity for the youth (6th to 12th Grade) of our parish and their parents. SaGE was developed by Father Jeremy Davis at St. Elijah in Oklahoma City and adopted by the Diocese of Wichita as a means of educating our youth on the Orthodox teaching on sexuality and sexual practice. The workshop will have medical professionals, teachers and our clergy to present good and correct information and to help create a healthy discussion. The world educates our children, but not according to our Orthodox values. This workshop will help reinforce the values that we have as Orthodox Christians and help pass on these values and traditions. Make plans now to participate in this workshop. We will have the schedule and times announced soon. Reserve the day now! It will be of great value to our youth (and their parents too)! Book Store News Check out our parish book and gift store for wonderful reading material and gifts. We need volunteers to work in the bookstore. Contact the church office if you can help. Today s volunteers: Gil Starkey and Matthew Wilson Bring Your Icons Next Sunday for the Procession Bring icons for your children to carry in the procession around the inside of the church for the Sunday of Orthodoxy on next Sunday morning. The children will follow the clergy in procession around the church as we proclaim the victory of Orthodoxy over iconoclasm. We will have processions at both Liturgies, so be sure to bring your icons. 11
This Week at St. Elias Monday, March 14 Wednesday, March 16 Friday, March 18 Saturday, March 19 Sunday, March 20 Looking Ahead: Friday, March 25 Sunday, May 1 7:00PM Great Compline 6:30 PM Presanctified Liturgy followed by Lenten Pot Luck Supper 6:30 PM Akathist to the Theotokos and study on 2016 Great and Holy Council 5:45 PM 9 th Hour 6:00 PM Great Vespers The Sunday of Orthodoxy 8:10 AM 3 rd & 6 th Hours 8:30 AM Divine Liturgy 9:45 AM Church School Session 1 10:05 AM Service of Preparation for Holy Communion 10:30 AM Divine Liturgy with procession of the Holy Icons 11:45 AM Church School Session 2 Feast of the Annunciation 6:30 PM Vesperal Divine Liturgy Great and Holy Pascha 12