Parish Bulletin – June 16, 2013
SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PASCHA
FATHERS OF THE FIRST ECUMENICAL COUNCIL
TONE 6
Acts 20:16-18, 28-36
John 17:1-13
Choir Director: Veronika
Welcome
We welcome you to the Orthodox Church. Please feel at ease and free to participate in the singing. As a visitor you are welcome to come forward at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy and venerate the Cross offered by the priest. Additionally you may receive the blessed bread (Antidoron) that is offered at that time. If you have questions or would like further information, the priest or one of the members of the parish will be pleased to help.
A word to our visitors on Holy Communion
The Orthodox Church does not practice open Communion. Therefore, only members of Canonical Orthodox Churches exercising jurisdiction in America may approach the Chalice for Holy Communion. The Orthodox do not regard Holy Communion solely as an act of personal piety, but also as an expression of union with the Orthodox Church’s faith, doctrine, and discipline. Orthodox visitors wishing to receive Holy Communion should make their intention known to the priest in advance — ask any member of the parish for help in relaying your intention to the priest. Orthodox Christians should prepare themselves to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion through recent Confession, prayers of preparation for Holy Communion, and fasting (at minimum, from midnight before receiving).
“Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in a an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.” – I Corinthians 11:27
TROPARIA AND KONTAKIA
Troparion for the Fathers, in Tone VIII:
Most glorious art Thou, O Christ our God, Who hast established our fathers upon the earth as beacons, and hast thereby guided us all to the true Faith! O greatly Compassionate One, glory be to Thee!
Troparion for Ascension, in Tone IV:
O Christ God, Thou hast ascended in glory, granting Joy to Thy disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit. Through the blessing they were assured that Thou art the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world.
Kontakion for the Fathers, in Tone VIII:
The preaching of the apostles and the dogmas of the fathers sealed the one Faith for the Church; and wearing the robe of the Truth, woven of theology from on high, she setteth forth in order and glorifieth the great mystery of piety.
Opportunities to give:
➢ Food donations to the Ashland Food Project
➢ Purchase of air condition units for the church!
Announcements:
- Please sign up for coffee fellowship/kitchen cleanup.
- Parish Council Meeting following Liturgy today.
- Ss. Peter and Paul Men’s Fellowship (with BBQ!) this Tuesday, 6.00 PM at the Bloms’ house. Bring meat to grill.
- Our parish Patronal Feast will be Saturday, July 13. Vigil will take place the night before (Friday, July 12), with Liturgy on Saturday morning, followed by a barbeque picnic. Mark your calendars now!
- Dunn Baptism on Saturday, 4.00 PM.
Service Schedule this Week:
Wednesday – 6.00 pm, Vespers
Thursday – 6.40 am, Hours, Divine Liturgy
Saturday – 5.30 pm, Vigil (Holy Pentecost)
Sunday – 8.40 am, Hours, Divine Liturgy, Kneeling Vespers
Confession after Vespers or by appointment!
Other Activities Next Week:
- Tuesday, 6.00 PM – Ss. Peter and Paul Men’s Fellowship (at Bloms’ house)
- Saturday, 4.00 PM – Dunn Baptism
“Elder, why does God allow the devil to tempt people?”
So that He can select His children. “Do whatever you want,” God tells the devil, because no matter what he does, in the end, the devil will be smashed on the corner-stone that is Christ. If we believe that Christ is the corner-stone, then nothing will scare us.
God does not give the devil the permission to test us, unless something good is to come out of it. He lets the devil do his job. Do you remember what Herod did? He killed fourteen thousand infants, but, in so doing, he made fourteen thousand martyr angels. Can you believe it, fourteen thousand martyrs and angels! The devil had his face crushed. Diocletian became the devil’s partner when he brutally persecuted Christians, but, against his will, he did great good to the Church of Christ because he enriched it with Saints. He thought that he would eliminate all Christians, but in the end, he fell short of his expectations. He left countless holy Relics for us to venerate and made the Church of Christ stronger.
God could easily have wiped the devil off. He is God, after all. If He wishes, He can wrap him up and send him to hell, but He lets him be for our benefit. He would never allow him to torment and torture His creature without any reason. He let the devil loose up to a point, and for a specific time, so that the devil can help us with his malice by tempting us and sending us running to God for help. He will only allow the devil to tempt us if that is going to do us good. If nothing good will come out of it, He will not allow it God permits everything for our own good; we should believe this. He lets the devil be so that man may keep up the fight. No pain, no gain. If the devil did not torment us, we would have taken ourselves for saints. Thus, God allows the devil to attack us with malice, because these beatings clear out all the dust from our dusty soul.
Other times God lets him bite us hard so that we may seek refuge in Him. God is constantly calling us close to Him, but we usually stray away and will run to Him only when we are in danger. When man becomes one with God, there is no place for the veil one to enter and there is no reason for God to permit him to tempt us so that we may take refuge in Him.
Whatever is the case, the devil can benefit us; he helps us become holy. This is the reason that God tolerates him. We should have the spiritual courage to scorn the devil and all his cunning telegrams – our thoughts – and never start a conversation with him. If we want to end all relations with the tempter and avoid being tempted, we must cut off all conversation with him. Did something bad happen to us? Have we been unjustly treated?
Have we been insulted? We should first check and see if we were wrong. If not, we have our reward. There’s no need to carry on. If we carry on with the devil, he will weave his “lace” around us and will cause us great confusion.
– Elder Paisius of Athos
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