Parish Bulletin – November 4, 2012

22ND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

TONE 5

VENERABLE JOANNICIUS THE GREAT, HIEROMARTYRS NICANDER AND HERMAS

Galatians 6:11-18
Luke 8:41-56

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 – Tone 8

With the streams of thy tears thou didst cultivate the barren desert, and with sighs from the depths of thy soul thou didst bring forth fruit an hundredfold. Thou wast a beacon for the whole world, resplendent in miracles. O Joannicius our father, entreat Christ God, that our souls be saved.

Troparion – Tone 4

In his suffering, O Lord, Thy martyr Nicander received an imperishable crown from Thee, our God; for, possessed of Thy might, he set at nought the tormenters and crushed the feeble audacity of the demons. By his supplications save Thou our souls.

Kontakion – Tone 8

Thou wast made manifest as a most radiant star, shining forth in the world and bringing light to those in the gloom of the passions. And thou hast been shown to be a most mighty physician. But as thou hast received the grace of healing, grant healing

Opportunities to give:

➢ Food donations to the Ashland Food Project

Announcements:

• Please sign up for coffee fellowship/kitchen cleanup.
• Adult Education Class following Vespers on Wednesday.
• Confession before Vespers on Wednesday (5.00-5.50 PM)
• Holy Unction Service on Thursday, 5.30 pm.
• Choir practice on Saturday, 4.30 pm.
• Annual Parish Meeting will take place on November 11^th, with a pre-fasting “Thanksgiving meal.” (Nativity Fast starting November 14^th) Please sign up for making dishes!
• PLEASE FILLOUT YOUR PLEDGE FORMS.

Service Schedule this Week:

Wednesday – 6.00 pm, Vespers

Thursday – 6.40 am, Hours, Divine Liturgy, 5.30 pm – Holy Unction

Saturday – 6.00 pm, Great Vespers

Sunday – 9.00 am, Hours, Divine Liturgy

Confession after Vespers or by appointment!

Other Activities Next Week:

• Wednesday, following Vespers – Adult Education Cless
• Thursday, 5.30 PM – Holy Unction Service
• Saturday, 4.30 PM – Choir practice

Bulletin Insert (OCA Department of Education):

The New Testament portion of every Bible is the same. There are 27 books, and they are in the same order. But the Old Testament is a very different matter.

Protestant Bibles contain 39 books called “canonical” or, in other words, accepted as authentic and inspired. These are the books of the Hebrew Bible. But the Orthodox Old Testament contains several more books, as does that of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Orthodox Old Testament canon, the group of books regarded as canonical by the Orthodox Church, is based on the Septuagint. This is the translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew to Greek that was produced by scholars between 300 and 200 BC. It was created, at least in part, as a way of making sure that Hellenistic Jews, among whom the understanding of Hebrew was being lost, could read the Old Testament. In the tenth century, all but 39 books were rejected by Jewish scholars. Their canon was the one accepted later by the Protestant reformers.

The Septuagint is the version of the Old Testament from which Saint Paul and the other apostles quoted, and many Church used it as well. It is the version the Church inherited from the apostles, and therefore the Orthodox regard it as inspired. The name “Septuagint” refers to the number seventy, since traditionally seventy scholars worked on the translation.

Theron Mathis has written a book entitled “The Rest of the Bible” as a way of acquainting readers with the books included in the Orthodox Old Testament that might be unfamiliar to many. As he points out, the books tell fascinating stories, and enhance our understanding of the parts of the Old Testament we may know better. They also offer moral teaching and describe virtuous lives. Saint Athanasius and others used them to instruct those preparing for baptism; they are valuable to modern Christians, too.

In Mathis’ book we read about Susanna, who is called “the Righteous” and whose story is contained in the book of the prophet Daniel. Susanna was a devout Jewish woman who, because she would not satisfy the desires of two elders who lusted after her, was falsely accused of immorality and therefore faced a death sentence. She stood alone against her accusers, without the support of her family or friends. It was the young Daniel who came to her defense and uncovered the lies of those who were trying to have her executed.

Another story in Mathis’ book is about Esther, the Jewish woman who became a queen in Persia and saved the lives of her people. But as Mathis points out, the Septuagint has a longer version of Esther than appears in Protestant Bibles, and the extra verses add depth and richness to the account of what she did and who she was.

“The Rest of the Bible” (available from Conciliar Press) is a good companion book to the Orthodox Study Bible, which is based on the Septuagint. Mathis invites us to “pick up an OSB and read along!”