Holy anargyroi Greek Orthodox Church

703 W. Center Street, Rochester, MN (507) 282-1529 http://www.holyanargyroi.org

church@holyanargyroi.org Rev. Fr. Mark Muñoz, Proistamenos
ΑΠΟΛΤΣΙΚΙΑ ΣΗ΢ ΗΜΕΡΑ΢/APOLYTIKIA FOR TODAY
Ευφραινέσθω τά ουράνια, αγαλλιάσθω τά επίγεια, ότι
εποίησε κράτος, εν βραχίονι αυτού, ο Κύριος, επάτησε
τώ θανάτω τόν θάνατον, πρωτότοκος τών νεκρών
εγένετο, εκ κοιλίας άδου ερρύσατο ημάς, καί παρέσχε
κόσμω τό μέγα έλεος.
Let the Heavens rejoice; let earthly things be glad; for the
Lord has wrought might with His arm, He has trampled
upon death by death. The first-born of the dead has He
become. From the depths of Hades has He delivered us,
and has granted great mercy to the world.
For your greatness in prayer and humility and love,* for
your ascetical firmness and Orthodoxy of faith,* God
has given His exceeding wondrous gifts to you * as unto
prophets of His will, * as to angels on the earth, and
stewards of men's salvation. * Wherefore enlighten us
also, O universal lights of Optina.

ΚΟΝΤΑΚΙΟΝ ΤΗΣ ΗΜΕΡΑΣ/KONTAKION FOR TODAY

Προστασία τών Χριστιανών ακαταίσχυντε, μεσιτεία πρός τόν Ποιητήν αμετάθετε, Μή

παρίδης αμαρτωλών δεήσεων φωνάς, αλλά πρόφθασον, ώς αγαθή, εις τήν βοήθειαν ημών,
τών πιστώς κραυγαζόντων σοι. Τάχυνον εις πρεσβείαν, καί σπεύσον εις ικεσίαν, η
προστατεύουσα αεί, Θεοτόκε, τών τιμώντων σε.
O Protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, mediation unto the Creator most
constant: despise not the suppliant voices of those who have sinned; but be quick, O good one,
to come unto our aid who in faith cry unto you: Hasten to intercede, and speed to make
supplication, you who ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honor you.

3rd Sunday of St Luke

Sts. Eulampios & Eulampia, St. Theophilos the Confessor, Holy 14 Elders of Optina
October 10th, 2010
 Today’s scripture readings
Epistle reading

St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 1:11-19

BRETHREN, I would have you know that the gospel which was preached by me is not man's
gospel. For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of
Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of
God violently and tried to destroy it; and I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age
among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who
had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal
his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with flesh
and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away
into Arabia; and again I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to
visit Cephas, and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except
James the Lord's brother.

Gospel pericope
Luke 7:11-16

At that time, Jesus went to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with
him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried
out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large crowd from the city was
with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not
weep." And he came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young
man, I say to you, arise." And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to
his mother. Fear seized them all; and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen
among us!" and "God has visited his people!"
 COMMUNION PRAYERS
I believe and confess, Lord, that You are truly the Christ, the Son of
the living God, Who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I
am the first. I also believe that this is truly Your pure Body and that
this is truly Your precious Blood. Therefore, I pray to You. Have
mercy upon me, and forgive my transgressions, voluntary and
involuntary, in word and deed, known and unknown. And make me
worthy without condemnation to partake of Your pure Mysteries for
the forgiveness of sins and life eternal. Amen.

Behold, my Maker, I approach Holy Communion. Burn me not as I partake, for You are fire
which burns the unworthy, but cleanse me from every stain.

Receive me today, Son of God, as a partaker of Your mystical Supper. I will not reveal Your
mystery to Your enemies, nor will I give You a kiss as did Judas. But as the thief I confess to
You: Lord, remember me in Your kingdom.

Seeing the Divine Blood, have fear, O man, for it is coal that burns the unworthy. It is God’s
Body that deifies and nourishes me; it deifies the spirit and nourishes the mind mystically.

You have smitten me with yearning, O Christ, and with Your divine love You have changed me.
Burn away my sins with spiritual fire and make me worthy to be filled with Your joy, that
rejoicing in Your goodness, I may magnify Your two Comings.

How shall I, who am unworthy, enter into the splendor of Your saints? If I dare to enter the
bridal chamber, my clothing will accuse me, since it is not a wedding garment; and being bound
up, I shall be cast out by the angels. In Your love, Lord, cleanse the vileness of my soul and save
me.

Loving Master, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, let not these holy Gifts be to my condemnation
because of my unworthiness, but for the cleansing and sanctification of soul and body and the
pledge of the future life and kingdom. It is good for me to cling to God and to place in Him the
hope of my salvation.

Receive me today, Son of God, as a partaker of Your mystical Supper. I will not reveal Your
mystery to Your enemies. Nor will I give You a kiss as did Judas. But as the thief I confess to
You: Lord remember me in Your kingdom.
 Announcements
Liturgical/Program Schedule:
**Fr. Mark away from Oct. 11th- Oct. 23rd**
Mon. Oct. 11th: NO Adult Religious Education
Sat. Oct. 16th: NO Vespers
Sun. Oct. 17th: Visiting priest, services at normally scheduled times.

Today’s Memorial Service: Mrs. Alexandra Kokolaris (40-days)

JOY Outing to Pumpkin Patch: We will gather next Sunday, Oct. 17th at 1:30pm to visit
Tweite’s Pumpkin Patch, activities include corn maze, enchanted forest, Dino Dig, Dodge City,
Pumpkinville, Harvest Town, Wagon rides, and more! Please plan on joining us for this annual
event! (ALL families invited to attend!)

New Orthodox “App”: do you have a phone that supports apps? If so, search on your iTunes
acct (or equivalent) for “Greek Orthodox” and the Archdiocese’s new app will appear. Once
downloaded to your phone you can receive information including: daily fasting regulations,
scripture readings, and the saints commemorated that day. A wealth of spiritual information
with one push of a finger! Get it, it’s free!

A new research study done by SCOBA revealed: that there are approximately 535,000
parishioners in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Of those 535,000 only 121,000
parishioners attend liturgy on a weekly basis, that’s 23% participation. Of these same 535,000
parishioners 84% indicated that the issue of our youth leaving the church was a “very
important concern”. Hmmmm….are you thinking what I’m thinking?!?!?

HOW TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION—Only Orthodox Christians in good standing are encouraged
to receive Holy Communion frequently, provided they have prepared themselves spiritually, mentally and
physically. They must be on time for the Divine Liturgy, and be in a Christ-like, humble state of mind. They should
be in a confession relationship with their priest or spiritual father, have observed the fasts of the Church, and they
should have self-examined their conscience. On the day of receiving Holy Communion, it is not proper to eat or
drink anything before coming to church. When you approach to receive Holy Communion, state your Christian
(baptismal) name clearly, and hold the red communion cloth to your chin. After receiving, wipe your lips on the
cloth, step back carefully, hand the cloth to the next person and make the sign of the Cross as you step away.
Please do not be in a rush while communing! Please take special care not to bump the Holy Chalice.
 Today’s liturgical commemorations
1. The Holy Martyrs Eulampius and Eulampia.
They were brother and sister from Nicomedia. At the time of a vicious persecution of Christians by the
Emperor Maximian (286-305), some of the faithful of Nicomedia fled the city and hid. The young
Eulampius was sent into the city for bread. Entering it, he saw the imperial decree on the persecution and
killing of Christians stuck onto a wall, and, laughing at it, took it down and tore it up. He was immediately
brought to trial for this. When the judge urged him to deny Christ, Eulampius began in return to urge the
judge to deny the false idols and accept Christ as the one, living God. Then the judge ordered that he be
flogged until the blood flowed, and tortured in other ways. Hearing of the torture of her brother, the
maiden Eulampia ran to join him in suffering for Christ, and she was likewise beaten till the blood flowed
from her nose and mouth. After that, they were thrown into boiling pitch then into a red-hot furnace, but
they, by the power of the sign of the Cross and the name of Christ, rendered the fire harmless. Finally, St
Eulampius was beheaded, but St Eulampia breathed her last before the same could be done to her. Two
hundred other Christians, who had come to faith in Christ by seeing the power and miracles of St
Eulampius and his sister, were slaughtered. All were crowned with wreaths of martyrdom and entered into
their immortal, heavenly home.

2. The Holy Martyrs of Zographou.

When the Emperor Michael Palaeologus contracted the ill-famed Union of Lyons with the Pope, to receive
his help against the Bulgars and Serbs, the monks of the Holy Mountain sent the Emperor a protest
against this Union, and urged him to set it aside and return to Orthodoxy. The Pope sent an army to
Michael's aid, and this Latin army went onto the Holy Mountain and set about such barbarism as the
Turks never perpetrated in five hundred years. Hanging the members of the Council and slaughtering
many of the monks in Vatopedi, Iviron and other monasteries, the Latins attacked Zographou. The
blessed Abbot Thomas told the brethren by inspiration that those who desired to save themselves from
the Latins should flee the monastery, and those who desired a martyr's death should stay. Twenty-six
men stayed: twenty-two monks with their abbot and four laymen who worked for the monastery. They all
shut themselves in the monastery tower. When the Latins arrived, they set the tower alight, and these
twenty-six heroes found a martyr's death in the flames. While the tower was burning, they sang hymns
and the Akathist to the Mother of God, and gave their holy souls into God's hands on October 10th, 1282.
In December of the same year, the dishonourable Emperor Michael died in poverty, the Serbian King
Milutin having risen up against him in defence of Orthodoxy.

3. Our Holy Fathers of Optina Monastery (Russia).

On this day we also celebrate the Synaxis of the Righteous Fathers of Optina Hermitage in Russia, who
struggled valiantly in the monastic life in prayer, humility, obedience, and love, and whom God deemed
worthy of the lofty gifts of discernment, prophecy, clairvoyance, and eldership, that is, the grace to guide
souls on the unerring path of salvation. They are Leo (who reposed in 1841), Macarius (1860), Moses
(1862), Anthony (1865), Hilarion (1873), Ambrose (1891), Anatolius (1894), Isaacius (1894), Joseph
(1911), Barsanuphius (1913), Anatolius (1922), Nectarius (1928), Nicon (1931), and Isaacius (1936).
 On the Jesus Prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ have mercy
on me", from our Holy Fathers
In the First Epistle to the Thessalonians the Apostle Paul says: "Pray
without ceasing".
St. John Chrysostom in his speech about sobriety and prayer, says
the following: "Brothers, be always occupied with the intellectual
prayer and do not move far away from God until you receive God's
mercy and pity. Never ask for anything but for His infinite mercy and
this is enough for your salvation. When asking for His mercy, cry
aloud in entreaty with humble and contrite heart form morning to night and, if possible, during
the whole night, saying unceasingly: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us".

St John Climacus says the following: "Win the enemies in your mind with the name of God.
You will not find any other weapon more effective than this! Similarly you will manage both to
appease your passions inside yourself and to efface them with the aid of the prayer".

St. Seraphim of Sarov says: "When mind and heart are united in prayer and the soul is wholly
concentrated in a single desire for God, then the heart grows warm and the light of Christ begins
to shine and fills the inward man with peace and joy. We should thank the Lord for everything
and give ourselves up to His will; we should also offer Him all our thoughts and words, and
strive to make everything serve only His good pleasure."

St. Isichios writes about the prayer: "Through the constant remembrance and invocation to
Jesus Christ, a holy condition is created in our mind. This happens, if we appeal to Jesus Christ
with fervor, crying aloud towards Him in entreaty day and night, so that repetition leads to habit
and habit becomes second nature!"

Saint Hieromartyr Kosmas Aetolos (+1779) says: "I advise you to make a Comboschini, all of
you, young and old, and hold it in your left hand and cross yourselves with your right hand and
say: ‘Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me'".
 Godparenting 101

It is a known practice in the Orthodox Church that every person, child or adult, should have a godparent
(sponsor) at the time that they enter into the faith through Holy Baptism and Chrismation. To be a
godparent is at the same time a great honor and a tremendous responsibility. God asks each godparent
to assist in leading souls along the narrow path which leads to the Kingdom of Heaven. For this reason
the role of the godparent is not to be minimized or trivialized. It is in fact a role that is holy and needs to
be taken seriously.

The task of steering a child along the narrow path, and bringing them up according to the law of God is
perhaps the greatest of all things in life. St. Theophan the Recluse says that there is no holier act. What
better thing can we offer our children than to lead them to our Lord and teach them to imitate Him in their
life. The challenge of raising up a child in the teachings of God is perhaps far greater today than ever
before. We are contending against many negative influences that carry with them great appeal. Due to
the fallen state that we are in, and the unhealed passions that remain within us, the things that are most
harmful are the things that are most enticing. With the many obstacles and temptations, the parents along
with the godparents, must help the precious souls entrusted to them through the course of life.

While it is an honor to be asked to be a godparent, one should make sure that the potential sponsor will
be committed to the responsibility. The role must be honored and not taken lightly. Every godparent will
be accountable to God as to whether or not he or she has fulfilled their duties. Prospective godparents
must know their faith, or at least be in the process of learning their faith and be committed to a life in
Christ. One problem today is that people who are called upon to be godparents do not know their faith
and are not regular participants in the life of the Church. This is also true for some parents. Consequently
a child who is baptized may never know anything about Jesus Christ and the Church.

In the ancient Church during catechism one learned the basic elements of the Christian faith and moral
life. We see the importance of these teachings and the teachings themselves in the 4th Prebaptismal
Catechesis of St. Cyril of Jerusalem. The candidate had to be introduced by one of the faithful, called
anadochos, (the godparent to be) and be examined by the "doctors" (the Bishops) who were in charge of
the catechumens, to ensure that clear spiritual motives led him to enter the Church. Other than in cases
of urgency, baptism was not something that was rushed. Not only did the candidate need to understand
the teachings of Christ and the Church, but he also had to be living by them. The godparent, therefore,
is the representative of the infant who is being admitted into the Church of Christ. He speaks for the infant
and vows that he will do all he can to assure that the child will be a true soldier of Christ and a devoted
member of His Church. He accepts the sacred responsibility of guiding the child into the understanding
and practice of the teachings of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
 Pearls from the desert…
Abba Poemen said to Abba Joseph, “Tell me how to become a Christian” He said, “If you want to
find rest here below, and hereafter, in all circumstances say, „Who am I?‟ and do not judge anyone.”

Live through lowliness of mind instead of going to your death through pretentious pride. We
should not set ourselves up as guideposts, that we should not consider ourselves sagacious,
that we should not believe we can direct ourselves. We need assistance; we need guidance in
addition to God‟s Grace. -St. Dorotheos of Gaza, 6th century
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A BIG Time thanks!...

To all who donated recently towards the fundraising
endeavors of the St. Iakovos Retreat Center & Camp!
We sent nearly $4,000 to the Metropolis and the
Metropolitan contacted me personally to express his
gratitude to the entire parish! THANK YOU!!