SS.

kosmas & damianos Orthodox Church (goa)

703 W. Center Street, Rochester, MN (507) 282-1529 http://www.holyanargyroi.org
church@holyanargyroi.org Rev. Fr. Mark Muoz, Proistamenos
/ APOL YTI K I A F OR T ODAY







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.

On beholding the riches of Job's virtues, the enemy of the
righteous contrived to despoil them; and though he cast down
the tower of the Saint's body, he could not plunder the wealth of
his spirit, for he found the soul of that blameless one to be fully
armed; but as for me, he hath stripped me and led me captive
away. Hasten, then, before the end, rescue me from the wily one, O Saviour, and save me.




/KONTAKION FOR TODAY

Though You went down into the tomb, You destroyed Hades' power, and You rose the victor,
Christ God, saying to the myrrh-bearing women, "Rejoice!" and granting peace to Your
disciples, You who raise up the fallen.



Sunday of the paralytic
Job the Prophet, St. Seraphim of Mt. Domvu
May 6
th
, 2012

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Epistle reading
Acts of the Apostles 9:32-42
IN THOSE DAYS, as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints that
lived at Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years and was
paralyzed. And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed." And
immediately he rose. And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
Now there was at Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which means Dorcas. She was full of good works and
acts of charity. In those days she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her, they laid her in an
upper room. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to
him entreating him, "Please come to us without delay." So Peter rose and went with them. And when he
had come, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping, and showing
tunics and other garments which Dorcas made while she was with them. But Peter put them all outside
and knelt down and prayed; then turning to the body he said, "Tabitha, rise." And she opened her eyes,
and when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand and lifted her up. Then calling the saints
and widows he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in
the Lord.

Gospel pericope
John 5:1-5
At that time, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in
Hebrew called Bethesda which has five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind,
lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water; for an angel of the Lord went down at
certain seasons into the pool, and troubled the water; whoever stepped in first after the
troubling of the water was healed of whatever disease he had. One man was there, who had
been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a
long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have
no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps
down before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your pallet, and walk." And at once the man
was healed, and he took up his pallet and walked. Now that day was the sabbath. So the Jews
said to the man who was cured, "It is the sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your pallet."
But he answered them, "The man who healed me said to me, 'Take up your pallet, and walk.'
"They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Take up your pallet, and walk'?" Now the
man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a
crowd in the place. Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you are
well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you." The man went away and told the Jews that it
was Jesus who had healed him.
COMMUNI ON 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 Iear, O man, Ior 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:
TODAY: Spring 2012 General Assembly
Mon.-Thurs. May 7
th
-10
th
: Metropolis Clergy Retreat, Fr. Mark away
Sat. May 12
th
: Great Vespers, 6pm

TndaysMcmnria!5crviccs Mrs. Maria Bucevschi- ycarsLnrcdanasmnthcr
Chafos family: Andreas (38 yrs), Margarita (5 yrs), Spyros (2 months)

No Great Vespers during summer months: Please be advised that the Vespers services will not
be chanted on Saturday evenings during the months of June, July, and August due to the
absence of lhe chanlers and Ialhers scheduIed trips. Vespers services will resume the first
weekend of September.


HOW TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNIONOrthodox 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.


E TI QUE T T E RE MI NDER:

IorlhishoIyhouseandforlhosevhoenlerilvilhfaith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us
raylolheLord

The summer months will soon be upon us and that means enjoying warm weather and 'Iun in the sun. While
shorts (for males & females), capris, flip-IORSV WDQN WRSV VSDJKHWWL VWUDSV, etc. are practical and may be
acceptable at the pool or the lake front they are not appropriate attire at church, and must not be worn during the
Divine Services of the Church. At every Eucharistic celebration we are spiritually and physically brought in the
awesome presence of Jesus Christ Himself, and when we commune He comes to dwell within us in a miraculous
way. Therefore the sanctity, solemnity, and dignity of the Divine Liturgy must be preserved for the wellbeing of all.
******Parents, your assistance and guidance are most especially helpful and appreciated.******
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1. Holy, Righteous and Long-suffering Job.
Job was a descendant of Esau the grandson of Abraham, and lived in
Arabia about 2,000 years before Christ. His father's name was Zareth and
his mother's Bosora; his full name was Jobab. He was an honourable and
God-fearing man, and was very rich. But when he reached the age of
seventy-nine, God permitted heavy temptation from Satan to fall on him, as
is written in detail in the Book of Job. In one day, Job lost all his great
possessions and his sons and daughters. Then a great sickness fell on
him, from which his whole body was covered with sores from top to toe,
and Job lay on a rubbish heap outside the town and scoured his boils with
sherds of broken pottery. But Job did not complain of God, but patiently
endured all his sufferings to the end. Therefore the Lord restored his health
and gave him riches greater than he had had before, and there were born
to him seven sons and three daughters; as many as he had had before. And Job lived for 248 years,
glorifying and praising God. Job is regarded as the model of patient endurance of every suffering that
God sends us, and is a type of the suffering Christ.
2. The Holy Martyr Barbarus.
Barbarus was a soldier in the time of Julian the Apostate. When the imperial commander Bacchus led
the Roman army against the Franks, Barbarus was in that army, a secret Christian. In this battle there
appeared a hero on the Frankish side, like the earlier Goliath, and he challenged the Romans to send
one of their number out to single combat. The commander told Barbarus to go. Barbarus prayed in
his heart to the living Lord, went out and conquered this giant. As a result, the Frankish army was
confused and overcome. Then the commander made a great Triumph, and ordered that sacrifice be
made to idols. But, at this sacrificing, he noticed that Barbarus was standing to one side. When he
asked him why, Barbarus revealed that he was a Christian. The commander informed the Emperor,
and the Emperor commanded that Barbarus be put to the harshest torture, which Barbarus endured
with rare courage and composure. At the time of his martyrdom, many marvels were seen and many
soldiers, seeing them, embraced the Christian faith. Among these was the commander Bacchus
himself, with Callimachus and Dionysius. All three of them were beheaded for the name of Christ and,
after them, Barbarus, in 362. Their souls went to the Kingdom of Christ the immortal King.
3. St Barbarus the Robber.
After much evil-doing, he repented and punished himself, first by going on all fours for three years
and eating with the dogs, and then by living for twelve years in a forest, without clothing or roof, and
with no food but grass or leaves. He was told by an angel that his sins were forgiven. Some
merchants travelling through the forest saw Barbarus from afar and, thinking that he was a wild beast
and not a man, aimed arrows and shot him. Dying, he begged them to tell the local priest about him.
The priest came and gave him burial, and from his body there came forth a healing myrrh, which
healed all sorts of sicknesses and pains among the people.

*HPV)URPWKH'HVHUW
Saint Athanasios, when he found himself on the patriarchal throne
of Alexandria, called Abba Pambo to go to the city on an
ecclesiastical matter. The first person that the holy man met, on
passing through the walls of the large city, was a woman dressed
up so as to ensnare her victims. Seeing her, the elder became
tearful. "Why are you crying, Father?" the brother who was
accompanying him asked. "For two reasons," the elder answered,
sighing. "First of all, for the loss of her soul, and then because I do
not take as much care to please my Lord as she does to please
licentious men."


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:
Vacation Church School
Monday-Friday
Aug. 6
th
-10
th

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

GENERAL ASSEMBLY TODAY!

In accordance with our Parish By-Laws, and the Archdiocesan Uniform Parish Regulations, we
invite you to attend a regular Parish Assembly of all pledging stewards of our Parish on Sunday,
May 6
th
, immediately following the Divine Liturgy. All parishioners are welcome to attend
and participate in the discussions. However, only members in good spiritual and financial
standing are permitted to make motions and participate in the voting. (Article VI, Sections 1, 2
Uniform Parish Regulations)



Words of Fire
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Thessalonians & Galatians

Beginning Monday, May 14
th
, 6:00pm
Books available
now!







The Acquisition of Humility by F r. P. Reardon
Among the imperatives of the Christian moral life, I wonder if any is the occasion of more bewilderment than
the call to be humble. This impression arises not only from my own experience of the problem but also from the
many times other Christians have asked me, 'How can I learn humility? If humility were simply one of the
moral virtuesas it is often treatedits acquisition would be rather simple, I think. A person would first define
humility, as an ideal, and then bring his conduct, as far as possible, into conformity with that ideal. This is, after
all, the way someone attains other moral virtues, such as justice and prudence. We have always known, from the
time of Aristotle, that a person attains justice and prudence by acting justly and prudently.
Little reflection is needed, I think, to detect a problem in this approach. That is: Although the person who acts
justly and prudently will likely become just and prudent, it is not so obvious that the one who acts humbly will
become humble. Humility is more subtle; indeed, the acquisition of humility can easily become the occasion of
a special sort of pride. The Christian ascetical tradition, in which the acquisition of humility is a matter of
serious concern, has always recognized the problem. According to this tradition, Christian humility sits atop an
ascending ladder, marked with certain discernable steps, some of which may not appear-to the uninformed
observer-to be directly concerned with humility. Let us consider the first step, which involves the sustained and
conscious eIIort to cultivate a sense oI God`s presence to the conscience. According to St. Benedict, 'The Iirst
degree of humility _is that a person keep the fear of God before his eyes and beware oI ever Iorgetting it. Just
as 'the Iear oI the Lord is the beginning oI wisdom (Psalms 11:19; Job 28:28; Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; Sirach 1:16),
so it is, also, the beginning of humility.
In other words, the man who seeks humility must start on the ladder`s Iirst rung, which is a great moral eIIort,
explicitly set under the divine gaze. St. Gregory the Dialoguist, in his account of St. Benedict, wrote of this
experience. Benedict, he said, 'dwelt alone with himselI, in the sight oI his Creator, who beholds the hearts of
all men (Dialogues 2.3). Centuries later, Richard of St. Victor summarized this fear of God: 'to know God
and be known by God; to see God through the intuition of fear; to be seen by God through the regard of
kindness (Benjamin Minor 8). Benedict himself describes this effort: 'Let |the monk| be ever mindIul oI all
that God has commanded; let his thoughts constantly recur to the hell-fire which will burn for their sins those
who despise God, and to the life everlasting which is prepared Ior those who Iear Him. We observe that the
climber, on this first step, is not thinking about humility. He is taken up, rather, with the presence of God, who
searches the human heart: 'Let a man consider that God is always looking at him from heaven, that his actions
are everywhere visible to the divine eyes and are constantly being reported to God by the Angels (The Holy
Rule 7).
As ladders are sometimes broader at the bottom, so in his treatment of humility, St. Benedict dedicates the
greater space to that first step. The following steps are all arranged on the basis of it: abnegation of will,
obedience, the cultivation oI patience in trials, submission to spiritual direction, and contentment with one`s
resources and opportunities. Only at the seventh step does Benedict mention the actual struggle to act humbly;
by this time, the essential foundation for acting humbly has been constructed. Still, the eighth step warns against
assuming ascetical efforts outside the common monastic rule. Step nine exhorts the climber to greater silence,
and the next two steps caution him against frivolity. As for step twelve, it places the climber once again under
the gaze oI God, where 'he should consider himselI already present at the dread Judgment. Most striking, I
think, in St. Benedict`s description oI the Iinal step is that the climber does not seem to think oI himselI as
humble. Indeed, he does not think oI himselI at all. He is taken up, rather, with the love oI Christ, 'as though
naturally and by habit.