+
Sunday, September 17th 2006 +
14th Sunday after Pentecost
& Sunday after the Elevation of the Holy Cross
Tone:
5 + Eothinion: 3
*******************************************************************************************************
+ In the
Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +
“We worship untiringly Thy quickening Cross, O
Christ God, and glorify Thy third-day Resurrection; for by it, O Almighty, Thou
hast renewed the corrupt nature of mankind, and made plain to us the ascent to
heaven; for Thou alone art good and the Lover of mankind.”
+ The
Epistle +
Verse: “O Lord, how
magnificent are Thy works,
Thou
hast made things in wisdom. Bless the Lord, O my soul”.
The Reading is from
the Letter of St. Paul the Apostle to the Galatians.
(Chapter
2:16-20)
Brethren, knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in
Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the
works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. “But
if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found
sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! For if I build
again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I
through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified
with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life
which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me
and gave Himself for me.
+ The
Holy Gospel +
(Chapter 8:34-9:1)
The Lord said: “Whoever desires to come after
Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever
desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake
and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the
whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for
his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and
sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in
the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” And He said to them, “Assuredly,
I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till
they see the kingdom of God present with power.”
Meditation:
“St. John Chrysostom on the Cross”
St. John
Chrysostom wrote the following concerning the Cross of Jesus Christ:
“The Cross has dissolved hatred towards man,
has brought reconciliation, has made the earth heaven, has mingled men with the
angels, has conquered the bastian of death, has neutralized the strength of the
devil, has dismissed the power of sin, has rid the earth of error, has restored
the truth, has driven away the demons, has torn down pagan temples, has upset
sacrificial altars, has dispelled the smell of burnt offerings, has planted
virtue, has founded Churches. The Cross is the will of the Father, the glory of
the Son, the joy of the Holy Spirit, the pride of St. Paul. The Cross is
brighter than the sun and more illuminating than its ray. The Cross has torn
our bond, has rendered useless the prison of death. The Cross is proof of the
love of God, the unshaken wall, the unconquered weapon, the security of the
rich, the richness of the poor, the weapon of the threatened, the rebuke of the
passions, the kingdom of virtue, the wonderful and strange sign. The Cross has
opened paradise, has admitted the thief, and has guided the human race from
impending disaster to the Kingdom of God.”
* Announcements
& Activities *
“It is good to be Zealous in a Good Thing
Always…” (Galatians 4:18)
Ø
Every Saturday at 6:00 p.m. - Great Vespers
ü
Fellowship of St. John
the Divine
*** September is Fellowship Month! ***
All members of the Fellowship of St. John the
Divine are asked to attend the Great Vespers Service every Saturday at 6:00
p.m. Following the Service, a Bible Study/Religious Discussion will take place
in the Conference Room, and once in a while there will be an outing for dinner,
etc. Please give us your email address if you are not receiving our weekly
online newsletter. Because September is Fellowship Month, we encourage all
members of the Fellowship to be especially more active this month, please
contact Miss Ramia Ibrahim (ramiai@hotmail.com) if you would like to
read the Sunday Epistle (English or Arabic), Serve at Coffee Hour, or Collect
the Donation Trays.
ü Antiochian Women
There will be a meeting for the ladies
of the Antiochian Women tomorrow - Monday,
September 18th at 7:30 p.m. in the Cathedral Hall downstairs.
ü
Teen SOYO
All members of the Teen SOYO are asked to
attend the weekly Teen Night Meetings (Tuesdays 7-9 p.m.) no matter what the
topic or activities are! We have a mix of activities: Sports, Games,
Discussions, Bible Studies, etc. Please come on time, we begin every Teen Night
Meeting with the Little Compline Service at 7:00 p.m. sharp.
ü
Parish Council
Symposium
There will be a Parish Council Symposium from
November 2nd – 4th at the Antiochian Village. For more information please contact Ron Nicola, Deptartment
of Stewardship Chairperson. (Email: rnlm@aol.com
– Phone: (925) 934-2004)
ü Campaign Life Coalition Ottawa
(www.lifesite.net)
In defense of the innocent infants
who are being killed by abortion while still in the womb, there will be another
annual Life Chain on Sunday, October 1st from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. As
always, people will be asked to gather at major intersections in the Ottawa
area and silently and prayerfully hold a sign promoting a respect for life. For
more information, please visit the above website, or contact them at (613)
729-0379.
ü Second Tray
Today is College Student Sunday.
We will be collecting a second tray in support of our college students and the
OCF (Orthodox Christian Fellowship) ministry programs. Please find an
informative booklet called “TIME” at the Candle Stand to learn more about OCF
and College Student Sunday.
ü Adult High School (Ottawa-Carleton
District School Board)
Need to upgrade your skills,
improve your English language skills or take personal interest courses? Contact
the Adult High School (613) 239-2707 for more information.
ü Concert: “Kir the Serb” St. Sava
Serbian Orthodox Choir
On Thursday, September 28th
2006 at 8:00 p.m. at the Chateau Laurier there will be a concert of “Kir the
Serb” by the Choir of St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church (Toronto). A Cocktail
will follow the recital. Tickets are $10.00/person. For reservations and
information, please call (613) 233-6289.
+ St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral +
(2975 Riverside Drive – Ottawa)
Cathedral Office: 700 Ridgewood Ave
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1V 6N1
Telephone: (613) 738-2222, Fax: (613) 737-4392
Email: info@steliascathedral.com, Website:
www.steliascathedral.com
The Rt. Rev. Bishop ALEXANDER
Bishop of Ottawa, East
Canada and Upstate New York
The Very Rev. Father Ghattas Hajal – Dean
Rev. Father Mark Arsenios Wyatt – Assistant Priest
The Very
Rev. Father Daniel Matheson – Emeritus