+ Sunday, January 20, 2008

Sunday of St. Euthymius the Great

 

 

Tone 1                                                      +                                          Eothinon 1

                                               

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+ In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +

 

 

Lord, help me not to find excuses for my sins, teach me to honestly and sincerely ask for forgiveness daily as I pray the prayer You taught us…” Our Father…” Amen

 

 

+ The Epistle +

 

Verse:     O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.

                                    To Thee, O Lord, have I cried, O my God.

 

The reading from the Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians

(Chapter 4:6-15)

 

Brethren, It is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. Since we have the same spirit of faith as he has who wrote, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we too believed, and so we speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

 

 

 

+ The Holy Gospel +

 

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke

(Chapter 17:12-19)

 

At that time, as Jesus entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”  When Jesus saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.”  And as they went they were cleansed.     

Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks.  Now he was a Samaritan.  Then said Jesus, “Were not ten cleansed?  Where are the nine?  Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”  And Jesus said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

 

 

 

* Announcements *

 

 

ü  Upcoming Services and Feast Days

Thursday January 24, 08             Evening Divine Liturgy for the Feast of St. Gregory the Theologian at 6:00 pm

       Every Saturday                           Great Vespers at 6:00 p.m.

 

 

ü  Adult Christian Education Sessions

Please join us every Thursday evening from 7:30 to 9:00 for Adult Bible Study in the Cathedral Basement. We will explain the Divine Liturgy in both languages, which will help us understand and be more involved in the Liturgy. Every one is welcome.

 

ü  Antiochian Women

The Antiochian Women Meeting will be held on Monday January 21, 2008 at 7:30 pm at the Cathedral Basement

Topic of this meeting: Sacred Gift of Life “Protecting the Life of the Unborn”

What does the Orthodox Church Say???

This meeting is open to everyone. The younger generation is encouraged to attend.

Plan to attend and hear the many questions and prepare ourselves with the answers and our Church views to this very controversial topic.

 

ü  Fellowship of St. John the Divine

Weekly Meeting every Tuesday from 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. SHARP! Please be on time. A Bible Study/Religious Discussion will take place in the Church School Building (1st Floor). Please give us your email address if you are not receiving our weekly online newsletter.

 

ü  Teen SOYO

Weekly Meeting every Friday from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 pm.  Please give us your email address if you are not receiving our weekly online newsletter & calendar.

 

ü  Altar Boys 13th Reunion –Sunday, February 3rd, 2008

The 13th Reunion of the Altar Boys of St. Elias Cathedral will be on Sunday, February 3rd 2008, followed by a lunch after the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral Hall downstairs. At the same time, we will welcome Deacon Dimitri and his wife Rita and his daughters Mona and Maria-Nicole. Please join us to welcome them.

 

 

 

THE SACRAMENT OF CHRISMATION

 

Weapons for the Christian Soldier

 

When a young man enters the military service of his country, the first thing he does is take an oath.  He is initiated into the service.  But then he is trained and equipped, he is given the means whereby he may fulfill his obligation as a soldier.  A similar thing is involved with the first two sacraments a Christian receives.  He is first baptized, initiated, or born into a new life.  Then, in Chrismation, he is given the power or help he needs to truly live that life and fulfill the obligations he now carries as a soldier of Christ.

 

To put it in the simplest way: Chrismation gives the Holy Spirit.  Those who speak of baptism as an “emptying” of sin and evil, now talk of Chrismation as “filling” the void with the Spirit of God.  That is why this mystery is often thought of as a completion or seal of baptism.  It is like a royal seal validating or confirming baptism.  In fact, another name for this sacrament is “confirmation.”

 

The name of this sacrament is taken from the “chrism” or oil used in the anointing of the forehead, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, heart, hands and feet of the recipient.  The prayer, “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit,” is recited at this time. The mixture of sweet-smelling oils is done only by a patriarch of the Church.  The senses are the channels through which all impressions good or evil enter.  It is no wonder, then, that these are anointed in this sacrament and thus dedicated to serve holiness and virtue rather than sin and vice.

 

The vital role of the giving of the Holy Spirit to newly-baptized Christians is made wonderfully clear in the Acts of the Apostles.  This book, of course, pictures for us the life of the Early Church.  At one time the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had received the Word of God.  They sent Peter and John there.  They prayed for the people and asked that the Holy Spirit might come upon them for He “had not yet fallen on any of them,” even though they had been baptized.  These apostles gave them the sacrament:  “they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.”

 

On another occasion, when St. Paul journeyed to Ephesus, he found some believers there.  He asked them “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”  They answered that they had not.  They were then baptized, and Paul laid his hands upon them and “the Holy Spirit came on them.”

 

Indeed, there is a semblance of this sacrament at the very baptism of Christ.  After His baptism in the Jordan, Christ was, so-to-speak confirmed or anointed by the Holy Spirit, which came down over Him in the form of a dove.

 

Perhaps we can even speak of the first Pentecost day as a type of confirmation.  The apostles and disciples of the Lord had indeed been born into a new life of relationship to Christ.  But there were yet certain deficiencies and weaknesses apparent.  After the Holy Spirit came upon them, however, a profound change was evident to all.  Before they were weak and afraid (they locked themselves in a room in fear of the Lord’s enemies), but now they went out seeking the people fearlessly.  Before, many were silent about their Lord, now they spoke inspiring sermons about Him.  Before, some were unbelieving, now they testified to the deep and abiding faith in their hearts.  Before, many were fearful of their lives, now they were ready to die (and did die) for Christ.  Yes, they had received the power to fulfill their obligations as warriors for the Lord.

 

It is evident by now that this is a necessary and vital sacrament for the believing Christian. Yet it is perhaps the one least spoken of or understood.  All too often its significance is relegated to a secondary position because it is received immediately after baptism.  Yet Chrismation stands on its own merit” it is the giving of the very Spirit of God to a baptized person.

 

Beloved: there is an incident in the lives of James and John, the apostles of Christ that sheds some light on the meaning of this sacrament.  One time Jesus had sent them ahead to prepare people for His coming to their villages. But in one town the people didn’t want Christ to come the two got angry and said to the Lord, “Do you want us to ask fire to come down and consume these people?”  Christ rebuked them, saying, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of…” later, after they had received the Holy Spirit, these two acted quite differently.  Another kind of “spirit” animated their lives.

 

It is the Spirit of God that should shine in our lives, once we have been chrismated.  This is the spirit of love, of forgiveness, of kindness, of truth; in a word, the Christian spirit.

 

It is not incompatible with this spirit of Christ that we consider ourselves soldiers of the Lord.  This is one of the old concepts of the role a Christian should play in his life.

 

1. If we are soldiers, who is the enemy?  Sin, in all its obvious and subtle forms, is the enemy.  The world, the flesh, and the devil have long been considered the arch-enemies of the Christian.  We are to declare war on sin… in our own lives and then in society.

 

2. If we are soldiers, what are our weapons?  We have prayer, the sacraments, the Word of God, the Church…with the help of these we go forth, not in our own strength, to meet the foe.

 

3. If we are soldiers, who is our captain?  Alas, we have Christ the greatest warrior of all, for He fought victoriously against sin and death.

 

4. If we are soldiers, what is our banner?  It is the cross, which we proudly hold forth, to inspire us in battle.  Are not our many processions reminders that we are indeed soldiers of the cross?

 

Let us heed the words of St. Cyril of Jerusalem in his catechism instruction: “Take care not to regard this ointment as something empty and meaningless.  For just as the Eucharistic bread is, after the invocation of the Holy Spirit, no longer ordinary bread but the Body of Christ, so is this no longer an ordinary ointment but the treasure-Chamber of Christ and the Holy Spirit.”  Amen.

 

 

 

INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA BIBLE STUDIES

Quality Orthodox Christian Bible study resources are now only a mouse-click away.  These free Bible study materials contain commentaries, patristic writings, articles about applying biblical truths to your life, reflections on Orthodox doctrine and worship, group study guides, quizzes and more.  Our resources are perfect for teens preparing for the Bible Bowl- and adults as well!

 

LIFE TOGETHER

AN INTERACTIVE STUDY OF 1 CORINTHIANS

Prepare for the 2008 Bible Bowl with this free interactive multimedia study of 1Corinthians.  You’ll find commentaries, articles about Orthodox Christianity and your life, and study guides and quizzes to use with your Teen SOYO group!

 

NEW BOOKLET

Download a copy of the new booklet, You Can read the Bible!  This free, easy to read, eight-page booklet explains why you should read the Bible, an Orthodox Christian approach to understanding Holy Scripture, and several methods you can use to enhance your personal Bible study.

WWW.ORTHODOXYOUTH.ORG

 

GET WISDOM

THE ORTHODOX BIBLE STUDY RADIO PROGRAM FOR TEENS

Listen to Orthodox Bible teaching wherever you go!  The current series on 1Corinthians will help you prepare for the Bible Bowl using your MP3 player.

DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST AT:  WWW.ORTHODOXYOUTH.ORG/RADIO

 

 

 

Explanation of the Nicene Creed – Part 29

(Taken from: Orthodox Faith - Volume 1 - Doctrine)

 

… Holy Spirit … (1)

 

And in the Holy Spirit, Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father, who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets ...


The Holy Spirit bears the title of Lord with God the Father and Christ the Son. He is the Spirit of God and Spirit of Christ. He is eternal, uncreated, and divine; always existing with the Father and the Son; perpetually worshipped and glorified with them in the oneness of the Holy Trinity.


Just like the Son, there was no time when there was no Holy Spirit. The Spirit is before creation. He comes forth from God, as does the Son, in a timeless, eternal procession. "He proceeds from the Father," in eternity in a divinely instantaneous and perpetual movement (Jn 15:26).

 

Orthodox doctrine confesses that God the Father is the eternal origin and source of the Spirit, just as He is the source of the Son. Yet, the Church affirms as well that the manner of the Father's possession and production of the Spirit and the Son differ according to the difference between the Son being "born," and the Spirit "proceeding." There have been many attempts -- by holy men inspired by God and with a genuine experience of His Trinitarian life to explain the distinction between the procession of the Spirit and the begetting or generation of the Son. For us it is enough to see that the difference between the two lies in the distinction between the divine persons and actions of the Son and the Spirit in relation to the Father, and so as well to each other and to the world. It is necessary to note further that all words and concepts about God and divinity, including those of "procession" and "generation" must give way before the mystical vision of the actual Divine Reality which they express. God may somehow be grasped by men as He has chosen to reveal Himself. However, the essence of His Triune existence remains -- and will always remain -- essentially inconceivable and inexpressible to created minds and lips. This does not mean that words about God are meaningless. It only means that they are inadequate to the Reality which they seek to express...

 

 

 

At this point also it is necessary to note that the Roman and Protestant churches differ in their credal statement about God by adding that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father "and the Son" (filioque) -- a doctrinal addition unacceptable to Orthodoxy since it is both unscriptural and inconsistent with the Orthodox vision of God.


With the affirmation of the divinity of the Holy Spirit, and the necessity of worshipping and glorifying him with the Father and the Son, the Orthodox Church affirms that the Divine Reality, called also the Deity or the Godhead in the Orthodox Tradition, is the Holy Trinity.


The Holy Spirit is essentially one in his eternal existence with the Father and the Son; and so, in every action of God toward the world, the Holy Spirit is necessarily acting. Thus, in the Genesis account of creation it is written: "The Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters" (Gen 1:2). It is this same Spirit who is the "breath of life" for all living things and particularly for man, made in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:30; 2:7). Generally speaking the Spirit in Hebrew is called the "breath" or the "wind" of Yahweh. It is he who makes everything alive, the "giver of life" who upholds and sustains the universe in its existence and life (e.g. Ps 104:29; Job 33:4).

The Holy Spirit is also he who inspires the saints to speak God's word and to do God's will. He anoints the prophets, priests, and kings of the Old Testament; and "in the fullness of time" it is this same Spirit who "descends and remains" on Jesus of Nazareth, making him the Messiah (anointed) of God and manifesting him as such to the world. Thus, in the New Testament at the first epiphany (which means literally showing forth or manifestation) of Christ as the Messiah -- his baptism by John in the Jordan -- the Holy Spirit is revealed as descending and resting upon him "as a dove from heaven" (Jn 1:32; Lk 3:22, see also Mt 3:16 and Mk 1:9). It is important to note, both here and in the account of the Spirit's coming on the Day of Pentecost, as well as in other places in the Scriptures, that the words "as" and "like" are used in order to avoid an incorrect "physical" interpretation of the events recorded where the Bible itself is literally speaking in quite a symbolical and metaphorical way.

Jesus begins his public work after his baptism, and immediately refers Isaiah's prophecy about the Messiah directly to himself: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me ..." (Is 61:1; Lk 4:18).

  (To be continued…)

 

 

 

+ 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 Most Rev. Metropolitan PHILIP

Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America

The Rt. Rev. Bishop ALEXANDER

Bishop of Ottawa, Eastern Canada and Upstate New York

 

The Very Rev. Father Ghattas Hajal – Dean

The Very Rev. Father Daniel Matheson – Emeritus

Rev. Dn. Dimitri Choueiri

 

 

 

”Sing Praises to the Lord, Alleluia”

 

The Choir of St. Elias Cathedral is in need of new members. Men and women, young and old, come and take part in our Choir. If you have a musical ear and a nice voice, please join our Choir. We need Soprano’s, Alto’s Tenor’s and Base’s.

 

We have an exciting 2008 Year ahead of us. We will be learning new hymns and beautiful Byzantine tones. Your Choir needs you! We need more members in our choir, the more voices we have the more we can sing praises to God and sing in harmony!

 

Serve the Lord and your parish by joining our Choir. You will experience a very rewarding feeling every Sunday. Join our family and praise the Lord!

God bless you!

If you are interested, please provide us with your name and telephone number. Simply give this paper to one of the choir members and we will contact you.

 

NAME: ___________________________

TEL #: ____________________________

 

 

”Sing Praises to the Lord, Alleluia”

 

The Choir of St. Elias Cathedral is in need of new members. Men and women, young and old, come and take part in our Choir. If you have a musical ear and a nice voice, please join our Choir. We need Soprano’s, Alto’s Tenor’s and Base’s.

 

We have an exciting 2008 Year ahead of us. We will be learning new hymns and beautiful Byzantine tones. Your Choir needs you! We need more members in our choir, the more voices we have the more we can sing praises to God and sing in harmony!

 

Serve the Lord and your parish by joining our Choir. You will experience a very rewarding feeling every Sunday. Join our family and praise the Lord!

God bless you!

If you are interested, please provide us with your name and telephone number. Simply give this paper to one of the choir members and we will contact you.

 

NAME: ___________________________

TEL #: ____________________________

 

 

 

Archdiocese Survey of the Faithful
help us serve you better

 

Dear Faithful of St Elias Cathedral,

 

At the request of his Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP and the Archdiocese Board of trustees of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America, the Very Rev. Dr. Joseph F. Purpura will visit our parish on Sunday January 27th, for the purpose of conducting an ongoing Archdiocesan Survey.  This survey was developed by our various departments and professionals at the request of his Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP.

 

The purpose of this survey is to better understand the needs of the faithful across our archdiocese.  This survey is being conducted in many parishes and cathedrals across the archdiocese and, St Elias as our Cathedral of the Diocese of Ottawa, Eastern Canada, and Upstate New York has been designated to participate in this survey.  The survey covers a wide range of issues, including moral and ethical beliefs, behaviors and concerns.  The survey results will be used to help our bishops, priests, youth workers, and teachers better understand and respond to the issues confronting the faithful of our archdiocese.

 

Please know:

 

1.      The survey is completely anonymous

a.       No names will appear on the survey you fill out, nor will the survey be identifiable by parish.  There are personal lifestyle questions on the survey – rest assured only you will know what you personally answered on the survey.

b.      If you choose to participate, your survey will be combined with the 1,000 surveys already completed across the archdiocese and your responses will remain anonymous in every way.

c.       No one from this parish will handle your survey or see the results of this parish’s responses – Fr Joseph Purpura will have a box ready for you to add your survey to the others done in this parish – and all of the surveys will be handled only by him and they will go back with him in a sealed box to be combined with all the others that have been done – they will then be scanned into the survey database along with thousands of other surveys.

2.      Surveys will be conducted among the following age groups. Each age group will receive a different survey appropriate to their age grouping.

a.       Adults (ages 20 and above):

                                                              i.      Will be asked to stay following the Sunday Liturgy in the Church to participate in this survey – we hope you will all make arrangements to stay and participate.  The survey will take between 18 – 30 minutes depending on your speed in answering the survey questions.

b.      Teens (ages 13-19):

                                                              i.      Following Liturgy any teen that did not have an opportunity to participate in the survey at the parish life conference will be welcomed to participate in the teen survey.

c.       Pre-teens (ages 10-12)

                                                              i.      Will be asked to participate in a pre-teen survey (please be sure they receive the pre-teen survey and not the teen or adult survey) on Sunday following Liturgy at the same time as their parent or during their classroom time.  If parents do not want their children to participate in this survey they are free to exclude them from the survey process.

We appreciate your willingness to participate in this survey.

 

Yours in Christ,

 

V. Rev. Dr. Joseph F. Purpura,
On behalf of His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP and the Archdiocese Survey Team