+ Sunday, January 27, 2008

Commemoration of the Translation of the Relics of St. John Chrysostom

 

 

Tone 2                                                      +                                          Eothinon 2

                                               

*******************************************************************************************************

 

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

 

“O Sovereign Master, God, O Father Almighty, O Lord, the Only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, one Godhead, one Power, have mercy upon me, a sinner; and by means which are known unto thee, save me, thine unworthy servant: for blessed art thou unto ages of ages. Amen”

 

 

+ The Epistle +

 

Verse:   My mouth shall speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart shall bring forth

              understanding. Hear this all you nations.

 

The Reading is from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews.

Chapter (7:26-8:2)

 

Brethren, it was fitting that we should have such a High Priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; He did this once for all when He offered up Himself. Indeed, the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son Who has been made perfect forever. Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a High Priest, one Who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the sanctuary and the true tent which is set up not by man but by the Lord.

 

 

+ The Holy Gospel +

 

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

(Chapter 18:35-43)

 

At that time, when Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging; and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant.  They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”  And he cried, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”  And Jesus stopped, and commanded him to be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me receive my sight.”  And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.”  And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

 

 

* Announcements *

 

ü  Upcoming Services and Feast Days

Feast of The Three Hierarchs (Wednesday, January 30, 2008)

Tuesday, January 29, 2008          6:00pm                        Evening Divine Liturgy

Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord (Saturday, February 2, 2008)

Friday, February 1, 2008             6:00 pm                       Vespers

Saturday, February 2, 2008                     9:00 am                       Matins

                                                      10:00 am                     Divine Liturgy

 

        Every Saturday                          6:00 pm                       Great Vespers

 

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  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.

 

ü  Word Magazine

We are in the process of updating the word magazine mailing list.  if you are not receiving it and would like to have it please contact us at the office of the church or go directly on their website at: www.antiochian.org.

 

 

 

49th ANTIOCHIAN ARCHDIOCESE CONVENTION

J.N. Desert springs Marriot Resort & Spa

July 19-26 / 2009

 

St. Michael Antiochian Orthodox Church of Van Nuys, California will be hosting the 49th Antiochian Archdiocese Convention at the J.W. Desert Springs Marriott Resort and Spa from July 19- 26, 2009.  We have a guaranteed room rate of $133.00 per night (plus 9.16% room tax).  Rooms are going fast!  If you have not yet made your hotel reservation we encourage you to do so, as soon as possible.  You may reserve your rooms online by going to our convention website www.archdioceseconvention2009.org  and click on Online Hotel Reservation image.  No phone reservations can be made until August 2008.   From this website you can find out more information about the convention and Hotel.  We look forward to being your host.  If you have any questions please email them to us at info@archdioceseconvention2009.org.

 

 

 

THE SACRMENT OF PENANCE (CONFESSION)

 

Medicine for the Sick Soul

 

A young woman once left her home and her mother.  She wanted to be free; she wanted to taste all the joys of life.  She went to the big city, and there fell from the habit of prayer and church.  When she shoved Christ out of her life, sin entered in.  Unbelief, hatred, and despair filled her mind.  One day she decided to commit suicide.  But before doing that, she decided to go back home and take one last look at the place where she was born and brought up.

 

She came home at night and found the front gate wide open.  She went up the sidewalk, wondering what had happened.  She walked up the stairs and found the front door wide open.  Now thoroughly frightened, she called her mother.  The mother heard the cry and came down the stairs at once. “Mother, how come the gates and doors are open?”

 

“Daughter,” she said, “that gate and that door have been left open day and night ever since you left home, ever since you broke off your relationship with your parents and your family.  They have been left open, waiting for you to come back, and I’ve prayed every day and night for it to happen.”

 Beloved:  through Baptism and Chrismation we all have come into the family of God.  We were “christened,” which means united to Christ.  We became God’s adopted children, having now a new relationship with God.

 

But there is something that can break that relationship.  There is something that takes off from us the garment of grace, and undoes the work of Baptism.  There is something that takes us away from God and His home.  It is sin.

 

The ideal situation for a Christian—once baptized—would be to refrain from sin completely.  But there is in every person the tug towards sin. Temptation comes and all too often we fall victim to sin.  Human frailty and weakness being what it is, we fall into sin and with this act we break off our fellowship and friendship with Christ.  We leave our spiritual home.

 

But our blessed Lord Made wonderful provision to have sins committed after Baptism be forgiven.  This is exactly what is done through the sacrament of Penance.  It is the open door that welcomes a lost wayfarer back home.  It restores the right relationship between a sinner and God.  it reconciles them.  Penance is sometimes called a “second Baptism,” for it washes away sin as Baptism does… the tears of sorrow serving as the water for our regeneration.  One Church Father calls it a plank that saves us at sea when the ship of our baptismal salvation sinks because of sin.

 

 Part of the wonderful work of healing and restoration that Jesus did during His earthly life involved forgiving people their sins.  The man afflicted with paralysis who was brought to the Lord by being let down through the roof of a house, not only was sick of body but of soul as well.  The first thing Christ said to him was: Your sins are forgiven you.”  The Lord absolved the penitent woman who came to Him one time and fell at His feet in sorrow.  Another time Jesus said: “Unless you repent, you shall perish.”

 

Christ delegated to His apostles and His Church a similar task of dealing with people’s sins.  After His glorious resurrection from the dead Jesus said to His apostles: “Receive the Holy Spirit… Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.”

 

This power to absolve sins is exercised by the pastors of the Church today.  They do this by virtue of the office they hold as Christ’s representatives, His presbyters or priests.  Even in civil life we have a somewhat similar situation.  A person, says “John Smith,” cannot absolve another citizen of some grave, criminal offence.  But if “John Smith” is elected the governor of a state, then by virtue of his power and authority, he can pardon such a crime.

 

What a wonderful gift of God it is, then, to have this provision of the sacrament of Penance made, wherein a person can lay aside the burden of sin and hear God’s forgiveness pronounced on him. Remember that sin becomes deeply ingrained in the human personality.  Guilt feelings, fear of punishment, pain of conscience- these lie at the root of many mental problems.  And all can be successfully dealt with through the saving balm of Penance.

 

And, let it be said, all need this medicine of the soul.  The Sacred Scriptures put it plainly: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us…”

How do we receive Penance?  Generally speaking, there are five things we need to do to receive absolution of our sins:

 

  1. We must think of our sins.  This involves an examination of our selves.  It takes time and effort.  We want to see ourselves, not as we appear to others, but as we truly are, and as God sees us.
  2. We must be sorry for our sins.  This is contrition.  It means to wish we had not done these sins.  St. John Chrysostom points out that a person who goes to confession without being truly sorry for his sins is like an actor in a play- he is pretending.
  3. We must confess the sins, that is, tell them during the sacrament.  And we are to confess them all.  A prisoner chained by both hands and both feet is not helped very much if he is able to free one or two, or even three of his limbs.
  4. We are to arouse a purpose of amendment.  This involves a desire and promise not to sin again.
  5. We do whatever penance the priest imposes on us during the sacrament.  This is not to make right the wrong.  This can never be done by us.  But penance serves to aid us not to fall into sin again, and reflects our deep gratitude for God’s love.

 

The doors for forgiveness are always open.  We need to come home to Christ and let Him embrace us with His outstretched arms.  Amen.

Explanation of the Nicene Creed – Part 30

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

 

… Holy Spirit … (2)

 

All the days of his life Jesus is "full of the Holy Spirit" -- preaching, teaching, healing, casting out devils and accomplishing every sign and wonder of his messiah ship by the Spirit's power (Lk 4:11). It is written that even his self-offering to God on the cross is made "through the eternal Spirit" (Heb 9:14). And it is through the same divine Spirit that he and all men with him are risen from the dead (Ezek 37:1-4).


On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit comes upon the disciples of Christ in the form of "tongues as of fire," with the sound "like that of a mighty rushing wind" (Acts 2:1-4). We note once more the use of "as" and "like." The coming of the Spirit on Pentecost is the final fulfillment of Christ's earthly messianic mission, the beginning of the Christian Church. It is the fulfillment of the Old Testamental prophecy that in the time of the messiah-king, the Spirit of God will be "poured out on all flesh" (Joel 2:28; Acts 1:14). It is the condition of the age of the final and everlasting covenant of perfect mercy and peace (Ez 34:37; Jer 31-33; Is 11:42, 44, 61).


The Christian Church lives by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit alone is the guarantee of God's Kingdom on earth. He is the sole guarantee that God's life and truth and love are with men. Only by the Holy Spirit can man and the world fulfill that for which they were created by God. All of God's actions toward man and the world -- in creation, salvation and final glorification -- are from the Father through the Son (Word) in the Holy Spirit; and all of man's capabilities of response to God are in the same Spirit, through the same Son to the same Father.

 

Holy Spirit is the Spirit of life.

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies through the Spirit who dwells in you (Rom 8:11).

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth.

When the Spirit of Truth comes he will guide you into all the Truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come (Jn 16:13; see also Jn 14:25; Jn 15:26).

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of divine son ship.

For all who are led by the Spirit are sons of God. For you did not receive the Spirit of slavery. ... but you received the Spirit of sonship. When we cry "Abba! Father!" it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Rom 8:14; also Gal 4:6).

The Holy Spirit is the personal presence of the new and everlasting covenant between God and man, the seal and guarantee of the Kingdom of God, the power of the divine indwelling of God in man.

... you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. ... our sufficiency is from God who has qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant, not in written code but in the Spirit, for the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life (2 Cor 3:2-6).

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you. ... For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are (1 Cor 3:16; also Rom 6:19).

... Through him (Christ) we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of apostles and the prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows in a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Eph 2:18-22; also 1 Pet 2:4-9).

In the Holy Spirit men have the possibility of receiving every gift from God, of sharing His divine nature and life, of doing what Christ has done by fulfilling his "new commandment" to love one another even as he has loved us, "because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which he has given us" (Rom 5:5).

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. ... And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life (Gal 5:22-25; 6:8).

  (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 Fr. Purpura is visiting our parish today, for the purpose of conducting an ongoing Archdiocesan Survey.  This survey was developed by our various archdiocese 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 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

    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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