August 18-24
Upcoming Services
Tuesday 9 am Orthros
Wednesday 9 am Divine Liturgy
Thursday 11:30 am Clergy Luncheon
Friday 9 am Orthros
Saturday 5 pm Great Vespers
August 18-9th Sunday after Pentecost
Tone 8-Troparion of the Resurrection
From the heights thou didst descend, O compassionate One, and thou didst submit to the three-day burial, that thou might deliver us from passion; thou art our life and our Resurrection, O Lord, glory to thee.
Tone 1–Troparion of the Dormition
In giving birth thou didst preserve thy virginity. In falling asleep thou didst not forsake the world, O Theotokos. Thou wast translated to life, O Mother of Life, and by thy prayers thou dost deliver our souls from death.
Tone 8-Kontakion of the Resurrection
By rising from the tomb, Thou didst raise the dead and resurrected Adam. Eve exults in Thy Resurrection, and the world celebrates Thy rising from the dead, O greatly Merciful One!
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
Tone 2-Kontakion of the Dormition
Neither the tomb, nor death, could hold the Theotokos, who is constant in prayer and our firm hope in her intercessions. For being the Mother of Life, she was translated to life by the One Who dwelt in her virginal womb.
Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Tone 2-Kontakion of Ordinary Sundays
Steadfast protection of Christians, constant advocate before the creator, despise not the cry of us sinners; but in thy goodness come speedily to help us who call on thee in faith: hasten to hear our petition and to intercede for us, O Theotokos, for thou dost always protect those who honor thee.
The Reading from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. (3:9-17)
Brethren, we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another man is building upon it. Let each man take care how he builds upon it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay or straw, each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (14:22-34)
At that time, Jesus made the Disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds. And after He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.
When evening came, He was there alone, but the Disciples’ boat by this time was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.
But when the Disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately He spoke to them, saying, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.” And Peter answered Him, “Lord, if it is Thee, bid me come to Thee on the water.” He said, “Come.”
So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out His hand and caught him, saying to him, “O man of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
And those in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “Truly, Thou art the Son of God.”
And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.
Prayer List
Sub-deacon Mitri and Nora Moussa, Lynne Morris, Eleni (Helen) Nicholas, Barbara Demis, Dennis Poney, Lydia Holt, Lily Zelner, Anna T., Bill Hardman.
Wisdom! Let us attend!
The means to confirm and strengthen Christian hope are prayer, especially frequent and sincere prayer, confession of our sins, frequent reading of the Word of God, and, above all, frequent communion of the holy body and life-giving sacraments of the Body and Blood of Christ.
+St. John of Kronstadt (who received communion every day of his adult life.)
If you indeed call God your Father, then trust in him as in the one Father, most merciful, all-powerful, most wise, ever-loving, ever perfect. Trust him in respect of the blessings of this temporal life, but above all in respect of the future blessings which shall be granted you in Christ Jesus. But as through love of the heavenly Father for you you have become a child of God; for you have come forth from him endowed with reason and free-will; so on your part you should make every effort to reach that blessed and eternal inheritance.
Nothing is impossible to those who believe: lively and unshaken faith can accomplish great miracles in the twinkling of an eye. And even without it miracles are wrought, such as those accomplished in the sacraments; for God’s mystery is always accomplished, even when we are lacking faith, when it is celebrated.
What is faith? Sureness of spiritual truth, of that which is, or of, God. To believe means to be as sure of the reality of the spiritual world as of the material world.
+St. John of Kronstadt
Saying Good-bye
Today we say adieu to Aaron Thomson. One of the newer members of our church, Aaron is entering the U.S. Army. He will travel to Ft. Benning, GA to begin basic training this week. We wish you many years, Godspeed and much success Aaron. Make us proud.