S t . B a s i l t h e G r e a t A nt i o c h i a n O r t h o d o x C hu r c h
S t . B a s i l t h e G r e a t A nt i o c h i a n O r t h o d o x C hu r c h His Eminence Metropolitan JOSEPH, Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America.
His Grace Bishop THOMAS, Auxiliary Bishop of The Diocese of Oakland, Charleston, and the Mid-Atlantic.
REV. FATHER JAMES PURDIE, PASTOR 1520 Todds Lane Hampton, VA 23666 Phone: Office (757) 223-4159, Cell: (412) 327-4099 Email: OrthodoxHampton@gmail.com Web Site: www.OrthodoxHampton.com
Welcome visitors! If you are visiting with us for the first time, we greet you in the Holy Name of Christ, our Saviour, and hope you will join us in fellowship after worship. We are genuinely pleased to have you with us today. We must remind you that while the Orthodox Church prays for the unity of all, we do not practice “open Communion.� Only those Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves with prayer, fasting, and regular confession should approach the chalice.
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For questions, please contact Fr. James Purdie. Blessings.
Cosmas and Damian the Holy Unmercenaries of Asia, and their mother Theodota The Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenary Physicians Cosmas and Damian and their mother Saint Theodota were natives of Asia Minor (some sources say Mesopotamia). Their pagan father died while they were still quite small children. Their mother raised them in Christian piety. Through her own example, and by reading holy books to them, Saint Theodota preserved her children in purity of life according to the command of the Lord, and Cosmas and Damian grew up into righteous and virtuous men. Trained and skilled as physicians, they received from the Holy Spirit the gift of healing people’s illnesses of body and soul by the power of prayer. They even treated animals. With fervent love for both God and neighbor, they never took payment for their services. They strictly observed the command of our Lord Jesus Christ, “Freely have you received, freely give.” (Mt. 10:8). The fame of Saints Cosmas and Damian spread throughout all the surrounding region, and people called them unmercenary physicians. Many miracles were worked after the death of the holy unmercenaries. There lived at Thereman, near the church of Cosmas and Damian, a certain man by the name of Malchus. One day he went on a journey, leaving his wife all alone for what would be a long time. He prayerfully entrusted her to the heavenly protection of the holy brothers. But the Enemy of the race of mankind took on the appearance of one of Malchus’ friends, and planned to kill the woman. A certain time went by, and this man went to her at home and said that Malchus had sent him to bring her to him. The woman believed him and went along. He led her to a solitary place intending to kill her. The woman, seeing that disaster threatened her, called upon God with deep faith. Two fiercesome men then appeared, and the devil let go of the woman and fled, falling off a cliff. The two men led the woman home. At her own home, bowing to them deeply she asked, “My rescuers, to whom I shall be grateful to the end of my days, what are your names?” They replied, “We are the servants of Christ, Cosmas and Damian,” and became invisible. The woman with trembling and with joy told everyone about what had happened to her. Glorifying God, she went up to the icon of the holy brothers and tearfully offered prayers of thanksgiving for her deliverance. And from that time the holy brothers were venerated as protectors of the holiness and inviolability of Christian marriage, and as givers of harmony to conjugal life. From ancient times, their veneration spread also to Russia. +OCA 3
ANTIPHON tHE
RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE FOUR Having learned the joyful message of the Resurrection from the angel the women disciples of the Lord cast from them their parental condemnation. And proudly broke the news to the Disciples, saying: Death hath been spoiled; Christ God is risen, granting the world Great Mercy. APOLYTIKION OF SS. COSMAS AND DAMIAN OF ASIA IN TONE EIGHT O ye silver-hating, wonderworking saints, Cosmas and Damian, visit our sicknesses. Freely ye received, freely give unto us. TROPARION OF ST. BASIL THE GREAT IN TONE ONE
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In all the earth that receiveth thy sayings, thy melody did resound O righteous Father, through which Thou didst go about and proclaim as worthy of God the nature of creatures, cultivating the character of mankind, O Thou of kingly priesthood Basil, wherefore plead thou with ChristGod to save our souls. ORDINARY KONTAKION IN TONE TWO O protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, mediation unto the Creator most constant, O despise not the suppliant voices of those who have sinned; but be thou quick, O good one, to come unto our aid, who in faith cry unto thee: Hasten to intercession, and speed thou to make supplication, thou who dost ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honor thee.
EPISTLE tHE
In the saints that are in His earth hath the Lord been wondrous. I beheld the Lord ever before me. The Reading from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians (12:27-13:8) Brethren, you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the Church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, then healers, helpers, administrators, speakers in various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the
higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.
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GOSPEL THE
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (16:19-31) The Lord said, “There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son,
remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”
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KOINONIKON ( COMMUNION HYMN)
KOINONIKON (COMMUNION HYMN) Praise the Lord from the Heavens; Praise Him in the highest; Alleluia.
Post Communion Prayer of St. Basil the Great (pray silently after receiving the Holy Gifts) O Master, Christ our God, King of all ages and Maker of all things, I thank Thee for all the good things which Thou hast given me and of partaking of Thine immaculate and life-giving Mysteries. Wherefore, I pray Thee, who art good and loves mankind, keep me under Thy protection and in the shadow of Thy wings, and grant me a pure conscience, even unto my last breath to partake of Thy Holy Gifts for unto Thee we ascribe glory and thanksgiving, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. 7
OFFERINGS + Prayers of Health and Safety are offered for +
Dn. Christopher and family, Ashley, Ronnie, Ross family, Braxton family, Christine, Rettiq family, Carol, Frank, Fritts family,Daniel, Irina, Christopher, Daria and child, Christopher, Daniel, Sophia, George, Nun Thecla, Ekaterina, Angelina, Igor, Alexander, Renee, Adam, Anne, Robert, Elizabeth and child, Julia and child, Fr. James and family, 8
Mark, Alexander, James, Whelan family, Marcia, Planinka, Paul, Elizabeth, Fr. Dean, Carolyn, Ruzgar, Mary, Jeffrey and family, Oxana, John, Dn. John, Brenda, Anna, Fr. Ilya, Maria, Celeste, Lauren, Brown family, Howell family, Bowman family, Nolan and family, Saur family, Catherine, Maria, Anna, Brigid, Roma, Nastia, Catalina, Thomas
OFFERINGS +++ Prayers of Loving Memory are offered for +++
Marcie, Lena, Mary, Roger, Kelly, Sonja, Fr. Neil, Carmen, Samuel, Mary, Connie, Helen, Michael, Thomas, Klaudia, Agrippina, Lydia, Victor, Tatyana, Alexander. Evdokia, Ephimia, Ephim, Michael, Alexey, Alexander,
Alexandra, Yuri, Boris, Valentin, Valentina, Vladimir, Elena, Evdokia, Padovanka, William, Lazar, Steven, John, Connie, Dustin, Aysem, Jaime, Ann, Steve, Gabby, Patricia, Russell, Priscilla, Dan, Kh. Anastasia
Holy Bread is offered by Anna Mary Vogt for the health, safety, and memory of her loved ones.
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Lazarus and the Rich Man
God knows our hearts and we can hide nothing from Him, either today or at any point in the future. Our faith as Orthodox Christians goes to the heart, to the depths of who we are, but also reminds us that we are always in relationship with other people who are also the children of God. We encounter Him in them. Who we are in relation to Jesus Christ is shown each day of our lives in how we treat others, especially those who need our help, attention, and friendship, as well as our enemies. A Christianity that ignores “the least of these� is not worthy of the name. Every human being is created in the image and likeness of God. We bring judgment upon ourselves whenever we treat our neighbors, no matter who they are or how they have offended us, in ways that do not manifest the divine love and compassion. We do not have to save the world; Christ has already done that. We just have to be faithful: to trust, believe, and follow our Savior in how we treat others. He turned no one away empty-handed and neither should we. If we claim His mercy and love for ourselves, we must do likewise for all who bear His image and likeness. We must be Christians not merely in name, but also in how we live, even when it is inconvenient. Then we will become living icons of the salvation that Jesus Christ has brought to a world of sin and death, and the Lazaruses of the world will know that they too are the children of God. And together with them, we will all share in the mercy of a Lord Who raises the dead, heals the sick, feeds the hungry, and makes even the most miserable people guests at His heavenly banquet. + Fr. Philip LeMasters