BULLETIN - 16TH SUNDAY OF MATTHEW - FEBRUARY 7, 2021

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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.


Saint Parthenius, Bishop of Lampsacus on the Hellespont Saint Parthenius, Bishop of Lampsacus, was native of the city of Melitoupolis (in northwestern Asia Minor), where his father Christopher served as deacon. He did not receive adequate schooling, but learned the Holy Scripture by attending church services. He had a good heart, and distributed to the poor the money he earned working as a fisherman. Filled with the grace of God, Saint Parthenius from age eighteen healed the sick in the name of Christ, cast out demons and worked other miracles. Learning of the young man’s virtuous life, Bishop Philetus of Melitoupolis educated him and ordained him presbyter. In 325, during the reign of Constantine the Great, Archbishop Achilles of Cyzicus made him bishop of the city of Lampsacus (Asia Minor). In the city were many pagans, and the saint fervently began to spread the faith in Christ, confirming it through many miracles and by healing the sick. The people began to turn from their pagan beliefs, and the saint went to the emperor Constantine the Great seeking permission to tear down the pagan temple and build a Christian church in its place. The emperor received the saint with honor, gave him a decree authorizing the destruction of the pagan temple, and provided him with the means to build a church. Returning to Lampsacus, Saint Parthenius had the pagan temple torn down, and built a beautiful church of God in the city. In one of the razed temples, he found a large marble slab which he thought would be very suitable as an altar. The saint ordered work to begin on the stone, and to move it to the church. Through the malice of the devil, who became enraged at the removal of the stone from the pagan temple, the cart overturned and killed the driver Eutychian. Saint Parthenius restored him to life by his prayer and shamed the devil, who wanted to frustrate the work of God. The saint was so kind that he refused healing to no one who came to him, or who chanced to meet him by the wayside, whether he suffered from bodily illnesses or was tormented by unclean spirits. People even stopped going to physicians, since Saint Parthenius healed all the sick for free. With the great power of the name of Christ, the saint banished a host of demons from people, from their homes, and from the waters of the sea. Once, the saint prepared to cast out a devil from a certain man, who had been possessed by it since childhood. The demon began to implore the saint not to do so. Saint Parthenius promised to give the evil spirit another man in whom he could dwell. The demon asked, “Who is that man?” The saint replied, “You may dwell in me, if you wish.”The demon fled as if stung by fire, crying out, “If the mere sight of you is a torment to me, how can I dare to enter into you?” An unclean spirit, cast out of the house where the imperial purple dye was prepared, said that a divine fire was pursuing him with the fire of Gehenna. Having shown people the great power of faith in Christ, the saint converted a multitude of idol-worshippers to the true God. Saint Parthenius died peacefully and was solemnly buried beside the cathedral church of Lampsacus, which he built. *Bibliography- OCA.org/saints/lives


ANTIPHON tHE

RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE TWO

TROPARION OF ST. BASIL THE GREAT IN TONE ONE

When Thou didst submit Thyself unto death, O Thou deathless and immortal One, then Thou didst destroy hell with Thy Godly power. And when Thou didst raise the dead from beneath the earth, all the powers of Heaven did cry aloud unto Thee: O Christ, Thou giver of life, glory to Thee.

In all the earth that received 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 Christ God to save our souls.

APOLYTIKION OF THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN TONE ONE Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, full of grace, for from thee arose the Sun of justice, Christ our God, lighting those who are in darkness. Rejoice and be glad, O righteous elder, carrying in thine arms the Deliverer of our souls, Who granteth us Resurrection.

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KONTAKION OF THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN TONE ONE Thou, O Christ God, Who by Thy Birth, didst sanctify the Virgin’s womb, and, as is meet, didst bless Simeon’s arms, and didst also come to save us; preserve Thy fold in wars, and confirm them whom Thou didst love, for Thou alone art the Lover of mankind.


EPISTLE tHE

The Lord will give strength to His people. Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of God, ascribe to the Lord honor and glory. The Reading from the Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. (6:1-10) Brethren, working together with Him, then, we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain. For He says, “At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation.” Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God

we commend ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watching, hunger; by purity, knowledge, forbearance, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.


GOSPEL THE

The reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (25:1430, + Luke 8:8) The Lord spoke this parable: A man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying: “Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.” And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying: “Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.”

His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.” He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying: “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sew, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” But his master answered him, “You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.” As Jesus said these things He cried out: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”


tHE

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.

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OFFERINGS + Prayers of Health and Safety are offered for +

Grant, David, Hylarion, John, James, John, Elena, Melissa, Ben, David, Rachel, Amanda, Whelan Fam, Marcia, Don, Fritts Fam, Tomashevskij Fam, Wenrer Fam, Anna, Olga, Dmitriy, Vladimir, Charlie, Anastasia, Irina, Daniel, John, Oxana, Nathan, Camron, Erik, Esra, Lee, Aaron, Lisa, Kathy, Seraphim, Michael, Alyssa, Brigid, Robert, Margaret, Ethan, Scott, Thadeus, John, David, Cheryl, 8

Sybil, Dn. Chris + Fam, Ross Fam, Daniel, Irina, Christopher, Daria + child, Christopher, Daniel, Sophia, George, Nun Thecla, Ekaterina, Angelina, Igor, Alexander, Mark, Alexander, Samantha, Shelly, Ray, Anne, Meaghan, David, Jon, Nicole, Nasi Fam, Simerick Fam, Jones Fam, Lowry Fam, Dn. John, Brenda, Fr. James + Fam, Edens Fam, Crawford Fam, Vogt Fam,


OFFERINGS +++ Prayers of Loving Memory are offered for +++

Michael, Marcie, Lena, Gerhard, Mary, Roger, Kelly, Fr. Neil, Lydia, Victor, Tatyana, Alexander, Evolokia, Ephimia, Ephim, Michael, Alexy, Alexander, Alexandra, Yuri, Boris, Valentin, Valentina, Vladimir, Leonard, Raymond, Mary Jane, Gabby, Patricia,

Agrepine, Ion, Radovanka, Lazar, John, Connie, Alexander, Vladimir, Klaudiya, Agrafena, Pavel, Eugenia, Pelagea, Nina, Sergei, Fr. Issac, Fr. John, ABp. Pimen, Fr. Michael, Fr. Joseph, Sdn. Nicholas, Paul, AFr. Daniel, AFr. Eugene

Holy Bread is offered by Dasha Saur for the health, safety, and memory of her loved ones. 9


Hieromartyr Blaise, Bishop of Sebaste The Hieromartyr Blaise (Blasius), Bishop of Sebaste, was known for his righteous and devout life. Unanimously chosen by the people, he was consecrated Bishop of Sebaste. This occurred during the reign of the Roman emperors Diocletian (284-305) and Licinius (307-324), fierce persecutors of Christians. Saint Blaise encouraged his flock, visited the imprisoned, and gave support to the martyrs. Many hid themselves from the persecutors by going off to desolate and solitary places. Saint Blaise also hid himself away on Mount Argeos, where he lived in a cave. Wild beasts came up to him and meekly waited until the saint finished his prayer and blessed them. The saint also healed sick animals by laying his hands upon them. The refuge of the saint was discovered by servants of the governor Agrilaus, who had come to capture wild beasts to loose on the Christian martyrs. The servants reported to their master that Christians were hiding on the mountain, and he gave orders to arrest them. But those sent out found there only the Bishop of Sebaste. Glorifying God Who had summoned him to this exploit, Saint Blaise followed the soldiers. Along the way the saint healed the sick and worked other miracles. Thus, a destitute widow complained to him of her misfortune. A wolf had carried off a small pig, her only possession. The bishop smiled and said to her, “Do not weep, your pig will be returned to you...� To the astonishment of everyone, the wolf came running back and returned his prey unharmed. Agrilaus, greeting the bishop with words of deceit, called him a companion of the gods. The saint answered the greeting, but he called the gods devils. Then they beat him and led him off to prison. On the next day, they subjected the saint to tortures again. When they led him back to the prison, seven women followed behind and gathered up the drops of blood. They arrested them and tried to compel them to worship the idols. The women pretended to consent to this and said that first they needed to wash the idols in the waters of a lake. They took the idols and threw them in a very deep part of the lake, and after this the Christians were fiercely tortured. The saints stoically endured the torments, strengthened by the grace of God, their bodies were transformed and became white as snow. One of the women had two young sons, who implored their mother to help them attain the Kingdom of Heaven, and she entrusted them to the care of Saint Blaise. The seven holy women were beheaded. Saint Blaise was again brought before Agrilaus, and again he unflinchingly confessed his faith in Christ. The governor ordered that the martyr be thrown into a lake. The saint, going down to the water, signed himself with the Sign of the Cross, and he walked on it as though on dry land. Addressing the pagans standing about on shore, he challenged them to come to him while calling on the help of their gods. Sixty-eight men of the governor’s retinue entered the water, and immediately drowned. The saint, however, heeding the angel who had appeared to him, returned to shore. Agrilaus was in a rage over losing his finest servants, and he gave orders to behead Saint Blaise, and the two sons of the woman martyr entrusted to him. Before his death, the martyr prayed for the whole world, and especially for those honoring his memory. This occurred in about the year 316. The relics of the Hieromartyr Blaise were brought to the West during the time of the Crusades, and portions of the relics are preserved in many of the lands of Europe [and his memory traditionally honored there on February 3]. We pray to Saint Blaise for the health of domestic animals, and for protection from wild beasts.


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