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.
Notes The Capernaum centurion whose servant was healed by Jesus Christ was a very bright and kind person who can serve as an example for our salvific emulation. This man was a pagan, but he found such faith before the Lord that Christ was astonished: as the Savior Himself testified, He had not found such faith in Israel.In what way exactly did the Capernaum centurion display that special faith at which Christ the Savior marveled and from which we should learn? It was, above all, in the centurion’s petition for the healing of his servant that his heartfelt and firm faith in Jesus Christ’s omnipotence was expressed: Speak the word only, he said to the Savior, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it (Matthew 8:8-9). The centurion reasoned, as it were, like this: “Thou art the Sovereign of all the world, Who disposes of its powers and of God’s gifts; Thou art the Almighty Wonderworker, Who accomplishes all that Thou wilt by a single word.” Such was the firm faith in Jesus Christ’s omnipotence that was so well-pleasing and acceptable to the Savior; such was the faith that He required above all from all those who turned to Him with various needs and requests: Believe ye that I am able to do this?… According to your faith be it unto you (Matthew 9: 28, 29). If we, brothers and sisters, also desire that our petitions on earth be heard by God, this requires, first of all, that we have a heartfelt, living, and firm conviction that God is everywhere, all-seeing, and all-knowing; that He is wise, all-powerful, and omnipotent; and, moreover, that He is good, merciful, and loving. Because of all this, He is both able and willing to fulfill the petitions we address to Him. It is good and pleasing to the Lord when we give Him glory and confess His greatness; by our firm faith we manifest this confession before Him. By ARCHIMANDRITE KIRILL (PAVLOV) 3
ANTIPHON THE
RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE THREE Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad, for the Lord hath done a mighty act with His own arm. He hath trampled down death by death, and become the first-born from the dead. He hath delivered us from the depths of Hades, granting the world the Great Mercy. APOLYTIKION OF ST. ATHANASIUS THE ATHONITE IN TONE THREE The Angels’ ranks were awed by thy life in the flesh, * how, though corporeal, and clad with earthly clay, * thou didst set forth with courage to invisible wars and wrestlings * and didst boldly smite the 4
hordes * of the demons with mortal wounds. * Wherefore, Christ rewarded thee * with abundant gifts in return. * Entreat Him that our souls find salvation, * O most renowned Father Athanasius. 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
(For St. Athanasius) The saints shall boast in glory, and they shall rejoice upon their beds. Sing unto the Lord a new song; His praise is in the church of the saints. The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians. (5:22-6:2) Brethren, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us have no self-conceit, no provocation of one another, no envy of one another. Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Look to yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 5
GOSPEL THE
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (8:5-13) At that time, as Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching Him and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress.” And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion answered Him, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and
he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard him, He marveled, and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; be it done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.
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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 +
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Jeff & family, Stephen, Susan, Crawford family, Aaron, Sylvia, Jonah, Gregoire fam, Vandenbook fam, Stephen, Rand, Kai, Wayne fam, Konstantinos, David, Christina, Kamroon, Brenda, Daniel, Irina, Christopher, Daniel, Sophia, Nun Thecla, Ekaterina, Katerina, Angelina, Igor, Alexander, David fam, Anne, Fr. John, Irene, Maria, Ana, Vasilii, John, Irina, Arthur fam, Maria, Mirela, Catalina, Thomas, Jones fam, Nikolai, Simerick fam, Anya, George, John, Dn. Christopher, Mertens fam, Ross fam, Zgoda fam, Mulvihill fam, Fr. Adam, Brenda, Chris. Bill, Svetlana, Alexander, Neonila, Victoria, Tamar, Giorgi, Liza-Elizabeth, Levan, Becka, Khatuna, Anna, Richard, Samantha, Sharon, Wenker fam, Emily, Bob, Elena, Maksimenko fam, Mariya, Fritts fam, Tamashevskiy fam,
Daniel, Renee and child The whelan Family Christopher, Daria, Christopher, Daniel, Sophia, George, Daniel, Irina, nun Thecla, Ekaterina, Angelina, Igor, Alexander. Vic and Laura Family, Fr. Elia & Family, Brigid, Riske Family Justin, The Palomino Fam, Isabella, The Goodson fam, Gabe, Katie, Taylor, Axenia, John, Irene, Sedor Fam, Maria, Ana, Jones Fam, Catalina, Thomas, Fr. Milan, Vladimir, Maria, Arthur and fam, Mirela and fam, Maria, John, Daniel, Irina, Daria, Christopher, Daniel Christopher. Daniel, Sophia, nun Thecla, Ekaterina, Angelina, Alexander, Dn. Chris and fam, Ross fam, Nun Katherine,
OFFERINGS +++ Prayers of Loving Memory are offered for +++
Radovanka, AJ, Eric, Father John, Dustin, Jaime, Aysem, Sandy, Vovla, Jeremy, Gabby, Chris, Patricia, Jerome, Robets, Angel, Fr. Nid, Yuri, Mariya, Ivan, Alexandra, Vladimir, Klaudiya, Agrafena, Pavel, Vladimir, Pelagea, Iakov, Evgenia, Maria, Nikolai, Sofia, Tatiana, Ion, Agrepina, Sergei, Maria, Nadejala, Radovanka, William, Iris, Jewell, Erica, Marvin, Wagner, Freeze, Lazar, Jose & Esther, David, Patty, Tatiana, Anthony, Nick, Kh. Farha, El Ephraim, Bishop Milutin, Nadejda, Leonard, Rose, Leona, Nun Sophia, Raymond, Dorothy, Bill, Marcie, Lena, Gerhard, Roger, Anna, Victor, Lydia, Tatjana, Michael, Alexei, Boris, Fr. Niel, Valentin, Elena,Alexander, Vladimir,
Daniel and Margaret. Richard, Yevgenia, Asnaketch Tesfa Priscilla, Dan Patricia, Esther, Jose, Diana, Marvin, Erica, Lydia, Victor, Tatjana, Alexander, Evdoria, Ephim, Michael, Alexey, Alexander, Turi, Boris, Valentin, Valentina, Elena, Vladimir, Evdoria, Marcie, Lena, Dorothy, Roger, Kelly, Gerhard, Bill, Nun Sophia, Nikolay, Maria, Sophia, Natela, Zhana, Raymond, Giorgi-Lary, Mary Jane. Leonard, Mariya, Ivan, Alexander, Vladimir, Klaudiya, Agpafena, Pavel, Vladimir, Tatyana, Ephim, Boris, Sergei, Pelagea, Iakov, Evgenia, Alexander, Nina Lazar, William, Caroline
Holy Bread is offered by Dasha Saur for the health, safety, and memory of her loved ones.
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4th SUNDAY OF MATTHEW The Faith of the Centurion
“The Word of God tells us truthfully: Whoseover (having firm faith) shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith (Mark 11:23). But he that wavereith, the Holy Apostle James tells us, shall not receive any thing of the Lord (James 1: 6,7). God says: If any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him (Hebrews 10:38). Let us learn living and firm faith from the centurion, free from wavering, doubt, and duplicity! Furthermore, the centurion’s petition showed humble faith: the faith of one imbued with a deep awareness of his own unworthiness. Jesus Christ wanted to go personally to the centurion’s sick servant, but the centurion replied: Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed (Matthew 8:8). Behold what humility, what awareness of his insignificance before the Almighty Savior the centurion displayed! Indeed, faith that is heartfelt, firm, and true is necessarily connected with humility. Where God’s omnipotence and greatness are confessed, there man’s nothingness before this greatness and omnipotence is simultaneously clearly confessed.” By ARCHIMANDRITE KIRILL (PAVLOV)