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.
Quotes
“Behold, for years and generations, the way of God has been leveled by the cross and by death. How is this with thee, that thou seest the afflictions of the way as if they were out of the way? Doest not thou wish to follow the steps of the saints? Or doest thou wish to go a way which is especially for thee, without suffering? the way unto God is a daily cross. No one can ascend unto heaven with comfort, we know where the way of comfort leads.” + St. Isaac the Syrian, Mystic Treatises, Homily LIX
“We must take care not to refer all the merits of the saints to the Lord in such a way as to ascribe nothing but what is evil and perverse to human nature, in doing which we are confuted by the evidence of the most wise Solomon, or rather of the Lord himself, whose words these are; for when the building of the temple was finished and he was praying, he spoke as follows: ‘and David my father would have built a house to the name of the Lord God of Israel: and the Lord said to David my father: Whereas thou hast thought in thine heart to build a house to my name, thou hast done well in having this same thing in thy mind.’ This thought and purpose of King David, are we to call it good and from God or bad and from man? For if the thought was good and from God, why did He by whom it was inspired refuse that it should be carried into effect? But if it is bad and from man, why is it praised by the Lord?” + St. John Cassian, Third Conference of the Abbot Chaeremon
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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. TROPARION OF ST. BASIL THE GREAT (TONE 1) 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 4
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
How great are Thy works, O Lord! In wisdom hast Thou made them all. Bless the Lord, O my soul. The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans. (10:1-10) Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that it may be saved. I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened. For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law, that everyone who has faith may be justified. Moses writes that the
man who practices the righteousness which is based on the law shall live by it. But the righteousness based on faith says: Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into Heaven?” (that is, to bring Christ down) or “Who will descend into the abyss?” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach); because, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved. 5
GOSPEL THE
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (8:28-9:1) At that time, when Jesus came to the country of the Gergesenes, two demoniacs met Him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, “What have we to do to Thee, O Son of God? Art Thou come here to torment us before the time?” Now a herd of many swine was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons begged Him, “If Thou castest us out, send us away into the herd of swine.”
And He said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the swine; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and perished in the waters. The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, and what had happened to the demoniacs. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their neighborhood. And getting into a boat He crossed over and came to His own city.
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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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5th SUNDAY OF MATTHEW Jesus Restores Two Demon-Possessed Men
The reading from the Gospel according to St. Matthew for the 5th Sunday after Pentecost seems very familiar because the same story in the Gospel according to St. Luke is chanted on the 23rd Sunday after Pentecost. It is often referred to as “The Pigs Gospel.” To modern day readers of the New Testament, it seems a rather innocuous episode in the life of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. Why did our Church Fathers consider this episode so important that it was assigned to be chanted on two different Sundays during the liturgical year? In the Gospel according to St. Matthew the setting for this story is that our Lord had just calmed the stormy Sea of Galilee, and He landed on the other side of the lake, away from Galilee his home. Immediately He encounters two men possessed by demons so fierce that ”no one could travel by that road.” While the disciples in the boat were wondering what manner of man Jesus was that even the winds and the sea obeyed Him, the demons came to proclaim the answer. Jesus alone came towards them since no one dared to bring them to Him. They dwelt among the tombs as if already dead. This is a reminder to us that sin and evil lead to death. But because Christ is the Conqueror of Death, the demons screamed out, “What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?” The appointed time is the end of the world when all will be judged.
Fr. Dennis Kristof