Today’s Readings:
Epistle: 2 Peter 1:10-19
Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9
Schedule of Services:
Sunday, August 13th, Divine Liturgy at 10am. Hours begin at 9:40am.
For the Feast of the Dormition:
Tuesday, August 15th, Divine Liturgy at 10am.
Announcements:
-Memory eternal to Helen Morris and John Paraskevas (Pam Heitz’s father)!
-Thank you to the Altomare’s for hosting coffee hour today!
-Thank you, Mark, for your words today! We welcome Mark Chenoweth to our parish—a dear classmate, friend, and M.Div student who went to seminary with Fr. Tristan. Many years!
-Fr. Tristan will be taking time off this week—but will be present to serve Divine Liturgy next Sunday. If there is any emergency, please contact Bill Cordasco. Fr. Gary Breton, our Dean, will take care of any emergencies. However, Fr. Gary will be away from Tuesday to Wednesday morning. Fr. Gary’s contact information is: 1-848-333-7055.
-Final bulletin reminder, regarding Robert Fisher, who had pre-cancer/or cancer on his tongue and had to have surgery—he is doing well and is still his good self, although it will take some rehabilitation for him to get back to normal with speaking and eating. Nevertheless, he would be very happy to get out and go to church. Any visitation or ride to church from our parishioners, he would be more than happy to accept. If anyone would like to take him out, please just ensure that he signs out at the reception area where his wing is located. It is my understanding, from speaking to a receptionist, that that is all that is asked of him to do to leave the facility. It is best to text him on his cell phone number: 609-306-4714. And the address is: Country Arch Care Center, 114 Pittstown Rd. Pittstown, NJ 08867.
-There will be a church council meeting on Sunday, August 13th.
-Again, please consider donating to the Building Preservation/Rectory Fund. Sign up is located on the bulletin board. All donations are appreciated.
-Don’t forget the needy. Shop Rite gift cards or non-perishable foods are greatly appreciated.
Prayers for:
Departed: Helen, John, Alexandra
Living: Dn. Corrado and Alfonsia, Nicholas, Nicholas, Karen, Alexandra,Steven, Paul, Archpriest Paul, Melissa, Helen, John, Stephen, Michele, Janet, Teresa, Irina, Alla, Ira, Victor; Vinni, Caroline, Tyler, and Aubrey, Metropolitan Onuphry and the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church; the suffering people and innocent victims of the Ukrainian/Russian war and those being persecuted; the suffering people of Yemen, Syria and Turkey, and Palestine.
Words for the Day:
Whoever does not want to know the will of God is mentally walking a path next to a cliff, and easily falls with any wind. If he is praised, he is proud. If he is rebuked he is angry. If he eats pleasant food, he is drawn into bodily passions. When he suffers he weeps. When he knows something, he wants to show that he knows. When he doesn't understand, he pretends to understand. When he is rich he puts on airs. When he is poor, he is a hypocrite. When he is full, he is bold. When he fasts he is vainglorious. When he is denounced he loves to argue, while he looks on those who forgive him as fools.
(St. Mark the Ascetic, Homilies, 2.193)
Understand two thoughts, and fear them. One says, "You are a saint," the other, "You won't be saved." Both of these thoughts are from the enemy, and there is no truth in them. But think this way: I am a great sinner, but the Lord is merciful. He loves people very much, and He will forgive my sins.
(St. Silouan the Athonite, Writings, XVII.1)
Next Week’s Readings:
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 4:9-16. Brethren, For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me.
Gospel: Matthew 17:14-23. And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.