Sunday, September 8, 2024
The Nativity of the Theotokos
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Today’s Readings:
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 9:2-12, Philippians 2:5-11
Gospel: Matthew 18:23-35, Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28
Schedule of Services:
Friday, September 13th, Vesperal Liturgy for the Exaltation of the Cross at 6pm.
Saturday, September 14th, Great Vespers at 4pm.
Sunday, September 15th, Divine Liturgy at 10am. Hours begin at 9:40am.
Announcements:
-Many years to the newly-illumined Leo Elijah Stone and his family, Andrew, Kara, and Orson. Please enjoy fellowship downstairs in celebration of Leo’s baptism.
-We will pray the Trisagion for the Departed next Sunday for our September Departed parishioner, Sylvester.
-There is a council meeting today.
-Again, on Saturday, September 28th we will have our parish picnic at the Cordasco’s at 2pm. Vespers will take place there in the outdoors. There is a sign-up sheet for any side dishes or desserts.
-Please continue to pray for Sandy Bell who is undergoing rehabilitation after a fall she took which broke her hip. She is currently at Sacred Heart Hospital, which is part of St. Luke’s, in Allentown, PA. The address to Sacred Heart is 421 W Chew St, Allentown, PA 18102.
-On Friday, September 13th, we will celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross at 6pm. This will be a Vesperal Liturgy, so communion of the body and blood of Christ will be offered, so please plan accordingly if you intend to receive communion that evening. If you have any questions, ask Fr. Tristan.
-On Saturday, September 14th, Fr. Tristan will baptize the infant Zoe Antonia Vasquez. Please feel free to attend and welcome this family. The baptism will take place at 2pm, and Vespers will be at 4pm.
Prayers for:
Departed: Sylvester Living: The newly-illumined Leo, Galina, Sandy, Forrest, Robert, Marie, Fernando, Michael, Bernard, Mark, Gerald, David, Robert, Steven, Stephen, Michele; 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; and the suffering victims of the war in Israel and Palestine.
Words for the Day:
If you see your neighbor in sin, don't look only at this, but also think about what he has done or does that is good, and infrequently trying this in general, while not partialy judging, you will find that he is better than you.
(St. Basil the Great, Conversations, 20).
Next Week’s Readings:
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Galatians 2:16-20. Brethren, Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. Brethren, we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. 17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Gospel: Matthew 19:16-26, Mark 8:34-9:1. At that time, And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. 9 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”
