Today’s Readings:
Epistle: Romans 5:1-10
Gospel: Matthew 6:22-33
Schedule of Services:
Thursday, June 29th, Divine Liturgy for Sts. Peter and Paul
Saturday, July 1st, Great Vespers at 4pm.
Sunday, July 2nd, Divine Liturgy at 10am. Hours begin at 9:40am.
Announcements:
-On Thursday, at 10am, we will celebrate the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.
-A big “Thank You” to those who participated and supported the Glen Gardner Town Wide Yard Sale. God bless you, and many years!
-There is a new coffee hour sign up sheet located on the freezer. Please keep in mind that fruit, a baked good, and bagels are all that is needed. Those with food allergies are more than welcome to bring their own refreshment.
-During the rest of the month of June and into July, we will continue to collect monies towards the Choir Director's Workshop taking place the last couple of weeks in July. There will still be a donation basket in the back of the church for contributions. Thank you for your donations and support
-Don’t forget the needy. Shop Rite gift cards or non-perishable foods are greatly appreciated.
Prayers for:
Departed: Subdeacon Michael
Living: The newborn child, Josephina, Matushka Mary, Nicholas, 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:
Temptations come so that hidden passions may be revealed and so that it will be possible to fight them, and so that the soul may be rid of them. They are also a sign of God's mercy. So give yourself with trust into God's hands and ask his help, so that he will strengthen you in your struggle. God knows how much each one can bear and allows temptations according to the measure of our strength. Remember that after temptation comes spiritual joy, and that the Lord protects them that endure temptations and suffering for the sake of His love.
(St. Nektarius of Aegina, The Path to Happiness, 4)
Everyone who loves God shows himself patient and steadfast in times of suffering. Whoever bears them bravely becomes strong and obedient to God, and whoever enters the path of following the will of God conquers his natural weakness. On the other hand, whoever does not recognize his own powerlessness is proud and not inclined to submit himself to the will of the Lord. Whoever does not submit to it and hopes only in his own power does not receive the power and help of God and, not having been strengthened in spirit, cannot become patient. But whoever does not endure misfortune and afflictions has not faith, and whoever does not have faith, does not love God.
(St. Alexis of Senaki, Concerning Afflictions)
Next Week’s Readings:
Epistle: Romans 6:18-23. Brethren, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For
the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Gospel: Matthew 8:5-13. At that time, when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “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 too 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 servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel[b] have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline 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. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.