Today’s Readings:

Epistle: 2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1

Gospel: Luke 7:11-16

 

Schedule of Services: 

-Saturday, October 15th, Great Vespers at 5pm.

-Sunday, October 16th, Divine Liturgy at 10am.  Hours begin at 9:40am.

 

Announcements:

-Thank you to Michele Lelo for hosting today’s coffee hour. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

-A Council Meeting will be held after coffee hour today.

-In January we will need to find a new cleaning person. If anyone is interested or knows of someone who is reliable, please contact Pam H.

-We donated 109 pounds of food to the Food Pantry on Sept. 12. They are now servicing over 4,000 clients, so our efforts are very much appreciated and needed. The letter is posted on the bulletin board if you would like to read it in its entirety. 

-Please remember those in need. We are especially in need of Shop Rite gift cards. Place them in the blue box on the candle stand.

-Fr. Tristan will offer an adult education session at coffee hour on the last Sunday of this month, October 23rd. 

-A pierogi workshop has been scheduled for October 29th. Please save the date.

-Matushka Mary will offer Sunday school lessons for children (targeted ages K-2) starting on Sunday, October 16th.  For practical planning purposes, please contact Matushka Mary or Bill Cordasco if you know of any children who will be in attendance for this initial lesson.  Matushka Mary is in the process of working out a schedule for Sunday school classes for children.  Thank you.

-Next week, from October 17th to the 21st, Fr. Tristan will be visiting his mother in Pittsburgh.  If there is any immediate need, please contact Fr. George at 973-970-4205.  Let Nellie know, as well.  If there is a serious emergency, Fr. Tristan will try to get back as soon as possible.

 

Prayers for: 

Living: Melissa, Helen, John, Darlette, Steven, Janet, Teresa, Irina, Alla,                                   

Ira, Victor, Reader Christopher, George; the suffering people of Ukraine, Yemen, Syria, Palestine, and Ethiopia.  

Departed: Metropolitans Kallistos and Herman

 

Words for the Day:

Whoever has become a servant of the Lord fears only his Master. But whoever is without the fear of God is often afraid of his own shadow. Fearfulness is the daughter of unbelief. A proud soul is the slave of fear; hoping in itself, in comes to such a state that it is startled by a small noise, and is afraid of the dark.
(St. John of the Ladder, The Ladder, 21.11,1,4)

 

Christians, always rejoice, for evil, death, sin, the devil and hell have been conquered by Christ. But when all of this is conquered, is there anyone in the world who can bring our joy to naught? You are the lord of this eternal rejoicing as long as you do not give in to sin. Joy burns in our hearts from His truth, love, resurrection, and from the Church and His saints. Joy burns in our hearts all because of sufferings for Him, mockings for Him, and death for Him, insofar as these sufferings write our names in heaven. There is no true joy on earth without the victory over death, but the victory over death does not exist without the Resurrection, and the Resurrection does not exist without Christ. The risen God-Man Christ, the founder of the Church, constantly pours out this joy into the hearts of His followers through the Holy Mysteries and good deeds. Our faith is fulfilled in this eternal joy, insofar as the joy of faith in Christ is the only true joy for human nature.

(St. Justin Popovich, Explanation of I Thessalonians, 5)

 

Next Week’s Readings:

Epistle: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11. The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is 

 

able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

Gospel: Luke 8:5-15. “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.