Sunday of The Prodigal Son 2-28-2016 PDF

Holy anargyroi Orthodox Church (GOA)

703 W. Center Street, Rochester, MN (507) 282-1529 http://www.rochesterorthodoxchurch.org

[email protected]
Rev. Fr. Mark Muoz, Proistamenos
/APOLYTIKIA FOR TODAY
The heavenly powers appeared at Your tomb, and those guarding

it became like dead. Mary stood at Your grave seeking Your pure
body. You stripped the power of Hades, not touched by its
corruption. You met the virgin woman as one who grants life. O
Lord, who rose from the dead, glory to You.
,
, ,
. ,
, , ,
, .
With the rivers of your tears, you have made the barren desert
fertile. Through sighs of sorrow from deep within you, your
labors have borne fruit a hundred-fold. By your miracles you
have become a light, shining upon the world. O Basil, our Holy
Father, pray to Christ our God, to save our souls.
/KONTAKION FOR TODAY
O Father, foolishly I ran away from Your glory, and in sin, squandered the riches You gave
me. Wherefore, I cry out to You with the voice of the Prodigal, "I have sinned before You
Compassionate Father. Receive me in repentance and take me as one of Your hired servants."
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2nd Sunday of the TRIODION: Sunday of the Prodigal Son

Regular Fasting (Wed. & Fri.) this week
Basil the Confessor, Kyranna the New Martyr of Thessaloniki, Jonah the Righteous Martyr of
Lerios
February 28th, 2016
TODAYS SCRIPTURE READINGS

EPISTLE READING
St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 6:12-20
Prokeimenon. Mode 1.
Psalm 32.22,1
Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us.
Verse: Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous.
Brethren, "all things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be
enslaved by anything. "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food" -- and God will destroy both one
and the other. The body is not meant for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the
Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I
therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who
joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "The two shall become one flesh." But he
who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is
outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the
Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify
God in your body and in your spirit which belong to God.
GOSPEL READING
Gospel of Luke 15:11-32
The Lord said this parable: "There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, 'Father,
give me the share of the property that falls to me.' And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the
younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in
loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So
he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he
would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself
he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I
will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no
longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.' And he arose and came to his father. But
while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called
your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his
hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was
dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to make merry. Now his elder son was in the
field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and
asked what this meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because
he has received him safe and sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him,
but he answered his father, 'Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you
never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured
your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all
that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was
lost, and is found.'"
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Liturgical/Program Schedule:
Wed. March 2nd: Paraklesis of Healing to St. Nektarios, 6:00pm
Thurs. March 3rd: JOY Faith Night, 5:30pm
Sat. March 5th: Saturday of Souls, Orthros/Divine Liturgy 8:30am *please bring kolyva*
Office Off Limits: we ask your cooperation and compliance with helping us keep the office
space secure after Liturgy. The ushers are responsible for counting and preparing the deposits
for all funds received by the church throughout the week. In order to accomplish this, they
need to do so in a private, secure, and organized environment. If you have office work related
questions or issues, please see Jackie Barbed or Fr. Mark. Thank you for helping us out!
Grand Opening/Blessing of new Fellowship Hall: please save the date for the Agiasmos
Service/Grand Opening which will take place Sunday, May 15th with His Eminence,
Metropoliatn IAKOVOS officiating. Details to follow.
Rochester to host Western Metropolis Basketball Tournament: we have been selected to host
the 2017 W. Metropolis of Chicago Basketball Tournament next February! This is a huge honor
for our parish as we will welcome over 500 participants to our parish and to our local
community! Thanks to Johnny Mangouras and Calli Kelly for co-chairing this most exciting
project. More info to come.
Holy Week Liturgical Books: We have ordered several copies of the official Holy Week Book
endorsed by our Metropolis. This comprehensive book, compiled by Fr. Pappadeas, will be
used exclusively for all the liturgical celebrations from Palm Sunday evening through the
Agapi Vespers on Pascha. Each book is $25, please see Fr. Mark or Jackie Barbes for your copy!
Only those Orthodox Christians in good

standing are encouraged to receive Holy Communion frequently, provided they have prepared
themselves spiritually, mentally, and physically. They should be on time for the Divine Liturgy and be
in a Christ-like, humble state of mind. They should be in a confession relationship with their priest or
spiritual father, have observed the fasting regulations, and they should have self-examined their
conscience. On the day of receiving Holy Communion it is not proper to eat or drink anything before
coming to church. When you approach the holy chalice state your baptismal name, and hold the red
communion cloth to your chin. After receiving wipe your lips on the cloth, step back carefully, hand the
cloth to the next person and make the sign the of the cross as you step away. Please do not be in a rush
while communing.
WITH THE FEAR OF GOD, FAITH, AND LOVE DRAW NEAR:
Todays liturgical commemorations

1. THE PRIESTLY-MARTYR PROTERIUS
This saint was a presbyter in Alexandria at the same time when Dioscorus the heretic was patriarch
of Alexandria. Dioscorus was one of the leaders of the Monophysite heresy, which taught that there
was one nature in Christ [Human] and not two natures [Human and Divine]. Marcian and Plucheria
also reigned at that time as emperor and empress. This holy and devout man Proterius stood up
against Dioscorus for which he endured many miseries. Then the Fourth Ecumenical Council
[Chalcedon, 451 A.D.] was convened at which the Monophysite heresy was condemned, Dioscorus
removed from the patriarchal throne and banished into exile. Proterius, this true-believing man, was
elected in his place. He governed the Church with zeal and love; a true follower of Christ.
However, the followers of Dioscorus did not cease to create a disturbance in Alexandria. At the
time of one such bloody disturbance, Proterius left the city with the intention of staying away
temporarily. Along the way, the Prophet Isaiah appeared to him in a vision and said: "Return to the
city, I am waiting to take you." Proterius returned to Alexandria and entered the church. Upon
hearing about this, the enraged heretics rushed into the church, seized the patriarch and stabbed him
throughout with knives. Six other Christians were also slain with Proterius. Thus, Proterius this
wonderful shepherd of Christ's flock, received the martyr's wreath for the truth of Orthodoxy in the
year 457 A.D.
2. SAINT BASIL THE CONFESSOR
Basil was a companion and co-suffer with St. Procopius Decapolit. Basil faithfully followed his
teacher Procopius both in peaceful times and in time of persecution. He suffered many hardships
from the iconoclasts and when the iconoclasts were defeated, Basil according to God's Providence,
returned together with Procopius to his monastery where in fasting and prayer he lived a long life of
asceticism. He died peacefully in the year 747 A.D.
3. THE PRIEST-MARTYR NESTOR
Nestor was the bishop of Magydos in Pamphylia. He was distinguished by his great meekness.
During the reign of Decius, he was brought to trial and cruelly tortured for Christ. Before his death,
he saw in a vision, a sacrificial lamb, which he interpreted as a sign of his impending sacrifice. He
was tortured by the Eparch [governor] Publius and in the end was crucified in Perga, the capital of
the province, in the year 250 A.D.
Pearls from the Desert

Prayer, fasting, vigils, and all other Christian practices, however good they
may be in themselves, certainly do not constitute the aim of our Christian
life: they are but the indispensable means of attaining that aim. For the true
aim of the Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God. As for
fasts, vigils, prayer and almsgiving, and other good works done in the name
of Christ, they are only the means of acquiring the Holy Spirit of God. Note
well that it is only good works done in the name of Christ that bring us the
fruits of the Spirit.
~St. Seraphim of Sarov
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Psychosabbaton Notes
Please have in mind the following guidelines as we begin the Saturday of Souls
commemorations: Kollyva(boiled wheat) should be brought to Church before or during the
Orthros service; it is inappropriate to bring kollyva to the solea after the Liturgy has begun.
Also, if you bring names you need to bring kollyva to accompany them just as you would
any other memorial service you might mark throughout the year.
Please write the names of the Orthodox departed in a clear and legible manner especially if
the names are written in Greek. If you have names of non-Orthodox please write those
names at the bottom of your list and designate them as such. These names are
commemorated separately by the priest outside of the official liturgical service.
Kollyva can be as simple or elaborate as you choose; each family has their own
tradition/recipe and creativity is always welcome! In contrast to the Paraklesis service where
I keep the names for all the separate services, the
Psychosabbaton names are only read for that particular
Liturgy. If you want names to be commemorated at all
three Psychosabbata Liturgies please bring the kollyva
and names to each service.
2016 St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival

This year our Parish Oratorical Festival will take place during coffee hour on
Sunday, March 20th. All children are asked to participate in this event; registration
forms are available from Amy Franqueira. The categories include speech, essay,
poem, and iconography. Although all categories are welcome this year we are
emphasizing speeches. Parents and/or Catechetical Teachers can assist children
with their projects. There are several different themes for each division. Divisions
include Elementary (preschool-6th grade), Junior (7th-9th grades), and Senior (10th12th grades).
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ND
SUNDAY OF THE TRIODION: THE PRODIGAL SON
Through the parable of today's Gospel, our Saviour has set forth three things for us: the
condition of the sinner, the rule of repentance, and the greatness of God's compassion.
The divine Fathers have put this reading the week after the parable of the Publican and
Pharisee so that, seeing in the person of the Prodigal Son our own wretched condition -inasmuch as we are sunken in sin, far from God and His Mysteries -- we might at last
come to our senses and make haste to return to Him by repentance during these holy
days of the Fast. Furthermore, those who have wrought many great iniquities, and have
persisted in them for a long time, oftentimes fall into despair, thinking that there can no
longer be any forgiveness for them; and so being without hope, they fall every day into the
same and even worse iniquities. Therefore, the divine Fathers, that they might root out the
passion of despair from the hearts of such people, and rouse them to the deeds of virtue,
have set the present parable at the forecourts of the Fast, to show them the surpassing
goodness of God's compassion, and to teach them that there is no sin -- no matter how
great it may be -- that can overcome at any time His love for man.
ADMONITIONS FOR PARENTS FROM ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

Your children will always be sufficiently wealthy if they receive from you a good
upbringing that is able to order their moral life and behavior. Thus, strive not to
make them rich, but rather to make them pious masters of their passions, rich in
virtues. Teach them not to think up illusory needs, reckoning their worth according
to worldly standards. Attentively watch their deeds, their acquaintances and their
attachmentsand do not expect any mercy from God if you do not fulfill this duty.
I have just told you that fathers who do not take care to give their children a
Christian upbringing are murderers of their own children. Is it not true? Who
should Eli blame for his son's death? Himself. True, the enemys sword slew them,
but the neglect of their false father directed the blow. Abandoned by heavenly
help, they appeared naked against the arrows of the Philistines. The father
destroyed himself and them. Meanwhile, we see the same thing before ourselves
daily. How many parents there are who do not want to take upon themselves this
labor of correcting their unsubmissive and unruly children! They are as if afraid to
upset their children by reigning in with stern words the vicious tendencies to which
they have submitted themselves. What is the outcome? Their disorder increases;
their impunity leads them to criminal offenses; they are brought to trial; and the wretches die at the hands of the
executioner. You refused your personal rights over them and committed them to the severity of civil punishment,
and human justice wielded its harsh rights over them. You are afraid to humiliate them with some light punishment
in your presence; but what horrible dishonor shall befall you when your son is no longer around, and the father,
hounded everywhere by accusing glares, no longer dares to show himself anywhere.
We spare neither labors nor means in order to teach our children secular sciences, so that they can serve well the
earthly authorities. Only the knowledge of the holy Faith, the service of the Heavenly King are a matter of
indifference to us. We allow them to attend spectacles but we care little whether they go to Church and stand
within it reverently. We demand an account from them of what they learned in their secular instituteswhy do we
not demand an account from them of what they heard in the Lord's house?
We are so concerned with our childrens schooling; if only we were equally zealous in bringing them up in the
discipline and instruction of the Lord! And then we wonder why we reap such bitter fruit when we have raised our
children to be insolent, licentious, impious, and vulgar. May this never happen; instead, let us heed the blessed
Pauls admonition to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Let us give them a pattern to
imitate; from their earliest years let us teach them to study the Bible. He repeats this over and over again, you say,
we are sick of listening to it. Never will I stop doing my duty!
We have been given an important securitychildren. Therefore we shall take care of them, and take every precaution that the
evil one may not steal them from us. Meanwhile, we do everything backward. We make every effort to insure that our fields be
in good hands. We seek out the most experienced mule drivers and overseers, but we take no such precautions for what is the
most precious to us and through which all other good things come, namely, that we might entrust our son to a man that would
preserve his chastity. We take care to provide him with property, but take no care for him himself. Do you see what insanity has
taken control of us! First of all educate your son's soul, and he will acquire possessions later. If his soul is bad he will not
receive the slightest benefit from money. And vice versa, if he has been given the proper upbringing, then poverty will not harm
him in the least. Do you want to leave him wealthy? Teach him to be good. For children who have not received the proper
upbringing poverty is better than wealth; it will keep them even against their will within the bounds of virtue. However, wealth,
even for one who does not wish it, does not allow one to live a chaste life, but lures him into a countless multitude of crimes.
Greek Orthodox Bishop in Wall

Street Journal Op-Ed: ISIS Is Guilty
of Anti-Christian Genocide
Christians throughout the world will mark Monday,
Feb. 15, as a day to remember the courage and
religious fortitude of 21 Coptic Christians who were
executed one year ago by Islamic State terrorists in Libya. The Coptic Orthodox Christian Church
will be joined by the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church and other Christian
denominations in observing the somber anniversary.
These Coptic Christian hostages were
executed for no other reason than their faith in Jesus Christ. ISIS released a video of the barbarism
with the title A Message Signed With Blood to the Nations of the Cross. Bloodshed in the Middle
East has become all too common, and many Americans with busy lives may have become inured
to the seemingly endless litany of atrocities, unaware of the extent of the genocidal campaign
against the Christian minority in the Middle East. This particular crime against humanity was a
grotesque example of the violence Christians face daily in Libya, Iraq, Syria and anywhere that ISIS
prosecutes its murderous campaign against anyone it deems an infidel. Yet as horrible as the
episode was, it also offers inspiration and testimony to the power of faith. The 21 men executed
that day were itinerant tradesman working on a construction job. All were native Egyptians but one,
a young African man whose identity is uncertainreports of his name vary, and he was described
as coming from Chad or Ghana. But the power of his example is unshakable. The executioners
demanded that each hostage identify his religious allegiance. Given the opportunity to deny their
faith, under threat of death, the Egyptians declared their faith in Jesus. Steadfast in their belief even
in the face of evil, each was beheaded. Their compatriot was not a Christian when captured,
apparently, but when challenged by the terrorists to declare his faith, he reportedly replied: Their
God is my God. In that moment, before his death, he became a Christian. The ISIS murderers
seek to demoralize Christians with acts like the slaughter on a Libyan beach. Instead they stir our
wonder at the courage and devotion inspired by Gods love. While we remember these mens
extraordinary sacrifice, is there not more that we can do to stop this genocide against Christians in
the Middle East? (by Bishop DEMTRIOS, Chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago)

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Holy anargyroi Orthodox Church (GOA)

703 W. Center Street, Rochester, MN (507) 282-1529 http://www.rochesterorthodoxchurch.org

The heavenly powers appeared at Your tomb, and those guarding

/KONTAKION FOR TODAY

2nd Sunday of the TRIODION: Sunday of the Prodigal Son

TODAYS SCRIPTURE READINGS

Only those Orthodox Christians in good

Todays liturgical commemorations

Pearls from the Desert

~St. Seraphim of Sarov

2016 St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival

SUNDAY OF THE TRIODION: THE PRODIGAL SON

ADMONITIONS FOR PARENTS FROM ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

Greek Orthodox Bishop in Wall

These Coptic Christian hostages were

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