The Ninth Sunday of Luke
Holy Martyr Plato of Ancyra; Martyr Romanos of Antioch;
Martyrs Zacchaeus the Deacon and Alphaeos the reader of Caesarea in Palestine
Who was St. Plato the Great?
The Holy Martyr Plato, brother of the Holy Martyr Antiochus the Physician (July 16), was born in the city of Ancyra in Galatia. While still a youth he left home and went through the cities, preaching the word of God to pagans, amazing his audience with the persuasiveness and beauty of his speech, and his profound knowledge of Greek learning.
Because of his preaching he was arrested and brought for trial to the temple of Zeus before the governor Agrippinus. At first, the judge attempted to persuade the Saint to turn away from Christ by flattery. He assured the youth that he might be on a par of intellect with the greatest of the philosophers Plato, if only he worshiped also the pagan gods. To this Saint Plato answered, that the wisdom of the philosopher, although great, was but ephemeral and limited, whereas the true, eternal and unbounded wisdom comprised the Gospel teachings.
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When the governor counseled him to avoid death and save his life by worshiping the idols, Plato said: “There are two deaths, the one temporal and the other eternal; so also are there two lives, one of short duration and the other without end.” Then the judge promised to give him his beautiful niece for his wife if he would deny Christ. He also threatened him with torture and death if he refused. Plato replied that he chose a temporal death for the sake of eternal life. The patience of the governor was exhausted, and he gave orders to ten soldiers to mercilessly beat the Martyr, and then send him off to prison.
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After his tortures they threw him in prison for eighteen more days without bread or water. When the guards were amazed that Plato was able to live in hunger for so long, he told them: “You are satisfied by meat, but I, by holy prayers. Wine gladdens you, but Christ the True Vine gladdens me.” Seeing that this did not shake the Martyr, they offered him his life and freedom if he would only say, “Great is the god Apollo.” The Martyr refused to deny Christ or to sacrifice to the idols. Therefore, Agrippinus ordered the Holy Martyr Plato to be beheaded in the year 266.
Read the complete biography on the Mystagogy website.
Christmas Fast Begins November 15, 2017
The Nativity Fast is one of the four Canonical Fasting Seasons in the Church year. This is a joyous fast in anticipation of the Nativity of Christ. That is the reason it is less strict than other fasting periods. The fast is divided into two periods. The 1st period is November 15th through December 19th when the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, fish, wine, and oil) is observed. There is dispensation given for wine and oil on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Similarly, fish, wine, and oil are permitted on Saturdays and Sundays.
The 2nd period is December 20th through 24th when the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, fish, wine, and oil) is observed. There is dispensation given for wine and oil only on Saturday and Sunday during this period.
Fasting always works in conjuction with prayer and giving alms (helping the poor, giving to worthy charities, etc.). Fasting helps us reorder the interior life, but the reordering does not occur with greater prayer and greater concern for the poor.
The reordering is a clarification — we end up seeing things more clearly, we get stronger in the fight against sin and temptation. The fast always ends on a great Feast Day of our Lord.
For a complete list, visit the Antiochian website or click on the image below:
Entrance of the Theotokos Divine Liturgy on Tuesday, November 20, 2017 at 6:30pm
The Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple, also called The Presentation, is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, celebrated on November 21.
According to Tradition, the Theotokos was taken – presented – by her parents Joachim and Anna into the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem as a young girl, where she lived and served as a Temple virgin until her betrothal to St. Joseph. One of the earliest sources of this tradition is the non-canonical Protoevangelion of James, also called the Infancy Gospel of James.
Mary was solemnly received by the temple community which was headed by the priest Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. She was led to the holy place to become herself the “holy of holies” of God, the living sanctuary and temple of the Divine child who was to be born in her. The Church also sees this feast as a feast which marks the end of the physical temple in Jerusalem as the dwelling place of God.
Source: The OrthodoxWiki website.
Mark You Calendar – St. Nicholas Children’s Celebration on Wednesday, December 5, 2018
The kids love it!
Schedule:
- St. Nicholas Divine Liturgy at 6pm.
- St. Nickolas program follows.
Parents: Bring you children!
Toys for Tots Drive Until December 2, 2018
Let’s make our Second Annual Toys for Tots Drive the best one yet!
Please bring new, unwrapped toys to Church to make Christmas brighter for kids who otherwise would have none.
A Toys for Tots contribution box will be in the Social Hall until December 2, 2018.
Every child deserves a Christmas!
Interfaith Charities Needs Soups
Interfaith Charities, the local assembly of churches that helps the poor in our area, needs soups.
Publix is running a two for one on soups this week. Buy some and give double!
If you bring to the church, we will get them to Interfaith Charities.
Calendar At A Glance
- Thursday, November 15 — Christmas Fast Begins
- Tuesday, November 20, 2018 — 6:30pm Entrance of the Theotokos Divine Liturgy
- Wednesday December 5, 2018 — St. Nicholas Celebration. Evening begins with Divine Liturgy at 6:00pm.
Wisdom From The Elders
Be careful because wine to a young man becomes blood and to an old man it becomes water. Elder Arsenios the Cave-Dweller
Learn to know the spirit of the age, study it, so whenever possible you will be able to avoid its influence. Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov
Geronda, when someone is not needy but pretends to be, should we help him? – Christ said, We should give to him who begs from us without examining. Even if someone who begs from you is not in need, you should still give to him. Be happy in giving to him. Elder Paisios of Mount Athos
Do not be surprised that you fall every day; do not give up, but stand your ground courageously. And assuredly, the angel who guards you will honour your patience. St. John Climacus
Obedience is love, but disobedience is non-love, it is the trampling upon love. Never decline from obedience. Archbishop Seraphim (Sobolev) of Bogucharsk
Remember in Your Prayers
Helen (Rogers)
Doug Spencer
Kathy Spencer
Kathy D
Andreas
Sofia Tešanovic
Paul
Carmine John Anthony
Dennis H. and Family
Victor Evan
Ann
James
Vasiliki
Efstratia
Alexandra
Nikos
Georgia
Ioannis
Costandino
Jeffrey
Vaso
Dave
Dimitri – Presbyter
Vassiliki
Octavio
Tom
Carl
Rena
Nikolay (5 year old boy in Bulgaria whose parents asked us to pray)
David
Eva K.
Rosie
Kathryn
Jeremy
Constantine
Robert
Jane
Theodora
David
Gina
Baby Brynn L.
Micheal
Haralambos
Lillian
Presbytera Rosy
Valentina
Eva W.
Barbara
Angela
Carol Ann
Matthew
Chrysostom
Tim
Pat
Christina
Maria Louise
Maximos
Marian
Photini
Nicholas
Sarah
Petronia (Wife of Phil Pappas)
Constantine Houpis
Anna Marie Smith Baker
Ron Chromulak
Beverly Chromulak
Katerina
Loucine Kassis
Mary Kassis
Baby Maximus
Christine
Maria
Annette Star
Claire Livaditis
Eva Chandilles
Baby Dani
Scott Nedoff
James Hord
Tom
How should we pray for the sick? Remember them daily. Say their names (first names are sufficient) and ask God to bestow mercy and grace on them.
Add or remove names and print this list for easy reference during your prayer time on the St. Peter website.
Sunday Readings
Epistle
For the Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Make your vows to the Lord our God and perform them.
God is known in Judah; His Name is great in Israel.
The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians. (4:1-7)
Brethren, I, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, Who is above all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Gospel
For the Ninth Sunday of Luke
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (12:16-21)
The Lord spoke this parable: “The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” As He said this, Jesus called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
