Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Ninth Sunday of Matthew
Holy Martyr Kallinikos of Gangra in Asia Minor, Holy Virgin Martyr Theodota of Bithynia, Pious Emperor Theodosios the Younger, Constantine III, Patriarch of Constantinople, Lupus the Confessor, Bishop of Troyes, Martyr Serapia of Antioch
Who is the Holy Martyr Kallinikos of Asia Minor?
Holy Martyr Kallinikos, a native of Cilicia, was a Christian from childhood. Grieving that many misguided people would perish for eternity because they worshiped idols, he went through the cities and villages to proclaim Jesus Christ and His teachings to the pagans, and with the Word of God, he converted many to Christianity.
In the Galatian city of Ancyra the holy confessor was arrested and brought to trial before a governor named Sacerdonos, a fierce persecutor of Christians. The governor, threatening tortures and death, ordered the saint to offer sacrifice to the idols. The saint fearlessly declared that he was not afraid of martyrdom, since every believer in Christ receives from Him strength in ordeals, and through death inherits an eternal blessed life.
They cruelly beat the saint with ox thongs and tore at his body with iron hooks, but he endured everything with patience and calm. This aroused still greater fury in Sacerdonos, and he ordered that sandals with sharp nails be placed on the saint’s feet, and that they should drive the martyr with whips to the city of Gangra to be burned.
The pathway was arduous, and the soldiers who accompanied the condemned man were weak from thirst. In despair, they began to implore the saint to pray the Lord for water. The saint, taking pity on his tormentors, with the help of God caused a miraculous spring of water to gush forth from a stone. The astonished soldiers were filled with sympathy for their rescuer, and they wanted even to set him free. Fear of execution, however, compelled them to bring the martyr farther. In Gangra, St Kallinikos joyfully offered thanks to the Lord, Who had vouchsafed him the crown of martyrdom. He went into the blazing fire and gave up his soul to God. Believers reverently buried his body, remaining unharmed.
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
St. Panteleimon Divine Liturgy, Friday July 27, 2018 at 9:30am
The Holy and Great Martyr Panteleimon was born in Nicomedia of a Christian mother, Eubula, and a pagan father Eustorgius. He studied medicine as a young man. The priest Hermolaus befriended him, instructed him in the Christian faith and baptized him. Panteleimon miraculously healed a blind man who other doctors had treated in vain; he healed him by the name of Christ and baptized him. From jealousy, the doctors denounced Panteleimon as a Christian, and he went before the Emperor Maximilian for judgment. He stood before the earthly ruler in the body, but in his mind he stood before the Heavenly King. He freely declared himself to be a Christian before the Emperor, and in front of his eyes, healed a paralytic of a long infirmity.
This miracle brought many of the pagans to the Christian faith. The Emperor put him to torture, but the Lord appeared to him on several occasions and delivered him whole and uninjured. When he would not abandon Christ for the idols, he was stretched across a rack and burned with candles. Then he was thrown into a pit of fire and then to wild beasts. But Jesus appeared to him many times and kept him whole and unharmed. The idol worshippers believed it was sorcery. He was thrown into a river with a large stone tied to him, but it floated. When he was retrieved, he was sentenced to beheading.
Condemned to death, St. Panteleimon knelt in prayer. At that, the executioner gave him a blow on the neck with his sword, and the sword broke as if made of wax. The executioner could not kill him until he had finished his prayer and had himself given the word to behead him. Panteleimon was beheaded under an olive tree, which after that became laden with fruit.
“Panteleimon” means all-merciful. God the all-merciful received his righteous soul and glorified him among His greatest saints. His relics remained incorrupt. This wonderful martyr suffered with honor as a youth for Christ on July 27th, 304, when he was 29 years old.
St. Panteleimon has given us (the parishioners of St. Peter’s) oil on four occasions for the healing of the sick. The image above is when he gave us oil the first time.
Source of biography: The Panteleimon Project.
Can You Help Cliff Tewis Get to Kenya?
Cliff needs about $400 to complete his goal of funding his mission trip. If you could help it would be greatly appreciated.
Cliff Tewis (Jeremiah’s brother) is a member of our parish. He was baptized at St. Peter’s and attended often until he moved to Boca Raton to start college.
Cliff is going to Kenya this August to provide medical aid to Kenyans in need through the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC). OCMC is the overseas medical and missionary arm of the Orthodox Church and sends teams all over the world.
His days will consist of clinic work and health education in nearby schools. The team consists of doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals and is led by a priest that was a medic in the army. Cliff was selected because of some extra work he did in the medical field as a pre-med student.
Please contribute. Team members raise their own funds. Click the image below to be taken to his Go Fund Me page.
Community Luncheon on Thursday, August 2, 2018 at 12:00pm
You are invited to join your St. Peter’s friends for lunch and fellowship at 12 noon on Thursday, August 2 at 12:00pm.
Barbara Dionysopoulos and friends are preparing a delicious meal for all our members. Come and join us to enjoy some good food and the company of your friends. Make some new friends too and get to know other parishioners.
MENU
Baked Tomato Stuffed with Whole Wheat Orzo
Oven Roasted Potato
Greek Salad
Bread, Dessert, Beverage
Reservations are required! Please call Barbara at 239-826-1655 or sign up in the Social Hall after Divine Liturgy.
There is no charge for this luncheon. An anonymous friend is donating this dinner to the good people of St. Peter’s.
Dormtion Fast and Akathist Hymns begin (August 1-15, 2018)
August 1 starts the Dormition period in our Orthodox Church. We fast (abstain from meat and dairy as much as possible) from August 1 to August 15. At St. Peter’s the fast ends after the Dormition Liturgy on the evening of August 14.
Every weekday we will sing an Akathist to the Theotokos starting at 6:00pm. These are very powerful prayers and you will notice a focusing in your life if you participate in them.
On the evening of August 14, 2018 we will celebrate the Dormition of the Theotokos with a Divine Liturgy at 6:30pm.
What is the Dormition of the Theotokos?
The Holy Scriptures tell us that when our Lord was dying on the Cross, He saw His mother and His disciple John and said to the Virgin Mary, “Woman, behold your son!” and to John, “Behold your mother!” (John 19:25-27). From that hour, the Apostle took care of the Theotokos in his own home.
Along with the biblical reference in Acts 1:14 that confirms that the Virgin Mary was with the Holy Apostles on the day of Pentecost, the tradition of the Church holds that she remained in the home of the Apostle John in Jerusalem, continuing a ministry in word and deed.
At the time of her death, the disciples of our Lord who were preaching throughout the world returned to Jerusalem to see the Theotokos. Except for the Apostle Thomas, all of them including the Apostle Paul were gathered together at her bedside. At the moment of her death, Jesus Christ himself descended and carried her soul into heaven.
Following her repose, the body of the Theotokos was taken in procession and laid in a tomb near the Garden of Gethsemane. When the Apostle Thomas arrived three days after her repose and desired to see her body, the tomb was found to be empty. The bodily assumption of the Theotokos was confirmed by the message of an angel and by her appearance to the Apostles.
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese website.
The Transfiguration of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Divine Liturgy on Monday, August 6, 2018 at 9:30am
We will celebrate the Divine Liturgy of the Holy Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Monday, August 6 at 9:30am.
What is the Transfiguration?
The transfiguration of Christ is one of the central events recorded in the gospels. Immediately after the Lord was recognized by His apostles as “the Christ [Messiah], the Son of the Living God,” He told them that “He must go up to Jerusalem and suffer many things…and be killed and on the third day be raised” (Mt 16). The announcement of Christ’s approaching passion and death was met with indignation by the disciples. And then, after rebuking them, the Lord took Peter, James, and John “up to a high mountain”—by tradition Mount Tabor—and was “transfigured before them.”
The Jewish Festival of Booths was a feast of the dwelling of God with men, and the transfiguration of Christ reveals how this dwelling takes place in and through the Messiah, the Son of God in human flesh. There is little doubt that Christ’s transfiguration took place at the time of the Festival of Booths, and that the celebration of the event in the Christian Church became the New Testamental fulfillment of the Old Testamental feast in a way similar to the feasts of Passover and Pentecost.
In the Transfiguration, the apostles see the glory of the Kingdom of God present in majesty in the person of Christ they see that “in Him, indeed, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,” that “in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col 1.19, 2.9). They see this before the crucifixion so that in the resurrection they might know Who it is Who has suffered for them, and what it is that this one, Who is God, has prepared for those who love Him. This is what the Church celebrates in the feast of the Transfiguration.
Learn more on the Orthodox Church of America website.
Plans on the Purchase of the Building Have Changed
Plans have changed. We will not be purchasing the new building. Two factors contributed to our decision. First is that not all the money that needed to be raised was raised in time. Second was that the building inspection revealed some problems with the building that would have be expensive to correct. We don’t want to assume any responsibility for any cost of the repairs if the seller is not willing to reduce the price of the building equal to the cost of the repairs. The seller indicated he would only consider paying for a portion of the repairs and we are not willing to enter into this agreement.
Those who have contributed to the building will be contacted to see how you want the Parish Council to handle your donation. If you would like to have the Church keep your donation for the future, we will do so. If you would like it returned we will do that as well.
We thank everyone for their support. Although this building is clearly not the one meant for us, it is still necessary to forge plans for the future. This is a good problem to have and we trust in God to lead us as He has so far.
Calendar At A Glance
- August 1 to August 14 following the Divine Liturgy — Dormition Fasting Period
- Friday, July 19, 2018 — 9:30am St. Panteleimon Liturgy
- Wednesday, August 1, 2018 — 6:00pm Akathist to the Theotokos (Dormition)
- Thursday, August 2, 2018 — 12:00pm Community Luncheon
- Friday, August 3, 2018 — 6:00pm Akathist to the Theotokos (Dormition)
- Monday, August 6, 2018 — 9:30am Divine Liturgy of the Transfiguration
- Monday, August 6, 2018 — 6:00pm Akathist to the Theotokos (Dormition)
- Tuesday, August 7, 2018 — 6:00pm Akathist to the Theotokos (Dormition)
- Wednesday, August 8, 2018 — 6:00pm Akathist to the Theotokos (Dormition)
- Thursday, August 9, 2018 — 6:00pm Akathist to the Theotokos (Dormition)
- Friday, August 10, 2018 — 6:00pm Akathist to the Theotokos (Dormition)
- Monday, August 13, 2018 — 6:00pm Akathist to the Theotokos (Dormition)
- Tuesday, August 14, 2018 — 6:30pm Divine Liturgy for the Dormition of the Theotokos
Wisdom From The Elders
It may not be God’s will. Time will show, because God knows better than us. God always wants what is good for us. Elder Arsenios Galanopoulos, the Cave Dweller
At the approach of the great festivals (Feast Days) you must be especially watchful over yourself. The enemy endeavors beforehand to chill the heart towards the subject of the event celebrated, so that the Christian should not honor it by the heartfelt consideration of its reality. St. John of Kronstadt
Many people have never experienced the pleasure of a light stomach. St. Paisios of Mount Athos
Fasting is an expression of love and devotion, in which one sacrifices earthly satisfaction to attain the heavenly. Altogether too much of one’s thoughts are taken up with care for sustenance and the enticements of the palate; one wishes to be free from them. Thus fasting is a step on the road of emancipation and an indispensable support in the struggle against selfish desires. Together with prayer, fasting is one of humanity’s greatest gifts, carefully cherished by those who once have participated in it. Tito Coliander
You see, if one doesn’t cut away passions while young, then as one matures, the self-will is weakened and the passions increase. St. Paisios of Mount Athos
If your heart has been softened either by repentance before God or by learning the boundless love of God towards you, do not be proud with those whose hearts are still hard. Remember how long your heart was hard and incorrigible. Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic
Remember in Your Prayers
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
John
Eva W.
Barbara
Angela
Carol Ann
Matthew
Chrysostom
Tim
Ivy-Jean
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
Anthony Mourgis
John Hansen
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 Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Make vows to the Lord thy God and perform them.
In Judah God is known; His Name is great in Israel.
The Reading from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. (3:9-17)
Brethren, we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another man is building upon it. Let each man take care how he builds upon it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay or straw, each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.
If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
Gospel
For the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (14:22-34)
At that time, Jesus made the Disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds. And after He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone, but the Disciples’ boat by this time was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. But when the Disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
But immediately He spoke to them, saying, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.” And Peter answered Him, “Lord, if it is Thee, bid me come to Thee on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out His hand and caught him, saying to him, “O man of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “Truly, Thou art the Son of God.” And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.