Pastor: Fr John Vazquez | (518) 462-0579 |
fatherjohnvazquez@gmail.com

Beloved,

Only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages

This week we come to this term only-begotten in the creed. The phrase only-begotten is found in the gospel of John—most famously in John 3.16—For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son that all who believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. It is also found (among other places) in the book of Hebrews when St Paul makes the connection that Jesus’ death on the cross was prefigured when God asked Abraham to offer up Isaac (Heb 11.17). The verb form begat is more prevalent throughout the scriptures, as the scriptures speak often of sons and inheritance, especially when it comes to the kings of Judah and Israel (the books of Kings and Chronicles).

Historically speaking, it was very important for the kings to have a son so that the reign of the king could, in a certain sense, continue. God’s promise to King David (2 Ch 21.7) is that his kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom—meaning that one begotten of David would have an everlasting kingdom. Of course we know this is our Lord Jesus. It would make sense then, in speaking of Jesus as the Son of God, that this phrase that denotes connection and continuity—only-begotten—would be used in speaking about our Lord and His relationship to the Father, making clear that our Lord is that Son who reigns eternally as King.

As the term only-begotten describes the Son’s relationship to the Father as the one who comes forth from or is born from, someone might be quick to say—couldn’t that mean that the Son was born at a certain time? To guard against this teaching that gained force through the simpleton from Alexandria Arius, the phrase—begotten of the Father before all ages—was added to drive home the point that again there was no time when the Father was not a Father or was without his Word, or without His Reason or without His Wisdom—all words that we use to describe the Son. So if the Son was born at a specific time that would not only mean that there was a time when the Father was not a Father but also a time when the Father was mute, dumb and undiscerning. Hopefully you can see why I referred to Arius (perhaps too kindly?) as a simpleton. All one needs to do is think logically about his contention—that the Son was created—for 30 seconds and you can see that it breaks down rather quickly. 

One of the things that sets Orthodox Christianity apart from other faiths is, in quoting St Athanasius, that we believe that “we become by grace what God is by nature.” In other words, we become sons of God through our union to Christ in His Body—the Church (John 1.12, Rom 8.14, Gal 4.6, Phil 2.15, 1 John 3.1–2)—and as sons of God we will inherit that which is Christ’s (Eph 1.18, Col 1.12, Col 3.24). With all this said, it is important to point out that Jesus is the only-begotten Son—the unique and eternal Son—who is one with His Father (Jn 17.11) while we are sons through adoption (Rom 8.15). We participate in the sonship of the Son through the good-pleasure of the Father.

Describing the relationship of the Son to the Father as, only-begotten and begotten of the Father before all ages, is essential. As we will see later in the creed—each person in the Holy Trinity has one attribute or characteristic that is uniquely theirs—in the case of the second person of the Trinity, it is His begotteness—the one who is born from the Father before all ages. To reiterate what I said last week, it is through His Son that God reveals Himself. Thanks be to God that He is the God who, in the only-begotten Son in whom He delights, not only reveals Himself, but unites Himself to us in Love.

With love in the risen Lord,

Fr John

Services and Events

Sunday, July 21st—9amOrthros and Divine Liturgy (40 day Memorial for William Carragan) followed by Parish Council Meeting. KOLYVA PROVIDED BY CHRISTIAN RITTER. PLEASE BRING A DISH TO SHARE FOR THE MEAL. 

MONDAY JULY 22ND–SATURDAY JULY 27TH FR JOHN OUT OF TOWN FOR THE CLERGY SYMPOSIUM AT ANTIOCHIAN VILLIAGE—IN CASE OF EMERGENCY CONTACT FR PAUL FEDOROFF WHO IS AN OCA PRIEST IN THE AREA—‭(518) 573-7987

Saturday, July 27— NO VESPERS

Sunday, July 28th—9amOrthros and Divine Liturgy

 

Church Calendar

Education

But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 2 Pet 3.18

Read Metropolitan Saba's weekly teaching HERE

Get some caffeine for the soul with Coffee with the Fathers. WE ARE ON A HIATUS UNTIL SEPTEMBER when we plan to begin studying Hymns on Paradise by St Ephraim the Syrian. 

Study the Scriptures with us—Bible Study Saturday evenings at 6pm after vespers. WE ARE ON A HIATUS UNTIL SEPTEMBER when we plan to continue studying the Gospel of Matthew.

Click HERE for some resources for learning about our Faith

Click HERE for a great article on advice for mothers.

 

Did You Know...that Christ is Risen!...and...

*Our church is need of some smaller items:

1. Paper towels

2. Olive Oil

3. Screen door to office (approx $200)

...and we would eventually like to take care of some larger items:

1. Windows in the Church (approx $15,000)

2. Kitchen Renovation (approx $10,000—15,000)

3. Chanters stand with stasidia chairs (approx $4000)

4. Royal doors. These are the doors to the Sanctuary and Altar. (approx $4000)

5. Prothesis table in altar. This is the place where the priest prepares the bread and wine that will be consecrated during the Divine Liturgy (approx $2,000).

If you are interested in helping contribute, please let me know. Also, please know that we are not in dire need of any of these larger items. The Church can and will still function without them, so short-term, hold over or bargain solutions are not what is needed here. These larger items will help to beautify the Church, enable us to save some money (windows) or make money (functioning kitchen). 

Our next Teen Event is Saturday July 20th—Liturgy at 10am at St George South Glens Falls for St Elias followed by a trip to GREAT ESCAPE AMUSEMENT PARK ($45 for tickets). 

*YES (Youth Equipped to Serve) is offering internships this fall. Over three months, interns work to bring the YES mission to their communities through an individualized project designed to meet a local need. The application deadline is Monday, July 15.
 
*Starting Thursday, July 18, Ancient Faith Kids will launch a new podcast, "A Joyful Noise: Exploring Byzantine Chant." Children will be taught in an age-appropriate manner about the eight modes used in Orthodox Christian Byzantine chant, learn about the parallagi scale, and sing hymns along with the host. Tune in!

Parish Prayer List

"Remember Me O Lord When You Come Into Your Kingdom." Lk 23.42

Please include in your daily prayers the following. Contact me to have someone added to the list. These are the names that will be remembered during the Divine Liturgy.

Living:

Bishop Alexander, Fr Gregory Potter, Fr Andrew, Fr Pat, Fr Joseph, Fr Chrysostom, Fr Matthew, Fr Emmanuel, Dn Jorge, Dn Horia, The Rezek Family, Callie, Leila, Helen, Marsha, Mary, Presbytera Marina, Hassib, Alex, Raymond.

All those suffering from illness, violence and want in this country and throughout the world and especially those in Ukraine Gaza and the middle east

Departed:

Fr Gregory DesMarais, Fr Alvian, Archpriest Basil (6.17), Archpriest James (6.17), Camile (7.2) William (6.9.24), Abrahim (6.9.24), those who have lost their lives and who have no one to pray for them, those who have passed in the conflict in Ukraine and the middle east.

Why do we pray for the dead?

Divine Liturgy Variables on Sunday, July 21, 2024 Tone 3 / Eothinon 4

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost & Fourth Sunday of Matthew

Righteous Fathers John of Edessa in Mesopotamia &Simeon of Homs (Emesa), the Fool-for-Christ

 During the Little Entrance, chant the Resurrectional Apolytikion. The Eisodikon (Entrance Hymn) is “O come, let us worship… save us, O Son of God, Who art risen from the dead…” After the Little Entrance, chant these hymns in the following order:

RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE THREE

Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad, for the Lord hath done a mighty act with His own arm. He hath trampled down death by death, and become the first-born from the dead. He hath delivered us from the depths of Hades, granting the world the Great Mercy.

Now sing the apolytikion of the patron saint or feast of the temple.

ORDINARY KONTAKION IN TONE TWO

O protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, mediation unto the Creator most constant, O despise not the suppliant voices of those who have sinned; but be thou quick, O good one, to come unto our aid, who in faith cry unto thee: Hasten to intercession, and speed thou to make supplication, thou who dost ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honor thee.

THE EPISTLE

(For Fourth Sunday after Pentecost)

Sing praises to our God, sing praises. Clap your hands all ye peoples.

The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans. (6:18-23)

Brethren, having been set free from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once yielded your members to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness for sanctification. When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But then what return did you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is 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.

THE GOSPEL

(For the Fourth Sunday of Matthew)

The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (8:5-13)

At that time, as Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching Him and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress.” And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion answered Him, “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 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 slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard him, He marveled, and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit 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; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; be it done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.

The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom continues as usual.

THE DISMISSAL

Priest: May He Who rose from the dead, Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His all-immaculate and all-blameless holy Mother; by the might of the Precious and Life-giving Cross; by the protection of the honorable Bodiless Powers of Heaven; at the supplication of the honorable, glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John; of the holy, glorious and all-laudable apostles; of our father among the saints, John Chrysostom, archbishop of Constantinople, whose Divine Liturgy we have now celebrated; of the holy, glorious and right-victorious Martyrs; of our venerable and God-bearing Fathers; of Saint N., the patron and protector of this holy community; of the holy and righteous ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna; of our Righteous Fathers John of Edessa in Mesopotamia, and Simeon of Homs (Emesa), the Fool-for-Christ, whose memory we celebrate today, and of all the saints: have mercy on us and save us, forasmuch as He is good and loveth mankind.

Priest: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy upon us and save us.

Choir: Amen.

 

Parish Giving Summary—Fiscal Year 2023/24

Help us Meet our Goal of $120,000 for the Year

Sunday Giving for week of July 14th—$—691

Online Giving for week of July 14th—$0

Total Giving for fiscal year to date (October 23–September 24)—$73187.7

Families who have contributed for fiscal year to date (October 23–September 24)—84

Families who have contributed over $5,000 for fiscal year to date (October 23–September 24)—3

Families who have contributed over $1,000 for fiscal year to date (October 23–September 24)—21

Check out our parish financial report by clicking HERE.

*You can set up a recurring monthly donation to the Church by clicking HERE 

Give to St. George

A Note to our Visitors

WELCOME!

We are blessed by your presence! Join us for fellowship after. Please note, in the Orthodox Church only baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians who have properly prepared can partake of the Holy Eucharist. All others may come forward for a blessing with the chalice held over their head and receive a piece of blessed bread from the altar servers.

From a Father of the Church

Homily for the Epistle Reading of the Fourth Sunday After Pentecost

Romans 6:17-19

Slaves of Sin and Slaves of Righteousness

By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered on July 22, 1945)

What does it mean to be a slave anyway? It means to be in someone's power, in submission to someone else's will. The slave does not have his own will, but does the will of his master; so are the slaves of sin. As sin is repeated, it becomes a more and more strong habit, takes root in a person, gradually takes possession of his will, feelings, thoughts, keeps him in its power. Little by little, such a person becomes completely captivated by sin. And this means that he becomes a servant of the devil, for the devil is the father of all sin and falsehood...The Lord requires us to change our thoughts and dispositions, to uproot the obscene passions that fill our souls and lead us away from Christ. To remove everything impure from the soul means to destroy the soul; whoever destroys his soul in this way will find it and keep it for eternal life, for his soul will become light and freely soar to God. She will find the highest good in fellowship with Him. So, in order to acquire eternal life, one must become a slave of righteousness. Every good deed, every fervent prayer leaves a deep, blessed imprint in the soul of a person, and sanctifies his heart. https://www.mystagogyresourcecenter.com/2023/07/homily-for-epistle-reading-of-fourth.html

 

Why should I care about the church fathers?