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

Beloved,

This week I spent time at the Clergy Symposium held at the Antiochian Village in western Pennsylvania. There is a lot that I could tell you about from this week:

I could tell you about the liturgies that we served every day. 

I could tell you about the nearly 6 hour vigil that we served on Thursday night for St Raphael and being able to venerate his relics. 

I could tell you about the teaching that we received about our divine services from our Metropolitan Saba who is truly a Father to us.

I could tell you about being able to go to confession and the joy and peace that comes with that.

I could tell you about the wonderful talks that we had on the spiritual life of the priest according the Philokalia and the unique spirit of Antioch that permeates our identity as Antiochian Orthodox Christians.

I could tell you about the time with my brother clergy and the loving mentorship of older priests.

I could tell you about the joy of seeing an ordination to the priesthood and the solemn reminder that seeing an ordination gives me of the responsibility that I have to you all and to God. 

I could spend time talking at length about each of those things but the main thing that I want to share with you all about this week is the tangible experience—a true knowing and understanding—that when we live a life together in Christ there is nothing that is so sweet or so good (Psalm 132.1). Despite struggles and differences and challenges—whether from within or without—when seeking a life in Christ together is our goal there is nothing that can stop us. 

This life in Christ is a life that we are seeking to live here at St George. I pray that all of us can have this experience of living a life in Christ together. I look forward to worshiping with you all Saturday night and Sunday morning. 

With love in the risen Lord,

Fr John

Services and Events

Saturday, July 27—5pm—Great Vespers

Sunday, July 28th—9amOrthros and Divine Liturgy

Wednesday, July 31st—8am—Orthros and Divine Liturgy

Friday, August 2nd—6pm—Paraklesis of the Theotokos

Saturday, August 3rd—5pm—Great Vespers

Sunday, August 4th—9amOrthros and Divine Liturgy

Monday, August 5th—6pm—Great Vespers w/Litia and Artoklasia for the GREAT FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION

Tuesday, August 6th—8am—Orthros and Divine Liturgy for the GREAT FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION

Wednesday, August 7th—6pm—Paraklesis of the Theotokos

Friday, August 9th—6pm—Paraklesis of the Theotokos

Saturday, August 10th—5pm—Great Vespers

Sunday, August 11th—9am—Orthros and Divine Liturgy w/40 DAY memorial for CAMILE REZEK to follow. Memorial meal and bread of oblation offered by the Rezek Family. 

 

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). 

*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) Anastasia (7.25)  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 28, 2024

Tone 4 / Eothinon 5; Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

& Fifth Sunday of Matthew

Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon and Parmenas, Deacons and Apostles of the Seventy

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 the apolytikia in the following order:

RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE FOUR

Having learned the joyful message of the Resurrection from the angel the women disciples of the Lord cast from them their parental condemnation. And proudly broke the news to the Disciples, saying: Death hath been spoiled; Christ God is risen, granting the world Great Mercy.

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

KONTAKION OF THE TRANSFIGURATION IN TONE SEVEN

Thou wast transfigured on the mount, and Thy Disciples, in so far as they were able, beheld Thy glory, O Christ our God; so that, when they should see Thee crucified, they would remember that all Thy suffering was voluntary, and could declare to all the world that Thou art truly the effulgent Splendor of the Father.

THE EPISTLE

(For the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost)

How great are Thy works, O Lord! In wisdom hast Thou made them all. Bless the Lord, O my soul.

The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans. (10:1-10)

Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that it may be saved. I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened. For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law, that everyone who has faith may be justified. Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on the law shall live by it. But the righteousness based on faith says: Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into Heaven?” (that is, to bring Christ down) or “Who will descend into the abyss?” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach); because, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved.

THE GOSPEL

(For the Fifth Sunday of Matthew)

The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (8:28-9:1)

At that time, when Jesus came to the country of the Gergesenes, two demoniacs met Him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, “What have we to do to Thee, O Son of God?  Art Thou come here to torment us before the time?” Now a herd of many swine was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons begged Him, “If Thou castest us out, send us away into the herd of swine.” And He said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the swine; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and perished in the waters. The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, and what had happened to the demoniacs. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their neighborhood. And getting into a boat He crossed over and came to His own city.

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 Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon and Parmenas, Deacons and Apostles of the Seventy, 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 28th—$—433

Online Giving for week of July 28th—$0

Total Giving for fiscal year to date (October 23–September 24)—$74125.7

Families who have contributed for fiscal year to date (October 23–September 24)—85

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

St Theophan the Recluse on the Gadarene Demoniacs  

The Gadarenes saw the Lord’s wondrous miracle, when He cast out a legion of devils, and yet, the whole city came out and besought the Lord that He would depart from their coast. We do not observe them being hostile to the Lord, but neither do we observe any faith in them...This is a true image of people who live in peace with their possessions. An order of things has formed around them which is not unfavorable; they are used to it, they have neither thoughts nor the need to change or reverse anything, and they fear to make a new step. They feel, however, that should a command come down from above, the fear of God and their conscience would force them to renounce the old and accept something new. Therefore, they strive to avoid any circumstance which might lead them to such convictions, that they might continue living quietly in their old habits, pleading ignorance. These are the sort of people who are afraid to read the Gospels and patristic books, or to discuss spiritual matters. They fear that if their conscience be thereby disturbed, it might wake up and start forcing them to abandon what they had, and take up something else. https://www.mystagogyresourcecenter.com/2023/07/reflection-on-fifth-sunday-of-matthew.html

Why should I care about the church fathers?