Pastor: Fr John Vazquez | (518) 462-0579 |
fatherjohnvazquez@gmail.com
Beloved,
Who for us men and our salvation, came down from heaven and was incarnate…
This week in our look at the creed we hear of the great and wonderful mystery of the incarnation and of what moved our Lord and God to become incarnate—to take on flesh and become a man. Our Lord takes on human flesh and dwells among us for our salvation. This news is baffling to the mind—to contemplate the extent of the love of God who desires that all be saved (1 Tim 2.4)—but at the same time it is perhaps an incorrect description to say that God was moved to do something He would otherwise not have done. In other words, our Lord’s incarnation is an expression, not of a change of God’s plan, but rather a fulfillment of His plan from the very beginning.
If we look to the Holy Scriptures we see many images of the incarnation. From the appearances of our Lord in the Old Testament (to Abraham at Mamre, to Jacob at Mahanaim, to Moses on Sinai, to Joshua, to Minoah, etc etc) to prophecies of the prophets (Is 53, Micah 5, Is 7, Ps 77 etc etc) our Lord’s coming incarnation is a theme. We also hear in the Holy Scriptures the accounts of His incarnation and His work on earth (in the Holy Gospels) along with an explanation—to the extent that we can understand—of why this incarnation took place (the law, the psalms, the prophets, the gospels, the epistles). A simple example—we hear in 1 John 4.8 that God is love and a definition of this love (not selfish and inward looking but giving and outward looking) in 1 Cor 13. And so we see from the Holy Scriptures that God became incarnate through His Son and that this incarnation was due to His love and desire for our salvation (remember salvation is union with God).
We see throughout ancient history that peoples and nations each had a way of trying to deal with the fallen condition as human beings—subject to death. There were many myths about dying gods who rose again or human beings who became gods. Sometimes people argue that because the existence of these myths predated Christianity it therefore proves that the Christian story is just another such myth among many. But we can also thing about it this way: the very fact that the idea of salvation from death needed to be accomplished by a god who could defeat death existed innate in human beings proves that we all experience this needs for a savior, put there by the Savior Himself, so of course there would be explanations of how this would happen. Glory to God that we live in a time where our Lord HAS come and HAS delivered us from death.
So our Lord became incarnate for our salvation. The very fact that the One God is three persons in a relationship of self-emptying love (perichoresis is how this is described in Greek—a beautiful dance where each has a part and perfectly knows it’s own movement as well as the movement of the other) illustrates one of the observable characteristics of God—love. We experience this characteristic of God in His incarnation—His becoming like one of us so that we can become like Him. It is God who has leapt over the chasm between uncreated to created—the only thing we need to do is not turn our backs.
With love in the risen Lord,
Fr John
PS—If you don't normally read Sayidna Saba's weekly teaching this week's is particularly excellent. Take a moment to click the link in our education section below and read it.
Services and Events
Saturday, August 31st—5pm—Great Vespers
Sunday, September 1st—9am—Orthros and Divine Liturgy CHURCH NEW YEAR
Friday, September 6th—8am—Orthros and Divine Liturgy
Saturday, September 7th—5pm—Great Vespers w/Bible Study to follow. Join us as we continue to study the Gospel of Mattew
Sunday, September 8th—9am—Orthros and Divine Liturgy—BAPTISM OF MASON GRADY TO FOLLOW LITURGY—all are welcome
Monday, September 9th—8:15am—Coffee with the Fathers at Alias Coffee on N. Pearl St in Albany
Tuesday, September 10th—6pm—Dabke Practice for Festival of Nations
Wednesday, September 11th—6pm—Paraklesis of St George
Friday, September 13th—6pm—Great Vespers for the ELEVATION OF THE CROSS
Saturday, September 14th—8am—Orthros and Divine Liturgy for the ELEVATION OF THE CROSS
Sunday, September 15th—9am—Orthros and Divine Liturgy—Memorial for Wahib Barbera to follow Liturgy
Saturday, September 21st—9am—U.N.I.T.E. Teen Outing—Hiking in the Adirondacks
Sunday, September 22nd—9am—Orthros and Divine Liturgy—Memorial for Scott and Chris Seavey to follow Liturgy
Sunday, September 29th—9am—Orthros and Divine Liturgy—Memorial for Bassir Rezek to follow Liturgy
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—YOUR GRACE TRANSFORMS THE UNIVERSE PART III HERE
Get some caffeine for the soul with Coffee with the Fathers. WE WILL START BACK UP MONDAY SEPTEMBER 9TH at ALIAS COFFEE on Pearl St in Albany 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 WILL START BACK UP SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 7TH 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...
*That our Antiochian Archdiocese celebrated the Translations of the Relics of St Raphael of Brooklyn in July. I was blessed to venerate the skull of St Raphael when I was at the Clergy Symposium. WATCH THIS VIDEO
*We are looking for those who might be interested in learning to or participating a dabke group as we consider having a group participate in the Festival of Nations held in Albany every year. Please contact Father if you are interested. You can learn more about the Festival of Nations HERE.
*Coming soon! The Archdiocese’s new “Antiochian Orthodox Ecclesiastical Online Music School.” With the enthusiastic blessing of Sayidna Saba, the school will offer virtual classes for Byzantine chant and choral singing for church musicians, new or experienced, starting the week of September 9. The school will also offer a course on the Typicon and how to arrange the divine services. Registration begins August 18!
*Our sister parish—St George in Schenectady—is offering online Greek School. You can register HERE
*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).
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 Joseph, Dn Jorge, Dn Horia, Leila, Helen, Marsha, Mary, Stephanie, Hassib, Alex, Raymond.
All those suffering from illness, violence and want in this country and throughout the world and especially those in Ukraine, Russia, Gaza and the middle east
Departed:
Fr Gregory DesMarais, Fr Alvian, Anastasia (7.25), Anne (7.30), Agnes (8.14) 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.
Divine Liturgy Variables on Sunday, September 01, 2024 Tone 1 / Eothinon 10
Beginning of the Indiction: Ecclesiastical New Year
Righteous Simeon the Stylite; Synaxis of the Theotokos at Miasinae
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 ONE
While the stone was sealed by the Jews, and the soldiers were guarding Thy most pure body, Thou didst arise on the third day, O Savior, granting life to the world. For which cause the heavenly powers cried aloud unto Thee, O giver of life. Glory to Thy Resurrection, O Christ, glory to Thy kingdom, glory to Thy providence, O Thou Who alone art the lover of mankind.
APOLYTIKION OF THE INDICTION IN TONE TWO
O Maker of all creation, Who hast established the times and the seasons in Thine own power: Bless the crown of this year with Thy goodness, O Lord, and keep our rulers and Thy flock in peace, by the intercessions of the Theotokos, and save us.
APOLYTIKION OF THE SYNAXIS OF THE THEOTOKOS IN TONE SEVEN
Rejoice, thou who art full of grace, O Virgin Theotokos, haven and protection of the race of man; for the Redeemer of the world became incarnate of thee; for thou alone art both mother and virgin, ever blessed and glorified. Intercede with Christ God that peace be granted unto all the world.
APOLYTIKION OF ST. SIMEON THE STYLITE IN TONE ONE
Thou becamest a pillar of patience and didst emulate the Forefathers, O righteous one: Job in his sufferings, Joseph in temptations, and the life of the bodiless while in the body. O Simeon, our righteous Father, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.
Now sing the apolytikion of the patron saint or feast of the temple.
KONTAKION FOR THE INDICTION IN TONE FOUR
(**Thou Who wast raised up**)
O God of all, Thou Who hast made all the ages, * O Sovereign Lord, truly transcendent in essence, * bestow Thy grace and blessing on the year to come; * and, O Most Compassionate, * in Thine infinite mercy * save all them that worship Thee, * Who alone art our Master, * and that with fear, O Savior, cry to Thee: * Grant unto all men a fruitful and godly year.
THE EPISTLE
(For the Indiction)
Great is our Lord, and great is His power. Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good.
The Reading from the First Epistle of St. Paul to St. Timothy. (2:1-7)
Timothy, my son, first of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, Who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony to which was borne at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
THE GOSPEL
(For the Indiction)
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (4:16-22)
At that time, Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and He went to the synagogue, as His custom was, on the Sabbath day. And He stood up to read; and there was given to Him the book of the prophet Isaiah. Jesus opened the book and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor and to heal the broken hearted. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” And Jesus closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke well of Him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.
If parishes will offer today’s supplication service for the ecclesiastical new year at the end of the Divine Liturgy, then these readings above need not be repeated there.
The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom continues as usual with the following koinonikon.
KOINONIKON (COMMUNION HYMN) OF THE INDICTION IN TONE EIGHT
Bless the crown of the year with Thy goodness, O Lord. Alleluia.
After “Blessed be the Name of the Lord”, the “Service of Supplication on the First Day of the New Year” takes place. For the complete structure of the Service, consult “The Liturgikon” pgs. 418-423 (3rd edition), pgs. 411-417 (4th edition).
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—as we celebrate her miracle wrought at Miasinae Monastery—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 the holy and righteous Simeon the Stylite, 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.
Parish Giving Summary—Fiscal Year 2023/24
Help us Meet our Goal of $120,000 for the Year
Sunday Giving for week of August 25th—$412
Online Giving for week of August 25th—$0
Total Giving for fiscal year to date (October 23–September 24)—$81036.55
Families who have contributed for fiscal year to date (October 23–September 24)—87
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)—22
Check out our parish financial report by clicking HERE.
*You can set up a recurring monthly donation to the Church by clicking HERE
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
