Pastor: Fr John Vazquez | (518) 462-0579 |
fatherjohnvazquez@gmail.com
Beloved,
...was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man
Last time I spoke about our Lord’s incarnation—that this was the plan from the beginning and that this plan was so that we could be united to our Lord (have salvation).
This week, I will talk a little bit about how that incarnation took place. The fact of the Virgin birth is foundational to our faith and like all aspects of the creed—non-negotiable. It is the means by which God accomplishes His full and complete entrance into His creation—not without the consent of His creature. Why did God become man? Because only God can save us. A creature, no matter how great, could not defeat death—only He who is Life itself could defeat death (John 14.6).
As has been the case case with much of the creed, affirming the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ is very important. This phrase, specifically—and became man—is another way for us to point to our Lord’s divinity. The second person of the Trinity, the Son of God, became man and it happened according to, and to fulfill, the prophecy from Isaiah 7.14—and a virgin shall conceive and bear a son. This prophecy from Isaiah was fulfilled when Gabriel announced the good news to Mary that she would bear the Son of God.
As I said in the sermon last week, Mary is the best that humanity has to offer God. All of the Old Testament: the fall, the flood, the call of Abraham, the going down into Egypt, the exodus from Egypt, the giving of the law, all the wars, all the lies, all the kings, all of that is so that humanity could produce this one person that would say yes to God so fully and completely that God would choose to dwell in her. The joining together of God and Man through the power of the Holy Spirit is a completion of the creation of Man. Now, do not misunderstand, Jesus is NOT merely a human body with a divine soul—a heresy that had many versions which included but was not limited to—Apollinarianism (Jesus is some third being, neither fully God nor fully man), Eutychianism (the divine in Jesus overshadows any human aspect to make the human aspects of no consequence), Monothelitism (Jesus did not have a human will). All of these heresies about Jesus were condemned. Jesus was and is fully God and fully man. The fully man part means that Jesus had a human will, feelings and soul. St Gregory the Theologian (4th Century) tells us that if Jesus did not have these features of humanity these features would not have been healed.
As I said above, the joining together of God and man through the incarnation completes the creation of Man in a way. When our Lord says from the cross—it is finished (Jn 19.30)—part of what He is saying is—the creation of man is finished. The perfect man is the God-man Jesus Christ, who stretches out His hands in love for all of creation on the cross. According to 2 Peter 1.4 we are called to become this kind of man through becoming partakers of the divine nature, or like Paul says, to become sons of God (Gal 4.5, Php 2.15). This call to each of us can be accomplished through joining ourselves to our Lord’s body the Church (Col 1.18) and the Grace offered in it through the holy mysteries, like baptism, communion, confession etc. It is truly good news that God became man because now—through God’s grace—man can, through his yes to God, unite himself to God and so find salvation.
With love in the risen Lord,
Fr John
Services and Events
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
Saturday, September 14th—5pm—Great Vespers followed by Bible Study. Join us as we continue to work through the Gospel of Matthew.
Sunday, September 15th—9am—Orthros and Divine Liturgy—Memorial for Wahib Barbera to follow Liturgy
Monday, September 16th—8:15am—Coffee with the Fathers at Alias Coffee on N. Pearl St in Albany
Tuesday, September 17th—6pm—Dabke Practice for Festival of Nations
Wednesday, September 18th—6pm—Paraklesis of St George
Friday, September 20th—8am—Orthros and Divine Liturgy
Saturday, September 21st—9am—U.N.I.T.E. Teen Outing—Hiking in the Adirondacks
Saturday, September 21st—5pm—Great Vespers followed by Bible Study. Join us as we continue to work through the Gospel of Matthew.
Sunday, September 22nd—9am—Orthros and Divine Liturgy—Memorial for Scott and Chris Seavey to follow Liturgy and PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
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—GOD AND MAN PART II HERE
Get some caffeine for the soul with Coffee with the Fathers. Join us at ALIAS COFFEE on N. Pearl St in Albany as we study Hymns on Paradise by St Ephraim the Syrian.
Study the Scriptures with us—Bible Study Saturday evenings at 6pm after vespers as we continue to study the Gospel of Matthew.
Sunday Education—learn with us about a topic for the week after the dismissal. Talk with me if you are interested in teaching a lesson.
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...
*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.
*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 conflicts in Ukraine and the middle east.
Divine Liturgy Variables on Sunday, September 15, 2024
Tone 3 / Eothinon 1
Sunday after the Elevation of the Holy Cross
Great-martyr Nikitas the Goth and those with him
THE FIRST ANTIPHON
O God, my God, attend to me; why hast Thou forsaken me? Far from my salvation are the words of my transgressions.
Refrain: Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.
My God, I will cry by day, and wilt Thou not hearken? And by night, and it shall not be unto folly for me. But as for Thee, Thou dwellest in the sanctuary, O Praise of Israel. (Refrain)
Glory… Both now… (Refrain)
THE SECOND ANTIPHON
O God, why hast Thou cast us off unto the end? Remember Thy congregation which Thou hast purchased from the beginning.
Refrain: Save us, O Son of God, Who wast crucified in the flesh; who sing to Thee. Alleluia.
This is Mount Zion wherein Thou hast dwelt. (Refrain)
God is our King before the ages. He hath wrought salvation in the midst of the earth. (Refrain)
Glory… Both now… O, only begotten Son and Word of God…
THE THIRD ANTIPHON
The Lord reigneth, let the people rage; He sitteth upon the cherubim, let the earth be shaken. The Lord is great in Zion; and He is high above all peoples. Let them confess Thy great Name, for it is terrible and holy.
During the Little Entrance, after the verses of the Third Antiphon, chant the Apolytikion of the Holy Cross. The Eisodikon (Entrance Hymn) is “O come, let us worship… save us, O Son of God, Who art risen from the dead…” as on ordinary Sundays. After the Little Entrance, sing 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.
APOLYTIKION OF THE ELEVATION OF THE HOLY CROSS IN TONE ONE
O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance, granting to Thy people victory over all their enemies, and by the power of Thy Cross preserving Thy commonwealth.
Now sing the apolytikion of the patron saint or feast of the temple.
KONTAKION OF THE ELEVATION OF THE HOLY CROSS IN TONE FOUR
(**Thou Who wast raised up**)
Do Thou, Who of Thine own good will was lifted up upon the Cross, O Christ our God, bestow Thy bounties upon the new Nation which is called by Thy Name; make glad in Thy might those who lawfully govern, that with them we may be led to victory over our adversaries, having in Thine aid a weapon of peace and a trophy invincible.
THE EPISTLE
(For Sunday after the Elevation of the Holy Cross)
Sing praises to our God, sing praises. Clap your hands all ye peoples.
The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians. (2:16-20)
Brethren, you know that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we ourselves were found to be sinners, is Christ then an agent of sin? Certainly not! But if I build up again those things which I tore down, then I prove myself a transgressor. For I through the Law died to the Law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.
THE GOSPEL
(For Sunday after the Elevation of the Holy Cross)
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark. (8:34-9:1)
The Lord said, “If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for My sake and the Gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” And He said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Kingdom of God come with power.”
The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom continues as usual.
THE DISMISSAL
Priest: May He Who rose from the dead for our salvation, 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—as we now celebrate its Elevation—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, 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.
Parish Giving Summary—Fiscal Year 2023/24
Help us Meet our Goal of $120,000 for the Year
Sunday Giving for week of September 8th—$826
Online Giving for week of September 8th—$100
Total Giving for fiscal year to date (October 23–September 24)—$82464.05
Families who have contributed for fiscal year to date (October 23–September 24)—88
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
St John Maximovich on the Life Giving Cross
"The Cross is the guardian of the whole world; the Cross is the beauty of the Church; the Cross is the might of kings; the Cross is the confirmation of the faithful; the Cross is the glory of angels and the ruining of demons."
