SS. kosmas & damianos Orthodox Church (goa)

703 W. Center Street, Rochester, MN (507) 282-1529 http://www.rochesterorthodoxchurch.org

office@rochesterorthodoxchurch.org Rev. Fr. Mark Muoz, Proistamenos

/APOLYTIKIA FOR TODAY

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Through your cross you destroyed death and opened paradise

to the thief. You transformed the sorrow of the Myrrh-bearers,

Christ our God. You commanded the apostles to proclaim

that you have risen from the dead, and granted great mercy to

the world.

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Lord save your people, and bless Your inheritance. Grant victory

to the faithful against the enemies of the Faith, and protect Your commonwealth by your Holy Cross.

/KONTAKION FOR TODAY

Ti ypermacho stratigo ta nikitiria, os lytrotheisa ton deinon efharistia, anagrafo si e polis sou

Theotoke, allos ehousa to kratos aprosmahiton, ek pantinon me kyndinon eletheroson, ina

krazo si, Here nymfi anymfefte.

O Champion Leader, we your faithful inscribe to you the prize of victory as gratitude for being

rescued from calamity, O Theotokos. But since you have invincible power, free us from all

kinds of perils so that we may cry out to you: Rejoice, O Bride unwedded.

3rd

Sunday of lent: veneration of the holy cross

Agapius the Martyr & His Companions, Manuel the New Martyr of Crete,

Holy Apostle Aristobulos of the Seventy, Bishop of Britain

March 15th, 2015

+Fast: Wine/Oil Allowed+

Todays scripture readings

Epistle reading

St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:1-6

BRETHREN, since we have a high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of

God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize

with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and

find grace to help in time of need. For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to

act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently

with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is

bound to offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not

take the honor upon himself, but he is called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not

exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, "Thou art my

Son, today I have begotten thee"; as he says also in another place, "Thou art a priest forever,

after the order of Melchizedek."

Gospel pericope

Mark 8:34-38; 9:1

The Lord said: "If anyone wishes to 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 life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For

whoever is ashamed of me and 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."

Announcements

Liturgical/Program Schedule:

Mon. Mar. 16th: Great Compline, 6pm

Mon. Mar. 16th: Mental Disorders and Spiritual Healing Class, after Compline Service

Wed. Mar. 18th: Pre-sanctified Liturgy & Lenten Potluck, 6pm

Wed. Mar. 18th: Parish Council Meeting, after Potluck

Thurs. Mar. 19th: St. Philothei Project, 6pm

Fri. Mar. 20th: 4th SALUTATIONS to the Holy Theotokos, 6pm

Fri. Mar. 20th: GOYA Lock-in

Sat. Mar. 21st: Baklava Baking, 10am **WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!!!**

AHEPA Annunciation Luncheon: Please join us for our annual AHEPA Luncheon on next Sunday,

March 22nd in commemoration of Greek Independence Day and the Feast of the Annunciation. Menu will

include a Mexican Fajita Bar w/ fire roasted veggies & shrimp, apple jalapeno salad with cilantro lime

vinaigrette, pico rice, and non-dairy churros!

Important Baking Date: we need as many volunteers as possible to assemble/bake baklava on Saturday,

March 22nd @ 10am for a very important upcoming fundraising event! Please let Penny Kolas know if you

are able to volunteer!

Holy Week Liturgical Books: We have ordered several copies of the official Holy Week Book endorsed

by our Metropolis. This comprehensive book, compiled by Fr. Pappadeas, will be used exclusively for all

the liturgical celebrations from Palm Sunday evening through the Agapi Vespers on Pascha. Each book is

$25, and ARE NOW AVAILABLE.

HOW TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNIONOnly Orthodox Christians (i.e. the Orthodox Church does not observe open communion) in good standing are encouraged to receive Holy Communion frequently, provided they have prepared themselves spiritually, mentally and physically. They must be on time for the Divine Liturgy, and be in a Christ-like, humble state of mind. They should be in a confession relationship with their priest or spiritual father, have observed the fasts of the Church, and they should have self-examined their conscience. On the day of receiving Holy Communion, it is not proper to eat or drink anything before coming to church. When you approach to receive Holy Communion, state your Christian (baptismal) name clearly, and hold the red communion cloth to your chin. After receiving, wipe your lips on the cloth, step back carefully, hand the cloth to the next person and make the sign of the Cross as you step away. Please do not be in a rush while communing! Please take special care not to bump the Holy Chalice.

third SUNDAY OF THE FAST: veneration of the

holy cross

With the help of God, we have almost reached the middle of the course

of the Fast, where our strength has been worn down through

abstinence, and the full difficulty of the labour set before us becomes

apparent. Therefore our holy Mother, the Church of Christ, now brings

to our help the all-holy Cross, the joy of the world, the strength of the

faithful, the staff of the just, and the hope of sinners, so that by

venerating it reverently, we might receive strength and grace to

complete the divine struggle of the Fast.

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LENTEN POTLUCK

Every Wednesday eve of great lent the liturgy of the Presanctified

gifts is celebrated. Afterwards we gather in the library for a simple

Lenten meal. Please plan on attending these compunctionate

services and bring a fasting meal to share!

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Pascha flowers: A table will be set up in the Narthex for collections of monetary donations

towards the Pascha flowers on Sundays from March 1st until April 6th- Donations can also be

made at any time to the Church during Lent, please mark Pascha flowers with your check or

donation. Thank you!

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Pearls from the Desert

What is more precious than anything in the world? Time! And what do we waste

uselessly and without being sorry? Time! What do we not value and what do we

disregard more than anything? Time! When we waste time, we lose ourselves

Time is given by God to use correctly for the salvation of the soul and the

acquisition of the life to come The Lord will call us to account for having stolen

time for our own whims, and for not using it for God and our souls. St. Sebastian

of Optina (Russia)

Todays liturgical commemorations

1. THE HOLY MARTYR AGAPIUS AND THE SEVEN WITH HIM: PUBLIUS, TIMOLAUS,

ROMULUS, ALEXANDER, ALEXANDER, DIONYSIUS AND DIONYSIUS

They all suffered in Caesarea in Palestine at the hand of Prince Urban during the reign of Emperor

Diocletian. All seven were extremely young men, none of whom were Christians, except Agapius.

Neither were they baptized with water, but theirs was a "baptism by blood." One day these seven young

men were observing how Christians were being tortured; one in the fire, another on the gallows and a

third before wild beasts. Seeing with what great forbearance these Christians endured all pain and

sufferings, these seven became inflamed with a zeal for Christ. They tied their hands behind their backs

and came before Urban saying, "We also are Christians." The flattery and threats of Urban remained, but

in vain. These young men were joined by a distinguished citizen of this town, Agapius, who, until then,

had suffered much for Christ. They became all the more enflamed in their faith and love for the Lord. All

were beheaded in the year 303 A.D. and took up their abode in the mansions of the Heavenly King.

2. THE HOLY MARTYR ALEXANDER

Alexander was from the city of Side in Pamphylia. A deputy of the Emperor Aurelius asked Alexander,

"Who are you and what are you?" To that, Alexander replied that, he is a shepherd of the flock of Christ."

"And where is this flock of Christ?," further inquired the wicked and suspicious governor. Alexander

replied, "Throughout the entire world where men live whom Christ the God created, and among those

who believe in Him, they are His sheep. But all who are fallen away from their Creator and are slaves to

creation, to man-made things and to dead idols, such as you, are estranged from His flock. At the dreadful

judgment of God, they will be placed on the left with the goats." The wicked judge then ordered that

Alexander, first of all, be beaten with oxen straps and then thrown into a fiery furnace. But the fire did not

harm him in any way. After that, he was skinned and was thrown to the wild beasts, but the beasts would

not touch him. Finally, the deputy ordered that Alexander be beheaded. St. Alexander suffered between

the years 270 - 275 A.D.

3. THE HOLY MARTYR NICANDER, THE EGYPTIAN

Nicander was skinned and then beheaded for his faith in Christ. As a physician, his crime was

that he ministered to Christian martyrs and honorably buried their martyred bodies. He suffered

honorable in the year 302 A.D.

Sign of the Cross

The Sign of the Cross is a fundamental element of Orthodox

life. It should be second nature to anyone who claims to be an

Orthodox Christian. The Sign of the Cross is used in virtually

every situation in life. Before we eat, before we sleep, or when

we awaken in the morning, we should automatically make the Sign of the Cross. The great spiritual

advantage of making a habit of this is that, when we are confronted with a dangerous or compromising

situation, we will make the Sign of the Cross without hesitation. This might save our life or even our soul,

depending on the circumstance. Saint Barsanuphios the Great has written:

[T]he Lord Jesus Christ, an angel or another person can be portrayed by demons, not only in sleep but when a person

is awakefor satan can transform himself into an angel of light. But the Cross of the Lord, upon whose power, as the Church chants, the devil does not even dare to gazefor he trembles and is convulsed being unable to behold its powerthis he cannot represent.

Because the Sign of the Cross has such a powerful effect on demonic powers, people often experience a

sense of selfconsciousness when attempting to make it. Our weak flesh also rebels against outward manifestations of faith. But this can be overcome quite easily, if we only strive to train ourselves and

come to understand the tremendous power of the Cross, in which, Saint Paul tells us, we should glory

To make the Sign of the Cross, we place the thumb and the first and second fingers of our right hand

together, representing the Three Persons or Hypostases of the Holy Trinity. Next, we fold the fourth and

fifth fingers against our palm, representing the two Natures of Christ, Who came down from Heaven to

the earth, in order to save mankind. Holding our right hand in this way, we touch the tips of the three

fingers to our forehead, our abdomen, the right shoulder, and the left shoulder. We then put our hand

down to the side of our body. Properly executedand one should be careful to make it slowly and with carethe Sign of the Cross has tremendous spiritual power. This is because we are not only affirming our faith in Christs Sacrifice on the Cross at Golgotha, but confirming our belief in the Holy Trinity and the Human and Divine Natures of Christ, that is, the basic dogmas of the Orthodox Faith.

Thus Saint Basil the Great says the following of this custom in his treatise

On The Holy Spirit:

For were we to attempt to reject such customs as have no written authority,

on the ground that the importance that they possess is small, we should

unintentionally injure the Gospel at its very vitals; or, rather, should make

our public definition a mere phrase and nothing more. For instance, to take

the first and most general example, who is there who has taught us in writing

to sign with the cross those who have trusted in the name of Our Lord Jesus

Christ?

You Dont Have to Like Your Priest! By Fr Anthony Perkins

There are many reasons for you not to like your priest. It may be because his

homilies are too dry, lack patristic moorings, or stray too far from the Biblical

text. His answers to your deepest theological, spiritual, and personal

challenges may leave you cold and unsatisfied. He may be a poor confessor,

offering only absolution and standard responses about prayer rules,

forgiveness and humility. He may not offer the kind of charismatic and

visionary leadership that would inspire your parish to grow. He may chant out

of tune, his accent may be too strong, or he might try to sing all his liturgical

parts fortissimo espansimo. He may be too ignorant, over-educated,

emotional, impersonal, shy, gregarious, fundamentalist, liberal, political, or dull. Whatever his human

failings, there is sure to be plenty about him you do not like. And thats okay: you dont have to like

your priest. Orthodox Christians often feel guilty or dissatisfied if they are unable to feel good about their

priest. They have memories of priests who were great liturgists, pastors, leaders, confessors, teachers,

and managers. The Orthodox are reared on stories of startsi (great elders) and sainted priests that, along

with the hagiographic memories of former priests, set the bar of competency impossibly high. And yet,

there is something within the heart of the Orthodox Christian that still wants to be close to his parish priest

despite all his very real shortcomings. This desire for a meaningful connection shows that there is more

to the relationship between priest and parishioner than meets the eye. This relationship is different from

all the other ones we know. The priest is not the commanding officer of a military unit or the manager of a

parish franchise or even the professor of a class everyone has to pass in order to receive their reward. He

isnt a lawyer trying to get people in good with the judge so he will excuse them of their crimes. He isnt

an entertainer the parish has hired to make everyone feel better every Sunday morning or a

museum curator responsible for preserving ancestral stories, cultures, and languages. He is not a

psychiatrist or family counselor that can solve everyones personal problems. Nor has he been assigned

to the parish to be anyones friend. He may or may not exhibit bits of each of these, but they do not

capture who he is or how his parishioners should relate to him.

The priest is a shepherd. Some lead their sheep with gentle and melodious coaxing; others drag them

through the brambles by the scruff of the neck. Some take on the wolves with the ferocity of a warrior,

others focus on keeping the sheep in a guarded pasture and cower at every hint of a howl. No matter how

he tends them, one thing is constant: the shepherd loves his sheep. He doesnt judge them or mistreat

them; he cares for them. Some parishioners may be offended at the idea of being sheep or sheeople,

and admittedly the analogy is not perfect. But it is still powerful; after all, it is the one Christ Himself used

(St. John 10). Continued in next Sundays bulletin

TEACHINGS FROM ST KOSMAS AITOLOS

FASTING

We who are pious Christians must fast always, but especially on Wednesday, because the Lord

was sold on that day, and on Friday, because He was crucified on that day. Similarly, it is our

duty to fast during the Lent seasons, as the Holy Spirit illumined the holy Fathers of the Church

to decree, in order to mortify the passions and humble the body. Moreover, if we limit the food

we eat, life becomes easier for us. Fast according to your ability, pray according to your ability,

give alms according to your ability, and always hold death before the eyes of your mind.

CONFESSION

If you want cure your soul, you need four things. The first is to forgive your enemies. The second is to confess thoroughly. The third is to blame yourself. The fourth is to resolve to sin no

more. If we wish to be saved, we must always blame ourselves and not attribute our wrong acts

to others. And God, Who is most compassionate, will forgive us.

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HABITAT FOR HUMANITY BOOK DRIVE

Our ever active GOYA is partnering w/ Habitat for Humanity

to provide a new bookcase loaded with books for children

between the ages of 3-10. Thats where YOU get involved! We are asking that

parishioners bring either new or gently used books, targeting the mentioned age

group, to church on Sundays through Palm Sunday. If you have any questions

please see a GOYAN or one of their advisors, Mike or Halina. Thank you for

helping us help local families!

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Archbishop Demetrios of America, together with President Barack

Obama and other major civic and religious leaders, walked today,

March 7, 2015, the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge to commemorate

the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. On March 15, 1965,

Archbishop Iakovos of North and South America had come here and

participated in the March on Selma, led by the Rev. Dr. Martin

Luther King, Jr. Upon his arrival to Selma, Archbishop Demetrios noted, It is truly a blessing to travel to

Selma to pay tribute to the legacy of both Dr. King and Archbishop Iakovos. The promotion and protection

of civil rights transcends politics since the ability to determine ones future is a God-given blessing.