The heresiarch Arius was a Libyan by race and a protopresbyter of the Church of Alexandria. In 315, he began to blaspheme against the Son and Word of God, saying that He is not true God, consubstantial with the Father, but is rather a work and creation, alien to the essence and glory of the Father, and that there was a time when He was not. This frightful blasphemy shook the faithful of Alexandria. Alexander, his Archbishop, after trying in vain to correct him through admonitions, cut him off from communion and finally in a local council deposed him in the year 321. Yet neither did the blasphemer wish to be corrected, nor did he cease sowing the deadly tares of his heretical teachings; but writing to the bishops of other cities, Arius and his followers requested that his doctrine be examined, and if it were unsound, that the correct teaching be declared to him. By this means, his heresy became universally known and won many supporters, so that the whole Church was soon in an uproar.
Therefore, moved by divine zeal, the first Christian Sovereign, Saint Constantine the Great, the equal to the Apostles, summoned the renowned First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea, a city of Bithynia. It was there that the shepherds and teachers of the Church of Christ gathered from all regions in the year 325. All of them, with one mouth and one voice, declared that the Son and Word of God is one in essence with the Father, true God of true God, and they composed the holy Symbol of Faith up to the seventh article (since the remainder, beginning with "And in the Holy Spirit," was completed by the Second Ecumenical Council). Thus they anathematized the impious Arius of evil belief and those of like mind with him, and cut them off as rotten members from the whole body of the faithful.
Therefore, recognizing the divine Fathers as heralds of the Faith after the divine Apostles, the Church of Christ has appointed this present Sunday for their annual commemoration, in thanksgiving and unto the glory of God, unto their praise and honour, and unto the strengthening of the true Faith.
Epistle Reading for the Day
The Reading is from Acts of the Apostles 20:16-18, 28-36
IN THOSE DAYS, Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. And from Miletos he sent to Ephesos and called to him the elders of the church. And when they came to him, he said to them: "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, 'it is more blessed to give than to receive.' " And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
Gospel Reading
The Reading is from John 17:1-13
At that time, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you gave me to do; and now, Father, you glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world was made. "I have manifested your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world; yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you; for I have given them the words which you gave me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you did send me. I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are mine; all mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves."
Wisdom from Elder Thaddeus (+2003)
"God is perfect, He is faultless. And so, when Divine love becomes manifest in us in the fullness of Grace, we radiate this love --- not only on the earth, but throughout the entire universe as well. So God is in us, and He is present everywhere. It is God’s all-encompassing love that manifests itself in us. When this happens, we see no difference between people: everyone is good, everyone is our brother, and we consider ourselves to be the worst of men --- servants of every created thing."
+The saints, during their earthly life, are filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit. After their departure the same grace remains in their souls as in their bodies. The very same grace is present and active in their sacred images and icons.
Μικρός Συναξαριστής
ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ ΤΩΝ ΑΓΙΩΝ ΠΑΤΕΡΩΝ
Η μνήμη των Πατέρων της Οικουμενικής Συνόδου καθιερώθηκε από την Εκκλησία να εορτάζεται αμέσως μετά την εορτή της Αναλήψεως, για να τονίζεται ότι ο Χριστός όντως τέλειος Θεός και τέλειος άνθρωπος,με την Ανάληψή Του μπορούσε να φέρει και έφερε την Ανθρώπινη φύση στην κανονική της θέση, πλάϊ στο Θεό Πατέρα, έτσι που να μπορεί ο κάθε άνθρωπος να οικειώνεται αυτή τη θέωση της φύσεως του.
Το Ευαγγέλιο του Χριστού δεν είναι ιδεολογία, αλλά αποκάλυψη της ζωντανής αλήθειας και της αγάπης του Θεού προς τον άνθρωπο. Γι’ αυτήν την ευαγγελική αλήθεια αγωνίσθηκαν οι άγιοι Πατέρες και με τη ζωή τους επεκύρωσαν την ορθότητα της διδασκαλίας τους. Δεν έμειναν στις θεωρίες αλλά έκαναν την πράξη «θεωρίας επίβασιν».
‘Ελεγε κάποιος Γέροντας ότι από τρία πράγματα έχει πιο πολύ ανάγκη η ψυχή μας:
να φοβάται την κρίση του Θεού, να αγαπά την αρετή και να προσεύχεται αδιαλείπτως.
Η ΘΡΙΑΜΒΕΥΟΥΣΑ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ
Η ιδιαίτερη μνημόνευση «των κεκοιμημένων», κατά τη Θεία Λειτουργία, φανερώνει πώς η παρούσα λειτουργική σύναξη παίρνει καθολικότερες διαστάσεις και γίνεται μία πραγματικά «ευχαριστιακή σύναξη», παρόντων και απόντων, ζώντων και τεθνεώτων. Η στρατευομένη Εκκλησία συναντιέται με τη θριαμβεύουσα των αγίων, οσίων και μαρτύρων και όλοι μαζί υψώνουμε ύμνο, δοξολογία και δέηση.
Η προσφορά των Κολλύβων είναι συμβολική και αναφέρεται στην κοινή ανάσταση των νεκρών. Ο συμβολισμός προέρχεται από το λόγο του Χριστού (Ιωάν.12,24) με την εξής σημασία: όπως ο σπόρος του σιταριού που σπέρνεται και θάβεται στη γή, δεν χάνεται, αλλά φυτρώνει ξανά, έτσι και ο άνθρωπος μετά την ταφή του θα αναστηθεί άφθαρτος και αθάνατος.
Η Ανάσταση των νεκρών είναι κατ΄εξοχήν βιβλική αποκάλυψη. Καμιά θρησκεία δεν διδάσκει την ανάσταση στην συγκεκριμένη μορφή που την κηρρύττει ο χριστιανισμός. Η ιδέα της ανάστασης των νεκρών, ως επανένωση της ψυχής και του σώματος των ανθρώπων είναι αποκλειστικά βιβλική και χριστιανική. Η ανάσταση θα είναι μια νέα δημιουργική πράξη του Θεού, παρόμοια με την πρώτη. Μετά τον ύπνο του θανάτου, θα ανοίξουν οι άνθρωποι τα μάτια τους στο φώς της 8ης και αιωνίας Ημέρας, θα αντικρύσουν το πρόσωπο του Θεού Πατέρα.
COMMUNITY PRAYER LIST - Prayers for: Tom, William, Anastasios, Polyxeni, Julia, Helen, Peter, Sophia
O Lord our God, Who by word alone did heal all diseases, Who cured the mother in law of Peter, You Who chastise with pity and heal according to Your goodness; grant aid to these Your servants (Names) and heal them of every sickness of which they are grieved; lift them up from their pain, and send down upon them Your great mercy. For to you we send up Glory: to Father, and to Son, and to Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayers for the living will be retained on the list for 40 days. Contact Church Office to add names at office@assumptionchicago.org or call Panagia office at 773.626.3114
