APOSTLE PHILIP THE DEACON OF THE SEVENTY – OCTOBER 11
Holy Apostle Philip of the Seventy, one of the 7 Deacons is not to be confused with St Philip one of the Twelve Apostles (November 14). This Philip was born in Palestine, was married and had four daughters who had the gift of prophecy.
After the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Twelve Apostles made Philip a deacon in the Church of Jerusalem. Along with the other six deacons, they appointed him to deal with the offerings of the faithful and attend to the concerns of the widowed, the orphaned and the needy. The eldest among the seven deacons was the holy Archdeacon Stephen. When the
persecution of Christians began, the Jews stoned the Protomartyr Stephen. The Apostle Philip left Jerusalem and settled in Samaria. There he
successfully preached Christianity. Among the disciple’s converts was the noted magician Simon, who “after being baptized, continued with Philip.” (Acts 8:9-13)
At the command of an angel of the Lord, St Philip set out upon the road connecting Jerusalem with Gaza. There he met an official of the empress of Ethiopia, whom also he converted to Christianity (Acts 8:26-39). The holy Apostle Philip tirelessly preached the Word of God in many of the lands of the Near East adjoining Palestine. At Jerusalem the Apostles made him a bishop and sent him to Tralles in Asia Minor, where he also baptized many. St Philip died in old age. He is also commemorated on October 11.
Epistle Reading for the Day
The reading is from St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians 6:1-10
Brethren, working together with him, we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, "At the acceptable time I have listened to you and helped you on the day of salvation." Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in any one's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watching, hunger; by purity, knowledge, forbearance, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
Gospel Reading for the Day
The Gospel According to Luke 7:11-16
At that time, Jesus went to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large crowd from the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." And he came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." And the dead man sat up and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all; and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and "God has visited his people!"
Απόστολος της Ημέρας
Πρὸς Κορινθίους β' 6:1-10 τὸ ἀνάγνωσμα
Ἀδελφοί, συνεργοῦντες δὲ καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν μὴ εἰς κενὸν τὴν χάριν τοῦ θεοῦ δέξασθαι ὑμᾶς - λέγει γάρ, Καιρῷ δεκτῷ ἐπήκουσά σου, καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ σωτηρίας ἐβοήθησά σοι· ἰδού, νῦν καιρὸς εὐπρόσδεκτος, ἰδού, νῦν ἡμέρα σωτηρίας - μηδεμίαν ἐν μηδενὶ διδόντες προσκοπήν, ἵνα μὴ μωμηθῇ ἡ διακονία· ἀλλʼ ἐν παντὶ συνιστῶντες ἑαυτοὺς ὡς θεοῦ διάκονοι, ἐν ὑπομονῇ πολλῇ, ἐν θλίψεσιν, ἐν ἀνάγκαις, ἐν στενοχωρίαις, ἐν πληγαῖς, ἐν φυλακαῖς, ἐν ἀκαταστασίαις, ἐν κόποις, ἐν ἀγρυπνίαις, ἐν νηστείαις, ἐν ἁγνότητι, ἐν γνώσει, ἐν μακροθυμίᾳ, ἐν χρηστότητι, ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ, ἐν ἀγάπῃ ἀνυποκρίτῳ, ἐν λόγῳ ἀληθείας, ἐν δυνάμει θεοῦ, διὰ τῶν ὅπλων τῆς δικαιοσύνης τῶν δεξιῶν καὶ ἀριστερῶν, διὰ δόξης καὶ ἀτιμίας, διὰ δυσφημίας καὶ εὐφημίας· ὡς πλάνοι καὶ ἀληθεῖς· ὡς ἀγνοούμενοι, καὶ ἐπιγινωσκόμενοι· ὡς ἀποθνῄσκοντες, καὶ ἰδού, ζῶμεν· ὡς παιδευόμενοι, καὶ μὴ θανατούμενοι· ὡς λυπούμενοι, ἀεὶ δὲ χαίροντες· ὡς πτωχοί, πολλοὺς δὲ πλουτίζοντες· ὡς μηδὲν ἔχοντες, καὶ πάντα κατέχοντες.
Ευαγγέλιον της Ήμέρας
Ἐκ τοῦ Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 7:11-16 Εὐαγγελίου τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα
Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἐπορεύετο εἰς πόλιν καλουμένην Ναΐν· καὶ συνεπορεύοντο αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἱκανοὶ καὶ ὄχλος πολύς. ὡς δὲ ἤγγισε τῇ πύλῃ τῆς πόλεως, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐξεκομίζετο τεθνηκὼς υἱὸς μονογενὴς τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὕτη ἦν χήρα, καὶ ὄχλος τῆς πόλεως ἱκανὸς ἦν σὺν αὐτῇ. καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὴν ὁ Κύριος ἐσπλαγχνίσθη ἐπ᾿ αὐτῇ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ· μὴ κλαῖε· καὶ προσελθὼν ἥψατο τῆς σοροῦ, οἱ δὲ βαστάζοντες ἔστησαν, καὶ εἶπε· νεανίσκε, σοὶ λέγω, ἐγέρθητι. καὶ ἀνεκάθισεν ὁ νεκρὸς καὶ ἤρξατο λαλεῖν, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὸν τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ. ἔλαβε δὲ φόβος πάντας καὶ ἐδόξαζον τὸν Θεόν, λέγοντες ὅτι προφήτης μέγας ἐγήγερται ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ὅτι ἐπεσκέψατο ὁ Θεὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ.
ΜΙΚΡΟΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ
O AΓΙΟΣ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΣ ο Απόστολος - ένας από τους επτά Διακόνους - 11 Οκτωβρίου
Καταγόταν από την Καισάρεια της Παλαιστίνης και ήταν διάκονος μεταξύ των επτά διακόνων της πρώτης Εκκλησίας στην Ιερουσαλήμ. Επίσης ήταν έγγαμος και είχε τέσσερις θυγατέρες, προικισμένες με προφητικό χάρισμα.Ο Φίλιππος όμως δεν στάθηκε μόνο στην Ιερουσαλήμ. Πήγε στη Σαμάρεια και κήρυξε το Ευαγγέλιο, σαν γνήσιος και αυτός «απόστολος Ιησού Χριστού κατά πίστιν εκλεκτών Θεού και επίγνωσιν αληθείας της κατ’ ευσέβειαν». Εκεί στη Σαμάρεια, δια του κηρύγματος του, βάπτισε χριστιανό και το Σίμωνα το μάγο.΄Επειτα ο Φίλιππος συνάντησε στο δρόμο του τον Ευνούχο της βασίλισσας Κανδάκης, και αφού τον κατήχησε, βάπτισε και αυτόν Χριστιανό. Κατόπιν πήγε στις Τράλλεις της Μικράς Ασίας, όπου με τη διδασκαλία του έπεισε όλους σχεδόν τους κατοίκους της πόλης να πιστέψουν στο Χριστό. Ο Φίλιππος στην πόλη αυτή αφού έκτισε και χριστιανικό ναό, παρέδωσε την ψυχή του.
MEDITATIONS
OUTER TO INNER LIFE
Nature, or, more correctly speaking, the Providence of God, dictates to each period of life its own spiritual regime. With the approach of old age, the bodily capacities decrease and the conditions favorable to a concentrated interior life increase: there is less activity and more time for prayer; the organs of our exterior senses are blunted; there is less distraction and more attention given to our inner world; a diminished ability to digest heavy, fattening food - hence a natural disposition to fasting; enforced chastity. Blessed is he who understands these signs and goes out to meet God's solicitude for us. Blessed is he who, in the construction of his life, gradually replaces corruptible building materials by fireproof and indestructible ones.
+Father A. Yelchaninov
“God is everywhere. There is no place God is not…You cry out to Him, ‘Where art Thou, my God?’ And He answers, “I am present, my child! I am always beside you.’ Both inside and outside, above and below, wherever you turn, everything shouts, ‘God!’ In Him we live and move. We breathe God, we eat God, we clothe ourselves with God. Everything praises and blesses God. All of creation shouts His praise. Everything animate and inanimate speaks wondrously and glorifies the Creator. Let every breath praise the Lord!”
+Saint Joseph the Hesychast
COMMUNITY PRAYER LIST
PRAYERS FOR: Helen, Peter, Sophia, Angeliki, Alexandra, Marina, Christos, Reem, Athanasia, Terry, Kyriakos, Becky, Salem, Mantia, Georgia, Vicki, Maria, Vasilios, Nektaria, John, Violet, Cynthis, Fr. Jon-Stephen Hedges, Evangelos, William, Momcilo, Jill, Panagiotis, Vasiliki, Elizabeth, Panagiota, Betty, Dimitri, Alexander, Vasiliki, Eleni, Panagiotis, George, Thomas, Nicholas, Sophia, Susan, Mary Lou, Mehmet.
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
