Falling Asleep of Saint John the Theologian - September 26
This Apostle was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and the brother of James the elder. First a fisherman by trade, he became an Apostle and the beloved Disciple of Christ. Only he of all the Disciples followed Him even to the Cross and was entrusted with the care of our Saviour's Mother, as it were another son to her, and a brother of Christ the Teacher. After this, he preached throughout Asia Minor, especially in Ephesus. When the second persecution against the Christians began in the year 96 during the reign of Domitian, he was taken in bonds to Rome, and there was cast into a vat filled to the brim with boiling oil. Coming forth therefrom unharmed, he was exiled to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the Book of Revelation. Returning again to Ephesus after the death of the tyrant, he wrote his Gospel (after the other Evangelists had already written theirs) and his three Catholic Epistles. In all, he lived ninety-five years and fell asleep in the Lord during the reign of Trajan in the year 100. He was called Theologian because he loftily expounded in his Gospel the theology of the inexpressible and eternal birth of the Son and Word of God the Father. It is for this cause that an eagle-a symbol of the Holy Spirit, as Saint Irenaeus says-is depicted in his icon, for this was one of the four symbolic living creatures that the Prophet Ezekiel saw (Ezek. 1:10).
Saint Romanos the Melodist - October 1
Saint Romanos flourished during the reign of Anastasius (491-518). He was from Emesa of Syria, and apparently was born of Jewish parents, for a hymn written in his honour in Greek says he was "of Hebrew stock," and it has furthermore been noted that he uses many Semitic idioms in his writings. He was baptized an Orthodox Christian, and at some time became a deacon in the Church of Beirut. He was the first composer of the kontakia, the foremost of which is that of the feast of Christ's Nativity, On this day the Virgin .... In composing many of his kontakia. Saint Romanos was inspired by the hymns of Saint Ephraim of Syria.
Epistle Reading:
The reading is from St. John’s First Universal Letter 4:12-19
No man has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his own Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. In this is love perfected with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because he first loved us.
Gospel Reading:
The Gospel According to John 19:25-27; 21:24-25
At that time, standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things; and we know that his testimony is true. But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
Απόστολος της Ημέρας:
Ἰωάννου α' 4:12-19 τὸ ἀνάγνωσμα
θεὸν οὐδεὶς πώποτε τεθέαται· ἐὰν ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους, ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν μένει, καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη αὐτοῦ τετελειωμένη ἐστιν ἐν ἡμῖν. Ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ μένομεν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν ἡμῖν, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ δέδωκεν ἡμῖν. Καὶ ἡμεῖς τεθεάμεθα καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν ὅτι ὁ πατὴρ ἀπέσταλκεν τὸν υἱὸν σωτῆρα τοῦ κόσμου. Ὃς ἂν ὁμολογήσῃ ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, ὁ θεὸς ἐν αὐτῷ μένει, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ θεῷ. Καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐγνώκαμεν καὶ πεπιστεύκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην ἣν ἔχει ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν. Ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν, καὶ ὁ μένων ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ, ἐν τῷ θεῷ μένει, καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐν αὐτῷ μένει. Ἐν τούτῳ τετελείωται ἡ ἀγάπη μεθʼ ἡμῶν, ἵνα παρρησίαν ἔχωμεν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως, ὅτι καθὼς ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ. Φόβος οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ, ἀλλʼ ἡ τελεία ἀγάπη ἔξω βάλλει τὸν φόβον, ὅτι ὁ φόβος κόλασιν ἔχει· ὁ δὲ φοβούμενος οὐ τετελείωται ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ. Ἡμεῖς ἀγαπῶμεν αὐτόν, ὅτι αὐτὸς πρῶτος ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς.
Ἐκ τοῦ Κατὰ Ἰωάννην 19:25-27, 21:24-25 Εὐαγγελίου τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα
Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, εἱστήκεισαν δὲ παρὰ τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ ᾿Ιησοῦ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡ ἀδελφὴ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ, Μαρία ἡ τοῦ Κλωπᾶ καὶ Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνή. ᾿Ιησοῦς οὖν ἰδὼν τὴν μητέρα καὶ τὸν μαθητὴν παρεστῶτα ὃν ἠγάπα, λέγει τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ· γύναι, ἴδε ὁ υἱός σου. εἶτα λέγει τῷ μαθητῇ· ἰδοὺ ἡ μήτηρ σου. καὶ ἀπ᾽ ἐκείνης τῆς ὥρας ἔλαβεν ὁ μαθητὴς αὐτὴν εἰς τὰ ἴδια. Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ μαθητὴς ὁ μαρτυρῶν περὶ τούτων καὶ γράψας ταῦτα, καὶ οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθής ἐστιν ἡ μαρτυρία αὐτοῦ. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ ὅσα ἐποίησεν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς, ἅτινα ἐὰν γράφηται καθ᾽ ἕν, οὐδὲ αὐτὸν οἶμαι τὸν κόσμον χωρῆσαι τὰ γραφόμενα βιβλία. ἀμήν.
ΜΙΚΡΟΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ
Η Μετάσταση του Αγίου Ιωάννη του Θεολόγου - 26 Σεπτεμβρίου
Αρκετοί είχαν την άποψη ότι ο Ιωάννης δεν πέθανε, αλλά μετατέθηκε στην άλλη ζωή, όπως ο Ηλίας. Η παράδοση που ασπάσθηκε η Εκκλησία μας είναι οι εξής: Ο Ιωάννης σε βαθειά γεράματα πέθανε στην Έφεσο και τάφηκε έξω από αυτή. Μετά από μερικές ήμέρες όταν οι μαθητές του επισκέφθηκαν τον τάφο, τον βρήκαν κενό. Η Εκκλησία μας λοιπόν δέχεται ότι στον αγαπημένο μαθητή του Κυρίου συνέβη ό,τι και με την Παναγία μητέρα Του. Δηλαδή ο Ιωάννης, ναί μέν πέθανε και ετάφη, αλλά, μετά τρείς μέρες αναστήθηκε και μετέστη στην αιώνια ζωή, για την οποία ο ίδιος να, τι λέει σχετικά: «ο έχων την υιόν έχει την ζωήν, ο μή έχων τον υιόν του Θεού την ζωήν ούκ έχει». Εκείνος δηλαδή που είναι ενωμένος μέσω της πίστης του με το Χριστό και τον έχει δικό του, έχει την αληθινή και αιώνια ζωή. Εκείνος όμως που δεν έχει τον Υιόν του Θεού, να έχει υπ’ όψιν του πως δεν έχει και την αλήθινή και αιώνια ζωή.
Ο ΑΓΙΟΣ ΓΡΗΓΟΡΙΟΣ «Ο ΦΩΤΙΣΤΗΣ» - 30 Σεπτεμβρίου
Μάρτυρας και Απόστολος υπήρξε ο άγιος Γρηγόριος ο «Φωτιστής». Αφού πρώτα έζησε βίο μαρτυρικό, χάριν της πίστεώς του κι εξαιτίας της αγριότητας του ειδωλολάτρη βασιλιά της Αρμενίας, έπειτα σαν βραβείο και σαν έπαθλο της μεγάλης πίστεως του, αξιώθηκε να γίνει πραγματικά ο φωτιστής του λαού του, αφού πρώτα βάπτισε τον ίδιο τον πρωτύτερα διώκτη και βασανιστή βασιλιά. Συνέδεσε το όνομά του και το έργο με τον εκχριστιανισμό ενός ολοκλήρου λαού - αυτό είναι από τα άθλα των Αποστόλων. Μάρτυς λοιπόν και απόστολος υπήρξε ο άγιος Γρηγόριος,, ο φωτιστής της Αρμενίας.
Η ΟΙΚΟΓΕΝΕΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣ - «Η Εκκλησία είναι η μητέρα όλης της ανθρωπότητας που πιστεύει στο Χριστό». Είναι ο πιο θερμός φίλος των χριστιανών. Ικανοποιεί κάθε ζωτική ανάγκη της ψυχής και του σώματος. Βοηθεί τον άνθρωπο με τη δύναμη του Ιησού Χριστού και του Αγίου Πνεύματος. Είναι η μεγάλη αγία οικογένεια στην οποία ο Θεός είναι Πατέρας. Η Υπεραγία Θεοτόκος, η Μητέρα του Κυρίου ημών Ιησού Χριστού, είναι η μητέρα. Οι άγγελοι και οι άγιοι είναι τα μεγάλα μας αδέλφια. Και εμείς όλοι είμαστε αδέλφια, που μας εγέννησε η Εκκλησία στην Καλυμβήθρα.
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
