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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O life immortal, when you descended unto death, you destroyed
Hades with the splendor of your divinity, and when you raised
the dead from the depths of darkness, all the heavenly powers
shouted: O Giver of life, Christ our God, glory to you.
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Thy Martyrs, O Lord, in their courageous contest for Thee received as the prize the crowns of
incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal God. For since they possessed Thy strength, they
cast down the tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons' strengthless presumption. O Christ
God, by their prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful.
/KONTAKION FOR TODAY
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O Protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, mediation unto the Creator most constant:
despise not the suppliant voices of those who have sinned; but be quick, O good one, to come unto our
aid who in faith cry unto you: Hasten to intercede, and speed to make supplication, you who ever
protect, O Theotokos, them that honor you.

3rd Sunday of st matthew

45 Holy Martyrs of Nikopolis, Armenia, Our Holy Father Gregory, Bishop of Assa, 10,000 Fathers martyred in Egypt

July 10th, 2016

Todays scripture readings

Epistle reading

St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 5:1-10

Prokeimenon. Mode 2.
Psalm 117.14,18
The Lord is my strength and my song.
Verse: The Lord has chastened me sorely.
BRETHREN, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we
have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. More
than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces
character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into
our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died
for the ungodly. Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man -- though perhaps for a good man one will dare even
to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we are
now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were
enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be
saved by his life.
Gospel pericope

Matthew 6:22-33
The Lord said, "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of
light; but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is
darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and
love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and
mammon. Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall
drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than
clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious
can add one cubit to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the
field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not
arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is
thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? Therefore do not be
anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear? For the Gentiles
seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and
his

righteousness,

and

all

these

things

shall

be

yours

as

well."

Announcements
Today-Sat. July 16th: Fr. Mark away

HOW TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNIONOnly Orthodox Christians 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.

SUNDAY SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENT:

In preparation for the 2016-2017 (!) academic year we are considering extending
class down to include (current) age 2, if you have a child that fits this age category
please contact Halina via email: woroncow.halina@mayo.edu. AND if you are
new to the parish and would like to register your children for Sunday School please
contact Halina, as well. A potential break down for classes next year is as follows:
preschool, K-2, Gr 3-4, 5-6, 7-12.

Gems From the Desert

Even if we perform upon thousands of good works, my brethren: fasts, prayers,
almsgiving; even if we shed our blood for our Christ and we dont have these two
loves [love of God and love of brethren], but on the contrary have hatred and
malice toward our brethren, all the good we have done is of the devil and we go to
hell. But, you say, we go to hell despite all the good we do because of that little
hatred? Yes, my brethren, because that hatred is the devils poison, and just as when we put a little yeast
in a hundred pounds of flour it has such power that it causes all the dough to rise, so it is with hatred. It
transforms all the good we have done into the devils poison. ST KOSMAS AITOLOS

Todays liturgical commemorations

1. THE HOLY FORTY-FIVE MARTYRS: LEONTIUS, MAURICE, ALEXANDER, SISINIUS AND OTHERS

During the reign of the wicked Emperor Licinius, who ruled the eastern half of the Byzantine Empire, there was a
great persecution of Christians. In Armenian Nicopolis, St. Leontius, with several of his friends, appeared before
Lysius, the representative of Emperor Licinius and declared that they were Christians. "And where is your Christ?"
Lysius asked. "Was He not crucified and did He not die?" To that St. Leontius replied: "Since you know that our
Christ died, know also that He resurrected from the dead and ascended into heaven." After a lengthy discussion
about the Faith, Lysius scourged them and threw them into prison and gave them neither food nor drink. Vlassina, a
benevolent Christian woman brought them water and handed it to them through the window of the prison. An angel
of God appeared to comfort and encourage them. When the time came for sentencing, two jailers and many others
appeared before Lysius as converted Christians, totaling forty-five in number. The judge sentenced all of them to
death but in this manner: first, that their arms and feet be severed with an axe and then they be thrown into the fire.
This horrible two-fold punishment was carried out and the souls of the holy martyrs took flight to their Lord entering
into eternal life. They honorably suffered and inherited the Kingdom in the year 319 A.D.
2. VENERABLE ANTHONY OF THE MONASTERY OF THE CAVES IN KIEV

Anthony was the founder and father of monasticism in Russia. He was born in the small town of Chernigov and, at
an early age, left his home and went to Athos, the Holy Mountain, where he was tonsured a monk and lived a life of
asceticism in the Monastery Esfigmenou. In obedience to a heavenly appearance, the abbot sent Anthony to Russia
to establish monasticism. Anthony chose a cave near Kiev. When those who were desirous of a monastic life
gathered around him, he then appointed Theodosius as abbot and he remained in the cave as a Silentary. By the
blessing of God, the monastery increased and became the parent-monastery of Russian monasticism. Anthony
endured much evil both from men and demons but he conquered all by his humbleness. He possessed the great gift
of discerning thoughts and the future and healed the sick. He presented himself to the Lord in the year 1073 A.D. at
the age of ninety, leaving his spiritual nursery to bring beneficial fruits to the Orthodox people of Russia throughout
the ages.
3. THE TRANSLATION OF THE HONORABLE VESTURE [ROBE] OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

At the time of the suffering of our Lord Jesus for mankind, there was to be found among the ranks of the Roman army in
Jerusalem a Georgian named Elioz from the town of Mtskheta. His mother had heard of Christ and, in her heart, believed in Him.
Seeing her son off to the army in Palestine, she counseled him not to do anything against Christ. When the Lord was nailed to the
Cross, the sound of the hammer on Golgotha reached the ears of Elioz's mother in the town of Mtskheta. Hearing this sound, she
cried out: "Woe is me because I did not die before this time. Death would have rescued me from this dreadful sound!" Saying
this, she fell dead. Elioz, at that time, was beneath the Cross and with the other soldiers cast lots for the tunic [robe] of Christ. He
won the vesture and brought it to Mtskheta and gave it as a gift to his sister Sidonia. She, having heard about the death of the
Lord and that her brother was a participant of the shedding of innocent blood, fell dead holding the tunic of the Lord firmly in her
hands and no one was able to tear it away but were compelled to bury the tunic with her. A cedar tree sprouted from her grave
from which poured forth a sweet-smelling healing myrrh. In time, the cedar tree fell and the place was forgotten. Following her
prayer, St. Nina, found this place with the help of a pillar of fire. The baptized Emperor Mirian erected a church there dedicating
it to the Holy Apostles. In the year 1625 A.D., the Shah Abbas took this tunic and sent it to Moscow as a gift to Prince Michael
Feodorovitch and Patriarch Philaret. This tunic was placed in the Cathedral Church of the Dormition [Assumption] of the Blessed
Virgin in Moscow.