A!!!

SS. kosmas & damianos Orthodox Church (goa)

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

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

/APOLYTIKIA FOR TODAY

, , , ' , . While the tomb was sealed, You, O Life, did shine forth from the grave, O Christ God; and while the doors were shut, You did come unto Your disciples, O Resurrection of all, renewing through them an upright Spirit in us according to Your great mercy.
/KONTAKION FOR TODAY

, , , , , , . Though You went down into the tomb, You destroyed Hades' power, and You rose the victor, Christ God, saying to the myrrh-bearing women, "Rejoice!" and granting peace to Your disciples, You who raise up the fallen.

Sunday of st. thomas

St. Epiphanios of Cyprus, St. Germanos Patriarch of Constantinople
May 12th, 2013

Todays scripture readings

Epistle reading

Acts of the Apostles 5:12-20 IN THOSE DAYS, many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high honor. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed. But the high priest rose up and all who were with him, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out and said, "Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life."
Gospel pericope

John 20:19-31 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them: "Peace be with you." When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him: "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them: "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in His side, I will not believe." Eight days later, His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said: "Peace be with you." Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing." Thomas answered Him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to Him: "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

COMMUNION PRAYERS
I believe and confess, Lord, that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, Who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. I also believe that this is truly Your pure Body and that this is truly Your precious Blood. Therefore, I pray to You. Have mercy upon me, and forgive my transgressions, voluntary and involuntary, in word and deed, known and unknown. And make me worthy without condemnation to partake of Your pure Mysteries for the forgiveness of sins and life eternal. Amen. Behold, my Maker, I approach Holy Communion. Burn me not as I partake, for You are fire which burns the unworthy, but cleanse me from every stain. Receive me today, Son of God, as a partaker of Your mystical Supper. I will not reveal Your mystery to Your enemies, nor will I give You a kiss as did Judas. But as the thief I confess to You: Lord, remember me in Your kingdom. Seeing the Divine Blood, have fear, O man, for it is coal that burns the unworthy. It is Gods Body that deifies and nourishes me; it deifies the spirit and nourishes the mind mystically. You have smitten me with yearning, O Christ, and with Your divine love You have changed me. Burn away my sins with spiritual fire and make me worthy to be filled with Your joy, that rejoicing in Your goodness, I may magnify Your two Comings. How shall I, who am unworthy, enter into the splendor of Your saints? If I dare to enter the bridal chamber, my clothing will accuse me, since it is not a wedding garment; and being bound up, I shall be cast out by the angels. In Your love, Lord, cleanse the vileness of my soul and save me. Loving Master, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, let not these holy Gifts be to my condemnation because of my unworthiness, but for the cleansing and sanctification of soul and body and the pledge of the future life and kingdom. It is good for me to cling to God and to place in Him the hope of my salvation. Receive me today, Son of God, as a partaker of Your mystical Supper. I will not reveal Your mystery to Your enemies. Nor will I give You a kiss as did Judas. But as the thief I confess to You: Lord remember me in Your kingdom.

Announcements
Liturgical/Program Schedule:
Mon. May 13th Thurs. May 16th: Metropolis of Chicago Clergy Retreat *Fr. Mark away* Wed. May 15th: Greek Fest Meeting, 7pm Sat. May 18th: Great Vespers, 6pm Sun. May 19th: Sunday School Graduation & Picnic Special Thanks: to all those who helped make Holy Week a memorable experience by donating their time and talents to beautify the church and make the services even more meaningful! Sunday School: will resume its regular schedule today, please send your children to their respective classes after receiving Holy Communion.
HOW TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNIONOrthodox 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.

ETIQUETTE REMINDER:
For this holy house and for those who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.
The summer months will soon be upon us and that means enjoying warm weather and fun in the sun. While shorts (for males & females), capris, flip-flops, tank tops, spaghetti straps, etc. are practical and may be acceptable at the pool or the lake front they are not appropriate attire at church, and must not be worn during the Divine Services of the Church. At every Eucharistic celebration we are spiritually and physically brought in the awesome presence of Jesus Christ Himself, and when we commune He comes to dwell within us in a miraculous way. Therefore the sanctity, solemnity, and dignity of the Divine Liturgy must be preserved for the wellbeing of all. ******Parents, your assistance and guidance are most especially helpful and appreciated.******

Todays liturgical commemorations

1. SAINT EPIPHANIUS, BISHOP OF CYPRUS Epiphanius was a Jew by birth and, witnessing the Faith of Christ, was baptized with his sister Callithrope. At age twenty-six, he was tonsured a monk in the monastery of St. Hilarion. Later, he established a separate monastery where he became famous throughout all of Palestine and Egypt because of his asceticism, spiritual wisdom and miracle-working. Fleeing from the glory of men, Epiphanius withdrew to Egypt. Enroute, he met up with the great Paphnutius who predicted that he would become bishop on the island of Cyprus. Indeed, after many years, by the Divine Providence of God, Epiphanius arrived at Cyprus where he, unexpectedly was chosen as bishop. At the age of sixty, he became the bishop of Salamis and, as such, governed the Church of God for fifty-five years. He lived a total of one-hundred fifteen years on this earth and rested from this life so as to live eternally in the kingdom of Christ. Before his death, he was summoned to Constantinople by Emperor Arcadius and his wife Eudoxia to an assembly of bishops which, according to the wish of the emperor and the empress, should have condemned St. John Chrysostom. Arriving in Constantinople, Epiphanius went directly to the palace of the emperor where the emperor and empress detained him for a long while trying to persuade him to declare himself against Chrysostom. The citizens and Chrysostom heard that Epiphanius agreed with the emperor against Chrysostom. That is why Chrysostom wrote him a letter: "Brother Epiphanius, I heard that you advised the emperor that I be exiled; know ye, that you will never see your throne again." To that Epiphanius replied to him: "O suffering John, withstand insults; know ye, that you will never reach the place to which you are exiled." And both prophecies of these saints were quickly fulfilled. Not wanting to agree in anyway with the emperor to the exile of Chrysostom, Epiphanius secretly boarded a boat and departed for Cyprus, but he died on the boat. The emperor banished Chrysostom into exile to Armenia. But, this saint died enroute. St. Epiphanius rested in the year 403 A.D. Among the many works of St. Epiphanius, the most famous is the Medicine Chest [Panarium] in which eighty heresies are listed and refuted. 2. SAINT HERMAN, THE PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE Herman was the son of the head imperial senator who was killed by Emperor Constantine Pogonatus. This same evil emperor castrated the senator's son, Herman, and forcibly banished him to a monastery. As a monk, Herman shone like a star by his life and good works. Because of that, he was chosen as the first bishop of Cyzicus and, when Anastatius II was crowned emperor, Herman was elected as patriarch of Constantinople. As patriarch he baptized the ill-reputed Copronymos who, during the time of his baptism, soiled the water with his uncleanliness. Then the patriarch prophesied that this child, when he becomes emperor, will introduce into the Holy Church some impure heresy. And this happened. When Copronymos became emperor, he restored the heresy of the iconoclasts. Leo Isaurian, the father of Copronymos, initiated the persecution of icons and when Patriarch Herman protested, the arrogant Leo cried out: "I am emperor and priest!" He removed Herman from the patriarchal throne and banished him to a monastery where this saint lived for ten more years until the Lord called him to Himself and to the heavenly kingdom in the year 740 A.D.

Gems From the Desert

A truly merciful person is not one that deliberately gives away superfluous things, but one that forgives those who deprive him of what he needs. The greater the pain you feel, the more you should welcome the person whose reproof makes you feel it. For he is bringing about within you that total purification without which your intellect cannot attain the pure state of prayer -St. Ilias the Presbyter
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Philoptochos Announcements:
Saint George Ethiopian Orthodox Church Open House:
Our Orthodox brothers and sisters in Christ are delighted to announce that they have purchased their own Church after renting our hall for the past eight years. They invite our parish to join them in their celebratory open house on May 19 th at 11:30 am (note time change) in their new Church at 804 East Center Street in Rochester. A second tray will be passed after Liturgy on May 19 th as a monetary gift from the parishioners of Holy Anargyroi. Thank you for your generosity.

Palm Sunday Dinner Thank You:

The Philoptochos Society would like to thank all of you who have attended, volunteered or donated towards our Palm Sunday dinner fundraiser. We netted $1,117, which will be given to our committed philanthropic charities. Thank you to Ann Kolas, Angie Rustad, Penny Kolas, and Loredana Jerghiuta. We also have great gratitude to George Yogi Kereakos for his sponsorship, thank you Yogi!

On Doubting Thomas
By St. Gregory the Great
The following is an excerpt from the homilies of St. Gregory the Great (also known as St. Gregory the Dialogist). In both East and West, the Sunday after Easter (Pascha) is devoted to the beautiful unbelief of Thomas, whose doubt stands as a proxy, making our own unnecessary: Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. He was the only disciple absent; on his return he heard what had happened but refused to believe it. The Lord came a second time; He offered His side for the disbelieving disciple to touch, held out His hands, and showing the scars of His wounds, healed the wound of his disbelief. Dearly beloved, what do you see in these events? Do you really believe that it was by chance that this chosen disciple was absent, then came and heard, heard and doubted, doubted and touched, touched and believed? It was not by chance but in Gods providence. In a marvelous way Gods mercy arranged that the disbelieving disciple, in touching the wounds of his Masters body, should heal our wounds of disbelief. The disbelief of Thomas has done more for our faith than the faith of the other disciples. As he touches Christ and is won over to belief, every doubt is cast aside and our faith is strengthened. So the disciple who doubted, then felt Christs wounds, becomes a witness to the reality of the resurrection. Touching Christ, he cried out: My Lord and my God. Jesus said to him: Because you have seen me, Thomas, you have believed. Paul said: Faith is the guarantee of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. It is clear, then, that faith is the proof of what cannot be seen. What is seen gives knowledge, not faith. When Thomas saw and touched, why was he told: You have believed because you have seen me? Because what he saw and what he believed were different things. God cannot be seen by mortal man. Thomas saw a human being, whom he acknowledged to be God, and said: My Lord and my God. Seeing, he believed; looking at one who was true man, he cried out that this was God, the God he could not see. What follows is reason for great joy: Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed. There is here a particular reference to ourselves; we hold in our hearts One we have not seen in the flesh. We are included in these words, but only if we follow up our faith with good works. The true believer practices what he believes. But of those who pay only lip service to faith, Paul has this to say: They profess to know God, but they deny him in their works . Therefore James says: Faith without works is dead.

Our Current Salutation:

In multiple languages
English: Albanian: Aleut: Arabic: Armenian: Bulgarian: Chinese: Christ is Risen! Khrishti unjal! Khristus anahgrecum! El Messieh kahm! Kristos haryav ee merelotz! Hristos voskrese! Helisituosi fuhuole! Indeed He is risen! Vertet unjal! Alhecum anahgrecum! Hakken kahm! Orhnial eh harootyunuh kristosee! Vo istina voskrese! Queshi fuhuole! I sandhed Han er Opstanden! (or Sandelig Han er Opstanden!) Ja, hij is waarlijk opgestaan! Bahake tensiou!

Danish: Dutch:

Kristus er opstanden! Christus is opgestaan!

Eritrean-Tigre: Christos tensiou! Ethiopian: Finnish: French: Georgian: German: Greek: Spanish:

Christos t'ensah em' muhtan! Exai' ab-her eokala! Kristus nousi kuolleista! Le Christ est ressuscite! Kriste ahzdkhah! Christus ist erstanden! Christos anesti! Cristo ha resucitado! Totisesti nousi! En verite il est ressuscite! Chezdmaridet! Er ist wahrhaftig erstanden! Alithos anesti! En verdad ha resucitado!

Romanian: Russian:

Cristos a inviat! Khristos voskrese!

Adevarat a inviat! Voistinu voskrese!