Church Bulletin - August 5, 2001 - 9th Sunday of Matthew

THE GLORY OF THE TRANSFIGURATION

9th Sunday of Matthew - August 5, 2001
[ Click here for the Bible readings: 1 Cor 3:9-17; Mt 14:22-34]
[ Click here for the Bible readings in Greek ]

THE GLORY OF THE TRANSFIGURATION . . .

A moment of eternity in our world of time. A glimpse of the light of God's glory in our land of sinful darkness. A vision of the Kingdom to come in our blindness of the present. All this might be said of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, that great feastday which illuminates the month of August in our church calendar.

The icon of our bulletin, faithful to the traditional iconographic rendition, vividly depicts the scene as recorded in the Gospel. Christ appears on the summit of Mount Tabor in garment "white as the light," flanked by Moses on the right, and Elijah (Elias) on the left, representing the Law and the Prophets, or as some say, representing the living and the dead. Christ is enveloped in geometric forms, representing the "bright cloud" that covered Him.

Beneath are the 3 Apostles whom the Lord took with Him up the mountain. They are overwhelmed by the vision of the Lord's divinity, the voice of the Father, and the bright cloud, and they fall to the ground. Peter, kneeling, is at the right; John, falling to earth, in the center; and James at the left.
So, what we have in this feast is the revelation of the glory of God the Son, the manifestation of His majesty, His divinity, we have an appearance of Christ's divine nature, and we have the mystery and splendor of the glory of light.

Why was Christ transfigured? A hymn tells us: "So that when Christ's apostles should see You crucified, they might understand Your suffering to be of Your own will and might proclaim to the world that You are truly the light of the Father."

ANASTASIMON APOLUTIKION

JEx u{you~ kath`lqe~ oJ eu[splagcno~, tafhvn katedevxw trihvmeron, i{na ejleuqerwvsh/~ tw`n paqw`n. JH zwhv kaiv hJ ajnavstasi~ hJmw`n, Kuvrie, dovxa soi.

RESURRECTION APOLYTIKION

O Merciful One, You came from on high, and condescended to Your three-day burial to save us from passions. You are our life and our Resurrection. Glory to You.

APOLUTIKION PROEORTION

Cristou` thvn Metamovrfwsin, prou>panthvswmen, faidrw`~ panhgurivzonte~, tav Proeovrtia, pistoiv kaiv bohvswmen: [Hggiken hJ hJmevra th`~ ejnqevou eujfrosuvnh~, a[neisin eij~ tov o[ro~, tov Qabwvr oJ Despovth~, th`~ Qeovthto~ aujtou` ajpastravyai thvn wjraiovthta.

APOLYTIKION OF THE FOREFEAST

O faithful, brightly, celebrating the Forefeast, let us go forth to greet the Transfiguration of Christ and cry out, "The day of divine joy has neared. The Master has ascended Mountain Tabor to radiate the beauty of His divinity."

APOLUTIKION TOU AGIOU NIKOLAOU

Kanovna pivstew~ , kaiv eijkovna praovthto~, ejgkrateiva~ Didavskalon, ajnevdeixev se th`/ poivmnh/ sou, hJ tw`n pragmavtwn ajlhvqeia: diav tou`to ejkthvsw th`/ tapeinwvsei tav uJyhlav, th`/ ptwceiva/ tav plouvsia, Pavter iJeravrca Nikovlae: prevsbeue Cristw`/ tw`/ Qew`/, swqh`nai tav~ yucav~ hJmw`n.

APOLYTIKION OF ST. NICHOLAS

An example of the Faith and a life of humility, as a teacher of abstinence you did inspire and lead your flock and through your truthfulness of your deeds were exalted by greatness through your humility uplifting all and by poverty gaining wealth. Father and hierarch Nicholas intercede with Christ our God that our souls be saved.

KONTAKION

jEn th`/ qeiva/ shvmeron, metamorfwvsei, hJ broteiva a{pasa, fuvsi~ prolavmpei qei>kw`~, ejn eujfrosuvnh/ kraugavzousa: Metamorfou`tai Cristov~, sw/vzwn a{panta~.

KONTAKION

Today does the whole of mortal nature glitter in the divine transfiguration, in a divine manner, shouting with joy: Christ is transfigured, the Savior of all.

APOSTOLOS
(A j Kor. g j 9<17)

jAdelfoiv, Qeou` ejsmen sunergoiv: Qeou` gewvrgion, Qeou` oijkodomhv ejste. Katav thvn cavrin tou` Qeou` thvn doqei`savn moi wJ~ sofov~ ajrcitevktwn qemevlion tevqeika, a[llo~ dev ejpoikodomei`: e{kasto~ dev blepevtw pw`~ ejpoikodomei`: qemevlion gavr a[llon oujdeiv~ duvnatai qei`nai parav tovn keivmenon, o{~ ejstin jIhsou`~ Cristov~. Eij dev ti~ epoikodomei` ejpiv tov qemevlion tou`ton crusovn, a[rguron, livqou~ timivou~, xuvla, covrton, kalavmhn, eJkavstou tov e[rgon fanerovn genhvsetai: hJ gavr hJmevra dhlwvsei: o{ti ejn puriv ajpokaluvptetai: kaiv ejkavstou tov e[rgon oJpoi`ovn ejsti tov pu`r dokimavsei. Ei[ tino~ tov e[rgon menei` o{ ejpw/kodovmhse, misqovn lhvyetai: ei[ tino~ tov e[rgon katakahvsetai, aujtov~ dev swqhvsetai, ou{tw~ dev wJ~ diav purov~. Oujk oi[date o{ti naov~ Qeou` oijkei` ejn uJmi`n; Ei[ ti~ tovn naovn tou` Qeou` fqeivrei, fqerei` tou`ton oJ Qeov~: oJ gavr naov~ tou` Qeou` a{giov~ ejstin, oi{tinev~ ejste uJmei`~.

EPISTLE
(1 Cor. 3: 9-17)

Brethren, for we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another man is building upon it. Let each man take care how he builds upon it. For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw- each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If any one destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and that temple you are.

EUAGGELION
JEk tou` katav Matqai`on.
(Kef. id j (14), 22<34)

Tw`/ kairw`/ ejkeivnw/, hjnavgkasen oJ jIhsou``~ touv~ Maqhtav~ aujtou` ejmbh`nai eij~ tov ploi`on, kaiv proavgein aujtovn eij~ tov pevran, e{w~ ou| ajpoluvsh/ touv~ o[clou~. Kaiv ajpoluvsa~ touv~ o[clou~, ajnevbh eij~ tov o[ro~ kat j ijdivan proseuvxasqai. JOyiva~ dev genomevnh~, movno~ h\n ejkei`. Tov dev ploi`on h[dh mevsw th`~ qalavssh~ h\n, basanizovmenon uJpov tw`n kumavtwn: h\n gavr ejnantivo~ oJ a[nemo~. Tetavrth/ dev fulakh`/ th`~ nuktov~ ajph`lqe prov~ aujtouv~ oJ jIhsou`~, peripatw`n ejpiv th``~ qalavssh~. Kaiv ijdovnte~ aujtovn oiJ Maqhtaiv ejpiv thvn qavlassan peripatou`nta, ejtaravcqhsan, levgonte~: {Oti favntasma ejsti: kaiv ajpov tou` fovbou e[kraxan: Eujqevw~ dev ejlavlhsen oJ jIhsou`~, levgwn: Qarsei`te: ejgwv eijmi: mhv fobei`sqe. JApokriqeiv~ dev aujtw`/ oJ Pevtro~, ei\pe: Kuvrie, suv ei\, kevleusovn me prov~ sev ejlqei`n ejpiv tav u{data. JO dev ei\pen: jElqev. Kaiv katabav~ ajpov tou` ploivou oJ Pevtro~, periepavthsen ejpiv tav u{data, ejlqei`n prov~ tovn jIhsou`n. Blevpwn dev tovn a[nemon ijscurovn, ejfobhvqh: kaiv ajrxavmeno~ katapontivzesqai, e[kraxe, levgwn: Kuvrie, sw`sovn me. Eujqevw~ dev oj jIhsou`~ ejkteivna~ thvn cei`ra, ejpelavbeto aujtou`, kaiv levgei aujtw`/: jOligovpiste, eij~ tiv ejdivstasa~; Kaiv ejmbavntwn aujtw`n eij~ tov ploi`on, ejkovpasen oJ a[nemo~. OiJ dev ejn tw`/ ploivw/, ejlqovnte~ prosekuvnhsan aujtw`/, levgonte~: jAlhqw`~ Qeou` UiJov~ ei\. Kaiv diaperavsante~, h\lqon eij~ thvn gh`n Gennhsarevt.

GOSPEL
From the Gospel according to St. Matthew
(Chapter 14: 22-34)

At that time, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was out on the sea, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. But immediately he spoke to them, saying, "Take heart, it is I; have no fear."

And Peter answered him, "Lord if it is you, bid me come to you on the water. " He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the strong wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "O man of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

And when they had crossed over, they came to the land at Gennesaret.

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
1260 Davis Street, San Jose, California 95126