Church Bulletin - August 19, 2001 - 11th Sunday of Matthew

FALLING ASLEEP OF THE VIRGIN

11th Sunday of Matthew - August 19, 2001
[ Click here for the Bible readings: 1 Cor 9:2-12; Mt 18:23-35]
[ Click here for the Bible readings in Greek ]

FALLING ASLEEP OF THE VIRGIN

In a sense, one might say that the month of August is devoted to the Holy Virgin, Theotokos, Birthgiver of God. Two weeks of the month are set aside by the Church as a time of fasting and of preparing for the Feast of her Dormition or Falling Asleep. Special services are conducted during the time, and sermons are preached about this one "blessed amongst women..."

Tradition has woven for us the story of the Holy Virgin's last days and departure from this life. Our Lord, at the time of His death on the cross, instructed St. John the Beloved Apostle to care for the Virgin Mother.

But time marches on, and with its passing the race of humankind also passes. The Theotokos felt the weakness of the flesh. She gave instructions to be buried at Gethsemane, and then "fell asleep" in Christ. The apostles and disciples of the Lord gathered to honor her.

An ancient story tells that Apostle Thomas was not present at the time of the rites. After 3 days he arrived, asking to see the Virgin Mother and impart the "last kiss of parting." The apostles opened the tomb, and were astonished to find that the body was gone. It is from this story that the term "assumption" has been associated with the event. The body of the Holy Virgin was resurrected, as will be the case for all who have believed in the Lord.

On the occasion of this feastday, the pious Christian turns his thoughts to the closing of his earthly journey, and prays that his falling asleep will be like that of the Theotokos. So it is that we pray at every Divine Liturgy: "For a Christian ending to our life, painless, blameless, peaceful, and a good defense at the judgment seat of Christ, let us beseech of the Lord..."

ANASTASIMON APOLUTIKION

{Ote kath`lqe~ prov~ tovn qavnaton, hJ zwhv ajqavnato~, tovte tovn a{/dhn ejnevkrwsa~, th`/ ajstraph`/ th`~ Qeovthto~. {Ote dev kaiv touv~ teqnew`ta~, ejk tw`n katacqonivwn ajnevsthsa~, pa`sai aiJ Dunavmei~ tw`n ejpouranivwn ejkrauvgazon: Zwodovta Cristev, oJ Qeov~ hJmw`n, dovxa soi.

RESURRECTION APOLYTIKION

When you descended to death, O immortal life, then the light of Your divinity destroyed Hades. When You raised the dead from the depths of darkness, all the heavenly powers cried out, "Glory to You, O Christ our God, the Giver of life."

APOLUTIKION THS KOIMHSEWS THS QEOTOKOU

JEn th`/ Genhvsei, thvn parqenivan ejfuvlaxa~: ejn th`/ Koimhvsei, tovn kovsmon ouj katevlipe~ Qeotovke: metevsth~ prov~ thvn zwhvn, Mhvthr uJpavrcousa th`~ zwh`~, kaiv tai`~ presbeivai~ tai`~ sai`~ lutroumevnh, ejk qanavtou tav~ yucav~ hJmw`n.

APOLYTIKION OF THE DORMITION OF THE THEOTOKOS

In birth, you preserved your virginity; in death, you did not abandon the world, O Theotokos. As member of life, you departed to the source of life, by your intercessions delivering our souls from death.

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

Thvn ejn presbeivai~ ajkoivmhton Qeotovkon, kaiv prostasivai~ ajmetavqeton ejlpivda, tavfo~ kaiv nevkrwsi~ oujk ejkravthsen: wJ~ gavr zwh`~ mhtevra, prov~ thvn zwhvn metevsthsen, oJ mhvtran oijkhvsa~ ajeipavrqenon.

KONTAKION

Neither the grave nor death could contain the Theotokos, the unshakable hope, ever vigilant in intercession and protection. As Mother of life, He who dwelt in the ever-virginal womb transposed her life.

APOSTOLOS
(A j Korinqivou~ q j 2<12)

jAdelfoiv, hJ sfragiv~ th`~ ejmh`~ ajpostolh`~ uJmei`~ ejstev ejn Kurivw/. JH ejmhv ajpologiva toi`~ ejmev ajnakrivnousin au{th ejstiv. Mhv oujk e[comen ejxousivan fagei`n kaiv piei`n; Mhv oujk e[comen ejxousivan ajdelfhvn gunai`ka periavgein, wJ~ kaiv oiJ loipoiv ajpovstoloi kaiv oiJ ajdelfoiv tou` Kurivou kaiv Khfa`~; [H movno~ ejgwv kaiv Barnavba~ oujk e[comen ejxousivan tou` mhv ejrgavzesqai; Tiv~ strateuvetai ijdivoi~ ojywnivoi~ potev; Tiv~ futeuvei ajmpelw`na kaiv ejk tou` karpou` aujtou` oujk ejsqivei; [H tiv~ poimevnei poivmnhn kaiv ouj ejk tou` gavlakto~ th`~ poivmnh~ oujk ejsqivei; Mhv katav a[nqrwpon tau`ta lalw`; [H oujciv kaiv oJ novmo~ tau`ta levgei; jEn gavr tw`/ Mwu>sevw~ novmw/ gevgraptai: "Ouj fimwvsei~ bou`n ajlow`nta" . Mhv tw`n bow`n mevlei tw`/ Qew`; [H di j hJma`~ pavntw~ levgei; Di j hJma`~ gavr ejgravfh, "o{ti ejp j ejlpivdi ojfeivlei oJ ajrotriw`n ajrotria`n, kaiv oJ ajlow`n th`~ ejlpivdo~ aujtou` metevcein ejp j ejlpivdi". Eij hJmei`~ hJmi`n tav pneumatikav ejspeivramen, mevga eij hJmei`~ uJmw`n tav sarkikav qerivswmen; Eij a[lloi th`~ ejxousiva~ uJmw`n metevcousin, ouj ma`llon hJmei`~; jAll j oujk ejcrhsavmeqa th`/ ejxousiva/ tauvth/, ajllav pavnta stevgomen, i{na mhv ejgkophvn tina dw`men tw`/ Eujaggelivw/ tou` Cristou`.

EPISTLE
(1 Corinthians 9: 2-12)

Brethren, You are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

This is my defense to those who would examine me. Do we not have the right to our food and drink? Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a wife, as the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?

Do I say this on human authority? Does not the law say the same? For it is written in the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain." Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of a share in the crop. If we have sown spiritual good among you, is it too much if we reap your material benefits? If others share this rightful claim upon you, do not we still more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.

EUAGGELION
JEk tou` katav Matqai`on.
(Kef. ih j (18), 23<35)

Ei\pen oJ Kuvrio~ thvn parabolhvn tauvthn: JWmoiwvqh hJ basileiva tw`n oujranw`n ajnqrwvpw/ basilei`, o{~ hjqevlhse suna`rai lovgon metav tw`n douvlwn aujtou`. jArxamevnou dev aujtou` sunaivrein, proshnevcqh aujtw`/ ei|~ ojfeilevth~ murivwn talavntwn. Mhv e[[conto~ dev ajpodou`nai, ejkevleusen aujtovn oJ kuvrio~ aujtou` praqh`nai kaiv thvn gunai`ka aujtou`, kaiv tav tevkna, kaiv pavnta o{sa ei\ce, kaiv ajpodoqh`nai. Peswvn ou\n oJ dou`lo~ prosekuvnei aujtw`/, levgwn: Kuvrie, makroquvmhson ejp j ejmoiv, kaiv pavnta soi ajpodwvsw. Splagcnisqeiv~ dev oJ kuvrio~ tovn dou`lon ejkeivnou, ajpevlusen aujtovn, kaiv tov davneion ajfh`ken aujtw`/. JExelqwvn dev oJ dou`lo~ ejkei`no~, eu|ren e{na tw`n sundouvlwn aujtou`, o{~ w[feilen aujtw`/ eJkatovn dhnavria: kaiv krathvsa~ aujtovn e[pnige, levgwn: jApovdo~ moi o{,ti ojfeivlei~. Peswvn dev oJ suvndoulo~ aujtou` eij~ touv~ povda~ aujtou`, parekavlei aujtovn, levgwn: Makroquvmhson ejp j ejmoiv, kaiv pavnta ajpodwvsw soi. JO dev oujk h[qelen: ajll j ajpelqwvn, e[balen aujtovn eij~ fulakhvn, e{w~ ou| ajpodw`/ tov ojfeilovmenon. JIdovnte~ dev oiJ suvndouloi aujtou` tav genovmena, ejluphvqhsan sfovdra: kaiv ejlqovnte~ diesavfhsan tw`/ kurivw/ aujtw`n pavnta tav genovmena. Tovte proskalesavmeno~ aujtovn oJ kuvrio~ aujtou`, levgei aujtw`/: Dou`le ponhrev, pa`san thvn ojfeilhvn ejkeivnhn ajfh`kav soi, ejpeiv parakavlesav~ me: oujk e[dei kaiv sev ejleh`sai tovn suvndoulovn sou, wJ~ kaiv ejgwv se hjlevhsa; Kaiv ojrgisqeiv~ oJ kuvrio~ aujtou`, parevdwken aujtovn toi``~ basanistai`~, e{w~ ou| ajpodw`/ pa`n tov ojfeilovmenon aujtw`/. Ou{tw kaiv oJ Pathvr mou oJ ejpouravnio~ poihvsei uJmi`n, ejavn mhv ajfh`te e{kasto~ tw`/ ajdelfw`/ aujtou` ajpov tw`n kardiw`n uJmw`n, tav paraptwvmata aujtw`n.

GOSPEL
From the Gospel according to St. Matthew
(Chapter 18: 23-35)

The Lord said this parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servant who owed him a hundred dinarii; and seized him by the throat he said, ‘Pay what you awe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother his trespasses from your heart."

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