Church Bulletin - August 26, 2001 - 12th Sunday of Matthew

THE APOSTLE TITUS: TRUSTED COMPANION OF ST. PAUL

12th Sunday of Matthew - August 26, 2001
[ Click here for the Bible readings: 1 Cor 15:1-11; Mt 19:16-26]
[ Click here for the Bible readings in Greek ]

O Yoke-mate of Paul,
together with him, thou didst preach the tidings to us of saving grace
bestowed of God...

The Apostle Titus was one of the first and, perhaps, best known Gentile converts to Christianity. Holy Tradition tells us he was born on the island of Crete not long after the birth of Christ. His father Minoa ruled as king of this prominent Mediterranean island. Titus received the best possible education, but one day, he was cautioned in a dream to realize that finding salvation for his soul needed to be the main object of his studies.

At the age of 20, Titus left Crete for Jerusalem, determined to find an answer to his puzzling dream. We are told that while in the Holy City, he actually encountered the Lord -- he may even have been numbered with the 120 disciples gathered in the Upper Room on the first Christian Pentecost. Soon after this, Titus met the Apostle Paul in Antioch, where he became a convert to Christianity.

The conversion of Titus played an important role in the development of the early Church. When a controversy developed over whether or not Gentile converts needed to submit to the Hebrew practice of circumcision and follow other disciplines adhered to by the Jews, Paul took Titus to Jerusalem for a special Council of the Apostles. Because of the effective argument of St. Paul, Titus, and all other Gentile converts, were not subjected to the ancient ritualistic laws that were foreign to them.

The Apostle Paul placed a great deal of trust and responsibility in Titus. They were partners in several missionary endeavors. Titus was sent by Paul to his home in Crete to organize the Church there. Though he was severely resisted by a strong pagan element, Titus eventually succeeded in establishing a strong Church in Crete. He died there in 107 A.D. at the age of 95.

ANASTASIMON APOLUTIKION

Eujfrainevsqw tav oujravnia, ajgalliavsqw tav ejpivgeia, o{ti ejpoivhse kravto~ ejn bracivoni aujtou` oJ Kuvrio~: ejpavthse tw`/ qanavtw/ tovn qavnaton, prwtovtoko~ tw`n nekrw`n ejgevneto, ejk koiliva~ a{dou ejrjrJuvsato hJma`~, kaiv parevsce~ tw`/ kovsmw/ tov mevga e[leo~.

RESURRECTION APOLYTIKION

Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad, for the Lord, by His mighty Arm, has created a Dominion. He has conquered death by death, and become the firstborn of the dead. He has delivered us from the depths of Hades, and has granted the world great mercy.

APOLUTIKION TWN AGIWN

JAnafaivreton o[lbon hJghvsw, thvn swthvrion pivstin trismavkar, katalipwvn thvn patrwv/an ajsevbeian, kaiv tw`/ Despovth/ kat j i[cno~ eJpovmeno~, kateploutivsqh~ ejnqevoi~ carivsmasin: jAndrianev e[ndoxe, Cristovn tovn Qeovn iJkevteue, swqh`nai tav~ yucav~ hJmw`n.

APOLYTIKION OF THE SAINTS

O thrice blessed, you were led to saving faith, an undiminishing joy. You abandoned paternal impiety, and by following in the footsteps of the Master, you abundantly received divine gifts. O glorious Adrian, beseech Christ God for the salvation of our souls.

QEOTOKION

Sev thvn mesiteuvsasan thvn swthrivan tou` gevnou~ hJmw`n, ajnumnou`men Qeotovke Parqevne: ejn th`/ sarkiv gavr th`/ ejk sou` proslhfqeivsh, oJ UiJov~ sou kaiv Qeov~ hJmw`n, tov diav Staurou` katadexavmeno~ pavqo~, ejlutrwvsato hJma`~ ejk fqora`~, wJ~ filavnqrwpo~./

THEOTOKION

We praise you, Virgin Theotokos, intercessor of our race. In the flesh He received from you, your Son, our loving God, freed us from corruption by condescending to the Passion of the Cross.

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

jIwakeivm kaiv [Anna ojneidismou` ajtekniva~, kaiv jAdavm kaiv Eu[a, ejk th`~ fqora`~ tou` qanavtou, hjleuqerwvqhsan [Acrante, ejn th`/ aJgiva/ gennhvsei sou: Aujthvn eJortazei kaiv oJ laov~ sou, ejnoch`~ tw`n ptaismavtwn, lutrwqeiv~ ejn tw`/ kravzein soi: JH stei`ra tivktei thvn Qeotovkon, kaiv trofovn th`~ zwh`~ hJmw`n.

KONTAKION

In Your holy birth, Immaculate One, Joachim and Anna were rid of the shame of childlessness; Adam and Eve of the corruption of death. And so your people, free of the guilt of their sins, celebrate crying: "The barren one gives birth to the Theotokos, who nourishes our life."

APOSTOLOS
(A j Kor. ie j 1<11)

jAdelfoiv, gnwrivzw de; uJmi'n, ajdelfoiv, to; eujaggevlion o} eujhggelisavmhn uJmi'n, o} kai; parelavbete, ejn w|/ kai; eJsthvkate, diÆ ou| kai; swv/zesqe, tivni lovgw/ eujhggelisavmhn uJmi'n eij katevcete, ejkto;" eij mh; eijkh'/ ejpisteuvsate. parevdwka ga;r uJmi'n ejn prwvtoi", o} kai; parevlabon, o{ti Cristo;" ajpevqanen uJpe;r tw'n aJmartiw'n hJmw'n kata; ta;" grafa;" kai; o{ti ejtavfh kai; o{ti ejghvgertai th'/ hJmevra/ th'/ trivth/ kata; ta;" grafa;" kai; o{ti w[fqh Khfa'/ ei\ta toi'" dwvdeka: e[peita w[fqh ejpavnw pentakosivoi" ajdelfoi'" ejfavpax, ejx w|n oiJ pleivone" mevnousin e{w" a[rti, tine;" de; ejkoimhvqhsan: e[peita w[fqh ÆIakwvbw/ ei\ta toi'" ajpostovloi" pa'sin: e[scaton de; pavntwn wJsperei; tw'/ ejktrwvmati w[fqh kajmoiv. ÆEgw; gavr eijmi oJ ejlavcisto" tw'n ajpostovlwn o}" oujk eijmi; iJkano;" kalei'sqai ajpovstolo", diovti ejdivwxa th;n ejkklhsivan tou' qeou': cavriti de; qeou' eijmi o{ eijmi, kai; hJ cavri" aujtou' hJ eij" ejme; ouj kenh; ejgenhvqh, ajlla; perissovteron aujtw'n pavntwn ejkopivasa, oujk ejgw; de; ajlla; hJ cavri" tou' qeou' »hJ¼ su;n ejmoiv. ei[te ou\n ejgw; ei[te ejkei'noi, ou{tw" khruvssomen kai; ou{tw" ejpisteuvsate.

EPISTLE
(1 Cor. 15:1-11)

Brethren, I would remind you, in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast unless you believe in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believe.

EUAGGELION
JEk tou katav Matqai`on.
(Kef. iq j (19), 16<24)

Tw`/ kairw`/ ejjkeivnw/, neanivsko~ ti~ prosh`lqe tw`/ jIhsou`, gonupetw`n aujtw`/, kaiv levgwn: Didavskale ajgaqev, tiv ajgaqovn poihvsw, I{na e[cw zwhvn aijwvnion; JO dev ei\pen aujtw`/: Tiv mev levgei~ ajgaqovn; oujdeiv~ ajgaqov~, eij mhv ei|~, oJ Qeov~. Eij dev qevlei~ eijselqei`n eij~ thvn zwhvn, thvrhson tav~ ejntolav~. Levgei aujtw`/: Poiva~; JO dev jIhsou`~ ei\pe: Tov: ouj foneuvsei~: Ouj moiceuvsei~: Ouj klevyei~: Ouj yeudomarthrhvsei~: Tivma tovn patevra sou, kaiv thvn mhtevra: kaiv: jAgaphvsei~ tovn plhsivon sou wJ~ seautovn. Levgei aujtw`/ oJ neonivsko~: Pavnta tau`ta ejfulaxavmhn ejk neovthtov~ mou: tiv e[ti uJsterw`; [Efh aujtw`/ oJ jIhsou`~: Eij qevlei~ tevleio~ ei\nai, u{page, pwvlhsovn sou tav uJpavrconta, kaiv dov~ ptwcoi`~: kaiv eJxei~ qhsaurovn ejn oujranw`/: kaiv deu`ro, ajkolouvqei moi. Jakouvsa~ dev oJ neanivsko~ tovn lovgon, ajph`lqe lupouvmeno~: h\n gavr e[cwn kthvmata pollav. JO dev jIhsou`~ ei\pe toi`~ Maqhtai`~ aujtou`: jAmhvn levgw uJmi`n, o{ti plouvsio~ duskovlw~ eijseleuvsetai eij~ thvn basileivan tw`n oujranw`n. Pavlin dev levgw uJmi`n, eujkopwvteron ejsti kavmhlon diav truphvmato~ rafivdo~ dielqei`n, h[ plouvsion eij~ thvn basileivan tou` Qeou` eijselqei`n. jAkouvsante~ dev oiJ Maqhtaiv aujtou`, ejxeplhvssonto sfovdra, levgonte~: Tiv~ a[ra duvnatai swqh`nai; jEmblevya~ dev oJ jIhsou`~, ei\pen aujtoi`~: Parav ajnqrwvpoi~ tou`to ajduvnaton ejsti, parav dev Qew`/ pavnta dunatav ejsti.

GOSPEL
From the Gospel according to St. Matthew
(Chapter 19:16-24)

At that time a young man came up to Jesus, kneeling and saying, "Good Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you call me good? One there is who is good, and he is God. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which?" and Jesus said, "You shall not kill, you shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to him," All these I have observed; what do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.

And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

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