Church Bulletin - February 3, 2002 - 15th Sunday of Matthew

15th Sunday of Matthew - February 3, 2002
[ Click here for the Bible readings: 2 Cor 4:6-15; Mt 22:35-46]
[ Click here for the Bible readings in Greek ]

THE FEAST OF THE MEETING OF THE LORD

The will to live is something that cannot ever be underestimated. Many a person has defied all odds and has continued to exist simply because they were driven by a particular goal or dream.

The Righteous Simeon was such an individual. It was foretold to this pious man that he would live to see the One Who would bring salvation to the world. Patiently, Simeon waited for the coming of the Messiah and the fulfillment of this prophecy.

One day, Simeon went to the Temple at Jerusalem. According to Holy Tradition, he was already approaching 300 years of age at the time. Also coming to the Temple that day were Mary and Joseph, bringing with them the infant Jesus. They were doing so in accordance with the law of Moses, which required all Hebrew parents to bring their first-born son to the Temple forty days after his birth to consecrate him to the Lord and to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God. Simeon immediately recognized this Child as the long-awaited Messiah. He took Him in his arms and glorified God with these beautiful words: "LORD, NOW LETTEST THOU THY SERVANT DEPART IN PEACE, ACCORDING TO THY WORD, FOR MY EYES HAVE SEEN THY SALVATION, WHICH THOU HAST PREPARED BEFORE THE FACE OF ALL PEOPLE. A LIGHT OF REVELATION FOR THE GENTILES, AND THE GLORY OF THY PEOPLE ISRAEL." This prayer of St. Simeon, which has been incorporated into the divine services of the Orthodox Church, not only identifies Christ, but describes His mission to the world as well.

ANASTASIMON APOLUTIKION

{Ote kath`lqe~ prov~ tovn qavnaton, hJ zwhv ajqavnato~, tovte tovn a{/dhn ejnevkrwsa~, th`/ ajstraph`/ th`~ Qeovthto~: o{te 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 UPAPANTHS

Cai`re kecaritwmevnh Qeotovke Parqevne: ejk sou` gavr ajnevteilen oJ {Hlio~ th`~ dikaiosuvnh~, Cristov~ oJ Qeov~ hJmw`n, fwtivzwn touv~ ejn skovtei. Eujfraivnou kaiv suv Presbuvtate divkaie, dexavmeno~ ejn ajgkavlai~ tovn ejleuqerwthvn tw`n yucw`n hJmw`n, carizovmeno~ hJmi`n kaiv thvn jAnavstasin.

APOLYTIKION OF THE PRESENTATION TO THE TEMPLE

Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, full of grace; for from you arose the Sun of justice, Christ our God, lighting those who are in darkness. Rejoice and be glad, O righteous old man carrying in your arms the Deliverer of our souls, who grants us resurrection.

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

JO mhvtran parqenikhvn, aJgiavsa~ tw`/ tovkw/ sou, kaiv cei`ra~ tou` Sumewvn, eujloghvsa~, wJ~ e[prepe, profqavsa~ kaiv nu`n, e[swsa~ hJma`~, Cristev oJ Qeov~. JAll j eijrhvneuson, ejn polevmoi~ tov polivteuma, kaiv krataivw-son basilei`~ ou{~ hjgavphsa~, oJ movno~ filavnqrwpo~.

KONTAKION

Your birth sanctified a Virgin’s womb and properly blessed the hands of Symeon. Having now come and saved us O Christ, our God, give peace to Your common-wealth in troubled times and strengthen those in authority, whom You love, as only the Loving One.

APOSTOLOS
(B j Korinqivou~ d j6<15)

jAdelfoiv, oJ Qeov~ oJ eijpwvn ejk skovtou~ fw`~ lavmyai, o{~ e[lamyen ejn tai`~ kardivai~ hJmw`n prov~ fwtismovn th`~ gnwvsew~ th`~ dovxh~ tou` Qeou` ejn proswvpw/ jIhsou` Cristou`. [Ecomen dev tovn qhsaurovn tou`ton ejn ojstrakivnoi~ skeuvesin, i{na hJ uJperbolhv th`~ dunavmew~ h\/ tou` Qeou` kaiv mhv ejx hJmw`n, ejn pantiv qlibovmenoi ajll j ouj stenocwroumenoi, ajporouvmenoi ajll j oujk ejxaporouvmenoi, diwkovmenoi ajll j oujk ejgkataleipovmenoi, kataballovmenoi ajll j oujk ajpolluvmenoi, pavntote thvn nevkrwsin tou` Kurivou jIhsou` ejn tw`/ swvmati perifevronte~, i{na kaiv hJ zwhv tou` jIhsou` ejn tw`/ swvmati hJmw`n fanerwqh`/. JAeiv gavr hJmei`~ oiJ zw`nte~ eij~ qavnaton paradidovmeqa diav jIhsou`n, i{na kaiv hJ zwhv tou` jIhsou` fanerwqh`/ ejn th`/ qnhth`/ sarkiv hJmw`n. {Wste oJ mevn qavnato~ ejn hJmi`n ejnergei`tai, hJ dev zwhv ejn uJmi`n. [Econte~ dev tov aujtov pneu`ma th`~ pivstew~ katav tov gegrammevnon, jEpivsteusa, diov ejlavlhsa, kaiv hJmei`~ pisteuvomen, diov kaiv lalou`men, eijdovte~ o{ti oJ ejgeivra~ tovn Kuvrion jIhsou`n kaiv hJma`~ diav jIhsou` ejgerei` kaiv parasthvsei suvn uJmi`n. Tav gavr pavnta di j uJma`~, i{na hJ cavri~ pleonavsasa diav tw`n pleiovnwn thvn eujcaristivan perisseuvsh/ eij~ thvn dovxan tou` Qeou`.

EPISTLE
(II Corinthians 4: 6-15)

BRETHREN, it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, "I believe, and so I spoke," we too believed, and so we speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

EUAGGELION
JEk tou` katav Matqai`on
(Kef. kb j 35<46)

Tw`/ kairw`/ ejkeivnw/, Nomikov~ ti~ prosh`lqe tw`/ jIhsou`, peiravzwn aujtovn, kaiv levgwn: Didavskale, poiva ejntolhv megavlh ejn tw`/ novmw/É JO dev jIhsou`~ ei\pen aujtw`/>: jAgaphvsei~ Kuvrion tovn Qeovn sou ejn o{lh/ th`/ kardiva/ sou, kaiv ejn o{lh/ th`/ yuch`/ sou, kaiv ejn o{lh/ th`/ dianoiva/ sou: au{th ejstiv prwvth kaiv megavlh ejntolhv. Deutevra dev oJmoiva aujth`/: jAgaphvsei~ tovn plhsivon sou wJ~ seautovn. JEn tauvtai~ tai`~ dusivn ejntolai`~ o{lo~ oJ novmo~ kaiv oiJ profh`tai krevmantai. Sunhgmevnwn dev tw`n Farisaivwn, ejphrwvthsen aujtouv~ oJ jIhsou`~, levgwn: Tiv uJmi`n dokei` periv tou` Cristou`É tivno~ uiJov~ ejstiÉ Levgousin aujtw`/: Tou` Daui?d. Levgei aujtoi``~: Pw`~ ou\n Daui?d, ejn pneuvmati, Kuvrion aujtovn kalei levgwn: Ei\pen oJ Kuvrio~ tw`/ Kurivw/ mou: Kavqou ejk dexiw`n mou, e{w~ a[n qw` touv~ ejcqrouv~ sou uJpopovdion tw`n podw`n sou. Eij ou\n Daui?d kalei` aujtovn Kuvrion, pw`~ uiJov~ aujtou` ejstiÉ Kaiv oujdeiv~ hjduvnato aujtw`/ ajpokriqh`nai lovgon: oujdev ejtovlmhsev ti~ ajp j ejkeivnh~ th`~ hJmevra~ ejperwth`sai aujtovn.

GOSPEL
From the Gospel of St. Matthew
(Chapter 22: 35-46)

At that time, a lawyer asked him a question, to test him. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, "What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David." He said to them, "How is it then that David, in the spirit, calls him Lord, saying,

‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, till I put thy enemies under thy feet’? If David thus calls him Lord, how is he his son?"

And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

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