Church Bulletin - January 26, 2003 - Fifteenth Sunday of Luke

FIFTEENTH SUNDAY OF LUKE - January 26, 2003
[ Click here for the Bible readings: 1 Tim 4:9-15; Lk 19:1-10]
[ Click here for the Bible readings in Greek and English ]

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"BUT I HAVE CALLED YOU FRIENDS..."

FRIENDSHIPS ARE SPECIAL relationships. We confide in our friends . . . we trust them with our innermost secrets and we trust them with our very lives. We share our joys and our sorrows with them. We know we can always turn to them in time of need, and we are always available to help out if the situation is reversed. Anyone with a TRUE friend is, indeed, a fortunate person.

It is no wonder, then, that Christ speaks about friends in a very beautiful manner in His Farewell Discourse to His Apostles on the night of His Passion. "But I have called you friends, for all things I heard from My Father I have made known to You." (John 15:15) What an honor it was for them to be referred to by Jesus as His "friends!" Yes, Christ would always be their Master, but because of their great love for Him and their willingness to obey Him, an unbreakable bond was formed between them.

It is important for us to note that we, too, can be numbered among God's friends, and He tells us exactly what we must do if we want to foster this type of relationship with Him: "You are my friends if you do whatever I command you." (John 15:14) Being a friend of God requires commitment and dedication. Being His friend calls for sacrifice on our part. Being His friend may even cause us to lose the friendship of others, who are not willing or not able to commend their life totally to the Lord.

Be assured, however, that if we are loyal friends of Christ, then, like the Apostles and all of the saints, we, too, will share in the eternal glory of the Kingdom of Heaven.

KURIAKH IE ¢ LOUKA
Xenofw`nto~ tou` JOsivou
kaiv th`` Sunodiva~ aujtou`

Anastavsimon jApolutivkion

jAggelikaiv Dunavmei~ ejpiv tov mnh`mav sou, kaiv oiJ fulavssonte~ ajpenekrwvqhsan: kaiv i{stato Mariva ejn tw`/ tavfw/, zhtou`sa tov a[crantovn sou sw`ma: ejskuvleusa~ tovn a{/dhn, mhv peirasqeiv~ uJp j aujtou`: uJphvnthsa~ th`/ Parqevnw,/ dwrouvmeno~ thvn zwhvn. JO ajnastav~ ejk tw`n nekrw`n, Kuvrie, dovxa soi.

FIFTEENTH SUNDAY OF LUKE
The Venerable Xenofon
and his Companions

Resurrection Dismissal Hymn

O Christ the angelic powers appeared at Your tomb, the guards were as dead, and Mary stood by the grave, seeking Your sacred body. You destroyed Hades yet remained untouched by it. You encountered the Virgin and, through her, bestowed life. Glory to You who have risen from the dead!

Qeotokivon

JO thvn eujloghmevnhn kalevsa~ sou mhtevra, h\lqe~ ejpiv tov pavqo~ eJkousiva/ boulh`/, lavmya~ ejn tw`/ Staurw`/, ajnazhth`sai qevlwn tovn jAdavm, levgwn toi`~ jAggevloi~: Sugcavrhtev moi, o{ti euJrevqh hJ ajpollumevnh dracmhv. JO pavnta sofw`~ oijkonomhvsa~ Qeov~, dovxa soi.

Theotokion

O Lord, who called the blessed One Mother, and of Your own will came to Your passion, Who shone radiantly on the Cross, seeking Adam’s restoration and saying to the angels, "Rejoice with me, for I have found the lost piece of silver," You have provided all things in wisdom. Glory to You!

jApolutikion tou` JAgivou Nikolavou

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.

Dismissal Hymn 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.

Kontavkion

JJO 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 krataivwson 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 commonwealth in troubled times and strengthen those in authority, whom You love, as only the Loving One.

jjApovstolo~
Prokeivmenon. \Hco~ a¢ (Yalmov~ mh¢ )
Tov stovma mou lalhvsei sofivan
kaiv hJ melevth th`~ kardiva~ mou suvnesin.
Stivc. jAkouvsate tau`ta, pavnta tav e[qnh.
Prov~ JEbraivou~ jEpistolh`~ Pauvlou
tov jAnavgnwsma. (Kef. z j 26-28, h j 1-2)

Epistle
Prokeimenon. First Tone. Psalm 48.3, 1
My mouth shall speak wisdom and the
meditation of my heart shall bring forth
understanding.
Verse. Hear this all you nations.
The reading is from Saint Paul’s Letter
to the Hebrews. (Hebrews 7: 26-28, 8: 1-2)

Brethren, It was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did this once for all when he offered up himself. Indeed, the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect for ever. Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the sanctuary and the true tent which is set up not by man but by the Lord.

Eujaggevlion
JEk tou` katav Louka`n aJgivou Eujaggelivou
tov jAnavgnwsma. Kef. iq j (19), 1-10

Tw`/ kairw`/ ejkeivnw/, dihvrceto oJ jIhsou`~ thvn JIericwv: kaiv ijdouv ajnhvr ojnovmati kalouvmeno~ Zakcai`o~, kaiv aujtov~ h\n ajrcitelwvnh~, kaiv ou|to~ h\n plouvsio~, kaiv ejzhvtei ijdei`n tovn jIhsou`n tiv~ ejsti, kaiv oujk hjduvnato ajpov tou` o[clou, o{ti th`/ hJlikiva/ mikrov~ h\n. Kaiv prodramwvn e[mprosqen ajnevbh ejpiv sukomorevan, i{na i{dh/ aujtovn, o{ti di j ejkeivnh~ h[melle dievrcesqai. Kaiv wJ~ h\lqen ejpiv tovn tovpon, ajnablevya~ oJ jIhsou`~ ei\den aujtovn kaiv ei\pe prov~ aujtovn: Zakcai`e, speuvsa~ katavbhqi. Shvmeron gavr ejn tw`/ oi[kw/ sou dei` me mei`nai. Kaiv speuvsa~ katevbh, kaiv uJpedevxato aujtovn caivrwn. Kaiv ijdovnte~ pavnte~ diegovgguzon levgonte~ o{ti parav aJmartwlw`/ ajndriv eijsh`lqe katalu`sai. Staqeiv~ dev Zakcai`o~ ei\pe prov~ tovn jIhsou`n: jIdouv tav hJmivsh tw`n uJparcovntwn mou, Kuvrie, divdwmi toi`~ ptwcoi`~, kaiv ei[ tinov~ ti ejsukofavnthsa, ajpodivdwmi tetraplou`n. Ei\pe dev prov~ aujtovn oJ jIhsou`~ o{ti shvmeron swthriva tw`/ oi[kw/ touvtw/ ejgevneto, kaqovti kaiv aujtov~ uiJov~ jAbraavm ejstin. \Hlqe gavr oJ uiJov~ tou` ajnqrwvpou zhth`sai kaiv sw`sai tov ajpolwlov~.

Gospel
The reading is from the holy Gospel according to St. Luke. Chapter 19:1-10

At that time, Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it they all murmured, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost."

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