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Saint Nicholas
Greek Orthodox
Church
San Jose, California

©
1999-2006 St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church of
San Jose, CA
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Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
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Meat-Fare Sunday -
Sunday of the Last Judgment - March 10, 2002
[ Click here for the Bible readings:
1
Cor 8:8-9:2; Mt 25:31-46]
[ Click here for the Bible readings in Greek
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THE FORTY HOLY MARTYRS OF SEBASTE
For the first three centuries of Christianity, followers of Christ faced terrible persecutions. The pagan Roman rulers had little tolerance for this new religion, and Christians were often faced with a monumental choice: renounce their Master or pay for their "disobedience" with their lives! Some tried to serve Rome and still live according to the principles of their faith, only to find this to be virtually impossible.
Such was the case with a group of saints whom the Church simply refers to now as the "Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste." They were soldiers in the Roman army in the early 4th century, stationed in the remote region of Sebaste, Armenia. They were courageous fighters, who distinguished themselves in their fierce defense of Rome against all enemies. They were also committed Christians, which did not set well with the Emperor Licinius. The Emperor sent
his envoys to Sebaste, hoping to convince the 40 men to pay proper homage to the pagan gods of Rome. When they refused, the soldiers were stripped naked and thrown into the frigid waters of a lake.
On the water's shores, Roman soldiers built blazing fires in an attempt to convince their freezing comrades to abandon Christ for warmth and shelter. Only one of these brave men weakened, but as he left his companions, it is said that he died immediately. According to Holy Tradition, an angel descended from heaven to minister to the dying soldiers, placing crowns on their heads. One of the guards on shore was so moved by this mystical happening that he, too, removed his clothing and entered the near-frozen lake, bringing the number of martyrs back to forty. Indeed, they were crowned with "glory and honor" as they left this world to receive their eternal reward.
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ANASTASIMON
APOLUTIKION
Katevlusa~
tw`/
Staurw`/
sou
tovn
qavnaton:
hjnevw/xa~
tw`/
Lhsth`/
tovn
paravdeison:
tw`n
murofovrwn
tovn
qrh`non
metevbale~:
kaiv
toi`~
soi`~
jApostovloi~
khruvttein
ejpevtaxa~:
o{ti
ajnevsth~,
Cristev
oJ
Qeov~,
parevcwn
tw`/
kovsmw/
tov
mevga
e[leo~.
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RESURRECTION
APOLYTIKION
By Your Cross, O
Christ our God, You destroyed death. You opened paradise to the
thief. You transformed the lament of the Myrrh-bearing women,
and You commanded the Apostles to proclaim You are risen,
granting the world Your great mercy. |
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QEOTOKION
JW~ th``~
hJmw`n ajnastavsew~
qhsauvrisma,
touv~ ejpiv
soiv pepoiqovta~,
panuvmnhte,
ejk lavkkou
kaiv buqou`
ptaismavtwn
ajnavgage.
Suv gavr
touv~ uJpeuquvnou~
th`/ aJmartiva/
e[swsa~, tekou`sa
thvn swthrivan,
hJ prov
tovkou Parqevno~
kaiv ejn
tovkw/ Parqevno~,
kaiv metav
tovkon pavlin
ou|sa Parqevno~.
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THEOTOKION
Treasury of our
Resurrection, you are most praised. Lead us who trust in you from
out of the pit and the depths of our offenses. By giving birth to
Salvation, you saved those responsible for sin. You remained a
virgin prior, a virgin during, and a virgin after the giving of
birth: a virgin forever.
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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.
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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.
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KONTAKION
{Otan
e[lqh/~
oJ Qeov~,
ejpiv
gh`~
metav
dovxh~,
kaiv
trevmousi
tav
suvmpanta:
potamov~
dev
tou`
purov~
prov
tou`
Bhvmato~
e{lkh,
kaiv
bivbloi
ajnoivgwntai,
kaiv
tav
kruptav
dhmosieuvwntai:
tovte
ru`saiv
me,
ejk
tou`
purov~
tou`
ajsbevstou,
kaiv
ajxivwson,
ejk
dexiw`n
souv
me sth`nai,
Kritav
dikaiovtate.
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KONTAKION
O God, when You come
upon the earth in glory, the whole world will tremble. A river of
fire will bring all before Your Judgment Seat and the books will
be opened, and everything in secret will become public. At that
time, deliver me from the fire which never dies, and enable me to
stand by Your right hand, O Judge most Just.
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APOSTOLOS
(A j Korinq. h j 8 < q j 2) JAdelfoiv,
brw`ma
hJma`~
ouj
parivsthsi
tw`/
Qew`/:
ou[te
gavr
ejavn
favgwmen
perisseuvomen,
ou[te
ejavn
mhv
favgwmen
uJsterouvmeqa.
Blevpete
dev
mhvpw~
hJ
ejxousiva
uJmw`n
au{th
provskomma
gevnhtai
toi`~
ajsqenou`sin.
JEavn
gavr
ti~
I[dh/
se,
tovn
e[conta
gnw`sin,
ejn
eijdwleivw/
katakeivmenon,
oujciv
hJ
suneivdhsi~
aujtou`
ajsqenou`~
o[nto~
oijkodomhqhvsetai
eij~
tov
tav
eijdwlovquta
ejsqiveinÉ
Kaiv
ajpolei`tai
oJ
ajsqenw`n
ajdelfov~
ejpiv
th`/
sh`/
gnwvsei,
di
j
o{n
Cristov~
ajpevqanen.
Ou{tw
dev
aJmartavnonte~
eij~
touv~
ajdelfouv~
kaiv
tuvptonte~
aujtw`n
thvn
suneivdhsin
ajsqenou`san
eij~
Cristovn
aJmartavnete.
Diovper
eij
brw`ma
skandalivzei
tovn
ajdelfovn
mou,
ouj
mh
favgw
kreva
eij~
tovn
aijw`na,
i{na
mhv
tovn
ajdelfovn
mou
skandalivsw.
Oujk
eijmiv
ajpovstolo~É
Oujk
eijmiv
ejleuvqero~É
Oujciv
jIhsou`n
Cristovn
tovn
Kuvrion
hJmw`n
eJwvrakaÉ
Ouj
tov
e[rgon
mou
uJmei`~
ejste
ejn
Kurivw/É
Eij
a[lloi~
oujk
eijmiv
ajpovstolo~,
ajllav
ge
uJmi`n
eijmi:
hJ
gavr
sfragiv~
th`~
ejmh`~
ajpostolh`~
uJmei`~
ejste
ejn
Kurivw/.
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EPISTLE
(I Cor. 8:2, 9:2)
Brethren, food will not commend us to God. We are
no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. Only
take care lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling
block to the weak. For if anyone sees you, a man of knowledge, at
table in an idol’s temple, might he not be encouraged, if his
conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your
knowledge this weak man is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ
died. Thus, sinning against your brethren and wounding their
conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if
food is a cause of my brother’s falling, I will never eat meat,
lest I cause my brother to fall. Am I not free? Am I not an
apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my
workmanship in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at
least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the
Lord. |

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EUAGGELION
JEk tou` katav Matqai`on
(Kef. ke j 31<46)
Ei\pen oJ
Kuvrio~: {Otan
e[lqh/ oJ
UiJov~ tou`
ajnqrwvpou ejn
th`/ dovxh/
aujtou`, kaiv
pavnte~ oiJ
a{gioi [Aggeloi
met j
aujtou`, tovte
kaqivsei ejpiv
qrovnou dovxh~
aujtou`, kaiv
sunacqhvsontai e[mprosqen
aujtou` pavnta
tav e[qnh,
kaiv ajforiei`
aujtouv~ ajp
j ajllhvlwn,
w{sper oJ
poimhvn ajforivzei
tav provbata
ajpov tw`n
ejrivfwn: kaiv
sthvsei tav
mevn provbata
ejk dexiw`n
aujtou`, tav
dev ejrivfia
ejx eujwnuvmwn.
Tovte ejrei`
oJ Basileuv~
toi`~ ejk
dexiw`n aujtou`:
Deu`te oiJ
eujloghmevnoi tou`
Patrov~ mou,
klhronomhvsate thvn
hJtoimasmevnhn uJmi`n
basileivan ajpov
katabolh`~ kovsmou.
JEpeivnasa gavr,
kaiv ejdwvkatev
moi fagei`n:
ejdivyhsa, kaiv
ejpotivsatev me:
xevno~ h[mhn,
kaiv sunhgavgetev
me: gumnov~,
kaiv periebavletev
me: hjsqevnhsa,
kaiv ejpeskevyasqev
me: ejn
fulakh`/ h[mhn,
kaiv h[lqete
prov~ me.
Tovte ajpokriqhvsontai
aujtw`/ oiJ
divkaioi, levgonte~:
Kuvrie, povte
sev ei[domen
peinw`nta kaiv
ejqrevyamenÉ h[
diyw`nta, kaiv
ejpotivsamenÉ povte
dev se
ei[domen xevnon
kaiv sunhgavgomenÉ
h[ gumnovn
kaiv periebavlomenÉ
povte dev
se ei[domen
ajsqenh`, h[
ejn fulakh`/,
kaiv h[lqomen
prov~ seÉ
Kaiv ajpokriqeiv~
oJ Basileuv~
ejrei` aujtoi`~:
jAmhvn levgw
uJmi`n, ejf
j o{son
ejpoihvsate eJniv
touvtwn tw`n
ajdelfw`n mou
tw`n ejlacivstwn,
ejmoiv ejpoihvsate.
Tovte ejrei`
kaiv toi``~
ejx eujwnuvmwn:
Poreuvesqe ajp
j ejmou`
oiJ kathramevnoi
eij~ tov
pu`r tov
aijwvnion, tov
hJtoimasmevnon tw`/
diabovlw/ kaiv
toi`~ ajggevloi~
aujtou`. JEpeivnasa
gavr, kaiv
oujk ejdwvkatev
moi fagei`n:
ejdivyhsa, kaiv
oujk ejpotivsatev
me: xevno~
h[mhn, kaiv
ouj sunhgavgetev
me: gumnov~,
kaiv ouj
periebavletev me:
ajsqenhv~ kaiv
ejn fulakh`/,
kaiv oujk
ejpeskevyasqev me.
Tovte ajpokriqhvsontai
aujtw`/ kaiv
aujtoiv, levgonte~:
Kuvrie, povte
se ei[domen
peinw`nta, h[
diyw`nta, h[
xevnon, h[
gumnovn h[
ajsqenh`, h[
ejn fulakh`/,
kaiv ouj
dihkonhvsamevn soiÉ
Tovte ajpokriqhvsetai
aujtoi`~, levgwn:
jAmhvn levgw
uJmi`n, ejf
j o{son
oujk ejpoihvsate
eJniv touvtwn
tw`n ejlacivstwn,
oujdev ejmoiv
ejpoihvsate. Kaiv
ajpeleuvsontai ou|toi
eij~ kovlasin
aijwvnion, oiJ
dev divkaioi
eij~ zwhvn
aijwvnion.
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GOSPEL
From the Gospel according to St. Matthew
(Chapter 25:31-46)
The Lord said: "When the Son of
man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit
on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations,
and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the
sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand,
but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at his
right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry
and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a
stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you clothed me, I was
sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then
the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see Thee hungry
and feed Thee, or thirsty and give Thee drink? And when did we see
Thee a stranger and welcome Thee, or naked and clothe Thee? And when
did we see Thee sick or in prison and visit Thee?" And the King
will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you as you did it to one of the
least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to
those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the
eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry
and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was
a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe
me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also
will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see Thee hungry or thirsty or a
stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to Thee?’
Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to
one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ And they will go
away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal
life."
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St. Nicholas Greek
Orthodox Church
1260 Davis Street, San Jose,
California 95126
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