Church Bulletin - May 4, 2003

Sunday of Thomas - May 4, 2003
[ Click here for the Bible readings: Acts 5:12-20; John 20:19-31]
[ Click here for the Bible readings in Greek and English ]

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A DOUBTING DOUBTING DISCIPLE COMES TO BELIEVE

The Second Sunday of Pascha is referred to by our Holy Orthodox Church as "Thomas Sunday." On this day, we hear the Evangelist John's account of the first two appearances of the Risen Lord to His Apostles. The first appearance took place on the evening of the Resurrection. While the frightened followers of Christ remained in hiding in the Upper Room, they suddenly discovered that their Master was in their midst! Imagine their joy when they realized that, indeed, it really was Jesus standing before them! Imagine how comforting it was to hear Him say to them: "PEACE TO YOU! AS THE FATHER HAS SENT ME, SO I ALSO SEND YOU. (John 19:21)

For reasons not explained in the Gospel, Thomas was not present that evening, and when his fellow Apostles tried to tell him that they "had seen the Lord," he refused to believe them. Before judging Thomas too harshly for his lack of faith, let us remember that the other disciples initially dismissed the news of an empty tomb brought to them by the Myrrhbearing Women -- they all had to "see" before they would "believe."

Eight days later, Thomas received the proof of the Resurrection that he demanded. Once again, the Lord appeared to the Apostles, and Thomas was a doubter no more.

The Gospel for Thomas Sunday ends with a beautiful proclamation by our Lord: "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN, AND YET BELIEVE." (John 19:29) May these words serve to guide us as we struggle to perfect and develop our own faith to its fullest potential.

KURIAKH TOU ANTIPASCA
TOU AGIOU APOSTOLOU QWMA
jApolutivkion

\Hco~ baruv~

jEsfragismevnou tou` mnhvmato~, hJ zwhv ejk tavfou ajnevteila~ Cristev oJ Qeov~: kaiv tw`n qurw`n kekleismevnwn, toi`~ Maqhtai`~ ejpevsth~ hJ pavntwn ajnavstasi~, pneu`ma eujqev~ di j aujtw`n ejgkainivzwn hJmi`n, katav tov mevga sou e[leo~.

SUNDAY AFTER EASTER
SUNDAY OF THOMAS

Dismissal Hymn

Seventh tone

Christ our God, You are the Life that dawned from the grave, though the tomb was sealed. Through closed doors, You came to the Apostles. You are the resurrection of all. And, through them, You renewed us, with an upright spirit, according to Your great mercy.

Kontavkion

JJJJ\Hco~ pl. d j. Aujtovmelon.

Eij kaiv ejn tavfw/, kath`lqe~ ajqavnate, ajllav tou` a{/dou, kaqei`le~ thvn dujnamin: kaiv ajnevsth~ wJ~ nikhthv~, Cristev oJ Qeov~, gunaixiv murofovroi~, fqegxavmeno~: Caivrete, kaiv toi``~ soi`~ ajpostovloi~, eijrhvnhn dwrouvmeno~ oJ toi`~ pesou`si, parevcwn ajnnavstasin.

Kontakion

Eighth tone

Though You went down into the tomb, You destroyed Hades’ power, and rose the victor, Christ God. To the myrrh-bearing women, saying "Hail!" and granting peace to Your disciples, You are He Who raises up the fallen.

jjApovstolo~
Prokeivmenon. \Hco~ g j. (Yalmov~ rmst < rld jj)
Mevga~ oJ Kuvrio~ hJmw`n, kaiv megavlh hJ
ijscuv~ aujtou`.
Stivc. Aijnei`te tovn Kuvrion, o{ti ajgaqov~.
Pravxewn tw`n jApostovlwn tov jAnavgnwsma.
(Kef. E¢ 12<20)

jEn tai`~ hJmevrai~ ejkei`nai~, diav tw`n ceirw`n tw`n ajpostovlwn ejgivneto shmei`a kaiv tevrata ejn tw`/ law`/ pollav: kaiv h\san oJmoqumadovn a{pante~ ejn th`/ Stoa`/ Solomw`no~: tw`n dev loipw`n oujdeiv~ ejtovlma kalla`sqai aujtoi`~, ajll j ejmegavlunen aujtouv~ oJ laov~: ma`llon dev prosetivqento pisteuvonte~ tw`/ Kurivw/ plhvqh ajndrw`n te kaiv gunaikw`n, w{ste katav tav~ plateiva~ ejkfevrein touv~ ajsqenei`~ kaiv tiqevnai ejpiv klinw`n kaiv krabavttwn, i{na ejrcomevnou Pevtrou ka[n hJ skiav ejpiskiavsh/ tiniv aujtw`n. Sunhvrceto dev kaiv tov plh`qo~ tw`n pevrix povlewn eij~ JIerousalhvm, fevronte~ ajsqenei`~ kaiv ojcloumevnou~ uJpov pneumavtwn ajkaqavrtwn, oi{tine~ ejqerapeuvonto a{pante~. JAnastav~ dev oJ ajrciereuv~ kaiv pavnte~ oiJ suvn aujtw`/, hJ ou|sa ai[resi~ tw`n Saddoukaivwn, ejplhvsqhsan zhvlou kaiv ejpevbalon tav~ cei`ra~ aujtw`n ejpiv touv~ ajpostovlou~, kaiv e[qento aujtouv~ ejn thrhvsei dhmosiva/. [Aggelo~ dev Kurivou diav th`~ nuktov~ h[noixe tav~ quvra~ th`~ fulakh`~, ejxagagwvn te aujtouv~ ei\pe. Poreuvesqe, kaiv staqevnte~ lalei`te ejn tw`/ iJerw`/ tw`/ law`/ pavnta tav rhvmata th`~ zwh`~ tauvth~.

Epistle
Prokeimenon. Third Tone. Psalms 146.5;
Great is our Lord, and great is his power.
Verse. Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good.
The reading is from the Acts of the Apostles.
(Chapter 5. 12-20)

IN THOSE DAYS, many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high honor. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

But the high priest rose up and all who were with him, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out and said, "Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life."

Eujaggevlion
JEk tou` katav jIwavnnhn.
Kef. k¢ 19<31

Ou[sh~ ojyiva~, th`/ hJmevra/ ejkeivnh/ th`/ mia`/ tw`n Sabbavtwn, kaiv tw`n qurw`n kekleismevnwn, o{pou h\san oiJ Maqhtaiv sunhgmevnoi diav tovn fovbon tw`n jIoudaivwn, h\lqen oJ jIhsou`~, kaiv e[sth eij~ tov mevson kaiv levgei aujtoi`~: Eijrhvnh uJmi`n. Kaiv tou`to eijpwvn, e[deixen aujtoi`~ tav~ cei`ra~ kaiv thvn pleuravn aujtou`. JEcavrhsan ou\n oiJ Maqhtaiv ijdovnte~ tovn Kuvrion. Ei\pen ou\n aujtoi`~ oJ jIhsou`~ pavlin: Eijrhvnh uJmi`n: kaqwv~ ajpevstalkev me oJ Pathvr, ka/jgwv pevmpw uJma`~. Kaiv tou`to eijpwvn, ejnefuvshse kaiv levgei aujtoi`~: Lavbete Pneu`ma a{gion. [An tinwn ajfh`te tav~ aJmartiva~, ajfiventai aujtoi`~: a[n tinwn krath`te, kekravthntai. Qwma`~ dev, ei|~ ejk tw`n Dwvdeka, oJ legovmeno~ Divdumo~, oujk h\n met j aujtw`n, o{te h\lqen oJ jIhsou`~. {Elegon ou\n aujtw`/ oiJ a[lloi Maqhtaiv: JEwravkamen tovn Kuvrion: JO dev ei\pen aujtoi`~: jEavn mhv I[dw ejn tai`~ cersivn aujtou` tovn tuvpon tw`n h{lwn, kaiv bavlw tovn davktulovn mou eij~ tovn tuvpon tw`n h{lwn, kaiv bavlw thvn cei`rav mou eij~ thvn pleuravn aujtou`, ouj mhv pisteuvsw. Kaiv meq j hJmevra~ ojktwv pavlin h\san e[sw oiJ Maqhtaiv aujtou`, kaiv Qwma`~ met j aujtw`n: e[rcetai oJ jIhsou`~, tw`n qurw`n kekleismevnwn, kaiv e[sth eij~ tov mevson, kaiv ei\pen: Eijrhvnh uJmi`n. Ei\ta levgei tw/` Qwma`/: Fevre tovn davktulovn sou w/|de, kaiv I[de tav~ cei`rav~ mou: kaiv fevre thvn cei`rav sou, kaiv bavle eij~ thvn pleuravn mou: kaiv mhv givnou a[pisto~, ajllav pistov~: Kaiv ajpekrivqh oJ Qwma`~ kaiv ei\pen aujtw`/: JO Kuvriov~ mou kaiv oJ Qeov~ mou. Levgei aujtw`/ oJ jIhsou`~: {Oti eJwvrakav~ me, pepivsteuka~: makavrioi oiJ mhv ijdovnte~, kaiv pisteuvsante~. Pollav mevn ou\n kaiv a]lla shmei`a ejpoivhsen oJ jIhsou`~ ejnwvpion tw`n Maqhtw`n aujtou`, a{ oujk ejsti gegrammevna ejn tw`/ biblivw/ touvtw/. Tau`ta dev gevgraptai, i{na pisteuvshte, o{ti jIhsou`~ ejstin oJ Cristov~ oJ UiJov~ tou` Qeou`, kaiv i{na pisteuvonte~, zwhvn e[chte ejn tw`/ ojnovmati aujtou`.

Gospel
From the Gospel according to St. John
Chapter 20:19-31

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe."

Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side, do not be faithless, but believing." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" And Jesus found a young ass and sat upon it; as it is written,

"Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on an ass’s colt!"

His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to him. The crown that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
1260 Davis Street - Church
986 Chapman Street - Office
San Jose, California 95126