Church Bulletin - November 25, 2001

13th Sunday of Luke - November 25, 2001
[ Click here for the Bible readings: Gal 3:23-4:5; Lk 18:18-27]
[ Click here for the Bible readings in Greek ]

THE GREAT MARTYR KATHERINE: THE ALL-LAUDED BRIDE OF CHRIST

On the cover of today's Church Bulletin is an ancient icon of two famous martyrs of the Orthodox Church: Katherine and Barbara. This message will focus on the life and death of the Great Martyr Katherine, whose courage in the face of torture and execution is an inspiration to us all.

Katherine lived in Alexandria in the early part of the 4th century. While the era of Christian persecution was thankfully drawing to a close, followers of Christ still had to practice their Faith secretly. Alexandria was a center of learning in the ancient world, and Katherine was well-versed in many fields. She was especially gifted in her knowledge of the teachings of Christ, and Katherine was blindly obedient to her Master.

When Katherine was 18, the emperor Maxentius decreed that all of his subjects must offer sacrifices to idols. Katherine steadfastly refused, and was brought to the Emperor's court. Hoping to humiliate the young Christian maiden, Maxentius brought in fifty of his most learned scholars and philosophers to engage Katherine in debate over her beliefs. Katherine showed that she was wise beyond her years, confounding her pagan adversaries with her brilliant answers to their questions.

The enraged Emperor had Katherine placed on a wheel of spikes, hoping to tear her body apart in this inhuman way. Miraculously, an angel is said to have delivered her from this punishment! After many other barbaric forms of torture, Katherine finally attained martyrdom by means of beheading. Her relics repose on Mt. Sinai in the famous monastery that bears her name: the Monastery of St. Katherine.

ANASTASIMON APOLUTIKION

JEx u{you~ kath`lqe~ oJ eu[splagcno~, tafhvn katedevxw trihvmeron, i{na ejleuqerwvsh/~ tw`n paqw`n. JH zwhv kaiv hJ ajnavstasi~ hJmw`n, Kuvrie, dovxa soi.

RESURRECTION APOLYTIKION

O Merciful One, You came from on high, and condescended to Your three-day burial to save us from passions. You are our life and our Resurrection. Glory to You.

APOLUTIKION THS MEGALOMARTUROS AIKATERINHS

Thvn paneuvfhmon nuvmfhn Cristou` uJmnhvswmen, Aijkateri`nan thvn qeivan kai poliou`con Sina`, thvn bohvqeian hJmw`n kaiv ajntivlhyin: o{ti ejfivmwse lamprw`~, touv~ komyouv~ tw`n ajsebw`n, tou` Pneuvmato~ th`/ macaivra/: kaiv nu`n wJ~ Mavrtu~ stefqei`sa, aijtei`tai pa`si tov mevga e[leo~.

APOLYTIKION OF THE GREAT MARTYR KATHERINE

Let us praise the most auspicious bride of Christ, the divine Katherine, protectress of Sinai, our aid and our help. For, brilliantly silenced the eloquence of the impious by the sword of the spirit, and now, crowed as a martyr, she asks great mercy for all.

APOLUTIKION TWN EISODWN THS QEOTOKOU EN TW NAW

Shvmeron th`~ eujdokiva~ Qeou` tov prooivmion, kaiv th`~ tw`n ajnqrwvpwn swthriva~ hJ prokhvruxi~. JEn naw`/ tou` Qeou` tranw`~ hJ Parqevno~ deivknutai, kaiv tovn Cristovn toi`~ pa`si prokataggevletai. Aujth`/ kaiv hJmei`~ megalofwvnw~ bohvswmen: Cai`re th`~ oijkonomiva~ tou` Ktivstou hJ ejkplhvrwsi~.

APOLYTIKION OF THE ENTRANCE OF THE THEOTOKOS INTO THE TEMPLE

Today is the prelude of God’s pleasure and the proclamation of man’s salvation. The Virgin is clearly made manifest in the temple of God and foretells Christ to all. Let us also cry out to her with mighty voice, "Hail, fulfillment of the Creator’s dispensation."

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 kaqarwvtato~ naov~, tou` Swth`ro~, hJ polutivmhto~ pastav~, kaiv parqevno~, tov iJerovn qhsauvrisma th`~ dovxh~ tou` Qeou`, shvmeron eijsavgetai, ejn tw`/ oi[kw/ Kurivou, thvn cavrin suneisavgousa, thvn ejn Pneuvmati qeivw/: h{n ajnumnou`sin a[ggeloi Qeou`: Au{th/ uJpavrcei, skhnhv ejpouravnio~.

KONTAKION

Today the most pure temple of the Savior, the precious bridal chamber and virgin, the sacred treasure of the glory of God enters this house of the Lord bringing with her the grace of the Divine Spirit. The angels of God praise her. She is the heavenly tabernacle.

APOSTOLOS
(Galavta~ g j 23<29, d j 1<5)

jAdelfoiv, prov tou` ejlqei`n thvn pivstin uJpov novmon ejfrourouvmeqa sugkekleismevnoi eij~ thvn mevllousan pivstin ajpokalufqh`nai. {Wste oJ novmo~ paidagwgov~ hJmw`n gevgonen eij~ Cristovn, i{na ejk pivstew~ dikaiwqw`men: ejlqouvsh~ dev th`~ pivstew~ oujkevti uJpov paidagwgovn ejsmen. Pavnte~ gavr uiJoiv Qeou` ejste diav th`~ pivstew~ ejn Cristw`/ jIhsou`: o{soi gavr eij~ Cristovn ejbaptivsqhte, Cristovn ejneduvsasqe. Oujk e[ni a[rsen kaiv qh`lu: pavnte~ gavr uJmei`~ ei|~ ejste ejn Cristw`/ jIhsou`. Eij dev uJmei`~ Cristou`, a[ra tou` jAbraavm spevrma ejstev kaiv kat j ejpaggelivan klhronovmoi. Levgw dev, ejf j o{son crovnon oJ klhronovmo~ nhvpiov~ ejstin, oujdevn diafevrei douvlou, kuvrio~ pavntwn w[n, ajllav uJpov ejpitrovpou~ ejstiv kaiv oijkonovmou~ a[cri th`~ proqesmiva~ tou` patrov~. Ou{tw kaiv hJmei`~, o{te h\men nhvpioi, uJpov tav stoicei`a tou` kovsmou h\men dedoulomevnoi: o{te dev h\lqe tov plhvrwma tou` crovnou, ejxapevsteilen oJ Qeov~ tovn uiJovn aujtou`, genovmenon ejk gunaikov~, genovmenon uJpov novmon, i{na touv~ uJpov novmon ejxagoravsh/, i{na thvn uiJoqesivan ajpolavbwmen.

EPISTLE
(Galatians 3: 23-29, 4: 1-5)

Brethren, before faith came, we were confined under the law, kept under restraint until faith should be revealed. So that the law was our custodian until Christ came, that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a custodian; for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no better than a slave, though he is the owner of all the estate; but he is under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. So with us; when we were children, we were slaves to the elemental spirits of the universe. But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

EUAGGELION
JEk tou` katav Louka`n.
(Kef. ih j (18), 18<27)

Tw`/ kairw`/ ejkeivnw/, a[nqrwpov~ ti~ prosh`lqe tw`/ jIhsou`, peiravzwn aujtovn, kaiv levgwn: Didavskale ajgaqev, tiv poihvsa~ zwhvn aijwvnion klhronomhvsw; Ei\pe dev aujtw`/ oJ jIhsou`~: Tiv mev levgei~ ajgaqovn; oujdeiv~ ajgaqov~, eijmhv ei|~, oJ Qeov~. Tav~ ejntolav~ oi\da~: Mhv moiceuvsh/~: mhv foneuvsh/~: mhv klevyh/~: mhv yeudomarturhvsh/~: tivma tovn patevra sou kaiv thvn mhtevra sou. JO dev ei\pe: Tau`ta pavnta ejfulaxavmhn ejk neovthtov~ mou. JAkouvsa~ dev tau`ta oJ jIhsou`~, ei\pen aujtw`/: [Eti e{n soi leivpei: pavnta o{sa e[cei~ pwvlhson, kaiv diavdo~ ptwcoi`~, kaiv e[xei~ qhsaurovn ejn oujranw/`, kaiv deu`ro, ajkolouvqei moi. JO dev ajkouvsa~ tau`ta, perivlupo~ ejgevneto: h\n gavr plouvsio~ sfovdra. JIdwvn dev aujtovn oJ jIhsou`~ perivlupon genovmenon, ei\pe: pw`~ duskovlw~ oiJ tav crhvmata e[conte~, eijseleuvsontai eij~ thvn basileivan tou` Qeou` Eujkopwvteron gavr ejsti kavmhlon diav trumalia`~ raJfivdo~ eijselqei`n h[ plouvsion eij~ thvn basileivan tou` Qeou` eijselqei`n. Ei\pon dev oiJ ajkouvsante~: Kaiv tiv~ duvnatai swqh`nai; JO dev ei\pe. Tav ajduvnata parav ajnqrwvpoi~, dunatav parav tw`/ Qew`/ ejstin.

GOSPEL
From the Gospel according to St. Luke
(Chapter 18: 18-27)

At that time, a man came to Jesus and asked him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ " And he said, "All these I have observed from my youth." And when Jesus heard it, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow me." But when he heard this he became sad, for he was very rich. Jesus looking at him said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For 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." Those who heard it said, ‘Then who can be saved?" But he said, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

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