Saint Mary’s Orthodox Church August 30th, 2020

The Herald T his is potentially

marking the end of a rather short era. After having spoken to other priests about their setup, and having done research into the subject, and having looked around in our Church attic, hall ceiling, and walls - it has become

apparent to Father Nathaniel that the streaming of our services cannot continue for much longer. Due to the fickle nature of cell phones, too often the video or audio has been bad, or the process as a whole hasn’t worked. To install a permanent camera to stream would be a massive undertaking, one involving thousands of dollars on equipment. It would also require us to update our Church sound system and run new wires. Having weighed this, we will continue to stream through September, and cease in October. If anyone would like us to continue streaming, you may speak to Father about making a donation towards this expensive undertaking. Thank you for your understanding!

3D Donations For those interested in making

an annual donation to the Distinguished Diocesan Donors, please make your donations soon. We thank all of those who have already sent in their donations. All donations help ensure the life of Camp Nazareth. God bless your generosity!

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Scripture Readings

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 15: 1 - 11

Gospel: Matthew 19: 16 - 26

Music

12th Sunday after Pentecost

Tone of the week: Tone 3 - Pages 102 - 105

Upcoming Services:

8/30: Divine Liturgy 10 AM; Panachida for Vasil Komar & Matushka Anastasia Karlgut

9/2: Moleben to St. Nectarios 6 PM; Spiritual Education to follow

9/3: Book Club 7 PM

9/5: Great Vespers 4 PM

9/6: Divine Liturgy 10 AM

9/8: Board Meeting 7 PM

9/9: Spiritual Education 7 PM

9/10: Book Club 7 PM

9/11: Divine Liturgy 10 AM - Beheading of St. John the Baptist

The Bells of St. Mary’sotecnathaniel@gmail.com | Father Nathaniel Choma | 1(330) 402-0352

Saint Mary’s Orthodox Church August 30th, 2020

Blessed Willow Branches T his is the last week that the blessed willow branches from

Palm Sunday will be offered at the front of the Church. If you have not taken them that they may bless your home with their presence, do so now. BLESSINGS DON’T HAVE AN EXPIRATION DATE, and therefore, they are still blessed!

Free Butter! In light of remaining butter

from our nutroll baking, and our intention to buy fresh butter whenever we do bake again, anyone who wishes can take as much butter as they wish from the Church kitchen. Thanks & enjoy!

Saints of the Day Martyr Myron of Cyzicus (250)

He was a priest in Achaia In the time of the Emperor Decius,when Antipater was governor of Achaia, the

persecutors entered the church on the Feast of the Nativity, dragged Myron away from the service and put him to torture. He endured many horrible tortures, but would not worship the idols. Finally he was thrown to wild beasts. When Antipater saw the beasts greeting Myron affectionately, the persecutor seized a sword and slew himself. The Saint was then sent to Cyzicus, where he was beheaded by the proconsul.

Holy Martyr Patroclus (late 3rd c.)

He was born to wealthy parents in Trychasia (now Troyes) in Gaul. Despite his high station he used his wealth to give

daily alms to the poor and ate only once a day after sunset. Such was his holiness that he became a wonderworker, known widely for his healing power. When the Emperor Aurelian visited Gaul, he ordered Patroclus brought before him. The Saint freely confessed Christ and told the Emperor: 'If, O King, you desire some of my goods, I will give them to you, for I can see your wretchedness.' The astonished Emperor asked how he could call the ruler of the entire Empire wretched. Patroclus replied, 'You

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Happy Anniversary!

Best wishes are extended to Chris & Ginny Bahnuk and JoAnne & Michael Muss on their anniversaries this week! May God grant them all many more! Mnohija L’ita!

Hearts of Love

The Hearts are offered by Joe Halecky in memory of John, Martha, William, & his grandparents. Memory eternal! Vičnaja Pamjat!

Artoklasia

Artoklasia & mirovania are from the Feast of the Dormition. Most Holy Theotokos save us!

Incense Voting!

Incense Ballot - August 30th

1 - Disliked the incense

2 - Somewhat disliked

3 - Neither liked or disliked

4 - Somewhat liked

5 - Liked the incense

Saint Mary’s Orthodox Church August 30th, 2020have earthly, transitory riches, but you are wretched, for you do not possess yourself, since you have no faith in Christ in your heart.' The saint was condemned to death and beheaded. Two beggars, to whom he had given alms, found his body and gave it honorable burial.

Homily on the Dormition By: St. Luke of Simferopol

Each of us is tormented with the question: what will happen to us and what awaits us after death? A sure answer to this question we cannot find by ourselves. But Holy Scripture, and first of all the word

of our Lord Jesus Christ, reveals the secret to us. It is also revealed by the apolytikion and kontakion of this great feast of the Dormition of the Most-Holy Theotokos, along with the church hymns that we chant at this feast.

I want all of you to understand why the death of the Most-Holy Theotokos and Virgin Mary is called “Dormition”. The great apostle John the Theologian, in the 20th chapter of the Revelation speaks of the first and second death. The first death, which alone is inescapable to all men, also awaits the saints and righteous ones. But the second, the fearsome and eternal death, awaits the great and unrepentant sinners, who denied the love and the righteousness of God and are condemned to eternity in communion with the devil and his angels.

In the Gospel of the same great apostle and evangelist John the Theologian, we read the words of Christ, which are very closely associated with those written in the Revelation:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24).

Do you hear this, do you understand this? I think that this probably strikes you as strange, that all those who are obedient to the word of Christ and believe in the Heavenly Father Who sent Him passes immediately after death to eternal life. There is no reason to judge those who have living faith in God and who follow his commandments.

And to the great twelve apostles, our Lord Jesus Christ said:

“Amen, I say to you that you who follow Me, in the age to come, when the Son of Man sits upon His throne of glory, you will also sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28).

The Apostles of Christ will be judges and condemners during the Terrible Judgment of God, and of course, we are totally unable to imagine the Most-Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary being judged, along with the Baptist of the Lord John, the great Prophets of God, Elias and Enoch whom God took to Heaven alive, all the countless mass of martyrs of Christ, the holy hierarchs and wonderworkers who were glorified by God, foremost being St. Nicholas, archbishop of Myra of Lycia.

We are unable to pass the thought from our minds that they would be judged, they who heard from the mouth of Christ:

“The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).

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Saint Mary’s Orthodox Church August 30th, 2020In those great strugglers of Christ, as if in precious temples, dwelt the Holy Spirit. And while they were alive on earth, they were in close communion with God, for thus Christ said:

“If anyone loves me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” (John 14:23)

The Most-Holy Virgin Mary was the spotless temple of the Savior in which dwelt the Holy Spirit, and from her most-holy womb the Son of God received His human body, He Who descended from the Heavens. Because of this, bodily death is not death, but a dormition, in other words, an immediate passage from the Kingdom of God within to the Kingdom of the Heavens and to eternal life.

Something new just came to mind. In one of the previous sermons, I told you that we have every reason to believe that the body of the Most-Holy Theotokos, through the power of God, remained incorrupt and ascended to the heavens. The kontakion of the great feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos tells us this:

“Neither the grave nor death could contain the Theotokos, the unshakable hope, ever vigilant in intercession and protection. As Mother of life, He who dwelt in the ever-virginal womb transposed her to life.”

Note that it says:

“Neither the grave nor death could contain her”.

Think of that, as we remember Holy Scripture writes regarding the death of the greatest prophet of the Old Testement, Moses, in the 34th chapter of the book of Deuteronomy, that he died according to the word of God on Mount Nebo, and was buried in the land of Moab. The grave of this great prophet must have been a place of pilgrimage for the whole people of Israel. However in the Bible we read that:

“No one knows of his tomb until the current day” (Deuteronomy 34:6).

However, at the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor, Moses appeared to his Lord and Master, Jesus, together with the Prophet Elias, who was seized alive into heaven.

I think that it would not be a sin to say that the body of the great Moses, as the body of the Most-Holy Theotokos, remained incorrupt. Because of this his tomb is unknown.

Let us think, brothers and sisters, about the blessed Dormition of the Most-Holy Virgin Mary and remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24).

May God also make us sinners worthy to experience this great joy, through the joy and love for man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom belong all glory and dominion, with His beginningless Father and His All-Holy Spirit, unto the ages. Amen.

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