81st Street and Ridge Boulevard Website: www.smaoc.org
Brooklyn, NY 11209 Church Office: (718) 238-8008
Email: churchsecretary@smaoc.org Rectory: (718) 745-8481
His Eminence Metropolitan JOSEPH
Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America
Very Rev. Fr. Michael Ellias, Pastor Rev. Deacon Farid Farkouh
Email: pastor@smaoc.org farkouhfarid@gmail.com
Sunday, July 3, 2022
Third Sunday After Pentecost
Tone 2 and Eothinon 3
Martyr Hyacinth and His Companions of Caesarea
We are pleased to welcome you to worship with us today. Please note that only Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves with prayer, fasting and a recent confession may approach to receive Holy Communion. Everyone is welcome to receive the blessing and partake of the blessed bread at the dismissal. Please introduce yourself to our pastor during the coffee hour and ask him about membership in the Orthodox Church.
Today’s Hymns and Readings
Apolytikion of the Resurrection – Tone 2
When thou, O immortal Life, didst humble thyself unto death, then didst thou destroy death by the brightness of thy Godhead; and when thou didst raise the bowels of the earth, then all the heavenly powers exclaimed, O Christ, thou art the Giver of life! Glory to thee, O our God!
Apolytikion of the Nativity of the Theotokos – Tone 4
Thy nativity, O Theotokos, hath proclaimed joy to the whole universe. For from thee did shine forth the Sun of justice, Christ our God, annulling the curse, and bestowing the blessing, abolishing death and granting us life everlasting.
Kontakion of the Theotokos – Tone 2
O undisputed intercessor of Christians, the mediatrix unrejected by the Creator, turn not away from the voice of our petitions, though we be sinners. Come to us in time, who cry to thee in faith, with assistance; for thou art good. Hasten to us with intercessions, O Theotokos, who dost ever intercede for those who honour thee.
Epistle – Romans 5:1-10 (Third Sunday after Pentecost)
Prokeimenon. Psalm 117.14, 18. The Lord is my strength and my song.
Verse. The Lord has chastened me sorely.
BRETHREN, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.
While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man – though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received our reconciliation.
Gospel – Matthew 6:22-33 (Third Sunday of Matthew)
THE LORD SAID, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light but if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not the soul more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of heaven: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his stature? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon himself in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things shall be yours as well.”
Next week’s homework: II Timothy 2:1-10 (St. John of Damascus)
Matthew 8:5-13 (Fourth Sunday of Matthew)
PLEASE MAKE SURE all cell phones and electronic devices are turned off in church or at home.
JULY 3, 2022 – THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Mission Statement - The mission of St. Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox Church of Brooklyn, NY, is to love and worship God through participation in the liturgical life of the Church, and to live and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We carry out this mission through education, outreach, fellowship, and works of mercy with love for each other, our neighbors, and our diverse world.
TODAY, JULY 3 - We pray for the repose of the souls of the servants of God George Abdelnoor, Jr., Dr. Fouad Dirbas, Jamila Eadeh, Michael Eyd, Norma Hamod, Marguerite and Fred Farkouh, Viola Kazan, George T. Lewis, and Georgette Maione. Memory eternal!
Regina and Brian Farkouh offer Prayers of Oblation for the repose of the souls of the servants of God Marguerite and Fred Farkouh. Memory eternal!
Albert Khoury and Family offer Prayers of Oblation for the repose of the soul of his aunt, the handmaiden of God Georgette Maione. Memory eternal!
Sandra and Robert Coogan offer Prayers of Oblation for the repose of the soul of the servant of God Salvatore Savarese. Memory eternal!
Josephine Dellano offers Prayers of Oblation for the repose of the soul of the handmaiden of God Georgette Maione. Memory eternal!
NEXT SUNDAY, JULY 10 – We will pray for the repose of the souls of the servants of God George Abdelnoor, Jr., Mary Farkouh, Amelia Khoury, Victor Makhoul, John Molfino, Edmund Saleeby, Ferris Samara, and Bassem Sukkarieh. Memory eternal!
POST-COMMUNION PRAYERS – At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, a reader will read the Post-Communion Prayers of Thanksgiving. Please reverently hear these prayers before beginning to “chat.”
HOLY BREAD – Linda and George Salamy have made a donation for the balance of the year. Donors are welcome for July and succeeding months. We ask for a donation of $50/week.
FOR THE INFIRM - Please remember our ailing brethren in your daily intercessions, especially, remember our ailing brethren in your daily intercessions, especially, Khalil Eid (Hamilton Park), Rouda Abboud, Albert Absey, Yvonne Allawh, Charles Bryant, Claudette Budai, John Eyd, Diana Finger, Robert Forcina, Mary Ganim, Gabe Golam, Lily Lang, Denise McBride, Alfred Nahas, Renee Setteducato, Jim Thompson (NJ), George Trisciuzzi, Dr. Samir Zamaria (MD), and Rose Zrake (at home).
PLEDGE GIVING – During these extraordinary times we ask everyone to maintain their pledge giving as much as possible. Please remember that St. Mary's Church now accepts donations online. Just visit https://smaoc.squarespace.com/donate and pay securely by credit card, debit card, or check. There is an option to indicate gifts made in honor of or in remembrance of someone.
BACKPACK PROJECT – Teen SOYO will once again volunteer to assemble 48 backpacks for underprivileged students in District 20 of the NYC Department of Education in cooperation with FOCUS. Please see the list of items to go into the backpacks on the flyer in this week’s bulletins. We ask our supporters to purchase the items and to bring them to church by Sunday, July 31 so that we can assemble the backpacks and deliver them to the school before the beginning of the academic year. The Teens thank you for supporting their community outreach project!
FAMILY NIGHT – We have resumed our Family Night gatherings at the church. Our next gathering will be on Friday, July 8, at 7:00 PM. All are welcome!
MIDNIGHT RUN – On the third Friday of each month Deacon Farid leads a group to participate in the Midnight Run which distributes food and clothing to the homeless on the streets of New York City. Volunteers can help in the early evening to prepare food for distribution, or they can make the actual trip a little later. The next Midnight Run will be on Friday, July 15. Please see Deacon Farid to volunteer or for more information.
COFFEE HOUR – In July and August the parish will host simplified Coffee Hours following the Divine Liturgy. In the future we will be seeking volunteers to help with preparation and clean up.
ESTATE PLANNING – A bequest is one of the easiest gifts to make in order to impact the ministry of the Church significantly. An estate plan can include a provision that leaves a lasting gift to St. Mary’s Church. A bequest could be a gift of specific assets, a dollar amount, or a percentage of the estate. A bequest could also be the residue of an estate after all gifts have been made to heirs. Consider naming St. Mary’s as a beneficiary on your retirement accounts (such as an IRA). Qualified charities are able to receive the full value of dollars in these plans without incurring income taxes
DATES TO REMEMBER
Monday, July 11 Parish Council, 7:30 PM
Friday, July 15 Midnight Run
July 18-22 Clergy Symposium @ Antiochian Village
August 1-14 Dormition Fast
Saturday, August 6 Feast of the Transfiguration
Thursday, September 8 Nativity of the Theotokos
Sunday, September 11 St. Mary’s Feast Day Barbecue
Saturday, September 17 Church School Sidewalk Sale
Monday, September 19 Saints and Sinners Golf and Tennis Outing
Friday, September 30 Fall Hafli
Saturday, October 15 Bay Ridge Eats for a Cause
All services will be live streamed via twitch.tv/smaoc.
FROM THE FATHERS – “He who wishes to overcome temptations without prayer and patient endurance will not succeed in driving them away, but will, in fact, become more entangled in them.”
- St. Mark the Ascetic
A Parish of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America