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 SABA
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, June 25, 2023
Third Sunday after Pentecost
Tone 2 and Eothinon 3
Apodosis (Leave-Taking) of the Nativity of the Forerunner
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 St. John the Baptist – Tone 4
We who eagerly honor thee are unable, O prophet, Forerunner of the presence of Christ, to extol thee as it is meet to do; for by thy noble and solemn nativity the barrenness of thy mother was undone, and the tongue of thy father was loosened, and to the world was proclaimed the Incarnation of the Son of 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: Hebrews 9:1-7 (Deposition of the Robe of the Theotokos)
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.
JUNE 25, 2023 – 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.
SUNDAY, JUNE 25 - We pray for the repose of the souls of the servants of God Linda Abdallah, William Assatly Sr., Alice, Edward and Wadiha Baloutine, Mabel Bittar, Angela Boojamra, Nancy Davis, Florence Lewis Dibbs and Lorraine Lewis, Margarete Haddad, Phillip and Mary Hanna, Gloria Jabara, Mae Karram, Maggy Karam, George Massabni, Helen Sahadi, Salvatore Savarese, Marie Sayegh, Margaret Soued, and Adeeba Taweel. Memory eternal!
Maria and Rob Absey offer Prayers of Oblation for the repose of the soul of the handmaiden of God Marie Sayegh. Memory eternal!
The DeFede and Mayrose Families offer Prayers of Oblation and a 40-Day Memorial for the repose of the soul of the handmaiden of God Joanne DeFede. A Coffee Hour in her memory will follow the Divine Liturgy. Memory eternal!
NEXT SUNDAY, JULY 2 – We will pray for the repose of the souls of the servants of God Dr. Fuad Yousef Dirbas, Jamila Eadeh, Michael Eyd and Nora Hamod, Marguerite and Fred Farkouh, Viola Kazan, George T. Lewis, and Georgette Maione. Memory eternal!
Regina and Brian Farkouh will offer Prayers of Oblation for the repose of the souls of the servants of God Marguerite and Fred Farkouh. Memory eternal!
FOR THE INFIRM - Please remember our ailing brethren in your daily intercessions, especially, Khalil Eid (Hamilton Park), George Khoury (Hamilton Park), Nicholas Massab (Norwegian), Rouda Abboud, Rose Abdallah, Yvonne Allawh, Diana Finger, Robert Forcina, Denise McBride, Alfred Nahas, Wade Saadi, Victoria Sleyman, Claudette Teen, Jim Thompson (NJ), George Trisciuzzi, and Rose Zrake (at home).
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 – Donors are welcome for July and succeeding months. We ask for a donation of $50/week.
MEMORY ETERNAL! We are saddened to announce that the handmaiden of God Claudette Jabara Hadad departed this life in the hope of the Resurrection on Monday. Her funeral was yesterday here at St. Mary’s Church. We extend our sympathies to her son Henry and his family and her daughter Susan as well as her brother Fred and wife Helen and their family. Memory eternal!
APOSTLES FAST – Each year the “Apostles Fast” or the “Fast of Saints Peter and Paul” extends from the Monday following All Saints Sunday (June 12 this year) until the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (June 29). Let’s use this short fast to pray for missions and missionaries at home and abroad who are striving to carry out Jesus’ Great Commission.
CONTINUING EDUCTION – Our “summer semester” of adult and continuing education will meet on Wednesday, July 5, at 7:00 PM. There will be no class this Wednesday due to the Parish Life Conference. We will use the book Orthodox Christianity, Vol. 5: Sacraments and Other Rites as our text. Please see Lorraine Deeb at the parish bookstore to order a copy. If you cannot afford the cost, please see Fr. Michael in confidence.
OCMC – Our June pledge envelopes included a yellow envelope for the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC). Please support global Orthodox mission efforts with your contributions.
BACKYARD BARBECUE – Co-Chairs Rima Alsifi Hazem and Chris Athineos thank and acknowledge all of the volunteers and teams responsible for food preparation, serving, barbecuing, packing, set up, and clean up for the June 4 Backyard Barbecue. Your efforts made the event a successful and fun day to remember
EASTERN DIOCESES PARISH LIFE CONFERENCE – The parish of St. Moses the Black of Pittsburgh, PA, will host this year’s Parish Life Conference at the beautiful Antiochian Village Conference and Retreat Center in Ligonier, PA, from June 28-July 2. Information and registration are now open on-line at www.antiochianevents.com.
ESTATE PLANNING – For the sake of my grandchildren, have I made a provision for St. Mary’s Church in my will or estate plan?
PLEASE MAKE SURE all cell phones and electronic devices are turned off in church or at home.
DATES TO REMEMBER
June 28 - July 2 Parish Life Conference @ Antiochian Village
Saturday, July 1 No Great Vespers
Sunday, July 2 Matthew Albishara Baptism, 3:00 PM
Wednesday, July 5 Adult Education, 7:00 PM
Monday, July 10 Parish Council, 7:30 PM
July 23 – 30 Archdiocese Convention in Phoenix, AZ
All services will be live streamed via twitch.tv/smaoc.
FROM THE FATHERS – “We can see both that love for God is begotten from the virtues and that virtues are born of love. For this reason the Lord said at one point in the Gospels, ‘He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me’ (John 14:21), and at another point, ‘He who loves Me will keep My commandments’ (cf. John 14:23).”
- St. Gregory Palamas
A Parish of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America