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, August 27, 2023
Twelfth Sunday after Holy Pentecost
Tone 3 and Eothinon 1
Righteous Father Pimen the Great of Egypt
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 3
Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad; for the Lord hath done a mighty act with his own arm. He hath trampled down death and become the First-born from the dead. He hath delivered us from the depth of hades, granting the world the Great Mercy.
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 Nativity of the Theotokos – Tone 4
By thy holy nativity, O pure one, Joachim and Anne were delivered from the reproach of barrenness; and Adam and Eve were delivered from the corruption of death; thy people do celebrate it, having been saved from the stain of iniquity, crying unto thee, the barren doth give birth to the Theotokos, who nourisheth our life.
Epistle – I Corinthians 15:1-11 (Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost)
Prokeimenon. Psalm 46.6, 1. Sing praises to our God, sing praises.
Verse. Clap your hands, all you nations.
BRETHREN, I would remind you in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast – unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Gospel – Matthew 19:16-26 (Twelfth Sunday of Matthew)
AT THAT TIME, a young man came to Jesus, kneeling before him and saying, “Good Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? There is no good but One, and that is God. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to Jesus, “Which?” And Jesus said, “You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to Jesus, “All these I have observed from my youth; what do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you. 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.”
When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Next week’s homework: I Corinthians 16:13-24 (Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost)
Matthew 21:33-42 (Thirteenth Sunday of Matthew)
HOLY BREAD – Donors are welcome for September and succeeding months. We ask for a donation of $50/week.
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.”
AUGUST 27, 2023 – TWELFTH 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, AUGUST 27 - We pray for the repose of the souls of the servants of God God Helen Allison, Khouryee Alice Kerbaway Dalack, Linda S. Fauty, Gabriel Maloof, Agnes Hamwi, and, Watfa Richeh. Memory eternal!
Drs. Amal and Gregory Dalack and Kh. Laila Ellias offer Prayers of Oblation for the repose of the soul of the handmaiden of God Kh. Alice Kerbaway Dalack. Memory eternal!
The Family of Claudette Hadad offers Prayers of Oblation and a 40-Day Memorial for the repose of her soul. Memory eternal!
NEXT SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 – We will pray for the repose of the souls of the servants of God Hannah Nehme and Oscar Salloum. Memory eternal!
Dr. and Mrs. Firas Marsheh will offer Prayers of Oblation and a 40-Day Memorial for the repose of the soul of the servant of God Fouad Marsheh. Memory Eternal!
FOR THE INFIRM - Please remember our ailing brethren in your daily intercessions, especially, Khalil Eid (Hamilton Park), Robert Forcina (NYU Lutheran), Nicholas Massab (Norwegian), Rouda Abboud, Rose Abdallah, Yvonne Allawh, Diana Finger, George Khoury, Denise McBride, Alfred Nahas, Wade Saadi, Victoria Sleyman, Claudette Teen, Jim Thompson (NJ), George Trisciuzzi, and Rose Zrake (at home).
FASTING DISCIPLINE FOR AUGUST – On Tuesday, August 29, we remember the Beheading of St. John the Baptist with the traditional fasting discipline.
FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF THE THEOTOKOS – Our patronal feast day is Friday, September 8, the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos. We will celebrate Great Vespers with Artoklasia on Thursday, September 7, at 7 PM, and we will invite our sister parishes and neighboring clergy to share the celebration. We will then celebrate Festal Orthros at 9:30 and the Divine Liturgy at 10:30 on Friday morning.
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. The Teens are asking for a donation of $30 to cover the cost of the backpack and supplies. We plan to assemble the backpacks and deliver them to the school next week. Please make checks payable to St. Mary’s Church with “backpacks” in the memo line. The Teens thank you for supporting their community outreach project!
SAINTS AND SINNERS GOLF AND TENNIS OUTING – The annual Saints and Sinners Golf and Tennis Outing will take place on Monday, September 18. Please support this major event generously as we have large capital expenditures happening this year. Even if you cannot attend, please consider a sponsorship in the journal. This year we are honoring Sam Kaiami with the Lifetime Achievement Award and Marie Louise Tashji with the Victor Samra, Jr. Memorial Award. See Daria Mayrose for more information.
FAMILY GAME NIGHT – Everyone is welcome to share Family Game Night on the first and third Monday of each month from 7-9 PM. In September those nights are September 1 and 15.
OUR TIME FELLOWSHIP – Our “senior” fellowship, “Our Time,” will resume meeting on Wednesday, September 13, from 1-3 PM. Please see Marilyn Tulaney for more information.
CHURCH SCHOOL – Church School classes will resume on Sunday, September 10. Please see Lorraine Deeb to enroll your students ages 4 through 18.
ESTATE PLANNING – August is National Make-a-Will Month (MAWM). As Christians, our ultimate security in life comes from God and the truth revealed in His word; however, that does not mean we play a passive role in preparing for the future. We are called to be diligent stewards of the time and resources God entrusts to us. Creating a will and estate plan allows us to communicate important financial and healthcare decisions, helping to prepare for whatever the future may hold. A will allows us to provide for our loved ones and steward all the resources God has given us. By including a legacy gift in our wills, we can sustain the ministry of St. Mary’s Church for future generations.
DATES TO REMEMBER
Friday, September 1 Family Game Night, 7-9 PM
Thursday, September 7 Great Vespers with Artoklasia, 7 PM
Friday, September 8 Nativity of the Theotokos
Sunday, September 10 Church School resumes
Wednesday, September 13 “Our Time” Fellowship, 1-3 PM
Monday, September 18 Saints and Sinners Golf and Tennis Outing
All services will be live streamed via twitch.tv/smaoc.
PLEASE MAKE SURE all cell phones and electronic devices are turned off in church or at home.
FROM THE FATHERS – “When we want to ask things for other people, we should ask for them secretly, with prayer which is in secret and does not appear outwardly. Worry and distraction do not help prayer. Forget about telephone calls, communications and long conversations with people. If the Lord doesn’t assist, what will our own efforts achieve? So what is required is prayer, prayer with love. It is preferable for us to help people from a distance with prayer. In that way we help them in the best and most perfect manner.”
- Elder Porphyrios the Kapsokalyvite
A Parish of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America