Reopening of our Parish

Reading

Saint Barbara was from Heliopolis of Phoenicia and lived during the reign of Maximian.

She was the daughter of a certain idolater named Dioscorus. When Barbara came of age, she was enlightened in her pure heart and secretly believed in the Holy Trinity. About this time Dioscorus began building a bath-house; before it was finished, he was required to go away to attend to certain matters, and in his absence, Barbara directed the workmen to build a third window in addition to the two her Father had commanded. She also inscribed the sign of the Cross with her finger upon the marble of the bath-house, leaving the saving sign cut as deeply into the marble as if it had been done with an iron tool. (When the Synaxarion of Saint Barbara was written, the marble of the bath-house and the cross inscribed by Saint Barbara were still preserved, and many healings were worked there.) When Dioscorus returned, he asked why the third window had been added; Barbara began to declare to him the mystery of the Trinity. Because she refused to renounce her faith, Dioscorus tortured Barbara inhumanely, and after subjecting her to many sufferings he beheaded her with his own hands, in the year 290.

FRIDAY, December 4th, 2020 –Barbara the Great Martyr

· 8:00 am -Matins/Orthros

Click this link to Orthros/Matins Gospel Reading

· 9:00 am - Divine Liturgy.

Click this link to Epistle Reading

Click this link to Holy Gospel Reading

Reading

MARK 5:24-34 – THE WOMAN WITH A FLOW OF BLOOD

The Gospel:

25Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

29Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”

31But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”

32And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

SOURCE: Bible, Crimson Publishing. The Orthodox study bible (updated Old and new testament) (Kindle Locations 73850-73851). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Life Application Narrative:

MK 5: 24-34 This woman had a seemingly incurable condition causing her to bleed constantly. This may have been a menstrual or uterine disorder that would have made her ritually unclean (Leviticus 15: 25-27) and excluded her from most social contact. She desperately wanted Jesus to heal her, but she knew that her bleeding would cause Jesus to be unclean under Jewish law if she touched him. Sometimes we feel that our problems will keep us from God. But he is always ready to help, no matter how impossible the problem seems to us. We should never allow our fear to keep us from approaching him.

MK 5: 31 It was virtually impossible to get close to Jesus, but one woman fought her way desperately through the crowd in order to touch him. As soon as she did, she was healed. What a difference between the crowds who are curious about Jesus and the few who reach out and touch him! Today, many people are vaguely familiar with Jesus, but nothing in their lives is changed or bettered by this passing acquaintance. It is only faith that releases God’s healing power. Move beyond curiosity. Reach out to Christ in faith. That touch will change your life forever.

Source: Tyndale. NIV Life Application Study Bible, Second Edition (p. 7363). Tyndale House

Apolytikion of Great Martyr Barbara

Fourth Tone

Let us honor the holy Barbara for, with the aid of the Cross as her weapon, she crushed the snares of the enemy, and was rescued from them like a bird.

Ἀπολυτίκιον Βαρβάρας Μεγαλομάρτυρος

Fourth Tone

Βαρβάραν τὴν Ἁγίαν τιμήσωμεν, ἐχθροῦ γὰρ τὰς παγίδας συνέτριψε, καὶ ὡς στρουθίον ἐρρύσθη ἐξ αὐτῶν, βοηθεία καὶ ὅπλω τοῦ Σταυροῦ ἡ Πάνσεμνος.

Kontakion of Great Martyr Barbara

Fourth Tone

O noble Champion, following God who is reverently praised in Trinity, you abandoned the temples of idols. Struggling amid suffering, O Barbara, you were not overwhelmed by the threats of the tyrants, O brave One, even singing aloud, "I worship the Trinity, the one Godhead."

Κοντάκιον Βαρβάρας Μεγαλομάρτυρος

Fourth Tone

Τώ εν Τριάδι ευσεβώς υμνουμένω, ακολουθήσασα σεμνή Αθληφόρε, τά τών ειδώλωνέλιπες σεβάσματα, μέσον δέ τού σκάμματος, εναθλούσα Βαρβάρα, τυράννων ου κατέπτηξας, απειλάς ανδρειόφρον, μεγαλοφώνως μέλπουσα αεί, Τριάδα σέβω τήν μίαν θεότητα.

Source: https://www.goarch.org/chapel/saints?contentid=321&PCode=11LF&D=F&DT=12/04/2020

DECEMBER 6th, 2020 – TENTH SUNDAY OF LUKE

A Woman Healed on the Sabbath

SUNDAY, December 6th, 2020 –Tenth Sunday of Luke

·         8:30 am -Matins/Orthros

Click this link to Orthros/Matins Gospel Reading

9:30 am - Divine Liturgy.

Click this link to Epistle Reading

Click this link to Holy Gospel Reading

·         There will be NO 12:00 pm Paraklesis to Saint Nectarios.

·         Election for Parish Council Members will be held on this day after Divine Liturgy. The voting will take place under the tent and patio.

Reading

LUKE 13:10-17 – A WOMAN HEALED ON THE SABBATH

The Gospel:

10Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

14But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore, come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”

15The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”† 17And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

Source: Bible, Crimson Publishing. The Orthodox study bible (updated Old and new testament) (Kindle Locations 73106-73114). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Life Application Narrative:

LK 13: 10-17 Why was healing considered work? The religious leaders saw healing as part of a doctor’s profession, and practicing one’s profession on the Sabbath was prohibited. The synagogue leader could not see beyond the law to Jesus’ compassion in healing this handicapped woman. Jesus shamed him and the other leaders by pointing out their hypocrisy. They would untie their animals and care for them, but they refused to rejoice when a human being was freed from Satan’s bondage.

LK 13: 16 In our fallen world, disease and disability are common. Their causes are many and often multiple— inadequate nutrition, contact with a source of infection, lowered defenses, and even direct attack by Satan. Whatever the immediate cause of our illness, we can trace its original source to Satan, the author of all the evil in our world. The Good News is that Jesus is more powerful than the devil or any disease. He often brings physical healing in this life; and when he returns, he will put an end to all disease and disability.

Source: Tyndale. NIV Life Application Study Bible, Second Edition (pp. 7456-7457). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Kindle Edition.

Resurrectional Apolytikion

Mode pl. 1. Automelon.

The stone had been secured with a seal by the Judeans, * and a guard of soldiers

was watching Your immaculate body. * You rose on the third day, O Lord * and Savior, granting life unto the world. * For this reason, were the powers of heaven crying out to You, O Life-giver: * Glory to Your resurrection, O Christ; * glory to Your kingdom; * glory to Your dispensation, only One who loves mankind.

Ἀπολυτίκιον Ἀναστάσιμον.

Ἦχος πλ. αʹ. Αὐτόμελον.

Τοῦ λίθου σφραγισθέντος ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ στρατιωτῶν φυλασσόντων

τὸ ἄχραντόν σου Σῶμα, ἀνέστης τριήμερος Σωτήρ, δωρούμενος τῷ κόσμῳ τὴν ζωήν· διὰ τοῦτο αἱ Δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐβόων σοι ζωοδότα. Δόξα τῇ Ἀναστάσει σου Χριστέ, δόξα τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου, δόξα τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ σου, μόνε φιλάνθρωπε.

Resurrectional Kontakion

You arose from the sepulcher in glory as God, and with yourself resurrected the world. And mortal nature extolled You as God, and death was obliterated, and Adam is dancing, O Master; and Eve, now redeemed from the bonds, rejoices crying out: O Christ, You are He who grants resurrection to all.

Κοντάκιον Ἀναστάσιμον.

Ἐξανέστης ὡς Θεός, ἐκ τοῦ τάφου ἐν δόξῃ, καὶ κόσμον συνανέστησας, καὶ ἡ

φύσις τῶν βροτῶν ὡς Θεόν σε ἀνύμνησε, καὶ θάνατος ἠφάνισται, καὶ ὁ Ἀδὰμ χορεύει, Δέσποτα, καὶ ἡ Εὔα νῦν ἐκ τῶν δεσμῶν λυτρουμένη, χαίρει κράζουσα· Σὺ εἶ ὁ πᾶσι παρέχων, Χριστὲ τὴν ἀνάστασιν.

Source: https://www.agesinitiatives.com/dcs/public/dcs/p/s/2020/12/06/ma/gr-en/index.html

DUE TO THE MANDATE of STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTY, the SUNDAY SERVICES ARE ONLY OFFERED OUTDOORS TO A LIMITED CAPACITY.

ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS

Those with any signs or symptoms of any acute illness (whether it is COVID-19 or not) MUST stay home, as shall those who have come into contact with COVID-19. It is strongly recommended that parishioners who are 65 or older, especially those living in long-term care facilities and who suffer from serious medical conditions such as cardiac and/or pulmonary disease, diabetes, a compromised immune system, or other underlying health issues are advised to participate in live-streamed services home at this time. Parishioner assumes all responsibly in risks and Covid-19 related health risk should they occur for attending in person services. Questions should be directed to your healthcare provider.

Dismissal hymn of Saint Nectarios of Aegina

Special Announcement:

· We need oil (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) for the Church, please donate.

· Please notify us if someone in the member of the family or yourself is sick, so that we may offer healing prayer.

· Our schedule of church services is now uploaded on a monthly basis, so if you plan to request memorial service for the soul of your loved ones and would like it to be posted on our weekly bulletin, please send us your request two weeks ahead of the following month. For example, our next schedule of church service would be for the month of December 2020, therefore, the request should be made on or before November 16, 2020.