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WEEKLY DIOCESAN BULLETIN

SUNDAY, AUGUST 13, 2017 

TENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST: HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS EUDOCIMUS; HOLY MARTYR JULITTA

RESURRECTIONAL TROPARION – TONE ONE: When the stone had been sealed by the Jews; while the soldiers were guarding Thy most pure Body; Thou didst arise on the third day, O Savior, granting life to the world. The powers of heaven therefore cried to Thee, O Giver of Life: Glory to Thy Resurrection, O Christ! Glory to Thy Kingdom! Glory to Thy dispensation, O Thou who loves mankind.

TROPARION TO SAINT EUDOCIMUS – TONE FOUR: He who called you from earth to heaven, keeps your body unharmed after death, holy Eudocimus; for you lived a sober and holy life and did not defile your flesh; so with boldness intercede with Christ that we may be saved.

RESURRECTIONAL KONTAKION – TONE ONE: As God, Thou didst arise from the tomb in glory, raising the world with Thyself. Human nature praises Thee as God, for death has vanished.  Adam exults, O Master!  Eve rejoices, for she is freed from bondage, and cries to Thee: Thou art the giver of resurrection to all, O Christ!

KONTAKION TO SAINT EUDOCIMUS – TONE THREE: Today your honored memory has assembled us at the holy shrine of your sacred relics; all then who approach and venerate them are rescued from the evil malice of demons and are swiftly delivered from various diseases, blessed Eudocimus.

HYMN TO THE MOTHER OF GOD – TONE SIX: Steadfast Protectress of Christians and constant advocate before the Creator, do not despise the cry of us sinners; but in your goodness come speedily to help us who call on you in faith.  Hasten to hear our petition and to intercede for us, O Theotokos, for you always protect those who honor you!

EPISTLE READINGS

PROKEIMENON IN TONE ONE: Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us as we have set our hope on You!

TENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST: 1 CORINTHIANS 4: 9-16  Brethren, I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.  We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ.  We are weak, but you are strong.  You are distinguished, but we are dishonored!  To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly clothed, beaten, homeless; and we labor, working with our own hands.  When reviled we bless, when persecuted we endure, when slandered we try to conciliate.  We have been made as the filth of the world, the off-scouring of all things until now.  I do not write these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children.  For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel.  Therefore I urge you, imitate me.

FOR SAINT EUDOCIMUS: GALATIANS 5: 22 – 6: 2
Brethren, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  Against such there is no law.  And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.  Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.  Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

THE ALLELUIA VERSES: God gives vengeance to me and subdues people under me; He magnifies the salvation of the king, and deals mercifully with His Christ, with David and his seed forever.

GOSPEL READINGS 

TENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST: MATTHEW 17: 14-23
At that time, a man came to Jesus, kneeling down to Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.  So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.”  Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him here to Me.”  And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.  Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”  So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”  Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.”  And they were exceedingly sorrowful.

FOR SAINT EUDOCIMUS: MATTHEW 11: 27-30
Jesus said, “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father.  Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.  Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

FROM THE PROLOGUE

JULY 31/AUGUST 13, BY SAINT NIKOLAI VELIMIROVIC:

Saint Eudocimus
Eudocimus was born in Cappadocia of devout parents, Basil and Eudocia. At the time of the Emperor Theophilus (829–842), Eudocimus was a young officer in the army. Even as an officer, he exerted all his effort to live according to the commandments of the Gospel. Preserving his purity undefiled, he avoided conversing with any woman except his mother. He was merciful toward the unfortunate and needy, conscientious in reading holy books, and even more conscientious in his prayers to God. He avoided vain amusements and idle talk. “Amid the throngs and worldly vanity, he was a lily among thorns, and as gold in the fire.” Because of his extraordinary virtues the emperor appointed him governor of Cappadocia. In this high position, Eudocimus strove to be righteous before God and men. By God’s providence he died at an early age, in his thirty-third year. His relics were found to possess healing properties. An insane man touched his tomb, and was immediately healed; likewise a paralytic child stood up and was made whole. After eighteen months, his mother opened his coffin and found his body to be as though it were still alive, without any signs of decay or corruption. A wonderful fragrance arose from it. His relics were later translated to Constantinople and buried in a new church dedicated to the Holy Theotokos, built by the parents of this righteous Eudocimus.

The Holy Martyr Julitta
Julitta was from Caesarea, in Cappadocia. When she had a dispute with her neighbor over some property, the neighbor went to the judge and denounced Julitta as a Christian, which at the time placed her outside of the protection of the law. St. Julitta gladly denied her property rather than her Faith. However, even after this the evil pagans did not leave her in peace, but tortured her, and finally burned her to death in the year 303. Thus, this follower of Christ sacrificed her estate and her body for the sake of the eternal salvation of her soul.

Saint Joseph of Arimathea
The noble Joseph, a wealthy man and member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, was secretly a follower of Christ (Matthew 27:57, John 19:38). Joseph and Nicodemus removed the body of Christ from the Cross, and placed it in Joseph’s sepulcher. As a result of this he was bound by the Jews and thrown into prison. There the resurrected Lord appeared to him and convinced him of His Resurrection. The Jews later released Joseph from prison and banished him from his fatherland. He traveled throughout the world preaching the Gospel of Christ, and brought the good tidings even to England, where he reposed in the Lord.

Saint John the Exarch
John was a distinguished Bulgarian priest and theologian during the time of Tsar Simeon (892–896). He translated the Hexaemeron of St. Basil and the Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith of St. John Damascene into Slavonic. He reposed peacefully in the Lord.

HYMN OF PRAISE: Saint Joseph of Arimathea

Joseph, a wealthy and noble man,
Was not tempted concerning Christ the Crucified,
But when the sun darkened and the earth shook,
He went to Pilate and brought him news
That the Lord had died, the Giver of life;
And so the secret disciple became public.

And when the Revealed One was concealed, the concealed one came out into the open;
Thus the wise Joseph became famous in a day.

With Nicodemus, he took Christ’s body,
And laid it in his garden, in a new tomb.

The Jewish spies heard and reported it,
And they put the righteous Joseph in chains.

In the dark prison, Joseph languished
While his Lord shone forth in hades.

Joseph pondered his memories of Christ,
Recalling His wondrous works,
And His many miracles, sayings and prophesies.

While near Him, he had stood in God’s presence:
But now all was dark, without and within.

Dark days, nights, evenings and mornings,
After the brilliant radiance of the shining sun!

Oh, desperate darkness, darker than hades!

But lo, suddenly it is dawn in the dungeon
The Risen One appears to the fettered servant.

O Joseph, brave and noble,
Neither were you tempted concerning the Risen One.

You informed Pilate of the death of Christ,
And recognized and glorified the Risen One.

Let the land of Britain honorably glorify you,
For you sowed her first seed of salvation.

REFLECTION
Ascetics in the wilderness labor to cut off their own will and live according to the will of God. Some erroneously think that the hermit lives completely in isolation. No hermit thinks this. He lives in the company of God, His angels and the saints. Wherever a man’s mind is, there also is his life. The mind of the hermit dwells among the greatest, most pure and most numerous company in which a man can possibly dwell. Abba Mark once reproached St. Arsenius the hermit: “For what reason do you flee from our company and from converse with us?” Arsenius replied: “God knows that I love you all, but I cannot be with both God and man. In heaven thousands, and thousands of thousands, have but one will; but with men there are many and various wills. That is why I cannot leave God, and be with men.”

CONTEMPLATION

Contemplate the punishment from God that befell Abimelech and the Shechemites (Judges 9):

1. How Abimelech, with the help of the men of Shechem, slew seventy of his brethren;

2. How Abimelech then slew the Shechemites, plowed their city under and sowed it with salt;

3. How, after many victories, Abimelech was killed by a woman who hurled a piece of millstone onto his head from a tower;

4. How the curse of Jotham, the son of Gideon, came upon the Shechemites and Abimelech.

HOMILY on the last awaiting

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot and blameless (II Peter 3:14).

Brethren, what is our last awaiting? In the night, we await the day, and in the day, we await the night; and again the day, and again the night. But this awaiting is not our last awaiting. Brethren, what is our last awaiting? In times of joy we tremble, waiting for sorrow; and in sorrow, we wait with hope for joy; and again sorrow, and again joy. But not even these awaitings are our last awaiting. Brethren, our last awaiting is the awaiting of the judgment of God. When the judgment of God comes—the Dreadful Day which burns like a furnace (Malachi 4:1)—then we receive all that we deserve: for some it will be day that changes not into night, while for others it will be night that changes not into day; joy for some, without change into sorrow, and sorrow for others, without change into joy. Brethren, that is the last awaiting of the human race—whether we know it or not; whether we think about it or not.

Yet, you faithful should know this, and should think about it. Let this knowledge be the zenith of all your knowledge, and let this thought direct all your other thoughts. To the knowledge and contemplation of all this, add that which is most important: your diligence, that ye may be found of Him in peace without spot and blameless . Be diligent to be pure in mind and in heart, blameless in your conscience and at peace with God. Only then will the last awaiting not terrify you with its unexpectedness, nor will it hurl you into the night without day, or the sorrow without joy. As everything else in the life of the Lord Jesus was unexpected by man, so also His Second Coming will be unexpected—in power and glory. Unexpected was His birth of the All-holy Virgin; unexpected was His poverty; unexpected was His miracle-working, His every word, His humiliation and voluntary death, His Resurrection, His Ascension, His Church and the spreading of His Faith. His Second Coming too will be unexpected—a shock more fearful than all others.

O Lord, O righteous Judge, how shall we meet Thee, who are not clad in purity, in blamelessness or in peace? Help us! Help us—that we may prepare, as much as possible, for the dreadful encounter with Thee.

To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.

+++ DIOCESAN NEWS +++
	Bishop Maxim Ordains Reader Nektari Rodrequez to the Deaconate 30 July 2017
	Camp Saint Sava 2017 in Jackson 21 July 2017
	Our Holy Hierarch, Father Mardarije, pray unto God for us! 16 July 2017
	PATRIARCH IRINEJ VISITS SAINT SAVA CATHEDRAL SITE IN NEW YORK 15 July 2017
	PATRIARCH IRINEJ ARRIVES IN UNITED STATES 13 July 2017
	Fresno Parish Celebrates Slava 09 July 2017
	The Feast of St. John the Wonderworker in Eugene, OR 02 July 2017
	Interview with Bishop Maxim 25 June 2017

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