Saturday, September 4:  Great Vespers at 6:00
Sunday, September 5:  Matins at 8:50; Divine Liturgy at 10:00 

  
SEPTEMBER 5, 2010 
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Today we commemorate: Prophet Zachariah and Elizabeth, parents of the Forerunner; Obadiah, bishop of Persia; Martyrdom of the Holy Passion-bearer Gleb.

WELCOME TO ALL SAINTS

University Students and Faculty and all Visitors, we welcome you and invite you to make All Saints your home during your stay in Bloomington.

Social Hour: There is a 5-year memorial for Tony Nasser’s father William Kahlil.  His mother Wanda and other family members will be present.  Parishioners A-B along with Wanda have provided food today.  Next Sunday, Parishioners C-K are in charge.

Thought for Today: "Two unequal kingdoms are at war.  Each is spiritual in nature, each stamps its image on its subjects and requires strict obedience.  Yet they are opposites.  The king of the lesser realm is a created being, Satan….He is the author of disobedience, rebellion.  The beginning of his rule is spiritual death…The King of the other Kingdom is uncreated, God the Father…He rules by mercy and love.  The beginning of His rule is redemption to eternal life…” – OSB notes on Ephesians 2:1-7

Sunday School Starts Today: Little Lambs (ages 3-6) should enter the communion line first with the choir and meet immediately afterward.  Students ages 7-12 have class immediately following Divine Liturgy.  They meet at the Little Green Schoolhouse with teachers Gregory and Nicco Velicer.  Teens have an alternative meeting day.

Hold the date: October 2nd is the annual Festival on Fairfax / The Mosaic Festival.  Donations of bottled water and Coke/Pepsi products are now being received along with flannel shirts and jeans for the scarecrow booth.  Please leave your donations in the hall.  We appreciate your help.

Matthew Crandall and Gabriella Barrett, daughter of SubDn. Daniel and Linda,  will be united in marriage at 2:00 on Saturday, September 11th. 

Walk for Life benefitting Hannah Maternity Home and Crisis Pregnancy Center needs a coordinator from All Saints for the worthy fundraiser.  See Fr. Peter Jon

THIS WEEK at ALL SAINTS

Tuesday, September 7: Building Committee meeting at 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, September 8: Liturgy of the Nativity of the Theotokos at 6:00
Saturday, September 11:  Great Vespers at 6:00
Sunday, September 12:  Matins at 8:50; Divine Liturgy at 10:00

May God grant you many years!

Happy Birthday: Zach Stant (5th); Andrew Labban, Daniel Romanyshak, Braylan Smith (6th); Lena Radchenko (10th)
Blessed Name Day: Laura Willms (7th - St. Kassiani); Braylan Smith (9th -St. Joachim) 

Prayer List: John Boyer; Dick Barrett; Richards family; Ross Barbour; Blair Family; Rose Kelly; Jennifer Patterson; Przybyla family; Jennifer Patterson; Sandy and Zachary Webb; Deborah; Kelly’s Aunt Sue with stage 4 cancer; Ruth; Steve; Margaret, Daniel Mullis’s mother; Beverly Rogers; Marvin Piercefield and Alice; Preston Sise; Ruby Barrett; Kevin; Romaine Fredrick; Derek, Claire and Micah; Hannah Ben, & Fiona Rose; Maggie; Joe & Carol; Jack J; Gardiner & Harris families; Aaron; Robert; Tim Richards; Charles; Laura; Bethany; Jemma (Bethany’s niece);  Matthew, Gabriella & Braylan; Bob Rogers;  Rdr. James; Lyuda; Dr. Robert & Phyllis Walker; Ginny Kapellas; Archpriest Michael; Archpriest Alexander

Memory Eternal: Ken (July 23); Fr. Matthew (July 26th); John (Charles’s friend – August 18th); Metropolitan Christopher (August 18th); Brian (Lisa Belt’s cousin- August 19)

Today’s Epistle and Gospel Readings
Prokeimenon –“O Lord save Your people and bless your inheritance.”
“To You, O Lord, have I cried, O my God!”  Psalm 27 (28) 9, 1

Epistle: II Corinthians 4:6-15

Brethren, it is the God Who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” Who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.  We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our mortal flesh.  So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we too believed, and so we speak, knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into His presence.  For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

Gospel: St. Matthew 22:35-46

At that time, there came to Jesus a lawyer, asking Him a question, to test Him.  “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”  And Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.” 

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, “What do you think of the Christ?  Whose son is He?”  They said to Him, “The son of David.”  Jesus said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls Him Lord, saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, till I make Thy enemies Thy footstool’?  If David thus calls him Lord, how is He his son?”  And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask Him any more questions.

Pictorial Directory: We continue to make plans for the publication of a pictorial church directory.  We hope you will participate as we schedule appointments in October for photo shoots on November 5th and 6th.  Both members and frequent attendees of All Saints are invited.  The purpose of the directory is to let us know each other by name, family members, and face!

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Memorable Sayings

"Becoming a Christian is not so much inviting Christ into one’s life as getting oneself into Christ’s life.  What is true of Christ must become true of one who is in Him.” – OSB notes on Ephesians Chapter 1

"Prove your love and zeal for wisdom in actual deeds." – St. Callistus Xanthopoulos

“Prayer revives the Divine breath which God breathed into Adam's nostrils." -- Father Sophrony

“Humility is the only thing we need; one can still fall having virtues other than humility – but with humility one does not fall.”  Elder Herman of Mt. Athos 

“Ammon complained to the Venerable Sisoes the Great that he could not memorize the wise sayings that he read, in order to be able to repeat them in conversation with men. The saint replied to Him: "That is not necessary. It is necessary to attain purity of mind and to speak from that purity, placing your hope in God." (The Sayings of the Desert Fathers)

“Fear is the fruit of atheism, and so the fearful man or woman has rejected God.  We must examine ourselves, find these fears, and ask God to enter into us every more fully, that our fears will subside.” His Grace, Bishop JOSEPH

“We do not always see things the way they really are, especially in our own lives.  Only when we look back after many years do we see the joys in the things we take for granted now.  My beloved, I ask all of you to take the time each day to think of your blessings.  Thank God for the things you have right now, and appreciate them.” His Grace, Bishop JOSEPH

“Oh, what great happiness and bliss, what exaltation it is to address oneself to the Eternal Father.  Always, without fail, value this joy which has been accorded to you by God’s infinite grace and do not forget it during your prayers; God, the angels and God’s holy men and women listen to you.” St. John of Kronstadt

Abba Isidore said, ‘If you fast regularly, do not be inflated with pride, but if you think highly of yourself because of it, then you had better eat meat.  It is better for a man to eat meat than to be inflated with pride and glorify himself.” (The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, p. 106) 

“Even if we have thousands of acts of great virtue to our credit, our confidence in being heard must be based on God’s mercy and His love for men.  Even if we stand at the very summit of virtue, it is by mercy that we shall be saved.” St. John Chrysostom

 St. Hyperechius said, “Let your thoughts be ever in the kingdom of heaven and soon you will possess it as an heritage.” The Sayings of the Desert Fathers p. 239

“They said of Abba Or that he never lied, nor swore, nor hurt anyone, nor spoke without necessity.” The Sayings of the Desert Fathers p. 246

 “I shall speak first about control of the stomach, the opposite to gluttony, and about how to fast and what and how much to eat. I shall say nothing on my own account, but only what I have received from the Holy Fathers. They have not given us only a single rule for fasting or a single standard and measure for eating, because not everyone has the same strength; age, illness or delicacy of body create differences. But they have given us all a single goal: to avoid over-eating and the filling of our bellies... A clear rule for self-control handed down by the Fathers is this: stop eating while still hungry and do not continue until you are satisfied.” (St. John Cassian)

 “Acts of charity, almsgiving and all the external good works do not suppress the arrogance of the heart; but noetic meditation, the labor of repentance, contrition and humility—these humble the proud mind.” (Elder Joseph the Hesychast)

“If the soul is vigilant and withdraws from all distraction and abandons its own will, then the spirit of God invades it and it can conceive because it is free to do so.”    (Abba Cronius)

“The Holy Spirit often visits us; but if He does not find rest, how can He remain?  He departs.  Joy is in the hearts of those who are cleansed and who are able to maintain within themselves the grace of the Holy Spirit of the All-holy Trinity.  There is no greater joy and happiness for man.  I am not able to describe to you how one feels then.” (Elder Ieronymos of Aegina)

 “You cannot destroy the passions on your own, but ask God, and He will destroy them, if this is profitable for you. “ (St. Anatoly of Optina)

Do not be surprised that you fall every day; do not give up, but stand your ground courageously.  And assuredly, the angel who guards you will honor your patience.  (St. John of the Ladder)

I saw the snares that the enemy spreads out over the world, and I said groaning, “What can get through from such snares?”  Then I heard a voice saying to me, “Humility.”   (St. Anthony the Great)

God is a fire that warms and kindles the heart and inward parts.  Hence, if we feel in our hearts the cold which comes from the devil – for the devil is cold—let us call on the Lord.  He will come to warm our hearts with perfect love, not only for Him but also for our neighbor, and the cold of him who hates the good, will flee before the heat of His countenance.  (St. Seraphim of Sarov)

Do you wish to free yourself of sorrows and not be burdened by them?  Expect bigger ones -- and you will calm down.  Rembember Job and other Saints -- what sorrows they had endured!  Acquire their patience and your spirit will be consoled.  [Sts. Barsanuphius and John]

 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.  When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.  But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and His name shall be called Emman’u-el” (which means, God with us).  When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called His name Jesus.

“To give our alms out of that which one needs: this is true almsgiving.” [The Prologue of Ohrid, Vol. 2, p. 657.]

“Let us keep the Feast, not after the manner of a heathen festival, but after a godly sort; not after the way of the world, but in a fashion above the world; not as our own, but as belonging to Him who is ours, or rather as our master's; not as of weakness, but as of healing; not as of creation, but of re-creation.” [St. Gregory of Nazianzus 380 A.D.]

“An elderly lady who was noted for her youthful look was asked one day, ‘What do you do to preserve your youthful appearance?’  She replied, ‘I use: for the lips, truth; for the voice, prayer; for the eyes, compassion; for the hand, helpfulness; for the figure, uprightness; and for the heart, love – the love of Jesus.’” [Holy Joy: The Heartbeat of Faith; Coniaris; p. 124]

“The story is told of a rural congregation in which one of the member families had been burned out in a terrible fire.  The Pastor called the congregation to prayer at the site of the fire.  They all appeared except one family who came very late.  That family arrived in their wagon, the back of which was laden with food, clothing, and furniture.  The Pastor chided them about being late and missing the prayer meeting.  But the father of the family responded, ‘Pastor, we brought our prayers in the wagon.’” [The Resource Book for Orthodox Evangelism, V.Rev. Fr. Constantine Nasr; p. 171]

"Abba Agathon was wise in spirit and active in body.  He provided everything he needed for himself, in manual work, food, and clothing.” [The Sayings of the Desert Fathers; p. 22]

 “Abba Minus of Belos said, ‘Obedience responds to obedience.  When someone obeys God, God obeys his request.’” [The Sayings of the Desert Fathers; p. 150]

“The story is told of a rural congregation in which one of the member families had been burned out in a terrible fire.  The Pastor called the congregation to prayer at the site of the fire.  They all appeared except one family who came very late.  That family arrived in their wagon, the back of which was laden with food, clothing, and furniture.  The Pastor chided them about being late and missing the prayer meeting.  But the father of the family responded, ‘Pastor, we brought our prayers in the wagon.’” [The Resource Book for Orthodox Evangelism, V.Rev. Fr. Constantine Nasr; p. 171]

 “One day some Arians came to see Abba Sisoes on Abba Anthony’s mountain, and they began to speak against the Orthodox faith.  The old man gave them no answer but he called his disciple and said to him, ‘Abraham, bring me the book of Saint Athanasius and read it.’  Then they were silent as their heresy was unmasked, and he sent them away in peace.” [The Sayings of the Desert Fathers page 217]

Abba Isidore said, ‘If you fast regularly, do not be inflated with pride, but if you think highly of yourself because of it, then you had better eat meat.  It is better for a man to eat meat than to be inflated with pride and glorify himself.” (The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, p. 106)

"If but ten among us lead a holy life, we shall kindle a fire which shall light up the entire city." -- St. John Chrysostom  

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