SS.

kosmas & damianos Orthodox Church (goa)

703 W. Center Street, Rochester, MN (507) 282-1529 http://www.holyanargyroi.org church@holyanargyroi.org Rev. Fr. Mark Muoz, Proistamenos
/APOLYTIKIA FOR TODAY , , , . , , , , , . The heavenly powers appeared at Your tomb, and those guarding it became like dead. Mary stood at Your grave seeking Your pure body. You stripped the power of Hades, not touched by its corruption. You met the virgin woman as one who grants life. O Lord, who rose from the dead, glory to You. , , , , , , , . , , . Thy Martyrs, O Lord, in their courageous contest for Thee received as the prize the crowns of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal God. For since they possessed Thy strength, they cast down the tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons' strengthless presumption. O Christ God, by their prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful. , , , , , , , . You are a guide of Orthodoxy, a teacher of piety and modesty, a luminary of the world, the God inspired pride of monastics. O wise Theodore, you have enlightened everyone by your teachings. You are the harp of the Spirit. Intercede to Christ our God for the salvation of our souls. /KONTAKION FOR TODAY , , , , , , , . Today, the most pure temple of the Savior, the precious bridal chamber and Virgin, the sacred treasure of God, enters the house of the Lord, bringing the grace of the Divine Spirit. The Angels of God praise her. She is the heavenly tabernacle. 8th Sunday of st luke St. Menas of Egypt, Sts. Victor & Stephanie the Martyrs, St. Theodore the Studite the Confessor

Todays scripture readings

Epistle reading

St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians 4:6-15 Prokeimenon. Mode 4. Psalm 67.35,26 God is wonderful among his saints. Verse: Bless God in the congregations. 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 bodies. For while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may 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 periscope

Gospel of Luke 10:25-37 At that time, a lawyer stood up to put Jesus to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read?" And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live." But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

COMMUNION PRAYERS
I believe and confess, Lord, that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, Who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. I also believe that this is truly Your pure Body and that this is truly Your precious Blood. Therefore, I pray to You. Have mercy upon me, and forgive my transgressions, voluntary and involuntary, in word and deed, known and unknown. And make me worthy without condemnation to partake of Your pure Mysteries for the forgiveness of sins and life eternal. Amen. Behold, my Maker, I approach Holy Communion. Burn me not as I partake, for You are fire which burns the unworthy, but cleanse me from every stain. Receive me today, Son of God, as a partaker of Your mystical Supper. I will not reveal Your mystery to Your enemies, nor will I give You a kiss as did Judas. But as the thief I confess to You: Lord, remember me in Your kingdom. Seeing the Divine Blood, have fear, O man, for it is coal that burns the unworthy. It is Gods Body that deifies and nourishes me; it deifies the spirit and nourishes the mind mystically. You have smitten me with yearning, O Christ, and with Your divine love You have changed me. Burn away my sins with spiritual fire and make me worthy to be filled with Your joy, that rejoicing in Your goodness, I may magnify Your two Comings. How shall I, who am unworthy, enter into the splendor of Your saints? If I dare to enter the bridal chamber, my clothing will accuse me, since it is not a wedding garment; and being bound up, I shall be cast out by the angels. In Your love, Lord, cleanse the vileness of my soul and save me. Loving Master, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, let not these holy Gifts be to my condemnation because of my unworthiness, but for the cleansing and sanctification of soul and body and the pledge of the future life and kingdom. It is good for me to cling to God and to place in Him the hope of my salvation. Receive me today, Son of God, as a partaker of Your mystical Supper. I will not reveal Your mystery to Your enemies. Nor will I give You a kiss as did Judas. But as the thief I confess to You: Lord remember me in Your kingdom.

Announcements
Liturgical/Program Schedule:
Mon. Nov. 12th-Tues. Nov. 13th: Pilgrimage to St. John Chrysostom Monastery Wed. Nov. 14th: GOYA Faith Night, 7pm Thurs. Nov. 15th: JOY Faith Night, 5:30pm Thurs. Nov. 15th: St. Philothei Project, GOYA Sponsored, 6pm Thurs. Nov. 15th: Nativity Fast Begins, consult Archdiocesan calendar for guidelines. Sat. Nov. 17th: Prosphora Making Workshop, 10:00am Sat. Nov. 17th: Great Vespers, 6pm
Holiday Bake sale: Philoptochos is now taking orders for the Annual Holy Anargyroi Bake Sale. Share order forms with family, friends and co-workers! Please complete and submit your order forms by December 2, so the ladies can prepare the pastries and cookies for delivery on December 16 after Divine Liturgy. Prosforo Workshop: Philoptochos will host a Prosforo Baking Workshop on Saturday, November 17, at the Church Hall, at 10:00 A.M. for all men and women of our Parish. Preparing Prosforo is an important part of our faith and the Divine Liturgy. Father Mark will explain the seal that is used and how meaningful preparing Prosforo is to the Orthodox Christian family. There is no charge; all ingredients will be provided. If you will be attending please all Maria Thomas at 288-8229 or e-mail happiness1955@yahoo.com for details and items you will need to bring for preparing your Prosforo. We look forward to coming together to learn and understand how importance of the altar bread. NEW Photo directories are coming! Please sign up TODAY if you have not already signed up to be photographed for the parish photo directory. You can sign up in the narthex after liturgy, at coffee hour, or online (follow the link from the church website). Each family photographed will receive a free 8"x10" portrait and a directory for participating. There is no cost to you or the church. Photography sessions are Nov. 27-29, 2-9pm. If you are unavailable these dates, but would still like your photo in the directory, contact Martha Voytovich at (507)536-4972 or mvoytovich@uwalumni.com . Help us make this parish directory complete - it won't be the same without you! Want to help? Contact Martha if you have any photos of church events we could use for activity pages at the beginning of the directory, if you would like to help design the activity pages, or would like to help check in families for their photo sessions.

Todays liturgical commemorations

1. The Holy Great-martyr Menas Menas was an Egyptian by birth and a soldier by profession. As a true Christian, he was not able to witness the abominable sacrificial offerings to the idols and left the army, the town, the people and everything else, and went to a deserted mountain, for it was easier for him to live among the wild beasts than with pagans. One day Menas clairvoyantly discerned a pagan celebration in the town of Cotyaeus. He descended into the town and openly declared his faith in Christ the Living God. He denounced idolatry and paganism as falsehood and darkness. Pyrrhus, eparch of that town, asked Menas who he was and where he was from. The saint replied: ``My fatherland is Egypt, my name is Menas. I was an officer, but witnessing the worship of idols, I renounced your honors. I now come before you all to proclaim my Christ as the true God, that He may proclaim me as His servant in the Heavenly Kingdom.'' Hearing this, Pyrrhus subjected St. Menas to severe tortures. They flogged him, scraped him with iron claws, burned him with torches, and tortured him by various other means, and finally beheaded him with the sword. They threw his body into a fire so that Christians would not be able to retrieve it, but Christians recovered several parts of his body from the fire nevertheless. They reverently buried those remains, which were later transferred to Alexandria and buried there, where a church was built over them. St. Menas suffered in about the year 304 and went to the Kingdom of Christ. He was and remains a great miracle-worker, both on earth and in heaven. Whoever glorifies St. Menas and invokes his help with faith, receives his help. The saint has often appeared as a warrior on horseback, arriving to help the faithful or punish the unfaithful. 3. The Holy Martyrs Victor and Stephanida Victor was a soldier of Roman birth. He was tortured for Christ during the reign of Emperor Antoninus. At the time of his torture a young woman, Stephanida, declared that she too was a Christian. Victor was beheaded and Stephanida was pulled apart by having her legs bound to the tops of two palm trees. 4. The Holy Martyr Vincent the Deacon Vincent was from the diocese of Saragossa in Spain. He was cruelly tortured for the Lord Jesus Christ, then burned on an iron grid. He gave up his soul to God in the year 304. His body reposes in Rome in the church bearing his name. 5. The Venerable Theodore the Studite Theodore was the famous abbot of the Studite monastery (the Studium). He suffered greatly for the holy icons, and was a wise organizer of the monastic life, a divinely inspired teacher of Orthodoxy and a wonderful ascetic. He entered into rest in Constantinople, in the year 826 at the age of sixty-eight.

DRIVE: November 4-18

In the narthex

New/gently-used HATS & GLOVES,

non-perishable FOOD in cans, boxes,

bags for GOYA to deliver to FOCUS-MN before Thanksgiving.

Help us to help those less fortunate. Thank you!!

Pearls from the Desert

"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

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Christmas Toy Drive

This year our parish will partner with the Salvation Army to provide Christmas presents for those families in need. Please bring your unwrapped gifts for either teenagers or young children ages 0-3yrs, clothing or toys are preferred. Place gifts in the large Christmas box located in the narthex of the church starting next Sunday, Nov. 18th. The last of day for drop off will be Sunday. Dec. 16th. Fyi, gifts will be secured in locked office during the week in order to prevent the disappearance of some gifts. Thank you for participating in this important drive! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Tray for Hurricane Sandy Victims

The Philoptochos Society will be passing a tray on Sunday, Nov. 18th for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. The funds will be forwarded to the National Philoptochos at the Archdiocese for distribution. Your generosity is greatly appreciated as many are still without basic necessities. Thank you!

St. John Chrysostom On Marriage:

A certain wise man, when enumerating which blessings are the most important included "a wife and husband who live in harmony (Sir. 25:1). In another place he emphasized this: "A friend or a companion never meets one amiss, but a wife with her husband is better than both." (Sir. 40:23). From the beginning God in His providence has planned this union of man and woman, and has spoken of the two as one: male and female He created them (Gen. 1:27), and there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:28). There is no relationship between human beings so close as that of husband and wife, if they are united as they ought to be. When blessed David was mourning for Jonathan, who was of one soul with him, what comparison did he use to describe the loftiness of their love? Your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women (II Sam. 1:26). The power of this love is truly stronger than any passion; other desires may be strong, but this one alone never fades. This love (eros) is deeply planted within our inmost being. Unnoticed by us, it attracts the bodies of men and women to each other, because in the beginning woman came forth from man, and from man and woman other men and women proceed. Can you see now how close this union is, and how God providentially created it from a single nature? He permitted Adam to marry Eve, who was more than sister or daughter; she was his own flesh! God caused the entire human race to proceed from this one point of origin. He did not, on the one hand, fashion woman independently from man, otherwise man would think of her as essentially different from himself. Nor did He enable woman to bear children without man; if this were the case she would be self-sufficient. Instead, just as the branches of a tree proceed from a single trunk, He made the one man Adam to be the origin of all mankind, both male and female, and made it impossible for men and women to be self-sufficient. Later, He forbade men to marry their sisters or daughters, so that our love would not be limited to members of our families, and withdrawn from the rest of the human race. All of this is implied in Christ's words: He who made them from the beginning made them male and female (Matt. 19:4). Paul has precisely described for husband and wife what is fitting behavior for each: she should reverence him as the head and he should love her as his body. But how is this behavior achieved? That it must be is clear; now I will tell you how. It will be achieved if we are detached from money, if we strive above everything for virtue, if we keep the fear of God before our eyes. What Paul says to servants in the next chapter applies to us as well, ...knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same again from the Lord (Eph. 6:8). Love her not so much for her own sake, but for Christ's sake. That is why he says, be subject...as to the Lord. Do everything for the Lord's sake, in a spirit of obedience to Him. These words should be enough to convince us to avoid quarrels and disagreements. No husband should believe any accusation he hears from a third party about his wife, and vice versa; nor should a wife unreasonably monitor her huband's comings and going, provided that he has always shown himself to be above suspicion. And what if you devote the day to your work and your friends, and the evening to your wife; but she is still not satisfied, but is jealous for more of your time? Don't be annoyed by her complaints; she loves you, she is not behaving absurdly--her complaints come from her fervent affection for you, and from fear.