SS.

kosmas & damianos Orthodox Church (goa)

703 W. Center Street, Rochester, MN (507) 282-1529 http://www.rochesterorthodoxchurch.org

office@rochesterorthodoxchurch.org Rev. Fr. Mark Muoz, Proistamenos

/APOLYTIKIA FOR TODAY
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Let us worship the Word, O you faithful, praising Him that with
the Father and the Spirit is co-beginningless God, Who was born
of a pure Virgin that we all be saved; for He was pleased to ascend
the cross in the flesh that He assumed, accepting thus to endure
death. And by His glorious rising, He also willed to resurrect the
dead.
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O Christ our God, begging forgiveness of our sins, we venerate Your Pure Icon, O Good One. Of your own
will you condescended to ascend upon the Cross in the flesh and deliver those You created from the
bondage of the enemy. Wherefore, thankfully, we cry out, "When You came to save the world, Your filled
all things with joy, O Our Savior.
/KONTAKION FOR TODAY
Ti ypermacho stratigo ta nikitiria, os lytrotheisa ton deinon efharistia, anagrafo si e polis sou Theotoke,
allos ehousa to kratos aprosmahiton, ek pantinon me kyndinon eletheroson, ina krazo si, Here nymfi
anymfefte.
O Champion Leader, we your faithful inscribe to you the prize of victory as gratitude for being rescued
from calamity, O Theotokos. But since you have invincible power, free us from all kinds of perils so that
we may cry out to you: Rejoice, O Bride unwedded.

Sunday of orthodoxy
The Holy Righteous Martyr Eudocia the Samaritan, Andonina the New Martyr
March 1st, 2015
+Fast: Wine/Oil Allowed+

Todays scripture readings

Epistle reading

St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 12:1-10

Prokeimenon. Mode 4.Daniel 3.26,27
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers.
Verse: For you are just in all you have done.
BRETHREN, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight,
and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to
Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured
from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your
struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you
forgotten the exhortation which addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of
the Lord, nor lose courage when you are punished by him. For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives." It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating
you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline,
in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had
earthly fathers to discipline us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father.
Gospel pericope

John 1:43-51
At that time, Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And he found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now
Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael, and he said to him,
"We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of
Joseph." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come
and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is
no guile!" Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you,
when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the son of God!
You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do
you believe? You shall see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you
will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man."

Announcements
Liturgical/Program Schedule:
TODAY: St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival after Divine Liturgy in Church Hall
Mon. Mar. 2nd: Great Compline, 6pm
Mon. Mar. 2nd: Orthodoxy 101 Class after Compline Service
Tues. Mar. 3rd: Philoptochos Meeting, 6pm
Wed. Mar. 4th: Pre-sanctified Liturgy, 6pm
Wed. Mar. 4th: Philoxenia Meeting, after Presanctified Liturgy
Fri. Mar. 6th, 2nd SALUTATIONS to the Holy Theotokos, 6pm
Sun. Mar. 8th: Youth Outing: ICE SKATING (**Daylight Savings Begins**)
Sunday of Orthodoxy: There will be no catechetical classes to allow the children to participate in the
procession with the holy icons.
Youth Wide Outing Next Sunday: Please join us next Sunday @ 1pm for some fun on the ice! We will
gather at Rochester Rec Center for two hours of open skating: Adult $4, Youth $3, skate rental $2
Important Baking Date: we need as many volunteers as possible to assemble/bake baklava on Saturday,
March 22nd @ 10am for a very important upcoming fundraising event! Please let Penny Kolas know if you
are able to volunteer!
Holy Week Liturgical Books: We have ordered several copies of the official Holy Week Book endorsed
by our Metropolis. This comprehensive book, compiled by Fr. Pappadeas, will be used exclusively for all
the liturgical celebrations from Palm Sunday evening through the Agapi Vespers on Pascha. Each book is
$25, and ARE NOW AVAILABLE.
HOW TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNIONOnly Orthodox Christians (i.e. the Orthodox Church
does not observe open communion) in good standing are encouraged to receive Holy Communion frequently,
provided they have prepared themselves spiritually, mentally and physically. They must be on time for the Divine
Liturgy, and be in a Christ-like, humble state of mind. They should be in a confession relationship with their priest
or spiritual father, have observed the fasts of the Church, and they should have self-examined their conscience.
On the day of receiving Holy Communion, it is not proper to eat or drink anything before coming to church. When
you approach to receive Holy Communion, state your Christian (baptismal) name clearly, and hold the red
communion cloth to your chin. After receiving, wipe your lips on the cloth, step back carefully, hand the cloth to
the next person and make the sign of the Cross as you step away. Please do not be in a rush while
communing! Please take special care not to bump the Holy Chalice.

2015 St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival

This year our Parish Oratorical Festival will take place during coffee hour on Sunday,
March 1st. All children are asked to participate in this event; registration forms are
available from Amy Franquiera. The categories include speech, essay, poem, and
iconography. Although all categories are welcome this year we are emphasizing
speeches. Parents and/or Catechetical Teachers can assist children with their projects.
There are several different themes for each division. Divisions include Elementary
(preschool-6th grade), Junior (7th-9th grades), and Senior (10th-12th grades).
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Coffee Hour for March: we would like to thank all the families who have volunteered
to host the Coffee/Fellowship Hours during the month of March! Remember, we are in
the fasting season of Great Lent. 3/1 Sunday School Teachers, 3/8: Maria Thomas, 3/15
Jerghiuta Family, 3/22 *open*, 3/29 Daniela/Jason Meier.
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Panagias Icon
One of the most beloved Lenten services is the Salutations to
the Holy Theotokos which are chanted every Friday night
during the Fast. It is customary to honor her by decorating her
icon with flowers which is then placed on the solea. Five services
will be chanted with a decorated icon at each service. The cost
for each icon is approximately $75, any individuals/families who
would like to donate to help defray the cost please see Fr.
Mark. Thank you in advance!

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If a man insults me, kills my father, my mother, my brother, and then gouges out my
eye, as a Christian it is my duty to forgive him. We who are pious Christians ought to
love our enemies and forgive them. We ought to offer them food and drink, and entreat
God for their souls. And then we should say: My God, I beseech Thee to forgive me,
as I have forgiven my enemies. +St. Kosmas Aitolos

LENTEN POTLUCK
Every Wednesday eve of great lent the liturgy of the
presanctified gifts is celebrated. Afterwards we gather in
the library for a simple Lenten meal. Please plan on
attending these compunctionate services and bring a
fasting
meal
to
share!
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Pascha flowers: A table will be set up in the Narthex for collections of monetary
donations towards the Pascha flowers on Sundays from March 1 st until April 6thDonations can also be made at any time to the Church during Lent, please mark Pascha
flowers with your check or donation. Thank you!
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FIRST SUNDAY OF THE FAST: TRIUMPH OF ORTHODOXY
For more than one hundred years the Church of Christ was troubled by the persecution
of the Iconoclasts of evil belief, beginning in the reign of Leo the Isaurian (717-741) and
ending in the reign of Theophilus (829-842). After Theophilus's death, his widow the
Empress Theodora (celebrated Feb. 11), together with the Patriarch Methodius (June 14),
established Orthodoxy anew. This ever-memorable Queen venerated the icon of the
Mother of God in the presence of the Patriarch Methodius and the other confessors and
righteous men, and openly cried out these holy words: "If anyone does not offer relative
worship to the holy icons, not adoring them as though they were gods, but venerating
them out of love as images of the archetype, let him be anathema." Then with common
prayer and fasting during the whole first week of the Forty-day Fast, she asked God's
forgiveness for her husband. After this, on the first Sunday of the Fast, she and her son,
Michael the Emperor, made a procession with all the clergy and people and restored the
holy icons, and again adorned the Church of Christ with them. This is the holy deed that
all we the Orthodox commemorate today, and we call this radiant and venerable day the
Sunday of Orthodoxy, that is, the triumph of true doctrine over heresy.

ICONS: Q and A
Do Orthodox Christians pray to Icons?
Christians pray in the presence of Icons (just as Israelites
prayed in the presence of Icons in the Temple), but we do
not pray to the image.
Do Orthodox Christians Worship Icons?
What's the
difference between "worship" and "veneration"?
Orthodox Christians do not worship Icons in the sense that
the word "worship" is commonly used in modern English. In
older translations one finds the word "worship" used to
translate the Greek word proskyneo (literally, "to bow"). Nevertheless, one must understand that the
older use of "worship" in English was much broader than it is generally used today, and was often
used to refer simply to the act of honoring, venerating, or reverencing. For example, in the old Book
of Common Prayer, one of the wedding vows was "with my body I thee worship," but this was never
intended to imply that the bride would worship her husband in the sense in which "worship" is
commonly used now. Orthodox Christians do venerate Icons, which is to say, we pay respect to
them because they are holy objects, and because we reverence what the Icons depict. We do not
worship Icons any more than Americans worship the American flag. Saluting the flag is not exactly
the same type of veneration as we pay to Icons, but it is indeed a type of veneration. And just as we
do not venerate wood and paint, but rather the persons depicted in the Icon, patriotic Americans do
not venerate cloth and dye, but rather the country which the flag represents.
Doesn't the 2nd Commandment forbid Icons?
The issue with respect to the 2nd commandment is what does the word translated "graven images" mean? If it
simply means carved images, then the images in the temple would be in violation of this Commandment. Our
best guide, however, to what Hebrew words mean, is what they meant to Hebrewsand when the Hebrews
translated the Bible into Greek, they translated this word simply as "eidoloi", i.e. "idols." Furthermore the
Hebrew word pesel is never used in reference to any of the images in the temple. So clearly the reference here
is to pagan images rather than images in general. Let's look at the Scriptural passage in question more closely:
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image (i.e. idol), or any likeness of anything that is in heaven
above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to
them, nor shalt thou serve (worship) them..." (Exodus 20:4-5a). Now, if we take this as a reference to images
of any kind, then clearly the cherubim in the Temple violate this command. If we limit this as applying only to
idols, no contradiction exists. Furthermore, if this applies to all imagesthen even the picture on a driver's
license violates it, and is an idol. So either every Protestant with a driver's license is an idolater, or Icons are
not idols. Leaving aside, for the moment, the meaning of "graven images" lets simply look at what this text
actually says about them. You shall not make x, you shall not bow to x, you shall not worship x. If x =
image, then the Temple itself violates this Commandment. If x = idol and not all images, then this verse
contradicts neither the Icons in the Temple, nor Orthodox Icons.

Sunday of Orthodoxy
The Seventh Ecumenical Council dealt
predominantly with the controversy regarding
icons and their place in Orthodox worship. It
was convened in Nicaea in 787 by Empress
Irene at the request of Tarasios, Patriarch of
Constantinople. The Council was attended by
367 bishops. Almost a century before this, the
iconoclastic controversy had once more shaken
the foundations of both Church and State in the
Byzantine empire. Excessive religious respect
and the ascribed miracles to icons by some members of society, approached the point of worship (due
only to God) and idolatry. This instigated excesses at the other extreme by which icons were completely
taken out of the liturgical life of the Church by the Iconoclasts. The Iconophiles, on the other-hand,
believed that icons served to preserve the doctrinal teachings of the Church; they considered icons to be
man's dynamic way of expressing the divine through art and beauty.
The Council decided on a doctrine by which icons should be venerated but not worshipped. In answering
the Empress' invitation to the Council, Pope Hadrian replied with a letter in which he also held the
position of extending veneration to icons but not worship, the last befitting only God. The decree of the
Council for restoring icons to churches added an important clause which still stands at the foundation of
the rationale for using and venerating icons in the Orthodox Church to this very day: "We define that the
holy icons, whether in color, mosaic, or some other material, should be exhibited in the holy churches
of God, on the sacred vessels and liturgical vestments, on the walls, furnishings, and in houses and
along the roads, namely the icons of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, that of our Lady the
Theotokos, those of the venerable angels and those of all saintly people. Whenever these
representations are contemplated, they will cause those who look at them to commemorate and love
their prototype. We define also that they should be kissed and that they are an object of veneration and
honor (timitiki proskynisis), but not of real worship (latreia), which is reserved for Him Who is the
subject of our faith and is proper for the divine nature. The veneration accorded to an icon is in effect
transmitted to the prototype; he who venerates the icon, venerated in it the reality for which it stands".
An Endemousa (Regional) Synod was called in Constantinople in 843 under Empress Theodora. The
veneration of icons was solemnly proclaimed at the Hagia Sophia Cathedral. The Empress, her son
Michael III, Patriarch Methodios, and monks and clergy came in procession and restored the icons in their
rightful place. The day was called "Triumph of Orthodoxy." Since that time, this event is
commemorated yearly with a special service on the first Sunday of Lent, the "Sunday of Orthodoxy".

Todays liturgical commemorations

1. THE VENERABLE MARTYR EUDOCIA
The venerable martyr Eudocia lived in the Phoenician city of Heliopolis during
the reign of Trajan. Eudocia was a great debaucher at first. After that she was a
penitent, ascetic, and finally a martyr. Through her debauchery she amassed a
great fortune. The change in her life came about inadvertently through God's
Providence and a certain elder, the monk Herman. Coming into the city on
assignment, he resided at the home of a Christian whose house was adjacent to
that of Eudocia. In the evening and according to monastic tradition, he began
to recite the Psalter and to read a chapter on the dreadful judgment. Eudocia
heard him and attentively eavesdropped on his words to the end. Fear and
terror overcame her, and she remained awake until dawn. At daybreak, she
sent her servant to beseech the monk to come to her. Herman came and a
lengthy conversation took place between them about faith and salvation in
general. As a result of the conversation, Eudocia petitioned the local bishop to baptize her. Following her
baptism, Eudocia bequeathed her entire estate to the Church to be distributed among the poor. She
dismissed her servants and slaves and withdrew to a convent. Thus, Eudocia resolved to dedicate herself
to the monastic life, obedience, patience, long vigils, prayer and fasting. After thirteen months, Eudocia
was elected abbess. Eudocia lived in the convent for fifty-six years and was found worthy before God. He
endowed her with much grace so that she raised even the dead. When the persecution of Christians began
under Prince Vincent, St. Eudocia was beheaded. Eudocia is a glorious example of how a vessel of
impurity can be purified, sanctified and filled with the Grace of the Holy Spirit, the precious odor of
heaven.

2. THE VENERABLE AGAPIUS

He was a novice under the spiritual direction of a priest in the Vatopedi Monastery on Mt. Athos.
Captured by pirates, Agapius was sold as a slave in Magnesia. After twelve years, he was miraculously
freed through the help of the All-Holy Mother of God and returned to Vatopedi. He baptized his former
master and became his spiritual father. Agapius continued the remainder of his life in asceticism in
Vatopedi and died peacefully in the Lord.

3. THE HOLY FEMALE MARTYR, ANTONINA

Antonina was born in Nicaea. Because of her faith in Christ, she was arrested and brutally tortured.
Finally, she was sewn in a sack and drowned in a lake in the year 302 A.D. God saved her soul and
continuously glorified her among the angels in heaven and among the faithful on earth.