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The Orthodox Messenger
Vol. VI, No. 18 – Sunday, May 6, 2007
Christ the Savior Greek Orthodox Church - Presentation of
Christ at the Temple
The
Hellenic Orthodox Mission of Hernando County, Florida
–
“A
Pan-Orthodox Christian Community”
Ecumenical Patriarchate + Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of
America + Metropolis of Atlanta
Website:
http://orthodoxhernandocountyfl.org
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St. Photine
In today’s Gospel reading, we learn about a remarkable
encounter between Jesus and a woman of unsavory character.
She is known as “the Samaritan Woman.” Jesus had come to
Jacob’s well, and meeting her there, He began a conversation
with her. He asked her for a drink of water, but quickly
turned the conversation to the “living water” that He could
give to her. So impressed was she by His person and
teaching that she ran to her Samaritan village and told the
people about Jesus. Eventually, the people asked Jesus to
come with His Disciples to stay with them. After a few days,
the people believed in Jesus and His teaching because of
their own experience and understanding.
The Samaritan woman’s encounter with Jesus was
life-changing. She believed so deeply that Jesus was the
awaited Messiah, she began teaching other Samaritans about
Jesus Christ, and many were converted to the Christian Faith
Speaking of her in his 34th Homily on the Gospel of John,
St. John Chrysostom urges Christians to follow her
enlightened example. “We require much fervor and aroused
zeal, for without these it is impossible to obtain the
blessings promised to us. . . . Such a disciple was this
woman. For so kindled was she by His words, that she left
her water pot and the purpose for which she came, ran into
the city, and drew all the people to Jesus. . . . When the
Apostles were called, they left their nets; she of her own
accord, without the command of any, leaves her water pot,
and winged by joy, performs the office of Evangelist.”
The Orthodox Study Bible tells us that “She was
baptized and given the Christian name Photine (Pho-tee-NEE),
the ‘enlightened one.’ Along with her two sons and five
daughters, she went to Carthage in western North Africa to
spread the gospel. There they were arrested, taken to Rome,
tried, imprisoned, and later martyred. According to
tradition, St. Photine, who first met Christ beside a well,
was martyred for Christ by being thrown into a well. The
Church remembers her on March 20” as well as today, the 5th
Sunday of Pascha.
St. Photine is a compelling example of the power of faith
in Christ: faith changes lives, inspires courage and
accomplishes great things.
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. Service
Hours: Sundays and Feast Days: Orthros at 9:30 am; Divine
Liturgy at 10:00 am
Evening Services as Announced
Saints: St. Photine, the Samaritan Woman; the Patriarchs of
Constantinople; Prophet Job the Just (c. 1750 B.C.); Mamas,
Pachomios and Hilarion, Martyrs; Righteous Seraphim, Ascetic
of Mt. Dombos(+1602); Danax, Mesiru and Therinus, Martyrs;
Martyr Donatus.
5th SUNDAY
AFTER PASCHA – SUNDAY OF THE SAMARITAN WOMAN
GOSPEL
ENTRANCE AND OTHER HYMNS
Dismissal Hymn for Pascha
Sung in Greek before the Entrance ("Christos
Aneste…").
Priest’s Entrance Hymn: In the congregations bless
God, the Lord who springs out of Israel. Priest & People:
Save us o Son of God who did rise from the dead, we sing
to You, Alleluia.
Dismissal Hymn – 4th Tone
(Sing in English after the Entrance)“When the
tidings . . . ”). Hymnal, 84-85.
Dismissal Hymn of Mid-Pentecost
(Read) In the midst of this Feast, / O
Savior, / give to my thirsty soul / the water of true
worship to drink./ For you called out to all, saying, /
Whosoever is thirsty, / let him come to me and drink. /
Wherefore, / O Christ our God, / Fountain of life, / glory
to You.
Dismissal Hymn of the Presentation of Christ (Sing)
From the sheet in the pew.
Kontakion for Pascha
(Sung) by the Leaders in Greek (“Ei kai
en tafo”)
(Read) Even though You descended into the
grave, / O immortal One, / You destroyed the power of Hades;
/ and You arose as victor, / O Christ our God, / saying to
the myrrh-bearing women, / “Hail!” / and to Your Apostles
granting peace; / You also grant resurrection to the fallen.
Return to page 26 for “Holy God” and for the Epistle and
Gospel Readings
EPISTLE – Acts 11:19-30 (Samaritan Woman)
Brethren, now those who were scattered because of the
persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as
Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to none
except Jews But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and
Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also,
preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with
them, and a great number that believed turned to the Lord.
News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem,
and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the
grace of God, he was glad; and he exhorted them all to
remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose; for he
was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a
large company was added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to
Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he
brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the
church, and taught a large company of people; and in Antioch
the disciples were for the first time called Christians. Now
in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the
Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the
world; and this took place in the days of Claudius. And the
disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to
send relief to the brethren who lived in Judea; and they did
so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and
Saul.
GOSPEL – John 4:5-42 (Samaritan Woman)
At that time, Jesus came to a city of Samaria, called
Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
Jacob's well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as he was with
his journey, sat down beside the well. It was about the
sixth hour. There came a woman of Samaria to draw water.
Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." For his disciples had
gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman
said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me,
a woman of Samaria?" For Jews have no dealings with
Samaritans. Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of
God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,'
you would have asked him and he would have given you living
water." The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to
draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that
living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who
gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons,
and his cattle?" Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of
this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the
water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water
that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water
welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir,
give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to
draw." Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come
here." The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus
said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband';
for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is
not your husband; this you said truly." The woman said to
him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers
worshiped on this mountain; and you say that Jerusalem is
the place where men ought to worship." Jesus said to her,
"Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this
mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You
worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for
salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now
is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in
spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him.
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in
spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that the
Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes,
he will show us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who
speak to you am he."
Just then his disciples came. They marveled that he was
talking with a woman, but none said, "What do you wish?" or,
"Why are you talking with her?" So the woman left her water
jar, and went away into the city and said to the people,
"Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this
be the Christ?" They went out of the city and were coming to
him. Meanwhile the disciples besought him, saying "Rabbi,
eat." But he said to them, "I have food to eat of which you
do not know." So the disciples said to one another, "Has
anyone brought him food?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to
do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work.
Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the
harvest'? I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the
fields are already white for harvest. He who reaps receives
wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and
reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true,
'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for
which you did not labor; others have labored, and you have
entered into their labor." Many Samaritans from that city
believed in him because of the woman's testimony. "He told
me all that I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him,
they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two
days. And many more believed because of his word. They said
to the woman, "It is no longer because of your words that we
believe, for we have heard ourselves, and we know that this
is indeed Christ the Savior of the world."
Changes Later In
the Divine Liturgy
In the place of “Truly it is proper. . .” (p. 54) The
Leaders (Sing) “O Angelos eboa. . . Efrainou,
agallou. . .”
(Read): The angel declared to the one full of
grace, O pure Virgin, Hail, and again I say Hail. Rejoice
and be glad. / O gate of the divine Light; / for Jesus
who disappeared in the tomb / has risen / with greater
radiance than the sun, / illuminating all believers, / O
Lady favored of God. In the place of the Communion Hymn
(Praise Him . . . )
(Sing) “Soma Christou” . . . Body
of Christ . . . Hymnal, p. 104
In the place of “We have seen the true light; (Sing)
“Christos Anesti,” Christ is Risen . .
One Tray Today – Stewardship & Visitors’
Donations
FOR THE RECORD: April
29 – Attendance 90; Candles $134; Visitor’s
Donations $120. Thank you for your support!
BRIEF
PARISH COUNCIL MEETING TODAY AFTER CHURCH
PROSFORON BAKERS: Argyri & Carol Gymnaos 5/6;
Venice Cosmadelis 5/13; Presbytera Emily Harakas 5/20.
George Nikas 5/27; Fran Triantafilon 4/29. You can make
Prosforon! Call George Nikas, Prosforon Chair, for a recipe
and instructions-597-1375!
COFFEE HOUR SPONSORS: 5/6 – Gloria Vardakis
& Helen Vangel; 5/13 Emily & Curtis Thomas; 5/20 (Parish
Assembly) Venice Cosmadelis, Presb. Emily Harakas, Nancy
Kastelan, Harriet Pasisis; 5/27 Nancy Kastelan & Venice
Cosmadelis. Sign up for June!
BULLETIN
SPONSORS: BILL & OLGA EUGENIDES
FOR THE CHILDREN OF OUR CHURCH
GREET EACH OTHER: -“CHRIST IS RISEN”! - RESPONDING “TRULY
HE IS RISEN!”
CHRIST THE SAVIOR
GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
P.O. BOX 5566
SPRING HILL, FL 34611
ST. KATHERINE LADIES SOCIETY
invites you today, after church, to help assemble
baskets of toiletries for the Dawn Center women.
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Mothers’ day brunch!
Next Sunday, May 13, After Church
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ASCENSION DAY LITURGY
Thursday,
May 17
orthros
9:30 am – D. Liturgy 10 am
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Parish assembly
Sunday, May 20, After Church
IMPORTANT! BE THERE!
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