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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Having learned the joyful proclamation of the Resurrection from the
Angel, and having cast off the ancestral condemnation, the women
disciples of the Lord spake to the Apostles exultantly: Death is
despoiled and Christ God is risen, granting great mercy to the world.

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As we celebrate the uncovering of your Relics from your holy tomb, O

Hierarch Nektarios, we are granted sanctification of bodies and souls and healing of all kinds of
passions, for those who approach with reverence, and who cry out to your grace: glory to Him Who
glorified you radiantly, glory to Him who sanctified you, glory to Him Who grants to us through you,
healings for all.
/KONTAKION FOR TODAY
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In your holy birth, Immaculate One, Joachim and Anna were rid of the shame of childlessness; Adam
and Eve of the corruption of death. And so your people, free of the guilt of their sins, celebrate crying:
"The barren one gives birth to the Theotokos, who nourishes our life."

13th Sunday of matthew

Translation of the relics of St. Nectarios the Wonderworker, Bishop of Pentopolis, Anthimus, Bishop of
Nicomedea, Holy Father Theoctistus and his fellow struggler Euthymius the Great, Polydorus the Martyr
of New Ephesus, Chariton the Martyr, Phoebe the Deaconess
 Todays scripture readings
Epistle reading
St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 16:13-24
Prokeimenon. Mode 4.
Psalm 103.24,1
O Lord, how manifold are your works. You have made all things in wisdom.
Verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

BRETHREN, be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do
be done in love. Now, brethren, you know that the household of Stephanas were the first
converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints; I urge you to
be subject to such men and to every fellow worker and laborer. I rejoice at the coming of
Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicos, because they have made up for your absence; for they
refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such men. The churches of Asia send
greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings
in the Lord. All the brethren send greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. I, Paul, write
this greeting with my own hand. If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our
Lord, come! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus.
Amen.

Gospel pericope
The Lord said this parable, "There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge
around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into
another country. When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get
his fruit; and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. Afterward he
sent his son to them, saying 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they
said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.' And they
took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the
vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" They said to him, "He will put those
wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the
fruits in their seasons." Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The very
stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord's doing,
and it was marvelous in our eyes?'"
 Announcements
TODAY: Luncheon w/ Lamb Philly Style Sandwiches w/ feta cream sauce! YUM! Free will
donation to cover Greek Fest expenses.
Fri. Sept. 8th: Nativity of the Holy Theotokos, Orthros/Divine Liturgy, 8:30am (Fish allowed)

HOW TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNIONOnly Orthodox Christians 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.

SAVE THE DATE: SUNDAY, SEPT. 10TH!

A parish-wide BBQ is planned for after Liturgy on
Sunday, Sept. 10th @ Slatterly Park (10th ST & 11th Ave
SE). Come enjoy Johnnys Chicken, Fr. Marks BBQ
Ribs, Hamburgers, Hotdogs! Please bring a side dish or
dessert to share; beverages will be provided! Lets celebrate
Back-to-School and the end of summer together!
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ETIQUETTE REMINDER: The summer months are now upon us and that means enjoying
warm weather and fun in the sun. While shorts, capris, flip-flops, tank tops, spaghetti
straps, etc. are practical and acceptable at the pool or the lake front they are not appropriate
attire inside the Divine Services of the Church. At every Eucharistic celebration we are
spiritually and physically brought in the awesome presence of Jesus Christ Himself, and when
we commune He comes to dwell within us in a miraculous way. Therefore the sanctity,
solemnity, and dignity of the Divine Liturgy must be preserved for the wellbeing of all.
 Pearls from the Desert
Amma Theodora said, "Let us strive to enter by the narrow gate. Just as the
trees, if they have not stood before the winter's storms cannot bear fruit, so it is
with us; this present age is a storm and it is only through many trials and
temptations that we can obtain an inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven."

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Philoptochos Fashion Show Sept. 16th @ 2pm

 Todays liturgical commemorations
1. The Hieromartyr Anthimus

He was born in Nicomedia, and was raised from childhood as a true Christian. ``His body was mortified,
his spirit humbled, his envy uprooted, his anger subdued, his sloth banished. He had love for all and
peace with all; he was prudent with all, had zeal for the glory of God and was forthright with all.'' It is no
wonder that a man with such virtues was appointed bishop. St. Anthimus governed as Bishop of
Nicomedia during the cruel persecution of Christians under the villainous Emperors Diocletian and
Maximian. Streams of Christian blood were shed, especially in Nicomedia. One year, on the Feast of
Christ's Nativity, twenty thousand martyrs were burned to death in one church (see December 28). This
took place during the time of Anthimus's episcopacy. Even so, the persecution did not end with this, but
continued, and many Christians were cast into prison and kept there for torture and death. St. Anthimus
withdrew to the village of Semana, not because he was fleeing from death, but in order to continue
encouraging his flock in the feat of martyrdom, so that no one would fall away out of fear. One of his
letters to the Christians in prison was intercepted and turned over to Emperor Maximian. The emperor
dispatched twenty soldiers to find Anthimus and bring him to him. The gray-haired and clairvoyant elder
came out to meet the soldiers, brought them to his house, and treated them as guests-and only then
revealed that he was Anthimus, whom they were seeking. The soldiers, astonished by Anthimus's
kindness, suggested that he hide, saying they would tell the emperor that they could not find him. But
Anthimus replied that he could not let himself transgress God's commandment against falsehood to save
his life, and he went with the soldiers. Along the way, all the soldiers came to believe in Christ and were
baptized by Anthimus. The emperor had Anthimus harshly tortured for a long time, and then had him
beheaded with an axe. He glorified the Lord and went to his rest at the beginning of the fourth century.

2. The Holy Martyr Basilissa

Basilissa was a nine-year-old girl. She was martyred in Nicomedia not long after the death of St.
Anthimus. The torturers covered her whole body with wounds, but she remained faithful to Christ. God
preserved her unharmed from fire and wild beasts, which caused her torturer, Alexander, to repent and
embrace the Christian Faith. Basilissa then went out into a field, fell to her knees, and prayed thankfully
to God that she had endured the tortures, and with that she gave up her spirit to God, in about the year
309.

3. Saint Joanikije, Archbishop and First Patriarch of Serbia

Joanikije was born in Prizren, and initially served as secretary to King Du an. He became archbishop in
1339, and was elevated to the rank of patriarch in 1346. Joanikije was a zealous archpastor and organizer
of the Serbian Church, ``a great upholder of the laws of the Church.'' He entered into rest on September 3,
1349. His relics repose in the Patriarchate.
 Today we commemorate the
translation of the holy relics
of st. nektarios the
wonderworker of aegina

Some years [after the blessed repose of St. Nektarios on the

evening of November 8th 1920], as is the custom in Greece,
his grave was opened to take the relics out. When they
opened the grave [on September 2nd 1953], what should they see but that the Saint was whole [i.e.
incorrupt] and fragrant. Not even his vestments had changed in any way. It was just as if he had fallen
asleep and been buried that very day. They had not told the people of Aegina, because he had already
worked many miracles and become very beloved, and a very large crowd would have gathered -- even
from Athens and other places where he was known -- for the opening of his grave. So, early in the
morning, as soon as they were finished with the Divine Liturgy, as it was dawning they went and began to
open the grave. At the same time there was a taxi coming by on the road below the convent. Inside was a
woman who had been to some resort place. She was not a woman of good repute, but of ill repute and
many sins. As soon as they approached the Holy Trinity Convent, there was such a fragrance in the air
that she told the driver, "Stop. What is that fragrance?" So he stopped and looked around. "Oh," he
replied, "here is the convent of the Holy Nectarios. What else could such a fragrance be but that they are
opening his grave today, and the fragrance is coming from the grave. For many times a fragrance came
from his body before they buried him. And even from the grave it comes sometimes." Immediately she
opened the door of the taxi and ran to go and see. She went up to the convent at the moment that they had
opened the coffin and found the relics whole. She was very moved by this and by the fragrance,
especially. She began to weep and publicly confess her sins. Thus she was corrected and became a
prudent and Christian woman in her way of life. At that time they telegraphed to Athens to the
Archbishop Chrysostom Papadopoulos, and he went to the island to see the relics for himself. After
examining the relics, he irreverently counseled the nuns to leave the relics out in the sun and air for two or
three days and then rebury him so that he would dissolve...The nuns, fearing the censure of the archbishop
and also being simple, did as they were told. For two days they put him outside in the sun and air and then
reburied him. But within a month or two they opened the grave a second time and took out the relics
which were still whole and put them in a marble sarcophagus.

In 1934, fourteen years after the repose of the Saint, a doctor was coming from one of the villages on
horseback and was caught in a very heavy rain in the area of the convent. He got down from his horse and
went and stood under a tree. It was raining so hard that he saw it would not let up for a long time.
Therefore, he decided that as there was nowhere else nearby, he might as well go to the convent. He had
known holy Father Nectarios while he was living, but being a man who did not believe much in such
things, he did not reverence the Father much. So he went and knocked at the convent and the nuns opened
and put him up for the night. It was evening, and they would not keep any man inside the convent, even
the priest of the convent, as it is forbidden by the canons, but they had a little place outside for guests. But
as the gates of the convent had not yet closed, he wanted to investigate what he had heard about miracles
and incorrupt relics now that he had come to the convent. So he went while it was still light to where the
sarcophagus was outside of the church. He began to pull off the heavy marble slab which was on top, as it
was not fastened in any manner. He pulled it down to the waist of the Saint. At that very moment a nun
happened to come by, and she began to cry out, "What are you doing there? What are you doing, opening
our Elder's grave?" And he replied, "I just wanted to take a look." "But you did not have permission," she
insisted and began making a commotion. But in the meantime anyway, he investigated the relics. [Later
he said, "I was very amazed to see that it was the Father Nectarios that we all knew. And that he could
still be recognized from his face and expression. Even his beard was intact; I pulled at some of his beard,
but it would not come out. I touched his hand and saw that it was skin. It had remained so well on the
bones (there was not much flesh) and had not shriveled up. He could be recognized by anyone who had
known him when he was alive."] Then they closed the marble sarcophagus right away. By the will of
God, years later the relics of the Saint dissolved, and what we have now are his Holy bones. They have
since been encased in the Saints mitre in Aegina. The top opened so one can kiss the crown of his head.
The other parts of his relics, which have much fragrance, are located in a silver box.

Filled with fragrance as the field, O Nektarios, were your holy Relics, as that with which
formerly Isaac blessed Jacob***. You were wholly sanctified by your virtuous life of holiness,
and were shown a chosen vessel, and equal to the former Saints and a communicant with
them. For also the treasury of your holy Relics, as an ark of holiness is presented to all, by
the illumination of the All-Holy Spirit, sanctifying those who approach, and healing all forms
of illnesses, and granting renewal of repentance to souls fallen in sin. As we celebrate the
sacred uncovering, we piously proclaim your wonders, and in pious manner we cry out to you:
hail, you who were in all things equal to the Fathers.
 ENA MEGALO EUCHARISTO!
A HUGE THANKS!
to the Ex. Comm. Jacob, Johnny, Ari,
Andy, and Aaron and the ENTIRE Greek Fest
Committee and Leads for a job very well
done!!

In addition, special thanks to all our volunteers who

turned out this year! In fact, we had difficulty
finding places for volunteers to workeven with
the rain showers, it was a tremendous weekend
with many positive outcomes for us and the
community.
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BASIL PLANTS NEEDED!
During the first two weeks of September it is
tradition in our Orthodox Church to bring live
Basil plants (potted) into the church and have them
placed in front of the Iconostasis. This basiliko will
be used for the upcoming great Feast of the
Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Sept. 14th. PLEASE search your local grocers
and nurseries for basil plants and bring them to church before the 14th.
THANK YOU!!