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“Lord,” St. Peter answered, “we have fished all night and have caught nothing.” Perhaps if St. Peter had caught some little fish, Jesus would not have performed the miracle, but he had nothing, so Jesus soon filled his net in such a way as almost to break it. This is the character of Jesus.” Can it be that Christ is bringing us to nothing and emptying us in order to fill and bless us to the point of breaking? – St. Therese
Sermon:
Church Announcements
- Wednesday liturgies will be from 5-7am.
- GYP Meetings every Thursday from 7-9pm
- Winter Warmth Project
- Lots of help needed for making blankets and hygiene kits for the homeless
- Bring the entire family for part or the entire day. Any amount of help is welcomed.
- November 20th from 11am-4pm
- All-Saints Day!
- October 31st from 5pm to 9pm
- Trunk or Treat, Bounce House, Rock Climbing Wall, Zip Lining, Animal Kingdom Obstace Course, Face Painting, Carl’s Jr. Truck, and more.
- Lots of Candy and Chocolate donations needed. See Suzan Armanious
- Sign ups for Trunk-or-Treat needed! Please see flyer and scan QR to sign up!
- TRUNK OR TREAT FLYER
Saints of the Week:
- St. Panteleimon the Physician – Monday, Oct 25
- St. Agathon – Tuesday, Oct 26
- St. Dioscorus II– Wednesday, Oct. 27
- Pope Theophilus – Thursday, Oct. 28
- Sts. Theophilus and His Wife – Friday, Oct. 29
- St. John the Short – Saturday, Oct. 30
Featured Saint of the Week: St. Panteleimon the Physician
Pantoleon’s mother died when he was just a young child. His father sent him to a pagan school, where the young man studied medicine a under the renowned physician Euphrosynos. St. Hermolaos, a righteous priest was living secretly in Nicomedia at that time. He saw Pantoleon time and again. The priest invited the young man to the house and spoke about the Christian Faith. After this Pantoleon visited St. Hermolaos every day.
One day, Pantoleon found a dead child on the street. He had been bitten by a snake, which was still beside the child’s body. Pantoleon prayed to Christ to revive the dead child and to destroy the venomous reptile. He resolved that if his prayer were fulfilled, he would follow Christ and be Baptism. The child rose alive, and the snake died. After the miracle, Pantoleon was baptized by St. Hermolaos with the name Panteleimon (“all-merciful”).
St. Panteleimon dedicated his life to the suffering, the sick, the unfortunate and the needy. He treated all those who turned to him without charge, healing them in the name of Jesus Christ. He visited those held captive in prison and healed them of their wounds. Once a blind man came to him to be treated by his medicine. He made the sign of the Cross over his eyes in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and his eyes were healed immediately. In a short time, reports of the charitable physician spread throughout the city. Forsaking the other doctors, the inhabitants began to turn only to St. Panteleimon.
The envious doctors told the emperor that St. Panteleimon was healing Christian prisoners. Maximian urged the saint to refute the charge by offering sacrifice to idols. St. Panteleimon confessed himself a Christian, and suggested that a sick person, for whom the doctors held out no hope, should be brought before the emperor. Then the doctors could invoke their gods, and Panteleimon would pray to his God to heal the man. A man paralyzed for many years was brought in, and pagan priests who knew the art of medicine invoked their gods without success. Then, before the very eyes of the emperor, the saint healed the paralytic by calling on the Name of Jesus Christ. The Emperor Maximian executed the healed man, and gave St. Panteleimon over to fierce torture.
The Lord appeared to the saint and strengthened him before his sufferings. They suspended the St. Panteleimon from a tree and scraped him with iron hooks, burned him with fire and then stretched him on the rack, threw him into a cauldron of boiling tar, and cast him into the sea with a stone around his neck. Throughout these tortures he remained unhurt.
By order of the emperor they brought St. Panteleimon to the circus to be devoured by wild beasts. The animals, however, came up to him and licked his feet. The spectators began to shout, “Great is the God of the Christians!” The enraged Maximian ordered the soldiers to stab anyone who glorified Christ, and to cut off the head of St. Panteleimon. They led the saint to the place of execution and tied him to an olive tree. While the martyr prayed, one of the soldiers struck him with a sword, but the sword became soft like wax and inflicted no wound. The saint completed his prayer, and a Voice was heard from Heaven, calling the passion-bearer by his new name and summoning him to the heavenly Kingdom. Hearing the Voice, the soldiers fell down on their knees before the holy martyr and begged forgiveness. They refused to continue with the execution, but St. Panteleimon told them to fulfill the emperor’s command.
When the saint was beheaded, the olive tree to which the saint was tied became covered with fruit. Many who were present at the execution believed in Christ. The saint’s body was thrown into a fire, but remained unharmed, and was buried by Christians.
This Week’s Schedule:
- Monday:
- Midnight Praises: 8:00-9:30pm
- Tuesday:
- Bible Pleasure at 7:00pm
- Wednesday:
- Liturgy: 5:00-7:00am
- Thursday:
- Liturgy: 7:30-10:00am
- GYP Meeting: 7:00-9:00pm
- Friday:
- Liturgy: 8:00-10:30am
- Saturday:
- Hymns Class: 5:00-6:00pm
- Sunday School: 6:00-7:00pm
- Vespers: 7:00-7:30pm.
- Midnight Praises: 7:30-9:30pm
- Sunday:
- Liturgy: 7:30-11:00am
- Liturgy: 7:30-11:00am