Sunday Bulletin July 24, 2016

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 13555 Hillcrest Road, Dallas, Texas 75240 Office 972-991-1166 Fax 972-661-1717 www.holytrinitydallas.org Reverend Father Christopher Constantinides Reverend Father Peter Kostakis Reverend Father John Essa Reverend Deacon Mark Pakes Reverend Deacon Athanasios “Clint” Sharpley Reverend Deacon Christopher Stern

COMMUNION ETIQUETTE If you are either baptized and or confirmed as an Orthodox Christian and have spiritually prepared to receive Holy Communion, please come up from the middle aisle of the Church with reverence and humility, row by row, in a QUIET and ORDERLY fashion, and depart as directed. Please remain seated in your pews until a council member indicates your row should go forward. If you are standing in the back of the nave, please wait until all seated parishioners have gone forward and a council member indicates you should go ahead. In receiving Communion, you should place the cloth under your chin, recite your CHRISTIAN NAME, and wipe your mouth after receiving. Women, please remove your lipstick prior to receiving Communion. THANK YOU!

PRAYERS FOR OUR SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN 1st Lt. Thomas C. Bouras, US Army Nicholas Patitsas, 1st Lt. US Marine Corps Stephen Serniak, Major, USAF Space Command

We are currently updating the list of active service members. Please submit the name of the person/s you would like added to this prayer list. 972-991-1166 or [email protected]

PRAYERS FOR HEALING

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Sunday, July 4,, 416 Hymns at the Small Entrance RESURRECTIONAL HYMN, 4TH TONE GREEN BOOK PAGE 84 – THE TIDINGS PRIEST ENTRANCE HYMN, 2ND TONE Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ. Save us O Son of God, who did arise from the dead. We sing to You, alleluia! RESURRECTIONAL HYMN, 4TH TONE GREEN BOOK PAGE 84 – THE TIDINGS HYMN FOR SAINT CHRISTINA, 4TH TONE O Lord Jesus, unto You, your lamb cries out with a great voice: O my Bridegroom, You I love; and seeking You, I now contest, and with Your baptism am crucified and buried. I suffer for Your sake, that I may reign with You; for Your sake I die, that I may live in You: accept me offered out of longing to You as a spotless sacrifice. Lord, save our souls through her intercessions, since You are great in mercy. HYMN OF THE CHURCH, PLAGAL 4TH TONE GREEN BOOK PAGE 115 – O BLESSED ARE YOU KONTAKION, 2ND TONE A protection of Christians unshamable, intercessor to our holy maker unwavering. Please reject not the prayerful cries of those who are in sin. Instead, come to us for you are good. Your loving help bring unto us, who are crying in faith to you. Hasten to intercede and speed now to supplicate, as a protection for all time, Theotokos for those who honor you.

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Epistle Reading St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 10:1-10 BRETHREN, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened. For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law, that every one who has faith may be justified. Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on the law shall live by it. But the righteousness based on faith says, Do not say in your heart, "Who will ascend into heaven?" (that is, to bring Christ down) or "Who will descend into the abyss?" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach); because, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved.

Gospel Reading Matthew 8:28-34; 9:1 At that time, when Jesus came to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, two demoniacs met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one would pass that way. And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" Now a herd of many swine was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons begged him, "If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine." And he said to them, "Go." So they came out and went into the swine; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and perished in the waters. The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, and what had happened to the demoniacs. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood. And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. 4

Daily Commemoration of Saints July 24 Kapiton, Himenaos and Hermogenes, the Martyrs; Theophilos the New Martyr of Zakynthos; Christina the Great Martyr of Tyre; Athenagorus the Apologist; Boris and Gleb, the Passionbearers July 25 Dormition of St. Anna, mother of the Theotokos; Olympias the Deaconess; Eupraxia & Julia the Righteous of Tabenna; Gregory Kallidis, Metropolitan of Heraclea July 26 The Holy Hieromartyrs Hermolaus, Hermippus, and Hermocrates; Paraskeve the Righteous Martyr of Rome; Prisca the Righteous Martyr; Moses the Hungarian; Jacob Netsvetov the Enlightener of Alaska July 27 Panteleimon the Great Martyr & Healer; Nicholas of Novgorod the fool-for-Christ; Anthousa the Righteous Confessor; 853 Martyrs of Thrace who were drowned; Manuel the Righteous July 28 Prochoros, Nicanor, Timon, & Parmenas the Apostles of the 70; Irene the Righteous of Chrysovalantou; Our Righteous Father Paul of Xeropotamou July 29 The Holy Martyr Callinicus; Theodota the Martyr and her Children; Holy Virgin Martyr Theodota; Constantine III, Patriarch of Constantinople; Pious King Theodosius the New; Seraphima the Virgin-martyr of Antioch; Olaf of Norway July 30 Silas, Silvan, Crescens, Epenetus and Andronicus the Apostles of the 70; Julitta of Caesaria

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Calendar of Events Sunday, July 24 8:15 a.m. Orthros 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy (S) Coffee hosted in the Community Center immediately following Divine Liturgy. Monday, July 25 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Yarn Guild (BR)

Tuesday, July 26 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Pickleball (Gym)

Wednesday, July 27 7 - 9 p.m.

CANCELED B’ball Practice Sr. Boys (Gym)

Thursday, July 28 7 p.m.

Men’s Basketball (Gym)

Friday, July 29 No Activities Saturday, July 30 5 p.m.

Great Vespers (C)

Sunday, July 31 8:15 a.m. Orthros 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy (S) Coffee hosted in the Community Center immediately following Divine Liturgy.

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Parish Council Schedule July 24 Jim Dolmas, Dimitri Tsevoukas, Nick Cimino Jimmy Horiates, Louis Antos, Ellena Fox

July 31 Ari Rigopoulos, Christina Hochleutner, Jim Chappel, Bill Zaemes, Peter Hronas

Greek Food Festival 2016

60 years of family, food, music and...YOU! Join us this September 23, 24 & 25, as we celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Dallas Greek Food Festival! Check our website for details: www.GreekFestivalofDallas.com LIKE us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreekFoodFestivalDallas/ Official hashtag: #bigfatgreek60

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Holy Trinity Bookstore

Holy Trinity Bookstore The Bookstore has beautiful icons for the Transfiguratio n o f Our Lord and the Dormition of the Theotokos which will be celebrated during the month of August. We also have a table dedicated to the

Most Holy Theotokos with some excellent books, icons, etc. Look for the following great reads for you and/or your children: The Story of the Virgin by Fr. Evagoras Constantinides, The Illustrated Life of the Theotokos for Children by Georgia and Helen Hronas and The Orthodox Veneration of the Mother of God by St. John Maximovitch. Also, did you know that the Holy Trinity Bookstore also houses a library? Thanks to the generosity of our members many books have been donated and are available to be checked out and returned at the bookstore. We are working diligently to get the library books catalogued and listed online and will provide information regarding how to access the list once we have completed our task. If you are interested in assisting us with this endeavor or in joining the bookstore team, please send an email to Kristie Cimino - [email protected]. Summer Hours: SUNDAYS ONLY after Divine Liturgy until 12:30 p.m. Your Bookstore Team!

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Looking ahead for GOYA, joy, & hope The new ministry year is upon us and starting soon! It is never too early to look ahead and see what is coming up.

GOYA (Greek Orthodox Youth of America)

 GOYA is our oldest and largest youth group. From grades 6th to 12th, members enjoy plenty of meetings, activities, retreats and fundraisers. One goal of GOYA is to cover four large aspects of the church: Worship, Fellowship, Service, and Witness.  GOYA meets monthly on the 2nd Wednesday every month at 7 p.m.  Be on the lookout for our End Of Summer Pool Party, GOYA Kickoff Picnic and the first meeting of the year on September 14th!

JOY (Junior Orthodox Youth)

 Joy is our middle group, grades 1st to 5th. JOY meets on a monthly basis, learning about Orthodox Christian fundamentals through the help of activities and crafts.  JOY meets on the 1st Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m.  Be on the lookout for our JOY theme of the year. The first meeting is on September 7th.

HOPE (Holy Orthodox Primary Education)

 Being our youngest group, HOPE could be our most energetic. For our 2 year olds to Kindergarteners, it is a great way for our kids AND parents to come together in fellowship.  HOPE meets on the 1st Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m.  Be on the lookout for our first meeting of the year, September 1st.

Demetrios Buck Parish Youth Director Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

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It’s time for our Greek Village to get together for food, fun and fellowship! Cooking & Baking dates have been set for our 60th Annual Greek Food Festival! Thurs.-Sat.

July 14,15,16

Dolmathes

Saturday

August 27

Koulouria

Saturday

September 3

Kourambiades

Monday

September 5 (Labor Day)

Paximadia Sesame Cookies

Saturday

September 10

Fenekia

Saturday

September 17

Baklava

Sunday

September 18

Package after Church

We will start at 9 a.m. on all dates except on Sunday, Sept. 18th. This is a great way to volunteer your time and talents!

Join us! Questions? Email [email protected]

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Camp Emmanuel Under the guidance of clergy and camp counselors from all over the Metropolis, our youth participated in activities that deepened their understanding of the Orthodox faith and also built lifelong friendships with other Orthodox youth from around the Metropolis. And, as always, Camp Emmanuel is just a lot of fun!

Jr. Session June 12-18th

Sr. Session June 19-25th

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Mission Blankets While we wait for detailed shipping instructions from the Orthodox Orphanage in Sierra Leone, West Africa, it seems like a good time to send what we have ready to Greece. The country is dealing significantly with the Syrian refugees, so we plan to double down efforts in getting our blankets to orphans there. The first supply will go to a boys home in Patras. The next will be for an Orphanage in Mytilene, Lesvos Island - the entry point for most refugees going to Europe. This island needs all the help it can get. Thanks so very much for all the recent donations of twin blankets and also handmade crosses. We are busy trimming every blanket to make them all “one of a kind.” Thank you on behalf of the children, and for the monetary gifts toward shipping costs. Last but not least, we really appreciate the translations of Greek into English for us done by Soula Lanier. You are all so kind-hearted

and generous!! Keep those blankets coming!!! The collection box remains in the church hall, across from the office. God bless you, Karen Antos & Nancy Hebert P.S. We received this message in response to our recent shipment to Chandari, Greece: Dear Holy Trinity Church, I want to thank you one time again. We have received your perfect handmade blankets and are so excited. These blankets are essential for the girls because they are going to visit summer camp in the mountains. Yours sincerely, Vasiliki Manousis Manager of Christodoulio (Orphanage) 13

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Weekly Bulletin 2015 Stewardship Report as of 7/21/16 Contributions received 1/1/15 to 7/21/16 2016 Stewardship Number of Pledges Pledges No Change to Pledge 355 Decreased Pledge 140 Increased Pledge 192 New Pledges 42 TOTAL # of Pledges 729

$ 2016 $ Contributed to % of 2016 Pledge Pledges 2016 Stewardship Contributed $425,259 $154,661 $306,772 $23,275 $909,967 $504,154 55.40%

Jim Dolmas 2016 Parish Council President

Harry Yianitsas 2016 Stewardship Chairman

Expectations Harry Yianitsas, 2016 Stewardship Chairman

We read from Matthew 18:23-35: The Lord said this parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, 'Pay what you owe.' So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailors, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart." (Continued on next page) 15

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The poor servant. He accumulated a raft of debt that he could not possibly repay. For whatever reasons, he found himself overextended and maxed-out on his credit line. His dire financial position had put him in danger of being sold into slavery! Fortunately, his lord had mercy on him and forgave his debts. But unfortunately, the servant was not as understanding to his fellow servant that owed him money. How many of us have found ourselves in the servant’s situation? Or, how many of us have pleaded for “a little more time” to pay a debt or obligation, yet continued to be fiscally wasteful? We sometimes find that we don’t seem to have the means to take care of our stewardship obligation, yet still seem to be ready to add another debt to our credit cards in order to buy something that is truly unnecessary. The church is somewhat like the Lord in this parable. When we find ourselves in financial trouble, the church is the first to understand and forgive the debt, accepting our pleas for forgiveness. In fact, many of us expect it to be this way! How can we over-extend ourselves on our secular time, talent, and treasure accounts, and expect the church to endure the effects of the deficit? Where are our priorities? However, in another way, the church is also like the f ellow servant in this parable, the one that was thrown into prison by the first servant when he could not repay his debt. How? How forgiving would we be if the church, because of some financial difficulty, couldn’t deliver to us the obligations we expect from her such as baptisms, weddings, funerals, programs, ministries, etc.? Some of us put the church into “prison” by not supporting her when we feel as if she won’t meet our high expectations. Our stewardship support of tim e (the festival is just around the corner…), talent (could you spare a little of your God-given abilities with your church?) and tre asure (this is the time of year we seem to fall behind on fulfilling our pledges-don’t let it happen this year…) is essential if we want such expectations to be met. Some of us j ust expect more from our church than we expect from ourselves. I expect that we can do better.