Petra News

Saint NektariosWeek of November 3rd 2019

Hymns of the DayResurrection Hymn

(3rd Tone, p. 83-84 Green Hymnal)“Let all things above in heaven rejoice,

and let all things below on earth be glad. With all the might and strength of His arm

an eternal deed the Lord did perform. Beneath His feet He has trampled down death by death,

and first born of the dead has He become. From the womb of Hades has He delivered us,

and to all the world has granted His great redeeming mercy.”

Hymn of Saints Peter Paul“Oh leaders of the Apostles, and teachers of the world,

intercede with the Master of all that He may grant peace unto the world,

and to our souls His great mercy.”

Hymn for St George“As the one renowned for setting captives free

and for defending those in poverty, the physician of the sick and the champion of emperors,

great and victorious Martyr George, intercede with Christ our God,

beseeching Him to save our souls.”

Kontakion“A protection of Christians unshamable,

intercessor to our holy Maker, unwavering, 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 interced, and speed now to supplicate, as a protection for all time,

Theotokos for those who honor you.”

Sunday, November 3rd 2019

1 Sts. Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox Church

Archangel Michael Pilgrimage

The Sts Peter Paul Senior Ministry will be taking a special trip to Colorado Springs on Friday, No-vember 8, for the Feast day of the Archangels. We plan to leave early Friday morning, and celebrate services at the Archangel Michael Greek Ortho-dox Parish located in the Springs. We had a won-derful trip last year. If you have any questions,

please visit with Dena Tinsley or Fr Jordan.

PhiloptochosPhiloptochos is hosting lunch today in hon-or of Sts. Cosmas and Damianos, the patron saints of Philoptochos. All money raised during the luncheon will go to our poor fund and help those within our community.

There will be a second basket passed after church to be donated to the Patriarchate.

Hosts & VolunteersMyrrhbearers

Cassie Tinsley & Demetra GregoryEpistle Reader

Niko Tsiouvaras

Services & FeastdaysFriday, November 8 Feast of the Archangels (service @ the Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church located in Colorado Springs.)Saturday, November 9 Feast of St Nectarios Orthros 7 ________________________ am Divine Liturgy __________________ 8amSaturday, November 9 Vespers ________________________ 4pm At St Luke Church located in Erie.

(No vespers @ Sts Peter and Paul)

Daily readings - 5th Sunday of LukeNinth Orthros Gospel According to John 20:19-31On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them: “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him: “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them: “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger

in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said: “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

Epistle Reading: St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians 1:11-19Brethren, I would have you know that the gospel which was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revela-tion of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it; and I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his

grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and remained with him fif-teen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother.

The Gospel According to Luke 16:19-31The Lord said, “There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazaros, full of sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abra-ham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Lazaros in his bosom. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Laza-ros to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good

things, and Lazaros in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses, and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to them, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.’”

2Petra News, Week of November 3rd, 2019

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The Ministry of the Parish CouncilSts Peter and Paul will be holding our annual Par-ish Council elections in early December. In a recent letter, His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah wrote, “I ask that you encourage the parishioners to choose individuals of “good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (Acts 6:3) who will administer the temporal affairs of the parish in cooperation with the clergy.

I am often asked, “Father, what is the function of the Parish Council?” This is a great question. I would like to share the following regarding “What is the Parish Council?” A few years ago the Archdiocese produced a wonderful guidebook for the Parish Council. I would like to share the following regarding the “Min-istry of the Parish Council.”

Christ-Centered Servant Leadership“Parish Council members serve as role models for parishioners and must take their ministry very se-riously. They should lead by example by attending Church and parish events, and regularly participat-ing in the sacramental life of the Church. By doing so, they will have a powerful effect on the overall life of the community.

If Parish Council members treat everyone with love

and respect, as Christ loves us, then parishioners will do likewise.

The Council members must practice servant lead-ership by identifying and examining the ministry needs of the parishioners and taking the necessary steps to meet those needs, whether through the im-provement and expansion of existing ministries or through the creation of new ones.”

Responsibilities and Roles“The most important re-sponsibility of the Parish Councils is to assist the Parish Priest in the admin-istration of the ministries of the Parish (GOAA Regu-lations 29:1A). Some of the principal roles employed by effective Parish Councils include, but are not limited to, planning, developing, or-ganizing, and implementing stewardship programs and various educational min-istries of the Church.

In all things, Council members should imitate our Lord Jesus Christ, who, “came not to be served but to serve” (Matt 20:28). The entire focus of the Par-ish Council must be to serve the needs of the faithful and to spread the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

As a member of the Parish Council, it is important that you have been elected to serve a special minis-try which requires total love, loyalty, and dedication to Christ and His Church. You are now an official representative of the Church and thus are expected to exert every effort to exemplify its sacred charac-ter and spirit. Upon election to this trusted office, you assumed three basic obligations which will help guide you in your ministry:

1. To understand, live by, and uphold the tenets, teachings, and traditions of the Greek Orthodox Church;

2. To understand and abide by the GOAA Regula-tions (formerly known as the UPR) as set forth by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America though the Clergy-Laity Congresses.

3. To live by and uphold your oath of office by uti-lizing your God-given time, talents, and treasures for the spiritual progress and advancement of your parish.

Please prayerfully consider serving on the Parish Council in 2020.

4Petra News, Week of November 3rd, 2019

Saints & FeastdaysOn Temptations By St. Nektarios of Aegina

Temptations are granted to reveal our hidden passions, to be combated against, and thus heal our soul. They are also a sample of divine mercy. For this reason, trust in God and ask for His help, in order to strengthen you in your fight. Hope in God never leads to despair. Temptations bring humility. God knows the resistance of each of us, and grants temptations according to the measure of our strength. However, we must make sure to be vigilant and careful, that we do not put ourselves into temptation.

Trust in God the Good, the Mighty, the Living, and He will lead you into rest. After the trial follows spiritual joy. The Lord monitors those who endure trials and tribula-tions for His love. Therefore do not become despondent and do not flinch.

I do not want you to be overwhelmed and grieve for what happens contrary to your will: no matter how justified it is. Such grief is symptomatic of egoism. Beware of egoism which hides beneath the form of justification. Beware of untimely sadness which is created after a just evaluation. Excessive grief for all of these things are the temptation. True grief is one: that which is created when we come to know well the miserable plight of our soul. All other griefs have nothing to do with the grace of God.

Be sure to guard in your heart the joy of the Holy Spirit, and do not allow the evil one to pour out his bitterness. Beware! Beware, lest the Paradise that exists in you turns into Hell.

The Curse of St. Nektarios and the Seville Soccer TeamIt all began in the 1970-1971 soccer (football) season, when Dan Georgiadis, a former Greek soccer player who had played for Panathinaikos and was now a manager, had the inspiration to bring the soccer team from Seville (Sevil-la), Spain to Athens for a number of friendly matches with AEK. At that time the Seville soccer team was one of the strongest teams not only in Spain but of all Europe. Georgiadis, who was also a cosmo-politan man and a polyglot who knew seven languages, and who installed desks in his locker rooms in order to teach his players sophrology, took advantage of the visit of the Spaniards, so among other things he even took them to see the Acropolis of Athens.

Throughout the visit of the Spaniards to Greece, Geor-giadis would often speak to them about the miracles of Saint Nektarios, so he decided to organize an excursion to the island of Aegina in order to visit the Monastery of Saint Nektarios, which is where his tomb is also. Now Georgiadis had created the impression that when the Se-ville soccer players arrived at the monastery, they were about to see an impressive and magnificent structure, like

the Basílica de la Macarena of Seville. But as the legend says, when the players arrived at the monastery in Aegina, they were not impressed, being used to seeing the grand

churches of Spain, and they joked about it to Georgiadis with a col-lective laughter. (It should be noted that in 1970-1971, the Monastery of Saint Nektarios was not nearly as big as it is today.) This angered and annoyed Georgiadis, who was astonished by their disrespect, to the point where it is said he told them that their words would come back to bite them.

So when the Seville soccer team returned to Spain, their downhill ride began, steadily declining for the rest of the season. Soon after the team began speaking of a “curse of Saint Nektarios” befalling the team, for the way they be-haved towards his monastery. And let there be no doubt, that in Seville this curse was taken very seriously. They be-lieved it was responsible for knocking them down to the second division, perpetrating one of the most prolonged negative streaks in the history of Spanish soccer.

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News & AnnouncementsFall Parish AssemblySunday, November 10th

Please mark your calendars for our biannual parish as-sembly meeting, which will be held Sunday Nov 10 di-rectly after Divine Liturgy in the Fellowship Hall. Some major agenda items include Ministry reports, Taste of Or-thodoxy festival recap, draft 2020 budget for community approval, and nominations for the 2020 Parish Council. We cannot stress enough how important this meeting is and how helpful it is for all of us to participate to help our beloved Sts. Peter and Paul.

Thank you!

Photo Directory, 2020If you haven’t had your photo taken for the new di-rectory, please see Jim Pow-ers after Liturgy any Sunday this month. We’re trying to wrap up all photos while it’s still nice outside.

If you are unable to have your photo taken or have a family or individual photo you would like to provide instead, please email them to Nicole Tsiouvaras at tsiouvaras@msn.com

Burning the Mortgage CelebrationSunday, December 1, 12 noonThe Sts Peter and Paul Parish reached a very special milestone. We will be making our final mortgage payment this month. His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at Sts Peter and Paul on Sunday, December 1, 2019. There will be a delicious lunch prepared in honor of this blessed Parish Milestone. Mark your calendar!

Orthodox Christian Faith SeriesNext Class, Wednesday, Nov 6, 7pm

Topic: “Truth and Tradition”“Now I praise you because you remember me

in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you.”

- 1 Corinthians 11:1-2This series will hopefully offer not only an introduc-tion to the Orthodox Faith, the teachings and doc-trines, but Orthodoxy as a way of life. What does it mean to be an Orthodox Christian? The class is open to everyone. Cradle Orthodox and those who are new to the Orthodox Church will enjoy this new series. If you have any questions, please contact Father Jordan at frjordanbrown@gmail.com.

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This curse overshadowed the Seville soccer team for 25 years, with no end in sight, making it a source of frustra-tion to the players and the fans. It was then that Antonio Leal Gonzalez decided to do something about lifting this curse off their team. 1995 was one of the worst years for the team, and they were losing a lot of money in endorse-ments because of it. Antonio Leal Gonzalez was the son of Dr. Antonio Leal Graciani, who had been the medical leader for the team throughout the 1970’s. He found an opportunity in late October of 1995, when the UEFA Cup was on the line in a match between Olympiacos and Sevil-la in Athens. At this time he visited Aegina after 25 years to make a tribute offering to Saint Nektarios in order to lift the curse from the Seville team.

Gonzalez arrived in Aegina, and took a taxi to the Monas-tery of Saint Nektarios. After climbing the hill to the mon-astery, he entered the chapel that contained the remains of the Saint. There he deposited a bouquet of flowers un-der his icon. Hoping that this was enough, he returned to Athens. The next day was the championship match. Just when all hope seemed to be lost, the Seville team was vic-torious at the last moment.

What followed was the conquest of a Spanish Cup, a Super Cup, four UEFA/Euro Cups and a European Super Cup.

And till this day at home, in every important game they play (especially the Europa League ones) the players share some drinks and joy with Saint Nektarios to not offend him anymore.

Philoptochos2019

Holiday Gift Card

DriveHelp support the Philoptochos by

purchasing a variety of special-order gift cards! There are so many cards to choose from ...

Target, Walmart, Kohls, Starbucks, Home Depot, and many, many, more! Shop for Christmas, Birthdays or just plain personal shopping!

A percentage of every sale goes directly to the Philoptochos.

Order Deadline: November 10thSee Lis Troicky at the gift card sales table after church on

Oct 27th, Nov 3rd & 10th to view a list of gift cards & place your order or contact Lis Troicky at 720-771-7786 / etroick@aol.com

6Petra News, Week of November 3rd, 2019

Youth EventsGOYA Fireside Chat

Attention all Middle and High School age children!We will join the St Luke youth on

Saturday, November 9 at 4pm at the St Luke Church in Erie.

Welcome CU Students!Please join us for Lunch on Sunday, Nov. 3, 1:30pm at the home of Fr Jordan & Presbytera Marika, 7793 Essex Place, Boulder. Students from CSU, CU Denver, Metro State, will be joining us for fellowship. If you have any questions, please contact Father Jordan.

About Our Parish

We welcome visitors worshiping with us to-day. Our diverse church family encom-passes many converts to the Orthodox Christian Faith, as well as Greek, Arab, Romanian, Serbian and Rus-sian Orthodox Christians. The foun-dation of the Orthodox Church are the teachings and Holy Tradition of Jesus Christ. We follow the first Chris-tians who began to worship Jesus Christ after the Crucifixion and Resurrection.

Please introduce yourself to our priest and members of our community. We also encourage you to join us for our fellow-ship after services in the parish hall and visit our bookstore. If you are interested in learning more about the Orthodox Christian faith, please visit with our priest, Fr. Jordan Brown.

Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church

Holy Communion is reserved only for baptized and/or chris-mated Orthodox Christians who have properly prepared by prayer, fasting, and confession.

The Orthodox Church under-stands the reception of Holy Communion to be the highest expression of our faith. Both Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike are invited to receive the ‘antidoro’ (blessed bread ) at the end of the Divine Liturgy.

Priest Reverend Father Jordan Brown

Parish CouncilPresident - George Tsiouvaras Vice President - Nicholas Kallan Treasurer - Brian Gregory Secretary - Phillip Haratsaris

PhiloptochosPresidents - Dana Gall and Sharon Dzilvelis Treasurer - Julie Powers

Book StoreSharon Dzilvelis

Youth / GoyaFr. Jordan Brown

Senior MinistryDena Tinsley

Choir DirectorPresbytera Marika Brown

Recurring ServicesOrthros - Sundays, 8:15am Divine Liturgy - Sundays, 9:30am Great Vespers - Saturdays, 5pm Confession by appointment.

Saints Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox Church5640 Jay Road, Boulder, CO 80301 303-581-1434 • stspeterandpaulboulder.org