August 22, 2021

The Martyr Agathonicus

Saint Welcome to the Cathedral of
St. Sophia. We pray that your time with us
Sophia
will be peaceful and spiritually uplifting .
Cathedal
Due to the recent increase in Covid cases and
Miami, in an abundance of caution we ask that you
Florida kindly wear your mask.

Telephone

305- 854-2922

* Fax:

305-858-1854

Website:

stsophiamiami.org

2401 S.W.
3rd Avenue

Mailing :
244

SW 24th
Road

Miami, Fl.
33129,

The Martyr Agathonicus, because he converted pagans to Christ,
was seized in Nicomedia, violently beaten, haled about in bonds, and
beheaded in Selyvria, during the reign of Maximian, in the year 298.

Liturgical Guide

Resurrectional Apolytikion - Tone Pl 4

ξ ὕψους κατῆλθες ὁ εὔσπλαγχνος

You descended from on high, O compassionate One, and condescended to be buried
for three days, so that from the passions You might set us free. Our life and resurrection,

O Lord, glory be to You.

Apolytikion of the Afterfeast if the Dormition –Tone 1

Εν τή Γεννήσει τήν παρθενίαν εφύλαξας,

In giving birth, thou didst preserve thy virginity; in thy dormition, thou didst not forsake the
world, O Theotokos. Thou wast translated unto life, since thou art the Mother of Life;

and by thine intercessions dost thou redeem our souls from death

Apolytikion for St. Sophia Tone 3

Χαίρει ἔχουσα ἡ Ἐκκλησία,
σὲ καὶ τέκνα σου καύχημα θεῖον, καὶ γηθοσύνως εὐφημεῖ σε κραυγάζουσα. Σύ μου ὑπάρχεις τὸ
καύχημα, καὶ τῶν σῶν τέκνων τὰ πάντιμα λείψανα, μάρτυρες ἔνδοξοι, Σοφία, Πίστις, Ἐλπὶς καὶ

Ἀγάπη, Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ πρεσβεύσατε σωθῆναι τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν

.

Having you and your three daughters, as a sacred boast the Church rejoices, and with
gladness she praises you, You are to me my pride and joy, as are the most precious relics

of your children; Oh Glorious Martyrs: Sophia, Faith, Hope and Love, intercede to
Christ our God to save our souls.

Seasonal Kontakion Tone 2

Τήν εν πρεσβείαις ακοίμητον Θεοτόκον,

Neither the grave nor death could contain the Theotokos, the unshakable hope, ever vigilant in
intercession and protection. As Mother of life, He who dwelt in the ever-virginal womb trans-

posed her to life. .

Scripture Readings

Epistle Lesson

St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 3:9-17

BRETHREN, we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. According to the
grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder. I laid a foundation, and another man is building up-
on it. Let each man take care how he builds upon it. For no other foundation can any one lay than that
which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious
stones, wood, hay, straw - each man's work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will
be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work which any man
has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer
loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. Do you not know that you are God's temple
and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If any one destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's
temple is holy, and that temple you are.

Gospel Lesson

The Reading is from Matthew 14:22-34

At that time, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side,
while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up into the hills
by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was many
furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them. And in the
fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him
walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. But
immediately he spoke to them, saying "Take heart, it is I; have no fear."
And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water." He said, "Come."
So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the
wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately
reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "O man of little faith, why did you doubt?"
And when they entered the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying,
"Truly you are the Son of God." And when they had crossed over, they came to land at
Gennesaret.



4 Reasons to Bring your Child to Liturgy and Sunday School

They are needed

Every member of the church is equally important. Children are as important as adults; lay people are
as important as priests. We all have different roles to fill and different jobs to do, but every member
of the Church is very important, and is called to join together in this work of liturgy.

Their prayers are effective and important

When the deacon says, “for peace on earth let us pray to the Lord”, he is not actually praying for
peace on earth. He is leading the people, calling them to pray for peace on earth. If you don’t show
up and actually pray for peace (saying, “Lord, have mercy”), then the prayer isn’t offered. The peo-
ple have to be there to offer the prayers — and it’s important that as many people as possible join
together in offering up prayers, because prayer is effective and important.

They join the angels

When the people gather and sing the hymns and responses of the Church, we join the angels who
worship God in song. The angels are performing the liturgy too (we call it the angelic liturgy), and
we join them in it. If we are not there, we cannot join the angels in liturgy. Prayer at home is differ-
ent — it is not always accompanied by an invitation to sing with the choir of angels, but every Di-
vine liturgy is always an opportunity to enter into this remarkable communion.

They are changed

We are gathering together to witness a miracle — a miracle that is promised to us whenever we
gather in this way. In the Eucharist, Christ comes literally into the chalice; Christ comes to us, and
we are invited to take Him into ourselves, the we may live in Him and He may live in us. Christ only
comes to the chalice if someone joins Father at church; there must be a second person there. And
Christ can only come into us through Holy Communion if we are there too — if we stay home, we
are not offering ourselves up for transformation and we are not receiving the Body and Blood of
Christ. Receiving Holy Communion changes us.

Excerpt from “When Kids Don’t Like Church” by Elissa Bjeletich, Raising Saints blog October
8,2017 (blogs.ancientfaith.com)





August 22st UPCOMING EVENTS 9:00 AM
10:00 AM
August 25th Sunday, 9th Sunday of Matthew
August 29st Matins 7:00 PM

Divine Liturgy 9:00 AM
10:00 AM
Wednesday, Bible Study

Sunday, Beheading of John the Baptist
Matins

Divine Liturgy

MEMORIAL

Kay Paul Kallos
6 Months
Remembered by her family, friends and community. May the love, bonds and ties of her faithfulness to family,
friends, her hard work and the church be a cherished memory. We pray for her soul to be redeemed and at
home in the living arms of Christ Jesus our Lord. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the
old things have passed away; behold, all things have been made new (Kainos).” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Coming in October
Our annual

“Blessing of the
Animals”

If you would like to We are still collecting for the fires in
assist in this yearly Greece.
event please speak
Make your check payable to: "Greek
with Fr Spiro Orthodox Archdiocese of America"

Memo: "Greece Fires"