June 24th, 2018

SAINT SOPHIA CATHEDRAL

MIAMI, FLORIDA
The Nativity of John the Baptist.

June 24th , 2018

He that was greater than all who are born of women, the Prophet who received God's testi-
mony that he surpassed all the Prophets, was born of the aged and barren Elizabeth (Luke
1: 7) and filled all his kinsmen, and those that lived round about, with gladness and wonder.
But even more wondrous was that which followed on the eighth day when he was circumcised,
that is, the day on which a male child receives his name. Those present called him Zacharias,
the name of his father. But the mother said, "Not so, but he shall be called John." Since the
child's father was unable to speak, he was asked, by means of a sign, to indicate the child's
name. He then asked for a tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And immediately Zachari-
as' mouth was opened, his tongue was loosed from its silence of nine months, and filled with
the Holy Spirit, he blessed the God of Israel, Who had fulfilled the promises made to their

fathers, and had visited them that were sitting in darkness
and the shadow of death, and had sent to them the light
of salvation. Zacharias prophesied concerning the child
also, saying that he would be a Prophet of the Most
High and Forerunner of Jesus Christ. And the child
John, who was filled with grace, grew and waxed strong
in the Spirit; and he was in the wilderness until the day
of his showing to Israel (Luke 1:57-80). His name is a varia-

tion of the Hebrew "Johanan," which means "Yah is gra-
cious."

Rev. Fr. Spiro D. Bobotas

Telephone 305- 854-2922 * Fax: 305-858-1854
Website: stsophiamiami.org
2401 S.W. 3rd Avenue, 33129

Mailing Address: 244 SW 24th Road Miami, Fl. 33129

Liturgical Guide

Apolytikion for the Resurrection Tone 3

Εὐφραινέσθω τὰ οὐράνια,

Let the heavens sing for joy, and let everything on earth be glad. * For with His Arm the Lord
has worked power. * He trampled death under foot by means of death; * and He became the
firstborn from the dead. * From the maw of Hades He delivered us; * and He granted the world

His great mercy. .

Apolytikion for Nativity of John the Forerunner in the Fourth Mode

Προφήτα καί Πρόδρομε, τής παρουσίας Χριστού,

O Prophet and Forerunner of Christ God's coming to us, all we who with longing now extol thee
are at a loss to honour thee worthily. For thy mother's barrenness and father's long silence, by
thine all-renowned and hallowed birth, were both ended, and the Incarnation of the Son of God
is preached unto all the world.

Apolytikion for St. Sophia Tone 3

Χαίρει ἔχουσα ἡ Ἐκκλησία, .

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.

Kontakion





O Protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, mediation unto the creator most con-
stant: O despise not the voices of those who have sinned; but be quick, O good one, to come
unto our aid, who in faith cry unto thee: Hasten to intercession and speed thou to make supplica-

tion, O thou who dost ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honor thee

Epistle Reading

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 13:11-14; 14:1-4

.Brethren, salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed; the night is far gone,
the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of
light; let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness,
not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the
Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. As for the
man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions. One believes
he may eat anything, while the weak man eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats des-
pise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains pass judgment on him who eats; for
God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is
before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for God is able to
make him stand.

Gospel Reading:

The Reading is from Luke 1:1-25, 57-68, 76-80

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been
accomplished among us, just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning
were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, it seemed good to me also, having followed
all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent
Theophilos, that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been
informed. In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of
the division of Abijah; and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was
Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was
barren, and both were advanced in years. Now while he was serving as priest before God
when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him by
lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the peo-

ple were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel
of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zacharias was
troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not
be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a
son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many
will rejoice at his birth; for he will be great before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine
nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's
womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will
go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the
children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a
people prepared." And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am
an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." And the angel answered him, "I am Ga-
briel, who stands in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring
you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day
that these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words, which will be
fulfilled in their time." And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and they wondered
at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak to them, and
they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he made signs to them and
remained dumb. And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. After
these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she hid herself, saying,
"Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my
reproach among men." Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered, and she gave
birth to a son. And her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown great
mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circum-
cise the child; and they would have named him Zacharias after his father, but his moth-
er said, "Not so; he shall be called John." And they said to her, "None of your kin-
dred is called by this name." And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he
would have him called. And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, "His name is
John." And they all marveled. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue

loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all
these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea; and all who heard
them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of
the Lord was with him. And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and
prophesied, saying, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and re-
deemed his people. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for
you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways." And the child grew and became
strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness till the day of his manifestation to Israel.

Since 1922 the Miami Rescue Mission | Broward
Outreach Centers, , has served the homeless and
needy of South Florida. Our Broward Outreach Cen-
ters were first established in 1992. Our Miami-Dade
and Broward Centers serve over 1,300 men, women,
and children each day. There are approximately 800
people enrolled in our residential life-changing pro-
grams. At the heart of these decades of serving those
in the greatest need are our core values.

For I was hungry and you gave
me something to eat, I was thirsty and
you gave me something to drink, I was a
stranger and you invited me in, I needed
clothes and you clothed me, I was sick
and you looked after me, I was in prison
and you came to visit me.’

Matthew 25

Parish Council-2018

Executive Board

PC. President –John Kiskinis
1st. Vice-President-Evangelos Marsellos

2nd. Vice-President– Jose Godur
Treasurer-Themis Michalokos
Secretary-Sheila Callesis

Lynn Christ
Evangeline Gouletas

George Liappas
Bia Marsellos
Eleni Monas

Maria Ritsi
Evan Scurtis

STEWARDSHIP

We thank the 145 parishioners for their stewardship commitment to the
Cathedral of St. Sophia.

We have yet to hear from 25% of you that pledged last year
As well as those who have not given.

Please prayerfully consider your gift and or your pledge in order to help us to
Maintain our financial responsibilities and grow our ministries

With a Annual Budget of $530,000 and a commitment from just over 192 fami-
lies (in 2017,) it takes $2700/ pledging family to finance our Spiritual Home.

$530,000 / 192 stewards.= :. $2760

As you can see from the chart below less than 10% of the current pledges
are at that level or above.

Presently approximately 28% of our budget is paid for through stewardship gifts,

Question:

This would begs the question: where does the rest of the money come from to support our
Cathedral?

Answer:

The remainder comes from our Festival, hall rentals & various social fundraisers. This makes
us very vulnerable to the weather, volunteer assistance, event participation and
the economy.

With your increased participation in Stewardship we will be able to do more and count less on
the above activities to support our
Cathedral.

STEWARDS FOR 2018 AS OF JUNE 21, 2018

Dr. Plato Alexander Mr. Constantin Dimitropoulos
Dr. & Mrs. George Alexandrakis Mr. & Mrs. Allen Donelan
Mr. & Mrs. Lou Alexiou Mr. & Mrs. Fokas Drakalovich
Mr. Tim Anagnost Dr. Christopher Economides
Mrs. Mary Andersen Mr. & Mrs. Gus Efthimiou
Mr. Georgios Andreadis Mr. Nicholas Efthimiou
Mr. & Mrs. Gus Andy Mr. Giorgios Farazoulis
Ms. Marina Angleton Dr. Dame Evangeline Gouletas
Ms. Argie Anthony Mr. & Mrs. Jose Godur
Mr. & Mrs. Alexis Anthony Arjona Mr. & Mrs. Ramon Guillen
Mr. Panagiotis Arvanitis Dr. & Mrs. John Hadjilogiou
Ms. Sarah Arvantis Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Hados
Ms. Jane Baloras Mr. Nick Hados
Ms. Mata Belafesta Mr. & Mrs. Aleco Haralambides
Mrs. Mary Benitez Ms. Adis Haralambides
Father & Presbytera Spiro Bobotas Mr. & Mrs. Konstantinos Hatzichristofis
Mr. & Mrs. Clinton Bouchillon Mr. Raciel Henry
Ms. Sheila Callesis Ms. Katherine Iordanoglou
Mr. Nicholas Callesis Mr. & Mrs. Bret Jenkins
Mr. & Dr. Bogdan Carbunar Mr & Mrs. W. Steven Joachim
Mr. Thomas Carlos Mr. & Mrs. Alex Kakouris
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Cavalaris Mrs. Matilda Kalaveshi
Mr. & Mrs. George Cavalaris Mr. & Mrs. Vasillaq Kalaveshi
Ms. Mary Cavalaris Mr. & Mrs. Nick Kallergis
Ms. Marilyn Charles Ms. Katherine Kallergis
Ms. Lynn Christ Mr. Nicholas Kallergis
Ms. Catherine Christofis Ms. Olga Kalogeropoulos
Ms. Alice Christy Ms. Maria Kalogeropoulos
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Cocotos Mr. John Kandara
Ms. Vasiliki Couyvtas Mrs. Lucille Kanelidis
Mr. George Cozonis Mr. & Mrs. George Kanistras
Mr. & Mrs. Albert De Nicola Mr. & Mrs. Alex Karakhanian
Mrs. Virginia Demery Ms. Esther Karamanlakis
Mr. & Mrs. Angelo Demos Mr. & Mrs. James Karnegis
Mr. & Mrs. Spiros Dimitropoulos Mr. & Mrs. Stamatios Kasselakis

Mr. & Mrs. Charalambos Kasselakis Mr. & Mrs. Bill Petros
Ms. Fani Katsoufi Mr. Nicholas Pisaris
Mr.& Mrs. Theodore Kays Mr. & Mrs. Antonio Pitsoulakis
Mr. & Mrs. Anastasia Kekakos Mr. & Mrs. George Potter
Mr. John Kiskinis Mr. & Mrs. Nick Poulos
Dr. Eftichia Kontopoulos Ms. Emmanuela Prevolis
Mr. & Mrs. Nick Kos Mr. & Mrs. John Priovolos
Mr. & Mrs. Andrey Kotov Mr. & Mrs. Brian Rader
Ms. Stella Kounelis Mr. & Mrs. Juan Renta
Mr. Pierre Koussiafes Ms. Cindy Redmond
Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Lailas Ms. Maria Ritsi
Mrs. Betty Lantz Mr. Tony Rodolakis
Mr. & Mrs. Perry Lantz Ms. Cynthia Rodriguez
Ms. Irene Lirakis Dr. & Mrs. Emmanuel Roussakis
Ms. Bia Marsellos Mr. & Mrs. Farzad Safi
Ms. Dimitra Marsellos Mr. & Mrs. Rene Sagebien
Mr. Evangelos Marsellos Mr. & Mrs. James Sanders
Ms. Maroula Marsellos Dr & Mrs. Theodore Sarafoglu
Mr. & Mrs. Greg Martini Mr. & Mrs. John Scurtis
Mr. & Mrs. Lazaros Mavrides Drs. George Sfakianakis
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Mekras Mr. & Mrs. Aristides Simopoulos
Mrs. Satira Mekras Ms. Thalia Sotus
Mr. & Mrs. John G Mekras Mrs. Georgia Theiss
Mr. & Mrs. Demosthenes Mekras Ms. Olga Tsagaris
Mr. Christos Meletis Mrs. Anastasia Tsiplis
Mr. & Mrs. Themis Michalakos Drs Andreas Tzakis
Ms. Eleni Monas Ms. Daisy Vagias
Mr. & Mrs. Sotirios Moulinos Ms. Mary Venable
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Nieves Ms. Elena Vertlib
Mr. & Mrs. Demetra Orphanos Mr. Stratos Vranas
Ms. Marianna Page Mr. & Mrs. Peyton Watson
Ms. Barbara Panagakos Mr. & Mrs. Craig Wensley
Mr. Savvas Pantelides Mr. & Mrs. Tian Ying
Mr. Aris Papadopoulos Lukas Zapsas
Mr. & Mrs. Harry Pasquier Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Zervas

Church, for us Orthodox Christians, is the holiest of all places. It is the
place where we come face-to-face with our Lord, thereby, demanding the

utmost in respect and conduct.

While in Church, please remember to…

 Wear appropriate attire to enter God’s House

 Silence your mobile devices

 Sit with your legs uncrossed (crossing ankles is fine)

 Refrain from chewing gum, mints, or candy

 Remove lipstick when receiving Holy Communion or when venerating and kissing the
icons

 Follow the direction of the Priest for standing & sitting

 Maintain quiet in the Sanctuary

 Refrain from greeting others while in the Church both during the Divine Liturgy and
while exiting – that is reserved for Fellowship Hour after services

 Be present in the sanctuary during the Divine Liturgy, not in the hallway or
community center

 Enter God’s House formally with reverence and respect( Men take off your hats)

 After receiving Holy Communion, we step away from the Chalice before doing our
Cross - this will ensure we do not accidentally hit the Chalice

By doing these things you ensure that you and your fellow Brothers and Sisters in
Christ are not distracted from the mystical experience of the Divine Liturgy. All move-
ments about the Church should be done with the utmost respect for the place in which

the Lord dwells.

Are there times when we not to enter the nave (sanctuary) of the Church?

Yes, we are entering God’s Home
and therefore must be mindful about what is going on so that we may show proper

reverence and respect.
The following list is of times during the Divine Liturgy where we must refrain from en-
tering the nave (sanctuary) of our Church nor come to the front of the Church to light

a votive candle:
 During the Small Entrance (when the procession with the Gospel takes place)

 During the Epistle Reading

 During the Gospel Reading

 When the priest is censing and is facing the Congregation

 During the Great Eentrance (when the procession of the Holy Gifts takes place)

 When the priest is blessing the Congregation

 During the recitation of the Nicene Creed (“I believe…”)

 During the Consecration of the Holy Gifts

 During the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer (“Our Father…”)

 During the Priest’s sermon

One basic rule to follow is that, whenever the Priest is facing the people or outside of
the altar, either with the censer or giving the blessing, everyone should stand wherever
they are. Please remember that the Parish Council members and the ushering staff are
required to keep order during services, and all should follow their instructions at all times.

Thank you.

UPCOMING EVENTS

June 28th, Thursday Liturgy for St. Peter & Paul in anticipation 6:30 PM

July 1st, 5th Sunday of Matthew Matins 9:00 AM
Divine Liturgy 10:00 AM

It is a blessing to have you with us today to worship
together. Your presence is important as you the

people are the Church. Although summer is often a
time to enjoy vacation, let’s remember that there is
never a time that God is not with us and never a time

that we should be without God.
Enjoy the Summer but don’t forget God and His

Church