August 11, 2019

Euplus the Holy Martyr & Archdeacon
of Cantania

Saint This Martyr was from
Sophia Catania in Sicily and
contested during the
Cathedral reign of Diocletian. He
presented himself of his
Miami, own accord to Calvisi-
Florida anus the Governor, who
put him to exceedingly
August 11th, harsh torments. As
2019 Euplus was on the rack,
Calvisianus commanded
Telephone: him to worship Mars,
Apollo, and Aesculapi-
305- 854-2922 us; he answered he wor-
shipped the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He was beheaded in
Fax: the year 304.

305-858-1854 Concerning the Dormition of the Theotokos,
this is what the Church has received from an-
Website: cient times from the tradition of the Fathers.
When the time drew nigh that our Savior was
stsophiamiami.org well-pleased to take His Mother to Himself,
He declared unto her through an Angel that
Address: three days hence, He would translate her from
2401 S.W. this temporal life to eternity and bliss. On hear-
3rd Avenue ing this, she went up with haste to the Mount of
Olives, where she prayed continuously. Giving
Mailing :
244

SW 24th Road

Miami, Fl. 33129,

Liturgical Guide

Apolytikion for the Resurrection– Tone PL 3
Κατέλυσας τῷ Σταυρῷ σου τὸν θάνατον,

By means of Your Cross, O Lord, You abolished death. To the robber You opened Para-
dise. The lamentation of the myrrh-bearing women You transformed, and You gave Your

Apostles the order to proclaim to all that You had risen, O Christ our God, and granted the
world Your great mercy.

Apolytikion for Afterfeast of the Transfiguration
Μετεμορθώθης εν τώ όρει Χριστέ ο Θεός,

Thou wast transfigured on the mountain, O Christ our God, showing to Thy disciples Thy
glory as each one could endure. Shine forth Thou on us, who are sinners all, Thy light ever-

unending, through the prayers of the Theotokos. Light-bestower, glory be to Thee.

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
Επί τού όρους μετεμορφώθης,

You were transfigured upon the mount, O Christ our God, and Your disciples, in so far as they
could bear, beheld Your glory. Thus, when they see You crucified, they may understand Your

voluntary passion, and proclaim to the world that You are truly the effulgence of the Father.

Continue from Front Page

thanks to God, she returned to her house and prepared whatever was necessary for her burial.
While these things were taking place, clouds caught up the Apostles from the ends of the earth,
where each one happened to be preaching, and brought them at once to the house of the Moth-
er of God, who informed them of the cause of their sudden gathering. As a mother, she con-

Epistle Reading:
St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 1:10-17.

BRETHREN, I appeal to you by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and
that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judg-
ment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my
brethren. What I mean is that each one of you says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I
belong to Cephas," or "I belong to Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were
you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispos and
Gaius; lest any one should say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household
of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else.) For Christ did not
send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ
be emptied of its power.

Gospel Reading:
The Reading is from Matthew 14:14-22

At that time, Jesus saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick. When
it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a lonely place, and the day is now over;
send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves." Jesus said, "They need
not go away; you give them something to eat." They said to him, "We have only five loaves here and
two fish." And he said, "Bring them here to me." Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the
grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and
gave the loaves to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets
full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women
and children. Then he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while
he dismissed the crowds.

soled them in their affliction as was meet, and then raised her hands to Heaven and prayed for the
peace of the world. She blessed the Apostles, and, reclining upon her bed with seemliness, gave up
her all-holy spirit into the hands of her Son and God.

2019 ST. SOPHIA PHILOPTOCHOS BOARD AND OFFICERS

PRESIDENT Irene Lirakis
1ST VICE PRESIDENT Jane Baloras
2ND VICE PRESIDENT Alice Christy
CORR. SECRETARY Betty Lantz
RECORDING SECRETARY Ana Cabrera
TREASURER Margaret M. Sarafoglu
ADVISOR Evan M. Scurtis

We congratulate the new 2019 Philoptochos Board and we
pray for all the women of the Philoptochos as they begn another

ecclesiastical year. With this new Ecclesiastical Year ,the
Philoptochos also brings us
an opportunity to help our
brother and sisters who are
in need.

Please take a look at the list
of items to the left that we
take for granted. There ar e
712 students that range from
toddlers to teens that need
the items listed. Please help
the Philoptochos on their
God Given Mission to give
to those who need our assis-

tance.

Teachers WANTED

If you would like to help bring the faith to the younger generation we
could use your assistance. If you are interested in Teaching Sunday
School or you would like to assist in the many needed areas please
contact Fr. Spiro or Nancy Poulos.

Teaching our Children about God and the Orthodox Faith is on of the
greatest gifts we can share, won’t you volunteer.

At present we need Teachers,
Teachers Assistants,
Resource managers
And
Arts and Crafts

DID YOU KNOW

Donation of Organs

Although nothing in the Orthodox tradition requires the faithful to donate their or-
gans to others, nevertheless, this practice may be considered an act of love, and as
such is encouraged. The decision to donate a duplicate organ, such as a kidney,
while the donor is living, requires much consideration and should be made in con-
sultation with medical professionals and one’s Spiritual Father. The donation of an
organ from a deceased person is also an act of love that offers the recip-ient a long-
er, fuller life. Such donations are acceptable if the deceased donor had willed such
action, or if surviving relatives permit it providing that it was in harmony with the
desires of the deceased. Such actions can be approved as an expression of love and
the self-determination of the donor. In all cases, respect for the body of the donor
should be maintained. Organ transplants should never be commercialized nor co-
erced nor take place without proper consent, nor place in jeopardy the identity of
the donor or recipient, through, for example, the use of animal organs. The death of
the donor should never be hastened in order to harvest organs for transplantation to
another person.

Coming August 25th
Ministry Sunday

My Beloved Ones,

This Sunday’s Gospel presents to us the well-known miracle of the
Feeding of the Five Thousand, where our Lord transforms nature be-
yond human understanding. Today, however, I would like to explore
an important element of the miracle: compassion.

The Gospel begins with Christ healing a large crowd, and it very clearly says, “…He had
compassion on them…” (Matthew 14:14). Christ, who was both King and Servant of all, did
not come to heal the crowd because He wished to be glorified as a great man: He came to
demonstrate both the mercy and love that God shows to each and every one of us, and the
compassion that we are called to show to our brothers and sisters.

His compassion is further demonstrated later in the Gospel, as the day comes to a close.
The Disciples have grown tired of the crowd and worry about the responsibility of feeding
these thousands of people who are away from their homes. The Disciples have just spent a
long day watching their Master relieve people’s illness and burdens. The Disciples lack the
Godly compassion and understanding they have seen from our Lord. When they ask Christ
to dismiss the crowds, He responds once again with love and concern, “They need not go
away…” (Matthew 14:16).

The miracle has been discussed many times: how He blessed the five loaves and two fish,
and how, when the pieces were given, five thousand men—plus women and children—ate
and were satisfied. Christ’s ability to provide for the needs of many with so little demonstrat-
ed His true Divinity, but the Disciples also learned to be more patient, more charitable, and
merciful towards their neighbors.

In a way it is a comforting thought, that these first open followers of Christ could have un-
derstandable human weaknesses: hunger, exhaustion, and irritability. I pray, that we do not
allow these weaknesses to help us sin further, but that we instead think of Christ.

Christ, who as Man surely felt tiredness and hunger, but as God, he saw the state of His
creation, and willingly emptied Himself, to demonstrate the kind of behavior our Heavenly
Father expects from all of us. For while men may turn away from their neighbors, Christ
Himself will always be present, gently saying, “They need not go away…”

+ALEXIOS
Metropolitan of Atlanta

UPCOMING EVENTS

Sunday, August 11th 8th Sunday of Matthew Matins 9:00 AM
Divine Liturgy 10:00 AM
August 12th Monday, Paraklesis
6:30PM

August 14th Wednesday, Great Vespers @ St. Mary in West Palm Beach

August 15th Thursday, Matins 8:30 AM Divine Liturgy, 9:00AM

SUNDAY SCHOOL BEGINS SEPTEMBER 8TH
Registration begins August 18th and 25th