February 13, 2022 - Divine Liturgy

so [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] m [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] for our country the president and all in public service let us pray to the lord [Music] for this city and perish for every city and land and for the faithful who live in them let us pray to the lord [Music] for temperate weather abundance of the goods of the earth and for peaceful times let us pray to the lord [Music] for those who travel by land sea and air for those who are sick or suffering or in captivity and for their safe keeping let us pray to the lord [Music] that we may be spared all affliction wrath danger and want let us pray to the lord [Music] help us save us have mercy on us and keep us o god in your grace remembering our most holy pure blessed and glorious lady the theotokos and ever virgin mary with all the saints let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to christ our god [Music] for all glory honor and worship are your due father son and holy spirit now and always and to the ages of ages [Music] oh [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] a [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] again in peace let us pray to the lord [Music] help us save us have mercy on us and keep us oh god in your grace remembering our most holy pure blessed and glorious lady the theotokos and ever virgin mary with all the saints let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to christ our god [Music] for you are a good and loving god and to you we give the glory father son and holy spirit now and always and to the ages of ages [Music] please rise now and join us as we sing our entrance him this morning found on the first page of your hymnals in the first tone tulitus fragistendos [Music] oh [Music] [Music] me [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] sofia [Music] [Music] so [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] man [Music] [Music] me [Music] is [Music] oh [Music] i used to tell us [Music] oh [Music] [Music] those [Music] oh [Music] [Music] is [Music] let us be attentive let your mercy o lord be upon us as we hope in you rejoice greatly in the lord o righteous ones praise is fitting for the upright wisdom the reading is from paul's second letter let us second letter to the a second letter to timothy to timothy let us be attentive timothy my son you have observed my teaching my conduct my aim in life my faith my patience my love my steadfastness my persecutions my sufferings and what before me at antioch at ikonian and at lestra what persecutions i endured yet from them all the lord rescued me indeed all who desire to live a godly life in christ jesus will be persecuted while evil men and imposters will go on from bad to worse deceivers and deceived but as for you continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed knowing from whom you've learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through the faith in christ jesus peace [Music] [Music] wisdom let us stand and hear the holy gospel peace be with all [Music] the reading is from the holy gospel according to saint luke let us be attentive [Music] the lord said this parable two men went up into the temple to pray one a pharisee and the other a tax collector the pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself god i thank you that i am not like other men extortioners unjust adulterers or even like this tax collector i fast twice a week i give tithes of all that i get but the tax collector standing off far off would not even lift up his eyes to heaven but beat his breast saying god be merciful to me a sinner i tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled but he who humbles himself will be exalted [Music] [Applause] please be seated when we hear the parable that jesus tells about the the publican and the pharisee the tax collector and the pharisee when we hear that parable read in church we know that great lent is not too far away matter of fact it's going to start march 7th monday march 7th and so this gospel kind of leads up to great lent and the one thing that you can say the conclusion you can draw between this gospel and lent is a very important one because the theme of lent is humility the theme of lent is repentance and humility and we heard today jesus tell a wonderful story about the two people who went into church to pray and one was let's say a high-ranking authority in the in the temple there and he prayed in such an arrogant boastful way thank you god for not making me like other lousy people that i see around me thank you for making me so good thank you because i fast i give my ties i do this and i'm thank you for making me so much better even than this tax collector in other words who was a lousy person now jesus presents this icon of the pharisee for us to kind of get a good idea of what was his thinking and then jesus says that the the tax collector was far off not in the front of the temple way in the corner somewhere and he couldn't even lift up his eyes and and look up into heaven but all he did was beat his breast and said oh god be merciful to me a sinner jesus praised the tax collector and he criticized the pharisee now why why well we know that humility is is the the foundation of the spiritual life they call it the queen of the virtues we know that humility is a very important element of being a christian even though you don't hear it from the other denominations never hear about humility but it is the cornerstone of who we are spiritually as christians humility if you cannot bring yourself to be a humble person to look at everything else as above you and and and yourself as below everyone else if you can't bring yourself to do that it's going to be very hard to claim that you're a christian well father do you know what i mean the murders and arsonists and all the everybody else should be above us we should consider everybody else as being better than us why because we don't know everything that they do but we know what we do and we don't know at the end if they're going to ask god to forgive them if they actually turn away from the bad things they do and ask god to accept them we don't know that but we know about our own life and that's how we can enter into humility we know ourselves only oh i've seen this person okay you've seen them do bad things over and over you never know that they might at the last minute turn to god and say please forgive me and change their life look what happened when jesus was crucified on either side of him were two thieves the one thief asked jesus at the last minute lord re accept me in your kingdom receive me into your kingdom he repented he was sorry for being a thief and he asked god to forgive him and jesus said you will be in heaven today you will be in heaven with me humility humility so important for us orthodox christians so unimportant in the world because humility is seen as a sign of weakness everywhere in society generally in business in school in politics survival of the fittest be strong fight that's what society tells us but you know when you get consumed in that kind of a arrogant attitude big mistakes start happening let's just take for example the whole coronavirus situation that we've lived through for the last two years it amazes me now to see all these studies that are being made and they say you know what the isolation the uh what do they call the clothes when we were shut down and we couldn't leave our houses that doesn't work they found it out they've done studies masks very ineffective the even the the inoculations that we got that were supposed to prevent us from getting coronavirus now they find they last maybe three months and that's it so many mistakes but but the officials can continue insisting on those mistakes not one ounce of humility if the medical profession would have had an ounce of humility or the politicians an ounce of humility they would have looked and said hey wait a minute these things aren't working let's try something else instead of inoculations and vaccines we should we should try therapeutics medicines that might help us let's try that they didn't because they were bound and determined to continue their own stubborn way like the pharisee you see so humility is not a very popular thing but i'm telling you if we are able to practice humility in our own lives things will go much much better for us how many people have you known that walk around with their chest puffed out like this and they're gorn they tell and they tell and this and that i don't know maybe you've never experienced anybody like that but i sure have lots of them and son of a gun if it's not an amazing thing to see that eventually these people stumble and fall but i've also known many many human humble people not only monks but some priests some lay people humble people who know their position in god's eyes and just want to be the best christian that they can be so they don't puff up their chest they don't brag they just go about their life in a simple humble way thinking of god all the time those are christians don't forget that the pharisee today was a very obnoxious boastful arrogant conceited man not all pharisees were like that not all pharisees were like that the tax collector beat his breast and said oh god have mercy on me a sinner he was very humble not all tax collectors were humble this one was so jesus is not taking categories of people and like like they do in our country today there's categories you have to belong to again he was not taking categories he was taking the individual's heart and that's the big difference because god doesn't necessarily look to see how many things we can do and like the pharisee we are tithe and i and i fast and i do this he doesn't look to see if we do that he looks to see what's in our heart that prompts those kinds of actions and if it's a sincere and humble heart like it says in psalm 50 god will not spurn that he will accept that so my friends today we have the big beautiful parable of the publican and the pharisee out of this parable just so you'll know comes one of the strongest and most effective and best prayers that you and i can say it's called the jesus prayer came from this gospel in the gospel of luke this this parable in the gospel of luke and we repeat what what the tax collector said oh god be merciful to me a sinner we change it a little bit we say lord jesus christ have mercy on me lord jesus christ have mercy on me the best prayer it keeps us humble it keeps our attention focused on god and it keeps our heart pure amen please rise now and join with us as we continue in the divine liturgy on page 12 in your liturgy books again we bow before you and pray to you o good and loving god hear our supplication cleanse our souls and bodies from every defilement of flesh and spirit and grant that we may stand before your holy altar without blame or condemnation grant also god progress in life faith and spiritual discernment to the faithful who pray with us so that they may always worship you with reverence and love partake of your holy mysteries without blame or condemnation and become worthy of your heavenly kingdom [Music] and [Music] me [Music] oh [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] yes [Music] [Music] is [Music] is [Laughter] [Music] is [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] ah [Music] oh [Music] lord [Music] [Music] misty [Music] of [Music] [Music] may the lord our god remember you all in his kingdom now and always and to the ages of ages [Music] uh [Music] foreign [Music] said [Music] [Music] oh we continue now on page 15 in your liturgy books anymore [Music] foreign [Music] that this whole day may be perfect holy peaceful and without sin let us ask the lord [Music] for an angel of peace a faithful guide a guardian of our souls and bodies let us ask the lord [Music] for forgiveness of our sins and offenses let us ask the lord [Music] for all that is good and profitable for our souls and peace in the world let us ask the lord [Music] [Applause] [Music] that we may live out our lives in peace and repentance let us ask the lord [Applause] for a christian and to our lives peaceful free of shame and suffering and for a good defense before the dread judgment seat of christ let us [Music] remembering our most holy pure blessed and glorious lady the theotokos and ever virgin mary with all the saints let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to christ our god [Music] the good spirit of your grace may come upon us upon these gifts here presented and upon all your people through the mercies of your only begotten son with whom you are blessed together with your o holy good and life giving spirit now and always and to the ages of ages [Music] peace [Music] let us love one another that we may with one mind confessed [Music] [Music] the doors the doors in wisdom let us be attentive please refer now to the pamphlets found in your pews and join in reading the creed i believe in one god father almighty creator of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible and in one lord jesus christ the only begotten son of god begotten of the father before all ages light of light true god of true god begotten not created of one essence with the father through whom all things were made who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the holy spirit and the virgin mary and became man he was crucified for us under pontius pilate and suffered and was buried and he rose on the third day according to the scriptures he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the father and he will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead his kingdom shall have no end and in the holy spirit the lord the creator of life who proceeds from the father who together with the father and the son is worshiped and glorified who spoke through the prophets in one holy catholic and apostolic church i confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins i look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the age to come amen [Music] [Music] r [Music] the grace of our lord jesus christ the love of god the father and the communion of the holy spirit be with all [Music] [Applause] [Music] let us give thanks to the lord [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] an apostle oh [Music] [Music] man lord [Music] [Music] take it this is my body which is broken for you for the remission of sins [Music] drink of this all of you this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins [Music] on once again we offer you this spiritual worship without the shedding of blood and we ask praying and treat you send down your holy spirit upon us and upon these gifts these gifts here offered and make this bread the precious body of your christ and that which is in this cup the precious blood of your christ changing them by your holy spirit [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] oh [Music] rest with their life [Music] [Music] for those who live here and seemingly lies for our faithful and god-fearing leaders that we too in their tranquility may live calmly and serenely in all [Music] [Music] among the first lord remember our yerasimos grant that he may serve your holy churches in peace keep him safe honorable and in health for many years rightly teaching the word of your truth also remember lord those whom each of us has in mind and all your people [Music] remember lord those who toil and do good works in your holy churches who are mindful of the poor and upon us all send down your mercy and grant that with one voice and one heart we may glorify and praise your most exalted and majestic name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit now and always and to the ages of ages may the mercies of our great god and savior jesus christ be with all [Music] having remembered all the saints again in peace let us pray to the lord [Music] for the precious gifts here offered and consecrated let us pray to the lord that our loving god having accepted them at his holy and mystical altar in heaven as an offering of spiritual fragrance will in turn send down upon us divine grace and the gift of the holy spirit let us pray [Music] having prayed for the unity of the faith and the communion of the holy spirit let us command ourselves and one another and our whole life to christ our god [Music] the remission of sins forgiveness of transgressions communion of the holy spirit inheritance of the kingdom of heaven confidence before you not for judgment or condemnation is [Music] our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for yours is the kingdom the power and the glory father son and holy spirit now and always and to the ages of ages [Music] let to the us [Music] we give thanks to you invisible king in your infinite power you fashioned all things and in the abundance of your mercy you brought all things from nothing into being look down o master from heaven on those who have bowed their heads to you for they have bowed not before flesh and blood but before you the awesome god will you then master order what lies ahead according to each one's need sail with those that see accompany the wayfarers heal the sick as physician of our souls and bodies by the grace mercy and love for us of your only begotten son with whom you are blessed together with your all-holy good and life-giving spirit now and always and to the ages of ages [Music] [Music] here yes [Music] [Music] please um [Music] oh [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] please turn now to page 29 in your liturgy books and join in reading the communion prayers i believe o lord and i confess that you are truly the christ the son of the living god who did come into the world to save sinners of whom i am the first i also believe that this is your sacred body and this your precious blood therefore i pray to you have mercy upon me and forgive my transgressions voluntary and involuntary in word and deed both known and unknown and make me worthy to partake of your sacred mysteries for the remission of sins and for life eternal amen behold i approach for holy communion o creator burn me not as i partake for you are fire which burns the unworthy when wherefore do you cleanse me from every stain those of you have prepared to receive holy communion i ask that you come down the center aisle to receive we have a baby from yesterday's baptism so let's let the newly baptized baby go first there we are okay [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] my [Music] [Music] with the fear of god with faith and with love draw near okay can you put [Music] foreign [Music] is me [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] yes [Music] is [Music] uh [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] ah [Music] is [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] [Music] oh [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] oh [Music] oh is [Music] okay okay save your people and bless your inheritance [Music] [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Music] be exalted oh god above the heavens and let your glory be over all the earth [Music] simone [Music] oh let us be attentive having received the divine holy pure immortal life-giving and awesome mysteries of christ let us give fitting thanks to the lord help us save us have mercy on us and keep us o god in your grace [Music] having asked that this whole day may be perfect holy peaceful and free of sin let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to christ our god [Music] [Applause] [Music] we thank you loving master benef benefactor of our souls that this day you have once again made us worthy of your heavenly and immortal mysteries make straight our path keep us firmly in all of you guard our lives keep us steady in our way through the prayers of the glorious they'll talk us in every virgin mary and of all your saints for you are our sanctification and to you we give the glory father son and holy spirit now and always and to the ages of ages let us depart in peace let us pray to the lord [Music] lord bless those who praise you and sanctify those who trust in you save your people and bless your inheritance protect the whole body of your church sanctify those who love the beauty of your house glorify them in return by your divine power and do not forsake us who put our hope in you grant peace to your world to your churches to the clergy to those in public service to the armed forces and to all your people for every good and perfect gift is from above coming from you the father of lights and to you we give glory thanksgiving and worship father son and holy spirit now and always and to the ages of ages [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] man [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] ah [Music] god bless you and keep you please be seated okay you're gonna blow the candles out for me afterwards right yeah i mean well surprise surprise today's super bowl sunday and you all came to church which is a big achievement big achievement plenty of time for the game to start um and it'll be it'll be a good one i assume um today however though is is also lucuma this sunday and the ladies of our philotico society are preparing delicious lucumatis that they're famous for to serve us during coffee hour today the donation is only ten dollars per serving and all the proceeds will go to the kids in cancer charity that we've supported many times over the year that helps kids afflicted with cancer at the fresno children's hospital to go to the saint nicholas ranch and have a week of camping with their doctors and nurses so it's a worthy cause um so we hope that you'll stay and uh order some lucumatous if you can't stay and drink coffee too just get the lucumatas to go because i think they're all in the styrofoam to go i think so you can take them home very easily okay that and i think that's about it god bless you and keep you enjoy the game today and please come down the side aisles to receive your auntie the room you

Channel: Saint Katherine Greek Orthodox Church - Elk Grove

Views: 75

Keywords: Greek Orthodox, Orthodox Christian, Divine Liturgy

Id: hELtPe5PS7E

Length: 74min 50sec (4490 seconds)

Published: Sun Feb 13 2022