ST.

NICHOLAS ALBANIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE
SHRINE OF THE HOLY VIRGIN MARY
2701 NORTH NARRAGANSETT AVENUE ● CHICAGO, IL 60639 ● 773-889-4282
stnicholasalbanianchicago.org

Sunday of St. John Climacus

March 18th, 2018
 Epistle Reading
St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 6:13-20
Psalm 75.11,1: Make your vows to the Lord our God and perform them.
Verse: God is known in Judah; his name is great in Israel.
BRETHREN, when God made a promise to Abraham,
since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he
swore to himself, saying, "Surely I will bless you and
multiply you." And thus Abraham, having patiently
endured, obtained the promise. Men indeed swear by
a greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an
oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to
show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the
unchangeable character of his purpose, he interposed with an oath, so
that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God
should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong
encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this as a sure
and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine
behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf,
having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Gospel Reading
The Gospel According to Mark 9:17-31
At that time, a man came to Jesus kneeling and saying: "Teacher, I brought
my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; and wherever it seizes him it
dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid;
and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." And he
answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you?
How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me." And they brought the
boy to him; and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the
boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.
And Jesus asked his father, "How long has he had this?" And he said,
"From childhood. And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water,
to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us."
And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible to him who
believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I
believe; help my unbelief!" And when Jesus saw that a crowd came
running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You dumb
and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him
again." And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and
the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, "He is dead." But
Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he
had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we
not cast it out?" And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by
anything but prayer and fasting." They went on from there and passed
through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; for he was
teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of man will be delivered
into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after
three days he will rise."
ALEKS ∙ SAVINI ∙ SIMEONI ∙ THEOTHORI GRIGORI
NIQIFORI ∙ MARIO ∙ GERALD MATILDA
BENEDIKT ∙ JULIANI ∙KRISTODHULI ∙ EDUARDI
Daily Bible Readings on Tweeter
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Daily Saints, Feasts, and Readings provided by the
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Letra a St. Pavlit drejtuar Hebrenjve 6:13-20
Psalmi 75.11,1: Bëjini zotime Zotit, Perëndisë tuaj, dhe plotësojini;
Vargu: Perëndia njihet mirë në Judë, emri i tij është i madh në Izrael.
Sepse kur Perëndia i dha Abrahamit premtimin, meqë nuk kishte njeri mbi
Vete më të madh për të cilin të betohej, bëri be me veten e Vet, duke
thënë: "Sigurisht që do të të bekoj, patjetër që do të të shumoj." Dhe
kështu, duke pritur me durim, Abrahami mori atë që iu premtua. Sepse
njerëzit bëjnë be për dikë më të madh se vetja e tyre dhe kështu beja
vërteton ato që janë thënë dhe i jep fund çdo mosmarrëveshjeje. Po
kështu, Perëndia, duke dashur t’ua bënte akoma më të qartë
trashëgimtarëve të premtimit natyrën e pandryshueshme të qëllimit të
Vet, vuri benë si ndërmjetës, që, me anë të dy gjërave të pandryshueshme,
në të cilat është e pamundur që Perëndia të gënjejë, ne të merrnim guxim
të madh, ne që ikëm për t’u kapur pas shpresës që na është vënë përpara.
Këtë shpresë e kemi si një spirancë të shpirtit, të sigurt dhe të patundur,
që hyn në brendësi të shenjtërores pas velit, ku hyri Jezusi si një
pararendës për ne, duke u bërë kryeprift përjetë në rendin e
Melkizedekut..
Ungjilli Sipas Markut 9:17-31
Dhe dikush nga turma, duke u përgjigjur, tha: "Mësues, të prura djalin tim
që ka një frymë memece, dhe e kap kudo, e përplas dhe ai shkumon,
kërcëllon dhëmbët dhe i ngrijnë gjymtyrët. Dhe u thashë dishepujve të tu
ta dëbojnë, por ata s'e bënë dot. Dhe ai duke u përgjigjur tha: "O brez që
s'beson, deri kur do të jem me ju? Deri kur do t'ju duroj? Ma sillni këtu!".
Dhe ata ia prunë. Por, sapo e pa, fryma e përplasi me forcë dhe fëmija, që
kishte rënë përtokë, rrokullisej duke shkumuar. Dhe Jezusi e pyeti babanë
e atij: "Sa kohë ka që i ndodh kështu?". Dhe ai tha: "Që në fëmijëri.
Shpesh e ka hedhur në zjarr dhe në ujë për ta shkatërruar por, nëse mund
të bësh diçka, ki mëshirë për ne dhe na ndihmo!". Dhe Jezusi i tha: "Nëse
ti mund të besosh, çdo gjë është e mundshme për atë që beson".
Menjëherë babai i fëmijës, duke bërtitur me lot, tha: "Unë besoj, o Zot,
ndihmo mosbesimin tim". Atëherë Jezusi, duke parë se po vinte turma me
vrap, e qortoi frymën e ndyrë duke thënë: "O frymë memece dhe e
shurdhët, unë po të urdhëroj, dil prej tij dhe mos hyr më kurrë tek ai!".
Dhe demoni, duke bërtitur dhe duke e sfilitur fort, doli prej tij. Dhe fëmija
mbeti si i vdekur, saqë shumë njerëz thoshin: "Ka vdekur". Por Jezusi e zuri
për dore, e ngriti dhe ai u çua në këmbë. Kur Jezusi hyri në shtëpi,
dishepujt e vet e pyetën veçmas: "Përse ne nuk mundëm ta dëbojmë?".
dhe ai u tha atyre: "Ky lloj frymërash nuk mund të dëbohet ndryshe,
përveç, se me lutje dhe agjërim". Mbasi u nisën prej andej, kaluan nëpër
Galile; dhe ai nuk donte që ta merrte vesh njeri. Ai, në fakt, i mësonte
dishepujt e vet dhe u thoshte atyre: "Së shpejti Biri i njeriut do të
dorëzohet në duart e njerëzve dhe ata do ta vrasin; dhe, pasi të jetë vrarë,
ai do të ringjallet ditën e tretë".
Leximet dhe lajmet kishtare të ditës në Shqip
Kisha Orthodhokse Autoqefale e Shqipërisë @koash1991
Shentorët e Ditës me ikona dhe histori të plota. Leximet
ungjillore dhe të tjera nga Radio Ngjallja
 MESSAGES FROM †Fr. KOSTANDIN’s OFFICE
Would like to thank all parishioners for attending Sunday’s
Liturgy and Fasting in this lent period.
Our tradition, Orthodoxy isn’t a
philosophic system or religion that forces us to
suffer hardships, to be disciplined, or that has a
list of requirements. The point is to find that
which is Christ, to be united with Christ—with
the true Christ—for Christ to live in you and you
to live in Christ, for you to find true life and to
become a true human being. This is Orthodoxy.
An Orthodox person is someone who humbly,
innocently, guilelessly, without insolence and
Ka filluar viti i ri kalendarik 2018. Ju lutemi të
gjithë besimtarëve orthodoksë në Chicago të
bëjnë antarësimin në kishën tone. Në saje të
dashurisë dhe bujarisë tuaj dhe brezave
të mëparshëm përgjatë viteve të
shkuara Kisha e Shën Kollit, kjo dhuratë
e Perëndisë i ka shërbyer komunitetit
BLESSING OF HOMES
It is an annual custom in
the Epiphany Season
(Epiphany is Friday, January
6) to bless our homes with
the Agiasmos of Epiphany. This is an ancient
tradition performed by a religious leader with
the intention of protecting those who live in the
house from hardships and trouble. Sometimes
the blessing takes the form of hanging a framed
with St. Nicholas Parish upcoming events
General Assembly Meeting
(March, 2018)
being wise, bows the knee before God, and
within the Church. He encounters Christ, and
Christ is revealed to him, speaks to his soul.
Such a person will spontaneously confess: “My
Christ, you are my God; you are my Lord; you
are everything. This is what I have been seeking
my whole life, this is the truth, this is what every
human being seeks: and I thank you that I found
it”.
shqiptar orthodhoks në Chicago për afro tetë
dekada. Ekzistenca dhe vazdimësia e kishës
sonë buron dhe mbështetet në bashkëpunimin
dhe dashamirësinë tuaj. Vetëm kështu
ne mund tëgarantojmë mbarëvajtjen e
të gjitha shërbimeve dhe ministrive të
kishës sone.
picture of Christ with a prayer printed on it.
Traditionally house blessings is done on
Epiphany (January 6) to commemorate the Magi
visiting Jesus and bringing Him gifts (Matthew
2:11).
If you would like to have your home blessed
by the priest, please call the church office (773-
889-4282) or directly (312-686-3114
frkostandin@gmail.com
• †March 31, Lazarus Saturday
• †April 1, Palm Sunday, Luncheon at Church Hall
• †April 8, Great Holy Pascha (Easter)
• †June 4, Holy Pentecost
THE LADDER OF DIVINE ASCENT is one of the few universal
classics of world spirituality. It is the inspiration from a
renowned icon, which lent its name to its author, St John
Climacus. It outlines a spiritual path that applies to everyone,
and it has long been customary for Orthodox Christians to see
regard this as obligatory Lenten reading.
ST. PATRICK THE BISHOP OF ARMAGH
AND ENLIGHTENER OF IRELAND
Commemorated on March 17th
Saint Patrick, the Enlightener of Ireland was born
around 385, the son of Calpurnius, a Roman
decurion (an official responsible for collecting
taxes). He lived in the village of Bannavem Taberniae, which may
have been located at the mouth of the Severn River in Wales. The
district was raided by pirates when Patrick was sixteen, and he was
one of those taken captive. He was brought to Ireland and sold as a
slave, and was put to work as a herder of swine on a mountain
identified with Slemish in Co. Antrim. During his period of slavery,
Patrick acquired a proficiency in the Irish language which was very
useful to him in his later mission. He prayed during his solitude on
the mountain, and lived this way for six years. He had two visions.
The first told him he would return to his home. The second told him
his ship was ready. Setting off on foot, Patrick walked two hundred
miles to the coast. There he succeeded in boarding a ship, and
returned to his parents in Britain. Some time later, he went to Gaul
and studied for the priesthood at Auxerre under Saint Germanus
(July 31). Eventually, he was consecrated as a bishop, and was
entrusted with the mission to Ireland, succeeding Saint Palladius
(July 7). Saint Palladius did not achieve much success in Ireland.
After about a year he went to Scotland, where he died in 432. Patrick
had a dream in which an angel came to him bearing many letters.
Selecting one inscribed “The Voice of the Irish,” he heard the Irish
entreating him to come back to them.
Although Saint Patrick achieved remarkable results in spreading the
Gospel, he was not the first or only missionary in Ireland. He arrived
around 432 (though this date is disputed), about a year after Saint
Palladius began his mission to Ireland. There were also other
missionaries who were active on the southeast coast, but it was
Saint Patrick who had the greatest influence and success in
preaching the Gospel of Christ. Therefore, he is known as “The
Enlightener of Ireland.” His autobiographical Confession tells of the
many trials and disappointments he endured. Patrick had once
confided to a friendthat he was troubled by a certain sin he had
committed before he was fifteen years old. The friend assured him Source OCA.
We want to remind anyone that generosity
of your donations and membership dues
allows us to continue to provide our unique
services and operational upkeep. Donations
to our church are vital to support and to keep
our mission strong. We envision a
community where individuals with
disabilities and their families have a network
that supports independence, Choice and
personal success. The services and activities we offer would not be
possible without the continued and generous support of our community.
All donations are tax deductible and MUCH APPRECIATED.
Using the image of a ladder connecting heaven and earth from
the dream of the Patriarch Jacob in Genesis 28, St John offers
a wise and powerfully insightful catalogue of virtues and vices
that serve as signposts for spiritual ascent.
Ask fr Tuda if need the full text or more explanatory note
of God’s mercy, and even supported Patrick’s nomination as bishop.
Later, he turned against him and revealed what Patrick had told him
in an attempt to prevent his consecration. Many years later, Patrick
still grieved for his dear friend who had publicly shamed him.
Saint Patrick founded many churches and monasteries across
Ireland, but the conversion of the Irish people was no easy task.
There was much hostility, and he was assaulted several times. He
faced danger, and insults, and he was reproached for being a
foreigner and a former slave. There was also a very real possibility
that the pagans would try to kill him. Despite many obstacles, he
remained faithful to his calling, and he baptized many people into
Christ.
The saint’s Epistle to Coroticus is also an authentic work. In it he
denounces the attack of Coroticus’ men on one of his congregations.
The Breastplate (Lorica) is also attributed to Saint Patrick. In his
writings, we can see Saint Patrick’s awareness that he had been
called by God, as well as his determination and modesty in
undertaking his missionary work. He refers to himself as “a sinner,”
“the most ignorant and of least account,” and as someone who was
“despised by many.” He ascribes his success to God, rather than to
his own talents: “I owe it to God’s grace that through me so many
people should be born again to Him.”
By the time he established his episcopal See in Armargh in 444, Saint
Patrick had other bishops to assist him, many native priests and
deacons, and he encouraged the growth of monasticism.
Saint Patrick is often depicted holding a shamrock, or with snakes
fleeing from him. He used the shamrock to illustrate the doctrine of
the Holy Trinity. Its three leaves growing out of a single stem helped
him to explain the concept of one God in three Persons. Many
people now regard the story of Saint Patrick driving all the snakes
out of Ireland as having no historical basis.
Saint Patrick died on March 17, 461 (some say 492). There are
various accounts of his last days, but they are mostly legendary.
Muirchu says that no one knows the place where Saint Patrick is
buried. Saint Columba of Iona (June 9) says that the Holy Spirit
revealed to him that Patrick was buried at Saul, the site of his first
church. A granite slab was placed at his traditional grave site in
Downpatrick in 1899.
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