|
SAINT SPYRIDON
Hellenic Orthodox Church
| | | |
Reflection on the 9th Sunday of Matthew
By St. Theophan the Recluse
The holy apostle Peter, with the Lord’s permission, gets down from the ship and walks on the water; he was filled with inspired hope in the Lord’s ability to do anything, and this gave him the boldness to entrust himself to the waves. Then he yields to the movement of fear and begins to drown - it was necessary only to stand more firmly in hope, gazing at the Lord Who is near, and at the experience of walking in His strength. Instead, he gave himself over to human thoughts. Behold a lesson for all who undertake something, great or small, with the aim of pleasing the Lord! Keep your first state of faith and hope, from which a great virtue is born—patience in doing good, which serves as the basis for a God-pleasing life. As long as these dispositions are maintained, inspiration for laboring on the path begun does not go away; and obstacles, no matter how great they may be, are not noticed. When these dispositions weaken, the soul is filled with human reasoning about human methods of preserving one’s life and conducting the affairs which one has begun. But since this reasoning always turns out to be powerless, fear of how one should be enters the soul; from this comes wavering—wondering whether or not to continue—and in the end comes a complete return. You must do it this way; if you begin, keep it up—chase away troubling thoughts, and be bold in the Lord, Who is nearby.
| | |
EPISTLE READING
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 upon 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 READING
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.
| | |
WORSHIP SERVICE SCHEDULE
Sunday, August 2nd
Orthros & Divine Liturgy - 8:00 a.m - 11:15 a.m.
Memorial: †1yr Spyridoula Fotopoulos
Monday, August 3rd
Paraklesis to the Theotokos - 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, August 4th
Paraklesis to the Theotokos - 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, August 5th
Great Vespers at the Monastery of the Transfiguration, Harvey, IL - 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 6th
The Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Orthros & Divine Liturgy - 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Paraklesis to the Theotokos - 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Friday, August 7th
Paraklesis to the Theotokos - 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 9th
Orthros & Divine Liturgy—8:00 a.m.—11:15 a.m.
COMMUNITY SCHEDULE
Saturday, August 8th
Philoptochos and Men's Ministry -Ronald Mc Donald House Outreach
4:00 p.m.—7:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 6th
Food Distribution- 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
| | ARCHANGEL ACADEMY PRESCHOOL | | FEDERATION OF CHURCH MUSICIANS CONFERENCE | | |
Consider the Following Info...
Drawing on Nehemiah’s call to “Rise up and build” (Neh. 2:18), we are reminded that stewardship is not simply about money or meeting a budget, but a grateful, spiritual response to God’s gifts. Just as Nehemiah saw the broken walls of Jerusalem and, moved by compassion, prayer, and faith, inspired the people to rebuild together, we too are called to rebuild both the physical life of our parish and the spiritual walls of our own souls. Stewardship invites us to pray, to worship faithfully, to give generously of our time, talents, and treasures, and to act intentionally in love and service. When we rise up together with dedication and trust in God, He blesses our efforts and builds up the Body of Christ in our parish, our community, and the world.
| | |
We wish to thank the 241 Stewards who have made a stewardship commitment for 2026.
Stewardship materials for 2026 are available at the church office and on our website.
| | |
As a steward of Saint Spyridon Parish, and with gratitude to God, let's together strive to improve in each area of stewardship:
· Time: I will increase my time in prayer, worship, and service by about 10%.
· Talent: I will offer one new gift or ministry to strengthen our Saint Spyridon family.
· Treasure: I will increase my financial giving by 1–2% of my income this year.
“Let all that you do be done in love.” — 1 Corinthians 16:14
| | |
We are excited to share the 2025 Annual Impact Report for the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago! This year's report stands as a powerful testament to what is possible when our six states, fifty-eight parishes, and two monastic communities walk together in faith, generosity, and purpose. From record-breaking sacramental growth to our fifth consecutive year of clean financial audits, the report showcases a vibrant spiritual family guided by a clear vision.
Inside the report, you will find inspiring stories from across our parishes. Read about how our youth and Philoptochos chapters mobilized to serve over 800,000 meals to neighbors in need. See how our new regional vicariate system is strengthening parish leadership. And learn how a transformational $2.9 million legacy gift is securing our mission for generations to come.
The report was designed to allow you to dive deep into our milestones or skim the highlights, so we invite you to explore the incredible impact your stewardship and support has made!
| | JULY - AUGUST VOICE NEWSLETTER | | |
Saint Spyridon Hellenic Orthodox Church
12307 S. Ridgeland Avenue, Palos Heights, IL 60463
708.385.2311
| | | | |
