St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia, PA, held its annual Sunday School Halloween Party on Sunday, October 26.  More than 60 students joined in the festivities of the day, which included lessons about the Discovery of the Holy Cross and the origins of Halloween; they marched in the Parade of Saints, danced to music, played games, made caramel apples, engaged in a group competitive Scripturally-based modified Jeopardy/Wheel of Fortune/Hangman tournament, feasted at an overflowing table of kids' favorite delectable foods, and took home goodie bags to enjoy later that night.  Serving in various capacities, the junior and senior high students fulfilled their stewardship responsibilities in this their first Day of Stewardship, where they learn to give back to the church.  It was a fun-filled, action-packed day that everyone enjoyed.

 See more pictures here

• Mrs. Anahid Karagelian, Ms. Maryann Karagelian, Mr. & Mrs. Karnig and Michele Karagelian and family, Mr. & Mrs. Frank and Diana Wood and family, for the soul of their husband, father and grandfather,
  Markar Karagelian.

• Mr. & Mrs. Zakar Manauelian, Maro Frounjian and sons, for the souls of their parents, grandparents, great grandparents, Deovlet and Dirouhi Semerjian, Manuel and Zarouhi Manauelian, and all deceased members of Semerjian and Manauelian families.

SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EXALTATION

OF THE HOLY CROSS

Alleluia, Alleluia.  Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion;

and to you prayers shall be offered in Jerusalem.

The reading is from the Prophet Isaiah 22:15-24

            Thus says the Lord God of hosts, "Come, go to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the household, and say to him:  What have you to do here and whom have you here, that you have hewn here a tomb for yourself, you who hew a tomb on the height, and carve a habitation for yourself in the rock?  Behold, the Lord will hurl you away violently, O you strong man.  He will seize firm hold on you, and whirl you round and round, and throw you like a ball into a wide land; there you shall die, and there shall be your splendid chariots, you shame of your master's house.  I will thrust you from your office, and you will be cast down from your station.  In that day I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your girdle on him, and will commit your authority to his hand; and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.  And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.  And I will fasten him like a peg in a sure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his father's house.                                                                                        

The reading is from the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians 1:1-14

            Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are also faithful in Christ Jesus:  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

            Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.  He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace which he lavished upon us.  For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

            In him, according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will, we who first hoped in Christ have been destined and appointed to live for the praise of his glory.  In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.  

              Alleluia, Alleluia.  Resurrection according to the mode proper to the day.

THE HOLY GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO LUKE 8:17-21

Our Lord Jesus Christ says:

            "For nothing is hid that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light.  Take heed then how you hear; for to him who has will more be given, and from him who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away."

            Then his mother and his brethren came to him, but they could not reach him for the crowd.  And he was told, "Your mother and your brethren are standing outside, desiring to see you."  But he said to them, "My mother and my brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it."