August 27
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2017-08-27
Bulletin Contents
Hymns of the Day
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Wisdom of the Fathers
Saints and Feasts
This Week at St. Nicholas
Parish News & Events
Guidelines for receiving Holy Communion
Welcome Visitors!
Prayer List
Office Hours and Appointments
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
General Information
- Phone:
- (734) 332-8200
- Fax:
- (734) 332-8201
- Email:
- secretary@stnickaa.org
- Street Address:
- 3109 Scio Church Road
- Ann Arbor, MI 48103
- Mailing Address:
- 3109 Scio Church Road
- Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Contact Information
Services Schedule
9:00 am Orthros
10:00 am Divine Liturgy
Office closed during all church services.
Past Bulletins
- Publish Date:
- 2017-08-20
- Publish Date:
- 2017-08-13
- Publish Date:
- 2017-08-06
- Publish Date:
- 2017-07-30
- Publish Date:
- 2017-07-23
- Publish Date:
- 2017-07-16
Hymns of the Day
Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Third Mode
Let the heavens sing for joy, and let everything on earth be glad. * For with His Arm the Lord has worked power. * He trampled death under foot by means of death; * and He became the firstborn from the dead. * From the maw of Hades He delivered us; * and He granted the world His great mercy.
Εὐφραινέσθω τὰ οὐράνια, ἀγαλλιάσθω τὰ ἐπίγεια, ὅτι ἐποίησε κράτος, ἐν βραχίονι αὐτοῦ, ὁ Κύριος, ἐπάτησε τῷ θανάτῳ τὸν θάνατον, πρωτότοκος τῶν νεκρῶν ἐγένετο, ἐκ κοιλίας ᾅδου ἐρρύσατο ἡμᾶς, καὶ παρέσχε τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος.
Apolytikion of the Church in the Fourth Mode
The truth of thy deeds has led thy flock to believe in thee, as a canon of faith and as a holy image of gentleness and as a teacher of temperance. Thou has therefore acquired through thy humility the greatest heights and riches through poverty. Father and hierarch Nicholas intercede with Christ our God entreating that our souls be saved.
Κανόνα πίστεως καὶ εἰκόνα πραότητος, ἐγκρατείας Διδάσκαλον, ἀνέδειξέ σε τῇ ποίμνῃ σου, ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀλήθεια· διὰ τοῦτο ἐκτήσω τῇ ταπεινώσει τὰ ὑψηλά, τῇ πτωχείᾳ τὰ πλούσια, Πάτερ Ἱεράρχα Νικόλαε, πρέσβευε Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ, σωθῆναι τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν.
Seasonal Kontakion in the Fourth Mode
In your holy birth, Immaculate One, Joachim and Anna were rid of the shame of childlessness; Adam and Eve of the corruption of death. And so your people, free of the guilt of their sins, celebrate crying: "The barren one gives birth to the Theotokos, who nourishes our life."
Ιωακείμ καί Άννα όνειδισμού ατεκνίας, καί Αδάμ καί Εύα, εκ τής φθοράς τού θανάτου, ηλευθερώθησαν, Άχραντε, εν τή αγία γεννήσει σου, αυτήν εορτάζει καί ο λαός σου, ενοχής τών πταισμάτων, λυτρωθείς εν τώ κράζειν σοι, Η στείρα τίκτει τήν Θεοτόκον, καί τροφόν τής ζωής ημών.
The translations of hymns are under copyright and used by permission. All rights reserved. These works may not be further reproduced, in print or on other websites or in any other form, without the prior written authorization of the copyright holder:
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Matins Gospel Reading
First Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Matthew 28:16-20
At that time, the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age. Amen."
First Orthros Gospel
Κατὰ Ματθαῖον 28:16-20
Οἱ δὲ ἕνδεκα μαθηταὶ ἐπορεύθησαν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν, εἰς τὸ ὄρος οὗ ἐτάξατο αὐτοῖς ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς. καὶ ἰδόντες αὐτὸν προσεκύνησαν αὐτῷ, οἱ δὲ ἐδίστασαν. καὶ προσελθὼν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς λέγων· ἐδόθη μοι πᾶσα ἐξουσία ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς. πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ῾Αγίου Πνεύματος, διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος. ἀμήν.
Epistle Reading
Prokeimenon. Third Mode. Psalm 46.6,1.
Sing praises to our God, sing praises.
Verse: Clap your hands, all you nations.
The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 15:1-11.
Brethren, I would remind you in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast -- unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Προκείμενον. Third Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 46.6,1.
Ψάλατε τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, ψάλατε.
Στίχ. Πάντα τὰ ἔθνη κροτήσατε χεῖρας.
τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Κορινθίους α' 15:1-11.
Ἀδελφοί, γνωρίζω δὲ ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοί, τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ὃ εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν, ὃ καὶ παρελάβετε, ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἑστήκατε, διʼ οὗ καὶ σῴζεσθε· τίνι λόγῳ εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν, εἰ κατέχετε, ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ εἰκῇ ἐπιστεύσατε. Παρέδωκα γὰρ ὑμῖν ἐν πρώτοις, ὃ καὶ παρέλαβον, ὅτι Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν κατὰ τὰς γραφάς. καὶ ὅτι ἐτάφη· καὶ ὅτι ἐγήγερται τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ κατὰ τὰς γραφάς· καὶ ὅτι ὤφθη Κηφᾷ, εἶτα τοῖς δώδεκα· ἔπειτα ὤφθη ἐπάνω πεντακοσίοις ἀδελφοῖς ἐφάπαξ, ἐξ ὧν οἱ πλείους μένουσιν ἕως ἄρτι, τινὲς δὲ καὶ ἐκοιμήθησαν· ἔπειτα ὤφθη Ἰακώβῳ, εἶτα τοῖς ἀποστόλοις πᾶσιν· ἔσχατον δὲ πάντων, ὡσπερεὶ τῷ ἐκτρώματι, ὤφθη κἀμοί. Ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι ὁ ἐλάχιστος τῶν ἀποστόλων, ὃς οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς καλεῖσθαι ἀπόστολος, διότι ἐδίωξα τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ. Χάριτι δὲ θεοῦ εἰμι ὅ εἰμι, καὶ ἡ χάρις αὐτοῦ ἡ εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ κενὴ ἐγενήθη, ἀλλὰ περισσότερον αὐτῶν πάντων ἐκοπίασα, οὐκ ἐγὼ δέ, ἀλλʼ ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ σὺν ἐμοί. Εἴτε οὖν ἐγώ, εἴτε ἐκεῖνοι, οὕτως κηρύσσομεν καὶ οὕτως ἐπιστεύσατε.
Gospel Reading
12th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 19:16-26
At that time, a young man came up to Jesus, kneeling and saying, "Good Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you call me good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which?" And Jesus said, "You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to him, "All these I have observed; what do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
12th Sunday of Matthew
Κατὰ Ματθαῖον 19:16-26
Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, νεανίσκος τις προσῆλθε τῷ Ἰησοῦ, γονυπετῶν αὐτόν, καὶ λέγων· Διδάσκαλε ἀγαθέ, τί ἀγαθὸν ποιήσω ἵνα ἔχω ζωὴν αἰώνιον; ‘O δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν; οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ Θεός. εἰ δὲ θέλεις εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωήν, τήρησον τὰς ἐντολάς. λέγει αὐτῷ· ποίας; ὁ δὲ ᾿Ιησοῦς εἶπε· τὸ οὐ φονεύσεις, οὐ μοιχεύσεις, οὐ κλέψεις, οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις, τίμα τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα, καὶ ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ νεανίσκος· πάντα ταῦτα ἐφυλαξάμην ἐκ νεότητός μου· τί ἔτι ὑστερῶ; ἔφη αὐτῷ ὁ ῾Ιησοῦς· εἰ θέλεις τέλειος εἶναι, ὕπαγε πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς, καὶ ἕξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν οὐρανῷ, καὶ δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι. ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ νεανίσκος τὸν λόγον ἀπῆλθε λυπούμενος· ἦν γὰρ ἔχων κτήματα πολλά. ῾Ο δὲ ᾿Ιησοῦς εἶπε τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι δυσκόλως πλούσιος εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. πάλιν δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, εὐκοπώτερόν ἐστι κάμηλον διὰ τρυπήματος ῥαφίδος διελθεῖν ἢ πλούσιον εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰσελθεῖν. ἀκούσαντες δὲ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἐξεπλήσσοντο σφόδρα λέγοντες· τίς ἄρα δύναται σωθῆναι; ἐμβλέψας δὲ ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· παρὰ ἀνθρώποις τοῦτο ἀδύνατόν ἐστι, παρὰ δὲ Θεῷ πάντα δυνατά ἐστι.
Wisdom of the Fathers
The sign that thou lovest God, is this, that thou lovest thy fellow; and if thou hatest thy fellow, thy hatred is towards God. For it is blasphemy if thou prayest before God while thou art wroth. For thy heart also convicts thee, that in vain thou multipliest words: thy conscience rightly judges that in thy prayers thou profitest nought.
ON ADMONITION AND REPENTANCE.
Wherefore then doth Christ thus reply to him, saying, "There is none good?" Because He came unto Him as a mere man, and one of the common sort, and a Jewish teacher; for this cause then as a man He discourses with him. And indeed in many instances He replies to the secret thoughts of them that come unto Him.
Homily 63 on Matthew 19, 4th Century
Saints and Feasts
August 27
12th Sunday of Matthew
August 27
Pimen the Great
Saint Pimen was from Egypt and shone forth in the ascetical life in Scete in the fourth century; he was renowned for his discretion. Many of his sayings and deeds are preserved in the Paradise of the Fathers and the Sayings of the Fathers.
August 27
Poimen of Palestine
August 27
Hosisos the Confessor
August 27
Holy Martyr Phanurius
Little is known of the holy Martyr Phanurius, except that which is depicted concerning his martyrdom on his holy icon, which was discovered in the year 1500 among the ruins of an ancient church on Rhodes, when the Moslems ruled there. Thus he is called "the Newly Revealed." The faithful pray to Saint Phanurius especially to help them recover things that have been lost, and because he has answered their prayers so often, the custom has arisen of baking a Phaneropita ("Phanurius-Cake") as a thanks-offering.
August 27
Monica
August 27
Liverios, Pope of Rome
August 28
13th Monday after Pentecost
August 28
Diomedes & Laurence the Martyrs
August 29
Beheading of the Holy and Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John
The divine Baptist, the Prophet born of a Prophet, the seal of all the Prophets and beginning of the Apostles, the mediator between the Old and New Covenants, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, the God-sent Messenger of the incarnate Messiah, the forerunner of Christ's coming into the world (Esaias 40: 3; Mal. 3: 1); who by many miracles was both conceived and born; who was filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb; who came forth like another Elias the Zealot, whose life in the wilderness and divine zeal for God's Law he imitated: this divine Prophet, after he had preached the baptism of repentance according to God's command; had taught men of low rank and high how they must order their lives; had admonished those whom he baptized and had filled them with the fear of God, teaching them that no one is able to escape the wrath to come if he do not works worthy of repentance; had, through such preaching, prepared their hearts to receive the evangelical teachings of the Savior; and finally, after he had pointed out to the people the very Savior, and said, "Behold the Lamb of God, Which taketh away the sin of the world" (Luke 3:2-18; John 1: 29-36), after all this, John sealed with his own blood the truth of his words and was made a sacred victim for the divine Law at the hands of a transgressor.
This was Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Galilee, the son of Herod the Great. This man had a lawful wife, the daughter of Arethas (or Aretas), the King of Arabia (that is, Arabia Petraea, which had the famous Nabatean stone city of Petra as its capital. This is the Aretas mentioned by Saint Paul in II Cor. 11:32). Without any cause, and against every commandment of the Law, he put her away and took to himself Herodias, the wife of his deceased brother Philip, to whom Herodias had borne a daughter, Salome. He would not desist from this unlawful union even when John, the preacher of repentance, the bold and austere accuser of the lawless, censured him and told him, "It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife" (Mark 6: 18). Thus Herod, besides his other unholy acts, added yet this, that he apprehended John and shut him in prison; and perhaps he would have killed him straightway, had he not feared the people, who had extreme reverence for John. Certainly, in the beginning, he himself had great reverence for this just and holy man. But finally, being pierced with the sting of a mad lust for the woman Herodias, he laid his defiled hands on the teacher of purity on the very day he was celebrating his birthday. When Salome, Herodias' daughter, had danced in order to please him and those who were supping with him, he promised her -- with an oath more foolish than any foolishness -- that he would give her anything she asked, even unto the half of his kingdom. And she, consulting with her mother, straightway asked for the head of John the Baptist in a charger. Hence this transgressor of the Law, preferring his lawless oath above the precepts of the Law, fulfilled this godless promise and filled his loathsome banquet with the blood of the Prophet. So it was that that all-venerable head, revered by the Angels, was given as a prize for an abominable dance, and became the plaything of the dissolute daughter of a debauched mother. As for the body of the divine Baptist, it was taken up by his disciples and placed in a tomb (Mark 6: 21 - 29). Concerning the finding of his holy head, see February 24 and May 25.
August 30
Alexander, John, and Paul the New, Patriarchs of Constantinople
Saint Alexander was sent to the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea as the delegate of Saint Metrophanes, Bishop of Constantinople (see June 4), to whose throne he succeeded in the year 325. When Arius had deceitfully professed allegiance to the Council of Nicaea, Saint Alexander, knowing his guile, refused to receive him into communion; Arius' powerful partisans threatened that they would use force to bring Arius into the communion of the Church the following day. Saint Alexander prayed fervently that God might spare the Church; and as Arius was in a privy place relieving nature, his bowels gushed forth with an effusion of blood, and the arch-heresiarch died the death of Judas. Saint Alexander was Bishop from 325 until 337, when he was succeeded by Saint Paul the Confessor, who died a martyr's death at the hands of the Arians (see Nov. 6). The Saint John commemorated here appears to be the one who was Patriarch during the years 562-577, surnamed Scholasticus, who is also commemorated on February 21. He was from Antioch, where he had been a lawyer (scholasticus); he was made presbyter, then was sent to Constantinople as representative (apocrisiarius) of the Patriarch of Antioch, and was appointed Patriarch of Constantinople by the Emperor Justinian. Saint Paul was Bishop of Constantinople during the years 687 - 693, in the reign of Emperor Justinian II, and presided over the Quinisext Council in 692.
August 31
The Placing of the Honorable Sash of the Most Holy Theotokos
Although the historical accounts differ somewhat, the Deposition that is celebrated today took place most likely during the reign of Emperor Arcadius (395-408), when the precious Cincture of the Mother of God was brought from Zela of Cappadocia to Constantinople, and placed in the Church of the Theotokos in the section of Chalcopratia.
September 01
Ecclesiastical New Year
For the maintenance of their armed forces, the Roman emperors decreed that their subjects in every district should be taxed every year. This same decree was reissued every fifteen years, since the Roman soldiers were obliged to serve for fifteen years. At the end of each fifteen-year period, an assessment was made of what economic changes had taken place, and a new tax was decreed, which was to be paid over the span of the fifteen years. This imperial decree, which was issued before the season of winter, was named Indictio, that is, Definiton, or Order. This name was adopted by the emperors in Constantinople also. At other times, the latter also used the term Epinemisis, that is, Distribution (Dianome). It is commonly held that Saint Constantine the Great introduced the Indiction decrees in A.D. 312, after he beheld the sign of the Cross in heaven and vanquished Maxentius and was proclaimed Emperor in the West. Some, however (and this seems more likely), ascribe the institution of the Indiction to Augustus Caesar, three years before the birth of Christ. Those who hold this view offer as proof the papal bull issued in A.D. 781 which is dated thus: Anno IV, Indictionis LIII -that is, the fourth year of the fifty-third Indiction. From this, we can deduce the aforementioned year (3 B.C.) by multiplying the fifty-two complete Indictions by the number of years in each (15), and adding the three years of the fifty-third Indiction. There are three types of Indictions: 1) That which was introduced in the West, and which is called Imperial, or Caesarean, or Constantinian, and which begins on the 24th of September; 2) The so-called Papal Indiction, which begins on the 1st of January; and 3) The Constantinopolitan, which was adopted by the Patriarchs of that city after the fall of the Eastern Empire in 1453. This Indiction is indicated in their own hand on the decrees they issue, without the numeration of the fifteen years. This Indiction begins on the 1st of September and is observed with special ceremony in the Church. Since the completion of each year takes place, as it were, with the harvest and gathering of the crops into storehouses, and we begin anew from henceforth the sowing of seed in the earth for the production of future crops, September is considered the beginning of the New Year. The Church also keeps festival this day, beseeching God for fair weather, seasonable rains, and an abundance of the fruits of the earth. The Holy Scriptures (Lev. 23:24-5 and Num. 29:1-2) also testify that the people of Israel celebrated the feast of the Blowing of the Trumpets on this day, offering hymns of thanksgiving. In addition to all the aforesaid, on this feast we also commemorate our Saviour's entry into the synagogue in Nazareth, where He was given the book of the Prophet Esaias to read, and He opened it and found the place where it is written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for which cause He hath anointed Me..." (Luke 4:16-30).
It should be noted that to the present day, the Church has always celebrated the beginning of the New Year on September 1. This was the custom in Constantinople until its fall in 1453 and in Russia until the reign of Peter I. September 1 is still festively celebrated as the New Year at the Patriarchate of Constantinople; among the Jews also the New Year, although reckoned according to a moveable calendar, usually falls in September. The service of the Menaion for January 1 is for our Lord's Circumcision and for the memorial of Saint Basil the Great, without any mention of its being the beginning of a new year.
September 01
Synaxis of the Recovery of the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of Miasenae
The Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos of Miasenae is celebrated today because of the wonder that was wrought when her holy icon, which was cast into the lake call Zaguru in order to prevent it from being desecrated by the Iconoclast, miraculously arose intact from the depths of the lake after many years.
This Week at St. Nicholas
Creed: English
Choir Directors: Dr. Jon Wardner, Teresa Stokes
Psaltis:
Zannis Res, Protopsaltis
George Smyrnis, Dani Nadra, Sophia Grias-Radwanski, John Kolias, Elias Karageorge, Sr. Martha, Ioana Ciuta Nadra
Welcome Anastasios Karanasis, visiting iconographer
Prosforo:
Panagioti Apostolou
Memorial Service:
Christopher Webber - 40 days
Theodosios Tzantarmas - 40 days (father and father-in-law of Nikki and Quinn Boucher)
Fellowship Hour:
Philoptochos
Usher Group: D
This Week at St. Nicholas
Monday, August 28
10:00 am Bible Study
7:30 pm Bible Study
Wednesday, August 30
9:00 am Orthros and Divine Liturgy/St. Alexander
Parish News & Events
Rides to Church: If you, or anyone you know, needs a ride to church, please call the office. We will either send a fellow parishioner to pick you up, or call a cab for you. Also, St. Nicholas is compiling a list of individuals who would be interested in picking up fellow parishioners who do not have a ride to church. If you are interested in helping us in this very important ministry, please call the office. It is our hope that everyone who wants to come to St. Nicholas will be able, whether they can drive or not.
Benevolence: Hunger is all around us, even here in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County. Many times, we are asked to distribute food and toiletries to families who are hungry and in need. Please consider bringing non perishable food items and toiletries and leaving them on the shelf in the exo-narthex. Thank you and God Bless You.
Stewardship: The Parish Council is seeking volunteers to help our Parish improve our Stewardship program. Please join us on the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00 pm in the conference room. Our next meeting will be held Wednesday, September 6 at 7:00 pm. Everybody is welcome to join this committee. Your time and talents are valuable to our Saint Nicholas Church. For any questions, please contact George Kokales or Christos Philippou.
Philoptochos: The Fall Fashion Show and Luncheon sponsored by the Ladies Philoptochos of Sts. Constantine and Helen/Westland will be held on Sat., Sept. 23, at 11:00 am. The cost is $30/person and tickets may be purchased from Vangie Kolokithas. The fashion show will be presented by the Clothing Cove of Milford. The proceeds will benefit the charities of Sts. Constantine and Helen
St. Nicholas Bookstore: The bookstore recommends an icon of St, Modestus of Jerusalem, the protector of domesticated animals. We also have ordered a limited number of church planners. Please visit us if you are interested in placing an order.
Internet Technologies Committee! Do you have a talent with websites, graphic design, the internet, social media and more? We need interested parishioners to support our growing team. Your involvement can be done on your own time and can mostly be done remotely. We will train you at a time convenient for you and it is NOT hard. We are looking for those who are interested in: keeping our website up to date, taking photographs, and more. Please send an email to webmaster@stnickaa.org
Welcome back past and future Goyans! We have an exciting year planned! Registration will be held on Sept. 10 during our parish picnic. We will have registration forms and emergency cards. The fees will be $30.00/family. Our first Bible study/activity will be on Sept. 24. We look forward to a wonderful year full of worship service and fellowship. Please join us!
Philoptochos: IOCC (International Orthodox Christian Charities):
The success of this Pan Orthodox humanitarian effort depends on the generosity of you. Philoptochos thanks all those who have made donations so far. We would like to remind you that for every $1 you contribute, it is matched by $7 from other sources. If you would like to donate, or have questions. please contact Clevie Daniels at (734) 528-9092. Thank you for your continued support.
Church School: The 2017-2018 Church School Program begins Sun., Sept. 10. Following Holy Communion, Church School students should go directly to their classrooms for the start of the new Church School year. The Registration Form and the Emergency Card, as well as complete instructions, are available on-line on our website http//:churchschool.stnickaa.org. The completed Registration Form, Emergency Card/Cards and Registration Fee/Fees ($20/student) are due on Sept. 10.
Great Vespers: The Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Plymouth will celebrate the feastday of the Theotokos with Great Vespers on Thursday, September 7 at 7:00 pm. The Philoptochos will offer refreshments following the services.
Festival Food: We have in our freezer the following leftover over food from the festival. Spanakopita and tiropita ($25/tray) and pastitsio ($60/tray). If you are interested in purchasing, please call the Church office during regular business hours of Monday – Friday, 9am-3pm. Thank you.
Fellowship Hours: While the iconography is being installed, please be mindful of the carpeting during fellowship hours and take extra care with your refreshments. Thank you for your patience.
As you know, the Parish Council has traditionally been responsible for hosting the coffee hour if no one has volunteered. Since we have had a decline of volunteers, please consider hosting a fellowship hour. Please contact the Church office and offer your assistance. Remember, the fellowship hours do not have to be elaborate. Coffee and donuts are fine. Thank you, the Parish Council.
Iconography Phase III – Dome: Funding for Phase III – Dome is 93.7% completed. As the funding balance comes to a conclusion, all are invited and encouraged to consider making a contribution within one’s means towards the Icon of Christ Pantocrator, the Almighty. Forms are available at the Church office or on the Church web-site, or at the iconography information table with updated displays.
Flowers: If you are interested in purchasing flowers to decorate the icons for any upcoming feastday, please contact Lambrini Lagos or the Church office.
Time To Get Involved! Have you been considering getting more involved in the activities of St. Nicholas? We are in need of additional ushers and now is your opportunity to take advantage of those wonderful thoughts! There are 4 ushering groups who share service duties by rotating pre-assigned Sunday’s once every 4 weeks. We welcome all parishioners and provide you with training. If you have any questions or are interested in serving please contact Christopher A. Bekiares at bigmich@yahoo.com.
Prosforo needed September 3, 10 and October 1, 15, 22, 29. Fellowship Hour sponsors needed September 3, 17 and October 1, 15, 29 Please call the office if you are interested.
Donor Match: Kosta Flevaris, cousin to Faye Sekaros, Kay Foster and Nick Roopas, has been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and is in urgent need of a stem cell transplant. The best chance for a match is through the Greek community. If anyone is interested in being tested, a cheek swab can be sent to you to be mailed back, and the testing done at no cost. For more information, please contact Be The Match at bekostasmatch@gmail.com.
Parish Picnic: Mark your calendars for our annual Parish Picnic Sunday, September 10, immediately following the Divine Liturgy. Come and enjoy a nice picnic lunch. There’s no need to bring anything. This is our way of saying thank you to the parish for supporting St. Nicholas!
Survivors of Suicide and Loss Grief workshop: Presvytera Julie Honeycutt, LPC led a workshop recently on how to talk about suicide, how to support one another, how to talk to children, and what to expect in the months to come. If you were unable to attend the workshop, copies of her presentation are available on the table in the hallway.
Guidelines for receiving Holy Communion
GUIDELINES FOR RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION
For Orthodox Christians:
When preparing to receive Holy Communion, please remain quietly in your pews until an Usher directs you to approach from the center aisle. Your prayerful attention helps sustain the solemnity of the Divine Liturgy for those praying the “Prayers of Preparation” and following Holy Communion the “Prayers of Thanksgiving.”
For Non-Orthodox Christians:
We welcome to our worship those Christians not fully united with us (canonically). It is a consequence of the sad divisions of Christianity that we cannot extend a general invitation to receive Holy Communion. Orthodox Christians believe that the Eucharist is an action of the celebrating community signifying a oneness in faith, life, and worship. Reception of the Eucharist by Christians not fully united with us would imply a oneness which does not yet exist and for which we must all pray.
Welcome Visitors!
Welcome Visitors!
Please fill out the form on the notepads in the pews and put it in our collection tray so we may welcome you to our Parish. You are welcome to join us in the Social Hall for our Fellowship Hour following the Divine Liturgy. Please note, Holy Communion is reserved for prepared Orthodox Christians. Visitors are welcome to receive the Antidoro (Blessed Bread), which is distributed at the end of the Divine Liturgy.
Prayer List
Our Prayer List
Lord Jesus Christ, Physician of our Souls and Bodies, have mercy on, forgive, heal and save your servants: Toni Kovalcheck, Sophia Kappas, Evan Arhangelos, Katherine Sakaly Brown, Nick & Mary Prepouses, Christian, Katina Retakes, Natalie Arhangelos, Andriana Banos, Gus Fernimos, Kara Kontos, Andrew Green, Robert Coffin, Brian Brubaker, Judy Ickes, Rhonda Yates, Carl Tsangarides, Michael Foley, Lily Kunz, Deborah Cromer, Pat Vangelatos, Freda Hoeksema, Kristina Haywood, Evangelia Pantos, Paraskeve Kontos, Reid Smith, Kaylie, Tara Gravelyn, Ethan Geczi, Nicholas Fernimos, Lula Koutoulas, Pauline Koinis, Bill Walsh, Emilio Fallone, Ann, Lynette Kariotis, Menelaos Stamatelatos, Marianna Stamatelatos, Cindy Przybyla, Konstantina Koufos, Georgetta, Gregory Nezamis, Peggy Cutting, Eras Cochran, Bill and Marilyn Chandler, Rick Kettenstock, Arlene Finkbeiner, Elena Magda, Christopher Webber, Jr., Marteen Bryant, Jasmine Corbett, Monique Hargrove, Mary Corbett Bryant, Steve Korican, Janice Dendrinelis, Morgan Haywood, Joanna, Kathy Dyer, Boris Kuvshinoff, persecuted Christians in the Middle East and everywhere, Teddy Chrysostom, Pamela Rogers, Rosie, Debbie Smith, John, Luke, Kris and Patricia Ann Constas, Nolan, George Kaoud, Bob and Katerina Suserud, Paul Kooiman, Olga Tedrow, Terance Nicholas Constas, Jason and Val Blair, Dan Theodore, Sofia Tom, Maria Mihaela Tom, Mike and Betty and family, Julie and family, Mike Smolnik and family and friend, James Wines, Jessica Cox Fry, Sarah Owen, Steven Peterson, Nicki Ipsilantis, George. Geoff, Jeff, Paula Streck, Paraskevi Hoffman, Helen Vargo, Margaret Yates, Dr. Costas Kleanthous, Manny & Aubrey Kotsis, Niki Caris, Daphne Moraitis, Filonel, Elena, Andreea-Coralia, Ioan, Alexander Peter, Ana Maria, John Alex Pearsall, David Kohl, Rose Marie, Andreas Stathopoulos, Robert Fallon, Ted Mitchell, Diamanos Nick, Tom, Rene Bush, Tess, John Chrysostom, Mary Hamilton, Maria Konopka.
Office Hours and Appointments
Office hours and appointments
Please remember the following: during a Divine Liturgy, the office will be closed. It will reopen immediately following the service. Also, please make all appointments or scheduling of any activities through the secretary during regular office hours, Monday - Friday, 9:00 am 3:00 pm. Thank you very much for your cooperation. - Fr. Nick