Sunday Services: Orthros-8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy-10:00 a.m. Sunday School after Distribution of Holy Communion. Holy Day Services As announced in weekly bulletins.
Sunday December 2nd
Ushers: Michael Fowler & Jack Kaler
Epistle Reader: Carl Boschert
Prosphoro - McKenna Fowler
Coffee Hour - McKenna Fowler
Sunday Church School Classes meet on Sundays after the distribution of Holy Communion.
Bible Study/Pot Luck Supper will meet after Liturgy on Wednesday December 5th
Eve of the Feast of Saint Nicholas Please Join Us!
December Newsletter - please submit any information by NOON on Tuesday 12/4
Philoptochos News and Events.
November 30-December 1 Pastry Sale order forms available at Church on Sundays
Parish Council Elections - take place after liturgy on Sunday December 16th. For four seats on the Parish council. Nomination forms are availabe in the Narthex and on the white table outside of the Church doors. Forms must be signed and returned to the Election Committee, Sophia Cox, Sharon Mavridoglou, and Monique Polles or to Father Andrew. Deadline for nomination is December 7th.
Christmas Program-the annual Christmas program will take place on the 16th of December. Our parish young people are urge to attend Sunday School each week between now and then as they are preparing for the program.
Our Holy Trinity-St. John the Theologian Prayer List:
"Remember Lord, those whom each of us calls prayerfully to mind" Georgia Dennery, Nancy Panaretos, Chuck Odom, Nicholas & Maria Psaris, William Abihider, Christ Castanis, George V. Pinchuk, Chris Grillis, Lambryne Angelo, Jane Kountouris, and Collie McDole, Virginia Cora, Malissa and Pat Zouboukos have asked that we pray for their friend Randy Nichols, Paula Fowler, Yianni and Elaine Isaak, Betta Miller, John Timothy Hontzas and his parents.
Our November Birthday list: Belated Birthday wishes to Sophia Childers of Aberdeen who celebrated her birthday on November 28th.
Our December Birthday List: Chris Grillis-December 1st, Panayiotis (Pat) Zouboukos-December 2nd, Hutson Hontzas-December 3rd, Heather Hontzas-December 5th, Alexis Valsamakis Hood-December 9th, George Pinchuk-December 11th, Nicholas Nelson-December 15th, Sammie Baggett-December 26th, Chris Zeppos-December 30th, Christina Valsamakis Childers-December 30th
PLEASE LET FATHER ANDREW KNOW OF ANY ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS Thank You!..
Without your donations and constributions it becomes difficult to meet our budgeted expenses. Our monthly expenses include salaries, Gas, Electricity, Water, Archdiocese commitments, and from time to time extra expenses to repair items in the church proper. Please remember that your donations help us to meet these monthly expenses of $10k.
This Prophet, whose name means "loving embrace," is eighth in order of the minor Prophets. His homeland and tribe are not recorded in the Divine Scriptures; according to some, he was of the tribe of Symeon. He prophesied in the years of Joachim, who is also called Jechonias, before the Babylonian captivity of the Jewish People, which took place 599 years before Christ. When Nabuchodonosor came to take the Israelites captive, Habakkuk fled to Ostrakine, and after Jerusalem was destroyed and the Chaldeans departed, Habakkuk returned and cultivated his field. Once he made some pottage and was about to take it to the reapers in the field. An Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and carried him with the pottage to Babylon to feed Daniel in the lions' den, then brought him back to Judea (Bel and the Dragon, 33-39): His book of prophecy is divided into three chapters; the third chapter is also used as the Fourth Ode of the Psalter. His holy relics were found in Palestine during the reign of Emperor Theodosius the Great, through a revelation to Zebennus, Bishop of Eleutheropolis (Sozomen, Eccl. Hist., Book VII, 29).
Saint Barbara was from Heliopolis of Phoenicia and lived during the reign of Maximian.
She was the daughter of a certain idolater named Dioscorus. When Barbara came of age, she was enlightened in her pure heart and secretly believed in the Holy Trinity. About this time Dioscorus began building a bath-house; before it was finished he was required to go away to attend to certain matters, and in his absence Barbara directed the workmen to build a third window in addition to the two her Father had commanded. She also inscribed the sign of the Cross with her finger upon the marble of the bath-house, leaving the saving sign cut as deeply into the marble as if it had been done with an iron tool. (When the Synaxarion of Saint Barbara was written, the marble of the bath-house and the cross inscribed by Saint Barbara were still preserved, and many healings were worked there.) When Dioscorus returned, he asked why the third window had been added; Barbara began to declare to him the mystery of the Trinity. Because she refused to renounce her faith, Dioscorus tortured Barbara inhumanely, and after subjecting her to many sufferings he beheaded her with his own hands, in the year 290.
Saint John was born in Damascus about the year 675, the son of wealthy and pious parents, of the family of Mansur. He was reared together with Saint Cosmas (see Oct. 14), who had been adopted by John's father Sergius, a man of high rank in the service of the Caliph of Damascus. Both of these young men were instructed by a certain monk, also named Cosmas, who had been taken captive in Italy by the Arabs and later ransomed by John's Father. Saint John became a great philosopher and enlightener of the age in which he lived, and was honoured by the Caliph with the dignity of counsellor.
When Emperor Leo the Isaurian (reigned 717-741) began his war on the holy icons, John wrote epistles defending their veneration. Since the Saint, being under the Caliph of Damascus, was beyond Leo's power, the Iconoclast Emperor had a letter forged in John's handwriting which invited Leo to attack Damascus, saying the city guard was then weak; Leo then sent this letter to the Caliph, who in his fury punished John's supposed treason with the severing of his right hand. The Saint obtained the Caliph's Permission to have his severed hand again, and that night prayed fervently to the most holy Theotokos before her icon. She appeared to him in a dream and healed his hand, which, when he awoke, he found to be healed in truth. This Miracle convinced the Caliph of his innocence, and he restored John to his office as counsellor. The Saint, however, with many pleadings obtained his permission to withdraw from the world to become a monk. He assumed the monastic habit in the Monastery of Saint Sabbas. Then he had as elder a very simple and austere monk who commanded him neither to write to anyone, nor to speak of the worldly knowledge he had acquired, and John faithfully obeyed. A monk grieving over his brother's death, however, after insisting vehemently, prevailed upon John to write a funeral hymn to console him for his brother's death. When John's elder learned of his transgression of the rule he had given him, he cast him out of his cell, and would only accept him back after John had humbly, with much self-condemnation and without murmuring consented to clean all the latrines in the lavra. After his elder had received him back, our Lady appeared to the elder and sternly charged him not to hinder John any longer from his writings and composition of hymns.
In his writings he fought courageously against the Iconoclasts Leo the Isaurian and his son Constantine Copronymus. He was also the first to write a refutation of Islam. The time he had spent as a counsellor in the courts of the Moslems of Damascus had given him opportunity to learn their teachings at first hand, and he wrote against their errors with a sound understanding of their essence. Saint John was surnamed Chrysorroas ("Golden-stream") because of the eloquence of his rhetorical style and the great abundance of his writings; this name - Chrysorroas was also the name of the river that flows by Damascus. In his writings he set forth the Orthodox Faith with exactness and order. In his old age, after his foster-brother Cosmas had been made Bishop of Maiuma, John also was ordained presbyter by the Patriarch of Jerusalem. Having lived eighty-four years, he reposed in peace in 760. In addition to his theological writings, he adorned the Church of Christ with metrical and prose hymns and composed many of the prosomia used as the models for the melodies of the Church's liturgical chant; he also composed many of the sacred hymns for the feasts of the Lord Saviour and the Theotokos. The life of Saint John of Damascus was written by John, Patriarch of Jerusalem. See also June 28.
This Saint lived during the reign of Saint Constantine the Great, and reposed in 330, As a young man, he desired to espouse the solitary life. He made a pilgrimage to the holy city Jerusalem, where he found a place to withdraw to devote himself to prayer. It was made known to him, however, that this was not the will of God for him, but that he should return to his homeland to be a cause of salvation for many. He returned to Myra, and was ordained bishop. He became known for his abundant mercy, providing for the poor and needy, and delivering those who had been unjustly accused. No less was he known for his zeal for the truth. He was present at the First Ecumenical Council of the 318 Fathers at Nicaea in 325; upon hearing the blasphemies that Arius brazenly uttered against the Son of God, Saint Nicholas struck him on the face. Since the canons of the Church forbid the clergy to strike any man at all, his fellow bishops were in perplexity what disciplinary action was to be taken against this hierarch whom all revered. In the night our Lord Jesus Christ and our Lady Theotokos appeared to certain of the bishops, informing them that no action was to be taken against him, since he had acted not out of passion, but extreme love and piety. The Dismissal Hymn for holy hierarchs, The truth of things hath revealed thee to thy flock ... was written originally for Saint Nicholas. He is the patron of all travellers, and of sea-farers in particular; he is one of the best known and best loved Saints of all time.
Hymn of Pentecost:
O blessed are You, O Christ our God. Who by sending down the Holy Spirit upon them, made the fishermen wise, and through them illumined the world. And unto You the universe was ever drawn. All glory to You O Lord.
Hymn of St. John the Theologian
O Apostle, beloved of Christ our God, hasten to deliver a defenseless people. He that allowed thee to recline in His breast, receiveth thee bowing in intersession. Implore Him, O Theologian, do dispel the persistent cloud of the heathen, and ask for us His peace and great mercy.
Fifth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Luke 24:13-35
At that time, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see." And he said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, but they constrained him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?" And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, who said, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Prokeimenon. Second Tone. Psalm 117.14,18.
The Lord is my strength and my song.
Verse: The Lord has chastened me sorely.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 6:10-17.
Brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand, therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
14th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 18:35-43
At that time, as Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging; and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." And he cried, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" And Jesus stopped, and commanded him to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, let me receive my sight." And Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
One of the most beautiful and favorite classical music of Western Advent, this time of preparation for Christ’s holy Nativity that we call the Nativity Fast, is Bach’s popular cantata “Sleepers awake!” The title refers to a common theme of the Scriptures and the Orthodox Faith, that of readiness to meet the Lord when He comes again. This theme of the Second Coming, the meaning of the word, Advent, means “coming,” is also part of the Church’s teaching on Christ’s Incarnation-in-the-flesh, and so, is particularly poignant during this season of preparation.
The early Orthodox Church lived in a constant state of alertness, readiness, to meet the Lord at His Second Coming, putting Christ first and before all things the world had on offer. It was not easy to be a Christian; you knew that at any moment you might be arrested, tortured, and martyrd for your faith in the one, true God.
Christ having ascended in glory, we now live in the last epoch, that is, “the last days.” We who are here today are even closer to that final day that will begin the day that has no end, which is the heart of the message of Vespers. Indeed, this is the truth we commemorate every time we sing the Gladsome Light at Vespers. We’re called to live with eternity before our eyes, to put away the temporal distractions that lull us into spiritual sleep and slothfulness so that we can be ready for the Day of Christ’s Second Coming, the day that will have no end. Advent is never just about looking to the past; it is also always a looking forward to a second Advent, that of Christ’s glorious Second Coming. St. Cyril of Jerusalem writes, “We do not preach only one coming of Christ, but a second as well, much more glorious than the first. The first coming was marked by patience; the second will bring the crown of a divine kingdom.”
That we may be ready when Christ comes again and make the most of this holy Nativity Fast in spiritual preparation for “the Winter Pascha,” Holy Nativity, we are called to vigilance in how we live our lives, how we prioritize the life in Christ in His Church. Our Lord Jesus Christ is concerned that we be watchful, “awake”, alert, to the needs of our souls, of our need for life with Him because He knows and reveals to us that this is the difference between true life and a living death. Do we know and are we in communion with Him who is Life itself or do we preoccupy ourselves with the things of this world to the neglect and lethargy of our eternal souls?
And so, during this Fast, Advent, we’re called to heed the prophets’ warnings, to rouse ourselves from sleep and renew our zeal for life with God, the only true life there is. “Therefore as St. Paul admonishes in Ephesians, “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” This is the choice that is laid before us: life with God or death without God. Every fast is given to us that we may learn to choose the true life in Christ over life lived in and for the impulses of the flesh.
Modern man is particularly challenged to keep these words because we so easily live in the relative comforts and distractions of our work-a-day world, where we seek to surround ourselves with material safety and distraction, which serves to ‘numb’ the hunger of our souls for more of our life-source for whom we are created, God, our Creator and Savior Jesus Christ. Most of the time, people don’t ‘appear’ to ‘need’ God because their days are filled with such distraction and entertainment; their physical or material needs are met and they live in relative ease.
Repeatedly, Christ’s Gospel calls on the faithful to “redeem the time, because the days are evil,” what Christ calls “this sinful and adulterous generation.” People walk around, busy in their lives, and forget God. Evil ensues, by definition. Without God, evil will happen. Where God is, there is true love, light, peace, truth. Where He is forgotten, there is no accountability or bounds to human behavior. We’ve seen how this plays out writ large in the events of the 20th century and, now, sadly, continuing to our own day.
For this reason, St. Paul warns us, saying, “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.” We are returning to a pagan era, but not one that is as “religious” as pagan Rome. Instead, “religion” comes in a new guise, that of secular humanism and nihilism, which prides itself on being “free” of the constrains of the religions of the past, and yet is, ironically, enslaved to its own false belief that mankind is always improving itself and that each generation is wiser and more “evolved” than the one that came before—a dangerous precedence that can lead us to repeat the evils of the past in prideful reliance on self and evolving morality.
Because God loves us to such a great extent, more than you and I can know, He warns us, beckons us, to redeem the time, that is, to learn to number our days, to make use of them for repentance, to shake off our spiritual lethargy, to flee from the immorality around us, to ready ourselves for His awesome and glorious Second Coming.
To do so, it’s incumbent on us to continue to become more and more Christ-minded; so much so that we turn to Christ whenever we sin, and then, whenever we’re tempted, and then, whenever and at every time and season as we progress in the life in Christ. It’s not man that saves man, but God who saves man and calls him back to His first beauty through the life in Christ and communion with the Holy Trinity.
Redeem the time, love the people of this fallen culture and land enough to hold up to them the truth of Christ, a life of repentance, confess the vices and sins that the world no longer has a conscience to confess. Speak the truth in love and strive with all your heart to live out that truth of Christ in your own daily life. Model the faith humbly, vulnerably, to all those around you. Share with others who are fallen away, skeptics, the godless following the way of the culture and its secularism and hedonism, the truth of what Christ God is doing in your life, forgiving, healing, saving you, giving you joy grounded in Him who is Eternal Life.
So, brothers and sisters, pray, fast, redeem the time, make use of this holy season to prepare for Christ’s birth. As you do so, you are also doing what is necessary to prepare for Christ’s Second Coming as well. Keep before you the words of St. Paul, “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
Fr. Robert Miclean
Holy Archangels Orthodox Church
Annapolis, Maryland
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