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Sts. Constantine & Helen Cathedral
Publish Date: 2021-12-19
Bulletin Contents
Today
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Wisdom of the Fathers
This Week
Hymns of the Day
RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION AT STS CONSTANTINE AND HELEN CATHEDRAL IS DONE IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER:

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Sts. Constantine & Helen Cathedral

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (216) 932-3300
  • Fax:
  • (216) 932-0825
  • Street Address:

  • 3352 Mayfield Road

  • Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
  • Mailing Address:

  • 3352 Mayfield Road

  • Cleveland Heights, OH 44118

Contact Information

Sade L Frayer
office manager

office@stsconstantine.com | 2169323300

Past Bulletins


Today

Dec 19, 2021

12/19/2021

SUNDAY BEFORE NATIVITY
MATINS:                             - 8:15 a.m.
LITURGY:                            - 9:30 a.m.
               ACOLYTES:          Team B
              PROSFORA:          Helen Primbas
               PANGARI:           Team C: Costa Tsatiris, George Stamatis, Bill Chevako
               EPISTLE:             Hebrews 11:9-10, 32-40
               GOSPEL:             Matthew 1:1-25
               GREEK TEXT:       p. 208
               MEMORIAL:         -  10:45 a.m. - One Year Memorial for Christina Kadras
               COFFEE HOUR HOSTS:    Bill Kadras and Family would like to welcome everyone for the coffee social. 
               GOYA MEETING  - 11:30 a.m.
 STREAMING SERVICE:   youtube.com/stsconstantine


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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Fourth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Luke 24:1-12

On the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel; and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of man must be delivered in to the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise." And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told this to the apostles; but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home wondering at what had happened.

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 4th Tone. Daniel 3.26,27.
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers.
Verse: For you are just in all you have done.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 11:9-10; 32-40.

BRETHREN, by faith Abraham sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city which has foundation, whose builder and maker is God.

And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets - who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated - of whom the world was not worthy - wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Gospel Reading

Sunday before Nativity
The Reading is from Matthew 1:1-25

The book of the Genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa, and Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amon, and Amon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel" (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.

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Wisdom of the Fathers

Thus, from the tribe of Levi may be counted a heritage that is priestly and filled with holiness, while from the tribe of Judah - to which David and Solomon and the rest of the kings belonged - there shines forth the splendor of a royal descent. And so, by the testimony of the Scriptures, Christ is shown to be at once both king and priest.
St. Ambrose of Milan
Seven Exegetical Works, 4th Century

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This Week

THIS COMING WEEK

Mon, Dec 20th     - 7:30 p.m.  - Gamblers Anonymous
Weds, Dec 22nd   - 7:00 a.m. - Liturgy (St. Anastasia)
Fri, Dec 24th        - 9:30 a.m. - Royal Hours 
                             - 5:30 p.m. - Vespers & Liturgy 
                             - 7:15 p.m. - Christmas Eve reception 
Sat, Dec 25th       - 10:00 a.m. - Liturgy
Sun, Dec 26th      - 8:15 a.m.  - Matins
                            - 9:30 a.m.  - Liturgy

 


ONLINE TEXTS OF SERVICES

Those wishing to follow the livestreamed services with a written text may do so using the links below.
Electronic Version of Orthros (Matins) on Dec 19th:

Electronic Version of Divine Liturgy on Dec 19th:


VISITORS & SACRAMENTS

Everyone is welcome in the Orthodox Church & may receive the blessed bread (antidoron) at the end of the service, but only practicing Orthodox Christians may receive the sacrament of Holy Communion.


HOUSE BLESSINGS

Please look for the schedule for house blessings in 2022, which will be included in the envelope with your 2022 church calendar.


PROSFORO BAKERS NEEDED!

Please volunteer to prepare prosforo for Sunday liturgy.  It’s an added blessing for your loved ones (living and departed) to have the extra prayers during the Proskomide service before liturgy.  If you would like to help, need a recipe or a “how-to lesson”, please contact Maria Misthos (call or text) at 440-552-3270.  


CHRISTMAS CONCERT

St. Theodosius Orthodox Christian Cathedral will be holding their Christmas Concert on Sunday, December 19th at 3pm. In addition to the Christmas concert, choir director Reader Ken Julius is celebrating his 50th anniversary of serving at St. Theodosius. For those who have never been to their Cathedral, they will be offering open door tours starting at 1:00 p.m. All are also welcome to the reception afterwards. St. Theodosius is located at 733 Starkweather Ave. in the Tremont neighborhood on Cleveland's near west side. For further information, call 216 574-4886.


GIFT WRAPPING – TOY DRIVE

Gift wrapping of the gifts donated for the children staying in the Zelma George Shelter will be Sunday, December 19th after OE. Everyone’s help is welcome and appreciated. 


ADULT GREEK CLASSES

Adult Greek classes next  break for the Christmas holidays starts the week of December 20th and will last through New Year's. If there are any questions, please email Maria Sikoutris at orthodox_education@stsconstantine.com.


ORTHODOX EDUCATION UPDATED NEWS

December 19 -- regular OE classes
December 26 and January 2 -- Family worship
January 9th -- Classes resume
                        Granolas with Grandparents for 3rd-6th.
                        Clergy visits for PreK-Kindergarten.
If there are any questions, please email Maria Sikoutris at orthodox_education@stsconstantine.com.


GOYA / YOUNG ADULT ACTIVITIES

 1) GOYA Athletics Online Registration is now online! All GOYAns, potential adult chaperones, and coaches must register with the Metropolis online to participate in the 2022 tournaments. Registration is available at pittsburgh.goarch.org. Contact Ted with any questions.

2) FOCUS is looking for young adults to participate in a new outreach program, "YAL In Your Backyard." From the website: "This National Service Project pairs local YAL chapters across the nation with FOCUS North America to provide essential toiletries and necessities to the most needy." For more information or to get involved, contact Ted.

3) OCF (college student ministry) will have a holiday Zoom call on Thursday, December 23rd @ 7:30 p.m. We will be using conversation games to facilitate discussion and become better friends. For more information or for the link to participate, contact Ted by Wednesday, December 22nd.

4) Our next GOYA meeting will be Sunday, January 9th @ 11:30 a.m. This will be our last meeting before tournament season begins. See you then!


OCW WINTER MINI-RETREAT

Orthodox Christian Women presents Our Annual Winter Mini-Retreat on Saturday, January 22, 2022 from 9:30 am to Noon at St. Thomas Orthodox Church, 555 S. Cleveland Massillon Rd., Fairlawn OH 44333. Our Speaker will be Fr. Martin Johnson from Butler, PA, on the topic “Race, Life, People & Faith: Addressing the Racial Divide”. This is a free event ~~ Everyone Welcome!


COFFEE HOSTS WANTED

We are now looking to fill dates in early 2022! Please send an email to office@stsconstantine.com or call the church office to reserve your date.  All local regulations regarding food service must be respected.


ORTHODOX FORUM

Due to scheduled community activities the Orthodox Forum will not meet again this year, please join us again in January.


FAITH IN ACTION - Upcoming Activities

Bible Study

Online Bible Study sessions are currently being scheduled. If you are interested in an invite, or for current dates and topics, please email dtsengas@yahoo.com.
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Prayer Team

We will be holding prayer sessions every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday of each week at 8:30pm (EST) for all those who are able to participate. Dean Tsengas will be leading the evening prayer sessions on Zoom. Contact him at dtsengas@yahoo.com for the Zoom link.

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Thank you and keep the faith!
“Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”  (James 2:18)


CHIAN CONVENTION

We are proud to announce that the 65 th National Chian Convention will be taking place in Cleveland in November 2022! In order to make this event a success, we need your help. If you are interested in volunteering for the 2022 convention, please call or text: Kelli Almiroudis 216-798-6150 or  Despina Matheos 440-309-6752


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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 1st Tone

Although the stone was sealed by the Jews, and the soldiers guarded Your most pure body, You arose on the third day, O Savior, giving life to the world. For this reason, the heavenly powers cried out to you, O Giver of Life: Glory to Your resurrection, O Christ! Glory to Your kingdom! Glory to Your dispensation, only Lover of Mankind!

Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America


Apolytikion for Forefeast of the Nativity in the 4th Tone

Be thou ready, Bethlehem, Eden hath opened unto all. Ephratha, prepare thyself, for now, behold, the Tree of life hath blossomed forth in the cave from the Holy Virgin. Her womb hath proved a true spiritual Paradise, wherein the divine and saving Tree is found, and as we eat thereof we shall all live, and shall not die as did Adam. For Christ is born now to raise the image that had fallen aforetime.

Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Transfiguration Monastery


Apolytikion for Sun. before Nativity in the 2nd Tone

Great are the achievements of faith! In the fountain of flame, as by the water of rest, the Three Holy Children rejoiced. And the Prophet Daniel proved a shepherd of lions as of sheep. By their prayers, O Christ our God, save our souls.

Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Transfiguration Monastery


Apolytikion for the Church in the Plagal 4th Tone

Your Apostle among the Rulers, St. Constantine, who once beheld in the sky the image of Your Cross, and who like Paul received his calling not from man, once entrusted the Ruling City into Your hand. We entreat You to restore it in peace forever, at the intercession of the Theotokos, O Lord who loves humanity. (Copyright Fr. Seraphim Dedes, used by permission. All rights reserved)


Seasonal Kontakion in the 3rd Tone

On this day the Virgin cometh to the cave to give birth to * God the Word ineffably, * Who was before all the ages. * Dance for joy, O earth, on hearing * the gladsome tidings; * with the Angels and the shepherds now glorify Him * Who is willing to be gazed on * as a young Child Who * before the ages is God.

Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Transfiguration Monastery


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