Publish-header
Holy Trinity Church
Publish Date: 2020-12-20
Bulletin Contents
Hymns of the Day
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Wisdom of the Fathers
News and Announcements
Calendar

Organization Icon
Holy Trinity Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (740) 282-9835
  • Fax:
  • (740) 282-2091
  • Street Address:

  • 300 South Fourth Street

  • Steubenville, OH 43952
  • Mailing Address:

  • P.O. Box 788

  • Steubenville, OH 43952

Contact Information

Fr. Matthew Moore
Parish Priest

fm@holytrinitystb.org | 740-282-7770

Services Schedule

Sunday Worship

Matins - 9am
Divine Liturgy - 10am

Wednesday Nights

Confession - 5pm
Salutaions to the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) - 6pm

Past Bulletins


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.

Apolytikion for Forefeast of the Nativity in the Fourth Mode

O Bethlehem, prepare, Eden is opened unto all. And be ready, Ephrata, for the Tree of life has in the grotto blossomed forth from the Virgin. Indeed her womb is shown to be spiritually a Paradise, in which is found the God-planted Tree. And if we eat from it we shall live, and shall not die, as did Adam of old. Christ is born, so that He might raise up the formerly fallen image.

Apolytikion for Sun. before Nativity in the Second Mode

Magnificent are the accomplishments of faith! The holy Three Servants greatly rejoiced, as they stood in the fountain of fire, as if beside the still waters; and the Prophet Daniel appeared to be a shepherd of lions, as if they were sheep. At their entreaties, O Christ God, save our souls.

Apolytikion for the Church in the Plagal Fourth Mode

Blessed are You, O Christ our God, Who did show forth the fishermen to be all-wise, by sending down upon them the Holy Spirit.  And through them, You drew the world into Your Net, O Friend of Man, glory to You.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Third Mode

On this day the Virgin Maid goes to the grotto to give birth to the pre-eternal Word in an ineffable manner. Dance for joy, all the inhabited earth, on hearing. Glorify along with Angels and with the shepherds Him who willed that He appear as a newborn Child, the pre-eternal God.
BACK TO TOP

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Fourth Mode. 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 Colossians 1:12-18.

Brethren, we give thanks to the Father who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities - all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

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.

BACK TO TOP

Wisdom of the Fathers

Many scripture writers will tell you that the divinity is not only invisible (Col. 1:15 et. al.) and incomprehensible, but also 'unsearchable and inscrutable' (Rom. 11:13), since there is not a trace for anyone who would reach through into the hidden depths of this infinity. And yet, on the other hand, the Good is not absolutely incommunicable to everything. By itself it generously reveals a firm, transcendent beam, granting enlightenments proportionate to each being, and thereby draws sacred minds upward to its permitted contemplation, to participation and to the state of becoming like it. What happens to those who rightly and properly make this effort is this. They do not venture toward an impossibly daring sight of God, one beyond what is duly granted them. Nor do they go tumbling downward where their own natural inclinations would take them. No. Instead they are raised firmly and unswervingly upward in the direction of the ray which enlightens them. With a love matching the illuminations granted them, they take flight, reverently, wisely, in all holiness.
St. Dionysius the Areopagite
The Divine Names, Chapter One para. 2, Pseudo-Dionysius: The Complete Works; Paulist Press pg. 50, 5th Century

It is only when in the darkness of this world we discern that Christ has already "filled all things with Himself" that these things, whatever they may be, are revealed and given to us full of meaning and beauty. A Christian is one who, wherever he looks, finds Christ and rejoices in Him.
Fr. Alexander Schmemann
For the Life of the World, p. 113, 20th century

BACK TO TOP

News and Announcements

Services in Green Phase

The Metropolis of Pittsburgh is now in the “Green Phase” or Intermediate Phase of the Coronavirus Restrictions.  We are still moving forward and we are still moving safely.  There are four important changes to consider in this new phase. Change number one allows our seniors back to liturgy.  Change number two, allows us to have 50% of our church capacity attend liturgy, spaced appropriately.  For us, that means we can be back to our regular Sunday attendance.  The third point reminds us we are still required to wear face masks.  The last item is a reminder that we will still not have a choir.  For a more complete understanding, please pick up a copy of “The Road Ahead” Green Phase guidelines, if you have not already done so.                              


GOYA Prayer Rope Sale

The GOYA is selling prayer Ropes for $10.  To buy yours, please see any GOYEN or their advisor, Rikki.


Christmas Dinner Donations

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we have decided not to have our annual Christmas dinner. However, we still want to help those who are hungry, needy, and lonely by giving food cards to support the Friendship Room in their mission. Father Matthew will be accepting donations to his Agape Fund, and all proceeds received will be used to buy a Kroger food card that the Friendship Room can use to purchase food to feed their clients. 


Christmas Poinsettias

Thank you to all who purchased a Poinsettia.  The Poinsettias will be delivered and placed in the sanctuary on Wednesday, December 23.


BACK TO TOP

Calendar

  • Parish Calendar

    December 20, 2020 to January 3, 2021

    DECEMBER

    Sunday, December 20

    Sunday before Nativity

    8:50AM Orthros

    10:00AM Divine Liturgy

    Thursday, December 24

    Eve of Nativity

    5:00PM Vesperal Liturgy

    Friday, December 25

    Holy Nativity

    Offices Closed

    9:00AM Orthros & Liturgy

    Sunday, December 27

    Sunday after Nativity

    8:50AM Orthros

    10:00AM Divine Liturgy

    Thursday, December 31

    6:00PM Liturgy of St. Basil

    JANUARY

    Friday, January 1

    Offices Closed

    Sunday, January 3

    8:50AM Orthros

    10:00AM Divine Liturgy

    11:30AM Vasolopita Cutting

BACK TO TOP