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Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2020-12-20
Bulletin Contents

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Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (540) 362-3601
  • Fax:
  • (540) 362-3638
  • Street Address:

  • 30 Huntington Blvd. N.E.

  • Roanoke, VA 24012


Contact Information



Services Schedule

Sunday Services: Orthros 9:00am / Divine Liturgy 10:00am


Past Bulletins


News & Information

Upcoming Special Services

 
 Thursday - December 24
Eve of Nativity Services at 8:00am & 6:30pm*
 

Fast Free Period December 25 - January 4
 
 Friday - January 1 - 9:00am
Divine Liturgy for St Basil*
(Orthros 8am)
 
 Tuesday - January 5 - 8:00am
Eve of Theophany Services*
Strict Fast Day
 
 Wednesday - January 6 - 9:00am
Divine Liturgy for the Feast of Theophany*
(Orthros 8am)
 
 Thursday - January 7 - 9:00am
Divine Liturgy for the Synaxis of John the Baptist
(Orthros 8am)
Normal Fasting Resumes
 
 
 

Registration
Remember that you just register to attend Sunday and special services.
If you do not have the email form from the listserv there is a link (enter name, number attending and dates) on the homepage. 

Christian Education
All weekly classes for youth, an occasional message from Fr Nick and other resources are on this page at the website.

Community News
*Please send any news for this section to the Church Office directly

Philoptochos News  
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We miss our Roanoke Greek Festival and all of you who love us! Hope and pray that you are staying safe and well, as we push through this pandemic. ✝️❤ Just a reminder that we still have cookbooks for sale at $18 each. They're great Christmas gifts. With all the lock down cooking and baking going on, you can bring the Roanoke Greek Festival treats into your home😉. You can send an email at tinapoulos99@cox.net or mkmandros@gmail.com or call Holy Trinity @ 540-362-3601, place your order and make arrangements for Covid friendly pick up.




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More Upcoming Events


Welcome to All Visitors!
Please join us for fellowship [when COVID-19 restrictions are removed]  in the Church Hall immediately following the Divine Liturgy. For those visiting an Orthodox Church for the first time, please be aware that Holy Communion is a sign of unity of faith, which is only offered to Baptized and Chrismated Orthodox Christians. All present are welcomed to come forward and receive the antidoron (or blessed bread) which is distributed at the end of the service. For those interested in learning more about the Orthodox Christian faith, please feel free to speak with Fr. Nick after the service.


Prayers and Offerings
Click this link to download the Prayer Card PDF in PDF format, or Prayer Card DOC in Word format. The PDF file may be printed and filled in by hand or the Word file may be edited and kept up-to-date. Use this when offering prosphora, for memorial services, or for prayer requests in general.   If you wish to contribute online please use this link


Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 10:00am- 12:00pm;  Wednesday & Friday 1:00pm-4:00pm;  Saturdays and other times, including Confession, by appointment.  Because unexpected things sometimes come up on short notice, please call [1-518-947-1724] before coming.


Church Website  
Current Monthly Newsletter 
Previous Month’s Newsletter

 

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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.


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Wisdom of the Fathers

The tribes of Judah and Levi were united by a fusion of their lines of descent, and that is why Matthew assigns Christ's family to the tribe of Judah. And the Apostle says, 'for our Lord has sprung out of Judah' (Heb. 7:14).
St. Ambrose of Milan
Seven Exegetical Works, 4th Century

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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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Third Mode

Let the Heavens rejoice; let earthly things be glad; for the Lord hath wrought might with His arm, He hath trampled upon death by death. The first-born of the dead hath He become. From the belly of Hades hath He delivered us, and hath granted great mercy to the world.

Apolytikion for Forefeast of the Nativity in the Fourth Mode

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.

Apolytikion for Sun. before Nativity in the Second Mode

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.

Apolytikion of the Holy Trinity in the Plagal Fourth Mode

Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ πανσόφους τοὺς ἁλιεῖς ἀναδείξας, καταπέμψας αὐτοῖς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν τὴν οἰκουμένην σαγηνεύσας, φιλάνθρωπε, δόξα σοι.

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 to You the universe is ever drawn. O Loving God, Glory to You.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Third Mode

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.
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