Sunday Service
Matins 9:00 am
Divine Liturgy 10:00 am
Seventh Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 20:1-10
On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying and the napkin, which had been on His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not know the scripture, that He must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.
Prokeimenon. First Mode. Psalm 48.3,1.
My mouth shall speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart shall bring forth understanding.
Verse: Hear this all you nations.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians 2:8-12.
BRETHREN, see to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fulness of life in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of flesh in the circumcision of Christ; and you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
Circumcision of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
The Reading is from Luke 2:20-21, 40-52
At that time, the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom; and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the company they went a day's journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances; and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him. After three days, they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously." And he said to them, "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.
Since the Mosaic Law commands that if a woman give birth to a male child, he should be circumcised in the foreskin of his flesh on the eighth day (Lev. 12:2-3), on this, the eighth day from His Nativity, our Saviour accepted the circumcision commanded by the Law. According to the command of the Angel, He received the Name which is above every name: JESUS, which means "Saviour" (Matt. 1:21; Luke 1:31 and 2:21).
Saint Basil the Great was born about the end of the year 329 in Caesarea of Cappadocia, to a family renowned for their learning and holiness. His parents' names were Basil and Emily. His mother Emily (commemorated July 19) and his grandmother Macrina (Jan. 14) are Saints of the Church, together with all his brothers and sisters: Macrina, his elder sister (July 19), Gregory of Nyssa (Jan. 10), Peter of Sebastia (Jan. 9), and Naucratius. Basil studied in Constantnople under the sophist Libanius, then in Athens, where also he formed a friendship with the young Gregory, a fellow Cappadocian, later called "the Theologian." Through the good influence of his sister Macrina (see July 19), he chose to embrace the ascetical life, abandoning his worldly career. He visited the monks in Egypt, in Palestine, in Syria, and in Mesopotamia, and upon returning to Caesarea, he departed to a hermitage on the Iris River in Pontus, not far from Annesi, where his mother and his sister Macrina were already treading the path of the ascetical life; here he also wrote his ascetical homilies.
About the year 370, when the bishop of his country reposed, he was elected to succeed to his throne and was entrusted with the Church of Christ, which he tended for eight years, living in voluntary poverty and strict asceticism, having no other care than to defend holy Orthodoxy as a worthy successor of the Apostles. The Emperor Valens, and Modestus, the Eparch of the East, who were of one mind with the Arians, tried with threats of exile and of torments to bend the Saint to their own confession, because he was the bastion of Orthodoxy in all Cappadocia, and preserved it from heresy when Arianism was at its strongest. But he set all their malice at nought, and in his willingness to give himself up to every suffering for the sake of the Faith, showed himself to be a martyr by volition. Modestus, amazed at Basil's fearlessness in his presence, said that no one had ever so spoken to him. "Perhaps," answered the Saint, "you have never met a bishop before." The Emperor Valens himself was almost won over by Basil's dignity and wisdom. When Valens' son fell gravely sick, he asked Saint Basil to pray for him. The Saint promised that his son would be restated if Valens agreed to have him baptized by the Orthodox; Valens agreed, Basil prayed, and the son was restored. But afterwards the Emperor had him baptized by Arians, and the child died soon after. Later, Valens, persuaded by his counsellors, decided to send the Saint into exile because he would not accept the Arians into communion; but his pen broke when he was signing the edict of banishment. He tried a second time and a third, but the same thing happened, so that the Emperor was filled with dread, and tore up the document, and Basil was not banished. The truly great Basil, spent with extreme ascetical practices and continual labours, at the helm of the church, departed to the Lord on the 1st of January, in 379. at the age of forty-nine.
His writings are replete with wisdom and erudition, and rich are these gifts he set forth the doctrines concerning the mysteries both of the creation (see his Hexaemeron) and of the Holy Trinity (see On the Holy Spirit). Because of the majesty and keenness of his eloquence, he is honoured as "the revealer of heavenly things" and "the Great."
Saint Basil is also celebrated on January 30th with Saint Gregory the Theologian and Saint John Chrysostom.
Rest from labour.
Happy and Blessed New Year, full of love, health, peace and joy!
Χρόνια Πολλά! Καλή και ευλογημένη χρονιά, γεμάτη αγάπη, υγεία, αισιοδοξία και ευτυχία!
There will be NO coffee hour today due to Lions Games. Thank you for your kind understanding and consideration.
Basil needed for Sunday, January 8th service.
"You could hear squeals of delight and see smiles on the faces of the Gianna House young ladies and babies, who opened some of the beautiful gifts from the Annunciation Cathedral parish. The young mothers were in awe of the generosity and quality of the gifts received. One young lady commented on how she could now safely bathe her infant son, while another couldn't believe the beautiful pajamas and slippers she could wear for Christmas!
The smiles and warm hearts the Annunciation Cathedral parish created for these at-risk, underserved families were priceless. As the board president and deliverer of these many blessings on your behalf--thank you. I know I share the same sentiment and thanks from our Executive Director, Joella Bush, the staff and the entire board when I say--this Christmas will be like no other!
Special thanks to the Annunciation Philoptochos ladies--especially chair, Helen Papalekas, Anna Harrison and the steadfast group of women that help make our Cathedral what it is today. They set up the Giving Tree, coordinated the gifts and packed them in my car. The spirit of our entire congregation's generosity is only exceeded by the many blessings extended to each of you and your families this Holy Christmas by us at Gianna House. May 2023 be happy and healthy for you and yours. With sincere gratitude--Jamie Spriet"
COOKBOOKS
Amaze your family and friends with your cooking skills! The Joy of Greek Cooking cookbooks are for sale once again! The book contains hundreds of authentic recipes from the kitchens of our parishioners. Price remains affordable at $20, or $24 which includes shipping. Porch pickup also available in Farmington Hills.
Our Philoptochos Membership Form is included in the insert section of the bulletin.
Your choir has begun another year in song and we invite you to join us – young and old are welcome in the choir loft. We accommodate all levels of musicality, and you do not have to read Greek to sing. We practice once or twice per month, and sing with our whole hearts. If you have always wanted to try, come sing with us! We encourage you to offer your talents to your church.
“Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. Isaiah 51:11
Any questions can be directed to your nearest choir member or Kim Lianos at kim.lianos04@gmail.com.
One of the most important things we can do for our children is ensure that they learn about our Orthodox faith. Religious education should be an important part of their lives. Classes for the 2022-2023 Sunday School have begun and are available for students from pre-K (age 4) to 12th grade. Also, if anyone is interested in becoming a Sunday School teacher, please contact Fr. George.
The 707 East banquet hall is back in operation! After a two-year break due to the pandemic, we are pleased to announce that we have partnered with Ernie's Catering to handle our catering needs and to oversee all aspects of 707 East. They come highly recommended and also handle the catering for St. Nicholas in Troy. For all your catering needs, call Ernie's direct at 586-286-8435.
The Holy relic (‘Αγιo Λείψανο) of St. Andrew the Apostle will be on display in the reliquary of the Annunciation Cathedral of Detroit for embracement and veneration for whomever wishes to do so.
The Holy relics have been safe-guarded in the sanctuary of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral for over one hundred years, and it is now the time for them to be venerated and presented to all the faithful Christians.
"As the Father has sent me, so I send you." John 20:21. Christian stewardship is a commitment to God through our time, talent, and treasure. Your 2022 Stewardship pledge card is available in the Narthex. Please take the time to complete your card and place it in the Stewardship box.
Please call Fr. Georgios Manias or the Church Office to schedule and confirm in advance, Sacraments and special Liturgical services, such as Memorials and Trisagion in order to honor your beloved ones.
Meetings with Father Georgios Manias are by appointment only. Please schedule meetings through the church office or by contacting Father at 313-588-0829. Thank you!
Any individual wishing to schedule an appointment for Confession with Fr. Georgios Manias may do so by contacting Father at 313-588-0829.
Live streaming of the Annunciation Cathedral services begin at 10:00 a.m. every Sunday.
Please go directly to our website: http://www.annunciationcathedral.org and click the link: Annunciation Cathedral Services.
http://www.annunciationcathedral.org/
Or, you can click on the following link to go directly to the "Donate" PayPal page:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=L5LRXU8CDMKJW&source=url
Christmas Services 2022
Annunciation Cathedral Tower Domes
Ukraine Relief Fund
Stewardship Form - 2022
Philoptochos Membership Form - 2022
NO COFFEE HOUR
St. Basil the Great
New Year's Day
9:00AM Orthos
10:00AM Divine Liturgy of St. Basil
1:00PM Lions
7:00PM Parish Council Meeting
9:00AM Orthos
10:00AM Divine Liturgy
2:00PM Greektown Community Monthly Meeting with Greektown Neighborhood Partnership
9:00AM Orthos
10:00AM Divine Liturgy
His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America is pleased to announce the 2023 Archdiocesan Pilgrimage to the Ancient Patriarchate of Alexandria and Mount Sinai.
Tώρα που είστε όλοι στα σπίτια σας και ετοιμάζεστε να εορτάσετε τα Χριστούγεννα με τις οικογένειες και τους φίλους σας, θα ήθελα να σας ζητήσω να αφιερώσετε λίγο από τον χρόνο σας και να στρέψετε τη σκέψη σας προς όλους εκείνους, των οποίων οι ζωές καταστράφηκαν από τη βία και τον πόλεμο.
My beloved Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
As you settle into your homes and prepare to enjoy this Holy Feast of Christmas with family and friends, I ask that all of you take a moment to remember those whose lives have been shattered by violence and war.
My beloved Brothers and Sister in the Lord:
Today is Christmas Eve! Even though the “eve” we speak of does not really commence until the setting of the sun. But we all call December 24th “Christmas Eve,” and I am happy to celebrate this day with you!
My beloved Deacon John,
Today as we observe, with all the magnificence the Church can muster, the Nativity according to the Flesh of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ, we also celebrate your birth into the Holy Priesthood. Here at the reborn Saint Nicholas – restored now as a National Shrine – you receive the first ordination the Shrine has ever witnessed. This is a great blessing and significant privilege for you.