We meet for divine worship every Sunday morning starting with Orthros (Matins) 8:30, Divine Liturgy 9:30-11AM, followed by a fellowship hour in our community center. All are invited!
Please see Community Calendar for a complete listing of all weekday feast-days and worship services.
Dear Annunciation Community,
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday under the Corona Virus Pandemic's unique circumstances and rapidly rising numbers of new cases, we are still thankful for many things – our Faith, good health for hopefully everyone, the love and prayers of our Annunciation Community for all of us. We do ask and urge everyone to continue practicing good habits: wearing masks, keeping social distancing, limiting the size of gatherings, and lots of handwashing.
Some key points related to our protocols at Church and other activities:
Finally, on behalf of Father John, Parish Council, and all Ministry Leaders, we wish everyone a safe, healthy Thanksgiving. Thank you to everyone for your love, prayers, and continued support of our beloved Annunciation Community.
Dean Dalson
Parish Council President
Please sign up HERE to attend in person any of the church services. All ages are welcomed (and encouraged) to attend.
For those unable to attend in person, click on the service to see the text and pray with us through our Facebook Livestream
Let us know if you would like for us to light a votive candle for you HERE
Saturday, November 21, 2020, ~ The Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple
9th Sunday of Luke, November 22, 2020
Κυριακὴ Θ' Λουκᾶ, 22 Νοεμβρίου, 2020
Tuesday, November 24, 2020
Thursday, November 26, 2020. Thanksgiving Day
13th Sunday of Luke, November 29, 2020
Saint Cecilia was of an illustrious Roman family. On being betrothed to Valerian, she drew him to the Faith of Christ, and he in turn drew his own brother Tiburtius to the same. They contested in martyrdom during the reign of Diocletian, in the year 288.
Philemon, who was from Colossae, a city of Phrygia, was a man both wealthy and noble; Apphia was his wife. Archippus became Bishop of the Church in Colossae. All three were disciples of the Apostle Paul. Onesimus, who was formerly an unbeliever and slave of Philemon, stole certain of his vessels and fled to Rome. However, on finding him there, the Apostle Paul guided him onto the path of virtue and the knowledge of the truth, and sent him back to his master Philemon, to whom he wrote an epistle (this is one of the fourteen epistles of Saint Paul). In this epistle, Paul commended Onesimus to his master and reconciled the two. Onesimus was later made a bishop; in Greece he is honoured as the patron Saint of the imprisoned. All these Saints received their end by martyrdom, when they were stoned to death by the idolaters. Saint Onesimus is also commemorated on February 15.
Prokeimenon. Grave Mode. Psalm 28.11,1.
The Lord will give strength to his people.
Verse: Bring to the Lord, O sons of God, bring to the Lord honor and glory.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 2:14-22.
Brethren, Christ is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Προκείμενον. Grave Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 28.11,1.
Κύριος ἰσχὺν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ δώσει.
Στίχ. Ἐνέγκατε τῷ Κυρίῳ υἱοὶ Θεοῦ, ἐνέγκατε τῷ Κυρίῳ δόξαν καὶ τιμήν.
τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Ἐφεσίους 2:14-22.
Ἀδελφοί, Χριστός ἐστιν ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν, ὁ ποιήσας τὰ ἀμφότερα ἕν, καὶ τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας, τήν ἔχθραν ἐν τῇ σαρκί αὐτοῦ, τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασιν, καταργήσας· ἵνα τοὺς δύο κτίσῃ ἐν ἑαὐτῷ εἰς ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον, ποιῶν εἰρήνην, καὶ ἀποκαταλλάξῃ τοὺς ἀμφοτέρους ἐν ἑνὶ σώματι τῷ θεῷ διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ, ἀποκτείνας τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν αὐτῷ· καὶ ἐλθὼν εὐηγγελίσατο εἰρήνην ὑμῖν τοῖς μακρὰν καὶ τοῖς ἐγγύς· ὅτι διʼ αὐτοῦ ἔχομεν τὴν προσαγωγὴν οἱ ἀμφότεροι ἐν ἑνὶ πνεύματι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα. Ἄρα οὖν οὐκέτι ἐστὲ ξένοι καὶ πάροικοι, ἀλλὰ συμπολῖται τῶν ἁγίων καὶ οἰκεῖοι τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐποικοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν, ὄντος ἀκρογωνιαίου αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐν ᾧ πᾶσα οἰκοδομὴ συναρμολογουμένη αὔξει εἰς ναὸν ἅγιον ἐν κυρίῳ, ἐν ᾧ καὶ ὑμεῖς συνοικοδομεῖσθε εἰς κατοικητήριον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν πνεύματι.
9th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 12:16-21
The Lord said this parable: "The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." As he said these things, he cried out: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
9th Sunday of Luke
Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 12:16-21
Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τήν παραβολὴν ταύτην· Ἀνθρώπου τινὸς πλουσίου εὐφόρησεν ἡ χώρα· καὶ διελογίζετο ἐν ἑαυτῷ λέγων· τί ποιήσω, ὅτι οὐκ ἔχω ποῦ συνάξω τοὺς καρπούς μου; καὶ εἶπε· τοῦτο ποιήσω· καθελῶ μου τὰς ἀποθήκας καὶ μείζονας οἰκοδομήσω, καὶ συνάξω ἐκεῖ πάντα τὰ γενήματά μου καὶ τὰ ἀγαθά μου, καὶ ἐρῶ τῇ ψυχῇ μου· ψυχή, ἔχεις πολλὰ ἀγαθὰ κείμενα εἰς ἔτη πολλά· ἀναπαύου, φάγε, πίε, εὐφραίνου. εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ Θεός· ἄφρον, ταύτῃ τῇ νυκτὶ τὴν ψυχήν σου ἀπαιτοῦσιν ἀπὸ σοῦ· ἃ δὲ ἡτοίμασας τίνι ἔσται; οὕτως ὁ θησαυρίζων ἑαυτῷ, καὶ μὴ εἰς Θεὸν πλουτῶν.
Click HERE for an update on our Parish Directory project
If you are planning to offer a memorial, artoklasia (blessing of the five-loaves), 40-day mother & child blessing, etc., after liturgy on a Sunday, we kindly remind you to please contact the parish office, via telephone or email, at least two weeks in advance with the request. All requests are considered based on the ecclesiastical calendar.
We need to know in advance so we can celebrate the divine liturgy with solemnity and respect, without interruptions, and to offer the additional prayer service at the appropriate time with dignity.
Thank you!
Please submit your material by Wednesday 12 noon for the upcoming Sunday bulletin.
Send your submission to office@anngoc.org, and always Cc Fr. John at frjohn@anngoc.org for his review and approval.
All submissions will be placed on a first-come, first-served, space-available basis and are subject to editing and review.
Thank you!
2020 Philoptochos Community Christmas Card
Please view the invitation letter HERE and return your submission by November 30, 2020
R e m a s t e r e d
The Angel Tree is back and better than ever! This year, we offer multiple ways to participate in this Matthew 25 Outreach Ministry project if you are interested.
Option #1: Due to the pandemic, the Angel Tree, which is usually placed in the Fellowship Hall, will now be located outside, under the portico at the Narthex entrance. Those attending church can feel free to select an ornament from the Angel Tree.* As always, print your name on the bottom of the green tag attached to the ornament. Detach the bottom portion of the tag and place it in the red box under the tree.
Option #2: For those who are not physically attending church, you can select a gift online through SignUp Genius here. You will be directed to the page to sign up for as many gifts as you like.
Option #3: Visa Gift cards can be used for various needs and are always welcomed by our recipients. You can enclose a gift card (in an amount of your choosing) in the addressed envelope that Matthew 25 will send you in the mail. On the form provided in the mailer, you can let us know whether you would like us to use your gift card to purchase any unclaimed Angel Tree gifts on your behalf or to distribute the gift cards to those who need them for various essential needs.
This year, we will be working with the Mattie Dixon Community Cupboard and individuals within our parish to fulfill adults' and children's wishes and needs in our local community. Please wrap all gifts and place the number of your gift on the outside of the package to ensure the gift gets to the right special someone (see the number on the top part of the green tag or the number next to your gift on SignUp Genius). Feel free to drop your gifts off at the church office at your convenience before December 13th, but all gifts must be dropped off at the church NO LATER THAN December 13th.
For more information or questions, please contact:
Sophia Penning at (267) 266-1499 or sophiagreekgirl@gmail.com
Lisa Trivelis at (215) 284-1345 or oceancitymom@aol.com
*To access Angel Tree ornaments on days other than Sunday and to make sure the church office is open to accept your wrapped gifts, please contact George Dalagelis at the Church Office at
(215) 635-0316 or office@anngoc.org
November: Angels & The Nativity Fast
"An angel of peace, a faithful guide, and a guardian of our souls and bodies."
On Nov. 8 we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Archangels. The Holy Scriptures describe the angels as ministering spirits sent forth to serve for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation (Heb. 1:14). The Holy Tradition of our Orthodox Church also teaches that each of us is assigned a guardian angel at our baptism to watch over us throughout our earthly lives.
Enjoy a three-minute video on angels from GOARCH.
The following books on angels and the Nativity season, and many other books, icons, CDs, and other personal worship items are available through our Annunciation bookstore.
Please consider using them as resources for your spiritual journey!
What Do You Hear, Angel? by Elizabeth Crispina Johnson. Annie's going for a walk in the woods with her angel. For everything, Annie hears—a frog, a bird, a brook, a breeze—the angel hears a corresponding song of praise in heaven. Young children are shown that heaven and earth are not so very far apart, after all. ($18.95)
The Holy Angels by Mother Alexandra. In layperson's terms, Mother Alexandra presents the essence of everything the Church has to teach us about the angels, from the Old and New Testaments to the Tradition of the Church as expressed in her theology, hymnography, and iconography. For those who’d like to understand the role of these holy servants of God in our lives, this book is a great place to start. ($19.95)
The Nativity Fast, one of the four canonical fasting seasons in the Church year, begins on November 15. It’s a joyous fast in anticipation of the Nativity of Christ and a time when we prepare ourselves for His birth through introspection and prayer. The focus is not on worldly demands such as shopping and decorating, but rather a time of reflective preparation and meditation on the awesome miracle of the Son of God taking on flesh and becoming one of us.
A Lenten Cookbook for Orthodox Christians. Published by St. Nektarios Press, this classic Lenten cookbook contains the life of St. Euphrosynos the Cook, basic Orthodox fasting information and rules, as well as scores of Lenten recipes. ($12)
Meditations for Advent: Preparing for Christ’s Birth by Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou. The author takes us through the hymnography, scripture readings, and iconography for the forty days leading up to the Nativity of Christ, showing how a full understanding of the Incarnation can enrich our spiritual lives. ($12.95)
The Winter Pascha by Fr. Thomas Hopko. Fr. Hopko draws on the biblical readings and liturgical hymns of the season to illumine the way for us to follow the Church's days of preparation and celebration for the Coming of Jesus in the flesh. References are made to the writings of the saints and Church Fathers, as well as to contemporary Christian teachers and spiritual guides. All those who love the Lord's Coming will find comfort and strength, as well as enlightenment and instruction, for having passed through the Winter Pascha with this book as their companion. ($20)
L
et All Creation Rejoice: Reflections for Advent, the Nativity, and Epiphany by Fr. Stavros Akrotirianakis. Short daily reflections on the Scripture readings for Nov.15 through Jan. 7. Spending a few minutes each day reading and reflecting on these scriptures will change your heart. Topics include:
- It was a cave, not a barn!
- Is there room in your Inn?
- Are you "giving" or "exchanging"? ($16)
Toolkit for Spiritual Growth by Fr. Evan Armatas. Confused about what you need to do to grow in your faith? Fr. Armatas, a popular podcaster, explains the fundamentals of the three-legged stool of Orthodox practice – prayer, almsgiving, and fasting –in terms that everyone can understand and implement, whether you’re a new Orthodox Christian or have been one for life. ($12.95)
You may also want to consider one of these programs being offered this Nativity Season:
"Seven Holy Women & You: Walking with the Saints"
An Online Ancient Faith Women's Retreat
November 14th and 15th
7 sessions including:
- Finding strength and softness in a world of hard edges
- Settling down with God in troubling times
For more info, please go to https://store.ancientfaith.com/events/
"My Beautiful Advent"
Presented by Holistic Christian Life
For more info, please visit www.mybeautifuladvent.com
Pastoral care: If you or someone you know is sick, homebound elderly, or scheduled for surgery, please call the church office to let us know so Fr. John can make a pastoral visit, or add someone to the prayer list.
Let us pray to the Lord for the health and salvation of: Suffering and persecuted Christians in the Middle East and the non-Christian world, Anthony, Mary, Fr. George, Helen, Luke, Lia, Mary, Irene.
Names will be kept on this list for approximately 3 months. Please resubmit Names if needed. Fr. John will include the submitted names at the Psokomide “Offering of Gifts” during the first part of the liturgy when he prepares the mystical gifts of bread & wine. Please lift these names up to the Lord in your personal prayer life as well.
Prayer for healing: Heavenly Father, physician of our souls and bodies, who have sent our Lord to heal every sickness. Visit and heal us. Grant patience in this sickness, strength of body and spirit, and recovery of health. Lord, You have taught us to pray for each other that we may be healed. We pray that You heal, guide, and protect your servant (s) (pray by name for those who are sick) and grant them the gift of complete health. You are the source of healing and to You, we give glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Happy wedding anniversary! To those who are celebrating this coming week: Godshall, Craig & Angela; Sulon, Daniel & Angelique; Aristoklis, Theodore & Victoria; Sandilos, William & Elaine.
Χρόνια πολλά & ευλογημένα! God grant you many years! To those who are celebrating birthdays this coming week: Lauren Hladchuk, Speros Koulouris, John Mantas, Sean Matraszek, Virginia Santos, Donna Sfiridis, Sami Zeka, Justin Bentz, Steven Janke, Melinda Large, Angeliki Mills, Demetrios Stakias, Helene Vellios, Dimitrios Kosmatos, Emanuel Lekkas, George Mountis, Nicoletta Peltekis, Elizabeth Ramey, John Rumbas, Elefteris Sferedes, Jason Stanwood, Dimitrios Tsiobikas, Panagiotis Giannoumis, Galatea Mackrides, Theodore Pitsakis, Oscar Rivera, Christopher Samaras, Mary Samios, Joanne Dell, Karen Fridas, Craig Godshall, William Johnson, Laura Kemmerer, Marina Konstantinidis, Connie Laspee, Sophia Nunez, Triantaffilia Skiathitis, Andrew Ward, Angela Kagiavas, Stephanie Mack, Eleftheria Giannos, Christian Lucarini, Denise Rodgers.
Our deepest sympathy to the Zervos & George families for the passing of their beloved mother & grandmother, Aspasia Zervos, 91, of blessed memory. May her memory be eternal.
On this week's episode of "Live with the Louhs," a radio ministry of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, Fr. Nicholas and his wife, Dr. Roxanne Louh, a Clinical Psychologist, speak with Fox News Chief Congressional and Senior Political Correspondent, Mike Emmanuel on the recent presidential election and the role of the media.
The Direct Archdiocesan District (DAD) is pleased to announce the launch of an online version of its popular “Journey of Marriage” pre-marital workshop. For several years the DAD has been offering in-person, all-day workshops at host parishes. Trained facilitators have visited the host parishes and presented the six-session program authored by Dr. Philip Mamalakis and Father Charles Joanides. These workshops received praise from the attendees for the practical and directly applicable lessons that every couple should consider before their wedding.
The Center for Family Care is pleased to announce the launching of Comfort Food for Families Advent Series, a weekly series that will be released on Mondays, beginning on November 9th and ending on December 28th.
November 2020 Offerings
Please return by November 30, 2020
Place your orders by November 30, 2020
Saturday, December 12, 2020
Saturday, October 24, 2020
Like all gifts that benefit Annunciation / Evangelismos Greek Orthodox Church, endowed gifts to the church contribute to its growth, to ministry creation, and to its service to others fulfilling the Gospel of Christ. Endowments are particularly powerful because they deliver a dependable, perpetual source of funding to the ministries of Christ you care about most and that our Lord commands us, in the Holy Scriptures, to fulfill. Your Gift to establish an endowment is an investment in the future – an eternal investment - one that affects the salvation of each spiritual life in our church family and of those our ministries serve.
The Annunciation / Evangelismos Greek Orthodox Church Endowment Fund aims to provide for the long-term financial support and stability of our church’s programs, ministries, and missions consistent with the Holy Scriptures and the Orthodox Christian Tradition, to witness to the Orthodox Faith, and to serve others.
An Endowment Fund is composed of restricted funds given as individual bequests and gifts through such giving vehicles as wills, trusts, retirements or estate plans, life insurance, charitable lead or remainder trusts, gift annuities, cash, or real estate. Endowed funds are unique in that the total amount of the gift is invested and remains intact. The investment income, then, becomes a financial resource for Annunciation / Evangelismos to use. Each year, a percentage of the endowment fund’s income is distributed to benefit the mission of the Fund. In this respect, an endowment is intended to be a perpetual gift.
Giving through accumulated, inherited and appreciated resources is considered “asset stewardship”. As Orthodox Christian faithful, we are encouraged to give from our accumulated resources and wealth during our life and after death. The Endowment Fund is a way for stewards to make a perpetual gift to the church from their lifetime accumulated resources. Knowing that your gift will grow with sound investment and spending practices, endowed funds:
Will, bequest, beneficiary form or check made to: Annunciation / Evangelismos Endowment Fund, EIN# 83-3399560
To Learn More about the Annunciation / Evangelismos Endowment Fund
Please call the church office and one of the Endowment Fund committee members will call you back. The directors are: Jim Verros, Jim Trivelis, Demetrios Hatzopoulos, John Gilliland, Mitch Papakirk, Dean Dalson and Father John Johns.