Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Third Mode

Let all things above in heav'n rejoice, and let all things below on earth be glad. With all the might and strength of His arm an eternal deed the Lord did perform. Beneath His feet He has trampled down death by death, and first born of the dead has He become. From the womb of Hades has He delivered us, and to all the world has granted His great redeeming mercy.

Εὐφραινέσθω τὰ οὐράνια, ἀγαλλιάσθω τὰ ἐπίγεια, ὅτι ἐποίησε κράτος, ἐν βραχίονι αὐτοῦ, ὁ Κύριος, ἐπάτησε τῷ θανάτῳ τὸν θάνατον, πρωτότοκος τῶν νεκρῶν ἐγένετο, ἐκ κοιλίας ᾅδου ἐρρύσατο ἡμᾶς, καὶ παρέσχε τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος.

Apolytikion for Conception of the Theotokos in the Fourth Mode

Today the bonds of childlessness are loosed; for God hearkened to Joachim and Anna. And though it was beyond hope, He clearly promised them that they should bear a divine child, from whom was born the Uncircumscribable One Himself Who became a mortal, and through an Angel commanded them to cry unto her: Rejoice, thou who art full of grace; the Lord is with thee.

Σήμερον τής ατεκνίας δεσμά διαλύονται, τού Ιωακείμ γάρ καί τής Άννης εισακούων Θεός, παρ' ελπίδα τεκείν αυτούς σαφώς, υπισχνείται θεόπαιδα, εξ ής αυτός ετέχθη ο απερίγραπτος, βροτός γεγονώς, δι' Αγγέλου κελεύσας βοήσαι αυτή, Χαίρε Κεχαριτωμένη, ο Κύριος μετά σού.

Apolytikion of the Annunciation in the Fourth Mode

Today is the beginning of our salvation and the revelation of the mystery of the ages. O the Son of God becomes on this day the Virgin’s Son and Gabriel proclaims this gift from God. Together with him we cry out to the Theotokos singing: Hail to you who are filled with grace. The Lord is with you.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Fourth Mode

Today the world rejoices in the conception of Anna, wrought by God. For she bore the One who beyond comprehension conceived the Logos.

Εορτάζει σήμερον, η οικουμένη, τήν τής Άννης σύλληψιν, γεγενημένην εν Θεώ, καί γάρ αυτή απεκύησε, τήν υπέρ λόγον, τόν Λόγον κυήσασαν.

Saints and Feasts

December 09

The Consecration of the Church of the Resurrection (Holy Sepulchre) in the Holy City of Jerusalem

The majestic Church of the Resurrection, built by Saint Constantine the Great and his mother Helen, was consecrated in the year 336. In the year 614, this edifice was destroyed by the Persians, who set fire to it. Modestus, the Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Theodosius, and later Patriarch of Jerusalem, rebuilt the church in 626 and had it reconsecrated. In 637, Jerusalem fell to the Moslems; however, the holy shrines were left intact. But in 934, on the Sunday of Pascha, the Saracens set fire to part of this church. Again in 969, the Moslems set fire to the dome of the church, plundered all the sacred objects that were found therein, and surrendered John IV, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, to the flames. In 1010, the Moslems, under Hakim the Mad, Caliph of Egypt, destroyed the church to its foundations, but in 1028, by the mediation of Emperor Romanus III Argyrus of Constantinople, the church began to be rebuilt on a more modest scale. This third edifice was completed and reconsecrated in 1048. In 1099, the crusaders took Jerusalem and ruled there for eighty-eight years, and during this time they made certain changes in the structure, which, for the most part, has remained unaltered ever since (See also Sept. 13).

December 12

Spyridon the Wonderworker of Trymithous

Spyridon, the God-bearing Father of the Church, the great defender of Corfu and the boast of all the Orthodox, had Cyprus as his homeland. He was simple in manner and humble of heart, and was a shepherd of sheep. When he was joined to a wife, he begat of her a daughter whom they named Irene. After his wife's departure from this life, he was appointed Bishop of Trimythus, and thus he became also a shepherd of rational sheep. When the First Ecumenical Council was assembled in Nicaea, he also was present, and by means of his most simple words stopped the mouths of the Arians who were wise in their own conceit. By the divine grace which dwelt in him, he wrought such great wonders that he received the surname 'Wonderworker." So it is that, having tended his flock piously and in a manner pleasing to God, he reposed in the Lord about the year 350, leaving to his country his sacred relics as a consolation and source of healing for the faithful.

About the middle of the seventh century, because of the incursions made by the barbarians at that time, his sacred relics were taken to Constantinople, where they remained, being honoured by the emperors themselves. But before the fall of Constantinople, which took place on May 29, 1453, a certain priest named George Kalokhairetes, the parish priest of the church where the Saint's sacred relics, as well as those of Saint Theodora the Empress, were kept, took them away on account of the impending peril. Travelling by way of Serbia, he came as far as Arta in Epirus, a region in Western Greece opposite to the isle of Corfu. From there, while the misfortunes of the Christian people were increasing with every day, he passed over to Corfu about the year 1460. The relics of Saint Theodora were given to the people of Corfu; but those of Saint Spyridon remain to this day, according to the rights of inheritance, the most precious treasure of the priest's own descendants, and they continue to be a staff for the faithful in Orthodoxy, and a supernatural wonder for those that behold him; for even after the passage of 1,500 years, they have remained incorrupt, and even the flexibility of his flesh has been preserved. Truly wondrous is God in His Saints! (Ps. 67:3 5)

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Grave Mode. Psalm 63.11,1.
The righteous shall rejoice in the Lord.
Verse: Oh God, hear my cry.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 4:22-27.

Brethren, Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, the son of the free woman through promise. Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written, "Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and shout, you who are not in travail; for the children of the desolate one are many more than the children of her that is married."

Προκείμενον. Grave Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 63.11,1.
Εὐφρανθήσεται δίκαιος ἐν Κυρίῳ.
Στίχ. Εἰσάκουσον, ὁ Θεός, τῆς φωνῆς μου.

τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Γαλάτας 4:22-27.

Ἀδελφοί, Ἀβραὰμ δύο υἱοὺς ἔσχεν· ἕνα ἐκ τῆς παιδίσκης, καὶ ἕνα ἐκ τῆς ἐλευθέρας. Ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν ἐκ τῆς παιδίσκης κατὰ σάρκα γεγέννηται, ὁ δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἐλευθέρας διὰ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας. Ἅτινά ἐστιν ἀλληγορούμενα· αὗται γάρ εἰσιν δύο διαθῆκαι· μία μὲν ἀπὸ ὄρους Σινᾶ, εἰς δουλείαν γεννῶσα, ἥτις ἐστὶν Ἅγαρ. Τὸ γὰρ Ἅγαρ Σινᾶ ὄρος ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ Ἀραβίᾳ, συστοιχεῖ δὲ τῇ νῦν Ἱερουσαλήμ, δουλεύει δὲ μετὰ τῶν τέκνων αὐτῆς. Ἡ δὲ ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐλευθέρα ἐστίν, ἥτις ἐστὶν μήτηρ πάντων ἡμῶν· γέγραπται γάρ, Εὐφράνθητι, στεῖρα, ἡ οὐ τίκτουσα· ῥῆξον καὶ βόησον, ἡ οὐκ ὠδίνουσα· ὅτι πολλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρήμου μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς ἐχούσης τὸν ἄνδρα.

Gospel Reading

10th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 13:10-17

At that time, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your infirmity." And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and she praised God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, said to the people, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the sabbath day." Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?" As he said this, all his adversaries were put to shame; and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

10th Sunday of Luke
Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 13:10-17

Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ῏Ην δὲ διδάσκων ἐν μιᾷ τῶν συναγωγῶν ἐν τοῖς σάββασι. καὶ ἰδοὺ γυνὴ ἦν πνεῦμα ἔχουσα ἀσθενείας ἔτη δέκα καὶ ὀκτώ, καὶ ἦν συγκύπτουσα καὶ μὴ δυναμένη ἀνακῦψαι εἰς τὸ παντελές. ἰδὼν δὲ αὐτὴν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς προσεφώνησε καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ· γύναι, ἀπολέλυσαι τῆς ἀσθενείας σου· καὶ ἐπέθηκεν αὐτῇ τὰς χεῖρας· καὶ παραχρῆμα ἀνωρθώθη καὶ ἐδόξαζε τὸν Θεόν. ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ ἀρχισυνάγωγος, ἀγανακτῶν ὅτι τῷ σαββάτῳ ἐθεράπευσεν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς, ἔλεγε τῷ ὄχλῳ· ἓξ ἡμέραι εἰσὶν ἐν αἷς δεῖ ἐργάζεσθαι· ἐν ταύταις οὖν ἐρχόμενοι θεραπεύεσθε, καὶ μὴ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ σαββάτου. ἀπεκρίθη οὖν αὐτῷ ὁ Κύριος καὶ εἶπεν· ὑποκριτά, ἕκαστος ὑμῶν τῷ σαββάτῳ οὐ λύει τὸν βοῦν αὐτοῦ ἢ τὸν ὄνον ἀπὸ τῆς φάτνης καὶ ἀπαγαγὼν ποτίζει; ταύτην δέ, θυγατέρα ᾿Αβραὰμ οὖσαν, ἣν ἔδησεν ὁ σατανᾶς ἰδοὺ δέκα καὶ ὀκτὼ ἔτη, οὐκ ἔδει λυθῆναι ἀπὸ τοῦ δεσμοῦ τούτου τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ σαββάτου; καὶ ταῦτα λέγοντος αὐτοῦ κατῃσχύνοντο πάντες οἱ ἀντικείμενοι αὐτῷ, καὶ πᾶς ὁ ὄχλος ἔχαιρεν ἐπὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἐνδόξοις τοῖς γινομένοις ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ.

Parish News and Events

Please pray for our brothers and sisters: Gloria, Niko, Christina, Christina, Malina, John, Louise, Pete, Vincent, Rose, Veronica, John Peter, Norma, Angela, Athena, John, Lynne, Deborah, Georgia, Ivana, Mary, John, Nancy, Jane, Michael, Kostas.

Elections for 2019 Parish Council: all current members in good standing are invited tyo vote today for our upcoming Council. Our three candidates are Arthur Housianitis, Charlie Neos and Jim Sperelakis. Unfortunately, all other nominated candidates have ultimately declined, so we are looking for three more volunteers to fill in the remaining three positions.

Parish Council members on duty are Jennifer Cooper and Joanne Perreault

Pageant Rehearsals Today during Sunday School we will be picking costumes and going over the play. After church we will have a run through in the church. Saturday Dec. 15, we will have a dress rehearsal from 10:00-12:00 followed by pizza lunch. Please spread the word around and bring your children and grandchildren!

ELF Project sponsors are needed! Please pick a tag off of the Giving Tree, pick up an items for this family of three, Mom, a daughter 7 and a son 14. Return your unwrapped putchase with the tag attached to any Sunday School teacher on December 16th. If you would rather make a monetary donation, please give that to a Sunday School teacher together with the corresponding tag by December 9th, so that we can purchase it by the deadline.

GOYA News - GOYA members should pick a tag off the Giving Tree for the ELF Project today and we will shop as a group to buy the gifts. We can meet during coffee hour and decide when to shop based on everyone's schedules.

Christmas Extravaganza! Please join your fellow parishioners on Sunday, December 16th for two special events to kick-off the Celebration of Christmas and to end our 100th Year of Celebrations! Beginning after Liturgy in the Nave, Sunday School presents our traditional Christmas Pageant. A pot-luck lunch in Nicholson Hall will be followed by entertainment provided by our own church family members. Share your talent, or simply come for the lunch and enjoy the show! All are welcome and we look forward to a joyous day together.

- Together, we will make this a fun and festive memory for all!
- Please bring your favorite Lenten (non-meat) entrée, side or dessert to share.
- Share your talent with our parish family. Do you sing, dance, play an instrument, write poetry or perform magic…the stage is yours and your participation will be greatly appreciated!
- RSVP by December 9th to Susan George at e_george1@verizon.net or Jen Cooper Jennifercooperagoc@gmail.com with your food contribution and/or to schedule a performance time in our Christmas Spectacular program. Sign-up sheets are also available in Narthex.

Parish Events of the Week

Sunday - December 9th
9:00 am - Orthros
10:00 am - Divine Liturgy
11:30 am - Council Elections and Pageant Rehearsal

Monday - December 10th
11:00 am St. Basil Soup Kitchen
6:00 pm Beginning Choir
7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal

Thursday - December 13th
7:00 pm Parish Council meeting

Saturday - December 15th
10:00 am Pageant Rehearsal

Sunday, December 16th
9:00 am Orthros
10:00 am Divine Liturgy with Christmas Pageant
11:45 am Luncheon honoring young families followed by Talent show

Office hours: Mon 11am-6pm, Tue and Fri 9am-2pm, Thu 9am-5pm by appointment or drop in and visit Friday mornings from 10am until noon.

Fellowship Hour Hosts

Thank you to the Sunday School teachers Melinda Patrick, Joanne Hight and Dianna Uttley for preparing the food and to the students who helped with the set up and service. All of you made our December 2nd Godparents Sunday a success. Let's take a minute as well to recognize John Housianitis who always makes the coffee - thank you John.

This week's refreshments are offered by the "Friends of Fellowship", a group of people who volunteer to bring something delicious on those Sundays there is no host determined.

Many dates are available in 2019! Please see me, Andrea Jones at Fellowship hour, or email, text or call to pick a date. To contribute by joining the Friends of Fellowship, kindly contact me by calling 978.465.1021, emailingandreajones1@comcast.net or texting 978.621.6123. And speaking of volunteers I have been coordinating Fellowhip Hour schedules for several years and am in dire need of assistance in this endeavor. In this good economy, my work load has increased such that I need to pull back from some of my volunteer efforts to focus on my professional work.

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