14th Sunday of Luke - YOUTH SUNDAY, December 2
9:00 AM - Orthros & Divine Liturgy; Sunday School
Monday, December 3
7:00 PM - Intro to Orthodoxy
St. Nikolaos the Wonderworker, Thursday, December 6
9:00 AM - Divine Liturgy
Saturday, December 8
4:00 PM - Bible Study [No Vespers today]
10th Sunday of Luke - STEWARDSHIP SUNDAY, December 9
9:00 AM - Orthros & Divine Liturgy; Sunday School; 11:30 AM - Parish Council Elections
Fasting This Week
Wednesday: Wine & Oil Allowed; Friday: Strict Fast; All Other Days: Fish Allowed
14th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 6:10-17
Brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand, therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
14th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 18:35-43
At that time, as Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging; and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." And he cried, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" And Jesus stopped, and commanded him to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, let me receive my sight." And Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
WELCOME VISITORS — WE ARE PLEASED THAT YOU HAVE JOINED US TODAY! The Orthodox Church teaches that Holy Communion is a sign of unity. In order to receive Holy Communion in the Greek Orthodox Church, you must have been baptized or chrismated in the Christian Orthodox Faith. If you are interested in learning more about Christian Orthodoxy, please contact our Parish Priest, Father Andreas. Communicants should prepare themselves through fasting, prayer and confession. All Christians are invited to come forward at the end of Divine Liturgy to receive the Antidoron, holy bread, which is offered to all as a blessing.
Please be sure to send in your Christmas Card donation by this Sunday: this will be the last opportunity to have you and your family listed in this year's card.
Next Sunday, Dec. 9, will be Stewardship Sunday. A mailing is going out this weekend with more information.
The Men's Fellowship Breakfast will not meet this month - so Thursday's Divine Liturgy for St. Nikolaos the Wonderworker will be at 9:00 AM on Thursday. We will get together again on Thursday January 3.
Our Northern Vermont OCF (Orthodox Christian [College] Fellowship) chapter will be doing a community service project next Saturday (Dec. 8) at the The Veteran's Place in Northfield. The students plan on providing a delicious Greek meal for the US veterans living in transitional housing in central Vermont. God bless these young people for their powerful acts of Christian love and generosity. Fr. Andreas will be assisting the students, so there will not be Great Vespers that day.
This Prophet, whose name means "loving embrace," is eighth in order of the minor Prophets. His homeland and tribe are not recorded in the Divine Scriptures; according to some, he was of the tribe of Symeon. He prophesied in the years of Joachim, who is also called Jechonias, before the Babylonian captivity of the Jewish People, which took place 599 years before Christ. When Nabuchodonosor came to take the Israelites captive, Habakkuk fled to Ostrakine, and after Jerusalem was destroyed and the Chaldeans departed, Habakkuk returned and cultivated his field. Once he made some pottage and was about to take it to the reapers in the field. An Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and carried him with the pottage to Babylon to feed Daniel in the lions' den, then brought him back to Judea (Bel and the Dragon, 33-39): His book of prophecy is divided into three chapters; the third chapter is also used as the Fourth Ode of the Psalter. His holy relics were found in Palestine during the reign of Emperor Theodosius the Great, through a revelation to Zebennus, Bishop of Eleutheropolis (Sozomen, Eccl. Hist., Book VII, 29).