December 14
St. Spyridon Church
Publish Date: 2019-12-14
Bulletin Contents
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Hymns of the Day
Saints and Feasts
Saint Spyridon Calendar
Coming Events
Wisdom of the Fathers
St. Spyridon Church
General Information
- Phone:
- (708)385-2311
- Fax:
- (708) 385-0166
- Email:
- office@saint-spyridon.org
- Street Address:
- 12307 S. Ridgeland
- Palos Heights, IL 60463
- Mailing Address:
- 12307 S. Ridgeland
- Palos Heights, IL 60463
Contact Information
Services Schedule
Sunday Orthros - 8:00 a.m. followed by the Divine Liturgy
Saturday Vespers - 6:00 p.m.
Past Bulletins
- Publish Date:
- 2019-12-03
- Publish Date:
- 2019-11-22
- Publish Date:
- 2019-11-21
- Publish Date:
- 2019-11-19
- Publish Date:
- 2019-11-18
- Publish Date:
- 2019-11-15
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Epistle Reading
Prokeimenon. Plagal Second Mode. Psalm 31.11,1.
Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous.
Verse: Blessed are they whose transgressions have been forgiven.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 3:8-12.
Brethren, the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "in you shall all the nations be blessed." So then, those who are men of faith are blessed with Abraham who had faith. For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be every one who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, and do them." Now it is evident that no man is justified before God by the law; for "the righteous shall live by faith"; but the law does not rest on faith, for "He who does them shall live by them."
Gospel Reading
Saturday of the 13th Week
The Reading is from Luke 14:1-11
At that time, one sabbath when Jesus went to dine at the house of a ruler who belonged to the Pharisees, they were watching him. And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. And Jesus spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath, or not?" But they were silent. Then he took him and healed him, and let him go. And he said to them, "Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well, will not immediately pull him out on a sabbath day?" And they could not reply to this. Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he marked how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, "When you are invited by any one to a marriage feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest a more eminent man than you be invited by him; and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Hymns of the Day
Apolytikion for Martyrs Thyrsus & companions in the Fourth Mode
Thy Martyrs, O Lord, in their courageous contest for Thee received as the prize the crowns of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal God. For since they possessed Thy strength, they cast down the tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons' strengthless presumption. O Christ God, by their prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful.
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Transfiguration Monastery
Apolytikion of St. Spyridon in the First Mode
O Father, God-bearer, Spyridon, you were proven a champion and Wonder Worker of the First Ecumenical Council. You spoke to the girl in the grave and turned the serpent to gold. And, when chanting your prayers, most sacred One, angels ministered with you. Glory to Him who glorified you; glory to Him who crowned you; glory to Him who, through you, works healing for all.
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.
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Transfiguration Monastery
Saints and Feasts
December 14
The Holy Martyrs Thyrsus, Leucius, and Callinicus of Asia Minor, and Philemon, Apollonius, and Arian of Alexandria
Of these, the Martyrs who were from Asia Minor contested for piety's sake during the reign of Decius, in 250. Saint Leucius, seeing the slaughter of the Christians, reproached the Governor Cumbricius, for which he was hung up, harrowed mercilessly on his sides, then beheaded. For boldly professing himself a Christian and rebuking the Governor for worshipping stocks and stones as gods, Saint Thyrsus, after many horrible tortures, was sentenced to be sawn asunder, but the saw would not cut, and became so heavy in the executioners' hands that they could not move it; Saint Thyrsus then gave up his spirit, at Apollonia in the Hellespont. Saint Callinicus a priest of the idols, was converted through the martyrdom and miracles of Saint Thyrsus, and was beheaded.
During the reign of Diocletian (284-305), the Governor of Antinoe in the Thebaid of Upper Egypt was Arian, a fierce persecutor who had sent many Christians to a violent death, among them Saints Timothy and Maura (see May 3) and Saint Sabine (Mar. 16). When he had imprisoned Christians for their confession of faith, one of them, named Apollonius, a reader of the Church, lost his courage at the sight of the instruments of torture, and thought how he might escape torments without denying Christ. He gave money to Philemon a flute-player and a pagan, that he might put on Apollonius' clothes and offer sacrifice before Arian, so that all would think Apollonius to have done the Governor's will, and he might be released. Philemon agreed to this, but when the time came to offer sacrifice, enlightened by divine grace, he declared himself a Christian instead. He and Apollonius, who also confessed Christ when the fraud was exposed, were both beheaded. Before beheading them, Arian had commanded that they be shot with arrows, but while they remained unharmed, Arian himself was wounded by one of the arrows; Saint Philemon foretold that after his martyrdom, Arian would be healed at his tomb. When this came to pass, Arian, the persecutor who had slain so many servants of Christ, himself believed in Christ and was baptized with four of his bodyguards. Diocletian heard of this and had Arian and his body-guards brought to him. For their confession of Christ, they were cast into the sea, and received the crown of life everlasting.
December 15
The Martyr Susannah the Deaconess
Saint Spyridon Calendar
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Saint Spyridon Calendar
December 14 to December 29, 2019
Saturday, December 14The Holy Martyrs Thyrsus, Leucius, and Callinicus of Asia Minor, and Philemon, Apollonius, and Arian of Alexandria
8:30AM 1st Hour & Liturgy (40 day - Liturgy)
6:00PM Great Vespers
Sunday, December 15Eleutherios the Hieromartyr, Bishop of Illyricum, and his mother Anthia
8:00AM Orthros & Divine Liturgy
9:30AM Choir
11:00AM Sunday School
3:00PM Metropolis Christmas Open House
Monday, December 16The Holy Prophet Aggaeus (Haggai)
8:30AM 1st Hour & Liturgy (40 day - Liturgy)
9:00AM Archangels Academy
10:00AM Greek Bible Study
4:30PM Plutarchos Academy
7:00PM Bible Study
Tuesday, December 17Daniel the Prophet & Ananias, Azarias, & Misail, the Three Holy Youths
8:30AM 1st Hour & Liturgy (40 day - Liturgy)
9:00AM Archangels Academy
Wednesday, December 18Fasting Day
Sebastian the Martyr & his Companions
8:30AM 1st Hour & Liturgy (40 day - Liturgy)
9:00AM Archangels Academy
Thursday, December 19Martyrs Boniface, Probus, Ares, Timothy, Polyeuktos, Eutychios and Thessaloniki
8:30AM 1st Hour & Liturgy (40 day - Liturgy)
9:00AM Archangels Academy
Friday, December 20Fasting Day
Ignatius the God-Bearer, Bishop of Antioch
8:30AM 1st Hour & Liturgy (40 day - Liturgy)
9:00AM Archangels Academy Christmas Program
4:30PM Plutarchos Academy
7:00PM Goya Caroling
Saturday, December 21Juliana of Nicomedia & her 630 Companion Martyrs
8:30AM 1st Hour & Liturgy (40 day - Liturgy)
6:00PM Great Vespers
Sunday, December 22Anastasia the Great Martyr
8:00AM Orthros & Divine Liturgy
9:30AM Jr. Choir
11:00AM Sunday Schol - Christmas Pageant
Monday, December 23Ten Martyrs of Crete
8:30AM 1st Hour & Liturgy (40 day - Liturgy)
Tuesday, December 24Eugenia the Righteous Nun-martyr of Rome
8:00AM Royal Hours & Liturgy
Wednesday, December 25Fasting Day
The Nativity of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
8:00AM Christmas Day Liturgy
Thursday, December 26Synaxis of the Holy Theotokos
Friday, December 27Fasting Day
Stephen, Archdeacon & First Martyr
8:00AM Orthros & Divine Liturgy
Saturday, December 2820,000 Martyrs burned in Nicomedia
1:30PM wedding
Sunday, December 2914,000 infants (Holy Innocents) slain by Herod in Bethlehem
Coming Events
Toy Drive
Our Saint Spyridon Community is holding a Toy Drive for the Treasure Chest Foundation which places toys for pediatric cancer patients across the country.