Attending services at Saint Andrew

Below are the links for upcoming services.

Registration to services will be open until allowed seating has been reached.

Just Click on the Eventbrite Link  below and make your Reservation.

You will then get a confirmation that you may attend the service. For Sunday’s Liturgy please come to church by 10:15am. Late arrivals will lose their reservation if we have people waiting to be seated.  If you are not able to attend please cancel your reservation. If you are having problems with link or do not have access to the internet call the church office 973-584-0388 (leave a message and we’ll get back to you).

1/23 Saturday

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/135586431667

@8am Orthros & 9am Divine Liturgy of SJC

Divine Liturgy Youth & Family Worship @ 9:00AM

 1/24 SUNDAY 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/136318242533

14^th Sunday of Luke 

@8:45am Orthros & 10am Divine Liturgy of SJC

An Annual Memorial Service will be held for the repose of the soul of our ever-memorable brother +Anastasios (Ernest) Stamoutsos beloved husband of Maria, devoted father to Gus (Mary) and Frieda Stamoutsos. May his memory be eternal.    

Community’s Vasilopita:  On Sunday January 24^TH as our yearly tradition has it, we will cut our Community’s Vasilopita.     

1/30 Saturday

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/136322697859

 +Synaxis of The Three Hierarchs: |+Basil the Great, +Gregory the Theologian, & +John Chrysostom

@8 Orthros & 9am Divine Liturgy of SJC

Prayers/Liturgy can always be found at: https://www.agesinitiatives.com/dcs/public/dcs/dcs.html

Community’s Vasilopita.(rescheduled from 1/10) 

On Sunday January 24th as our yearly tradition has it, we will cut our Community’s Vasilopita.  Fr. John will bless the Vasilopita with the cutting knife crosswise in the “Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

He then will cut the center in a circle as an offering to our Lord Jesus, Who is first in our life. Then he will proceed to cut wedges starting with a piece for the Ever-Virgin Mary, for Saint Basil and for St. Andrew.  Subsequently, a wedge will be cut and received by a representative on behalf of each one of our St. Andrew ministries and organizations. Please join us in wishing all a Blessed and fruitful New Year.

Stewardship 2020 

If you have not submitted your stewardship 2020 or fulfilled your commitment to Saint Andrew, please do so as our ministries depend on your support.

Stewardship 2021 Update

As of January 19^th, 2020 93 families made their 2021 Pledge to Saint Andrew Greek Orthodox Church totaling $120,230.  The average pledge for 2021 is $1293

Saint Andrew Family News issues are on our Web site :  https://www.standrewgonj.org/

 Attending services at Saint Andrew

1. Wear your mask throughout the service

2. Social distancing is 6 feet please

3. No seating where indicated..

.... see more in attached flyer.. 

Live Stream of Services : From the Church's Facebook Page

use this link if yoiu do not  have FACEBOOK:  https://www.facebook.com/St-Andrew-Greek-Orthodox-Church-Randolph-NJ-758987230951158/ 

Prayers/Liturgy can always be found at: https://www.agesinitiatives.com/dcs/public/dcs/dcs.html

Light a Virtual Candle

We know we can't physically be at church, but if you're following the live video stream of the services and would like to continue to light a candle as you "enter" the church or would like to "drop some money in the basket" please consider a donation by lighting a "virtual candle".

Just go to the church's Facebook page and select "posts". You can light your virtual candle via the Facebook donate button which you should be able to see.

If you don't have Facebook or prefer not to donate through Facebook, you can always go to the Saint Andrew Website and select either PayPal or WeShare from the home page.

Father John will pray for the living and the reposed during Liturgy.

Just email him at prayersstandrew@gmail.com  PLEASE indicate Living or Reposed 

A Prayer for the Blessing of a Vasilopita
(Composed by Elder Gervasios Paraskevopoulos) 

The cutting of the Vasilopita is an annual New Year tradition among Greek Orthodox Christians. The circular cake or pie, depending on which region of Greece you are from, represents the circular year which is shared in unity, and inside each Vasilopita is a coin, representing the good fortune of the coming year especially for the one whose piece also contains the coin. 

The procedure of the cutting is as follows: the man of the house makes the sign of the Cross three times over the Vasilopita with a knife and then starts cutting the pieces. The first is for Christ, the second for Saint Basil, the third for the house and then a piece for each member of the family, according to age. The last piece is for the poor. One could also add one for the animals and one for the occupation or business. If the coin is found in the portion of Christ or Saint Basil, the money is given to the Church. If it is in the portion of the poor, it is given to a beggar or charity.

As for the origin of the Vasilopita (Basil's Pie) custom, we need to travel back in time, to Caesarea in Asia Minor in the late fourth century. The Bishop of Caesarea was Saint Basil. This was during the reign of Emperor Julian the Apostate. On one of his campaigns against the Persians, Julian went through Caesarea. He was received by Saint Basil, who gave him three barley loaves. It should be noted that most of the inhabitants of Caesarea were poor and Julian himself had asked to be given whatever they had, though he expected gold and valuable gifts. Angry at the three barley loaves, after he left he sent them three bales of hay. Saint Basil then answered him: "As you asked, we gave you what we have to eat. We believe that you did the same. Thank you." 

This made Julian even more angry and he vowed that on his return from the campaign, he would destroy Caesarea. Time passed and the news that Julian was returning reached Saint Basil. In an effort to save his flock, he gathered the faithful and urged them to give anything of value that they had to give to Julian and appease him. The people did as their shepherd requested and brought their valuables. Then they held a vigil and prayed for their salvation. In the course of this vigil, Saint Basil had a vision. In this vision, the Virgin Mary sent Saint Mercurius and a host of angels against Julian. The vision merely confirmed what was actually happening not far from the city. The danger was averted and the valuables returned to their owners. In order to stop people taking things that didn’t belong to them, Saint Basil ordered small pies to be made and the valuable were placed inside them. The pies were handed out to the faithful and, by a miracle, each person found in their pie whatever they had offered to escape the wrath of Julian.

Archimandrite Gervasios Pareskevopoulos (1877-1964) was a holy elder and spiritual father from the Greek city of Patras. In January of 2004, Archimandrite Amvrosios Gourvelos was serving at the Church of Saint Tabitha in Patras, where Elder Gervasios often served in his lifetime and did an annual blessing of the Vasilopita. He was given an old Hieratikon (Book of Prayers for Priests), and inside he found a handwritten prayer by Elder Gervasios for the blessing of a Vasilopita. With it he found two other prayers and a Megalynarion to the Prophet Elijah he wrote. The two other prayers were composed on 2/17/1929 and 9/14/1935, so it can be assumed this prayer also was written around the same time, prior to World War 2.

 ΕΥΧΗ ΕΠΙ ΤΗ ΕΥΛΟΓΗΣΕΙ ΤΗΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΟΠΙΤΤΑΣ

(Ἀρχιμ. ΓερβασίουΠαρασκευοπούλου + 1964)

 Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, ὁ Θεός ἡμῶν, ἡ πηγή τῆς ἀληθινῆς χαρᾶς καί πάσης εὐλογίας, ὁ διά τοῦ Ἁγίου Σου Ἀποστόλου Παύλου ἐντειλάμενος ἡμῖν «πάντα πρός δόξαν Θεοῦ ποιεῖν», ὁ διά τοῦ αὐτοῦ εἰπών «πᾶν κτίσμα Θεοῦ καλόν καί οὐδέν ἀπόβλητον μετ’ εὐχαριστίας λαμβανόμενον», ὁ καί τήν προγονικήν ἡμῶν ταύτην κληρονομίαν «τήν βασιλόπιτταν», ὡς σύμβολον ἑνότητος καί ἀγάπης παρά τῶν Πατέρων ἡμῶν προσδεξάμενος, Σύ Εὐλογητέ Κύριε, εὐλόγησον τά Δῶρα ταῦτα καί τούς μέν προσενεγκόντας, εἰς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθόν κατεύθυνον, τούς δέ ἐξ αὐτῶν μεταληψομένους, σώους καί ὑγιαίνοντας, πάντας διατήρησον ἐν τῷ Ὀνόματί Σου, «ἵνα ὦσιν ἕν» πρός δόξαν τοῦ ἁγίου Ὀνόματός Σου. Ὅτι Σύ εἶ ὁ Δοτήρ τῶν ἀγαθῶν καί Σοί τήν δόξαν ἀναπέμπομεν, σύν τῷ ἀνάρχῳ Σου Πατρί καί τῷ παναγίῳ καί ἀγαθῷ καί ζωοποιῷ Πνεύματι, νῦν καί ἀεί καί εἰς τούς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

PRAYER FOR THE BLESSING OF A VASILOPITA
(Archim. Gervasios Parasvopoulos + 1964)

 Lord Jesus Christ, our God, the source of true joy and all blessings, who through Your Holy Apostle Paul You enjoined us "do all things to the glory of God", and through him said "for every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving", and this ancestral inheritance of the "vasilopita", as a symbol of unity and love we received from our fathers, do Blessed Lord, bless these Gifts and those who offer them, direct them in all good works, and those who receive them, always keep them safe and healthy in Your Name, "that they may be one" to the glory of Your holy Name. For You are the Giver of good things and to You we ascribe glory, together with Your Father who is without beginning and Your all-holy and good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen

we will be live-streaming the services on the church’s Facebook page

 Use this link if yoiu do not have not have FACEBOOK 

 https://www.facebook.com/St-Andrew-Greek-Orthodox-Church-Randolph-NJ-758987230951158/ 

We are doing our best to keep everyone safe. We ask that you maintain social distancing, avoid hand shaking and hugs. Please keep in mind a warm smile or “elbow bump” can have the same effect. Due to the current Pandemic, we ask that you sit only where indicated and keep your distance in the lineup for Holy Communion, ANTHOTORO as well dismissal.

2021

1/31 15th Sunday of Luke 

2/1 St. Tryphon of Phrygia / Relics*

2/2 The Presentation of Our Lord and Savior in the Temple

2/5  GOYA Outing Movie at AMC Theaters 

2/6 St. Photios, Patriarch of Constantinople | Youth & Family Worship @ 9:00AM

2/8 @7:30 pm Stewardship Meeting virtual

2/7 16^th Sunday of Matthew

2/10 St. Haralambos the Martyr

2/13 Youth & Family Worship @ 9:00AM

2/14 Sunday of the Canaanite

2/21 Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee: Triodion Begins  

2/21 Triodion Begins

2/23 @7:30pm Parish Council Meeting virtual

2/24@ 7pm Philoptochos Monthly Meeting virtual

2/25@ 7pm GOYA Monthly Meeting virtual

2/28 Sunday of the Prodigal Son

If you would like us to remember you or your loved one in our prayers, please contact the office. 973-584-0388 or send us an email to info@standrewgonj.org 

Names will be kept on this list for approximately 3 months. Please resubmit Names if needed.   Fr. John will pray for the Names above during the Proskomide “Offering of gifts” during the first part of the Divine Liturgy when our priest prepares the mystical gifts of bread and wine. Please keep these names in your prayers as well.

Mary, Konstantinos, Susan, Panayiotis, Charoula, Ioannis, Irene, Vasiliki, Panayiotis, Christos, Athanasios,  Spyridoula, Ioanna, Evangelia, Alice,  Larry,  Diana, Julia, Maria,   Catherine, Mark, Vasiliki-Christina, Christina, Eleni, Fr._Konstantine, Prz._Spiridoula,  Linda, Jeremy, Angeliki, Nikolaos, Kyriacos,  Olga, Antonia, Angeliki,   Sofie, Marina, Vasiliki, Klaus, Lori, Despina, Bob, Julie, Kyriaki, Sergios, Nikoletta, Roger, Constantinos, Ioanna, Alexandra, Dimitri, Maria, Eleni, Anastasia, George,  Vasiliki, Jeff, George, Eugenia, Joanna, Eliana, Constantinos, Elena, Nicholas, Konstantinos, Georgia, Vasileke, Jutta, Irene, George, Eftihia, Christina, Athanasios,  Anna, John, Rick, Christine, John, Freda, Estelle, Christina, Fotios, Julie, Joanna, Efthymios, Evangelos, John, Joanna, Lisa, Rich, Magdalini, Irini, Christos, Fr._Christos, Nancy, Brian, Thomas, Vasilios,  Evanthia,  John, Stavroula, Anna Christina, Manny, Mary, George, Susan, Dimitrios, Peter, Michael, Ryan, Ioannis, Monica, Katerina, Tasia, Christina, Andrew, Andrew, Margaret, Eleni, Paraskevi, Panagotis, Maria, Caroline, Demetrios, Konstantinos, Susan, Afrodite, Aristea, Konstantinos….  

Prayer for a Sick Person:

Heavenly Father, physician of our souls and bodies, who have sent Your only-begotten Son and our Lord Jesus Christ to heal every sickness and infirmity, visit and heal (me) Your servant from all physical and spiritual ailments through the grace of Your Christ. Grant (me) patience in this sickness, strength of body and spirit, and recovery of health.  Lord, You have taught us through Your word to pray for each other that we may be healed.  I pray that You heal (me) as Your servant and grant (me) the gift of complete health. For You are the source of healing and to You I give glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen