Matins Sunday - 8:30 a.m. Weekdays - 9:00 a.m.
Liturgy Sunday - 9:30 a.m. Weekdays - 9:30 a.m.
9TH SUNDAY OF LUKE, November 17
- Orthros & Divine Liturgy, 8:30 am
- Church School
- Greek Dancing, 12 noon
- GOYA Boys Basketball Game, 2 pm
- GOYA Girls Basket ball Game, 3 pm
TUESDAY, November 19
- Greek School, 4 pm
- Byzantine Chant Class, 7 pm
WEDNESDAY, November 20
- Philoptochos General Assembly, 6:30 pm
THURSDAY, November 21
Entrance of the Theotokos
- Orthros & Divine Liturgy, 9 am
- Basketball Practice, 6 pm
SATURDAY November 23
- Joy Basketball Game at HCHC, 4:30 pm
9TH SUNDAY OF LUKE, November 24
- Orthros & Divine Liturgy, 8:30 am
- Church School
- Parish General Assembly
Our righteous Mother Hilda was of noble birth, being a kinswoman of Saint Edwin, King of Northumbria (celebrated Oct. 12). At the age of thirty-three she renounced the world, and lived another thirty-three years as a nun and abbess. The last six years of her life she suffered a burning fever with patience and nobility, and reposed in peace in the year 680.
Saint Gregory was born in Neocaesarea of Pontus to parents who were not Christians. He studied in Athens, in Alexandria, in Beirut, and finally for five years in Caesarea of Palestine under Origen, by whom he was also instructed in the Faith of Christ. Then, in the year 240, he became bishop of his own city, wherein he found only seventeen Christians. By the time the Saint reposed about the year 265, there were only seventeen unbelievers left there. Virtually the whole duration of his episcopacy was a time of continual, marvellous wonders worked by him. Because of this, he received the surname "Wonderworker"; even the enemies of the truth called him a second Moses (see Saint Basil the Great's On the Holy Spirit, ch. 29).
Saint Plato contested in martyrdom in 266, when Agrippinus was proconsul. He was from the city of Ancyra in the province of Galatia.
Saint Romanus, who was from Antioch, lived during the reign of Maximian. He presented himself before Asclepiades the Eparch, and rebuked him, saying, "The idols are not gods; even a little child could tell you that." Then the Saint asked that a child be brought in from the market, that he might be the judge of the matter at hand. Therefore, when the child was asked, "Which God must we worship?" he replied, "Christ." The child was beaten mercilessly and beheaded at the command of the tyrant. As for Saint Romanus, his tongue was cut out, and then he was cast into prison, where he was strangled in the year 305.
The Divine Scriptures do not tell us with any certainty when the Prophet Obadiah lived nor what was his homeland. Thus, some say that he is that Obadiah who was Ahab's steward, who, because of Jezebel's wrath, hid one hundred prophets in a cave and fed them with bread and water (III Kings 18:4), and that he later became a disciple of Elias the Prophet about 903 B.C. But others surmise from the words of the same prophetical book that he is somewhat later than Joel (celebrated on Oct. 19). He is also called Obdiu, or Abdiu, or Obadiah; his name means "servant of God." His book of prophecy, which consists of only one chapter, is ranked fourth among the minor Prophets.
Saint Barlaam, who was from a certain village near Antioch in Syria, was advanced in years and a husbandman by occupation. Because of his confession of Christ, he was brought before the judge, who had him scourged with whips and then scraped with iron claws. Since this could not break his constancy, he was forcibly haled to the idols' temple, and live coals with incense were placed in his right hand. The judge thought that he would cast them down because of the pain, thus seeming to have offered a sacrifice of incense to the idols. But Saint Barlaam stood unmoving until his hand was thoroughly burned by the coals; he fell to the ground, and so gave up his soul into the hands of the Lord. He contested in martyrdom during the reign of Diocletian (284-305). Saint Basil the Great and Saint John Chrysostom both gave homilies in his honour.
Saint Gregory who was from Irenopolis of the Decapolis of Asia Minor, was the son of Sergius and Mary. He became a monk as a young man, and after struggling for many years in virtue and prayer under obedience to a wise spiritual father, he was informed by revelation that it was the will of God for him to live, like the Patriarch Abraham, with no certain dwelling, moving from place to place. His journeyings took him to Ephesus, Constantinople, Corinth, Rome, Sicily, Thessalonica, and again to Constantinople, where, after many labours in defence of Orthodoxy against Iconoclasm, he reposed in peace in the first half of the ninth century. He had two disciples, one of whom was Saint Joseph the Hymnographer (see Apr. 3), who wrote the Menaion service for Saint Gregory, his father in Christ.
Saint Proclus lived during the reign of Saint Theodosius the Younger. A disciple and scribe of Saint John Chrysostom, he was ordained Bishop of Cyzicus about the year 426, but because the people there unlawfully elected another bishop before his arrival, he remained in Constantinople. In 429, Nestorius, who had been Archbishop of Constantinople for about a year, and had already begun his blasphemous teaching that it is wrong to call the holy Virgin "Theotokos," invited Bishop Proclus to give a sermon on one of the feasts of our Lady, which he did, openly defending in Nestorius' presence the name "Theotokos," that is, "Mother of God." Saint Proclus was elevated to the throne of Archbishop of Constantinople in 434. It was he who persuaded Emperor Theodosius the Younger and his holy sister Pulcheria to have the most sacred relics of his godly teacher Saint John Chrysostom brought back from Comana, and triumphantly received them upon their return to the imperial city (see Jan. 27 and Nov. 13). He reposed in peace in 447.
According to the tradition of the Church, the Theotokos was brought to the Temple at three years of age, where she was consecrated to God and spent her days until she was fourteen or fifteen years old; and then, as a mature maiden, by the common counsel of the priests (since her parents had reposed some three years before), she was betrothed to Joseph.
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.
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.
Saint Amphilochius, who was born in Cappadocia, shone forth in asceticism and divine knowledge even from his youth. He was consecrated Bishop of Iconium in 341, he struggled courageously against the blasphemies of Eunomius, Macedonius the enemy of the Holy Spirit, and the followers of Arius. He was present at the Second Ecumenical Council of the 150 Fathers, which took place in Constantinople, convoked during the reign of Theodosius the Great in the year 381. In 383 Amphilochius wished to persuade the Emperor Theodosius to forbid the Arians from gathering in Constantinople and to commit the churches to the Orthodox, but the Emperor was reluctant to do such a thing. The next time that Amphilochius entered the palace, he addressed Theodosius with proper honour, but slighted his young son Arcadius in his presence. Theodosius was indignant, and said the dishonour shown to his son was equally an insult to himself. To this Saint Amphilochius answered that as he would not suffer an insult to his son, so he ought to believe that God is wroth with those who blaspheme His Only-begotten. Saint Theodosius understood and admired Amphilochius' ingenious device, and he issued the desired edict in September of the same year. Saint Amphilochius, having reached deep old age, reposed in peace about the year 395. Saint Basil the Great wrote many letters to Saint Amphilochius, his friend and Fellow champion of the Faith, and at his request wrote his treatise On the Holy Spirit, which besides demonstrating the divinity of the Holy Spirit and His equality with the Father and the Son, defends the Church's unwritten ancient traditions, such as making the sign of the Cross, turning towards the East in prayer, no kneeling on Sunday, and so forth.
Saint Gregory, the son of pious parents named Chariton and Theodora, was born in Agrigentum, a city of Sicily, and was great in virtue from his childhood. He was baptized, brought up, and tonsured reader by Bishop Potamion during the reign of Justinian II, in the seventh century. At the age of eighteen he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where he was ordained deacon by Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem. He traveled to Constantinople, and then to Rome where he was consecrated Bishop of his native Agrigentum. As Bishop of Agrigentum he worked many miracles and shone brilliantly in virtue, but also suffered many great temptation; from the priests Sabine and Crescentius, who so envied him that they slandered him to the Pope as a fornicator and had him cast into prison for two and a half years. In the end, however, he vindicated himself by casting the demon out of the woman who had falsely accused him of committing sin with her. Saint Gregory reposed in peace in deep old age.
Saint Clement was instructed in the Faith of Christ by the Apostle Peter. He became Bishop of Rome in the year 91, the third after the death of the Apostles. He died as a martyr about the year 100 during the reign of Trajan.
Saint Peter illustriously occupied the throne of Alexandria for twelve years, and, as Eusebius says, "was a divine example of a bishop on account of the excellence of his life and his study of the sacred Scriptures" (see Eusebius, Eccl. Hist., Book VII, 3 2; Book VIII 11, 13; and Book IX, 6). He excommunicated Arius for his sympathy with the Meletian schism. When Arius learned that Saint Peter had been imprisoned, he sent many priests and deacons to him, asking that he receive him back into the communion of the Church before his martyrdom. When the ambassadors of Arius, who had not, like Saint Peter, perceived the ruin he would engender, were astonished at the vehemence with which Saint Peter refused to receive Arius again, he revealed to them a dread vision he had seen, in which the Master Christ had appeared to him as a child wearing a garment torn from head to foot. When Saint Peter asked the Lord who rent His garment, the Lord answered that it was Arius, and that he must not be received back into communion. The holy hieromartyr Peter was beheaded during the reign of Maximinus in the year 312; he is called the "Seal of the Martyrs," because he was the last Bishop of Alexandria to suffer martyrdom under the pagan Emperors. His successors to the throne of Alexandria, Saints Alexander and Athanasius the Great, brought to final victory the battle against Arius' heresy which Saint Peter had begun.
Today’s Epistle Reading (Galatians 6:11-8) is found on page 100 in your spiral Gospel and Epistle Book.
Today’s Gospel Reading (Luke 12:16-21) is found on page 108 in your spiral Gospel and Epistle Book.
Resurrectional Apolytikion, “Let us the faithful” is found on page 105 in your Blue Liturgy Book.
Thanksgiving prayers, for after Communion, are found on page 91 in your Blue Liturgy Book.
TODAY’S USHERS: Chris Pashos, Captain; George Gatzunis; Steve Sotir; Dean Coclin; Linda Theoharis; Gina Pagonis; Tom Gatzunis; Laz Vekiarides; Nick Mitrokostas.
TODAY’S MEMORIAL: 1 year for Olga Geanacopulos.
TODAY’S FELLOWSHIP HOUR: is graciously hosted by the Philoptochos.
TODAY’S GREETERS: Ethel Gionas.
CHRISTMAS CAROLING
Last year, members of the St. Demetrios Choir sang Christmas carols at North Hill in Needham and St. Patrick’s in Framingham, and experienced a wonderful afternoon of Christmas fellowship. On Saturday, December 14 at 2:30 p.m., we will leave the Church to visit our parishioners at three locations and sing the songs of the season. Please contact Genie Leusis at 617-869-5744 or genieleu@gmail.com if you are interested in participating. All are welcome!
GINGERBREADHOUSE MAKING AND TREE LIGHTING FAMILY EVENT
Friday, December 6th at 6:30 pm will be the gingerbread house making and tree lighting event. Be sure to sign up for a house in the lobby!
YOUNG ADULTS CHRISTMAS PARTY
Please save the date for our Young Adults Christmas Party on Saturday, December 7th at 7pm. The event will be hosted at St. Demetrios with board games, snacks, and refreshments provided. We will be collecting children's gifts (i.e. toys, clothes, books, etc.) for "Cradles to Crayons." Additional details will be provided via evite.
60TH ANNIVERSARY GALA PHOTOS
To view images from the event visit: https://aretiphoto.shootproof.com/gallery/StDemetriosGala/
You can download a complimentary websize/watermarked image and also purchase prints or digital files as needed. For more information, contact Areti Bratsis at 508-698–0150 or areti@aretiphoto.com. www.aretiphoto.com
SENIOR GUILD CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON
Join us on Friday, December 6th following Divine Liturgy for St. Nicholas. Contact Artemis Martakis @ 508-785-0045 if you are planning to attend the Christmas Luncheon. The last day to sign-up is November 29. Come and join us for some food and fun! Senior Guild hopes to see you there!
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
There will a parish general assembly on November 24th. All stewards in good standing are encouraged to attend.
SAVE THE DATE: RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE
On February 15, 2020 the Philoptochos will be hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive. More information on pre registration will be forthcoming.
GOYA FRIENDSGIVING
Join us for our annual GOYA Friendsgiving event at St. Demetrios on November 30th at 6 pm. All GOYAns and GOYA alum are invited for an evening of food, fellowship and fun! Be sure to RSVP to Jill Kovatsis (ja.k@verizon.net) and let us know what you’re bringing!
60th Anniversary Commemorative Album
The 60th Anniversary Commemorative Album committee is hard at work! The album will be published in late Spring 2020. Please consider purchasing an ad in the album, It’s a wonderful way to send a congratulatory message to the
community, honor the memory of a loved one, celebrate your family or feature a business. The form can be found at: https://www.stdemetriosweston.org/forms-and-resources
In addition, we are currently collecting photos to include in the album. If you have any high quality photos from the last 60 years that you would like to submit for consideration, please do so by emailing them to
photos@stdemetriosweston.org or mailing them to Album Committee c/o St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church,
Weston, MA 02493. We are particularly interested in group photos from the last 20 years. With each submission, please identify who is in the photo as well as when and where the photo was taken.
ST. NICHOLAS GIVING TREE
This year our parish will mark the 17th Annual St. Nicholas Giving Tree. Each year we open our hearts to the neediest children in our own area during the holiday season. On Sundays- November 17th, 24th and December 1st the names and “wish lists” of children, all ages, under the care of the Mass. Dept. of Children and Families will be available for your family to sponsor. For questions contact Nancy Agris Savage at 508- 652-9020 or nancyasavage@gmail.com.
VETERANS NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER DRIVE
This year the St. Demetrios Philoptochos is seeking donations in memory of 2nd Lt. Ian Thomas McVey, USMC. There are two opportunities to assist Veterans in need. Thanksgiving Meal Program, which provides a full Thanks-giving meal to a veteran’s family, and Operation Housewarming Project, which provide housewarming bas-kets to veterans transitioning to independent living. For a complete list check out the Vine or the bulletin board flyer. Donations needed by Sunday, November 24th For questions contact Chris or Eugenia Kourlos at 508-735-8866 or kourkat@comcast.net.
ST. DEMETRIOS BOOKSTORE
Discover the rich collection of inspirational books for adults and children in our bookstore. The collection includes outstanding texts, written by our very own clergy and parishioners. There are also beautiful icons, St. Demetrios crosses and prayer bracelets from various Greek monasteries.
PHISHING SCAM
It has come to our attention that someone is sending fraudulent emails pretending to be Fr. Nick and asking for electronic gift cards. Please do not respond to this message and immediately mark as spam and delete. Many of the emails are being sent from a gmail email account– our parish email addresses are not associated with gmail. They will have “@stdemetriosweston.org” as the ending.St. Demetrios and its priests will never ask for funds via electronic gift cards ever. If you have any questions or concerns please call the main office, 781-237-5561.
FR. MANIKAS LIBRARY
Check out the magazine "Cyprus Today" which is available for circulation. If interested, you are welcomed to
borrow. So we can keep track of the interest of these magazines, please fill in your last name and the dates (month and year) on the label on the back cover. Allowed check out period is one month.
PHILOPTOCHOS CATERING
Philoptochos is delighted to offer their St. Christine's Catering Program. Visit the church website under the Philoptochos page to view the ordering menu. Thanks for using the Philoptochos Catering.
SPONSORING FLOWERS
If you would like to sponsor altar flowers in memory of loved ones or in honor of a special occasion please contact the church office for more details on available dates.
SPONSORING FELLOWSHIP HOUR
The calendar is open for any one wishing to sponsor coffee hour this coming year. If you are interested please contact Pam Brody at 781-864-6427.
USHERING GUIDELINES
As the Church School year comes to a start, we ask that everyone assist us by waiting patiently in your seats for the children to receive Holy Communion first so that they may get to their classes.
In order to facilitate this process as efficiently as possible, we ask that Church School Teachers, Children and their parents be dismissed first for communion. All other parishioners are asked to stay in their seats and wait for the ushers to dismiss their row. We appreciate your patience and your support!
ST. DEMETRIOS ORTHO-TAXI SERVICE
We miss you when you are not with us! If you need a ride to and from church consider taking the St. Demetrios Ortho-Taxi service. If you are interested call the church office (781-237-5561) by Friday at noon for Sunday Liturgy, or two days in advance for other services or events. You will receive a call from your driver to arrange pick-up times. The roundtrip fare is $5 to be donated to the Senior Guild.
SUNDAY GREETERS
We are looking for additional people to help greet/welcome our parishioners to church on Sunday mornings. All those who are interested in being a part of this wonderful program please contact Angel Hatgelakas through Marianne at the church office. Tel: 781-237-5561 or email: office@stdemetriosweston.org. Thank you.
USHERING
If you are interested in joining the Usher Team please contact Georgia Gefteas at gaghome1@gmail.com or 978-973-7476.
WWW.GOARCH.ORG
The webpage of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has a great amount of resources for anyone looking to learn more about the faith. You can find the daily readings of the church, information about saints, what we believe, and prayers for any occasion. Additionally, you can stay up to date with news that affects us as Christians. Be sure to check www.goarch.org regularly!
PHILOXENIA HOUSE
Located near HCHC in Brookline, the Philoxenia House offers a home and hospitality to patients and those who accompany them while they are undergoing treatment in the Boston area. For several years a few of us visit the home twice a year to try to brighten their lives by planting flowers. This is a joy for us. For more information regarding this ministry please contact Betty Titus, 781.237.4748, or Eleanor Spiliakos, 978.443.3746.
WHAT IS THE ORTHODOX CHURCH
Being asked this during our festival a number of times — we as Orthodox Christians ought to respond:
“The Orthodox Christian Church is a worldwide body of believers who confess and worship Jesus Christ as the Son of God, as Lord and Messiah. This body has a tangible and continuous history of Christian faith and practice from the time of Christ’s Apostles. The use of the adjective ‘orthodox’ to describe the Church dates back to the earliest centuries and was applied to those Christians who maintained the tradition transmitted by Christ’s Apostles (1 Thess 2:15)”
FR. MANIKAS LIBRARY
Come and visit the Fr. Manikas Library and check out one of our many books on a variety of different topics. After Divine Liturgy, please stop by the library and see what we have to offer. See Cindi Dabrowski in the library for assistance on picking out a selection to take home and further your knowledge of our faith.
DAILY READINGS APP
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has developed and released a Daily Readings App for iOS and Android. It offers the daily Epistle and Gospel readings of the day as well as the saints that are commemorated on that day. Furthermore, it offers prayers, dates of future Feast Days and fasting guidelines.
It’s a great resource that is offered by our Archdiocese. Sign into your app store and download it today!
BE THE BEE WEBSERIES
The National Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries offers a weekly web video series on YouTube called “Be the Bee” each week a question or theme about our faith is answered in just 5 minutes! Check out this new and interesting approach to learning about our faith! Go to: www.youtube.com/user/y2am to see the entire series!
Prokeimenon. Plagal First Tone. Psalm 11.7,1.
You, O Lord, shall keep us and preserve us.
Verse: Save me, O Lord, for the godly man has failed.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 6:11-18.
Brethren, see with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that would compel you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who receive circumcision do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh. But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule, upon the Israel of God. Henceforth let no man trouble me; for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.
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."