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St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2022-11-21
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Vmentrnc
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St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (978) 685-4052
  • Street Address:

  • 8 Lowell Street

  • Lawrence, MA 01840-1416
  • Mailing Address:

  • PO Box 10

  • Methuen, MA 01844


Contact Information




Services Schedule

5 PM Saturdays - Vespers

9 AM Sundays - Orthros

10 AM Sundays - Divine Liturgy

Sunday School (Sept-May) following Holy Communion


Past Bulletins


Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion for Entry of the Theotokos in the Fourth Tone

Today is the prelude of God's good will and the heralding of the salvation of mankind. In the temple of God, the Virgin is presented openly, and she proclaimeth Christ unto all. To her, then, with a great voice let us cry aloud: Rejoice, O thou fulfilment of the Creator's dispensation.

اليوم البتول التي هي مقدمة مسرة الله وابتداء الكرازة بخلاص البشر قد ظهرت في هيكل الله علانية وسبقت مبشرة للجميع بالمسيح فلنهتف نحوها بصوت عظيم قائلين: افرحي يا كمال تدبير الخالق.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Fourth Tone

Today, the most pure temple of the Savior, the precious bridal chamber and Virgin, the sacred treasure of God, enters the house of the Lord, bringing the grace of the Divine Spirit. The Angels of God praise her. She is the heavenly tabernacle.
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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Third Tone. Luke 1: 46-48.
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
Verse: For he has regarded the humility of his servant.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 9:1-7.

BRETHREN, the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. For a tent was prepared, the outer one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence; it is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain stood a tent called the Holy of Holies, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, which contained a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. These preparations having thus been made, the priests go continually into the outer tent, performing their ritual duties; but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood which he offers for himself and for the errors of the people.

البروكيمنون. Third Tone. لوقا 1: 46-48.
تعظم نفسي الرب وتبتهج روحي بالله مخلصي
Verse: لأنه نظر إلى اتضاع أمَته

فصل من رسالة بولس الى العبرانيين 9: 1-7.

يَُّا إِخْوَة، إِنَّ الْعَهْدُ الأَوَّلُ كَانَ لَهُ أَيْضاً فَرَائِضُ خِدْمَةٍ وَالْقُدْسُ الْعَالَمِيُّ، لأَنَّهُ نُصِبَ الْمَسْكَنُ الأَوَّلُ الَّذِي يُقَالُ لَهُ ((الْقُدْسُ)) الَّذِي كَانَ فِيهِ الْمَنَارَةُ، وَالْمَائِدَةُ، وَخُبْزُ التَّقْدِمَةِ. وَوَرَاءَ الْحِجَابِ الثَّانِي الْمَسْكَنُ الَّذِي يُقَالُ لَهُ ((قُدْسُ الأَقْدَاسِ)) فِيهِ مِبْخَرَةٌ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ، وَتَابُوتُ الْعَهْدِ مُغَشًّى مِنْ كُلِّ جِهَةٍ بِالذَّهَبِ، الَّذِي فِيهِ قِسْطٌ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ فِيهِ الْمَنُّ، وَعَصَا هَارُونَ الَّتِي أَفْرَخَتْ، وَلَوْحَا الْعَهْدِ. وَفَوْقَهُ كَرُوبَا الْمَجْدِ مُظَلِّلَيْنِ الْغِطَاءَ. أَشْيَاءُ لَيْسَ لَنَا الآنَ أَنْ نَتَكَلَّمَ عَنْهَا بِالتَّفْصِيلِ. ثُمَّ إِذْ صَارَتْ هَذِهِ مُهَيَّأَةً هَكَذَا، يَدْخُلُ الْكَهَنَةُ إِلَى الْمَسْكَنِ الأَوَّلِ كُلَّ حِينٍ، صَانِعِينَ الْخِدْمَةَ. وَأَمَّا إِلَى الثَّانِي فَرَئِيسُ الْكَهَنَةِ فَقَطْ مَرَّةً فِي السَّنَةِ، لَيْسَ بِلاَ دَمٍ يُقَدِّمُهُ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ وَعَنْ جَهَالاَتِ الشَّعْبِ.


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Wisdom of the Fathers

But that God's word may be made clearer, listen to this. If any one loves Jesus, and attends to Him in earnest, and not in a casual way, but in love abides by Him, God is already devising to make some return to that soul for its love, although the man does not know what he is to receive or what portion God is about to give to the soul.
St. Makarios the Great
Homily XII, 4th Century

Receptacle of great graces ... she only is the frontier between created and uncreated nature, and there is no man that shall come to God except he be truly illumined through her ... It was through the Theotokos alone that the Lord came to us.
St. Gregory Palamas
Homily on the Dormition., 14th Century

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Saints and Feasts

Vmentrnc
November 21

The Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple

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.


Katherin
November 25

Katherine the Great Martyr of Alexandria

Saint Catherine, who was from Alexandria, was the daughter of Constas (or Cestus). She was an exceedingly beautiful maiden, most chaste, and illustrious in wealth, lineage, and learning. By her steadfast understanding, she utterly vanquished the passionate and unbridled soul of Maximinus, the tyrant of Alexandria; and by her eloquence, she stopped the mouths of the so-called philosophers who had been gathered to dispute with her. She was crowned with the crown of martyrdom in the year 305. Her holy relics were taken by Angels to the holy mountain of Sinai, where they were discovered many years later; the famous monastery of Saint Catherine was originally dedicated to the Holy Transfiguration of the Lord and the Burning Bush, but later was dedicated to Saint Catherine.


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Upcoming Schedule

Saturday, November 26

5 PM Vespers

Sunday, November 27

9 AM Orthros 

10 AM Divine Liturgy

Sunday School following Holy Communion

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Pastor's Ponderings

 

For today's feast from our Antiochian Archdiocese summary for Sunday School:

On Nov. 21 (or Dec. 4) we celebrate the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple. This feast celebrates the day when the Theotokos, still a child, went to the Temple. The background story to this event is pretty important:

 Joachim and Anna were devout Jews who loved God very much. They lived on only a third of their income, tithing and giving away the rest. Yet they had no child. They promised God that they would give their child back to Him, if He would grant them one, and He blessed them with the gift of their daughter Mary.

 When Mary was three years old, and finally weaned, Joachim and Anna did not forget their promise to God. They gathered young ladies with candles to walk with them, and all together walked to the Temple so that they could present Mary to God and give her back to Him. Many family and friends came along, as well, all carrying lit candles.

 When they arrived at the Temple, Joachim and Anna lifted Mary up onto the first of the 15 steps that led up into the temple. As soon as she was on that step, she ran all the way up the rest of them. The High Priest at the time was Zachariah (who later became the father of St. John the Forerunner). Zachariah greeted Mary at the top of the steps, took her by the hand, and led her into the Temple. The Holy Spirit directed him as he led her not just into the Temple, but into the “Holy of Holies,” the most sacred part of the Temple (which was so holy that only the High Priest could go in there; and he could only go in once a year after much preparation and prayer!)!

 The Most-holy Virgin lived in the Temple for many years. The angels fed her in the Holy of Holies. As long as they lived, Joachim and Anna came regularly to the Temple to visit their daughter. When they departed this life, she stayed on in the Temple until she was betrothed to Joseph.

 The holiness that she acquired while in the Temple, along with her own piety and desire to follow God, prepared the Most-holy Virgin to become the new Temple, in which God Himself dwelt. Her willingness to come to the Temple with such joy is a notable part of the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple.

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An aposticha for Thanksgiving: The Creator of Heaven and earth gave us the world to use for our salvation and His glory. All things which we need He hath given us. Now as the season of the harvest has arrived, and as we approach the Lord’s Nativity, let us make use of this day our forefathers have given us to reflect on the abundance of our blessings; and emulate Mary rather than Martha, putting aside distractions from the one thing needful and crying aloud: O Source of all things, glory to Thee. -- A blessed and joyful Thanksgiving to all! Father Ephraim

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Memorials, Celebrations and Milestones

Memorial Prayers for the Great Entrance today are offered for: Alan & Velva Kraunelis; Larry Erban; Julia & Ted Erban; Charles Jerrier; Edward & Isabel Erban; Charles & Velva Erban; Sophie Kraunelis; Mary & Stella Pitkevitch; Olive McCann. May thier memory be eternal! 

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