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St. Nicholas Church
Publish Date: 2018-12-16
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Forefathers
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St. Nicholas Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (361) 883-9843
  • Fax:
  • (877) 720-0577
  • Street Address:

  • 502 S. Chaparral Street

  • Corpus Christi, TX 78401
  • Mailing Address:

  • PO Box 343

  • Corpus Christi, TX 78403-0343


Contact Information



Services Schedule

Sunday / Saturday Services:

     Orthros:  9:00 am.

      Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.

Weekday Holy Day Divine Liturgy

       Orthros:  8:30 a.m

Divine Liturgy 9:30a.m.

Paraklesis Services:

       Wednesday evenings -  6:00 p.m.

Great Vespers:

       Saturday evenings -  5:00 p.m.


Past Bulletins


Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Fourth Mode

When the tidings of the resurrection from the glorious angel was proclaimed unto the women disciples and our ancestral sentence also had been abolished to the Apostles with the boasting did they proclaim that death is vanquished ever more and Christ Our God has risen from the dead and granted to the world His great mercy.
Τὸ φαιδρὸν τῆς Ἀναστάσεως κήρυγμα, ἐκ τοῦ Ἀγγέλου μαθοῦσαι αἱ τοῦ Κυρίου Μαθήτριαι, καὶ τὴν προγονικὴν ἀπόφασιν ἀπορρίψασαι, τοῖς Ἀποστόλοις καυχώμεναι ἔλεγον· Ἐσκύλευται ὁ θάνατος, ἠγέρθη Χριστὸς ὁ Θεός, δωρούμενος τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος.

Apolytikion for 11th Sun. of Luke in the Second Mode

You justified the forefathers in faith, and through them betrothed yourself, aforetime, to the Church taken from out of the Gentiles. The saints boast in glory. For from their seed, there exists a noble crop, who is she who without seed has given You birth. By their intercessions, O Christ our God, save our souls.
Ἐν πίστει τοὺς Προπάτορας ἐδικαίωσας, τὴν ἐξ Ἐθνῶν δι' αὐτῶν προμνηστευσάμενος Ἐκκλησίαν. Καυχῶνται ἐν δόξῃ οἱ Ἅγιοι, ὄι ἐκ σπέρματος αὐτῶν, ὑπάρχει καρπός εὐκλεής, ἡ ἀσπόρως τεκοῦσά σε. Ταῖς αὐτῶν ἱκεσίαις, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, σῶσον τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν.

Apolytikion for the Church in the Fourth Mode

Kanona Pisteos (A Canon of the Faith) - You revealed the holiness of your life to your flock as a canon of faith, an example of meekness and a teaching of temperance; wherefore you acquired greatness through humility and spiritual wealth through poverty. Father and Hierarch Nicholas intercede to Christ God that He may save our souls.
Κανόνα πίστεως και εικόνα πραότητος εγκρατείας διδάσκαλον ανέδειξέ σε τη ποίμνη σου η των πραγμάτων αλήθεια δια τούτω εκτείσω τη ταπεινώσει τα υψηλά τη πτωχεία τα πλούσια. Πάτερ ιεράρχα Νικόλαε, πρέσβευε Χριστώ τω Θεώ σωθήναι τας ψυχάς ημών.

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.
Ἡ Παρθένος σήμερον, τὸν Προαιώνιον Λόγον, ἐν Σπηλαίῳ ἔρχεται, ἀποτεκεῖν ἀπορρήτως. Χόρευε ἡ οἰκουμένη ἀκουτισθεῖσα, δόξασον μετὰ Ἀγγέλων καὶ τῶν Ποιμένων, βουληθέντα ἐποφθῆναι, παιδίον νέον, τὸν πρὸ αἰώνων Θεόν.
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Saints and Feasts

Forefathers
December 16

11th Sunday of Luke

On the Sunday that occurs on or immediately after the eleventh of this month, we commemorate Christ's forefathers according to the flesh, both those that came before the Law, and those that lived after the giving of the Law.

Special commemoration is made of the Patriarch Abraham, to whom the promise was first given, when God said to him, "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 22:18). This promise was given some two thousand years before Christ, when Abraham was seventy-five years of age. God called him and commanded him to forsake his country, parents, and kinsmen, and to depart to the land of the Canaanites. When he arrived there, God told him, "I will give this land to thy seed" (Gen. 12:7); for this cause, that land was called the "Promised Land," which later became the country of the Hebrew people, and which is also called Palestine by the historians. There, after the passage of twenty-four years, Abraham received God's law concerning circumcision. In the one hundredth year of his life, when Sarah was in her ninetieth year, they became the parents of Isaac. Having lived 175 years altogether, he reposed in peace, a venerable elder full of days.


Allsaint
December 16

The Holy Prophet Aggaeus (Haggai)

The Prophet Aggaeus, whose name means "festive," was born in Babylon at the time of the captivity Of the Jews. He began to prophesy in Jerusalem after their return thereto, and to admonish the people to rebuild the Temple, in the days of Zorobabel, the second year of the reign of Darius Hystaspes, King of Persia, about the year 520 before Christ. His prophecy, divided into two chapters, is ranked tenth among the minor Prophets.


Allsaint
December 16

Memnonus, Archbishop of Ephesus


Allsaint
December 16

Nicholas, Patriarch of Constantinople


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Weekly Announcements

Coffee Hour

12/16/2018

Everyone is invited to come downstairs for the coffee hour to follow.


Epistle Readings

12/16/2018

Today, Demetri Sanchez will be reading the Epistle.


Children’s Sermon

12/16/2018

The next Children Sermon will be January 13th.  

Catechism School Gift Exchange

12/16/2018

The Catechism School will be exchanging Christmas gifts today.


Community Christmas Party

12/16/2018

The annual Community Christmas Party is next Sunday, December 23rd.  Everyone is encouraged to bring a Lenten covered dish (main course or side dish).


Christmas Program

12/16/2018

Next Sunday, December 23rd, the Catechism School will be presenting a Christmas program after the Divine Liturgy.

Services This Week

12/16/2018

Services this week:
     Sunday,          December 16, 2018       Orthros                      9:000 a.m.
     Sunday,          December 16, 2018       Divine Liturgy             10:00 a.m.
     Wednesday,    December 19, 2018       Small Paraklesis           6:00 p.m.
     Saturday,        December 22, 2018       Great Vespers             5:00 p.m.
     Sunday,          December 23, 2018       Orthros                      9:00 a.m.
    Sunday,           December 13, 2018       Divine Liturgy              10:00 a.m


Nativity Fast

12/16/2018

The Nativity Fast is a period of abstinence and penance practiced by the Eastern Orthodox,  in preparation for the Nativity of Christ.  The fast is a more relaxed fast with fish, oil and wine allowed until December 10th. 


Choir Practice

12/16/2018

Choir practice is held Wednesdays evenings at 7:00 p.m.


Church Etiquette

12/16/2018

Please be reminded that out of respect for what goes on during the Divine Liturgy, there are certain time when not to enter the Nave. These times are: 1) between the readings of the Epistle and Gospel; 2) when the priest censes the icons and the congregation; and 3) whenever the priest faces the congregation to bless them.  When entering the Nave, please enter by the side aisles and not by the middle isle.  Stanchions will be placed by the Narthex door in order to prevent anyone from entering the Nave at inappropriate time. When the Parish Council Members ask that no one enter at a particular time, please heed their request.  It is disruptive to the other worshipers when someone enters the Nave at an inappropriate time.  Everyone’s cooperation is appreciated.


Respectful Worship Environment

12/16/2018

The worship experience is enhanced by having your children participate. Please help them learn proper behavior and reverence while in the Church. Teach them to cross themselves, venerate the Icons, & respond prayerfully “Lord have mercy.” If they become too loud, please take them to the Narthex for a brief stay and return as soon as they have calmed. More Church etiquette may be found at http://stnicholasgoc.net/our-parish/church-etiquette 


Recitation of the Lord's Prayer

12/16/2018

Please remember that everyone has the opportunity to say the Lord’s Prayer in their first language. The order of languages is: Greek, English, Spanish, Russian, Romanian, and Arabic.


Welcome to our Guests

12/16/2018

Father John and the members of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church offer warm greetings to all our guests. We are happy to have you worshiping with us and we hope that you will make this your spiritual home in the future. You are invited to receive blessed bread (antidoron) which will be given out at the end of today’s services.  Please join us downstairs for refreshments so we can visit with you.


Holy Communion

12/16/2018

The Holy Communion of the Orthodox is the Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.  It is with awe and love that we approach the Divine Mysteries.  Therefore, the Communion of the Orthodox is reserved only for those baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves by prayer and fasting, as prescribed by the Canons of the Holy Church.  Women, in respect of our Lord, please remove lipstick before you approach to receive, in order that no oils contact the Holy Spoon or the Holy Chalice.


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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Seventh Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 20:1-10

On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.

Seventh Orthros Gospel
Κατὰ Ἰωάννην 20:1-10

Τῇ δὲ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ ἔρχεται πρωῒ σκοτίας ἔτι οὔσης εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον, καὶ βλέπει τὸν λίθον ἠρμένον ἐκ τοῦ μνημείου. τρέχει οὖν καὶ ἔρχεται πρὸς Σίμωνα Πέτρον καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἄλλον μαθητὴν ὃν ἐφίλει ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· ἦραν τὸν Κύριον ἐκ τοῦ μνημείου, καὶ οὐκ οἴδαμεν ποῦ ἔθηκαν αὐτόν. ἐξῆλθεν οὖν ὁ Πέτρος καὶ ὁ ἄλλος μαθητὴς καὶ ἤρχοντο εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον. ἔτρεχον δὲ οἱ δύο ὁμοῦ· καὶ ὁ ἄλλος μαθητὴς προέδραμε τάχιον τοῦ Πέτρου καὶ ἦλθε πρῶτος εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον, καὶ παρακύψας βλέπει κείμενα τὰ ὀθόνια, οὐ μέντοι εἰσῆλθεν. ἔρχεται οὖν Σίμων Πέτρος ἀκολουθῶν αὐτῷ, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον καὶ θεωρεῖ τὰ ὀθόνια κείμενα, καὶ τὸ σουδάριον, ὃ ἦν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ, οὐ μετὰ τῶν ὀθονίων κείμενον, ἀλλὰ χωρὶς ἐντετυλιγμένον εἰς ἕνα τόπον. τότε οὖν εἰσῆλθε καὶ ὁ ἄλλος μαθητὴς ὁ ἐλθὼν πρῶτος εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον, καὶ εἶδε καὶ ἐπίστευσεν· οὐδέπω γὰρ ᾔδεισαν τὴν γραφὴν ὅτι δεῖ αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῆναι. ἀπῆλθον οὖν πάλιν πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς οἱ μαθηταί.


Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Fourth Mode. Daniel 3.26,27.
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers.
Verse: For you are just in all you have done.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians 3:4-11.

Brethren, when Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. In these you once walked, when you lived in them. But now put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all.

Προκείμενον. Fourth Mode. Δανιήλ 3.26-27.
Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Κύριε, ὁ Θεὸς τῶν Πατέρων ἡμῶν.
Στίχ. Ὅτι δίκαιος εἶ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν, οἷς ἐποίησας ἡμῖν.

τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Κολοσσαεῖς 3:4-11.

Ἀδελφοί, ὅταν ὁ Χριστὸς φανερωθῇ, ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν, τότε καὶ ὑμεῖς σὺν αὐτῷ φανερωθήσεσθε ἐν δόξῃ. Νεκρώσατε οὖν τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, πορνείαν, ἀκαθαρσίαν, πάθος, ἐπιθυμίαν κακήν, καὶ τὴν πλεονεξίαν, ἥτις ἐστὶν εἰδωλολατρεία, διʼ ἃ ἔρχεται ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀπειθείας· Ἐν οἷς καὶ ὑμεῖς περιεπατήσατέ ποτε, ὅτε ἐζῆτε ἐν αὐτοῖς. Νυνὶ δὲ ἀπόθεσθε καὶ ὑμεῖς τὰ πάντα, ὀργήν, θυμόν, κακίαν, βλασφημίαν, αἰσχρολογίαν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν· μὴ ψεύδεσθε εἰς ἀλλήλους, ἀπεκδυσάμενοι τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον σὺν ταῖς πράξεσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐνδυσάμενοι τὸν νέον, τὸν ἀνακαινούμενον εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν κατʼ εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος αὐτόν· ὅπου οὐκ ἔνι Ἕλλην καὶ Ἰουδαῖος, περιτομὴ καὶ ἀκροβυστία, βάρβαρος, Σκύθης, δοῦλος, ἐλεύθερος· ἀλλὰ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν Χριστός.


Gospel Reading

11th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 14:16-24

The Lord said this parable: "A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the time of the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for all is now ready.' But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.' And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.' And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.' And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and there is still room.' And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet. For many are called, but few are chosen.'"

11th Sunday of Luke
Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 14:16-24

Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τήν παραβολὴν ταύτην· Ἄνθρωπός τις ἐποίησε δεῖπνον μέγα καὶ ἐκάλεσε πολλούς· καὶ ἀπέστειλε τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ τῇ ὥρᾳ τοῦ δείπνου εἰπεῖν τοῖς κεκλημένοις· ἔρχεσθε, ὅτι ἤδη ἕτοιμά ἐστι πάντα. καὶ ἤρξαντο ἀπὸ μιᾶς παραιτεῖσθαι πάντες. ὁ πρῶτος εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἀγρὸν ἠγόρασα, καὶ ἔχω ἀνάγκην ἐξελθεῖν καὶ ἰδεῖν αὐτόν· ἐρωτῶ σε, ἔχε με παρῃτημένον. καὶ ἕτερος εἶπε· ζεύγη βοῶν ἠγόρασα πέντε, καὶ πορεύομαι δοκιμάσαι αὐτά· ἐρωτῶ σε, ἔχε με παρῃτημένον. καὶ ἕτερος εἶπε· γυναῖκα ἔγημα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐ δύναμαι ἐλθεῖν. καὶ παραγενόμενος ὁ δοῦλος ἐκεῖνος ἀπήγγειλε τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτοῦ ταῦτα. τότε ὀργισθεὶς ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης εἶπε τῷ δούλῳ αὐτοῦ· ἔξελθε ταχέως εἰς τὰς πλατείας καὶ ῥύμας τῆς πόλεως, καὶ τοὺς πτωχοὺς καὶ ἀναπήρους καὶ χωλοὺς καὶ τυφλοὺς εἰσάγαγε ὧδε. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ δοῦλος· κύριε, γέγονεν ὡς ἐπέταξας, καὶ ἔτι τόπος ἐστί. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ κύριος πρὸς τὸν δοῦλον· ἔξελθε εἰς τὰς ὁδοὺς καὶ φραγμοὺς καὶ ἀνάγκασον εἰσελθεῖν, ἵνα γεμισθῇ ὁ οἶκος μου. λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐδεὶς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκείνων τῶν κεκλημένων γεύσεταί μου τοῦ δείπνου. Πολλοί γὰρ εἰσιν κλητοί, ὀλίγοι δέ ἐκλεκτοί.


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Wisdom of the Fathers

This parable ... proclaims beforehand both the casting out of the Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles; and it indicates together with this also the strictness of the life required, and how great the punishment appointed for the careless ....
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 69 on Matthew 22, 4th Century

And when were they bidden? By all the prophets; by John again; for unto Christ he would pass all on, saying, "He must increase, I must decrease;" by the Son Himself again, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you;" and again, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink."
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 69 on Matthew 22, 4th Century

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