WEEKLY BULLETIN
11/18/2018
November 25, 2018 Saint Katherine the Great Martyr 13th Sunday of Luke
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Orthros: 9:00A.M. Epistle: Galatians 3:23-29; 4:1-5 (pg 1331) |
Divine Liturgy: 10:00A.M. Gospel: Luke 18:18-27 (pg. 1226) |
Acolytes: Alex Angelis, James Gougousis, Alexandros Christakos, Nick Saros, Connor O’Neill, Michael Maris, Damon Servidio Jr.
Ushers: Angelo Lefer, Nick Tselepis,
Narthex: Liz Koykas, Nick Pirsos, Paul Savidis |
Reader: Caroline Kalliotzis Greeter(s): The Gougousis Family
Fellowship Hour: Greek School |
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Saint Katherine the Great Martyr: 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. According to the ancient usage, Saints Catherine and Mercurius were celebrated on the 24th of this month, whereas the holy Hieromartyrs Clement of Rome and Peter of Alexandria were celebrated on the 25th. The dates of the feasts of these Saints were interchanged at the request of the Church and Monastery of Mount Sinai, so that the festival of Saint Catherine, their patron, might be celebrated more festively together with the Apodosis( leave -taking) of the Feast of the Entry of the Theotokos( 11/21). The Slavic Churches, however, commemorate these Saints on their original dates.
Church Service: The Feast Day of Saint Andrew the First-Called Apostle will be celebrated this Friday, November 30th. Orthros at 9:00am and Divine Liturgy at 10:00am. Chronia Polla to all who celebrate!
Family Event SPONSORED BY MRF & WRF: On Sunday, December 2nd at 2:00pm, our Men’s & Women’s Reading Fellowships are sponsoring a Free premiere film screening of “Faith, Hope & Love” at the Westwood Movie Theater in Westwood, NJ. This movie is appropriate for ages 9+. Donations will be accepted at the door and will benefit our Saint Nicholas “Benevolent Fund” ministry. To register go to https://fhlmovienj.eventbrite.com and for more details see the flyer.
Are we Fasting Before & For Christmas? Yes...Fasting is an essential part of our spiritual preparation and edification. Yet, there are many different (and sometimes conflicting messages) regarding fasting. Please bear this in mind: From November 15th through December 24th Orthodox Christians observe a 40 day period of abstinence from animal & dairy products and olive oil. The ascetic discipline prepares us for a major feast- the Lord’s birth-Christmas. By controlling ourselves in what we eat, what we say, what we give to others (charity, stewardship, etc.) we prepare ourselves to receive the Lord. Without the discipline of the fast, the joyful experience of the feast is minimized. Fasting is never a punishment. Note that fish is permitted except for Wednesdays and Fridays through December 11th. From December 12th through Christmas Eve the fast is stricter every day- fruits, nuts, vegetables, shell fish allowed but no animal or dairy products of course until Christmas Day. Do the best you can and remember that fasting/abstaining from sin is the greatest fast.
Sessions on Scripture (SOS): SOS resumesthisWednesday, November 28th in the conference room at 2:00pm and at 7:30pm for a discussion of the First book of Thessalonians chapters 1-2. We use the Orthodox Study Bible (OSB) which is available in our bookstore. For info contact Fr. Bill at frbill@stnicholasnj.org or Caroline Kalliotzis at ckalliotzis@aol.com. SOS is open to all. No prior knowledge of Scripture is required.
Philoptochos News: Philoptochos Meeting on November 26th at 7pm in the Conference Room. All members are invited.
Food Donations: We are collecting nonperishable food items for the homeless. A basket is placed in the Fellowship Hall. Thank you for your support!
Annual Church Christmas Card: The holiday season will soon be upon us and the time has come for our annual Saint Nicholas Christmas card. All participating families will receive a beautiful Christmas card. A donation of $20 is requested. Deadline to reply is Sunday, November 25th . Any questions, please contact Aggie Tsadilas at 201.995.9158 or by email at aggietsad@gmail.com
Kali Parea (Senior Fellowship): Kali Parea will hold their Christmas luncheon on Tuesday, December 4th, 2018 at 12 Noon at Primo Amore Bistro, Hawthorne, N.J. (Remember to come to worship that morning for St. Barbara day) Please join us for food and fellowship. For additional information please call Chris Triant (201-529-8267) Wishing you all a Blessed Christmas and a New Year filled with good health and Joy.
Daughters of Penelope: The Daughters of Penelope are again selling Kontos brand Baklava, Tyropitakia and Spanakopitakia as well as Famiglia brand Spiral Shaped “Kihi” with Spinach or Cheese and Bougatsa for your Christmas and New Year Holiday Celebrations. Also, new this year is the Kontos brand Moussaka! Your pre-paid orders will be accepted until December 9th. Purchases will be ready for pick-up on Dec 15th and Dec 16th. Call Betty Pappas at 201-444-6860 for more information.
Mark Your Calendar for These Important Upcoming Dates
Sudnay, Decemebr 2nd Family Film: Faith, Hope & Love @ the Westwood Cinema 2 p.m.
Wednesday, December 5th Forefeast of Saint Nicholas 7:00pm Vespers
Thursday, December 6th Feast of Saint Nicholas 9:00am Orthros & 10:00am Divine Liturgy
Sunday, December 9th General Electionsfor Parish Council
GIVING TREE/MORTGAGE BURNING CAMPAIGN: saint nicholas CHURCH CAN be mortgage free by 2020- you can make it happen! Various giving levels are available: you can leaf your donation!or show your love - donate a dove! Or be not forlorn, give an acorn! Be the first on your block and donate a rock. Be a hunk and give a tree trunk! But seriously….you can always remember a loved one by donating to the giving tree or post a scriptural message. We are at about 30% of our goal.
AMAZON Smile: Amazon has a unique feature for charitable organizations. For any amount spent on Amazon, they will donate 0.5% of your entire Amazon shopping proceeds to your charity of choice. This applies to both current Amazon shoppers and any new shoppers. The process is simple. To participate in the program, login to “smile.amazon.com” rather than logging in to “amazon.com”. Next search for St. Nicholas. There are several churches named St. Nicholas. Look for Wyckoff, NJ. Our church may also be listed by its formal name “Greek Orthodox Community of Bergen County Inc.” Then shop away!