This Week's Services
If you cannot attend, please join us via Facebook or see prior weeks on our YouTube Channel
Sunday, January 17
Orthros.........................................................9:00am
Divine Liturgy...............................................10:00am
Wedding
Alexandra and Shane Howard will celebrate their marriage in the Orthodox church this Sunday, January 10th at 4:00pm. A socially distanced reception will follow. Masks are required.
Holy Water
This is the Sunday after Theophany. We will have small bottles of Holy Water for everyone to take home. But if possible, please bring your own reusable bottle to fill with Holy Water. Also, please remember that when you begin to run low, you may add regular water to the Holy Water, and it will be sanctified.
Blessing of the Brazos Cancelled
Because of an unfavorable weather forecast, our service together with St Andrew's to Bless the Waters of the Brazos after Liturgy on Sunday has been cancelled.
House Blessings
Because of the pandemic, House Blessings will be postponed until a later date. However, everyone is encouraged to take home some Holy Water and bless their homes and businesses, etc. using the following prayers:
How to bless your homes, businesses, and cars with your holy water bottles.
- Prayers for the Blessing of Homes at Theophany
- (Begin at your Icon Corner, or before any icon...)
- Christ is Baptized! In the Jordan!
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3)
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
All-Holy Trinity have mercy on us. Lord, be gracious to our sins. Master, forgive our transgressions. Holy One, visit us and heal our infirmities, for your name's sake. Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.
O God our Savior, the True Light, Who was baptized *in the Jordan by the Prophet John, and Who did deign to enter under the roof-tree of Zacchaeus, bringing salvation unto him and unto his house: do You, the same Lord, keep safe also from harm those who dwell herein; grant to them Your blessing, purification and bodily health, and all their petitions that are unto salvation and Life everlasting; for blessed are You, as also Your Father Who is from everlasting, and Your All; Holy, Good and Life; creating Spirit, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
(Then sprinkle Holy Water in every room singing all the while...)
When you were baptized in the Jordan, O Lord, the worship of the Trinity was made manifest. For the voice of the Father bore witness to you, naming you his beloved Son. And the spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed the certainty of the word. O Christ our God, who illumined the world, Glory to You!
(Then the final prayer...)
May He Who condescended to be baptized in the river Jordan by the Forerunner and Prophet John, for our salvation, through the intercessions of His immaculate Mother, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, and of all the Saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is our good and loving Lord. Amen.
Christ is Baptized! In the Jordan!
Divine Liturgy Attendance
To reserve a spot for the weekly Divine Liturgy, you will now need to sign up. Each Thursday, the list for attendance will be emailed to those on our email list. To reserve your spot, use the SignUp Genius app or follow the link in the email sent to www.signupgenius.com. Please refrain from signing up each week in order to give everyone a chance to attend. As always, Eucharist will be offered to those who did not get on the list.
Eucharist for Those Not Currently Attending Services
For those who are uncomfortable attending the Liturgy in person during the pandemic or who did not secure a spot on the attendance list for the week, Father Daniel will be offering the Eucharist at 11:30am each Sunday at the front door.
City-wide Mask Order
The City of Waco has mandated that masks be worn in all businesses and public spaces. It is imperative that all precautions be taken while we are experiencing this increase in COVID cases in our community, so we kindly ask that you wear a mask to church.
COVID-19 Update
In an effort to set more proactive policies in regard to the current COVID crisis, a committee has been formed to make sure we are doing all we can to make our church as safe a place for worshipers as possible. Please be sure and watch your email for updates regarding how our Parish will handle the ongoing pandemic, particularly as cases are on the rise once again.
As always, if you have any coronavirus-like symptoms or have a known exposure, please worship from home for the CDC recommended time. Please report any positive test results to the Parish office if you have attended services, so that others can go get tested and self-isolate. Thank you for your care and concern in this matter.
Stewardship
Stewardship is based on the spiritual principles of the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus. Stewardship is not just a program or a method of fundraising. It is a way of thanking God for all the blessings He has given us by returning to Him a portion of time, talent and treasure each of us has received.
The Cornavirus has greatly impacted our Parish, and our budget is down by a significant amount. Your giving is more important than ever. Please pick up your stewardship cards for 2021 and return as soon as possible to the church office or to Johnny Giotes.
Agape Meal
Because of the pandemic, our monthly meals have been put on hold. We deeply regret that this is necessary, but we do look forward to resuming this time of fellowship as soon as it safe.
Prayer Requests
"We should pray for our neighbors not because God does not know how to save them, but because He wants us to participate in one another’s salvation." - Metropolitan Hilarion
Please remember these in your daily prayers:
- The Parish Council
- Father Daniel, Presbytera Sarah and Andrew, Elizabeth, and George
- Father Ted, Presbytera Kathy and Paul
- St. Andrew Parish
- Coronavirus Victims and their families
- Connie Brown (Mike Kasten's mom) - lung cancer
If you have names you would like added, or if situations needing special prayer have been resolved, please let Robyn know. This will keep our list up to date and accurate.
Submissions and E-mail Updates
If you have announcements, new, items of interest, or prayer requests for the weekly bulletin or if you need to update or add an e-mail address to our circulation list, please let Robyn Panayoton know by 5:00pm on Wednesday of each week.
Orthodox Campus Fellowship
OCF is a ministry for college students that meets on Thursdays at 6:30pm. Please contact Father Daniel for more information.
Cleaning-Prosforo-Refreshments
Please sign up for the above duties on the wall calendar by the office door in the Parish Hall. The church needs all of you. Thank you for your faithfulness. Please keep it up. God will bless you.
Sacrament of Holy Communion (Non-Orthodox Visitors)
It is with the deepest regret that we ask you to abstain from receiving Holy Communion. This is a sacrament reserved only for those who are baptized, chrismated and prepared Orthodox Christians. It pains us to turn away a Christian who loves and worships the Lord Jesus, but because of the separation of the Christian churches and the different understanding we have about the Sacrament of Holy Communion, we ask you to abstain. Do come and receive the blessed bread at the conclusion of the service.
Visitors
We are happy to have you worshiping with us today. Please stay and join us for coffee hour after the Divine Liturgy so that we may meet you.