Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 7th Tone. Psalm 115.15,12.
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
Verse: What shall I render to the Lord for all that he has given me?

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 13:17-21.

Brethren, obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give account. Let them do this joyfully, and not sadly, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in you that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Προκείμενον. 7th Tone. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 115.15,12.
Τίμιος ἐναντίον Κυρίου ὁ θάνατος τῶν ὁσίων αὐτοῦ.
Στίχ. Τί ἀνταποδώσωμεν τῷ Κυρίῳ περὶ πάντων, ὧν ἀνταπέδωκεν ἡμῖν;

τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Ἑβραίους 13:17-21.

Ἀδελφοί, πείθεσθε τοῖς ἡγουμένοις ὑμῶν, καὶ ὑπείκετε· αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἀγρυπνοῦσιν ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν, ὡς λόγον ἀποδώσοντες· ἵνα μετὰ χαρᾶς τοῦτο ποιῶσιν, καὶ μὴ στενάζοντες· ἀλυσιτελὲς γὰρ ὑμῖν τοῦτο. Προσεύχεσθε περὶ ἡμῶν· πεποίθαμεν γὰρ ὅτι καλὴν συνείδησιν ἔχομεν, ἐν πᾶσιν καλῶς θέλοντες ἀναστρέφεσθαι. Περισσοτέρως δὲ παρακαλῶ τοῦτο ποιῆσαι, ἵνα τάχιον ἀποκατασταθῶ ὑμῖν. Ὁ δὲ θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης, ὁ ἀναγαγὼν ἐκ νεκρῶν τὸν ποιμένα τῶν προβάτων τὸν μέγαν ἐν αἵματι διαθήκης αἰωνίου, τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν, καταρτίσαι ὑμᾶς ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ ἀγαθῷ εἰς τὸ ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ, ποιῶν ἐν ὑμῖν τὸ εὐάρεστον ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

Gospel Reading

12th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 17:12-19

At that time, as Jesus entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices and said: "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus's feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then said Jesus: "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" And he said to him: "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."

12th Sunday of Luke
Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 17:12-19

Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, εἰσερχομένου αὐτοῦ εἴς τινα κώμην ἀπήντησαν αὐτῷ δέκα λεπροὶ ἄνδρες, οἳ ἔστησαν πόρρωθεν, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἦραν φωνὴν λέγοντες· ᾿Ιησοῦ ἐπιστάτα, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς. καὶ ἰδὼν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· πορευθέντες ἐπιδείξατε ἑαυτοὺς τοῖς ἱερεῦσι. καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ὑπάγειν αὐτοὺς ἐκαθαρίσθησαν. εἷς δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν, ἰδὼν ὅτι ἰάθη, ὑπέστρεψε μετὰ φωνῆς μεγάλης δοξάζων τὸν Θεόν, καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον παρὰ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ εὐχαριστῶν αὐτῷ· καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν Σαμαρείτης. ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς εἶπεν· οὐχὶ οἱ δέκα ἐκαθαρίσθησαν; οἱ δὲ ἐννέα ποῦ; οὐχ εὑρέθησαν ὑποστρέψαντες δοῦναι δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ εἰ μὴ ὁ ἀλλογενὴς οὗτος; καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἀναστὰς πορεύου· ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέ σε.

Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 7th Tone

By the cross, O Lord, you destroyed death; to the thief you opened paradise. The myrrhbearers' sorrow you transformed into joy, and you sent your apostles forth to proclaim that you had risen from the dead, Christ our God, bestowing on all the world your great mercy.

Κατέλυσας τῷ Σταυρῷ σου τὸν θάνατον, ἠνέῳξας τῷ Λῃστῇ τὸν Παράδεισον, τῶν Μυροφόρων τὸν θρῆνον μετέβαλες, καὶ τοῖς σοῖς Ἀποστόλοις κηρύττειν ἐπέταξας, ὅτι ἀνέστης Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, παρέχων τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος.

Apolytikion for Anthony the Great in the 4th Tone

Emulating the ways of Elias the zealot, and following the straight paths of the Baptist, O Father Anthony, thou madest of the wilderness a city, and didst support the world by thy prayers. Wherefore intercede with Christ our God that our souls be saved.

Τὸν ζηλωτὴν Ἠλίαν τοὶς τρόποις μιμούμενος, τῶ Βαπτιστὴ εὐθείαις ταὶς τρίβοις ἑπόμενος, Πάτερ Ἀντώνιε, τῆς ἐρήμου γέγονας οἰκιστής, καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐστήριξας εὐχαίς σου, διὸ πρέσβευε Χριστῷ τῶ Θεῷ, σωθῆναι τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν.

Seasonal Kontakion in the 1st Tone

For our salvation you took flesh and you sanctified the Virgin's womb; you blessed the aged Simeon as you lay resting in his arms, and having come to save us all, O Christ our God, to these troubled times, bring your lasting peace. Give strong and undaunted faith to all your people, O only lover of mankind.

Ὁ μήτραν παρθενικὴν ἁγιάσας τῶ τόκω σου, καὶ χείρας τοῦ Συμεὼν εὐλογήσας ὡς ἔπρεπε, προφθάσας καὶ νὺν ἔσωσας ἡμᾶς Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός. Ἀλλ' εἰρήνευσον ἐν πολέμοις τὸ πολίτευμα, καὶ κραταίωσον Βασιλεῖς οὓς ἠγάπησας, ὁ μόνος φιλάνθρωπος.

Saints and Feasts

January 17

Anthony the Great

Saint Anthony, the Father of monks, was born in Egypt in 251 of pious parents who departed this life while he was yet young. On hearing the words of the Gospel: "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell what thou hast, and give to the poor" (Matt. 19:21), he immediately put it into action. Distributing to the poor all he had, and fleeing from all the turmoil of the world, he departed to the desert. The manifold temptations he endured continually for the span of twenty years are incredible. His ascetic struggles by day and by night, whereby he mortified the uprisings of the passions and attained to the height of dispassion, surpass the bounds of nature; and the report of his deeds of virtue drew such a multitude to follow him that the desert was transformed into a city, while he became, so to speak, the governor, lawgiver, and master-trainer of all the citizens of this newly-formed city.

The cities of the world also enjoyed the fruit of his virtue. When the Christians were being persecuted and put to death under Maximinus in 312, he hastened to their aid and consolation. When the Church was troubled by the Arians, he went with zeal to Alexandria in 335 and struggled against them in behalf of Orthodoxy. During this time, by the grace of his words, he also turned many unbelievers to Christ.

Saint Anthony began his ascetic life outside his village of Coma in Upper Egypt, studying the ways of the ascetics and holy men there, and perfecting himself in the virtues of each until he surpassed them all. Desiring to increase his labors, he departed into the desert, and finding an abandoned fortress in the mountain, he made his dwelling in it, training himself in extreme fasting, unceasing prayer, and fierce conflicts with the demons. Here he remained, as mentioned above, about twenty years. Saint Athanasius the Great, who knew him personally and wrote his life, says that he came forth from that fortress "initiated in the mysteries and filled with the Spirit of God." Afterwards, because of the press of the faithful, who deprived him of his solitude, he was enlightened by God to journey with certain Bedouins, until he came to a mountain in the desert near the Red Sea, where he passed the remaining part of his life.

Saint Athanasius says of him that "his countenance had a great and wonderful grace. This gift also he had from the Saviour. For if he were present in a great company of monks, and any one who did not know him previously wished to see him, immediately coming forward he passed by the rest, and hurried to Anthony, as though attracted by his appearance. Yet neither in height nor breadth was he conspicuous above others, but in the serenity of his manner and the purity of his soul." So Passing his life, and becoming an example of virtue and a rule for monastics, he reposed on January 17 in the year 356, having lived altogether some 105 years.

January 17

Anthony the New of the Berropas Skete

Wisdom of the Fathers

Having met the Savior, therefore, the lepers earnestly besought Him to free them from their misery, and called Him Master, that is. Teacher. No one pitied them when suffering this malady, but He Who had appeared on earth for this very reason, and had become man that He might show pity to all, He was moved with compassion for them, and had mercy on them.

St. Cyril of Alexandria

Commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke, Homilies 113-116. B#42, pp. 465-466, 4th Century

So in order that we may not destroy the grace that we have received, but preserve it to the end and depart this life in possession of the treasure, there is need of something human, of endeavor on our part. In ordinary affairs it is neither reasonable nor usual for us merely to be content with having received life ... Rather we must seek the means of preserving it.

St. Nicholas Cabasilas

The Life in Christ, The Sixth Book, 1. B#38, p. 159, 14th Century

Parish News & Events

This Week's Services

If you cannot attend, please join us via Facebook or see prior weeks on our YouTube Channel

Sunday, January 24

Orthros.........................................................9:00am

Divine Liturgy...............................................10:00am

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.

Online Giving
We now have a donation button on our website for those of you who cannot attend services but would still like to give in support of our Parish. Visit our website (www.stnicholaswaco.org) and click the "Donate" link on our homepage. You will be taken to Paypal where you can pay your stewardship or other offerings.

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.

General Information

Contact Information

Past Bulletins