December 9, 2018

Conception of the Theotokos by St. Anna

Galatians 4:22-27: In the reading from Galatians we hear of the two sons of Abraham, one by Hagar and one by Sarah. We are reminded that these children symbolize the two covenants, and the two Jerusalems, one in slavery and the other free and she is our mother.

Luke 13:10-17: By healing a woman held in bondage to an illness for eighteen years, our Lord dem­onstrates that the Law does not prohibit righteous action on the Sabbath.

Troparion of the Resurrection: Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad; for the Lord hath done a mighty act with his own arm. He hath trampled down death and become the First-born from the dead. He hath delivered us from the depths of hades, granting the world the Great Mercy.

Troparion of the Conception of the Theotokos by St. Anna: Today have the bonds of barrenness been loosened; God having heard the prayers of Joachim and Anna, promised them openly that they should give birth, beyond hope, to the Maiden of God, from whom He, the infinite One was to be born, becoming man, commanding the angel to shout to her: Rejoice, O full of grace; the Lord is with thee.

Troparion of the Chains of St. Peter: O Holy Apostle, Peter, thou dost preside over the Apostles by the precious chains which thou didst bear. We venerate them with faith and beseech thee that by thine intercessions we be granted the great mercy.

Kontakion of the Conception of the Theotokos by St. Anna: All the world doth celebrate Anna’s conception on this day with festive joy, because it came to pass through God; for by divine grace she hath conceived her that beyond words conceiveth the Word of God.

CALENDAR

Sunday, December 9 (Conception of the Theotokos)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

12:00 p.m. — Santa Lucia Celebration during Coffee Hour

Monday, December 10

Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, December 11

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

Wednesday, December 12 (Spyridon the Wonder-worker)

6:30 p.m. — Advent Paraklesis

Thursday, December 13 (Herman of Alaska)

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

Friday, December 14

Saturday, December 15 (Hieromartyr Eleutherios)

5:45 p.m. — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers

Sunday, December 16 (Sunday of the Holy Forefathers)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

12:00 p.m. — POT LUCK MEAL

12:00 p.m. — Children’s Nativity Play

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Jones for the Divine Liturgy this morning. The Artoklasia Bread for the Feast of St. Nicholas the Wonder-worker this past Wednesday evening was offered by the Hendersons.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

December 9 Jones Pigott/Dabit/Strain/Lavric

December 16 Meadows POT LUCK MEAL

Set-up: Stewart/Meadows

December 23 Davis Baker/D. Root/Dansereau

December 24 (Mon. p.m.) D. Root 1. Sarah Milnor

(Feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ) 2. Natalia Aleetawi

3. Cheryl Pigott

December 30 Karam Katool/Davis/Staursky

December 31 (Mon. P.m.) Baker (Artoklasia Bread) No Meal

(January 1-Feast of the Circumcision of our Lord and Feast of St. Basil the Great)

Schedule for Epistle Readers – Page numbers refer to the Apostolos (book of the Epistles) located on the front pew. Please be sure to use this book when you read.

Reader Reading Page#

December 9 Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver Gal. 4:22-27 314

December 16 Sam Habeeb Col. 3:4-11 233

December 24 (Mon. p.m.) Walt Wood Gal. 4:4-7 351

December 30 Sh. Charlotte Algood Gal. 1:11-19 188

Please be reminded that the Sacristy/Vestry which is adjacent to and behind the altar in our church is considered by the Orthodox Church to be part of the Sanctuary (Altar area) and should not be entered without the blessing of the priest for a specific purpose. If you need to speak with a member of the clergy while they are in the Sanctuary, please ask them to come to you in the nave.

Continue to pray for Metropolitan Paul (who is also the brother of our Patriarch) and the Syriac Archbishop John of Aleppo who were abducted while on a humanitarian mission in Syria.

Please be reminded of the following:

Be very careful with the Blessed Bread when you take it after communion. Because this bread has been blessed, we should take care not to let crumbs fall on the floor. Parents, especially, please help your children to choose a small piece and treat it carefully.

Also, at the end of the liturgy, maintain a prayerful disposition during the veneration of the cross as the prayers of thanksgiving after communion are still underway. Please exchange your greetings with each other in the Fellowship Hall during Coffee Hour.

Please remember the following in your prayers: Steve, Sheryl Chamblee; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit and Sammie; Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon’s sister); k; Lynda Costas; Fr. Nicholas, Kh. Jan and Angelina Speier; David Morris and his family; Vernie Meadows, Fr. James and Kh. Sharon and their family; Walt and Charlotte Wood and their family; Lou Turner’s cousin Amy and her husband John; Noah and Beth Ann (Baker) Pappas, the Reader Basil and Brenda and all of the Baker family.

Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle, and their daughter Abigail, in your prayers.

Please keep Fr. John Morris and Kh. Cheryl in your prayers. They have both been ill recently.

Calendar Items:

* The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.

* The Ladies of St. Peter meet at 10:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of the month to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children.

* The Ladies of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the last Tuesday of the month.

* The Fast of the Nativity has begun and continues until the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord on December 25th. As is the custom in our parish, we will pray the Advent Paraklesis on Wednesday evenings during the fast in place of Daily Vespers, beginning Wednesday, November 28th.

* We will have a Santa Lucia celebration today during Coffee Hour.

* The Children will present their Nativity Program on Sunday, December 16th during Coffee Hour. We will also have a Pot Luck Meal that Sunday to add to the festivities.

Fasting Discipline for December

During the Fast of the Nativity the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed each day of the week. Note, however, through December 19th there is a katlysis on Tuesdays and Thursdays when wine and oil are permitted, and on Saturdays and Sundays when fish, wine and oil are permitted.

Major Commemorations for December

December 9 Conception of the Theotokos

December 12 Syridon the Wonder-worker

December 13 Herman of Alaska

December 15 Hieromartyr Eleutherios

December 20 Ignatius of Antioch, the God-bearer

December 25 Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ

December 26 Synaxis of the Theotokos

December 27 Protomartyr Stephen

Diocese of Miami and the Southeast Winter Retreat: The Winter Retreat is scheduled for January 25-27th at St. Elias Orthodox Church in Atlanta. V. Rev. Fr. John Oliver will be the Retreat Speaker. Registration (which covers meals and all other retreat expenses)is $50. You may register at http://bit.ly/DMC-Winter-Retreat. Hotel information is also available at that site.

Unsupervised children in the Kitchen: For health and safety concerns children are not to be allowed in the kitchen unless accompanied by a parent. Please get ice for your children and do NOT allow them to use the icemaker themselves.

If you are the last to leave, please make sure that the doors in the Fellowship Hall, the kitchen and the hallway are all locked.

For Parents: Children in the nursery during Coffee Hour MUST be supervised just as they are on the playground. This room is used for Sunday School each week. Children who are unsupervised create disarray and use materials set aside for the teaching of Christian Education. This creates extra work for the Sunday School teachers who have to come in and set the room in order before class or who find supplies depleted unexpectedly. A parent must be in the room with their children at all times. Please help us with this! — Fr. John

Quotable: “Of course, it is better not to sin. But repentance, if it is like a flame, can restore every loss.”

Archimandrite Sophrony, Words of Life

Worship: Sunday, December 16, 2018 (Sunday of the Holy Forefathers)

Scripture: Colossians 3:4-11; Luke 14:16-24

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Sam Habeeb

Prosphora: Meadows

Coffee Hour: POT LUCK MEAL

Set-up: Stewart/Meadows