Thespina Christulides will be having her 1st Masters Voice Recital TONIGHT, on Friday, December 11th at 5:00pm in Ford Hall (IU’s campus, Jacob’s School of Music, Simon Building. 200 S Jordan Ave. The event is free. She would also like to thank everyone for their prayers this past year for healing her larynx and restoring her singing voice.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Sunday of the Forefathers (Ancestors) of Christ
Herman of Alaska, Enlightener of the Aleuts; Martyrs Eustratios, Auxentios, Eugene, Mardarios, and Orestes at Sebastia; Virgin-Martyr Lucia of Syracuse; Hieromartyr Gabriel Patriarch of Serbia
At All Saints, we warmly welcome our visitors as honored guests.
Nourishment of the Soul: “The old man said, ‘The acquisition of Christian books is necessary for those who can use them. For the mere sight of these books renders us less inclined to sin and incites us to believe more firmly in righteousness.’ He also said, ‘Reading the Scriptures is a great safeguard against sin.’ He also said, ‘Ignorance of the Scriptures is a precipice and a deep abyss.'” The Sayings of the Desert Fathers
There is a fasting pitch-in today as we bid farewell to one of our families, relocating to Knoxville. You may want to show your love in a card for the Morfas family or give them kind words as they leave.
Receiving the Eucharist: We invite you to receive the Holy Eucharist if you are an Orthodox Christian who has prepared yourself through fasting, prayer, and recent confession. If you are not Orthodox, or are Orthodox but have not prepared, we invite you to receive a piece of the blessed bread in the wooden bowls held by the altar servers at the front of the church.
Churching of Ezekiel Crandall, infant son of Matthew and Gabriella is this morning.
Orthodoxy 101 continues on Wednesday, December 16th after Daily Vespers with Dr. John Craton “Yesterday, Today, Forever: XC in the OT.”
Gift Cards: ‘Tis the season to adorn the St. Nicholas Tree with gift cards for those who need a boost this Christmas! Please bring a gift card of any amount for a store of your choice and place it on the small tree in the fellowship hall within the next week. The cards will be distributed to families and individuals who need them between now and Christmas. Thank you for answering this annual call in the name of Christ and in the spirit of St. Nicholas!
Bookstore: Check the bookstore for new icons, books, and Christmas cards.
THIS WEEK
Nativity Fast
Wine is permitted Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Wednesday, December 16: Daily Vespers at 6:00; Orthodoxy 101 from 7:00 – 9:00
Friday, December 18: Evening Liturgy – Commemorating St. Ignatius at 6:00
Saturday, December 19: Great Vespers at 5:00
Sunday, December 20: Matins at 9:00; Divine Liturgy at 10:00 — St. Lucia visits & council meets.
LOOKING AHEAD
- Vicki will have a limited supply of her homemade candies available for purchase on Sunday, December 20th.
- Christmas Eve Day Services – 9:00 am Royal Hours followed by the Vesperal Liturgy (10:30); 9:00 pm Orthros of the Nativity followed by the Christmas Liturgy (10:15) with a celebration following
- New Year’s Eve Liturgy to bring in the New Year with Feast of the Circumcision of Christ and Commemoration of St. Basil the Great at 6:00 pm
Name Day Blessings: Lucia Toadere (St. Lucia 13th); Wyatt Crandall (St. Herman 13th), Aaron Hsu (St. Herman 13th); Subdn. Daniel Barrett ( Prophet Daniel – 17th); Daniel Rigsby ( Prophet Daniel – 17th);
Happy Birthday: John G (17th); Fr. Peter Jon (18th)
Memory Eternal: Steve; Nadeem (Nov. 12); Infant Athena (25th);
Dr. Frank (2nd)
Let us pray to the Lord: “For the suffering Christians of Syria, Palestine, Iraq, & all of the Middle East, and for those suffering in the Ukraine.”
Prayer List: Archpriest Athanasius; James; Alex John; Jason; Steve D; Dee; Becky H.; Amal; Alexis T. ;Tom; Jake; Annie; Catherine; Janett; Jill; Kh. Kristina; Angie; Julian; Kh. Mary Sue Walker; Vicki; Hoppes in Albania, Jesse Brandow in Guatemala (OCMC Missionaries); Vivian; Natalie; Senior Saints; Patricia; Dee H.; John G; Nicetas; Barb; Shirley; Metropolitan Paul, Archbishop John; Kh. Loretta; Fr. John Koen; Archpriests George & Stephen; Adrian; Heather; Susan; Gabriella & Matt; Sara; Shelley; Geni; Those with child: Laura, Megan. Ashley); Emily D; Emma; Kim; Nancy; Neal; Lyuda; Bob R; Leanne; Beth; Lillian; Julie; Roger; Virginia; Marilyn; Eric; Cheryl; Lori; Pam; Debbie; Natasha; Michael & Shelley: Gabriel; Mary; Doug; Janet; Kelly; Matushka Raisa; John C; Marty; Charles; Eileen; Mary; Marvin, Alice; Katie; Deborah; Ruth; Steve; Kevin; Romaine; Derek, Claire & Micah; Tim; Preston; Sharon; Sherri; Dianna; Michael and Diane; Aaron; Brent; Jennifer; Brigid; Caleb; Dennis & Joyce; Ethan; Lena, Dean; Gayle; Thomas; Amy; Heidi; Gene & Connie; Cathi
Today’s Epistle and Gospel Readings
Prokeimenon: “How magnified are Thy works, O Lord! In Wisdom hast Thou made them all..”
Verse: “Bless the Lord, O my soul!” Psalm 103:26,1
Epistle: The Reading is from Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians. (3:4-11)
Brethren, when Christ, who is our life, appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idol worship; for the sake of such things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience; wherein you also once walked, when you lived in these things. But now you also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy language out of your mouths. Do not lie to one another, having put off the old man with his works; and having put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of his Creator, where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond, or free; but Christ is all, and in all.
Gospel: The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (14:16-24)
The Lord spoke this parable: “A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for all is now ready.’ But, one by one, they all began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I 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 still there is 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.”
Divine Liturgy Variables
Resurrectional Apolytikion – Tone 3
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 by death, and become the first-born from the dead. He hath delivered us from the depths of Hades, granting the world the Great Mercy.
Apolytikion of the Forefathers – Tone 2
Thou hast justified by faith the ancient Forefathers, and through them Thou hast gone before and betrothed unto Thyself the Church of the Gentiles. Let the saints, therefore, take pride in glory; for from their seed sprouted forth a noble fruit, and she it was who gave birth to Thee without seed. Wherefore, by their pleadings, O Christ God, save our souls.
Kontakion of Preparation of Christ’s Nativity – Tone 3
The Virgin cometh today to the cave to give birth, ineffably to bring forth the Word Eternal. Therefore, rejoice, O earth at the message with the angels and shepherds give glory to Him who shall appear by His own will as a young child, He Who is from eternity God.