Synaxis of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner & Baptist John
New-martyr Athanasios of Attalia; Venerable Brannock of Braunton
Thought for Today: “Prayer for others is very beneficial to him who prays. It purifies the heart, strengths faith, and kindles love for God and neighbor.” – St. John of Kronstadt
VARIABLE for CHOIR and PARISH
Resurrectional Apolytikion – Tone 6
When Mary stood at Thy grave, looking for Thy sacred body, angelic powers shone above Thy revered tomb; and the soldiers who were to keep guard became as dead men. Thou led Hades captive and wast not tempted thereby. Thou didst meet the Virgin and didst give life to the world, O Thou, Who art risen from the dead, O Lord, glory to Thee.
Apolytikion of the Theophany – Tone 1
When Thou, O Lord, wast baptized in the Jordan, worship of the Trinity wast made manifest; for the voice of the Father bore witness to Thee, calling Thee His beloved Son. And the Spirit in the likeness of a dove confirmed the truth of His word. O Christ our God, Who hast appeared and enlightened the world, glory to Thee.
Apolytikion of Synaxis if John the Baptist – Tone 2
The memory of the righteous is celebrated with songs of praise, but the Lord’s testimony is sufficient for thee, O Forerunner. Thou wast shown indeed to be the most honorable of the prophets, for in the waters thou didst baptize Him Who had been proclaimed. After suffering with joy in behalf of the truth, thou didst proclaim even to those in Hades the God Who appeared in the flesh, Who taketh away the sin of the world, and granteth us the Great Mercy.
Kontakion of Theophany –Tone 4
On this day Thou hast appeared * unto the whole world, * and Thy light, O Sovereign Lord, * is signed on us who sing Thy praise * and chant with knowledge: Thou hast now come, * Thou hast appeared, O Thou Light unapproachable.
EPISTLE and GOSPEL READINGS
The Epistle
The righteous shall rejoice in the Lord. O God, hear my prayer.
The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles. (19:1-8)
In those days, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the One Who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve of them in all. And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, arguing and pleading about the Kingdom of God.
The Gospel
The reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John. (1:29-34)
At that time, John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of Whom I said, ‘After me comes a man Who ranks before me, for He was before me.’ I myself did not know Him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that He might be revealed to Israel.” And John bore witness, “I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on Him. I myself did not know Him; but He Who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on Whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
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.
LOOKING AHEAD
Save the Date! His Grace, Bishop ANTHONY, will be visiting All Saints the first weekend in February. Please block out the 2nd, 3rd and 4th on your calendar and prepare to spend a great weekend with our beloved Bishop. Please RSVP by January 10, 2024 at webbrk1@gmail.com.
House Blessing Season is Upon Us! Please expect to be contacted by Fr. Peter Jon in the coming weeks.
THIS WEEK
Monday, January 8: 6th Hour Prayers at 12 noon.
Tuesday, January 9: 3rd Hour Prayers at 9:00 am.
Wednesday, January 10: Divine Liturgy for St. Gregory of Nyssa 9am; Daily Vespers at 6:00 pm (followed by Orthodoxy 101).
Thursday, January 11: Divine Liturgy for St. Tatiana at 9:00 am.
Friday, January 12: Divine Liturgy at 9:00 am.
Saturday, January 13: Bible Study at Webb’s home, 9:00 am; Ladies gathering hosted by Johanna Hsu at 11:00 am; Great Vespers at 5:00 pm; (followed by Ask Abouna); Jr. SOYO at 3:30pm; SOYO at 6:30pm.
Sunday, January 14: Matins at9:00 am; Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am.
FAMILY NEWS
Names Day Celebration: John Alexander, John Labban, Brian Owen, John the Baptist (7th); Gregory Gillquist, Michael (Gregory) Gill, St. Gregory of Nyssa (10th); Sarah Carter, St Tatiana (12th).
Birthday Celebrations: Ian Yeager (7th); Charles Coats (8th); Tyson Schulz (8th); Hal Sabbagh (9th); Charlotte Wakefield (12th); Sarah Carter (13th).
Memory Eternal: Archpriest Michael, Dn. Sergius, Marcia, Janice, Gina, Justin.
Prayer List: Michael, Olga, Eileen, Soren, Kathy;Jan; Don and Dee; those suffering the war of Ukraine, and the Middle East; Peace talks; our nation and all nations’ leaders; schools: school children, youth and personnel across the nation; Mat. Raisa; Mary Ann; Emma (Mary Ann’s granddaughter); Bob & Bonnie Thelen; Wes (infant with brittle bone disorder); Wes’s grandfather; Megan (lymphoma); Mark (CHF) and (caregiver) Barbara;Josiah; Vicki;Vicki’s granddaughter; Steve Crandall; Fr. Athanasius; Jack; Christopher; Fr. Jerome; Catherine; Wadia; Jayci; Patricia; Marvin; Alice; Kitsa; Apthrodite; Kim; Kristy; Dusty; Cari; Betsy; Josh; Allison; Andrew (Texas/military); Isaac (Germany/military); Leanne; Heather; Nancy; Sharon Catherine; Lexi, Ross and Vivian; Theo; Doug; Jeremy; Dn. Lawrence, Marcia; Elias; Waded; Seraphima; Lilly’s family; Jennifer; Christy; Megan; John; Stanley; Macrina;; Anne; Allen; Linda; Marilyn; Mary Barger; Allison and children; Nino with child, Kip, Taylor with child, Erica with child.
Coffee Hour Host: Melissa Barbarick with Parishioners A-B.
Next week Host: Wendy Carter with Parishioners C-G.
Lending Library: New books for Library; The New Roman Empire: A History of Byzantium. Oxford University 2024, Thinking on Bioethics, St. Vlad Semi 2005; Witnesses of Christ: Neo-Martyrs of the Ottoman Period, 1437-1860. St. Vlad Semi (additional copy); One Flesh-Salvation through Marriage. Ancient Faith 2013.
Giving Opportunities:
Mission Donations: We send monthly support to two missionary units in Albania, the Hoppe family and Hannah Valentine. We welcome and encourage you to contribute to their ongoing support.
Benevolence Fund: Donations may be made to this fund throughout the year, and are mainly used to support families in need of help with rent and utilities payments.
In-House Food Pantry: The Food Pantry is in need of marinara sauce, peanut butter, canned vegetables, fruit, and soups. The pantry is available to parish members as well as families and individuals in the greater Bloomington community. Thank you for your continued support
Donations to the church are being made online at www.allsaintsbloomington.org and by U.S mail. Many thanks to all who continue supporting All Saints.