Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings in the Name of the Lord.
This coming Friday, December 6, is the Feast of St Nicholas. We will offer Great Vespers on Thursday, December 5, at 7pm, and, on the morning of the feast, we will serve Orthros at 7am and Divine Liturgy at 9am. St Nicholas is the patron of all children, so, if we have children or grandchildren or godchildren, we need to participate in the services for this great and holy hierarch.
Our Calendar
Fasting Days
The Fast Continues
This Fast is divided into two periods: The first is November 15th through December 19th when the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish, wine, and olive oil) is observed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with a blessing for wine and olive oil (some also permit fish) on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and for fish, wine, and olive oil on Saturdays and Sundays. The second is the period of the Forefeast, December 20th through 24th, when the traditional fasting discipline is observed Monday through Friday, with a blessing for wine and olive oil on Saturday and Sunday. Many American Orthodox Christians also take a break from the fast on Thanksgiving Day (the emphasis there being on the word ‘day’), but if you need to modify the fast in any way, please speak to your spiritual father as soon as possible.
Daily Services
Monday, December 2- Friday, December 6:
Orthros 5am;
Vespers 5pm
(But check the schedule for the festal services. Also, due to Father Aidan’s teaching schedule, starting this Tuesday evening, September 24, he will not be able to serve Daily Vespers on Tuesday and Thursday evening until mid-December; the services will simply be read privately. Also, please don’t forget that since life in our parish community can be pretty busy, sometimes the starting times for the daily services has to be shifted. So, if you know ahead of time that you will be attending a particular service, it’s always a good idea to send Father Aidan a note at fraidan@austin.rr.com to confirm when the service will actually begin.)
Wednesday, December 4
Nativity Paraclesis 7pm
Thursday, December 5
Great Vespers for St Nicolas 7pm
Friday, December 6
The Feast of St Nicholas
Orthros 7am
Divine Liturgy 9am
Saturday, December 7
St Thomas School 4pm Mike Brown will be leading the discussion on Chapter 5, Holy Orders
Great Vespers 6pm
Sunday, December 8
10th Sunday of St Luke
Orthros 8am
Divine Liturgy 10am
Fellowship Hour Noon
Akathist to the Mother of God of The Inexhaustible Cup Noon
A Note From Our Missionaries in Albania
Dear Fr. Aidan,
As you probably have heard, we had major earthquake here in Durres this week. The effect of it was greater than a similar earthquake would be in the US due to poor building construction.
Many people are displaced because of the recent earthquakes. Some fairly strong aftershocks caused further damage to the houses and other buildings destabilized by the biggest earthquake. Many families are staying here in the children's home, the women's monastery, and the dormitories of the school.
Please consider donating to the Church's relief effort through its website. Earmarked donations will be used for the victims of the earthquake. Thank you! (The website can be accessed in English)
In Christ,
Caryn MacDonald
http://orthodoxalbania.net/index.php/al/lajme/blog/6984-thirrje-per-te-kontribuar-per-te-demtuarit-nga-termeti
This Week at St. Thomas School
Chapter 5: The Sacrament of Holy Orders (Ordination)
Why do we need priests or church hierarchy to be Orthodox Christians? The hierarchical structure of the Orthodox Church is built by the apostles on Jesus Christ. The whole hierarchical structure continues the apostolic mission. The Holy Spirit is given to each generation of Christians through hands out-stretched in prayer because God gave the apostles this power. The cheirotonia (laying on or stretching out of hands in Greek) is a well-known Old Testament gesture that guided the blessings of generations of righteous before the incarnation and it continues. Three holy orders have always been recognized: bishops, priests, deacons. They all serve at the altar and they all help us heal in various ways and to learn about God. By serving and offering the eucharist during liturgy they all help us in an essential way for our spiritual growth. The orders of the Church are holy because they bestow what’s holy to us from God.
Like ordinary water and oil, so too the laying on of hands and the spoken word in services can be taken as mere words or gestures. But they are not just empty words or objects. It’s not just earthily hands that, though we know our hands have no power in themselves, bestow graces since only through the Holy Spirit all things can be given life, and all dead material substances can become a sacrament for us. Baptismal water, the blessed oil, the bread and wine, and also the laying on of hands continue to give us the grace of the Holy Spirit in the Church.
When the purpose of the Church is approached in this way with Jesus Christ as the healer and our medicine, which is the Eucharist, we can understand why the three holy orders are so essential and beneficial for our salvation. Metropolitan Hilarion has selected many important prayers and liturgical texts for ordaining readers, deacons, priests (presbyters), and bishops. Those prayers boldly proclaim that Jesus Christ is “the physician” of the people and ruler over the Church, that Jesus Christ completes the work, that the Holy Spirit is the giver of all grace coming from the laying on of hands from bishops and priests. That grace from the Holy Spirit strengthens us with healing and blessings. We also need to live in communion with other Christians as we’ve already learned in previous volumes. This chapter shows us that nothing can be done without other Christians and the Holy Trinity. Becoming a reader, a deacon or deaconess, a priest, or a bishop involve the working of the Holy Spirit to bless what the holy orders set out to do in the Church. Join us this Saturday at 4:00 p.m. for a discussion on holy orders.
Coming Up
Now that you’re doing your holiday shopping, don’t forget about Christ The Lightgiver Bookstore. The bookstore has lots of great gift items in addition to a wide selection of books and icons. The store is open every Sunday during Fellowship Hour, but you can always get in touch with our hard-working manager, Stephanie Crown, and ask a question or place an order during the week.
The archdiocese expects each of us to make our confession during the Nativity Fast. In our parish, that holy mystery is available every Saturday night after Great Vespers or just about any other time by a specific appointment. We do not offer on-the-spot confessions, so this is something for which you will need to plan ahead. Also, while you are doing that planning, please be aware that the holy mystery will not be available after Sunday, December 22. So you will need to make your confession on or before that date. The deadline is so that we can prepare for the Feast of Nativity with a minimum of last minute activities.
It's not too early to start planning for the Nativity Services. This year, we will offer the Royal Hours at 9am on Tuesday, December 24, and then we will serve the first liturgy of Christmas, the Vesperal Liturgy of St Basil at noon. On Wednesday, December 25, we will serve Orthros at 8am and Divine Liturgy at 10am.
In Holy Orthodoxy, New Year’s is an important feast day. It’s when we celebrate the Feast of the Circumcision. This year, we will serve Great Vespers at 7pm on Tuesday, December 31, and then, on January 1, we will offer Orthros at 7am and Divine Liturgy at 9am. Start the (civil) New Year off right and join us for this beautiful feast.
Our Moment of Grace and Courtesy
Let’s be sure and leave the chairs and the benches for folks who are older and for folks who have physical limitations. Children and young people should always sit on the floor or stand. We never know who is going to come through the door of the nave, so even if it appears that there are vacant chairs or benches, children and young people should remain sitting on the floor or standing.
I hope that this third week of the Fast is a blessing for each of you and for all those that you love.
an unworthy priest
aidan