Brothers and Sisters,
Happy Feast!
Monday, November 21, we will celebrate the Feast of the Entrance of the Mother of God. We will serve Orthros at 5am and Divine Liturgy at 7am. This is a wonderful and focused way to start this busy holiday week, so please plan on joining us as we honor the Most Holy Theotokos with this beautiful feast.
Our Calendar
The Fast
The Nativity Fast is divided into two periods: (A) November 15th through December 19th when the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish, wine, and olive oil) is observed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with a blessing for wine and olive oil (some also permit fish) on Tuesday and Thursday, and for fish, wine, and olive oil on Saturday and Sunday, and (B) 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. The eve of the feast, December 24th is a strict fast day. December 25th through January 4th is fast-free. Many American Christians ask for a blessing and take a day off from the fast on Thanksgiving Day, but,if you need to modify the fast in any way, please check with your spiritual father as soon as possible.
Daily Services
Monday, November 21 to Friday, November 23
Orthros 5am
Vespers 5pm
It’s generally a good idea to check the day before to make sure that the service will be offered; sometimes pastoral situations require a change of plans, and the service cannot be offered on that particular day).
The Hours
Seth Hart will be at the online chanter’s stand offering the Hours and stream them to Zoom. The schedule is below:
First Hour, 6:45 a.m.
Third Hour, 8:45 a.m.
Sixth Hour, 11:45 a.m.
Ninth Hour, 3:45 p.m.
Please see the emailed newsletter for login information.
St. John Trapeza Readings
Also, Fr. Andrew, Matthew G., and Seth H. continue to broadcast daily readings from spiritual books online. They re currently reading Theosis: The True Purpose of Human Life by Archimandrite George of The Holy Monastery of St. Gregorios of Mount Athos. The schedule is as follows: M-F at 12pm.
If you would like to listen in, use this link to join the Telegram link shared in the emailed version of the newsletter.
Monday, November 21 The Feast of the Entrance of the Mother of God
Orthros 5am
Divine Liturgy 7am
Tuesday, November 22
Parish Council 7pm this group will meet in the parish house
Orthodoxy 101 7pm This group will meet in the narthex of the Long Hall
Please see the login details in the emailed version of the newsletter to join Zoom meeting
Wednesday, November 23
The Nativity Paraclesis 7pm
Saturday, November 26
St. Thomas School 4 pm
Great Vespers at 6 pm
Sunday, November 27
The Thirteenth Sunday of St. Luke
Orthros at 8am
Between Orthros and Divine Liturgy, Jordan C. will be baptized and Jacob R. and Jacob D. will be chrismated. Brandon and Cara M. will be made catechumens. Please arrive early to participate in these Holy Mysteries
Liturgy 10am
Fellowship Hour Noon
ST THOMAS SCHOOL
On Saturday, November 26, Baker Galloway will lead the discussion of Chapter Thirteen in Volume Two, “The Incarnation” https://theforerunner.squarespace.com/blog/2021/5/9/orthodox-christianity-vol-iii-ch-2. In order to participate online, send an email to remote.meetings@theforerunner.org by this coming Thursday, November 10; you will also need to keep your camera on during the session.
COMING UP
We continue to talk about the next steps in our building program, and we want to hear from everyone. To make that easier, a Frequently Asked Questions document is attached to this newsletter. Of course, you can also talk to Baker Galloway, Mike Brown, Will Hampton, or Father Aidan Wilcoxson in person or contact any of those folks via email.
During the Nativity Fast, we always offer the Nativity Paraclesis on Wednesday evenings at 7pm. This year, there are five more of those services—on November 23,30 and December 7,14,21—so all of us should be able to make at least one of them. Also, this year, since these services follow our Fall Theological Seminar, we’re going to be using them to pray for discernment as we move forward with our Building Program. So please go ahead and note on you calendar the services in which you will be able to participate.
The Archdiocese expects us all to make our confession at least once during Nativity Lent. In our community, confession is offered on Saturday evenings after Great Vespers, or just about any other time by appointment. We will not be hearing confessions on Christmas Eve, Saturday, December 24, but, between now and the end of December, all you need to do is show up on Saturday night or contact one of our priests to arrange a specific time to participate in this Holy Mystery.
The Burial Society is equipped to provide many tender mercies to the parishioners of St John’s when they depart this life. But in order to take advantage of these services, you must fill out a very important piece of paper so the group can legally step in and help prepare the body for burial in the most gentle and fully Orthodox manner possible. On the first Sunday of the month, after receiving blessings for new items and travels, please plan to visit our table, where the group will help you prepare for the most important trip you will ever take. The group will provide everything needed to take care of this easily and quickly for you, and the first of these opportunities will be on Sunday, December 4. You may contact Valerie G. with any questions or for more information.
And, finally, in the emailed version of this week’s edition of The Happy Priest is the schedule for 2023 House Blessings—yes, it will be here before you know it! So, please read through the list and make sure that your name appears on it; if the date that you’ve been assigned works, then please log that date into your phone and write it on all your calendars. If you have been left off the list, or if the date that you’ve been assigned will not work, then please get in touch with Father Aidan Wilcoxson as soon as possible.
OUR MOMENT OF GRACE AND COURTESY
We now have an official, liturgical ending to Fellowship Hour: The choir will be singing a Closing Prayer in several locations on the property—in the Long Hall, on the playground, at the picnic tables. It is our tradition to stand during Blessings and Prayers, so, when you hear the choir, please rise and pause your visiting and eating until the hymn is over.
Things That Make Priests Happy
Blessing Father Deacon Gerasimos and Shamassy Irene on their 28th anniversary; celebrating the Feast of the Entrance; seeing Marla P. and Will B. in the choir; admiring the beautiful calendars donated by Randy and Jerrine H.; offering the services for St Hilda of Whitby; learning that James G. likes alliteration; seeing the Burial Society in action; agreeing, with Christine Y., that presentation is everything; watching a hawk ride on the wind.
an unworthy priest,
aidan