Brothers and Sisters,
It’s that time of year when we look forward to the coming year, and, in this week’s edition of The Happy Priest, you will find lots of information about what will be happening in the first few weeks of 2024.
Please double check the 2024 House Blessing Schedule at the conclusion of the email edition of The Happy Priest; we want to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to get their home blessed in the coming year.
Please look at the link for the 2024 Annual Community Meeting. You’ll find all the information you need for that important event.
Our Calendar
The Nativity Fast
The Nativity Fast continues. This fasting season 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.
Daily Services
Monday December 11—Friday, December 15: Orthros 5am; Vespers 5pm (in general, if you plan on attending the in-person services, it’s always a good idea to check the day before and make sure the regular schedule will be observed). Also, Seth Hart and friends will be at the online chanter’s stand, offering the First, Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours this week: 1st hour & 3rd hour: 8:30 a.m.; 6th hour & 9th hour: 3:30 p.m.
Fr. Andrew, Seth Hart, and Matthew Groh and many other folks continue to broadcast daily readings from spiritual books online. They are now reading “The Hidden Man of the Heart” by Elder Zacharias. The schedule is as follows: M-F at 12pm.
Also, our online team will now be reading the Daily Synaxarion on Discord. Just look for this channel: #synaxarion
Tuesday, December 12
Orthodoxy 101 7pm You can also access the group on Discord
Wednesday, December 13
The Nativity Paraclesis 7pm
Thursday, December 14
The Bible Study, New Testament Edition 7pm (You can access this group on Discord)
Saturday, December 16
St Thomas School 4pm
Great Vespers 6pm
Sunday, December 17
Sunday of The Forefathers
Orthros 8am
Divine Liturgy 10am
Fellowship Hour Noon
St Thomas School
On Saturday, December 16, DeAnne M. will be leading discussion the chapter of Volume IV entitled, “The Divine Liturgy” (pgs 156-173). Online access is available on Discord; like to participate online, you still need to sign-up ahead of time. Just send an email to remote.meetings@theforerunner.org by Thursday, December 14, to reserve your spot.
Coming Up
During the Nativity Fast, we always offer the Nativity Paraclesis on Wednesday evenings at 7pm. After this week, there is just one more of those services—on December 20—so, if you haven’t yet made it to a Paraclesis please do all you can to join us.
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, Sunday, 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.
Since the Feast of Nativity falls on a Monday this year, we will offer the Royal Hours for the feast on Friday, December 22 at noon. Great Vespers for Nativity will be served no later than 1pm on Sunday, December 24, Christmas Eve, after a very brief, coffee only, Fellowship Hour. The services for the feast will continue on Monday, December 25, with Orthros at 8am and Divine Liturgy at 10am (and no Fellowship Hour after the Liturgy). Please plan on joining us as often as you can for the services.
At the conclusion of the email edition of the newsletter, you’ll find the schedule for our 2024 House Blessings. Please read through the schedule, and, if your name is not on the list, please contact Father Aidan right away. If your name is on the list, put that date in your phone or write it on your calendar or magnetize it to the refrigerator—or do all three. That way, you won’t be surprised when a guy in a black dress shows up at the door with a Holy Water Sprinkler.
Our 2024 Annual Community Meeting will be on Sunday, February 11. All the information for that meeting—the agenda, the reports, the candidates for parish council—can all be found in the email edition of this newsletter.
An Iconography Learning Opportunity
Our own parishioner Baker Galloway now teaches drawing classes for aspiring iconographers of all ages and experience levels. Classes are held on Monday evenings in 4-week Sessions. If you are interested you can learn more and register on Baker's website: https://gallowaystudio.co/classes
Our Moment of Grace and Courtesy
Our Fellowship Hour Teams report that it has become a real challenge to adequately assist younger, unaccompanied children in the serving line. So, to keep the line running smoothly and to make sure that children do not end up eating anything their parents do not want them to eat, the teams are now requesting that all children under the age of 10 be accompanied by a parent. If a child under ten is in the line without a parent present, a team member will simply ask the child to wait and get their food when one of their parents are available to help.
an unworthy priest
aidan