Week of December 18

Brothers and Sisters,

The Forefeast of Nativity begins this Wednesday, December 20—which is also, coincidentally, the day the fasting discipline tightens up and the day of the final Nativity Paraclesis. Please also be aware that this coming Saturday evening, December 23, we will be the last opportunity to participate in the Mystery of Holy Confession before the festal season begins.

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 18—Friday, December 22: 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 19

  • Orthodoxy 101 7pm (You can also access the group on Discord)

Wednesday, December 20

  • The Nativity Paraclesis 7pm

Thursday, December 21

  • The Bible Study, Old Testament Edition 7pm (You can access this group on Discord)

Friday, December 22

  • Royal Hours for Nativity Noon

Saturday, December 23

  • St Thomas School 4pm

  • Great Vespers 6pm

Sunday, December 24

Sunday Before Nativity

  • Orthros 8am

  • Divine Liturgy 10am

  • Fellowship Hour Noon (coffee only)

  • Great Vespers for the Feast of Nativity no later than 1pm

Monday, December 25

The Feast of Nativity

  • Orthros 8am

  • Divine Liturgy 10am

  • No Fellowship Hour or Coffee

St Thomas School

On Saturday, December 23, Father Aidan will be leading discussion the chapter of Volume IV entitled, “The Divine Liturgy” (pgs 174-195). 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 21, to reserve your spot. 

Coming Up

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.

Since the Feast of the Circumcision falls on a Monday this year, we will use the same arrangement we used for Nativity: on Sunday, December 31, we will follow the regular schedule, but we will have a brief, coffee only, Fellowship Hour, and then we will offer Great Vespers for the Circumcision no later than 1pm. The following morning, January 1, we will offer Orthros at 6am and Divine Liturgy at 8am.

This year, the Great Feast of Theophany falls on a Saturday. So, on Friday, January 5, we will offer the Royal Hours for the feast at noon and Great Vespers for the feast at 5pm. On January 6, we will serve Orthros at 6am and Divine Liturgy and the Blessing of the Water at 8am. House Blessings will begin that afternoon. We will also join other Orthodox communities in the area on Sunday, January 14, for the Outdoor Blessing of the Waters at Twin Lakes Park at 1pm.

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.

Our Moment of Grace and Courtesy

When we need to ask the priest a question or give him an update on our health or schedule an appointment, we can do that by email or with a phone call or in a personal conversation. However, we should not try to do any of that when we are receiving the Holy Eucharist or reverencing the Precious and Life-Giving Cross—those are sacred and solemn moments that should not be interrupted with other concerns.

an unworthy priest

aidan