Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings in the Name of the Lord.
This coming Sunday, November 30, is a fifth Sunday. That means we will be having a potluck during Fellowship Hour. So, please plan on bringing a couple of your favorite Fellowship Hour Treats and please plan on helping out with the clean-up afterwards.
And speaking of good times, the 2026 House Blessing Schedule is included in the email version of this week’s newsletter. Please check to make sure your name or your family’s name appears on the list; if not, please email Father Aidan and tell him to check the list twice. We send out the schedule over a month in advance so everyone can do their best to be present for the House Blessing.
Fasting Days
The Nativity Fast runs through Wednesday, December 24. According to our Archdiocese’s Calendar, the Fast is divided into two periods: (1) November 15th through December 15th when the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish, wine, and olive oil) is observed on Wednesdays and Fridays, with a blessing for wine, olive oil and fish on other days; and (2) the subsequent period after December 15th, including that 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. Wednesday, November 12, and Friday, November 14. The Nativity Fast begins Saturday, November 15, and runs through, Wednesday, December 24. Women who are pregnant or nursing, children who are still growing, and anyone with a medically supervised diet is not to keep the full fast. Many American Orthodox Christians also obtain a blessing to celebrate Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, November 27). If you need a blessing to modify the fast in any way, please check with one of our priests.
Daily Services
Monday, November 24-Wednesday, November 26: Orthros 5am; Vespers 5pm; (there will not be any daily services on Thursday and Friday of this week; it’s always a good idea to check the day before and make sure nothing has come up to change the regular schedule). However, Fr. Andrew, Seth Hart, and many other folks continue to broadcast daily readings from spiritual books online. They are now reading Made For Union by Father George Dokos. The schedule is as follows: M-F at 12pm.
In addition to the daily Synaxarion readings posted in the #synaxarion channel on Discord, the online team is now posting daily Bible Readings that will allow you to read through the Bible in a year. These readings are posted in the #bible-365 channel.
Tuesday, November 25
The Inquirer’s Class 7pm
Wednesday, November 26
The Nativity Paraclesis 7pm
Saturday, November 29
St Thomas School 4pm
Great Vespers 6pm
Sunday, November 30 Feast of St Andrew
Orthros 8am
Divine Liturgy 10am
Fellowship Hour Potluck Noon
Finance Update
Thanks to each of you for your continued generosity. Thanks to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for Their on-going mercy. Many of us wait until the end of the year to complete our annual giving, so November and December tend to be critical months in achieving our budget goals--and we still need $66,752 to cover our annual expenses. And, absolutely, yes, that sounds like a whole lot, but if we can just complete our pledges, it is very, very doable. To pull that off, we all need to do is 1) check on Realm to make sure we are current on our financial commitment to the parish and 2) if possible, contribute a little extra to help those folks who are not able to give what they had hoped due to unemployment, illness, or unexpected expenses. If you have any questions or need any assistance with Realm, just get in touch with our Finance Guy, Ray W.
Coming Up
We are offering the Nativity Paraclesis on Wednesday evenings throughout the Fast. The service will begin at 7pm; there will be four more of those services, and our hope is that we will all be able to participate in at least one, so please plan on joining us (it’s an especially nice way to begin the Thanksgiving Holiday). To make these services even more meaningful, we are encouraged everyone to bring canned goods for the Hill County Community Ministries basket.
The archdiocese expects all of us to make our confession before Christmas. That holy mystery is available on Saturday evening after Great Vespers and just about any other time with a specific appointment.
Our Catechesis of The Good Shepherd students (L1, L2 and L3) would like to extend everyone an invitation to their upcoming Nativity Pageant on Sunday December 14th at 8:45 a.m. in the parish house. This is an informal re-enactment of the Nativity of Christ Jesus that is part sing-along and part dialogue with costumes, simple props and plenty of charm. Please plan on joining in! (And please note that we have moved the materials making session originally scheduled that day to Sunday January 4th from 1-3pm.)
Sophia Y. coordinates our Fellowship Hour Teams, and she reports that we need folks to pitch in and join up. If you’re looking for a fun way to serve our parish community, this is the opportunity for you. For that matter, if you want Fellowship Hour to include more than bad coffee, Doritos, and some green beans, then get in touch with Sophia and let her know that you’re ready to help out.
Our Moment of Grace and Courtesy
On Saturday evening, we offer the Mystery of Holy Confession. While folks are waiting to participate in the mystery, we play a recording of the Pre-Communion Prayers in the narthex. So, if you wish to visit with friends or introduce yourself to visitors during this time, please do so out on the porch. This will allow the people who are going to make their confession to prepare properly.
This Week’s Recommended Baby Name
Since we have so many babies, all of us at One Take Productions thought it would be helpful if we highlighted a saints’ name each week to help with the process of name selection. So, straight out of the Synaxarion, this week’s Certified Orthodox Baby Name is Barlaam.
an unworthy priest
aidan