St. George Orthodox Cathedral Bulletin - January 7, 2015—Published Weekly St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 30 Anna Street, Worcester, MA 01604 Saint George Orthodox Cathedral Rev. Fr. Milad Selim, Dean Rev. Archdn. Seraphim Solof Rev. Dn. Anthony Payne We are happy to welcome visitors to the Orthodox Church. We are blessed by your presence. Because the Orthodox Church understands communion to be the union of its membership, only those Orthodox Christians who have prepared properly should approach the chalice for communion. Those who belong to other “communions”, but would like to come into the Orthodox Church, should speak to one of our clergy to begin preparation. Thank you for your respect and understanding. Office 30 Anna Street Worcester, MA 01604 Telephone: (508) 752-9150 Fax: (508) 753-5623 E-mail: [email protected] Or [email protected] Web page: www.stgeorgeworcester.org Pastor’s Contact [email protected] Hall Rental Information TONE: 6 EOTHINON: 9 VESPERS: 5 PM CHURCH SCHOOL: 9 AM MATINS : 9 AM CONFESSION: 9:15-9:45 AM DIVINE LITURGY: 10 AM The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews (13:7-16) Brethren, remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the Word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings; for it is well that the heart be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited their adherents. We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through His own blood. Therefore, let us go forth to Him outside the camp and bear the abuse He endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city, which is to come. Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His Name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew (4:12-17) At that time, when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth He went and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulon and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “The land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE SIX When Mary stood at Thy grave, looking for Thy sacred body, angelic powers shone above Thy revered tomb; and the soldiers who were to keep guard became as dead men. Thou led Hades captive and wast not tempted thereby. Thou didst meet the Virgin and didst give life to the world, O Thou, Who art risen from the dead, O Lord, glory to Thee. The Hall at St. George: 508-752-9150 Sunday, January 11, 2015 St. Matthew: Captain: Thomas Aramony, Elias Risk, Jack Casey, Chase Manning, Owen Kean, Matthew Bechara, Justin Whelan, George Ouweijan, Sean-Patrick Houssan, Zachary Aster, Evan Yanni. Please dress appropriately including dress shoes and tie. Please also note that you may not serve if you did not attend Church School. APOLYTIKION OF THE THEOPHANY OF CHRIST IN TONE ONE When Thou, O Lord, wast baptized in the Jordan, worship of the Trinity wast made manifest; for the voice of the Father bore witness to Thee, calling Thee His beloved Son. And the Spirit in the form of a dove confirmed the truth of His word. O Christ our God, Who hath appeared and enlightened the world, glory to Thee. APOLYTIKION OF ST. THEODOSIOS IN TONE EIGHT The barren wilderness thou didst make fertile with the streams of thy tears; and by thy deep sighing thou hast given fruit through thy struggles a hundredfold. Accordingly, thou hast become a star for the universe, sparkling with miracles. Therefore, O righteous Father Theodosios, intercede with Christ God to save our souls. KONTAKION OF THE THEOPHANY OF CHRIST IN TONE FOUR Today Thou hast appeared to the universe, O Lord, and Thy light hath been shed upon us, who praise Thee with knowledge, saying, Thou hast come and appeared, O unapproachable Light. The Sunday After Theophany This Sunday is like an echo of the Feast of Theophany. When the Gospel speaks of the prophecy of Isaiah being fulfilled ("the people who wait in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned."), it is a reminder that Theophany is the 'feast of lights'. The light manifested on the banks of the Jordan now spreads into Galilee. Little by little, it will spread to the whole world. Jesus begins to preach and the theme of His preaching is exactly the same as John's. For John, however, the Kingdom of Heaven was 'coming', whereas for Jesus, the Kingdom is already 'at hand': The Kingdom is now identified with Him who announces it. Jesus is the essence and the power of the Kingdom. Nevertheless, this Kingdom is only at its beginning. We shall see it grow, and it will not cease growing until the end of time. This is exactly what St. Paul is declaring in this morning's Epistle when he announces that we shall"attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." The liturgical year, an abridgement of the history of salvation, represents this growth symbolically for us, from Christmas until the time after Pentecost. It thus outlines the development of our own inner life - the life of Christ in us. Bad Weather: In the event of a church or church event cancellation, please check TV Channels 4, 5, 7 and 56 for notification. Also, you can listen to Radio station WTAG (580AM & 94.9FM). We will make every effort to have cancellations posted by 7:30am on Sunday. Men’s Club: Our next meeting will be on January 29, 2015 with an election. If you would like to run for president, vice president, treasurer, or secretary, please contact the nominating committee Paul Swydan and Nick Tokatli. Women’s Club: January 13th at 6:00 we will be having a dinner meeting to discuss the upcoming year. All women over the age of 18 are welcome, please come and offer your suggestions for meetings and fundraisers. Upcoming date: Diocesan Antiochian Women’s meeting at Bishop John’s Chancery on Saturday, January 31. Information requested: The parish council has become aware that so many Cathedral members have talented backgrounds and we would like parish members to be aware of each other’s talents. We would like to put together a business roster. If you are interested, please provide me, or any Parish Council Member, your business card and/or business information. Dan Abraham 127 Copperfield Rd Worcester, MA 01602 home: (508) 755-9246 cell: (508) 963-4012. Thank you for your interest. Antiochian Village 2015 Registration Now Open!!!: Registration for summer camp is officially open! The Antiochian Village is one of the crown jewels of our God-protected Archdiocese, an experience that has formed countless leaders within our Archdiocese, both in the clergy and in the laity. It is a blessed place where our children can encounter Christ in a unique and personal way. The Village had a record-breaking number of campers last summer, and expects an even higher turnout this summer. Session 2 will run from 6/28-7/10. Camp tuition this year is $700, or $650 if paid in full by March 1st. If your personal circumstances make that cost difficult to bear, please speak with Father Milad and Ben. Once your child has been registered, please email Ben to let him know. Thank you. The Order of St. Ignatius Annual Get Together: We have been invited to Bishop JOHN’s home at 2 Lydia’s Path Westborough MA on Sunday January 18 from 3-6pm. Please RSVP if you are able to attend: Elizabeth Votruba, [email protected] or Debbie Laham, [email protected]. TRISAGION PRAYERS AND HOLY KURBAN IN LOVING MEMORY OF: - Mary H. Nasrah and all the deceased members of the Hanash and Driek Families from Camille and Naser Nasrah and Families - Mary T. Abdelmaseh and all the deceased members of the Touma Family from Camille and Naser Nasrah and Families - Albert Abdelmaseh and all the deceased members of the Abdelmaseh Family from Camille and Naser Nasrah and Families PRAYERS OF OBLATION IN LOVING MEMORY OF: - Adelle Nabhan from Barbara Bourisk Adelle Nabhan from Sheryl Bourisk and Paul Minda Stephen Assad from Barbara Bourisk Stephen Assad from Sheryl Bourisk and Paul Minda Ken Ezen on his birthday from Ed Hyder and Family Antonios and Hannah Nachor from Jamile El Nachor PRAYERS OF OBLATION FOR THE HEALTH OF: - The Nabhan and Assad Families from Barbara and Sheryl Bourisk and Paul Minda - Nicolas Akar and Toni Akar from Jamile El Nachor Coffee Hour Sponsors: We have many Sunday Coffee Hours available for sponsorship. If you would like to sponsor a coffee hour in memory of or for the health of a friend or a loved one, please contact the Cathedral Office for available Sundays and food options. Junior SOYO Meeting & Donations Needed!!!: Junior SOYO will be meeting at 3 PM on Saturday, January 10th. The day’s activity will be assembling care packages to be sent to local troops stationed in Afghanistan. Please bring the following items to Church anytime between now and January 10th: granola bars, protein bars, gum, mints, packaged candy, individual/snack-sized cookies, shaving cream, sanitary wipes, hot cocoa mix packets, tortilla chips. We will also be saying prayers and lighting candles for our college students as they prepare to return to college after winter break. Please contact Frank Sutton or Ben Daniel for more info. Teen SOYO Meeting!!!: Teen SOYO will be meeting immediately following Divine Liturgy on Sunday, January 11th. We will be discussing our planned social and service activities for the remainder of the year. Please contact Ben Daniel or one of our officers for more info.