December 16, Sunday of Forefathers (Ancestors) of Christ

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A parish of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America December 16, 2018 Sunday of Forefathers (Ancestors) of Christ FOR NON-ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS We welcome

However, Orthodox Christians believe that the Eucharist (Holy Communion) is an action of the celebrating community, signifying a oneness in faith and life in Christ and the

1 A parish of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America December 16, 2018 Sunday of Forefathers (Ancestors) of Christ FOR NON-ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS We welcome all people to pray in our church. However, Orthodox Christians believe that the Eucharist (Holy Communion) is an action of the celebrating community, signifying a oneness in faith and life in Christ and the worship of Christ. Reception of the Eucharist by those not united with the Orthodox Church would imply a oneness which does not exist. We invite you to receive the blessed bread that is given out to all at the end of the service, and are thrilled that you have joined us this morning! Christ is in our midst! He is and ever shall be!

2 CONTACT INFORMATION HIERARCHS: His Eminence, Metropolitan Joseph Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America His Grace, The Right Reverend Anthony Auxiliary Bishop of Toledo and the Midwest CLERGY: Very Rev. Fr. Mark Sahady, Interim Pastor (724) (cell) Very Reverend Economos Fr. Nicholas Dahdal (630) (cell) Subdeacon Mazen Khalifeh (708) (cell) Subdeacon Steve Bynum Subdeacon David Rayahin (847) (cell) Subdeacon Michael Khouri CHANTERS: Protopsaltis Jameel Haddad, Chadi Karam, Sara Kurian CHOIR DIRECTOR: Trevor Lenhart HEAD USHER: Adel Alfakhori WEBMASTER: Suhail Qumri BOOKSTORE: Robert Sweiss stgeorgecicero.org PARISH COUNCIL: chairwoman: Darlene N. Haddad vice-chair: Rammy Zanayed secretary: Mina Rantisi treasurer: Suhail Qumri financial secretary: Mazen Rihani MEMBERS: Adel Alfakhori, Steve Bynum, Maher Eseed, Joseph Homsy, Hania Kahoush, Trevor Lenhart, Michael Mufarreh, Hani Rihani, Mariana Saba, Yousef Selim COUNCIL HONORARY MEMBERS: Mansour Rayan, Eid Swais LADIES GUILD: Samar Rihani (President) YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY: Lauren Rihani (President) SOYO: Michael Nawas (President) SUNDAY SCHOOL: Karen Nawas (Principal) CHURCH OFFICE: secretary: Samar Rihani office hours: Tue Fri 10am 5pm telephone: fax: website: address: 1220 S. 60th Ct, Cicero, IL, WEEKLY SERVICES SCHEDULE: Saturday Great Vespers: 5:00pm Sunday Orthros (Matins): 9:15am Sunday Divine Liturgy: 10:30am 2

3 THE SYNAXARION On December 16 th in the Holy Orthodox Church we commemorate the holy and glorious Prophet Haggai; Theophania the empress; and Modestos, archbishop of Jerusalem. On this day we celebrate the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers (Ancestors) of our Lord Jesus. Verses Receive joy, O Forefathers which lived aforetime, As now ye behold at hand Christ the Messiah. Be glad, O Abraham, for thou art shown to be the forefather of Christ. We remember all the holy Patriarchs of the Old Testament who prefigured or foretold Christ: Adam the first Father, Enoch, Melchizedek, Abraham, the friend of God, Isaac, the fruit of the Promise, Jacob and the twelve patriarchs. We then commemorate those who lived under the Law: Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Samuel, David, and the Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel; the twelve minor prophets; Elijah, Elisha, Zachariah, and John the Baptist; and finally the Virgin Mary, the intermediary between mankind and her divine Son. Indeed, the Lord Jesus did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to redeem humanity which bemoaned the weight of evil since Adam; to realize the promise made to Abraham; to change the Law of Fear into the Law of Love; and to give Resurrection and Life to mankind. This feast prepares us for the Nativity of Jesus Christ, placing before us the anticipation and hope for His coming among us. By the intercessions of Thy Saints, O God, have mercy upon us. Amen. 3

4 4 TODAY S LITURGY INSERTS RESURRECTIONAL TROPARION (TONE 4) إن ت لميذات الر ب ت ع ل م ن م ن الم الك الك ر ز بالقيام ة Having learned the joyful message of the Resurrection from the angel the women disciples of the Lord cast from them their parental condemnation. And proudly broke the news to the Disciples, saying: Death hath been spoiled; Christ God is risen, granting the world Great Mercy. الب ه ج وط ر ح ن الق ضاء الج د ي وخاط ب ن الر س ل م ف ت خ ارت وقائ الت : س ب ي الم و ت وقام الم سيح اإلله وم ن ح العال م الر ح م ة الع ظ مى. ENTRANCE HYMN OF ORDINARY SUNDAYS Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ. Save us, O Son of God, Who art risen from the dead; who sing to Thee. Alleluia. خ ل صنا ل ن س ج د ون ر ك ع ل ل م سيح م ل ك نا وإله نا. ه ل م وا يا اب ن هللا يا م ن قام م ن بين األموات إذ ن ر ت ل ل ك. ه ل لوييا. REPEAT RESURRECTIONAL TROPARION (TONE 4) TROPARION OF THE FOREFATHERS (TONE 2) Thou hast justified by faith the ancient Forefathers, and through them Thou hast gone before and betrothed unto Thyself the Church of the Gentiles. Let the saints, therefore, take pride in glory; for from their seed sprouted forth a noble fruit, and it was she who gave birth to Thee without seed. Wherefore, by their pleadings, O Christ God, save our souls. لقد ز ك ي ت باإليمان اآلباء الق د ماء وب ه م س ب ق ت فخ ط ب ت البيع ة التي م ن األ م م فالق د يسون بالم ج د ي ف ت خ رون إذ م ن ز ر ع ه م أي ن ع ت ث م رة ح سيب ة وهي و ل د ت ك ب غ ي ر ز ر ع. ف ب ت ض ر ع ه م أي ها الم سيح اإلله التي ار ح م نا. TROPARION OF ST. GEORGE THE GREAT MARTYR (TONE 4) Since thou art a liberator and deliverer of captives, a help and succour of the poor and needy, a healing physician of the sick, a contender and fighter for kings, O great among Martyrs, the victory clad George; intercede with Christ God for the salvation of our souls. بما أن ك للمأس ورين م ح رر وم عت ق وللف ق ارء والم س اكين عاض د ون اص ر وللم رض ى طبيب وش اف وعن المؤم نين م كاف ح وم ح ار ب أيها العظيم في الش هداء جاورجيوس الآلب س الظ ف ر ت ش ف ع إلى المسيح اإلله في خ الص ن ف وس نا.

5 KONTAKION OF PREPARATION OF CHRIST S NATIVITY (TONE 3) (**The Original Melody**) The Virgin cometh today to the cave to give birth, ineffably to bring forth the Word eternal. Therefore, rejoice, O earth at the message with the angels and shepherds give glory to him who shall appear by his own will as a young child, he who is from eternity God. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God of our Fathers. For Thou art just in all that Thou hast done for us. The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians. (3:4-11) Brethren, when Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. In these you once walked, when you lived in them. But now put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator. Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all. THE EPISTLE (For the Holy Forefathers) اليوم الع ذ ارء ت أ تي إلى الم غار ة ل ت ل د الك ل م ة الذي ق ب ل الد ه ور و الد ة ال ت ف س ر وال ي ن ط ق ب ها ف اف ر ح ي أي ت ها الم سكون ة إذا س م ع ت وم ج دي م ع الم الئ ك ة والر عاة الذي س ي ظ ه ر ب م شيئ ت ه ط ف ال ج ديدا وه و إله نا الذي ق ب ل الد ه ور. م بار ك أنت يا رب إله آبائنا ألنك ع د ل في ك ل ما صن ع ت ب ن ا. ف ص ل م ن ر سال ة الق د يس ب ول س الر سول إلى أه ل كولوس ي. )3:4-11( ه و ة م تى ظ ه ر الم سيح الذي يا إخ و ح يات نا ف أن ت م أي ضا ت ظ ه رون حين ئ ذ م ع ه في الم ج د* ف أميتوا أع ضاء ك م التي على األر ض : ة الر د ي ة والط م ع والن جاسة واله وى والش ه و الز نى ه و عباد ة و ث ن * ألن ه ألج ل ه ذ ه ي أ تي غ ض ب الذي الع صيان * وفي ه ذ ه أن ت م أي ضا هللا على أب ناء ف أن ت م سل ك ت م حينا إذ ك ن ت م عائ شين فيها* أم ا اآلن أيضا اط ر حوا الك ل : الغ ض ب والس خ ط والخ ب ث والت ج ديف والك الم الق بيح م ن أف واه ك م * وال ي ك ذ ب ب ع ض ك م ب ع ضا ب ل اخ ل عوا االن سان الع تيق م ع أع مال ه* وال ب سوا االن سان الج ديد الذي ي ت ج د د ل ل م ع ر ف ة على صور ة خال ق ه* ح يث ل ي س يونان ي وال اسكيث ي ي هودي ال خ تان وال ق ل ف ال ب ر ب ر ي وال ال ع ب د وال ح ر ب ل الم سيح ه و ك ل ش يىء وفي الجميع. 5

6 The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (14:16-24) The Lord spoke this parable: A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, Come; for all is now ready. But, one by one, they all began to make excuses. The first said to him, I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame. And the servant said, Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room. And the master said to the servant, Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet. For many are called, but few are chosen. THE GOSPEL (For the Holy Forefathers) اإلنجيلي فصل شريف من بشارة القديس لوقا البشير والتلميذ الطاهر. )14:16-24( ع شاء قال الرب هذا ال م ث ل: إنسان ص ن ع فأرسل عب د ه في ساعة ع ظ يما ود ع ا كثيرين* العشاء يقول ل ل م د ع و ين ت عال وا فإن ك ل شيء ق د أ ع د * ف ط ف ق ك ل ه م واح د فواح د ي ست ع ف ون. فقال ل ه األول قد اش ت ر ي ت ح ق ال وال ب د لي أن أ خ ر ج وأنظ ر ه فأسأل ك أن ت ع ف ي ني * وقال اآلخ ر ق د اشتري ت خ م سة فدادين ب ق ر وأنا ماض أل ج ر ب ها فأسأل ك أن ت ع ف ي ني * وقال اآلخ ر قد ت ز و ج ت ام أرة فلذل ك ال أست طيع أن أجيء * فأ ت ى الع ب د وأخب ر سي د ه بذل ك * فحينئ ذ غ ض ب ر ب البي ت س ريعا إلى شوار ع المدينة وقال ل ع ب د ه : أ خ ر ج وأز ق ت ها وأ د خ ل المساكين وال ج د ع والع ميان والع ر ج ي س ي د قد ق ض ما أم ر ت إلى ه ه ن ا* فقال العب د : يا ب ه ويبقى أيضا م ح ل * فقال السي د للعب د : أ خ ر ج إلى الط ر ق واألسي ج ة واضط ر ر ه م إلى الدخول حتى ي م ت ل ئ بي ت ي*فإ ن ي أقول ل ك م إن ه ال يذوق عشائ ي أح د م ن أولئ ك الر ج ال المدعو ين* ألن المدعو ين كثيرون وال م ختارين ق ل يل ون. 6

7 SERVICE SCHEDULE Saturdays Vespers 5pm Sundays Wed, Dec 19 th Mon, Dec 24 th Matins Liturgy Vespers for St. Ignatius with Canon to begin Holy Week of Christmas Royal Hours Vespers Liturgy for Christmas Eve Matins Liturgy for Christmas 9:15am 10:30am 7pm 9am 5pm 6pm 10:15pm 11:30pm Mon, Dec 31 st Vespers with Artoklasia 5pm CALENDAR OF EVENTS Sun, Dec 16 th Choir Rehearsal Teen SOYO Meeting 12:30pm 1:15pm Sun, Dec 23 rd St. Ignatius Day Sunday School Christmas Pageant After Liturgy Fri-Sat, Dec 28 th -29 th Teen Retreat Walking in Faith 6:30pm Sun, Jan 13 th Teen SOYO Meeting 1pm Sat, Jan 19 th Teen SOYO Bowling TBD Sun, Jan 27 th Godparent Sunday Teen SOYO Officers Meeting 12:30pm HOLY BREAD OFFERED BY Today Jeries & Kathy Kahoush and family The Samuel family in memory of Helen Abram جريس وكاثي قاحوش والعائلة العائلة صموئيل عن نفس المرحومة هلين إب ارم جمعية القديس اغناطيوس Dec 23 rd The Order of St. Ignatius رياض و ارنيا البدر Dec 30 th Riyad & Rania AlBader 7

COFFEE HOST Today Jeries & Kathy Kahoush and family The Samuel family in memory of Helen Abram جريس وكاثي قاحوش والعائلة العائلة صموئيل عن نفس المرحومة هلين إب ارم جمعية القديس اغناطيوس Dec 23 rd The

8 COFFEE HOST Today Jeries & Kathy Kahoush and family The Samuel family in memory of Helen Abram جريس وكاثي قاحوش والعائلة العائلة صموئيل عن نفس المرحومة هلين إب ارم جمعية القديس اغناطيوس Dec 23 rd The Order of St. Ignatius رياض و ارنيا البدر Dec 30 th Riyad & Rania Albader CHRISMATIONS لويس كاستانيدا. Castaneda. Today Luis BAPTISMS Yesterday Robert, Jr., son of Robert & Erika Zanayed. Tassima Nain-Twal. روبرت جونيور ابن روبرت وايريكا زنايد. تاسيما ناين طوال. Dec 23 rd Dec 27 th Christian, daughter of Addison & Linda Mister. Lamees Faith & Luka Nader, children of Nader & Amera Tannous. كرستيان ابنة اديسون وليندا ميستر. لميس فيث ولوقا نادر اوالد نادر واميرة طنوس. MEMORIALS Today 1-year memorial for Helen Abram جناز السنة عن نفس المرحومة هلين إب ارم May our Lord be with her family and grant rest to the soul of His servant! Memory Eternal! لها الرحمة اإللهية ولعائلتها الصبر والسلوان! فلي ك ن ذ ك ر ها مؤب دا! 8 Leaders are needed to prepare teams from St George Cicero for the Bible Bowl this summer at the Conference and Convention. There are three age categories: 10-12, Teens, Adults. If interested, please, Fr. Mark at FatherMarkSahady@yahoo.com.

SUNDAY SCHOOL CORNER Thought of the Day God loves a cheerful giver.

the show! ª CHRISTMAS PAGEANT SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23 RD ª Please join us in supporting our Sunday School students who have worked so hard practicing over the last two months.

Especially our teens for running games, crafts, and face paint, and reenacting the story of our beloved St. Nicholas. Yasmeen Haddad and family for providing lunch in memory of Nicola Haddad.

9 SUNDAY SCHOOL CORNER Thought of the Day God loves a cheerful giver. -- The Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:7 Mandatory Christmas Pageant Rehearsal Saturday, December 22 nd ª 10am-12pm Lunch to follow You must attend this rehearsal to participate on Sunday in the show! ª CHRISTMAS PAGEANT SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23 RD ª Please join us in supporting our Sunday School students who have worked so hard practicing over the last two months. Thank you also to: White Marble Bakery for the beautiful St. Nicholas cookies. Thank you to all our volunteers for making the St. Nicholas Day celebration a special day for all. Especially our teens for running games, crafts, and face paint, and reenacting the story of our beloved St. Nicholas. Yasmeen Haddad and family for providing lunch in memory of Nicola Haddad. Fr. Mark for dressing as St. Nicholas and handing out gifts to all the children. Sunday School SNACK SIGN-UP If you are interested in signing up to bring Sunday School Snacks please see Karen Nawas or Tammi Karam. The whole month of January is open!! Please consider volunteering: Jan 6 th OPEN Jan 13 th OPEN Jan 20 th OPEN Thank you for your generosity! 9

AV Summer Camp Registration is Open! Register for AV Summer Camp at: https://mycircuitree.

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10 AV Summer Camp Registration is Open! Register for AV Summer Camp at: AmazonSmile donates to Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese when you do your holiday shopping at: smile.amazon.com/ch/ Sign Up to Sponsor HOLY BREAD & COFFEE HOUR The 2019 Sign-up sheets for Holy Bread and Coffee Hour are in the Kitchen. Please sign up to sponsor for the health of your family or in memory of your loved ones. WALKING IN FAITH St. George Church Teen Retreat Friday-Saturday, December 28-29, 2018 Friday Check-in 6:30-7pm, Dinner at 7pm Saturday Check-out 3pm Bring a Sleeping Bag, Bed Roll & Toiletries 10 to register, Fr. Mark (fathermarksahady@yahoo.com)

11 THERE IS A HOLY WEEK FOR CHRISTMAS The Holy Week of Christmas begins the 20 th -24 th of December with the famous hymn O house of Ephrata (Bethlehem), the Holy City, the glory of the Holy Prophets, beautify the house in which God is born. And the canons sung for the week are based on the Themes of the Holy Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday before Pascha. The 20 th of December like Holy Monday is about Moses passing through the Red Sea and Christ passing through the Womb of Mary bringing salvation to His people. The 21 st of December like Holy Tuesday is about the three youths in the fiery furnace and not consumed and the bush burning and not consumed with the fire of God in Mary s womb and she is not consumed. The 22 nd of December like Holy Wednesday is about the tyrant of the three youths and of Pharoah with King Herod and the Sanhedrin. The 23 rd of December like Holy Friday is about the scripture of the Son of God emptying Himself to be born a man as he died a man. The 24 th of December like Holy Saturday recounts all of the Old Testament prophetic images which, in this case, refer to the birth of Christ. This recounting of the Old Testament occurs in the Royal Hours and Vespers. There are only three feasts in the Church year that have Royal Hours and the Vesperal Liturgy of St Basil, during a strict fasting day, before the main Celebration of the Feast. They are Christmas, Epiphany and Pascha. Christmas especially follows after the pattern of the Great Holy Week and Pascha and so is usually celebrated with services in the middle of the night like Pascha. A Holy Supper is held at the end of the Christmas Eve celebration and before the Christmas Day celebration begins. This would be around sunset on the 24 th of December after the Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil. The table is covered with a plain white cloth for purity and the swaddling cloths and strewn with straw for the manger. A single lighted candle for the star of Bethlehem is placed in the center of the table with a Nativity Icon or Creche/Nativity Scene. There is an extra place set at the table to welcome any stranger who might happen by, as if they were Christ. Before the meal begins all of the animals in the house must be fed first. Then the first Hymn of Christmas is sung. In the Byzantine rite it is the Troparion of Christmas, Thy Nativity, O Christ. In the Western rite, O Come, O Come Emmanuel or O Come all ye faithful. Then a blessing of the food occurs. The meal proceeds with all courses being meatless and dairyless and progressing from bitter to sweet. A soup is usually a part of the main course and is made with Holy Water so as to use most of it up from last Epiphany in preparation for the upcoming Epiphany. The last course would be something with fruit, nuts and honey for the sweet fruit of God s fulfilled promise. Then the next hymn of Christmas is sung. In the Byzantine rite it is the Kontakion of Christmas, Today the Virgin gives birth. In the Western rite, Lo How a Rose e re Blooming or O Little Town of Bethlehem. And the final prayer is said, then everyone prepares for the Christmas Vigil and Liturgy. No more food is eaten so we go to the Christmas Liturgy hungry to be satisfied by the Lord s body and blood. Depending on one s ability, fasting from food until communion is at least between four to six hours, which is the normal time between meals. At Christmas, the Bride of Christ, the Church, celebrates the Birth of her Divine Bridegroom (Ps 18:6); and prepares, by the weeks of Advent, for the grace of the coming of Christ within us. It is an altogether inward, mysterious advent which is wrought in faith, but brings forth much fruit. Christ is already within us by the sanctifying grace which makes us children of God, but this grace needs to be renewed, we should live a new life more exempt from sin and imperfection, more free from all attachment to ourselves and creation. Christ, in exchange for the humanity which He takes to Himself in Bethlehem, makes us partakers of His Divinity, which progressively becomes more completely one with us. However, we should remember that although Christ was born, lived and died for us all (2 Cor 5:15), the application and the distribution of His grace is according to the measure of the disposition of each soul. Consequently we shall only share in the abundant grace that Christ s Nativity bring to us in proportion to our disposition. The Forerunner says: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. The church services carry us back to the Old Covenant so that we may appropriate to ourselves the thoughts and feelings of the faithful who longed for the coming of the Messiah. If we allow ourselves to be guided by the Church, through humility, our disposition will be perfected, and the celebration of the Birth of Jesus the Christ will produce within us all its fruits of grace, light and life. 11

12 To be a bulletin sponsor, contact the Church Office or Charlie Barbari.

Sunday of the Forefathers (Ancestors) of Christ

Sunday of the Forefathers (Ancestors) of Christ December 16, 2018 2 Saints of the Day: Prophet Haggai; Theophania the empress; Modestos, archbishop of Jerusalem RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE FOUR