Conception of the Theotokos by Righteous Anna 10th Sunday of Luke. Divine Liturgy. December 9, 2018 Tone 3 / Eothinon 6

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1 2018 St. George Church Staff and Organizations Pastor The Very Rev. Anthony G. Sabbagh Assistant Pastor Rev. Joseph Landino Deacon Thomas Underwood Sub-Deacon Peter Attar Altar Boy Captain George Khallouf Administrative Committee The Very Rev. Anthony G. Sabbagh, Chairman Rev. Joseph Landino Elias Gharzouzi, Vice Chairman Albert Bitar, Treasurer George Nassoor, Secretary Fred Davis Robert Mimari Nasser Sabbagh Dave Davis Office Administrator Donna Becker Custodian Adnan Sabbagh Building/Planning The Very Rev. Anthony G. Sabbagh, Pastor Rev. Joseph Landino, Ass t. Pastor Dave Davis, Chair George Nassoor, Co-Chair Choir Gail Ortner, Director Members: Khouria Minerva Sabbagh Khouria Mary Landino Delores Edwards Christina Attar Jouhayna Al-Amm David T. Davis Amjad Khalil George Nassoor Marwan Sabbagh Chanters Karsten Boyer Hanna Sayegh Marwan Sabbagh Ladies Altar Society Rosina Azar, President Hind Azar, Vice President Hiyam Tabchi, Treasurer Fay Moses, Recording Secretary Mouna Safi, Corresponding Secretary Children s Relief Fund Khouria Minerva Sabbagh Sunday School Sharon Barber-Lui, Director Teachers: Maggie Abboud Khouria Mary Landino Abe Assad Rita Mamari Christina Attar Julia Marques Dima Hanna Zaneh Khuzam Jaklin Sabbagh Rehab Martin Teen SOYO The Very Rev. Anthony G. Sabbagh, Pastor Rev. Joseph Landino, Spiritual Advisor Khouria Mary Landino, Head Lay Advisor Khalil Yacoub, Ass t. Lay Advisor Safwan Saba, Ass t. Lay Advisor Takla Zagtiti, Junior Advisor Meriam Deeb, Junior Advisor Mary Yacoub, President Giovanna Nema, Vice President Gabriella Landino, Treasurer Chelsea Shetayh, Recording Secretary Joy Sabbagh, Corresponding Secretary Katerina Landino, Historian Homeless Dinner Ministry Naife Khalouf, Coordinator Members of Teen SOYO St. George Bookstore Kh. Minerva Sabbagh Website Elie Jabbour George Issa Facebook Hope Sabbagh Charitable Ministries The Very Rev. Anthony G. Sabbagh Nasser Sabbagh, Naife Khalouf Bachar Issa, Hala Atiyeh, Fouad Salloum Nour Salloum, Dima Botros Newcomer & Refugee Committee Marwan Sabbagh George Khalouf Nasser Sabbagh Hope Sabbagh December 9, 2018 Tone 3 / Eothinon 6 Conception of the Theotokos by Righteous Anna 10th Sunday of Luke Today we commemorate: Consecration of the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem Divine Liturgy RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE THREE Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad, for the Lord hath done a mighty act with His own arm. He hath trampled down death by death, and become the first-born from the dead. He hath delivered us from the depths of Hades, granting the world the Great Mercy. APOLYTIKION OF CONCEPTION OF THE THEOTOKOS BY ST. ANNA IN TONE FOUR Today have the bonds of barrenness been loosened; God, having heard the prayers of Joachim and Anna, promised them openly that they should give birth, beyond hope, to the Maiden of God, from whom He, the infinite One was to be born, becoming man, commanding the angel to shout to her: Rejoice, O full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Now sing the apolytikion of the patron saint or feast of the temple. KONTAKION OF CONCEPTION OF THE THEOTOKOS BY ST. ANNA IN TONE FOUR (**On this day Thou hast appeared**) All the world doth celebrate * Anna s conception * on this day with festive joy, * because it came to pass through God; * for by divine grace she hath conceived * her that beyond words conceiveth the Word of God.

2 THE EPISTLE (For the Conception of the Theotokos by Righteous Anna) God is wondrous in His saints. Bless God in the congregations. The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians. (4:22-27) Brethren, Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, the son of the free woman through promise. Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written, Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and shout, you who are not in travail; for the children of the desolate one are many more than the children of her that is married. THE GOSPEL (For the Tenth Sunday of Luke) The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (13:10-17) At that time, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. And when Jesus saw her, He called her and said to her, Woman, you are freed from your infirmity. And He laid His hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and she praised God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day. Then the Lord answered him, You hypocrite! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger, and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day? As Jesus said this, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by Him. The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom continues as usual. THE DISMISSAL Holy Bread The Holy Bread is sponsored by: Triz Aboud & Family Dima, Darin, Merin, Evana, Vivyan in loving memory of Youssef Aboud (Nine-Day Memorial) Gus & Majd Soud in loving memory of Rasil Soud (Nine-Day Memorial) Gus & Majd Soud in loving memory of Aziz Numo (One-Year Memorial) The Holy Bread of Oblation is offered before the Altar of God For Good Health, Well Being and Blessings Archbishop Paul Yazigi and Archbishop Youhanna Ibrahim; Metropolitan Joseph; Triz Abboud and Family; Dima, Darin, Merin, Evana, Vivyan; Gus and Majd Soud; Sulieman and Mary Zaghtiti; Asmat Hanna and Family; Lamia

3 Younes; George and Hiyam Tabchi; Simon, Melissa, Yasmin Tabchi; Leo, Rehab, Naomi Martin; Neph, Resam and Nephtali; Eyad, Jennifer, Eyan and Zayn Alraei; Ziad Alraei; Elias Awad; George, Hiyam, Simon, Melissa, Yasmin Tabchi; Leo, Rehab, Naomi Martin; Neph, Resam and Nephtali Andujar; Asmat Hanna and Family; Naziha Assad and Family; Zakieh Hanna; Abed and Jaklin Makhoul; Faisal and Nadia Daher; Bashar Hanna and Family; Saba Family; Afeef and Naify Hanna; Layal Hanna and Family; Mona, Wail, Heather, Mitchell, Mallory, Abeer, Elyssa and Eyanna; Albert, Shadia, Christian, Michael and Alexia Bitar; Georges Bitar and Family. In Loving Memory Metropolitan Philip; Bishop Antoun; Fr. George Khouli; Sister Pilgaya; Youssef Aboud; Rasil Soud; Aziz Numo; Kamal, Najm Hanna; Thomas Makhoul; Michael Awad; Georges, Tony Hanna; Ateya Moussa; Rafaat Alraei; Rahmeh Hanna; Jamileh Abboud, Hanna, Georges and Samar Daher; Wajih Hanna, Elias and Raid Khouly; Azeezee Khouly; Antonios and Nadeema Hanna; Rafaat Alraei; Hanna Nakkoul; Laila Antar; Elias Saba; Michel and Badih Bitar; Alfred Hanna; Bassam, Khalil, Nizha Bitar. Memorial Service A Memorial Service is held for the rest of the souls of the servants of God: Youssef Aboud Rasil Soud Aziz Numo May the Lord grant rest to His servants and remember them in His kingdom, now and forever. Brunch Please join us after Divine Liturgy for Brunch. Thank you to our sponsor: Triz Aboud & Family Dima, Darin, Merin, Evana, Vivyan 7-Day Candle Sponsor George & Hiyam Tabchi for the good health of Simon, Melissa, Yasmin Tabchi Leo, Rehab, Naomi Martin Neph, Resam and Nephtali George Andujar Sponsor the Eternal Light or a Seven-Day Candle Looking for a tnagible way to remember a departed loved one or pray for the good health of a friend or relative, or recognize a special occasion? Consider a one-week sponsorship of the Eternal Light or a Seven-Day Candle that will burn continuously in the House of God asking Him to make your prayers acceptable to his holy Majesty, that His love, mercy and peace will surround and sustain those whom you are praying for in this life and the life to come. The sponsor s name and who is to be mentioned and prayed for will also be printed in this bulletin for the week selected. Sponsors are asked to consider a donation of $10 or more per week to accompany their request. Please see Hiyam Tabchi after Church services to sponsor a week or call the church office weekdays at (610)

4 Special donations to the Church We acknowledge families and friends who have honored dear ones with monetary gifts given in the spirit of loving kindness. $ Triz Aboud and Family, Dima, Darin, Merin, Evana, Vivyan to the Church in loving memory of Youssef Aboud. $ Sulieman and Mary Zaghtiti to the Church in loving memory of Youssef Aboud. $ Gus and Majd Soud to the Church in loving memory of Rasil Soud, Aziz Numo. $ Asmat Hanna and Family to the Church in loving memory of Kamal, Najom Hanna. $ Lamia Younes to Charity in loving memory of Sister Pilgaya, a nun from St. Peter s in Marmarita. $ Zakieh Hanna to the Church in loving memory of Georges, Tony Hanna; Ateya Moussa. $ Abed and Jaklin Makhoul to the Church in loving memory of Michael Awad; Thomas Makhoul. $ Eyad Alraei and Family to Sunday School for the good health of Ziad Alraei; Elias Awad; in loving memory of Rafaat Alraei. $ Faisal and Nadia Daher to Syrian Orphanages for the good health of Faisal and Nadia Daher; in loving memory of Rahmeh Hanna; Jamileh Abboud; Hanna Daher; Georges Daher; Samar Daher. $ Bashar Hanna to the Church for the good health of Bashar Hanna and Family; in loving memory of Rahmeh Hanna; Wajih Hanna; Elias and Raid Khouly; Azeezee Khouly; Antonios and Nadeema Hanna. $ The Saba Family to the Church in loving memory of Elias Saba. $ Georges Bitar and Family to the Church in loving memory of Bassam, Khalil, Nizha Bitar; Elias Saba. $ Afeef and Naify Hanna to the Church in loving memory of Alfred Hanna. $ Layal Hanna and Family to the Church in loving memory of Alfred Hanna. $ The Bitar Family to the Church for the good health of Mona, Wail, Heather, Mitchell, Mallory, Abeer, Elyssa and Eyanna; Albert, Shadia, Christian, Michael and Alexia Bitar; in loving memory of Michael and Badih Bitar. In Appreciation to our St. George Choir & Chanters This Sunday, December 9, is set aside to appreciate the beautiful ministry of music of our Choir and Chanters. Have you ever wondered why we celebrate this special Sunday? Or even why we sing in church at all? Music involves the whole person, body, mind, spirit and soul. Music helps us bridge the chasm we ve placed between soul and body. You breathe in order to sing. You listen with the body as well as with the mind. Music is a gift of God, a means of expression. Music accompanies the soul at worship, the heart in joy and in grief, all the deep feelings of our lives. In worship, it unites us together in Christ. On this Sunday, set aside for us to recognize our Choir and Chanters, we are thankful that God gave us this gift, which can draw us closer to one another and to God. Through music, may we learn to love one another more fully, and in doing so, to love Jesus Christ more deeply. Our Choir is under the direction of Gail Ortner. Our Chanters are Karsten Boyer, Marwan Sabbagh, Hanna Sayegh and Nour Salloum. Our gratitude to you and all the members of the Choir for your dedication, professionalism and consistency. May God grant you and your families the fruits of the Holy Spirit. This beautiful ministry to our church worship is deeply appreciated and acknowledged with our thanks. Please join us Bible Study Fridays 6:30 pm Vesper Service Saturdays 5 pm

5 December Services & Events St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church Ladies Altar Society Christmas Party Tuesday, Dec. 11, 7 pm All women invited for refreshments and a $10 gift exchange. Bring a Lenten dish to share. More information: Rosina Azar (484) Sunday School Christmas Party Saturday, Dec. 15, 3-6 pm All children are invited for Arts & Crafts, Games & Prizes, Food & Beverage. Visit from Santa, Dance Party. More information: Sharon Barber-Lui (610) Teen SOYO Christmas Party Friday, Dec. 21, 7-10 pm More information: Kh. Mary Landino (408) Christmas Visit to shut-ins Saturday, Dec. 22, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Teen SOYO s annual visit to shut-ins with Christmas Carols and Poinsettias. Sunday before the Nativity of Christ (Sunday of the Genealogy), which falls on Paramon (Eve) of the Nativity of Christ Divine Liturgy Sunday, Dec. 23, 10 am Christmas Concert presentation by Sunday School follows Divine Liturgy. Vespers Artoklosia Service Monday, Dec. 24, 6 pm Christmas Day Festal Divine Liturgy Tuesday, Dec. 25, 10 am The Feast of the Nativity of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. St. George Church New Year s Eve Hafli Monday, Dec. 31, 8 pm-2 am Holiday Inn, Rt. 100, Allentown, PA ONGOING Bible Study Fridays, 6:30 pm Vespers Saturdays, 5 pm Divine Liturgy Sundays, 10 am Send Christmas Greetings to all our parishioners Our Sunday School is sponsoring the annual Christmas Card project, a wonderful way to send your greetings to all our parishioners. A $10 donation is kindly requested. Please complete the form below and place it in the collection tray or mail it with your donation to St. George Church by Dec. 12. Sunday School Christmas Card Print names exactly as you would like to see in the card. Deadline: Dec. 12. Donation enclosed $ Thank you! Please place this form in the collection tray or mail form, along with your check payable to: St. George Church 1011 Catasauqua Ave. Allentown, PA 18102

6 Within the Church We wish God s blessings to our parishioners and friends of St. George Church on their special day. Please keep your church office informed of birthdays, anniversaries and special family events (610) Best wishes for a wonderful Birthday/Anniversary and a year filled with good health and happiness. Happy Birthday 12/9 Nicholas Al-Amm 12/13 Leah Saliby 12/10 Georgette Makhoul Elias Botros George Koury 12/14 Amara Daoud Marcelle Sankari 12/15 George Mamary 12/11 Venice Salibi Fedaa Daher 12/12 George Berro Maximilian Moses Happy Anniversary Elie Jabbour 12/11/06 Victor & Dima Hanna Thought for the day Faith, indeed is of two kinds. Thus, Faith cometh by hearing, (Rom. 10:17) for, when we hear the sacred Scriptures, we believe in the teaching of the Holy Spirit. And this faith is made perfect by all those things which Christ has ordained; it believes truly, it is devout, and it keeps the commandments of Him who has renewed us. For he who does not believe in accordance with the tradition of the Catholic Church or who through untoward works holds communion with the Devil is without faith. Then again, there is a faith which is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. (Heb. 11:1) This is an undoubting and unquestioning hope both for the things promised us by God and for the success of our petitions. The first kind of faith comes from our faculty of judgment, whereas the second is one of the gifts of the Spirit. -- St. John of Damascus Teen SOYO plans annual Christmas visits to our shut-ins on Saturday, Dec. 22 Teen SOYO will visit our shut-ins on Saturday, Dec. 22. If you know of someone that would like this special Christmas visit, please call Donna in the Church office at (610) with their name, address and phone number by Thursday, Dec Orthodox Youth & Camp Worker Conference registration opens Register now for the 18th Annual Orthodox Youth Workers & Camping Conference, being hosted at the Archdiocese s Antiochian Village Conference Center in the Laurel Highlands of Western Pennsylvania. The Conference will take place over the weekend of January 24-26, 2019, and is open to all Orthodox jurisdiction youth workers in North America. Keynote Speaker, Dr. Chris Thurber, is a graduate of Harvard University and the University of California at Los Angeles and has served as a psychologist and instructor at Phillips Exeter Academy since An entrepreneur from a young age, Dr. Thurber is the co-founder of ExpertOnlineTraining. com, the internet s most popular library of educational videos for youth leaders. He has been invited to deliver keynotes, contribute articles, and lead workshops at schools and camps on five continents. His award-winning preparatory resource for families, The Summer Camp Handbook, was recently translated into Mandarin to help launch the youth camp movement in China. The Conference is sponsored by the Orthodox Youth Directors in North America with the blessing of the Assembly of Bishops. Its objective is to offer an enriching and uplifting experience that will connect youth and camp workers and provide them with inspirational and challenging ideas to help them refine and improve their work. More information: Fr Anthony Yazge

7 With the Nativity Fast (Advent) upon us, what s the point of this season? The six weeks prior to Christmas (the Nativity of our Lord in thej Flesh) is a fasting period that many call Advent. Advent means coming. It is that period of time when we find ourselves waiting for the coming of the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Christ. For this reason, it has a different character than other fasting periods. Although there is an element of preparation involved, it is not the same as the Great Fast that precedes Holy Week and Pascha. The liturgical preparation is limited to the two Sundays before the Nativity and the five days leading up to the feast. Those two Sundays we are reminded of the Holy Ancestors of God and the Holy Fathers, Patriarchs, and Prophets who played a role in the coming of the Messiah. In the hymns of the Sunday cycle of services, we hear of their great faith and are called to build our own. For most of us, we are anxious to get to the feast. We want the days to rush by. Our preparation usually consists of shopping and decorating, not to speak of parties. Here is where the notion of waiting comes into play. We must discipline ourselves through self-control and patience. We are to read the Scriptures, specifically the prophecies that speak of the coming of the Messiah. We are to turn our focus to a Godly way of life that calls for sacrificing and almsgiving (acts of mercy). Let us think of charity and the giving of our time, talents and resources to others that may be in need. There is no better way to imitate Christ than to be loving and charitable towards others. Put Christ back into Christmas. Find the meaning of the feast by understanding the importance of the Son of God taking on human flesh. Remember the real reason for the season is that Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, came into the world and dwelt among men, taking on Himself the sins of the world so that we might have life in Him. Nativity Fast Guidelines now through Dec. 24 Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays: Strict Fast Days Do not eat meat, dairy, fish with backbones, fowl, alcoholic beverages and olive oil. Tuesdays and Thursdays: wine and olive oil permitted. Saturdays and Sundays: fish with backbones, wine and oil permitted. Foods permitted on all days are vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts and shell fish.

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