Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Transcription

1 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2018 Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Pentecost Prophet Habakkuk; Martyrs Abibos the New and Myrope of Chios; Venerable Theophilos and Andrew of Egypt; Urosh, Serbian king; Venerable Ioanikios of Devitch; Saint Porphyrios of Kafsokalivia Tone 2 Eothinon 5 // SAINT ELIAS ORTHODOX CHURCH 408 E. 11 STREET AUSTIN, TX (512) TH WELCOME to all our visitors worshipping with us! Please be sure to sign the Guest Book or fill out a Visitor s Card and drop it in the collection plate (or give it to a greeter). Please be our guest downstairs in the Fellowship Hall for coffee and refreshments after the service this morning. We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you personally to Saint Elias. We re glad you re here!

2 ST ELIAS ORTHODOX CHURCH A Parish of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America and the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America METROPOLITAN JOSEPH, PRIMATE BISHOP BASIL, BISHOP OF WICHITA Parish Office: The Parish Office is located at: Research Blvd, Ste. A110 Austin, TX Church Office Phone: (512) Church Hall Phone: (512) Office Hours: Tuesday Friday 10:00 AM 4:00 PM Church & Clergy addresses: Office: office@sainteliaschurch.org Very Rev. Fr. David Barr, Pastor frdavidbarr@gmail.com Rev. Fr. Raphael Daly, Assistant Pastor synaxis@gmail.com Very Rev. Fr. Traian Buican tbuican@yahoo.com Reverend Archdeacon Niketas Sanders niketas@yahoo.com Reverend Deacon Gregory Farman gregfarman@gmail.com Reverend Deacon Elisha Long rlongsummer@gmail.com Parish Council: Officers: Mark Cherry, Chairman Philip Gunter, Vice Chairman Adam Wall, Treasurer Imad Zaccak, Secretary Members: Nesreen Khoury David Jabour James Mercier Michael Friends Alexandre Rourk Sam Ibrahim Organizational Representatives: Choir: Bill Attal Church School: Dn. Elisha Long OYA: Adam Wall Ladies Guild: Danielle Wolf Check out our parish website: Sacraments: Baptism, Matrimony, Adult Initiation Contact the Church Office and set up an appointment with the Pastor to discuss the arrangements for these sacraments. Pastoral Care of the Sick Please call the Parish Office with names of the sick and hospitalized of the parish so they can receive proper pastoral care. Offering the Holy Bread Sign up to offer Holy Bread by calling the Church Office. Become a Member of St. Elias We would love to have you be a part of our community! Please talk to the Pastor or call the Church Office to get an information packet on becoming a member of the parish. Times for Confession: Confessions are heard before Vespers on Saturday evenings, and by appointment during the week. One of the priests will be available in the church starting at 5:00 PM prior to Vespers. You may also call the church office or one of the priests to set up an appointment for confession. To indicate your desire to go to Confession, come to the front right pew and wait for the priest.

3 THE DIVINE LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM 8:30 AM Liturgy: Congregational Singing We will use the blue-covered Congregational Liturgy books found in the pews this morning for the 8:30 AM Divine Liturgy. Check the Early Liturgy supplement for music for the Troparia of the day. 10:30 AM Liturgy: St. Elias Choir The Divine Liturgy may be found in the white Visitor s Liturgy books. When we reach the point in the service for Antiphons and hymns, the ones for today's service are listed below and on the next page. 1st Antiphon It is good to give praise unto the Lord, and to chant unto Thy name, O Most High. Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Saviour, save us. To proclaim in the morning Thy mercy, and Thy truth by night. Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Saviour, save us. Upright is the Lord our God, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Saviour, save us. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Saviour, save us. 2nd Antiphon The Lord is King, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength and He hath girt Himself. O Son of God who art risen from the dead, save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia! For He established the world which shall not be shaken. O Son of God who art risen from the dead, save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia! Holiness becometh Thy house, O Lord, unto length of days. O Son of God who art risen from the dead, save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia! Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. and Only-begotten Son 3rd Antiphon Troparion of the Resurrection (Tone 2) The Daily Hymns Troparion of the Resurrection (Tone 2) When thou didst descend unto death, O Life immortal, then thou didst destroy hades, with the brilliance of thy divinity; and when thou didst raise the dead from beneath the earth, all the powers of heaven didst cry aloud unto Thee: O Christ the Giver of Life, Glory to thee, O our God!

4 Troparion of the Prophet Elias (Tone 4) The incarnate Angel and the Prophets summit and boast, the forerunner of the second coming of Christ our God, Elias the glorious, from above sent down his grace upon Elisha; he doth cast out sickness and doth also cleanse lepers; and unto all that honour him, he poureth forth streams of cures. Kontakion for Nativity (Tone 3) Today the Virgin comes to the cave to give birth ineffably to the pre-eternal Word. Hearing this be of good cheer, O inhabited earth, and with the angels and the shepherds glorify him whose will it was to be made manifest a young child, the pre-eternal God. Lectionary Prokeimenon in Tone 2 (from Psalm 117) The Lord is my strength and my song, and He is become my salvation. With chastisement hath the Lord chastened me, but He hath not given me over unto death. The Reading is from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Ephesians 6:10-17 rethren, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on B the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand, therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Alleluia Verses in Tone 2 (from Psalm 19) The Lord hear thee in the day of affliction; the Name of the God of Jacob defend thee. O Lord, save the king, and hearken unto us in the day when we call upon Thee.

5 The Holy Gospel St. Luke 18:35-43 t that time, when Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting A by the roadside begging; and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. And he cried, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, Son of David, have mercy on me! And Jesus stopped, and commanded him to be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, What do you want me to do for you? He said, Lord, let me receive my sight. And Jesus said to him, Receive your sight; your faith has made you well. And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. Sermon: Father Raphael Today s Commemorations Holy bread is offered for Ian Smith for his name s day (Dec. 4th) by Natalia Smith. Prayers are requested for those on the St. Elias Prayer List: Jawad Ghanayem, Rachel Esler, Nader Jaber, Martha Dent, Adele Homsieh, Marie Khoury as well as Emily, Yekaterina, and Yvonne Debs Prayers are requested for our catechumens: Micah and Emerald Boggs, Luke Cain, Joshua Demerin, Timothy Fleisher, Paul Nichols, Brandon and Trestae Jones, Donna Kindred, Shawn Kirkpatrick, Luke Kubena, Jessica Nillson, Raul, Ali and Simon Scully, and Pamela Montalvo and Alex Goins. Prayers are requested by Bishop BASIL for Metropolitan Paul of Aleppo, Syria, and the Syrian Orthodox Archbishop Youhanna (John), also from Aleppo, Metropolitan Saba and the clergy and people of our sister diocese of Bosra-Hauran, Bishop Alexander, Khouriya Olga Atty, Khouriya Elizabeth Bethoney, Father Daniel Griffith, Father Michael & Khouriya Angelina Keiser, Father John & Khouriya Cheryl Morris, Archdeacon George & Shamassy Linda Palmer, Father Richard Petranek, Michael Purpura, Father Stephen & Khouriya Joan Walinski, Father Mark Wallace, and Khouriya Jody Williams. Departed remembered from the Parish Dyptichs: for the repose of Donna Dagar ( 12/2/2017) Mike Jacobs ( 12/6/1954), George Arnakis ( 12/6/1976), and Alexandra Zegub ( 12/6/1996). These names come from the parish dyptichs the record of those who have been buried from St. Elias. May their memory be eternal.

6 At the Divine Liturgy during the Great Entrance, we normally commemorate only Orthodox Christians by name among the living and departed since this is the Church praying for the Church. Non-Orthodox are remembered liturgically in prayers at Vespers and other intercessory services of the Church. On Receiving Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church: Only Orthodox Christians who are prepared through prayer, fasting, and a recent sacramental confession should approach the Chalice for the Eucharist. The Orthodox Church does not practice open communion and has no intercommunion with other churches (non-orthodox). If you have any questions concerning this, please talk to one of the priests before taking communion. And Remember to receive Holy Communion, one should be present at the Divine Liturgy no later than the time for the Epistle and Gospel readings. We feed both our minds and our hearts as part of the Orthodox Christian life. To feast on the Lord without listening to his words is disrespectful. Trisagion prayers are offered for Donna Dagar by her family on the one year memorial of her repose. Announcements for Sunday, December 2 Our Greeters this morning are Florin Matei (8:30) and David Jabour (10:30). Thank you for this important ministry of hospitality. Next week s greeters are Sh. Nina Long (8:30) and Joe Namee (10:30) Thank you for this important ministry of hospitality. Coffee Hour Schedule December 2: A-C * December 9: D-I * December 16: J-Q* December 23: R-Z* December 30: Everyone brings *Advent Fast Mark your calendars for your week and participate in this ministry of fellowship in our parish. And remember, help clean up afterwards on your Sunday Birthdays and Anniversaries Today we wish to acknowledge all those who have birthdays or anniversaries during the month of December. Many years!

7 Name Tag Sunday Saint Elias has been blessed with frequent visitors and many new additions to our community. In order to help welcome guests and new members, the first Sunday of every month will now be a name-tag Sunday. Please be sure to grab a name tag on your way down to coffee hour! Uncrowning of Monther and Rania Wahab Congratulations to Monther and Rania on their marriage (on November 11). They will receive the prayer of uncrowning after the 8:30 AM liturgy. Many years! St. Nicholas Day Celebration December 9 We'll have our annual St. Nicholas Celebration on Sunday, December 9 after each Liturgy, complete with the Church School children singing, some fresh baked treats, and a visit from Santa. Mark your calendars. This is always a popular Sunday at St. Elias! OCF Meetings Dear College Students, join us Tuesdays at 7:30 PM at the Episcopal Student Center (at University and 27th street) for UT Orthodox Christian Fellowship with Fr. Raphael and Fr. Vasileios. Dinner is usually provided. Talk to Fr. Raphael about being added to the OCF GroupMe chat if you re not already in. Also! Texas State OCF meets 6:00 PM Wednesday on campus in Hines 205. All students are welcome! Contact Ginny Nials (vmnials@gmail.com) for more information. What is the difference? Sunday Adult Ed Class Fr. Daniel is offering a series of classes at 10:15AM in which we will try to investigate the issues that have separated Christians over the centuries. This Sunday the topic of Fr Daniel s class will be Martin Luther. We will have a guest speaker, Brandon Jones who is a graduate of a Lutheran seminary. Helping Homeless Veterans In memory of her son, Tristan Alexander Holmes, Victoria Deyeaux is organizing collection of goods to help homeless veterans. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to bring new caps, socks, and blankets to Church with you on Sundays. Victoria is setting up a box in the hall to collect these and she will see they are delivered to help homeless veterans. In addition, MRE (Meals, Ready to Eat) are also welcome. If you would like to order MRE's, contact Victoria on instructions on delivery. Thanks for your help!

8 Stewardship 2019 The 2019 Stewardship Drive has begun. Our 2019 theme is "Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay thy vows to the Most High" (Psalm 49:14). Watch in the mail in early November for your stewardship packet and respond quickly. Remember, we need everyone's support to run the ministry of the Church. Every gift matters and promotes the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Salvation Army Angel Tree Program A friendly reminder from the Lady s Guild that Angel Tree Gifts must be returned to the church unwrapped by today! The Advent Fast Has Begun The Advent Fast, sometimes called the Little Lent in the Orthodox Church, begins on November 15 and continues through Christmas Eve, December 24. We break the fast after the celebration of the Divine Liturgy of the Nativity of Christ. Advent offers us a time of preparation for our Lord s birth. In the midst of all the commercialism, hustle and bustle, and emotional roller-coaster of the Christmas season, we need the Advent Fast more than ever. Advent should be more than just a fast, it should also be a time of intensified prayer and scripture reading as well as a quiet time of preparation. There is plenty of time to party after the feast! Keeping the Advent Fast: Wednesdays and Fridays are strict fast days as usual (abstain from meat, meat products, dairy products, eggs, fish, wine and alcohol, and olive oil). On other days of the week we are permitted fish, wine and olive oil through December 20. Starting on December 20, the discipline of the fast if stricter for the final days of the fast. During this period, no fish is to be eaten and wine (all alcohol) and olive oil are permitted only on Saturdays and Sundays.

9 Catechism Classes 2018/2019 Saturday Afternoons before Great Vespers Each year, St. Elias holds a series of Catechism Classes. These classes are geared for all those interested in learning more about the Orthodox Church, for those interested in becoming Orthodox, and for our own members who may never have gone through a series of catechism classes. The classes are held on Saturday afternoons in the Parish Library, starting on September 8 at 4:00 PM (before Great Vespers come to the class, stay for Vespers!). Session Date* Topic** 1 9/8 Sources of Doctrine 2 9/29 Nicene Creed - Part I I believe in One God 3 10/6 Nicene Creed - Part II Who is Jesus Christ? 4 10/20 Nicene Creed Part III The Holy Trinity 5 11/3 An Orthodox Approach to the Bible 6 11/17 Mariology and Hagiology 7 12/1 Sacraments & Worship 8 12/15 Theology in Iconography 9 1/12 Spirituality and Prayer 10 1/26 Preparing to Receive the Mysteries Confession and Entrance into the Church *Dates are subject to change. **Topics may be adjusted as needed for the specific class. This class would also be great for anyone (teens, young adults, adults, etc.) who would like to learn more about the Orthodox Church and its beliefs.

10 Church School Teaching Calendar September 9/9 Introduction 9/16 I believe... 9/23 Medfest 9/30 in One God, the Father Almighty... October 10/7 Maker of Heaven and Earth... 10/14 and of all things visible and invisible. 10/21 And in One Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God 10/28 the Only-Begotten, Begotten of the Father before all worlds November 11/4 Light of Light, Very God of Very God 11/11 Begotten, not made; of One essence with the Father 11/18 Thanksgiving 11/25 by Whom all things were made December 12/2 Who for us men and our Salvation 12/9 came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man 12/16 And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried 12/23 Winter Break 12/30 Winter Break January 1/06 Theophany 1/13 And the third day He rose again, 1/20 according to the Scriptures 1/27 And ascended into heaven, February 2/03 and sitteth at the right hand of the Father; 2/10 And He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead 2/17 Whose kingdom shall have no end (Publican and Pharisee Sunday) 2/24 And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, and Giver of Life March 3/03 Who proceedeth from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified. 3/10 Who spake by the Prophets; (Forgiveness Sunday) 3/17 Spring Break 3/24 And I believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. 3/31 I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. April 4/07 I look for the Resurrection of the dead, 4/14 And the Life of the age to come. Amen. 4/21 Palm Sunday 4/28 Pascha

11 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay thy vows to the Most High. (Ps. 49:14) The Sacrifice of Noah Can you imagine how difficult Noah s task was? He and his sons built the ark a project that likely took years to undertake. He endured not only 40 days and nights of rain on the ark, but an additional 3 weeks waiting for the earth to dry. Finally, he and his family could depart the ark. The repopulation of the earth was to begin. The first thing Noah did after departing the ark was to build an altar to the Lord and offer Him a burnt offering. This is amazing on several fronts. First of all, Noah had taken extra of the clean animals on the ark precisely so he could make this sacrifice upon departure. He had planned this offering well in advance so that he could make a proper offering to the Lord. Secondly, Noah gave to the Lord from his need, not from his abundance. There wasn t a large flock from which to choose. This sacrifice cost him dearly. And when the LORD smelled the pleasing odor, the LORD said in his heart, I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the imagination of man s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease. Yes, Noah s sacrifice was of great value, but of greater value is the Lord s blessing upon him and all mankind. When we sacrifice unto the Lord, we give Him something to work with and then bless us in return. Noah gave from his need and received a blessing for all mankind. We all want God s blessing upon us. The question is, what do we give to Him with which to bless us? Is our sacrifice from our need or from our abundance? Is it our best or our leftovers? Noah gave his best and reaped a great blessing in return. If you brought back your 2019 Stewardship Commitment Card with you to Church today, thank you! If you forgot to bring it, we have some in the Narthex in the pamphlet rack you can pick up, fill out, and return today. When you fill out your card, fill it out as Noah would have. Make it a true sacrifice a gift of your best and from your need. Give in the way that the Lord will be pleased to receive from you a gift truly from your heart. Thank You for your continued generosity!

12 How Money is Spent at St. Elias After all personnel costs (priests, deacons, subdeacon, administrator, and sextant), which takes up about 2/3 of each dollar spent, here is where the rest of the moneys at St. Elias are spent: After Personnel Costs - How Each Dollar is Spent 4% 10% 6% 39% 41% Assessments Facilities Liturgical Office Program 41% goes to Archdiocesan and Diocesan Assessments and Programs 39% goes to maintain our facilities and for utilities 4% goes for incense, candles and other liturgical needs 10% goes to office expenses, including printing, postage, etc. 6% goes to program expenses (church school, retreats, etc.) Your Gift to St. Elias Orthodox Church makes a great impact on our community. Thank You for your continued generosity!

13 2019 Archdiocese Convention Grand Rapids, Michigan For the lowest price you will ever pay, you can buy your 2019 Antiochian Convention Event Package (formerly ticket book) for just $199. This special offer is good for one day only, the Feast of St. Nicholas, Dec. 6th. It will be your entry to the River Walk Party-Street Fair on Thursday, the Antiochian Spotlight From Broadway to Grand Rapids and Grand Hafli on Friday, and Saturday s LIGHT THE NIGHT Gala. (Also included in the teen package is the Teen Dance on Wednesday.) Purchase all of this for only $199 for adults and teens December 6th ONLY. The Event Package for children 5-12 years old is only $79 on Dec. 6th. All prices go up the next day, so don't miss this wonderful St. Nicholas gift to you. Grand Rapids: You'll Love It Here! Christmas Caroling Event Want to bring a little Christmas cheer to someone special? A neighbor, a parent, a shut in? St. Elias Carolers will bring some cheer to a person of your choosing on December 15 between 2pm-4pm. Here s how it will work. 1. Choose a household in Pflugerville or Round Rock (St. Elias parishioner or non-parishioner) 2. Donate a minimum of $25 for the carolers to give a special singing Christmas present to those you ve designated. (All proceeds go towards the 2 nd campus fund.) 3. Get your caroling requests in early to Natalia Smith - a maximum of 8 households can be visited in the Pflugerville Round Rock area for this first caroling venture. To be a part of this special caroling troupe, contact Natalia and let her know you would like to join in. All parishioners of any age are welcome, as long as you are an energetic singer. Once the households and route are determined, all carolers will be notified of when and where to meet to participate in this outreach of Christmas joy and song. Honor Bishop Basil Support Diocesan Missions Every year we have the opportunity to celebrate the feast of St. Basil the Great and honor our own Bishop BASIL by donating to the Bishop BASIL Missions Endowment Fund of our Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America. The Missions Endowment campaign started in 1975 and in 1992 when Bishop BASIL was consecrated the fund was established in his honor to augment financial support for our missionary efforts. Our missionary efforts have changed as our needs have changed. There is a committee now working on a proposal for a traveling priest to pastor some small geographically isolated parishes in our diocese. The income from the endowment could help subsidize this program, enabling this priest to provide spiritual leadership and care to those with no other Orthodox options nearby. Contribute by January 31, 2019

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15 North Campus Building Project Update! Number of Pledges Received: 33 Amount Committed by 12/31/2018: $73,005 Amount Committed over next 5 years: $299,205 Project Cost: $1,900,000 Please support our growth and turn in your pledge by December 23, 2018 Commitments Received From: Alberado, Frank & Kathryn Attal, Bill Bakhaya, Ezzat & Ghada Barr, Fr. David & Kh. Luanne Cherry, Mark & Mollie Daly, Fr. Daniel & Kh. Elfriede Daly, Fr. Raphael & Kh. Zohreh Estrada, Manuel Farman, Dcn. Gregory & Sh. Geri Friends, Michael & Victoria Deyeaux Ghebremicael, Abraham & Desire Griffin, Gary & Irene Gunter, Phillip & Jan Hessney, Brenda Jacob, Arthur Ibrahim, Oussama & Rita Khoury, Nesreen Kim, Sam Long, Dcn. Elisha & Sh. Selina Mercier, James & Luda Nikolova-Houston, Tatiana Noguess, Tanner & Joy Rourk, Sasha & Caitlin Rudawski, Stephan & Patricia Sanders, Ardcn. Niketas & Sh. Laura Sayegh, Emil & Rania Schele, Elaine Shannon, Michael & Teresa Smith, Natalia & Rick Tesfasion, Mahari & Miraf Thornton, Joseph Wall, Adam & Chelsea Wolf, Steve & Danielle Zaccak, Imad Eritrean Community Fundraiser With your completed pledge form you can add your leaf to our growing tree!

16 This Week at St. Elias Saturday, December 8 Sunday, December 9 5:45 PM 9th Hour 6:00 PM Vespers. Conception of the Theotokos 8:10 AM 3 rd & 6 th Hours 8:30 AM Divine Liturgy 10:30 AM Divine Liturgy Looking Ahead Monday, December 24 Christmas Eve