Feasts of Circumcision of Christ & Basil the Great New-martyr Peter of the Peloponnesos

Transcription

1 Feasts of Circumcision of Christ & Basil the Great New-martyr Peter of the Peloponnesos **Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great** 2250 East Paris Ave, Grand Rapids, MI V. Rev. Fr. Michael Nasser, Pastor Rev. Archdeacon David Khorey Rev. Dn. Clement Nicoloff Rev. Dn. Justin Adolphson Welcome to our guests! Thank you for attending today s Divine Liturgy. Please register your visit by completing the guest book located on the table in the narthex. We would appreciate getting to meet you, so feel free to join us for refreshments & fellowship in the Cultural Center. We believe Holy Communion to be a sign that in Christ we have all things in common, share an identical faith, and are united fully to the Orthodox Church. Anyone interested in learning more about our faith is encouraged to speak with one of our clergy. Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves through prayer, fasting, & regular confession are welcome to receive Holy Communion.

2 HYMNS 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. Our human form hast Thou taken on Thyself without change, O greatly-compassionate Master, though being God by nature; fulfilling the Law, Thou willingly receivest circumcision in the flesh, that Thou mightest end the shadow and roll away the veil of our sinful passions. Glory be to Thy goodness unto us. Glory be to Thy compassion. Glory, O Word, to Thine inexpressible condescension. In all the earth that received thy sayings, thy melody did resound, O righteous father, through which thou didst go about and proclaim, as worthy of God, the nature of creatures, cultivating the character of mankind, O thou of kingly Priesthood, Basil. Wherefore, plead thou with Christ God to save our souls. Thy work of justice did show thee to thy congregation a cannon of faith, the likeness of humility, a teacher of abstinence, O Father Bishop Nicholas. Wherefore, by humility thou didst achieve exaltation, and by meekness richness. Intercede, therefore, with Christ to save our soul. Now the Lord of all that is doth undergo circumcision, in His goodness cutting off the sins and failings of mortals. He this day doth give salvation unto the whole world; and the hierarch and bright daystar of the Creator now rejoiceth in the highest, Basil the wise and divine initiate of Christ. EPISTLE My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. Hear this, all ye people. The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians. (2:8-12) Brethren, see to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. For in Him the whole fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness of life in Him, Who is the head of all rule and authority. In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of flesh in the circumcision of Christ; and you were buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, Who raised Him from the dead.

3 GOSPEL The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. St. Luke. (2:20-21, 40-52) And it came to pass that the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. And at the end of eight days, when He was circumcised, He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon Him. Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up according to custom; and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing Him to be in the company they went a day s journey, and they sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances; and when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. After three days they found Him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; and all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. And when they saw Him they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, Son, why hast Thou treated us so? Behold, Thy father and I have been looking for Thee anxiously. And Jesus said to them, How is it that you sought Me? Did you not know that I must be in My Father s house? And they did not understand the saying which He spoke to them. And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man. PLEASE REMEMBER IN YOUR DAILY PRAYERS LIVING: Metropolitan Paul (in captivity) Archbishop John (in captivity) Archpriest Elias Bitar Archpriest William Olnhausen Archpriest George Rados Archpriest Stephan Rhudy Kh. Khristina Gillquist Kh. Charlotte Smith Clemence Bassett Dawn Shaheen Thomas & Jean Joseph Jim Nassar Millard Laramy Vera Mijatovic George Mickel Colie Rock DEPARTED: Fr. Nicholas Nahas Archpriest Richard Peters Archpriest Anis Elias Sadie Shaheen Joseph Ferguson John Porritt Victims of the continued conflicts in the Middle East

4 ANNOUNCEMENTS It is time to schedule your Theophany House Blessing. This year we are encouraging you to schedule a convenient time via our on-line schedule. If you do not have access to a computer, please call the Church Office or Fr. Michael to schedule your House Blessing. Please schedule a 1-hour appointment to have your house blessed. Feel free to coordinate your House Blessing with parishioners in your neighborhood keeping a 1-hour time slot per household. If you need to schedule a House Blessing outside of the available time slots or would like to discuss other options, please contact Fr. Michael by phone (not ); (616) Schedule your House Blessing by visiting the following link: As we approach the end of another year, questions arise regarding what to do with printed materials that you have containing icons--calendars, obituary cards, newsletters, etc. Please do not throw unwanted printed materials containing icons in the trash or recycle bin. Dispose of them in one of the following ways: Burn the icon; place the ashes around a tree, bush, or other place of life not in the trash. Bring the portion of the printed material containing the icon to Church and place it in the "OLD YEAR ICONOGRAPHY" bin outside the Church Office. What is zalabieh? (Pronounced: zuh-lay-bee). Zalabieh is a delicious donut that is traditionally served on the Feast of The Theophany in celebration of Christ s baptism. If you would like to learn how to make it or can help to make it, we need YOU! Nadira Karadsheh will be making Zalabieh on Thursday, January 5 at 3:00 pm. Many hands are needed as that the zalebieh is ready to serve after the Theophany Divine Liturgy. Please contact Christine Elias if you can assist: (616) Kick of your New Year right! Develop a deeper knowledge of the Holy Scriptures by committing to attend Wednesday Night Bible Study. It will run for 5 weeks January 11-February 15 from 7:00-8:00 pm. This is a perfect opportunity to grow in Christ. We are offering the following classes: Introduction to Orthodoxy (Adults) A Study on the Book of St. Matthew (Adults) A Study on the Book of Mark (Grades 5-12) Child care available (Please contact the Church Office)

5 This group is for women hoping to grow in their faith and strengthen the faith and church practices of their families. Join us for fellowship, faith, and service, in the mornings with your children and/ or in the evenings together as moms! Our first event is Friday morning, January 6 from 9:30-11:00 am at St. Nicholas. This morning is open to all children and moms, although the activities will be geared toward the preschool age. Our learning focus on this day will be the Epiphany and other Great Feasts of the Church. Our first mom's night is Monday, January 16 from 7:30-9:00 pm at St. George. This night is open to all moms of children of any age! Whether you're just starting out with a new baby or you're a seasoned mother with teens, this a time to connect with other mothers in all stages of life. Please contact Elizabeth Ayoub with questions: elizabeth.marie.ayoub@gmail.com. Coffee Hosts are needed! Sign-up to host a coffee hour at the table in the Narthex. There are 5 spots to be filled from January-April. Come and join the Young Adult & College group for dinner and fellowship at Perrin Brewing Company at 6:00 pm on Thursday, January 12. Address: 5910 Comstock Park Dr., Comstock Park, Questions? Contact Scott Storey at srstorey@umich.edu. We are hosting a noontime Chili luncheon with fun activities to follow on Thursday, January 19. Be sure to mark your calendars now and plan on joining us in The Gathering Room at St. Nicholas for post holiday entertainment and laughs. Contact Nora Ayoub ( ) or Eileen Adolphson ( ) for further information. On Saturday, January 28, we are preparing breakfast for the families at Family Haven. We need 4-5 volunteers to assist in preparing breakfast from 9:30-noon. Sign-up at the table in the Narthex or contact Greg Storey: gregory_storey@yahoo.com. Are you a health care provider doctor, nurse, dentist, physical or occupational therapist, home health aide, chaplain, recreational or speech therapist, etc.? Then this event is designed just for you! The St. Elizabeth Health Ministry at St. Nicholas is holding a forum to address/discuss spiritual needs in a secular healthcare environment on Friday and Saturday, January 27 & 28. The cost is $50 per ticket (includes meals) with advance registration required. To register visit For further information contact Anne Medich: (616) or annemedich@gmail.com.

6 DEPARTED PARISHIONERS IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY: 1/01/1970 David Corey 1/01/1974 Joseph Mahrouse 1/03/2008 Marian Hickerty 1/07/1979 Theodore Gounos 1/07/2003 Patricia Cook 1/08/2008 Bea Hiemstra 1/13/2002 S. Nicholas Ayoub 1/14/2007 Alexandra Sulizki 1/14/2013 Nick Bander 1/16/1962 Edward Yared 1/16/1993 Nazema Khouri 1/17/1944 Essa Salhaney 1/17/1985 Lambert Orange 1/17/2005 Lena Audy 1/18/1961 Latife Hattem 1/18/1986 Minerva Yared Naifeh 1/19/1957 George A. Salhaney 1/20/1958 Rev. Jerome S. Yared 1/22/2004 Gazelle Courey 1/23/2001 William Khouri Najjar 1/27/1996 Abe Audy 1/28/1980 America Yared 1/29/1961 George Ember 1/29/2014 Abe Abraham THIS WEEK S ACTIVITIES Tuesday, January 3 * Choir Practice (7:00 pm) * Chant Practice (8:00 pm) Wednesday, January 4 * 6th Hour Prayer (5:00 pm) Eve of The Theophany, Thursday, January 5 * Forerunner Leader Mtg. (2:00 pm) * Matins (5:00 pm) * Divine Liturgy (6:00 pm) Friday, January 6 * O.K. Mama! (9:30 am) Saturday, January 7 * Vespers (6:00 pm) Sunday, January 8 * Matins & Orthodox Education (8:50 am) * Divine Liturgy (10 am) * Choir Party (5:00 pm) LOOKING AHEAD House Blessings January 6 February 19 Annual General Assembly January 29 February 5 (back-up date) Presentation of Christ February 1 * Matins (5:00 pm) * Divine Liturgy (6:00 pm) SERVING TEAMS Today: Next Week: Tithe & Offering Team: Mike, Bruce, Bob Marwan, JoAnn, Sam Coffee Hour Hosts: No Coffee Hour Nick Nicola