FATHER DEMETRI TSIGAS cell phone:

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1 SAINT KATHERINE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 5965 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne, Florida Church Phone: (321) fax (321) Church hall: (321) website: FATHER DEMETRI TSIGAS cell phone: Orthros: 8:45 AM Divine Liturgy: 10:00 AM Fellowship Hour: Noon Father s office hours: Tues, Wed & Thurs. Noon - 3 pm Church office hours: Mon. through Fri. 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. / Sat. closed & Sun. closed during Liturgy ~ VISION & MISSION STATEMENT ~ Our Vision (dream) is to be a growing, loving, united Orthodox Christian family open to all. Our Mission (job) is to grow our faith in Christ through love and respect, with humility and forgiveness. Sunday, NOVEMBER 22, rd Morning Gospel - Plagal 4th Mode 9th SUNDAY OF LUKE Apostles of the Seventy, Philemon, Archippus, Apphia and Onesimus, Martyrs Cicily, Vallerianos & Tibourtios Martyrs Mark, Stephen & another Mark Martyr Procopios of Palestine Martyr Menignus the fuller Father Abbas Martyrs. Christopher, Thallelos, Anthimos, Kallistos & Thaddaios Martyrs Agapion, Sisinios the hieromartyr & Agapios Please turn your cell phones & pagers off or on vibrate before entering Church

2 Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom Ἀπολυτίκιον Ἀναστάσιμον Πλ. Δ σ. 126 Ἐξ ὕψους κατῆλθες ὁ εὔσπλαγχνος, ταφὴν κατεδέξω τριήμερον, ἵνα ἡμᾶς ἐλευθερώσῃς τῶν παθῶν. Ἡ ζωὴ καὶ ἡ Ἀνάστασις ἡμῶν, Κύριε δόξα σοι. Resurrectional Apolytikion Plagal 4th Mode - p.127 From on high You descended, O merciful Lord. You accepted the cross and three days in the tomb to free us from the bondage of sin, O our life and resurrection. Glory to You O Lord. Τής Εορτής Ήχος Δ Σήµερον τῆς εὐδοκίας Θεοῦ τὸ προοίµιον, καὶ τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων σωτηρίας ἡ προκήρυξις. Ἐν Ναῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ τρανῶς ἡ Παρθένος δείκνυται, καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν τοῖς πᾶσι προκαταγγέλλεται. Αὐτῇ καὶ ἡµεῖς µεγαλοφώνως βοήσωµεν Χαῖρε τῆς οἰκονοµίας τοῦ Κτίστου ἡ ἐκπλήρωσις. For the Feast 4 th Mode Today is the prelude of God's good pleasure, and the proclamation of humanity's salvation. In the temple of God, the Virgin is presented openly, and in herself she announces Christ to all. Let us, then, with a great voice cry aloud to her: "Rejoice, you are the fulfillment of the Creator's dispensation." Ἀπολυτίκιον τής Άγίας Αικατερίνης - Ήχος Πλ. Α Τήν πανεύφημον νύμφην Χριστού υμνήσωμεν * Αικατερίναν τήν θείαν καί πολιούχον Σινά * τήν βοήθειαν ημών καί αντίληψιν ότι εφίμωσε λαμπρώς * τούς κομψούς τών ασεβών * τού Πνεύματος τή δυνάμει καί ως Μάρτυς Κυρίου στεφθείσα * αιτείται πάσι τό μέγα έλεος. Apolytikion of St. Katherine - Plagal 1st Mode The all-blessed bride of Christ let us extol in song * Katerina the divine and protector of Sinai * our assistance and unfailing firm support; * for she did muzzle brilliantly * the ungodly clever men by 2

3 the power of the Spirit. And now as a crowned Martyr * the great mercy she pleads for all of us. Κοντάκιον Ήχος Δ - σ Ό καθαρώτατος ναός τού Σωτήρος, ή πολυτίμητος παστάς καί παρθένος, τό ιερόν θησαύρισμα τής δόξης τού Θεού, σήμερον είσάγεται έν τώ οίκω Κυρίου, τήν χαριν συνεισάγουσα τήν έν Πνεύματι θείω ήν άνυμνούσιν άγγελοι Θεού αύτη ύπαρχει σκηνή έπουράνιος. Kontakion 4th Mode - p Behold the temple of the Savior, His precious bridal chamber. Behold the virginal and sacred vessel of God s glory. Today she enters into the house of the Lord, bearing within her the grace of the Holy Spirit. For this, the angels exclaim: She is indeed the heavenly tabernacle. The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 4:1-7 BRETHREN, I, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. The Reading is from The Gospel of Luke 10:25-37 The Lord said this parable: "The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." As he said these things, he cried out: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." 3

4 Please pray for our: Spiritual Leaders: Patriarch Bartholomew; Archbishop Demetrios; Metropolitan Alexios; & Fr. Demetri Civil Leaders: President Barack Obama, US Congress & Supreme Court; Governor Rick Scott; all our civil authorities and our armed forces. Parish Leadership: Parish Council & Philoptochos members, Chanters & Choir, Sunday & Greek School teachers and students, our Youth Group leaders and children. Those who are sick, awaiting surgery, recovering from surgery, in need of prayers and/or shut in: Pauline Porch, Sophia Tenreiro, Alexandra Diamond, Peter Katsoulas, Mae Charos, Theresa Sempepos, Peter & Dorothy Pappademetriou, Nicholas, Gus Drivas, Bill & Ellen Werner, Olga, Despina Kalimnios, Ashley, Elias Corpas, Nazieh & Yvonne Yacoub, Savannah & Zander Kelly, Vada Ganakos, Mirsini Sirounis, Katherine, Don, Penny, Princeton, Suzanne Orosz, Faye Nicholas, Gerry & Chris, Veton, Mark, Ayad Saad & family, JoAnne Macheras, John Cominos, Van Katehakis, Lisa Waddell, Michael Donohue, Angela DeCosta, Marlaine Manus, Ann Prieston, Anna, Kris Stamatis, Anastasia, Kyriaki, Renee, Olga Taran, George & Sue Kanazeh, Joseph, Jay & John Paul Figari, Matina, Gabriel & Markos Pongpipat, George, Mirek, James Burkhardt, Maria, Mary Katsenes, Lisa, Sylvia Demopoulos, Alexandra, Joyce Stavrakis, Taylor Pappas, Mike Niscia, Pam Hogan, Despina, Rosemary George, Connie Ortolani, Maria Brewster, Maria, Iakovos, Efstratia, Sarah Wells, Jan & Mary, James Petersen, Denis Frawley, David Buckles, James Pappas, Bill Kokotis, Lori, Debbi Walker, George & Marta Demopoulos, Michelle Orosz, Leah Thomas, Mary & Pete Faines, Robert & Vel, Tony Niarhos. For those expecting: Jessie Echevarria, Courtney & Demetre Lagges For those with new babies: Those serving in the Military: Joseph Abadiotakis, Jr., Elias Panayiotis Maldonado, Nicholas Tsamoutales, Yanni Tshontikidis, Harold David Ballard, Samuel Joseph III, Nicholas Cannaverde, Travis Hunter, Ethan Macheras, Matthew Ryan Stinnett, James Christian Figari. For the protection of Christians who are being persecuted for their faith. For the protection and freedom of the kidnapped Metropolitan Boulos Yazigi and Archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim, both of Aleppo, Syria. Those preparing for Marriage: Sotiria Tutzarakis & Matthew Stinnett, Nicolas Melitas & Julie Noble, Alexis Zavitsanos & Kraig Tharp. College Students: Arianna Bendlin, Telly Galanopoulos, Tony Galanopoulos, Alyssa Giglio, Sade Jelani, Jamila Jelani, Alyssa Karas, Marianthi Karas, Peter Karas, Kimberley Koines, Dana Marie Koines, Jennifer Loso, Esther Muradov, Tommy Panouses, Ashley P. Buckles, Catherine Psarakis, Kathleen Rogers, George Saad, Noha Saliba, Catie Sergis, Costas Stathis, Alex Stathis, Mary Jane 4

5 Tutzarakis, Elizabeth Gaherty, Brandon Arena, Melanie Niarhos, Ronnie Rickard, Jessica Saad, Andrew Loso, Leah Thomas & Austen Thomas. (If you know of anyone that should be added to this list, please call the Church office.) ~ Welcome to Our Guests ~ We are delighted that you are with us today. Please keep in mind that according to the Holy Canons and teachings of the Orthodox Church, you must be a baptized and chrismated member of the Orthodox faith in good standing in order to receive Holy Communion. You are welcome to receive a portion of the blessed bread (antidoron) distributed at the end of the Divine Liturgy. Please join us for coffee hour following services. CHRISTMAS PAGEANT & SPAGHETTI FUNDRAISER SUN., DECEMBER 20TH FOLLOWING DIVINE LITURGY Adults $10 Children 12 & Under $5 5

6 ~ TODAY ~ Trisaghion Service Ioanna - 24 yrs Fellowship hour sponsored today by the Theodorou family in memory of Ioanna FESTIVAL MEETING TODAY IN CONFERENCE ROOM 12:45 PM ~ Upcoming Liturgies & Events ~ Tues., Nov. 24th - Vespers for St. Katherine - 6 pm - followed by reception sponsored by Philoptochos Wed., Nov. 25th - St. Katherine s Feastday - Orthros 8:45 am Divine Liturgy 10 am Thurs., Nov. 26th - Thanksgiving Day - Office closed Thurs & Fri Mon., Nov. 30th - Andrew the Apostle - Orthros 8:45 am Divine Liturgy 10 am Sat., Dec. 5th - St. Nicholas Vespers AT St. Nicholas Church Ft. Pierce Sun., Dec. 6th - Parish Council Elections. You must be a steward in good standing in order to vote. Sat., Dec. 12th - St. Spyridon - Orthros 8:45 am Divine Liturgy 10 am Fri., Dec. 18th - 6 pm - Christmas Pageant practice and party to follow in the community center. Sat., Dec. 19th - St. Modestos Pet Blessing 10:30 am Sun., Dec. 20th - Sunday School Christmas Pageant & Spaghetti Fundraiser Wishing everyone a Blessed & Happy Thanksgiving! Check our website for updated Liturgies & Events 6

7 We now have a new landscape company servicing our needs owned by parishioners Spiros & Costas Theodoropoulos. Call PROPOSAL FOR PRICE REDUCTION PROGRAM: PHILOPTOCHOS THANKSGIVING FUNDRAISER AND CHRISTMAS CARD SIGN UPS NOW GOING ON. PICK UP A FORM IN THE NARTHEX OR SEE DANIELA OR VANNA IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER. CHRISTMAS IS COMING! COOKBOOKS MAKE A GREAT GIFT! You can now share our website with your family and friends and have them buy their cookbooks directly from our website. We are now set up with PayPal for cookbook purchases and eventually stewardship and donations! 7

8 SUNDAY SCHOOL REPORT FOR NOVEMBER 15 ~ Vision Statement ~ To be a community of engaged and educated young Orthodox Christians. ~ Mission Statement ~ To encourage and foster spiritual growth of young people in our Orthodox Faith. Pre-school Coop - Attendance: Kindergarten & First Grade Donna Thomson Today Attendance: 2nd & 3rd Grade Jonna Myatt We did a fun activity called " Thankfulness in a Box". I filled a box with random everyday items, such as a shoelace, measuring tape, plastic bag, battery...the goal was to come up with as many reasons as possible to be thankful for even the littlest things! For example, a shoelace is not just a shoelace. It was in a shoe and took a kids somewhere for a long time. Thank God for sneakers! Thank God for fingers that can work shoelaces! And shoelaces can be hard to tie. Thank God for moms and dads to teach us:) We learned that we have a hundred things in our living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms which we could be thankful for if we just stopped to think of what they are. Attendance: 3 4th & 5th Grade Daphne Courey & Anastasia Theodorou Sun., Nov. 8th - Today we continued our studies in the zine God Calls Us to His Kingdom Lesson 5 Jesus Judges with God s Mercy. Their vocabulary words were: Salvation, Petition and Mercy. We explored the The Holy Sepulcher and The Holy Land: The Fifth Gospel via the internet. Their Memory Verse was: For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life. (John3:16). We discussed what stereotypes are and how by putting people in to stereotypes we are judging them, when we really don t know anything about them. We continued reading the story, The Birthday Dilemma chapter 5 The children studied what St. Matthew wrote and studied St Matthew and learned more about the Petitions. We closed with Through the Prayers of the Theotokos Attendance: guest Sun., Nov. 15th - Today we compared different ways to communicate with God. Whether we pray by ourselves, with others, sing hymns, or use intercessory prayer; all are special and allow our relationship with God to grow. We 8

9 memorized Mathew 6:6 and did a worksheet to review much of our recent new vocabulary from our studies. Attendance: 8 6th to 8th Grade - Presvytera Eleni & Anna Swartz Attendance: Orthodox Life/High School: Costas Triantafyllidis, Warren Baker & Bill Orosz Father Demetri's Homily on the Good Samaritan was very thought provoking and the entire class was moved to an excellent discussion about the challenges that we Christians face in today's world in living our faith. We reviewed the early martyrs and their sacrifices in being true witnesses to Christ. We are called by our Lord to "Love" our neighbors (including enemies), not just our family, friends and fellow Christians. This is most difficult especially in light of the actions taken by terrorists and the persecutions that are being inflicted on fellow Christians today. We recognize that we need to personally grow in God's grace to face our spiritual challenges. His Love and Grace is sufficient for us. Attendance : 9 CHRISTMAS BAKING WORKSHOPS ALL WORKSHOPS BEGIN 10 AM Finikia Koulourakia Kourambiethes Bake Baklava Pack Pastries December 8th December 10th December 14th December 16th December 18th Deadline to order is December 9th Pick up dates for sale is Sun., December 20th BAKE SALE FORMS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE NARTHEX OR SEE ANN XENAKIS IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER 9

10 Thank you to everyone who has donated to the 2nd tray for OCMC SPECIFICALLY FOR THE RITSIS WE COLLECTED $1,014. PREPARING FOR THE JOURNEY OF MARRIAGE This is now a requirement for all couples planning to get married in the Orthodox Church. St. John the Divine Jacksonville FL St. Elizabeth Tallahassee FL Holy Trinity Maitland FL January 30, :15 am-4:00 pm February 6, :15 am-4:00 pm February 27, :15 am-4:00 pm St. Katherine Melbourne FL April 2, :15 am-4:00 pm St. John Chrysostom Hobe Sound FL April 16, :15 am-4:00 pm 10

11 CHRISTMAS DANCE Saturday December 19th 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm Come and enjoy the holidays Dancing & Socializing Everyone is invited! Indian River Colony Club Murrell Road Music by Yianni Buffet, Cash bar Lenten meal available to those who are fasting 50/50 Raffle DONATION $100 per couple $50 per person RSVP by December 10th call Jim Papageorge Sponsored by AHEPA #401 For Scholarship Fund 11

12 2ND TRAY WILL BE PASSED TODAY 12

13 My Beloved Ones, I would like to inform all the Faithful of our Metropolis that we have entered the forty-day Nativity Fast, and I greet you with a joyful and grateful heart! Many people today think fasting is a difficult thing to practice in modern day society, especially because of all the temptations that are constantly surrounding us. But, I want to remind you that fasting is a blessing from God, and as the Fathers say, fasting helps us human beings and Orthodox Christians live closer to our God. We feel closer to God by controlling the human desires that make us act non- Christian. I would like us Orthodox people to know that fasting is something the Church has practiced from the beginning of its existence. Fasting started with the creation of human beings when our Creator asked Adam and Eve not to eat from the forbidden tree and to practice obedience and discipline. Later on, our Lord Jesus Christ practiced fasting in the beginning of His teachings and the last three years He delivered His message to the Faithful. He went out of His way for forty-days in order to fast. The Fathers of the Church like Saint John Chrysostom, and especially Saint Basil the Great and Gregory of Nazianzus, abandoned their careers after their studies in Athens to live a life devoted to God and became Priests and Bishops. For four years, they lived a controlled life in order to become inspirations, and receive the Grace of our Creator by learning how to control their own wills and temptations. Our Creator enlightened us with the concept of fasting to help our souls and minds become spiritually uplifted. Fasting is a blessing before the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and we have to learn to better our passions, attitudes, and iniquities by becoming weak in the body and stronger in the spirit. I hope and I pray that if we support one another, we can become stronger and live according to our faith and consider the importance of fasting during this beautiful holy season. Praying that you will be blessed with a peaceful and joyous Advent, I remain With paternal love in our Lord, +ALEXIOS Metropolitan of Atlanta 13

14 RELIGIOUS FASTING AND HUMAN HEALTH "Controlling Modern America's Obesity Problem with Ancient Fasting Practices" By Deacon Chris Burdette I read an article online today about America's obesity problem entitled, Weight of the Union: Obesity by State 1, and I thought to myself, what if more Americans fasted as prescribed by the Orthodox Church? Would we be healthier? Of course, fasting is not just about food, but for the moment, let's focus on this aspect of fasting. I did a little "Google research" and found out that a couple studies have actually been conducted on this very topic! The first was a 2003 study conducted in Greece entitled, Effects of Greek orthodox christian church fasting on serum lipids and obesity 2. Although you might have to be a medical professional to appreciate the article in its entirety, the last paragraph of the Discussion section gives a nice summary. It reads as follows; "Our study attempts to provide an understanding of the impact of Christian Orthodox fasting on serum blood lipids and obesity indices before and at the end of the three major fasting periods. Compared to controls, fasters presented decreased lipoproteins and BMI levels. These results support our hypothesis by highlighting the beneficial influence of Christian Orthodox fasting on lipoprotein profile and prevalence of obesity. Another study I found was from 2010, entitled, The impact of religious fasting on human health 3. That study investigated the health effects of fasting not only during the major Greek Orthodox fasting periods, but also the Ramadan Fast and the Daniel Fast. The results appeared to be similar to those in the previous study. As you can see, although the fasting practices of the Orthodox Church can be challenging at times, they are not "unhealthy" as some might think, but quite the opposite, they can improve your health. I would like to reiterate that fasting is not only about abstaining from certain foods, but is also a time for great spiritual growth. Fasting practices should be discussed with your spiritual father. Even though we fast together as a Church, individual fasting practices will vary based on several factors that the spiritual father will take into consideration when providing guidance on how you should fast. 14

15 Approaching to Receive Holy Communion & Antidoron The distribution of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ is perhaps the holiest moment in the Divine Liturgy. For Holy Communion and Antidoron, we should approach in an orderly, pious and respectful manner. Additionally if you have not arrived in time for the Epistle and Gospel reading without good reason, you should not receive. Ushers will guide the congregation to approach row by row from front to back. Please follow the direction of the ushers. We encourage Sunday School children, teachers and their families to sit in the first few rows at the front left of the nave so that they can see what is happening in the service and get to Sunday School quickly. Priest Office Hours Fr. Demetri has designated Noon - 3 PM, Tuesday through Thursday as his office hours. If you want to meet with him (during office hours or any other time), please call his cell phone ( ) to make an appointment. Note that Father is often needed elsewhere even during these designated times. Call and schedule an appointment so that you are not disappointed. Hosting Fellowship Hour This is a wonderful opportunity to extend our Christian hospitality with one another and any guests or visitors who attend our services. Duties: Set up the two coffee pots in hall Provide a simple snack, Clean up If any parishioners, families, group of families, koumbari or friends would like to host a fellowship hour following Sunday Liturgy please contact : Church office Or - admin@saint-katherine.org Available dates: Nov. 29 (Fasting days from 15th on) Dec. 13, 27 During fasting periods, store bought cookies w/o egg or dairy products are: Nabisco Classics (oatmeal raisin, cinnamon swirls) Nabisco Social Tea Biscuits, Oreos. 15

16 STEWARDSHIP PRAYER In the name of Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Amen. Lord Jesus Christ our God, accept our offerings as You have accepted the gifts of Your people throughout the ages. We offer these gifts to Your glory, for the support of the ministries of Your Holy Church, for the alleviation of suffering and hunger, and for the proclamation of Your Gospel to the whole world. Grant us Your blessing, Lord our Savior, that we may always be faithful stewards, continuing to share the gifts you have given us, by the power of Your grace, mercy and love. May Your name be glorified forever. Amen STEWARDSHIP 148 Stewards Pledging $140,035. Paid to date $122, Friends of St. Katherine have paid $25,632. [For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34 THE JESUS PRAYER Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, Υἱέ Θεοῦ, ἐλέησόν με τὸν ἁμαρτωλόν. (τὴν ἁμαρτωλόν if prayed by a female) Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.