The Trophybearer Parish Priest:

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1 S A I N T G E O R G E G R E E K O R T H O D O X C H U R C H C H U R C H S T A F F The Trophybearer Parish Priest: Fr. Michael Constantinides Parish Council President: Mary Rankin Philoptochos President: Susan Matos Sunday School Director: Deacon Paul Speed Caretaker: Jason Leon I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : December 2 Calendar President s 3 Corner Community 5 News Stewardship 6 Update Bookstore 7 News Lives of the 9- Saints 10 Test your 12 Faith V O L U M E 5 I S S U E 1 1 PASTORAL MESSAGE D E C E M B E R We have reached a month in which we celebrate many great Saints, two of which are close to our hearts, Saint Nicholas and Saint Spyridon. Both these saints were part of the First Ecumenical Council which met in Nicaea in 325 A.D. Both Saints speak to us about the Christ that was incarnate. They both describe the nature of our Salvation. They do this with their words as well as their actions. Their example is one that we are called to follow. In this day of selfishness and utter faithlessness it is indeed difficult to see what they saw and know what they experienced. When these saints celebrated this great feast, they first came together to worship the Lord who was born in the manger, then they celebrated with their families and friends. They realized that the celebration of the Birth of our Lord involves both the liturgical celebration as well as the fellowship celebrations that they had. Nowadays, many of us ignore the liturgical celebration entirely. Many believe that while they indeed wish that they could come to Church but they must stay home to prepare. When we do this we run into the danger of forgetting what God Himself has done for us. We forget that God became man so that man can become gods. We forget that only our faith believes that their God became man, not simply taking the form but actually becoming man like us. How many of us even contemplate this mystery of the Incarnate Christ? When we come together to celebrate Christmas, what do we celebrate? Do we spend a minute thinking of the miracle that occurred for us and for our sakes, or do we simply rejoice in each other s company? Let us not take out the meaning of the celebration. Let us come together as a Church family to worship at Orthros and the on Christmas Day, and then celebrate together with our families. In this way we can say with the hymnographer, Christ is born glorify Him! Fr. Michael Constantinides Parish Priest

2 December 2015 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 Fish, Orthodox Study Forum 2 3 Fish, 4 5 Fish, 6:00 p.m. Orthodox Study Forum 6 10th Sunday of Luke Feast day of Saint Nicholas Fish, Parish Council Elections 8:30a.m. Orthros Sunday School Class following Holy Communion Parish Council elections from after the through 12:30 p.m. 7 Fish, 8 Fish, 7:00 p.m. Parish Council Meeting Orthodox Study Forum 6:00 p.m. Orthodox Study Forum 9 10 Fish, Feastday of Saint Spyridon the Wonderworker Fish, 8:30 a.m. Orthros followed by the Divine Liturgy 13 8th Sunday of Luke 8:30a.m. Orthros Sunday School Class following Holy Communion Sunday School Presentation Practice Orthodox Study Forum 6:00 p.m. Orthodox Study Forum Sunday before the Nativity 8:30a.m. Orthros Sunday School Class following Holy Communion Sunday School Christmas Presentation Orthodox Study Forum 6:00 p.m. Orthodox Study Forum 24 Eve of the Nativity 9:00 a.m. Great Hours 4:00 p.m. Vesperal 25 The Nativity according to the flesh of our Lord Office Closed Fast Free 8:30 a.m. Orthros followed by the Fast Free Sunday after the Nativity Fast Free 8:30a.m. Orthros Family Worship only Fast Free 30 Fast Free 31

3 V O L U M E 5 I S S U E 1 1 g{x VÉâÇv Ä VÉÇÇxvà ÉÇ P A G E 3 On November 8, the Fall General Assembly addressed some important issues facing the St. George Parish Family: Stewardship and the 2016 Budget The budget for next year, which was approved by the assembly, reflected rising costs and fewer sources of income, which means the stewardship program must grow. The parish is currently blessed with many generous donors, including many distant donors who reside outside the geographical area but always remember their St. George Family. Thanks to all of you! Please contact Mary Rankin, stewardship chair, if you would like to work in stewardship ministries to grow this program! Renovation Committee Recommendations council thanks him for the extensive work he and his subcommittees did to create the report. The projects were prioritized (top three needing to be addressed were stained glass window restoration at a cost of $38,500, repainting the metal barrel roof before corroding happens and replacing the roofing materials on the wings of the barrel roof at a cost of $38,000, and addressing the boiler needs through a maintenance program and a new burner this spring for a cost of $21,200). Other projects to phase in over future years were also discussed. A family has come forward to memorialize the window icon of the Pantocrator with a $45,000 donation to begin the renovation of the stained glass windows. Plans for financing the remainder of the projects will be forthcoming. Parish Growth As one parishioner at the assembly pointed out, the priest alone is not responsible for the growth of the parish, but it is up to each of us individually to reach out to others in order to fulfill the Great Commission of Christ ( Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Matthew 28: 19 20). Please contact Angela Spurgetis, Outreach Chair, if you would like to work in the outreach ministries of the church. Yours in Christ, Mary Rankin Mary Rankin Parish Council President PARISH COUNCIL ELECTIONS WHEN: SUNDAY DECEMBER 6, 2015 WHERE: IN THE LIBRARY TIME: FOLLOWING THE DIVINE LITURGY UP TO 12:30 P.M. Chairman John Stratton presented the findings of the committee. The

4 P A G E 4 Epistle Readers December 6, th Sunday of Luke Ethan Kirpatrick December 13, th Sunday of Luke Mary Rankin December 20, 2015 Sunday before the Nativity Alexa Florence December 27, 2015 Sunday after the Nativity Angela Spurgetis Parish Council Sunday Duty December 6, 2015 Brad Crosson, Mike Patramanis December 13, 2015 Mary Rankin, Joe Burmeister, Gus Pappas December 6, 2015 hosted by: Mary Winters and Geo Karoules December 13, 2015 hosted by: Marcia Allen and Rachel Dooley December 20, 2015 Steve Eckert, Mary Rankin, Mary Kay Eckhert December 27, 2015 Mary Rankin, Joe Burmeister, Gus Pappas Coffee Hour Hosts for December 2015 December 20, 2015 hosted by: Open December 27, 2015 hosted by: Open O Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall show forth your praise! Anyone interested in being an epistle reader should contact the church office! Fellowship and fun! T H E T R O P H Y B E A R E R Parish Registry Chrismation The Servant of God, Diane Brackon, was Confirmed into the Orthodox Church on November 1, Her new name is Anna. The Sponsor is Cleo Dalamaggas. Baptism The servant of God, Michael Gust, was baptized into the Orthodox Faith on November 14, 2015 and the sponsor was Arlene Gust.

5 V O L U M E 5 I S S U E 1 1 PARISH COUNCIL ELECTIONS Parish Council elections will be held on December 6. Please remember to cast your vote. PARISH COUNCIL MEETING Will be on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. in the Green room. METROPOLIS OPEN HOUSE The Metropolis open-house will be held this year on December 13 th at the Metropolis of Chicago. Everyone is invited to attend. Greetings; Our Sunday School year is in full swing; it is good to see our numbers and we pray for more. The Sunday School teachers are giving their time and talent; they are eager to encourage your children in the faith. These beloved little ones are in our care as the church and especially as parents for their well-being and most particularly their spiritual care. To paraphrase, if they do not learn the faith from us, from whom will they learn it? If not now, when? All of them will grow and go away at some time; if we have not laid the foundation of their Community News SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS On December 13th following the Divine Liturgy our Sunday School will be having their Christmas Pageant Program, all students should be present. On December 20 our Sunday School will be having their Christmas Program following the Divine Liturgy. CHRISTMAS GREETINGS On behalf of Fr. Michael, Fr. Christos, Deacon Paul and the Parish Council we want Sunday School News ongoing Christian journey, can we count on others to do so? St. Theophan the Recluse wrote brilliantly on childrearing, and I quote this line in particular: What good fortune therefore it is to receive a good, truly Christian upbringing, to enter with it into the years of youth, then in the same spirit to enter into the years of adulthood. Saint Theophan The Sunday School Christmas Program is set for December 20th, to be followed by a visit from to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and may the blessings of our Lord be with you all! HOSPITAL VISITS If you or a family member are in the hospital, please call the office. Ever since the change in the privacy laws, hospitals are reluctant to call churches. Please call us so that we can avoid missing our parishioners in their time of need. Santa. We would love to have as many children as possible for that event. The rehearsal will be the previous week. There is a short Sunday School teachers' meeting on the 6th after Sunday School lets out, just to touch base and prepare for Christmas. As always, we welcome any volunteers and/or substitute teachers; our goal is never miss an opportunity to serve our children and young people. Deacon Paul P A G E 5 Our Saint George Parish Community St. Philip the Deacon is the patron saint of Religious Education. He was an inspired evangelist and teacher whose missionary work brought a multitude of new believers to Christ in Samaria and other cities. along the coast of Palestine

6 P A G E 6 T H E T R O P H Y B E A R E R

7 V O L U M E 5 I S S U E 1 1 FROM STAVRO LOGO ST. GEORGE BOOK STORE Stop by and see our new small, reasonably priced gifts Christmas. They are perfect for a friend, relative, thank you, or used as a stocking stuffer. In addition to the popular mealtime and friendship prayer cube, we have added a bedtime and fasting prayer cube. These sell for $5.00. The fasting prayer cube has a particularly meaningful message. We seem to concentrate only on what foods we should avoid during fasting season. However, these cubes remind us that we are also called on to sacrifice and strive for Christian behavior in other ways. Roll the dice and let the message guide you and help you to be strong in your effort to grow in your Christian faith. FAST FROM JUDG- ING OTHERS Before judging, recall how Jesus overlooks our faults. Whatever you roll, let that be your focus for that day. We also offer a black wrist bracelet with the i-am-n message printed on the outside. When Islamic State militants identified Christian-owned buildings for takeover by marking them with the Arabic letter N, they were accusing the owners of being Nazarenes, or those who follow Jesus of Nazareth. The inside message reads I will not let them suffer in silence. I will not let them serve alone. Declare your Christianity and show support for those who are being persecuted. Of course we also offer Christmas greeting cards and the everpopular My Orthodox Prayer Book along with other books and gifts. And do not forget to start your new year off right with a delicious Vasilopita. Vasilopita coins are available to add to your bread for that extra surprise and come in a jewel case with the story of this wonderful feast day. New Bookstore Items P A G E 7

8 P A G E 8 T H E T R O P H Y B E A R E R St. George Philoptochos Vasilopita Vasilopita Making Calling all good bakers, women and men, to Vasilopita baking day. For many years Nancy Avgenackis and myself, Nancy (N) Coin, have prepared the Vasilopita Annual Income 2% 4% 6% $20,000 : $ $ $1, $30,000: $ $ $1, for St. Basil s feast day. It is a great honor and pleasure to have given this gift to St. George and our friends and relatives. This year we are scheduled to bake the bread on Saturday, January 9, 2016 for liturgy on January 10 th. We answered the call when Colette Spurgetis suggested that someone learn to prepare the Vasilopita in large quantity. Colette Spurgetis and Martha Gust guided us through it for a couple of years and were always there if we needed them. We are putting out the Giving Guidelines $40,000: $ $1, $2, $50,000: $1, $2, $3, $75,000: $1, $3, call to anyone interested in helping to carry on this great tradition. Although we are not retiring, we feel that it is time to train others. Many of you have probably made this for your family. We would like to show you how to make 9-10 large loaves and prepare it for the congregation. If you are interested, please contact Nancy A. ( ) or Nancy (N) Coin, ( ) for details. We pray that we could be half the teachers that our mentors were. Please do not let this tradition die. $4, $100,000 $2, $5, $7, Many of us give less than 1% while the standard for tithing out of the Bible in 10% Christian Stewardship is:...learning how to be a responsible and concerned caretaker of Christ s Church; it is learning how to enjoy Church life and be happy in Church work., for in Her dwells the fullness of the Spirit of God. our active commitment to use all our time, talent and treasure for the benefit of humankind in grateful acknowledgment of Christ s redeeming love. caring for the needs of others. offering one s self to God as He offered Himself to us. what a person does after saying I believe, as proof of that belief. devotion and service to God and His Church as persons, as families, as diocese/ metropolis, as national Church and as Church universal.

9 V O L U M E 5 I S S U E 1 1 P A G E 9 The Nativity of our Lord (December 25) Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, was born of the Most Holy Virgin Mary in the city of Bethlehem during the reign of the emperor Augustus (Octavian). Caesar Augustus decreed that a universal census be made throughout his Empire, which then also included Palestinian Israel. The Jews were accustomed to be counted in the city from where their family came. The Most Holy Virgin and the Righteous Joseph, since they were descended from the house and lineage of King David, had to go to Bethlehem to be counted and taxed. In Bethlehem they found no room at any of the city's inns. Thus, the God- Man, the Savior of the world, was born in a cave that was used as a stable. "I behold a strange and most glorious mystery," the Church sings with awe, "Heaven, a Cave; the Virgin the Throne of the Cherubim; the Manger a room, in which Christ, the God Whom nothing can contain is laid." (Irmos of the 9th Ode of the Nativity Canon). Having given birth to the divine Infant without travail, the Most Holy Virgin "wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger" (Luke 2:7). In the stillness of midnight (Wisdom of Solomon 18:14-15), the proclamation of the birth of the Savior of the world was heard by three shepherds watching their flocks by night. An angel of the Lord (St Cyprian says this was Gabriel) came before them and said: "Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11). The humble shepherds were the first to offer worship to Him Who condescended to assume the form of a humble servant for the salvation of mankind. Besides the glad tidings to the Bethlehem shepherds, the Nativity of Christ was revealed to the Magi by a wondrous star. Entering the house where the Infant lay, the Magi "fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented Him gifts: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh" (Mt. 2:11). The present Feast, commemorating the Nativity in the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, was established by the Church. Its origin goes back to the time of the Apostles. In the Apostolic Constitutions (Section 3, 13) it says, "Brethren, observe the feastdays; and first of all the Birth of Christ, which you are to celebrate on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month." In another place it also says, "Celebrate the day of the Nativity of Christ, on which unseen grace is given man by the birth of the Word of God from the Virgin Mary for the salvation of the world." In the second century St Clement of Alexandria also indicates that the day of the Nativity of Christ is December 25. In the third century St Hippolytus of Rome mentions the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, and appoints the Gospel readings for this day from the opening chapters of St Matthew. The Nativity according to the flesh of our Lord

10 P A G E 1 0 T H E T R O P H Y B E A R E R The Nativity of our Lord (Continued) During the first three centuries, in the Churches of Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria and Cyprus, the Nativity of Christ was combined together with the Feast of His Baptism on January 6, and called "Theophany" ("Manifestati on of God"). This was because of a belief that Christ was baptized on the anniversary of His birth, which may be inferred from St John Chrysostom's sermon on the Nativity of Christ: "it is not the day on which Christ was born which is called Theophany, but rather that day on which He was baptized." How A Child Learns... If a child lives with... Criticism, he learns to condemn. Hostility, she learns to fight. Ridicule, he learns to be shy. Shame, she learns to feel guilty. The present order of services preserves the memory of the ancient joint celebration of the Feasts of the Nativity of Christ and Theophany. On the eve of both Feasts, there is a similar tradition that one should fast until the stars appear. The order of divine services on the eve of both feastdays and the feastdays themselves is the same. The Nativity of Christ has long been counted as one of the Twelve Great Feasts. It is one of the greatest, most joyful and wondrous events in the history of the world. The angel said to the shepherds, "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born Thoughts to Ponder... Tolerance, he learns to be patient. Encouragement, she learns confidence. Praise, he learns to appreciate. Fairness, she learns justice. Security, he learns to have faith. Approval, she learns to this day in the city of David a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Then suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts, glorifying God and saying: Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Those who heard these things were astonished at what the shepherds told them concerning the Child. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen" (Luke 2:10-20). like herself. Friendship, he learns to find love in the world. Prayer, she learns to love God. Just as the poor should give thanks to God and return rich love to those who assist them, so all the more should the wealthy give thanks, for through God's providence they are able to perform acts of charity and so are saved both in this age and in the age to be. For without the poor they cannot save their souls or flee the temptations of wealth. St. Simeon the New Theologian

11 V O L U M E 5 I S S U E 1 1 P A G E 1 1 Answers to Last Month s Test Your Faith The Church s Services Across 1. The twenty stanzas into which the Orthodox Psalter is divided. 6. The Service of the preparation of the elements of bread and wine before the is known as. 10. A hymn of praise consisting of 24 stanzas sung at the Salutations services. Down 2. This is a short verse from the scriptures, especially the psalms, sung or recited in the and other services. 3. A hymn of praise in honor of the Mother of God. In Greek it is called the Megalynarion. 4. A hymn which refers to or praises the Theotokos is known as a. 5. A prayer sung by the chanter or choir in honor of the celebrant bishop or presbyter. 7. Another name for the Akathyst Hymn is. 8. A liturgical verse or scriptural passage sung or read before the reading of the Epistle 9. These special hymns are sung during the Service of Matins. Liturgical Items Blessing Cross Candles Deacons Doors Crozier Antimension Censer Iconostasis Orlets Tabernacle Diskos Royal Doors Spear Exapteriga Icons Prosphora Spoon Prothesis Altar Trikirion Aer Antidoron Asterisk Cathedra Dikiron Chalice

12 Test Your Faith... Service and Liturgical Books Across 3. The service book containing the canons and hymns of the eight tones or modes of Byzantine Music is called the. 5. This liturgical book contains instructions about the order of the various Church services and ceremonies in the form of a perpetual calendar. 6. A brief biography of a saint read in the church on occasions of his feast day is called the. 8. This liturgical book contains all the prayers, hymns and services performed during the period of fifty days between Easter and Pentecost. 9. This liturgical book contains the prayers and ceremonial order of the various church services including the for the priest. 10. The Greek term for the G o s p e l B o o k i s t h e. Down 1. A liturgical book containing the hymns, prayers and services of the movable feast before Easter, beginning with the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee until Easter Sunday. 2. The liturgical Book containing the various Apostolic (Epistle) Readings is called the. 4. The Liturgical book containing the different services and prayers of the hours of the day is called. 7. A liturgical book containing the lives of the saints and the special hymns (Stichera) for the feast-days of the Orthodox Saints. It is divined into twelve volumes, one for each month.