NATIVITY OF THE HOLY PROPHET, FORERUNNER AND BAPTIST JOHN

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1 10748 E. 116 th Street Fishers, Indiana (317) V. Rev. Father Nabil L. Hanna, Pastor (317) Rev. James A. Childs, Deacon (317) Rev. Joseph S. Olas, Deacon (317) A Parish of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest His Eminence Metropolitan JOSEPH, Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America His Grace Bishop ANTHONY, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Toledo TONE 3 JUNE 24, 2018 EOTHINON 4 NATIVITY OF THE HOLY PROPHET, FORERUNNER AND BAPTIST JOHN NEW-MARTYR PANAYIOTIS OF CAESAREA IN CAPPADOCIA This marks the spot where John the Baptist was born in Ain Kerem, just outside Jerusalem.

2 L I T U RGY VA R I AT I O N S 3 RD ANTIPHON (TROPARION OF THE RESURRECTION, TONE 3) 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 APOLYTIKIA AFTER THE ENTRANCE from the dead. He hath delivered us from the depths of Hades, granting the world the Great Mercy. Let the heavens rejoice. Troparion of the Resurrection (Tone 3) Schedule of Regular Weekly Services Sundays: Matins, 8:50 AM Divine Liturgy, 10 AM Wednesdays: Vespers, 6:30 PM Saturdays: Great Vespers, 5 PM Confession: See Calendar for Feast Days and Other Weekday Services Scheduled Order for Holy Communion Members of the Orthodox Church age seven and above must prepare for Holy Communion with a recent confession, prayer, fasting from all food and drink from midnight (unless medical condition preclude it), being in church before the Epistle and Gospel readings, and being at peace with everyone. As there are NO CHURCH SCHOOL classes today, children should sit with their parents and come to Communion with them. An usher will dismiss your row from the center aisle. Then return to your place by a side aisle for the prayers of thanksgiving and the final blessing and dismissal. Please let choir members pass when they come down for Communion. After Saturday Vespers During Sunday Matins Or by Appointment Remember to turn cell phones off! A Warm Welcome to Our Guests We are glad you are worshipping with us. Please note that participation in Holy Communion is limited to members of the Orthodox Church in good standing, who have prepared with prayer, fasting and confession. For all others: though we cannot share Communion with you since it is an expression of membership and full unity in faith you are welcome to come forward after the dismissal, receive a blessing and partake of the blessed bread (from the large bowls). Please also sign our guest book, and introduce yourself to Fr. Nabil during the coffee hour. You may inquire with him how you can become a member.

3 Troparion of the Nativity of John the Baptist (Tone 4) Prophet and Forerunner of the coming of Christ, although we cannot praise you worthily, we honor you in love at your Nativity, for by it you ended your father s silence and your mother s barrenness, proclaiming to the world the Incarnation of the Son of God! Liberator of captives, Defender of the poor, the Physician of the sick and the Champion of kings, O Trophy-bearer, Great-martyr O undisputed intercessor of Christians, the Mediatrix who is unrejected by the Creator. Turn not away from the voice of our petitions, though we be sinners. Come to us with Troparion for St. George (Tone 4; Byzantine) Kontakion of the Theotokos (Tone 2) George, intercede with Christ our God that our souls be saved. aid in time, who cry unto thee in faith, for thou art good. Hasten to us with intercessions, O Theotokos, who dost ever intercede for those who honor thee. SCRIPTURE LESSONS The righteous shall rejoice in the Lord. Verse: O God, hear my cry when I pray to you. Prokeimenon (Psalm 63.11, 1; Tone 7) Reading from Saint Paul s Letter to the Romans ( ; St. John the Baptist) BRETHREN, salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed; the night is far gone; the day is at hand. Let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions. One believes he may eat anything, while the weak man eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains pass judgment on him who eats; for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for God is able to make him stand.

4 Holy Gospel according to St. Luke (1:1-25, 57-68, 76, 80; St. John the Baptist) Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us, just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed. In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zachariah, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zachariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zachariah, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth; for he will be great before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother s womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared. And Zachariah said to the angel, How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years. And the angel answered him, I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time. And the people were waiting for Zachariah and they wondered at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he made signs to them and remained dumb. And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she hid herself, saying, Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men. Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered, and she gave birth to a son. And her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zachariah after his father, but his mother said, Not so; he shall

5 be called John. And they said to her, None of your kindred is called by this name. And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him called. And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, His name is John. And they all marveled. And immediately his mouth was loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea; and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What then will this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him. And his father Zachariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed his people. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness till the day of his manifestation to Israel. HOLY OBLATIONS AND PRAYER REQUESTS By the Rhinehart and Shahin Families, for the health of Cindy Rhinehart on her birthday. By Mark and Ludmila Woodward and family, for the repose of Ludmila aunt Valentina Mereuta (6-month memorial). A sign-up sheet for baking and offering the prosphora (altar bread) is posted on the bulletin board, next to the elevator. You can also contact Thelma Hoover at (317) REFRAIN OF THE COMMUNION HYMN (PSALM LXX) The just shall be in everlasting remembrance, he shall not be afraid of evil tidings. Alleluia. APOSTLES FAST AND FEAST We are in the Apostles Fast, which runs from the day after All Saints Sunday to the Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul, June 29. We abstain from meat, eggs and dairy products. Since Ss. Peter and Paul are the Patrons of our Central Indiana Orthodox Churches, collectively, we will all join in a Pan-Orthodox concelebration HERE: Matins 9 am Liturgy 10 am HERE Friday, June 29. TODAY S READING FROM THE SYNAXARION On June 24 in the Holy Orthodox Church we celebrate the Nativity of the venerable and glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John.

6 It was here, in this very cave where the Prophet Elijah had hidden, being fed by God through a raven that brought him bread daily, that Zachariah prayed that his wife would bear a child (see Luke 1.13). They were granted a son, John, the holy Forerunner and Baptist of Christ, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1.17). This cave is found in the Monastery of St. George the Chozebite, in the desert, east of Bethlehem. Six months before his appearance in Nazareth to the All-holy Virgin Mary, the great archangel of God, Gabriel, appeared to Zacharias the high priest in the Temple at Jerusalem. The archangel announced the miraculous conception to the childless old woman Elizabeth. Zacharias did not immediately believe the words of the herald of God and this is why his tongue was tied with dumbness and remained as such until eight days after the birth of John. On that day, the relatives of Zacharias and Elizabeth gathered for the young child s circumcision and for the sake of giving him a name. When they asked the father what name he wishes to give to his son and being dumb, he wrote on a tablet: John. At that moment he could speak again. Herod

7 heard of this news and sent soldiers to slay the children throughout Bethlehem, including the Forerunner. Herod s executioners killed Zacharias between the court and the temple; his blood coagulated and petrified on the stone pavers and remained a perpetual witness against Herod. Elizabeth hid with the child in a cave where she died soon after. The young child John remained in the wilderness alone under the care of God and God s angels. On this day, we also commemorate the New-martyr Panayiotis of Caesarea in Cappadocia. By their intercessions, O God, have mercy on us. Amen. In the courtyard of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist in Ain Kerem, outside Jerusalem, we find the text of Zachariah s hymn of praise (found in Luke ) inscribed in many of the world s languages. Zachariah uttered these words of exaltation after John was born and his own tongue was loosed. Please Join Us for Fellowship after the Liturgy The ushers will hand you the announcements bulletin as you exit via the north (side) doors of the nave, following the dismissal and verbal announcements.

8 PARISH PRAYER LIST Please include in your daily prayers the following those struggling with acute illness and those newly departed this life from our parishioners and those for whom they have requested our prayers. (Names are kept for 40 days, the date indicated after the name, and may be renewed upon request of the patient/family.) LIVING Metropolitan Paul and Archbishop John Our Mission Team working in Alaska: Audrey, Michael, James, Elaine, David, Elias, Rowa, David, Karen, Martha, Mary, Daniel, David, Kathryn and Rachel David Sumner, to undergo surgery 7/30 Fouad Fred Musleh, Copper Trace Rehab., 7/8 Roye Gaha, 7/4 John Robert Sylvester, 6/26 Nicholas Rick Gann, 6/26 Bill Thomas, Charles father, 7/27 George Xioufarides, friend of Sotiris Hji-Avgoustis, 7/10 Alan Schmidt, cousin of Carol Abraham, 6/28 Shannon, friend of Ludmila Woodward 6/26 Viorica, sister-in-law of Ludmila Woodward 6/26 Vada, grandmother of Mark Woodward 6/26 Jason Seaman, Ella Whistler and all the students and teachers at Noblesville West Middle School All those suffering from illness, violence or want in the Middle East, Nicaragua and throughout the world DEPARTED Alexander Nebesny, 7/22 Elias Issa, Nelly Ghaoui s brother, 7/31 Reader T. Herman Engelhardt, 7/31 Billie Jane Floyd, Sarah Childs grandmother, 7/7 The victims of violence throughout the world ST. GEORGE PARISH CALENDAR Sun. 24 Wed. 27 Thu. 28 Fri. 29 Sat. 30 Sun. 1 Wed. 4 Sat. 7 Sun. 8 Tue. 10 Wed. 11 June 2018 Apostles Fast Continues Matins, 8:50 am Choir practice, 9 am Divine Liturgy, 10 am Vespers, 6:30 pm Great Vespers, 6:30 pm Pan-Orthodox Liturgy Feast of Ss. Peter & Paul Matins, 9 am Divine Liturgy, 10 am Great Vespers, 6:30 pm Confessions heard July 2018 Matins, 8:50 am Choir practice, 9 am Divine Liturgy, 10 am Charity Ministry meeting NO Vespers Here Great Vespers, 6:30 pm Confessions heard Matins, 8:50 am Choir practice, 9 am Divine Liturgy, 10 am Dinner in honor of Ruth George s 103 rd birthday Parish Council, 7 pm Vespers, 6:30 pm See the full calendar and the latest additions and updates at