THIS WEEK S SERVICES December From Pascha 10 Sunday December to the 17 Mon. Dec. 11 9:30am: Akathist to Mother of God, Nurturer of Children followed by Coffee and Cookie group at 10am Tues. Dec. 12 6:00pm: Great Vespers with Litia for St. Herman with Bishop DAVID presiding Wed. Dec. 13 9:00am: Divine for St. Herman Sat. Dec. 16 6:00pm: Great Vespers Sun. Dec. 17 9:00am: Orthros Sun. Dec. 17 10:00am: Divine PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTS MEN ARE WELCOME TO JOIN THE WOMEN ON MONDAYS, TOO. The women pray an Akathist to the Mother of God at 9:30am, and then have coffee and cookies at 10am. All are welcome. CHRISTMAS PRESENT WRAPPING DURING COFFEE HOUR Miriam Feldman will wrap presents in the parish hall basement Dec. 10, 17, and 24 in return for cash tips ST. HERMAN FEAST DAY SERVICES DEC. 12 & 13: Tuesday Dec. 12 with Bishop DAVID followed by bonfire and refreshments Wednesday Dec. 13 9:00am Divine H20@Home party December 17 at 3:00pm in Parish Hall. Please contact Rose Blakely at (907)957-2827 for more info. PLEASE GRAB A TAG AND BUY A PRESENT FOR OUR ADOPTED FAMILY tags are on the tree in the narthex All are invited to bring a poinsettia to church during Advent. Please place them on the step in front of the iconostasis. CHRISTIAN EDUCATION FOUNDATIONS OF THE ORTHODOX FAITH Fr. Matthew s catechism classes run Sundays from 12:15 12:45 in the parish hall basement. All who can sit and listen are invited, even the young folks who are interested in learning or the veteran believers who want to refresh themselves on the Foundations of the Orthodox Faith. Class 12 Dec. 10 On the Incarnation chapter five Class 13 Dec. 17 On the Incarnation conclusion SAINT HERMAN ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Diocese of Los Angeles and the West PRIMATE and DIOCESAN HIERARCH His Eminence, the Most Reverend Metropolitan JOSEPH PASTOR Rev. Fr. Matthew Howell DEACON Rev. Dn. Thomas Ross Contact Information 6988 N. En Dove Road Wasilla, Alaska 99654 Pastor s Phone: (907)373-5254 priest@sainthermanwasilla.org www.sainthermanwasilla.org 27 th Sunday after Pentecost December 10, 2017 A NOTE REGARDING HOLY COMMUNION Welcome! In the Orthodox Church, reception of the Holy Eucharist is reserved for baptized, chrismated Orthodox Christians who have prepared by prayer, fasting and a recent confession. If you are visiting from a non- Orthodox church or otherwise are not prepared to commune today, you are welcome to receive some of the unconsecrated, blessed bread which the acolytes are holding. We pray for all to be united in the Body and Blood of Christ! If you would like to learn how you can enter into communion with the Orthodox Church, please speak with our clergy.
THE EPISTLE V (For the Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Pentecost) The Lord is my strength and my song. With chastisement hath the Lord chastened me. The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians. (6:10-17) Brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on 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. THE GOSPEL (For the Tenth Sunday of Luke) The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (13:10-17) At that time, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. And when Jesus saw her, He called her and said to her, Woman, you are freed from your infirmity. And He laid His hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and she praised God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day. Then the Lord answered him, You hypocrite! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger, and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day? As Jesus said this, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by Him. A GOOD WORD VITAMINS FOR THE SOUL So, read the Fathers, even one or two lines a day. They are very strengthening vitamins for the soul. -- Elder Paisios of Mt. Athos "Beloved Christians, you and your children shall appear at that Judgment of Christ, and you shall give account for them to the just Judge. He will not ask you whether you have taught you children the arts or whether you have taught them to speak French, or German, or Italian, but whether you have taught them to live as Christians." -- St. Tikhon of Zadonsk "Give your children a solid spiritual foundation, and they will be content with whatever they have. Deprive them of a life in Christ, and they will be miserable even in the midst of great wealth." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH "You look into a mirror so that you may know what is in your face, whether there are any blemishes in it, and having seen blemishes, you cleanse them. Let the immaculate life of Christ be a mirror to your soul. Does it desire the same things that Christ desires? And does it do what Christ did when He lived on earth? And in it you will see what is contrary to the life of Christ, and you will cleanse it all like blemishes with repentance and contrition of heart." -- St. Tikhon of Zadonsk "The successful man or woman is not the richest or the most powerful, but the one who is content. We first must be content with ourselves, otherwise our children will despair that there is no happiness in this life." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH "Do not delay, unless you wish to teach your children procrastination. Instead, show them your love and gratitude to God for His blessings by working hard to complete your work, and you will teach your children to be grateful for what they have." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH "If but ten among us lead a holy life, we shall kindle a fire which shall light up the entire city." -- St. John Chrysostom Twenty-seventh Sunday after Pentecost & Tenth Sunday of Luke; Martyrs Menas, Eugraphos & Hermogenes of Alexandria; Venerable Thomas Dephourkinos of Bithynia; Blessed Angelina Brancovich and her son Blessed John, king of Serbia; Joasaph, bishop of Belgorod
SAINT HERMAN OF ALASKA ORTHODOX CHURCH 6988 N En Dove Rd - Wasilla, AK 99654 Reverend Matthew Howell, Pastor (907)373-5254 Nov 26 DECEMBER 2017 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Nov 27 Nov 28 Nov 29 Nov 30 1 2 St. Andrew the First- St. Porphyrios of Called Disciple Kafsokalyvia 6:00pm Akathist 3 4 5 6 St. Nicholas 7 8 9 with Litia 10 11 12 : fish, wine, & oil 13 St. Herman of Alaska 14 15 16 6pm Great Vespers with Litia followed by bonfire TBA - Divine (check bulletin for time) 17 18 19 : fish, wine, & oil 20 21 St. Ignatius of Antioch 22 23 6:00pm: Akathist 10:00am: Royal Hours for the Nativity of Christ 24 25 NATIVITY OF THE LORD 26 27 St. Stephen the Protomartyr 28 29 St. Anysia 30 11:00pm Christmas Matins followed immediately at midnight by Christmas free free free free free 31 free Jan 1 Circumcision of the Lord St. Basil the Great free Jan 2 St. Seraphim of Sarov free Jan 3 free Jan 4 free Jan 5 10:00am: Royal Hours for the Theophany of our Lord 6:00pm: Divine with the Great Blessing of the Water Jan 6 THEOPHANY OF THE LORD 10:00am Festal Divine Please consult the Sunday bulletin for changes to the monthly calendar.
Items most needed at Mat-Su Food Bank: 1. Beans canned or dry 2. Tomato products 3. Canned meats 4. Cereal Of course all non-perishable items are accepted. Please drop off your donations in the Food Bank bin in the Parish Hall. May God bless you for your generosity.
His Eminence The Most Reverend Metropolitan JOSEPH Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America Pastoral Letter of His Eminence Metropolitan JOSEPH Nativity of 2017 I behold a strange and wonderful mystery: the cave a heaven, the Virgin a cherubic throne, and the manger a noble place in which hath laid Christ the uncontained God. Let us, therefore, praise and magnify Him. Hiermos of the 9 th Ode of the First Canon of Christ s Nativity Beloved Brother Hierarchs, Reverend Clergy, and Christ-loving Faithful of our God-protected Archdiocese, I greet you with love and joy as we begin this season of preparation for the Nativity in the Flesh of Our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ! Today, the Holy Church calls us to prepare for the feast by fasting, prayer, and repentance. The surrounding culture calls us to prepare as well but by decorating, shopping, and hosting parties. One of the most common questions our clergy receive during this time of year is: Why are we in a period of repentance when the rest of the world is celebrating? For a response to that often asked question, let us look to our divine services. During the Nativity, the Church gives us the triumphant First Canon of Christ s Nativity to strengthen us and urge us on in our journey. In the hiermos of the ninth ode, we are struck by the contrasting images of the cave as a heaven, the Virgin as a cherubic throne, and the manger as a noble place. In the Incarnation of Our Lord, we see all of the normal categories of our fallen world turned upside down. His birth reveals power in humility, wealth in poverty, kingship in servitude, and divinity in lowliness. To fully enter into the mystery of this great act of God, we also must put aside the normal of this world. Our society now offers us the fleeting worldly happiness that comes from overindulging at holiday parties and overspending on consumer goods. The Church now offers us the eternal heavenly joy that comes from freeing ourselves from our passions and turning our focus to the love of God and neighbor. In other words, the normal way of celebrating according to the world is through satiety, but the true way of celebrating according to the new creation ushered in by Christ s incarnation is through sobriety. Beloved in Christ, let us strive during this sacred season to truly experience the new normal where there is actually no contrast at all in a cave truly becoming heaven, a Virgin truly becoming a cherubic throne, and a manger truly becoming noble. This paradoxical experience only comes through our finding joy in repenting, fulfillment in abstaining, and love for God and neighbor through self-emptying. Praying for all of you to be granted a holy, pure, and grace-filled fast, I remain, Your Father in Christ, ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN ARCHDIOCESE OF NORTH AMERICA +JOSEPH Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch (Acts 11: 26) 358 Mountain Road, P.O. Box 5238, Englewood, NJ 07631-5238 (201) 871-1355 T Archdiocese@antiochian.org (201) 871-7954 F
His Eminence The Most Reverend Metropolitan JOSEPH Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN ARCHDIOCESE OF NORTH AMERICA December 10, 2017 Choir and Chanter Appreciation Sunday Beloved Brother Hierarchs, Reverend Clergy, and Christ-loving Faithful of Our God-protected Archdiocese: Blessings and greetings to all of you in the Name of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ! One of the hallmarks of our Orthodox Christian faith is the beauty of our worship. Our ecclesiastical music, when done with prayer and skill, can elucidate the rich theology of our hymnography in such a way that worshippers can exclaim as did the emissaries sent by Saint Vladimir we know not whether we are in heaven or on earth! Because we owe such a tremendous amount of gratitude to our choirs and our chanters, we set aside the second Sunday of December to honor them for the key role they play in our liturgical life. I offer thanks especially for the work of the Department of Sacred Music in working so diligently to expand the repertoire of music and to make it accessible to all. In addition, the department offers the Sacred Music Institute to help our choir members and chanters learn more about this sacred art and fine tune their God-given talents. To support this work, which is so vital our Orthodox Christian liturgical lives, I ask each parish of this Archdiocese to offer a second collection on December 10, 2017 and to offer special recognition to those who are fulfilling this sacred ministry. Wishing you all a holy and grace-filled continuation of the fast and joyous feast of the Nativity, I remain, Your Father in Christ, +JOSEPH Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch (Acts 11: 26) 358 Mountain Road, P.O. Box 5238, Englewood, NJ 07631-5238 (201) 871-1355 T Archdiocese@antiochian.org (201) 871-7954 F
Please Join Us for a High School Youth Retreat Finding Your Place to Serve Sponsored by St. John Orthodox Cathedral Friday, January 12, 2018 @ 5:00 pm- Sunday, January 14, 2018 @ 3:30 pm St. Therese s Camp 7180 Twin Lakes Drive, Wasilla Alaska Speaker: Fr. Vasili Hillhouse, Pastor of Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church Cost: $75 (Includes lodging and meals) Register by January 1, 2018 rogers.christine@gmail.com Contact Fr. John or Kh. Christine Rogers with any questions. 907-696-7477
YOU CAN HELP THE YOUTH GROUP OF SAINT HERMAN ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH EARN DONATIONS JUST BY SHOPPING WITH YOUR FRED MEYER REWARDS CARD! Every quarter Fred Meyer sends a check to our church, which gets deposited into our Youth Group account to be used for camp and retreat scholarships and other activities. Here is how you can support our youth group: 1. Go to www.fredmeyer.com/communityrewards. 2. At the top right of the screen, click Sign in or Register 3. After signing in, click Re-enroll or link your Rewards Card now under the section Are you a Fred Meyer Customer? 4. In the search box, enter 91379 or Saint Herman Antiochian Orthodox Church 5. Click the button next to our church s name, then click Enroll. Then, every time you shop and use your Rewards Card, you are helping the Youth Group of Saint Herman Church earn a donation! You still earn your Rewards Points, Fuel Points, and Rebates, just as you do today. If you do not have a Rewards Card, it is available at the Customer Service desk of any Fred Meyer store. For more information, please visit www.fredmeyer.com/communityrewards.