ST. NICHOLAS ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH Conception of the Forerunner and Baptist John & First Sunday of Luke September 23, 2018 CLERGY His Eminence Metropolitan JOSEPH, Archbishop of New York & Metropolitan of all North America His Grace Bishop ANTHONY, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest V. Rev. Fr. Michael Nasser, Pastor of St. Nicholas 616-216-3537 frmichaeln@gmail.com V. Rev. Fr. Elias Mitchell, Pastor Emeritus Rev. Archdeacon David Khorey Rev. Deacon Justin Adolphson Rev. Deacon Clement Nicoloff Subdeacon Nicholas Rock 2250 East Paris Ave, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 616-954-2700 info@stnicholasgr.com www.stnicholasgr.com
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. WHO WE ARE St. Nicholas is a worshipping community in the Antiochian Orthodox Christian tradition that preserves, proclaims, and practices the Faith given by Christ to the Apostles, serving Him, one another and our neighbors. We manifest His love through sacramental and liturgical life, education, hospitality, works of mercy, and fellowship. We would love to share more about our Orthodox Faith with you. Our website and our bookstore are great resources to assist you in learning more about us and what we believe! Also, feel free to make an appointment with our pastor. We trust that you will experience Christ s presence as you worship with us today.
HYMNS AND READINGS OF THE DAY HYMNS RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION (TONE 8) From the heights Thou didst descend, O compassionate One, and Thou didst submit to the three-day burial, that Thou might deliver us from passion; Thou art our life and our Resurrection, O Lord, glory to Thee. APOLYTIKION OF CONCEPTION OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST (TONE 4) Rejoice, O thou barren one who hadst not borne until now; for lo, in all truth thou hast conceived the lamp of the Sun, and he shall send forth his light over all the earth, which is afflicted with blindness. Dance, O Zachariah, and cry out with great boldness: The one to be born is the blest Prophet of God Most High. APOLYTIKION OF ST. NICHOLAS Thy work of justice did show thee to thy congregation a canon 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. ORDINARY KONTAKION (TONE 2) O protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, mediation unto the Creator most constant, O despise not the suppliant voices of those who have sinned; but be thou quick, O good one, to come unto our aid, who in faith cry unto thee: Hasten to intercession, and speed thou to make supplication, thou who dost ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honor thee.
EPISTLE The righteous shall rejoice in the Lord. O God, hear my prayer. The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians. (4:22-27) Brethren, Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, the son of the free woman through promise. Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written, Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and shout, you who are not in travail; for the children of the desolate one are many more than the children of her that is married.
GOSPEL The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke (5:1-11) At that time, Jesus was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. And He saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon s, Jesus asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when Jesus had finished speaking, He said to Simon, Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch. And Simon answered, Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at Thy word I will let down the nets. And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish, which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men. And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.
SYNAXARION (LIVES OF THE SAINTS OF THE DAY) On September 23 in the Holy Orthodox Church we celebrate the Conception of the holy, glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John. Verses An Archangel s oracle to a man and Prophet: He shall sire a Prophet, yea, and more than a Prophet. On the twenty-third, O womb, receive the Forerunner within. On this day the mercy, miracles and wisdom of God are celebrated: His mercy toward the devout and righteous parents of St. John, the aged Zacharias and Elizabeth, who all their lives had wished for and begged a child from God; His miracle, that of John s conception in the aged womb of Elizabeth; and His wisdom, in the dispensation of man s salvation. God had an especially great intention for John: namely, that he be the Prophet and Forerunner of Christ the Lord, the Savior of the world. Through His angels, God announced the births of Isaac to the childless Sarah, Samson to the childless wife of Manoah, and John the Forerunner to the childless Zacharias and Elizabeth. All of these were those for whom He had special intentions, and he foretold their birth through His angels. On this day, we also commemorate the holy, glorious and rightvictorious Martyr Raidos of Egypt; New-martyrs Nicholas the Grocer and John of Brachorion; Venerable Xanthippa and Polyxena of Spain. By their intercessions, O Christ God, have mercy upon us. Amen.
TRISAGION PRAYERS OF MERCY For the nine-day falling asleep in the Lord of Linda Zainea by her sister, Lily, and the Amash, Soukar, and Daya families. The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 For the 40-day falling asleep in the Lord of Nora Ayoub by her sister, Nancy, & Nick, Elizabeth and Josephine, and Joe. May her Memory be Eternal! For the six month falling asleep in the Lord of Louise Whalen by her sister, Linda Salhaney, and her family. May her Memory be Eternal! For the one year falling asleep in the Lord of Margaret Khorey by Dn. Dave and Jenny Khorey and family. May her Memory be Eternal! HOLY OBLATION IS OFFERED Holy Oblation is offered for the Health and Blessing of Andy Coleman and Sarah Haddad on their recent marriage engagement, with love from Pat and Diane and family. May God s loving grace surround them as they begin their journey to become united as one in the Orthodox faith. SERVING MINISTRIES Epistle Readers: Altar Servers: Coffee Hour: Today Steve Medich Team A Parker David Alexander Amash Cam David Aiden DeMorrow Alek DeMorrow Eli Hajjar Victor Jammal Constantin Stanescu Dieter Zahn Hoodhood Family Next Week Steve Medich Team B Josh Nasser Sam Adolphson Jackson Amash Hamilton Gilbert Joachim Gilbert Noah Hoodhood Nate Sirotko Nick Sirotko Host Needed
REMEMBER IN YOUR DAILY PRAYERS LIVING Vera Mijatovic Audrey Nicoloff Ralph Thomas David Corey Mary Martin Eva Rose Saseen * If you desire a name to be added to this prayer list, Holy Oblations may be offered, with the option of being added to the bulletin Prayer List for 40 days. DEPARTED Victims of the continued conflicts in the Middle East PARISHIONERS DEPARTED IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 9/02/1970 Mary Sayfee 9/06/1959 Alex Ruffin 9/07/1956 Leena Majerezak 9/07/1987 John Wawee 9/08/1986 Nicholas Salhaney 9/08/1998 Robert Mickel 9/10/2009 John Ayoub 9/11/1966 Fred Maloley 9/13/1977 Seth Salhaney 9/17/2004 Mountaha Rizk 9/19/1987 Protosyngellos Khouri 9/21/1946 Faris Nickola 9/22/1960 Sellen Yared 9/22/2001 Demetra Yared 9/22/2016 Larry Kaleefey 9/23/1944 Hattem Corey 9/23/1984 James Mickel 9/26/1963 Abraham Haddad 9/27/1976 Mitchell Salhaney 9/28/1996 Josephine Wozniak 9/30/1996 James Mickel