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St. George Orthodox Church of Spring Valley Sunday, November 19, 2017 Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost Holy Prophet Matins, 9:00 am :: Divine Liturgy, 10:00 am

Holy Prophet Obadiah

Pastor: Address: Father Andrew Kishler 211 E. Minnesota St. Parish Council officers: Spring Valley, IL 61362 Chair, Kasap www.stgeorgeorthodox.org Vice Chair, Matthew Rowan [email protected] Secretary, Lynette Forsa 815-664-4540 (church office) Treasurer, Anysia Medawar 773-575-3272 (Fr. Andrew’s cell)

Today’s Epistle Reader: Keeley Thompson Holy Bread/Coffee Hour: Ron and Dottie Malooley Next Sunday: George and Lynette Forsa

Hymns of the Day, immediately after the Small Entrance: Troparion of the Resurrection (Tone 7): Thou didst shatter death by Thy Cross, Thou didst open paradise to the thief; Thou didst turn the sadness of the ointment-bearing women into joy. And didst bid Thine Apostles proclaim a warning, that Thou hast risen O Christ, granting to the world the Great Mercy. Troparion for St. George the Great- (Tone 4): Since thou art a liberator and deliverer of captives, a help and succour of the poor and needy, a healing physician of the sick, a contender and fighter for kings, O great among , the victory-clad George: Intercede with Christ God for the salvation of our souls. Kontakion of the Entrance of the (Tone 4): The sacred treasury of God’s holy glory, the greatly precious bridal chamber and , the Savior’s most pure temple, free of stain and undefiled, into the House of the Lord on this day is brought forward. She brings with herself the grace of the Most Divine Spirit; her do God’s Angels hymn with songs of praise, for she is truly the heavenly tabernacle.

2 THE EPISTLE For the Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost The Lord will give strength to His people. Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of God, ascribe to the Lord honor and glory. The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians (2:14-22) Brethren, Christ is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the Cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end. And He came and preached peace to you, who were far off, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in Whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

THE GOSPEL For the Ninth Sunday of Luke The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke (12:16-21) The Lord spoke 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 this, Jesus called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

3 Announcements and Upcoming Events For a full calendar of events and services at St. George, see our website, www.stgeorgeorthodox.org. Today:  Children’s Sunday school, downstairs immediately after Holy Communion  November parish council meeting, upstairs during coffee hour This week:  Wednesday, Nov. 22: Divine Liturgy for the Entrance of the Theotokos, and for Thanksgiving, 10:00 am. Father Andrew will be available before and after for confession, anointing, or any other priestly service. There will be no service or Intro to Orthodoxy class on Wednesday evening  Next Sunday, Nov. 26: Matins, 9am; Divine Liturgy, 10am, followed by Sunday school.

The Advent season: The Orthodox Advent fast began this past Wednesday, Nov. 15, forty days before Christmas. It is traditional during this time abstain from meat, and like Lent, to observe a season of penitence, charity, and increased devotion to Jesus Christ. The Ladies of St. George are once again taking up a collection for the Spring Valley Food Pantry. Please be generous as the local need is great! Make your checks payable to “The Ladies of St. George.” The Spring Valley Food Pantry needs help with this year’s Santa Run on Saturday, Nov. 25. If you would like to help this year, please see Fr. Andrew. We assemble at JFK school at 8:30am, and it will run until about noon. The Ladies of St. George are planning their famous Christmas bake sale for Saturday, Dec. 9, from 9am to noon. Please save the date and spread the word! Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday this year, so we will have the usual Sunday Divine Liturgy at 10am, and our Christmas Eve Divine Liturgy at 7pm. You are permitted (and encouraged) to receive Holy Communion twice that day. In addition, we will be receiving three new members into the Church on Christmas Eve: Zagar, Anthony Pajkos, and Rebecca Pajkos. The service of Chrismation will take place Christmas Eve at 6:30, just prior to the Divine Liturgy. St. George Church 100th Anniversary: In 2018, our church will be 100 years old! Please save the date: Bishop Anthony plans to visit us the weekend of November 2-4, 2018 to help us celebrate. Do you have an announcement for the bulletin? Please contact Fr. Andrew no later than Friday each week for inclusion in the Sunday bulletin. 4 Sunday Volunteer Schedule

Holy Bread/Coffee Hour Epistle Reader

TODAY* Ron/Dottie Malooley Keeley Thompson

Sunday, Nov. 26* George/Lynette Forsa George Forsa

Sunday, Dec. 3* Nick/Anysia Medawar Kenneth Wiltse

Sunday, Dec. 10* Bob and family Mike Kasap

Sunday, Dec. 17* Ed Malooley Memorial Gabe Leonard

Sunday, Dec. 24* Wayne/Genie Sanders Wayne Sanders

Sunday, Dec. 31 OPEN

Regarding HOLY BREAD, you are welcome to bake your own, or use the bread provided by the church (donations of any amount are appreciated). On your Sunday, please also provide to Father Andrew a list of names (living and departed) for prayers during the Liturgy. COFFEE HOUR may be as simple or elaborate as you want. While CLEAN UP is primarily the responsibility of those who provide coffee hour, all of us should help by bussing our own tables and cleaning up as we are able! * SHADED DATES indicate fasting. No meat should be served on these dates.

5 November Birthdays and Anniversaries May God grant you many years! (Please let Father know if we are missing anyone!) Nov. 5 – Michael Harshman Nov. 9 – Olly Rowan Nov. 13 – Georgia Kapataneas Nov. 15 – Anysia Medawar Nov. 21 – Mary Lynn Malooley Spitz Nov. 27 – Carol Bachio ______

Pictured above is our very own Nicole Wiltse, serving with a few of her St. students at the Spring Valley Food Pantry this past week. They delivered over 100 meals in 32 degree weather. This is a reminder that as the weather gets worse, the needs around us grow! Please see the announcement page for opportunities to help out the Spring Valley Food Pantry this year.

6 :: Giving Thanks :: Homily by John X of Antioch The ten lepers, who came to Lord Jesus, asked him saying: “Master, have mercy on us!” and as they went they were cleansed. Only one of them, who was Samaritan, turned back glorifying the name of God with a loud voice. He thanked the Lord Jesus, and fell down on his face at His feet. The Lord said: “Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.” … So, we can learn how to give thanks by watching the life of Jesus Christ, in the Holy Gospel, in the Divine Liturgy and every day. This expresses the state of heart humbleness in the relation between God and Man. The first form of giving thanks has been shown by the nine lepers who, after getting healed, turned their backs and left. The second form of giving thanks has been expressed by the only leper who got back when he realized God's Grace. That is why he fell down on his face to the Lord giving thanks to Him. The third form is when Man gives thanks to God, not only when he receives a gift from Him, but giving thanks to Him always, in tribulation and in rest, in happiness and in sadness, Because “for whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord.” In this way the whole man's life changes into a movement of praise, glorifying and thanksgiving. Herein, I remember what our Holy Fathers said, when they described Man's spiritual life, according to his relationship with God in three stages: the first stage is the stage of the servant, the second is the stage of the hired, and finally the stage of the son. At the stage of the servant, he does what his master orders him to do, out of fear of the punishment. As for the hired, he does what he does asking for the price. As for the son, he does his master's order because he is his father and he loves him. He is the son and the heir in the house, nor out of fear neither asking for a price, only because he is the son. We all are called to have humble hearts, so that Lord may dwell inside us. This is how we change, moving from one stage to another, till we become new as we heard today in the epistle, in the image of our Creator. Only then we can say “Glory to the God for everything,” just like , the great Antiochian and the teacher of the world who died in the exile.

7 Daily Bible Readings November 19-25

Sunday, Nov. 19 – Holy Prophet Obadiah Mark 16:1-8 / Ephesians 2:14-22 / Luke 12:16-21

Monday, Nov. 20 – St. Gregory of Decapolis 2 Thessalonians 1:1-10 / Luke 17:20-25

Tuesday, Nov. 21 – Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple 43:27-44:4 / Hebrews 9:1-7 / Luke 10:38-42, 11:27-28

Wednesday, Nov. 22 – Apostles of the Seventy Philemon and Archippus 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 / Luke 18:15-17, 26-30

Thursday, Nov. 23 – Thanksgiving Day Colossians 3:12-17 / Luke 17:12-19

Friday, Nov. 24 – St. Clement of Rome 2 Thessalonians 3:6-18 / Luke 19:12-28

Saturday, Nov. 25 – St. Galatians 1:3-10 / Luke 10:19-21

“Everyone capable of thanksgiving is capable of salvation and eternal joy.” ~ Fr. Alexander Schmemann

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Videos of sermons and Feast Day services are available on our website, www.stgeorgeorthodox.org. Follow St. George Church on Facebook for daily Bible readings and the lives of the saints. Please be aware that photographs and videos from our church appear on our website and Facebook page. Please feel free to let us know if you would prefer not to have your pictures online.

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