sign in sign up
<<
Home , Afterfeast, Saint Nicholas, Tree of Jesse

St. Orthodox Church A Community of the Orthodox Church in America Witnessing to the Apostolic Faith in Lake County for over 45 years 9650 Johnnycake Ridge Rd • Mentor Ohio 44060 • 440-946-957 • saintnicholas-oca.org Volumes 32 / 33 2018 / 2019 - Schedule of Divine Services: Nativity - Theophany Names for Remembrance For the Service of House Blessing & Daily Prayer Sunday Dec 23 Sunday before the Nativity / Tone 5 / The Ancestors of Christ 10:00 am Liturgy / Bptsm / Chrsmtns Coffee Hour For the Living For the Departed Monday Dec 24 of the Nativity of Christ Christ is Born! 7:00 pm Vigil / Carols Tuesday Dec 25 The Nativity according to the Flesh of our Lord and God and Christ is Born! Savior, Christ. 10:00 am Wednesday Dec 26 The of the Mother of God Christ is Born! 9:30 am Divine Liturgy Saturday Dec 29 Afterfeast of The Nativity Christ is Born! 5:30 pm Great Vespers Sunday Dec 30 31st Sunday after / Tone 6 / Afterfeast of The Nativity Readings: Gal 1:11-19 Matt 2:13-23 10:00 am Divine Liturgy Coffee Hour Saturday Jan 5 Eve of Theophany Strict Fast 5:30 pm Vigil / Litya / Great Blessing of Water Sunday Jan 6 The Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Readings: Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7 Matt 3:13-17 10:00 am Divine Liturgy Coffee Hour Blessing of Homes Begins in the afternoon

“Pray for one another that you may find healing” (James 5:16) Behold, a virgin shall bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel, which means, “God is with us!” — 7:14 — There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of , and a branch shall grow out of his roots. — :1 — Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

Christ is Born! Glorify Him! ATTENDANCE / STEWARDSHIP / DEC 16 Attendance—152, Operating—$4,419, OCA Assessment—$222, Christmas PRAYER CORNER + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Card—$640, Uganda Children—$95, —$55, Charities—$177, Flow- Eleanor Alexander (Tom’s mom), Perry (Capitan), Sbdcn Leonard, Kathy (Denise F’s ers—$65, Maintenance—$33. sis), John (’s nephew), Ted Geletka, Nina Stehnach (Fr’s frnds), Julian Rosca, John Clements, Sarah Crivella, Nancy, (Ruth B’s frnd), Joella (Lu D’s daughter) Lillian SPECIAL WELCOME We welcome Kurt Hardman, Melanie, Nora, Naomi & Ben Sherman who (Lu D’s mom), Bradley (Tina C’s son), Mary Georges (Peter’s mom), suffering Chris- were received into the Orthodox Faith this morning. May God plant them tians in Ukraine and the Middle East. firmly in His Vineyard and bleass and keep them for Many Years! Aniversaries: Shawn & Jenny Cunningham (12/27), Jim & Lisa Gordon (12/29), TJ & SPECIAL THANKS Jessica Chongris (12/30). Our thanks goes out to Jenny and the Choir for all of their time and effort Birthdays: Cindy Renda, Collin Rausch (12/23), Darlene Horabik, Debbie Covelli spent preparing for the special services of and Christmas. CHRISTCHRIST IS IS BORN! BORN! GLORIFY GLORIFY HIM! HIM! YEAR END CONCERNS If you wish to be counted in the Parish Census for 2019 and be considered a (12/24), Maggie Stark (12/25). Voting Member of the Parish, a pledge card with a dollar amount on it must be turned in by 31. Please remember that our annual assessments Newborns: Emmett (Tom & Laura). to both the Diocese and Central Church are taken out of your pledge. Expecting: Inga & Vytas, Bobby & Juliana, & Maria, Daniel & Danielle, Colin & NOTE Tamuna. There is no fasting from Christmas until the eve of Theophany on January Our Seminarian: Deacon Brian Crivella & Family. 5th. The eve of Theophany, Jan 5th is a strict fast day and should be observed like . Our Missionaries: Peter & Sharon. CHURCH SCHOOL RECESS The Church School is in holiday recess until Sunday, January 6. You have assumed a body of lowly clay, O Christ. By sharing our FESTAL GREETINGS From Christmas to December 31st, Orthodox greet each other with “Christ is Born!” The response is “Glorify Him!” In our greetings to non humble flesh, You have made our race partakers of divinity. By Orthodox, “Merry Christmas” as opposed to “Seasons Greetings” or “Happy Holidays” offers a better opportunity to bear witness to our faith and the true becoming mortal man yet remaining God, You have raised us from and original meaning of the season. HOUSE BLESSING death to life. Holy are You, O Lord! The blessing of homes will begin on Sunday, January 6 in the afternoon. Please sign-up in the foyer if you would like to have your house blessed. — From Ode 3 of the Christmas —

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Wishing all of our Faithful Members & Friends a Joyous Nativity Season and The Nativity of Christ all of God’s Blessings in the New Year! The Birth of Christ is a celebration of joy. The All of creation takes part in the birth of the fact that God became man and entered into Savior. ln the cave, the infant lies guarded by our human life is seen in the lcon of the Nativ- an ox and a donkey. While the do not Christ is Born! Glorify Him! ity. Wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying speak of them, all icons of the Nativity portray Father Andrew & Debbie The Hasenohrl Family in a manger is the Christ Child. This presence them because of the manifest fulfillment of the Covelli Family The Grechny Family shines radically with the black opening of the prophecy of lsaiah, “An ox know its owner, and Jim & Lisa Gordon Denise Busch cave in which He was born. This contrast is an ass its master’s manger.” (ls. 1:3) The moun- Suzanne & Bill Gubser Furman Family often seen in the Fathers’writings in terms of tainside is a backdrop to the event. While it Christine & Mike Brzozowski Kochan Family the spiritual light of Christ’s birth radiating bears little correspondence to the terrain of Maryann Sheranko Mirauntz Family through the shadow of death encompassing in Judaea, it parallels a line from Renda Family The Schroeder Family man. The black mouth of the the prayer of the Ha- Shawn & Jenny Cunningham The Dombrovskaya - Kozikov Family cave, is precisely this fallen world bakkuk: “God comes f rom Te- Jim & Tina Capitan Matthew, Ivan, Olga, & Alexander Zamyatin in which the “Sun of Righteous- man, the Holy One from Mount David & Margaret Pellack Anna Lynch & Larissa, Matthew ness” has dawned, this wilderness Paran. Covered are the heavens Ken & Peggy Walker & Children & Katherine Bailey which the “Light of Wisdom” with His glory, and with His Paul Mazurik TJ, Jessica, Anna, Luke & Nina Chongris has illumined. praise the earth is f illed.” (Hab. Ted & Elaine Kisha David & Chris McNaughton The Virgin Mother is shown 3: 3) Rausch Family Jason, Holly, Renee, Elizabeth half-sitting. Striking is the ab- One final detail is the tree Darrah Family: Linda, Jean, David, Tom, Heidi, Jaime, & Charles Kirouac sence of the usual sufferings of painted across from the image Lino, Jaden & Devin Ruth E. Bede childbirth which is iconographi- of Joseph, included not only in Paula & George Tintor Peggy Hecht, Daughter Theresa & Family cally seen to be an indication of its own right as an offering to Melissa Tintor Charlie Deeb & Kathi Deeb the virgin-birth of Christ. Christ, but also as a symbol of The LeMaster Family Jan Ursinyi As in the , all mankind the Tree of Jesse. ln the words of Tim, Robyn, Rachel & Tess Lannon Elaine Templeton is called to this event. The Wise Men represent the Prophet lsaiah, “But a shoot shall sprout Riely & Jairus Morton Schelkanov Family the learned and astute, and the shepherds rep- from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a Subdeacon Leonard & Dolores Kevyn & Pamela Roth resent the humble of this world. A multitude bud shall blossom. The spirit of the Lord shall Andy & LuAnn Dzura The Kucmanic Family of Angels give glory to God and announce this rest upon Him.” (ls. 11:1-2) Sue Hoffacker Anna Gordon good news to mankind. The lcon of the Nativity calls us to praise Joe & Pauline Demanksi The Butterfield Family ln the lcon, several episodes are grouped and glorify the Birth of Christ. With the Tim & Linda Haligan The Zasuhkin Family together and shown simultaneously. ln the bot- of Vespers we too say: “What shall we Mike & Laura Abernathy John Sapp tom left corner, Joseph sits in painful thought, bring to You, O Christ, Who, for our sake, was Maureen Medakovich The Schlafer Family while the Devil, under the guise of an old born on earth as man? Every creature brings Tom & Laurie Alexander & John Clements and bent shepherd, suggests new doubts and thanks to You: Angels their songs; the heavens The Nicoletti Family The Kingsbury Family suspicions to him. ln the opposite corner, two a star; Wise Men ; Shepherds amazement; Steve & Diane Gallowan Kathy & Adam Chongris women are seen bathing the new-born lnfant, the earth a cave; the wilderness a manger; but The Barkas Family The Fross & Janek Families to show the real humanity of Jesus. we -the Virgin Mother.” Ron, Mary, Eric & Michelle Ray