Hymns and Readings for Sunday, December 15, 2019

WELCOME TO SAINT CATHERINE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH “There are no strangers here; only friends you have not met!”

5555 S. Yosemite Street, Greenwood Village, CO 80111 Phone 303-773-3411 ● Fax 303-773-6641 www.stcatherinechurch.org ● [email protected] Office hours: 9am - 4pm Sundays hours of service: Orthros 8:15am Divine Liturgy 9:30am ● Weekdays hours of service: Orthros 8:15am, Divine Liturgy 9am

Clergy: Father Louis J. Christopulos, Protopresbyter ● Father Paul Fedec, Archpriest Deacon John Kavas ● Father Thomas Bartz, Youth Director Staff: Michelle Smith, Office Administrator ● Vivian Hallberg, Accountant Alina Buzdugan, Ministry Coordinator/Communications/Chanting Mindi Armatas, Executive Assistant to Father Lou, James Tavlarides, Assistant to Youth Director Stephen Woodruff, Facility Manager 2019 Parish Council: Stu Weinroth, President ● Jenée Horan, 1st VP Fellowship ● Dr. Leon Greos, 2nd VP Stewardship Helen Terry, Secretary ● Brian Farr, Treasurer ● JoAnn Chapel ● Spiros Deligiannis ● Billy Halax ● Dr. Jeff Holen ● Eldon Keller ● Faith Morse ● Andy Stathopulos ● George Strompolos ● Dr. Harry Stathos ● Mark Terry

HYMNS AND READINGS FOR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2019

Resurrectional Apolytikion – 1st Tone (Green Hymnal page 81) The stone that had been sealed before Your tomb by the Jews and the soldiers guarding did watch over Your pure and sacred body. O Savior the third day You arose, and unto all the world did You give life. Where by all the heavenly powers did proclaim that You are the giver of life. Glory unto our resurrected Christ. Glory unto Your Kingdom. Glory to Your dispensation O You alone who loves all.

Apolytikion for the Forefathers - 2nd Tone By faith You justified the Forefathers, having through them betrothed to yourself the Church that came out of the nations. The saints are boasting in glory; for the glorious fruit, the Virgin who without seed gave birth to You, is from their progeny. At their entreaties, O Christ our God, save our souls.

Apolytikion for Saint Eleftherius - 5th Tone (Ton Sinarhon to Logon) You were fully adorned with the sacred priestly robes. * You were dripping with streams of your own martyric blood. * In this state, you ran to Christ your Master, O blessed Saint * Eleftherius, destroyer of Satan; you are wise. * Therefore cease not interceding * for us who loyally honor * your blessed contest of martyrdom.

Hymn of St. Catherine - 5th Tone We sing praises in memory of the bride of Christ, Catherine the Holy Protectress of Holy Mount Sinai, of her who is our helper and our comforter, silencing the impious ones with her brilliance. All by the power of the Spirit! And she pleads for us all great mercy, since she has been crowned a martyr of the Lord.

Kontakion of the Nativity - 3rd Tone On this day the Virgin comes to a cave to give birth to God the Word ineffable, Who was before all the ages. Dance for joy, O earth, on hearing the gladsome tidings; with the Angels and the shepherds now glorify Him Who is willing to be gazed on as a young Child Who before the ages is God.

Epistle Reading: The reading is from St. Paul's Second Letter to Timothy 1:8-18. TIMOTHY, my son, do not be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel in the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue of his own purpose and the grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus ages ago, and now has manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, and therefore I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. Follow the pattern of the sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus; guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, and among them Phygelos and Hermogenes. May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphoros, for he often refreshed me; he was not ashamed of my chains, but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me eagerly and found me - may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesos. Gospel Reading: The Reading is from Luke 14:16-24. The Lord said this parable: "A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the time of the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for all is now ready.' But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.' And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.' And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.' And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and there is still room.' And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet. For many are called, but few are chosen.'"

Preparing to Appear with Christ in Glory: Homily for the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers in the Orthodox Church Fr. Philip LeMasters

In our time of so many distractions and worries, it is easy for forget why Christ was born, why He came among us a helpless baby in a cave used for a barn with an animal’s feeding trough for His crib. As St. Paul wrote in today’s epistle lesson, He appears so that we may appear with Him in glory. Both the first coming of His birth and the second coming of His return are so that we may share in His salvation. But to encounter Christ at either of His appearances is also to undergo a kind of judgment, for the truth about ourselves becomes evident when we enter into His presence. How we respond to Him reflects the state of our souls. The same is true of how we prepare to receive Him during this blessed season of Advent, of the Nativity Fast. Throughout the history of the Old Testament, there were those who ignored both the Law and the Prophets, who did not prepare and were not ready for the coming of the Messiah. That was also true at the time of the Savior’s birth when the wicked Herod tried to kill Him. On this Sunday of the Holy Forefathers, we commemorate those who did prepare, all those in the Old Tes- tament who foretold or prefigured the coming of Christ. The first coming of our Lord at His Incarnation did not simply occur one day as a random event, but was the fulfillment of God’s plan to bring us into His divine life, which took many generations to ful- fill. No one was forced to get ready for Him, and today we honor those who accepted the invitation to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. We want to use this season of prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and reconciliation to become more like them. That is difficult because we constantly face temptations to focus on other things. Like the guests invited to the great feast in today’s gospel, we often think that we have more appealing things to do. They turned down the invitation because they had land to inspect, oxen to test, or family responsibilities. In other words, they were normal human beings with everyday obligations. So their places at the banquet were taken by the most unlikely guests: the poor, the maimed, the blind, and the lame. Strangers from the highways and hedges came to the celebration, but none of those who were originally invited bothered to show up. The Lord often used the image of a great feast for the Kingdom of God and this parable reminds us that many of the Jews were not prepared to accept Him as the Messiah, while many disreputable people—such as tax collectors and others of low standing, even Gentiles—did receive Him. Whether they did so or not judged them in a sense, for it revealed the state of their souls. Unfortunately, we often act like those who refused to attend the great banquet in the parable because we use the common con- cerns of life as excuses not to appear with the Lord in glory, not to participate in the healing and blessing that He comes to give to all those created in His image and likeness. Instead, of making everything from our daily work and family relationships to our health or sickness opportunities to find greater healing for our souls, we so often make them false gods in ways that judge us, that make clear the weak state of our spiritual lives. That is how we shut ourselves out of the great banquet and turn away from the glory that is ours in Christ Jesus. St. Paul told the Colossians to prepare to encounter Christ by putting their sins to death, for they are all forms of idolatry that exclude us from the holy joy of the Kingdom. Everything from anger and slander to sexual immorality and covetousness are symptoms of the “old nature” that He came to heal as the Second Adam. The weeks of Advent call us to prepare intentionally to welcome the Savior at His birth, for if we do not we risk being so distracted and weakened by our sins that we will have as little interest in being in His presence as did those guests originally invited to the banquet. It is very easy to fall prey to such temptations because there is much in us that does not want the truth about our souls to be revealed by encountering Christ. Unlike the guests in the parable, we should know that the cares of life in no way hide the state of our souls from God. The more we make false gods out of other people, our daily responsibilities, and whatever life circumstances we happen to face, the more that we turn away from the salvation that Christ was born to bring. The more we em- brace pride, anger, lust, greed, and other temptations, the more we will actually believe that satisfying our desires is more important than loving and serving God and neighbor. We do not have to appear spectacularly sinful before others in order for this to happen, as there is much in our culture that encourages us to worship our work, our problems, our pastimes, and whatever gives us momentary pleasure. It is so easy and alluring to become like the people in today’s parable who really believed that they had better things to do than to share in the great joy of the Lord’s banquet. But to live that way is to shut ourselves out of the glory that Christ came to share with all He created in His image and likeness. It is to sentence ourselves to misery and decay that are not fitting for those who dare to call God their Father. Christmas, of course, is a banquet, a great feast. It is a celebration of our salvation in the God-Man Jesus Christ, Who in Himself united humanity with divinity, Who brings us from mortality to immortality. No matter whether we have observed the Nativ- ity Fast so far, we all have the ability to use the next several days to prepare to enter more fully into the great glory of our salvation. Our preparation is not about legalism, but about opening ourselves to the healing mercy of Christ as we prepare to encounter Him at His birth. For how we receive Him will reveal the true state of our souls. Because we all weaken ourselves by sinning, we all need to confess our sins and repent in the Sacrament of Confes- sion. Because we encounter the Lord in our suffering neighbors, we all need to give generously of our resources, time, and attention to those in various kinds of need. Because we are all enslaved to self-centered desires in one way or another, we all need to fast or practice self-denial in a way appropriate to our strength and life circumstances. Because we are all shaped by what we give our attention to, we all need to focus our hearts, souls, and minds on God—deliberately and regularly– in prayer. Because we are all so easily distracted, we all need to be mindful, keeping a close watch over our words, thoughts, and deeds. During these weeks of Advent, we may accept the invitation to the great banquet of the Lord by embracing these spiritual disci- plines. As difficult as we probably find them to be and as bad as we are in doing them, they are powerful means of opening our souls to the glory that He has brought to the world through His appearance at Bethlehem. They are how we humble ourselves before Him, fighting our passions, resisting our temptations, and doing what we can to prepare to welcome Him at Christmas for our salvation. They are what Advent is all about. Christmas will be here soon, and how we respond to the Lord as His birth will make clear the state of our souls. Will we be ready to welcome Christ into our lives at His birth? Will we be ready to accept the invitation to the feast? I certainly hope so, for the good news of Christmas is that in our Lord the fulfillment of all God’s promises is extended to people like us, those poor, blind, and lame with sin, who suffer from the pain, weakness, and corruption of life in the world as we know it, and who are no- where near perfect. The good news is that, in the Babe of Bethlehem, even unlikely people like you and me are invited to take our place with the Holy Forefathers and Foremothers of Christ in the heavenly banquet and to shine with the light of heaven, to appear with Him in glory. That is why our Savior was born.

TAX-FREE SUPPORT FOR SAINT CATHERINE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH USING INCOME FROM YOUR IRA ACCOUNT

For those of you who own an IRA and are past 70-½ years of age, federal regulations require you to take a minimum distribution from the account annually. This is called a Required Minimum Distribution or RMD. The IRS determines the amount of money you are required to withdraw based on the account balance and your age. Most individuals with an IRA account take these distributions in the form of a check and the proceeds are treated as taxable income. To prevent paying these additional federal and state income taxes, you may be interested to learn of an option ena-bling you to assign some or all of your IRA distribution to your favorite charities such as St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church. This option is made possible under a provision in federal law made permanent by Congress in late 2017. IRA own-ers can assign their distributions under what is called the QCD (Qualified Charitable Distribution) rule. Here is an example of how it might work for you. You would instruct those responsible for the management of your account to write a check in some amount to St. Cathe- rine Greek Orthodox Church, a 501(c)(3) eligible organization. You can earmark this donation for the purpose of your choice (for example, Stewardship or the Beautification and Iconography funds). You can contribute to more than one charity in this method up to the amount of your RMD in any year. By doing so, you will have complied with the requirement for the annual distribution, while generously supporting these charitable organizations and at the same time not increasing your tax-able income by this amount An important feature of the QCD rule is that the IRA account holder does not have to itemize deductions to partici-pate. As the standard deduction for a couple over age 70 ½ years of age is now $26,500, many more seniors can take the standard deduction and no longer itemize. By taking advantage of the QCD rule, you can enjoy the benefits of the standard deduction and still contribute to St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church above and beyond this standard deduction in a tax-free manner! We encourage you to consider this option as a tax-free method to donate to St. Catherine Church. Should you need as- sistance with required paperwork, please contact your tax preparer or those who manage your IRA account and tell them you want to assign your required distribution to charity under the QCD rule.

Don’t believe in God? Lie to Your children! By Erica Komisar

As a therapist, I am often asked to explain why depression and anxiety are so common among children and adolescents. One of the most important explanations - and perhaps the most neglected - is declining interest in religion. This cultural shift already has already proved disastrous for millions of vulnerable young people. A 2018 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology examined how being raised in a family with religious or spiritual beliefs affects mental health. Harvard researchers have examined religious involvement with in a longitudinal data set of approximately 5000 people, with controls for socio-demographic characteristics and maternal health. The results? Children or teens who reported attending a religious service at least once per week scored higher on psychological well-being measurements and had a lower risks of mental illness. Weekly attendance was associated with higher rates of volunteering, a sense of mission, forgiveness, and lower probabilities of drug use and early sexual initiation. Pity then that the U.S. has seen a 20% decrease in attendance at formal religious services in the past 20 years, according to a Gallop report earlier this year. In 2018 the American family survey showed that nearly half of adults under 30 did not identify with any religion. Nihilism is fertilizer for anxiety and depression, and being “realistic” is overrated. The belief in God - in a protective and guiding figure to rely on when times are tough - is one of the best kinds of support for kids in an increasingly pessimistic world. That’s only one reason from a purely mental-health perspective, to pass down of faith tradition. I am often asked by parents, “how do I talk to my child about death if I don’t believe in God or heaven?” My an- swer is always the same: “lie.” The idea that you simply die and turn to dust may work for some adults, but it doesn’t help children. Belief in heaven helps them grapple with this tremendous and incomprehensible loss. In an age of broken families, distracted parents, school violence in nightmarish global-warming predictions, imagination plays a big part in children’s ability to cope. I am also frequently asked about how parents can instill gratitude and empathy and their children. These virtues are inherent in most religions. The concept of tikkun olam, or healing the world, is one of the pillars of my Jewish faith. In accordance with this belief, we expect our children to perform community service in our synagogue and in the community at large. As they grow older, young Jews teak independent responsibility for this secret activity. One of my son cooks for our temple’s homeless shelter. The other volunteers at a prison, while my daughter helps out with an animal shelter. Such values can be found among countless other religious groups. It's rare to find a faith that doesn’t encourage gratitude as an antidote to entitlement or empathy for anyone who needs nurturing. These are the building blocks of strong character. They are also protective against depression and anxiety. In an individualistic, narcissistic and lonely society, religion provides children a rare opportunity for natural community. My rabbi always says that being Jewish is not only about ethnic identity and bagels and lox, it’s about community. The idea that hundreds of people can gather together and sing joyful prayers as a collective is a buffer against the emptiness of modern culture. It’s more necessary than ever in the world were teens can have hundreds of virtual friends and few real ones, where parents are often too distracted physically or emotionally to soothe their children’s distress. Religion or spiritual practices can teach children mindfulness, a sense of physical and emotional presence necessary for mental health. No matter how active my children were when they were young, they knew when they entered our temple for services they had to calm their bodies and relax their minds. Though they complained when they were kids, and still complain at times as adolescents, they have developed the ability to condom selves when overwhelmed. Today the US is a competitive, scary and stressful place that idealizes perfectionism, materialism, selfishness and virtual rather than real human connection. Religion is the best bulwark against the kind of society. Spiritual belief and practice reinforce collective kindness, empathy, gratitude and real connection. Whether children choose to continue to practice as adults is something parents cannot control. But that spiritual or religious center will benefit them their en- tire lives.

Ms. Komisar is a psychoanalysts and author of “Being There: Why Prioritizing Motherhood In the First Tree Years Matters.”

SAINT CATHERINE CARE LINE FOR PARISHONERS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS ONLY For a confidential prayer list or for anyone you wish to add, please contact our Prayer Partners chair Samia Nash at [email protected].

To report the name of someone in need, ill, asleep in the Lord, or the let us know that you would like your name to be removed from the Care Line, please call 303 - 773 - 3411 extension 8. Thank you! “In the Name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Dear Lord, Jesus Christ, who brought us into this world and knows all of our weaknesses and needs, please visit and heal your servants (or name) from all physical and spiritual maladies, relieve their pain and grant them a quick recovery. If a quick or full recovery is not possible, please be with your servants (or name) helping them to endure whatever pain and suffering they are experiencing until recovery is complete. Dear Lord, help me to be thoughtful and considerate of my brothers and sisters and show me how to recognize and meet their needs, both spoken and unspoken. You we offer glory, praise and thanksgiving, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.”

 Eleni Marie Bardossas - Home  Mark and Connie Hilgefort - Home Van Milligan)  Bardossas Family - Home  Doreen Hoskins - Home  Blake Stokes - Home  Basiliki - Home  Linda Mariea Hughes - Home  Leah Stokes - Home  Mary Brent - Home  Dean and Irene Kasis (Cousins of  Valerie Stokes - Home  Stan Callas - Home Anthea Christenbury)  Dr. Harry Stathos - Home  Mary Chachas - Home  Abbie Kippie - Home  Ellie Thomas - Home  Jim Chachas - Home (Granddaughter of Terry Flagg)  Pagona and Robert Trusk – Home  Jim Damaskos - Home  Mark Kiryluk - Home (Daughter and son-in-law of Irene  Justin Daniel – Home (Son of Lin-  Kristina - Home (Niece of Anthea Farfaras) da Hughes) Christenbury)  Penelope Tsandelis - Hospital in  Rayn Durso - US Army  Chloe Leach - Home (Niece of South Africa (Mother of Helen  Teddy Dwight - Home Anthea Christenbury) Kretzmann)  Hope Dwight - Home  James Legas - Home  Rouli Tucker - Home  Lucy Eliopulos - Home (Niece of  MaryAnn Magerko - Asleep in the  Chuck Ullmann - Home Charlene Eliopulos) Lord (Mother of John Magerko)  Colleen Walsh Hospital (sister of  Pat Faires - Home (Brother-in-law  Will Maniatis - Home Kathleen Economos of Terry Flagg)  Alexa Mantas - Home  Roberta Walls - Home  Ray Farmer - Home  Alexandria Nash - Home  Sue Youssef – Home  Matushka Gloria Fedec - Home  Samia Nash - Home  Joe Youssef - Home  Fr. Paul Fedec - Home  Uka Mabel Nwaeze - Home  Pres. Eleni Foreso & Family - (Mother of May House) Home  Panangelos  Walt Freehling - Home (Father of  Patricia Pantazis - Home Trina Bibbero)  George Plakorus - Home  Val Jean Freehling - Home (Mother  Mary Plakorus - Home of Trina Bibbero)  Kathryn Prose - US Army  Joy Gallios - Home  Thomas Prose - US Army  Stephen George - US Navy (Son  John Prose - US Navy Reserve of Andrew and Inge George)  Toula Rallis – Extended Care Cen-  Brady Glass - Home ter (Cousin of Maria Mantas)  Aleksandra Gopsill - Home  Florence Regas - Home  Cameron Grant - US Marines  Celeste Romell - Home (Niece of  Mary Guadagnoli - Asleep in the Vana White) Lord  Gabriel Serafini - (nephew of Mark  Isabella Hanke - Home Terry) (Goddaughter of Judy Jones)  Jennifer Shaw - Home  Hariton - Home  Dan Skaff - Home  Michel Heneen - Home  Kyra Smith - Home (Cousin of Pam