St. Thecla Orthodox Church November 2020 Parish Bulletin

10335 Kensington Pkwy, Kensington MD 20895 (240) 776-2959 | www.st-thecla.org

A Parish of the Outside of Russia

The Nativity of Christ Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom) of Sourozh, 1975

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

There is anguish when a woman is in labor, but all this is forgotten when the child is born, because a man has come into the world. Someone has come into the world to live, someone has entered into the realm of transitory life in order to grow into life eternal, and the birth of a child is always perceived as the beginning of life and as the beginning of eternity, once more incarnate, once more made real, visible, tangible, become part of human joy and human simplicity.

And yet, when we think of the nativity of Christ, the birth on earth of the Son of God, we see it in a quite different way. One of the ancient miniatures representing the birth of the Lord, shows us, apart from the habitual features of a cave, of the Mother Virgin, of Joseph, of the familiar animals, the manger standing by, deposited on an of sacrifce. And the child is lying on it as probably Isaac laid on the altar which Abraham had built in order to bring him as a blood offering to the Lord. Every one of us is born through temporary life into eternal life; the Eternal One, He who is life itself, is born into the world in order to enter into the realm of death. Eternal, Immortal God enters into the realm of man, not only the created world, but to enter the fallen world where death is the end of our earthly pilgrimage.

When we look at this image of the new-born child, lying on an altar of stones, ready for a sacrifce, brought as an offering, we can well ask ourselves, “Who is he who sacri- fces this child?” – and we have an answer: It is the Father who gives us His Son that through His death we may live. We see here incarnate, clearly expressed, divine Love, and the measure of this love divine. The Only-Begotten Son is given unto death, de- St. Thecla Orthodox Church Bulletin November 2020 livered unto death for our sakes. Paul ponders on the event, and he exclaims, “Hardly would anyone die for a friend, and Christ died for us while we still were ene- mies of God.”

God called us into existence, it was a one-sided act, not of His own powerful will, but of His immeasurable love. He called us into existence, that we may share with Him not only existence, but life, become partakers of all that He is: we are called, in the words of , to become partakers of divine nature; we are called to be brethren and sisters of Christ, sons and daughters of the Living God. He created us in an act of love and in this act of love, from the frst, He gave Himself as an offering to us. And this of- fering is always a sacrifce. In order to make this offering meaningful, He gave us free- dom, the freedom to accept love and to reject love, to love Him in response to His love, or discard His love and, through our deeds, through all our attitude to Him and to life, to proclaim to Him that His love is of no avail to us, that we do not want it, that it is in vain that he has loved us frst, it is in vain that He had loved us so much as to give His Only Begotten Son for us.

God gives us the freedom, and we ask very often, “Why?!” – why have we not been made in such a way that, compelled by a blessed necessity, we would be unable to go wrong, that we should be made in such a way that we always and in all things would respond to the best. But is it not simply because where there is no freedom of love and rejection of love, there is no love? If we gravitated towards one another without any choice, it would be a law of nature, it would not be an act of free gift of oneself and of acceptance of the other. This freedom means love, at least the possibil- ity of love, as it means also the possibility for us to reject God. But God in His freedom does not reject us. He remains faithful to the last, perfectly generous, heroically faith- ful.

And when the freedom of man is misused, He uses His freedom to come, and to reach out towards us at the very depth of ourselves, at the extreme distance which we reach when we die to love. He enters this very realm which is the realm where there is no love, where there is only dividedness, brokenness and separation, both from God and from one another and within ourselves, the inner brokenness and confict be- tween mind and heart, between conscience and action: Christ is born into the realm of death we have made through the misuse of freedom, because we have forgotten that freedom culminates, is fulflled in that love which gives itself perfectly, which is forgetfulness of self, which is the laying down of one’s life for the other.

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St. Thecla Orthodox Church Bulletin November 2020

Let us then look at this crib not as we do when we are small children, seeing only an image of a child’s birth, miraculous, wonderful; let us look at it with an earnest and adult gaze, and see that this crib is an altar of sacrifce, that this cave where He was born is an image of that cave in which He will be deposited, a young man, killed for God’s sake after the agony of the Garden and the agony of the Cross, and let us ask ourselves, are we, each of us, a response to love revealed in such a way, revealed to such degree? Will we fnd in ourselves a response, or shall we only say, “It was His choice, I have chosen against Him. He has chosen life for me, I have chosen death for Him.”

Is that the answer which we will give? Oh, not in words, but in deeds, through our life, through our attitude to our own self, in which our own dividedness is not overcome, through our attitude to one another in which those people for whom Christ lived and died remain to us strangers, irrelevant and can be brushed out of our way, or through our attitude to Him Whom we do not treat as our ever-present invisible neighbor, for Whom we have no thought, no compassion, no charity, no love.

Or are we going to respond to this revelation of love in which the frailty of love is made visible, perceptible to us in the frailty of this little human body deposited on the straw of a crib, respond to the frailty of God by a mature love?

This is the question which now the day of Christmas sets before us, and we have days and months of liturgical unfolding of the year, to grow through it towards a defnitive and fnal answer when we will see love sacrifced on Calvary. We have got this liturgi- cal year to follow step by step, in this year we will discover how the of God have responded, and at every step the question will stand before us: “And what about you, what about thee personally, what about us in our togetherness, what is our answer to love?” Amen.

Sacred Scripture The Necessity of Reading Scripture Daily St. John Chrysostom, On Wealth and Poverty

I also always entreat you, and do not cease entreating you, not only to pay attention here to what I say, but also when you are at home, to persevere continually in reading the divine Scriptures.

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St. Thecla Orthodox Church Bulletin November 2020

When I have been with each of you in private, I have not stopped giving you the same advice. Do not let anyone say to me those vain words, worthy of heavy condemnation, "I cannot leave the courthouse, I administer the business of the city, I practice a craft, I have a wife, I am raising children, I am in charge of a household, I am a man of the world; reading the Scriptures is not for me, but for those who have been set apart, who have settled on the mountaintops, who keep this way of life continuously."

What are you saying, man? That attending to the Scriptures is not for you, since you are Prayer of Saint John Chrysostom surrounded by a multitude of cares? Rather Before Reading or Listening to the Word of God it is for you more than for them. They do not need the help of the divine Scriptures as O Lord Jesus Christ, open Thou the eyes of my much as those do who are involved in many heart, that I may hear Thy word and understand and do Thy will, for I am a sojourner upon the occupations. The monks, who are released earth. Hide not Thy commandments from me, from the clamor of the marketplace and but open mine eyes, that I may perceive the have fxed their huts in the wilderness, who wonders of Thy law. Speak unto me the hidden and secret things of Thy wisdom. On Thee do I own nothing in common with anyone, but set my hope, O my God, that Thou shalt en- practice wisdom without fear in the calm of lighten my mind and understanding with the the quiet life, as if resting in a harbor, enjoy light of Thy knowledge, not only to cherish those things which are written, but to do them; great security; but we, as if tossing in the that in reading the lives and sayings of the midst of the sea, driven by a multitude of saints I may not sin, but that such may serve for sins, always need continuous and ceaseless my restoration, enlightenment and sanctifca- aid of the Scriptures. They rest far from the tion, for the salvation of my soul, and the inheri- tance of life everlasting. For Thou art the en- battle, and so they do not receive many lightenment of those who lie in darkness, and wounds; but you stand continuously in the from Thee cometh every good deed and every front rank, and you receive continual blows. gift. Amen. So you need more remedies.

Your wife provokes you, for example, your son grieves you, your servant angers you, your enemy plots against you, your friend envies you, your neighbor curses you, your fellow soldier trips you up, often a lawsuit threatens you, poverty troubles you, loss of your property gives you grief, prosperity puffs you up, misfortune depresses you, and many causes and compulsions to discouragement and grief, to conceit and despera- tion surround us on all sides, and a multitude of missiles falls from everywhere.

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St. Thecla Orthodox Church Bulletin November 2020

Therefore, we have a continuous need for the full armor of the Scriptures.

For recognize, it is written, that you go through the midst of snares and walk on the ramparts of the city. For example, the designs of the fesh attack more fercely those who live in the midst of the world.

A handsome face, a splendid body strikes us in the eyes; a shameful phrase piercing our ears troubles our mind; and often an effeminate song weakens the tension of our soul.

But why am I saying this? That which often seems the slightest of all these attacks, the scent of perfume falling from courtesans as they pass somewhere nearby has cap- tured and taken us away as prisoners by a mere accident. And there are many things like these which besiege our souls: we need the divine medicines to heal the wounds which we have received and to protect us from those which we have not yet received but will receive.

We must thoroughly quench the darts of the devil and beat them off by continual reading of the divine Scriptures.

For it is not possible, not possible for anyone to be saved without continually taking advantage of spiritual reading.

Actually, we must be content, if even with continual use of this therapy, we are barely able to be saved. But when we are struck every day, if we do not use any medical care, what hope do we have of salvation?

In all things that you fnd in the Holy Reading the Scriptures is a great means of security Scriptures, seek out the purpose of the against sinning. The ignorance of Scripture is a words, that you may enter into the great cliff and a deep abyss; to know nothing of depth of the thoughts of the saints and understand them with greater exact- the divine laws is a great betrayal of salvation. This ness. Do not approach the reading of has given birth to heresies, this has introduced a the Divine Scriptures without prayer and corrupt way of life, this has put down the things asking the help of God. Consider prayer to be the key to the true understanding above. For it is impossible, impossible for anyone of that which is said in the Holy Scrip- to depart without beneft if he reads continually tures. with attention. St. Isaac the Syrian, Sermon 1.85

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St. Thecla Orthodox Church Bulletin November 2020

Icons and Feasts of the Joy of All Who Sorrow Commemorated October 24 (November 6 New Style)

On October 24, the Church commemorates the Icon of the Mother of God, “Joy of All Who Sorrow”, in remembrance of the great miracle of healing which occurred in Moscow on that day in 1688. At that time, a woman named Euphemia — sister to the Patriarch Joachim — lived in the city and had long suffered from an incurable ailment. As she was praying in the morning, Euphemia heard a voice instructing her to go to the Church of the Holy Transfguration, fnd the Icon of the Moth- er of God there, and ask the priest to serve a Moleben with the Blessing of the Waters. Euphemia hastened to obey and received healing that very day.

After the healing of the faithful Euphemia, the Icon became a destination for pilgrims and the ailing seeking the Mother of God’s aid with their troubles. In 1720, Tsar Peter the Great carried a copy of the Icon into battle with the Turks, and later to his imperial residence in Saint Petersburg.

The Icon depicts the Theotokos crowned and dressed in royal raiment. She stands and receives the entreaties of the faithful, which are written on scrolls and presented by guardian angels. In her right hand the Mother of God carries a foral motif; in her left, she bears a scroll with the prayer “O most clement Son, turn your gaze to your Mother and hear the prayers of your servants.” The prayers of the sorrowful read “Visit us and help us in old age and sickness, O Queen”; “Help those who suffer from frost and nakedness”, “Give nourishment to the hungry”; “Travel with us who travel.” In Muscovite versions of the Icon, the Mother of God holds the Christ child instead of the scroll.

“Joy to all that sorrow art thou, and of the oppressed protectress, and nurturer of all the poor, comfort unto the estranged, a staff thou art of the blind, visitation of all the sick, a shelter and succor unto those brought down by pain, helper of orphaned ones.” (Troparion to the Virgin)

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St. Thecla Orthodox Church Bulletin November 2020

Sayings of the Fathers

No matter how much we may study, it is not possible to come to know God unless we live according to His commandments, for God is not known by science, but by the Holy Spirit. Many philosophers and learned men came to the belief that God exists, but they did not know God. It is one thing to believe that God exists and another to know Him. If someone has come to know God by the Holy Spirit, his soul will burn with love for God day and night, and his soul cannot be bound to any earthly thing.

St. Silouan the Athonite, Writings, VIII.3

A man becomes spiritual insofar as he lives a spiritual life. He begins to see God in all things, to see His power and might in every manifestation. Always and everywhere he sees himself abiding in God and dependent on God for all things. But insofar as a man lives a bodily life, so much he does he do bodily things; He doesn't see God in anything, even in the most wondrous manifestations of His Divine power. In all things he sees body, material, everywhere and always - "God is not before his eyes." (Ps. 35:2)

St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ, I.5

Fasting, prayer, alms, and every other good Christian deed is good in itself, but the purpose of the Christian life consists not only in the fulfllment of one or another of them. The true purpose of our Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God. But fasting, prayer, alms and every good deed done for the sake of Christ is a means to the attainment of the Holy Spirit. Note that only good deeds done for the sake of Christ bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Everything else that is not done for the sake of Christ, even if it is good, does not bring us a reward in the life to come, not does it bring the grace of God in this life. This is why our Lord Jesus Christ said, "Whosoever gathereth not with me scattereth" (Matt. 12:30).

St. Seraphim of Sarov, Conversation on the Goal of the Christian Life

We abide in God insofar as we do not sin.

St. the Venerable, Commentary on I John, 3:6

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St. Thecla Orthodox Church Bulletin November 2020

Lives of the Saints The Holy Apostle James, the Brother of the Lord Commemorated October 23 (November 5 New Style)

The Holy Apostle James, called the Brother of the Lord (Adelphotheos), was one of the four sons of the Righteous Joseph the Betrothed. From his early years James was a Nazarene, a man especially dedicated to God. The Nazarenes vowed to preserve their virginity, to abstain from wine, to refrain from eating meat, and not to cut their hair. The vow of the Nazarenes symbolized a life of holiness and purity, commanded for- merly by the Lord for all Israel. Saint James accompanied his family on their fight to Egypt to escape the murderous wrath of Herod shortly after the birth of Christ. Later, when the Savior began to teach the nation about the Kingdom of God, Saint James believed in Christ and became His apos- tle. He was chosen as the frst Bishop of Jerusalem.

Saint James presided over the Council of Jerusalem and his word was decisive (Acts 15). In his thirty years as bishop, Saint James converted many of the Jews to Christian- ity. Annoyed by this, the Pharisees and the Scribes plotted together to kill him. They led the saint up to the pinnacle of the Jerusalem Temple and asked what he thought of Jesus. The holy Apostle began to bear witness that Christ is the Messiah, which was not the response the Pharisees were expect- ing. Greatly angered, the Jewish teachers threw him off the roof. The saint did not die immediately, but gathering his fnal strength, he prayed to the Lord for his enemies while they were stoning him. Saint James’ - dom occurred about 63 A.D.

The holy Apostle James composed a Divine Liturgy, which formed the basis of the Liturgies of Saints Basil the Great and John Chrysostom. The Church has preserved an Epistle of Saint James, one of the books of the New Testament.

In 1853, Patriarch Hierotheus of Alexandria sent to Moscow a portion of the relics of Saint James. The Church distinguishes between the holy Apostle James the Brother of the Lord, and Saint James the son of Zebedee (April 30) and Saint James the son of Alphaeus (October 9).

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St. Thecla Orthodox Church Bulletin November 2020

Living an Orthodox Life The Prayer Corner

Just as prayer is central to the spiritual life, so also is the prayer corner central to the establishment of the home church and the development of a regular devotional life. As a matter of fact, one of the very frst things an Orthodox Christian should do when moving into a new apartment or house is choose a location for daily prayer and the erecting of a prayer corner, also known as an icon corner or home altar.

There are several considerations when setting up a prayer corner, and much has been written and is available online and in print. In brief, you’ll need to:

Choose a Location

When choosing a location for your prayer corner, try to fnd space that is 1) easily ac- cessible, 2) quiet, and 3) preferably oriented eastward.

An easily accessible location encourages prayer, both corporate and individual. That the space be quiet is also important, especially in family homes. For families, the prayer corner is where the family ideally gathers for family prayer, but there may also be times when an individual family member wants to pray alone and without distrac- tions. For many homes, this likely means choosing a place without high traffc or noise (conversation, TV, computer, music playing, etc.).

Finally, the prayer corner should to the extent possible mirror what we see at church. If possible, choose an eastward wall, just as traditionally the iconostasis and altar at church do. Sometimes this simply isn’t possible; in those cases, choose the most con- venient wall, focusing on items 1 and 2, above. Above all, remember that your prayer corner becomes a sacred space in the midst of your living space.

Decide What to Place in Your Prayer Corner

Now that you’ve chosen the space, it’s time to choose what goes into your prayer cor- ner. While it might be tempting to make it a large production, it’s probably best to start small and simple. Historically, many families only had a small number of icons, which were handed down from generation to generation.

In its most basic form, a prayer corner is a shelf with a few icons that is set aside for prayer. The icons may also be mounted on the wall. Begin with an icon of Christ and His Mother, the Most Holy Theotokos. If you can, fnd a nice cross or crucifx as well. Place the cross in the center of your space, with Christ on the right and the Theotokos — 9 —

St. Thecla Orthodox Church Bulletin November 2020 on the left. Over time, you may collect icons of family patrons, beloved friends among the saints, or festal images. As you add icons to your prayer corner, take time to arrange them properly, with Christ and the Theotokos in the center top, and other saints to the sides and/or below. God has ordered all things and there is both hierar- chy and symmetry to the Church; these should also be considered when arranging your prayer corner.

You might supplement this with a small table on which may be placed a hand bless- ing cross, the Bible, prayer books and other liturgical books, a hand censer, blessed items such as palm fronds and pussy willows from Palm Sunday, fowers from the Winding Sheet (Epitaphion or Plaschanitsa) on Holy Friday, holy water blessed at Theophany or at other times throughout the liturgical year, holy oils for anointing, and other religious items.

Maintain Your Corner

In front of the icons a lamp should perpetually burn. Some families burn wax votive candles before the icons; however, the tradition is to use olive oil for the lamp, as oil lamps require an amount of attention which candles do not, thereby directing our physical service and thoughts to God throughout the day when we are required to trim the wick and refll the lamp with oil. If using candles, it is traditional to use beeswax if possible.

As we take care to keep our churches clean and tidy, so also should we take care of our prayer corner. The time and attention we devote to our prayer corner, whether praying or keeping it tidy and in good order, is a refection of our attitude towards God.

And Finally — Pray!

All the care and attention we put into designing and maintaining our prayer corner will be for naught if we don’t make the effort and take the time to pray there. Icons are windows into heaven, focal points for devotion, and aids to prayer; frst and foremost, though, they’re holy objects and vessels of divine grace, as are also the other items in our home altar, and the sanctity with which these holy objects are imbued is imparted to us when we pray in their presence. If your family hasn’t yet acquired a regular habit of prayer, begin to pray each morning and evening (perhaps just a simple Our Father or the Creed to start) in front of your icons, and gradually build upon that foundation. May God so bless!

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St. Thecla Orthodox Church Bulletin November 2020

Schedule of Services and Events

Sun Nov 1 21st Sunday after Pentecost. Righteous John, wonderworker of Kronstadt. Tone 4. Hours and Divine Liturgy – 8:40 AM. Epistle: Sunday: Gal. 2:16-20 (§203); Saint: I John 4:7-11 (§73 mid). Gospel: Sunday: Luke 8:5-15 (§35); Saint: Luke 6:31-36 (§26).

Sun Nov 1 Zoom Virtual Sunday School – 3:00 PM.

Wed Nov 4 Facebook Video Lesson – 8:00 PM.

Thu Nov 5 Thursday of the 22nd week after Pentecost. Tone 4. Holy Apostle James, brother of the Lord (†ca. 63). Hours and Divine Liturgy of St. James – 6:40 AM. Epistle: Day: Col. 4:2-9 (§260); Apostle: Gal. 1:11-19 (§200). Gospel: Day: Luke 9:49-56 (§48); Apostle: Matt. 13:54-58 (§56).

Sat Nov 7 Moleben to the Holy Protomartyr and Equal-to-the-Apostles Thecla – 4:30 PM.

Sat Nov 7 Vigil – 5:00 PM. Matins Gospel 11: John 21:15-25 (§67).

Sun Nov 8 22nd Sunday after Pentecost. Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessa- lonica (†c. 306). Commemoration of the earthquake in Constantinople in 740. Tone 5. Hours and Divine Liturgy – 8:40 AM. Epistle: Earthquake: Heb. 12:6-13, 25-27 (§331 mid); Sunday: Gal. 6:11-18 (§215); Great Martyr: II Tim. 2:1-10 (§292). Gospel: Sunday: Luke 8:5-15 (§35); Saint: Luke 6:31-36 (§26).

Sun Nov 8 Zoom Virtual Sunday School – 3:00 PM.

Tue Nov 10 Tuesday of the 23rd week after Pentecost. Tone 5. Great Martyr Parasceva (Piatnitsa or Friday) of Iconium (3rd C). Moleben and Akathist – 6:30 PM.

Wed Nov 11 Facebook Video Lesson – 8:00 PM.

Sat Nov 14 Vigil – 5:00 PM. Matins Gospel 1: Matt. 28:16-20 (§116).

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St. Thecla Orthodox Church Bulletin November 2020

Sun Nov 15 23rd Sunday after Pentecost. Acindynus, Pegasius, Aph- thonius, Elpidephorus, and Anempodistus (c. 341-345). Tone 6. Hours and Divine Liturgy – 8:40 AM. Epistle: Sunday: Eph. 2:4-10 (§220); Martyrs: Eph. 6:10-17 (§233). Gospel: Sunday: Luke 8:26-39 (§38); Martyrs: Matt. 10:16-22 (§36).

Sun Nov 15 Zoom Virtual Sunday School – 3:00 PM.

Wed Nov 18 Facebook Video Lesson – 8:00 PM.

Fri Nov 20 Vigil – 5:30 PM. Vespers: Joshua 5:13-15; Judges 6:2, 7, 11-24; Isa. 14:7-20. Matins: Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43 (§52).

Sat Nov 21 Saturday of the 24th week after Pentecost. Tone 6. Synaxis of Archangel and the other Bodiless Hosts: Archangels , , Uriel, Salaphiel, Jegudiel, Barachiel, and Jere- miel. Hours and Divine Liturgy – 8:40 AM. Epistle: Heb. 2:2-10 (§305). Gospel: Luke 10:16-21 (§51).

Sat Nov 21 Vigil – 5:00 PM. Matins Gospel 2: Mark 16:1-8 (§70).

Sun Nov 22 24th Sunday after Pentecost. Martyrs Onesiphorus and Porphyrius of Ephesus (3rd–4th C); Venerable Matrona of Constantinople (†492). Tone 7. Hours and Divine Liturgy – 8:40 AM. Epistle: Eph. 2:14-22 (§221). Gospel: Luke 8:41-56 (§39).

Sun Nov 22 Zoom Virtual Sunday School – 3:00 PM.

Tue Nov 24 Zoom Meeting of the Parish Council – 8:00 PM.

Wed Nov 25 Facebook Video Lesson – 8:00 PM.

Thu Nov 26 Thursday of the 25th week after Pentecost. Tone 7. St. John Chrysos- tom, archbishop of Constantinople (†407). Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving Day Moleben – 11:00 AM.

Sat Nov 28 The Beginning of the Nativity Fast

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St. Thecla Orthodox Church Bulletin November 2020

November 28 – January 6: Nativity Fast

The Nativity fast precedes the great feast of the Nativity according to the fesh of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, beginning on November 15/28 and lasting forty days. The Nativity fast is not as strict as the Great Lenten or Dormition fasts; instead, it is comparable to the Apostle’s fast. The Nativity fast was instituted by the Church so that the faithful can prepare to worthily greet the feast of the Nativity after having cleansed their hearts by prayer and repentance, a central facet of all the fasting peri- ods of the Church.

During the fast we abstain from meat and dairy products. Additionally, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays consumption of fsh, oil and wine is prohibited. On the other weekdays—Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays—food prepared with vegetable oil is al- lowed. Fish is permitted on Saturdays, Sundays and on Great Feasts (e.g., the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple), as well as on patron saints’ days and polyeleos-rank or higher saints' days if these feasts fall on a Tuesday or Thursday; should they fall on a Wednesday or Friday, only wine and oil are allowed.

During the week preceding the Eve of the Nativity the fast increases in strictness; for this week, we abstain from fsh even on Saturdays and Sundays.

Sat Nov 28 Vigil – 5:00 PM. Matins Gospel 3: Mark 16:9-20 (§71).

Sun Nov 29 25th Sunday after Pentecost. Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew (†60). Tone 8. Hours and Divine Liturgy – 8:40 AM. Epistle: Sunday: Eph. 4:1-6 (§224); Apostle: I Cor. 4:9-16 (§131). Gospel: Sunday: Luke 10:25-37 (§53); Apostle: Matt. 9:9-13 (§30).

Sun Nov 29 Zoom Virtual Sunday School – 3:00 PM.

December

Wed Dec 2 Facebook Video Lesson – 8:00 PM.

Thu Dec 3 Vigil – 5:30 PM. Vespers: Ex. 40:1-5, 9-10, 16, 34-35; I Kings 7:51, 8:1, 3-7, 9-11; Ezek. 43:27-44:4. Matins: Luke 1:39-49, 56 (§4).

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St. Thecla Orthodox Church Bulletin November 2020

Fri Dec 4 Friday of the 26th week after Pentecost, Tone 8. The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple. Hours and Divine Liturgy – 6:40 AM. Epistle: Heb. 9:1-7 (§320). Gospel: Luke 10:38-42, 11:27-28 (§54).

Sat Dec 5 Moleben to the Holy Protomartyr and Equal-to-the-Apostles Thecla – 4:30 PM.

Sat Dec 5 Vigil – 5:00 PM. Matins Gospel 4: Luke 24:1-12 (§112).

Sun Dec 6 26th Sunday after Pentecost. Holy and Right-believing Great Prince Alexander Nevsky (Alexius in schema) (†1263). Afterfeast of the En- try into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos. Tone 1. Hours and Di- vine Liturgy – 8:40 AM. Epistle: Sunday: Eph. 5:8-19 (§229); Saint: Gal. 5:22-6:2 (§213). Gospel: Sunday: Luke 12:16-21 (§66); Saint: Matt. 11:27-30 (§43).

Announcements

Celebration of the Parish Feast

On Sunday, October 11, and again the following Sunday, October 18, the parish cel- ebrated its second parish feast. On the morning of the 11th, an outdoor Divine Liturgy was served in the backyard of parishioner Tania Barmine. The service was a much- needed respite from the restrictions currently placed on gatherings, as Tania’s lawn was large enough to accommodate more than 50 of the faithful, including many fami- lies with small children. After the Liturgy, the children had the opportunity to play and socialize, while the adults broke up into small groups for conversation and catching up. Tania was a gracious host and took on a good portion of the pre-service coordina- tion, including notifying her neighbors of the event well in advance and setting their expectations.

The following Sunday the parish again gathered at noon, this time to partake of the festal meal which was postponed the prior week due to inclement weather. Turnout was again more than 50, with the meal catered by Mission BBQ, and once more we were blessed to have a number of families with children present.

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St. Thecla Orthodox Church Bulletin November 2020

All in all, the service and meal were a great success, and we offer our sincere thanks to Tania for her hospitality, as well as to Mary O’Brien for coordinating the logistics for both weekends.

Divine Liturgy of St. James

On November 5 (October 23 according to the Church calendar), the Church com- memorates the Holy Apostle James, the brother of the Lord. The Divine Liturgy of St. James, named for and attributed to the Apostle, is ancient liturgy of the Church of Jerusalem and the oldest Liturgy still in use in the Orthodox Church. This November 5th, our parish will serve the Liturgy of St. James for the frst time.

During most of the frst millennium, the Liturgy of St. James was in common use in Pa- lestine, Syria, and Georgia. It is similar to the early Byzantine liturgies from which the more familiar liturgies of St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil developed.

By the beginning of the twentieth century, the Liturgy of St. James was only used in a few places, and this only once or twice a year. In the last few decades, however, there has been a resurgence of interest in this ancient living tradition of our Church.

Parish Directory

Natasha Mulligan is putting together a St. Thecla Parish Directory, similar in format to the one used by the English community at St. John’s. The Directory will include family members’ names, contact info (adults only), and Saint’s Days, and it will be in a format suitable for either print or electronic use. The Directory will be for parish use only and will only be shared internally.

A sample entry follows:

If you would like to be included in the Directory, please contact Natasha directly by email at [email protected].

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St. Thecla Orthodox Church Bulletin November 2020

Parish Prayer List

The Sisterhood is organizing a ministry to pray for parishioners and their families, par- ticularly (but not limited to) those who are elderly, infrm, or otherwise in need. This especially timely now, with all the unrest and isolation caused by the pandemic and our current social, political and cultural climate. The following categories have been suggested:

• The elderly or frail

• The seriously or chronically ill

• Those recovering from injury or illness

• Those in misfortune or tribulation

• Those with special needs

The Sisterhood's hope is to organize times for common prayer on behalf of those on the list and others in need of prayer, perhaps focusing on a single category each day of the week.

If you would like to participate in the prayer ministry, have names to add to the list, or would like to share additional suggestions or ideas, please reach out to Svetlana Ci- cale at [email protected].

Zoom Small Group Book Discussion

Interested in reading about and discussing our life as Orthodox with a small group of peers? Our St. Thecla's small group is picking back up this fall to read and discuss Kyriacos Markides' The Mountain of Silence. All are welcome to join in as we dig into this frst-person perspective of "a search for Orthodox spirituality" related as a series of interactions and conversations between a young man and an Athonite elder. The book will be read in sections, and the group will meet by Zoom approxi- mately every two weeks (meeting dates and times to be determined) to discuss. If you're interested in participating, send an email to John Stiff at [email protected].

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St. Thecla Orthodox Church Bulletin November 2020

Parish Financials

Following is the current snapshot of the parish’s fnancials, as of October 30, 2020.

Checking account beginning balance, October 1, 2020 $26,294.74

Deposits and other additions $12,908.87

Checks and other deductions $8,161.62

Net income $4,747.25

Checking account ending balance, October 30, 2020 $31,041.99

The Future of Our Parish

With the establishment of a monthly bulletin and the development of a parish direc- tory, we hope to also begin laying the groundwork for discussing and embarking upon the next phase of our parish’s growth and development. While the past seven months of COVID-related shutdowns and social distancing have had a defnite and material impact upon our parish, we’ve been blessed to be able to continue to cele- brate a reasonably full cycle of services. By the mercy of God and through the contin- ued generosity of parishioners and benefactors, we’ve also managed thus far to weather the storm fnancially, even investing in modest church adornments, chief among them the building of our temporary iconostasis, the acquisition of Royal and deacon’s doors, and the addition of new icons and hanging lamps for both the altar and the nave.

While all of that is good, our current lease is up in 6 months, and we need to begin exploring alternatives, specifcally whether to negotiate the provisional third year stipulated in the lease or evaluate a move next April to another location. Half a year sounds like a long time, but it truly is a fash in the pan and will be gone before we know it.

We also need to revamp and enhance our online presence, both the parish website and Facebook page. We need to explore additional venues for engaging the com- munity for as long as we remain unable to fully gather for worship and fellowship. We need to evaluate additional venues for receiving donations, as we’ve never passed a basket during services and have not yet instituted formal parish membership or dues but nonetheless rely on regular donations for the continued operation of the parish. — 17 —

St. Thecla Orthodox Church Bulletin November 2020

Finally, to do all these things, we need two things from each of your: your participa- tion in whatever areas you think would beneft from the application of your talents, and to frm up the parish’s fnancial foundation so we can begin to plan for the future.

God willing, we’ll schedule an all-parish Zoom call in December to discuss all the above. Check next month’s bulletin for additional details, including the meeting date and time.

Live Streaming

All services are streamed via our parish YouTube channel, apart from the occasional technical glitch. To view a live stream or to subscribe to the channel, visit St. Thecla Orthodox Church – YouTube Channel.

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St. Thecla Orthodox Church Bulletin November 2020

Children’s Corner

November Word Search

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