Divine Liturgy Sunday, December 6, 2020 St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia Reverend Matthew Joyner, Rector Cell: 570-468-2261 Email: [email protected] Very Reverend James Mason, Attached Reverend Timothy Hasenecz, Attached Deacon Geoffrey LoBalbo Mr. Bryan Distefano, Parish Council President Reader Nicholas Lezinsky, Choir Director Jennifer Bzik, Administrative Assistant Email: [email protected] Note to our Guests and Friends Visiting St. Nicholas: We offer a most sincere and heart-felt welcome to St. Nicholas Church! Please be advised that according to the ancient traditions of the Orthodox Church, the Sacrament of Holy Communion is to be administered only to Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves to receive the Holy Sacrament. (Please note – Information to be included in next Sunday’s bulletin must be submitted by noon on Thursday. Thank you! ~ Jennifer N. Bzik) 980 Bridle Path Road | Bethlehem, PA 18017-3120 | T: 610-867-0402 stnicholasoca.org Schedule for the Week of December 6, 2020 26th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST — Tone 1. St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia (ca. 345). St Maximus (1280). Weekly Calendar (All Parishioners must review and follow the St. Nicholas Church Reopening Guidance when attending services in person.) Wednesday, December 9, 2020 7:00 pm – Readers Vespers (Live Stream only) Thursday, December 10, 2020 12:00 pm – Deadline for RSVP for Saturday Vespers and/or Sunday Liturgy Saturday, December 12, 2020 6:00 pm – Great Vespers (Live Stream will also be available) Sunday, December 13, 2020 27th Sunday after Pentecost, Repose of Ven. Herman of Alaska, Wonderworker of All America; Sunday of the Forefathers 9:10 am – Reading of the Hours (Live Stream will also be available) 9:30 am – Divine Liturgy (Live Stream will also be available) 10:45 am – Communion for Parish Children 2020 Nativity Season Schedule Please note that due to Covid-19 precautions, all confessions will be heard by appointment only. Please contact Fr. Matthew by phone or text to schedule. Wednesday, December 16, 2020 7:00 pm – Readers Vespers (Live Stream only) Saturday, December 19, 2020 6:00 pm – Great Vespers (Live Stream will also be available) Sunday, December 20, 2020 28th Sunday after Pentecost, Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ 9:10 am – Reading of the Hours (Live Stream will also be available) 9:30 am – Divine Liturgy (Live Stream will also be available) 10:45 am – Communion for Parish Children Wednesday, December 23, 2020 7:00 pm – Reading of the Royal Hours of Nativity – (Live Stream will also be available) Thursday, December 24, 2020 Eve of The Nativity of Christ 7:00 pm – Vigil of the Nativity (Live Stream will also be available) Friday, December 25, 2020 Nativity of Our Lord 9:10 am – Reading of the Hours (Live Stream will also be available) 9:30 am - Divine Liturgy - (Live Stream will also be available) 10:45 am – Communion for Parish Children Saturday, December 26, 2020 Synaxis of the Theotokos 8:50 am – Reading of the Hours (Live Stream will also be available) 9:00 am - Divine Liturgy (Live Stream will also be available) 10:15 am – Communion for Parish Children (Wait outside the main Church Doors) 6:00 pm – Great Vespers (Live Stream will also be available) Sunday, December 27, 2020 Sunday after the Nativity of Christ – Feast of St. Stephen 9:10 am – Reading of the Hours (Live Stream will also be available) 9:30 am – Divine Liturgy (Live Stream will also be available) 10:45 am – Communion for Parish Children Wednesday, December 30, 2020 7:00 pm – Readers Vespers (Live Stream only) Friday, January 1, 2021 The Circumcision of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; St. Basil the Great 8:50 am – Reading of the Hours (Live Stream will also be available) 9:00 am – Diving Liturgy (Live Stream will also be available) 10:15 am – Communion for Parish Children Saturday, January 2, 2020 5:15 pm – Monthly Panikhida (Live Stream will also be available) 6:00 pm – Great Vespers (Live Stream will also be available) Sunday, January 3, 2021 Forefeast of the Theophany 9:10 am – Reading of the Hours (Live Stream will also be available) 9:30 am – Divine Liturgy (Live Stream will also be available) 10:45 am – Communion for Parish Children Tuesday, January 5, 2021 Theophany Eve 9:00 AM – Reading of the Royal Hours (Live Stream will also be available) 6:00 PM - Great Compline with Great Blessing of Water Wednesday, January 6, 2020 Holy Theophany 8:50 am – Reading of the Hours (Live Stream will also be available) 9:00 am - Divine Liturgy (Live Stream will also be available) 10:15 am – Communion for Parish Children 7:00 pm – Readers Vespers (Live Stream only) Divine Liturgy Sunday, December 6, 2020 St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia Tone 1 Troparion (Resurrection) When the stone had been sealed by the Jews, while the soldiers were guarding Thy most pure body, Thou didst rise on the third day, O Savior, granting life to the world. The powers of heaven therefore cried to Thee, O Giver of Life: “Glory to Thy Resurrection, O Christ! Glory to Thy Kingdom! Glory to Thy dispensation, O Thou Who lovest mankind!” Tone 4 Troparion (St. Nicholas) In truth you were revealed to your flock as a rule of faith, a model of humility and teacher of abstinence. So you won the heights by humility, riches by poverty; O Holy Father Nicholas intercede with Christ our God to save our souls. Tone 1 Kontakion (Resurrection) As God, Thou didst rise from the tomb in glory, raising the world with Thyself. Human nature praises Thee as God, for death has vanished. Adam exults, O Master! Eve rejoices, for she is freed from bondage and cries to Thee: “Thou art the Giver of Resurrection to all, O Christ!” Tone 3 Kontakion (St. Nicholas) Thou didst appear as a priest in Myra, O Saint Nicholas, fulfilling the Gospel of Christ, O venerable one; thou didst lay down thy life for thy people and didst rescue the innocent from death. Therefore, thou hast been blest as a great initiate of the grace of God. Tone 1 Prokeimenon (Resurrection) Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us / as we have set our hope on Thee! (Ps. 32:22) Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the just! (Ps. 32:1) Tone 7 Prokeimenon (St. Nicholas) The righteous shall rejoice in the Lord, and shall hope in Him. (Ps. 63:10a) Epistle (Ephesians 5:9-19) (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, (Hebrews 13:17-21 (St. Nicholas)) Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner. Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen Tone 1 Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. God gives vengeance unto me, and subdues people under me. (Ps. 17:48) He magnifies the salvation of the King and deals mercifully with David, His anointed, and his seed forever. (Ps. 17:51) Tone 2 Thy priests shall be clothed in righteousness, and Thy saints shall rejoice. (Ps. 131:9) Gospel (Luke 17:12-19) Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner? And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” (Luke 6:17-23 (St. Nicholas)) And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.