Saint Spyridon Church Bulletin- Sunday, December 8, 2019

Sunday, December 8, 2019

10th Sunday of Luke
Forefeast Conception Theotokos
Patapios of Thebes
Sophronios, Bishop of Cyprus

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Office hours: Monday – Friday / Δευτέρα – Παρασκεύη 8:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m.

Tel: 212-795-5870 f:212-795-4758 e-mail:office@saintspyridon.net

Hymns of the Day

Ἐξ ὕψους κατῆλθες ὁ εὔσπλαγχνος, ταφὴν κατεδέξω τριήμερον, ἵνα ἡμᾶς ἐλευθερώσῃς τῶν παθῶν. Ἡ ζωὴ καὶ ἡ Ἀνάστασις ἡμῶν, Κύριε δόξα σοι.

Τῆς Συνόδου τῆς πρώτης ἀνεδείχθης ὑπέρμαχος, καὶ θαυματουργὸς θεοφόρε, Σπυρίδων Πατὴρ ἡμῶν· διὸ νεκρᾷ σὺ ἐν τάφῳ προσφωνεῖς, καὶ ὄφιν εἰς χρυσοῦν μετέβαλες· καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλπειν τὰς ἁγίας σου εὐχάς, Ἀγγέλους ἔσχες συλλειτουργοῦντάς σοι Ἱερώτατε· Δόξα τῷ σὲ δοξάσαντι, δόξα τῷ σὲ στεφανώσαντι· δόξα τῷ ἐνεργοῦντι διὰ σοῦ πᾶσιν ἰάματα.

Ἡ Παρθένος σήμερον, τὸν Προαιώνιον Λόγον, ἐν Σπηλαίῳ ἔρχεται, ἀποτεκεῖν ἀπορρήτως. Χόρευε ἡ οἰκουμένη ἀκουτισθεῖσα, δόξασον μετὰ Ἀγγέλων καὶ τῶν Ποιμένων, βουληθέντα ἐποφθῆναι, παιδίον νέον, τὸν πρὸ αἰώνων Θεόν.

Matins Gospel Reading

The Reading is from Mark 16:9-20

When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. After this He appeared to the eleven themselves as they sat at table and He upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw Him after He had risen. And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen.

Κατὰ Μᾶρκον 16:9-20

Ἀναστὰς ὁ Ἰησοῦς πρωῒ πρώτῃ Σαββάτου ἐφάνη πρῶτον Μαρίᾳ τῇ Μαγδαληνῇ, ἀφ' ἧς ἐκβεβλήκει ἑπτὰ δαιµόνια. Ἐκείνη πορευθεῖσα ἀπήγγειλε τοῖς µετ' αὐτοῦ γενοµένοις, πενθοῦσι καὶ κλαίουσι. Κᾀκεῖνοι ἀκούσαντες ὅτι ζῇ καὶ ἐθεάθη ὑπ' αὐτῆς ἠπίστησαν. Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα δυσὶν ἐξ αὐτῶν περιπατοῦσιν ἐφανερώθη ἐν ἑτέρᾳ µορφῇ, πορευοµένοις, εἰς ἀγρόν. Κᾀκεῖνοι ἀπελθόντες ἀπήγγειλαν τοῖς λοιποῖς, οὐδὲ ἐκείνοις ἐπίστευσαν. Ὕστερον, ἀνακειµένοις αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἕνδεκα ἐφανερώθη, καὶ ὠνείδισε τὴν ἀπιστίαν αὐτῶν καὶ σκληροκαρδίαν, ὅτι τοῖς θεασαµένοις αὐτὸν ἐγηγερµένον, οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν. Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Πορευθέντες εἰς τὸν κόσµον ἅπαντα, κηρύξατε τὸ εὐαγγέλιον πάσῃ τῇ κτίσει. Ὁ πιστεύσας καὶ βαπτισθείς, σωθήσεται, ὁ δὲ ἀπιστήσας, κατακριθήσεται. Σηµεῖα δὲ τοῖς πιστεύσασι ταῦτα παρακολουθήσει. Ἐν τῷ ὀνόµατί µου δαιµόνια ἐκβαλοῦσι, γλώσσαις λαλήσουσι καιναῖς, ὄφεις ἀροῦσι, κἂν θανάσιµόν τι πίωσιν , οὐ µὴ αὐτοὺς βλάψει, ἐπὶ ἀῤῥώστους χεῖρας ἐπιθήσουσι, καὶ καλῶς ἕξουσιν. Ὁ µὲν οὖν Κύριος, µετὰ τὸ λαλῆσαι αὐτοῖς, ἀνελήφθη εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ἐξελθόντες, ἐκήρυξαν πανταχοῦ, τοῦ Κυρίου συνεργοῦντος, καὶ τὸν λόγον βεβαιοῦντος, διὰ τῶν ἐπακολουθούντων σηµείων. Ἀµήν.

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Psalm 75.

Pray and return to the Lord Your God.

Verse: In Judah God is known; His name is great in Israel.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 4:1-7.

Brethren, I, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.

Προκείμενον. Ψαλμὸς 75.

Εὔξασθε καὶ ἀπόδοτε Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν.

Στίχ. Γνωστὸς ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ ὁ Θεός, ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ μέγα τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ.

τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Ἐφεσίους 4:1-7.

Ἀδελφοί, παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς ἐγὼ ὁ δέσμιος ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀξίως περιπατῆσαι τῆς κλήσεως ἧς ἐκλήθητε, μετὰ πάσης ταπεινοφροσύνης καὶ πραΰτητος, μετὰ μακροθυμίας, ἀνεχόμενοι ἀλλήλων ἐν ἀγάπῃ, σπουδάζοντες τηρεῖν τὴν ἑνότητα τοῦ πνεύματος ἐν τῷ συνδέσμῳ τῆς εἰρήνης· ἓν σῶμα καὶ ἓν Πνεῦμα, καθὼς καὶ ἐκλήθητε ἐν μιᾷ ἐλπίδι τῆς κλήσεως ὑμῶν· εἷς Κύριος, μία πίστις, ἓν βάπτισμα· εἷς Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ πάντων, ὁ ἐπὶ πάντων καὶ διὰ πάντων καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν ὑμῖν. Ἑνὶ δὲ ἑκάστῳ ἡμῶν ἐδόθη ἡ χάρις κατὰ τὸ μέτρον τῆς δωρεᾶς τοῦ Χριστοῦ.

Liturgical Gospel Reading

The Reading is from Luke 13:10-17

At that time, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your infirmity." And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and she praised God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, said to the people, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the sabbath day." Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?" As he said this, all his adversaries were put to shame; and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 13:10-17

Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἦν διδάσκων ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐν μιᾷ τῶν συναγωγῶν ἐν τοῖς σάββασι. καὶ ἰδοὺ γυνὴ ἦν πνεῦμα ἔχουσα ἀσθενείας ἔτη δέκα καὶ ὀκτώ, καὶ ἦν συγκύπτουσα καὶ μὴ δυναμένη ἀνακύψαι εἰς τὸ παντελές. ἰδὼν δὲ αὐτὴν ὁ Ἰησοῦς προσεφώνησε καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ· Γύναι, ἀπολέλυσαι τῆς ἀσθενείας σου· καὶ ἐπέθηκεν αὐτῇ τὰς χεῖρας· καὶ παραχρῆμα ἀνωρθώθη καὶ ἐδόξαζε τὸν Θεόν. ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ ἀρχισυνάγωγος, ἀγανακτῶν ὅτι τῷ σαββάτῳ ἐθεράπευσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἔλεγε τῷ ὄχλῳ· Ἓξ ἡμέραι εἰσὶν ἐν αἷς δεῖ ἐργάζεσθαι· ἐν ταύταις οὖν ἐρχόμενοι θεραπεύεσθε, καὶ μὴ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ σαββάτου. ἀπεκρίθη οὖν αὐτῷ ὁ Κύριος καὶ εἶπεν· Ὑποκριτά· ἕκαστος ὑμῶν τῷ σαββάτῳ οὐ λύει τὸν βοῦν αὐτοῦ ἢ τὸν ὄνον ἀπὸ τῆς φάτνης καὶ ἀπαγαγὼν ποτίζει; ταύτην δὲ, θυγατέρα Ἀβραὰμ οὖσαν, ἣν ἔδησεν ὁ σατανᾶς ἰδοὺ δέκα καὶ ὀκτὼ ἔτη, οὐκ ἔδει λυθῆναι ἀπὸ τοῦ δεσμοῦ τούτου τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ σαββάτου; καὶ ταῦτα λέγοντος αὐτοῦ κατῃσχύνοντο πάντες οἱ ἀντικείμενοι αὐτῷ, καὶ πᾶς ὁ ὄχλος ἔχαιρεν ἐπὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἐνδόξοις τοῖς γινομένοις ὑπ' αὐτοῦ.

Important Dates to Remember

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Wednesday December 11, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America will be presiding at Great Vespers for St Spyridon Feast.
Thursday, December 12, St Spyridon Feast Day, His Grace Bishop Apostolos of Medeia will be presiding at the Divine Liturgy.

2019 Stewardship Campaign

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In January, we started our 2019 Stewardship Campaign by reaching out to all of St. Spyridon’s parishioners and friends. We feel blessed and humbled by your enthusiastic response. But there is still a lot to do. To face the uncertainty of the future, we need to build our community here and now based on the embodiment of Christ’s teaching and example. This is why stewardship is so crucial.

As you know, Orthodox Christian Stewardship is a way of life that acknowledges our responsibility before God. A primary goal of stewardship is spiritual growth. We become Stewards when we believe in God and begin to act on our beliefs. As Orthodox Christians, we acknowledge that every aspect of our life is a gift from Him. We are called to cheerfully offer back to God a portion of the gifts with which we have been blessed.

An Orthodox Christian Steward is an active participant in the life of the Church, as the Body of Christ, in its prayers and services, in its social and philanthropic activities.

So, what can we do? Offer Treasury. Sure, we need it to keep our church open. But we can also give of our Time and Talent to the Church. What does that mean? Good question! In an effort to make stewardship more concrete, the Stewardship Committee has decided to dedicate the next four Sundays to stewardship awareness. We will bring in people who will share with the community their experience with stewardship.

The Stewardship Committee

A STEWARDSHIP PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, my parish is composed of people like me; I help make it what it is. It will be friendly, if I am. Its pews will be filled, if I help fill them. It will do great work, if I work. It will make generous gifts to many causes, if I am a generous giver. It will bring other people into its worship and fellowship, if I invite and bring them. It will be a parish of loyalty and love, of fearlessness and faith, a parish with a noble spirit, if I, who make it what it is, am filled with these same things. Therefore, with Your help, O God, I shall dedicate myself to the task of being all things that I want my parish to be. AMEN!

Schedule of Services

Sunday, December 8

10th Sunday of Luke

Orthros 9:00 am

Divine Liturgy 10:15 am

Monday, December 9

Conception of Saint Anna

(Mother of Virgin Mary)

Orthros 9:00 am

Divine Liturgy 10:15 am

Wednesday, December 11

Great Vespers 7:00 PM

His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America will be presiding at Great Vespers for St Spyridon Feast.

Thursday, December 12

Saint Spyridon Bishop of Trimythous

His Grace Bishop Apostolos of Medeia will be presiding at the Divine Liturgy.

Orthros 9:00 am

Divine Liturgy 10:15 am

Luncheon immediately following the Divine Liturgy at the

St. Spyridon Church Banquet Hall

Sunday, December 15

Sunday of the Forefathers

Orthros 9:00 am

Divine Liturgy 10:15 am

Sunday, December 22

Sunday of the Geneology

Orthros 9:00 am

Divine Liturgy 10:15 am

Tuesday, December 24

Eve of the Nativity of Crist

Great Hours 9:00 am

Vesperal Liturgy 10:15 am

Wednesday, December 25

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ Orthros 9:00 am

Divine Liturgy 10:15 am

Sunday, December 29

Sunday after Christmas

Orthros 9:00 am

Divine Liturgy 10:15 am

Toy Drive by St. Spyridon's Young Adult Professionals

Please bring new, unwrapped toys to the church and place them in the Toys for Tots box in the lobby.

All toys are accepted until December 15th.

The Philoptochos Ladies of St. Spyridon Church

Sponsoring Coffee Hour

If you are interested in sponsoring a Coffee Hour after Church Services on Sunday, please call the church office.

Αν ενδιαφέρεστε να γίνετε χορηγός στον καφέ μετά την Θεία Λειτουργία της Κυριακής, παρακαλώ επικοινωνήστε με το γραφείο της εκκλησίας.

This Sunday Coffee Hour is sponsored by:

Philoptochos Ladies

ST. SPYRIDON FEAST DAY LUNCHEON

Thursday, December 12, 2019

immediately following the Divine Liturgy at the

St. Spyridon Church Banquet Hall

Donation $35

For Reservations, please call:

Eleni Jiavaras @ 718-796-5434

Maria Konnari @ 212-928-0343

Please make your reservations before December 5th

EMMAUS HOUSE CHRISTMAS PARTY

Please keep in mind the Christmas Party which will take place at Emmaues House on December 14, 2019. The gift bags will be assembled on December 8, 2019.

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS

TURKEY DRIVE

GREAT SUCCESS

Greek Food and Bazzar Festival

The Philoptochos Ladies of St. Spyridon Church are most grateful to all our

volunteers for the donations we received in food, pastry, boutique items,

and monetary contributions. We would like to extend a very special thank

you to Christos Rontogiannis, Avraam Ververis, Miltiades Vlachos and to all

those wonderful friends who assisted with the setup of displays and for

working behind the food and bazaar tables with us during the sale days.

Your generosity is always greatly appreciated. It is a joy for us to share with

you in the fellowship of our Philoptochos, church and community.

Hellenic Education Program "Sophia"

Saint Spyridon’s Sophia Hellenic Education Program begins its second year in September 2019 and while the program is targeted for our community’s youth, we welcome everyone in the community to help strengthen this program.

In addition to Greek language instruction, the program includes Greek music and dance, cooking, and arts and crafts.

Curriculum runs from September to June on Sundays from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m

If you know a child who would benefit from the program or would like personally to contribute to the program with your time, talents or otherwise, please e-mail: office@saintspyridon.net

Please help us spread the word regarding Saint Spyridon’s Hellenic Education Program by forwarding this e-mail to your contacts and posting about it on your social media.

Thank you in advance for your support!

Sunday School

St. Spyridon is fortunate to have a very strong and thriving Sunday School program. The Sunday School program teaches our children and youth the Orthodox faith through teachings of the Bible as well as materials obtained from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese.

Information:

Curriculum runs from September to June each year Classes begin immediately after Holy Communion and are 45 - 60 minutes in length.

Seniors

Our Seniors meet every Tuesday and Thursday from 12pm to 2pm at church. Welcome back! God bless you. This ministry's significance for our community goes without saying.

Οι συνταξιούχοι μας ξακίνησαν τις συναντήσεις τους κάθε Τρίτη και Πέμπτη από τις 12 μ.μ. έως τις 2:00 μ.μ. στην εκκλησία. Καλώς ήλθατε πίσω! Ο Θεός να σας ευλογεί. Η σπουδαιότητα αυτού του προγράμματος για την κοινότητά μας είναι μεγάλη.

Adult/Professional Ministry

The Saint Spyridon Young Adults and Professionals Ministry started in September. Described by one member as “Goya for grownups,” our monthly meetings are a time both for fellowship and for study and discussion of Orthodoxy.

This is a blessing for our community.

Follow our activities on Facebook and don't hesitate to contact the Church Office for more information.

For more information and registration, please contact Spyridoula Fotinis:

spyridoulafotinis@gmail.com

Girls Scouts

AHEPA (American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association)

We invite you to become a member of the George Papaeleas Chapter 367 of AHEPA, which is associated with the growing St. Spyridon Community. The chapter meets on Sunday’s, at the St. Spyridon Community Center on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. It was founded in 1950 and is named after its founder.

AHEPA is the largest organization of Greek Americans in the country, and internationally too. Its membership consists of Phil-Hellenes as well (friends of Greece). The organization started in 1922 and its mission is to promote Hellenism, Education, Philanthropy, Civic Responsibility, Family, and Individual Excellence.

If you are interested in joining our chapter, and for more information, please contact

our Membership Chairman,

George J. Patsalos by E-mail: george@jamaica.net