Sunday Bulletin December 23, 2018 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 13555 Hillcrest Road, Dallas, Texas 75240 Office 972-991-1166 Fax 972-661-1717 www.holytrinitydallas.org Reverend Father Peter Kostakis Presiding Priest Reverend Father Mark Pakes - Assistant Priest Reverend Father John Essa, retired Reverend Deacon Athanasios Clint Sharpley Reverend Deacon Christopher Stern
DAILY COMMEMORATION OF SAINTS Dec. 23 Dec. 24 Dec. 25 Dec. 26 Dec. 27 Dec. 28 Dec. 29 Forefeast of the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; Ten Martyrs of Crete; Paul, Archbishop of Neo- Caesarea; Rememberance of the Founding of the Holy and Great Church of Christ, Hagia Sophia in Constantinople; Naoum the Illuminator of The Bulgarians; Nicholas & John the New Martyrs Eve of the Nativity of Christ; Eugenia the Righteous Nun-martyr of Rome The Nativity of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; The Adoration of the Magi: Melchior, Gaspar, & Balthasar; The Commemoration of the Shepherds in Bethlehem who were watching their flocks and came to see the Lord Afterfeast of the Nativity; Synaxis of the Holy Theotokos; Euthemios the Confessor, Bishop of Sardis; Barlaam the Righteous of Valaam; Holy New Hieromartyr Constantine of Russia, Who Struggled in Constantinople (1743); Constantius the Holy Martyr Afterfeast of the Nativity; Stephen, Archdeacon & First Martyr; Theodore the Confessor, brother of Saint Theophanes the Poet; Theodore, Patriarch of Constantinople 20,000 Martyrs burned in Nicomedia; Holy Martyr Glycerus; Simon the Myrrhbearer, Founder of Simonopetra, Monastery of Mount Athos; Afterfeast of the Nativity 14,000 infants (Holy Innocents) slain by Herod in Bethlehem; Our Righteous Father Marcellus, Abbot of the Monastery of the Unsleeping Ones; Our Righteous Father Thaddeus the Confessor; Afterfeast of the Nativity; George, Bishop of Nicomedia, Poet of Asmatikons, Kanons, and Troparia 2
HYMNS AT THE SMALL ENTRANCE SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2018 RESURRECTIONAL HYMN, FIRST PLAGAL TONE GREEN BOOK PAGE 85 Eternal with the Father and the Spirit is the Word, Who of a Virgin was begotten for our salvation. As the faithful we both praise and worship Him, for in the flesh did He consent to ascend unto the Cross, and death did He endure and He raised unto life the dead through His all glorious resurrection. PRIEST ENTRANCE HYMN, SECOND TONE Come let us bow down to Christ as we worship Him the Son of God. Save us O Son of God, who did rise from the dead. We sing to You, alleluia! RESURRECTIONAL HYMN, FIRST PLAGAL TONE GREEN BOOK PAGE 85 Eternal with the Father and the Spirit is the Word, Who of a Virgin was begotten for our salvation. As the faithful we both praise and worship Him, for in the flesh did He consent to ascend unto the Cross, and death did He endure and He raised unto life the dead through His all glorious resurrection. HYMN FOR THE FOREFEAST, FOURTH TONE O Bethlehem, prepare, Eden is opened unto all. * And be ready, Ephrata, for the Tree of life * has in the grotto blossomed forth from the Virgin. * Indeed her womb is shown to be spiritually * a Paradise, in which is found the Godplanted Tree. * And if we eat from it we shall live, and shall not die, as did Adam of old. * Christ is born, so that He might raise up * the formerly fallen image. HYMN FOR THE FATHERS, SECOND TONE Magnificent are the accomplishments of faith! The holy Three Servants greatly rejoiced, as they stood in the fountain of fire, as if beside the still waters; and the Prophet Daniel appeared to be a shepherd of lions, as if they were sheep. At their entreaties, O Christ God, save our souls. HYMN FOR THE CHURCH, PLAGAL FOURTH TONE GREEN BOOK PAGE 115 O blessed are You, O Christ our God, Who by sending down the Holy Spirit upon them made the fishermen wise and through them, illumined the world; and to You the universe was ever drawn, all glory to You O Lord. KONTAKION, THIRD TONE (Ἡ Παρθένος σήµερον ) On this day the Virgin Maid * goes to the grotto to give birth * to the pre-eternal Word * in an ineffable manner. * Dance for joy, all the inhabited earth, on hearing. * Glorify along with Angels and with the shepherds * Him who willed that He appear as * a newborn Child, * the pre-eternal God. 3
Epistle Reading St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 11:9-10; 32-40 BRETHREN, by faith Abraham sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city which has foundation, whose builder and maker is God. And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets - who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated - of whom the world was not worthy - wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us,that apart from us they should not be made perfect. Reader: Lena Nelson 4
Gospel Reading Matthew 1:1-25 The book of the Genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa, and Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amon, and Amon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations. Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel" (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus. 5
6
7
8
Would you like to know more about the Orthodox Christian Faith? Ì Faith Enrichment Class Ì Wednesday Evenings at 7:00 p.m. Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Meeting in the Boardroom For more information contact deaconclint11@gmail.com Church Directories can be purchased from the business office for $5 each. Two days advance notice is required. Call 972-991-1166 or email Laura at lgroome@holytrinitydallas.org to order. 9
Parish Council Schedule Dec 23 Hellen Smith, Dimitri Tsevoukas, Perry Alexandris, Mary Ann Trapalis, Chrisoula Kazanas, Mary LeBrecht Holy Trinity Adult Bible Study The Gospel According the St. John We all long for a life that is pleasing to God. But how do we fill the darkness of our souls with the Light of Christ? How can we quench our thirst with the living waters from a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life? In our study of The Gospel According to St. John, you will experience an opportunity to establish or renew your faith in the One who offers true meaning, true belonging and true life. Among the four living creatures of the Apocalypse, the Gospel according to John has most often been identified with the eagle. St. Augustine likens John to an eagle hovering among Christ s sayings of the more sublime order and in no way descending to earth but on rare occasions. The eagle symbolizes a Gospel so sublime that, as John Chrysostom says, if people actually had the capacity to receive and retain these words, they could no longer exist as mere mortals or remain on the earth. Every Thursday at 10:45 a.m. in the Board Room 10
No Adult Catechetical Class Because of the Christmas and New Year and Theophany Seasons, we will not hold the Adult class. Also, because of Thomas ordination to the Diaconate, we won t hold the Adult class through 1/13. Class resumes on the 20th. PRAYERS FOR OUR SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN Brandon Bell, USAF Michael Bocan-Collins, PO1, US Navy Thomas C. Bouras, 1st Lt., US Army Jorge Brignoni, Lt., US Navy Nicholas Patitsas, 1st Lt., US Marine Corps Haylie Marie Pike, US Navy Stephen Serniak, Major, USAF Space Command Christmas/New Year s Office Hours Office is closed: December 24, 2018 December 25, 2018 December 31, 2018 January 1, 2019 11
Holy Trinity Calendar of Events 12
13
14
JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS!! The bookstore is offering The Gifted Pan (a baking pan specifically designed for baking prosforo) for $59.95. Baking a prosforo is a spiritual event and is not to be seen as a chore, but many worry about producing a legible seal, which can cause stress and anxiety during the baking process. The Gifted Pan makes it easy to bake with joy and confidence, as it produces a clear, beautiful seal every time. Additionally, Christmas/Nativity card are all 50% off. Please! We need Your Help! The Ribbon Cross Ministry desperately needs more crosses for the Cancer Center. They use approximately 60 70 per week. Please contact : Katina Politz at 972-625-0347 15
16
17
ST. BASIL S FELLOWSHIP Following Divine Liturgy at Holy Trinity, on Tuesday, January 1, 2019 all parishioners, their families, guests and visitor are cordially invited to attend at the Arthur L. Sarris Community Center our organization s 32nd annual Fellowship brunch honoring our Patron Saint, St. Basil the Great. To those of you or your children, who are named after St. Basil, who may be new members of Holy Trinity and wish to become a member of our fellowship, please contact Bill Karahal at 972-931-3230 or email bkarahal@aol.com or Basil P. 18
19
Bookstore / Library / Gift Store CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS! We have many gifts to choose from! Beautiful sterling silver jewelry, cookbooks, crosses, icons, Christmas cards and much more! Christmas is right around the corner! Beat the rush and get your gifts early! Our library in the Bookstore also have many books that are available for you to check out. We are open after the Divine Liturgy Sunday until 12:30 Wednesdays 12:30 tp 4:30 Fridays 10:00 till 2:00 HOLY TRINITY CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUP The Caregivers will meet on Saturday, January 12 at 10 a.m., on ly if someone is interested in attending the session. If you are a caregiver and would like to meet with us, please contact one of the following: Steve Pakes spakes1@att.net, Bill Lane lane- tex@yahoo.com, Presv. Alexandra Poulos presvyalex@verizon.net 20
21
22
23
24