Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church Sunday, November 26, th Sunday of Luke

Transcript

1 Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church Sunday, November 26, th Sunday of Luke PREPARING FOR OUR LORD S NATIVITY Things To Do as a Family Place an Icon of the Nativity of Christ in a special place in your home. Use it with your children to talk about the Nativity Story and each individual or important item in the icon. Set up a Nativity scene with your children to keep in their room or the family room. Have a family member tell the Nativity story as the Scene is assembled. Use the Troparion and Kontakion as part of your family s mealtime and bedtime prayers on (Christmas Day, and for the eight days following the feast (the Afterfeast). Read the Nativity Gospel: Luke 2:1-20. Very young children may enjoy a children s version of the Nativity story from a Bible storybook. With younger children, it is best to read the story several times during the week. Consider using the Nativity scene figures to retell the story. Attend the Vesper-Liturgy on Christmas Eve or the Liturgy on Christmas Day. This will keep the focus of this holy day on Christ s birth and its importance in our life and salvation. Be proactive when making choices. Visit a shut-in parishioner or friend. Plan ahead so you can bring Antidoron, the Blessed Bread from the Christmas liturgy and a church bulletin, plus a homemade gift to share along with your Christmas greeting: Christ is Born! Glorify Him! 7560 South Archer Road, Justice, Illinois (708) , fax (708) Web: office@holycrossil.org Rev. Fr. Demetrios Kounavis Parish Priest

2 ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΗΜΕΡΑΣ EPISTLE READING FOR THE DAY ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΟΝ ΤΗΣ ΗΜΕΡΑΣ GOSPEL READING FOR THE DAY Ἀδελφοί, παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς ἐγώ, ὁ δέσμιος ἐν κυρίῳ, ἀξίως περιπατῆσαι τῆς κλήσεως ἧς ἐκλήθητε, μετὰ πάσης ταπεινοφροσύνης καὶ πρᾳότητος, 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 ἡμῖν. Ἑνὶ δὲ ἑκάστῳ ἡμῶν ἐδόθη ἡ χάρις κατὰ τὸ μέτρον τῆς δωρεᾶς τοῦ Χριστοῦ. 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. Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἄρχων λέγων διδάσκαλε ἀγαθέ, τί ποιήσας ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσω; εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ Ιησοῦς τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν; οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ Θεός. τὰς ἐντολὰς οἶδας μὴ μοιχεύσῃς, μὴ φονεύσῃς, μὴ κλέψῃς, μὴ ψευδομαρτυρήσῃς, τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα σου. ὁ δὲ εἶπε ταῦτα πάντα ἐφυλαξάμην ἐκ νεότητός μου. ἀκούσας δὲ ταῦτα ὁ Ιησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ ἔτι ἕν σοι λείπει πάντα ὅσα ἔχεις πώλησον καὶ διάδος πτωχοῖς, καὶ ἕξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν οὐρανῷ, καὶ δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι. ὁ δὲ ἀκούσας ταῦτα περίλυπος ἐγένετο ἦν γὰρ πλούσιος σφόδρα. ἰδὼν δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ Ιησοῦς περίλυπον γενόμενον εἶπε πῶς δυσκόλως οἱ τὰ χρήματα ἔχοντες εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ! εὐκοπώτερον γάρ ἐστι κάμηλον διὰ τρυμαλιᾶς ῥαφίδος εἰσελθεῖν ἢ πλούσιον εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰσελθεῖν. εἶπον δὲ οἱ ἀκούσαντες καὶ τίς δύναται σωθῆναι; ὁ δὲ εἶπε τὰ ἀδύνατα παρὰ ἀνθρώποις δυνατὰ παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ ἐστιν. At that time, a ruler came to Jesus and asked him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.' " And he said, "All these I have observed from my youth." And when Jesus heard it, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." But when he heard this he became sad, for he was very rich. Jesus looking at him said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" But he said, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

3 Κάθε εμπόδιο στη ζωή είναι και μια ευκαιρία να γίνουμε καλύτεροι Τον παλιό καιρό, ένας βασιλιάς σκέφτηκε να κάνει το εξής: άφησε έναν τεράστιο βράχο στη μέση του δρόμου και στη συνέχεια κρύφτηκε παρακολουθώντας αν κάποιος θα τον μετακινούσε. Από το σημείο εκείνο πέρασαν ορισμένοι από τους πλουσιότερους εμπόρους και τους αυλικούς του, αλλά όλοι απλά περπατούσαν γύρω από τον βράχο. Πολλοί μάλιστα κατηγορούσαν τον βασιλιά που δεν φρόντιζε να κρατά τον δρόμο καθαρό, αλλά κανείς δεν έκανε τίποτα για να βγάλει τον βράχο από τη μέση. Κάποια στιγμή, πέρασε από εκεί ένας χωρικός που κουβαλούσε ένα φορτίο με λαχανικά. Πλησίασε τον βράχο, άφησε κάτω το φορτίο του και προσπάθησε να τον μετακινήσει στην άκρη του δρόμου. Μετά από πολύ κόπο, τελικά τα κατάφερε. Α- φού πήρε ξανά το φορτίο, πρόσεξε ότι στο σημείο που ήταν πριν ο βράχος υπήρχε ένα πορτοφόλι. Το πορτοφόλι περιείχε πολλά χρυσά νομίσματα και ένα σημείωμα από τον βασιλιά που έγραφε ότι το χρυσάφι ανήκει σε εκείνον που θα μετακινούσε τον βράχο από τον δρόμο. Ο χωρικός έμαθε κάτι που πολλοί από εμάς δεν καταλαβαίνουμε: κάθε εμπόδιο που παρουσιάζεται στη ζωή μας αποτελεί μια ευκαιρία για να γίνουμε καλύτεροι. Why God Became Man? You must understand why it is that the Word of the Father, so great and so high, has been made manifest in bodily form." Christ has been manifested in a human body for this reason only, out of the love and goodness of His Father, for the salvation of us men It was our sorry case that caused the Word to come down, our transgression that called out His love for us, so that He made haste to help us and to appear among us. the human race was in process of destruction what then was God, being Good, to do? It was unthinkable that God, the Father of Truth, should go back upon His word regarding death in order to ensure our continued existence. corruption could not be got rid of otherwise than through death For by the sacrifice of His own body He did two things: ' He put an end to the law of death which barred our way; and He made a new beginning of life for us, by giving us the hope of resurrection. "The word became flesh (that is, man), that the flesh might become God by grace; and He became like us in all things, that we might become like the Word in all of the virtues." Quoted from 'On the Incarnation' by Saint Athanasios the Great.

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7 HELP BUILD OUR SIGN Please join us in making this dream of a Holy Cross Church sign a reality! Work has already begun! We will need $20,000 to help cover the cost of the sign and other landscaping upgrades. More landscaping will be needed later as well. Please help support this long-needed addition to our church property. God bless your generosity!

8 WEEKLY EVENTS Monday, November 27 Tuesday, November 28 6:00pm - Making of Christmas Cards Wednesday, November 29 Thursday, November 30 8:00am - Feast of St. Andrew 10:00am - HOPE Group 11:00am - Orthodoxi Zoe Friday, December 1 Saturday, December 2 10:00am - Greek School ΗΜΕΡΟΛΟΓΙΟ Δευτέρα, 27 Νοεμβρίου Τρίτη, 28 Νοεμβρίου 6.00μ.μ. - Making of Christmas Cards Τετάρτη, 29 Νοεμβρίου Πέμπτη, 30 Νοεμβρίου 8.00π.μ. - Αγ. Ανδρέου 10.00π.μ. - Συνεδρίαση H.O.P.E π.μ. - Ορθόδοξη Ζωή Παρασκευή, 1 Δεκεμβρίου Σάββατο, 2 Δεκεμβρίου 10.00π.μ. - Ελληνικό Σχολείο MEMORIALS Theodoros Coklas, 1 year Right 1-2 May his memory be eternal! Philoptochos Christmas Bake Sale Donations for the Christmas Bake Sale on December are now being accepted. Your support is greatly appreciated. Thank you! Flour, Walnuts, Eggs, Sugar, Corn Oil and Unsalted Butter Today s coffee fellowship is hosted by our Philoptochos Society. Everyone is invited to our community hall to enjoy fellowship.