Rev. Economos Peter J. Thornberg, Proistamenos Metropolis of New Jersey

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1 St. Sophia/SS. Faith, Hope & Agape Greek Orthodox Church of Valley Forge 900 South Trooper Road Jeffersonville, PA, Tel.: (610) Fax: (610) Sunday Worship: 8:45 am Orthros: 10:00 am Divine Liturgy Office Hours - 9 am to 3 pm Rev. Economos Peter J. Thornberg, Proistamenos frpeterstsophia@verizon.net Metropolis of New Jersey

2 January 4, 2015 Sunday before Epiphany Synaxis of the 70 Holy Apostles Our Righteous Father Theoctistus, Abbot of Cucomo in Sicily Forefeast of the Theophany of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ENTRANCE HYMNS Resurrectional Apolytikion Ton Sinanarhon Logon ( The Word Who Always Was ) O, The Word Who always was with the Father and Spirit, who for us and our salvation was born of a Virgin let us faithful believers praise and adore, For it did please Him to ascend the Cross in the flesh and Death to endure. And to raise up the dead with Him through His own glorious Resurrection. Apolytikion for Pre-Theophany Etimazou, Zavoulon ( Make Ready O Zebulum ) Make ready O Zebulum; Prepare yourself O Naphthali; Cease to flow O River Jordan; Receive the Master who comes to be baptized, in joy. Adam, rejoice with the first mother. Do not hide in Paradise, as before, for He came to see us, even naked, that He might clothe us as we were before. Christ has appeared to renew all creation. Apolytikion of St. Sophia/Ss. Faith, Hope & Agape Greek Oς ελαία κατά καρπος ανεβλάστησας, έν ταίς ανλαίς του Κυρίου, Σοφία μάρτυς σεμνή, καί προσήγαγες Χριστώ καρπόν η δύτατον, τούς τής νηδύος σου βλαστούς, δί α γώνων εύαγων, Αγάπην τε καί `Ελπίδα σύν τη θεόφρονι Πίστει, μεθων δυσώπει υπέρ πάντων ήμων. English Phonetics for Greek Os elea kata karpos anevlastisas, en tes avles tu Kyriou Sofia martys semni, ke prosigages Christo karpon idytaton, tus tis nidyos su vlastus, di agonon evagon, Agapin te ke Elpida, syn ti theofroni Pisti; meth on dysopi yper pandon imon. English As an olive tree laden with fruit you sprouted forth, in the courtyards of the Lord, Sophia martyr dignified, and you brought to Christ a fruit most sweet, Namely your womb s own sprouts, brought up by instructive deeds: your daughters Faith and Hope, along with God-minded Love; together intercede with God for us all. Seasonal Kontakion En tis rithris simeron ( Today in the waters of the Jordan ) In the running waters of the Jordan River, on this day the Lord of all crieth to John: Be not afraid and hesitate not to baptize Me, for I am come to save Adam, the first-formed man.

3 Building Committee Update January 4, 2015 Happy New Year! As we ring In the New Year, let us take the opportunity to reflect on our beautiful St. Sophia Church and all that has been accomplished. Our church is truly a shining beacon of our faith. And we have become a regional landmark as well! We should always remember to give thanks for our beautiful church and how much has been accomplished. Of course, no matter how much has been accomplished, the work to continue our progress goes on. Our new Narthex furnishings are being carved by the world-renowned artisans at S. Kavroulakis Company of Chania, Crete; the same firm that carved our beautiful icon screen and other artifacts. They expect to complete their work in the next several weeks. The Narthex furnishings will be shipped from the ancient seaport of Piraeus and with an estimated shipping time of 30 days, we can expect delivery sometime by late January or early February, Some of these items are still available for sponsorship. In order to protect our iconography and artifacts, we are installing a special humidity control system which will help stabilize the humidity levels especially during the winter months. On the chart below you can see the progress on our mortgage. If you still have an outstanding balance on your building pledge or can make a new pledge, please pay the amounts due to help your church reduce its debts. St. Sophia Church Mortgage The current mortgage balance as of 11/28/2014 is $1,419, EPISTLE READING The Reading is from St. Paul's Second Letter to Timothy 4:5-8 O Lord, save your people and bless your inheritance. Verse: To you, O Lord, I have cried, O my God. TIMOTHY, my son, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry. For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. Ἀνάγνωσις ἐπιστολῆς Πρὸς Τιμόθεον β' 4:5-8 Σῶσον, Κύριε τὸν λαὸν σου καὶ εὐλόγησον τὴν κληρονομίαν σου. Στίχ. Πρὸς σἐ, Κύριε, κεκράξομαι ὁ Θεός μου. Τέκνον Τιμόθεε, νῆφε ἐν πᾶσιν, κακοπάθησον, ἔργον ποίησον εὐαγγελιστοῦ, τὴν διακονίαν σου πληροφόρησον. Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἤδη σπένδομαι, καὶ ὁ καιρὸς τῆς ἐμῆς ἀναλύσεως ἐφέστηκεν. Τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν καλὸν ἠγώνισμαι, τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα, τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα λοιπόν, ἀπόκειταί μοι ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος, ὃν ἀποδώσει μοι ὁ κύριος ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ὁ δίκαιος κριτής οὐ μόνον δὲ ἐμοί, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσιν τοῖς ἠγαπηκόσιν τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ.

4 GOSPEL READING The Reading is from the Gospel of Mark 1:1-8 The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, 'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.' John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And there went out to him all the country of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair, and had a leather girdle around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." ΕVΑΓΓÉΛΙΟΝ Κατὰ Μᾶρκον Αρχὴ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ, υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ως γέγραπται ἐν τοῖς προφήταις, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου, ὃς κατασκευάσει τὴν ὁδόν σου ἔμπροσθέν σου φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ,ἐγένετο Ιωάννης βαπτίζων ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καὶ κηρύσσων βάπτισμα μετανοίας εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν. Καὶ ἐξεπορεύετο πρὸς αὐτὸν πᾶσα ἡ Ιουδαία χώρα καὶ οἱ Ιεροσολυμῖται, καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο πάντες ἐν τῷ Ιορδάνῃ ποταμῷ ὑπ αὐτοῦ ἐξομολογούμενοι τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν. Ἦν δὲ ὁ Ιωάννης ἐνδεδυμένος τρίχας καμήλου καὶ ζώνην δερματίνην περὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐσθίων ἀκρίδας καὶ μέλι ἄγριον. Καὶ ἐκήρυσσε λέγων ἔρχεται ὁ ἰσχυρότερός μου ὀπίσω μου, οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς κύψας λῦσαι τὸν ἱμάντα τῶν ὑποδημάτων αὐτοῦ ἐγὼ μὲν ἐβάπτισα ὑμᾶς ἐν ὕδατι, αὐτὸς δὲ βαπτίσει ὑμᾶς ἐν Πνεύματι Αγίῳ. Stewardship Update January 4, 2015 Xronia Polla! Happy New Year! As we usher in the new calendar year, now is a wonderful time for renewal and new beginnings. Many make resolutions such as losing weight, eating better, exercising more, etc. But have you considered what the year ahead should hold for your spiritual life? Now is a most appropriate time to consider our many personal blessings from God-- family, friends, a warm home, food on the table, etc. What about your life itself? Stewardship is our way of thanking God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us. What are you personally doing to show your gratitude to Him for your own blessings? Are you giving back to Him and the Church of your Time, Treasure and Talents? Our parish needs all three from us! We are a very active parish. With so much going on, we really need all of our Stewards to contribute their time, talents and treasure, to help this community serve Christ and the Orthodox faithful in the region. Thank you to everyone who has supported our 2014 Stewardship Program. The 2015 campaign will be starting shortly so it is imperative that we are able to finalize our stewardship roles for this year. Thank you! If you have not yet paid up your 2014 Stewardship Pledge, please do so today! Please be sure to indicate 2014 on the memo line of your check to receive proper credit (Year End) 2014 (12/30/14) Pledge Unit Goal Pledge $ Goal $200,000 $210,000 Number of Pledges Amount Pledged $210,485 $211,822 Average Pledge $ $ New Stewards 46 23

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7 January 4, 2015 Sunday before Epiphany Synaxis of the 70 Holy Apostles Our Righteous Father Theoctistus, Abbot of Cucomo in Sicily Forefeast of the Theophany of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS Reminder: Sunday school resumes today. Senior Parea: The next meeting of the Senior Parea will be on Thursday, January 8, Ecclesiastical Calendars: The new calendars are now available for pick up in the back of the Cultural Center. Each calendar is in an envelope addressed to each family (2014 stewards) of our parish. If you cannot find your packet, please speak to Cathy Zarcone or call the Parish Office. CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK Eve of Theophany Monday, Jan 5 th 7:30 am Great Hours; 9:00 am Orthros & Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil the Great; Great Agiasmos Holy Theophany - Tuesday, Jan 6 th 9:00 am Orthros & Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom Great Agiasmos & Blessing of the Schuylkill River (at Betzwood Park) Synaxis of St. John the Baptist Wed, Jan 7 th 9:00 am Orthros; 10:00 am Divine Liturgy Thurs, Jan 8 th 10:00 am to 12 noon Senior Parea Friday, Jan 9 th SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING SERVICES AND EVENTS Sat, Jan 10 th Sun, Jan 11 th Tues, Jan 20 th Fri, Feb 13 th Sat, Feb 21 st Cooking for Manna on Main Street followed by Snow Tubing at Spring Mountain (schedule below) PTO Bingo Meeting after Divine Liturgy Vasilopita Sunday/Philoptochos Lumberjack Breakfast Fundraiser Adult Bible Study 7:00 pm in the Cultural Center DVYC GOYA Valentines Dance (details enclosed) PTO Family Night Bingo (details enclosed)

8 GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS Pastoral Visits - A Request to All Parishioners: If you desire a pastoral visit in case of a hospitalization, or for someone who is homebound, in a nursing facility, or in prison, please have an immediate family member notify the Parish office at so that a visit can be arranged. Movie Tavern Tickets: This is the fabulous movie theater in town that offers first run movies as well as an "in-house" dining experience. The Ladies Philoptochos is selling discounted MOVIE TAVERN movie tickets for $8.50 each. They can be used on any day and even for new releases. For more information, or to purchase tickets, contact Maria or Kathy Tsipras. For showtimes visit SHOP-RITE Register Tapes: Don t forget to save your Shop-Rite register tapes. We can only use receipts from any of the ten Brown s stores located in: Bensalem PA, East Norriton, PA, Fairless Hills PA, Cheltenham, PA and in Philadelphia, PA, on Island Ave., Oregon Ave., 52 nd & Parkside, Haverford Ave., and Ridge Ave. in the Roxborough section. They also have one store in Brooklawn, NJ. The drop off box is located in the lobby of the Cultural Center. Please submit receipts timely, only tapes from within 4 months of the transaction date are accepted. PTO Family Night Bingo Sat. Feb. 21 st -- The planning of the Family Night Bingo continues to progress. We are now asking for donations from our St. Sophia family: gift cards, movie tickets, sporting events, any unwanted new toys, or even a monetary donation. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated. Please give donations to (or if you have any questions reach out to) Vanessa Papadimitriou, Patty Nazzaro, or Maria Papadimitriou. Thank you for your help! Next meeting is 1/11/15 after Divine Liturgy. In Case of Emergency: If you are having an extreme medical emergency and are in need of an Orthodox priest, please call the Parish office at For that gift you forgot... We still have candy available! GOYA Service/Snow Tubing Day Saturday, 1/10/15 Laurel House Donations: Again this year Philoptochos chose The Laurel House to sponsor during the Christmas season. Of course, any donation is greatly appreciated. For donation suggestions, please refer to the Laurel House Wish List enclosed. TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO DROP OFF DONATIONS. Please drop off your donations in the designated box in the Cultural Center lobby. Thank you for all your generous donations. For more information about the Laurel House, please visit If you have any questions, just ask Maria or Kathy Tsipras at Schedule is as follows: 10 am Arrival at the church 10-11:30 am Make casseroles 11:30 am -12:15 pm Lunch and Discussion 12:15 pm - Leave for Spring Mountain 1-5 pm Snow Tubing 5:45 pm (approx.) - Arrive back at the church for anyone car pooling If you have any questions, please see Mr. John Pogas or Mrs. Maria Richie