St. Sophia/SS. Faith, Hope & Agape Greek Orthodox Church of Valley Forge 900 South Trooper Road Jeffersonville, PA, 19403 Tel.: (610) 650-8960 Fax: (610) 650-8961 www.saintsophiachurch.org email: stsophia@verizon.net 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
December 14, 2014 11 th Sunday of Luke The Holy Martyrs Thyrsus, Leucius, and Callinicus of Asia Minor, and Philemon, Apollonius, and Arian of Alexandria ENTRANCE HYMNS Resurrectional Apolytikion - Ote Katilthes ( When Thou Descended ) When You descended to the Realm of Death, You, the Life that is deathless, then did You Hades lifeless rend with the Lightning of Divineness. And when You did raise up those dead from deep within the earth, Then did all the powers that are in the Heavens above cry out, O Lifegiving Christ, You Who are our God, Glory to You. Apolytikion for the Forefathers En pisti tous Propatoras ( By faith You justified the Forefathers ) By faith You justified the Forefathers, having through them betrothed to yourself the Church that came out of the nations. The saints are boasting in glory; for the glorious fruit, the Virgin who without seed gave birth to You, is from their progeny. At their entreaties, O Christ our God, save our souls. 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 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. 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. Seasonal Kontakion I Parthenos simeron to proeonion Loghon ( On this day the Virgin cometh ) 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.
Building Committee Update December 14, 2014 Now that the Christmas season is here, it is another 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, 2015. 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 $1,419,301.69 EPISTLE READING The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians 3:4-11 Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers. Verse: For you are just in all you have done. BRETHREN, when Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. In these you once walked, when you lived in them. But now put them all away; anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all. Ἀνάγνωσις ἐπιστολῆς Πρὸς Κολοσσαεῖς 3:4-11 Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Κύριε, ὁ Θεὸς τῶν Πατέρων ἡμῶν. Στίχ. Ὅτι δίκαιος εἶ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν, οἷς ἐποίησας ἡμῖν. Ἀδελφοί, ὅταν ὁ Χριστὸς φανερωθῇ, ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν, τότε καὶ ὑμεῖς σὺν αὐτῷ φανερωθήσεσθε ἐν δόξῃ. Νεκρώσατε οὖν τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, πορνείαν, ἀκαθαρσίαν, πάθος, ἐπιθυμίαν κακήν, καὶ τὴν πλεονεξίαν, ἥτις ἐστὶν εἰδωλολατρεία, διʼ ἃ ἔρχεται ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀπειθείας Ἐν οἷς καὶ ὑμεῖς περιεπατήσατέ ποτε, ὅτε ἐζῆτε ἐν αὐτοῖς. Νυνὶ δὲ ἀπόθεσθε καὶ ὑμεῖς τὰ πάντα, ὀργήν, θυμόν, κακίαν, βλασφημίαν, αἰσχρολογίαν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν μὴ ψεύδεσθε εἰς ἀλλήλους, ἀπεκδυσάμενοι τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον σὺν ταῖς πράξεσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐνδυσάμενοι τὸν νέον, τὸν ἀνακαινούμενον εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν κατʼ εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος αὐτόν ὅπου οὐκ ἔνι Ἕλλην καὶ Ἰουδαῖος, περιτομὴ καὶ ἀκροβυστία, βάρβαρος, Σκύθης, δοῦλος, ἐλεύθερος ἀλλὰ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν Χριστός.
GOSPEL READING The Reading is from the Gospel of Luke 14:16-24 The Lord said this parable: "A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the time of the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for all is now ready.' But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.' And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.' And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.' And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and there is still room.' And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet. For many are called, but few are chosen.'" ΕVΑΓΓÉΛΙΟΝ Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 14.16-24 Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τήν παραβολὴν ταύτην Ἄνθρωπός τις ἐποίησε δεῖπνον μέγα καὶ ἐκάλεσε πολλούς καὶ ἀπέστειλε τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ τῇ ὥρᾳ τοῦ δείπνου εἰπεῖν τοῖς κεκλημένοις ἔρχεσθε, ὅτι ἤδη ἕτοιμά ἐστι πάντα. καὶ ἤρξαντο ἀπὸ μιᾶς παραιτεῖσθαι πάντες. ὁ πρῶτος εἶπεν αὐτῷ ἀγρὸν ἠγόρασα, καὶ ἔχω ἀνάγκην ἐξελθεῖν καὶ ἰδεῖν αὐτόν ἐρωτῶ σε, ἔχε με παρῃτημένον. καὶ ἕτερος εἶπε ζεύγη βοῶν ἠγόρασα πέντε, καὶ πορεύομαι δοκιμάσαι αὐτά ἐρωτῶ σε, ἔχε με παρῃτημένον. καὶ ἕτερος εἶπε γυναῖκα ἔγημα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐ δύναμαι ἐλθεῖν. καὶ παραγενόμενος ὁ δοῦλος ἐκεῖνος ἀπήγγειλε τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτοῦ ταῦτα. τότε ὀργισθεὶς ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης εἶπε τῷ δούλῳ αὐτοῦ ἔξελθε ταχέως εἰς τὰς πλατείας καὶ ῥύμας τῆς πόλεως, καὶ τοὺς πτωχοὺς καὶ ἀναπήρους καὶ χωλοὺς καὶ τυφλοὺς εἰσάγαγε ὧδε. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ δοῦλος κύριε, γέγονεν ὡς ἐπέταξας, καὶ ἔτι τόπος ἐστί. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ κύριος πρὸς τὸν δοῦλον ἔξελθε εἰς τὰς ὁδοὺς καὶ φραγμοὺς καὶ ἀνάγκασον εἰσελθεῖν, ἵνα γεμισθῇ ὁ οἶκος μου. λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐδεὶς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκείνων τῶν κεκλημένων γεύσεταί μου τοῦ δείπνου. Πολλοί γὰρ εἰσιν κλητοί, ὀλίγοι δέ ἐκλεκτοί. Stewardship Update December 14, 2014 We are still in the pre-nativity fasting period. In just a couple of weeks we will be celebrating God s greatest gift to the world His only Son. It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of this time of year. But in between shopping, holiday parties and Christmas preparations, isn t it most appropriate to carve out time to consider our many personal blessings from God-- family, friends, a warm home, food on the table? 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. We are striving to reach 240 total Stewards for the year. If you have not yet returned your 2014 Pledge Card, please do so today! Pledge Cards are available at the Pangari. We still need to hear from some of our regulars! 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! We apologize The Stewardship Chart is under repair.
Still looking for those perfect Christmas cards? We have a limited supply of Christmas cards designed by Dr. George Kordis, featuring some of his iconography. The cost is $15.00 for 10 beautiful cards. For information or to see and purchase cards, see Cathy Zarcone in the Parish Office,
December 14, 2014 11 th Sunday of Luke The Holy Martyrs Thyrsus, Leucius, and Callinicus of Asia Minor, and Philemon, Apollonius, and Arian of Alexandria Memorial Service: Today s memorial service is being chanted for: Mrs. Sophia Piligian (6 months), Beloved mother of Aram Piligian (Elaine) and Karen Kinman (William). She was the beloved grandmother of Aram Christopher, Georgeanne and Thomas Piligian. May her memory be eternal. Mr. David Gaskin (6 months), Beloved husband of Irini (Ricu) Gaskin; loving father of Teresa LoGiudice (Russell); loving grandfather of David & Stephanie and step-grandchildren, Rebecca & Beth and 6 great-grandchildren; dear brother to Totsy MacMahon. May his memory be eternal. RitaMarie Rafael (4 years) Beloved sister of Fr. Nicholas Rafael. May her memory be eternal. 40 Day Baby Blessing: Today Mr. & Mrs. Dean and Suzanne Caravoulias present their second child, a boy, for the traditional 40 day blessing. ********************************************** GROCERY AND PREPARED FOOD ITEMS FOR SALE IN THE CULTURAL CENTER DURING COFFEE HOUR Moussaka: $20.00 a tray Misko Orzo $3.00/2 lb. bag Feta Cheese $24.00 (8 lb. bucket) Pita Bread $2.00/pkg. Gyro (thick slices) $20/pkg (90 slices per pkg.) Fillo Dough $2.50 (#7 or #10) Fish $30.00 a tray Taramosalata $5.00 a jar Spanakopita $30.00 a tray Galatoboureko $20.00 a tray (with extra syrup) Boy Scout Award Presentation: Today, Thomas Piligian, son of Aram and Elaine Piligian, is being presented the Alpha Omega emblem. The Alpha-Omega emblem is for Scouts and Venturers in grades 6 through 12. The award requires Scouts to complete activities related to personal life, parish life, church organization and service. Congratulations Thomas! Coffee Hour: Thank you to the Gaskin family for sponsoring today s coffee hour. SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS Philabundance Says Thank You: Wanted to thank you and your team for thinking of us with your food drive donation. I just wanted to let you know that you brought in 1,824 lbs of food. On behalf of Philabundance I wanted to thank you for all of your hard work. Because of the commitment of partners like you, we are able to provide food to more than 75,000 individuals each week. Stephen Schaeffer, Program Director. Great job GOYAns!! Christmas Pageant Rehearsal Today: Rehearsal for our Christmas pageant will take place in the church at 12:15 pm TODAY and also on December 21 st. All children involved with the pageant should be in attendance. PTO Meeting Today: The meeting will take place after the Sunday school Nativity practice today. Senior Parea: The next meeting of the Senior Parea will be on Thursday, January 8, 2015.
CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK Monday, Dec 15 th No Tuesday, Dec 16 th Services Wed, Dec 17 th Or Events Thurs, Dec 18 th This Friday, Dec 19 th Week SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING EVENTS Mon, Dec 22 nd Parish Council Meeting 6:30 pm (date tentative) Sat, Jan 10 th Cooking for Manna on Main Street followed by Snow Tubing at Spring Mountain (details to follow) Fri, Feb 13 th DVYC GOYA Valentines Dance (see enclosed flyer) Sat, Feb 21 st PTO Family Night Bingo (see enclosed flyer). 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! 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 610-650-8960 so that a visit can be arranged. 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 610-650-8960. GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS Philoptochos Candle Sale: Looking for a candle that burns for 100 hours? Then search no more. The Ladies Philoptochos is selling candles in 16 oz. mason, 3.5 oz. mini mason and assorted gift packs. They also make great gifts! There are limited quantities of each scent. Please stop by the Philoptochos table on Sunday after church to purchase your candles! But hurry there are only 6 candles left!!! Laurel House Donations: Again this year Philoptochos has chosen 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.. The deadline is Sunday, December 21 st to 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 www.laurel-house.org. If you have any questions, just ask Maria or Kathy Tsipras at 610-539-5413. THE CANDY IS COMING THE CANDY IS COMING! Philoptochos will be selling Gertrude Hawk candy for Christmas beginning TODAY after church during coffee hour. We have limited quantities, so make sure you stop by and get your treats before they are all gone. 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 www.movietavern.com. 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. Any information or announcements for the Sunday bulletin must be received by 3pm on the Wednesday prior to publication. Please e-mail information to elaine.stsophia@verizon.net. Thank you. Elaine Piligian