Welcome

We welcome all visitors to our Divine Liturgy and services. While Holy Communion may only be received by prepared Orthodox Christians, our non-Orthodox guests are welcome to participate in our prayers and hymns and to join us in venerating the Cross and and receiving blessed bread at the conclusion of the Liturgy. Please sign our guest book and join us for refreshments and fellowship after the services.

Feel free to ask questions before or after the services. Any member of our Council or Congregation are glad to assist you. Literature about the Orthodox faith and this parish can be found at the candle desk.

Members of our Parish Council are:

Michael Kuziak - President
Natalie Kucharski - Secretary
Glenn PenkoffLidbeck - Vice President
Susan Egan - Treasurer
Phyllis Sturtevant - Member at Large
Sophia Brubaker - Member at Large

St. Alexis Parish Calendar

Events of the Week

December 7 to December 7, 2014

Sunday, December 7

9:30AM Divine Liturgy

11:15AM Church School

Announcements

Please be sure to return your Stewardship forms as soon as possible.
•Please return your commemoration books. If you are not going to use them, there are others who would, very much, like to have one.

•I am still looking for some aspiring (or at least willing to try) writers for our web site.

CLINTON FAMILY SERVICE is requesting Christmas presents this year for teenage girls and boys as this age group gets the least amount of gifts. Marlene Melesko will be handing out fliers with a list of requests from the teenagers. Please bring your unwrapped gifts to the church no later than Sunday, Dec. 14. Call Marlene with any questions at 860-739-4360.

ct food bank mobile

The Shoreline Basic Needs Task Force is a collaboration of community groups and concerned people, working to affect change that increases self-sufficiency among vulnerable individuals and families in need along the Connecticut Shoreline.

Hello Orthodox Youth Mission Team,

Glory to Jesus Christ!

A reminder that this Sunday from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. we will be meeting at St. John’s 364 Mill Hill Avenue, Bridgeport for our baking session. We have decided to switch it up a bit and make pies instead of cookies this year. We will be making apple and pumpkin pies. If anyone has one of those apple/peeler/corer devices, please feel free to bring it. IMPORTANT: The pies will need to be frozen within a day after the baking session. We are hoping that St. John’s, Holy Trinity Yonkers, and St. Barbara’s can each take 30 pieces to sell. Holy Trinity Danbury will take 20 and Matthew can take 5-10 to sell at St. Alexis parish. Please bring some boxes for packing the pies in to take back. This means either someone from each parish will need to make arrangements to get the pies to their church’s freezer by Monday or freeze in team members’ freezers until 12/14 when they can be sold at church. Parents and leaders from each parish please discuss and decide on a plan for getting the pies frozen and to the church. All team members are expected to help participate in the sale of the pies at their parishes on 12/14 and 12/20. Hopefully we will sell out!

Paperwork and Deposits: Everyone please bring your completed Permission Slip/Medical Form with you to the meeting. I have attached again for anyone who needs it. Also, if you have not turned in your covenant and you $150 deposit, please bring to this meeting also. Beth will have her computer and will hunt you down if you don’t turn it in!

Last but not least, please bring $4 for dinner.

Other than our New Jersey team members I have not heard from anyone saying they couldn’t come so I look forward to seeing all of you Sunday.

In Christ,
Susan

Prayers, Intersessions and Commemorations

Olga, Richard, Daria, Daria, Evelyn, Alla, June, Nina, Joan, Aaron, Alex, Alan, Nadia, Kathryn, Ivan, Elena & Jevon and their unborn child, William, Christine, Andrew, Kyra, Roderick, Albert, Barbara, Irene, Susan, Eva, Richard, Kathleen, Dionysia, Krystal and Ezekiel, Elisha, Michael, Sharon & William and their unborn child, and Susanne and Nancy.

Many Years! to Dori Kuziak on the occasion of her birthday.

We commemorate: St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan (397). Ven. Anthony, Abbot of Siya (Novgorod—1558). Ven. Nilus of Stolobénsk (1554). Ven. John the Faster, of the Kiev Caves (Near Caves—12th c.). Martyr Athenodorus of Mesopotamia (ca. 304). Ven. Paul the Obedient. St. Philoftheia of Thrace, Protectress of Romania (12th c.). Ven. Gregory, Founder of Grigoriou Monastery (Mt. Athos—14th c.).

Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 1st Tone

When the stone had been sealed by the Jews and the soldiers were guarding Thine immaculate Body, Thou didst arise on the third day, O Saviour, granting life unto the world. Wherefore, the powers of the Heavens cried out to Thee, O Lifegiver: Glory to Thy Resurrection, O Christ. Glory to Thy Kingdom. Glory to Thy dispensation, O only Friend of man.

Seasonal Kontakion in the 3rd Tone

On this day the Virgin cometh to the cave to give birth to * God the Word ineffably, * Who was before all the ages. * Dance for joy, O earth, on hearing * the gladsome tidings; * with the Angels and the shepherds now glorify Him * Who is willing to be gazed on * as a young Child Who * before the ages is God.

Kontakion of Ambrose, Bp. Of Milan in the Third Tone

Flashing lightning-like with godly doctrines, thou, O Ambrose, dravest off the darkness of the impious error of Arius; and working wonders and signs by the Spirit's might, thou, O good shepherd, didst heal divers sufferings. Righteous Father, thou initiate of sacred mysteries, entreat Christ God to grant great mercy unto us.

Apolytikion of Nicholas the Wonderworker in the Fourth Tone

A model of faith and the image of gentleness, the example of your life has shown you forth to your sheep-fold to be a master of temperance. You obtained thus through being lowly, gifts from on high, and riches through poverty. Nicholas, our father and priest of priests, intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls.

Kontakion of Nicholas the Wonderworker in the Third Tone

Saintly One, (St. Nicholas) in Myra you proved yourself a priest; for in fulfilling the Gospel of Christ, venerable One, you laid down your life for your people and saved the innocent from death. For this you were sanctified as One learned in divine grace.

Saints and Feasts

December 07

Ambrose, Bishop of Milan

This Saint was born in Gaul in 340, and was a member of the Roman Senate. After the death of Auxentius, the Arian Bishop of Milan, a violent dispute arose among the Orthodox and Arians about who would succeed him. Ambrose, desiring as Governor of the province to restore the peace, attempted to mediate between them. As he spoke to the people, eloquently persuading them to elect a new bishop without tumult and disorder, a young child, inspired from on high, suddenly cried out "Ambrose, bishop!" To his astonishment and dismay, the people immediately took up this cry themselves, and over his many protests, he was raised to the episcopal throne of Milan on December 7, 374. A great Father of the Church, he wrote many works in Latin, and was both an unwearying opponent of Arianism, and a fearless accuser of emperors when they transgressed the law of God. Having lived fifty-seven years, he reposed on April 4, on the eve of Pascha, in the year 397.

December 07

Holy Father John of Kronstadt

Saint John of Kronstadt was a married priest, who lived with his wife in virginity. Through his untiring labours in his priestly duties and love for the poor and sinners, he was granted by our Lord great gifts of clairvoyance and miracle - working, to such a degree that in the last years of his life miracles of healings - both of body and of soul - were performed countless times each day through his prayers, often for people who had only written to him asking his help. During his lifetime he was known throughout Russia, as well as in the Western world. He has left us his diary My Life in Christ as a spiritual treasure for Christians of every age; simple in language, it expounds the deepest mysteries of our Faith with that wisdom which is given only to a heart purified by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Foreseeing as a true prophet the Revolution Of 1917, he unsparingly rebuked the growing apostasy among the people; he foretold that the very name of Russia would be changed. As the darkness of unbelief grew thicker, he shone forth as a beacon of unquenchable piety, comforting the faithful through the many miracles that he worked and the fatherly love and simplicity with which he received all. Saint John reposed in peace in 1908.

December 09

The Conception by St. Anna of the Most Holy Theotokos

According to the ancient tradition of the Church, since Saint Anna, the Ancestor of God, was barren, she and her husband Joachim remained without children until old age. Therefore, sorrowing over their childlessness, they besought God with a promise that, if He were to grant them the fruit of the womb, they would offer their offspring to Him as a gift. And God, hearkening to their supplication, informed them through an Angel concerning the birth of the Virgin. And thus, through God's promise, Anna conceived according to the laws of nature, and was deemed worthy to become the mother of the Mother of our Lord (see also Sept. 8).

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 5:8-19

Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret; but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it is said, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light." Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart.

Wisdom of the Fathers

So great an evil is envy. For not against strangers only, but even against our own, is it ever warring.

St. John Chrysostom

Homily 40 on Matthew 12, 4th Century

And yet here He speaks only; whereas elsewhere in many cases He heals by laying on of hands also. But nevertheless none of these things made them meek; rather, while the man was healed, they by his health became worse. For His desire indeed was to cure them before him, and He tried innumerable ways of healing, both by what He did in their presence, and by what He said: but since their malady after all was incurable, He proceeded to the work.