A Word from Father Alex

Beloved Parishioners and Friends:

I hope this note finds you well--and that your journey toward the Lord's Nativity has been a reflective, fruitful one thus far. This is a time to think about our lives, take inventory ... to grant forgiveness and to consider and act upon the needs of others ahead of our own. This is the time to realize that the greatest gift of the season is the coming of Christ, the "Light that shines in the darkness" (John 1:4). Together, as a parish family, we continue this journey in the week to come.

Of course, the center of this ongoing journey is our Eucharist worship at Saint Gregory--please come join us this Sunday for Divine Liturgy and wonderful fellowship. Sundays are never the same without you, and yours, at our church.

In addition, this Sunday is the Sunday School Christmas/Nativity pageant. Our children, teachers, families and, of course, Mrs. Maimonis have been working hard to prepare for this much-anticipated event, which will surely help us remember the importance of the "journey" mentioned above.

Below, I leave you with the "Kontakion" hymn of Sunday's small entrance, anticipating the Lord's Nativity. It has a wonderful sense of immediacy, reminding us that the mystery of the Incarnation is already in motion. I invite you not only to read it but to pray it in your own way in the days to come.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Alex

“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 appear as a newborn Child, the pre-eternal God.”

--Sunday's Kontakion for the Nativity

Sunday Notes

HOMILY: "Three Kings and Three Gifts."

EPISTLE: TBA. Parishioners of all ages are invited to read the Epistle. Please contact Fr. Alex to choose a date.

TODAY'S ANTIDORON/MYRHHBEARERS SERVICE: Audrey Sweten. Servers are welcome to participate in this ministry throughout the summer. To get involved, contact Eleni LaFond or Fr. Alex.

TODAY'S ALTAR TEAM: Archangel Michael (Matthew Cromack, AJ and Matthew Georgilas and Mario Salzillo). Altar Captain: Chris Botchis; Spencer Riley: Assistant Captain.

ALTAR FLOWERS: Please consider sponsoring Altar flowers on a coming Sunday or feast day. The donation for flower sponsorships is $50. Please contact the Church Office to learn more or sponsor.

FELLOWSHIP HOUR: Join us in the hall for refreshments and friendship following Divine Liturgy. Fellowship Hour sponsorships are welcome and needed. Please sign up in the hall this weekend or contact the Church Office to schedule your special day, in memory of a loved one, in honor of a special occasion or just to enable wonderful fellowship at Saint Gregory.

WORSHIPPING FROM HOME: STREAMING AND INTERNET MINISTRY

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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Fifth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Luke 24:13-35

At that time, [Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home wondering at what had happened. That very day] two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him. And He said to them, "What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?" and they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered Him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" And He said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered Him up to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we had hoped that He was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find His body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that He was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see." And He said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was not it necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into this glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself. So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, but they constrained Him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So He went in to stay with them. When He was at table with them, He took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us on the road, while He opened to us the scriptures?" And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, who said, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road and how He was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Epistle Reading

Sunday before Nativity
The Reading is from 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.

Gospel Reading

Sunday before Nativity
The Reading is from 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.

Saints and Feasts

December 18

Sebastian the Martyr & his Companions

This Saint, who was from the city of Milan, was a member of the Senate as well as a zealot for the Faith of Christ, and had converted many to the knowledge of God. When Diocletian and Maximian began a Persecution against the Christians, Saint Sebastian was arrested and pierced with sharp arrows, and the bones of his body were shattered with clubs; and being cut into pieces, he gave up his spirit to God in the year 288. Together with him there were others also who died while enduring various tortures. Their names are Marcellinus and Mark the brethren, Tranquillinus their father, Nicostratus and his spouse Zoe, Tiburtius, Claudius, Castulus, and Castor.

December 18

Sunday before Nativity

On the Sunday that occurs on or immediately after the eighteenth of this month, we celebrate all those who from ages past have been well-pleasing to God, beginning from Adam even unto Joseph the Betrothed of the Most Holy Theotokos, according to genealogy, as the Evangelist Luke hath recorded historically (Luke 3:23-38); we also commemorate the Prophets and Prophetesses, and especially the Prophet Daniel and the Holy Three Children.

December 18

Our Righteous Father Michael Syngellon the Confessor

Wisdom of the Fathers

Pray, my brethren, to the Mother of God when the storm of enmity and malice bursts forth in your house. She, Who is all-merciful and all-powerful, can easily pacify the hearts of men. Peace and love proceed from the one God, as from their Source, and Our Lady - in God, as the Mother of Christ the Peace, is zealous, and prays for the peace of the whole world, and above all - of all Christians.

St. John of Kronstadt

My Life in Christ: Part 1, Holy Trinity Monastery pg. 179, 19th century

Through their prayers for, and alms on behalf of, the deceased, Christians display the relationship between this world and the world to come. The Church in this world and the Church in the other world are one and the same the one Body of Christ one the Church Militant and the other the Church Triumphant. It can be compared to a tree which has roots beneath the earth comprise as well as branches above the earth, but both the roots and the branches comprise one organism. This metaphor also illustrates how we on earth who comprise the Church Militant can receive help from the saints and the righteous ones in the Heavenly Church Triumphant. Saint Athanasios says: 'As it happens with wine inside a barrel which, when the vineyard blooms in the field, senses it and the wine itself blossoms together with it, so it is with the souls of sinners. They receive some relief from the Bloodless Sacrifice offered for them and from charity' performed for their repose. Saint Ephrem the Syrian cites that same example with wine and the vineyard and concludes: 'And so, when there exists such mutual sensitivity even among plants, is not the prayer and sacrifice felt even more for the departed ones?' '[At the Eucharist] the bread itself and the wine are changed into God's body and blood. But if you enquire how this happens, it is enough for you to learn that it was through the Holy Spirit, just as the Lord took on Himself flesh that subsisted in Him and was born of the Holy Mother of God through the Spirit. And we know nothing further save that the Word of God is true and energises and is omnipotent, but the manner of this cannot be searched out. But one can put it well thus, that just as in nature the bread by the eating and the wine by the drinking are changed into the body and blood of the eater and drinker, and do not become a different body from the former one, so the bread of the table and the wine and water are supernaturally changed by the invocation and presence of the Holy Spirit into the body and blood of Christ, and are not two but one and the same.'

St. John of Damascus

An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Book 4: Chapter 13; Eerdmans pg. 83, 8th century

Ministries, Programs & Parish Updates

SERVICES FOR DEC. 18, THE SUNDAY BEFORE THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD
We look forward to worshipping with you at Saint Gregory, whether in person or remotely: Orthros, 8:30 am; Divine Liturgy, 9:30 am. Sunday School classes have begun. If you have not already, please register your children here for another year of learning and growth in the Orthodox Faith.

STREAMING DETAILS/MEDIA CONNECTIONS FOR DEC 18
Access Services via You Tube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgvnXFV6xK1Nhm8ID84jFNg

Access Services and join our community on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/saintgregorythetheologian

Join our community on Instagram
@saintgregorythetheologian • Instagram photos and video

SUNDAY SCHOOL CHRISTMAS/NATIVITY PAGEANT, DEC 18
Following Holy Communion today, our children will take some time to costume and prepare for the pageant, and then they will join us in the Nave to present the narrative of Christ’s Nativity. We are, once again, grateful for this moment to contemplate the mystery of the Incarnation and of the Savior’s birth. This is the ultimate hope; He is the “light that shines in the darkness” (John 1:4 ). Many thanks to our children, Sunday School leaders, parents and, of course, Joan Maimonis for leading our children. A blessed Nativity of the Lord to all!

STEWARDSHIP SUNDAY REFLECTIONS
Many thanks to our Stewardship Committee and all of our parish Stewards for the reflective and inspirational events of last Sunday (Dec. 11). We of course also thank our chefs who prepared such a delicious breakfast, especially Maria Sweten. As we move toward the Nativity of the Lord and the great Feast of Epiphany, we kindly ask our Stewards to read over our 2023 materials package and prayerfully complete and return 2023 Commitment Cards at their earliest convenience. This not only helps us plan for and support our parish ministries but is a visible symbol of our Eucharistic community: united in worship and dedication to the Gospel. The Stewardship pages of our parish website will soon be updated with our 2023 materials, and please let Stewardship Chair Phil LaFond (phil@lafonds.net) know if you did not receive your new Stewardship package yet. Many thanks to all for their commitment to Saint Gregory!

METROPOLIS YOUNG ADULT RETREAT, JAN 6 - 8
Our young adults (21 and over) are invited to this weekend of fun and relaxation at the Saint
Methodios Faith and Heritage Center in Contoocook, NH. A casual and low-key atmosphere is on the agenda, along with optional outdoor activities (including skiing at Pat’s Peak), discussions, music nights and more. Attendees can stay one night or both, and donation rates for the event are very reasonable, ranging from $100 per person for a shared cabin to $250 per person for a retreat house single. Interested or just want to learn more? Visit boston.goarch.org/youngadultretreat.

USHERING AND "RIDES TO CHURCH" MINISTRIES
This spring and summer, those interested in our Ushering Ministry are invited to contact George Dimitriou: 781-769-2085; Gdimitriou@yahoo.com. Offering yourself as an usher is a wonderful way to meet new people and helps create a welcoming environment at Saint Gregory. Throughout the coming months, we will also reinvigorate our efforts to provide rides to church for anyone who needs one. Once again, contact George Dimitriou if you could use a “lift” or would like to help drive.

LITURGICAL SINGING
This ministry engages musical leadership not only for Sunday liturgy but all the liturgical needs of the year, from Vespers services to Great Lent and Holy Week. Your time and talent is most welcome within our Liturgical Singing Ministry. Please contact Kathy Kalogeras to learn more: kalogeras1@earthlink.net.

MYRHHBEARERS MINISTRY
Within the context of our fledling Myrrhbearers Ministry, our girls and young women are invited to hold Antidoro during Divine Liturgy, read the Epislte and otherwise participate in the entire life of the Church. Please contact Eleni LaFond to pick a date for Antidoro service and Fr. Alex to plan a date for an Epistle reading.

FELLOWSHIP HOUR & SPONSORSHIPS
Join us in the hall for Fellowship Hour following Divine Liturgy after Sunday services. We are also welcoming sponsors for Sundays this summer. Please sign up this Sunday during Fellowship Hour or simply contact the Church Office.

WHAT'S NEW ON OUR WEBSITE?
Within our Youth Ministry pages, you'll soon see two new June resources under "Youth and Family Resources": "Saintly Lives" and "For Your Home." Both can be a resources for parents as they strive to bring the life of the Church into their homes.

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS
Fr. Alex: Tue. (1 pm – 5 pm), Wed. (9 am – 1 pm) & Thur (9 am – 1 pm); or by appointment when convenient for our parishioners. Please note that on occasion, Fr. Alex may be seeing to a pastoral situation, visitingn with another parishioner, attending a Metropolis event or otherwise engaged in Church life during office hours. Cathy Cooper: Tue. (9 am - 1 pm) and

Calendar: Next Two Weeks

Saint Gregory Parish Calendar

December 18, 2022 to January 1, 2023

DECEMBER

Sunday, December 18

8:30AM Orthros

9:30AM Divine Liturgy

10:30AM Christmas/Nativity Pageant

Saturday, December 24

Eve of the Nativity

5:00PM Vespers & Divine Liturgy

Sunday, December 25

The Nativity/Christmas

8:30AM Orthros

9:30AM Divine Liturgy

10:30AM No Sunday School classes

JANUARY

Sunday, January 1

8:30AM Orthros

9:30AM Divine Liturgy- St. Basil

9:30AM Divine Liturgy

10:30AM No Sunday School classes

Coming Events & News

Nov/Dec Mustard Seed Newsletter

Enjoy our latest newsletter, highlighting worship events like our Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Vesperal Liturgy and vital fundraising efforts such as the Nov. 20 Philoptochos Bake Sale. Enjoy!

October Financial Trends Update

Our Parish Council offers these financial updates monthly, so our parishioners can be fully aware of financial and Stewardship trends within Saint Gregory.

Archdiocese News

A Monthly Metropolis Ministries Series: Equipping and Enriching Parish Life

12/14/2022

The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco Stewardship Ministry continues the monthly series “Equipping and Enriching Parish Life”.

https://www.goarch.org/-/equipping-a-stewardship-chair

General Information

Services Schedule

Past Bulletins

A Word from Father Alex

Sunday Notes

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Epistle Reading

Gospel Reading

Saints and Feasts

Sebastian the Martyr & his Companions

Sunday before Nativity

Our Righteous Father Michael Syngellon the Confessor

Wisdom of the Fathers

Ministries, Programs & Parish Updates

Calendar: Next Two Weeks

Saint Gregory Parish Calendar

December 18, 2022 to January 1, 2023

DECEMBER

JANUARY

Coming Events & News

Nov/Dec Mustard Seed Newsletter

October Financial Trends Update

Archdiocese News

A Monthly Metropolis Ministries Series: Equipping and Enriching Parish Life

12/14/2022