Polyeuctus the Martyr of Melitene in Armenia
Saint Polyeuctus, a soldier in rank, contested during the reign of Valerian, in the year 255. He was from Melitene, a city in Armenia.
Orthros/Matins: Sunday, 9:00 AM
Divine Liturgy: Sunday, 10:00 AM
Philoptochos Meeting
8:50AM Matins Service (Orthros)
10:00AM Divine Liturgy
7:00PM Bible Study on the Book of Acts
Parish Council Meeting
General Assembly
8:50AM Matins Service (Orthros)
10:00AM Divine Liturgy
We are planning to hold an outdoor blessing of the waters and Cross throwing in Lake Michigan this Saturday, January 8th at 2 PM from the USS Silversides Museum. If the weather is too cold, parishioners are welcome to park near the seawall to view the event. After the ceremony, our parish will offer coffee, hot chocolate, and other refreshments in the museum. Please note that standard covid restrictions are in place in the museum for all visitors.
The Orthros and Divine Liturgy for Sunday will be streamed live around 8:40 AM. To access the stream please click here.
If you would like to pray along, click on the links below for the Sunday's service:
Sunday School will meet again this Sunday, January 9th.
This Sunday, January 9th Philoptochos will have its first meeting of the New Year. Members are encouraged to submit stewardship and bring any new ideas or questions to the meeting.
This Sunday's Coffee hour will be sponsored by the Kelly-Scuris Family.
The 2022 Coffee Hour digital spreadsheet has been updated. Please click here if you would like to offer a coffee hour. In addition, coffee hours can be sponsored in which the Parish Council will purchase and set up the coffee hour on your behalf. Please see a parish council member or call the church office for more information.
On Thursday, January 13th we will hold our first Bible Study meeting at 7:00 PM as we cover the Acts of the Apostles with emphasis on the Orthodox/Early Church. The Bible Studies will meet each Thursday at Church and will conclude on Thursday, February 24th before the start of Lent. For those who would like to connect virtually, here is the Google Meet information to access the Bible Study:
Each January, priests visit the homes of parishioners to offer prayers for the family and the New Year. Please contact Fr. John if you would like to schedule a visit.
Our next General Assembly will take place on Sunday, January 16th, 2022.
We are planning a youth outing to Urban Air Adventure Park on Saturday, January 22nd at 11:00 AM. This event is open to all families and youth in honor of Fr. Steve & Pres. Anna Yankopoulos. Please contact Fr. John if you have any questions or if you are interested in attending.
We are planning a parish outing to a Lumberjacks Hockey game on Saturday, February 12th @ 7:00 PM. Please contact Fr. John if you are interested in attending or have any questions.
2022 Stewardship forms are located at the candle stand. Please consider filling out a form since it also allows the office to have updated information on file. Filled-out forms can be placed in the wooden box of the donation stand.
2022 stewardship can be securely and conveniently submitted online via Paypal. In addition, reoccurring donations can be set up on a weekly or monthly schedule using ACH withdrawal or with any major credit card. Click here if you would like to donate stewardship online through PayPal.
2022 offering envelopes are now available at the candle stand. Please note, if you will be using offering envelopes, you will have to write your name on each individual envelope when submitting stewardship donations. Envelope Numbers will no longer be used. Stewardship will now be recorded by NAME only.
Thank you all for your continued support of our Church!
Saint Polyeuctus, a soldier in rank, contested during the reign of Valerian, in the year 255. He was from Melitene, a city in Armenia.
Saint Gregory, the younger brother of Basil the Great, illustrious in speech and a zealot for the Orthodox Faith, was born in 331. His brother Basil was encouraged by their elder sister Macrina to prefer the service of God to a secular career (see July 19); Saint Gregory was moved in a similar way by his godly mother Emily, who, when Gregory was still a young man, implored him to attend a service in honor of the holy Forty Martyrs at her retreat at Annesi on the River Iris. Saint Gregory came at his mother's bidding, but being wearied with the journey, and feeling little zeal, he fell asleep during the service. The Forty Martyrs then appeared to him in a dream, threatening him and reproaching him for his slothfulness. After this he repented and became very diligent in the service of God.
Gregory became bishop in 372, and because of his Orthodoxy he was exiled in 374 by Valens, who was of one mind with the Arians. After the death of Valens in 378, Gregory was recalled to his throne by the Emperor Gratian. He attended the Local Council of Antioch, which sent him to visit the churches of Arabia and Palestine, which had been defiled and ravaged by Arianism. He attended the Second Ecumenical Council, which was assembled in Constantinople in 381. Having lived some sixty years and left behind many remarkable writings, he reposed about the year 395. The acts of the Seventh Ecumenical Council call him 'Father of Fathers."
This Saint had Cappadocia as his homeland. He lived during the years of Leo of Thrace, who reigned from 457 to 474. The Saint established in the Holy Land a great communal monastery, wherein he was the shepherd of many monks. While Saint Sabbas was the head of the hermits of Palestine, Saint Theodosius was governor of those living the cenobitic life, for which reason he is called the Cenobiarch. Together with Saint Sabbas, towards whom he cherished a deep brotherly love in Christ, he defended the whole land of Palestine from the heresy of the Monophysites, which was championed by the Emperor Anastasius and might very well have triumphed in the Holy Land without the opposition of these two great monastic fathers and their zealous defense of the Holy Council of Chalcedon. Having lived for 103 years, he reposed in peace.
Saint Tatiana was the daughter of a most distinguished consul of Rome. She became a deaconess of the Church, and for her confession of the Faith of Christ, she endured many torments. As she was suffering, angels punished her tormentors with the same torments they inflicted on her, until they cried out that they could no longer endure the scourges invisibly brought upon them. She was beheaded during the reign of Alexander Severus (111-135).
Saints Hermylus and Stratonicus contested for piety's sake during the reign of Licinius, in the year 314. Saint Hermylus was a deacon, and Stratonicus was his friend. For his confession of Christ, Hermylus was beaten so fiercely that his whole body was covered with wounds. Stratonicus, seeing him endure this and other torments that left him half dead, wept with grief for his friend. From this he was discovered to be a Christian, and when he had openly professed his Faith and had been beaten, he and Hermylus were cast into the Danube River, receiving the crown of martyrdom.
As for the holy Martyrs of Sinai and Raithu, those of Sinai contested during the reign of Diocletian, about the year 296; those of Raithu were slain about the middle of the fifth century. On both occasions, the perpetrators of these massacres were a barbarian tribe called Blemmyes, from the parts of Arabia and Egypt.
Because of the Apodosis of the Feast of Holy Theophany also on the 14th of January, the liturgical services to the Holy Fathers slain at Sinai and Raitho are transferred to January 13th.
Saint Paul, first among hermits, was born about 227 in the Thebaid of Egypt. In 250 he fled into the wilderness because of the persecution raging at that time under Decius. Having lived a solitary life in a certain cave for ninety-one years, he reposed in 341, at the age of 114, and was buried by Anthony the Great, who had been directed thither by God several days before the Saint's repose.
Today is the summary of our salvation, and the revelation of the age-old mystery. For the Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin, and Gabriel announces the good news of grace. Therefore, let us join him, and cry aloud to the Theotokos: "Rejoice, Maiden full of grace! The Lord is with you."
Seventh Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 20:1-10
On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.
Prokeimenon. First Mode. Psalm 32.22,1.
Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us.
Verse: Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 4:7-13.
BRETHREN, grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it is said, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." (in saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
Sunday after Epiphany
The Reading is from Matthew 4:12-17
At that time, when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth he went and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned." From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."