Father Paisius McGrath, Presbyter

Glory to Jesus Christ! Greetings to the faithful members and families of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. May our Lord and Savior Jesus guide each of us as we continue to grow in our faith in Him!

Today on the 9th Sunday of Saint Luke, we have an opportunity to reflect on our calling to be faithful stewards of the blessings we have received from God. In today's Gospel reading we hear our Lord's familiar Parable of the Rich Man. In this Christ shows that every blessing we have received is a gift from God and so we are called use our blessing both spiritual and financial to further His Kingdom. The failure of the rich man was not that he was rich or wealthy but it was in believing that it was "his" to be used for his own comfort and pleasure. In the end he forgot that everything he had was given by God and was to be used accordingly. His approach to his possessions in the end changed who he was so that he would lose everything he had and his soul judged for his unfaithfulness.

As we now have entered into the season of the 40 Day Nativity Fast, let us each examine how we view and use the material wealth and possessions given to us as a gift and a call to faithful Christian stewardship. Let us share in the Church community and with others and in so doing become wise and faithful stewards and grow the Kingdom and in so doing enrich our spiritual lives!

Your Pastor,

Father Paisius R. McGrath

Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 4th Tone

When the women Disciples of the Lord had learned from the Angel the joyful message of the Resurrection and had rejected the ancestral decision, they cried aloud to the Apostles triumphantly: Death has been despoiled, Christ God has risen, granting His great mercy to the world.

Apolytikion for Gregory the Wonderworker in the Plagal 4th Tone

By vigilance in prayer, and continuance in the working of wonders, thou didst acquire thine achievements as a surname; wherefore, intercede with Christ our God, O Father Gregory, to enlighten our souls, lest we sleep in sin unto death.

Apolytikion for the Church in the 1st Tone

Blessed are You, O Christ our God, who made fishermen all-wise, sending upon them the Holy Spirit and, through them, netting the world. O Loving One, glory to You.

Seasonal Kontakion in the 4th Tone

Today, the most pure temple of the Savior, the precious bridal chamber and Virgin, the sacred treasure of God, enters the house of the Lord, bringing the grace of the Divine Spirit. The Angels of God praise her. She is the heavenly tabernacle.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 4th Tone. Psalm 103.24,1.
O Lord, how manifold are your works. You have made all things in wisdom.
Verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 2:16-20.

Brethren, knowing that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we ourselves were found to be sinners, is Christ then an agent of sin? Certainly not! But if I build up again those things which I tore down, then I prove myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Gospel Reading

9th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 12:16-21

The Lord said this parable: "The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." As he said these things, he cried out: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Wisdom of the Fathers

I cannot be silent about the story of Hesychius the Horebite. He passed his life in complete negligence, without paying the least attention to his soul. Then he became extremely ill, and for an hour he left his body.

St. John Climacus

Ladder of Divine Ascent. Step 6: On Remembrance of Death, 6th Century

And when he came to himself, he begged us all to leave him immediately. And he built up the door of his cell, and he stayed in it for twelve years without ever uttering a word to anyone, and without eating anything but bread and water.

St. John Climacus

Ladder of Divine Ascent. Step 6: On Remembrance of Death, 6th Century

Saints and Feasts

November 17

9th Sunday of Luke

November 21

The Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple

According to the tradition of the Church, the Theotokos was brought to the Temple at three years of age, where she was consecrated to God and spent her days until she was fourteen or fifteen years old; and then, as a mature maiden, by the common counsel of the priests (since her parents had reposed some three years before), she was betrothed to Joseph.

November 24

Our Holy Father Clement, Pope of Rome

Saint Clement was instructed in the Faith of Christ by the Apostle Peter. He became Bishop of Rome in the year 91, the third after the death of the Apostles. He died as a martyr about the year 100 during the reign of Trajan.

November 24

Peter, Archbishop of Alexandria

Saint Peter illustriously occupied the throne of Alexandria for twelve years, and, as Eusebius says, "was a divine example of a bishop on account of the excellence of his life and his study of the sacred Scriptures" (see Eusebius, Eccl. Hist., Book VII, 3 2; Book VIII 11, 13; and Book IX, 6). He excommunicated Arius for his sympathy with the Meletian schism. When Arius learned that Saint Peter had been imprisoned, he sent many priests and deacons to him, asking that he receive him back into the communion of the Church before his martyrdom. When the ambassadors of Arius, who had not, like Saint Peter, perceived the ruin he would engender, were astonished at the vehemence with which Saint Peter refused to receive Arius again, he revealed to them a dread vision he had seen, in which the Master Christ had appeared to him as a child wearing a garment torn from head to foot. When Saint Peter asked the Lord who rent His garment, the Lord answered that it was Arius, and that he must not be received back into communion. The holy hieromartyr Peter was beheaded during the reign of Maximinus in the year 312; he is called the "Seal of the Martyrs," because he was the last Bishop of Alexandria to suffer martyrdom under the pagan Emperors. His successors to the throne of Alexandria, Saints Alexander and Athanasius the Great, brought to final victory the battle against Arius' heresy which Saint Peter had begun.

Upcoming Services and Events

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Calendar

November 17 to November 25, 2024

Sunday, November 17

Saint Gregory the Wonderworker

9th Sunday of Luke

9:30AM Orthros

10:00AM Divine Liturgy

12:00PM Parish Council Elections

Wednesday, November 20

5:30PM Great Vespers with Artoklasia at Malbis Church in Daphne

Thursday, November 21

Feast of Entrance of the Holy Theotokos into Temple

8:45AM Orthros

9:30AM Divine Liturgy at Malbis Church in Daphne

Saturday, November 23

5:00PM Great Vespers

6:00PM Byzantine Chant Class

Sunday, November 24

13th Sunday of Luke

Saint Peter of Alexandria

Saint Clement of Rome

9:30AM Orthros

10:00AM Divine Liturgy

12:00PM Catechmen Class

Monday, November 25

Holy Great Martyr Katherine

Holy Great Martyr Mercurios

Announcements

BIRTHDAYS

Today we, as a parish community, extend our best wishes and congratulations to Photini Hagicostas as she celebrates her birthday on November 19 and to Karen (Kyriaki) Bridges as she celebrates her birthday on November 23. May the Lord our God bless His servants, Photini and Karen, and may He grant to them many more blessed and happy years!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

This past Friday, November 15, our Orthodox Church entered into our 40 Day Nativity Fast. This is an opportunity to grow spiritually and properly prepare ourselves for the coming Feast of the Nativity of Christ through prayer, fasting, holy confession, doing good works and giving alms and in reading good spiritual books. This fast from November 15 - December 25 is a very important way in which we celebrate the great Feast of the Incarnation. For any further questions about this fast and how we practice it, please talk with Father Paisius.

This morning following Divine Liturgy we will have our parish elections. We are electing for two open Parish Council positions from among our three nominees Cassidy Anderson, Shauna Angel and George Vaporis. Our Parish Council Elections Committee of George Contas, Cristian Ionescu, and Akaterina Vamvakas have done a good job in preparing the procedures and announcing them for everyone. Let us all gather together and work together as we work to elect in the presence of God two members to lead our Community through service on our Parish Council.

The November Parish Practical Orthodoxy Group will meet tomorrow, Monday, November 18 at 5:30 p.m. at McElroy's Harbor House (beside the Hard Rock Casino). Come and join us for an evening of good food, fellowship, and learning about the practice of our Orthodox life!

This week we celebrate the Great Feast of the Entrance of the Holy Theotokos on November 20 and 21. So we invite everyone to join us at the Entrance of the Holy Theotokos Into the Temple Church at Malbis in Daphne, Alabama. The Feast will be celebrated there with Great Vespers with Artoklasia on Wednesday, November 20 at 5:30 p.m. and on Thursday, November 21 with Orthros at 8:45 a.m. and Divine Liturgy at 9:30 a.m. Please join as we celebrate this feast there!

We are rapidly approaching our Parish Pastry Sale on December 6 and 7, and we ask that everyone be ready to help us as we work together in this very important event in our community. We especially encourage everyone to help us in getting sponsorship donations for our pastry sale. For further information, please talk with Eleni today.

As we have started our Nativity Fast and preparation, we offer an opportunity to donate for beautifying our parish temple for this great feast. Please fill out your offering envelopes and mark them for Nativity. We also encourage everyone to participate in our parish Christmas card, for further information please talk with Chrysanthe Beach.

PRAYERS FOR THE SICK AND RECOVERING

Pray for Father Paisius, Saidi Maalouf, Wilson Arnold, Karen Henderson, Photine Hagicostas, and Demetri Vlahos as they recover from their illnesses. May the Lord our God quickly heal His servants. Get well soon. Let us continue to pray for those of our Parish Community who are recovering in various ways. Let us always remember that praying for each other is important and beneficial to all!

Please let Father Paisius know of any parishioner who is sick so we may pray for them.

ORTHODOX STEWARDSHIP

Orthodox Christian stewardship is a way of life, which acknowledges accountability, reverence, and responsibility before God. A primary goal of stewardship is to promote spiritual growth and strengthen faith. Becoming a steward begins when we believe in God, to whom we give our love, loyalty and trust and act on those beliefs. As stewards, we affirm that every aspect of our lives comes as a gift from Him. Stewardship calls on the faithful to cheerfully offer back to God a portion of the gifts with which they have been blessed. See bulletin inserts for the 2024 Stewardship Pledge Form and a current list of parishioners who have pledged for this year.

Bulletin Inserts

Letter to Parishioners on Upcoming Parish Council Elections

General Information

Contact Information

Services Schedule

Past Bulletins