Small Paraklesis - Wednesday 6:00PM
Great Vespers - Saturday 5:00PM
Matins - Sunday 8:30AM
Divine Liturgy - Sunday 9:30 AM
Confessions - Saturday after Vespers or upon request
The Prophet Nahum had Elkesaeus (Elkosh) as his homeland, and was from the tribe of Symeon; he is seventh in order among the twelve Minor Prophets He prophesied during the time of Hezekias, after the destruction of Samaria (721 years before Christ), but before the ten tribes were taken into captivity; he prophesied against Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. His name means "comforter." His book of prophecy is divided into three chapters.
Saint Philaret a native of Paphlagonia in Asia Minor, was a virtuous Christian layman who lived in lawful wedlock and raised a family. He was most renowned for his generosity to all in need. With the permission of God, in a short space of time he lost the greater part of his possessions to theft and other misfortunes and was left with nothing but his family, his home, and a little livestock. Yet he continued to give generously to the poor despite the faint-heartedness of his family, who reproached him for giving alms when they were in need themselves; and God, seeing his faith, restored his prosperity to him many times over. He foresaw the day of his death, and reposed in an odour of sanctity in Constantinople in 789.
Saint Barbara was from Heliopolis of Phoenicia and lived during the reign of Maximian.
She was the daughter of a certain idolater named Dioscorus. When Barbara came of age, she was enlightened in her pure heart and secretly believed in the Holy Trinity. About this time Dioscorus began building a bath-house; before it was finished he was required to go away to attend to certain matters, and in his absence Barbara directed the workmen to build a third window in addition to the two her Father had commanded. She also inscribed the sign of the Cross with her finger upon the marble of the bath-house, leaving the saving sign cut as deeply into the marble as if it had been done with an iron tool. (When the Synaxarion of Saint Barbara was written, the marble of the bath-house and the cross inscribed by Saint Barbara were still preserved, and many healings were worked there.) When Dioscorus returned, he asked why the third window had been added; Barbara began to declare to him the mystery of the Trinity. Because she refused to renounce her faith, Dioscorus tortured Barbara inhumanely, and after subjecting her to many sufferings he beheaded her with his own hands, in the year 290.
Saint John was born in Damascus about the year 675, the son of wealthy and pious parents, of the family of Mansur. He was reared together with Saint Cosmas (see Oct. 14), who had been adopted by John's father Sergius, a man of high rank in the service of the Caliph of Damascus. Both of these young men were instructed by a certain monk, also named Cosmas, who had been taken captive in Italy by the Arabs and later ransomed by John's Father. Saint John became a great philosopher and enlightener of the age in which he lived, and was honoured by the Caliph with the dignity of counsellor.
When Emperor Leo the Isaurian (reigned 717-741) began his war on the holy icons, John wrote epistles defending their veneration. Since the Saint, being under the Caliph of Damascus, was beyond Leo's power, the Iconoclast Emperor had a letter forged in John's handwriting which invited Leo to attack Damascus, saying the city guard was then weak; Leo then sent this letter to the Caliph, who in his fury punished John's supposed treason with the severing of his right hand. The Saint obtained the Caliph's Permission to have his severed hand again, and that night prayed fervently to the most holy Theotokos before her icon. She appeared to him in a dream and healed his hand, which, when he awoke, he found to be healed in truth. This Miracle convinced the Caliph of his innocence, and he restored John to his office as counsellor. The Saint, however, with many pleadings obtained his permission to withdraw from the world to become a monk. He assumed the monastic habit in the Monastery of Saint Sabbas. Then he had as elder a very simple and austere monk who commanded him neither to write to anyone, nor to speak of the worldly knowledge he had acquired, and John faithfully obeyed. A monk grieving over his brother's death, however, after insisting vehemently, prevailed upon John to write a funeral hymn to console him for his brother's death. When John's elder learned of his transgression of the rule he had given him, he cast him out of his cell, and would only accept him back after John had humbly, with much self-condemnation and without murmuring consented to clean all the latrines in the lavra. After his elder had received him back, our Lady appeared to the elder and sternly charged him not to hinder John any longer from his writings and composition of hymns.
In his writings he fought courageously against the Iconoclasts Leo the Isaurian and his son Constantine Copronymus. He was also the first to write a refutation of Islam. The time he had spent as a counsellor in the courts of the Moslems of Damascus had given him opportunity to learn their teachings at first hand, and he wrote against their errors with a sound understanding of their essence. Saint John was surnamed Chrysorroas ("Golden-stream") because of the eloquence of his rhetorical style and the great abundance of his writings; this name - Chrysorroas was also the name of the river that flows by Damascus. In his writings he set forth the Orthodox Faith with exactness and order. In his old age, after his foster-brother Cosmas had been made Bishop of Maiuma, John also was ordained presbyter by the Patriarch of Jerusalem. Having lived eighty-four years, he reposed in peace in 760. In addition to his theological writings, he adorned the Church of Christ with metrical and prose hymns and composed many of the prosomia used as the models for the melodies of the Church's liturgical chant; he also composed many of the sacred hymns for the feasts of the Lord Saviour and the Theotokos. The life of Saint John of Damascus was written by John, Patriarch of Jerusalem. See also June 28.
This Saint lived during the reign of Saint Constantine the Great, and reposed in 330, As a young man, he desired to espouse the solitary life. He made a pilgrimage to the holy city Jerusalem, where he found a place to withdraw to devote himself to prayer. It was made known to him, however, that this was not the will of God for him, but that he should return to his homeland to be a cause of salvation for many. He returned to Myra, and was ordained bishop. He became known for his abundant mercy, providing for the poor and needy, and delivering those who had been unjustly accused. No less was he known for his zeal for the truth. He was present at the First Ecumenical Council of the 318 Fathers at Nicaea in 325; upon hearing the blasphemies that Arius brazenly uttered against the Son of God, Saint Nicholas struck him on the face. Since the canons of the Church forbid the clergy to strike any man at all, his fellow bishops were in perplexity what disciplinary action was to be taken against this hierarch whom all revered. In the night our Lord Jesus Christ and our Lady Theotokos appeared to certain of the bishops, informing them that no action was to be taken against him, since he had acted not out of passion, but extreme love and piety. The Dismissal Hymn for holy hierarchs, The truth of things hath revealed thee to thy flock ... was written originally for Saint Nicholas. He is the patron of all travellers, and of sea-farers in particular; he is one of the best known and best loved Saints of all time.
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Gabriel Cremeens
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Transfiguration Monastery
First Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Matthew 28:16-20
At that time, the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw Him they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age. Amen."
Prokeimenon. Plagal Second Mode. Psalm 27.9,1.
O Lord, save your people and bless your inheritance.
Verse: To you, O Lord, I have cried, O my God.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 2:4-10.
Brethren, God who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God: not because of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
14th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 18:35-43
At that time, as Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging; and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." And he cried, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" And Jesus stopped, and commanded him to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, let me receive my sight." And Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
Special Service: prayer for the 2025 stewardship offering
2024 STEWARDSHIP and financials as of 11/27/2024
Goal: $555,660
Pledged: $521,850
Received To Date of Pledged: $435,303
Pledges Submitted: 197
2025 STEWARDSHIP and financials as of 11/27/2024
Goal: $550,000
Pledged: $ 94,658
Pledges Submitted: 19
Needed to be Pledged: $455,342
DOME ICONOGRAPHY financials as of 11/27/2024
Total Project value: $411,000
Balance in the account at the beginning of the campaign: $110,898
Pledged (including grant): $222,186
Number of pledges: 49
Needed: $77,916
TODAY, AFTER SERVICE:
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Prayer Request – December 1, 2024
(Use the baptismal name when commemorating. If not available, please use the first name.)
Members of our parish who are in hospital or rehab:
Name: Baptismal name:
Members of our parish who are in assisted living or nursing home:
Name: Baptismal name:
Members of our parish who are ill / in recovery:
Name: Baptismal name:
Members of our parish who have chronic illnesses:
Name: Baptismal name:
Members of our parish with limited mobility:
Name: Baptismal name:
Family members who fell asleep in the Lord in the last 40 days:
- Nicholas - Norma Balignot - Konstantinos Bosnakis
- Rose Clark - Gwendolyn Franklyn - David Hunter
- Nicole Lorance - Jacob Lorance - Terry Murray
- Nathan Nimri - Tom Savage - Jeffrey Turner
- Milorad Pavlovic - Theodosia Kinman _ Milorad Pavlovic
Kindly let us know of anyone else that should be on this list.
Nativity Lent
8:30AM Orthros
9:30AM Divine Liturgy
11:00AM Philoptochos Poinsettia Forms Deadline
11:00AM Coffee Hour - Potluck
12:15PM Explore Orthodoxy Class
6:00PM Music Workshop with JMB
5:30PM Music Workshop with JMB
8:30PM Vigil with TRONOS (Guest Choir from Romania)
4:30PM Feed the Hungry - packing lunch bags for UGM
5:30PM Music Workshop with JMB
6:00PM Vespers
5:30AM Orthros and Divine Liturgy
11:00AM Homeschool Co-op
4:00PM Confession
5:00PM Great Vespers
8:30AM Orthros
9:30AM Divine Liturgy
10:45AM Sunday School
11:00AM PARISH COUNCIL ELECTIONS
11:00AM Coffee Hour - Potluck
12:15PM Explore Orthodoxy Class
5:30PM Christmas Dinner
6:00AM Hours and Divine Liturgy
7:30PM Parish Council Meeting
6:00PM Vespers
6:45PM Gladsome Light Dialogues
6:00AM Hours and Divine Liturgy
11:00AM Homeschool Co-op
4:00PM Confession
5:00PM Great Vespers
8:30AM Orthros
9:30AM Divine Liturgy
10:45AM Sunday School
11:00AM Coffee Hour - sponsored by Philoptochos
11:00AM Philoptochos Bake Sake Forms Deadline
11:00AM Memorial service for Theresa (Theodora) Alexander
12:15PM Explore Orthodoxy Class