Sundays in the fall, winter & spring:
Matins: 9 a.m. & Divine Liturgy 10a.m. except during the summer
Summer hours for Sundays in July and August:
Matins: 8:30a.m. & Divine Liturgy 9:30a.m.
WELCOME! If you are a visitor or a guest, please let us know by completing a welcome card. Also, please join us next door for the fellowship hour. We are happy to have you with us! The call for Holy Communion (Eucharist) is the highest point of the Divine Liturgy. Please comply with the ushers’ instructions. Wait until ushers direct you out of the pews. “All things are done in proper order.” – St. Paul
Please Be Mindful of Church Etiquette: Our Orthodox worship services consist of reverent moments where your movement in the Nave will be suspended or minimized. At certain moments in the worship service, you may be asked by an Usher to wait to be seated. Patience is a valued virtue.
Memorials & Trisagion: A 40 day memorial for George Kuris, beloved husband of Kathryn, father of John and his wife Sonia, Paul and his wife Nadia, Desiree and her husband Sal; brother of Patricia and beloved uncle to many dear family members.
An 18 year memorial for Susan Charllis, beloved former spouse of blessed memory to Charles, adored mother of Adam and Christopher Palminteri and his wife Kathi; cherished grandmother of Joseph Charles, Ava Susanne and Christopher Francis.
An 8 year Trisagion for Haralambos “Bobby” Emporellis beloved husband to Anastasia and adored father to Catherine and Androniki.
May their memory be eternal.
Fellowship hour is sponsored by the Kuris family.
Scripture Talk Bible Study Ministry:Scripture Talk is a virtual/remote Bible study with a different Orthodox priest participating in the weekly discussion. Held every Tuesday, 7-8pm EST, on Zoom.
Currently discussing the Gospel of Matthew. Visit www.ScriptureUnveiled.com for the Zoom meeting information. All who seek are welcome, no commitment needed, and participants are free to simply listen or to participate.
Parish Council Candidates’ Mandatory Orientation Seminar will be held this Wednesday, December 4 @7pm. All candidates are required to participate.
Religious Education: No religious education classes today.
Christmas Party: Sunday, December 15th immediately following Divine Liturgy in the Fellowship Hall. RSVP to Demi Thomas at [email protected].
Christmas Pageant is Sunday, December 22nd. Please join us. Don’t forget to bring a small gift for Santa to give your child.
Upcoming Worship Services: This Wednesday, December 4th, we will celebrate the feast day of Saint Barbara the Great Martyr. Orthros starts at 9:00am and Divine Liturgy at 10:00am. To all who celebrate, Many Years (Chronia Polla)!
Thursday, December 5th 6pm H.E. METROPOLITAN APOSTOLOSof NJ
will preside at the Hierarchical Great Vespers
with area clergy participating.
Reception hosted by our ladies Philoptochos will follow.
Saint Nicholas Day: Friday, December 6th: Orthros at 9:00am & Divine Liturgy @ 10:00am
Stocking Stuffer Gifts
Music CD: Romeiko Ensemble “Christ Comes from Heaven” Nativity Orthros (Matins) in English Traditional Orthodox Christmas Hymns ($15).
Christmas Ornament:Saint Nicholas Church Christmas Ornament $15 (from our 50th Anniversary Gala).
Forefeast and Feast day of our Patron Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker
Fasting Before Christmas? Yes...Fasting/abstinence are an essential part of our spiritual preparation and edification. Yet, there are many different (and sometimes conflicting messages) regarding fasting. Please bear in mind: From November 15th through December 24th, Orthodox Christians observe a 40 day period of abstinence from animal & dairy products and olive oil. The ascetic discipline prepares us for a major feast- the Lord’s birth-God incarnate- Christmas. By controlling ourselves in what we eat, what we say, what we give to others (charity, stewardship, etc.) we prepare ourselves to receive the Lord. Without the discipline of the fast, the joyful experience of the feast is minimized. Fasting is never a punishment. Note that consumption of fish is permitted except for Wednesdays and Fridays through December 11th. From December 12th through Christmas Eve, the fast is stricter every day- fruits, nuts, vegetables, shell fish are allowed but no animal or dairy products of course, until Christmas Day. Do the best you can and remember that fasting/abstaining from sin is the greatest fast.
Parish Council Elections: Elections for members of the Parish Council 2025-27 will be held on Sunday, December 8th in the Conference room adjacent to the parish office. The new candidates are: Ann (Issackedes) Arluna and Diana Manoussakis. The Parish Council members whose terms have expired and seek reelection are: John Psomas, Charlie Pflager and Dean Mellas. The election committee members are: Paul Goulet, Phil Vogis and Ted Vittas. Early voting is available only on Thursday, December 5th (prior to Vespers) from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. The Elections are Sunday, December 8th at the conclusion of Divine Liturgy through 2:00pm.
Philoptochos News: Koulourakia: Freshly baked Koulourakia will be on sale todayin the Fellowship Hall.
Daughters of Penelope (DOP) News: Wreath Sale: DOP is selling fresh balsam fir Christmas Wreaths until December 7th.These low-priced wreaths make great gifts, can be shipped anywhere in the US and will be delivered in time to decorate your home for the Christmas holiday. Please visit the website GiftitForward.com to place your order. Enter fundraising code: DOPAGANJ001
Food Sale: DOP is selling Kontos and Filosophy appetizers, entrees and desserts for your Christmas and New Year Holiday Celebrations. Order your items NOW through December 1st. pick up your purchases at Saint Nicholas December 7th and December 8th. See our flyer for more details. Online orders (credit card only) also available at https://www.stnicholasnj.org/dopfoodsale.
2025 Stewardship Campaign: Your fulfilled stewardship pledge provides the majority of funding for our parish ministries and enables us to gather followers of Christ and aid them on their path to grow in the grace & knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And to make a difference through good works.
Please make your 2025 pledge and join your fellow Saint Nicholas stewards by completing & submitting your pledge card. Come visit us in the Narthex for your card, or make 2025 your pledge online by visiting our church website https://www.stnicholasnj.org
“O Give thanks to the Lord for His mercy endures forever.”
learn to speak modern Greek!
Young Scholars Academy is offering a new Greek Cultural Program this autumn!
Answer the call and accept the Mission to serve our Lord!
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.
The translations of hymns are under copyright and used by permission. All rights reserved. These works may not be further reproduced, in print or on other websites or in any other form, without the prior written authorization of the copyright holder:
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.
This Prophet, whose name means "loving embrace," is eighth in order of the minor Prophets. His homeland and tribe are not recorded in the Divine Scriptures; according to some, he was of the tribe of Symeon. He prophesied in the years of Joachim, who is also called Jechonias, before the Babylonian captivity of the Jewish People, which took place 599 years before Christ. When Nabuchodonosor came to take the Israelites captive, Habakkuk fled to Ostrakine, and after Jerusalem was destroyed and the Chaldeans departed, Habakkuk returned and cultivated his field. Once he made some pottage and was about to take it to the reapers in the field. An Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and carried him with the pottage to Babylon to feed Daniel in the lions' den, then brought him back to Judea (Bel and the Dragon, 33-39): His book of prophecy is divided into three chapters; the third chapter is also used as the Fourth Ode of the Psalter. His holy relics were found in Palestine during the reign of Emperor Theodosius the Great, through a revelation to Zebennus, Bishop of Eleutheropolis (Sozomen, Eccl. Hist., Book VII, 29).
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.
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.
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.
By unanimous decision of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Sacred Archdiocese of America, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America has announced that the honorable and most esteemed Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, is to be recognized yearly for the Feast of their Celestial Patron, Saint Andrew the Apostle and First-Called Disciple of the Lord.
Did you know that Christ gave Saint Catherine a ring?
Sam and Jonathan Springer were surprised to receive a storybook in the mail for their two-year-old daughter. Inside the package was a letter explaining that this book was sent on behalf of Sam’s mother, Christy, who had been arrested and was in a jail in Colorado. Even more surprising, the book came with a link to an audio recording of Christy reading the book.
Yesterday, Sunday, November 24, 2024, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America presided over the Divine Liturgy at Ascension Greek Orthodox Church in Fairview, New Jersey, serving alongside parish priest Fr. Christos L. Pappas, Protopresbyter.
The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago announced the approval by the Metropolis Council for entry into a contract to purchase the property at 1015 North LaSalle Drive, Chicago, Illinois, 60610.
On the evening of November 23, 2024, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America attended the 50th Anniversary Gala of the Chian Federation in Queens, New York.