Transfiguration of Our Saviour Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2024-12-01
Bulletin Contents

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Transfiguration of Our Saviour Greek Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (978) 458-4321
  • Street Address:

  • 25 Fr. John Sarantos Way

  • Lowell, MA 01854
  • Mailing Address:

  • 25 Fr. John Sarantos Way

  • Lowell, MA 01854


Contact Information






Services Schedule

Sunday Schedule:

Orthros: 8:30 a.m.
Divine Liturgy: 9:30 a.m.

Bible Study:

Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.


Past Bulletins


Announcements

FELLOWSHIP HOUR

Everyone is welcome to join us for Fellowship following Liturgy.

There will be no Fellowship on Sunday, December 8thfollowing Liturgy. Fellowship will occur following the concert.  Please join us.

100TH ANNIVERSARY CHRISTMAS CONCERT

Our "O Come, All Ye Faithful” Christmas Concert will be held next Sunday, December 8th at 4:00 pm. The Concert will feature the Transfiguration Choir, the Counterpoint Vocal Ensemble, the Triton Brass Quartet, and a Jazz Quartet featuring Emilee Floor and more. All are welcome and no tickets are required. A free-will offering is appreciated.

THANKSGIVING OUTREACH

Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who assisted in delivering Thanksgiving dinners to our neighbors and beyond. May God bless and keep you for all you do.

FAMILY FUN NIGHT - GINGERBREAD HOUSE DECORATION

On Friday, December 13, we welcome you to join us for our annual Gingerbread House Decoration event. We hope you will join us for Gingerbread house decorating, pizza, and holiday cheer. Bring your house assembled and ready to decorate or take your chances with assembling it that night! Please bring 2 bags of candy to decorate and share. Please use the QR code found on the flyer to register. All are welcome!

STEWARDSHIP 2025

The stewardship theme for 2025 will be “Your Own from Your Own” and “See Your Church As It Could Be”.  Your 2025 stewardship card is in the mail.As faithful stewards, please consider completing your 2024 pledge as the year comes to an end. Thank you!

PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS

71ST ANNUAL CHRISTMAS BENEFIT TEA - You are cordially invited to participate in this year’s 71ST Christmas Benefit Tea…a Virtual Event on Sunday, December 8, 2024.  Purchase tickets using this link   71st Annual Philoptochos Tea (Virtual) or the QR code.  Or complete the form on the attached flyer.  The raffle will be drawn after church at noon in the Philoptochos room; join us or tune in to watch drawing in real time on YouTube. www.youtube.com/TransGOC  A table is set up in the Fellowship Hall if you need assistance after Liturgy. Questions?  Please contact Ellen Dobi at 978-505-1764 or [email protected].  Thank you for your generous support.   

THE WISH PROJECT - Today is the last day we are accepting donations for The Lowell Wish Project to help those in need. They are requesting $25 gift cards to Walmart, Target, or Market Basket. If you are not able to pick up a gift card, we are accepting monetary donations of any amount. We will use any money collected to buy additional gift cards. Thank you!

LTLC

The Transfiguration parish family hosts dinner at the Lowell Transitional Living Center the second Saturday each month. The opportunity to serve dinner is once again open to all parishioners. Gather a group of 4 or 5 and sign-up for your month in the lower lobby, beginning in January.

MONTHLY PARAKLESIS

We will be offering a monthly Paraklesis to the Theotokos on the 4th Friday of every month at 6:30 PM, wherein we will beseech the Theotokos to intercede for all of our living loved ones who are suffering in any way.  Bring names of your loved ones to the service or email them to Fr. Gregory in advance of the 4th Friday of the month. 

PLEASE NOTE NEW EMAIL ADDRESSES!!

New email addresses for church contacts. See the reverse side of the bulletin for an updated listing of email addresses with the domain @transfigurationlowell.org. 

 

 Trinity votive candles (To Sponsor a Candle please call the Church Office.)

Vigil Light at the Side Altar (Icon of the Theotokos): In Loving Memory of Angelike Flanagan – from her daughter Mary Ploof and grandchildren
†Vigil Light at the Icon of Christ: In Loving Memory of Deborah Victoria Skrekas and George Skrekas
Vigil Light at the Icon of Christ (2nd): In Loving Memory of Peter Cakounes from his wife Sophia, Richard & Katherine Russell and the Cakounes, Russell, Byrd and Oliver families.
†Vigil Light at the Theotokos: In Loving Memory of Ioannis "John" Zaralidis - from his family
†Vigil Light at the Icon of the Forerunner: Available
†Vigil Light at the Foot of the Holy Cross: In Loving Memory of George Tsoukalas - from his family

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Weekly Inserts

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Weekly Calendar

Sunday, December 1  FOURTEENTH SUNDAY OF LUKE
†Orthros 8:30 am
†Liturgy 9:30 am
Monthly Trisagion

Wednesday, December 4
Bible Study (online), 10:00 am/7:00 pm

Sunday, December 8  TENTH SUNDAY OF LUKE
†Orthros 8:30 am
†Liturgy 9:30 am
5 Year Memorial for Esther Kokas
7 Year Memorial for Peter Kokas
Parish Council Elections
O Come, All Ye Faithful Christmas Concert, 4:00 pm

 

TODAY’S PARISH COUNCIL:  Philip Eliopoulos, Ann Marie Stelman & Olivia Sintros

 

UPCOMING EVENTS


December 10                       
Parish Council Meeting, 6:30 pm

December 11                       
Bible Study (online), 10:00 am/7:00 pm

December 12                       
St. Spyridon – Liturgy, 9:30 am

December 13                       
Family Fun Night – Gingerbread Night   6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

December 15                       
Eleventh Sunday of Luke

December 18                       
Bible Study (online), 10:00 am/7:00 pm

December 22                       
Sunday Before Nativity
Sunday School Christmas Pageant

December 23                       
Royal Hours of Christmas, 9:00 am

December 24                       
Christmas Eve – Vespers, 4:30 pm

December 25                       
Christmas Day – Orthros/Liturgy, 9:00 am/10:00 am

December 27                       
Paraklesis, 6:30 pm



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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

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.


Gospel Reading

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.


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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal Second Mode

The angelic powers appeared at your tomb, the soldiers guarding it became as dead men, and Mary stood at your grave seeking, seeking your most pure body. But you made hell a captive; you were untouched by its might. You came to the virgin and granted life. O Lord, who rose from the dead, glory to you.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Third Mode

On this day the Virgin cometh to the cave to give birth to * God the Word ineffably, * Who was before all the ages. * Dance for joy, O earth, on hearing * the gladsome tidings; * with the Angels and the shepherds now glorify Him * Who is willing to be gazed on * as a young Child Who * before the ages is God.
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Saints and Feasts

December 01

Nahum the Prophet

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.


December 02

Habakkuk the Prophet

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).


December 03

Zephaniah the Prophet

This Prophet, who is ninth in order among the minor Prophets, was the son of Chusi (Cushi), from the tribe of Levi, or according to some, the great-grandson of King Hezekias. He prophesied in the years of Josias, who reigned in the years 641-610 before Christ. His book of prophecy is divided into three chapters. His name means "Yah has concealed."


December 04

Barbara the Great Martyr

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.


December 05

Savas the Sanctified

This Saint was born in 439 in Moutalaska, a small village of Cappadocia. He entered the arena of the monastic life from childhood and was under that master trainer of monastics, Euthymius, the Great, the teacher of the desert. He became the spiritual Father of many monks and an instructor for the monasteries in Palestine, and was appointed leader (archimandrite) of the desert-dwellers of Palestine by the Patriarch of Jerusalem. In his old age he went to Constantinople, to the Emperors Anastasius and Saint Justinian the Great, in behalf of the Orthodox Faith and the dogmas of the Council of Chalcedon. Having lived ninety-four years, he reposed in 533. The Typicon for the ecclesiastical services had its beginning in the monastery established by this righteous one.


December 06

Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra

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.


December 07

Ambrose, Bishop of Milan

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.


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