t  t  t  t  t  t  t  t  t

The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church

Dayton, Ohio

Rev. Fr. Mark P. Emroll

Sunday Bulletin

January 4, 2009

THE SUNDAY BEFORE THE THEOPHANY

OF JESUS CHRIST

______________________________________________________________________

Saints Commemorated Today:    Synaxis of the Holy Seventy Apostles, the Righteous Theoktistos.

Altar Boys                              St. Mark

Ushers                                    Team 3

Epistle Reading                      II Timothy 4:5-8           

Gospel Reading                      Mark 1:1-8

RESURRECTIONAL HYMN: (Tone 4)

The women disciples of the Lord heard from the angel the joyful news of the Resurrection and the repeal of the sentence imposed upon our forefathers.  With pride they said to the Apostles, “Death is vanquished.  Christ our God is risen, bestowing upon the world His great mercy.”

HYMN OF THE PRE-FEAST FOR THEOPHANY:           

Make ready, O Zebulum; Prepare yourself, O Naphthali; cease to flow, O River Jordan; receive in joy the Master who comes to be baptized.  Adam, rejoice with the first mother.  Do not hide in Paradise, as before, for He came to see us, even naked, that He might clothe us as we were before.  Christ has appeared to renew all creation.

HYMN OF THE ANNUNCIATION:     

Today is the crown of our salvation and the revelation of the Mystery that is from all eternity.  The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin, and Gabriel announces this grace.  Let us join Him and cry out to the Theotokos:  Hail, you who are full of grace, the Lord is with you.

KONTAKION:   

On this day in the streams of River Jordan, the Lord did indeed appear, and called out loudly to John:  Be not afraid to baptize me; I’ve come to save Adam the First-created.

EPISTLE READING:    (II Timothy 4:5-8)

            TIMOTHY, my son, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

            For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

GOSPEL READING:    (Mark 1:1-8)           

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

            As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,

            “Behold, I send my messenger before thy face,

who shall prepare the way; the voice of one

crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the

Lord, make his paths straight-”

            John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And there went out to him all the country of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, and had a leather girdle around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the one whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

THIS WEEK’S CHURCH AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

GOYA Meeting

Monday, January 5

Eve of Theophany

            9:30 am           Royal Hours

            5:30 pm            Greek School Party

6:00 pm           Vesperal Divine Liturgy

 w/ Agiasmos

Tuesday, January 6

Day of Epiphany

8:30 am           Orthros

            9:30 am           Divine Liturgy

            11:30 am           Vasilopita bread baking

7:00 pm             Boys BB

Wednesday, January 7            Fast Day

St. John the Baptist

8:30 am           Orthros

            9:30 am           Divine Liturgy

            7:00 pm Girls BB

Thursday, January 8  

            9:30 am             Philoptochos Meeting

            6:00 pm             Adult Greek Classes     

GOYA BASKETBALL TOURNAENT

Please stop by the GOYA Ad table after church on Sundays in January to purchase an ad for the 35th Annual GOYA Basketball Tournament.  Deadline is Sunday February 1st.

Contact Deb Pulos, Steve Kouroupas or Irene Dow for further information.

t

PARISH PHOTO-PHONE DIRECTORY

It has been nearly seven years since we had a Parish Phone Directory which included photographs of our members.  We are pleased to announce that planning for a new one will begin in January 2009. Watch for details!

t

FEAST OF THE HOLY THEOPHANY (Epiphany)

            This week (Jan. 6^th) we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Theophany in which commemoration is made of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River by St. John the Forerunner.  We mark this major feast beginning on Jan. 5^th with the reading of the Royal Hours of Epiphany in the morning followed by a Vesperal Divine Liturgy celebrated in the evening.  An Agiasmos Service (Blessing of the Waters) is conducted after the Divine Liturgy.  On Jan. 6^th, we honor the day with the celebration of Orthros and the Divine Liturgy.  In addition, we conduct the “Great” Agiasmos Service immediately after the Divine Liturgy. 

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy on both days, the faithful are sprinkled with and invited to partake of the Holy Water.  This Sanctified Water is also used to bless the homes of the faithful.

If you would like your home blessed, please fill out the Home Blessing form found in the  Parish Center lobby.

ho May Receive Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church?    Orthodox Christians fully participate in the celebration of the Liturgy when they receive the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus in Holy Communion, as the Lord himself commands (John 6:53). To receive Communion in the Orthodox Church, one must be a practicing Orthodox Christian. This means that you must be baptized and/or chrismated in the Orthodox Church, and that your beliefs and lifestyle are in accordance with the teachings of the church.
 

n order to be properly prepared for this encounter with Christ, those seeking to receive Communion should not be conscious of grave sin, having opened their hearts with prayer, fasted appropriately and lived with charity and love towards their neighbors.  Because, as the Apostle Paul teaches, it is possible to receive the body and blood of the Lord “in an unworthy manner” and actually be “sinning against the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:27-30), those who are aware of grave sin in their lives should confess their sins and be reconciled to Christ and His Church by participating in the sacrament of confession before approaching the chalice to receive Communion.  Frequent reception of the body and blood of Christ – at every Liturgy, if possible – is encouraged for all Orthodox Christians. 

e welcome those Christians not fully united with us in faith and life to this celebration of the Liturgy.  Unfortunately, the guidelines offered above exclude reception of Communion.  This is a sad and painful consequence of the divisions that exist within Christianity.  Because we believe the reception of Communion to be an action of the celebrating community that signifies a oneness of faith, life and worship, the reception of Communion by Christians not fully united with us would imply a unity that does not yet exist in reality.  We pray that these divisions will lessen and finally disappear, in keeping with Christ’s prayer for His disciples “that they may all be one”  (John 17:21).

e also welcome to this celebration those who do not share our faith in Jesus as Christ and Lord.  While we cannot extend an invitation to receive Communion, we do invite you to pray with us for peace and unity within the human family and hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

t  t  t