12
Holy Prophet Habakkuk; St. Uros, King of Serbia; Ven Joannicius of Devich
Liturgical Color: Purple Tone 8
Prayers offered for theRepose of the Soul
+MlLAN, +MILDRED Dabich
+STEVE DabicSam & Shir ley Dabich
+NAIDA P. CronovichCharles Cronovich
Donna K. Medich
+JOHN + MARTHA DemonjaDonna K. Medich
+BOJANA GegicMilan & Mary Ann Gegich
+BRANISLA% +MARA,
December 15, 2013
25th Sunday after PENTECOST
Petar & Dara lsakovic & Family
+MIKE LukichMill icent Evanoff& Anna Kutlich
+MIKE OstoichDonna K. Medich
+ALEXAN DER (SANDA) PavlovichMary PavlovichPaula & Larry StawickPero, Nada & Aleks Pavlovich
Gospel: Luke 10:25-37
Epistle; Eph 4:1-6
+VLADO, +NADA. +LJUBOMIR,
+MARIJA SuvakLjubo, Angel,, Maria, Jessica & Daniella Suvak
+GEORGIA Ristum, +EM lLZatezaloThe Zatezalo & Kovach Families
MAYTHEIR MEMORYBE ETERNAL
VECNAJA PAMJAT
Divine Liturgy Thu rsday,December i"g,2o!3 at 9:ooA.M.
Celebrat ing 5t. Nicholas theWsndervrerk€r of Myre in LyeiE
PRAYERS OFFERED FOR THEHEALTH OF THE SERVANTS OF GOD
SVETO Apostolovski & Family
MOMCILO, Bogdanovic & FamilyMickey Bogdanovic
DALIBOR.Dimovski & Family
DEAN, NINA, GEORGE &SAM GoooasianDean & Nina Googasian
ANN Gr ider
DRAGOJE, .SLADJANA" JENN I FER &JULIA MilenkovicDragoje & Sladjana Milenkovic
vloLETA. Tt FFANY, ALEXAN D RArIVANKA & MATTHEW PETROVSKI
DUSAN Petrovski & Farnily
zvEzDA, sAsHA, SUZ|E, NIKOLA.ALEKSANDAR, MARKO, JI MMY,DENISE. ASHLEY. KATLIN, BRANDONBOBBY, AMANDA, JAKOB,
ADRIANA & OLIVIA RisticZvezda Ristic
ThankYou-Hvala
TT# 25TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOSf
THE EPISf'LE OF ST. PAUL TO THE EPHESIANS
4:1-6
rethren, I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you tolead a life worthy of the calling to which you have beencalled, with all humility and gentleness, with patience,bearing with one another in love, making every effort to
maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were calledto the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, onebaptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all andthrough all and in all. But each of us was given grace accordingto the measure of Christ's gift.
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Many of the questions thqt we discuss ore onswered in port in the formolcotechism of the Orthodox Church. A catechism is o summory or expositionof doctrine. From the times of the New Testoment to the present the cqtechismhas served to teach children ond qdult converts cbout our Orthodox fqith.
The contents of the Orthodox Cotechism includes: Msn's relationship with 6od inrhe Old Testoment, Seven Holy Mysteries (Socroments), the source of Orthodoxfoith, the Creed, the Ten Commondments, The new Low of God, Eostern OrthodoxChurch Yeer, ond Sacred Objecfs. fn this orticle we wil l review the HolySocrqments olso known as the Holy Mysteries.
Seven Hofy fitysterieslsacroments consist of
1. Holy Bcptism - ft is o Holy Mystery by which the bopfized person is
cleqnsed from oll sins, both the originol and personol qnd, os a newborn child
af God, is incorporqted info the Church Of Christ. The most irnporfont port
is immersion in woter in the name of Holy Trinity: af the Father, ond of Son
ond of the Holy Spirit.
2. Holy Chrismction - it is divine mystery through which o boptized person isqrmed by The Hoty Spirit with the strength and wisdom ond other gifts to
keep the right foith ond live o holy lif e.The following ports ore onointed:
torehead, breast, eyes,ears,cheeks, mouth, hands qnd feet.
3. Holy Communion - It is o holy Mystery in which faithful Christiqns toke the
true Body ond Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the visible form of bread
ond wine. Tf we do not communicote we ore in mortcl donger. For the Lord
soid emphoticolly, "Unless ye eot the f lesh of the Son of mon ond drink Hisblood, yehave no l i fe in you" (John 6:53)
4. Holy Repentcnce (Conf ession) - It is o Holy Mystery through which our sins,
when confessed, oreforgiven snd our reconciliqtion with God is restored.
We know our sins are f orgiven becouse Christ f orgave sins to the panitent,
ond the opostles did the sqme. From Trodition we know mony instonces of
sinners who repented of their sins, corrected thelr lif e ond become soints.
5. Holy rlt\ctrimony - In holy Motrimony or Morrioge, the Holy Spirit unites
into one o Christion mon ond womon, who pledge bef ore the priest alif e-long
bond of mutuol love ond f idelity, ond receive the blessing for bearing cnd
educating children. The Union of a mon qnd womon is the closest of all
humon relationships. For it wos soid: "A mon sholl leave his fother ond his
mother ond shqll cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh" (Gen
2:?4)
6. Hofy Unction - ft consists of the priesf's prayers and the onointing of o sick
person with blessed oil, through which God's grace aff ects the recovery of
the suff erer. Sickness meons of body or of soul. fn Mork 6;13 "anointed
wifh oil many thot were sick, ond healed them" ft is adrninistered not only to
the dying but to those who are struggling with illness.
7. Holy Priesthood (ordinction) - It is the;!\ystery in which the Holy Spirit,
through the loying on the hands of the bishops, gives grace and outhority to
the ordoined bishop or priest to perform other Mysteries ond to conduct
the religious life of the people.
The diff erence between bishop, priest ond deacon is thot bishop con odminister
oll seven Holy Mysteries: the priest can administer oll except Holy Priesthood:
ond, the deccon qssists both the bishop ond the priest, but alone he cannot
perform any of the Holy Mysteries.
Some exomples of questions which cre onswered in the Catechism of theOrthodox Church
Q: How often should we proy?ft depends on how much we love our God. The more we love Him the more often weore in proyerful communication with Him. The perf ect ones are constontly prcyingto God, occording to Christ's words: "Men should alwoys pray" (Luke 18:1). Thebqsic number is 5 times per day: upon woking,before each meol andbeforebed.
Q: Whot do we reguest in first petition "Hcllowed be Thy nome"?We osk God's help thot His nqme may be respected by men cnd kept holy obove allother ndmes in the world. ft is importani not take the nqme of the Lord thy 6od invoin.
Q: Whot are the new commandments?These two lows revealed and ordered by Jesus Christ: "And you shall lovethe Lord your 6od with sll your heort, with all your soul, with oll your mind, andwith all your strength. This is the f irst commandment. (Mqrk 12:30)The second commandment is'You sholl love your neighbor os yourself (Matthew22:39) Christ said"There ore no ather commandments greoter thon these".TheGospel soys: odherents to these two commondments forbeor more thon is sskedqnd, do more thon is expectzd.
References:1. Book the Faith of the Soints , A Cstechism by 5t. Bishop Nikoloi Velimirovic2. The Sscroments of the Orhodox church by Rev. George Nicozisin and
Presbytero Freido Upson3. htip:/lwww.orthodoxonswars.orgltopics.qspx
rn the meontime, we nrould like to invite oll of you to join us, every Fridoy ot7 pm in the church's librory- See you there.
TT{E 25TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
TTIE COSPEL ACCORDING TO ST" LUKE
7O25-37
t that t ime a lawyer stoodup to test Jesus.
-"Teacher,"
hi: said, "what must I do toinherit eternal l i fe?" Hesaid to him, "'lVhat is
written in the law? What do Youread there?" He answered, "Youshall love the Lord your Cod withall your heart, and wilh all Yoursodl, and with all your strength,and with all your mind; and Yourneishbor as Yourself." And he saidto h"im, "You have given the rightanswer; do this, and You will live-
But wanting to justifYhimself, he asked Jesus, "And whgis my neighbor?" Jesus rePlied, "A*utt *"igoing down froin Jerusalem to Jericho, a]rd fell into the-[-ddJoiioUn?ts,
who stripped him, beat him, and went awaY.i;;ffis i'iildfril;il "itii#i,;;ffiil;;piieir"T goins down thatroad: ind when he saw him, hi passed bybn the other side-$ lil;#iil'il;;'it., *tt* tie .uint to th6.place and saw him, passcdby on the other side. But a samaritan while traveling.ul" TT 1T;
"ird *h*tt he saw him, he was moved wilh pi-tJ*..He went to him ano
ffi.i"[;a hir;;fidr;ii;"ili p,ouled oitr aird wine on them. Then he
dt[1fr on his oto".tii*al, firbught him to an inn, and took care ofhim.
The next dav he took out two denarii, gave them to theinnkeeper;tftf tuii, fur.u iu.e of him; qlq'yhgq.t come bac$, I willrepay vou whatever more you spend.' Which of these threer-do you
;[ilIi,"*; u "uignnor
to tlie man who fell into the hands of therobbers?" He saidll'Tnii"* *troittowea him mercy." Jesus said to him,"Go and do likewise."
Arlnowncements*Any Pomens or Health prayers called into the office after rz:ooP.M. on Tuesdays will
not be published in the current weeks bulletin. They prayers will be said in Church that Sundayand wil l be published in the fol lowing week bullet in.
*Adult Spiritual Book Club and Adult Spiritual Discussion Classes every Friday at the
Library in the Serbian Hall. Join the group for lively discussion about our Orthodox
Faith and the Liturgy. The group meets at 7:oopm and everyone is welcome.
Volunteers are needed to help assemble the Christmas mailing, your help would be appreciatedif you can join us on Wednesday December :.8, zor3 at ro;oo in the Choir room in the hall atro:ooA.M. As always we will have bagels & coffee (Sweet Treats too!).
. The Sisters are selling their "Christmas Cookie Tins" today in the hall. Stop by and pick up a
tin for $1o.oo, they make a great Christmas gift for teachers, neightors & friends!
. Please join us in the upper halltoday for our Sveti Nikola program and our Nikola Tesla
exhibit! The children have worked really hard to put together a wonderful program/
presentation for you.
. Today during the Nikola Tesla exhibit we will be announcing the winner of our "Festival of
Trees". lf you haven't casted your vote, it's not too late, the ballot box will be in the Narthex
this morning and in the hallfollowing Divine Liturgy. The deadline will be at rz:ooP.M.-so
hurry and vote for your favorite tree!
. Thank you to everyone who supported our "Angels" at Vista Maria this Christmas. This year
with your suppoft we sponsored 49 girls. " The Greatest threat to our spiritual growth is our
emotions, because we grow to the level of our unhealed scars. We either grow or die, we can
not stay the same. Anything that stops growing begins to die. Pain is the greatest threat
and pain is the greatest opportunity for growth". These young girls have endured more pain
in their live than any of us can imagine. This holiday season, your generosity and selflessness
through our "Adopt an Angel" will give these girlls the gift of love and a gift of healing
through our almighty God. God Bless you and your family this holiday season!
A MOST.HALLOWED SHEPHERD OF THE WORLDerhaps no saint is as universally revered throughout Christianity as St.Nicholas. This 4th century saint attained the lofty position of Archbishop ofMyra in Lycia, and was privileged to be numbered among the 318 Hierachs
present at the First Ecumenical Council in Nicea in 325 A.D.
Despite his venerable accomplishments and achievements, St. Nicholas is bestremembered for very simple and basic reasons. St. Nicholas did not leave us with anytheological works or scholarly writings as did many of the early Church Fathers.Instead, he left behind the image of a bishop who was the personification of ashepherd. His entire life was dedicaied to caring for his entrusted flock, Their needswere his concern, and numerous stories and legends speak of his acts of charity andgenerosity, which were always carried out in a Christ-like m&nner of humiiity.
The icon on our Chursh Bulletin today represents an image of St. Nicholassurrounded by twelve selected scenes from his life, The scenes range from depictionsof his birth and death to images portraying miracles attributed to this beloved bishop.
The Troparion hymn to St. Nicholas praises him as ". , . A M)DEL OF FAITH, AMAN EXAMPLE OF WBTIIE." IIe is commemorated during this sacred season ofAdvent to remind us that we, too, must strive to be a similar "model" and "example."We must dedicate our lives to the One Who became incarnate for the sake of oursalvation!
@be @ttbg\ox Bethlp @uUttin . . ... Vesur, crirrwood, New Jersey Licho in u.S.A.
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