27th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST — Tone 2. ST. NICHOLAS THE
WONDERWORKER, ARCHBISHOP OF MYRA IN LYCIA (ca. 345).
Ephesians 6: 10-17
Luke 17:12-19
St. Nicholas was born in the city of Patara in the region of Lycia (Asia
Minor), and was the only son of pious parents. As the fruit of the prayer of
his childless parents, the infant Nicholas from the very day of his birth
revealed to people the light of his future glory as a wonderworker. His
mother, Nonna, after giving birth was immediately healed from illness.
From his childhood Nicholas thrived on the study of Divine Scripture; by
day he would not leave church, and by night he prayed and read books,
making himself a worthy dwelling place for the Holy Spirit. Bishop
Nicholas of Patara ordained him a reader, and then elevated Nicholas to the
priesthood.
There was a certain formerly rich inhabitant of Patara who had three grown
daughters, and in desperation he planned to sell their bodies so they would
have money for food. The saint, learning of the man’s poverty and of his
wicked intention, secretly visited him one night and threw a sack of gold
through the window. With the money the man arranged an honorable
marriage for his daughter.
After a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, St. Nicholas decided to withdraw into
the desert, but he was stopped by a divine voice urging him to return to his
native country. He returned to Lycia, and yearning for a life of quiet, the
saint entered into a monastery. But the Lord again indicated another path for
him, “Nicholas, this is not the vineyard where you shall bear fruit for Me.
Return to the world, and glorify My Name there.” So he left Patara and went
to Myra in Lycia.
Nicholas was chosen as Bishop of Myra after one of the bishops of the
Council said that a new archbishop should be revealed by God, not chosen
by men. One of the elder bishops had a vision of a radiant Man, Who told
him that the one who came to the church that night and was first to enter
should be made archbishop. The saint, always the first to arrive at church,
was stopped by the bishop. “What is your name, child?” he asked. God’s
chosen one replied, “My name is Nicholas, Master, and I am your servant.”
After his consecration as archbishop, St. Nicholas remained a great ascetic,
appearing to his flock as an image of gentleness, kindness and love for
people. In the year 325, St Nicholas was a participant in the First
Ecumenical Council. This Council proclaimed the Nicean Symbol of Faith,
and he stood up against the heretic Arius. Fired with zeal for the Lord, he
struck the heretic Arius upon his face. For this reason, he was deprived of
the emblems of his episcopal rank. But several of the holy Fathers had the
same vision, seeing the Lord Himself and the Mother of God returning to
him the Gospel and omophorion.
Having returned to his own diocese, the saint brought it peace and blessings,
sowing the word of Truth, uprooting heresy, nourishing his flock with sound
doctrine, and also providing food for their bodies. Having reached old age,
St. Nicholas peacefully fell asleep in the Lord. His venerable relics were
preserved incorrupt in the local cathedral church and flowed with myrrh,
from which many received healing.
(Source: www.oca.org/saints)
SCHEDULE
Sunday, Dec. 6..…………………Third Hour – 9:30 am
Prayers to St. Xenia – 9:45 am
Divine Liturgy – 10:00 am
Akathist Prayers for St. Nicholas
Saturday, Dec. 12………………..Great Vespers with Litya for St Herman – 6:00 pm
Sunday, Dec. 13..………………..Third Hour – 9:30 am
General Confession – 9:45 am
Divine Liturgy – 10:00 am
Akathist Prayers for St. Herman of Alaska
Happy December Birthdays to: Wayne Babyack, Alex Bohensky, Abigail
Braun, David Christensen, Elizabeth Connerat, Kari Constantine, Sonya
Dzwonczyk, Eleanor Fichtner, Dr. Kurt Fitchner, Olga Garey, Anna Gurevich,
Maria Hasenecz, April-Chrystal Holmes, Patricia Kaufman, Robert Kern,
Deanna Kietrys, William Kraftician, Sandra Masklee, Sofia O'Malley, Joseph
Penola, John Penola, Erica Potosky, Lori Prymak, Jack Smith, Mary Tczap,
Deryl Tczap, Donna Tompkins, Jon Vandermark IV, Katherine Vandermark,
Mark Wydner.
Happy December Wedding Anniversaries to: Debbie & Martin Burne,
Cheryl & Brian Farbanish, Margo & Roy Robinson, Dr. & Mrs. Kurt Fichtner.
The study group on The Mountain of Silence has been postponed until
Saturday, Jan. 9th at 6 pm, which will be "Prayers, Pizza and Discussion".
A reminder that Christmas Flower envelopes are due TODAY if you would
like to offer flowers for the altar in memory of a loved one.
Support HTOC when you shop online at Amazon through the Amazon
Associates Program. Holy Trinity will receive a minimum of 4% commission
from every order placed through: http://amzn.to/1Ii8S8f. The key is to enter
Amazon through the link above to ensure that HTOC is credited.
Holy Trinity Orthodox Church
Please order your pierogies! We can now sell to the general public, so print
or pick up a few extra order forms and take them to work with you. There is a
new order form in the narthex. Pick up is Sunday from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm
during Coffee Hour.
PO Box 630, Ironia, NJ 07845: 120 Dover-Chester Road, Randolph, NJ 07869
The Scrip Program is another way to pay for everyday purchases using gift
cards in place of cash or credit cards. You purchase gift cards from HTOC at
face value, and Irene Walsh orders those cards at a reduced price. Just by
using Scrip to pay for your normal weekly purchases, you can easily raise
funds for the church. Please see Irene for more information.
The Care Committee is selling cookies for Christmas. Please see Carol
Holmes or Matushka Kerri to pre-purchase your cookies. A 2-pound box sells
for $10 or $12 on sale day. Pick-up on Sunday, 12/20.
The NJ District will hold the traditional St. Nicholas/St. Andrew Vespers
service on December 6 at 4 pm at Holy Apostles in Saddle Brook. A
collection will be taken for the NJ District Scholarship Fund.
Please consider donating a ShopRite gift card for Christmas Dinner for the
Interfaith Food Pantry. We will be collecting them until December 20.
Cover Icon: St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
Do you have news items for the Bulletin? Please email items to Amal
Morcos at amorcos6@gmail.com.
The martyrs earned paradise with their blood; the Monastics, with their
ascetic life. Now we, my brethren, who beget children, how shall we earn
paradise? With hospitality, by relieving the poor, the blind, the lame, as
Joachim did . . . Almsgiving, love, and fasting sanctify man, enrich him in
both soul and body, and bring him to a good end; the body and the soul
become holy.
+ St. Cosmas of Aetolia
Offering the Fullness of the Christian Faith
Orthodox Church in America
Diocese of New York and New Jersey
www.holytrinityrandolph.com / 973-366-8360
Rev. David R. Fox, Rector
(c) 201-841-7590 – fatherdavid@holytrinityrandolph.com
V. Rev. George Hasenecz, Attached – Carol Wetmore, Choir Director