Blessed Feast of the Nativity of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ to all of our Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters who continue to celebrate on January 7.
Christ is born – Glorify Him!
Hristos se rodi – Vaistinu se rodi!
S’rozhdyestvom Hristovym!
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia at Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow, Russia
Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and all Ukraine
Patriarch Irinej of Serbia at the Archangel Michael Cathedral in Belgrade, Serbia
The Christmas vigil at Visoki Dečani Monastery in Serbia
Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem at the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem
Patriarch Theophilos III serving the Divine Liturgy where our Lord Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem (look beneath the altar – the star marks the very spot)
Xenophontos Monastery, Mt. Athos (Greece) – Jan. 6-7, 2017. Fr. Paul serving alongside His Grace Bishop +NICHOLAS of Miami and the Southeast. The Nativity Vigil lasted about 10 hours.
Why the different dates?
Simply put, the following Orthodox Christian churches adopted the Revised Julian Calendar introduced in Constantinople in May 1923: Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Albania, Czech Lands and Slovakia, Estonia and the OCA.
The purpose of the Revised Julian Calendar was to synchronize the Eastern Orthodox world with the West’s Gregorian Calendar.
At the same time, the following rejected this introduction and continue to celebrate according to the Julian Calendar, which is 13 days different than the Revised. The Julian Calendar churches are: Mt. Athos, Jerusalem, Russia, Serbia, Georgia, Poland, Sinai, Ukraine, and Japan.
Nonetheless, our calculation of PASCHA has remained the same, which is why the Orthodox Christian churches throughout the world continue to celebrate on the same day – Revised Julian or not.
Needless to say, Orthodox Christians do not worship the Calendar but the One True Living God who has revealed Himself to the world.
Learn more about the Church Calendar
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Blessing Homes
Blessing homes of Orthodox Christians is done each year on or after the feast of Theophany. This act is the central sign of God’s sanctification of all things through Christ’s baptism in the river Jordan and His epiphany to the world… The sanctification of the home takes place with prayer and the sprinkling of holy water. The priest, at this annual visit, asks God to have mercy on the house, to rid it of every evil and to fill it with every blessing. Everyone of the house prays together for the living and the dead of the family… and process from room to room while the priest blesses the house.
(source: orthodoxwiki.org)
“… keep safe from harm all those who dwell herein. Vouchsafe them sanctification, purification and health of body, and grant their petitions which are unto salvation and life everlasting…”
Fr. Paul will come with the angels, with the water of the Jordan and the blessing of Christ, to distribute holiness, encouragement, strength, joy, and grace, for the peace and purification of your life. This is why every Orthodox Christian should bless their home.
Contact Fr. Paul (frpaulgirgis@gmail.com) to schedule a house blessing and establish a “bond of holiness” between The Church and your home.
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Stewardship Sunday
with Pancake Breakfast
(Jan. 13)
“Stewardship is faith in action.”
Please remember to bring your Stewardship (Pledge) Card to drop in the offering plate or simply mail it to the parish using the provided envelope.
Make sure to stay and enjoy the Pancake Breakfast at Fellowship Hour following the Divine Liturgy and Announcements – your 10$ donation towards the Pancake Breakfast can be offered at the table in the Narthex (before entering the Nave – “worship space”).
Stewardship, brothers and sisters, is not simply about our wallet but our heart.
“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” +Matthew 6:21
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Weekly Bible Study Group
Thursday 6PM-7PM
Join us in gathering together to learn about the Holy Scriptures through the lens of the Ancient Christian Faith.
This is not a lecture hour with Fr. Paul but rather a warm-discussion about the relevant reading and how it fits into our personal life, local community, and world.
This is how we learn about the Faith.
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Great Vespers
Saturday 6:00PM
Why is Great Vespers important?
“The service leads to the meditation of God’s word and the glorification of his love for men. It instructs and allows us to praise God for the particular events or persons whose memory is celebrated and made present to us in the Church. It prepares us for the sleep of the night and the dawn of the new day to come. On the eves of the Divine Liturgy, it begins the movement into the most perfect communion with God in the sacramental mysteries.”
Learn more about Great Vespers here
