PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTS MEN ARE WELCOME TO JOIN THE WOMEN ON

MONDAYS, TOO. The women pray an Akathist to the Mother

of God at 9:30am, and then have coffee and cookies at 10am. All

are welcome.

MEN’S MONDAY MORNING COFFEE - Men's Monday

morning coffee is at the North Star Bakery at 9am every

Monday. No agenda other than good conversation between

friends. Contact Bob Shaw if you have any questions.

ST. NICHOLAS VESPERS – TUESDAY at 6:00pm with

Litia. Leave your shoes in the narthex when you come for the

service so that St. Nicholas can leave a gift for you.

BAPTISM OF MADELYN TOLOSA will be SATURDAY

DECEMBER 9 at 4:00pm. All are welcome.

ST. HERMAN FEAST DAY SERVICES – DEC. 12 & 13

Tuesday Dec. 12 – 6:00pm Great Vespers with Litia followed by

bonfire and refreshments

Wednesday Dec. 13 – 9:00am Divine Liturgy

All are invited to bring a poinsettia to church during Advent

A NOTE REGARDING HOLY COMMUNION Welcome! In the Orthodox Church, reception of the Holy Eucharist is

reserved for baptized, chrismated Orthodox Christians who have prepared

by prayer, fasting and a recent confession. If you are visiting from a non-

Orthodox church or otherwise are not prepared to commune today, you are

welcome to receive some of the unconsecrated, blessed bread which the

acolytes are holding. We pray for all to be united in the Body and Blood of

Christ! If you would like to learn how you can enter into communion with

the Orthodox Church, please speak with our clergy.

SAINT HERMAN ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

Diocese of Los Angeles and the West

PRIMATE and DIOCESAN HIERARCH

His Eminence, the Most Reverend Metropolitan JOSEPH

PASTOR

Rev. Fr. Matthew Howell

DEACON

Rev. Dn. Thomas Ross

Contact Information 6988 N. En Dove Road

Wasilla, Alaska 99654 Pastor’s Phone: (907)373-5254

priest@sainthermanwasilla.org

www.SaintHermanWasilla.org

26th Sunday after

Pentecost

December 3, 2017

From Pascha Sunday to the

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

“FOUNDATIONS OF THE ORTHODOX FAITH” Fr. Matthew’s catechism classes run Sundays from 12:15 – 12:45 in

the parish hall basement. All who can sit and listen are invited, even

the young folks who are interested in learning or the veteran

believers who want to refresh themselves on the Foundations of the

Orthodox Faith.

Class 12 Dec. 3 –On the Incarnation chapter four

Class 13 Dec. 10 – On the Incarnation chapter five

THIS WEEK’S SERVICES December 3 – December 10

Mon. Dec. 4 – 9:30am: Akathist to Mother of God, Nurturer of Children

followed by Ladies Coffee, Craft and Book group at 10am

Tues. Dec. 5 – 6:00pm: Great Vespers with Litia for St. Nicholas

Sat. Dec 9 – 4:00pm: Baptism of Madelyn Tolosa

Sat. Dec. 9 – 6:00pm: Great Vespers

Sun. Dec. 10 – 9:00am: Orthros

Sun. Dec. 10 – 10:00am: Divine Liturgy

V

THE EPISTLE (For the Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost)

Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous.

The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians. (5:8-19)

Brethren, walk as children of light—for the fruit of light is

found in all that is good and right and true—and try to learn what is

pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of

darkness, but instead expose them. For it is a shame even to speak of

the things that they do in secret; but when anything is exposed by the

light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.

Therefore, it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and

Christ shall give you light.” Look carefully then how you walk, not

as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the

days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the

will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is

debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in

psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to

the Lord with all your heart.

THE GOSPEL (For the Fourteenth Sunday of Luke)

The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (18:35-43)

At that time, when 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, Jesus 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 Jesus, glorifying

God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

SAINTS AND FEASTS OF THE DAY The Holy Prophet Zephaniah; Martyrs Agapios, Seleukos and Mamas;

Venerable Theodoulos, Eparch of Constantinople; Hieromartyr Gabriel,

bishop of Ganos and Prusa; New-martyr Angelis of Chios;

Venerable Cosmas of St. Anne Skete on Athos

A GOOD WORD

VITAMINS FOR THE SOUL "Beloved Christians, you and your children shall appear at that

Judgment of Christ, and you shall give account for them to the just

Judge. He will not ask you whether you have taught you children the

arts or whether you have taught them to speak French, or German, or

Italian, but whether you have taught them to live as Christians."

-- St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

"During a time of intense distress from the enemy, when the soul is

in fear, one must pronounce aloud psalms and prayers, or combine

with prayer handiwork so that the mind will pay attention to what it

is performing and pay no attention to the confusion and not be

afraid, for with him is the Lord, and the angel of the Lord never

departs from us." -- St. Paisius Velichkovsky "Only in prayer can we hear. Only in prayer can we understand.

Only in prayer can we magnify the Lord at all times, and especially

during this holy season of the Nativity." -- His Eminence,

Metropolitan JOSEPH

"The Season of the Nativity is about nothing other than preparing a

little room for the Lord Jesus Christ to come and shine in our souls."

-- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"Repentance can happen in one moment if we have the desire. Let us

not be too busy with our lives that we miss that moment in time."

-- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"Repentance means to change our attitude, our behavior, our way of

thinking, and to focus on that moment which will bring salvation

and a new page in our life." -- His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH

"It is not necessary to roam heaven and earth after God or to send

our mind to seek Him in different places. Purify your soul, O son of

man, remove from yourself the thought of memories outside of

nature; hang the veil of chastity and humility before your impulses.

By means of these you will be able to find Him who is within you."

-- St. Isaac the Syrian

"I have seen pride lead to humility. And I remembered him who

said: Who hath known the mind of the Lord? The pit and offspring

of conceit is a fall; but a fall is often an occasion of humility for

those who are willing to use it to their advantage."

-- St. John Climacus

SAINT HERMAN OF ALASKA ORTHODOX CHURCH 6988 N En Dove Rd - Wasilla, AK 99654

Reverend Matthew Howell, Pastor (907)373-5254

DECEMBER 2017Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Nov 26

9:00am Orthros 10:00am Divine

Liturgy

Fast: wine & oil

Nov 27

Fast

Nov 28

Fast

Nov 29

6:00pm Akathist

Fast

Nov 30 St. Andrew the First-

Called Disciple

Fast

1

Fast

2 St. Porphyrios of

Kafsokalyvia

6:00pm Great Vespers

Fast3

9:00am Orthros 10:00am Divine

Liturgy

Fast: wine & oil

4

Fast

5

6:00pm Great Vesperswith Litia

Fast

6 St. Nicholas

Fast: fish, wine, & oil

7

Fast

8

Fast

9

6:00pm Great Vespers

Fast: wine & oil10

9:00am Orthros 10:00am Divine

Liturgy

Fast: wine & oil

11

Fast

12

6pm Great Vesperswith Litia followed bybonfire

Fast

13 St. Herman of Alaska

TBA - Divine Liturgy (check bulletin fortime)

Fast: fish, wine, & oil

14

Fast

15

Fast

16

6:00pm Great Vespers

Fast: wine & oil17

9:00am Orthros 10:00am Divine

Liturgy

Fast: wine & oil

18

Fast

19

6:00pm: Akathist

Fast

20 St. Ignatius of Antioch

Fast

21

Fast

22

10:00am: Royal Hoursfor the Nativity ofChrist

Fast

23

6:00pm Great Vespers

Fast: wine & oil24

9:00am Orthros 10:00am Divine

Liturgy

11:00pm ChristmasMatins followedimmediately atmidnight by ChristmasLiturgy

Fast: wine & oil

25 NATIVITY OF THE

LORD

26

Fast free

27 St. Stephen theProtomartyr

Fast free

28

Fast free

29 St. Anysia

Fast free

30

6:00pm Great Vespers

Fast free

31

9:00am Orthros 10:00am Divine

Liturgy

Fast free

Jan 1 Circumcision of the

Lord St. Basil the Great

Fast free

Jan 2 St. Seraphim of Sarov

Fast free

Jan 3

Fast free

Jan 4

Fast free

Jan 5

10:00am: Royal Hoursfor the Theophany ofour Lord

6:00pm: Divine Liturgywith the Great Blessingof the Water

Fast

Jan 6 THEOPHANY OF

THE LORD

9:00am Orthros

10:00am Festal DivineLiturgy

6:00pm Great Vespers

Please consult the Sunday bulletin for changes to the monthly calendar.

“The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11: 26)

358 Mountain Road, P.O. Box 5238, Englewood, NJ 07631-5238 (201) 871-1355 T Archdiocese@antiochian.org (201) 871-7954 F

Pastoral Letter of His Eminence Metropolitan JOSEPH

Nativity Fast of 2017

I behold a strange and wonderful mystery: the cave a heaven, the Virgin a cherubic throne, and the manger a noble place in which hath laid Christ the uncontained God. Let us, therefore, praise and magnify Him.

Hiermos of the 9th Ode of the First Canon of Christ’s Nativity

Beloved Brother Hierarchs, Reverend Clergy, and Christ-loving Faithful of our God-protected Archdiocese, I greet you with love and joy as we begin this season of preparation for the Nativity in the Flesh of Our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Today, the Holy Church calls us to prepare for the feast by fasting, prayer, and repentance. The surrounding culture calls us to prepare as well – but by decorating, shopping, and hosting parties. One of the most common questions our clergy receive during this time of year is: Why are we in a period of repentance when the rest of the world is celebrating?

For a response to that often asked question, let us look to our divine services. During the Nativity Fast, the Church gives us the triumphant First Canon of Christ’s Nativity to strengthen us and urge us on in our journey. In the hiermos of the ninth ode, we are struck by the contrasting images of the cave as a heaven, the Virgin as a cherubic throne, and the manger as a noble place. In the Incarnation of Our Lord, we see all of the normal categories of our fallen world turned upside down. His birth reveals power in humility, wealth in poverty, kingship in servitude, and divinity in lowliness.

To fully enter into the mystery of this great act of God, we also must put aside the normal of this world. Our society now offers us the fleeting worldly happiness that comes from overindulging at holiday parties and overspending on consumer goods. The Church now offers us the eternal heavenly joy that comes from freeing ourselves from our passions and turning our focus to the love of God and neighbor. In other words, the normal way of celebrating according to the world is through satiety, but the true way of celebrating according to the new creation ushered in by Christ’s incarnation is through sobriety.

Beloved in Christ, let us strive during this sacred season to truly experience the new normal where there is actually no contrast at all in a cave truly becoming heaven, a Virgin truly becoming a cherubic throne, and a manger truly becoming noble. This paradoxical experience only comes through our finding joy in repenting, fulfillment in abstaining, and love for God and neighbor through self-emptying.

Praying for all of you to be granted a holy, pure, and grace-filled fast, I remain,

Your Father in Christ,

+JOSEPH Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America

ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN ARCHDIOCESE OF NORTH AMERICA

His Eminence The Most Reverend

Metropolitan JOSEPH

Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of

All North America

Items most needed at Mat-Su Food Bank:

1. Beans – canned or dry

2. Tomato products

3. Canned meats

4. Cereal

Of course all non-perishable items are accepted.

Please drop off your donations in the Food Bank

bin in the Parish Hall. May God bless you for

your generosity.

Please Join Us for a High School Youth Retreat

Finding Your Place to Serve

Sponsored by St. John Orthodox Cathedral

Friday, January 12, 2018 @ 5:00 pm- Sunday, January 14, 2018 @ 3:30 pm

St. Therese’s Camp

7180 Twin Lakes Drive, Wasilla Alaska

Speaker: Fr. Vasili Hillhouse, Pastor of Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church

Cost: $75 (Includes lodging and meals)

Register by January 1, 2018 rogers.christine@gmail.com

Contact Fr. John or Kh. Christine Rogers with any questions. 907-696-7477

YOU CAN HELP THE YOUTH GROUP OF SAINT HERMAN

ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH EARN DONATIONS JUST BY

SHOPPING WITH YOUR FRED MEYER REWARDS CARD!

Every quarter Fred Meyer sends a check to our church, which gets deposited into

our Youth Group account to be used for camp and retreat scholarships and other

activities. Here is how you can support our youth group:

1. Go to www.fredmeyer.com/communityrewards.

2. At the top right of the screen, click “Sign in” or “Register”

3. After signing in, click “Re-enroll or link your Rewards Card now” under the section

Are you a Fred Meyer Customer?

4. In the search box, enter 91379 or “Saint Herman Antiochian Orthodox Church”

5. Click the button next to our church’s name, then click “Enroll.”

Then, every time you shop and use your Rewards Card, you are helping the Youth

Group of Saint Herman Church earn a donation! You still earn your Rewards Points,

Fuel Points, and Rebates, just as you do today. If you do not have a Rewards Card, it is

available at the Customer Service desk of any Fred Meyer store. For more

information, please visit www.fredmeyer.com/communityrewards.

Dates: July 4–8, 2018Venue: Red Lion Hotel on the RiverHosted by: St. George Antiochian Orthodox ChurchRoom rate: $129 (early bird)Hotel perks: Free high-speed Internet, free parking free shuttle to light rail station (easy access to downtown and other shopping areas—tax-free shopping!)

Here’s what people are saying about Portland:

2018 Parish Life ConferencePortland

Don’t Miss It!

“Best U.S. tourism destination” (U.S. Tourism Quality Performance Report)

“Food and drink capital of America” (London Telegraph)

“One of 10 best food cities in America” (Washington Post)

#1 on American Greenest Cities list (Travel + Leisure)

“Best food town” (Sunset)

Early Bird Ticket Book: $170 (adults)

$165 (teens)

$125 (children)

Room Rate: $129 (early bird—great rate for Portland)

Thursday Hospitality Night: Independence Day Party with Talent Show

Friday Night: Bible Bowl followed by Swing Dance and Dessert Reception

Saturday Morning: Brunch with Sayedna and Awards

Saturday Afternoon: Oratorical Contest and Choir Festival

Saturday Night: Hafli

Sunday: Hierarchical Divine Liturgy

2018 PLC in PortlandThe Highlights