+
Sunday, November 12th 2006 +
22nd Sunday after Pentecost
Feast of St. John the Merciful, Patriarch of
Alexandria
Tone:
5 + Eothinion: 11
*******************************************************************************************************
+ In the
Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +
“The grace that shone forth from your mouth
like a torch has enlightened the universe, bestowed treasures of generosity
upon the world and shown us the depth of your humility. While you teach us by
your words, Father John Chrysostom, intercede with the Word, Christ our God,
for the salvation of our souls”.
+ The
Epistle +
Verse: “Let Thy mercy, O
Lord, be upon us,
Rejoice
in the Lord, O you righteous”.
The Reading is from
the Second Letter of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians.
(Chapter 9:6-11)
Brethern, he who sows sparingly will also reap
sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each
one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God
loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you,
that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance
for every good work. As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given
to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” Now may He who supplies seed
to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown
and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in
everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.
+ The
Holy Gospel +
(Chapter 10:25-37)
At that time, a certain lawyer stood up and
tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said
to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” So he
answered and said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with
all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your
neighbor as yourself.’” And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this
and you will live.” But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who
is my neighbor?” Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from
Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing,
wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain
priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other
side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and
passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came
where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and
bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal,
brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed,
he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take
care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’
So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the
thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him,
“Go and do likewise.”
Meditation – St. John Chrysostom (Feast Day: Monday,
November 13th)
“You
do not achieve it by toilings and labors, but you receive it by a gift from
above, contributing one thing only from your own storehouse, that is,
‘believing:’.” Such is St. John Chrysostom’s comment on Rom. 1:17 about God’s
righteousness which is revealed “from faith to faith.” What a believer St.
Chrysostom was, and not only a believer, but also a laborer! All of his labors
as preacher, biblical commentator, priest, patriarch and editor of the Divine
Liturgy had but a single purpose: to save souls. In an uncompromising spirit
reminiscent of Christ and St. Paul, St. John Chrysostom (or, “Golden-Mouthed”)
was consumed by love of God’s truth which he both preached and practiced
without regard to personal cost. Persecuted by bishops and emperors, he died (September
14, 407) in exile and the last words on his lips were: “Thanks be to God for
everything!” Because of the Feast Day of the Exaltation of the Cross (September
14), his Feast Day was moved to November 13. All of the great Church Fathers,
such as St. Basil and St. Athanasios, anchored their life and work on the Bible
– and above them all St. John Chrysostom. St. Chrysostom was not only
continuously preaching the Word of God at every opportunity but also had Bible
classes twice each week where he unceasingly encouraged lay Christians to
become knowledgeable in the treasures of God’s wisdom and to live by them. To
open the Bible and to read prayerfully and attentively its rich library of
books was for St. John to open one’s sails to the Holy Spirit and to embark on
a most exciting journey in the spiritual seas and shorelines of God’s kingdom.
Christians according to him are not only to know the Scriptures but also to
engrave them on their hearts. Ignorance of the Bible, so Chrysostom teaches, is
the source of the greatest evils in the world, while knowledge of the Bible is
the source of the greatest blessings. His numerous commentaries of the Bible
(Chrysostom has given us commentaries on almost all of the books of the New
Testament) are translated into many languages, including English, and are still
valuable not only for scholars but also for every reader of the Bible who desires to be engaged with the
good news of God’s love for us. Who would not perhaps be offended if valuable treasures
of a local parish, such as an extra gold chalice, a silver set, bowls and other
gifts, were melted down or sold to provide for the needs of the poor, sick and
unemployed? Is not our tendency to spend excessively for Church buildings and
decorations and to spend sparingly for numerous cases of urgent need in the
world? We begin to understand Chrysostom’s heart when we appreciate that this
humble but strong man of God dared lay a hand on the accumulated treasures of
the Church of Constantinople in order to feed the hungry, sick, widows, orphans
and prisoners – which was the beginning of his undoing in Constantinople! Born
in a noble and wealthy home, St. John died personally penniless. But he also
used very effectively the material resources of the Church of Antioch to
provide for the needy and tried to do the same in the short years when he was
Patriarch of Constantinople. He enriched people with the Word of God, and he
also sustained the needy with every means at his disposal. This double ministry
is the theme of his Feast Day hymn: “The grace that shone forth from your mouth
like a torch has enlightened the universe, bestowed treasures of generosity
upon the world and shown us the depth of your humility. While you teach us by
your words, Father John Chrysostom, intercede with the Word, Christ our God,
for the salvation of our souls.
* Announcements
& Activities *
“It is good to be Zealous in a Good Thing
Always…” (Galatians 4:18)
Ø
Every Saturday at 6:00 p.m. - Great Vespers
Ø
Feast of St. Philip the Apostle: Vespers on Monday,
November 13th 2006 at 6:00 p.m.
“PHILIP, The Most Reverend and
the Most devout, chosen by God as the Metropolitan of North America, our Father
and Chief Shepherd, may God grant him many years.”
(We would like to wish
our beloved Metropolitan PHILIP
a Blessed Feast Day, may God grant him many more years in His service.)
Ø
Feast of St. Matthew the Evangelist: Vespers on Wednesday,
November 15th 2006 at 6:00 p.m.
v
Nativity Fast
The Nativity Fast begins on November 15th and ends on December 24th. Our
traditional practice for the laity is to fast from all meat and dairy products.
Fish is allowed only on Saturdays and Sundays.
May we all be prepared by praying and fasting to receive the Lord in our
hearts this Holy Nativity. Have a Blessed Fast!
Do
Not Fast:
Fasting
Guidelines:
The purpose of fasting is to focus on the
things of God’s Kingdom and be freed from dependence on worldly things. Fasting
in itself is not a means of pleasing God. Fasting is not a punishment for our
sins. Nor is fasting a means of suffering and pain to be undertaken as some
kind of atonement. Christ already
redeemed us on His Cross. Salvation is
a gift from God that is not bought by our hunger or thirst. We fast to be
delivered from carnal passions so that God’s gift of Salvation may bear great
fruit in our lives. We fast and turn our eyes toward God in His Holy Church.
Fasting and Prayer are meant to go together. Most of all, it is important that
we do not eat each other. We ask God to “set a watch and keep the door of our
lips.” Fasting is not irrelevant, is not obsolete, is not something for someone
else. Fasting is from God, for us, right here and right now. We fast faithfully
and in secret, not judging others and not holding ourselves up as an example.
ü
Fellowship of St. John
the Divine
There has been a Time Change for our weekly
meetings – we are now meeting every Tuesday
from 7:20 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. A Bible Study/Religious
Discussion will take place in the Cathedral Hall downstairs, and once in a
while there will be an outing for dinner, etc. Please give us your email
address if you are not receiving our weekly online newsletter & calendar.
All members of the Fellowship of St. John the Divine are still asked to attend
the Great Vespers Service every Saturday at 6:00 p.m. in preparation for
Sunday’s Divine Liturgy.
ü
Teen SOYO
There has been a Time Change for our weekly
meetings – we are now meeting every Wednesday
from 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m SHARP. All members of the
Teen SOYO are asked to attend the weekly Teen Night Meetings no matter what
the topic or activities are! We have a mix of activities: Sports, Games,
Discussions, Bible Studies, etc. Please come on time, we begin every Teen Night
Meeting with the Little Compline Service at 7:00 p.m. sharp.
ü Parish Bible Studies &
Catechism in Arabic
Join us every Wednesday from 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. in the Conference Room (Church
School Building), as there are Arabic Bible Studies & Catechism led by Fr.
Ghattas. These lessons are open for the entire parish, especially those
who are more comfortable with Arabic. Please bring your questions about our
Faith and your willingness to learn. Parents who have Teens can bring them to the
regular Teen SOYO meeting in the Cathedral Hall downstairs. If your teens are
not yet registered in Teen SOYO and are not receiving our weekly online
newsletter, please register by calling the Cathedral Office.
ü Job Opportunity
St. Elias Banquet Centre is now
hiring Full & Part time Servers. If interested, please call (613) 737-4997
and leave a message or visit the Centre Office at 750 Ridgewood Ave.
ü St. Elias Orthodox Cathedral Choir
St. Elias Orthodox Cathedral Choir
welcomes all members of our congregation to sing with us each Sunday morning.
Men and women of all ages who can sing and enjoy listening to the Choir
upstairs are welcome to join. We cannot stress this enough. The future of our
Choir needs everyone’s support. Please contact the Choir Director Grant Shaker
(613-733-9118; leave a message) or join us Sunday morning upstairs in the Choir
Loft at 9:45 a.m. Rehearsals are every Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m.
ü The Spirit of
Giving is Here - Annual Food Drive
What do these numbers represent?
v
40,000: The number of Ottawa residents who go to food banks
in a month.
v
16,000:
The number who are children.
v
112:
The number of local agencies feeding the hungry with the help of The Ottawa Food Bank.
Once
again St. Elias Orthodox Cathedral is holding their annual food drive organized
by the St. Elias Church School. PLEASE
GIVE GENEROUSLY!!!! Like previous years we are asking our parishioners to
bring in non-perishables such as canned food, boxes of pasta, rice, etc. Please
bring the food to the Church School’s office located on the main floor of the
Church School. NOTE: The Church School students can also give their donations
to their respective teachers. Lets help the Ottawa Food Bank fight Community
Hunger!
ü Church School
Teachers Sunday
Today
is dedicated to the Church School Teachers! We would like to thank our Church
School Superintendent Joann Nicholson & all the Church School Teachers:
Michelle Fayad; Faye Thomas; Tanya Ayoub; Anna Nesrallah; Matthew Naufal; Donna
Whalen; Manal Saliby; Vincent Karam; Abraham Wehbi; Jessica Ibrahim; Ramia
Ibrahim; Caroline El-Chaar; Mireille Nassrallah; Elizabeth Saikali; Katya
Zeidan; Maryse Nassar; Kathryn Nassrallah & Theo Jr. Tannis, for their hard
work and dedication.
As
a token of our gratitude and thanks, we would like to present each of our
Church School Teachers a copy of a new book: “801 Questions Kids Ask About God –
With Answers From The Bible.” God bless you all for your good
efforts!
Also,
we would like to congratulate the 12 children who won at the Creative Arts
Festivals at our last Parish life Conference; (Writing): Alexa Abou-Assaly
(HM); (Poetry): Stephen Fayad (1st), Mark Tamer (HM), Jessica Tamer
(HM), Milad Hamwi (HM); (Art): Christopher Fayad (1st), Cameron
Ayoub (1st), Marcus Zeidan (HM), Selina Saikaley (HM), Clarissa
Larisey (1st), Evan Saikaley (HM), John Swaita (HM).
Today, those winning
children will be receiving their awards in the Church after the Divine Liturgy.
Parents, please make sure that you are present with your children at the end of
the Divine Liturgy.
ü Antiochian
Women – Bake
Sale
The
Ladies of our parish are looking for help preparing food, in the St. Elias
Banquet Centre kitchen, for the upcoming Bake Sale this coming Saturday. For
those interested in helping, there is one week left: On Tuesday, Nov. 14th
(after 5:00 p.m.) they will be preparing for Fatayer; on Wednesday, Nov. 15th
(after 5:00 p.m.) they will be baking Cheese Fatayer; on Thursday, Nov. 16th
(after 5:00 p.m.) they will be baking Spinach Fatayer; on Friday, Nov. 17th
(after 5:00 p.m.) they will be baking Meat Fatayer; and finally, the Bake Sale
& Luncheon will be on Saturday, Nov. 18th at 10:00 a.m. If you
have any questions, please contact Susanne Zeidan at (613) 731-2455.
ü Operation Stay Warm
Seeing
that the season of giving has arrived and with it the cold season, we are once
again asking all Parishioners to donate warm used or new clothes and/or
blankets to help those in need to stay warm this year. Items can include coats,
sweaters, scarves, hats, underwear, socks, boots, etc. A donation box will be
located in the Cathedral Hall in the basement of the church for the next weeks
until Christmas. The items from the box will be delivered on a weekly basis to
the Shepherds of Good Hope where different families attend for any donations
that will help them stay warm. If you have any questions, please do not
hesitate to contact Sofia Chalhoub at 613-769-7674 or Yolanda Hanna at
799-9626.
ü The Dewaan
Foundation Scholarship
The
Dewaan Foundation has established the Dewaan Foundation Scholarship Fund in
order to promote and assist scholastic and personal achievement amongst
full-time students of Lebanese origin, presently attending or entering
University or College. For applications please call the Cathedral Office at
(613) 738-2222.
+ St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral +
(2975 Riverside Drive – Ottawa)
Cathedral Office: 700 Ridgewood Ave
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1V 6N1
Telephone: (613) 738-2222, Fax: (613) 737-4392
Email: info@steliascathedral.com, Website:
www.steliascathedral.com
The Rt. Rev. Bishop ALEXANDER
Bishop of Ottawa, Eastern
Canada and Upstate New York
The Very Rev. Father Ghattas Hajal – Dean
Rev. Father Mark Arsenios Wyatt – Assistant Priest
The Very
Rev. Father Daniel Matheson – Emeritus