+
Sunday, November 26th 2006 +
24th Sunday after Pentecost
Tone:
7 + Eothinion: 2
*******************************************************************************************************
+ In the
Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +
“O Lord, You chose imperfect people to be Your
Disciples. We, too, are imperfect – sinners all of us – but through Your mercy,
grace, and power, we are on the road to becoming Saints. Help us to persevere
for we know that when You appear we shall be like You for we shall see You as
You are. Amen.”
+ The
Epistle +
Verse: “The Lord will give
strength to His people,
Bring
to the Lord, O sons of God”.
The Reading is from
the Letter of St. Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians.
(Chapter
2:14-22)
Brethern, Christ is our peace, who has made
both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished
in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in
ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making
peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the
cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to
you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have
access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers
and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the
household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole
building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom
you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
+ The
Holy Gospel +
(Chapter 18:18-27)
At that time, a certain man asked Jesus,
saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said
to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You
know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not
steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’” And
he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” So when Jesus heard
these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have
and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come,
follow Me.” But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very
rich. And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it
is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for
a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the
kingdom of God.” And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?” But He
said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”
Meditation:
The Rich Ruler
Jesus linked eternal life with faithful
observance of the commandments of God. In order to enjoy eternal life, not only
in the future Kingdom of God but also in our present experience of Christ here
and now, it is necessary for us to know and to obey God’s commandments. A
primary aspect of the life of Christ was His perfect obedience to God. To be
sure, as a loving Lord Christ is always ready to forgive us when we fail and
seek His forgiveness. But His call to obedience is uncompromising. Some of His
teachings are stricter than Old Testament moral rules because Jesus looked into
the heart, the source of our deepest motivations and intentions. In the Sermon
on the Mount, Jesus repudiates not only murder but also anger, not only
adultery but also an evil look, not only fair retaliation but also any revenge
whatsoever. “Love your enemies,” He said, and “pray for those who persecute
you”. All these teachings are more demanding than many of the Ten Commandments!
The higher righteousness of Christ centers on giving and sharing. Christ came
not to be served but to serve others. He is the Good Shepherd who willingly
laid down His life for His friends. Christ was a giver and He desires that His
followers also be givers. Christians are not only to refrain from doing evil
but also to seek eagerly to do good whenever possible and insofar as it is in
their hands. Christians strive to imitate God’s perfect love. In the words of
the Sermon on the Mount: “You must be perfect – just as your Father in heaven
is perfect.” It is in this spiritual perspective that Jesus asks the rich man
to do “one more thing” in addition to the Ten Commandments. Jesus challenged
the rich man to follow, just as Jesus Himself did, the highest example of
self-giving by devoting himself completely to God’s work, leading a celibate
life and practicing poverty for the sake of the Kingdom. Jesus did not usually
ask people to sell all their material possessions but only to share them with
those in need. But this man whom St. Matthew calls a “young man” was probably
unmarried and initially showed a desire for the highest perfection. However,
Jesus’ challenge seemed impossible to him and he turned away saddened. Do we
not also want to turn away when we realize how demanding Christ’s teachings
are? Do we not silently think to ourselves: “Who, then, can be saved? Indeed
Christ’s higher righteousness is impossible for us to fulfill on the basis of
our own efforts. But “what is impossible for man is possible for God”. We may
not be called by Christ to a life of celibacy or poverty but all of us called
to a life of Christian perfection. Christian life involves a creative tension
between what we now are and what we can be tomorrow. The road of Christian
perfection is endless. What seems impossible to us is possible by the grace of
God. Christians can follow the road to a more perfect obedience when they
prayerfully seek a deeper communion with the Holy Spirit and continue to grow
in their love for Christ.
* 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 the Holy Apostle Andrew, the First Called: Vespers
on Wednesday, November 29th 2006 at 6:00 p.m.
v
Nativity Fast
The Nativity Fast began 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 Welcome! to
His Grace Bishop ALEXANDER
We
joyfully welcome His Grace Bishop ALEXANDER, who is visiting us this weekend
and is presiding over the Divine Liturgy today. Please join us for a small
brunch in the Cathedral Hall downstairs following the Service.
ü Thank You!
We
would like to thank the following parishioners for their generous donations
helping to make our brunch plentiful: Fadi Nemer, Joe Ayoub, Charles Saikaley,
Dimitri Zeidan, George Hanna, Michel Hanna, Joyce Tannis, Khouriyee Helene, Helen
Jeffrey, and Faye Thomas. God bless you all!
ü
Fellowship of St. John
the Divine
We are now meeting every Tuesday from 7:20 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. SHARP! Please be on time. 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
We are now meeting every Wednesday from 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m SHARP! Please be on time. 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 give us your email address if you are
not receiving our weekly online newsletter & calendar.
ü Parish Bible Studies & Catechism
in Arabic
Join us every Wednesday from 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. in the Church School Building
(1st Floor) 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 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 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 Feast of St. Nicholas
– Invitation to Hierarchal Divine Liturgy in Montreal
On
Tuesday evening, December 5th at 6:30 p.m. there will be a Hierarchal
Vesperal Divine Liturgy at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Montreal, presided
over by His Grace Bishop ALEXANDER. A light dinner will follow the service in
the Church Hall. All are welcome! Please visit www.stnicholasmtl.org for
directions and address information. Note: Fr. Ghattas & Fr.
Mark will be celebrating the feast here in Ottawa with a Vesperal Divine
Liturgy also on Tuesday, December 5th at 6:00 p.m. as usual.
ü New Year’s
Eve Gala
Join
us with family and friends for a memorable New Year’s Eve Gala! (Sunday,
December 31st 2006 at St. Elias Banquet Centre) Enjoy an elegant
atmosphere, delicious dinner & fabulous entertainment! Cocktails at 7:00
p.m. & Dinner at 8:00 p.m. For ticket reservations, please contact Mr.
Andre Skaff or Khouriyee Helene Hajal. Ticket Price: $90.00/person. Tickets
also available at $25.00 for children 12 years and under. Children’s
Babysitting Service at $10.00/child.
+ 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