+
Sunday, December 3rd 2006 +
25th Sunday after Pentecost
Tone:
8 + Eothinion: 3
*******************************************************************************************************
+ In the
Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +
“O Christ, our Lord, the true light Who
illumines and sanctifies every person who comes into the world, let the light
of Your face shine upon us, that in it we may see Your unapproachable radiance.
Direct our steps in Your commandments so that we may live in a spiritual way of
life, willing and doing everything that pleases You. For You are the light of
our souls and bodies, and to You we give glory, to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.”
+ The
Epistle +
Verse: “Make your vows to the
Lord our God and perform them,
God
is known in Judah”.
The Reading is from
the Letter of St. Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians.
(Chapter
4:1-7)
Brethern, I, a prisoner of the Lord, beseech
you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all
lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one
body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one
Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and
through all, and in you all. But to each one of us grace was given according to
the measure of Christ’s gift.
+ The
Holy Gospel +
(Chapter 22:2-14)
The Lord spoke this parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king
who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those
who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he
sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have
prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are
ready. Come to the wedding.”’ But they made light of it and went their ways,
one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants,
treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he
was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned
up their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those
who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many
as you find, invite to the wedding.’ So those servants went out into the
highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the
wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to see the
guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to
him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was
speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take
him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing
of teeth.’ “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Meditation:
The Wedding Feast
When did you last go to a wedding? Whenever
you go to a wedding and the wedding reception, do you notice the festive mood
of the guests, how much they smile, talk, and break out in laughter? Everyone
seems well dressed, freshly groomed, and enthusiastic in spirit. An invitation
to a wedding is usually cherished. Most people anticipate the date and prepare
for it. When the wedding nears we are eager to share in the joys of the
occasion. Weddings are among the happiest experiences of life. How meaningful
it is that Jesus pictured the Kingdom of God as a Wedding Feast! Sometimes we
see Christians who are cold and unsmiling and may think that Christian life,
our life with Christ, is supposed to be sad and gloomy. But Christ talked about
not only self-denial and carrying one’s cross, but also about feasts and
banquets! Christ called Himself a Groom and viewed those who followed Him as
guests in a wedding! The New Testament is full of references to God’s joy
which, when truly experienced, endures even under difficult circumstances.
Among the first fruits of the Holy Spirit and love and joy (Gal. 5:22)! Today’s
parable in the Gospel of St. Matthew is a bit complicated; it is somewhat like
an allegory. Christian interpreters have explained it as follows: The King is
God and the King’s Son in whose honor the wedding feast was prepared is Jesus
Christ in whom the kingdom of God is shown and experienced in all its joy and
abundance. The first guests were God’s special people, the Jews, who refused
His invitation by rejecting the person and ministry of Christ, and so God
allowed the Roman armies to capture and destroy Jerusalem in 70 A.D. The second
guests are the gentiles, all of who are invited whether they are good or bad.
But the invitation implies preparation and change for proper participation in
the feast of God’s kingdom. So the guest without a wedding garment, that is,
without a life adorned by the fruits of the Holy Spirit, is cast out of the
banquet. Jesus then draws the conclusion that many are invited, which is a way
of saying that all are invited, but few truly respond with all their heart and
thus become God’s chosen.
* 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. Nicholas the Wonderworker: Vesperal Divine
Liturgy on Tuesday, December 5th 2006 at 6:00 p.m.
ü Feast of St. Barbara the Great
Martyr
In Celebration of the Feast of St.
Barbara (Monday, December 4th), along
with St. John of Damascus, we would like to wish all who have them as their
Patron Saints a Blessed Feast Day. Please join us today in the
Cathedral Hall downstairs after the Divine Liturgy to a serving of Elbee (Boiled Wheat) prepared and
offered by the Antiochian Women.
ü
December is the Month
of the Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch
Throughout December, members of the Order are
asked to volunteer as much as possible with collecting the donation trays,
reading the Epistles, serving at the Coffee Hours, etc. Sunday, December 17th
is dedicated to the members of the Order. God bless you all!
ü Next Sunday
is “Choir Sunday”
Next
Sunday is “Choir Sunday”, we would like to thank in advance our lovely Choir
& Chanters for their dedication and service to the Church. God bless you
for your good work!
ü
Christmas Donation
Envelopes
Christmas Donation Envelopes on behalf of your
children and loved-ones are available at the Candle Stand in the Vestibule.
Please be generous and God bless you all!
ü
Fellowship of St. John
the Divine
Weekly Meeting every Tuesday from 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. SHARP! Please be on time. A Bible
Study/Religious Discussion will take place in the Church School Building (1st
Floor). Please give us your email address if you are not receiving our weekly
online newsletter & calendar.
ü
Teen SOYO
Weekly 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 in the Cathedral Hall
downstairs 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
“Al-Orthodoxiya Internet Radio Station” (www.orthodoxiya.org)
Visit the above website and listen
to the new ‘Arabic’ Orthodox Internet Radio Station playing Orthodox Hymns and
presentations almost 24 hours a day! Also, we would like to remind you about “Ancient Faith Radio” (www.ancientfaithradio.com) which plays 24 hours a day Orthodox
Hymns in many languages, along with interviews and presentations in ‘English’.
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.
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
Clergy Visits to
Retirement Homes & Shut-Ins
If you know somebody (perhaps a relative) who
is living in a Retirement Home or is unable to leave their home (shut-in), and
would like to receive Holy Communion before Christmas, Fr. Ghattas & Fr.
Mark would like to visit them this month. Please contact the Cathedral Office
(738-2222) to inform us of somebody who needs to be visited.
+ 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