+ Sunday, January 7th 2007 +

The Synaxis of St. John the Baptist and Forerunner

 

Tone: 5                                                            +                                      Eothinion: 8

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+ In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +

 

“By Thy baptism, O Lord, in the River Jordan, the worship of the Trinity was made manifest, for the voice of the Father did come forth to Thee with the testimony, naming Thee beloved Son; and the Spirit in the likeness of a dove, confirming the truth of the word. Wherefore, O Thou who did appear and lightened the world, O Christ, glory to Thee.”

 

 

 

+ The Epistle +

 

Verse: The righteous shall rejoice in the Lord,

O God, hear my prayer.

 

The Reading is from the Acts of the Holy Apostles.

(Chapter 19:1-8)

 

In those days, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all. And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.

 

 

+ The Holy Gospel +

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to St. John

(Chapter 1:29-34)

 

At that time John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

 

Meditation “St. John the Baptist”

“I assure you that John the Baptist is greater than any man who has ever lived” (St. Matthew 11:11). These words of Jesus are a weighty testimony to the importance of John the Baptist in God’s plan of salvation. A prophet born of the priestly family of Zechariah and Elizabeth and a relative of Jesus (St. Luke 1:36), John the Baptist stood at the frontier between the ages, completing the old and announcing the new. He was the greatest Old Testament prophet as the Forerunner of Christ. He was also the person who had the unique privilege of baptizing Christ. It is for this reason that during the season of Theophany we have the “Synaxis” of St. John the Baptist (January 7th). “Synaxis” means a liturgical gathering of the faithful in honor of a saint whose memory is celebrated on that day. An uncompromising and controversial figure, St. John the Baptist lived at a time of political corruption. God inspired him to lift up a voice of judgment and doom for those unwilling to heed God’s call. Yet another John, the Evangelist, portrays John the Baptist in a warm, personal light, as the humble friend of Christ (St. John 3:26-30). When the Baptist’s followers complained to him that all the people were going over to Jesus, John told them that he was “the bridegroom’s friend, who stands by and listens, (and) is glad when he hears the bridegroom’s voice…. He (Jesus) must become more important while I become less important” (St. John 3:29-30). Because of his role in preparing for the coming of Christ, St. John the Baptist is one of the greatest saints in the Orthodox Church. He is remembered on two major feast days during the liturgical year: the Synaxis on January 7th, and the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, which is a solemn fast day on August 29th. His name occurs many times in Orthodox prayers and hymns. His Icon which has a prominent place on the Iconostasis of every Orthodox sanctuary depicts St. John as pointing to Christ and holding a scroll bearing a call to repentance. Some Icons will depicts him with wings showing that he lived an angelic life, also holding his own head showing his martyrdom. Church tradition, hymns and iconography follow the Gospels in portraying St. John the Baptist as forerunner, prophet and ascetic.

Meditation “The Light that Shines”

The Argo, a merchant ship sailing off the New England coast, ran aground and lost its cargo. It was traveling at night and in dense fog. The captain later explained that the ship was only three degrees off course. Those three degrees eventually meant a difference of ten miles at the point the ship hit ground. The ship’s instruments had malfunctioned and in the darkness the captain could not see that he was approaching land. Our life can be like that. Life is a journey requiring a right course. Our most urgent need is to align ourselves in all that we are and in all that we say and do with God, His will and His purposes, so that we may safely reach the harbor of His Kingdom. To veer from this course only a few degrees can eventually lead to shipwreck on the rocks of selfishness, sin and spiritual death. We cannot travel in the darkness of the world without spiritual sensitivities and without guiding light. Christ said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness” (St. John 8:12). Christ Himself is God’s Light and He always shines upon us to the degree that we are ready to receive Him. As we hear the Good News of Christ and we embrace God’s love and forgiveness with all our hearts, we experience something of God’s spiritual light shining through Christ. As we affirm our faith in Christ and daily practice His teachings, the new creation takes hold in us. To quote St. Paul: “The God Who said, ‘Out of darkness the light shall shine!’ is the same God Who made His light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God’s glory shining in the face of Christ” (2 Cor 4:6). This is “the light that comes from the Good News” (2 Cor. 4:4) which keeps us on the right course – helping us to maintain a right relationship with God, ourselves, others and everything in the world. This Gospel lesson for the Sunday after Theophany tells how the beginning of Jesus’ work in Galilee was like a great light that began to shine on all. The last words of Jesus in the above passage call for repentance as the way of preparing to see Christ’s light. “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!” True repentance means a deliberate and decisive resolve to change course and to head in a new direction. Repentance is God’s offer for a fresh start. How can God forgive us and liberate us from whatever enslaves us unless we turn to Him? How can we experience our new self in Christ unless we are willing to leave the old self behind? That is why Jesus began His ministry by asking people to turn their eyes from themselves and to look toward God and His Kingdom. “Turn away from your sins, because the Kingdom is near!” (St. Matthew 4:17). The Kingdom of God is always near! The Kingdom of God is God Himself in His personal presence, gracious power, healing forgiveness, and renewing love experienced through Christ. That’s the Good News!

 

   

* 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

 

 

ü      Thank You!

Thank you to all parishioners who sent us Christmas cards and greetings. Once again, may you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

From: Fr. Ghattas, Fr. Mark, Fr. Daniel & Families.

 

ü      Thank You!

The Parish Council of St. Elias Cathedral would like to thank the New Year’s Committee: Khouriyee Helene Hajal, Elizabeth Saikaley, and Andre Skaff for a job very well done. It was really a very successful and wonderful event.

 

ü      Happy Birthday! “Fr. Ghattas & Fr. Daniel”

We would like to wish both Fr. Ghattas & Fr. Daniel a very Happy Birthday! God grant you both many more years in His service.

 

ü      2007 Church Calendar

We have received the 2007 Church Calendar with two selections of beautiful Icons for your homes and offices, please take a copy from the Vestibule today, we are asking for a generous $5.00 donation. God bless you!

 

ü      Summer Trip to Greece Information Session

Interested in traveling to Greece this summer (June 3rd – 15th) and visiting lots of beautiful Churches & Monasteries, Historic Ruins, Old Markets, Beautiful Beaches, Land Marks & Awe-inspiring Scenery? Join us Thursday, January 11th 2007 at 7:30 p.m. in the Cathedral Hall downstairs for an important information session with Mr. Ghassan Naufal from ‘Skyexpress Travel’, who, upon the request of many of our parishioners, will introduce this trip to us and answer any questions.  

 

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      Operation Stay Warm Thanks You For Your Generosity

Thanks to you, this operation had another successful year. Your donations put a smile on many people’s faces at the Shepherds of Good Hope, and most importantly it helped many stay warm. May God bless you all!

 

 

 

 

+ 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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral

    Invites you and your family to a delicious

 

Fundraising Dinner

 (Featuring: Lebanese Food)

 

All proceeds to assist Orthodox Christian Orphanages in Guatemala and Mexico.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” – James 1:27

 

Date: Sunday, January 21st, 2007

 

Time: 6:00pm - Little Compline

at St. Elias Orthodox Cathedral.

 

6:30 p.m. - Dinner, St. Elias Centre

 

Tickets:  $20.00  Adults,  $10.00 Children (Children 2 years and under – FREE)

 

*If you would like to make a donation to the orphanage, please make cheques payable to St. Elias Cathedral for tax-deductible receipts with Orphanage – Guatemala in the memo.*