+ Sunday, December 30, 2007 +

The Sunday after the Nativity of Christ & Commemoration of Joseph the Betrothed, and King David the Prophet, & James the Brother of the Lord

Tone: 6 + Eothinion: 9

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

“O Christ our God, Your Kingdom is eternal and Your rule is over all generations. You became incarnate of the Holy Spirit and were made man of the Virgin Mary. Your coming, O Christ has enlightened us. Light of Light, Radiance of the Father, You filled all of creation with resplendent joy. Everything that breathes praises You, the Image of the Father’s glory. You are eternal God, existing before all ages, who was born of the Virgin. Lord, glory to You!”

+ The Epistle +

Verse: God is wondrous in His saints. Bless God in the congregations.

The Reading is from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians

(Chapter 1:11-19)

Brethren, I would have you know that the Gospel, which was preached by me, is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the Church of God violently and tried to destroy it; and I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people; so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when He who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son to me, in order that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother.

+ The Holy Gospel +

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

(Chapter 2:13-23)

When the wise men had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the Child, to destroy Him.” And he rose and took the Child and His mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt have I called My Son.” Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region, who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more.” But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” And he rose and took the Child and His mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

* Announcements *

ü Upcoming services

The Feast of Circumcision in the Flesh of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the Feast of St. Basil the Great.

Monday, December 31, 07 6:00 p.m. Great Vespers

Tuesday January 1^st, 2008 9:45 a.m. Matins

11:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Feast of the Divine Epiphany of our Lord and God Jesus Christ

Friday, January 4, 2008 9:00 a.m. The Great Hours of Epiphany

Saturday, January 5, 2008 6:00 p.m. The Great Vespers

Sunday January 6, 2008 8:45 a.m. Matins

10:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great and the Great Blessing of the Water

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, and reading the Epistles. Sundays, all members are requested to wear their Cross.

Today the Epistle will be Read by

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 Church Annual Dues 2007

Dear Parishioners,

Please remember to pay your Annual Dues for the year 2007 ($350.00) as soon as possible. Your generous contributions are directed towards the reduction of the debt and the general operation of the Church. Dead line to pay your 2007 dues is January 15, 2008.

ü 2008 Church Calendar

We have received the 2008 Church Calendar with two 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 Sunday January 13, 2008 God-Parents Sunday

This year and for the first time in Ottawa we would like to designate the First Sunday after the Holy Epiphany as the God-Parents Sunday.

God-Parents play a very important role in the raising up of their God-Children to become good Christians.

This Sunday is to remind the God-Parents of their responsibility, and remind the God-Children to remember their God-Parents and pray for their good health and prosperity.

ü Teen SOYO

Weekly Meeting every Friday from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 pm. Please give us your email address if you are not receiving our weekly online newsletter & calendar.

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 (1^st Floor). Please give us your email address if you are not receiving our weekly online newsletter.

ü Thank You!

We would like to thank Mrs. Chafica Malouf for donating the Altar Boys Robes. May God bless you and your loved ones, and grant you many years of good health!

ü Thank You!

We would like to thank Mrs. Nouhad Kheirallah for embroidering tablecloths for the Altar. May God bless you and your loved ones, and grant you many years of good health!

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Memorials

This Week:

Ø 40 Days Memorial service for Rose Abboud, offered by her children Samia, Shadia, Nicolas, Fadia, Elias, George, Tony and Nadia and their families, and her sister Mary Haddad and her family.

Ø 3 Weeks Memorial Service for Abdallah Fayad, offered by his wife Fadia, and his children George, Andre, Lilly & Mary, and his brother Robert Fayad and in Montreal by his brother William and sister Victoria and in Lebanon by his sisters Chafica and Jeanette and their families.

Today the coffee hour is offered in memory of Rose Abboud and Abdallah Fayad; please join their families after the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral Hall.

May their Memory be Eternal!

Join us with family and friends

On Monday, December 31^st 2007

for a memorable

New Year’s Eve Gala!

At St. Elias Banquet Centre

Featuring

The Stevens & Kennedy Band

Accompanied by

DJ Nick

Enjoy an elegant atmosphere, and delicious dinner.

Cocktails at 7:00 p.m. & Dinner at 8:00 p.m.

Ticket Price: Adult: $100.00, children 12 years and under $40.00 (Includes Child Care Services), for more information please contact the Cathedral’s Office @ 738-2222

Explanation of the Nicene Creed – Part 27

(Taken from: Orthodox Faith - Volume 1 - Doctrine)

… Judgment … (2)

... those who find themselves in Gehenna will be chastised with the scourge of love. How cruel and bitter this torment of love will be! For those who understand that they have sinned against love undergo greater sufferings than those produced of the most fearful tortures. The sorrow which takes hold of the heart which has sinned against love is more piercing than any other pain. It is not right to say that sinners in hell are deprived of the love of God. ... But love acts in two different ways, as suffering in the reproved, and as joy in the blessed (St. Isaac of Syria).

Thus, man's final judgment and eternal destiny depends solely on whether or not man loves God and his brethren. It depends on whether or not man loves the light more than the darkness -- or the darkness more than the light. It depends, we might say, on whether or not man loves Love and Light Itself; whether or not man loves Life -- which is God Himself; the God revealed in creation, in all things, in the "least of the brethren."

The conditions of the final judgment are already known. Christ has given them Himself with absolute clarity.

When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and He will place the sheep at His right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at His right hand, "Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me."

Then the righteous will answer Him, "Lord, when did we see Thee hungry and feed Thee, or thirsty and give Thee drink? And when did we see Thee a stranger and welcome Thee, or naked and clothe Thee? And when did we see Thee sick or in prison and visit Thee?"

And the King will answer them, "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me."

Then He will say to those at His left hand, "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me."

Then they also will answer, "Lord, when did we see Thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to Thee?"

Then He will answer them, "Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me." And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life (Mt 25:31-46, Gospel reading for Meatfare Sunday).

It is Christ who will judge, not God the Father. Christ has received the power of judgment "because He is the Son of Man" (Jn 5:27). Thus, man and the world are not judged by God "sitting on a cloud," as it were, but by One who is truly a man, the One who has suffered every temptation of this world and has emerged victorious. The world is judged by Him who was Himself hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, in prison, wounded, and yet the salvation of all. As the Crucified One, Christ has justly achieved the authority to make judgment for He alone has been the perfectly obedient servant of the Father who knows the depths of human tragedy by His own experience.

For He will render to every man according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, He will give eternal life; but for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil ... but glory and honor and peace for every one who does good ... for God shows no partiality. All who have sinned without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified (Rom 2:6ff).

(To be continued…)

+ 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 Most Rev. Metropolitan PHILIP

Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America

The Rt. Rev. Bishop ALEXANDER

Bishop of Ottawa, Eastern Canada and Upstate New York

The Very Rev. Father Ghattas Hajal – Dean

The Very Rev. Father Daniel Matheson – Emeritus

Rev. Dn. Dimitri Choueiri