Circumcision of Christ; January 1, 2017SAINT HERMAN OF ALASKA ORTHODOX CHURCH 6988 N En Dove Rd - Wasilla, AK 99654 Reverend Matthew Howell, Pastor (907)373-5254 JANUARY 2017 Sunday

A NOTE REGARDING HOLY COMMUNION Welcome! In the Orthodox Church, reception of the Holy Eucharist is

reserved for baptized, chrismated Orthodox Christians who have prepared

by prayer, fasting and a recent confession. If you are visiting from a non-

Orthodox church or otherwise are not prepared to commune today, you are

welcome to receive some of the unconsecrated, blessed bread which the

acolytes are holding. We pray for all to be united in the Body and Blood of

Christ! If you would like to learn how you can enter into communion with

the Orthodox Church, please speak with our clergy.

SAINT HERMAN ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

Diocese of Los Angeles and the West

PRIMATE and DIOCESAN HIERARCH

His Eminence, the Most Reverend Metropolitan JOSEPH

PASTOR

Rev. Fr. Matthew Howell

DEACON

Rev. Dn. Thomas Ross

Contact Information

6988 N. En Dove Road

Wasilla, Alaska 99654 Pastor’s Phone: (907)373-5254

[email protected]

www.SaintHermanWasilla.org

Circumcision

of Christ;

St. Basil the Great

January 1, 2017

PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTS WELCOME to all who are visiting with us today! We hope you

will feel at home here and, if you do not already have a church

home, will consider becoming a part of the Saint Herman

Church community.

NEW JANUARY CALENDAR – Please note that the service

times for Sunday January 15 have changed. Please replace your

January calendar with the new calendar inserted here.

THERE IS NO FASTING FROM DEC. 25 – JAN. 4. Jan. 5

is a strict fast day in preparation for the feast of Theophany.

FR. MATTHEW will be on vacation from Jan. 11-23.

ANNUAL PARISH MEETING WILL BE JANUARY 29.

We will elect parish council officers, review the parish budget,

and discuss the establishment of a new “Site Committee”.

“PURPOSE, VISION, MISSION” WORKSHOP – Feb. 3-5,

2017 with Fr. David Rucker. All parishioners are invited.

THIS WEEK’S SERVICES January 1 – January 8

Mon. Jan. 2 – 9:30am: “Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of

Children”

Thur. Jan. 5 – 10:00am: Royal Hours for Theophany

Thur. Jan. 5 – 6:00pm: Vesperal Liturgy for Theophany with

Great Blessing of the Water (Indoor)

Fri. Jan. 6 – 9:00am: Festal Orthros

Fri. Jan. 6 – 10:00am: Festal Divine Liturgy for Theophany

Sat. Jan. 7 – 6:30pm: Great Vespers

Sun. Jan. 8 – 9:00am: Orthros

Sun. Jan. 8 – 10:00am: Divine Liturgy followed by Outdoor blessing

of water

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION FAMILY NIGHTS On break until January 10.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.sainthermanwasilla.org/

V

THE EPISTLE (for the Circumcision of Christ)

My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart

shall be of understanding.

Hear this, all ye people.

The reading from the Epistle of St. Paul Epistle to the Colossians.

(2:8-12)

Brethren, see to it that no one makes a prey of you by

philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition,

according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according

to Christ. For in Him the whole fullness of the Godhead dwells

bodily, and you have come to fullness of life in Him, Who is the head

of all rule and authority. In Him also you were circumcised with a

circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of flesh in

the circumcision of Christ; and you were buried with Him in baptism,

in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the working

of God, Who raised Him from the dead.

THE GOSPEL (for the Circumcision of Christ)

The reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke.

(2:20-21, 40-52)

And it came to pass that the shepherds returned, glorifying

and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told

them. And at the end of eight days, when He was circumcised, He

was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was

conceived in the womb. And the child grew and became strong, filled

with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon Him. Now His parents

went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when

He was twelve years old, they went up according to custom; and

when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus

stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but

supposing Him to be in the company they went a day’s journey, and

they sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances; and when

they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him.

After three days they found Him in the temple, sitting among the

teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; and all who

heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. And

when they saw Him they were astonished; and His mother said to

THE GOSPEL (CONTINUED) Him, “Son, why hast Thou treated us so? Behold, Thy father and I

have been looking for Thee anxiously.” And Jesus said to them,

“How is it that you sought Me? Did you not know that I must be in

My Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying which

He spoke to them. And He went down with them and came to

Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and His mother kept all these

things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and

in favor with God and man.

A GOOD WORD “St. Epiphanios teaches that the circumcision of the flesh

prepared and served man until Baptism, which is the great

circumcision, because through it we are released from sins and are

sealed with the name of God. The sealing with the name of God is a

recognition that we belong to Christ…

According to the teaching of St. Cyril of Alexandria, the Old

Testament circumcision did not abolish death, which New Testament

circumcision does. In fact, the person who enters the Church through

Baptism becomes a member of the risen Body of Christ. In this way

spiritual death is abolished and there is assurance of the resurrection

of the dead. For if bodily death remains after Baptism, it is for the

sake of cutting out sin.

St. John of Damascus teaches that to be circumcised is to

renounce bodily pleasure and unnecessary and useless desires. Here

we see that Baptism is connected with the ascetic life, through which

a man is freed from domination by the passions. It is not a matter of

disciplining and diminishing the body, but of diminishing and

transforming the desires of the soul.

In the teaching of St. Maximos we see that circumcision is the

name for cutting off the passionate relation of the soul to the body.

The soul and body have a relationship and unity. It is not a question

of that, however, but of the passionate relationship between soul and

body through the passions.” – Met. Hierotheos Vlachos, Feasts of the

Lord, pages 72-73.

SAINTS AND FEASTS OF THE DAY Feast of the Circumcision of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Saint Basil the Great; New-martyr Peter of the Peloponnesos

SAINT HERMAN OF ALASKA ORTHODOX CHURCH6988 N En Dove Rd - Wasilla, AK 99654

Reverend Matthew Howell, Pastor (907)373-5254

JANUARY 2017

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday1

Circumcision of the Lord

St. Basil the Great9:00am Orthros10:00am Divine Liturgy

Fast free

2

Fast free

3

Fast free

4

Fast free

5

10:00am: Royal Hours6:00pm: Vesperal Liturgy with the Great Blessing of the Water

Fast

6 THEOPHANY OF

THE LORD

9:00am: Matins10:00am: Divine Liturgy

Fast: fish, wine, and oil allowed

7 Synaxis of the Baptist

6:30pm Great Vespers

8

9:00am Orthros10:00am Divine Liturgy followed by outdoor blessing of the water

9 10

Family Night5:30-6:00pm: Dinner6:00-7:30pm: Christian Education for all Ages7:00pm: Daily Vespers

11

Fr. Matthew on vacation January 11-23.

Fast

12 13

Fast

14

6:30pm Reader Vespers (No Confession)

15

9:30am Orthros and Typika with no communion

16 17 St. Anthony the

Great


18

Fast

19 20

Fast

21 St. Maximus the

Confessor

6:30pm Reader Vespers(No Confession)

22

9:00am Orthros10:00am Divine Liturgy

23 24 Blessed Xenia of St.

Petersburg


25

Fast

26 27

Fast

28


29


Annual Parish Meeting following coffee hour

30 Three Holy Hierarchs

31


Feb 1

6:00pm: Orthros6:45pm: Divine Liturgy

Fast

Feb 2 MEETING OF THE

LORD

Feb 3

Feb. 3-5: Parish Workshop with Fr. David RuckerTopic: Purpose, Vision, MissionAll are invited. See bulletin for times and details.

Fast

Feb 4

Feb. 3-5: Parish Workshop with Fr. David Rucker 6:30pm: Great Vespers

Page 1 of 2Monthly Calendar

SAINT HERMAN OF ALASKA ORTHODOX CHURCH6988 N En Dove Rd - Wasilla, AK 99654

Reverend Matthew Howell, Pastor (907)373-5254

FEBRUARY 2017

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday SaturdayJan 29


Annual Parish Meeting following coffee hour

Jan 30 Three Holy Hierarchs

Jan 31


1

6:00pm: Orthros6:45pm: Divine Liturgy

Fast

2 MEETING OF THE

LORD

3

Feb. 3-5: Parish Workshop with Fr. David RuckerTopic: Purpose, Vision, MissionAll are invited. See bulletin for times and details.

Fast

4

Feb. 3-5: Parish Workshop with Fr. David Rucker 6:30pm: Great Vespers

5 Publican and

Pharisee

Feb. 3-5: Parish Workshop with Fr. David Rucker


6

Fr. Matthew to Diocesan Clergy Symposium in Alhambra, California Feb. 6-10

Fast free

7


Fast free

8

Fast free

9

Fast free

10

Fast free

11


Fast free

12 Prodigal Son


13 14


15

Fast

16 17

Fast

18


19 Sunday of the Last

Judgment

9:00am Matins10:00am Divine Liturgy

Meatfare Sunday

20

Fast: dairy, fish, wine, & oil

21



22


23


24


25



26 Forgiveness Sunday

9:00am Matins10:00am Divine Liturgy

Cheesefare SundayFast: dairy, fish, wine, & oil

27

6:30pm: Great Compline with Canon of St. Andrew (Part 1)

Fast

28


Fast

Mar 1

6:30pm: Presanctified Liturgy followed by Soup Supper

Fast

Mar 2


Fast

Mar 3

6:30pm: Little Compline with the Akathist Hymn (Part 1)

Fast

Mar 4


Fast: wine & oil

Page 1 of 2Monthly Calendar

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Documents

Circumcision of Christ; January 1, 2017SAINT HERMAN OF ALASKA ORTHODOX CHURCH 6988 N En Dove Rd - Wasilla, AK 99654 Reverend Matthew Howell, Pastor (907)373-5254 JANUARY 2017 Sunday