March  2,  2015        

Holy Nativity of the Lord

Christ Is in our Midst

Divine Liturgy for March 9th (Sunday’s Readings & Hymns)

Tone 8 Troparion

O light of Orthodoxy, teacher of the Church, its confirmation, O ideal of monks and invincible champion of theologians, O wonderworking Gregory, glory of Thessalonica and preacher of grace, always intercede before the Lord that our souls may be saved!

Tone 8 Kontakion

Holy and divine instrument of wisdom, joyful trumpet of theology, together we sing thy praises, O God-inspired Gregory. Since thou now standest before the Original Mind, guide our minds to Him, O Father,so that we may sing to thee: Rejoice, O preacher of grace!

Tone 5 Prokeimenon

Thou, O Lord, shalt protect us and preserve us from this generation forever. (Ps 11/12:7)

Epistle: Hebrews 7:26-8:2 Gospel: John 10:9-16

   

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Monday   Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday     Friday   Saturday   Sunday  

Fast   Fast  

 

Fast                

                     Presanctified  Service  at  

Foster’s  house  5:30    

Fast  

                                               

Fast        

                                           St.  Nicholas  Salutations,  6:00  

Men’s  Lunch  Shanes  12:00  

 

 

Fast                                      Choir  

Practice,  3:45              Great  

Vespers  ,  Foster’s  

House  5:00    Spring  

Forward!!  

Fast  

Divine  Liturgy  St.  Barksdale  10:00  

 

Weekly  Service  Schedule  

Service A reminder to those who serve Holy Nativity this week. Your service is greatly

appreicated!

Coffee Hour – Pres. Ashley

and Prosphora wil l be taken care of by Katie Cohen

  Choir  

Choir  Practice  (For  Pascha)    Saturday  3:45    

Long  Practices  scheduled  for  March  12  &  26,  5:00-­‐8:00  

 

St.  Emilia’s  Society  (Ladies  Group)  will  be  meeting  March  19th  at    6:30,  Shanes  on  Youree  Dr.    

We  will  fellowship  and  Pres.  Ashley  will  briefly  discuss  how  to  put  together  a  Traditional  Pascha  (Easter)  Basket.  

 

   

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The Prayer of St. Ephraim – during Lent we pray this prayer in almost all of our gatherings.

O Lord and Master of my life! Take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power and idle talk.

But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Thy servant.

Yea, O Lord and King! Grant me to see my own transgressions and not to judge my brother, for blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages. Amen.

Good Reads for Great Lent

The Lenten Spring: Readings for Great Lent by Thomas Hopko (daily devotional)

Great Lent: Journey to Pascha by Alexander Schmemann

The message of Gabriel to the Virgin Was the beginning of salvation

For she heard his greeting: Rejoice! And did not reject his salutation.

She did not doubt like Sarah in the tent, but replied: Behold the handmaid of the Lord,

Be it done to me according to your word! --Theotokion, Monday in the second week  

   

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On the second Sunday of Lent, we celebrate the triumph of the teachings of St. Gregory Palamas, who upheld the Orthodox doctrine that humans can know God not through the intellect alone, but through experience of God's uncreated energies. The Council of Blachernae in 1351 which upheld St. Gregory's teachings was considered a second Triumph of Orthodoxy. In St. Gregory’s words, ‘"...every day we should stand in awe of Him, as He is with us, and do what is pleasing before Him. If we are unable now to perceive Him with our physical eyes, we can, if we are watchful, see Him continuously with the eyes of our understanding, and not just see Him, but reap great benefits from Him. This vision destroys all sin, demolishes all evil, and drives away everything bad. It gives birth to purity and dispassion, and bestows eternal life."

The  Second  Sunday  of  Lent:  The  Sunday  of  Saint  Gregory  Palamas  

   

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Christ is the New Adam. He comes to repair the damage inflicted on life by Adam, to restore man to true life, and thus He also begins with fasting. "When He had fasted

forty days and forty nights, He became hungry" (Matt. 4:2) Hunger is that state in which we realize our dependence on something else - when we urgently and essentially need

food - showing thus that we have no life in ourselves. It is that limit beyond which I either die from starvation or, having satisfied my body, have again the impression of

being alive. It is, in other words, the time when we face the ultimate question: on what does my life depend? Fr. Alexander Schmemann: Great Lent  

Annunciation  Celebration!!    

March  25th  

 

Lawn  Olympics  St. Nicholas is planning the pan-Orthodox lawn

Olympics again this year with games and

food. That's on Sunday, March 15th

after the liturgy.  

   

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Last night, Fr. Matthew, a friend from St. Vlad’s and Orthodox Priest, died in a tragic car accident on his way home from Vespers. Their six children were with him and uninjured, thank God. Fr. Matthew Baker leaves behind his wife, Katherine, and six young children: Isaac, 12; Elias, 10; George, 8; Ellie (Eleftheria), 6; Cyril, 4; and Matthew Baker Jr, 2. Please pray for them, and please consider helping them financially in this time of crisis. Fr. Matthew did not store up treasures on this earth, so the needs of his young family are great.

Any amount you can donate is helpful to his family. Please click on the link below to help the Baker’s.

http://www.gofundme.com/nizf2g

 

 

                   Holy  Nativity  of  the  Lord  Mission  Rev.  Fr.  Jason  Foster,  Pastor  Visit  or  contact  us  at:  5490  Barksdale  Blvd,  Bossier  City  (Barksdale  Federal  Credit  Union)  Email:  frjasonfoster@gmail.com,318-­‐455-­‐4219    

 

 

 

Are you ready for Great Lent? To give you a boost, Be the Bee has made a playlist of all the "Be the Bee" episodes on fasting and prayer! These videos are great for youth and adults. May God give us strength. Be the Bee - Fasting Playlist http://goo.gl/6Lt9x5

To  our  Catechumens  As  a  tool  to  extend  and  deepen  your  Christian  

education,  check  out  these  podcast  on  Ancient  Faith.    This  is  actually  a  3-­‐year  diploma  program  provided  by  

the  Antiochian  Archdiocese  of  the  British  Isles,  however  anyone  may  access  the  lectures  for  free.  Click  

on  the  link  below:  

http://www.ancientfaith.com/specials/e_quip