Petra News

Saint Katherine of AlexandriaWeek of November 24th 2019

Hymns of the DayHymn for the Feast of the Presentation

Today is the prelude of God’s good pleasure, and the proclamation of humanity’s salvation.

In the temple of God, the Virgin is presented openly, and in herself she announces Christ to all.

Let us, then, with a great voice cry aloud to her: “Rejoice, you are the fulfillment of the Creator’s dispensation.”

Resurrection Hymn (Plagal 2nd Tone, p. 86-87 Green Hymnal)

“When the angelic powers appeared at your tomb and those who guarded You became as though dead, and standing by Your sepul-

chre was Mary seeking Your pure and sacred body. For You did vanquish Hades and uncorrupted by its touch You came unto the virgin woman, bestowing the gift of life O You who rose from the

dead. Lord we give glory to You.”

Hymn of Saints Peter Paul“Oh leaders of the Apostles, and teachers of the world,

intercede with the Master of all that He may grant peace unto the world, and to our souls His great mercy.”

Kontakion“The Savior‘ most pure and immaculate temple,

the very precious bridal chamber and Virgin, who is the sacred treasure of the glory of God,

on this day is introduced into the House of the Lord, and with herself she brings the grace in the divine Spirit.

She is extolled by the Angels of God. A heavenly tabernacle is she.”

Sunday, November 24th 2019

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Hosts & VolunteersMyrrhbearers

Cassie Tinsley & Demetra GregoryEpistle Reader

Xander Dzivelis

Services & FeastdaysMonday, November 25 Feast of St Katherine Services will be held at St Catherine’s in Greenwood Village. Orthros _____________________ 8am Divine Liturgy ________________ 9am Feast Day BrunchWednesday, November 27 Evening Divine Liturgy Orthros __________________ 5:30pm Divine Liturgy _______________6pmSaturday, November 30 Feast of St Andrew Orthros _____________________ 7am Divine Liturgy ________________ 8amGreat Vespers ________________5pm

Nativity Christmas Schedule:

Tuesday, December 24 Vesporal Divine Liturgy ___________ 5pmWednesday, December 25 Orthros ________________________ 8am Divine Liturgy ___________________ 9am

Sunday School Nativity Pageant

Sunday, December 15thPlease join us for our annual Nativity Pageant on December 15th after Liturgy. Parents, regular Sunday School classes will be cut short to allow time for the kids to begin rehearsals for the Christmas pageant. Please continue to bring the children over as usual for snacks and classes after receiv-ing Holy Communion. In addition to the afterschool rehearsals, we will be holding a final rehearsal at the church on Saturday 12/14 at 3 pm.

Daily readings - 13th Sunday of LukeFirst Orthros Gospel According to Matthew 28:16-20

At that time, the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been giv-en to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all

nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age. Amen.”

Epistle Reading: St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians 2:4-10Brethren, God who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive togeth-er with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the com-ing ages he might show the immeasurable riches of

his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God: not because of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

The Gospel According to Luke 18:18-27At that time, a ruler came to Jesus and asked him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ “ And he said, “All these I have observed from my youth.” And when Jesus heard it, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard this he became sad, for he was very rich. Jesus looking at him said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”

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Saints & FeastdaysGreat Martyr Catherine of Alexandria

Commemorated on November 24

The Holy Great Martyr Catherine was the daugh-ter of Constus, the governor of Alexandrian Egypt during the reign of the emperor Maximian (305-313). Living in the capital, the center of Hellenis-tic knowledge, and possessed of a rare beauty and intellect, Catherine received an excellent educa-tion, studying the works of the greatest philoso-phers and teachers of antiquity. Young men from the most worthy families of the empire sought the hand of the beautiful Catherine, but she was not interested in any of them. She told her parents that she would enter into marriage only with someone who surpassed her in nobility, wealth, comeliness and wisdom.

Catherine’s mother, a secret Christian, sent her to her own spiritual Father, a saintly Elder living in a cave outside the city, for advice. After listen-ing to Catherine, the Elder said that he knew of a Youth who surpassed her in everything. “His countenance is more radiant than the shining of the sun, and all of creation is governed by His wis-dom. His riches are given to all the nations of the world, yet they never diminish. His compassion is unequaled.”

This description of the Heavenly Bridegroom pro-duced in the soul of the holy maiden an ardent desire to see Him. “If you do as I tell you,” said the monk, “you will gaze upon the countenance of this illustrious man.” In parting, the Elder handed Catherine an icon of the Theotokos with the divine Child Jesus on Her arm and told her to pray with faith to the Queen of Heaven, the Mother of the Heavenly Bridegroom, and She would hear Cath-erine and grant her heart’s desire.

Catherine prayed all night and was permitted to

see the Most Holy Virgin, Who said Her Divine Son, “Behold Thy handmaiden Catherine, how fair and virtuous she is.” But the Child turned His face away from her saying, “No, she is ugly and unbe-lieving. She is a foolish pauper, and I cannot bear to look at her until she forsakes her impiety.”

Catherine returned again to the Elder deeply sad-dened, and told him what she had seen in the dream. He lovingly re-ceived her, instructed her in the faith of Christ, ad-monished her to preserve her purity and integrity and to pray unceasing-ly. She then received the Mystery of holy Baptism from him. Again Saint Catherine had a vision of the Most Holy Theotokos with Her Child. Now the Lord looked tenderly at her and gave her a beau-tiful ring, a wondrous token of her betrothal to the Heavenly Bride-groom (This ring is still on her hand).

At that time the emperor Maximian was in Alexan-dria for a pagan festival. Therefore, the celebration was especially splendid and crowded. The cries of the sacrificial animals, the smoke and the smell of the sacrifices, the endless blazing of fires, and

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the bustling crowds at the arenas defiled the city of Alexandria. Human victims also were brought, the confessors of Christ, those who would not deny Him under torture. They were condemned to death in the fire. The saint’s love for the Chris-tian martyrs and her fervent desire to ease their

sufferings compelled Cath-erine to speak to the pagan priest and to the emperor Maximian.

Introducing herself, the saint confessed her faith in the One True God and with wisdom exposed the errors of the pagans. The beauty of the maiden captivated the emperor. In order to con-vince her and to show the superiority of pagan wis-dom, the emperor ordered fifty of the most learned phi-losophers and rhetoricians of the Empire to dispute with her, but the saint got the better of the wise men, so that they came to believe in Christ themselves. Saint Catherine made the Sign of the Cross over the martyrs, and they bravely accepted death for Christ and were burned alive by order of the emperor.

Maximian, no longer hoping to convince the saint, tried to entice her with the promise of riches and fame. Receiving an angry refusal, the emperor

gave orders to subject the saint to terrible tortures and then throw her in prison. The Empress Augus-ta, who had heard much about the saint, wanted to see her. She prevailed upon the military com-mander Porphyrius to accompany her to the pris-on with a detachment of soldiers. The empress was impressed by the strong spirit of Saint Catherine, whose face was radiant with divine grace. The holy martyr explained the Christian teaching to them, and they were converted to Christ.

On the following day they again brought the mar-tyr to the judgment court where, under the threat of being broken on the wheel, they urged that she renounce the Christian Faith and offer sacrifice to the gods. The saint steadfastly confessed Christ and she herself approached the wheels; but an an-gel smashed the instruments of execution, which shattered into pieces with many pagans standing nearby.

Having beheld this wonder, the Empress Augusta and the imperial courtier Porphyrius with 200 sol-diers confessed their faith in Christ in front of ev-eryone, and they were beheaded. Maximian again tried to entice the holy martyr, proposing mar-riage to her, and again he was refused. Saint Cath-erine firmly confessed her fidelity to the heavenly Bridegroom Christ, and with a prayer to Him she herself lay her head on the block beneath the exe-cutioner’s sword.

The relics of Saint Catherine were taken by the an-gels to Mount Sinai. In the sixth century, the ven-erable head and left hand of the holy martyr were found through a revelation and transferred with honor to a newly-constructed church of the Sinai monastery, built by the holy Emperor Justinian (November 14).

News & AnnouncementsOrthodox Christian Faith SeriesWednesday, Nov 20, 7pm

Next Class, Topics: “Holy Trinity: When we say God, part 2”

This series will hopefully offer not only an introduc-tion to the Orthodox Faith, the teachings and doctrines, but Orthodoxy as a way of life. What does it mean to be an Orthodox Chris-tian? The class is open to everyone. Cradle Or-thodox and those who are new to the Orthodox Church will enjoy this new series. If you have any ques-tions, please contact Father Jordan @ frjordanbrown@gmail.com.

Senior TripMonday, November 25, Feast of St Katherine

We invite all seniors for a special trip to the St Katherine Greek Orthodox Church located in Greenwood Village. The parish will be celebrating their Patron Feast Day. The Divine Liturgy will begin at 9 am, followed by a Feast Day Brunch. Please notify Dena Tinsley @ 724-705-3225 or Father Jordan @ 720-329-5212 if you plan on coming to the Feast Day Celebration.

Photo Directory, 2020Please help us complete

the new directory.Check your directory info... Review your info today after Liturgy and provide any corrections or updates. Or, check your email them to me at rick@salmonroe.com or text them to 720-314-5217.

Send us your photo... If you would still like to have one included in the direc-tory, you can email them to me at rick@salmonroe.com or text them to 720-314-5217. referred file type: JPEG or PNG, preferably, landscape.

Preserving the Past... I also encourage you to send me any special photos you may have from the past or present, so they can be archived. They would also make great additions to the directory, website, etc.

Liturgy book for ChildrenAttention Parents! You will notice a very special Divine Liturgy book designed for young children (toddler - grade school). This is a wonderful service book for our young children to participate in the Divine Liturgy. In addition, there is a special Divine Liturgy Activity Book, for fam-ilies with young children. They are available in the Nar-thex. We encourage each family (with young children only), to take one book home.

Sisterhood Christmas Gift Exchange and Brunch All women of the church are invited on Saturday, Dec. 14th from 10am - 1pm at Jan Marose’s house (2153 Sum-merlin Lane, Longmont). Bring a $10 wrapped gift if you’d like to participate and a dish to share.

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PhiloptochosWe will not be participating in the Head Start Angel Program. Head Start is currently taking the program in a different direction. Please stay tuned to what we will have planned for Christmas this year! If you have any questions or ideas for Christmas giving please see Ashley Dzilvelis

Looking for bakers... ...to bake ethnic, American, holiday cookies for their annual Christmas cookie basket fund raiser. If you can help, please email or call Fran Dzilvelis at fran_dzilvelis@yahoo.com or 303-775-6138 or see Fran after church on Sundays to sign up. We are asking for 9 dozen cookies. Bring them to the church by Sunday December 15th. Please write the total num-ber of cookies on your container. Thank you so very much for your support!

Save the Date Family Dinner Dance, Raffle and Silent Auction will be held at the Avalon Ballroom on Saturday, Feb 22, 2020. Please mark your calendar and make plans to attend. It promises to be a fun evening for all. The committee is working hard to make the ticket prices

as low as possible.

Youth EventsOCF - Orthodox College / Campus Fellowship

Welcome CU Students!Please join us for our next campus fellowship and dinner., Sunday, December 7, 5pm. If you have any questions, or need a ride to church, please contact Father Jordan at frjordanbrown@gmail.com or call 720-329-5212

GOYAMark your December calendar!

December 7, 6 pmFireside Chat hosted at the Tinsley Home,1825

Chilton Place, BroomfieldSunday, December 15th

Nativity Christmas Pageant, Sunday, Saturday, December 21st

Nursing Home & Shut in visitations with Fa-ther Jordan

Petra News, Week of November 24th, 2019

Burning the Mortgage Celebration

Sunday, December 1st, 12 noonThe Sts Peter and Paul Parish

reached a very special milestone. We will be making our final

mortgage payment this month! His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah

will join us for the Divine Liturgy at 9:30am!

There will be a delicious lunch prepared in honor of this blessed

Parish Milestone.

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About Our Parish

We welcome visitors worshiping with us today. Our diverse church family encom-passes many converts to the Orthodox Christian Faith, as well as Greek, Arab, Romanian, Serbian and Russian Ortho-dox Christians. The foundation of the Or-thodox Church are the teachings and Holy Tradition of Jesus Christ. We follow the first Christians who began to worship Jesus Christ after the Crucifixion and Resurrection.

Please introduce yourself to our priest and members of our commu-nity. We also encourage you to join us for our fellowship after ser-vices in the parish hall and visit our bookstore. If you are interested in learning more about the Orthodox Christian faith, please visit with our priest, Fr. Jordan Brown.

Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church

Holy Communion is reserved only for baptized and/or chrismated Orthodox Christians who have properly prepared by prayer, fast-ing, and confession.

The Orthodox Church understands the reception of Holy Communion to be the highest expression of our faith. Both Orthodox and non-Or-thodox alike are invited to receive the ‘antidoro’ (blessed bread ) at the end of the Divine Liturgy.

Priest Reverend Father Jordan Brown

Parish CouncilPresident - George Tsiouvaras Vice President - Nicholas Kallan Treasurer - Brian Gregory Secretary - Phillip Haratsaris

PhiloptochosPresidents - Dana Gall and Sharon Dzilvelis Treasurer - Julie Powers

Book StoreSharon Dzilvelis

Youth / GoyaFr. Jordan Brown

Senior MinistryDena Tinsley

Choir DirectorPresbytera Marika Brown

Recurring ServicesOrthros - Sundays, 8:15am Divine Liturgy - Sundays, 9:30am Great Vespers - Saturdays, 5pm Confession by appointment.

Saints Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox Church5640 Jay Road, Boulder, CO 80301 303-581-1434 • stspeterandpaulboulder.org