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Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

Christos Razdajetsja! Slavite Jeho!

THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD AND

SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST

Your Nativity, O Christ our God * has shown forth the light of knowledge to the world: * for

through it, those who studied the stars * learned from a star to worship You, the Sun of

Truth, * and to acknowledge You, rising from on high; * O Lord, glory to You.

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ST. NICHOLAS ORTHODOX CHURCH

505 Jefferson Avenue, Scranton, PA, 18510

Fr. Daniel Vaskalis, Pastor

Rectory: 621 Vine St., Scranton PA, 18510

Rectory: (570) 344-5917

Parish Hall: (570) 344-1522

Jane Togher, Board President

(570) 842-3311

jctogher@gmail.com

Diocesan Website: http://www.acrod.org

Church Website: www.stnicholasorthoxscranton.org Camp Nazareth: http://www.campnazareth.org

Diocesan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acroddiocese

Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/St-Nicholas-Orthodox-Church-Scranton-270842650055874

***Fr. Daniel Cell: (570) 861-2712 Twitter: https://twitter.com/acrodnews

Fr. Daniel Email: frdvaskalis@gmail.com Youtube: https://youtube.com/acroddiocese

SUNDAY JANUARY 7, 2018 – THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

PARISH CALENDAR

Sunday, January 7 – The Feast of our Lord’s Nativity 9:30 AM – Divine Liturgy

Special Hymns – Blue Pew Book – pp. 132-135

Epistle: Galatians 4:4-7 Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12

Monday, January 8 – Commemoration of the Most Holy Birthgiver of God

9:00 AM – Divine Liturgy

Special Hymns – (Blue Pew Book) pp. 136, 132-135 (Antiphons, Entrance Hymn, Tropars are from the

Epistle: Hebrews 2:11-18 Gospel: Matthew 2:12-23 Nativity of Our Lord)

Tuesday, January 9 – Feast of Saint Stephen the Protomartyr

9:00 AM – Divine Liturgy

Special Hymns – (Blue Pew Book) pp. 137, 132-135 (Antiphons, Entrance Hymn are from the Nativity of

Epistle: Acts 6:8-15; 7:1-5, 47-60 Gospel: Matthew 21:33-42 Our Lord)

Circumcision of our Lord / Commemoration of Saint Basil the Great

Saturday, January 13 – 3:00 PM Great Vespers

Sunday, January 14 – Sunday after The Nativity / Circumcision of our Lord, Commemoration of Saint Basil the

Great / Sunday before Theophany

9:30 AM – Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great

Special Hymns – Blue Pew Book – pp. 138-142

Epistles: Galatians 1:11-19 / Colossians 2:8-12

Gospels: Luke 2:20-21, 40-52 / Mark 1:1-8

Panachida for Stephen and Susan Baronych given by the Bonk Family

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Please Keep in Your Prayers Living : Fr. Lawrence Barriger. Fr. Michael Polanichka. Fr. John Gido. Fr. George Hutnyan.

Fr. James Gleason. Fr. Tom Kadlec. Fr. George Dursa. Fr. Jonathan Tobias. Fr. Michael Rustick.

Fr. John Baranik. Fr. Nicholas Wyborski. Fr. John Zboyovski. Fr. Robert E. Lucas. Deacon James Phifer.

Pani Donna Smoley. Pani Linda Barriger. Pani Constance Miloro. Pani Amy George. Pani Peggy Teklinski.

Reese: Eric, Tamsen, James, Gineva, Benjamin, and Thomas. Stephen Barnett. Ann Richardson.

Joseph Kacaba. Lorraine Kacaba. Lovie Swingle. Stephanie Bonk. Joseph Majcher Sr. Joseph Majcher Jr.

Bill Wassel. Owen Bonn. Gloria Bracey. Susan Danchak. Michael Danchak. Jada Eiden.

Madelyn Hodanich. Margaret Skotlewski. Johnny Huniyack. Anna Mae Kuklis. Maryann Ludwig.

Rose Markiewicz. Mary Phillips. John Polanichka. Karen Rolka. JoyAnn Scarnato. Amy Shimo. Faye Snell.

Russell Spilka. Rita Sher. Jeff Thomas. Janet Pugh. AnnMarie Tigue. Gary Wassel. Michael Coviello.

Mary Kay Wroblewsky.

At home : Michael Andreosky. Elizabeth Basalyga. Ann Richardson. Anna Senich.

Assisted Living: Marion Sosnowski. Delores Naglak. Susan Danchak.

Eternal light: In memory of Eugene and Doris Vaskalis given by Family.

- The Men’s Club will meet next Sunday, January 14th

, immediately following Divine

Liturgy.

- The next Parish Board Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, January 21st.

- There are still 2018 envelopes and church calendars available for pick up in the Church

Hall.

- On Sunday, January 14th

, 2018, we will have the induction of all Parish Board, Men’s

Club, and Altar Society officers immediately following the Gospel reading. Please note

that any new officers are required to come to the Sacraments (Confession and

Communion) prior to that date. Thank you!

FILL UP THE BREADBASKETS OF NEPA!

Please continue to remember and support those families who

rely upon food donations to help make ends meet! We have a

food donation container in the Church Hall, and we need your help

to fill this container with non-perishable food items: cans, dry goods,

etc.

“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you

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…’”

Parish Life

Parish News

YOUR GIFTS TO GOD AND OUR CHURCH:

December 31, 2017

$287.00 General Collection

$68.00 7 Day Light

$14.00 Taper Candles

$35.00 Flowers

$404.00 Total Collection

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December 25, 2017 / January 7, 2018 Protocol No. 15/2017 CHRIST IS BORN! GLORIFY HIM! Dear Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As we celebrate this joyous Feast of the Nativity in the flesh of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ, I wish to share with you

one of my favorite Christmas homilies from the Church Fathers concerning this day. St. John Chrysostom spoke on the Incarnation with these words:

“I behold a new and wondrous mystery! My ears resound to the shepherd’s song, piping no soft melody, but loudly chanting a heavenly hymn! The Angels sing! The Archangels blend their voices in harmony! The Cherubim resound their joyful praise! The Seraphim exalt His glory! All join to praise this Holy Feast, beholding the Godhead herein...on earth and man in heaven. He Who is above now, for our salvation,

dwells here below; and we, who were lowly, are exalted by divine mercy. Today Bethlehem resembles heaven, hearing from the stars the singing of angelic voices and, in place of the sun, witnessing the rising of the

Sun of Justice! Ask not how it is accomplished, for where God wills, the order of nature is overturned. For He willed, He had the powers, He descended.

He saved. All things move in obedience to God. Today He Who Is, is born! And He Who Is becomes what He was not! For when He was God, He became man while not relinquishing the

Godhead that is His... And so the kings have come, and they have seen the heavenly King that has come upon the earth, not bringing with Him angels, nor

archangels, nor thrones, nor dominions, nor powers, nor principalities, but treading a new and solitary path, He has come forth from a spotless womb.

Yet, He has not forsaken His angels, nor left them deprived of His care, nor because of His Incarnation has He ceased being God. And behold Kings have come, that they might serve the Leader of the Hosts of Heaven; women, that they might adore Him Who was born of a woman so that He might change the pains of childbirth into joy; virgins, to the Son of the Virgin...

Infants, that they may adore Him Who became a little Child, so that out of the mouths of infants He might perfect praise; Children, to the Child Who raised martyrs through the rage of Herod; Men, to Him Who became man that He might heal the miseries of His

servants; Shepherds, to the Good Shepherd Who laid down His life for the sheep; Priests, to Him Who has become a High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek; Servants, to Him Who took upon Himself the form of a servant, that He might bless our stewardship with the reward of freedom; Fishermen, to the Fisher of humanity; Publicans, to Him Who from among them names a chosen evangelist; Sinful women, to Him Who exposed His feet to the tears of the repentant woman. And that I may embrace them all together, all sinners have come, that they may look upon the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the

world! Since, therefore, all rejoice, I too desire to rejoice! I too wish to share the choral dance, to celebrate the festival! But I take my part, not plucking the harp nor with the music of the pipes nor holding a torch, but holding in my arms the cradle of Christ!

For this is all my hope! This is my life! This is my salvation! This is my pipe, my harp! And bearing it, I come, and having from its power received the gift of speech, I too, with the angels and shepherds, sing: Glory to God in the Highest! And on earth peace to men of good will.” AMEN!

Personal Greetings: So today, may all of us, Priests, Panis, Deacons, Sub-Deacons, Readers, Parish Officers, Parishioners (young and old), Friends, and Supporters of our God-protected American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese experience the joy and wonders of the Shepherds and the awe and respect of the Three Wise Men at the arrival of the Messiah, our new born King. Christ is Born!

Greetings from Johnstown with much love,

ARCHPASTORAL LETTER FOR THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY

+Bishop Gregory of Nyssa

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Feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church Sunday January 7th, 2018 Scranton, PA

Dear Faithful of Saint Nicholas,

Christos Razdajetsja! Christ is Born! For thus it was written by the prophet, “But you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come forth a Ruler, Who will shepherd My people Israel” (Matthew 2:6, ref. Micah 5:2). As we celebrate the joyous Feast of our Lord’s Incarnation, let us keep in mind these words, spoken by the prophet to foreshadow this very Feast. And let us know, not only in our minds but in our hearts, that on this day was born the Son of God Himself, the Divine Logos, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. Why? Saint Athanasius said it best: “God became man, that man might become god.” To reunite us with Himself, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. To offer us the path to salvation, life forever, in Him, God in His infinite love and humility took on the form of a servant. However, many in society today want to dissuade us of the belief in the truth of who Christ is. Yet, as the Lord Himself said, “Seeing, they do not see, and hearing, they do not understand” (Matthew 13:13). To these, Christmas is but a day off from work or school, a time for anything but the commemoration of the Lord’s manifestation in the flesh, which happens to be the only reason for this Holy Day. Saint Maria of Paris, an Orthodox nun martyred in the gas chamber by the Nazis, articulated that “We must not allow Christ to be overshadowed by any regulations, any customs, any traditions, any aesthetic considerations, or even any piety.” Tragically, her words have not yet entered into the hearts of the people who need them most. In a culture where not only materialism, but even worse than that, immorality, reign supreme, sin is god. People worship at the altar of their own transgressions, and pray to whatever obsessions and feelings cloud their mind. They care nothing for their eternal soul, if they even realize that they have one. We know, though, what this day means for us as Orthodox Christians. Thus, we sing in praise as we acknowledge that God has sent His only Son into the world to save us from that false god, our iniquity. So may the Feast of our Lord’s Incarnation be for you truly joyous and uplifting! And I pray that the coming year bring you only the choicest blessings!

Yours in the Newborn Christ-Child,

Father Daniel

THANK YOU!

I want to thank all those who helped clean and decorate the church and hall in preparation for our Lord’s

Nativity!

I would also like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all those who remembered me with prayers, cards, and

gifts this Christmas Season! I am truly honored! God bless all of you!

A LETTER FROM YOUR PASTOR

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A REFLECTION ON THE THREE WISE MEN

from THE PROLOGUE of Ohrid

The Lord Jesus, born in Bethlehem, was first worshipped by shepherds and wise men (astrologers), from

the east – the simplest and wisest of this world. Even today, those who most sincerely worship the Lord Jesus as

God and Savior are the simplest and wisest of the world. Perverted simplicity and half-learned wisdom were

always the enemies of Christ’s divinity and His Gospel. But who were these wise men from the east? This

question was especially studied by Saint Dimitri of Rostov. He claims that they were kings of certain smaller

regions or individual towns in Persia, Arabia, and Egypt. At the same time, they were erudite in the knowledge of

astronomy. This wondrous star appeared to them, which announced the birth of the New King.

According to Saint Dimitri, this star appeared to them nine months before the birth of the Lord Jesus, i.e.

at the time of His conception by the Most-holy Theotokos. They spent nine months in studying this star, in

preparing for the journey and in traveling. They arrived in Bethlehem shortly after the birth of the Savior of the

world. One of them was called Melchior. He was old, with long white hair and beard. He offered the Lord the gift

of gold. The second was called Caspar, of ruddy face, young and beardless. He offered the Lord the gift of

frankincense. The third was called Balthasar, of dark complexion and a very heavy beard. He offered the Lord the

gift of myrrh.

After their deaths, their bodies were taken to Constantinople, from Constantinople to Milan, and from

Milan to Cologne. It can be added that these three wise men were representatives of the three main races of men

that descended from Noah’s three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. The Persian represented the Japhethites, the

Arabian represented the Semites, and the Egyptian represented the Hamites. Thus it can be said that, through

these three, the whole human race worshipped the Incarnate Lord and God.

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NATIVITY WORD SEARCH

NATIVITY CROSSWORD

Today’s cryptoquip clues:

T = G B = O

{ HINT: Scripture verse from the Gospel

of Saint Luke. }

T F B N A Z B T B W C Q Z P M

P C T P M J Z , X Q W B R M X N Z P

L M X K M X Q W T B B W G C F F Z B

Y M Q .

NATIVITY CRYPTOQUIP