Ñåðäå÷íî â³òàºìî íàøèõ ãîñòåé, ÿê³ ìîëèëèñü ñüîãîäí³ ç íàìè. Áóäåìî ðàä³ áà÷èòè Âàñ ó íàñòóïíó íåä³ëþ. Íåõàé Âàñ îáåð³ãຠÃîñïîäü.

Priest: Let us be attentive! Peace be with you all! Reader: And with your spirit! Priest: Wisdom! Reader: The Prokimen on tone 3. Sing praises to our God, sing praises! / Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

Verse: Clap your hands, all ye people! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!

Reader: Brethren, when Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and for all.

Priest: Peace be with you reader.

Reader: And with your spirit. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Verse: In Thee, O Lord I placed my hope: let me not be put to shame!

Verse: Be Thou a God of protection for me, a house of refuge, in order to save me!

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Thank you all for your donations last Sunday, on St. Nicholas day, to purchase dental equipment, which will be used to treat children at the orphanage in Zalucchia, Ukraine. We collected $415. Thank you William Klish for organizing the collection.

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Thank you St. Nicholas for visiting our parish and giving out presents last Sunday. Also thank you Pam Scannell and all those who prepared the breakfast on St. Nicholas day.

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Thank you all who went last Friday night and caroled at Broome Developmental Center. There was twelve of us children and adults. We brought the residence joy.

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Dear parishioners if you would like to publish any information or future events, please give this information to the priest who will publish it in the Sunday Bulletin.

*************************************************************** Please let Father know who is in need of visiting, prayers

or receiving of sacraments. Visits can be any time.

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Dear brothers and sisters for those who do not attend confession (repentance)

and Holy Communion, please participate in these sacraments. This is for your own salvation, for the remission of sins and life everlasting. Please do not wait till the last minute, it could be too late. We never know when God will call us. Today we are here tomorrow we will go into eternity, and will stand before God’s judgment.

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Our Christmas play is taking shape, but needs some serious practice. It's a busy time of year for everyone, but being a part of the Christmas play is special for our children and will help them make some beautiful memories.

We will practice the play before church school every week (that we have school) from now until the big day of the Nativity of our Lord on January 7. In addition, we have scheduled the following practices: Friday, December 29, 2006, 5 PM at the hall - all speaking parts are needed. This practice will focus on speaking parts (without the script/so memorize parts) and the flow, layout and positioning of actors & actresses. Since this practice will take a couple of hours, we'll have pizza, salad and pot luck (Lenten dishes) for dinner. Saturday, December 30, 2006, 10 AM at the hall - all actors/actresses needed. We will assign costumes, review the play and make/design/create scenery (bring supplies and ideas). May the calm spirit of our Lord's birth be with you all during the holidays! Jody Dimitriou.

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The Great Banquet: (Luke 14:16-24) The Gospel lesson today tells about the master of the feast who made doubly sure that the guest received the invitations. He issued two invitations to each: the first was to tell each one that he was invited; the second, on the day of the dinner, to announce that all was ready: “Come; for all is now ready.”

“Come”! The Gospel is not so much a command as an offer; not so much a demand as a gift - an invitation to share in the unbelievable joy of the kingdom.

“Come”! God is expecting you! He is ready for the poor, the maimed, the blind, the lame. As a shepherd seeks for the lost sheep, as a father waits for the lost son to come home again, so God is ever seeking, calling, inciting.

“Come, for all is now ready.” Come you who seek meaning for life. Come you who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Come you who falter under the burden of sin and guilt. Come you who are anxious and fearful. Come you who mourn. Come you who seek peace and fulfillment. Come “the table is richly laden. Fare ye royally on it. The calf is a fatted one. Let no one go away hungry… Enjoy ye all the riches of his goodness”

Our great tragedy is that we end up accepting, the wrong invitation in life. We miss the banquet, the abundant life of Christ, and settle for the lesser, and the fleeting. And Christ still laments, “O Jerusalem… How often would I have gathered your children as a hen gathered her brood under her wings, and you would not” (Matthew 23:37)

“Come, for all is now ready.” Coming to Christ is a way of life. It begins with baptism. It involves daily commitment, repentance (confession) obedience, worship, prayer, reading Bible and Church Fathers, regular Communion, and living the Orthodox style of life. It involves a daily walk with Christ. It involves not only “Come!” but also “Go” “Go out into the world and be my disciples. Be servants. Be lights. Be salt.” None of us will ever know the wonder of the brightly lighted banquet hall, the goodness of the food, and the joy of being a part of this amazing fellowship unless we lay aside the excuses and dare to accept the invitation.

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Fri. Dec. 29 - 8:30 am. Pirohy Session.

Dec. 31 and Jan. 6 - Shop for Charity Fundraiser at the Giant Food Markets. Jr. UOL will be passing out the coupons

Sat. Jan. 6 - Strict Fast. 8:00 pm. Great Compline. God is with us! Following Compline, caroling. Sun. Jan. 7 - Divine Liturgy on Christmas Day will start at 9:30 am, by request from our elderly parishioners, also the time for Liturgy has been changed because on Christmas Eve many go out and carol. Nativity Concert, and lunch following Divine Liturgy. Bring a friend to church day. Those friends who come to church can take part in the concert. During lunch Jr. UOL will make a collection for our new chapel’s iconography project in Emlenton PA.

Wed. Jan. 8 - 7:00 pm Revenue Generating Committee Meeting, and Finance Committee Meeting.

Tue. Jan. 9 - 7:00 pm 2008 UOL Convention Committee Meeting, to discuss promotional gifts, favors and convention bags. Please come with ideas. Everyone is invited.

Sat. Jan. 13 - 7:00 pm to 12:30 am. Malanka at the Memorial Center. Call 797-7008, 798-7591, 729-0079. Tickets $15.

Mon. Jan. 15 - 7:00 pm. Parish Board Meeting.

Fri. Jan 18 - Feast of the Holy Theophany, Baptism of Our Lord.

4:30 pm. Great Compline with the blessing of water. Following the Service holy supper at the Memorial Center. For tickets please see Mary Ann Klish.

Sun. Jan. 21 - Jr. UOL Meeting following Sunday School.

Mon. Jan. 29 - 5:30 pm or 6:30 pm Texas Roadhouse Dinner at St. John’s Memorial Center. Menu: 6 oz. Sirloin or 8 oz. boneless chicken breast, child size 4 oz. sirloin or 4 oz. chicken, baked potato with sour cream and butter, fresh roll with cinnamon honey butter, salad with Italian or Ranch dressing, brownie alamode with chocolate sauce. Coffee, tea, or soda. Beer and wine for sale. Adult $ 14.00 Child price $ 7.00

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Pray for the sick. The Lord said: “Do unto others as you would want them do unto you.” So if we will be sick, we will ask help from God, we will ask priests and people to pray for us. In order for the Lord to listen to us when we are sick, we need to pray for those who are sick. O Lord our God, Who by Your Word alone healed all diseases; Who cured the Mother-in-law of Apostle Peter of fever; Who chastises with pity and heals according to Your goodness; Who are able to put aside every malady and infirmity: Do You the same Lord, now relieve Your servants: Fr. Michael Michalopolos, Scott Shirk, Laurel Shirk, Audrey Klym, Valerie Melnychenko, Kevin Terpak, Emilia Lewkowicz, John Karaim, Mildred Charnetsky, Mary & Walter Gulachok, Mary Gormish, Olga Gooley, Mary Ford, Mary Mihalko, Margaret Klish, Marlyn Klish, Cypryan Klish II , Sophia Malowicky, Helen Charnetsky, Genevieve Sadowitz, Michael Sr. Duby, Anne & Karen Girnis, Paul Laszko, Julie Sadowitz, Catherine Dobransky, Maria Dudack, Pelahia Kit, Charles Stasko, Stephania Moroz, Mildred Bogdan, Natalia Boser, Wasyl Krawecki, Meghan Scannell, Olga Drost, Mary Evanchoff, Marion Kaspryk, and cure them of the sicknesses which grieves them; lift them up from their beds of pain, sending down upon them Your mercy; and if it be Your will, give to them health and a complete recovery. For You are the Physician of our souls and bodies, and to You we ascribe glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages, Amen.

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Pray for those who in the service of our country and especially: Chief Warrant Officer Scott Ketchuck (Serving in Iraq), Major Gerald C. Seaman Nathaniel Kulikowski, Aviator Mechanic Enoch Braisher, Sabrina Schimmelfing. Pray for world peace

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March 9 - 11, 2007 - U.O.L. Retreat. Bethlehem, PA. The retreat will focus on the Major Feast Days of the Orthodox Church. Speakers His Beatitude Metropolitan Constantine and His Eminence Archbishop Antony. Contact: Oleg or Natalie Bilynsky (610) 982- 7315

March 16-18, 2007 - U.O.L. Lenten Retreat. All Saints Camp Contact: Melanie Nakonachny (440) 842-3820

Sat. April 15, 2007 - (Saturday of St. Thomas Sunday) U.O.L. Educational Seminar. South Bound Brook, NJ Contact: Natalie Bilynsky (610) 892-7315.

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Jr. UOL will have a candy bar sake to help offset medical bills for a student Luke Zuber struggling with cancer. Please buy candy.

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