Saints Cyril
& Methodius
Equals to
the Apostles & Teachers of the Slavs,
Bulgarian Orthodox
Mission
Archdiocese of Washington
Orthodox
Church in America
The Sunday Before the
Nativity of Christ
Sunday, December 19, 2010
2:00 PM
The Mission’s services have been hosted
through the gracious support of the parish of:
St. Luke Orthodox Church
6801 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22101
His Beatitude,
Metropolitan JONAH
The Very Reverend Archpriest
Timothy Perry
The Reverend Deacon
Chterion Zaprionov
Saints
Commemorated Today
30th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
— Tone 5 (13th of Luke). SUNDAY BEFORE THE NATIVITY. Martyr Boniface at Tarsus in Cilicia, and Righteous
Aglæ (Aglaída) of Rome (290). Ven. Ilya (Elias) of Murom, Wonderworker of the
Kiev Caves (Near Caves—1188). Martyrs Elias, Probus, and Ares, in Cilicia
(308). Martyrs Polyeuctus at Cæsarea in Cappadocia, and Timothy the Deacon in
Mauretania (4th c.). St. Boniface the Merciful, Bishop of Ferentino
(6th c.). St. Gregory, Archbishop of Omirits (ca. 552).
†
May Their Memory Be Eternal
†
The
Priests Peter, Ishmael, Michael, Leo, Homer, Thomas, Victor, and Milorad;
the Matushki Mary,
Platonida, Sophronia, and Barbara;
the
Readers Philemon, John, John, and Robert Michael; and
the
Servants of God Joan, William, Ruby, Timothy, Maria, Megan, Bojanka, Magdalena,
Alexander, Sophia, Shafik, Christo, Julia, Rada, Radka, Anna, Dale, Olivera,
Marianthe & Panaigioti, and George.
Those
Who Are In Need of Prayer
The Priests Photius,
Anthony, Vadim, Thomas, Paul, and Joseph;
the Presbyteras
Artemis, Marie, Miriam, Mica, Juliana, & Anne;
the
servants of God, Marge, Karen, Stella, Marios & Sophia, Douglas, Alexandra,
Victor, Erin, Catherine & Wayne, Kyriaki, Helen, John & Carmeta, Jane,
Denny, Ivan, Daniel, Oliver, Marion,
Ellen, Dimitrie & Rachael, Joshua & Katherine, William & Katherine,
Charlie & Karen, Chariessa & Nicholas, David & Patricia; and,
those
who are traveling or are sick and suffering and those who have asked us to pray
for them, unworthy though we may be.
Schedule of Services
December 19 – Sunday before the Nativity of Christ, Saints Cyril &
Methodius
December 25 – Christmas, St. Mark Church, Bethesda, MD
December 26 – Sunday after Christmas, St. Mark Church,
Bethesda MD
January
2 – St. Basil the Great, Saints Cyril & Methodius
January
9 – Sunday after Theophany, St. George, Potomac, MD: (Joint Celebration)
January
16 – Ven. Prochoros of Bulgaria, Saints Cyril & Methodius
January
23 – St. Timothy, St. George, Potomac, MD
January
30 – Three Hierarchs, Saints Cyril & Methodius (Annual Parish Meeting)
February
6 – Zacchaeus, St. George, Potomac, MD
February
13 – Publican & Pharisee, Saints Cyril & Methodius
Service
Times:
St. Mark Church, Bethesda - 9:30 AM
St. George Church, Potomac - 12:15 PM
SS Cyril & Methodius Mission, McLean - 2:00 PM
Administration of the Sacraments
The parish priest, responsible to the diocesan bishop and answerable to
God, is the sole administrator of the sacraments in the Orthodox parish.
The preparation for receipt of any sacrament whether the receipt of the
Eucharist at the Divine Liturgy, marriage, baptism, or any other is preceded by
a period of preparation and sober contemplation. In the case of reception to adults into the Church, a period of
study, careful thought, and instruction is involved.
Fr. Timothy is to be contacted well in advance of planning for any
sacrament outside of the receipt of the Eucharist by Orthodox Christians.
Fr. Timothy’s email
address: revtperry@hotmail.com
To the Very Reverend and
Reverend Clergy,
Monastics, and Faithful
of the Orthodox Church in America
Dear Brothers and Sisters in
Christ,
Christ is Born! Glorify
Him!
“Glory to God in the
Highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men” Luke 2:14.
The angelic proclamation at the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ is the good news of the restoration of all things. In Christ, all things
are made new, God is made man, and the order of nature is restored. All things
are filled with His glory. All creation itself sings with joy, radiating the
glory of God, while the angelic hosts join in praise of the One Who has been
made manifest to us.
There is no separation between God and us, because God has taken our
flesh and been born of the Virgin. He has emptied Himself in order to fill us
with Himself. He has drawn us to Himself that He might fulfill every aspect of
our lives with His joy, His presence, and His righteousness.
In light of this great mystery, how are we to respond to God?
Our spiritual life involves our every breath -- how we live in
this world and conduct ourselves in our neighborhoods, at work and in school,
in the midst of our families and communities and parishes. It involves bringing
the remembrance of God into every aspect of our lives. During the Nativity
Fast, as we prepared ourselves for the coming of the Savior, we were offered
the opportunity to repent, to seek renewal, and to recommit ourselves to Christ
and His Church. We discerned those areas of our lives in which we turned away
from God, once again opening ourselves to His radiant presence, that He might
heal and raise us up. Even when things seem dark and dismal, when we struggle
to find the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, we can regain our spiritual
focus -- that focus which is once again restored to us through the
Incarnation of the One Who, as the "Light of the world," leads us.
Too often, we allow ourselves to be blinded to the light of God’s
presence. We become preoccupied with anger and pride, lusts and the desire for
material things, and -- even worse -- gossip, slander, judgment,
criticism, and condemnation of those whom we should accept as our brothers and
sisters. These sins must be confronted, confessed, and stopped. It is only by
repentance that we can accept Christ back into our lives when we have banished
Him by our sins. It is only by forgiving those who have offended us that we can
be freed from slavery to the demons of anger and bitterness. And, indeed, it is
only through repentance and forgiveness that we come to remembrance of Him as
the One Who has come to set us free.
God comes and reveals Himself in the midst of our lives -- if we
let him -- just as He came to the obscurity of a cave in Bethlehem. He
exposed the envy and hatred of Herod. He was intuitively known to the simple
shepherds -- the “pure of heart“ -- but those immersed in the
bitterness of sin “knew Him not.” His Mother was slandered and condemned by
those around her; how, then, can we slander? He was adored by the Wise Men of
Persia, but those who, in their pride thought they were wise, could not
understand.
Giving thanks to God for our healing and salvation, let us join with the
angels and the shepherds, and all creation in the song of praise, “Glory to God
in the Highest, and on earth peace, good will to men!”
With love in the Newborn Lord,
+JONAH
Archbishop of Washington
Metropolitan of All America and
Canada
Metropolitan Jonah, OCA Representatives,
Guests of ROCOR Synod of Bishops
His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, met with members of the Synod of
Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia [ROCOR] at the
invitation of His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, ROCOR First Hierarch, on Wed.,
12/8/10.
The meeting marked the first of its kind since Dec. 11, 1950.
Also representing the OCA at the meeting were His Grace, Bishop Tikhon
of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania, Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky, and Mr.
Alexis Liberovsky, OCA Archivist, all of whom participated in the drafting of
the Joint Statement of the Commissions of the Orthodox Church in America and
the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, titled "Relations Between
the Orthodox Church in America and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of
Russia."
The statement, drafted by members of the OCA and ROCOR Commissions at a
their meeting in Sea Cliff, NY Oct. 5-6, 2010 -- was approved by the
ROCOR Synod of Bishops on Oct. 25 and the OCA Holy Synod during its fall
session Nov. 16-18, although it was agreed that the official English text would
not be released until the Russian translation had been finalized and approved.
The statement was posted on the OCA web site at www.oca.org/news/2353
on Tuesday, Dec. 14.
Metropolitan Jonah addressed the ROCOR hierarchs, after which fruitful
and positive discussion took place. Other issues, in addition to the joint
statement, touched upon included the continuation of mutual work of OCA and
ROCOR Commissions, the concelebration of hierarchs, the Episcopal Assembly, and
cooperative efforts in the areas of liturgical translation, publications, and
hospital, prison, youth, and other ministries.
Informal discussion and fellowship continued during the luncheon which
followed the Synod session.
The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia is observing its 90th
anniversary in Dec. 2010.