Sunday, November 26, 2023
Tone 8 / Eothinon 3

Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost & Thirteenth Sunday of Luke

Saints of the Day: Venerable Alypios the Stylite of Adrianople; Nikon the preacher of repentance; Venerable Stylianos of Paphlagonia

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TO OUR VISITORS

Welcome to Saint Mary of Egypt Orthodox Church.  We are a multi-cultural church of the Self Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.  We invite you to receive the Holy Eucharist (Communion) if you are an Orthodox Christian, having prepared yourself by Sunday morning fasting, plus prayer and recent confession.  If you are not an Orthodox Christian, we invite you to receive, at the dismissal, a piece of blessed bread from the altar servers.  Our priest will be pleased to explain to you why only Orthodox Christians may commune.

Donations can be mailed to the address above or given electronically via Zelle at give@stmaryegypt.org

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Resurrectional Troparion in Tone 8: From the heights Thou didst descend, O compassionate One, and Thou didst submit to the three-day burial, that Thou might deliver us from passion; Thou art our life and our Resurrection, O Lord, glory to Thee.

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THE EPISTLE

(For Twenty-Fiveth Sunday after Pentecost)

Make your vows to the Lord our God and perform them.
God is known in Judah; His Name is great in Israel.

The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians. (4:1-7)

Brethren, I, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, Who is above all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

 

THE GOSPEL

(For the Thirteenth Sunday of Luke)
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke (18:18-27)

At that time, a man came testing Jesus and asking, “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 the man 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 to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the man heard this he became sad, for he was very rich. Jesus, seeing him sad, 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?” Jesus said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”

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UPCOMING AT ST MARY OF EGYPT

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​Sunday November 26

9 AM Matins

10 AM Divine Liturgy

12:30 PM Bible Study

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​Monday November 27

7 PM Book Study

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Wednesday November 29

7:30 PM Catechesis Group

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Friday December 1

5 – 7 PM Community Dinner

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Saturday November 2

10 AM Women’s Group

5 PM Great Vespers

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Sunday December 3

9 AM Matins

10 AM Divine Liturgy

12:30 PM Bible Study

 

Monday December 4

7 PM Book Study

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Wednesday December 6

7:30 PM Catechesis Group

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Saturday December 9

5 PM Great Vespers

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Sunday December 10

9 AM Matins

10 AM Divine Liturgy

12:30 PM Bible Study

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Schedule subject to change

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NEWS & EVENTS

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Church Directory: The new directory is complete and has been the directory, please see Charles or Amal and we will get you one.

Old World Christmas Festival and Market: On Friday, December 1 and Saturday, December 2, Joy of All Who Sorrow parish just north of downtown Indianapolis will be hosting their Old World Christmas Festival and Market at their parish located at 16th St and Delaware. The flyer for this event is in the back of this bulletin.

St Nicholas: On Saturday, December 9, 2023, we will be hosting our afternoon of cookie baking and decorating for the children of both the parish and the neighborhood from 1 – 3:30 PM. Please bring cookie dough to help with this if your child is participating. Also, the next day, December 10, St Nicholas will be visting during coffee hour.

Christmas Concert: Also on Saturday, December 9, Holy Trinity Cathedral in Carmel will be hosting a Christmas Concert performed by their choir. The flyer for this is also in the back of the bulletin.

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Nativity Fast: Starting on Wednesday, November 15 and lasting until December 24 we will be in the Nativity Fast in preparation for the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior. Please consult the fasting calendar (copies in the narthex) for info on what the rules are. If this is your first time, please speak with Fr Athanasius before taking on this ascetic effort.

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Special Collection: "Following the call of the Holy Synod of Antioch, which beckons all its children to dedicate a Sunday following the Synod’s conclusion to collect aid for our brethren at the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and to partake in the relief of their suffering while demonstrating the Christian communion of humanity in times of affliction, we hereby announce that Sunday, November 12, shall be designated as the day for collecting aid throughout our Archdiocese." This Sunday will be the final day to donate towards this cause before we send what has been collected to the Archdiocese. Please make your donations payable to St Mary of Egypt Church and mark Holy Land Relief in the memo.

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Christmas Family: We are collecting money for this year’s Christmas family with a goal of raising $500 for them so they can then go and purchase what they want and need for Christmas. There is a table set up in the fellowship hall with a box for donations towards this on it. Also, you can write a check to the church or give through Zelle with “Christmas Family” in the memo line.

Coffee Hour: Coffee hour is our time of fellowship after the Liturgy. Parents, please, in the interest of maintaining sanitation, take care of your children’s plates. We are now scheduling who helps with coffee hour by last name. This week, the families in charge are Saxton, Seyoum, Thelen, Ventura, Wincel, and Zaharako. Next week, the families in charge will be Alexeev, Blanchard, Pellor, Schmidt, and Zolotareva.

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Confession: Confession for Orthodox Christians should be done at least 4 times a year; especially during the major fasting seasons (Lent, Apostle’s Fast, Dormition, and Nativity.) Fr Athanasius is available for this sacrament on Saturdays after Vespers or by appointment during the week.

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Interview with His Eminence, Metropolitan Saba: Recently, there was a video interview with Metropolitan Saba posted online to YouTube that is very good and informative of our hierarch’s formation, life, and vision for our archdiocese. If you can take an hour out of your busy day, it is very good viewing. It can be accessed here: My Vocation: An Interview with His Eminence Metropolitan Saba (Isper).
 

Hierarchical Visit: On the last weekend in January, the 26th through the 29th, Metropolitan Saba and Bishop Antony will be visiting St George in Fishers. As this will be Sayedna Saba's first visit to central Indiana, there may be changes in our schedule to take part in this event. Information about that will be forthcoming as it is available.

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Sunday School: Sunday School for our parish children is as follows: the younger class (ages 3-6) will leave with Ms. Duncan after Communion, while the older class (ages 7-13) will meet with Mrs. Cornelius during coffee hour.

 

Adult Classes: Sunday Bible Study with Subdeacon Mark is at 12:30 and is currently looking at the Letter of St Paul to the Romans. There is also a book study Mondays at 7 PM (currently reading Byzantine Theology by Fr John Meyendorff) exclusively on Zoom. If you are interested in joining us virtually, please contact Patrick at davidpatrickharry@gmail.com.

 

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Community Dinner: Our First Friday Dinner for December will be on December 1st, and we will be serving pot roast with potatoes, vegetables, and desserts. If you would like to assist with this in any way, please contact Ruth Schmidt at  Ruthanne22101@gmail.com.

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Blessing Box Ministry: Thank you very much to everyone who has recently donated both food and money for the food pantry. However, the need is constant for items to replenish what is taken, so as you shop for groceries, please take time to purchase some non-perishable items for our pantry ministry, such as shelf stable meat (tuna, chicken, spam, etc), helper meals, saltines, and dry soups. We are very low or out of helper meals, saltines, pasta, and pasta sauce packets. As the weather is turning colder with temps getting below freezing, please focus on more dry items than canned ones as the pantry box isn’t insulated. The things we have available can be seen in the storage room.

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Assistance for the Homeless: As autumn is in full swing and winter is approaching, the steady need for items for the homeless continues. Currently the items that are being emphasized for donation are winter gear (gloves, hats, hand/foot warmers), warm blankets, new thermal underwear, and good quality coats. Other items such as socks, shoes, and hygiene items are always welcome. Please feel free to bring things in and place them in the hallway across from the kids’ playroom or place them in the red tote in the narthex, and we will organize them and take them to our partners at Horizon House from there.

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REFLECTION FOR THE DAY

“He who loves God will certainly love his neighbor as well. Such a person cannot hoard money, but distributes it in a way befitting God, being generous to everyone in need.”

St. Maximos the Confessor

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PARISH PRAYER REQUESTS

LIVING: Archpriest Athanasius, Archpriest Jerome, Fr. Isaac & Kh Jo; Sdn Mark & Bobbi Cornelius; Mary Williams and her family (friend of Charles Blanchard); Rachel, Michael, Jackie, & Charlie Harper (family of Jeff Harper); Kathy Evans; Garry Styles & his wife; Greg & Ruby (friends of Amal Hanania); Robert & Bonnie Thelen; Denise (Bonnie Thelen’s cousin); Larry & Tanya Brown; Darren Glasscock; Joshua Leffew; Gleb & Charlee Alexeev; Christopher & Jabran Soubeih (Lee Soubeih’s sons); Anna Michael; Joanne (Bonnie Thelen’s sister); Wyatt Sobczyk & Family; Katya Alexeeva, Evgeni & Elena Alexeev (Sdn Alexander’s parents); Natalia (friend of the Alexeevs); Dennis & Lynn Ciurej; Crystal; Reggie Jeffries (Christopher’s dad); Demetrios & Joanna Zaharako; Carl & Becky Cafouros; Khalil & Amira Saba; those suffering due to the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as those who have lost loved ones to disease, natural disasters, and violence

 

DEPARTED: Dn Sergius Vlas (Evansville); Toni Ban (former parishioner of Fr Athanasius @ All Saints, and friend of the parish); Jeffrey Harper (nephew of Fr Isaac and Jo)

 

Please notify Charles or Amal of any new prayer requests by Wednesday for inclusion in the bulletin.

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SYNAXARION (LIVES OF THE SAINTS)
(from the Prologue)

The Venerable Alypius the Stylite
Alypius was born in Hadrianopolis, a city in Paphlagonia. From childhood, he was dedicated to the service of God. He served as a deacon with Bishop Theodore in the church in that city. But, desirous of a life of solitude, prayer, and meditation, Alypius withdrew to a Greek cemetery outside the city. This was a cemetery from which people fled in terror, because of frequent demonic visions seen there. Alypius set up a cross in the cemetery and built a church in honor of St. Euphemia, who had appeared to him in a dream. Beside the church, he built a tall pillar, climbed to the top of it, and spent fifty-three years there in fasting and prayer. Neither the mockery of men nor the evil of the demons was able to drive him away or cause him to waver in his intention. Alypius especially endured countless assaults from demons. Not only did the demons try to terrorize him with apparitions, but stoned him as well, and gave him no peace, day or night, for a long time. The courageous Alypius protected himself from the power of the demons by the sign of the Cross and the name of Jesus. Finally, the demons were defeated and fled from him. Men began to revere him and come to him for prayer, consolation, instruction and healing. Two monasteries were built beside his pillar, one on one side for men and one on the other for women. His mother and sister lived in the women's monastery. St. Alypius guided the monks and nuns from his pillar, by example and words. He shone like the sun in the heavens for everyone, showing them the way to salvation. This God-pleaser had so much grace that he was often illuminated in heavenly light, and a pillar of this light extended to the heavens above him. St. Alypius was a wonderful and mighty miracle-worker in life, and after his repose. He lived for one hundred years and entered rest in the year 640 A.D., during the reign of Emperor Heraclius. His head is preserved in the Monastery of Koutloumousiou on the Holy Mountain.

The Venerable James the Solitary
James was from Syria. He was a disciple of St. Maron (February 14) and a contemporary of St. Simeon the Stylite. He lived a life of asceticism under the open sky and ate soaked lentils. He performed great miracles, even raising the dead in the name of Christ. Emperor Leo asked him for his thoughts on the Council of Chalcedon [451]. He entered peacefully into rest in the year 457 A.D.

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The Venerable Stylianus
Stylianus was from Paphlagonia and a fellow countryman and contemporary of St. Alypius. He had a great love for the Lord Jesus, and because of this love gave himself up to great ascetic struggle. He renounced everything to have an undivided love for his Lord. Before his repose, angels came to take his soul, and his face shone like the sun. Stylianus was a great miracle-worker before and after his death. He especially helps sick children and childless couples.

The Venerable Nicon, The Preacher of Repentance
Nicon was born in Armenia. Awakened by the words of the Lord, “Every one that hath forsaken … father or mother … shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life” (Matthew 19:29), Nicon indeed forsook all for the sake of Christ, and went to a monastery, where he was tonsured a monk. When he was perfected in all virtues, he left the monastery and went to preach the Gospel among the people. He ceaselessly cried out, "Repent!" for which he was also called the "the Preacher of Repentance." As a preacher, he visited all of Anatolia and the Peloponnese. He worked miracles by prayer in the name of Christ and peacefully went to his beloved Lord. He reposed in Sparta in the year 998 A.D.

Saint Innocent of Irkutsk, The Wonderworker
He reposed in the year 1731 A.D., and his miracle-working relics were uncovered in 1804 A.D.