SAINT
JOSEPH THE BETROTHED
Melkite-Greek Catholic CHURCH
725 W. Mt.
Hope Ave, Lansing, MI 48910 517-575-6264
FMailing Address: 921 Westover
Circle, Lansing, MI 48917E
Rev. Protodeacon Joseph Daratony
248-719-5169
Phone or email Fr James with items for the
bulletin by Thursday night.
Troparion of the Ancestors of Christ (Tone 2)
Through faith, You have justified your ancestors, O
Christ our God, and through them you have espoused in advance
the Church set apart from the Gentiles. The saints rejoice in glory because,
from the seed of these ancestors has come forth the
glorious fruit, who gave birth to You without seed.
Through their intercession, O Christ God, save our souls.
13 December 2015—Sunday of the Ancestors of Christ. Holy Martyrs Eustrates, Auxentius, Eugene, Mardarius
and Orestes; Holy Virgin Lucy. (Tone 4)
Readings Apostolos: Colossians 3:4-11 Gospel:
Luke 14:16-24
10:30 am Orthros
(Morning Prayer)
11 am Divine
Liturgy of St John Chrysostom for the health and salvation of Laina Graham, Lucy Palmer, Ruth Zarka, Violet
Albertson, Ina Samra, Leila Abdallah, Mona, Zaina, Gary, Charlotte Senno, Fares
Eid, Maroun Daher, Dennis Flint, Eleanora Lindo, Max, Angel, Simone, Mikayla Slocum, Raymond Rashid, Bonita Saba,
Griffin Barna, Jim Covello, David Georges, Ralph Farhat, Robert Kuri, Isaac
Salim, Iva Butler, Alessandra, BJ & Liz, Cam, Janice, Jeanne, Wayne, Kelsey,
Kathleen Edwards, Edgar & Katherine, Kamal & Eugenie, Clay, Michael Maslowski, Elaine &
Eva-Genevieve Scarborough, Antonio Carvalho, Elias Haggar, Marie Dahdouh, Dn.
Joe & Marge Daratony, Fr Charles Aboody, Fr Joseph Haggar, Fr Damon Geiger,
Fr James Babcock, Fr Basil Samra, Fr
Michael Skrocki, Fr Maximos;
in memory of Abraham Saba (2nd anniversary by Bonita Saba), Awatef Chahine (Ihsam Chahine &
Family), Maarouf Khouri (Nadia
Washington), Elias Atallah (Jenevieve
Ferrar), Nickolas Nakfoor (Siham Calille), Louis Zarka (Fayrouz &
Nabil Raad & Najla), Douglas Smith, and William Graham.
20 December 2015—Sunday of the Genealogy of Christ. Holy Hieromartyr Ignatios the God-Bearer. (Tone 5)
Readings Apostolos: Hebrews 11:9-10, 32-40 Gospel: Matthew 1:1-15
10:30 am Orthros
(Morning Prayer)
11 am Divine
Liturgy of St John Chrysostom in memory of
Awatef
Chahine (Al-Bassa Cultural Community), Maarouf Khouri (George Snyder), Elias Atallah (Marie Albert), Nickolas Nakfoor (Ann Rashid), Louis Zarka (Ray & Linda Lauerman),
Lucille Panella, and Gary Watkins.
Our Offerings
to the Lord
The collection taken in the Liturgy is part of our
worship. We offer the Lord our lives,
our prayers, our gifts of bread and wine, and our financial gifts. Last Sunday, about 120 people attended the
Liturgy. Our offering totalled $1866 in
the ordinary collection, $90 for stole offerings, $530 in donations, and $30
for candles.
Music for Today
1.
Troparion of the Resurrection in
Tone 4, (Arabic).
2.
Troparion of the Ancestors, in
Tone 2.
3.
Troparion of St Joseph, in Tone
4, page 30A.
4.
Kontakion of the Ancestors, in
Tone 2.
5.
Kontakion of the Preparation for
the Nativity of the Lord, in Tone 4, (Arabic).
Also, today the Creed will be said in Arabic and the
Hirmos will be sung in Arabic.
Thanks to Our Lady’s Society
We are grateful to Our Lady’s Society for their steadfast devotion to the
good of St Joseph Church, and especially for their transfer of $2000 from the
profits of the Fall Food Fest to the parish account and $400 to NAMY for work
at the Food Fest. May God always bless
the works of their hands!
Make Your Prayer Offering for Christmas
Flowers
The Divine Liturgy for the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) will be
offered for the intentions of those who make an offering to help pay for our
Christmas flowers. Please use the
envelope enclosed with this bulletin to make your offering. Write the names of the living and the
departed for whom you want us to pray.
Enclose your offering and write “Christmas Flowers” on the envelope, and
place it in the collection basket.
Help Homeless Women and Children with Giving
Tree Gifts
Our
Giving Tree this year benefits the City Rescue Mission’s Women and Children’s
Shelter. Please stop in the narthex and
take a tag from the tree. Purchase the
items on the tags and bring them by next Sunday, 20 December, at the very latest, so they can be
distributed as Christmas gifts. Just
place them unwrapped under the tree. If
you have questions, please ask Su Butler.
NAMY Meeting Tonight, 6-8 pm
St Joseph’s NAMY will meet on Sunday 13 December from 6 to 8 pm. We will plan our Spaghetti Lunch scheduled
for 20 December and choose a date for Christmas caroling. Fr James will lead a discussion about the
meaning of Holy Communion.
Enjoy NAMY’s Meatless Spaghetti Lunch Next
Sunday
Next Sunday, take a break from Christmas cooking and other preparations
and enjoy a meatless spaghetti lunch prepared and served by St Joseph’s
NAMY. The menu will feature pasta and
sauce, salad, and garlic bread, with a drink.
No set price—just donate whatever amount you think is right. Thanks for your generous support.
Schedule of Christmas Services
The Great Feast of the Nativity of the Lord is Friday 25 December. We will have services on Wednesday 23
December and Thursday 24 December, but no Liturgy will be celebrated on
Christmas Day.
¯ Wednesday 23 December at 1
pm—The Royal Hours of Christmas. Psalms,
prayers, and Scripture readings.
¯ Thursday 24 December at 6
pm—Vespers-Divine Liturgy of the Nativity.
(Our only Christmas
Liturgy.)
Feed the Hungry—Bring Donations for our
Holiday Food Drive
Our Holiday Food Drive is being coordinated by Our Lady’s Society and
NAMY. From now until the new year, we
will collect non-perishable foods to give to a local food bank. Canned foods, healthy breakfast cereals,
dried pasta and beans, peanut butter, powdered milk, baby food, etc. are
especially needed. Toothbrushes and
disposable diapers are also always needed.
Our donations will be taken to the food bank on 20 December. Anything collected after that will be
delivered early in January.
Bishop’s
Appeal Will End Soon; Still Time to Make Your Gift
As we travel with the Virgin to Bethlehem where she will
give birth to the Only-Begotten Son of God, let us not forget our Melkite
Catholic Church in which we encounter Christ. Please give an end-of-year,
tax-deductible gift to the Melkite Church in America and build up our
Church in countless ways. Help produce SOPHIA magazine, assist in the
faith education, support the formation of new priests and deacons, expand our
missions, provide for our retired priests, and remember those here and overseas
who are in need. Please give generously
so the vital works of our Church can continue and grow. Extra donation envelopes are available in the
narthex. Please do not mail your
contributions. Instead, give them to Fr
James to mail for you. You will save 49
cents and he will be able to track participation by St Joseph’s parishioners. God bless you for your generosity. Last year, we did not meet our $2500 parish
goal. This year, let us be more generous
and beat that goal.
Calendars for 2016 Highlight History of Melkites in America
Our church calendars for 2016 have arrived. They will be distributed in the parish hall
after the Liturgy. Only one calendar per
household, please. If you would like to
make a donation for your calendar, it will be gratefully accepted in support of
our parish. We again thank Woody’s
Mediterranean Deli for generously sponsoring our calendars. This year marks the 50th
Anniversary of the Melkite Diocese in the USA—our Golden Jubilee. In support of the Jubilee, this year’s
calendar features stories and photos from our Melkite-Greek Catholic Church
history in the USA, from the first immigrants to the latest ordinations of
three married priests.
Next Year’s
Offering Envelopes Now Available
Your offering envelopes for 2016 are now available. Your envelope number will be the same as it
was this year. Please see Cassie
Larrieux in the parish hall after the Liturgy to pick up your box of envelopes
for next year.
