Sunday after the Theophany of Christ
Righteous Mother Domnica of Constantinople and her companions;
Venerable George the Chozebite
2250 East Paris Ave, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
616-954-2700 ▪ [email protected] ▪ www.stnicholasgr.com
V. Rev. Fr. Michael Nasser, Pastor
616-216-3537
[email protected]
Rev. Archdeacon David Khorey
Rev. Deacon Clement Nicoloff
Rev. Deacon Justin Adolphson
Welcome to our guests! Thank you for attending today’s Divine Liturgy. Please register
your visit by completing the guest book located on the table in the narthex. We would
appreciate getting to meet you, so feel free to join us for refreshments & fellowship in
the Cultural Center.
We believe Holy Communion to be a sign that in Christ we have all things in common,
share an identical faith, and are united fully to the Orthodox Church. Anyone interested
in learning more about our faith is encouraged to speak with one of our clergy.
Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves through prayer, fasting, & regular
confession are welcome to receive Holy Communion.
HYMNS
Having learned the joyful message of the Resurrection from the angel the women
disciples of the Lord cast from them their parental condemnation. And proudly broke
the news to the Disciples, saying: Death hath been spoiled; Christ God is risen, granting
the world Great Mercy.
When Thou, O Lord, wast baptized in the Jordan, worship of the Trinity wast made
manifest; for the voice of the Father bore witness to Thee, calling Thee His beloved
Son. And the Spirit in the form of a dove confirmed the truth of His word. O Christ our
God, Who hath appeared and enlightened the world, glory to Thee.
Thy work of justice did show thee to thy congregation a cannon of faith, the likeness of
humility, a teacher of abstinence, O Father Bishop Nicholas. Wherefore, by humility
thou didst achieve exaltation, and by meekness richness. Intercede, therefore, with
Christ to save our soul.
On this day Thou hast appeared unto the whole world, and Thy light, O Sovereign
Lord, is signed on us who sing Thy praise and chant with knowledge: Thou hast now
come, Thou hast appeared, O Thou Light unapproachable.
EPISTLE
Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous.
The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians. (4:7-13)
Brethren, grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Therefore it is said, “When He ascended on high He led a host of captives, and He gave
gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that He had also
descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is He who also ascended
far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) And His gifts were that some
should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip
the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to
the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the
measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
GOSPEL
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (4:12-17)
At that time, when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee; and
leaving Nazareth he went and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulon
and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “The land
of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the
Gentiles—the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in
the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach,
saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
HOLY OBLATION
IS
OFFERED
In memory of the St. Nicholas parishioners who fell asleep in the Lord in the month of January
offered by George Mickel. Lord give comfort to the souls of thy departed servants. Memory
Eternal!
For the good health & blessings of Marve Halbert on his birthday offered with love by Pat. May
God continue to bless you and grant you many years!
For the health & blessings of Barbara Thomas on the occasion of her birthday offered by the
Nicola, Riley, Brown and Thomas family. May God grant her many years!
PLEASE
REMEMBER IN YOUR DAILY PRAYERS
LIVING:
Metropolitan Paul (in captivity)
Archbishop John (in captivity)
Archpriest Elias Bitar
Archpriest William Olnhausen
Archpriest George Rados
Archpriest Stephan Rhudy
Kh. Khristina Gillquist
Kh. Charlotte Smith
Clemence Bassett
Dawn Shaheen
Thomas & Jean Joseph
Jim Nassar
Millard Laramy
Vera Mijatovic
George Mickel
Colie Rock
George Fine
Sylvia Gemali
DEPARTED:
Fr. Protosyngellos Paul Doyle
Joseph Ferguson
John Porritt
DEPARTED PARISHIONERS
1/01/1970
1/01/1974
1/03/2008
1/07/1979
1/07/2003
1/08/2008
1/13/2002
1/14/2007
1/14/2013
1/16/1962
1/16/1993
1/17/1944
David Corey
Joseph Mahrouse
Marian Hickerty
Theodore Gounos
Patricia Cook
Bea Hiemstra
S. Nicholas Ayoub
Alexandra Sulizki
Nick Bander
Edward Yared
Nazema Khouri
Essa Salhaney
Victims of the continued
conflicts in the Middle East
IN THE
MONTH
1/17/1985
1/17/2005
1/18/1961
1/18/1986
1/19/1957
1/20/1958
1/22/2004
1/23/2001
1/27/1996
1/28/1980
1/29/1961
1/29/2014
OF
JANUARY:
Lambert Orange
Lena Audy
Latife Hattem
Minerva Yared Naifeh
George A. Salhaney
Rev. Jerome S. Yared
Gazelle Courey
William Khouri Najjar
Abe Audy
America Yared
George Ember
Abe Abraham
ANNOUNCEMENTS
It is time to schedule your House Blessing. Please schedule your House Blessing by visiting the
following link: www.stnicholasgr.com/houseblessing. If you do not have access to a computer,
please call the Church Office to schedule your House Blessing.
Kick of your New Year right! Develop a deeper knowledge of the Holy Scriptures by committing
to attend Wednesday Night Bible Study. It will run for 5 weeks starting this Wednesday, January
11, and running through February 15 from 7:00-8:00 pm. This is a perfect opportunity to grow
in Christ. We are offering the following classes:
 Introduction to Orthodoxy (Adults)
 A Study on the Book of St. Matthew (Adults)
 A Study on the Book of Mark (Grades 5-12)
 Child care available (Please contact the Church Office in advance)
A table will be set up outside the gathering room on January 8th and 15th. The Feast of St. Anthony
the Great and our beloved Bishop Anthony's Name Day and Birthday is on the 15th!
Contributions in honor of His Grace will be collected and a card will be available to sign showing
your support. Donations will go to Bishop Anthony's speaker fund through the Antiochian
Women. The speaker fund is used to cover costs associated with attracting foremost speakers,
clergy, and academics for various events such as conventions, delegate meetings, and conferences.
Your contributions will be greatly appreciated by His Grace!
Come and join the Young Adult & College group for dinner and fellowship at Perrin Brewing
Company at 6:00 pm on Thursday. Questions? Contact Scott Storey at [email protected].
Address: 5910 Comstock Park Dr., Comstock Park, 49321
We are hosting a noontime Chili luncheon with fun activities to follow on Thursday, January 19.
Be sure to mark your calendars now and plan on joining us in The Gathering Room at St. Nicholas
for post holiday entertainment and laughs. Contact Nora Ayoub (942-0123) or Eileen Adolphson
(791-0779) for further information.
On Saturday, January 28, we are preparing breakfast for the families at Family Haven. We need 45 volunteers to assist in preparing breakfast from 9:30-noon. Sign-up at the table in the Narthex or
contact Greg Storey: [email protected].
Are you a health care provider—doctor, nurse, dentist, physical or occupational therapist, home
health aide, chaplain, recreational or speech therapist, etc.? Then this event is designed just for you!
The St. Elizabeth Health Ministry at St. Nicholas is holding a forum to address/discuss spiritual
needs in a secular healthcare environment on Friday and Saturday, January 27 & 28. The cost is
$50 per ticket (includes meals) with advance registration required.
To register visit www.stnicholasgr.com. For further information contact Anne Medich:
(616) 485-9429 or [email protected].
Come & experience the pro-life film “Alison’s Choice” on Thursday, February 9 at 7:00 pm at
Celebration! Cinema Woodland. This is a private screening of this feature-length movie sponsored
by Grand Rapids Right to Life. Tickets are $5 each and must be pre-purchased. For information
visit: www.stnicholasgr.com or contact GR Right to Life at: (616) 532-2300.
If you have unwanted printed materials containing icons--calendars, obituary cards,
newsletters, etc., please do not throw them in the trash or recycle bin. Dispose of them in
one of the following ways:
1. Burn the icon
2. Bring the portion of the printed material containing the icon to Church and place it
in the "OLD YEAR ICONOGRAPHY" bin outside the Church Office.
We still need families to host a 2017 Coffee Hour. The sign-up calendar is located on the
table in the Narthex. It is important that every family participates. Open dates coming up
include January 29, February 19, February 26, and March 19. If you have never hosted
before, consider hosting with another family. A “how-to” sheet is available from the
Church Office which details everything you need to know to host.
Why Do We Have Our Homes Blessed?
The Great Blessing of Water and the Home
The Great Blessing of Water takes place at the end of that day's Liturgy. Since our homes cannot
be brought to the Church, the Church - through the priest and cantor - go to the homes. There the
service of blessing, which began in the church, is finished with the sprinkling of water in the home.
Traditionally, in most Orthodox parishes, the priest personally visits all his parishioners each year
to pray with them in the place where they live, and to bless their surroundings with the newly
sanctified water of Theophany (January 6/13). By sanctifying our living quarters, our private place,
we extend the grace of God to our individual dwellings. (In very large parishes a yearly visit may
not be possible. In areas of the country where the winter is harsh, I know of at least one parish
where houses are blessed at the beginning of the ecclesiastical year in September.)
We also bring the blessed water to our homes to use throughout the year to bless our homes and to
drink whether we are ill or as part of our daily prayer life. "There are many occasions in family life
when a sip of holy water can help to remind us of the blessing that was given 'to bestow
sanctification', 'unto healing of soul and body', 'to be a fountain welling forth unto life eternal', as
the priest prayed in the litany of Epiphany day." (Little Falcons: Water, Vol. 5, No. 2, 1998, p.33.)
Weaving Christ into Our Lives
The blessing of homes by these holy waters maintains the spiritual association between the 'family
church' and the parish, as well as again providing for the sharing of God's spiritual gifts. … This
annual blessing is not as elaborate as the blessing of the new dwelling, but because of this it should
not be overlooked, for it is in this way that the grace of God is extended to individual
dwellings." (Marriage and the Christian Home, p.25.)
If the priest comes to bless the home when the children are present, they have the opportunity to
see the parish priest in a different and personal situation. If the priest permits, they can lead the way
through the house, or hold a candle. They can show him their rooms or pets or favorite toys. They
receive a blessing with water. For children, the house blessing shows the connection of the Church
to the home.
In Summary
What does it mean to ask God to bless something? All things in the world have been spoiled right
along with us. God must bless His world again in order for it to be the way that He wants it to be.
For this reason God sent His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit to the world: to bless everyone and
everything that He made, to make all things good again. When the priest comes to bless our homes,
he asks God to have mercy on the house, to rid it of every evil and to fill it with every blessing.
What a wonderful way to begin the New Year!
This article in its entirety can be found at: www.stnicholasgr.com/houseblessing
THIS WEEK’S ACTIVITIES
Today
* Parish Council mtg.
* Choir Party (5 pm)
Thursday, January 12
* Young Adults/College at Perrin (6:00 pm)
Tuesday, January 10
* 2019 Convention Leadership mtg. (6:30 pm)
* Choir Practice (7:00 pm)
* Chant Practice (8:00 pm)
Wednesday, January 11
* 6th Hour Prayer (Noon)
* Bible Study (7 pm)
Saturday, January 14
* Vespers (6:00 pm)
Sunday, January 15
* Matins & Orthodox Education (8:50 am)
* Divine Liturgy (10 am)
* Church School mtg.
LOOKING AHEAD
House Blessings
January 6– February 20
Presentation of Christ
February 1
* Matins (5:00 pm)
* Divine Liturgy (6:00 pm)
Health Care Forum
January 28-29
Lent Begins
February 27
Annual General Assembly
January 29
February 5 (back-up date)
SERVING TEAMS
Today:
Next Week:
Tithe & Offering Team:
Marwan, JoAnn, Sam
T.B.A
Coffee Hour Hosts:
Mr. G. Raff & family
Michael & Maria Jammal