St. George Greek Orthodox Church, New York City, NY PUBLISH DATE: December 20, 2009

Epistle Reading
St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 11:9-10; 32-40

BRETHREN, by faith Abraham sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac ...Read Full Text >

Gospel Reading
Matthew 1:1-25
Sunday before Nativity

The book of the Genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham ...Read Full Text >

Sunday before Nativity
 ...Read Full Text >

Forefeast of the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
 ...Read Full Text >

Ignatius the God-Bearer, Bishop of Antioch
 ...Read Full Text >

Our Righteous Father Philogonius, Bishop of Antioch
 ...Read Full Text >

John the New Martyr of Thassos
 ...Read Full Text >
Apolytikion for Sunday before Nativity
Most glorified art Thou, O Christ our God, Who hast established our Fathers as luminous stars upon the earth, and through them didst guide us all to the true Faith. O Most Merciful One, glory be to Thee. - Translation by Holy Transfiguration Monastery

Apolytikion for Ignatius the God-Bearer, Bishop of Antioch
As a sharer of the ways and a successor to the throne of the Apostles, O inspired of God, thou foundest discipline to be a means of ascent to divine vision. Wherefore, having rightly divided the word of truth, thou didst also contest for the Faith even unto blood, O Hieromartyr Ignatius. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls be saved. -Translation by Holy Transfiguration Monastery

Apolytikion of the Church
Liberator of captives, defender of the poor, physician of the sick, and champion of kings, O trophy-bearer, Great Martyr George, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

Kontakion
On this day the Virgin cometh to a cave to give birth to God the Word ineffable, Who was before all the ages. Dance for joy, O earth, on hearing the gladsome tidings; with the Angels and the shepherds now glorify Him Who is willing to be gazed on as a young Child Who before the ages is God. - Translation by Holy Transfiguration Monastery

Vespers
None

Matins
9:30am in Greek

Liturgy
10:30am in English & Greek

Parish Information
St. George Greek Orthodox Church
307 West 54th Street (at 8th Avenue)
New York City, NY 10019

Phone: (212) 265-7808
Fax: None
Website: www.saintgeorgenyc.org

Proistamenos: Fr. James W. Kordaris
Email: FrJimK@goarch.org

Other Parish Info
54th Street at 8th Avenue
5 Blocks South of Central Park/Columbus Circle

VISITORS ARE WELCOME

NY CITY SUBWAY DIRECTIONS:
N,R,W to 49 Street (7th Ave).
A,C,1,2,B,D to 59 Street (Bway).
B,D,E to 7th Avenue (53 St.)
C,E to 50th Street (8th Ave).

SUNDAY PARKING is available for $10 between the hours of 8:00 AM & 2:00 PM Sundays at Icon Parking on the SE corner of 54th Street & 8th Avenue. You must have your ticket stamped at St. George Church (at the candle stand) in order for this rate to apply. For parking before 8:00 AM and after 2:00 PM the regular hourly rate will apply.

 
Make Room at the Inn
We wish you a blessed holiday filled with the joy of the first Christmas. Through the busy-ness of holiday preparations and travel we pray that Jesus will find room to be born in our hearts.

We share the following reflection by Fr Thomas FitzGerald:

CHRISTMAS: The Expression of Divine Love
The story of the birth of Christ is a vivid reminder of the depth of God’s love for us. He loves us so ...Read Full Text >
December 18, 2009
Archepiscopal Encyclical on the Nativity of Christ (2009)
Protocol 116/09
December 25, 2009
The Nativity of Christ

We have beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten Son of the Father . John 1:14

To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils ...Read Full Text >
CHRISTMAS: The Expression of Divine Love

The story of the birth of Christ is a vivid reminder of the depth of God’s love for us. He loves us so much that he has entered into life in this world in the person of Christ. The infinite God mysteriously accepted the limitations of our humanity. It was not enough for God to act through signs and ...Read Full Text >

Archbishop Anastasios: "Who are WE bringing it to?"
"As a young person I had been deeply moved by stories of Father Damian, a Catholic priest who served lepers in Hawaii, and also Albert Schweitzer. I asked myself whatever happened to our missionary tradition in the Orthodox Church? Where were the Orthodox missionaries? What are we doing to share our faith ...Read Full Text >

Baptism : unless it`s personal it`s not real.
People often ask why we baptize and chrismate babies before they could possibly know what is going on. As Orthodox Christians, we don’t baptize babies because they believe --- We baptize babies in order that they will believe. God takes the first step as a sign of His love. But there is nothing automatic ...Read Full Text >

Offering our Gifts
It is also through the Holy Spirit that we are able to discern our gifts with which we are called to serve the Lord. Each of us is blessed in a different way with different gifts and together we make up the body of Christ on earth.

OFFERING OUR FAITH
“It is the Parish, it is the local community which has been, is, and will forever be the central, indispensable agent for offering our Orthodox faith to contemporary America.” -Archbishop Demetrios of America

TENDING TO YOUR MARRIAGE by Rev. Dr. Charles Joanides, LMFT
...do not take your marriage for granted. This is not God’s will. Second, just as your children, family and career need attention, your marriage needs attention. Third, marriages come apart over time, so you need to be attentive to them daily. Fourth, if you discern that distance has creeped into your ...Read Full Text >

STORIES OF THOSE WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO BECOME ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS
BISHOP KALLISTOS WARE
STRANGE YET FAMILIAR: My Journey to the Orthodox Church

I can remember exactly when my personal journey to Orthodoxy began. It happened quite unexpectedly one Saturday afternoon in the summer of 1952, when I was seventeen. I was walking along Buckingham Palace Road, close ...Read Full Text >

Bringing Our Friends to Christ
We begin by bringing ourselves to Christ. But we never stop there. After we have brought ourselves, we bring others. The greatest gift that any one can bring to another is Christ.
-A. Coniaris

A BENEDICTION
"I have this benediction for you," I said. "As you leave this sanctuary, make sure that you are clothed in the vast and awesome love of the Heavenly Father. If you should stumble and fall, it will be that very love that will draw you back to his presence. Be careful to seize every opportunity to reflect ...Read Full Text >

THE TURNAROUND PARISH
"...turnaround ministry is possible and can happen, but only if a declining parish’s priest and parishioners are willing to commit themselves to the effort of turnaround ministry, an effort that will require the entire parish working together as a team to stem the hemorrhaging and make a full comeback to ...Read Full Text >

THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD
“Every temple of the Lord is a house of divine Presence and a house of prayer. Every temple is also a house of peace. May the soul of all those who enter into this holy temple to take part in the assembly of God, become itself a house of peace.”

Serve the Lord With Gladness by A Monk of the ...Read Full Text >
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Appear on 60 Minutes Segment on Orthodox Christianity

December 17, 2009
His All Holiness Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians who constitute the second largest Christian Church in the world, will be featured on the CBS News program 60 Minutes reported by Bob Simon, scheduled to air on Sunday, December 20, 2009 at 7 p.m. EST. ...Read Full Text >
Sunday Divine Liturgy begins promptly at 10:30 and is celebrated in English and Greek. Divine Liturgy usually concludes around 11:40 and is followed by fellowship and refreshments in the church hall.

For children we offer a short children’s sermon during the Divine Liturgy and a Sunday School session following Liturgy.

We welcome all visitors and guests. If you are visiting New York, we hope you will join us in worship when you are in town and tell your friends about the friendly church not far from Broadway, Times Square and Central Park.

If you are new to the area or just searching for a spiritual home in New York, we hope you will make Saint George Church your spiritual home -- the place where you come to be filled up after a week of being emptied by the daily struggles of life.

God Bless you; God bless our Church; and God bless us all.

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE OF DIVINE SERVICES at SAINT GEORGE CHURCH
DECEMBER 20, SUNDAY: SUNDAY BEFORE THE ...Read Full Text >
Previous St. George Greek Orthodox Church Bulletins
Publish Date:December 13, 2009
Publish Date:December 6, 2009
Publish Date:November 29, 2009
Publish Date:November 22, 2009
Publish Date:November 15, 2009
 
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