Monday, October 17
6 PM – Prayer Group 7 PM – Spirituality Class
Tuesday, October 18
8:30 AM – Hours 9 AM – Perogie Session
Wednesday, October 19
7 PM – Adult Catechism Class
Thursday, October 20
8:30 AM – Akathist 7 PM– St. Nectarios Anointing Service
Friday, October 21
9:30 AM – Old Testament Class 5 PM– Consecration of St. George’s Church Taylor, PA
Saturday, October 22
9 AM – Consecration of St. Georges’ Church Taylor, PA 5 PM – Vespers in Danbury
Sunday, October 23
9 AM – Church School for Middle and High School Students 10 AM – Divine Liturgy 11:30 AM – Church School elementary Students 12 noon – Parish Council Meeting 4:30 PM – DDD Appreciation Dinner
Readers Schedule 10/16 – Paul Sulich
10/23 – Nicholas Fong
10/30 – Robert Faubel
11/6 – Chris Mihaly
Coffee Hour 10/16 – FONG
10/23 – OPEN
10/30 – OPEN
St. Nectarios Adult Retreat hosted by Holy Trinity Orthodox Church
Missions
Retreat Master: Kenneth Kidd, Development Director
Orthodox Christian Mission Center
The Village Inn – Lenox, MA November 4-6, 2016
Cost: $320 per couple/$210 per single (tax included) Includes:2 nights stay at the inn, 2 complete breakfasts, 1 dinner
Rooms will be reserved on a first-come-first-serve basis. Reservations may be made by contacting Susan at 203-746-6008 or via email at [email protected]. Reservations must be received by October 1st. Checks should be made payable to Holy Trinity Orthodox Church and given to Susan Sulich or mailed to the church, 74 Joe’s Hill Rd., Danbury, CT 06811.
Schedule:
Friday November 4th 2:00: Start of check in time at The Village Inn (www.villageinn-lenox.com); choose entrée for Saturday dinner at the inn when you check in. Dinner: On your own at one of the many restaurants in Lenox
Saturday November 5th Breakfast at your leisure in the Village Inn dining room 9:30—11:30 a.m.: Morning Prayers and Retreat Program: Kenneth Kidd on Missions Afternoon: Free time. Visit the Norman Rockwell Museum, Prime Outlets or one of the many other area attractions or take in the scenic beauty of the Berkshires 5:30—6:30 p.m.: Moleben to St. Nectarios and Confessions 6:30—7:30 p.m.: Fellowship Hour in the Village Inn living room 7:30 p.m.: Dinner together in the Village Inn dining room
Sunday November 6th 8:45—10:15 a.m.: Divine Liturgy 10:30 a.m.: Group Photo at the inn 10:45 a.m.: Full country breakfast Village Inn dining room 12:00 noon: Checkout
Saturday, September 24
3 PM – family/Youth Outing at Tarrywile Park, 70 Southern Blvd, Danbury CT – Hiking 5 PM – Vespers
Sunday September 25
10 AM – Divine Liturgy 12 noon – Parish Council Meeting 2 PM – Akathist to the Icon of the Inexhaustible Cup followed by discussion
Readers Schedule 9/25 – Paul Toaso
10/2 – Suzanne Molineaux
10/9 – Luke Mihaylo
Two events in connection with the Honorable Cross of Christ are commemorated on this day: first, the finding of the Honorable Cross on Golgotha and second, the return of the Honorable Cross from Persia to Jerusalem. Visiting the Holy Land, the holy Empress Helena decided to find the Honorable Cross of Christ. An old Jewish man named Judah was the only one who knew where the Cross was located, and, constrained by the empress, he revealed that the Cross was buried under the temple of Venus that Emperor Hadrian had built on Golgotha. The empress ordered that this idolatrous temple be razed and, having dug deep below it, found three crosses. While the empress pondered on how to recognize which of these was the Cross of Christ, a funeral procession passed by. Patriarch Macarius told them to place the crosses, one by one, on the dead man. When they placed the first and second cross on the dead man, the dead man lay unchanged. When they placed the third cross on him, the dead man came back to life. By this they knew that this was the Precious and Life-giving Cross of Christ. They then placed the Cross on a sick woman, and she became well. The patriarch elevated the Cross for all the people to see, and the people sang with tears: “Lord, have mercy!” Empress Helena had a silver case made and set the Honorable Cross in it. Later, the Persian Emperor Chozroes conquered Jerusalem, enslaved many people, and took the Lord’s Cross to Persia. The Cross remained in Persia for fourteen years. In the year 628 the Greek Emperor Heraclius defeated Chozroes and, with much ceremony, returned the Cross to Jerusalem. As he entered the city Emperor Heraclius carried the Cross on his back, but suddenly was unable to take another step. Patriarch Zacharias saw an angel preventing the emperor from bearing the Cross on the same path that the Lord had walked barefoot and humiliated. The patriarch communicated this vision to the emperor. The emperor removed his raiment and, in ragged attire and barefoot, took up the Cross, carried it to Golgotha, and placed it in the Church of the Resurrection, to the joy and consolation of the whole Christian world.
The Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary: The Most Holy Virgin Mary was born at a time when people had reached such a degree of moral decay that it seemed altogether impossible to restore them. People often said that God must come into the world to restore faith and not permit the ruin of mankind.
The Son of God chose to take on human nature for the salvation of mankind, and chose as His Mother the All-Pure Virgin Mary, who alone was worthy to give birth to the Source of purity and holiness.
The Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary is celebrated by the Church as a day of universal joy. Within the context of the Old and the New Testaments, the Most Blessed Virgin Mary was born on this radiant day, having been chosen before the ages by Divine Providence to bring about the Mystery of the Incarnation of the Word of God. She is revealed as the Mother of the Savior of the World, Our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Most Holy Virgin Mary was born in the small city of Galilee, Nazareth. Her parents were Righteous Joachim of the tribe of the Prophet-King David, and Anna from the tribe of the First Priest Aaron. The couple was without child, since St Anna was barren.
Having reached old age, Joachim and Anna did not lose hope in God’s mercy. They had strong faith that for God everything is possible, and that He would be able to overcome the barrenness of Anna even in her old age, as He had once overcame the barrenness of Sarah, spouse of the Patriarch Abraham. Sts Joachim and Anna vowed to dedicate the child which the Lord might give them, to the service of God in the Temple.
Childlessness was considered among the Hebrew nation as a Divine punishment for sin, and therefore the righteous Sts Joachim and Anna had to endure abuse from their own countrymen. On one of the feastdays at the Temple in Jerusalem the elderly Joachim brought his sacrifice to offer to God, but the High Priest would not accept it, considering him to be unworthy since he was childless.
St Joachim in deep grief went into the wilderness, and there he prayed with tears to the Lord for a child. St Anna wept bitterly when she learned what had happened at the Jerusalem Temple. Never once did she complain against the Lord, but rather she prayed to ask God’s mercy on her family.
The Lord fulfilled her petitions when the pious couple had attained to extreme old age and prepared themselves by virtuous life for a sublime calling: to be the parents of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, the future Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Archangel Gabriel brought Joachim and Anna the joyous message that their prayers were heard by God, and of them would be born a most blessed daughter Mary, through Whom would come the Salvation of all the World.
The Most Holy Virgin Mary surpassed in purity and virtue not only all mankind, but also the angels. She was manifest as the living Temple of God, so the Church sings in its festal hymns: “the East Gate… bringing Christ into the world for the salvation of our souls” (2nd Stikhera on “Lord, I Have Cried”, Tone 6).
The Nativity of the Theotokos marks the change of the times when the great and comforting promises of God for the salvation of the human race from slavery to the devil are about to be fulfilled. This event has brought to earth the grace of the Kingdom of God, a Kingdom of Truth, piety, virtue and everlasting life. The Theotokos is revealed to all of us by grace as a merciful Intercessor and Mother, to Whom we have recourse with filial devotion.
Thursday, September 8
6:30 PM – Parish dinner out at Venice Restaurant in Ridgefield.
Saturday, September 10
5 PM – Vespers
Sunday September 11
10 AM – Divine Liturgy 11:30 AM – Panachida for Thelma Young and those who lost their lives on 911. 2 PM – Akathist to the Icon of the Inexhaustible Cup followed by discussion
Readers Schedule 9/4 – Bob Faubel
9/11 – Harry Fong
9/18 – Sandi Fong
9/25 – Paul Toaso
Coffee Hour 9/4 – OPEN
9/11 – Young
9/18 – OPEN
9/25 – Thompson
10/2 – Suzanne
10/9 – OPEN