Sunday, December 4th

Scripture Lesson for this week          25^th Sunday after Pentecost   – Tone 8  

Epistle: Gal 3:23-29                                                  Gospel: Mark 5:24-34

 

Scripture Lesson for next week                  Sunday of Forefathers– Tone 1

Epistle: Col 3:4-11                                                   Gospel: Luke 14:16-24

 

BIRTHDAYS: Elisabeth Kimson (8)

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Memorial/Coffee Hour: Ivan Ivanov is holding a Memorial Service and sponsoring Coffee Hour for his daughter, Michelle on the year anniversary of her Falling Asleep in the Lord. Also, Sandra Anderson passed away on Friday; Fr. Lou will be holding the memorial for her on Wednesday with a Mercy Meal to follow at St. Thomas. Please call St. George at 330.666.7116 for more details. Memory Eternal!
• Advent: Please fast according to you conscience; the fast will end December 25^th.  
• St. Luke's Advent Dinner: Today St. Luke's has invited us to their advent dinner from 5-7pm here at St. Thomas. They ask that families bring two side dishes & individuals bring one side dish.
• Prayers: Please pray for the health of Steve Dailey, Ann Fry's nephew-in-law who just has his leg amputated after an accident. Also, please keep in your prayers Joeseph Seif, who is a very close friend to Sub-Deacon Dan. He has a brain bleed and has suffered through a few strokes. He is currently in ICU. Alex & Jean Sombaty would like to thank their church family for their thoughts and prayers during their time of need. Yet another surgery has been completed on Wednesday Nov. 30 of which they won't know the results for another ten days. As always, please keep Sub-Deacon John Dodovich's brother, Philip and Diana Clance's father, Bernard in your prayers.

St. Nicholas Archbishop of Myra, December 6^th

More than 1,600 years ago, in the year 270 AD, St. Nicholas was born not far from Myra, in a land that is now part of the country of Turkey. In those days Orthodox Christians were persecuted for their faith. It wasn't easy to be a Christian. Many of them were tortured and executed because they believed in Christ.

Nicholas was taught by his parents to love the Lord with his whole mind, heart, soul, and with ail his strength. When they died he inherited their money. He used this to help the poor, the hungry, and the sick. Whenever he helped anyone he did it secretly, so that only God would know, He did not want praise from people; he wanted his reward to be only in Heaven.

After he gave away the money his parents had left him he decided to become a monk. He went to a monastery where he lived and worked and prayed, intending to spend the rest of his life repenting of his sins. But soon it became clear that God wanted him to be a priest, and so he began to study the Law of God.

St. Nicholas became the parish priest of a village church after his ordination. He worked very hard, instructing his flock and helping those in need. He also performed all the Divine Services and was a spiritual father to all.

One day the Archbishop of Myra died. The other bishops, as well as the priests and people of the town, gathered to choose a successor. They couldn't decide who should be their new archbishop. They kept a vigil and prayed all night long in the cathedral, begging God to guide them. God revealed to one of the bishops that the first priest to enter the church in the morning should be chosen as the new archbishop. At sunrise, a simple priest, Father Nicholas, came quietly into the cathedral to say his morning prayers. In this way, the Lord God revealed His choice for archbishop.

In the year 325 a great Council of the Orthodox Church was held in the city of Nicea. 317 bishops from all over the world came. At this Council part of the Creed we sing in every Divine Liturgy was written down and St. Nicholas had a wonderful opportunity to defend the teachings of the Church against Arius who denied that Jesus Christ was God in the flesh and was leading many people astray by his false teaching. 

St. Nicholas followed the words of our Lord, Lay up treasure for yourself in Heaven, by saying his prayers every day, by fasting, and by performing many good deeds. God was so pleased that He worked many miracles through him. Because he was able to calm storms on the sea he became known as the patron saint of sailors. Because he protected children (he even raised 3 children from the dead!), he is also a patron of young people. He was able to multiply food, just as our Saviour did with the fish and loaves, and in this way he once kept a whole city from starving. People began to call him a "wonderworker". They were so inspired by his life of service to others that many of them, too, began to lead holy lives, filled with good deeds.

After a long life, God called his slave home to heaven on December 6, 343. He was buried in his cathedral, but in the year 1087, his relics were taken to Italy to save them from the Turks who were persecuting Christians and destroying churches and holy objects, and they remain to this day in the city of Bari. The Orthodox Church celebrates this translation of his relics on May 9. St. Nicholas led a life so pleasing to God, that God glorified His saint even after his death. As a sign of God's grace, myrrh comes from the relics of St. Nicholas and many sick people anoint themselves with it and receive healing.