Church New Year.

Great Vespers for Sunday Divine Liturgy.  Tomorrow we commemorate the Icon of the Mother of God "the Unburnt Bush."  The unburnt Bush Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is based on the miracle witnessed by Moses in the Old Testament.  In Chapter 3 of Exodus God calls Moses on Mt. Horeb from the midst of a bush which "was burning, yet it was not consumed"  (Ex. 3:2).  Moses is informed that he will lead the Hebrews out of their slavery in Egypt, and then God tells him His name,  "I am Who am"  (Ex. 3:14).  The Church has regarded the unburnt Bush on Horeb as a type of the Most Holy Theotokos giving birth to the Savior Christ, while remaining a Virgin.  It is believed that the earliest icons of the Unburnt Bush originated at St. Catherine's Monastery on Mt. Sinai. 

Sunday Divine Liturgy   - Today we commemorate the Icon of the Mother of God "the Unburnt Bush".   The Lord spoke to Moses the following:   "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be merciful to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace."   (Numbers 6:24-26) 

Great Vespers with Litiya for the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos.  Her father was of the tribe of David and her mother of the tribe of Aaron, and so Mary was of royal blood from her father and priestly blood from her mother. Her parents, Joachim and Anna, were childless and were fast approaching the years which would place Anna beyond the age of childbearing.  They prayed with tears that God would bring joy to their old age with the gift of a child.    God gave them one daughter, Mary,  full of grace, blessed among women, the temple of the Holy Spirit, and altar of the living God. 

Divine Liturgy for the feast of the Nativity of the Most-Holy Theotokos - Your Nativity, O Virgin,  Has proclaimed joy to the whole universe!  The Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, Has shone from You, O Theotokos!  By annulling the curse,  He bestowed a blessing.  By destroying death, He has granted us eternal Life.  (Troparion Tone 4)

Great Vespers for Sunday Divine Liturgy.  Tomorrow is the  Sunday commemorating the Venerable Theodora.  The Righteous Mother Theodora of Alexandria lived in the fifth century.  After committing a sin that saddened her deeply and out of remorse for this sin, she clothed herself as a man, changed her name to Theodore, and pretending to be a eunuch, entered a monastery of men.  Her identity as a woman was discovered only after her death.

General Confession following Great Vespers.

Sunday Divine Liturgy - Our Righteous Mother Theodora of Alexandria - "With fasting didst thou consume thy body utterly; with vigilant prayer didst thou entreat thy Fashioner, that thou shouldst receive the complete forgiveness of the sin thou hadst wrought; which receiving in truth, thou didst mark out the path of repentance for us all."  (Kontakion of Saint Theodora, Second Tone)

Enlightener Deadline - Please give Barbara articles before this date.  Thank you.

Great Vespers with Litiya for the Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross.  Saint Helena, the mother of Saint Constantine the Great, when she was already advanced in years, undertook, in her great piety, the hardships of a journey to Jerusalem in search of the Cross, about the year 325.  A temple to Aphrodite had been raised up by the Emperor Hadrian upon Golgotha to defile and cover the place where the saving Passion had been suffered.  The venerable Helena had the temple destroyed, and the earth removed, revealing the Tomb of our Lord and three crosses.  Saint Macarius, Archbishop of Jerusalem, who was with Saint Helena, had a woman at the point of death brought to touch the crosses.  When she approached the Cross of our Lord and Savior, she was made perfectly whole.  Consequently, Archbishop Macarius lifted the Cross on high and the people beheld it and cried out, "Lord have mercy."   

Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Elevation of the Precious and Lifegiving Cross - "O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.  Grant victories to the Orthodox Christians over their adversaries and by virtue of Thy Cross, preserve Thy habitation." 

Great Vespers for Sunday Divine Liturgy.  Tomorrow we venerate Our Righteous Father Eumenius the Wonderworker, bishop of Gortynia.    Father Eumenius took up the monastic life from his youth, and later became Bishop of Gortynia in Crete.  He travelled to Rome, and to Thebes in Upper Egypt, where through his prayers he ended a drough; there also, after working many miracles, he reposed in deep old age.  His holy relics were returned to Gortynia and buried at the place called Raxos. 

Sunday Divine Liturgy - Our Righteous Father Eumenius the Wonderworker, Bishop of Gortynia - "Illumined with light from God on high, O blessed one, thou shinest on us, who lovingly acclaim with hymns thy most holy, glorious, and august repose, O Eumenius; for thou ever prays for us, O Father, thou faithful Hierarch of the Lord."

Monthly Trustees' Meeting -  Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! (Ps. 133:1)   And [Jesus] replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?"  And looking around on those who sat about Him, He said,  "Here are my mother and my brothers!  Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother." (Mark 3:33)

Great Vespers for Sunday Divine Liturgy.  Today we commemorate the Holy New Martyrs of Alaska.  "Today we commemorate the Holy New Martyrs of Alaska.  Today Alaska rejoices and America celebrates, for the new world has been sanctified by martyrdom.  Kodiak echoes with songs of thanksgiving, Iliamna and Kenai observe the festival of faith.  The Apostle and Martyr Juvenaly is glorified, and Peter the Aleut is exalted by his voluntary sacrifice.  In their devotion and love for the Lord, they willingly endured persecution and death for the Truth.  Now in the Kingdom of Heaven they intercede for our souls."  (Troparion- Tone 4)

Sunday Divine Liturgy.  “For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  And Jesus said to Simon,  “Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men.”  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.”  (Luke 5:9-11)

Grreat Vespers with Litiya for the Feast of the Protection of the Most-Holy Theotokos.  The Feast of the Protection commemorates the appearance of the most holy Theotokos in the Church of Blachernae in Constantinople in the early sixth century, as recorded in the life of Saint Andrew the Fool for Christ’s sake.  While the multitudes of the faithful were gathered in church, Epiphanius, the friend of Saint Andrew, through the Saint’s prayers, beheld the Virgin Mary above the faithful and spreading out her veil over them, signifying her unceasing protection of all Christians.  Because of this we keep a yearly feast of gratitude, imploring our Lady never to cease sheltering us in her mighty prayers.   (From the Great Horologion.)