THE HOPE/JOY CHRISTMAS TREE—Watch for the Christmas tree and bring hats, gloves, mittens and scarves for both needy children & adults. Your donations will keep so many warm during the cold winter!

COATS FOR THE NEEDY—The Ladies Philoptochos will once again be collecting gently used outerwear (coats, jackets, etc.) for the needy. Please bring your items and put them in the box outside of the Community Center. All dona-tions will be given to Together We Cope. Thank You!

SACRAMENT OF HOLY CONFESSION: As we begin the Nativity Fast (Advent), we should all prepare for the Birth of our Savior by partaking of the Sacrament of Holy Confession. Make an appointment with your Spiritual Father. For details, see Fr. Christodoulos.

S.O.N. BOOKSTORE: “ONLY 2 SUNDAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS” Start your Christmas shopping here. Religious books, Byzantine Ornaments, New stock of Religious Christmas cards, Monastery Gift items, Icons & much more. Stop in a take a look. We love browsers and you never know what you might find.

MOMMY AND ME We had a great first meeting this past Thursday, and hope

even more can join us next time. Our next Mommy & Me will meet on Thursday

January 14th, 2016.

NO COFFEE HOUR ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20th: There will be no Coffee Hour following church on the 20th of December. Parishioners are welcome to purchase food from the concession stand in the foyer of the Community Center.

master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.' And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and there is still room.' And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet. For many are called, but few are chosen.'"

NEW YEARS EVE; Come join the Icar ians celebrate New Years Eve this year at the Pan Icarian Brotherhood of America, Foutrides Chapter #8, NEW YEAR'S EVE 2016 PARTY. The party will be at St. Nicholas Community Center and Doors Open at 8:30 PM. Buffet Dinner Service at 9:30 PM to 11:30 PM, Dancing until ??? with a Buffet Dinner, Wine, Champaign Toast, Party Favors, Vasilopita, Desert, Coffee, Music and Greek Dancing. Featuring DJ Patelis & Sons. Adults - $50.00; Students 11 Yrs. to 18 Yrs. - $25.00; and Children 10 Yrs. and Younger - FREE. RSVP Anthony Kavouris

CHOIR BOOK DRIVE: The choir is still collecting books for our fund rais-er. Please do not hesitate to bring us your old books. Thank You!

STEWARDSHIP NOTE: The year is almost over and we ask all our members: Have you fulfilled your 2015 Pledge of Commitment to the church? Have you remembered to submit your 2016 Pledge Card to the church office? To date there is still more pledges to be collected for 2015. We ask all our stewards who still owe on their 2015 pledge to please complete it no later than Sunday, December 27th. This will assist the church to complete its financial obli-gations, as well as help the church office with the end of the year record-keeping.

Fr. Christodoulos Margellos

Proistemenos

frchristos@gmail.com

10301 S Kolmar Ave.

Oak Lawn, IL 60453

(708)-636-5460

www.stnicholasil.org

Saint Nicholas

Greek Orthodox

Church

Sunday, December 13th, 2015 11th Sunday of Luke

Saint Herman the Wonderworker of Alaska & First Saint of America Eustratius, Auxentius, Eugene, Mardarius, and Orestes of Greater Armenia

Readings:

Epistle: Colossians 3: 4-11

Gospel: Luke 14: 16-24

Epistle Reader: Georgia Chr istakes

Coffee Fellowship Hour immediately following the Divine Liturgy is spon-

sored today by the Philoptochos in the Dr. Mary Dochios Kamberos Community

Center.

Christmas Pageant Dress Rehearsal in Church after Sunday School

PARISH ELECTIONS TODAY

following the Liturgy until 12:30 p.m. in the Bouris Library

METROPOLIS OPEN HOUSE

5:00 p.m..at 40 East Burton Place, Chicago

TRIP TO THE METROPOLIS TODAY

Reserved riders board the bus by 12:30 p.m.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT NICHOLAS

Monday, December 14th, 2015

8:30 a.m. Preparation of Holy Communion

9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy at Holy Cross,in Justice

4:30 p.m. Greek School

Tuesday, December 15th, 2015

8:30 a.m. Preparation of Holy Communion

9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy at Holy Cross,in Justice

Wednesday, December 16th, 2015

4:30 p.m. Greek School Christmas Party

7:00 p.m. High School Basketball Practice Thursday, December 17th, 2015

Saint Dionysios 8:30 a.m. Orthros followed by the Divine Liturgy (here)

6:00 p.m. Small Paraklesis followed by Adult Religious Education

Friday, December 18th, 2015

8:30 a.m. Preparation of Holy Communion

9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy at Holy Cross in Justice

Saturday, December 19th, 2015

8:30 a.m. Preparation of Holy Communion

9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy at Holy Cross, in Justice 10:00 a.m.to Noon Dial-a-Baklava Pick-Up

MEMORIALS

Helen Magafas 1 Year John Magafas 2 Years

Mary Kouroupas 3 Years Theodore Kouroupas 6 Years

Peter Kouroupas 46 Years

Πρὸς Κολοσσαεῖς 3:4-11 Ἀδελφοί, ὅταν ὁ Χριστὸς φανερωθῇ, ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν, τότε καὶ ὑμεῖς σὺν αὐτῷ φανερωθήσεσθε ἐν δόξῃ. Νεκρώσατε οὖν τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, πορνείαν, ἀκαθαρσίαν, πάθος, ἐπιθυμίαν κακήν, καὶ τὴν πλεονεξίαν, ἥτις ἐστὶν εἰδωλολατρεία, διʼ ἃ ἔρχεται ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀπειθείας· Ἐν οἷς καὶ ὑμεῖς περιεπατήσατέ ποτε, ὅτε ἐζῆτε ἐν αὐτοῖς. Νυνὶ δὲ ἀπόθεσθε καὶ ὑμεῖς τὰ πάντα, ὀργήν, θυμόν, κακίαν, βλασφημίαν, αἰσχρολογίαν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν· μὴ ψεύδεσθε εἰς ἀλλήλους, ἀπεκδυσάμενοι τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον σὺν ταῖς πράξεσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐνδυσάμενοι τὸν νέον, τὸν ἀνακαινούμενον εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν κατʼ εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος αὐτόν· ὅπου οὐκ ἔνι Ἕλλην καὶ Ἰουδαῖος, περιτομὴ καὶ ἀκροβυστία, βάρβαρος, Σκύθης, δοῦλος, ἐλεύθερος· ἀλλὰ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν Χριστός.

Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 14: 16-24 Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τήν παραβολὴν ταύτην· Ἄνθρωπός τις ἐποίησε δεῖπνον μέγα καὶ ἐκάλεσε πολλούς· καὶ ἀπέστειλε τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ τῇ ὥρᾳ τοῦ δείπνου εἰπεῖν τοῖς κεκλημένοις· ἔρχεσθε, ὅτι ἤδη ἕτοιμά ἐστι πάντα. καὶ ἤρξαντο ἀπὸ μιᾶς παραιτεῖσθαι πάντες. ὁ πρῶτος εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἀγρὸν ἠγόρασα, καὶ ἔχω ἀνάγκην ἐξελθεῖν καὶ ἰδεῖν αὐτόν· ἐρωτῶ σε, ἔχε με παρῃτημένον. καὶ ἕτερος εἶπε· ζεύγη βοῶν ἠγόρασα πέντε, καὶ πορεύομαι δοκιμάσαι αὐτά· ἐρωτῶ σε, ἔχε με παρῃτημένον. καὶ ἕτερος εἶπε· γυναῖκα ἔγημα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐ δύναμαι ἐλθεῖν. καὶ παραγενόμενος ὁ δοῦλος ἐκεῖνος ἀπήγγειλε τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτοῦ ταῦτα. τότε ὀργισθεὶς ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης εἶπε τῷ δούλῳ αὐτοῦ· ἔξελθε ταχέως εἰς τὰς πλατείας καὶ ῥύμας τῆς πόλεως, καὶ τοὺς πτωχοὺς καὶ ἀναπήρους καὶ χωλοὺς καὶ τυφλοὺς εἰσάγαγε ὧδε. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ δοῦλος· κύριε, γέγονεν ὡς ἐπέταξας, καὶ ἔτι τόπος ἐστί. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ κύριος πρὸς τὸν δοῦλον· ἔξελθε εἰς τὰς ὁδοὺς καὶ φραγμοὺς καὶ ἀνάγκασον εἰσελθεῖν, ἵνα γεμισθῇ ὁ οἶκος μου. λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐδεὶς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκείνων τῶν κεκλημένων γεύσεταί μου τοῦ δείπνου. Πολλοί γὰρ εἰσιν κλητοί, ὀλίγοι δέ ἐκλεκτοί.

The Gospel according to Luke 14: 16-24 The Lord said this parable: "A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the time of the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for all is now ready.' But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.' And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go to ex-amine them; I pray you, have me excused.' And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' So the servant came and reported this to his

St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians 3: 4-11 BRETHREN, when Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. In these you once walked, when you lived in them. But now put them all away; anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all.

Resurrectional Apolotikion Ἠχος γ

Εὐφραινέσθω τὰ οὐράνια, ἀγαλλιάσθω τὰ ἐπίγεια, ὅτι ἐποίησε κράτος, ἐν βραχίονι αὐτοῦ, ὁ Κύριος, ἐπάτησε τῷ θανάτῳ τὸν θάνατον, πρωτότοκος τῶν νεκρῶν ἐγένετο, ἐκ κοιλίας ᾅδου ἐρρύσατο ἡμᾶς, καὶ παρέσχε τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος.

Third Mode Let the Heavens rejoice; let earthly things be glad; for the Lord hath wrought might with His arm, He hath trampled upon death by death. The first-born of the dead hath He become. From the belly of Hades hath He delivered us, and hath granted great mercy to the world.

Hymn of the Fore Fathers Ἠχος β

Ἐν πίστει τοὺς Προπάτορας ἐδικαίωσας, τὴν ἐξ Ἐθνῶν δι' αὐτῶν προμνηστευσάμενος Ἐκκλησίαν. Καυχῶνται ἐν δόξῃ οἱ Ἅγιοι, ὄι ἐκ σπέρματος αὐτῶν, ὑπάρχει καρπός εὐκλεής, ἡ ἀσπόρως τεκοῦσά σε. Ταῖς αὐτῶν ἱκεσίαις, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, σῶσον τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν.

Second Tone You justified the forefathers in faith, and through them betrothed yourself, aforetime, to the Church taken from out of the Gentiles. The saints boast in glory. For from their seed, there exists a noble crop, who is she who without seed has given You birth. By their intercessions, O Christ our God, save our souls.

Hymn of Saint Nicholas Patron of our Parish Ἠχος δ

Κανόνα πίστεως καί εικόνα πραότητος, εγκρατείας Διδάσκαλον, ανέδειξέ σε τή ποίμνη σου, η τών πραγμάτων αλήθεια, διά τούτο εκτήσω τή ταπεινώσει τά υψηλά, τή πτωχεία τά πλούσια, Πάτερ Ιεράρχα Νικόλαε, πρέσβευε Χριστώ τώ Θεώ, σωθήναι τάς ψυχάς ημών.

Fourth Mode A model of faith and the image of gentleness, the example of your life has shown you forth to your sheep-fold to be a master of temperance. You obtained thus through being lowly, gifts from on high, and riches through poverty. Nicholas, our father and priest of priests, intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls.

Memorial Hymn Μνήσθητι, Κύριε, ὡς ἀγαθὸς τῶν δούλων σου, καὶ ὅσα ἐν βίῳ ἥμαρτον, συγχώρησον· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἀναμάρτητος, εἰμὴ σὺ ὁ δυνάμενος, καὶ τοῖς μεταστᾶσι δοῦναι τήν ἀνάπαυσιν.

Kontakion Ἠχος γ

Ἡ Παρθένος σήμερον, τὸν Προαιώνιον Λόγον, ἐν Σπηλαίῳ ἔρχεται, ἀποτεκεῖν ἀπορρήτως. Χόρευε ἡ οἰκουμένη ἀκουτισθεῖσα, δόξασον μετὰ Ἀγγέλων καὶ τῶν Ποιμένων, βουληθέντα ἐποφθῆναι, παιδίον νέον, τὸν πρὸ αἰώνων Θεόν.

Third Mode On this day the Virgin cometh to the cave to give birth to * God the Word ineffably, * 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.

PARISH COUNCIL ELECTIONS: are being held TODAY following the Divine Liturgy. Only those Stewards who are in good standing with the Church will be allowed to vote. Here is a list of the candidates. Louie Buonaiuto Ted Cachampis Peter Coules Jr. Tracey Fiffles-Nusko Kristen Kass Nick Lamnatos Steve V. Loulousis Joe Marchione Jim Patsavas Dr. Peter A. Patsavas Dorothy Pavlick Tom Pavlick Margo Toscas Tara Vranas Melanie Chionis

THE PROPHETS: INSPIRED MEN OF GOD: Who were the prophets? They are often mistakenly thought of as being nothing more than fortunetellers and soothsayers. While they were given a certain amount of insight into the future by God, the prophets of the Old Testament were called by the Lord for far greater work. The people of Israel had become a nation. They had been delivered from slav-ery in Egypt, and had been given God’s Laws to follow. God’s chosen people, however, were constantly forgetting their promises to God, falling back into a life marked by immorality. Time and again, the Israelites needed to be reminded of their dependence on the One True God. This, then, was the role of the prophets: they were sent by God to bring His people back to Him. The prophets and their message were generally not well received by those to whom they were sent. Despite being met with opposition and persecution, they continued to fearlessly condemn the morals of their own day, stressing a need to repent and return to the life that the Israelites had abandoned. It was also the role of some of the prophets to tell of the coming of the Messiah. Christ would one day show that He was truly the Fulfillment of all of the messian-ic prophecies.

MAKE THE JOURNEY: The distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem is about 85 miles. On foot and over dusty roads it is a long and exhausting trip. It is estimated that Mary & Joseph could travel about 15 miles a day. Almost everyone involved in the first Christmas had some traveling to do. Mary and Joseph went from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The shepherds left their fields to see the manger. The wise men came from the greatest distance following the star for months. But King Herod missed the trip for he stayed behind to nurse his fears and seek entertainment. Missed Christmas! We all must find time to make the journey to Bethlehem, to witness in our hearts and minds the birth of our Lord and Savior or we miss Christmas.

CHRISTMAS OFFERING: With Christmas just around the corner, our Church appeals to you to remember it with your Christmas offering. Christmas Offering envelopes have been mailed to all parishioners for your convenience. However, if you have misplaced yours, another one is available at the candle stands in the Church.

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PROGRAM REHEARSAL will be held today, immediately following the Divine Liturgy. Parents, your patience, sup-port and cooperation are needed in helping to keep the rehearsal moving along smoothly. The Christmas Program will take place next Sunday following worship services in the Church. We encourage all our membership to attend and support the efforts of our children and Sunday Church School & Greek School Staff.