Weekly Bulletin
His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas
120 W. Seneca St. Ithaca, NY 14850 http://www.stcatherine.ny.goarch.org
TEL. 607-273-2767 e-mail: stcatherinegoc@gmail.com
Fr. Zenoviy Zharsky /607/ 245-9988
Sunday, December 7, 2025
Welcome all visitors, please come again.
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"By changing ourselves in Christ, we are able to change the world around us"
Please let Father know who is in need of visiting and prayers.
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Daily reading of the holy scripture, Saints for the day, liturgical schedule, news from the parish life, announcements and more, please read the Sunday Bulletin on the parish websitewww.stcatherine.ny.goarch.org
Please submit to the parish priest all announcements for the church bulletin website before Thursday evening. Thank you.
Follow us on Facebook: St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church of Ithaca, NY.
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Scripture Reading: Matins: Gospel Reading: Luke 24:1-12. Divine Liturgy Epistle: Ephesians 5:8-19. Gospel: Luke 13:10-17.
When you write your will, won't you please remember St. Catherine's Church? Such a gift will live forever as our church minister to our spiritual needs and others it's an investment in the Gospel of our Lord and life eternal.
If you know someone who would like to rent church apartment please see Ike Nestopoulos or Fr. Zenoviy. Thank you.
Memory Eternal! Αιώνια η μνήμη του! December 10 - Yeorgios Lambrou.
Christmas Card Reminder: The deadline is this Sunday, December 7. If you'd like your name(s) included. Thank you for your support!
We pray for those who celebrate their birthday. Хρόνια πολλά & ευλογημενα! December 8 Iris Lambrou, 8 Demi Nestopoulos, 11 Jeffery Bolhassan, 11 Alex Fegaras.
Please mark your calendar. December 19 and 20 Philoptochos Bake Sale.
Philoptochos is once again supporting the Salvation Army Adopt-a-Family program. Donations are being accepted until 12/7/2025. Please also consider donating ingredients for the bake sale: walnuts, butter, sugar are needed for group baklava baking. Thank you to all who have graciously committed to baking again this year! Please see Angela Teeter for more information.
Philoptochos Adopt a Family donations are due this Sunday 12/7. There will also be baklava making and bake sale preparation this Sunday after coffee hour. Thanks to everyone for supporting our mission this Christmas season!
Parish Council elections are this Sunday, December 7. Pease stop by the Conference Room after Divine Liturgy to cast your vote. Thank you.
Announcement: If you didn't give names and date of your birthdays and your families birthdays please provide them. Also please give the names and dates of your family members who fell asleep in the Lord. We will pray for them. The list of the names located near the Sunday Bulletins. Thank you.
Today, December 7 - St. Nicholas will visit our church and give out presents for all of our children.Today, Today December 7 - All children and parents following the Divine Liturgy are welcome to join Christmas crafts with Presbytera.
Saturday, November 15 Nativity Fast Begins. We keep fast till December 24
Liturgical Schedule:
Daily 3:00 PM. Let's pray Jesus Prayer for 10 minutes straight saying,"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner."
Monday, December 8 - 3:00 PM. JesusPrayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner" Day of Fasting.
Tuesday, December 9 - 10:00 AM. Divine Liturgy. Conception of Theotokos by St. Anna. 3:00 PM. Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner" Day of Fasting.
Wednesday, December 10 - 3:00 PM. Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner" Day of Fasting. Every Wednesday we remember when Judas betrayed Christ. 6:00 PM. Prayers near Miraculous Icon Mother of God "The Tender Heart" St. George's Orthodox Church in Taylor, PA.
Thursday, December 11 - 3:00 PM. JesusPrayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner" Day of Fasting.
Friday, December 12 - 3:00 PM. Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." Every Friday we commemorate Christ's Crucifixion. Day of Fasting.
Saturday, December 13 - 3:00 PM. Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner" Day of Fasting. 6:00 PM. Great Vespers/Confession. Reading the life of the Saints. Catechism classes following the Vespers.
Sunday, December 14 - 8:45 AM Orthros/Confession. 10:00 AM. Divine Liturgy. Every Sunday we commemorate Christ's resurrection. Day of Fasting
Wisdom of the Saints.
"In the future life the Christian is not examined if he has renounced the whole world for Christ's love, or if he has distributed his riches to the poor or if he fasted or kept vigil or prayed, or if he wept and lamented for his sins, or if he has done any other good in this life, but he is examined attentively if he has any similitude with Christ, as a son does with his father."
"Every Christian, as soon as he is baptized, receives from God an appointed guardian angel who guards him invisibly and inspires him night and day to every kind of good deed; he also records all his good deeds, for which that man later can hope to receive from the Lord grace and eternal recompense in the heavenly kingdom. The prince of darkness, who desires to draw into his own destruction the whole race of men as well, also appoints one of his evil spirits to walk in the man's steps and record all his evil deeds. It is his duty to inspire man to such deeds by any vile trickery in his power; and when he succeeds in his designs, he records all the wickedness of which the man has made himself guilty."
"The prayer of Jesus both reveals the presence of demons in a man, and drives them out of the man."
"Seizing the entire soul, it fills it with bitterness and listlessness. Then it suggests to the soul that we should go away from other people, since they are the cause of its agitation. It does not allow the soul to understand that its sickness does not come from without, but lies hidden within."
"As long as we remain in the condition of metanoia, ever deeper levels of our corruption will be revealed to us, and we will be continually purified and re-created by the wordless Word in our hearts. The end of this is total illumination." /Symeon the New Theologian /
Tuesday, December 9 Conception by Saint Anna, of "Whence is Conceived the Holy Mother of God." Saint Anna, the mother of the Most Holy Mother of God, was the youngest daughter of the priest Nathan from Bethlehem, descended from the tribe of Levi. She entered into marriage with Saint Joakim, who was a native of Galilee. For a long time Saint Anna was childless, but after a span of some 20 years, through the fervent prayer of both spouses, an Angel of the Lord announced to them the Conception of a Daughter, Who would bring blessing to all the human race. The Conception by Saint Anna took place at Jerusalem, where also was born the Most Holy Virgin Mary by name. The majority of icons, dedicated to the Conception by Saint Anna, portray the Most Holy Virgin trampling underfoot the serpent. "Down the icon, along its sides, Saints Joakim and Anna are depicted usually with upraised hands prayerfully folded; their eyes also are directed upward and hey contemplate the Mother of God, Who as it were soars in the air with outstretched hands; under Her feet is portrayed an orb wound round with a serpent symbolising the devil, which in the face of fallen forefathers strives to conquer with its power all the universe". There also exist icons, upon which Saint Anna holds on her left arm the Most Holy Virgin at an infant age. Upon the face of Saint Anna is portrayed a special reverence.
Friday, December 12 Sainted Spyridon of Trimyphunteia. He was born towards the end of the III Century on the island of Cyprus. The accounts have preserved little about his life. But it is known, that he was a shepherd, and had a wife and children. He used all his substance for the needs of his neighbours and the homeless, for which the Lord rewarded him with a gift of wonderworking: he healed the incurably sick and cast out devils. After the death of his wife, during the reign of Constantine the Great (306-337), they ordained him bishop of the Cypriot city of Trimyphunteia. Even with the dignity of bishop the saint did not change his manner of life, combining pastoral service with deeds of charity. According to the witness of Church historians, Saint Spyridon in the year 325 participated in the sessions of the First Ecumenical Council. Saint concerned himself about his flock with great love. Saint Spyridon lived his earthly life in righteousness and sanctity, and in prayer he offered up his soul to the Lord (+ c. 348). His relics repose on the island of Corfu, in a church named after him (except for the right hand, located in Rome). His memory is celebrated a second time on Cheesefare Saturday.
9 Δεκεμβρίου:Τω αυτώ μηνί Θ', η Σύλληψις της Αγίας Άννης, μητρός της Υπεραγίας ημών Θεοτόκου.Ο Κύριος ημών και Θεός θέλωντας να ετοιμάση δια τον εαυτόν του ναόν ζωντανόν, και οίκον άγιον δια να κατοικήση, απέστειλε τον Άγγελον αυτού (τον οποίον λέγουσιν ότι ήτον ο Γαβριήλ) προς τους δικαίους Ιωακείμ και Άνναν. Από τους οποίους ηυδόκησε να γεννηθή η κατά σάρκα Μήτηρ αυτού. Και τούτον αποστείλας προεμήνυσεν, ότι θέλει συλλάβη η στείρα και γερόντισσα Άννα. Ίνα με την σύλληψιν της στείρας βεβαιώση την εκ της Παρθένου εδικήν του άσπορον σύλληψιν και άφθορον γέννησιν. Και λοιπόν συνελήφθη η Αγία Θεοτόκος και Παρθένος Μαρία εν τη κοιλία της Άννης εκ σπέρματος του Ιωακείμ. Και εγεννήθη, όχι καθώς λέγουσί τινες, επτά μηνών ή χωρίς ανδρός. Άπαγε! Αλλά εννέα τελείων μηνών και εκ συναφείας ανδρός. Πλην εξ επαγγελίας και Αγγέλου προρρήσεως και υπέρ τους νόμους της φύσεως, τόσον δια το άγονον της Άννης, όσον και δια το γηραλέον. Μόνος γαρ ο Κύριος ημών Ιησούς Χριστός συνελήφθη και εγεννήθη χωρίς συνάφειαν ανδρός και χωρίς σποράν, εκ της Αγίας Παρθένου Μαρίας απορρήτως και ανερμηνεύτως, καθώς ηξεύρει μόνος αυτός. Και επειδή ήτον τέλειος Θεός, δια τούτο και όλα τα της κατά σάρκα αυτού οικονομίας προσέλαβε τέλεια. Καθώς και την των ανθρώπων φύσιν τελείαν αυτός εδημιούργησε και έπλασε κατ' αρχάς. Ταύτην λοιπόν την ημέραν πανηγυρίζομεν σήμερον. Επειδή και έχει ενθύμησιν των θείων χρησμών και χαροποιών μηνυμάτων, των δοθέντων υπό Αγγέλου εις τους δικαίους Θεοπροπάτορας, περί της συλλήψεως της αγνής Θεομήτορος. Τούτους γαρ τους δια λόγου χρησμούς του Αγγέλου έργα και πράγματα ποιών, ο εκ του μηδενός υποστήσας τα πάντα Θεός, εκίνησε την στειρεύουσαν και γηραλέαν μήτραν της Άννης εις καρποφορίαν. Και την διαπεράσασαν την ζωήν της με απαιδίαν, ταύτην παραδόξως παιδοτόκον μητέρα εργάζεται σήμερον. Και χαρίζει εις τους δικαίους άξιον καρπόν της αυτών αιτήσεως. Ευδόκησε γαρ, ότι οι σώφρονες γονείς να γεννήσουν θυγατέρα την προ των αιώνων προορισθείσαν και εκλεχθείσαν εκ πασών των γενεών, από την οποίαν αυτός έμελλε να γεννηθή. Η δε Σύναξις αυτών τελείται εν τω σεβασμίω οίκω της Θεοτόκου, τω όντι εν τοις Ευοράνοις κοντά εις την αγιωτάτην μεγάλην Εκκλησίαν.
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Methods of Giving:
Cash and checks can be brought to the church and put in the donation baskets.
Checks made out to Saint Catherine Greek Orthodox Church can also be mailed to:
St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church
120 W. Seneca St Ithaca, NY 14850
When you write your will, won't you please remember St. Catherine's Church? Such a gift will live forever as our church minister to our spiritual needs and others. It's an investment in the Gospel of our Lord and life eternal.
Online Chapel
Thursday of the 12th Week
Visit the Online Chapel for more daily readings, hymns, a monthly calendar of saints and feasts, and more.
