Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings in the Name of the Lord.
We’re moving into the final two weeks of Nativity Lent, so it’s a good time to look at the spiritual disciplines check list: Are we fasting to the level of our ability? Have we made our confession? Have we made it to at least one of the Nativity Paraclesis services? Have we increased our giving? Are we doing any spiritual reading? If you need any help with any of those activities, check with your sponsor or one of our clergymen.
A lot of you have asked about how the budget is looking as we move into the final half of December. Of course, our financial situation changes weekly, but here’s what the BIG PICTURE looks like: At the beginning of November, we had $47,800 in pledge money still outstanding, but, as of the first of December, thanks to your initiative and the mercy of the Most Holy Trinity, that figure was down to $21,935. We will continue to keep you posted in the days ahead, but, if you have any questions about finances or how to operate Realm, just check with Arun J. or Ray W. (and don’t forget to enter your 2025 Commitment—we need that information by Sunday, December 15).
Our Calendar
Fasting Days
The Nativity Fast continues. This fasting seasons runs through Wednesday, December 25.This fasting season is divided into two periods:
(A) November 15th through December 19th when the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish, wine, and olive oil) is observed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with a blessing for wine and olive oil (some also permit fish) on Tuesday and Thursday, and for fish, wine, and olive oil on Saturday and Sunday
(B) the period of the Forefeast, December 20th through 24th, when the traditional fasting discipline is observed Monday through Friday, with a blessing for wine and olive oil on Saturday and Sunday. The eve of the feast, December 24th is a strict fast day.
December 25th through January 4th is fast-free. If you need to modify the fast in any way, be sure to get a blessing from one of the priests.
Daily Services
Monday, December 9-Friday, December 13: Orthros 5am; Vespers 5pm (but check the schedule for the festal services; also, it’s always a good idea to check the day before and make sure nothing has come up to change the regular schedule). However, Fr. Andrew, Seth Hart, and Matthew Groh and many other folks continue to broadcast daily readings from spiritual books online. They are now reading “The Ecclesiastical History of the English Speaking People” by Bede of Jarrow. The schedule is as follows: M-F at 12pm.
In addition to the daily Synaxarion readings posted in the #synaxarion channel on Discord, the online team is now posting daily Bible Readings that will allow you to read through the Bible in a year. These readings are posted in the #bible-365 channel.
Tuesday, December 10
Orthodoxy 101 7pm; you can also access the group on Discord
Wednesday, December 11
Nativity Paraclesis 7pm
Thursday, December 12
The Bible Study, New Testament Edition 7pm; you can access this group on Discord
Saturday, December 14
St Thomas School 4pm
Great Vespers 6pm
Sunday, December 15
The Eleventh Sunday of St Luke
Orthros 8am
Church School 8:15am
Divine Liturgy 10am
Fellowship Hour
Youth 1pm
Tuesday, December 17
Orthodoxy 101 7pm; you can also access the group on Discord
Wednesday, December 18
Nativity Paraclesis 7pm
Thursday, December 19
The Bible Study, Old Testament Edition 7pm; you can access this group on Discord
St Thomas School
On Saturday, December 14, Baker Galloway will be leading the discussion on the next chapter in our series. Online access is available on Discord; like to participate online, you still need to sign-up ahead of time. Just send an email to remote.meetings@theforerunner.org by Thursday, December 12, to reserve your spot.
Anniversary / Memorial Blessings
You can use the links in the email version of the newsletter to sign up for anniversary blessings and memorial services that will be offered in 2025. Please note that things have changed for 2025 to accommodate our growing parish (i.e. some were not able to get on the schedule for anniversary blessings in 2024 because all of the slots were taken).
Memorial Services, will now occur at the end of Great Vespers on Saturday, and they may only be offered for Orthodox Christians who have departed this life. If your departed loved one was not an Orthodox Christian, visit this page on our website to learn about and request an Akathist for the Departed rather than signing up for a memorial service.
Anniversary Blessings may be requested for the first wedding anniversary and every fifth anniversary thereafter (i.e. 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, etc.). They may only be offered if one of the married couple is an Orthodox Christian. Approach the solea immediately after the hymn “Blessed be the Name of the Lord” at the end of the Divine Liturgy. If you have marriage crowns, bring them with you as you come forward. Those celebrating anniversaries that are not eligible to sign up, are invited to come forward during the “Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Namedays” segment of the announcements after the Divine Liturgy.
Coming Up
During the Nativity Fast, we are serving the Nativity Paraclesis on Wednesday evenings at 7pm. There will be two more opportunities to participate in the Paraclesis: on December 11th and 18th. Our hope is that everyone will do their best to join us for at least one of the evenings, but, of course, you’re welcome to attend as often as you would like.
Several of the members of our parish volunteer with the Williamson County Pregnancy Help Center, and, during December, we will be collecting supplies for that important organization. Attached to this newsletter is a flyer that provides all the details, so read up on what the Help Center needs, and look for the collection box in the narthex. Our traditional Blue Santa Box will also be in the narthex for the next few weeks; please bring a new, unwrapped child’s toy and put it in the box.
Christmas falls on a Wednesday this year, so that means on Tuesday, December 24, we will offer Orthros at 5am, the Royal Hours at 9am, and then the first Liturgy for the Feast (St Basil’s) at noon. On Christmas Day, we will serve Orthros at 8am and Divine Liturgy at 10am. Please note that there will not be any sort of Fellowship Hour or coffee service following either of those liturgies, so please plan accordingly.
It may seem like a long way off, but it will be here before we know it. Also, our parish constitution requires that we post the agenda and the reports and announce the candidates for parish council well before the Annual Meeting—which, in 2025, will be on Sunday, February 9th. So just follow the link in the email version of this newsletter (the link is also available on Discord) and read up on everything that’s been going on in the past year and everything that we have planned for the coming year—and, if you have any questions, just check with Father Aidan Wilcoxson or our parish council president, Bessie J.
Our Moment of Grace and Courtesy
We should not let young children stretch out and lie down on the floor in the nave. Even if they are in a corner of the room or up by the iconostasis, because the nave is so crowded, there is always the possibility that someone might fall over them, and both the child and the person who falls over them could end up with a serious injury. If children need to work off some energy or if they are tired and need to lie down, then they should be taken outside or to the children’s room over in the parish house.
an unworthy priest
aidan