28th Sunday after Pentecost (13th of Luke); Sunday of the Forefathers
Ss Cyril & Methodius Orthodox Church Ss Cyril & Methodius Orthodox Church
An Orthodox Christian community on the campus of UW-Madison
1020 Regent St
(Lower Level)
Madison, WI 53715

Weekly Services:

Vespers: 5:00 PM Saturday
Divine Liturgy: 9:30 AM Sunday

Confessions: before and after Saturday Vespers or by appointment.

www.madisonorthodox.com

Click above to send names of those to be commemorated at Liturgy.

Sunday, December 17, 2023

Tone 3

28th Sunday after Pentecost (13th of Luke); Sunday of the Forefathers

Sunday of the Forefathers

Commemorated on December 17

(OCAThe Sunday that falls between December 11-17 is known as the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers. These are the ancestors of Christ according to the flesh, who lived before the Law and under the Law, especially the Patriarch Abraham, to whom God said, “In thy seed shall all of the nations of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 12:3, 22:18).

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Christmas will soon be here. If you've not been to confession recently, please come at one of the scheduled times or make an appointment to do so. In addition to before and after Saturday Great Vespers, I'm available Tuesday and Thursday from 1-5pm and Wednesday from 11am-3pm.

Wednesday (12/13) is the parish board of administration. The meeting will be online. If you are interested in attending, click here.

We will make Mitch a catechumen before Liturgy this coming Sunday (12/17). Srivat will be baptized on Saturday (12/23) at 2pm. If at all possible, please be at both services.

In Christ,

Fr Gregory

16 December-Annual Christmas at the Seminary

This Week at Ss Cyril & Methodius

 

Tuesday, December 12

  • 1:00-5:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions 

Wednesday, December 13

  • 11:00 AM-3:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions
  • 6:30-7:30 PM: Board of Administration Mtg (online)

Thursday, December 14

  • 1:00-5:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions
  • 6:00 PM: OCF Meeting

Saturday, December 16 

  • 3:30 PM: Catechumen Class
  • 4:30 PM: Confessions
  • 5:00 PM: Great Vespers
  • 6:00 PM: Confessions

Sunday, December 17

  • 9:00 AM: Hours & Precommunion Prayers
  • 9:20 AM: Mitch (Joseph) Aiken enrolled as a catechumen
  • 9:30 AM: Divine Liturgy

Looking Ahead

 

Tuesday, December 19

  • 1:00-5:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions 

Wednesday, December 20

  • 11:00 AM-3:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions

Thursday, December 21

  • 1:00-5:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions

Saturday, December 23 

  • 2:00 PM: Holy Baptism of Srivat (Basil) Tharanilath
  • 3:30 PM: Catechumen Class
  • 4:30 PM: Confessions
  • 5:00 PM: Great Vespers
  • 6:00 PM: Confessions

Sunday, December 24

  • 9:00 AM: Hours & Precommunion Prayers
  • 9:30 AM: Divine Liturgy
  • 5:00 PM: Vespers
  • 5:45 PM: Confessions

Hymns After the Small Entrance

 

Tone 3 Troparion (Resurrection)

Let the heavens rejoice! Let the earth be glad! For the Lord has shown strength with His arm. He has trampled down death by death. He has become the first born of the dead. He has delivered us from the depths of hell, and has granted to the world// great mercy. 

Tone 2 Troparion (Forefathers)

Through faith Thou didst justify the Forefathers, betrothing through them the Church of the gentiles. These saints exult in glory, for from their seed came forth a glorious fruit: she who bore Thee without seed.// So by their prayers, O Christ God, have mercy on us! 

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. 

Tone 6 Kontakion (Forefathers)

You did not worship the graven image, O thrice-blessed ones, but armed with the immaterial Essence of God, you were glorified in a trial by fire. From the midst of unbearable flames you called on God, crying: “Hasten, O compassionate One! Speedily come to our aid,//for Thou art merciful and able to do as Thou dost will!”

Epistle: Colossians 3:4-11

Brethren, when Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

Gospel: Luke 14:16-24

Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”

By the age of 25, about 60% of those baptized as infants will no longer consider themselves members of the Orthodox Church. A parish on a university campus is an important witness not only to the surrounding community but also to high school age and younger parishioner. Establishing a parish on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison helps remind young people that graduating high school doesn't mean "graduating" from the Church. Please consider joining those who have committed their time, treasure and talent in establishing an Orthodox community on the Isthmus.

Please help us reach your children and grandchildren with the Gospel of Jesus Christ by clicking the gofundme link.

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