Sunday, November 30, 2025

Tone 8; 25th Sunday after Pentecost (10th of Luke); Holy and All-Praised Apostle Andrew the First-Called

Apostle Andrew, the Holy and All-Praised First-Called

Commemorated on November 30

(OCA) The Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called was the first of the Apostles to follow Christ, and he later brought his own brother, the holy Apostle Peter, to Christ (John 1:35-42). The future apostle was from Bethsaida, and from his youth he turned with all his soul to God. He did not enter into marriage, and he worked with his brother as a fisherman. When the holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John began to preach, Saint Andrew became his closest disciple. Declaring Christ to be the Lamb of God, Saint John the Baptist himself sent to Christ his own two disciples, the future Apostles Andrew and John the Theologian.

After the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, Saint Andrew went to the Eastern lands preaching the Word of God. He went through Asia Minor, Thrace, Macedonia, he reached the River Danube, went along the coast of the Black Sea, through Crimea, the Black Sea region and along the River Dniepr he climbed to the place where the city of Kyiv now stands.

He stopped overnight on the hills of Kyiv. Rising in the morning, he said to those disciples that were with him: “See these hills? Upon these hills shall shine forth the beneficence of God, and there will be a great city here, and God shall raise up many churches.” The apostle went up around the hills, blessed them and set up a cross. Having prayed, he went up even further along the Dniepr and reached a settlement of the Slavs, where Novgorod was built. From here the apostle went through the land of the Varangians towards Rome for preaching, and again he returned to Thrace, where in the small village of Byzantium, the future Constantinople, he founded the Church of Christ. The name of the holy Apostle Andrew links the mother, the Church of Constantinople, with her daughter, the Ukrainian Church.

On his journeys the First-Called Apostle endured many sufferings and torments from pagans: they cast him out of their cities and they beat him. In Sinope they pelted him with stones, but remaining unharmed, the persistent disciple of Christ continued to preach to people about the Savior. Through the prayers of the Apostle, the Lord worked miracles. By the labors of the holy Apostle Andrew, Christian Churches were established, for which he provided bishops and clergy. The final city to which the Apostle came was the city of Patra, where he was destined to suffer martyrdom.

The Lord worked many miracles through His disciple in Patra. The infirm were made whole, and the blind received their sight. Through the prayers of the Apostle, the illustrious citizen Sosios recovered from serious illness and Maximilla and Stratokles, the wife and brother of the governor of Patra, were healed. The miracles accomplished by the Apostle and his fiery speech enlightened almost all the citizens of the city of Patra with the true Faith.

Few pagans remained at Patra, but among them was the prefect of the city, Aegeatos. The Apostle Andrew repeatedly turned to him with the words of the Gospel. But even the miracles of the Apostle did not convince Aegeatos. The holy Apostle with love and humility appealed to his soul, striving to reveal to him the Christian mystery of life eternal, through the wonderworking power of the Holy Cross of the Lord. The angry Aegeatos gave orders to crucify the apostle. The pagan thought he might undo Saint Andrew’s preaching if he were to put him to death on the cross.

Saint Andrew the First-Called accepted the decision of the prefect with joy and with prayer to the Lord, and went willingly to the place of execution. In order to prolong the suffering of the saint, Aegeatos gave orders not to nail the saint’s hands and feet, but to tie them to the cross. For two days the apostle taught the citizens who gathered about. The people, in listening to him, with all their souls pitied him and tried to take Saint Andrew down from the cross. Fearing a riot of the people, Aegeatos gave orders to stop the execution. But the holy apostle began to pray that the Lord would grant him death on the cross. Just as the soldiers tried to take hold of the Apostle Andrew, they lost control of their hands. The crucified apostle, having given glory to God, said: “Lord Jesus Christ, receive my spirit.” Then a blazing ray of divine light illumined the cross and the martyr crucified upon it. When the light faded, the holy Apostle Andrew had already given up his holy soul to the Lord. Maximilla, the wife of the prefect, had the body of the saint taken down from the cross, and buried him with honor.

A few centuries later, under the emperor Constantine the Great, the relics of the holy Apostle Andrew were solemnly transferred to Constantinople and placed in the church of the Holy Apostles beside the relics of the holy Evangelist Luke and Saint Paul’s disciple Saint Timothy.

Beloved in Christ, clergy, monastics, and faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA,

Christ is among us! He is and ever shall be!

Every year, on the fourth Thursday of November, the citizens of the United States of America pause from their labor and gather around a common table for Thanksgiving Day, a civil holiday rooted in the earliest history of this nation. In the autumn of 1621, after a long and perilous journey across the ocean, the Pilgrims celebrated a meal of gratitude together with the local Indigenous people who compassionately assisted them in surviving their first harsh winter. They shared food - the most basic nourishment of life - and in doing so, they shared hope.

From that moment on, generations of Americans have linked this day with the themes of gratitude, hospitality, compassion, and unity.

In our Orthodox Christian understanding, gratitude is not merely an emotion or a polite gesture - it is a spiritual act. The Greek word Eucharist means thanksgiving. Every Divine Liturgy is an offering of thanksgiving to God, the Giver of every blessing.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His mercy endures forever.” - Psalm 118:1

True gratitude is rooted not in abundance, but in the recognition that everything we possess is a gift from God. Even in times of uncertainty, trials, or suffering, thanksgiving opens our hearts to see grace at work.

This year, as we observe Thanksgiving, we cannot ignore the reality that many families are struggling. Economic instability, political tension, and social divisions weigh heavily upon the daily lives of countless people. For many in America, the rising cost of food forces difficult choices between nourishment and other basic necessities.

Food is not only a physical need - it is a symbol of life itself. When we break bread with others, we acknowledge the image of God in them. Our Lord taught us: “I was hungry and you gave Me food… whatever you did for the least of these, My brothers and sisters, you did unto Me.” - Matthew 25:35, 40. Thus, to share our food is to participate in the work of God.

As people of Ukrainian descent living in America, while we embrace this national celebration of gratitude, our conscience and our history compel us to remember another reality.

Ninety-two years ago, in 1932–1933, the government of Soviet Russia carried out a genocide against the Ukrainian people through the cruel weapon of forced starvation - the Holodomor. Up to 10 million innocent men, women, and children died because grain was seized, villages were blockaded, and people were deliberately deprived of food - the very nourishment of life.

On Thanksgiving Day, when Americans gather around tables filled with abundance, we are called to remember the millions of our ancestors in Ukraine whose tables were left empty by evil.

Two extremes stand before us:

Thanksgiving - celebrating nourishment, gratitude, and shared compassion.
Holodomor - famine imposed through hatred, greed, and dehumanization.

May the contrast awaken us. May it stir us to compassion, to action, and to the defense of human dignity everywhere food is used as a weapon.

As Orthodox Christians, we are called to be caretakers of: God’s Creation - for the earth produces our nourishment. Each Other - for no person should face hunger alone. Truth in History - for silence allows evil to repeat itself.

Let our Thanksgiving table become a place of prayer and remembrance, a place where gratitude leads to action: feeding the vulnerable, supporting the poor, and defending life in every form.

May every parish this year organize or support a charitable effort: Food drives; Meals for the homeless; Assistance to families in crisis; Continued Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine and to the local Food banks, as we are inspired to do so by the Ukrainian Orthodox League’s Holodomor initiative.

By doing so, we join the first Americans who shared what they had with strangers - and we honor the memory of our ancestors who were denied the bread necessary to live.

With gratitude for each of you, and with prayer that your homes may be filled with peace, love, and holy joy, we extend our archpastoral blessing.

May your Thanksgiving Day be a feast not only of food, but of compassion. Not only of celebration, but of remembrance. Not only of gratitude, but of love.

With archpastoral blessings,

Metropolitan Antony                   Archbishop Daniel

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A Thanksgiving Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Giver of every good gift, receive our humble thanksgiving. Bless the food before us and the hands that prepared it. Remember those who hunger today and use us as instruments of Your mercy. Strengthen us to protect the life, dignity, and freedom of every person You have created.

For You are a Merciful and Loving God and to You we give glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

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АРХІПАСТИРСЬКЕ ПОСЛАННЯ Собору Єпископів Української Православної Церкви США

з нагоди Національного Дня Подяки

Возлюблені у Христі, духовенство, монашество та вірні Української Православної Церкви США!

Христос посеред нас! Є і буде!

Щороку, в четвертий четвер листопада, громадяни Сполучених Штатів Америки віддаляються від повсякденних турбот і збираються за спільним столом, відзначаючи День Подяки - цивільне свято, вкорінене в найдавнішій історії цієї країни. Восени 1621 року, після виснажливої подорожі через океан і суворої зими, Пілігрими вперше відсвяткували трапезу вдячності разом із місцевим корінним населенням, яке допомогло їм вижити. Вони ділилися їжею - найнеобхіднішим для життя - і тим самим ділилися надією.

Відтоді покоління американців пов’язують цей день із вдячністю, гостинністю, милосердям та єдністю.

У нашому православному розумінні вдячність - це не просто емоція чи ввічливий жест, а духовний акт. Грецьке слово Євхаристія означає подяка. Кожна Божественна Літургія є жертвою вдячності Богові, Подателю всіляких благ. «Прославляйте Господа, бо Він благий, бо навіки Його милість.» - Псалом 118:1

Справжня вдячність ґрунтується не на достатку, а на усвідомленні, що все, чим ми володіємо, - це дар Божий. Навіть у часи випробувань або страждань вдячність відкриває наші серця для сприйняття благодаті.

Цьогоріч, відзначаючи День Подяки, ми не можемо не бачити того, що багато родин у нашій країні переживають труднощі. Економічна нестабільність, напруга в суспільстві, розділення в середині країни впливають на повсякденне життя мільйонів людей. Для деяких - висока ціна на продукти змушує вибирати між їжею та іншими потребами.

Їжа - це не лише фізична потреба. Це символ життя. Коли ми ділимо хліб із ближнім - ми визнаємо в ньому образ Божий.

Господь навчає: “Бо голодував Я, і ви дали Мені їсти… Що ви вчинили одному з цих братів Моїх найменших - ви Мені вчинили.” - Матея 25:35, 40

Як українці за походженням, що живуть в Америці, ми, святкуючи День Подяки, маємо у серці іншу пам'ять.

92 роки тому, у 1932–1933 роках, уряд радянської Росії вчинив геноцид проти українського народу через штучний голод - Голодомор. 10 мільйонів невинних чоловіків, жінок і дітей загинули через вилучення зерна, блокування сіл, позбавлення людей їжі - основи життя.

У День Подяки, коли американські сім’ї сідають за столи, наповнені достатком, ми пам’ятаємо про мільйони наших предків в Україні, чиї столи були порожніми через зло.

Перед нами два протиставлення:

День Подяки - вдячність, спільність, ділення хлібом.
Голодомор - голод, ненависть, позбавлення хліба.

Нехай цей контраст пробудить у нас милосердя та співчуття. Нехай він веде нас до дії - до захисту людської гідності там, де навіть сьогодні їжа використовується як зброя.

Як православні християни, ми покликані бути охоронцями:

• Божого творіння - земля дарує нам поживу.
• Один одного - ніхто не має залишатися голодним.
• Історичної правди - бо мовчання дозволяє злу повторитися.

Нехай наші столи цього року стануть місцем молитви та пам’яті - місцем, де вдячність переходить у дію:збирання продуктів для бідних; годування бездомних; допомога родинам у кризі; гуманітарна допомога Україні та місцевим банкам їжі, як закликає Українська Православна Ліга в рамках ініціативи пам’яті Голодомору.

Так ми приєднуємося до перших американців, які ділилися своїм хлібом з іншими, і водночас вшановуємо пам’ять наших предків, яким хліб було відібрано.

З вдячністю Богові за кожного з вас і з молитвою, щоб ваші домівки були наповнені миром, любов’ю та радістю, ми посилаємо своє архіпастирське благословення.

Нехай ваш День Подяки буде святом не лише їжі, але і милосердя. Не лише радості, але і пам’яті. Не лише вдячності, але і любові.

З архіпастирськими благословеннями,

Митрополит Антоній            Архієпископ Даниїл

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Молитва на День Подяки

Господи Ісусе Христе, Подателю всякого добра, прийми нашу щиру подяку. Благослови цю їжу і руки, що її приготували. Пом’яни тих, хто сьогодні голодує, і вчини нас знаряддями Твого милосердя. Укріпи нас, щоб ми захищали життя, гідність і свободу кожної людини, створеної Тобою.

Бо Ти є Милосерлний і Люблячий Бог, і Тобі славу віддаємо, Отцю, і Сину, і Святому Духу, нині і повсякчас, і на віки вічні. Амінь.

This Week at Ss Cyril & Methodius

Wednesday, November 26

• 2:00 PM-6:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions [cancelled]

Thursday, November 27 Thanksgiving

• 1:00 PM-5:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions [cancelled]

Friday, November 28

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

Saturday, November 29 

• 4:00 PM: Confessions
• 5:00 PM: Great Vespers
• 6:00 PM: Confessions

Sunday, November 30

• 9:15 AM: Hours
• 9:30 AM: Divine Liturgy

Looking Ahead

Wednesday, December 3

• 2:00 PM-6:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions

Thursday, December 4

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

Friday, December 5

• 3:00 PM-5:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions
• Vespers (St. Nicholas)

Saturday, December 6 (St. Nicholas)

• 9:15 AM Hours
• 9:30 AM: Divine Liturgy
• 5:00 PM: Great Vespers
• 6:00 PM: Confessions

Sunday, December 7

• 9:15 AM: Hours
• 9:30 AM: Divine Liturgy

Hymns After the Small Entrance

Tone 8 Troparion (Resurrection)

Thou didst descend from on high, O Merciful One! Thou didst accept the three day burial to free us from our sufferings!// O Lord, our Life and Resurrection, glory to Thee!

Tone 4 Troparion (St. Andrew)

O Andrew, first-called of the Apostles, and brother of the foremost disciple, entreat the Master of all to grant peace to the world,//and to our souls great mercy!

Tone 8 Kontakion (Resurrection)

By rising from the tomb, Thou didst raise the dead and resurrect Adam. Eve exults in Thy Resurrection,//and the world celebrates Thy rising from the dead, O greatly Merciful One!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

Tone 2 Kontakion (St. Andrew)

Let us praise Andrew, the herald of God, the namesake of courage, the first-called of the Savior’s disciples and the brother of Peter! As he once called to his brother, he now cries out to us://“Come, for we have found the One Whom the world desires!”

now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Tone 6 Kontakion

Steadfast protectress of Christians, / most constant advocate before the Creator, / do not despise the voices of us who have sinned, / but in your goodness come speedily to help us, who cry to you in faith: / “Hasten to intercede for us, O Theotokos, / and speedily make supplication, for you always protect those who honor you.”

Epistle: Ephesians 4:1-6/1 Corinthians 4:9-16

Brethren, I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Brethren, I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.

I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore I urge you, imitate me.

Gospel: Luke 13:10-17/John 1:35-51

Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”

The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”

The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”

They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”

He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).

One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.

Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).

The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”

Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

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.

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