December 9th 2018

SAINT SOPHIA CATHEDRAL

MIAMI, FLORIDA

10th Sunday of Luke

Sunday, December 9th 2018

The Conception of the Theotokos

According to the ancient tradition of the
Church, since Saint Anna, the Ancestor
of God, was barren, she and her husband
Joachim remained without children until old
age. Therefore, sorrowing over their child-
lessness, they besought God with a prom-
ise that, if He were to grant them the fruit
of the womb, they would offer their off-
spring to Him as a gift. And God, hearken-
ing to their supplication, informed them
through an Angel concerning the birth of
the Virgin. And thus, through God's prom-
ise, Anna conceived according to the laws
of nature, and was deemed worthy to be-
come the mother of the Mother of our Lord
(see also Sept. 8).

Rev. Fr. Spiro D. Bobotas

Telephone 305- 854-2922 * Fax: 305-858-1854
Website: stsophiamiami.org
2401 S.W. 3rd Avenue, 33129

Mailing Address: 244 SW 24th Road Miami, Fl. 33129

Liturgical Guide

Resurrectional Apolytikion –Tone 3
Εὐφραινέσθω τὰ οὐράνια,

Let the heavens sing for joy, and let everything on earth be glad. * For with His Arm the
Lord has worked power. * He trampled death under foot by means of death; * and He be-
came the firstborn from the dead. * From the maw of Hades He delivered us; * and He grant-

ed the world His great mercy.

Apolytikion for theConception of the Theotiokos Tone 4
Σήμερον τής ατεκνίας δεσμά διαλύονται,

Today the bonds of childlessness are loosed; for God hearkened to Joachim and Anna.
And though it was beyond hope, He clearly promised them that they should bear a divine
child, from whom was born the Uncircumscribable One Himself Who became a mortal, and
through an Angel commanded them to cry unto her: Rejoice, thou who art full of grace; the

Lord is with thee.

Apolytikion for St. Sophia Tone 3
Χαίρει ἔχουσα ἡ Ἐκκλησία,

Having you and your three daughters, as a sacred boast the Church rejoices, and with glad-
ness she praises you, You are to me my pride and joy, as are the most precious relics of your

children; Oh Glorious Martyrs: Sophia, Faith, Hope and Love, intercede to Christ our
God to save our souls

Seasonal Kontakion in Tone 3
Ἡ Παρθένος σήμερον

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.

Scripture Readings

Epistle Reading:

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Galations 3 22-27

Brethren, Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and one by a free woman. But the son
of the slave was born according to the flesh, the son of the free woman through promise.
Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai,
bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she
corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Je-
rusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written, "Rejoice, O barren one
who does not bear; break forth and shout, you who are not in travail; for the children of
the desolate one are many more than the children of her that is married."

Gospel Reading:
The Reading is from Luke 13:10-17

At that time, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.
And there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent
over and could not fully straighten herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her and
said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your infirmity." And he laid his hands upon her,
and immediately she was made straight, and she praised God. But the ruler of the syna-
gogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, said to the people, "There
are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not
on the sabbath day." Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of
you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to water
it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen
years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?" As he said this, all his adversaries
were put to shame; and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by
him.

Saint Nicholas: Why I Tell My Kids That Santa is Real

by Kathy Safi on December 4, 2018 in Holidays

Yes, Santa is real.
He’s known for his kindness and generosity to those in need. He spreads Christmas
cheer to kids around the world. He’s known to be elusive, giving his gifts in secret and
leaving before receiving a word of thanks. But, no, he doesn’t live at the North Pole.
And he doesn’t have an appetite for milk and cookies.
He prefers to go by the name of Saint Nicholas. And, yes, he is real.
The true story of Santa Claus begins in the third century in the village of Patara, now in
Turkey. Nicholas was born to wealthy parents who raised him to be a devout Christian.
From a young age, Nicholas was known for his wisdom and love for God. When he was
still young, Nicholas’ parents died. Nicholas used his inheritance to help the needy, the
sick, and the suffering. He became a priest and later went on to become the Bishop of
Myra while still a young man.
We remember Saint Nicholas and his example of love and charity on December 6th.
One of the most beloved stories of Saint Nicholas tells how he helped three young wom-
en in need of a dowry. The father of the sisters gambled their dowry money away, and as
is so often the case when we make a big mistake, the father tried to remedy his error by
making another bad decision: he would sell his daughters
into slavery. Nicholas saw what was happening to the fami-
ly and came up with a plan to help correct what went
wrong and put the girls back on the right path. Rather than
make the family’s situation public and embarrass the father
and girls, he came at night and threw a bag of gold coins
into the window for the girls’ dowry (some stories have

Our one and only visit to Santa Claus

Answers for Christmas Fun ; Joy to the World & O Come All Ye Faithful

the coins landing in a shoe.) Nicholas did not wait for thanks or announce his generosity, but
rather gave in secret. It was better for the people he was helping and better for his own soul.

The night before Saint Nicholas Day, my kids lovingly polish and clean their shoes and set
them out for Saint Nicholas. We read the story of his life and talk about why he is worth re-
membering and why he is a hero in the Church. We talk about the qualities of his life that are
worth emulating and sing a hymn in his memory.
The next morning, the kids eagerly wake to find chocolate coins and other little treasures in
their shoes, an homage to the story of the girls and the dowry. We get dressed extra early for
school and head out the door to play a game of “Ding Dong Ditch” around our street. The
kids hook a paper basket of coins and a card on neighbors’
doors and run away giggling, taking so much pleasure in this
game of giving in secret.
Long after the childhood magic of Christmas fades and the
tinkling of Santa’s sleigh bells fall silent, I hope my kids will
still find strength and comfort in the life of Saint Nicholas
and his example of quiet generosity.
To learn more about Saint Nicholas and how you can incorporate his example of love
and generosity in your family Christmas traditions, check out these great resources:
Tending the Garden of our Hearts— St Nicholas This 15-minute podcast is made for families
to hear together and gives an excellent review of Saint Nicholas’ life and a kid-friendly reflec-
tion on the value of giving in secret.
The Saint Nicholas Center This webpage has everything you could need to start your own
traditions: stories, coloring sheets, activities, and more!
A collection of online audio books about Saint Nicholas to listen to while you are making
Christmas cookies.

SAINT NICHOLAS
BRUNCH

Please join the Philoptochos to
celebrate the Christmas Season
Today after the Divine Liturgy and
the Annual Christmas Pageant A
light luncheon will be served after

the blessing by Father Spiro.

2019 St. Sophia

Greek Festival
Community Meeting
Please come Join us !

December 18th at
7:00 PM

Karnegis Hall

PC ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD after Liturgy

UPCOMING EVENTS

December - 9th 10th Sunday of Luke - Matins: 9:00 AM

- Liturgy: 10:00 AM

Christmas Pageant Rehersals immediately follwoing the Divine Liturgy

PC Elections following the Divine Liturgy

Saint Nicholas Brunch

Christmas Pageant

December 11th Vespers of Saint Spyridon @ The Annunciation 7:00 PM

December 16th 11th Sunday of Luke - Matins: 9:00 AM
- Liturgy: 10:00 AM

The Philoptochos is collecting unwrapped toys for the Miami Rescue Mission’s
Christmas Toy Drive.

TOYS FOR CHILDREN 10 YEARS OLD AND UP
BOARD GAMES

SPORTS BALLS AND OTHER SPORTS EQUIPMENT
JOURNALS AND BOOKS

CHRISTMAS
FUN

Can you name the
Christmas songs
depicted in these

whimsical
drawings?
Answers on page 4