St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church Lowell, Massachusetts

December 25, 2018

The Nativity of Christ

Entrance Hymn of the Nativity of Christ From the womb before the morning star have I begotten Thee. The Lord hath

sworn, and He will not repent; thou art a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Save us, O Son of God, Who wast born of a Virgin; who sing

to Thee. Alleluia.

Troparian of the Nativity of Christ in Tone 4

Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, has shown upon the world the light of wisdom. For by it, those who worshipped the stars were taught by a star to adore Thee, the Sun of Righteousness and to know Thee, who art the Orient from on High.

O Lord, glory to Thee.

Kontakion of the Nativity of Christ, in Tone 3

Today the Virgin bears him, the Transcendent. The earth offers a cave to Him who is beyond access. The angels with the shepherds now sing hymns of glory,

while wise men journey and follow the star; for now is born as a new babe. Now is born for us as a wholly new born babe, our unchanging eternal God

throughout all Ages.

Christmas Eve Altar Bread

The Christmas Eve Bread of Oblation is being offered

In loving memory of the Servants of God Joseph and Elizabeth Ghareeb & Frederick and Matilda Noonan.

May Their Memories Be Eternal

The Christmas Eve Bread of Oblation is being offered

In loving memory of the Servant of God Richard Steele “Pops” by Alexander and

Emma Steele May his Memory Be Eternal

Epistle: Galatians 4:4-7

Let all the earth worship Thee and sing to Thee. Shout with joy to God, all the earth.

The reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians.

Brethren, when the time had fully come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might re-ceive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son

into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Therefore, you are no longer a slave but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Gospel: St. Matthew 2:1-12

The reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the

king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East, and have

come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all

Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem

of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judea, are by no means least among the rulers of Judea; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern My people Israel.’” Then Herod summoned the wise men se-

cretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have

found Him bring me word, that I too may come and worship Him.” When they had

heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When

they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the

house they saw the child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold and frankincense

and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

Christmas Flower Fund

Donated by: For the Health & Safety of: In Loving Memory of:

Anonymous Family Loved Ones

Name Missing Family Loved Ones

Lisa Ansara Ansara/McCusker Family Andrew Ansara

Lorice Ansara Lorice Ansara & Family Elias Ansara

Yvette Ansara Yvette Ansara & Family Andrew Ansara

William & Katherine Ansara William, Katherine, Andrew, Fr. Cosmo,

Kristina, Elena, Mark, Khourieh Hazel,

Luke, Alex, & Sam John, Kaliopie, Ataya, Wadia,

& Maria

Gary & Tina Aswad & Family The Aswad Family

Joe & Hala Awad & Family Joe, Hala, Nicole, Jacob & Yaacoub Awad

Katrina Awad & Family

Charles & June Behrakis Charles & June Behrakis Arthur & Mildred Skaff Lionel & Phyllis Arsenault Draculi & Stavrulla Behrakis

Jeff & Greg Arsenault

Drs. Peter & Karin Arsenault

Bob & Laurie Andersson & Family

Matthew & Kyle Arsenault

David & Cindy Boragine David & Cindy Boragine Salvatore Boragine

Ida Boragine Dorothy Boragine

William Vieira, Sr. Elaine Vieira

William Vieira, Jr.

Angela Vieira

Mark & Diane Holden & Family Cheryl Walter

Joanne Doulames Vanessa & Grayson Watkins Cleopatra Bouras

Stephany & Brendan Bencharit

George Ellis George Ellis and The Ellis, Adams, & Helliwell Family Helliwell Family

Christmas Flower Fund

Donated by: For the Health & Safety of: In Loving Memory of:

Fr. Leonard Faris Michael & AnneMarie George & Elsie Faris

Andrea, Rocky & Addison Naif & Freda Faris

Paula & Brad Kalil & Mary Ead

Erika, Jason & Brooke George Habib Duayne Habib

Roseanne Galvin Galvin & Husson Families Dorothea & John Husson

Duayne Habib Rt. Rev. Leonard Faris Elsie & George Faris George P. Habib

Alan & Elaine Hamwey Alan & Elaine Hamwey Charles & Annie Hamwey

& Family Henry & Charlotte Connolly

All deceased Hamwey and

Connolly Family Members

Nadia & Don Hassey Nadia, Don, Eric, Rona Hassey Ibrahim, Nahil,

Jennifer, Matt, Eva, Matty Lowe Hilda, Henry Zananiri

Sherine, Dave, Brennan, Mary & Paul Hassey

Emerson Halligan

Joe Kadir Terry Kadir

Patrick & Lindsay Kett Noonan, Steele & Kett Families Joseph & Elizabeth Ghareeb

Alexander & Emma Steele Frederick & Matilda Noonan

Lily Panagopoulos Andrew Ansara

Joseph & Stephen Kett Stephen Skaff Yvette Ansara

Dan & Deb Koravos Lowe Family All members of the Lowe and

Koravos Family Koravos Families

Lila & Marty Lorrey Lucy & Herb Gordon Peg & Jim Lorrey

Eileen Muldoon

Jim “Jimbo” Lorrey

Amanda Louh Amanda, Azar, Virginia, Mahfouz & Virginia

Nuha, & Jamil Louh Zananiri

Christmas Flower Fund

Donated by: For the Health & Safety of: In Loving Memory of:

Azar & Stephanie Louh The Louh and Gorman Family Azar Sr., Zakia,

Thomas Gorman

Donald Mansur Dawn Aniya Donald Ryan

Carlo Sheehan Family

Dawnte Assaly Family

Rick Mansur Family

Sheehan Family Ashley

Hanna Maria Clemence & John Maria The Maria & Salameh Family

& Family

Robert & Elaine Maria Maria, Grillakis, Rizos, & Christopulos Families

Fred & Gwen Noonan Fred & Gwen Noonan Joseph & Elizabeth Ghareeb

Jonathan, Kerri, Frederick & Matilda Noonan

Alexander & Emma Steele Stephen Skaff

Patrick & Lindsay Kett

Helen Poulos Lou Metaxatos & Antoinette M. Anthony & Titina Bills

Tina Bartnett George Katie Critzes

Kristin, Peter, Hayden Daniels Billy Bills, Gregory Poulos

Kelly, Mack, Marcus Gagnon Anastasia & Cosmos Poulos

Helen Poulos Macrina, Paul, Debby Poulos Diane, Herman & Marty Mary, Pipi, Louis Metaxatos

Mary Cole & Tina & Ron Tony, Anastasia Metaxatos

Joanna, Sheryl Henry, Lena Metaxatos

Julie Shubert Valentino Mansredi

Pam Snyder

Julie Mullarney Donna Goodson

Chakeep & Chakeep & Laurence Stephen

Laurence Skaff George & Leta

Nicole & David

Lisa Lily

Sara

THANK YOU!!

Thank you to all the people who contributed to the Giving Tree. I am pleased and proud to

say that all children were provided gifts. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. May God

Bless you always and especially during the Christmas season.

Thank you, William and Elena Ansara

Christmas Flower Fund

Donated by: For the Health & Safety of: In Loving Memory of:

Jonathan, Kerri, The Noonan Family Elizabeth & Joseph Ghareeb

Alexander & Emma The Kett Family Matilda & Frederick Noonan

Steele The Steele Family Richard Steele

The Ghareeb Family Stephen Skaff The Skaff Family

Kristina Verras

Alexa & Amad Tayebi Nancy, Adam, Jack & George Aiken

Dalia & Ron Tayebi

Toubia Family The Toubia Family My Deceased Family Members

Gladys Tracanna Tracanna Family Emile & Teffaha Haddad

Henrietta Zananiri The Zananiri Family Nahil Zananiri The Murray Family Hilda Zananiri

The Hassey Family Abraham Zananiri

The Lichtenstein Family Henry Zananiri

Widad Batten

Alice Zerriny Nadim Zerriny Anise Zerriny

ALTAR ARRANGEMENTS

The two Floral Arrangements adorning the Altar and the two Floral

Arrangements adorning the Table are donated by Fr Leonard Faris.

'Twas the night a-bil Chrumuss, the house was muzz-boot. Not a wa-hish was stirring, not even bar-goot.

II tree was lit up mit-til shums il shum-moo.see, And jiddo complain, "You waste lek-trik, munhoo-see!"

II stocknuss was hang lisk il chumley all day, We hope that St. Nickluss soon biddo jay,

And knowing that Santa would fill everyone, We use sitto's stocknuss, 'cause each holds a ton!

II chuldrun was sleeping, so very serene, They dream of bak-la-wa, em-jud'dra, and teen.

My wife lay beside me, and snoring so freely, She keep me awake, so I smoke my ar-gee-lee!

When up in the attic I hear great big ha-ra-kee! It sounded like something was wrong with the ka-ra-kee!

"Ya ba-teel," I shouted, "A tragic tak'teer!" The kara-kee's busted! No arrak this year!

I fly to the attic, with tun-jra in hand, To save a few drops of this whiskey so grand.

But when I arrive, now shoo do I shoof; Well, nothing is wrong, so I climb to the roof! II armar was shining, il stars were so bright, And kilshee was covered with ta-lij so white,

And right on my roof top I see Santa's sleigh. And eight buffing reindeer a'looking my way.

But wein-ack ya Santa? "He's missing! But why? No sooner I ask, then I hear muffled cry!

I walk 'round the roof top, and look all about, And there min-il chumley, two feet sticking out!

"Ya dil-lee, it's Santa! Yee, shoo should I do? Perhaps I should bush him and bush him right through."

But Santa he cry from below and afar, "Grab hold of my feet and bull me, you h'mar!"

One hour I am bulling -one hour ba-la stop, Til finally Santa came out with a plop!

"Ta-fud-dal, shar-riff-na," I joyfully toot,'" But blainly I see he's not very mub-soot.

He reach in his bag and with bresents he fill me. Then shaking his finger, he start to bah-dill-nee:

"You think you are smart, and blaying it cool, But frankly you are acting like someone mub-sool. You must widen hul chumley, and do it real quick,

Or I'll come back next year and biff-rick-lak your neck!"...

Then laughing he jump in his big shining sleigh, And cracking his whip, he is off and away:

"On Youseff! On Roostrum! On Bootrus! Il-yas! We're way behind schedule, so give 'er the gas!"

And he look back and shout as his sleigh disappear: MERRY CHRUSMUSS YOU H'MAR, AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!"