Holy Ascension of Christ
January 2023
St. John of Kronstadt on Nativity
“The Nativity of Christ.—He has come upon earth, He Who in the beginning created us from earth and breathed His Divine breath into us; He has come Who “giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” (Acts xvii. 25.); He has come, He Who by a single word called all things visible and invisible from non-existence into existence, Who by a word called into being birds, fishes, quadrupeds, insects, and all creatures, existing under His almighty providence and care; He has come, He Whom the innumerable hosts of Angels continually and joy. And in what humility has He come! He is born of a poor Virgin, in a cave, wrapped in poor swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger. Riches, honours, glory of this world! fall down, fall down in humility, tearful devotion, and deep gratitude before the Saviour of men, and share your riches with the poor and needy. Do not pride yourselves on your visionary, fleeting distinctions, for true distinction can only be found in virtue. Glory of this world! learn here, before the manger, your vanity. Thus, let us all humble ourselves; let us all fall down in the dust before the boundless humility and exhaustion of the Sovereign of all, of God, Who has come to heal our infirmities, to save us from pride, vanity, corruption, and every sinful impurity.”
+ St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ [paperback]
Congratulations!
'Tis the Season!
Christ is born give ye glory.
Christ cometh from the heavens.
Meet ye Him.
Christ is on earth, be ye exalted!
Hymn the Lord all the earth,
And chant with gladness, O ye people,
For He is glorified!
Katavasia from the Canon of Nativity
Troparion - Tone 4
Thy Nativity O Christ our God /
Hast shined the light of knowledge upon the world. /
For therein those who worship the stars /
Have been taught by a star /
To worship Thee the Sun of Righteousness /
And to know Thee the Dayspring from on high //
O Lord glory be to Thee!
From the Parish Council
In addition to our ongoing planning and preparations for remodeling our Iconostasis, we have a few projects for which we are gathering estimates. These projects include:
- Hardwood floors for the Nave
- New windows for the the church
- WiFi for the hall with updated phone service
We need your continued prayers and support. Please consider donating and keep an eye out for special project appeals.
If you are interested in helping with projects and chores (large or small), please reach out to our church warden, Sasha Soubotin (el_cawa@hotmail.com), or our head sisters, Christina Roller (honeybees5959@gmail.com), Vicky Selznick (vmselz@icloud.com), and Stephanie Rindell (srindell@yahoo.com).
We wish you all a Blessed Feast of the Nativity and a Happy New Year!
IMPORTANT DATES
FOR A DETAILED CALENDAR, visit our website: https://www.holyascensionofchrist.org/calendar
January 1 - Sunday of the Holy Fathers
January 6 - Eve of Nativity
- Matins on January 5th at 6:30 pm
- Royal Hours & Vesperal Liturgy at 8:00 am
January 7 - Nativity in the Flesh of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ
January 8 - Saints Joseph, David, and James
January 13 - Vespers at 6:30pm, Catechetical Class to follow (All are welcome!)
January 15 - St. Seraphim of Sarov
January 19 - Holy Theophany
January 20 - Vespers at 6:30pm, Catechetical Class to follow (All are welcome!)
January 22 - St. Polyeuctus of Melitene
January 27 - Vespers at 6:30pm, Catechetical Class to follow (All are welcome!)
January 29 - Precious Chains of St. Peter
Please note the following service schedule:
- Vigil is served at 6:30pm each Saturday and before each Feast.
- Hours and Divine Liturgy are served at 9:00am unless otherwise noted.
CONNECT WITH US
Check out our monastery, St. John of San Francisco Monastery, and our seminary, St. Photios Orthodox Theological Seminary.
Email: nchernja@rr.rochester.com
Website: holyascensionofchrist.org
Location: 650 North Landing Road, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: 585-217-6746
Facebook: facebook.com/111704451556556/