TODAY MARKS the beginning of the Season of Advent during which we observe the Fast of St Philip in preparation for the beauty of Christmas. (A dispensation from the Fast is given for Thanksgiving.) This morning, at the end of the Divine Liturgy, we light the first candle of our Advent Wreath.

ENTRANCE OF THE THEOTOKOS into the Temple is this Saturday, Nov 21. We serve the Feast with Festal Vigil on Friday at 630 pm, and the Divine Liturgy on Saturday at 9 am.

HIS EMINENCE, Archbishop Paul, visits us next Saturday evening and Sunday morning, Nov 21 & 22. This will not be a hierarchical Divine Liturgy. +Paul will serve as a priest. He enters the Church to say his entrance prayers with the concelebrating priests, and the deacon (Dn Greg Krutchek from the Cathedral), at 830 am. Hours begin at 840 am. Divine Liturgy at 9 am. His Eminence will award Fr Christopher Maciolek with the gold cross at that time, and elevate Fr Thaddeus to Archpriest. Axios!

A SPECIAL COLLECTION WILL be taken for the Fellowship of Orthodox Stewards (FOS) this week, beginning today, Sunday, Nov 15. (A letter from Metropolitan Tikhon is on the back of this morning’s bulletin.) If making your donation online or by mail, you may indicate your donation as FOS. FOS funds the many ministries and programs, projects, ministries and resources of the OCA that benefit all the OCA faithful.

COFFEE HOUR is suspended, following state directives. However, Fr Paul will make himself available downstairs to anyone, but especially to visitors, inquirers, seekers, and catechumens for a chat over a cup of coffee.

WITH POSITIVE CASES on the rise, we want to be even more cognizant of wearing masks and observing appropriate distancing. These two measures are the most effective for slowing the spread of the virus. The two hand-soap dispensers that were ordered at the beginning of all this finally arrived. If they haven’t been, they will be installed at strategic locations in our temple space.

THE SATURDAY MORNING Class for everyone breaks next Saturday, Nov 21, for the Feast of the Theotokos’ Entrance into the Temple. The class resumes on Saturday, Nov 28. The classes are recorded; they can be viewed on our St Herman’s YouTube channel.

NAMES DRAWN for this morning, Nov 15:

Doug & Maureen

Corinne

Laurie R

Pavlenkos

Morses

Gremillions

Stuart & McKenna

Youngbloods & Gita

Peasley

Thweats

Slaters

Brad K

River R

Knockes

Hansens

Kristin O

Sonia and kids

Gary & Stephanie (visitors)

NAMES DRAWN for next Sunday, Nov 22 (Archbishop Paul’s visit):

Macioleks

Nielsens

Cooks

Nick Kelly

Doug & Maureen

Corinne J

Brad K

Slaters

Brad K

Laurie R

Dan Faust

Mary Kaye K

Katie W

We do have a few spaces open for next Sunday when Archbishop Paul visits us. Let Fr Paul know.

From Metropolitan Tikhon

Christ is in our midst!

I write to you today with great thanks for the many labors and efforts that each of you make for the furthering and growth of the Orthodox Church here in North America. May our Lord always protect and guide all of those who faithfully serve in His Name!

As has been previously announced, this year’s Stewards of the Orthodox Church in America Sunday will take place on Sunday, November 15, 2020. The Stewards of the Orthodox Church in America have the special role of financially supporting the work of the nation-wide ministries and departments of our local church. As parish clergy, you all surely already have familiarity with some of this work, such as the regularly updated liturgical texts, the mission planting grants of the Department of Evangelization, or the conferences of the Office of Pastoral Life, just to name a few examples.

These kinds of works have steadily benefited the entire Church for some time, and I hope that through their continually being supported, they will continue to benefit each and every soul at the parish level. For it is true that together, all of the works that we do in the Church, at all of the different levels of her administration or structure, serve the exact same united purpose:

“To be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of Christ to “go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that [He has] commanded’ (Matthew 28:20), so that all people may be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” [Mission Statement of the Orthodox Church in America, adopted by the Holy Synod of Bishops in 1990].

May all of us, through our free giving of the gifts that we have received, become participators in Christ’s Great Commandment, and thereby, bring more and more souls into the inheritance of His Kingdom.

With Love in our Lord Jesus Christ,

+ Tikhon
Archbishop of Washington

Metropolitan of All America and Canada