THE FEAST OF ST NICHOLAS, the real Santa Claus, is honored on Dec 6, a Monday this year. We’ll serve the Feast at St Herman’s next weekend with Vigil for the Feast, with Litya, on Saturday, December 4, and Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning, Dec 5, followed by St Nicholas Day Story Circle (led by Fr Paul) and a special project for the children at Coffee Hour. Parents, have your children bring an extra shoe next Sunday—in case St Nicholas should visit us! And, for the special project, let each child bring as a gift for the FOCUS toy drive a fun toy and/or a storybook or coloring book or activity book and/or a warm piece of winter clothing—gloves, mittens, stocking hat, e.g. We’ll design our own Christmas wrapping paper, and we’ll sign a St Nicholas day card to go with each gift. We’ll wrap the gift and attach the St Nicholas Day card to it, and put the newly wrapped gift into a couple of BIG boots that will be then taken to FOCUS to be distributed to needy children in the FOCUS Toy Drive.

CHRISTMAS is now how many Sundays away! Today at the end of the Divine Liturgy we light the third (of six) candles on the Advent Wreath. How many candles are not lit? That’s how many Sundays to Christmas.

FAMILY HOUR will be held again on Saturday, Dec 18, at 4 pm, before Great Vespers.

BIBLE STUDY with Fr Paul continues this Wednesday, Dec 1, at about 745 pm following Vespers, which begin at 7 pm.

ST HERMAN’S BOOK CLUB meets next Saturday, Dec 11, at 9 am. We are reading the Orthodox Veneration of the Mother of God, by St John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco.

WE LOOK FORWARD to enrolling Kelly into the catechumenate on Saturday, Dec 11, before Vespers.

ST HERMAN’S DIRECTORY is accessible at this link:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xfRb-XTUP4PkCK62ACv5Hn2MGAiXhtfBirHCBV2LnmY/edit. Talk to Susanna for details.

FR PAUL IS IN CHICAGO this Thursday and Friday (Dec 2 & 3) for meetings of the Bishop’s Council and Diocesan Council.

PATRISTIC NECTAR PUBLICATIONS offers a series of four lectures by Fr Josiah Trenham, “Reflections on Transgenderism. Male and Female.” These lectures can be downloaded now for $15.

It is indeed a marvelous thing how that which flows from the eyes [tears of contrition], which are the object of the senses, spiritually washes the soul of the mire of sins. As they fall to the ground they burn and crush the devils and set the soul free from the invisible bonds of sin. O tears, which flow from divine enlightenment and open heaven itself and assure me of divine consolation!

Again and many times over I utter the same words out of delight and longing. Where there is abundance of tears, accompanied by true knowledge, there also shines the divine light. Where the light shines, there also all good gifts are bestowed and the seal of the Holy Spirit, from Whom spring all the fruits of life, is implanted in the heart. Here also the fruit of gentleness is borne for Christ, as well as ‘peace, mercy, compassion, kindness, goodness, faith, and self-control.’ [Gal 5.22] It is the source of the virtue of loving one’s enemies and praying for them [Mt 5.44], of rejoicing in trials, of glorying in tribulations [Rm 5.3], of looking on the faults of others as if they were one’s own and lamenting them, and of laying down one’s life for the brethren with eagerness even unto death.

[St Symeon the New Theologian, The Discourses, II.9]

Everywhere the LORD bids us practice great care of our way of life.  For it is not possible for one living rightly and freed from all the passions, ever to be overlooked; but though he should chance to be in error, God will quickly draw him over to the truth.

We have partaken of the spiritual table. Let us be partakers also of spiritual love. When He was about to be crucified, He called His disciples and said to them, ‘By this shall all men know that you are my disciples,’ not, ‘if you cast out devils,’ but, ‘if you have love for one another’ [Jn 16.6,5].

As to miracles, they oftentimes, while they profited another, have injured the one who had the power, by lifting him up to pride and vainglory, or maybe in some other way. These [miracles] then let us perform with much diligence. If you change from inhumanity to almsgiving, you have stretched forth the hand that was withered. If you withdraw from theaters and go to Church, you have cured the lame foot. If you draw back your eyes from a harlot, and from beauty not your own, you have opened them when they were blind. If instead of satanical songs, you have learned spiritual psalms, being dumb, you have spoken. These are the greatest miracles. These are the wonderful signs.

St John Chrysostom , Homily XXIV.1, on Matthew VII & XXXII.10-11, on Matthew XI.