Upcoming Events

• Sat Dec 30
• 4:00PM, Saturday following Christmas - Vespers
• Sun Dec 31
• 8:00AM, Sunday before Epiphany - Matins & Divine Liturgy
• 4:00PM, Vespers
• Mon Jan 1
• 7:00AM, Circumcision of Jesus, Saint Basil the Great - Divine Liturgy
• Fri Jan 5
• 7:00AM, Eve of Epiphany - Great Blessing of the Waters - Matins & Great Hours, Divine Liturgy of St Basil the Great
• Sat Jan 6
• 7:00AM, Holy Epiphany of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ - Great Blessing of the Waters - Matins & Divine Liturgy
• 4:00PM, Vespers

Sunday Epistle & Gospel Explanations
Sunday before Epiphany (31/12/2017)

Epistle: 2 Timothy 4:5-8

Gospel: Mark 1:1-8

Click here to download this week's readings and explanations.

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia News

In case you haven't already had a look, the December edition of the "Vema" Newspaper is out and can be downloaded from here (the Greek version is also available from here).

Some of the stories that you can read about are:

• Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
• 41st Nameday Celebrations for Our Primate Archbishop Stylianos Held in Sydney
• Feast of the Holy Theophany of Our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ

Greek Orthodox Christian Society of Sydney - "Lychnos" Magazine

The "Lychnos" is a Greek Orthodox magazine produced specifically for young people by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. It covers current issues facing young people, scripture readings, questions and answers, and more. We highly recommend reading through it. The December/January edition of the "Lychnos" magazine is out and can be downloaded from here.

Some of the stories that you can read about are:

• The Christmas Within You
• What was Wrong by Voting “NO”?
• How Do We Preserve Our Orthodox Faith in a Multicultural Society?

...and much more!

GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA

CHRISTMAS ENCYCLICAL 2017

STYLIANOS

By the grace of God
Archbishop of Australia
To all the Clergy and devout faithful
of our Greek Orthodox Archdiocese

"Come believers, let us see the place
where Christ has been born,
let us therefore follow
to where the star is proceeding."

Brother concelebrants and children in Christ,

The message of the Gospel of Christ is not vague and cloudy fiction. It is light and life and it comes to shed light, to give life and to renew "those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death" (cf. Lk 1:79).

It is for this reason that the proclamation of the Incarnation of God is a knife that enters fully alight into the History of the world. And it inevitably separates humanity into believers and non-believers, into fighters willing to fight until death and those ambivalent of dying.

It is for this reason that the proclamation of Christ comes not without suffering. It cannot go hand in hand and coexist together with old customs and values "as though nothing great had taken place." On the contrary, the Christian message is painful precisely because it is concrete, and it is addressed in a particular context. The proclamation of Christ is therefore definitive and decisive.

It changes not only the appearance of the world. Above all, it changes the future of the world. It is a radical transubstantiation of the postulates and possibilities of History. It does not simply stop people from being animal-like, prudently reinstating them within their proper boundaries and inspiring them with the hope and optimism of deification by grace.

How fictitious, however, do all these things sound, Sisters and Brothers, in the night and in the confusion of the world!
The ploys of the evil one are so misleading that constant re-examination is necessary, our Christian attributes and life are in constant need of verification. For this reason:

"Come believers, let us see the place
where Christ has been born".

Come, let us search! Come, let us see. Come let us no longer verify the facts of the Cave, but those of contemporary life and society which still bear a Christian name. Does Christ exist within us? Does He exist within our life? In our outlook? In our education? In our legislation? In our art? In our sorrow and in our joy?
How much of Christ therefore exists in all these things, if we examine ourselves as individuals, or as a collective, as family, society and as Church?

This spiritual and profound measuring will be our salvation. Because Christ, who in becoming incarnate is a child, did not come to judge, but to save the world.
Wherever we find Christ present in our institutions and in our establishments, in our programs and in our aspirations, there will we be able to say to ourselves and others unreservedly:

"Let us therefore follow
to where the star is proceeding".

Let us hope that, in everything that is at our disposal on each occasion, that we will identify those things that are to our advantage. With Christ, who is alive and remains to the ages, as our only legitimate criterion. Amen!

With fervent prayers

Archbishop STYLIANOS

Christmas 2017

Download the ENGLISH / GREEK version

Upcoming Events

• Sat Dec 23
• 8:00AM, Saturday Before Christmas - English Liturgy
• 4:00PM, Sacrament of Holy Unction - Vespers
• Sun Dec 24
• 8:00AM, Sunday before Nativity - Matins & Divine Liturgy
• 5:00PM, Great Vesper – Christmas
• Mon Dec 25
• 6:00AM, NATIVITY OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST - Divine Liturgy
• Tue Dec 26
• 7:30AM, Synaxis of the Theotokos - Divine Liturgy
• Wed Dec 27
• 7:30AM, Protomartyr Steven - Divine Liturgy
• Sat Dec 30
• 4:00PM, Saturday following Christmas - Vespers

English Liturgy

Just to remind everyone, tomorrow we have an English Liturgy from 8:00am. Everyone is invited to attend.

Holy Unction Service

Tomorrow, at 4pm, we will be having a Holy Unction Service in preparation for Christmas.
Holy Unction is one of the seven Holy Sacraments of our Church. We highly encourage everyone to join us.

Sunday Epistle & Gospel Explanations
Sunday before Nativity (24/12/2017)

Epistle: Hebrews 11:9-10; 32-40

Gospel: Matthew 1:1-25

Click here to download this week's readings and explanations.

NATIVITY OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST - Monday, Dec 25

Once again, this great feast of the Lord is upon us.
As you know, we will be starting the service at 6am sharp.
It is a very special day, where there can only be one place for us to gather, and that is in the house of the Lord. Please bring your families and join us, that with one mind and one body we may give thanks and praise to Christ our God.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

The St Tabitha 2018 Bi-lingual (Greek and English) calendar is now available. Featuring outstanding colour photos of our parishes in WA. These calendars are a great reference tool for the whole year and make a great Christmas gift. It includes:

• All the Feast Days and Fasting Days of the year
• The days that Divine Liturgies are conducted in the Greek and English languages
• Contact details of the local Archdiocesan offices, Monastery and the Parishes in Perth
• Selected passages from the various saints of our church
• Outstanding colourful photos

Available for sale at our church hall, as well as from Presvytera Mary Stamatiou. Cost only $20 each - proceeds assist the Philoptohos of St Tabitha with its charitable works within our community.