Christ Is Born Glorify Him!
Scene from Christmas Liturgy.
Christ Is Born! Glorify Him!
Christmas Eve Service And Holy Supper
Christmas Eve Service filled with songs and prayers praising the Nativity of Christ.
The Gospel Reading.
Following the service we held our holy supper pot luck lenten meal.
There are many symbols involved in the dinner. The lit candle = The Star of Bethlehem and the Light of
Christ. The Symbol of the Straw = Remembering the manger where Christ lay. Wine = the fruit of the earth, transformed by
Christ. Bread = Christ is the Bread of Life. Garlic and Honey = The bitterness and the sweetness of life that we share with
each other in Christ.
One of our youth reads about the Nativity of Christ.
The parishioners sing the songs of the Feast Day.
The lenten meal is served.
Christ Is Born! Glorify Him!
Christmas Pageant
This Sunday St. Luke Parish held its annual Christmas Pageant. As the parishioners sang our Church School
students portrayed the Nativity Scene.
Jesus with Joseph and Mary.
The rest of the Nativity from wise men to angels to camels.
The entire congregation then sang Christmas Carols. Thanks to Protinica Michelle and all who worked on this
wonderful pageant.
A Visit From St. Nicholas
This month our Food For the Christian Soul Ministry visited The Blissful Banana in Orland Park.
Group Photo.
Group Photo.
Group Photo.
Fr. Paul presented the chef with an icon of the Venerable Euphrosynus the Cook of Alexandria. He is the
patron saint of cooks.
Photo of the icon.
Examples of the cuisine included spaghetti squash and
portobello mushroom sandwiches.
Matt set up a raffle with six sign up sheets.
Matt also gifted Advent Calendars with chocolate for the children.
Fr. Paul was a winner.
Protinica Michelle holds up her gift card.
Sherri with her prize.
Ron won the sports package. Our thanks to Matt who not only does a great job setting up these outings but
makes them fun and entertaining as well.
A Visit From St. Nicholas
Following Liturgy Fr. Paul gathered the children together and spoke to them about St. Nicholas. He told them
a story about how St. Nicholas secretly gave gold coins to a man to save his daughters from being sold into slavery.
Next with the help of our altar servers, he told a story about a wicked judge that sentenced an innocent man
to be beheaded.
St. Nicholas came just in time to save him.
With the children singing the troparion, St. Nicholas came for a visit.
The children venerated the Cross and received gold coins with chocolate inside.
Garden Center Visit For December
Fr. Andrew began our visit with all fifteen residents eagerly listening to the story of “The Voyage of St.
Nicholas”. During the voyage, a storm threw the ship off course and the crew asked St. Nicholas for help. St. Nicholas took
his holy cross, tossed it in the water, and the long part of the cross turned to the north, which led them to the city. But a
huge fish pushed the boat off course and the sound of voices like angels was heard and everyone fell asleep as the ship drifted
many days into a strange city. All were signs for the ship not to go to Alexandria, but to go on foot, so St. Nicholas sent
the ship away.
Fr. Andrew passed out chocolate gold coins to happy faces. He explained how St. Nicholas rescued three
girls from being sold by dropping a sack of gold coins through the window of their house so their father could pay their
dowry.
Once again, Janet charmed all of us with her Christmas Poem and then led everyone in singing, “We Wish You a
Merry Christmas”.
Wishing everyone at the Garden Center a Merry Christmas and a Blessed Happy New Year.