Come to Me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Mt 11.28
His Eminence Metropolitan SABA Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America His Grace Bishop Alexander
Pastor: Fr John Vazquez| fatherjohnvazquez@gmail.com | stgeorgealbany.org | 1 St George's Pl Albany
Office Hours: Mon/Fri 10am-5pm/Confessions: After weekly services or by appointment
Parish Council Leadership: Chair—Michella Rizk, Treasurer—Marie Barbera, Secretary—Daniel Palmer, Vice Chair—Justin Rezek
Beloved,
As we draw near to the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ the Church turns our minds toward birth. Our Lord—born humbly in a manger in a backwater town of the Roman Empire to poor parents—chooses to be born in this humble way.
Our Lord's birth brings about the opportunity for us to have a new birth. Our first birth—according to the flesh—leads to death. We are all too familiar with the empty promises that this brith presents: just a little more money and I will be happy; just a better job; just a new home; just a few more years of health etc etc. Ultimately though, we cannot escape the fact that this birth—according to the flesh—ends in death. We are often reminded of this reality aren't we? And this is where the second birth comes in.
This second birth—offered to each and every human being—which is not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit of God, is one that, although it has humble beginnings, offers us Life itself, Fulfillment itself, Divinity itself. So why wouldn’t every person choose this second birth?
Well, this second birth of ours must be like the birth of our Lord—humble, and of a Virgin Mother (which means according to the Scriptures)—neither of which is the first choice for most of us. Humility means we do not seek to get ahead, it means we are obedient and it means we think—not less of ourselves but of ourselves less. The second part—to be born of a Virgin Mother and therefore according to the Scriptures—means we purify ourselves by keeping the commandments, that we seek illumination through understanding the Scriptures as God’s revelation and therefore the Pearl of Great price for which all is sold, and finally that we receive the inheritance of sons through complete immersion in the life of Christ.
This isn’t exactly the path that everyone wants to choose. It kind of seems like a death doesn’t it. We have to die to those things we hold dear—how we relate to things, selling all we hold dear and finally giving our whole life for the love of Christ…Kind of sounds like what our Lord did for us…
This Nativity is not just about our Lord’s birth but it can be and is about ours.
Let us receive Christ, who is God, and is born according to the flesh so that we can give ourselves who are flesh that we might be born of the Spirit.
With love in Christ,
Fr John
Services and Events
Sunday, December 21st—8:45am—M. Office, Orthros and Divine Liturgy (Christmas Pageant/Concert to follow Liturgy)
Monday, December 22nd—12pm—Paraklesis of the Theotokos
Wednesday, December 24th—10am—Royal Hours (1st, 3rd and 6th) of The Nativity of Christ
Thursday, December 25th—9am—Orthros and Divine Liturgy of the Nativity of Christ (Christmas Feast to Follow—Bring a Dish)
Saturday, December 27th—5pm—Great Vespers and Bible Study (Psalms)
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28TH—POTLUCK AFTER DIVINE LITURGY—BRING A NON-FASTING DISH FOR US TO SHARE TOGETHER—(Rescheduled) Parish Council Meeting to Follow
Click to view our Upcoming Schedule
Did You Know...that Christ is Risen!...and...
*Registration is now open for two important opportunities for your church musicians: the spring semester of the Antiochian Orthodox Ecclesiastical Online Music School with classes starting on Jan. 12; and the Winter Sacred Music Institute in Phoenix, Arizona from Feb. 5-8. Thanks be to God, music education in our Archdiocese is year-round. Please encourage your choirs, chanters and their directors to sign up.
*The Order of St Ignatius is an Archdiocese organization that helps support many activities and causes throughout our Archdiocese. Becoming a member is a wonderful way to support our Archdiocese and the work it does. Consider joining and becoming involved. There is information in the hall or you can speak to Fr John.
Eduction at St George
But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 2 Pet 3.1
*Read Metropolitan SABA's weekly teaching—Silent Hands
*Sayidna Saba also gave a talk recently titled—On Converts to Orthodoxy—you can watch it HERE
*Bring your children to our Sunday Education as they work through the Curriculum from the Archdiocese A People Set Apart—The Book of Exodus. Check out the Archdiocese Education page HERE.
*Get some caffeine for the soul with Coffee with the Fathers. Join us at ALIAS COFFEE on N. Pearl St in Albany as we study Hymns on Paradise by St Ephrem the Syrian.
*Study the Scriptures with us—Bible Study Saturday evenings at 6pm after vespers. We also are doing localized bible studies in peoples homes on Friday afternoons and evenings—in an attempt to provide an opportunity for as many people as possible to attend. Check the CALENDAR for locations.
*Click HERE for a great YouTube channel with Orthodox kids songs.
*You can view the WORD magazine online. Click HERE.
*Metropolitan SABA has an Instagram account to connect with youth and young adults—@AskSayidna.
*Click HERE and HERE for lives of the Saints.
*Check out our LEARN page for some great sites, podcasts and resources on the Faith.
*Look HERE for some Nativity resources for your family.
*Once a month we have a "Youth Day" at the Church which includes kids of all ages. The purpose of these days is to offer education, fellowship, wholesome fun and a chance for the kids to "ask Abouna."
Parish Prayer List
"Remember Me O Lord When You Come Into Your Kingdom." Lk 23.42
Please include in your daily prayers the following. Contact me to have someone added to the list. These are the names that will be remembered during the Divine Liturgy.
Living:
Bishop Alexander, Fr Gregory Potter, Fr Joseph, Fr Andrew, Fr Pat, Fr Meletios, Fr Terrance, Fr Michael, Dn Jorge, Dn Horia, Dn Basil, Leila, Helen, Lew, Marsha, Mary, Anastasia, Hassib, Callie, Shannon, Jennifer, Samantha, Fouad, Fayez, Lydia, Joel and Naomi and our catechumens: Joseph, Christa, Jared, James, Max, Ryan, Kathryn and Henry. All those traveling, those suffering from illness, violence and want in this country and throughout the world and especially those in Ukraine, Russia, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and the middle east
Departed:
Fr Gregory DesMarais, Fr Alvian, Fr John, Will, Camile, Raymond, Ghassan, Charles, Iryna, Dorothy, The New Martyrs of Syria those who have lost their lives and who have no one to pray for them, those who have passed in the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
"Beauty Will Save the World"
My favorite author—Fyodor Dostoyevsky—has a quote, "Beauty will save the world!" What in the world could this mean?! Well, this could be quite a big discussion but I think part of the answer is that as human beings we delight in what is beautiful and not only take delight in but find healing when we encounter something beautiful. Beauty is such a big part of our worship as Orthodox Christians. Orthodox worship engages our senses with beautiful smells, sights and sounds and this matters because God's creation is good and beauty helps us to understand this reality.
Have you ever wondered what you could do to help beautify our church. Here are some ideas:
*Curtain for Holy Doors ($850)churchembroidery.net
*Curtains for Deacons Doors ($1500 each) churchembroidery.net
*Epitaphios of Panaghia ($1800) churchembroidery.net
*Three Mount-Athos style Chandeliers for the nave (the space where the people stand during the service)
Sunday, December 21st, 2025
THE SYNAXARION
On December 21 in the Holy Orthodox Church, we commemorate the Virgin-martyr Juliana of Nicomedia; and Martyr Themistokles of Myra in Lycia.
On this day, the Sunday before the Nativity of Christ, we have been enjoined by our holy and God-bearing Fathers to make commemoration of all them that from the beginning of time have been well-pleasing unto God, from Adam even unto Joseph the Betrothed of the Most Holy Theotokos, according to genealogy, as Luke the Evangelist hath recounted historically; and likewise for the Prophets and Prophetesses, especially of Daniel the Prophet and the three holy youths.
It is also known as the Sunday of the Holy Genealogy. We remember the aforementioned names, those in the Old Testament who were related to Christ by blood, and those who spoke of His Birth as a man. In the Divine Liturgy, we shall read of Jesus Christ’s lineage from the Gospel of Saint Matthew. In this way, the Church shows us that Christ truly became a man, taking on human nature. He was not a ghost, an apparition, a myth, a distant imagined god, or the abstract god of philosophers; such a god does not have a family tree. Our God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He has flesh and blood, human ancestors—many of whom sinned greatly, but like David, also repented greatly. Yet, all of these righteous ones in every age had been well-pleasing to God because they loved Him. By taking on human nature, the Son of God became like us in all ways, in flesh and blood, in mind and soul, and in heart and will. He differed from us in only one way: He could not sin. Since we know that Christ’s human nature remained sinless, He is also fully divine, and He shows us the way in which we can avoid sin, and so improve and transform our human nature.
By their intercessions, O Christ God, have mercy upon us and save us. Amen.
Parish Financial Summary—Fiscal Year 2025/26
Help us Reach our Goal of $135,000—Our estimated budget for the 2025-26 Fiscal Year
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF ST GEORGE!
Giving for Week of 12.14.25—$3149
Online Donations for Week of 12.14.25—$0
Broadview Bank Balance as of end of November: $32,415.61 : $24616.73 (Operating Fund); $7162.57 (Memorial Fund); $636.31 (Charity Fund)
Merrill Lynch Mutual Fund as of end of November 30, 2025: $420,159.45
Merrill Lynch Money Market Account as of end of November 30, 2025: $39,461.56
Total Giving for fiscal year to date (October 25–September 26)—$32,979
Families who have contributed for fiscal year to date (October 25–September 26)—48
Families who have contributed over $5,000 for fiscal year to date (October 25–September 26)—0
Families who have contributed over $1,000 for fiscal year to date (October 25–September 26)—4
A Note to our Visitors
WELCOME!
We are blessed by your presence! Join us for fellowship after. Please note, in the Orthodox Church only baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians who have properly prepared with confession, fasting (no food from the night before until communion), prayer and forgiveness can partake of the Holy Eucharist. All others may come forward for a blessing and receive a piece of blessed bread from the altar servers.
A Word From the Fathers
St Gregory the Theologian—Oration 38 "On the Nativity of our Lord"
Christ is born, give glory; Christ is from the heavens, go to meet him; Christ is on earth, be lifted up. "Sing to Lord, all the earth," and, to say both together, "Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice, for the heavenly one is now earthly. Christ is in the flesh, exult with trembling and joy; trembling because of sin, joy because of hope. Christ comes from a virgin; women practice virginity, that you may become mothers of Christ. Who would not worship the One "from the beginning?" Who would not glorify the last?"
