ST.

NICHOLAS ALBANIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE
SHRINE OF THE HOLY VIRGIN MARY
2701 NORTH NARRAGANSETT AVENUE ● CHICAGO, IL 60639 ● 773-889-4282
stnicholasalbanianchicago.org

Annunciation of the Theotokos

March 25th, 2018
 Epistle Reading
St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 2:11-18
Luke 1: 46-48: My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
Verse: For he has regarded the humility of his servant.
BRETHREN, he who sanctifies and those who are
sanctified have all one origin. That is why he is not
ashamed to call them brethren, saying, "I will proclaim
thy name to my brethren, in the midst of the
congregation I will praise thee." And again, "I will put
my trust in him." And again, "Here am I, and the
children God has given me. Since therefore the children
share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of
the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the
power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear
of death were subject to lifelong bondage. For surely it is not with angels
that he is concerned but with the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he
had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might
become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make
expiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered
and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted..
Gospel Reading
The Gospel According to Luke 1:24-38
In those days, Elizabeth the wife of Zacharias conceived and for five
months she hid herself, saying, "Thus the Lord had done to me in the days
when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men." In the
sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee
named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph,
of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to
her and said, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you! Blessed are you
among women!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and
considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel
said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall
call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most
High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and
he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there
will be no end." And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I
have no husband?" And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come
upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore
the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived
a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with
God nothing will be impossible." And Mary said, "Behold, I am the
handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."
And the angel departed from her.
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Daily Saints, Feasts, and Readings provided by the
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Letra a St. Pavlit drejtuar Hebrenjve 2:11-18
Lluka 1: 46-48: Shpirti im madhëron Zotin, edhe fryma im u gëzua në
Perëndinë shpëtimtarin tim,
Verse: Sepse hodhi sytë mbi përuljen e shërbëtores së tij.
VËLLEZËR, meqenëse edhe ai që shenjtëron edhe ata që shenjtërohen
janë të gjithë prej njërit, shkak për të cilin nuk turpërohet t'i quajë ata
vëllezër, duke thënë: "Do t'u rrëfej emrin tënd vëllezërve të mi, në mes të
kishës do të të lavdëroj". Edhe prapë: "Unë do të kem shpresën time në
atë"; dhe përsëri: "Ja unë, dhe djemtë që më dha Perëndia". Edhe
meqenëse djemtë kanë marrë pjesë prej mishi e gjaku, edhe ai gjithashtu
u bë pjesëtar në po ato gjëra, që të prishë me anë të vdekjes atë që ka
pushtetin e vdekjes, domethënë djallin, edhe të shpëtojë të gjithë ata, të
cilët nga frika e vdekjes ishin gjithë jetën e tyre mbajtur në skllavëri. Sepse
me të vërtetë nuk u ndihmon engjëjve, po farës së Abrahamit i ndihmon.
Prandaj duhej t'u ngjante në gjithçka vëllezërve, që të bëhej kryeprift i
dhembshur dhe besnik në punët që kanë të bëjnë me Perëndinë, për
shlyerjen e mëkateve të popullit. Sepse me atë që pësoi vetë kur u nga,
mund t'u ndihmojë atyre që ngiten.
Ungjilli Sipas Lluka 1:24-38
Edhe pas këtyre ditëve Elisabeta, gruaja e tij, u mbars; edhe e fshihte veten
pesë muaj, duke thënë se kështu bëri Zoti për mua në ditët që më hodhi
sytë e tij, që të heqë përgojimin tim në mes njerëzve.
Edhe në të gjashtin muaj, engjëlli Gabriel u dërgua prej Perëndisë në një
qytet të Galilesë, me emrin Nazaret, te një virgjëreshë, që ishte fejuar me
një burrë, që quhej Josif, prej shtëpisë së Davidit; edhe emri i virgjëreshës
ishte Mariam. Edhe engjëlli kur hyri tek ajo, tha: Gëzohu, o hirplotë. Zoti
është bashkë me ty. E bekuar je ti në mes të grave. Edhe ajo, kur e pa, u
turbullua për fjalën e tij; edhe mendohej, ç’të jetë vallë kjo përshëndetje?
Edhe engjëlli i tha: Mos u tremb, Mariam; sepse gjete hir pranë Perëndisë.
Edhe ja tek do të mbarsesh, edhe do të lindësh bir, edhe do ta quash emrin
e tij Jisu. Ky do të jetë i madh, edhe Bir i të Lartit do të quhet; edhe Zoti
Perëndi do t’i japë atij fronin e Davidit, atit të tij. Edhe do të mbretërojë
në shtëpinë e Jakovit për jetë, edhe mbretëria e tij nuk do të ketë mbarim.
Edhe Mariama i tha engjëllit: Si do të jetë kjo, sepse s’njoh burrë? Edhe
engjëlli u përgjigj e i tha: Fryma e Shenjtë do të vijë mbi ty, edhe fuqia e të
Lartit do të të hijesojë; prandaj edhe shenjti që do të lindë do të quhet Bir
Perëndie. Edhe ja Elisabeta, farefisi yt, edhe ajo u mbars me bir në pleqëri
të saj, edhe ky muaj është i gjashti i asaj që quhej shterpë. Sepse s’ka gjë
të pamundur për Perëndinë. Edhe Mariama tha: Ja shërbëtorja e Zotit, u
bëftë tek unë sipas fjalës sate.
Edhe engjëlli iku prej saj.
Leximet dhe lajmet kishtare të ditës në Shqip
Kisha Orthodhokse Autoqefale e Shqipërisë @koash1991
Shentorët e Ditës me ikona dhe histori të plota. Leximet
ungjillore dhe të tjera nga Radio Ngjallja
 MESSAGES FROM †Fr. KOSTANDIN’s OFFICE
Would like to thank all parishioners for attending Sunday’s
Liturgy and Fasting in this lent period.
Our tradition, Orthodoxy isn’t a
philosophic system or religion that forces us to
suffer hardships, to be disciplined, or that has a
list of requirements. The point is to find that
which is Christ, to be united with Christ—with
the true Christ—for Christ to live in you and you
to live in Christ, for you to find true life and to
become a true human being. This is Orthodoxy.
An Orthodox person is someone who humbly,
innocently, guilelessly, without insolence and
Ka filluar viti i ri kalendarik 2018. Ju lutemi të
gjithë besimtarëve orthodoksë në Chicago të
bëjnë antarësimin në kishën tone. Në saje të
dashurisë dhe bujarisë tuaj dhe brezave
të mëparshëm përgjatë viteve të
shkuara Kisha e Shën Kollit, kjo dhuratë
e Perëndisë i ka shërbyer komunitetit
BLESSING OF HOMES
It is an annual custom in
the Epiphany Season
(Epiphany is Friday, January
6) to bless our homes with
the Agiasmos of Epiphany. This is an ancient
tradition performed by a religious leader with
the intention of protecting those who live in the
house from hardships and trouble. Sometimes
the blessing takes the form of hanging a framed
ALL PARENTS ARE ASKED TO BRING THEIR KIDS TO CHURCH
being wise, bows the knee before God, and
within the Church. He encounters Christ, and
Christ is revealed to him, speaks to his soul.
Such a person will spontaneously confess: “My
Christ, you are my God; you are my Lord; you
are everything. This is what I have been seeking
my whole life, this is the truth, this is what every
human being seeks: and I thank you that I found
it”.
shqiptar orthodhoks në Chicago për afro tetë
dekada. Ekzistenca dhe vazdimësia e kishës
sonë buron dhe mbështetet në bashkëpunimin
dhe dashamirësinë tuaj. Vetëm kështu
ne mund tëgarantojmë mbarëvajtjen e
të gjitha shërbimeve dhe ministrive të
kishës sone.
picture of Christ with a prayer printed on it.
Traditionally house blessings is done on
Epiphany (January 6) to commemorate the Magi
visiting Jesus and bringing Him gifts (Matthew
2:11).
If you would like to have your home blessed
by the priest, please call the church office (773-
889-4282) or directly (312-686-3114
frkostandin@gmail.com
 ANNUNCIATION OF THE THEOTOKOS (March 25)
The feast of the Annunciation marks the visit of the angel Gabriel
to the Virgin Mary, during which he told her that she would be the
mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is celebrated on 25 March
each year. More importantly, since it occurs 9 months before the
birth of Jesus on Christmas Day, the Annunciation marks the actual
incarnation of Jesus Christ - the moment that Jesus was conceived
and that the Son of God became the son of the Virgin. The festival
has been celebrated since the 5th century AD. The festival
celebrates 1) God's action in entering the human world as Jesus in
order to save humanity, and 2) Humanity's willing acceptance of
God's action in Mary's freely given acceptance of the task of being
the Mother of God
UNGJILLËZIMI I HYJLINDËSES MARI (VANGJELIZMOI).
Prandaj, kremtimi i Ungjillëzimit është festa e marrjes tonë të
sihariqit të shpëtimit dhe i lavdërimit tonë të shërbëtores së
Perëndisë Maria, e cila u bë Nëna e Perëndisë në mish. Meqenëse
festa e Ungjillëzimit bie normalisht në periudhën e Kreshmës së
Madhe, mënyra e kremtimit ndryshon nga viti në vit, duke u varur
se në cilën ditë bie. Nëse festa bie në një ditë jave të Kreshmës, gjë
që ka më shumë mundësi, Mesha Hyjnore e festës bëhet në
mbrëmje me Mbrëmësoren dhe kështu, kremtohet mbas një dite
agjërimi të plotë. Kur ndodh kjo, ndiqen rregullat e agjërimit të
Meshës së Dhuratave të Parashenjtëruara. Mesha Hyjnore e
Ungjillëzimit, është e vetmja Meshë e Shën Joan Gojartit që lejohet
në një ditë jave, gjatë Kreshmës së Madhe.

Ask Fr. Tuda for more extended knowledge about the topic

ST. MARY OF EGYPT her protectress, she asked her to open the way for her to worship
st the Cross, and vowed that she would renounce the world. And thus,
Commemorated on April 1
returning once again to the church, she entered easily. When she
When Mary was only twelve years
had worshipped the precious Wood, she departed that same day
old, she left her parents and departed
from Jerusalem and passed over the Jordan. She went into the inner
to Alexandria, where she lived a
wilderness and for forty-seven years lived a most harsh manner of
depraved life for seventeen years.
life, surpassing human strength; alone, she prayed to God alone.
Then, moved by curiosity, she went
Toward the end of her life, she met a certain hermit named Zosimas,
with many pilgrims to Jerusalem, that
and she related to him her life from the beginning. She requested of
she might see the Exaltation of the
him to bring her the immaculate Mysteries that she might partake
venerable Cross. Even in the Holy City
of them. According to her request, he did this the following year on
she gave herself over to every kind of
Holy and Great Thursday. One year after this, Zosimas again went
licentiousness and drew many into
thither and found her dead, laid upon the ground, and letters
the depth of perdition. Desiring to go
written in the sand near her which said: "Abba Zosimas, bury here
into the church on the day of the
the body of wretched Mary. I died on the very day I partook of the
Exaltation of the Cross, time and again she perceived a certain
immaculate Mysteries. Pray for me." Her death is reckoned by some
invisible power preventing her entrance, whereas the multitude of
to have taken place in 378, by some, in 437, and by others, in 522.
people about her entered unhindered. Therefore, wounded in heart
She is commemorated also on the Fifth Sunday of Great Lent. Her
by this, she decided to change her way of life and reconcile herself
life was recorded by Saint Sophronius of Jerusalem..
to God by means of repentance. Invoking our Lady the Theotokos as
Source goarch.org.

We want to remind anyone that generosity WELCOME TO ST. NICHOLAS CHURCH

of your donations and membership dues
BE PART OF OUR ALBANIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY
allows us to continue to provide our unique
services and operational upkeep. Donations
to our church are vital to support and to keep
our mission strong. We envision a
community where individuals with
disabilities and their families have a network
that supports independence, Choice and
personal success. The services and activities we offer would not be
possible without the continued and generous support of our community.
All donations are tax deductible and MUCH APPRECIATED.
Service in English and Albanian ∙ Flitet Shqip

with St. Nicholas Parish upcoming events General Assembly Meeting • †March 31, Lazarus Saturday
(March 25th, 2018) • †April 1, Palm Sunday, Luncheon at Church Hall
• †April 8, Great Holy Pascha (Easter)
• †June 4, Holy Pentecost

April 2 – 9 – HOLY WEEK – SERVICE ALL DAYS – PLEASE PARTICIPATE