Scripture Readings for January 17

Colossians 1:12-18

12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

Luke 18:18-27

18 Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’” 21 And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” 22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 23 But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. 24 And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?” 27 But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

Scripture Readings for January 10

Ephesians 4:7-13

7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” 9 (Now this, “He ascended” – what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

Matthew 4:12-17

12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: 16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.” 17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

COVID-19 Ministries

As we continue to navigate this unprecedented time, we as a parish continue to think of ways we can build our community and help those in it during the time of the pandemic. We are seeking volunteers for the following three things:

Open Phone Lines

We are attempting to keep a schedule of multiple volunteers who can answer phone calls from church members who are feeling stressed and isolated during these uncertain times. Callers may be afraid, unable to leave their homes, or simply want to hear a friendly voice for a chat. To accomplish this goal, we have created a schedule of one hour shifts from 8am-10pm for which volunteers can sign up, and which is released through e-mail to parishioners. Volunteers attempt to leave the line open to answer these calls during their shift, which is scheduled for two consecutive weeks.

Errand Running

We are compiling a list of volunteers who would be willing to run errands for elderly, special needs, and homebound parishioners should the need arise. Volunteers are organized by neighborhood and connected with those closest to them for errands.

Errands could be things like:

• Picking up prescriptions

• Grocery or other shopping

• Mailing packages

• Taking a pet to the veterinarian

Please note that this will not involve visiting the parishioner, as we do not want to expose them to any illness, but running errands only.

Scheduled Phone Calls or Video Chats

We are looking for members who would be willing to volunteer for things such as:

• Calling the elderly or infirm, or those in the community who may be feeling afraid at this time, for a comforting chat that will help them maintain connection.

• Video chatting online with children to distract them while mom or dad take care of some household tasks or work, perhaps playing games with the children or helping them with homework. (This is a great opportunity for high schoolers to help out!)

• Keeping in touch with parishioners, either over the phone or online, who are feeling alone and isolated during this period. 

If you are interested in any of these volunteer opportunities, please contact Christine Kirchner at (512) 919-6810 or cee32@georgetown.edu.

All services canceled through April 1

Dear Parishioners,

All parishes in the Archdiocese of Washington are closed through April 1, 2020. Please, stay safe and protected, continue to pray at home, use online resources for spiritual education by the Orthodox Churches and make sure to check our cathedral’s website for updates. If you have any questions, please contact by email: office@stnicholasdc.org 

Resources for Coronavirus outbreak

New Ministry Volunteer Opportunity

Brothers and Sisters,

In this time of isolation and fear, as we are losing some of our daily human connection and seeing so many around us worry, let’s try to build something together for our community at St. Nicholas.

Some of our parishioners are – or likely will be, as this virus progresses – unable to leave their homes due to age, illness, or quarantine. Others are isolating with family members. We would like to connect people with these church members in this time of need through an over-the-phone or virtual ministry.

We are looking for members who would be willing to volunteer for things such as:

• Calling the elderly or infirm, or those in the community who may be feeling afraid at this time, for a comforting chat that will help them maintain connection.

• Video chatting online with children to distract them while mom or dad take care of some household tasks or work, perhaps playing games with the children or helping them with homework. (This is a great opportunity for high schoolers to help out!)

• Keeping in touch with parishioners, either over the phone or online, who are feeling alone and isolated during this period.

With technology, there are so many ways for us to stay virtually connected while in our own homes – we can even share meals together or watch a movie together from miles apart. Let’s use this technology to maintain the wonderful sense of togetherness that we share at St. Nicholas.

If you would like to volunteer or if you or anyone you know would like to receive a phone call, video chat, or other form of communication or assistance, please contact Christine Kirchner at (512) 919-6810 or cee32@georgetown.edu.