November Calendar Events

FROM YOUR PASTOR …

November 8 – St. Michael and the Angels
Today we celebrate God’s bodiless ministers: the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, our guardian angels, the Cherubim and Seraphim, and all the heavenly hosts. Their unseen presence reminds us that the worship of the Church joins heaven and earth, and that we never stand alone in offering praise to God.

November 15 – The Nativity Fast Begins
Today we begin the forty-day journey toward the “Winter Pascha,” the celebration of Christ’s Nativity. This season invites us to make room for the coming of Christ through prayer, fasting, generosity, and renewed attention to one another.

November 21–22 – Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple
This year we will celebrate this Great Feast with Vigil on Saturday evening, November 21, and Divine Liturgy on Sunday, November 22. We honor the Mother of God, who in bearing Christ became the living temple of the uncontainable God. We remember St. Paul’s words: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16). At the Vigil we hear for the first time this year the joyous Katavasia of the Christmas Canon: “Christ is born! Glorify Him!””

November 26 – Thanksgiving Day
On this civil holiday we gather in the morning to offer the beloved Akathist, Glory to God for All Things. Many have discovered that this extraordinary hymn of gratitude is a wonderful introduction to Orthodox worship. Consider inviting a relative, friend, neighbor, or someone who has never visited an Orthodox church. There is no better way to begin Thanksgiving than by giving thanks together!

Our Altar Feast and 70th Anniversary – December 5–6
This year our celebration of St. Nicholas Day will be especially significant as we mark seventy years of parish life in San Anselmo! The feast falls on Sunday, December 6, with the Festal Vigil on Saturday evening, December 5. We look forward to welcoming His Grace, Bishop Vasily, who plans to join us for both services and our anniversary celebration.

Our special guest will be Fr. Nicholas Denysenko, distinguished Orthodox liturgical theologian, whose presentation, “Liturgy and the Glory of God in Daily Life on Earth,” will take place at approximately 1:15 pm on Sunday. His talk will help us consider not simply where our parish has been, but what we are called to become.

An altar feast belongs to the entire parish family. Please make every effort to participate in both the Vigil and Divine Liturgy, to welcome our visiting clergy and guests, and to invite someone to share this joyful occasion. Remember that most of the magnificent hymns honoring St. Nicholas are sung at the Vigil!