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April 16, 2014
Holy Week & Easter Service Schedule
Holy Week & Easter 2014
P
lease note that there is no 4:30 Saturday service on April 19.
More information about Holy Week and Easter at St. Nicholas is at this link.
The Vicar's Corner
"Are there any who are devout lovers of God?
Let them enjoy this beautiful bright festival!

Are there any who are grateful servants? 
Let them rejoice and enter into the joy of their Lord!

Are there any weary with fasting? 
Let them now receive their wages!

If any have toiled from the first hour, 
let them receive their due reward; 
If any have come after the third hour, 
let him with gratitude join in the Feast! 
And he that arrived after the sixth hour, 
let him not doubt; for he too shall sustain no loss. 
And if any delayed until the ninth hour, 
let him not hesitate; but let him come too. 
And he who arrived only at the eleventh hour, 
let him not be afraid by reason of his delay. 
For the Lord is gracious and receives the last even as the first. 
He gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour, 
as well as to him that toiled from the first.

To this one He gives, and upon another He bestows. 
He accepts the works as He greets the endeavor. 
The deed He honors and the intention He commends. 
Let us all enter into the joy of the Lord!

First and last alike receive your reward; 
rich and poor, rejoice together! 
Sober and slothful, celebrate the day! 
You that have kept the fast, and you that have not, 
rejoice today for the Table is richly laden!

Feast royally on it, the calf is a fatted one. 
Let no one go away hungry. Partake, all, of the cup of faith. 
Enjoy all the riches of His goodness!

Let no one grieve at his poverty, 
for the universal kingdom has been revealed.

Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again; 
for forgiveness has risen from the grave.

Let no one fear death, for the Death of our Savior has set us free. 
He has destroyed it by enduring it. 
He destroyed Hell when He descended into it. 
He put it into an uproar even as it tasted of His flesh.

Isaiah foretold this when he said, 
"You, O Hell, have been troubled by encountering Him below." 
Hell was in an uproar because it was done away with. 
It was in an uproar because it is mocked. 
It was in an uproar, for it is destroyed. 
It is in an uproar, for it is annihilated. 
It is in an uproar, for it is now made captive.

Hell took a body, and discovered God. 
It took earth, and encountered Heaven. 
It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see.

O death, where is thy sting? 
O Hell, where is thy victory?

Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated! 
Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down! 
Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice! 
Christ is Risen, and life is liberated!

Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead; 
for Christ having risen from the dead, 
is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be Glory and Power forever and ever. Amen!"

The Easter sermon of St. John Chrysostom (circa 400 AD)

-Manny

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia
Let us rejoice and be glad, for Jesus is risen.
He is Risen     
To my dear St. Nicholas community - my sisters and brothers in faith,

This is the feast which surpasses all feasts.  This is the feast that brings us the fullness of joy and and the fulfillment of God's divine promise to us, God's children:  the resurrection of Jesus the Christ from the grave brings us New Life and a share in Paradise.

I wish to share with you my fullest and deepest blessings and my love which, first and foremost, is rooted in Our Lord and graciously and willingly shared with each and everyone.

Happy Easter.  Celebrate and rejoice, my friends . . . Jesus is alive and His reign shall last forever and ever.

Your brother and friend,

Manny
Vicar, St. Nicholas Episcopal Church
Happy Easter
Let's hope Easter is a hopping good time for one and all
Happy Easter!




Parking on the Driveway
As a courtesy to others...
St. Nicholas Exterior We are blessed with a diverse community.  What we all have in common is our human condition.  Some of our members are slowed some due to ailments and health conditions.

So, we ask that the curved driveway, especially parking spots closets to the front doors, be reserved for our community members who may need a bit more time and less sidewalk to travel for entry into the church. 

Thank you, one and all.  God bless this community of St. Nicholas Church.
Blessing of Easter Food
Celebrate this ancient tradition
Blessing of Easter Baskets & Food On Holy Saturday, April 19th at 11am, all are invited to bring in Easter foods to be blessed and readied for the great feast. 

Feel free to bring Easter baskets filled with sweets, breads, meats, vegetables, fruits and wines.  Prayers will be offered and all will be gently sprinkled with Holy Water.   
Calling all St. Nicholas keys...
St. Nicholas needs a "key count"
keys.jpg This is the "church of the people."  The very word Episcopal translates this very message.  Since this is our church, we all "own and share" this place, this sacred space, this St. Nicholas Church.

In order to keep better track of things, we'd like to ask all those who have keys to the church to please contact Jessica Tamaski, our Junior Warden.  She will create a record of who has what key and how many. 

Your help will go a long way in affording us to keep better track of how many keys we have and if need be, how many more keys we need to make. 

Thank you all for your cooperation and assistance.

God bless us all and God bless the community of St. Nicholas.
This Week at St. Nicholas
As a reminder, the full master calendar is always available online at this link.  Here is the schedule for the next week:

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

AA Meeting

12:00 PM  

Food Pantry

4:00 PM  

Evening Prayer

6:00 PM  

Choir Rehearsal

6:30 PM  

Al-Anon Meeting

7:30 PM  

 

Thursday, April 17, 2014

AA Meeting

12:00 PM  

Choir Call

6:00 PM  

GA Meeting

7:00 PM  

Maundy Thursday Service

7:00 PM  

 

Friday, April 18, 2014

AA Meeting

12:00 PM  

Good Friday Service

7:00 PM  

 

Saturday, April 19, 2014

AA Meeting

1:00 PM  

NO 4:30 Worship Service tonight (entire community will celebrate at the Easter Vigil or Easter Sunday)

4:30 PM  

AA Meeting

7:00 PM  

Choir Call

7:00 PM  

GSR - AA Meeting

7:30 PM  

The Great Vigil of Easter

8:00 PM  

 

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Easter Worship Service

10:00 AM  

Adult Bible Study

11:30 AM  

Children's / Youth Formation

11:30 AM  

AA Meeting

7:30 PM  

 

Monday, April 21, 2014

AA Meeting

12:00 PM  

AA Meeting

7:00 PM  

 

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Vicar's Day Off

 

AA Meeting

12:00 PM  

AA Meeting

7:00 PM  

 

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

AA Meeting

12:00 PM  

Evening Prayer

6:00 PM  

Al-Anon Meeting

7:30 PM  

Prayer Requests
The Community of St. Nicholas is praying
little-boy-praying.jpgFor Bill Bosslet, brother of our John Bosslet:  Bill is undergoing treatment for cancer.  Pray for Bill's full and complete recovery and strength and peace for his family.

For Dale Rickey, a friend of St. Nicholas who is undergoing more testing to determine if the cancer has spread: pray for Dale that he be blessed with strength and faith.

For all who are hindered and obstructed from practicing and celebrating their faith...may they find their religious freedom and raise a song of joy to the Lord

For all our St. Nicholas community members who are under the weather and in need of healing and prayers:  may they find peace and be blessed with sound and better health: Ethel "Corky" Stratton, Connie Nicholson, Vernon Forde, Joanne Mangiaracina, Richard Gans, Eunice Dohra, and any one else in need of our continued prayers and well wishes.

 

For our military personnel who are overseas and engaged in battle:  that they soon return home safe and secure. 

 

For those who are suffering from the pain of depression:  may their burdens be lightened and may they find healing.

 

For the members of the Support Groups at St. Nicholas who endure, "one day at at time," in their daily battles against addiction.

 

    ***"Thanksgiving for employment"       
 

(**written prayer requests)  

Shout-Outs
To Bob Kalicki and our good friend Gary Lackey who braved the tollways and brought back to St. Nicholas 2 vans full of food for the pantry.  From all who benefit from our pantry and all of us at St. Nicholas...God bless you!

To Claudia Boyle who picked up this month's supply of Jarosch's baked goods...sweets delivered by a sweetheart! 

To Hal and Steve for setting up the church for Palm Sunday...all looks lovely.

To Hank for putting up the old St. Bede's Gate and wooden wall unit in the church entry way.  It is all so beautiful, Hank!

To our Bishop's Committee Members:  Jessica Tamaski, Penny Mandziara, Kristen Jacobs, Thelma Malecek, Mike Golden, Neal Setchell, Bob Kalicki, Bob DeHaven, Steve Raftery and our treasurer Ray Malecek who all give 100% in their collective efforts at improving our church.

To Hank Mandziara and Bob DeHaven who continue moving forward working on the boiler situation and installation of the stained glass windows.   Great work, guys. 
Readings for This Weekend
The Great Vigil of Easter & Easter Sunday

The Great Vigil of Easter - Salvation Readings 

 

Genesis 1:1-2:4a [The Story of Creation]    

Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18, 8:6-18, 9:8-13 [The Flood]    

Genesis 22:1-18 [Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac]    

Exodus 14:10-31; 15:20-21 [Israel's deliverance at the Red Sea]    

Isaiah 55:1-11 [Salvation offered freely to all]    

Baruch 3:9-15, 3:32-4:4 or Proverbs 8:1-8, 19-21; 9:4b-6 [Learn wisdom and live]   

Ezekiel 36:24-28 [A new heart and a new spirit]    

Ezekiel 37:1-14 [The valley of dry bones]    

Zephaniah 3:14-20 [The gathering of God's people]  

At the Eucharist:

Romans 6:3-11

Psalm 114

Matthew 28:1-10

Easter Sunday

Acts 10:34-43
or Jeremiah 31:1-6

Colossians 3:1-4
or Acts 10:34-43
 
ohn 20:1-18 
or Matthew 28:1-10

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 
Holy Women, Holy Men
What's on the Episcopal Church calendar
April 16:         Wednesday in Holy Week

April 17:          Maundy Thursday

April 18:          Good Friday

April 19:          Holy Saturday

April 20:          Easter Sunday...Alleluia!
Upcoming Events at St. Nicholas
Mark our calendars now and let's get ready...
balloons_celebrate.jpg Ah spring.  At long last...winter has left us.  Comfortable breezes and April showers bring us hope of even warmer and more pleasant days ahead.  And, with spring comes our planning for the busy summer months; family gatherings, community events and parish ventures, too. 

So, let's start getting our calendars ready, let's see where we can help out and how we can all make a difference:

May 25 - August 31:  Walk For Your Neighbor.  New to the houses of worship in the Village, this event raises revenue for the Housing Fund which provides services to those in need.  While we walk we earn $$ which is pledged by family and friends.  What a great way to stay in shape while providing much needed support to our less fortunate sisters and brothers.  See Manny for more details.

June 7:  Elk Grove's Relay for Life.  A family-community event sponsored by Elk Grove Village High School to raise funds for the continued fight against cancer.  The Relay Race will take place at 11am on Saturday the 7th of June.  For more information please contact our Lisette Rodriguez and/or Committee Member Eileen McWherter at 847-819-3850.

June 21 / 22:  Little Boots Rodeo.  St. Nicholas will again staff the "Pennies in the Hay" game, which was the 2nd most visited booth at last year's event!  We'll need volunteers to staff the booth for both Saturday and Sunday.

This year's theme for the Elk Grove Village Parade is "Under the Big Top."  So, what will St. Nicholas do for this parade?  Calling all clowns.  Stay tuned for exact date, time and what we're going to do.

July 19th, Noon -  4pm:  St. Nicholas Parish Picnic.  We'll gather for a day of fun, family, food and faith as we'll conclude the day with our 4:30 Liturgy and weather permitting, we'll gather for worship outdoors, too. 
Heading
We worship together:

Saturdays at 4:30PM
&
Sundays at 10AM
St. Nicholas Episcopal Church
1072 Ridge Avenue
Elk Grove Village, IL  60007
847-439-2067
www.StNicholasEpiscopal.org
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