MONTHLY MESSAGE. H o l y T r i n i t y G r e e k Orthodox Cathedral F E B R U A R Y

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1 HOLY TRINITY GREEK ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL 1931 SUMTER STREET COLUMBIA, SC RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED NON PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID COLUMBIA, SC PERMIT 617 H o l y T r i n i t y G r e e k Orthodox Cathedral S u m t e r S t r e e t, C o l u m b i a, S C ( p h o n e ) ( f a x ) F E B R U A R Y MONTHLY MESSAGE Second Sunday of Great Lent Catechesis 59: On our Accomplishing the Days of the Fast Gently and Readily in the Hope of Life Without End by St. Theodore the Studite There is no indication of date for this Instruction, but since it comes between the ones for Friday of the 2nd Week of Lent and Wednesday of the 3rd, it is reasonable to allocate it to the 2nd Sunday. Brethren and fathers, fasting is good if it possesses its own special characteristics, which are to be peaceable, meek, well-established, obedient, humble, sympathetic and all the other forms of virtue. But the devil hurries to suggest the opposite to fasters and to make them insolent, angry, bad-tempered, puffed up, so as to produce hurt more than gain. But let us not be ignorant of his plans, but continue our path peaceably, gently, meekly and steadfastly bearing with one another in love, knowing that this is what is acceptable to God; for though you bend your neck double like a hoop and smother yourself with sackcloth and ashes, if these qualities are lacking to you, you would not be well-pleasing to him. Because while fasting batters and wastes the body, it clears the soul and makes it flourish. "For as much as our outer nature is perishing," it says, "by so much the inner is being renewed day by day." And our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding weight of glory. So that looking at the recompense, let us bear the toils of virtue with longsuffering, giving thanks to the God and Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love. Do we not communicate each day of his immaculate body and blood?[1] What could be sweeter and more filled with enjoyment than this, since those who partake with a pure conscience will obtain eternal life? Do we not converse each day with the godly David and the other Holy Fathers through taking in the readings? What could bring greater

2 consolation to the soul? Have we not broken off contact with the world and with our relatives according to the flesh? Again is anything more blessed or higher than this? For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to his glorious body, according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all things to Himself. And so, my brothers, let us rejoice and be glad as we repudiate every pleasure. "All flesh is grass, and all human glory like the flower of the grass." The grass withered and the flower faded, but the work of virtue endures for ever. "Is anyone among you suffering?" as the brother of God says, "Let him pray. Is anyone sad? Let him sing psalms." Is anyone tempted by evil passion? - since the tempter is always at work - let him endure patiently as he listens to the one who says, "Blessed is the one who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him." "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them," said the Lord, to whom be glory and might, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. (1) This suggests that daily Communion was the norm for St Theodore s monks. This would imply that during Lent the Liturgy of the Presanctified was celebrated every weekday, not just on Wednesdays and Fridays. LEADERSHIP STAFF The Reverend Father Michael Platanis, Protopresbyter 2017 Parish Council: Lee Tsiantis, President, Maria Bates, Vice President, John Metropol, Treasurer, Evan Hobbs, Assistant Treasurer, Anita Rickman, Secretary, Roy Alexander, Elizabeth Chiarel, Pete Currence, Robert Lewis, Mike Malone, David Shafer, Ben Singleton, and John Zourzoukis. Donna Ackmann, Office Administrator Michael Hart, Financial Administrator Despina Houlis, Choir Director Michael Payne, Custodian Maria Shelley, Ministries Coordinator (website) htgocc@gmail.com (church office ) htgocministries@gmail.com (ministries ) Mission Statement of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Columbia, SC CELEBRATING OVER 75 YEARS The diakonia (ministry) of the Parish will include proclaiming and teaching the Gospel in accordance with the Orthodox Faith, sanctifying the faithful through God s grace in worship, the Divine Liturgy and the other sacraments; enhancing its parishioners spiritual life, an adding to the numbers of the faithful by receiving persons into the Church through instruction, baptism and/or chrismation. In addition, the Parish shall establish educational and philanthropic activities to foster the aims and mission of the Parish and to edify its parishioners in the Faith and ethos of the Church. The Parish shall also engage in such inter-orthodox, ecumenical and interfaith activities as are consistent with the policies of the Archdiocese. (Uniform Parish Regulations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Part Three, Chapter One, Article 15, Section 4)

3 Wednesday, March 1-5:30 PM - Great Canon III Thursday, March 2-5:30 PM - Great Canon IV Friday, March 3-7:00 PM - Salutations Saturday, March 4 - No Great Vespers Sunday, March 5-8:45 AM - Orthros 10:00 AM - Divine Liturgy No Sunday school Monday, March 6 - Wednesday, March 8 - Friday, March 10-7:00 PM - Salutations Parish Lenten Retreat Saturday, March 11-6:00 PM - Great Vespers Parish Lenten Retreat Sunday, March 12-8:45 AM - Orthros 10:00 AM - Divine Liturgy No Sunday school Parish Lenten Retreat Monday, March 13 Wednesday, March 15-5:30 PM - Paraclesis 6:15 PM - HOPE/JOY Youth Wed. Friday, March 17-7:00 PM - Salutations Saturday, March 18 - No Great Vespers NEXT MONTH: MARCH GENERAL CALENDAR Sunday, March 19-8:45 AM - Orthros 10:00 AM - Divine Liturgy Sunday school Monday, March 20 - Tuesday, March 21-5:30 PM - Parish Council Wednesday, March 22-6:15 PM - GOYA Youth Wednesday Friday, March 24-7:00 PM - Salutations Saturday, March 25-9:00 AM - Divine Liturgy at Paracletos Monastary 6:00 PM - Great Vespers Sunday, March 26-8:45 AM - Orthros 10:00 AM - Divine Liturgy Sunday school Monday, March 27 - Wednesday, March 29 - Friday, March 31-7:00 PM - Akathist Hymn NOTE: This schedule is subject to change. Please consult the March bulletin for final dates and times. Weekly updates can be found online at holytrinitysc.com. The Presentation, Meeting or Reception of Christ? On February 2nd the Orthodox Church celebrates one of its Twelve Great Feasts which in Greek has been called Υπαπαντή (Ypapanti) since the institution of the feast in the 6th century. This is a carefully chosen word that explains precisely what we celebrate on February 2nd. The most common words chosen to translate Υπαπαντή into the English language are the words Presentation and Meeting. However, though it is true there was a presentation of Christ to the temple, and you could even say there was a meeting that took place between Christ and Symeon, yet these words do not most accurately convey what we in fact are celebrating as it is meant to be conveyed through the word Υπαπαντή. Υπαπαντή comes from the verb υπαπαντώ (υπό + απαντώ), which in modern Greek is translated as προυπαντώ. Therefore in modern Greek this feast could by called the Προϋπάντηση (Proipantisi). Another word for προϋπάντηση is υποδοχή (ypodochei). Proipantisi and ypodochei are translated into English as either Reception or Welcoming. Since the synaxarion and hymns of the feast constantly speak of Christ being received by Symeon, and the iconography indicates it, we can conclude that the most accurate English translation of Υπαπαντή is Reception. Therefore on February 2nd, we celebrate the Reception of Christ by Symeon, who was divinely foretold that he would not die until he beheld the Lord's Christ.

4 HOLY TRINITY NEWS Our Sympathy to... the Nickas family for the falling asleep of George Nickas Thank you to the following people who volunteered to host COFFEE HOUR after liturgy for February February 5 Joanna Graham and Kathryn Graham February 12 Maria English and Helen Bykalo February 19 Marina Saliaris and Eleni Haftoglou February 26 Maria Taylor, Evropi Morgan and Jennifer Hanner WELCOME COMMITTEE February 5 Elizabeth Chiarel and Margie Malone February 12 David Coulter and Dan Kartanos February 19 Deidre Kleckley and Christina Gardiner February 26 Pete Papajohn and Greta Dobe STEWARDSHIP PLEDGE DRIVE There are many valid and understandable reasons why some people are uncomfortable with pledging in the church. As our pledge drive draws to a close this month, we urge those of you who have not yet pledged to talk about why not with Father Michael. Or, if you simply intend to but have not done so yet, please pick up a pledge card from the church office. We can all agree that being part of the Body of Christ includes caring for the Church. And part of caring for our church involves spending her money wisely. The only way we can do that effectively is with your help! We extend a huge THANK YOU to our parishioners who have already participated in the pledge drive. Let s bring this campaign to a close and continue building the Body together in the new year! Does the Pure One Have Need of Purification? The original Greek of Luke 2:22 reads: "K αι οτε επλησθησαν αι ημεραι του καθαρισμου αυτων κατα τον νομον μωυσεως ανηγαγον αυτον εις ιεροσολυμα παραστησαι τω κυριω..." The King James Version translates this verse as follows: "And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;..." We see here that the KJV erroneously translates this verse to read "days of her purification". However, a puristic translation of the text would be translated as "days of their purification". It is well known that the KJV makes these "errors" often whenever references to doctrines about Mary are conveyed in the Gospels, but this is one of those verses that if mistranslated has tremendous implications; the Theotokos has no need of purification. Rather this passage refers to the Jews and what the Law of Moses prescribed for them. The Venerable Bede commenting on this passage writes: "The firstborn of all the male sex was to be called holy to the Lord (Lev. 12:1-6). The Virgin did not receive seed, but even as our Lord willed to be under the Law, so that He might redeem us (Gal. 4:4-5), so too did the blessed Mother, who by a singular privilege was above the Law; nevertheless, she did not shun being made subject to the principles of the Law for the sake of showing us an example of humility" (Homily on the Feast of the Purification).

5 The Pierced Soul of the Theotokos By St. Nikolai Velimirovich "Yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also"(luke 2:35). Who on this earth could even closely compare with the Lord in patient endurance of suffering except His Most-holy Mother? The elder Symeon, adorned with snowy hair like a white swan, prophetically foresaw her future sufferings and likened those sufferings to a sword piercing her soul. One sword had pierced her soul when the righteous Joseph doubted her at the time of her pregnancy; the second, when she had to flee to Egypt before Herod's sword; and the third, fourth and many, many others when she saw the hatred and intrigues of the Jewish elders against her Son day in and day out during the whole time of His preaching and miracleworking among men. But the sharpest sword pierced her soul when she stood beneath the Cross of her Son and Lord. This sword was foreseen and prophesied to her by the holy, aged Symeon. Majestic and moving was her silence, beneath which she covered all her pains and all the wounds of her heart as with a veil. In the twilight, all these countless pains that had accumulated in her most pure heart shone as an inextinguishable flame of faith and hope in God and dedication to God. This handmaid of the Lord, unsurpassable in nobility! She saw herself clearly in God's plan for the salvation of mankind; she read about herself in the prophets; she spoke with the angels - God's messengers. Therefore, all that came upon her, joy or pain, she knew came from God. She was not jubilant in her joy nor did she murmur in her pain, but rather she remained silent and laid it all up in her heart. O Most-holy Virgin Theotokos, help us that we may be, like thee, submissive to the will of God. To thy Son and Lord, through thee, be glory and praise forever. Amen.

6 MONTHLY BIBLE STUDY The first Wednesday of each month offers a chance to explore the Bible with Father Michael immediately following Paraclesis. On February 1, at 6:15 pm, join Father Michael in the church as he provides historical and cultural background as well as the perspectives of the church fathers to the stories we read and hear in the Gospel of St. John. THANK YOU, Holy Trinity Columbia, for supporting our Nea Zoe HDF Dancers by attending their annual Spaghetti Luncheon Fundraiser. HDF Competition in Winston Salem, NC ORTHODOXY 101 PARISH SEMINAR Don t miss this opportunity! We only have one more chance to participate in the last of our three-week series of classes on understanding our Orthodox faith. On February 12, beginning at 4:30 pm, Father Michael will offer a variety of lessons on our faith to make Orthodoxy more accessible to each of us, regardless of our background or current knowledge. Bring someone you love and learn together. CHOIR will rehearse on Thursday evenings, beginning at 6:00 pm in the choir room upstairs in the parish hall. We welcome new voices and would love to bring our teens and young adults into this group. If you might be interested in joining the choir, please contact Despina Houlis (dhoulis@aol.com)....coming March Meet our guest speaker and more, beginning Friday evening. More details to follow... ORATORICAL FESTIVAL Our annual Parish Oratorical Festival will be immediately following church on Sunday, February 19. All students in Grades 7 12 are encouraged to participate. Visit the Archdiocese website for topics and tips on how to prepare your speech today! religioused/ Parents, following Share Sunday presentations (PreK-6 th Grade) on that day, we will also offer an activity upstairs to engage our younger children so that you can focus on listening to the older ones speak on our faith.

7 GOYA YOUTH WEDNESDAY will be on February 8, upstairs in the NEW youth room! All students in Grades 7 12 are welcome. Please consider arriving for Paraclesis worship at 5:30 pm. As soon as the service is finished around 6:15 pm, teens are invited to meet with Fr. Michael in the youth room to enjoy refreshments, a brief lesson, and to discuss what matters most to them! We wrap up around 7:00 pm. Winter Youth Rally 2016 TUESDAY MORNING BREAKFAST FELLOWSHIP It s about time to start a NEW BOOK! If your job is downtown or your morning work permits, consider joining us on a Tuesday morning. This group meets promptly from 7:30 8:30 am each Tuesday in February. ADULT FELLOWSHIP GROUP What does it mean when we hear Christ say, Blessed be those who search for justice? What does our faith teach us about the Will of God...? Bring someone you love and join our book group to explore these kinds of questions! Father Michael offers this opportunity for interested adults to gather in the parish hall to engage in Biblical and Orthodox book studies once a week at 11:00 am. The group will continue to meet throughout the month at 11:00 am on Tuesdays beginning February 7. CHAMPAGNE BRUNCH WITH AUTHOR THEA HALO Sat. February 11, at 11:00 am in the parish hall. SEE FLY ER in this bulletin

8 JUNIOR CHOIR It s time for NEW music to prepare for Lent, Pascha, and the Spring Concert. If you are interested in joining Junior Choir (1st - 6th grade), please contact Despina at dhoulis@aol.com. Practices will be on Wednesday, February 1, 8, and 15. JOY & HOPE YOUTH WEDNESDAY Time for Heart Tag! Join us for Youth Wednesday with Father Michael on February 22! Right after Paraclesis, all Sunday School youth in PreK through 6 th grade are invited to join us for pizza starting around 6:15pm. Father Michael will meet with our older JOY students while the younger ones play. Then we switch and Father Michael will meet with the HOPE youth while the older ones enjoy fellowship and fun. HOPE Dance Party We LOVE being friends at Holy Trinity! All PreK-2 nd grade youth are invited to our Valentine s Dance Party on Saturday, February 4 from 2:00-4:00pm in the parish hall gym. Get ready for silliness, crafts, music, special holiday munchies, and lots of fun! (NOTE: JOY youth who would like to attend are more than welcome as well!) Please RSVP to Maria Chakides as soon as possible maria.chakides@ccbcc.com v a l e n ti n e e v e n t s HOPE & JOY JOY I Love Science Celebration Ever wondered how things work? How are rocks made? Why does a river wind that way? What happens if? Come learn all about God s creation - our earth - as we spend time together in the USC lab of parishioner and Professor Dr. Michael Bizimis. This activity is specifically for our older JOY youth in Grades 3-6. We will meet at 3:00 pm on Saturday, Feb. 4. More details to follow! Please RSVP to reserve your spot by ing Maria at htgocministries@gmail.com Hope to see you soon, Valentine! SHARE SUNDAY & ORATORICAL FESTIVAL Get ready to shine and share what we learn each week about Christ! On Sunday, February 19, all Sunday School students in PreK 6 th grade will offer the parish a special presentation in the gym immediately following Liturgy. Then, especially for those parents who have older children participating in the Oratorical Festival, we will have a simple activity upstairs for the younger ones to allow the adults a chance to focus on the speeches. We encourage all children to attend Sunday School particularly in February so that we can be prepared for this annual event!