Saint Sophia Cathedral

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1 Saint Sophia Cathedral Greek Orthodox Community God s people, serving God s people Weekly Bulletin Sunday, 6 February 2011 Sunday of the Canaanite Very Rev. Father John S. Bakas Rev. Father Bill Tragus

2 CALENDAR OF THE WEEK Sunday, February 6 th Orthros :00am Studies in Faith.....9:15am Memorials :45am Divine Liturgy :00am Monday, February 7 th Bible Study with Fr. John: Philoptohos Women s Bible Study...10:30am Men s Bible Study..12:30pm Tuesday, February 8 th Adult Evening Bible Study with Fr. John: Bible Studies in the Faith :30pm Wednesday, February 9 th Bible Study with Fr. Bill: Papa Christos..6:30pm Bible Study....7:30pm Saturday, February 12 th Hellenic Academy - children.. 9:00am Hellenic Academy adults.. 11:30am Coffee Hour will be held in our Fellowship Tent EPISTLE READER Dinah Wellington USHERS Niki Korbakis, Maria Pelargos Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral 1324 South Normandie Avenue, Los Angeles,

3 DAILY VITAMINS FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH 3

4 MEMORIALS George Chagares, Theo Chagares, Gus Marentes, Marie Marentes, Panagiotitsa Marentes, Demetrios Marentes, Elizabeth Bunch, Walton Bunch, Fotini Bayz, James Bayz, Tommy Bayz, Gus Bayz, Bill Bayz, Harry Bayz, Constantinos Reveliotis, Panagiotis Tragus, Angeliki Tragus, Bessie Revels, James Perparas, Aspacia Perparas, Sylvia Soulis, Peter Arvan, Alexandros Meares, Evangelia Meares, Michael Meares, Sam Billis, Maria Athas, Gust Kappos ALTAR CANDLE Offered in loving memory of George and Theo, by their sister Kiki Chagares COFFEE HOUR Offered in loving memory of the dear departed members of the Marentes Family by Jim Marentes and Mary Chester PERPETUAL LIGHT Offered in loving memory of Gus Kappos by his daughters Amelia Skoutaris, Alex Markos, and Kathy Pentogenis 4

5 HYMNS OF THE DAY Apolytikion of the Presentation Hail to thee full grace Theotokos and virgin, for from thee rose the sun of righteousness, Christ our God, illuminating those in darkness. Rejoice righteous elder having welcomed into thy arms the liberator of our souls, He who also grants us the resurrection. Isodikon Come let us worship falling down before Christ. Save us O Son of God who didst arise from the dead sing we to Thee Alleluia. The Resurrection Apolytikion, Tone 4 Joyous tidings of Thy Resurrection that the angel proclaimed to the women disciples and brought an end to the ancestral curse, and with pride they declared to the disciples: Death has been defeated and Christ our God has risen, bestowing upon the world great mercy. Apolytikion of the Presentation Hail to thee full grace Theotokos and virgin, for from thee rose the sun of righteousness, Christ our God, illuminating those in darkness. Rejoice righteous elder having welcomed into thy arms the liberator of our souls, He who also grants us the resurrection. Apolytikion - Saint Photios the Great, Patriarch of Constantinople Photios, teacher of all the people in a manner like the apostles intercede with the master of all to give peace to the universe and grant great mercy to our souls. Troparion of Saint Sophia (Holy Wisdom) Blessed are You O Christ our God, Who as all wise the fishermen You showed forth; By sending your Holy Spirit down upon them and through them the universe You drew unto your net. O lover of mankind Glory to You. Kondakion of the Presentation Virgin womb sanctified by Thy birth and by the hands of Simeon who blessed as was proper, coming just in time Thou saved us Christ the God. Grant peace to Thy commonwealth and give strength to the leaders whom Thou hast loved, the only lover of all. Communion Hymn The righteous shall be remembered throughout eternity. Alleluia. 5

6 EPISTLE READING The Reading is from St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians 6:16-18; 7:1 BRETHREN, you are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will live in them and move among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore come out from them, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfect in the fear of God. GOSPEL READING The Reading is from Matthew 15:21-28 At that time, Jesus went to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon." But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." And he answered, "It is not fair to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table." Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly. 6

7 MINISTRY NEWS PHILOPTOHOS VIP NEWS Thursday February 24 - Gene Autry Museum Experience an exciting trip to the Gene Autry Museum of the American West at Griffith Park. We will meet at St Sophia in front of the chapel and the bus will depart promptly at 9:30 a.m. Please be on time. Return time will be about 3 p.m. Donation is $30 per person, which includes, bus transportation, museum entry, and lunch at the Wilson Harding Country Club. Choice of Lunch: 1) Cobb Salad, or 2) Club Sandwich, or 3) Cheeseburger with Fries. Choice of Drinks: Lemonade, Ice Tea or Coffee. Dessert: Ice cream For reservations please call Mary Kezios or Faye Demetriou at Paid reservations are required. Please address your check to: Philoptohos VIP, and indicate on the check your choice of lunch.. You can mail your check to: Mary Kezios, Casanes Avenue, Downey, CA March 19 - Seven Day Mexican Riviera Princess Cruise Please join the VIP s of Philoptohos for a beautiful and fun-loving 7-day Princess Cruise, departing from San Pedro and sailing roundtrip, to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas. The following prices apply, PER PERSON, based on double occupancy and include port taxes and government fees: Inside Cabin $750.52, Ocean View $800.52, Ocean View with balcony $950.52, Mini-Suite with Balcony $ To make a deposit and reserve your space, please call Catherine Erwin at ******************************************* SAINT SOPHIA CATHEDRAL CHOIR Do you find yourself singing liturgical music out loud for no reason - in the car - in the shower? Do you listen to the choir on Sundays and say to yourself This year I d like to be a part of that wonderful group? Or teens do you sing in your high school choir? If you answered yes to any of those questions, it may be time for you to join the St. Sophia Choir. You don t read Greek? The first Sunday of each month is an all- English Liturgy and there is phonetics to help on the other Sundays each month. We are looking for 5 new members! Please contact director Jim Kollias: jhkollias@gmail.com, call or text

8 PHILOPTOHOS NEWS MINISTRY NEWS (continued) MEMBERSHIP: If you have not joined Philoptohos, or not had a chance to pay your dues this year, please do so as soon as possible! Reminder letters are going out in the mail from Stewardship Chairman Rita Stephanou. Please send it back as soon as you receive it. Did you know that men can be Philoptohos members as well? So why not consider paying for your husband and even your daughters, if they have not joined? National Philoptohos is encouraging all chapters to increase their membership by bringing in new people! If you do not receive a reminder letter and you would like to join, please contact a board member or call the church office, and ask the office manager to refer you to someone who can help you. This is an Election Year, with elections coming up in May - so let's try to achieve a big increase in our membership this year! Thank you! GENERAL ASSEMBLY: Our next general assembly meeting will be held Thursday, February 17th at 10:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Tent. We hope you will be able to join us and if you are not a member - come to the meeting, listen to what we do and become a Philoptohos member! MOTHER'S DAY: Our Mother's Day Luncheon and Fashion Show will be held on Saturday, May 7th at the Universal Sheraton Hotel. This years chairperson, Angela Karavedas, and her committee, are putting together a wonderful afternoon. Save the date and join us! Further information will be forth-coming. MOTHER'S DAY NOMINATIONS: Philoptohos is currently accepting nominations for MOTHER OF THE YEAR who will be honored at our Mother's Day Luncheon. Please call Lola Galketsis (323) or mail your nomination in an envelope marked "Mother's Day nomination", to Philoptohos at the church address. Nominations need to be received before February 7 th. Thank you! ******************************************* PLEASE NOTE: If anyone would like bottles of Holy Water, please see Jimmy Karatsikis in the Narthex on Sundays, or call the church office during the week and ask for Jimmy. 8

9 THE JOY OF PARENTING MINISTRY NEWS (continued) The parenting classes are offered free of charge on Sundays, in the church office, at the conclusion of Holy Communion. All are welcome to attend! February 6, Bullying and Aggression part 2 Guest Speaker Stephanie Mihalas, Ph.D., NCSP February 13, Last Session - Self Care This session will end earlier this year & will resume again in October Nikolaos Stefanidis, Ph.D and Barbara Kappos, LCSW ******************************************* PHILANTHROPIA MINISTRY NEWS RECEPTACLES HAVE ARRIVED: Two new receptacles, one for used clothing and one for canned goods, are now available for your donations. They are located in the general area of the chapel, side by side. Please identify your clothing donations by indicating "for men", for women" or "for children" on the outside of the bags. We have so many poor people who need good clothing and canned goods. Thank you! CONFESSIONS: Father Peter is available on Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. in the St. Demetrios Chapel. Please consider placing your appointment request with the church office. LAPTOP COMPUTER: A laptop computer is personally needed by Father Peter. He plans to use it to install two programs: Deck Talk and a scanning program called Open Book. This is a scanning program for reading letters and books. If you have a used one that you would like to donate, please leave your name and phone number with the church office and Father will be in touch with you. Thank you and God Bless. Father Peter 9

10 Southern California GOYA Retreat For information and reservations, please contact: Christina Hanna (310)

11 GREEK FOLK DANCE NEWS The Glendi continues Pontian Musicians from GreecE Yianis Fotiadis Lyra & Periklis Katsiotis Daouli February 26, pm- 12 midnight Saint George Greek Orthodox Church Downey Ave, Downey, CA mezethes and no host bar admission: $25 Hosted by the Saint Sophia Greek Folk Dance Program Contact: Eleni Constantine

12 The Herald Newsletter COMMUNITY NEWS To All Stewards If your anniversary/birthday is not already listed in our monthly Herald newsletter and you wish for it to be listed in the appropriate issue for your month, please your information to: Stephanie Caiopoulos Lubian Thank you. ******************************************* JOIN US FOR AN EVENING OF LAUGHTER WITH BASILE Saturday, March 5 TH, at 6:30p.m. Saint Nicholas Church in Northridge For more information, please contact Saint Nicholas Church office: ******************************************* FAREWELL TO OUR BELOVED FATHER BILL! Our beloved and much respected Father Bill Tragus is being transferred by Metropolitan Gerasimos to the mission parish in San Juan Capistrano, effective March 1st, Father Bill and Presbytera Mia have been with us for the last 5 years. He and his family are much loved and appreciated. We will miss him. He has served our cathedral and our large cathedral family honorably and faithfully. We are grateful to him for his devotion to all aspects of the ministry. Although we will miss him very much, we wish him every blessing with his new assignment as pastor of his own parish. This is an exciting time for him. It is a new beginning with many challengers and opportunities. Above all, he knows that he will be serving the Lord and leading the faithful into God s embrace. We will honor and say farewell to Father Bill and Presbytera Mia on his last Sunday with us, February 27th. A simple reception will be held for them following the Divine Liturgy in our Fellowship Tent. Please join us. 12

13 IN DEPTH EXPLANATION OF THE DIVINE LITURGY Please join us TODAY for an instructional sermon on the Divine Liturgy. Father John will use his sermon to explain and physically demonstrate, step-by-step, our ultimate community expression of prayer & worship: The Divine Liturgy. On a special stand, he will face the congregation to do a showand-tell. Understanding the purpose and content of the Divine Liturgy will bring us closer to the Lord and enhance our living relationship with Him, as we celebrate Christ s presence in our midst. Come and bring a friend. It will be informative and inspirational. ******************************************* DIVINE READING: A MUST, TO GROW IN FAITH One of our New Year s Resolutions should be to grow and mature in our Orthodox Christian Faith and draw nearer to Jesus Christ our Lord. One significant way to do this is focused study and divine reading of books and materials that propel us upward. Obviously the Holy Scriptures are a must read to enhance our overall understanding of the faith. We will be recommending books for you to read and also give to friends who may be interested in the Orthodox Church. Before we bring friends to Christ through the Orthodox Faith, we ourselves must know the Faith. We recommended that you read: THIRSTING FOR GOD: In a Land of Shallow Wells by Matthew Gallatin. In addition you will find SURPRISED BY CHRIST, by Fr. James Bernstein of particular interest since he came to Christ from the Jewish Faith and is now an Orthodox Christian priest. Since our bookstore is on hold for the time being, the books are available through AMAZON.COM. Read and Grow!! ******************************************* SAINT SOPHIA RESIDENCE Please note: There are no vacancies available at the Saint Sophia Residence. If you wish to place your name on the waiting list, please call Angelo or Ann Pappas:

14 Saints of the Month Saint Photine February 26 th In the year 64 A.D., Emperor Nero was leading Rome through an era of relative peace. However, Nero himself was showing signs of emotional instability. He enjoyed the support of a powerful, yet sinister and criminally minded senator by the name of Tigillinus and Nero's power grew to be limitless. He had plans to level various structures in the middle of Rome so that he could build a massive palace for himself. As the year proceeded, Nero took the opportunity to travel to a city named Antium. While he was there, the infamous fire of Rome broke out. People began to blame Nero himself for the fire, since it allowed for the re-building of structures that would have allowed Nero to advance his own self interests. As Nero's popularity began to wane, he and his advisor realized that they needed to blame other individuals for the fire. There was a group of people ripe for blaming: the Christians. Christians were already unpopular among the Roman citizenry. They refused to worship their emperor and they annoyed the populace by telling them about the end of the world and the final Judgment. At this time, two of the Christians' most prominent figures were in Rome preaching the Gospel - Sts. Peter and Paul. Nero turned against the Christians with vicious cruelty and with a view to actually entertain the citizens of Rome. He prepared the circus theater in Rome for the display. He brought Christians into the circus arena and, after lighting many of them on fire, sent them out into the arena against wild animals. Peter and Paul were not sent into the arena with the wild animals. Peter was crucified upside down on "Vatican Hill", while people paid to watch. Paul was beheaded. Nero's tirade against the Christians brought their community into disarray. He continued to persecute them into the year 66 A.D. at which time the Apostles Photine and her five sisters arrived in Rome in order to help re-construct the Christian community there and to preach the Gospel to others throughout the city. Not long after they began their ministry, Nero had them arrested and they were martyred for amusement, as were other Christians on February 26th of that year. Therefore, every year on February 26th, the Church commemorates St. Photine and her five sisters, Sts. Anatole, Phota, Photis, Paraskevi and Kyriaki. She is also commemorated on the Fourth Sunday after the celebration of the Resurrection from the dead of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ (this year: May 22nd), when the Gospel passage of our Lord's meeting with her at Jacob's Well is read during the Divine Liturgy. St. Photine is indeed the Samaritan Woman with whom Jesus spoke at Jacob's Well. Her encounter with Jesus is recorded in the Gospel of St. John, Chapter 4, verses Following her encounter with Jesus, she became a devoted follower of our Lord and she was baptized by the Apostles, who gave to her the baptismal name, Photine, which means "one who is enlightened". She is officially declared by our Church as a great martyr and "Equal to the Apostles". 14

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16 SATURDAY OF THE SOULS Prayers for the Souls of the Dead Please commemorate the souls of the blessed dead, whose names are here written: I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord; He who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." 16