Come and See ~ A Message from Fr. Robert

Transcription

1 March Phillips Road, Tallahassee, Florida (850) Rev. Fr. Robert J. O Loughlin Come and See ~ A Message from Fr. Robert On the first Sunday of Great Lent we celebrate the Sunday of Orthodoxy in which we celebrate the restoration of Icons. We are invited to come and see Christ as Phillip said to Nathanael in the Gospel of John (1:43-52). We can see Christ through icons and we see Him through prayer, through sacraments, through our interactions with other people, and through the Liturgy. In all these encounters He sees us, as he saw Nathanael, and knows us deeply as he knows our hearts, desires, hurts, and needs. He comes to us and encounters us through the Liturgy. In the Liturgy, we repeatedly ask for healing of body and soul for us to prepare to receive healing by repentance and forgiveness. As we soon celebrate the Sunday of Orthodoxy we are reminded that in Genesis it tells us we are made in the "image and likeness of God." Every person bears the image of God within them and is called to exhibit the likeness of this image as a living icon of Christ. At baptism we hear the hymn "As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ," celebrating this calling to become Christ-like. St. John of Damascus communicated that saints were living icons, since they displayed the divine image and likeness to the greatest extent possible in their lives. There is a story of a 6 year old girl that first attended an Orthodox Liturgy with her family and it happened to be the Sunday of Orthodoxy as we celebrate today. She was captivated at the end of the service when the procession and veneration of icons took place. At the time she didn't realize this procession only happened on the first Sunday of Lent, and assumed this was way the Orthodox Liturgy ended every Sunday. She thought as a young child, that everyone in the procession carried around their icons with them all the time. While we don t process our icons every Sunday, we are called to bring and be a witness of the icon of Christ within us, at all times and in all places. Upon entering or leaving the church, we venerate at least one icon. This is a practice we should not take for granted. Historically, the Sunday of Orthodoxy commemorates the restoration of icons to the Church of Agia Sophia in Constantinople in 843 led by St. Theodora the Empress. This was to celebrate the utilization of icons in the Orthodox Church as rightfully depicted and declared at the Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787. For us, the Sunday of Orthodoxy should not end as we leave the Church. We are called to see everyone as Christ and to be Christ to everyone. Each person bears the image of God, no matter how difficult it may be for us to see. As we begin our Lenten journey, let us keep this in our minds as we continue in growing spiritually and may it be reflected in our actions. During this period and going forward, we are to allow ourselves to rely on God not just ourselves. Prayer can lead us to us relying on Him. Icons can assist us in our prayer lives and provide us with images of Christ and holy ones that reached a level of communication with God that we can emulate and learn from. Wishing you a Blessed Lenten journey, Fr. Robert

2 Page 2 If an emergency or special need should arise, please contact Fr. Rob immediately at Our next ECHO Sundays are March 2nd and April 6th. Please drop off your non-perishable food donations into the bins located in the Hellenic Center and Patmos Hall. Mark your Calendars for Friday, October 24th and Saturday, October 25th. Jeff, Catherine, Harriet and Richard look forward to working with you again this year. Dear Parishioners, February was a blessed month in many ways across all the ministries of our Church. The youth's presence in all aspects was impressive and promising for the future of this Parish and our Faith. The Family Fun Sunday, Spaghetti Dinner, AHEPA Valentine's Dance and Meat Fare Sunday Luncheon were successful. Our sincere congratulations and appreciation to all involved. Catherine Branch and Jeff Phipps have accepted again to co-chair our 2014 Greek Food Festival together with the coordinators Richard Allen and Harriet Kanelidis. They already picked the dates and the band for the Festival. It will take place on October 24 and 25. We thank them as well as the Booth Chairs and all the other volunteers for their willingness to serve. Our best wishes to everyone for success and lots of fun. The upkeep of our Church property continues to be a constant time and money consuming battle. In order to handle these tasks more efficiently, special committees have been formed. Each committee will be responsible for specific areas and projects with the hope of facilitating community input and reducing costs. We encourage every parishioner to consider offering a few hours of your time in any area and ministry of our Church that you would like to participate. Wishing you a joyous Great Lenten journey. Yours in Christ, Pete Koikos North Florida District Retreat at the Panagia Vlaheron Greek Orthodox Monastery This retreat will be on Saturday, March 22 at 11:00 am and the monastery address is below. They will serve lunch, so they need a count of how many will be attending. Please contact Deacon Michael Koloniotis (St. John the Divine in Jacksonville) at (904) or halkida@att.net by March 8th to let him know if you will be able to attend. Panagia Vlahernon Greek Orthodox Monastery West Highway 318 Williston, FL Tel: (352) Koliva Workshop Feb 8th

3 Calendar Symbol Key + = Strict Fast = Wine and Oil allowed = Dairy & eggs allowed Page 3 March 2014 Choir Practice 6 p.m. s = Fish Allowed Choir Practice 6 p.m. Choir Practice 6 p.m. 25 f Choir Practice 6 p.m. 8 Third Saturday 2 9 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT Forgiveness Sunday (Cheesefare Sunday) Church School ECHO Sunday Vespers of Forgiveness D Sunday of Orthodoxy No Church School Youth Sunday Church School Church School Greek Independence Day Celebration GOYA Meeting 3 + Great Lent Begins Great Compline 6:00 p.m Parish Council Mtg. 5:30 p.m OCF Meeting 31 + ANNUNCIATION of the Theotokos Divine Liturgy 9 am 5 + Pre-Sanctified Liturgy Followed by Lenten Covered Dish 12 + Second Harvest 11:00 am 1:00 pm Pre-Sanctified Liturgy Followed by Lenten Covered Dish Pre-Sanctified Liturgy Followed by Lenten Covered Dish Pre-Sanctified Liturgy Followed by Lenten Covered Dish Philoptochos Meeting Salutations to the Theotokos 14 + Salutations to the Theotokos Salutations to the Theotokos Salutations to the Theotokos Second Saturday of Souls Liturgy 9:00 a.m. Great Vespers 5 p.m. of Souls Liturgy 9:00 a.m. Great Vespers 5 p.m. North Florida District Retreat at Panagia Vlaheron Greek Orthodox Monastery Great Vespers 5 p.m. Pangari Schedule for March *Denotes a 9:30 start time 03/02 Koikos*/Manias/Mathes (c) 03/09 Poulos*/Branch/Gorb (c) 03/16 Eudy*/Koikos/Manias (c) 03/23 Gorb*/Mathes/Perrigan(c) 03/30 Branch*/Gorb/Eudy 04/06 Perrigan*/Poulos/Joanos (c)

4 Page 4 -A huge thank you to our Holy Mother of God Community in raising over $ on Super Bowl Sunday for the IOCC (International Orthodox Christian Charities ) and for Krista and James for informing our community about IOCC. -Thanks to the GOYAns who served on Youth Sunday: Epistle Reader- Michaela Manias, Greeters-Nicholas Koikos and Michalis Manias, Passing of the tray-michaela Manias and Maria Parmer -Sun March 30th-Next GOYA meeting Souper Bowl Sunday collection for IOCC February GOYA meeting fellowship, food, discussion and games Holy Mother of God Monthly Community Outreach Wednesday, March 12 from Next OCF meeting Monday, March 24th Feb. meeting on campus of FSU America s Second Harvest of the Big Bend is the food bank that distributes over 5.5 million pounds of food each year, equaling 4.5 million meals for those in need. Come and join us for this hands on outreach. The time we donate will go a long way toward helping the men, women, and children of the Big Bend ge the food they desperately need. We will meet at Second Harvest at 11:00 AM If you are interested in assisting in this effort for one or two hours or have any question, please contact: Fr. or Presv. Area in the warehouse where donated food is sorted. Introduced in 1983, the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival provides Greek Orthodox teenagers the opportunity to learn, write and speak about their Orthodox faith, Church and heritage. The Oratorical Festival Program begins at the parish level and is divided into three divisions: Elementary Division (local festival only) for students in grades 4 6 Junior Division for students in grades 7 9 Senior Division for student in grades Our local Festival will be March 12 and the North Florida district is April 5 at St. John the Divine in Jacksonville. Students have received topics in their church school class. Additional copies are available in Church Office or from teachers. Participation is encouraged as this is a wonderful opportunity to discover the fullness of our Orthodox Faith. Please contact Fr. (850) or Presv. (850) if you would like to participate or if you have questions.

5 Page 5 AHEPA News The annual AHEPA Valentine's party held on Saturday February 15 was a great success. Many thanks to all volunteers. In particular, Jimmy Koikos, Mike Papageorge and Richard Allen for the delicious meals, Andrew Poulos for the excellent desert, Sally Papageorge for the beautiful flowers and decorations and for organizing the raffle, Stelios Manias for attending the bar! Lastly but not the least, we would like to thank the area's outstanding DJ, our own BC, and all the students for their lively dancing. They were just great! The next AHEPA meeting will be on March 9. Our topics will be the March 25 celebration program, scholarships for eligible graduating High School students, etc. Mike Burmester President MARCH 30, 2014 Following Divine Liturgy CELEBRATION OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE THEOTOKOS AND GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY Luncheon ADULTS... $10 For STUDENTS and CHILDREN is FREE Grilled Shrimp over Rice Cole slaw, Bread, Coffee, Tea and Dessert Sponsored by AHEPA

6 Page 6 Next Meeting: March 13, 2014 in the Patmos Hall Conference Room. This is an important meeting because it is the last meeting before our Annual Gyro Night, please join us and sign up for needed positions we will be looking for volunteers. Don t forget to tell your friends and neighbors Fun for the Whole Family "My Big Fat Greek Gyro Feast - A Day at the Taverna" April 25, :00 am 8:00 pm From February: The Annual Greek Dinner was a GREAT success! Seems to get bigger & better every year! Family Fun Day was enjoyed by our parishioners and everyone had a wonderful time. Thank you to Jim Garland for calling the numbers for Bingo this year! Three Lenten Priorities: Fasting, Prayer, & Almsgiving Key Verse from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America - Department of Outreach & Evangelism O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power and idle talk; but give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant. Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions and not to judge my brother, for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. (The Prayer or St. Ephraim) Reflection Just as the stool in the photo needs all three of its legs to remain upright, our spiritual lives require us to practice all three of the Lenten priorities of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (charity) to be complete and balanced. Fasting is seen as a means to greater hope. Prayer is seen as a means to greater faith. Almsgiving is seen as a means to greater love (Dn. Evan). Fasting during Great Lent, as well as on Wednesdays and Fridays and at other times of the Church year, involves abstaining from meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, fish (except for shellfish), oils, and alcoholic beverages. It is easy to stuff ourselves with the allowable foods, but to follow the spirit of the fast, we should eat less food than normal during these periods. This is to help us focus more on God and to be reminded that we need God. It is important that we fast in secret and with humility (Matt. 6:16-18). More importantly, we are to fast from sins such as pride, gossip, envy, and greed. Jesus does not tell us, if you fast but instead says when you fast (Matt. 6:16). He fasted and prayed and expects us to do so, also. Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God (Luke 6:12). Attending as many Church services as you can during the Triodion period is a way to increase your prayer life during Lent. We pray the Prayer of St. Ephraim (see Key Verse) often during Lenten services but we can pray it at any time of the year. We are told to pray without ceasing (1Thes. 5:17). The Jesus prayer is one that can be prayed continuously: Lord, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. And when the apostles asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He taught them the Lord s Prayer (Luke 11:1-4). We are expected to think of other people s needs even more during Lent and to perform charitable acts, or almsgiving. For example, the money we save from eating less during Lent can be given to those in need, perhaps by giving food to a local food bank. We can volunteer at a favorite charity. Or we can fill our OCMC boxes with money to help missionaries....assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me. (Matt 25:40)

7 Page 7 The following parishioners have submitted a stewardship form as of February 27, If you have any questions, please contact the Parish Council Treasurer Glen Perrigan at pappaglen@gmail.com or (850) Andris, Mr. Steve and Mrs. Jackie Andros, James Atayants, Armen Balogh, Andrew A. and Cynthia P. Buford, Georgia H. and Lewis Burmester, Michael & Rodamanti Buzyna, George and Helen Caspary, Nadya Chikas, Dena Collins, Catherine and Frank Costa, Barbara Demetrelis, Elpis Downing, Dorothy Drzewiecki, Olibia and Gary Erickson, Joanna & Don Eudy, Michael & Lynette Fetzko, R.J. Garland, James and Sophia Gavalas, Michael and Vicky Gavalas, Nic and Janet Gavalas, Victor and Mary Ghirmay, Hanna Gonatos, Michael Gorb, Jorge and Carol Hadoulis, Peter and Kathy Harris, Larry and Christina Hodges, Maria Ilin, Yuri and Larisa Kuleshova Joanos, Emanuel and Laura Joanos, George Joanos, Stamatia Kalinska, Svitlana Katopodis, John and Evi Klonis, Nicholas and Mary Koikos, Pete and Zografia Langston, Sophia Lapointe, Corinne Leftheris, James and Julie Lockwood, Yvonne Manias, Stelios Mantzanas, Catherine Markovich, Martin and Elizabeth Mathes, George and Kathy Milatos, Irene Mookas, Thomas and Deborah Nesterenko, Anna Nichols, Iphigenia O Loughlin, Fr. Robert & Presv. Joy Papageorge, Mike and Sally Pappas, Paul and Eugenia Perrigan, Glen and Dianne Poulos, Andrew & Koula Reeves, Corinna Rozes, Anna and George Sgouros, Demetri Sgouros, Stephanie and Vincent Russo Talantis, Kathleen Tsiklistas, John and Helen Vlandis, John and Katherine C. Webb, Dorothy Deanna Wernke, Deborah and Michael Wynot, Ed May He remember all your offerings. - Psalm 20 Thanks to all who offer Prosphora : Olibia Drzewiecki, Margarita Joanos, Mary Anne Joanos, Nick Klonis, Youla Lountos, Katy Mathes, Presv. Joy O Loughlin, Angie Poulos, and Helen Tsiklistas Congratulations to Jan Jerzy Jarosynski and Svitlana Kalinska who were married on Saturday, February 1st and to Evelyn Stephanie Joanos and Wesley Gayden White who were married on Saturday, February 22nd. We wish both couples a lifetime of blessed health, happiness and love. May Their Memory Be Eternal A one year Memorial Service was held for Ekaterina Gorbatchevski, mother of Jorge Gorb, on Sunday, February 16th. May her memory be eternal.

8 Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church 1645 Phillips Road Tallahassee, Florida Return Service Requested Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church 1645 Phillips Road Tallahassee, FL Office: Hall: Fr. Rob s Cell: Saint Alexis The Man of God Celebrated March 17th Website: Addresses: Father Rob: fr.robert@comcast.net Church Secretary: hmog@comcast.net Secretary Hours: Mon./Wed./Fri. 9am-2pm