FATHER DEMETRI TSIGAS cell phone:

Transcription

1 SAINT KATHERINE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 5965 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne, Florida Church Phone: (321) fax (321) Church hall: (321) website: FATHER DEMETRI TSIGAS cell phone: Orthros: 8:45 AM Divine Liturgy: 10:00 AM Fellowship Hour: Noon Father s office hours: Tues, Wed & Thurs. Noon - 3 pm Church office hours: Mon. through Fri. 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. / Sat. closed & Sun. closed during Liturgy ~ VISION & MISSION STATEMENT ~ Our Vision (dream) is to be a growing, loving, united Orthodox Christian family open to all. Our Mission (job) is to grow our faith in Christ through love and respect, with humility and forgiveness. Sunday, MARCH 13, th Morning Gospel - Plagal 4th Mode FORGIVENESS SUNDAY (Cheesefare Sunday) Nikephoros, Patriarch of Constantinople Hieromartyr Publios, Bishop of Athens Martyrs Aphricanos, Publios, and Terence Martyr Habib of Hermoupolis Martyr Christina of Persia ~ Welcome to Our Guests ~ We are delighted that you are with us today. Please keep in mind that according to the Holy Canons and teachings of the Orthodox Church, you must be a baptized and chrismated member of the Orthodox faith in good standing in order to receive Holy Communion. You are welcome to receive a portion of the blessed bread (antidoron) distributed at the end of the Divine Liturgy. Please join us for fellowship hour following services.

2 Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom Ἀπολυτίκιον Ἀναστάσιμον Πλ. Δ σ. 126 Ἐξ ὕψους κατῆλθες ὁ εὔσπλαγχνος, ταφὴν κατεδέξω τριήμερον, ἵνα ἡμᾶς ἐλευθερώσῃς τῶν παθῶν. Ἡ ζωὴ καὶ ἡ Ἀνάστασις ἡμῶν, Κύριε δόξα σοι. Resurrectional Apolytikion Plagal 4 th Mode - p.127 From on high You descended, O merciful Lord. You accepted the cross and three days in the tomb to free us from the bondage of sin, O our life and resurrection. Glory to You O Lord. Ἀπολυτίκιον τής Άγίας Αικατερίνης - Ήχος Πλ. Α Τήν πανεύφημον νύμφην Χριστού υμνήσωμεν * Αικατερίναν τήν θείαν καί πολιούχον Σινά * τήν βοήθειαν ημών καί αντίληψιν ότι εφίμωσε λαμπρώς * τούς κομψούς τών ασεβών * τού Πνεύματος τή δυνάμει καί ως Μάρτυς Κυρίου στεφθείσα * αιτείται πάσι τό μέγα έλεος. Apolytikion of St. Katherine - Plagal 1st Mode The all-blessed bride of Christ let us extol in song * Katerina the divine and protector of Sinai * our assistance and unfailing firm support; * for she did muzzle brilliantly * the ungodly clever men by the power of the Spirit. And now as a crowned Martyr * the great mercy she pleads for all of us. Κοντάκιον - Ήχος Δ - p. 264 Τῆς σοφίας ὁδηγέ, φρονήσεως χορηγέ, τῶν ἀφρόνων παιδευτά, καὶ πτωχῶν ὑπερασπιστά, στήριξον, συνέτισον τὴν καρδίαν μου, Δέσποτα, σὺ δίδου μοι λόγον, ὁ τοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγος ἰδοὺ γὰρ τὰ χείλη μου, οὐ μὴ κωλύσω ἐν τῷ κράζειν σοι Ἐλεῆμον, ἐλέησόν με τὸν παραπεσόντα. Kontakion - 4 th Mode p. 265 O You who are the source of all wisdom & discernment, instructor of the ignorant and champion of the poor; strengthen my heart O Master, and grant me understanding. O word of the Father, bring words to my lips, that nothing would keep me from crying out to you: In Your compassion have mercy on me, for I have fallen. 2

3 The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 13:11-14; 14:1-4 BRETHREN, salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed; the night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions. One believes he may eat anything, while the weak man eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains pass judgment on him who eats; for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for God is able to make him stand. The Reading is from The Gospel of Matthew 6:14-21 The Lord said, "If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. "And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Please pray for our: Brevard County, State of Florida & America Spiritual Leaders: Patriarch Bartholomew; Archbishop Demetrios; Metropolitan Alexios; & Fr. Demetri Civil Leaders: President Barack Obama, US Congress & Supreme Court; Governor Rick Scott; all our civil authorities and our armed forces. Parish Leadership: Parish Council & Philoptochos members, Chanters & Choir, Dance, Sunday & Greek School teachers and students, our Youth Group leaders and children. Those who are sick, awaiting surgery, recovering from surgery, in need of prayers and/or shut in: Sophia Tenreiro, Alexandra Diamond, Peter Katsoulas, Mae Charos, Theresa Sempepos, Peter & Dorothy Pappademetriou, Nicholas, Gus Drivas, Bill & Ellen Werner, Olga, Despina Kalimnios, Ashley, Elias 3

4 Corpas, Nazieh & Yvonne Yacoub, Savannah & Zander Kelly, Vada Ganakos, Mirsini Sirounis, Katherine, Don, Penny, Princeton, Suzanne Orosz, Faye Nicholas, Gerry & Chris, Veton, Mark, Ayad Saad & family, JoAnne Macheras, John Cominos, Van Katehakis, Lisa Waddell, Michael Donohue, Angela DeCosta, Marlaine & Jim Manus, Ann Prieston, Anna, Kris Stamatis, Anastasia, Kyriaki, Renee, Olga Taran, George & Sue Kanazeh, Joseph, Jay & John Paul Figari, Matina, Gabriel & Markos Pongpipat, George, Mirek, James Burkhardt, Maria, Mary Katsenes, Lisa, Sylvia Demopoulos, Alexandra, Joyce Stavrakis, Taylor Pappas, Pam Hogan, Rosemary George, Connie Ortolani, Maria Brewster, Maria, Iakovos, Efstratia, Sarah Wells, Jan & Mary, James Petersen, Denis Frawley, David Buckles, James Pappas, Bill Kokotis, Lori, Debbi Walker, Michelle Orosz, Leah Thomas, Mary & Pete Faines, Robert & Vel, Tony Niarhos, Mary Catalano, Nicole, Katie, Mike, Nicole, Andromahi, Rick Zelvis, Kathy S., Pauline Contakos, George Demopoulos For those expecting: Patricia & Andre, Ryan & Natalie Yacoub-Pugh For those with new babies: Jessie Echevarria & Sayla Pearl (Panayiota), Courtney & Demetre Lagges & baby Yianni. Those serving in the Military: Joseph Abadiotakis, Jr., Elias Panayiotis Maldonado, Nicholas Tsamoutales, Yanni Tshontikidis, Harold David Ballard, Samuel Joseph III, Nicholas Cannaverde, Travis Hunter, Ethan Macheras, Matthew Ryan Stinnett, James Christian Figari. For the protection of Christians who are being persecuted for their faith. For the protection and freedom of the kidnapped Metropolitan Boulos Yazigi and Archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim, both of Aleppo, Syria. Those preparing for Marriage: Sotiria Tutzarakis & Matthew Stinnett, Alexis Zavitsanos & Kraig Tharp. College Students: Arianna Bendlin, Telly & Tony Galanopoulos, Alyssa Giglio, Sade & Jamila Jelani, Alyssa, Marianthi & Peter Karas, Kimberley & Dana Marie Koines, Jennifer & Andrew Loso, Esther Muradov, Tommy Panouses, Ashley P. Buckles, Catherine Psarakis, Kathleen Rogers, George & Jessica Saad, Noha Saliba, Catie Sergis, Costas & Alex Stathis, Mary Jane Tutzarakis, Elizabeth Gaherty, Brandon Arena, Melanie Niarhos, Ronnie Rickard, Leah & Austen Thomas (If you know of anyone that should be added to this list, please call the Church office.) Please turn your cell phones & pagers off or on vibrate before entering Church 4

5 ~ TODAY ~ 2nd Tray today is for the Clergy Education Fund Vespers & Forgiveness Service 6 pm ~ Upcoming Liturgies & Events ~ Mon., March 14th - LENT BEGINS Wed., March 16th - Pre-Sanctified 6 pm followed by The Bible & the Constitution, Lenten Study 7:30 pm Fri., March 18th - 1st Salutations to the Theotokos - 6 pm Sat., March 19th - Saturday of Souls - Orthros 9 am Divine Liturgy 10 am Sun., March 20th - Sunday of Orthodoxy - Bring your icons for procession. FASOLATHA - sponsored by Philoptochos Adults $8.00 & Children 12 and Under $5 (pasta) Wed., March 23rd - Pre-Sanctified 6 pm followed by The Bible & the Constitution Lenten Study 7:30 pm Fri., March 25 - ANNUNCIATION - 9 am, Divine 10AM 2nd Salutations to the 6 pm Sun., March 27th - Greek School Fundraiser Luncheon & Program Shrimp Lunch Adults $12. Children 12 & under $6 - there will Be pasta available for children Sat., April 23 - Saturday of Lazarus - Orthros 9 am & Divine Liturgy 10 am followed by palm cross folding and cleaning of Church. All youth are welcome. Check our website for updates on Liturgies & Events 5

6 SUNDAY SCHOOL REPORT FOR MARCH 6 ~ Vision Statement ~ To be a community of engaged and educated young Orthodox Christians. ~ Mission Statement ~ To encourage and foster spiritual growth of young people in our Orthodox Faith. Kindergarten & First Grade Donna Thomson Attendance: 13 2nd & 3rd Grade Brenda Roman Last week we combined classes to make a class project. We talked about the Bible verse "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." We talked about our families, and what we do at home to serve the Lord. Then each student picked a room and drew a picture of how they serve the Lord in that room. The kids loved it! They each did at least two rooms, and had such sweet and creative pictures. We put them together under one roof and made a whole house. We also included in our pictures how the Lord has blessed us in each of these rooms. Attendance: 4 4th & 5th Grade Daphne Courey & Anastasia Theodorou The children focused on prayer today and how it helped them to be closer to God by speaking to them in prayer. They worked on memorizing St Ephraim's pray that we use during Great Lent: Lord and Master of my life, cast away from me the spirit of laziness, idle curiosity, love of power and vain talk. But grant to me, Your servant, the spirit of moderation, humility, patience and love. Yes, Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to judge my brothers and sisters. For You are blessed forever. Amen. They also took home the Trisagion Prayers and evening prayers, but all agreed the 2 pages were way too much for them and are happy with the prayer they wrote. Please ask them to pray it with you at least 4 times this week. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen. Thank you God for my family and good health, Please God forgive me for my sins, Please God help all those in need and sick. For you are Blessed forever. Amen They have been requested to bring in clean empty egg cartons for our Easter Craft that we will be doing the week before Palm Sunday which will soon. Please save your 1 dozen egg cartons and send to Sunday school. They are also working on making their own Lenten Cookbook. Please send in your favorite Lenten Recipe for the Lenten Cookbook they are making in class. Thank 6

7 you! Glory to God for the wonderful children we have all been blessed with and the honor of serving them and helping them to learn and grow in the faith. Attendance: 9 Thursday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m. Oaks Premiere Theater 1800 W. Hibiscus Blvd. Melbourne We will have our own private theater Ticket price $10 per person Cash or Checks ONLY - Prepaid Tickets Only No tickets will be sold at the door. Includes movie and a chance to win a "Big Fat Greek Basket " Additional tickets will be available for the basket at 5/$5 The monies will be divided between Grecian Odyssey Dancers and Philoptochos P HILOPTOCHOS STEWARDSHIP M EMBERSHIP DUES If you have not paid your dues yet, please see either Betty Kitsopoulos, Tresa Roman or Cindy Paterakis to pay your dues. They are $30. per person. $15 goes to National & $7 goes to Metropolis. Men can be Associate members. 7

8 The Bible & the Constitution Lenten Study Series on Wednesday St. Katherine Hellenic Community Center 5965 N Wickham Road - Melbourne, Florida Beginning on March 16 and running through April 20, 2016, on Wednesday nights during Great Lent, starting around 7:30 PM (following Pre-Sanctified Liturgy) we will be offering a series on An Orthodox Christian Perspective on the Bible offered by Warren Baker with Fr. Demetri Tsigas, followed by a viewing of the newest DVD series from David Barton and Rick Green, Constitution Alive! Warren is currently completing the St. Stephen s Certificate Program, a three-year correspondence course in Orthodox Christian studies. As part of his program, he needs to do a directed ministry project. This six-week course, An Orthodox Perspective on the Bible, is in fulfillment of that component of the certificate program. As someone who has studied the Bible from both a Protestant and an Orthodox perspective, Warren will share with us the uniqueness of the Orthodox view of Holy Scripture. This will be followed by two episodes each week from the Constitution Alive! series. Call the Church office or admin@saint-katherine.org if you are going to attend. 8

9 SCHEDULE WEDNESDAY EVENINGS BEGINNING AT 7:30 PM March 16 The Canon of Scripture Discussion of different versions of the Bible, comparing Jewish, Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant views on Scripture March 23 The Contents of Scripture Old Testament Overview of OT history and figures March 30 The Contents of Scripture New Testament Overview of NT history and figures April 6 The Context of Scripture Scripture and its place in the Church Overview of Scripture, Authority, and Worship in the Orthodox Church April 13 The Challenge of the Scripture Reading and applying the Bible to our lives today April 20 The Comfort of the Scripture Tying it all together the Bible, the Church, the future of the world and the kitchen sink Following each Wednesday s Bible Study, we will offer two ½ hour episodes each week from Constitution Alive! 9

10 News Release Contact: PRESS OFFICE Stavros Papagermanos Protocol 36/16 March 14, 2016 Holy and Great Lent It is my prayer that your love may abound more and more. Philippians 1:9 To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As we begin our solemn journey through this holy time of Great Lent, we are guided by the beautiful services and traditions of our Orthodox faith to dedicate ourselves to prayer and fasting, to gather more frequently in worship, to contemplate the direction of our lives in repentance, and to strengthen our faith in the hope of the light and life to come. The spiritual impact of this sacred time of year is tremendous if we dedicate our full being heart, body, soul and mind to God. This transformation in our lives and the witness of life and faith we offer others through Great Lent is affirmed in the opening of the Apostle Paul s letter to the Philippians. In giving thanks to God for the Christians in Philippi and their partnership in the Gospel, Paul writes, It is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with all knowledge and discernment (Phil. 1:9). From their faith in and experience of the love of God and their love 10

11 for one another, they were growing in spiritual wisdom. When we come before God in repentance, we too experience His great love for us. His abundant and saving grace is revealed and acknowledged throughout this season of Lent as we are guided to the complete and ultimate act of love in the Passion of our Lord. As we receive His love and our lives are renewed in it, we are blessed with a deeper knowledge of truth and His will. Blessed by His grace and presence, we gain a higher level of discernment to see what is pure and holy. This is affirmed by the Apostle Paul as he continues his letter: So that you may approve what is excellent, and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ (Phil. 1:10). In these words we can see how Great Lent is a preparation to receive the Risen Lord; but we also see how this sacred time should influence our lives in our preparation for eternity. Through repentance and the forgiveness of God we are able to see the way to salvation. Through grace and faith we become a new person in Christ, knowing and seeking the abundant blessings that He offers to us. The Apostle Paul refers to these blessings as the fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:11). During Great Lent and through our prayer, worship and fasting we experience these blessings, and we see the great spiritual fruit that comes. We see how this journey is the journey of our entire life, culminating in the blessings of eternal life and communion with God. We see the blessings through our witness and ministry to others during this holy season, as we prayerfully anticipate the light and joy of Pascha. As we look to the days and weeks ahead, I prayerfully ask that you commit your time to the spiritual opportunities offered in Great Lent. Be faithful in prayer and worship. Keep the fast. Offer your time and resources to help those in need. Above all, seek the grace of God that your love may abound for Him and each other, and from the abundant blessings and spiritual fruit we receive, we will offer thanksgiving, glory, and praise to Him! With paternal love in Christ, DEMETRIOS Archbishop of America 11

12 MESSAGE FROM HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN ALEXIOS My Beloved Ones, Once you were no people but now you are God s people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:10) My Beloved Ones, As we prepare to enter Great Lent, I find myself reflecting upon what it means to work in the vineyard of the Lord. What things might we do to ensure that every day is a day lived in Christ? The first of these is Love. However, to love someone is extremely difficult for a human being, because God is Love; since we are not gods, you can imagine the difficulty we face to practice love: to love our neighbor, to love the other. That s why the spirit of servitude has been given to us. If we work with ourselves, and cultivate in our hearts, then we are servants. We are servants because we make the decision to be servants, working in the vineyard of our God. And if we believe that we are indeed working in the vineyard of our God, then we have to turn to him: to ask him for assistance, for inspiration, for wisdom, for help, and for the strength from Above, in order to overcome the obstacles in our lives and in our ministries. For, as He said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. (Luke 18:27) And with this, please pray for me; as I too fight with obstacles in this life, and I am looking for inspiration from Above. I believe this inspiration comes by working with you, seeing you, and listening to you, all of which, I am very thankful. So let us pray for one another, let us think on one another, and let us help one another, so that we may enjoy the life we have been granted by Almighty God. God bless you and God be with you. Wishing you Καλή Σαρακοστή, +ALEXIOS Metropolitan of Atlanta 12

13 FROM THE CHANCELLOR S DESK Someone walking in the woods in early spring in her native Georgia once noticed an unfamiliar plant along the trail. Strikingly beautiful, it had tiers of large, variegated leaves and was crowned by a deep red blossom. Further down the path in the gravel was another plant with four small leaves misshapen from being stepped on. Their color was concealed completely by mud. The observer was surprised to discover it was the same kind of plant whose beauty had caught her attention earlier. She felt sorry that this little plant had sprouted in such a hostile spot. Then she reflected: Nature does not give seeds a choice about where they are planted. A plant may suffer malnutrition if it grows in rocky soil or be bruised and broken by passersby, and a plant in inhospitable surroundings has no power to move to a more favorable spot. Unlike plants, she thought, people can make choices that affect their growth. This Monday, March 14th, we begin Great and Holy Lent. I invite you to join me and let us move ourselves and our families to this most favorable opportunity. Let us open our hearts, minds, and souls to its limitless possibilities. Glory to God always! Faithfully yours, +Fr. George Tsahakis Chancellor 13

14 We now have a new landscape company servicing our needs owned by parishioners Spiros & Costas Theodoropoulos. Call WHAT A BLESSING: THANK YOU TO THOSE THAT HAVE PARTICIPATED SO FAR. OUR ANNUAL BILL HAS ALREADY DROPPED BY 12%! IF MORE PARISHIONERS PARTICIPATE WE CAN GET THIS COST DOWN TO 0. SO PLEASE, CONTACT COSTAS THEODOROPOULOS IN ORDER TO SAVE YOURSELVES & THE CHURCH MONEY. PROPOSAL FOR PRICE REDUCTION PROGRAM: AHEPA & Philoptochos scholarships are being offered. Call or the church office for a form. Deadline to return COMPLETE applications is 12 pm May 1, No exceptions. No application will be considered if all information is not included. 14

15 ZOE If you are interested to take a day trip to the monastery in April please call Tresa Roman or let her know at church on Sunday. This will allow us to plan for a bus service that will incur a fee. ZOE to all! Tresa Roman Sonia Fakatselis Hosting Fellowship Hour This is a wonderful opportunity to extend our Christian hospitality with one another and any guests or visitors who attend our services. Duties: Set up the two coffee pots in hall Provide a simple snack, Clean up If any parishioners, families, group of families, koumbari or friends would like to host a fellowship hour following Sunday Liturgy please contact : Church office Or - admin@saint-katherine.org Available dates: During fasting periods, store bought cookies w/o egg or dairy products are: Nabisco Classics (oatmeal raisin, cinnamon swirls) Nabisco Social Tea Biscuits, Oreos. Fasting March 13 April 3 & 17 15

16 STEWARDSHIP PRAYER In the name of Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Amen. Lord Jesus Christ our God, accept our offerings as You have accepted the gifts of Your people throughout the ages. We offer these gifts to Your glory, for the support of the ministries of Your Holy Church, for the alleviation of suffering and hunger, and for the proclamation of Your Gospel to the whole world. Grant us Your blessing, Lord our Savior, that we may always be faithful stewards, continuing to share the gifts you have given us, by the power of Your grace, mercy and love. May Your name be glorified forever. Amen STEWARDSHIP 70 Stewards Pledging $92,280 Paid to Date $27, Friend of St. Katherine paid $13,820 [For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34 THE JESUS PRAYER Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, Υἱέ Θεοῦ, ἐλέησόν με τὸν ἁμαρτωλόν. (τὴν ἁμαρτωλόν if prayed by a female) Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.