Message By His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew On the Tragic Situation in Ukraine

Transcription

1 The Orthodox Way Message By His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew On the Tragic Situation in Ukraine (February 20, 2014) St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Lexington, MA Beloved children and friends in Ukraine and abroad, Contents Messages 2-4 Baptism Invitation 5 Father s Message...6 Saints 7-8 Stewardship....9 Boston Parade 9 Youth Ministries..10 Adult Ministries..11 PC President Ltr 12 50th Ann. Info...13 Celebrations...14 Archbishop s Enc.14 Great Lent Sch 15 Reflection. 16 Lenten Workout...17 Calendar..23 It is with heavy heart that we have been following the ongoing and, indeed, only escalating tragic circumstances in Ukraine over the last weeks. We feel that our brothers and sisters in Ukraine are our own flesh and blood. We endure the same sufferings that you suffer and we work with you for your joy, as St. Paul says. In our high responsibility as Ecumenical Patriarch, we are obliged to call for peace from the authorities in a democratic and independent nation, where its elected leaders both in government and opposition have the ultimate responsibility to protect the dignity of human life among its citizens. There is no room for brutality and bloodshed in a democratic nation of the 21 st century. In our pastoral and spiritual capacity as an Orthodox bishop, we are compelled to denounce all violence and aggression among police and protesters, which have led to the unnecessary loss of innocent life. All parties must at all cost choose dialogue over disorder and mediation over force. There is never room for abuse of power in a nation whose Christian roots date back to the first millennium. Finally, in the wake of the anniversary last year, celebrating 1025 years since Christian faith and civilization was conveyed to the Kievan Rus by our own predecessors in the Church of Constantinople, we are compelled in the name of the ethos and culture of the freedom granted by God to all people as a divine gift to condemn the present relentless brutality and insist on a peaceful and reasonable solution to the internal problems of Ukraine for the benefit of its people and to the glory of God. May He guide the elected rulers of Ukraine toward this blessed end. Dear friends, even as in the Orthodox Church we prepare for Great Lent with the forthcoming Judgment and Forgiveness Sundays, we call on every person of faith and of goodwill to pray and fast for truce and peace among our beloved and precious people in Ukraine. Grace to you all and peace from God our Father. Amen. The Patriarch lit a candle at a small tribute arranged in the courtyard outside of the Patriarchal Church of St. George by Ukrainian Orthodox faithful living in Istanbul, who were inspired by the recent message of His All-Holiness calling for a peaceful resolution to the turmoil in Ukraine. (Photos taken by N.Manginas) This message is also available on the Patriarchal YouTube channel 1

2 Messages hurch Contact Information St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church 17 Meriam St. Lexington, MA Sunday Worship Service Orthros: 8:15 a.m. Divine Liturgy: 9:30 a.m. Main Office Secretary: Mary Correia Phone: (781) Hours: Mon Thurs 10:00 a.m. 2:30 p.m.* Presiding Priest Rev. Fr. Demetrios Costarakis Phone (office): (781) Phone (home): (978) Phone (emergency): (978) *Days and times may vary due to Liturgical or other schedules* Parish Council Thomas Tsaros, President Lela Digenis, Vice President Judy Gray, Secretary Marcy Norse, Treasurer Tony Gray, Stewardship Chair Lou Saledas, Finance Maria Decoulos, Asst. Sec. Andy Vasilakis, Asst. Trea. Maria Decoulos, Robert DeVasto, Mike Tanionos, Helen Theodosiou, Charlene Colt, Alexandra Joseph, Hope Tsacoyeanes Some members of our parish family were given parking tickets for attending services and parking prior to 10am on Meriam St. Please know that we are in communication with the Lexington Police Department. If you could be of some assistance please contact Fr. Demetri. If you have not been receiving church material/mailing or s, please contact the church office at or Thank you. House blessings will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays during Great Lent. You will be informed a few days prior by a phone message when Father will be in your area. Make a list of the first names of those family members you wish to pray for when the priest arrives. The names should be for the living. On your dining room table or family altar, place a lighted candle, a Theophany icon or an Icon of Christ and a bowl with water. Please secure any animals that may be in the home, so they are not frightened as the priest goes from room to room. We are happy to announce that Adult Catechism & Bible Study will be once again active at our parish as soon as House Blessings are complete. A questionnaire through Survey Monkey has been set up and we encourage your input...it only has 4 questions!!! Here is the link This ministry is for all on all levels: those who have grown up in the life of the church, those who have been married into the church and those who want to learn more about the church!!! The programs have been set up by our Archdiocese. We will gather and watch a 20+ minute video and then have a discussion/question and answer to follow. We encourage all in 2014 to learn more about our Orthodox Faith and to participate in these classes. We ask that each of you take the following survey found at this link These 4 questions will help us offer an Adult Catechism & Bible Study in the New Year! 2

3 Messages (continued) SAVE THE DATES St. Irene s Philoptochos Events 31 BAG PARTY Girls Night Out! Thursday, April 24, :30 p.m. We will have a great evening with wine, appetizers, desserts and an opportunity to see a demonstration of 31 Products. These products include: Wallets, storage items, pocketbooks, tote bags, pet leashes, organizational stuff and so much more. It will be a fun night out and we can work together to support our beloved St. Irene's Philoptochos. Please mark your calendars and look forward to some amazing fellowship and parea! WHITE ELEPHANT SALE Saturday, May 10, :00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Start saving your knick-knacks, small household items, glassware, books, toys, games, sports equipment, small furniture, etc. All items must be in working condition, have all their parts and be clean. NO CLOTHING - NO TELEVISIONS - NO COMPUTER PARTS will be accepted. Drop-off schedule will be announced. "Forgiveness": A Poem by St. Nikolai Velimirovich That God may forgive us, let us forgive men. We are all on this earth as temporary guests. Prolonged fasting and prayer is in vain Without forgiveness and true mercy. God is the true Physician; sins are leprosy. Whomever God cleanses, God also glorifies. Every merciful act of men, God rewards with mercy. He who returns sin with sin perishes without mercy. Pus is not cleansed by pus from infected wounds, Neither is the darkness of the dungeon dispelled by darkness, But pure balm heals the festering wound, And light disperses the darkness of the dungeon. To the seriously wounded, mercy is like a balm; As if seeing a torch dispersing the darkness, everyone rejoices in mercy. The madman says, "I have no need of mercy!" But when he is overcome by misery, he cries out for mercy! Men bathe in the mercy of God, And that mercy of God wakens us to life! That God may forgive us, let us forgive men, We are all on this earth as temporary guests. It is traditional that on the five Fridays of Great Lent when the special services are offered to the Mother of God that the Icon is decorated with a floral wreath. Five such floral wreaths are needed. Their cost will run approximately $50 and anyone wishing to make such a donation, please call the Church office. 3

4 Messages (continued) This video is now able to be seen on the YouTube channel of our Archdiocese Blaming Others For Our Sins By St. Mark the Ascetic Listen, rational soul, partner in all my deliberations, I wish to explain to you a certain mysterious and ordinary matter. I have undertaken this without having been cleansed of passions, but I am, by the grace of Christ, nevertheless, devoting myself to it for a short while. I am fully aware, dear soul, that both you and I, naturally influenced by ignorance, are prone to error and on account of this blame others for our sins, saying that the evil lies outside us. Sometimes we lay the blame on Adam, while at other times Satan, and other times other people. In doing so we imagine that we are waging war against others, while we are really waging war against ourselves. Thinking that we are protecting one another, you and I are in reality fighting against each other; believing that we are benefiting one another, we are really harming each other, like a madman with his self-inflicted wounds, rightly enduring useless articulations and reproaches. We appear to love the commandments, but because of error we hate what informs them. Because of this, I clearly see now that we are not drawn wrongfully into either evil or good by some sort of power; on the contrary, from the time we are baptized, when we undertake any kind of endeavor using our free will we serve either God or the Devil, and one or the other quite rightly compels us to take his side. From Counsels on the Spiritual Life. Taken from 4

5 Messages (continued) GOYANS MAKING PROSFORA!!! On Sunday, February 23 following fellowship hour and Church School, our GOYANS stayed and baked Prosfora. We thank all our GOYANS, their advisors and Mrs. Pam Brown (the overseer and teacher of the day) for taking the time to make this offering to our Lord!!!

6 The Great 40 Day Challenge - are you up for it? things are going great? With Great Lent now upon us (beginning, Monday, March 3) it is important for us to pause reflectively upon our lives in a very real, honest and meaningful manner. Just as much as we take inventories at work or at home, we need to do the same for our hopes, dreams, goals and overall commitment to Christ and His Church. Have you stopped recently and asked yourself this question Have I been living my life to the Will of God? IT is very hard question to ask oneself. Right away we try to justify the things we do and we puff up the good things that we do on a regular basis (going to church regularly, fasting, praying) yet the question is have I been living my life to the Will of God? Lets look at prayer for a second Maybe you pray, but is your prayer open and has no time limits? Is it done through repetition? Are you praying when you are personally, physically or emotionally in need? Does your prayer life lax when Each day God reaches out to us with His loving yet unseen hand and gives us His gift of life that we might reach out and desire to be obedient to Him. This time of year gives us a great opportunity to show Him and most importantly ourselves and those who live in our home, how we can examine our lives and to correct, discipline and strengthen ourselves to stringing to reach His Divine image and likeness. On the contrary, Great Lent is not a time to beat ourselves up, this beautiful time of year is for us to stop and rejoice that our Church gives us these 40 days to prepare ourselves for the Kingdom of God! This wonderful time of year gives us comfort in knowing that God is always with us and we can grow to be more like Him. So many people look at this time of year with negativity because of the fasting portion of Great Lent. Ugh I don t get to eat the foods I love on a regular basis (we might be saying this to ourselves or to others that are not of the Faith). My argument when I start to feel this way is that I am not to reflect on the difficulties of fasting but to understand that the food I like to eat cannot equal the Heavenly Banquet that awaits those who do His Wil! The Lenten Season gives a chance to refocus on what really matters SALVATION! My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ this is the time for us to understand how much more we can love God and how we can be more charitable to others (not just in a financial way, but in a true manner of caring and offering our time and prayer to those who need us). So take this time to do an inventory of yourself and your family. And use this time of year to begin stocking up and the things that really matter. Let us open our hearts and have a great focus in desiring to follow the Will of God and to bring others on this journey with us! 6

7 Lives of the Saints M The Holy Fathers have appointed the commemoration of Adam's exile from the Paradise of delight here, on the eve of the holy Forty-day Fast, demonstrating to us not by simple words, but by actual deeds, how beneficial fasting is for man, and how harmful and destructive are insatiety and the transgressing of the divine commandments. For the first commandment that God gave to man was that of fasting, which the first-fashioned received but did not keep; and not only did they not become gods, as they had imagined, but they lost even that blessed life which they had, and they fell into corruption and death, and transmitted these and innumerable other evils to all of mankind. The God-bearing Fathers set these things before us today, that by bringing to mind what we have fallen from, and what we have suffered because of the insatiety and disobedience of the first-fashioned, we might be diligent to return again to that ancient bliss and glory by means of fasting and obedience to all the divine commands. Taking occasion from today's Gospel (Matt. 6:14-21) to begin the Fast unencumbered by enmity, we also ask forgiveness this day, first from God, then from one another and all creation. These saints lived during the reign of king Diocletian in 296.They came from Amasia, the famous city in Cappadocia at the Black Sea. They were relatives and fellow-soldiers with St. Theodore of Tyre. Having been accused to governor Asclepiodotes, they were strongly beaten. St. Eutropios received wounds on his mouth, because he insulted the governor. However, although the soldiers who were hitting them were paralysed and tired, the saints were cured, because the Lord and holy martyr Theodore of Tyre had appeared to them. When they saw this miracle, many unbelievers believed in Christ and were beheaded. When the governor saw these things, he changed behaviour and tried to move St. Kleonikos from Christ's faith with flatteries. He gave him presents and promised to give him more but not only wasn't the saint's mind changed but he even got angry and ridiculed both the governor's lack of understanding as well as the idols' weakness. So, while the governor and the rest of the Greeks were offering sacrifices to their gods, St. Kleonikos prayed and toppled Diana's idol down. When the idolaters saw this, they burnt with anger, boiled tar and asphalt in three boilers and poured them on the three Christian martyrs' backs. However, the martyrs were preserved unharmed but the servants who were pouring the mix were completely burnt. After this Sts. Eutropios and Kleonikos were crucified, received the crown of martyrdom and went to eternal life. St. Basiliscus on the other hand was thrown to prison, where he died after he had spent quite some time there. Six months after John the Forerunner's conception, the Archangel Gabriel was sent by God to Nazareth, a town of Galilee, unto Mary the Virgin, who had come forth from the Temple a mature maiden (see Nov. 21). According to the tradition handed down by the Fathers, she had been betrothed to Joseph four months. On coming to Joseph's house, the Archangel declared: "Rejoice, thou Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." After some consideration, and turmoil of soul, and fear because of this greeting, the Virgin, when she had finally obtained full assurance concerning God's unsearchable condescension and the ineffable dispensation that was to take place through her, and believing that all things are possible to the Most High, answered in humility: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." And at this, the Holy Spirit came upon her, and the power of the Most high overshadowed her all-blameless womb, and the Son and Word of God, Who existed before the ages, was conceived past speech and understanding, and became flesh in her immaculate body (Luke 1:26-38). 7

8 Lives of the Saints (continued) Bearing in her womb the Uncontainable One, the blessed Virgin went with haste from Nazareth to the hill country of Judea, where Zacharias had his dwelling; for she desired to find Elizabeth her kinswoman and rejoice together with her, because, as she had learned from the Archangel, Elizabeth had conceived in her old age. Furthermore, she wished to tell her of the great things that the Mighty One had been well-pleased to bring to pass in her, and she greeted Elizabeth and drew nigh to her. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, she felt her six-month-old babe, Saint John the Baptist, prophesied of the dawning of the spiritual Sun. Immediately, the aged Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and recognized her as the Mother of her Lord, and with a great voice blessed her and the Fruit that she held within herself. The Virgin also, moved by a supernatural rejoicing in the spirit, glorified her God and Savior, saying: "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour," and the rest, as the divine Luke hath recorded (1:39-55) With the help of God, we have almost reached the middle of the course of the Fast, where our strength has been worn down through abstinence, and the full difficulty of the labour set before us becomes apparent. Therefore our holy Mother, the Church of Christ, now brings to our help the all-holy Cross, the joy of the world, the strength of the faithful, the staff of the just, and the hope of sinners, so that by venerating it reverently, we might receive strength and grace to complete the divine struggle of the Fast. This Saint gave himself over to the ascetical life from his early youth. Experienced both in the solitary life of the hermit and in the communal life of cenobitic monasticism, he was appointed Abbot of the Monastery at Mount Sinai and wrote a book containing thirty homilies on virtue. Each homily deals with one virtue, and progressing from those that deal with holy and righteous activity (praxis) unto those that deal with divine vision (theoria), they raise a man up as though by means of steps unto the height of Heaven. For this cause his work is called "The Ladder of Divine Ascent." The day he was made Abbot of Sinai, the Prophet Moses was seen giving commands to those who served at table. Saint John reposed in 603, at eighty years of age. See also the Fourth Sunday of the Fast. 8

9 One day, a person complained to his priest that the Church and Christianity is one continual give, give, give. To which the priest replied, Thank you very much for the finest definition of Christianity I have ever heard. You re right, Christianity is all about a constant give, give, give. God giving His only Son to the world to show His unconditional love. His Son Jesus giving His life on the cross to forgive our sins and destroy death. Then our Lord s disciples giving all they had to make sure God s Good News of love was preached to all people everywhere. They not only gave away their homes and businesses, but even gave up their lives as martyrs in gratitude to God! ( 2014) Dear St. Nicholas Parish family, As we enter our Lenten journey, my prayer for us all is that we can stay focused on fasting, prayer, giving and learning. Stewardship Report as of February 18, 2014: Pledges: $95,010 Stewardship received $41,320 Total Pledged Stewards 86 Stewardship Goal 2014 $155,505 With love in Christ,

10 Youth Ministries Altar Server Ministry: Yianni Barbas, Jonathan Colt, Peter Costarakis, Jack Decoulos, Tino Decoulos, Ross Diorio, Alexander Heisler, Nicholas Heisler, Christopher Kokkinos, Jonathan Kokkinos, Dimitri Psyhojos, Andrew Sager, Themis Splagounias, Loukas Speros, Maximos Speros, Anthony Wilson, Andoni Zervoglos Church School Directors: Lariza Panagiotou Leto Papadopoulos Greek School Principals: Gloria Doukakis Lela Digenis Family Ministries Stephanie Wilson 40 to 4 Infant/Pre K Ministry: Gloria Costarakis msgloria@aol.com Youth Choir Efthemia Zervoglos ezervoglos@gmail.com HOPE/JOY Advisors: Mike Wilson honor24@msn.com Cassandra Garibaldi cassyg@comcast.net GOYA Advisors: Leto Papadopoulos letodp@gmail.com Daphne Papadopoulosdaphneathena@gm ail.com Nectarios Ritzakis nritzakis@gmail.com GOYA The GOYA encourages all members to attend the District Nine GOYA Retreat Lock-in at the Annunciation Church in Woburn on March 15th-16th. Please see Leto, Daphne or Nector for details if you did not receive the We had an evening get together in January where many of our Goyans were in attendance. We are planning to see the Son of God movie in March - stay tuned for details. Church School This year's Oratorical Festival will take place on Sunday, March 30th after Divine Liturgy. We are currently looking for a volunteer to chair this event. Please contact Lariza Panagiotou or Leto Papadopoulos if you are able to help! Stay tuned for details regarding this year's Holy Friday retreat. Activities are currently being planned. Greek School Kalo Mhna! On Saturday, March 1, the Greek School will hold its annual Glendi. Hopefully, everyone will enjoy the evening from the delicious, authentic Greek food, to the Greek music, and to the wonderful fellowship amongst adults and children. It will be a festive time making everyone want to join in and dance. As always, the children will steal the show with their Greek dancing. We thank everyone who will be attending for coming and supporting our Greek School. We also thank all the parents for donating the food as well as their time and effort in making this event a success. We especially thank the Alam family Elena and Ahsam--for decorating the hall so beautifully. We are reminding parents that during the month of March the students will be practicing their poems and recitations for the 25th of March celebration. This program will take place on Sunday, March 23, after Divinie Liturgy at St. Irene s hall. Also, as in every year, the Greek Consulate of Boston will sponsor an essay contest. Particulars for this essay will be given to the children by their teachers. This essay is generally for the older children. The winner that is selected will read his/her essay on April 4th at the State House. In the past, two of our students had placed first from all the Greek Schools of the Metropolis. We hope to have a winner again this year from St. Nicholas. Note: The Boston Greek Parade for this year is scheduled for April 6. We hope to have a terrific participation from our parish. Please check the Weekly and Monthly bulletins for all other announcements. Kathy Dimas Youth Choir We meet every Saturday from 11:00 a.m. till noon.. We had a great time last year, learning the Hymns of our Church, and invite any of our young people to join us. 10

11 Chanters: Timothy Patitsas Efthimia Zervoglos Adult Choir: Efthemia Zervoglos St. Irene s Ladies Philoptochos: Pamela Brown, President Pamb782@gmail.com Seniors Group: Gloria Doukakis ggdouk@comcast.net John Yanakis Health Ministry Group: Anthony Gray awgray.jr@gmail.com Judy Gray jgray1321@gmail.com Mike Wilson honor24@msn.com Alyssa Psyhojos atpsyhojos@hotmail.com Adult Choir St. Irene s Philoptochos Kali Sarakosti! May we all have a blessed Lenten journey! Our stewardship drive is underway. Thank you to those ladies who have sent in their stewardship. We look forward to hearing from more of you! I will be sending in the list to National in April, and it would be wonderful to have your name by then! Our National commitments for February included the Autism Assistance Fund and Saint Photios Shrine to which we contributed $50 to each. We sent $75 for our Metropolis commitment to FOS Fellowship of Orthodox Stewards. We also agreed to send $100 to the Calliope Joy Foundation for their Second Annual Cal s Cupcake Challenge. We are planning on having a 31 Bag Party in April. Watch for the date to be announced! Our parish will be hosting the parishes of Weston and Watertown for a Lenten meal following the service on March 26. We welcome your help with this event. Our next meeting will be on TUESDAY, March 11 at 6:30 p.m. Hope to see you there! Health and Wellness Ministry We will be to restarting the exercise classes during Great Lent. We will be having the classes after services on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays. There will be two levels of classes. Those that want to follow the higher intensity class, and we will make modifications for those who desire a less intense workout. Wishing everyone a Blessed Great Lent. PICTURES FROM TRIVIA NIGHT The Adult Choir meets every Thursday at 7:00 p.m. in the Conference room. In the new Church year, we will be chanting about once a month together with Dr. Timothy Patitsas. Please feel welcome to join, and see and try out, if chanting is something you would like to do. You may contact Efthemia Zervoglos by 11

12 March 2014 Dear St. Nicholas Parish Family, The deep snowfalls and chills of this winter have certainly been a challenge for us all, but a blessing to our dormant vegetation and frozen waterways. Warmer days are not far away. In the spirit of Great Lent, let us remember those less fortunate and do what we can, such as donate to goodwill charities, the IOCC, etc. We can volunteer for service, to our beloved church and its affiliates and other types of organizations, such as school or other community-based organizations (after all, God s love, grace and guidance also transcends how we approach these). Maybe spend more time with family, reading, playing, praying, or with friends and other loved ones. I am truly humbled to serve as your parish council president for 2014 and blessed to be serving alongside such a hard-working and loving parish council all of us spiritually guided by our wonderful parish priest, Father Demetri. People have (compassionately) thanked me for taking on this responsibility. I truly believe that with your parish council we will succeed in administering our beloved church and continuing its mission. I look forward to the journey of Great Lent, alongside all of you, and the fulfilment and eventual joy it brings with the culmination of Great and Holy Pascha. With love in Christ, Tom Tsaros ttsaros@gmail.com Trivia Night: Round 3 was held on February 8th and was once again outstanding maybe the best one yet! The event was a complete sell-out and everyone in attendance agreed that it was an evening full of laughs, spirited competition and fellowship. In total, we raised $5,000 towards the fund-raising line item in the budget. Well done everyone!!! I would like to thank our 6 round sponsors and 2 pizza sponsors whose generosity covered our 2 major expenses of the evening: The Gray Family The Decoulos Family The Tanionos Family Penelope Tzougros The Norse Family The Nicholas Zervoglos Family The Saledas Family The Tsaros Family I would also like to thank all of the other donors whose offerings helped defray all of the costs associated with the event (with the minor exception of 2 cases of wine we ran out of what we initially had by 7!) and you, the parishioners, who came with family and friends to support St. Nicholas. Lastly, I would like to extend an enormous thank you to the members of the Social Committee, whose time and efforts made this event possible. To date, we do not have any future events scheduled, so please look for meeting updates in your weekly bulletins to come and offer your fabulous ideas. Thank you!!! Marcy Norse 12

13 As we celebrate the 50 th anniversary of services at St. Nicholas, we are working on and looking forward to the following. For many of the events, etc. listed below, more information will follow in the weekly bulletins, on our bulletin boards in St. Irene s Hall and through and US mail postings. Our 50 th anniversary are ready and will be on display in the church hall and during the two parades in which we plan to participate Our should be ready for presentation in September Our March celebratory will be sponsored by Judy Gray and the Health and Wellness Ministry Group O Lord and Master of my life! Take from me the spirit of sloth, faint-heartedness, lust of power, and idle talk. But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant. Yea, Lord and King! Grant me to see my own errors and not to judge my brother, for Thou art blessed unto ages of ages. Amen. See more at: ers/index.asp#ephrem We are still working out the dates for to entertain us during this 50 th year Plans for the Philoptochos sponsored and for our (to take place in the Fall) are moving along. Anyone wishing to help with these events should contact Christine Vallas. Also, if you have from the 60s and 70s which we can display or use in our fashion show, please call the church office and inform Mary Correia we will then let you know when we will need to borrow them Don t forget to sign up to participate in the two parades: in Boston on April 6 (for which bus transportation will be provided) and the in Lexington on April 21 Maria Decoulas is in the final stages of setting up the with photos and special messages. If you haven t already done so, please send in your photos and arrange for special messages which you may want to add In an effort to include as many ministries as we can in this celebration, we still have groups working on the following: the (GOYA), the which we hope to set up on an upcoming Family Night, the by the Church School children, and the presentation. The is also still in the works Our will take place on If you are interested in attending only the 50 th Anniversary Meeting, please join us around 8:00 p.m.. The are still available and will be on sale in St. Irene s Hall each Sunday. If you are interested in purchasing a keepsake, please see Gloria Doukakis 13

14 Celebrating This Month Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As we enter this season of Holy and Great Lent, we do so in repentance and prayer, contemplating our relationship with God and the state of our souls. We begin an intense time of worship and reflection, seeking the blessings and grace of our Creator and Redeemer. We commit our time, our hearts and our minds to a journey that will strengthen our faith and lead us to abundant and eternal life. On this journey we are led by the prayers and services of the Church to reflect on our struggles and our spiritual challenges. We are called into the holiness of worship and the presence of God, so that we might see our weaknesses and the aspects of our lives that are contrary to His divine and saving will. However, Lent is not a time of despair, hopelessness and defeat. It is a season of grace. From the beginning of the Triodion period with the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, to its culmination in Holy Week, this time affirms God s great love for us. The commemorations, hymns, and prayers constantly direct our hearts and minds to the forgiveness and mercy that He offers to us. With hope in His grace, we sing as the prodigal son, Open Your arms, O Christ, and in loving-kindness receive me as I return from a far country of sin and passions (Matins of the Sunday of the Prodigal Son). As we venerate the Holy Cross, we exclaim, Shine, Cross of the Lord, shine with the light of grace upon the hearts of those who honor you (Vespers of the Sunday of the Cross). In affirming that God commends His love towards us (Romans 5:8), we also recognize our need for His grace. We are guided during this solemn period to reflect on our spiritual lives, our actions and attitudes, our goals and wants, and to see how our lives will be transformed by His grace and redemption. Lent is also a holy time in which we commemorate the Theotokos and many Saints and Martyrs who were filled with the grace of God and offered true and beautiful witnesses of the power of grace. We seek their intercessions, asking them to pray for us and for the gift of God s great mercy. As we experience the deliverance and healing of His grace, we too become witnesses. With divine peace in the midst of the struggles of life, we praise God for His compassion. With hope in the power of the ineffable and holy Resurrection, we speak of His marvelous grace even in the face of death. We affirm in boldness and surety that nothing can separate us from God s love. Thus, we begin this blessed Lent seeking the grace of God with contrite and willing hearts. To experience His grace in its fullness, we commit to exalt our minds from the passions, to arm our flesh with purity and acts of compassion, to make our feet beautiful with the preaching of the Gospel. And through spiritual discipline and prayer His grace will lead us to a glorious victory of light and life. With paternal love in Christ, DEMETRIOS Archbishop of America

15 March 2 Forgiveness Vespers 6:00pm March 3 Great Lent Begins, Great Compline 6:00pm March 5 Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 6:00pm March 7 1st Salutation to the Virgin Mary 6:00pm Potluck Lenten Dinner & Discussion to follow March 8 3rd Saturday of Souls Orthros 8:45am D.L. 9:30am March 9 Sunday of Orthodoxy Orthros 8:15am D.L. 9:30am Procession of Holy Icons outside (weather permitting) March 10 Great Compline 6:00pm March 12 Pre-Sanctified Liturgy: Taxiarchae-Archangels, Watertown March 14 2nd Salutation to the Virgin Mary 6:00pm Potluck Lenten Dinner &Discussion to follow March 16 Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas Orthros 8:15am D.L. 9:30am March 17 Great Compline 6:00pm March 19 Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 6:00pm March 21 3rd Salutation to the Virgin Mary 6:00pm Potluck Lenten Dinner &Discussion to follow March 23 Sunday of the Holy Cross Orthros 8:15am D.L. 9:30am Procession of the Holy Cross (inside Church) March 26 Pre-Sanctified Liturgy hosting Parishes of Weston & Watertown 6:00pm Lenten Dinner and Presentation to follow by Lou Zagami of IOCC March 28 4th Salutation to the Virgin Mary 6:00pm Potluck Lenten Dinner &Discussion to follow March 30 Sunday of St. John Climacus Orthros 8:15am D.L. 9:30am March 31 Great Compline 6:00pm April 2 Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 6:00pm April 4 The Akathist Hymn 6:00pm Lenten Dinner and Presentation to follow April 6 Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt April 9 Pre-Sanctified St. Demetrios, Weston 6:00pm March FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION 15

16 If Ye Forgive Men Their Trespasses Forgiveness Sunday Matthew 6:14-21 By St. Theophylact, Archbishop of Ochrid and Bulgaria 14. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. Again He teaches us not to remember wrongs. He reminds us of the Father so that we might revere Him, since we are the children of such a Father, and not act as fierce beasts, refusing to forgive. 15. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. God, Who is meek, hates nothing more than cruelty. 16. Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have received their reward. "Disfigurement of the face" is an artificial discoloration of the face, painting it pale, so that one does not appear as he really is, but feigns mournfulness But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father Who is in secret: and thy Father Who seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Men of old would anoint themselves with oil after bathing as a mark of their joy and well-being. So you also, O reader, should appear joyful when you fast. The oil used to anoint we also understand to mean almsgiving. (1) Our Head is Christ, Which we should anoint with deeds of mercy; and our face, that is our senses, we should wash with tears of repentance Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and corruption doth destroy, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor corruption doth destroy, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Having first cast out the sickness of vainglory by what He said before, now He speaks about nonpossessiveness. For men possess more than they need because of vainglory. He shows how unprofitable earthly treasure is. Moth and corruption consume food and clothing, and thieves steal gold and silver. Then, anticipating the objection that not all treasure is stolen, the Lord says, "Even if nothing is lost in this manner, are you not wretched for being nailed down by your worries over wealth?" This is why He says, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." 1. The Greek words for "olive" and "mercy," elaios and eleos, are very similar to the ear. The holy fathers frequently draw these two words into association with one another. Taken from 16

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24 Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church 17 Meriam Street Lexington, Massachusetts Address Service Requested 24