The Triumph of Orthodoxy and Our Faith ~ A Message from Fr. Robert

Transcription

1 March Phillips Road, Tallahassee, Florida (850) Rev. Fr. Robert J. O Loughlin The Triumph of Orthodoxy and Our Faith ~ A Message from Fr. Robert The message of Lent provides an opportunity for us to look into our own lives and souls. It is a message of reflecting on our sinfulness, and ultimately looking to the cross of Christ and seeing Him dying for our sins. Lent can be a time to fully realize our sins and it may not be as easy for us to see unless we take time to reflect. The Sunday of Orthodoxy, which we celebrate on March 24 th, recalls a time in Church history when the faithful fought a battle over the Church s use of iconography. The Empress St. Theodora and the Patriarch St. Methodios oversaw the end of the debate in favor of icons and declared the first Sunday in Lent as the Sunday of Orthodoxy and the Triumph of Orthodoxy. A message for us as we begin our Great Lenten journeys is that we continually need to search and see Jesus in our lives as we grow and mature. We may all like to get comfortable in our daily routines. All our routines of life can give us a sense of safety, security and comfort. Society and people around us are not always a constant as they are always changing and we may need to adjust to those changes in order to keep ourselves comfortable. We can feel more safe and comfortable in our faith the more that we know our faith through Christ. If we want to grow and get closer to Christ we are to continuously change in opening our minds and hearts to God. The more we change in opening ourselves, the more we can see God in our lives. Jesus is the One who never changes as St. Paul says in Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. That s why Jesus says that He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. We are the ones who are to change in order to become like Him, to fulfill the image and likeness of God within us. The Church with its teachings and traditions guides us to constantly grow spiritually. Especially during Great Lent, the Church encourages us to repent, to change, and is always a period of time that our prayer time gets tested. With the fasting and additional services the more Satan tempts us. I do encourage you and your families to come to as many of the Lenten services as possible. If Lent to us is a couple of services during Holy Week and maybe the Resurrection Service, then we lose many of the opportunities to ground ourselves and our families in the ancient traditions of the Church and preserve the Orthodox faith. We cannot underestimate the importance of this. Pascha can be a one day event without enough substance to continue the Orthodox ethos. Great Lent is a prime opportunity to grow closer to Christ. In life itself, nothing usually comes easy, we can struggle and work hard to have successes. Christ came for all of us and wants everyone to have full Christian life, regardless of where we have been and what may have happened to us. He wants us to change and that is where we need to increase our prayer life so that God can guide and strengthen us for the journey. Let us enhance our prayer life so that we can hear and follow Him during this Lenten period and may God grant us a stronger faith in the process. 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 3rd and April 7th. Please drop off your non-perishable food donations into the bins located in the Hellenic Center and Patmos Hall. Next Spaghetti Dinners: March 1st April 4th (Thursday) June 7th Holy Mother of God Bookstore Books for Great Lent are now available with additional ones by March 10th. In addition, the collection of books offered opens the door to all of us growing in the various aspects of our faith which include Church History, Worship and Divine Liturgy, Prayer, Bible and Scripture, Journeys to the Orthodox Church and Children s Books. Take advantage of what our Church has to offer. Dear Holy Mother of God Parishioners, I am very pleased to announce that the Parish Council has decided to pursue design details and actual work on certain parts of the beautification master plan, which was developed last year, including repaving of the circular driveway. However, funding is limited and only portions of the plan can be done now. As the plans and construction schedules are developed, they will be posted at the Hellenic Center. In the meantime, we will appreciate your comments and individual contributions for either the entire project or specific item(s). If you like to help monetarily or otherwise toward this beautification effort of our church grounds, you may contact Fr. Rob, any member of the Parish Council or me. The Parish Council also selected a team for the overall coordination of the 2013 Food Festival. This team is consisted of Richard Allen and Harriet Kanelidis - Coordinators, Catherine Branch and Jeff Phipps as Vice-Chairs with Tom Mookas as Chairman. This team together with the booth chairs and a few other key volunteers will form the Festival Committee. The dates for the event will be decided as soon as the football schedules are known. Many thanks for their willingness to serve and best wishes for lots of fun and success. We had wonderful events in February: The Spaghetti Dinner held on the first of the month was a successful one. We appreciate the hard work of the organizers and dedicated volunteers. The AHEPA's Valentine Dinner Party (on 2/16/13) was awesome. Everybody had a good time. Thanks to Mike and Sally Papageorge for organizing and all others who helped in this wonderful annual tradition. Congratulations to our Philoptochos for the inaugural Greek Salad Luncheon held on Friday, 2/22/13. Best wishes for a peaceful and joyous Great Lent journey. Yours in Christ, Pete Koikos

3 Prosforo Schedule 03/10 Margarita Joanos 03/24 Youla Lountos Calendar Symbol Key + = Strict Fast = Wine and Oil allowed Page 3 Philoptochos Family Fun Day 17 Cheesefare Sunday 24 Sunday of 31 Orthros 9:30 a.m. & 18 Great Lent + Choir Practice Choir Practice Choir Practice Choir Practice Monthly Spaghetti Dinner 11 a.m. 7 p.m First Saturday Second Saturday Salutations to the Theotokos 6:00 p.m 23 Third Saturday s = Fish Allowed Salutations to the Theotokos 6:00 p.m 30 Great Vespers SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 3 Orthros 9:30 a.m. & Church School ECHO Sunday 10 Daylight Savings Time Meatfare Sunday Orthros 9:30 a.m. & Church School Youth Sunday GOYA Meeting Orthros 9:30 a.m. & No Church School Vespers of Forgiveness 6:00 p.m. Orthodoxy Orthros 9:30 a.m. & No Church School Church School 4 11 OCF Meeting Parish Council Mtg. 5:30 p.m. Begins Great Compline 25 f 6:00 p.m. ANNUNCIATION Divine Liturgy 9 am 5 12 Second Harvest 11:00 am 1:00 pm Fr. Rob will be attending Clergy Meeting at Diakonia Center 13 03/05 03/07 Orthodox Life Class 6:00 p.m Pre-Sanctified Liturgy, Followed by Lenten Covered Dish 27 + Pre-Sanctified Liturgy, Followed by Lenten Covered Dish Oratorical Festival 14 Philoptochos Mtg of Souls Liturgy 9:00 a.m. Great Vespers 5 p.m. of Souls Liturgy 9:00 a.m. Great Vespers 5 p.m. of Souls Liturgy 9:00 a.m. Great Vespers 5 p.m. 5 p.m. = Dairy & eggs allowed = Father Away March 2013

4 Page 4 For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you welcomed me; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me.(matthew 25:35-36, 40) Thank you As a community we made a positive impact on the lives of others on Souper Bowl Sunday with the generosity and love from our Holy Mother of God Community. $ was collected in which all proceeds will go to our International Orthodox Christian Charities. Thanks to the GOYAn s who served on Youth Sunday Greeters- Nicholas Koikos and Krista O Loughlin Reading of the Epistle Maria Parmer Passing trays-nicholas Gavalas and Nicholas Koikos Sunday March 10 GOYA meeting Sunday March 10 Youth Sunday February GOYA Meeting St. Stephen s Camp 2013 OCF playing soccer at Florida State Holy Mother of God Monthly Community Outreach Tuesday March 12 from 11-1 We will assist in various tasks at the food warehouse on Four Points Way. Last month we sorted and categorized Donated food items to be distributed. 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. Session dates for St. Stephen s Summer Camp at the Diakonia Center in Salem, South Carolina : Senior Week: June Session I : June 30-July 6 Session II : July 7-13 Session III : July Session IV : July Registration begins March 1st 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 27 and the western Florida district is TBA. Participation is encouraged as this a wonderful opportunity to discover the fullness of our Orthodox Faith.

5 AHEPA News The annual AHEPA Valentine's party held on Saturday, Feb.16, was a huge success even though the weather had turned quite chilly that evening. Page 5 The fantastic dinner that Andrew Poulos provided, the music by B.C., our DJ, the beautiful flowers and decorations by the many volunteers, the prize table with lovely donations, including a Valentine chocolate covered cherry pound cake by Adrienne La Pointe of "Baked Dream Cakes" as Grand Prize, "ALL" helped make the evening enjoyable and memorable. I have to mention that the students and their lively dancing really helped set even a better mood for such a fun time. I believe they could have danced all night if there had not been a time to close down! They were just great! AHEPA and I want to thank each and everyone of you with much gratitude and appreciation for making this wonderful evening possible! If you missed it this year...you DON'T want to miss it next year! Our next AHEPA meeting will be on March 10, after the Divine Liturgy in the Conference Room in Patmos Hall. The March 25 program, scholarships for eligible graduating High School students, and other business will be discussed. Mike Papageorge, President OUR LENTEN JOURNEY PREPARING FOR THE PASSION & RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD Great Lent is a time for self-examination and self-denial a time for taking control of our lives and our bodies. The purpose of the fast is to give us a greater awareness of our dependence on God. It is a time to improve ourselves and our relationship with God. Lent is a time for greater works of mercy and charity for those less fortunate than us. It is a time for visitation of the sick and assistance to the poor, and generally a more joyful relationship with those who are close to us our family and friends. Most of all, Lent is a time of joy and a new beginning. We cleanse ourselves mind, body and soul through the physical and spiritual fast, keeping a Christian attitude in all that we do. All this is done to prepare us for the Great Feast of Pascha the Resurrection of Christ. This brochure has been compiled to assist you on your Lenten Journey, guiding you in fasting, prayer, repentance & confession, Bible reading and in receiving Holy Communion. May God bless you and guide you, and may you reach your Paschal destination with the joy of renewed faith in Christ. (Brochures available in the Narthex) DEPARTMENT OF STEWARDSHIP, OUTREACH & EVANGELISM GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA

6 Page 6 Next Meeting March 14 th (Thursday) at 6:00 pm in the Patmos Hall We are always looking for new ideas; join us at our meeting and bring your ideas!! Coming March Philoptochos Annual Family Fun Day Sunday, March 10 Following Divine Liturgy Lots of Fantastic Prizes to Win!!! $1.00 each Bingo Cards $5.00 Philoptochos Secret Ingredient Chili $3.00 Hot Dogs With all the trimmings Thank you to all of our members and everyone who helped and supported our Greek Salad Lunch! We are always anxious to step out in faith to try new things. It was great fun and extremely delicious!!! Next Event... May 10 Gyro Night... A Night at the Taverna Daylight Savings Time March 10, 2013

7 Page 7 The following parishioners have submitted a stewardship form as of February 22, If you have any questions, please contact the Parish Council Treasurer Glen Perrigan at pappaglen@gmail.com or (850) Andris, Steve and Jackie Andros, Bessie Balogh, Andrew A. and Cynthia P. Barkas, Chris and Patty Bowyer, Layla Branch, Harold & Catherine Burmester, Michael & Rodamanti Buzyna, George and Helen Catsimpiris, George and Vicki Chikas, Dena Costa, Barbara Demetrelis, Elpis Downing, Dorothy Drake, Margaret A. Drzewiecki, Olibia and Gary Erickson, Joanna & Don Fetzko, Ronnie Garland, James and Sophia Gavalas, Mike and Vicky Gavalas, Nic and Janet Gavalas, Victor and Mary Gill, Bob and Athena Ghirmay, Hanna Gonatos, Michael and Cheryl Gorb, Jorge and Carol Hadoulis, Peter and Kathy Hodges, Maria Joanos, Emanuel and Laura Joanos, Stamatia Katopodis, John Klonis, Nicholas and Mary Langston, Sophia Lapointe, Corinne Leftheris, James and Julie Lockwood, Yvonne Mantzanas, Catherine Markovich, Martin and Elizabeth Mathes, George and Connie Mathes, George and Kathy Mayer, Natalia and Jairus Milatos, Emmanuel Mookas, Thomas and Deborah Nichols, Iphigenia O'Loughlin, Fr. Robert and Presv. Joy Papageorge, Mike and Sally Pevnitskaya, Svetlana Poulos, Andrew & Koula Price, Burton and Roie Reeves, Corinna Sanaullah, Shezad and Helen Nitsios Talantis, Kathleen Tsiklistas, John and Helen Valentine, Tom and Angela Vlandis, John and Katherine C. Webb, Dorothy Deannea On Wednesday, February 6th, Maria Atayants daughter Armen Atayants and Irina Grigoryan, was baptized. Her godmother is Natalia Mayer. Na sas zisi! On Wednesday, February 27, Luke Veliotis, son of William and Stefany Veliotis, was baptized. His godparents are Angie and Andrew Poulos. Na sas zisi! May Their Memory Be Eternal Truman Curtis Green Jr., father of Laura Joanos, fell asleep in the Lord on Tuesday, February 19th. Our deepest sympathies and prayers are with Laura, Emanuel, and family. May his memory be eternal. Ekaterina "Katya" Gorbatchevski, mother of Jorge Gorb, fell asleep in the Lord on Saturday, February 16th. Our thoughts and prayers are with Jorge, Carol and the family. May her memory be eternal. Glenn Johnson, husband of Evangelia Patronis Johnson and brother-in-law of Anne and Jimmy Koikos, fell asleep in the Lord on Thursday, February 14th. May his 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: Annunciation of the Theotokos Celebrated March 25th Website: Addresses: Father Rob: fr.robert@comcast.net Church Secretary: hmog@comcast.net Secretary Hours: Mon./Wed./Fri. 9am-2pm