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Saint Sophia Cathedral Greek Orthodox Community God s people, serving God s people Weekly Bulletin Sunday, 20 March 2011 Sunday of Saint Gregory Palamas Very Rev. Father John S. Bakas Allan Boyd, Pastoral Assistant

CALENDAR OF THE WEEK Sunday, March 20 th Orthros.......8:00am Studies in Faith.....9:15am Memorials......9:45am Divine Liturgy...... 10:00am Monday, March 21 st Bible Study with Fr. John: Philoptohos Women s Bible Study 10:30am Men s Bible Study...12:30pm Tuesday, March 22 nd There will be no Bible Study Class during March and April in observance of Great Lent. Bible Study will resume on May 3 rd. Wednesday, March 23 rd Pre-Sanctified Liturgy...... 7:30pm There will be no Bible Study Class during March and April in observance of Great Lent. Bible Study will resume on May 4 th. Friday, March 25 th Annunciation Orthros.......8:30am Annunciation Liturgy......... 9:30am Saturday, March 26 th Hellenic Academy - children.... 9:00am Hellenic Academy adults... 11:30am Coffee Hour will be held in our Fellowship Tent EPISTLE READER Eleni Romm USHERS Electra Koutsoukos, Gene Chronopoulos Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral 1324 South Normandie Avenue, Los Angeles, 90006 323.737.2424 www.stsophia.org 2

DAILY VITAMINS FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH 3

MEMORIALS Don G. Metavelis, Paul C. A. Balafas, Yolanda Evangelia Katsoulis (3 years), Petros & Evangelia Katsoulis, Sotirios Katsoulis, Louis & Mariana Flor, John Doumakes, Dean Roumeliotis, Bea Papadopoulos, Andreas Vakis, George Gialketsis, Tom & Julia Kezas, Jim Kezas, Gus Kezas, Antigoni Kezas, Leon Kezas, Richard Kezas, Ellen Kranidas (1 year), Katherine Skoubis (10 years), Matilda Notarous, Peter Notarous, Despina Notarous, Frank Notarous, Helen Viliane (40 days), Gregory (1 year) ALTAR FLOWERS Offered in loving memory of Matilda, Peter, Despina, and Frank Notarous, by their family. ALTAR CANDLES Offered in loving memory of Bea Papdopoulos by her family Offered in loving memory of Andreas Vakis by his wife Marta and his daughter Stavroula Offered in loving memory of Ellen Kranidas by her daughter, Nicole, son in-law William, and grandchildren Evan, Zoe, and Daniel French Offered in loving memory of Matilda, Peter, Despina, and Frank Notarous, by their family. CHANCEL CANDLES Offered in loving memory of George by his wife Lola and family Offered in loving memory of Tom & Julia Kezas by their children, Katherine Eliopoulos, George Kezas, Helene Ballas and their grandchildren PERPETUAL LIGHTS Offered in loving memory of John Doumakes by his wife Effie, his daughter Marianne and her family Offered in loving memory of Dean Roumeliotis by his family Offered in loving memory of Ellen Kranidas by her daughter, Nicole, son in-law William, and grandchildren Evan, Zoe, and Daniel French THANK YOU ZOE FOVOS Thank you to Zoe Fovos for the donation of flowers for the icon of the Theotokos for the 2 nd Friday of the Salutation service, given for the health and well-being of the Fovos family. 4

Υμνος Τροπαριον του Ναου, Ηχος πλ δ Ευλογητος ει Χριστε ο Θεος ημων, ο πανσοφους του αλιεις αναδειξας, καταπεμψας αυτοις το Πνευμα το Αγιον, και δι αυτων την οικουμενην σαγηνευσας, φιλανθρωπε, δοξα σοι. ΚΟΝΤΑΚΙΟΝ Ηχος πλ δ 5

HYMNS OF THE DAY Second Tone When you descended to death, O Immortal Life, then the light of Your divinity destroyed Hades. When You raised the dead from the depths of darkness, all the heavenly powers cried out, Glory to You, O Christ our God, the Giver of Life. Dismissal Hymn Eighth Tone O Gregory the Miracle Worker, light of Orthodoxy, support and teacher of the Church, comeliness of monastics, invincible defender of theologians, the pride of Thessalonica, and preacher of grace, intercede forever that our souls may be saved. Troparion of Saint Sophia (Holy Wisdom) Blessed are You O Christ our God, Who as all wise the fishermen You showed forth; By sending your Holy Spirit down upon them and through them the universe You drew unto your net. O lover of mankind Glory to You. Kondakion - Eighth Tone To you, Theotokos, invincible Defender, having been delivered from peril, I, your city, dedicate the victory festival as a thank offering. In your irresistible might, keep me safe from all trials, that I may call out to you: Hail, unwedded bride. 6

ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ Πρὸς Ἑβραίους 1:10-14; 2:1-3 Κατ ἀρχάς, Κύριε, τὴν γῆν ἐθεμελίωσας, καὶ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σού εἰσιν οἱ οὐρανοί αὐτοὶ ἀπολοῦνται, σὺ δὲ διαμένεις καὶ πάντες ὡς ἱμάτιον παλαιωθήσονται, καὶ ὡσεὶ περιβόλαιον ἑλίξεις αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀλλαγήσονται σὺ δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς εἶ, καὶ τὰ ἔτη σου οὐκ ἐκλείψουσιν. Πρὸς τίνα δὲ τῶν ἀγγέλων εἴρηκέν ποτε, Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου; Οὐχὶ πάντες εἰσὶν λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα, εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενα διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν; Διὰ τοῦτο δεῖ περισσοτέρως ἡμᾶς προσέχειν τοῖς ἀκουσθεῖσιν, μήποτε παραρρυῶμεν. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ δι ἀγγέλων λαληθεὶς λόγος ἐγένετο βέβαιος, καὶ πᾶσα παράβασις καὶ παρακοὴ ἔλαβεν ἔνδικον μισθαποδοσίαν, πῶς ἡμεῖς ἐκφευξόμεθα τηλικαύτης ἀμελήσαντες σωτηρίας; Ἥτις, ἀρχὴν λαβοῦσα λαλεῖσθαι διὰ τοῦ κυρίου, ὑπὸ τῶν ἀκουσάντων εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐβεβαιώθη. EPISTLE READING The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 1:10-14; 2:1-3 "IN THE BEGINNING, you O Lord, didst found the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands; they will perish, but thou remainest; they will all grow old like a garment, like a mantle thou wilt roll them up, and they will be changed. But thou art the same, and thy years will never end." But to what angel has he ever said, "Sit at my right hand, till I make thy enemies a stool for thy feet?" Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation? Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For if the message declared by angels was valid and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him. 7

GOSPEL READING The Reading is from Mark 2:1-12 At that time, Jesus entered Capernaum and it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and when they had made an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "My son, your sins are forgiven." Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, "Why does this man speak thus? It is a blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you question thus in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your pallet and walk? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins"-he said to the paralytic-"i say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home." And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!" 8

MINISTRY NEWS PHILOPTOHOS NEWS GENERAL ASSEMBLY: Our general assembly meeting is today, March 20 th immediately after church in the apartment residence complex. Please join us for an informative meeting, with guest speaker DAN KIRAGES. Come hear what Philoptohos is doing and join us. EASTER LILIES: Sunshine Chairman Helene Ballas (818-642-8011) will be ordering Easter lilies for the shut-ins again this year. Please call her with the names of anyone that should be added to our list. We are always looking for volunteers to help deliver the plants as well. The lilies will be available for pick-up after church on Palm Sunday in the chapel. MOTHER OF THE YEAR: Please join us, with your families, at our annual Mother's Day Luncheon and Fashion Show. On Saturday, May 7 th at the Universal Sheraton Hotel we are honoring MARIANNA POLES POLITIS. Marianna is a hardworking, dedicated Philoptohos member and we look forward to recognizing her efforts on this special day. Tricia Ballas Kremer and her committee are hard at work putting together a wonderful afternoon. Please give Tricia and her committee as much support as you can. Solicitation letters have been sent out in the mail so that you may place a greeting in the program book, in honor of or in memory of someone special. If you did not receive a letter and you want to place a greeting, please call Virginia at 562-436-8201. If you leave your name and address with her, she will make sure to pass on your information to the mailing list chairman. IN SYMPATHY: We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of our beloved member, Angela Karavedas. Angela had planned to run for the Board in May, and was the chairman of our Mother's Day event. The committee members and Philoptohos Board, wish to acknowledge Angela's hard work and dedication to the chapter. PHILOPTOCHOS REGIONAL MEETING: Please join us for an informal and informative meeting as we exchange ideas and dialogue about Philoptochos. A luncheon will be served. Open to member and nonmembers.. Please attend. Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Long Beach Saturday March 26, 2011 11 am to 3 pm. RSVP to the Chapter President, Kathy Bastas at knbastas@aol.com With love, The Philoptohos Board of Directors 9

PHILOPTOHOS NEWS (continued) MINISTRY NEWS (continued) Change from the Heart Contribute to Pennies & Prayers A penny is a gift, a prayer of thanks, a reminder that we come together to further the work of Christ our Lord. Pennies & Prayers is a Commission for Orthodox Missions and Evangelism (C.O.M.E.), which is all about bringing Christ to our neighbor. Without these funds our missions throughout the world will not be able to preach the gospel or provide for many needy people. Your family s spare change can help support our current mission parishes and begin new ones. Keeping a jar in the home is a way to remind ourselves of Christ s calling to go to all people everywhere and make them His Disciples. How to Participate in Pennies & Prayers Please make a donation today! Any amount is welcome. Take home a Pennies & Prayers canister and place your spare change into the canister. The whole family is encouraged to participate, especially during the Lenten Season. Return the filled canisters by Pentecost Sunday, June 12, to the church office in care of Philoptochos. All proceeds will be sent to Pennies & Prayers to continue this valuable work for our Orthodox missions. Make this valuable work a family project! If you have any questions or need further information, please call Sophie Mastor, Chairman, at (310) 476-4638. 10

YOUNG ADULT FELLOWSHIP MINISTRY NEWS (continued) BOOK STUDY A "Brown Bag Book Study" is beginning TODAY, Sunday, March 20, and will continue through Palm Sunday. We will be meeting in the Nursery Classroom inside the Sunday School portable building after Liturgy. The book we will be reading and discussing is, "Beginning to Pray," by Anthony Bloom. This modern spiritual classic was written by the son of a Russian diplomat, physician, monk and archbishop of the Russian Orthodox Church in Great Britain. Bloom's life and writings are characterized by a deep humanity and tireless witness to the Gospel. The book can be purchased through Amazon.com (ISBN-10: 9780809115099); some copies will be available for purchase on Sunday. Bring something to eat and invite your friends! MONASTERY VISIT On the afternoon of Sunday, March 27, we will be visiting St. Barbara Monastery, a women's monastic community in Santa Paula (www.stbarbaramonastery.org). We will be hearing a talk at 4 PM, followed by Vespers at 5, and a potluck dinner at 6. We will be organizing transportation from the Cathedral. If you would like to join us, please contact Noah Johnson (NJnoah@gmail.com or 626-372-1270). For the potluck dish, avoid meat or dairy but shellfish is allowed. Also, it is customary to bring a gift--paper products, olive oil, balsamic vinegars, and wines are always appreciated. PAN-ORTHODOX YOUNG ADULT LENTEN RETREAT (AGES 18-35) Retreat Master Fr. Chad Hatfield will be presenting, "M & M's: CHRISTIAN BASICS - Mary, Mysteries and Mission." Archpriest Chad Hatfield is the Chancellor of St. Vladimir s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York. The retreat will be held on SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2011, from 10:00 A.M. 3:00 P.M. at SAINT STEVEN S SERBIAN ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL, 1621 West Garvey Avenue, Alhambra, CA 91803. Register online by April 3, 2011 at www.orthodoxy.biz/ststevens/ 11

HELLENIC ACADEMY NEWS MINISTRY NEWS (continued) Greek Independence Day The Hellenic Academy of St. Sophia Cathedral will present their program celebrating Hellenic Independence on Sunday, March 27 th immediately following Divine Liturgy. Immediately following the program, the Hellenic Academy will be serving coffee and having a bake sale in the Fellowship Tent. Please stop by for some delicious Greek desserts including Lenten and savory treats in support of our Hellenic Academy! ******************************************* PHILANTHROPIA MINISTRY NEWS CONFESSIONS: A blessed spiritual voyage during this great Lenten season. Father Peter will be available on all Wednesdays during lent for confessions from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and on Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m., in the St. Demetrios Chapel. Please make an appointment with the church office. USED CLOTHING and CANNED GOODS: Thank you for all the wonderful used clothing and canned goods. The two new receptacles, for used clothing and canned goods, are working great. They are located side by side, in the general area of the chapel. Please identify your clothing donations by indicating whether they are for men, women or children, on the outside of the bags. Thank you! "GET ON THE BUS": Mothers Day is coming on May 8th and we are reminding you that once again we will support the "Get on the Bus" program that takes bus loads of children to visit their mothers who are incarcerated. Any donation you can offer to Philanthropia will be greatly appreciated. Take care and God Bless. Father Peter 12

COMMUNITY NEWS FDF 2011 - Congratulations to all our Saint Sophia Dance Groups! Eleni Constantine - Best Director s Award for Division 1 Kyklonakia - For their cutest performance! Sinefakia - For their first performance at FDF! Keravnos - Division II -Sweepstakes Winner Kymata - Division 1-3rd Place Winners Fourtouna - Division 1-4th Place Winners Prestige Worldwide Dancers - 4th Place -Greeks got Talent Contest Join us after liturgy TODAY to recognize our volunteers, directors & dancers ******************************************* 5 TONS OF LOVE As we embark on another beautiful Lenten season, let us once again show our Love of neighbor. The AMNOS Ministry will be trying to fill a 5 ton truck with your donation of quality clothing to be distributed to those less fortunate. Conduct your own clothing drive at school, work or in your neighborhood. St. Sophia's 9th Annual 5 TONS OF LOVE Clothing Drive will take place over the next six weeks. Please contact Dean and Christina Peratsakis 818.351.0122/ dotos@msn.com for more information. Volunteers needed. Drop off location yet to be determined. Thank you. ******************************************* PRAY FOR JAPAN: Our hearts are filled with sadness and compassion as we have seen the apocalyptic images of mass destruction and suffering following the earthquake and tsunami which struck Japan last Friday. In response to this historic tragedy, we may be rendered speechless, seeing the extent of the devastation and the plight of so many. However, our faith in our gracious God leads us to respond to human need both in prayer and in action to sustain life and offer solace in a time of great loss. For the people of Japan, the faithful of the Greek Orthodox Church in America must offer their fervent prayers. May we join with so many throughout our world in asking God to grant them comfort in this hour of pain. May we pray for renewed strength and hope, so that livelihoods may be restored and families and friends be re-united. We also pray for the containment of the tremendous damage caused by the malfunction of the nuclear plants in that area. Mostly, we pray for the eternal repose of the countless lost in this disaster. 13

Caring Funeral Service COMMUNITY NEWS (continued) In time of need, we suggest you call Terry Harmon (626.358.3244) from Caring Funeral Service. He is the owner of many funeral homes and can accommodate us from any location. He has taken time to know our Greek Orthodox traditions and has become a supporter of the Cathedral by sponsoring the yearly calendar, putting an ad in the Festival book and the monthly Herald. He keeps his prices affordable for families, is easy to work with and very respectful. http://www.caringfuneralservice.com ******************************************* Our Own Noah Johnson Needs Your Help Noah Johnson, a fellow parishioner and graduating senior at Biola University will be writing a research paper (an ethnography) about our community for his anthropology thesis. In order to get a better understanding of the broader St. Sophia experience, he may ask for your participation in interviews and surveys. Please have no concern over privacy, as no names or personal information are required for his research. In case anyone may have concerns about his research, or if you have a particular interest in helping Noah, please e-mail him at NJnoah@gmail.com. Providing data for his research would be much appreciated. ******************************************* PREPARE FOR LENT, HOLY WEEK & EASTER 2011 To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances, to seek Him the greatest adventure, to find Him the greatest human accomplishment. St. Augustine Lent, Holy Week, & Easter is yet another time in our life s journey to fall in love with The Lord. Seek Him, find Him and commit to Him. On the next page is a schedule of Lenten services. Attending these services will give you an opportunity to find the Lord in a very personal and special way. Mark your calendar and please make every effort to attend these holy services this Lenten season. 14

Schedule of Lenten Services Pre-Sanctified Liturgy Wed. March 23 7:30 p.m. Annunciation Liturgy Fri. March 25 Orthros 8:30 Liturgy 9:30 Sunday of the Holy Cross Sun. March 27 Orthros 8:30 Liturgy 10:00 Pre-Sanctified Liturgy Wed. March 30 7:30 p.m. Pre-Sanctified Liturgy Fri. April 1 9:30 a.m. Salutations Fri. April 1 7:30 p.m. Sunday of Saint John of Climacus Sun. April 3 Orthros 8:30 Liturgy 10:00 Pre-Sanctified Liturgy Wed. April 6 7:30 p.m. Pre-Sanctified Liturgy Fri. April 8 9:30 a.m. Akathist Hymn Fri. April 8 7:30 p.m. Sunday of Saint Mary of Egypt Sun. April 10 Orthros 8:30 Liturgy 10:00 Pre-Sanctified Liturgy Wed. April 13 7:30 p.m. Pre-Sanctified Liturgy Fri. April 15 9:30 a.m. 15