T h e S t. E l i z a b e t h s p a r i s h n e w s St. Elizabeth Orthodox Mission Church 2265 E. Cherokee Dr. Woodstock, GA A Parish of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Glory be to Jesus Christ!!! Reverend Father Matthew Dutko Pastor/Administrator Father Deacon Stephen Haynes Phone: 404-268-6359 Email: fatherdutko@gmail.com Sunday February 25th 2018 Sunday of Orthodoxy Epistle: Hebrews 11:24-30, 12:1-2 Gospel: John 1:43-51 If you have never been to an Orthodox Church before you are about to participate in the Divine Liturgy. The Liturgy is the work of the people and that means that all of your prayers are necessary! We hope you will stay and join us for coffee hour in the atrium. Please feel free to ask Fr. Matthew any questions you might have! May God s blessings be upon all of you! Tropar and Kondak Tone 5 Blue Book pg. 93 Red Book pg. 108 Sunday of Orthodoxy Blue Book page 179 Red Book page 201 Weekly Schedule: For the 2nd Week of Lent Wednesday 2/28 6pm Paraklesis to The Mother of God Friday 3/2 6pm Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts Saturday 3/3 9am All Souls Saturday Divine Liturgy 4:00 pm Great Vespers Sunday 3/4 10AM Divine Liturgy Prayer List Evelyn Melnikoff, Fr. John and Pani Betty Jean Baranek, Fr. James Gleason, The Paccio Family, Kara, Johanna, James, Herbert and Mary Schleining, Patricia+ (Blessed Repose), James+ (Blessed Repose), Anna, Basil, David, Dianna, Denise, Alex, Jason, Athanasia, Ethel, Kathy, Lester, Sally, Jack, Angela, Tyler, Maria, Jeff, Lesley, Page Family, Stephen (Blessed Repose), The Blanar Family, Anna+ (Blessed Repose), Louise, Emma Rae, The Floyd Family, Phillip (Blessed Repose), Zachary, George, Fred and Helen Mileshko, Robin, Michael, Dean, Margaret, Jenny+ (Blessed Repose) and Keith, Peter (blessed repose), Bishop Gregory and his family, Bryan +(Blessed Repose), Rick, the James Family, Fr. Scott, Rebecca Cooper+ (Blessed Repose), Fr. Paul Herbert+ (Blessed Repose), Joseph, Boris, Maria+ (Blessed Repose), Maria Starcova, Ernie +(Blessed Repose), Fr. Hazuda+ (Blessed Repose), Janis,, David Novak, Suzette Gardenhour, Bob, David. Michelle, Stephen, James, Brian Paul, George Smisko+ (Blessed Repose), Kathy, Mike, Helen S+ (Blessed Repose), Bob+ (Blessed Repose), Debbie, Alma+ (Blessed repose), Ken, The Hayes and Boucher families, Bo+ (Blessed Repose), Sadie+ (Blessed Repose), Peyton & the Gully Family, John, Alexandra, Benjamin, John, The Hazuda Family, Fr. William George+ (Blessed Repose), Pani Amy George and the George Family, Violet+ (Blessed Repose), Madeline, Eddie, Fr. Kozar+ (Blessed Repose), Mary, Benjamin+ (Blessed Repose), Cathy, Jay Brackin, Drew, John Haddad+ (Blessed Repose), Marilyn & family, Mark, Fr. John Zboyovski & family, Nathaniel, Kasi, Scarlett, Athena, Tim, George, Chris, Joy, Ada, Fr. Dcn. Stephen, Michelle, James, Rachel - Through the prayers of the Birthgiver of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, St. Elizabeth, The Holy Fathers, and all the Saints, may our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ have mercy on us and save us!
The Sunday of Orthodoxy is celebrated on the first Sunday of Lent each year. It is a celebration of the triumph of the True Faith over heresy. In the year 843 AD the icons were restored to their place of honor and veneration in the Holy Church. You can read all about the history and meaning of this great day at https:// www.goarch.org/sunday-of-orthodoxy. The first Sunday of Lent is a day filled with joy. The joy of the Resurrection. The Joy of the triumph of Christ s Church. The joy that we are a part of Christ s Holy Orthodox Church. The joy of our beloved Icons being restored to their rightful home; and so much more. Yet we must remember what Lent is all about. We are created in the image an likeness of Christ our God. We are his Icon. An icon that we dirty and destroy day in and day out by our sins. Today, as we celebrate the restorations of Icons and the triumph of the true Faith, let us also celebrate our own restoration. Through repentance and God s Grace, today our icon can be restored. Today we can return to our rightful home. Today on this Sunday of Orthodoxy we can purify ourselves and be like Christ; we can be restored to the Icon which God has created us to be!
Joyful Service By Alexandra Cathey (1 of 2) This Great Lent let us be thankful as we serve joyfully without complaint. Jesus visit to the home of Martha and Mary in Bethany teaches us a great deal about joyful service and the power of our thoughts, whether positive or negative, to shape our day. In this Gospel account, we learn that we can give glory to God in the little things we do for one another. In this encounter, Jesus invites Martha to renew her mind (Ephesians 4:23-24), taxed with negative thinking, and illuminate her thoughts with the thought of Him by rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks to God for the opportunity to serve her Lord. Martha felt alone, unheard, and unappreciated. She was distracted with much serving and was worried and troubled about many things while her sister Mary sat at Christ s feet and heard His word. Martha cried out to the Lord for help. The Gospel tells us that Martha approached Jesus and asked Him if He didn t care that her sister had left her alone to serve. She begged Jesus to tell Mary to get up from His feet and help her. Jesus answered, Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:41-42) What is this better part Mary chose? Was it wrong for Martha to be focused on completing her household responsibilities while Jesus was visiting? What do these two sisters and their encounter with Christ teach us? Jesus said that He came to serve and not to be served. (Matthew 20:28) Therefore, the wrong Martha committed could not have been with serving as such. Rather, as Martha was setting the table, pouring the water, mending the food, sweeping the floor, and welcoming guests- all beautiful and necessary things by the way- her mind was worried and her heart was troubled. Mary chose the better part because she was present to Christ, but Martha could have chosen the best partby being present to Christ whilst seeing her tasks as her divine calling and sacred service. Instead of complaining, Martha could have completed the duties of each moment in the presence of Christ by rejoicing, praying without ceasing, and giving thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Our little tasks, our housework, then, can be elevated to spiritual work when we do it in the presence of Christ. Thus, nothing is mundane when we invite Christ and serve Him through what we are doing. (1) Rejoicing: We can pour joy into our tasks when our secret ingredient is love. We can sing and dance as we work and put an extra touch into whatever it is that we are doing for our spouse or our child. For example, maybe our spouse really appreciates it when we fold their clothes a certain way or when we bring them a cup of coffee in the morning as they are getting ready for the day. It s amazing how an act of service pouring over with love and given with a smile can cheer up a little boy or a little girl who had a rough day by simply saying, here, I was thinking about you and made this just for you. Amidst all of our housework there are so many opportunities to heal broken hearts, bind up wounds (Psalm 147), and lighten up someone s burden by freshening the weary and satisfying the faint (Jeremiah 31:25).
Joyful Service By Alexandra Cathey ( 2 of 2) 2) Praying: We don t need to see housework as an obstacle to doing spiritual work. If we remember God as we work, our housework can be our prayer. As St. Benedict teaches, ora et labora, pray and work. The Church gives us a powerful and beautiful method to achieve this unity of prayer and work: the Prayer of the Heart. The Prayer of the Heart or the Jesus Prayer( Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner or, simply, Lord, have mercy ) can be recited while we complete our tasks as a way to invite Christ into our presence. Hence, the Jesus Prayer invites us to to place ourselves before the feet of our Lord like Mary while we continue to serve like Martha. Instead of troubling our minds or worrying our hearts as our bodies are already getting taxed, the Jesus prayer is a way to cast all of our troubles and our worries to the Lord as we ask Him for mercy. As St. Peter invites us, Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7) (3) Giving Thanks: Instead of seeing our housework as mundane tasks we need to simply get over with, we can see them as sacred and salvific service offered to God to benefit our household and our guests. Our day to day life is full of opportunities to bring glory to God. We can be hermits, monastic, martyrs, confessors, evangelists, apostles, healers, priests, prophets, kings, holy men and women by simply fulfilling our duty of the moment, our housework, with love in the presence of Christ by being Mary and Martha at once. As we begin each week with the Divine Liturgy, we can continue to commune with our Lord s Eucharisticpresence throughout the week by coming before each duty of the moment with thanksgiving, which is precisely what the word Eucharist means. We can see, taste, hear, touch, and smell God s mercy and compassion all at once in a simple cup of coffee. We must be attentive and thankful for the subtle gifts God blesses us with throughout the day. And when worries and troubles make us forget the presence of Christ may we pray: Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God. I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42) Let us thank God for the opportunity to serve Him by loving our brothers and sisters as we joyfully serve them without complaint and without expectation to be thanked or helped. Of course, if and when we are thanked or helped, we should receive it gracefully giving all glory to God. The Lord is my helper (Hebrews 13:6) and I can do all things through [Christ] who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). During this Great Fast, may we die with Christ that we may indeed rise with Him and receive His gift of peace: I am leaving you with a gift peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don t be troubled or afraid (John 14:27) And so, Christ says to us, Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God (Luke 10:41, Philippians 4:6)
Let my prayer be set forth, in Your sight as incense... God Grant Many Years to the Newly Married Servants of God Chris and Joy! Installation of Parish Council Officers and New Committee Members will take place at the end of Liturgy today. Presanctified Liturgy will be on Friday this week, followed by a Lenten potluck dinner. In order to receive the Eucharist a fast from all foods is required for a minimum of three hours before the service, which would be which be around 3pm but if you are able to fast after you eat a light lunch this would be a good practice. To the Women of St. Elizabeth s Don t forget about Alex Cathey s Our Mothers Study Group that meets Thursday s at 8:30 pm Via Skype New Organizational Committee: A new committee has ben formed to help organize dates and times between the different ministries and organization of the Church and post them with plenty of advanced notice, when this is possible, in different and easily accessible ways for the whole community. Michael and Cathy Page are co-chairing this committee and have so far produced a calendar for the next few months. You can view it online here! More to come soon! Sunday of Orthodoxy This is a pan-orthodox Vespers service which will be celebrated at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral on Clairmont Road in Atlanta. If you are able, please consider attending and meeting some of our local Orthodox brethren. Fr. Matthew is the chairman of the newly formed pan-orthodox Atlanta area committee. Metropolitan Alexios of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta would like to see more gatherings between the Orthodox Christians in the Atlanta area and this new committee, consisting of local priests and laity will be making more opportunities for local Orthodox Christians to gather together in prayer and fellowship. But why wait! Pray and enjoy a meal tonight with the local Orthodox Christians in the Atlanta Area at 6pm! See the next page in the bulletin for more information on the Sunday of Orthodoxy!
Today!