Saturdays:
5:00 p.m. - Great Vespers.
Sundays: from the first Sunday after Labor Day to mid May
Orthros followed by 1st Divine Liturgy 7:15 a.m.
2nd Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.
Church School 10:00 a.m.
Sundays: other than above days
Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy 8:00 a.m.
Feats Days: see calendar.
Confessions: Please call office.
SCHEDULE OF SERVICES
Friday, March 3
7:00pm 1st Salutations to the Theotokos
Saturday, March 4 - St. Theodore's Kolyva Miracle
8:00am Orthos + Liturgy
5:00pm Vespers
Sunday, March 5 - Sunday of Orthodoxy
7:15am Orthos + Liturgy 1
10:00am Liturgy 2
Monday, March 6
6:00pm Great Compline
Wednesday, March 8
5:30pm 9th Hour
6:00pm Presanctified Liturgy followed by potluck and speaker
Friday, March 10
8:00am 9th Hour + Presanctified Liturgy
7:00pm 2nd Salutations to the Theotokos
Saturday, March 11
5:00pm Vespers
Sunday, March 12 - Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas
7:15am Orthos + Liturgy 1
10:00am Liturgy 2
Orthos and Liturgy will be celebrated at 8:00am on Saturday, March 4th. Although this is not the Saturday of the Souls, a trisagion will be held at the end of the liturgy if kolyva or names are brought to the service.
For this coming Sunday, March 5th, which is Sunday of Orthodoxy, we want to remind Parents to have their child bring an Icon for the procession following Sunday School right before the end of the 2nd Liturgy.
If any parishioner has been adversely affected by the recent floods in our area, or knows of another parishioner who has, please call the church office.
Thank you to all the Ministries and Organizations that have hosted and facilitated the Saint Nicholas Coffee Hour throughout the past several months. This, in conjunction with the respective sponsor families, is much appreciated. The dedication, love, and support to our parish are immeasurable.
Peter and Victoria Panayotopoulos will be directing a fun session of Greek dance lessons, "Back to Basics". Please join us on Monday, March 6 at 7:00pm in the Community Center foyer for our lesson. Please contact Roula Demertzis at (408) 564-2387 for more information.
CALENDAR:
This is a reminder that we are having the Bay Area GOYA Lenten Retreat once again at the Marin Headlands March 10-12, 2017. This retreat is hosted by Holy Cross in Belmont, and open to all Orthodox Youth 6th grade - 12th grade.
DATE: March 10-12, 2017
LOCATION: NaturBridge in the Marin Headlands
PRICE: $195
AGES: For Orthodox Youth, 6th grade - 12th grade
HOSTED BY: Holy Cross, Belmont
More information available at www.gosfyouth.org
This is a Lenten luncheon with His Eminence Metropolitan Nikitas where exquisite Icons inspire amazing flower arrangements. The event will take place in Moraga on Saturday, March 18 at 11:00am. Cost of event: $55.00. Carpool can be arranged from Saint Nicholas. If interested, please contact Roula Demertzis at (408) 564-2387.
The Center of Hellenic Education invites you to celebrate this special day on Saturday, March 25, 2017 at 5pm. Come join us as we honor the heroes of Greece who fought for our freedom, with a program by our Greek School Students and Teachers, Saint Nicholas dancers and a Lenten Dinner. This is our school's major fundraiser of the year, so we look forward to seeing you all there!
The 10th annual Greek Flag Raising will be held on Monday, March 27th at 4pm at the San Jose City Hall Plaza, 200 E Santa Clara Street. Reception on the 17th floor immediately following the Ceremony compliments of the Order of Ahepa and Daughters of Penelope. Free underground parking at City Hall.
Tickets are on sale NOW for the Cioppino Dinner Night to be held Saturday, April 1, 2017 in the Community Center, 6:30pm Social Hour, 7:30pm Dinner. Entertainment following dinner featuring vocalist Matt Helm as DEAN MARTIN. Adults $45 ($55 after March 20th) - Students $25. Taking paid reservations for tables of 8 and 10. Tickets must be purchased in advance – open seating! You can purchase in the small hall after both liturgies on Sundays, OR mail a check payable to Ahepa c/o Bill Christie, 3327 Lake Albano Circle, San Jose, Ca 95135. Questions or more information? Contact Bill Christie at 408 531-9211 or email: billchristie1@mac.com.
The St. Nicholas Dance Ministry presents An Elegant Wine Affaire on Friday, May 5, 2017 at 7pm at the Karamanos Residence, 14090 Shannon Road, Los Gatos, 95032.
$65 per person, advanced tickets only; Cocktail attire
Wine tasting, hors d'oeuvres, and live Greek music
For more info, contact Rita Argiris at 408-858-4335 or rzagas@yahoo.com
Spots are quickly filling up for our Metropolis Summer Camp at St. Nicholas Ranch! We know that family budgets are very limited and summer camp sells out very quickly, so we wanted to give you all the opportunity to register now by securing your spot with a $100 deposit. After you pay the deposit, you can set up monthly payments through CampDoc to pay the balance through June 30, 2017 so this allows you to have 4 full months to spread out the cost. Please also take this opportunity to touch base with your friends to make sure they are able to secure their spots if they have not yet registered.
2017 SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION UPDATE:
Session I: July 9 – 15 (SOLD OUT, 10 on wait list)*
Session II: July 16 – 22 (SOLD OUT, 4 on wait list)*
Session III: July 23 – 29 (24 spots left)*
*As of February 28, 2017
Online registration and more info available at www.gosfyouth.org
Sr. Nektaria sends her deep gratitude for your compassion and generosity for the offering basket passed last Sunday. Check our website www.fili-inc.com for updates on the orphanage.
Walk for Missions is happening the first weekend in May. More details to come.
Sacramental wine has been acquired from St. Anthony’s Monastery in Arizona. This wine is dedicated only to be used for sacraments such as the Proskomide or Artoklasia at St. Nicholas or other Orthodox churches. It is available for purchase at the bookstore for a $20 donation. All proceeds go towards the needs of the Altar and will also help support St. Anthony’s Monastery. Thank you for your support.
Please consider becoming a member of our church
choir, one of the most important ministries of our
church. There are openings in all sections, especially
in the tenor and bass sections. Requirements: age,
16 and over; be able to carry a tune, knowledge of
Greek NOT required, phonetics provided. Take
advantage of the opportunity to learn and sing our
beautiful hymns and thus serve our church. For
more information please call the director, Dr. Tikey Zes
at 408-723-0640.
Commencing Wednesday, February 1, 2017, Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church will institute a Church facility fee to offset the costs for the general maintenance and usage of the Church. The facility fees are listed below:
Marriage Ceremony
Steward: $300.00
Non- Steward: $500.00
Baptism
Steward: $ 200.00
Non- Steward: $400.00
We thank you for your consideration!
Help us pave the way to success by purchasing a donor brick, customized with your message and to be laid in the existing area near the office/community center. With the purchase of a brick, you may pay tribute to someone special, honor the memory of a loved one, or have your family name or ministry group forever recognized on one or more bricks.
All profits of this fundraiser go towards the Building Fund at St. Nicholas, supporting the future growth of our parish.
Bricks are being offered for a donation of $1,000 each. Don’t miss out on this beautiful opportunity.
Please contact the office at churchoffice@saintnicholas.org or 408-246-2770 for more information.
If you already shop on Amazon, or if you’re looking for the perfect gift for a loved one, we invite you to shop at smile.amazon.com and choose Greek Orthodox Community of Santa Clara as your charity of choice and .5% of your purchase will be donated to St. Nicholas. This is no cost to you. Below you can read about how to use Amazon Smile.
How Does it Work?
The entire shopping experience is the same and most products available on amazon.com are available at Amazon Smile.
The screen will look slightly different depending on whether you’re already signed into Amazon. If you’re already signed in, you’ll see a screen like the one below. Simply search for “Greek Orthodox Community of Santa Clara County” and proceed to step 3.
Adult Catechism classes take place on Thursdays at 6:30pm in the church office boardroom. The classes are open to everyone.
The Byzantine Music School classes have resumed on Friday evenings from 7:00pm until 9:00pm in Room 10. Please register online at www.ByzantineMusicSchool.com.
Starting in October, the monthly Canon will be issued electronically. If you would like to receive a hard copy, please contact the office at 408-246-2770 or churchoffice@saintnicholas.org and one will be mailed to you.
For confession with Father Demosthenes, please call the church office to schedule an appointment.
If you need to arrange for a mnemosino, you must contact the church office and inform our priests at least two weeks prior to the date. You will be responsible for making or ordering the kollyva, and we can provide the names of the people who provide this service. However, payment will not be made to the church but directly to the person making the kollyva.
To avoid any confusion on our part as we compose and print the Sunday bulletin, we ask that anyone who wishes to include a notice in the Sunday bulletin submit the notice in writing to the office BY THURSDAY NOON! Please don't wait until the last minute or send a note into the altar on a Sunday morning while the liturgy is in progress.
Please check with Father Demosthenes in the office before posting anything on the bulletin board in the Small Hall. Notices, announcements, advertisements, etc. that have not been approved will be removed. Thank you for your kind cooperation.
MNEMOSINA
Please join in prayer for the souls of those who have fallen asleep in the Lord:
2ND LITURGY:
IOANNIS EFSTRATIOU TSELLAS (40 DAYS), father of Evangelos Tsellas
PETE PAPPAS (ANNUAL), father of Steven and Leanne Pappas, grandfather of Peter and Kristie
The families are co-sponsoring the coffee hour.
Remember, O Lord, as good, your servants, and forgive whatever sins in life they committed, for no one is without sin, except you the Mighty One; and grant rest to them who have been removed from among us.
Fourth Orthros Gospel
Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 24:1-12
Καὶ τὸ μὲν σάββατον ἡσύχασαν κατὰ τὴν ἐντολήν, Τῇ δὲ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων ὄρθρου βαθέος ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμα φέρουσαι ἃ ἡτοίμασαν ἀρώματα, καί τινες σὺν αὐταῖς. εὗρον δὲ τὸν λίθον ἀποκεκυλισμένον ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου, καὶ εἰσελθοῦσαι οὐχ εὗρον τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Κυρίου ᾿Ιησοῦ. καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ διαπορεῖσθαι αὐτὰς περὶ τούτου καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνδρες δύο ἐπέστησαν αὐταῖς ἐν ἐσθήσεσιν ἀστραπτούσαις. ἐμφόβων δὲ γενομένων αὐτῶν καὶ κλινουσῶν τὸ πρόσωπον εἰς τὴν γῆν εἶπον πρὸς αὐτάς· τί ζητεῖτε τὸν ζῶντα μετὰ τῶν νεκρῶν; οὐκ ἔστιν ὧδε, ἀλλ᾿ ἠγέρθη· μνήσθητε ὡς ἐλάλησεν ὑμῖν ἔτι ὢν ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ, λέγων ὅτι δεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδοθῆναι εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ σταυρωθῆναι, καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστῆναι. καὶ ἐμνήσθησαν τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὑποστρέψασαι ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου ἀπήγγειλαν ταῦτα πάντα τοῖς ἕνδεκα καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς λοιποῖς. ἦσαν δὲ ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ Μαρία καὶ ᾿Ιωάννα καὶ Μαρία ᾿Ιακώβου καὶ οἱ λοιπαὶ σὺν αὐταῖς, αἳ ἔλεγον πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ταῦτα. καὶ ἐφάνησαν ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν ὡσεὶ λῆρος τὰ ῥήματα αὐτῶν, καὶ ἠπίστουν αὐταῖς. ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἀναστὰς ἔδραμεν ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον, καὶ παρακύψας βλέπει τὰ ὀθόνια κείμενα μόνα, καὶ ἀπῆλθε πρὸς ἑαυτόν, θαυμάζων τὸ γεγονός.
Fourth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Luke 24:1-12
On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel; and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of man must be delivered in to the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise." And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told this to the apostles; but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.
But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home wondering at what had happened.
Προκείμενον. 4th Mode. Δανιήλ 3.26-27.
Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Κύριε, ὁ Θεὸς τῶν Πατέρων ἡμῶν.
Στίχ. Ὅτι δίκαιος εἶ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν, οἷς ἐποίησας ἡμῖν.
τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Ἑβραίους 11:24-26, 32-40.
Ἀδελφοί, πίστει Μωϋσῆς μέγας γενόμενος ἠρνήσατο λέγεσθαι υἱὸς θυγατρὸς Φαραώ, μᾶλλον ἑλόμενος συγκακουχεῖσθαι τῷ λαῷ τοῦ θεοῦ ἢ πρόσκαιρον ἔχειν ἁμαρτίας ἀπόλαυσιν· μείζονα πλοῦτον ἡγησάμενος τῶν Αἰγύπτου θησαυρῶν τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ· ἀπέβλεπεν γὰρ εἰς τὴν μισθαποδοσίαν. Καὶ τί ἔτι λέγω; Ἐπιλείψει γὰρ με διηγούμενον ὁ χρόνος περὶ Γεδεών, Βαράκ τε καὶ Σαμψών καὶ Ἰεφθάε, Δαυίδ τε καὶ Σαμουὴλ καὶ τῶν προφητῶν· οἳ διὰ πίστεως κατηγωνίσαντο βασιλείας, εἰργάσαντο δικαιοσύνην, ἐπέτυχον ἐπαγγελιῶν, ἔφραξαν στόματα λεόντων, ἔσβεσαν δύναμιν πυρός, ἔφυγον στόματα μαχαίρας, ἐνεδυναμώθησαν ἀπὸ ἀσθενείας, ἐγενήθησαν ἰσχυροὶ ἐν πολέμῳ, παρεμβολὰς ἔκλιναν ἀλλοτρίων. Ἔλαβον γυναῖκες ἐξ ἀναστάσεως τοὺς νεκροὺς αὐτῶν· ἄλλοι δὲ ἐτυμπανίσθησαν, οὐ προσδεξάμενοι τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν, ἵνα κρείττονος ἀναστάσεως τύχωσιν· ἕτεροι δὲ ἐμπαιγμῶν καὶ μαστίγων πεῖραν ἔλαβον, ἔτι δὲ δεσμῶν καὶ φυλακῆς· ἐλιθάσθησαν, ἐπρίσθησαν, ἐπειράσθησαν, ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρας ἀπέθανον· περιῆλθον ἐν μηλωταῖς, ἐν αἰγείοις δέρμασιν, ὑστερούμενοι, θλιβόμενοι, κακουχούμενοι - ὧν οὐκ ἦν ἄξιος ὁ κόσμος - ἐν ἐρημίαις πλανώμενοι καὶ ὄρεσιν καὶ σπηλαίοις καὶ ταῖς ὀπαῖς τῆς γῆς. Καὶ οὗτοι πάντες, μαρτυρηθέντες διὰ τῆς πίστεως, οὐκ ἐκομίσαντο τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν, τοῦ θεοῦ περὶ ἡμῶν κρεῖττόν τι προβλεψαμένου, ἵνα μὴ χωρὶς ἡμῶν τελειωθῶσιν.
Prokeimenon. 4th Mode. Daniel 3.26,27.
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers.
Verse: For you are just in all you have done.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 11:24-26, 32-40.
Brethren, by faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.
And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets -- who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign enemies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated -- of whom the world was not worthy -- wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
Sunday of Orthodoxy
Κατὰ Ἰωάννην 1:44-52
Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἠθέλησεν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς ἐξελθεῖν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν· καὶ εὑρίσκει Φίλιππον καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· ἀκολούθει μοι. ἦν δὲ ὁ Φίλιππος ἀπὸ Βηθσαϊδά, ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ᾿Ανδρέου καὶ Πέτρου. εὑρίσκει Φίλιππος τὸν Ναθαναὴλ καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· ὃν ἔγραψε Μωϋσῆς ἐν τῷ νόμῳ καὶ οἱ προφῆται, εὑρήκαμεν, ᾿Ιησοῦν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ᾿Ιωσὴφ τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρέτ. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ· ἐκ Ναζαρὲτ δύναταί τι ἀγαθὸν εἶναι; λέγει αὐτῷ Φίλιππος· ἔρχου καὶ ἴδε. εἶδεν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς τὸν Ναθαναὴλ ἐρχόμενον πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ λέγει περὶ αὐτοῦ· ἴδε ἀληθῶς ᾿Ισραηλίτης, ἐν ᾧ δόλος οὐκ ἔστι. λέγει αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ· πόθεν με γινώσκεις; ἀπεκρίθη ᾿Ιησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· πρὸ τοῦ σε Φίλιππον φωνῆσαι, ὄντα ὑπὸ τὴν συκῆν εἶδόν σε. ἀπεκρίθη Ναθαναὴλ καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· ῥαββί, σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, σὺ εἶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ. ἀπεκρίθη ᾿Ιησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ὅτι εἶπόν σοι, εἶδόν σε ὑποκάτω τῆς συκῆς, πιστεύεις; μείζω τούτων ὄψει. καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀπ᾽ ἄρτι ὄψεσθε τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνεῳγότα, καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀναβαίνοντας καὶ καταβαίνοντας ἐπὶ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.
Sunday of Orthodoxy
The Reading is from John 1:43-51
At that time, Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And he found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael, and he said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man."
Saint Mark the Ascetic lived in the fifth century and according to Nicephorus Callistus was a disciple of Saint John Chrysostom's. Besides his blameless life of asceticism, Saint Mark was distinguished for his writings, some of which are preserved in Volume One of the Philokalia. His writings were held in such great esteem that in old times there was a saying, "Sell all that thou hast, and buy Mark."
For more than one hundred years the Church of Christ was troubled by the persecution of the Iconoclasts of evil belief, beginning in the reign of Leo the Isaurian (717-741) and ending in the reign of Theophilus (829-842). After Theophilus's death, his widow the Empress Theodora (celebrated Feb. 11), together with the Patriarch Methodius (June 14), established Orthodoxy anew. This ever-memorable Queen venerated the icon of the Mother of God in the presence of the Patriarch Methodius and the other confessors and righteous men, and openly cried out these holy words: "If anyone does not offer relative worship to the holy icons, not adoring them as though they were gods, but venerating them out of love as images of the archetype, let him be anathema." Then with common prayer and fasting during the whole first week of the Forty-day Fast, she asked God's forgiveness for her husband. After this, on the first Sunday of the Fast, she and her son, Michael the Emperor, made a procession with all the clergy and people and restored the holy icons, and again adorned the Church of Christ with them. This is the holy deed that all we the Orthodox commemorate today, and we call this radiant and venerable day the Sunday of Orthodoxy, that is, the triumph of true doctrine over heresy.