WELCOME TO OUR VISITORS Whether you are new to Bangor or if you're just passing through -welcome! If you've come because you are curious about the Orthodox Church, its beliefs and worship, you are very welcome, too! Please don't hesitate to introduce yourself to someone you've never met and consider staying for some refreshments and fellowship after the morning service. If you would like to receive mailings or otherwise stay in touch, please leave your contact information (name, address, phone, email) with the person in the church office.
TODAY IS THE SUNDAY OF ST. JOHN CLIMACUS (author of The Ladder of Divine Ascent) Learn about his life and importance by reading the Saints and Feasts portion of this bulletin.
MEMORIAL PRAYERS will be offered this morning for the servants of God, Ioannis (Ric) Angel (13 years); his mother, Athena (40 days); and his father, Teodor (27 years). God grant eternal memory to His servants, Ioannis, Athena and Teodor, granting peace to their loved ones, Eleni and Kobe. Memory Eternal!
SUNDAY SCHOOL meets in the fellowship hall right after Holy Communion is offered. All ages 6+ are welcome. Mrs. Bucklin is taking our young people on an adventure through the Book of Acts.
FELLOWSHIP HOUR Thanks to everyone for bringing fast friendly vegan dishes for fellowship hour this season!
TODAY - BOARD GAME GET TOGETHERMarch 30 is our monthly board game activity get together here at St. George. This activity is planned for the last Sunday of the month, toward the end of fellowship hour. Bring a game along or join in on someone else's game. Bring a friend, too, and the fellowship will grow! Questions? Ask our coordinator, Dhesorae.
XRONIA POLLA! MANY YEARS! to the servant of God, Innocent, whose Name Day is tomorrow, Monday, March 31. His namesake is St. Innocent, Enlightener of Siberia and Alaska. We appreciate Innocent's help as an altar server.
EVENING SERVICES DURING GREAT AND HOLY LENTPre-Sanctified Divine Liturgy is cancelled this Wednesday due to an injury to Fr.'s right shoulder. Please pray for a rapid recovery. Thank you.
AKATHIST HYMN TO THE THEOTOKOS This Friday night at 7PM, the full Akathist Hymn service will be offered to the Holy Virgin Mother of God, the Theotokos. Come and honor the Mother of God with this prayerful, awe inspiring hymn and receive grace and blessing in return.
THIS SATURDAY, APRIL 5 Great Vespers will be prayed at 6PM.
PRAYER REQUESTS Prayer changes things--let us support one another. Fr. Leo has suffered an injury to his right shoulder limiting mobility/use. Pleae pray for his rapid recovery. Kathy's brother, Fred, is asking for prayer support. He underwent surgery related to spinal stenosis this weekend. He is hoping to regain use of one arm where the nerves have been affected. George L is on the mend from a procedure he underwent last week, God grant him a quick recovery, also. Supportive prayers for Dhesorae who is preparing for Holy Baptism and for Conlan and Katya who are engaged, planning to marry on May 11. God grant wisdom to all! Summarized requests from past weeks: Prayer requested for Cathy (decisions regarding health), Lori (surgery on April 11), Matthew (attending seminary this fall), Victoria (upcoming surgery 4/25), Paula (management of on-going health concern), Fr. Anthony (Mona's dad in Pakistan--fragile health); Panagiota & Seraphima (stroke recovery) and Pat (managing eyesight health). Again, your prayers for these these brothers and sisters in Christ are of great assistance to each person being upheld.
ORTHODOX BIBLE STUDY Here is a recommended resource for Bible Study for Orthodox Christians. Learn from Dr. Jeannie Constantinou, a well respected and engaging Orthodox Christian expositor. Visit her site and go deep into the Scriptures: https://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/ Read her bio here: https://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/about-your-professor/. Many of us have read books written by Dr. Constintinou already and been greatly edified. She has a second web site, as well: https://www.drjeannie.com/. Her book about the Crucifixion of our Lord is in our bookstore now.
ST. EPHRAIM'S PRAYER This text is often offered during Great and Holy Lent. It is appropriate to use it at the conclusion of your prayer times at home. Simply read and offer the prostrations as noted below in the text. May our hearts be softened as one this season.
THE LENTEN PRAYER OF SAINT EPHRAIM
Lord and Master of my life, cast away from me the spirit of laziness, idle curiosity, love of power and vain talk. (Prostration)
But grant me, Your servant, the spirit of moderation, humility, patience and love. (Prostration)
Yes, Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to judge my brothers and sisters. (Prostration)
(Followed by 12 bows saying silently each time, "O God be gracious to me a sinner.")
Yes, Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to judge my brothers and sisters.
For You are Blessed forever and ever. Amen.
FUND-RAISER TO BENEFIT ST. GEORGE Gabriya has crafted some hanging crosses out of natural materials which are on display in the fellowship hall. They are available by donation. Suggested donation is $8-$15 each, depending on size.
PLEASE PLAN AHEAD FOR HOLY WEEK Keep in mind that Lazarus Saturday, April 12, is the lead-in for Palm Sunday on the 13th. Plan to attend the Lazarus Saturday service if you can. Palm Sunday services will be held as usual on Sunday morning and then there begins the solemnity of Holy Week with the Bridegroom servies beginning on Palm Sunday night, there will be evening / night services all week long. We will have an unction service on Wednesday evening, a Divine Liturgy on Thursday morning and the Passion readings on Thursday night when we will behold Christ on the Cross. On Holy Friday morning, there will be the reading of the Royal Hours, the floral decorating of our Lord's Tomb, His removal from the Cross in the afternoon and evening service of Lamentations. On Holy Saturday morning the Divine Liturgy is celebrated with a somewhat triumphal theme as we await the proclamation of Christ's Holy Resurrection at midnight. Yes, we celebrate into the wee hours of morning of Holy Pascha, Sunday, April 20, and enjoy an afterglow meal together. Suffice to say, there is plenty to do. We'll need readers and decorators and more during the week. Most of all, we'll need prayerful hearts that make the celebration of Holy Pascha so powerful and meaningful. Please take some time off that week, if you can, to participate more fully this year.
ALTAR GUILD MINISTRYSeeking a core group of individuals who will organize and care for existing church linens and decide on colors and designs for the same into the future. This group will change out linens according to season while assuring they remain in suitable use condition. Those with solid sewing skills are encouraged to participate but it is not a requisite. Please let Pres. know if you would like to be involved. doxa141 at gmail.com. Thank you.
A NICE WAY TO HELP ST. GEORGE For an unspecified time, a family has offered to buy our bookshop stock as a donation so the church does not need to fund the stock purchases. That means whenever you buy from our bookshop St. George benefits a good bit. So please shop here and if there is a book or something else (icon, prayer rope, neck cross, bread seal, or the like) you're looking for, please let Pres. know so it can be ordered. RECENTLY RECEIVED NEW ITEMS: Red egg dye from Greece to make possible the traditional solid deep red eggs for Holy Pascha--$3.50 per package. Also egg wraps in many designs and colors! Egg wraps are "shrink wraps" for Paschal eggs. Use them on hard cooked eggs, dyed or undyed, for a festive look. One wrap will cover 7 medium sized eggs. Each wrap is $3.50. Other items: Small portable icons of Christ & Panagia including small dyptichs. Auto visor clips featuring the Holy Cross and various Saints, 4.95 ea. Tiny knot prayer ropes in maroon color ($5 ea). Plastic bread stamps for prosforo baking. Keychains and tapestry pouches. Check the icon display area and you'll find the new nook with additional books! You'll also find we have censers, self-light charcoal briquettes and aromatic Orthodox incense. Beautiful prayer ropes (30 knot and 100 knot in varied colors) from Ukraine--30 knot bracelet is $14; 100 knot rope is $45. Thanks for shopping here--and let Pres. know if you are looking for specific items or want to order a particular book.
TWO FAVORITES SITES FOR LENT FRIENDLY RECIPES Find just 10 recipes your family will enjoy and cycle through them again and again during Great Lent. Meal planning makes everything eaiser, too. Two favorite vegan cooking sites with great recipes, many of them demonstrated on YouTube, are https://plantbasedcookingshow.com/ and https://rainbowplantlife.com/.
(UPDATED) FAVORITE VEGAN PRODUCTS Nasoya plant based dumplings found in the produce area refrigerated section in Hannaford stores. There are three different flavors available. They can be steamed or fried. Serve with a favorite sauce (Sriracha hot sauce is tasty). Miyoko's plant based (cashew) cheeses or spreads. Earth Balance margarine. Red boat fish sauce (adds salty zest to stir fries, soups, pilafs). Ithaca hummus (various flavors). Fermented veggies (beets, carrots, cabbage) add to salads or sandwiches or eat them plain in place of salad. Pre-made cut "slaw," (add your own dressing, stir fry or use for vegetable soup). Vegenaise (mayo substitute) found in the refrigerated section at most grocery stores. Any of the "Violife" brand vegan cheeses. Nut Pod brand creamers. Powdered egg substitute for baking (Ener-G or Bob's Red Mill). You can find most, if not all, these items at Tiller and Rye, right across the bridge in Brewer, or Natural Living Center in Bangor (near the mall).
WHAT'S A TOFU PRESS? It's a quick and easy way to press excess water out of a block of tofu or even some frozen spinach when making a spanakopita. Search for NOYA Adjustable Tofu Press on Amazon.com to learn more.
The memory of this Saint is celebrated on March 30, where his biography may be found. He is celebrated today because his book, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, is a sure guide to the ascetic life, written by a great man of prayer experienced in all forms of the monastic polity; it teaches the seeker after salvation how to lay a sound foundation for his struggles, how to detect and war against each of the passions, how to avoid the snares laid by the demons, and how to rise from the rudimental virtues to the heights of Godlike love and humility. It is held in such high esteem that it is universally read in its entirety in monasteries during the Great Fast.
March 30
John Climacus the Righteous, author of The Divine Ladder of Ascent
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.
Prokeimenon. Seventh Tone. Psalm 28.11,1. The Lord will give strength to his people.
Verse: Bring to the Lord, O sons of God, bring to the Lord honor and glory.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 6:13-20.
BRETHREN, when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore to himself, saying, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you." And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Men indeed swear by a greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he interposed with an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Sunday of St. John Climacus
The Reading is from Mark 9:17-31
At that time, a man came to Jesus kneeling and saying: "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; and wherever it seizes him it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." And he answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me." And they brought the boy to him; and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, "How long has he had this?" And he said, "From childhood. And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us." And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again." And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, "He is dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting." They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise."
