Online DIVINE LITURGY - 10:00am
or
In-church TYPICA Reader Service - 10:00am
Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco
St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Mission Church
A Tri-Cities Christian Multinational Orthodox Community
627 West Bonneville St., Pasco, WA 99301
All are welcome at St. Nectarios!
This Week
Friday Evening March 1. 7PM Online Akathist Hymn to Saint Nectarios, Wonderworker of Aegina and Pentapoli. Join us on Facebook - and celebrate this special service for healing of the sick - by reading along with us.
Saturday Evening March 2. 5 PM Online Vespers Service
Sunday Morning March 3. 10 AM Online Divine Liturgy Service
Online Enquirers Class will be held this Sunday at 1PM . Please join us as Father John shares his knowledge in a question and answer format,
Later this month in church - Saturday March 16. 10 AM A Christian Orthodox Greek Divine Liturgy Service will be celebrated with Fr. Dean. The Service will start at 10AM. A fellowship time will be held after the Service. You may bring food items to share during this fellowship time - or just come and enjoy!
Upcoming Services and Activities are listed below in the St Nectarios Bulletin. For additional information (and Zoom participation invitations) call Jim or Tammy Droppo at 5O9 366-8745.
7:00PM Online Akathist to St. Nectarios
5:00PM Vesperal Divine Liturgy Service - Online
10:00AM No Online Divine Liturgy today
1:00PM No Online Enquirers Class today
5:00PM Vespers Service - Online
10:00AM Online Divine Liturgy
1:00PM Enquirers Class with Father John (online zoom)
10:00AM Divine Liturgy (in-church) will be celebrated with Fr. Dean
5:00PM Vespers Service - Online
10:00AM Online Divine Liturgy
1:00PM Enquirers Class with Father John (online zoom)
5:00PM Vespers Service - Online
10:00AM Typica (in church) Reader Service + Fellowship
1:00PM No Enquirers Class today
2024 THE LOVING FATHER OF THE PARABLE
This parable of the Prodigal Son presents to us both the rebellion, repentance and return of the prodigal son, but also the self-righteousness of the older son.
The heart of the parable is the “love of the Father.” The return of the son had in it the taint of utilitarianism. The prodigal repented in his suffering and he returned to survive. His positive side was his repentance in humility and his decision to change and do the will of the father.
The older son in the parable, although stayed home, did his job and was obedient to his father, he suffered from the passion of “self-righteousness.” His complaint to his father about his brother revealed his self-righteousness. What a contrast to the father’s love who loved both of them in their “rebellion” and “self-rIghteousness!”
I recall a little story from the time when it was fashionable for the youth to leave their family and go to the big cities to find independence and do whatever they pleased. A girl had left her paternal home and went to a big city. After she had “experienced” the life of the big city, she repented for her rebellion. She called her father to ask if she could come home. Her father, full of emotion on the other side of the telephone line, responded: “Where are you, honey, to come and pick you up!”
Tears come to our eyes when we hear these stories. The parents are always ready to welcome with love their erring sons and daughters who want to come home. The parents have grown themselves through the years to acquire the unselfish love of God. They love their children with an unselfish love and they want them to mature and come home; to return to God, Who is the Loving Father of the Parable.
With love,
Fr. John P. Angelis
The Pharisees were an ancient and outstanding sect among the Jews known for their diligent observance of the outward matters of the Law. Although, according to the word of our Lord, they "did all their works to be seen of men" (Matt. 23:5), and were hypocrites (ibid. 23: 13, 14, 15, etc.), because of the apparent holiness of their lives they were thought by all to be righteous, and separate from others, which is what the name Pharisee means. On the other hand, Publicans, collectors of the royal taxes, committed many injustices and extortions for filthy lucre's sake, and all held them to be sinners and unjust. It was therefore according to common opinion that the Lord Jesus in His parable signified a virtuous person by a Pharisee, and a sinner by a Publican, to teach His disciples the harm of pride and the profit of humble-mindedness.
Since the chief weapon for virtue is humility, and the greatest hindrance to it is pride, the divine Fathers have set these three weeks before the Forty-day Fast as a preparation for the spiritual struggles of virtue. This present week they have called Harbinger, since it declares that the Fast is approaching; and they set humility as the foundation for all our spiritual labors by appointing that the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee be read today, even before the Fast begins, to teach, through the vaunting of the Pharisee, that the foul smoke of self-esteem and the stench of boasting drives away the grace of the Spirit, strips man of all his virtue, and casts him into the pits of Hades; and, through the repentance and contrite prayer of the Publican, that humility confers upon the sinner forgiveness of all his wicked deeds and raises him up to the greatest heights.
All foods are allowed the week that follows this Sunday.
This Saint was the son of one of the foremost princes in Constantinople, and was originally a consul and first among the Emperor's private counselors. Then, in 784, he was elected Patriarch of Constantinople by the Sovereigns Irene and her son Constantine Porphyrogenitus. He convoked the Seventh Ecumenical Council that upheld the holy icons, and became the boast of the Church and a light to the clergy. He reposed in 806.
The translations of hymns are under copyright and used by permission. All rights reserved. These works may not be further reproduced, in print or on other websites or in any other form, without the prior written authorization of the copyright holder:
Prokeimenon. Plagal First Tone. Psalm 11.7,1.
You, O Lord, shall keep us and preserve us.
Verse: Save me, O Lord, for the godly man has failed.
The reading is from St. Paul's Second Letter to Timothy 3:10-15.
TIMOTHY, my son, you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions, my sufferings, what befell me at Antioch, at lconion, and at Lystra, what persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceivers and deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee: Triodion Begins Today
The Reading is from Luke 18:10-14
The Lord said this parable, "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."
ST. NECTARIOS GREEK ORTHODOX MISSION CHURCH
Diocese of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco.
This Tri-Cities Christian Orthodox Community has a church located at 627 West Bonneville St., Pasco, WA 99301. All are invited to attend. A light lunch fellowship time normally follows the In-Church Liturgy and Typica Services.
INFORMATION SOURCES
For information on services and activities, you may:
1) access our "Saint Nectarios - Pasco" Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/334558973222227/
2) access the church website:
Welcome to Our Parish Website | St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Mission (stnectariostricities.org)
3) The online Saint Nectarios Bulletin is the best source of up to date) information on church Services and activities. ( http://bulletinbuilder.org/stnectariospasco/ )
NOTIFICATIONS
To receive the weekly Services Reminder by email, please send an email request.
For those not connected to the internet, please call Jim (on 5O9 366 8745) to request either
a) by a phone call on the 'week of the in-church Service'
or
b) by a weekly smart-phone Service reminder text message.
CHURCH SERVICES
Greek Orthodox Divine Liturgy. Each month, we try to have at least one Divine Liturgy (with a visiting Priest). That Service is normally on a Saturday (or a Special Service/Feast weekday) and is scheduled when a Priest is available. In addition to communion during the Service, private meetings with the Priest are available by appointment (for personal matters, planning future events, and Confession).
Special Invitation - Saint Nectarios Church welcomes all: During Divine Liturgy, which is mostly in English, the Lord's Prayer is said by parishioners in their native languages. Currently the prayer is normally said in English, Arabic, Russian, Spanish, and Greek. If you wish to participate (and perhaps add a language), just let us know.
On most weeks, we remotely celebrate Saturday Vespers and Sunday Online Divine Liturgy with Father John in the Seattle area. During the remote Divine Liturgy, Communion is served to Father's attending family and friends - but is unavailable to those participating online.
Online Greek Orthodox Vespers and Other Special Services are normally celebrated online with Father John in Seattle. The link for joining Zoom to actively participate in on-line Services is
https://goarch.zoom.us/j/98009355049?pwd=UmttUUN2aG4raUc4WS9Zelo1REYxdz09
On the last Sunday of each month, there normally is a Typica Reader Service with a Parish Fellowship Time. This in-Church Service is held as an opportunity to bring the local community together - and hopefully eventually returning St. Nectarios to having a full time Priest.
All are welcome to join in the celebration these Christian Orthodox Services.
Saint Mary and Saint Abanoub Coptic Orthodox Church. This Coptic Church is currently holding services at the St. Nectarios Church. A Saturday or Sunday Holy Liturgy with a visiting Priest is nromally held once per month. All are invited to attend. A fellowship time and Christian Study Class for older students normally follows the Services. For more information, please contact Nader Samaan (nader.samaan@yahoo.com) or access the website:
https://www.stmary-stabanoub-tricities.org/