Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2025-02-09
Bulletin Contents
Parish News
Hymns of the Day
Saints and Feasts
Gospel and Epistle Readings

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Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (904)-829-0504
  • Fax:
  • (904)829-0504
  • Street Address:

  • 2940 CR-214

  • St. Augustine, FL 32084-2718

Contact Information

Thomas Lekas


[email protected] | 678-993-3629

Services Schedule

Sunday  Divine Liturgy 10:00am    V. Rev. Father Maximos Politis, Priest

Past Bulletins


Parish News

PRAYER REQUEST:

"I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people….  This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

We pray for mercy, life, peace, and healing of all parishioners.

Prayers for the family and friends of: Dr. George Antonatos, Ellen Sarris Allen, Maryann Bolt, Leonardos Daniels, Athena Duddy, Mikae Gaetanos, Susana G. Kugeares, Kostas Lantzounis, Chresanthe Lemieux, George Lemieux, Jr., James Mahourtis, Mary Mastoridis, Nicolaos Pramagioulis, Tommy Stewart and Trey Wilkinson.

May their memory be eternal!

Prayers for Taki Andriotis, Angelique Dalarides Kelley, Michael Colburn, Chris Bersu, Michael and Ingrid Fotianos, Ruza Basimamovic, Zoe Kauttu (daughter of Melissa Sarris Kauttu), James Day, James, Kyriake, Alex Aclim, Jane Anderson, Gwen H, Lewis Hayberg and Jayden Billeter .

A WORD FROM:

V. Rev Fr. Maximos Politis, HTGOC Parish Priest

(347) 500-8176 [email protected]

 

 

Η τακτοποίηση με τον Θεό

Κατά τη διάρκεια κάποιας γενναίας πράξης, όταν τιμάται  αυτός που την διέπραξε, συχνά ακούμε να μας λέει: “Δεν έκανα τίποτα το σπουδαίο, έκανα το καθήκον μου, ή, έκανα ό,τι μου υπαγόρευε η συνείδησή μου. Αυτά τα απλά λόγια φανερώνουν το ήθος του ανθρώπου που έκανε την σπουδαία πράξη. Κάπως έτσι είναι το ήθος του Χριστιανού. Ο άνθρωπος θέλει να νιώθει ότι είναι τακτοποιημένος απέναντι στον Θεό. Είναι κακό αυτό; Βέβαια. Ας θυμηθούμε την Παραβολή του Τελώνου και του Φαρισαίου. Ο Φαρισαίος ήταν άνθρωπος ακριβής ως προς την τήρηση του Μωσαϊκού Νόμου. Δεν αμάρτανε και τηρούσε όλες τις εντολές. Πόσο τον βοήθησε αυτό; Καθόλου, γιατί η τήρηση των Εντολών δεν συνοδευόταν από Ταπείνωση. Το αίσθημα της αυτοδικαίωσης έκανε ήταν αφορμή στον Φαρισαίο για να κατακριθεί.

Ο Κύριος, θέλοντας να προφυλάξει τους Μαθητές Του, τότε και τώρα, διδάσκει: Ετσι και σεις, και όταν ακόμα εκτελέσετε όλα όσα σας διέταξε ο Θεός, πρέπει να λέγετε ότι είμεθα άχρηστοι, διότι απλώς εκάμαμεν ο,τι είχαμε χρέος να κάμωμεν.

Ο άνθρωπος του Θεού, αγωνίζεται να κάνει πράξη όλες τις εντολές του Θεού. Ταυτόχρονα, έχει βαθιά συναίσθηση πως, ό,τι και να κάνει δεν είναι αρκετό για να σωθεί. Η σωτηρία έρχεται όταν παράλληλα με τα έργα, η ταπείνωση και η συναίσθηση της αναξιότητας συμβαδίζουν στον δρόμο που τελικά οδηγεί στον αγιασμό.

 

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 Good standing with the Lord.

During some act of bravery, when the person who committed it is honored, we often hear him say: “I did nothing great, I did my duty, or, I did what my conscience dictated. These simple words reveal the morals of the man who did the great deed. Such is the ethos of the Christian. Man wants to feel that he is in good standing before God. That is bad; Surely. Let us remember the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee. The Pharisee was a man exacting in his observance of the Mosaic Law. He did not sin and kept all the commandments. How much did that help him? Not at all, because the observance of the Commandments was not accompanied by Humiliation. The feeling of self-justification caused the Pharisee to be condemned.

 

The Lord, wanting to protect His Disciples, then and now, teaches: So you, when you shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do .

 

The man of God strives to put into practice all the commandments of God. At the same time, he has a deep sense that whatever he does is not enough to save himself. Salvation comes when, along with works, humility and a sense of unworthiness go hand in hand on the road that ultimately leads to sanctification.

 

 

 

EVENTS:

           Upcoming Events:    

  • Thursday February 6th-St. Photios Feast Day
  • Philoptochos Meeting on Febrauy 9th following Divine Liturgy
  • Baptisim for Andrew Bersu, Jr. Sunday February 9th

 

   **If you have an article for the Bulletin or Newsletter please email by Wednesday each week to Carey at the Church                 office to [email protected].

 

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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal 4th Tone

You descended from on high, O compassionate One, and consented to a three-day burial, to free us from the passions. O Lord, our life and resurrection, glory to You! Ἐξ ὕψους κατῆλθες ὁ Εὔσπλαγχνος, ταφὴν κατεδέξω τριήμερον, ἵνα ἡμᾶς ἐλευθερώσῃς τῶν παθῶν. Ἡ ζωὴ καὶ ἡ ἀνάστασις ἡμῶν, Κύριε δόξα σοι.

Apolytikion for Apodosis of the Presentation in the 1st Tone

Lady full of grace, rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, for Christ our God, the Sun of righteousness has risen from you and He illumined those in darkness. And you, righteous Elder, be glad in heart, receiving in your embraces the One who liberates our souls and bestows on us the Resurrection. Χαῖρε κεχαριτωμένη Θεοτόκε Παρθένε· ἐκ σοῦ γὰρ ἀνέτειλεν ὁ Ἥλιος τῆς δικαιοσύνης, Χριστὸς ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, φωτίζων τοὺς ἐν σκότει. Εὐφραίνου καὶ σὺ Πρεσβύτα δίκαιε, δεξάμενος ἐν ἀγκάλαις τὸν ἐλευθερωτὴν τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν, χαριζόμενον ἡμῖν καὶ τὴν Ἀνάστασιν.

Seasonal Kontakion in the 1st Tone

You sanctified the womb of the Virgin by Your birth, and by Your presentation You blessed the hands of Symeon, when You came, and You saved us, O Christ our God. Now we pray You give peace to Your world at war, and let love for Your people prevail in all, O only benevolent Lord. Ὁ μήτραν παρθενικὴν ἁγιάσας τῷ τόκῳ σου, καὶ χεῖρας τοῦ Συμεὼν εὐλογήσας ὡς ἔπρεπε, προφθάσας καὶ νῦν ἔσωσας ἡμᾶς Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός. Ἀλλʼ εἰρήνευσον ἐν πολέμοις τὸ πολίτευμα, καὶ κραταίωσον Βασιλεῖς οὓς ἠγάπησας, ὁ μόνος φιλάνθρωπος.
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Saints and Feasts

February 09

Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee: Triodion Begins Today

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.

February 09

Leavetaking of the Presentation of Our Lord and Savior in the Temple

February 09

Nicephoros the Martyr of Antioch

This Martyr, who was from Antioch in Syria, contested during the reign of Gallienus, about the year 260. Through the working of the evil one, his friendship with a certain Christian priest named Sapricius was turned to bitter hatred. Nicephoros, repenting of his enmity, tried both through intermediaries and in person to be reconciled with Sapricius, but to no avail. Later, when the persecution broke out under Valerian and Gallienus, Sapricius was seized as a Christian. When Saint Nicephoros learned that Sapricius had been arrested by the pagans and was enduring torments for Christ, he sent intermediaries to Sapricius, begging his forgiveness; but Sapricius would not forgive him. Later, as Sapricius was being taken to beheading, Nicephoros, hoping that Sapricius, at his end, in such a holy hour, would at last forgive him, met him on the way, fell before him, and fervently asked his forgiveness; but Sapricius forgave him not. Wherefore, though Sapricius had passed through many sufferings, and the crown of martyrdom was now awaiting him, because he disdained the chief commandments of love and forgiveness, the grace of God, which had been strengthening him in his torments, departed from him, and he told his executioners he would sacrifice. Nicephoros immediately confessed Christ before them, and being himself beheaded, took the crown that Sapricius had cast away.

Should the Apodosis of the Feast of the Meeting in the Temple fall on this day the service to Saint Nicephoros is chanted on the 8th.

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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Plagal 4th Tone. Psalm 75.11,1.
Make your vows to the Lord our God and perform them.
Verse: God is known in Judah; his name is great in Israel.

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.

Gospel Reading

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."

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