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Holy Cross Church
Publish Date: 2025-03-02
Bulletin Contents
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Wisdom of the Fathers
Hymns of the Day
Saints and Feasts
Schedule
Flyers
Prayer Requests
Philoptochos
Memorial Donations

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Holy Cross Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (248) 477-1677
  • Street Address:

  • 25225 Middlebelt Rd.

  • Farmington Hills, MI 48336

Contact Information

Fr. Alex Radulescu
Parish Priest

[email protected] | (248) 306-9162

Michelle Thomas
Office Administrator

[email protected] | (248) 477-1677

Services Schedule

holycrossgo.org/calendar

DIVINE LITURGY

Sundays 10am

OFFICE HOURS

Monday-Friday, 10am - 3pm

Past Bulletins


Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Third Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Mark 16:9-20

When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. After this He appeared to the eleven themselves as they sat at table and He upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw Him after He had risen. And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."

So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen.

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 8th Mode. 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 Letter to the Romans 13:11-14; 14:1-4.

Brethren, salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed; the night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions. One believes he may eat anything, while the weak man eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains pass judgment on him who eats; for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for God is able to make him stand.

Gospel Reading

Forgiveness Sunday
The Reading is from Matthew 6:14-21

The Lord said, "If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

"And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

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Wisdom of the Fathers

Spiritual delight is not enjoyment found in things that exists outside the soul.
St. Isaac of Syria
Unknown, 7th century

Do we forgive our neighbors their trespasses? God also forgives us in His mercy. Do we refuse to forgive? God, too, will refuse to forgive us. As we treat our neighbors, so also does God treat us. The forgiveness, then, of your sins or unforgiveness, and hence also your salvation or destruction, depend on you yourself, man. For without forgiveness of sins there is no salvation.
St. Tikhon of Zadonsk
Unknown, 18th century

Before we enter the Lenten fast, we are reminded that there can be no true fast, no genuine repentance, no reconciliation with God, unless we are at the same time reconciled with one another. A fast without mutual love is the fast of demons. . . We do not travel the road of Lent as isolated individuals but as members of a family.
His Grace Bishop Kallistos of Diokleia
20th Century

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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 3rd Mode

Let the heavens sing for joy, and let everything on earth be glad. * For with His Arm the Lord has worked power. * He trampled death under foot by means of death; * and He became the firstborn from the dead. * From the maw of Hades He delivered us; * and He granted the world His great mercy.

Seasonal Kontakion in the 6th Mode

O Master, Prudence, Guide of Wisdom, Instruction to the foolish and Defender of the poor, strengthen my heart and grant it discernment. Give me words, Word of the Father, for behold, I shall not keep my lips from crying out to You, "O Merciful One, have mercy on me who has fallen."
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Saints and Feasts

March 02

Forgiveness Sunday

The Holy Fathers have appointed the commemoration of Adam's exile from the Paradise of delight here, on the eve of the holy Forty-day Fast, demonstrating to us not by simple words, but by actual deeds, how beneficial fasting is for man, and how harmful and destructive are insatiety and the transgressing of the divine commandments. For the first commandment that God gave to man was that of fasting, which the first-fashioned received but did not keep; and not only did they not become gods, as they had imagined, but they lost even that blessed life which they had, and they fell into corruption and death, and transmitted these and innumerable other evils to all of mankind. The God-bearing Fathers set these things before us today, that by bringing to mind what we have fallen from, and what we have suffered because of the insatiety and disobedience of the first-fashioned, we might be diligent to return again to that ancient bliss and glory by means of fasting and obedience to all the divine commands. Taking occasion from today's Gospel (Matt. 6:14-21) to begin the Fast unencumbered by enmity, we also ask forgiveness this day, first from God, then from one another and all creation.

March 02

Hesychius the Martyr

Holy martyr Hesychius lived during the reign of king Maximian in 302. He was the first and the leader in the royal palace and the Senate, because he was magistrianus by office. When Maximian ordered that all Christians who were royal soldiers ought to be deprived of their belts (which were a sign of their royal merit) and live as civilians and without honour, many Christians preferred to live without any outward honour due to this illegal order than to be honoured and lose their soul. St. Hesychius was numbered with these Christians as well. When the king heard this, he ordered that the saint ought to be stripped of the expensive clothes, which he used to wear, and be dressed with a shabby mantle without sleeves woven from hair and to be as disgraced and disdained as to consort with women.

When this had been carried out, the king invited him and asked him: "Aren't you ashamed, Hesychius, that you lost the honour and office of magistrianus and that you have been debased to this kind of life? Or maybe you don't know that the Christians, whose way of life you preferred, have no power to restore you to your previous great honour and office?" The saint replied: "Your honour, o king, is temporary but the honour and glory which Christ gives is eternal and without end." Because of these words the king got angry and ordered his men to tie a great millstone around the saint's neck and then to throw him in the middle of river Orontus, which lies in Coele Syria and which is commonly called Oronge. Thus, the blessed man received the crown of martyrdom from the Lord.

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Schedule

Calendar updates: holycrossgo.org/calendar

Schedule

 

TODAY

Sunday, March 2

  • 10:00 am | Divine Liturgy & Forgiveness Service
  • 11:15 am | Church School & Catechesis
  • 11:30 am | Coffee Hour - Doug & Helene Garber

 

THIS WEEK

Monday, March 3

  • 07:00 pm | Great Compline
  • 08:00 pm | Lenten Bible Study

Wednesday, March 5

  • 06:30 pm | Presanctified Liturgy
  • 08:00 pm | YAL Catechism

Friday, March 7

  • 7:00 pm | Salutations Service (1/4)

Saturday, March 8

  • 10:00 am | Saturday of Souls & Memorials
  • 11:10 am | Light Refreshments (RSVP needed)
  • 11:30 am | Lenten Retreat (Fr. Niko Tzetzis, Guest Speaker)

 

UPCOMING

Sunday, March 9

  • 10:00 am | Divine Liturgy
  • 11:15 am | Church School & Catechesis
  • 11:30 am | Coffee Hour - TBD

 

Announcements & Reminders

 

RENEW YOUR STEWARDSHIP TODAY. To do so, please visit our website at: www.holycrossgo.org/renew-pledge. Thank you.

CALI FIRES

Give to the Archdiocese's Emergency Relief Fund for the Los Angeles Fires. Click here to donate.

FLOWERS

If you are interested in donating to purchase flowers to decorate an icon for a feast day, or to decorate the church for Pascha, please contact Debbie George or the Church Office or look for donation box on the pangari.

PROSPHORA

Interested in sponsoring prosphora? Please contact the Church Office.

ICONS IN THE ALTAR

If you brought icons to be blessed in the altar, please retrieve them after 40 days. 

WORSHIP

Please download the Daily Readings App Lite (free download) for the daily Gospel & Epistle readings.

LIVESTREAM SERVICES

www.holycrossgo.org/live

STEWARDSHIP PLEDGE

Please continue to support our Chuch via your Stewardship pledge and donations. Please mail your checks directly to the church or donate online by clicking on the "GIVE" button on our website. Visit the Stewardship webpage to fill out your annual pledge card and/or to pay your stewardship.

VIGIL CANDLES

If you would like us to light a vigil candle for you, please call the Church Office or email [email protected] with your name(s) and Fr. Alex will light a vigil candle for you and say a prayer.

SHOP AT ACE HARDWARE? 5% minus tax = (!)

Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church or #214538. 5% line discount off everyday pricing in the store Ace Rewards as well as 6% Tax Exempt will come off automatically. 2% Ace Rewards

SHOP AT KROGER?

Register your card in a few steps. Each May the registration needs to be renewed,
so if you were part of the program last year and haven't renewed, please do so. Go to:
www.krogercommunityrewards.com
Holy Cross' ID # 83567

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Flyers

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Prayer Requests

Please continue to pray for the health and healing of the following friends

    • Metropolitan Nicholas

    • Metropolitan Isaiah

    • Fr. John Koen

    • Fr. Demetri Tonias
    • Fr. John Stavropoulos
    • Psa. Gabriela Pantea
    • Ted Andris
    • Adam Angelas
    • Andy Athens
    • George Benardos
    • Polydora Bourdouvalis
    • Tom Casoglos
    • Antonia Comer
    • Helene Cuscutis
    • Dan Dallas
    • Grace Decco
    • George
    • Marilyn Georgeson
    • Elise Gorman
    • Brian Heikkuri
    • Bill Hiotaky
    • Julie Hiotaky
    • Irene Katsias
    • Maureen Kelly
    • Zachary Alexander King
    • Niki Klimatianos
    • Eva Kocoves
    • Elaine Kourtakis
    • Audrey Kourtakis
    • Tom Lagos
    • Nayiri Misirliyan
    • Evelyn Morris
    • Baby Myles
    • Faye Prekeges
    • Dina Rand
    • Terrie Stefanakis
    • Paraskevi Theodorou
    • Pete Varvaresos
    • Nicholas Varveris
    • Rafael Vasu
    • Dennis Watkins
    • Gina Weiler
    • Rick Wilson
    • Bentley
    • Heather
    • Perris
    • Lexi
    • Kanella Katsikas
    • Ilie Roman
    • Erica Bittinger
    • Michael Diamond

 

If you would like to add your name or a loved one's to the prayer list, please email the office. Thank you!

 

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Philoptochos

INVITATION TO JOIN HOLY CROSS PHILOPTOCHOS

All women 18 years old and over are encouraged to join our Holy Cross Philoptochos. New and returning members are welcome! The 2025 Philoptochos Stewardship Form is attached.

 

NEXT MEETING 

  • 03/18  - Philoptochos Meeting @ 6:00 pm

 

COFFEE HOUR

  • 03/02 - Doug & Helene Garber
  • 03/09 - TBD
  • 03/16 - TBD
  • 03/23 - The Hountalas Family
  • 03/30 - The Radulescu Family

  

NOTE ABOUT THE COFFEE HOUR:  Philoptochos would like to thank our parishioners who support us throughout the year by sponsoring our Sunday Coffee Hour and bringing delicious treats to share. Your sponsorship and sharing promote fellowship and we are so grateful.

Please consider hosting a Sunday Coffee Hour by signing up on the sheet in the church lobby or contacting Bonnie Sitaras at 248-259-0986.

When scheduling a memorial through the Church Office and you would like to host coffee hour that day, please let Michelle in the office know so we can plan accordingly. 

Thank you.

 

 

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Memorial Donations

~ In Loving Memory of ~     

  

ZOE JAMIEE

Family of Zoe Jamiee

Mr. & Mrs. John Keros & Family

Holy Cross Philoptochos

Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Smallwood

Ms. Peggy Theodore

 

EVANGELIA MADIAS

 Mr. & Mrs. Steve Fekaris

 

MATTHEW MORRIS

Ms. Diane Morris

 

ELENI SITARAS

Ms. Bonnie Sitaras

Mr. & Mrs. George Katsias

 

 

 

 

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