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Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2024-03-03
Bulletin Contents
Father Paisius McGrath, Presbyter
Hymns of the Day
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Wisdom of the Fathers
Saints and Feasts
Holy Trinity Calendar
Announcements and Events
Inserts
Gerasimosjordan
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Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (228) 388-6138
  • Street Address:

  • 255 Beauvoir Rd.

  • Biloxi, MS 39531

Contact Information

Father Paisius McGrath
Parish Presbyter

paisiusmcgrath@gmail.com | 228-546-4541
Mr. Edward Maikranze
Parish Council President

edmaikranze@gmail.com | 325-260-8891

Services Schedule

Service schedule varies.  The current schedule can be found in the bulletin or parish website.

 

Past Bulletins


Father Paisius McGrath, Presbyter

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Message from Father Paisius

03/03/2024

Glory to Jesus Christ! Greetings to the faithful members and families of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ continue to bless us as we continue to share the Gospel in our community

Today we celebrate the 2nd Sunday of preparation before Great Lent, commonly known as the Sunday of the Prodigal Son. In today's Gospel Reading from Saint Luke 

15: 11-32 we read the this familiar Parable of our Lord which teaches us the dual themes of Repentance and Forgiveness. In the main part of this parable we witness the sin of the younger son, his awakening to his sin and awareness of a needed change and his repentant return to His father. Then we witness the forgiveness of the  father towards his son and the opposite in the unforgiving anger of the oldest son. 
 
This is a Parable about the relationship between between our God and Humanity. We have sinned and strayed from God and like the younger son we must recognize our sin and the estrangement from God which this causes and that repentance and act of spiritual return is necessary on our part. When we make this return our Heavenly Father is waiting to forgive us and welcome us back.  Being granted forgiveness upon true repentance we are asked to show that same forgiveness in our relationship to others. This is underscored by the actions of the older son and is unwillingness to practice forgiveness but only anger. If we truly practice repentance and gain the forgiveness from God then we must extend that forgiveness to others in our lives, this is a necessary part of our repentance before God 

          Your Pastor; 
          Father Paisius R McGrath

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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal 2nd Tone

When the angelic powers appeared at Your grave, the soldiers guarding it feared and became as dead. And standing by the sepulcher was Mary who was seeking Your immaculate body. You devastated Hades, not afflicted by it. You went to meet the virgin, and granted eternal life. You resurrected from the dead. O Lord, glory to You.

Seasonal Kontakion in the 3rd Tone

O Father, foolishly I ran away from Your glory, and in sin, squandered the riches You gave me. Wherefore, I cry out to You with the voice of the Prodigal, "I have sinned before You Compassionate Father. Receive me in repentance and take me as one of Your hired servants."
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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Plagal 2nd Tone. Psalm 27.9,1.
O Lord, save your people and bless your inheritance.
Verse: To you, O Lord, I have cried, O my God.

The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 6:12-20.

Brethren, "all things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything. "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food" -- and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "The two shall become one flesh." But he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body and in your spirit which belong to God.

Gospel Reading

Sunday of the Prodigal Son
The Reading is from Luke 15:11-32

The Lord said this parable: "There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me.' And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his belly with the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to make merry. Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, 'Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"

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Wisdom of the Fathers

Thank God every day with your whole heart for having given to you life according to His image and likeness - an intelligently free and immortal life...Thank Him also for again daily bestowing life upon you, who have fallen an innumerable multitude of times, by your own free will, through sins, from life unto death, and that He does so as soon as you only say from your whole heart: 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before Thee!' (Luke 15:18).
St. John of Kronstadt
My Life in Christ: Part 1; Holy Trinity Monastery pgs. 104-105, 19th century

But if he had despaired of his life, and, ... had remained in the foreign land, he would not have obtained what he did obtain, but would have been consumed with hunger, and so have undergone the most pitiable death: ...
St. John Chrysostom
AN EXHORTATION TO THEODORE AFTER HIS FALL, 4th Century

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Saints and Feasts

Gerasimosjordan
March 04

Gerasimos the Righteous of Jordan

This Saint, who was from Lycia in Asia Minor, lived there for many years as a hermit, and then went to Palestine. There he built the great Lavra by the Jordan River, where a lion served him with great obedience and devotion. One day the lion came looking for Gerasimus that he might feed him, but his disciples took the lion to the place where they had buried the Saint shortly before. The lion fell at the Saint's grave and, after roaring with grief, died at that very place. Saint Gerasimus reposed in 475.

40martsb
March 09

40 Martyrs at Lake Sebaste

These holy Martyrs, who came from various lands, were all soldiers under the same general. Taken into custody for their faith in Christ, and at first interrogated by cruel means, they were then stripped of their clothing and cast onto the frozen lake which is at Sebastia of Pontus, at a time when the harsh and freezing weather was at its worst. They endured the whole night naked in such circumstances, encouraging one another to be patient until the end. He that guarded them, named Aglaius, who was commanded to receive any of them that might deny Christ, had a vision in which he saw heavenly powers distributing crowns to all of the Martyrs, except one, who soon after abandoned the contest. Seeing this, Aglaius professed himself a Christian and joined the Martyrs on the lake, and the number of forty remained complete. In the morning, when they were almost dead from the cold, they were cast into fire, after which their remains were thrown into the river. Thus they finished the good course of martyrdom in 320, during the reign of Licinius. These are their names: Acacius, Aetius, Aglaius, Alexander, Angus, Athanasius, Candidus, Chudion, Claudius, Cyril, Cyrion, Dometian, Domnus, Ecdicius, Elias, Eunoicus, Eutyches, Eutychius, Flavius, Gaius, Gorgonius, Helianus, Heraclius, Hesychius, John, Lysimachus, Meliton, Nicholas, Philoctemon, Priscus, Sacerdon, Severian, Sisinius, Smaragdus, Theodulus, Theophilus, Valens, Valerius, Vivianus, and Xanthias.

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Holy Trinity Calendar

  • Holy Trinity Calendar

    March 3 to March 11, 2024

    Sunday, March 3

    Sunday of the Prodigal Son

    9:30AM Orthros

    10:00AM Divine Liturgy

    Monday, March 4

    Saint Gerasimos of the Jordan

    9:30AM Orthros

    10:00AM Divine Liturgy

    6:00PM Parish Council Meeting

    Tuesday, March 5

    7:00PM Potluck Meal

    Wednesday, March 6

    6:00PM Daily Vespers and Talk with Potluck Meal

    Saturday, March 9

    Saturday of the Souls

    40 Martyrs of Sebaste

    9:30AM Orthros

    10:00AM Divine Liturgy

    11:30AM Memorial Service

    6:00PM Great Vespers

    Sunday, March 10

    Daylight Savings Time Begins

    Sunday of Last Judgement

    Meatfare Sunday

    9:30AM Orthros

    10:00AM Divine Liturgy

    12:30PM General Assembly

    Monday, March 11

    Saint Sophronios of Jerusalem

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Announcements and Events

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Our devoted and faithful parishioner and friend, Evangelos (Angelo) Hagicostas reposed in the Lord last week on Monday, February 27 and his funeral was served on Thursday. May the Lord our God grant a blessed repose to His newly departed servant, Evangelos, and may his memory be eternal!

Today we offer the Parish Council Oath of Office with Cassidy Anderson as he was appointed to fill the open position on the Council. We are pleased to announce that our Parish Council for this year of 2024 will be Ed Maikranze -President, Eleni Vganges - Vice President, Rodney Bridges - Treasurer, Seth Williston - Secretary and Cassidy Anderson - At Large. Let us support our new Parish Council in prayer and support every day.  May the Lord our God bless and guide our Parish Council as they work on behalf of our Parish Community

On February 25, the Lenten Triodion began with the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee. This began the several weeks of our Pre Lent season of preparation for Great Lent and consists of the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee, Sunday of the Prodigal Son, Sunday of the Last Judgment( Meatfare Sunday) and Sunday of Forgiveness (Cheese fare Sunday). Following the Triodion Great Lent and the Great Fast will begin on Monday, March 18 and Holy Pascha will then be on Sunday, May 5.  Please pick up the special flyer on the Pre-Lenten and Lenten Sundays on the candle table in the Narthex.

Also as we prepare to enter this Pascha season you can use a wonderful resource on the Archdiocese website.  Click on each day of the Triodion, Great Lent, Holy Week, or Pentekostarion to see a detailed explaination of the day and on many occasions it's respective icon.  Go to https://www.goarch.org/lent.  See the bulletin insert for a screenshot of the website.

Another great site our parishiners can use is a series of videos called Pilgrimage to Pascha.  Total time for the 8 videos is about 45 minutes.  Video titles include:  Pilgimage to Pascha,  Repentence, Family Prayer, Lenten Services, Fasting from Food, Fasting from Vices, Almsgiving, and The Light of Christ.  The videos were created by Greek Orthodox Church Archdiocese Center for Family Care.  Videos can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWopa4I5g3xCxfPh5dvQvsP8BIC4LuWn-

As we prepare to enter our Pre Lenten preparation, we offer a reminder that we will have our three Lenten Soul Saturday services on March 16, 23 and 30. Please make sure the names of your departed family members and friends are handed in to Father Paisius so that we can pray for them all at these special Memorial Services.  Forms to list your names are available in the Narthex or you can print from the bulletin insert.  Please provide your names to Father Paisius before services begin.  

We offer a reminder that as we approach the start of Great Lent the time for Home Blessings before Lent goes through March 9. After Holy Pascha there will be a continued time for Home Blessings.

We wish to announce that our next Parish General Assembly will be following Divine Liturgy on Sunday, March 10. Please join us as we discuss together the ongoing life and ministry of our Parish Community. Please remember that to vote at our Parish General Assembly everyone needs to have met your financial commitment to the Parish, please check with Rodney Bridges for more on this.

We offer a reminder that this coming Sunday, March 10 time changes as we return to Daylight Savings Time. Please remember to turn your clocks ahead on Saturday night.

Our Parish website calendar has been updated with our schedule for March and printed copies of the monthly schedule are available today on the tables in the Narthex and Church side entrance.

 BIRTHDAYS

This week we extend our best wishes and congratulations to Eleftherios Vganges as he celebrates his birthday on March 3, and to Jennifer Rood who celebrates her birthday on March 5 and to Angelo Hagicostas (of blessed memory) on his birthday March 7. May the Lord our God bless His servants, Eleftherios and Jennifer, and grant to them many more blessed and happy years!   May the Lord our God grant a blessed repose to His newly departed servant Angelo and may his memory be eternal!
  
If we missed your anniversary or birthday it means we don't have you information listed on our roster.  Please let us know so we can make the updates.
 
MEMORIAL
 
Sunday, March 3, at the end of Divine Liturgy we offer the 1 year Memorial Service for the departed servant of God Ana Bulumac - mother of Meri Ionescu. May the Lord our God grant a blessed repose to His departed servant, Ana, and may her memory be eternal!
 
     PRAYERS FOR THE SICK AND RECOVERING 

Pray for Saidi Maalouf, Niki Arnold, Karen Henderson, Tristan Freeman, and Demetri Vlahos as they recover from their illnesses.  May the Lord our God quickly heal His servants.  Get well soon. 

Please let Father Paisius know of any parishioner who is sick so we may pray for them. 

ORTHODOX STEWARDSHIP

Orthodox Christian Stewardship is a way of life, which acknowledges accountability, reverence, and responsibility before God. A primary goal of Stewardship is to promote spiritual growth and strengthen faith. Becoming a Steward begins when we believe in God, to whom we give our love, loyalty and trust and act on those beliefs. As Stewards, we affirm that every aspect of our lives comes as a gift from Him. Stewardship calls on the faithful to cheerfully offer back to God a portion of the gifts with which they have been blessed.  See bulletin insert for 2024 Stewardship Pledge Form.  

 

 

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Inserts

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