Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Third 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.

Εὐφραινέσθω τὰ οὐράνια, ἀγαλλιάσθω τὰ ἐπίγεια, ὅτι ἐποίησε κράτος, ἐν βραχίονι αὐτοῦ, ὁ Κύριος, ἐπάτησε τῷ θανάτῳ τὸν θάνατον, πρωτότοκος τῶν νεκρῶν ἐγένετο, ἐκ κοιλίας ᾅδου ἐρρύσατο ἡμᾶς, καὶ παρέσχε τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal Second 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."

Τῆς σοφίας ὁδηγέ, φρονήσεως χορηγέ, τῶν ἀφρόνων παιδευτά, καὶ πτωχῶν ὑπερασπιστά, στήριξον, συνέτισον τὴν καρδίαν μου Δέσποτα. Σὺ δίδου μοι λόγον, ὁ τοῦ Πατρός Λόγος· ἰδοὺ γὰρ τὰ χείλη μου, οὐ μὴ κωλύσω ἐν τῷ κράζειν σοι· Ἐλεῆμον, ἐλέησόν με τὸν παραπεσόντα.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Plagal Fourth 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.

Προκείμενον. Plagal Fourth Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 75.11,1.
Εὔξασθε καὶ ἀπόδοτε Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν.
Στίχ. Γνωστὸς ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ ὁ Θεός, ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ μέγα τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ.

τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς ῾Ρωμαίους 13:11-14, 14:1-4.

Ἀδελφοί, νῦν ἐγγύτερον ἡμῶν ἡ σωτηρία ἢ ὅτε ἐπιστεύσαμεν. Ἡ νὺξ προέκοψεν, ἡ δὲ ἡμέρα ἤγγικεν· ἀποθώμεθα οὖν τὰ ἔργα τοῦ σκότους, καί ἐνδυσώμεθα τὰ ὅπλα τοῦ φωτός. Ὡς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ, εὐσχημόνως περιπατήσωμεν, μὴ κώμοις καὶ μέθαις, μὴ κοίταις καὶ ἀσελγείαις, μὴ ἔριδι καὶ ζήλῳ. Ἀλλʼ ἐνδύσασθε τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, καὶ τῆς σαρκὸς πρόνοιαν μὴ ποιεῖσθε, εἰς ἐπιθυμίας. Τὸν δὲ ἀσθενοῦντα τῇ πίστει προσλαμβάνεσθε, μὴ εἰς διακρίσεις διαλογισμῶν. Ὃς μὲν πιστεύει φαγεῖν πάντα, ὁ δὲ ἀσθενῶν λάχανα ἐσθίει. Ὁ ἐσθίων τὸν μὴ ἐσθίοντα μὴ ἐξουθενείτω, καὶ ὁ μὴ ἐσθίων τὸν ἐσθίοντα μὴ κρινέτω· ὁ θεὸς γὰρ αὐτὸν προσελάβετο. Σὺ τίς εἶ ὁ κρίνων ἀλλότριον οἰκέτην; Τῷ ἰδίῳ κυρίῳ στήκει ἢ πίπτει. Σταθήσεται δέ· δυνατὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ θεὸς στῆσαι αὐτόν.

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."

Forgiveness Sunday
Κατὰ Ματθαῖον 6:14-21

Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος· ᾿Εὰν γὰρ ἀφῆτε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰ παραπτώματα αὐτῶν, ἀφήσει καὶ ὑμῖν ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀφῆτε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰ παραπτώματα αὐτῶν, οὐδὲ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ἀφήσει τὰ παραπτώματα ὑμῶν. ῞Οταν δὲ νηστεύητε, μὴ γίνεσθε ὥσπερ οἱ ὑποκριταὶ σκυθρωποί· ἀφανίζουσι γὰρ τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν ὅπως φανῶσι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις νηστεύοντες· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ἀπέχουσι τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν. σὺ δὲ νηστεύων ἄλειψαί σου τὴν κεφαλὴν καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν σου νίψαι,ὅπως μὴ φανῇς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις νηστεύων, ἀλλὰ τῷ πατρί σου τῷ ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ, καὶ ὁ πατήρ σου ὁ βλέπων ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ ἀποδώσει σοι ἐν τῷ φανερῷ. Μὴ θησαυρίζετε ὑμῖν θησαυροὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅπου σὴς καὶ βρῶσις ἀφανίζει, καὶ ὅπου κλέπται διορύσσουσι καὶ κλέπτουσι· θησαυρίζετε δὲ ὑμῖν θησαυροὺς ἐν οὐρανῷ, ὅπου οὔτε σὴς οὔτε βρῶσις ἀφανίζει, καὶ ὅπου κλέπται οὐ διορύσσουσιν οὐδὲ κλέπτουσιν· ὅπου γάρ ἐστιν ὁ θησαυρὸς ὑμῶν, ἐκεῖ ἔσται καὶ ἡ καρδία ὑμῶν.

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

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.

PARISH EVENTS AND NEWS

Sunday, March 2 – Forgiveness Sunday

TODAY IS GODPARENTS’ SUNDAY!

Memorials:

NICK GIVAS - 1 yr

CONSTANCE GIVAS - 3 yrs

GEORGE GIVAS - 15 yrs.

Coffee Hour Sponsor

THEODORA KANELLOS – 1 yr

Coffee Hour Sponsor

SERVICES THIS WEEK:

Sunday, March 2^nd – VESPERS OF FORGIVENESS, A joint service with our sister parish, Nativity of the Virgin Mary, 6:00 pm, Nativity of the Virgin Mary Church, Plymouth

The following services will be held at Saints Constantine and Helen, Westland

Monday, March 3^rd - GREAT COMPLINE SERVICE 6:30 pm

Wednesday, March 5^th - PRESANCTIFIED LITURGY SERVICE 5:30 pm, to be followed by Lecture and complimentary Lenten Pot Luck in the Hellenic Cultural Center, hosted by the CHOIR. Lecture: “Holy Tradition, tradition, and Yiayia-ology – Funerals, Memorials, Cremation” Presented by Fr. Teodor Petrutiu

Friday, March 7^th - SALUTATIONS TO THE VIRGIN MARY, 6:00 pm

Saturday, March 8th SATURDAY OF SOULS, Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

VIDEO ARCHIVE: Previously recorded Sunday Divine Liturgy services are archived and available on our website! Go to https://www.stcons.org/video-streaming and you can click on the service you would like to view.

LIGHT A CANDLE AND SAY A PRAYER: When you are not able to attend church, you can purchase a candle from our church website (home page or video-streaming page), which will be lit before the following service or a service that you specify. Please give specific names, living or deceased, that you would like Father to remember in prayer. Father will light candles one hour before each service. For Sunday services, please place candle orders prior to 8:00 am Sunday morning.

PLEASE PRAY FOR: Theodore, Anastasia, Constantinos, Phyllis, Joe, Dina, Pamela, Mia, Michael, Tracy, Anna, Sue, Nicole, Nahad, Amalia, Nydia, Ann, John, Janek, Frank, George, Patrick, Joanne, Betty, Deana, Gloria, Jeannette, Michael, Theodoros, Niko, Maria, Georgia, Sevasti, Mariam, George, Gene, Pete, Lazaros, John, Christopher, George, David, Marcos, Lela, Dawn, Panagioti, Joanna, Suzanne, Nick, Fotini, Niki, George, Matthew, Stefanos, Georgia, Leonidas, Connie, Maria, Brenda, Panagiota, Nicholas, Vicki, Susan, Tom, Thomas, Jim, Gloria, Evans, Phyllis, Marti, Janet, John, Zacharias, Vanessa (Vasiliki), Jake, Maegan, Irene, Lisa, Pat, Jonathan, Dianna, Betty, Catherine, Evelyn, Gregg, Peter, Angela, Bill, Carrie, Vito, Stephanie, Lisa, Kylie, Nicholas, and Maria. If you would like to add a name to the prayer list, or if there is a name that should be removed from the prayer list, please contact the church office.

EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES:

PHILOPTOCHOS GENERAL MEETING: There will be a General Meeting of the St. Helen Philoptochos TODAY, Sunday March 2^nd, following the Divine Liturgy service in the Hellenic Cultural Center. Please plan to attend.

PRESANCTIFIED LITURGY LECTURE SERIES: Each Wednesday during Lent, beginning on Wednesday, March 5^th, our parish will hold a Lecture and Lenten Pot Luck following the 5:30 pm Presanctified Liturgy services. This year’s theme is “Holy Traditions, traditions, and “Yiayia-logy”. Mark those evenings on your calendar and plan to join us.

ANNUAL KOULOUMA LUNCHEON: Our annual Koulouma luncheon will be held Next Sunday, March 9^th following the Divine Liturgy service. This traditional Lenten meal is prepared and served by our St. Helen Philoptochos members, as we gather together as a parish to start the Great Lent. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children, and will be available at coffee hour today and at the door.

SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY: Next Sunday, March 9, is also the Sunday of Orthodoxy. Please bring your icons to hold during the procession of icons. All children should also bring an icon from home and will participate in the procession of the icons during the service.

LENTEN FISH FRYS: Our Hellenic Cultural Center will be starting their delicious Lenten Fish Fry suppers on Friday, March 7^th, and running each Friday during Lent from 4:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Cost for adults is $23, for kids under 12, $16. Bring your friends out and help support our HCC!

BASKETBALL LUNCHEON: Our Basketball teams will have a luncheon to celebrate their 2024-25 season on Saturday, March 8^th. For more information, or to RSVP, contact Tim Georvassilis at [email protected]

ORATORICAL FESTIVAL: The St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival will be held on Saturday, March 8^th at our parish following the Saturday of Souls Divine Liturgy service. It is a national program where Orthodox youth, grades 7 – 12, present speeches discussing the Greek Orthodox faith and the Church. Youth can earn cash awards at the parish level and scholarship awards if they make it to the Nationals.

SATURDAY OF THE SOULS: The final Saturday of the Souls, dedicated to those who left this world, will be held on Saturday, March 8^th. We will have Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m. at our Church, followed by Memorial Service. Please come so we can pray together for their souls and if you can, bring koliva (wheat), prosfora (bread), wine, oil and the names of the deceased to be remembered in prayer. If you have already submitted your names, you do not need to submit again.

PHILOPTOCHOS LENTEN RETREAT: Our St. Helen Philoptochos will hold an all-day Lenten Retreat on Saturday, March 22^nd on the subject of “The Benefits of Fasting: Spiritual and Physical”. Presenters will be Fr. Peter Bistolaridis and Fr. Michael Manos. For more information, contact Pam Avdoulos at [email protected]

HOPE & JOY “FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEPS” EVENT: Our next HOPE and JOY luncheon with Parent / Guardian Conversations with Father will be on Sunday, March 23, 2025. Children if ALL AGES will be participating in service projects while parents/guardians will have conversations with Father. All hands are needed to make these service projects a success!! Please RSVP by March 14.

NEWS AND NOTICES:

CONFESSION APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE: Fr. Teodor will be available for those who wish to make Confession following each Friday Salutations to the Theotokos service during Lent. He is also available during the week by appointment. Call the church office at 734.525.6789 to schedule.

MEMORIAL SERVICES: Please call the church office to schedule all memorials and coffee hour sponsorships at least two weeks in advance. On the day of the service, please bring a list of family names you would like Father to remember in prayer. The requested Coffee Hour Sponsorship donation is $200. Koliva will be distributed to parishioners at the coffee hour; if you wish to bring in paximadia, koulourakia, or other dry cookie it may also be distributed.

REMEMBER THE CHURCH IN YOUR WILL: You’ve supported the church your whole life, remembering us in your estate plan will help the church when you’re gone. Consult your estate planner or contact the Church office for information. We are grateful to our parishioners who have left bequests to the church in the last few years. Their loving legacy made a big difference! May their memory be eternal.

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