This Sunday, we commemorate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord to the Temple. This is the commemoration of when the baby Jesus was brought to the Temple forty days after his birth by the Noble Joseph and the Theotokos. Its deeper meaning is the New Testament, Christ, meeting the Old Testament, represented by the Prophet Symeon. 

I thought this would be a good opportunity to reflect on how we ought to present ourselves to the Church. We are invited by the Lord to His Divine banquet, and we should present ourselves and dress as His special guests.

When presenting oneself at an Orthodox church, it is considered appropriate to dress modestly, arrive on time, enter quietly, cross oneself upon entry, light a candle and offer a prayer for oneself or loved ones (or perhaps a loved one who had passed) venerate the icon of the day and the other icons at the doors, and enter with a respectful demeanor avoiding distractions and focusing on worship. As a rule of thumb, one should not enter when the priest is facing the congregation, like when reading the gospel, censing or blessing.

Both men and women should dress appropriately. Ask yourself, how would you dress if you were invited to a banquet by a dignitary or holy person?

For men, this typically means wearing at least a collared shirt and dress pants. Suits, sport coats and slacks are always appropriate. This is what is commonly called “business casual.”  Women should wear a skirt or dress that reaches the knees.  If slacks are worn, they ought to be dress slacks and respectful. Head coverings for women are appropriate but not required. Wearing a scarf and otherwise not dressing modestly would miss the point. The key is to present oneself with reverence, modesty and humility in the house of God. It is never appropriate to seek to draw attention to oneself. 

Of course, there are exceptions. Sometimes, it is permissible to "dress down" a bit, but this is the exception and not the rule. It is always better to come to church even if you don’t have the ways or means to wear your Sunday best.

Finally, focus on yourself, not on others. We should never focus on what other people are wearing. Judging others is a far greater sin than dressing inappropriately. Look within yourself and evaluate where your priorities are and make sure that your own attire reflects your faith as an Orthodox Christian.

This Sunday is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord to the Temple. The sermon will be offered by Tim Sofis, who is in his final year of the Deaconate Program at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.

THE TRIODION begins on February 9th.

Saturday of the Souls, February 22nd.

Orthros, 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy, 10:00 a.m. followed by the Memorial Service. Please submit names to Fr. Gianulis for commemoration.

Great Lent begins on Monday, March 3rd.

The Dismuke family, all of whom were Baptized into the Orthodox Christian Faith on January 18th, as follows:

Reid, who took the name Nicetas. His godfather is Athanasios Jouvanis.

Anna, who was baptized Anna. Her godmother is Linda Jouvanis.

Zahara, who took the name Zenaida. Her godmother is Katy Tench.

Reid, who took the name Nicetas. His godfather is Athanasios Jouvanis.

Isabella, who took the name Elizabeth. Her godmother is Linda Jouvanis.

Jolene, who took the name Joanna. Her godmother is Linda Jouvanis.

Liam, who took the name George. His godmother is Katy Tench.

Genevieve, who was baptized Genevieve. Her godmother is Katy Tench.

Augustis, who took the name Augustine. His godfather is Athanasios Jouvanis.

May God grant them many years!

Also, congratulatons to Kristine Photini and Jody Joseph Michaud who had their marriage blessed in the Church on January 25th. 

May God grant them many years.

In response to the devastation caused by the recent and ongoing fires in Southern California, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, in collaboration with the Metropolis of San Francisco and the National Philoptochos Society, has launched a fundraising campaign to assist Orthodox Christians and others affected by this tragedy. The campaign aims to provide essential resources and support to help families and individuals rebuild their lives. To donate, visit https://www.goarch.org/donate/fires.

The College of William and Mary Orthodox Christian Fellowship, with the support of the Hampton Roads Orthodox Clergy, will host their annual pre-Lenten regional retreat. The venue will be a mix of St. Demetrios and W&M Wren Building. All students from throughout Virginia and beyond are welcome to attend this event. The retreat leader will be Fr. Christian Siskos (Holy Trinity Cathedral, Charlotte, NC. The dates are Friday, Feb. 21 through Sunday, Feb. 23. 

REGISTER BY FEB. 14TH https://tinyurl.com/3hrptkpv

We are preparing for the winter term of Greek Classes for children and adults.  These classes will be provided virtually for one hour per week.  Twelve lessons in all will be offered starting in late February.  If you have an interest, please contact our teacher, Demetra Demetriou, or Tom Jouvanis after liturgy. 

The 2025 Stewardship Pledge Cards are now available in the anteroom at church. Filling out the card helps us update our records and will be crucial in securing financing when needed from lenders. It is also and most importantly, our Christian responsibility to be stewards of God's House. Thank you.

We are in need of volunteers to help in various areas of the church life. If you have expertise or a willingness to lend a hand, we could use your assistance with the following:

• Youth Work (JOY advisor; GOYA advisor)
• Greek Dance Instuctor
• Web Page Managment
• Photographer/Historian
• Gardening and Lawn Care
• Kitchen Assistance (cooking, cleaning, etc.)

Contact the church office or Fr. Milton if you are willing and able to help.

A former member of our Greek American community of Hampton Roads is still in need of a stem cell transplant. I have extra registration kits available for anyone who would like to join. To join the registry, all that is required is a short health survey and a cheek swab. Join the Registry | NMDP (Formerly Be The Match) Only persons between 18- 40 years old are eligible. Please contact me, Elaine Jansen at 757 810-5206 or [email protected] with any questions and to sign up. Thank you! 

Updates on Orthodox Church news items can be found on our Facebook page. We thank Presbytera for monitoring and administering the page.

Also, check out our St. Demetrios website.

Lift up in prayer:

Peter and Beverly Daikos

Demetria Emmanouil

Stavroula Gailey

Sonny Halioris

Jennifer Mary Hotz

Athanasia Jouvanis

Jim Kokolis

Nancy Marakos

Chris Marker

John and Connie Pavlides

Fielding Tench

Nick & Kimi Vlahakis

Nick Vlattas