News, Events and Announcements

SATURDAY, MARCH 8: SET YOUR CLOCKS AHEAD ONE HOUR BEFORE GOING TO SLEEP

AVOID A WINTER PARKING TICKET by observing city guidelines for plowing: If the day of the week is an even number then we park on the church side of the street. If the day of the week is an odd number then we park across from the church. This Sunday is an odd number, park across the street from the church.

WELCOME TO OUR VISITORS Whether you are new to Bangor or if you're just passing through -welcome! If you've come because you are curious about the Orthodox Church, its beliefs and worship, you are very welcome, too! Please don't hesitate to introduce yourself to someone you've never met and consider staying for some refreshments and fellowship after the morning service. If you would like to receive mailings or otherwise stay in touch, please leave your contact information (name, address, phone, email) with the person in the church office.

TODAY IS THE SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY REMINDER: Bring a portable icon with you to church today. If you have an icon of your Patron Saint, that would be very nice. We will have a procession with our icons this morning. Thank you for helping proclaim the bright beauty of our Faith as is our yearly tradition.

TODAY IS THE FEAST DAY OF THE FORTY HOLY MARTYRS OF SEBASTE Learn more about their great courage born of Faith and why we laud them this day: https://otftd.blogspot.com/2012/03/on-40-holy-martyrs-of-sebaste.html. Today is also Pres. Candace's Name Day--Xronia Polla! May the intercessions of the Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste give us strength and courageous faith going forward each day.

EVENING SERVICES DURING GREAT AND HOLY LENT Note: Fr. will be at a clergy retreat this Wednesday, the Pre-Sanctified Divine Liturgy will not be offered this week. Wednesday evenings beginning March 5 at 6PM, a Pre-Sanctified Divine Liturgy is celebrated. If you would like to receive Holy Communion that evening for strengthening, please fast from food and drink from an early lunch time that day. Every Friday night during Great Lent (beginning March 7) we have the Salutations service to our Panagia and on the fifth Friday, we pray the entire akathist service to the Mother of God. That service begins at 7PM.

THIS SATURDAY, MARCH 15 Great Vespers will be prayed at 6PM.

SINCERE THANKS to Michael S who provided a light Lenten meal for those who stayed after last Wednesday's Pre-Sanctified Divine Liturgy. Anyone who would like to bring food to share after that service is welcome to do likewise.

ALTAR GUILD MINISTRY Seeking a core group of individuals who will organize and care for existing church linens and decide on colors and designs for the same into the future. This group will change out linens according to season while assuring they remain in suitable use condition. Those with solid sewing skills are encouraged to participate but it is not a requisite. Please let Pres. know if you would like to be involved. doxa141 at gmail.com. Thank you.

GREAT COMPLINE PRAYERS These are the after dinner prayers that are offered Mon-Thurs evenings during Great and Holy Lent. You can find the on-line text here: https://www.goarch.org/-/order-of-the-after-dinner-prayer-office-of-the-great-compline.

THE LENTEN PRAYER OF ST. EPHRAIM THE SYRIAN This text is often offered during Great and Holy Lent. It is appropriate to use it at the conclusion of your prayer times at home. Simply read and offer the prostrations as noted below in the text. May our hearts be softened as one this season.

THE LENTEN PRAYER OF SAINT EPHRAIM

Lord and Master of my life, cast away from me the spirit of laziness, idle curiosity, love of power and vain talk. (Prostration)

But grant me, Your servant, the spirit of moderation, humility, patience and love. (Prostration)

Yes, Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to judge my brothers and sisters. (Prostration)

(Followed by 12 bows saying silently each time, "O God be gracious to me a sinner.")

Yes, Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to judge my brothers and sisters.

For You are Blessed forever and ever. Amen.

PRAYER REQUESTS Prayer changes things--let us support one another. Please remember Eleni who will be undergoing cataract surgery this Wednesday. Prayers are requested for Deacon James from St. Innocent of Alaska mission in Bucksport. He has been diagnosed with lymphoma and will be undergoing chemotherapy. Sharon's sister, Lori, is facing a surgery and would be grateful for prayer support - surgery date yet undetermined. Victoria asks for prayer as she expects to have a knee surgery in about six months. In the meantime, she will need to manage with a less than stellar knee. Please keep remembering Dr. Allison's mom, Paula, in your prayers. She is managing a serious health condition. Thank God, she is doing well. Also, keep Mona's dad, Fr. Anthony, a priest in Pakistan, in your prayers. At present, his health is frail. Please keep remembering two Orthodox sisters in Christ still recovering from strokes (slow, but sure), Panagiota (Jaye) and Seraphima (Linnea). Pat E continues to thank everyone who prays for her as she copes with impaired eyesight. Again, your prayers for these these brothers and sisters in Christ are of great assistance.

FUND-RAISER TO BENEFIT ST. GEORGE Gabriya has crafted some beautiful crosses out of natural materials which are on display in the fellowship hall. They are available by donation. Suggested donation is $8-$15 each, depending on size.

PYSANKY EGG DECORATING CLASS--PLEASE RSVP TODAY Eleni A is willing to lead a beginner's class in pysanky egg decorating (this is an Ukrainian folk art) during this Lenten season. She's been taking classes for some years now and is willing to conduct a beginner's class for us which is wonderful! The cost to cover the class and materials will be $35 per person. Please RSVP to Eleni directly to express your interest.

RSVP TODAY IF YOU WANT TO ORDER A HOLY WEEK & PASCHA SERVICE BOOK This year we will place an order for service books that will cover services from Palm Sunday night through Holy Pascha's Agape Vespers. This is the same service book we've used for years only this time you can buy one to own. The church has some books available for use, but we often run short of copies near the end of Holy Week. In order to own your own copy, please place your order with Presbytera by Sunday, March 9. The cost is $25 per book. You can write a check to St. George for $25 (mark Holy Week book in the memo section) and give to Pres. so she can log your order and note your payment. Thank you!

ARE YOU IN THE GROOVE? Great Lent began last Monday, March 3. A roster of 10 recipes that you can cycle through and repeat during Great Lent can help relieve the stress of "what will we eat?" Meal planning is a great help during the season. One favorite vegan cooking site that has great recipes, many of them demonstrated on YouTube, is https://plantbasedcookingshow.com/. Another popular site is https://rainbowplantlife.com/. Also, consider asking other parishioners what dishes or products they rely on during Great Lent. People are glad to share what works for them.

FAVORITE VEGAN PRODUCTS Vegenaise (mayo substitute) found in the refrigerated section at most grocery stores. Any of the "Violife" brand vegan cheeses. Nut Pod brand creamers. Powdered egg substitute for baking (Ener-G or Bob's Red Mill). You can find all these items at Tiller and Rye, right across the bridge in Brewer, or Natural Living Center in Bangor (near the mall).

FAVORITE LENTEN COOKING TOOLS Immersion blender, Nutri-Bullet, Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker), tofu press.

QUICK MEAL TIP Using a tofu press, press out water from a block of tofu (press overnight or for a few hours ahead of time). Drain excess water and slice the tofu into fryable sized strips. Dip strips into cornstarch and fry in a bit of oil (coconut oil or avocado oil) and serve. The strips will crisp up a bit and can be used for dipping or covered with a sauce. They can also be added to a stir fry.

METROPOLIS OF BOSTON CAMP MBC Summer Camp 2025 opens for registration on March 11. This camp is for ages 8 - grade 12. Learn more here: https://www.metropolisofbostoncamp.org/summer-camp.html

2025 METROPOLIS OF BOSTON SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES https://boston.goarch.org/ministries/scholarships/

NEXT BOARD GAME GET TOGETHER Mark your calendar for March 30, the next board game activity at St. George. The plan is to have the activity on the last Sunday of the month, toward the end of fellowship hour. Bring a game along or join in on someone else's game. Bring a friend, too, and the fellowship will grow! Questions? Ask our coordinator, Dhesorae.

BABY GIRL ARRIVING SOON Those of you who remember Patrick & Brigid K might know they are expecting their third child, a little girl, on or around March 20. They ask your prayers for this coming event. They live up north and are members are Holy Archangels Mission where Patrick serves as a sub-deacon. If you would like to bless them with a gift, they are yet in need of items shown here: https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/jessica-kavin-march-2025-houlton/1HIPW66XNECN0.

A NICE WAY TO HELP ST. GEORGE For an unspecified time, a family has offered to buy our bookshop stock as a donation so the church does not need to fund the stock purchases. That means whenever you buy from our bookshop St. George benefits a good bit. So please shop here and if there is a book or something else (icon, prayer rope, neck cross, bread seal, or the like) you're looking for, please let Pres. know so it can be ordered. We recently did a bump up of books so check out what's on the shelf. Titles received over the past week are: The Illumined Heart (on the vibrant Faith of the ancient Christians); Eusebius - The Church History (hardcover); Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer (hardcover); The Orthodox Study Bible (hardcover); The Apostolic Fathers and Wounded by Love - the Life and Wisdom of St. Porphyrios and six Antiochian pocket prayer books. We also have censers, self-light charcoal briquettes and aromatic Orthodox incense. Beautiful prayer ropes (30 knot and 100 knot in varied colors) from Ukraine are on display 30 knot bracelet is $14; 100 knot rope is $45. Thanks for shopping here--and let Pres. know if you are looking for specific items or want to order/re-order a book. COMING SOON: Paschal egg dye (red) and Paschal egg wraps (similar to shrink wrap) in beautiful designs.

FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE - Donations can be made online.

Saints and Feasts

March 09

Sunday of Orthodoxy

For more than one hundred years the Church of Christ was troubled by the persecution of the Iconoclasts of evil belief, beginning in the reign of Leo the Isaurian (717-741) and ending in the reign of Theophilus (829-842). After Theophilus's death, his widow the Empress Theodora (celebrated Feb. 11), together with the Patriarch Methodius (June 14), established Orthodoxy anew. This ever-memorable Queen venerated the icon of the Mother of God in the presence of the Patriarch Methodius and the other confessors and righteous men, and openly cried out these holy words: "If anyone does not offer relative worship to the holy icons, not adoring them as though they were gods, but venerating them out of love as images of the archetype, let him be anathema." Then with common prayer and fasting during the whole first week of the Forty-day Fast, she asked God's forgiveness for her husband. After this, on the first Sunday of the Fast, she and her son, Michael the Emperor, made a procession with all the clergy and people and restored the holy icons, and again adorned the Church of Christ with them. This is the holy deed that all we the Orthodox commemorate today, and we call this radiant and venerable day the Sunday of Orthodoxy, that is, the triumph of true doctrine over heresy.

March 09

The Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebastia

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.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Προκείμενον. Fifth Tone. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 11.7,1.
Σὺ Κύριε, φυλάξαις ἡμᾶς καὶ διατηρήσαις ἡμᾶς.
Στίχ. Σῶσον με, Κύριε, ὅτι ἐκλέλοιπεν ὅσιος.

τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Ἑβραίους 12:1-10.

Ἀδελφοί, τοσοῦτον ἔχοντες περικείμενον ἡμῖν νέφος μαρτύρων, ὄγκον ἀποθέμενοι πάντα καὶ τὴν εὐπερίστατον ἁμαρτίαν, διʼ ὑπομονῆς τρέχωμεν τὸν προκείμενον ἡμῖν ἀγῶνα, ἀφορῶντες εἰς τὸν τῆς πίστεως ἀρχηγὸν καὶ τελειωτὴν Ἰησοῦν, ὃς, ἀντὶ τῆς προκειμένης αὐτῷ χαρᾶς, ὑπέμεινεν σταυρόν, αἰσχύνης καταφρονήσας, ἐν δεξιᾷ τε τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ θεοῦ κεκάθικεν. Ἀναλογίσασθε γὰρ τὸν τοιαύτην ὑπομεμενηκότα ὑπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν εἰς ἀυτὸν ἀντιλογίαν, ἵνα μὴ κάμητε ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν ἐκλυόμενοι. Οὔπω μέχρι αἵματος ἀντικατέστητε πρὸς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἀνταγωνιζόμενοι· καὶ ἐκλέλησθε τῆς παρακλήσεως, ἥτις ὑμῖν ὡς υἱοῖς διαλέγεται, Υἱέ μου, μὴ ὀλιγώρει παιδείας κυρίου, μηδὲ ἐκλύου ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ ἐλεγχόμενος· ὃν γὰρ ἀγαπᾷ κύριος παιδεύει· μαστιγοῖ δὲ πάντα υἱὸν ὃν παραδέχεται. Εἰς παιδείαν ὑπομένετε, ὡς υἱοῖς ὑμῖν προσφέρεται ὁ θεός· τίς γὰρ ἐστιν υἱὸς ὃν οὐ παιδεύει πατήρ; Εἰ δὲ χωρίς ἐστε παιδείας, ἧς μέτοχοι γεγόνασιν πάντες, ἄρα νόθοι ἐστε καὶ οὐχ υἱοί. Εἶτα τοὺς μὲν τῆς σαρκὸς ἡμῶν πατέρας εἴχομεν παιδευτὰς, καὶ ἐνετρεπόμεθα· οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑποταγησόμεθα τῷ πατρὶ τῶν πνευμάτων, καὶ ζήσομεν; Οἱ μὲν γὰρ πρὸς ὀλίγας ἡμέρας κατὰ τὸ δοκοῦν αὐτοῖς ἐπαίδευον· ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ συμφέρον, εἰς τὸ μεταλαβεῖν τῆς ἁγιότητος αὐτοῦ.

Prokeimenon. Fifth Tone. Psalm 11.7,1.
You, O Lord, shall keep us and preserve us.
Verse: Save me, O Lord, for the godly man has failed.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 12:1-10.

BRETHREN, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation which addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage when you are punished by him. For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers to discipline us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father.

Gospel Reading

Sunday of Orthodoxy
Κατὰ Ἰωάννην 1:44-52

Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἠθέλησεν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς ἐξελθεῖν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν· καὶ εὑρίσκει Φίλιππον καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· ἀκολούθει μοι. ἦν δὲ ὁ Φίλιππος ἀπὸ Βηθσαϊδά, ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ᾿Ανδρέου καὶ Πέτρου. εὑρίσκει Φίλιππος τὸν Ναθαναὴλ καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· ὃν ἔγραψε Μωϋσῆς ἐν τῷ νόμῳ καὶ οἱ προφῆται, εὑρήκαμεν, ᾿Ιησοῦν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ᾿Ιωσὴφ τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρέτ. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ· ἐκ Ναζαρὲτ δύναταί τι ἀγαθὸν εἶναι; λέγει αὐτῷ Φίλιππος· ἔρχου καὶ ἴδε. εἶδεν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς τὸν Ναθαναὴλ ἐρχόμενον πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ λέγει περὶ αὐτοῦ· ἴδε ἀληθῶς ᾿Ισραηλίτης, ἐν ᾧ δόλος οὐκ ἔστι. λέγει αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ· πόθεν με γινώσκεις; ἀπεκρίθη ᾿Ιησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· πρὸ τοῦ σε Φίλιππον φωνῆσαι, ὄντα ὑπὸ τὴν συκῆν εἶδόν σε. ἀπεκρίθη Ναθαναὴλ καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· ῥαββί, σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, σὺ εἶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ. ἀπεκρίθη ᾿Ιησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ὅτι εἶπόν σοι, εἶδόν σε ὑποκάτω τῆς συκῆς, πιστεύεις; μείζω τούτων ὄψει. καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀπ᾽ ἄρτι ὄψεσθε τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνεῳγότα, καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀναβαίνοντας καὶ καταβαίνοντας ἐπὶ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.

Sunday of Orthodoxy
The Reading is from John 1:43-51

At that time, Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And he found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael, and he said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man."

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