
SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY

Sunday, March 5th, 2023
Always a Spiritual Focus, First
Dear Parish Family Members,
This Sunday, the first Sunday in Great Lent, is dedicated as the “Sunday of Orthodoxy.” Sometimes, we get so used to what we have, in comfort, that we tend to forget the great magnitude of struggle our ancestors had in order to preserve our faith and express it.
In the 800’s, there were terrible persecutions over the idea of icons. Never mind forgetting that, in that era, 90% of people were illiterate and didn’t know how to read. Our icons were our Sunday School for so many people, who were able to learn the narratives of our faith through icons. But, in those times, which became known as the period of iconoclasm (the “breaking of icons”), many Christians died for their faith.
For this reason, in our more reasonable times, we commemorate that great strife and our great inheritance. For our Sunday of Orthodoxy, we bring our icons to church; we lift them high in procession around our church, proclaiming the rightful place of icons, how we never worship them but only venerate them. We venerate and honour the lives of the saints who often gave their lives for our faith. We never take for granted what we have inherited.
So, please consider the place of icons in your own homes. Do you have any? Do you have an icon of your patron Saint, your namesake? Is there a focus of our faith in your living space?
You are so welcome to join us this Sunday to show an appreciation of iconography in how we express our faith.
Faithfully, Father Samaras
Eothinon 5
LITURGY OF SAINT BASIL
On March 5th, 2023, we commemorate the holy monastic martyr Conon of Isauria; the holy Martyr Conon the gardener; our devout father Mark the Monk and Wonder-worker; the holy Martyr Evlogios of Palestine; the holy Martyr Evlampios; the holy Martyr Archelaos and the 142 Martyrs with him; And, on this day, the first Sunday of Lent, we commemorate the restoration of the holy and venerable icons enacted by the ever-memorable Emperors of Constantinople, Michael and his mother Theodora, during the patriarchate of Saint Methodios the Confessor.
Συναξάριον Τοῦ Μηναίου. Τῇ Εʹ τοῦ αὐτοῦ μηνός, μνήμη τοῦ Ἁγίου Ὁσιομάρτυρος Κόνωνος τοῦ ἐν Ἰσαυρίᾳ. Τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ, μνήμη τοῦ Ἁγίου Μάρτυρος Κόνωνος τοῦ κηπουροῦ. Τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ, μνήμη τοῦ Ὁσίου Πατρὸς ἡμῶν Μάρκου Μοναχοῦ τοῦ Θαυματουργοῦ. Τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ, μνήμη τοῦ Ἁγίου Μάρτυρος Εὐλογίου τοῦ ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ. Τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ, μνήμη τοῦ Ἁγίου Μάρτυρος Εὐλαμπίου. Τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ὁ Ἅγιος Μάρτυς Ἀρχέλαος, καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ ἑκατόν τεσσαράκοντα δύο Μάρτυρες, ξίφει τελειοῦνται. Τοῦ Τριωδίου. Τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ, Κυριακῇ πρώτῃ τῶν Νηστειῶν, ἀνάμνησιν ποιούμεθα τῆς ἀναστηλώσεως τῶν ἁγίων καὶ σεπτῶν Εἰκόνων, γενομένης παρὰ τῶν ἀειμνήστων Αὐτοκρατόρων Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, Μιχαὴλ καὶ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ Θεοδώρας, ἐπὶ τῆς Πατριαρχείας τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ Ὁμολογητοῦ Μεθοδίου.
The Epistle 1st Sunday of Lent
The Prayer of Azariah. Blessed are You, O Lord God of our fathers, for You are praiseworthy and exalted beyond measure unto the ages.
For You are righteous in all You did for us, all You brought on us and on Jerusalem, the holy city of our fathers.
The reading is from Saint Paul's Letter
to the Hebrews 11:24-26, 32-40
Brethren, by faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered abuse suffered for the Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he looked to the reward.
And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign enemies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated — of whom the world was not worthy — wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
The Gospel 1st Sunday in Lent
The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Saint 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."
Ὁ Ἀπόστολος Κυριακὴ Αʹ τῶν Νηστειῶν
Προσευχὴ τῶν Ἁγίων Τριῶν Παίδων.
Εὐλογητὸς εἶ Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, καὶ αἰνετὸν καὶ δεδοξασμένον
τὸ ὄνομά σου εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας.
Ὅτι δίκαιος εἶ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν, οἷς ἐποίησας ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν
τὴν ἁγίαν τὴν τῶν Πατέρων ἡμῶν Ἱερουσαλήμ.
Πρὸς Ἑβραίους Ἐπιστολῆς Παύλου 11:24-26, 32-40
Ἀδελφοί, πίστει Μωϋσῆς μέγας γενόμενος ἠρνήσατο λέγεσθαι υἱὸς θυγατρὸς Φαραώ, μᾶλλον ἑλόμενος συγκακουχεῖσθαι τῷ λαῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἢ πρόσκαιρον ἔχειν ἁμαρτίας ἀπόλαυσιν· μείζονα πλοῦτον ἡγησάμενος τῶν Αἰγύπτου θησαυρῶν τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ· ἀπέβλεπε γὰρ εἰς τὴν μισθαποδοσίαν. Καὶ τί ἔτι λέγω; Ἐπιλείψει γάρ με διηγούμενον ὁ χρόνος περὶ Γεδεών, Βαράκ τε καὶ Σαμψὼν καὶ Ἰεφθάε, Δαυΐδ τε καὶ Σαμουὴλ καὶ τῶν Προφητῶν· οἳ διὰ πίστεως κατηγωνίσαντο βασιλείας, εἰργάσαντο δικαιοσύνην, ἐπέτυχον ἐπαγγελιῶν, ἔφραξαν στόματα λεόντων, ἔσβεσαν δύναμιν πυρός, ἔφυγον στόματα μαχαίρας, ἐνεδυναμώθησαν ἀπὸ ἀσθενείας, ἐγενήθησαν ἰσχυροὶ ἐν πολέμῳ, παρεμβολὰς ἔκλιναν ἀλλοτρίων· ἔλαβον γυναῖκες ἐξ ἀναστάσεως τοὺς νεκροὺς αὐτῶν· ἄλλοι δὲ ἐτυμπανίσθησαν, οὐ προσδεξάμενοι τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν, ἵνα κρείττονος ἀναστάσεως τύχωσιν· ἕτεροι δὲ ἐμπαιγμῶν καὶ μαστίγων πεῖραν ἔλαβον, ἔτι δὲ δεσμῶν καὶ φυλακῆς· ἐλιθάσθησαν, ἐπρίσθησαν, ἐπειράσθησαν, ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρας ἀπέθανον, περιῆλθον ἐν μηλωταῖς, ἐν αἰγείοις δέρμασιν, ὑστερούμενοι, θλιβόμενοι, κακουχούμενοι, ὧν οὐκ ἦν ἄξιος ὁ κόσμος, ἐν ἐρημίαις πλανώμενοι καὶ ὄρεσι καὶ σπηλαίοις καὶ ταῖς ὀπαῖς τῆς γῆς. Καὶ οὗτοι πάντες μαρτυρηθέντες διὰ τῆς πίστεως οὐκ ἐκομίσαντο τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν, τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ ἡμῶν κρεῖττόν τι προβλεψαμένου, ἵνα μὴ χωρὶς ἡμῶν τελειωθῶσι.
Τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον Κυριακὴ Αʹ τῶν Νηστειῶν
Ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ Ἰωάννην ἁγίου Εὐαγγελίου αʹ 43-51
Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἠθέλησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐξελθεῖν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν, καὶ εὑρίσκει Φίλιππον καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἀκολούθει μοι. ἦν δὲ ὁ Φίλιππος ἀπὸ Βηθσαϊδά, ἐκ τῆς πόλεως Ἀνδρέου καὶ Πέτρου. εὑρίσκει Φίλιππος τὸν Ναθαναὴλ καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Ὃν ἔγραψε Μωϋσῆς ἐν τῷ νόμῳ καὶ οἱ προφῆται, εὑρήκαμεν, Ἰησοῦν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρέτ. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ· Ἐκ Ναζαρὲτ δύναταί τι ἀγαθὸν εἶναι; λέγει αὐτῷ Φίλιππος· Ἔρχου καὶ ἴδε. εἶδεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὸν Ναθαναὴλ ἐρχόμενον πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ λέγει περὶ αὐτοῦ· Ἴδε ἀληθῶς Ἰσραηλίτης ἐν ᾧ δόλος οὐκ ἔστι. λέγει αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ· Πόθεν με γινώσκεις; ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Πρὸ τοῦ σε Φίλιππον φωνῆσαι, ὄντα ὑπὸ τὴν συκῆν εἶδόν σε. ἀπεκρίθη Ναθαναήλ καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Ραββί, σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, σὺ εἶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ὅτι εἶπόν σοι, εἶδόν σε ὑποκάτω τῆς συκῆς, πιστεύεις; μείζω τούτων ὄψῃ. καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀπʼ ἄρτι ὄψεσθε τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνεῳγότα, καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀναβαίνοντας καὶ καταβαίνοντας ἐπὶ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.

2023 PARISH COUNCIL
We are pleased to announce our 2023 Parish Council & welcome new Council members Paula Refolo and Chris Pappas.
President - Theo Christ
Vice President – Yvonne Anastasiou
Treasurer – Chris Pappas
Secretary – Dina Mastoros
Parish Council Member - Evdokia Sofos
Parish Council Member - Dialecti Voudouris
Parish Council Member - Anastassios Mentis
Parish Council Member – Paula Refolo
SAINT JOHN'S SCHEDULE
Sunday, February 26, 2023
9:00am Orthros/10:00am Divine Liturgy
Forgiveness Sunday
Monday, February 27, 2023
GREAT LENT BEGINS
Friday, March 3, 2023
1st Salutations to the Theotokos
7:00pm
Saturday, March 4, 2023
Saturday of Souls
9:00am Orthros/10:00am Divine Liturgy
Sunday, March 5, 2023
Sunday of Orthodoxy
9:00am Orthros/10:00am Divine Liturgy
Friday, March 10, 2023
2nd Salutations to the Theotokos
7:00pm
Sunday, March 12, 2023
Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas
9:00am Orthros/10:00am Divine Liturgy
Friday, March 17, 2023
3rd Salutations to the Theotokos
7:00pm
Sunday, March 19, 2023
Sunday of the Holy Cross
9:00am Orthros/10:00am Divine Liturgy
Friday, March 24, 2023
4th Salutations to the Theotokos
7:00pm
Saturday, March 25, 2023
Annunciation of the Theotokos
9:00am Orthros/10:00am Divine Liturgy
Sunday, March 26, 2023
Sunday of St. John Climacus
9:00am Orthros/10:00am Divine Liturgy