St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2025-05-04
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St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (772) 464-7194
  • Fax:
  • (772) 464-5595
  • Street Address:

  • 2525 South 25th Street

  • Fort Pierce, FL 34981


Contact Information






Services Schedule

Orthros 9:00 a.m.

Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.


Past Bulletins


Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!

Welcome!

 Join us for Orthodox Divine Liturgy every Sunday at 10:00 a.m.

 Our services are streamed live on the internet
at our Saint Nicholas website
https://stnicholasfp.com/
and on our Facebook page

Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church - Home | Facebook

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This Week and Upcoming Events

This Week: 

Sunday, May 4                         Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women
                                               Matins 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am
                                               Parish Assembly

Monday, May 5                         F.I.S.H.E.R. Men, 6:00 pm

Friday-Saturday, May 9-10     GOYA Jr Olympics at Saint Demetrios

Saturday, May 10                    Philoptochos, 11:00 am
                                         

             

Upcoming Events:

 

  

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Our mission is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, to teach and spread the Orthodox Christian faith, to energize, cultivate and guide the life of the Church according to the Orthodox Christian faith and Sacred Tradition.  The Church serves as a beacon, carrier and witness of the message of Christ to all persons in the community, through Divine Worship, preaching, teaching and living the Orthodox faith.

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Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion of Great and Holy Pascha in the Plagal First Tone

Christ is risen from the dead, by death, trampling down upon death, and to those in the tombs He has granted life.
Χριστός ἀνέστη ἐκ νεκρῶν, θανάτῳ θάνατον πατήσας, καί τοῖς ἐν τοῖς μνήμασι ζωήν χαρισάμενος.

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Second Tone

When you descended to the realm of death, You as life immortal rendered to Hades a mortal blow by Your all radiant divinity. And when you from infernal depths and the darkness below did raise the dead, all the hosts of heaven's powers did proclaim and cry out; O life giving Christ and our God, we give glory.
Ὅτε κατῆλθες πρὸς τὸν θάνατον, ἡ Ζωὴ ἡ ἀθάνατος, τότε τὸν ᾅδην ἐνέκρωσας τῇ ἀστραπῇ τῆς Θεότητος, ὅτε δὲ καὶ τοὺς τεθνεῶτας ἐκ τῶν καταχθονίων ἀνέστησας, πᾶσαι αἱ Δυνάμεις τῶν ἐπουρανίων ἐκραύγαζον·Ζωοδότα Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν δόξα σοι.

Apolytikion for Holy Myrrhbearers Sunday in the Second Tone

When he took down Your immaculate Body from the Cross, the honorable Joseph wrapped it in a clean linen shroud with spices and laid it for burial in a new tomb. But on the third day You rose, O Lord, and granted to the world the great mercy.
Ὁ εὐσχήμων Ἰωσήφ, ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου καθελὼν τὸ ἄχραντόν σου Σῶμα, σινδόνι καθαρᾷ, εἱλήσας καὶ ἀρώμασιν, ἐν μνήματι καινῷ κηδεύσας ἀπέθετο, ἀλλὰ τριήμερος ἀνέστης Κύριε, παρέχων τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος.

Apolytikion for Holy Myrrhbearers Sunday in the Second Tone

The Angel who had come to the sepulcher said to the Myrrh-bearing women, “Ointments are appropriate for mortal men; but Christ is indeed a stranger to decay. Now go proclaim that the Lord has risen and granted to the world the great mercy.”
Ταῖς Μυροφόροις Γυναιξί, παρὰ τὸ μνῆμα ἐπιστάς, ὁ Ἄγγελος ἐβόα. Τὰ μύρα τοῖς θνητοῖς ὑπάρχει ἁρμόδια, Χριστὸς δὲ διαφθορᾶς ἐδείχθη ἀλλότριος, ἀλλὰ κραυγάσατε, Ἀνέστη ὁ Κύριος, παρέχων τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal Fourth Tone

Though You went down into the tomb, O Immortal One, yet You brought down the dominion of Hades; and You rose as the victor, O Christ our God; and You called out “Rejoice” to the Myrrh-bearing women, and gave peace to Your Apostles, O Lord who to the fallen grant resurrection.
Εἰ καὶ ἐν τάφῳ κατῆλθες ἀθάνατε, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ᾍδου καθεῖλες τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ ἀνέστης ὡς νικητής, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, γυναιξὶ Μυροφόροις φθεγξάμενος. Χαίρετε, καὶ τοῖς σοῖς Ἀποστόλοις εἰρήνην δωρούμενος ὁ τοῖς πεσοῦσι παρέχων ἀνάστασιν.
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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Fourth Orthros Gospel
Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 24:1-12

Τῇ μιᾷ τῶν Σαββάτων, ὄρθρου βαθέος ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμα, φέρουσαι ἃ ἡτοίμασαν ἀρώματα, καί τινες σὺν αὐταῖς. Εὗρον δὲ τὸν λίθον ἀποκεκυλισμένον ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου, καὶ εἰσελθοῦσαι οὐχ εὗρον τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ. Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ διαπορεῖσθαι αὐτὰς περὶ τούτου, καὶ Ἰδού, δύο ἄνδρες ἐπέστησαν αὐταῖς ἐν ἐσθήσεσιν ἀστραπτούσαις· ἐμφόβων δὲ γενομένων αὐτῶν καὶ κλινουσῶν τὰ πρόσωπον εἰς τὴν γῆν, εἶπον πρὸς αὐτάς· Τί ζητεῖτε τὸν ζῶντα μετὰ τῶν νεκρῶν; οὐκ ἔστιν ᾧδε, ἀλλ' ἠγέρθη. Μνήσθητε ὡς ἐλάλησεν ὑμῖν, ἔτι ὢν ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ, λέγων, ὅτι δεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδοθῆναι εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων ἁμαρτωλῶν, καὶ σταυρωθῆναι, καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστῆναι. Καὶ ἐμνήσθησαν τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὑποστρέψασαι ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου, ἀπήγγειλαν ταῦτα πάντα τοῖς ἕνδεκα καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς λοιποῖς. Ἦσαν δὲ ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ Μαρία καὶ Ἰωάννα καὶ Μαρία Ἰακώβου, καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ σὺν αὐταῖς, αἳ ἔλεγον πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ταῦτα. Καὶ ἐφάνησαν ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν ὡσεὶ λῆρος τὰ ῥήματα αὐτῶν, καὶ ἠπίστουν αὐταῖς, ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἀναστὰς ἔδραμεν ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον, καὶ παρακύψας βλέπει τὰ ὀθόνια κείμενα μόνα, καὶ ἀπῆλθε, πρὸς ἑαυτόν θαυμάζων τὸ γεγονός.

Fourth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Luke 24:1-12

On the first day of the week at early dawn, the women went to the tomb, taking spices, which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel; and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise." And they remembered His words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told this to the Apostles; but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home wondering at what had happened.


Epistle Reading

Προκείμενον. Second Tone. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 117.14,18.
Ἰσχύς μου καὶ ὕμνησίς μου ὁ Κύριος.
Στίχ. Παιδεύων ἐπαίδευσέ με ὁ Κύριος.

τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων 6:1-7.

Ἐν ταῖς ἡμεραῖς ἐκείναις, πληθυνόντων τῶν μαθητῶν, ἐγένετο γογγυσμὸς τῶν Ἑλληνιστῶν πρὸς τοὺς Ἑβραίους, ὅτι παρεθεωροῦντο ἐν τῇ διακονίᾳ τῇ καθημερινῇ αἱ χῆραι αὐτῶν. Προσκαλεσάμενοι δὲ οἱ δώδεκα τὸ πλῆθος τῶν μαθητῶν, εἶπον, Οὐκ ἀρεστόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς, καταλείψαντας τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ, διακονεῖν τραπέζαις. Ἐπισκέψασθε οὖν, ἀδελφοί, ἄνδρας ἐξ ὑμῶν μαρτυρουμένους ἑπτά, πλήρεις πνεύματος ἁγίου καὶ σοφίας, οὓς καταστήσωμεν ἐπὶ τῆς χρείας ταύτης. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ τῇ διακονίᾳ τοῦ λόγου προσκαρτερήσομεν. Καὶ ἤρεσεν ὁ λόγος ἐνώπιον παντὸς τοῦ πλήθους· καὶ ἐξελέξαντο Στέφανον, ἄνδρα πλήρης πίστεως καὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου, καὶ Φίλιππον, καὶ Πρόχορον, καὶ Νικάνορα, καὶ Τίμωνα, καὶ Παρμενᾶν, καὶ Νικόλαον προσήλυτον Ἀντιοχέα, οὓς ἔστησαν ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀποστόλων· καὶ προσευξάμενοι ἐπέθηκαν αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας. Καὶ ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ηὔξανεν, καὶ ἐπληθύνετο ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν μαθητῶν ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ σφόδρα, πολύς τε ὄχλος τῶν ἱερέων ὑπήκουον τῇ πίστει.

Prokeimenon. Second Tone. Psalm 117.14,18.
The Lord is my strength and my song.
Verse: The Lord has chastened me sorely.

The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7.

In those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said, "it is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." And what they said pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochoros, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaos, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands upon them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.


Gospel Reading

Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women
Κατὰ Μᾶρκον 15:43-47, 16:1-8

Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἐλθὼν Ἰωσὴφ ὁ ἀπὸ Ἀριμαθαίας, εὐσχήμων βουλευτής, ὃς καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν προσδεχόμενος τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, τολμήσας εἰσῆλθε πρὸς Πιλᾶτον καὶ ᾐτήσατο τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. Ὁ δὲ Πιλᾶτος ἐθαύμασεν εἰ ἤδη τέθνηκε, καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος τὸν κεντυρίωνα ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτὸν εἰ πάλαι ἀπέθανε· καὶ γνοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ κεντυρίωνος ἐδωρήσατο τὸ σῶμα τῷ Ἰωσήφ. Καὶ ἀγοράσας σινδόνα καὶ καθελὼν αὐτὸν ἐνείλησε τῇ σινδόνι καὶ κατέθηκεν αὐτὸν ἐν μνημείῳ, ὃ ἦν λελατομημένον ἐκ πέτρας, καὶ προσεκύλισε λίθον ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν τοῦ μνημείου. Ἡ δὲ Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ καὶ Μαρία Ἰωσῆ ἐθεώρουν ποῦ τίθεται. Καὶ διαγενομένου τοῦ σαββάτου Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ καὶ Μαρία ἡ τοῦ Ἰακώβου καὶ Σαλώμη ἠγόρασαν ἀρώματα ἵνα ἐλθοῦσαι ἀλείψωσιν αὐτόν. Καὶ λίαν πρωῒ τῆς μιᾶς σαββάτων ἔρχονται ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον, ἀνατείλαντος τοῦ ἡλίου. Καὶ ἔλεγον πρὸς ἑαυτάς· Τίς ἀποκυλίσει ἡμῖν τὸν λίθον ἐκ τῆς θύρας τοῦ μνημείου; Καὶ ἀναβλέψασαι θεωροῦσιν ὅτι ἀποκεκύλισται ὁ λίθος· ἦν γὰρ μέγας σφόδρα. Καὶ εἰσελθοῦσαι εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον εἶδον νεανίσκον καθήμενον ἐν τοῖς δεξιοῖς, περιβεβλημένον στολὴν λευκήν, καὶ ἐξεθαμβήθησαν. Ὁ δὲ λέγει αὐταῖς· μὴ ἐκθαμβεῖσθε· Ἰησοῦν ζητεῖτε τὸν Ναζαρηνὸν τὸν ἐσταυρωμένον· ἠγέρθη, οὐκ ἔστιν ὧδε· ἴδε ὁ τόπος ὅπου ἔθηκαν αὐτόν. Ἀλλ᾿ ὑπάγετε εἴπατε τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ τῷ Πέτρῳ ὅτι προάγει ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν· ἐκεῖ αὐτὸν ὄψεσθε, καθὼς εἶπεν ὑμῖν. Καὶ ἐξελθοῦσαι ἔφυγον ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου· εἶχε δὲ αὐτὰς τρόμος καὶ ἔκστασις, καὶ οὐδενὶ οὐδὲν εἶπον· ἐφοβοῦντο γάρ.

Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women
The Reading is from Mark 15:43-47; 16:1-8

At that time, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. And Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. And he bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?" And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you." And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.


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Memorials and Trisagions

We have no scheduled memorials today

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Wisdom of the Fathers

They [the women] had followed Him ministering to Him, and were present even unto the time of the dangers. Wherefore also they saw all; how He cried, how He gave up the ghost, how the rocks were rent, and all the rest.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 88 on Matthew 27, 4th Century

And these [the women] first see Jesus; and the sex that was most condemned, this first enjoys the sight of the blessings, this most shows its courage. And when the disciples had fled, these were present.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 88 on Matthew 27, 4th Century

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Saints and Feasts

May 04

Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women

About the beginning of His thirty-second year, when the Lord Jesus was going throughout Galilee, preaching and working miracles, many women who had received of His beneficence left their own homeland and from then on followed after Him. They ministered unto Him out of their own possessions, even until His crucifixion and entombment; and afterwards, neither losing faith in Him after His death, nor fearing the wrath of the Jewish rulers, they came to the sepulchre, bearing the myrrh-oils they had prepared to annoint His body. It is because of the myrrh-oils, that these God-loving women brought to the tomb of Jesus that they are called the Myrrh-bearers. Of those whose names are known are the following: first of all, the most holy Virgin Mary, who in Matthew 27:56 and Mark 15:40 is called "the mother of James and Joses" (these are the sons of Joseph by a previous marriage, and she was therefore their step-mother); Mary Magdalene (celebrated July 22); Mary, the wife of Clopas; Joanna, wife of Chouza, a steward of Herod Antipas; Salome, the mother of the sons of Zebedee, Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus; and Susanna. As for the names of the rest of them, the evangelists have kept silence (Matt 27:55-56; 28:1-10. Mark 15:40-41. Luke 8:1-3; 23:55-24:11, 22-24. John 19:25; 20:11-18. Acts 1:14).

Together with them we celebrate also the secret disciples of the Saviour, Joseph and Nicodemus. Of these, Nicodemus was probably a Jerusalemite, a prominent leader among the Jews and of the order of the Pharisees, learned in the Law and instructed in the Holy Scriptures. He had believed in Christ when, at the beginning of our Saviour's preaching of salvation, he came to Him by night. Furthermore, he brought some one hundred pounds of myrrh-oils and an aromatic mixture of aloes and spices out of reverence and love for the divine Teacher (John 19:39). Joseph, who was from the city of Arimathea, was a wealthy and noble man, and one of the counsellors who were in Jerusalem. He went boldly unto Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and together with Nicodemus he gave Him burial. Since time did not permit the preparation of another tomb, he placed the Lord's body in his own tomb which was hewn out of rock, as the Evangelist says (Matt. 27:60).


May 04

Pelagia the Nun-martyr of Tarsus

This Saint was from Tarsus of Cilicia and contested in martyrdom under Diocletian, in 284: she was cast into a bull fashioned of bronze, which had been heated with fire.


May 05

Irene the Great Martyr

Saint Irene was the daughter of a princelet called Licinius; named Penelope by her parents, through a divine revelation she was brought to faith in Christ and at Baptism was renamed Irene. In her zeal for piety she broke in pieces all the idols of her father, who commanded that she be trampled underfoot by horses. But while she remained unharmed, one of the horses rose up and cast down her father, killing him. By her prayer she raised him to life again, and he believed and was baptized. Afterwards, in many journeyings, Saint Irene suffered torments and punishments for her faith, but was preserved by the power of God, while working dread miracles and converting many thousands of souls. At last she came to Ephesus, where she fell asleep in peace, in the first half of the fourth century. Two days after her death, her gravestone was found lifted off, and her grave empty. At least two churches were dedicated to Saint Irene in Constantinople, and she is also the patroness of the Aegean island of Thera, which is commonly called Santorin (or Santorini), a corruption of "Saint Irene."


May 06

Job the Prophet

This faithful servant of God, the most perfect icon of all virtue, and especially of patience, was the son of Zare and Bosorra, and was the fifth from Abraham. He was true, blameless, just, devout, and abstained from every evil thing. He was very wealthy and blessed by God in all things, as was none other of the inhabitants of the land of Ausis, his homeland, which lies between Idumea and Arabia. But by divine permission, that he might be tried, he was suddenly deprived of his children, wealth, glory, and every consolation, and was covered with grievous sores over all his body. Some say that he endured courageously in this unparalleled calamity for seven whole years. Then, by divine blessing, he was restored again to a prosperity even more illustrious than the first. Having lived after his affliction for 170 years, he reposed full of days at the age of 240, in the year 1350 B.C. Others say that his affliction lasted only one year, and that he lived thereafter 140 years, living 210 years altogether.


May 09

Christopher the Martyr of Lycea

Saint Christopher was at first named Reprobus. Seeing the Christians persecuted, he rebuked the tyrants for their cruelty. Soldiers were sent to bring him to appear before the ruler; but he converted them to Christ, and with them was baptized, receiving the name Christopher. After he appeared before the ruler, he was imprisoned and two harlots were sent to seduce him, but he converted them also, and encouraged them in their martyrdom. He was subjected to torments and finally beheaded in the days of Decius. Many marvellous and mythical things are said about him out of ignorance and superstition, one of which is that it is impossible for one to die suddenly from some unexpected cause on the day on which one looks at the Saint's icon. This is the origin of that proverb that is quoted in various quarters: "If on Christopher thou shouldst gaze, thou shalt safely wend life's ways." The etymology of his name, which means "Christ-bearer," has undoubtedly moved iconographers to depict him carrying the infant Jesus on his shoulders; it is completely erro-neous, however, to depict him, as some uninformed iconographers do, having the head of a dog, because of a statement in his life that he was dog-faced, by which is meant only that his countenance was exceedingly frightful to look upon.


May 10

Simon the Zealot and Apostle

This Apostle was one of the Twelve, and was called Simon the Cananite by Matthew, but Simon the Zealot by Luke (Matt. 10:4; Luke 6:15). The word "Cananite" used by Matthew is believed to be derived from kana, which in the Palestinian dialect of Aramaic means "zealot" or 'zealous"; Luke therefore translates the meaning of "Cananite." Later accounts say that he was the bridegroom at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, where the Lord Jesus changed the water into wine, making this the first of His miracles (John 2:1-11); according to some, he is called Cananite because he was from Cana (according to others, from the Land of Canaan). Simon means "one who hears."


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Saint Nicholas News and Events

    Open House Meet & Greet with Father Andrew

    Open House Meet & Greet with Father Andrew

    Saturday, May 3rd - 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Light Refreshments will be served.


    2025 Stewardship Program

    2025 Stewardship Program

    “Ekklesia exists when the dispersed, divided, self-preoccupied people unite and become a family, where people see one another as brothers and sisters with God as their common father, and try to share whatever they have and whatever they are, and be united in heart and soul”


    St Stephen's Camp 2025

    St Stephen's Camp 2025

    Registration began March 20th


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Metropolis of Atlanta News

Metropolitan Sevastianos' Message

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Χριστός ἀνέστη! Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη!
Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!

Our Church has dedicated this Sunday to the Myrrh-Bearers, who “…went to the tomb when the sun had risen…” (Mark 16:2) Though the tomb was under guard, they made the journey to honor the One they loved. Let us compare their faithfulness to the Disciples in Gethsemane, and how Mark tells us, “All of them deserted him and fled. A certain young man was following him, wearing nothing but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him, but he left the linen cloth and ran off naked” (Mark 14:50-52). This moment seems strange, but in not naming him, Mark makes him a symbol of the Disciples’ shame.

As the Myrrh Bearing Women “…entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe… and they were alarmed. But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you” (Mark 16:5-7). In one moment, a young man abandoned his Lord, discarding his own clothes; now a young man is seen in white to announce the Good News. Whether these two men are different, or the same person, the message is clear: Christ’s Resurrection frees us from shame & sin, since it gives us a chance to start our lives again.

In reflecting on the Myrrh Bearers, we can see that Mark’s Gospel speaks of all humanity: from the men who fled, to these women who remained faithful, standing with Christ throughout His Ministry, and even remaining near His Cross. Therefore, the faithful and pious Myrrh-Bearers were honored, since they were given the blessing to be the first to hear and proclaim the Resurrection. In a time and place where women were considered second-class citizens, this was yet another example of God revealing how, …the last will be first, and the first last” (Matthew 20:16).

But how can this reading speak to us? Let us look at how Mark ends the reading, telling us that the women “…went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid” (Mark 16:8). Here, he again challenges what we expect, allowing us to stand in front of the empty Tomb and ask: Do we truly believe? Will we go to our homes and be silent—or will we loudly proclaim that Christ is Risen, and that salvation has been given to the whole world?

+SEVASTIANOS 
Metropolitan of Atlanta

 

 

    Saint Stephen's Camp 2025

Registration began March 20th

www.atlmetropolis.org/summer-2025

See the flyer in our Saint Nicholas News and Events section of this bulletin

 
 
 


The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (AEP) have created a unique Sunday School program that enables educators to introduce their students to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and to the challenges that His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Holy Mother Church of Constantinople face today. To view the lesson plans, click here.

 


St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival
2025 Manual
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May 3, 2025
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Archdiocese News

Metropolis of New Jersey Holds Annual Clergy-Laity Assembly

04/30/2025

The Metropolis of New Jersey held its annual Clergy-Laity Assembly and Philoptochos Convention on May 15 on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at "The Waterfall," located in Claymont, Delaware. 


Greek American Non-Profit and Local Sixth Grader Lead Community Wide Children’s Book Drive “Read & Rise” in Celebration of Global Youth Service Day

04/30/2025

On Sunday, April 27, 11-year-old Alice Klingman, a 6th grade student at IS 141 The Steinway School, celebrated Global Youth Service Day by distributing free children’s books with a group of volunteers to local families at the 2025 International Cultural Festival, hosted by Central Astoria LDC.


On the Unity of the Church: An Interview with Dr. Symeon Paschalidis

04/30/2025

The Orthodox Observer’s Dr. Claire Koen recently spoke with Dr. Symeon Paschalidis, the director of the Patriarchal Institute for Patristic Studies to discuss a new edition of St. Cyprian’s De Unitate Ecclesiae.


Delegation of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations Visits St. Nicholas National Shrine

04/29/2025

On Tuesday, April 29, 2025, a delegation from the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO) visited Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at Ground Zero.


29th Annual Greek Independence Day Parade of Boston Returned to Boylston Street on Sunday, April 27th

04/29/2025

The 29th Annual Greek Independence Day Parade of Boston returned to Back Bay on Sunday, April 27th, which welcomed over 65 registered Hellenic groups marching and thousands of spectators watching along Boston’s Boylston Street in commemoration of Greece’s independence from Ottoman Rule, which began on March 25, 1821.


Leadership 100 Seeks Executive Director

04/29/2025

The Executive Committee of the Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100 Fund, Inc, a major nonprofit public charitable organization, seeks an Executive Director with overall strategic and operational responsibility for the staff, programs, expansion, and execution of its mission to advance Orthodoxy and Hellenism in America.


His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros Invited to Attend White House Day of Prayer

04/29/2025

His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America has been invited by President Donald J. Trump to attend the National Day of Prayer, scheduled to take place at the White House on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at eleven o’clock.


Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Accorded Position of Special Honor at Papal Funeral

04/28/2025

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew attended the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome on April 26, 2025, and was accorded a position of special honor, in keeping with his ecclesiastical prerogatives as stated in the canons of the Ecumenical Councils of the undivided Christian Church.


Joint Communiqué: Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America

04/27/2025

With gratitude to our Risen Lord Jesus Christ, the Hierarchs of the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches and of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America gathered in fraternal love and prayer on Friday, April 25, 2025, at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at Ground Zero in New York City.


Assembly’s Exec. Co. Promotes Child Safety, Condemns Violence

04/25/2025

During the joyful season of Bright Week, after the celebration of the Feast of Feasts, our Lord Jesus Christ’s salvific resurrection, the Assembly of Bishops’ Executive Committee met today at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine in Lower Manhattan, New York.


Archbishop Elpidophoros Celebrates Great Vespers of the Life-Giving Fountain at Zoodohos Peghe Church in the Bronx, NY

04/25/2025

On April 24, 2025, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America presided over the Great Vespers of the Life-Giving Fountain at Zoodohos Peghe Greek Orthodox Church in The Bronx, New York.


Guardians of Hellenism: The Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Enduring Legacy

04/24/2025

On May 6, 2025, join the American School of Classical Studies for an illuminating conversation on the pivotal role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in preserving and promoting Hellenism throughout history, with Maria Mavroudi (UC Berkeley), Helen Evans (The Metropolitan Museum of Art), Tom Papademetriou (Stockton University) and George Demacopoulos (Fordham University).


2025 Metropolis of Chicago Family Synaxis Lenten Retreat Brings Orthodox Families Together in Faith and Service

04/24/2025

With the blessings of our Spiritual Shepherd, His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael, more than 75 faithful from across the Metropolis of Chicago gathered at Ascension of Our Lord Greek Orthodox Church in Lincolnshire on April 5, 2025 for the Family Synaxis Lenten Retreat.


Metropolitan Sevastianos Celebrates Lamentations Service at Annunciation Church in Winston-Salem, NC

04/24/2025

On Great and Holy Friday, April 18, 2025, Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of Winston-Salem, North Carolina was blessed with a visit from His Eminence Metropolitan Sevastianos of Atlanta, who offered the Lamentations Service alongside Proistamenos Fr. Minas Tsambounieris.


Cathedral of Saint Sophia Hosts Three-Night Tribute Honoring LAFD Heroes “From the Ashes to Appreciation”

04/24/2025

In a powerful display of unity, faith, and gratitude, the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sophia is proud to continue hosting a three-day tribute honoring the courageous men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Battalion 11.


Pilgrimage of Discovery Announces 2025 Recipients

04/23/2025

On April 11, 2025, Pilgrimage of Discovery announced its 2025 recipients. The 16 young adults selected, representing each Metropolis, will embark on a trip of a lifetime to Constantinople this summer, exploring sacred sites, deepening their faith, and strengthening their connection to the Church.


Huffington Ecumenical Institute Sponsors First Council of Nicaea, an Academic Symposium

04/23/2025

Within the framework of official celebrations planned by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in commemoration of the 1700th anniversary since the First Council of Nicaea, an Academic Symposium will be held in Constantinople and Nicaea on April 24–26, 2025.


Palm Sunday Celebration Honors Human Trafficking Survivors at Chapel of Saint Barbara

04/23/2025

On Palm Sunday, the FREEDOM Ministry, under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Peter J. Spiro, welcomed and embraced 28 survivors of human trafficking at the Chapel of Saint Barbara - Shrine for Human Freedom in Tennessee. The sacred gathering served as a moment of spiritual renewal, healing, and community.


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Assembly of Bishops News

Assembly’s Exec. Co. Promotes Child Safety, Condemns Violence

04/25/2025

Joint Communiqué Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America

04/25/2025

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