Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Plagal First Mode. 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
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."

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.

Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Fourth Mode

Τό φαιδρόν τής Αναστάσεως κήρυγμα, εκ τού Αγγέλου μαθούσαι αι τού Κυρίου Μαθήτριαι, καί τήν προγονικήν απόφασιν απορρίψασαι, τοίς Αποστόλοις καυχώμεναι έλεγον· Εσκύλευται ο θάνατος, ηγέρθη Χριστός ο Θεός, δωρούμενος τώ κόσμω τό μέγα έλεος.

Το fethron tis Anastaseos kirigma, ek tou Agelou mathouse e tou Kyriou Mathitrie, ke tin progonikin apofasin aporipsase, tis Apostolis kafhomene elegon. Eskilefte o thanatos, igerthi Christos o Theos, doroumenos to kosmo to mega eleos.

The women disciples of the Lord, having learned from the Angel the joyous news of the Resurrection and having rejected the ancestral decision, then told the Apostles elatedly: Death has been stripped of its power; Christ God has risen, granting to the world His great mercy.

Apolytikion for 40 Martyrs of Sebastia in the First Mode

Τhe holy martyrs suffered painful tortures for Your sake, O Lord: be compelled by what they endured, and heal our every pain, we entreat You, O only benevolent God.

Apolytikion for Sun. of Orthodoxy in the Second Mode

We venerate Your immaculate icon, O good Lord, and entreat You to forgive our offenses, O Christ our God. By Your own choice you were pleased to ascent the Cross in the flesh, to deliver, whom You created, from our slavery to the foe. Therefore we cry to You with gratitude: You have filled all things with joy, O our Savior, by coming to save the world.

Hymn of Church in the First Mode

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal Fourth Mode

Welcome

This week’s Announcements

Welcome to all our guests. We are glad you are here worshiping with us today!

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Mission Statement | St. Paul Greek Orthodox Church is a community that worships the Holy Trinity and lives out the gospel of Christ as Orthodox Christians. We seek to do God’s will, while sharing the Faith and serving others as we pursue salvation in Christ.
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Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church is only offered to Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves through the disciplines of our faith. Speak to Fr. Costas for further detail

Today ~ Parish Council & Ushers ~ Team 1 | Altar Boys ~ Team 1 | Greeters ~ Team 4
Today ~ Adult Catechism with Elaine Poulos following Holy Communion.
Today ~ MNYMOSINO: 40 days for Magdalene Sarris [for Mathew Sarris and Mike Sarris] |5 years for Penny Demopoulos
Today ~ Coffee Social sponsored by the Demopoulos family.
Today ~ 5:00 PM Sunday of Orthodoxy Pan-Orthodox Great Vespers at St. Sava in Parma.
Today ~ Senior OPA is looking for couples who will be married 50 years and have not been recognized in the past. Please contact Maria Regan.
Today – Next Sunday ~ Diaper collection for ZOE for Life!® sponsored by Maids of Athena.
Monday ~ 9:00 AM Philoptochos is baking for their bake sale and invite you to join them.
Monday ~ 4:00 PM Little Angels playdate for children 40 days – 4 years old.
Monday ~ 5:30 PM Greek School.
Monday ~ 7:00 PM Great Compline.
Tuesday ~ 6:30 PM Philoptochos meeting.
Tuesday - Thursday ~ Father Costas and Father Anastasios attend Clergy Lenten Retreat. Contact the church office for any pastoral needs.
Wednesday ~ 4:00 PM Women’s Study Group with Elaine Poulos via Teams https://tinyurl.com/WomenStudySTP.
Wednesday ~ 5:00 PM Presanctified Liturgy will not be held today due to Clergy Lenten Retreat. Next week’s Lenten Dinner will be hosted by ALL the youth groups of our parish.
Wednesday ~ 5:30 PM Greek School beginner class; 6:30 PM intermediate class.
Thursday ~ 11:30 AM Agape Ovens meal pick up for those with special circumstances. For more information, please contact Tessie Lekas or Mary Bozikis Olenik.
Thursday ~ No Bible Study this with Fr. Costas.
Thursday ~ 7:00 PM Choir rehearsal.
Friday ~ 7:00 PM 2^nd Salutations Service.
Saturday ~ 10:00 AM Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry Lenten Retreat with Very Rev. Kowalczyk, OCPM Co-Director of Training and Spiritual Care will be held at St Matthew on Albion Rd in North Royalton. Register at theocpm.or/3_15_25.
Saturday ~ 12 :00 PM Weekend of Service. St Paul Ladies Philoptochos invite our youth for a special afternoon of baking as they teach them to make traditional Greek sweets. Cookies will be gifted to residents of St Herman House. RSVP to https://tinyurl.com/STP-WeekendofService.
Prayer Chain ~ If you have a prayer request, send email to: [email protected].
Stewardship ~ Please prayerfully complete and return to the church your 2025 Stewardship Commitment Card. You can also do so online through our church website.

Upcoming Events Next Week and Beyond

Next Sunday ~Parish Council & Ushers ~ Team 2 | Altar Boys ~ Team 2 | Greeters ~ Team 1
Next Sunday ~ Orthros Luke 24:24-35 | Epistle Reading Hebrews 1:10-14; 2:1-3 | Gospel Mark 2:1-12
Next Sunday ~ Learn more about the online directory for parishioners and have your picture taken. Look for the photo booth during coffee social.
March 17 ~ 1:00 PM Festival baking begins! Note the new start time for today. We will be making koulourakia until 7:00 PM to allow Greek School parents and others to join us after work.
March 18 ~ 9:00 AM Festival baking will continue as we finish making 10,000 koulourakia!
March 19 ~ 7:00 PM Parish Council monthly meeting.
March 22 ~ 12:00 PM Great Doxology for Greek Independence Day at Annunciation Cleveland. Parade will follow. Come support our Greek School and dance students as they march in the parade.
March 23 ~ 2:30 PM Meal outreach for St Herman House. Volunteers and donations needed.
March 24 ~ 9:00 AM Festival baking team invites you to join them as they make apple and cherry rolls.
March 24 ~ 7:00 PM Great Vespers for the feast of the Annunciation in Cleveland.
March 25 ~ feast of Annunciation | 8:30 AM Orthros; 9:30 AM Liturgy at Annunciation Cleveland followed by luncheon.
March 25 ~ 6:00 PM Stewardship meeting.