WEEKLY ONLINE BULLETIN

February 11,2024

JOIN US FOR WORSHIP!!!

Sunday, February 11

Vlassios, Martyr of Sebaste

Theodora the Empress

Finding of the relics of Zachariah the Prophet

Orthros/Matins 830am

Click here for a PDF of the Service

Divine Liturgy 930am

Click here for a PDF of the Liturgy

Memorial Service

Marilyn Motowylak (40 days)

Altar candles this morning are given in memory of Eleni Apostolos by her sister Roula Gekas and family.

For those that are not able to join us in person we welcome you to participate virtually by clicking here

Saint Blaise was Bishop of Sebastia. Divine grace, through which he healed the diseases of men and beasts, and especially of infants, made his name famous. He contested for the Faith under Licinius in the year 316. Saint Blaise is invoked for the healing of throat ailments.

Want to know more about him?

Simply Click Here

Empress Theodora was from Paphlagonia and was the daughter of a certain Marinus, the commander of a military regiment. While being the wife of the Emperor Theophilus, the last of the Iconoclasts, she adorned the royal diadem with her virtue and piety; as long as her husband Theophilus lived, she privately venerated icons, despite his displeasure. After his death, she restored the holy icons to public veneration; this is commemorated on the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the First Sunday of the Great Fast.

Want to know more about her? Here is a Resource Page dedicated to her

PRAYER LIST

Click here to offer your prayers for those in need of prayer.

Click here to download A PRAYER IN TIME OF NEED

Click here to download a PRAYER FOR THOSE GOING THROUGH DEPRESSION

CHILDREN'S WORD

Click on the image above to download the current or previous Children's Word publications.

Click Here for This Week’s Theme: Don't Hide Your Gifts

2024 Church Calendars

Available for pickup during Coffee Hour

>>UNFILLED NEED: SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS – Please sign up to be a teacher and share the teachings of our faith with the future of the church – the children! For more information on how you can help, contact Athena Bevan.

PROSPHORA NEEDED – You are invited to make Prosphora to be used during the Divine Liturgy. Sunday Divine Liturgies use five loaves on average. We appreciate your help with this special need. See below for how you and your household can make this offering in your homes.

UPCOMING MEMORIALS – February 25: Maria Palangas (1 year), March 3: Eugenia Pleat (5 years) and James Pleat (12 years)

LIBRARY SPEAKER SERIES NEXT SUNDAY – On Sunday February 18^th the Library welcomes a presentation on Health and Well Being by Dr. Spiros Mitsopoulos. It will be held in the Library following coffee hour.

AVGOLEMONO SOUP DRIVE-THRU – Anagennesis will hold their annual soup drive-thru on February 21st from 4pm to 6pm while supplies last. $10 per quart.

CHOIR BOOK REQUEST – If you are unable to sing with the choir and still have a choir book in hand, please return it to the choir area. The choir is growing, and they need those books! Thank you.

SCHOLARSHIP PACKETS NOW AVAILABLE – Please contact the church office if you would like a scholarship packet.

PAN HELLENIC SCHOLARSHIPS – Apply online through January 31, 2024 for this scholarship. For application, qualification criteria, requirements, and guidelines, scan this QR code. For more information regarding the scholarship program, contact Elizabeth Danielides at edanielides@panhellenicsf.org

AN APOKREATIKO CELEBRATION – Save the date of Saturday, March 9 as we gather for some fun before we start Great Lent. See flyer below

Prosphoro

Bread has been the emblem of God’s providence for us, throughout humanity’s history. Both physical (bread as food) and spiritual - the επιούσιον (epiousion) or “supersubstantial” bread of the Lord’s prayer, the bread of Holy Communion.

In the Orthodox Christian church, the pinnacle of our worship is union with Christ, both spiritually but also physically, by consuming the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Since the Last Supper, before every Divine Liturgy, one or more of the faithful prepare and bring bread to church to be used as the Body of Christ in the Eucharist. The Orthodox church is liturgical. For those of us who bake prosphoro, the liturgy begins as we prepare to bake!

Prosphoro is an offering to God, made from His material gifts to us, and prepared lovingly and prayerfully.

A special website is available to share with the faithful this ‘proper’ method of preparation of the holy gift according to the Greek Orthodox tradition. Please click here to learn how to bake this beautiful offering.

Library Photo ID Tuesdays at 7pm

We want to hear your stories and need your help identifying people in the pictures!

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89128939821?pwd=VTVMVGxXa1FOOVdrYUR6ZCtPSEo4UT09

Meeting ID: 891 2893 9821

Passcode: 430875

Bible Study Every Wednesday at 11am!

We have resumed our Weekly Bible Study which will be every Wednesday at 11am! We are currently discussing Chapter 2 of St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians.

Join us as we all learn more about Scripture, our Faith and our Traditions!!!

Basketball Schedule

Mondays:

Grades 3/4 Coed 5:30pm

Grades 7/8 & HS Boys 6:45pm

Tuesdays:

HS Boys 5:30pm

Thursdays:

Grades: 5/6 & 7/8 Boys 6pm

HS Boys 7:15pm

Did you miss a sermon?

Maybe want to hear it again?

FEB. 4 YOUTH SERMON:

Dad, Turn the Dark Off"

A few years ago, one of our boys (who was a toddler at the time) woke up in middle of the night and said "okay daddy, I'm all done, turn the dark off." I told him it is still sleep time and to go back to bed. But then I couldn't go back to sleep because of what and how he said, "ok daddy, turn the dark off". This meant that he always thought the light was there.

What does this mean to us from the Epistle Reading and Gospel Reading today?

Click here to listen or download

FEB. 4 MAIN SERMON:

What is THE Greatest Commandement?

We know that there are 10 Commandments that God gave Moses to give to the people of Israel, but did you know that in the Old Testament there are 613 commandments???

Today in the Gospel Passage we hear how Pharisees got together and someone asked our Lord which is THE greatest Commandment. Our Lord responded that one is to love God with all heart, soul and mind and your neighbor as yourself.

This sermon focuses on how to love and be in love with God while also reminding us that there are 2 Commandments in The Divine Liturgy.

Did you know that? What are those two commandments?

Click here to listen or download

JAN. 28 YOUTH SERMON:

Zacchaeus and a Daily Habit

In the Gospel Passage today we hear about how a man named Zacchaeus wanted and desired to see Christ but couldn't because of his height (he was short) and the crowd was too large.

What did he do that is an example to all of us today?

Click here to listen or download

JAN. 28 MAIN SERMON

Fighting in this Life & Rising Like Zacchaeus

We hear in the Epistle Reading today as St Paul writes to Timothy, "...be an example to the believers in word; in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

How can we do this? Well, we get a form of guidance from Zacchaeus in the Gospel passage.

What is that guidance and how are the Epistle and Gospel Passages today intertwined?

Click here to listen or download

TCI & YOU!!!

You are invited to join a monthly Zoom call led by parish leaders across the nation to take a deep dive with your parish leadership and ministry team into strategies and techniques that your parish can use to enhance its vitality. Go to https://tciboston.org/events

VOTE FOR GLENDI FOR HIPPO’S BEST OF

Each year in the month of February HIPPO Press conducts a poll of their readership in several different categories. In past years, our GLENDI has been recognized in several of those categories. We ask that you take the time to participate in this survey so we can get some early recognition of our GLENDI. Just go onto the HIPPO site and start voting. Thanks for helping us spread the word for GLENDI 2024! Simply click the image or click here to take the survey