St. George Orthodox Church of Prescott Sunday, February 19, 2017 Sunday, February 19, 2017—Judgment Sunday (Meatfare Sunday) 8:30AM Matins Served by Fr

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This Week at St. George St. George Orthodox Church of Prescott Sunday, February 19, 2017 Sunday, February 19, 2017—Judgment Sunday (Meatfare Sunday) 8:30AM Matins Served by Fr. Jeffrey Frate 9:30AM Divine Liturgy 607 W GURLEY STREET, PRESCOTT, AZ 86305 Wednesday, February 22, 2017 928-777-8750 WWW.PRESCOTTORTHODOX.COM 6:00PM Akathist of the Inexhaustible Cup—Followed by Choir Rehearsal

7:00PM Council Meeting The Epistle Reading is from St. Paul's First Gospel Reading is from Matthew 25:31-46

Saturday, February 25, 2017 Letter to the Corinthians 8:8-13; 9:1-2 The Lord said, "When the Son of man comes in his 4:00PM Orthodoxy 101 Brethren, food will not commend us to God. We are glory and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit 5:00PM Great Vespers Followed by High School Movie Night no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all do. Only take care lest this liberty of yours somehow the nations, and he will separate them one from become a stumbling block to the weak. For if any one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the Daily Orthros sees you, a man of knowledge, at table in an idol's goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, Daily Orthros will be served Wednesday—Friday at 9am. temple, might he not be encouraged, if his but the goats at the left. Then the king will say to conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my High School Movie Night so by your knowledge this weak man is destroyed, Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the On Saturday February 25th we will host another High School Movie night. We will watch the Russian film, The Priest, about the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you a priest assigned to serve a small village in Russia during the Nazi occupation of the region. against your brethren and wounding their conscience gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked St. George Ladies Group food is a cause of my brother's falling, I will never eat and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I The next meeting of the Ladies Group will be held on February 21 at 7 pm. We will meet in the church hall for discussion of meat, lest I cause my brother to fall. was in prison and you came to me.' Then the our group goals and activities going forward. If you would like to bring a dessert to share, please feel. Hope to see many of Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you there. If you have any questions, please contact Janet Hayden. All are welcome, please join us! Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you

Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to drink? And when did we see you a stranger and Forgiveness Sunday you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when Next Sunday is the Sunday of Forgiveness, please make time to stay Lord. did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And

the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you for Forgiveness Vespers following coffee hour. did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did

it to me.' Then he will say to those at his left hand,

'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire

prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was

hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and

you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did

not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me,

sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they

also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry

or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer Prayer for Evangelism in Ourselves and in Our Community them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of God of truth and love: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Hear our prayer for those who do not know You. That they may come to the least of these, you did it not to me.' And they will a saving knowledge of the truth, and that Your Name may be praised among all peoples of the world. Sustain, inspire, and go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous enlighten Your servants who bring them the Gospel. Bring fresh vigor to wavering faith; sustain our faith when it is still into eternal life." fragile. Continually renew missionary zeal in ourselves and in the Church, and raise up new missionaries who will follow You to the ends of the world. Make us witnesses to Your goodness full of love, full of strength, and full of faith for Your glory and the salvation of the entire world. Through the prayers of all the missionary saints, Have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

If you have bulletin announcements, please contact Jill Normandin by Thursday to have your announcement included in the Sunday bulletin. Email [email protected] or call 928-533-3977 (email is preferable so no details are missed).

St. George Parish Council: Gina Clark, President, George Rizk, Vice President, Kally Key, Treasurer, Lauretta Gioia , Secretary and Council Members, Ty Freedman, Matt Maxwell, Kenny Scott, Robert Smith, and Raymond Zogob.

Judgment Sunday (Meatfare Sunday) (February 19) PRAYER LIST Kathy, Mary, Dan and Marcia Hill, Valentina Thommen, Fr. Makarios Mwaura and family (Kenya), Amber Brogger & Today’s Gospel reading is Matthew 25:31-46, the parable of the children, Elena Cook, Walt Thayer, Vera Timotijevic, John Walendziak , Cynthia DeLeone, Roman Benyk, Karen Last Judgment. It reminds us that while trusting in Christ’s love and Clark, Vadim, Kristina, Rochelle and Wayne Pedersen, Lisa, Mark and Jeannie Panos, Presvy Jenny Nicolaou Newlin, mercy, we must not forget His righteous judgment when He comes Maria Carolina, Bill Kountanis, Michele and McKenzie, and Barbara Wright. again in glory. If our hearts remain hardened and unrepentant, we should not expect the Lord to overlook our transgressions simply For our sons and daughters serving in the U.S. Armed Forces; Jordan Verespe, Don (Spyridon) Hock, Col. Stephen because He is a good and loving God. Although He does not desire Close, Matthew Bricker, Matt Meyers, Joseph Peck and Brittany Rushing. the death of a sinner, He also expects us to turn from our And for the departed Rt. Rev. Archimandrite Gabriel Cooke, may his memory be eternal. wickedness and live (Ezek. 33:11). This same idea is expressed in

And the departed Helen Wells, Bob (Timothy) Hunt, John Tupy, Kayla Mueller, Khrystyna Gavryushenko and the the prayer read by the priest after the penitent has confessed his or newly departed Kathy Hunt. her sins (Slavic practice).

As members of an Orthodox Christian family, we are called upon to pray for each other. The time for repentance and forgiveness is now, in the present life. If you would like us to remember you or your loved one in our prayers, please contact the church office at 928-777- At the Second Coming, Christ will appear as the righteous Judge, 8750 or e-mail the name of your loved one to [email protected] Who will render to every man according to his deeds” (Rom. 2:6). Then the time for entreating God’s mercy and forgiveness will have passed. For our Visitors this morning! If this is your first visit to an Orthodox Christian liturgy we welcome you in the name of our Lord and Savior As Father Alexander Schmemann reminds us in his book GREAT Jesus Christ! The Eastern Orthodox Church traces her lineage back to the Day of Pentecost, the birth of the LENT (Ch. 1:4), sin is the absence of love, it is separation and isolation. When Christ comes to judge the world, His criterion for New Testament Church. We are liturgical in worship, using the liturgies developed in the fourth century and judgment will be love. Christian love entails seeing Christ in other attributed to St. John Chrysostom, and St. Basil the Great, also, the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy attributed to St. people, our family, our friends, and everyone else we may Gregory Dialogos, Pope of Rome. Liturgy literally means, "work of the people", and it seems these services encounter in our lives. We shall be judged on whether we have are attributed to these three saints because they were in every sense of the word champions of the people, loved, or not loved, our neighbor. We show Christian love when we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the caring for their flocks with true wisdom and discernment, and not afraid to suffer on their behalf, and on behalf naked, visit those who are sick or in prison. If we did such things for the least of Christ’s brethren, then we also did of the truth. We are the “Church of the Bible” since it was in the bosom of the Church that the New Testament them for Christ (Mt.25:40). If we did not do such things for the least of the brethren, neither did we do them for Christ developed and was given birth. We are hierarchical in structure, visibly witnessing to, and manifesting, the (Mt.25:45). reality that the grace of God flows from our one great High Priest and Hierarch, Jesus Christ, through the communion of hierarchs throughout the world to the entire body of the faithful, even to the smallest child. The Today is the last day for eating meat and meat products until Pascha, though eggs and dairy products are permitted apex of our worship experience is to commune with God in the Body and Blood of Christ. He Himself taught in every day during the coming week. This limited fasting prepares us gradually for the more intense fasting of Great the Gospel of St. John, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread he Lent. will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh...For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed." (Jn 6:51,55) In light of this, the Divine Liturgy of the Orthodox Church is The Holy Apostles of the Seventy Philemon, Apphia, Archippus, and essentially Eucharistic, meaning it is offered in thanksgiving to the One Triune God who continuously sends Onesimus (February 19) down the Holy Spirit upon us and the bread and wine that we offer, making these humble things, for us the Saints Philemon and his wife Apphia lived in the city of Colossa in Phrygia. Upon unworthy, the precious Body and Blood of Christ. Please note that Holy Communion is reserved for those receiving Baptism from the holy Apostle Paul, they converted their house into an Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves with prayer and fasting to receive the Holy house of prayer, where all those who believed in Christ gathered together and Mysteries. We do invite you to receive the blessed bread (antidoron) which is offered to all after the dismissal, attended services. They devoted themselves to the service of the sick and downcast. and please do join us at the conclusion of the Divine Service for our fellowship meal in the hall next door. May Philemon was made bishop of the city of Gaza and he preached the Word of God the Lord richly bless your worship with us in this morning’s Divine Liturgy! throughout all Phrygia. The holy Apostle Paul continued to be his guide, and addressed to him his Epistle filled with love, and in which he sends blessings “to RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE TWO Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellow laborer, and to our beloved Apphia, and to When Thou didst submit Thyself unto death, O Thou deathless and immortal One, then Thou didst destroy hell Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in thy house” (Phil 1:1-3). with Thy Godly power. And when Thou didst raise the dead from beneath the earth, all the powers of Heaven did Saint Onesimus (February 15), also mentioned in the Epistle, was Saint Philemon’s cry aloud unto Thee: O Christ, Thou giver of life, glory to Thee. former slave.

APOLYTIKION OF ST. GEORGE Saints Philemon and Apphia, and also Saint Archippus (who also lived at Colossa), all received the crown of martyrdom during the persecution of Nero (54-68). During a Liberator of captives, defender of the poor, physician of the sick, and champion of kings, O trophy-bearer, pagan festival an enraged crowd rushed into the Christian church when services were Great Martyr George, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved. going on. All fled in terror, and only Saints Philemon, Archippus and Apphia remained. They seized them and led them off to the city prefect. The crowd like beasts beat and stabbed Saint Archippus with knives, and he died on the way to KONTAKION FOR THE LAST JUDGMENT the court. Saints Philemon and Apphia were stoned to death by order of the prefect. When Thou, O God, wilt come to earth with glory, and all things tremble, and the river of fire floweth before the judgment seat, and the books are opened, and the hidden things made public, then deliver me from the The memory of the holy Apostles Archippus, Philemon, and Apphia is also celebrated on February 19. unquenchable fire, and deem me worthy to stand at Thy right hand, O most righteous Judge.