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Home , Feast of Orthodoxy, Nectarios of Aegina, Prayer of Saint Ephrem

ST. NECTARIOS AMERICAN CARPATHO-RUSSIAN ORTHODOX 405 Marcum Road, Lakeland, FL 33809 • http://www.stnectarios.com Rev. Fr. Demetri Glimidakis Fr.’s Cell: (970) 620-3899 Fr. Demetri’s Email: [email protected] MARCH 2019 BULLETIN

From the desk of Fr. Demetri: shortened to groom) and a woman, the bride, is brought together under the eyes of Christ to become one. Now the NO I DOS IN ORTHODOX MARRIAGES focus I want to bring to our attention is the hymn that is sung called: The Dance of Isaiah, which is an integral part As we approach the Lenten of the Wedding/Crowning Service in the Orthodox Church season which leads up to Holy and involves a triple around a center table. The Week, there are references made priest, holding the and the clasped hands of the St. Nectarios of groom and bride, are followed by the best man (or Born: October 1, 1846 to marriage. The sacrifices that in Selymbria, Thrace were made are reflected in the woman) who holds the newlyweds’ crowns above their Reposed: November 9,1920 hymns, fasting and services done heads, and the bridesmaids holding the lit white candles, in Aegina, leading up to the most glorious of all our celebrations, the walk three times around the table in a celebratory “dance”. Canonized: April 20, 1961 Resurrection of our Lord and Savior , the Christ. Now, Feast Day: November 9 for the purpose of this writing, I wanted to bring to our at- Each of the three turns is accompanied by each HOLY NECTARIOS, tention the idea and thinking of the union of God with His of the three hymns, which return once more to the theme PRAY UNTO GOD FOR US! creation — man. of martyrdom and union with Christ. The crowns signify that the groom and bride are prepared to be martyred for Directory: At the beginning of our journey into the Ortho- each other, that each person is willing to sacrifice all for Parish Board Members: dox faith, we are prepared, and we are united with Christ each other. When the Prophet Isaiah received the revela- John G. Sennett with our of baptism and initiation into the tion that the Messiah would be coming, Isaiah danced Walter Klymenko Church (remember the Church is the people of God - with joy. Sam Gjurich ekklesia, which means assembly of the summoned, the Natalie Pope summoned being the people in Greek). The prayers in- The hymn that is chanted is as follows: Secretary...... Kendra J. Taylor clude exorcisms, anointing, the , but, the “Rejoice, O Isaiah! Stewardship...Daniel Rodriguez Outreach & Church Activities ... section of the tonsure and teaches us that we The Virgin is with child, Arlene Tonjes & Denise Katseralis begin with our first sacrifice of ourselves to God. and shall bear a son, Emmanuel, Who is both God and Man, Subdeacons: After being baptized, the chrismation section of and Orient is His Name, Joseph Brown the service is done and the priest leads the newly baptized Whom magnifying we call, Peter Flynn and illumined Orthodox Christian accompanied by the the Virgin blessed.” Godparents, or led by the Godparents and priest in their first steps as an Orthodox Christian around the table while This describes the joy Isaiah the Prophet ex- Altar Servers: the hymn is sung: pressed in Isaiah 7:14. It talks about the pure happiness George “As many as have been baptized Into Christ, of the coming savior. ‘And Orient is His Name’ comes from Logan have put on Christ. Zechariah 6:12, some Bibles use the word ‘branch’ instead .” of ‘Orient’ and calling on ‘The Virgin blessed’ refers back to Isaiah 7:14 again in the hope for the future through Then, when the priest cuts the four little her. SAINT NECTARIOS snippets of the hair of the child, (or adult if you come to ORTHODOX CHURCH: the faith later in life), it signifies that we are giving some- “O Holy Martyrs, A Mission of the American thing, our very first sacrifice to the Lord for our Faith. This who fought the good fight and Carpatho--Russian begins the marriage to the church... our union with the have received your crowns, Orthodox Diocese: Faith. It begins our journey to becoming a bride of Christ. entreat ye the Lord, His Eminence, Gregory that He will have mercy on our souls.” of Nyssa, Metropolitan The next step that some of us take is one of the Bishop Under the most awe-inspiring of the Orthodox Church, This part comes from 2 Timothy 4 about longing Ecumenical which is the wedding ceremony that is considered to be for the Lord and staying righteous. of Constantinople . one of the optional sacraments of the Church. The union “Glory to Thee, O Christ God. between a man, who is called the bridegroom (usually The Apostles boast, the Martyrs Joy, the image of Christ as the Bridegroom is taken directly from the Parable of whose preaching was the Consubstantial .” the Ten Virgins. Christ also calls Himself the “bridegroom”; John the Baptist is the “friend of the bridegroom” that is why we sing: The statement of ‘The Apostles boast’ is presented in the song it refers to Galatians 6:14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord “Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight, Jesus Christ, through with the world has been crucified to me, and I to the and blessed is that servant world. ‘The Martyrs Joy’ refers to Philippians 2: 17-18 But even if I am being whom He shall find watching, poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I and again, unworthy is the servant rejoice and share my joy with you all. This final stanza of the song rolls all whom He shall find heedless. the joy of marriage not only between two humans, but the joy of marriage Beware, therefore, O my soul, with God/Jesus as its center point that since consubstantial means that one do not be weighed down with sleep, is of the same substance or essence than marriage within God would infer lest you be given up to death, that this marriage is of God. and lest you be shut out of the Kingdom. But rouse yourself crying: Then I had my own revelation: When I witnessed my friend’s op- Holy, Holy, Holy, art Thou, tional sacrament of ordination, two priests took the hand of the initiate and O our God, proceeded to take him around the alter three times and as they did so, once Through the prayers of the again the hymn was sung. The Dance of Isaiah was sung as the initiate was have mercy on us!” announced into the Priesthood and prepared to become the bride of Christ, to marry the church and serve — also committing to a life of martyrdom. The Behold! Look, see, open your eyes! Where is the center of your at- correlation of this revelation moved me to tears. And, those memories came tention? What is your heart forever rushing to? But we must not let ourselves flooding back as I took my first steps into my own priesthood. I realized that be distracted from God, we cannot allow this most precious gift to be taken no matter how unworthy as I was, the Dance of Isaiah was being sung for from us. me — I was beginning my journey to something more than just thinking of myself and my family — I was being made into someone who would serve The Bridegroom is coming; the verb in the Greek is in the present the people of the world. tense, which means He is coming NOW, in this very moment. In the mystery of Orthodox , time and eternity mingle, the One who came, and With most of the sacra- the One who is to come. He encompasses past, present and future, and in ments that I had witnessed, first with His presence the temporal limitations of the world fall away. There is also a the baptism, second being married to warning here: the people who are not prepared will be caught unaware, a bride, then becoming the “bride” of because in the Parable, the “middle of the night” means that the Bride- Christ I began to put all the pieces to- groom will arrive suddenly, unexpectedly, at a time when no one knows. gether. Those words mean those that are slow, lazy, and/or indifferent to the Bride- groom (indifferent to the things of God), are also at risk of being indifferent So many times, throughout to their own salvation. the Scriptures, the Apostle Paul writes about Christ being the head of the In what state will God find us? If we were to die suddenly, what church - as the husband is the head would our family and friends find in our home, in our apartment, on our of the household. The theme of mar- computers? We must strive always to be ready, to be prepared, to under- riage, that mystical union that brings stand that we have been betrothed to God, that our lives, our bodies, are two together is brought to light. The not our own anymore, but they belong to another. We are to have wakeful- bridegroom comes. The Bridegroom is prepared to give Himself for the life ness, watchfulness, a state of spiritual readiness, alertness, vigilance. In of the world. We sing, we worship, we prepare ourselves through prayer Matthew 24, Jesus says: “Concerning that day and hour, no one knows, and fasting to wed. Everything leads to Christ. Sacrifice and martyrdom are therefore be vigilant for you do not know when the Lord is coming. The a central theme in teaching us what it is to live within the Church. Giving hymn marks a turn to the self, to self-examination, and is an appeal to the ourselves up for the life of the Church is sometimes a lifelong task. But, self.” the task at hand leads us to something eternal, something that lasts beyond the bound of the death. Who is Christ, and what had He done for all of us? “Lest you be dragged down by sleep” – “sleep” is another image When we are baptized, we are brought to the Faith, and through the nur- from the Parable. The words mean to be pulled down, weighed down, to turing of our parents and godparents we are to grow in the Faith and be descend; to sink, like a sun setting into darkness. “Sleep” is a metaphor for led to the Cross. But, the journey, as Christ also took, did not end there, being inactive, for living in a world of dreams, a state of un-reality, and is but leads to the Resurrection. ultimately a symbol of death, which is why the next line of the hymn says: Three nights are dedicated to the Bridegroom during , “lest you be handed over to death, and be shut out of the kingdom.” And rather than suffer such a fate, the poet states to “Rise up Schedule of services for Holy Week: BIRTHDAYS IN MARCH : and cry: holy, holy, holy are you O God” – this is the Trisa- Sat., April 20 th Liturgy - 9:30am (Lazarus) 03/12 Paul Tomachesky gion, the hymn of the angels; it is an acknowledgement Decorating the church for Palm Sunday following 03/12 Konstantin Wolfe of God’s holiness, which is at the same the recognition of services. Help is needed to change altar dressings as well. 03/19 Marek Wolfe our own un-holiness, and that the source of our holiness 03/24 Connor Justice is not found within us, but comes to us from God. st 03/24 Haley Tomachesky Sun., April 21 Liturgy - 9:30am (Palm Sunday) 03/25 Pani Joann Sorry if we missed your birthday, When we are united to Christ, we do so for the Sun., April 2 1st - 6pm (Bridegroom Sunday) anniversary or nameday - this bul - hope of an eternity. To be with the One who can call us letin is a work in progress. from the darkness into the Light. As unworthy as we are, Mon., April 2 2nd - 6pm (Bridegroom Sunday) ANNIVERSARIES : His grace abounds. But, it is up to us to prepare ourselves 03/08 Subdn. Joseph & Cynthia Brown for the wedding, for our union with Christ. Wed., April 24 th - Confession 4pm - 6pm Confession also available as requested. If you are unable to NAMEDAYS : As we journey into Lent, let us be reminded make these times, speak with Fr. Demetri about a more Are there any namedays this convenient time. month? of those hymns that we are called to the Bridegroom We are in need of updating our and He awaits us at every service. Wed., April 2 4th - 6pm (Holy Unction) parishioner directories. We’d love it if you could email your informa - Blessed 40 Days to His Glorious Resurrection, tion or write out your information Thurs., April 25 th - 9:30am (Liturgy) and return it to the church office. Fr. Demetri (Hospital/Home Visitation per request) PRAYERS FOR HEALTH , HEALING OR OTHER INTENTIONS : th If you have any intentions, health, Thurs., April 25 - 6pm (Holy Thursday) healing or other, please submit the first names last initial to Fr. A reminder: evening services during Holy Week that Friday, April 26 th - 3pm (Procession/Unnailing) Demetri. Write that it is a prayer re - aren’t Divine Liturgies (no Eucharist) are excellent quest so it can be added to list. services to introduce visitors to the Faith. The services th Friday, April 26 - 6:30pm (Entombment) ANNIVERSARIES , N AMEDAYS & are typically shorter, reflect both Old and New Testa - BIRTHDAYS AND OTHER CELE - ments, and is steeped in Tradition. If you have some - Saturday, April 27 th Liturgy - 9:30am BRATIONS : one that is curious about the Orthodox Faith, one of On the 3rd Sunday of the month, the Bridegroom or Holy Friday services might be of Saturday, April 27 th - 7pm we’d like to celebrate milestones with our parish family, so whether interest to them. These are beautiful services that give it is a nameday, anniversary, birth - a short introduction into the Faith and they’ll be op - Sun., April 28 th - 9:30am RESURRECTION day or other celebration in the cur - portunity for discussion after service. followed by the blessing of the baskets in the church hall rent calendar month, let’s make mention of it and celebrate it on the 3rd Sunday of the month. Do you know of any parishioners in the hos - As part of the sacramental life and traditional serv - VOLUNTEERS FOR OUR WEEKLY pital or nursing home? Or, are they home - ices of the Church, with COFFEE HOUR : Theophany being the We are always in need of volun - bound? teers to assist with the weekly cof - foremost event of my fee hour. Please sign-up if your service to this community, interested in participating in the I am available to do Narthex. You’re also welcome to home, vehicle, boat and bring a dish to share! business blessings. I do not charge a fee, but if you choose to offer a gratuity, it is CHOIR : All voices are welcome to the peo - truly appreciated. ple / choir / chanter responses listed in your service book. Need I am currently commuting to and from an intermediate not be a professional singer to par - home between this and another parish which I am tend - ticipate, God doesn’t judge quality of voice - He knows what He’s ing, but I can make myself available for the needs of the given you. parish community after we restructure our other obliga - tions. MEMORIALS / P ANAHIDA : Remembering those that passed this Fr. Demetri isn’t good at mind reading, but I will be posting when I am available for confessions, visi - life is part of our faith. If you have those he does make house calls! Let him know if tations and other needs as soon as possible. Please bear whom you wish to remember, please with us during this transitional time. If you have questions, provide Fr. Demetri their names and anyone is in need of a visit and he’ll contact please ask, I don’t mind questions and pray I have the an - when they departed this life, we’d like to offer a monthly memorial on the 4th them. swers you seek. Sunday of the month. Count Your February Blessings: On March 17th, we will be celebrating the Sunday of . We We have quite the number of blessings to be would like the children to lead the procession. They can use an from thankful for in the month of February. home or can choose one from the church for the procession. The proces - 1) Kenneth “John” Sanders has a new guitar instrumental CD available, sion will begin after communion. Parish council and anyone else wish - “Spooky Blues”. You can find it on: http://store.cdbaby.com ing to participate in the procession is highly encouraged and most welcome. We, as Orthodox, reflect on the importance of this day as the 2) It’s truly a blessing to have a parish engaged in community outreach, restoration of the over the Iconoclast ban and it is one of the rec - a special thanks to Arlene Tonjes for being so proactive about the ognizable differences between various faiths. Outreach Calendar. ****************************************************** Remember, when you write out your utility bills or any kind of bill, 3) We’re blessed as we enter the Lenten Journey to have the newly to put aside something to give back to the Glory of God in your life! chrismated with us in faith.

4) We were blessed to have had a teaching class on the Proskimide / Preparation of the as we got to see the behind the scenes preparatory prayers and the deep symbolism explained.

5) Thankful for the readers for the month. We have a great number of readings coming up in April for Holy Week, so we’ll be looking for volunteers to read Psalms and various readings for the different days.

6) Thankful for the parish participation in the Sunday coffee hour.

7) Blessed to have children participation in services. You can make a weekly offering or monthly, whether you are in church 8) We’re blessed to have Fr. Frederick Watson and Pani Sue join us when or if want to mail it. At some point, we may offer a wireless transfer or they are able. direct deposit for those tech savvy individuals.

9) We’re blessed that we have a dedicated board that tithes their time Passing the tray in service is awkward, clumsy and takes away from the and efforts to help the parish succeed. true beauty of worship, but as it is a necessity, please place your offering ***************************************************** in the basket upfront either as you enter or as you leave the parish. We OUTREACH - Fr. Demetri will be doing some invocation prayers at local try not to inconvenience the flow of the service by pushing baskets sev - community meetings. eral times a service. Help us make this a welcoming and relaxing aspect of service. There are envelopes and pens as you enter, you can put your If you hear of other forms of outreach, please bring it to both Fr. Demetri name and amount on them or leave them as anonymous. The reason and Parish Council President, John Sennett’s attention. Let’s awaken the for the names is to assign your donation to your stewardship or to apply area to the fact that we are an Orthodox community. the payment to a specific request - building fund or stewardship or other. ****************************************************** Your choice! ORTHODOX EDUCATION CLASSES - Fr. Demetri is planning on more ****************************************************** education classes. What topics would you like to learn about? ? Trip to the . Thank you to Dan & Vilma for communicating Scripture? Sacraments? Feast days? Traditions? Interested in a movie our interest in visiting the monastery. It is a wonderful way to under - night followed by a discussion? stand the piety of the monastics and de-stress your life. We’re looking at the 3rd week in March and have given the Abbot 3 days to choose Drop Fr. Demetri an email, note or phone call with your interests about from during that week. Fr. Demetri will announce a date and time when the Faith. it is finalized. ****************************************************** ****************************************************** March 10th is Forgiveness Sunday , a beautiful aspect is the Forgive - Ellen Flynn , is collecting names of volunteer readers for the month of ness . The highlight of the vespers is when we will form 2 lines April, please see her about reading during one of the many services dur - in which we will forgive each other and start our Lenten journey fresh ing Lent. We’ll be offering a marathon of services, and with that comes and unburdened if we voluntarily or involuntary offended any of our a lot of readings. brothers and sisters. If the parish house is available, Fr. Demetri will be offering Forgiveness Sunday Evening Vespers to kick off the start of the Use your voice as a joyful offering to the Lord. Lent. The Dreaded “F” Word With Lent approaching quickly, the dreaded “f” word gets tossed around.... FAST, FASTING, The Great Fast. The Orthodox calendar puts out the monastic guidelines for this Great Fast and it tends to cause some confusion and chaos in our lives. What are we going to do? What are we going to eat? How am I going to do this? The key word about the fasting guidelines is “MONASTIC”, the Great Fast used to be merely a week long, but over time, the church set the readings and time frames to ease us into this fast and allow us time to prepare and build each other up with the scriptural readings. The readings and sacrifice of the Great Fast was designed so that we share in the Passion and Resurrection with Christ. That we endure with Him and ready both our souls and bodies to be with Him in the Holy Eucharist.

When the monastics established the rules for , with the weeks of and the 40-day Fast it was during a period of time when people mostly walked to get from place to place, the church or meeting area was in a central location, they didn’t have to really have great distances to travel nor operate motor vehicles nor heavy equipment, the sun would dictate the time of day, and the people were able to dedicate more time to prayer & go at slower paces to accommodate the need to rest because of the changes affecting their bodies by fasting — which sounds very familiar to how the monastics lived and still live to this day. In actuality, the whole point of the fast is sacrifice, cleansing and spiritual edification. By cleaning your body of not just foods that burden it, but cleaning your soul in preparation for His Glorious Resurrection! The food selection isn’t a big one to overcome these days with vegan cuisine offering tastes and tex - tures to that of meat, fish, eggs, cheese and dairy. There are some people that have no problem say - ing they can fast... but, if you are vegan, what are you abstaining from if you don’t already consume meat, fish, eggs and dairy? If you dislike ham, abstaining from it isn’t a real struggle. Even in sem - inary during Holy Week, there was the usual irony of seminarians and even priests adding milk products to their coffee or milk-based dressings or olive oil with red wine vinegar dressings with a generous portion of feta cheese to their salads while boasting of their ability to fast was often ob - served in the school cafeteria. Some seminarians would be overindulging at nearby sushi bars or even Red Lobster feasting on shrimp, lobster and crab meat. Indulging in anything is contrary to the message of the Fast. How are you preparing your body? It’s truly understandable that some have difficulty because of work, medicines, medical conditions, diets or allergies that alter the way they approach the fast. You do only what you are able to do, it is not meant to kill you, but help you focus on the struggle of Jesus. If you are unable to follow the monastic guidelines, here are some ideas for the Great Fast: remove food items that are overly enjoyable (Example: if you’re a dessert person, skip it; need cream in your coffee, try a non-dairy alternative) and remove them for the 40 day window; create a spare change jar to donate during Lent; go through your pantry or when you shop Publix BOGO deals, the extra save for a food pantry donation; get out your Bible and set a quiet time during the week; almsgiving; if adven - turous, find time to read 1 page or one Psalm daily; clean out your closet, donating your older clothes to a shelter; make amends with someone that did you wrong or take time to know your neighbors; share your faith with someone. I admire the wisdom of Saint for reflecting on Scripture so eloquently, and bluntly put: “It’s not what goes into the mouth, but what comes out of the mouth.” Ultimately, you are the only one in charge of what you put in your mouth and what comes forth from it. If you want to do the monastic-style fast and it doesn’t affect your physical health, nor affects your mental clarity, by all means attempt it! It is worthwhile for those that are able, and if you stumble, you can try again - the main week of focus has always been Holy Week. With dairy and meat alternatives, there are plenty of plant-based ways to get enough protein and nutrients. *SPOILER ALERT: Once the words ring out that “Christ Is Risen” and you sit down to eat those foods from which you abstained from, you’ll taste them differently. Texture, taste & temperature will have your tastebuds dancing. The science states that you’ve basically reset your system when you avoid something for more than 21 days, which is why so many detox diets (sugar) are 21-day programs.* The following are the monastic rules of the The Great Forty Days as taken from the OrthodoxWikipedia page as as example of the strict discipline and spiritual reflection one would find in the Orthodox monastic life:

The forty days of Great Lent last from Clean Monday until the Friday of the Sixth Week. Each of the Sundays of Great Lent has its own special commemoration, though these are not necessarily repeated during the preceding week. An excep - tion is the Week of the Cross (the Fourth Week), during which the theme of the . The Liturgy's and alleluia verses as well as the Epistle (He - preceding Sunday—the of the Cross—is repeated throughout the week. brews 11:24-26,32-40) and Gospel (John 1:43-51) readings appointed for the The themes introduced in the Pre-Lenten period continue to be developed day continue to reflect this older usage. throughout the forty days. Clean Week Second Week The Second Sunday of Great Lent commemorates St. , the great The first week of Great Lent starting on Clean Monday, the first day of Great Lent. defender of the Church's doctrine of against its attack by Barlaam of The name "Clean Week" refers to the spiritual cleansing each of the faithful is en - Calabria. The Epistle is Hebrews 1:10-14; 2:1-3 and the Gospel is Mark 2:1-12. couraged to undergo through fasting, prayer, repentance, reception of the Holy Throughout this week, and until the Sixth Friday in Lent, one meal may be taken Mysteries and begging forgiveness of his neighbor. It is also traditionally a time a day with xerophagy. Until the Sixth Saturday in Lent, Saturday and Sunday fast - for spring cleaning so that one's outward surroundings matches his inward dis - ing remains the same as in the First Week. position. Throughout this week fasting is most strict. Those who have the strength are encouraged to fast completely, eating only on Wednesday and Friday Third Week evenings, after the Presanctified Liturgy. Those who are unable to keep such a The Veneration of the Cross is celebrated on the third Sunday. The veneration strict fast are encouraged to eat only a little, and then only xerophagy (see Prodigal comes on this day because it is the midpoint of the forty days. The services for this Son) once a day. On Monday, no food should be eaten at all and only uncooked day are similar to those on the Great Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (Septem - food on Tuesday and Thursday. Meals are served on Saturday and Sunday, but ber 14). During the All-Night Vigil the priest brings the cross out into the center these are fasting meals at which meat and dairy products are forbidden. of the church, where it is venerated by the and faithful. It remains in the center of the church through Friday of the week following (the Fourth Week of At Great during the first four days of the Fast (Monday through Thursday) Great Lent). The Epistle is Hebrews 4:14-5:6 and the Gospel is Mark 8:34-9:1. the Great of St. Andrew of Crete is divided into four parts and one part is chanted each night (for further information about the Great Canon, see Fifth Week. Fourth Week This week is celebrated as a sort of afterfeast of the Veneration of the Cross, during The First Saturday is called "St. Theodore Saturday" in honor of St. Theodore the which some of the hymns from the previous Sunday are repeated each day. On Recruit, a 4th-century martyr. At the end of the Presanctified Liturgy on Friday Monday and Wednesday of the Fourth Week, a Veneration of the Cross takes place (since, liturgically, the day begins at sunset) a special canon to St. Theodore, com - at the First Hour (repeating a portion of the service from the All-Night Vigil of the posed by St. , is chanted. Then the priest blesses kolyva (boiled previous Sunday). On Friday of that week, the veneration takes place after the wheat with honey and raisins) which is distributed to the faithful in commemora - Ninth Hour, after which the cross is solemnly returned to the sanctuary by the tion of the following miracle worked by St. Theodore on the First Saturday of Great priest and . The Sunday which ends the fourth week is dedicated to St. Lent. , whose work, The Ladder of Divine Ascent has been read through - out the Great Lenten Fast. Fifty years after the death of St Theodore, the emperor Julian the Apostate (361- 363), as a part of his general policy of persecution of Christians, commanded the Fifth Week governor of Constantinople during the first week of Great Lent to sprinkle all the On Thursday of the Fifth Week, the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete is chanted. food provisions in the marketplaces with the blood offered to pagan idols, know - This is the longest Canon of the church year, and during the course of its nine ing that the people would be hungry after the strict fasting of the first week. St Odes, most every person mentioned in the Bible is called to mind and tied to the Theodore appeared in a dream to Eudoxius, ordering him to inform theme of repentance. In anticipation of the Canon, Vespers on Wednesday after - all the Christians that no one should buy anything at the marketplaces, but rather noon is longer than normal, with special stichera added in honor of the Great to eat cooked wheat with honey (kolyva). Canon. The Great Canon itself is recited during Matins for Thursday, which is usu - ally celebrated by anticipation on Wednesday evening, so that more people can The First Sunday of Great Lent is the Feast of Orthodoxy, which commemorates attend. the restoration of the veneration of icons after the Iconoclast controversy, which is considered to be the triumph of the Church over the last of the great As a part of the Matins of the Great Canon, the Life of St. Mary of by St. which troubled her (all later heresies being simply a rehashing of earlier ones). Sophronius, of Jerusalem (634 - 638) is read, for her example of repen - Before the on this day, a special service, known as the "Triumph of tance and overcoming temptation. On this day also is chanted the famous kon - Orthodoxy" is held in cathedrals and major , at which the synodicon takion, "My soul, my soul, why sleepest thou..." by St. Romanos the Melodist. The (containing against various heresies, and encomia of those who have next day (Thursday morning) a special Presanctified Liturgy is celebrated, and the held fast to the Christian faith) is proclaimed. The theme of the day is the victory fast is relaxed slightly (wine and oil are allowed) as consolation after the long serv - of the True Faith over . "This is the victory that overcomes the world, our ice the night before. faith" (1 John 5:4). Also, the icons of the saints bear witness that man, "created in the image and likeness of God" (Genesis 1:26), may become holy and godlike Saturday of the Fifth Week is dedicated to the Theotokos (Mother of God), and is through the purification of himself as God's living image. The First Sunday of known as the "Saturday of the " because the Akathist to the Theotokos is Great Lent originally commemorated the Prophets such as , , and chanted during Matins on that day (again, usually anticipated on Friday evening). The Fifth Sunday is dedicated to St. Mary of Egypt, whose Life was read earlier in on both days. The Holy Week services begin on the night of Palm Sunday, and the the week during the Great Canon. At the end of the Divine Liturgy many churches liturgical colours are changed from the festive hues of Lazarus Saturday and Palm celebrate a "Blessing of Dried Fruit", in commemoration of St. Mary's profound Sunday back to somber Lenten colors asceticism. Holy Week Sixth Week Although technically, Holy Week is separate from Great Lent, its services mirror Icon of the Raising of Lazarus (15th century, Novgorod school). In most icons of those of Great Lent and are contained in the same book, the Lenten Triodion. death, resurrection and baptism, the gates of hades are visible in the background, Whereas, during Great Lent each week has its own theme, during Holy Week each as they are here. During the Sixth Week the Lenten services are served as they day has its own theme, again based upon the Gospel readings for the day: were during the second and third weeks. Great Lent ends at Vespers on the evening of the Sixth Friday, and the Lenten cycle of Old Testament readings is Holy and Great Monday - Joseph the all-comely as a type of Christ, and brought to an end (Genesis ends with the account of the burial of Joseph, who is the account of The Fig Tree (Matthew 21:18-22) a type of Christ). At that same service, the celebration of Laza rus Saturday begins. Holy and Great Tuesday - the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matt. 25:1-13) The resurrection of Lazarus is under stood as a foreshadowing of the Resurrection Holy and Great Wednesday - The anointing of Jesus at Bethany (Matthew of Jesus, and many of the Resurrection hymns normally chanted on Sunday (and 26:6-16) which will be replaced the next day with hymns for Palm Sunday) are chanted at Note that for the previous three days, one meal a day is taken a day with xe - Matins on the morning of Lazarus Saturday. rophagy.

Palm Sunday differs from the previous Sundays in that it is one of the Great Feasts Holy and Great Thursday - The Mystical Supper of the Orthodox Church. None of the normal Lenten material is chanted on Palm One meal may be eaten on this day with wine and oil. Sunday, and fish, wine and oil are permitted in the trapeza. The blessing of palms (or pussywillow) takes place at Matins on Sunday morning, and everyone stands Holy and Great Friday - The Passion (Matthew 27:62-66) holding palms and lit candles during the important moments of the service. No food is to be eaten on this day.

This is especially significant at the Great during the Divine Liturgy on Holy and Great Saturday Palm Sunday morning, since liturgically that entrance recreates the entry of Jesus The Burial of Jesus and the Harrowing of Hell (Matthew 28:1-20) into Jerusalem. The themes of Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday are tied to - One meal may be eaten with wine. gether, and some of the same hymns (including one of the apolytikia) are chanted

ST. E PHREM the Prayer of St Ephrem is recited then, too. THE SYRIAN Our Righteous Father The prayer is accompanied by bows and . Depending upon the rubrics, the prayer is said either once or twice:When it is said once, it is divided into three was a prolific Syriac parts, with a after each part. When it is said twice (though local practices language hymn writer may vary) it is said the first time with a prostration after each part; then follow a num - and theologian of the ber of either bows or prostrations (either in silence or accompanied by short ejacu - 4th century. He is ven - latory prayers); and then the prayer is said the second time in its entirety (i.e., not erated by Christians broken up by prostrations) followed by a final prostration. throughout the world, but especially among Syriac Christians, as a saint. His feast day in the Orthodox Church is January 28. The Prayer of Saint Ephrem, is a prayer attributed to Saint Ephrem the Syrian and used during the Great Lent by the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic Churches. In the Byzantine tradition, this prayer is considered to be the most succinct summa - tion of the spirit of Great Lent and is hence the Lenten prayer par excellence, prayed during all Lenten weekday services. • At weekday services during Great Lent, the prayer is prescribed for each of the and at the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. • During the period of the Triodion, the prayer is first recited on Wednesday & Friday only on Cheesefare week and thereafter at every weekday service from vespers on the evening of the Sunday of Forgiveness, the service which begins Great Lent, through Wednesday of Holy Week. The prayer is not said on Saturdays and Sundays (vespers on Sunday evening is of Monday, since the Byzantine liturgical day begins at sunset), because these days are not strict fasting days (oil and wine are always permitted). This means that the weekends retain a festal character, even during the Great Fast, and the Divine Liturgy may be celebrated as usual. • During the , Dormition Fast and the Apostles' Fast, the lenten order of services may be used when the divine liturgy is not celebrated. In such an instance, Services & Scripture Readings: Wednesday, March 20th - 6:30pm - Pre-Sanctified Liturgy Sunday, March 3rd - 9:30am - Meatfare Sunday OT Reading: Isaiah 5:16-25 (Fr. Frederick will offer a teaching on Icons) OT Reading: Genesis 4:16-26 Epistle Reading: St. Paul's First Letter to Corinthians 8:8-9:2 OT Reading: Proverbs 5:15-6:3 Gospel Reading: Matthew 25:31-46 Reader: TBA Sunday, March 24th - 9:30am - Gregory Palamas Epistle Reader: TBA Sunday, March 10th - 9:30am - Cheesefare Sunday/ Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to Hebrews 1:10-2:3 Forgiveness Sunday Gospel Reading: Mark 2:1-12 Forgiveness vespers (tentatively) offered Sunday evening at 6:30pm. Epistle Reader: TBA Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to Romans 13:11-14:4 Monday, March 25th - 9:30am - Annunciation Gospel Reading: Matthew 6:14-21 Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to Hebrews 2:11-18 Epistle Reader: TBA Gospel Reading: Luke 1:24-38 Wednesday, March 13th - 6:30pm - Pre-Sanctified Liturgy Epistle Reader: TBA OT Reading: Isaiah 2:3-11 Wednesday, March 27th - 6:30pm - Pre-Sanctified Liturgy OT Reading: Genesis 1:24-2:3 Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to Hebrews 4:14-5:6 OT Reading: Proverbs 2:1-22 Gospel Reading: Mark 2:1-12 Reader: TBA Reader: TBA Sunday, March 17th - 9:30am - Orthodoxy Sunday Sunday, March 31st - 9:30am - Veneration of the Holy Cross (Fr. Demetri will offer a teaching on at 9am and afterwards (Memorial for the departed) recognize any birthdays, anniversaries or namedays of the month) Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to Hebrews 4:14-5:6 Youth are welcome to bring a home icon or use a church icon for the pro - Gospel Reading: Mark 2:1-12 cessional at the conclusion of services. Epistle Reader: TBA Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to Hebrews 11:24-26, 11:32-12:2 Sign-up for reading the Epistle for April. Sign-up sheet is in the Gospel Reading: John 1:43-51 Narthex or check with Ellen. Epistle Reader: TBA Glory be to God for all things. ST. NECTARIOS AMERICAN CARPATHO- 405 Marcum Road, Lakeland, FL 33809 www.stnectarios.com