FEBRUARY 2021 HE INE T EME T RIO S TREEK R T HO D OX HUR C H ROWN T REE T E st ON S . D G O C V, 57 B S , W , MA 02493 FR. VINNIE’S MESSAGE Jesus said, “I am the vine; The Season of Triodion and Great Lent you are the During the months of February and March, we enter into the solemn season of branches. Triodion and Great Lent. It is a time when our Holy Orthodox Church invites all of If a man remains us to renew our faith in Christ, our Savior and Redeemer of the human race, and to renew our love for the Church which proclaims the teaching of Divine Love. in me and I in him, he will bear Since the foundation of the world, the Saints of God, such as the Prophets and Patriarchs, the Apostles, Martyrs, Teachers and Fathers of the Church have lived much fruit.” Christ’s Teaching and bestowed to the world an example of dedication, sacrifice and (John 15:5) obedience to Christ. By their living and holy example, their love for man, unceasing prayer, self-control, fasting, charity, forgiveness and tears of repentance, they sanctified humanity. Great Lent reminds us of the achievements of the Saints and of their countless struggles while striving to preserve the “image and likeness of God”. In each week of Lent we commemorate holy and historic events in the life of the Church, such as CONTENTS the Sunday of Orthodoxy and the Veneration of the Holy Cross. In addition to the radiant example and wisdom of some of the great saints of the Church, such as St. Gregory Palamas, St. John Climacus, and St. Mary of Egypt, whose repentance and self-denial has inspired many others. Liturgical Schedule.............2 The Service of the Salutations of the Theotokos also serves to strengthen our faith. Stewardship Spotlight......3 We are reminded of our glorious history and also our rich spiritual tradition which nourishes the whole world. During the days of Great Lent we are invited to take the Youth................................4 & 5 path of these saints. With them we experience within our soul the mystery of our Photos.......................................6 unique Faith. We need to follow the example of the Saints, together with the Most Holy Mother of God, to pray unceasingly for the peace of the whole world, for the Photos & Stewardship.....7 stability and reconciliation of all nations, for the prevalence of righteousness in all the earth, and for man’s return to God. With complete faith we must entrust our Calendar...................................8 struggles and concerns to Him who offers us the invitation, “Come, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”. News & Events.....................9 Philoptochos...........10 & 11 Great Lent also invites us to repentance and forgiveness. Let us ask God to pardon our faults and passions returning to God the Father, as did the Prodigal Son. Only Announcements................12 then will we be able to find healing of the wounds of soul and body. By doing this we restore to our own life peace of soul and mind. The love of God will prevail in us and overcome so many of the problems, economic and social, personal and national, which plague contemporary society. As it is written in the Triodion, “The spring of abstinence, the bloom of repentance, has dawned. Let us cleanse ourselves, brethren, of every defilement, and let us cry to the Giver of light, saying, ‘Glory to You, only Lover of Mankind’”. LITURGICAL SCHEDULE TRIODION BEGINS: SUNDAY OF THE PUBLICAN SCHEDULE OF AND PHARISEE, FEBRUARY 21 CHURCH SERVICES SUNDAY SERVICES ORTHRos, 8:30; DIVINE LITURGY, 9:30 February 7- 16th Sunday of Matthew February 14- Sunday of the Canaanite February 21- Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee February 28- Sunday of the Prodigal Son MIDWEEK SERVICES AT ST. DEMETRIOS Please note we will not have services on February 2 for the Presentation of the Lord and Paraklesis on February 3rd The name for this Sunday is taken from the parable of our Lord Jesus Christ found in Luke 18:10-14. This February 10- Paraklesis, 6 pm is the story of two men, one a Pharisee, a member of February 17- Paraklesis, 6 pm a Jewish sect known for its diligent observance of the Law, and the other a Publican, a government official February 24- Paraklesis, 10 am charged with the responsibility of collecting taxes. Both men enter the temple, and the Pharisee stands openly and prays, thanking God that he is not like other men, specifically extortioners, the unjust, adulterers, “or even this tax collector” (v. 11). He then begins to list his religious accomplishments by stating, “I fast twice a week, and I give tithes of all that I possess” (v. 12). In direct contrast to the pride of the Pharisee, the Publican goes to a place where he will not be noticed by others and beats his breast saying, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” (v. 13). Having told this story, Jesus affirms that it was the Publican who returned home justified and forgiven rather than the Pharisee. He states, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (v. 14). The theme of this parable is repentance. Repentance is the door through which we enter Lent, the starting-point of the journey to Pascha. To repent signifies far more than self-pity or futile regret over things done in the past. The Greek term metanoia means “change of mind.” To repent is to be renewed, to be transformed in our inward viewpoint, to attain a fresh way of looking at our relationship with God and with others. The fault of the Pharisee is that he has no desire to change his outlook; he is complacent, self-satisfied, and so he allows no place for God to act within him. The Gospel depicts him as a man that is pleased only with himself who thinks that he has complied with all of the requirements of religion. But in his pride, he has falsified the meaning of true religion and faith. He has reduced these to external observations, measuring his piety by the amount of money he gives. The Publican, on the other hand, truly longs for a “change of mind.” He humbles himself, and his humility justifies him before God. He becomes, in the words of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3), “poor in spirit.” He acknowledges that he is a sinner, and he knows that salvation is only found in the mercy of God. Here we find an example of true humility, an essential aspect of repentance. A “change of mind” and the transformation of our lives can only happen when we humble ourselves before God, acknowledge our willingness to turn from sin, and receive His grace into our lives. Our preparation for Lent thus begins with a prayer for humility, the beginning of true repentance. Through repentance, we can find and return to the true order of things, a restoration of our spiritual vision that will guide us in a very difficult and challenging world. By entering Great Lent in humility and repentance, we can attain deeper communion with God as we receive His forgiveness and He blesses by guiding us to greater spiritual heights. THE VINE: February 2021 p. 2 STEWARDSHIP SPOTLIGHT Each month we will feature a family as part of our Stewardship section of the Vine. Take a moment and learn more about the parishioners who make the fabric of our community here at St. Demetrios. We hope that you enjoy this new feature. The Parpos Clendenin Family Tell us about your family. I am the daughter of Argirios and Avra Parpos and I am one of four siblings. Eleven years ago, I received my life’s greatest blessing when I became a mother to my son, Mark Demetrios. At that time, I was living out-of-state. Life’s fragility and bittersweet ways made their presence known when motherhood and divorce simultaneously greeted me. Through God’s grace, my son and I survived our respective childbirth complications. We relocated to Framingham when Mark was 10 months old. ST. DEMETRIOS CONNECTIONS Our family of two grew to three 781-237-5561 | www.stdemetriosweston.org when I bought my son a dog for his 8th birthday. Fr. Vincent Minucci, Proistamenos I have worked in education for Fr. Nicholas Krommydas, Pastor Emeritus 20 years, beginning as a Boston Marianne Kent, Office Administrator Public school teacher to my Nicholas Korderas, Sexton current non-teaching position James Houhoulis, Parish Council President in the Special Education Matina Pappas, Philoptochos President Department for Weston Public Bookstore, Carol Loridas Schools. ST. DEMETRIOS Choir, Genie Leussis, Chris Tzellas, Athena Kalyvas One can take the teacher out Faith and Works Ministries GREEK ORTHODOX of the classroom; however, one St. Demetrios Inner-City Outreach, Peter Mitsakos cannot take the teacher out of CHURCH St. Nicholas Angel Tree, Nancy Agris Savage the person. Prior to COVID, in YOCAMA, Jill Kovatsis addition to my job in the public Peace Ministry, Peter Panagopoulos school system, I also proudly IOCC, Andrea Katsenes worked side-by-side with my Habitat for Humanity, David Newkirk, Gina Pagonis mother in the Greek Language Hospitality/Fellowship Hour, St. Demetrios Philoptochos & Cultural School. Serving my Library, Cindi Dabrowski St. Demetrios community as 57 Brown St. Mailing Ministry, Portia Pantages Orthodox Life Series, James Skedros the Kindergarten Greek School Weston, MA 02493 teacher for 8 years was truly (781) 237-5561 Byzantine Chant Ministry, Demetrios Constantine Philoptochos Care Ministries an honor.