STS. CONSTANTINE & HELEN GREEK ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL OF BROOKLYN ΚΑΘΕΔΡΙΚΟΣ ΝΑΟΣ ΑΓΙΩΝ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΕΛΕΝΗΣ

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1 STS. CONSTANTINE & HELEN GREEK ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL OF BROOKLYN ΚΑΘΕΔΡΙΚΟΣ ΝΑΟΣ ΑΓΙΩΝ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΕΛΕΝΗΣ 64 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, New York Telephone: (718) Fax Telephone: (718) Dean: Fr. John K. Lardas *** ST. NICHOLAS CHURCH OF THE WTC ΝΑΟΣ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΝΙΚΟΛΑΟΥ ΤΟΥ WTC Fourth Tone-4th Morning Gospel /Ήχος Δ Εωθινόν Δ *********************************************************************************** Η αγία αυτή ημέρα είναι ξεχωριστή, διότι παρά το κατανυκτικό κλίμα της Μεγάλης Τεσσαρακοστής, εορτάζει λαμπρά η Ορθοδοξία μας, η αληθινή Εκκλησία του Χριστού. Ποιούμε ανάμνηση του κορυφαίου γεγονότος της εκκλησιαστικής μας ιστορίας, της αναστηλώσεως των ιερών εικόνων, το οποίο επισυνέβη το 843 μ.χ. στο Βυζάντιο, χάρις στην αποφασιστική συμβολή της βασιλίσσης και μετέπειτα αγίας Θεοδώρας, συζύγου του αυτοκράτορα Θεοφίλου ( μ.χ.). *** Each of the Sundays of Great Lent has its own special theme. The first Sunday is called the Feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. It is a historical feast commemorating the return of the icons to the churches in the year 843 after the heresy of iconoclasm was overcome. The spiritual theme of the day is first of all the victory of the True Faith. This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith (1 Jn 5:4). Secondly, the icons of the saints bear witness that man, created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26), becomes holy and godlike through the purification of himself as God s living image.

2 Κυριακή 9η Μαρτίου, 2014 Κυριακή Α των Νηστειών(της Ορθοδοξίας). Εν η ανάμνησιν ποιούμεθα της αναστηλώσεως των αγίων και σεπτών Εικόνων. Των Αγίων Τεσσαράκοντα Μαρτύρων των εν Σεβαστεία μαρτυρησάντων. Αναστάσιμο Απολυτίκιον Ήχος Δ Τὸ φαιδρὸν τῆς Ἀναστάσεως κήρυγμα, ἐκ τοῦ Ἀγγέλου μαθοῦσαι αἱ τοῦ Κυρίου Μαθήτριαι, καὶ τὴν προγονικὴν ἀπόφασιν ἀπορρίψασαι, τοῖς Ἀποστόλοις καυχώμεναι ἔλεγον Ἐσκύλευται ὁ θάνατος, ἠγέρθη Χριστὸς ὁ Θεός, δωρούμενος τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος Απολυτίκιον της Ορθοδοξίας Τὴν ἄχραντον Εἰκόνα σου προσκυνοῦμεν Ἀγαθέ, αἰτούμενοι συγχώρησιν τῶν πταισμάτων ἡμῶν, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός βουλήσει γὰρ ηὐδόκησας σαρκὶ ἀνελθεῖν ἐν τῷ Σταυρῷ, ἵνα ῥύσῃ οὓς ἔπλασας ἐκ τῆς δουλείας τοῦ ἐχθροῦ ὅθεν εὐχαρίστως βοῶμέν σοι Χαρᾶς ἐπλήρωσας τὰ πάντα, ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν, παραγενόμενος εἰς τὸ σῶσαι τὸν Κόσμον. Απολυτίκιον των 40 Μαρτύρων Τὰς ἀλγηδόνας τῶν Ἁγίων, ἃς ὑπὲρ σοῦ ἔπαθον, δυσωπήθητι, Κύριε, καὶ πάσας ἡμῶν τὰς ὀδύνας, ἴασαι φιλάνθρωπε, δεόμεθα. Απολύτίκιον Αγίων Κωνσταντίνου και Ελένης Τοῦ Σταυροῦ σου τὸν τύπον ἐν οὐρανῷ θεασάμενος, καὶ ὡς ὁ Παῦλος τὴν κλῆσιν οὐκ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων δεξάμενος, ὁ ἐν βασιλεῦσιν, Ἀπόστολός σου Κύριε, Βασιλεύουσαν πόλιν τῇ χειρί σου παρέθετο ἣν περίσῳζε διὰ παντὸς ἐν εἰρήνῃ, πρεσβείαις τῆς Θεοτόκου, μόνε Φιλάνθρωπε. Απολυτίκιον Αγίου Νικολάου Κανόνα πίστεως καὶ εἰκόνα πραότητος, ἐγκρατείας Διδάσκαλον, ἀνέδειξέ σε τῇ ποίμνῃ σου, ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀλήθεια διὰ τοῦτο ἐκτήσω τῇ ταπεινώσει τὰ ὑψηλά, τῇ πτωχείᾳ τὰ πλούσια, Πάτερ Ἱεράρχα Νικόλαε, πρέσβευε Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ, σωθῆναι τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν. Κοντάκιον Τὴ ὑπερμάχω στρατηγῶ τὰ νικητήρια, ὡς λυτρωθεῖσα τῶν δεινῶν εὐχαριστήρια, ἀναγράφω σοὶ ἡ Πόλις σου Θεοτόκε, Ἀλλ' ὡς ἔχουσα τὸ κράτος ἀπροσμάχητον, ἐκ παντοίων μὲ κινδύνων ἐλευθέρωσον, ἵνα κράζω σοί, Χαῖρε νύμφη ἀνύμφευτε. Sunday March 9th, 2014 First Sunday of Lent (Orthodoxy). The 40 Holy Martyrs of Sebasteia. Ressurectional Apolytikion 4th Tone Having learned the joyful proclamation of the Resurrection from the Angel, and having cast off the ancestral condemnation, the women disciples of the Lord spake to the Apostles exultantly: Death is despoiled and Christ God is risen, granting great mercy to the world. Apolytikion of Orthodoxy O Christ our God, begging forgiveness of our sins, we venerate Your Pure Image, O Good One. Of your own will you condescended to ascend upon the Cross in the flesh and deliver those You created from the bondage of the enemy. Wherefore, thankfully, we cry out, "When You came to save the world, Your filled all things with joy, O Our Savior." Apolytikion of the Holy 40 Martyrs Be entreated, O Lord, by the sufferings endured for You by the Saints, and we pray You, heal all our pain. Apolytikion of Sts. Constantine and Helen Having seen the image of Thy Cross in Heaven, and like Paul, having received the call not from men, Thine apostle among kings entrusted the commonwealth to Thy hand, O Lord. Keep us always in peace, by the intercessions of the Theotokos, O only Friend of man. Apolytikion of St. Nicholas The truth of things hath revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith, an icon of meekness, and a teacher of temperance; for this cause, thou hast achieved the heights by humility, riches by poverty. O Father and Hierarch Nicholas, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved. Seasonal Kontakion To you, Theotokos, invincible Defender, having been delivered from peril, I, your city, dedicate the victory festival as a thank offering. In your irresistible might, keep me safe from all trials, that I may call out to you: "Hail, unwedded bride!"

3 Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Κύριε, ὁ Θεὸς τῶν Πατέρων ἡμῶν. Στίχ. Ὅτι δίκαιος εἶ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν, οἷς ἐποίησας ἡμῖν. Πρὸς Ἑβραίους 12:1-10 Ἀδελφοί, τοσοῦτον ἔχοντες περικείμενον ἡμῖν νέφος μαρτύρων, ὄγκον ἀποθέμενοι πάντα καὶ τὴν εὐπερίστατον ἁμαρτίαν, διʼ ὑπομονῆς τρέχωμεν τὸν προκείμενον ἡμῖν ἀγῶνα, ἀφορῶντες εἰς τὸν τῆς πίστεως ἀρχηγὸν καὶ τελειωτὴν Ἰησοῦν, ὃς, ἀντὶ τῆς προκειμένης αὐτῷ χαρᾶς, ὑπέμεινεν σταυρόν, αἰσχύνης καταφρονήσας, ἐν δεξιᾷ τε τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ θεοῦ κεκάθικεν. Ἀναλογίσασθε γὰρ τὸν τοιαύτην ὑπομεμενηκότα ὑπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν εἰς ἀυτὸν ἀντιλογίαν, ἵνα μὴ κάμητε ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν ἐκλυόμενοι. Οὔπω μέχρι αἵματος ἀντικατέστητε πρὸς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἀνταγωνιζόμενοι καὶ ἐκλέλησθε τῆς παρακλήσεως, ἥτις ὑμῖν ὡς υἱοῖς διαλέγεται, Υἱέ μου, μὴ ὀλιγώρει παιδείας κυρίου, μηδὲ ἐκλύου ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ ἐλεγχόμενος ὃν γὰρ ἀγαπᾷ κύριος παιδεύει μαστιγοῖ δὲ πάντα υἱὸν ὃν παραδέχεται. Εἰς παιδείαν ὑπομένετε, ὡς υἱοῖς ὑμῖν προσφέρεται ὁ θεός τίς γὰρ ἐστιν υἱὸς ὃν οὐ παιδεύει πατήρ; Εἰ δὲ χωρίς ἐστε παιδείας, ἧς μέτοχοι γεγόνασιν πάντες, ἄρα νόθοι ἐστε καὶ οὐχ υἱοί. Εἶτα τοὺς μὲν τῆς σαρκὸς ἡμῶν πατέρας εἴχομεν παιδευτὰς, καὶ ἐνετρεπόμεθα οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑποταγησόμεθα τῷ πατρὶ τῶν πνευμάτων, καὶ ζήσομεν; Οἱ μὲν γὰρ πρὸς ὀλίγας ἡμέρας κατὰ τὸ δοκοῦν αὐτοῖς ἐπαίδευον ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ συμφέρον, εἰς τὸ μεταλαβεῖν τῆς ἁγιότητος αὐτοῦ. Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers. Verse: For you are just in all you have done. 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. Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἠθέλησεν ὁ Ιησοῦς ἐξελθεῖν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν καὶ εὑρίσκει Φίλιππον καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ἀκολούθει μοι. ἦν δὲ ὁ Φίλιππος ἀπὸ Βηθσαϊδά, ἐκ τῆς πόλεως Ανδρέου καὶ Πέτρου.εὑρίσκει Φίλιππος τὸν Ναθαναὴλ καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὃν ἔγραψε Μωϋσῆς ἐν τῷ νόμῳ καὶ οἱ προφῆται, εὑρήκαμεν, Ιησοῦν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ Ιωσὴφ τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρέτ. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ ἐκ Ναζαρὲτ δύναταί τι ἀγαθὸν εἶναι; λέγει αὐτῷ Φίλιππος ἔρχου καὶ ἴδε. εἶδεν ὁ Ιησοῦς τὸν Ναθαναὴλ ἐρχόμενον πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ λέγει περὶ αὐτοῦ ἴδε ἀληθῶς Ισραηλίτης, ἐν ᾧ δόλος οὐκ ἔστι. λέγει αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ πόθεν με γινώσκεις; ἀπεκρίθη Ιησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ πρὸ τοῦ σε Φίλιππον φωνῆσαι, ὄντα ὑπὸ τὴν συκῆν εἶδόν σε. ἀπεκρίθη Ναθαναὴλ καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ῥαββί, σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, σὺ εἶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ Ισραήλ. ἀπεκρίθη Ιησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὅτι εἶπόν σοι, εἶδόν σε ὑποκάτω τῆς συκῆς, πιστεύεις; μείζω τούτων ὄψει. καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀπ ἄρτι ὄψεσθε τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνεῳγότα, καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀναβαίνοντας καὶ καταβαίνοντας ἐπὶ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. The Gospel of 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."

4 ΠΕΡΙ ΝΗΣΤΕΙΑΣ Η νηστεία στην Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία έχει δύο όψεις: τη φυσική και την πνευματική. Η πρώτη υπονοεί την αποχή από πλούσιες τροφές όπως τα γαλακτερά προϊόντα, αυγά και κάθε είδος κρέας. Η πνευματική νηστεία αποτελεί την αποχή μας από κακές σκέψεις, επιθυμίες και πράξεις. Ο κύριος σκοπός της νηστείας είναι για να αποκτήσουμε εξουσία και πειθαρχία στο εαυτό μας και να νικήσουμε τα πάθη της σαρκός. Είναι για να ελευθερωθούμε από την εξάρτηση μας στα πράγματα του κόσμου τούτου ώστε να μπορέσουμε να συγκεντρωθούμε πάνω στα πράγματα της Βασιλείας του Θεού. Η αληθινή νηστεία λοιπόν, δεν είναι μόνο η αποχή από τροφές, αλλά επίσης η αποχή από κακές σκέψεις και όλα τα πάθη, διότι, όπως μας λέγει ο Κύριος: Οὔπω νοεῖτε ὅτι πᾶν τὸ εἰσπορευόμενον εἰς τὸ στόμα εἰς τὴν κοιλίαν χωρεῖ καὶ εἰς ἀφεδρῶνα ἐκβάλλεται; τὰ δὲ ἐκπορευόμενα ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ἐκ τῆς καρδίας ἐξέρχεται, κἀκεῖνα κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Ἐκ γὰρ τῆς καρδίας ἐξέρχονται διαλογισμοὶ πονηροί, φόνοι, μοιχεῖαι, πορνεῖαι, κλοπαί, ψευδομαρτυρίαι, βλασφημίαι. Ταῦτά ἐστι τὰ κοινοῦντα τὸν ἄνθρωπον... (Ματθ. 15:17-20) Άρα η εξωτερική νηστεία χωρίς την αντίστοιχη εσωτερική νηστεία είναι μάταια. Υπάρχουν πολλοί που δεν μπορούν να τηρήσουν τις νηστείες λόγο κάποια σωματική πάθηση ή μπορούν να τις τηρήσουν μόνον εν μέρη. Υπάρχουν όμως και πολλοί άλλοι, για τους οποίους η νηστεία θα ήταν μεγάλη σωματική ωφέλεια, αλλά χρησιμοποιούν τις αρρώστιες για να μη νηστέψουν. Αν η νηστεία πράγματι μας κάνει σωματική βλάβη, τότε δεν θα ήταν σωστό να τηρήσουμε τις κανόνες της νηστείας, αλλά κάτω από τη συμβουλή γιατρού και πνευματικού πατέρα, θα μπορούσαμε να αποκλείσουμε μερικές τροφές κατά την διάρκεια της νηστείας ή ακόμη για λιγότερες μέρες. Αυτό βεβαίως δεν μας εμποδίζει στην τήρηση της πνευματικής νηστείας. Ο Άγιος Ιωάννης ο Χρυσόστομος μας λέγει ότι η νηστεία δεν υπονοεί μόνο την αποχή από τροφές. Μας λέγει ότι η νηστεία: δεν πρέπει να τηρείτε μόνο από το στόμα, αλλά επίσης και από τα μάτια, τα αφτιά, τα πόδια, τα χέρια και από όλα τα μέλη του σώματος. Τα μάτια πρέπει να απέχουν από ακάθαρτα θεάματα, τα αφτιά από κακόβουλα κουτσομπολιά, τα χέρια από πράξεις αδικίας. Είναι μάταια να νηστεύεις το φαγητό, λέγει ο Μέγας Βασίλειος, και που την άλλη να παραδίδεσαι σε σκληρή κριτική και συκοφαντία. Δεν τρώγεις κρέας αλλά καταβροχθίζεις τον αδελφό σου. Πρέπει να θυμόμαστε ότι η νηστεία δεν είναι μια πράξη θρησκευτικότητας επειδή θέλουμε να φανούμε θρησκευόμενοι σε άλλους. Δεν είναι να υποφέρουμε λίγο που είναι κάπως ευάρεστο στον Θεόν, Δεν είναι τιμωρία, που με λίπη πρέπει να υπομένουμε για πληρωμή των αμαρτιών μας. Αντιθέτως, η νηστεία για τον Χριστιανό θα πρέπει να είναι μια χαρούμενη εμπειρία, διότι η νηστεία είναι μια αυτοπειθαρχία, την οποίαν οικειοθελώς επιβάλλουμε στον εαυτό μας ώστε να γίνουμε καλύτεροι άνθρωποι και καλύτεροι Χριστιανοί. Επίσης, πρέπει να κρατάμε στις μνήμη μας τα λόγια του Αποστόλου Πάυλου, ότι: Οὐ γάρ ἐστε ὑπὸ νόμον, ἀλλ ὑπὸ χάριν. (Ρωμ. 6:14), και ότι Τὸ γὰρ γράμμα ἀποκτέννει, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζωοποιεῖ. (Β Κορ. 3:6) Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ βρῶσις καὶ πόσις, ἀλλὰ δικαιοσύνη καὶ εἰρήνη καὶ χαρὰ ἐν Πνεύματι Αγίῳ. (Ρωμ. 14: 17) The First Week of Lent During the week of March 9 we read from Genesis and the Letter to the Hebrews.These passages, written in times so distant from each other, show us nevertheless that we are all together as sons and daughters of the same God the people of the Old Testament, and we the people of the New Testament or New Covenant.One verse that reflects this is Hebrews 11: 26, part of the reading (11: 24-26, 32-12: 2) for March 9th. The preceding verses briefly tell Moses' personal history: he was a "beautiful child" and his parents hid him to escape the Egyptian Pharaoh's edict that every male child born to the Hebrew slaves was to be killed, drowned in the Nile. But when he grew up, "by faith" he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, who had saved him from the river and raised him. He chose to share the sufferings of the Hebrews, having discovered that he was one of them. Then verse 26 tells us: "He considered abuse suffered for the Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he looked to the reward."what does it mean that the writer of Hebrews speaks of Moses suffering "for the Christ" when Moses lived long before Christ came, and certainly did not know Him? Moses had not heard Christ speak the message of salvation, so how could he be looking "to the reward?"the answer is that the writer of Hebrews, like all Christians, knows that Moses and the faithful people of the Old Testament were part of Christ's flock, even though in their lifetimes He had not yet become Man and lived in the world. Later verses in the same reading give us more names from the Old Testament, and refer to them as a "cloud of witnesses" for us, urging us to run the race set before us so that we, with them, may be made perfect. We are tied to these earlier people by the promise they share with us, though they did not actually hear the promise from the lips of the Son of God.The reading for March 15 (Hebrews 3: 12-16) is a warning to believers not to "fall away from the living God." They are to help one another, exhorting each other every day so that none of them will be "hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." We are tied together not only by the shared promise, but by our responsibility to each other, making sure that each one of us can "hold our first confidence firm to the end."this emphasis on mutual help and support tells us the answer to one of the Bible's best-known questions, which is part of a reading for March 11th. In Genesis 4: 9 Cain answers God by asking about his brother Abel, "Am I my brother's keeper?"for members of God's family, from Moses' time up to our own, the answer must be "yes."

5 Καθημερινές Θείες Ακολουθίες 10 Μαρτίου- Μέγα Απόδειπνο 3:00μμ. 12 Μαρτίου - Προηγιασμένη Θεία Λειτουργία-6μμ -Νηστίσιμο Γεύμα και Διάλογος για την Κυριακή της Ορθοδοξίας στην αίθουσα της εκκλησίας μετά την Λειτουργία 14 Μαρτίου -Προηγιασμένη Θεία Λειτουργία 5:30μμ -B Χαιρετισμοί-7:30μμ Προσεχώς Μνημόσυνο 23 Μαρτίου Γεωργίου Δελικάρη 40 ημέρες Σημαντικές Ημερομηνίες 15 Μαρτίου-Σεμινάριο Γάμου-στην αίθουσα της εκκλησσίας-9πμ 16 Μαρτίου-Ετήσιο Γεύμα Φασολάδας της Φιλοπτώχου 21 Μαρτίου Η GOYA θα προσφέρει σαρακοστιανό γεύμα να τημίσουν την Φιλόπτωχο και το Διοικητικό Συμβούλιο της κοινότητος 25 Μαρτίου-Εορτή για την 25 η Μαρτίου από τα παιδιά του σχολείου μας στην αίθουσα του σχολείου-7μμ 26 Μαρτίου-Εορτή για την 25 η Μαρτίου στο γραφείο του προέδρου της περιφέρειας Μπρούκλιν; φέτος οι τιμώμενοι από τη κοινότητά μας θα είναι η Στυλιανή Αργυρίου και ο Πέτρος Γιατράκης-6μμ 29 Μαρτίου Εκδρομή με το ΟΠΑ στο Μοναστήρι του Αγίου Νεκταρίου 30 Μαρτίου- Εθνική Παρέλαση 5 Απριλίου Διαγωνισμός Ρητορικής της Αρχιεπισκοπικής περιφέρειας Μαΐου-Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες της Αρχιεπισκοπής Weekday Services March 10- Great Compline 3:00pm March 12 - Pre-Sanctified Divine Liturgy-6pm -Lenten Meal and The Lenten Way Dialogue after the Liturgy March 14 - Pre-Sanctified Divine Liturgy 5:30pm 2 nd Salutations 7:30pm Upcoming Memorial March 23 George Delicaris 40 days Important Dates March 15-Wedding Seminar-in the church hall- 9am March 16 Philoptochos Fasolada Luncheon March 21 GOYA will host Lenten meal honoring Board of Trustees and Philoptochos March 25-A. Fantis School Greek Independence day celebration in the school auditorium-7pm March 26-Greek Independence Day Celebration at Brooklyn Borough Hall; this year the honorees from our community will be Stelene Argyriou and Peter Yatrakis-6pm March 29 Lenten Retreat with OPA to St. Nektarios Monastery March 30- Greek Parade April 5 D.A.D. Oratorical Festival in the church hall May Archdiocesan Olympics Ωράριο για τις Κυριακάτικες Λειτουργιές Όρθρος 9:15πμ Θεία Λειτουργία 10:30πμ Hours for Sunday Divine Liturgy Orthros 9:15am Divine Liturgy 10:30am

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7 Scholarships available by AHEPA and by the Hellenic University Club of New York! Check out more information on their websites. & Why in times of fasting do we fast from oil and fish but not from olives and fish roe? The old and true fast consists of total abstinence of food or xerophagia [only eating dry foods]. Since this cannot be maintained during long periods of fasting in the ecclesiastical year because of difficult living conditions or lack of zeal, several accommodations have been designed for the application of fasting by all believers. In ancient times Christians after the ninth hour (3:00 pm) on Lenten days partook only of water and bread. Gradually, however, not only was the duration of complete abstinence from food limited to normal time, and on other days Lenten Vespers and the Presanctified Liturgy were moved to the morning because of this, but other types of food were used, such as fruits, legumes, crustaceans, mollusks, etc. Within this context it can be understood why we eat olives on days you do not eat oil, and fish roe on days we abstain from fish. For the former we can invoke the fact that olives are eaten as fruit, while the ban on oil is on foods prepared with oil. For the latter justification is less reasonable, since the same is not allowed for milk or eggs, but they are prohibited in our fasts as "fruit and produce of animals" in the 56th Canon of the Quinisext Ecumenical Council. I know, however, devout Christians who understand this as "oikonomia", and on the days of great fasts and the night before Holy Communion they abstain from olives and fish roe. It is true that we often hear this question from well-meaning believers and more than a few who view the fasts as an irony. In both cases we emphasize the flexibility and philanthropy of the customs and rules of the Church, which do not have a purpose to exterminate people but to help them to exercise restraint and dominate the passions. If these foods scandalize them, they can abstain from them without being in "contempt" or "judgment" against the Church for its benevolence, according to the Apostle (Romans 14:3). For the Church to struggle for the liquidation of relevant fasting customs and foods to be eaten or not is not necessary nor is it able to stay within the bounds of seriousness. What is primarily needed is to fast for the spiritual benefit that comes from this, and attempt as far as possible for the faithful to be in compliance with the relevant provisions of the Church, which have severely died down today. St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral 355 State Street, Brooklyn Pan-Orthodox Vespers on the Sunday of Orthodoxy and The Forty Holy Martyrs TODAY Vespers at 6:00 pm His Grace, Bishop NICHOLAS will preside and will be guest speaker A Lenten supper will follow THIS IS THE FAITH OF THE APOSTLES, THIS IS THE FAITH OF THE FATHERS, THIS IS THE FAITH OF THE ORTHODOX. THIS IS THE FAITH WHICH HAS ESTABLISHED THE UNIVERSE. FROM THE SYNODIKON OF THE SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY Παρακαλώ να βρείτε την ευκαιρία αυτή την σαρακοστή να εξομολογηθείτε. Εάν θέλετε να μιλήσετε με τον π. Ιωάννη Λαρδά, τηλεφωνήστε το γραφείο. (718) Confession is a very important sacrament of our church that was given to us by our Lord. Lets make the time this Lenten season to confess and cleanse our soul. In the same way that our body needs to be taken care of, so does our soul. One might say, I confess to God himself, I don't need to go to a priest. If we are sick in body, we will rush to the doctor of the body to get a prescription or get the doctor s advice on how to treat our illness. In the same way, when we do not confess to a priest when our soul needs to be treated and cleansed, how will we get the advice and treatment needed to get over our bad habits that is the cause to distance ourselves from God. If you would like to speak with Fr. John Lardas, please call (718)

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