Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral New Orleans, Louisiana APRIL 10, 2016 SUNDAY OF ST. JOHN CLIMACUS

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1 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral New Orleans, Louisiana APRIL 10, 2016 SUNDAY OF ST. JOHN CLIMACUS Sunday, April 10 9:00 am Orthros, 10:00 am Divine Liturgy Parish Council on Duty Panagiotis Patselikos, Steven Psarellis, and Barbara Wolf Youth Hymnology and Sunday Church School after Holy Communion 12:00 pm ~ Greek Festival Pastichio Workshop 12:00 pm ~ Kids' Café in Upstairs Common Area 12:00 pm ~ Holy Trinity PTA Meeting in Upstairs Common Area 1:00 pm ~ Hellenic Dancers Practice in Gymnasium 4:00 pm ~ AHEPA Crawfish Boil-Membership Drive and Meeting Monday, April 11 ~ 8:00 am Greek Festival Pastichio Workshop 6:00 pm ~ Great Compline Service 7:00 pm ~ ECYM Meeting in Boardroom Tuesday, April 12 ~ 9:30 am Greek Festival Pastry Workshop 7:00 pm ~ Adult Beginner Greek School in Room 210 7:00 pm ~ Parish Council Meeting in Boardroom Wednesday, April 13 ~ 9:30 am Greek Festival Pastry Workshop 6:00 pm ~ Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts 7:00 pm ~ Adult Intermediate (Low Level) Greek School in Room 210 7:30 pm ~ Lenten Potluck Dinner in Gymnasium Thursday, April 14 ~ 8:00 am Greek Festival Pastichio Workshop 6:30 pm ~ Hellenic Dancers Practice in Gymnasium 7:30 pm ~ Adult Catechism and Inquirers Class with Father George in Boardroom Friday, April 15 ~ 8:00 am Greek Festival Pastichio Workshop 9:45 am ~ Cathedral Montessori School Chapel 5:30 pm ~ HTC Youth Soccer Practice and Dinner 7:00 pm ~ Akathist Hymn 8:30 pm ~ Philoptochos Lenten Reception in Coffee Room Saturday, April 16 ~ 10:00 am Youth Beginner Greek School in Room :00 am ~ PETIKAS BAPTISM 11:00 am ~ Youth Greek Dance Class in Upstairs Common Area 11:30 am ~ Youth Elementary Greek School in Room 210 Sunday, April 17 SUNDAY OF ST. MARY OF EGYPT 9:00 am Orthros, 10:00 am Divine Liturgy Parish Council on Duty Paul Andersson, Nick Bouzon, and Barbara Wolf L U N C H E O N Holy Trinity Community is invited to join the AHEPA FAMILY AHEPA Andrew Jackson Chapter #133 & Daughters of Penelope Nestor Chapter #55 for the Annual Palm Sunday Luncheon SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016 immediately following Divine Liturgy Tickets on sale at the door $10 adults & $6 children under 12 The Holy Trinity Parish Council invites all parishioners to celebrate Christ s Resurrection at the annual FEAST OF FEASTS PASCHA DAY PICNIC SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2016 HOLY TRINITY CATHEDRAL approximately 1:30 pm after Agape Service and the HOPE & JOY Easter Egg Hunt Donation $12 per Person - Children 10 and under free Enjoy a traditional Greek Pascha Menu Potluck Dessert & Cracking of Red Eggs LIVE MUSIC & DJ LEFTHERIS! A VISIT FROM THE PASCHA BUNNY - WATERSLIDE Contact Constandinos Vennis at , if you have questions, would like to help prepare food, or would like to donate an item.

2 A t t e n t i o n : P a r e n t s, G r a n d p a r e n t s, & G o d p a r e n t s You are encouraged to pick up a CHURCH QUIET BAG, available in the small room on the right side of the Narthex, for your youngest Holy Trinity parishioners. The bags include religious books and quiet activities that can help your children learn about the Orthodox faith, with your guidance, during Divine Liturgy. You are also encouraged to work with the young ones during the Liturgy by having them stand up for the processions, Epistle and Gospel readings, the Nicene Creed, and the Lord's Prayer, as well as kneel at the appropriate time. Engage them in looking at the icons and quietly remind them of what they see in Church. Please RETURN THE BAGS in their original condition to the room in the Narthex prior to Sunday Church School so others can enjoy them the following Sunday. The CHURCH QUIET BAGS were lovingly donated by the Moustoukas and Peterson families and sponsored by the ECYM Committee. YOUTH HYMNOLOGY PROGRAM Parents, please mark two important Saturdays on your calendars. The Sunday Church School students have been practicing special hymns to chant in church during April and May, and their presence is needed on the following dates: April 23 9:00 am Saturday of Lazarus Service Rehearsal immediately after Divine Liturgy, followed by Communion Breakfast April 30 9:00 am SHARP! Students will chant Hymn of the Three Youths, and teens will offer Bible readings. Students in 4th Grade and older are invited to sing with the adult choir on Sundays and Friday evenings, when mentors will assist them. They must arrive by 10:00 am on Sundays and by 7:00 pm on Fridays. There has been a positive response to this initiative. ALL CHILDREN OF THE COMMUNITY ARE WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE in any Sunday Church School and Hymnology activities. For more information, please contact Viki Moustoukas, vmoustouka@aol.com. Thanks to everyone for the tremendous support of this youth ministry. Sunday, April 17 Continued Youth Hymnology and Sunday Church School after Holy Communion 12:00 pm ~ Daughters Meeting in Coffee Room 12:00 pm ~ Kids' Café in Upstairs Common Area 12:00 pm ~ Community Wide Family Day Luncheon-Celebration in Gymnasium 1:00 pm ~ Hellenic Dancers Practice in Gymnasium 2:00 pm ~ BAER BAPTISM Message from Father George OUR CONNECTION TO OUR PATRON SAINTS As many of you know, I traveled to upstate New York this week for the funeral of my Uncle Russell. May his memory be eternal. His Christian saint s name is Triantafyllos (August 8). When a baby is baptized in Orthodox Christian families, the child is given the name of a Christian saint. Sometimes, we are known by our baptismal name. For example, my patron saint is Saint George the Great Martyr, and, obviously, I am known in the world as George as well. In the case of my uncle, Triantafyllos was a family name and a saint s name, but he was known in the world as Russell. Let s see who Saint Triantafyllos was. In the mid-seventeenth century a boy named Triantafyllos (pronounced tree-an-ta-fee-los and translated rose ) was born in Zagora near the city of Volos, Greece. During these times, the Greeks suffered greatly under the Tourkokratia. At the age of fifteen, working as a fisherman in Constantinople, Triantafyllos was arrested. In confusion he questioned why he was being taken away for he had done nothing wrong. He was given no response and was dragged to the authorities. There, he was pressured to renounce Christ. He finally figured out that this was the only reason for his arrest. He remained firm and refused to leave his Lord Jesus Christ no matter what they did to him. He told them that they could torture him until he could no longer stand, even kill him, but that he would never renounce Jesus. On August 8 in the year 1680 Triantafyllos was killed in the Hippodrome in Constantinople. God rewarded his sacrifice and, as a message to those who remained, his holy relics exuded a beautiful fragrance - a sign of blessedness. As Greek Orthodox Christians, it is customary to take on the name of a Christian saint as our patron saint. A theologian of our Church, Phyllis Meshel Onest, shares the following which appears on our Archdiocese Website: Christians have long chosen the names of saints to proclaim their link with their spiritual family, the Church. The name may be of a saint commemorated on or near to the day of the child s birth, or for whom the family has a special devotion. Likewise, an adult received into the Orthodox Church chooses a saint s name to whom he/she has a strong attachment. In days past, this was often a costly witness for believers living in a non-christian society, as their very names (Nicholas or George, Elias or Barbara) labeled them as Christians. Each day of the year, the Church honors a number of Saints. The day the Church honors one s saint is one s Name Day, an occasion to honor the memory of the saint whose name we bear and to give thanks for his/her daily intercession on our behalf. Individuals whose names are not found (over)

3 Message Continued on the Calendar of Saints celebrate on All Saints Day, the Sunday after Pentecost. We are to pray and have a special devotion to our patron saint. His or her life should be read and studied so that we learn how our lives should be directed. Our patron saint becomes a true hero/heroine for us to emulate. The Church is one Body in Christ: one household of all the baptized living or dead with Christ as its head. Maintaining and celebrating our association with one of the saints of Christian history helps us to see the Church not as an impersonal institution but as it is meant to be: one family under the Lordship of Christ. GREEK FESTIVAL LOUKOUMADES BOOTH CHAIRPERSON NEEDED A chairperson is needed for the Greek Festival Loukoumades Booth, and everyone is asked to kindly consider volunteering for this position. Call Stacy Rico at , if you can make this commitment. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated. GREEK NIGHT IN OCTOBER The Order of St. Markella of Chios is sponsoring Greek Night on Saturday, October 22, A portion of the proceeds will benefit St. Jude Hospital. Please save the date! FLORAL DONATIONS FOR THE SALUTATION SERVICES The floral decorations that adorned the Panagia icon during the fourth Salutations to the Theotokos this past Friday were generously donated by an anonymous family. The community sincerely thanks them for their consideration. Other items required for Great Lent services and throughout the year, such as incense and Holy Communion wine, are needed. You may contact the Cathedral office at to make your donation. HEY! It s an AHEPA CRAWFISH BOIL - MEMBERSHIP DRIVE Sunday, April 10 4:00 pm Cathedral Grounds followed by a short meeting All present members, past members, and those interested in joining are invited to attend. SUNDAY, APRIL 3 ATTENDANCE 203 ~ CANDLE AND TRAY COLLECTIONS $808 HOLY TRINITY CATHEDRAL 2016 STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN The Stewardship Committee would like to thank everyone for the great support we have received so far. Close to forty (40) of you made pledges that qualify your sponsoring a day on the church's calendar, but no date was designated. Please contact the Cathedral office and pick a day. You may wish to list your name/s, in memory of a loved one, in honor of someone, etc. For those of you who have not yet made a pledge, we ask that you prayerfully consider doing so in the near future. COMMUNITY WIDE POTLUCK LUNCHEON NEXT SUNDAY All HTC parishioners are invited to attend the Community Wide Family Day Fasting Potluck Luncheon and "Earth Day Celebration" next Sunday, April 17, after church services for prayer, fellowship, and information about Mother Earth. All HOPE & JOY and GOYA members are encouraged to participate in an Earth Day craft, which will be provided. Contact Vicki Mantikos McCallef at vmccallef@yahoo.com or text her at with what fasting food item or drink you would like to contribute and share with everyone. GREEKS IN NEW ORLEANS DOCUMENTARY TO AIR IN MAY Tune your televisions to WYES, Channel 12, in May to view the DVD video, which chronicles the history of Holy Trinity from Below are the local air times. Thursday, May 19 at 8:00 pm Friday, May 27 at 10:00 pm Saturday, May 28 at 7:00 pm Sunday, May 29 at 12:00 pm

4 APRIL SUNDAY FELLOWSHIP SPONSOR The Sunday Fellowship refreshments in April are offered by Angela and John Tsatsoulis. The community is most grateful to the Tsatsoulis family for their generosity and hospitality. If you wish to sponsor one of the remaining months, call Maria Anastasiou at Holy Trinity Cathedral Greek Orthodox Community of New Orleans 1200 ROBERT E. LEE BOULEVARD NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA Reverend Father George Wilson, Dean PHONE: (504) FAX: (504)

5 10η ΑΠΡΙΛΙΟΥ 2016 ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ Δ ΝΗΣΤΕΙΩΝ TΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ ΤΗΣ ΚΛΙΜΑΚΟΣ 10 TH APRIL TH SUNDAY OF LENT SUNDAY OF ST. JOHN CLIMACUS Ἑωθινόν Α Eothion 1 Ἀπολυτίκιον τῆς Ἀνάστασης Ἦχος 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, ἡγέρθη Χριστὸς ὁ Θεός, δωρούμενος τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος. Ἀπολυτίκιον Ἦχος πλ δ Ταίς τών δακρύων σου ροαίς, τής ερήμου τό άγονον εγεώργησας, καί τοίς εκ βάθους στεναγμοίς, εις εκατόν τούς πόνους εκαρποφόρησας, καί γέγονας φωστήρ, τή οικουμένη λάμπων τοίς θαύμασι, Ιωάννη Πατήρ ημών, Όσιε, Πρέσβευε Χριστώ τώ Θεώ, σωθήναι τάς ψυχάς ημών. Ἀπολυτίκιον τῆς Ἁγίας Τριάδας Ἦχος πλ δ Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ πανσόφους τοὺς ἁλιεῖς ἀναδείξας, καταπέμψας αὐτοῖς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν τὴν οἰκουμένην σαγηνεύσας, φιλάνθρωπε, δόξα σοί. Κοντάκιον Ἦχος πλ δ Τὴ ὑπερμάχω στρατηγῶ τὰ νικητήρια, ὡς λυτρωθεῖσα τῶν δεινῶν, εὐχαριστήρια, ἀναγράφω σοὶ ἡ Πόλις σου, Θεοτόκε, ἀλλ' ὦς ἔχουσα τὸ κράτος ἀπροσμάχητον, ἐκ παντοίων μὲ κινδύνων ἐλευθέρωσον ἵνα κράζω σοί, Χαῖρε, Νύμφη ἀνύμφευτε. Resurrection Apolytikion Tone 4 When the women Disciples of the Lord had learned from the Angel the joyful message of the Resurrection and had rejected the ancestral decision, they cried aloud to the Apostles triumphantly: Death has been despoiled, Christ God has risen, granting His great mercy to the world. Apolytikion Plagal Tone 4 With the rivers of your tears, you have made the barren desert fertile. Through sighs of sorrow from deep within you, your labors have borne fruit a hundred-fold. By your miracles you have become a light, shining upon the world. O John, our Holy Father, pray to Christ our God, to save our souls. Apolytikion of the Holy Trinity Plagal Tone 4 Blessed are You, O Christ our God, who made fishermen all-wise, sending upon them the Holy Spirit and, through them, netting the world. O Loving One, glory to You. Kontakion Plagal Tone 4 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: "Rejoice, unwedded bride!"

6 ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΣ Ἑβραίους ς Ἀδελφοί, τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ἐπαγγειλάμενος ὁ θεός, ἐπεὶ κατʼ οὐδενὸς εἶχεν μείζονος ὀμόσαι, ὤμοσεν καθʼ ἑαυτοῦ, λέγων, Ἦ μὴν εὐλογῶν εὐλογήσω σε, καὶ πληθύνων πληθυνῶ σε. Καὶ οὕτως μακροθυμήσας ἐπέτυχεν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας. Ἄνθρωποι μὲν γὰρ κατὰ τοῦ μείζονος ὀμνύουσιν, καὶ πάσης αὐτοῖς ἀντιλογίας πέρας εἰς βεβαίωσιν ὁ ὅρκος. Ἐν ᾧ περισσότερον βουλόμενος ὁ θεὸς ἐπιδεῖξαι τοῖς κληρονόμοις τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τὸ ἀμετάθετον τῆς βουλῆς αὐτοῦ, ἐμεσίτευσεν ὅρκῳ, ἵνα διὰ δύο πραγμάτων ἀμεταθέτων, ἐν οἷς ἀδύνατον ψεύσασθαι θεόν, ἰσχυρὰν παράκλησιν ἔχωμεν οἱ καταφυγόντες κρατῆσαι τῆς προκειμένης ἐλπίδος ἣν ὡς ἄγκυραν ἔχομεν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀσφαλῆ τε καὶ βεβαίαν, καὶ εἰσερχομένην εἰς τὸ ἐσώτερον τοῦ καταπετάσματος ὅπου πρόδρομος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν εἰσῆλθεν Ἰησοῦς, κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδὲκ ἀρχιερεὺς γενόμενος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. ΤΟ ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΟΝ Μᾶρκον θ Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἄνθρωπός τις προσῆλθε τῷ Ἰησοῦ λέγων, διδάσκαλε, ἤνεγκα τὸν υἱόν μου πρός σε, ἔχοντα πνεῦμα ἄλαλον. καὶ ὅπου ἂν αὐτὸν καταλάβῃ, ῥήσσει αὐτόν, καὶ ἀφρίζει καὶ τρίζει τοὺς ὀδόντας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ξηραίνεται καὶ εἶπον τοῖς μαθηταῖς σου ἵνα αὐτὸ ἐκβάλωσι, καὶ οὐκ ἴσχυσαν. ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς αὐτῷ λέγει ὦ γενεὰ ἄπιστος, ἕως πότε πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἔσομαι; ἕως πότε ἀνέξομαι ὑμῶν; φέρετε αὐτὸν πρός με. καὶ ἤνεγκαν αὐτὸν πρὸς αὐτόν. καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὸν εὐθέως τὸ πνεῦμα ἐσπάραξεν αὐτόν, καὶ πεσὼν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐκυλίετο ἀφρίζων. καὶ ἐπηρώτησε τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ πόσος χρόνος ἐστὶν ὡς τοῦτο γέγονεν αὐτῷ; ὁ δὲ εἶπε παιδιόθεν. καὶ πολλάκις αὐτὸν καὶ εἰς πῦρ ἔβαλε καὶ εἰς ὕδατα, ἵνα ἀπολέσῃ αὐτόν ἀλλ εἴ τι δύνασαι, βοήθησον ἡμῖν σπλαγχνισθεὶς ἐφ ἡμᾶς. ὁ δὲ Ιησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ τὸ εἰ δύνασαι πιστεῦσαι, πάντα δυνατὰ τῷ πιστεύοντι. καὶ εὐθέως κράξας ὁ πατὴρ τοῦ παιδίου μετὰ δακρύων ἔλεγε πιστεύω, κύριε βοήθει μου τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ. ἰδὼν δὲ ὁ Ιησοῦς ὅτι ἐπισυντρέχει ὄχλος, ἐπετίμησε τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἀκαθάρτῳ λέγων αὐτῷ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἄλαλον καὶ κωφόν, ἐγώ σοι ἐπιτάσσω, ἔξελθε ἐξ αὐτοῦ καὶ μηκέτι εἰσέλθῃς εἰς αὐτόν. καὶ κράξαν καὶ πολλὰ σπαράξαν αὐτὸν ἐξῆλθε, καὶ ἐγένετο ὡσεὶ νεκρός, ὥστε πολλοὺς λέγειν ὅτι ἀπέθανεν. ὁ δὲ Ιησοῦς κρατήσας αὐτὸν τῆς χειρὸς ἤγειρεν αὐτόν, καὶ ἀνέστη. Καὶ εἰσελθόντα αὐτὸν εἰς οἶκον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπηρώτων αὐτὸν κατ ἰδίαν, ὅτι ἡμεῖς οὐκ ἠδυνήθημεν ἐκβαλεῖν αὐτό. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς τοῦτο τὸ γένος ἐν οὐδενὶ δύναται ἐξελθεῖν εἰ μὴ ἐν προσευχῇ καὶ νηστείᾳ. Καὶ ἐκεῖθεν ἐξελθόντες παρεπορεύοντο διὰ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, καὶ οὐκ ἤθελεν ἵνα τις γνῷ ἐδίδασκε γὰρ τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς ὅτι ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν αὐτόν, καὶ ἀποκτανθεὶς τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστήσεται. THE EPISTLE St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 6:13-20 BRETHREN, when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore to himself, saying, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you." And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Men indeed swear by a greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he interposed with an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. THE GOSPEL Mark 9:17-31 At that time, a man came to Jesus kneeling and saying: "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; and wherever it seizes him it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." And, he answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me." And, they brought the boy to him; and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And, Jesus asked his father, "How long has he had this?" And, he said, "From childhood. And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us." And, Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" And, when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again." And, after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, "He is dead." But, Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And, when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" And, he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting." They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And, he would not have any one know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise."