Rev. Economos Peter J. Thornberg, Proistamenos Metropolis of New Jersey

Transcript

1 St. Sophia/SS. Faith, Hope & Agape Greek Orthodox Church of Valley Forge 900 South Trooper Road Jeffersonville, PA, Tel.: (610) Fax: (610) Sunday Worship: 8:45 am Orthros: 10:00 am Divine Liturgy Office Hours - 9 am to 3 pm Rev. Economos Peter J. Thornberg, Proistamenos frpeterstsophia@verizon.net Metropolis of New Jersey

2 February 15, 2015 Judgment Sunday (Meatfare Sunday) Onesimus the Apostle of the 70 Our Righteous Father Anthimus the Elder of Chios Eusebius the Righteous of Syria ENTRANCE HYMNS Resurrectional Apolytikion Effrenestho ta Ourania ( Let the Heavens Above Rejoice ) Let the heavens above rejoice, and all those here on the earth, on the earth, be glad. A mighty feat of strength has been wrought by the arm of the Lord. O Death has he trampled down with his own death. Firstborn among the dead has He become, from the womb of Hades has He delivered us and has granted to the world His Great Mercy. Apolytikion of St. Sophia/Ss. Faith, Hope & Agape Greek Oς ελαία κατά καρπος ανεβλάστησας, έν ταίς ανλαίς του Κυρίου, Σοφία μάρτυς σεμνή, καί προσήγαγες Χριστώ καρπόν η δύτατον, τούς τής νηδύος σου βλαστούς, δί α γώνων εύαγων, Αγάπην τε καί `Ελπίδα σύν τη θεόφρονι Πίστει, μεθων δυσώπει υπέρ πάντων ήμων. English Phonetics for Greek Os elea kata karpos anevlastisas, en tes avles tu Kyriou Sofia martys semni, ke prosigages Christo karpon idytaton, tus tis nidyos su vlastus, di agonon evagon, Agapin te ke Elpida, syn ti theofroni Pisti; meth on dysopi yper pandon imon. English As an olive tree laden with fruit you sprouted forth, in the courtyards of the Lord, Sophia martyr dignified, and you brought to Christ a fruit most sweet, Namely your womb s own sprouts, brought up by instructive deeds: your daughters Faith and Hope, along with God-minded Love; together intercede with God for us all. Seasonal Kontakion Otan elthis o Theos When You come down to the earth, O God, in Your glory, all things will cower tremulous, and a river of fire will draw before Your Judgment Seat; the books shall be opened up, and public knowledge will things hidden be. Rescue me, then, I pray, from unquenchable fire, and count me worthy to stand at Your right hand, O You, the most righteous Judge.

3 Church Beautification Update February 15, 2015 We continue to focus on meeting our mortgage obligations (please see below for the latest) as well as to take care of buildings and grounds. We are also continuing the process of beautifying the church. We are pleased to announce that the Bishop s Throne was recently sponsored by an anonymous donor for $17,000. God Bless them! Many sponsorship opportunities are still available for both iconography and the furnishings. Our new Narthex furnishings have been completed by the world-renowned artisans at S. Kavroulakis Company of Chania, Crete; the same firm that carved our beautiful icon screen and other artifacts. The Narthex furnishings have been shipped from the ancient seaport of Pireaus. We expect to have the furnishings delivered any day now. The beautiful furniture will greet everyone who enters the church! Some of these items are still available for sponsorship. In order to protect our iconography and artifacts, we have installed a special humidity control system which will help stabilize the humidity levels especially during the winter months. We will be installing a donor plaque to acknowledge those who have contributed to make our new church and its decoration possible. Our iconographer, Dr. George Kordis may return for a brief visit later this year to decorate the donor plaque and apply a protective varnish to the icons on the icon screen and other items. St. Sophia Church Mortgage The current mortgage balance as of 1/31/2015 is $1,389, EPISTLE READING The Reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 8:8-13; 9:1-2 Great is our Lord, and great is his power. Verse: Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good. Brethren, food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. Only take care lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if any one sees you, a man of knowledge, at table in an idol's temple, might he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak man is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food is a cause of my brother's falling, I will never eat meat, lest I cause my brother to fall. Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. Ἀνάγνωσις ἐπιστολῆς Πρὸς Κορινθίους α' 8:8-13;9:1-2 Μέγας ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν, καὶ μεγάλη ἡ ἰσχὺς ἀὐτοῦ. Στίχ. Αἰνεῖτε τὸν Κύριον, ὅτι ἀγαθός. Ἀδελφοί, βρῶμα ἡμᾶς οὐ παρίστησιν τῷ θεῷ οὔτε γὰρ ἐὰν φάγωμεν περισσεύομεν, οὔτε ἐὰν μὴ φάγωμεν ὑστερούμεθα. Βλέπετε δὲ μήπως ἡ ἐξουσία ὑμῶν αὕτη πρόσκομμα γένηται τοῖς ἀσθενοῦσιν. Ἐὰν γάρ τις ἴδῃ σε τὸν ἔχοντα γνῶσιν ἐν εἰδωλείῳ κατακείμενον, οὐχὶ ἡ συνείδησις αὐτοῦ ἀσθενοῦς ὄντος οἰκοδομηθήσεται εἰς τὸ τὰ εἰδωλόθυτα ἐσθίειν; Καὶ ἀπολεῖται ὁ ἀσθενῶν ἀδελφὸς ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ γνώσει, διʼ ὃν Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν; Οὕτως δὲ ἁμαρτάνοντες εἰς τοὺς ἀδελφούς, καὶ τύπτοντες αὐτῶν τὴν συνείδησιν ἀσθενοῦσαν, εἰς Χριστὸν ἁμαρτάνετε. Διόπερ εἰ βρῶμα σκανδαλίζει τὸν ἀδελφόν μου, οὐ μὴ φάγω κρέα εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ἵνα μὴ τὸν ἀδελφόν μου σκανδαλίσω. Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἀπόστολος; Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐλεύθερος; Οὐχὶ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν ἑώρακα; Οὐ τὸ ἔργον μου ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐν κυρίῳ; Εἰ ἄλλοις οὐκ εἰμὶ ἀπόστολος, ἀλλά γε ὑμῖν εἰμι ἡ γὰρ σφραγὶς τῆς ἐμῆς ἀποστολῆς ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐν κυρίῳ.

4 GOSPEL READING The Reading is from the Gospel of Matthew 25:31-46 The Lord said, "When the Son of man comes in his glory and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you 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 them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.' And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." ΕVΑΓΓÉΛΙΟΝ Κατὰ Ματθαῖον Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος Ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἅγιοι ἄγγελοι μετ αὐτοῦ, τότε καθίσει ἐπὶ θρόνου δόξης αὐτοῦ, καὶ συναχθήσεται ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ ἀφοριεῖ αὐτοὺς ἀπ ἀλλήλων ὥσπερ ὁ ποιμὴν ἀφορίζει τὰ πρόβατα ἀπὸ τῶν ἐρίφων, καὶ στήσει τὰ μὲν πρόβατα ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ, τὰ δὲ ἐρίφια ἐξ εὐωνύμων. τότε ἐρεῖ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῖς ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ δεῦτε οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ πατρός μου, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου. ἐπείνασα γάρ, καὶ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν, ἐδίψησα, καὶ ἐποτίσατέ με, ξένος ἤμην, καὶ συνηγάγετέ με, γυμνός, καὶ περιεβάλετέ με, ἠσθένησα, καὶ ἐπεσκέψασθέ με, ἐν φυλακῇ ἤμην, καὶ ἤλθετε πρός με. τότε ἀποκριθήσονται αὐτῷ οἱ δίκαιοι λέγοντες κύριε, πότε σε εἴδομεν πεινῶντα καὶ ἐθρέψαμεν, ἢ διψῶντα καὶ ἐποτίσαμεν;πότε δέ σε εἴδομεν ξένον καὶ συνηγάγομεν, ἢ γυμνὸν καὶ περιεβάλομεν; πότε δέ σε εἴδομεν ἀσθενῆ ἢ ἐν φυλακῇ, καὶ ἤλθομεν πρός σε; καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐρεῖ αὐτοῖς ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐφ ὅσον ἐποιήσατε ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν ἐλαχίστων, ἐμοὶ ἐποιήσατε. τότε ἐρεῖ καὶ τοῖς ἐξ εὐωνύμων πορεύεσθε ἀπ ἐμοῦ οἱ κατηραμένοι εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ αἰώνιον τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ.ἐπείνασα γάρ, καὶ οὐκ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν, ἐδίψησα, καὶ οὐκ ἐποτίσατέ με, ξένος ἤμην, καὶ οὐ συνηγάγετέ με, γυμνός, καὶ οὐ περιεβάλετέ με, ἀσθενὴς καὶ ἐν φυλακῇ, καὶ οὐκ ἐπεσκέψασθέ με. τότε ἀποκριθήσονται αὐτῷ καὶ αὐτοὶ λέγοντες κύριε, πότε σε εἴδομεν πεινῶντα ἢ διψῶντα ἢ ξένον ἢ γυμνὸν ἢ ἀσθενῆ ἢ ἐν φυλακῇ, καὶ οὐ διηκονήσαμέν σοι; τότε ἀποκριθήσεται αὐτοῖς λέγων ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐφ ὅσον οὐκ ἐποιήσατε ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν ἐλαχίστων, οὐδὲ ἐμοὶ ἐποιήσατε. καὶ ἀπελεύσονται οὗτοι εἰς κόλασιν αἰώνιον, οἱ δὲ δίκαιοι εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Stewardship Update February 15, 2015 The 2015 campaign is now underway. We are asking all of our stewards to commit not only of your Treasure, but of your Time and Talent as well. To continue to grow as a parish and provide the programs and support to the Orthodox faithful in the region, we really need everyone s help! We truly appreciate all of the support from our many stewards and friends. The theme across the Archdiocese for this year is focusing on the Stewardship of Family. When we refer to family, we mean both our personal families as well as our Parish and Orthodox family. As an Orthodox family, the success of our parish and our Ministries are dependent upon everyone s support. We need help in all areas, including with your Time, Talent and (of course) Treasure. Please consider what commitment you are going to make for 2015 to God, our Orthodox faith and our parish. Stewardship is our way of thanking God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us. What are you personally doing to show your gratitude to Him for your own blessings? Are you giving back to Him and the Church of your Time, Treasure and Talents? Our parish needs all three from us! Thank you to everyone who has supported our 2014 Stewardship Program. If you have not yet paid up your 2014 Stewardship Pledge, please do so today! Please be sure to indicate 2014 on the memo line of your check to receive proper credit. God Bless You! 2014 (Year End) 2015 (2/13/15) Pledge Unit Goal Pledge $ Goal $210,000 $210,000 Number of Pledges Amount Pledged $211,747 $86,435 Average Pledge $ $ New Stewards 23 3

5

6

7

8 February 15, 2015 Judgment Sunday (Meatfare Sunday) Onesimus the Apostle of the 70 Our Righteous Father Anthimus the Elder of Chios Eusebius the Righteous of Syria Today Meatfare Sunday Cheesesteaks: Valley Forge AHEPA Chapter 432 will be having a Cheesesteak fundraiser. For $9 you get a Philadelphia Cheesesteak, French fries and a drink. What a deal! Girl Scout Cookie Sales: It is that wonderful time of year again for our local Girl Scout Troops to sell their delicious cookies! Please support our local Girl Scouts who belong to our parish. SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS Coffee Hour Sponsors Needed! : We are in need of coffee hour sponsors for the upcoming weeks. If you are interested in hosting a coffee hour, please put your name on the list at the back of the hall AND contact the Parish office (by , if possible; or call Elaine at ) Readers for Salutations to the Theotokos: The first Salutations to the Theotokos are on Friday evening, February 27 th. We need readers for Greek and English for that Friday and the following four. If you are interested in reading, please call Elaine ( ) to put your name on the list. Also, if you are interested in bringing flowers and decorating the icon of the Panagia on one of the Fridays, please call Elaine as well to let us know which Friday you are choosing. CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK Monday, Feb 16 th Tuesday, Feb 17 th Wed, Feb 18 th Thurs, Feb 19 th Friday, Feb 20 th Saturday, Feb 21 st 6:30 pm Parish Council Meeting 7:00 pm Philoptochos Meeting 7:00 pm Adult Bible Study (in the church) 10:00 am Divine Liturgy Saturday of Souls 5:00 pm PTO Family Night Bingo (see details enclosed)

9 SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING SERVICES AND EVENTS TODAY Mon, Feb 16 th Tues, Feb 17 th Sat, Feb 21 st Sun, Feb 22 Wed, Feb 25 th Fri, Feb 27 th Sat, Feb 28 th Meatfare Sunday AHEPA Cheesesteak luncheon fundraiser 6:30 pm Parish Council Meeting 7:00 pm Adult Bible Study in the church 7:00 pm Philoptochos Meeting 10:00 am Divine Liturgy 2 nd Saturday of Souls 5:00 pm PTO Family Night Bingo (details enclosed) Cheesefare Sunday Philoptochos Tiropites (Cheese Pocket) Fundraiser 10:00 am Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 7:00 pm 1 st Salutations to the Theotokos 10:00 am Divine Liturgy 3 rd Saturday of Souls GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS Philoptochos Go Red Sunday February 22 nd : The St. Sophia parish is answering the call to the National Philoptochos Society's commitment to the American Heart Association to increase awareness of heart disease. All men, women and children were asked to show their support by wearing red on Sunday, February 22 nd. Stay active, schedule regular checkups with your doctor, adopt good eating habits, and you ll be on the path for a heart healthy lifestyle. For more information, go to Sun. Feb 22 nd Cheesefare Sunday Tiropites: The Philoptochos will be selling tiropites cheese pies for $3 each. Last year, we sold out early, so we are taking pre-orders to meet the highly anticipated demand this year. Please call ahead to ensure that we have your tiropites reserved just for you! For advance orders or information contact Maria or Kathy Tsipras (610) Saturday of Souls: The second Saturday of Souls is Saturday, February 22 nd. Forms for the names of the departed are enclosed and also available at the Pangari. Please submit your form to the Parish office as soon as possible. Please remember that the names you submit will be read on all three Saturdays. PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY, AND ONLY FIRST NAMES ARE NECESSARY. Sitari for Sale: Sitari (wheat) will be available for purchase every Sunday during coffee hour. The sitari is sold in 1 lb. and 2 lb. $2.50/lb. PTO Family Night Bingo Sat. Feb. 21 st : The planning of the Family Night Bingo continues. We are still asking for donations from our St. Sophia family: gift cards, movie tickets, sporting events, any unwanted new toys, or even a monetary donation. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated. Please give donations to (or if you have any questions reach out to Vanessa Papadimitriou, Patty Nazzaro, or Maria Papadimitriou. Thank you for your help!

10 For GIANT shoppers: We have enrolled in their Gift Card Program and the gift cards are on sale during coffee hour. If you are interested, please see Alexis Witt. SHOP-RITE Register Tapes: Don t forget to save your Shop-Rite register tapes. We can only use receipts from any of the ten Brown s stores located in: Bensalem PA, East Norriton, PA, Fairless Hills PA, Cheltenham, PA and in Philadelphia, PA, on Island Ave., Oregon Ave., 52 nd & Parkside, Haverford Ave., and Ridge Ave. in the Roxborough section. They also have one store in Brooklawn, NJ. The drop off box is located in the lobby of the Cultural Center. Please submit receipts timely, only tapes from within 4 months of the transaction date are accepted. REDNER S Register Tapes: We are now collecting Redner s Market register tapes. Remember to use your Pump Perks card when making purchases. The drop off box is located in the lobby of the Cultural Center. Movie Tavern Tickets: This is the fabulous movie theater in town that offers first run movies as well as an "in-house" dining experience. The Ladies Philoptochos is selling discounted MOVIE TAVERN movie tickets for $8.50 each. They can be used on any day and even for new releases. For more information, or to purchase tickets, contact Maria or Kathy Tsipras. For showtimes visit Ecclesiastical Calendars: The new calendars are still available for pick up in the back of the Cultural Center. Each calendar is in an envelope addressed to each family (2014 stewards) of our parish. If you cannot find your packet, please call the Parish Office. Pastoral Visits - A Request to All Parishioners: If you desire a pastoral visit in case of a hospitalization, or for someone who is homebound, in a nursing facility, or in prison, please have an immediate family member notify the Parish office at so that a visit can be arranged. In Case of Emergency: If you are having an extreme medical emergency and are in need of an Orthodox priest, please call the Parish office at Sights & Sounds 2015 This year s Sights and Sounds will be held on March 28 th at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. If you can paint, draw, bake, sing, play an instrument, dance, etc., you are strongly encouraged to participate. Last year we had several winners in our GOYA, including our dance group. Mr. Alex Nikas will be serving as the Advisor this year, so please turn in registrations to him by March 1 st. Registration forms are available from the Parish office. Just the Parish office at stsophia@verizon.net. The fee is $15, payable to St. Sophia Church (the church will send in one check with the registrations.) Please note that you must be in at least 7 th grade and an active member of St. Sophia GOYA in order to participate. If anyone is interested in putting together a Byzantine Choir or a Greek or English play, please let Mr. Nikas know ( ) PTO Family Night Bingo Sat. Feb. 21 st : Everyone Please come and join the PTO Family Night Bingo Mardi Gras Night on February 21, 2015 at 5:00 pm; there is fun for every one of all ages. Please come and support this worthwhile event as a community of St. Sophia. A few highlighted gifts to win are shown below: Mini Golf Slam USA; Philadelphia Phillies; Flyers Memorabilia; Philadelphia Union; Let's go to the Movies; American Girl Doll Caroline; Frozen - Olaf/Elsa; Vera Bradley; Money Tree; ipad Mini; Apple TV; Coach; Starbucks; Restaurants Galore Baskets to win; Beautiful baskets donated by our children at St. Sophia. PLEASE NOTE: Any information or announcements for the Sunday bulletin must be received by 3pm on the Wednesday prior to publication. Please information to elaine.stsophia@verizon.net. Thank you. Elaine Piligian