St. Sophia/SS. Faith, Hope & Agape Greek Orthodox Church of Valley Forge 900 South Trooper Road Jeffersonville, PA, 19403 Tel.: (610) 650-8960 Fax: (610) 650-8961 www.saintsophiachurch.org email: stsophia@verizon.net 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
February 22, 2015 Forgiveness Sunday The Finding of the Precious Relics of the Holy Martyrs in the Quarter of Eugenius Our Righteous Fathers Thalassius and Baradatus Anthousa the Martyr & her 12 Servants ENTRANCE HYMNS Resurrectional Apolytikion To Fethron Tis Anastaseos ( The Joyful News of Your Resurrection ) The joyful news of your resurrection was proclaimed by the angel to the women disciples. Having thrown off the curse that fell on Adam, they ran elatedly to tell the apostles: Death has been vanquished; Christ our God is risen from the dead, blessing all the world with 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 Tis sofias Odhige O guide to wisdom, provider of prudence, disciplinarian of fools, and defender of the poor, fortify and discipline my heart, O Master; You, give me a word, O Word of the Father. For behold, I will not hinder my lips from crying to You: O merciful Lord, have mercy on me who have fallen.
Church Beautification Update February 22, 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 arrived! They were carved by the world-renowned artisans at S. Kavroulakis Company of Chania, Crete, the same firm that carved our beautiful icon screen and other artifacts. This beautiful furniture now greets everyone who enters our 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 $1,389,258.41 EPISTLE READING The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 13:11-14; 14:1-4 Make your vows to the Lord our God and perform them. Verse: God is known in Judah; his name is great in Israel. Brethren, salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed; the night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions. One believes he may eat anything, while the weak man eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains pass judgment on him who eats; for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for God is able to make him stand. Ἀνάγνωσις ἐπιστολῆς Πρὸς Ρωμαίους 13:11-14; 14:1-4 Εὔξασθε καὶ ἀπόδοτε Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν. Στίχ. Γνωστὸς ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ ὁ Θεός, ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ μέγα τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ. Ἀδελφοί, νῦν ἐγγύτερον ἡμῶν ἡ σωτηρία ἢ ὅτε ἐπιστεύσαμεν. Ἡ νὺξ προέκοψεν, ἡ δὲ ἡμέρα ἤγγικεν ἀποθώμεθα οὖν τὰ ἔργα τοῦ σκότους, καί ἐνδυσώμεθα τὰ ὅπλα τοῦ φωτός. Ὡς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ, εὐσχημόνως περιπατήσωμεν, μὴ κώμοις καὶ μέθαις, μὴ κοίταις καὶ ἀσελγείαις, μὴ ἔριδι καὶ ζήλῳ. Ἀλλʼ ἐνδύσασθε τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, καὶ τῆς σαρκὸς πρόνοιαν μὴ ποιεῖσθε, εἰς ἐπιθυμίας. Τὸν δὲ ἀσθενοῦντα τῇ πίστει προσλαμβάνεσθε, μὴ εἰς διακρίσεις διαλογισμῶν. Ὃς μὲν πιστεύει φαγεῖν πάντα, ὁ δὲ ἀσθενῶν λάχανα ἐσθίει. Ὁ ἐσθίων τὸν μὴ ἐσθίοντα μὴ ἐξουθενείτω, καὶ ὁ μὴ ἐσθίων τὸν ἐσθίοντα μὴ κρινέτω ὁ θεὸς γὰρ αὐτὸν προσελάβετο. Σὺ τίς εἶ ὁ κρίνων ἀλλότριον οἰκέτην; Τῷ ἰδίῳ κυρίῳ στήκει ἢ πίπτει. Σταθήσεται δέ δυνατὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ θεὸς στῆσαι αὐτόν.
GOSPEL READING The Reading is from the Gospel of Matthew 6:14-21 The Lord said, "If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. "And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." ΕVΑΓΓÉΛΙΟΝ Κατὰ Ματθαῖον 6.14-21 Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος Εὰν γὰρ ἀφῆτε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰ παραπτώματα αὐτῶν, ἀφήσει καὶ ὑμῖν ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀφῆτε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰ παραπτώματα αὐτῶν, οὐδὲ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ἀφήσει τὰ παραπτώματα ὑμῶν. Οταν δὲ νηστεύητε, μὴ γίνεσθε ὥσπερ οἱ ὑποκριταὶ σκυθρωποί ἀφανίζουσι γὰρ τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν ὅπως φανῶσι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις νηστεύοντες ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ἀπέχουσι τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν.σὺ δὲ νηστεύων ἄλειψαί σου τὴν κεφαλὴν καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν σου νίψαι,ὅπως μὴ φανῇς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις νηστεύων, ἀλλὰ τῷ πατρί σου τῷ ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ, καὶ ὁ πατήρ σου ὁ βλέπων ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ ἀποδώσει σοι ἐν τῷ φανερῷ. Μὴ θησαυρίζετε ὑμῖν θησαυροὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅπου σὴς καὶ βρῶσις ἀφανίζει, καὶ ὅπου κλέπται διορύσσουσι καὶ κλέπτουσι θησαυρίζετε δὲ ὑμῖν θησαυροὺς ἐν οὐρανῷ, ὅπου οὔτε σὴς οὔτε βρῶσις ἀφανίζει, καὶ ὅπου κλέπται οὐ διορύσσουσιν οὐδὲ κλέπτουσιν ὅπου γάρ ἐστιν ὁ θησαυρὸς ὑμῶν, ἐκεῖ ἔσται καὶ ἡ καρδία ὑμῶν. Stewardship Update February 22, 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 (2/20/15) Pledge Unit Goal 240 240 Pledge $ Goal $210,000 $210,000 Number of Pledges 215 74 Amount Pledged $211,747 $86,435 Average Pledge $984.87 $1168.04 New Stewards 23 3
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 www.movietavern.com. 2015 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. 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 e-mail 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 (610-905-7883.) 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 610-650-8960 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 610-650-8960.
CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK Lent Begins - Καθαρή Δευτέρα Monday, Feb 23 rd 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Festival Baking - Baklava Tuesday, Feb 24 th 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Festival Baking - Baklava 6:30 pm Festival Planning Meeting Wed, Feb 25 th 10:00 am Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Festival Baking - Baklava Thurs, Feb 26 th Friday, Feb 27 th 7:00 pm 1 st Salutations to the Theotokos preceded by Pot Luck Dinner at 6:00 pm Saturday, Feb 28 th 10:00 am Divine Liturgy Saturday of Souls SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING SERVICES AND EVENTS TODAY Wed, Feb 25 th Fri, Feb 27 th Sat, Feb 28 th Cheesefare Sunday Philoptochos Tiropites (Cheese Pocket) Fundraiser 10:00 am Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 7:00 pm 1 st Salutations to the Theotokos (preceded by Pot Luck Dinner at 6:00 pm 10:00 am Divine Liturgy 3 rd Saturday of Souls GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS 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. 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 e-mail, if possible; or call Elaine at 215-513-1357.) Readers for Salutations to the Theotokos: The first Salutations to the Theotokos are on Friday evening, February 27 th. We still need a reader for the English for that Friday and for English and Greek on the following four. If you are interested in reading, please call Elaine (215-513-1357) 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. Hellenic University Club Scholarships: Hellenic University Club of Philadelphia Announces 2015-2016 University/College Scholarships for Students of Greek Descent or Declared Majors in Greek Studies. These scholarships will be awarded to students with outstanding academic qualifications and financial need. Students must be enrolled full-time in a degree program at an accredited four-year college or university, or they must be high school seniors accepted for enrollment in such a degree program. If you are interested, please contact the Parish Office for more information.
February 22, 2015 Forgiveness Sunday The Finding of the Precious Relics of the Holy Martyrs in the Quarter of Eugenius Our Righteous Fathers Thalassius and Baradatus Anthousa the Martyr & her 12 Servants Due to this weekend s inclement weather, His Eminence had to cancel his visit with us. We look forward to welcoming him to our beautiful church sometime soon. Memorials: Today s memorials are being chanted for: Mrs. Georgia Gigi Reynolds (1 year), beloved wife of James, mother of Stephanie (Michael) Koser and Christopher, and sister of Lesa (Mark) Finn and Peter (Kirsten) Ganavazos. AND Mrs. Mary Kalaitzis (40 days), beloved wife of George, brother John (Carolyn) Doucas, and her brother-in-law Bill Mackrides. Mary is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and grand-nieces and nephews. May their memory be eternal. SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS Philoptochos Go Red Sunday Today the St. Sophia parish is answering the call to the National Philoptochos Society's commitment to the American Heart Association in raising heart disease awareness. Remember to stay active, schedule regular checkups with your doctor and adopt good eating habits. This year we are dedicating the day to Evelyn Pappanastasiou, a longtime member of St. Sophia Philoptochos, who recently passed away. Please visit the Philoptochos table in the hall for a complementary blood pressure screening and for literature on living a heart healthy lifestyle. TODAY Cheesefare Sunday Tiropites: The Philoptochos will be selling tiropites cheese pies for $3 each Saturday of Souls: The third Saturday of Souls is Saturday, February 28 th. Forms for the names of the departed are 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. bags @ $2.50/lb.