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
March 22, 2015 Sunday of St. John Climacus Basil the Holy Martyr of Ancyra Kalliniki & Vassilisa the Martyrs Euthemios the New Martyr ENTRANCE HYMNS Resurrectional Apolytikion Ex Ipsus Katilthes ( From On High You Descended ) From on high you descended, O merciful Lord. You accepted the cross and three days in the tomb to free us from the bondage of sin, O our life and resurrection. Glory to You, O Lord. Apolytikion for St. John Climacus Tes ton dhakrion sou roes ( With the rivers of your tears ) With the rivers of your tears you made the barren desert bloom; and with your sighs from deep within, you made your labors bear their fruits a hundredfold; and you became a star, illuminating the world by your miracles, O John, our devout father. Intercede with Christ our God, for the salvation of our souls. 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 Ti ipermacho ( O Champion General ) O Champion General, I your City now ascribe to you * triumphant anthems as the tokens of my gratitude, * being rescued from the terrors, O Theotokos. * Inasmuch as you have power unassailable, * from all kinds of perils free me so that unto you * I may cry aloud: * Rejoice, O unwedded Bride.
Church Beautification Update March 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. God Bless them! Many sponsorship opportunities are still available for both iconography and the furnishings. As you ve probably noticed, we have new Narthex furnishings. 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 3/2/2015 is $1,379,295.47 EPISTLE READING The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 6:13-20 The Lord will give strength to his people. Verse: Bring to the Lord, O sons of God, bring to the Lord honor and glory. 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. Ἀνάγνωσις ἐπιστολῆς Πρὸς Ἑβραίους 6:13-20 Κύριος ἰσχὺν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ δώσει. Στίχ. Ἐνέγκατε τῷ Κυρίῳ υἱοὶ Θεοῦ, ἐνέγκατε τῷ Κυρίῳ δόξαν καὶ τιμήν. 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.
GOSPEL READING The Reading is from the Gospel of 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." ΕVΑΓΓÉΛΙΟΝ Κατὰ Μᾶρκον 9.17-31 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. Stewardship Update March 22, 2015 This week, on March 25 th, we celebrate the Annunciation when Christ was conceived by the Virgin Mary. God gave us the greatest possible gift His only Son. God is calling each and every one of us! Are you listening?? He has blessed all of us individually, and has especially blessed our community as shown by the MIRACLE of our church and parish. It is hard to believe in just a few weeks we will mark our 3 rd anniversary of the opening of the church. Last week we marked the Sunday of the Holy Cross, which is halfway through Great Lent. During this time of Lent and preparation for the ultimate sacrifice for all us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, it is most appropriate to consider how we are giving back in gratitude for God s greatest gifts. God willing, we will never be killed for our beliefs in Christ which is happening TODAY in other countries. As we are true believers, we must be vigilant and not take for granted the blessings of our freedom to worship in the church of our choice. We ask that you take the time to consider this when we give back to God at an appropriate level of your Time, Talent and Treasure. 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. God Bless You! 2014 (Year End) 2015 (03/20/15) Pledge Unit Goal 240 240 Pledge $ Goal $210,000 $210,000 Number of Pledges 215 119 Amount Pledged $209,857 $147,225 Average Pledge $976.08 $1,237 New Stewards 23 4
March 22, 2015 Sunday of St. John Climacus Basil the Holy Martyr of Ancyra Kalliniki & Vassilisa the Martyrs Euthemios the New Martyr Today we are celebrating the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great. The differences between this Liturgy and the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom are found in the priest's prayers of the Anaphora, between pages 19 and 28 of your Divine Liturgy books. The Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is celebrated on Christmas Eve, the feast of St. Basil, the Feast of Theophany, Holy Saturday morning, and the Sundays of Great Lent. SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS Thank you to the following individuals/families who have read the prayers during the Salutations to the Theotokos and/or have decorated the icon of the Panagia: Friday, March 20 th The readers were Matushka Angela Sydek, Presvytera Katherine Thornberg, Mrs. Harriet Podotas, and Mr. Michael Nikolaou. Mrs. Effie Liacouras decorated the icon of the Panagia. We wish to thank Mr. & Mrs. Vasilios and Sofia Tatsis and Mrs. Irene Tsokas for generously donating the daffodils for last Sunday s service for the Holy Cross. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 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 in the Parish office.) Readers for Salutations to the Theotokos: The fifth Salutations to the Theotokos are on Friday evening, March 27 th. We still need 1 reader for the English and 2 readers for the Greek for next Friday. If you are interested in reading, please call Elaine in the Parish office to see which evenings are available. CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK Mon., Mar 23 rd Tues., Mar 24 th Wed., Mar 25 th Thurs., Mar 26 th Friday, Mar 27 th 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Festival Baking - Spanakopita 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Festival Baking - Spanakopita 6:30 pm Festival Planning Meeting 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Festival Baking - Spanakopita Service for the Feast of the Annunciation at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, Elkins Park. See details below. 7:00 pm 5 th Salutations to the Theotokos (The Akathist Hymn) preceded by Pot Luck Dinner at 6:00 pm.
SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING SERVICES AND EVENTS Tuesday, March 24th Wednesday, March 25th Friday, March 27 th Sat., March 28 th Sat., April 4 th Sun., April 19 th May 27 May 31 6:30 pm Vespers for Feast of the Annunciation @ Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, Elkins Park - To be followed by reception at 8:00 pm 8:30 am Orthros & Divine Liturgy Feast of the Annunciation @ Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, Elkins Park - To be followed by luncheon at 11:00 am 7:00 pm The Akathist Hymn (preceded by Pot Luck Dinner at 6:00 pm Sights & Sounds, Holy Trinity, Egg Harbor, NJ Saturday of Lazarus Archpastoral Visit by His Eminence Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey (see Ecclesiastical Calendar for schedule) 4 th Annual Benefit Banquet for IOCC @ Adelphia Restaurant, Deptford, NJ Spring Grecian Festival GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS Festival Committee Meeting: The next festival committee meeting will take place on Tuesday evening, March 24 th at 6:30 pm. Future meetings will occur on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 pm until the festival (with the exception of Holy Tuesday. All those interested in participating in the organization of the festival are welcome to attend. Family Dinner Night: As we have done the past few years, we will be having a Lenten Pot Luck dinner each Friday evening during Lent (before the Salutations). The next dinner is this Friday, March 27 th, at 6:00 pm. We ask that the families of the parish bring a Lenten covered dish to the church so that we may gather for fellowship prior to the Salutations to the Theotokos, which begin at 7:00 pm. For ideas for Lenten recipes, Lenten cookbooks are available in the church bookstore or can be found online. These recipes SHOULD NOT include meat or dairy products. 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. Egg Cartons Needed: We are collecting empty egg cartons for the children's Good Friday Retreat. You can drop off egg cartons in the Flex Room. We specifically need paper cartons (not foam), that hold a dozen eggs only. Philoptochos Tsoureki Sale: Pre-orders for Tsoureki (Pascha Bread) are being taken now. The Price is $15 for a 2 lb loaf. The loaf is braided without an egg. The order deadline is Sunday March 29 th. The Pickup date is Saturday, April 4 th. To place an order, please contact Kathy Tsipras (610)539-5413 or visit the Philoptochos table on Sunday during coffee hour to complete an order form.
Palm Sunday Luncheon: Make your table reservations early for the Philoptochos Palm Sunday Luncheon scheduled for Sunday, April 5, 2015. For reservations or information contact Maria or Kathy Tsipras by phone (610-539-5413) or email at tsipras@verizon.net or stop by the Philoptochos table in the church hall. Pascha Candles: Easter is just around the corner and as per one of our most prominent traditions, the custom of presenting Paschal candles (the Lambatha) to our loved ones to light, symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The candles can be lit at the Resurrection Service or the Agape Service on Sunday. Again this year Philoptochos will be selling decorated candles to help raise money for their many charities that we contribute to all year long. They are decorated with 2 colored ribbons of your choosing, a cross and flowers if requested. We have many colored ribbons to choose from. Please contact Maria Tsipras at 610-539-5413 or email at tsipras@verizon.net or just stop by the Philoptochos table at the back of the Cultural Center. Please help Philoptochos as well as giving a beautiful gift to your Godchildren, Children, Grandchildren, Nieces or Nephews. Don t wait till the last minute, Pascha will be here before you know it! 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 show times visit www.movietavern.com. AHEPA Scholarships Available: There are two scholarships available: 2015 National Scholarship Application - Deadline: March 31, 2015 The new 2015 AHEPA Educational Foundation scholarship application is now available online! Last year, the AHEPA family awarded over $1 million in combined scholarships. To download your application visit: www.ahepa.org/ahepa/assets/pdfs/2015_aef_application.pdf. 2015 District Scholarship Application Deadline: April 16, 2015 This application is from the AHEPA District 4, of which our AHEPA Chapter 432 Valley Forge is a member. For more information, please see an AHEPA member. To download the application, follow this link: http://www.ahepa4.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2015_district4_scholarship_application.docx 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. Applications for these scholarships are available through their website www.hucphiladelphia.org. Application and all supporting documents must be received by Friday, April 3, 2015. Attention Young Adults and Adults of St. Sophia: We are pleased to announce that staff applications are being accepted for Camp Good Shepherd 2015 as well as the newly created Camp Good Shepherd-Virginia. If you or your child (at least 18 years of age) are interested in assisting with our Metropolis Camping Program, please contact the Parish office to obtain applications. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Metropolis Youth Office at (908)301-0500. AHEPA Track Meet: This year s AHEPA Pan-Hellenic Track Meet will take place on Saturday, May 30 th at 12 noon at Upper Darby High School (rain date Sunday, May 31 st at 12 noon at Upper Darby H.S.) 2015 Ecclesiastical Calendars: The new calendars are still available for pick up in the Parish office. 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 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.