Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 2nd Tone

When You descended unto death, O Lord who yourself are immortal Life, then did You mortify Hades by the lightning flash of Your Divinity. Also when You raised the dead from the netherworld, all the Powers of the heavens were crying out: O Giver of life, Christ our God, glory be to You.

Apolytikion of Forefeast of the Annunciation in the Fourth Tone

Today is the prelude of the joy of the universe, and it incites us to sing the forefestal hymns. For behold, Gabriel is coming, and he will say to the Virgin: Rejoice, Maiden full of grace; the Lord is with you.

Apolytikion of Sun. of St. Gregory Palamas in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone

Beacon of Orthodox belief, the strong support of the Church and her teacher inspired by God, you are the ornament of monks, the unassailable champion of theologians, O Gregory the Wonder-worker and the boast of Thessalonica, the messenger of grace. Forever earnestly entreat for the salvation of our souls.

Apolytikion for the Church in the 1st Tone

8th Tone

Blessed are You, O Christ our God; You made wise men of poor fishermen by sending down upon them Your Holy Spirit, and through them You caught the whole world, O Lover of mankind, glory to You.

Εύλογητός εἶ Χριστὲ ὁ Θεος ἡμῶν ὁ πανσόφους τοὺς ἁλιεῖς ἁναδείξας καταπέμψας αὐτοῖς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον καὶ δι᾽ αὐτῶν τῆν οἰκουμένην σαγηνεύσας φιλάνθρωπε δόξα Σοι.

Seasonal Kontakion in the 4th Tone

The Archangel spoke to you, O Theotokos, and the Holy Spirit came on you and thus you did conceive the Father's Son, who is one in throne and one in essence. Through you, thus, was Adam recalled.

Saints and Feasts

March 24

Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas

This divine Father, who was from Asia Minor, was from childhood reared in the royal court of Constantinople, where he was instructed in both religious and secular wisdom. Later, while still a youth, he left the imperial court and struggled in asceticism on Mount Athos, and in the Skete at Beroea. He spent some time in Thessalonica being treated for an illness that came from his harsh manner of life. He was present in Constantinople at the Council that was convened in 1341 against Barlaam of Calabria, and at the Council of 1347 against Acindynus, who was of like mind with Barlaam; Barlaam and Acindynus claimed that the grace of God is created. At both these Councils, the Saint contended courageously for the true dogmas of the Church of Christ, teaching in particular that divine grace is not created, but is the uncreated energies of God which are poured forth throughout creation: otherwise it would be impossible, if grace were created, for man to have genuine communion with the uncreated God. In 1347 he was appointed Metropolitan of Thessalonica. He tended his flock in an apostolic manner for some twelve years, and wrote many books and treatises on the most exalted doctrines of our Faith; and having lived for a total of sixty-three years, he reposed in the Lord in 1359.

His holy relics are kept in the Cathedral of Thessalonica. A full service was composed for his feast day by the Patriarch Philotheus in 1368, when it was established that his feast be celebrated on this day. Since works without right faith avail nothing, we set Orthodoxy of faith as the foundation of all that we accomplish during the Fast, by celebrating the Triumph of Orthodoxy the Sunday before, and the great defender of the teachings of the holy Fathers today.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 2nd Tone. Psalm 117.14,18.
The Lord is my strength and my song.
Verse: The Lord has chastened me sorely.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 1:10-14; 2:1-3.

"IN THE BEGINNING, Thou, Lord, didst found the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of thy hands; they will perish, but thou remainest; they will all grow old like a garment, like a mantle thou wilt roll them up, and they will be changed. But thou art the same, and thy years will never end." But to what angel has he ever said, "Sit at my right hand, till I make thy enemies a stool for thy feet?" Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?

Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For if the message declared by angels was valid and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him.

Gospel Reading

Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas
The Reading is from Mark 2:1-12

At that time, Jesus entered Capernaum and it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and when they had made an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "My son, your sins are forgiven." Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, "Why does this man speak thus? It is a blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you question thus in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your pallet and walk? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins"-he said to the paralytic-"I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home." And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

Parish News

A Word from Fr. John:
About the Fast...
I hesitate to share this here, because it’s really a prayer for the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, served on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the Fast (Wednesdays only in our case). To fully appreciate it, one needs to hear it in its proper context: at the end of the Presanctified Liturgy, after holy Communion. Still, there are some here who simply cannot make the Wednesday evening service, so I’m offering it for our encouragement and edification.

Priest’s amvon prayer at the end of the Presanctified Liturgy: “O Master Almighty, Who have created all things in wisdom; Who in Your inexpressible providence and great goodness have brought us to these all-revered days, for the cleansing of souls and bodies, for control of passions, and in the hope of the Resurrection; Who during the forty days delivered into the hands of Your servant Moses the tablets in letters divinely inscribed: Grant also unto us, O Good One, to fight the good fight, to complete the course of the fast, to keep the faith undivided, to crush underfoot the heads of invisible serpents, to be shown as victors over sins, and to come without reproach to the worship of Your holy Resurrection. For blessed and glorified is Your most honorable and majestic name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.”

Special Prayer Requests: We pray for mercy, life, peace, and healing for all parishioners, especially Mike Chelikas, (Nicola
Lykam’s uncle), Irene Hastalis, Jim Manos, Chresanthe Lemieux, Jane Anderson, Betty & Fred Day, Despina Xynidis, George P. Nichols, and for their families; for continued growth of the parish family and for those the Lord receives, serves, and sends through Her lifesaving ministry. We pray for our two missionary families: Dn. Stephanos, Dka. Alexandria & Moses Ritsi serving Albania; and Michael, Lisa & Liam Colburn serving translators worldwide. We also welcome all visitors, college students, and inquirers, and hope to enjoy today’s Fellowship with you! We especially offer prayers of thanksgiving for Nelda Hann, our Parish Administrator, who had a successful outpatient surgery on Tuesday, March 19th. All to God’s Glory!

In Times of Need: When challenging times come upon us and especially in times of illness, hospitalization, emergency, or loneliness, ask for intercession and visitation. Please be sure to call and notify Father John through the church office, or email prayer requests and updates to holy3goc@gmail.com. The 24-hour emergency phone number is: (602) 617-2467.

Hostess Schedule: Carman Gaetanos (904) 540-0367 or carmgaet@gmail.com
Today, March 24 Pres Renee Ritsi, Evangelia Brati
March 31 Annunciation Luncheon

Parish Council Announcements:
Save the Dates – April 12-13th: His Grace Bishop Sevastianos of Zelon looks forward to coming to know our community members, hearing Confessions, presiding over the Akathist service, and offering a retreat for the whole parish entitled: The Prodigal Son: A Story of Love, Forgiveness, and Homecoming. (Biography available at:https://atlmetropolis.org/bishop-sevastianosof-zela) Here is the schedule:

Thursday, 11 April 6:30 PM - Meeting with Parish Council & FTP Committee

Friday, 12 April Afternoon & Evening - Confessions at Holy Trinity E-mail His Grace directly to schedule: bishopsebastian@atlmetropolis.org
Friday, 12 April 5:30 PM Akathist Hymn to The Theotokos

Saturday, April 13th 9:30 AM All the faithful arrive to Greet, Meet & Be Blessed by His Grace
10:00 AM-1:00 PM Parish Retreat – All Are Welcome – Bring your whole family, friends & neighbors!
The Prodigal Son: A Story of Love, Forgiveness, and Homecoming offered by His Grace Bishop Sevastianos of Zela, followed by a light Lenten Meal

Philoptochos:
 Annunciation & Greek Independence Day Luncheon Sunday, March 31th: Philoptochos honors the Annunciation of the Theotokos and Greek Independence Day with a fish luncheon on Sunday, March 31. Join us for a delicious meal and short program, including our Nisiotes dancers! $10 for adults and takeout, $5 for children under 12.
 St. Stephen's Camp - Registration for this year will open March 20. If you have a child interested in attending a one-week session this summer and need some financial assistance for a portion of the cost, a small fund has been set aside by our Philoptochos chapter for that purpose. Please contact either Toula Zotos or Carmela Tardo by March 20 if support is needed. Details for the camp are at https://atlmetropolis.org/st-stephens-summer-camp.

Iconography Committee Update: As announced with great joy, we are ready to go forward with iconography of the Pantocrator and Prophets in the dome of our church. Hopefully it will be completed before Pascha. As a parish family, we are grateful for the generous contributions and prayers that made this possible. The next phase of the Iconography Project will include Evangelists on the pendentives and medallions of the Apostles on the band below the dome; examples are displayed on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall.

Stewardship – A Pattern of Caring: Giving is a habit that begins with a commitment. Becoming an active steward requires a conscious decision to actively support the needs of the church. The commitment card we offer to Holy Trinity each year encourages us to give regularly. There are extra cards in church, or you can call the church office. Wednesday Bulletin Submission: Please submit your articles weekly by or before Wednesday.

Greek Summer Night: SAVE THE DATE. This year's Greek Summer Night event will be Saturday, June 1, 2019. Join us for a night filled with Greek food, music and dance. Come for the fun, fellowship and family. Opa!

Weekly Offering:
 Sacrificial Offerings - Weekly Offering:
March 17th - Candles $123; Tray $46; Stewardship $2215
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). The Lord's day is to be the time for a weekly offering for the support of His cause. Your offering can be made at the collection basket as you exit the service.
 Festival Donation letters are available upon request from office or Treasurer.

Faith, Hope and Love film: A wonderful new movie by Greek filmmaker Robert Krantz that touches on all parts of the title, “Faith, Hope and Love,” will show to the public beginning on March 29th at Regal Avenues Stadium 20 in Jacksonville. Both touching and romantic, it has been very well received by those who have seen it in other parts of the country. Official site: www.FHLMovie.com Review: https://dove.org/review/15081-faith-hope-love/ Please e-mail htgocpresident@gmail.com if you prefer to go as a group, and share best day(s)/time range(s).

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