Sunday Divine Liturgy 10:00am V. Rev. Father Maximos Politis, Priest
Οι Άγιοι, οδοδείκτες σωτηρίας
Μετά την Πεντηκοστή, όταν γιορτάζονται τα γενέθλια της Εκκλησίας, η επόμενη Κυριακή είναι αφιερωμένη στους Αγίους Πάντες. Οι Άγιοι με τη ζωή τους έκαναν πράξη τη διδασκαλία του Χριστού και ολόκληρης της Εκκλησίας. Οι Άγιοι δεν ανήκουν σε κάποια συγκεκριμένη τάξη ανθρώπων. Μεταξύ των Αγίων είναι νέοι, ακόμη και μικρά παιδιά, ενήλικες και ηλικιωμένοι. Αγίους συναντάμε σε κάθε εποχή, σε καιρό ειρήνης ή πολέμου και σε κάθε επάγγελμα.
Ήδη από την εποχή του ο Απόστολος Παύλος λέει ότι έχουμε ένα σύννεφο μαρτύρων που μας περιβάλλει και μας ενθαρρύνει ταυτόχρονα, να κάνουμε τον αγώνα μας να ασκούμε τις εντολές του Κυρίου με υπομονή έχοντας στο νου μας το πρόσωπο του Χριστού και τίποτε άλλο. Το σύννεφο εδώ σημαίνει μεγάλος αριθμός, προστασία αλλά και θεϊκή παρουσία.
Ο Χριστός κατά την Αρχιερατική Προσευχή, πριν συλληφθεί, προετοιμάζει τους Μαθητές για την έλευση του Παρηγορητή, δηλαδή του Αγίου Πνεύματος που, όπως λέει, θα τους οδηγήσει στην όλη Αλήθεια. Η ζωή των Αγίων είναι η μαρτυρία για το έργο του Αγίου Πνεύματος. Ο Άγιος Παΐσιος είπε με χάρη ότι «οι βίοι των Αγίων είναι η βιταμίνη της ψυχής» και παρότρυνε τους Πιστούς να τους μελετήσουν.
Στην πορεία προς τον αγιασμό, οι βίοι των Αγίων είναι οι οδοδείκτες. Δηλαδή, όπως όλα τα μέσα μεταφοράς, τα αυτοκίνητα, τα πλοία, αλλά και τα αεροπλάνα καθοδηγούνται από οδικές πινακίδες, φάρους ή και ραντάρ, έτσι και οι πιστοί μελετώντας τη ζωή των Αγίων και παίρνοντας παραδείγματα από τη ζωή τους πλοηγούνται και οδηγούνται με ασφάλεια στο Σωτηρία.
The Saints, road signs of salvation
After Pentecost, when the Church's birthday is celebrated, the following Sunday is dedicated to All Saints. The Saints with their lives put into practice the teaching of Christ and the whole Church. Saints do not belong to any particular class of people. Among the Saints are young people, even small children, adults and the elderly. We meet saints in every age, in times of peace or war and in every profession.
Already from his time the Apostle Paul says that we have a cloud of witnesses that surrounds us and encourages us at the same time, to make our struggle to practice the commandments of the Lord with patience having in mind the face of Christ and nothing else. The cloud here means a large number, protection but also a divine presence.
Christ during the Hierarchical Prayer, before being arrested, prepares the Disciples for the coming of the Comforter, that is, of the Holy Spirit who, as He says, will lead them to the whole Truth. The life of the Saints is the testimony for the work of St. Spirit. Saint Paisios said prettily that "the lives of the Saints are the vitamin of the soul" and urged the Faithful to study them.
On the way to sanctification, the lives of the Saints are the road signs. That is, like all means of transport, cars, ships, but also airplanes are guided by road signs, lighthouses or even radar, so the Believers by studying the lives of the Saints and taking examples from their lives are navigated and safely guided to the Salvation.
Special Prayer Requests:
“I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people…. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4)
We pray for mercy, life, peace, and healing of all parishioners -prayers for the family and friends of Mikae Gaetanos. Prayers for Gary Peterson; Michael Colburn; Chris Bersu; Michael and Ingrid Fotianos; Ruza Basimamovic; Chresanthe Lemieux; Zoe Kauttu; Maryann Bolt; James Day; Margaret, James, Kyriake; Joseph, Alex Aclim; Jane Anderson; Gwen H.; and Thanos Nikolopoulos. Remember also our missionary families: Fr. Stephanos, Pr. Alexandria, Moses & Athan Ritsi serving in Albania. Congrats to Nick & Toni Lekas on their new grandson, Nathaniel Andreas Lekas born to Andreas and Elizabeth Lekas on March 9. God grant him many years!
Thank you for your prayers …. We would like to thank you for your prayers, love, and support during Gary’s recent health issues. We can’t put into words how much we appreciate all of you! The flowers you sent are beautiful and brightened up our day. Our family and we have been given a tremendous blessing with Gods help, and the love and support of our family, friends, and all of our church community. God bless you all and thank you so much for everything! Your brother and sister in Christ, Gary and Fotini Peterson
"Our Church, Our Spiritual Home"
Your offerings help make Holy Trinity a place of welcome for all people who are seeking to reconnect with Christ. Most importantly, they are your expression of gratitude and thanksgiving to God, who provides for your every need even before you ask.
Regular stewardship offerings are the foundation of our spiritual home. If you have not already done so, please fill out a 2022 Stewardship Pledge form, and then set up a plan for regular contributions. You may also make a stewardship pledge or payment electronically at www.holytrinitygoc.com. Thank you.
St. Francis House:
1. Bulk Lunch Meat and Cheese Needed:
A kitchen manager said they are in desperate need of lunch meat and cheeses, please help deliver to their location, especially with the critical lunches.
2. Volunteers Needed: Due to COVID, St. Francis House is still doing drop-off meals, which we drop off, always at 70 Washington Street front door at 5 p.m. If you would like to help prepare a meal, they accept anything and are very grateful for all donations.
If you're able to help, please let Richard know at church, 904-347-9189 or dickbilleter@gmail.com. Dick can let the kitchen manager know.
3. April Meals: Thank You!
Thank you Jim Humphries for helping deliver ham and Noah and his dad, Richard, topped it off with mac-and-cheese.
4. Future Meals: Not able to help in May? Please look to help us another day -- we help deliver dinners the 2nd Monday of every month. Online: Please visit us online at http://www.facebook/holytrinityoutreach.com
Greek Festival:
The annual Holy Trinity Greek Festival is October 7-9, 2022. Our popular festival will begin with "Friday to go" with pre-orders only. Saturday and Sunday will include music, dance and on-site dining.
We need volunteers to host coffee hour. You can do it solo or share the responsibility with someone else. Please sign up at: www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4CA5AB2AA0FFC34-sunday, email Stefanie Burke at holy3goc.hostess@gmail.com; call 904/671-4566; or speak to Stefanie after church and she can sign you up. Thank you in advance for considering offering this hospitality to our parish family and guests.
[Using the SignUpGenius link: click the blue box that says SIGN UP; then the brown box at the bottom of the page that says SUBMIT AND SIGN UP - this will take you to the next screen; and click on SIGN UP NOW]
June
19 All Saints Sunday
19 Father’s Day
Please remember to submit the names of departed fathers for reading at the service to Parish Priest, Fr. Maximos.
19 10 year memorial for Peter Eugenis, father of Gigi Ray (Paul). The family will be sponsoring COFFEE HOUR.
20 Parish Council
20-30 Apostles Fast
24 Detsis Wedding Rehearsal
25 Detsis/Armendariz Wedding
26 St. Photios Shrine - Greek Landing Day - 3 pm-5 pm
29 Apostles Peter & Paul
30 Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles
Giving by Check: Please be sure to include a notation on the memo line to allows us to identify your intentions (i.e. stewardship, candles, trays, memorials, etc.).
Weekly Offering: The Lord's day is to be the time for a weekly offering for the support of His cause. Make your offering today and enable our Church to continue to enhance the spiritual growth of the Orthodox Christians entrusted to our care. Your offering can be made at the collection basket as you exit the service.
Parish Office:
Please call (904 829-0504) or email (holy3goc@gmail.com) the parish office to update your contact information. Also, if you know of anyone who doesn’t receive parish emails but would like to, please encourage them to contact the parish office with their contact information.
Weekly Photo: https://www.facebook.com/HolyTrinityGOC/photos/a.214784738566511/5538925019485763
Sunday of Pentecost at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, St. Augustine.
From the Chrismation of our newly illumined sister in Christ Juliana, on Sunday of Pentecost.
Πάντα εν σοφία εποίησας. In wisdom you have made them all. Pictures from St. Augustine.
2022 Stewardship
Philanthropy – Fellowship – Faith in Action We invite you to join Philoptochos & help us achieve our mission!
Greek Landing Day 2022
Honorees are Parish Members who exemplify the true Orthodox Christian way of life by their deep faith, commitment, dedication and service to the Church and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on their respective Parish level.
Honouring the friends of God with much reverence, the Prophet-King David says, "But to me, exceedingly honourable are Thy friends, O Lord" (Ps. 138:16). And the divine Apostle, recounting the achievements of the Saints, and setting forth their memorial as an example that we might turn away from earthly things and from sin, and emulate their patience and courage in the struggles for virtue, says, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every burden, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us" (Heb. 12:1).
This commemoration began as the Sunday (Synaxis) of All Martyrs; to them were added all the ranks of Saints who bore witness (the meaning of "Martyr" in Greek) to Christ in manifold ways, even if occasion did not require the shedding of their blood.
Therefore, guided by the teaching of the Divine Scriptures and Apostolic Tradition, we the pious honour all the Saints, the friends of God, for they are keepers of God's commandments, shining examples of virtue, and benefactors of mankind. Of course, we honour the known Saints especially on their own day of the year, as is evident in the Menologion. But since many Saints are unknown, and their number has increased with time, and will continue to increase until the end of time, the Church has appointed that once a year a common commemoration be made of all the Saints. This is the feast that we celebrate today. It is the harvest of the coming of the Holy Spirit into the world; it is the "much fruit" brought forth by that "Grain of wheat that fell into the earth and died" (John 12:24); it is the glorification of the Saints as "the foundation of the Church, the perfection of the Gospel, they who fulfilled in deed the sayings of the Saviour" (Sunday of All Saints, Doxasticon of Vespers).
In this celebration, then, we reverently honour and call blessed all the Righteous, the Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, Shepherds, Teachers, and Holy Monastics, both men and women alike, known and unknown, who have been added to the choirs of the Saints and shall be added, from the time of Adam until the end of the world, who have been perfected in piety and have glorified God by their holy lives. All these, as well as the orders of the Angels, and especially our most holy Lady and Queen, the Ever-virgin Theotokos Mary, do we honour today, setting their life before us as an example of virtue, and entreating them to intercede in our behalf with God, Whose grace and boundless mercy be with us all. Amen.
The Apostle Jude was of the choir of the Twelve, and by Luke was called Jude, the brother of James the Brother of God (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13), and therefore also a kinsman of the Lord according to His humanity. But by Matthew (10:3), he is called Lebbaeus, surnamed Thaddeus (he is not the Thaddeus who healed the suffering of Abgar, as Eusebius says in his Eccl. Hist., 1:13; see Aug. 21). Saint Jude preached in Mesopotamia, Arabia, Idumea, and Syria, and, it is said, completed the path of his divine apostleship by martyrdom in Beirut in the year 80. Written after the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, his is the last of the Catholic (General) Epistles to the believing Jews in the Diaspora. His name (a variant of Judah) means "Praise."
Prokeimenon. 4th Tone. Psalm 67.35,26.
God is wonderful among his saints.
Verse: Bless God in the congregations.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 11:33-40; 12:1-2.
Brethren, all the saints through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated - of whom the world was not worthy - wandering over deserts and mountains and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.
The Sunday of All Saints
The Reading is from Matthew 10:32-33; 37-38; 19:27-30
The Lord said to his disciples, "Every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny him before my Father who is in heaven. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me." Then Peter said in reply, "Lo, we have left everything and followed you. What then shall we have?" Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many that are first will be last, and the last first."