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St. Spyridon Church
Publish Date: 2019-02-28
Bulletin Contents
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Wisdom of the Fathers
Saints and Feasts
Hymns of the Day
Saint Spyridon Google Calendar
Bulletin Inserts
Allsaint
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St. Spyridon Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (708)385-2311
  • Fax:
  • (708) 385-0166
  • Street Address:

  • 12307 S. Ridgeland

  • Palos Heights, IL 60463
  • Mailing Address:

  • 12307 S. Ridgeland

  • Palos Heights, IL 60463

Contact Information

Parish Priest Fr. Tilemahos Alikakos


office@Saint-Spyridon.org | 708-385-2311

Services Schedule

Sunday Orthros - 8:00 a.m. followed by the Divine Liturgy

Saturday Vespers - 6:00 p.m.

Past Bulletins


Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Plagal Fourth Mode. Psalm 18.4,1.
Their voice has gone out into all the earth.
Verse: The heavens declare the glory of God.

The reading is from St. John's First Universal Letter 4:20-21; 5:1-21.

Beloved, if any one says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also.

Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God, and every one who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the witness, because the Spirit is the truth. There are three witnesses, the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has borne witness to his Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne to his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who has not the Son of God has not life.

I write this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence which we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him. If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal.

We know that any one born of God does not sin, but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.

We know that we are of God, and the whole world is in the power of the evil one.

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, to know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Gospel Reading

Meatfare Thursday
The Reading is from Mark 15:1-15

At that time, the chief priests, with the elders, and scribes and the whole council held a consultation; and they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And he answered him, "You have said so." And the chief priests accused him of many things. And Pilate again asked him, "Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you." But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate wondered. Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he was wont to do for them. And he answered them, "Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?" For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. And Pilate again said to them, "Then what shall I do with the man whom you call the King of the Jews?" And they cried out again, "Crucify him." And Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Crucify him." So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas; and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

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Wisdom of the Fathers

The sign that thou lovest God, is this, that thou lovest thy fellow; and if thou hatest thy fellow, thy hatred is towards God. For it is blasphemy if thou prayest before God while thou art wroth. For thy heart also convicts thee, that in vain thou multipliest words: thy conscience rightly judges that in thy prayers thou profitest nought.
St. Ephraim the Syrian
ON ADMONITION AND REPENTANCE.

'God is love', and he who seeks to establish its bounds is like a blind man attempting to count the grains of sand in the deeps of the sea. In quality, love is the likeness of God, as far as this is possible to mortals; in action, it is intoxication of the soul; in its properties, it is the source of faith, the abyss of long-suffering, the sea of humility. Love is real renunciation of every contrary thought, for it 'thinketh no evil' (I Cor. 13:5). Love, passionlessness and sonship differ only in name. As light, fire and flame are combined in one single action, so it is with these three.
Monks Callistus and Ignatius
Directions to Hesychasts no. 90, Writings from the Philokalia on Prayer of the Heart; Faber and Faber pg. 257

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Saints and Feasts

Allsaint
February 28

Righteous John Cassian the Confessor

Note: If it is not a leap year the hymns of Saint John are transferred to the 28th.

This Saint was born about the year 350, and was, according to some, from Rome, according to others, from Dacia Pontica (Dobrogea in present-day Romania). He was a learned man who had first served in the military. Later, he forsook this life and became a monk in Bethlehem with his friend and fellow-ascetic, Germanus of Dacia Pontica, whose memory is also celebrated today. Hearing the fame of the great Fathers of Scete, they went to Egypt about the year 390; their meetings with the famous monks of Scete are recorded in Saint John's Conferences. In the year 403 they went to Constantinople, where Cassian was ordained deacon by Saint John Chrysostom; after the exile of Saint Chrysostom, Saints Cassian and Germanus went to Rome with letters to Pope Innocent I in defence of the exiled Archbishop of Constantinople. There Saint Cassian was ordained priest, after which he went to Marseilles, where he established the famous monastery of Saint Victor. He reposed in peace about the year 433.

The last of his writings was On the Incarnation of the Lord, Against Nestorius, written in 430 at the request of Leo, the Archdeacon of Pope Celestine. In this work he was the first to show the spiritual kinship between Pelagianism, which taught that Christ was a mere man who without the help of God had avoided sin, and that it was possible for man to overcome sin by his own efforts; and Nestorianism, which taught that Christ was a mere man used as an instrument by the Son of God, but was not God become man; and indeed, when Nestorius first became Patriarch of Constantinople in 428, he made much show of persecuting the heretics, with the exception only of the Pelagians, whom he received into communion and interceded for them to the Emperor and to Pope Celestine.

The error opposed to Pelagianism but equally ruinous was Augustine's teaching that after the fall, man was so corrupt that he could do nothing for his own salvation, and that God simply predestined some men to salvation and others to damnation. Saint John Cassian refuted this blasphemy in the thirteenth of his Conferences, with Abbot Chairemon, which eloquently sets forth, at length and with many citations from the Holy Scriptures, the Orthodox teaching of the balance between the grace of God on one hand, and man's efforts on the other, necessary for our salvation.

Saint Benedict of Nursia, in Chapter 73 of his Rule, ranks Saint Cassian's Institutes and Conferences first among the writings of the monastic fathers, and commands that they be read in his monasteries; indeed, the Rule of Saint Benedict is greatly indebted to the Institutes of Saint John Cassian. Saint John Climacus also praises him highly in section 105 of Step 4 of the Ladder of Divine Ascent, on Obedience.

Allsaint
February 28

Basil the Confessor

Saints Procopius and Basil, fellow ascetics, lived about the middle of the eighth century, during the reign of Leo the Isaurian (717-741), from whom they suffered many things for the sake of the veneration of the holy icons. They ended their lives in the ascetical discipline.

Allsaint
February 28

Kyranna the New Martyr of Thessaloniki

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Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion for Basil the Confessor in the Plagal Fourth Mode

With the streams of thy tears, thou didst cultivate the barrenness of the desert; and by thy sighings from the depths,thou didst bear fruit a hundredfold in labours; and thou becamest a luminary, shining with miracles upon the world, O Basil our righteous Father. Intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA


Seasonal Kontakion in the Third Mode

O Father, foolishly I ran away from Your glory, and in sin, squandered the riches You gave me. Wherefore, I cry out to You with the voice of the Prodigal, "I have sinned before You Compassionate Father. Receive me in repentance and take me as one of Your hired servants."

Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Narthex Press - Northridge, CA


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Saint Spyridon Google Calendar

  • Saint Spyridon Parish Calendar

    February 28 to March 8, 2019

    Thursday, February 28

    Righteous John Cassian the Confessor

    9:00AM Archangels Academy

    6:30PM OCMC Dinner

    Friday, March 1

    The Holy Righteous Martyr Eudocia the Samaritan

    Fasting Day

    9:00AM Archangels Academy

    9:00AM Agiasmos

    4:30PM Greek School

    5:00PM Athletics Committee Meeting

    6:30PM Goya Lock-in

    Saturday, March 2

    Our Holy Father Nicholas Planas

    8:00AM Saturday of Souls, Orthros, Liturgy & Memorial

    6:00PM Great Vespers

    Sunday, March 3

    Meatfare Sunday - Judgment Sunday

    The Holy Martyrs Eutropius, Cleonicus, and Basiliscus

    8:00AM Orthros & Divine Liturgy

    Monday, March 4

    Dairy, Eggs, Oil & Wine Allowed

    Gerasimus the Righteous of Jordan

    9:00AM Archangels Academy

    4:30PM Greek School

    Tuesday, March 5

    Conon the Gardener

    9:00AM Archangels Academy

    7:00PM Parish Council

    Wednesday, March 6

    42 Martyrs of Amorion in Phrygia

    9:00AM Archangels Academy

    6:00PM Iconography

    7:00PM Floga Practice

    7:00PM Bible Study

    8:00PM GOYA Meeting

    Thursday, March 7

    The Holy Martyred Bishops of Cherson: Basileus, Ephraim, Eugene, Capito, Aetherius, Agathodorus, and Elpidius

    9:00AM Archangels Academy

    Friday, March 8

    Theophylact the Confessor, Bishop of Nicomedia

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Bulletin Inserts

    Executive Director Position open

    Executive Director Position open

    Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago Initiates Search for Executive Director ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL – The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago announced that it is accepting applications for the new position of Executive Director. Interested candidates can find a detailed job description in the link below. Reporting directly to Metropolitan Nathanael, the Executive Director will be responsible for overseeing the administration, programs and strategic plan of the Metropolis. Other key areas of responsibilities include development, communications and marketing, and community outreach. “Made possible by a Hellenic Foundation matching grant, adding an Executive Director to our team is an important step in promoting our mission and ushering in a new era of growth and change at the Metropolis,” said His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael. “The Executive Director will introduce dedicated, professional skills and capabilities to address the Metropolis’ needs and ensure our effectiveness in key functional areas.” Metropolitan Nathanael noted that while the Metropolis currently has a committed team of clergy and lay volunteers, the full-time Executive Director will help bring a new level of accountability and responsibility. With the assistance of expert advisors, His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael said he will be personally involved in the review of applications and interview of candidates in order to select the most qualified individual. The search will be nationwide in scope. https://www.careerbuilder.com/job/J2W0RT6F0C2LR06CS3S?ipath=JRG1&keywords=executive+director&location=chicago,il&searchid=095d34ac-294b-435c-b30e-43850873b06a:APAb7IQ3zDYKJtNGLlgx0q5de8Gqk1VeDA%3D%3D&siteid=cbnsv

    Southside Lenten Services

    Southside Lenten Services

    Our Southside parishes are hosting Lenten Services together. Come and join in prayer, a short reflection, and fellowship.

    Lenten Retreat

    Lenten Retreat

    Lenten Retreat on March 16th, 2019 Assumption Homer Glen

    Philoptochos Retreat

    Philoptochos Retreat

    Saint Spyridon has the honor of hosting this year's Chicago Metropolis Philoptochos Retreat on March 23rd. Everyone is invited to attend!

    Family Synaxis

    Family Synaxis

    The Metropolis of Chicago Family Synaxis together with the Pick Up Your Cross and Follow Me ministry invite you to our Annual Lenten Retreat Registration is now open! Blueprints for the "Little Church" Workshops by Elissa Bjeletich,an Orthodox mother of five, who through her books, podcasts, and other online resources, is devoted to helping parents nurture their children in an Orthodox home. This full-day retreat will be held on Saturday, March 30, 2019 and will be hosted by St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 10309 Kolmar Ave., Oak Lawn, IL. The retreat is for the whole family! We will begin the day at 8:30 a.m. with Orthros and breakfast. The day will also include two workshops, discussions, lunch, a philanthropy project, worship and family time. Workshop time will include lessons and activities for children of all ages. This year's retreat is co-hosted by the Pick Up Your Cross and Follow Me ministry, with parallel and inclusion programming offered for children with special needs. More information concerning the adult workshop topics, retreat leader, and alms-giving project can be found on our website. The registration fee is $90.00 per family by March 18 or $130.00 per family after March 18. Registration will close at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, March 25. Register and pay online. Please note that your family will not be considered registered until payment is received. Email questions to Chicago.Family.Synaxis@gmail.com or call/text Eleni Anast at 708-250-0034. We look forward to seeing you! The Metropolis Family Synaxis Committee

    Festival of Books

    Festival of Books

    On behalf of His Eminence, Metropolitan NATHANAEL, the Metropolis of Chicago Religious Education department is excited to announce the annual Celebration of Books that will be taking place from March 25th – March 31st this year. As you can see from the enclosed poster, we have an exciting week planned. Because of the Annunciation Feast Day Vespers, the first night’s presentation will be on Monday night (and NOT the customary Sunday night). “Being Sanctified by God’s Grace” will be the theme for the week. Very Reverend Dr. Josiah Trenham will speak about “Sanctifying American Soil” on Monday night and “Sanctifying Space” on Tuesday night. On Thursday night, Fr. Nicholas Palis will speak about “Sanctifying Ourselves.”

    HOLD THE DATE - JOIN US FOR THE 2019 YOUTH CHOIR CONFERENCE

    HOLD THE DATE - JOIN US FOR THE 2019 YOUTH CHOIR CONFERENCE

    When: Saturday, November 9 and Sunday, November 10, 2019 Where: St. Spyridon Hellenic Orthodox Church, 12307 S. Ridgeland in Palos Heights, IL Who: Youth from 3rd grade through High School are invited to participate Director: Nicky Glikis, Director of Sr. and Jr. Choirs at St. Spyridon. Nicky holds a Masters in Music Education and is a Choral Music Teacher in Oak Lawn/Hometown School District 123 in Illinois. She's looking forward to working with the Young Adults and youngsters of our Metropolis. What: The events are still in the planning stages but the schedule will be as follows....  For those coming in from out of town we’ve secured the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel at 5000 W. 127th St. in Alsip. This is about 7 minutes from the Church. The rate will be $109 per night for Friday and Saturday. Ask for the St. Spyridon Youth Choir/Group when making reservations. The code to be given is: SPY  Friday evening we will host a ‘mingling’ event for those coming from out of town  Saturday we will be practicing from 9:30 to 4 p.m. with breaks and lunch provided. That evening we will provide a dinner and special event that the youth and their parents/guardians may enjoy.  Sunday the youth choir members will sing the Divine Liturgy led by Metropolitan Nathaniel. A brunch or lunch will follow which will be open to the community as well.  There will be a modest registration fee – each youngster will receive a tote bag with their music and goodies  Registration packet will be available after Easter SPREAD THE WORD...TO YOUR CHOIRS, SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDENTS, GREEK SCHOOL STUDENTS, GRANDCHILDREN, GODCHILDREN.....BRING THEM ALL!!!

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