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St. Spyridon Church
Publish Date: 2021-02-28
Bulletin Contents
Prodson
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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




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

Matins Gospel Reading

Fifth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Luke 24:13-35

At that time, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see." And he said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, but they constrained him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?" And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, who said, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.


Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Plagal First Mode. Psalm 11.7,1.
You, O Lord, shall keep us and preserve us.
Verse: Save me, O Lord, for the godly man has failed.

The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 6:12-20.

Brethren, "all things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything. "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food" -- and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "The two shall become one flesh." But he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body and in your spirit which belong to God.


Gospel Reading

Sunday of the Prodigal Son
The Reading is from Luke 15:11-32

The Lord said this parable: "There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me.' And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his belly with the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to make merry. Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, 'Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"


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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal First Mode

Let us worship the Word, O ye faithful, praising Him that with the Father and the Spirit is co-beginningless God, Who was born of a pure Virgin that we all be saved; for He was pleased to mount the Cross in the flesh that He assumed, accepting thus to endure death. And by His glorious rising, He also willed to resurrect the dead.

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."
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Saints and Feasts

Prodson
February 28

Sunday of the Prodigal Son

Through the parable of today's Gospel, our Saviour has set forth three things for us: the condition of the sinner, the rule of repentance, and the greatness of God's compassion. The divine Fathers have put this reading the week after the parable of the Publican and Pharisee so that, seeing in the person of the Prodigal Son our own wretched condition -- inasmuch as we are sunken in sin, far from God and His Mysteries -- we might at last come to our senses and make haste to return to Him by repentance during these holy days of the Fast.

Furthermore, those who have wrought many great iniquities, and have persisted in them for a long time, oftentimes fall into despair, thinking that there can no longer be any forgiveness for them; and so being without hope, they fall every day into the same and even worse iniquities. Therefore, the divine Fathers, that they might root out the passion of despair from the hearts of such people, and rouse them to the deeds of virtue, have set the present parable at the forecourts of the Fast, to show them the surpassing goodness of God's compassion, and to teach them that there is no sin -- no matter how great it may be -- that can overcome at any time His love for man.


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.


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Saint Spyridon Calendar

  • Saint Spyridon Calendar

    February 28 to March 8, 2021

    Sunday, February 28

    Righteous John Cassian the Confessor

    8:00AM Orthros & Divine Liturgy

    2:00PM wedding

    Monday, March 1

    The Holy Righteous Martyr Eudocia the Samaritan

    9:00AM Agiasmos

    9:00AM Church Office Open

    9:00AM Archangels Academy

    4:30PM Greek School Online

    7:00PM Divorce Rebuilders Ministry

    Tuesday, March 2

    Our Holy Father Nicholas Planas

    8:00AM Divine Liturgy

    9:00AM Church Office Open

    9:00AM Archangels Academy

    10:00AM Bible Study in Greek

    7:00PM Festival meeting

    Wednesday, March 3

    Fasting Day

    The Holy Martyrs Eutropius, Cleonicus, and Basiliscus

    9:00AM Archangels Academy

    9:00AM Church Office Open

    7:00PM Greek school meeting

    Thursday, March 4

    Gerasimus the Righteous of Jordan

    9:00AM Archangels Academy

    9:00AM Church Office Open

    7:00PM Bible Study

    Friday, March 5

    Conon the Gardener

    Fasting Day

    9:00AM Church Office Open

    9:00AM Archangels Academy

    4:30PM Greek School Online

    6:00PM Paraklesis

    Saturday, March 6

    42 Martyrs of Amorion in Phrygia

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

    Sunday, March 7

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

    8:00AM Orthros & Divine Liturgy

    1:00PM baptism

    Monday, March 8

    Theophylact the Confessor, Bishop of Nicomedia

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Coming Events

    Stewardship 2021

    Stewardship 2021

    We thank all our stewards who offered your gifts of time, talent and treasure for 2020. As we journey through this new year, let us continue to serve our community and support our beloved Saint Spyridon parish. Your stewardship offering may be submitted by mail to the church office. We have also made online giving available on our church website for one-time and periodic giving: https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/1390651


    February 2021 VOICE

    February 2021 VOICE

    Saint Spyridon's monthly bulletin. For a paper copy please send a request to office@saint-spyridon.net.


    FOOD PANTRY DONATIONS

    FOOD PANTRY DONATIONS

    FOOD PANTRY DONATIONS for Easter Food Baskets Our parish will be distributing Food Baskets to needy families on Saturday, April 3rd, 2021. Your generous donations will enable us to purchase all necessary items to assemble each food basket. This year, we are asking for monetary donations (in any amount), OR if you wish to sponsor a basket, each backet is valued at $60. Cash/check donations may be dropped off in the church office: Monday – Friday from 9am to 2pm Checks to “St. Spyridon” & “Food Pantry” in the MEMO section or online at: https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/1390651 (Please select “Food Pantry Donation” from the dropdown menu) Donation Deadline is Wednesday, March 31st THANK YOU!


    Lenten Toy Drive

    Lenten Toy Drive

    Spring into Action to Help Kids Fighting Cancer! Saint Spyridon’s Lenten Toy Drive All proceeds to benefit: The Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation Suggested Donations by Age: School Age: Action Figures, Barbie Dolls and accessories, Trucks and Cars, Snaptite Models, Board Games, Arts/Crafts, Playdough, Coloring Books, Crayola Markers/Crayons, Activity Sets/Prepackaged Crafts. Adolescent: Journals, Jewelry, Nail Polish Kits, Cosmetic Bags, Purses/Wallets, Scarves/Hats, DVD’s/CD’s, Board Games, Gift Cards ($5 increments) Infant/Toddler/Preschool: Fischer-Price/Playskool toys, Play Dish Sets & Play Food, Baby Dolls & accessories, Wooden & Plastic Puzzles, Activity Books Drop off all NEW, unwrapped donations in boxes near the office and gym. Donation Deadline is Sunday, April 25th Cash/Check donations may be dropped off in the church office: Monday – Friday from 9am to 2pm Checks payable to “St. Spyridon” & “Toy Drive” in the Memo section, or Donate online: https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/1390651 (Please Select “Toy Drive – Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest” from the dropdown menu) For questions, please contact: Stella Parhas at 708.717.2518 or Demetria Papadopoulos at 708.870.2783 Thank you for donating!


    Take and Bake

    Take and Bake

    TAKE & BAKE Let St. Spyridon Philoptochos help you with your family meal planning with our delicious ready to bake Greek delicacies. From our hearts to your home. Fall in love with our Greek delicacies. Order before March 22nd. Online Orders: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/springtake-bake-tickets-142800765935 Or Pay by check or cash at St. Spyridon Church Office Pick up date: Saturday April 3rd, 10 am – 2 pm


    PTA Cookbook

    PTA Cookbook

    Recipe Deadline is Approaching… Don’t worry! There’s still time. The last day we will be accepting recipes for the cookbook is this SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28TH. Please send recipes to spyridonpta@gmail.com and we will include your family favorite in the cookbook. You can still order a cookbook and support the PTA in our efforts to provide more for the youth of Saint Spyridon. Ordering will end on April 1st. Here is the link if you wish to do so online: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/parish-cookbooktickets-140420223669 Thank you for your support!


    Philoptochos Scholarship

    Philoptochos Scholarship

    The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society of St. Spyridon, Palos Heights offers a $1,000 scholarship to one high school senior OR college student who is a member of our parish. This is a competitive scholarship based on need and merit with the award winner to be selected upon recommendation by the Scholarship Committee. Applicants must be accepted into an accredited college, university or vocational program OR currently attending an accredited college, university or vocational program. APPLICATION & ALL REQUIRED INFORMATION MUST BE SUBMITTED TO CHURCH OFFICE BY JUNE 15, 2021 Download the application at: http://nebula.wsimg.com/1992141ef4e88656fd560b19dde15f51?AccessKeyId=2C76C7C685C924A52032&disposition=0&alloworigin=1


    Lenten Reflections

    Lenten Reflections

    The parishes of the southwest suburbs are coming together during Great Lent to share in worship and Lenten reflections by our area clergy.


    Sunday Bulletin

    Sunday Bulletin

    News and announcements for February 28. 2021


    Great Lent 2021

    Great Lent 2021

    Full schedule of services and confession times for Great Lent 2021


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Wisdom of the Fathers

But if he had despaired of his life, and, ... had remained in the foreign land, he would not have obtained what he did obtain, but would have been consumed with hunger, and so have undergone the most pitiable death: ...
St. John Chrysostom
AN EXHORTATION TO THEODORE AFTER HIS FALL, 4th Century

... but since he repented, and did not despair, he was restored, even after such great corruption, to the same splendour as before, and was arrayed in the most beautiful robe, and enjoyed greater honours than his brother who had not fallen.
St. John Chrysostom
AN EXHORTATION TO THEODORE AFTER HIS FALL, 4th Century

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Daily Announcements

Saint_spyridon_background

ATTENDING CHURCH SERVICES

Please call the church office or visit the sign-up link to reserve your spots for the Divine Services in the church or in the community center:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0f4caaaa22a1ff2-saint

You can also sign up for Sunday School classes on the same link.  

All services are streamed on the Parish YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC68WCiYHUYSTCqlelnAWLvQ

Please subscribe to the channel to receive notifications of services

 

PRE-ORDERING THE NEW PTA COOKBOOK

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/140420223669

 

 

 

 

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