Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone

Having learned the joyful proclamation of the Resurrection from the Angel, and having cast off the ancestral condemnation, the women disciples of the Lord spake to the Apostles exultantly: Death is despoiled and Christ God is risen, granting great mercy to the world.

St. Catherine the Great Martyr of Sinai in the First Tone

Let us praise now with hymns the distinguished bride of Christ, and the protectress of Sinai, our assistance in need, and our comforting support, godly Katherine. For she has brilliantly made mute the unrighteous ones of wit, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and being crowned as a martyr, she pleads on our behalf for God's great mercy.

Την πανεύφημον νύμφην Χριστού υμνήσωμεν, Αικατερίναν την θείαν και πολιούχον Σινά, την βοήθειαν ημών και αντίληψιν ότιεφήμωσε λαμπρώς τους κομψούς των ασεβών του Πνεύματος τηv dynamin, και νυν ως μάρτυς στεφθείσα, αιτείται πάσι το μέγα έλεος.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Second Tone

O Protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, mediation unto the creator most constant: O despise not the voices of those who have sinned; but be quick, O good one, to come unto our aid, who in faith cry unto thee: Hasten to intercession and speed thou to make supplication, O thou who dost ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honor thee.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Fourth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Luke 24:1-12

On the first day of the week at early dawn, the women went to the tomb, taking spices, which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel; and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise." And they remembered His words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told this to the Apostles; but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home wondering at what had happened.

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Fourth Tone. Psalm 103.24,1.
O Lord, how manifold are your works. You have made all things in wisdom.
Verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

The reading is from St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians 6:16-18; 7:1.

Brethren, you are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will live in them and move among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore come out from them, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfect in the fear of God.

Gospel Reading

Sunday of the Canaanite
The Reading is from Matthew 15:21-28

At that time, Jesus went to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon." But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." And he answered, "It is not fair to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table." Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly.

Saints and Feasts

February 18

Sunday of the Canaanite

February 18

Leo the Great, Pope of Rome

According to some, this Saint was born in Rome, but according to others in Tyrrenia (Tuscany), and was consecrated to the archiepiscopal throne of Rome in 440. In 448, when Saint Flavian, Archbishop of Constantinople, summoned Eutyches, an archimandrite in Constantinople, to give account for his teaching that there was only one nature in Christ after the Incarnation, Eutyches appealed to Saint Leo in Rome. After Saint Leo had carefully examined Eutyches's teachings, he wrote an epistle to Saint Flavian, setting forth the Orthodox teaching of the person of Christ, and His two natures, and also counseling Flavian that, should Eutyches sincerely repent of his error, he should be received back with all good will. At the Council held in Ephesus in 449, which was presided over by Dioscorus, Patriarch of Alexandria (and which Saint Leo, in a letter to the holy Empress Pulcheria in 451, was the first to call "The Robber Council"), Dioscorus, having military might behind him, did not allow Saint Leo's epistle to Flavian to be read, although repeatedly asked to do so; even before the Robber Council was held, Dioscorus had uncanonically received the unrepentant Eutyches back into communion. Because Saint Leo had many cares in Rome owing to the wars of Attila the Hun and other barbarians, in 451 he sent four delegates to the Fourth Ecumenical Council, where 630 Fathers gathered in Chalcedon during the reign of Marcian, to condemn the teachings of Eutyches and those who supported him. Saint Leo's epistle to Flavian was read at the Fourth Council, and was confirmed by the Holy Fathers as the Orthodox teaching on the incarnate person of our Lord; it is also called the "Tome of Leo." The Saint wrote many works in Latin; he reposed in 461. See also Saint Anatolius, July 3.

February 18

Agapetus the Confessor, Bishop of Sinai

Wisdom of the Fathers

She had a great perfection of faith. She had no uncertainty about His divine majesty. She had no small measure of the virtue of patience. Yet the pitying Physician of the pitiful disdained her petitions. He kept her waiting for answer in order to demonstrate to us the perseverence of this woman that we can always imitate. She had the characteristics of constancy and humility. She willingly embraced the indignity she received, and even confirmed the Lord`s statement. This woman rightly signifies the faith and devotion of the Church gathered from the nations

Saint Bede

Hom. I. 22, In Lent, Homilies on the Gospels, Bk. One, 216, 217.

He kept her waiting for an answer in order to declare that the minds of His disciples should also be merciful. As human beings they were ashamed of the clamor of the woman as she pursued them publicly, but He Himself knew the character of His mercy.

St. Bede

Hom. I. 22, In Lent, Homilies on the Gospels, Bk. One, 216

Prayer List

AILING: Thecla Maria, Anthoula Epthimiatos, Kate Cushing, Madelyn, and all victims of war and violence, natural disasters, and epidemics.

REPOSED: Evan Dentes, All victims of war and violence, natural disasters, and epidemics.

IN NEED: Mavis Marquez, Genevieve Castillo, Gerard Castillo

This Week's Events

Today

8:45am Orthros

10:00am Divine Liturgy

2 Year Memorial for Stamatios Marangoudakis
20 Year Memorial for Mark Franck

Philoptochos Board Meeting following coffee hour

Friday February 23, 2024

4:30pm Spanakopita Takeout Dinner Fundraiser

Saturday February 24, 2024

5:00pm Choir Practice
6:00pm Great Vespers & Confessions

Announcements

Calendars: The February parish calendar is available on the handout table and on the website. Take one to stay informed of parish services and events.

Stewardship:All are encouraged to make a stewardship pledge for 2024. Forms are available in the narthex and can be submitted to the church office. Thank you to all who have supported our parish with their time, talent, and treasure.

Weather Cancellations: Notification of cancellation of parish services and events due to inclement weather will be sent out via the parish email list. The church main phone line message will also be updated. If you are not on our email list and want to be, please send your email address to the church office.

Choir: Practices are now held on Saturdays at 5:00pm. All are welcomed to join. See our Choir Director, Steve Hoskins, for information.

Votive Candles: Our new votive candles are $10 each and have a glass outer shell with a plastic inner shell. Please do not remove the glass shells from the church as we will reuse them.

Sunday School: Children are to go to class in the upstairs classroom after Holy Communion. Please see Emeline Mandeville for information.

Fundraising Committee: New members are welcome to join the Fundraising Committee and help our parish with new ideas to support our ministries. If interested, please contact Steve Hoskins.

The Fund Raising Committee is looking for help with supplies for the

upcoming spanakopita takeout dinner, and for volunteers to assist withthe making of the spanakopita, the packaging, and the pickup.

Donations of feta, spinach, olives, olive oil, lettuce, tomatoes, bread,

would be greatly appreciated.

Please contact Ike Nestopoulos or Steve Hoskins for details.

For volunteers, we will need help Thursday 2/22, roughly from 12-6 PM,for food preparation and baking of the spanakopita, and Friday 2/23 fromabout 12 NOON to 6:30 PM. The busy time Friday is 4:30-6:30 PM, wheneveryone arrives to pick up their orders. We will need several people atthe counter for packaging, kitchen help, runners, cashiers, andgreeters. And then cleanup.

Please let Ike or Steve know what days and times you would be available to help, and if you have any preferences (such as, would prefer to be a cashier, would like to work in the kitchen, etc).

Coffee Hour: All are welcome to have refreshments and fellowship in the hall following services. Please help by signing up on the board in the hall to host a coffee hour. We thank Philoptochos for organizing our fellowships.

Livestream: Watch our Sunday services on our YouTube channel "Saint Catherine GOC Ithaca" if you cannot make it in person. Past services are also available to watch. Our direct link is:
https://www.youtube.com/@saintcatherinegocithaca222/streams

Prayer Lists: Please let us know if there is anyone you would like us to pray for as a community. Names can be submitted to Fr. Stephen.

Philoptochos:

“ I will show you my faith by my works.”

James 2:18

Philoptochos Board member will be meeting today, following coffee hour, for a brief meeting, around noon.

Philoptochos would like to invite all who helped to make our Christmas Bake Sale such a success, to Souvlaki House, on April 9th, at 4:30 pm, for dinner and fellowship!

Philoptochos Membership drive is underway!

HELP US TO GROW! Help us achieve our mission is to

"help the poor, the destitute, the hungry, the aged, the sick, the unemployed, the orphaned, the imprisoned, the widowed, those with disabilities, and the victims of disasters.”

We do so locally giving to 21 local agencies,

throughout Tompkins and Cortland counties. We also give to National and International relief and disaster thru our Fund Raising efforts.

HOW DO YOU JOIN? Please contact Sophia Georgiou King and
Angela Teeter for membership details.

Call or email:

(607) 3396107 sophia.georgiou47@gmail.com

(315) 406-1521 angelah@ymail.com

Suggested donation to join is $25

COMING JANUARY 30,2024-MARCH 5,2024

PHILOPTOCHOS CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP

FOR ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CAREGIVERS NATIONWIDE

Six consecutive Tuesday evenings:

Dates: Tuesday, January 30, 2024-Tuesday,March 5, 2024

7:00 pm. EST. - 8pm EST

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED- go to:

https//docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdgNy9_9JeCpFkndCj8very_EiYpKz_-ns0HeUVrILJUKeXLA/viewform

* For more information email us at: supportgroup@philoptochos.org

Details are listed in flyer

Operation Classroom Initiative:

As a National Initiative forms for submission. All outreach documents must be documented ,andsubmitted, from

January. - April 2024, with hopes that our St. Catherine Philoptochos has a project to share with our National Philoptochos. Please be a volunteer in this initiative !

Contact Sophia Georgiou King

Philoptochos President at Sophia.georgiou47@ gmail.com with questions and concerns and thank you.

*Flyers will be available at front table.

GREAT LENT 2024

Philoptochos will be collecting, each Sunday of Lent, certain non perishable food items and toiletries, to help those in need, in our parish and through the local Salvation Army Food Pantry.

Our Parish hopes to collect 20-50 items each Sunday. More information will follow.

This effort is directly connected the Gospel commandments feed the hungry and help the poor.The items we collect are important, but the love we show to in giving is equally important.

The drive will start on the 1st Sunday - March 24th

Individual are asked on the 1st Sunday to bring a can of soup and a can of tunafish, or more.

A designated box to drop off items will be in the church hall.

Thank you for joining our effort to collect food, household and personal items for those in need. A blessed Great Lent to all!

General Information

Services Schedule

Past Bulletins

Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone

St. Catherine the Great Martyr of Sinai in the First Tone

Seasonal Kontakion in the Second Tone

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Epistle Reading

Gospel Reading

Saints and Feasts

Sunday of the Canaanite

Leo the Great, Pope of Rome

Agapetus the Confessor, Bishop of Sinai

Wisdom of the Fathers

Prayer List

This Week's Events

Announcements