In various epistles, St. Paul speaks of four judgments:

Judgment by my peers.  This is the lowest, the one we should be least concerned with.  Why?  Because it is the most fallible.  It makes the most mistakes.  And it is the least perceptive.  Sadly, it is often the one we fear the most.

Judgment of history.  This is the one the politicians seem concerned with… at least the outgoing ones. What will my legacy be?  How will I be remembered when I am gone?  Will people judge me favoribly?  But even this is meaningless and flawed because it doesn’t tell the whole story.  Yet, it too seems to be of great concern.

Judgment on myself.  This is the misguided belief that we are right… always right. Socrates taught, “Know Thyself,” because he feared a man was often untrue to his own conscience.  Sometimes we lie to ourselves.  And we are all sinners  This judgment thus is also flawed.

God’s judgment. The final court, the one that matters, is the court of the Lord.  Only he knows the heart and soul of each and every one of us.  Somehow, we fear this one the least. Perhaps because we are trying to avoid its true judgment.  We rationalize.  Maybe we deny his judgment or are duped by the unscriptural myth that everyone will be saved. We should be terrified to face the all-knowing judge.  However, we do know from His Word that there is a cleansing power when we are stripped of all pretenses, all defenses, and thrown totally at the mercy of the court with the cry, “Lord, have mercy on me a sinner.”  Only as we stand before the high court do the other three courts lose their grip on us.

Saturday, February 18th  "Saturday of the Souls." Ψυχοσαββατο

Orthros, 9 a.m.  Divine Liturgy, 10 a.m.

Memorial Service, 10:45 a.m.

Please submit names of departed loved ones for Father Gianulis to commemorate. 

The Memorial Service for Demetrios "Mike" Kokolis will be sung this Sunday. Paula and her family will host the coffee fellowship following the service.

May his memory be eternal.

The OCF Regional College Retreat will begin on Friday, February 24th at St. Demetrios with a Paraklesis service at 7:00 p.m. Fr. David Subu will be the retreat leader. Come hear Fr. Subu's message. Everyone is welcome to the service.

We are the host community this year for the annual Hamton Roads and Richmond area Orthodox Churches Great Vespers. Priests, Deacons and chanters will be joining us. Altar servers and children are welcome to join the procession of icons. Let us have a great turnout and show our warm St. Demetrios hospitality!

Great Vespers at 5:00 p.m.

Reception to follow. (see the enclosed flyer below)

Great Lent begins on Monday, February 27th. Presanctified Liturgy will be celebrated on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. beginning March 1st. A Lenten Pot Luck dinner and fellowship will follow in the parish hall. Please come to the service and if you are able, bring a lenten plate to share. Everyone will be welcome to the supper even if you were unable to bring a plate to share. Come, fellowship first with the Lord's gift of His Body and Blood, and then with His community of believers.

The Salutations to the Theotokos will be sung on Fridays during Great Lent--every Friday in the month of March, at 7:00 p.m. It is a service of praise to the Blessed Mother of God. 

This year, we are honored to have speakers at the services on March 10, 17, and 31, from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, International Orthodox Chrisitan Charities, and Orthodox Christian Mission Center, respectively. (see the flyer enclosed below).

His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America announces the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Earthquake Relief Fund, a fundraising effort by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to provide humanitarian aid to the victims of the recent earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria.  To learn more, click HERE.

A special tray will be passed this Sunday to support the relief fund. Please see the enclosed encyclical from His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros enclosed below.

Our Legion meeting is this Saturday, March 11th at 10:00 a.m. at Golden Corral. Please remember we are sponsoring the Fish Fry this year, see the flyer below. We still need, each Friday, volunteers and dessert donations.
Please share the flyer with friends, neighbors, and co workers.

Orthodox Study Group on Thursdays from 7 - 8 p.m. via Zoom. Tim Sofis is leading a series on the Great Feast Days of the Lord and Theotokos. The study lasts one hour from the comfort of your home and everyone is welcome to log in. Follow the link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85073829647?pwd=TDMxZHZ5UitqaVA0cFgycjFYQnYyUT09

Meeting ID: 850 7382 9647

Passcode: 833515

Please note: During Great Lent we will not meet for our Study Group. However, there are plenty of other opportunities to grow spiritually and to learn our Faith. Join us for the Presanctified Liturgies on Wednesdays and the Salutations on Fridays, at which we will have excellent guest presentors.

In case you have not noticed, we have an automated external defibrillator (AED) situated in a good spot between the sanctuary and the Hellenic Center for emergencies. However, we all need to know how to use it.

York County is offering AED training for St. Demetrios Church. No one needs medical or other experience. The classes will be in the daytime or evening. We need to get a list of those interested and a preference for day or evening class. Please let Mike Thompson know your or anyone else’s interest by email at churchoffice@stdemva.com

Please consider hosting our Sunday Coffee Fellowship after the Divine Liturgy. It is most appreciated. To sign up, simply follow the link: Coffee Hour.

Remember, part of the volunteering is to set up, clean up afterwards, and bring the paper goods needed. 

Although we do not have a Greek School per se, we are offering Greek Language classes for children and adults. For more information, contact Demetra Demetriou at demetrademetriou7@hotmail.com

Updates on Orthodox Church news items can be found on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=saint%20demetrios%20greek%20orthodox%20church%20-%20williamsburg%20va.

St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine 2023 METROPOLITAN IAKOVOS MEMORIAL GREEK LANGUAGE SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY CONTEST

Are you a young writer interested in exploring Greek immigrant experiences? The St. Photios National Shrine has proudly announced its annual essay contest and theme.

Most Americans treasure an immigrant story as it is a precious thread in the legacy of most families. There is a curiosity as to why the immigrant left their homeland, and we wonder what opportunity presented itself for a change. What did it feel like for our ancestors to leave their homeland? We want to know what was met upon arrival in the New World and what course their lives took.

Essay contest theme: In an essay of 950-1,050 words, compare and contrast the immigrant story of Ioannis Ioannopolis (Juan Genopoly), one of the Greek Colonists of 1768, with the immigrant story of a family member or a personal friend. Participants must be between the ages of 13-19. Maximum word count: 950-1050. Essay must be submitted in the Greek Language.

The winners will be selected by the committee; the winners will share the monetary prize of $1,000. ▪ All participants will receive a certificate. ▪ All essays become the property of the St. Photios National Shrine and may be used for various publicity purposes, always with the byline of the author. ▪ Submit essays NO LATER THAN March 3, 2023, via email to: Polexeni Maouris Hillier, Executive Director of the St. Photios National Shrine at info@stphotios.com Winners will be announced on Monday, March 19, 2023

Father Gianulis wants to be with you when you are hospitalized, even if you believe it is minor. However, he is not a mind reader. If you are sick and hospitalized, or have any other pastoral or sacramental need, do not hesitate to call him. He can always be reached by calling the church phone number, 220-0994. If he is not in, leave a message and it will be delivered to his cell phone.

Peter and Beverly Daikos

Sonny Halioris

Athanasia Jouvanis

John Kaminarides

Jim Kokolis

Georgia Mamangakis and Barney Barnes

Bill and Nancy Marakos

John and Connie Pavlides

Nick Vlattas

Gus Zacharopoulos

...the family and friends of Anna Kalomiris, who fell asleep in the Lord on Sunday, February 12, and laid to rest at Cedar Grove Cemetery on Thursday, Feburary 16th. Anna was the beloved wife of Vasilios Kalomiris, and mother of two sons, Michael and Elias.

May her memory be eternal.