PRAYERS ARE BEING OFFERED DAILY for all our parish families. Fr. sees it as a sacred duty to pray for us all daily and we thank him for that. Please keep him in your prayers, too.
PRAYER SUPPORT APPRECIATED We have a number of physicians and other health care workers in our congregation. Let us pray for the health of all who are involved in the care of others in these days of uncertainty. They routinely take on an extra risk by exercising their God-given talent and skill. God grant all our health care workers health, safety, and discernment to make wise decisions for those entrusted to their care. May each of them and their families be preserved from illness and adversity. On behalf of all, thank you for remembering them in prayer.
WHEN WILL THIS BE OVER? Let us ask God to hasten the end to the seeming scourge of the covid-19 virus. Let us boldly ask God for His blessing to celebrate Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Holy Pascha together in our church this year. God grant it!
PARISH COUNCIL REQUEST: PLEASE REMEMBER YOUR STEWARDSHIP during these weeks of uncertainty due to Covid-19 concerns. Without the weekly stewardship or tray donations and candle sales, our ability to continue to meet our standing obligations for bill paying is hampered. Please, either mail your stewardship by post or use the Paypal or credit card option (call either Lee or Ambrose for how-to details if you’ve not used this method in the past). We hope and pray that we will be able to worship again in our beloved St. George Church. In the meantime, we only ask that you keep the financial concerns of the parish in mind while we are yet physically separated. Thank you! Special thanks to all who have already responded to this call—God bless you and reward your faithfulness!
WHAT? NO RED EGG DYE FOR PASCHA? Possibly not. Our source in Greece is not able to ship due to irregular or non-existent flights. SO…what to do? There is at least one time honored way to dye eggs without packaged dye. That is to use onion skins—in quantity. Please check this link for details: https://www.lenten-season.com/onion-skin-dyed-pascha-eggs/. Christ’s Holy Resurrection will be celebrated with the breaking of the red eggs even in the time of the covid-19 because God is great and we are not left without resources.
CANDLE LIGHTING AVAILABLE Fr. is willing to light a candle(s) for your prayer intentions during his morning prayers. It would be as though you had lit them yourself. See the candle lighting option below the bulletin text.
WAYS TO NOURISH YOURSELF SPIRITUALLY AT HOME Use your prayer book regularly, read both morning and night time prayers. After morning prayers, have a little holy water, a piece of dried antidoron (if you have kept some on hand) and anoint yourself with holy oil if you have some. This will help you meet the demands of the day with greater serenity. Read the Scriptures for the day (daily readings app here: https://www.goarch.org/-/daily-reading-app) or find readings at GOA On-line Chapel: https://www.goarch.org/chapel/.
In times of distress, it’s recommended to read the book of Psalms aloud. We should also use the Jesus Prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” throughout each day. Go before the icons and offer this prayer, quietly, for 10 or 15 minutes and put yourself and all that concerns you into the Lord’s care. One of the consistent messages of Great Lent is “God is with us,” as noted in the Great Compline prayers. Indeed, He is. Have no worry or despair—and if you do, actively turn each worry into a prayer you lift up to God. As a result, your faith will be more grounded in reality as, in challenging times, we learn that God is there for us in ways we might not otherwise realize.
WANT TO KNOW SOME NEAT PLACES TO GET EDIFYING SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT AT HOME? Send Pres. Candace an email and she can send you a list of some great blogs you can visit during these stay at home days. Here’s how to reach her: doxa141@gmail.com
Dear St. George Family,
Please know we are here for you during this uncertain time in our nation. Feel free to contact me or Presbytera to share any needs or prayer requests you might have while we are unable to meet at the church. Here is how to reach us (as a quick reminder)
Fr. Leo 207 385 3000 57frleo@gmail.com
Pres. 207 949 2913 doxa141@gmail.com
I encourage you all to pray at home. We can pray together (while yet apart) at coordinated times. This will be our offering this evening since we cannot conduct services at this time.
We can also pray the Paraklesis to St. George at 7PM, Saturday evening. http://stgeorge.me.goarch.org/Daily/ParaklesisGeorge.html
On Sunday morning, we can read the Orthros and also the Typica (http://www.stgeorge.me.goarch.org/Daily/Sun.html) at home, beginning at 9AM. Again we can offer this together, while we are yet apart. Some might prefer to watch the church broadcasts suggested by the Archdiocese: https://www.goarch.org/live-broadcasts. If these churches are not able to broadcast at some point, we will still be able to offer prayers at home. Remember that prayer is both a protection and a weapon—a weapon against sin and evil. In a very real way we are soldiers in God’s army. We have the imagery in the Epistle to the Ephesians, chapter 6, verse 11 and following.
While we are not able to assemble physically, let us consider strongly assembling at home at common times with mutual spiritual goals. This is not a requirement, but a suggestion and a help for our spiritual community. Please consider taking part as you feel led. We are going through an unprecedented time right now and this is an extraordinary suggestion to help ourselves and others spiritually through it. You are welcome to participate, but it is not required that you do so.
It is easy to give way to fear in times of uncertainty.
Let us not do that.
Let us pray for one another, for our nation, our leaders, and our world.
Our prayers matter.
GOD IS WITH US
If you want service texts, please let me know. If you have other needs or want to otherwise reach out, we are here for you.
I pray for all of you daily.
+Fr. Leo & Pres. Candace
Psalm 150 - LORD OF THE POWERS, from Great Compline
Lord of the Powers, be with us; for other helper have we not, in tribulations but you. Lord of the Powers, have mercy on us.
Verse: Praise God in all his Holies; praise him in the firmament of his might.
Lord of the Powers, be with us....
Verse: Praise him in his sovereign Powers; praise him in the multitude of his greatness.
Lord of the Powers, be with us....
Verse: Praise him with the sound of the trumpet; praise him with psaltery and harp.
Lord of the Powers, be with us....
Verse: Praise him with drums and dancing; praise him with string instruments and organ.
Lord of the Powers, be with us....
Verse: Praise him with sweet sounding cymbals; praise him with cymbals of joy. Let every breath praise the Lord.
Lord of the Powers, be with us....
Praise God in his Holies.
Praise him in the firmament of his might.
Lord of the Powers, be with us; for other helper have we not, in tribulations but you. Lord of the Powers, have mercy on us.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
Lord, if we did not have your Saints as intercessors, and your goodness feeling compassion for us, how would we dare, O Savior, to sing hymns to you, whom the Angels unceasingly bless? O you who know our hearts, spare our souls.
Now and ever and to the ages of ages amen. Theotokion.
Great is the multitude of my errors, O Mother of God; to you have I fled, O Pure one, seeking salvation; visit my ailing soul, and intercede with your Son and our God, to grant me forgiveness for all the evils I have done, O only blessed one.
FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE - Donations can now be made online.
If you want Fr. Leo to light a candle for you, as though you lit it, during his daily reading of Orthros, click on the candle below.