ORTHROS: 9:00
LITURGY: 10:00
REMINDER - TURN YOUR CLOCKS AHEAD ONE HOUR BEFORE BED TONIGHT It's time to spring forward again!
HOW TO PARK ON SANFORD STREET DURING THE WINTER We have even/odd day parking on Sanford Street. On odd dates, parking is restricted to the side of the street across from the church. On even dates, parking is restricted to the church side of the street. This is to help facilitate plowing on Sanford Street as needed. If you park on the wrong side of the street during winter, your car could be ticketed.
WELCOME TO OUR VISITORS Whether you are new to Bangor or if you're just passing through - welcome! Please don't hesitate to introduce yourself to someone you've never met and consider staying for some refreshments and fellowship after the morning service. If you would like to receive mailings or otherwise stay in touch, please leave your contact information (name, address, phone, email) with the person in the church office.
THE PRAYER OF ST. EPHRAIM THE SYRIAN During Great Lent this penitential prayer is used at the conclusion of Vespers and Great Compline (after dinner prayers):
Lord and Master of my life, cast away from me the spirit of laziness, idle curiosity, love of power & vain talk. (prostration)
But grant me, Your servant, the spirit of moderation, humility, patience, and love. (prostration)
Yes, Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to judge my brothers and sisters.
For You are blessed forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen. (prostration)
12 bows / Repeat "Yes, Lord and King..." (prostration)
PRE-SANCTIFIED DIVINE LITURGY WEDNESDAY at 6PM. Please fast from noon to Commune in the evening. To clarify, fasting means no food nor drink in preparation for Communion.
7PM THIS FRIDAY - THIRD SALUTATIONS SERVICE TO THE THEOTOKOS This is the third Salutations service that leads us to the eventual Akathist Hymn on the fifth Friday. Come and honor the Mother of God as a community on Friday evenings during Great and Holy Lent.
A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM LEE, PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT Your 2023 stewardship pledge is needed. Stewardship pledges help Parish Council reasonably plan for the year. We pray you can, and will, be generous when remembering your Church and our Holy Patron, Saint George. Pledge forms are available on the candle stand. Please turn in your planned pledge to the church office TODAY if you haven't already done so. You can also indicate your yearly pledge via postal mail (90 Sanford Street, Bangor 04401) or via email Thank you - we are a family in Christ and God is with us. We can never outgive God Almighty and we are greatly blessed!
NEXT SUNDAY IS DEDICATED TO THE HOLY CROSS The veneration of the Cross service will be held at the conclusion of the morning's Orthros (just before the beginning of the Divine Liturgy at 10AM). We encourage everyone to be present to venerate the Holy Cross at that time. Blessed fresh basil will be distributed that morning. Donations to purchase fresh basil and flowers to decorate the Holy Cross can be given to Presbytera this morning.
ON PRAYERS NOT HEEDED An instructive spiritual short story, dramatized, and subtitled in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Njr4jYliR20
KEEP SAVING YELLOW ONION SKINS and by the time Holy Week arrives you should have enough skins to dye Paschal eggs red (yes--onion skins will yield a beautiful red egg dye)! Have a goal to accumulate skins from 10-14 medium-large onions between now and Holy Thursday. How-to directions will be posted at a later time. It helps a lot if parish families bring a dozen red eggs to the Anastasi service for Holy Pascha so there are enough to distribute and share after the service. Thank you.
WAS ST. PATRICK ORTHODOX? Most certainly he was! Ask Pat Egan, an authority on the life of this beloved Saint who has had two books published about him. Is he a Saint for our times? He most certainly is! You can incororate his lorica in your daily prayer rule and make it your own. When you read the prayer, you will see that there is nothing new under the sun. We have a spiritual enemy, but our God is greater than he. The lorica, or breastplate, of St. Patrick is invoked as a protection from evil as we pass through this life: The Breastplate is added to this bulletin as a PDF.
The Church celebrates the Feast Day of St. Patrick (+461) on March 17, this Friday. We say Xronia Polla! - Many Years! to those who celebrate this Saint as their namesake or are otherwise devoted to him. Holy one of God, intercede for us!
REMINDER - PLEASE BRING STAPLE FOODS FOR MANNA MINISTRIES WEEKLY and leave them in the church office. Remember, we have low income neighbors who need nourishing and somewhat easy to prepare items. Thank you!
FOODS REQUESTED BY MANNA MINISTRIES FOOD PANTRY They are currently in need of canned soups, pasta sauce and tuna fish. Other foods are also welcome, but those listed as especially sought now. And, they sent a hearty thank you to our St. George community for all we've been sending over in recent weeks! Again, thanks to Demetri for being our liaison with Manna. Read further in this bulletin to learn more about Manna Ministries and why we support their work.
AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPECIAL ORDER ICONS OR OTHER ITEMS from Uncut Mountain Supply. Our bookstore occasionally orders from Uncut Mountain Supply https://www.uncutmountainsupply.com/. If you would like to special order anything, please let Presbytera know this week (doxa141@gmail.com or 207-949-2913 text).
WHAT TO COOK & EAT DURING GREAT LENT? One of the things that many people stumble over is what to eat / what to cook for the Season of Repentance (or any fasting season, really). The diet the Church guides us to follow is, largely, plant based augmented with some seafood, if desired, along with wine and olive oil, if desired, on the weekends. Nevertheless, there still seems to be the struggle of what to eat / what to prepare? May we suggest a very useful site to help answer these questions? Jill Dalton of the Whole Food Plant Based Cooking Show is a plant based cook with a family and she has created some truly delicious dishes that fit right in with the dietary guidelines of Great Lent. Visit her site: https://plantbasedcookingshow.com/ and learn how to follow and cook for a whole food, plant based, diet. Not only are Jill's recipes tasty, but they are gluten free, dairy free, oil free and sugar free. Does that sound too good to be true? It's not. You might be surprised by how easy this is to do. Anyway, before Great Lent arrives, consider visiting her site & channel and get some neat pointers and recipes to get your family through the season. This will also aid in keeping the Wednesday / Friday fasting days each week. Jill demonstrates how to cook all her recipes on YouTube, too, so it's a great learning experience. Highly recommended.
A MINISTRY TO OUR CHURCH'S NEIGHBORS Our church sits in a neighborhood where there are some obvious on-going needs. A number of lower income people living nearby rely on Manna Ministries' food pantry and soup kitchen (located in the Old Brick Church) somewhat regularly. In an effort to help the pantry help our neighbors, let us make the effort to bring some staple foods to church every Sunday and leave them in the office. We will take the donated foods down to Manna Ministries so we can be part of the effort to feed those who are hungry in our area. This is not meant to be a one-time thing, rather something we do routinely as a ministry to our neighbors. A verse from the Old Testament speaks to the needs for on-going charity, Deuteronomy 15:11, For there will never cease to be poor in the land; that is why I am commanding you to open wide your hand to your brother and to the poor and needy in your land. And the Lord Jesus speaks about the effects of our charitable giving in Matthew 25:40, And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’ So, let us fulfill that which pleases God and He will reward the love and obedience of the giver.
IS THIS YOUR FIRST VISIT TO ST. GEORGE? If you are visiting our parish this morning, welcome! Orthodox Church tradition encourages Orthodox Christians in good standing with the Church to approach the Holy Chalice for Communion... however, if you are not Orthodox, we ask that you please refrain. All worshipers are welcome to receive antidoron (a piece of blessed bread) immediately following the Divine Liturgy. Please stay for fellowship hour that we might get to know you.
WORSHIPING THE TRUE & LIVING GOD Worshiping the Living God, the All-Holy Trinity, is a witness of our faith in and love for Him. The Divine Liturgy is the service of thanksgiving to God. The Divine Liturgy is also the service of particular nurture for the Orthodox Christian--Christ is Present in the elements of Holy Communion. He nurtures those who approach with fear (reverence), faith and love. Those who partake of Communion receive God within. This is a great Mystery, not to be taken lightly, but one that the Orthodox Christian is bid to COME. Please avail yourself of the opportunities to worship the Lord and to receive Him in faith.
JOIN US FOR FELLOWSHIP HOUR DOWNSTAIRS Everyone is encouraged to come downstairs after service for refreshments. If you’re visiting, please let us treat you. We’re a family here and we all contribute toward the table weekly. So, thank you to all who have made fellowship time possible again today!
ROUTINE SERVICE TIMES AT ST. GEORGE Orthros/Matins (morning prayers) 9AM; Divine Liturgy 10AM.
SPECIAL PRAYER SUPPORT WHEN NEEDED Fr. will offer particular prayers for you if you are going to be traveling or are preparing to have medical procedures done (hospitalization, etc.). Please arrange with him according to need. Thank you.
OCN Get to know the Orthodox Christian Network
http://myocn.net/
FR. LEO'S CONTACT INFORMATION
cell: (207) 385-3000, call or text
Mail: 17 Brunswick, Ft. Fairfield, ME 04742
email: 57frleo@gmail.com
Personal website:glt.goarch.org
Church website & Newsletter: http://www.stgeorge.me.goarch.org/
Weekly Bulletin: http://www.bulletinbuilder.org/stgeorgebangor/current
I am available to parishioners whenever needed; please don't hesitate to contact me. Thank you. +Fr. Leo
This divine Father, who was from Asia Minor, was from childhood reared in the royal court of Constantinople, where he was instructed in both religious and secular wisdom. Later, while still a youth, he left the imperial court and struggled in asceticism on Mount Athos, and in the Skete at Beroea. He spent some time in Thessalonica being treated for an illness that came from his harsh manner of life. He was present in Constantinople at the Council that was convened in 1341 against Barlaam of Calabria, and at the Council of 1347 against Acindynus, who was of like mind with Barlaam; Barlaam and Acindynus claimed that the grace of God is created. At both these Councils, the Saint contended courageously for the true dogmas of the Church of Christ, teaching in particular that divine grace is not created, but is the uncreated energies of God which are poured forth throughout creation: otherwise it would be impossible, if grace were created, for man to have genuine communion with the uncreated God. In 1347 he was appointed Metropolitan of Thessalonica. He tended his flock in an apostolic manner for some twelve years, and wrote many books and treatises on the most exalted doctrines of our Faith; and having lived for a total of sixty-three years, he reposed in the Lord in 1359.
His holy relics are kept in the Cathedral of Thessalonica. A full service was composed for his feast day by the Patriarch Philotheus in 1368, when it was established that his feast be celebrated on this day. Since works without right faith avail nothing, we set Orthodoxy of faith as the foundation of all that we accomplish during the Fast, by celebrating the Triumph of Orthodoxy the Sunday before, and the great defender of the teachings of the holy Fathers today.
Saint Theophanes, who was born in 760, was the son of illustrious parents. Assenting to their demand, he married and became a member of the Emperor's ceremonial bodyguard. Later, with the consent of his wife, he forsook the world. Indeed, both of them embraced the monastic life, struggling in the monastic houses they themselves had established. He died on March 12, 815, on the island of Samothrace, whereto, because of his confession of the Orthodox Faith, he had been exiled by Leo the Armenian, the Iconoclast Emperor.
Saint Symeon became a monk of the Studite Monastery as a young man, under the guidance of the elder Symeon the Pious. Afterwards he struggled at the Monastery of Saint Mamas in Constantinople, of which he became abbot. After enduring many trials and afflictions in his life of piety, he reposed in 1022. Marvelling at the heights of prayer and holiness to which he attained, and the loftiness of the teachings of his life and writings, the church calls him "the New Theologian." Only to two others, John the Evangelist and Gregory, Patriarch of Constantinople, has the church given the name "Theologian." Saint Symeon reposed on March 12, but since this always falls in the Great Fast, his feast is kept today.
Saint Gregory was born in Rome to noble and wealthy parents about the year 540. While the Saint was still young, his father died. However, his mother, Sylvia, saw to it that her child received a good education in both secular and spiritual learning. He became Prefect of Rome and sought to please God even while in the world; later, he took up the monastic life; afterwards he was appointed Archdeacon of Rome, then, in 579, apocrisiarius (representative or Papal legate) to Constantinople, where he lived for nearly seven years. He returned to Rome in 585 and was elected Pope in 590. He is renowned especially for his writings and great almsgiving, and also because, on his initiative, missionary work began among the Anglo-Saxon people. It is also from him that Gregorian Chant takes its name; the chanting he had heard at Constantinople had deeply impressed him, and he imported many elements of it into the ecclesiastical chant of Rome. He served as Bishop of that city from 590 to 604.
Ὡς τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ἐλευθερωτής,
καὶ τῶν πτωχῶν ὑπερασπιστής,
ἀσθενούντων ἰατρός,
βασιλέων ὑπέρμαχος,
Τροπαιοφόρε Μεγαλομάρτυς Γεώργιε,
πρέσβευε Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ,
σωθῆναι τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν.
AS the Liberator of captives,
and the protector of the poor,
a physician for the ill,
he defender of rulers,
O great Martyr, Saint George, victorious,
pray for us to Christ our God
to save our souls.
Icons of St. George
Pledge Form
Statement on the Sacredness of Human Life and its Untimely Termination
BREASTPLATE OF ST. PATRICK
Προκείμενον. Sixth Tone. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 27.9,1.
Σῶσον, Κύριε τὸν λαὸν σου καὶ εὐλόγησον τὴν κληρονομίαν σου.
Στίχ. Πρὸς σἐ, Κύριε, κεκράξομαι ὁ Θεός μου.
τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Ἑβραίους 1:10-14, 2:1-3.
Κατʼ ἀρχάς, Κύριε, τὴν γῆν ἐθεμελίωσας, καὶ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σού εἰσιν οἱ οὐρανοί· αὐτοὶ ἀπολοῦνται, σὺ δὲ διαμένεις· καὶ πάντες ὡς ἱμάτιον παλαιωθήσονται, καὶ ὡσεὶ περιβόλαιον ἑλίξεις αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀλλαγήσονται· σὺ δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς εἶ, καὶ τὰ ἔτη σου οὐκ ἐκλείψουσιν. Πρὸς τίνα δὲ τῶν ἀγγέλων εἴρηκέν ποτε, Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου; Οὐχὶ πάντες εἰσὶν λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα, εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενα διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν; Διὰ τοῦτο δεῖ περισσοτέρως ἡμᾶς προσέχειν τοῖς ἀκουσθεῖσιν, μήποτε παραρρυῶμεν. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ διʼ ἀγγέλων λαληθεὶς λόγος ἐγένετο βέβαιος, καὶ πᾶσα παράβασις καὶ παρακοὴ ἔλαβεν ἔνδικον μισθαποδοσίαν, πῶς ἡμεῖς ἐκφευξόμεθα τηλικαύτης ἀμελήσαντες σωτηρίας; Ἥτις, ἀρχὴν λαβοῦσα λαλεῖσθαι διὰ τοῦ κυρίου, ὑπὸ τῶν ἀκουσάντων εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐβεβαιώθη.
Prokeimenon. Sixth Tone. Psalm 27.9,1.
O Lord, save your people and bless your inheritance.
Verse: To you, O Lord, I have cried, O my God.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 1:10-14; 2:1-3.
IN THE BEGINNING, Thou, Lord, didst found the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of thy hands; they will perish, but thou remainest; they will all grow old like a garment, like a mantle thou wilt roll them up, and they will be changed. But thou art the same, and thy years will never end." But to what angel has he ever said, "Sit at my right hand, till I make thy enemies a stool for thy feet?" Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?
Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For if the message declared by angels was valid and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him.
Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas
Κατὰ Μᾶρκον 2:1-12
Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, εἰσῆλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς εἰς Καπερναοὺμ δι᾿ ἡμερῶν καὶ ἠκούσθη ὅτι εἰς οἶκόν ἐστι. καὶ εὐθέως συνήχθησαν πολλοί, ὥστε μηκέτι χωρεῖν μηδὲ τὰ πρὸς τὴν θύραν· καὶ ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον. καὶ ἔρχονται πρὸς αὐτὸν παραλυτικὸν φέροντες, αἰρόμενον ὑπὸ τεσσάρων· καὶ μὴ δυνάμενοι προσεγγίσαι αὐτῷ διὰ τὸν ὄχλον, ἀπεστέγασαν τὴν στέγην ὅπου ἦν, καὶ ἐξορύξαντες χαλῶσι τὸν κράβαττον, ἐφ᾿ ᾧ ὁ παραλυτικὸς κατέκειτο. ἰδὼν δὲ ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς τὴν πίστιν αὐτῶν λέγει τῷ παραλυτικῷ· τέκνον, ἀφέωνταί σοι αἱ ἁμαρτίαι σου. ἦσαν δέ τινες τῶν γραμματέων ἐκεῖ καθήμενοι καὶ διαλογιζόμενοι ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν· τί οὗτος οὕτω λαλεῖ βλασφημίας; τίς δύναται ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ Θεός; καὶ εὐθέως ἐπιγνοὺς ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς τῷ πνεύματι αὐτοῦ ὅτι οὕτως αὐτοὶ διαλογίζονται ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· τί ταῦτα διαλογίζεσθε ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν; τί ἐστιν εὐκοπώτερον, εἰπεῖν τῷ παραλυτικῷ, ἀφέωνταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι, ἢ εἰπεῖν, ἔγειρε καὶ ἆρον τὸν κράβαττόν σου καὶ περιπάτει; ἵνα δὲ εἰδῆτε ὅτι ἐξουσίαν ἔχει ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀφιέναι ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἁμαρτίας - λέγει τῷ παραλυτικῷ· σοὶ λέγω, ἔγειρε καὶ ἆρον τὸν κράβαττόν σου καὶ ὕπαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου. καὶ ἠγέρθη εὐθέως, καὶ ἄρας τὸν κράβαττον ἐξῆλθεν ἐναντίον πάντων, ὥστε ἐξίστασθαι πάντας καὶ δοξάζειν τὸν Θεὸν λέγοντας ὅτι οὐδέποτε οὕτως εἴδομεν.
Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas
The Reading is from Mark 2:1-12
At that time, Jesus entered Capernaum and it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and when they had made an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "My son, your sins are forgiven." Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, "Why does this man speak thus? It is a blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you question thus in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your pallet and walk? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins"-he said to the paralytic-"I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home." And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"