ORTHROS BEGINS AT 8:30AM & THE DIVINE LITURGY BEGINS AT 9:30AM
Website Links: Visit the church's website at www.stgeorgeclifton.org for our online streaming links.
To find the prayers for each service and to follow along, visit the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America’s Digital Chant Stand at https://digitalchantstand.goarch.org.
WE WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR CHURCH COMMUNITY!
We are grateful that you have joined us for prayer and worship. Please join us after the Divine Services in our Fellowship Hall for our Hospitality Hour hosted by the Makrogiannis family in memory of their deceased family member.
Memorial Services Today For:
Anastasios Makrogiannis (Makris) – 1 year
May his memory be eternal.
Liturgical Schedule:
Saturday, March 16th – 2nd Saturday of Souls……….........Orthros & Divine Liturgy 8:30AM
Monday, March 18th – Small Compline………………………………………6:30PM
Wednesday, March 20th – Pre-Sanctified Liturgy………………………6:30PM
Friday, March 22nd – 1st Salutations to the Theotokos…………………6:30PM
Saturday, March 23rd – 3rd Saturday of Souls…………………Orthros & Divine Liturgy 8:30AM
Monday, March 25th – Annunciation of the Theotokos………...Orthros & Divine Liturgy 8:30AM
Wednesday, March 27th – Pre-Sanctified Liturgy…………………………………10:00AM
Friday, March 29th – 2nd Salutations to the Theotokos…………………………6:30PM
Monday, April 1st – Small Compline…………………………………………………6:30PM
Wednesday, April 3rd – Pre-Sanctified Liturgy……………………………………6:30PM
Friday, April 5th – 3rd Salutations to the Theotokos…………………………….6:30PM
Special Prayers During Church Services:
Requests for Memorial Services, Artoclasies, 40-day baby blessings, Fanouropites, etc. are welcomed. We ask that you please let the office know ahead of time so that we can include your special service in the Sunday bulletin.
Mark Your Calendar:
Monday, March 11th …………….Parish Council Meeting – 6:30PM
Tuesday, March 12th ……………St. George Seniors Ministry Lunch – 12:00PM
Thursday, March 14th …………..GOYA Meeting – 7:00PM
Sunday, March 17th ………….....Sunday School Bake Sale Forgiveness Vespers with His Eminence Metropolitan Apostolos of NJ at St. George in Piscataway, NJ at 6PM
Monday, March 18th ……………Clean Monday – Lent Begins
Tuesday, March 19th ……………Daughters of Penelope Meeting 7:00PM
Thursday, March 21st …………..Greek School Independence Day Program – 4:00PM
Sunday, April 14th ………………Greek Independence Day Parade in NYC
Monday, May 5th ………………..Great & Holy Pascha
May 31, June 1 & 2 ……………..Greek Festival
Sunday Sermon:
Please note, that going forward, the sermon will be delivered right after the Gospel reading which means at about 10:00AM. The Divine Liturgy, as you know, begins at 9:30AM and this is the time when all the faithful are called to be in Church. It is an appointment with the most Holy One, will you keep it? Put your best effort forward!
Holy Communion Line:
We remind everyone that the Communion line is to be formed in the center aisle, and once you receive, depart to the right or to the left to return to your seat. Sunday School children and their teachers will come up first. Infants may be brought up to the front of the line at any time. Please remain at your seat, (you may sit if you need to), and enter the center aisle once the Parish Council members indicate that it is time for people in your pew to come up. While you are waiting, you may read the prayers for before Holy Communion on page 76. Once you return to your seat read the thanksgiving prayers for after Holy Communion on page 90. This is one of the most sacred moments of the service, so please treat it accordingly, refrain from talking and be respectful and prayerful. Also, please wipe any excess lipstick from your lips before coming to the Holy Chalice and no chewing gum during services. Thank you.
St. John Chrysostom Parish Oratorical Festival – March 17th:
This annual, national event is celebrating its 40th year! Youths are challenged to explore a deeper knowledge of our Orthodox faith, think critically about current issues affecting their lives and how our faith guides them. Participants choose from among 5 topics to write a 3–5-minute speech. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners are selected in both junior (7th–9th grade) and senior (10th–12th grade) divisions. Parish winners can advance to the district, metropolis and then national level if they qualify. Finalists receive scholarships ranging from $500 - $2000 and are also eligible to receive a St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival Scholarship to Hellenic College with awards ranging from $2,500 up to $30,000 per year. Registration is FREE and can be done online at https://www.goarch.org/-/st-john-chrysostom-oratorical-festival-forms-and-registration. Help is available to participants – for further information contact Morfia Sokolic at msokolic@verizon.net.
Sunday School Bake Sale:
Next Sunday, 3/17, our Sunday School Classes will sponsor their annual bake sale. Parents are asked to support our sale by donating cupcakes, brownies, cakes, snacks and specialty items (no nuts, please). Your donated baked goods can be dropped off in the downstairs hall before Church. The children will purchase their Church School snack on that day so please send your children to class with a few extra dollars. Many items will be available for fifty cents. Upon completion of the Divine Liturgy the extra items will be available for purchase by parishioners. Support from all members of the parish would be very much appreciated. Money raised will be put towards the purchase of a new portable smartboard projector.
Stewardship Report:
We have launched the 2024 Annual Giving Stewardship Program and we invite all those who have offered an annual gift in the past to try and maintain or even increase their contribution this year. For those that have never given an annual gift, we need your help. Our community has nearly $40K in monthly expenses and the annual stewardship is the primary program that raises funds for us to meet our obligations. You can make a difference today with your participation. Please visit our website at www.stgeorgeclifton.org to make a gift or pledge. Our community is our common spiritual home, we owe it to God, our founding families, ourselves, our children and their children to sustain, maintain and grow it. We understand that philanthropy is something very personal. Each person is invited to give according to their ability. If you are able, please consider joining one of the following giving levels this year: ($5,000 or more – Grand Benefactors, $2500 – $4,999 – Benefactors, $1,200 – $2,499 – House of Stewards, $800 – $1,199 – Patrons). Of course, whatever you decide to give please know that you have our utmost gratitude and appreciation, and please know our Church is here to serve your each and every need. The important thing to keep in mind is that we need everyone to do something.
Sponsor A Day Program:
One way to help the church is through our “Sponsor A Day” program. We encourage our parishioners to select a day that has special meaning to them like a birthday, feast day, anniversary or a memorial and make a suggested donation of $250. We would like to thank the Anastos family for sponsoring March 8th in honor of their father, Tom Foukas, on his 95th birthday. For more information about the program, please speak to one of our Parish Council members or call the church office.
St. Paraskevi Philoptochos Sandwich Sunday:
Our ladies will be making sandwiches today for the homeless. Our goal is to make a minimum of 225 sandwiches each time. Any donation to help defray the cost is greatly appreciated. It is a wonderful way to remember a loved one, or a special occasion. This month's sandwiches are being sponsored by Tom & Christina Foukas in memory of their parents. Feeding the hungry is an important tenet of our mission to help the needy.
Walking With Christ Seminarian Benefit Luncheon:
The Metropolis of New Jersey has created a new ministry entitled Walking With Christ. This most important ministry is being offered solely for the benefit of Seminarians from our Metropolis. The First Walking with Christ Seminarian Benefit Luncheon will be taking place on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at the St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church in Broomall, PA. Tickets may be obtained, for $125 each, through the QR code on the flyer that can be found in the "Flyers" section of this bulletin.
The next Saturdays of Souls are on March 16th and March 23rd. Please bring your own dish of Koliva to the church by 8:45am and place it on the table and submit your list of names to Fr. Peter. If you would like to order Koliva, we are asking for a contribution of $25 per order which will be for a large communal tray of Koliva. Please contact the church office and make arrangements by Thursday before the Saturday of Souls. 973-779-2626 or office@stgeorgeclifton.org.
Memorial Prayers and Koliva in the Greek Orthodox Church:
So, why do we use ‘Koliva’? In John 12:24, Jesus says: “Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” The boiled wheat is used in the Orthodox Church as a symbol of our hope in the Resurrection. From the grain that died comes the fruit of eternal life. Why, then, do we call the wheat ‘koliva’? This name comes from a term commonly used during the fourth century, particularly where the following miracle occurred. The Emperor Julian the Apostate tried to have the fruits and vegetables, for use by Christians who were fasting during Great Lent, contaminated! In a dream, Saint Theodore the Tyron appeared to Patriarch Evdoxios and told him to instruct the faithful to consume only boiled wheat (‘koliva’). The faithful responded accordingly and were able to continue the fast! This miracle is commemorated annually on the third Saturday of Souls. Father Anthony Stratis / Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, New Orleans.