SUNDAY OF the HOLY CROSS

Sunday, March 19^th, 2023

Always a Spiritual Focus, First

Dear Parish Family Members,

            I really don’t like walking in Manhattan. It feels like such a useless and endless effort to get anywhere. I used to have to walk huge amounts of blocks to go from the Port Authority bus station to anywhere. I was shocked to find out that avenues are two or three times longer than blocks of streets. And having to walk three or four avenues was just killing. I guess I’m at the point where I just don’t do well with walking long distances anymore.

            But now, I have just one avenue to walk through, to get from 6^th Avenue to 5^th Avenue. And, ever since this Covid Pneumonia thing, I have to stop every 100 steps or so to catch my breath. What helps me is that I’ve marked which building it is on the street that is the half-way point to reach 5^th Avenue. I can walk to that point and stop to breathe, and say, ok, I’m half-way there. I can do this.

            In a spiritual sense, this is why the wisdom of our Church gives us this third Sunday of Great Lent as commemorating the Holy Cross of Jesus Christ. For those of us who labour with fasting, who labour with day to day survival, we know that this Sunday is a beacon of hope, our half-way point through Great Lent. This Sunday gives us a breather, an ability to stop for a moment and say, we’re half-way there. We’re inspired to push a little bit more to complete our journey.

            You are all so welcomed to pray with us this Sunday, to witness the procession of the Holy Cross decorated with bright yellow daffodils. Let this image be a rallying point for all of us to gather around and take heart by. May be restrengthen ourselves in our efforts to improve and grow closer to God. This is what it is all about.

Faithfully, Father Samaras

Eothinon 7 Triodion - Third Sunday of Lent. Veneration of the Cross

LITURGY OF SAINT BASIL

          On March 19^th, 2023, we commemorate the holy martyrs Chrysanthos and Daria; Saint Claudios, the tribune died after being cast into the sea; the holy martyr Hilary, the wife of Saint Claudios, died by the sword; the holy martyrs Jason and Mauros, their sons, died by the sword; the holy martyr Pancharios; the Saints. Diodore the priest and Marian the deacon; the holy new martyr Demetrios the joiner; and today, the third Sunday of Lent, we celebrate the veneration of the precious and life-giving Cross.

           Συναξάριον Τοῦ Μηναίου. Τῇ ΙΘʹ τοῦ αὐτοῦ μηνός, μνήμη τῶν Ἁγίων Μαρτύρων Χρυσάνθου καὶ Δαρείας. Τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ὁ Ἅγιος Κλαύδιος ὁ Τριβοῦνος, ἐν θαλάσσῃ βληθείς, τελειοῦται. Τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ἡ Ἁγία Μάρτυς Ἱλαρία, ἡ τούτου σύζυγος, ξίφει τελειοῦται. Τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ, οἱ Ἅγιοι Μάρτυρες Ἰάσων καὶ Μαῦρος, οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῶν, ξίφει τελειοῦνται. Τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ, μνήμη τοῦ Ἁγίου Μάρτυρος Παγχαρίου.  Τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ, οἱ Ἅγιοι Διόδωρος Πρεσβύτερος, καὶ Μαριανὸς Διάκονος, σπηλαίῳ ἐγκλεισθέντες, τελειοῦνται. Μνήμη τοῦ Ἁγίου Νεομάρτυρος Δημητρίου τοῦ Τορναρᾶ, ξίφει τελειωθέντος ἐν ἔτει ᾳψξδʹ (1564). Τοῦ Τριωδίου. Τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ, Κυριακῇ τρίτῃ τῶν Νηστειῶν, τὴν Προσκύνησιν ἑορτάζομεν τοῦ τιμίου καὶ ζωοποιοῦ Σταυροῦ.

The Epistle                 3rd Sunday of Lent

O Lord, save Your people, and bless Your inheritance.

To You, O Lord, I cry; O my God, may You not pass over me in silence.

The reading is from Saint Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:1-6

Brethren, since we have a high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is bound to offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not take the honor upon himself, but he is called by God, just as Aaron was.

So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, "Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee"; as he says also in another place, "Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek."

The Gospel                 3rd Sunday in Lent

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Saint Mark 8:34-38; 9:1

The Lord said: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.

For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."

Ὁ Ἀπόστολος                      Κυριακὴ Γʹ τῶν Νηστειῶν

Σῶσον, Κύριε, τὸν λαόν σου καὶ εὐλόγησον τὴν κληρονομίαν σου.

Πρὸς σέ, Κύριε, κεκράξομαι, ὁ Θεός μου, μὴ παρασιωπήσῃς ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ.

Πρὸς Ἑβραίους Ἐπιστολῆς Παύλου 4:14-16, 5:1-6

Ἀδελφοί, ἔχοντες Ἀρχιερέα μέγαν διεληλυθότα τοὺς οὐρανούς, Ἰησοῦν τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, κρατῶμεν τῆς ὁμολογίας. Οὐ γὰρ ἔχομεν ἀρχιερέα μὴ δυνάμενον συμπαθῆσαι ταῖς ἀσθενείαις ἡμῶν, πεπειρασμένον δὲ κατὰ πάντα καθʼ ὁμοιότητα χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας. Προσερχώμεθα οὖν μετὰ παῤῥησίας τῷ θρόνῳ τῆς χάριτος, ἵνα λάβωμεν ἔλεον καὶ χάριν εὕρωμεν εἰς εὔκαιρον βοήθειαν. Πᾶς γὰρ Ἀρχιερεὺς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων λαμβανόμενος ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπων καθίσταται τὰ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, ἵνα προσφέρῃ δῶρά τε καὶ θυσίας ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν· μετριοπαθεῖν δυνάμενος τοῖς ἀγνοοῦσι καὶ πλανωμένοις, ἐπεὶ καὶ αὐτὸς περίκειται ἀσθένειαν· καὶ διὰ ταύτην ὀφείλει, καθὼς περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ, οὕτω καὶ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ προσφέρειν ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν. Καὶ οὐχ ἑαυτῷ τις λαμβάνει τὴν τιμήν, ἀλλὰ καλούμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καθάπερ καὶ ὁ Ἀαρών. Οὔτω καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς οὐχ ἑαυτὸν ἐδόξασε γενηθῆναι ἀρχιερέα, ἀλλʼ ὁ λαλήσας πρὸς αὐτόν· Υἱός μου εἶ σύ, ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε· καθὼς καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ λέγει· σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ. ΙΕΡΕΥΣ Εἰρήνη σοι τῷ ἀναγνόντι.

Τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον           Κυριακὴ Γʹ τῶν Νηστειῶν

Ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ Μᾶρκον ἁγίου Εὐαγγελίου ηʹ 34 – θʹ 1

Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος· Ὅστις θέλει ὀπίσω μου ἀκολουθεῖν, ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀκολουθείτω μοι. ὃς γὰρ ἂν θέλῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ σῶσαι, ἀπολέσει αὐτήν· ὃς δʼ ἂν ἀπολέσῃ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ καὶ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, οὗτος σώσει αὐτήν. τί γὰρ ὠφελήσει ἄνθρωπον ἐὰν κερδήσῃ τὸν κόσμον ὅλον, καὶ ζημιωθῇ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ; ἢ τί δώσει ἄνθρωπος ἀντάλλαγμα τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ; ὃς γὰρ ἐὰν ἐπαισχυνθῇ με καὶ τοὺς ἐμοὺς λόγους ἐν τῇ γενεᾷ ταύτῃ τῇ μοιχαλίδι καὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ, καὶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπαισχυνθήσεται αὐτὸν ὅταν ἔλθῃ ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων τῶν ἁγίων. Καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι εἰσί τινες ὧδε τῶν ἑστηκότων, οἵτινες οὐ μὴ γεύσωνται θανάτου ἕως ἂν ἴδωσι τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐληλυθυῖαν ἐν δυνάμει.

2023 PARISH COUNCIL

 President - Theo Christ 

Vice President – Yvonne Anastasiou

Treasurer – Chris Pappas

Secretary – Dina Mastoras

Parish Council Member - Evdokia Sofos 

Parish Council Member - Dialecti Voudouris 

Parish Council Member - Anastassios Mentis 

Parish Council Member – Paula Refolo

SAINT JOHN'S SCHEDULE

Sunday, March 19, 2023 

Sunday of the Holy Cross

9:00am Orthros/10:00am Divine Liturgy

Friday, March 24, 2023

4^th Salutations to the Theotokos

7:00pm 

Saturday, March 25, 2023

Annunciation of the Theotokos

9:00am Orthros/10:00am Divine Liturgy

Sunday, March 26, 2023

Sunday of St. John Climacus

9:00am Orthros/10:00am Divine Liturgy