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In Our Prayers
Robert Finch, Remy Koks, Abigail Robertson, Alice Marinos, Juliana, Nicole, Demitri (Creighton’s mother, daughter, & grandson).
COFFEE HOUR
Please join us after the Liturgy for a special luncheon sponsored by Philoptochos. Thank You!
Parishioners, please allow only coffee hour team members to park in the driveway so they can have easier unloading access.
Yellow: Ashley, L. Rigas, A. & K. Tambourides
Orange: Gazis, Marinos, Sokol, Suniga
Purple: Agler, Loveless, Richards, Savage
Green: Metaxas, Saphos, Zachariades
White: Lyashman, Partlow, Ely, Mourtakos
Red: Gazaw, Padilla, Hammock, M. Tambourides, Zacharias
Blue: Patelis, Rapos, Simeon
Pink: Craioveanu, Quinn, Tsougarakis, Haronitis
Mar 10: Green
Mar 17: White
Mar 24: AHEPA Luncheon
Mar 31: Red
PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS
SUNDAY CHURCH SCHOOL
Sunday School will begin immediately following communion. We invite all youth Pre-K to Senior night to join us for lessons and activities to support them on this special journey through Lent. Special congratulations to Timothy Tsiantopoulos and Thomas Tsiantopoulos for their wonderful speeches for our Oratorical Festival last Sunday. You both did an amazing job! Your entire parish family is proud of you. Below are their speeches:
Thomas Tsiantopoulos:
In view of St. Paul’s exhortation in Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,” discuss the importance of being biblically literate today.
Reverend Father, Fellow Parishioners and Speakers, Good morning.
Every authentic Christian will have heard some verses of the Bible in their life. Verses of the Bible tell stories, give teachings, and provide moral lessons. However, for verses to effectively guide us in life, we must be biblically literate. Biblical literacy allows us to properly devote ourselves to the teachings of the Bible, and to recognize the truth and divine wisdom of God’s word.
According to Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” As we can all tell, this verse is encouraging us to read the Bible daily, and to teach others as we are taught. But do we really read the Bible, let alone listen to the Gospel? Most of the time, we might say that we “don’t have the time,” or “have other things to do”. But what could be more important than spiritual salvation? Only once we begin reading and understanding the Bible can we have biblical literacy, with which we gain an understanding on how to live our lives in accordance with Christ’s example, and only then do we really commence making progress towards spiritual salvation which has to be an urgent priority through all phases of our life.
However, just because we say we emphasize biblical literacy as a means towards our salvation does not mean we should criticize those who have not found their way yet, for that would mean we haven’t really begun prioritizing spiritual salvation. As stated in Romans 2:1, “Therefore you are inexcusable O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.” By this verse, the Apostle Paul is trying to tell us that we should not judge someone else for the actions they take, because we know full well that we do them ourselves, albeit perhaps not in the same circumstance. If we are biblically literate, however, we see others as equals and think of them the same as we think of ourselves, because we know full well that we are not ones to judge – that’s God’s job. Furthermore, by letting the word of Christ dwell deeply in us, we will be able to embrace the spirit of humility as Orthodox Christians which will prevent us from judging others.
While trying your best to understand God’s word is good, you must be mindful to use proper translations sanctioned by the Orthodox church. Some documents or quotes may be misleading, while others are downright incorrect. For example, the fifth commandment, under many translations, says ‘You shall not kill.’ However, this is a common misconception. The proper translation should be, and is, “You shall not murder.” Another common misconception is the concept of sin. In non-orthodox Christianity, you prominently see the Seven Deadly Sins discussed. While they are in fact sins, they are not deadly as such. In fact, Orthodox Christianity has a more composed procedure and viewpoint of sins; in Greek, sin is called amartia, but it has a different meaning. In Greek, sin means “missing the mark.” If you are jealous, you have not committed a cardinal sin, but have made a human error, which can be rectified through repentance, confession and prayer. If you do your best to properly educate yourself on the correct translation and meanings found in the Bible, you find a precious, ultimate set of rules and guidelines which, although strict, are shining a glorious path to salvation.
Simply put, the better you study and understand the word of Christ, the closer you are to God. Biblical literacy is vital for proper comprehension and interpretation of the Bible, and to give yourself the chance to correctly align your everyday actions with the teachings of Christ.
Thank you.
Timothy Tsiantopoulos:
Many of the Church’s services employ objects from the natural world (such as wheat, wine, oil, or water) in order to confer a blessing upon the faithful. Why does the Church do this, and what does this suggest about our responsibility for the natural world?
Reverend Father, Honorable Judges, Fellow Parishioners and Speakers, Good Morning. As some of you may know, I am graduating from high school, and this will be my last oratorical festival at St. John. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to participate and for your continued support and guidance over the years. I feel honored and blessed to be part of this Church.
Can you remember the last time you genuinely appreciated nature? Felt a warm gratitude in your heart? Maybe the question sounds a little ‘tree-hugger,’ but do try to recall. It could have been a while ago. Perhaps you are too occupied to notice it most of the time. Of course, I’m not blaming anybody. I mean, the only thing that spends more time in front of my eyes than my glasses is a screen, but it is healthy to reflect every now and then, and just appreciate this welcoming, hospitable world that God has given us. The Orthodox Church holds services that immerse us by incorporating gifts from nature, such as wheat, wine, oil, and water. While it’s easy for us to enjoy these things, these services that our Church offers are intended to remind us to appreciate them, and be grateful, but also to establish a connection between the material world that encompasses us and the spiritual world that we experience in our Church services and traditions.
Baptism is one such tradition dependent on natural resources. The Orthodox Church uses water and oil, two immeasurably vital natural resources, for their purity, to cleanse a soul of sin in order to be able to accept the Lord and become a Christian. Another service is the Artoklasia, the blessing of the loaves, which is traditionally done during vespers on feast days or at the conclusion of a Sunday Divine Liturgy. Likewise, Prosforo bread is transformed into the Body of Christ as the Antidoron, and wine into His blood. The Holy Eucharist, meaning thanksgiving, consecrates bread and wine, commemorating the Last Supper and thanking God for giving us His only son. So, these practices are an act of exactly that: Giving thanks for what God has given us, and for allowing us to rejoice in His world. However, we must not abuse the privileges He has granted to us. Like all things, our environment was created by God. We are nourished by it, replenished not only physically from its fruits and harvest, but also spiritually from its natural elegance. It’s easy to forget how dependent we are on the land, both body and soul. We take it for granted. Other things occupy our time and cloud our mind. Like a father for his children, God provides for us. Therefore, we must also be thankful and respectful towards his mercies and blessings. A gift directly from the Lord must be treated with proper dignity. After all, a connection to the natural world is a connection to God. It is our responsibility, not just as humans, but as Orthodox Christians, to perpetuate and uphold nature’s beauty and integrity. To walk on it not as trespassers, but as children of God. Thank you.
ANGELS/ASTERIA DANCERS
In preparation for our upcoming Greek Festival, Asteria Dance Practice will be on Sundays after the Liturgy.
In desperate need of a Dance Teacher for our children’s group as I cannot commit to teaching the Angel’s this year. I can provide the choreography, but need a volunteer teacher to teach each practice and assist during the Greek festival. Practices will be every Sunday after church at about 12pm. The performance is, of course, Mother’s day weekend.
Please text me if you are able to help at (561) 758-2606. Thank you! Andrea Campbell
BOOKSTORE/GIFT SHOP
Coming soon ..... Books for the upcoming Salutation Services and Holy Week. These books make lasting memories for your children and/or Godchildren. A must have for your spiritual library.
See Colette at the Coffee Hour.
AHEPA CHAPTER 518/DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE CHRYSEIS 434
AHEPA meeting after church this Sunday. Mark your calendar for the March 25 celebration luncheon sponsored by AHEPA on Sunday March 24th.
INTRODUCTION TO ORTHODOXY CLASS
Our next class will be held on Sunday, March 17th. See Michael or Angela Loveless for more information.
NARTHEX ROTATION SCHEDULE
We are looking for volunteers to help with this Ministry. This is first contact with parishioners and/or guests visiting us for the first time. You do not need to be on Parish Council to volunteer for this ministry. A smile and gentle demeanor goes a long way in welcoming a newcomer to our church. Please contact the office to volunteer.
Mar 10 Ross Leo, Maria Simeon
Mar 17 Lou Marinos, Ross Leo
Mar 24 Chryse Padilla, Lou Marinos
Mar 31 Demetrios Mourtakos, Chryse Padilla
Apr 7 Ross Leo, Demetrios Mourtakos
Apr 14 Deena Metaxas, Ross Leo
PROSFORO
Of the many ways of supporting our Church, there are few which stand out as uniquely personal offerings of faith. The offering of Prosforo bread for the Divine Liturgy is one of them. We are thankful to the handful of ladies who have faithfully fulfilled this responsibility over the years and we invite more of our faithful - especially young families with children - to make this a part of their lives as well. Want to be added to our Prosforo list? Please see Maria Simeon.
Please make sure that Prosforo is in church before the start of the Orthros service on Sunday. Please write the date (or put a sticker with the date) on the plastic bags with the Prosforo. That way the oldest will be used first. Thank you for your help.
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Mar 10 Kika Tampouridou
Mar 17 Maria Simeon
Mar 24 Zaneta Rapos
Mar 31 Andriana Tambourides
Apr 7 Ellie Ashley
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Apr 14 Soula Koumbias
Apr 21 Metaxas Family
Apr 28 Maria Saphos
May 5 Cleopatra Nelson
May 12 Anna Sharkey
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