Publish-header
Transfiguration of Our Saviour Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2024-04-14
Bulletin Contents
Announcements
Weekly Inserts
Weekly Calendar
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Hymns of the Day
Wisdom of the Fathers
Saints and Feasts
Climicus
Organization Icon
Transfiguration of Our Saviour Greek Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (978) 458-4321
  • Street Address:

  • 25 Fr. John Sarantos Way

  • Lowell, MA 01854
  • Mailing Address:

  • 25 Fr. John Sarantos Way

  • Lowell, MA 01854

Contact Information

Proistamenos Fr. Gregory Floor


FrGregory@transfigurationlowell.org | 978-458-4321

Fr. John Vaporis


DeaconJohn@transchurch.org | 978-204-7814

Services Schedule

Sunday Schedule:

Orthros: 8:30 a.m.
Divine Liturgy: 9:30 a.m.

Bible Study:

Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Past Bulletins


Announcements

FELLOWSHIP

Today’s Fellowship is being sponsored in loving memory of George Tsoukalas by the Tsoukalas family. Everyone is welcome to join us for Fellowship following Liturgy.

We would like to thank the Nicholaou family for their donations to last Sunday’s fellowship in memory of Christine Nicholaou.

100TH ANNIVERSARY – SAVE THE DATES

  • April 21st – Hierarchical Divine Liturgy with Metropolitan Methodios
  • April 28th- Palm Sunday Service and Luncheon – Our first Liturgy as a parish was celebrated on Palm Sunday 1924.  This is a very special year for us and we hope you make every effort to join us!   Since we are expecting a large crowd, we must take reservations this year for planning purposes. Please see the email bulletin for the reservation link.

TRANSFIGURATION TRIVIA 1924-2024

Did you know that the Men’s Guild came into being in 1976 followed by the Tuesday Morning Ladies in 1977? With strong leadership and membership base, both ministries sustained through some 30 years of dedication to the needs of the parish and outreach to the community. Bothe ministries fostered a strong relationship of camaraderie and friendships.

KOULOURAKIA SALES

The Philoptochos Ladies are selling koulourakia beginning Sunday, April 14th in the Lower Lobby for $10 a dozen. All proceeds benefit the Philoxenia House, a ministry of the Metropolis of Boston. Philoxenia House embraces people who find themselves in Boston for medical reasons.

LENTEN MEAL AND LECTURE SERIES

Our Lenten Meal and Lecture Series takes place every Wednesday of Lent immediately after PreSanctified Liturgy. This Wednesday’s Meal will be hosted by the Bible Study and this will be a movie night.

FESTIVAL INFORMATION

  • FESTIVAL UNDERWRITERS NEEDED! - Festival time is quickly approaching.! Help make this year's festival a success by becoming an underwriter. Your underwriting donations, large or small, will help us toward our goal of covering all festival expenses with underwriter donations, leaving all festival income as profit. To date, we are only at 22% of our $35,000 goal.
  • FESTIVAL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! -  This year’s annual Greek Festival will take place on May 31 – June 2. We need your help to make it a success! If you would like to sign up to work a shift at one of the booths, the sign-up sheets will be posted at the church hall beginning April 21st. You may also contact Martha Coravos at (978) 697-9393 (phone/text) or via email at AttorneyMarthaC@yahoo.com to sign up for a shift.

SCHOLARSHIP

Scholarship applications are available online (transfigurationlowell.org) for graduating high school seniors planning on attending college in the fall.  For further questions contact Pat Mahoney (pmahoney7@comcast.net) or 978-436-0998.  The deadline for applications is May 1st.

LEAVE A BRICK CAMPAIGN

You may have noticed the 4X8 and 8X8 bricks at the entrance. The bricks date back to when the building committee began the planning for the Family Life Center. Installing bricks beneath the front portico and in the rear of the center leading to the back door would be a wonderful way to allow our parishioners to participate in bricks inscribed with the names of family and friends.

The bricks can provide a family name or a special remembrance for memorials, christenings, birthdays or anniversaries. The bricks will last a lifetime and will always be a part of the entrance to our church.

If you are interested in having a brick inscribed, please contact the church office for an order form. The cost of the bricks is $125.00 for a 4X8 inscribed brick and $225 for an 8X8 inscribed brick.

Save the Date! - Grecian Festival - May 31 – June 2

 

 Trinity votive candles (To Sponsor a Candle please call the Church Office.)

†Vigil Light at the Side Altar (Icon of the Theotokos: In Loving Memory of my family members Vasilios, Panagiotis & Ioannis – from Eleni Stavrou 
†Vigil Light at the Icon of Christ: In Loving Memory of Deborah Victoria Skrekas and George Skrekas
†Vigil Light at the Theotokos: In Loving Memory of Ioannis "John" Zaralidis - from his family
†Vigil Light at the Icon of the Forerunner: Available
†Vigil Light at the Foot of the Holy Cross: In Loving Memory of George Tsoukalas - from his family

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Weekly Inserts

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Weekly Calendar

Sunday, April 14  SUNDAY OF ST. JOHN CLIMACUS
†Orthros, 8:30 am
†Liturgy, 9:30 am
1 Year Memorial for George Tsoukalas
40 Year Memorial for Avram Vachev

Monday, April 15
Compline, 6:00 pm

Tuesday, April 16
Community Kitchen, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Wednesday, April 17                         
PreSanctified Liturgy – Meal to follow, 6:00 pm

Friday, April 19                        
Akathist Hymn, 6:00 pm

Sunday, April 21  SUNDAY OF ST. MARY OF EGYPT
†Orthros, 8:30 am
†Liturgy, 9:30 am
Hierarchical Divine Liturgy with Metropolitan Methodios


TODAY’S PARISH COUNCIL: Stephanie Gulezian, Ellen Dobi & Carl Maib

UPCOMING EVENTS

April 22
Compline, 6:00 pm

April 24                             
PreSanctified Liturgy – Meal to follow, 6:00 pm

April 27
Saturday of Lazarus – Liturgy, 9:30 am
Palms & Pancakes following Liturgy

April 28
Palm Sunday
100th Anniversary Palm Sunday Luncheon following Liturgy
Bridegroom Service, 6:30 pm

April 29                               
Holy Monday                       
Bridegroom Service, 6:30 pm

April 30                               
Holy Tuesday
Bridegroom Service (Hymn of Kassiani), 6:30 pm

May 1                                  
Holy Wednesday
Holy Unction Service (Children Encouraged to attend), 3:00 pm
Bridegroom Service & Anointing with Holy Unction, 6:30 pm

May 2                                  
Holy Thursday
Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil, 9:30 am
Service of the Holy Passion (The 12 Gospels), 6:30 pm

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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Fourth Mode. Psalm 103.24,1.
O Lord, how manifold are your works. You have made all things in wisdom.
Verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 6:13-20.

BRETHREN, when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore to himself, saying, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you." And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Men indeed swear by a greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he interposed with an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Gospel Reading

Sunday of St. John Climacus
The Reading is from Mark 9:17-31

At that time, a man came to Jesus kneeling and saying: "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; and wherever it seizes him it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." And he answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me." And they brought the boy to him; and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, "How long has he had this?" And he said, "From childhood. And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us." And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again." And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, "He is dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting." They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise."

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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Fourth Mode

The joyful news of your resurrection was proclaimed by the angel to the women disciples. Having thrown off the curse that fell on Adam, they ran elatedly to tell the apostles: Death has been vanquished; Christ our God is risen from the dead, blessing all the world with his great mercy.

Apolytikion for Sun. of St. John Climacus in the Plagal Fourth Mode

With the rivers of your tears, you have made the barren desert fertile. Through sighs of sorrow from deep within you, your labors have borne fruit a hundred-fold. By your miracles you have become a light, shining upon the world. O John, our Holy Father, pray to Christ our God, to save our souls.

Apolytikion of the Church

When You were transfigured on the mountain, O Christ our God, You showed Your disciples Your glory as far as they could bear.  So now, for us sinners also, let this same eternal light shine forth through the prayers of the Theotokos.  O Giver of Light, glory to You.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal Fourth Mode

Victorious Lady, mighty champion, defending us, we, your servants, now inscribe to you this hymn of thanks, for you rescued us from suff'ring and tribulation. Theotokos, with your power that can never fail, keep us safe from ev'ry danger our whole life long, that we may cry to you: Rejoice, O Bride unwedded.
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Wisdom of the Fathers

Seest thou how He now proceeds to lay beforehand in them the foundation of His doctrine about fasting? ... See, at any rate, how many blessings spring from them both. For he that is praying as he ought, and fasting, hath not many wants, and he that hath not many wants, cannot be covetous; ...
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 57 on Matthew 17,4,5. B#54, pp.355,356., 4th Century

... he that is not covetous, will be also more disposed for almsgiving. He that fasts is light, and winged, and prays with wakefulness, and quenches his wicked lusts, and propitiates God, and humbles his soul when lifted up. Therefore even the apostles were almost always fasting.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 57 on Matthew 17,4,5. B#54, pp.355,356., 4th Century

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Saints and Feasts

Climicus
April 14

Sunday of St. John Climacus

The memory of this Saint is celebrated on March 30, where his biography may be found. He is celebrated today because his book, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, is a sure guide to the ascetic life, written by a great man of prayer experienced in all forms of the monastic polity; it teaches the seeker after salvation how to lay a sound foundation for his struggles, how to detect and war against each of the passions, how to avoid the snares laid by the demons, and how to rise from the rudimental virtues to the heights of Godlike love and humility. It is held in such high esteem that it is universally read in its entirety in monasteries during the Great Fast.

Allsaint
April 14

Aristarchus, Pudens, Trophimus the Apostles of the 70

Saint Aristarchus is mentioned in the Epistle to the Colossians (4:10), and also in the Epistle to Philemon (v. 24). By his ascetical manner of life, this Saint proved to be another Saint John the Baptist. He became Bishop of Apamea in Syria, and brought many to the Faith of Christ. Saints Pudens and Trophimus are mentioned in II Timothy 4:20-21. Also, Acts 21:29 mentions that Trophimus was from Ephesus. According to sources that Saint Dorotheus of Tyre (celebrated on June 5) found written in Latin in Rome, these Apostles were beheaded in Rome during the reign of Nero (54-68).

Allsaint
April 15

Crescens the Martyr

This Martyr was from Myra of Lycia, born of an illustrious family. Of his own accord he went amidst the idolaters and admonished them to leave off their futile religion and worship the only true God, Who is worshipped by the Christians; for this he was arrested. When asked by the ruler what his name and lineage were, the Saint would answer only that he was a Christian; counseled to offer sacrifice to the idols, he refused. For this, he was hung up and beaten, was scraped, and then was cast into fire, in which he gave up his holy soul into the hands of God, though not even the hair of his head was harmed by the flames.

Allsaint
April 16

Agape, Chionia, and Irene, the Holy Martyrs

When the Emperor Diocletian was at Aquileia, he learned that these Saints were Christians, and had them brought before him. Because they would not deny Christ, he had them imprisoned, and when he went into Macedonia, he committed them to Dulcitius the Prefect, who, however, lost his understanding and became incapable of doing them any harm. Diocletian then gave Count Sisinius charge over them. He had Saints Agape and Chionia burned; he ordered that Saint Irene be put in a brothel, but by the providence of God this was not accomplished, and she was shot with an arrow. These holy sisters suffered martyrdom in Thessalonica in the year 295.

Allsaint
April 17

Symeon the Holy Martyr, Bishop of Persepolis, and those with him

This Martyr was Bishop of the royal cities Seleucia and Ctesiphon in Persia. As the number of Christians increased in Persia, building churches and appointing clergy, the Magi, guardians of the Persian religion, and the Jews, who also envied them, accused Symeon to Sapor II, King of Persia, saying that Symeon was a friend of the Roman Emperor and his spy. Then began Sapor's persecution of the Christians of Persia, about the year 343. The Magi together with the Jews destroyed the churches. Saint Symeon was brought before Sapor, and, refusing to worship the sun, was imprisoned. On Holy and Great Friday of that year, Saint Symeon was brought out of prison with a hundred others, bishops, priests, and deacons. As each was taken to be slain, Saint Symeon exhorted him to be of good courage; he was slain last of all. It is said that 1,150 Martyrs were slain; an innumerable multitude of Christians were slain throughout Persia during this persecution, among them Saints Acepsimas, Joseph, and Aethalas (see Nov. 3).

Allsaint
April 18

Holy Father John the Righteous, disciple of St. Gregory of Decapolis

This Saint took up the monastic life from his youth and became a disciple of Saint Gregory of Decapolis (see Nov. 20). After his elder, Saint Gregory, reposed (in the first half of the ninth century), he came to Jerusalem and finally reposed in peace in the Monastery of Saint Chariton.

Allsaint
April 19

Paphnoutios the Holy Martyr

All that is known concerning this Saint is that he was a bishop and that he suffered many torments by fire, the sword, and wild beasts.

Allsaint
April 20

Theodore the Trichinas

Saint Theodore who was from Constantinople, was born to parents who were pious and of means. He took up the monastic life in a monastery in the imperial city, and wore nought but a rough hair shirt for all his life, from whence also he received his name. He reposed in the late fourth, or early fifth century. Saint Joseph the Hymnographer composed a canon in his honour.

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