The Liturgical Guide and Bulletin for Sunday, February 12, 2023
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February 12, 2023
Sunday of the Prodigal Son
Through the parable of today’s Gospel, our Saviour has set forth three things for us: the condition of the sinner, the rule of repentance, and the greatness of God’s compassion. The divine Fathers have put this reading the week after the parable of the Publican and Pharisee so that, seeing in the person of the Prodigal Son our own wretched condition — inasmuch as we are sunken in sin, far from God and His Mysteries — we might at last come to our senses and make haste to return to Him by repentance during these holy days of the Fast.
Furthermore, those who have wrought many great iniquities, and have persisted in them for a long time, oftentimes fall into despair, thinking that there can no longer be any forgiveness for them; and so being without hope, they fall every day into the same and even worse iniquities. Therefore, the divine Fathers, that they might root out the passion of despair from the hearts of such people, and rouse them to the deeds of virtue, have set the present parable at the forecourts of the Fast, to show them the surpassing goodness of God’s compassion, and to teach them that there is no sin — no matter how great it may be — that can overcome at any time His love for man.
Liturgical Guide
Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Second Mode
Ὅτε κατῆλθες πρὸς τὸν θάνατον…
When Thou didst descend unto death, O Life Immortal, then didst Thou slay Hades with the lightning of Thy Divinity. And when Thou didst also raise the dead out of the nethermost depths, all the powers in the Heavens cried out: O Life-giver, Christ our God, glory be to Thee.
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Transfiguration Monastery
Apolytikion of St. Demetrios in the Third Mode
Μέγαν εύρατο εv τοίς κιvδύvοις …
Greatness has been found in danger. You are champion of the world. A victor who could turn the nations back. You boldly encouraged Nestor to defeat Lyaeus in the arena. Therefore, holy great martyr Demetrios, intercede with Christ our God, to grant us His great mercy.
Seasonal Kontakion in the Third Mode
Τῆς πατρῴας, δόξης σου…
O Father, foolishly I ran away from Your glory, and in sin, squandered the riches You gave me. Wherefore, I cry out to You with the voice of the Prodigal, “I have sinned before You Compassionate Father. Receive me in repentance and take me as one of Your hired servants.”
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Narthex Press
Epistle Reading
Prokeimenon. Second Mode. Psalm 117.14,18
The Lord is my strength and my song.
Verse: The Lord has chastened me sorely.
The reading is from St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians 6:12-20
Brethren, “all things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food” — and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two shall become one flesh.” But he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body and in your spirit which belong to God.
Gospel Reading
The reading is from Luke 15:11-32
The Lord said this parable: “There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me.’ And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his belly with the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to make merry. Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'”
Memorial Prayer
Mary Owen (40 days) survived by her nephew James (Mary) Bishop, her godson James (Mary) Christos, and all who knew and loved her.
Vasilios Papadimitriou (40 days) survived by his wife Alexandra, his sister Vasiliki, 3 children: Amalia (son- in -law Chris), Vasiliki (son-in-law Alberto), and Dimitrios, 3 grandchildren: Alexandra, Marco and Christian, and many nieces and nephews.
Neophytos Demetriou (3 years) survived by his children Andreas, Mary (Costa), Georgia (Tony) and Victor, and their families.
Trisagion Prayer
Efstratios Planakis (4 years) survived by his family Andreas, Clare, Chris, Beth and by his grandchildren Chloe, Lucas, Nikos, and Alexandra.
Announcements
Coffee Hour
Coffee hour is being offered in memory of Mary Owen.
Choir
JOIN US IF YOU CAN SING 🎶
We are looking for new members in the St. Demetrios Choir. We’d love to have you join us! Please see Chanters Alex or Athena for more information. Thank you!
GOYA
Feb 12, Sunday, GOYA will be collecting for the Super Bowl for Caring for all of Southeast District GOYA.
Please bring canned good and food donations, there will be a drop off box in the narthex.
Goyans will be collecting funds for IOCC, International Orthodox Christian Charities, for their humanitarian relief efforts throughout the world. Please give generously for this worthy cause.
BINGO
FAMILY BINGO NIGHT…..the next BINGO is Friday evening, February 17 at 6:00pm.
Bring the family together for an evening of laughter and fun. A night filled with games, great prizes, friendly competition, and food! Doors open at 5:30pm. Many gift prizes, 50/50 raffle, plus refreshments. Get 2 Bingo cards for $7.00 at the door. Supporting Feeding South Florida. Sponsored by Philoptochos! Invite your family, friends, & neighbors. See you on February 17th at 5:30pm.
Greetings from the elders of our St. Demetrios Community
Please join us on Tuesday 2/21/23 for a delectable lunch to be graciously prepared by Chef Manos (Mr. Nicholas Manos) and his crew. Dessert and ice cream will follow. It is a time of camaraderie, mutual support, laughter and song. President Ms. Gloria Linda Stokes will welcome you.
Entrance $8.00
THANK YOU FESTIVAL VOLUNTEERS!
You are our most passionate advocates and champions of our success within the St Demetrios Community.
This success is evident in many ways. One of which is from the feedback guests expressed through the course of the festival.
Here is some of what they had to say:
Great music and dancing! Delicious food. Friendly family oriented environment! Wonderful yearly event!
Everyone was very nice and helpful ! The food was delicious and great value.
It was fabulous the food the desserts the pastries let me tell you the Greeks do it right loved it God bless all my great people
I am new to St Demetrios and this was my first time at the festival. I had such a great time and was able to make new friends also ! Thanks to everyone for being so welcoming and kind. I look forward to seeing you all again soon and … next years festival!
Hope everyone had a chance to rest after the amazing Greek festival. It was my ultimate honor and pleasure to volunteer with all of you so that together we can better serve our community.
Thank you for bringing back the festival after so many years.
Everyone is so friendly and helpful.
I’ve never seen such organization and cooperation at a festival, and we try to attend as many as we can on the East Coast.
The restrooms are the cleanest I have ever experienced.
Thank God the restrooms are air-conditioned and don’t smell!
The children had so much fun on the “playground”.
Inflatables are much safer than “the rides”.
The dayworkers went out of their way to be helpful, especially Derrick, Michael & Garrett.
Each year you get better and better. Can’t wait to see what you will do next year.
Great diversity of interesting activities and booths.
Your church is so beautiful. I felt like I was in heaven.
Kudos for involving the younger generation.
…and the young people took my tray after I finished eating!
The food was especially good this year.
I met so many interesting people while we were waiting in the lines. I didn’t mind waiting at all!
We are thrilled how we were embraced by every age group !
We are touched that every age group was so kind and caring towards people!
The bar crowd is so much fun!
The kids and the dancing is wonderful!
There is such unity in this community!
Book Club
Meeting on Saturday, February 11 at 12 PM
Movie Showing
Hellenic Cultural Society of South Florida invites you to the screening of the comedy “My friend Lefterakis” (Ο φίλος μου ο Λεφτεράκης) and the celebration of Finos Film 80th anniversary! The movie is digitalized with English subtitles. Starring Ntinos Iliopoulos, Maro Kontou, Kostas Voutsas. Movie time 91 min.
On Saturday Febraury 18, 2023 at 3:10pm join us at Savor Cinema in Downtown Ft Lauderdale. The Greek Food Truck will join the festivities too! Tickets can be purchased at the Hall.
Stewardship
if you have not already done so, please fill out a year 2022 pledge form by clicking here https://stdemetrios.org/our-parish/stewardship/stewardship-form/ Or download this form, fill out both sides completely and return it to the office. Thank you!
Calendar
Saturday 2/11
12:00pm HCS Book Club
Sunday 2/12
9:00am/10:00am Orthros/Divine Liturgy
GOYA Souper Bowl of Caring
After Communion Sunday School and Little Lambs
1:15pm Bible Study
Monday 2/13
4:15pm-6:00pm Greek Classes A’,B’, Γ’, Δ’ & Adult Beginner in person
6:30pm-7:30pm Intermediate Modern Greek – Google Meet
Tuesday 2/14
7:00pm Advanced Modern Greek-zoom
Wednesday 2/15
6:00pm DOP Meeting
Thursday 2/16
10:30am Philoptochos Meeting
7:00pm Advanced Modern Greek-zoom
Friday 2/17
6:00pm BINGO (doors open at 5:30pm)
Saturday 2/18 Saturday of Souls
9:00am/10:00am Orthros/Divine Liturgy
3:10pm Movie showing at Savor Cinema
Sunday 2/19
9:00am/10:00am Orthros/Divine Liturgy
After Communion Sunday School and Little Lambs
1:15pm Bible Study
