Sunday Bulletin 4.05.20- Sunday of Saint Mary of Egypt
Holy Trinity
Greek Orthodox Church
24411 Rampart Blvd.
Port Charlotte, FL 33980
Phone: 941.629.3888
Fr. Mojmir’ Cell:
304.319.3441
web: http://www.HolyTrinitypc.org
Online Donations
For stewardship donations and contributions
can be made online via a credit card.
Fr. Mojmir Zalcik’s Office Hours
Tuesday-Friday: 9:00 to 12:00 Noon
Very Reverend Fr. Dr. Mojmir Zalcik, PhD
will lead us in the Divine Services
Divine Services today, Sun. April 5:
Sunday of Saint Mary of Egypt
Orthros 9am, Divine Liturgy 10am;
- Memorial service for +Alexander Kanelos
(+21 years; Father of sister Helen Raptakis)
Divine Services Schedule:
Wed. April 8 – Presanctified Liturgy 6pm;
Sat. April 11 – Lazarus Saturday;
Orthros 9am, Divine Liturgy 10am
Sun. April 12 – Palm Sunday;
Orthros 9am, Divine Liturgy 10am;
Procession and Blessing of Palms
Great and Holy Week Schedule:
Sun. April 12 – Bridegroom/Nymphios
Service (Matins of Holy Monday), 6pm
Mon. April 13 – Bridegroom/Nymphios
Service (Matins of Holy Tuesday), 6pm
Tues. April 14 – Bridegroom/Nymphios
Service (Matins of Holy Wednesday), 6pm
Wed. April 15 – The Sacrament of Holy
Unction/’Ef-chélaion’ Service, 6pm
Thur. April 16 – The Service of the Holy
Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, 6pm;
Reading of the 12 Gospel Excerpts
Fri. April 17 – The Holy and Great Friday:
– Great Vespers Service, 3pm;
The Apokathelosis/Taking from the Cross
– The Lamentations Service, 7pm;
Epithaphios Procession
Sat. April 18 – Great and Holy Saturday;
Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. Basil
the Great (Proti Anastasi), 10am
Καλι και ευλογημενη Τεσσαρακοστι!
Due the coronavirus pandemic, all Church activities are canceled until further notice. Please stay home, be safe and healthy. And we all pray for all and we help each other, in this situation. I and the members of the Church Council try to be in touch with you all by phone and messages. Please, if I do not call you (because I do not have your phone number) please call me to share with me your phone number. Let me know, please, if you need anything. Sister Priscilla H. offers her help to everyone, with shopping, talking, etc.
Please call/help one another. Thank you all.
I continue to serve in the Church, with Presvytera Vera, praying to God and asking Him for protection for you all. We all pray, while staying home. Our home is our Home Church. Pray when we serve, pray with us, together. Every day at 8pm we pray the Prayer of Protection from the Coronavirus.
The Orthodox Divine Services are available online, from our Diocesan Cathedral Church in Atlanta or from other Orthodox Churches (YouTube, FB, etc.).
Many and Blessed Years to
Kathleen Walega (B-Day 4/2),
Katina Hill (4/10)
Steward Pledge Contribution and all other donations we send by mail to our Parish. We can do it also online Please use the website www.holytrinitypc.org.
Living in the world but not of the world
Last week, on Sunday of Saint John Climacus, we opened his book The Ladder of Divine Ascent in our Bulletin’ article. When we read it, we did find out the thoughts-steps of his Ladder are not only for monks living outside of the world in wilderness and monasteries, but for us all. The passages of the 30 steps of the ‘spiritual ladder’ clearly affirm the significance and universality of the teaching of Saint John Climacus, a 6th-7th century monk and abbot from the monastery in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. We learned what it means to be a Christian embraces both, those “in the world” and those who practice withdrawal “from the world”, and that every Christian in every place, every situation, every moment, should follow Christ, step by step. And as a follower of Jesus Christ, every Christian is an imitator of Christ in thought and word and deed, with faith rightly and blamelessly in one God in Holy Trinity. Each Christian, married or single, monk/nun or living in the world, is “not of the world” (see John 15; John 17:14-16).
These steps lead us closer to Paradise, to Heaven. They lead us closer to God, what means, closer to people and all His creation.
It leads us through victory over the passions and the acquisition of the virtues. Every step on our spiritual journey is important and each one should be climbed. When we climb, we learn many things, about ourselves and others, about our body, soul, about virtues, prayer..., the real spiritual experience, the transition in our life.
Great example of the transition, from the life of sinner into the life of saint, is Saint Mary of Egypt. Former great sinner became great saint, one of the greatest saints in the history of the Church. About her life we know from Sophronios, Patriarch of Jerusalem (+ 639 A.D.). The story of her life was immensely popular throughout the Middle Ages, both in the East and West. She is very honor by Church and today we commemorate her on this Sunday in every Orthodox Church in the world. Even she is known in modem classic literature. Dostoevsky mentions her in The Brothers Karamazov (1880), James Joyce in Ulysses (1922), or American poet John Berryman, wrote her name in the title in one of his poems (1964).
What important and great did she do? Holy Theotokos, always compassionate as her Son, showed her the forgiveness and true love of her Crucified Son on the Holy Cross. From that
moment her heart and all her love belonged to God and she changed completely her life. When she thanked in prayer the Theotokos for the mercy and grace given her,
Mary heard the Mother of God telling to her, “If you cross the Jordan, you will find true peace.” So, she crossed over Jordan into the desert, and she spent the rest of her life in the wilderness, in total isolation from the world. She passed over her old sinful life on the streets of Alexandria in Egypt; and she did find the new life with God, in repentance and prayers. Great were her old sins, greater her repentance; and she is the greatest of saints.
Dear and beloved brothers and sisters in Christ our Lord, during this last week before the Palm Sunday-the Entry of our Savior Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, let everyone, all together, ponder on the words of the Mother of God, which led Mary of Egypt to her salvation through repentance and her greatness: “If you cross the Jordan, you will find true peace.” These mysterious words, as they were addressed fifteen hundred years ago to Mary, are also today addressed to each of us. The interpretation of their mystery is open to the souls of each of us, but only if we ask the Mother of God and Saint Mary of Egypt to guide us. Then we shall find our own 'entry into Jerusalem', 'crossing Jordan'.
In every place we are, in every our situation, each moment, we live in the world but we are not of the world (see John 15:19; 17:16).
‘O holy transformation that brought you to a noble way of life. O godlike love, O burning faith in God. We bless you, Mary (of Egypt), worthy of great praise.
And forever we exalt you above all others.
O Holy One, behold my sorrow and the groaning of my heart. See the narrowness of my life. Save me from my sin and have mercy on my soul, through your mediation before the Lord.’
Holy Mother Mary, pray to God for us! Amen.
Ο ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΕΝ ΤΩ ΜΕΣΩ ΗΜΩΝ!
ΚΑΙ ΗΝ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΙ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΑΙ!
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