Bulletin for 1 March 2015--Second Sunday of Great Lent

 ST JOSEPH THE BETROTHED

Melkite-Greek Catholic CHURCH

725 W. Mt. Hope Ave, Lansing, MI 48910                             517-575-6264

FMailing Address:  921 Westover Circle, Lansing, MI 48917E

www.MelkiteChurch.org   /   www.facebook.com/MelkiteChurchLansing

Rev. Father James K. Graham, Pastor                           frjamie@earthlink.net

Rev. Protodeacon Joseph Daratony                                                   248-719-5169

Phone or email Fr James with items for the bulletin by Thursday night.

Troparion of the Holy Relics (Tone 2)

O victorious witnesses of the Lord, blessed is the earth fertilized by your blood

and holy are the heavenly places that opened to your souls.

You have vanquished the enemy in the stadium and proclaimed Christ with courage.

We beg you to intercede with Him who is all good that He may save our souls.

1 March 2015—Second Sunday of Great Lent:  St Gregory Palamas, the Holy Relics.  Holy Martyr Eudokia.  (Tone 5)

Readings    Apostolos:  Hebrews 1:10-2:3                              Gospel:  Mark 2:1-12

10:30 am  Orthros (Morning Prayer)

11 am   Divine Liturgy of St Basil the Great for the health and salvation of Fr Charles Aboody, Fr Brendan McAnerney, Nimer Haddad, Joseph Mondalek, Maarouf Khouri, Dennis Flint, Eleanora Lindo, Mikayla Slocum, Michel Skouri, Samira El-Chaer, Awatef Chahine, Raymond Rashid, Bonita Saba, Griffin Barna, Jim Covello, David Georges, Elias Atallah, Ralph Farhat, Robert Kuri, Pam Nakfoor, Isaac Salim, Iva Butler, BJ and Liz, Cam, Janice, Jeanne, Wayne Gowdy, Lucy Palmer, Kelsey, Kathleen Edwards, Barbara Fager, Edgar & Katherine Fickenscher, David & Sandi, Kamal & Eugenie Neimat, Clay Thomas, Michael Maslowski, Antonio Carvalho, Elaine & Eva-Genevieve Scarborough, Michael Harmuth, Elias Haggar, Dn. Joe & Marge Daratony, Fr Joseph Haggar; in memory of Iskandar Indraous (Ed & Rabiah Eid), Iham Sakr (Adel & Nadia Badawi), Bechara Saba (Simone Ayoub), Nickolas Nakfoor (Leonard & Marilyn Peters), Louis Zarka (Salim Saad), Fr James Straukamp & Fr Philip Azoon (Fr James).

Procession at the end of the Liturgy.

 

Troparia and Kontakion for Today

1. Troparion of the Resurrection, in Tone 5, Liturgikon, page 189.
2. Troparion of St Gregory Palamas, in Tone 8, page 203.
3. Troparion of the Holy Relics, in Tone 2, page 203.
4. Troparion of St Joseph, in Tone 4, page 30A.
5. Kontakion of the Annunciation, in Tone 8, page 240.
   7 March 2015—2 pm:  Great Vespers.
   8 March 2015—Third Sunday of Great Lent:  The Holy Cross.  Holy Confessor Theophilactos of Nicomedia.  (Tone 6)
   Readings    Apostolos:  Hebrews 4:14-5:6                          Gospel:  Mark 8:34-9:1
   10:30 am  Orthros (Morning Prayer)
   11 am         Divine Liturgy of St Basil the Great in memory of Iskandar Indraous (Siham Calille), Ilham Sakr (Simone Ayoub), Nickolas Nakfoor (Elaine Rashid), Louis Zarka (Rosette Kalouche), Fr Larry Tozzeo, OFM, and Msgr Bryan T. O’Rourke (Fr James).

Our Offerings to the Lord

The collection taken in the Liturgy is part of our worship.  We offer the Lord our lives, our prayers, our gifts of bread and wine, and our financial gifts.  About 85 people attended last Sunday’s Liturgy.  Our offering totalled $1707 in the ordinary collection, $105 for liturgy intentions, and $26 for candles.  Not everyone can make an equal gift, but everyone can make an equal sacrifice.  Please make a generous sacrifice to support your church in proportion to your many blessings from God.

Ladies Society Meets This Tuesday

All women of the parish are invited to the meeting of the Ladies Society at 7 pm this Tuesday, 3 March, in the parish hall.

NAMY Meets Next Sunday

All youth of the parish, ages 13-18, are invited to the meeting of the Youth Group next Sunday, 8 March, in the parish hall.

Lenten Services on Wednesdays and Fridays at 6 PM

This Wednesday we will celebrate Great Compline; come and of our faith that God, the Lord of Powers, is with us.  On Friday we will sing the third part of the Akathist Hymn.  Lenten (meatless) suppers will follow the Akathist on 6 March and 20 March.  Fr James will be available to hear Confession after these services.  

Lenten Evenings of Reflection, 6 & 20 March

Two evenings of Spiritual Reflection, on the topic “Our Vision:  What Our Church Should Be,” will be held on 6 and 20 March after the Akathist.  In the first session, Jim deSpelder will introduce the idea of vision and our parish Vision Statement.  In the second session, Fr James will take us through the Vision Statement and explain what each part means.  At each session, there will be time for questions and discussion.

Choir Will Practice on Fridays of Great Lent

On the Fridays of Great Lent, the choir will have a short practice either before or after the Akathist.  All choir members must join in the practices, which will concentrate on the chants for Holy Week and Pascha.  People who sing only for those services also need to come to the practices.

New Directory Is Here

Our new parish photo directory, long awaited, has arrived.  Pick up your copy from Su Butler in the parish hall after the Liturgy.

Set Aside Money for The Shepherd’s Care

The Shepherd’s Care is our nationwide diocesan Lenten charity collection.  All of the money donated to The Shepherd’s Care is distributed to charities here and overseas.  Please use the Mite Box you have received to give something every day in Great Lent for charity.  A dollar a day—less than the price of a cup of coffee—will add up to a $40 contribution at the end of the Great Fast.  Remember, the Mite Boxes are not just for children.

Books About Great Lent Now Available

We have two excellent books about Great Lent available in our bookstore at the amazing price of $1 each.  Great Lent, by Fr Alexander Schmemann, looks at the history, practices, and spirituality of the season.  The Lenten Spring, by Fr Thomas Hopko, offers reflections on the services and hymns of Great Lent.  These classic books are informational and inspirational.

Patriarch Gregory Deplores Latest Tragedies

Patriarch Gregorios III telephoned Mor Yacub Behnan Hendo of the Syrian Catholic Church to ascertain the situation in Hasakah.  His Beatitude also called Mar Afram Nathaniel of the Assyrian Church on 25 February to express his condolences, solidarity and prayers for the safety of the people there.  Mar Afram told His Beatitude about the situation:

• The attack took place on 23 Feb. at 3:30 a.m. and about 900 families were displaced from 35 villages around Al Khabur River.
• About 300 persons were captured.
• Formerly, the number of habitants there was 5,000 families, but many had emigrated, the majority to Europe and Lebanon.
• 1,500 families still remained there, some of whom had been allocated houses abandoned by their owners when they themselves had been displaced to Hasakah and Qamishli.

“When will the whole world, both overseas and Arab countries, unite and stand together in order to eliminate this epidemic that is a shame to humanity in the 21 ^st century?” wonders Patriarch Gregorios.

“This issue has gone beyond the Syrian crisis and its tragedy and the war on Syria.  It has become a global earthquake!  In the words of the Second Vatican Council, ‘The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ.'”

With these feelings, His Beatitude launches this appeal:

• “Shame on countries’ powerlessness to stem these crimes!
• “Shame on the European Union for its inaction!
• “Shame on the League of Arab States for its inaction!
• “Shame on Christians and Muslims for their indifference!
• “Shame on the International Community for being incapable of defeating takfiris, those barbarous and inhumane extremists, and for refusing to stop arming and supporting them.
• “Is there an international conspiracy? Or widespread falsehood?

“It is impermissible for these criminals to continue terrorising everyone and making our God-created world a world of sin, killing, and terrorism, and reducing humans to slavery to greed and malice.

“As the Holy Father said in his Lenten message, there is a ‘globalization of indifference,’ so we have to work together as His Holiness said toward a globalization of solidarity and of Arab solidarity.  So we appeal with hope: ‘Countries of the world, unite to save human civilization, the civilization of love!’  God willing we will overcome this epidemic of hatred with love!”