Bulletin for 8 February 2015--Meatfare Sunday/The Last Judgement

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 Prophet Zachariah (Tone2)

We celebrate today the memory of your Prophet Zachariah,

and we implore you, O Lord, to save our souls through his intercession.

 

8 February 2015—Meatfare Sunday:  The Last Judgement.  Holy Great-Martyr Theodore the General, Holy Prophet Zachariah.  (Tone 2)

Readings    Apostolos:  1 Corinthians 8:8-9:2                   Gospel:  Matt. 25:31-46

10:30 am  Orthros (Morning Prayer)

11 am   Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom for the health and salvation of 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, Cam, Janice, Jeanne, Wayne Gowdy, Lucy Palmer, Kelsey, Kathleen Edwards, Barbara Fager, 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 Nickolas Nakfoor (Ed & Rabiah Eid), Louis Zarka (Siham Calille), Charles Saba (Elaine Rashid), Terrence Parsons &  Alfred Hajj (Fr James).

 

14 February 2015—2 pm:  Great Vespers and Memorial Service.

 

15 February 2015—Cheesefare Sunday:  Sunday of Forgiveness.  Holy Apostle Onesimos.  (Tone 3)

Readings    Apostolos:  Romans 13:11-14:4                Gospel:  Matthew 6:14-21

10:30 am  Orthros (Morning Prayer)

11 am         Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom in memory of Archbishop Joseph Tawil, Nickolas Nakfoor (Huda Wakim), Louis Zarka (Bob & Anita Herr), Fr Julien Eliane, Joseph Zakher, and Julia Spencer (Fr James).

At the end of the Liturgy, we will celebrate the rite of Mutual Forgiveness.

Troparia and Kontakion for Today

1. Troparion of the Resurrection, in Tone 2, Liturgikon, page 183.
2. Troparion of the Prophet Zachariah, in Tone 2.
3. Troparion of St Joseph, in Tone 4, page 30A.
4. Kontakion of Meatfare, in Tone 1, page 200.

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 50 people attended last Sunday’s Liturgy.  Our offering totalled $1023 in the ordinary collection, $200 for roof pledges, and $6.25 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.

Next Saturday is the Saturday of the Dead

Twice a year, the Church observes a Saturday of the Dead on which we pray for all the departed, especially of our families, friends, and parish community.  On Saturday 14 February at 2 pm, we will celebrate the Memorial Service before singing Great Vespers for Cheesefare Sunday.  If you wish to have people particularly mentioned in the Memorial Service, please give the names to Fr James by Friday.

NAMY Meets Today, 1-3 PM

The youth group will meet today from 1 to 3 pm.  On the agenda:  our next project, Youth Sunday, the National Conference, and Great Lent.

Ladies Society Meets this Tuesday

The Ladies Society will meet on Tuesday 10 February at 7 pm in the Parish Hall.  The meeting was postponed last week because of bad weather.

Parish Pastoral Council Will Meet next Tuesday

The Parish Pastoral Council will meet on Tuesday 17 February at 6:30 pm in the Parish Hall.  The meeting has been moved from Wednesday the 18^th because Great Compline will be celebrated on Wednesday evening.

Meatfare and Cheesefare Lunches

Stay after church on Meatfare Sunday (today) and Cheesefare Sunday (15 February) to enjoy lunch present ed by the Ladies Society.

Great Lent Begins on Clean Monday, 16 February

The 40-day fast of Great Lent will begin on Monday 16 February.  That day is a day of strict fasting (no food or drink until noon, no meat or dairy products, no alcohol).  During the weeks of Great Lent, we will have services on Wednesdays and Fridays at 6 pm—Great Compline or Presanctified Liturgy on Wednesdays and the Akathist Hymn on Fridays.  Lenten (meatless) suppers will follow the Akathist on 21 February, 1 March, and 20 March.  Fr James will be available to hear Confession after these services.  Two evenings of Spiritual Reflection, on the topic “Our Vision:  What Our Church Should Be,” will be held on 20 and 27 February.  The Church School Lenten program, “Bible Basics,” will be Saturday 28 Feb.

Choir Will Practice on Fridays of Great Lent

On the Friday evenings of Great Lent, beginning 20 February, the choir will have a short practice either before or after the singing of the Akathist Hymn.  All members of the choir must make every effort to participate in the practices, which will concentrate on the chants for Holy Week and Pascha.  Those people who join the choir only for those services also need to come to the practices.

Bishop Nicholas’ Letter for Great Lent

Dear Clergy and Laity of the Melkite Eparchy:

     On February 16 we enter into the season of the Great Fast or Great Lent, a period of preparation for the life-saving events of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection.  It is a time of renewal for each and every one of us to refocus on our Christian living.  Through repentance we renew our minds, hearts, and deeds to conform to Christ and His teachings.  We are given these 40 days to joyfully refocus our lives.  In a sense, Great Lent is a “tithe” of the year—we give back to God our 10 percent of the year to return to a good Christian way of living through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving or good works.

     The hymns from Forgiveness Vespers set the tone of the Great Fast—a season of joy, not gloom:  “Let us enter the season of the radiant Fast with joy.  As we fast from food, let us abstain also from every passion.  Rejoicing in the virtues of the Spirit, may we persevere with love  . . . to see the Passion of Christ and his holy Resurrection.”

     Families should increase their prayer life at home along with Scripture reading.  Good works for others are a necessity and need to be put into action.  Fasting is required.  The Church provides us guidelines for fasting and each person may need to adjust the fasting style to his/her particular needs.

     The Eparchial Guidelines encourage the traditional forms of fasting and abstinence but the minimum is expected:

Fasting from all food and drink from midnight to noon on the first day of Great Lent and on the last three days of Holy Week.  Abstinence, at least from meat, is urged during the first week of the Fast, Holy Week, and all Wednesdays and Fridays until Pascha.

     Our liturgical prayers also tell us that a Fast pleasing to the Lord is “to put away all evil, to control our tongue, to forbear from anger, to abstain from lust, slander, falsehood, and perjury” (Vespers, 1^st Monday of the Fast).

     Parishes are asked to schedule the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, Great Compline, and the Akathist Hymn every week.  The exquisite Anaphora of St Basil the Great is offered on Sundays and should be chanted aloud so people may participate better in the common liturgical action.  The icon, relics, and cross processions on the first three Sundays are celebrated either at the end of the Liturgy or during the Little Entrance (since historically they were done during the Great Doxology at the end of Matins).

     The Prayer of St Ephrem should be learned by everyone to pray at home as well as at church.

     Times for Confessions should be scheduled and announced at convenient times.  We renew ourselves by confessing our sins and seeking the spiritual assistance of our loving God through our parish priests.  The abundant mercy of God abides in the Church by the presence of Christ who forgives those who come to Him in repentance.  “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he (Christ) who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9).

     I call upon each and every one of you to make the Great Fast an important “tithe” of your year—to return to the Lord with a renewed life through prayers, fasting, and good works, at home, in your local communities, and in our parishes.  Our spiritual life needs this renewal for better Christian living.

Sincerely in Christ God, X Nicholas, Eparchial Bishop of Newton