1931 Sumter Street C o l u m b i a, S C 2 9 2 0 1 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED NON PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID COLUMBIA, SC PERMIT 617 H O L Y TRI NI TY GR E E K O R THO DO X CH U R C H Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 1931 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29201 803-252-6758 (phone) 803-254-6197 (fax) F E B R U A R Y MONTHLY MESSAGE Elder Sophrony: "Every Divine Liturgy is a Theophany" By Elder Sophrony of Essex For us Christians the central point of the universe and the highest meaning of the history of the world is the coming of Jesus Christ, Who will not deny the archetypes of the Old Testament, but He will verify them, revealing to us their true grandeur and will give new dimensions to all things, eternal and endless. The new Covenant of Christ announces the beginning of a new period in the history of mankind. Now the divine sphere radiates into the uncharted greatness of the love and humility of our God and Father, and the coming of Christ will change everything, will bring the new revelation that will affect the fate of the whole creation, the whole world. 2 0 1 5 And so He appeared. He to whom the world owed its creation, except with rare exceptions, "the world did not recognize Him" (Jn. 1:10). The event was immeasurably above the perception of an ordinary man. The first who recognized Him was John the Baptist, which is why He said of him: "Among them that are born of women there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist" and that he is the end of the law and the prophets (Matt. 11:9-13). He came "to save the world" (Jn. 12:47), to reveal to us the one true God. He revealed to us the Father's name. He gave to us the words He received from the Father. He revealed to us God as Light that dispels all darkness (1 Jn. 1:5). He acquainted us with the rarest mystery of all, that God is a hypostatic existence, though not one person but three in one: The Trinity. He gave to us the baptism "in the Holy Spirit and fire" (Matt. 3:11). In light of this knowledge we can now see the path to eternal perfection (Matt. 5:48). We feel His divine presence within us, outside of us, at the highest grandeur of the universe, in the face of man and in the radiant intellect. And in the hours that the continued on next page unwaning light illuminates our hearts we realize that we will not die. We know this with knowledge that cannot be proved by the usual means, but which for us does not need proof, as long as the Spirit itself bears witness within us. We Orthodox live Christ in the Divine Liturgy, or rather Christ lives within us during the duration of the Divine Liturgy. The Divine Liturgy is the work of God. We say: "It is time for the Lord to act." Among other things, this means that now is the time for the Lord to act. Christ liturgizes, and we live with Christ. The Divine Liturgy is the way we know God and the way God becomes known to us. Christ celebrated the Divine Liturgy once and this passed into eternity. His divinized human nature came to the Divine Liturgy. We know Christ specifically in the Divine Liturgy. The Divine Liturgy we celebrate is the same Divine Liturgy which was done by Christ on Great Thursday in the Mystical Supper. The 14th through the 16th chapters of the Gospel according to John is one Divine Liturgy. So in the Divine Liturgy we understand Holy Scripture. The early Church lived without a New Testament, but not without the Divine Liturgy. The first records, the written hymns, exist in the Divine Liturgy. In the Divine Liturgy we live Christ and understand His word. As Christ cleansed His Disciples with his word and said to them: "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you” (John 15:3) and He washed the feet of His Disciples with water, during the Sacred Washing, so also in the first section of the Divine Liturgy He cleanses us that we might attend later His Table of love. The purpose of the Divine Liturgy is to convey Christ to us. The Divine Liturgy teaches us an ethos, the ethos of humility. As Christ sacrificed Himself, so also should we sacrifice ourselves. The type of the Divine Liturgy is the type of impoverishment for us. In the Divine Liturgy we try to be humbled, because we have the sense that there is the humble God. Every Divine Liturgy is a Theophany. The Body of Christ appears. Every member of the Church is an icon of the Kingdom of God. After the Divine Liturgy we must continue to iconify the Kingdom of God, keeping His commandments. The glory of Christ is for Him to bear His fruit in every member. This explains His words: "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit" (John 15:8). The Divine Liturgy took place once and forever. It has eternality. Every time the Divine Liturgy is performed, we ascend to its height. If we experience some aspects of the Divine Liturgy, then we will understand its grandeur, as happened with Saint Seraphim of Sarov who saw angels entering the church during the Small Entrance. We follow the Divine Liturgy because we do not experience it, or until we do experience it. When one observes the commandments of Christ, they are not just doing obedience, but they become united with Christ and acquire the mind of Christ. LEADERSHIP STAFF The Reverend Father Michael Platanis, Protopresbyter 2015 Parish Council: Peter Postal, President, Drew Theodore, Vice President, Lee Tsiantis, Treasurer, Maria Bates, Secretary, Tommy Billas, Celso Bolet, Elizabeth Chiarel, James Leventis, Robert Lewis, Mike Psillos, Nick Pournaras, Elizabeth Render and Jane Schwantes Donna Ackmann, Office A dministrator Michael Hart, Financial A dministrator Despina Houlis, Choir Director Michael Payne, Custodian Maria Shelley, Director of Ministries www.holytrinitysc.com (website) [email protected] (e-mail) CELEBRATING OVER 75 YEARS MARCH GENERAL CALENDAR AND SERVICES Sunday, March 1 8:45 AM - Orthros 10:00 AM - Divine Liturgy No Sunday school Tuesday, March 3 7:30 AM - Breakfast fellowship Wednesday, March 4 9:30 AM - Presanctified Liturgy 5:30 PM - Great Compline Friday, March 6 7:00 PM - Salutations Saturday, March 7 6:00 PM - Great Vespers Wednesday, March 25 Annunciation 9:30 AM - Divine Liturgy Friday, March 27 7:00 PM - Akathist Saturday, March 286:00 PM - Great Vespers Sunday, March 29 8:45 AM - Orthros 10:00 AM - Divine Liturgy Sunday school Tuesday, March 31 7:30 AM - Breakfast fellowship Sunday, March 8 8:45 AM - Orthros 10:00 AM - Divine Liturgy Sunday school NOTE: This schedule is subject to change. Please consult the March bulletin for final dates and times. Tuesday, March 10 7:30 AM - Breakfast fellowship Weekly updates can be found online at holytrinitysc.com. Wednesday, March 11 9:30 AM - Presanctified Liturgy 5:30 PM - Great Compline Friday, March 137:00 PM - Salutations Saturday, March 14 6:00 PM - Great Vespers Sunday, March 15 8:45 AM - Orthros 10:00 AM - Divine Liturgy Sunday school Tuesday, March 17 7:30 AM - Breakfast fellowship Wednesday, March 18 9:30 AM - Presanctified Liturgy 5:30 PM - Great Compline OUR NEWS ETERNAL MEMORY: Anthony Joel Martin - November 24, 2014 BAPTISM: 11/9 - Zoi - daughter of Seraphim and Lacey Haftoglou Sponsors - Tryfon and Suzie Chatzopoulos 12/14 - Helen - daughter of Chad and Kathryn Graham Sponsors - James and Ami Leventis 12/21 - Nikolas - son of Andrew and Shannon Smith Sponsor - Joseph Studemeyer Thank you to the following people who have volunteer ed to host coffee hour after liturgy for February. February 1 February 8 February 15 February 22 Elle Wilson and Diedre Kleckley Joanna Graham and Kathryn Graham Maria English and Helen Bykalo Marina Saliaris and Eleni Haftoglou WELCOME COMMITTEE February 1 February 8 February 15 February 22 Dale Rothman and George Mavroftas Mark and Anna Maria Hobbs Carol Pittman and Gerry Smoak Margie Malone and Anita Rickman Friday, March 20 7:00 PM - Salutations Saturday, March 21 6:00 PM - Great Vespers Sunday, March 22 8:45 AM - Orthros 10:00 AM - Divine Liturgy No Sunday school We WELCOME the return of George Kordis and his crew. If you are interested in preparing or sponsoring a meal during their stay, please contact Donna at [email protected], or sign up in the church hall. What St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyva and St. Paisios the Athonite Said About Each Other Sunday, February 8 - 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm - Join us at the Irmo Plex for “Warm Hearts & Cold Toes” after liturgy. Sometimes we forget that people in need are hungry all year, not just at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Please bring a few canned goods or non-perishable items to the Plex and trade them in for ice skates and a chance to play on the ice all together! Food will be collected and delivered to Harvest Hope. So let’s all warm hearts while we freeze our toes (and other parts of the body too)! If you are new to ice skating, we strongly recommend wearing your bicycle helmet to be safe; mittens or gloves would be smart choices for everyone. No charge for any youth attending (parents are welcome to join us). Wednesday, February 18 - JOY/HOPE Youth with Father Michael. Paraclesis begins at 5:30 pm. Immediately following, all youth ages 4 years - 6th grade are invited to join us for pizza around 6:15 pm. Fr. Michael will meet with our older JOY students while the younger ones engage in a craft activity. Then we switch and Fr. Michael will meet with the HOPE youth while the older ones enjoy fellowship and fun. Parents, please return to pick up the children no later than 7:30 pm. JUNIOR CHOIR - Wednesday, February 4 - rehearsal begins at 5:30 pm in the upstairs choir room of the fellowship hall. All youth in grades 1 - 6 are invited to come ready to sing. In addition to learning selections from the Lenten Salutations services, the Junior Choir will also be an important part of the Consecretation Celebration this year. Children practice during Paraclesis (5:30 on Wednesdays) to give parents a chance to focus on praying and worship in church. NOTE: This will be the only practice in February. SUNDAY SCHOOL - Oratorical Festival and Share Sunday February 22 By Hieromonk Christodoulos the Athonite One morning in 1981, when I was a young monk, I went to see Elder Paisios, to ask him if there was another contemporary holy elder through whom Divine Grace was at work... His response was clear: "There is Elder Porphyrios, who is in a great spiritual state and is a sanctified figure. You should go and visit him, when you can, because he is an old man and may repose." "You should go to him. He is in a very great state!" It was refreshing to see how Elder Paisios and Elder Porphyrios thought of each other. A certain monk asked Elder Paisios: "Elder, I want to see you about a certain problem that I discussed with Elder Porphyrios." Elder Paisios told him: "If you discussed it with Elder Porphyrios, then you don't need to discuss it with me, because he bears the gift of having a color television, while mine is black and white." The Elder had such a humble I asked where I could find him, mind. Elder Porphyrios would and he told me that he lives in tell us: an hesychasterion in Nea Palatia in Oropos. "The Grace of Elder Paisios has greater value than mine, My first question was an- because he acquired it after swered, but now I had a second labor and ascetic sweat, while question to have answered: God gave me it completely free, when I was young, for the sole "I wanted you to tell me about reason to help the brethren." another, if you knew someone else, who is in the same state. No matter where he lives - either here at the Holy Mountain or elsewhere - no matter where he is, I want to visit him." Elder Paisios, speaking again of Elder Porphyrios, responded: tion of various issues that were in order for the day. Elder Paisios is Officially Canonized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate During this, the Holy and Sacred Synod a) unanimously accepted the proposition of the Canonical Committee to record in the List of Saints of the Orthodox Church the monk Paisios the Athonite and b) at the proposal of His All Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, by canonical vote has unanimously chosen the All Revered Archimandrite Irenaeos Avramides to serve in Paris as an Auxiliary Bishop under His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, under the title of the erstwhile brilliant Diocese of Reggio. It was announced this morning From the Patriarchate, on the that the Holy Synod of the 13th of January 2015 Ecumenical Patriarchate has officially numbered Elder Paisios the Athonite among the saints of the Church. Below is the official press release of the Ecumenical Patriarchate concerning the canonization of Elder Paisios: Under the presidency of His All Holiness, the Holy and Sacred Synod convened in its regulated session today, Tuesday, 13 January 2015, for the examina- Sunday, February 8 - 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm - Join us at the Irmo Plex for “Warm Hearts & Cold Toes” after liturgy. Sometimes we forget that people in need are hungry all year, not just at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Please bring a few canned goods or non-perishable items to the Plex and trade them in for ice skates and a chance to play on the ice all together! Food will be collected and delivered to Harvest Hope. So let’s all warm hearts while we freeze our toes (and other parts of the body too)! If you are new to ice skating, we strongly recommend wearing your bicycle helmet to be safe; mittens or gloves would be smart choices for everyone. No charge for any youth attending. Wednesday, February 25 - GOYA Youth with Father Michael. All youth in Grades 7 - 12 should attend. Please consider arriving for Paraclesis worship at 5:30 pm. As soon as the service is finished around 6:15 pm, teens are invited to meet with Father Michael in the parish hall for pizza, discussion, and fellowship! This is your teen’s chance to get to know Father Michael, ask him questions, share what is important, and decide how they want GOYA to grow. Parents, this is YOUR chance to have an hour to yourselves knowing that your teen is growing in good hands! The meeting wraps up by 7:30 pm. A look ahead to March March 6 - 8 - GOYA Lenten Retreat (Diakonia Center) March 13 - 15 - Family Retreat (Diakonia Center) (See flyer in bulletin for more information) March 20 - Salutations Lenten Meal sponsored by JOY and GOYA March 20 - 22 - Women’s Retreat (Diakonia Center) March 22 - AHEPA Greek Independence Day Luncheon The Sacred Services and Hymns for Saint Paisios the Athonite Flashback to December…GOYA Winter Youth Rally 2014 Atlanta, GA Apolytikion in the First Tone The offspring of Farasa, and the adornment of Athos, and the imitator and equal in honor of the venerable ones from ages past; let us honor Paisios O faithful, the vessel full of graces, who hastens speedily to the pious faithful who cry out: Glory to Him Who gave you strength, Glory to Him Who crowned you, Glory to Him Who grants through you healings for all. Kontakion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone The most-famed ascetic of the Holy Mountain, and the newly-illumined luminary of the Church, let us praise him with hymns with all our heart, for he leads the faithful towards a life of excellence, filling them with rivers of gifts, therefore we cry out: Rejoice, Father Paisios. Synaxarion On the twelfth day of this month, the memory of our venerable Father Paisios the New the Athonite, who was perfected in peace in the year 1994. Verses Paisios, the tree of Mount Athos, You were shown to be full of fruit, most-venerable one. On the twelfth, Paisios reposed. Megalynarion Rejoice the communicant with the Venerable, the pride of Athos, the adornment of monastics; rejoice the new teacher of the Church, godlyminded Paisios, our boast. Holy Trinity’s Nea Zoe dance team brings home the Gold Medal and the Folk Expression Award at HDF 2015!!! Adult Choir - rehearsals on Thursdays at 6:00 pm. Note: No adult choir rehearsal on February 12. On behalf of our Holy Trinity Choir, I would like to thank the community for their patronage in selecting our Christmas CD. I am also excited to announce that in late January we will have a recording engineer tape the Divine Liturgy, and CDs produced from this professional recording will soon be made available to the parish. Later, this spring, our Junior Choir will be singing in the Salutations service to the Theotokos. We will also be hosting a series of Choir Consecration Workshops that will involve choir members from other parishes coming together to glorify God through music. Again, thank you for your support and I encourage anyone interested in joining our choir to contact me Despina ([email protected]) Wednesday, February 4 - Bible Study - Just after Paraclesis (beginning at 5:30 pm) join us in the church at 6:15 pm as we continue to explore the Gospel of John in a relaxed discussion with Father Michael. Tuesday Morning Fellowship Breakfast weekly at 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM. Parish Council Tuesday, February 17 - Parish Council Meeting Our youth would like to say THANK YOU, HOLY TRINITY, for supporting GOYA through the Christmas Eve luminary sales and the Nea Zoe dancers at the annual HDF Spaghetti Luncheon in December. Your contributions make it possible for our youth to participate in the Winter Youth Rally, Hellenic Dance Festival, and in a variety of activities throughout the year like this month’s food drive/ice-skating event. Please look out for information on the upcoming Community Lenten Symposium & Meal that our youth will be offering as a way to extend their gratitude to everyone at Holy Trinity. YOUNG AT HEART Luncheon & Bingo Saturday February 14 at 12:30 pm in the Coffee Hour Room at Holy Trinity Please call Judy Damon at 736-7835 For all parishioners age 55 and up Cost: $7.00 per person FEBRUARY 2015 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat PANGARI DUTY FOR FEBRUARY February 1 Maria Bates and Tommy Billas February 8 Tommy Billas and Mike Psillos February 15 Mike Psillos and Peter Postal February 22 Peter Postal and Jane Schwantes 1 16th Sunday of Luke 2 3 4 Orthros: Liturgy: Presentation Of Our Lord Divine Liturgy - 9:30 AM Breakfast Fellowship 7:30 AM Paraclesis - 5:30 PM 8:45 AM 10:00 AM Orthros: Liturgy: 9 8:45 AM 10:00 AM Sunday School Ice Skating - 2:00 PM 15 Judgement Sunday (Meatfare) Orthros: Liturgy: 16 8:45 AM 10:00 AM 7 Great Vespers 6:00 PM Adult Choir - 6:00 PM 10 11 12 Breakfast Fellowship 7:30 AM Paraclesis - 5:30 PM No Adult Choir Haralambos the Martyr Divine Liturgy 9:30 AM No Junior Choir 17 18 19 Breakfast Fellowship 7:30 AM Paraclesis - 5:30 PM Adult Choir - 6:00 PM 13 Parish Council 5:30 PM 22 Forgiveness Sunday 23 LENT BEGINS 24 Breakfast Fellowship 7:30 AM (Cheesefare) Great Canon I - 5:30 PM 25 Presanctified Liturgy - 9:30 AM Great Canon III Great Canon II - 5:30 PM 5:30 PM GOYA - 6:15 PM 14 Saturday of Souls Divine Liturgy - 9:30 AM Young at Heart 12:30 PM Great Vespers 6:00 PM 20 21 Saturday of Souls Divine Liturgy - 9:30 AM JOY & HOPE - 6:15 PM Sunday School Orthros: 8:45 AM Liturgy: 10:00 AM No Sunday School Share Sunday 6 Junior Choir - 5:30 PM Sunday School 8 17th Sunday of Luke 5 Great Vespers 6:00 PM 26 27 28 Great Canon IV 5:30 PM Salutations 7:00 PM Saturday of Souls Divine Liturgy - 9:30 AM Adult Choir - 6:00 PM Great Vespers 6:00 PM
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