FEBRUARY 2021

St. Blaise February 11

Ἀπολυτίκιον. Ἦχος δʹ.

Καὶ τρόπων μέτοχος, καὶ θρόνων διάδοχος, τῶν Ἀποστόλων γενόμενος,

τὴν πρᾶξιν εὗρες Θεόπνευστε, εἰς θεωρίας ἐπίβασιν·

διὰ τοῦτο τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας ὀρθοτομῶν, καὶ τῇ πίστει ἐνήθλησας μέχρις αἵματος,

Ἱερομάρτυς Βλάσιε, πρέσβευε Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ, σωθῆναι τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν.

Apolytikion. Mode 4.

Ké trópon métochos, ke thrónon diádochos, tón Apostólon genómenos,

tín práxin évres Theópnevste, ís theorías epívasin;

diá toúto tón lógon tís alithías orthotomón, ké tí písti eníthlisas méchris ématos,

Ieromártis Vlásie, présveve Christó to Theó, sothíne tás psihás imon.

Apolytikion. Mode 4.

Becoming a partner with the Apostles in way of life and successor to their thrones,

O God inspired Saint, in the active life you found an entrance to contemplation.

Hence you rightly expounded the word of truth, and you shed your blood in struggling for the faith,

O Hieromartyr Blaise, Intercede with Christ our God, beseeching Him to save our souls.

GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA METROPOLIS OF DENVER

ST. NICHOLAS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

CHURCH BULLETIN

vol. 35 - No. 2 FEBRUARY 2021

502 SOUTH CHAPARRAL STREET, CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS 78401 MAILING ADDRESS: P. O. B0X 343

CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS 78403-0343

CHURCH PHONE: (361) 883-9843 - CHURCH FAX: (361) 883-9823 WEB PAGE: WWW.STNICHOLASGOC.NET

HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN ISAIAH

GREEK ORTHODOX METROPOLIS OF DENVER

PARISH PRIEST REVEREND FATHER JOHN HAYDEN HABY

(361) 929-8924 (cell)

Office Hours: Monday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday: 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Wednesday: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Thursday: 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

PARISH COUNCIL MEMBERS 2021

ROBIN ALLEN ELIAS P. SISSAMIS DENICE ELIADES NICHOLAS P. SISSAMIS SIMONA HODIS GEORGE J. SPENTZOS CHRISTOPHER PALFREYMAN ESTHER VALVERDE SOFIA SAKELLIS

SUNDAY SCHEDULE OF WORSHIP

FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, 2021

ORTHROS - 8:50 A.M. - DIVINE LITURGY - 10:00 A.M.

February 7 16th Sunday of Matthew

Our devout Father Parthenios, Bishop of Lampsacus. Our devout

father Luke of Mount Strion. The Holy Martyr Theopemptos the

Martyr.

EPISTLE: II Corinthians 6:1-10

GOSPEL: Matthew 25:14-30

February 14 Sunday of Canaanite

Our devout Father Auxentios of the Mountain. Our devout Father

Maron. The Holy New Martyr Nicholas the New Martyr of Corinth.

EPISTLE: II Corinthians 6:16-18; 7:1

GOSPEL: Matthew 15:21-28

February 21 Sunday of Publican and the Pharisee (The Triodion Begins Today)

Our devout Father Timothy of Symbola. Our Father among the

saints Eustathios, Patriarch of Antioch. Our father among the saints

John Scholasticos, Patriarch of Constantinople.

EPISTLE: II Timothy 3:10-15

GOSPEL: Luke 18:10-14

February 28 Sunday of the Prodigal Son

Our devout Father Basil, fellow ascetic of St. Procopius. The holy

Martyr Proterios, Archbishop of Alexandria. The holy women Kyra

and Marana.

EPISTLE: I Corinthians 6:12-20

GOSPEL: Luke 15:11-32

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ΠΡΟΓΡΑΜΜΑ ΙΕΡΟΝ ΑΚΟΛΟΥΘΙΟΝ ΔΙΑ ΤΟ ΜΗΝΑ ΦΕΒΡΟΥΑΡΙΟΥ ΤΟ 2021

ΟΡΘΡΟΣ - 8:50 Π.Μ.; ΘΕΙΑ ΛΕΙΤΟΥΡΓΙΑ – 10:00 Π.Μ. 7 Φεβρουαρίου Κυριακή ΙΣΤ΄ Ματθαίου

Τοῦ Ὁσίου Πατρὸς ἡμῶν Παρθενίου, Ἐπισκόπου Λαμψάκων. Τοῦ Ὁσίου Πατρὸς ἡμῶν Λουκᾶ, τοῦ ἐν Ἑλλάδι. Τοῦ Ἁγίου Μάρτυρος Θεοπέμπτου.

ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΣ: Β΄ Κορινθίους 6:1-10 ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΟΝ: Ματθαίoυ 25:14-30

14 Φεβρουαρίου Κυριακή Της Χαναναίας

Τοῦ Ὁσίου Πατρὸς ἡμῶν Αὐξεντίου τοῦ ἐν τῷ Βουνῷ. Τοῦ Ὁσίου Πατρὸς ἡμῶν Μάρωνος. Ὁ Ἅγιος Νεομάρτυς Νικόλαος, ὁ ἐξ Ἰχθύος τῆς Κορινθίας.

ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΣ: Β΄ Κορινθίους 6:16-18;7:1 ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΟΝ: Ματθαίoυ 15:21-28

21 Φεβρουαρίου Κυριακή τοῦ Τελώνου καί Φαρισαίου Τοῦ Ὁσίου Πατρὸς ἡμῶν Τιμοθέου, τοῦ ἐν Συμβόλοις. Τοῦ

ἐν Ἁγίοις Πατρὸς ἡμῶν Εὐσταθίου, Πατριάρχου Ἀντιοχείας τῆς μεγάλης. Ὁ ἐν Ἁγίοις Πατὴρ ἡμῶν Ἰωάννης, Πατριάρχης Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, ὁ ἀπὸ Σχολαστικῶν.

ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΣ: Β΄ Τιμόθεον 3:10-15 ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΟΝ: Λουκᾶ 18:10-14

28 Φεβρουαρίου Κυριακή τοῦ Ἀσώτου τοῦ αὐτοῦ μηνός, μνήμη τοῦ Ὁσίου Πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ Ὁμολογητοῦ Βασιλείου, συνασκητοῦ τοῦ Ἁγίου Προκοπίου. Τοῦ Ἁγίου Ἱερομάρτυρος Προτερίου, Ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἀλεξανδρείας. Τῶν Ἁγίων γυναικῶν Κύρας καὶ Μαράνας.

ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΣ: A΄ Κορινθίους 6:12-20 ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΟΝ: Λουκᾶ 15:11-32

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WEEKDAY SERVICES FOR

THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, 2021

2 February Tuesday Presentation of our Lord in the Temple

Orthros 8:30 a.m.

Divine Liturgy 9:30 a.m.

6 February Saturday Great Vespers 6:00 p.m.

13 February Saturday Great Vespers 6:00 p.m.

20 February Saturday Great Vespers 6:00 p.m.

ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡIΝΕΣ ΕΟΡΤΕΣ ΚΑI ΛΕIΤΟΥΡΓIΕΣ ΤΟΥ ΜΗΝΟΥ ΦΕΒΟΥΑΡΙΟΥ, 2021

2 Φεβρουαρίου Τρίτη Υπαπαντή του Κυρίου Ὄρθρος 8:30 π.μ. Θεία Λειτουργία 9:30 π.μ. 6 Φεβρουαρίου Σάββατον Μέγας Ἐσπερινός 6:00 μ.μ. 13 Φεβρουαρίου Σάββατον Μέγας Ἐσπερινός 6:00 μ.μ. 20 Φεβρουαρίου Σάββατον Μέγας Ἐσπερινός 6:00 μ.μ.

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As we prepare to enter Great Lent and the Great Fast, let us reflect on the following words of our Metropolitan, His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver, on the Great Fast.

As we enter into the holiest period of the year in preparation for the glorious Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we ask ourselves, "Why should we follow the discipline of fasting, which in essence is abstinence?" What is the purpose of it? Obviously the purpose is that we may be ready to meet our Lord and to receive His promise of eternal life in His Kingdom. We realize, according to Holy Scripture, that we were created to live forever; and that we will live eternally after the return of Christ to the earth, with our resurrected bodies reunited with our souls. The Lord therefore asks us to make our decision as to where we wish to live eternally. We have only two directions of which to choose. There is no other. Mankind could not save itself on its own. Since man fell from his original pristine state to the imperfect state and consequently all of his descendants after him, he has tried time and again to reach his original condition. Every pagan religion in the world taught of man's eternal existence and ways in which one could live eternally. We can mention only the Egyptian culture which established the most elaborate way one could reach to the stars and to eternal life. All failed because the imperfect can never by its own efforts attain perfection. We know the story. God in the Person of Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, out of His great love for us, came into the world in order to guide us toward Him. He tells us that His Kingdom has been prepared for us even before the world began. He entered into our human nature as one of us for the sole purpose of teaching us how we can reach perfection. He did this without interfering with our free will. For had He tampered with our free will, we would no longer be in His image. This is what distinguishes us from all other creatures of this world. We have been created in His image so that we may attain to His likeness, using our hearts and our minds to guide us. He created us to live with Him and to enjoy the works which He has created for us. Great Lent is the most appropriate time on the church calendar to begin the process of meeting the Lord, especially during the holy and inspirational services of Holy Week and more so at His glorious Resurrection. Everything in life has a time of preparation, especially man. Since we are in the process of

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MESSAGE FROM FATHER JOHN HAYDEN HABY:

becoming — no one is, only God Is — the Church affords us the time-tested discipline of preparation for the most glorious and spectacular occurrence to have taken place in the cosmos: our Lord's defeat of the power of death and His Resurrection. This preparation is the message of renewal. In His public ministry our Lord's message was "Repent!" In the original language of the Gospels the exhortation of the Lord was and is: "Change your mind; change your ways; change your direction in life." This concept of change simply said is to renew, to start over again through the right preparation. The Church teaches us that even though we are born with an imperfect nature, we are intrinsically good. Even though through our fallen nature we have the inclination to sin, meaning to go contrary to the divine will, we can still reach sainthood which is the calling of all who accept Christ as Lord, God, and Savior. In other words, even though Christ came into the world to lead us back to Him, we have the freedom to choose whether we wish to follow Him or not. We know that He humbled Himself out of His great love for us and our eternal condition because we were led astray by the evil one who deceived our progenitors in the beginning. It was Satan who has been responsible for the horrors and catastrophes in the world and who wants us to break away from God, as he did in the angelic period of God's creation. The saying is true, "Misery loves company." We, who have chosen God, prefer to live with Him. God adopts us as His children, while Satan keeps us in slavery at all times. The decision is easy. The effort takes work. The beautiful thing about this, though, is that the Lord, His holy Mother, the Theotokos, and the saints who have gone before us help us to succeed. How do we proceed in our preparation? We must prioritize our value system. God must always come first; everything and everyone else follow in their proper place. One of the basic steps in our preparation is to give more attention to our souls. We, unfortunately, do not give to our souls even equal time in our lives with our bodies. During the Lenten period we must converse with God, the ever- blessed Holy Trinity, on a daily basis and several times a day in private prayer. We should attend the special services that take place during the Great Fast along with the usual services and sacraments. Even making the sign of the Cross upon ourselves is a prayer.

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MESSAGE FROM FATHER JOHN HAYDEN:

Together with prayer, we must become selective in our diet and follow the teachings of the Church becoming vegetarians for several weeks. Physiologically this is good for the body. Theologically we remind ourselves of the Lord's words that man does not live by bread alone. In other words, we give more time to the nourishment of our souls through increased prayer time contemplating the holiness of God. For we, also, are called to become holy. We were created to be heaven bound and not earth bound. Our Lord reminds us that we live in the world, but are not of the world. Our Lord's prayer to the Father is clear when He says that He does not pray for the world, but for those who are being saved for His eternal Kingdom, our real and permanent home. During this holy period we should increase our good works in helping others and to imitate Christ Who came not to be served, but to serve. If we want to find our true calling in life, it is exactly this: to serve others. The feeling of fulfillment is phenomenal when we serve others. We should also attend retreats that take place, thereby giving ourselves more time for spiritual nourishment. All this preparation, as mentioned before, has one goal, and that is to meet our Lord, the Bridegroom of the Church, as He calls Himself regarding His Second Coming. The Parable of the Ten Virgins is a most-appropriate icon on which to reflect. Five virgins were wise and five were foolish. All were awaiting the Bridegroom, but only five were ready to receive Him. Let us therefore enter into this refreshing period of renewal in our spiritual lives, as we prepare ourselves to experience the world-changing events in the life of our Lord which herald the coming of our permanent home in the heavenly realms with our Lord Jesus Christ. May this period of the Great Fast be most edifying and sanctifying for all of God's people.

May everyone have a Blessed Lent!

Fr. John Hayden Haby

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MESSAGE FROM FATHER JOHN HAYDEN:

Hieromartyr Blaise, Bishop of Sebaste

February 11

The Hieromartyr Blaise (Blasius), Bishop of Sebaste, was

known for his righteous and devout life. Unanimously

chosen by the people, he was consecrated Bishop of Sebaste.

This occurred during the reign of the Roman emperors

Diocletian (284-305) and Licinius (307-324), fierce

persecutors of Christians. Saint Blaise encouraged his flock,

visited the imprisoned, and gave support to the martyrs.

Many hid themselves from the persecutors by going off to

desolate and solitary places. Saint Blaise also hid himself

away on Mount Argeos, where he lived in a cave. Wild beasts

came up to him and meekly waited until the saint finished

his prayer and blessed them. The saint also healed sick

animals by laying his hands upon them.

The refuge of the saint was discovered by servants of the

governor Agrilaus, who had come to capture wild beasts to

loose on the Christian martyrs. The servants reported to

their master that Christians were hiding on the mountain,

and he gave orders to arrest them. But those sent out found

there only the Bishop of Sebaste. Glorifying God Who had

summoned him to this exploit, Saint Blaise followed the

soldiers.

Along the way the saint healed the sick and worked other

miracles. Thus, a destitute widow complained to him of her

misfortune. A wolf had carried off a small pig, her only

possession. The bishop smiled and said to her, “Do not

weep, your pig will be returned to you...” To the

astonishment of everyone, the wolf came running back and

returned his prey unharmed.

Agrilaus, greeting the bishop with words of deceit, called

him a companion of the gods. The saint answered the

greeting, but he called the gods devils. Then they beat him

and led him off to prison.

On the next day, they subjected the saint to tortures again.

When they led him back to the prison, seven women

followed behind and gathered up the drops of blood. They

arrested them and tried to compel them to worship the idols.

The women pretended to consent to this and said that first

they needed to wash the idols in the waters of a lake. They

took the idols and threw them in a very deep part of the lake,

and after this the Christians were fiercely tortured. The

saints stoically endured the torments, strengthened by the

grace of God, their bodies were transformed and became

white as snow. One of the women had two young sons, who

implored their mother to help them attain the Kingdom of

Heaven, and she entrusted them to the care of Saint Blaise.

The seven holy women were beheaded.

Saint Blaise was again brought before Agrilaus, and again he

unflinchingly confessed his faith in Christ. The governor

ordered that the martyr be thrown into a lake. The saint,

going down to the water, signed himself with the Sign of the

Cross, and he walked on it as though on dry land.

Addressing the pagans standing about on shore, he

challenged them to come to him while calling on the help of

their gods. Sixty-eight men of the governor’s retinue entered

the water, and immediately drowned. The saint, however,

heeding the angel who had appeared to him, returned to

shore.

Agrilaus was in a rage over losing his finest servants, and he

gave orders to behead Saint Blaise, and the two sons of the

woman martyr entrusted to him. Before his death, the martyr

prayed for the whole world, and especially for those

honoring his memory. This occurred in about the year 316.

The relics of the Hieromartyr Blaise were brought to the West

during the time of the Crusades, and portions of the relics

are preserved in many of the lands of Europe [and his

memory traditionally honored there on February 3].

We pray to Saint Blaise for the health of domestic animals,

and for protection from wild beasts.

https://www.oca.org/saints/all-lives/2013/02/11

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Άγιος Βλάσιος επίσκοπος Σεβαστείας

Φεβουαρίου 11

Ο Άγιος Βλάσιος έζησε στα χρόνια του αυτοκράτορος Λικινίου

(308 - 323 μ.Χ.). Σπούδασε ιατρική αλλά προσέφερε χωρίς

χρήματα τις υπηρεσίες του, ως φιλανθρωπία, στους πάσχοντες και ασθενείς. Εκτός από την ιατρική βοήθεια

χορηγούσε δωρεάν στους ασθενείς τα φάρμακα και τους έδινε

τα έξοδα νοσηλείας τους. Η φιλανθρωπική δραστηριότητα εκαλλιεργείτο στην ψυχή του από την αγάπη προς τον Θεό

και τη μελέτη της Αγίας Γραφής. Η Εκκλησία τον δέχθηκε στις

τάξεις του ιερού κλήρου και τον εξέλεξε Επίσκοπο Σεβαστείας.

Επί της βασιλείας του Λικινίου, ο έπαρχος Αγρικόλας τον

συνέλαβε και τον υπέβαλε σε φρικτά βασανιστήρια. Οι στρατιώτες, αφού τον μαστίγωσαν ανηλεώς με ραβδιά, τον

κρέμασαν από ξύλο και στην συνέχεια τον οδήγησαν δεμένο

στην φυλακή. Έπειτα τον έριξαν στο βυθό μιας λίμνης. Όμως ο Άγιος, μετά την θαυματουργική του επέμβαση του Θεού,

διασώθηκε. Εξοργισθέντες τότε οι εχθροί της πίστεως τον

αποκεφάλισαν το 316 μ.Χ.. Έτσι, ο Άγιος Ιερομάρτυς Βλάσιος έλαβε από τον Κύριο της δόξας το στέφανο του μαρτυρίου.

Η Σύναξή του ετελείτο στο Μαρτύριό του, το οποίο βρισκόταν κοντά στο Μαρτύριο του Αγίου Αποστόλου Φιλίππου.

http://www.saint.gr/3635/saint.aspx

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Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee: Triodion Begins Today

February 21

The Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee is the first Sunday of a three-week period prior to the commencement of Great Lent. It marks the beginning of a time of preparation for the spiritual journey of Lent, a time for Orthodox Christians to draw closer to God through worship, prayer, fasting, and acts of charity. It is also on this day that the Triodion is introduced, a liturgical book that contains the services from this Sunday, the tenth before Pascha (Easter), to Great and Holy Saturday.

Biblical Story

The name for this Sunday is taken from the parable of our Lord Jesus Christ found in Luke 18:10-14. This is the story of two men, one a Pharisee, a member of a Jewish sect known for its diligent observance of the Law, and the other a Publican, a government official charged with the responsibility of collecting taxes. Both men enter the temple, and the Pharisee stands openly and prays, thanking God that he is not like other men, specifically extortioners, the unjust, adulterers, “or even this tax collector” (v. 11). He then begins to list his religious accomplishments by stating, “I fast twice a week, and I give tithes of all that I possess” (v. 12). In direct contrast to the pride of the Pharisee, the Publican goes to a place where he will not be noticed by others and beats his breast saying, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” (v. 13). Having told this story, Jesus affirms that it was the Publican who returned home justified and forgiven rather than the Pharisee. He states, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (v. 14). The theme of this parable is repentance. Repentance is the door through which we enter Lent, the starting-point of the journey to Pascha. To repent signifies far more than self-pity or futile regret over things done in the past. The Greek term metanoia means “change of mind.” To repent is to be renewed, to be transformed in our inward viewpoint, to attain a fresh way of looking at our

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relationship with God and with others. The fault of the Pharisee is that he has no desire to change his outlook; he is complacent, self-satisfied, and so he allows no place for God to act within him. The Gospel depicts him as a man that is pleased only with himself who thinks that he has complied with all of the requirements of religion. But in his pride, he has falsified the meaning of true religion and faith. He has reduced these to external observations, measuring his piety by the amount of money he gives. The Publican, on the other hand, truly longs for a “change of mind.” He humbles himself, and his humility justifies him before God. He becomes, in the words of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3), “poor in spirit.” He acknowledges that he is a sinner, and he knows that salvation is only found in the mercy of God. Here we find an example of true humility, an essential aspect of repentance. A “change of mind” and the transformation of our lives can only happen when we humble ourselves before God, acknowledge our willingness to turn from sin, and receive His grace into our lives. Our preparation for Lent thus begins with a prayer for humility, the beginning of true repentance. Through repentance, we can find and return to the true order of things, a restoration of our spiritual vision that will guide us in a very difficult and challenging world. By entering Great Lent in humility and repentance, we can attain deeper communion with God as we receive His forgiveness and He blesses by guiding us to greater spiritual heights.

https://www.goarch.org/publicanpharisee

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Τελώνου και Φαρισαίου (Αρχή Τριωδίου) Φεβουαρίου 21

Τριώδιο Τριώδιο ονομάζεται το Λειτουργικό Βιβλίο της Εκκλησίας μας το οποίο περιλαμβάνει τους Ύμνους των Κυριακών, απο την Κυριακή του Τελώνου και του Φαρισαίου μέχρι και το Μεγάλο Σάββατο πρίν την Τελετή της Αναστάσεως. Ονομάζεται έτσι διότι οι περισσότεροι Κανόνες του Όρθρου (πρωινή Ακολουθία) περιέχουν τρείς Ωδές ενώ συνήθως περιέχουν εννέα Ωδές - την 8η και την 9η πάντοτε, ύστερα δε διαδοχικά μία από τις πέντε πρώτες. Το Τριώδιο τοποθετείται στα Αναλόγια των Ναών μας στον Εσπερινό του Σαββάτου της Κυριακής του Τελώνου και του Φαρισαίου αφού πρώτα ο Πρωτοψάλτης το παραλάβει απο την Εικόνα του Χριστού και το ασπασθεί. Έτσι ανοίγει το Τριώδιο, περίοδος η οποία διαιρείται σε τρείς μικρότερες, δηλ. Κυριακή Τελώνου και Φαρισαίου μέχρι Κυριακή της Τυροφάγου, Καθαρά Δευτέρα μέχρι το Σάββατο Του Λαζάρου και Κυριακή των Βαίων το βράδυ μέχρι το Μεγάλο Σάββατο πρίν την Ανάσταση. Παλαιότερα στην περίοδο του τριωδίου συμπεριλαμβάνονταν και η περίοδος από την Κυριακή του Πάσχα μέχρι την Κυριακή των αγίων πάντων. Αργότερα όμως οι ιερές ακολουθίες της περιόδου αυτής περιελήφθησαν σε ιδιαίτερο λειτουργικό βιβλίο το «Πεντηκοστάριο». Για την διαμόρφωση του Τριωδίου, όπως το έχει στη χρήση της σήμερα η εκκλησία μας, έπαιξαν ρόλο όλες οι χριστιανικές γενεές από τον 5ο μέχρι τον 15ο αιώνα μ.Χ. (Το πρώτο έντυπο του Τριωδίου εξεδόθη το 1522 μ.Χ. στην Βενετία). Το γεγονός αυτό αποδεικνύεται από τις ασματικές ακολουθίες των εορτών του Αγίου Γρηγορίου του Παλαμά (Β' Κυριακή των Νηστειών), του Οσίου Ιωάννου της Κλίμακος (Δ' Κυριακή των Νηστειών), κ.α. Αποδεικνύεται επίσης από την εισαγωγή του επιτάφιου θρήνου, εγκωμίων, δηλαδή που ψάλλονται στον Επιτάφιο, και από την εισαγωγή των συναξαρίων του Νικηφόρου Καλλίστου του Ξανθόπουλου. Στην διαμόρφωση των ασματικού κύκλου του τριωδίου συνέβαλαν επίσης και διάσημοι υμνογράφοι και μελωδοί της εκκλησίας μας, όπως ο Ρωμανός ο Μελωδός, (βλέπε 1 Οκτωβρίου) και ο Ιωάννης Δαμασκηνός (βλέπε 4 Δεκεμβρίου). Το τριώδιο περισσότερο από όλα τα εκκλησιαστικά βιβλία που περιέχουν ιερές ακολουθίες οδηγεί τις ψυχές των πιστών τέκνων της ορθοδόξου εκκλησίας στην περισυλλογή και στην κατάνυξη. Για τον λόγο αυτό ονομάζεται και κατανυκτικό τριώδιο. Με τον κύκλο των εορτών του τριωδίου ανανεώνονται τα βιώματα της νηστείας, της εγκράτειας, της μετάνοιας, και της χαρμολύπης.

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Οι Κυριακές του Τριωδίου είναι οι εξής: 1. Τελώνου και Φαρισαίου 2. Ασώτου 3. Απόκρεω 4. Τυροφάγου Η πρώτη εβδομάδα, που τελειώνει την Κυριακή του Ασώτου, λέγεται και Προφωνή ή Προφωνέσιμη, επειδή παλιά προφωνούσαν, δηλαδή διαλαλούσαν ότι άρχιζαν οι αποκριές. Η εβδομάδα αυτή λέγεται και αμόλυτη ή απόλυτη, επειδή τότε οι ψυχές των πεθαμένων βγαίνουν στον Πάνω Κόσμο. Η δεύτερη εβδομάδα λέγεται Κρεατινή ή της Κρεοφάγου ή Ολόκριγια, επειδή έτρωγαν κρέας και δεν νηστεύουν Τετάρτη και Παρασκευή. Η Κυριακή της εβδομάδας αυτής, η Κυριακή της Απόκρεω, ονομάστηκε έτσι γιατί ήταν η τελευταία μέρα της κρεοφαγίας (από + κρέας) όλης της περιόδου του Τριωδίου. Η τρίτη εβδομάδα λέγεται Τυρινή ή της Τυροφάγου, επειδή έτρωγαν γαλακτοκομικά προϊόντα. Από τη Δευτέρα, μια εβδομάδα πριν την Καθαρή Δευτέρα, άρχιζε η αποχή από το κρέας και επιβαλλόταν η χρήση τυριού και γαλακτερών σαν ενδιάμεση άσκηση μεταξύ κρεοφαγίας και νηστείας. Τελώνη και του Φαρισαίου Η πρώτη Κυριακή του Τριωδίου είναι αφιερωμένη στην διδακτική παραβολή του Τελώνου και του Φαρισαίου, την οποία ο Κύριος διηγήθηκε, προκειμένου να διδάξει την αρετή της ταπεινώσεως και να στηλιτεύσει την έπαρση. Ο ευαγγελιστής Λουκάς, με τρόπο λιτό, αλλά σαφέστατο, διέσωσε την παραβολή αυτή ως εξής: «Εἶπε δὲ καὶ πρός τινας τοὺς πεποιθότας ἐφ᾿ ἑαυτοῖς ὅτι εἰσὶ δίκαιοι, καὶ ἐξουθενοῦντας τοὺς λοιπούς, τὴν παραβολὴν ταύτην· ἄνθρωποι δύο ἀνέβησαν εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν προσεύξασθαι, ὁ εἷς Φαρισαῖος καὶ ὁ ἕτερος τελώνης. ὁ Φαρισαῖος σταθεὶς πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ταῦτα προσηύχετο· ὁ Θεός, εὐχαριστῶ σοι ὅτι

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οὐκ εἰμὶ ὥσπερ οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἅρπαγες, ἄδικοι, μοιχοί, ἢ καὶ ὡς οὗτος ὁ τελώνης· νηστεύω δὶς τοῦ σαββάτου, ἀποδεκατῶ πάντα ὅσα κτῶμαι. Καὶ ὁ τελώνης μακρόθεν ἑστὼς οὐκ ἤθελεν οὐδὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐπᾶραι, ἀλλ᾿ ἔτυπτεν εἰς τὸ στῆθος αὐτοῦ λέγων· ὁ Θεός, ἱλάσθητί μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ. Λέγω ὑμῖν, κατέβη οὗτος δεδικαιωμένος εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ ἢ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος· ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται, ὁ δὲ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται». (Λουκ.18,10-14). Η τάξη των Φαρισαίων εκπροσωπούσε την υποκρισία και την εγωιστική αυτάρκεια και έπαρση. Τα μέλη της απόλυτα αποκομμένα από την υπόλοιπη ιουδαϊκή κοινωνία, αποτελούσαν, λαθεμένα, το μέτρο σύγκρισης της ευσέβειας και της ηθικής για τους Ιουδαίους. Αντίθετα οι τελώνες ήταν η προσωποποίηση της αδικίας και της αμαρτωλότητας . Ως φοροεισπράκτορες των κατακτητών Ρωμαίων διέπρατταν αδικίες, κλοπές, εκβιασμούς, τοκογλυφίες και άλλες ειδεχθείς ανομίες και γι' αυτό τους μισούσε δικαιολογημένα ο λαός. Δύο αντίθετοι τύποι της κοινωνίας, οι οποίοι εκπροσωπούσαν τις δύο αυτές τάξεις, ανέβηκαν στο ναό να προσευχηθούν. Ο πρώτος ο νομιζόμενος ευσεβής, έχοντας την αυτάρκεια της δήθεν ευσέβειάς του ως δεδομένη, στάθηκε με έπαρση μπροστά στο Θεό και άρχισε να απαριθμεί τις αρετές του, οι οποίες ήταν πραγματικές. Τις εξέθετε προκλητικότατα εις τρόπον ώστε απαιτούσε από το Θεό να τον επιβραβεύσει γι' αυτές. Για να εξαναγκάσει το Θεό έκανε και αήθη σύγκρισή του με άλλους ανθρώπους και ιδιαίτερα με τον συμπροσευχόμενό του τελώνη. Αντίθετα ο όντως αμαρτωλός τελώνης συναισθάνεται τη δεινή του κατάσταση και με συντριβή και ταπείνωση ζητεί το έλεος του Θεού. Αυτή η μετάνοιά του τον δικαιώνει μπροστά στο Θεό. Γίνεται δεκτή η προσευχή του, σε αντίθεση με τον υποκριτή Φαρισαίο, ο οποίος όχι μόνο δεν έγινε δεκτή η προσευχή του, αλλά σώρευσε στον εαυτό του περισσότερο κρίμα, εξαιτίας της εγωπάθειάς του. Οι Πατέρες της Εκκλησίας μας όρισαν να είναι αφιερωμένη η πρώτη Κυριακή του Τριωδίου στη διδακτική αυτή παραβολή του Κυρίου για να συνειδητοποιήσουν οι πιστοί πως η υπερηφάνεια είναι η αγιάτρευτη ρίζα του κακού στον άνθρωπο, η οποία τον κρατά μακριά από την αγιαστική χάρη του Θεού και πως η ταπείνωση είναι το σωτήριο αντίδοτο της καταστροφικής πορείας, που οδηγεί τον άνθρωπο η εγωπάθεια. http://www.saint.gr/99/saint.aspx

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BAPTISM: On January 16, 2021, Eric Simionsescu, son of Dr. Petru-Aurelian and Florentina Simionescu, was baptized and christmated into the Orthodox Faith. He was given the name ‘Milos’ by his godmother Ramona Aitken. Congratulations! MEMORIAL SERVICE:

On Sunday, January 31, 2021, a Memorial Service was held for the repose of the soul of Stamatina Pahos. May her memory be eternal! TRISAGION SERVICES: On Sunday, January 24, 2021, a Trisagion Service was held for the repose of the souls of Elias Piperis, Minas Piperis, Vasilios Piperis, and Rigopoula Piperis. May their memory be eternal! COFFEE HOUR:

COFFEE HOUR IS SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES: We wish everyone who has a Wedding Anniversary in February a “Happy Anniversary”. Nikolaos and Evangelia Alexiou ...................................February 4, 2017 Bill and Mary Sissamis .................................................February 6, 1999 Griffin and Georgea Haby ...........................................February 7, 2015 Theoharis and Sophia Dimarhos ................................ February 17, 2018 John and Irina Baker .................................................. February 14, 2004 Ioannis and Matina Chryssos Diakolios .................... February 18, 2012 Gilbert and Constance Sanchez ................................. February 21, 1998 George and Alyson Sabbagh ....................................... February 26, 1997

BIRTHDAYS: Eleni Paloukos ...................................................................... February 1th Pamela Carter ...................................................................... February 4th Lt. Dominic Deganutti ........................................................ February 4th Pamela Carter ..................................................................... February 4th Penelope Livaditis ................................................................ February 4th

Harry G. Plomarity .............................................................. February 4th

Tracy Andreadis................................................................. ..February 5th Sophia Massad ...................................................................... February 6th

Rev. Fr. John Haby ........................................................... .. February 8th Gregorio Solis .................................................................... .. February 8th Todd Stegall ......................................................................... February 10th

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COMMUNITY NEWS:

BIRTHDAYS, continued: Viorel Hodis ......................................................................... February 13th Ioanna Spentzos .................................................................. February 14th Vincent Noe........................................................................... February 12th Griffin Haby ........................................................................ February 18th Todd Stegall ......................................................................... February 19th Nicolas Coalson ................................................................... February 20th Jalil Hamauei ........................................................................ February 20th Demetrios Piperis ................................................................. February 20th Stephanie Gialouris Rosales ............................................... February 22nd Matina Pflaum ..................................................................... February 24th

Aaron Valverde ................................................................... February 27th

IN LOVING MEMORY: It is fitting that we remember our loved ones who have fallen asleep during the month of February. If we have omitted anyone, please let me know so we can include them in the future. The Editor Konstantinos Gouziotis ................................................. February 1, 2003 Mary Constant (Victoria, Texas) ................................ .February 2, 1987 John S. Bassous ............................................................. February 3, 1979 Tasia Paul ..................................................................... February 3, 2008 Dimitri John Kitrinas ................................................... February 4, 2009 Vasilios G. Hartofilax ................................................... February 5, 1995 Stamatina Pahos ........................................................... February 5, 2020 Elizabeth Glaros Lewis ................................................. February 5, 1998 Helen Nicols ................................................................... February 5, 1999 George Vassilaras.......................................................... February 6, 2005 Marian Alexander ......................................................... February 7, 1991 George H. Plomarity ..................................................... February 8, 1984 James Ioannou ............................................................... February 8, 1995 Achille James Psimaris ................................................. February 9, 1987 Rose Spiro ...................................................................... February 9, 2002 Nicholas Vogiatzis ........................................................ February 10, 1998 Anna Piperis ................................................................. February 10, 2005 Badseha Nicolas ............................................................ February 13, 1972 John Stratakis............................................................... February 13, 1972 Pete John Govatos ........................................................ February 15, 1967 Panagiota Kavouridou ................................................. February 16, 1990 James K. Lontos ........................................................... February 16, 2002 John G. Govatos ........................................................... February 18, 1967 Mary Lee Nicols (Nicolinakos) .................................... February 18, 1991 Lula Christos ............................................................... February 18, 2018

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COMMUNITY NEWS, continued:

IN LOVING MEMORY, continued: Peter Kopulos ............................................................... February 20, 1962 Demetrios Souris .......................................................... February 20, 1976 Clay Moore ................................................................... February 20, 2001 Naseeba Bassous ........................................................... February 20, 2002 Miltiades Zouvia........................................................... February 20, 2002 Nina Bekiarov ............................................................... February 21, 2009 Homer Cazamias .......................................................... February 22, 1993 Vick Pollakis ................................................................. February 23, 2001 William Tell Hayes ....................................................... February 23, 2010 Tom Cotter (Athanasios Hristaras) ............................ February 24, 1981 Despina G. Economides (McAllen, Texas) ................. February 26, 1955 Ann Hartofilax ............................................................. February 26, 2011 William Rozakis ........................................................... February 27, 2001

May their memory be eternal!

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COMMUNITY NEWS, continued:

FEBRUARY 2021 BULLETIN SPONSOR If you wish to be a sponsor for the church bulletin, please send to the attention of the Monthly Bulletin Editor, your check in the amount of $25.00 for each listing each month, payable to “St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church” and clearly specify “Bulletin Sponsor” on the check. The names of the sponsors and any special announcement will appear in the appropriate monthly bulletin. Thank you. The Parish Council