Sunday of the Last Judgment
Sunday of Meat Fare
Martyrs Eutropios, Kleonikos, and Basilikos of Amasea; Hieromartyr Theodoretos of Antioch
The parable of the Last Judgment is about Christian love. Not all of us are called to work for “humanity,” yet each one of us has received the gift and the grace of Christ’s love.
We know that all persons ultimately need this personal love—the recognition in them of their unique soul in which the beauty of the whole creation is reflected in a unique way.
We also know that people are in prison and are sick and thirsty and hungry because that personal love has been denied them.
And, finally, we know that however narrow and limited the framework of our personal existence, each one of us has been made responsible for a tiny part of the Kingdom of God, made responsible by that very gift of Christ’s love. Thus, on whether or not we have accepted this responsibility, on whether we have loved or refused to love, shall we be judged.
Read more on the Greek Orthodox website.
St. Peter’s Community Luncheon on Thursday, March 7, 2019 at 12:00pm
Menu
Homemade Pastichio
Greek Salad with Feta Cheese and Kalamata Olives
Bread, Dessert, Beverage
You are invited to join your St. Peter’s friends for lunch and fellowship at 12 noon on Thursday, March 7, at 12:00pm.
Barbara Dionysopoulos and friends are preparing a delicious meal for all our members. Come and join us to enjoy some good food and the company of your friends. Make some new friends too and get to know other parishioners.
Reservations are required! Please call Barbara at 239-826-1655 or sign up in the Social Hall after Divine Liturgy.
The cost is $5 per person. After food expenses all donations benefit the St. Peter building fund.
St. Peter Second Annual Bake Sale
Order your treats for Pascha by March 24 and have them delivered on Sunday, April 7 or April 17.
Items include: Spanikopita (Spinach Pie), Tiropita (Cheese Pie), Baklava, and Koulourakia (Cookies).
Order forms, pick up instructions, and more are available at Church and also on the St. Peter website.
Please note: All orders must be in by March 24, 2019.
Lent and Holy Week Schedule Posted
Click the image to view and print. Copies will also be available at Church.
Lenten Supper Schedule
Following the Presanctified Liturgies on Wednesday evenings during Great Lent, we share in a Lenten supper. During the supper a short program will be held. This year’s theme is “Orthodox Saints” and it is being organized by Nancy Forderhase.
- March 13 Wednesday Corgette Troutman
- March 20 Wednesday Corgette Troutman
- March 27 Wednesday Barbara Dionysopoulos
- April 03 Wednesday Katina Protopapadakis
- April 10 Wednesday Mary Copelan
- April 17 Wednesday Anne Breitenbach
Thank you ladies!
New Member Classes and Bible Studies Continue
Cathechumen/New Member class on Mondays at 7:00pm. Catechumens are required to attend but anyone seeking a better understanding of the Orthodox faith is encouraged to attend as well.
General and Mens Bible studies on alternating Wednesdays. See schedule below.
St. Demetrios Brotherhood meetings (for young men) moved to Thursdays at 7:00pm.
Our Stewardship to St. Peter’s: The Tree Must Bear Fruit
Please return your Stewardship Support of St. Peter’s for 2019.
We are responsible to increase what God has given us. In the Parable of the Talents, the master gave his servants talents that they are expected to nurture and grow. This is a responsibility we cannot avoid.
The Church is both a place where the increase begins on the inside of us, and to which we much give some our increase. This too is a responsibility we must take on.
A contribution form will be included in the letter you receive. Our goal this year is $200,000. We must meet this goal to avoid using our reserves. If we spend our reserves, we will not be able to obtain a mortgage to buy or build when the time comes to do so (and it will come sooner than later).
All of us may have to squeeze a bit to meet this goal. But if give, the Church flourishes and that flourishing spills over into our lives as well and the lives of our families.
We must increase what we have been given by God.
St. Paul’s Founders Day Brunch, Sunday, March 3, 2019
Our sister parish of St. Paul’s in Naples is holding their Founder’s Day Brunch on Sunday, March 3, 2019 following their Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. Bishop Nicholas will be attending.
The brunch will be held at the Quail Creek Country Club (get map and directions). If you plan to attend, leave soon after liturgy.
This is a good way to support our sister parish. So far about 10 people are committed to going including our Parish Council Members and Fr. Hans. If you plan to attend, please contact the number listed on the flyer.
Calendar At A Glance
Note: Lent and Holy Week Schedule available on the St. Peter website.
FEBRUARY
- Wednesday, February 27 — Community Bible Study at 7:00pm
- Thursday, February 28 — St. Demetrios Brotherhood at 7:00pm
MARCH
- Sat Mar 2 — First Saturday of the Souls Liturgy 9:30am
- Sun Mar 3 — MEATFARE SUNDAY
- Sun Mar 3 — Founders Day Brunch at St. Pauls (see above)
- Mon Mar 4 — Catechumen Class at 7:00pm
- Wed Mar 6 — Community Bible Study at 7:00pm
- Thu Mar 7 – Sat Mar 9 — Fr. Hans out of town
- Thu Mar 7 — Community Luncheon at 12:00pm
- Thu Mar 7 — CANCELLED St. Demetrios Brotherhood at 7:00pm
- Sat Mar 9 — Second Saturday of the Souls Liturgy AT ST. PAUL’S 9:00am
- Sun Mar 10 — SUNDAY OF FORGIVENESS / CHEESEFARE
- Sun Mar 10 — General Assembly Meeting Following Liturgy
- Sun Mar 10 — Forgiveness Vespers Following General Assembly Meeting
- Mon Mar 11 — LENT BEGINS
- Mon Mar 11 — Great Compline with Canon St. Andrew at 6:30pm
- Tue Mar 12 — Great Compline with Canon St. Andrew at 6:30pm
- Wed Mar 13 — Presanctified Liturgy at 6:30pm
- Thu Mar 14 — Great Compline with Canon St. Andrew at 6:30pm
- Fri Mar 15 — First Stanza Salutations to the Theotokos at 6:30pm
- Sat Mar 16 — Womens Retreat at St. Pauls 9:00am
- Sun Mar 17 — SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY
- Sun Mar 17 — Sunday of Orthodox Vespers Time/Place TBA
- Mon Mar 18 — Great Compline at 6:30pm
- Wed Mar 20 — Presanctified Liturgy at 6:30pm
- Fri Mar 22 — Second Stanza Salutations to the Theotokos at 6:30pm
- Sun Mar 24 — SUNDAY OF ST. GREGORY PALAMAS
- Sun Mar 25 — Annunciation Great Vespers at St. Paul’s at 6:00pm
- Mon Mar 25 — Divine Liturgy Annunciation of the Theotokos 6:30pm
- Wed Mar 27 — Presanctified Liturgy at 6:30pm
- Fri Mar 29 — Third Stanza Salutations at 5:30pm NOTE EARLIER TIME
- Sun Mar 31 — SUNDAY OF THE VENERATION OF THE CROSS
- Mon Apr 1 — Great Compline at 6:30pm
- Wed Apr 3 — Presanctified Liturgy at 6:30pm
- Fri Apr 5 — Fourth Stanza Salutations to the Theotokos at 6:30pm
UPCOMING – Mark your calendars!
- Sun Apr 21 — Palm Sunday Brunch following Liturgy
- Sun Apr 28 — PASCHA Community Dinner following Agape Vespers
- Sun May 12 — Mother’s Day Brunch following Liturgy
- Sun Jun 16 — Father’s Day Barbecue following Liturgy
Wisdom From The Elders
When someone is cursing, blaspheming, or being impudent, it is better to pretend to be busy and not listening and to say the Jesus Prayer. For, if he sees that you are paying attention to him, he may continue to curse all the more, and you can then become a cause for his demonic influence. If, however, one is not impudent but is conscientious and curses out of a bad habit, you can say something to him. If, again, one is conscientious but has a great deal of egoism, you must be careful not to speak sternly to him but, rather, you have to be as humble as you can and speak to him with pain. Saint Paisios of Mount Athos
In a word, a man who has acquired the Holy Spirit becomes totally renewed; he becomes different (here is the root of the wonderful Russian word for monk, inok—one who is “different”) in mind, heart and will. Abbot Nikon Vorobiev
In order to live spiritually and draw breath from grace, we must continually exhale the ashes of sin. St. Ignatius Brianchaninov
St. Seraphim tells us: “It is easy to humble yourself before God, while to humble yourself before people is more difficult.” Indeed, it is precisely the ability or inability to humble ourselves before our neighbors that shows whether or not there is real repentance within us: whether or not we are walking along the right path of spiritual life. You must work on this. Bishop Photii of Traditza
It is preferable for a sensitive person to die once out of love in order to protect his neighbour, rather than be neglectful or cowardly and then to be constantly tormented by his conscience for the rest of his life. Saint Paisios of Mount Athos
The more days of fasting there are, the better the healing is; the longer the period of abstinence, the more abundant the gain of salvation is. Blessed Augustine
Remember in Your Prayers
Bryan, Carolina, their unborn baby
Athanasia
Alexandra
Constantina
Maryanne (E)
Ron (E)
Tim
Robert (J)
Mary (J)
Helen (Rogers)
Doug Spencer
Kathy Spencer
Kathy D
Andreas
Sofia Tešanovic
Paul
Dennis H. and Family
Victor Evan
Ann
James
Vasiliki
Efstratia
Alexandra
Nikos
Georgia
Ioannis
Costandino
Jeffrey
Vaso
Dave
Dimitri – Presbyter
Vassiliki
Octavio
Tom
Carl
Rena
Nikolay (5 year old boy in Bulgaria whose parents asked us to pray)
David
Eva K.
Rosie
Kathryn
Jeremy
Constantine
Robert
Jane
Theodora
David
Gina
Micheal
Haralambos
Lillian
Presbytera Rosy
Valentina
Eva W.
Barbara
Angela
Carol Ann
Matthew
Chrysostom
Tim
Pat
Christina
Maria Louise
Maximos
Marian
Photini
Nicholas
Sarah
Constantine Houpis
Anna Marie Smith Baker
Ron Chromulak
Beverly Chromulak
Katerina
Mary Kassis
Baby Maximus
Christine
Maria
Annette Star
Claire Livaditis
Eva Chandilles
Baby Dani
Scott Nedoff
James Hord
Tom
How should we pray for the sick? Remember them daily. Say their names (first names are sufficient) and ask God to bestow mercy and grace on them.
Add or remove names and print this list for easy reference during your prayer time on the St. Peter website.
Sunday Readings
Epistle
For Sunday of the Last Judgment
The Lord is my strength and my praise.
The Lord chastising hath chastised me, but He hath not delivered me over to death.
The Reading from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. (8:8-9:2)
Brethren, food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. Only take care, lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if any one sees you—a man of knowledge—at table in an idol’s temple, might he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak man is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food is a cause of my brother’s falling, I will never eat meat, lest I cause my brother to fall. Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
Gospel
For Sunday of the Last Judgment
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (25:31-46)
The Lord said, “When the Son of man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and He will place the sheep at His right hand, but the goats at the left.
Then the King will say to those at His right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me.’
Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see Thee hungry and feed Thee, or thirsty and give Thee drink? And when did we see Thee a stranger and welcome Thee, or naked and clothe Thee? And when did we see Thee sick or in prison and visit Thee?’
And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
Then He will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see Thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to Thee?’ Then He will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to Me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
