St. Peter News March 28, 2022

Fifth Sunday of Great Lent
St. Mary of Egypt

The Divine Liturgy of St. Basil

Venerable Titus the wonderworker; Virgin-martyr Theodora of Palestine

Who was St. Mary of Egypt?

Our holy mother Mary was born in Egypt. She had left her parents at the age of twelve to go to Alexandria, where she spent the next seventeen years in debauchery and the greatest profligacy. Living on charity and linen-weaving, she nevertheless offered her body to any man, not being forced to it by dire necessity as were so many poor women, but as though she were consumed by the fire of a desire that nothing was able to appease.

One day, seeing a crowd of Lybians and Egyptians moving towards the port, she followed them and set sail with them for Jerusalem, offering her body to pay her fare. When they arrived in the Holy City, she followed the crowd that was thronging towards the Church of the Resurrection, it being the day of the Exaltation of the Cross. But, when she reached the threshold of the church, an invisible force prevented her entering in spite of repeated efforts on her part, although the other pilgrims were able to go in without hindrance.

Left alone in a corner of the narthex, she began to realize that it was the impurity of her life that was preventing her approaching the holy Wood. She burst into tears and smote her breast and, seeing an icon of the Mother of God, made this prayer to her: “O Sovereign Lady, who didst bear God in the flesh, I know that I should not dare to look upon thine icon, thou who are pure in soul and body, because, debauched as I am, I must fill thee with disgust. But, as the God born of thee became man in order to call sinners to repentance, come to my aid! Allow me to go into the church and prostrate before His Cross. And, as soon as I have seen the Cross, I promise that I will renounce the world and all pleasures, and follow the path of salvation that thou willest to show me.”

She felt herself suddenly freed from the power that had held her and was able to enter the church. There she fervently venerated the Holy Cross and then, returning to the icon of the Mother of God, declared herself ready to follow the path that the Virgin would show her. A voice replied to her from on high: “If you cross the Jordan, you will find rest.”

Read more on the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese website.

Fr. Thomas Hopko on “St Mary of Egypt”

On the fifth Sunday of Lent, we commemorate St. Mary of Egypt. By her example, we are reminded of the extraordinary power of repentance and God’s mercy, by which even the greatest sinner may be transformed and sanctified.

Fr. Thomas starts with a review of the Gospel reading of Mark for the Fourth Sunday of Lent and transitions to the 5th Sunday explaining how reigning with our Lord is dependent on suffering with Him.

St. Mary of Egypt

Fr. Thomas contrasts the story of the fallen, then raised Mary of Alexandria with that of another Mary– the Theotokos.

Listen here:

The Fifth Week of Great Lent

Fr. Thomas gives an overview of the services for the 5th week of Great Lent and their final emphasis on penitence and repentance.

Listen here:

Services This Week

• SUN Mar 26 — SUNDAY OF ST. JOHN OF THE LADDER Orthros 8:30am, Divine Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
• Mon Mar 27 — Great Compline 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
• Wed Mar 29 — Presanctified Liturgy 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
• Fri Mar 31 — Complete Salutations/Akathist Hymn 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
• Fri Mar 31 — Men of St. Paisios 7:30pm Social Hall

PLEASE NOTE: The Akahist Hymn scheduled for Friday March 10, has been moved to Thursday, March 9 at 6:30pm.

Planning for Palm Sunday Brunch and the Pascha Celebration — Mark you Calendars!

If there is one thing we do well at St. Peter’s, it’s our community gatherings. Mark you calendars for the Palm Sunday Brunch on Sunday, April 9, 2023 (following Divine Liturgy) and Pascha Community Dinner of Sunday, April 16 2023 (around 1pm).

Palm Sunday Menu:

• Plaki: Fresh Cod baked with celery, onions, and carrots
• Potato
• Tomato with Mediterranean seasoning
• Spaghetti with Marinara aauce

Thankyou to Katina Protopadakis for sponsoring the Palm Sunday Brunch!

Pascha Dinner Menu

• Roast leg of lamb
• Tossed salad
• Beans
• Baked lasagna

Sign up sheets are available on the tables in the social hall.

Diocese of Miami Parish Life Conference in Miami June 14-17, 2023

For more information visit the DOMSE website.

Let’s Pray the Paraklesis to the Theotokos Daily

Our goal at St. Peter’s is to have one person or family pray the Parakelsis to the Theotokos for at least one day of every month. For each day of the month, individuals or even an entire family can sign up to pray the Paraklesis in their homes on the day/s which they select.

Get more information on how to participate from the St. Peter’s website.

Cafe of Life – Sacrifice is Pleasing to God

God has given us the greatest sacrifice — His only Son Jesus. In doing so, he left us with a true example of what it means to give to the poor and less fortunate. He asks us to sacrifice as an act of worship before Him and when we obey, He will bless us.

According to The Hebrews 13:16: Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

So please be exceptionally generous during this Great Lent and donate for the hungry and homeless in our community.

Thank you, God bless and IC XC NI KA!

Pledge & Income Report – February

Contributions received in February: $31,883.
Amount of money needed to cover expenses: $28,950.
We are ahead by $2,933.

St. Peter Orthodox Church
7470 Hickory Drive
Fort Myers, FL 33967

You can also donate online:

Sign up the the Monthly DOMSE Newsletter on the DOMSE (Diocese of Miami and the Southeast) Website!

Visit the DOMSE Website (scroll to the bottom, fill in the form on the left side) to sign up for “The Light” Newsletter and DOMSE emails.

ST. PETER’S GREETERS

MARCH 2023

• Mar 05 Will Schwarz, Nader Sahawneh
• Mar 12 Al Joseph, Joe and Deb Repya
• Mar 19 Barb and Costa Dionysopoulos, Need Additional Volunteer
• Mar 26 Will Schwarz, Candice Rosen

APRIL 2023

• Apr 2 Joe and Deb Repya, Need Additional Volunteer   
• Apr 9   Dan Delorenzo, George Tsikitas
• Apr 16  Joe and Deb Repya Need Additional Volunteer
• Apr 23  Dan Delorenzo,  Need Additional Volunteer
• Apr 30  Need Additional Volunteer

We have a few Sunday’s in March and April with only one person or couple that we need to fill. If anyone else would like to volunteer, please call Joe Repya 612-270-4443.

SOCIAL HALL ALL STARS

MARCH

• TOM HALEY
• Marlene Haley
• Cheryl Morse
• Tim Morse
• Diana Najjar
• Deb Repya
• Elaine Semeretis
• Gregory Semeretis
• Dino Magas
• Jennifer Magas
• Mikala Magas
• Michael Magas

APRIL

• BARBARA DIONYSOPOULOS
• Al Joseph
• Bonnie Joseph
• Marianthi Kazakos
• Sandy Krotov
• Niki Locklear
• Ray Locklear
• Eleni Moran
• Koula Ormanidou

The Social Hall All Stars are the men and women that make St. Peter’s Social Hall happen. Thank you All Stars!

Calendar also available on the St. Peter website.

MARCH

• SUN Mar 26 — SUNDAY OF ST. JOHN OF THE LADDER Orthros 8:30am, Divine Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
• Mon Mar 27 — Great Compline 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
• Wed Mar 29 — Presanctified Liturgy 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
• Fri Mar 31 — Complete Salutations/Akathist Hymn 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
• Fri Mar 31 — Men of St. Paisios 7:30pm Social Hall

APRIL

• Sun Apr 02 — SUNDAY OF ST. MARY OF EGYPT LIVE STREAM
• Mon Apr 03 — Great Compline 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
• Wed Apr 05 — Presanctified Liturgy 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
• Fri Apr 07 — Small Compline with Canon of St. Lazarus 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
• Fri Apr 07 — CANCELLED Men of St. Paisios 7:30pm Social Hall
• Sat Apr 08 — Lazarus Saturday Liturgy 9:30am LIVE STREAM
  Baptism / Make crosses / Pancake breakfast / Children confessions – Full Schedule TBA

HOLY WEEK

• Sun Apr 09 — PALM SUNDAY LIVE STREAM
  Brunch in Social Hall following Divine Liturgy
  Bridegroom Service 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
• Mon Apr 10 — HOLY MONDAY – Bridegroom Service 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
• Tue Apr 11 — HOLY TUESDAY – Bridegroom Service 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
• Wed Apr 12 — HOLY WEDNESDAY – Holy Unction 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
• Thu Apr 13 — HOLY THURSDAY – Liturgy of the Last Supper 9:30am LIVE STREAM
  Reading of the Twelve Gospels 6:00pm (note earlier time) LIVE STREAM
• Fri Apr 14 — HOLY FRIDAY – Royal Hours 9:00am LIVE STREAM
  Decoration of Tomb of Christ 10:30am
  Taking Christ Down from the Cross 3:00pm LIVE STREAM
  Lamentations 6:30pm LIVE STREAM
  CANCELLED Men of St. Paisios 7:30pm Social Hall
• Sat Apr 15 — HOLY SATURDAY – First Resurrection Service 9:30am LIVE STREAM
  Baptims Emma Weiss baptism following the Liturgy
  Great and Holy Pascha 10:00pm LIVE STREAM
• Sun Apr 16 — Agape Vespers 11:00am LIVE STREAM
  
  Paschal Dinner in Social Hall 1:00pm / Easter egg hunt for children

A chatterbox may meet with success in this world, but he will not do so in the next. St. John of Karpathos

Abba Moses then said: “True discrimination comes to us only as a result of true humility.” Abba Moses

Take care to bridle the flesh, that it might not plunge its rider — the mind — into danger. Venerable Ephraim the Syrian

But when God dwells in a man, then the demons and passions are driven out, and the man becomes a temple of God, rifled with sanctification, filled with illumination, purity and grace. Blessed is he who sees the Lord in the innermost treasury of his heart as in a mirror. Venerables Barsanuphius the Great and John the Prophet, monks of Palestine

Your children should not hear you arguing even once, not even if you raise the tone of your voices to one another. Elder Porphyrios

• Names will remain on the list for three months.
• If you would like to keep them on longer please mention it to Fr. Hans. We will keep the names on the list for as long as the person needs prayers.
• Names will include the person who requested the prayers and the month the name will be removed.
• The permanent list includes friends and members of St. Peter’s and others including shut-ins.

Were names dropped that should have remained? Please mention it to Fr. Hans. He will add them back.

Current Prayer List

Christos
Father Demetris
Jamie
Pamela
David
Jessica
Christina (Hildreth)
Georgia and Richard and their unborn child (Chapekis)
Dionysios Chapekis)
Nancy (Forderhase)
Kayla (Palantine)
George (3/23 Chapekis)
Penelope (3/23 Chapekis)
Theodora (3/23)
Victor (3/23)
Barbara (Dusckas 3/23)
James (Dusckas 3/23)
Les (3/23
Lynn (Hurely 1/23)
Irene and unborn baby (Tsikitas 1/23)
Linda (Pappas 1/23)
Ekaterina (Chapekis 1/23)
Mikaela and unborn baby (Irena 1/23)
Lee (Hurley 1/23)
Emmanuel (Kalousdis 1/23)
Katherine (Dusckas 1/23)
Vassiliki (Diveris 1/23)
Zena Touma (Contorelli 1/23
Lamia Touma (Contorelli 1/23
Matthew (Contorelli 1/23
Emmanuel (Kaloudis 1/23)
Nicholas
Marlene (Tewis 12/22)
Tina (Johnson 12/22)
Nicholas (De Lorenzo 12/22)
Priest Anthony (Karbo 11/22)
Archpriest Dionysius (Valentine 9/12)
Anthony Presbyter (Kerr 10/22)
Angel (Ghanem 10/22)
Edgar (Chapekis 9/22)
Evthriki (Jacobse 9/22)
Christos (Johnson 8/22)
Jon Paul (Andrew 8/22)
William (Brubaker 8/22)
Peter (Tewis 8/22)
The People of Ukraine and People of Russia and all those who are suffering in the war

Permanent Prayer List

Katheryn (Tolkkinen)
Markisia (Long)
Angela (Long)
Marina (Long)
Eleni (Long)
Raphaella (Long)
Joanne (Haley)
Francine (Anton)
Corwin (Dusckas)
Corgette (Troutman)
Irina (Irina)
Seraphim (Irina)
Lidia (Irina)
Sarina (Ghanem)
Debbie (Breitenbach)
Kathy (Breitenbach)
Hope (Isadore)
John (Long)
Pantelis (Tsikita)
Marisa (Tsikita)
Barbara (Dionysopoulos)
Patricia (Evanoff)
Gabriel (Mankus)
Baby Dani (Repya)
Despina (Diversis)
Fredericos (Diveris)
Makrina and her unborn baby (Kerr)
Herman (Kerr)
Innocent (Kerr)
Nicholas (Kerr)
Paola (Jacobse)
Gregory (Yankopolos)
Pauline (Poulos)
Sergio (Kazakos)
Fran (Hansen)
Nina (Krotov)
Franklin (Pyrrson)
Demetrios (Kuchera)
Theodosios (Palis)
Theodora (Webb)
Robert (Smith)
Presbytera Rosy (in Pakistan)
James (Hord)
Vassiliki (Kontinos)
Vassiliki (Morekeas)
Vassilike (Hord)

Founders, Members, Benefactors and Friends Departed this Life

John (Hansen)
Anatoly (Kurdsjuk)
Thareni (Brooks)
Milan Evanoff
Jean (Sam)
Eleni (Pearson)
Richard (Pearson)
Fr. Stephanos (Shagoury)
Panagiota (Bea Chionis)
Anthony (Mourgis)
Anthony (Mankus)
Constantine (Houpis)
Constantine (Joseph)
Mary (Jarvis)
Panagiota Margarita (Palis)
Maria (Ninos)
Soterios (Ninos)
John (Katsigianopoulos)
George (Chionis)
Mary (Spiropoulos)
Gregory (Pappas)
Angela (Coran K
Eugene (Rust)
Robert (Jarvis)
George (Corey)
Patricia (Cotsones)

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.

EPISTLE

For the Fifth Sunday of Great Lent

Make your vows to the Lord our God, and perform them.
God is known in Judah; His Name is great in Israel.

The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews. (9:11-14)

Brethren, when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, thenthrough the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), Heentered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but His ownblood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the bloodof goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself withoutblemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

GOSPEL

For the Fifth Sunday of Great Lent

The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark. (10:32-45)

At that time, Jesus took His twelve Disciples, and began to tell them what was to happento Him, saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of man will be delivered tothe chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles. And they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit upon Him, and kill Him; and after three days He will rise.”

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to Him, and said to Him, “Teacher, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire” And Jesus said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And they said to Him, “Grant us to sit, one at Thy right hand and one at Thy left, in Thy glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” And they said to Him, “We are able.”

And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized. But to sit at My right hand or at My left is not Mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to Him and said to them, “You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be servant of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”