{"id":26422,"date":"2017-02-28T13:49:42","date_gmt":"2017-02-28T18:49:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/?p=5790"},"modified":"2017-02-28T13:49:42","modified_gmt":"2017-02-28T18:49:42","slug":"st-peter-newsletter-february-28-2017-sunday-of-orthodoxy-presanctified-liturgy-akathist-hymn-womens-retreat-lenten-supper-talks-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/st-peter-newsletter-february-28-2017-sunday-of-orthodoxy-presanctified-liturgy-akathist-hymn-womens-retreat-lenten-supper-talks-more\/","title":{"rendered":"St. Peter Newsletter February 28, 2017 — Sunday of Orthodoxy, Presanctified Liturgy, Akathist Hymn, Women’s Retreat, Lenten Supper Talks, more…"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/p>\n

First Sunday of Great Lent
The Triumph of Orthodoxy<\/h2>\n

Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great<\/h4>\n

The Sunday of Orthodoxy is the first Sunday of Great Lent. The dominant theme of this Sunday since 843 has been that of the victory of the icons. In that year the iconoclastic controversy, which had raged on and off since 726, was finally laid to rest, and icons and their veneration were restored on the first Sunday in Lent. Ever since, this Sunday has been commemorated as the “Triumph of Orthodoxy.”<\/p>\n

The Seventh Ecumenical Council dealt predominantly with the controversy regarding icons and their place in Orthodox worship. It was convened in Nicaea in 787 by Empress Irene at the request of Tarasios, Patriarch of Constantinople. The Council was attended by 367 bishops.<\/p>\n

Almost a century before this, the iconoclastic controversy had once more shaken the foundations of both Church and State in the Byzantine empire. Excessive religious respect and the ascribed miracles to icons by some members of society, approached the point of worship (due only to God) and idolatry. This instigated excesses at the other extreme by which icons were completely taken out of the liturgical life of the Church by the Iconoclasts. The Iconophiles, on the other-hand, believed that icons served to preserve the doctrinal teachings of the Church; they considered icons to be man’s dynamic way of expressing the divine through art and beauty.<\/p>\n

An Endemousa (Regional) Synod was called in Constantinople in 843. Under Empress Theodora. The veneration of icons was solemnly proclaimed at the Hagia Sophia Cathedral. The Empress, her son Michael III, Patriarch Methodios, and monks and clergy came in procession and restored the icons in their rightful place. The day was called “Triumph of Orthodoxy.” Since that time, this event is commemorated yearly with a special service on the first Sunday of Lent, the “Sunday of Orthodoxy”.<\/p>\n

Read more on the Greek Orthodox website<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Procession of Icons Following the Liturgy<\/h2>\n

Bring your icon from home to hold them during the Procession of Icons that follows the Divine Liturgy. Children and members of the Parish Council will process around the interior of the Church led by the priest who will read the petitions. This will be followed by a reading of the Synodikon of the Seventh Ecumenical Council. <\/p>\n

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St. Basil Liturgy Celebrated During Lent<\/h2>\n

\"St.<\/p>\n

During the Lenten Sundays we celebrate St. Basil’s Liturgy instead of our usual St. John Chrysostom Liturgy. St. John’s liturgy is derived from St. Basil’s but the prayers are a bit shorter.<\/p>\n

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Liturgy for 40 Holy Martyrs on Thursday, March 9 at 6:30<\/h2>\n
\"The
The Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Presanctified Liturgy for the 40 Holy Martyrs will be held on Thursday, March 9 at 6:30.<\/p>\n

Who Were the 40 Holy Martys?<\/h4>\n

When the pagan Licinius ruled the eastern half of the Roman Empire (307-323 AD), it was his evil intent to eliminate Christianity from the lands under his control, and especially, for fear of treason, among the troops. One of his supporters was a cruel man by the name of Agricola who commanded the forces in the Armenian town of Sebaste, in what is now eastern Turkey. Among his soldiers were forty devout Christians who wielded equally well the sword of battle and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God (Eph. 6:17). These men formed an elite bodyguard. When it came to Agricola’s attention that they were Christians, he determined to force them to renounce their’ faith and bow down to the pagan gods. He gave them two alternatives:<\/p>\n

1) Either offer sacrifice to the gods and earn great honors or, 2) in the event of your disobedience, be stripped of your military rank and fall into disgrace.”<\/p>\n

The soldiers were thrown into jail to think this over…<\/p>\n

Read the full story on the Forty Holy Martyrs Church website<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Lenten Suppers — Sign-Ups and Program<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

We will hold a light Lenten supper following each Wednesday Presanctified Liturgy during Lent. This will be something like lentil soup, bread and fruit — very simple.<\/p>\n

A sign up sheet is posted on the board in the Social Hall. The dates are March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29.<\/p>\n

We also will hold brief presentations during the suppers. This year we look at Monasticism. The schedule this year:<\/p>\n