{"id":4479,"date":"2016-03-22T17:47:24","date_gmt":"2016-03-22T21:47:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/?p=4479"},"modified":"2016-03-22T17:47:24","modified_gmt":"2016-03-22T21:47:24","slug":"st-peter-newsletter-second-sunday-of-lent-st-gregory-palamas-and-a-whole-lot-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/st-peter-newsletter-second-sunday-of-lent-st-gregory-palamas-and-a-whole-lot-more\/","title":{"rendered":"St. Peter Newsletter — Second Sunday of Lent \/ St. Gregory Palamas (and a whole lot more)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The
The Second Sunday of Orthodoxy – St. Gregory Palamas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From “A Man Fully Alive<\/a>” by Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick.<\/em><\/p>\n

On the Second Sunday of Great Lent we celebrate St. Gregory Palamas, the archbishop of Thessalonica in Greece for a number of years in the 14th century, right around the same time that Geoffrey Chaucer was born, the man who wrote The Canterbury Tales.<\/p>\n

But before he became an archbishop, Gregory was a monk on the holy mountain of Athos. During his time there and also when he later became an archbishop, Gregory was involved in a controversy that cut straight to the heart of this longing for life that all of us who are sons and daughters of Adam share.<\/p>\n

At that time, there was a certain heretic named Barlaam, who was from the southern part of Italy, which was Greek-speaking at the time. Barlaam made the claim that the highest possible knowledge of God that anyone could have was through the mind, that the philosophers knew God better than the prophets and even the apostles.<\/p>\n

Gregory answered that the human mind, while a great gift from God, was not actually capable of the kind of intimate knowledge and communion that Adam had received from God, that there was something much deeper, that the Christian could actually know God and see Him with the heart, as a light shining in. And indeed, sometimes this heart knowledge of God was so powerful and so pervasive that some people were actually seeing the light of God with their physical eyes.<\/p>\n

Isn’t that why we’re here? Don’t we want to see God? Aren’t we here not just to learn about God with our minds, but truly to know Him with our hearts?<\/p>\n

Read Fr. Damick’s complete essay here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read a brief history of St. Gregory Palamas here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Annunciation Liturgy March 24, 2016 Eve<\/h2>\n
\"The
The Annunciation of the Theotokos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Feast of the Annunciation of Our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is celebrated on March 25 each year. The Feast commemorates the announcement by the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of God, would become incarnate and enter into this world through her womb.<\/p>\n

We will celebrate the feast with a Divine Liturgy on March 24, 2016 the eve of Annunciation. Divine Liturgy begins at 6:30pm.<\/p>\n

Learn more about the Annunciation on the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Lenten Service Schedule<\/h2>\n
\"Extreme
Extreme Humility<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sunday, March 27 Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas<\/strong>
\nHours 9:00am
\nDivine Liturgy 9:30am<\/p>\n

Monday, March 28<\/strong>
\nGreat Compline 6:30pm<\/p>\n

Wednesday, March 30<\/strong>
\nPresanctified Liturgy 6:30pm<\/p>\n

Friday, April 1<\/strong>
\nThird Stanza Salutations 6:30pm<\/p>\n

The St. Peter Lenten Service Schedule is available on the website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Lenten Suppers Following Wednesday Presanctified Liturgies<\/h2>\n
\"Man<\/div>\n

On Wednesday evenings following Presanctified Liturgy we will share in a light Lenten supper of lentil soup, bread and fruit. This is a practice of many churches and provides rich fellowship and sharing. Sponsors this week are John and Corgette Troutman. <\/p>\n

Additions to Calendar<\/h2>\n