{"id":6537,"date":"2018-02-20T12:47:49","date_gmt":"2018-02-20T17:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/?p=6537"},"modified":"2018-02-20T12:47:49","modified_gmt":"2018-02-20T17:47:49","slug":"st-peter-newsletter-february-20-2018-first-sunday-of-lent-triumph-of-orthodoxy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/st-peter-newsletter-february-20-2018-first-sunday-of-lent-triumph-of-orthodoxy\/","title":{"rendered":"St. Peter Newsletter February 20, 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

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

Tarasios the Confessor, Archbishop of Constantinople; Hieromartyr Reginos, Bishop of Skopelos; Hieromartyr Markellos, Bishop of Apamea in Syria; Martyr Alexander of Markianopolis<\/h4>\n
\"The
The Restoration of Icons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\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

Children, 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

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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Saturday of the Souls Liturgy – Saturday, February 24, 2017<\/h2>\n

Our Saturday of the Souls liturgy will be held on Saturday, February 24, 2017 starting at 9:00am.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Saturday of Souls is a day set aside for commemoration of the dead within the liturgical year of the Orthodox Church. Saturday is a traditional day for prayer for the dead, because Christ lay dead in the Tomb on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Bring kollyva (boiled wheat) if you can but even if you can’t bring the names of your deceased loved ones anyway. We will hold a memorial service for them after the Divine Liturgy.<\/p>\n

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Lenten Women’s Retreat on Saturday, March 3, 2018<\/h2>\n
\"The
The Annunciation of the Theotokos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Lenten Retreat for women will be held at St. Peter’s on Saturday, March 3, 2018. The women from St. Paul’s will join us.<\/p>\n

The topic will be on the Theotokos as our teacher and guide. Fr. Hans and Fr. Paul Girgis will be the presenters. The retreat begins at 9:00am.<\/p>\n

Please register by using the form on the website<\/a> or at Church on Sundays.<\/em><\/p>\n

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

\"Man<\/p>\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.<\/p>\n

During the supper we will have a very short presentation on a theme particular to Lent.<\/p>\n

Thank you to John and Corgette Troutman who is supplying the first supper on Wednesday, March 21. Liturgy begins at 6:30pm.<\/p>\n

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Interfaith Charities Needs Our Help!<\/h2>\n

\"Interfaith<\/p>\n

Interfaith Charities has asked us to help supply:<\/p>\n