{"id":8225,"date":"2020-03-03T05:00:51","date_gmt":"2020-03-03T10:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/?p=8225"},"modified":"2020-03-03T05:00:51","modified_gmt":"2020-03-03T10:00:51","slug":"st-peter-newsletter-march-3-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/st-peter-newsletter-march-3-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"St. Peter Newsletter March 3, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

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

Theophylact the Confessor, bishop of Nicomedia; Apostle Hermas of the Seventy<\/h4>\n
\n\"The<\/p>\n

The Sunday of Orthodoxy<\/p>\n<\/div>\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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Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers at St. Paul’s on Sunday, March 8 at 5:00pm<\/h2>\n

Join area churches at St. Paul’s on Sunday, March 8 for the Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers. We will process with the icons to mark this great day of the victory of the Orthodox over the iconoclasts — a celebration held every year in every Church since 843AD at the end of the Iconoclastic Controversy.<\/p>\n

Refreshments will follow.<\/p>\n

Mark Your Calendar: Lenten Community Luncheon March 12 at Noon<\/h2>\n
 <\/div>\n
\n\"Community\n<\/div>\n

Community Luncheons are starting up! Barbara and Kosta Dionysopoulos are hosting the next Community Luncheon on Thursday, March 12 starting at noon. Appropriate lenten fare will be served. <\/p>\n

Our seniors in particular love these gathers. Please let Barbara D. know if you can attend.<\/p>\n

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A Thought From Fr. Hans<\/h2>\n
 <\/div>\n
\n\"Orthodox\n<\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n

One of the joys about being a priest is giving young boys a chance to serve at the altar. I know it will stay with them for their entire lives because many men in the 60s, 70s, and 80s told me they used to be an altar boy when they were young. They never forget it.<\/p>\n

On of the special joys of the altar boys of St. Peter’s is that they all come from different backgrounds. I tell all the boys to say the Lord’s Prayer in their native language if they know it. Once they hear another boy do it, they follow. Last Sunday we had English, Albanian, Russian and Greek said on the altar.<\/p>\n

On any given Sunday you can hear English, Arabic, Romanian, Albanian, Greek, Ukranian, Russian, Spanish and more. This is one of the characteristics I love about St. Peter’s. It is uniquely American in that America is a melting pot of many peoples.<\/p>\n

More important however, it is uniquely Orthodox in that Orthodoxy is a new nation (a new people) called out from the nations (peoples). What unites us is our faith in God and our common identity as Orthodox Christians.<\/p>\n

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Women of St. Peter’s: Women’s Retreat On Saturday, March 14, 2020<\/h2>\n

PLEASE NOTE THE NEW DATE<\/em><\/p>\n

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\n\"Women's<\/a><\/p>\n

Click image to see full schedule<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Women of St. Peter hosts the annual Lenten Retreat at St. Peter’s on Saturday, March 7. Fr. Alexis Kouri of St. Philip’s Orthodox Church in Davie, Florida, is the guest speaker.<\/p>\n

If you can help with the event, please contact Mary Copeland or Nancy Forderhase to volunteer.<\/p>\n

Please plan to attend this one day retreat. We want to support this effort with a strong showing from the Women of St. Peter’s. A $10 contributionwill pay for the food expenses.<\/p>\n

Please sign up on Sundays or RSVP to Mary Copeland at 239-298-1730 or Nancy Forderhase at 859-749-9509.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Schedule for Lenten Suppers Following Presanctified Liturgies on Wednesday<\/h2>\n
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\n\"Lenten<\/p>\n<\/div>\n