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St. George Greek Orthodox Church
9426 Little Road, New Port Richey, FL 34654
Church Office hours: MondayFriday from 9:00AM4:00PM
The Church is open daily from 8:30AM until 5:00PM
for your Spiritual needs - come and light your Candle!
Reverend Fr. Dr. Gregory Edwards, Presbyter 727-967-2178
[email protected] Church Office: 727-868-5911
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Sunday of The Prodigal Son
The Sunday of the Prodigal Son is the second Sunday of a
three-week period prior to the com-mencement of Great Lent. On the
previous Sunday, the services of the Church began to
include hymns from the Triodion, a liturgical book that contains
the services from the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, the
tenth before Pascha (Easter), through Great and Holy Satur-
day. As with the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, the
theme of this Sunday is repentance, and the focus on the parable of
the Prodigal Son leads Orthodox Christians to
contemplate the necessity of repentance in our relationship with
our Heavenly Father.
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Hymns of the Week Resurrectional Apolytikion When the stone had
been sealed by the Jews and the soldiers were guarding Thine
immaculate Body, Thou didst arise on the third day, O Saviour,
granting life unto the world. Wherefore, the powers of the Heavens
cried out to Thee, O Lifegiver: Glory to Thy Resurrec-tion, O
Christ. Glory to Thy Kingdom. Glory to Thy dispensation, O only
Friend of man.
St. Andrew Dismissal Hymn
As first of the Apostles to be called, O Andrew, broth-er of him
(Peter) who was foremost, beseech the Master of all to grant the
world peace and our souls great mercy.
St. George Dismissal Hymn Liberator of captives, defender of the
poor, physician of the sick and a champion of kings. O trophy
bearer, Great Martyr George, intercede with Christ God that our
souls be save.
Kontakion for the Feast O Father, foolishly I ran away from Your
glory, and in sin, squandered the riches You gave me. Wherefore, I
cry out to You with the voice of the Prodigal, "I have sinned
before You Compassionate Father. Receive me in repentance and take
me as one of Your hired servants."
MEMORIAL SERVICE - + +
40 day memorial for + Thomas Tom Stavros Antonio given by his
children and grandchildren
3 month memorial for +Constantinos Gust Roussakies
given by his family
3 year memorial for +Demetrios Jimmy Lekakis given by his
parents Fotios and Ourania
brothers, Alex, Phillip and their families
May their Memory be Eternal ! !
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Watch all our Church Services LIVE from your Computer, laptop or
your smartphone!
Go to www.stgeorgenpr.org
Click Watch Live at top of page!
!!!
Visit our new website www.stgeorgenpr.org
The Saturday of Souls Before Pentecost
Beginning Saturday, the day before Pentecost, we will
commemorate the departed. The schedule is as follows: Saturday of
the Souls
1st Saturday of Souls , - February 18th, 2017
8:30am Orthros 9:30am Divine Liturgy 2nd Saturday of Souls
February 25th, 2017
8:30am Orthros 9:30am Divine Liturgy 3rd Saturday of Souls March
4th, 2017
8:30am Orthros 9:30am Divine Liturgy About kolyva and names to
be commemorated in church:
You may bring kolyva and a list of names on Saturday
morning.
If you cannot prepare kolyva, Stavroula Letsos has once again
offered to donate her time and talent to make the kolyva for those
that wish to have the Church make them. The donation is $10 per
Saturday - each Kolyvo and all proceeds will go to help support St.
George. You may contact Stavroula Letsos at 727-376-5446.
Please make sure to print the names clearly for Father Gregory
to read.
Names can also be brought to the Church Office before Friday 5
p.m.
About services at cemeteries:
If you wish to have a Trisagion service at the cemetery please
contact our Church Office 727-868-5911 and schedule a day and time
for Fr Gregory to come to the cemetery.
( 18, 25 4 u ) 727-376-5446 .
$ 10
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EPISTLE St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 6:12-20
Brethren, "all things are lawful for me," but not all things are
helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved
by anything. "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for
food" -- and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is
not meant for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the
body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his
power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
Shall I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members
of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who joins himself
to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written,
"The two shall become one flesh." But he who is united to the Lord
becomes one spirit with him. Shun immorality. Every other sin which
a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against
his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the
Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your
own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body and
in your spirit which belong to God.
IZ (), . : . 15, 11 32 : . : , . . . , , . , . , . : ! : , , . ,
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GOSPEL: Sunday of the Prodigal Son The Gospel according to Luke
15:11-32 The Lord said this parable: "There was a man who had two
sons; and the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me
the share of the property that falls to me.' And he divided his
living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered
all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he
squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent
everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to
be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of
that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he
would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one
gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many
of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I
perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I
will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before
you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one
of your hired servants.' And he arose and came to his father. But
while he was yet at a dis-tance, his father saw him and had
compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son
said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you;
I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said
to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him;
and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the
fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my
son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And
they began to make merry. Now his elder son was in the field; and
as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he
said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the
fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.' But he
was angry and refused to go in. His fa-ther came out and entreated
him, but he answered his father, 'Lo, these many years I have
served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave
me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this
son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you
killed for him the fatted calf!' And he said to him, 'Son, you are
always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to
make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is
alive; he was lost, and is found.'"
A warm Thank You to the Lekakis Family and the Antonio
Family for sponsoring todays coffee hour in
Loving Memory of +Thomas Tom Antonio and
+Demetrios Jimmy Lekakis
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Prayer Corner
If you wish your name to be placed on the St. George Prayer
List, please contact our Church office. Do not call for others
be-
cause some people do not want their names to be published. The
names will remain on
the list for 40 days.
Prayer for: Daniel Scherr and Kaliope Potawsky, Alexander
Kollias,
Panagiotis, Alexandra
Please Pray for our Troops Thomas Ziongas - Eric Ian Canter
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Nicholas Artzner - Zoe Lekakis -
Constantino Paleogos -Alexi Lake
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Sunday of The Prodigal Son The name for this Sunday is taken
from the parable of our Lord Jesus Christ found in Luke 15:11-32.
The parable is the story of a man and his two sons. The youngest of
the sons asks his father to give him his inheritance. The father
does this, and soon after the son leaves and journeys to a distant
country (vv. 11-13). After the younger son arrives, he squanders
all of his possessions with prodigal living. Within a short period
of time, he wastes everything. A severe famine comes, but he has
nothing and falls into great need (vv. 13-14). He is able to find
work feeding swine, but this does not improve his situation. The
Scriptures say, He would gladly have filled his stomach with the
pods that the swine ate, but no one gave him anything (vv. 15-16).
The parable says that in the midst of his dire conditions, he came
to himself. He realized that his fathers hired servants have enough
to eat and food to spare, while he perishes with hunger. He says, I
will arise and go to my father and will say to him, Father, I have
sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to
be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants (vv.
17-19). He arose and re-turned to his father. But as he approached,
his father saw him at a great distance. The father had compassion
on his son, ran to meet him, embraced him, and kissed him. The son
admitted his sinfulness and his unworthiness to be called a son,
but in his joy at the return of his son, the father called his
servants to bring the best robe, a ring for his sons finger, and
sandals for his feet. He also called for the fatted calf to be
killed for a feast. He exclaimed, For this my son was dead and is
alive again; he was lost and is found (vv. 20-24).While they were
feasting and cele-brating the return of the prodigal son, the older
son comes and inquires about what is happening. He is told that his
brother had returned and that his father has received him with a
feast. The older brother becomes angry and will not go in to the
feast. The father comes out and pleads with him, but the older son
answers by saying he has been faithful to his father for many years
and yet the father never gave him the opportunity for such
feasting. He ex-presses his anger and jealousy over his brother who
was received in such a manner after he squandered his inher-itance
(vv. 25-30). The father responds by telling his oldest son, You are
always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we
should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is
alive again, and was lost and is found (vv. 31-32). The parable of
the Prodigal Son forms an exact icon of repentance at its different
stages. Sin is exile, enslavement to strangers, hunger. Repentance
is the return from exile to our true home; it is to receive back
our inheritance and freedom in the Fathers house. But repentance
implies action: I will rise up and go (v. 18). To repent is not
just to feel dissatisfied, but to make a decision and to act upon
it. In the words of our Lord, we also learn of three things through
this parable: the condition of the sinner, the rule of repentance,
and the greatness of Gods compassion. The reading of this parable
follows the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee so that, seeing
in the person of the Prodigal Son our own sinful condition, we
might come to our senses and return to God through repentance. For
those who have fallen into great despair over their sins thinking
that there is no forgiveness, this parable offers hope. The
Heavenly Father is patiently and lovingly waiting for our return.
There is no sin that can overcome His love for us. Finally, this
parable offers us insight into the world in which we live. It is a
world where the activities of people are disconnected and not
ordered toward the fulfillment of Gods divine purpose for life. It
is a world of incoherent pursuits, of illusory strivings, of
craving for foods and drinks that do not satisfy, a world where
nothing ultimately makes sense, and a world engulfed in untruth,
deceit and sin. It is the exact opposite of the world as created by
God and potentially recreated by his Son and Spirit. There is no
cure for the evils of our age unless we return to God. The world in
which we live is not a normal world, but a wasteland. This is why
in the Slavic tradi-tion of the Orthodox Church the reading of
Psalm 137 is added to the Matins service for this and the the
following two Sundays. This nostalgic lament of the Hebrew exiles
states: "By the streams of Babylon we sat and wept as we remembered
Zion. On the willows we hung our harps, for how could we sing the
Lords song in a strange land (Psalm 137). Here we can see the
challenge of life in this world and the alienation from God that
can happen when sin reigns in our lives. As a result of sin in our
lives, we lose the joy of communion with God, we defile and lose
our spiritual beauty, and we find ourselves far away from our real
home, our real life. In true repentance, we realize this, and we
express a deep desire to return, to recover what has been lost. On
this day the Church reminds us of what we have abandoned and lost,
and beckons us to find the desire and power to return. Our Heavenly
Fa-ther is waiting and ready to receive us with His loving
forgiveness and His saving embrace.
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Sunday Bulletin Sponsored
In Loving memory of
+Thomas Stratos Antonio 1932 - 2017
beloved father and papou! He will be greatly missed.
Tom, was also a devoted Parish Council member at St. George, New
Port Richey for many years.
One of Tom's recent projects was creating the Wall of
Remembrance in our Narthex. This was in remembrance of his late
wife + Estelle, but now
with the help of their children and parish members we are hoping
to fulfill his wish on making this
project active.
The price of $100 per plaque in honor of your departed loved
ones will run through
March 31st, 2017.
Forms can be turned in to Mary Wheatley or the Church Office.
Thank you
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Sunday Bulletin Sponsored
In Loving Memory of +Demetrios JimmyLekakis
given by his parents Fotios and Ourania
brothers, Alex, Phillip and their families
Jimmy, We Miss You! In your life you touched so many. In your
death many lives were changed.
You were an amazing young man. Without you here, our lives will
never be the same.
We miss you more than words could ever say. Even more with each
and every passing day.
We just hold onto the memories that we made and All the promises
God so graciously gave.
Resting assured when Jesus comes there will be no more sadness,
No more goodbyes, just life together eternally with Jesus by our
side.
Melinda Jones
One of the fondest memories of Jimmy was playing golf!
Therefore, to remember Jimmy the Lekakis family along with the
St. George Greek
Orthodox Church host the Annual Jimmy Lekakis Memorial Golf
Tournament.
All proceeds will go to help the Jimmy Lekakis Youth Projects at
St. George!
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Father Gregory Edwards contact information is as follows Cell:
727-967-2178 Office: 727-868-5911
Email address: [email protected] If you would like to
schedule an appointment or for confession please contact the
church office and speak with Antonia or you may contact Fr.
Gregory at 727-967-2178
,
9:00 4:00
.
727-868-5911 +. 727-967-2178
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! A big THANK YOU to all our Volunteers!
May our God bless you and your Families always!
Coffee Sponsorship It is amazing how a modest offering of
pastries and coffee after Liturgy on Sun-days can provide the spark
for so much fellowship and community feeling! Our Sunday coffee
hours not only give us a chance to visit with friends, but also to
exercise our philoxenia or hospitality, towards our guest and
newcomers to the parish, who have just participated in the Divine
Liturgy with us. Typically, our coffee hours are hosted by
Philoptochos and various ministries. But families
or groups of friends may consider hosting one as well. Consider
hosting a coffee hour to commemorate an anniversary, memorial,
birthday, name day etc. Philoptochos will continue to prepare
coffee, guide host and supply paper products.
Suggestions for refreshments are fruit, veggies, cookies, pastr
ies, croissants and bagels. Fruit juices are great for children and
non-coffee drinkers. Fasting Day suggestions are nuts, hummus,
veggies, halva, jello, dried or fresh fruit, chips and salsa and
salads. It is recommended to have at least 4 people to help set up,
serve and cleanup. If anyone would like to just sponsor items
Philoptochos will serve. Please consider
hosting. It is a small investment to bring a great deal of joy
to our Church Family! Please Contact Philoptochos President Eleni
White 727-935-4311
to schedule your date to host coffee hour!
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Upcoming Events in February February 19th @ 6:00pm St. George
Young at Heart Valentines day annual dinner dance (tickets will be
available after church or you may contact Zoe Horianopoulos
727-845-1059 or Loukia Papademetriou 813-920-9476) February 19 th,
@ 6:00PM - The 3rd Annual Greek Orthodox Youth Talent Show of Tampa
Bay St. Nich-olas Raphael and Irene Palm Harbor University Our
young dance ministry will be participating this year as well as
four other performers of our GOYA. To purchase tickets please
contact Koulla Mitchell 727-844-0620 or 727-267-0072 February 26th
- YOUTH SUNDAY ! All the children will sit in the first row
reserved for our youth. Father will focus on a childrens sermon.
Join us also for Sunday School classes which is offered every
Sunday after Holy Communion in the Kontos Community Center
FRIDAY NIGHT DINNERS IS IN NEED OF A NEW CHAIRPERSON TO ORGANIZE
THE FRIDAY NIGHT DIN-
NERS. ANYONE INTERESTED MAY CONTACT THE OFFICE AT
727-868-5911
Adult Evening Bible Study: The Adult Evening Bible Study is
still trying to find an evening that
works for everyone. Please send Fr. Gregory an email with your
prefer-ences: [email protected]
In the meantime, during Lent, which begins soon at the end of
February, we will meet following the Wednesday evening
Presanctified Liturgies
for a Lenten potluck and Lenten book study.
CARNIVAL FUN MARCH 2-5
NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR PARKING AND SMALL FOOD /BAR BOOTH
Contact co-chairs John Mastorakis 727-237-0292 Diana Psetas
727-514-9051
Or Church Office 727-868-5911
When planning your memorial service please make sure that you
contact the office and give the names of the reposed so that Father
has them in
advance and we can list them in the bulletin. In addition, if
you would like KOLYVA we ask that you contact Katina Kollias
727-849-0544 or
1-352-277-6545 directly as she prepares the Sunday KOLYVA.
mailto:[email protected]
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St. George Weekly Church Services & Church Ministries
Schedule The Church & the Church Office are open daily from
9:00AM to 4:00PM
Feel free to come to Pray and light a candle at the Church
Monday 02/13
7:00pm GOYA
Baking Angels - Prosfora (kitchen)
Tuesday 02/14
Baking Angels - Lenten cookies (kitchen)
Wednesday 02/15
6:00pm Greek School session
Thursday 02/16
6:00pm- 7:00pm - Youth dance practice 7:00pm -8:30pm - Adult
dance practice
Friday 02/17
3:00pm -6:30pm Family Friday night dinners - Kontos Hall BAKE
SALE - Philoptochos bake sale during Friday night dinners 5:30-6:30
PM, Vespers for Soul Saturday with Kolyva
5.30-6.30,
Saturday 02/18
February 18, 1st Soul Saturday, Memory of all departed Orthodox
Christians, Orthros 8:30AM & Divine Liturgy 9:30AM. EVENING:
6:00-6:45 PM Great Vespers
. 8.30 9.30. : 6.00-6.45 .
Hall Rental
Sunday 02/19
Matins 8:15 AM Divine Liturgy 9:30 AM. Memorials 10:45am Sunday
School after Holy Communion 3PM - Greek School luncheon-
Prometheaus 6PM - Youth Talent Show - Palm Harbor 6PM - Young At
Heart - Dinner Dance
8.15 9.30 M 10:45
Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem O Lord and Master of my life, take
from me the spirit of
sloth, despair, lust of power, and idle talk. But give rather
the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and
love to Thy servant. Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my
own
transgressions, and not to judge my brother, for blessed art
Thou, unto ages of ages. Amen.