Sunday, February 15, 2026
Sunday of the Last Judgement

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Today’s Readings:

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 8:8-9:2
Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46

Schedule of Services:

-Saturday, Great Vespers at 4pm.
-Sunday, Divine Liturgy at 10am. Hours begin at 9:40am.

 

Announcements:

-Thank you to the Lopes’ and Michael for hosting coffee hour today.
-Especially at this time, please remember in your prayers, Stephanie and
Forrest.
-There is Church School and a Sisterhood meeting today.
-Fr. Tristan will be unavailable from Monday, February 16th to Thursday
morning, February 19th. In case of any pastoral needs, please contact Fr.
Gary Breton, our Dean, at 732-458-9032. Feel free to let Fr. Dn. Corrado
know of any pastoral emergencies, as well. Furthermore, Fr. Tristan will be
attending a deanery meeting, along with the clergy of our deanery, on
Thursday, February 19th.
-Today is Meatfare Sunday. That means that this week, we are guided to
take meat out of our diets. Great Lent will begin next week. This also
means that Forgiveness Sunday is next Sunday. Please be present at church
next Sunday, so we can all participate in the Rite of Forgiveness with one
another and begin Lent on a good start, with forgiveness as the foundation
upon which we build up to the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ.
Please see Fr. Tristan regarding any fasting questions/concerns, and check
the calendar regarding our 6:30pm Canon services next week concluding
with Pre-sanctified Liturgy (with pot-luck) on Friday.
-Regarding Confessions during Lent. During Lent we will be offered many
services to attend. For example, the first week of Lent, we will have services
everyday. Then, we will have Presanctified Liturgies throughout Lent, as
well, along with our regular services. When finding a day to come to
confession, please do not do so on a Sunday. Sunday morning confessions
are to be reserved for those who cannot attend other services due to real
health and bodily reasons. Furthermore, please schedule your confession
before Holy Week, so Holy Week can be devoted to focusing strictly on
Christ. Indeed, the 40 days of Lent are over once Holy Week begins. In the
Alexandrian tradition, for example, the time of Holy Week is actually called
Pascha, which encompasses the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ all
together.
-His Eminence, Archbishop Michael, will be visiting our parish on the
weekend of the Lenten commemoration of St. Gregory Palamas, Saturday,
March 7th for Great Vespers and Sunday, March 8th for Divine Liturgy.
On the 8th, we will greet His Eminence at 9:30am. Following Liturgy, we
will enjoy fellowship in the hall with our Bishop.
-This year’s Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers will be held on Sunday, March
1st at St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church (ACROD), Perth Amboy,
NJ. As in the past, we are inviting members of our parish choirs to join The
Spirit of Orthodoxy Choir in singing the responses this day.

 

Prayers for:

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Departed: Danielle, Helen, Raymonde, Ireni, Subdeacon Michael, Mary
Living: Stephanie and Forrest, Antonia, Carol, Archpriest Vladimir, Cristi,
Pamela, Nissa, Natalie, Lawrence, John, Jeannine, Bernard, Nicholas,
Galina, Alexey, Sergei, Liona, Amelia, Vera, Eleonora, John, and Ted.

Words for the Day:

Do not say: "I have sinned much, and therefore I am not bold enough to fall
down before God." Do not despair. Simply do not increase your sins in
despair and, with the help of the All-merciful One, you will not be put to
shame. For He said, "he who comes to Me I will not cast out." (John.
6:37) And so, be bold and believe that He is pure and cleanses those who
draw near to Him. If you want to accomplish true repentance, show it with
your deeds. If you have fallen into pride, show humility; if into drunkenness,
show sobriety; if into defilement, show purity of life. For it is said, "Turn
away from evil and do good." (I Pet. 3:11)
(St. Gennadius of Constantinople, The Golden Chain, 87-89)
Seek the simplest in all things, in food, clothing, without being ashamed of
poverty. For a great part of the world lives in poverty. Do not say, "I am the
son of a rich man. It is shameful for me to be in poverty." Christ, your
Heavenly Father, Who gave birth to you in the baptistery, is not in worldly
riches. Rather he walked in poverty and had nowhere to lay His head.
(St. Gennadius of Constantinople, The Golden Chain, 24-25)

 

Next Week’s Readings:

Epistle: Romans 13:11-14:4: Brethren, knowing the time, that now it is high
time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when
we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let
us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let
us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in
lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. Receive one
who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one
believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let
not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does
not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4 Who are you to
judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will
be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

Gospel: Matthew 6:14-21: And Jesus said, for if you forgive men their
trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not
forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses. 16 “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a
sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men
to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17 But you,
when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not
appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and
your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 19 “Do not lay up for
yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where
thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and
steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.