Today’s Readings:
Epistle: Romans 13:11-14:4
Gospel: Matthew 6:14-21
Schedule of Services:
Monday, March 18th, Canon of St. Andrew at 6pm.
Tuesday, March 19th, Canon of St. Andrew at 6pm.
Wednesday, March 20th, Canon of St. Andrew at 6pm.
Thursday, March 21st, Canon of St. Andrew at 6pm.
Friday, March 22nd, Pre-sanctified Liturgy at 6pm.
Saturday, March 23rd, Great Vespers at 4pm.
Sunday, March 24th, Divine Liturgy at 10:00am with Forgiveness Vespers. Hours begin at 9:40am.
Monday, March 25th, Vesperal Liturgy at 10am for the Feast of the Annunciation.
Announcements:
-Memory eternal to Michael, James, and the Protopresbyter Thomas.
-Thank you to the ladies of the Parish Council for hosting coffee hour today.
-The parish council is meeting today.
-Remember, our parish is hosting a "baby shower" this March to help mothers and babies in need—please see the table downstairs.
-We will have a donation basket to raise $575 for new beautiful white table and analoy coverings for Pascha for our temple beautification.
-It is Orthodox practice to have a good confession during Great Lent. This is, indeed, an expectation of all parishioners. Fr. Tristan will hear confessions until Monday of Holy Week. Please do not let the time fly by.
-The next Church School for children will be on March 24th.
-Again, a draft copy of the Church Directory is located on the window sill next to the coffee counter. Please add names and relevant information on parishioners whom you feel should be on the "Friends of St. Gregory's" list.
-Please consider visiting Steve W. Who is currently residing at Hunterdon Care Center in Flemington, NJ. He is happy to welcome any visitors. His room number is C 120.
Some important dates to mark:
-Please see the March calendar for this week. Please don’t miss our 1st Pre-sanctified Liturgy on the Friday of the First Week of Lent, and the Canon of St. Andrew for the rest of the week. This week is a treasured week in the life of the Church. Let’s start Great Lent off in the Orthodox (Ortho=right/correct, Doxa=glory) spirit!
-Archbishop Michael is visiting our parish for the Lenten Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas. Please note Great Vespers at 4pm on Saturday the 30th, and please come to church at 9:30am on Sunday the 31st to greet the bishop.
Prayers for:
Departed: Michael, Irwin, Helen, Elena, James, Protopresbyter Thomas.
Living: Krystyna and her newborn child, Seph, Thomas, Michael, Janis, David, Robert, Karen, Steven, Archpriest Paul, Melissa, Stephen, Michele, Janet, Teresa, Irina, Victor; Metropolitan Onuphry and the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church; the suffering people and innocent victims of the Ukrainian/Russian war and those being persecuted; the suffering people of Yemen, Syria and Turkey; and the suffering victims of the war in Israel and Palestine. The family of the newly-departed Michael: Robert, Marie, Stephanie, Jason, Anastasia, and his loved-ones.
Words for the Day
We have such a law: If you forgive, it means that God has forgiven you; but if you do not forgive your brother, it means that your sin remains with you.
(St. Silouan the Athonite, Writings, VII.9)
Next Week’s Readings:
Epistle: Hebrews 11:24-26, 32-12:2. Brethren, By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two,[a] they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Gospel: John 1:43-51. At that time, Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you,[a] you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”