April 2016 ¨1645 Phillips Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32308 ¨ (850) 878-0747 ¨ Rev. Fr. Robert J. O’Loughlin¨ http://www.hmog.org

Reflecting on Our Cross and Sinfulness ~ A Message from Fr. Robert

Each one of us has a cross to bear in life. Therefore, looking at the Cross of Jesus can

strengthen our will for Christ in our lives. There is a story that you may have heard or

seen before about one very poor man that always complained to God that he had the most difficult cross to carry and he asked God to change it. One night an angel appeared

to him in a dream and took him to a room with many crosses of different sizes in it, with

each individually covered by a cloth. The poor man was allowed to pick any cross he

wanted but he could not uncover any before he made his choice. Looking around the

room this man could not decide which one would be easy enough for him to carry. Final-

ly, he found the smallest cross and uncovered it; there was written on this cross: "Poverty." As he was already poor, he himself had now picked the same cross he knew

how and was best able to carry. The lesson of this story is that God gives us the easiest

cross we can bear. We should be thankful for it because our cross reminds us of the way

to eternal salvation.

Great Lent is a test of faith and we are always making decisions which conform with the way of Christ or

counter to the way of Christ. Daily vigilance is necessary and requires alertness to the dangers of sin. Vigi-lance is a state of readiness to do battle with sin. Fasting and prayer keep the body and mind in a state of

readiness. Through confessing our sins and changing ourselves for the better, an inner transformation oc-

curs. The joy of forgiveness gives us new life in Christ. Great Lent re-opens the mind to the greatness of

God. It can encourage us on our way to reach salvation that we do not think only about our imperfections.

The Cross gives us hope that there is a light at the end of our journey made possible through Jesus’ death

and resurrection.

Our sinfulness is of primary interest during Great Lent. If we take this period seriously by fasting, praying

and increasing our attendance at the services, our sins will become more apparent to us. Exercising our

faith and making the best use of this time through serious prayer and fasting increases the benefits of Great

Lent and our lives can be transformed. Great Lent is an opportunity to contemplate the love of God and an

opportunity to think of the miracles, teachings and the love of Christ. We can benefit in reflecting about our relationship with Christ. An honest self-examination can reveal if we love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul and all our mind and if we love our neighbor as ourselves. (Matthew 22:37)

Great Lent is a period of time when we have to think about what is holding us back and preventing us from

following Christ fully. For some it may be anger that holds them back, for others it may be love of their

wealth, for other people it may be their laziness or pride. Our Orthodox Church asks us during this time not

only to think about our imperfections but also to begin our transformation into becoming a person suitable for the Kingdom of God.

Let us continue to look towards the Cross in strengthening our relationship with Christ and wishing you a

continued blessed Lenten journey,

Fr. Robert

Page 2

Schedule of Services for Holy Week and Pascha

April 24th - Palm Sunday: Orthros 9:30 a.m. and Liturgy 10:30 a.m. Luncheon to follow.

Palm Sunday Evening, Bridegroom Service: 6:00 p.m.

April 25th – Holy Monday: Pre-Sanctified Liturgy, 9:00 a.m.;

Bridegroom Service 6:00 p.m. April 26th – Holy Tuesday: Pre-Sanctified Liturgy, 9:00 a.m.;

Bridegroom Service 6:00 p.m. April 27th – Holy Wednesday: Pre-Sanctified Liturgy, 9:00 a.m.;

Holy Unction, 5:00 p.m. April 28th – Holy Thursday: Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, 9:00 a.m.;

Holy Passion Service, 7:00 p.m. April 29th – Holy Friday: Royal Hours, 9:00 a.m.;

Vespers - Taking Down from the Cross (Apocathelosis),

3:00 p.m.;

Lamentations Service, 7:00 p.m. April 30th – Holy and Great Saturday: Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, 9:00 a.m.;

Resurrectional Service, 11:00 p.m. May 1st – Holy and Great Pascha/Easter: Agape Service, 11:00 a.m.

Glendi to follow

Dear Parishioners,

March was another great month for our various min-istries in our Parish. We had another successful spa-ghetti dinner. The Philoptochos Family Fun Day was a good time. Everyone enjoyed the chili, hotdogs, and Bingo. In addition, AHEPA sponsored the celebration of Greek Independence Day. The pro-gram was very informative while the luncheon was delicious. Many thanks to our volunteers for all these wonderful events.

Have a blessed Lent, Catherine Branch

Our next ECHO Sundays are April 3

and May 8. Please drop off your non-

perishable food donations into the bins

located in the Hellenic Center and Patmos Hall.

If an emergency or special need should

arise, please contact Fr. Rob immedi-

ately at 850-559-8184.

Holy Friday Adorning the Kouvouklion

Holy Friday is the most solemn day of our liturgical calendar. Please join us

following the service of Royal Hours as we adorn the Tomb of Christ (Kouvouklion) with flowers. All are invited to come and help with the preparations. The Epitaphios (Christ’s Burial Icon or Holy Shroud) will be laid inside the Kou-vouklion at the afternoon service. Then, in the evening, our community will gather to sing the Lamentations and to join in a solemn procession at Holy Friday Night’s service.

*A light lunch will be available in Patmos Hall.

Mark your calendars for the

This year's Greek Food Festival is scheduled for

Friday, October 21st and Saturday, October 22nd.

Page 3

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Page 4

Thanks to those who served on Youth Sunday: Greeters-Valeria Atayants and Anne Leftheris,

Epistle Reader-William Perrigan, Passing trays-Hunter Frankeberger and Lucas Hill.

Thanks GOYANs for cleaning the

Church at the March meeting.

Sat. April 23rd Lazarus Saturday

Pancake Breakfast

Sunday of Orthodoxy

Junior Division Valeria Atayants

Senior Division Alex Caspary

Elementary Division

Anastasia Atayants

Ivan Rabbath

Anna Atayants

Kristina Grigoryan

March Meeting on FSU Campus

Next Meeting April 14th

AHEPA News The AHEPA Patmos Chapter 317 is offering $300 scholarships to college bound graduating High

School Seniors that apply and qualify. Please pick up the form at the church office or see Mr. Papageorge. The deadline is Sunday, May 8, 2016.

Celebration of the

Annunciation of the Theotokos

and

Greek Independence Day

Page 5

PATRIARCHAL AND SYNODICAL ENCYCLICAL

ON THE CONVOCATION OF THE HOLY AND GREAT COUNCIL

OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH

† B A R T H O L O M E W

Our holy Orthodox Church, adorned in purple and fine linen by the blood of her martyrs, the tears of her Saints, and the struggles and sacrifices of her confessors of faith, celebrates today her nameday. Following a century-long struggle, this day was appropriately identi-fied as the Sunday of Orthodoxy, marking the day in which truth shone and triumphed over falsehood through the veneration of holy

icons as the bearers of the personal presence and divine grace of the incarnate Son and Logos of God and of His saints. In this way, it was acknowledged and proclaimed for all time that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14), honoring and sanctifying

material creation and our body in order to render them partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter, 1:4), partakers in divine grace and life.

On the way to this great and salvific truth—which was attacked by those who refused to venerate holy icons—the triumph of truth over falsehood treaded along the same path followed by the Church from the beginning of her history, namely the truth of conciliarity. The

distinction between truth and falsehood—orthodoxy and heresy—is not always easily discernible. Even heretics believed, and continue to believe, that they possessed the truth; moreover, there will always be some who shall consider those who do not agree with their po-sition as “heretics.” The Orthodox Church, in this case, recognizes only one authority: the Council of her canonical hierarchs. Beyond a conciliar decision, the distinction between orthodoxy and heresy is not possible. The Church’s dogmas and holy canons bear the seal of

conciliarity. Orthodoxy is the conciliar Church.

The Orthodox Church has always emphasized this ecclesiological authority, and implements it faithfully on the local level. For centu-

ries, this has also occurred on an ecumenical or pan-orthodox level; however, for historical circumstances, it has been interrupted for quite some time. Today, we find ourselves in a position to officially announce from our ecumenical throne that, by the grace of God, and with the consent of all the Primates of the Holy Orthodox Churches, that we will realize a decision taken more than fifty years ago and convene the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church on the island of Crete on June 18-27, 2016. The Council shall begin its

work with a pan-Orthodox celebration of the Divine Liturgy in the Holy Church of Saint Menas, Heraklion, Crete, on the great and aus-picious Feast of Pentecost. Deliberations shall proceed at the Orthodox Academy in Kolymbari, Chania. Our Modesty shall preside over the Holy and Great Council, with the other Primates of Orthodox Churches at our side; other hierarchs shall participate as members of

the Council through the official delegation of these Churches.

The foremost and most important goal of this Pan-Orthodox Council shall be to teach that the Orthodox Church is the One, Holy, Cath-

olic and Apostolic Church, united in the Sacraments—especially in the Holy Eucharist, in the Orthodox faith, but also in conciliarity. To this end, ongoing planning for the Council has occurred through a series of Preparatory Committees and Pre-Conciliar Conferences,

ensuring the unanimous spirit of the Council’s decisions and that her message is conveyed in one voice and in one heart.

The issues—already delineated on a pan-orthodox level by the time the convocation of the Council was decided—that shall be reviewed by the Holy and Great Council primarily focus on matters relating to the internal operation and life of the Orthodox Church; for this

reason, they must be immediately resolved. Moreover, there are issues pertaining to the relations of Orthodoxy with the rest of the Christian world, as well as the mission of the Church in our time. We certainly recognize that the world awaits to hear the voice of the Orthodox Church on many pressing problems that humanity faces today. However, it was deemed necessary that the Orthodox Church should first settle internal matters before speaking to or addressing the world, which is still considered her obligation. The fact that

Orthodoxy will express its conciliarity on a global level after the passing of so many centuries constitutes a first and most decisive step

that, by the grace of God, is expected to lead to the convening of further Pan-Orthodox Councils, soon thereafter.

Beloved brethren and children in the Lord,

Great historic events are guided by the grace of God, Who, ultimately, is the Lord of History. We might sow and labor; however, only God multiplies (1 Cor. 3:8). The Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church indeed constitutes a historic event and we therefore place our hope in God for its realization. We call upon the Orthodox faithful in the world—clergy and laity—to pray to the Triune God

that He may crown this event with His blessings, fortifying His Church to the glory of His name. We live in critical times and the unity of the Church must serve as the example of unity for a humanity torn apart by divisions and conflicts. The success of the Holy and Great Council concerns every member of the Church, who are invited to share their interests thereon. The texts that have been agreed upon on a pan-orthodox level and which have been submitted to the Holy and Great Council have already been made publicly available

to every faithful of good will. These texts are not only intended to inform and update the faithful, but to also elicit their opinions and

expectations of the Holy and Great Council.

Having announced this to the plenitude of the Orthodox Church throughout the world on this auspicious day, we pray that the lord God bestow upon His Church and all of you His abundant grace and blessing, and to the world peace at all times in all ways (2 Thes.

3:16).

20 March, in the year of our Lord, 2016

† Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople

Your fervent supplicant to God

Page 6

Philoptochos News

Email: hmogphil@comcast.net

also visit us on Facebook at Holy Mother of God Philoptochos Society of Tallahassee Florida

The following parishioners have submitted a stewardship form or monies as of March 23rd totaling $47,706. If you have any questions, please

contact the Parish Council Treasurer Glen Perrigan at pappaglen@gmail.com or (850) 294-2738.

Andris, Steve and Jackie

Andros, James

Angel, Dwight and Kimberly

Arbulu, Roberto and Marianne

Barkas, Chris and Patty

Belcher, Mark and Deborah

Branch, Harold and Catherine

Burmester, Mike and Rodomandi

Burrell, Mark and Bonnie

Butler, Jeff and Koulla Myers

Buzyna, George and Helen

Calamas, James

Camechis, Pat and Johnnie

Catsimpiris, George and Vicki

Costa, Barbara

Demetrelis, Elpis

Downing, Dorothy

Drzewiecki, Alexander and Meredith

Drzewiecki, Gary and Olibia

Enis, Carl and Angela Drzewiecki

Eudy, Michael & Lynette

Evans, Maryelen

Fetzko, Ronnie

Frankeberger, Gil and Margarita

Futch, Scott and Tiffany

Gavalas, Janet

Gavalas, Mike and Vicky

Gavalas, Victor and Mary

Gonatos, Michael and Cheryl

Gorb, Jorge and Carol

Hadoulis, Peter and Kathy

Harris, Larry and Christina

Ilin, Yuri and Larisa

Joanos, Emanuel and Laura

Joanos, Theo and Mary Anne

Joanos, Stamatia

Karas, Daniel

Katopodis, John and Evi

Kiger, Russell and Amber

Klonis, Nikolaos and Mary

Koikos, George and Karen

Koikos, Pete and Zografia

Langston, Sophia

Lapointe, Leonard and Corinne

Lockwood, Yvonne

Manias, Stelios

Markovich, Martin and Elizabeth

Mathes, George and Connie

Mathes, George and Katy

Mayernick, Fr. Paul and Presv. Joan

Mayernick, Nicholas and Rachel

McMillan, Norman and Cynthia

Michas, Andrew and Frances

Mookas, Tom and Debbie

Nolas, Billy and Julie

Nolas, Helen

Papageorge, Mike and Sally

Pappas, Nicholas A.

Parmer, Keith and Nia

O'Loughlin, Fr. Robert and Presv. Joy

Patronis, Johnnie & Mari

Perrigan, Glen and Dianne Pappachristou

Phipps, Jeffrey and Mary Mathes

Poulos, Andrew and Angie

Psikogios, Michael

Rabbath, Claude and Nina Biadulina

Reeves, Corinna

Richardson, John and Destin Stewart

Rozes, George and Anna

Speed, Ian

Stratis, Nick

Talantis, Kathleen

Valentine, Tom and Angela

Vlandis, John and Katherine C.

Vajagich, Morris

Vrynios, Pete and Jennifer

Webb, Dorothy Deanna

Worden, William and Stacy Keith

NEXT MEETING: SUNDAY, APRIL 10th - In Patmos Hall following Divine Liturgy and a Lenten Lunch will be provided

Annual Greek Dinner: May 13th - Baking Schedule:

April 5th 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm (Galatoboureko & Baklava)

April 9th 8:00 am until …….. (Kourambiedes, Pastistio, Spanakopita & Tiropitas)

Any and all help is much appreciated!

Scholarships for College Bound Students

We are looking forward to congratulating all of our graduating high school seniors this year and are encouraging them to apply for the

Philoptochos Scholarships that are worth $200. Requirements are college acceptance and a paper written on “What My Orthodox

Faith Means to Me”.

Family Fun Day

Page 7

Lilies for Pascha

If you would like to donate an Easter Lily plant ($15.00) in memory of a loved one, please complete the form that is located in the Narthex or church office and return to church office by Friday, April 22nd. The Reflections

and the weekly handout will list the names you submit of those to be memorialized.

EASTER EGG DYE will be available at the Pangari (Narthex) for $1.50/package.

Please bring your offering of red Easter eggs to the Resurrectional Service Saturday evening and place

eggs in the basket near the Church; 1-3 dozen is welcome so all attending the Resurrection Service and

the Agape Service will receive a blessed egg. Thank-you.

Saturday of Lazarus

Community Pancake

Breakfast (Hosted by GOYA)

Saturday, April 23rd

following Divine Liturgy at 9:00 a.m.

Palm-folding and fellowship

Pascha/Easter Glendi

Sunday, May 1st

Luncheon Following the

Agape Service

Easter Egg Hunt for children

Adults $15.00

Children & Students $8.00

Children under 10 no charge

Fish Luncheon following Liturgy

Adults $14.00

Children & Students $8.00

If your daughters, 1st thru 6th grades, are interested in being Myrrh-bearing girls, please let the church

office know by April 18th at 850-878-0747.

Easter Candy

It would be greatly appreciated if anyone would like to donate individually wrapped candy (non-chocolate) for the children’s Easter egg hunt. Please drop off at the church office.

Following the Resurrection Service please join us for the beginning of the

Pascha celebration in the Hellenic Center for some delicious Avgolemono Soup (egg-lemon) prepared by Richard Allen.

Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church

1645 Phillips Road Tallahassee, Florida 32308

Return Service Requested

Palm Sunday

Celebrated

April 24th

Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church

1645 Phillips Road Tallahassee, FL 32308

Office: 850-878-0747 Hall: 850-877-2501

Fr. Rob’s Cell: 850-559-8184

Website: www.hmog.org

Email Addresses:

Father Rob: fr.robert@comcast.net

Church Secretary: hmog@comcast.net

Secretary Hours: Mon./Wed./Fri. 9am-2pm