“Come and See” ~ A Message from Fr. Robert

March 2014 ¨1645 Phillips Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32308 ¨ (850) 878-0747 ¨ Rev. Fr. Robert J. O’Loughlin¨ http://www.hmog.org
“Come and See” ~ A Message from Fr. Robert
On the first Sunday of Great Lent we celebrate the Sunday of Orthodoxy in which
we celebrate the restoration of Icons. We are invited to come and see Christ as
Phillip said to Nathanael in the Gospel of John (1:43-52). We can see Christ
through icons and we see Him through prayer, through sacraments, through our
interactions with other people, and through the Liturgy. In all these encounters
He sees us, as he saw Nathanael, and knows us deeply as he knows our hearts,
desires, hurts, and needs. He comes to us and encounters us through the Liturgy. In the Liturgy, we repeatedly ask for healing of body and soul for us to prepare
to receive healing by repentance and forgiveness. As we soon celebrate the Sunday
of Orthodoxy we are reminded that in Genesis it tells us we are made in the "image
and likeness of God." Every person bears the image of God within them and is
called to exhibit the likeness of this image as a living icon of Christ. At baptism we hear the hymn
"As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ," celebrating this calling to
become Christ-like.
St. John of Damascus communicated that saints were living icons, since they displayed the divine
image and likeness to the greatest extent possible in their lives. There is a story of a 6 year old girl
that first attended an Orthodox Liturgy with her family and it happened to be the Sunday of Orthodoxy as we celebrate today. She was captivated at the end of the service when the procession and
veneration of icons took place. At the time she didn't realize this procession only happened on the
first Sunday of Lent, and assumed this was way the Orthodox Liturgy ended every Sunday. She
thought as a young child, that everyone in the procession carried around their icons with them all
the time. While we don’t process our icons every Sunday, we are called to bring and be a witness of
the icon of Christ within us, at all times and in all places.
Upon entering or leaving the church, we venerate at least one icon. This is a practice we should not
take for granted. Historically, the Sunday of Orthodoxy commemorates the restoration of icons to
the Church of Agia Sophia in Constantinople in 843 led by St. Theodora the Empress. This was to
celebrate the utilization of icons in the Orthodox Church as rightfully depicted and declared at the
Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787.
For us, the Sunday of Orthodoxy should not end as we leave the Church. We are called to see everyone as Christ and to be Christ to everyone. Each person bears the image of God, no matter how
difficult it may be for us to see. As we begin our Lenten journey, let us keep this in our minds as
we continue in growing spiritually and may it be reflected in our actions. During this period and
going forward, we are to allow ourselves to rely on God not just ourselves. Prayer can lead us to us
relying on Him. Icons can assist us in our prayer lives and provide us with images of Christ and
holy ones that reached a level of communication with God that we can emulate and learn from.
Wishing you a Blessed Lenten journey,
Fr. Robert
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If an emergency or special need
should arise, please contact Fr. Rob
immediately at 850-559-8184.
Our next ECHO Sundays are March 2nd and
April 6th. Please drop off your non-perishable
food donations into the bins located in the Hellenic Center and Patmos Hall.
Mark your Calendars for Friday, October 24th and Saturday, October 25th.
Jeff, Catherine, Harriet and Richard look forward to working with you again
this year.
North Florida District Retreat at
the Panagia Vlaheron
Dear Parishioners,
February was a blessed month in many ways across all
the ministries of our Church. The youth's presence in all aspects
was impressive and promising for the future of this Parish and
our Faith. The Family Fun Sunday, Spaghetti Dinner, AHEPA Valentine's Dance and Meat Fare Sunday Luncheon were successful.
Our sincere congratulations and appreciation to all involved.
Catherine Branch and Jeff Phipps have accepted again to
co-chair our 2014 Greek Food Festival together with the coordinators Richard Allen and Harriet Kanelidis. They already picked the
dates and the band for the Festival. It will take place on October
24 and 25. We thank them as well as the Booth Chairs and all the
other volunteers for their willingness to serve. Our best wishes to
everyone for success and lots of fun.
The upkeep of our Church property continues to be a
constant time and money consuming battle. In order to handle
these tasks more efficiently, special committees have been
formed. Each committee will be responsible for specific areas and
projects with the hope of facilitating community input and reducing costs.
We encourage every parishioner to consider offering a few
hours of your time in any area and ministry of our Church that
you would like to participate.
Wishing you a joyous Great Lenten journey.
Yours in Christ,
Pete Koikos
Greek Orthodox Monastery
This retreat will be on Saturday, March 22 at
11:00 am and the monastery address is below. They will serve lunch, so they need a
count of how many will be attending. Please
contact Deacon Michael Koloniotis (St.
John the Divine in Jacksonville) at (904) 5219592 or [email protected] by March 8th to let
him know if you will be able to attend.
Panagia Vlahernon Greek Orthodox Monastery
12600 West Highway 318
Williston, FL 32696
Tel: (352) 591-1716
Koliva Workshop
Feb 8th
Forgiveness Sunday
(Cheesefare Sunday)
Orthros 9:30 a.m. &
Divine Liturgy 10:30 a.m.
Church School
ECHO Sunday
D
GOYA Meeting
Orthros 9:30 a.m. &
Divine Liturgy 10:30 a.m.
Church School
Greek Independence
Day Celebration
Great Lent
Begins
Great Compline
6:00 p.m.
+
+
31
24
17
+
OCF Meeting
+
+
Parish Council Mtg.
5:30 p.m.
10
3
MON
Choir Practice
6 p.m.
Choir Practice
6 p.m.
Choir Practice
6 p.m.
Choir Practice
6 p.m.
f
+
+
+
ANNUNCIATION of
the Theotokos
Divine Liturgy
9 am
25
18
11
4
TUE
+
+
Pre-Sanctified Liturgy
6:00 pm
Followed by Lenten
Covered Dish
26
Pre-Sanctified Liturgy
6:00 pm
Followed by Lenten
Covered Dish
19
Pre-Sanctified Liturgy
6:00 pm
Followed by Lenten
Covered Dish
Second Harvest
11:00 am—1:00 pm
+
Pre-Sanctified Liturgy
6:00 pm
Followed by Lenten
Covered Dish
12
5
WED
27
20
13
6
+
+
+
+
28
21
14
7
+
Salutations to the
Theotokos
6:00 pm
+
Salutations to the
Theotokos
6:00 pm
+
Salutations to the
Theotokos
6:00 pm
+
Salutations to the
Theotokos
6:00 pm
FRI
9:00 a.m.
Great Vespers
5 p.m.
Second Saturday
of Souls
Liturgy
SAT
29
Great Vespers
5 p.m.
North Florida
District Retreat
at Panagia
Vlaheron Greek
Orthodox
Monastery
22
15
of Souls
Liturgy
9:00 a.m.
Great Vespers
5 p.m.
8 Third Saturday
1
03/02—Koikos*/Manias/Mathes (c)
03/09—Poulos*/Branch/Gorb (c)
03/16 — Eudy*/Koikos/Manias (c)
03/23 — Gorb*/Mathes/Perrigan(c)
03/30 — Branch*/Gorb/Eudy
04/06 — Perrigan*/Poulos/Joanos (c)
Pangari Schedule for March
*Denotes a 9:30 start time
6:00 pm
Philoptochos Meeting
THU
s
+
= Dairy & eggs
allowed
= Fish Allowed
= Wine and Oil
allowed
= Strict Fast
Calendar Symbol Key
March
2014
30
Orthros 9:30 a.m. &
Divine Liturgy 10:30 a.m.
Youth Sunday
Church School
23
Orthros 9:30 a.m. &
Divine Liturgy 10:30 a.m.
No Church School
Orthros 9:30 a.m. &
Divine Liturgy 10:30 a.m.
Sunday of Orthodoxy
6:00 pm
Vespers of Forgiveness
16
9
2
SUN
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-A huge thank you to our Holy Mother of God Community in raising
over $300.00 on Super Bowl Sunday for the IOCC (International Orthodox Christian Charities ) and for Krista and James for informing our
community about IOCC.
-Thanks to the GOYAns who served on Youth Sunday: Epistle ReaderMichaela Manias, Greeters-Nicholas Koikos and Michalis Manias, Passing of the tray-Michaela Manias and Maria Parmer
-Sun March 30th-Next GOYA meeting
Souper Bowl Sunday
collection for IOCC
February GOYA meeting –fellowship, food, discussion and games
Holy Mother of God
Monthly Community Outreach
Wednesday, March 12 from 11-1
America’s Second Harvest of the Big Bend is the
food bank that distributes over 5.5 million pounds
of food each year, equaling 4.5 million meals for
those in need. Come and join us for this hands on
outreach. The time we donate will go a long way toward helping the men, women, and children of the
Big Bend ge the food they desperately need. We will
meet at Second Harvest at 11:00 AM If you are interested in assisting in this effort for one or two
hours or have any question, please contact: Fr. Rob
@850-559-8184 or Presv. Joy @850-320-1101
Area in the warehouse where donated food is sorted.
-Next OCF meeting
Monday,
March 24th
Feb. meeting on campus of FSU
Introduced in 1983, the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival provides Greek
Orthodox teenagers the opportunity to
learn, write and speak about their Orthodox faith, Church and heritage. The Oratorical Festival Program begins at the parish level and
is divided into three divisions:

Elementary Division (local festival only) for students in grades 4–6

Junior Division for students in grades 7–9

Senior Division for student in grades 10–12
Our local Festival will be March 12 and the North
Florida district is April 5 at St. John the Divine in
Jacksonville. Students have received topics in their
church school class. Additional copies are available in
Church Office or from teachers. Participation is encouraged as this is a wonderful opportunity to discover the fullness of our Orthodox Faith. Please contact
Fr. Rob @ (850) 559-8184 or Presv. Joy @ (850) 3201101 if you would like to participate or if you have
questions.
Page 5
AHEPA News
The annual AHEPA Valentine's party held on Saturday February 15 was a great success. Many
thanks to all volunteers. In particular, Jimmy Koikos, Mike Papageorge and Richard Allen for the
delicious meals, Andrew Poulos for the excellent desert, Sally Papageorge for the beautiful flowers
and decorations and for organizing the raffle, Stelios Manias for attending the bar! Lastly but not
the least, we would like to thank the area's outstanding DJ, our own BC, and all the students for
their lively dancing. They were just great!
The next AHEPA meeting will be on March 9. Our topics will be the March 25 celebration program,
scholarships for eligible graduating High School students, etc.
Mike Burmester
President
MARCH 30, 2014
Following Divine Liturgy
CELEBRATION OF THE
ANNUNCIATION OF THE THEOTOKOS
AND
GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY
Luncheon
ADULTS
... $10
For STUDENTS and CHILDREN is FREE
Grilled Shrimp over Rice
Cole slaw, Bread, Coffee, Tea and Dessert
Sponsored by AHEPA
Page 6
Next Meeting: March 13, 2014 (Thursday) @ 6:00 pm in the Patmos Hall Conference Room. This is an important
meeting because it is the last meeting before our Annual Gyro Night, please join us and sign up for needed positions we will be
looking for volunteers.
Don’t forget to tell your friends and neighbors
Fun for the Whole Family
"My Big Fat Greek Gyro Feast - A Day at the Taverna"
April 25, 2014
11:00 am – 8:00 pm
From February: The Annual Greek Dinner was a GREAT success! Seems to get bigger & better every year!
Family Fun Day was enjoyed by our parishioners and everyone had a wonderful time. Thank you to Jim Garland for calling
the numbers for Bingo this year!

Three Lenten Priorities: Fasting, Prayer, & Almsgiving
from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America - Department of Outreach & Evangelism
Key Verse
“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. (The Prayer or St. Ephraim)
Reflection
Just as the stool in the photo needs all three of its legs to remain upright, our spiritual lives require us to practice all three of the Lenten priorities of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (charity) to be complete and balanced. “Fasting is seen as a means to greater hope.
Prayer is seen as a means to greater faith. Almsgiving is seen as a means to greater love” (Dn. Evan). Fasting during Great Lent, as
well as on Wednesdays and Fridays and at other times of the Church year, involves abstaining from meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, fish (except for shellfish), oils, and alcoholic beverages. It is easy to stuff ourselves with the allowable foods, but to follow the
spirit of the fast, we should eat less food than normal during these periods. This is to help us focus more on God and to be reminded
that we need God. It is important that we fast in secret and with humility (Matt. 6:16-18). More importantly, we are to fast from sins
such as pride, gossip, envy, and greed. Jesus does not tell us, “if you fast” but instead says “when you fast” (Matt. 6:16). He fasted
and prayed and expects us to do so, also. “Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12). Attending as many Church services as you can during the Triodion period is a way to
increase your prayer life during Lent. We pray the Prayer of St. Ephraim (see Key Verse) often during Lenten services but we can
pray it at any time of the year. We are told to “pray without ceasing” (1Thes. 5:17). The Jesus prayer is one that can be prayed continuously: “Lord, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” And when the apostles asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He taught them
the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1-4). We are expected to think of other people’s needs even more during Lent and to perform charitable
acts, or almsgiving. For example, the money we save from eating less during Lent can be given to those in need, perhaps by giving
food to a local food bank. We can volunteer at a favorite charity. Or we can fill our OCMC boxes with money to help missionaries.
“...Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” (Matt 25:40)
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The following parishioners have submitted a stewardship form as of February 27, 2014. If you have any
questions, please contact the Parish Council Treasurer Glen Perrigan at [email protected] or (850)
294-2738.
Andris, Mr. Steve and Mrs. Jackie
Andros, James
Atayants, Armen
Balogh, Andrew A. and Cynthia P.
Buford, Georgia H. and Lewis
Burmester, Michael & Rodamanti
Buzyna, George and Helen
Caspary, Nadya
Chikas, Dena
Collins, Catherine and Frank
Costa, Barbara
Demetrelis, Elpis
Downing, Dorothy
Drzewiecki, Olibia and Gary
Erickson, Joanna & Don
Eudy, Michael & Lynette
Fetzko, R.J.
Garland, James and Sophia
Gavalas, Michael and Vicky
Gavalas, Nic and Janet
Gavalas, Victor and Mary
Ghirmay, Hanna
Gonatos, Michael
Gorb, Jorge and Carol
Hadoulis, Peter and Kathy
Harris, Larry and Christina
Hodges, Maria
Ilin, Yuri and Larisa Kuleshova
Joanos, Emanuel and Laura
Joanos, George
Joanos, Stamatia
Kalinska, Svitlana
Katopodis, John and Evi
Klonis, Nicholas and Mary
Koikos, Pete and Zografia
Langston, Sophia
Lapointe, Corinne
Leftheris, James and Julie
Lockwood, Yvonne
Manias, Stelios
Mantzanas, Catherine
Markovich, Martin and Elizabeth
Mathes, George and Kathy
Milatos, Irene
Mookas, Thomas and Deborah
Nesterenko, Anna
Nichols, Iphigenia
O’Loughlin, Fr. Robert & Presv. Joy
Papageorge, Mike and Sally
Pappas, Paul and Eugenia
Perrigan, Glen and Dianne
Poulos, Andrew & Koula
Reeves, Corinna
Rozes, Anna and George
Sgouros, Demetri
Sgouros, Stephanie and Vincent Russo
Talantis, Kathleen
Tsiklistas, John and Helen
Vlandis, John and Katherine C.
Webb, Dorothy Deanna
Wernke, Deborah and Michael
Wynot, Ed
May He remember all your offerings. - Psalm 20
Thanks to all who offer Prosphora :
Olibia Drzewiecki, Margarita Joanos, Mary Anne Joanos, Nick
Klonis, Youla Lountos, Katy Mathes, Presv. Joy O’Loughlin,
Angie Poulos, and Helen Tsiklistas
Congratulations to Jan Jerzy Jarosynski and Svitlana Kalinska who were married on Saturday, February 1st and to Evelyn Stephanie Joanos and Wesley
Gayden White who were married on Saturday, February 22nd. We wish both couples a lifetime of blessed health, happiness and love.
May Their Memory Be Eternal …
A one year Memorial Service was held for Ekaterina Gorbatchevski, mother of Jorge Gorb, on Sunday, February 16th.
May her memory be eternal.
Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church
1645 Phillips Road
Tallahassee, Florida 32308
Return Service Requested
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
Saint Alexis
The Man of God
Email Addresses:
Father Rob:
[email protected]
Celebrated
March 17th
Church Secretary:
[email protected]
Secretary Hours:
Mon./Wed./Fri. 9am-2pm