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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

secretary1.stgeorge@gmail.com 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!

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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.

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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 -

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: frgregory.stgeorge@gmail.com 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

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9:00 4:00

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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: frgregory.stgeorge@gmail.com

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:frgregory.stgeorge@gmail.com

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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.