Reminder: Saturday of Souls Liturgy at 9am February 26

Sunday of the Last Judgment (Meat Fare)

Venerable Prokopios the Confessor of Decapolis; Thalelaeus, Hermit of Gabala in Syria

Thought for Today: “At this time, we’re entering the great spiritual arena of the blessed Great Lent. Holy and Great Lent is a time of compunction, for repentance, for tears, for a change in ourselves, for a new stage in the spiritual life. Like an affectionate mother caring for her children, us Christians, the Church has designated this time of Lent as dedicated to the struggle, in order to help its children fight harder, to purify themselves, to draw closer to God and to be counted worthy of celebrating the great day of the radiant Resurrection.”

 + Elder Ephraim of Arizona

House Blessings: Father Peter Jon will continue to bless homes in the coming days and weeks. He will contact you to schedule a house blessing, but you may also choose to email him directly to request a particular date.

Your Generous Outpouring of blessings at the Teen SOYO Fundraiser for Ethiopia more than met their goal of $1,500. Thanks to all who prepared, donated, and participated!

Today’s  Coffee Hour: Hosts: the Webbs with Parishioners S-Z

Next Week (Sunday, March 6: Hostess – Melissa B with Parishioners A-B

Myrrh Bearers will meet today during coffee hour.

THIS WEEK

Wednesday, March 2: Daily Vespers at 6:00 –  Ask Abouna  and Orthodoxy 101

Dr. Craton’s topic is “The Passion of Anger.”

Thursday, March 3: OCF Dinner and Discussion at the Webbs 6:00 – 8:00.

Saturday, March 5:  Great Vespers at 5:00; Jr. SOYO at 4:00; Sr. SOYO at 6:00

Sunday, March 6: Matins at 9:00; Divine Liturgy at 10:00 – Cheese Fare Sunday is the last day to eat dairy in preparation for the Lenten Journey ahead.

Sunday, March 6: Forgiveness Vespers

LOOKING AHEAD

March is Women’s month in  our Archdiocese.

March 7:  Great Lent Begins with the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete (Mon-Tues-Thurs); Presanctified Liturgy (Wed); Akathist (Fri).

March 13: Daylight time changes – Spring forward one hour. Sunday of Orthodoxy

March 19: OCLife Retreat at St George with Frederica Mathewes-Green as the speaker

March 21:  ONE NIGHT ONLY , Monday, March 21st –  Man Of God: The Life of Saint Nectarios of Aegina . https://www.antiochian.org/regulararticle/1146 Check on my listings to find a theater near you. 

EPISTLE and GOSPEL READINGS

The Reading is from St. Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians.  (8:8-9:2)

(For Sunday of the Last Judgment)

The Lord is my strength and my song. With chastisement has the Lord chastened me!

                Brethren, food will not bring us closer to God; for neither if we eat, are we the better, nor if we do not eat, are we the worse. But take heed lest by any means this authority of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if any one sees you, as someone who has knowledge, reclining at a table in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of the one who is weak be emboldened to eat of the things sacrificed to idols, and through your knowledge the weak brother perishes, for whom Christ died? And thus, sinning against the brethren, and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will not eat meat forever, lest I cause my brother to stumble. Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are not you my work in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for the seal of my apostleship are you in the Lord.

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (25:31-46)

(For Sunday of the Last Judgment)

The Lord said, “When the Son of man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and He will place the sheep at His right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at His right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see Thee hungry and feed Thee, or thirsty and give Thee drink? And when did we see Thee a stranger and welcome Thee, or naked and clothe Thee? And when did we see Thee sick or in prison and visit Thee?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ Then He will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see Thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to Thee?’ Then He will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to Me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

DIVINE LITURGY VARIABLES for CHOIR and PARISH

Resurrectional Apolytikion – Tone 3

Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad, for the Lord hath done a mighty act with His own arm. He hath trampled down death by death, and become the first-born from the dead. He hath delivered us from the depths of Hades, granting the world the Great Mercy.

Kontakion for the Sunday of Last Judgment – Tone 1

When Thou comest, O God, to earth with glory, and all creatures tremble before Thee, and the river of fire floweth before the Altar, and the books are opened and sins revealed, deliver me then from that unquenchable fire, and make me worthy to stand at Thy right hand, O righteous Judge.

FAMILY NEWS

Receiving the Eucharist: We invite you to receive the Holy Eucharist if you are an Orthodox Christian who has prepared yourself through fasting, prayer, and recent confession.  If you are not Orthodox, or are Orthodox but  have not prepared, we invite you to receive a piece of the blessed bread.

Coffee Hour Reminders: First Sunday A-B; Second Sunday C-G; Third Sunday H-R; Fourth Sunday S-Z; Fifth Sunday All Pitch-in.

Birthday Celebrations: Christopher S (27th); Mezy A (28th); Mary B (28th); Adrian P (28th); Nina G (March 1st); Deacon Lawrence (3rd); Cathy M (4th); Polina M (5th)

Memory Eternal: Fr. James Roselli; Awanda Michael

Prayer List: Awanda’s family; Mary Ann; Emma, Mary Ann’s granddaughter recovering from a serious surgery; Linda; Steve Crandall; Adrian and Marah Polit; Megan after her pre-term baby’s death;  Fr. Athanasius Wilson; Jack;Christopher; refugees  and immigrants; our nation and nation’s leaders at all levels of government; schools: school children, youth and personnel across the nation; Nancy Jones; April; Don; Vicki; Fr. Jerome; Catherine; Anastasia with child; Bonnie Thelen; Wadia; Jayci; Dee, Patricia, Marvin, Alice; Michael; Olga; Eileen; Soren; Kitsa; Apthrodite and Angelos; Kim; Dusty, Cari; Betsy, Josh; Allison;  Andrew and Isaac (Korea/military); Leanne; Heather; Nancy; Sharon Catherine; Emma; Lexi, Ross and Vivian; Theo; Doug; Jeremy; Marcia & Deacon; Elias; Waded; Seraphima; Lilly’s family; Jennifer; Christy

Donations to the church are being made online at www.allsaintsbloomington.org and by U.S mail.  Many thanks to all who continue supporting All Saints.