March 16, 2025

Second Sunday of Great Lent

Commemoration of Gregory Palamas

St. Gregory Palamas (c. 1296-1359) – St. Gregory was a Greek monk and theologian and the chief exponent of Hesychasm. He was ordained a priest in the year 1326 and became Bishop of Thessalonica in 1347. The political conditions made it impossible for him to take possession of the see until 1350. He died on November 14, 1359, which is his feast day. He was canonized in 1368. St. Gregory stressed the biblical notion of man as a single and united whole, body and soul together. In virtue of this, he argued that the physical exercises used by the Hesychasts in prayer, as well as their claim to see the Divine Light with their bodily eyes, could be defended as legitimate. He distinguished between the essence and the energies of God: God’s essence remains unknowable, but his uncreated energies, which are God Himself, permeate all things and can be directly experienced by man in the form of deifying grace.

In the earlier period, there was on this day a commemoration of the Great Martyr Polycarp of Smyrna (c. 155). St. Gregory replaced St. Polycarp on the Second Sunday of Lent in the fourteenth century.

Hebrews 1:10-2:3: Thou, “O Lord, in the beginning didst lay the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Thy hands; they will perish; but Thou remainest; and they will all grow old like a garment, and like a mantle Thou wilt roll them up, and they shall be changed; but Thou art the same, and Thy years will not fail.” But to which of the angels did He say at any time, “Sit on My right hand, until I make thine enemies a footstool for thy feet?” Are they not all spirits for liturgical ministry, sent forth to minister for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? Therefore, we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that were heard, lest at any time we drift away from them. For if the word spoken through angels was confirmed, and every transgression and disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation, which having at first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard?

Mark 2:1-12: At that time, when Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that He was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and He was preaching the Word to them. And they came, bringing to Jesus a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had made an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now, some of the scribes were sitting there, reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak thus? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in His spirit that they thus reasoned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you reason thus in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your pallet and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” – He said to the paralytic – “I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home.” And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all. So that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Troparion of the Resurrection: Let us believers praise and worship the Word, co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, born of the Virgin for our salvation; for he took pleasure in ascending the Cross in the flesh, to suffer death, and to raise the dead by his glorious Resurrection.

Troparion of St. Gregory Palamas: O Gregory the Wonderworker, light of Orthodoxy, support and teacher of the Church, glory of monks and invincible protector of theologians, pride of Thessalonica and preacher of grace, pray without ceasing for the salvation of our souls.

Troparion of the Chains of St. Peter: O Holy Apostle, Peter, thou dost preside over the Apostles by the precious chains which thou didst bear. We venerate them with faith and beseech thee that by thine intercessions we be granted the great mercy.

Kontakion of the Sundays of Lent: To thee the champion leader, I thy servant offer thanks for victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast delivered me form terror. As thou hast power invincible, free me from every danger that I may cry unto thee: Rejoice, O bride without bridegroom.

CALENDAR

UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE: All services listed on the calendar will be available through streaming and webcast. (Instructions can be found on the parish website.)

Sunday, March 16 (Second Sunday of Lent; Gregory Palamas)

8:50 a.m. – Orthros

9:00 a.m. – Christian Education

10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy (webcast)

Monday, March 17

Father Herman off

Tuesday, March 18

NO Services

Wednesday, March 19

5:20 p.m. – Catechism Class

6:30 p.m. – Presanctified Liturgy followed by Soup Supper

Thursday, March 20

NO Services

Friday, March 21

6:30 p.m. – Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos

Saturday, March 22

4:30 p.m. – Choir Practice

5:00 p.m. – Catechism Class

6:00 p.m. – Great Vespers

Sunday, March 23 (Third Sunday of Lent; Adoration of the Holy Cross)

8:50 a.m. – Orthros

9:00 a.m. – Christian Education

10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy (webcast)

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Dn. Richard Roots for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

Eucharist Bread Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

March 16 R. Root Dansereau/Alaeetawi

March 23 Pacurari Ellis/Zouboukos/Waites

March 24 (Mon. p.m.) Lasseter D. Root/Meadows

(Feast of the Annunciation)

March 30 Milnor Miller/Weatherly

Also, please remember that we still need your tithes and offerings which may be placed in the tray that is passed during the Divine Liturgy, in the tithe box at the back of the nave or be mailed to: St. Peter Orthodox Church, P.O. Box 2084, Madison, MS 39130-2084.

Schedule for Epistle Readers – Page numbers refer to the Apostolos (book of the Epistles) located on the Chanters’ stand at the front of the nave. Please be sure to use this book when you read.

Reader Reading Page#

March 16 Mary Martha Ellis Heb. 1:10-2:3 283

March 23 Kh. Sharon Meadows Heb. 4:14-5:6 285

March 24 (Mon. p.m.) Brenda Baker Heb. 2:11-18 376

March 30 Katie Miller Heb. 6:13-20 287

Please remember the following in your prayers: Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Lamia Dabit and her family; Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon’s sister); Jay and Joanna Davis; Fr. Leo and Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver and their family; Marilyn (Kyriake) Snell; Jack and Jill Weatherly; Dn. Terry Algood and their family; Reader Basil and Brenda Baker and their family; Fr. Joseph Bittle; Rick Carlton; Very Rev. Fr. Nicholas and Kh. Jan Speier; Lee Greene; Fr. John and Kh. Janet Henderson and their family; Galina Singletary; Emily and Cole Parker.

Calendar Items:

* The men of the parish meet for lunch at 11:00 a.m. on the first Thursday of the month.

* The Ladies meet at the church at 10:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of the month to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children on behalf of our children.

* The Ladies meet for lunch at 1:00 p.m. on the last Tuesday of the month.

* This year’s remaining date for serving at Stewpot Ministries is Saturday, September 27th.

Please keep in your humble prayers Justin and Meredith White who will be baptized and chrismated on April 6th within the context of the Divine Liturgy, as well as Clayton Fairchild and KC Barrett who will be chrismated on Great and Holy Saturday. May God grant them Many years!

We are currently in the beginning process of updating our Church directory. On the bureau in the foyer there are information sheets to be filled out by each family and individual. We are asking EVERYONE to please fill out one of these information sheets and get it back to Fr. Herman or Kh. Sharon by March 10. (Please be sure to PRINT as neatly as you can.) Thank you for your timely cooperation with this.

Registration for the 2025 DOMSE Parish Life Conference has opened and was emailed out to the parish. If you did not receive this email and would like to attend, please see Father Herman for registration information. This year’s conference will be hosted by St. George Parish in Jacksonville, June 11-14th.

Registration for the Archdiocese National Convention has also opened. It is being hosted by St. George Parish in Cicero, IL (just outside of Chicago) July 20-27th. If you are interested in attending, please see Father Herman and he will get you the registration information and link.

Fasting Discipline for March

The traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all days of the week. However, there is a katlysis on Saturdays and Sundays when wine and oil are allowed and on March 25th (Feast of the Annunciation), when fish, wine and oil are allowed.

Major Commemorations for March

March 16 2nd Sunday of Lent; Commemoration of Gregory Palamas

March 23 3rd Sunday of Lent; Adoration of the Holy Cross

March 25 Feast of the Annunciation

March 26 Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel

March 30 4th Sunday of Lent; Commemoration of John Climacus

Quotable: “Let thy mind fast from vain thoughts; let thy memory fast from remembering evil; let thy will fast from evil desire; let thine eyes fast from bad sights; turn away thine eyes that thou mayest not see vanity; let thine ears fast from vile songs and slanderous whispers; let thy tongue fast from slander, condemnation, blasphemy, falsehood, deception, foul language and every idle and rotten word; let thy hands fast from killing and from stealing another’s goods; let thy legs fast from going to evil deeds: Turn away from evil and do good.”

+St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

Worship: Sunday, March 23, 2025 (Third Sunday of Lent; Adoration of the Holy Cross)

Scripture: Hebrews 4:14-5:6; Mark 8:34-9:1

Epistle Reader: Kh. Sharon Meadows

Prosphora: Pacurari

Coffee Hour: Ellis/Zouboukos/Waites