THE EPISTLE

Prokeimenon: You, O Lord, shall keep us and preserve us.

Save me, O Lord, for the godly man has failed.

The reading is from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews.

“IN THE BEGINNING, you O Lord, didst found the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands; they will perish, but thou remainest; they will all grow old like a garment, like a mantle thou wilt roll them up, and they will be changed. But thou art the same, and thy years will never end.” But to what angel has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand, till I make thy enemies a stool for thy feet?” Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation? Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For if the message declared by angels was valid and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him.

THE EUCHARISTIC OFFERINGS

The Holy Oblations are offered at the Offertory of the Great Entrance today for the health and welfare of those living members, and for those departed this life in Christ, of the Fares, Agouras, Pantel, Takla, and Koskinas Families.

The Coffee and Reception Hour in the Church Hall is offered today by the Fares, Hajjar, and Takla Families. We remind our parishioners that each family should take its turn and sponsor the Coffee and Reception Hour for our parish. Please see the chart posted in the Church Hall which lists what is needed in order to offer this reception. Please do no wait to sign up for this.

PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Today there will be a Memorial Service for the late Servant of God +PAULA LORDENZO (40 days), aunt of our parishioner Debbie Nagorny. MEMORY ETERNAL!

2. Today there will also be the Churching of the newly born Terrance El-Dana, son of Brandy and Chafic El- Dana. MANY YEARS to Terrance and his family!

3. LENTEN SCHEDULE

A. This Wednesday, March 22^nd, is our third PRESANCTIFIED LITURGY, beginning at 6:45 PM, followed by CHOIR REHEARSAL.

1. We PREPARE to receive the Presanctified Gifts through Abstinence (fasting) and prayer. A small snack is allowed after school, but please eat lightly after 12:00 Noon.

2. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL HOLY WEEK TO ATTEND TO THE SACRAMENT OF REPENTANCE! Confessions are heard before and after the Presanctified Liturgies, and every parent, teen, and child should receive this sacrament during the Great Fast. This is the Sacrament of Renewal, sometimes called a “Second Baptism.”

B. This Friday, March 24^th, is our third AKATHIST HYMN to Our Lady, the Blessed Theotokos and Virgin Mary, beginning at 7:30 PM.

1. Please remember that Confessions are scheduled only BEFORE this service.

2. After the Akathist Hymn this Friday, we will continue our Spring Adult Education Program, which will be our second session of the TOWNHALL MEETINGS/DISCUSSIONS; these are part of our Golden Jubilee Program.

C. Next Saturday, March 25^th, we will celebrate the SATURDAY OF THE SOULS Liturgy. Please PRINT the names of your DEPARTED loved ones on the NAME FORMS which are found in the Narthex of the Church. Return them to either Deacon Peter or Sub-deacon Nicholas Nagorny before that day. The Liturgy, followed by the Saturday memorial Service, begins at 10:00 AM. That’s Saturday, March 25^th, which is also the Feast Day of the Annunciation.

4. CHURCH SCHOOL

A. Church School classes will begin at 10:00 AM during all the Sundays in March. Today is the completion and makeup day for the Art Workshop. It is also the deadline for all Creative Festival entries from the TEENS and Church School students.

B. CONFESSION SCHEDULE for our students is as follows: Grade 6, March 19^th; Grades 4 and 5, March 26^th; Grade 3, April 2^nd. Father Joseph will hear these Confessions at 9:30 AM each of these Sundays, but it is up to our parents to have them here at that time.

5. Today is Girl Scout Sunday. The Girl Scouts of our parish will participate in the life of the Church by reading the Epistle, taking the collection, and distributing the bulletin. It is fitting that Girl Scout Sunday falls in March, which is Antiochian Women’s Month, since Girl Scouts is the largest all-female organization in the world.

6. FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY CAMPAIGN. All parishioners throughout the Archdiocese should have received – or soon will receive – their FFHP packets. This is part of our Lenten “discipline,” that is, to do the “works of charity” during this season. You may return these FFHP envelopes at anytime to the Church (Please remember: this is NOT your weekly stewardship pledge to our parish.)

7. PARENTS: Please remember that here at St. Anthony’s we try to be “family friendly,” i.e. with homework, school requirements, commuting, etc. BUT even though we try to be sensitive to our family life, it is STILL UP TO YOU to be sure your family participates FULLY during Great Lent. In other words, it is your responsibility to be sure you and your family come to the special Lenten Services and live your life at home so there is NO MISTAKE: this is the way the ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS live out Great Lent!

8. LOOKING AHEAD: Next Sunday, March 26^th, is the Adoration of the Cross; on Sunday, April 2^nd, we welcome Father John Kaloudis, who will join us at Liturgy, and who represents the IOCC (International Orthodox Christian Charities, a sub-committee of SCOBA), in conjunction with our Golden Jubilee “Outreach” ministry; Sunday, April 9^th Bishop THOMAS will be with us for Liturgy and the Fellowship COMMUNION BREAKFAST.

9. AND DID YOU KNOW THAT OUR PARISH PHOTOGRAPH FOR OUR GOLDEN JUBILEEE WILL BE TAKEN ON PALM SUNDAY, APRIL 16^th!? Parents should please dress the children appropriately. Also the Organizational Photos (Women’s Guild, Fellowship, Church School, Choir, and TEEN SOYO) will also be taken on that Sunday. PLEASE PASS THE WORD; we want our entire parish present for this historic photograph.

10. Please do not forget to return your BAKELESS BAKESALE ENVELOPES for our Women’s Guild.

11. St. Anthony’s Jubilee Savings Club is available for families to save on a monthly basis for the Jubilee Weekend in June 2007. Speak with Angela Bogris, Andy Deraney, Betty or John Gakos for details. More information available in the upcoming Desert News.

12. The March Women’s Guild Meeting is scheduled for this Tuesday, March 21^st, at 7:30 PM.

13. The deadline for the May/June issue of The Desert News is April 2, 2006. Anyone with information they'd like to include should contact Arlene Assile or Carol Giffen.

March 26, 2006

THE EPISTLE