THE EPISTLE

Prokeimenon: Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us.

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous.

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

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.

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 Assile and Kramer Families.

The Coffee and Reception Hour in the Church Hall is offered today by the Dahlan and Maaya 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 +ANDREW SOPRENUK (Forty Days), brother of our parishioner, Margaret Kramer. MEMORY ETERNAL!

2. Today, February 19^th, is the SECOND Sunday in the Triodion Season, that time of preparation before we begin Great Lent. The “theme” for this Sunday is “The Prodigal Son,” the important lesson it teaches. Next Sunday, February 26^th, is “Meat Fare Sunday” which teaches the theme “The Last Judgment,” and the last Sunday, March 5^th, is “Cheese Fare Sunday,” the theme being “forgiveness.” Great Lent begins the next day, MONDAY, MARCH 6^th, PURE MONDAY.

3. CHURCH SCHOOL

A. Due to the blizzard of last week, the Church School will hold a post VALENTINE’S DAY BAKE SALE today. The profits from this Bake Sale go toward the curriculum of our kids. We thank our Director, Nike Bach and all those responsible for their dedication to our Church School. Please help us to help them!

B. CREATIVE FESTIVALS: The Creative Festivals continue next week, February 26^th with the Art Workshop. Due to the blizzard last week, the second art day or makeup day is scheduled for March 19^th. The Poetry Workshop will be held on March 5^th. Church School starts at 10 AM on each of these Sundays.

4. Tuesday Evening, February 21^st, there will be a Ladies’ Guild Dinner Meeting in the Church Hall at 7:30 PM. Please contact Joanne Hakim (201-767-0530) or Elaine Diamond (201-646-1820) to let them know you will attend this meeting – and please do so by February 17^th.

5. Thursday Evening, February 23^rd, there will be a “general” CHAIRPERSONS MEETING for all Chairs of our Golden Jubilee Celebration. All have officially been contacted by a personal letter from Father Joseph. It is a large group, so we will meet in the Church Hall at 7:30 PM. The agenda and task of each assignment will be reviewed by Father Joe. A timeline will be presented by Father, Jim Watkins, and Anne Shagoury. After this first “general” meeting Jim and Anne will be chairing all following meetings.

6. It is not too early to remind our parish that our Lenten Program, in conjunction with our Golden Jubilee year, being very special will include:

A. A special evening on March 10^th when we will welcome Sister Emiliani from the Twelve Apostle Monastery in Karditsa, Greece

B. Two evenings of “Town Hall Meetings/Discussions on March 17^th and 24^th; and

C. Two evenings, March 31^st and April 7th, we will present “The Face of Christ,” a video program which has now become noted as a true spiritual “gold mine!;. Each evening will include a Question and Answer period.

7. The next TOWN HALL/DISCUSSION Committee Meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 7^th, at 7:30 PM. (This is a change from the previously announced meeting which was scheduled for a day earlier.

8. LOOKING AHEAD

A. Monday, March 6^th is PURE MONDAY, the first day of our Lenten Journey. Great Lent begins our regular Wednesday Evening “Presanctified Liturgies” and Friday “Akathist Services.”

B. Our last social function before we begin our “journey to Jerusalem” is the MARDI GRAS, sponsored by our St. Anthony’s Fellowship. The Mardi Gras is one of our most enjoyed social functions of the year, this year being held on Saturday Evening, March 4^th.

C. Every Friday Evening, as noted above, is an important evening in our Spring Adult Education Program. (See # 6 above)

D. Our parishioners especially should remember that, after Sister Emiliani speaks here at St. Anthony’s on Friday, March 10^th, she will then continue her presentations on Saturday, March 11^th, at St. George of Little Falls. These sessions, taken all together, comprise a Lenten Retreat for the NY/NJ Area. Guests from other Churches are certainly welcomed at any of these sessions.

E. The complete LENTEN SCHEDULE will soon arrive at your home, but you can note on your calendar from now: Rev. Fletcher Harper will address our parish on March 12^th regarding our leading response to the cosmic energy crisis; Saturday of the Souls is March 25^th (also the Feast day of the Annunciation); Bishop Thomas will be with us for our Communion Breakfast on April 9^th; the Teen Lenten Supper is scheduled for Friday, April 14^th – all before we begin HOLY WEEK (April 16-23).

February 19, 2006

THE EPISTLE