Dear St. Nicholas Family,
In a few weeks, we start the Triodion period, leading us into Great Lent. There is a lot offered through the church and online to deepen our faith.
Click here to learn about the Triodion period, and
here for resources on Great Lent and Holy Pascha
(from the goarch.org website).
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Archdiocese and Metropolis News
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Sunday Worship
Orthros 8:15am
Divine Liturgy 9:30am
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Did you know EFT and credit card payments can be made online to
St. Nicholas?
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Presentation of Our Lord & Savior in the Temple
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Theodora the Empress
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Holy Father Auxentius of the Mountain
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First & Second Finding of the Venerable Head of John the Baptist
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Tarasius, Patriarch of Constantinople
February 25 |
Great Martyr Photine, the Samaritan Woman
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An Evening of Forgiveness
"Forgive me" may be the most beautiful words anyone can say! They mean so much! By just saying these words, you are including the words "I Love you...I respect you...I am sorry."
It is even that much greater when our Church allows us to gather for forgiveness.
In the Gospel passage for Forgiveness Sunday (Matt. 6: 14-21) we are warned that our Heavenly Father will not forgive us if we do not forgive others...so this shouldn't be a one time thing, but "seventy times seven."
Yet, this is the most difficult thing to do...forgive someone! Sometimes our human ego takes control of us and we relish each wrong done to us. Our Hearts become hardened and we let our pride take control.
Great lent is the opportunity for us to obey God in every way, shape or form. As we say in the Lords prayer "and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us..." If we truly love God and want to become God-like, then we must forgive ALL!
This forgiveness, though, can not be done alone or by oneself. It must be rooted in personal prayer, asking our Lord for the strength of forgiveness (we also can confess our unforgiveness at the time of Holy Confession). Once again we will have the opportunity to gather as a family and pray to our Lord asking Him and each other for forgiveness.
This year on Sunday, February 26 following Fellowship Hour, we will celebrate the Vespers of Forgiveness as we begin our Great Lenten journey. I ask that you attend this brief service (45 minutes) and it concludes with the exchange of mutual forgiveness. The icon of Christ is placed at the center of the Solea and the faithful come up one by one and venerate the Icon, after which we will all ask each other (one by one) saying those beautiful words, "Forgive me." When all have asked for forgiveness, the service is then completed.
I pray that you and your loved ones will be present at this beautiful service so we may welcome Great Lent by forgiving each other!
Fr. Demetri
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Children's Word
Written by Presbytera Alexandra Houck
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Dear Saint Nicholas Parish Family:
Thank you once again to the outgoing PC officers and members: Leo Panagiotou (vice president), Judy Gray (secretary), Marcy Norse (treasurer) Robert DeVasto, Alyssa Psyhojos, Pam Saledas, and Meli Papayannis. All served without any hesitation to help any time with any task!
Our awesome 2017 PC team includes Nicholas Zervoglos (vice president), Leto Papadopoulos (secretary), George Papayannis (treasurer), Tony Gray (stewardship chair), Elie Tamer (finance chair), Rick DiOrio, Don Khouri, Brian Mackintosh, Nector Ritzakis, (completing Meli Papayanni's term), Bill Sager, Joan Tarkulich and Penelope Tzougros.
At the Fall General Assembly, we were assigned several directives so several sub committees have formed: Technology, Memorial Fundraiser, Investment, Needs and Aesthetics and Parish Development/Long Term Planning. A status on the various projects will be presented at the Spring General Assembly. If you are interested in joining any of these new committees please reach out.
Sincerely,
Maria Decoulos
madecoulos@gmail.com
617-645-1684
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CHURCH SCHOOL
Be a part of St Nicholas' Holy Friday Retreat!
We need parents to assist in organizing and running our Church School Retreat. The more help we have, the better the experience is for our children. Please be a part of this beautiful day - contact Lariza or Amantha.
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GREEK SCHOOL
Καλό Μήνα! The Greek School is doing very well. On January 29, Maria Alam, Ellena Khoury and Elias Tamer read about the lives of the Three Hierarchs. They did an excellent job. Later on that day there were presentations, poems and dances at the Maliotis Center in Brookline. The students who took the Ellinomathia exam last May received their certificates. Congratulations to Ellie Pantekidou, Sofi Khoury and Rena Khoury.
The Apokriatiko Glendi will be on February 11. The children have been practicing dancing every Saturday after classes in order to perform their best for you. There will be a DJ and lots of delicious Greek food. We hope that you will come to have a good time and support the Greek School. Tickets will be sold after church and at the door.
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PHILOPTOCHOS
Vasilopita Sunday was a great day and enjoyed by all. Fr. Demetri's idea to have parishioners bake the Vasilopitas using their own recipes produced an excellent variety of very delicious pitas. We were able to send $300 to the St. Basil's Academy. Thanks to all for their generous donations.
For our other National Commitments, the Social Services Fund, the Cancer Fund, the Autism Assistance Fund and St. Photios Shrine, we have sent a total of $400. For our Metropolis Commitment, the Fellowship of Orthodox Stuarts, we have sent $100.
In recognition of "National Wear Red Day" - Go Red For Women - sponsored by the American Heart Association, all Philoptochos members joined in on Sunday, February 5 by wearing something red and/or red pins.
By now you have all received our Philoptochos stewardship letters. We invite all women over 18 to join our ministry and help us meet the National and Metropolis per capita requirements and the growing list of 30-40 charities we support. Thanks to Pam Brown for chairing the stewardship ministry and to all of you who support us.
Mary Correia will be sending letters to all parishioners later this month for the Easter flowers collection as we do every year at this time.
At our January meeting, we decided not to meet in February so our next meeting will be on March 7, at 6:30 pm.
Have a nice month and God Bless.
Lela Digenis, President
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STEWARDSHIP REPORT
Dear St. Nicholas Parish Family,
The date: Saturday, January 7, 2017
The issue: A predicted storm expected to deliver 8 inches of snow over the next 24 hours in the Lexington area, and an unpredictable snow removal service.
At 11:12 am Saturday morning, the first email was sent by the chair of the maintenance committee to two groups; the newly elected parish council and the "2014 St. Nicholas Fix-it committee", the latter having been formed years ago.
Between that first email and the last... 20 emails were exchanged. By 9:15 am on Sunday morning, an email was sent stating, simply, "Stand down. It's done. Thank you."
All the walkways, the stairs and the driveway were cleared from snow, and salt (supplied by the same groups) was applied.
The final result: The St. Nicholas parish family was able to safely attend and participate in the Divine Liturgy with grounds that looked like they were professionally cleared. This all happened without the knowledge of nearly everyone who celebrated that day.
Stewardship of time and talent!
"Orthodox Christian Stewardship is a way of life, which acknowledges accountability, reverence and responsibility before God... Stewardship calls on the faithful to cheerfully offer back to God a
portion of the gifts which they have been blessed." http://www.goarch.org/archdiocese/departments/stewardship
What gifts can you cheerfully offer back to God?
If you have already returned your Stewardship commitment form, thank you! If not, please review the 2017 Stewardship form, available in the Narthex or from any Parish Council member, and prayerfully determine how you can best use your gifts of time, talents and treasure... to cheerfully offer back to God a portion of the gifts with which you have been blessed.
Budgeted 2017 Stewardship goal: $177,625
Through January 24, 79 families have returned Stewardship commitment forms.
With love in Christ,
Tony Gray
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HEALTH & WELLNESS
We are enjoying our exercise classes on Thursdays at 12 noon in the hall! We would love to have more people come and join us! For questions / concerns, please contact Judy Gray at: jgray1321@gmail.com.
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AGAPE GROUP
"Wonders of the National Parks" presented by the Agape Group
Do you know how many national parks exist in the United States? How many have you visited? Most people have only been to one or two. To visit them all would take a lot of time and money since they are found all over the country. However, now there is an opportunity to visit them all, at least visually, in the new series of "Lectures by DVD" to be presented by the Agape Group at St. Irene's Hall starting on Thursday, January 12.
The lecturer is Ford Cochran, the Program Director for National Geographic Expeditions and an accomplished geologist. The lectures will include a discussion of the geological history of each park and will be accompanied by beautiful pictures by the National Geographic photographers. Each lecture will be one-hour long from 11:00am to 12:00pm. There will be eighteen weekly lectures.
By the way, there are fifty-nine National Parks in the United States.
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PRAYER LIST
Pondering on the words of St. Paul, "Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's wellbeing. (I Cor. 10:24). Give rest to the weary, visit the sick, support the poor, for this is also worship. Aphahat
For any prayer concern (salvation, health, employment, stress and anxieties, etc.) please send baptismal names only to:
st.nicholas.lex@verizon.net
We may not be able to help others materially or medically, but God does hear our prayers and always asks us to pray for each other and so build up the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-16).
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Messages
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A gentle reminder to all Fellowship hosts: Please keep in mind that families hosting coffee hour (children's table and main table) are responsible for clean up after completion. We appreciate your help with keeping our parish clean and treating it as your own home...because it is! Thank you.
Not Receiving Church Material?
If you have not been receiving church material/mailing or emails, please contact the church office at
781-862-6453 or email st.nicholaslex@verizon.net Thank you.
Monthly Bulletin Personal or Business Ad
If you are interested in placing a personal or business ad,
please contact the church office at 781-862-6453 or email st.nicholaslex@verizon.net
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On January 12, the funeral service for
Peter Stavropoulos was celebrated. He was the husband of Jeannette Zohar and father of Joanna Shumway and Maria Ready.
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