Sunday FEBRUARY 26, 2012
Sunday of Forgiveness
The Orthodox Way of Life
“Let us commit ourselves and
one another and our whole life
to Christ our God”
St. Athanasios
Greek Orthodox Church
Office Phone:(251) 471-8000
Fax: (251) 471-8015
Clergy: (850) 259-9273
Chapel Address:220 East 20th Ave., Gulf Shores, Alabama, 36542
Lenten/Easter donations!
LENT
Great Lent begins on the first Monday of Lent February 27th. The Sunday of Forgiveness introduces our Lenten journey for 40 days. The focus is placed on the exile of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, and event that shows us how far we have fallen in sin and separated ourselves from God. Great Lent is a period of intense fasting, almsgiving and prayer. The Sunday of forgiveness reminds us of our need for God’s forgiveness and guides our hearts, minds, and spiritual efforts on returning to Him in repentance. We seek forgiveness from all of our loved ones, friends and neighbors who we have missed treated.
Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian:
O Lord and Master of my life!
Take from me the spirit of sloth,
faint-heartedness, lust of power, and idle talk.
But give rather the spirit of chastity,
humility, patience, and love to Thy servant.
Yes, Lord and King! Grant me to see my own errors
and not to judge my brothers and sisters,
for Thou art blessed unto ages of ages. Amen.
St. Athanasios Lenten Dinners and Church Services: Worship and Fellowship please join us on:
Friday MARCH 2, 2012 at6:30 p.m. AKATHIST Service/Potluck
March 28, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. Pre-Sanctified Evening Liturgy/Potluck
Please bring your favorite Lenten dishes to share.
+
+The Saturday of Souls Liturgy+
Saturday March 17, 2012 10:00 a.m.
Recipe for Kolyva
Boiled wheat with sugar, fruit and/or nuts
Kolyva, Koljevo or Zhito is made in different ways according to local custom. The constant ingredients seem to be boiled wheat (of course!) and sugar. Other common ingredients are nuts, raisins, or pomegranate seeds, parsley, and other spices. Certainly, this is not a comprehensive list! The following recipe satisfies the local custom in which Kolyva is made from selected ingredients: boiled wheat, ground nuts and sugar. Boil two cups of wheat berries till they burst. Drain and grind/chop coarsely. Toast enough nuts to make two cups ground. Walnuts are traditional. I like the flavor of pecans. Almonds and, for a delightful flavor, pistachios are both grown in the Holy Land. Take two cups sugar and caramelize to a very pale gold and stir in the chopped nuts to make a nut brittle. Grind to a coarse praline powder. Mix the praline with the wheat and pack into a Saran lined hemispherical type bowl. Cover the top with Saran and refrigerate. This will keep for a few days. Remove Saran, invert onto a large plate, unmold and remove Saran. Decorate with Sultanas or Jordan Almonds to form a cross on the half dome.
SERVICES FOR HOLY WEEK AND EASTER 2012:
As we approach the Holy Week Observance and the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord, it is proper that we give due consideration to our spiritual life and to matters of faith. We must strive to become worthy of the Love and Sacrifice which the Son of God offered for all mankind. Let us seek forgiveness of one another and let us try always to live together in peace and harmony and in the dignity which God intended for all men throughout the world. “This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.” John 15:12.
April 8: PALM SUNDAY
Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.
Bridegroom Service Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m.
.
April 9: HOLY AND GREAT MONDAY
Bridegroom Service 6:00 p.m.
April 10: HOLY AND GREAT TUESDAY
Bridegroom Service & Hymn of Kassiane 6:00 p.m.
April 11: HOLY AND GREAT WEDNESDAY
Holy Unction 6:00 p.m.
April 12: HOLY AND GREAT THURSDAY
Passion Service (The Twelve Gospels) 6:00 p.m.
April 13: HOLY AND GREAT FRIDAY
Apokathelosis (Removal from the Cross) &
Lamentations (Procession of Epitaphion) 6:00 p.m.
April 14 : HOLY AND GREAT SATURDAY 10:00 a.m. Holy Liturgy
Midnight Service for (Easter) Starts at 11:30 p.m.
Easter Liturgy
Orthodox dietary restrictions prohibit eating foods that contain or are derived from red blooded animals, which means no meat, no fish, no dairy products. And for the very devout, there are more than 180 days each year when at least some restrictions apply. Cephalopods (squid, calamari, octopus, cuttlefish), shrimp and shellfish are favorites, as well as a wide range of vegetable dishes. Here are some favorite Lenten and "fasting" (as it's called in Greek) appetizers, main dishes, and desserts.
1. Baked Giant Bean Casserole - Yigandes Plaki +Yigandes (gigantes) are similar to giant dried lima beans, and this oven-to-table casserole combines them with tomatoes, onions, herbs, and spices to create a fabulous dish. This can also be served as a side dish or (on small plates) as a meze.
2. Baked Stuffed Squid - Kalamarakia Yemista This recipe can be made with large or small squid, fresh or frozen. The stuffing is a delicious mixture of rice, garlic, tomato paste, parsley, onion, and wine. A Greek classic and a favorite way to enjoy squid (calamari).
3. Braised Eggplant with Potatoes
Eggplant is dredged in flour and browned, then added to potatoes in a sauce of tomatoes, onions and parsley. It's simple, delicious, traditional, and meatless.
4. Cuttlefish in Wine - Soupies Krasates
A delicious dish of cuttlefish cooked with onions, red wine, and bay leaves - reminiscent of French cooking, but definitely and authentically Greek.
5. Easy Bean Salad - Fassolia Xera Salata
This is a simple dish to make and a Greek favorite. Great Northern or navy beans are my choice, but you can use any dried white bean. This is a great dish to include in a picnic or cookout menu! Enjoy it as a salad, appetizer, or side dish.
6. Halvas (Semolina Pudding) with Raisins & Nuts
Halvas made with semolina, nuts, raisins, and cinnamon is a delightful, grainy textured dessert, and one of the more famous Greek sweets. This version is cooked on the stove, placed in a mold to shape, and served at room temperature.
7. Lentils with Rice - Fakes me Ryzi
This recipe meets the most stringent Greek Orthodox guidelines for periods of fasting and the Great Lent, and even with the optional addition of olive oil, meets less stringent guidelines and is served as a starter, salad, side, and main course.
8. No-Butter Sesame Cookies - Koulourakia Lathera me Sousami
Cookies made with olive oil are very common in Greece. These delicious small sesame cookies can be found all over Greece, in bakeries and at home. They are made without butter and eggs and can be stored for up to two months.
9. Octopus Stewed with Onions & Tomato - Htapothi Stifatho
Stifatho (stifado) dishes are stews made with a lot of onions, in a tomato and oil sauce. This is a delightful main dish that also meets dietary requirements.
10. Potato Ragout - Patates Yiahni
Another deceptively simple dish, potatoes are stewed with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and seasonings to create a hearty and warming dish.
11. Purée of Yellow Split Peas - Fava Fava is made with yellow split peas (or yellow daal), and puréed to create an light appetizer or meze that, during Lent, goes exceptionally well with salty dishes as well as dark leafy greens. This is a great dish for vegetarians and vegans as well.
12. Halushki 1 med. pkg. wide noodles
1 head cabbage (3 lbs.)
3/4 c. margarine
1 lg. onion
Cook noodles and drain. Chop onions and cabbage. Cover cabbage with water and cook 1/2 hour (until soft). Fry onions and cabbage in margarine, stirring often until browned. Mix noodles with cabbage and onions until heated. Salt and pepper too taste.
13. Ukrainian Pirohi / Aka Varenyky Pirohi (or varenyky as they are called in Ukrainian because they are boiled)..., are a mashed potato, cheese, onion filled dumpling.. that is boiled, drained and then served with sautéed onions and butter.
Confessional thoughts:
I CONFESS TO THE LORD MY God and before you, reverend father, all my countless sins which I have committed till the present day and hour: in thought, word, and deed. Every day and every hour I sin through ingratitude to God for His great and numberless blessings to me and His most gracious providence and care for me, a sinner.
I have sinned through idle talk, condemnation of others, scorn, insubordination, pride, unkindness, envy, anger, slander, inattention, carelessness, negligence, impudence, discourtesy, irritability, sloth, despondency, resentment, remembrance of wrongs, paying back evil with evil, violence, disobedience, grumbling, self-justification, contradiction, independence, self-will, evil talk, lying, self-love, ambition, excess in eating and drinking, eating and drinking in secret, drunkenness, attachment to things, conceit, laziness, harboring of licentious unclean thoughts dallying with them and taking pleasure in them, sensual imaginings, daydreams and issues. I have sinned through excessive sleeping, impure glances, omitting divine service from laziness or neglect, dozing and whispering in church, arriving late for the beginning of church services, inattention during prayer in church and in private, not fulfilling properly the rule of private prayer.
I have sinned in thought, word and deed and by sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch, and by my other spiritual and bodily senses. But I repent of these sins and ask forgiveness.
Here it is necessary to mention, also, other sins, if you have anything special on your conscience.
I also repent and ask forgiveness for everything which I have not confessed through ignorance or forgetfulness.
Forgive and absolve me, reverend father, and bless me to partake of the Holy and Life-giving Mysteries of Christ for the remission of my sins and for eternal life.
GENERAL RULES OF THE LENTEN FAST
The Lenten Fast rules that we observe today were established within the monasteries of the Orthodox Church during the sixth through eleventh centuries. These rules are intended for all Orthodox Christians, not just monks and nuns.
The first week of Lent is especially strict. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, a total fast is kept. In practice, very few people are able to do this. Some find it necessary to eat a little each day after sunset. Many Faithful do fast completely on Monday and then eat only uncooked food (bread, fruit, nuts) on Tuesday evening. On Wednesday, the fast is kept until after the Pre-sanctified Liturgy.
From the second through the sixth weeks of Lent, the general rules for fasting are practiced. Meat, animal products (cheese, milk, butter, eggs, lard), fish (meaning fish with backbones), olive oil and wine (all alcoholic drinks) are not consumed during the weekdays of Great Lent. Octopus and shell-fish are allowed, as is vegetable oil. On weekends, olive oil and wine are permitted.
According to what was done in the monasteries, one meal a day is eaten on weekdays and two meals on weekends of Great Lent. No restriction is placed on the amount of food during the meal, though moderation is always encouraged in all areas of one's life at all times.
Fish, oil and wine are allowed on the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25) and on Palm Sunday (one week before Easter). On other feast days, such as the First and Second Finding of the Head of Saint John the Baptist (February 24) , the Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (March 9), the Forefeast of the Annunciation (March 24) and the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel (March 26), wine and oil are permitted.
4