SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2021,
THE 17TH SUNDAY OF ST. LUKE (THE PRODIGAL SON).
OUR RIGHTEOUS FATHER BASIL, FOLLOW ASCETIC OF SAINT PROCOPIOS,
whose memory we commemorate today and all the saints, have mercy,
on us and save us, as a Good and Loving and Merciful God.

Tone p1.1. Eothinon 5.
HYMNS FOR THE SMALL ENTRANCE.

APOLYTIKION OF THE RESURRECTION, PLAGAL OF FIRST TONE. Let us worship the Word, O ye faithful, praising Him * that with the Father and Spirit is co-beginningless God, * Who was born of a pure Virgin that we all be saved; * for He was pleased to mount the Cross * in the flesh that He assumed, * accepting thus to endure death. * And by His glorious rising, He also willed to resurrect the dead.

APOLYTIKION OF THE DORMITION THEOTOKOS, FIRST TONE. In giving birth, thou didst preserve thy virginity; in thy dormition, thou didst not forsake the world, O Theotokos. Thou wast translated unto life, since thou art the Mother of Life; and by thine intercessions dost thou redeem our souls from death.

APOLYTIKION OF THE CHAPEL, STS. RAPHAEL, NICHOLAS AND IRENE, FOURTH TONE. On Lesbos, ye strove in contest for the sake of Christ God; * ye also have hallowed her with the discovery of your relics, O blessed ones. * O God-bearer Raphael, with thee, we all honor * Nicholas the deacon and Irene the chaste virgin, * as our divine protectors, who now intercede with the Lord.

KONTAKION, THIRD TONE. Foolishly I sprang away * from Thy great fatherly glory * and dispersed in wicked deeds * the riches that Thou didst give me. * With the Prodigal I therefore * cry unto Thee now: * I have sinned against Thee, O Compassionate Father. * But receive me in repentance; * make me as one of * Thy hired servants, O Lord.

THE SUNDAY OF THE PRODIGAL SON.
Through the parable of today’s Gospel, our Saviour has set forth three things for us: the condition of the sinner, the rule of repentance and the greatness of God’s compassion. The divine Fathers have put this reading the week of the parable of the Publican and Pharisee so that, seeing in the person of the Prodigal Son our own wretched condition—inasmuch as we are sunken in sin, far from God and His Mysteries—we might at last cone to our senses and make haste to return to Him by repentance during these holy days of the Fast.
Furthermore, those who have wrought many great iniquities and have persisted in them for a long time, oftentimes fall into despair, thinking that there can no longer be any forgiveness for them; and so being without hope, they fall every day into the same and even worse iniquities. Therefore, the divine Fathers, that they might root out the passions of despair from the hearts of such people and rouse them to the deeds of virtue, have set the present parable at the fore-courts of the Fast, to show them the surpassing goodness of God’s compassion and to teach them that there is no sin-no matter how great it may be- that can overcome at any time His love for man.

SUNDAY,
February 28

Confessor Basil, New Martyr Kyranna.
+MEMORIAL for VICTORIA TSOUKALAS, Mother of Peter Tsoukalas.
+MEMORIAL for Family of Pete & Katina Dorovenis:
+GEORGE, ANGELA, ANASTASIOS, NIKOLAOS, DEMETRIOS,
KATINGKO & ANDREAS.
+MAY THEIR MEMORY BE ETERNAL+
40 DAY BLESSINGS for Babies: Marjorie Yianna Barber & Isidoros Fouskas.

MONDAY,
March 1

Righteous Eudokia, Markellos & Antonina.

TUESDAY,
March 2

Hesychios & Theodotos, Virgin Martyr Euthalia.

WEDNESDAY,
March 3

Martyr Eutropios, Hieromartyr Theodoretos.

THURSDAY,
March 4

Righteous Gerasimos, Martyrs Paul & Juliana.

FRIDAY,
March 5

Righteous Konon, Martyr Eulampios.

SATURDAY,
March 6

42 Martyrs of Amorium, Finding of Holy Cross.
1ST Saturday of Souls Orthros 9:00 a.m. Liturgy 10:00 a.m. Memorials.
Baptism 1:00 p.m.

SUNDAY,
March 7

Meat Fare Sunday.
Martyrs of Cherson: Basil, Ephraim & Eugenios