MAY THE NAME OF THE LORD BE BLESSED!

On February 18, the Holy Orthodox Church commemorates Martyrs Leo and Parigorius of Patara in Lycia; Venerable Agapitus the Confessor and Wonderworker, Bishop of Synnada in Phrygia; Martyrs Victor, Dorotheus, Theodoulus, and Agrippa, in Phrygia; Martyr Piulius (Publius), by the sword; Saint Flavian the Confessor, Archbishop of Constantinople; Saint Leo the Great, Pope of Rome; Saint Blaise of Amorion and Mt. Athos; and the Repose of Schemamonk Constantine (Cavarnos), spiritual writer in 2011. Through the prayers of Thy Saints and Blessed Ones, O God save, protect, and have mercy on Thy people. Amen!

FOR REFLECTION….
 

 ‘Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly’ – Jonah 2:1 See Also: Psalm 129 (130):1

 

The story of Jonah is well known. On account of the great prophet’s disobedience, he was thrown to the bottom of the sea only to be swallowed by a great fish. Jonah found himself in the deepest and darkest of prisons but did not despair. Rather than become overcome by the hell in which he finds himself, Jonah turns the beast’s belly into a sanctuary, a place where he offers immense prayers before the Lord. The glorious repentance and faith of Jonah is a marvelous lesson to us all. Like Jonah we too ought to sanctify even the most disparaging situations by offering ourselves to God in complete surrender to His divine will. When overcome by life’s vehement waves and swallowed up by the jaws of destruction, we need not despair. For the Lord is our deliverer and the only hope to those who fall prey to life’s afflictions. Only cry to the Lord as Jonah did and you will emerge from belly of the beast unscathed.

Prayer

Like Jonah I cry out to the Lord because of my affliction, knowing too well that He will answer me (Jonah 2:2).

BIBLE STUDY: “The Gospel of St. John: Beholding the Glory” held on Thursdays at 10:30 AM and 7:00 PM. This year’s Scripture study focuses on the fourth Gospel, composed by St. John the Theologian. Both groups are currently on Chapter 7. Join us every Thursday at 10:30 AM or 7:00 PM in the Church library to explore the depths of the Gospel written by “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” 

ORTHODOX ADULT INQUIRY CLASS: For adults interested in joining the Orthodox Church. Through discussion, speakers, and personal sharing, adults will be preparing to receive Baptism or Chrismation. The theme is “Living the Liturgy.” Sessions held Wednesdays through Mar. 6 at 7:30 PM in the Church Library. Contact Fr. Dimitrios for more information or to sign up at 301- 469-7990.

LIVE ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 2018-2019: Each Sunday at 11:30 AM, the St. George Adult Education program meets in the Church library and is live streamed to a global audience through the Orthodox Christian Network Facebook page. People all over the world listen to our class, write in their comments, and interact with your fellow parishioners in real-time. On February 17, our class on “The Hard Truth About the Truth – Part 2” was connected globally to the Orthodox faithful in the U.S. and throughout the world in, Canada, Australia, Denmark, England, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Germany, Greece, Kenya, Lebanon,Norway, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and other countries. Comments included, “Highly welcome” “Thank you for making it so clear to comprehend!” “Fantastic subject matter, as always enjoyed this class.” Click this link to watch it using Facebook or click this link to watch from any device now and share with your family and friends!

_________________________________

50 PLUS: Will be selling Koulourakia this coming Sunday following Divine Liturgy. Stop by and bring home some of these fresh-baked treats!

GOYA: 3rd Annual Sights & Sounds Arts Festival, Mar. 2-3. All 7-12 grade youth are encouraged to share their unique abilities through a wide use of creative mediums including painting, drawing, photography, music, dance, drama, and writing. Required participant registration fee of $20.00 includes an event T-shirt. Please indicate your individual and/or group participation categories at https://stgeorge.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/269/responses/new and support our Arts Festival by becoming a “Patron of the Arts” or purchasing a Program Book advertisement. Ad rates and artwork submittal information are at https:// stgeorge.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/271/responses/new

ST. JOHN ORATORICAL FESTIVAL: Mar. 10, 1:00 PM- 3:00 PM. For information, contact festival chairman Nick Moniodis at nickmoniodis@gmail.com

“BE THE BEE” RETREAT: Saturday, Mar. 30. Steven Christoforou, Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministries of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, will lead a daylong program for 6-12 grade youth (9:30 AM – 5:00 PM) and an evening program for young adults 18-25 (7:00 PM), to share the Gospel in a clear and accessible way and helping young men and women see Christ at work in their lives. Watch their videos at https:// www.youtube.com/y2am

JAMES G. PULOS SCHOLARSHIPS: April 1 application deadline. Established through a bequest by John Pulos, college scholarships are available to select graduating high school seniors. Participant families must be stewards in good standing at St. George. Applications can be found at https://stgeorge.org/ scholarshipopportunities / The entire application can be completed online except the high school transcript, which must be mailed to: Pulos Scholarship c/o Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, 7701 Bradley Blvd, Bethesda, MD 20817.

ORTHODOX YOUTH MISSION TEAM: July 6-13. Seeking adult volunteer leaders to supervise St. George GOYANs and other youth participants in the Appalachian Service Project, working with families in this very poor region of our country to help make their homes “warmer, safer and drier.” Contact Athena Kaiser for information at 240-498-0870 or avkmail@verizon.net