May 2017 ¨1645 Phillips Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32308 ¨ (850) 878-0747 ¨ Rev. Fr. Robert J. O’Loughlin¨ http://www.hmog.org

The farther we go into the Paschal season, the less we may greet each other with

Christ is Risen with the same enthusiasm as we might have on Pascha or throughout

Bright Week. The main problem for us may be remembering in our hearts what the

implication of the Resurrection for us is. We may lose some of our thirst for what

Christ has offered to us. In the Gospel reading of the Samaritan woman, Jesus need-

ed water to quench His physical thirst and she needed living water to quench her spir-

itual thirst. In His short conversation with her, Jesus points out that she is living an

unfocused and deceiving life. Christ is showing and enlightening us about how we are

to live and what the Resurrection means.

There was an openness in the Samaritan woman’s soul, because as God revealed

Himself to her, slowly, there was awakened in her a great thirst, and a great honesty.

Our life is full of many moments, when God tries to reach out and touch us. Many of

these moments we have missed, sometimes because we have other things to do, other

priorities. At times, we may cut off our conversation with God as we may not say our prayers very often, or we

may not come to Church as often as we should. These are all parts of the conversation with God.

God awakened the Samaritan woman and in her thirst, she saved her soul. He cleansed the unclean life that

she was leading because He touched her with the idea of water, living water, and the woman begins to pursue

after this idea. She pursued and she became enlightened. She started to understand because the conversa-

tion continued. The living water that Christ talks about is the Holy Spirit that God brings to a person. God

wants to shed grace upon us abundantly, yet we often don’t complete our conversation with Him. We may not

even know what it is that He wants to give us. Because we can be so burdened with the cares, and distrac-

tions of our every day life. When we allow Christ to speak with us, He reveals Himself as we live our lives

and we can receive this living water that quenches our thirst. It is only possible if we continually participate.

That’s why saying our prayers consistently, keeping the fast consistently, coming to the services consistently

can quench our thirst.

We may watch more television or spend more time on the computer and phones than we pray. We may read

things that are either unholy or useless, rather than the Scriptures. We may say that we don't have time for

this and not know what we have missed in not conversing with God. The Samaritan woman came to the well

without any spiritual purpose; she came, as she came daily, to fetch water and she met Christ. Each of us

may meet Christ at any turn in our lives, if our hearts are turned in the right direction, we will be prepared to

receive a message, to listen and prepared to ask questions.

And this is what the Samaritan woman teaches all of us: be open at every moment of our lives while we are

busy with the simplest things. We can receive His Word, be illumined by His Light and receive it in the depths

of our souls so that people can witness it in the world.

Fr. Robert

Christ is risen! Χριστος aνεστη! Khristos voskrese!

El Messieh kahm! Hristos a inviat! Christos t'ensah em' muhtan!

Kristos haryav ee merelotz! Helisituosi fuhuole! Christus ist erstanden!

Khristus zmartwyckwstal! Cristo ha resucitado! Kristo amefufukka

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Our next ECHO Sundays are May 7th and

June 4th. Please drop off your non-perishable food

donations into the bins located in the Hellenic

Center and Patmos Hall.

If an emergency or special need should arise, please contact Fr. Rob immediately at 850-559-8184.

May Their Memory Be Eternal…

On Monday, April 3rd, Erasmia Mihalisn beloved wife of Angelo; mother of Athena (Bob) Gill and grandmother of Alexa (Adam) Bayer fell asleep in the Lord. Our love and deepest sympathy are with her family. May her memory be eternal!

On April 26th, Moris Vajagich, fell asleep in the Lord and is survived by his loving wife Milka and daughter Vera (Lynn David). Funeral to be held in Illi-nois on May 1st. May his memory be eternal.

If you have high school/college graduates, please call the church office so the graduates

can be listed in the Reflections.

When: Sunday May 7th

(coffee hour)

Let’s share our cultures! Bring your favorite baked goods, pastries,

etc., to accompany coffee during coffee hour. Please drop off your item in the Hellenic Cen-

ter prior to coming into Church.

Join us for our...

Holy Mother of God Parish Gathering

Friday, May 12th

6:00pm-9:00ish

In the Hellenic Center

Seafood Boil - Cajun Shrimp, Crawfish,

corn on the cob, new red potatoes, salad,

Garlic bread, sweet tea

Music, Fun, Fellowship

Adults - $10.00

Age 11 through college Student -$5.00

Children 10 and under Free Beer/Wine $2.00 cash bar

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Lazarus Saturday, Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Pascha

Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday

Bridegroom Service Holy Wednesday - Holy Unction

Holy Thursday - Passion Service

Holy Friday - Adorning the Kouvoukion

Myrrh-bearing girls

Holy Friday evening - Lamentations and Procession

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Holy Saturday Morning

Resurrection Service- Christ is Risen! Christos Anesti!

Agape Vespers - Followed by Pascha Glendi

Divine Liturgy following

Resurrection Service

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For May 2017

A Special Thank You to our outgoing President Olibia Drzewiecki and

To all of our members and friends who have worked so hard this past year in all of our endeavors – you are GREATLY ap-

preciated! It is always a pleasure to work with women who find joy in the good that we are able to accomplish each year in help-

ing those in need here in our own community in Tallahassee, in our Metropolis, our Archdiocese and throughout the world!

Many thanks to everyone who helped with our Gyro Feast. We appreciate all the long hours and hard work our volunteers gave

and for our patrons who helped make it a success!

End of Year Get Together – Dutch Treat

Thursday May 4, 2017

Georgio’s Fine Food & Spirits 2971 Apalachee Parkway

Tallahassee, Florida

RSVP Connie Mathes (229) 221-1071 by May 2nd

Holy Ascension The Lord Jesus passed forty days on earth after His Resurrection from the dead, ap-

pearing continually in various places to His disciples, with whom He also spoke, ate, and drank, thereby further demonstrating His Resurrection. On this Thursday, the for-

tieth day after Pascha, He appeared again in Jerusalem. After He had first spoken to

the disciples about many things, He gave them His last commandment, that is, that

they go forth and proclaim His Name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. But He

also commanded them that for the present, they were not to depart from Jerusalem,

but to wait there together until they receive power from on high, when the Holy Spirit would come upon them.

Saying these things, He led them to the Mount of Olives, and raising His hands, He blessed them; and say-

ing again the words of the Father's blessing, He was parted from them and taken up. Immediately a cloud

of light, a proof of His majesty, received Him. Sitting thereon as though on a royal chariot, He was taken up into Heaven, and after a short time was concealed from the sight of the disciples, who remained where they

were with their eyes fixed on Him. At this point, two Angels in the form of men in white raiment appeared to

them and said, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into Heaven? This same Jesus, Who is taken up

from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven" (Acts 1:11). These

words, in a complete and concise manner, declare what is taught in the Symbol of Faith concerning the Son and Word of God. Therefore, having so fulfilled all His dispensation for us, our Lord Jesus Christ as-

cended in glory into Heaven, and sat at the right hand of God the Father. As for His sacred disciples, they

returned from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem, rejoicing because Christ had promised to send them the

Holy Spirit.

It should be noted that the Mount of Olives is a Sabbath's day journey from Jerusalem, that is, the dis-

tance a Jew was permitted to walk on the day of the Sabbath. Ecumenius writes, "A Sabbath day's journey

is one mile in length, as Clement says in his fifth Stromatis; it is two thousand cubits, as the Interpretation

of the Acts states." They draw this conclusion from the fact that, while they were in the wilderness, the Is-

raelites of old kept within this distance from the Holy Tabernacle, whither they walked on the Sabbath day to worship God.

© 2017 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

Page 7

Easter Lilies in memory of loved ones Donor In Memorandum

Tamara & Bart Aitken - Nicholas Aaron Aitken

Anna Alexopoulos & Matt Farrar - Ioanna Dinou, Alexandros Alexopoulos,

Theofania Voyagis, Nicholas Voyagis, Barbara Higdon

Petru & Simona Andrei - All our loved ones who are no longer with us

Nina Biadulina - Alexander, Ivan, Joseph, Alexander, Julia, Elisabeth,

Sergiy, Paul, Vladimir, Michael & Anna

The Drzewiecki Family - Apostolos & Angela Coumanis

Justin Edge & Jennifer Lowery & Michael - Michael Lowery

Angela & Carl Enis - Jerry Enis

Janet T. Gavalas - Nic Gavalas

Vicky, Michael, Janet, Nicholas & Elleni Gavalas - Dionisios & Elleni Dimopoulos, Nicholas G. Gavalas

Angelica Grigorian - Stepan,

Irina Grigoryan - Stepan, Igor, Gohar, Ella, Nona, Valentina, Eleonora,

Alexander, Vladimir, Maria, Sergey, Dzamilia

Emanuel & Laura Joanos - Mike, Popi & Steve Joanos

Stamie Joanos - Mike & Kalliopi Joanos, Eva Kypreos, Steve Joanos

Eugenia Christie

Corinne A. LaPointe - Mike, Sadie, Samuel, Anna, Michael Samuel, Lyell,

Eilleen, Richard, Margaret, Helen, David & Katherine

George & Connie Mathes - Sophie & Louie Mathes, Mary Kennedy Pierce

Helen Nolas - Demetrios B. Nolas

Billy & Julie Nolas - Demetrios, Hrisavgi, Vasilies, Sultama, Demosthenes,

Stergios, Jerry, Rogers, Leonard, David, Maureen, Mary,

Stergios, David, Leonard, Merle, & Oscar

Fr. Robert, Presv. Joy, Jaclyn, & Krista O’Loughlin - Charles O’Loughlin and Mary O’Loughlin

Dianne & Glen Perrigan - Joyce Sneider & William Perrigan, Sr.

Holy Mother of God

Church School Graduation

“Grow in Grace and Knowledge of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” 2 Peter 3:19

Sunday, May 21st

Presentation of Certificates to students of all grades

Please join us after Liturgy and the presentation of certificates in the

Hellenic Center For hot dogs, hamburgers,

ice cream and fellowship

Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church

1645 Phillips Road Tallahassee, Florida 32308

Return Service Requested

Holy Ascension

Celebrated

May 25th

Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church

1645 Phillips Road Tallahassee, FL 32308

Office: 850-878-0747 Hall: 850-877-2501

Fr. Rob’s Cell: 850-559-8184

Website: www.hmog.org

Email Addresses:

Father Rob: fr.robert@comcast.net

Church Secretary: hmog@comcast.net

Secretary Hours: Mon./Wed./Fri. 9am-2pm