Schedule of Divine Services
SUNDAY SERVICES
Orthos: 9 AM
Divine Liturgy 10 AM
LENTEN SERVICES -- Great Lent begins on Monday, March 18th.
Presanctified Liturgies every Wednesday throughout Great Lent at 5:30 p.m. followed by a lenten pot-luck supper
Salutations to the Theotokos will be sung on the first 5 Fridays of Great Lent at 7:00 p.m.
LAZARUS SATURDAY
Saturday, March 27th. Orthros, 9 a.m. Divine Liturgy, 10 a.m.
HOLY WEEK -- March 29th through April 4th
Orthros of the Bridegroom on Monday and Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Holy Unction (the sacrament of healing) on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Divine Liturgy of the Mystical Super on holy Thursday at 9 a.m.
Orthros of the Passion (12 gospels) on holy Thursday at 6 p.m.
Great Vespers of the Descent from the Cross (Apokathilosis) at 3 p.m. on Good Friday
The Lamentations at 6 p.m. on Good Friday
St. Basil's Divine Liturgy of the Resurection, 9 a.m. on Holy Saturday
The Resurrection service begins at 10:30 p.m. on Holy Saturday with the proclamation of Christ Risen at 11:00 p.m.
Orthros at 11:30 p.m. on Holy Saturday night followed by the midnight Divine Liturgy of Pascha.
Easter Sunday (Pascha), the AGAPE Vespers at 11 a.m.
CONFESSIONS ARE HEARD ON WEDNESDAYS & FRIDAYS PRIOR TO THE SERVICES OF GREAT LENT
HOLY COMMUNION
The Orthodox believe in the actual presence of the Body and Blood of Christ. In the Divine Liturgy, we believe that the bread and wine are consecrated and are truly changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. A communicant must prepare to receive through prayer and fasting. Only baptized and confirmed Orthodox Christians should receive Holy Communion, and only when properly prepared.
Currently, at St. Demetrios, Holy Communion is distributed using separate spoons, one per person. What is critical is not the means of receiving Christ's gift, but what we receive: His Body and Blood. This is not only consistent with the wisdom of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, but it underscores what His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros has affirmed since the beginning of the crisis: "It is not the way we receive; it is the Communion itself that saves us and gives us eternal life.”