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ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
THE MESSENGER
“Behold I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.” Mark 1:2-3
April 2012
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ΜΕΓ“ΛΗ Κ“Ι “ΓΙ“ Π“Ρ“ΣΚΕΥΗ − Η “ΠΟΚ“ΘΗΛΩΣΙΣ
Rev. Fr. Stavros N. Akrotirianakis, Protopresbyter
2418 W. Swann Avenue, Tampa, FL 33609-4712
Office Phone: (813)876-8830 Fax (813) 873-1107
E-mail stjohntampa@
Website:
St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church
Timetable of Services Sundays: Orthros 8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy: 10:00 a.m.
Weekdays: Orthros 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy: 10:00 a.m.
|Parish Priest: Rev. Fr. Stavros N. Akrotirianakis | |Office Staff: |
|813-876-8830 (office) 394-1038 (cell) | |Nick Andreadakis, Office Admin. 813-876-8830 |
|frstav@ | |Demi Elliott, Bookkeeper 813-258-5646 |
|Parish Council: | |~Choir: Artie Palios, Director 813-831-1294 |
|Katherine Sakkis, President 813-309-1073 | |Jim Leone, Organist 813-254-7844 |
|Bill Manikas V. President 813-716-8185 | |~Chanter: Nick Andreadakis 813-876-8830 |
|Diane Trimis, Secretary 813-968-9038 | |~Sunday Sch.: Jenny Paloumpis 813-265-2702 |
|Skip Higdon, Treasurer 813-831-9021 Diane | |Victoria Peckham 813-406-5626 |
|Norcross, Stewardship 813-846-3780 | |~Finance Committee: Mike Xenick 813-340-8737 |
|Alexandra De Maio 813-340-9668 | | |
|John Kokkas 1-727-992-4165 | |~Adult Greek School: Magda Myer 813-909-2327 |
|Byron Nenos 813-789-0729 | |~AGAPE Group: Chairperson |
|Despina Sibley 813-251-5384 | |Michael Palios, Chair 813-232-7862 |
|David Voykin 727-415-5603 | |~AHEPA: Gus Paras, President 813-254-6980 |
|Maria Zabetakis 813-831-9303 | |~Community Outreach: Chairperson |
|λ λ λ λ λ λ λ St. John the Baptist Greek | |Betty Katherine Palios 813-215-9862 |
|Orthodox Church is a parish under the spiritual and | |~Daughters: Ourania Stephanides, Pres. 813-961-0309 |
|ecclesiastical oversight of His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios| |~Food Pantry, Anetta Alexander 863-224-3001 |
|of the Metropolis of Atlanta, of the Greek Orthodox | |~GOYA Adv. Elaine Halkias 813-968-9129 |
|Archdiocese of America in the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical | |Byron Nenos 813-789-0729 |
|Patriarchate of Constantinople. | |~JOY/HOPE: Maria Xenick 813- 839-9897 |
|λ λ λ λ λ λ λ | |~Philoptochos: JoAnn Hartung, Pres. 727-432-0228 |
|The Messenger of St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church | |~Oratorical Festival Chairperson |
|is published on a monthly basis. Publication is the first of| |Peggy Bradshaw: 727-244-1374 |
|each month. Deadline for notices and announcements for the | |~Young at Heart: Ron Myer 813-909-2327 |
|Messenger is the 10th of each month. You may send | |~Jr Olympics: Byron Nenos 813-789-0729 |
|announcements to the church office or through email to: | | |
|stjohntampa@ | |~Ushers: Tom Georgas 813-985-0236 |
|λ λ λ λ λ λ λ | |~Stewardship Chairperson: |
|“May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God | |Diane Norcross 813-846-3780 |
|the Father and the Communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you | |~Altar Angels: |
|all.” --From the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom | |Engie Halkias & Viorica Kirby 813-932-5859 ~Bookstore: |
| | |Jon & Pamela Irwin 813-237-5537 |
| | |~Η Χ“Ρ“ Μ“Σ Dance Group: |
| | |Alex De Maio & 813-340-9668 |
| | |Marina Choundas 813-877-6136 |
| | |~Glendi Dancers:Jenna Mingledorff 813-610-7365 |
| | |~Panigyri Dancers: Vanessa Aviles 813-221-2194 |
| | |~Website: |
| | |~Head of School: Cindy Strickland 813-258-5646 |
| | |~School Office: Sue Terebecki 813-258-5646 |
| | |~School Website: |
To the Parishioners of St. John
For those who attended the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, March 11, you heard me give a very emotional sermon. Many people after church came up to me and said they feel bad for me. Some offered to write letters on my behalf in support of me. Many people emailed me or posted positive comments on my facebook page. I am grateful for these gestures of support. They mean a lot to me.
I am afraid, however, that my emotions are what people took away from the sermon, instead of the message I intended to convey. This sermon was not intended for people to “pity Fr. Stavros,” but rather a call to action for our community. I began the sermon by saying that there are many outside forces that are working against our church. And they pose a real threat to Christianity, they threaten the very future of our church in this country. With the mainstream media and our politicians now openly attacking Christian values, I wonder how long it will be before people start openly attacking Christians. This is a reality in our country. And anyone who isn’t wise to this has his head in the sand. It will take a great effort on the part of our parish to merely SURVIVE, let along thrive, in an anti-Christian culture.
Having said that it will take a lot of effort for our church to survive the external attacks, our church has ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE if the attacks are coming from the inside as well. When ministries become special interests that have agendas counter to the mission of the church, there is a problem. On Sunday, I highlighted the dance group, but they are not the only guilty party. That’s just one of the internal problems. When a dance practice has been scheduled to be held at the same time as the Divine Liturgy, that is a serious problem, hence the very serious sermon.
I have served here for nearly 8 years. I hope to serve here for many more. I have tried to create a Christ-centered community. I have tried to do that through youth programs, adult education, lots of services, have encouraged people to go to confession, write a substantial monthly publication, and finally have started some community outreach. When I graduated from the seminary, I was prepared to enter a “functional” Orthodox Church—the kind where people come to church on time, where the youth can’t wait for the next event, where the parishioners all give generously, etc. And the reality in all of our churches, including Tampa, is that our church is not like this. Oftentimes, I have to “create” and “encourage” the need for a youth program, a Bible study, an adult retreat. I have to “convince” people why church attendance is important. I have to beg and plead for financial support. While I’m good at youth work and I enjoy doing youth work, I am nervous when doing it, every time, that I will find the right balance between being educational and fun. These GOYA events are pressure-packed for me. Add to that the constant financial pressure, on top of the regular duties of the priest—which include seeing people at their worst on a daily basis—and trying to minister to 350 families with very little help, this is a stressful job. But that’s okay, I still love it on most days.
However, when the ministry to the youth comes in conflict because a dance practice has been scheduled during the Liturgy, or when I am openly criticized for doing “too many” youth retreats, or when people complain that we now have a community outreach that feeds the hungry of Tampa, I scratch my head and wonder—what’s wrong with these people? And what’s wrong with the people who hear them, but stay silent without correcting them? What’s wrong with a church that allows wolves to walk amongst the sheep? And what’s wrong with me that I’ve been here nearly 8 years and can’t seem to solve these problems? Perhaps I’m in the wrong parish. Perhaps I’m in the wrong vocation. These are the thoughts that ran through my head yesterday, which prompted the sermon I delivered.
The message was not “pity Father Stavros.” The message I tried to convey is we need to do the right things in our church or we stand no chance. The outside world wants to do us in. And a house divided against itself will not stand. After nearly 8 years, you know the kind of community I am trying to build. If you don’t see yourself as part of this kind of community, please do not discourage those who do. And if you do see yourself as part of this kind of community, kindly tell the ones doing the discouraging to stop!
Christ encouraged, but He also turned over tables in the temple because it was being used for something other than what it was intended for. Please forgive me for any time that I have not represented Christ to you, and if yesterday’s sermon was offensive, please forgive me for that as well.
+Fr. Stavros
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
Mission Statement:
St. John Greek Orthodox Church is dedicated to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.
Vision:
The church shall seek to fulfill its mission by:
1. Embracing the Spiritual Life of the Orthodox Church through regular prayer, worship, and frequent participation in the sacraments.
2. Supporting the Church through stewardship of time and talent and sacrificial giving.
3. Providing a welcoming, caring, loving environment.
4. Having its members exemplify Orthodox Christian character and morals.
5. Supporting ministries that facilitate the overall mission of the Church
6. Exemplifying commitment to community service and charitable outreach.
7. Creating an environment which encourages members to grow in their faith.
Father Stavros’ Message
On March 14, I passed what some call a “major milestone” in my life. I turned 40. I can no longer say I’m in my 30s, as I did even up until the day before my birthday, holding on to that 39 for as long as I could.
What did I do on my 40th birthday? Much like I do every day, I went to work as the priest of our community. I spent most of the day in the office in appointments and meetings, had lunch with someone who actually shares my same birthday (though a few years younger), had the opportunity to celebrate Pre-Sanctified Liturgy and receive Holy Communion on my birthday (something that doesn’t happen every year) and spent some family time at home in the evening. I was also humbled to receive birthday greetings from 230 facebook friends who took the time to write a short message on my page. All in all, a good day.
As I reflect on the decade of my 30s, lots of things have changed in the past ten years. I turned 30 in North Carolina. I couldn’t imagine at 30 that I’d live most of my 30s, almost 8 years of them, in Tampa, FL. At 30, I had less than 5 years of experience as a priest, I was still pretty “new” at it. Now, I have nearly 15 years of service, and feel a lot more comfortable in this ministry than I did 10 years ago. When I entered my 30s, I was not yet a father, so that was most definitely a positive change. Of course, there are some signs of age—in the past 10 years, I have lost a good amount of hair, put on a few pounds and began wearing glasses, also had my first colonoscopy and became more cognizant of things like cholesterol monitoring.
What does it mean to turn 40? Some will call 40 middle-aged, reasoning that the average life-span is now about 80. Some will call 40 “the new 30” because they reason that people are staying younger and acting younger for a longer period of life—that might be youthful optimism or plain denial, I don’t know. (And as an aside, it is actually embarrassing to see 40 year old trying to act 20, trying to relive college parties, getting drunk, etc.) Some don’t want to look at 40 as mid-life because then they feel that they are on the downside of their lives, as if they are speeding down the hill of life to its inevitable end. Some calculate the span of life in terms of utility value—for instance, the first 5 years of life are not memorable—we don’t even remember them. So, if I’m destined to live 80 years, there is a total of 75 years of memorable life, so I’m not quite halfway. Again, depending on how one calculates things, if I estimate being able to work until age 75, and I began at 25, I am still in my “adolescence” as far as work years go—only 30% of the time has passed. Of course, for those who dream of retirement, being 40 and NOT half-way there is depressing. The point is that in some ways, we all want to stay young, we all want to believe that our best years are ahead of us.
In February, one of our parish members passed away at the age of 91—Ed Vaia was an honorable man, an intelligent man, and one of the most well-spoken men I have ever had the privilege to interact with. Sure, he slowed down quite a bit, but it was right at the end. He was vibrant and “alive” (full of life) up until the last few months of his life. If my life is destined to be like his, then I’m still not quite half-way.
Also in February, Hall of Fame Baseball Catcher Gary Carter (one of my childhood baseball heroes) died of brain cancer (through no fault of his own) at the age of 57. For those who are baseball fans, Gary Carter was one of the “good guys.” Unlike his New York Mets team-mates, many of whom struggled with drug use, alcohol abuse and legal troubles, Gary Carter was a man of faith and family, as well as a tremendously gifted athlete. It’s too bad he didn’t live a little longer. He was definitely a good example of the things we should be doing in life. If my life is destined to be like his, I’ve only got 17 years left—and when I think about this, that’s a little sad, I might not live to see our son graduate from college, certainly not get married.
And in February Whitney Houston died—the toxicology reports have not yet confirmed the cause of her death, but more than likely, a reckless lifestyle will be at least partially to blame. She was 48. I’m sure when she turned 40, she didn’t think she wouldn’t live to see 50. So, if my lifespan mirrors her lifespan, I don’t have even a decade left. Hopefully I will be a little more responsible with my health and lifestyle choices.
None of us has a crystal ball—we don’t know from year to year or decade to decade what our span of life will be. And so as Christians we need to be ready, at all times, for life on this earth to end, and our judgment in advance of everlasting life to begin. What does judgment in advance of everlasting life mean? Well, every soul will live eternally, it’s just a question of where—will it be heaven (a place of light, happiness, peace, complete union with God), or will it be hell (a place of torment, sadness, darkness and complete estrangement from God)? And in between our life on earth and our eternal dwelling place is a judgment, an encounter with God where we will answer for what we’ve done with our lives, and then God will pronounce His judgment, whether it is heaven or hell that we will go for eternity.
And one other thing that we know for sure is that every passing day, every passing year, brings us a year closer to that encounter with God. Now for the faithful person, the one who is using his talents and is preparing “a good defense (of his/her life) at the Awesome Judgment Seat of Christ,” the end of life on a spiritual level is a joyful proposition. We will leave all the problems of the world behind and go to a place of total peace, a place of total oneness with God. All the earthly cares and stresses will be gone, forever. We will be united with all those who have pleased God throughout the ages, and we will wait for those who came after us, who have also pleased God and lived in joyful anticipation of eternal reward.
I am a reflective person by nature. I like to think about what has happened and what will happen in my life. Many times I daydream about doing church services, joyfully remembering beautiful services of the past, and joyfully anticipating and preparing for services in the future. The services of Holy Week, as an example, are things I think about all year long. I absolutely love the cycle of the Holy Week Services, I enjoy the slow march, page by page, through the Holy Week book. And in my reflections on life, I think about faith—the faith of the world, the faith of our Church on a macro level, the faith of our church community, the faith of individual church members, and my own personal faith.
In some ways, I find my faith deepening, usually through the experiences of others, being inspired by their examples of faith. In some ways I find my faith stagnant—another year has passed, 52 more Sunday liturgies have occurred, and have I really grown in my faith and my commitment to Christ? And in some ways, I know that my faith is lacking. I lack the consistency of demonstrating my faith on a daily basis, at all times, in all situations.
For those who have gone to confession, you know that when you consult the sheet with the “Ten Commandments in Preparation for Confession, the very first question is “Has God been the source and center of my life?” And my answer to that question, honestly, is no. I’m still working to make Him the source and center of my life, so that everything in my life emanates from Him, so that everything in my life points towards Him. In answering this question, there are three possible answers—1)Yes, God is the source and center of my life; 2)God is not part of my life at all; and 3) God is a “component” in my life, but not the source and center. Now, when I meet the Lord face to face one day, if the “final exam/judgment” is based on this one question, and I answer the way I would answer today, then I am condemned for eternity. This is a very important question to reflect on—is God the source and center of my life? Why or why not? It is lack of knowledge, time, trust? It is too much distraction, peer pressure, too many wounds from this life?
Permit me to share an inspirational story, which ironically involves someone who died. I have indeed been fortunate enough in my life that I haven’t had anyone close to me pass away, at least that I can remember. My grandparents died either before I was born or when I was just a young child. As my parents and my in-laws get older, the day comes closer when this will happen, obviously hopefully not for a long time to come, as I enjoy having all of them around. And obviously as I get older, my time gets closer as well. I have been to many, many funerals, probably more funerals than most people in our congregation, since attending 5-10 funerals a year in this parish is part of my “job.” And so I am around grieving families, watch the final farewell, see the tears and the anguish. When the person who has passed away is young, I feel worse than when they are very old, for in this case, I grieve not only for the loss of life, but for the loss of opportunity to experience a “full” life. And when it is the loss of a young child, the pain is great even though it isn’t my child—ministering to parents who are suffering unspeakable pain is very hard as well.
Recently, I attended a funeral in Atlanta, for a family that I have known for many years. In fact, I am so close to three children (who are now young adults) in this family, that I view them as an extension of my family. In fact, they all attended Nicholas’ baptism years ago, and I officiated at one of their weddings last year. I’ve visited the family many times on my trips through Atlanta over the years, have eaten in their house, have laughed with them in good times, and cried with them in difficult ones. And because I have served two parishes in this Metropolis, they are actually among the “older” families I have known, having known them now for nearly 12 years. That’s why when their father passed away, the family kindly arranged for me to fly up to Atlanta for the funeral, and why for me, I felt the loss in a deeper way than I usually do, because here was the experience of people I consider “family” suffering through the loss of a loved one.
Saint Paul tells us in the Epistle to the Thessalonians, which is always read at the funeral service, that God doesn’t want us “to be ignorant concerning those who have fallen asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep.” (I Thessalonians 4: 13-18) And what I saw here at this funeral was that verse of scripture personified. Here were people who were grieving, but not hysterically, for they are not ignorant about matters of faith, nor were they weeping without any consolation. Sad? Yes, for sure, very sad, and months later, still very sad. But without consolation? Most definitely, consoled by faith, a faith not only learned but a faith lived. And standing in the church at the funeral, “taking in the scene” so to speak, I could feel a power at work. Most certainly the power of God, but also the power of faith embodied by this family, a faith that even at life’s worst moments emits a sense of hope, and even joy. That’s not to say that there isn’t justifiable sadness when something bad happens in life, but rather a perspective that the worst thing in life is not loss of life itself, but loss of faith. And the greatest treasure in life is neither bought (material goods) or inherited (our families), but the greatest treasure is the hope of everlasting life in the Kingdom of God—for family, fun and financials ultimately disappear. Salvation is forever.
Throughout the Paschal season, we will sing the most glorious hymn of the church year—“Christ is Risen from the Dead, by death trampling down death and to those in the tombs bestowing life.” We all recognize that hymn when we hear it. Most of us can sing it. Many of us know it by heart. But how many of us know what it means? How many of us can watch a loved one die, believing that one can slip the bonds of earth and come face to face with God? How many of us can reflect on our own death, and see ourselves making that passage from death to everlasting life?
I am reminded of an activity at summer camp called the trust fall. In this activity, a person stands on a raised platform, usually 6 feet off of the ground, stands at the edge of the platform, and falls backwards into the arms of people who wait below to catch them. Now, when the person is falling backwards, they are not looking at the people who are catching them. They are trusting that they will be caught. Now this activity un-nerves a lot of people. They become very nervous doing this. Those who do the activity, especially those who were nervous, get a rush of energy and joy after doing this activity. They say, “wow, that was cool, nerve-wracking, but cool.” Now this is an example of trust—you trust that people are going to catch you. You see the catchers. You see other people do the same thing. You reason, on some level, this must be safe, and so you choose to participate.
Now each year with the staff, during staff training, to make a point and impress upon staff the importance of trust, we raise the ante in this exercise. Every session of camp, it seems that we end up with a staff member or two who has never been to camp, never walked the property, never done the ropes course (where the trust fall is located), and has never seen or done a trust fall. And so we blindfold those staff members, walk with them out to where the trust fall is located, in total silence. They don’t know where we are going or what we are going to do once we get there. They mount the steps of the trust fall and stand on the edge of the platform. They know they are up in the air but are not sure how high, or that they are on the edge of the platform. Meanwhile, catchers have arranged themselves in total silence beneath the platform, so silently in fact that the blindfolded person on the top of the platform doesn’t know if there is anyone with them other than the person who walked them to the platform. Their guide sets them on the edge of the platform and tells them, go ahead and fall backwards. And then there becomes a moment of doubt—how far will I fall? Is there water down there? Will someone catch me? Will I get hurt? Now, here is where some people who are thrill-seekers just go for it, no doubts or hesitations. Some think about it and then fall. Others need encouragement from the guide. Others need reassurance that someone will catch them. And others elect not to fall. This exercise takes greater “faith” and “trust” than being able to see—you are essentially falling into the unknown.
I suppose many Christians feel like this exercise. When asked to take that “leap of faith” there is sometimes doubt, sometimes hesitation, some people just go for it, and others don’t want to participate. But this is ultimately what the Christian life is—a leap of faith. A leap of faith to trust in a God that we can know but cannot see. A leap of faith to believe in a reward that has been promised but not fully revealed. A leap of faith which requires ceding control of our lives to something other than ourselves.
So, why am I writing all of this? Because in our world that is so busy, that is so secular, that does so much to distract us and discourage us from living moral and Godly lives, where there is an emphasis on faith in oneself, and where the highest achievement seems to be the almighty dollar and what it can do for you, it is possible that the years of our lives can pass and we can find ourselves at the edge of that platform, at the end of our lives, lacking the understanding and the faith to pass from death to everlasting life. It is possible that in the breakneck speed that we live that we might dedicate all kinds of time to everything under the sun except our preparation to stand at the awesome judgment seat of Christ. It is possible that we might never get God as the center of our lives.
The decade of my 30s seemed like it lasted a long time. But yet there is now a chapter of my life, forever closed, never to be returned to. If life is like a baseball game, let’s say each decade is like an inning, so nine innings in a game, nine decades in a life (unless your life ends at a young age, like Whitney Houston or Gary Carter, or anyone else who doesn’t reach 80 or 90), that means that 4 innings are done, and only 5 (or less) remain. I have reached the half-way point of my life, most likely. Where do I stand in my faith journey? Do I have even half the faith I need to have in God? Have I done half of the good deeds that God expects me to do? Have I used half of the talents God has given me?
In the month of April we will again enter Holy Week, and take what will seem like a long journey (if you do the whole thing) through not only the events of the Passion and Resurrection of Christ, but we will take a journey through our own experience of faith—we will experience joy, sorrow, fatigue, impatience, and triumph. The Holy Week journey will afford us a time to think, reflect, pray, grow, recommit and celebrate. I hopefully have 40 more Holy Week journeys to make in my life. Some of us have more, some of us have less. But this great gift, the opportunity to STOP everything for a few days and retrace the steps of Christ, and retrace our own steps while plotting a future course, is indeed an awesome thing.
So I encourage you, whatever age you are, to take time out of your life for one week—to think, to pray, to learn and to recommit. Because the time is coming, for you and for me, when we will slip the bonds of earth and stand face to face with God. And in that day, at that time, will we be ready? Holy Week begins April 7—a detailed list of Holy Week helps follows my message. I encourage you, get ahead on work, cooking, cleaning and whatever it is fills your plate of life, and try to take a week off in the evenings (and for those who don’t work, for the mornings as well). Make the journey through the Holy Week book, absorb the words, reflect on them. Write down questions, and ask them. Make some goals, and after Pascha, try to keep them. Turn off the TV, Facebook, the newspaper and the other unnecessary distractions for a week and focus on the things of God. Trust me on this—it is very worth it.
For the person who truly has faith, growing older is not something that should make us sad. For the person who has and lives faith, each day that passes is one day closer to the Kingdom of God, and that should be a cause for joy!
I am looking forward to sharing a meaningful Holy Week journey with you in just a few weeks. I will pray for the entire community, by name, throughout the week. And I ask that you pray for me as well. And my prayers this year will not just be for health and peace, but for meaning and purpose for our lives, strength in our journeys, patience in our difficulties, hope for the future, and faith in the message. Kali Anastasi!
With love in the Lord,
+Fr. Stavros
Liturgical Helps
As I do every year, I offer some guidelines to make this season of Lent and Holy Week as meaningful as possible for you:
Why does Liturgy seem longer on Sundays during Lent? Because it is. It is the Tradition of the Church to celebrate the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great on the 5 Sundays of Great Lent, Holy Thursday morning, Holy Saturday morning, in addition to Christmas Eve, the Eve of Epiphany (January 5) and the Feast of St. Basil (January 1). St. Basil wrote his liturgy in the middle part of the 4th century. St. John Chrysostom would later edit some of the priestly prayers of Basil’s liturgy, significantly shortening them. The Anaphora of St. Basil (from the Creed until right before the Lord’s Prayer) has the priestly prayers significantly longer. They contain all the theology of the Orthodox Church. A copy of the “Anaphora” of St. Basil’s Liturgy has been placed in the pews for you to use on Sundays.
Lenten Services for the last week of Lent-As we begin the month of April, there is one week of Lent before Holy Week. We will hold the final service of the Great Compline on Monday, April 2, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. We will offer a Pre-Sanctified Liturgy on Wednesday, April 4, from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Sacrament of Confession-Many people have already made appointments for their confessions to be heard, many for the first time in their lives. It is confidential. It helps you re-connect with God and unburden yourself of guilt. It helps you to make a new start in your spiritual journey and is an integral part of any successful Lenten journey. If you have questions about confession, please ask. There is no better way to prepare for Pascha than to receive this sacrament. Confessions will be heard up to April 6, and then again after Pascha. I ask that you make your appointment as soon as possible, because I like to give people whatever time they need. As it gets closer to Holy Week and more and more people are coming, I’m forced to go quicker, and it is very important not to be rushed in this Sacrament.
Holy Week Guidelines
Saturday of Lazarus/Service of the Proskomide-Father Stavros has received the blessings of Metropolitan Alexios to celebrate the service of the Proskomide on the solea once a year, on the Saturday of Lazarus. The Proskomide is the service where the bread and wine are prepared to be offered at the Divine Liturgy. On Saturday, April 7, Father Stavros will celebrate this service at 9:30 a.m., on the solea at St. John and will explain the service to those who are in attendance. He will also pray for everyone in attendance and offer a piece of bread on each person’s behalf in the preparation of the Holy Communion. Please plan to come to this service to see this important aspect of the Liturgy which is not usually witnessed by the congregation. If you’ve never seen this service, it is really something you should do at least once in your lifetime.
Making Palm Crosses-Following Divine Liturgy on Saturday, April 7, we will be preparing the palm crosses for Palm Sunday, the following day. Please plan to stay for a while to decorate our church and make the palms as we do every year. No experience necessary. Come and we’ll be happy to teach you. Breakfast will also be served.
Nymphios (Bridegroom) Services-The Bridegroom services are actually Orthros (Matins) or morning services, celebrated the evening before by anticipation, i.e. the Orthros of Holy Monday is celebrated Palm Sunday evening by anticipation. The name of this service comes from the central figure in the well-known parable of the ten maidens (Mt. 25:1-13). The Kingdom of God is compared to the bridal feast and the Christ of the Passion is the Divine Bridegroom of the Church. The title Bridegroom also suggests the Parousia or Second Coming. The central hymn of these services is “Behold the Bridegroom comes in the middle of the night. . .” and is a reminder to all of us that we must be vigilant in our faith. On Palm Sunday evening, we have the procession of the icon of the Nymphios. The Nymphios service is also celebrated on Holy Monday in the evening and Holy Tuesday in the evening, and the choir will also sing the Hymn of Kassiane during the service Holy Tuesday evening.
Why are the services at night during Holy Week called Matins Services, even though they are taking place during the evening hours? Traditionally, the morning service in the Orthodox Church is called the Matins, or Orthros service with the evening service known as the Vespers Service. Traditionally, the Matins or Orthros is done in the early morning hours, ending with the sunrise, when the Great Doxology (Glory to God who has shown us the light) is sung or read. The Orthros or Matins Services of Holy Week are VERY long—The Orthros of Good Friday lasts almost three and a half hours. Same thing with the Orthros of Holy Saturday. During the Middle Ages, the services were transposed ahead several hours, from the early morning hours to the evening of the preceding night. Thus, the Orthros of Good Friday was moved to Holy Thursday evening, and is the service we are familiar with, the 12 Gospels and the Procession of the Crucified Christ. The Lamentations, which is the Orthros of Holy Saturday, was moved from Saturday morning to Friday night. Thus, the Vespers services, like the Vesperal Liturgy of Holy Thursday morning (which commemorates the Last Supper), was moved from Holy Thursday evening to Holy Thursday morning, where it currently is celebrated. Thus, our services commemorate events about 12 hours before they happened in real time, with the Last Supper Holy Thursday morning, the Crucifixion Holy Thursday evening, etc. The Descent from the Cross on Friday afternoon remains at its proper time, as a Vespers service, but the interval between the Vespers of Friday afternoon and the Orthros of Holy Saturday, which normally would be 12-15 hours, is only about 3 hours. Easter takes place at the proper time. The schedule of transposing services begins Palm Sunday with we celebrate Orthros and Liturgy in the morning, as we usually do, and celebrate the Orthros of Holy Monday on Palm Sunday evening. There is a vespers on Palm Sunday, which has been suppressed in modern usage.
Holy Unction-The Mystery of Holy Unction is established upon the words and actions of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a sacrament of healing and transformation from a bruised and hurt world to the deliverance from sin and corruption. Holy Unction is a sacrament of the church. All sacraments of the church are administered by the priests of the church. In fact, the primary role and identity of the priests of the church is to be the celebrant of the sacraments. Because of this, Holy Unction may not be taken home. Father Stavros will anoint people who are unable to attend services on Holy Wednesday evening on Holy Thursday and Good Friday after each service, and will make such announcements at each of these services. For those unable to come to church, Father will be happy to come to your home and anoint those who are home-bound. And as for use throughout the year, Holy Unction is kept in the church year-round. If there is ever a time when you would like to be anointed, or have a loved one anointed, all you have to do is ask. TWO Holy Unction services will be held this year, on Wednesday, April 11, one at 3:00 p.m. for those with young children, and one at 7:00 p.m. for everyone else.
Bridegroom Service for Last Supper-There is actually a Bridegroom Service which is traditionally celebrated on Holy Wednesday evening. However, this service has been suppressed in most parishes because of the Sacrament of Holy Unction. This service, however, is important because it contains the Gospel lesson of the Last Supper. So, if you are not going to attend church on Holy Thursday morning, and would like to have a complete narrative of Holy Week, please plan to attend this brief service at 6:15 p.m. on Holy Wednesday, which will be celebrated before the evening’s Holy Unction Service.
Holy Thursday Evening-The Service of the Passion-The service of the 12 Gospels and procession of the crucified Lord is the longest service of the Church year. On Holy Thursday, light and darkness, joy and sorrow are mixed. At the “upper room” and in Gethsemane the light of the kingdom and the darkness of hell come together. The way of life and the way of death converge. In many parishes this service is not very well attended. However, one cannot truly celebrate the Resurrection if he/she has not stood at the foot of the cross of Christ. As one prayer of the Sunday Orthros states, “Through the Cross, joy has come to all the world.” Without the Crucifixion, there could be no Resurrection. Thus, after the Resurrection Service on Holy Saturday Night, one could argue that Holy Thursday evening is the next most-important service of Holy Week. If you are unable to attend the entire service, then please come from 8:00-9:00 p.m., witness the Procession of the Crucified Lord, venerate His precious Body on the Cross and leave early. But please do not abandon the Lord as He hangs on the Cross. HOLY THURSDAY EVENING, AS YOU EXPERIENCED LAST YEAR FOR THOSE WHO ATTENDED IS THE MOST POWERFUL SERVICE OF THE ENTIRE HOLY WEEK, AND OF THE ENTIRE CHURCH YEAR.
Good Friday—Decoration of the Epitaphios will be done in church following the Royal Hours on Good Friday (about 10:30 am) All are invited to come and help decorate the tomb of Christ. Please, however, work quietly—this job is meant to be solemn not social.
Sunday School Retreat-We will again be having a retreat for our Sunday School children (please see enclosed flyer) from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. The church will also be open throughout the day for those who wish to sit and pray.
Apokathelosis-The Service of Apokathelosis (literally, the Un-Nailing) re-enacts the narrative of Christ descending from the Cross. The figure of Christ is removed from the cross and wrapped in a new linen cloth, carried into the sanctuary and placed on the altar table. In the same service, a procession with the Epitaphios (embroidery of the dead Christ) is made around the interior of the church, and the Epitaphios is placed in the Kouvouklion (tomb of Christ). This year, we will celebrate the Apokathelosis at 3:00 p.m.
The Lamentations and the Epitaphios Procession-The Lamentations are short, poetic verses lamenting the Passion, Death and Burial of Christ. Interspersed with the Lamentations are Psalm verses from Psalm 119, the same verses we sing at a funeral service, which is appropriate, as the Lamentations are the funeral service for the Lord. The service starts with the Canon, and after the Canon is complete, the priest opens the Royal Doors, the lights are turned up, and the Lamentations begin. Everyone is invited to sing together. Books will be provided for your use. The outdoor procession of the tomb of our Lord will take place, weather permitting, at the Service of the Lamentations. We invite all the faithful to participate in this procession by proceeding in an order, quiet and dignified manner befitting the solemnity of this occasion. Please, refrain from conversing with others or acting in a way which will bring attention to you instead of the dead Lord. Please sing along with the choir—don’t check your cell phone for messages. This is a time to pray, not to text message! Everyone will pass under the Epitaphios, symbolizing the passing from death to life, re-enter the church quietly and await the resumption of the service. Finally, everyone will be given a flower from the Epitaphios as a blessing at the end of the service.
Anastasis Service-The service of the Anastasis will begin at 11:00 p.m. on Holy Saturday evening, with the chanting of the Canon. Shortly before midnight, the light of the Resurrected Christ will be given to all the faithful. We will then go outside, weather permitting, to read the Easter Gospel and sing the Christos Anesti for the first time. Please proceed outside in an orderly manner so that we can complete this service in a timely manner. We will then proceed back into the church for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. Please plan to stay for the entirety of the Divine Liturgy on Easter. Please don’t leave early. Plan from now to stay for the entire Liturgy, the most joyous Liturgy of the year, and to receive Holy Communion. After all, we don’t break our fast with meatballs and cheese, but with Holy Communion. There will be a reception following the Divine Liturgy for all in attendance, in the Kourmolis Center. After making the journey through Holy Week together, what better way to continue our celebration than to sit down as a family and break bread together on the greatest feast day of the church year.
Blessing of Baskets of Food-It is the Orthodox Tradition on Easter that we do not only bless eggs but other types of food that will go on the table for the Easter Banquet. Though this practice has become sort of dormant in the Greek Orthodox Church, it is very much alive in other Orthodox jurisdictions. Therefore, if anyone wishes to bring a basket of food to be blessed on Easter night, they may come and place it beneath or around the table on the Solea where the basket of Easter eggs will be.
Reading of the Resurrection Gospel at the Agape Vespers-Those interested in participating in the beautiful Easter Vespers of Agape on Easter Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. by reading the Gospel of the Resurrection in a foreign language are encouraged to see Father Stavros or Nick, PRIOR TO HOLY WEEK. DON”T JUST SHOW UP EXPECTING TO READ. WE NEED TO CAREFULLY PLAN THE SERVICES SO THEY ARE DONE PROPERLY. Please contact Fr. Stavros or the church office if you are interested in reading. Please come to the Agape service by 10:45 a.m. to find out where you will stand for the reading of the Gospel. The reading is from the Gospel of St. John 20: 19-25. You may read it in any language you wish, the more the better.
Holy Communion to be given only in context of the Divine Liturgy-The are eight opportunities to receive Holy Communion during Holy Week—Saturday of Lazarus, Palm Sunday, Holy Monday morning, Holy Tuesday morning, Holy Wednesday morning, Holy Thursday morning, Holy Saturday morning, and of course, at the Paschal Divine Liturgy on Easter. Please plan to receive Holy Communion through prayer and fasting at as many of these services as possible. Incidentally, a person may receive Holy Communion each time it is offered. For instance, you can receive Holy Communion on both Holy Saturday morning and at the Anastasis. For those who have kept the entire Lenten fast, you can receive Holy Communion conceivably, all eight times during Holy Week. Since there are so many opportunities to receive Holy Communion during the Divine Liturgies of Holy Week, Holy Communion will only be given in the context of the Divine Liturgy, not before or after. (no drive through Communion) Also, even if we receive Holy Communion on Holy Thursday or Holy Saturday, we should not break the fast until the conclusion of the Easter Liturgy. When receiving Holy Communion, it is important and necessary to have celebrated the entire Liturgy. Please no phone calls about what time is Communion, so you can duck in and out quickly. Come for the entire service. Be there for the invitation to enter the Kingdom, be there for the reading of the Gospel, the reciting of the Creed. And after Communion, don’t just take your Communion and run, as many people will do on Holy Saturday morning, stay the remaining minutes of the services and pray the prayers of Thanksgiving in the back of the Liturgy book.
A note on Kneeling and Sitting-It is the tradition of the church that we kneel or stand for the majority of the services. In fact, in many old churches, there were not even pews, the people did not sit at all. However, by dispensation, we now have pews in the church and the faithful are allowed to sit at certain points in the services. Because of the long lines for Communion and because the length of the services, and because many of our congregation are elderly and not in good health, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO SIT as you need to during Holy Week, especially during Holy Communion. Also, for those with bad knees, just sit with your head bowed during times we are kneeling, do not attempt to kneel. Our church never seeks our physical hurt in worship, nor do we want people passing out or becoming sick, which will only make us nervous and anxious.
The same thing goes for fasting—if you are on medication, are sick, are pregnant or nursing, you do not need to fast before Holy Communion—follow the directions of your doctor. Again, fasting is designed for our spiritual benefit, not as a threat to our health.
Holy Week Books are available for sale in the church bookstore. The Holy Week Book contains the words and hymns of all the Holy Week services and will serve not only as an aid to worship but as a complete theology book, for the services of Holy Week contain all the theology of the Orthodox Church. These books are well made and will last forever, so get yours today and get more out of your Holy Week experience.
Pascha versus Easter—In every language except English and German, the feast of the Resurrection is identified with a word whose root is “Pasch.” For instance, in Spanish, the word is “Pasqual.” “Pascha” comes from the Hebrew for “Passover.” The first Passover occurred in the Old Testament book of Exodus. The last of the 10 plagues on the Egyptians was the death of the first born son. The Hebrews were told to slaughter an unblemished lamb outside the city wall on a Friday, to not break any of its bones, and to spread it’s blood over their doorways. Those who had the blood of the lamb on their homes would be spared. The angel of death then came to the Egyptians and killed the first-born son in each home. Passover was a holiday celebrating the deliverance of the Hebrews from the bondage of Pharoah and his taskmasters. The Crucifixion occurred at the Passover—the Lamb of God was killed outside the city wall on a Friday, none of His bones were broken, and by His blood we are set free from the bondage of sin and death. “Easter” comes from the word “Oestre” and was actually a Pagan holiday each spring. That’s why in the Orthodox Church, and in my personal life, I try to use the word “Pascha” to describe the feast of the Resurrection, rather than Easter.
No Kneeling until Pentecost-It is actually the Tradition in the Orthodox Church that we not kneel on Sundays in honor of the Resurrection of Christ (exceptions being if you are receiving the sacrament of confession on a Sunday, or are present at an ordination on a Sunday). Because we do not worship on a daily basis in our church communities, priests have encouraged people to kneel on Sundays, the thought being that if we do not kneel on Sundays, that we’ll never kneel in church. It is a Tradition, that for 50 days after Pascha, we do not kneel in honor of the Resurrection. The next time we will kneel after April 3 is on the Feast of Pentecost, after the liturgy, at the Vespers of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, when the priest says “Again and again on bended knees let us pray to the Lord.” Until you hear that petition, do not kneel from April 15-June 3.
Fast Free the week after Pascha-Having kept a fast for almost 8 weeks, including the week before Lent, Lent and Holy Week, the church gives us a “week off” from fasting the week after Pascha. During Bright Week, or Renewal Week, as that week is called each day is like a Sunday. Hence, there is no fasting during this celebratory week. Who, then, may receive Communion? Whoever wishes to, providing that they abstain from food the morning they are receiving. So, the Sunday after Pascha, everyone in the congregation may receive, provided you abstain from food on Sunday morning. There is no fasting on Wednesday or Friday of renewal week, or any other day of that week either.
Feast of the Life-Giving Fountain-Friday after Pascha-Commemorates the consecration of a Chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, which was built over a spring in Constantinople, that emitted water with healing powers. Hundreds of miracles and healings have occurred at this spring. This feast day of “Zodochos Peghe”, the Feast of the life-giving Fountain, is always celebrated on the Friday of Bright (Renewal) week, the week after Pascha, April 20 this year.
Feast of St. George-April 23-St. George the “Trophy Bearer” is one of the most famous saints of our church. He lived in the third century. He was a soldier, famously memorialized in icons as slaying a dragon. Symbolically, he “slayed” the “dragons” that opposed Christianity and was martyred for his faith. His relics were placed in the altar of our church when it was consecrated in 1986. St. George’s feast day is celebrated on April 23 (or the Monday after Pascha if Pascha falls on or after April 23).
Parish Registry
Baptism-Philip Stavros Thalassinidis, son of Angelo and Christina Thalassinidis, was baptized on Sunday, March 11. George Alexander Stavrianidis and Christiana Kyratzouli were the Godparents. Na Sas Zisi!
Wedding-Michael Kapsokavathis and Eleni Koumandrakis were married on Saturday, February 18. Despina Sibley was the Koumbara. Congratulations!
Funeral-Alexandra Marie Molina, daughter of David and Christie Molina, was laid to rest on March 5. May her memory be eternal!
Condolences to Effie Sorolis and family on the passing of her brother Dino Malavazos, on February 24. May his memory be eternal!
Condolences to Maria Zabetakis and family on the passing of her brother, Russell. May his memory be eternal!
April Meeting Schedule
Sunday 1 GOYA 5:00 p.m. Kourmolis Center
Tuesday 3 Young at Heart 11:00 a.m. TBA
Tuesday 3 Parish Council 6:15 p.m. Multi-purpose Room
Friday 13 Sunday School Good Friday Retreat 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Sunday 29 GOYA 5:00 p.m. Kourmolis Center
HOLY WEEK AND EASTER SCHEDULE FOR 2012
April 7 Commemoration of the Raising of Lazarus from the dead
Saturday of Orthros 8:30 a.m. Proskomide 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00-11:15 a.m.
Lazarus ***Father Stavros will celebrate the service of the Proskomide, the Preparation of the
Holy Communion, on the soleas at 9:30 a.m. GOYA and Sunday School students are
requested to attend to help in preparing the crosses for Palm Sunday, following Liturgy.
April 8 The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
Palm Sunday Orthros 8:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy 9:45 a.m.-noon
Service of the Bridegroom 7:00-8:30 p.m. Procession of icon of Nymphios
Themes: Christ as the Bridegroom of the Church; watchfulness
April 9 Reading of the Ninth Hour 9:00 a.m. Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 9:30-11:00 a.m.
Holy Monday Service of the Bridegroom 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Theme: The Parable of the Talents
April 10 Reading of the Ninth Hour 9:00 a.m. Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 9:30-11:00 a.m.
Holy Tuesday Service of the Bridegroom 7:00-8:45 p.m.
The Choir will sing the hymn of Kassiane
Theme: Repentance of the harlot vs. Betrayal by Judas
April 11 Reading of the Ninth Hour 9:00 a.m. Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 9:30-11:00 a.m.
Holy Sacrament of Holy Unction for Children 3:00-4:00 p.m.
Wednesday Matins of Holy Thursday-Reading of the Gospel of Last Supper 6:15 p.m.
Sacrament of Holy Unction 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Themes: Last Supper; Washing away of Sin; healing of soul and body
April 12 Vespers and Divine Liturgy of St. Basil 9:30-11:00 a.m.—The Last Supper
Holy Service of the Holy Passion-7:00-10:30 p.m.
Thursday Reading of the 12 Gospels, Procession of the Crucified Christ
Themes: The Betrayal, Trial and Death of Christ, the Holy Passion
April 13 Reading of the Royal Hours 9:00 a.m.—Standing vigil at the Cross of Christ
Good Decorating of the Epitaphios 10:30 a.m. (All are invited to help decorate)
Friday Apokathelosis-3:00-4:15 p.m.—The Un-nailing and burial of Christ
Lamentations-7:00-10:30 p.m.-Singing of the Funeral Lamentations and Procession with
the Epitaphios, the Burial of Christ
April 14 Vespers and Divine Liturgy of St. Basil 8:45-11:00 a.m.—Reading of the Prophecies
Holy foretelling the Resurrection of Christ
Saturday Great Canon 11:00 p.m.
April 15 Midnight-The Service of the Resurrection of Christ
Easter Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom 12:30-2:00 a.m.
Sunday Following the Liturgy, all are invited for a reception in the Kourmolis Center
PASCHA
Agape Vespers Service 11:00 a.m.-noon—Easter Vespers of Love-The Gospel is read in
numerous languages to indicate the universal character of the Christian message
Easter Egg Hunt 12:00 noon
ΠΡΟΓΡ“ΜΜ“ “ΚΟΛΟΥΘΙΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΜΕΓ“ΛΗΣ ΕΒΔΟΜ“ΔΟΣ−2012
Σαββατο, 7 “πριλιου Σαββατο του Λαζαρου
Ορθρος 8:30−9:30 π.μ.
“κολουθια τη Θεια Προσκομιδη 9:30−10:00 π.μ.
Θεια Λειτουργια 10:00−11:15 π.μ.
Κυριακη, 8 “πριλιου Κυριακη των Βαιων
Ορθρος 8:30 π.μ. Θεια Λειτουργια 9:45 π.μ.
“κολουθια Νυμφιου 7:00−8:30 μ.μ.
Δευτερα, 9 “πριλιου Μεγαλη Δευτερα
Ενατη Ωρα 9:00−9:30 π.μ.
Θεια Λειτουργια των Προηγιασμενων Δωρων 9:30−11:00 π.μ.
“κολουθια Νυμφιου 7:00−8:30 μ.μ.
Τριτη, 10 “πριλιου Μεγαλη Τριτη
Ενατη Ωρα 9:00−9:30 π.μ.
Θεια Λειτουργια των Προηγιασμενων Δωρων 9:30−11:00 π.μ.
“κολουθια Νυμφιου 7:00−8:30 μ.μ.
Τεταρτη, 11 “πριλιου Μεγαλη Τεταρτη
Ενατη Ωρα 9:00−9:30 π.μ.
Θεια Λειτουργια των Προηγιασμενων Δωρων 9:30−11:00 π.μ.
“κολουθια Ευγελαιον για τα παιδια 3:00−4:00 μ.μ
“κολουθια Νυμφιου 6:30−7:00 μ.μ.
“κολουθια Ευχελαιον 7:00−8:30 μ.μ.
Πεμπτη, 12 “πριλιου Μεγαλη Πεμπτη
Θεια Λειτουργια του “γιου Βασιλειου 9:30−11:00 π.μ.
“κολουθια Σταυρωσεως 7:00−10:30 μ.μ.
Παρασκευη, 13 “πριλιου Μεγαλη Παρασκευη
Οι Βασιλικες Ωρες 9:00−10:30 π.μ.
“ποκαθηλωσις 3:00−4:00 μ.μ.
Επιταφιος Θρηνος 7:00−10:30 μ.μ.
Σαββατο, 14 “πριλιου Μεγαλο Σαββατο
Θεια Λειτουργια του “γιου Βασιλειου 8:45−11:00 π.μ.
Ο Κανων 11:00 μ.μ.
“κολουθια της “ναστασεως Μεσανυχτα
Θεια Λειτουργια της “ναστασεως 12:30−2:00 π.μ.
Κυριακη, 15 “πριλιου “γιον Πασχα
Μεγας Εσπερινος της “γαπης 11:00 π.μ.
Schedule of Ushers/Altar Boys for Holy Week
Saturday, April 7 Saturday of Lazarus Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m. Any Altar Boys may Serve
Sunday, April 8 Palm Sunday Divine Liturgy 9:45 a.m.
Ushers: Nick Kavouklis, George Fellios, John Alexander
Altar Boys: Matthew Peckham, Thanasi Halkias, Andreas Paloumpis, Samuel Alem, Nicholas Kavouklis, Christopher Scarfogliero, Yonathan Alem, Dean Mitseas, Nicholas Alsina, Savvas Ferekide, Mihail Kaburis
Coffee Hour: Philoptochos Palm Sunday Luncheon
Sunday, April 8 Palm Sunday Service of the Bridegroom 7:00 p.m.
Ushers: Amin Hanhan, Peter Theophanous
Altar Boys: Matthew Peckham, John Karamitsanis, Lukas Karamitsanis, Christos Nenos, Nicholas Katzaras, Dominic Garcia, Alexios Diniaco
Monday, April 9 Holy Monday Service of the Bridegroom 7:00 p.m.
Ushers: Florin Patrasciou, Kevin Fentress
Altar Boys: Thanasi Halkias, George Hambos, Gregory Koutroumanis, Harry Koutroumanis, Christos Nenos, Andrew Mellon-Lynn
Tuesday, April 10 Holy Tuesday Service of the Bridegroom 7:00 p.m.
Ushers: Tom Georgas, James Apockotos
Altar Boys: Andreas Palompis, Karter Lenardos, Matthew Tsokos, Jonathan Tsokos, George Tsillas, Christos Nenos, Michael James
Wednesday, April 11 Holy Wednesday Holy Unction 3:00 p.m.
Ushers: Tom Georgas, Greg Tisdale Altar Boys: Anyone attending may serve
Wednesday, April 11 Holy Wednesday Holy Unction 7:00 p.m.
Ushers: Tom Georgas, Amin Hanhan, John Alexander, Ippokratis Kantzios
Altar Boys: Christopher Scarfogliero, Matthew Peckham, Thanasi Halkias, Andreas Paloumpis, Samuel Alem, Yonathan Alem
Thursday, April 12 Holy Thursday 12 Gospels 7:00 p.m.
Ushers: George Fellios, Ed Gerecke, Brett Mourer, David Voykin
Altar Boys: Matthew Peckham, Thanasi Halkias, Andreas Paloumpis, Samuel Alem, Nicholas Kavouklis, Christopher Scarfogliero, Yonathan Alem, Alex Peckham, Mihail Kaburis, Savvas Ferekidis, Nicholas Kavouklis, George Hambos
Friday, April 13 Good Friday Apokathelosis 3:00 p.m.
Ushers: Tom Georgas, Greg Tisdale
Altar Boys: Anyone attending may serve
Friday, April 13 Good Friday Lamentations 7:00 p.m.
Ushers: John Alexander, George Fellios, Peter Theophanous, John Tsibris and Entire Parish Council
Outside Candles: Pete Trakas, Ron Myer, Nick Kavouklis
Altar Boys: Matthew Peckham, Thanasi Halkias, Andreas Paloumpis, Samuel Alem, Nicholas Kavouklis, Christopher Scarfogliero, Yonathan Alem, Alex Peckham, Aris Rogers, Nicholas Kavouklis
Saturday, April 14 Holy Saturday Divine Liturgy 8:45 a.m.
Ushers: Tom Georgas, David Voykin
Altar Boys: Thanasi Halkias, Savvas Ferekides, Mihail Kaburis, Dean Mitseas, Christos Nenos, Andrew Mellon-Lynn, Karter Lenardos
Saturday, April 14 PASCHA Resurrection Service 11:00 p.m.
Ushers: Mike Trimis, Peter Theophanous, Jason Pill, Brett Mourer, Entire Parish Council
Outside Candles: Demetrios Halkias, George Fellios, Chris Kavouklis
Altar Boys: Matthew Peckham, Thanasi Halkias, Andreas Paloumpis, Samuel Alem, Nicholas Kavouklis, Christopher Scarfogliero, Yonathan Alem, Alex Peckham, Aris Rogers, Nicholas Kavouklis
Sunday, April 15 PASCHA Agape Vespers 11:00 a.m.
Ushers: Greg Tisdale, Florin Patrasciou
Altar Boys: Anyone Attending may Serve
Liturgical Schedule for April
Sunday, April 1 5th Sunday of Lent-St. Mary of Egypt
Orthros 8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.
Ushers: Ippokratis Kantzios, Ed Gerecke, Demetrios Halkias
Altar Boys: Captains and St. Mark (John Karamitsanis, Lucas Karamitsanis, Matthew Tsokos, Jonathan Tsokos, Nicholas Katzaras, George Tsillas)
Coffee Hour: Philoptochos
Monday, April 2 Great Compline 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 4 9th Hour 5:30 p.m.
Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 7-Sunday, April 15—See Holy Week Schedule
Friday, April 20 Feast of the Life-Giving Fountain (Zodochos Peghe)
Orthros 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.
Sunday, April 22 Thomas Sunday
Orthros 8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.
Ushers: Amin Hanhan, David Voykin, Kevin Fentress
Altar Boys: Captains and St. Luke (Christopher Scarfogliero, Christos Nenos, Yonathan Alem, Andrew Mellon-Lynn, Nicholas Alsina)
Coffee Hour: Parish Picnic
Monday, April 23 Feast of St. George
Orthros 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.
Sunday, April 29 Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women
Orthros 8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.
Ushers: Peter Theophanous, James Apockotos, John Alexander
Altar Boys: Captains and St. John (Mihail Kaburis, Savvas Ferekides, Michael James, Alexios Diniaco, Dominic Garcia, Dean Mitseas)
Coffee Hour: Glendi Dancers
Sunday, May 6 Sunday of the Paralytic
Orthros 8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.
Ushers: Chris Kavouklis, Demetrios Halkias, Florin Patrasciou
Altar Boys: Captains and St. Matthew (Nicholas Kavouklis, Gregory Koutroumanis, Harry Koutroumanis, Karter Lenardos, George Hambos, Joseph Hambos)
Coffee Hour: Choir
Wednesday, May 9 Feast of Mid-Pentecost
Orthros 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.
IMAGINE
A Reflection by His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of Boston
A few weeks ago we closed our personal Book of 2011 and placed it in the library of eternity. Rather than make resolutions for the New Year - resolutions which more than likely I would not keep - I decided instead to reflect upon the past, observe more carefully the present, and try to envision the future, as these aspects of time bear upon the life of the Church and of her members.
I said to myself: Imagine how different the world would be if we lived each day as if it would be our last, as if at any given moment we would face Almighty God to give an accounting. After all, the Scriptures have warned us of the unpredictability of life, "The Master of the servant may come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know" (Mt. 25:50).
Imagine how different things would have been last year - how many mistakes we would have avoided - had we cherished every day as a God-given gift to make our world a better place. I bet our priorities would have changed dramatically, thereby altering both the course of our personal life and our role in the life of the Church.
I said to myself, "Imagine if in 2012 we would all learn to bridle our egos and "not be desirous of vain glory" (Gal. 5:26). If we would learn from Him who said, "I am meek and lowly in heart" (Mt. 11: 29). Imagine if in the New Year we were to set aside time each day to pray and to read the Holy Bible and the writings of the Church Fathers. Imagine if we lived each day according to the tenets of our Orthodox faith.
Imagine if we lived each day by the truth. If we had the courage to drop the masks of hypocrisy—to look straight into the mirror of reality to see ourselves as we really are—and then muster the courage and strength to change. To become more wholesome and less shallow. To become more self-effacing and less narcissistic. To become what God has willed us to be and be happy with what we achieve by the grace of God.
Imagine if we could replicate in our own lives the example of the tenth leper (Lk. 17:12) who returned to the One who healed him to express his gratitude. Imagine if we were able to shun the example of the nine lepers whose ingratitude and thoughtlessness easily turns them into poster children of what has come to be known as "the age of entitlement."
I also thought to myself, "Imagine what our Church would be like if we bishops, priests and deacons lived up to the expectations of our high calling." Imagine if we clergy and laity were imbued with a vibrant missionary spirit and worked diligently in response to the command of the Lord to "Go and make disciples of all nations" (Mt. 28:19), starting right here at home in America!
Imagine if we clergy were ever-mindful of the fact that the Priesthood is a precious gift, a vocation and not a job. The Priesthood, its dignity and honor, cannot be bought. It cannot be sold for "a plate of lentils" (Gen. 25: 29-34).
Imagine for a moment if our liturgical services were as uplifting as those which long ago inspired the words of the Russian emissaries of Prince Vladimir who described their experience of the liturgy in the great cathedral church of St. Sophia in Constantinople in their initial encounter with Orthodoxy: "And the Greeks led us to the edifice where they worship their God, and we knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth. For on earth there is no such splendor or such beauty...We only know that God dwells there among men, and their service is fairer than the ceremonies of other nations. For we cannot forget that beauty."
Imagine if everyone who is privileged to serve on the Parish Councils of our communities did so for unselfish reasons and not for self-projection or to satisfy some self-perceived importance and indispensability. Imagine if all Parish Council members were men and women of deep and abiding faith who live the sacramental life of the Church. People who are drawn to and love the beauty of the Lord's house wherein they experience Christ's transforming power and sanctifying presence. People who do not pride themselves in proclaiming that they “meditated on God when they walked by the ocean”!
Imagine how powerful the witness of our Church would be if we would invest more in things eternal and less in things transient. If we would devote as much time to our spiritual edification as we do to our business commitments and social calendars. Imagine if everyone, according to his/her means, was a cheerful giver providing the Church with the necessary financial resources to continue, improve and expand her ministries and services in fulfillment of her saving mission to the world. Imagine if some of us realized that we contribute less to the Church than it costs us daily to enjoy a fancy cup of coffee or to pay for our cable or satellite T.V. service
Imagine if the criticisms we sometimes hear or make on aspects of church life were less strident. Constructive and not destructive. Mean-spirited attacks are hurtful and divisive. We have been enjoined by the Lord to notice first the log in our own eye before we see the speck in our brother's eye (Mt. 7:3), and admonished by St. Paul “You have no excuses, O Man, whoever you are, when you judge another, for in passing judgment on him, you condemn yourself because you, the judge, are doing the very same things” (Rom. 2.1). Indeed, in imitation of God we are instructed to be "slow to anger and abounding in mercy" (Ps. 103:8).
Imagine if we parents and grandparents who fault the Church when our children are "not involved" exercised greater discernment, and realized that children learn more by example than by words. That we had to provide a loving environment that nurtures faith and the values of the Gospel. That children emulate the example provided by parents every day of the week, including the seventh. Staying home Sunday after Sunday for chores, recreation or rest is not what parents should do if we really want to inculcate the Orthodox ethos in our children to produce a living faith and a true Greek Orthodox identity.
Imagine, finally, if everyone - clergy and laity - worked together in harmony by sharing talents, bearing one another's burdens (Gal. 6:2), exchanging views, seeking advice, forgiving offences and overcoming misunderstandings (Mt. 6: 14-15), inspiring and supporting one another in the love of Christ. If we did, surely we would be successful in building stronger Greek Orthodox homes and vibrant communities of faith.
Just IMAGINE!
Life is Full of Ins and Outs
By Charlie Hambos
At the annual GOYA Lenten Retreat I was given the opportunity to lead one of the sessions. My topic was the parable of the Prodigal Son. We discussed the parable and then tried to get some meaning out of it for our life and especially tried to see how it can apply to the reflective period of Lent.
The Parable of the Prodigal is found in Luke 15:11-32. We usually see the main themes of repentance and fatherly compassion. We usually see the Father in the parable as God, the Father and we place ourselves in the shoes of either the prodigal son (the one who runs away) or the righteous son (the one who stays). So the youngest son comes up to the father and asks for his share of his Father’s money. The father gives him what he wants and the son runs off into a far country (Good comparison: Las Vegas) and spends his money gambling and on prostitutes. He has a great time spending his father’s hard earned money until he runs out and great famine comes upon the land. A good example of this would be in recent news, that if one of the powerful solar flares from the sun had actually reached the earth, directly hitting Las Vegas it would cause a complete electric shutdown. We wouldn’t even be able to play the slots because even they are electric and we wouldn’t have enough money to play any card games. So there is no food and he has no money. He finds a job feeding the pigs and even eats with the pigs. Now, for a Jew, eating pigs is not an option so eating with pigs is the lowest of lowest points for this man. He then realized that even his father’s slaves were better off then he was. This point of realization and making the decision to turn back is called repentance. So the son went back to his father and when the father sees the son, he runs to greet him. This action by the Father is also significant. Running was not common for people then but the compassion that was shown by the father is even more significant. The New Jerusalem Study Bible says that the father “was moved with pity.” The Orthodox Study Bible says the father “had compassion.” The Greek word for this action is σπλαγχνιζομαι. If we do a quick search in the Bible we see that this word for compassion is used 6 other times. We see it used in Luke 7:13 describing the feeling of Jesus on the widow at Nain when her son died. Another time we see it used is in the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:33 showing the compassion of the Samaritan on the man who was beaten and left to die on the road. Due to the fact that this word is used 7 times in the entire Bible makes it a very significant concept and descriptive action of the Father for the son who ran away. So the father, at this point gets the best robe, a ring and sandals for the son and has a big party. Now, the older son who has been obedient to the Father gets mad at this and becomes jealous asking the Father why he had never done this for him. His father replies, “My son, you are with me always and all I have is yours. But it was only right we should celebrate and rejoice, because your brother here was dead and he has come to life; he was lost and is found.” (Please understand that I paraphrased the parable but put particular focus on the parts which I wanted to speak about.)
So, who do you associate yourself with? The Prodigal Son or the Righteous son? Let’s keep things in perspective. I will speak honestly. Even though I was baptized in the Orthodox Church, went to a Christian private school from 4th to 12th grade, started going to the Orthodox Church every Sunday in 10th grade and now I am in seminary, I can honestly tell you that my walk with Christ, my path towards salvation, my journey toward theosis or whatever you want to call it has had some exits, some reentries, some forks and knives in the road, and major and minor detours. I’m sure at times when I am closest to Christ I can consider myself the righteous son, but even then I don’t believe myself. I you consider yourself the righteous son, then your on the right path but I encourage you to dig a little deeper and you may see some ins and outs of your life. Therefore, with out a doubt, our walk with Christ is not easy, we will have our doubts and intentionally turn our back on him for whatever reason. It is important though that we make that decision to turn around and come back and repent for what we have done. By doing this, we strive to walk closer to Christ. If you feel that you are close to Christ, pray for those who are far away and if you are far away pray for the support of those who are close and turn back immediately. Never fear going out again because you will but we must move forward at least and not go backward on our spiritual journey with Christ.
I hope and pray that you had a spiritually uplifting lent. If you would like to contact me, I am always available by e-mail at Charlie.hambos@. My mailing address is Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, 50 Goddard Avenue, Box 101, Brookline, MA 02445.
Societal Boiling Point by Angelike Psoinos-Norrie
As much as I like to write, it usually takes something emotionally stirring to get me to sit down and put my thoughts in print. Too often, life gets in the way of my ability to manage my time to write creatively. But when something strikes a chord with me, I will write or rant at 3AM just to make sure I leave no stone unturned. Time is the most precious gift we have and if we don't seize the moment we may miss the opportunity to change minds, inspire others, or simply make someone stop and think in our mindless world.
Last night was the series premier for a show titled, "GCB" based on a book, "Good Christian Bitches." I did not watch the show but I found out about it this morning and started to do my research.
The title alone is offensive. Which is precisely why ABC chose to make it an acronym - to blindside America. Way to go, Disney. (Yes, Disney - parent company to ABC). This title caught the attention of my priest, Fr. Stavros Akrotirianakis, and he was outraged. It inspired him to write the following post:
"I was horrified to see an advertisement for a new ABC show, airing in prime time on Sundays, called “GCB.” The promo showed immediately after the promo for “Desperate Housewives,” which has a reputation as a risqué show. The “GCB” clip showed young women, scantily clad, doing some very unkind, catty things to each other. There were also scenes of church services. I went on the Internet to learn more about GCB, and learned that is stands for “Good Christian Bitches,” and is based on a book by the same title. ABC will say that they call the show “Good Christian Belles,” but if that is so, why the name “GCB”, and why not have the women acting like ladies, instead of like other things?!
Imagine for a moment that you took ANY other religious group, or alternative lifestyle group, and you put the word “bitches” after their name. There would be outrage! The political correctness police would come in. The special interest groups would be demanding that someone get fired. There would be lawsuits. And yet, put the word “bitches” behind the word Christian and no one seems to be outraged.
The majority of this country is Christian, in name any way. That means that the Christians should be a strong lobby for interests that are Christian. I would call on all Christians to boycott ABC Television, to boycott Disney amusement parks and products (yes, Disney is the parent company of ABC), and to boycott any company that advertises on ABC. We know that corporate America worships at the altar of the almighty dollar. So when they start to lose their dollars, they will start to change their attitudes.
I’m reminded of the story of the frogs in the boiling water—a bunch of frogs were thrown in a pot of warm water. It wasn’t as cool as the water they were used to, but they got used to the temperature. Then the temperature of the water was turned up ever so slightly, and rather than jumping out, the frogs again adjusted. Slowly, slowly, the water temperature increased, and each time the frogs adjusted. Until the water came to a boil, and the frogs all died.
The water is getting warmer. We must start doing the right thing before it is too late."
I couldn't agree with him more. We (society) are coming to a boiling point. The pressure and temperature of the water is gradually rising and we are becoming more tolerant of....well, just more tolerant.
I shudder at what the world will be like when my daughter (now three months old) will be a teenager. Its imperative for parents to truly nurture and guide their children, now more than ever before. The pressure society is putting on the coming generations is suffocating. Its wraps its vice grip around the throats of all that is virtuous while pussyfooting around and careful not to offend other "groups." Political correctness or just plain asinine?
This is not a ploy to push my beliefs to the point of argument. That will occur whether I speak out or not. Its happening right now as we approach a new Presidential election. My point is simple; to encourage any of you that read this to stop for a moment and really dig deep. Is it really your true beliefs that allow you to tolerate the continued crap that mainstream media puts on your plate? Or have you just grown numb to it after continuous force feeding? Be careful, you'll be fattened with ignorance.
Its becoming easier to turn a blind eye to all that is despicable and crude. Yet, it seems harder to defend whatever is good and pure.
Men: wear the pants again for a change. Behave like gentlemen instead of animals. And for goodness sake, man up and commit to a good woman if you find one. Women: wear a real dress not the ace bandage you wrapped around yourself and called it a skirt. Behave like a lady instead of the hoochies on Jersey Shore. And finally, cling to a nice guy not the Chris Brown's of the world.
Bottom line; quit adhering and conforming. Grow some guts, America, before America guts you.
Angelike and her husband Dave Norrie are members of our parish.
Community News
St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival—On Sunday, March 4, we held our Parish Level St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival. Participants in the Junior Division included Arianna Krinos, Nedi Ferekides, Mihail Kaburis, Christopher Scarfogliero and Larissa Krinos. In the Senior Division, Andy Paloumpis and Angelina Bartucci were our participants. Arianna Krinos, Nedi Ferekides, Andy Paloumpis and Angelina Bartucci represented our parish at the District Level Competition held at Holy Trinity Clearwater on Saturday, March 17. Angeline Bertucci advanced to the MetropolisCompetition level at St. Mark in Boca Raton on May 12-13. A special thank you to our judges—Maria Xenick, Bill Manikas and Brett Mourer. And most of all, we thank Peggy Bradshaw for coordinating this event year after year. On May, 6, there will be an award presentation to the participants and the four speakers who went to the District Competition will offer their speeches in church. Congratulations to our young people! We are so proud of you!
New Church Website- Our church has a new website, . Please update your records and check out the new site for updated information, calendar, activities and ministries. Fr. Stavros also posts his sermons on-line as well. A big thank you to Kevin Fentress for designing the new site and for maintaining our website throughout the year.
Thank you to those who donated to the urgent appeal for repairs desperately needed at our church. Our church facilities are showing their age, and there are repairs that are needed to our air conditioning, electrical systems, and several roofs that have been damaged. We are trying to collect $25,000 for these immediate repairs. So far, over $16,000 has been collected and we thank everyone who has donated so generously. If you are interested in donating towards any of these needed repairs, please see Father Stavros or Katherine Sakkis, Parish Council President.
These are the projects being worked on:
1. Immediate a/c service in church $500 addressing additional risk to units from brownouts, blown fuses
2. Service to a/c church $334 system tune-up & filter change
3. Service to school a/c $1,375 needed for smart start contract-tuneup + filter change
4. Service to admin & kcenter a/c $2,502 needed for smart start contract--tuneup + filter change
5. Roof in admin bldg. $1,150 addressing leaks, wet floors, wet and mold ceiling tiles
6. Roof in Choir room $1,200 addressing leak, wet and mold ceiling tiles, moisture, mold
7. Roof in Kitchen $3,545 addressing leaks, wet floor, ceiling tiles, moisture, mold
8. Roof over stage $7,400 addressing leaks and continued damage to floors, moisture, mold
9. Baptismal Font $1,550 addressing slow drainage on Baptismal font
$19,556
We will also be looking into replacing some electric breaker boxes, so the approximately $20K estimate for repairs described above is expected to exceed $25K.
American Foundation of Greek Language and Culture (AFGLC) Scholarships Awarded—We wish to congratulate this year’s winners of the AFGLC Scholarships. The AFGLC Dr. Demetrios Halkias Scholarships were presented to Miss Angelique Boutzoukas (from Holy
Trinity in Clearwater) and Miss Patricia Pajak (from St. Stefanos in St. Petersburg). The AFGLC Peter Kourmolis Scholarships were presented to Miss Alexandra Evans (from St. John in Tampa) and Miss Alyssa Skijus (from St. John in Tampa). These scholarships were presented in late Feburary at the AFGLC Annual Forum. We congratulate the winners!
Please send us your email—Announcements on short notice are communicated to all members whose email address we have. Also, flyers and other notices that are too bulky to mail or won’t fit in the Messenger, including news from other churches, are also mass emailed to our parishioners. We have sent several of these in the past month, so if you haven’t received on, call the church office and give Nick your email address so we can add you to our list. Please keep us apprised if you change your email address as well.
Ushers Meeting-A Meeting for all ushers will be held on Sunday, April 1, following Divine Liturgy, in the Zaharias Room. All ushers are requested to attend. Tom Georgas is the Head Usher for our parish and we will be re-organizing the groups as well as going over the procedures for Holy Week. Are you interested in serving as an usher? We are looking for some more people to serve in this capacity. If so, please come to the meeting on April 1. If you are on the list as an usher and do not wish to serve in this capacity, please notify Tom Georgas at Georgas@.
Luminaries for Good Friday and Easter-The GOYAns of our parish will be selling Luminaries, votive candles, for Good Friday and Easter. These are little bags with votive candles inside that line the way of the procession of Christ’s tomb around the church on Good Friday and which are lit around the empty tomb on Easter Sunday. On each bag can be written the names of loved ones, either for their health and well-being if they are living (Easter), or in memory of someone who has passed away (Good Friday evening). We hope to have 100 for each night to add to the beauty of the services. The GOYAns will be selling the luminaries after church on Sunday, April 1 and Sunday, April 8. This is a wonderful way to honor those who are living, those who passed away, to make our services even more beautiful and to help out our GOYAns.
Altar Needs-Periodically, certain things in the altar need updating/replacing. There are at present, several small items (we are updating our altar cloths and chalice covers) that are needed that range between $200 and $800. If interested in discussing or donating any of these, please see Fr. Stavros.
Get Acquainted Sunday-April 1—In an effort to get to know one another better, we are going to continue our “get acquainted Sundays” the first Sunday of each month. We will have nametags and markers in the entry way of the Kourmolis Center and will ask that each person put one on during coffee hour and introduce yourself to at least one person that you do not know. This will serve to help us increase our fellowship and sense of community. Our “Get Acquainted Sunday” for April will be Sunday, April 1.
Parish Picnic-NEW LOCATION AT-St. John Greek Orthodox Church is pleased to announce that we will our fifth annual Parish Community Picnic on Sunday, April 22, following Divine Liturgy at Picnic Island Park located at 7404 Picnic Island Boulevard in Tampa, about 8 miles west of church. (Ballast Point Park, our usual location is closed for repairs temporarily so we are trying something new this year.) It is not often that we gather as a community, just for fun. We are always gathering for worship or for work. This is a day just to have fellowship and fun. There is no cost, food will be provided. There will be games and activities for children and adults. So bring some casual clothes to church on Sunday, April 22, and come and enjoy our community picnic.
STEWARDSHIP (as of March 15)
2012 2011
Stewardship Goal $300,000 $280,000
Total Pledged $2425,383 $218,260
Number of Families Pledged 238 222
If you have pledged for 2012, we sincerely thank you for your support of our church. If you have not pledged for 2012, we ask that you please do so today. If you need a pledge form, please contact the church office and we’ll be happy to send you one today
MINISTRIES
Community Outreach Initiative
The Community Outreach Ministry continues to grow! We have had steady participation (about 12-15 volunteers) in our partnership with the First Presbyterian Soup Kitchen. On a typical Saturday we serve about 120-140 of our homeless neighbors breakfast. We have also been able to provide some financial support to the soup kitchen with the money raised (over $230) from coffee hour to help buy paper supplies and juice. We hope to expand to provide volunteers at an additional soup kitchen site in 2012. We would love to have more volunteers. Please contact Betty Palios at bettypalios@ to sign-up or learn more.
Upcoming Dates: April 21, May 19
GOYA
TWO GOYA Meetings for April-There will be two GOYA Meetings in April, one on April 1 and one on April 29. Both meetings will be from 5:00-7:30 p.m. in the Kourmolis Center and dinner will be provided for both as always. The GOYA meeting schedule for the rest of the spring, for our regular meetings is as follows:
Sunday, April 1 5:00-7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 29 5:00-7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 20 5:00-7:30 p.m.
Please note that these are small changes in the original calendar.
8th Annual GOYA Lenten Retreat-Our 8th Annual GOYA Lenten Retreat will be held on March 9-10-11. GOYAns from Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, New Port Richey, Sarasota, Naples and Fort Myers, together with their advisors and several clergy, spent the weekend learning about how to “Keep Christ at the Center of our Lives.” Thanks to our GOYAns and Advisors for doing such a great job hosting the event, a big thank you to Elaine Halkias for her assistance and to George and Donna Hambos for doing all the cooking for the weekend.
Bible Study
Bible Study in April will be held on Tuesday, April 17 and Tuesday, April 24, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose room at the Day School. Dr. Bill Manikas teaches our Bible Study Class. In April, we will begin study of the book of Acts. Bible Study will be held in May on May 1 and May 15 before taking a break for summer. All newcomers are welcome, just bring your Bible with you.
St. Martinus, Confessor and Pope of Rome
By Dr. Bill Manikas
Born in Todi, Tuscany, he was elected Pope in 649. It was the time of the Monothelite (one will) heresy. This heresy advocated that Christ had divine and mortal entities, but His human will was absorbed by the divine. Martin called the First Lateran Council which affirmed the doctrine of two wills and operations in Christ, and condemned Monothelitism.
At the time, the Emperor of Byzantium was Constans II, who was a follower of the Monotheletus heresy. He was furious and ordered the Pope be arrested on fictitious charges and brought to Constantinople. On the way he was imprisoned on the island of Naxos for three months where he was ill treated. He was not given water to wash, or adequate clothing to keep warm from the very low temperatures and the food was rancid. In time he developed dysentery.
He finally reached Constantinople carried on a stretcher. He was condemned by the emperor for rebellion and then lifted on a platform. While on the platform, someone said to him, “You have struggled against the emperor and what hope remains for you? You abandoned God and now God has abandoned you!” (A Daily Calendar of Saints by Lawrence R. Farley.) Then his Episcopal garments were torn off. He was imprisoned for another three months and then banished to a small island off Cherson in the Crimea. Ill and short of food, within months Pope Martinus passed away in 655.
This pious and steadfast man was abandoned by his clergy and neglected by his friends. His feast day is celebrated on April 13th.
Sunday School
Sunday School Students to sing at the Liturgy on April 1—Our Sunday School Students did a great job singing with the choir at the liturgy on February 27. They did so well in fact that we are going to have them sing with the choir once a month, inaugurating a monthly “youth Sunday” which will be expanded this coming fall and have the youth doing others things as well. Our Sunday School Students will sing on Sunday, April 1, so please come on time and sit over near the choir on the right side of the church.
Communion Breakfast/Palm Crosses-All the youth of our parish are invited to attend Divine Liturgy on Saturday of Lazarus, April 7 at 10:00 a.m. We will have a breakfast after Liturgy for all in attendance and will be making the palm crosses for Palm Sunday.
Excused Absences from School for Good Friday-If you would like to have your child/children attend Good Friday Services at St. John, please let Fr. Stavros know and he will write a letter to your child’s school asking for an excused absence for religious holiday.
Sunday School Retreat for Good Friday-see attached flyer-The Sunday School will again be sponsoring a retreat on Good Friday on Friday, April 13 for all children of our Sunday School.
Easter Egg Hunt-The Annual Easter Egg Hunt will take place on Easter Sunday, April 15, following the Agape Vespers, at noon. Please plan to attend the Agape Vespers as a family beginning at 11:00 a.m. which will be followed by the Easter Egg Hunt.
SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS
Congratulations to all our participants in this year's ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM'S ORATORICAL FESTIVAL held on March 4th. All of the following students worked very hard on their speeches and did a fabulous job. The students are:
Junior Division: Nedi Ferekides*, Arianna Krinos*, Mihail Kaburis, Chris Scargfliero, and Larissa Krinos
Senior Division: Angelina Bertucci* and Andy Paloumpis*
* Moving on to the next competition in Clearwater.
Congratulations to our perfect attendance recipients for the month of February:
Pre-School: Maria Palios, Katrina Tsillas, and George Xenick
Kindergarten: Stefanos Tsillas, Gerasinos Crassas, Toulas Trakas, Eleni Katzaras, and Helen Fentress
First Grade: John Palios, Andrew Thatcher, Vasili Stiropoulis, and Yanni Trimikliniotis
Second and Third Grade: Ethan Tsillas and Elizabeth Xenick
Fourth Grade: Sophia Crassas, Nicholas Yotsis, Artemis Xenick, James Katzaras, and George Tsillas
Fifth and Sixth Grade: Savvas Ferekides and Nicholas Katzaras
Seventh and Eighth Grade: Mihael Kaburis, Nedi Ferekides, and Larissa Krinos
High School: Arianna Krinos
Our first ever PREPARING FOR LENT Retreat held on SUNDAY, Feb. 26th, was a HUGE SUCCESS. We would like to thank the following teachers for their planning and execution of their lesson:
KARA KARTZARAS - Ten Commandments
MARIA XENICK - Lenten Journals Lesson: Meaning behind the Sunday of Orthodoxy.
VICKIE PECKHAM - ACTIVITY - The Triodion is Like Our Church Building -
(NARTHEX-Pre-Lenten Period, NAVE -Great Lent, ALTAR - Holy Week)
DEBBIE AND NEDI FEREKIDES - Making a Lenten treasure box
FATHER STAVROS brought all the children into the church after the above lessons and explained the meaning and importance of the Sacrament of Confession.
*We would also like to thank Mrs. Fentress and Mrs. Alsina for spray painting all our treasure boxes.
Also on February 26th our Children sang with the Church Choir for the first time this year. It was a joy to hear their young voices participate in the Divine Liturgy this way, under the direction of our music teacher, Maria Xenick. By popular demand they will sing with the choir again on April 1st. The Sunday School teachers provided a delicious Lenten dinner following the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy on Wednesday, March 7th. It was wonderful to see so many of our families attend this service and receive Holy Communion. Just another great way to prepare during this Lenten Period.
CLASS UPDATES FOR Feb. 19, 2012:
PRE-SCHOOL: The class read the story of how Jesus calmed a storm by saying, "Peace, Be Still". The students also made a craft to go with this story.
KINDERGARTEN: Lesson: Parts of the church and the vessels (chalice, disko/star, communion cloth set, Gospel, censor, etc) used during the Divine Liturgy. The children had an opportunity to touch and learn about these vessels.
FIRST GRADE: The Gospel Lesson for the week.
SECOND AND THIRD GRADE: The class discussed the Gospel lesson, "The last Judgement" and the importance of living a life pleasing to God. Also discussed having "courage" to make the right choices in life, even when it is hard.
FOURTH GRADE: The students learned that the Old Testament promises a Savior, who is Jesus Christ. They learned about the first Passover and recognized that Christ is the New Passover.
FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE: Reviewed the Gospel Lesson for the week. The students continued making their very own Gospels. They learned that one side of the Gospel has icons of the Resurrection, St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. John. The other side has icons of the Crucifixion, King David, King Solomon, Moses, and Isaiah.
SEVENTH, EIGHTH GRADE, and HIGH SCHOOL: The students heard each others Oratorical
Presentations and made revisions.
CLASS UPDATES FOR Feb. 26, 2012:
PRE-SCHOOL: The class read about how following the teachings of Jesus gives us treasures. The students made their own treasure box.
KINDERGARTEN: Lesson: Holy Communion and the Last Supper. The students made a Last Supper craft.
FIRST GRADE: The class practiced and discussed the meaning of the Lord's Prayer. They also discussed when they should pray.
SECOND AND THIRD GRADE: The class learned about lent and discussed/completed their Lenten Covenant.
FOURTH GRADE: The students completed their unit on the Old Testament.
FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE: The class learned about lent and discussed/completed their Lenten Covenant. Finished making their own Gospels and practiced reciting the Creed.
SEVENTH, EIGHTH GRADE, and HIGH SCHOOL: The students heard each others Oratorical Presentations and made revisions.
CLASS UPDATES FOR MARCH 4, 2012:
+++SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY - OUR CHILDREN DID A WONDERFUL JOB IN THE PROCESSION OF THE ICONS.
PRE-SCHOOL: The class heard the story about the man who had seen Jesus and believed in him. The students also made their own icons for the procession.
KINDERGARTEN: Lesson: Meaning behind the Sunday of Orthodoxy.
FIRST GRADE: FAMILY in our Orthodox faith.
SECOND AND THIRD GRADE: Lesson: Meaning behind the Sunday of Orthodoxy.
FOURTH GRADE: Lesson: Meaning behind the Sunday of Orthodoxy.
FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE: Lesson: Meaning behind the Sunday of Orthodoxy.
SEVENTH, EIGHTH GRADE, and HIGH SCHOOL: The students prepared for the Oratorical Presentations.
CLASS UPDATES FOR MARCH 11, 2012:
PRE-SCHOOL: The class heard the story about the man who needed to be healed by Jesus and made a craft to go with it. The students also learned why we make the sign of the cross and the proper way of making it.
KINDERGARTEN: Lesson: Happy to Share. The students learned about St. John's Food Pantry. Also learned about St Gregory Palamas.
FIRST GRADE: Lesson: God wants us to share love with our family.
SECOND AND THIRD GRADE: Sacrament of Marriage. The importance of prayer.
FOURTH GRADE: Practiced using and reading the Bible.
FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE: Learned about St Gregory Palamas. Discussed lenten services - Saturday of Souls, Pre-Sanctified Liturgy, and Salutations of the Virgin Mary.
SEVENTH, EIGHTH GRADE, and HIGH SCHOOL: Lesson: "Journey through Lent"...Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas...talked about him and other saints and influences in our lives that are more "quiet" and reflective than major saints. Talked about taking time in Lent for more prayer and reflexion and went over the Jesus prayer and breathing exercises.
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Sunday, April 1 - The Sunday School will sing with the choir.
Saturday, April 8 – Saturday of Lazarus – Divine Liturgy, followed by breakfast, and then our children will make the palm crosses.
Friday, April 13 – Holy Friday Retreat
We are looking forward to seeing you in church every Sunday.
The Sunday School Staff
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Office: 813-343-2562 DAVID BATTEN
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The Divine Liturgy: Part XVIII: The Dismissal Prayers by Fr. Christos Mars
Following the section known as the Prayer of Thanksgiving, we turn our focus to the Dismissal prayers and the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy. The Dismissal prayers are a very interesting section in the Divine Liturgy as there are actually four separate Dismissals! The first dismissal is given by the Hierarch, or in his absence the priest, who proclaims, “Let us depart in peace.” This was the ancient dismissal, where in antiquity the laity would be dismissed, and they would start to walk out of the church. Today there is an additional command, which is given by the deacon, or in his absence the priest, which says, “Let us pray to the Lord.” And the people would respond, “Lord, have mercy.”
In antiquity while the Prayer behind the Ambo was recited (See Part VII for where the Ambo [Pulpit] was placed) the people were being dismissed. The prayer reads as follows, “Lord, bless those who praise You and sanctify those who trust in You. Save Your people and bless Your inheritance. Protect the whole body of Your Church. Sanctify those who love the beauty of Your house. Glorify them in return by Your divine power, and do not forsake us who hope in You. Grant peace to Your world, to Your churches, to the clergy, to those in public service, to the armed forces, and to all Your people. For every good and perfect gift is from above, coming from You, the Father of lights. To You we give glory, thanksgiving, and worship, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.” And the people respond with “Amen.” Following this prayer, the last hymn would be chanted. This hymn that we would hear and is still used, which has a marching beat to, would be, “Blessed is the name of the Lord, both now and to the ages.” We would leave the church, having been blessed by Christ and remembering those whom we were asked to pray for during the service. The clergy would return to the Skevofilakion (see Part I and X) and recite the concluding prayer. Today the Hierarch, or in his place the priest, returns to the Prothesis table (see Part I) and recites the same prayer which reads as follows, “Christ our God, You are the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets. You have fulfilled the dispensation of the Father. Fill our hearts with joy and gladness always, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.”
This was the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy in antiquity, but is no longer the case. There has been added over time more dismissals to this one. The second dismissal that was added begins with the petition, “Let us pray to the Lord.” To which the people respond, “Lord, have mercy.” The Priest or Hierarch blessing the laity says, “May the blessing of the Lord and His mercy come upon you through His divine grace and love, always, now and forever and to the ages of ages.” And the people respond with, “Amen.” It is important to note, once again, that it is not the Priest or Hierarch giving the final blessing saying I bless you, but rather it is the blessing of the Lord, that is bestowed upon us as we are ready to leave God’s holy house.
The third dismissal comes with the praise by the Hierarch or Priest, “Glory to You, O God, our hope, glory to you.” It is here where the dialogue from above is added once again with the following addition so that in its entirety it would read, “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Holy Father give the blessing.” (In the presence of the Hierarch, the last phrase would change slightly to read, “Holy Master give the blessing.”) This dialogue that is taking place, although added, is very beautiful and meaningful. It gives the opportunity for the laity and the clergy to speak with each other. It is unfortunate that we allow this dialogue to take place between the chanter or choir and the clergy only. All of us should participate in this dialogue, as we had mentioned in previous articles since the words “Divine Liturgy” means the work of the people. (see part II)
The final dismissal is an elongated remembrance of all those people who have played a part in salvation history, from the Theotokos to John the Baptist, to the saints of the day, and even the author of the celebrated Liturgy. It is a way to remember them, and thank them for their help in the mystery of mysteries. It is important to note that on major feast days, i.e. Christmas, Epiphany, Transfiguration, etc., the dismissal starts a little differently than described below, as we, for a final time, want to remind the faithful person why the divine liturgy is being celebrated. The dismissal reads as follows, “May Christ our true God (who rose from the dead)[if it is a Sunday or during the Easter season or for Christmas “May He who was born in a cave and lay in a manger for our salvation, Christ our true God…” or for Epiphany “May He who was accepted to be baptized by St. John for our Salvation, Christ our true God…” etc.], as a good, loving, and merciful God, have mercy upon us and save us, through the intercessions of His most pure and holy Mother; the power of the precious and life giving Cross; the protection of the honorable, bodiless powers of heaven, the supplications of the honorable, glorious prophet and forerunner John the Baptist; the holy, glorious and praiseworthy apostles; the holy, glorious and triumphant martyrs; our holy and God-bearing Fathers (name of the church); the holy and righteous ancestors Joachim and Anna; Saint (of the day) whose memory we commemorate today, of our Father among the saints John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople whose liturgy we celebrate today and of all the saints. Have mercy upon us and save us as a good God who loves mankind.” Traditionally during the dismissal, the chanters or choir would chant a hymn asking for a blessing upon the celebrant of the Liturgy, and as he blesses the congregation, the people bless him. The hymn reads as follows, “Lord, grant long life to him who blesses and sanctifies us.” If a Hierarch was present it would read, “The Bishop and our Hierarch, Lord protect, many years to him, many years to him, many years to him.”
Following this is the concluding prayer by the Priest that says, “Through the prayers of your Holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.” To which the people respond with “Amen.” This petition reminds the faithful that their work has been completed through the prayers of our holy fathers, in the monastery it would be our fellow monks, or nuns, but in the parish setting, through the prayers of your Priests, Christ will have mercy upon us and save us. If a Hierarch is present, he would say the above phrase and the Priest would respond with “Through the prayers of our Holy Hierarch, Lord, Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.” Again, because the Bishop is present, it will be through his prayers that Christ will have mercy upon us and save us.
Following this is another blessing that is bestowed upon us that reads, “May the Holy Trinity protect all of you.” There is no response by the people to this blessing. In fact it is the only blessing in the Divine Liturgy that has no response from the people. This blessing of the Holy Trinity is the door that leads us out of heaven and back into the world, ready to once again participate in the Divine Liturgy.
With this, we conclude the Divine Liturgy. In Part XIX we will look at the Memorial Service and give an explanation of its meaning and why it is placed in the Divine Liturgy.
Fr. Christos Mars is the Assistant Priest at the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Atlanta, GA. In his theological studies, he specialized in the study of liturgics, the history and theology behind our services. His series on the Divine Liturgy will be part of our monthly Messenger for the next several months as he walks us through the Divine Liturgy, both from the standpoint of what goes on, as well as its theological meaning and historical development.
SOME NOTES ON CHURCH ETIQUETTE
As we are in the Lenten and Easter seasons, many people will be attending church services. It’s always helpful to be reminded of a few basic points of etiquette for church services.
1. Please remember that the church is a place of worship.
2. Be respectful; you are a guest in the House of God.
3. Come on time at the beginning of the services.
4. Please refrain from talking; rather, everyone is encouraged to sing along with the Choir or the Chanters.
5. There should be no movement in the church, including entering and leaving a pew or walking down the side aisles, whenever the Priest is:
i. Out on the Solea during the Small Entrance with the Gospel.
ii. During the Great Entrance with the Holy Gifts.
iii. During the readings of the Epistle or Gospel Lessons.
iv. During any procession.
v. At the Consecration
vi. During the Sermon
6. During Holy Communion, all those who are prepared are asked to come forth quietly with respect and the anticipation that they will be receiving the very Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Cross yourself, take the cloth and hold it under your chin, state your baptismal name clearly, open your mouth, close your mouth on the spoon to insure that the spoon is empty when it comes out of your mouth, then cross yourself, and take Antidoron, being careful not to let the crumbs fall on the floor.
7. Those who bring up infants, please hold them in your left arm (because Fr. Stavros is left-handed), and make sure their arms and legs are as secure as possible.
8. Please do not cross your legs in church—too casual. When sitting, sit up straight “at attention,” since we are in God’s house.
9. On the same note, don’t put your hands in your pockets, or behind your back, again, too casual. And please tell your children as well.
10. A note about lipstick-For a long time, large lipstick stains have been left on the icons in the narthex or on the special icons that our on the solea. We come to church to worship. The emphasis should not be on appearance. We dress nicely in church as a sign of respect, not fashion. Therefore, please be careful that you do not leave lipstick marks on the icons. You should not wear lipstick on Holy Thursday or Good Friday. These are days of extreme humility and sadness. Do not leave lipstick marks on the body of Christ as it hangs on the Cross. Please refrain from wearing lipstick if you plan to receive Holy Communion.
11. The Narthex is part of the church and all of the above apply. Please do not linger in the narthex after you arrive. The only people that should be in the narthex are the ushers for the day, and mothers who have fussy babies that want to stand with them in the narthex, that is fine as well. The narthex is the place we light our candles, the pews in the nave are the place we are to worship.
12. Please turn off cell phones!
13. As the Holy Week services are long and run late, for those who bring small children to the services, please sit near either the side door or in the back and if your child becomes fussy, please take them outside for a few minutes.
14. Please don’t chew gum—this is church, not a baseball game.
Thank you for your cooperation in honoring the sanctity of our Holy Church. Your cooperation will assure that our services will continue to be celebrated with the proper honor and dignity with which they should be afforded and will make our celebration of Holy Week and Easter truly memorable. These etiquette practices should be observed all year round!
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| |Friday, April 13, 2012 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
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Please join us for a day of crafts, games, activities, musicreflection and worship with your Sunday School friends
Come spend a wonderful day at Church preparing for the Triumphant Resurrection!
All parents are encouraged to attend the Descent from the Cross Service at 3:00 p.m.
Students should dress appropriately for Church and also for comfort during the retreat (or bring a change of clothes.)
Parent volunteers are needed for any part of the day!
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DONATIONS NEEDED FOR HOLY WEEK / LENT
Great Lent begins February 27. We have many special celebrations during these weeks. We know that many of you would like to contribute to the decorating of our church and icons during this period. For your convenience, below is a list of items needed for the celebration of the Sacred Services of Lent and holy Week. Please contact the church office to reserve your desired offering for the health of your loved ones or in memory of a deceased loved one. Payment may be sent to the church office. Checks should be made payable to “St. John Greek Orthodox Church” with “Lenten Flower Donation” on the memo line.
March 30 Akathist Hymn Flowers for Icon of Panagia $75
(Flowers will be displayed on the fifth Sunday of Lent)
April 7-8 Saturday of Lazarus-Palm Sunday Flowers for Icon of Palm Sunday $75
April 8 Palm Sunday Palm strips/branches several donors needed ($250 total)
All of Holy Week Pillar Candles for windows (20) $15 each
April 8 Bridegroom Service Flowers for Icon of Bridegroom in Narthex $75
Bridegroom Service Flowers for Icon of Bridegroom—Table on Solea $75 for each of 2 arrangements
April 11 Holy Unction Q-tips, Olive Oil, Flour-2 volunteers to make Prosphora see Fr. Stavros
Holy Unction -- Flowers for Icon of Last Supper $75
April 12 Holy Thursday -- Flowers for Icon of Crucifixion $75
Holy Thursday -- Scattered flowers at base of cross $50
Holy Thursday -- Candles for Top of Cross (3) $15 each
April 13 Good Friday -- 8 Bags Rose Petals for Myrrh-bearers $50
Good Friday -- Candles for Top of Cross (3)-Apokathelosis $15 each
Good Friday -- Candles for Top of Cross (3)-Lamentations $15 each
Good Friday -- Icon of Extreme Humility $75
April 15 PASCHA -- Flowers for Icon of Empty Tomb $75
-- Easter Lillies $25 per plant
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