The Essence of Prayer ~ A Message from Fr. Robert

Transcription

1 February Phillips Road, Tallahassee, Florida (850) Rev. Fr. Robert J. O Loughlin The Essence of Prayer ~ A Message from Fr. Robert When we hear about prayer it seems like it should be a simple thing as most people will say they pray. The disciples knew that prayer wasn t so easy as they watched Jesus pray all night long. Certain illnesses they couldn t cure because Jesus said to them they needed to pray and fast more. As Jews, the disciples knew about prayer. They went to their local synagogues and prayed. They had a rich historical tradition with many wonderful prayers which included the psalms of King David. The disciples understood that prayer, as simple as it may seem, was in fact a difficult spiritual exercise, and they wanted to learn more about it. Once, an abbot was asked by some of the monks, Among all our different activities, which is the virtue that requires the greatest effort? He answered quite clearly, There is no labor greater than praying to God. For every time a person wants to pray, the demons try to prevent him; for they know that nothing obstructs them so much as prayer to God. In everything else that a person undertakes, if he perseveres, he will attain rest. But in order to pray, a person must struggle to his last breath. This is quite a statement about prayer and provides insights to why we may struggle with our prayer lives. Sincere prayer is a moment when we communicate with God, and the last thing the devil wants us to do is communicate with God. Prayer is the most intimate, personal contact we can have with our Lord. And not only do we connect with Him, but we open up our hearts to receive His Holy Spirit. Prayer may seem simple yet is also something that we need to practice and practice more as we mature and grow in our spiritual lives. No one can ever say they ve reached perfection in prayer. The more we pray, the more we open up our hearts to God. So often in our prayers, whether our private prayers at home, or in our communal prayers here at Church, we may forget that we actually stand in the presence of God. Prayer is a spiritual discipline that we are to struggle to learn and master over our lifetime. Whenever we come before God in our prayers whether when we wake up for our morning prayers, or say prayers before we go to sleep, or offer prayers before any meal or at any other time throughout the day, let us remember to offer our prayers with humility of heart and with sincerity. Wishing you a blessed Lenten journey, Fr. Robert

2 Page 2 Our next ECHO Sundays are February 4 and March 4. Please drop off your non-perishable food donations into the bins located in the Hellenic Center and Patmos Hall. If an emergency or special need should arise, please contact Fr. Rob immediately at Mike Gavalas, President George Catsimpiris, Vice President Glen Perrigan, Treasurer Harriet Kanelidis, Secretary Mark Belcher, Olibia Drzewiecki, Victor Gavalas, Emanuel Joanos, and Stamie Joanos Adult Icon Adornment Workshop Learn how to decorate an icon as well as deepen your understanding about feast days in the Orthodox Church on Thurs March 8th from 6:00-7:00pm. Please let Fr. Rob or Presv. Joy know if you will be participating by Monday, March 5th. Orthodoxy on Tap brings individuals together interested in sharing discussion about topics in our world and Church today. Most importantly, Orthodoxy on Tap is a gathering of young adults (post college to 35ish) who come together in fellowship. If any questions, please contact Fr. Rob or Presv. Joy. Date: Feb. 6th Location: The Wine Loft 6-7:30 pm Message from Metropolitan Alexios My Beloved Ones, I write to you today from the holy city of Jerusalem, having been blessed to be able to liturgize with my fellow pilgrims in the Church of the Holy Resurrection. As I prayed for you, my flock, and all faithful Orthodox Christians on this sacred site, I thought of course of the Fast we are preparing to undergo and of the Great Feast we shall be blessed to celebrate in a few months time. The period of Triodion, which begins this Sunday, is a time of preparation; of making sure both our bodies and minds are prepared for the spiritual and physical challenges that will come with Great Lent. Of course, this first Sunday of Triodion, as always, commemorates the humility of the repentant Publican, comparing him to the overly righteous Pharisee; but today, I wish to discuss a particular Saint. For it just so happens that on this first Sunday of Triodion, we commemorate the life of a saint whose most famous prayer will be familiar to all who know the Lenten services. I am of course, referring to St. Ephraim the Syrian. St. Ephraim was born in Mesopotamia in the 4 th Century. When he moved to Edessa, in what is today Syria, he found a city full of heretical teachings. There was an especially gifted, but Gnostic teacher named Bardaisan, who was turning Christians from the True Faith through deceptively beautiful hymns. St. Ephraim then saw it as his duty to compose equally beautiful and poetic hymns and prayers that were Orthodox in every way. He is therefore considered by many, the first hymnographer of the Church. St. Ephraim s most well-known contribution is of course the prayer that is read at every weekday Lenten service: O Lord and Master of my life, grant me not a spirit of sloth, meddling, love of power, and idle talk. But give to me, your servant, a spirit of sober-mindedness, humility, patience, and love. Yes, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to judge my brother, since you are blessed to the ages of ages Though this prayer may be simple, it is deeply profound, for it teaches us precisely the way in which we should live, not only during Lent, but every day of our life as Orthodox Christians. We ask our God and Creator that through His help we not become complacent, overly materialistic, nor that we abuse our friend and fellow neighbor; but instead that we maintain control over our passions, in a spirit of quiet humility, patience and love. Truly, as we are all given over to weakness, it is this spirit of acknowledging our own faults and not judging our brother that is often very difficult. Yet this is precisely why we must trust in God with whom all things are possible (Matthew 19:26), and use the beginning of Triodion to pray regularly and often. Only through prayer and sincere reflection can we ensure that our spirits are calmed, and that with a calm heart and clear mind, we might be better able to emulate the worthy Publican, and forgive even the hurtful words of the Pharisee. +ALEXIOS Metropolitan of Atlanta

3 Calendar Symbol Key + = Strict Fast = Wine and Oil allowed Page 3 s = Fish Allowed 4 25 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT Orthros 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Church School ECHO GOYA Orthros 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Church School GOYA Bowling Orthros 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Church School Forgiveness Vespers Sunday of Orthodoxy Orthros 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Church School Procession of Icons Parish Council Mtg. 5:30 p.m Great Lent Begins Great Compline 13 Choir Practice 5:00 p.m. Orthodoxy on Tap 6:00-7:3:30 p.m. Choir Practice 5:00 p.m Choir Practice 5:00 p.m Choir Practice 5:00 p.m. 7 + Catechetical Class (Newcomers/Inquirers) 6:00 pm 1 2 No Fast 8 Philoptochos Mtg. 5:30 pm Presentation of Our Lord 9:00 am Pre-Sanctified Liturgy Followed by Lenten Covered Dish 28 + Pre-Sanctified Liturgy Followed by Lenten Covered Dish St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival Salutations to the Theotokos 3 No Fast Great Vespers 1st Saturday of Souls 9:00 am Valentine s Dinner & Dance 6:30 pm - 11:30 pm 2nd Saturday of Souls 9:00 am 24 3rd Saturday of Souls 9:00 am Pangari Schedule for February 2018 *9:15 a.m., **10:15 a.m start time & (c) Coffee 02/04 - Drzewiecki*/Catsimpiris**/EJoanos (c) 02/11 - Perrigan*/Kanelidis**/VGavalas (c) 02/18 - SJoanos*/MGavalas**/Drzewiecki (c) 02/25 - MGavalas*/EJoanos**/Perrigan (c) 03/04 - Catsimpiris*/EJoanos**/Kanelidis (c) = Dairy & eggs allowed = Father Away

4 Page 4 Sun. Feb 4th Our community will team up with International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) as we bring help and hope to people affected by war, poverty disease and natural disaster in the U.S. and throughout the world. Sun. Feb 11th-Bowling at Capital Lanes - 6:00 pm The parish St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival will take place Wednesday, Feb. 28th. Please contact Fr. Rob or Presv. Joy if you would like to participate or if you have any questions. Session 1: June Boston Session 2: July Boston Session 3: July Chicago CrossRoad is a ten-day academic summer institute that prepares high school juniors and seniors to make big life decisions and connect with the Orthodox Christian theological and spiritual tradition. Hosted on the scenic Hellenic College Holy Cross campus, overlooking the beautiful Boston skyline, participants experience daily worship, visit local parishes, tour Boston, and spend a day at the beach. Historically, CrossRoad has been hosted solely on the campus of Hellenic College Holy Cross. This year, CrossRoad is expanding to Chicago! This summer, there will be a third session offered on the campus of North Park University in Chicago, IL. Please contact Presv. Joy with any questions. Special Services and Blessings of the Orthodox Church By: Rev. Fr. Thomas Fitzgerald At the center of the life of the Church is the Holy Eucharist, which is the principal celebration of our faith and the means through which we participate in the very life of the Holy Trinity. The major Sacraments are closely related to the Eucharist and they bear witness to the continuing presence of Christ in the lives of His people. Besides the Eucharist and the major Sacraments, the Orthodox Church has a number of Special Services and Blessings which are associated with the needs, events, and tasks of human life. In celebrating these various Services and Blessings, the Church is constantly bearing witness to the presence and action of God in our lives. Our God is one who loves us, cares for us, and is near to us. The liturgical Services and Blessings also serve to remind us that all of life is important, and that the many events and gifts of life can be directed toward God and receive their fulfillment in Him. The Special Services are often referred to as Non-sacramental Services in the sense that they are events of community worship which are not usually counted among the major Sacraments. However, they clearly have a sacramental quality in the sense that they reveal the presence of the Holy Trinity. Many of these Services, such as the Funeral, the Blessing of Water, and the Entrance into Monastic Life, just to name a few, are very significant to the life of the Church. The various Blessings are brief ceremonies which are occasional and do not necessarily involve directly the entire parish community. The Church blesses individuals, events such as trips, and objects such as icons, churches, flowers, fields, animals, and food. In so doing, the Church is not only expressing our thanks giving, but also affirming that no gift, event, or human responsibility is secular or detached from God. For the Orthodox Christian, all good things have God as their origin and goal. Nothing is outside of God's love and concern. Funeral Service The death of a Christian not only affects the family, but also the entire Church, for we are all part of the Body of Christ. The Orthodox Funeral Service, which expresses this fact, is not to be seen primarily as an opportunity to extol, in a sentimental way, the virtues of an individual. Rather, the various prayers and hymns emphasize the harsh reality of death, as well as the victorious Resurrection of Christ through which the power of death is conquered. The Funeral Service comforts those who mourn; it is also the means through which the Church prays for one of its members who has died in the faith of Christ. Orthodoxy views the end of physical existence only as the termination of one stage of life. God's love is stronger than death, and the Resurrection of Christ bears witness to this power. (continued on page 5)

5 Page 5 (continued from page 4) The Orthodox Funeral consists of three Services. First, there is a Vigil Service after death, which is usually conducted at the time of the wake. This service is called the Trisagion Service. The Church prays to Christ "to give rest with the Saints to the soul of Your servant where there is neither pain, grief, nor sighing but life everlasting." While the Church prays for the soul of the deceased, great respect is paid to the body. Orthodoxy believes the body of the Christian is sacred since it was the Temple of the Holy Spirit. The body will share also in the final restoration of all creation. The Funeral Service is continued at the Church, where the body is brought on the day of burial. Ideally, the is celebrated. After the Funeral Service, the congregation offers its Farewell to the deceased. The Trisagion Service is repeated at the graveside. Memorial Service Death alters but does not destroy the bond of love and faith which exists among all the members of the Church. Orthodoxy believes that through our prayers, those "who have fallen asleep in the faith and the hope of the Resurrection" continue to have opportunity to grow closer to God. Therefore, the Church prays constantly for her members who have died in Christ. We place our trust in the love of God and the power of mutual love and forgiveness. We pray that God will forgive the sins of the faithful departed, and that He will receive them into the company of Saints in the heavenly Kingdom. The Orthodox Church remembers the departed in the prayers of every. Besides this, there is a Memorial Service in which the Church also remembers the dead. According to tradition, the Memorial Service is offered on the third, ninth, and fortieth day after a death, as well as on the yearly anniversary of the death. In addition to these times, the Memorial Service is always offered for all the faithful departed on four "Saturdays of the souls." These are: the two Saturdays preceding Great Lent; the first Saturday of Great Lent; and, the Saturday before Pentecost. In the United States the Service is also offered on Memorial Day. When the Memorial Service is offered, it is customary for the family of the deceased to bring a dish of boiled wheat to the Church. The boiled wheat is placed on a table in the center of the nave during the Service. The wheat, known as kollyva, is a symbol of the Resurrection. When speaking of the Resurrection, our Lord said: "Unless the grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies it bears much fruit." (John 12:24) Church School Students are invited to bring an Icon from home to carry in the procession Sunday of Orthodoxy Procession of icons Sunday February 25th The Orthodox Church commemorates the restoration of icons in the church after decades of struggle against the Iconoclast heresy. Once again, we will have the procession of icons after the in the Church. All students are encouraged to bring an icon from home, remembering the procession, which took place centuries ago, lead by the Empress, St. Theodora. When: Sunday Feb. 18 th (coffee hour) Let s share our cultures! Bring your favorite baked goods, pastries, etc., to accompany coffee during coffee hour. Please drop off your item in the Hellenic Center prior to coming into Church.

6 Page 6 February 2018 Women s Heart Health Month Next Meeting: February 8 5:30 pm in the Patmos Hall Conf. Room. GUEST SPEAKER: Dianne Pappachristou, MD. Her specialty is in Family Medicine in Quincy, FL and she will be sharing information on Women s Heart Health. Thank you to all who attended our annual cutting of the Vasilopita on Jan. 7 and to all who made the beautiful and delicious vasilopitas. The members of our church really have some wonderful recipes. It was a great success! Congratulations to all of our parishioners who received coin in their slice of Vasilopita and in particular to those who received a slice in recognition of their service to our Church. All monetary donations benefit St. Basil Academy. Family Fun Day was once again a great experience for our parish members. Everyone enjoyed the fun, food and festivities. Bingo was once again a big highlight for everyone and the breaking of the piñata was an exciting moment for the kids!! Saturday, February 10, :30 pm 11:30 pm Music includes DJ Dinner Menu: Appetizers Prime Rib, Greek Style Oven Potatoes, Green Beans, Greek Salad & Dessert $25.00 ~ Adults -- $12.00 ~ Students Children of Church Members 12 & Under ~ FREE Cash Bar for Wine, Beer and Sodas Tickets will be presold in the Hellenic Center following Liturgy or see any AHEPA member Join the fun with music, prizes, dancing Remember, profits from this event go towards scholarships For upcoming qualified high school seniors, plus philanthropic purposes

7 Excerpts from: HOLY COMMUNION THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE Father Alkiviadis Calivas The Eucharist: the central activity of the Church Page 7 The weekly celebration of the Eucharist on the Lord s Day is an indispensable activity of the Church because the Eucharist constitutes the Church as the Body of Christ. It is the source and summit of her life, the supreme act of her thanksgiving and of her sacrifice of praise. At the, the Church is continuously changed from a human community into the Body of Christ, the temple of the Holy Spirit, and the holy People of God. The life of every parish and of every faithful Christian is centered on the weekly celebration of the, for it is there that we experience the mystery of the new reality that is in the world; the reality that God wrought through the incarnation of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Eucharist we encounter Christ crucified, raised from the dead, and glorified in Hispersonal presence. Through the Divine Liturgy Jesus acts to fulfill his promises to His people: Where two or three are gathered in my Name, there I am in the midst of the And lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age (Matt. 18: 20 and 28: 20). The is more than texts, words, songs, and ritual acts. It is the meeting ground of heaven and earth. It is the place where people meet the self-giving of God and where, through this encounter, they meet their own human lives in unexpected form. The communicates to people the meaning and purpose of life through Word and Sacrament. It helps us to see, understand, interpret, and internalize both the tragedy of human sin that blights our relationships but also the limitless expanse and potential of the new life in Christ. We gather at the to affirm our identity as members of the Body of Christ, the Church. We gather to hear the Word of God; to confess our common faith; to express our indissoluble unity in love; and to find another life, new, true, and eternal. We receive Holy Communion for the forgiveness of sins and life eternal. The seeds of immortality and holiness are sown into our hearts and, thus empowered, we are sent forth to bear fruit commensurate to the wondrous Gift. For these many reasons, the Eucharist cannot be abandoned and every activity of the parish educational, social, philanthropic, or cultural must always be informed by and serve the purposes of the Eucharistic assembly for which the parish essentially exists. Through the Eucharist we become partakers of the divine nature As we all know, the Eucharist was instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ at the Last Supper to perpetuate the remembrance of His redemptive, saving work and to establish a continuous intimate communion between Himself and those who believe in Him. Consequently, our weekly participation in the is not meant to fulfill a vague religious obligation, but to give evidence to our faith and to confirm the voluntary emptying of our sinscarred self, so that we may become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1: 4). At the we are reminded that the Christian life is a work in progress. It is a life that is set on things above; that it is continuously moving from weakness to strength and from glory to glory. We learn that salvation is neither the product of biological and historical evolution, nor the result of some ethical code of behavior. Rather, salvation comes through a radical ontological change, which the Scriptures describe as the putting off of the old man and the putting on of the new. We were immersed into this radical change when we were baptized, when our nakedness was clothed with Christ to become a new creation. The newness of life the gift of Baptism is constantly renewed, nourished, and advanced by the Eucharist when partaken in faith. In the Eucharist, we pass continuously from death to life and obtain God Himself. By partaking of Holy Communion divine life flows into us and penetrates the fabric of our humanity. The future life is infused and blended into the present one. The Eucharist, as St. Ignatios of Antioch said, is the medicine of immortality and the antidote against death, enabling us to live forever in Jesus Christ. In Christ we become gods by grace. We receive Holy Communion the Body and Blood of Christ with utter discernment, with humility and joy not as a reward for pious feelings and actions but as the most precious gift of the Lord to the members who comprise His Body, that we may enter into union with Christ, to become by grace flesh of Christ s flesh so that we may share in what is divine, namely, immortality and incorruptibility. When we eat and drink worthily at the Eucharist, we are no longer clay, a heap of dust, but of the Body of Christ. For this reason the Eucharist cannot be abandoned because it constitutes both the Church and the Christian. The Eucharist, as the Church teaches us, is the food of life. Father Alkiviadis Calivas, Professor Emeritus of Liturgics Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology

8 Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church 1645 Phillips Road Tallahassee, Florida Return Service Requested Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church 1645 Phillips Road Tallahassee, FL Office: Hall: Fr. Rob s Cell: Presentation of Our Lord Celebrated February 2nd Website: Addresses: Father Rob: fr.robert@comcast.net Church Secretary: hmog@comcast.net Secretary Hours: Mon./Wed./Fri. 9am-2pm