A Meditation on: The Nativity of the Theotokos. Volume 34 September 2, 2018 Number 47

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1 The Church Herald Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church 2053 North Road, NE Warren, OH Church Phone: (330) Rectory Phone: (330) Pastor: The Very Rev. Protopresbyter Kenneth M. Bachofsky, D. Min. Parish Web Page: Volume 34 September 2, 2018 Number 47 A Meditation on: The Nativity of the Theotokos The Ch7urch was quite filed and the Communion line was quite long yesterday morning for the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos. And Great Vespers on Saturday evening was also well attended and therefore festal in nature. Coming as it does right after the beginning of the Church New Year, this Feast allows us a good start that we further hope we can sustain as the liturgical year unfolds before us. As a straightforward and joyous feast of commemorating the birth of the Virgin Mary, we receive a taste of the joyousness of life from within the Church that is often obscured by life s challenges, difficulties and tragedies. Fr. Alexander Schmemann puts it like this: I n a n d through this newborn girl, Christ our gift from God, our meeting and encounter with Him co0mes to embrace the world. Thus, in celebrating Mary s birth we find ourselves already on the road to Bethlehem, moving toward to the joyful mystery of Mary as the Mother of God! In an age of cynicism and unbelief, to encounter the purity of Mariam of Nazareth the Virgin Mary and Theotokos is to see life with a restored vision that, again, is only possible from within the Church. Goodness, purity of heart and faithfulness to God are embodied realities lived by real human persons. Such a restored vision of life will strengthen our sense of the inherent goodness of life that sin may obscure, but never obliterate. Yet, if we can no longer see that, then we have lost something absolutely vital to our humanity, and we need to repent and embrace that change of mind that will restore our own humanity. Sons will undoubtedly see nothing but a stereotype of the feminine here, but perhaps Fr. Schmemann has something worthwhile to say his approach to the image of woman as manifested in the Virgin Mary: The Virgin Mary, the All-Pure Mother demands nothing and receives everything. She pursues nothing, and possesses all. In the image of the Virgin Mary we find what has almost completely been lost in our proud, aggressive, male world: compassion, tender-heartedness, care, trust, humility. We call her our Lady and the Queen of heaven and earth, and yet she calls herself the handmaid of the Lord. She is not out to teach or prove anything, yet her presence alone, in its light and joy, takes away the anxiety of our imagined problems. It is as if we have been out on a long, weary, unsuccessful day of work and have finally come home, and once again all becomes clear and filled with that happiness beyond words which is the only true happiness. Christ said, Do not be anxious...seek first the Kingdom of God. (See Matthew 6:33). Beh o l d i n g t h i s woman Virgin, Mother, Intercessor we begin to sense, to know not with our mind but with our heart, what it means to seek the Kingdom, to find it, and to live by it! (Celebration of Faith, Vol. 3). On the day following the Feast ion this case today, September 9th we commemorate the ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna, the father and mother of the Virgin Mary according to the Tradition of the Church. This is a consistent pattern within oru festal and liturgical commemorations: On the day after a particular feast, we commemorate the persons who are an integral part of that feast day s events. For example, the day after Theophany we commemorate St. John the Baptist; and on the day after Nativity,

2 we commemorate the Theotokos. Therefore, because of the essential role of Joachim and Anna in the current Feast of the Virgin Mary s Nativity, today is the Synaxis of Joachim and Anna and we thus bring them to mind in an effort to discern and meditate upon their important place in this festal commemoration. The source of their respective roles is the Protoevangelion of James, a mid 2nd century document. As Archbishop Ware has written: The Orthodox Church does not place the Protoevangelion of James on the same level as Holy Scripture: it is possible, then, to accept the spiritual truth which underlies this narrative, without necessarily attributing a literal and historical exactness to every detail. One of those spiritual truths alluded to by Archbishop Ware is the account of both Joachim and Anna continuing to pray with faith and trust in God s providence even though they were greatly discouraged over the barrenness of Anna. A lack of children in ancient Israel could easily be taken for a sign of God s displeasure, thus hinting a hidden sins that deserve rebuke. Though disheartened, they continued to place their trust in God, refusing to turn away from God though thoroughly tested as to their patience. Perseverance in prayer in the face of discouragement is a real spiritual feat that reveals genuine faith! The conception and then birth of the Virgin Mary reveals to joyous outcome of their faith and trust in God! Perhaps this is why we commemorate Joachim and Anna as the ancestors of God at the end of every Dismissal in our major liturgical services, including the Divine Liturgy. We seek their prayers as Icons of an everyday faith that is expressed as fidelity, faith and trust in God s Law and providential care! Joachim and Anna could also be witnesses to a genuine conjugal love that manifests itself in the conception and birth of a new child. Their union is an image of a chaste sexual love that is devoid of lust and self-seeking pleasure. The strong ascetical emphases of many of our celibate saints may serve to undermine or obscure the blessings of conjugal love is envisaged in the Sacrament of Marriage. In fact, through its canonical legislation going back to early centuries, the Church has struggled against a distorted asceticism that denigrates sexual love even within the bonds of marriage as a concession to uncontrollable passions. The Church is not antisexual. But the Church always challenges us to discern the qualitative distinction between love and lust. The Icon of the embrace of Joachim and Anna outside the gates of their home as they both rush to embrace each other following the exciting news that they would indeed be given a child, is the image of this purified conjugal love that will result in the conception of Mary, their child conceived as all other children are conceived. The Feast of the Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos, has four days of After feast, thus ending with the Leave-taking on September 12th. That allows us to then prepare for the Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross on commemorated on September 14th! - By: Father Steve Kostoff - Our Worship Schedule Sunday, September 2nd 9:30 a.m. The Reading of the Third Hour. 10:00 a.m. The 14th Sunday After Pecost, Tone 5 (Page 93). The Martyrs: Mamas & Parents, Theodotus, Rufina and the Venerable John the Faster are commemorated. Epistle 2 Corinthians 1:21-2:4 Gospel Matthew 22:1-14 Wednesday, September 5th 4:00 p.m. The Akathist Service to the Theotokos with prayers for the sick and anointing of the faithful! FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7TH 4:00 P.M. GREAT VESPERS WITH LYTIA FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF THE THEOTOKOS! SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH 9:00 A.M. THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF THE THEOTOKOS! (Page 105). EPISTLE PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11 GOSPEL LUKE 10:38-42,11:27,28 4:00 p.m. Evening Vesper Service. Sunday, September 9th 9:30 a.m. The 15th Sunday After Pentecost, Tone 6. (Page 96). Sunday before the Elevation of the Holy Cross! The Righteous Parents Joachim & Anna and the Martyr Severian are commemorated. Epistle 2 Corinthians 4:6-15 Gospel Matthew 22:35-46 Wednesday, September 12th 4:00 p.m. The Akathist Service to the Theotokos with prayers for the sick and anointing of the faithful. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13TH 4:00 P.M. THE GREAT VESPER SERVICE ENTHRONEMENT AND VENERATION OF THE HOLY CROSS! FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH 9:00 A.M. THE FEAST OF THE ELEVATION/EXALTATION OF THE HOLY, PRECIOUS AND LIFE- GIVING CROSS! A DAY OF STRICT FAST- ING! EPISTLE I CORINTHIANS 1:18-24 GOSPEL JOHN 19:6-11;13-20, :00 p.m. The Eve- Saturday, September 15th ning Vesper Service. Sunday, September 16th 9:30 a.m. The Sunday After the Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross, Tone 7 (Page ) The Great Martyr Euphe-

3 mia, St. Sebastiana, and the Martyr Melitina are commemorated. Epistle Galatians 6:1:16-20 Gospel Mark 8:34-9:1 Episcopal Elevation! We have just received word from the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, that at its monthly meeting on August 29, 2019 they voted to elevate His Grace, Bishop Gregory to the Rank and Dignity of Metropolitan! This is a very high honor for not only our Diocesan Hierarch but also all of the faithful of our God-saved Diocese! This will be the third Metropolitan that to received such a high honor in the history of our Diocese. His All Holiness, Patriarch Bartholomew has always said that our Diocese has always been one of the many fine jewels on the crown of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and we see this demonstrated through this Episcopal Elevation! On behalf of the pastor and faithful of our St. Nicholas Church of Warren, Ohio we send Bishop Gregory our heartfelt love, respect and congratulations at the reception of this dignity bestowed upon his humble person! And we extend our voices in the Diocesan chorus in singing Axios, Axios, Axios! Your are Worthy! And Eis Polla Eti Despota! Many Years O Master! Community Festival! T h e Trumbull County Tourism Bureau will sponsor the 3rd Annual Taste of Warren festival! It will be held on Saturday, September 22, 2018 at the C o u r t h o u s e Square, Downtown Warren from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Our Church as been invited, by popular demand, to sell our Internationally Renowned Holupki at this year s festival. Please mark down this date on your calendar and join us in this celebration of our local culture! Special Society Meeting: In order to properly prepare for the festival, there will be a special meeting of our St. Nicholas Society this morning! It will be held in the Prep Room of the Fellowship Hall during the coffee social. We ask that all officers and members of the society and Kitchen Crew please attend. In order to have a successful sale of our Holupki and running of the booth at the festival we are going to need our people to give of their time and talent! We sure would appreciate your dedication and support of this project! All proceeds will benefit our St. Nicholas Church and its financial operation! Memorial Service Following the Veneration of the Holy Cross and the distribution of the Antidoron, there will be a Memorial Service at which time we will pray for the repose of the souls of +John & +Rose Mary Pitzo. This is in remembrance of the first anniversary of the repose of +Rose Mary Pitzo (the sister of Pani Charlotte Staviski, aunt of Diana Pugh). These prayers are being requested by her daughter, Debbie Pitzo, who resides in Columbus, Ohio. All are invited to add their prayers to ours at the Panachyda this morning. You are also invited to partake of the blessed bread and wine in the Fellowship Hall after the service as well. May the Memory of +John and +Rose Mary Pitzo be Eternal in God s Heavenly Kingdom!!! Vicnaja jim Pamjat!!! Outreach Free Dinner Thanks be unto God, we were able to sponsor yet another Samaritan Outreach Free Dinner, this past Tuesday, at the American Legion in Windham, Ohio! Well over 120 people were able to enjoy a delicious meatloaf dinner with all of the fixings served by our stewards

4 who graciously gave of their time and talent in cooking, working and cleaning up afterwards. Our Outreach also provided some clothing and Book Bags for patrons attending the dinner. Over the years we have gotten to know many of the people. Another ministry we provide is praying for the sick, especially at the Akathist Service to the Theotokos every Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. At the dinner we were pleased to announce that Maryellen s (A friend of several years) cancer is in remission! Cheers and prayers of thanksgiving were offered! From the food that was left over we were able to pack several dozen take-home-dinners for those who were not able to attend because of the extreme heat, or for health reasons. There were many smiles, hugs, and expressions of gratitude from those attendance. To all of our special guest and those who gave their support in any way, we pray for God s blessings upon you in abundance!!! Get Well Cards O n of the m a n y things we can do for our brothers and sisters in Christ, in Christian charity, is to minister to those who are sick. Not only can we care for their physical needs, which for most of us in the parish, we are not able to do. Many times we are not able to even visit them, but we can all send them Get-Well-Cards periodically, letting them know we are thinking of them and remembering them in our thoughts and prayers! When you are very sick, this can be a powerful medicine! Posted on the vestibule bulleting board, with the permission of those listed, we have the names and addresses of parishioners who are in hospitals and nursing homes. We encourage our parishioners to copy them down and send out some cards to show our love and support! It sure will mean a lot to these people! Hospitals and Nursing Homes can be very lonely places! Thanks and God bless you for your participation in this ministry of our parish! A Clean Chandelier If you have noticed that the Church seems a little brighter at this morning s Divine Liturgy, it may be because of the kindness of the members of the Anzivino family. They were so kind as to clean the Church Chandelier this past week removing a lot of the dust and grime from it making it a lot brighter in the Church Nave. It seems like more and more of our parishioners are taking on these jobs and we are grateful! This is not only a wonderful way of providing good Christian Stewardship but also keeping down the expenses for our parish. Our thanks to them for their labor of love and for a job well done! God bless you for your kindness and for being one of those who love the beauty of the Lord s House as we say within the Litany of the Divine Liturgy! Our Church Picnic It s time not to start marking your fall calendar for parish events! The Annual St. Nicholas Church Family Picnic has been scheduled for next Sunday! It will be held at the Picnic Pavilion at Howland Park. The picnic will begin right after the conclusion of the morning Liturgy. Don t forget to bring your picnic cloths with you. You can change into them either here, in the hall, before your leave for the park, or at the facilities at the park! We want everyone to be comfortable so that they can have a great time!!! The hosts will be the St. Nick s Garden Angels! Plans are already being discussed for a wonderful time for everyone in the family. Along with the delicious tradition picnic cuisine will be music, picnic games, dancing, singing, etc.! Everyone is welcome! Don t forget to bring your family and friends! Remember, next Sunday for the St. Nicholas Church Family Picnic! 3 D Fund 2018 Appeal T h e faithful of our parish are reminded that there is still time to become a part of the 2018 D i s t i n - guished Diocesan Donor Program! The starting donation for this appeal begins at $ dollars as it has been from its inception over 40 years ago. Donations from this program, commonly called The 3 D Fund, are used to support Camp Nazareth, and the other Apostolates of our God-Saved Diocese! It is important to realize that the most benefits of this fund goes for the ministry of Camp Nazareth, which includes its operation, maintenance, and various expansion programs! We would not be as far along in providing the many programs at camp if it were not for the generosity of so many people of our parish and diocese! Therefore we are making a special plea this year for everyone to search there hearts and wallets for the possibility to increase there contributions! We know that the Lord will bless you

5 TEST abundantly PAGE for 5 TEXT your sacrificial giving for this most worthy ministry to our parish and diocesan youth! There is not better investment to be made than in the future spiritual growth of our children! A donation form has been attached to this week s edition to The Church Herald for your convenience. Your loving, and gracious donation can be given to Father Ken, or sent directly to: The Diocesan Chancery at Garfield Street/ Johnstown, PA 15906, with your check made payable to: The 3 D Fund. Attention: This year s 3 D Youngstown Deanery Appreciation Dinner has been scheduled for Sunday, October 7, 2018 at De Lucia Restaurant, Elm Road in Warren, Ohio. Dinner will begin at 5:00 p.m. Each 3 D Donor is entitled to bring one guest with them to the Appreciation Dinner. The cost per guest is $30.00 dollars. This can be included with your original 3 D Donation or paid at the door of the dinner. If you are planning to attend this dinner, and if you are bringing a guest, please contact Father Ken on or before Sunday, September 23, 2018, so that proper preparations can be made. Thanks, and God bless you in anticipation of your gracious support! Our Church Offerings One of the many acts of worship conducted at each Sunday Divine Liturgy, is performed in our generous donations made during the Church Offering! This is an excellent way of expressing our love, devotion to the Lord, as well as our thanksgiving, for the many blessings received from His Hands! We would like to share with you the Church Offerings from last Sunday: Regular Church Offering $859.00/ Candle Offering $90.0/ Total Church Offerings = $ May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, bless all of you 100 fold for your gracious gifts offered for the continuing salvic work being done here at our beloved St. Nicholas Church!!! Club Cover Dish Dinner The St. Nick s Book Club will be getting together on Saturday, September 15, 2018 to discuss their summer reading book entitled: Wounded by Love. We are asking that our members attend the Vesper Service at 4:00 p.m. after which there will be a Cover Dish Dinner in the Fellowship Hall of our Church complex. The list is now posted on the vestibule bulletin board for those who would like to bring in something for the dinner for everyone to share. Everyone is invited to join our St. Nick s Book Club Cover Dish Dinner! This is an excellent venue to finding answers to your questions about your faith, and to grow in your spiritual life-in- Christ! We are looking forward to an evening of good food, spiritually uplifting conversation and good Christian fellowship! Vatra Bonfire Fest All are invited to the Carpatho-Rusyn Society 6th Annual Vatra Bonfire Fest! It will be held on Saturday, September 15, 2018, rain or shine at the Infant of Prague Church Grounds located at: 7754 South Avenue, Boardman, Ohio! Admission is free! Featured will be ethnic music, genealogy and sales tables and delicious ethnic foods will be sold in the kitchen that will open at 12:00 noon! The Menu: Pirohy, Stuffed Cabbage, Cabbage & Dumplings, Kielbasi & Sauerkraut, Bacon Fry (Slanina) - The best food of its kind this side of the Atlantic! Socialize like our Slavic ancestors did in the Carpathian Mountains! Flowers for the Cross Our Holy Mother Church will commemorate the Elevation and Exultation of the Holy, Precious, and Life-Giving Cross on Friday, September 14th with solemnity with the Enthronement of the Holy Cross in the center of the Church and its veneration! It is the long-standing custom of our Church to adorn the Holy Cross with a wreath of flowers as a sign of our love and adoration! At this time we are soliciting our parishioners for a donor for this wreath of flowers. The cost of the wreath will be $ dollars. It can be donated in loving memory of someone in your family or for some other intention of your choosing. Anyone interested in giving toward this noble cause please contact our Pastor, Father Ken this morning or give him a call. Your kindness will be appreciated! Bible Study Class The Bible Study Classes will resume on Saturday, September 29th here at St. Nicholas Church! We will continue in our study of The Acts of the Apostles until its conclusion. Afterwards we will begin another book of the Bible. Please record this on your calendar and plan on joining us in the study of the Word of God!