Fr. Alex s Message: The Ox & the Donkey

Transcription

1 Fr. Alex s Message: The Ox & the Donkey Have you ever looked, closely, at the grand icon of Christ s Nativity at our Church it s the one near the north door of the icon screen, over the baptismal font and near where our Sunday School children sit. If you look at the animals on either side of the Christ Child, you ll notice a couple of things: one, that aside from the Virgin Mary, they are the closest in proximity to Christ; two, that they are not sheep but, very specifically, an ox and a donkey. As is always the case with our iconography, this not just by chance but for very specific reasons. The heart-warming image is drawn from this challenging prophecy from Isaiah 1:3: The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master s crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider. Further, though it is not asserted in the Bible, our holy Tradition holds that these and other simple animals from the area faithfully kept the holy Child warm with their breath throughout the night. What vivid, most powerful image that is. The meaning of all of this is simple and straight-forward but also so profound. Isn t it ironic, as the Prophet Isaiah reminds us, that though we are created by God and bear His image, we still don t recognize Him. Simple creatures like the ox and donkey have more understanding of their master than we do! We should have the greatest connection with Him and most immediate recognition of Him, but our relationship with God is broken; we re cold to His love. In a sense, and in a manner of speaking, other aspects of His creation, the animals, show us up in this most important matter. Do we offer Him the attention and warmth they did on that night so long ago? We do not know or consider our Lord, and it is obvious. If you and I are feeling a bit humbled at this point, that is, of course, the point. The prophecy and icon subtly remind us that something is missing deep within. We are out of synch with God. He loves us so much that He has emptied and poured Himself out to us. Without fanfare and only with simple beauty, He has offered His Son for the sake of our salvation and this Son brings hope, forgiveness, and love. He is the light that shines in the darkness. Yet we do not see what burns so brilliantly before us. (Cont. on page. 2) December 2014/ January 2015 Table of Contents Liturgical Schedule 2 Stewardship 3 Youth 4, 5 Photos 6 Calendar 7 Community/ Outreach 8 Education/ News 9 Sponsors 10, 11 St. Philip Church 500 West Hollis St. Nashua, NH facebook.com/ StPhilipNashua instagram.com/ stphilipnashuanh

2 LITURGICAL SCHEDULE December/January Schedule Sundays Divine Dec. 7: 10th Sunday of Luke 14: 11th Sunday of Luke 21: Sunday before the Nativity 28: Sunday after the Nativity Jan. 4: Sunday before Epiphany 11: Sunday after Epiphany 18: 12th Sunday of Luke 25: 15th Sunday of Luke Weekday Services Dec. 6: St. Nicholas. Orthros & Divine Liturgy, 9 am 24: Eve of the Nativity. Vesperal Liturgy, 6 pm (Reception) 25: Nativity of the Lord. Orthros & Divine Liturgy, 9 am Jan. 1: Circ./St. Basil. Orthros & Divine Liturgy, 9 am 5: Eve of Epiphany. Orthros, Divine Liturgy & Agiasmo, 9 am 6: Epiphany. Orthros, Divine Liturgy, & Agiasmo, 9 am 7: St. John the Baptist. Orthros & Divine Liturgy, 9 am Parish Council Pledge We look forward to prayerfully confirming our 2015 Parish Council on Dec. 14. Congratulations to them all! Voices of Faith Our youth and all parishioners are welcome to read the Epistle during Sunday Liturgy. Please contact Fr. Alex to arrange a reading. Dec. 7: Elena Barker 14: Rex Houdyshel 21: Lori Pitsas 28: Theodora Pitarys Jan. 4: Bette Gioffre 11: Adelle Pitsas 18: Daniel Gioffre 25: Theodora Pitarys The Ox & the Donkey (continued) Perhaps, then, the great challenge for the Nativity season for us all is to somehow open our eyes to that light. To help unveil this light to us all, our Church offers much: Our moving Nativity/Christmas and Epiphany services; the December Orthodox Life series with Tony Vrame; our sweet, meaningful Nativity Pageant; the helping opportunities offered by our Outreach Committee the inspirational Christian friendship we all enjoy at St. Philip. Please, allow yourself to be moved by what the ox and donkey represent. Seek the light that shines in the darkness. Make room in your heart for the Christ Child. And, finally, let your Church help you along the way. I wish you a life-changing Christmas and New Year! Fr. Alex Christmas Wisdom Reflect upon your present blessings of which every man has many not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some. Charles Dickens "It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air. W. T. Ellis Epiphany Services, Jan. 5 & 6 When You, O Lord, were baptized in the Jordan the worship of the Trinity was made manifest. For the voice of the Father bore witness to You. (Hymn of Epiphany) Each year, the Epiphany of our Lord is celebrated on Jan. 5 (the Eve) and 6. The feast marks the baptism of Christ and the manifestation of God in 3 Persons through the witness of the Father, the descent of the Holy Spirit and the blessed presence of the Son, whose holiness turns back the very waters of the Jordan. Come celebrate this feast of lights with us and receive your Holy Water! Pastoral Visits Fr. Alex is currently making Christmas pastoral visits. To arrange a visit for you or a loved one, please contact him anytime. Come and See 2

3 stewardship Stewardship Sunday, Dec. 7 What s It All About? Each year on the first Sunday in December, our Stewardship Committee thanks our faithful for their ongoing support with a beautiful Fellowship Hour and introduces the coming year s program. We are also asked to bring our completed Commitment Cards for the coming year, which we prayerfully offer together at the close of Divine Liturgy, indicating our loving gifts of time, talent and treasure. Show your support at this year s event on the 7th. Join this prayerful effort by filling out and returning the 2015 Commitment Card provided in your last Stewardship Mailing. We set a record in 2014 for most Commitment Cards returned; let s try to break it in Our first step is coming together on the 7th. See you then! St. Philip Greek Orthodox Church 500 West Hollis St. Nashua, NH Phone: P: ; F: Web: stphilipnh.org Rev. Fr. Alex Chetsas: fralex@stphilipnh.org Office Staff Cheryl Petren & Sophie Theoharis: office@stphilipnh.org Office Hours: M - F, 10 am - 32 pm Online Delivery Help Us Reach of Come You & See We Are have you receiving been making weekly an s effort and to other introduce electronic delivery communications of Come from & See St. Philip? for some If not, time. we online Help may us not conserve have an needed updated resources for at you St. and/or Philip, and your contact family. the Please office help today us stay to authorize close to you online by delivery. contacting Thank the you office for with your your participation! . Thanks! Breaking Out In 2015 Doug Philipon I was speaking with Father Alex the other night and I said something that caused me to pause for a second: "Becoming an Orthodox Christian was one of the 10 best things I've done in my life." I started counting and realized that what I said was true! While I never thought about it in these terms, I am sure I am not alone. And I, like you, recognize that this comes with a responsibility. We are Stewards of St. Philip. We not only offer our time and many talents, but we also look after the physical and financial well-being of our Church. Please make 2015 the year you connect the importance of what we have at St. Philip with your full support of our Stewardship Campaign, beginning on Dec. 7, Stewardship Sunday. This year s campaign theme is a profound one, and I hope you take it to heart: From God, Every Family In Heaven & On Earth is Named. For sure, our precious individual families and parish family are true gifts from God. It is up to us to respond with joy, thankfulness and generosity straight from the heart. In fact, let s think of 2015 as a breakout year. This can be the year we give with the recognition of the many blessings connected with our life at St. Philip. This can be the year we try something new and take on a leadership role in one of our ministries and programs. This can be the year we work to build our relationship with God, individually and as a parish family. On behalf of Joe Pappo, my co-chair, and the entire Stewardship Committee, I thank you for another year of generosity, and I look forward to committing to another year of time, talent and treasure alongside you on Dec. 7. Every Member Campaign A Free Lunch? At least at St. Philip, there is such a thing as a free lunch! Our committee would like to reach out to our community and involve you in our capital campaign. We need your feedback on prioritizing projects and more. Please consider attending a luncheon presentation, right here at St. Philip a chance to inform you and hear from you. These meetings will be right after Liturgy on the following days: Jan. 11, Feb. 22, and March 15. Please support this effort. You won t be disappointed! Please confirm your desired date with Doug Philipon: doug@icentrix.com. Come and See 3

4 youth Don t let anyone look down on you because you are young Sunday School Heather Cloutier I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with their families and friends. Thanks to all the families who brought in food for the Thanksgiving drive. Dec. 7 is the dress rehearsal for the Nativity Pageant, following Sunday School, and December 14 is the pageant. Our snow date is Dec. 21. Thank you to Irene Alton for putting the pageant together; the parish looks forward to it every year. December 7 is Stewardship Sunday. This year Penny Gioffre and Devany Pitsis will present our Stewardship Jars on behalf of all our classes. Dec. 12 is Family Night. The main activity will be gingerbread house-making, but the welcome activity will be making ornaments for our Dec. 21 outing to AHEPA Manor. Please see the sign-up details on Pg. 5, the opposite page. There will be no Sunday school class on Dec. 28. There will be class throughout January. On Dec. 21, we will head to AHEPA Manor to sing carols and pass out our Family Night ornaments. Please see Tippy to sign a permission slip. We will leave at 11:30 am and return by 12:30 pm. Jan. 25 is Godparents Sunday. Please see the from Chair Elena Barker. She needs Godparent addresses from parents, so we can mail out our children s beautiful invitations. We will also be sponsoring Fellowship Hour, so all parents are asked to bring refreshments. Please contact me to confirm: hacloutier@comcast.net. On behalf of our teachers, we wish all our families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! GOYA Outreach Shopping On Nov. 29, during the Nashua Holiday Stroll, our GOYAns presented the 2nd Annual Homes for the Holidays Gingerbread House Contest and Display. The span of the event was even greater than last year, as this year s display area needed to be doubled due to the over 40 entries. Our parent leaders estimated that perhaps as many as 2,000 people made their way upstairs at Martha s Exchange Restaurant to enjoy the artistic wonders and participate in the contest. The proceeds from the event will soon be gifted, in equal parts, to the Nashua Soup Kitchen & Shelter and the Human Society of Greater Nashua. Our GOYAns will be invited representatives from both institutions to join us for Liturgy early in 2015, so that the presentations can be made before our parishioners. Our GOYAns would like to thank Gail Philipon and Marisa Donati for their enthusiastic and tireless work, as they led our GOYAns in planning, preparing for and executing the event. In addition, they are grateful to all the parishioners and Stroll attendees who visited and supported the event, especially their very generous sponsors, Gianni s Pizza and Martha s Exchange Restaurant. A blessed Christmas and Happy New Year to our GOYAns! Our 2015 calendar will be ed soon. Hellenic Dance Troupe GOYA Update Greek School Our youth and, now, adults are invited to come discover our enriching Greek School Program. We meet on Wednesdays throughout the year: Youth Beginners, 4 pm; Youth Advanced, 5:15 pm; Adults, 6 pm. New students are always welcome. Note: there will be no class on Dec. 24 or 31 because of the holidays. To learn more about the program or to register, contact George Kitsas: bettyb214@aol.com. Make sure to join us for fun and learning with our Hellenic Dance Troupe friends! Our next practices are Jan. 4, 11 & 18, immediately following Divine Liturgy. For further details, contact Maria Donati: Come and See 4

5 youth...but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 Family Night: Dec. 12 Gingerbread House-Making, 6 pm We look forward to this night of Christmas fun, featuring a special welcome ornament-making project led by our Sunday School teachers! JOY and GOYA members, Sunday School students, parents and all parishioners are warmly invited! A pizza dinner will be served. We ll also enjoy cookies, cocoa and other treats. Our house kits and icing will be supplied, but we ask that each family. **Brings 2 bags of nut-free candy **Brings 4 canned goods for the Nashua Soup Kitchen (will also hold up your walls while they dry!) We need to know how many house kits your family would like, and we can only guarantee kits for those who have signed up ahead of time. Sign up at our table during Fellowship Hour, or simply contact Brandy Chetsas by Dec. 8: abchetsas@hotmail.com. Altar Servers Our dedicated servers will receive a special honor on Sunday, Dec. 7 following Liturgy. We are proud of all our boys please make sure to join us and support them! Nativity Lent Game Have Yours Yet? To prepare for the birth of Christ, the Sunday School teachers sent home a bingo game with our children on Nov.16. The game offers many ideas for giving, prayer, and fasting, helping our families to focus on the reason for the season. Our Sunday School teachers hope everyone in the family will partake in the suggestions and have fun. If your family did not receive one, stop by the Sunday School office anytime! Youth Spotlight Christina Juris & Ariana Kouchalakos Many of our St. Philip faithful know our delightful young parishioners Christina Juris and Ariana Kouchalakos, but many of us might not know what great athletes they are! In addition to a host of recent Cross Country events, they ran on Oct. 18 for St. Christopher School led by Coach Evan Kouchalakos at the Nashua Championship XC Race. Both Christina and Ariana are now running for the City of Nashua PAL, one of the area s premier Cross Country programs. As part of the program, both girls are heading to a competition in Myrtle Beach this December. We congratulate Christina and Ariana on their achievements and wish them all the best at Myrtle Beach and in all their future athletic pursuits! Saintly Lives: St. Modestos, Dec. 18 Born in 292, St. Modestos endured tremendous loss before his 1 st birthday: his parents were put to death for practicing Christianity. He was brought into the imperial household and raised as a pagan. As a teenager, though, a spiritual awakening occurred. He learned of his parents faith and martyrdom and that he had actually been baptized a Christian before their execution. A Christian goldsmith began to mentor him, but the man s jealous sons sold him into slavery in Egypt. After converting his master s family and ultimately gaining his freedom, he made a pilgrimage to Mt. Sinai and was ordained a priest at a local monastery. He quickly became known for his devotion and loving nature. After years of service to the Church, he was selected Patriarch of Jerusalem. It was during these latter years that his long-time appreciation for all God s creation intensified and blossomed. He had a particular affection for animals, seeing them as sublime, mysterious gifts from God. Often he would bless livestock, praying for their health and productivity and giving thanks for all Creation. Getting Practical: Fr. Alex has a copy of the animal blessing prayer of St. Modestos and would be happy to share it with you. Pets are beloved to so many of us; offering them this simple blessing is one more way to bring Church into the home. Come and See 5

6 Homes for the Holidays Thanksgiving Outreach St. Philip Appreciation Day Come and See 6

7 Dec. 2014/Jan Limited Overview Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday DEC. 7 10th Sunday of Luke -Sunday School/ Pageant Rehearsal -Altar Server Honors -Agape Party, 1 pm Stewardship Mtg., 6:30 pm Health/Wellness Ministry, 10 am Greek School, 4, 5:15 & 6 pm Orthodox Life: Celebrating the Incarnation, 7 pm Family Night: Gingerbread House- Making, 6 pm th Sunday of Luke - P. Council Pledge - Nativity Pageant - AHEPA Fruit Basket Event 15 Compassionate Friends, 6:30 pm 16 Health/Wellness Ministry, 10 am Greek School, 4, 5:15 & 6 pm Soup Kitchen, 4 pm Orthodox Life: Celebrating the Incarnation, 7 pm Sunday before the Nativity - Sunday School Eve of the Nativity Vesperal Liturgy, 6 pm (Reception) Nativity of the Lord A Blessed Nativity & Merry Christmas! Sunday after the Nativity - Sunday School Family Worship (no class) - Health/Wellness Ministry JAN. 1 Circumcision of the Lord/St. Basil Happy New Year! 2 3 Sunday before Epiphany - Sunday School - Dance Troupe 4 Eve of Epiphany (Agiasmo/Water Blessing ) 5 Epiphany (Agiasmo/Water Blessing ) 6 St. John the Baptist Greek School, 4, 5:15 & 6 pm Sunday after Epiphany - Sunday School - Agape Pledge - Vasilopita Celebration - Dance Troupe Health/Wellness Ministry, 10 am Greek School, 4, 5:15 & 6 pm Sponsoring Fellowship Hour Contact Nick Kallan to sponsor on a coming Sunday: loonboy@comcast.net; Thanks to our recent sponsor: Nov. 9: Pervanas Family, in loving memory of Margarita Pervanas Come and See 7

8 COMMUNITY/OUTREACH AHEPA Hellenic History Tournament Congratulations to our very own Tom Pappas, Christina Katsioulis and Maggie Panteli, who participated in the 6th Annual Hellenic History Tournament on Nov. 22 in Orange, CT. Our beloved St. Philip representatives made up one of 14 teams from 6 different states, competing for college fund scholarship awards. The tournament matches tested the participants knowledge of Hellenic history, and many of the matches were closely contested with only a couple of points separating the teams. All the teams competed well, but this year s champion was Newport, RI. Thank you to our AHEPAns for inviting Tom, Christina and Maggie to participate in this terrific event! Outreach Snapshot: Sunday School As last year, our Sunday School students and families were great supporters of our Outreach Committee s Thanksgiving and Christmas projects. Thanks to all for the loving help! Blessed Are the Peacemakers Hope in Ferguson Holiday Outreach Amidst a host of saddening and frightening images coming from Ferguson, MO, in late November was this image of hope, understanding and love. The general narrative offered by multiple news sources is as follows: The protestor, frustrated that law enforcement officers were not reading her sign, approached a nearby police officer, saying, Why do you hate us so much? The officer replied, simply, I don t hate you, Ma am. Surprised, she responded, I don t want to hate you; I d rather hug you. And the two embraced. As St. Paul reminds us, Love never fails (1 Cor. 13:9). Where love is present, healing, forgiveness and hope are always possible. Please pray for the people of Ferguson during these difficult days! Many thanks to all who participated in our Thanksgiving Basket Drive, which produced 25 complete Thanksgiving dinners for local families and veterans. Our Christmas Wish List Project is in full-swing; we are grateful to all who have signed up to brighten the Christmas of area children in need. Please remember that the due date for Christmas gift drop-offs is Sunday, Dec. 7. Contact Stephanie Norris with any questions: norrisx2@yahoo.com. Stay Connected MINISTRIES/PROGRAMS ADULT/GENERAL Chanting Theodore Persakis Choir George Karakantas Every Member Doug Philipon Food Festival Jamie Pappas Health/Wellness Katherine Richo Orthodox Life Frank Edelblut Parish Council Jorge Panteli Outreach Committee Stephanie Norris Welcome Committee Greg Danas Women s Prayer/Bible Iris Houdyshel YOUTH Altar Service Daniel Gioffre Basketball Thanassi Liakos Family Night Brandy Chetsas GOYA Marisa Donati Greek School George Kitsis Hellenic Dance Troupe Maria Donati JOY Brandy Chetsas Mommy & Me Fr. Alex Chetsas Sunday School Heather Cloutier GROUPS/ORGANIZATIONS Agape Ladies Society Sia Juris AHEPA Cosmos Marandos Elpis Ladies Society Maria Donati Pan-Macedonian Society Charles Paskaley Come and See 8

9 EDUCATION/NEWS Agape Ministry St. Philip Feast Day Celebration. Many thanks to those who helped with our Nov. 13 reception and Nov. 14 breakfast. These were beautiful days for our parish family, and your efforts are greatly appreciated by the entire St. Philip community. Art & Craft Show. This new event was well-attended and a complete success. We are grateful to our event organizers, vendors and patrons from the greater Nashua community for a wonderful day on Nov. 22! Christmas Party: Dec. 7. Join us at Martha s Restaurant. 1 pm, Cocktails; 2 pm, Dinner. Members, $23; Guests, $28. Contact Sia Juris for details: Nashua Soup Kitchen: Dec. 18. Volunteers are needed for our Dec. 18 effort. Prosfora Donations: Your prayerful baking efforts are greatly appreciated and needed each month. Contact Vickey Batzoyiannis: Parish Elections Sunday, Dec. 7 We look forward to confirming our 2015 candidates on the 7th and witnessing the Pledge of the entire Council on the 14th (see Pg. 2). Congratulations to our incoming members: Esther Booras, George Eftimiou, Jorge Panteli & Dmitry Zogin. Orthodox Life: Tony Vrame Join us Dec. 4, 11 & 18 Dr. Tony Vrame has become a St. Philip favorite over the last few years, and he ll be with us again in December for a timely series entitled Celebrating the Incarnation: Our Holidays & Practices. We will meet 7-8:30 pm, and no prior experience with Bible study is necessary. Give yourself a beautiful present: come learn about the true meaning of Christmas! Contact Frank Edelblut: fedelblut@gmail.com. Women s Prayer Group & Bible Study With 2014 coming to a close, we are filled with gratitude for another year of prayer, study and friendship. We encourage our members to join Dr. Vrame s Orthodox Life Series in December (see above) and will share more news about our ministry in the February Come & See. Contact Iris Houdyshel to learn more: iris57classic@gmail.com. Health/Wellness Ministry: To Your Health! On Nov. 6-8, the annual conference of the Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology, and Religion (OCAMPR) was held at Holy Cross in Brookline. The theme of the conference was Exploring the Mind-Body-Soul Connection: Spirituality in Illness & Healing. Along with numerous distinguished presenters from throughout the U.S., Orthodox parish nurses were invited to participate in a panel discussion about their respective ministries. It was an enlightening and enriching experience for all present, including those eager to learn more about how they might start a Health & Wellness Ministry in their own parish community. To hear the conference's thought-provoking presentations via podcast, search OCAMPR ; then select 2014 Conference Episodes. Vasilopita Celebration Jan. 11 Our Agape Ministry will once again sponsor our parish Vasilopita Celebration. On the 11th, at the close of Liturgy, Fr. Alex will lead us in the Vasilopita Service, and then several of our parish leaders will be invited to come forth and receive a piece on behalf of their ministry and program committee members and those they service. Vasilopita loaves are needed. Please contact Sia Juris if you would like to offer one on this special day for our parish: Orthodox Christian radio programming every Saturday at 3:30 pm. WDER: 92.1 FM; 3120 AM. Listen online: Come and See 9

10 We thank our sponsors for their support! Stellos Family Investment Properties of Nashua, New Hampshire Proud Stewards of St. Philip Greek Orthodox Church Come and See 10

11 Come and See 11

12 Save the Date Dec. 18: Agape Ministry Service at Nashua Soup Kitchen Dec. 24: Vesperal Liturgy of the Lord s Nativity & Reception Jan. 6: Epiphany of the Lord Jan. 11: Vasilopita Celebration Jan. 25: Godparents Sunday Feb. 8: Parish General Assembly Sponsoring Altar Flowers Sponsoring Altar flowers is a profound way to remember a departed loved one or celebrate a special moment for your family. Sponsorships are $45. Please contact the office to learn more and reserve your date. Wedding Sep. 28: Michael Pappo & Corrine Mae Callaluca. Funerals Oct. 15: Julia Papadopoulos Oct. 27: Edmund Telage Memorials Sep. 28: Mary Kolis, 10 yrs Nov. 9: Margarita Pervanas, 1 yr Nov. 30: George Bouzoukis, 1 yr Altar & Festal Flowers Oct. 29: Pavlidis Family Nov. 2, 16, 23 & 30: Nick Salis Nov. 9: Pervanas Family Nov. 13/14: Agape; S. School Nov. 25: Karakantas Family