C H R I S T. TheWord. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. A Monthly Newsletter April 2016

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1 N AN T A I VT I I T VY I O T F Y C H O R F I S T C H R I S T TheWord And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. A Monthly Newsletter April 2016 Philoptochos News Oratorical Festival Greek School Commemoration of The Great and Holy Feast of Pascha Sacraments and Rites Liturgies and Readings Marin Greek Festival Parish Council Notes Palm Sunday Luncheon Religious Education Stewardship Calendar ~John 1:14 Page 1-2 Pages 3-4 Page 5-6 Pages 7-9 Pages Pages Commemoration of The Great and Holy Feast of Pascha Holy Week comes to an end at sunset of Great and Holy Saturday, as the Church prepares to celebrate her most ancient and preeminent festival, Pascha, the feast of feasts. The time of preparation will give way to a time of fulfillment. The glorious and resplendent light emanating from the empty Tomb will dispel the darkness. Christ, risen from the dead, cracks the fortress of death and takes "captivity captive" (Psalm 67:19). All the limitations of our createdness are torn asunder. Death is swallowed up in victory and life is liberated. "For as by a man came death, by a man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive" (I Corinthians 15:21-22). Pascha is the dawn of the new and unending day. The Resurrection constitutes the most radical and decisive deliverance of humankind. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the fundamental truth and absolute fact of the Christian faith. It is the central experience and essential kerygma of the Church. It confirms the authenticity of Christ's remarkable earthly life and vindicates the truth of His teaching. It seals all His redemptive work: His life, the model of a holy life; His compelling and unique teaching; His extraordinary works; and His awesome, life-creating death. Christ's Resurrection is the guarantee of our salvation. Together with His Ascension it brings to perfection God's union with us for all eternity. The Resurrection made possible the miracle of the Church, which in every age and generation proclaims and affirms "God's plan for the universe, the ultimate divinization of man and the created order." The profound experience of and the unshakable belief in the risen Lord enabled the Apostles to evangelize the world and empowered the Church to overcome paganism. The Resurrection discloses the indestructible power and inscrutable wisdom of God. It disposes of the illusory myths and belief systems by which people, bereft of divine knowledge, strain to affirm the meaning and purpose of their existence. Christ, risen and glorified, releases humanity from the delusions of idolatry. In Him grave-bound humanity discovers and is filled with incomparable hope. The Resurrection bestows illumination, energizes souls, brings forgiveness, transfigures lifes, creates saints, and gives joy. The Resurrection has not yet abolished the reality of death. But it has revealed its powerlessness (Hebrews 2:14-15). We continue to die as a result of the Fall. Our bodies decay and fall away. "God allows death to exist but turns it against corruption and its cause, sin, and sets a boundary both to corruption and sin." Thus, physical death does not continued on page 2 The Word 2.0 1

2 P A R I S H C O U N C I L I N S P I R A T I O N Continued from page 1 physical death does not destroy our life of communion with God. Rather, we move from death to life - from this fallen world to God's reign. One of the most symbolic of the Festal Icons of the Orthodox Church is that of the Holy Resurrection. In the center of this radiant event is Christ pulling Adam and Eve up from their tombs. The gates of the Realm of Death are broken and thrown down. Death, personified in human form is defeated, and bound hand and foot at the bottom of the scene. We recall the joyous words of St. Paul: "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" (1 Corinthians 15:55) Sacraments and Rites Memorials February 28 March 6 March 13 March 20 Ann Commick Cecelia Lucas Robert Smith George Catel Joanna Natsios Victor Gavallos May Their Memory Be Eternal! Funerals March 12 Andreas Fourakis May His Memory Be Eternal! April Memorials April 10 April 17 Andreas Fourakis Lula Kamages Nick Kuvelis Stella Papadopoulos The Word 2.0 2

3 L I T U R G I E S A N D R E A D I N G S April Liturgies & Readings Matins begin at 9:00am. Sunday and weekday Liturgy services begin at 10:00am. Please check the calendar inside the back cover for exact times for services. Day Date Service Epistle (or *OT) Gospel (or *OT) Fri Apr 1 Salutations to the Theotokos Isaiah 13:2-13; Gen. 8:4-21 Proverbs 10:31-11:12 Sun Apr 3 Sunday of the Holy Cross Hebrews 4:14; 5:16 Mark 8:34-38; 9:1 Wed Apr 6 Presanctified Liturgy Isaiah 26:21-27:9 / Gen 9:18-10:1 Proverbs 12:23-13:9 Fri Apr 8 Salutations to the Theotokos Isaiah 29:13-33 / Gen 12:1-7 Proverbs 14:15-26 Sun Apr 10 Sunday of St. John Climacus Hebrews 6:13-20 Mark 9:17-31 Wed Apr 13 Presanctified Liturgy Isaiah 41:4-14 / Gen. 17:1-9 Proverbs 15:20-16:9 Thur Apr 14 Great Canon of Andrew of Crete Isaiah 42:5 16 / Gen. 18:20-33 Proverbs 16:17-17:17 Fri Apr 15 Akathist Hymn Isaiah / Gen. 22:1-18 Proverbs 17:17-18:5 Sun Apr 17 Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt Hebrews 9:11-14 Mark 10:32 45 Wed Apr 20 Presanctified Liturgy Isaiah 58:1-11 / Gen. 43:26-31 Prov. 21:23 22:4 Fri Apr 22 Presanctified Liturgy Isaiah 66:8-16 / Gen. 46:1-17 Proverbs 31:8-31 Sat Apr 23 Lazarus Saturday Acts 12:1-11 John 15:17-27; 16:1-2 Sun Apr 24 Palm Sunday Philippians 4:4-9 John 12:1-18 Mon Apr 25 Holy Monday Matthew 21:18-43 Matthew 24:3-35 Tues Apr 26 Holy Tuesday Matthew 22:15-46; 23:1-39; 24:36-51; 25:1-46; 26:1-2 Wed Apr 27 Holy Wednesday John 12:17-50 Matthew 26:6-16 Thur Apr 28 Holy Thursday I Corinthians 11:23-32; Matthew 26:1-20; John 13:3-17; Matthew 26:21-39; Luke 22:43-44;Matthew 26:40-75; 27:1-2 Fri Apr 29 Holy Friday I Corinthians 5:6-8 Matthew 27:62-66 Sat Apr 30 Holy Saturday Romans 6:3-11 Matthew 28:1-20 Sun May 1 Great and Holy Pascha Acts 1:1-8 John 1:1-17 The Word 2.0 3

4 N A T I V I T Y N E W S M A R I N G R E E K F E S T I V A L The Word 2.0 4

5 S T E W A R D S H I P P A R I S H C O U N C I L Notes from the Parish Council A new beginning. How appropriate is it that as we prepare for Pascha our Parish should be having new beginnings? We bid a fond farewell to Father Constantine as he now begins his second retirement. Father took time to share in dinner with the Parish Council prior to his last official meeting with us on March 8th. Although I publicly thanked him for his years of service at our March 13th Parish Assembly meeting, I would like to reiterate that here. Besides God, the only constant in life is change. For the last three decades Father Constantine and Presbytera Kay have been so consistent in their commitment to our Parish community that we may have forgotten this from time to time. On behalf of our Parish, I wish them many years of enjoyment, safe travels and much happiness in retirement. With Father's departure we welcome His Grace Bishop Apostolos. As stated in a letter from Metropolitan Gerasimos, His Grace will be serving the Liturgical, Sacramental and administrative needs of our parish until such time that a permanent priest is assigned. We welcomed His Grace with a short get together on March 15th. At this event he was able to meet with our ministry leaders and to discuss our path forward. Please join me in welcoming him to our Parish. While Bishop Apostolos does have obligations at the Metropolis, he does plan on spending a considerable amount of time with us while acting as our Parish Priest. You may contact His Grace by calling our church office. If you have a pastoral emergency and His Grace is not available, Father Nebojsa Pantic from Sts. Constantine and Helen in Vallejo is on call for us. You may contact Father Nebojsa (Nebo) at (707) At our March 8, 2016, Parish Council meeting a motion was made, seconded and passed for a proposal to be presented at a Parish Assembly Meeting. A special Parish Assembly meeting was held on March 13, 2016 to present, discuss and vote on a proposal to purchase a Parish House for use by our future priests. I would like to thank all those who attended this meeting, and I am happy to report that the proposal received strong support and passed with 90% of those voting in favor of the proposal as presented. I would like to thank my fellow Parish Council members for working diligently to move forward on our housing issues so that we can fully support our future priests for generations to come. The Parish Council will now form a subcommittee to work on defining the property attributes and features that would best serve our Parish. Please let any Parish Council member know if you are interested in serving on this subcommittee. The Parish Council is also moving forward with securing preapproval on a mortgage loan that will enable us to effectively enter into the real estate market. I received a letter of concern from a parishioner and would like to take this opportunity to clarify any misconceptions. Rose Hunter was not appointed by me but rather was elected by the current Parish Council to fill our vacancy. This process was in keeping with the Uniform Parish Regulations and our Parish By-Laws. If you ever have any questions or concerns regarding the Parish Council or our Parish, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Ed Keller Parish Council President Spring General Assembly Sunday, April 17 following Divine Liturgy The Word 2.0 5

6 S E Q U O I A C L U B P A R I S H C O U N C I L Priest Housing Proposal Passes Special Parish Assembly Meeting On Sunday, March 13, 2016, the Nativity of Christ Parish Council held a Special Parish Assembly meeting. The purpose of this meeting was to present and vote on a proposal for the Nativity of Christ community to purchase a Parish Home. We convened our Parish Assembly at 12:10 PM, after the Divine Liturgy. Attendance met our Parish By-Laws for a quorum required for decisions regarding the purchase of Real Estate. We presented a history of our Parish Councils efforts to secure a permanent solution for providing appropriate housing for our future priests, and we recounted the events that have led us to seek approval for purchasing a Parish House. Following a presentation, Ed Keller, Parish President, read the Parish House Proposal to the Parish Assembly verbatim (see below). We entertained and received a motion and second from the floor to accept the Proposal as read. A lively discussion ensued during which we answered questions and listened to many parishioners' points of view. After the close of discussion we conducted a vote by secret ballot. Our parishioners overwhelmingly supported the motion to approve the Proposal. The final vote met the 2/3 vote required for approval. Priest Housing Plan Proposal Goal: Provide a sustainable housing plan that will ensure that the housing needs of our future priests are satisfied. Desired Outcomes: Provide appropriate housing for the priest and his family Establish a positive relationship with an incoming priest Create a solution which is sustainable The Housing Proposal: The Nativity of Christ Greek Orthodox Church (NCC) community will purchase a parish home. The purchase price of the parish home is estimated to be $850,000, and shall not exceed this amount by more than 10%. The down payment for this purchase shall not exceed the amount of funds in the priest housing fund, which is currently approximately $380, The desired housing location shall be within reasonable commuting distance of the Church. The amortization period will be no greater than 30 years. The size of the house shall be suitable for raising a family (no less than 3 bedrooms). How can You Help? The Nativity of Christ Parish currently has a Priest Housing Fund which contains approximately $380,000. The Parish would be able to buy a house using most of these monies for a down payment. You can help 1. by contributing to the Priest Housing Fund in addition to your current stewardship. This will allow the Parish to have a larger down payment and a lower mortgage. 2. if you have a house or other real estate to donate to the fund. 3. if you have real estate experience to help the Parish Council with this task. Please contact Ed Keller, Parish Council President if you can help. The Word 2.0 6

7 P H I L O P T O C H O S Membership Here s a friendly reminder to those who have not yet joined or renewed their membership with Philoptochos. This vital ministry of the Greek Orthodox Church in America relies on the support of each parish. Attendance at meetings is not necessary. However, consider sharing your time or talents for one event a year. You ll surely make a new friend, and your heart will fill with the joy of giving. Please see membership chair extraordinaire, Floretta Burrows, or any board member to join. To date we have just 67 members toward our goal of 120 for Mochas for Missions Formerly known as Pennies for Prayers, parishioners are now encouraged to connect sacrificing a coffee drink to support our Metropolis missions. Canisters will be passed out on Sunday, April 10 by Vickie Hatos-Gikkas. No time to fill a canister? We will gladly accept a check made out to Philoptochos or a cash donation for this desserving ministry. Palm Sunday Luncheon Our traditional Palm Sunday luncheon will be held on April 24 after Divine Liturgy. The proceeds from this luncheon will be used to help fund donations made to charities by your Philoptochos. Please see the enclosed flyer. Scholarships Every year Philoptochos has three $1000 scholarships available to graduating high school students, continuing college students or returning students whose families are stewards of our church. Students must carry at least 12 units (8 units for graduate students). The application with grade and transcript requirements as well as the written narrative and character reference instructions are available in hard copy at the church office or by request to Susan Stockton at 22pies@att.net The application with all supporting documentation must be submitted by May 27. While we encourage all eligible students to apply, preference will be given to first time applicants. Recipients will be announced on Sunday, June 5. The Word 2.0 7

8 P H I L O P T O C H O S Fellowship Hours Hosting a coffee hour is a great way to honor a family member or special event. Hosting a fellowship hour means that you provide snacks of your choice. Philoptochos members make the coffee and set-up the food and coffee tables. Contact Debbie Kokalis or use the sign-up sheet on the hall bulletin board. Please keep in mind those who benefit from Philoptochos when contributing for your coffee and snack. Pat Arango Stassie Sideris Gigi Pappas Medan Stella Stenros Dates to Remember April 7 6:30 Philoptochos meeting, all members are invited April 10 Mochas for Mission canisters available April 24 Palm Sunday luncheon May 27 Scholarship application deadline The Word 2.0 8

9 P H I L O P T O C H O S Palm Sunday Luncheon Sunday, April 24 In the Fellowship Hall Immediately following Divine Liturgy Complete Fish Dinner (fish, pasta, vegetable, salad, bread, desserts, wine and soft drinks) Adults $15 Students 6-18 years $6 Children under 5 free Proceeds to benefit the work of the Nativity of Christ Church Philoptochos Society The Word 2.0 9

10 P A R I S H O R A T O R I C A L F E S T I V A L Oratorical Festival On March 6, 2016, the Nativity of Christ Parish held this year s St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival. The purpose of the Oratorical Festival is to give our youth the opportunity to learn and speak about their faith, their Church, and their heritage, in order to strengthen their understanding and appreciation of their identity as Greek Orthodox Christians. This year our Parish was both blessed and inspired to hear from five of our youth as they spoke in front of the congregation about topics such as the value and need for silence in today s busy and stress-filled world; the vulnerability of our sacred houses of worship; the effect and influence the participation in the Divine Liturgy has on our everyday life; and finally, on how all living beings are connected and the responsibility that places on each of us as stewards of our planet. This year s participants listed in alphabetical order: in the Junior Division Nicole Efstathiu, Constantine Mavromihalis, and Marina Scanagatta; and in the Senior Division George Rouman and Jessica Walters. We are very proud of all the participants and thank them for sharing their faith with us. AXIOI The Oratorical Festival Committee would once again like to thank the judges Anastasia Barksdale, Martha Klironomos and George Tacticos for their time and effort. We would also like to thank Bruce and Fran Corcoran for their decades of dedication and support of the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival. We will be sending our four finalists to the District Oratorical Festival to be held at Holy Cross Church in Belmont on April 17 th. We encourage you and your families to attend. Stelios Mavromihalis, High School Sunday School teacher and Parish Oratorical Festival Organizer with the 2016 Oratorical Participants The Word

11 R E L I G I O U S E D U C A T I O N April Sunday School Corner Take my hand, walk with me, let us share our lives oh so briefly. And as we walk, let us learn to love God and each other so completely. Orthodox Christian Camp Song Author Unknown Sunday School Dates April 3 rd April 10 th April 17 th April 18 th April 24 th April 29 th April 30 th May 1 st Sunday School classes meet in high school room to practice hymn for Annunciation/Greek Independence Day Celebration which follows Liturgy Sunday School classes meet after communion Sunday School classes meet after communion Lazarus Saturday and Liturgy; Students help make palm crosses Palm Sunday: Sunday School Activity Sunday Holy Friday: Sunday School retreat. All are welcome. Children will help decorate the Tomb of Christ, make prosforo, participate in activities that center around the death and Resurrection of Christ and worship together at the Apokathelosis/Descent from the Cross service Holy Saturday: Morning Liturgy and Resurrection service in the evening Pascha: Agape Vespers. No Sunday School. Egg hunt on back lawn Please check our church calendar for Holy Week and Easter service times. Calling all Parents, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Godparents, and Friends of Sunday School! Help is needed with Palm Cross making and the Good Friday retreat. Volunteers are needed at the Good Friday retreat to help with arts and crafts, singing, campus service project, making prosforon, bringing Lenten lunch items, serving lunch, and helping with general activities and supervision. Donations of filled plastic eggs for the Egg Hunt on Pascha morning are also needed. Please contact the Sunday School staff at sundayschool@nativityofchrist.org to say how you will be able to help with these Lent and Pascha activities for our parish youth. We appreciate your continued support! Thank you! The Word

12 R E L I G I O U S E D U C A T I O N Did you know The Greek word akathist, which is the name for our Friday services during Great Lent, literally means without sitting? So when we attend the Akathist Hymn/Salutations to the Virgin Mary service on Friday evenings, historically these services were celebrated with everyone standing the whole time. The kouvouklion is the wooden structure in our church that we decorate with flowers every year on Good Friday. It represents Christ s tomb. The epitaphios is the beautiful icon cloth of Christ in the tomb. During the Apokathelosis (Descent from the Cross) Service on Good Friday afternoon, the priest places the epitaphios in the kouvouklion remembering when the noble Joseph of Arimathea lovingly took Christ down from the Cross and placed Him in the tomb. For further reading about Great Lent, Holy Week and Pascha go to: Check out this useful site from our Greek Orthodox Archdiocese! Videos, sermons, discussions, family gospel lessons and more about Great Lent, Holy Week, and Pascha, from the Sunday of Orthodoxy to the Resurrection of Christ ANASTASIS FELLOWSHIP Immediately following the Divine Liturgy, please join us in the Fellowship Hall for a light meal Hosted by the Parish Council The Word

13 S T E W A R D S H I P Orthodox Christian Wealth & Stewardship When we were baptized, we were given the light of Christ, symbolized by the baptismal candle. God lit His flame in our souls. The purpose of baptism is to make us lights to the world for Jesus. Jesus instructs us to let our light shine before others, so that they may see our good works and give glory to our Father who is in heaven. As baptized Orthodox Christians, we are all called to witness through the quality of our lives to the experience of the risen Christ. We witness to Christ by the way we set our priorities in life. This is a time to re-examine those priorities -- the way in which we share our time, our talents and our possessions. Take a look at your checkbook and see exactly what your true priorities are. Do you commit more to the cable television service than you do to your Church? Do you pay more for your daily newspaper or cup of coffee than you do to support the spreading of the Good News of Christ? As Jesus told us, Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. During a full moon its light shines very brightly. But if you think about it, the moon has no light of its own, but only the light that it receives from the sun. The light we see when the moon lights up the night is the REFLECTED light of the sun. Just like the moon, we have no light of our own, only the light of Christ, who told us that He is the light of the world. We received His light at our baptism, and we are called to reflect that light to all the world. What better way to begin to do that than by returning to Him through the work of the Church some portion of that with which He has blessed us. We are responsible and are held responsible by God for the light His light that we are reflecting in the world. Psalm 116 asks: What shall I give to the Lord in return for all His benefits toward me? The answer comes in the Divine Liturgy when we are invited to offer ourselves and our whole life to Christ our God. As we embark on our spiritual journey during Great Lent, we take this opportunity to thank all of our parishioners who have made their Stewardship Commitment for If you have not yet completed your Stewardship Commitment Card, please do so as soon as possible. The Word

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16 Nativity of Christ Greek Orthodox Church 1110 Highland Drive Novato, California CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED P H I L O P T O C H O S P H I L O P T O C H O S The Word 2.0 April 2016 The Word