In the Midst of Summer

Transcription

1 VOLUME 27 NUMBER 6/7 June/July 2018 Dearest Spiritual Ohana, In the Midst of Summer Summer is here! Doesn t it always seem like it is always Summer in Hawaii, with the ever-present tropical warmth and the usual expected abundance of sunshine?! In months of June, July and the next several months following, there are very few hints of chilly nights and mornings. The days grow a tad bit longer with the sun rising 5ish in the morning and setting a little after 7ish in the evening as we approach and pass through the summer solstice, the lengthiest day of the year. The birds begin chirping at the crack of dawn (not so pleasant if you want to get a little more sleep). We have opportunities to enjoy outdoor activities, a little later into the evening. These are some of the notable dynamics that take place over the Summer. Transitions in our lives also take place over the Summer: school is out and the children are home for a few long months, the students reach a new milestone and are in the process of being promoted to the next grade or year in school, other students graduate and move on to the next stage in their lives, the Sunday School Program at the Church takes a break, and the Church returns back to a more regular, more fixed schedule after completing the Moveable Festal Seasons of Triodion, Great Lent, Holy Week, Pascha and Pentecost. The Book 1 of Ecclesiastes sums it all up: To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. The Liturgical Life in the Church also has a time and a purpose. Upon the completion of every Divine Liturgy, we are each purposely called to action by living the liturgy after the Liturgy. Sunday is the major, most appointed time we are called to be present at the Divine Liturgy, besides the occasional weekday Feast Days, to come together and participate in the work of the people (this what liturgy literally means) in corporate/communal prayer as the Holy Spirit is present in making the bread and wine the very Body and Blood of Christ. Without your participation in this service of the Divine Liturgy, the priest cannot be present alone in the Consecration of the Holy Gifts. Your presence is important, as our Lord says, For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, I am there in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20) The liturgy after the Liturgy is our work and important mission to live out our Orthodox Christian Faith in every aspect of our lives in the world, day in and day out, to commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God. For wisdom in how to accomplish this (Continued on page 2)

2 exceed your petitions, then your prayers are merely words, and the seed of the hands is not in them St. Isaac the Syrian says this, Let yourselves be persecuted but do not persecute others; be crucified but do not crucify others; be insulted but do not insult others; be slandered but do not slander others. Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Such is the sign of purity. Suffer with the sick. Be afflicted with sinners. Exult with those who repent. Be the friend of all, but in your spirit remain alone. Spread your cloak over anyone who falls into sin and shield him. And if you cannot take his fault on yourself and accept punishment in his place, do not destroy his character. Living the liturgy after the Liturgy is what our ultimate purpose in this life is: to be people dependent on God through prayer, by most importantly being people of action in bringing the Presence of Christ before all the people we encounter everyday in our daily lives. (Continued from page 1) practically in our lives, I turn to a few of the Holy Fathers and Saints who are our ever-present intercessors, friends and companions in guiding us in our spiritual lives and journeys. One Anonymous Desert Father says the following: Show me how a person worships and I will tell you what he believes. This ancient dictum is a basic truth of our Faith. In observing the prayers of a people, we are intimately involved in their very personal attachment to the Lord. As we listen to their heartfelt pleas, we are drawn into what is important to them and what they with to say to their God, and what they wish to say about Him. The Fathers of the Church knew that there must be order in Church worship, but more importantly, the Fathers were aware that after verbal prayer one must ask and seek out those who are precious to the Lord the poor, the disheartened, the lonely, those beset by all sorts of trouble and spiritual disease. After prayer and entreaty, the true Christian must take his faith into the world and put it into practice. Only then may he take the name of Christian with all honesty and truth. What is true worship? Prayer which is brief in words but abundant in subsequent actions. For if your actions do not Shorelines is published Monthly by: Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Pacific 930 Lunalilo Street Honolulu, Hawaii Phone : (808) Fax : (808) office@greekorthodoxhawaii.org Parish Web Site: Regular Office Hours: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday thru Friday Rev. Father Alexander M. Leong fralexanderleong@yahoo.com A Blessed and Joyous Summer to All! With Love in Christ, +Fr. Alexander Church Staff Malick, Greg Malick, Maria Naval, Amanda Jackson - Office Coordinator Dimitri Nicholas, & Katherine Pasieta office@greekorthodoxhawaii.org Philoptochos Board Erica Jansen - Bookkeeper Anita Akel, President; Anita Higashi, 1st 2018 Parish Council Vice President; Eres Eddy, 2nd Vice pc@greekorthodoxhawaii.org President; Ludmyla Solyar,Treasurer; Trish Kiladis, President Julie Ličina, Recording Secretary; Valentina Varovaya, Corr. Secretary; Scott Pasieta, Vice President Alma Chu, Advisor Roni Katsikas, Treasurer Choir-Chanters Tyrone-Stavros Emery, Secretary Orest Saikevych, Music Director John Kiladis, Cleopatra Kritikos, Susan Gregory Malick, Protopsaltis Shaindlin, Dimitri Nicholas, and Parish Ministries Andrew Tujios. Stelio Scordilis, Aloha Youth Choir; Sunday School Director T.B.A., Bookstore; Dianna Graves, Presbytera Nicole Leong Greek Dance Groups; Stelio Scordilis, Sunday School Teachers Greek School; Julie Ličina Web Master; Shawn Chu, Peter Katsikas, Alice Anita Higashi, Facebook 2

3 LITURGICAL LIFE OF OUR PARISH WEEKDAY SERVICES IN JUNE/JULY MAUI SERVICES Sat. 6/23 Orthros/Liturgy 9:30/10:30 am GREAT VESPERS Thu. 6/28 Vespers 6:30 pm HOLY APOSTLES PETER & PAUL Fri. 6/29 Orthros/Liturgy 8:30/9:30 am ELIAS THE PROPHET (tentative, T.B.A.) Fri. 7/20 Orthros/Liturgy 8:30/9:30 am ST. PANTELEIMON Fri. 7/27 Orthros/Liturgy 8:30/9:30 am MAUI SERVICES Sat. 7/28 Orthros/Liturgy 9:30/10:30 am 6/3 Trish 6/10 Andy 6/17 Dimi 6/24 Roni May Parish Council Teams Announcements Please remember in your prayers Judy Economou Dina Giannakopoulos Paul Kelley Julie Licina Alice Marie Malick The Melzack Family George Missias John Mitsis Tuohy Family (flood recovery) and all those needing our prayers. Adult Religious Education Understanding the Divine Liturgy Sunday, June 17th Antiphons 12 to 12:45 p.m. Congratulations to our High School Graduate TheoDora Katsikas who graduated from Hawaii Technology Academy in Waipahu, Class of Learn Greek! Beginners Sunday 1:00 2:00 PM Thursday 5:30 6:30 PM Intermediate Sunday 12:00 1:00 PM Advanced Tuesday 6:00 8:00 PM

4 Our Vision To be a beacon of Orthodoxy in the Pacific and proclaim the Gospel of Christ to all people in accordance with the Orthodox Faith Our Mission To proclaim the Gospel of Christ to all people in accordance with the Orthodox Faith. To sanctify and minister to the spiritual growth and needs of the faithful through liturgical worship and spiritual programs. To safeguard and keep the traditions, values, and faith of the Orthodox Church pure and undefiled. Share your news! Announcements that you would like to see in the August issue of Shorelines should be submitted to the church office by July 15th. Weekly Bulletin announcements should be submitted by noon on Thursday for the upcoming Sunday. office@greekorthodoxhawaii.org Call: Or drop by with a copy of your announcement. Join us for our 37th Annual Greek Festival Saturday & Sunday, August 25th & 26th, 2018 Noon to 9 p.m. at McCoy Pavilion, Ala Moana Park Maui Orthodox Christian Mission reminds those who attend services on Maui to visit or call to verify services. or look for other activities that may be posted. 4

5 Aloha SS Constantine & Helen Ohana, Thank you to all who supported our Faith Expression Festival, especially Mrs. Niki Panagakis who provided the delicious luncheon! Since some people could not be with us, I would like to share the presentations in the monthly bulletins over the summer. This month, I will share the children's art presentations. Katherine Kyriakakis Joanna Leong Georgina Melzack Alexander Pasieta Niki Kyriakakis 5 Have a blessed, joyful summer! In Christ, Pres. Nicole, Sunday School Director

6 You are a Member of the Body of Christ excerpt borrowed from goarch.org EVALUATE YOUR LIFE Are you a contributing member of the body of Christ? Are you actively serving God and sharing Him with others? Are you contributing to peace and unity within His body? Do you worship regularly? Take a moment to evaluate your life in light of these principles. We are called to apply our gifts, training, abilities, education and skills to the tasks that God places before us. If we do this humbly and prayerfully, the body of Christ will function to its full potential. The New Testament s motivation for giving is grace; giving is an act of worship in response to the generosity of God. You are to give, Paul says, as God has prospered you. II Corinthians 8 and 9 teaches clearly, He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. God blesses those who give with generosity. Giving is a way to thank God for His grace and generosity. The question is not, How much do I give to stay in the club? or What are the dues? but How can I thank God for my many blessings? 6

7 Dance Group News Dance Practice all summer on Sundays (unless notified) for performance at Greek Festival in August 25, 26, 2018, as usual. If you'd like to join in the Election Fundraiser for the Dance Group, please see Dianna. Recycle continually! Please HI 5 ONLY Plastic, Aluminum, and Glass. Our Dance Group appreciates it! Happy Father's Day to all fathers! There will be no dance practice that day. Happy July 4th, also! Mahalo, Dianna, Dance Group Director C O F F E E H O U R Each individual/family is requested to sponsor a coffee hour one Sunday per year. Sign up on the calendar posted outside the Social Hall or contact Suzanne A. or Frances R. Instructions/tips for sponsoring a coffee hour are available in a 3-ring binder in a cupboard in the hall. The Ladies of Philoptochos appreciate any donations of coffee supplies, including paper supplies to help defray some of the coffee hour expenses. If you are hesitant to prepare and serve a coffee hour yourself, consider making a monetary donation. Please do not bring non-lenten food including cake & ice cream during fasting periods. Thank you to our May Sponsors! Sunday Coffee Hour sponsors! 5/6 Cleo Kritikos 5/13 Parish Council 5/20 Sunday School Faith Expression Festival 5/27 The Soileaus 7

8 Thy Kingdom Come. Thy Will be Done by St. Cyprian of Carthage (c A.D.) borrowed from Mr. Dean Langis, Lay Assistant at St. Paul s, Irvine, California Thy kingdom come. We pray that God s kingdom will become present for us in the same way that we ask for his name to be hallowed among us. For when does God not reign, when could there be in him a beginning of what always was and what will never cease to be? What we pray for is that the kingdom promised to us by God will come, the kingdom won by Christ s blood and passion. Then we who formerly were slaves in this world will reign from now on under the dominion of Christ, in accordance with his promise: Come, O blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom which was prepared for you from the foundation of the world. However, my dear friends, it could also be that the kingdom of God whose coming we daily wish for is Christ himself, since it is his coming that we long for. He is our resurrection, since we rise again in him; so too he can be thought of as the kingdom of God because we are to reign in him. And it is good that we pray for God s kingdom; for though it is a heavenly kingdom, it is also an earthly one. But those who have already renounced the world are made greater by holding positions of authority in that kingdom. After this we add: Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven; we pray not that God should do his will, but that we may carry out his will. How could anyone prevent the Lord from doing what he wills? But in our prayer we ask that God s will be done in us, because the devil throws up obstacles to prevent our mind and our conduct from obeying God in all things. So if his will is to be done in us we have need of his will, that is, his help and protection. No one can be strong by his own strength or secure save by God s mercy and forgiveness. Even the Lord, to show the weakness of the human nature which he bore, said: Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, and then, by way of giving example to his disciples that they should do God s will and not their own, he added: Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will. All Christ did, all he taught, was the will of God. Humility in our daily lives, an unwavering faith, a moral sense of modesty in conversation, justice in acts, mercy in deed, discipline, refusal to harm others, a readiness to suffer harm, peaceableness with our brothers, a wholehearted love of the Lord, loving in him what is of the Father, fearing him because he is God, preferring nothing to him who preferred nothing to us, clinging tenaciously to his love, standing by his cross with loyalty and courage whenever there is any conflict involving his honor and his name, manifesting in our speech the constancy of our profession and under torture confidence for the fight, and in dying the endurance for which we will be crowned this is what it means to wish to be a coheir with Christ, to keep God s command; this is what it means to do the will of the Father. 8