January 2019Volume 1, Issue 1

Transcription

1 St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church Sterling Heights, MI Newsletter Date Volume 26 Issue 1 January 2019Volume 1, Issue 1 By: Christos Strubakos, PhD The month of January in our Church can be considered the month of the Great Teachers of our Faith. Each week, we celebrate the memory of one of the Saints from Christ, His Disciples, and the Saints through the ages. January 1: St. Basil the Great who, with their penetrating intellect and spiritual depth, On January 1st we celebrate the coming of the were able to encounter many of the issues the Church New Year by staying up late with our friends and family faced in the early centuries and thus provide clarification so that the new year may find us in joy and health. Our as well as guidance for all future generations of Christians. Church, Statements that we take for granted today, such as the commemorates a very Trinitarian statement In the name of the Father, and of important the Son, and of the Holy Spirit were all clarified, January 1st: St. Basil the contextualized, and made into permanent principles of Great. St. Basil was born faith by these great teachers. These include Basil the in Great, Athanasios and Cyril of Alexandria, Maximos the wealthy and pious family Confessor, Gregory the Theologian, Gregory of Nyssa and and was educated in the John Chrysostom. best schools at the time. others before and after them. Correct belief (ὀρθοδοξία) and correct practice of our beliefs (ὀρθοπραξία) are our spiritual and ecclesiastical heritage. These Holy Fathers teach that our faith is expressed and invigorated in our daily practices. These daily practices, in turn, are given life and context in communal worship, be it the Sunday Eucharist, weekday Liturgies, Vespers and Orthros services, or any other service the Church offers. Thus faith, as a way of life that begins and ends in worship, is the intellectual and spiritual inheritance that we received Saint Cappadocia on to a After meeting a bishop, The Orthodox Church is one that is indeed rooted in the teachings and faith of these Holy Fathers, and many however, Eustathios of Sebaste, his life was changed and he dedicated himself to God. He was made bishop of Caesarea and prolifically wrote about the Holy Spirit. However, his success is not limited to his theological work. He also built a philanthropic institution outside of the city in which he established the first orphanage and hospital. Basil s love for God overflowed such that he not only dedicated his whole life to Him, but also to his neighbor and to those in need. Basil died on the 1st of January in 379 AD and is considered to be one of the greatest Saints.

2 Dear Friends is an in-print outreach effort to the Orthodox Christian community of St. John as well as the community at large. This monthly publication aims to inform, edify, and serve as a witness to its readers of the Truth of Jesus Christ as confirmed in the Holy Gospel. Dear Friends is a ministry of: St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church Metropolitan Parkway Sterling Heights, MI Phone: (586) parish@stjohngoc.net the Law and the Prophets. Happy New Year! I recently As many of you know, our read an article from the Desiring God Ladies Philoptochos is working with Organization titled If We Love God Friends of Foster Kids for the Chapter Most, We Will Love Others Best. That Challenge that we were assigned to might sound confusing to some of earlier this year, which is a non-profit you, but it simply means that the organization serving over 900 foster most gracious and loving thing we kids can do for others around us is to love Philoptochos in Macomb just County. held its The first God more than we love them. People Chapter Challenge Event where we Clergy: who have Christ in their hearts created over 60 fleece blankets that Fr. Nicholas Kyritses, Proistamenos understand the continuous love that were delivered for the foster kids pours from them because Christ has right before the holiday season. It is Office Staff: everlasting love for us and that love is truly Orsalia Kostakis reciprocated towards others. This is accomplish with a large group of Church Maintenance: also evident in Matthew 22:36-40 volunteers and a little bit of time. This where the event was one of the Philoptochos Pharisees who asked Him about the largest turnouts and we do not want greatest commandment in the Law. to stop there. We are planning new Kim LaForest Jesus responds, Love the Lord your events and brainstorming ideas to Senior Citizens President: God with all your heart and with all continue the success of the Chapter Nick Prantzalos your soul and with all your mind. Challenge. Please, find the love in Choir Directors: This greatest your heart that you have for God and commandment and the 2nd is like it: reciprocate that towards others. Matthew Vasilakis Love your neighbor as yourself. On Remember, if we love God most, we Sunday School: these two commandments hang all will love others best. Chanter: Christos Strubakos, PhD Nicholas Makrides Parish Council President: Dr. Steve Kotsonis Philoptochos President: John Tangalos & Dr. Andy Kotsis Altar Captain: Tara Kosmides, Sophia Papastamatis, Jesus is the responds 1st and to incredible With love, what we can Sotiria Seremetis & Dr. Zoy Patouhas-Gilbert Little Angels Advisors: Popi Stavrou, Becky Patouhas, & Erin Papakonstantinou Hope & Joy Advisors: Irene Kourtesis, Dimetra Mansoor, & Peggy Marselis College Connection: Cathy Kondoleon & Dina Demetriou Greek School: Elli Patouhas GOYA President: Mary Kotsonis GOYA Advisors: Angela Kotsonis, Angie Stathakios, Maria Souris, & Sky Bastounis PAGE of St. John

3 January s Major Feasts Continued January 6: Holy Theophany Having celebrated the feast of Christmas and of St. Basil s, our Church now begins to point us in the direction of another great feast of this period known as the δωδεκαημερον: the feast of Epiphany. This is a period of revelation as God reveals Himself to us. Our faith is one of revelation and experience, not one of cold intellectual understanding and dissection. We do not study God the way we study a specimen in the lab in the hopes of understanding Him. Instead, God reveals Himself to us at the time and the manner of His choosing. At the beginning of every Orthros, we chant: God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us. Just last week, we celebrated Christmas where we saw God come down to save us in the form of a little baby boy, demonstrating for us the greatness of His love and humility for us. On the Epiphany, we will see Jesus as a grown man, age 30, coming to the river Jordan to be baptized by John the Baptist. Christ s baptism is very important because it reveals to us the Holy Trinity. Upon being baptized, the Father speaks and says: This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. The Son becomes human in the river and the Holy Spirit is seen in the form of a dove. words. You cannot go from sitting on the couch all day to running a marathon. That is impossible. But what you can do is first get off the couch and then walk to the kitchen. After a time, you can try to jog to the end of the block, etc., each time slowly increasing the distance and thus your endurance. It is the exact same way in our spiritual lives: You cannot overlook the small things. You cannot overlook fasting or praying. Believe me when I say a few short prayers said every morning and evening consistently are worth infinitely more than long prayers said once and a while and only when we feel like it. Praying, fasting, and coming to Church when you don t feel like doing these things is when those things really count. So every little thing we do, not just for the great feasts of the church, but each day shows our effort, disposition, and desire to be with God. Our spiritual efforts ought to stem from our φιλότιμο. You may say I don t feel like coming to Church, but you know what, I am going to do it because it is the right thing to do regardless of whether I am in the mood. This is spiritual φιλότιμο. Now is the time for preparation for Theophany. May St. John always intercede for us, our families, and our parish. Amen. January 7: The Synaxis of St. John On the day after Theophany, we all gather to honor St. John the Baptist. Our parish is very blessed to be named in honor of this Saint, who was according to Christ Himself, the greatest prophet to ever have been born of a woman. St. John dedicated his entire life to God In order for us to get some Grace from the feast, and fulfilling His will, and as a result, he became worthy to we need to prepare ourselves as best as we can to receive preach the coming of the Messiah to everyone. He spent it by coming to Church,if we can, on the Eve of and his life trying to get people to change from their previous morning of Theophany. Obviously, many of us work or ways and embrace repentance, a new way of life that is have school and this is not possible, but we can at least not limited by being fallen, but is rooted in our say a prayer, or maybe take a few minutes to read the relationship with Christ Himself. Christ is the Incarnate Epistle and Gospel reading of the day, or drink some Holy Word of God who wishes to repeat the mystery of His Water, or even save a piece of antidoron from today s Incarnation in all of us. St. John the Baptist is the voice, Liturgy and eat a little bit of it on the feast. All of these and Christ is the Word. Because the feast of Epiphany is small things that we do reveal our intentions. When we dedicated to Christ, it is customary in the Church to gather love someone, we show that love in our actions not in our on the following day to honor the next most important of St. John PAGE 3

4 January s Major Feasts Continued person who participated in the event, and in this case St. John the Baptist. In addition to celebrating the feast of our parish with Vespers, Orthros, and Divine Liturgy, I call on all our parishioners who truly wish to hear the words of the Baptist, the greatest prophet ever born. I say to you: If you want to honor St. John, listen to what he is saying and follow his instructions. Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is indeed at hand. May St. John the Baptist always intercede for all of us. January 17: St. Anthony the Great One day a young man named Anthony was walking next to a Church and he stopped inside to listen to the Gospel being read. The reading he heard was, If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. After hearing these words, St. Anthony immediately left and sold all his property, giving it to the poor, and went into the desert to live a life dedicated to prayer, fasting and asceticism. As a result, St. Anthony became the first monk. For those of us without the monastic calling, it is difficult to expect us to sell everything and to go live in the desert, but the life of St. Anthony and his teachings apply directly to us. We must not form attachments to worldly things as we must be people of prayer and deep asceticism rooted in love for God. Asceticism involves fighting ourselves and our impulses that are worldly and living spiritually. Asceticism means living for Christ and detaching ourselves form the world. May St. Anthony always guide us and pray for us on our journey inward, to the hidden universe within our hearts where God Himself lives. January 18: St. Athanasios the Great St. Athanasios was born to a pious family in the city of Alexandria around 297 AD. His parents educated him at very good schools and he eventually was ordained and became Patriarch of Alexandria. During his time, there was a controversy in the Church that was preached by a priest named Arius. Arius said that Jesus is not the Son of God, that He and His Father are not One, but instead Jesus is a creation of God just like everyone else. Arius teaching was so convincing that the entire city of Alexandria believed him and St. Athanasios was the only person who did not. The city was angry so they chased him through the streets and he, like St. Paul, barely escaped with his life. Athanasios wrote many beautiful theological texts in which he argued that Jesus is the same as God the Father because He is, as we say in the Creed every Sunday, of one Essence with the Father. He was exiled many times throughout his life and died peacefully in 366 AD. January 21: St. Maximos the Confessor On Not much is known about the early life of St. Maximos the Confessor. Later in his life, he became involved in theological controversies of the day and wrote extensively about theological issues in which he interpreted the writings of Sts. Gregory the Theologian and Dionysios the Areopagite. St. Maximos the Confessor is considered by many to be the most brilliant theologian of our Church because he synthesized Theology with science and philosophy to give us an understanding of what the Incarnation of Christ actually means and why it matters. For St. Maximos, God built on the teachings of St. Athanasios before him, and God became man so that man can become god. The whole purpose of the Incarnation is to intimately unite ourselves to God in such PAGE of St. John

5 January s Major Feasts Continued a way that we become a part of Christ and Christ becomes a part of us, so that our words are Christ s words and our actions are Christ s actions and Christ s life becomes our life. This is why we are baptized and chrismated and why we participate in the life of the Church by receiving Communion and practicing our own asceticism. It is so that we too, along with St. Paul, can say: It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. Many people hated what Maximos was teaching and so they arrested him and had his tongue cut out. Eventually he died in exile, but his teachings remain with us. January 25: St. Gregory the Theologian St. Gregory was born in Cappadocia to a pious family. He and his brother Caesarius were educated at home in their early years. Gregory eventually moved to Athens to study at the best schools of the day where he met Basil the Great and the two became very close, lifelong friends. When he returned home to Nazianzus, he was told that he would be made a priest. Gregory, however, felt himself unworthy and ran away from home so that they would not ordain him. Eventually, however, his friend Basil convinced him to get ordained and he was made bishop of Nazianzus. St. Gregory eventually was elected Archbishop of Constantinople and Patriarch, again not willingly. While in this position he preached many beautiful and deep theological sermons and prolifically wrote poetry. Many of his sermons are the basis for much of the hymnography of our Church. He eventually retired to his hometown where he died peacefully on the 25th of January, 390 AD. January 30: The Three Hierarchs On January 30th, we celebrate the memory of three of the greatest teachers of our Church: Gregory the Theologian, Basil the Great, and John Chrysostom. All three lived around the same time and all three were extremely well educated in the best institutions of the day and thus loved Hellenism. All three were serious Christians who took the time to learn about their faith and were active Christians, active in their own prayer lives as well as the liturgical life of the Church. We learn from these Fathers that there is no such thing as an armchair Christian. These Fathers inspire us to never stop learning, to never stop striving, and to never stop praying. They inspire us to be true to our Orthodox and Hellenic roots. There is indeed no such thing as an armchair Christian and I encourage every member of the St. John community to take the opportunity to read more about the lives of these great Fathers. You might be surprised to find out that they were not that much different than us in their struggles. of St. John PAGE 5

6 (Under 4 years old) (K-2nd grade) (3rd - 6th grade) Happy New Year to All! On Saturday, December 8th, we had our annual Christmas party. We all met in our church hall and started off our evening making fun ornament crafts. We had dinner catered by Chicken Shack and side dishes and desserts made by our wonderful moms. Three large Greek salads and dressing were generously donated by the owners of Four Korners restaurant in Auburn Hills: Jim and Enza Gargasoulas and Dino Patsarikas, thank you!! We even had an ice cream bar that the kids loved. Manoli Peritsakis played a variety of great music and the kids danced the night away. We even enjoyed a lot of Cretan dancing by many of the children in our group. The kids led the Greek dances and even danced zembekiko. We were all very proud and happy to see them living our Greek heritage and having so much kefi. Bravo kids and parents! Finally, we had a very special visit by Santa Claus. He was so wonderful with the children and we are so grateful that he takes time out of his busy schedule every year to come spend time with us. He is truly a wonderful person! This year, we also decided to collect toys for the Macomb Charitable Foundation. This organization raises money for children in Macomb County who are living at or below the poverty line. The amount of donations was fantastic! Many children will have a brighter Christmas because of the generosity of members of our group. Thank you all! One last thank you to everyone who helped us clean up, set up, scoop ice cream, or whatever else you may have done to help make our evening a success. You are very much appreciated! Sincerely, The Hope, Joy, & Little Angels advisors PAGE of St. John

7 By: Theo Souris As the Nativity season draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on what it is that we re truly celebrating. I m sure you already know Christmas story, so I won t waste ink to tell you again, but what I found to be fascinating was just how much of an impact the holiday has on people. One example that comes to mind is the Christmas Truce of If you don t remember the name, the story ought to ring a bell. On Christmas Day of 1914, a few months into the First World War, British and German troops declared a day-long truce to celebrate together. Christmas has a major impact on people, and I would say it goes beyond a mere desire to celebrate and a feeling of good will and camaraderie. Just as the birth of Christ was a victory over sin that would bring us freedom from it, many Christmases brought victories and freedoms of their own. Christmas Day, 1776: General George Washington crosses the Delaware river to attack the British-hired Hessians during the American Revolution and wins the resulting battle. In 1989, Nikolai Ceausescu, vile Communist dictator of the Socialist Republic of Romania and great oppressor of the Romanian Orthodox Church, was overthrown by the Romanian people on Christmas Day. Two years later. The Soviet Union, one of the greatest threats to liberty and Orthodoxy in human history, crumbled. These are just the examples I can think of. It may sound cliché to talk about Christmas miracles, but I think there s really something to it. of St. John PAGE 7

8 My name is Matthew Caruso and I am currently a sophomore at Michigan State University. I am studying human biology, with the hopes of going on to medical school and becoming a doctor. I take classes through Lyman Briggs, which is a residential college within Michigan State University that focuses on sciences and humanities. I participate in many groups and clubs across campus. I am a member of the Michigan State Hellenic Society of America, which is a group of Greek college students that meet every month and plan events within the community. Also, I am a member of the Michigan State Alzheimer s Club, which plans events and fundraising opportunities for those in need. Through these clubs, I was given the opportunity to connect with old friends and make many new friends as well, some of which are my best friends currently. Some advice that I would give to the GOYA and other kids at the church would be to always work hard at what you do and make sure you love what you do. In college, you have to make many decisions that will impact your life in the short and long run. I have found it best to make decisions based on what I love most because it allows me to work harder towards my goal. If you love something enough, you will work as hard as you can so that you can achieve it. Another piece of advice that I would give to the current seniors in high school would be to relax. College is not as scary as you think. I was in the same position as you during my senior year. There is no need to panic, everything will work out as long as you are on top of your school work. My favorite memories from my St. John youth would have to be attending alter and various church basketball events. Alter was always a great time as I was able to connect to God on another level. My whole perspective of the church changed when I was able to be a part of the liturgy. Basketball tournaments were always my favorite times of the year. I was able to play the sport I loved with the people I loved, which made it even better. Do not take advantage of these opportunities, as they eventually will not present themselves anymore. PAGE of St. John

9 We have a wonderful class of 16 joyful and ready to learn children, and together we study and practice basic concepts of our faith that, as the classroom book says, pertain to Them and Their World. We started off by talking about why we do our cross and what each move represents. We then used their baptismal pictures to talk about baptism as the beginning of our lives as Greek Orthodox Christians in a way they could relate and enjoy. We explain the religious vocabulary by bringing out their personal experience, so that they understand better what they hear about during the Liturgy and the Holly Sacraments. Next, we are going to focus on the Lord s prayer and we will keep encouraging the kids to pray whether they are happy or sad, frustrated or grateful. It is important for them to know they can always ask for guidance and give thanks to the Lord. Our book emphasizes how God always loves us no matter how we feel, and for this He sent His Son to help us, so we encourage the children to live by His example and be kind and helpful to their friends, families and their little communities. By immersing children in our amazing faith we hope to give them the tools to carry on for the rest of their lives as loving, active and participating Orthodox Christians. We wish our students and all St. John family a Blessed New Year! st Sincerely, 1 Grade Sunday School teachers, Theodora Kalfa-Bremer and Dina Mihailidis of St. John PAGE 9

10 Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones - Psalm 33:1-3 All are welcome! If you love to sing, come and join us in the Choir. All voices are welcome and encouraged to participate. Please be in church no later than 9:50AM and come up to the choir loft! We look forward to having you join us each service. - John Tangalos & Dr. Andy Kotsis, Choir Directors We welcome all boys to join us in the Altar. Whether you come once in a while or every Sunday, we would love to have you and teach you how we serve God. Thank you to all of those who do serve and please come see me if you would like to join or have any questions. - Matthew Vasilakis, Altar Captain PAGE of St. John

11 On January 3rd we had our Senior Citizen s lunch and meeting at the Royalty House. All seniors are encouraged to attend. Please let us know if you need a ride and we will find someone to bring you along! We meet the first Thursday of each month. See you all soon! - Nick Prantzalos, President of St. John PAGE 11

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13 ST. JOHNS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH Metropolitan Pkwy Sterling Heights, MI fax To Members and Friends of St. John Greek Orthodox Church: We would like to introduce the ad book information for the 43 rd Annual St. John Dinner Dance. On behalf of the St. John s ad book committee, we would like to emphasize our appreciation for your support to our annual dinner dance. Your donation will allow us to continue to support our various parish and community outreach programs, including language classes, youth education, athletic enrichments, Metropolis ministries and youth summer camps. Your generosity will also provide the necessary funding to upkeep our beautiful Parish building and the property on which it stands. We follow a Mission that promotes Hellenism, education, philanthropy, civic responsibility and family and individual excellence. For this reason, we are indebted to you to help us fulfill this Mission. This year marks our 43 rd annual St. Johns Dinner dance. This year s event will Take place on February 2, We would be most appreciative and humbled by your donation. Enclosed for your convenience is a guide that illustrates the various contribution levels you can choose to support our church. Simply review the attached information, find the contribution level that s just right for you. Then fax, mail or it back to the church. Best regards, St. John s Parish Council Ad Book Committee Dr. Ted Tangalos Dr. Steve Kotsonis Evan Stavropoulos of St. John PAGE 13

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16 Meetings ADULT GREEK SCHOOL Tuesdays and Thursdays 6:30pm -7:30pm Call the church office if interested GOYA (7-12 grade) Goya Meeting after Sunday School - January 6 Every Monday Basketball Practice at 6:30pm at Joe Dumars Fieldhouse HOPE and JOY & LITTLE ANGELS To be announced GREEK SCHOOL Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30pm-6:30pm PARISH COUNCIL 2nd Tuesday of every month Tuesday, January 15, Meeting at 7:00pm PHILOPTOCHOS 2nd Monday of every month Philoptochos Christmas Party at our Hall Monday, January 14 at 7:30pm SENIOR CITIZENS 1st Thursday of every month Meeting & Luncheon at Royalty House Thursday, January 3 at 12:00pm SUNDAY SCHOOL Every Sunday These are your opportunities to get involved in your parish! Engagements Christos Burdalas to Marika Thomopoulos Eleni Zotos to Zack Geragosian Dr. Neo Poyiadji to Diana Kakos Rita-Areti Kostopoulos to Douglas Lampson Baptisms Sunday, January 20 Leo son of Nick & Diana Sanchez Sunday, January 27 Labrene daughter of Steven & Ourania Petrovas Prayers and Condolences to the family and friends of Stamatia Manolios Mrs. Katherine Kotsis brother May their memory be eternal Κάλαντα Πρωτοχρονιάς Αρχιμηνιά κι Αρχιχρονιά ψηλή μου δεντρολιβανιά κι αρχή καλός μας χρόνος εκκλησιά με τ άγιο θρόνος. Αρχή που βγήκε ο Χριστός άγιος και Πνευματικός, στη γη να περπατήσει και να μας καλοκαρδίσει. Αγιος Βασίλης έρχεται, και δεν μας καταδέχεται, από την Καισαρεία, συ σαι αρχόντισσα κυρία. Βαστά εικόνα και χαρτί ζαχαροκάρνο, ζυμωτή χαρτί και καλαμάρι δες και με-δες και με το παλικάρι. Το καλαμάρι έγραφε, τη μοίρα του την έλεγε και το χαρτί-και το χαρτί ομίλει Άγιε μου-άγιε μου καλέ Βασίλη

17 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday January St. Basil the Great HAPPY NEW YEAR Orthros 9:00 am Divine Liturgy 10:00 am 2 3 Senior Citizens Meeting and Luncheon - Royalty House 12 noon 4 5 Eve of Epiphany Vesper Service & Divine Liturgy, Grand Sanctification of the Waters 9:00 am 6 Epiphany Day Orthros 9:00am Divine Liturgy 10:00 am Grand Sanctification of the Waters St. John Vespers Serivce 6:30 pm Artoklasia (Blessing of the 5 loaves) GOYA Meeting after Sunday School 7 Official Celebration of our Church s Name Day Orthros 9:00 am Divine Liturgy 10:00 am Basketball Practice at Joe Dumars 6:30 pm 8 Greek School 4:30 pm Adult Greek School 6:30 pm 9 10 Greek School 4:30 pm Adult Greek School 6:30 pm Orthros 9:00am Divine Liturgy 10:00am Philoptochos Vasilopitta after Church 14 Basketball Practice at Joe Dumars 6:30 pm Philoptochos Meeting 7:30pm 15 Greek School 4:30 pm Adult Greek School 6:30 pm Council Meeting 7:30 pm 16 7:00pm Paraklesis - Supplication Service Lecture by Dr. Strubakos 17 St. Anthony Divine Liturgy 9:30am Greek School 4:30 pm Adult Greek School 6:30 pm 18 St. Athanasios St. Euthymios Orthros 9:00am Divine Liturgy 10:00am 21 Basketball Practice at Joe Dumars Fieldhouse 6:30pm 22 Greek School 4:30 pm Adult Greek School 6:30 pm 23 7:00pm Paraklesis - Supplication Service Lecture by Dr. Strubakos 24 Greek School 4:30 pm Adult Greek School 6:30 pm 25 St. Gregory 26 Divine Liturgy 9:30 am 27 Orthros 9:00am Divine Liturgy 10:00am 28 Basketball Practice at Joe Dumars Fieldhouse 6:30pm 29 Greek School 4:30 pm Adult Greek School 6:30 pm 30 Three Hierarchs Divine Liturgy 9:30 am 7:00pm Paraklesis - Supplication Service Lecture by Dr. Strubakos 31 Greek School 4:30 pm Adult Greek School 6:30 pm

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20 Dear Friends St. John Greek Orthodox Church Metropolitan Parkway Sterling Heights, MI Non-profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Sterling Heights, MI Permit No. 4 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Introducing the Orthodox Church Classes at St. John Greek Orthodox Church Sterling Heights, MI By: Christos Strubakos, PhD Every Wednesday evening following Paraklesis service. Service at 7:00pm, lecture immediately following. January 16: The Sacraments: Baptism and Chrismation January 23: The Divine Liturgy Part 1: Preparatory Services January 30: The Divine Liturgy Part 2: What the actions and symbols mean February 6: The Sacraments: Marriage and Ordination February 13: The Sacraments: Unction and Confession February 20: What we believe about the Old Testament: Salvation and Prophesies February 27: What we believe about the New Testament March 6: What we believe about prayer *Note: The Lenten discussion topics will be released in the February Dear Friends PAGE of St. John