Keeping the Nativity of Christ Simple ~ A Message from Fr. Robert

Transcription

1 December Phillips Road, Tallahassee, Florida (850) Rev. Fr. Robert J. O Loughlin Keeping the Nativity of Christ Simple ~ A Message from Fr. Robert We live in the world today where technology keeps us informed immediately of different things going on all the time. Within the busyness we may not include God and trusting in Him to assist in making our lives more simple. The more we trust Him, the simpler life becomes. What God asks of us is to release some of our own desires and wants and trust in Him that He will guide us to all we need. One of the central messages of the Feast of the Nativity of Jesus is that He becomes alive in each one of us. Our thoughts, words and deeds become ways to carry out His will. We are to engage in the opening of our heart, mind, soul and body to the presence of the Holy Spirit as it takes effort to integrate the thoughts and feelings to become temples of His Holy Spirit. We come to that time of year when we take time to think of others. One thing that is associated with the celebration of Christmas everywhere is giving. Christmas is the feast of giving and St. Nicholas has become a symbol of Christmas because he gave all of what he had and was never tired of giving. The biggest gift that we can receive and then ultimately give is receiving Christ in our hearts. And then when we have this we can give the gift of ourselves more and spend the time that many people long for. We need to strive to find the time to visit and be with people. This is the greatest gift because its value cannot be calculated in terms of money. And everybody needs love and encouragement. Everybody needs the inner peace and joy that comes from the Holy Spirit that we can inspire to utilize. When we visit people this Christmas season, let us try to share with them the Spirit of God in us, the Spirit of peace and joy. At this time of year when we are generally so distracted by everything else except the reason that we are celebrating Christmas, it s important for us to pay attention a little more closely to what is happening. As we come together to celebrate the Feast of the Nativity, let us be reminded that Christ came to live with people just like us. He accepts us and embraces us no matter where we have been. So as we prepare for this joyous Feast, let us never lose sight that God has entered the world and changed it forever. The big question is whether we truly realize this entrance of God into the world, and accept His entrance as an event that directly impacts our lives in the way we live. I pray this Christmas will be a time of renewed commitment for all of us. Let us open our hearts and receive the greatest gift that God has given us in His only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Wishing you a blessed season of the Nativity, Fr. Robert

2 Page 2 If an emergency or special need should arise, please contact Fr. Rob immediately at Our next ECHO Sundays are December 2nd and January 6th. Please drop off your nonperishable food donations into the bins located in the Hellenic Center and Patmos Hall. Archangel Michael Feast and Honors On November 10, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia, Laura Joanos and Alex Caspary received the Archangel Michael Award from His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios. Axia and Axios! Christmas Services Monday, December 24th Great Hours and Vespers of the Nativity 8:30 a.m. Orthros & 6:00 p.m. Sunday, December following the On November 11th, a General Assembly was held and nominations were made for the upcoming Parish Council Elections to be held on Sunday, December 9th, in which there are five open positions. Please keep in mind that only members in good standing are eligible to vote. The Election will take place after Liturgy in the Hellenic Center. Nominations for the upcoming Parish Council Elections are: Mark Burrell Michael Gavalas Harriet Kanelidis Mike Papageorge Nia Parmer Nina Rabbath The Election Committee members are: Cyndi Balogh Martin Markovich Connie Mathes Rima Hatoum, Alternate Absentee ballots, requested only out of true need, are available by contacting Fr. Rob directly. The person requesting the absentee ballot (who will be filling it out) needs to be the one directly requesting it. Completed ballots must be turned into Fr. Rob, directly, by Thursday December 6th at 5:00 p.m., in order to be counted in the election. May your Memory Be Eternal On Monday, November 5, 2018, Dorothy Cavoures Downing, fell asleep in the Lord in Tallahassee, Florida. Her funeral was held on Monday, November 12th at Holy Mother of God. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends. May Her Memory Be Eternal! Dear Fellow Parishioners, I would like to thank all the parishioners for their help at this years Festival and for a job well done. We had the second best Festival ever even with rain. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves and had a chance to see our beautiful youth groups dancing. They were fantastic. A special thanks to Arman Atayants and Jeff Phipps for the setup, Harriet Kanelidis and Meredith Hinshelwood Drzewiecki for managing the festival and booths, Richard Allen and crew for the baking and cooking, the dancers and ALL the booth chairman. Have a joyous Christmas and A Happy New Year! Michael Gavalas

3 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 2 f Orthros 9:30 am & 10:30 am ECHO Pancake Breakfast for St. Nicholas Hosted by GOYA 3 f 4 f Choir Practice 5:00 p.m. 1 f Page 3 DECEMBER 2018 Christ is Born Glorify Him 5 6 f f 9 f Orthros 9:30 a.m & :30 a.m Church School Parish Council Elections Orthros 9:30 a.m & 10:30 a.m Church School Orthros 9:30 a.m & 10:30 a.m No Church School 30 No Fast Orthros 9:30 a.m & 10:30 a.m No Church School 10 f Parish Council Gathering 6:30 p.m Great Hours & Vespers of the Nativity 8:30 a.m. Orthros & Divine Liturgy 6:00 p.m. 31 No Fast Vespers & Divine Liturgy for the Feast of St. Basil 5:00 p.m. 11 f 25 Choir Practice 5:00 p.m. Choir Practice 5:00 p.m. Office Closed No Fast s = Fish Allowed Feast Day of St. Nicholas 9:00 a.m Philoptochos Brunch 26 No Fast 27 No Fast 28 No Fast 29 No Fast Pangari Schedule for December *Denotes a 9:15 am, **10:15 am start time Coffee (c) 12/02 - Catsimpiris*/MGavalas**/Kanelidis (c) 12/09 - MGavalas*/SJoanos**/Drzewiecki (c) 12/16 - SJoanos*/Perrigan**/EJoanos (c) 12/23 - Drzewiecki*/Kanelidis**/VGavalas (c) 12/30 - EJoanos*/VGavalas**/Perrigan (c) 01/06 - Kanelidis*/MGavalas**/Catsimpiris (c) Calendar Symbol Key + = Strict Fast = Wine and Oil allowed = Dairy & eggs allowed = Father Away

4 Page 4 Toys For Tots Giving Tree (Sponsored by GOYA) 1) Take a tag of your choice from the Christmas tree in the Hellenic Ctr. 2) Buy new unwrapped toy that you chose and return it unwrapped and place it under the Christmas tree. **Please return toy by Monday, December 3rd * Goyans Valeria Atayants and Anne Leftheris assembling the Giving Tree. Feast Day of St. Nicholas Parish Pancake Breakfast Sponsored by GOYA Sunday December 2nd Following There will be crafts and a surprise visit from St. Nicholas All proceeds to benefit St. John the Theologian Greek Orthodox Church in Panama City as they continue to recover from Hurricane Michael. FESTIVAL 2018 THANK YOU - for all your efforts for another successful Festival We thank God for the beautiful community of Tallahassee for supporting the Festival

5 Page 5 The Nativity: GOD BECOMES HUMAN TO SHOW US THE WAY Father Thomas FitzGerald What shall we offer you, O Christ? Who for our sake appeared on earth as a human? Every creature made by you offers you thanksgiving. The angels offer you a hymn, The heavens, a star, The magi, gifts,the shepherds, their wonder, The earth, its cave, The wilderness, a manger, And we offer to you, a Virgin Mother. (Orthodox Christian Vesperal Hymn) The simplicity of the story of Christ s birth reveals the depth of God s love and the mystery of His actions in our life. As we celebrate Christmas anew this year, once again Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and wise men, the angels and animals direct our attention to the Lord Jesus. He who is truly the way, the truth and the life (Jn. 14:1) who reveals Himself in the humble circumstances of a cave in Bethlehem. All of time is centered upon his coming. All of creation surrounds Him who fashioned the creation! THE EXPRESSION OF DIVINE LOVE The story of the birth of Christ is a vivid reminder of the depth of God s love for us. He loves us so much that he has entered into life in this world in the person of Christ. The infinite God mysteriously accepted the limitations of our humanity. It was not enough for God to act through signs and wonders of the physical world. It was not enough for God to guide us through the prophets and teachers of old. No, this was not enough for our God. To express his boundless love for us, the Living God appeared among us in the person of Christ Our Lord. By fully identifying himself with us, Christ has come to teach us, to heal us and to lead us back to the Father. He has come to remind us that we are the Father s precious daughters and sons. As St. John the Evangelist says: God so loved the world that he sent His Only begotten Son so that all who believe in him will not be lost but will have eternal life (Jn. 3:16). Many years before the Beatitudes were taught and many years before His glorious Resurrection, Christ revealed God s love for us through the simple events of his birth. The Lord of Glory demonstrated his love for us simply be entering into our life and by sharing in all that is truly human. St. Basil the great reminds us of this saying: Every act and every word of our Savior is a guide for holiness and virtue. For this reason he became human, so that in images he may depict both holiness and virtue for us. For this reason he bears a body so that we may imitate His life (Ascetical Principles, 1) Through His birth in Bethlehem, Our Lord reveals to us the breath and depth of God s love for us. Whether we see him as the child in Bethlehem, the teacher in Galilee, or the Risen Lord in Jerusalem; Christ is truly the greatest gift of the Father for us and for our salvation. A SENSE OF WONDER The story of Christ s birth speaks to us about the mysterious ways of God. The Triune God acts in ways that we do not always expect! His ways are truly wonder-filled. For centuries, the Ancient Israelites had expected the Messiah. The prophets, especially Isaiah and Jeremiah, called the people to readiness and openness to God s actions. Their message provided the people with indications about the coming Messiah. Yet, when the fullness of time had come (Gal. 4:4), the Messiah did not arrive as a conquering hero in a golden chariot with pomp and splendor. (continued on page 7)

6 Page 6 December 2018 We wish everyone a very Blessed & Merry Christmas Philoptochos Christmas Brunch (Dutch Treat) Where: Blu Halo When: Dec. 8 (Sat) at 11:00 am Located in: Bannerman Crossing Shopping Center Address: 3431 Bannerman Rd #102, Tallahassee, FL Please RSVP to Connie Mathes at mathesseadog@gmail.com or Menu: Check website for brunch menu at Thank you to all our church gentlemen for putting up our Christmas trees in the Hellenic Center. CHRISTMAS GREEK FOOD FUNDRAISER Whole Baklava Cheesecake ($45); Spanakopita and Tiropita by the dozen ($20), Chocolate Kok ($48 per doz) Pickup date is December 13 (Thurs) from 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm PRE ORDER HERE: Christmas Poinsettias $20.00 It is now time to place your donation for poinsettias to decorate our Church for the Feast of the Nativity. They always make our Church look even more beautiful at this very special and holy time of the year. We will once again be purchasing them from Hilly Fields Florist. You may place them In Memory or In Honor of loved ones. These names will appear in the January Monthly Bulletin. Please make your checks payable to the HMOG Philoptochos Society & mark memo line Poinsettia no later than December 16th. See Olibia Drzewiecki or Cyndi Balogh in the Hellenic Center following. Parish Christmas Card Please call the church office ( ) to include your family in the Parish Christmas Card or mail your Donation and how you would like your name(s) to appear in the Parish Christmas Card no later than Sunday, December 16th. Donation is $10 per family.

7 Page 7 (continued from page 5) He was not robed in expensive clothing. He did not appear in the capital city. Throngs of adoring followers did not accompany him. When the Messiah finally arrived, he came first as a baby. He was born to a young girl who was not formally married. The event occurred in the simple village of Bethlehem. He was sheltered in a place reserved for animals because the inn was full. There, in such simple circumstances, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth (Jn.1: 14). This is the mysterious way of God! Through the Christmas story, Our Lord reveals that God acts in ways that we do not always expect. We cannot shape the mighty acts of God to our limited understanding. The Triune God is greater than our limited perceptions of Him. He acts in mysterious and wondrous ways to draw us to Him and to one another in love. AN OPEN HEART The persons who are involved in the story of Christ s birth were all quite different. Mary and Joseph were humble travelers seeking a place of shelter. The shepherds were simple men of the land tending their flocks. The wise men were wealthy and aristocratic foreigners wandering in a strange land. Yet, each of them shared a common characteristic. They opened their hearts to the actions of the Lord who mysteriously led them to the village of Bethlehem. Each of them permitted God to act in their lives. Mary and Joseph were willing to change their whole life to nurture and protect the child Jesus. The shepherds were willing to hear the words of the angels. The wise men were willing to follow the star. We remember them to this day because they opened their hearts and trusted in the Lord. Through His birth in Bethlehem, Jesus reveals that we too must open our hearts to his presence and actions. God wants us to share in His work of reconciliation. Like the participants in the first Christmas, we too are called to be person whose hearts are open to the divine presence and actions. CENTERING THE SEASON ON CHRIST The story of the birth of Christ and its true significance is often clouded by the commercialism of the season. There is a very frenzied pace to these days which can so easily depersonalize us and dampen the true joy of the season. The stores tempt us for weeks on end to buy this thing or by that thing. Some of us prefer to speak of the Holiday Season rather than of Christmas. Many schools have forbidden the remembrance of Christ s birth in the classroom. Yes, throughout our society, many fail to remember that the coming of Christ is truly at the heart of the Christmas celebrations. What can we do? Let us remember that the season celebrates the love of God revealed in the coming of Christ. For those with faith, the colored lights, the green trees, the wreaths and the flowers are the symbols of the joy of Christmas. Let us celebrate the joy of Christ s coming! Let us share the love of God with others. Christ has come to bear witness to the Father s love for us. We too can share this love with others, especially with the poor and less fortunate among us. We can be sensitive to those who cannot easily celebrate because of a loss in their lives. Let us be the ambassadors of God who share His care and philanthropy. Let us seek the Lord with an open heart as the shepherds and wise men did. This means that we find opportunities for prayer and meditation, for reading the Scriptures related to Christ s coming. This means that we can make Christmas a special day by participating in the Divine Liturgy and by receiving Holy Communion with reverence for God, with faith and with love. To Christ Our Lord be glory, now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Fr. Thomas FitzGerald is Professor of Church History at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Mass. He is also the pastor of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Manchester, NH. A graduate of Holy Cross and the University of Thessaloniki, he is the author of numerous articles and books on Church History and ecumenical relations. Together with his wife, Dr. Kyriaki FitzGerald, they are the authors of Happy in the Lord: The Beatitudes for Everyday. DEPARTMENT OF OUTREACH &EVANGELISM Outreach@goarch.org

8 Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church 1645 Phillips Road Tallahassee, Florida Return Service Requested Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church 1645 Phillips Road Tallahassee, FL Office: Hall: Fr. Rob s Cell: The Nativity of Our Lord And Savior, Jesus Christ Celebrated December 25 Website: Addresses: Father Rob: fr.robert@comcast.net Church Secretary: hmog@comcast.net Secretary Hours: Mon./Wed./Fri. 9am-2pm