Of Whom the World was not Worthy! Volume 34 June 23, 2018 Number 38

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1 The Church Herald Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church 2053 North Road, NE Warren, OH Church Phone: (330) Rectory Phone: (330) Pastor: The Very Rev. Protopresbyter Kenneth M. Bachofsky, D. Min. Parish Web Page: Volume 34 June 23, 2018 Number 38 Of Whom the World was not Worthy! John, a towering figure who bridges the Old and New Testaments and who reveals, more precisely than his forebears, the object, the aim, the goal, the purpose of the preceding two-thousand year history of the Hebrew people: namely, the advent of the Messiah, the God/man, the Savior, Jesus Christ. That was so since, as Saint Nicholas of Ochrid and Zica writes, Saint John especially differs from all of the other prophets in that he had the privilege of being able, with his hand, to show the world Him about Whom he prophesied. (The Prologue, Vol. 1., p. 34). To discover the miraculous origin of Saint John the Forerunner, we read the following account in the opening pages of the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke: There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, waling in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elizabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest s office before God in the order of his course, according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you shall have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth! (Luke1:13,14). The angel further promised that the soon-to -be-born son would be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother s womb. (St. Luke 1:15) and that he would go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the father to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord! (Luke 1:17). Saint Zacharias, stunned by the appearance of a Holy Angel and by the news that his wife would bear a son despite her advanced age, was somewhat incredulous. He answered with the words, Whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years? (Luke 1:18). In other words, what you say seems impossible for a man and wife so old. The Holy Angel responded, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto you, and to show you these glad tidings. And, behold, you shall be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because you do not believe my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. (Luke 1:19,20). Saint Zacharias, staggered by his vision, come out of the inner Temple. Just as the Holy Angel Gabriel had said, the Saint could not speak. And, sometime later, his wife, Saint Elizabeth, who was a cousin of the most Holy Theotokos, conceived. Nine months later, the promised son was born. Her friends and kinsfolk rejoiced at God's mercy, at the miracle that had allowed a woman well along in years to bear a child. When, eight days after his birth, the infant was to be circumcised, neighbors gathered together for the occasion. It was assumed by all that he would be given the name Zacharias, after his father, however Saint Elizabeth announced that he would be called John. Saint Luke s Gospel relates, And they said to her, There is none of your kindred that is called by this name. And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying.

2 His name is John! And they all marveled! And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, and praised God. (Luke 1:61-61). Saint Zacharias sang a hymn of thanksgiving to God, saying about his new son, And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High: for you shall go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways: To give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high has visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace! (Luke 1:76-79).The Gospel tells us that...the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel (Luke 1:80). We next read of the Saint, at the beginning of his prophetic ministry, that the word of God came unto John the Son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. (Luke 3:2,3). Saint Nicholas of Zica writes that Saint John was of such moral purity that, in truth, he could be called an angel. (The Prologue of Ohrid, Vol. 1. p. 28.).It is evident that from the time Saint John was of sufficient age to understand he chose the path of purification from all evil, which path leads to spiritual enlightenment of the things of God. Saint Matthew refers to his asceticism, noting that he had his raiment of camel s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meal was shoots and wild honey, (Matthew 3:4) which reminds us of those rugged and God-loving men of later ages, the Desert Fathers. Thereby purified, his mission was to prepare the Judean people for the message that would be brought forth by Christ Jesus, who was soon to begin His own public ministry. Saint John s preaching gained a significant following. Great throngs of people journeyed to the wilderness around the Jordan River to hear his words and to undergo his Baptism. The Saint spoke bluntly, as the Holy Prophet are wont to do, calling his listeners a generation of vipers, (Luke 3:7)and warning them of God s wrath and the need to repent, that is, to turn completely away from sin: Repent you: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand! (Matthew3:2) was his relentless admonition. The people, much moved and impressed, suggested that perhaps Saint John was the Messiah, but the Saint rebuffed them, saying, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I comes, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire! (Luke 3:16) Let us turn for a moment to the subject of the Baptism of Saint John. Saint John s Baptism was a symbolic, or ritual, act of purification, signifying that the person immersed in the waters of the Jordan River had chosen to repent and had committed himself to turn around his life towards God and away from sin. Thus, Saint Paul refers to Saint John s Baptism as the baptism of repentance. (Acts 19:4). It was not the same as the Holy Mystery of Christian Baptism, which, in addition to cleansing the person being Baptized of all sin, mysteriologically infuses the Grace of God into the person, making him a member of the Church, an adopted child of the Almighty, and an heir to the Kingdom of Heaven. So it was that in the earliest days of the Church, those who had been Baptized by Saint John were required nevertheless to receive the Holy Mystery of Christian Baptism. (Reference: Acts 19:5). At the very beginning of His public ministry, Christ Himself underwent Saint John s Baptism, though He was sinless. He condescended to do so as an act of humility and as an example to the people of His concurrence with the preaching of Saint John. When Christ approached Saint John to be Baptized, the Holy Forerunner first exclaimed, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29) Holy Scripture explains that Saint John was at first reluctant to Baptize Christ saying that I have need to be baptized of you, and you come to me? (Matthew 3:14)His exclamation upon seeing Christ, and his words of hesitation at the notion that he should Baptize Christ, tell us that the Saint, enlightened by his life of purity, knew exactly with Whom he was speaking. Yet, Christ Jesus insisted, and the Saint compiled, Holy Scripture describes the event as follows: Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending upon Him like a dove, and lighting upon Him: and lo a voice from Heaven, saying, This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased! (Matthew 3:16,17). Saint John the Theologian writes of the Holy Forerunner in these words: There is a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light! (John 1:6-8). He bore witness to the Light that is Christ, the first and unique witness of that Light. He was followed by countless witnesses, who witnessed for Christ by their words and deeds, many giving their lives for Christ s sake (the word martyr in Greek martys means witness ). We, all of us, are called upon to be witnesses to the Light! That is why we are Christians! To call oneself a Christian but to fail to witness for Christ is an exercise in futility, a waste of time, since the Church was not founded for purpose of entertainment, or to preserve certain ethnic cultures, or for any other secular purpose whatever! It was founded to teach each of us a particular way of life, a life in Christ, to teach it to each of us and to guide us to living it.

3 Anything less than that is sheer emptiness, without spiritual content or meaning. Therefore, my beloved Children in Christ, be mindful of what it truly means to be a Christian, a follower of Christ. Learn from the Holy Scriptures and from other spiritual works what Christ asked of you when He brought you into His Church, what He asks of you now, and what His Way of Life requires. Then, assiduously follow that prescription for everlasting happiness with Him! - By: Protopresbyter James Thornton - Our Worship Schedule S U N D A Y, JUNE 24TH 9:30 A.M. THE READ- ING OF THE THIRD HOUR! 10:00 A.M. THE FEAST OF THE BIRTH O F S T. JOHN THE B A P T I S T! (Page 160). The 4th Sunday After P e n t e c o s t, Tone 3. Epistle Romans 13:11-14:4 Gospel Luke 4:1-25,57-68,76,80 Wednesday, June 27th 4:00 p.m. The Akathist Service to the Theotokos with prayers for the sick and anointing of the faithful. FRIDAY, JUNE 29TH 9:00 A.M. THE FEAST OF THE PRIME APOSTLES PETER & PAUL! (Page 162). EPISTLE 2 CORINTHIANS 11:21-12:9 GOSPEL MATTHEW 16:13-19 Sunday, July 8th 9:30 a.m. The Reading of the 10:00 a.m. The 6th Sunday After Pentecost, Tone 5 (Page 93). The Great Martyr Procopius, Kazan Icon of Theotokos, and St. Theophilus are commemorated. Epistle Romans 12:6-14 Gospel Matthew 9:1-8 Wednesday, July 11th 4:00 p.m. The Akathist Service to the Theotokos with prayers for the sick and anointing of the faithful! Sunday, July 15th 9:30 a.m. The Reading of the 10:00 a.m. The 7th Sunday After Pentecost, Tone 6. The Feast of St. Vladimir is commemorated! Epistle Galatians 1:11-19 Gospel John 10:1-9 Sunday, July 22nd 9:30 a.m. The Reading of the 10:00 a.m. The 8th Sunday After Pentecost, Tone 7. Isapostle Mary Magdalene, the Virgin Martyr Marcella and the Relics of Phocas of Sinope are commemorated. Epistle I Corinthians 1:10-18 Gospel Matthew 14:14-22 Wednesday, July 25th 4:00 p.m. The Akathist to the Theotokos with prayers for the sick and anointing of the faithful! Happy Birthday! Mike Van Valien... Gary Weber... Tami Drawl... Elizabeth Fay. Happy Anniversary! Eric & Carol Lee... Patrick & Cassandra Miller... Saturday, June 30th 4:00 p.m. The Evening Vespers followed by Bible Study Class. Sunday, July 1st The 5th Sunday After Pentecost, Tone 4. (Page 90). The Wonder-Workers: Cosmas & Damian, Relics of the Venerable John of Rila and St. Angelina of Serbia are commemorated. Epistle Romans 10:1-10 Gospel Matthew 8:28-9:1 Saturday, July 7th 4:00 p.m. The Evening Vesper Service. 35th Orthodox VCS Father Ken has already received many s containing high praise for the excellence of The 35th Annual Orthodox Vacation Church School Program that we hosted, along with many expressions of thanks, from both children

4 and parents already! Mere words cannot express the gratitude we extended to everyone who was a part of this wonderful and exciting week of learning, prayer, music, friendship, crafts, and a whole lot more! It took a lot of combined effort of dedication, time and talent to produce the quality of program that took place this past week! We had some of the best crafts in the history of the VCS program. The meals were delicious, and gym, along with the music classes, we also so enjoyable! We would like to make special mention of the extraordinary vision and talent of Emily Anzivino, who designed all of the sets in the Atrium and Fellowship Hall! We thank the youth of our parish and others who helped her decorate! Excellent job! We are also grateful to all of the local businesses who donated food and other items for the snacks and Friday Party! We especially thank our wonderful neighbors Pete and Mary Rossi, for the donation of the T-Shirts, that will serve as a remembrance of this year s VCS for years to come! Those who did not attend miss a unique and wonderful, spiritual experience! We offer our thanks unto the Lord for His blessings and the talent of our parish stewards! May the Lord truly bless all of you with peace, good health, joy and salvation for Many Years! We invite everyone to the Fellowship Hall to see the fascinating decorations and artwork! We have an excellent photo review of the week posted on our parish web site: stnicholaswarren.org. Visit it relive the experience of Following Jesus into the Wilderness for our Salvation! Memorial Service Following the Veneration of the Holy Cross and the distribution of the Antidoron, there will be a Memorial Service offered for the repose of the soul of +Kerya Brisbine, in observance of the third anniversary of her repose! These prayers are offered at the request of Deacon Ed Brisbine and the members of his family. All are invited to attend the Panachyda and add their prayers to ours. Following the Panachyda you are invited to the Fellowship Hall to partake of the blessed bread and wine. With the Saints, O Lord, grant rest to the soul of Your Servant, +Kerya Brisbine, where there is no pain, sorrow, nor morning, but only Life-Everlasting! Eternal Memory!!! 5th Annual Banquet The Gerontissa and Nuns at the Nativity of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Monastery in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania cordially invite everyone from our parish to attend their 5th Annual Dinner Banquet: in Memory of Gerontissa Taxiarchia (A Fund-Raising Event to Build a New Monastery)! This gala banquet has been scheduled for Saturday, September 22, 2018 at the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Vespers followed by the Dinner Banquet, along with the Live and Silent Auction will be forthcoming. Please allow this notice to serve as a Save the Date! The tickets for the banquet are $ per person and will be on sale soon. You can see either Father Ken or JoAnn Radu for your ticket when available! We would like to reserve a table of eight from our parish as a representation and sign of support! May our Most Holy Theotokos Bless You and Your Families for your Continuous Love and Support! Samaritan Outreach The next item on the schedule for our St. Nicholas Samaritan Outreach is the Free Dinner! This has been scheduled for Tuesday, June 26, 2018 at the American Legion Hall in Windham. Ohio. The dinners will be served from 5:00 until 6:00 p.m. that evening. We are now soliciting help to cook, set up and clean, as well as to work at the dinner. The menu will feature: Roast Chicken, Stuffing, Vegetables, Bread & Butter, Beverage, Coffee, and Dessert. If you are able to give us a helping hand please inform either Father Ken or Deacon Ed during the Sunday coffee social or contact them by phone or . Your help and cooperation will benefit this most important ministry of our parish! Register Your Child! The Holy Trinity Orthodox Christian Academy 175 Laird Avenue N.E. in Warren, Ohio - is now accepting new students for the academic year! The Educational Ministry at this Academy is: Christ Centered, Hands-on Classical Curriculum, Maximum 15 Students per Class, Safe & Loving Environment: Completely Bully Free (Bullying is NOT Tolerated Under Any Circumstance) and Ed Choice is available for qualifying students and families.

5 TEST PAGE You 5 will TEXT feel a sense of relief knowing children are in the company of teachers and peers who are kind, compassionate, and learning how to become good citizens at our amazing school! If you are not happy with the education being provided at the school your child is attending, who not check out Holy Trinity Academy? Register now because the seating is limited! You can receive up to $ off your tuition is you register early! This academy has won the respect of the community for providing an excellent education within a wholesome Christian environment, enabling children to achieve their God-given abilities and potentials! For registration information and for making appointments to tour the school facilities, please call Holy Trinity Academy at (330) or check out the school at their web sight Our Church Offerings One of the many acts of worship conducted at each Sunday Divine Liturgy, is performed in our generous donations made during the Church Offering! This is an excellent way of expressing our love, devotion to the Lord, as well as our thanksgiving for the many blessings received from His Hands! We would like to share with you the Church Offerings from last Sunday: Regular Offering $870.00/ Candle Offering $106.00/ Total Church Offerings = $ May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, bless all of you 100 fold for your gracious gifts offered for the continuing salvic work being done here at our beloved St. Nicholas Church!!! The Flight into Egypt The faithful of our St. Nicholas Orthod ox Church would like to extend to Mother Marina, the Abbes, and the Nuns of the St. Mary and St. John the Beloved Coptic Orthodox Monastery in Warren, Ohio, our love and sincere thanks for their gift of the hand-painted Icon of The Flight Into Egypt, done in the Coptic Iconographic style by one of the Nuns of their community! Your gracious gifts will be placed in our Church Complex and will always be prayerfully remembered here in our parish. Your monastic community are always welcome here at St. Nicholas and will always have a special place in our hearts and prayers! Be assured of our love and respect! Please keep us in your prayers as we remember you in ours! We were blessed to have the Nuns with us on Monday as the children studied The Flight Into Egypt as on of the sub-themes of the week long Orthodox Vacation Church School Program. They were so kind as to give the children Icons, balloons and special chocolate from Egypt, which was a big hit with the kids! God bless you abundantly! P.S. There are more Icons left over from the Vacation Church School Program. They are on the display case in the parish Atrium. Please take a copy with you on the way home this morning! 2018 Annuals on Sale Our Diocese, through the auspices of the National Senior A.C.R.Y., publishes their Annual which features: A Ecclesiastical Calendar, Religious Articles, Official List of Parishes and Clergy of the Diocese along with the Ruling Hierarch. The A.C.R.Y. Annual also contains a pictorial view of life within the Diocese, A.C.R.Y. and Diocesan Parishes during the last year. There is a special section dedicated to our Diocesan camping weeks at our Home away from home, Camp Nazareth! Many of our parish youth are pictured. The 2018 A.C.R.Y. Annual is now on sale for $15.00 dollars each, and can be found in the Print Shop of our parish complex. If you would like a copy, please see either Father Ken or one of the Church officers. We are sure that you would enjoy owning a copy of this edition! Installing Officers At the Divine Liturgy this morning Father Ken installed the newly elected officers and trustees from our parish and the various parish organizations. While holding the Book of the Holy Gospels and pledging their fidelity to the Lord and the service to Him and to the up building of our St. Nicholas Church, a special blessing was give to them! May the Lord bless them and grant them the strength, wisdom, courage and all that is necessary to carry out their sacred duties in the year to come! And many the Lord grant them Many Years!!!