The Word. February 2019 NATIVITY OF CHRIST GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH. And the Word became flesh & dwelt among us, full of grace & truth.

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1 NATIVITY OF CHRIST GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH The Word February 2019 Fr. John s Message The Wisdom of St. Simeon Page 1 And the Word became flesh & dwelt among us, full of grace & truth. ~John 1:14 Liturgies & Readings Upcoming services for February Page 2 Now let your servant depart in peace, according to your will, for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel. St. Simeon the Righteous We all have goals in our lives. We all have things we want to accomplish before leaving this earth. Although death is not something we usually like to think about, our faith in Jesus Christ should give us comfort and encouragement to reflect upon our own death and help us realize that death is inevitable. Our days are numbered. Even when it is not pleasant, we should give appropriate thought to our goals for this life, and the next. On February 2, we celebrate the Presentation of our Lord to the Temple. The presentation of a child to the Temple after 40 days of birth was a Jewish tradition that we continue to this day. This feast of our Lord has two significant messages: 1. The Church continues to celebrate Parish Council Our New Parish Council January Update Page 3 Philoptochos Vasilopita Sunday March 2 Luncheon Page 6 God taking on flesh through Christ s incarnation. 2. The celebration of the life of the Righteous Simeon. Simeon was a priest who lived a very dedicated and holy life to the glory of God. Through his great knowledge and understanding of scripture, he greatly anticipated the arrival of the Messiah. Knowing that he was attaining old age, Simeon prayed to God, asking that he would not die until he witnessed the Savior come into this world. At our Lord s Presentation to the Temple, Simeon immediately recognized the Christ child in his arms and thanked God by saying, now let your servant depart in peace, for my eyes of seen Your salvation The hymns of the Feast of the Presentation to the Lord are full of rich theology and symbolism. The Apolytikion of the Feast proclaims: Lady full of grace, rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, for Christ our God, the Sun of righteousness has risen from you and He illumined those in darkness. And you, righteous January Highlights Parish Feast Day Jan. 19th Liturgy Page 8 Upcoming Events FDF Preview Luncheon Family Trivia Night Page 12 Elder, be glad in heart, receiving in your embraces the One who liberates our souls and bestows on us the Resurrection. Traveling the world, seeing grandchildren, or completing a successful career, are common goals to achieve before death. But have we also set goals pertaining to our relationship with God? When we ponder our own death and examine what we wish to accomplish before we die, let us also think of the example of the Righteous Simeon. It was only when he held the Christ child that he felt his life was complete. His relationship and interactions with God is what defined his life more than anything else. Let us also invite God to help determine our goals, which inevitably will define our lives. Through the example of St. Simeon, may we all reflect upon our own death to help us deepen our relationship with God and define our eternal objectives with Christ our Savior, who liberates our souls and bestows on us Resurrection February WORD 1

2 February Services and Readings All Divine Services on Sundays and weekdays begin with Orthros at 8:30am followed by the Divine Liturgy. Please make every effort to attend these worship services on time. Sat Feb 2 Presentation of Our Lord Hebrews 7:7-17 Luke 2:22-40 Sun Feb 3 16th Sunday of Matthew II Corinthians 6:1-10 Matthew 25:14-30 Sun Feb 10 Sunday of the Canaanite II Timothy 2:1-10 Matthew 15:21-28 Sun Feb 17 The Publican and Pharisee II Timothy 3:10-15 Luke 18:10-14 Sun Feb 24 Sunday of the Prodigal Son II Corinthians 4:6-15 Luke 15:11-32 The Presentation of Our Lord and Savior in the Temple When the most pure Mother and Ever-Virgin Mary's forty days of purification had been fulfilled, she took her first-born Son to Jerusalem on this, the fortieth day after His birth, that she might present Him in the temple according to the Law of Moses, which teaches that every first-born male child be dedicated to God, and also that she might offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons, as required by the Law (Luke 2:22-24; Exod. 13:2; Lev. 12:6-8). On this same day, a just and devout man, the greatly aged Symeon, was also present in the temple, being guided by the Holy Spirit. For a long time, this man had been awaiting the salvation of God, and he had been informed by divine revelation that he would not die until he beheld the Lord's Christ. Thus, when he beheld Him at that time and took Him up into his aged arms, he gave glory to God, singing: "Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, O Master..." And he confessed that he would close his eyes joyfully, since he had seen the Light of revelation for the nations and the Glory of Israel (Luke 2:25-32). From ancient times, the Holy Church has retained this tradition of the churching of the mother and newborn child on the fortieth day and of the reading of prayers of purification. The Apodosis of the Feast of the Meeting in the Temple is usually on the 9th of February. This, however, may vary if the Feast falls within the period of the Triodion. Should this occur, the Typicon should be consulted for specific information concerning the Apodosis of the Feast February Word

3 Parish Council Update On January 4, 2019, the Stratigos Family hosted a mixer and dinner, welcoming the new members of our 2019 Parish Council and thanking our 2018 members. A special thank you to Bruce Corcoran, Vicki Kalabokes, George Tacticos and Dennis Thomatos for their service to the Parish Council. The evening reminded all of us that each and every member of our Parish contributes to making our Church a place of faith, love, and community. We toasted all those who have contributed to these past 50 years and look forward to celebrating our Parish s anniversary throughout the year. Our 2019 Parish Council The installation of our 2019 Parish Council took place on Sunday, January 6, The 2019 Officers were then elected: Spiro Stratigos, President Steve Rouman, Vice President Nico Haris, Treasurer Eleni Scanagatta, Secretary Parish Council Members include Christ Kamages, Anna Kozas, Irene Meehan, Peter Passaris, Renee Scott, George Sotiras and Dina Stathis. An election of a vacant Parish Council position also took place and we were pleased to elect Cheryl Messner ( term) to complete our 2019 Parish Council February WORD 3

4 Parish Council Update New Parish Council Member Cheryl Simone Messner grew up in Southern California and her family were original members of St. Lukes Orthodox Church of Garden Grove, CA. As a Pan-Orthodox church, St. Lukes was unique because the parishioners were from diverse ethnic backgrounds including Middle Easterners, Greeks, Russians, Eritreans, Slovaks, Serbs and Romanians. Needless to say, the annual festivals were a rich blend of culture and were well attended by the greater Orange County community. Cheryl's parents, Cy and Helen, operated a family Italian restaurant in Compton where she and her two sisters worked from the age they could "reach the sink," washing dishes, prepping, and serving. Growing up, Cheryl enjoyed the closeness of a large, extended family and recently visited the village in Lebanon where her father grew up a century ago. Cheryl fell in love with the beauty of the Bay Area after attending Cal Berkeley, and decided to make it her home. She and her husband Mark met in 1990 while working as federal probation officers for the U.S. District Court in San Francisco. They married in 1994 at the beautiful Greek Orthodox church in Long Beach, CA, and her cousin, Father Michael Laffoon of Irvine, officiated. Beforehand, Mark, who grew up as a non-denominational Protestant Christian, borrowed from My Big Fat Greek Wedding playbook after he was baptized in an inflatable pool by an Episcopalian priest in Berkeley - with the aid of crutches because he was recovering from knee surgery. Mark and Cheryl moved to Novato in 1997 and have two children, Nicholas (Nick) and Hannah. Nick is studying International Law at the University of Trento in northern Italy and Hannah is completing her senior year at Chapman University in Orange County. Mark and Cheryl continue to work in the criminal justice field and also do volunteer work in their free time. Mark, a fourth degree blackbelt, teaches Kung Fu and Tai Chi in the city and also studies traditional Chinese medicine. Inspired by a talk by Vicki Trapalis and Dina Stathis of our community, Cheryl traveled to the island of Chios in October where she performed volunteer work to help refugees fleeing from war and persecution. She looks forward to having greater involvement at Nativity of Christ, getting to know the community better, and serving on the Parish Counsel. January Meeting Update Ministry Coordinator The Parish Council, with the guidance of Father John, is pleased to introduce our New Ministries Coordinator Andy Stenros. Andy will be working with Father John and parishioners to expand our ministries and help communicate events. Andy will be working to create consistency of our programs and will be looking to all of us to make these events and activities a success. Strategic Plan The Parish Council approved the creation of a Strategic Planning Committee for the Nativity of Christ Greek Orthodox Church. The Parish Council will be updating the community over the next few months to invite everyone s participation and involvement. Narthex/New Gateway Preliminary Research The Facilities Committee updated the Parish Council on the results from the topographical survey conducted last month. The Council has also approved a structural and civil analysis of the site area. These efforts are being taken to analyze the viability and cost of such a project prior to presenting it to the community. The survey and civil/structural analysis are being funded by donations directed for this project which the Council will continue to review in February February Word

5 Stewardship Stewardship Irene Meehan, on behalf of the Stewardship Committee, was pleased to present that in 2018 the Parish stewardship goal of $256,000 was exceeded! The year-end total was $262,326. The year 2019 is off to a great start and we thank you all for your time, talent, and treasures that have allowed our Parish to grow and give back in a wonderful and glorious way. If you have not completed your 2019 Stewardship Form there are copies in the Narthex, Fellowship Hall, and the Office. You can also download it off the Nativity website. The completion of the form makes you a steward. Completing of the front is for treasure and completing the back of the form for time and talent. We appreciate your prompt completion of the form so we can contact you to help with the many ministries of the Church. Here is a look at how we did in our 2018 Stewardship: Pledge 2018 Number of Stewards $60, Pledge Amounts 2018: $262,326 $1-$ $201-$ $501-$ $751-$ $1001-$ $2001-$ $3001-$ Amount Per Category $50, $40, $30, $20, $10, $4001-$ $ Total 256 $- $1-$200 $201-$500 $501-$750 $751-$1000 $1001-$2000 $2001-$3000 $3001-$4000 $4001-$5000 $5001+ Stewardship 3 Year Overview Number of Stewards Total Amount Pledged $221,895 $239,448 $260,106 Total Amount Received $222,895 $227,753 $262,326 It is exciting that the number of stewards and the amount pledged is increasing! 2019 February WORD 5

6 Philoptochos Vasilopita Our community Vasilopita was held on Sunday, January 13. Thank you to Sophia Stathis, Kay Simon and Stassie Sideris for making the parish loaves. Thank you also to all who donated food items for this Fellowship Hour. The proceeds from the sales of the Vasilopitas in December and this Fellowship Hour will be sent to St. Basils Academy in Garrison, New York. Go Red Sunday Annually during the month of February, a fellowship hour is designated by our chapter as Go Red for Women Sunday in support of women s cardiac health. We will decide the date of this event at our February Philoptochos meeting and send out notices. All proceeds from the fellowship hour will go to the American Heart Association and everyone is encouraged to wear red. Philoptochos Annual Membership Drive On Sunday, January 27 th, we kicked off our Annual Membership Drive. Please see any board member to renew your membership. Your renewal can be made at any time. If you are not currently a member, please consider joining. Your support of our chapter helps to keep this ministry of the church strong. 50 th Anniversary of Philoptochos Plans are currently underway for our fashion show/luncheon Bridal Gowns Through the Years to be held on Saturday, March 2 nd. To date, we have over 20 gowns that will be included in the show. If you have a gown that you would like to include, please contact the Church Office. As each gown is walked down the runway, an original wedding photo will be projected and the Master of Ceremonies will announce the name of the bride and groom, the date and location of the wedding marks the 50 th anniversary of our Philoptochos Chapter and this luncheon will be a celebration of this occasion. We are also planning on publishing a program book that would include Philoptochos photos, past and present please look through your old photos and bring in any photos of Philoptochos members, events, etc. We will scan your photos and return them to you. Upcoming Philoptochos Events February 5: Philoptochos Board Meeting at 6:30 PM Go Red Sunday date to be announced March 2: Bridal Gowns Through the Years, Fashion Show and Luncheon at 11:00 AM, Fellowship Hall (See flyer) March 5: Philoptochos General Meeting at 6:30 PM April 21: Philoptochos Annual Palm Sunday Luncheon February Word

7 50th Anniversary Celebration Tickets to the Luncheon will be $ February WORD 7

8 December 30th Feast Day Celebration On the evening of December 30th, 2018, members of our community once again gathered to celebrate the Apodosis (Leave-Taking) of the Nativity of our Lord. Our Parish continues to give glory to God for sending creation His Son, and we thank the Perivolaris Family for preparing a delicious meal after the service February Word

9 January 19th Divine Liturgy January 19th Divine Liturgy January 19th, 2019, marked exactly 50 years from the first Greek Orthodox Divine Liturgy in Marin County. It also began the 50th Anniversary celebrations of Over 60 people gathered at the Elks Club in San Rafael for the Divine Liturgy and also prayed for the repose of all the souls of our founding stewards. It was a blessed day to reflect upon our Church s humble beginnings and enjoy the wonderful fellowship of its stewards. Thank you to Angie Kozas and Vicki Kalabokes for arranging the event and its reception. The Monthly WORD During the Months of December - February, many of you have been receiving the printed WORD, while previously receiving it online only. If you did not receive a mailed copy of the WORD prior to this and would like continue receiving the printed WORD, please contact the Church Office and we will continue to mail you our monthly newsletter, the WORD February WORD 9

10 1. Peace be with you all 2. now and forever and to the ages of ages let us ask of the Lord... Sunday School Do you know the basic responses during our Divine Liturgy? Match the petition! 4. let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole lives to Christ our God let us pray to the Lord 6. Peace be to you, the reader SUNDAY SCHOOL "SOUP"ERBOWL CANNED FOOD DRIVE a. Amen b. And with your spirit a. To you O Lord b. Amen a. Lord have mercy b. Grant this O Lord a. To you O Lord b. Lord have mercy a. Lord have mercy b. Glory to you O Lord a. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia b. And with your spirit Sunday School Service Projects In January we collected items for our Coast Guard Families in the North Bay who have been affected by the federal government shut down and furlough. Thanks to all who participated in supporting the Coast Guard in this way. Please continue to pray for them and their families. This month s service project begins on February 3 rd for Souper Bowl Sunday. All month, please bring canned soup, dry soup mix, lentils, rice, and other non-perishable foods to fill our Marin County Food Bank barrels. Our donations of non-perishable goods help local families in need put food on the table. An Attitude of Gratitude As we come together to pray, learn and do good works as a Sunday School, let s be thankful at every turn for what we have been given, for the opportunity to help others, and to know that our good works bring glory to God, our Father, who is in heaven. Give thanks unto the Lord, His mercy endures forever, Alleluia - Psalm 136 All of us on staff are grateful for you and your children. As always contact your child s teacher or me with questions. We love seeing you each week and being part of your children s Christian education. See you in Liturgy and in class! With love in Christ, Christina Thomatos Upcoming Sunday School Events February 3: Sunday School after Communion, Souper Bowl Sunday Food Drive Kick- Off February 10: Sunday School after Communion February 17: No Sunday School Answers to the liturgical response quiz: 6-a; 5-a; 4-a; 3-b; 2-b; DRIVE SUNDAY SUNDAY February Word

11 GOYA Gatherings On Monday, January 14 Jr. GOYA and GOYA gathered at the Stratigos home for fellowship and discussion. All middle school and high school students are invited to the Foster s home on February 7 at 6pm for another wonderful GOYA Gathering. Mommy & Me and GOYA Mommy & Me In January, Mommy & Me traveled to the Bay Area Discovery Museum and enjoyed a lovely Saturday playing outside and in the exhibits. This month, we plan to do another family Saturday event on Saturday, Feb 9th at Playland Sausalito at 9am. Join us for a fun morning jumping in the bounce houses and playing in the indoor gymnasium. There will be Peet's coffee included in the admission price! RSVP to Pres. Stephanie if you are able to join us February WORD 1 1

12 Upcoming Events VIP s This February there are two events: First we are visiting the Seniors Group at Holy Cross in Belmont. We are meeting at the church on Tuesday, February 5 at 10am and carpooling to the church. Then on Thursday, February 14, we are having our monthly luncheon at Nativity of Christ. Bring a covered dish and join us at 11: February Word

13 Upcoming Events Journey to Fullness February 6 and 13 at 6:30pm Join Fr. John and fellow stewards to embark on A Journey to Fullness: a video series to help introduce the richness and fullness of the Orthodox Christian Faith. On Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm, there will be a video presentation on a certain topic by Fr. Barnabas Powell. Questions and discussion with Fr. John will follow. Bible Study February 19 at 10am Come and participate in Bible Study with Fr. John to continue studying St. Paul s Epistles February WORD 13

14 Lenten Lectures Dean Karnazes: Wednesday March 13, 2019 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. After the first Presanctified Liturgy of Great Lent, Dean Karnazes will be speaking about his experience running all over the world and the struggle, discipline, and sacrifice that is necessary for his events. The physical and mental endurance needed for this running contain the same characteristics necessary for our Lenten journey. Dr. Philip Mamalakis: Sunday, March 31, 2019 The Joy of the Cross in our Home As we commemorate the Veneration of the Life- Giving Cross on the 3rd Sunday of Great Lent, Dr. Mamalakis will be speaking at Fellowship Hour about the joyous struggles of family life and how we can apply our faith to help us with our relationships in the home Greek Festival Food Preparations Calendar February Friday, February 15: Veggie Prep 6pm Saturday, February 16: Spanakopita 9am Tuesday, February 26 Melomakarona 9am March Friday, March 8: Tiropita Prep 6pm Saturday, March 9: Tiropita Assembly 11am Sunday, March 10: Eggplant Prep Noon Wednesday, March 13: Diples 9am Friday, March 15: Pastichio Pasta 3pm Saturday, March 16: Pastichio Assembly 11am Saturday, March 23: Moussaka Assembly 9am Friday, March 29: Galatoboureko 9am Saturday, March 30: Galatoboureko 9am April Friday, April 5: Koulourakia 9am May Thursday, May 2: Kataifi 9am Friday, May 17: Kourabiethes 9am Monday, May 20: Baklava 9am Tuesday, May 21: Food Preparations 11am Wednesday, May 22: Food Preparations 9am Thursday, May 23: Food Preparations 9am Please refer to the Church Calendar on our Website for changes to the above schedule February Word

15 2019 Pledged Stewards of Nativity of Christ (As of January 25, 2019) All Things are Possible to the One Who Believes in Christ. Presiding Priest Fr. John & Pres. Stephanie Kocolas Priest Emeritus Fr. Constantine & Pres. Kay Efstathiu Pres. Evelyn Adams Aaron, Steven & Eva Ambrosi, Alex Angelonides, Peter & Arlene Antonis, Chris & Keri Argyres, Andreas & Joanne Barmperis, Ioannis & Tina Bechaka, Sonia Blasingame, Dave & Katina Botaitis, Demetri Brzycki, Jeffrey & Tracy Langly Burrows, Bill & Floretta Camamis, Constance Dina Corcoran, Bruce & Fran Cordellos, Dennis & Anna Cummings Nathan & Daphne Daifotis, Nick Delis, Nicholas & Stephanie Della Cella, Joseph & Kathryn Kalabokes Diamond, Jason & Vickie Economy, Carol El-Far, Karim & Jasmine Eliopoulos, Sophia Fafoutis, Diane Fotinos, Vivian Fourakis, Achilleas Fourakis, Vasilis & Effie Gavallos, Constantina George, Pete & Ann Georgeson, George & Debbie Geron, Marika Gikkas, Pete & Vickie Hatos Gikkas, Stephanie Giusti, Nonie Hajopoulos, Kathy Haris, Nico & Nicole Hontalas, Chris & Susan Hunter, John & Rose Hunter, Stacey Iannios, Demetrios & Manulani Kakleas, Jon & Michelle Kalabokes, Chris & Vicki Kalabokes, Matthew Kamages, Christ & Pat Keller, Ed & Karen Kocolas, Andoni & Alexia Kokalis, George & Debbie Kokalis, Nick & Lena Kosturos, John & Dolly Kozas, Anna Kuvelis, Dean & Denise Lagios, Michael & Sheila Lendaris, Antonia Livadas, Carl & Stacey Madias, Dino & Marti Madias, Michael & Laurie Manesis, Alexandria Marshall, Phil & Kathy Mavromihalis, Steven & Vickie Medan, Dushan & Gigi Meehan, Nicole Meehan, Thomas & Irene Mehas, Christine Messner, Mark & Cheryl Morales, Marlon & Andrea Orologas, Alexandra Orr, Thomas & Beverly Panagotacos, James & Diane Pantazes, Katherine Papageorge, Christos & Despina Pappas, Maria Passaris, Peter & Maria Passaris, Ted & Elaine Pauletti, Jeff & Alexandria Payea, Keith & Nicolette Petrakis, Steve & Martha Pineda, Andy & Matina Seremetis Pinoris, Lloyd & Anastasia Porter, Bryan & Melina Psaros, Stamati & Eleni Roesner, Russell & Margarite Roland, George & Doris Rouman, Steve & Liz Saris, Tony & Betty Scanagatta, Roman & Eleni Scott, Anthony & Renee Selmi, Cathy Selmi, Helen Sideris, Stassie Simos, Ted & Sophia Sklavos, James & Bessie Slenkin, Alex & Nancy Smernes, Kalliope Smith, Evdokia Sotiras, George Sotiras, Maria Starling, Eric & Irene Stathis, Pete & Dina Stathis, Sophia Stenros, Stuart & Stella Stockton, John & Susan Stratigos, Spiro & Mary Kay Tacticos, George Thomatos, Dennis & Christina Touras, Antonios & Antonia Trevoledes, Patrice Trimble, Paul Tzafopoulos, Demetrios & Cindy Tzafopoulos, Nicholas & Vasiliki Tzagarakis, Martina Vrattos, John & Francesca Walters, Jenny Whittaker, Madeline Woods, Doris Xenelis, Nicholas Yakumithis, Michael Zaferiou, Paul & Phyllis Zahariudakis, Dimitrios & Charoula 2019 February WORD 15

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17 Nativity of Christ Greek Orthodox Church 1110 Highland Drive Novato, California Change Service Requested The Word February Events March 2 at 11am Bridal Gowns Through the Ages Luncheon & Fashion Show April 28 Easter Picnic May 24, 25, 26 Greek Festival July Divine Liturgy at St. Vincent s October 12 or 13 Celebration Gala Contact Angie Kozas angiekozas@gmail.com or Vicki Kalabokes vkalabokes@gmail.com for more information February WORD 1