Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral HERALD JULY /AUGUST 2014

Transcription

1 Page Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral HERALD JULY /AUGUST 2014 The Transfiguration Mosaic in the Basilica Apse of the Monastery of Saint Catherine in Sinai Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral V. Rev. Fr. John S. Bakas, Dean Rev. Fr. Allan Boyd,, Assistant Priest 1324 S. Normandie Avenue, Los Angeles, CA Tel Fax GET READY AND GET INVOLVED INSIDE THIS ISSUE Dean s Message 2 President s Message 3 Philoptochos News 4 Stewardship 5 Community News 6 Philanthropia News 7 Philoptochos VIP 7 Ministries List 8 Sacraments/ Memorials 9 Feast Day Article 10 Greek Fest Needs 12 & 13 Orthodox Calendar 14 &15

2 Page 2 DEAN S MESSAGE A Life-Saving Station On a dangerous sea coast where shipwrecks often occur there was once a simple little life-saving station. The building was just a hut, and there over the sea, and with no thought for themselves. Volunteers went out day and night tirelessly search for shipwrecks. Some of those who were saved and various others in the surrounding area, wanted to become associated with the station and give of their time and money and effort for the support of its work. New boats were bought and new crews trained. The little life-saving station grew. Some of the members of the life-saving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and poorly equipped. They felt that a more comfortable place should be provided as the first refuge of those saved from the sea. They replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in the enlarged building. Now the life-saving station became a popular gathering place for its members, and they decorated it beautifully and furnished it exquisitely, because they used it as a sort of club. Fewer members were now interested in going to sea on life-saving missions, so they hired life-boat crews to do this work. The life-saving motif still prevailing in this club s decoration and there was a lounge in the shape of the life-saving boats where social events were held. About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in boat loads of cold, wet and halfdrowned people. They were dirty and sick and some of them had black skin and some had yellow skin. The beautiful new club was in chaos. So the property committee immediately had a shower house built outside the club where victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside. At the next meeting, there was a split in the club membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club s life-saving activities as being unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal social life of the club. Some members insisted upon lifesaving as their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a life-saving station. But they were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the lives of all the various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own life-saving station down the coast. They did. As the years went by, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. It evolved into a club, and yet another life-saving station was founded. History continued to repeat itself, and if you visit that sea coast today, you will find a number of exclusive clubs along that shore. Shipwrecks are frequent in those waters, but most of the people drown! brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. We are all called to be fishers of men. That s what the Church is all about. That s what our Cathedral must be sending out boats with spiritual nets to find and retrieve the lost. Many, if not most, of the lost are our own sons and daughters; growing up in GOYA, YAL, Greek Folk Dancing, etc Where are most of those youngsters now? Look around, do you see most of them praying and worshipping in church or involved in ministries that are not just fun? You see: when those of us who are called to fish don t fish, we get restless, lose focus, and begin to fight with one another about the goals and direction of the church. Instead of casting nets we cast stones instead of being fishers of the lost; we become critics of the saved. So what do we do to assure that we are following the Lord s command to be fishers of men? Here are some net tactics we will use to teach you dear believers to be fishermen: 1. Starting in the Fall we will help you learn how to fish providing you with the appropriate Orthodox nets. We will prepare a series of sermons and teachings for that purpose. 2. We will ask you to give us the names of those who have left the church for whatever reason to come to hosted relevant orientation sessions of the purpose of reconnecting. I pray that you will join the effort. Stop being consumers or customers asking for religious and ethnic commodities. We must all be Disciples of Christ and charged by Him to make others disciples. In Christ, V. Rev. Fr. John S. Bakas, Dean In the Gospel of St. Matthew 4:18-23 we read: At that time as Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his

3 Page 3 PARISH COUNCIL MESSAGE Enliven Your Spirit to Enrich Your Soul July and August were always favorite months for me from the time I was a student, then as a teacher and eventually as a school principal. The reason why was it was time for summer vacation and rejuvenation of my soul and mind. One of my favorite columns includes many of the interests that we all can take and put into practice. So I m sharing these ideas created by Melody Lee: Enliven Your Spirit to Enrich Your Soul We as a society are good at taking care of our bodies and minds with exercise and schooling, but we often forget that our souls need attention and care too. Rejuvenating our souls should be a daily habit. Consider doing more things that liven your spirit in positive ways. Here is a list of 25 ways to bring peace and light back into your life through soul rejuvenation. 1. Read more! Always have books by your bed, in the bathroom, in your purse, and in your car. Read whenever you are bored to fill that time with a meaningful and enriching activity. Choose spiritual and uplifting books. 2. Let go of the past. Cut all emotional ties to past failures and relationships that bring you down. Move on and focus on your bright future! 3. Go to church regularly and become a part of our spiritual community. Make it part of your routine and attend church every Sunday, volunteer to help with extra church activities. Invite a friend and/or a neighbor to come with you. We love St. Sophia and we need to share it with others! 4. Burn sage in every room. This will cleanse your home of negative energy. 5. Take a nice, long, relaxing bubble bath. Make it a nightly routine to relax your body and soul after a long, hard day. 6. Persevere. No matter how hard your life is, keep pushing forward and remember what Charles Bukowski said, What matters most is how well you walk through the fire. 7. Go to the spa. Or make your bathroom into a spa with eucalyptus oil, plenty of steam, scented scrubs, and other rejuvenating products. 8. Forgive all the people who have wronged you. Have a fresh start with them or completely cut them out of your life. Don t deal with the negativity anymore. 9. Call an old friend and catch up on old times. 10. Volunteer. Pick an organization or program that you believe in and donate your time on a regular basis, especially around the holidays when you have time off and organizations need more support. 11. Donate money to a charity whose mission you strongly believe in. 12. Cry your heart out. Let out all the tears at once. This is very cathartic! 13. Scream at the top of your lungs to release your vent up energy and aggression. (You may want to scream into a pillow so that you don t scare your neighbors.) 14. Laugh! Joke with friends more often. Go to a comedy or improvisation show on the weekend. 15. Look through all your old photos and reminisce about how far you ve come in life. 16. For Women: Go without makeup. It feels so good to go all -natural. For men: Spend some time with your significant other and your kids. Enjoy your time together and remember to leave your phone off. 17. Stretch. Do yoga, Pilates or basic stretches to relax your body and mind. Consider meditating on a regular basis, too. 18. Clean your home. A clean house will actually make you feel better in general. 19. Relax. Just sit down and relax. The world goes by so fast and there is so much to do, so make time to do nothing! Even if it is just 30 minutes a day, we all need our down time to have a well-rested soul. 20. Play board games. Have a few of the classics at hand, like Monopoly, Scrabble or Jenga Playing games makes us feel young again. 21. Dance! Dance in the morning to wake up; dance in the afternoon to cut loose. 22. See a therapist. Talk over your issues with an expert to continued in Page 4

4 Page 4 PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS Pack a Backpack for Children! On Sunday, August 17 after liturgy, join us in the hall for lunch. We are collecting NEW backpacks and school supplies for homeless children. Backpacks, colored pencils and markers, notebook paper - anything would be wonderful. How nice it will be for students to have something new to take with them to school. The circumstances of children living on the streets, or in abandoned buildings, alleys, etc. is so sad - and a gift like this will really improve their spirits and attitude. Getting up every day and trying to focus on school is hard enough, let alone for someone who has no bed to sleep in, little food, and is struggling every day just to stay alive. It would be nice to bring your donation with you and come have lunch and fellowship with friends. Philoptochos appreciates everything and anything you would like to donate. We want you involved! You may bring your donation to church on Sundays if you will not be able to attend church on August 17th or give it to a Philoptohos Board member and they will bring it to the luncheon. If you don t have time to go shopping, come to the hall anyway. We d love to have you. Reaching out to those who are suffering and need help is what Philoptochos is all about and why we work so hard to raise funds. Our work with the Metropolis Kids and Cancer project, FOCUS, National Philoptochos charities, local area missions, senior citizens who cannot make ends meet each month, people in our community who are ill or unemployed - and so many others keep us busy all the time. Summer may be here but our work never stops. The outreach program is still large and we could still use some help if you wish to donate a gift card to Target, Trader Joe s, Wal-Mart - anything would be greatly appreciated. We continue to send gift cards to these people so that they may purchase food and other essentials. Philoptochos has also helped with a number of burial expenses in the past year, and our outreach funds help us with those costs. You can be an angel to someone by being an angel to Philoptochos. I d like to thank the members of the Board of Directors for all of their hard work and support this past year. They ve done a wonderful job and given a lot of time and energy to Philoptochos. I could never do all of this alone. THANK YOU LADIES! The National Philoptochos Biennial Convention will take place in July and we will have a report from the convention in September. General assembly meetings are on vacation now and will resume in September. As soon as the new schedule is ready it will be printed in the newsletters. The Mission Statement of Philoptochos To aid the poor, the destitute, the hungry, the aged, the sick, the unemployed, the orphaned, the imprisoned, the widowed, the handicapped, the victims of disasters, to undertake the burial of impoverished persons and to offer assistance to anyone who may need the help of the church through fund raising efforts this is what we do and this is why we put on fundraisers throughout the years. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me John 12:8 With love in Christ s service, Virginia Noyes and the Philoptohos Board of Directors continued from Page 3 help release stress. 23. Do anything you re passionate about. Take up a hobby, sport, or craft that you enjoy. I like to write poetry, play Scrabble, and go bowling. Engaging in these activities is incredibly rewarding and rejuvenating because it is Me Time that I deserve. 24. Start over. Not happy with your life? Then get a new job, change homes, take a class, or end your relationship. Don t get stuck in a rut. 25. Listen closely to our Sunday Sermons. Both Father John and Father Allan can help us practice what we can do to rejuvenate your soul. They will surely have excellent spiritual suggestions for making your soul content. So I wish all of you some special rejuvenating moments of your own. Get ready for the Fall and the onslaught of school, football and a great time volunteering and attending our L.A. Greek Fest. Yours in Christ, Brent A. Noyes, Parish Council President

5 Page 5 Believe and Belong through Christian Stewardship STEWARDSHIP FAMILIES May 2014 $4,000 To $5,999 Kolovos, Mr. & Mrs. George* In Loving Memory of Sophia Dagres Palomares+ $2,000 To $3,999 Beach, Mr. & Mrs. John Mastor, Dr. & Mrs. Anthony* Anonymous (1) $1,000 To $1,999 Boltinghouse, Mrs. Helen* Defterios, Ms. Georgia* Fenady, Mr. & Mrs. Andrew* Mitchell, Mr. & Mrs. Peter Pentheroudakis, Mr. & Mrs. Panos Reiley, Ms. Joyce Roussos, Mr. & Mrs. Theodosios $650 To $999 Canelake, Mr. Nicholas Kalivas, Mrs. and Mr. George Mickelopoulos, Ms. Ruth Ratzenberger, Ms. Nina Spears, Mr. & Mrs. Theodore Stumpus, Mr. Jack Anonymous (1) OTHER Chistolini, Ms. Sarah Mitropetros, Mr. & Mrs. Constantine Nicolaidis, Mr. Nicolas Poullos, Ms. Jayne Veracka, Mrs. Virginia Anonymous (2) * Life Members Endowment Fund +Blessed Memory ANNOUNCEMENTS Greek Fest Volunteers: The 16th annual L.A. Greek Fest will be held on September 5,6 and 7, This our community s biggest and most important expression of cultural and spiritual identity, as well as a critical fundraiser for our operational costs. Our participation as volunteers is needed again. It is the act of coming together and working for a common goal that defines us as the Saint Sophia Cathedral Community. Come to the coffee hour after the Liturgy and sign up with Irene Andreadis, cell: , irene.andreadis1226@gmail.com, our volunteer coordinator. Do not forget the individual benefits of volunteerism: community improvement, relaxation, socialization, stimulating conversation, self satisfaction, altruism, potential learning and acquisition of new skills, and career opportunities. The Why of Orthodox Belief and Practice with Father Allan Boyd. For those wishing to become Orthodox and for those who have been Orthodox their whole lives, but wish to experience their Faith more meaningfully. This class offers you an expanded experience of everything we do; from the way we cross ourselves, to the Sacraments of the Church, to our Major Feast Days and our Divine Liturgy. People who have already been Orthodox for 60 years have remarked that what they learned about their Faith from this class was like going from a tiny black & white TV set to experiencing it in IMAX. This class meets Monday nights at 7:30-8:30 pm, upstairs in the General Assembly room of the Huffington Center. Attention Middle & High School Students! The first Sunday of each month has been officially named Youth Sunday. In addition to a Sunday School student reading the Epistle, the Parish Council of Saint Sophia Cathedral invites middle and high school students to volunteer in the Narthex during Divine Liturgy. You'll be paired with a seasoned Parish Council member to train you. If you'd like to volunteer in the Narthex and/or pass the baskets, please sign up by contacting L.A.GreekChurchLady@gmail.com. Send your name, phone number, age and what day you'd like to volunteer. Please arrive at church at 9:45 a.m. so you may be trained. Upcoming date: July 6 and August 3, 2014.

6 Page 6 COMMUNITY NEWS CYPRUS REMEMBERED On Sunday July 20, following the Divine Liturgy, a Memorial Service and Commemoration of the 40 th Anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus will be offered for the repose of the fallen. This Service will remind us of the tragic events of 1974 in that beautiful island Republic, an important part of Orthodox Christianity and Hellenism, and honor the memory of those who died defending their country, democracy and freedom, or fell victims to that brutal attack. It is organized by the Greek Orthodox Holy Metropolis of San Francisco, Saint Sophia Cathedral, the Honorary Consul General of Cyprus in Southern California, Mr. Andreas Kyprianides and the American Hellenic Council of California. Similar services will also be held at other Greek Orthodox Churches in our area. Please remember Cyprus and pray for a just and lasting solution to this problem - a problem of foreign invasion and occupation. PACK A BACKPACK FOR CHILDREN ON AUGUST 17th! Join the Saint Sophia Philoptohos Society as we collect NEW backpacks for homeless children at the Los Angeles Mission! You may choose to donate packages of color markers, pencils or even notebook paper if you d like! Whatever you wish to do will be greatly appreciated. The children could certainly use a nice new backpack to take to school and we d like to help them. They are already facing a difficult life being homeless. A new backpack gives children a more positive outlook and attitude toward attending school. On SUNDAY, AUGUST 17 immediately after church, come over to the Maniatakos Fellowship Hall and bring your donation then come in to have lunch, sponsored by Philoptochos. Tina Russek, the Gifts in Kind manager from the Los Angeles Mission, will come to Saint Sophia that day and join us in church. She will be in the hall to talk and answer any questions you may wish to ask her about the Mission and what they do.

7 Page 7 PHILANTHROPIA NEWS PHILOPTOCHOS VIP Get on the Bus: This program was introduced to us by Sister Catherine Marie, a chaplain at the women s jail. With your generous support, we reached our goal of $1,500 to sponsor a bus in 2013 that scheduled visits with hundreds of children who boarded buses to travel from cities all over the State of California to be united with their incarcerated moms and/or dads, on Mothers Day and Fathers Day respectively. Please give generously again this year so that we may reach our goal of $1,500 for Donations may be sent to the PHILANTHROPIA office at 6357 Crebs Avenue, Tarzana, CA We will keep you posted as the day approaches. Thank you and God Bless! On June 26, 2014 we visited the beautiful Getty Villa in Malibu and saw the Heaven and Earth-Art of Byzantium exhibition from Greece. J. Paul Getty has been collaborating with the Benaki Museum in Athens and the Hellenic Ministry of Culture. It was a great experience particularly with Father John Bakas as the Docent. In October 2014, the Philoptochos VIP Board is planning a trip to a Casino. More details will follow. In His Service, Athina Lolonis, VIP President City of Hope: The 2014 Pediatric Celebration of Life which recognizes all the children that have succumbed from cancer will be held this year on Wednesday, November 12th at the City of Hope Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA Tel: (626) We sponsor the service and booklet for this memorial. Thank you again for your contribution Used Clothing and Canned Goods: Thank you for all the generous donation of used clothing during the Lenten season and beyond. This is a year-long project, so please continue your donations as there are still many we need to reach. Please label all clothing donations on the outside of the bags by indicating whether they are for men, women or children. The two new receptacles for "used clothing" and "canned goods" are working great. They are located side by side, in the general area of the nursery. Thank you! The Wall-Las Memorias Project: We continue to support Richard Zaldivar, Executive Director, in their quest to achieve the same goals we have for continued AIDS education, awareness and prevention. Street Outreach: Dr. Nikos Stefanidis, Ph.D. a Staff Psychologist at Children s Hospital, L.A., is the Clinical Director of this High Risk Program. Your continued help will assure that these children are cared for year round by purchasing new items such as the following: T-Shirts (M-L); Boxers (M-L); White Socks; Blankets; Sleeping Bags; Sweatshirts; Snacks; Water/Juices; Bus Tokens; Sneakers; Hygiene Items (Travel Size); Tooth Brushes & Toothpaste; Shampoo; Deodorant; Sun Screen -- be sure to label them for Dr. Nikos Stefanidis and leave them by the clothing bins. We will make sure that he picks items up. Thank you. Philanthropia Website: The Winter issue of the PHILANTHROPIA Newsletter that was mailed recently, will be on the website shortly at: We thank Perry Lambert who is coordinating our website. (Note: We will be preparing a Spring-Summer combined issue of the newsletter again this year while Presbytera fully recovers from her hospitalization earlier this year. Thank you for your understanding.) God bless you! Father Peter

8 Page 8 MINISTRIES Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral Very Reverend Father John S. Bakas, Dean Reverend Father Allan (Gabriel) Boyd Jim Kollias, Choir Director Dimitris Liogris, Protopsaltis Michael Kontaxis, Assistant Psaltis Christopher Yokas, Organist James Karatsikis, Sexton FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES Executive Officers George E. Preonas, President Andrew Evangelatos, Executive Vice President Dr. James A. Demetriou, Vice President & C.F.O. Constantine M. Boukidis, Secretary Tina Callas, Treasurer Members V. Rev. Fr. John S. Bakas Nicholas Bissias Timi Loomos Freshman Alek Haidos Steve Hanna Michael Huffington Gig Kyriacou Brent Noyes John T. Pappas Jim Zaferis Presidential Appointments Anthony A. Demetriou, Presidential Assistant John G. Marakas III, Sr. Advisor to the Board Andrew J. Demetriou, Foundation General Counsel PARISH COUNCIL BOARD OF DIRECTORS Executive Officers Brent Noyes, President John Kopatsis, Vice President Irene Andreadis, Recording Secretary Karen Sarames, Corresponding Secretary Michael Kraios, Treasurer & C.F.O. Members Bertha Angels Eleni Constantine Manolelis Jeanine Hanna Glenn Lianos Loula Moschonas Peter Pallas Dean Peratsakis Dorothy Spirus Tom Ward Anna Yallourakis Auditing Committee James Ananias Anthony Demetriou Tom Moore PHILOPTOHOS SOCIETY Executive Officers Virginia Noyes, President Helene Ballas, 1st Vice President Marianna Politis, 2nd Vice President Mary Gallanis, Recording Secretary Lola Gialketsis, Corresponding Secretary Scarlett Billis, Treasurer Dina Oldknow, Advisor Honorary Life Members Jennie Doumak Members Christine Peratis Allison Stavaridis Frances Bissias Judith Christopoulos Pauline Evangelatos Olga Jordan Tricia Kremer Coni Manders Sophie Mastor Jan Pastras Christina Peratsakis Mary Tassop Jayne Poullos Sonia Stathes Maria Toczek OFFICE STAFF Helen Ellis, Office Administrator Jessica Benitez, Admin. Assist. Noah Johnson, Sacraments and Events CUSTODIAL STAFF Marcial Cerna Oscar Castro Mauricio Mira Miguel Rosales ALTAR BOYS Chris Halekakis BASKETBALL Gig Kyriacou & Paul Cooper BIBLE STUDY Very Rev. Father John Bakas Rev. Father Allan Boyd BOOK STORE William Striglos CAMP ZOE Very Rev. Father John Bakas CHILD CARE Kathy & Marsha Zagorianos CHOIR Jim Kollias COFFEE HOUR Ann Pappas Georgia Vasila DOCENTS Faye Demetriou EASTER PICNIC Ted Pappas GREEK DANCE GROUPS Barbara Kappos GREEKS in HOLLYWOOD Dina Demetrius HELLENIC ACADEMY Andri Christodoulidou HOSPITALITY Niki Korbakis Maria Pelargos L.A. GREEK FEST Parish Council Executive Board MR. & MRS. CLUB Dean & Christine Peratsakis ODOS The Way Helen Lambros PARENTING Nick Stefanidis Barbara Kappos PHILANTHROPIA Rev. Father Peter Lambert PHILOPTOHOS V.I.P. Athina Lolonis, President SAINT SOPHIA CAMP Melanie O Regan Jack Stumpus (Golf Event) Tony Mastor (Tennis Event) Mary-Kay Demetriou (Tennis Event) SUNDAY SCHOOL Eleni Yokas YOUTH Rev. Father Allan Boyd

9 Page 9 SACRAMENTS AND MEMORIALS WEDDINGS EPISTLE READERS July 12 Vivian Gindi and William Hendry July 6 Marios Christofides July 12 Sally Ashamalla and Marc Awad July 13 Bill Striglos July 12 July 19 July 20 July 20 July 26 Sarah Eastwood & Roel Axume Koumbara: Maria Nicolades Erin Hollins and Theodore Pappas Koumbaros: Alex Pappas Jezelle Younan and Peter Rabbath Julie Younan and Yousri Toma Michelle Sanchez & John Papanikolaou Koumbaros: George Papadopoulos July 20 July 27 August 3 August 10 August 17 August 24 August 31 Stephanie Phoutrides Kenyatta Smith Isaiah Wellington George Rizkalla Sherry Mohr Nicholas Perdaris Dean Peratsakis July 27 Brenda Trna and Mina Ibrahim July 27 Jackie Morcos and Joseph Michael August 3 Dima Soliman and Fady Fahim August 15 Anahit Karmiryan and Peter Bogikian August 16 Megan Moshar and George Safar August 23 Nour Ennabe and David Salamanyan August 23 August 30 August 30 August 30 Nina Ratzenberger and Evan Papadakis Rose-Marie Shokry and George William Kristine Minasyan and Aren Hovsepian Lori Astourian and Vache Ohanessian MEMORIALS July 6 July 13 Euphrosyne Limneos Demetrios Limneos Joe Boltinghouse - 5 years Marian Noplos Helen Stringos-Arias Theodore Stringos Mary Stringos Bessie Stringos Lulu Kappas Mary Popoff Marina Koukis - 40 days July 5 July 11 BAPTISMS Alexander Velios Son of Andreas and Constantina Vellios Godparent: Stamatina Sarris Anastasia Kallis Daughter of Georgios and Fiona Kallis Godparent: Andreas Georgallis August 17 Jenny Xenopoulos - 9 years Anthony Xenopoulos Christine Xenopoulos Stanley Funk James Popoff Jimmy Veys - 7 years

10 Page 10 The Transfiguration mosaic at saint Catherine's monastery By John Kopatsis The Transfiguration of Christ is one of the central events recorded in the Gospels. Before embarking on his final journey to Jerusalem, Christ took his three special disciples, Peter, John and James, and led them up on Mount Tabor. There they experienced a rapid succession of dramatic events that involved the Transfiguration or metamorphosis (change in form and appearance) of Christ, the appearance of Moses and Elijah, the descent of God s presence in a shining cloud and finally a personal address from God Almighty. Christ was transfigured before the three Apostles, appearing in His divine glory. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as the light. Suddenly, together with this dread and marvelous effulgence of light, there appeared those pinnacles of the Prophets, Moses and Elias, who spoke with the Lord Jesus concerning His Passion which was about to take place. After a little while a radiant cloud overshadowed them and out of the cloud they heard that same voice that had been heard at the Jordan at the Baptism of Christ, testifying to the Divinity of Jesus and saying: This is my Beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him. (Matthew 17: 5). The Transfiguration is a pivotal moment, and the setting on the mountain is presented as the point where human nature meets God: the meeting place for the temporal and the eternal, with Jesus himself as the connecting point, acting as the bridge between heaven and earth. It has been an important subject in Christian art, above all in the Orthodox Church, some of whose most striking icons show the scene. One of the earliest depictions is in an apse mosaic at Saint Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai in Egypt, dating to the period of Justinian the Great, who probably commissioned it. The Monastery of Saint Catherine rests in the Sinai Peninsula, on the site venerated as the place where Moses spoke with God in the Burning Bush, and where a small church had been built as early as the fourth century. Among the sixth-century decorations of the monastery s basilica is the wall mosaic depicting the Transfiguration of Christ, which covers the apse and the arch above it. This mosaic is one of the most important artifacts of early Byzantine art. It covers a surface of five hundred square feet, and was made with great artistic and technical skill, using noble and refined materials, such as tesserae (small blocks of stone, tile, or glass used in the construction of a mosaic) with gold or silver leaf and glass pastes. Christ is represented in the center of the apse, on a radiant gold background, surrounded by a mandorla of azure and blue. A mandorla is an ancient symbol of two circles coming together used by the early Christians to describe the coming together of heaven and earth, between the divine and human. Eight rays of light, made of gold and silver tesserae, radiate out from the figure of Christ to the Apostles and Prophets. To the left and right of the mandorla, John (with Elijah standing The Transfiguration mosaic during the conservation work near him) and James (with Moses standing near him) are depicted in a mirror-image composition. The two Apostles are shown kneeling, their arms wide open in amazement. Peter is lying at the feet of Christ. Moses and Elias are depicted against a background of gold tesserae. The apse mosaic is surrounded by thirty-one medallions with portraits of prophets, apostles, and evangelists, and a shield with a cross. A long inscription at the base gives the names of donors. On the arch above the apse are two flying angels who converge towards the Lamb. Above the angels are two scenes: on the left, Moses removes his sandals before the Burning Bush, and on the right, Moses receives the Ten Commandments. Two medallions depicting John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary are present beneath the angels. More than half a million small tesserae were used to cover the five hundred square feet surface of the apse area and the triumphal arch of the church, an average of 11,000 pieces per square foot. The tesserae are mostly glass paste, cut into cubes that average five to seven millimeters on each side. Natural stone was used only for the flesh tones, with delicate gradations ranging from rosy-white to bright pink and orange. Compared to stone, the glass paste tesserae were a precious material because they had to be made by hand. In the course of its long life, the mosaic of the Transfiguration was subject to events that threatened its survival. Some of these were sudden and violent, such as earthquakes, while others were slow and steady, such as the infiltration of rainwater or the deposit of dust and oily substances produced by smoke. There was a systematic, long and delicate holistic conservation treatment by the Archaeological Conservation in Rome and funded by the Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles that removed the causes of the damage that has afflicted the Transfiguration mosaic for centuries. It returned the mosaic, cleaned and protected in all its renewed beauty and solemnity, back to the church, the monks, the faithful, and visitors.

11 Page 11 FREE ENTRANCE ON FRIDAY, SEPT 5 GREEK TASTES GREEK SOUNDS GREEK SIGHTS GO GREEK IN L.A. UNDER THE SHINING LIGHT OF A HISTORIC-CULTURAL MONUMENT THE SAINT SOPHIA CATHEDRAL COME AND EXPERIENCE AUTHENTIC EPICUREAN DELIGHTS AND REFRESHING LIBATIONS IN A FESTIVE ATMOSPHERE FILLED WITH MUSIC AND DANCE lagreekfest.com

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14 Page 14 JULY 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat th Sunday of Mathew 7:30pm The Why s of Orthodoxy w/fr. Allan Sunday of the Holy Fathers 7:30pm The Why s of Orthodoxy w/fr. Allan thSunday of Mathew 7:30pm The Why s of Orthodoxy w/fr. Allan 27 7thSunday of Mathew 28 7:30pm The Why s of Orthodoxy w/fr. Allan Strict Fast Fish Allowed Wine and Oil Allowed Dairy, Eggs, and Fish Allowed Fast Free

15 Page 15 AUGUST 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat thSunday of Mathew 10 9thSunday of Mathew 17 7:30pm The Why s of Orthodoxy w/fr :30pm The Why s of Orthodoxy w/fr. Allan Holy Transfiguration 8:30am Orthros 9:30am Liturgy Small Paraclesis of the Theotokos 7:30pm 13 Small Paraclesis of the Theotokos 7:30pm 7 8 Small Paraclesis of the Theotokos 7:30pm The Dormition of the Theotokos 8:30am Orthros 9:30am Liturgy th Sunday of Mathew 7:30pm The Why s of Orthodoxy w/fr. Allan thSunday of Mathew 7:30pm The Why s of Orthodoxy w/fr. Allan Beheading of John the Baptist 8:30am Orthros 9:30am Liturgy 31 12thSunday of Mathew Strict Fast Fish Allowed Wine and Oil Allowed Dairy, Eggs, and Fish Allowed Fast Free

16 Page Saint Sophia 16 Greek Cathedral Greek Orthodox Community 1324 South Normandie Avenue Los Angeles, California TIME SENSITIVE Place address label here Phone Fax We re on the Web! If we can enter the church day and night and implore God to hear our prayers, how careful we should be to hear and grant the petitions of our neighbors in need