PANAGIA COHASSET MARCH 2016 BULLETIN PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE MARDI GRAS DINNER DANCE MARCH 5, 2016 AT HINGHAM WOODS

Transcription

1 PANAGIA COHASSET MARCH 2016 BULLETIN PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE MARDI GRAS DINNER DANCE MARCH 5, 2016 AT HINGHAM WOODS NATIVITY ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH nativity assumption of virgin greek orthodox church FORMERLY THE POPE MEMORIAL CHURCH 811 Jerusalem Road, Cohasset, MA road, tel: cohasset, ma MARCH 2016

2 Orthodoxy is Life One must not talk about it, one must live it. MARCH 2016 NEWSLETTER Our Lady of the Life Giving Fountain Newsletter ΚΑΛΗ ΑΝΟΙΞΗ!!! Orthodoxy is Life, One must not talk about it, and One must live it. Christ s Three-Part Lenten Recipe When we think of Great Lent, One of the first things a faithful Orthodox Christian thinks about is; what vegetarian (or Lenten) recipes will I make? They think of fasting food and they proceed to open up their Lenten cookbook. But Lent is much more than vegetarian cooking. (Ζωοδόχος Πηγή ) The Life Giving Fountain Celebrated each year on Friday of Bright Week, the 1st Friday after Holy Pascha But the best recipe ever for lent is found in the Bible. It s better than any recipe found in a cookbook. It is found in the gospel of Matthew, (6:14-21 ) the lesson taken from the Sunday before Great Lent (Forgiveness Sunday. Jesus offers us a Three-Part Lenten Recipe and the ingredients are as follows: equal quantities of forgiveness, fasting and laying up treasures in heaven. 1st Ingredient: Forgiveness: Break down walls between people. When we allow walls these to get in the way, it makes it harder to see common ground between us and the other person. One of the best ways to tear down walls is by forgiveness. Forgiveness tears down walls between people and between us and God. During Great Lent the church calls upon us to look at the cross of Christ and see Christ s great mercy in that Cross. The church invites us to come to the sacrament of confession to exchange our sins for the riches of His grace and to experience the feeling of our burdens lifted from us When we receive His forgiveness, God calls upon us to allow that forgiveness to flow from us to others who have hurt us and also to seek forgiveness from those who we have hurt. There is a conditional if in the gift of God s forgiveness. If you forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you; (Mat 6:14-15). Christianity begins with forgiveness of the Lord but it does not end there, I have been forgiven by God, and now I am obligated to forgive others. Lent is a time for tearing down walls between man and God and between neighbors. Page No. 2

3 2nd Ingredient: Fasting: Second ingredient of the Lord s Lenten recipe is fasting. When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face that your fasting my not be seen by man but by your Father who sees in secret: and your Father who sees in secret will reward you (Mat 6:17-18). The main reason for fasting is for spiritual discipline and self-control. If we can learn to deny the passions for luxury foods and forms of entertainment, including vacations, movies and expensive hobbies during this time of year it allows us to turn our attention to God and our spiritual life. Another reason for fasting is Love. In the early church, if fasting was to have any meaning, it was said that one should keep track of how much money is saved by refraining from certain luxury foods and then give that amount of money to the poor in an act of love. The fast allows us to think of others less fortunate. Some Orthodox families have one meal of rice and beans once per week so that they can experience a little bit of what hundreds of millions of people around the world, experience every day of the year. With the money saved, they put it into an envelope and offered it to IOCC charities. This is one thing families can do to make Lent real for their children to give it real meaning. In addition to the great personal and spiritual benefits of Lent is an opportunity and benefit of loosing some weight and to do it in a Christian Manner. What do I mean? It may seem strange to many people but the idea of weight transfer it is effective and meaningful. Someone had the idea that if he could just transplant some of their weight to someone who was malnourished and hungry it would benefit both of them. One person had the idea of placing a photo of a hungry or emaciated child from a poor- developing nation on the refrigerator door. Every time he was tempted to grab an unnecessary snack he had to face the image of that emaciated child. That image of that hungry child without enough to eat was enough to quell the passion for snacking. And, the money he saved by not buying snacks, ice cream, candy, and deserts was given to the food pantry. The prophet Isaiah said Is this not the fast I choose... To share bread your bread with the hungry and bring the naked poor into your house, and when you see the naked cover him. (Isaiah 58:6-7). St John Chrysostom said, do you fast? Give me proof by your works if you see a poor man take pity on him This is the fast that is pleasing to God. 3rd Ingredient: Laying up Treasures in Heaven: The Lord said do not lay for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust consume and where thieves do not break in and steal: for where your treasure is there will be your heart also. ( Mat 6:19-21). The question is, what treasures have we laid up for ourselves in heaven? What security will we have? Not only must we lay up treasure for our earthly retirement but also for our heavenly retirement. Our treasures in this life only last as long as Page No. 3

4 we do but heavenly treasures last for an eternity. The foremost heavenly treasure to store up is love. If I speak in the tongues of men and angels but not have love, I am a noisy gong and a clanging cymbal. Now remain faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love. (1Cor 13:1-3, 13). The treasure of forgiveness is a powerful heavenly treasure as is the treasure of knowing Jesus personally as Lord and Savior. Lent is a great time to strengthen our relationship with Jesus. How? Through daily Bible reading, Spiritual readings such as the Way of the A Pilgrim, of Great Lent by Fr Alexander Schemmann, or visit the web site participate in the sacramental life of the church. Frequent participation in Holy Communion. Lent is a time to unclutter our lives of unnecessary activities and to create time for God. There is the heavenly treasure of prayer, the heavenly treasure of service and doing Gods will. Jesus said he who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister. (Matt 12:50). These are the treasures that count in God s eyes. Treasures, (not rust collectors) that will last forever. Let us try this Three-Part Recipe this Lent, forgiveness, fasting and treasures in heaven. You will find it to be the perfect recipe. May God enlighten your minds and hearts and give us the strength to endure the Lenten journey from this day to Holy Pascha. + Fr Constantine Lent is a time for slowing-down, for taking ourselves to account, in order that we may be spiritually prepared for the feast to come. Lent is the time when the Church withdraws from the New Testament into the Old Testament. Lent is the time when we become nostalgic for communion. In a larger sense, Lent is a permanent dimension of Christianity. It is not a spiritual bath. Lent expresses the church as pilgrimage, as movement, as exodus. Lent opens our eyes to the things that we do not see. Let us remember the idea of Church as fast and feast, as expectation and fulfillment, as humility and glory. -Rev. V. Berzonsky Liturgical Services: 1st Salutations to the Theotokos Friday evening March 18th at 7 PM. Page No. 4

5 Liturgy of the Annunciation ( 2 choices) Liturgy March 25th at Brockton, (day service) 10 am & Nativity Assumption Church ( Panagia) on March 25th Friday Evening at 7 pm Akathist Hymn Service 5th Friday of Lent Friday April 15th 2016 at our church, At 7 pm Hail you, through whom joy shall shine forth Hail, you, through whom the curse shall be blotted out. Hail, you, the restoration of fallen Adam Hail, you redemption of the tears of Eve. Hail O Bride Unwedded. AKATHIST HYMN To you the Champion Leader do I your City ascribe Thanks Offerings in triumphant anthems as the tokens of my Gratitude, being rescued from the terrors, O Theotokos.. Κοντάκιον Τη Υπερμάχω Στρατηγώ τα νικητήρια, ως λυτρωθείσα των δεινών ευχαριστήρια, αναγράφω Σοι η Πόλις Σου, Θεοτόκε. Αλλ ως έχουσα το κράτος απροσμάχητον, εκ παντοίων με κινδύνων ελευθέρωσον, ίνα κράζω Σοι: Χαίρε, Νύμφη ανύμφευτε. ΜΕΤΑΦΡΑΣΗ Σε σένα, Θεοτόκε, την Υπέρμαχο Στρατηγό εγώ η Πόλη Σου αποδίδω με ευγνωμοσύνη την ένδοξη νίκη, επειδή λυτρώθηκα απο τις φοβερές συμφορές. Αλλά Συ, επειδή Έχεις ακατανίκητη δύναμη, ελευθέρωσέ με από κάθε είδος κινδύνου, για να Σου φωνάζω δυνατά: Χαίρε, Νύφη ανύμφευτε. Phyllis Barkas is now preparing KOLYVA for memorial services. Those interested in this service please call Phyllis at Page No. 5

6 ORTHODOXY 101 Great Lent Begins on Monday March 14th 2016 Clean Monday (Καθαρά Δευτέρα ) Open to me the Gates of Repentance, O Giver of Life Prayers during Lent Personal and Family Orthodox Prayer of Lent (to be said in the evening or at bed time) Prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian O Lord and Master of my life, give me not the spirit of laziness, faintheartedness, lust for power, or idle talk. + (prostration) But grant me, your servant, the spirit of moderation, humility, patience, and love. + (prostration) Yes, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to judge my brothers and sisters. For you are blessed to the ages of ages. Amen + (prostration) Prayer: O God, who in past times, has spoken to our Fathers in the prophets and saints of Your Church, speak to us through Your Son Jesus. Open our hearts that we may have Your help in giving constant heed to His Word and doing His will. Amen Prayer: I have promised to serve You to the end! Help me by Your grace to keep this promise. Forgive me when I fail You, and be ever near, as my friend and my Master. Amen What should we do during Great Lent.? Some concrete guidelines for taking Great Lent more seriously. Turn off the TV, radio for the Lenten season except for news or educational programs. Instead read Lenten articles on line or read a spirtual book such as the Way of a Pilgrim. Do not visit or engage in entertainemnt, shows, movies, or plan vacations during Great Lent. Keep idle talking to a minimum. Avoid gosip and negative conversaton. Do only necessary business, good works and acts of charity. Go out of your way to do something special to help someone, an elder or a child. Do a random act of kindness for another person. Examine every aspect of your life, family, work, society, economics, values, friendships, desires, ambitions against the model set forth by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.. Try to control your speech, limiting meaningless conversations, joking, and a lack of seriousness. Fulfill St. Paul s advice to bless people with every word that comes out of your mouth. Page No. 6

7 Go to the Sacrament of Confession during Lent. As hard as this may seem, even if you haven t gone to Confession for years, or maybe never have gone, make a decision to sincerely evaluate your own life, go to a priest, and confess your sins in this Holy Sacrament. If you can t bring yourself to come to confession at least come forth for general confession. Question yourself in regard to love, truth, honesty, purity, humility, peace, forgiveness, justice, mercy, hungering and thrist for God, wisdom and knowledge. In the name of Jesus Christ, forgive all who have offended you and seek forgiveness from those whom you have offended. If it will not be embarrassing or misiterpreted (as an act of selfrighteousness), then express yourself to them as concretely as possible, in a phone call, , text or visitation. Set aside and give a portion of of your resources for others, your parish, the poor or a social agency.. Do not tell anyone what you have done. Almsgiving and acts of charity and mercy are central to the spirit of Great Lent. Be more generous during this season with your money and your time. Make some special donations to Project Mexico, OCMC, IOCC, or some other charities. Teach your children to do the same ( this is the Christian Way). Fast as much as you can a fast that is acceptable to God. Abstain from meat but suit your fast according to your work and travel. Avoid luxury and excess. Do not tell people you are fasting and avoid judging others if they do not keep the fast. Don t listen to the radio, or limit your radio use when you drive. Say the Jesus Prayer and other prayers while driving. - Great Lent implies making a conscious decision to change our lifestyle for a few weeks and turn our attention to God. Pray at home at least one fixed time a day. Choose a brief prayer rule and keep it faithfully. Use a prayer book, or download the Orthodox Prayer APP on your I phone or smart phone. The APP Pray Always is a good one to have so you can always have Orthodox prayers at your fingertips. Don t listen to the radio, or limit your radio use when you drive. Say the Jesus Prayer and other prayers while driving. - Great Lent implies making a conscious decision to change our lifestyle for a few weeks and turn our attention to God. Pray at home at least one fixed time a day. Choose a brief prayer rule and keep it faithfully. Use a prayer book, or download the Orthodox Prayer APP on your I phone or smart phone. The APP Pray Always is a good one to have so you can always have Orthodox prayers at your fingertips. Read a brief section of Scripture daily. Use the Orthodox clalendar as a guideline. Meditate on the following 1John; Romans ; Mathew 5-7, and John Be faithful to Christ s gospel in wor, thought and deed, even the smallest and most insignificant. Page No. 7

8 PANAGIA COHASSET MARDI GRAS PARTY Saturday MARCH 5-6:00 to 10:00 p.m. HINGHAM WOODS COMMUNITY CENTER, tuckers lane, HINGHAM, MA MUSIC for your listening & dancing pleasure by d.j. harry athanasiou (one, two, three, keeeeeek!!! fun for all, bring the children!!! great food by cedar cafe with deserts by panagia parishioners!!! donations gratefully received at the door questions or to coordinate: ED lofgren - erl@3amarine.com - (781) OR joan (781) We like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Becky Smith and the Barker s Tavern Staff for their generous food & facility free accommodations for the Valentine Dance, and their committment to do the same yearly! We also thank Ed & Angela Lofgren for the gifts to the children! Page No. 8

9 valentine s dinner dance pictures Page No. 9

10 Participate in and attend a Lenten service. We only have a few here in Cohasset so try to attend at least one this year. These are Salutations serivce on the 5th Friday of Lent and the Annuciation Liturgy on Friday Evening 3/25/16. Presanctified Liturgies will be held at Brockton or St Catherines. Many people often question why they don t sense God s presence in their lives, or even hear His voice, and yet how can we, if we don t make space and offer time to interact with Him! We must create an atmosphere in our lives to allow God s voice to be heard. This is the ultimate purpose of Great Lent. If you try to do at least some of these things, in a spirit of genuine peace and hopefulness and humility then you will develop a joyfulness of being in communion with God and Holy Week and Holy Pascha will never be the same for you forever! Children and Lenten and Holy Week Services Children are never too young to be brought to Church for services. The sooner we introduce them to the Church, her services, and her wisdom, the sooner we begin the process of becoming an Orthodox Christian. In order for Orthodoxy to make sense, our children need to experience all that the Church offers. Make it part of this year s Lenten commitment to attend more services, or attend more often. We only do a few of them here at Cohasset so choose one or two. When Holy Week comes, block out all other activities. Make it a point to attend every service you can with your children. Be creative so that you can keep little ones directed and occupied. Locate service books for children who can read. Explain what s going to happen. Talk about what Holy Week and Pascha were like when you were growing up. If you make it part of their life now, you have a very good chance that they will do the same when they become parents someday! ΨΥΧΟΣΑΒΒΑΤΟ Saturday of Souls March 5th Liturgy 9:45 am Followed by Memorial Service. Please bring names to be commemorated. MAKE A SPECIAL DONATION DURING HOLY LENT IN HONOR OR MEMORY OF A LOVED ONE: Please see Fr. Constantine or our Church Treasurers to donate and dedicate your offering to someone. See list in next page. Page No. 10

11 SPECIAL DONATION OPPORTUNITIES 5th Friday Salutations Flowers $30 please see Faye 3rd Sunday /Holy Cross Sunday Flowers - $45 see Faye for Details (daffodils needed) Incense & Charcoal (for Lent and Holy Week) - $20 Palms for Palm Sunday - $50 (see Kerri and Katina) Bridegroom Icon Flowers - $20 Holy Thursday Flower Crown - $50 see Kiki Booras or Faye) Holy Thursday, Friday and Saturday Cups/Candles - $100 Holy Friday Eve, Saturday AM- Laurel Leaves &Rose Pedals - $50 Eggs for dying $40 see Resurrection Candle - $50 Resurrection Icon Flowers - $50 Circular Resurrection (See Kiki Booras) Icon Flowers -$75 see Kiki Booras and Faye 10 White Lilies for Easter - $25/each Wisdom from the Fathers Let us fast a fast that is acceptable and agreeable to God. True fasting is alienation from evil, control of the tongue, avoidance of wrath, and the estrangement from sinful desires, slander, lie and perjury. -St Basil 4th century Speaking of fasting. I do not speak of the generally understood by the crowds but the specific fast, abstention not from food alone, but from sin as well. Do you fast? Show me with your works; what works? If you see a needy person help him; if you come across an enemy, reconcile yourself with him. If you see a person prospering, do not envy him. Do not fast your mouth alone, but your eye and your ear and your feet and your hands and all the members of your body. Fast your mouth as well from filthy utterances and abuse.. What is the benefit when we abstain from meat and fish but consume and devour our brothers and sisters? -St John Chrysostom Fasting is a simple act. Because a real work of virtue is accomplinshed by him who not only abstains form food, but every evil thing as well. In other words, if you fast from certain foods and do not control you mouth against evil pronouncements, lie, perjury, or accusation against your neighboor, if all these come out, you have wasted all effort. -St Athanasious the Great If a person s deeds are not in harmony with his prayer, he labors in vain. The brother said, What is this harmony between practice and prayer? Abba Moses said, We should no longer do those things against which we pray. For when a man gives up his own will, then God is reconciled with him and accepts his prayers. St. Moses the Ethiopian It is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start. Mother Teresa. Page No. 11

12 PRESIDENT S MESSAGE In his First Letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul makes a strong case for LOVE as the essence of one s life. Without LOVE, he says, we are doomed to a terrible after life. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. LOVE never ends. It is our contention that STEWARDSHIP, in the sense of supporting our church, is such an act of LOVE. We give to the church to sustain the church, to sustain the church community, celebrate our Lord, and in so doing display our LOVE for HIS church and for HIM. Panagia stewards have always been generous with their time, talent, and treasure, the ingredients of our church stewardship. They have indeed, shown their LOVE for our church. We have provided a stewardship report here in the bulletin. Please read the details and add your contribution. Stewardship cards have been mailed to all former stewards and are also available in the Narthex of our church. And, it need not end there. Yes, treasure is one of the key ingredients, a very necessary one, to sustain our church. But, there are other necessary ingredients -- you could join one of the church ministries (Parish Council, Choir, Altar Service, etc, etc.). You could join in our events either as a helper or a participant. You could visit one of our sick or shut in parishioners. And, an important one --- you could participate in the Sunday Liturgy and the sacraments, communion for example. Kindly review the enclosed stewardship report, and if you are not yet a part of that effort, sign up as soon as possible. LET YOUR LOVE SHINE THROUGH; PUT IT RIGHT OUT THERE ON DISPLAY. ST. PAUL SAYS IT IS OF THE ESSENCE. WE CERTAINLY DO NOT DOUBT THAT AT ALL. With love, and for our Parish Council, Ed panagia cohasset website Dear Stewards and friends of the Panagia Parish, Please be advised the Panagaia Cohasset website is up and running. Note that several pages are under contruction. Please log in for important announcements, instant access to latest news, bulletins, inclement weather cancellations, and much more. Your iput, ideas, suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Page No. 12

13 philoptochos CORNER HAPPY SPRING We survived another New England winter and its time to think Spring! With Lent Fast Approaching, Please do something nice for someone this season. Mardi Gras Party is March 5th, at Hingham Woods Club House. Please sign up for coffee hour, the sign up sheet is by the back door. Check your calendar to see if there is a Sunday you can host in honor of a birthday, anniversary or feast day. Save the Date : Annual Palm Sunday Bake Sale April 24th Our next meeting will be March 7pm. Hope to see you there. If you have not paid your dues, they can be given to Sophia or myself. Thank you! Kerri Vallas Luisi, Philoptochos President, Page No. 13

14 TREASURER S REPORT Panagia Greek Orthodox Church Operating Account 1/31/ Budget Difference Actual Income Candles (135.37) Offering Tray , (485.67) Stewardship 9, , , Events/ Donations/ Other , (1,713.33) Total Income 11, , , Expenses Payroll / Payroll taxes 2, , (247.50) Arch Dio. Clergy benefits Auto Allowance/ Priest other Arch Dio. Dues 1, , Rent Expense 1, , Candle Expense (250.00) Insurance Expense 3, , Electric Gas Heat Water Waste/ Sewer assessments Telephone (12.83) Maintenance / Repair of Church (416.67) Religious Education (83.33) Events Expense (458.33) Printing / Postage (1.30) Restoration payback All other (supplies, bank fees, prof. fees) (298.79) Total Expenses 10, , , Net Operating Income 1, , Page No. 14

15 THE NATIVITY OF THE VIRGIN MARY GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 811 Jerusalem Rd., Cohasset, MA PARISH PRIEST: FR. CONSTANTINE CAMBAS Leave message at Emergency Cell Only: PRESIDENT - Ed Lofgren erl@3amarine.com Phone: Work Home SECRETARY - Joan Cara Donna jb3806@hotmail.com TREASURER Susan Theodorou susantheodorou@gmail.com VICE PRESIDENT Michael Papadopoulos michaelpapadopoulos@verizon.net Phone: BOARD MEMBERS: Joanne Kelley kelley2000@comcast.net Phone: Home Cynthia Dedes cindy.dedes@verizon.net Home : Donna Rumble donnadonna365@yahoo.com Terry McDonald bmacky4@aol.com Orthros 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy 9:45 AM. Diane Agostino Phone: daskala@comcast.net Kerri Vallas Luisi Phone: kluisi313@aol.com OUR PARISH COUNCIL BUILDING & GROUNDS: Ed Lofgren, Spiros Antoniadis, George Papadopolous & Michael Papadopoulos COMMUNICATIONS/BULLETIN michaelpapadopoulos@verizon.net Phone: COMMITTEE MEMBERS Faye Papadopolous/Stewardship Home STEWARDSHIP: George P. Belezos gpbelezos@bendongear.com OUTREACH Fr. Constantine Cambas Cynthia Dedes YOUTH GROUPS Presbytera Marilou Cambas mcambas@verizon.net Phone: SUNDAY SCHOOL: Susan Theodorou suzantheodorou@gmail.com 9:00 AM - Divine 9:45 AM. Page No. 15

16 THE NATIVITY OF THE VIRGIN MARY GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 811 Jerusalem Road Cohasset, Massachusetts Page No. 16