REFLECTIONS ON HOLY AND GREAT LENT

Transcription

1 REFLECTIONS ON HOLY AND GREAT LENT March 2017 Fasting and Prayer bring tranquility to the heart and soul; modesty to those who are older; training to those who are younger; guidance to those who are temperate; and an adornment for the head and mind to those of all ages. ~St. John Chrysostom In the grand scheme of events, the Great and Holy 40-day preparation period or Great Lent, as it is commonly referred to, will commence on/with Pure or Clean Monday (In Greek: Kathara Deftera ), Monday, February 27, Forty days from that day takes us to the Friday (April 7, 2017), before the Saturday of the Raising of Lazarus (April 8, 2017), where Christ raises Lazarus from the tomb/from the dead (John 11:1-46). From this day forward, Holy Week begins for every Eastern Orthodox Christian. Pascha or Easter is on Sunday, April 16, Easter is the same date this year for both East and West. The themes for the 5 Sundays in Lent are: 1. <<Triumph and Joy>> (1st Sun in Lent, March 5, 2017): The Sunday of Orthodoxy). The icons of the Church are restored to their proper place of veneration (8th century). 2. <<Prayer, Meditation and Self-Examination>> (2nd Sunday in Lent, March 12, 2017): St. Gregory Palamas, born in Thessalonica, A.D.) St. Gregory is remembered this day for sharing with us the Jesus Prayer ( Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner ), and giving us the guidance on intensive, inner/reflective prayer. 3. <<The Cross is THE Way to the Resurrection>> (3rd Sunday in Lent, March 19, 2017). We celebrate the veneration of the Holy Cross. It s an opportunity to remember that there are no shortcuts on the road to salvation. Sacrifice is a part of life. The road to the Resurrection is through the Crucifixion. This is the midpoint of Holy and Great Lent. 4. <<The Ascent to Heaven>> (4th Sunday in Lent, March 26, 2017; St. John Klimakos {St. John of the Ladder of Divine Ascent} St. John Climacos (6th-7th century) who authored the classic work on how to get to Paradise through spiritual work ( The Ladder of Divine Ascent ). A true Christian lifestyle will guide us to Paradise. This year, the Great Feast of the Annunciation falls on Saturday, March 25, <<Humility and Repentance>> (5th Sunday in Lent, April 2, 2017); St Mary of Egypt). St. Mary of Egypt lived a sinful life, but changed her ways when she found Christ. We too can change and become better Christians at any time, when we want to. A BLESSED AND HOLY 40-Day PREPARATION PERIOD/GREAT LENT TO All! ~+Fr. Kastanas St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church 4 Appleton Street Arlington, MA stathanasiusgoc@gmail.com

2 SAINT ATHANASIUS THE GREAT GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH Metropolis of Boston 4 Appleton Street, Arlington, MA ASKISIS OFFICIAL Publication of St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church Arlington, MA SUNDAY WORSHIP SCHEDULE Winter: Orthros 8:45 am Divine Liturgy: 10:00 am Summer: Orthros 8:00 am Divine Liturgy: 9:15 am Proistamenos: Rev. Fr. Nicholas Kastanas Assistant Priest: Fr. Aaron C. Walker St. Athanasius the Great is a parish under the spiritual and ecclesial oversight of His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of the Metropolis of Boston, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, under the jurisdiction of The Ecumenical Patriachate of Constantinople. The St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church in Arlington, Massachusetts strives to be the living witness of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Our mission as a parish is to practice hospitality (Romans 12:13), as St. Paul so exhorts. Thus it is our rich blessing to strive and bring the Light of Christ to all of God s people, through Orthodox Christian tradition, education and philanthropy. We seek to serve the spiritual needs of our faithful parishioners through the sacramental life of the Church. By means of outreach and faith in God, we continue our growth as a living Church by inviting others into the Orthodox faith through Baptism and/or Chrismation, and educating them through the establishment of our Christian ministries, programs, schools and philanthropic activities. CHURCH DIRECTORY Parish Administrative Assistants Stella Kazantzas & Kathy VanKuilenburg Parish Office Monday - Thursday: 9:00 am 7:00 pm Friday: 9:00 am 2:00 pm Main Office: (781) FAX: (781) stathanasiusgoc@gmail.com Website: Fr. Nick Kastanas *Emergency Pager* (781) Fr. Nick frnmk@aol.com Fr. Aaron fraaronwalker@gmail.com PARISH COUNCIL Constandinos Ioakimidis... President A. Paul Tsitsopoulos... 1 st Vice President Mark Ypsilantis... 2 nd Vice President S. Nicholas Kriketos... Secretary Ted Speros... Associate Secretary Stefanos Bouboulis... Treasurer Nikitas Splagounias... Associate Treasurer #1 Emmanuel Meimaris... Associate Treasurer #2 Peter Stanitsas... Associate Treasurer #3 Parish Council Members:... Athanasios Arvanitis, David Bowling, Christina Chalapatas, Antonios Dakopoulos, Christos Eliopoulos, Vassilios Karras, Vicky Konstandakis, Alexandros Kyrou Charlie Pappas, George Pantazopoulos, Eleanor Profis, Michael Terzakis, and Vassilios Tsiaras PARISH MINISTRIES & ORGANIZATIONS Altar Boys (Acolytes)... Fr. Nicholas Kastanas Cantors/Psaltes... Gregory Evangelis, Spyros Prois,...Dimitrios Manolakis, and Vasilios Meimaris Choir Director... Stella Pathiakis Greek School Director... Fr. Nicholas M. Kastanas Greek School PTO... Tina Christodouleas,... Betty Dakopoulos, Tanya Stamoulis Little Halos Day School Director... Kaiti Galanopoulos Little Halos Parent/Teacher Consultant Dr. Anastasia Galanopoulos Fellowship Hour Ministry... Eleanor Profis Fifties Plus... Irene Paleologos Gardening Ministry... S. Nicholas Kriketos GOYA President... Stavros Ioakimidis JOY & HOPE... Maria Matos P.E.A.C.E. Ministry... Elaine Kakambouras Philoptochos President... Irene Kalogeris Pine Street Inn Ministry... Randy Fassas Stewardship Chair Sunday School Director... Ioannis Moutsatsos Sunday School Assoc. Director... Cassandra Chamallas Metropolis of Boston website... Greek Orthodox Archdiocese website

3 Catechetical School News Our 5th Grade Sunday School class is working from an oldie but a goodie curriculum book called God Calls Us. It was published before the Department of Religious Education decided that most of our religious education textbooks would be turned into zines to cater to the short attention span and unpredictable attendance habits of our students. More importantly, this textbook is full of inspiring old and new testament stories of people that when called by God rose to the occasion to serve Him and His people with courage, holiness and faith. Many of these heroes of our faith started as ordinary, simple people; shepherds, fishermen, housewives. However, by responding and accepting God s call with faith and dedication, these ordinary people became the greatest examples of human courage and heroism in the face of adversity and persecution, whose names are etched in the collective human history thousands of years later. This month, on the 25th of March, our Church celebrates the feast of the Annunciation, perhaps the grandest of these calls from God to an ordinary young girl named Mary. By accepting God s call to be the mother of His One and Only Son (a decision fraught with rejection, denial, danger, and pain), Mary broke the curse of death and the chains of the evil one that kept the entire human race in slavery. More than two thousand years later, her incredible faith, courage, love and determination, brings us to our knees in front of her icon. We always pray to the Holy Theotokos, Mother of God, and ask for her intercession when we need solace and courage. The great news is that God calls each and every one of us to stand and take our place in history by responding and accepting His call. The first steps, like standing up to injustice, helping our neighbors, bringing our children to Church, doing the right thing, may seem difficult and for some even small and insignificant. However, these small actions of faith, Christian courage and love could have historical consequences to our families, children, and community and nation years similarly to all these heroes of faith in our textbooks. February departed with some sweet (if snowy) memories from the annual Godparent- Godchildren celebration on Sunday February 26th. As it is the tradition, after the heartwarming candlelight prayer service in Church, godparents and godchildren shared messages, hugs, and cake in front of the 20 ft long board where messages and pictures were displayed. What was unexpected was that we would need to do most of this in a snowstorm and in the dark, as electricity went out for several hours during and after the event! Nonetheless, we had a great time! We thank all of the families for their participation to this memorable event, as well as to the Catechetical Sunday School teachers (Val, Mary, Loula, Angela M. ) who provided flowers, balloons, supplies and help set up for this event. 3

4 Catechetical School News The annual teaching Divine Liturgy was held on Sunday, February 26. This was a unique opportunity for all to experience the Divine Liturgy in a unique way that helps us better understand this most important celebration of Orthodox Liturgical life. As always, we would like to thank Fr. Nick and Fr. Aaron for this great learning and teaching opportunity. Preparation for the annual St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival has started and students in the 4th - 12th grades should have received s with information and instructions. This year s Parish Festival will take place on Saturday, April 1st in our parish auditorium. The District Festival is scheduled for later in April. We thank Mrs. Tina Pavlakis-Bowling and Cassandra Chamalas for their exemplary leadership in coordinating this event and extend our thanks to all the teachers, parents and students that will practice, contribute and participate! Godchildren & Godparent s Sunday February 12, 2017 Please Note: The next staff meeting is scheduled for Sunday March 12, 2017 immediately after the end of classes. 4

5 Grade 10 News About Fasting Why do we fast? is a recurring question asked by students. Fasting provides an opportunity for spiritual renewal. It reflects Christian commitment, both spiritually and materially, and helps to keep us focused, especially during Great Lent. Fasting additionally means controlling our thoughts, so they do not wander into inappropriate areas, especially since thoughts influence the words we utter and even our behavior. The very first fast mentioned in the bible happened when God granted Adam and Eve a life in Paradise, instructing them however to never eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. As we know, that did not go well. By disobeying God s word, Adam and Eve found themselves, (along with all future generations), banished from Paradise s Garden of Eden. Another notable Old Testament fast was when Moses did so for 40 days on Mount Sinai, prior to God giving him the Ten Commandments. In the New Testament, following Christ s baptism in the River Jordan, Jesus fasted for 40 days, while simultaneously turning away temptations from the devil. In comparison, the sacrifice we are called upon to make today by forgoing only certain foods is a very doable commitment. Fasting emphasizes restraint, humility and moderation. Its goal is to hopefully make us worthy of participating in the Church s most essential sacrament: And that is, Holy Communion, (also known as the Holy Gifts, the Holy Eucharist, and the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ). On the subject of fasting: Saint Basil the Great observed, Because we did not fast, we were chased out of Paradise; let us fast now, so that some day we may return there. 5

6 St. Athanasius s Annual St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival will be held in our Parish Auditorium Saturday, April 1, :00 a.m. Registration for Elementary, Junior and Senior Divisions Introduced in 1983, the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival offers Greek Orthodox youth the opportunity to write and talk about their faith. The National Oratorical Festival Program begins at the parish level and is divided into two divisions: Junior for students in grades 7 th -9 th and Senior for students grades 10 th -12 th. Two speakers in each division advance to the District Festival, where two finalists in each division will advance to the Metropolis Festival held in May. There, one finalist in each division will go to the National Festival, this year to be held right here in Boston, June 9 th -11 th. Those national finalists will receive a monetary award and are eligible for scholarships. Please note that parish finalists may also be eligible for the Hellenic College Chrysostom Scholarship! On the following page are the Junior and Senior Division topics. You can find the topics and writing tips at: In addition, our parish holds a non-judged Elementary Division for all students in grades 4 th -6 th, where the students present their thoughts on any topic related to their faith. The students will be working on their presentations in Sunday School and are also asked to work on them at home. Parents, please encourage your children to complete their speeches and present them to Father Nick on April 1 st. Please contact Father Nick ( , Frnmk@aol.com), your child s Sunday school teacher, Tina Pavlakis Bowling ( , cpbowling@verizon.net), or Cassandra Chamallas ( , cchamallas@gmail.com) if you have any questions. Everyone is welcome to attend and hear our students presentations! Thank you!!! 6

7 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Department of Religious Education (800) religioused.goarch.org 2017 St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival Topics Junior Division (Grades 7 9) 1. The opening petition of the Divine Liturgy is In peace let us pray to the Lord. What is this peace, and why do we need it to begin our prayers? 2. St. John Chrysostom said, Our alms are judged not by the measure of our gifts, but by the largeness of our mind (Homily 52 on the Gospel of Matthew). Discuss how even small acts of kindness and generosity can make a difference. 3. Discuss the role of bread and its symbolism in the Bible and the life of the Church. 4. The Orthodox Church venerates saints and martyrs every day. Talk about a saint whose life inspires you to be a better Orthodox Christian. 5. Explain why the Orthodox Church focuses more on the resurrection than it does on the passion and suffering of Christ. Senior Division (Grades 10 12) 1. The gap between the rich and the poor in the United States and worldwide is arguably wider than it has ever been. How should we as Orthodox Christians address such terrible financial inequality? 2. Although many people diet for health or vanity, the discipline of fasting is found in many religious traditions. What is the difference between dieting and fasting, and why is it important? 3. Psalms are an integral part of matins, vespers, and many other Church services. Talk about a psalm that impacts or influences your life. 4. The Lord commanded us not to create idols (Exodus 20:4), yet people continue to do so. Discuss the kinds of idols people make or worship today and the response that an Orthodox Christian should have when confronted by them. 5. Jesus said, Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar s, and to God the things that are God s (Matthew 22:21). When no political party represents genuine Christian teaching, how does an Orthodox Christian navigate political conversations and make political judgments? Coming soon: Topics, Tips, and Resources at 7

8 P.E.A.C.E. Ministry PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL ABILITIES AND CHALLENGES EMBRACED Saint Athanasius Greek Orthodox Church, 4 Appleton Street, Arlington, Massachusetts Sunday, march 5, 2017 at 1:30 pm Please join us on Sunday, March 5 th at 1:30 pm for our PEACE gathering along with Holy Communion. This brief 15-minute service will be guided by Father Kastanas. Worship service to be followed by a visit from service dogs Remington and Skittles from DOG B.O.N.E.S. (Dogs Building Opportunities for Nurturing and Emotional Support). DOG B.O.N.E.S is a Massachusetts non-profit volunteer-based organization whose primary purpose is to provide well-trained, affectionate, obedient, and registered therapy dog teams for visitations to groups including schools and other facilities. For more information and to register, visit 8

9 Parish Office News We are here to support the parish as best as we can. The office is staffed from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday- Thursday, and 9:00-2:00 p.m. on Fridays. When booking your meetings and events, always call the office at (781) or all important information to or Information is best confirmed when we book it on the calendar during office hours. We will be able to confirm all the information for you. Lastly, when you are finished using the auditorium and/or classrooms, thank you for remembering to turn off the lights. Dear Parishioners: We sincerely hope you will offer your time & talent to our church by volunteering to occasionally take mail to the Arlington Center Post Office and/or the Bulk Mail Department of the Waltham Post Office. Our objective is to accumulate a list of names so volunteers may take turns. Each person would only be asked to do two or three deliveries which would be spaced throughout the year. Please contact Stella or Kathy at the Church office at or by stathanasiusgoc@gmail.com LOST & FOUND: Please check in the office for anything left behind. Stewardship, February 26 GOYA, March 19 Little Halos, March 5 Greek School, March 26 Please consider contributing to our coffee hour after church on Sundays. We are looking for individuals, families, and ministries to donate sweets, snacks, or any coffee-related items any Sunday you wish. If you are able to contribute, please reach out to Vicky Konstandakis, at (617) or leave your name(s) and contact information with Kathy VanKuilenburg, in the Parish Office. We are so grateful for your generosity and support to help the parish. 9

10 GOYA News Hello GOYAns! February has been a relaxed month, but March is already looking fun! We are very excited for our ski trip to Pat s Peak. We have 33 GOYAns and 12 chaperones attending. We thank the chaperones greatly for their time and support on the trip. The planning process has taken over 3 months, and it has finally come to an end! Lastly, as Easter preparations take place, we will begin our Lambatha sales on March 19th! Please come and buy one for your godchildren, children, and grandchildren! In addition to our Lambatha Sale, GOYA will be hosting coffee hour on March 19th. Sincerely, Chris Dakopoulos On January 27th, GOYA went to a Celtics game. For the last three years, GOYA had not been able to work the annual trip into our busy schedule. We were all excited that we finally were able to go this month. 30 GOYAns attended, along with Father Nick, and we had so much fun! Most could say, the best part was getting there and back home. We all rode on the Subway into Boston. We hope to continue our tradition in years to come! 10

11 ANASTASIA (ANN) AND GEORGE C. DIMITRAKIS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP The Anastasia (Ann) and George C. Dimitrakis Memorial Scholarship was established in 2008 at the St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church with a generous gift of $100,000 by the late Ann Dimitrakis, in loving memory of her spouse, George C. Dimitrakis. George and Ann Dimitrakis have long been faithful stewards and communicants at the St. Athanasius Church. The first scholarships were awarded in June St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church has established the Scholarship Awards Committee for the purpose of administering this scholarship. The Awards Committee, in its discretion, will award a scholarship(s) to that high school graduating senior(s) who achieve(s) exemplary rankings according to criteria established by the Awards Committee. The amount of the award(s) will be based on the scholarship fund s return on investment, as determined by October of each year, and as distributed by the Trustees of the Scholarship Fund. Please visit the parish website at ( for all application materials and application instructions. Application information is only available online. Eligible applicants must meet all of the following requirements: (1) be in their senior year of high school; (2) complete in full all application forms (typed) and provide all requested information; (3) family must be stewards of St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church for three successive years (if one year has been missed, applicant s family has the opportunity to become current for that year); (4) must have been accepted to a full-time course of study at an accredited 4-year college or university. Applications will not be reviewed if each of the aforementioned requirements has not been met. Applications are available on-line ( and must be submitted in full by Friday, May 12, Only complete typed application packages will be reviewed by the Awards Committee; it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all materials have been mailed to the Awards Committee. Please mail complete application packages to the Anastasia (Ann) and George S. Dimitrakis Memorial Scholarship, c/o St. Athanasius Greek Orthodox Church, 4 Appleton St., Arlington, MA The awarding of the scholarship(s) will take place on a Sunday, June 18, The disbursement will take place after October 20, 2017, and only after the student(s) has provided to the Awards Committee an official confirmation of enrollment from the Registrar s Office of the university/college. Awards Committee Dennis P. George, Jr. Emmanuel V. Meimaris, Esq. Christine Pavlakis Bowling, LICSW Melanie Marken Dr. Valerie Relias Rev. Dr. Nicholas M. Kastanas (ex officio) 11

12 Hope ~ Joy Families Join us for a special evening! Friday, March 10 th at 6:00pm Enjoy a talk with Father Nick and Father Aaron, Pasta dinner and at 7:00pm we will go upstairs to attend the Hairetismoi Service Please RSVP by March 6 th to: saintathanasiushopejoy@gmail.com SAVE THE DATE Please join us for a night at Clay Dreams in Arlington MA on April 7, 2017, 6:00-8:00 p.m. to paint Bucco the Bunny or a Cross-Shaped Box, in time for Easter. Spaces are limited so please RSVP as soon as you can to saintathanasiushopejoy@gmail.com Please note that there will be $20.00 donation to attend this event, and there will be drinks and pizza served. I look forward to seeing you there! 12

13 Hope-Joy IOCC School Kits Update We have assembled 28 school kits so far this year. The Hope-Joy club really wanted to make a difference in the lives of many children that are just not as fortunate as we are. Our goal for the year is 100 school kits. We are steadily working towards that goal. We would like the below donations to complete 33 more school kits. I know that we can accomplish this together. Please see the list below and bring these items to our next Hope-Joy gathering on March 10, 2017 or feel free to drop them off with Father Aaron. Here is what we need: 99 - notebooks (70 pages each) 45 - Handheld pencil Sharpeners (12 complete kits lack sharpeners) 6 - Rulers 42 - Pencils 7 - Large handheld Erasers 18 - Crayon boxes (containing 24 crayons each) by 14 or 14 by 17 cotton or lightweight canvas bag with cloth handles (please no shopping bags or backpacks) $3 - per kit to cover the cost of shipping to the warehouse. I also want to THANK everyone that has contributed with supplies or monetary funds that were used to purchase some of these items. Keep up the great work, and together let s get to our 100 kits! With Much Gratitude, Maria Matos 13

14 Hope-Joy News Dear Hope-Joy families, I want to thank you all for coming out and supporting the Hope-Joy club, especially with the weather being what it was. The kids had a lot of fun, decorating cupcakes, eating pizza, decorating bookmarks, and relay-racing with wooden spoons and eggs! It is such a joy to be part of this group. These monthly gatherings give the kids a sense of community and something that they all look forward to participating in. I also want to thank the parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles that bring their kids to our events, because without them making a small sacrifice of time and participation, our group wouldn't be the same! Enjoy the pictures, and I look forward to seeing you all next month. Sincerely, ~Maria Matos ALSO: The St. Athanasius Joy Basketball Team, along with Father Nick and the team s coaches, Demetri Monovoukas, Elissa Bowling, and Elias Patoucheas. They are a young team but their energy, great attitude, and camaraderie are something to be admired! 14

15 Greek School News Η 25 η Μαρτίου πλησιάζει και τα παιδιά του Ελληνικού μας σχολείου ετοιμάζονται να τη γιορτάζουν. Η γιορτή μας θα λάβει μέρος στην αίθουσα της κοινότητάς μας. Τα παιδιά μας ετοιμάζονται μαθαίνοντας διάφορα ποιήματα, τραγούδια και διαλόγους για να γιορτάσουν αυτή την σημαντική μέρα. Αυτή την ημέρα γιορτάζει η εκκλησία μας με τον Ευαγγελισμό της Θεοτόκου και το μήνυμα από τον άγγελο Γαβριήλ ότι θα γεννήση τον Σωτήρα του κόσμου. Αλλά επίσης μαζί με αυτή τη θρησκευτική γιορτή γιορτάζει και η πατρίδα μας Ελλάδα. Την ημέρα αυτή διάλεξαν οι Έλληνες του 1821 να ξεκινήσουν πόλεμο εναντίον της Τουρκίας που είχαν σκλαβωμένη την Ελλάδα για 400 ολόκληρα χρόνια. March 25 th is soon approaching, and as every year, the Greek school children are preparing to celebrate it. The event will take place Saturday, March 25 th at 5:30 p.m., in our own James Bouboulis Auditorium. The children are learning poems, songs and words to a play which they will present in front of their teachers, family and friends. This is a dual celebration, because our church celebrates the Annunciation of Virgin Mary. The angel Gabriel came to Panagia to announce to her that She was going to bring to the world our Savior, Jesus Christ. Also, this day our homeland of Greece celebrates the beginning of our revolution for independence after being under the Turkish Empire for 400 years. Our children are very proud to celebrate this special day. ΖΗΤΩ Η ΕΛΛΑΔΑ! ΖΗΤΩ Η 25 Η ΜΑΡΤΙΟΥ 1821! 15

16 Philoptochos News January/February Obligations and Donations Vasilopita (National Obligation) $500 Social Services/Cancer & Other Major illnesses Fund (National Obligation) $600 Autism Assistance Fund (National Obligation) $25 Saint Photios Shrine (National Obligation) $25 American Heart Association $250 Please join us for a visit to the Philoxenia House on Thursday, March 23 rd. A rich evening beginning with Fr. Nick s offering of the healing service followed by a Lenten meal and fellowship shared with the residents of the home. We will begin the evening at 5:00 p.m. If you are interested in a ride that afternoon, please contact me, at Irene.kalogeris@gmail.com or call me at (617) Palm Sunday Annual Bale Sale Place your orders early or purchase that day Sweet bread, Koulourakia, Easter eggs, and Pre-Packaged Baklava and Kourambiethes Please contact Irene.kalogeris@gmail.com for more information All Homemade Are You Graduating This Year? Being a paid steward of this church brings you many benefits. St. Barbara s Philoptochos is honored to celebrate the high school and college graduates each year. Graduates will be presented with a gift on Graduation Sunday, May 21, Every year, we ask parents to inform St. Barbara s of their graduates. We strongly urge graduates and their families to be present in order to receive their gift. Please call Irene at (617) or Irene.Kalogeris@gmail.com with your graduate s name and where they are graduating from. ***Graduate submission deadline is May 14 th, 2017*** We are happy to prepare and present these gifts; therefore, we respectfully decline any submissions after May 14 th. Thank you for your understanding. Please join us for our next General Assembly on Thursday, March 30, :00 p.m. in The James Bouboulis Auditorium 16

17 You Are Cordially Invited to Attend Saturday Afternoon Tea In Honor of Aphrodite Darris For Benefit of St. Barbara Philoptochos Charity Commitments and Apostoli Charity of Greece Saturday, March 18, 2017 at 3:00 pm St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church James Bouboulis Auditorium Tea Hosted by the Ladies of St. Barbara s Philoptochos Society Guest Speaker: Frances Levas, Metropolis Philoptochos President Donation Per Person: $25 For more information, please call Stella Kazantzas at If you plan to attend, kindly mail this form with payment by March 5 th to St. Barbara's Philoptochos Ladies Society, St. Athanasius Greek Orthodox Church, 4 Appleton Street, Arlington, MA Name Number of Places Reserved Total Payment Enclosed: $ I regret I cannot attend. Kindly accept my donation of $. Donation Per Person: $25 Checks may be made out to St. Barbara s Philoptochos Society. Thank you for your support. Please print the names and telephone numbers of persons in your party and any special request: I La Lu Design

18 Little Halos News The month of February began with our students attending the Liturgy for the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple on February 2nd. Curriculum themes for February included Groundhog Day activities and exploration of the concept of shadows, as well as Valentine s Day and related crafts and activities. February was also dental health month. The children talked about their teeth and mouth. Our studies for the month of February were concluded with the custom of Αποκριές and the Greek carnival that takes place before the lent period. The books that we read were: The Cat in the Hat, One fish two fish Red Fish Blue Fish, Hop on Pop, The Lorax, The Foot Book, Green Eggs and Ham, Fox in Socks and Happy Birthday To You. **Registration for the school year has now begun, and an Open House is scheduled for March 29 and 30, 2017 at 10:00-11:00am for new families interested in visiting our school.** Please contact Kaiti Galanopoulos, Director, at (781) for any further information about our school, program, or any of our events. 18

19 Now Enrolling For the 2017/2018 School Year You are invited to an Open House March 29th and 30th, 2017 at 10:00 11:00 am. Come learn more about our exceptional school, visit the Preschool and Pre- Kindergarten classrooms, and meet the teachers. Children are welcome! Little Halos Preschool Day School has rolling admissions- we accept applications any time. The following programs are offered for the year :30am-12noon 8:30am-3pm For More Information and to schedule a tour, please contact: Kaiti Galanopoulos, Director kaitigalanopoulos@gmail.com * Little Halos Day School is an Arlington Massachusetts based Preschool that provides a threefold program of the Greek Language, Hellenic culture, and Greek Orthodox Faith, within a developmental framework of play-based learning for children year old. Little Halos is licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. Four Appleton Street (corner of Massachusetts Ave.) * Arlington, MA Tel: Fax: * littlehalospreschool@gmail.com 19

20 Μάρτιος 2017 Κυριακή Δευτέρα Τρίτη Τετάρτη Πέμπτη Παρασκευή Σάββατο 3-6 Strict Fast Wine/Oil Allowed Fast Free Fish Allowed 20

21 Strict Fast Wine/Oil Allowed Fast Free Fish Allowed March 2017 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 2 Little Halos 8:30am-3 3 Little Halos 8: :45am Little Halos Open Basketball Practice for Little Halos 8:30am-3 House 10am the Ottoson Gym Greek Schl 4-6:30pm Grk Schl Gr 3 & 6 4-5:30-7 First Grades 2&5; 6:30pm Salutations Service to Bible Study in English Great Lent Book Study the Theotokos 7-8pm 7:15-8:30pm 6pm 5 Sunday of Orthodoxy Orthros 8:45am; Div. Lit 10-11:30am Catechetical Sunday Church School 10am Memorial: +Vasiliki Mitaras PEACE Ministry 1: nd Sunday in Lent Orthros 8:45am; Div. Lit 10-11:30am Cat. Sun Ch. Sch 10 Memorials: +Harry Shuris +Vasiliki Villas +JamesMoskovis + Petros &Alexandra.... Tsoukalas +Nicholas Alepidis +CaliroyAlepede Sun.Schl Staff Mt 12: rdSunday in Lent (The Cross) Orthros 8:45am; Div. Lit 10-11:30am OCF Bentley at Liturgy Cat. Sun Ch.School 10 Arl. Food Pantry Drive Met.Basketball Banquet 26 4th Sunday in Lent Orthros 8:45am; Div. Lit 10-11:30am Catechetical Sunday Church School 10am Memorial: +Aglaia Nanopoulou Artoklasia Evangelos Horiatis Family Pine St. Inn 5pm 6 Little Halos 8:30am-3 Grk Schl K1 / K2 4-6pm; Children's Grk Dancing 6-8pm Compline Service 6pm Grk Bible Study7:15pm Grk Adult Dancing 8pm 13 Little Halos 8:30am-3 Grk Schl K1 / K2 4-6pm Children's Grk Dancing 6-8pm Bible Study in Grk 7:15-8:30pm Grk Adult Dance 8pm 20 Little Halos 8:30am-3 Grk Schl K1 / K2 4-6pm Children's Grk Dancing 6-8pm No Bible Study in Grk Grk Adult Dance 8pm 27 Little Halos 8:30am-3 Grk Schl K1 / K2 4-6pm Children's Grk Dancing 6-8pm Bible Study in Grk 7:15-8:30pm Grk Adult Dance 8pm 7 Little Halos 8:30-3 Greek School 4-6:30 Grades 1 and 4 Festival Meeting #3, 7pm 14 Little Halos 8:30-3 Greek School 4-6:30 Grades 1 and 4 Bible Study in English 7:15-8:30om 21 Little Halos 8:30-3 Greek School 4-6:30 Grades 1 and 4 Parish Council 7pm 28 Little Halos 8:30-3 Greek School 4-6:30 Grades 1 and 4 Bible Study in English 7:15-8:30pm 8 Little Halos 8:30-3 Greek School 4-6:30 Grades 2 and5 Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 5:30-7:30pm 15 Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 8-9:45am Little Halos 8:30-3 Greek School 4-6:30 Grades 2 and 5 Grk Schl Com. Mt. 6:30pm 22 Little Halos 8:30-3 Greek School 4-6:30 Grades 2and 5 Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 5:30-7:30pm 29 Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 8-9:45am Little Halos 8:30-3 Greek School 4-6:30 Grades 2 and 5 9 Little Halos 8:30am-3 Little Halos Open House 10am Grk Schl Gr 3 & 6 4-6:30pm Great Lent Book Study 6pm 16 Little Halos 8:30am-3 Little Halos Open House 10am Grk Schl Gr 3 & 6 4-6:30pm Great Lent Book Study 6pm 23 Little Halos 8:30am-3 L. Halos Open House 10am; Grk Schl Gr 3 & 6 4-6:30; Philoptochos to Philoxenia House With Fr. Nick Great Lent Book Study 6pm; Parish Leadership Seminar-St. Nektarios 30 Little Halos 8:30am-3 Little Halos Open House 10am Grk Schl Gr 3 & 6 4-6:30pm Great Lent Book Study 6pm; Little Halos Parent Workshop 6:30 Philoptochos General Assembly 6:30 GOYA Ski Trip 10 Little Halos 8:30-3 Basketball Practice for the Ottoson Gym 5:30-7 Second Salutations Service to the Theotokos 7-8pm 17 Little Halos 8:30-3 Basketball Practice for the Ottoson Gym 5:30-7 Phil. Hall Use 3-7pm Third Salutations Service to the Theotokos 7-8pm 24 Little Halos 8:30-3 Basketball Practice for the Ottoson Gym 5:30-7 Great Vespers with The 4 th Salutations to the Theotokos Service in Arlington 7-8pm 31 Little Halos 8:30-3 Basketball Practice for the Ottoson Gym 5:30 The Akathistos Service 7-8: rd Saturdaay of the Souls/Psychosavvato Orthros 8 D. Liturgy 9-10:15 GOYA SKI TRIP No Vespers Service 11 Great Vespers 4: PHILOPTOCHOS Saturday Afternoon Tea 3-6 pm No Great Vespers Service 25The Feast of the Annunciation/(Greek Ind. Day) Orthros 8 D. Lit 9-10; No Vespers Service; Greek School and Little Halos March 25 th Celebration 5:30pm April 1 st Our Parish St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival 9-12:30pm No Vespers Service 21

22 Being a Lenten Apprentice Great Lent is often called a time to return to basics because we focus on central dimensions of our Christian faith: we read from Scripture to remind us of the need for a Savior; we become more focused on matters of prayer and worship; we increase our philanthropic and charitable efforts; and, of course, we follow the ascetic discipline of fasting from certain foods. In some ways, we return to being novice Christians, doing things we were taught years ago. To borrow a concept, we become apprentices once again. According to the dictionary, an apprentice is someone who is learning by practical experience from more skilled workers. Parish life could and perhaps should be thought of as an apprenticeship program in Christian life. We learn how to be an Orthodox Christian by participating in the life of the Church with more experienced teachers. The experienced share what they have learned with new generations of participants. The wisdom of experienced people is really important. They have internalized the wisdom of the community through their practice of the Faith. This is best shared in face-to-face encounters. Who are the more experienced in our parishes? First, of course, are the clergy. They have been educated in the Faith at a fairly high level and should be considered the chief teacher of the Faith in a parish (of course the bishop is the chief teacher in the Church). Second, there are the adults in the community who have years of experience living as Orthodox Christians. Don t underestimate the influence of grandparents and senior citizens. Studies have repeatedly shown that grandparents have enormous influence on the religious lives of the young. Third, there are the teachers and youth advisors. They are a specialized group because of their focus on intentional instruction, class work, discussions, and activity. Who are the apprentices? First, the young. They are learning and need a great deal of guidance. Second, there are the new to the Faith. They may have read about Orthodox Christianity in a book, but are now trying to apply what they ve read to their lives. Finally, all of us are apprentices to one degree or another. We are continually learning. We are always disciples students -- of Christ and the way of life He invites His followers to observe. How we do this? Work together, alongside one another. We don t just bring prosforo to church; we can bake it together. It s learning by doing. Advice and guidance. There s a great deal that is learned on the job, especially what s unwritten or can t be explained easily. Apprentices are often observed performing their jobs by more experienced teachers, and if possible, being corrected or reminded of things along the way. To continue with the prosforo baking example, someone probably has to show us when the dough has been kneaded adequately. That part of the process can t be found in a book. Small jobs, in time, become large jobs. Being a GOYA officer can lead to Parish Council membership. Serving on a committee leads to chairing the committee. Small liturgical roles can become larger ones in time. In this approach, the lived work of the Church is handed on to newer generations, little by little. Classes are useful. Apprentices often take classes, to learn the theory about their job and to deepen their knowledge of an area. It s often in preparation for performing a new task. Let s not underestimate the power of teaching groups. Jesus often His disciples, privately, apart from the crowds. He explained his teachings to them. Great Lent offers opportunities to place all of these qualities into practice in our parishes, teaching one another, but especially the young and new to the Faith, the way of Christian living. Rev. Anton C. Vrame, Ph.D., Director Department of Religious Education Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America 50 Goddard Avenue, Brookline, MA 02445, Tel

23 Church Music Instute For all Choir Members, Directors, Organists, Psaltai, Youth Directors, Religious Educators Saturday, March 18, :30 AM to 3:00 PM Annunciaon Greek Orthodox Church 7 Harris Street Newburyport, MA Morning Session: Unlocking the Conductor s Gestures Pick up, downbeat, cutoff; beat placement and size. We will conduct various hymns together. Evey Simon, Director of Music Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, New York, NY Aernoon Session: The Nymphios Services of Holy Week Rev. Dr. Alkiviadis Calivas, Professor Emeritus of Liturgics Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology Connental Breakfast and Luncheon is included for all CMI parcipants. Please note: There is NO Registraon Fee to aend. However, we ask that you RSVP to cindialex1@gmail.com so that we can plan for our catering needs. The Church Music Instute is co sponsored by the Naonal Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians and the Metropolis of Boston Federaon of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians. For more informaon contact Cynthia Alex at cindialex1@gmail.com 23

24 PROJECT MEXICO ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN MISSIONS TRIP JUNE 7-13 WHAT? Missions trip to build home for family in need Participate in joyful Orthodox community and worship life of St. Innocent Orphanage WHO? Youth, Young Adults, All Ages St. Athanasius GOC and other Boston area Orthodox Christian parishes WHY? To share the love of Christ, work together as a Church family, and be transformed in your heart and soul Sign-up Deadline Extended March 15!! Spots still available!!! Mail or Bring Deposit of $100 Payable to: St. Athanasius Greek Orthodox Church 4 Appleton Street Arlington, MA Meeting Sunday, March 12 12:30 p.m. Fr. Aaron's office Questions? Fr. Aaron Walker (617) fraaronwalker@gmail.com 24

25 Project Mexico Check out the YouTube Video! From June 7 to June 13, Fr. Aaron will be leading a home-building trip to Project Mexico. The main work of this trip is the construction of a home for a needy, deserving family in rural Tijuana. The benefits to the participants and to our whole parish are many! The group will work as a team with other Orthodox Christians from around the country. We will meet the people we are building this home. When the home is complete, there will be a beautiful blessing ceremony, where the house will be presented to the family. Our group will participate in the joyful Orthodox Christian community and worship life of St. Innocent s Ranch, an Orthodox orphanage. We will return and share with the parish the difficulties of the realities that are faced by so many who don t have the prosperity we take for granted. We will also share the joy of truly living out our calling as individuals and as a parish community--to give a helping hand to others in need. The trip is open to all ablebodied members of our parish and other area Orthodox parishes. No construction experience is required. Our GOYAns are strongly encouraged to consider participating in this life-transforming experience. From the Project Mexico website: Because of the prosperity that most of us enjoy, it is difficult to truly understand the basic and fundamental challenges that exist just beyond our borders. Only minutes south of one of California s favorite vacation destinations, you will find Tijuana, Mexico, a city not only of considerable size and history, but of significant human poverty and hardship as well. With a population of over 1.3 million residents, it is sobering to appreciate that nearly half of them live on less than $200 (USD) per month. Even more troubling is the difficulty that families face when finding a permanent home. The cost of land in Mexico can be very expensive ranging from $15,000 to $25,000 (USD) for a meter parcel of land. Once families have saved enough money to pay for the mortgage on their land, they have very little left to construct a secure home. As you drive through the impoverished communities around Tijuana, you will see homes made of old garage doors, wooden pallets, tarps, tires or other materials that were, ironically enough, likely discarded from homes within the United States. We work closely with Mexican Social Services and other local resources to identify potential candidate families. Once selected as a candidate, the family will be carefully interviewed to determine their need based on annual income, family size, overall quality of life, employment and the potential benefit that a home will have on them. Since 1988, Project Mexico & St. Innocent Orphanage have been building secure, safe, and weathertight homes for some of the most impoverished families in northern Mexico. Built strictly by volunteer labor, these homes provide families economic security and hope for a brighter future. While serving these families, the volunteers discover that they have been transformed. Through their service to others, they realize that they have received much more than they had given. To date, we have hosted well over 11,000 volunteers on our 16 acre ranch as we continue to humbly bear the burdens of others in the name of Christ. 25

26 LET US JOURNEY THROUGH GREAT LENT TOGETHER BOOK STUDY GREAT LENT, BY FR. ALEXANDER SCHMEMANN STUDY A CLASSIC ORTHODOX TEXT LET HYMNS, READINGS, AND MOVEMENT OF LENTEN WORSHIP SPEAK TO YOUR HEART 10 MINUTE TALK BY FR. AARON GROUP DISCUSSION AND APPLICATION TO OUR LIVES THURSDAYS, 6-7 PM, IN CONFERENCE ROOM FEB. 23 CHAPTER ONE, PREPARATION MAR. 2 CHAPTER TWO, THE LENTEN WORSHIP MAR. 9 CHAPTER THREE, THE LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS MAR. 16 CHAPTER FOUR, THE LENTEN JOURNEY MAR. 23 CHAPTER FIVE, LENT IN OUR LIFE MAR. 30, APR. 6 T.B.D. FOR MORE INFO - FRAARONWALKER@GMAIL.COM Alexander Schmemann ( ) was an inspired and influential Orthodox Christian priest, teacher, and writer. From 1946 to 1951 he taught in Paris, and afterwards in New York. In his teachings and writings, he sought to establish the close links between Christian theology and Christian liturgy. At the time of his death, he was the dean of the Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary. 26

27 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, One of the things we said in the Lenten Book Study, is that no words can really explain the experience of Lent. We have to go through it the services, the fasting, the increased private prayers, and increasing our works of mercy to appreciate Lent. I encourage you, if possible, to schedule to attend one or more Lenten service that you have not experienced last year. Ask God to help you to enter more deeply into the bright sadness of this time of repentance, not as an obligation but to connect to Christ, whose Resurrection is our only hope for eternal life. Fr. Aaron Walker Children s Sermon on Forgiveness Sunday God loves and forgives the lost. Remember two Sundays ago, I talked with you about the Parable of the Prodigal Son? The younger of two sons was lost in his mind and in his heart... and then he was found. The son took his inheritance and went far away from his father and wasted everything he had been given and ended up in a bad place and very unhappy. Then he came to himself and realized how miserable he was, and he also remembered his father s love, and he made up his mind to go back home; and his father had compassion, and forgave his son and gave him a big hug and threw a party. The message I shared with you was, when you go away from God end up in the pigpen (which represents life away from God), God loves you. You can always come back to God when you get lost, because He forgives you and loves you. Sometimes we are the older brother. The parable of the Prodigal Son continues. What we didn t discuss last time was the conversation of the father with the older brother. The older brother stays outside the house angry, and the father goes out and pleads with him to come join the party. But the older son is very upset I have been serving you all these years and I never went against you, but this son of yours is getting a party thrown for him after doing so many bad things, and you never had a party like this for me. The father says, You are always with me and everything I have is yours, but it is right for us to celebrate because your brother was lost and is found. God wants us to forgive as He forgives. Today s message is, God wants us to forgive others just as He forgives us. The Lord said, "If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Like we say in the Our Father: forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Jesus ends the parable of the prodigal son without saying what was the older son s response was to his father s words. Did he join the party or did he stay outside? Let s use our imagination-- what would it look like if the older brother took his father s words to heart and joined the party and celebrated his brother s return? He would have to forgive his younger brother wouldn t he? Forgiving means admitting my hurt, and loving anyway. The older brother would first of all have to admit that he had been hurt--rather than being tough and saying I don t care what he does. It does not matter to me. Whatever, I forgive him. That would not be forgiveness because he would still be upset; he would still be judging his brother. Judging means having hard feelings towards someone. Sometimes we say we forgive someone but we avoid them. 27

28 However, forgiving his brother, the older brother would admit what was in his heart, how he was hurt. He might say out loud or to himself: What you did hurt me. You wasted the family s money. You did things in public to put mom and dad and me to shame. You did not even treat me as a brother. You turned your back on me and our parents And I forgive you. I accept you back, and I don t hold this hurt against you. Forgiveness is hard because it takes humility. Forgiving is harder than it looks, because it is not just saying, It s ok. It s not even just saying I forgive you. It is humbling myself and saying from my heart, Even though you did this thing that hurt me, I accept you; I don t hold a grudge. I don t think I am a better person than you because you did this bad thing to me. To forgive is to love as Christ loves. When we forgive, we are acting like Christ. When Jesus was on the cross, he forgave the ones who nailed him to the cross. He said Father, forgive them. Christ forgives us no matter what we have done. Think of the worst thing that you have done. Maybe you are too embarrassed to share with anyone. (I hope you will share it with your mother or father or someone who cares for you.) Jesus says, the true you is deeper down inside of you than your deepest weaknesses and mistakes. All the way deep down is the true person, the true Fr. Aaron, Dimitria, Yiorgos, Eleni, and I love you. This doesn t mean that Jesus loves our sins. It means no matter what I m still loveable, and I m still loved by God. Sinning is getting our hearts dirty. Forgiveness cleans us. When we sin, as in--go away from God--when we are selfish or mean or not truthful, or judging, we end up in the pigpen (like the prodigal son) and we get dirt on our hearts. Not literally, but there is something there on our heart that needs to be cleaned and forgiven. Sometimes our conscience tells us--we don t feel right. When Christ forgives us he cleans all that pig dirt off our hearts and makes our hearts clean on the inside and puts his love there instead. Here is a prayer about that, a prayer before Holy Communion. I made a little simpler to understand. You can say it in your heart as I read it. Prayer before Holy Communion I believe that you are truly the Christ, the Son of the Living God Who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. And I believe that this is truly your holy body and precious blood. Therefore, I pray - Forgive me all my sins, Each thing I have said or done that was not pleasing to you or hurt other people or not was good for me. Please make me clean to receive your Holy Communion For the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. Amen. The message today is, God wants us to receive His forgiveness and love. He wants that for us, and he wants us give that forgiveness and love to others. The story of the older brother is our story. We get to give the story a happy ending. We get to be the older brother, and go into the party and forgives those who have sinned, and celebrate with them. When we forgive in this way, we feel happier than ever, because we know what it is like to be away from God, with our anger, blame, loneliness, or whatever separates us from Him. And we know the happiness of being forgiven and loved and giving that love to others. That is one of the great things about being forgiven by God. It helps us forgive others, even when it is very hard to forgive. So that we can all be cleaned from the dirt of sin and live in the love of God forever. Amen. 28