LET MY PRAYER ARISE OCTOBER 2016

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1 In This Issue: -New Outreach Opportunities! -New Members and Prayer Requests! - Parish Bonfire! -Ladder of Divine Ascent Class Continues! -Agape Meal and Trunk or Treat Day! Major Dates to Remember: -October 1st: Protection of the Theotokos -October 4th: FOCUS FLINT Meeting -October 5th: Adult Education Begins -October 6th: FOCUS Backpack Feeding -October 13th: Parish Bonfire! -October 26th: Liturgy for St. Demetrius -October 30th: Agape Meal and Trunk or Treat! LET MY PRAYER ARISE OCTOBER 2016 Protecting Us All By Fr. Gabriel Bilas This coming month, on October 1st, the Orthodox calendar remembers the Protection of the Theotokos at Blachernae in the 10th century. It is a truly miraculous story, which tells of St. Andrew of Constantinople, his disciple St. Epiphanius, and a congregation of people who saw the Mother of God, St. John the Baptist, and several other saints and angels during a vigil in the Church. The Blachernae Church was where several of the Virgin s relics were kept, including her robe, her veil, and part of her belt, which had been transferred from Palestine in the 5th century. At the time of the Vigil service, the people in the city were under attack by a barbarian invasion. The people were huddled together in prayer within the walls of the Sanctuary, and saw the Theotokos approach the center of the Church, kneel down in prayer, and weep. She remained in prayer for some time, and then took her veil and spread it over the people as a sign of protection. After this miraculous appearance, the danger from the barbarian invasion ceased, and the city was spared from bloodshed and suffering. This feast of the protection dates all the way back to the 12th century, and has become a favorite feast throughout the entire Orthodox Church. It is a reminder to us that no Christian is without the prayers of the Theotokos. Continued!1

2 There are numerous stories of miracles attributed to the Theotokos. For the purposes of this article, I will share one that our parish has physical proof of one that I am blessed to look upon every day that I serve at the Holy Altar Table here at St. Mary Magdalene. There is an icon located in Pennsylvania, not far from where my wife and I attended seminary, that has within its walls a miracle working icon of the Theotokos. For years, this icon has been literally weeping myrrh from it s wood. Every Wednesday, thousands of people flock to this little Church in Eastern Pennsylvania, to take part in a service of thanksgiving for the Theotokos and this miraculous icon. These people come from all over, from all different faiths and walks of life. The priest has said that he has many Christians, from all denominations, as well as Muslims from the community, who come to pray before the icon, asking for healing, or for the health of a loved one. When you walk into this Church for the service, the priest will bring out the icon, enclosed in a wooden case with cotton on the bottom (to catch the myrrh), place it on the stand in the center of the Church, and open it up. The beautiful fragrance which comes from that myrrh literally penetrates everyone that is present,and gives them incredible peace. My wife and I were in need of such peace, when we were told several years ago that we had either miscarried our first born, or that there was the chance of a tubal pregnancy that would have to be aborted for the safety of the mother. The first place we turned was to this little Church, in the presence of the mother of God. My wife s belly was anointed with the myrrh on Holy Wednesday, and today, I am able to thank God for my beautiful daughter. The Protection and Healing which comes from this Myrrh of the Theotokos has not just affected my family, but others in our own parish as well. One of our parishioners was told they had a crack in their shoulder prior to going into surgery to repair other damage. After being anointed with the myrrh, the doctors opened her up to find that the crack was healed. What a blessing it is to be in the true presence of God, and witness these miracles first hand! Brothers and Sisters in Christ, how fortunate and blessed we are to have the intercession and protection of the Mother of God in our daily lives. Even when the world throws us into pits of despair and darkness through pain and suffering, we can always rely on the blanket of peace and love that the Theotokos offers us, giving us the strength to endure the difficult times in our lives, and giving us hope in a future life with her Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.!2

3 St. Mary Magdalene Monthly Forecast Baptism and Chrismation This month, we will be welcome several new members to the Orthodox Faith! It is important that all of our faithful are present at the Divine Services this month, to offer our prayers and support for those who are about to be Transfigured into a life of Christ. Keep an eye on the calendar for the dates and times of the Baptism and Chrismations! May the Lord continue to cultivate and grow this vineyard which He has planted with His right hand! Ladder of Divine Ascent Class Resumes! On Wednesday, October 5th, the Adult Education class on St. John s Ladder of Divine Ascent will continue, beginning with Vespers at 6:30 PM. The class will be held every Wednesday, unless otherwise noted on the calendar. Please do not forget to bring your book: 30 Steps to Heaven, as well as your copy of The Ladder to the class for discussion! We had an extremely wonderful group last semester, and we look forward to having you all back! FOCUS Events Mark your calendars Thursday October 6th! St. Mary Magdalene will be hosting a Backpack Feeding event in conjunction with FOCUS Detroit, here at the Church. The goal will be to put together several hundred meals in order to feed homeless families in the greater Detroit area. The event will begin at 7:00 PM, and we need as many hands as we can have! Protection of the Theotokos On Saturday, October 1st, St. Mary Magdalene will celebrate the feast of the Protection of the Theotokos, with Divine Liturgy at 10:00 AM. Come join us to celebrate this wonderful feast day together! St. Demetrius On Wednesday, October 26th, at 10:00 AM, St. Mary Magdalene will also be celebrating the feast of the Holy Greatmartyr and Myrrhgusher Demetrius. If you are available in the morning, do not forget to come and learn about the life of this popular Orthodox Saint! Also, if you are interested in helping to get a FOCUS Flint started for our area, there is a meeting schedule for Tuesday October 4th at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, beginning at 6:30 PM. Let Fr. Gabriel know if you are interested in helping!!3

4 Community events for october Visit to Spicer Orchard for Bonfire and a Hayride Mark your calendars for Thursday, October 13th, as the St. Mary Magdalene Parish family will be gathering together for an evening of fall fun, at Spicer Orchards Farm Market and Winery! The event will kick off at 6:30, and will include a hayride for the kids, access to the kid s play area, donuts, cider, and an evening by the bonfire! Cost of the event is $10.00 per person, with kids under 2 years of age being free. The farm is located at Clyde Rd. Fenton, MI There is a minimum number that we must reach in order to receive a group discount, so please RSVP no later than Sunday, October 9th! A sign up sheet will be available at the Church, but you can also or contact Tina Shepherd at (810) for more details! Agape Meal and Trunk or Treat! On Sunday, October 30th, we will be having our monthly Agape meal as a parish family. After the Divine Liturgy, all of the children of the parish are encouraged to dress up in their halloween costumes (parents, please use discretion on what is appropriate for the Church Parking lot!) and participate in a special Trunk or Treat in our parking lot. All families that will be participating should bring some goodies to share out of their trunk for the event. Please see Tatiana Tyrell and let her know what you will be brining to the meal! Invite your family and friends!!4

5 OCTOBER, 2016 Prayer Lists for the Month Pray for Those in the Armed Forces Matthew Beck-First Lieutenant-Air Force Robert Faulkner-Private First Class-US Marines Jason Wilburn-Corporal-Army Rangers Alex Suriano Stephanie Bishop- US Navy Michael Oginsky-Major-US Marines Patrick Tejkl-US Marines Lindsey Caszatt (US Navy) Mothers with Child Anastasia Bohush Danielle Ilchuk Ashley Joyner Christine Suriano Kari Lillibridge Pray for Our Sick and Suffering Brothers and Sisters Helen Phillips Dennis Perez Elaine Gejoff Anton Petrenko (Son of Larissa Lesho) Violette Griffin Helen Sak (Dr. Dan Sak s Mother) Rose Caldera (Chris Ballnik s Grandmother) John Wiese Haley Novak (Friend of Tina Shephard) Marie Corbin (Sister of Marcella) Colleen (Suffering from Cancer) Judy Ernie Jessica, Stephanie, Glen, and Dan (Friends of Dave Daughtery) Marcella Moorman Josephine Baker Helen Soroka (Maria Sak s Mother) James Lyon (Brother of Melissa Auxier) Lynn Larson (Andy Marko s Friend) Autumn Smith Jennifer and Jon Shann Steve Kekel Katherine Fortier (Friend of Hildreth) John White (Father of Jennifer Otis) Rose Marie Khoury Donna Matushka Larissa Hutnyan Terri Oginsky, October 3rd Lauren Owens, October 4th Doug Auxier, October 10th Marisa Bailey, October 14th Isabella Otis, October 14th Irelynd Otis, October 15th Riley Wilkinson, October 15th Joyce Ballnik, October 16th Alexandra Kekel, October 18th Oliver Senter, October 19th Abigail Arnes, October 20th Steven and Elizabeth Kekel, October 9th Christopher and Robyn Ballnik, October 16th Kurt and Ann Schutt, October 26th ***Please See Fr. Gabriel if any of the information is incorrect or misspelled! We are trying to update our records!***!5

6 Thank you to the Our Angels Who Serve Our Community! Coffee Hour/Luncheon Volunteers October 2nd: Rebecca L. and Bruce W. October 9th: Pat Matts October 16th: Michael and Annie Khoury October 23rd: Mark and Julie Yonan October 30th: Kurt and Ann Schutt Parish Greeters October 2nd: Steve and Sue Walton October 9th: Scott and Tina Shephard October 16th: Elaine Boucher October 23rd: David and Cindy Welch October 30th: Pat Smith Epistle Readers October 2nd: Emmanuel Watson & Jenni Otis October 9th: Janet Wiese & Elaine Gejoff October 16th: John Auxier & Emmanuel Watson October 23rd: Nathaniel Auxier & Janet Wiese October 30th: Paul Hildreth & John Auxier Recommended reading this month! Acquiring the Mind of Christ St. Paul clearly states: Let this mind be in you which was also in Jesus Christ (Phil 2:5) How do we acquire the Mind of Christ and where is it to be found? For the Orthodox Christian, salvation is the acquisition of this Mind of Christ, which is to be found in the Church. This acquisition moves us from the image of God to the likeness of God; through our obedience to this call we begin to know God, and this knowledge is eternal life (John 17:3). This small book hopes to begin to answer how acquiring the Mind of Christ is possible and why it is necessary in our lives today. The book is written by Fr. Archimandrite Sergius, who serves as the 16th Abbot of St. Tikhon s Monastery. He teaches at St. Tikhon s Seminary, and travels the world giving talks and retreats.!6

7 OCTOBER, 2016 OCT 13 PARISH HAYRIDE AND BONFIRE! Spicer Farms, Fenton, MI 6:30-Dusk Come join our parish family at Spicer Farms for an evening of fun and fellowship! On Thursday, October 13th, we will be treated to a hayride, followed by a picnic with homemade doughnuts and apple cider around a cozy bonfire! The cost is $10 a person, and includes the hayride, food, access to the kids play area, and a seat around the fire! RSVP To Tina Shephard at (810) no later than October 9th!!7

8 BACKPACK FEEDING ST. MARY MAGDALENE ORTHODOX CHURCH These packed meals will provide students with supplemental nutritious food they may not have access to otherwise; our goal is to provide a solution to undernourishment, with the hopes of making a positive impact in their education. Join us for a fun, humbling evening for all ages by coming together to put together 450 food sacks with a variety of items. Feel free to bring single serve kids items that we can put in the bags or use for a future assembly (if you want a list of usual items contact us). Also bring plastic grocery bags that we can recycle by using to put food in. Thank You! Thursday, October 6th Where: St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church 2439 S. Long Lake Rd. Fenton, MI Time: 7 8:30pm For further questions contact FOCUS Detroit Director, Eric Shanburn or Detroit@focusna.org!8

9 Come to help celebrate our sister parish s 100th anniversary! St. Nicholas Church 2143 S. Center Rd. Burton, MI ANNIVERSARY 2016 Saturday, October 15, am Divine Liturgy at Church 1 pm Banquet at Davison Country Club Friday, October 14 6:30 pm Moleben of Thanksgiving FEATURING Chicken Salmon Prime Rib Coffee & Tea Cash Bar Live Music The BOYS from BOUF from Hamilton Ontario Adults $ yrs $15 3 and under FREE Call to make your reservation!9