VOLUME 22 NUMBER 4 April 2013

Transcription

1 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 4 April 2013 Published Monthly by: Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Pacific 930 Lunalilo Street, Honolulu Hawaii Phone : (808) Fax : (808) FrJohnKuehnle@mail.goarch.org Church Office Manager s SaintsConstantine-HelenHon@mail.goarch.org Parish Web Site: Regular Office Hours are 9 am to 1 pm on Monday thru Friday Rush, Rush Rush, rush Hurry is the key word of this age. We have been inoculated with a speed virus. People take pep pills and speed pills to wake them in a hurry and to keep them going in a hurry and tranquilizers to hurry them from stress and into rest or sleep. Taxis are taken to hurry the harried to the airport. Special delivery letter air mail letters are not fast enough for hurried people to let others know of their hurried decisions; they are now faxed or ed so that they are received instantaneously. Telephone calls are made across country and bounced off satellites to speed up communication. Magazines are designed to tell their stories by pictures so that they can be hurriedly scanned from cover to cover. Newspapers are being restructured to give news in short paragraphs and articles may consist of just a few of these short paragraphs. Television stations give us the headline news and radio programs are set up to give us all the news in 20 minutes. Those rushing in their autos don t think while riding, they are using their cellular phones for instant communication or they are rushing to add to their knowledge by using tapes that read them a condensed story or teach them how to avoid stress. The poor and rich and the average person rush to their jobs and then they rush home so they can make plans to rush off on a vacation trip somewhere or buy another appliance that helps them to get through the rushed day. Unfortunately, this super-speed spirit has invaded the spiritual life of many. They pray on the run if at all and justify this by thinking that God will understand. After they rush to church, they want the services shortened or hurried. (Continued on page 3) 1

2 Church Etiquette While it is important what we believe, as Orthodox Christians (orthodoxía), it is equally important how we put those beliefs into practice (orthopraxía). These two aspects of our Faith go hand in hand, particularly when it comes to public worship. The following are reminders of various aspects of orthopraxía that we sometimes overlook: When to Arrive: Some people complain that the Liturgy is always the same. Yes, it most certainly is if you arrive halfway through! The Fathers teach that we should arrive at least in time to hear the words of Christ (the Gospel), His words of instruction for our edification. Can we consider ourselves worthy to partake of the Body and Blood of Christ without even hearing His Word? No Electronic Devices (cell phone, ipods, etc.): These should be left in the car or at very least turned off. There are few emergencies that warrant disturbing the worship of the entire community. How to Dress: The saints provide the best example modestly. The Divine Liturgy is not the place or time for very casual or revealing clothing. If you wear it to the beach, it does not belong in church! Appropriate Behavior: Until recently, most Orthodox churches observed the tradition of separate seating for men and women for a reason. Inappropriate behavior is a distraction to others and causes scandal. Food and Drink: The church is not a café. Eat and drink after Liturgy. (Exceptions can be made for the very young, however) Welcome Visitors: It is everyone s job to welcome visitors imagine how you feel when travelling and nobody welcomes you. Reach out and be a friend! Participate: The Liturgy is not a performance, but worship that means that we all participate. While we may not know all the hymns or know the same words, we can sing Lord, have mercy/kyrie Eleison/Gospodi Pomilui along with the choir. Give it a try worship is more fulfilling and personal when you re involved! Rev. Father John Kuehnle Church Staff Frances Delos Santos ~ Office Manager Marina Saikevych ~ Bookkeeper 2012 Parish Council Carlos Moreno ~ President Jim McCoy ~ Vice President Anita Higashi~ Secretary Julie Ličina~ Treasurer Eres Eddy, Elaine Moreno, Lucian Saikevych, Stelio Scordilis, Andrew Tujios Sunday School Directors Alice Malick Sunday School Teachers Alice Malick Philoptochos Board Harriet Medes ~ President Elaine Moreno ~ Vice President Fran Hallonquist ~ Treasurer Anita Akel ~ Recording Secretary Anita Higashi ~ Corr. Secretary Athena Adams ~ Advisor Suzanne Akiona Christina Dimitrion Choir~Chanters Music Director ~ Orest Saikevych Protopsaltis ~ Gregory Malick Parish Ministries Bookstore ~ Eres & John Eddy Greek Dance Groups ~ Dianna Graves Greek School ~ Stelio Scordilis Web Master ~ Eugene Hamamoto, Julie Licina 2

3 LITURGICAL LIFE OF OUR PARISH WEEKDAY SERVICES FOR THE MONTH Maui Liturgy Sat 4/13 10:00 am PreSanctified Liturgy Weds 4/3, 10, 17, 24 6:00 pm Fri 4/5, 12, 19, :00 am Salutations/Akathist Fri 4/5, 12, 19 6:30 pm Lazarus Saturday Sat 4/27 Orthros/Liturgy 8:30/9:00 am Holy Week See Schedule on page 5 (Continued from page 1) Because they are willing to give God only an hour of their time, they squeeze Him in either by coming to church very late or leave early, so as to rush off to do something else. Of course, they don t want sermons or teaching given from the pulpit because they simply don t have time to listen. And if there must be a sermon, it must be under seven minutes. And some simply do not give God the time at all, because there are so many other more important things to do on Sunday morning. The quiet time of our lives must be restored. We must fight the rushing to and fro spirit of the world. He commanded the storm, and it became a breeze, and its waves were still. Then they were glad, for they were silent. (Psalm 107:29-30) We pray in the Divine Liturgy that we may have peace, as St. Paul told Timothy: that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all goodness and honesty. (I Tim 2: 2) The effectual, fervent prayers of righteous people are needed to quell the epidemic of hectic haste. The litanies and prayers for peace must be thought about not hastily passed over. Rush, rush, hurry, hurry? No, let s take time to slow down and commune with God, particularly during Great Lent. Let s not let rush and hurry become such important parts of our lives that we have no time for our Heavenly Father. Instead of rush, rush, let s slow down and take time to walk with God. Quite likely, we ll find Him a most enjoyable walking partner. To Replace God is an Impossible Task Nothing can fill the emptiness of His absence, neither abundant material wealth - which does not satisfy the heart - nor easy and permissive lifestyles which do not quench our thirst for happiness - nor the exclusive search for success or power for their own sake - nor even technology which makes it possible to change the world but brings no real answer to the mystery of our destiny. All these may prove attractive and desirable for a time, but it leaves an aftertaste of illusion and a void in the heart. We must ask ourselves: Is my conscience clear of idolatry? What do I really worship when push comes to shove? Do I have no god but God? Christians should give so much time to improvement of self that they have no time left to criticize others.

4 A Popular Service One of the more popular and well-attended services in the Orthodox Church is the PreSanctified Liturgy, which is served in the evenings during Lent in many parishes. For this, the communicants fast from food and drink from noon until the time of receiving the gifts. In many places a luncheon or coffee is held for the benefit of those who communed. What is the PreSanctified Liturgy and is it something new? The PreSanctified Liturgy is attributed to St. Gregory and the 6 th century. It is a combination of a vespers and St. John Chrysostom Liturgy. It is designated as PreSanctified because, the gifts of bread and wine have been consecrated at an earlier Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom or St. Basil, then kept on the Holy Altar in a special container. It was a tradition in the Early Church not to celebrate the Divine Liturgy during the weekdays of Great Lent, but only on Saturday and Sunday and on the Holy Day of the Annunciation, March 25. At the Sixth Ecumenical Council held in 680 A.D. in Constantinople, this tradition was affirmed, in the form of Canon 52. On all the days of the Holy Lent devoted to fasting with the exception of Saturday and Sunday and the day of the Holy Annunciation, let the sacred Liturgy of the PreSanctified be celebrated. Until a few years ago, many parishes did not serve the PreSanctified. Recently, however, there has been somewhat of a revival of this beautiful liturgy, traditionally on Wednesday evenings during Great Lent. Wherever possible, a second PreSanctified Liturgy can be celebrated on Friday morning and other evenings during Lent. One of the more striking aspects of the Liturgy is the extent of symbolism: traditionally the Liturgy is served with a minimum of lighting, or in near darkness; the Royal Doors and curtain (if there is one) are opened and closed at various times; the people are blessed with the lighted candle to the words The light of Christ enlightens all; and a candle travels with the Holy Gifts, as they are moved from the Altar to the Table of Preparation and ultimately to the Soleas for Communion. Further, note that the Great Entrance (when the gifts are being transferred to the Holy Altar) is made in total silence. This is because they have already been consecrated. The PreSanctified ends with instructions that we do good works throughout Lent, so as to remain victorious over sin, and celebrate the Holy Resurrection. Devil In the New Testament, Satan is also called Beelzebul or Beelzebu. Scholars dispute the origin of the name, suggesting that it means, among other things, master of the heights. It is probably derived from Baalzebub, the Canaanite god of Ekron. Jesus opponents accused Him of casting out demons in Beelzebul s name. St. Paul used yet another name for the devil, asking, What accord has Christ with Belial? (2 Cor 6:15). In the Apocrypha, the devil is called Beliar, Mastema, Sammael, and Semyaz. In John 8:44, the devil is called the father of lies by Christ. In Greek, the word for devil suggests that he is the one who separates for he attempts to drive people away from God. Originally, the devil was an angel of light, his excessive pride prevents him from repenting of his sins and this obstinacy cast him and those who follow him into hell. If our prayers are always distress signals, then God is only a lifeguard. 4

5 Schedule of Holy Week Services Palm Sunday Today, we celebrated Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This evening, we hear Him give final words of admonition to us all. 6:30 pm Bridegroom Orthros Holy Monday This evening s service urges us to be spiritually prepared to receive Christ. 6:30 pm Bridegroom Orthros Holy Tuesday The Matins of Holy Tuesday encourages us to repent of our sins and to forgive others. Tonight is chanted the beautiful Hymn of Cassiane. 6:30 pm Bridegroom Orthros Holy Wednesday This morning s Pre-Sanctified Liturgy is the last of Great Lent. [We fast from the night before, as for Sunday Liturgies.] At the Sacrament of Holy Unction the Priest anoints us with Holy Oil [Efhelaion]. 9:00 am Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 6:30 pm Holy Unction Holy Thursday Holy Thursday s Services celebrate Jesus last day with His disciples. We recall the betrayal by Judas, the Last Supper [the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Communion], and Our Lord s vigil in the Garden of Gethsemane. At the evening service, we read the twelve Gospel accounts of the betrayal and arrest of Jesus. 9:00 am Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil 6:30 pm Service of the Holy Passion Holy Friday The Royal Hours retell the story of Christ s passion with prophecies, psalms and hymns. At the Vespers [ U n - N a i l i n g ], Christ s body is taken down from the Cross and is placed on the Altar. At the Lamentations, we sing the funerary hymns to Our Lord and the Epitaphios is taken in procession outside the church. 9:00 am Royal Hours 3:00 pm Un-Nailing from the Cross 6:30 pm Lamentations Holy Saturday At midnight, the Faithful receive the light from the Priest and exit the church so as to proclaim to all the world the good news, as all join in chant: Christ is Risen! 9:00 am Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil 11:00 pm Resurrection Orthros 12:00 pm Divine Liturgy Easter Sunday We gather to celebrate the Paschal Vespers, sharing Christ s gift of new life. At this service we read the Gospel in various languages, reminding us that Our Lord s Resurrection is for all people, for all time. 11:00 am Agape Vespers Agape Picnic, following 5

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8 The Tragedy of Russia s Abandoned Wooden Churches Russia s wooden architecture, especially its churches, was hardly a priority during Soviet times and now many of the unique old buildings are very close to total ruin. A new book documents the tragedy in some of the most inaccessible parts of Russia s north. The numbers are daunting, but a tiny ray of hope has appeared on the horizon, which could rescue one or two of the near-ruins, says Alexander Mozhayev. Wooden Churches: Some Statistics Over the last 100 years the landscapes of the Russian North have not changed for the better. The majority of the churches have either decayed or been transported to open-air museums in Arkhangelsk, Kostroma, Novgorod and other major cities. There are no precise statistics for churches lost in this way, but one has only to look at the authoritative work Russkoye derevyannoye zodchestvo [Russian Wooden Architecture], published in Of the 70 churches presented in it, just 27 have escaped destruction, 2 are close to death and 7 have been turned into museums. Moreover, with rare exceptions, it is the most impressive churches that have perished. It is no secret that conserving historic buildings is, to put it mildly, not a priority for 8 the Russian state. Even in the Moscow region extremely precious monuments are sinking into oblivion, from mediaeval cathedrals to grand, classical manors. But even against this background, the subject of Russia s wooden architecture is particularly dramatic. This is because there is nothing more Russian, closer to the people and more profound than wooden architecture. In stone buildings some foreign influence can always be discerned, be it Byzantine, Roman, Italian, Dutch, etc., but wooden architecture has its origins in the very depths of the Russian land and culture. Until the 18th century, even in the cities only some of the churches, forts, and princely palaces were made of stone; everything else was wood. This was Russian architecture and people had always lived in its lively, warm, creaky and timbered world which is in no way like ours. Now the most distinctive part of Russia's architectural heritage is rapidly disappearing. Over the course of almost one hundred years, magnificent churches have burnt down, rotted or been vandalised by the dozens, while houses and cottages without number are disappearing. The way forward We are left with the traditional Russian question: what is to be done? When we talk about the misfortunes of wooden monuments, we are used to acknowledging the fact of a continuing tragedy, like climate change or other natural disasters: this year another churchyard burnt down, another tented roof collapsed. The experts may have managed to rescue another church from the dying village and put it into a conservation area, but no matter how many of these areas are created,

9 (Continued from page 8) the wasteland continues to expand around them. There is, however, now a real reason to be optimistic. One of the major trends of public life in Russia over the past two to three years has been an increase in volunteering: people have stopped waiting for help from the state and started to take upon themselves the work and responsibility of arranging their living space. This year has seen a bold volunteering experiment to save a wooden building. A group of Muscovites has organised at their own expense the restoration of a beautiful large wooden church (below), discovered in the woods on the edge of Kostroma region. Indeed, it was during the visit of some British expert restorers, organised by activists (of the Russian Church association) that I was first introduced to Richard Davies. Enthusiasts need support and, most particularly, information. On behalf of my colleagues, I should like once more to thank Richard for his heroic work and to hope that his book will soon be translated and published in Russia. Alexander Mozhayev DANCE GROUP NEWS For the past several years the dance group has given to the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) for their Diakonia Project for FDF (the Folk Dance and Choral Festival). It is a give back project to people in need. When we fundraise for our dance projects we save a portion for others. We have just sent in another donation to IOCC. In the past we have also given school kits to children in need all over the world. We have set Sunday May 19, 2013 Dance Meeting at 12:30 PM in the Chirgotis Social Hall for our dancers to make a commitment to FDF In addition, we will decide on a dance meeting time during the week, to start in June. I have been involved in dance here at Saints Constantine & Helen since we came in 1980 as a helper, parent, dancer, and director. Dance teaches many things other than dance steps. In addition, it teaches commitment, fellowship, team work, respect for others, and cooperation... The Dance Ministry wishes everyone a Blessed Lenten Journey. We will celebrate at our beautiful Agape Picnic to rejoice in our Lord's resurrection. Psalm 150: Praise Him with Timbrel and Dance Praise Him with string and Flute 9

10 PARISH ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR NEWS PARISH COUNCIL TEAMS SUNDAY, APRIL 7 SUNDAY, APRIL 14 SUNDAY, APRIL 21 SUNDAY, APRIL 28 ERES EDDY JIM MCCOY JULIE LICINA LUCIAN SAIKEVYCH Saints Constantine & Helen Book Store is Open Come check out the latest arrivals. We have some great new books, gift item, and articles for personal devotions. See Eres after services on Sundays or weekdays by appointment. Ladies Philoptochos Society News Monthly Benefit Garage Sale 1st Sat of each month $20 to reserve your space Bring your own table Keep your own profits Why do you participate in the Divine Liturgy and partake of Holy Communion? According to prayers in the Liturgy - to bring vigilance of soul, forgiveness of sins, pardon of transgressions, the communion of the Holy Spirit, the fulfillment and inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven, for boldness (full confidence) before God, to see the True Light, to receive the Heavenly Spirit, to find the True Faith, to worship the Inseparable Trinity, and to receive our every need and it is given neither to our judgment nor condemnation. Scheduling an Event? BEFORE scheduling meetings, parties, or any other event at church -social hall, kitchen, or office rooms, PLEASE be sure to clear your event with the Church Office at least 2 weeks in advance. Doing so will ensure that our church facilities are available for all to use, as well as prevent confusion and double-bookings. Please be aware also that there are rental forms to be completed by anyone wishing to use our facilities - organization, member or non-member. Park Aloha! As you know, parking is always a challenge in the church lot. As a courtesy, please display your name & cell number on your windshield when you double park. Please do not park on the playground. There has been recent damage to the playground because people are parking vehicles in that area. Be aware that the side gate in the parking extension blocks the emergency exit to the apartment complex. Please close all gates when you enter or exit the parking lot extension. Also, please do not park in Father John's space. Mahalo for your kokua! All Idols Fail We all know the Ten Commandments. The first has always been: I am the Lord your God... You shall have no other gods before me. We read in Isaiah 44:6-8: I am the First and I am the Last. Besides Me there is no God. This command had meaning when the Israelites found themselves in the midst of pagans. The command is just a relevant today - it is only the idols that have changed! 10

11 Sunday Schoolers were joined by adults of all ages in forming the Procession of Icons on the Sunday of Orthodoxy. Many thanks to all who made this a most meaningful celebration of our Faith! COFFEE HOUR 1. Thank you to our February Sunday Coffee Hour sponsors! John & Dina Giannakopoulos The Youth Choir The Anastasopulos Family Susan Pearlman 2. The new 2013 Coffee Hour calendar is posted outside of the Social Hall. If you have a special date that you would like to reserve, sign up early to secure the date before it is reserved by someone else. 3. You may sign up directly on the calendar or contact Elaine Moreno or Mary Book. 4. Instructions for sponsoring a coffee hour are on the blackboard in hallway of the social hall and in Chirgotis Hall itself. 5. The Ladies Philoptochos would appreciate any donations of coffee, powdered juice, powdered coffee creamer, coffee cups, paper plates, and napkins to defray some of the coffee hour expenses. Donations may be given to Mary Book or Suzanne Akiona. 11

12 Sts Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Pacific 930 Lunalilo Street Honolulu, Hawaii NON - PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID HONOLULU, HI. PERMIT #1108 Return Service Requested If you no longer wish to be on our mailing list, just let the office know by phone, fax, mail, or Future Announcements Don t wait until the last minute to share your news! If there are any announcements that you would like to see in the May bulletin, be sure to let the office know by the deadline, April 15th. This allows for enough time for approval, editing, printing, and mailing out the bulletin to be received by the 1st of the month. You can send an (SaintsConstantine-HelenHon@mail.goarch.org), call the office ( ), or drop by with a hard copy of your requested announcement. GOING ELECTRONIC In an effort to keep everyone better informed, our Office is now offering the monthly bulletin Shorelines electronically. The format and contents will be the same, and subscribers can choose to read online, download and save, or print a hard copy. Further, we hope to use this service in the future to make notification of upcoming events at Ss Constantine & Helen and to share important news items. To begin receiving your bulletin electronically, simply send an to Frances in the Church Office, at: saintsconstantine-helenhon@mail.goarch.org, with Bulletin Electronic Subscription in the subject line. 12