THE CANON. ST. NICHOLAS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH January 2015 Volume 43 - Issue 1 NEWS FROM G.O.Y.A.

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1 NEWS FROM G.O.Y.A. This Holiday season the GOYANS did many things such as the Toy and Food Drive. We took the toys to Toys For Tots and took the food to Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio. All together our parish gave 176 pounds of food!!!!!! We also received a generous amount of toys from our parish. Walmart donated to us $50.00 to spend for the toy drive. The G.O.Y.A. also voted to contribute money from our account to add to the purchase of toys. We went to Walmart one Saturday and spent all the allowed amount with $3.00 and change left over which we gave to another toy drive collecting money outside the store. With everyone's generosity we hope to make many kids Christmas one to remember! ST. NICHOLAS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH January 2015 Volume 43 - Issue 1 THE CANON But they all alike began to make excuses (Luke 14:18) We hope to continue these events next year! THANK YOU from all your GOYANS. My Dear Spiritual Children, Whenever our Lord spoke about the Kingdom of god, He never expressed it in the essence of its true glory. To do so would be far beyond our human comprehension. He expresses the essence of the Kingdom of god in parables, simple images that we could relate to. He many times referred to the Kingdom of God as a great banquet, or wedding feast. At a banquet or wedding the atmosphere is one of the celebration, rejoicing, joy and happiness. So is the atmosphere of the Kingdom of God. The most important thing at a party is not the food, but the fellowship. So is the Kingdom of God. He wants fellowship with us, and to have fellowship with Him. He wants to talk with us and us to talk with Him. He wants us in His presence, and we should want to be in His. In Luke 14:16-25 we read: a man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the time of the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, Come; for all is now ready. But they all alike began to make excuse Who is this man? - God our Father. Who is the servant? His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Even though Christ is of the same essence and nature of God, he is referred to as the servant because he lowered himself and became a man to serve us. Notice what time the servant was sent out. - After all had been prepared. St. Paul tells us, When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son The first invitation went out to the lost sheep of the people of Israel. When they made all their excuses on why they couldn t attend, the man became angry and sent the servant out to invite everyone who would accept the invitation. - Symbolizing the sending of the Word to the Gentiles. At every the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist is given. The Great Banquet has been prepared for you. Christ is given to us so that we may receive Him and come into fellowship with Him. Christ has come and has given all of Himself to us. His teachings, His healing powers, His spirit, His love, He has died for us so that we may live forever. When the Priest gives the invitation, With the fear of God, wit faith and love draw near; how many people are in Church? When the Priest asks, Why have-

2 11 January 2015 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat NO SENIOR 4 Orthros 9:45am 11 Orthros 9:45 Vasilopita Dinner 5 Mikros Ayiasmos/ Vesperal- Liturgy 9:30 am Theophania Orthros 9:30 D. Liturgy 10:15 AHEPA 6:30pm Philoptochos 7:00 PM 7 St. John the Baptist Orthros 9:30am 10:15 am 14 Parish Council Meeting MEETING Sunday, January 11, 2015 Following the Prime Rib Dinner $15 Kids Meal (Burger & Fries) $8 All meals include dessert and beverages 18 Orthros 9:45 am GOYA meeting AHEPA 6:30 PM Please join us for the cutting of the Vasilopita to benefit St. Basil s Academy 25 Orthros 9: Three Hierarchs Orthros 9:30 10:15 am 31 Please call church office to make your reservation Sponsored by Philoptochos

3 3 A NEW PRAYER O Master, Lord our God, the Source of life and of immortality, the Author of all created things both visible and invisible, who hast placed all seasons and years in Thy power, and dost direct all things with Thy most-wise and allgracious providence: We thank Thee for thy bounties, which thou has poured out upon us during our life that is past, and we entreat Thee, O all-bountiful Lord! Bless the crown of the coming year with Thy goodness: preserve Thy beloved servants, our rulers, and all the Authorities; multiply the days of their life in health unalterable, and grant them progress in all virtues. Bestow Thy good things from above upon all Thy people, as also health and salvation, and good furtherance in all things. Deliver Thy Holy Church, this city, and every city and land from every evil assault, and vouchsafe unto them peace and tranquility; and grant that they we may always offer thanksgiving unto Thee, the Father who is from everlasting, together with Thine Only-begotten son, and Thine all-holy, and good, and life-giving Spirit, God glorified in one Essence, and to hymn thy all-holy Name. n t I seen you in Church? He gets the excuses. St. Cyril Patriarch of Alexandria writes in his commentary on this parable of the excuses: They seek those things which are below but make no account of, no not in the slightest degree, of those hopes which are stored up with God. Far better would it have been instead of earthly fields to gain the joys of Paradise. The excuses are common. Father I work all week and Sunday is my day of rest. But how funny can we work all week long and be able to fill a Church Hall on Saturday for a dance, and not fill the Church on Sunday for Christ. What work do you do in Church? You stand up, you sit down, you pray, and you receive the glory of God. If you are looking for rest, listen to what the Lord tells us, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. What a shame and disgrace that our Holy Church of St. Nicholas, as we celebrate his Feast Day at Vespers and and to have the church filled with visitors from other parishes coming to honor his Holy Name and not many of our own people!!! Another excuse: Father, I don t like certain people, so that s why I don t come. Listen to the Lord again: Love your enemies, and pray for those who attack you wrongly. Come to Church and receive Him who will give you strength against all evil. When we are not invited to a friend s party we feel hurt, angry and rejected. When we invite our friends to our party and they give us poor excuses why they can t come, we feel angry, hurt and rejected. How do think God feels when He hears excuses for His invitation? The Word of God not only reprimands those who do not respond to the invitation, but also blesses the faithful who do. The Bible tells us, Blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written therein; for the time is at hand. In 2015, let us put God and His Church first in our lives. SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AND ALL ELSE WILL FALL INTO PLACE. In Christ s Love, + Fr. Michael +Amen

4 9 Epiphany In the Orthodox calendar the feast of the Epiphany is called The Theofania (Θεοφάνια), the manifestation of God. Epiphany is the most ancient feast, after Easter, relating to the Lord and is observed by the entire Christian Church on January 6. The first evidence attesting to the feast of the Epiphany comes from Clement of Alexandria who died about 215. He relates that a Gnostic group observed the Baptism of our Lord on January 6 believing that it was at the time of Baptism that Divinity took the flesh in Christ. (False teaching- not accepted by the Orthodox Church) The date of January 6 was selected because according to some ancient reckoning the day began to grow longer on that date and so it was celebrated by pagans as the day of victory of light over darkness. In Rome, though, the day of the birth of the Invincible Sun was celebrated on December 25. In both East and West and practically at the same time, these two pagan festivals were replaced by a Christian feast signifying the epiphany (manifestation) of the sun of justice and of the true light of the world. The 25 th of December began to be celebrated in Rome as the day of the Epiphany (Nativity), while in the East January 6 remained as the Epiphany day including both the Nativity and Baptism of our Lord. By the end of the 4 th century, the 25 th of December as the day of the Nativity was adopted in most of the East, and January 6 remained as the feast of our Lord s Baptism. When the Eastern Epiphany day was introduced in the West, the already celebrated Nativity on December 25 th remained as such, and January 6 th, although accepted as the day of Baptism, took the character of manifestation of Christ s Divinity to the pagan world. Hence the Magi, figuratively representing the entire heathen world, were taken to be the recipients of the saving grace of the newly manifested Christ. It is only the Armenian Church in the East that still celebrates the Nativity and Epiphany together on January 6. The most characteristic feature of the Orthodox day of Epiphany, or Theophania, is the sanctifying of waters by invoking the Spirit that appeared in the form of a dove over Christ at the time of His Baptism. The Orthodox receive sanctified water at the end of the special service of Epiphany and with it sanctify their homes, gardens, and other possessions while some preserve it for the entire year partaking of it at times of illness and other personal or family adversities. The twelve days between the Nativity of our Lord, December 25, and the day of the Epiphany, January 6 th is called Dodekaemeron (twelve festal days) and is considered to be one continuous festive period. On December 26 th, the Virgin Mary who gave birth to our Lord is honored and on January 1, the day of the Circumcision of our Lord is celebrated. The festive character of the period is observed by abolishing all kinds of fasts, apart from the day prior to the Epiphany when the service of the Great Hagiasmos is performed. The Story of the Vasilopeta THE TRADITION: One of the more beautiful and inspirational traditions of the Greek Orthodox Church is the annual family celebration of the Vasilopeta. This original event which happened in Cappadocia of Caesarea in the last half of the fourth century is very much alive in our Orthodox homes each year. The Greek word Vasilopeta is directly translated as Sweet Bread of Basil. When the Vasilopeta is prepared, a coin is baked into the ingredients. Sweet flavoring is added to the bread which symbolizes the sweetness and joy of life everlasting. It also symbolizes the hope that the New Year will be filled with a sweetness of life, liberty, health, and happiness for all who participate in Vasilopeta Observance. When the observance begins, usually on New Years Day, the bread is traditionally cut by the senior member of the family, and the individual who receives the portion of the Peta which contains the coin is considered Blessed for the New Year. Each portion of the Vasilopeta are distributed as follows: The first portion is cut in remembrance of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The second is for the Holy Mother of our Lord, the Virgin Mary. The third is for St. Basil the Great, the other portions are cut for the members of the family beginning with the eldest. Portions may also be cut for the Church, the house, the traveler, the visitor and the poor. History: This age old tradition commenced in the fourth century, when Saint Basil the Great, who was a bishop, wanted to distribute money to the poor in his Diocese. He wanted to preserve their dignity, so as not to look like charity, he commissioned some women to bake sweetened bred, in which he arranged to place gold coins. Thus the families in cutting the bread to nourish themselves were pleasantly surprised to find the coins. The Vasilopeta is a Beautiful Tradition, and a custom which should not be neglected by Greek Orthodox Christians as should perhaps be adopted by all Christians in the Western world. It is such a wonderful way to begin each New Year which God has given to the world. If you have been holding the observance in your home, please continue to do so! If you have not, please start and keep the Glorious Family Tradition alive!

5 5 Ο ΑΓΙΟΣ ΓΡΗΓΟΡΙΟΣ ΕΠ. ΝΎΣΣΗΣ 10 ΙΑΝΟΥΡΙΟΥ Ο Άγιος Γρηγόριος γεννήθηκε στή Νεοκαισάρεια τού Πόντου τό 332 καί ήταν αδελφός τού Μεγάλου Βασιλείου. Παίρνει τήν ίδια μόρφωση μέ τόν μεγάλ του αδελφό, ξεχωρίζει δέ κι αυτός γιά τήν ευφυϊα του, τήν επιμέλειά του καί τήν φιλοσοφικότατη ιδιοφυϊα του. Ο Γρηγόριος νυμφεύεται τή Θεοσεσία, πού γρήγορα τήν αρπάζει ο θάνατος. Ίσυχρος χαρακτήρας καθώς ήταν, δέν απελπίζεται, καί στά σαράντα του χρόνια γίνεται επίσκοπος Νύσσος, μιάς κωμοπόλεως τής Καππαδοκίας. Ο Θεός τόν αξιώνει νά γίνει τό κυριότερο όργανό Του στή Β Οικουμενική Σύνοδο, τό 381 στήν Κων/ πολη, καί καταροπώνει στήν κυριολεξεία τούς πνευματομάχους τού Μακεδονίου, μέ...τή μάχαιρα πού δίνει τό Πνεύμα καί η οπόια είναι ο λόγος τού Θεού.» Στής συζήτησεις εκείνες, ο Γρηγόριος ο Νύσσης τόσο πολύ είχε διακριθεί, ώστε ονομάτηκε»πατήρ Πατέρων καί Νυσσαεών Φωστήρ.» ο δέ Μέγας Θεοδόσιος τόν ονόμασε στύλο τής Ορθοδοξίας. Πέθανε ειρηνηκά, αφού άφησε πολύ αξιόλογα έργα: ερμηνευτικά, δογματικά, κατηχητικά, λόγους ηθικούς, εορτάστικόυς, εγκωμιαστικούς, επιταφίου καί έναν επιμνημόσυνο στόν αδελφό του Μ. Βασιλείο. MINIMUM CONTRIBUTION 2015 DUES GUIDELINES FOR ST. NICHOLAS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH FAMILY - Married Couple, Married Couple with Children $ SINGLE (ONE SPOUSE) FAMILY -Individuals who are not married and have Children $ SINGLE- Individuals who are not married and do not have Children $ RETIREES- Married couples who are no longer employed * $ RETIREES SINGLE (ONE SPOUSE)-Individuals who retired and are single or widowed* $ *If you are retired, but still working in some capacity or if your spouse is employed you are Not Eligible for RETIRED membership status. Any questions please call the office Which is the Holy Water that we save? There are varying traditions about the Water Blessing services conducted in our churches on January 5 and January 6. Since for the Orthodox these feast celibates the Baptism of our Lord in the Jordan River, it uses the blessing of water prominently as part of the observance of the day. Two water blessing services are conducted, one on the day preceding the feast, January 5, and one on the day itself January 6. in order to distinguish them, the former is sometimes call the Mikros Ayiasmos and the one conducted on the Feast Day itself is called the Megas Ayiasmos. This becomes the source of the confusion. For, you see, both services are exactly the same. Holy Water is used in many different ways in the life of the Church. It can be used for drinking and for blessing, and is often kept with our icons at home to be use appropriately. But it is the same water. If you read the prayers of the service you will see that the service itself says tht it is to be used for these and other purposes. Because January 5 is a preparation of the Feast Day for January 6, it is a day of fasting. The tradition developed that people would go to Church without breakfast, and following the service, would drink the Holy Water. On the next day the Priest or the parishioners themselves would bless their homes with the Holy Water. Some Priest and laypeople began to think that this distinction was very significant and soon spoke about the Holy Water from the two services as if they were totally different things, and soon, so-called rules developed which have absolutely no basis in the liturgical realities or in the canon law of the Church. There is nothing wrong with the custom of preparing to drink Holy Water and blessing with the one from January 5 and persevering the one on January 6, but to make a serious distinctions and create guilt feelings about which one do we drink, and which no do we bless with and which one do we save is not necessary or appropriate. The important thing is to focus on Christ and the meaning and the significance of His Baptism for our lives and salvation. The Holy Water is sanctification for us and our homes and places of business. (If we drink the Holy Water, we must, if possible prepare ourselves and drink it on a empty stomach). Let us thank God for this blessing. Let us not turn it into something complicated and confusing. Both of the services are the same, the Holy Water is the same, and the purpose of the Holy water is the same in both services. that all who draw from it and partake of it may have it for cleansing of their soul and body, for the healing of their passions, for the sanctification of their dwellings, and for every purpose tht is expedient.. (Prayer from the Holy Water Service). Consequently, you can save any and all Holy Water at your home inconstasis if you wish for use throughout the year.

6 COMMUNITY NEWS Father will be away: Father Michael will be away from the Parish from December 25, 2014 January 3, There will be Church on January 4, 2015 Orthros 9:45 a.m., 10:30 a.m. Seniors: There will be no Senior Meeting for the month of January. The Seniors will meet again on Thursday February 5 th at 5:00 p.m. here at the Church. Church Calendars: The Church Calendars for 2015 are in. You can pick them up at the Church Office. Thank You: We would like to thank Eleni Nicolaou, Elena Nicolaou, Dena Christo, Stephen Christo, and the Goyans for beautifully decorating the Church for Christmas and enhancing the Church s beauty as we celebrated this joyous Christmas season. Memorial Service A Forty Day Memorial service will be held for Loukia Bessas on Sunday, January 4 th. A Three Year Memorial service will be held for Tanasia (Thomai) Georgeoff on Sunday January 26. Vasilopita Dinner Don t forget to make your reservation for the Philoptochos Vasilopita Dinner which will be held on Sunday, January 11, Once again our talented chefs will be preparing a Coffee Hour Hosts 7 St. Basil the Great January 1 St. Basil has been called Great for many and varied reasons. He was educated in Constantinople and Athens in the best pagan and Christian learning of the time. But at the age of 28 he forsook the world, embraced the monastic life and became a hermit by the river Isis near Neocaesaria, 358. Together with is old friend, St. Gregory Nazianzus, he began missionary work in this area. Emperor Julian, a fellow-student of St. Basil, called him to his court, but St. Basil declined and continued preaching missions until his bishop, Eusebios of Caesaria, called him to come to Caesaria and defend Orthodoxy against the Arian emperor Galen. At the death of Eusebios, St. Basil was elevated to the see of Caesaria, an office he retained for the rest of his life. St. Basil was gifted with great eloquence and statesmanship. His talent for organization and skillful administration made his contribution to Church thought and life deeply felt for all time to come. His monastic organization outside Caesaria exerted an unprecedented influence on monasticism in general. His prescribing of daily monastic life - his famous Rule-still controls both the structure and moral fiber of much of Eastern monasticism. He built at the outskirts of Caesaria a complex of buildings which included, besides his Episcopal residence and church, hospitals and hotels for the poor. Care was extended by a system of relief as good as any we have today. Thus, the first and most effective endeavor of social concerning care was established within the Christian society and, in many respects, still remains the model for contemporary Churches upon which to build their own social work. Philopto- January - February - chos March - J.O.Y. GOYA By writings and by word he defended the Nicene formulation of the Homoousion (describing God the Father and God the Son being of one essence), and the virtual end of the Arian controversy shortly after his death in 379 is a great measure attributed to him. Besides his rule on monasticism, he wrote an extremely important treatise on the Holy Spirit. His complex of buildings outside Caesaria, named Basilias after him, was in reality a great monastery administered by monks in all it facets and functions. Thus, St. Basil was the first to ascribe to monasticism a social mission and to give impetus to later monastic communities within cities aiming at serving both God and men. Together with St. Gregory of Nazianzus he compiled the famous Philocalia a selection of important excerpt from the works of Origen and the well known St. Basil s Liturgy.