St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Diocese of Los Angeles and the West

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1 St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Diocese of Los Angeles and the West Mailing Address: 4718 Horsehaven, Post Falls, Idaho Church Phone: (208) Fr. Basil Caldaroni: (208) frbasil@caldaroni.net Church Website: Parish Directory: User: Faithful Password: TheWay Send announcements to members@stjohnorthodox.org November 23, 2014 On November 23 in the Holy Orthodox Church we continue to celebrate the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Holy of Holies, and we commemorate our father among the saints Amphilokios, bishop of Iconium. On this day, we also commemorate our father among the saints Gregory, bishop of Agrigentum; Ischyrion, bishop in Egypt and hermit of Sketis; and Venerable Sisinio A Child Enters the Temple The story in the gospel of Christ s visits to the Temple in his childhood the first at 40 days of age (marked by the Feast of the Presentation and the occasion of prophecy by the Elder Simeon and Hannah the Prophetess) and at age 12 when He is lost and later found giving instruction to the teachers and scribes, is a reminder of the importance of children in the Temple of God. In Orthodox liturgical practice, a child is churched after its Baptism, being presented to God. The priest concludes the Churching by holding the child before the Royal Doors and reciting the words of the Elder Simeon: Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace In Orthodox practice in some places, the child is then placed on the floor of the ambo and the mother picks it up the clear implication that God has accepted the child and now returns it to the parents to be raised in the Church. It also is a reminder that our care for children is underwritten by the childhood of Christ that to misuse a child is to misuse Christ. He has radically identifed Himself with the least of these. It reminds me of Stanley Hauerwas statement (I misplaced its source long ago) that since Christians already know the outcome of history, we have nothing better to do than to have children and tell them about Jesus. Another feast of a child entering the Temple occurs on November 21st (New Style): the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple. The historical evidence for this feast rests within Tradition rather than Scripture, but the Biblical evidence of the feast rests in a category, though unknown to most contemporary Christians, that nevertheless was the delight of the Fathers and remains one of the joys of

2 being an Orthodox Christian. It is the category of typology. The Fathers reading of the Scriptures, particularly the Old Testament, constantly sees in its pages types of Christ. Christ Himself had said that the Scriptures of the Old Testament testify of me, and thus from the Apostles forward, the Church has learned to read and find Christ in every word and image of the Old Testament. These images fill the liturgical life of the Church. Just as Protestants sing, Rock of Ages cleft for me, so the Orthodox will sing of the Rock and the Ladder and the Burning Bush and every stick of furniture in the Temple and well everything. The types are not always pointing to Christ Himself some point to important events or people around Him. None can be more important than His mother, without whom there is no Incarnation. Her existence and role in the defeat of Satan are already part of Biblical prophecy in the words of Gen. 3:15. In reading the typology of Scripture, the Fathers are particularly drawn to irony for it marks virtually the whole of God s economy of salvation: the strong becomes weak; the wise becomes foolish; the righteous becomes sin; death is defeated by death; we lose in order to gain, etc. The irony of the child Mary entering the Temple is an image the Fathers could not ignore. Drawn on the literal level from Tradition, it is then found echoed in images and types throughout Old Testament. Thus the liturgical service of the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple took its shape. The greatest irony is that the Temple at that time was empty of its glory. There was no ark in this Temple it having long since been lost. There is no story of the Second Temple having been filled with God s glory at its dedication (as had been the case with Solomon s Temple and the Tabernacle of Moses). But this child who enters the Temple is the True Ark for she will bear God in her womb. She is the true bearer of the glory of God. The irony is far too rich to be ignored. Two of the hymns from that feast: the first from the stichera on Lord, I Call, the second from the Litya. Both are wonderfully rich. A child has entered the Temple. Today, let us dance, O faithful, singing to the Lord in psalms and hymns and honoring His sanctified Tabernacle, the living Ark, that contained the Word Who cannot be contained; for in wondrous fashion she is offered to the Lord as a young child in the flesh, and Zachariah, the great High Priest, joyfully receives her as the dwelling place of God. Today, let heaven above rejoice, and let the clouds rain down gladness at the mighty and exceeding marvelous works of our God. For behold, the Gate that looks t wards the east, who was born from a barren and childless woman according to the promise and dedicated to God as His dwelling place, is today brought to the Temple as an offering without blemish. Let David be glad, striking his harp. For he says: Virgins shall be brought to the King after her, her companions will be brought to Him ; hat she may be raised within God s tabernacle, His place of atonement, to become the dwelling of Him Who was begotten of the Father without change before the ages. for the salvation of our souls. - Fr. Stephen Freeman Glory to God for All Things

3 RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE SEVEN Thou didst shatter death by Thy Cross, Thou didst open paradise to the thief; Thou didst turn the sadness of the ointment-bearing women into joy. And didst bid Thine Apostles proclaim a warning, that Thou hast risen O Christ, granting to the world the Great Mercy. APOLYTIKION OF THE ENTRANCE OF THE THEOTOKOS IN TONE FOUR Today the Virgin is the foreshadowing of the pleasure of God, and the beginning of the preaching of the salvation of mankind. Thou hast appeared in the Temple of God openly and hast gone before, preaching Christ to all. Let us shout with one thrilling voice, saying, Rejoice, O thou who art the fulfillment of the Creator s dispensation. KONTAKION OF THE ENTRANCE IN TONE FOUR The all-pure temple of the Savior, the most precious bridal chamber and Virgin, the treasure-house of the glory of God, today enters the Temple of the Lord, bringing with her the grace which is in the divine Spirit: whom also the angels of God do celebrate in song; for she is the heavenly tabernacle. THE EPISTLE The Lord will give strength to His people. Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of God, ascribe to the Lord honor and glory. The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians. (2:14-22) Brethren, Christ is our peace, Who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the Cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end. And He came and preached peace to you, who were far off, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in Whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in Whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. THE GOSPEL The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (12:16-21) The Lord spoke this parable: The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops? And he said, I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be? So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. As He said this, Jesus called out, He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

4 The full schedule is now available for the weekend of December 5-7 and the events of the Enthronement of His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph and the visit of His Beatitude Patriarch John X, at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York. Preparations are under way and hierarchs and guests will be attending from across the world. Banquet tickets are $200 per guest and can be obtained by mailing a check made out to "St. Nicholas Cathedral" to the following address: St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral 355 State Street Brooklyn, NY Attn: Banquet Committee Please clearly print the names of those attending as well as a phone number and address if possible so we can acknowledge your reservation. You may also purchase banquet tickets with a Visa or MasterCard on the Cathedral website here. Be sure to note in the memo section the same information above. Please note that this is for banquet tickets only and not for journal ads. Deadline for banquet reservations is November 21, West Coast Celebration of the Enthronement of His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph - By the grace of the Holy Spirit, the Official West Coast Celebration of the Enthronement of His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph will take place on Saturday, January 31, 2015 at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Los Angeles. All proceeds will benefit Camp St. Nicholas and Youth Education Programs. Do not miss this historic celebration in the life of our Diocese - this is the only celebration taking place on the West Coast. We are praying for enthusiastic participation by all churches in the Diocese to honor our beloved Metropolitan Joseph. The day will start with a youth brunch, followed by a reception for clergy and wives, then vespers, and the Gala Reception and Banquet featuring special musical offerings. A Hierarchal Divine Liturgy will be held the next day at St. Nicholas Cathedral. There will be a very special Commemorative Program Book that will include memorable images from the actual enthronement. For tickets, program book and hotel info, please visit:

5 ANNOUNCEMENTS Potluck Lunch this Sunday - Just a reminder, this Sunday will be a potluck lunch following the Divine Liturgy. Please bring a Lenten dish or soup to share! Diakonissa Joanna's Graduation - Brothers and sisters in Christ, Thanks to your prayers, love and support, we are pleased to announce that Diakonissa Joanna has finish nursing school, thank God! Her anticipated graduation date is December 18th. You are ALL cordially invited to attend. The pinning ceremony will be held at the Hagadon Event Center at 4:30PM on Thursday, December 18th. The address is: Hagadon Event Center at The Coeur d'alene Resort Golf Course- 900 S. Floating Green Dr, Coeur d'alene, ID Please RSVP to Dn. Mark if you are able to attend. We will having party for Diakonissa, stay tuned for more information... Love in Christ, Dn. Mark, Tabitha, Genevieve, and Marina St. Nicholas Family Night - Sun, Dec 7-6pm - We will be celebrating St. Nicholas' Feast Day with a Family Fun Night on Sun, Dec 7th at 6pm. We will hear the story of the REAL St. Nic, plus have wonderful entertainment from the CYT North Idaho Swingin' in the Holidays Swing Dance Tour Group, followed by group singing, hot cider and treats. To honor St. Nicholas, please bring a canned or dried food item, or hygiene product (toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, etc), to donate to the Food Bank. This is a great event to invite your friends and family too - the more the merrier! Flyers available. Donations Needed - St. Nicholas Family Fun Night - If you would like to help us give the gift of St. Nicholas Family Night to our parish family, as well as bless guests from the surrounding community, please make donations marked "St. Nic Night" and drop in Offering box. (These will be used to buy cider, chocolate coins and treats for the children, hot beverage cups, etc.) Also, we need donations of homemade lenten/vegan treats please. If you can bring something to share, please contact Joy Corey at or joyinidaho@gmail.com. Thank you! Brats and Beer Leftovers - We still have Brats and some beer leftover from the Beer and Brats fundraiser for Jim Ayers. If you would like to donate to the reimbursement fund for Jim and pick up a case of Brats, the suggested donation is $30 for a case of 40. Beer from the Keg is available as well for a donation but please bring your own container. Please contact Jenny Dancey for more information. Kids Korner with Fr. Nicholas - Good Morning! Kids! Here we are again. Did you think about Why The Virgin Mary Entered The Temple? Firstly, The Virgin Mary entered The Temple Complex and lived there learning Her Faith and preparing for Jewish family life. While in The Temple she became a Master Weaver. At that time ladies made all the clothes for the family. In the Icon of The Annunciation The Virgin Mary is shown spinning thread from wool. Making clothes required a lot of work from sheering the sheep, cleaning the wool, spinning the wool into thread and weaving the thread into clothes. Remember at Our Lord's Crucifixion Soldiers cast lots to see who would get His Coat because it was woven from top to bottom without a seam. "Upon My Vesture They Cast Lot's." The Virgin Mary was faithful in all She did and became" The Birth-Giver of God "(Theotokos). As Christians we are asked to follow her example that is why she is commemorated in all the services as: "Calling to Remembrance Our Most Holy, Most Pure Most Blessed Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. Lovingly we call Her Panigia ( All Holy One.) That is also why Sayidna JOSEPH and all Bishops wear a Panigia ( An Icon of The Virgin Mary). Remember Jesus Loves you and so do I. Love, Papa

6 SCHEDULE OF SERVICES & EVENTS Saturday, November 22: Great Vespers 6:00pm Sunday, November 23: Orthros 9:00am; Divine Liturgy 10:00am; Sunday School & Lunch following Tuesday, November 25: Youth Swing Dance 7:00pm Wednesday, November 26: Vespers 6:00pm; No Study Group Thursday, November 27: Thanksgiving Day Friday, November 28: Spiritual Circle 9:30am Saturday, November 29: Great Vespers 6:00pm Sunday, November 30: Orthros 9:00am; Divine Liturgy 10:00am; Sunday School & Lunch following EPISTLE READERS Nov 23 Sbdcn. Barnabas Nov 30 Owen Rush Dec 7 Tabitha Townsend Dec 14 Reader Mark Fellegy LUNCHEON & CLEANUP Nov 23 Team 4: (Potluck Please bring a dish to share!) Rush family, Foster Caldaroni, Peterson family, Sandford family Nov 30 Team 5: Gallatin Family, Schaefer family, Ebert family, Phillips family Dec 7 Team 1: Dale Ayoub, Ott family, Purviance family, Bardwell family Date Team 2: Joy Corey, Morey Ranson, Holmen family, Roth family, Tecca family PRAYERS FOR THE LIVING: Sarah (daughter of Fr. Mark Andrews); Suffering Christians throughout the Middle East, Metropolitan Paul Yazigi and Metropolitan Youhanna Ibrahim (hostages in Syria) PRAYERS FOR THE DEPARTED: Seth (friend of Bartimaeus), Gus Vlahos, Jim Ayers, Lori and Brian Hartman (friends of Jenny Dancy) COMMUNION - Since we understand Communion to mean that we have all things in common, sharing an identical Faith, only those who are members of the Orthodox Church who have prepared themselves through prayer, fasting and recent confession may participate in Holy Communion. (We invite all, however, to partake of the blessed bread which is distributed at the dismissal.) Please see the pastor for inquiries on how to become a member.