THE MONTHLY BULLETIN OF PANAGIA PANTOVASILISSA HOLY MOTHER QUEEN OF ALL GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

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1 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN OF PANAGIA PANTOVASILISSA HOLY MOTHER QUEEN OF ALL GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH A COMMUNITY FOR ALL 3001 Tates Creek Road Lexington, KY, 40514; phone: Website: Parish Priest: Fr. Cosmin Sicoe Phone: fr.cosminsicoe@yahoo.com February 2016 On Saturday, January 16 th and Sunday, January 17 th our church hosted the St. Nicholas Youth Winter Retreat. More than 50 children and teenagers, their chaperons and five priests from several parishes of our Metropolis participated in the retreat. On Saturday, after registration, the participants had lunch together and, after lunch, they took a tour of our church. During the Orthodox Life sessions on Saturday afternoon, they learned about liturgical items and vestments and about icons. During the service of Great Vespers, they prayed and sang praises to God together. Following Great Vespers, we had supper at the church and then we went to the Heartland Clubhouse for a party. During this gathering, the participants found out more details about this year s St. Nicholas Summer Camp (July 24 th to 30 th in Tennessee). They also danced together and enjoyed delicious snacks. After Holy Liturgy on Sunday morning, we had lunch at the church and then they went home giving thanks to God for a meaningful weekend and we gave thanks to the Lord and to all those who helped organizing this retreat and making it a success!

2 Why not cremation? (2) Dust to dust, ashes to ashes Some cremation-supporters think that cremation has a biblical substantiation. Therefore, in sustaining their ideas, they quote from the Bible : dust to dust, ashes to ashes. If you ask them to tell you what book of the Bible their quote is from, they just cannot specify this; and even the best Bible scholar cannot do this for the simple reason that there is no such phrase in the Bible. This quote belongs, in fact, to the Burial Service of the Anglican (Episcopal) Church. The above quoted words appear in a prayer said by the priest when he casts earth on the coffin. This is the content of the whole paragraph: In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God our brother (name); and we commit his body to the ground; earth to earth; ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless him, the Lord make His face to shine upon him and be gracious unto him and give him peace. Amen. It is beyond my competency to make comments on a prayer which does not belong to the Orthodox Church, but you do not have to be an Anglican (Episcopal) theologian to understand that the prayer was not intended for somebody s cremation, but for when somebody s body is sown (1Cor. 15:42-44) - as St. Paul says in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ. What should be specified here is that even the Orthodox Church uses the two words: dust and ashes in the same phrase during the funeral service. One of St. John of Damascus sticheras (hymns) sung at the Orthodox Funeral Service says: I remember the prophet who cried out: I am earth and I am ashes. Then once more I looked into the graves and saw the naked bones, and I said: Now who is the king and who the soldier? Who the rich man and who the poor? Who the righteous and who the sinner? But among the righteous rest your servant, O Lord. Therefore, the above quoted funeral hymn begins by remembering a prophet who cried out: I am earth and I am ashes. Who is this prophet who cried out I am earth and I am ashes and what did he want to say? The first passage in the Bible that would match this phrase is in Genesis, 18:27, when Abraham was interceding before God for Sodom and Gomorrah: And Abraham answered and said: Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes. Another similar place in the Bible is in the book of Job, 30:19 where Job says about God: He has cast me into the mire and I am become like dust and ashes. What did Job understand by I am become like dust and ashes? Fortunately for us, in a different context, he used the same phrase when he said: Wherefore, I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. (Job 42:6) This last verse reveals to us the meaning of dust and ashes for the people of the Old Testament: this was their way of fasting, of submitting themselves to God. By fasting and sprinkling dust on their heads and rolling in ashes, they wanted to humble themselves before God and to show that in front of God they were not more than dust and ashes. This is why Abraham says about himself that he is dust and ashes and this is why Job, when he is humbled by God, says that I am become like dust and ashes. Dust and ashes, as revealed by the Old Testament, is the state of complete human humbling in front of God and it was used as a way of fasting and repenting for grave sins, or in connection with death, as a way of mourning, as a way of humbling oneself in order to have a better understanding and acceptance of death. This is the meaning revealed to us by the Old Testament for dust and ashes (some of the most representative places where we find this phrase in the Old Testament are: 2 Sam. 13:19; 1Kgs 20:31; Ps. 102:9; Is. 58:5; 61:3; Jer. 6:26; 25:34; Ez. 27:30; Dan. 9:3; Jonah 3:6; 4 Ezra 9:38; 1 Maccabees 3:47). In the same spirit of making us aware of the fact that our life is in God s hands and that before God we are nothing more than dust and ashes, during the funeral service, we are reminded about the prophet who cried out: I am earth and I am ashes. If this had been an allusion to cremation, why then would St. John of Damascus immediately continue his hymn by saying: then once more I looked into the graves and saw the naked bones? From the Old Testament s account and from the text of the analyzed stichera it is very clear that the phrase dust and ashes, has no possible correlation with cremation, but it is an image of human humility and complete submission to God. It seems to be an irony, or, better said, another big lie of the father of lies (John 8:44) who twisted the

3 Scriptures in some people s minds to their destruction (2 Peter 3:16) and made them understand something that was supposed to bring them closer to God as something that takes them farther apart from God once again the literal meaning of the word devil (the one who pulls apart and destroys) proves to be so true Yours in Christ, Fr. Cosmin Sicoe Worship and Church Events Schedule Monday, February 1 st 6:30 pm OCF Activity Tuesday, February 2 nd Presentation of the Lord into the Temple 9:00 am Holy Liturgy Wednesday, February 3 rd Thursday, February 4 th Saturday, February 6 th 9:30 am Prosphora Baking Training Day at Mandy Xenos House (905 Hammock Oak Lane, Lexington, KY) 5:00 pm Great Vespers; Confessions Sunday, February 7 th 16 th Sunday of Matthew 10:00 am Holy Liturgy: Epistle: 2 Corinthians 6:1-10; Gospel: Matthew 25:14-30; 12:00 pm Potluck Agape February Birthday Cake 1:00 pm General Assembly Monday, February 8 th 6:30 pm OCF Activity Tuesday, February 9 th 7:00 pm Stewardship Committee Meeting Wednesday, February 10 th 7:00 pm Parish Council Meeting Thursday, February 11 th Saturday, February 13 th 5:00 pm Great Vespers; Confessions Sunday, February 14 th Sunday of the Canaanite 10:00 am Holy Liturgy: Epistle: 2 Corinthians 6:16-18; 7:1; Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28; 12:00 pm Potluck Agape 1:00 pm Inquirer s Class Monday, February 15 th 6:30 pm OCF Activity Wednesday, February 17 th Thursday, February 11 th Saturday, February 20 th 5:00 pm Great Vespers; Confessions Sunday, February 21 st Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee 10:00 am Holy Liturgy: Epistle: 2 Timothy 3:10-15; Gospel: Luke 18:10-14; 12:00 pm Potluck Agape 1:00 pm Inquirer s Class Monday, February 22 nd 6:30 pm OCF Activity Wednesday, February 24 th Thursday, February 25 th Friday, February 26 th 8:00 pm Party at St. Athanasius Orthodox Church, 100 Lime Ln., Nicholasville

4 Saturday, February 27 th 5:00 pm Great Vespers; 6:00 pm Philoptochos Membership Party Sunday, February 28 th Sunday of the Prodigal Son 10:00 am Holy Liturgy: Epistle: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; Gospel: Luke 15:11-32; 12:00 pm Potluck Agape 12:30 3:30 pm - 3 rd Annual Harriet Wilson Blood Drive 1:00 pm Inquirer s Class Monday, February 29 th 6:30 pm OCF Activity Upcoming Events: Ø Tuesday, February 2 nd Presentation of the Lord into the Temple Ø Saturday, February 6 th Prosphora Baking Training Day Ø Sunday, February 7 th General Assembly Ø Saturday, February 27 th Philoptochos Membership Party Ø Sunday, February 28 th Blood Drive Ø Saturday, March 5 th Glendi Ø Thursday, March 24 th & Friday March 25 th Easter Bake Sale Ø Saturday, March 26 th Retreat with Fr. Michael Oleksa NEWS FROM PHILOPTOCHOS The 3M Party (membership, mezathakia and martinis) is open to anyone who wants to join Philoptochos. It is from 6:00-10:00 pm at the home of Vicki and Michael Franceschelli. Please bring your significant others. Members, please bring an appetizer or dessert. Let me or Vicki know what you plan to bring. Dues are due. Please give Katina your $25. The Easter bake sale is early. Please let me know if you can help. We will be working several days a week around the other church activities. Lastly thanks to everyone for a successful Vasilopita auction. We raised around $ and sent a nice round check for that amount to Saint Basil Academy. Your sister in Christ, Kristin Eliopoulos We have a new website! The new website of our church is: On our website, we can find videos and information about the Orthodox Church, about our community and the monthly bulletin and calendar. We can also make online donations and see pictures of events and activities that took place in our church. Let s use and enjoy this wonderful tool made available to us!

5 Advertisements in the Monthly Bulletin: It was decided by the parish council to allow the publishing of advertisements in the monthly bulletin. The price is $25 for a business card size advertisement published on the last page of the bulletin. If you are interested in this, please contact Fr. Cosmin Call me with any of your real estate needs. Ancient Faith Radio APP GOARCH Daily Readings APP Pray Always APP Inquirer s Class??? Are you interested in Orthodox Christianity or do you know somebody who is? Please attend our Inquirer s classes (every Sunday starting on February 14 th )

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