Glad Tidings. Making Room for God, by Fr. Andrew J. Barakos

Transcription

1 St. Paul, MN August 2007 Volume 13, Issue 7 S T. G E O R G E G R E E K O R T H O D O X C H U R C H Glad Tidings Making Room for God, by Fr. Andrew J. Barakos There is a story of a high school senior who upon graduating his father takes him to a car dealership to select a gift. They found a car and the father said that he would take care of the rest. Graduation came and the young man's father said, 'Congratulations for finishing with honors, I want you to have this.' And he handed him a Bible. His son was furious! 'How dare you go back on your word and not give me the car.' The boy said, as he threw the Bible down and left. The boy went away to college and never had anything to do with his father for the rest of his life. Many years latter, news came to the young man that his father had died. He went back to his father's house in order to take care of the estate. In the library he ran across the bible that his father had given him. He went over and picked it up and opened it. There to his amazement was a check for the exact amount of the car along with a note. It read, "Dear Son, as important as a car might be to you. I didn't want you to forget the most important thing in life. The day you care enough to open this Bible then you will know." God does the same thing with us. Every time we think that we know what is most important, He takes it away and reminds us of higher things. September first marks the beginning of the Church year in the Orthodox Church. The message rings load and clear what is most important as the Church brings before us the Feast of the Cross of September 14th. The Cross is our companion and foundation as Christians. It instructs us that if are to be followers of Christ we must 'deny ourselves, take up our Cross and follow Him'. Taking up one's Cross means that of our free choice we live lives which exhibit a denial of this world as an end in itself - we live for God's Kingdom! Maybe we need to rethink what is most important on Saturday evenings. Instead of dinner and a movie why not attend Great Vespers at 5:00 P.M.? One might discover that forty-five minutes spent in Church is far more satisfying than spending a lot of money for a movie that one forgets moments latter. By the way, I wonder what it means when we spend seven dollars to see a bad movie and only one dollar when the tray is passed at Church? Maybe we need to rethink how we spend our week. One might discover that one hour spent at the studies in Orthodox Class is far more satisfying then the one hour television program that evening. Interacting with fellow Christians, asking long kept questions and sharing from our life experiences is something which rarely takes place today. Maybe we need to rethink how we spend our mornings. One might discover that a half hour spent in prayer and reading the Bible is far more satisfying than a morning walk or a stroll at the Mall. By communing with God through prayer and the reading of Holy Scriptures, we discovers our true nature as being spiritual and that if it is not watered it will wilt an vanish away. Whatever we may think God has taken away from us it presents an opportunity for us to discover a hidden treasure. God knows what we truly need and provides for us if only we are able to rethink a few things. Courtesy Orthodoxy Today.org Special articles: Dormition of the Theotokos p. 2; Church Camp Experience p. 6

2 Glad Tidings Page 2 Dormition of the Theotokos~ August 15 The Feast of the Dormition or Falling Asleep of the Theotokos commemorates the death, resurrection, and glorification of Christ's mother. To help us in our preparation of the feast, it is preceded by a two week fast. As with the Nativity of the Virgin (September 8/21) and the feast of her Entrance to the Temple (November 21/ December 4), the Feast of the Dormition also comes from the Tradition of the Church. There we learn that Mary died as all people die because she had a mortal human nature affected by the corruption of this world. The Church proclaims that Mary needed to be saved by Christ just as all of us are saved from trials, sufferings, and death of this world. Having truly died, she was raised by her Son as the "Mother of Life" and already participates in the eternal life of paradise which is prepared and promised to all who "hear the word of God and keep it." (Luke 11:27-28) Finally, we celebrate the fact that what happens to Mary happens to all who imitate her holy life of humility, obedience and love. It is important to remember that there are no relics of the Theotokos. Their existence has never been mentioned throughout history. At one time in Constanti nople there was a center of pilgrimage where the belt and veil of the Virgin were venerated. Following the day of Pentecost, the Theotokos remained in the city of Jerusalem comforting the infant Christian community. She was living in the house of the beloved Apostle John, later the Evangelist. At the time of her death (tradition states she was in her early fifties) many of the Apostles were scattered throughout the world preaching the Gospel. All but Thomas were miraculously brought to the Virgin aloft on clouds. As they stood around her bedside, she commended her spirit to the Lord and Jesus descended from Heaven, taking up her soul in His arms. The Apostles sang the funeral hymns in her honor and carried her body to a tomb in Cedron near Gethsemane. When a Jewish man tried to interrupt their solemn procession, an angel of the Lord came and punished him by cutting off his hands which were later healed. The Apostle Thomas arrived on the third day and wished to see the Virgin for the last time. They discovered an empty tomb. Church tradition relates that the Theotokos was resurrected bodily and taken to heaven, the same reward that awaits all the righteous on the Last Day. About the Icon The Theotokos is depicted upon the funeral bier. Christ, standing behind the Theotokos, is her Son, who has come to receive His Mother's soul into heaven. He holds in Adapted from The Orthodox Church, Volume II: Worship, His left arm an infant in white, by Fr. Thomas Hopko.. From the symbolizing the soul of the Tradition of the Church. Theotokos reborn in her glory in heaven. Christ also is robed in white and appears in an aureole (elongated halo) depicting the Light of His Divinity. The Apostles are depicted on either side of the bier stand. The group on the left is led by St. Peter who stands at the head of the bier; the group on the right is led by St. Paul who stands at the foot of the bier. Below the bier is a figure of Antonius the Jew, who tried to disrupt the procession, was punished, but later repented of his sins and embraced Christianity through Baptism. Taken from The Icon Book, by Boojamra, Essey, McLuckie & Matusiak.

3 St. Paul, MN Page 3 Parish Announcements Volunteer Needed for Church Roof Work A young volunteer is needed to get up on the roof on a regular basis to check the three drains to make sure that leaves have not accumulated there creating a pond on the roof. The leaves also need to be blown off the roof. Up until now we have had people close to 70 and older handling this job. This is now becoming a safety issue for them. Please contact Christ Kontenakos at if interested. Church Picnic Date Changed The church picnic date has been changed to September 23. Choir Rehearsal There will be a short rehearsal/ meeting on Sunday, August 5 directly after the Liturgy. Please make every effort to attend. Art Auction The Art Auction will be on Saturday, October 13. The preview will be at 6pm and the auction at 7pm. Please contact Dawn Lampros at or Denise Smith at with any questions. Fellowship Social Hour dates available: August 5, September 23, 30. If you can t serve by yourself, you can share the opportunity with another parish member! Contact Naomi Tsantir at Missions & Benevolence News The Missions and Benevolence Committee is supporting the Trinity Children`s Foundation through a school supply drive this summer. This Orthodox-run agency helps boys and girls that have been abused, neglected or abandoned by providing shelter, education and counseling. Please help us by purchasing: pencils, pens, markers, paper, backpacks or art supplies items and placing them in the basket located in the social hall by August 6. See the bulletin insert for more details. Contact Diane Anastos, asia819@dc .com. Committee meetings for July and August have been cancelled. The next scheduled meeting is Wednesday, September 5, 6:30PM. We Have an Internet Radio Station! Our parish has established its own internet radio station with The Ark program of the Orthodox Christian Network. For more information, contact Dan Matuska, dsmatuska@youbetnet.com or Fr. Rick, fatherrick@usa.com. To listen to The Ark visit: radiostations/theark / ST_GEORGE-ST_PAUL_MN/ player/index.php Youth Choir Rehearsals We are experiencing great success with our 30 minute rehearsal every other Sunday. Please support the youth choir by donating much needed funds for choir gowns and supplies. Contact Barbara Bauman, , or Andrea Faches, Greek Festival Aug 18th 11 am - 8 pm Aug 19th 11 am - 6 pm The 2007 Greek Festival is only a few weeks away. We are asking you to donate your time and talents by volunteering at one of the booths. Take this opportunity to make the festival a success. We would like to show the wonderful things our St. George community has to offer. There will be church tours, cultural exhibits, singing, dancing and of course GREAT food. Please sign up in the Social Hall after Liturgy or by ing Jean Pliakas at jwpliakas@aol.com. See insert for more information. Parishioners Who Have Moved Away We wish the best for those who have moved away recently. Among them are Ned and Elea Bentley, Vasileios Bekos, Peter & Sonia Vellis and Micah Hirschy. Treasurer's Financial Report June Income June Expenses Monthly Balance YTD* Income YTD* Expenses YTD* Balance $10, $24, ($13,498.96) $90, $115, ($25,380.93) Stewardship Report June Pledge June Pledge Income Goal Balance YTD* Pledge Income Year Pledge Goal Balance* $9, $15, ($6,340.33) $72, $93, ($20,265.24) *All year-to-date figures are as of June 30, 2007.

4 Glad Tidings Page 4 Church Staff and Office Hours Church Office Hours Mondays 10:00AM-12:30PM, 1:30PM-4:30PM Tue. Thurs. 8:00AM-12:30PM, 1:30 PM-4:30 PM Rev. Fr. Richard Demetrius Andrews, Presbyter (651) FatherRick@usa.com Fiona Eustathiades, Administrative Assistant (651) Registry Forty Day Churching Kelly Barbes with babies George & Anna. Baptisms Yiannis Speros in Eau Claire, WI, parents are John & Kelly Speros, godparent is Anthony Pavlatos Samuel Brandt, parents are Jeffrey & Eleni Brandt, godparent is Alice Kappos. Funerals George Rappos Dimitrios Hatzistamoulos Anthony Selliris, Youth Minister (715) tselliris@tpna.com. Eric Chadwick, Parish Council President (507) chadwick@ptslaw.com Reva Adkins, Philoptochos President (651) rradkins@comcast.net Festal Icons Needed Please donate a Festal Icon (11" x 14") in memory of a loved one. The cost is $50.00 per icon. The icons are displayed in the church nave and are put out for veneration on the Feast Day of the Saint or event they represent. To donate an icon, fill out a form (found on the bulletin board by the kitchen) and return it to the office. St. Markella July 22 St. Melania of Rome December 31 St. Natalia the Martyr August 26 St. Nathaniel April 22 Andrea Faches, Sunday School Director (507) afaches@msn.com Barbara Bauman, Choir Director (651) Anna Christoforides, Greek School Director (651) Diane Anastos, Glad Tidings Editor Sonia/Peter Vellis & Paul/Jean Pliakas Celebrating the Feast Day of Saints Peter & Paul

5 St. Paul, MN Page 5 YOUTH NEWS Sunday School The first day of Sunday School will be Sunday, September 9th. You can register your student by filling out the registration form (See Insert) or register your student online at: SundaySchoolForm.html. We need teachers, substitutes, and a parent representative for each of the classes (pre-k; K&1; 2&3; 4-6th, 7-8th & High School.) A parent meeting is being planned for August. Check the Sunday bulletin for date and time. Thank you to Andrea Faches for volunteering to be the Sunday School Director again this year. We appreciate her dedication to the religious education of our young parishioners. Youth News from Tony Selliris The Youth Ministry is working toward integrating Youth activities into a Family Ministry concept. This move will allow us to open up events to all Family Parishioners young and old to provide us with ideas and input. Read the Sunday Bulletin and Glad Tidings as we start the new Liturgical Year in September. Bring the Family Vacation Church School Aug 6th - Aug 10th Heroines of Orthodoxy 9:00 am to 12:00 noon Children entering Kindergarten through 6th grade in the Fall of 2007 are invited to attend. You can still register your children by contact Andrea Faches or Jean Pliakas. See Insert. We had 15 youth from St. George participate in Summer Camp this year. They all had a great time as you can see by the smiles. Bravo to those adults who dedicated their week to make this happen: Father Rick, Fiona Eustathiades, Leslie Gnetz and Steve Gnetz. The Post Summer Camp party was held at St. George s this year. A fun time was had by all with over 120 children celebrating and getting together with new and old friends. Mark your calendars Summer Camp 2008 will be held at Camp Wapogasset (Wapo) in Amery, Wisconsin. Mark your calendars with the new dates: Sunday, June 29th through Sunday, July 6, Applications for all staff due one month earlier this year by November 30, Register at stmarysgoc.org. Greek Festival Aug 18th and Aug 19th Children s Area Sign up to run the games in the children s area. Contact Tony Selliris at (715) Save the Date Church Picnic Sunday, Sept. 23rd 12:00 noon - 4:00 p.m. Hidden Falls Games and activities are planned for the youth. We need 7th - 12th graders to help. Contact Tony Selliris at (715) Art Auction Saturday, Oct. 13th 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm We need youth to participate by helping to serve guests. Contact Denise Smith to volunteer.

6 Glad Tidings Page 6 Book Store Of Life and Salvation, by Stanley Harakas This book invites you to reflect on the meaning of the fourteen biblical passages that are part of the current text of the sacrament of Holy Unction. Some of the most meaningful and enlightening messages of the New Testament are brought together in a single place. They are rich experiences of the revelation of God s will for us, especially those who are members of the household of the faith, that is the church. Praying with the Orthodox Tradition, compiled by Stefano Parenti The splendor of Orthodox Christian worship has often fascinated believers from other traditions. This little book is a complete collection of prayers for different hours of the day, making accessible some of riches of Orthodox spirituality. Forward by Bishop Kallistos Ware. Panagia With Us All For children and families, this is a wonderful cd. It is a compilation of songs and hymns sung with children. Two cd s are now available from the Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Harvard, Illinois. CHURCH CAMP by Katharine Chadwick I am very thankful I get the opportunity to go to camp. It s not just because I get a week without my parents. It s that I get to see my friends, learn more about my Faith, and get the chance to go to confession. I also enjoy the activities that go on. I enjoyed it when the 6 th -8 th grades got to talk to Archbishop Job and Mother Macrina. Archbishop Job told us a lot about himself. He told us that when he was younger he used to paint icons. Mother Macrina told us what she does at the monastery and what a normal day is like. She said that she is in church for at least 5 hours. She gets up at 4 or 5 A.M. to get up and be ready for church. The 6 th -8 th grades also got to write letters to the soldiers in Iraq. I thank my parents for letting me go to camp every year. I love going to camp. (Even if it is on Father s Day.) See page 5 for smiling faces!

7 St. Paul, MN Page 7 Around Town Icon Workshop September All Saints Antiochian Orthodox Church is hosting a three day workshop in the technique of Orthodox iconography. Classes offer a spiritual and theological understanding of Orthodox dogma and its practice in the art of iconography as a tool in prayer and an art form that functions in liturgy. Debra Korluka is the instructor. Please call her at or Father Steven Salaris at: for further information if you have friends in St. Louis! Spiritual Pilgrimage to St. Louis, Missouri October Sunshine Travel Company presents "Pilgrimage to St. Louis", including a spiritual retreat with a workshop in the technique and spirituality of Orthodox icons. The pilgrimage leaves from Minneapolis and travels to St. Louis. The itinerary consists of visits to the St. Louis Art Museum, Cathedral of St. Louis (the largest collection of Byzantine mosaics in the world), Gateway Arch, wineries, Odyssey Theater film presentation and much more. Lodging will be at Our Lady of the Snows Shrine Hotel. A professional tour guide and driver will travel with the group. Please call Sunshine Travel for further information at day, 4 night motorcoach tour is $699.00, including all meals, lodging, transportation and sightseeing costs. Icon workshop optional for additional fee. Brochures for all of the above can be obtained from Debra: Metropolis & Archdiocesan News Online Survey on Contemporary Issues The Department of Communications has launched a survey site on issues and topics that affect Orthodox Christians and society at large. The site will feature a brief survey that will give participants the opportunity to interact with the Archdiocese and offer their responses to various issues. The surveys and survey results will be published in the Orthodox Observer. To complete this months current survey, go to Sunday School Pre-Registration Encouraged The Department of Religious Education encourages parishes to hold pre-registration for the church school year. By ordering materials early, classes can be prepared well in advance and teachers can review materials. This also avoids the last-minute rush and next day orders in September, which can add to the cost of materials. To download a copy of the Department of Religious Education Resource Catalog, visit the website or to have one sent to you call the office Orthodox Christian Resource Catalog The catalog includes more than 700 resources for adults, teachers, youth workers, parish youth, vacation church school programs, children's books, prayer books, multimedia resources, icons, gifts and more. departments/religioused/projects.asp#catalog

8 S T. G E O R G E G R E E K O R T H O D O X C H U R C H 1111 Summit Avenue St. Paul, Minnesota ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID St. Paul, MN Permit No. 177 Phone: Fax: Web Site: Weekday Worship Schedule Wednesday, August 1 7:00PM Paraklesis Service Thursday, August 2 10:00AM Paraklesis Service Sunday, August 5 6:00PM Vespers Monday, August 6 9:00AM Liturgy for Transfiguration Tuesday, August 7 7:00PM Paraklesis Service Thursday, August 9 6:00PM Paraklesis Service Thursday, August 13 10:00AM Paraklesis Service Wednesday, August 15 9:00AM Liturgy for The Dormition of The Theotokos Saturday, August 25 9:30AM Liturgy in Eau Claire, WI REGULAR WEEKLY SERVICES Holy Confession: By Appointment Vespers: Saturday 5 pm (September May) Orthros: Sunday 8:30 am Divine Liturgy: Sunday 9:45 am Sunday School: (September through May) starts after administration of Holy Communion Wednesday, August 29 8:00AM Liturgy for The Beheading of St. John the Baptist

9 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Coming in September... 1 Indiction: Eccleastical New Year 3 Labor Day Holiday-Office Closed 8 Nativity of Theotokos 9 Sunday School Begins 14 Elevation of the Cross 23 Church Picnic 26 Dormition of St. John the Evangelist August FAST DAY + 7:00pm :00am 3 + FAST DAY 4 5:00pm Radio Program 980 AM + STRICT FAST OF DORMITION TH SUN. OF MATTHEW + 8:30am ORTHROS + 9:45am LITURGY + 6:00pm VESPERS 6 + TRANSFIGU- RATION + 9:00am LITURGY 7 + 7:00pm 8 + FAST DAY 9 + Vacation Church School (9am-12pm) + + 6:00pm 7:00pm Parish Council + STRICT FAST OF DORMITION FAST DAY 11 5:00pm Radio Program 980 AM TH SUN. OF MATTHEW + 8:30am ORTHROS + 9:45am LITURGY :00am 5:00pm Loaves & Fishes 7:00pm Youth Ministry Meeting :00pm St. Mary GOC +STRICT FAST OF DORMITION TH SUNDAY OF MATTHEW + 8:30am ORTHROS + 9:45am LITURGY 11AM-6PM GREEK FESTIVAL 15 + FAST DAY + DORMITION OF THE THEOTOKOS + 9:00am LITURGY 6:00pm Glad Tidings Meeting 16 + ST. STAMATIOS + 9:00am LITURGY 5:00pm Spiritual Life Committee 7:00pm AHEPA Meeting 17 + FAST DAY 10:00am Greek Festival Set-Up 18 11AM 8PM GREEK FESTIVAL 5:00pm Radio Program 980 AM FAST DAY FAST DAY :30am LITURGY in Eau Claire, WI Greek Festival Rochester, MN 5:00pm Radio Program 980 AM TH SUNDAY OF MATTHEW + 8:30am ORTHROS + 9:45am LITURGY Greek Festival Rochester, MN STRICT FAST DAY + BEHEADING OF FORERUNNER + 8:00am Liturgy 30 + ST. ALEXANDROS + 9:00am LITURGY 31+ FAST DAY 7:00pm Stewardship Committee St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1111 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN Rev. Father Richard Demetrius Andrews -- Phone: (651)