St. Demetrios. Champion. Orthodoxy and the Environment. Upcoming Coffee Hosts

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1 St. Demetrios Champion MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF ST. DEMETRIOS ORTHODOX CHURCH SEPTEMBER VOLUME 10 Orthodoxy and the Environment For Patriarch Bartholomew, this is a matter of truthfulness to God, humanity and the created order. He condemns environmental abuse as nothing less than sin! At Santa Barbara in November 1997, he declared: To commit a crime against the natural world is a sin. For human beings to cause species to become extinct and to destroy the biological diversity of God s creation; for human beings to degrade the integrity of the earth by causing changes in its climate, by stripping the earth of its natural forests, or by destroying its wetlands; for human beings to injure other human beings with disease by contaminating the earth s waters, its land, its air, and its life, with poisonous substances all of these are sins. The environment is not only a political or a technological issue; it is, as Patriarch Bartholomew likes to underline, primarily a religious and spiritual issue. Patriarch Bartholomew invariably relates the environment to a familiar aspect of Orthodox spirituality, namely to the icons that decorate Orthodox churches. Symbols are important in Orthodox thought, worship and life. Creation itself is likened to an icon, just as the human person is created in the image and likeness of God (Gen and Col. 1.15). The Patriarch invites people to contemplate the Creator God through the icon of the created world (Col ). In the same vein, Patriarch Bartholomew refers to the human beings as endowed by God to serve as priests, underlining that personal responsibility for the physical world and the slightest action of even the feeblest among us can change the world for the better. Finally, the Ecumenical Patriarch is aware that environmental issues are intimately connected to and dependent on numerous other social issues of our times, including war and peace, justice and human rights, poverty and unemployment. It is not by chance that the term eco-justice has been used in religious circles to describe this interconnection between creation and creatures, between the world and its inhabitants. We have, in recent years, become increasingly aware of the effects of environmental degradation on people, and especially the poor. Upcoming Coffee Hosts Sept. 2 Anthopoulos Family Sept. 9- Tony Chardoulias SEPT. 16- GRADUATION CELEBRATION Sept. 23- Kathy Gades Sept. 30- Karen & Pete Gartelos Oct. 7- Amber & Gary Gilles Oct. 14- Sharon Kokinos & Michelle & Kevin Downs If the time is not convenient for you to serve, PLEASE contact another person on the above list to exchange dates. Everything that lives and breathes is sacred and beautiful in the eyes of God. The whole world is a sacrament. The entire created cosmos is a burning bush of God s uncreated energies. And humankind stands as a priest before the altar of creation, as microcosm and mediator. Such is the true nature of things; or, as an Orthodox hymn describes it, the truth of things, if only we have the eyes of faith to see it. - Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I

2 Pledges Received Stewardship pledges for 2012 in the total amount of $20,320: Mary Canakes Amber Gilles Tony Chadoulias Angie Glazebrook Kathy Gades Annie Kontos Elaine Gartelos Mike Kontos Ethel Gartelos Pota Kontos Nick Gartelos Froso Lamb Carolyn Gavalas Julie Schwab Stephanie Gavalas Jim Skarlis Steven Zarifis Peter and Karen Gartelos Matt and Monica Goodell Mike and Lana Jocic Fedon and Pat Petrides George and Shirley Skarlis Marius and Rodica Somodi Jim and Jean Zarifis Boxes of church donation envelopes are available in the Narthex. Please ask a board member for assistance. Save the Date Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, we will gather at Golden China restaurant at noon, to celebrate with Elaine Gartelos. Elaine is a life-long member of our church, but due to the fact that our church is not handicap accessible, she does not regularly attend services. Elaine will be leaving her home and moving to an apartment at Legacy apartments. She has many of the household items she will need. There are, however, some things she does not have. She is registered at Target, or you may prefer to use a Target gift card, and she may choose her own gifts. Please call Julie Schwab at to RSVP. We must let the restaurant know how many places to reserve for our group. Elaine s meal will be covered by the group. It is your choice to purchase lunch, or just celebrate with us. Thanking you in advance for your kindness and generosity: Angie Glazebrook Froso Lamb Julie Schwab Karen Gartelos Kathy Gades Christian Stewardship Is... learning how to be a responsible and concerned caretaker of Christ s Church; it is learning how to enjoy Church life and be happy in Church work, for in Her dwells the fullness of the Spirit of God. our active commitment to use all our time, talent and treasure for the benefit of humankind in grateful acknowledgment of Christ s redeeming love. caring for the needs of others. offering one s self to God as He offered Himself to us. what a person does after saying I believe, as proof of that belief. devotion and service to God and His Church as persons, as families, as parish, as diocese/metropolis, as national Church and as Church universal. A heart-felt thank-you to everyone who sent me an encouraging card, and contributed to the Dick s Sporting Goods gift card received after my recent surgery. I was very touched, and it was much appreciated. -George Nicholas Ω There will be a PARISH COUNCIL meeting Sunday Sept. 9 th following Divine Liturgy in the church hall. If you have news you want included in the bulletin, please contact Amber Gilles via to amberyintar@yahoo.com or by phone at Thanks! How good and pleasant it is when God s people live together in community! Psalm 133:1 Graduation Celebration Save the Date: On Sunday, Sept. 16 th, 2012, we will be having a small celebration at St. Demetrios church hall for Gorana Zekanovic, and any other person who has graduated from high school or college in the past school year. Gorana will be going on to school at UNI in Cedar Falls. She hopes to major in nursing. All parishioners are welcome to attend and help celebrate. The celebration will be held after church. Please help honor Gorana and any other graduates with a card or monetary gift of your choice. There will not be a group gift. We hope all of you can attend. There will be refreshments served. Where and When Please join our community for Divine Liturgy every Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Our Proistamenos (Parish Priest) is Father Joseph Mirowski. We are located at: 613 W. 4 th Street Waterloo, IA All are welcome! Please join us for refreshments following the Liturgy in the church basement.

3 Daily Bible Readings: Sept For the Orthodox, the Bible is the book of the Church, written by and for those who believe in God and constitute His people Father John Matusiak 9/1: Epistle: 1 st Timothy 2:1-7 Gospel: Luke 4: /2: Matins: Mark 16:1-8 Epistle: 1 st Corinthians 16:13-24 Gospel: Matthew 21: /3: Epistle: 2 nd Corinthians 12:10-19 Gospel: Mark 4: /4: Epistle: 2 nd Corinthians 12:20-21; 13:1-2 Gospel: Mark 4: /5: Epistle: 2 nd Corinthians 13:3-13 Gospel: Matthew 23: /6: Epistle: Hebrews 2:2-10 Gospel: Luke 10: /7: Epistle: Galatians 2:6-10 Gospel: Mark 5:22-24, 35-43; 6:1 9/8: Matins: Luke 1:39-49, 56 Epistle: Philippians 2:5-11 Gospel: Luke 10:38-42, 11: /9: Matins: Mark 16:9-20 Epistle: Galatians 6:11-18 Gospel: John 3: /10: Epistle: Galatians 2:11-16 Gospel: John 3: /11: Epistle: Galatians 2:21; 3:1-7 Gospel: John 12: /12: Epistle: Galatians 3:15-22 Gospel: John 11: /13: Epistle: Hebrews 3:1-4 Gospel: John 12: /14: Matins: John 12:28-36 Epistle: 1 st Corinthians 1:18-24 Gospel: John 19:6-11, 13-20, 25-28, 30 9/15: Epistle: 1st Corinthians 1:26-31; 2:1-5 Gospel: John 8: /16: Matins: Luke 24:1-12 Epistle: Galatians 2:16-20 Gospel: Mark 8:34-38; 9:1 9/17: Epistle: Galatians 4:28-31; 5:1-10 Gospel: Luke 3: /18: Epistle: Galatians 5:11-21 Gospel: Luke 3:23-38, 4:1 9/19: Epistle: Galatians 6:2-10 Gospel: Luke 4:1-15 9/20: Epistle: Ephesians 6:10-17 Gospel: Luke 21: /21: Epistle: Ephesians 1:7-17 Gospel: Luke 4: /22: Epistle: 1 st Corinthians 10:23-28 Gospel: Luke 4: /23: Matins: Luke 24:13-35 Epistle: Galatians 4:22-27 Gospel: Luke 5:1-11 9/24: Epistle: 2 nd Timothy 3:10-15 Gospel: Luke 10:38-42, 11: /25: Epistle: Ephesians 2:19-22; 3:1-7 Gospel: Luke 5: /26: Matins: John 21:14-25 Epistle: 1 st John 4:12-19 Gospel: John 19:25-27; 21: /27: Epistle: Ephesians 4:14-17 Gospel: Luke 6: /28: Epistle: 2 nd Corinthians 4:6-15 Gospel: Luke 6: /29: Epistle: 1 st Corinthians 14:20-25 Gospel: Luke 5: /30: Matins: Luke 24:36-53 Epistle: 2 nd Corinthians 6:16-18; 7:1 Gospel: Luke 6:31-36 The Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. September 8th, 2012 Reading: According to the ancient tradition of the Church, the Theotokos was born of barren and aged parents, Joachim and Anna, about the year 16 or 17 before the birth of Christ. Joachim was descended from the royal line of David, of the tribe of Judah. Anna was of the priestly tribe of Levi, a daughter of the priest Matthan and Mary, his wife. Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone Your birth, O Theotokos, brought joy to the whole world, for from you dawned the sun of righteousness, Christ our God. Freeing us from the curse, He gave us His blessings. Abolishing death, He granted us eternal life. Kontakion in the Fourth Tone In your holy birth, Immaculate One, Joachim and Anna were rid of the shame of childlessness; Adam and Eve of the corruption of death. And so your people, free of the guilt of their sins, celebrate crying: "The barren one gives birth to the Theotokos, who nourishes our life."

4 The Elevation of the Venerable and Life- Giving Cross Celebrated on September 14th, 2012 The Elevation of the Holy Cross is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, celebrated on September 14. This feast is also referred to as the Exaltation of the Cross. This is also a popular name day for Stavroula/Stavros (from "stavros" meaning cross). This feast commemorates two events: The finding of the Cross by the Empress Helen (the mother of St. Constantine the Great) on Golgotha in 326 AD, the place where Christ was crucified. On the spot where the Cross was discovered, St. Helen had found a hitherto unknown flower of rare beauty and fragrance, which has been named "Vasiliko", or Basil, meaning the flower of royalty. Note that the word Vasiliko means of the King, since the word Basileus in Greek means "King"; so, the plant Vasiliko, Basil, is tied to the Precious Cross of the King of Glory, our Lord Jesus Christ. Underneath the Basil, the Cross of Christ was found, but with it were the other two crosses, those used to crucify the two thieves on either side of Christ. The sign with the inscription, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews", also lay among the three crosses. In order to determine which one was the true cross, a sick woman was told to kiss each of the three crosses. The woman kissed the first cross with no result. She kissed the second cross and again nothing happened. However, when the ailing woman kissed the True Cross, she was immediately made well. It so happened that a funeral procession was passing that way, and so the body of the dead man was placed on each of the crosses, and when it was placed on the True Cross, the dead man came to life thus the name the Life-Giving Cross, which gives life not only to that man, but to each person who believes in the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross and His all-glorious three day Resurrection. When the true Cross was identified, it was lifted on high for all the people to see, who then continually sang Kyrie eleison, a practice which is still enacted at current celebrations of this feast. The recovery of the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified from the Persians. The Persians had captured the True Cross as a prize of war when they sacked Jerusalem in 614 AD. It was recovered by the forces of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire)) in 627 AD, when Emperor Heraclius decisively defeated the Sassanid Persians at The Battle of Nineveh, surrounding their capital Ctesiphon, recovering the True Cross, and breaking the power of the Sassanid dynasty. The Elevation took place on March 21, 630 AD, when Emperor Heraclius entered Jerusalem amidst great rejoicing, and together with Patriarch Zacharios ( ), transferred the Cross of Christ with great solemnity into the temple of the Resurrection, joyously held up for veneration by the Christian faithful. This is one of the two feast days which is held as a strict fast. The other is the commemoration of the Beheading of St. John the Forerunner on August 29. This is a holy day of fasting and repentance. On this day the faithful make dedication to the crucified Lord and pledge their faithfulness to him by making prostrations at the Lords feet on the life creating Cross. For the feast, the Cross is placed on a tray surrounded by flowers or branches of basil, and placed in the center of the Church for veneration. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God 1st Corinthians 1:18-24

5 As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. Psalm 42:1