For All Praise, Thanksgiving and Worship are Due to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit!

Transcription

1 VOLUME 26 NUMBER 11 November 2017 For All Praise, Thanksgiving and Worship are Due to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit! Does the Lord s command about ceaseless prayer that men ought always to pray (Luke 18:1), apply only to monks or to all Christians in general? If it applied only to monks, the Apostle Paul would not have written to the Christians in Thessalonica to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). The Apostle repeats the Lord s command, word for word, and issues it to all Christians without distinction, whether monks or laymen. Not only without ceasing in church, but also without ceasing in every place and at all times, and especially in your heart. For if God does not for a moment tire of giving us good things, how can we tire of thanking Him for these good things? When He thinks of us without ceasing, why do we not think of Him without ceasing? ~St Nikolai Velimirovich Dearest Spiritual Ohana, Prayer is an essential part of the Christian s life, whether we be monks or laypeople. St. Nikolai said this so well that I felt it necessary to share his compelling words with all of you. Ultimately, the True Christian is the one who prays. The trap we can easily fall into is to think that the work of prayer belongs only to the cleric and the monastic (the Bishop, Priest, Deacon, Monk or Nun). Yes, they are suppose to be people and conduits of prayer! But each and every one of us 1 are called to be instruments of prayer in equal manner! To give an example, no Divine Liturgy can be served by the priest alone, but requires the presence of at least one other person of the Faith (wherever two or three are gathered). For Liturgy means the work of the people. Without at least one other person besides the priest, the Bread and Wine cannot be consecrated into the Body and Blood of Christ as Holy Communion. Prayer also is not to be confined to the Sunday Services only, but is to be incorporated into every aspect of our everyday lives. This is what is meant by living the liturgy after the Liturgy. When I was a seminarian, a student at Holy Cross/Hellenic College in Brookline, Massachusetts, my professors would remind us that a true Theologian was not the one with all the knowledge of doctrine, dogma, patristics, history, canon law, liturgics, ethics, byzantine music, etc., but the one who incorporates and practices these in his/her life prayerfully and is, foremost, a person of prayer. In our prayer lives, let us be active in our private and corporate prayer, for the two go hand-inhand. We cannot choose one, and deny the other! By private prayer, I am speaking about our daily prayers, including but not limited to: Morning (Continued on page 2)

2 and body. Before you start your prayers, take time to quiet yourself and to concentrate your energies in your heart. Christ says, Enter into thy closet and... shut thy door (Mt 6:6). Remove all activities that could disrupt your inner descent. Set aside, to the best of your ability, all of your problems of the day and your worries for tomorrow. This is not a time for thinking or worrying. When you are preparing to pray, stand, sit or walk a few minutes and steady your mind to concentrate on God. Reflect on who it is that you will be addressing. Remember, it is God Himself, the Creator of All, with whom you are about to talk. Try to hold in your heart a feeling of humility and reverent awe. If you are able, make some prostrations before you begin. (from Deacon Charles Ten Point Program for Orthodox Life, Greenville, South Carolina) I wish all of you a most Happy Thanksgiving! As we begin the Holiday Season, let us always remember and never forget to take the many precious moments to give praise and thanksgiving to God in all things, prayerfully! (Continued from page 1) Prayers, Prayers Before (and even After) Meals, Evening Prayers, and the Jesus Prayer. In our corporate prayers, let us not forget to pray and worship at the services in the Church, including the Divine Liturgy (from It s beginning, when Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is proclaimed), the Major Feast Days, Great Vespers whenever celebrated, Orthros which is overflowing with the rich teachings and most enriching hymns of our Orthodox Christian Faith, and other services offered throughout the year. When it comes to coming to corporate worship/ prayer, St. John Chrysostom offers us these words of wisdom: The Martyrs gave their blood for the truth, and you are not able to come to church? They gave their lives for Christ, and you can't make a small journey for Him? But you say I am a sinner, I cannot come. Then come and cease to be one. For our private daily prayers, here are a few practical tips for how to prepare ourselves in beginning our prayer: You begin praying by focusing your consciousness in your heart and forcibly gathering there all the powers of your soul Shorelines is published Monthly by: Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Pacific 930 Lunalilo Street Honolulu, Hawaii Phone : (808) Fax : (808) office@greekorthodoxhawaii.org Parish Web Site: Regular Office Hours: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday thru Friday Rev. Father Alexander M. Leong fralexanderleong@yahoo.com With Love in Christ, +Fr. Alexander Church Staff Katherine Pasieta Amanda Jackson - Office Coordinator Philoptochos Board office@greekorthodoxhawaii.org Anita Akel, President; Anita Higashi, 1st Erica Jansen - Bookkeeper Vice President; Eres Eddy, 2nd Vice 2017 Parish Council President; Ludmyla Solyar,Treasurer; pc@greekorthodoxhawaii.org Julie Ličina, Recording Secretary; Maria Naval, President Valentina Varovaya, Corr. Secretary; Trish Kiladis, Vice President Alma Chu, Advisor Roni Katsikas, Treasurer Choir-Chanters Christina Dimitrion, Secretary Orest Saikevych, Music Director John Kiladis, Cleopatra Kritikos, Gregory Malick, Protopsaltis Nicholas Kyriakakis, Parish Ministries Dimitri Nicholas & Andrew Tujios. Stelio Scordilis, Aloha Youth Choir; Sunday School Director T.B.A., Bookstore; Dianna Graves, Presbytera Nicole Leong Greek Dance Groups; Stelio Scordilis, Sunday School Teachers Greek School; Julie Ličina Web Master; Shawn Chu, Alice Malick, Greg Malick, Anita Higashi, Facebook Maria Naval, Dimitri Nicholas, & 2

3 LITURGICAL LIFE OF OUR PARISH WEEKDAY SERVICES IN NOVEMBER STS. COSMAS & DAMIAN Wed. 11/1 Orthros/Liturgy 8:30/9:30 am SYNAXIS OF THE ANGELS Wed. 11/8 Orthros/Liturgy 8:30/9:30 am ST. NEKTARIOS OF AEGINA Thu. 11/9 Orthros/Liturgy 8:30/9:30 am GREAT VESPERS Mon. 11/20 Vespers 6:30 pm PRESENTATION OF THE THEOTOKOS Tue. 11/21 Orthros/Liturgy 8:30/9:30 am MAUI SERVICES (ST. KATHERINE) Sat. 11/25 Liturgy 10:30 am ST. ANDREW THE 1ST-CALLED APOST. Thu. 11/30 Orthros/Liturgy 8:30/9:30 am November Parish Council Teams 11/05 Nick 11/12 Roni 11/19 Tina 11/26 Trish Please remember in your prayers Dina Giannakopoulos Paul Kelley Suzanne Keyser Julie Licina Alice Marie Malick George Missias John Mitsis and all those needing our prayers. Announcements Adult Religious Education Understanding the Divine Liturgy Sundays 12 to 12:45 p.m. Sunday, November 12 Introduction to the Order of Services Leading Up to the Divine Liturgy Sunday, November 26 The Priest Taking Kairos Sunday, December 10 The Service of Proskomide or Preparation of Holy Gifts Learn Greek! Beginners Sunday 2:00 3:00 PM Thursday 5:30 6:30 PM Intermediate Sunday 12:00 1:00 PM Advanced Monday 6:00 8:00 PM 3

4 Parish Christmas Card If you wish to be listed on our Parish Christmas Card, please print your name below and return to the church office by December 4th. Please consider including a donation to offset the cost of printing and postage for the card. MAHALO! Please print. Your name will appear as written here. Share your news! Announcements that you would like to see in the December issue of Shorelines should be submitted to the church office by November 15th. Weekly Bulletin announcements should be submitted by noon on Thursday for the upcoming Sunday. office@greekorthodoxhawaii.org Our Vision To be a beacon of Orthodoxy in the Pacific and proclaim the Gospel of Christ to all people in accordance with the Orthodox Faith Our Mission To proclaim the Gospel of Christ to all people in accordance with the Orthodox Faith. To sanctify and minister to the spiritual growth and needs of the faithful through liturgical worship and spiritual programs. To safeguard and keep the traditions, values, and faith of the Orthodox Church pure and undefiled. Call: Or drop by with a copy of your announcement. Maui Orthodox Christian Mission reminds those who attend services on Maui to visit or call to verify services. or look for other activities that may be posted. 4

5 Aloha Our Church Ohana, I hope that our youth learned something from the Make A Difference Day project in October. It is important to know that we can make a positive difference in someone s life, especially through working with others as a team. We thank the Philoptochos Ladies for supporting the Bake Sale. A special Thank You to Mrs. Alma Chu and Ms. Maria Striebich for leading in the making of the Brownies and Rice Crispy Treats. The children had fun in the Bake Room including my oldest son who kept tasting the Rice Crispy Treats If you missed being at the Bake Sale for Save the Children, please ask any of the children how successful the project was. I believe we must be able to purchase some gifts for Save the Children with the Bake Sale money. This year, we are planning to have a small, simple Christmas Pageant following the Liturgy on Sunday, December 10 th. (Mark your calendar!) A part of the Sunday School class will be used to prepare for the pageant in November and December. Parents and Grandparents, please support your child/children by bringing them to Church and showing interest in what they learn. Pres. Nicole, Sunday School Director Happy Thanksgiving! I put the beautiful words of Father Alexander Schmemann which he read in the form of a prayer during his last sermon: Everyone capable of thanksgiving is capable of salvation and eternal joy. Thank You, O Lord, for having accepted this Eucharist, which we offered to the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and which filled our hearts with the joy, peace and righteousness of the Holy Spirit. Thank You, O Lord, for having revealed Yourself unto us and given us the foretaste of Your Kingdom. Thank You, O Lord, for having united us to one another in serving You and Your Holy Church. Thank You, O Lord, for having helped us to overcome all difficulties, tensions, passions, temptations and restored peace, mutual love and joy in sharing the communion of the Holy Spirit. Thank You, O Lord, for the sufferings You bestowed upon us, for they are purifying us from selfishness and reminding us of the one thing needed; Your eternal Kingdom. Thank You, O Lord, for having given us this country where we are free to worship You. Thank You, O Lord, for this school, where the name of God is proclaimed. Thank You, O Lord, for our families: husbands, wives and, especially, children who teach us how to celebrate Your Holy Name in joy, movement and holy noise. Thank You, O Lord, for everyone and everything. Great are You, O Lord, and marvelous are Your deeds, and no word is sufficient to celebrate Your miracles. Lord, it is good to be here! Amen! 5 News from The Aloha Youth Choir On October 22nd, the Aloha Youth Choir chanted the Divine Liturgy with great success. Our Youth were simply amazing! We are now preparing for our Christmas concert on December 23rd and our upcoming FDF trip to San Francisco the second week of January. We appeal to you to please support our Youth Choir, an important feature of our church.

6 What is Christian Stewardship? 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 diocese/metropolis, as national Church and as Church universal. BRING THEM TO ME Jesus is concerned about the 5,000 men plus women and children that are with him in the wilderness. His disciples tell him that all they have are five loaves and two small fish that a boy has offered. Jesus response is the phrase, Bring them to me. Jesus then takes the loaves, blesses and breaks them, and feeds 5,000 men plus women and children. We also bring what we have to Jesus. We offer bread and wine. He returns it to us as His body and blood in Holy Communion. We offer ourselves and we become the Church, His body on earth. No matter how much we give, He cannot be outdone. Just like the boy who offered the loaves and the fish, if we offer what we have however great or small our gift with prayer and humility, God will receive our gifts and multiply them to feed His people Budget Please pc@greekorthodoxhawaii.org with any suggestions for the budget, or if you are interested in being on the committee. A copy of 2017 budget is posted upstairs. 6

7 Dance Group News COFFEE HOUR SPONSORED BY THE DANCE GROUP SUNDAY NOVEMBER 12. FDF REQUIRES FOR DANCE COMPETITION 2 SUITES OF DANCES ONE AT 10 MIN AN 12 MIN FOR OUR LEVEL OF COMPETITION. WE WILL BE TAKING 2 GROUPS FOR FDF 2018 COMPETITION. FDF DANCES FOR THE NISIOPEDA (YOUNG ISLAND DANCERS) COMPETING FOR THE FIRST TIME AT FDF D A N C E S F R O M K E F A L O N I A : D I V A R A T I K O S, M E R M I N G A S, STAVROTOS, KEFALONIA BALLOS. IN ADDITION TO DANCES FROM K Y T H E R A : P A L I A K O S S Y R T O, B O U R D A R I S, M E S A R I T I K O S, PAPADOPANAYIOTENA. (TAUGHT BY JOE KALOYANIDES GRAZIOSI) FDF DANCES FOR THE NISIOTES (ISLANDERS) OLDER GROUP DANCES FROM SAMOS: SAMIOTIKOS, KOURSARIKOS, KARAVAS, TO PLATANIOTIKO NERO (TAUGHT BY JOE) ALSO DANCES FROM KYTHERA: SYRTOS, TSIRIGOTIKOS, AI GIORGIS, ZAGARAKIA (TAUGHT BY AGIS TSAKALATOS) LETS KEEP DANCING, DIANNA C O F F E E H O U R Each individual/ family is requested to sponsor a coffee hour one Sunday per year. Sign up on the calendar posted outside the Social Hall or contact Suzanne A. or Frances R. Instructions/tips for sponsoring a coffee hour are available in a 3-ring binder in a cupboard in the hall. The Ladies of Philoptochos appreciate any donations of coffee supplies, including paper supplies to help defray some of the coffee hour expenses. If you are hesitant to prepare and serve a coffee hour 7 yourself, consider making a monetary donation. Please do not bring non- Lenten food including cake & ice cream during fasting periods. Thank you to our October Sunday Coffee Hour sponsors! 10/01 Adult Choir 10/08 Peter Hwu 10/15 Soileau 10/22 Giannopoulos Family 10/29 Kramer/Dimitrion

8 Make A Difference Day Bake Sale on Sunday, October 29th A Success! Our Philoptochos, Sunday School Teachers and Students, Parents and Grandparents, in a join effort, got together to help raise funds to help families in need, through the preparation of baked goods on Sunday, October 22nd and in their homes, and selling them during Coffee Hour on Sunday, October 29th. They exceeded their goals! All involved, had lots of fun! Here are the results of the Bake Sale: Preschool Class collected $ K through 2nd Grade Class collected $ rd through 5th Grade Class collected $ Middle School Class collected $ Total Collection - $ We are able to give 3 Pigs ($150), Bees to 2 Families ($120), Ducks for 4 Families ($140), Chicks for 4 Families ($80), Share of the Clean Water Project ($50). We had our first official Prayer Group Meeting on Thursday, October 19th, with a Supplications Service to the Theotokos (Paraklesis). This month s Prayer Group Meeting will be on Thursday, November 16th, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Please come and join us in prayer, as we invoke the All-Holy Spirit to come abide in us and guide us in praying for ourselves, one another and the world that surrounds us and giving praise to Almighty God! 8