PENTECOST AND PASSOVER

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1 Volume 26, Number 6 PENTECOST AND PASSOVER By Rev. Fr. David G. Subu S ummer technically begins on or around June 21. In America, most think of summertime as starting Memorial Day weekend. Liturgically, though, I like to think of summer starting with Pentecost, the Feast of Weeks and the Descent of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost was celebrated in the Old Testament at seven weeks after the Passover, the day to enjoy the first fruits of the Harvest, to do no labor and to make offerings to God. On the first Pentecost after the Lord s Passover (Pascha), the disciples were gathered together in Jerusalem for the feast, and received the gift of the Holy Spirit, that they and those they baptized that day (about three thousand souls) might become the first fruits of God s own harvest. Pentecost is also a day to celebrate God in Holy Trinity, for the revelation and outpouring of the Holy Spirit completed God s self-revelation to the world. Or rather, began to complete for this revelation is still unfolding in our lives today. Through our commemorations of Pascha and Pentecost we are being called to a relationship with God in Holy Trinity, a relationship in which those miracles are being re-actualized within us individually and communally as the risen and living body of Christ. In what way: through a spiritual life in which we dwell in God for God dwells in us. As the Lord Himself explained to His disciples on the night before his Passion, 15 If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. (Jn 14:15-16) The acquisition of the Holy Spirit, as it has been called by St. Seraphim of Sarov and others, should be the true aim or goal of any Christian life. Of course, as a gift or Grace, the life of the Spirit within us cannot be earned, though there are many things we can do either to prepare ourselves or pollute ourselves. St. Seraphim said, As for fasts, and vigils, and prayer, and almsgiving, and every good deed done for Christ's sake, are the only means of acquiring the Holy Spirit of God. Mark my words, only good deeds done for Christ's sake brings us the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Once we taste the gift of the Holy Spirit once, however, we will find nothing else can fulfill us or slake our thirst, and we strive the rest of our lives to grow in that Grace. How to do so? St. John Climacus in the Ladder of Divine Ascent connects the personal Pentecost of the Christian life with the events of the first Passover, drawing on the Paschal language of the Exodus and the Psalms: (Continued on page 2.) Protection of the Holy Mother of God Orthodox Church in Falls Church, VA An English Speaking Parish Community of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate, OCA

2 (Continued from page 1) Let us summon the Holy Trinity to help us as we marshal three against three [Ed. note: self-control, love and humility against sensuality, avarice, and ambition]. If we fail to do this we will make very hard work for ourselves. For if God really dwells in us, the God who made dry land of the sea, then the Israel within us the mind which looks to God will surely make a safe crossing of this sea and look on the Egyptians sunk in the waters of tears. But if God has not yet arrived in us, who will understand the roaring waves of the sea, that is, of our bodies? Whereas if, because of our works, God rises within us, His enemies will be scattered, and if we drew near to Him through contemplation, those who hate Him will flee from before His face (Ps. 67:2) and from ours (St. John of Ladder) For the Ascetic Fathers like Ss. John and Seraphim, the spiritual life was all about this intimate relationship with God, experienced internally and actually, through a union of action and contemplation, a transformation of mind, body, and spirit. Do you wish to bear fruits of the Holy Spirit for the sake of the world and its salvation, as well as your own? Seek the Holy Spirit. As St. Peter said, filled as he was with the Divine Spirit, Repent and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call. (Acts 2:38-39) This is the promise of Pentecost, and this promise is to you and to your children still. May you have a joyous feast, for Christ is among us! He is and ever shall be! CHURCH SCHOOL YEAR-END SWIM PARTY! To celebrate the church school year, all church school students, their teachers and parents are invited to lunch and a pool party at Craig and Renee Lerner's house on Sunday, June 3rd (Pentecost) after the liturgy and kneeling vespers. Because of the pool, it is expected that parents stay to monitor your child(ren). You need to bring towels and swim gear with you. Please RSVP with Renee Lerner at lerner@law.gwu.edu to get directions. The Veil Monthly Journal Protection of the Holy Mother of God Orthodox Church Romanian Orthodox Episcopate, OCA Archbishop NATHANIEL of Detroit, Hierarch Rev. David G. Subu, Pastor Protodeacon Peter Danilchick, Parish Deacon Eugene Huang, Parish Subdeacon Nicholas Dujmovic, Parish Subdeacon Christopher Thomas, Parish Council President Eleni Woglom, Choir Director Jon Jacobson, Sunday School Principal 7223 Roosevelt Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia Contact: newsletter@stmaryorthodox.org (Office) (Cell) Editor-in-Chief: Fr. David Subu, Pastor Circulation: Lori Jacobson/Ellen Robinson Layout & Graphics: Psa. Stephanie Subu 2

3 (Parents: Please share this with your children as a special message from their Church School Principal and Teacher.) Dear Church School Students: HEY, KIDS! THANK YOU! By Jonathan Jacobson The Church School year has come to an end. Are you looking forward to the summer? I m looking forward to visiting museums, watching movies, going to the beach with my family, driving my daughters to summer camp and my son to college, and riding ROLLER COASTERS! Looking back on the year, we thank your parents for bringing you to Church. We thank your teachers for helping you learn about God. We thank the other grown-ups who have helped you learn about God and worship Him. We thank the people who have prepared food for you to eat at Church School retreats and after each Liturgy. And most of all, we thank YOU for attending Church School at St. Mary Orthodox Church! Thank you for loving God. Thank you for loving God s people, the Church. Thank you for listening to your parents and your teachers and learning from them. Thank you for learning to make the Sign of the Cross with the words, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank you for learning prayers such as Our Father, O Heavenly King, Holy God, It is truly right, and Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Thank you for learning about Jesus, His Mother (the Theotokos), and His friends, the Saints. Thank you for learning about the Orthodox Church and our worship of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thank you for singing in the Children s Choir. Thank you for being kind and helping others. Thank you for treating other people the way you would like to be treated. This summer, please remember that God is always with us. We can pray to Him wherever we are. God became human because He loves us and wanted to defeat death and the devil. We should always thank Christ our God for saving us and giving us hope. Besides saying our own prayers, we can ask our family members, our friends at Church, our parish priest (Father David), and our bishop (Archbishop NATHANIEL) to pray for us. We can also ask our Guardian Angel, our Patron Saint, and the Theotokos to pray to God for us. If we do anything wrong, we should tell God and the people we have hurt that we are sorry, and ask them to forgive us. God wants us to confess our sins and come to Holy Communion, where we can meet Jesus and receive Him into our lives. Over the summer, we should practice what we ve learned in Church School. We should keep spending time with God. We can do this by: praying each day (in the morning and at mealtimes and in the evening), keeping icons in our rooms at home, attending services at Church, and reading the Bible and the lives of the Saints. We can also spend time with God when we help other people. So this summer, while you re taking a break from school, don t forget God! He loves you and will NEVER forget you! Sincerely, Mr. Jacobson Church School Principal St. Mary Orthodox Church 3

4 "Hawaiian" BBQ dinner buffet Wine, beer, sodas, and tropical punch Fabulous dancing music including island/beach classics! Hawaiian / floral / semi-formal attire ( Golden Pineapple Award for the most exuberant outfit!) PLUS the annual Silent Auction to benefit St. Mary's! (Auction forms will be available via and in Church for distributed.) Hawaiian Myrrh Streaming Icon to Visit Local Monastery The sisters of Entrance of the Theotokos Monastery in Libertyville, MD invite the faithful to venerate this miracle working icon on Sunday, June 3 on the Feast of Pentecost. Visitation begins at 6:00 p.m. SAVE THE DATE! Annual Nativity Retreat Archimandrite Meletios Webber St. Mary is blessed to have Fr. Meletios join us for a weekend of prayer, reflection and spiritual growth. Fr. Meletios is author of Steps of Transformation: An Orthodox Priest Explores the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (Conciliar Press, 2003) and Bread and Water, Wine and Oil: An Orthodox Christian Experience of God (Conciliar Press, 2007) November 17-18,

5 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 27 9am - 10am Matins 11:30am - 12:30pm FOCUS Fundraiser - 11:55am Memorial for Fallen Service Members 28 Memorial Day :30pm - 9pm Adult Education pm - 1pm Book Study: The Ladder 12pm Choir Practice 6pm - 8pm Vigil for Pentecost 2 3 Pentecost - 12pm Kneeling 4 Holy Spirit Day 5 6 St. Susanna 7:30pm - 9pm Adult Education pm - 1pm Book Study: The Ladder 9 9am - 3pm RUMMAGE SALE! All Saints begins 7:30pm - 9pm Parish Council :30pm - 8:30pm Marital Prep Course Part II St. Jonah of Moscow 12pm - 1pm Book Study: The Ladder 12pm Choir Practice 5pm - 6pm Great Father's Day All Saints of America 9:40am - 10am Akathist 10:15am Memorial for Fathers :30pm - 9pm Women's Bible Study Nativity of St. John 9:40am - 10am Akathist St. Joanna 28 7pm - 8pm Great with Litya, Relics of St. Paul 29 Apostles Peter and Paul 10:30am - 11:30am 12 Apostles 5pm - 6pm Great 30 5

6 GOD GRANT YOU MANY YEARS! JUNE COFFEE HOUR SPONSORS June Birthdays Andrew Tan Alex Woglom Brian Schmalzbach Chris Kozemchak Daniel Martin Jacobson Elaine Ivascu Grace Subu Jonathan Chaves John Dujmovic Julia Yuskavage Mariel Tan Maximus Masick Nathalie Spita Nina Apodaca Psa Stephanie Subu Rachel Marie Jacobson Stephen Zimmerli June Saint s Name Days 4 Feast of the Holy Spirit: Grace Subu 8 St. John of Kronstadt: Jonathan Jacobson 24 St. John the Baptist: John Grecco 28 St. Jerome: Jerry Rij 29 St. Peter and Paul: Protodeacon Peter Danilchick; Peter Schmalzbach HOLY BREAD BAKER NO BAKER ASSIGNED EPISTLE READER May 27 Memorial Weekend FOCUS Picnic Fundraiser June 3 AVAILABLE June 10 The Wright Family June 17 Father s Day Compton/Milinski Families June 24 AVAILABLE July 1 AVAILABLE Metropolitan Jonah Metropolitan of all America and Canada The Members of the Board of Trustees and The Alumni Association of St. Tikhon s Orthodox Theological Seminary Cordially Invite You to Attend a Presentation by His Grace, Michael (Dahulich) Bishop of New York on Tuesday Evening June 5th :30pm at The 214 Jackson Avenue Fort Myer, VA Suggested Donation: $100 Reception to follow in The Abrams and Chaffee Room at the Fort Meyer Officer s Club Preview Icon Exhibition and Artifacts Entitled Icon: The Way To The Kingdom Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of The Orthodox Church in America. If you plan on attending, please contact Donya Platoff Phone: or IconKingdom@gmail.com NO READER ASSIGNED 6

7 AROUND THE COFEE URN News and events percolating at St. Mary s HATS OFF TO OUR GRADUATES! DINNER DANCE & SILENT AUCTION HELP! If you've ever planned a theme party, a PTA fundraiser, or a professional banquet... we need YOU to help make St. Mary's "Luau" Dinner Dance & Silent Auction a fun and successful event! Committee areas include: Christiana Kozemchak, daughter of Stephanie Kozemchak, graduated Cum Laude from NVCC Nursing School on May 12th, while working full time at Northern Virginia Pediatric Association in Falls Church. She graduated from Washington College in Chestertown, MD in May of 2007 with a BS in Biology. Auction item ideas and collection Publicity within St. Mary's Publicity to other parishes Food and beverage committee Luau decorations and signage On-site set-up and help during the party and auction Alex Beranek, son of Eva and Jeff Beranek, graduated from Washington Lee High School. Alex served as captain of the WL Crew team for two years and participated in IB Art and an Art Apprenticeship Program. He has been accepted as an Architecture Candidate at Tyler School of Art, Temple University with a merit scholarship. Daniel Jacobson, son of Lori and Jonathan Jacobson, graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Daniel will attend George mason University this fall and is enrolled as a University Scholar in the Honors College to study Computer Science. SUMMER HOURS Now that the dog days of summer are approaching and after church activities will be in full swing, St. Mary will begin summer hours on Sunday, July 1. 9:00 a.m. Akathist 9:30 a.m. Coffee Hour 11:00 a.m. Please set your alarm 30 minutes earlier and get to church on time! What's your idea of a great party? What makes an auction successful? Come make it happen! Keep an eye out for the next planning meeting, or contact Eleni or George Woglom to get started. Thank you! (Ed. Note: According to the parish strategic development survey, many of you noted you would be more than happy to help volunteer for a fundraising event. We hope our good people will put their voice into action and make this the greatest dinner dance ever!) BE KIND TO OUR PROPERTY Now that the warmer weather is here, we would like to remind everyone that when eating outside to PLEASE clean up all trash. Lately, plates, food and cups have been left behind in the children s playground area, as well as other parts of the property. This invites pests, as well as make the property look like a dump. God calls us to be good stewards of His creation this includes His church as well. Thank you. REV UP THOSE ENGINES. TORO STYLE! St. Mary is in need of volunteers to mow our property each week throughout the summer. We have available a ride on mower or you may bring your own push model. The lawn can be mowed any day of the week at your convenience. If you wish to sign up for a date, please speak with Chris Grindstaff. 7

8 BAM AUGUST 6-10, 2012 ST. MARY ORTHODOX CHURCH BOOM MY FATHER, MY FATHER! Calling all local heroes to aid Fr. David and Psa. Stephanie to assist in making this year s VBS program a great adventure! VBS is open to elementary and middle school aged children. Registration materials will be available in July. SAVE THE DATE! THE VEIL JOURNAL St. Mary Orthodox Church 7223 Roosevelt Avenue Falls Church, Virginia