Transfiguration: The Feast of the Human Person. Church of the Transfiguration: Mount Tabor. Volume 34 August 5, 2018 Number 43

Transcription

1 The Church Herald Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church 2053 North Road, NE Warren, OH Church Phone: (330) Rectory Phone: (330) Pastor: The Very Rev. Protopresbyter Kenneth M. Bachofsky, D. Min. Parish Web Page: Volume 34 August 5, 2018 Number 43 Transfiguration: The Feast of the Human Person I don t like myself. Why did God create me anyway? I m so ugly. How often we hear similar sentiments form people who do not like themselves. This dislike causes a heavy burden on the soul, casting a dark cloud over life in general. Where can those of us who are dissatisfied with ourselves turn for help? Where can our hearts find a true and lasting consolation, a genuine remedy for this illness of the heart which threatens to drag us down to an unending despondency? The best that the world has to offer can be found in various places: in churches which promise to make us happy by guaranteeing worldly prosperity, or which give us painless Christianity or show us the way to create our own god. It is found on bookshelves under section headings such as human potential, personal growth, New Age mysticism, and in books which teach us how to treat as fashionable fat, height, baldness or any other attribute we do not like. The world s emphasis is on comfort, convenience, having it my way - all of which are ways to rearrange our interior furniture without demanding genuine change. What about the Orthodox Church, can she give us more? Can she offer help to those of us suffering from low self-esteem, poor self-image or despondency? Is there in her spiritual treasury a vision of worth that can raise our spirits, aid in a positive transformation in our lives, and make a real difference? Indeed the answer is a resounding yes, and in many ways. In particular, in the August 5-6 celebration of the Transfiguration of Our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, the Church offers us a feast of humanity, a feast of future hope (Bishop Kallistos Ware, The Glory Shared: The Transfiguration of the Cosmos, taped lecture). In the Transfiguration account (Matthew 17:1-9; Mark 9:2-10; Luke 9:28-36), we see Jesus up on a mountain top with 5 people. Al five of them Moses, Elijah, Peter, James and John are portrayed in the Bible as humans just about as normal and fallen as the rest of us. We find up there a stubborn Elijah, a shy and stuttering Moses, and three illiterate, impetuous, hard-headed apostles. They are there representing all of us and what do they see that can make a difference in our own lives, lives that often seem so petty and meaningless? What they see in the transfigured Jesus is simply a normal human being normal in the sense of the way human nature was created to be. They see Jesus clothed in the original beauty which was Adam s before the Fall, a beauty God intended for each of us. But where is the hope in that? cry those of us mired in that very Fall and painfully familiar with its effects. In fact, the hope is deep and endlessly fulfilling because the Transfiguration looks not just back to how we were created, but also forward to the glory of the age to come, to our final union with God. As St. Peter says, Jesus has called us to His own glory a n d e x c e l - lence [to] become partakers of the divine nature. (2 Peter 1:3,4). We see prefigured the glory with which the righteous will be clothed at the Second Coming, a foretaste of our resurrection in Christ. At last we have a hope in to look forward to, we may respond, but it is only after we die. What about this present life? Here the Transfiguration offers us a great wealth of hope, which can lend meaning to our everyday lives: because of the union that is already established between God and humanity through Christ [shown in His Transfiguration] we live in the hope of its fulfillment (Festival Icons for the Christian Year, J> Baggley, SVS Press, 200. p.62). The Transfiguration is the revelation of the potential spirituality of earthly life in its highest outward form. (Ware, op.cit.). It reveals our personhood as it can be when Christ comes to dwell in us, a life radiant with beauty, overflowing with joy. This feast shows our humanity, shared fully Church of the Transfiguration: Mount Tabor

2 by Christ, lifted up to the Father and filled with His Glory. The light radiating from Tabor shows us what to reach for, challenging us not to settle for mediocrity. Christ s face radiant with glory is my own true face. (ibid.). Contemplation of this brings a renewed sense of wonder before the miracles of our own personhood. The teachings of this feast about living a transfigured life in the here and now can be very concrete. For example, often our lack of selfworth comes form dislike of our bodies. They are the wrong size, color or shape, or perhaps do not function well because of age or illness. The Transfiguration teaches us to revere oru bodies regardless of these seeming shortcomings. The Transfiguration glory is a bodily glory. The light of Tabor is not just of Christ s soul, but shines through His face and hands. As Orthodox Christians, we do not accept that the body is extra, just something the soul has to put up with. Our personhood is not limited to our reasoning brain, the body being simply discarded after death. This feast teaches us not to look down on our bodies, but to look beyond our fallenness to see God s plan in thus creating us. The Church gives us sacraments through which our bodies are sanctified, becoming temples of the Holy Spirit. St. Athanasius the Great says, The soul without the body can do nothing, whether good or evil...just as the lyre remains useless and silent if there is no one to play, so the soul and body, when they are separated, can do nothing. (quoted in Bodily Resurrection, Conciliar Press, 1997, p.20). Thus, the body plays a very dynamic role in our spiritual life and must accordingly be properly reverenced and cared for. The Transfiguration indeed teaches us reverence for all life and for inanimate creation as well, for the glory was not seen only on Christ s body but the light of Tabor fell also on His clothing and on all which surrounded Him, All common things have been transformed. (Ware op. cit.) - we are not saved apart from the world but with it. The light of Tabor allows us to see the unique and special glory in everyone and everything. All becomes transparent, a window through which we can discern God s hand. Those who participate in the Transfiguration: Can attain a degree of faith and love which will allow Jesus to become transparent through both men and things; all natural beauty, all human beauty will become the fringe of the beauty that is itself Christ s; we will see its reflection in everything which attracts and merits our sympathy in others; in short, we shall have transfigured the world. (The Year of Grace of the Lord, by a Monk of the Eastern Church, SVS Press, 1980, p.242). Participation in the lofty vision given us by our Lord s Transfiguration is, on the one hand, not magical. It requires work: we have to climb to the top of the mountain. This work consists in active, regular participation in the life of the Church, especially in receiving the Sacraments, in repentance and a committed life of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. On the other hand, it is available to each one of us. Each person is a deliberate, unique creation of God. We are not some sort of generic product with which God has to do the best He can. Rather, he has extended a very particular, individual invitation to each one to ascend Mt. Tabor and we are not even expected to walk alone but Christ accompanies each step we take. The glory of the Transfiguration allows every detail, every moment of life to become a means to union with Jesus Christ. Let us cry a decisive no to the temptation towards a trivial, banal life. To belittle in our conscience the design of God for man is not a proof of humility, but an error and even a great sin. We must have the courage to face the content of the divine Revelation with unveiled face and, in beholding the glory of the Lord, we are transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord! (2 Corinthians 3:16) (Archimandrite Sophrony, The Bliss of Knowing the Way, p.46). - From: Life Transfigured, Vol. 32, No. 2 - Our Worship Schedule Sunday, August 5th 9:30 a.m. The Reading of the Third Hour. 1 0 : 0 0 a.m. The 10th Sunday After P e n t e c o s t, Tone 1 (Page 81). The Forefeast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Martyr Eusignius and the R i g h t e o u s Nonna are commemorated. Epistle 1 Corinthians 4:9-16 Gospel Matthew 17:14-23 MONDAY, AUGUST 6TH 9:00 A.M. THE FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD! THE BLESSING OF FRUIT BAS- KETS! (Page 166). EPISTLE 2 PETER 1:10-19 GOSPEL MATTHEW 17:1-9 Wednesday, August 8th 4:00 p.m. The Akathist Service to the Theotokos with prayers for the sick and anointing of the faithful. Saturday, August 11th 4:00 p.m. The Evening Vesper Service.

3 Sunday, August 12th 9:30 a.m. The Reading of the Third Hour. 10:00 a.m. The 22th Sunday After Pentecost, Tone 2. (Page 84) The Martyrs: Photius, Anicetus, Alexander of Comana, and the Righteous Sergius and Stephen are commemorated. Epistle I Corinthians 9:2-12 Gospel Matthew 18:23-35 TUESDAY, AUGUST 14TH 4:00 P.M. GREAT VESPERS WITH LYTIA! THE PRO- CESSION WITH THE BURIAL OF THE SHROUD OF THE THEOTOKOS FOR THE FEAST OF THE DORMITION! WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15TH 9:00 A.M. THE FEAST OF THE DORMITION OF THE THEOTOKOS! THE BLESSING OF FLOW- ERS AND HERBS! (Page 169). EPISTLE PHILLIPPIANS 2:5-11 GOSPEL LUKE 10:38-42,11:27,28 4:00 p.m. The Akathist Service to the Theotokos with prayers for the sick and anointing of the faithful! Saturday, August 18th 4:00 p.m. The Evening Vesper Service. Sunday, August 19th 9:30 a.m. The 12th Sunday After Pentecost, Tone 3 (Page ). The Martyr Andrew Stratelates, St. Pitrim of Perm and Theophanes of Macedonia are commemorated. Epistle I Corinthians 15:1-11 Gospel Matthew 19:16-26 Wednesday, August 22nd 4:00 p.m. The Akathist to the Theotokos with prayers for the sick and anointing of the faithful! Sunday, August 26th 9:30 a.m. The Reading of the Third Hour. 10:00 a.m. The 13th Sunday After Pentecost, Tone 4. (Page ). The Martyrs Adrian, Natalia and the 33 Companions, and St. Tithoes are commemorated. Epistle I Corinthians 16:13-24 Gospel Matthew 21:33-42 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29TH 9:00 A.M. THE COMMEMORATION OF THE BEHEAD- ING OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST! A DAY OF STRICT FASTING! EPISTLE ACTS 13:25-33 GOSPEL MARK 6: :00 p.m. The Akathist Service to the Theotokos with prayers for the sick and anointing of the faithful! Happy Birthday! Dorothy Speicher. Mike DeMas.. Supply Give-a-Way! Our St. Nicholas Samaritan Outreach will sponsor their Annual School Supply Give-a-Way this afternoon from 3:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.! It will be held at the American Legion Hall 2025 East River Road Newton Falls, Ohio. This venture is being done in co-operation with the Newton Falls American Legion. The book bags have been divided into three categories: elementary, secondary, middle/ high school. The bags will be filled with school supplies needed by students suited for those grades. One bag will be given to each student, who must be present, until supplies last! Along with these items we will have additional items to give to the families and students attending. Everything is set and ready to go! All we need is help loading the bags and supplies onto the trucks, and working at the hall. We hope to give away everything! If you are able to give of your stewardship of time and talent please inform either Father Ken or Deacon Ed this morning, during the coffee social. Your help will be greatly appreciated. Blessing of Baskets! Tomorrow is the Great Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord on Mount Tabor! We encourage our faithful parishioners to join us by attending the Festal Divine Liturgy for the Transfiguration of the Lord beginning at 9:00 a.m. Faithful are reminded to bring their baskets of fruit and vegetables, and place them on the special table by the Sacramental Table. At the conclusion of the Liturgy Father Ken will offer the special prayers of blessing and sprinkle the baskets with the Sanctified Water! Let us offer these fruits and vegetables as a thanksgiving for the bounties received from the hands of the Lord! And as we partake of these first fruits and vegetables of summer, may they be for our enjoyment, and for good health of soul and body! Let us always be mindful of the richness of His gifts bestowed upon us! Glory be to

4 the Lord for all things! Feast of the Dormition Soon after the Transfiguration comes the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God! In preparation of this feast, we have entered into a period of fasting called the Dormition Fast beginning August 1st. We encourage all of our faithful to make use of the full benefit of this sacred time, especially after hearing today s Gospel reading, to increase their prayer and fasting discipline, in order to increase their faith in the Lord! The central liturgical rite of the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God involves the solemn procession and burial of the Shroud of the Mother of God at the Great Vesper Service, scheduled for August 14, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. We encourage faithful to attend this beautiful and inspiring service! It is the custom of our parish to decorate the Tomb of the Mother of God with flowers along with the Altar and the Icon of the Theotokos. We are now accepting donations towards this cause. If anyone is interested in donating a bouquet of flowers please contact Father Ken. Donations may be given for any intention of the donor. We remind faithful to bring their flowers and herbs to the Festal Divine Liturgy, August 15th beginning at 9:00 a.m. These items may be laid around the tomb of the Mother of God to be blessed at the conclusion of the liturgy. Our Church Picnic It s time not to start marking your fall calendar for parish events! The Annual St. N i ch o l a s F a m i l y Picnic has been scheduled for Sunday, September 9, 2018! It will be held at the Picnic Pavilion at Howland Park. The picnic will begin right after the conclusion of the morning Liturgy. The hosts will be the St. Nick s Garden Angels! Plans are already being discussed for a wonderful time for everyone in the family. Along with the delicious tradition picnic cuisine will be music, picnic games, dancing, singing, a visit to Tiger Town, etc.! Everyone is welcome! Don t forget to bring your family and friends! Remember, Sunday, September 9th for the St. Nick s Family Picnic! Church Board Meeting The next meeting of the St. Nicholas Church Board will be held on Monday, August 13, This meeting will take place in the Food Prep Room of our Fellowship Hall. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. We ask that all of the officers and trustees please attend! If you are not able to attend please kindly inform our Church president, Gib Pugh. The leadership of these men and women of the Church Board, in the selfless giving of their time and talent, is crucial in providing the proper example, to our community, of dedicated service to the Lord, and our beloved St. Nicholas Church! Our Church Offerings One of the many acts of worship conducted at each Sunday Divine Liturgy, is performed in our generous donations made during the Church Offering! This is an excellent way of expressing our love, devotion to the Lord, as well as our thanksgiving for the many blessings received from His Hands! We would like to share with you the Church Offerings from last Sunday: Regular Church Offering $642.00/ Candle Offering $71.0/ Anonymous Donation $3,00.00/ Total Church Offerings = $3, May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, bless all of you 100 fold for your gracious gifts offered for the continuing salvic work being done here at our beloved St. Nicholas Church!!! 5th Annual Banquet The Gerontissa and Nuns at the Nativity of

5 TEST the Theotokos PAGE 5 TEXT Greek Orthodox Monastery in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania cordially invite everyone from our parish to attend their 5th Annual Dinner Banquet: in Memory of Gerontissa Taxiarchia (A Fund-Raising Event to Build a New Monastery)! This gala banquet has been scheduled for Saturday, September 22, 2018 at the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Vespers followed by the Dinner Banquet, along with the Live and Silent Auction will be forthcoming. Please allow this notice to serve as a Save the Date! The tickets for the banquet are $ per person and will be on sale now. We would like to reserve a table of eight from our parish as a representation and sign of support! We already have four tickets pledged. If you are interested in attending please see either Father Ken. 3 D Fund Appeal The faithful of our parish are reminded that there is still time to become a part of the 2018 Distinguished Diocesan Donor Program! The minimal donation of $ per person will enable your name to placed on this Honor Roll of the Diocese! Please remember, $ dollars does not go very far today like it did over forty years ago when the fund first started. Please consider giving a larger donation this year! The donations from this program, commonly called The 3 D Fund, are used to support Camp Nazareth and the other Apostolates of our God-Saved Diocese! Your donation can be given to Father Ken, or sent directly to: Diocesan Chancery -312 Garfield Street Johnstown, PA with payment made payable to: The 3 D Fund. This year s 3 D Youngstown Deanery Appreciation Dinner has been scheduled for Sunday, October 7, 2018 at De Lucia Restaurant, Elm Road in Warren, Ohio. Dinner will begin at 5:00 p.m. If you are planning to attend this dinner please contact Father Ken on or before Sunday, September 23, 2018, so that proper preparations can be made. Thanks, and God bless you in anticipation of your gracious support! Decisions, Decisions! This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God! (I Corinthians 4:1). For all human beings, there are decisions we must make for ourselves. These decisions often have no outside input. There is no one to ask for advice, or no one to give direction. It is often these decisions that define who we are. Politician J. C. Watt said that Character is doing the right thing when no one is watching. Our stewardship of God s gifts is one of those all alone places in which God forms who we are, our character. After the conversion of Apostle St. Paul, it was necessary, if he was to become a leader in the Church, to establish his authority. St. Paul wants his readers to know that his authority came directly from God. He speaks about that in Galatians 1. He wants his readers (specifically in the Church at Corinth) to regard him (as well as Cephas and Apollo) as stewards of the mysteries of God. St. Paul s authority is linked to direct contact with God. Should someone claim such authority today, we would probably react with some doubt. These days we look for qualifications that depend on credentials, interviews, certifications, diplomas and appropriate approvals form other qualified people. St. Paul s credentials were boiled down to simply this: It came through a revelation of Jesus Christ! (Galatians 1:12). In the years between that conversion on the road to Damascus and St. Paul s arrival in Jerusalem to meet with the other Apostles, St. Paul arrived at the conclusion that he was a steward of the mysteries of God. The former church destroyer had become the greatest church builders. How did this happen? Can someone verify St. Paul s credentials? How are we to trust him without paperwork? Somewhere in the lonely wilderness of St. Paul s soul, a soul now taken possession of by the Holy Spirit; somewhere, with no one else to consult with or to receive counseling from; somewhere, without receiving one sheet or paper or one interview St. Paul made a decision, a stewardship decision, with no one watching, except God! God had plans for St. Paul that were far more important than his own plans. When any Christian comes to that realization, he or she is no longer simply Christian he or she becomes a Christian steward! Outreach Free Dinner The next monthly Outreach Free Dinner on the Schedule will be held on Tuesday, August 28, 2018 at the American Legion Hall in Windham, Ohio! Please mark this on your calendar and allow yourself to give of your time and talent toward helping feeding those in need in this part of our community! This month s menu will feature: meatloaf, potatoes, vegetables, bread & butter, dessert and beverage. Help is needed cooking in the Church kitchen during the afternoon, working at the dinner, which will be served from 5:00 until 6:00 p.m. and cleaning up in the Church kitchen afterwards. If anyone is able to assist in this important ministry of our parish, please contact Father Ken or Deacon Ed during the Sunday coffee socials, by phone or . Your gracious assistance is needed and will always be appreciated! God Bless You!