The Antelope Valley Beacon

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1 The Antelope Valley Beacon Volume 2, Issue 2 Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church th St West Lancaster, CA (661) Great and Pascha will be celebrated on Sunday, April 20, On this day the Church will radiantly celebrate the rising of Christ from the grave. The purpose of Christ s life was to offer Himself as a sacrificial Lamb for the sins of mankind. The Lord rose to bring joy to the whole world, to bring joy to His disciples, and to all of the righteous. As the Blessed Apostle St. Paul wrote; If Christ did not rise, then faith is in vain. But before Pascha comes Week. This is a special time in which Our Mother Church commemorates the last earthly days of our Lord before His death on the cross. This raises a question for us to ponder. Why would God go through all that trouble to come to the earth and be born of the Virgin Mary only to go through His trials, His Passion, His sufferings, and at the end be humiliated by Crucifixion on the Cross? Christ died on the Cross to deliver us with His Redeeming Sacrifice and deliver the people of God from the captivity of Hell. If we look back to the Old Testament, this Sacrificial Triumph was foreshadowed some 1500 years before the Nativity of our Savior. When the Egyptian Pharaoh refused to grant freedom to the enslaved Hebrews despite the efforts of Moses, the Lord sent Egypt various tribulations, but the heart of Pharaoh was hardened. It was then that the Lord sent the severe punishment the death of all the first born in Egypt. Yet the Hebrews who sprinkled the blood of lamb on their doorways were passed over by the angel of death. If we mediate on this story we can see that this was a foreshadowing of the great and eternal Pascha (Passover). Instead of the blood of animals, Christ Himself offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world by His crucifixion on the Cross. We sing in the service during the Paschal night Christ is the New Passover, the living sacrifice, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. As we prepare for Week and Pascha, let us worship Him, the Lord of life and death, the Lord Who is Risen and Who bestows resurrection upon all creation, Who is the Bread of Life Who has come down from heaven and Who is given for the life of the world!. Let us also glorify God with Thanksgiving, and with great joy great each other with the kiss, repeating the Sacred words, CHRIST IS RISEN TRULY HE IS RISEN In Christ, Fr. Dennis Pascha 2014

2 April 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt Mark Parish Council Friday 19 Palm Sunday John 12:1-18 Luncheon Bride Groom Matins Great and Pascha John 1:1-17 Agape Vespers 12:00 noon Followed by Egg Hunt Agape Picnic Marionettes Thomas Sunday John 20:19-31 Philoptochos Monday Bride Groom Matins Bright Week Tuesday Bride Groom Matins Festival Planning Meeting Wednesday Unction Choir Practice 6:30 pm Choir Practice 6:30 Thursday Dying of Red Pascha Eggs 12 Passion Gospels Reservation deadline for Agape Celebration of Love to benefit the Kids n Cancer Ministry Full Akathist Hymn 8:00 am Decoration of Kouvouklion Taking Down from the Cross 3:00 pm Lamentations at the Tomb 7:00pm Lazarus Saturday 9:30 Matins 10:30 Liturgy Luncheon Tie Palms Spring Cleaning Altar Boys Retreat Saturday Vesperal Liturgy/St. Basil 9:30 am Wrapping of Red Paschal Eggs Anastasis Matins 11:30pm Anastasis Dinner

3 May 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sunday of The Myrrh Bearers Mark :8 Kids-n-Cancer 4:00-7:00 Newport Beach Sunday of the Paralytic John 5:1-15 Mother s Day No coffee Hour Mother s Day Lunch in Hall by reservation Parish Council Sunday of the Samaritan Woman John 4:5-42 Luncheon for Name Day Last Day of Sunday School Philoptochos Sunday of the Blind Man John 9:1-38 Memorial Day Great Vespers for Parish Name Day Sts. Constantine and Helen Parish Name Day 9:30 Matins 10:30 Liturgy Ascension No Liturgy

4 01 Apr 2014 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As we approach the joyous day of our Lord s Resurrection on Pascha, I hope that this letter finds you and your family well during this Lenten Season. We are blessed to have Fr Dennis coming up at various times during the week to celebrate important Feast days. Monday last week Fr. Dennis came up to celebrate Great Vespers for the Feast of the Annunciation of the Theotokos. One Salutation service remains this year, this coming Friday 4 Apr 2014 at 7:00 PM. Please make an effort to come and benefit from the spiritual beauty of this service, honoring the Theotokos and asking for her motherly intercessions to our Lord. We have a full service schedule including Lazarus Saturday morning, Palm Sunday, and every night during Week at 7:00 PM, starting Palm Sunday Night with the 1 st Bridegroom Service. The Resurrection Service of Pascha starts Saturday night at 11:30 PM, followed by a celebratory meal next door in the hall. On Pascha Sunday morning we will have the Agape Vespers Service at 12:00 noon, followed by a Parish Luncheon with roasted Lamb and lots of other goodies. The AV Greek Festival this year will be on 3-4 October, on a Friday evening and Saturday. Please set those days aside and come help us in any way you can. This is an important event for our Parish, and is a great way to witness to our Christian faith and culture to our neighbors around us. The annual Golf Tournament will once again be held on 10 November 2014 at TPC Golf Course in Valencia. As we continue the important work of our Parish to witness the Orthodox Faith of Jesus Christ in the AV and beyond, please consider becoming a steward of the Parish. So far, only 34 people have committed to support the Parish in 2014 by filling out a Stewardship pledge card. Without your commitment on a pledge card, we don t know how much revenue the Parish will have this year, and so we cannot properly plan our budget and how much we will be able to spend for the ministries of the Church and for our financial obligations. So please take a few moments, pray about it, and make a commitment to our little Parish for The Lord in return will bless you in ways both seen and unseen. love, Looking forward to a bright 2014 for our little Parish, with your help and support. Your Servant in Christ,

5 Week Book The book, Week - Easter; A New English Translation, by George L. Papadeas, will be back in use for Week this year. Many of us already have this book as it was the one we used prior to Pascha It is a black, thick book. Copies of this book are available at out bookstore for $22.00 each. Paschal Eggs Be ready to dye your paschal eggs on Thursday. The bookstore has many packages of Greek red egg dye for sale at $2.00 a package. Your dyed eggs may be dropped off at church on Thursday or Friday evening. Pascha Picnic Make plans now to attend our particularly pleasing parish-wide Pascha Picnic packed with a plethora of promise and praise-worthy provisions! Come for Agape Vespers at 12:00 noon, on Pascha, Sunday, April 20 th. Our Pascha Picnic will be held in our Hall, the John P. Eliopulos Hellenic Center, following the vespers service. Marionette Easter Show On Sunday, April 20 th, Fr. Dennis will be presenting a Pascha Marionette Show as part of our Paschal celebration. You won t want to miss it! Flowers for Palm Sunday and Pascha Donations are now being accepted for purchasing the many flowers that will be used in our celebration of Palm Sunday and Pascha. Many thanks go to Pilar Dracopoulos for overseeing this ministry of beautifying our parish and giving honor to these most sacred festivals. Opportunities for Hands On Participation Come lend your hand as you help to tie palm crosses or help with spring cleaning of the parish. Both activities will take place on Lazarus Saturday following our lunch after the 10:30 am Divine Liturgy. Come lend your hand as you help to decorate the kouvouklion beginning at 8:00 am on Friday. The kouvouklion is the tomb, the structure, where the epitaphio, the icon, lies. Come lend your hand as you help to wrap red paschal eggs on Saturday following the 9:30 am Vesperal Liturgy. Week Schedule We are blessed to be able to have all of the night services scheduled for Week. Each of these services will begin at 7:00 pm. Palm Sunday Bride Groom Matins (Matins of Monday, in anticipation) Monday Bride Groom Matins (Matins of Tuesday, in anticipation) Tuesday Bride Groom Matins (Matins of Wednesday, in anticipation) Wednesday Sacrament of the Blessing of the Oil ( Unction) Thursday Friday Saturday Pascha Sunday Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ - 12 Gospel Readings (Matins of Friday, in anticipation) Taking Down from the Cross (Apokathelosis) Lamentations at the Tomb (Matins of Saturday, in anticipation) Vesperal Liturgy of St Basil the Great Anastasis Matins and Liturgy of Pascha (the Resurrection) Anastasis Dinner after Divine Liturgy Agape Vespers Egg Hunt, Agape Picnic, Marionettes show 3:00 pm 9:30 am 11:30 pm 1:30 am Noon

6 SAINTS CONSTANTINE AND HELEN GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 2014 STEWARDSHIP HONOR ROLL We would like to thank our 2014 Stewards, for their love and commitment to Christ s Orthodox Church in the Antelope Valley Agnew, Ms. Julie Astrinakis, Mrs. Fotini Benveniste, Mrs. Stefania Bonorris, Mr. and Mrs. George Bouras, Mr. and Mrs. Sotirios Bouras, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Brunson, Mr. and Mrs. James Christou, Mr. and Mrs. Gus Chryssostomides, Pandelis Dracopoulos, Dr. and Mrs. George Drimakis, Mr. and Mrs. Costa Eliopulos, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Evola, Mr. and Mrs. Philip Golea, Mrs. Nicole Goutsos, Mr. and Mrs. Gary Grado. Dr. and Mrs. Frank Gregory, Mr. Jim Harrington, Mr. and Mrs. Emmett Harris, Mr. Thomas Hartman, Ms. Beth A. Hendrickson, Mrs. Lee Homsy, Mr. John Kappas, Mrs. Sophia Karavidas, Mr. and Mrs. Antony Kirollos, Mr. Michael Koukourikos, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Listermann-Vierling, Fr. and Pva. Lusk, Mr. Dan Mattingly, Mr. and Mrs. Pat Mellow, Mr. and Mrs. George Patananan, Mr. Alexander N. Patterson, Mrs. Celeste Perez, Mr. and Mrs. Jose Poulos, Ms. Helen Robinson, Mrs. Sylva I. Sakelarios, Miss Dimitria Sakelarios, Mr. and Mrs. George Sanchez, Miss Senaida Sanchez Mr. and Mrs. Santiago Schafer, Mr. and Mrs. John Simich, Mr. Petar Svolos, Ms. Artemis Woods, Mrs. Stella If you have not yet turned in a Stewardship form for 2014, please prayerfully consider doing so. Forms are available at the Church. Without your love and commitment on a stewardship form, we cannot properly plan for and resource the Church ministries and financial obligations of the Parish. Three young women from Sts. Constantine and Helen (Christina Koukourikos, Cassandra Koukourikos, and Ekaterina Bouras) are part of the cast of the world famous popular musical Les Miserables which is to be performed at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center. Ticket Prices $20 $16 Thursday, May 29, 8:00pm Saturday, May 31, 8:00pm Friday, May 30, 8:00pm Sunday, June 1, 2:00pm Overview: Jean Valjean is released from years of unjust imprisonment. After a fateful encounter with a humble priest, he breaks his parole in hopes of starting a new life. His journey becomes a life-long struggle for redemption as he is relentlessly pursued by his nemesis Inspector Javert. The play, Les Miserables, overflows with memorable characters and melodies. It is a powerful affirmation of love and the human spirit. This international smash hit may be the most popular musical in the world. It is set in 19th century France; it is epic, grand and uplifting,

7 Kids n Cancer Camp Agape The Annual Reception for Kids n Cancer Camp Agape was held last year on Sunday, May 26, 2013, an absolutely beautiful day, at the well-appointed Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach. the opportunity to enjoy four carefree summer days, away from the sights and sounds of doctors, laboratories, and hospitals. Representing our church were Sylva Robinson, who presented our parish Philoptochos check to His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos, Fr. Bob, Mina Leletzopoulos and her daughter Gina. Beautifully wrapped packages adorned rows of tables and beckoned to be purchased by those present. The cost? A donation: $50 for those in pink; $100 for those in silver; $200 for those in gold. Thank you to our parishioners for your support and contribution to our Philoptochos Society. It may be the ladies from the Philoptochos Society who present the monetary gift to Metropolitan Gerasimos, but it is really you, members of Sts. Constantine and Helen, who supply the gift and contribute to this worthy cause. The catch? Contents unknown! By the end of the event, all packages had been purchased and $10,000 had been raised through that activity alone. The contents of the packages varied and all contents were valued at double, or more, the amount asked. One lady had the dilemma of figuring out how she was going to fit a child sized, motorized Mercedes into her car! This year s reception will take place on Sunday, May 4 th from 4:00 at Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach. All are welcomed to attend! Reservation deadline is April 27, Kids n Cancer Camp Agape, a Philoptochos ministry, created by the Greek Metropolis of San Francisco, offers an all-expense-paid summer camp experience to hundreds of cancer-afflicted children and their families. Camp Agape is a special place where families have

8 C. S. Lewis: Advice on Faithful Christian Living in a Secular Age Father Andrew Cuneo November 22nd, 2013 was the 50th anniversary of the repose of C. S. Lewis. Oxford and Cambridge Universities held commemorative colloquia. Westminster Abbey unveiled a memorial to Lewis in Poet's Corner. Memorials were held throughout the world. Father Andrew Cuneo, an Orthodox Christian scholar-pastor, completed the first and only Oxford doctorate on the subject of C. S. Lewis. In this lecture, Fr. Andrew unveils Lewis' edifying counsel on fidelity to Christ when the culture has abandoned God. Listen to the recording at This lecture was delivered as the keynote address at the annual St. Andrew Banquet held at St. Andrew Orthodox Church in Riverside, CA, which is part of the ancient Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch Pennies and Prayers A Campaign for funding Mission Churches within our Metropolis This collection is given to Commission for Orthodox Missions and Evangelism (COME) for the nurturing of Missions Parishes and for Growing Parishes within our Metropolis. Fr. Andreas MacLean and Presbytera Mary have recently been assigned to Cross Greek Orthodox Church of Flagstaff. This parish is one of the Growing Parishes which will benefit from these funds. Presbytera Mary is the sister of our reader, Peter Bouras. Canisters will soon be available and should be returned to Julie Agnew on or before Pentecost Sunday, June 8, Current Mission Parishes Salem * Pasco * Roseburg Sierra Vista * Maui Growing Parishes Anchorage* Bellingham * El Cajon Flagstaff * Prescott * Redding Pastor Fr. Dennis Listermann-Vierling Phone: Fax (Phone messages are checked only on Sundays) frdennis@stsch.org For confirmation on any event, please phone or text Sylva Robinson at South Orange County * Temecula

9 US POSTAGE PAID Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church of Antelope Valley Lancaster, CA Permit #378 TIME DATED MATERIAL Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church th Street West, Lancaster, CA The Antelope Valley Beacon April May 2014