A Blessed Resurrection & A Most Joyful Pascha to All!

Transcription

1 VOLUME 26 NUMBER 4 April 2017 A Blessed Resurrection & A Most Joyful Pascha to All! Dearest Spiritual Ohana, As we enter into the month of April, we come to the conclusion of Great Lent, travel through the Most Blessed Holy Week and arrive at the Joyous Season of Pascha and the Holy Resurrection. I pray that you took the opportunity to immerse yourselves into Great Lent, with all of the ascetic practices of fasting, increased prayer, almsgiving, etc. And whether you did or did not engage in these practices, I wish you immense joy as we come to proclaim, Christ is risen! Truly He is risen! The Feast of our Lord s Resurrection is central and most meaningful to our lives as Orthodox Christians. It is the ultimate expression of God s Love for us and all of Humanity! He grants us the remission (wiping out) of our sins through His Crucifixion, and vanquishes, defeats and conquers death by His own Death and Resurrection. This Feast is not merely a commemoration of something wonderful that took place in history many year ago. These loving actions of our Lord have eternal implications for all of humanity and are meant to touch each and every one of us, personally, in the here and the now! As we come to the Most Joyous Celebration of Pascha and the Holy Resurrection, I leave you with the best sermon ever preached about this Season, by St. John Chrysostom (the Golden Mouth): St. John Chrysostom: Paschal Homily If anyone is devout and a lover of God, let him 1 enjoy this beautiful and radiant festival. If anyone is a wise servant, let him, rejoicing, enter into the joy of his Lord. If anyone has wearied himself in fasting, let him now receive his recompense. If anyone has labored from the first hour, let him today receive his just reward. If anyone has come at the third hour, with thanksgiving let him keep the feast. If anyone has arrived at the sixth hour, let him have no misgivings; for he shall suffer no loss. If anyone has delayed until the ninth hour, let him draw near without hesitation. If anyone has arrived even at the eleventh hour, let him not fear on account of his delay. For the Master is gracious and receives the last, even as the first; he gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour, just as to him who has labored from the first. He has mercy upon the last and cares for the first; to the one he gives, and to the other he is gracious. He both honors the work and praises the intention. Enter all of you, therefore, into the joy of our Lord, and, whether first or last, receive your reward. O rich and poor, one with another, dance for joy! O you ascetics and you negligent, celebrate the day! You that have fasted and you that have disregarded the fast, (Continued on page 2)

2 (Continued from page 1) rejoice today! The table is rich-laden; feast royally, all of you! The calf is fatted; let no one go forth hungry! Let all partake of the feast of faith. Let all receive the riches of goodness. Let no one lament his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed. Let no one mourn his transgressions, for pardon has dawned from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the Saviour s death has set us free. He that was taken by death has annihilated it! He descended into hades and took hades captive! He embittered it when it tasted his flesh! And anticipating this Isaiah exclaimed, Hades was embittered when it encountered thee in the lower regions. It was embittered, for it was abolished! It was embittered, for it was mocked! It was embittered, for it was purged! It was embittered, for it was despoiled! It was embittered, for it was bound in chains! It took a body and, face to face, met God! It took earth and encountered heaven! It took what it saw but crumbled before what it had not seen! O death, where is thy sting? O hades, where is thy victory? Christ is risen, and you are overthrown! Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen! Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice! Christ is risen, and life reigns! Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in a tomb! For Christ, being raised from the dead, has become the First-fruits of them that slept. To him be glory and might unto ages of ages. Amen. (A Blessed Resurrection and Pascha to All!) Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! With Love in Christ, +Fr. Alexander 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 Church Staff Amanda Jackson - Office Coordinator amanda@greekorthodoxhawaii.org Erica Jansen - Bookkeeper 2017 Parish Council pc@greekorthodoxhawaii.org Maria Naval, President Trish Kiladis, Vice President Roni Katsikas, Treasurer Christina Dimitrion, Secretary John Kiladis, Cleopatra Kritikos, Nicholas Kyriakakis, Dimitri Nicholas & Andrew Tujios. Sunday School Director Presbytera Nicole Leong Sunday School Teachers Alice Malick, Greg Malick, Maria Naval, George Kalantzis, Shawn Chu, Dimitri Nicholas, Mindy Scordilis & Jeanie Stavrue Pe ahi Philoptochos Board Alma Chu, President; Anita Akel, Vice President; Marina Saikevych,Treasurer; Alice Malick,Recording Secretary; Valentina Yarovaya, Corr. Secretary; Harriett Medes, Advisor Choir-Chanters Orest Saikevych, Music Director Gregory Malick, Protopsaltis Parish Ministries Stelio Scordilis, Aloha Youth Choir; T.B.A., Bookstore; Dianna Graves, Greek Dance Groups; Stelio Scordilis, Greek School; Julie Ličina Web Master; Anita Higashi, Facebook 2

3 LITURGICAL LIFE OF OUR PARISH WEEKDAY SERVICES IN APRIL PRESANCTIFIED LITURGY Wed., 4/5 6pm HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE ***See April Calendar or pick up a schedule from the Narthex in the Church.*** MAUI SERVICES Sat. 4/22 Liturgy 10:30 am April Parish Council Teams 04/02 Cleo Kritikos 04/09 Roni Katsikas 04/23 Maria Naval 04/30 Nick Kyriakakis Please remember in your prayers Dina Giannakopoulos Suzanne Keyser Julie Licina Alice Malick John Mitsis & all those who need our prayers Announcements Adult Religious Education We started a 4-part series on the Deutercanonical Books of the Bible on Sunday, February 26th. The remaining classes will continue, tentatively, on the Sundays listed below, location to be announced, from 12 p.m. to 12:50 p.m. The tentative schedule is as follows: Sunday, April 2 Sunday, April 23 Learn Greek In addition to our classes after Sunday School, we offer the following classes in the conference room: Elementary: 5:30 PM Advanced Youth & Adults: 6:00 PM 3

4 Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless One. We venerate Your Cross, O Christ, and Your Holy Resurrection we praise and glorify; for You are our God, we know no other; it Your name we invoke. Come, all you faithful, let us worship Christ s Resurrection; for behold, through the Cross joy has come to all the world. Ever blessing the Lord, let us praise His Resurrection. For enduring the Cross for us, He destroyed death by death. Share your news! Announcements that you would like to see in the May issue of Shorelines should be submitted to the church office by April 15th. Weekly Bulletin announcements should be submitted by noon on Thursday for the upcoming Sunday. 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. office@greekorthodoxhawaii.org 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 Christ is in our midst! We are almost in the end of the Great Lent, the end of our preparation for Holy Week and Great and Holy Pascha. How has your and your family s Lenten Journey been this year? Fr. Ted Paraskevopoulos discusses the Lenten Journey as climbing a mountain. We can get to the top of a mountain and enjoy the great view by climbing all the way up, driving to a certain point, or being dropped off by a helicopter. We all enjoy this great view. However, what remains within us is not same. Yet, it is never too late to join in the celebration of Pascha as St. John Chrysostom said, If any man be devout and love God, let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast.. If any have tarried even until the eleventh hour, let him, also, be not alarmed at his tardiness; for the Lord, who is jealous of his honor, will accept the last even as the first; he gives rest unto him who comes at the eleventh hour, even as unto him who has wrought from the first hour. If you read this message before Holy Week, you may desire to prepare yourself and your family for this special week. There are so many resources which can help us to do so. One of these is our Archdiocese website, Great Lent, Holy Week, and Pascha in the Orthodox Church. The site address is lent.goarch.org. In this site, you can find A Daily Guide Through Holy Week. Read and listen to some of the hymns, and watch two videos called Coffee with the Center for Family Care: Observing Holy Week as a Family and Preparing Your Family for Holy Week Webinar and more. I took the opportunity to watch Preparing Your Family for Holy Week. I realize that many of you are too busy to find time to watch this video (about 1 hour long). So, I would like to share some suggestions from it. X Finish chores such as laundry in advance as much as possible X Plan and shop for meals of the week ahead of time X Cut down activities Avoid practices and lessons during Holy Week (Talk to the teacher or the coach explaining how important the services are for us.) X Check if there is any critical event/ activity such as an exam Can a priest s letter help to avoid a conflict? X Bring Church to Home X Talk about each day of Holy Week with our children before & after the services (Driving to/ from Church is a good time for this.) X Eliminate extra noise such as noise from devices with screens, but instead you may play hymns from the services. X If a child is over 10, let him/her follow the services using the Holy Week Book. Have a Blessed, Happy Holy Week and Great Pascha! Pres. Nicole Leong, Sunday School Director 5

6 What is Stewardship? Some may think Stewardship is another word for membership dues. It is not. Stewardship is a spiritual gift that we are all asked to receive. It opens up more than just our wallets, it teaches us to give in a spirit of self control and in a spirit of sharing. It is learning to live in such a way that shows gratitude, generosity, faithfulness and love. Stewardship is a practice that can help shape our world and ourselves in such a way that we can experience God s grace, love, joy and communion in the present. We give to God in thanksgiving for all He has done for us. The definition of Stewardship is: the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring for and preserving. It is a responsibility. To care for and be responsible for the earth and our natural resources is an act of stewardship, individually and corporately. The principal of a school is a Steward, responsible for overseeing, protecting and caring for all aspects of that school. And whether traveling by air or sea, there is a Steward on board to be responsible for your protection. There are endless examples of the importance of stewardship. And for us, parishioners of Saints Constantine and Helen, I think we can all agree that our beloved Church as handed down from Christ is something worth caring for and preserving. We are ALL responsible for the overseeing, protection, care and preservation of our church. We should all strive to establish a successful Orthodox Christian Stewardship program; one that provides for all aspects of our church to help us meet the vision of our church and to plan for its future. Our vision and our mission must be aligned with God s purpose and our giving should be motivated by our desire to fulfill this vision and purpose. To be a Steward in good standing one must submit a signed pledge card annually, as established by the Archdiocese. To some, this may seem an unnecessary piece of paper, but like a marriage license, it is a tangible commitment of a bond; in this case, between parishioner and church. Our financial pledge is a promise to help support and sustain the physical church the building and all that it takes to keep it standing in good condition and available for worship, now and for years to come. From the air conditioner to the candles in the narthex to the elevator and every physical aspect of our parish - your financial support is crucial for this. Your financial support also sustains the many ministries of the church which provide additional spiritual blessings of faith and fellowship to our parishioners. Along with your financial support, these ministries can only continue to thrive with a commitment of your time and talents - which are crucial to the success of each ministry. The viability of these ministries is imperative to the spiritual growth and sustainability of our Orthodox faith and parish, without which we would not be able to fulfill God s vision and purpose. Thirdly and perhaps most importantly, when we talk about the responsible overseeing and protection of our church, it is the church that St. Paul refers to: the ekklesia the assembly of believers that we must not forget. The church is the body of Christ made up of all believers. As such, we must take care of the ekklesia and of one another as good Stewards. A full and well rounded Stewardship approach includes not only our financial commitment and a commitment of our time and talents, but also of a sincere commitment to honor, love, serve and care for each member of our parish as we are the body of Christ the church. And we are the Stewards of the church. Thank you! 6

7 Dance Group News Yes we won the Division One Dance Competition Special Achievement Award for our Pontos Suite that I accepted as Director of the Nisiotes. When you have a good lead dancer Dimitrios Nicholas and cooperative dancers Constantine Papazacharioudakis, Angeliki Scordilis, Sharon Higashi, Christiana Oshiro, it makes a Director s job easier. Pontos Suite included Tik, Omal Kars, Titara, Letchina, Maheria, Serranitsa Dances. I gave Dimitrios, Maheria (Knife Dance) to research, choreograph and to teach it to Constantine. After showing the dancers videos of Kyriakos Group in Greece doing Letchina/Serranitsa with the addition of the "shaking" movement, all the dancers took this on and added it to these dances. So this Award goes to all the Nisiotes for making this Pontos Suite a success. The Nisiopeda who danced Exhibition for their first time at FDF and did not compete, they were awesome! Look for them next year to compete. All 6 of them: Katherine, Niki, Sophia Kyriakakis, Miabella Naval, Joanna Leong, Lilinoe Pe'ahi received sterling silver crosses from His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios. We were very honored by this. RECYCLE: Please donate to the Dance Group. This is our year-round Fundraiser. See Dianna for details. Mahalo for your support! Dance practice begins Sunday, April yrs - Junior High & Beginners 12:15 PM - 1:00 PM High School - Adults 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM I will place you in the proper group. Dianna Graves, Dance Instructor 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 March Sunday Coffee Hour sponsors! 2017 Coffee Hour Sign-up Calendar posted outside the Social Hall. Please sign up to host a Sunday. 3/5 Higashi/Chu Families 3/12 Suzanne Keyser & Taso 3/19 Shiroma Family 3/26 Andrew & Lucy Tujios

8 Why Do We Go To Church? By Rev. Andrew Demotses I recently read a fascinating article about church attendance in places like Florida, Arizona, and California that are heavily frequented by tourists and by long-term visitors from colder climates. Most such people were found to attend church with greater regularity while away than they did at home. When questioned about this, most sheepishly admitted that, while away, church attendance was seen as an opportunity to socialize, to make and meet friends, and to create a network of acquaintances in a new place. At home, established family and social constellations made this unnecessary, and church attendance, therefore, was less frequent. This reminded me of Francois Fenelon who was the official preacher for King Louis XIV of France in the 17th century. One Sunday when the king arrived with his retinue for regular chapel services, he was startled to discover that no one else was there except the preacher. King Louis asked, What does this mean? Fenelon replied, I had published in the royal register that you would not come to church today, in order that Your Majesty might see for himself what members of the court serve God in truth and who come merely to impress the king. This current study, and the historic precedent, although separated by centuries, both point us in the direction of much-needed introspection. Many of us do not attend church at all, or do so very infrequently. We live by the time-worn excuse that you don t have to go to church to be a good Christian. While that might be true in the absolute sense, I would nonetheless point out that Christ Himself, though He was without sin, thought it important to attend and participate in weekly worship. By what standard of measurement do we feel that we are entitled to do less? At the same time, those who attend church need to remember that they must do the right things for the right reasons if they are to have any value. When we gather as God s people, let us not do so in order to be seen, to see others, or to nourish feelings of unjustified self-righteousness; rather let us be united, as the Liturgy says with one heart and one mind and thus keep Christ pre-eminent. Let us approach God s holy altar with the only gift He seeks a thankful and contrite heart. 8