Fr. Alex s Message: Exploring Thankfulness

Transcription

1 Fr. Alex s Message: Exploring Thankfulness Dearest Fellow Parishioners & Friends: I ve always been captivated by prints and paintings of the holidays, like the Currier and Ives one below, Home for Thanksgiving. While the print dates back to 1867, our sense of Thanksgiving and all that it entails is timeless that image of a family being joyfully reunited on a chilly November day, along with the assumed aroma of homecooking permeating all, is as attractive now as it was then. I have dozens of memories that connect to such a moment and time; I bet you do as well. And most of them will revolve around family, friends, togetherness and, that powerful word, thankfulness. Beyond Thanksgiving, we re used to giving thanks. We thank people who serve us food at a restaurant, those who fix our cars and those who might let us go ahead of them in the market check-out line when we are in a rush. Of course, so many of us also gather each Sunday to give thanks to God for the many blessings in our lives: our children, good health, the talents we ve been given, our very lives. But it s not often that we challenge ourselves, wondering if our thanks is enough or maybe if the nature of our thanks is full and complete enough. Sometimes, for example, if a neighbor, friend or someone we don t even know does something kind for us, we might have an overwhelming feeling that our typical words of thanksgiving are dreadfully insufficient. We feel driven to offer or express something different, something beyond. I remember several summers ago when I had some health problems and was laid up for about a month, really not able to do much and not feeling like myself. I was alone in the house and saw a truck pull up in the driveway. I wasn t expecting anyone and was taken off-guard. When I looked out the window, it took me a few moments to process what I was seeing: a young woman, who was a dear friend of our family, had quietly come to drop off some goodies in a basket and leave a Get Well balloon tied to our back porch. She hoped not to be seen, but I saw everything. I was overtaken with emotion, as she happened to be fighting for her life against Can- ( Cont. Pg. 2) NOVEMBER 2016 Table of Contents Liturgical Schedule 2 Stewardship 3 Youth 4, 5 Photos 6 Calendar 7 Community/ Outreach 8 Education/ News 9 Sponsors 10, 11 Saint Philip Church 500 West Hollis St. Nashua, NH P: facebook.com/ StPhilipNashua instagram.com/ stphilipnashuanh

2 LITURGICAL SCHEDULE November Schedule Sundays Divine Liturgy, 10 am 6: 7th Sunday of Luke 13: 8th Sunday of Luke 20: 9th Sunday of Luke 27: 13th Sunday of Luke Weekdays/Saturdays Divine Liturgy, 10 am 14: Saint Philip the Apostle (Agape breakfast to follow) Great Vespers, 7 pm 13: Eve of Saint Philip (Agape reception to follow) Saint Philip Appreciation Day Sunday, Nov. 13 Each year, our parish recognizes two parishioners for their loving stewardship of Saint Philip. This year s honorees will be announced soon. Following the program (after Divine Liturgy), join us in the hall for a lovely Fellowship Hour. In addition, His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios plans to join us for Orthros and Divine Liturgy on this day. We look forward to welcoming him! Voices of Faith Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. Isaiah 52:8 Our parishioners are always invited to read the Epistle during Sunday Liturgy. Like the holy people of scripture, we too can lift up our voices in praise of God. This is a profound way to participate. Contact Fr. Alex for details and to arrange your date to read. Nov. 6: Marisa Donati Nov. 13: Lori Pitsas Nov. 20: Parish Chanters Nov. 27: Dorothy Pitarys Exploring Thankfulness (continued) cer at that time. As she pulled away, I wondered how she could think of me and my small problems at a time like this. How did she have the energy, even, to do anything for anyone? Not long after this event, she passed away as we say in our faith, fell asleep in the Lord. How do you say thank you for such a gesture, for such a kindness? How do we respond when words could never be enough? Perhaps there is no definitive answer, but the definitive starting place may be to realize that we must constantly examine the concepts of gratitude and thanksgiving in our lives, challenging ourselves to bring them to fullness in our minds and hearts. This goes for people in our lives and for God. So many have been kind to us, but He He is the Great Kindness of our lives. If we think of Christ s loving teaching, His forgiveness, His healing, His suffering, His Cross, His life-saving mission if we think of these things it s overwhelming. No words will suffice for our Lord! So what can we do? We can indeed challenge ourselves to respond to His love with uncommon, truly thoughtful gratitude and do our best to offer Him our lives, our faith and our hearts. To commit ourselves to Him. This effort is the beginning of true thanksgiving. This year, may our Thanksgiving tables, filled with family and friends, resonate with a new, powerful sense of thankfulness for our kind Lord and with gratitude for all his sons and daughters. Fr. Alex Thanksgiving Wisdom I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and new." Ralph Waldo Emerson In all things, give thanks. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Pastoral Visits this Holiday Season How do you say thank you for such a gesture, for such a kindness? Fr. Alex regularly makes visits to parishioners who are homebound, at rehabilitation or nursing centers, and in hospitals. To arrange a visit for you or a loved one as we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas, please contact him anytime. During this heart-warming season, it is especially important to bring the Church to those who can t come. Come and See 2

3 STEWARDSHIP Online Giving: Faithful Direct Stewardship, Every Member & More For some time now, our Faithful Direct online giving program has been up and running, making it easier to fulfill our giving intentions at Saint Philip, from Stewardship to Every Member and beyond. We pray that this tool continues to be helpful to our parishioners and helps our parish efforts bear fruit. The respective giving pages are as follows: Stewardship Every Member Capital Campaign General Donations (memorial, festival, etc.) St. Philip Greek Orthodox Church 500 West Hollis St. Nashua, NH Phone: P (603) ; ; F Web: (603) stphilipnh.org Rev. Fr. Alex Chetsas: fralex@stphilipnh.org Office Staff: Cheryl Petren Cheryl & Sophie Petren Theoharis: office@stphilipnh.org Office Hours: M - F, 10 am - 3 pm Sacraments Help Us at Reach Saint You Philip When Are you planning receiving Baptisms weekly and s Weddings, and other please electronic sure communications to check in with from Fr. St. Alex Philip? before If not, setting we make dates. may not The have liturgical an updated calendar of the for Church you and/or the your spiritual family. nature Please of help our us Sacraments stay close to make you this by very contacting important. the Thanks office with for your help . with Thanks! this! Stewardship 2017: Sent by Christ Our 2017 campaign theme is profound: As the Father has sent me, so I send you. As Orthodox Christians, we have been given a sacred trust. We have received the treasure of the Gospel the Good News of Jesus Christ. With this sacred trust comes the great responsibility to share it. Jesus said, As the Father has sent me, so I send you (John 20:21). At the end of our life, will He say to us, Well done, good and faithful servant (Matt. 25:21)? As we prepare to launch Stewardship 2017, we wanted to thank you for all the ways you give to our community and invite you to our annual Stewardship Sunday Event on Sunday, Dec. 4, which will include a lovely potluck lunch for us all to share (see Pg. 9 for full details and description of the day s activities). Please come with your 2017 Commitment Card filled out so that we can all offer our collective commitments in prayerful unison at the end of Divine Liturgy. If you have not used a Commitment Card in the past, please consider a change for 2017! We hope you recognize that we are all part of something important. We are sent by Christ. Really next to your family, what is more important? Every Member Campaign Dome Project Doug Philipon I wanted to provide you with an update on our "Key Sponsor" Program. We now have 5 families that have offered a very generous gift of $3000 for a total of $15,000 pledged. While we still need 1 more Key Sponsor (this could be you!) to make a total of 6, our biggest challenge is to start accumulating matching gifts in order to release these funds. If we can get full parish participation, we will easily exceed our goal of $18k from Key Sponsors, backed with an additional $18k from collective matching. While many of us have already given, many of us have held off. Please, consider giving your gift today so we will be ready to get this done in the spring. Contact me any time to learn more about our campaign: duglas1004@gmail.com; Come and See 3

4 YOUTH Don t let anyone look down on you because you are young Sunday School Heather Cloutier Hello to Our Sunday School Families: I hope everyone is enjoying fall and looking forward to the upcoming holidays. The Sunday School will be collecting non-perishable food items for Thanksgiving, in support of the Outreach Committee s Thanksgiving Basket Drive. Please bring in your items and drop them off in the box in the Sunday School Office until Nov. 20. See the needs list on Pg. 8 (Holiday Outreach section). Thank you for your contributions. Thank you to Lori Pitsas who did a wonderful job teaching our Sunday School children about the Jesus Prayer and how to use the prayer in our everyday life. It was a beautiful lesson! Dates to Remember: November 13: Nativity Lent Activity goes home to start on November 15 November 20: Lessons and Carols sign up day and JOY Thanksgiving Basket assembly November 27: Combined classes trim tree and make craft for our trip to AHEPA Manor December 4: Dress rehearsal for Lessons and Carols in church following Sunday school class December 11: Lessons and Carols December 18: Trip to AHEPA Manor I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! Contact me anytime to learn more about our ministry or get involved as a teacher, substitute or helper: hacloutier@comcast.net. GOYA Lock In, Oct. 1-2 GOYA Evmorfia Alton, Outreach Co-Chair On Sunday, November 13, the members of GOYA will be hosting our annual lunch gathering and grocery shopping trip to collect supplies for the Thanksgiving baskets. The following Sunday, November 20, GOYA will be helping our JOY members assemble the baskets for pickup. Afterward, Fr. Alex invites all GOYAns to stay and help him with the Saint Modestos Pet Blessing, 2-4 pm. We are kindly asking fellow members of our Saint Philip community for food and/or financial donations, in support of the Thanksgiving effort and the Saint Philip Outreach Ministry. Foods such as stuffing, cranberry sauce, boxed mashed potatoes, etc. would be perfect for this donation (see the needs list on Pg. 8 for full details)! Please bring any food or financial donations to Church by November 20. These Thanksgiving baskets help local families as well as veterans. We hope you can all support our ministry and those in need at this special time of year. Thank you! All boys and girls, 7-12 grade, are invited to join GOYA. To learn more about GOYA, connect to our events or ask a question, contact Advisor Marisa Donati: marisapdonati@gmail.com. Hellenic Dance Troupe Mtg. Nov. 6 All our dance children and parents are invited to meet with us on the 6th, following Sunday School. We ll discuss the year and pass out a calendar. Hope to see you! Contact Maria Donati with questions about our ministry: nclckids@aol.com. Young Adults Gathering, Dec. 4 As last year, we are looking forward to stepping out for holiday refreshments and good conversation at Martha s Exchange on the 6th, beginning at 7:30 pm. We hope everyone will join us! Contact Marisa Donati to confirm: marisapdonati@gmail.com. Come and See 4

5 YOUTH...but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in faith and in purity. Timothy 4:12 Family Night, Dec. 2 Gingerbread House-Making! Following up on the well-attended October Prayerful Pumpkin Carving Event, we are planning a night of Christmas fun for JOY and GOYA members, parents and all parishioners. Dinner will not be served, but we ll enjoy cookies, cocoa, juice and other treats as we work. Our refreshments, house kits and icing will be supplied, but we ask that each family. **Brings 2 bags of nut-free candy **Brings 4 canned goods for the Nashua Soup Kitchen (will also hold up your walls while they dry!) Sign up to reserve your kit on the bulletin board, or contact Brandy Chetsas by Nov. 28: abchetsas@hotmail.com. A Thanksgiving Day Prayer For Your Family s Table Here is a simple prayer for you to try with your loved ones on Thanksgiving Day. Ask one of your children to lead, and then say it together as a family: O Lord, How full is this world of Your creativity. How astounding is creation in all its variety. How breathtaking is new life, growth and transformation. How wonderful is Your provision for all of us, Your beloved children! This day, we celebrate Your great goodness with truly thankful hearts and joyful lives. Amen. Holiday Outreach Events What We Can Do to Help! So many of us are very familiar with the good work of our Saint Philip Outreach Committee, especially during the holidays the Thanksgiving Basket Drive and Christmas Wish List Project remind us all of the true reasons for the season and offer us practical ways to reach out to those in need. The Outreach Committee is counting on our entire parish to get behind these efforts, especially our youth. What our families can do to help with both efforts: ***We can all donate basket items (see list on Pg. 8) until Nov. 20. Bring items to the Giving Box, Sunday School or kitchen ***GOYAns can join us for basket shopping on Nov. 13 ***JOY members can help assemble the baskets on Nov. 20 ***We can all sign up for the Christmas Wish List Project from Nov Dec. 11 and follow up with our commitments on time ***Pray continuously for the hungry and poor Saintly Lives: Saint Philip the Apostle (Nov. 14) Saint Philip, the patron saint of our Church, is one of the 12 Apostles. He was from Bethsaida of Galilee and was a friend of Sts. Andrew and Peter. Before meeting Christ, he was already a faithful person and had been taught all about the Law and the Prophets of the Old Testament. But from the day Jesus called Him to be an Apostle, things rose to a new level, because Jesus was the one all of his studies had been pointing to: the Messiah! As soon as he was called by Jesus, he went and found his friend Nathanael and told him excitedly: We have found Him of Whom Moses in the Law and Prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Nathanael challenged Philip, doubting that the Messiah could come from Nazareth and instead of arguing with him, Philip offered him a simple and famous challenge: Come and see (John1:45-46). Nathaniel later accepted the challenge and went to Christ, also becoming an Apostle. Getting Practical: Saint Philip s holy life is a true inspiration. He was faithful enough to accept Christ and also loving enough to share Christ with others. Can we also be faithful and sharing with Christ? Of course! In honor of our Church s feast day on the 14th, let us faithfully open our hearts to the Lord and invite others to come and see what He is all about! Come and See 5

6 Home Base Family Night Fire Rescue Memorial Come and See 6

7 November 2016 Overview Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednes- Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Saint Philip Festal Celebrations (See times below) Saint Philip Appreciation Day with His Eminence Sunday, Nov. 13 Great Vespers of Saint Philip & Agape Reception Sunday, Nov. 13 Orthros & Divine Liturgy of Saint Philip & Agape Breakfast Monday, Nov. 14 Holy Apostle Philip, entreat the merciful God to grant our souls forgiveness of transgressions. Apolytikion Hymn of Saint Philip No Health/Wellness Ministry Parish Council, 6:30 pm Greek School, 4 & 6 pm Orthodox Life: What Can We Offer the World? Series, 7 pm 7th Sunday of Luke Liturgy, 10 am - Sunday School - Dance Troup Mtg. 6 7 Agape General Mtg., 6:30 pm Stewardship, 6:30 pm 8 Health/Wellness Ministry: BP Clinic, 10 am Greek School, 4 & 6 pm 9 10 Women s Prayer Group & Bible Study: In God We Trust, 6:30 pm 11 Dec./Jan. Come & See submissions due 12 8th Sunday of 13 Luke Liturgy, 10 am - Sunday School - Appreciation Day - GOYA Shopping - G. Vespers, 7 pm (Reception to follow) Saint Philip 14 Feast Day Liturgy, 10 am (Breakfast to follow) Soup Kitchen, 4 pm Compassionate Friends, 6:30 pm 15 Health/Wellness Ministry: Therapeutic Chair Massage, 9:30 am Greek School, 4 & 6 pm Soup Kitchen, 4 pm 18 Agape Art & Craft Fair, 10 am 19 9th Sunday of 20 Luke Liturgy, 10 am - Sunday School/L. & Carols sign up - Basket Assembly - Pet Blessing, 2 pm Health/Wellness Ministry: BP Clinic, 10 am No Greek School Classes Thanksgiving Day (Church Office Closed) 13th Sunday of 27 Luke Liturgy, 10 am - Sunday School/ Stewardship Practicum - Health/Wellness Ministry: BP Clinic Health/Wellness Ministry: BP Clinic, 10 am Greek School, 4 & 6 pm Sponsoring Fellowship Hour Sponsoring is a beautiful way to remember a loved one or mark a special family anniversary. Contact Nick Kallan: loonboy@comcast.net; Thanks to our October sponsors: October 9, Francione & Karageorge Families October 23, Valeras Family Come and See 7

8 COMMUNITY/Outreach Nashua Symphony Orchestra Holiday Senior Outing Dec. 10! Outreach Snapshot Nashua Soup Kitchen Our Agape members faithfully serve at the Nashua Soup Kitchen each month (see Pg. 7). Contact Sia Juris to get involved: Reaching Out This Thanksgiving A Great Need We invite our beloved senior citizens to a truly wonderful night with the Nashua Symphony Orchestra and New World Chorale, at the Keefe Center for the Arts (117 Elm St., Nashua, NH). The event begins at 8 pm, with the holiday pops program to feature holiday favorites for the whole family. This will be an excellent way to gear up for Christmas and get us all in the holiday spirit! Our parish has purchased 40 tickets for the event; they will be offered to our faithful on a first come, first served basis, at a discounted rate of only $20 per person (regular price of these excellent seats is $29). Please contact the Church Office to purchase your ticket or with any questions. We hope this joyous event will build even more friendship among our seniors! Holiday Outreach That telltale chill is in the air fall has arrived, and later this month we will be celebrating Thanksgiving. For most of us, this is an enjoyable, restful holiday filled with an abundance of food, enjoyed in a warm home surrounded by family and friends. But for many of our Nashua and New England neighbors struggling with hunger, poverty, homelessness and other issues, it s not necessarily a time of year to look forward to. For some, trying to put food on the table each day is a source of endless anxiety; for some without even a home, the cold weather brings a deeper privation and danger. With these realities in mind, please do everything you can this month to support our Thanksgiving Basket Drive and similar events in your neighborhood and community. And don t forget to pray for those in need. Our prayers are strong and matter! This year s Thanksgiving Basket Drive has begun and will run until Nov. 20. Major needs list: 25 frozen turkeys; stuffing, mashed potato and gravy mixes; and canned cranberry sauce, corn and peas (see the Weekly Bulletin for further needs). Financial gifts are also welcome. Turkeys can be dropped off in the kitchen and all other goods at the Giving Box. The Christmas Wish List Project will run Nov Dec. 11. Please sign up in the hall. Contact Stephanie Norris with any questions: norrisx2@yahoo.com. Stay Connected MINISTRIES/PROGRAMS MINISTRIES/PROGRAMS ADULT/GENERAL Chanting Theodore Persakis Choir George Karakantas Every Member Doug Philipon Food Festival Jamie Pappas Health/Wellness Katherine Richo Orthodox OCMC Life Frank Maryanne Edelblut Squeglia Parish Orthodox Council Life Jorge Frank Panteli Edelblut Outreach Committee Stephanie Norris Stewardship Parish Council Ministry Joe Malcolm Pappo Paradise Welcome Stewardship Committee Greg Joe Pappo Danas Women s Welcome Committee Prayer/Bible Paula Greg Danas Kouletsis Women s Prayer Group Maryanne Squeglia YOUTH Altar YOUTH Service Daniel Gioffre Family Youth Director Night Brandy Elena Barker Chetsas GOYA Altar Service Marisa Daniel Gioffre Donati Greek GOYA School George Marisa Donati Kitsis Hellenic Greek School Dance Troupe Maria George Donati Kitsis JOY Hellenic Dance Troupe Brandy Maria Donati Chetsas PC JOY/Family Mentoring Night Program Fr. Brandy Alex Chetsas Sunday School Heather Cloutier RELATED GROUPS/ORGANIZATIONS ORGANIZATIONS Agape Ladies Society Dorothy Panayota Pitarys Mikedis AHEPA Nick Kallan Elpis Ladies Society Maria Donati Pan-Macedonians Society Charles Paskaley Come and See 8

9 EDUCATION/NEWS Agape News Our November Chairwoman is Maryanne Squeglia: Some updates... Join us for the General Meeting on Nov. 7, 6:30 pm. We hope all our Agape sisters will join us. We will host a reception on Nov. 13 after Great Vespers and breakfast on Nov. 14 after Divine Liturgy. We look forward to celebrating the Feast Day of Saint Philip with our parish and sister parishes. Nov. 19 is the Agape Art & Craft Fair, 10 am - 4 pm in the hall. Fine arts, crafts, collectibles, Greek pastries, prizes and more are on the agenda! See the enclosed flyer for further details, and share it with friends. Stewardship Sunday Program & Potluck Sunday, Dec. 4 As each year, the 1st Sunday of December will be our Stewardship Sunday Program, launching the 2017 Stewardship Campaign. At the conclusion of Liturgy, we hope all parishioners will prayerfully offer their 2017 Commitment Cards. We ll also enjoy an inspirational guest speaker and celebrate our mutual dedication to the parish with a potluck lunch. Confirm your potluck dish with Joe Pappo: jpappo@nashualogistics.com. Orthodox Life Continues, Nov. 3 Thanks to all who joined us for October s A Gift of Inspiration Series with Dr. Jim Skedros. We are all grateful to Jim for his heartfelt, intelligent and approachable offering. On Oct. 20, Fr. Alex also began a follow up series, What Can We Offer the World? We ll continue with Father on Nov. 3rd, beginning at 7 pm. All are welcome to join us. Women s Prayer Group, Nov. 10 Join us for study and friendship on the 10th, beginning at 6:30 pm. Our theme will be In God We Trust. All women of our parish are warmly invited. Contact Paula K for details or to learn more about our beautiful ministry at Saint Philip: boston1020@jetmail7.com. Health & Wellness Ministry: To Your Health! At the risk of using bad English, how about them apples?! Together with the brilliant foliage of New England in the fall, what is more symbolic of the season than the variety of colorful, crisp and juicy apples waiting for us at local farms and roadside stands? The apple is the original fast food, but one that is healthy for you and packs a nutritious punch. One medium sized apple is only 80 calories; fat, sodium, and cholesterol free; an excellent source of fiber; satisfies hunger; promotes weight loss; aids in lowering cholesterol levels; is antioxidant rich; reduces inflammation; is inexpensive and easily portable. No wonder we have the saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Let us give thanks for God's Wisdom and the bounty of His blessings. PS: Don't forget your flu shot stay healthy to enjoy the holidays. Happy Thanksgiving to our parish family! Saint Modestos Pet Blessing Nov. 20 An important aspect of our theology of Creation is that everything God made is good. This includes, of course, all animals and our beloved pets. With this in mind, we are all invited to bring our pets to an outdoor pet blessing open-house on the 20th, 2-4 pm at Saint Philip. Our GOYAns will be assisting and serving human and pet treats. All are welcome including the general public. For You are He Who opens His hand, and fills all living things with goodness. Animal Blessing Prayer of Saint Modestos This resource offers Orthodox Christian programming, featuring stories of faith, interviews, and more: Come and See 9

10 We thank our sponsors for their support! Stellos Family Investment Properties of Nashua, New Hampshire Proud Stewards of St. Philip Greek Orthodox Church Come and See 10

11 Come and See 11

12 Save the Date Nov. 19: Agape Art & Craft Fair Nov. 20: Christmas Wish List Project Sign Up Begins Dec. 4: Stewardship Sunday & Parish Elections Dec. 10: Senior Holiday Concert Dec. 11: Sunday School Lessons & Carols Event Parish Elections, Dec. 4 All Stewards will receive a mailing with complete information on our upcoming Parish Council and Board of Auditors Elections. Please consider serving. Candidacy Forms are due in the Church Office by Nov. 9. Catherine the Great Martyr, Nov. 25 Baptisms Dionysios Thomas McAllister October 2 William James October 8 Memorials Savatoula Fitopoulos (40 days) October 9 Demetrios (1 yr.) & Vasiliki (3 yrs.) Economopoulos October 23 Altar Flowers Francione & Karageorge Families (in loving memory of Constantine & Anastasia Karageorge) October 9