and he that was lowly is by divine mercy raised.

Transcription

1 Cross Currents WINTER 2013 Nativity Sermon By St. John Chrysostom I behold a new and wondrous mystery! My ears resound to the Shepherd's song, piping no soft melody, but chanting full forth a heavenly hymn. The Angels sing! The Archangels blend their voices in harmony! The Cherubim hymn their joyful praise! The Seraphim exalt His glory! All join to praise this holy feast, beholding the Godhead here on earth, and man in heaven. He Who is above, now for our redemption dwells here below; and he that was lowly is by divine mercy raised. Bethlehem this day resembles heaven; hearing from the stars the singing of angelic voices; and in place of the sun, enfolds within itself on every side, the Sun of Justice. And ask not how: for where God wills, the order of nature yields. For He willed, He had the power, He descended, He redeemed; all things move in obedience to God. This day He Who is, is Born; and He Who is, becomes what He was not. For when He was God, He became man; yet not departing from the Godhead that is His. Nor yet by any loss of divinity became He man, nor through increase became He God from man; but being the Word He became flesh, His nature, because of impassibility, remaining unchanged CONTENTS Nativity Sermon, 1-2 Philoptochos, 5 Oratorical Festival, 8 Saintly Spotlight, 2 Janitor s Closet, 6 Greek School News, 9 Liturgical Life, 3 Konstantine s Reflection, 6 IV On the GO, 10 Stewardship, 4 Fr. John s Message, 7 Upcoming Events, Church of the Holy Cross 900 Alameda Belmont, CA (650) fax: (650) office@goholycross.org website: And so the kings have come, and they have seen the heavenly King that has come upon the earth, not bringing with Him Angels, nor Archangels, nor Thrones, nor Dominations, nor Powers, nor Principalities, but, treading a new and solitary path, He has come forth from a spotless womb. Yet He has not forsaken His angels, nor left them deprived of His care, nor because of His Incarnation has he departed from the Godhead. And behold kings have come, that they might adore the heavenly King of glory; soldiers, that they might serve the Leader of the Hosts of Heaven; women, that they might adore Him Who was born of a woman so that He might change the pains of child-

2 NATIVITY Lorem Ipsum SERMON (continued) birth into joy; virgins, to the Son of the Virgin, beholding with joy, that He Who is the Giver of milk, Who has decreed that the fountains of the breast pour forth in ready streams, receives from a Virgin Mother the food of infancy; infants, that they may adore Him Who became a little child, so that out of the mouth of infants and of sucklings, He might perfect praise; children, to the Child Who raised up martyrs through the rage of Herod; from amongst them named a chosen Evangelist; sinful women, to Him Who exposed His feet to the tears of the repentant; and that I may embrace them all together, all sinners have come, that they may look upon the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world. Since therefore all rejoice, I too desire to rejoice. I too wish to share the choral dance, to celebrate the festival. But I take my part, not plucking the harp, not shaking the Thyrsian staff, not with the music of the pipes, nor holding a torch, but holding in my arms the cradle of Christ. For this is all my hope, this my life, this my salvation, this my pipe, my harp. And bearing it I come, and having from its power received the gift of speech, I too, with the angels, sing: Glory to God in the Highest; and with the shepherds, and on earth peace to men of good will. SAINTLY SPOTLIGHT St. Stephen, December 27 Saint Stephen was a Jew, by race, and, as some say, a disciple of Gamaliel, the teacher of the Law mentioned in Acts 5:34 and 22:3. He was the first of the seven deacons whom the Apostles established in Jerusalem to care for the poor, and to distribute alms to them. Being a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, he performed great signs and wonders among the people. While disputing with the Jews concerning Jesus, and wisely refuting their every contradiction, so that no one was able to withstand the men, to Him Who became man, wisdom and the spirit whereby he spake, he was that He might heal the miseries slandered as a blasphemer and was of His servants; dragged off to the Sanhedrin of the elders. There with boldness he proved shepherds, to the Good Shepherd from the divine Scriptures the coming Who has laid down His life for of the Just One (Jesus), of Whom they His sheep; had become the betrayers and murderers, and he reproved their priests, to Him Who has become faithless and hardheartedness. And a High Priest according to finally, gazing into Heaven and the order of Melchisedech; beholding the divine glory, he said: "Lo, I see the Heavens opened and the Son of servants, to Him Who man standing at the right hand of God." But when they heard this, they stopped took upon Himself the up their ears, and with anger cast him form of a servant that He out of the city and stoned him, while he might bless our servitude was calling out and saying, "Lord Jesus, with the reward of receive my spirit." Then, imitating the freedom; long-suffering of the Master, he bent his knees and prayed in a loud voice for fisherman, to Him Who them that were stoning him, and he from amongst fishermen said, "Lord, lay not this sin to their chose catchers of men; charge," And saying this, he fell asleep (Acts 6, 7), thus becoming the first publicans, to Him Who among the Martyrs of the Church of Christ. 2 Holy Cross, Belmont Cross Currents Page 2

3 LITURGICAL LIFE SCHEDULE OF CHURCH SERVICES 3 Sunday Services Orthros, 8:45 am; Divine Liturgy, 10:00 am Saturday Services Great Vespers, 5:30 pm On the Holy Water of Theophany By St. John Maximovitch On Theophany, the Day of the Lord s Baptism, every year a great miracle is performed. The Holy Spirit, coming down upon the water, changes its natural properties. It becomes incorrupt, not spoiling, remaining transparent and fresh for many years. This Holy Water receives the grace to heal illnesses, to drive away demons and every evil power, to preserve people and their dwellings from every danger, to sanctify various objects whether for church or home use. Therefore, Orthodox Christians with reverence drink Holy Water a great Agiasma (holy thing), as the Greeks call it. One should always have at home enough Theophany water to last the whole year, and make use of it at every need: in cases of illness, leaving on a journey, whenever one is upset, students prior to examinations, etc. People who drink a little Holy Water daily, before eating any kind of food, do well. It strengthens the powers of our soul if it is done with prayer and reverence, and one does not merely expect a mechanical result from it. Every priest should take care to bless a sufficient quantity of water for his church, so that it will be on hand for the course of the whole year for every need and to be given out to those who ask for it; and parishioners should provide themselves at Theophany with Holy Water for the whole year and even so that it can be kept for future years. Weekday Services December: 4 Saint Barbara the Great Marytr, 8 am 5 Saint Savas the Sanctified, 8 am 6 Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, 8 am 9 Conception of Saint Anna, 8am 12 Saint Spyridon the Wonderworker, 8 am 17 Saint Dionysios, 8am 24 Nativity Eve Liturgy, 8 am 24 Nativity Divine Services, 8pm 25 Nativity Day Divine Liturgy, 10 am 27 Saint Stephen the First Martyr, 8 am 31 Saint Basil the Great, 6pm January: 3 - Royal Hours of Theophany Eve, 8:30 am 6 Theophany, 8am 7 Saint John the Baptist, 8am 10 Saint Gregory of Nyssa, 8am 17 Saint Anthony the Great, 8am 18 Saint Athanasios & Cyril, 8am 25 Saint Gregory the Theologian, 8am 30 The Three Hierarchs, 8am February: 2 Presentation of our Lord, 8am Apolytikion of Theophany When you were baptized in the Jordan O Lord, the worship of the Trinity was made manifest. For the voice of the Father bore witness to You, calling You His beloved Son. And the Spirit in the form of a dove reaffirmed the truthfulness of that word. O Christ our God, You were revealed from above and illumined the world, glory to You. PLEASE CONTACT THE CHURCH OFFICE TO SCHEDULE YOUR HOUSE BLESSING! 3 Holy Cross, Belmont Cross Currents Page 3

4 Lorem Ipsum Stewardship by Gary Brenner, Stewardship Chair I have been the Stewardship Chairman for Holy Cross for a short time and I am always searching for a meaningful or inspirational way to connect with our loyal Stewards. I was so touched and inspired by Father Peter s letter to all of you included with your Stewardship pledge card that I must publish it as my Stewardship report. I worry that too many of us receive mail from the Church and treat it as third class mail without taking a moment to read it and appreciate the message therein. Please read it and I know that you will find inspiration as I did to renew your pledge with a 15% increase over Thank you for your response and your loyal support of our beloved Church of the Holy Cross. Dear Stewards of Holy Cross, The rich man is not one who has much but one who gives much. For what he gives away remains his forever. -St. John Chrysostom By what standard is one considered rich? By what means is wealth measured? Very often we think frequent vacations, luxurious living, and material possessions are a fair way to measure the material wealth of another. Sadly we too often and much more easily attach material wealth to the earthly world and not to the heavenly. St. John Chrysostom beautifully teaches how, in the eyes of God, wealth is not measured by what is possessed, but by what is given. He helps us to understand that as Orthodox Christians wealth is not measured by luxurious living but by generosity toward others. Wealth is not material possessions that are enjoyed for a lifetime, but rather the possessions given away and then to be enjoyed forever in the Heavenly Kingdom. It is important as Orthodox Christians that we begin to have a heavenly perspective on our wealth. If we begin to measure our wealth not by what we possess, but by what we give, would we consider ourselves wealthy? Through the generosity and hard work of our parishioners, Holy Cross is able to offer a variety of ministries to connect the faithful with the Church and with one another. The continuing work of our precious Church can only be accomplished through the stewardship of the faithful. Time, talent, and treasure comprise true stewardship and the true wealth that is necessary to nurture and sustain our beloved Church of the Holy Cross, and to guide us securely on the path of salvation in Jesus Christ. In considering your Stewardship for the coming year 2014, I ask that you give proper and prayerful thought to the new budget recently passed at our parish assembly to support the ministries of our Holy Cross parish. Mainly due to the required maintenance and repairs of our beautiful facilities, the budget was increased by 15 percent. We have an opportunity as parishioners of this blessed community to also increase our heavenly wealth by 15 percent. Considering the average annual stewardship pledge is $1,200, a 15% increase equates to an increase of $15 a month in Stewardship. Are we ready to show God our wealth? I think we are! Your time, talent, and treasure is not only necessary to continue the work of our blessed Holy Cross community, but to increase your wealth in the eyes of God. Join me and my family in making this important and lasting increase, for the benefit of our community, and the everlasting kingdom to come. In Christ, Father Peter G. Salmas Proistamenos 4 Holy Cross, Belmont Cross Currents Page 4

5 PHILOPTOCHOS by Marian Peris, President 5 As we prepare to celebrate the Nativity of our Lord, we are grateful for our family, our friends, our community and the abundance of joy and happiness in our lives. We also gratefully share with those less fortunate in our community. This is the mission of our Ladies Philoptochos society. During the holiday season Philoptochos does many events to support our charitable works. We hope you will support our good works. The first is the event is Light the Path, the annual luncheon event sponsored by our Metropolis Philoptochos. The money raised at this event financially supports seminarians and religious education students who commit to serve in the San Francisco Metropolis. This year the luncheon will be held at the Nativity of Christ Church in Novato. You will all soon be receiving an invitation to our Northern California Light the Path. Please consider gathering a table of 10 and carpooling to Novato. It is always a lovely event. There will be over twenty Christmas trees that will be available as the drawing prizes. Of course, a delicious lunch will be served and entertainment included. The speaker for the afternoon is seminarian Christopher Retelas, brother of Presvytera Angie Sotiras. On December 10, Philoptochos will sponsor an evening for the children from the Receiving Home. These are children who are in transition to foster care. There will also be several foster care children in attendance. The children engage in several fun activities with members of our youth organizations. They enjoy a hearty dinner and a visit from St. Nicholas. It is such a rewarding evening. On Sunday December 15 the Annual Christmas Tea will immediately follow Liturgy. We will serve a wonderful luncheon. The suggested donation is $10. We will have a charity drawing for several prizes. The proceeds will support our Family Sharing Program that supports needy families in our community. Greek pastries will be available for sale. As we go into the New Year, Philoptochos will have our Annual Vasilopeta Luncheon, the proceeds for this event support St. Basil Acadamy, a home for orthodox children. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy healthy New Year. And thank you for your support of Philoptochos throughout the whole year. 5 Holy Cross, Belmont Cross Currents Page 5

6 FROM THE JANITOR S CLOSET by TYKE STAMATES, Facilities manager WHAT A FESTIVAL!! No one got hurt, no bee stings, no ambulances; all went smoothly. We did lose a few parents and an elderly lady, but rounded them up and all enjoyed the Festival. There were a few glitches in the beginning but after they were fixed, all was okay (except for the Kalamari booth where we had problems with the electricity). I want to thank Mike Malekos, the Chairman, as he did an excellent job and held his cool when most mortals would have shouted, shrieked and yelled. A special thank you to Dorris Koutantos who did an excellent job in the Fun Zone. She came months early to understand and organize what she needed to do. This was her first time as Fun Zone chair and she did a bang-up job. Thanks, Dorris. In order to run a successful Festival (or any event) we must remember how things work: There is a Chairman (the Boss). He has his advisers -- they feed the Boss information (costs, product availability, product quantity, sale price). The Boss and advisors also come up with new ideas, new sub-chairs and improvements to make the Festival a better and safer event. The sub-chairs are the Generals. They make sure they have the proper equipment (fryers, reefers, utensils, serving plates, whatever they need) to make their booths (unit) run efficiently. They in turn get the volunteers needed to make things happen - - the soldiers, the most important part of an efficiently run unit. Headphones by Konstantine Salmas We fade from glory. We are told to prepare our children for what they will face in the world. The shops on streets appear to want to help us by not only showing items that are helpful but also helping us forgot what we have left on the street, with all it's not so friendly details. The store's world is an entire replacement world. Baked goods, designer kids clothes, food, restaurants, and all those boots. All of a sudden, boots are helpful to mom's raising kids. The boots are everywhere. Our levels of resistance get broken down. Shops and stores make otherwise forgotten nouns into the most significant objects for ourselves. The complaint leveled against men and females in relationships is that they should be aware of someone looking for a trophy wife or trophy husband. Yet, we are walking trophies. We exchange our perspective for objects. We subject ourselves - our emotions, our commitments, the things we hold dear - to the power of objects. We invest mindless things with an abnormally high level of importance. We are tables, covered with all the imaginables, or at least what another has imagined and packaged for us. We should be preparing to receive intangible grace, instead of tangible store bought glory. But, we are full, making all the decisions, leaving no room for grace. Instead, we walk right through it. Our senses are given away and appeased through purchase. These exchanges change us. We fade from glory. We transition, but into the Pharisees and lawyers that rejected the will of God for themselves. Christ says, "They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying: We played the flute for you, and you did not dance We mourned to you, and you did not weep. His criticism is that they didn't act according to the music or to the event. The Church prepares us to match our steps with it's song. If we don't expose our youth to what's "playing" in the Church, then another song and dance will be victorious. Social and educational offerings aren't all seamless, but they want us to be convinced that the offer is for everyone. The Church's song, or call, is unique. It doesn't mimic social institutions, even in their apparent stability. The headphones, though, have to go in our ears. Holy Cross, Belmont Cross Currents Page 6

7 IS church in the Schedule? by Father JOhn Fathers and mothers, go and lead your children by the hand into the Church St. John Chrysostom We are all busy. School, work, extra curricular activities and social events fill our overloaded weekly schedules. Even if done in haste, these activities are attended because they have been deemed important. They are a priority either because they benefit our careers, social lives or our overall happiness. As each family has their particular routine or schedule, we must reflect if the Church has also been deemed important. Have we considered how critical the Church is for our spiritual well being? Do we realize how our schedules impact the formation of our children? With the consistency of these weekly routines, children are conditioned with the understanding that these events are important and a priority for the family. They are part of the schedule and therefore not negotiable. If our children missed half of their soccer practices and did not complete their schoolwork, our children would know that soccer and school are not important. Similarly, if praying as a family, reading Holy Scripture and attending services are not done consistently, our children will be conditioned with the understanding that there is no benefit in living a life as a faithful Orthodox Christian. These faith-based activities should be deemed as the highest priority but are commonly the first negotiable activity on the family s schedule. The reality is our chaotic weekly routines are desperate for tranquility, reflection and prayer. We go to such efforts to complete assignments and attend social gatherings, but do we make the same effort to nourish our soul through prayer? So much of our week is dedicated to our lives but how much of our lives are dedicated to God? As we begin the New Year of 2014, let us as a community and family in Christ yearn for our children and grandchildren to continue to realize the importance of our precious faith in Jesus Christ. Praying in the home, reading Holy Scripture and attending services as a family must not be negotiable. Our precious Orthodox faith must be permanently in the schedule of our daily lives. YOUTH GROUPS Our youth programs are intended to strengthen and develop the relationships of our youth with the Church and their Orthodox Christian peers. All parents are strongly encouraged to engage their children in these amazing ministries. BLAST Ranges from grades 6-8 and gathers twice a month for various activities. Tuesday, December 10 Receiving Home, 6:30 pm in The Oaks Wednesday, December 18 White Elephant Party, 7:00 pm in The Oaks Friday, January 10 Rock n Jump, 7:00 pm in San Carlos Wednesday, January 22 BLAST gathering, 7:00 pm in The Oaks GOYA The high school group gathers for monthly Fireside Chats and Bay Area GOYA events. Wednesday, December 4 Fireside Chat, 6:30 pm at the Breeze Home Tuesday, December 10 Receiving Home, 6:30 pm in The Oaks Friday, December 20 Bay Area GOYA Ugly Christmas Sweater Party 6:00 pm in San Jose January 2-4 Metropolis GOYA Winter Retreat at St. Nicholas Ranch January Fireside Chat SAVE THE DATE FOR CAMP! July 13 19, 2014 St. Nicholas Summer Camp Ionian Village Are you ready? Visit ionianvillage.org for details 7 Cross Currents Page Holy Cross, Belmont Cross Currents Page 7 7

8 St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival Every year the youth from grades 4-12 are given an amazing opportunity from our Archdiocese that will greatly impact their Orthodox faith, enhance their writing skills and improve their public speaking abilities. The Oratorical Festival is a vital ministry of our Church that should be participated by all of our young people. Why should I encourage my child to participate in the Oratorical Festival? Public Speaking Experience. Whether giving a presentation in the classroom or a job interview, public speaking is a necessary tool in today s world. Knowledge of our Faith. By researching and preparing a presentation it will greatly enrich the knowledge and understanding of the Orthodox faith for the entire family. Scholarships. Hellenic College offers The Chrysostom Scholarship to each parish's top senior division speaker. The Chrysostom Scholarship provides 100% of tuition for the recipient's first year of study, and, based on a GPA scale, up to 80% of tuition for three additional years. New Categories. This year, the Oratorical Festival is expanding to include two new categories! Download the SJCOF Manual: 2014 Edition to learn about the Essay and Poetry Categories, as well as other changes in the Manual. Travel. Finalists from the Metropolis level will attend the National Oratorical Festival in Cleveland Ohio! This is truly a remarkable opportunity for all of our young people. Please contact Fr. John for additional information. GREEK SCHOOL NEWS CONGRATULATIONS A heartfelt congratulations to our students who achieved their certificates. We are very proud of them! PARENT NIGHT Our school is hosting a parent night. Drop off the kids for activities and a movie while you enjoy a quiet evening! It will be held on Friday, December 6 from 6:30 to 9:00 pm. Please contact Peter Tzifas if you are interested in having your kids join the fun. pctzifas@comcast.net SCHOLARSHIPS The Greek School will be offering a scholarship once again this year. Please go to our website to view the details and requirements. Applications must be postmarked by February 1. rship.html GIFT CERTIFICATES Finally, we are selling gift certificates in the Greek School office. We have cards from all different grocery and retail stores as well restaurants. For each card our school receives a percentage. So, the school benefits without any extra cost to you. Consider buying a certificate for Thanksgiving groceries or Christmas gifts. ΚΑΛΑ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥΓΕΝΝΑ!!! Holy Cross, Belmont Cross Currents Page 8

9 IV ON THE Go Kids from middle school and high school gathered together for a weekend retreat given by The Ionian Village On-the-Go Travel Ministry. The retreat started on Friday night where we ate pizza, built bridges out of ordinary household items, had a talk about being yourself, and competed in fun relay races. The next day, after morning Liturgy, we ate breakfast, played basketball and learned about Greek culture. Then we had lunch, made arts and crafts, did fun activities, and had a talk with Father John about being an Orthodox Christian. Vespers and a gyro dinner came next. Evening activities consisted of a series of competitions called Color Wars and a late night church service for the Theotokos. After that there was a sleepover in The Oaks. In the morning, we all went to Liturgy and said our goodbyes. It was a very fun experience because I met new people and grew closer to my Orthodox Faith! Luke Virsik IV On the Go was an amazing experience. At first, I thought it would only be me and a couple young adults from high school surrounded by younger kids, but the counselors did an amazing job of working with everybody so we all got the same experience. The activities and games they had planed were really fun and entertaining. We started with Greek Mythology, some dancing, and even made our own frappés! The discussions we had in Orthodox Life were meaningful and kept everyone attentive. IV On-the-Go was a great taste of the real Ionian Village. I can't wait to go to Ionian Village! -Paul Zerebinski Holy Cross, Belmont Cross Currents Page 9

10 UPCOMING EVENTS Receiving Home December 10, :30 pm in The Oaks Christmas Program December 15, :30 pm in The Oaks BLAST, GOYA and the Philoptochos of Holy Cross host young people from local children s shelters for an evening of Christmas Tree decorating, a warm meal and gifts from Santa Claus! Join us for this wonderful night! Please come and join our youth celebrate the birth of our Savior! FAMILY SHARING Monday, December 16, :00 pm in the GYM Help this wonderful cause by adopting a child, donating food/gifts and coming to the Church on the 16th to help deliver these goods to families in need. NEW YEAR S EVE :30 pm Liturgy 8:30 pm Dinner Buffet Come welcome the new year At holy Cross! Please contact Anastacia Stamates at anastaciams@yahoo.com Holy Cross, Belmont Cross Currents Page 10

11 UPCOMING EVENTS CRAB FEED January 25, 2014 Sunday January Vasilopita Luncheon 6:30 pm in the Gym GOD PARENT SUNDAY January 26, 2014 Hear the Gospel and receive Holy Communion with your Godchild Godparents brunch after Liturgy Come dance and eat before Lent starts! Apokreatiko Glendi Saturday, February 22 6:30 in the Gym All proceeds benefit the dance groups Holy Cross, Belmont Cross Currents Page 11

12 GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS 900 Alameda Belmont, CA WINTER 2013 Your birth, O Christ our God Has shed upon the world the light of knowledge; For through it, those who worship the stars have learned from a star to worship You, the Sun of Justice and to recognize You as the Orient From On High. Glory be to You, O Lord!