The Word. Living a Christian Life. What makes a person saintly is love. Page 3. Pages 4-7

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1 N A T V T Y O F C H R S T The Word And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. ~John 1:14 A Monthly Newsletter February 2016 An Orthodox Christian Community ndividual and joint commitments to God support Christian Community and Parenting Page 1-2 Looking Toward Lent, article begins The paschal season of the Church is preceded by the season of Great Lent, Pages 2 Living a Christian Life What makes a person saintly is love. Page 3 Page 5 Liturgies & Readings, Parish Council & Stewardship The woman who offered precious ointment Pages 4-7 Philoptochos & PAO Vasilopita,report, Membership and Special Events Pages 8 Religious Education Sunday School, Greek Dance & Oratorical Festivals! Pages 9-10 An Orthodox Christian Community! We often use the term "Community" in speaking of the local parish. n the Orthodox Christian understanding of things, the Church is the organic "community" which is brought into being by the action of God through His ncarnation. Community is described by the dictionary as "A body of people living in the same place under the same laws." We see then, from this description, that a community is made up of men and women with a common interest and purpose. The interest, in our case, is Jesus Christ our Lord, and Him crucified and risen; and the purpose, therefore, the living out of His Gospel in our daily lives. The progress, therefore, of our community depends on the degree to which the individual members of the community agree and identify with its primary purpose and interest. What a privilege it is to be able to bear witness to the truth of the Gospel and to bring that truth and message of redemption to a spiritually hungry and thirty world. But it must begin with us. pray and hope the following thoughts, will be helpful in our continuing efforts to grow in Christ, personally and collectively, as an Orthodox Christian Community. "What does it mean to be a member of an Orthodox Parish Community? A member of the community strives to be faithful. St. Paul writes that faith is the hope and assurance of things unseen. From the moment of our baptism into the Church, even as infants, we are full members of the Church, communing from the same chalice and receiving the same Lord, young and old alike. Our faith is measured by our participation in the Faith, not our knowledge about the Faith. We can know about God while not knowing Him. A member of the community is a worshiping Christian. t is clear from Orthodox theology and from the reading of the Scriptures that the regular worship and praise of God are essential to the life of the Church and to our spiritual life personally. The Christian community is above all a worshiping community. A member of the community is present and worships regularly at the Divine Liturgy on Sundays and special feast days, and other Divine Services that are a part of the worship of the Church. One is never bad enough or good enough to stay away. A member of the community also uses the prayer of the Church to inspire and edify his or her personal prayer life. The experience of the worship of the Church is to be carried with us into our everyday life to transform and transfigure the world in which we live. f the Divine Liturgy ("liturgy" means a "common work") makes our life prayerful and holy, the whole world is affected. A member of the community is penitent. Our voluntary and involuntary sins alienate us from God and cause a break in our relationship with Him. When we realize, however, that in Christ we have found forgiveness and reconciliation with God, we humbly and sorrowfully approach Him, confessing our sins and seeking forgiveness. Don't we ask to be forgiven in the Lord's Prayer? Should we not pray it daily? Continued on page 2, Christian Community The Word 2.0 "1

2 Continued from page 1, Christian Community S E Q U O A C L U B The Sacrament of Confession is necessary to the spiritual life of any Orthodox Christian. This is true for both adults and children of confessing age. t is impossible to be an Orthodox communicant without continuous conversion, genuine dependence on God, and a regular confession of sins. A member of the community strives to be regular in his or her participation in the Eucharist. n the past, the practice was to receive Holy Communion three or four times a year, at the most solemn feast days of the Church, preceded by a special time of preparation. Today, in many cases the opposite occurs. Even though more frequent communion is urged, and rightly so, one must not approach without appropriate preparation. Receiving Holy Communion regularly means that we strive to live a life compatible with that act; it means striving to live according to the teachings and commandments of Christ, regular attendance at the Divine Liturgy, daily prayer, fasting, repentance and confession. Father Alexander Schmemann used to say that each day we should say a prayer of thanksgiving for the Eucharist we just received and a prayer of preparation for the Eucharist we are about to receive. We live from Eucharist to Eucharist. Finally, an Orthodox Community must be a place where we support each other. t is in the Church that we experience God, where we find the true path to salvation. The Church is where we lean on each other; where we fall down together and help each other up; where we lift each other up in prayer. An Orthodox Community must be a place we care for. f the Church, as a reflection of God's Kingdom on earth, is a place where we support each other, where we find salvation, then it, therefore, must be a place we must care for. believe we know that we have a responsibility to extend ourselves in faith by caring for the Church and others even when it seems we can't care as much for ourselves if we do that. An Orthodox Community must be a place that defines all other places. Think of the places that are very special to you: your home and family; your neighborhood and friends; your place of employment and co-workers; your backyard; your child's ball field. Any place you can think of that takes a piece of your life can only truly be seen when looked at with the eyes of faith in Christ and His Church. How can you have a family if it doesn't reflect love and sacrifice? St. Paul equates the life of the Church with marriage - Christ is the Bridegroom and the Church is the Bride. How can you be a loving friend, or spouse, or child, unless you reflect God, Who is love? How can you be a parent without reflecting our Father Who is in heaven and our Mother the Church. Who or what is a better example of loving sacrifice? ndeed, how can any place in your life have meaning or importance, unless it is first seen through the life of Christ? t can't! "Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your Commandments. Fr. Constantine Looking Toward Lent The paschal season of the Church is preceded by the season of Great Lent, which is itself preceded by its own liturgical preparation. Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee (John 1:43-52). On the first Sunday (observed this year on February 13), we hear of the Publican and the Pharisee. The focus here is on the two men who went to the Temple to pray -- one a pharisee who was a very decent and righteous man of religion, the other a publican who was a truly sinful taxcollector who was cheating the people. The first, although genuinely righteous, boasted before God and was condemned, according to Christ. The second, although genuinely sinful, begged for mercy, received it, and was justified by God (Luke 18:9). Pride is the perversion of the soul and spirit of man; it is the greatest weapon of the evil one; it is the mother of hypocrisy; it is the obstacle of spiritual progress: it is the degradation of civilization; it is the greatest enemy of man; it is the opposite of repentance; it is the corruption of the conscience of man. This is why the Church designated the first Sunday of preparation for acceptance of the Message of the Resurrection of Christ, with the Parable of the Tax Collector and Pharisee being read. The root of evil, pride, should be uprooted and replaced with the virtue of humility, which is the teaching of this Parable. The highest degree of man s pride is when a person speaks to God in prayers as did the Pharisee, who said, God thank thee, only for the opportunity to enumerate his achievements publicly, comparing himself to others who, according to him, were sinners, saying am not like other men, sinners, or even like this tax collector. He extolled himself saying, fast, tithe, which he did. But the more he boasted, the more he condemned himself through arrogance. On the other hand, the tax collector confessed: God be merciful to me a sinner. The repentance of the tax collector is the basis of Christian life; it is the passage into the Kingdom; it is the reestablishment of the image of God in the soul of His creature. Humility is the queen of all virtues. Thus, the first phrase of the hymnology of the day is: Let us not pray pharisee-like.... Open to me the doors of repentance. The combination of almsgiving, prayer and piety, along with the intention of repentance like that of the tax collector, is imperative in the life of a Christian. The attitude of the tax collector made him a steward of divine gifts. Repentance and confession of faith are the same two-sided coin. Continued on page 5, Looking Toward Lent " 2 The Word 2.0

3 S T E W A R D S H P On Living a Christian Life. From the sayings and writings of the Elder St. Porphyrios What makes a person saintly is love You don t become holy by fighting evil. Let evil be. Look towards Christ and that will save you. What makes a person saintly is love. A person can become a saint anywhere t is a great art to succeed in having your soul sanctified. A person can become a saint anywhere. He can become a saint in Omonia Square*, if he wants. At your work, whatever it may be, you can become a saint through meekness, patience, and love. Make a new start every day, with new resolution, with enthusiasm and love, prayer and silence not with anxiety so that you get a pain in the chest. * Omonia Square: the commercial center of Athens, also synonymous with vice and corruption. The soul is sanctified and purified through the study of the Fathers Our religion is perfectly and profoundly conceived. What is simple is also what is most precious. Accordingly, in your spiritual life engage in your daily contest simply, easily, and without force. The soul is sanctified and purified through the study of the Fathers, through the memorization of the psalms and of portions of Scripture, through the signing of hymns and through the repetition of the Jesus Prayer. Devote your efforts, therefore, to these spiritual things and ignore all the other things. The Lord Himself will teach us how to pray The Lord Himself will teach us how to pray. We won t learn prayer on our own, nor will anyone else teach us it. Don t let s say to ourselves, have made such -and-such a number of prostrations, so now have secured divine grace, but rather let us make entreaty for the pure light of divine knowledge to shine within us and open our spiritual eyes so that we may understand His divine words. n this way, without realizing it, we love God without contorting ourselves and without exertion and struggle. What is difficult for man is easy for God. We will love God suddenly when grace overshadows us. f we love Christ very much, the prayer will say itself. Christ will be continually in our mind an d in our heart. All beings turn towards Him, albeit unconsciously Man seeks joy and happiness in heaven. He seeks what is eternal far from everyone and everything. He seeks to find joy in God. God is a mystery. He is silence. He is infinite. He is everything. Everyone possesses this inclination of the soul for heaven. All people seek something heavenly. All beings turn towards Him, albeit unconsciously. Turn your mind towards Him continually. Learn to love prayer, familiar converse with the Lord. What counts above all is love, passionate love for the Lord, for Christ the Bridegroom. Become worthy of Christ s love. n order not to live in darkness, turn on the switch of prayer so that divine light may flood your soul. Christ will appear in the depths of your being. There, in the deepest and most inward part, is the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is within you [Luke 17:21]. Those who desire and crave to belong to Christ Those who desire and crave to belong to Christ and who abandon themselves to the will of God become worthy. t s a great thing, all-important, to have no will. The slave has no will of his own. And it is possible for us to have no will of our own in a very simple manner: through love for Christ and the keeping of His commandments. He who has my commandments and keeps them, he is the one who loves me; and he who loves me shall be loved by my Father and will love him and will manifest myself to him. [John 14:31]. Effort is required. For we have to wrestle against the rulers of the darkness of this age [Eph. 6:12]. We have to wrestle with the roaring lion [1 Pet. 5:8]. We cannot allow the devious enemy to prevail in the struggle. Only the Religion of Christ unites Only the Religion of Christ unites and all of us must pray that they come to this. Thus union will occur, not by believing that all of us are the same thing and that all religions are the same. They are not the same our Orthodoxy is not related to other religions. The Word 2.0 "3

4 R E N A A D T N V G S T Y & N R E W T S E S February Liturgies & Readings Sunday Matins begin at 8:30am. Sunday and weekday Liturgy services begin at 9:30am. Please check the calendar inside the back cover for exact times for services. Day Date Service Epistle Gospel Tue Feb 2 Presentation of Our Lord Hebrews 7:7-17 Luke 2:22-40 Sun Feb 7 16th Sunday of Matthew Corinthians 6:1-10 Matthew 25:14-30 Sun Feb 14 Sunday of the Canaanite Woman Corinthians 6:16-18, 7:1 Matthew 15:21-28 Sun Feb 21 Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee Triodion Begins Timothy 3:10-15 Luke 18:10-14 Sun Feb 28 Sunday of the Prodigal Son Corinthians 6:12-20 Luke 15:11-32 Baptisms Sacraments and Rites February Baptisms to be listed in March See calendar for scheduled,february baptism For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Galatians 3:27 Memorials January 9 Constantinos Siotos Corinda Siotos January 17 Marietta (Markatos) Schmidt January 24 Eleni Mavroeleftheros Memory Eternal! Funerals January 7 - Love (Agapi) Goldman January 14 Betty (Vasiliki) Jouganatos January 22 Ann Commick " 4 The Word 2.0

5 N S G H T S N T O L E N T Continued from page 2, Looking Toward Lent Sunday Of The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). The next Sunday in the preparation for Great Lent is the Sunday of the Prodigal Son. Hearing the parable of Christ about God s loving forgiveness, we are called to come to ourselves as did the prodigal son, to see ourselves as being in a far country_ _far from the Father s house, and to make the movement of return to God. We are given every assurance by the Master that the Father will receive us with joy and gladness. We must only, arise and go _confessing our self-inflicted and sinful separation from that home where we truly belong. This Parable illustrates the rejection and abuse of God s gifts to us. t is the consequence of pride. Prodigality is the unreckoning extravagance in sensuality. The prodigal is one whose life is dissolute, who squanders his father s property. Prodigality, then, is the second basic corruption toward which man is inclined. This is why this Parable is known as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Despite, however, the title or this Parable, its main subject is the warm parental love of the Father. The father s love remains unbroken and firm for his prodigal son. His love is shown more at the return of his son than in the beginning, despite the fact that his son squandered his possessions. n the end, however, the son exchanges his prodigality for repentance, and this is the crux of the parable. This moment changes the prodigal son into the prudent son, expelling arrogance with repentance. While the son was returning to his father, he kept rehearsing over and over again: _._ Father, have sinned against heaven and before you _But when the son saw his father s house from afar, his father saw him, and ran to him and embraced him warmly. Thus, the son did not have the opportunity to tell his father what he had been rehearsing. The son at the beginning said, give me _but in the end he asked, make me, which is the depth of repentance and obedience, the challenging factors of a Christian. Sunday of Meatfare (Matthew 25:31-46) The next Sunday is called Meatfare Sunday since it is officially the last day before Easter for eating meat. t commemorates Christ s parable of the Last Judgment. We are reminded this day that it is not enough for us to see Jesus, to see ourselves as we are, and to come home to God as his prodigal sons. We must also be his sons by following Christ, His only-begotten divine Son, and by seeing Christ in every person and by serving Christ through them. Our salvation and final judgment will depend upon our deeds, not merely on our intentions or even on the mercies of God devoid of our own personal cooperation and obedience. for was hungry and you gave me food, was thirsty and you gave me drink, was a stranger and you took me in, was naked and you clothed me, was sick and in prison and you visited me. For truly say to you, if you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me We are saved not merely by prayer and fasting, not by religious exercises alone. We are saved by serving Christ through his people, the goal toward which all piety and prayer are ultimately directed. Sunday of Cheesefare (Matthew 6:14-21). Finally, on the eve of Great Lent, the day called Cheesefare Sunday and Forgiveness Sunday, we sing of Adam s exile from paradise. We identify ourselves with Adam, lamenting our loss of the beauty, dignity and delight of our original creation, mourning our corruption in sin. We also hear on this day the Lord s teaching about fasting and forgiveness, and we enter the season of the fast forgiving one another so that God will forgive us. f you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses. The Word 2.0 "5

6 P A R S H C O U N AC T L V & T SY T NE EW WA SR D S H P Notes from the Parish Council by Ed Keller ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WOMAN WHO OFFERED PRECOUS ONTMENT There's a principle found throughout the Scriptures concerning giving, it says: When you give, you gain what you cannot buy with money. n Mark 14:3-9, a woman gave Jesus a gift of precious ointment. There were some present who called her gift a "waste." They said the ointment could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Jesus rebuked their hypocrisy, for gifts given from the heart are always accepted by the Lord. This woman gave Jesus something precious, her best gift, the best she could do. When you give to the church, is your gift merely a token gift or is it, a generous gift, coming from your heart filled with love? Notice what else Jesus said about this woman's gift: " say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her." She couldn't buy that kind of testimony for any amount of money; but giving obtained it for her. Our giving does not stop when we put a check in our Stewardship envelope. Our giving continues to live on as a testimony to God's presence. Our money is transformed into the service of Orthodoxy on the parish, Metropolis, Archdiocesan, and Patriarchal level. You can't put a price on that. You cannot buy an eternal soul, but through giving we can make eternity possible for our soul, our family's and for others. We cannot buy the blessings of God, but through giving we can release God's blessing through the Church. Are you giving in the spirit of the woman who anointed Jesus with the costly ointment? Does your giving reflect generosity of spirit, which provides blessings that "money cannot buy." s your Stewardship Commitment for 2016 a loving gift, a generous gift, a gift coming from your heart? Let's all join hearts, minds, and hands in the Body of Christ and give our best to the work of the Lord for May the Lord say about us: they have given their best, " 6 The Word 2.0

7 F R O M S T E W A R D S H P T H E Our Faithful Steward Pledges for Participants $ 138,245 Pledged (Represents giving through February, lets help the list grow in March!) Efstathiu, Fr. Constantine & Presb. Kay Adams, Fr. James & Presb. Evelyn Aaron, Steven and Eva Adams, William & Lisa Anderson, Frances Angelonides, Peter & Arlene Arango, Pat Argyres, Andreas & Joanne Balopoulos, Michael & Anna Batbie, Donald & Barbara Bechaka, Sonia Booras, Pauline Brzycki, Jeff & Tracy Langley Burrows, Bill & Floretta Captanian, Ted & Connie Catel, George & Paraskevi Cockriell, Gary & Mary Colby, Thomas & Caroline Corcoran, Bruce & Fran Cordellos, Dennis & Anna Couch, George & Katherine Daifotis, Kimon & Cynthia Degaitis, Julia Delis, Nicholas & Stephanie Della Cella, Joseph & Kathryn Economy, Carol Efstathiu, Paul & Kristen Eliopoulos, Paul & Sophia Ferber, John & Pamela Foster, Paul & Christina Fotinos, Vivian Fourakis, Vasilis & Effie Fuss, Patrick Gagas, Charles & Claire Gavallos, Tina George, Pete & Ann Gikkas, Peter & Vickie Hatos Giusti, Nonie Grey, Connie Haginicols, Charles & Amalia Hajopoulos, Kathy Hontalas, Frank & Eve Hundley, Courtney & Marilyn Hunter, John & Rose Jacoby, Nicholas & Eileen Kakleas, Jon & Michelle Kalabokes, Chris & Vicki Kalabokes, Ma=hew Kamages, Christ & Pat Kanas, Nick & Carolynn Kavantjas, Diane Keller, Ed & Karen Keratzidel, Elaine Kokalis, George & Debbie Kozas, Anna Kuvelis, Dean & Denise Kuvelis, Xenia Lagios, Michael & Sheila Lourdis, Vasiliki Lynn, Thomas & Lucille Madias, Alex & Robyn Nguyen Madias, ConstanMne & MarM Madias, Evangelia Madias, Theo Manesis, Alexandra Marshall, Phil & Kathy Medan, Dushan & Gigi Meehan, Nicole Meehan, Tom & rene Morales, Marlon & Andrea Morf, Nick & Panagiota Morphew, Forrest & Ephimia Muntean, Elisabeth Oetzel, Bob & Pauline Orologas, Alexandra Panagotocos, Dr. James & Diane Papanikolaou, George & Soula Papanikolaou, Marina Pappas, Angelo & Maria Pappas, Arthur Passaris, Pete & Maria Passaris, Theodore & Elaine Perivolaris, Sharon Petrakis, Steve & Martha Pezzuto, Maria Porter, Bryan & Melina Protos, Dora Prouty, Vicki Psaros, StamaMs & Eleni Rehn, Diane & Allen Williams Rishwain, Darron & Pamela Roesner, Russell & Margarita Roland, George & Doris Rossi, Patricia Rouman, Steve & Liz Russell, Chuck & Daphne Saris, Tony & Be=y Scafidas, Anastasia Selmi, Catherine Serafimescu, ConstanMn & Livia SeremeMs, MaMna & Andres Pineda Sexauer, Nicholas & Alison Sideris, Milton & Stassie Simon, Kay Sklavos, Vasiliki Smith, Evdokia Smyrni, Steve & Anna Soeten, Alexandra SoMras, Paraskevas & Erene Stathis, Pete & Dina Stenros, Stuart & Stella Stockton, John & Susan StraMgos, George StraMgos, Spiro & Mary Kay TacMcos, George Thomatos, Dennis & ChrisMna Touras, Antonios & Antonia Tsiplakos, George & Maria Tzafopoulos, John & Erica Tzafopoulos, Nick & Vasiliki Valakitsis, Yiannis & Eugenia Dracopoulos Vallis, James & Judith Vra=os, John & Francesca White, Sonja Wildermuth, Anna Yioulos, Dean & Ann Zaferiou, Paul & Phyllis Zahariudakis, Dimitrios The Word 2.0 "7

8 P H LS OE PQ TU O C A H O CS L U& B P A O Go Red For Women n support of women s cardiac health, the coffee hour on Sunday, February 21 has been designated by our chapter as Go red for women Sunday. All proceeds from the fellowship hour will go to the American Heart Association. Membership f you were unable to attend the membership coffee hour in January, it s not too late to join. Your support of our chapter is what keeps this ministry of the Church strong and active in our community. For your convenience, a membership form is included in the newsletter. Be sure to include your address so we can keep you up-to-date on our activities. The addresses are not shared. Vasilopita Thank you to everyone who supported our annual Vasilopita sale and coffee hour. Our chapter sent $1000 to St. Basil Academy. Dates to Remember February 2 Philoptochos meeting at 6:30, all members are invited. February 21 Go Red For Women February Birthdays Stacey Weeks 2/1 Rose Giannis 2/9 Bruce Corcoran 2/10 Fran Corcoran 2/11 Katina Pantazes 2/12 Sharon Perivolaris 2/13 Elaine Passaris 2/23 Fellowship Hours Your assistance with these small fundraisers helps your Philoptochos support our many charities. Hosting a coffee hour is a great way to honor a family member or special event. Hosting a fellowship hour means that you provide snacks of your choice. Philoptochos members make the coffee and set-up the food/ coffee tables. Contact Debbie Kokalis or sign-up on the board located in the lower hall if you would like to host a fellowship hour. Please keep in mind those who benefit from Philoptochos when contributing your coffee and snack. Save the Date Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox nstitute PAO Women's Board Bouquets to cons Lenten Luncheon Saturday, March 26, 2016, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. $55.00 Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church in Moraga. Further nformation Marilyn Habeeb (650) " 8 The Word 2.0

9 R E FL R G O M O UA SR O EU DN UD C AT TH E O N January Sunday School Corner Bible Memory Verse for Februrary. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Pull those bibles off the shelf, memorize the monthly verses with your children and discuss our Orthodox Christian faith together. Ask your children to share with you what they are learning in Sunday School each week. Wisdom from the Saints What saves and makes for good children? Food for thought from the Elder St. Porphyrios What saves and makes for good children is the life of the parents in the home. The parents need to devote themselves to the love of God. They need to become saints in their relations to their children through their mildness, patience, and love. They need to make a new start every day, with a fresh outlook, renewed enthusiasm and love for their children. And the joy that will come to them, the holiness that will visit them, will shower grace on their children. f the parents do not pursue a life of holiness and if they don t engage in spiritual struggle, they make great mistakes and transmit the faults they have within them. f the parents do not live a holy life and do not display love towards each other, the devil torments the parents with the reactions of the children. Love, harmony and understanding between parents are what are required for the children. This provides a great sense of security and certainty. The Word 2.0 Sunday School Dates for February Feb 7--Activity Sunday. After Communion: All Classes meet in the High School Classroom for instruction and activities centered around the theme :God is Love. Feb 11th - 14th-Greek Dancing Festival, Anaheim Feb 14th--Sunday School Classes meet following communion Feb 21st--Sunday School Classes meet following communion; Announcement of winter service project! Feb 28th--Sunday School Classes meet following communion Our Dedicated Sunday School Staff Little Learners Paula Plessas-Hall; Demetri Botaitis; Katina Blasingame PreK/K Kristen Efstathiu 1st/2nd Andy Stenros 3rd/4th Floretta Burrows 5th/6th Susan Siefkas 7th/8th Eleni Scanagatta 9th-12th Steve and Vickie Mavromihalis Substitutes: Tiffany Haginicols; Dina Stathis; Gigi Medan; Joanna Rizzutti; and Matina Seremetis Director: Christina Thomatos "9

10 R E L G O U S E D U C A T O N Amazing Opportunities for Our Youth Full of Greek Culture and Messages of Orthodox Faith Orthodox Folk Dance & Choral Festival Best wishes to our students and alumni who are part of the Minoans Greek Folk Dance Ministry. Our prayers are with you and your families for safe travels to Anaheim and back, and for a great time of fun and Christian fellowship at the Faith and Folk Dance Festival. (FDF) This year is the 40th anniversary of the FDF! Our parish was one of the 4 communities who sent groups to that first FDF in 1976, the group was called Alkmini Greek Dance Ensemble, Navity of Christ Parishioners were among the participants and attended that first FDF in San Diego Helen Banks, Alexandra Halikas, Penny Adams, Anne Banks, Stella Drossos and Christa Stavrou Oratorical Festival Preparations are underway! We need helpful volunteers! the Oratorical Festival coordinator at sundayschool@nativityofchrist.org Our parish Sunday School students are busy working on their individual Oratorical Festival speeches and class presentations! Established in 1983, the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival continues to provide an amazing opportunity for our students to research, learn, and present to the community in their own words and understanding about a topic of our Orthodox Faith. This year, all our students will be participating in our parish level Oratorical Festival in the spring. Little Learners through 6th grades will be presenting on a topic of our faith as a class to the whole community. 4th through 6th graders have the option to prepare an individual speech on their faith for the non-competitive division and the 7th through 12th graders will present individual speeches for the competitive division of this ministry. Learning from the youth of our parish is inspirational and their desire and willingness to witness to Christ and to give back to our community in this manner is equally uplifting. Adult help is needed to make our parish Oratorical Festival a success. f you can serve as a timer, coach, or photographer for this event, or if you can contribute time to volunteer at the coffee hour that follows with serving or bringing refreshments, please sundayschool@nativityofchrist.org to get involved. More details and dates regarding our Parish Oratorical Festival as well as the local and Metropolis wide Oratorical Festivals will be forthcoming in future s and newsletters. 10 " The Word 2.0

11 February 2016 Nativity of Christ Church Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday January 31 st Greek Dancing Rehearsal Throughout Day Presentation of our Lord 4:15 Greek School (children) 6:00 Greek Dancing, K-8 6:15 Greek School (Adults) 7:00 Greek Dancing, HS / up 15 th Sunday of Luke 8:00 a.m. Matins 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy Fr. Constantine AWAY January 27 th February 10th F R O M A R O U N D T H E 2:00 p.m. Baptism 6:00 Greek Dancing, K-8 7:00 Greek Dancing, HS / up 6:00-9:00 Greek Dancing Dress Rehearsal & Dinner! 16 th Sunday of Matthew 8:30 a.m. Matins 9:30 Divine Liturgy - 14 th Greek Dance Festival, Anaheim February 11 th - 14 th - 14th No Greek School ACTVTES SUNDAY N SUNDAY SCHOOL! Fr. Constantine AWAY January 27 th February 10 th No Greek School Sunday of the Canaanite Woman 8:30 a.m. Matins 9:30 Divine Liturgy :15 Greek School (children) 6:00 Greek Dancing, K-8 6:15 Greek School (Adults) 7:00 Greek Dancing, HS / up Sunday of Publican and Pharisee~Triodion Begins 8:30 a.m. Matins 9:30 Divine Liturgy Sunday of the Prodigal Son 8:30 a.m. Matins 9:30 Divine Liturgy The Word 2.0 "11

12 A R O U N D T H E A R C H D O C E S E Nativity of Christ Greek Orthodox Church 1110 Highland Drive Novato, California CHANGE SERVCE REQUESTED The Word 2.0 February " The Word 2.0