THE CANON THE BULLETIN WILL BE:

Transcription

1 COMMUNITY NEWS St. Nicholas greek orthodox church September 2018 Volume 46 Issue 9 THE MONTHY BULLETIN Starting in October, we will no longer be mailing out the bulletin: THE CANON THE BULLETIN WILL BE: ED TO YOU ONLINE ( NEWS AND EVENTS) COPIES WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE IN THE NARTHEX If you wish to have it ed to you and have not given us your address, please send it to the Office. SEPTEMBER 14, 2018 THE FEAST OF THE HOLY CROSS. FR. NEEDS VASILIKO FOR THE SERVICE ON SEPTEMBER 14 TH. ANYONE WISHING TO BRING VASILIKO PLEASE SPEAK WITH FATHER. SUNDAY SCHOOL BEGINS: Sunday School will begin on Sunday September 23, I would like all the children to go directly to their classes at 10:00 A.M. meet with their teachers and do registration. Come in church when you are finished. At the end of the there will be an Ayiasmos Service The Blessing of the Waters as we begin the new School year. My Dear Spiritual Children, I pray that you all had a restful and happy summer. There is one very important topic that we should reflect upon now, and that is our Spiritual Life. We must remember that our ultimate business is bringing our souls nearer to God. Our interest in the Church should not be directed ONLY in how to make, spend, and allocate funds. I know that these are very important and necessary issues, but I am compelled to address the laissez-faire attitude of attending Church. If you truly believe the Church to be a worthwhile institution, we must also believe in the need to maintain I have seen attendance drop not only on Sundays but on days such as Easter and Christmas. Things such as opening presents at different homes, cleaning and baking before Easter, have actually taken precedence over attending Church. Holy Week is a journey to Easter but many of us miss the boat. We come on Palm Sunday to eat our Plaki, we bypass most of the services of Holy Week and pop in for Holy Friday to see the beautiful Epitaphios, and the Mid-Night Service to sing Christos Anesti and leave before the begins or ends. Yes, the hours are sometimes long and late, but are our social commitments so much more pressing that we shun the need for our commitment to God. Attendance and commitment has dropped in our Sunday School, youth groups, our Choir, and our Philoptochos. The human body cannot properly function unless all of her parts are functioning and working together, NEITHER CAN THE CHURCH IN ORDER TO HELP US OBTAIN OUR SALVATION. More than once I have been called to the deathbed of an ailing Christian. But I ask myself, is there anything I can do in those last few minutes to override the need for us to be in communion with God throughout our lives? How many strongly believe the important of Baptizing their Child, of getting married in church; and then after they have done that you don t see them again. How many rarely step foot in the House of God and yet when sickness and death approaches, the first thing they yell is, Where s the Priest? But they don t remember the story of The Heal of the 10 Lepers. (10 men faced horrific tragedy in their lives by having leprosy. They came to Jesus to be healed. Jesus healed them all. ONLY ONE came back to give thanks to God.) (Continued on page 3)

2 September Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat :00 am 9 NO CHURCH SERVICE TODAY! FESTIVAL 16 10:00 am GOYA MEETING 23 D. Lit. 10:00 am Sunday School Begins Philoptochos 7:00 pm AHEPA 6:30 pm Parish Council 7:00 pm GREEK FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 7-9TH 14 Holy Cross Orthros 9:30 am 10:15 am :00 am

3 3 Monday, December 31, 2018 Doors open at 8:30pm show at 10:00pm St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church 2000 Tower Boulevard Lorain Pre-Show Appetizer Buffet Mid-night Snack & Dessert Complimentary Champagne Noisemakers & Hats Cash bar Music by Dimitri $75 per person $50 Student Catering by Pink Peppercorn Catering Sponsored by St. Nicholas Philoptochos (Continued from page 1) The parable ends with the words of our Lord: Were not 10 healed, where are the 9. This is a serious question we choose not to answer, because it makes us uncomfortable. Well maybe the problem is we are too comfortable and forget the need for God in our lives. I ask that starting with you, you reflect on your spiritual life. and do all you can to strengthen it in the coming year. I believe that if we all maintain a regular and true relationship with the Church, the questions of maintenance and finances will be easily addressed. With Christ is our hearts and souls, answers are made easy. SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND ALL THINGS SHALL BE YOURS AS WELL.: (Matthew 6:33) I would challenge that if you come to Church every Sunday, - try to come for a week-day service or two. If you come to Church twice a month try for three. If you come to Church once a month- try for two. Skip a few of the mundane tasks and make time to come to Church. Then you will come closer to God and find meaning in your life. Instead of relaxing at home after a hard week at work, come to Church and relax in the presence of the Lord. There you ll not only relax but receive the strength to continue another week. Whatever your present commitment to God is, take time to strengthen it. You ll feel better for it I the long run. Become active participant in the service. It s really not a spectator sport. Get committed. Stay committee. Come to the festival, give a hand. but above all, come to church. Bring your children and your grandchildren. Commit to God. Through Him all things are possible. After hearing the Good News about Christ from the Apostles, the people asked: What must we do? And Peter s answer was RE- PENT. (Repent= CHANGES YOUR WAYS FOR THE BETTER.) This October come to NIGHT WITH FA- THER Learn about your faith and join in the fellowship. Show your children and friends that you are good Stewards of the Lord by being involved. Join parish organizations, participate in the services, financially support the ministries of the Church and volunteer your times and talents wherever needed. I am looking forward to working with you. Make this Parish Better by becoming an active member WE NEED YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!!! COME, LET US BE CO- WORKERS TOGETHER IN THE VINE- YARD OF OUR LORD. In Christ s Love, + Rev. Protopresbyter Michael C. Gulgas

4 Efrosynos the Cook September 11 Although the paths of righteousness that may lead any Christian to sainthood are many in number, they do not contain any directional signs, nor are they limited in access to any particular class of individuals. These holy ranks of men and women come from all stations in life, from the weak and the strong, the humble and the mighty, the simple and the scholarly. God shows no favoritism and accepts among the saints those who served Him best regardless of their background or extraction. While Mt. Athos has been a spiritual haven for some of the greatest minds in Church history, it has also opened its doors to those of limited intellect, whose devotion to God was limitless. Their power was more spiritual than intellectual. Among these children of God who had no academic credentials was a peasant named Efrosynos, who was admitted to the monastery of Mt. Athos for his pure and simple spirit. His illiterate but devout parents had given him no formal schooling but had enriched his life devout prayer. Unqualified for any sort of intellectual work, Efrosynos was relegated to the kitchen. There he performed the menial but not necessarily demeaning work of preparing the meals. For this reason, he was called Efrosynos the Cook. While many have looked down their intellectual noses at the cook, none of the more educated monks ever doubted his sincerity. While he dispensed food for the body, Efrosynos found food for his soul. When he was not in the kitchen, Efrosynos sought seclusion in one of the many caves in the area. There he meditated and prayed in his own way, thereby acquiring an intimacy with God for which many of the scholars would have traded their entire knowledge. It was to this seclusion that Efrosynos had crept after having attended a rather profound lecture and discussion of the Kingdom of Heaven, conducted by the abbot. He was able to comprehend very little and contributed little if anything to the discussion. Retiring in embarrassment and confusion Efrosynos crept to his place of seclusion to address God Himself in his own simple terms. In a dream one night the abbot envisioned a garden of breathtaking beauty. In the center of it stood a lone figure which he discerned to be none other than Efrosynos. Of the hundreds of monks of Mt. Athos, only the lowly cook occupied the garden. In the dream, Efrosynos explained to the incredulous abbot that he was looking upon the Kingdom of Heaven, and then placed a branch laden with apples in the abbot s hands and walked away in the mist. When the abbot awoke from the dream, he found himself clutching a real branch with real apples. Excitedly he summoned Efrosynos and the other monks to share this revelation. The new-found respect and admiration of his fellow monks only made the cook ill-at-ease and so he excused himself to seek the seclusion he cherished, but now with the knowledge that he had somehow received God s favor. The apples of the abbot found in his hand were said to have had miraculous powers, but Efrosynos himself never bothered to witness this. He left for his place of solitude, which he enjoyed to his last day. Efrosynos is depicted in icons as holding an apple branch in his hand. (We have an icon of St. Efrosynos in our Kitchen at church). His memory is celebrated on September 11 9 PHILOPTOCHOS 4TH ANNUAL BUCKEYE CLAMBAKE & TAILGATE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2018 St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church 2000 Tower Blvd. - Lorain *** Time to Be Announced *** PURDUE VS OHIO STATE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, doz clams - $35 2 doz clams - $45 Cash Bar CLAMBAKE MENU CLAM BROTH HANDFUL OF MUSSELS CLAM CHOWDER GRILLED LEMON HERB CHICKEN 1 DOZEN CLAMS CORN ON THE COB For reservations or more information hilariousgreek@gmail.com or call: Andrea or Maria

5 MARK YOUR CALENDARS: CAPTIAL IMPROVEMENT MEETING SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 2018 As the church gets older, it needs many repairs. Come join us for an important Capital Improvement meeting, Sunday September 23 rd after Church to learn: What is a Capital Improvement? What needs to be done? How much will it cost? And what we can do together to raise the needed funds? Come and let us share our ideas on how we can improve and beautify our blessed Church of St. Nicholas. It s Festival time... Please call the church office Today to find out how, where and when you can be of help at the St. Nicholas Greek Festival! St. Euphemia the Martyr September 16 The Patriarchate of Constantinople that ancient city which is now Istanbul is steeped in centuries-old tradition and is the guardian of many ancient and holy relics. Among these sacred relics are those of one of the most remarkable women in all ecclesiastical history, St. Euphemia, the martyr. The story of the events of her glory-filled life which culminated in sainthood would fill a good-sized book if told in detail. Indeed, her influence on Christianity spanned nearly two centuries. Euphemia was born in Chalcedon, Asia Minor at the time of Diocletian. Her parents, Philoform and Theodosian, belonged to the highest aristocracy of the day. Thus, Euphemia was reared in the grand manner befitting a young lady of her station. Of noble intellect and high purpose, she could have lived in splendor and luxurious ease, but she chose a more serious way of life. A true believer in Christ she devoted herself to the physical and spiritual welfare of those Christians less fortunate than herself. Her complete immersion in the cause of Christ was an abomination to the provincial governor, Priscus, especially because her noble birthright demanded that she share the governor s scorn for Christians. Seeking to strengthen his position, Priscus ordered the arrest of Euphemia and ordered the high priest of the pagan temple, Apellanian, to bring their apostate back to worship in the temple of Aris. Had this been accomplished the consequences would have been harmful to the Christian community, but Euphemia never wavered. Tenaciously she clung to her Christian faith. Imprisoned, berated, and tortured to no avail, she was finally thrown int the arena to be devoured for the amusement of the pagan populace. She met her violent end on 16 September 305. The anticlimax of her story unfolded over 150 years after her death. In the year 451 a clergyman named Eutyches advanced the teaching that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, could not have had two nature (Truly human and Truly Divine) because the human had been absorbed by the divine. This concept was in direct opposition to accepted dogma and constituted heresy. The belief that Christ was both fully God and fully man was thus challenged. This controversy concerning the nature of Christ was so great and the resulting confusion reached such proportions that the Empress Pulcheria convoked an Ecumenical Council in A.D This Council resolved once and for all the accuracy of the orthodox teaching on the dual nature of Christ. During this council the holy relics of St. Euphemia witnessed to the truth that Christ was both God and man. The council had been convened in Chalcedon, where the chapel of St. Euphemia is located. While the members of the Council were in Chalcedon, they witnessed miracles of healing attributed to the relic of St; Euphemia. Before this time her relics had not been recognized as miracle working. Someone proposed that the writing of Eutyches concerning the nature of Christ be placed in the casket of St. Euphemia alongside those of these of Fathers of the Church. They closed the casket and after a period of silent prayer reopened it. The heretical works of Eutuyches were found at the feet of St. Euphemia and the Orthodox writings of the Fathers were clutched in her arms. Thus, the fate of Eutyches was confirmed. His teachings were condemned and the Orthodox doctrine of the dual nature of Christ was firmly established. Shortly thereafter, the remains of St Euphemia were transferred to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople, where she lies in honored glory in the chapel of St. George.

6 7 HOME BLESSING SCHEDULE 2018 Wednesday, September 26 M/M Dan Eichler M/M Tom Asimou On Monday, September 17 th, Father will begin Home Blessings. Monday- Friday: 4:00 p. Saturday: 1:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Please prepare the following for Father s Visit: A table with a table cloth A lit candle An Icon A bowl of water Mrs. Chris Grumbos Mrs. Maria Athanas Mrs. James A. Asimou M/M Chris Kollias Mrs. LaVerne Keron Thursday, September 27 M/M Dennis Christo Tuesday, October 2 M/M Benny Matos M/M Anthony Antonopoulos M/M Aris Varouh M/M John Geanos M/M Sam Anadiotis M/M John Anadiotis M/M Anastasios Koutsaftis Mrs. Kalliope Koutsaftis M/M George Kamoutsis Monday, October 8 Mr. George Georgas Mrs. Ketty Athineos M/M Apostolos Makris Monday, September 17 Mrs. Nick Barbaresso Mrs. Ekaterine Douzos M/M George Kalamaras Mrs. Aneta Fine M/M Nick Kostas Tuesday, September 18 M/M Al Wallace M/M Kostas Peskiris M/M Kostas Antoniou M/M Gus Markou Ms. Sia Markou M/M Kris Kramp Wednesday, September 19 M/M Chris Patsios Mrs. Martha Marshall A list of name of the immediate family for health (living) If you do not see your name on the list and want your home blessed or if you will not be home on your scheduled day and wish to reschedule, or do not wish to have your home blessed Please contact the Office (440) LIST NOT IN ORDER OF THE VISITATION Mrs. Rita Vandengoorbergh M/M Chris Psaropoulos M/M Nick Nicolaou Mrs. K. Karmogiannis-Kamps Mrs. Marie Carone Thursday, September 20 M/M Steve Stevens M/M Nick Reppas Mrs. Pat Keron M/M Ferando Maskarinos M/M Seraphim Kollias M/M Brandon Hocking M/M Larry Kontokanis Friday, September 21 M/M Zack Kantouros M/M Constantine Gulgas M/M Philip Vasilakis M/M Luke Kugman Monday, September 24 Mr. Nick Kontos M/M Nick Patouhas Mrs. Argina Patouhas M/M Kyle Koachway Tuesday, September 25 M/M Ted Ristas Mr. Mike Poulos M/M Vasilios Tsardoulias Mrs. Maria Glavas M/M Marc Jackson Ms.Andrea Nicolaou M/M Gay Adkins Miss Andrea Korogianos Friday, September 28 M/M Louis Vlahos Mr. Chris Vlahos M/M James G. Asimou M/M Pete Paradissis M/M Jack Huber M/M George Kantouros Mrs. Donna Miller Monday October 1 Ms Bessie Aslanidis M/M Alex Georgas M/M Chris Georgas M/M Ben Butkowski M/M Pete Epitropoulos Miss Dorothy Epitropoulos Mrs. Ula Fedor Ms. Marianne Fedor M/M Alex Karaboyias M/M Nick Dalagiannis Mr. Paul Karras Wednesday, October 3 M/M Nick Bardosas M/M Steve Chekouras M/M Vasilios Boumis M/M James Kollias M/M George Mehas Mrs. Kathy Plomaritis M/M Kevin Cullen Mr. Nick Karmogiannis Friday, October 5 Mrs. Sofia Karras Mrs. Beverly Korogianos Mrs. Olgas Dellas M/M Peter Kamoutsis Saturday, October 6 Mrs. Danese Antonopoulos M/M Ron Varouh M/M Kostas Fourlaris Mrs. Elaine Georgas M.M. Zissis Kalivas Mr. Thomas Kalivas Tuesday October 9 Ms. Demetra Lieb M/M Petros Nicolaou M/M Kenny Asimou Wednesday, October 10 M/M Gus Marzavas M/M John Marzavas M/M James Marzavas Dr./M Pete Stamatis M/M Ted Pappas Saturday, October 13 M/M Dave Karolak M/M Tony Chargaros M/M Dean Shelley