THE ORTHODOX POST. The Orthodox Post. Pastor s Message by Fr.Nikodhim. President s Message by Jim Liolin

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1 Page 1 THE ORTHODOX POST February Volume XV, Issue 2 St. Nicholas Albanian Orthodox Church, Midland Parkway, Jamaica Estates, New York, NY Web site: fr.niko@stnicholasalbanian.org Tel: (718) Pastor s Message by Fr.Nikodhim Not because we need more to do, not because we want more parties, not because our calendar might look slim without them do we celebrate the saints. In our Orthodox Christian tradition, every church, every group or organization, every family or individual is assigned a patron. Indeed, in many cases whole towns or regions are committed to the care of a particular saint, whole professions too. And though we sometimes think of this as something that is surplus something that comes from the abundance of our faith s historical richness I suggest to you today that it is more than convenience or adherence to ancient practices that makes us hold the saints in high esteem, that makes us name them then share their names. Some people say that saints exist as an example to us. Certainly this is true. However, the life of Christ and the clarity of His teachings are fairly succinct as far as religious truths go, and though the saints often reinforce these precepts, I would contend that they do something more. These holy ones are indispensable not because we need to be taught how to be faithful (Christ gives all access to this) but because we need to be taught how to live in community, how to be together in ways that aren t always easy, and the saints give us this. When we learn their stories, we see their struggles to to overcome obstacles around them and within themselves. When we offer our prayers to them and keep them close as friends and confidants, we become part of that great body of believers not confined by geography or time. As we begin to know them and treat them as familiar, we begin to understand the victory of Christ. Why, after all, would we INSIDE THIS ISSUE Pastor& President s Messages 1 Daughters Corner, Coffee List, Sunday School 2 Valentine s Party 3 choose to Pledge Program & House Blessings 4 talk to the A Journey with Women Saints 5 dead and Cemetery Plot Increase & Food Drive 6 gone if we Name Days 7 Merchant Ads 8-9 did not Major Events & Ushers Sunday Schedule 10 believe that they could hear, help, and live beyond the grave? Perhaps more than anything else, they give us this outlet to learn to ask for help, and this is a skill most of us would do well to practice better and beyond the embarrassment that is ours by instinct. Throughout our lives, in addition to our daily prayers, we should be learning here and there some things about the saint or saints assigned to us. In our community here at St. Nicholas, we still celebrate the name days. In the old country and in older times, these were occasions of celebration more important than birthdays or anniversaries, and they retained always that communal aspect of celebrating groups rather than individuals. Today, we sing Many Years!/Për shumë vjet! as we pass through ranks of saints by month and year, and many people still dress up the day with small gifts or nice meals, but how many of us know the stories of our saints, how many of us have learned to speak to them as friends? It s a good thing to do. Maybe it s a good thing for you to start your year with. If you don t know who your patron saint is or maybe you don t quite know where to get some information on him or her, just speak up and ask. I m happy to help you find these friends. President s Message by Jim Liolin Moving on from the celebrations surrounding Christmas and New Year we are pleased to say that the ICON presentation held on Theophany was successful. There was the usual enthusiastic bidding for the favorite icons that all enjoyed. Serving a light breakfast during the presentation by all indications was well accepted. It is something that may continue going forward. Plans are in the works for the ANNUAL VALENTINE S DAY Dance to be held Saturday February 16th. More information is included in this POST. Space is limited so don t hesitate to make your reservations. As was decided at the General Meeting last November 2018, there will be a price increase on the cemetery plots at Mount Tomori, Cypress Hills. There are a limited number of plots and we need to have them available for those who are active parish pledgers. Look for additional information coming in March. Very soon the center medallion mosaic will be installed and new icons are being readied for mounting on the back and side walls. This should occur in the next few months. Looking ahead we have repair and maintenance projects to the building planned, i.e., front entrance steps, stained glass window repairs. That s all for now see you in church

2 Page 2 Daughters Corner by Linda Foundos Dear Ladies, Below is the schedule for coffee for the next 2 months. If your name is listed, please be sure to put it on your calendar. If you need to change the date, please advise Christina Liolin or Adriana Topore. It is very important to remember that on the day you are scheduled for coffee, please arrive at church by 10 a.m. so that preparations can be made. What to bring: Cake for people Cookies for the children 1 gallon of milk February 3 March 3 Eli Troja/Alma Vesho 10 Irma Mile/Xhuljana Baltadori 17 Open 24 Donna Oswald/Viola Kallinikos Agathia Luka/Antoneta Mertiri 10 Barbara Papalexis/Barbara Filis 17 Open 24 Christine Beno/Jana Foundos 31 Nasi Pavllo/Marcela Guma It will be a welcome winter break to come and enjoy our annual Valentine s Dinner/Dance on Saturday, February 16 th. It s always a lively, fun event. It s a good time to reconnect with old friends and make new ones too! We send a shout out to all those that have not been able to make it to church for some time. You are not forgotten. We are missing your presence. We wish you well. It is a good idea for all of us to periodically pick up the phone, and surprise someone with a call just to say hello! We should reach out and not take each other for granted. We hope this winter will be a manageable one, not too frigid or too many snowstorms so you can join us for Sunday services and enjoy the fellowship thereafter. Stay well. Stay warm. WISDOM TO SHARE *Don t mix bad words with your bad mood. You ll have many opportunities to change your mood, but you ll never get the opportunity to replace the words you spoke. *A good life is when you assume nothing, do more, need less, smile often, dream big, laugh a lot, and realize how blessed you are. BRING YOUR CHILDREN TO SUNDAY SCHOOL For the school year, Sunday School classes will be held on the 2 nd and 4 th Sundays of each month. There will also be a children s sermon on the 1 st Sunday of each month. This year we are proud to have 3 classes: Nursery Class (Age 2-4 Parents accompany children) During Liturgy Class 1 (Ages 5-6) - During Liturgy Class 2 (Ages 7-10) Held after Communion

3 Page 3 Valentine s Party Saturday, February 16, :00 p.m. til 12:00 a.m. Buffet Dinner & Drink, Dancing and Companianship Music by Altin Shehu and his band St. Nicholas Albanian Church Fellowship Hall Midland Parkway Jamaica Estates, New York Don t miss all the fun!!!! Donation: $70 adults $35 children 12 & under Capacity is limited, so tickets will be sold in advance and NOT at the door. To purchase your tickets, please contact: Anila Gjika (917) Zhani Joanidhi (917) Agathia Luka (917) Adriana Topore (516) TICKETS WILL NOT BE SOLD AT THE DOOR--DEADLINE DATE WEDNESDAY, FEB. 7 th Please make your check payable to St. Nicholas Albanian Orthodox Church. (Please cut here & return your completed form with your check.) Name Address City,State,Zip Telephone No Number of $70each = $ Number of $35 each = $ TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED $

4 Page PLEDGE PROGRAM - RETURN YOUR PLEDGE CARD The 2019 Annual Pledge Program to finance basic Church operations and services to the community began in November. Since this is a major way to support St. Nicholas Church activities, all Parishioners are asked to think about how important the Church is in our lives. Then, make the best possible Pledge that we can and return the Pledge Card to the Church. Typically, yearly Pledges range from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. The average Pledge is $700. Please make a special effort to submit a Pledge. If you need a Pledge Card, use the one above or talk to Fr. Nikodhim or Jim Liolin House Blessings Underway Speak to Fr. Nikodhim now about coming to bless your home. MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT SOON!!! Church: , Cell:

5 Page 5 A JOURNEY WITH WOMEN SAINTS WHO ARE THEY Prepared by: Ermira Mitre Women saints have spread the BIBLE and advanced the Church from the beginning of Christianity. Female Saints have had the zeal to plant the seed of Faith to tens of thousands of people who converted to Christianity throughout history. As female Christians, we seek to know more about women saints. A range of articles about female saints would be posted in the church newsletter. The articles presented in a simple language, will be an honor to their mystery and their iconic power. St. Mary-Theotokos As many of you might know, in Eastern Orthodox religion, St. Mary, superior among other saints, is known as Theotokos, which in Greek language means The Bearer of God. The Orthodox believers do not "worship" the Virgin Mary, but "venerate" her and show her great honor. However, as St. Maximos the Confessor says, The Orthodox believe that the Virgin Mary is an image of the Christian goal of becoming Christ-like, of theosis. Just as the Theotokos gave birth to Christ in a bodily way, St. Maximos tells us, so the Orthodox must give birth to Christ in an unbodily or spiritual way. We imitate her practical spiritual life, including the purity and humility by which she formed her free will into perfect obedience to the Will of God. Archdeacon Basil Kuretich, D.D., has written some words that give us a clear picture of the importance of the model which she presents for every Orthodox believer: "We...are aware of the part played by Divine Grace in the Virgin Mary s life and are aware of the perfection of her virtue. However, we cannot lose sight of the importance of free will in the development and expression of her rich personality. After the Annunciation, she kept the secret of God s plan for her; she faced misunderstanding and accusation from others. She quickly visited her cousin, Elizabeth, not thinking of her own needs, but only the need of Elizabeth to share her joy. She endured the journey to Bethlehem; she humbly prepared for the birth of her Child and obediently accepted the command to flee into Egypt. The Virgin Mary, aided by Divine Grace, carried out these actions in a real world with real effort and sacrifice. Thus she is for us a model of many virtues." Mary's birth traces back to the earliest known written document, Protoevangelium of James (5:2), which is an extra-canonical book, from the late second century, considered as the source of many Orthodox beliefs on Mary. Sacred Scripture does not record Mary's date of birth, but this book presents Mary's life. ( to be continued in the next newsletter )

6 Page 6 Cemetery Plot Price Increase Effective March 1, 2019, Church Cemetery Plot prices will increase. At the Parish General Meeting on November 18, 2018, Parishioners voted to increase cemetery plot prices at the Church s Mount Tomori section at Cypress Hills Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York. Vacant plots are limited and their use is intended for Parishioners. The new prices going into effect on March 1, 2019 are: Non-Pledger Price $7,000 Pledger Discounted Price $4,500 Each plot can accommodate burial of up to three individuals. Plot Reservations made with a customary deposit before March 1 st will be reserved at the pre-increase prices. For more information, contact the church office, Fr. Nikodhim or Bill Peters ( ). The Parish and Sunday School are the Food Drive. to give thanks for God s blessings. It is good and right that we remember those who have less. To care for them is a holy task, given by Christ to His people. Through the coming month, we will be collecting donations to go to an area food bank. A list of most needed items follows below. Please be generous in doing good, for in serving those in need, we serve our God. The NYC Food Bank suggests donations of these things: bottled water & peanut butter shelf-stable milk proteins (canned tuna, chicken, salmon, sardines, ham, sausages, etc.) cereal and granola/breakfast bars juice boxes & crackers dried fruit and diapers personal hygiene products (soap, toothbrushes, shampoo, deodorant, etc.)

7 Page 7 FEBRUARY SAINT DAYS February 2 nd The Meeting of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Temple On this day, the Church commemorates an important event in the earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 2:22-40). Forty days after His birth the God-Infant was taken to the Jerusalem Temple, the center of the nation s religious life. According to the Law of Moses (Lev. 12:2-8), a woman who gave birth to a male child was forbidden to enter the Temple of God for forty days. At the end of this time the mother came to the Temple with the child, to offer a young lamb or pigeon to the Lord as a purification sacrifice. At this time, the righteous Elder Simeon (February 3) was living in Jerusalem. It had been revealed to him that he would not die until he should behold the promised Messiah. By inspiration from above, Saint Simeon went to the Temple at the very moment when the Most Holy Theotokos and Saint Joseph had brought the Infant Jesus to fulfill the Law. February 5 th - St. Agatha Agathia Luka, Agatha Nache February 6 th - St. Photius Fotaq Kondili If you don t see your name please contact Fr. Nikodhim. Nese nuk sheh emrin tend, te lutem lajmero priftin. February 10 th - St. Haralampos Bill Peters February 12 th - St. Kristo of Albania February 17 th - St. Theodore Theodore Ladd February 26 th - St. Sebastian

8 Page 8 Ads from Merchants Who Support the Church Please look at the Ads and support these Merchants by buying goods and services from them, whenever possible. Tell the Merchant that you are from St, Nicholas Church and saw their Ad in the Church s Monthly Newsletter!!! For New Ads Please Contact - Tomi Beno at (917) SABITA J. BALL00, EA Income Tax Services Jamaica Avenue Tel: Richmond Hill, NY Fax: sabitaballoo@aol.com

9 Page 9 Regency Hotel - Korca Tel: /8/9 hregencyko@hotmail.com Litras Funeral Home Bernard F. Dowd and Tracy B. Dowd Parsons Boulevard Jamaica, New York

10 Page 10 Major Church Activities and Events February, Fri. 1 - Great Vespers, 7pm: Meeting of the Lord February, Sat. 2 - Liturgy, 10am: Meeting of the Lord - Vespers, 5p February, Sun. 3 - Liturgy, 10am February, Sat. 9 - Vespers, 5pm February, Sun Liturgy, 10am: Zacchaeus Sunday February, Sat Vespers, 5pm February, Sun Liturgy, 10am: Publican and Pharisee February, Sat Vespers, 5pm February, Sun Liturgy, 10am Ushers Schedule for Sunday Services Lista e sherbimit te dielave ne kishe FEB 03 Jim OSWALD / Bill Peters FEB 10 Nasi PAVLLO / Izzy TSAMBLAKOS FEB 17 Ardian MILE / John JANCE FEB 24 Robert KORRA / Lou FOUNDOS MAR 03 Roland LLUPA / Edi SERA We re on the Web! Visit us at: St. Nicholas Albanian Orthodox Church Midland Parkway Jamaica Estates, New York Customer Name Street Address City, State Zip Code