Manifesting the Kingdom of God By Proclaiming & Living the Orthodox Christian Faith. How Indeed? By Father David

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1 The A Publication of St Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church of Merced PROCLAIMER Manifesting the Kingdom of God By Proclaiming & Living the Orthodox Christian Faith Services Location: The Chapel at Merced Outpatient Center, 2740 M St. at Bear Creek enter Creek side Mail: P. O. Box 3704, Merced, CA FatherDavid@StMaryMagdaleneChurch.org. Telephone: Web: A Mission of The Diocese of the West, The Orthodox Church in America How Indeed? By Father David Love, November, 2015 It was a strange way to begin a song with a question. And it was a seemingly strange question to ask of Almighty God. The song was written by what most in the music industry today would be called a crossover artist. Andraé Crouch not only spearheaded gospel-rock back in the 1960s and 70s, but collaborated with some of the top artists of the time, including pop star Michael Jackson. I attended with relish many of his concerts. Andraé and his band played on Johnny Carson s Tonight Show and sold out Carnegie Hall. Andraé was awarded seven Grammys and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was an incredible success story for a child whose parents pastored an African-American church in Los Angeles. At the crest of all these dizzying accomplishments, he wrote one of his most beloved songs, called My Tribute that begins with that strange query to God to which I alluded earlier: How can I give thanks for the things / You have done for me? On the face of it, it seems an obvious and easy question. Just do it. Just say thank you and move on. That would be the normal and appropriate thing to do in the vast majority of situations. However, there are other times that defy a normal response. They are special occasions in which the immensity of the need and the gift converge in a way that stuns and takes your breath away. You ve experienced that kind of unexpected grace, I m sure: the kind that overwhelms you. Think of your life and consider it for such outpourings of near-miraculous blessings that come to you: the birth of a child, the receiving of a great gift, the surprising meeting, the breakthrough event. That s why Andraé asks this question of God. He recognizes the enormity of what God has done for him in his unworthiness: Things so undeserved yet you gave To prove your love for me Even with all his amazing gifts for song and musical expression even though he could effectively and beautifully sing and play for the largest and most prestigious of audiences, Andraé knew that he was not up to the job of really giving thanks to God for His blessings. And what were those blessings for which Andraé was so intensely grateful? For making it in the tough world music and entertainment? For having a ministry that spanned the globe? For his financial success? For a life of fame that connected him with the greatest celebrities of the time? No. Andraé goes on: With his blood he has saved me With his power he has raised me To God be the glory for the things he has done For Andraé Crouch, it was the gift of salvation that stunned him that rendered him mute before the amazing grace of God s saving love for him. For us. For you. Are you stunned by God s grace by our Lord Jesus coming and dying for you? Is your breath taken away by the enormity of God s love in saving you and me? We were hopelessly enmeshed in spiritual rebellion and defilement of who God created us to be, and yet Christ came to redeem us. If we are shocked by God s love, then we need to ask God Andrae s question. We need to ask, How can I give thanks? I love how Andraé shifts the melody and then answers this question: Just let me live my life and Let it be pleasing Lord to thee And if I gain any praise, let it go to Calvary That s the only way we can give thanks, isn t it? To offer ourselves everything we are and do back to God as a sacrifice of praise. And after that, just deflect any honor or praise that comes our way and give it to God. This season of Thanksgiving, renew your own personal commitment to do this all the time, every day. To God be the glory for the things He has done!

2 November, 2015 Page 2 The Proclaimer OUR COMMUNITY Saturday, Nov. 7 at 6:00 p. m. Pregnancy Help Center Benefit Banquet Alpha Supports Unborn Children & Their Families Our church has reserved a table at the Alpha Pregnancy Help Center Banquet on Saturday, November 7th, 2015 at 6 pm. The location will be the Merced County Fair Grounds Pavilion. The keynote speaker will be Pastor Bruce Rivers, a familiar face of the prolife movement both locally and nationally. Pastor Bruce works with many national leaders in the pro-life movement. He is a sought after Men s Pro- Life speaker. His book No More Rivers is due for release by the end of this year, which will highlight his own Post Abortive experience and life changing healing. Join us for this inspiring evening. St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church has reserved a table for eight at this fundraising event; to reserve a seat at our table or sponsor someone else s meal, please contact David Aubertin at For more information about this event, contact Natalie at or natalie@alphaphc.com 12 noon, Sunday, Nov. 8 Church Family Thanksgiving Dinner How does an Orthodox Church enjoy a church family Thanksgiving Dinner when Thanksgiving in America always falls within our Nativity Fast? Easy! We have our church Thanksgiving Dinner a wee bit early! So, plan now to enjoy turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, and all the usual and delicious Thanksgiving trimmings on Sunday, November 8 during our Fellowship Meal hour immediately following the morning services and prayers. To coordinate the meal and what to bring, please call (the church office). Monday, Nov. 9 at 6:30 p.m. Myrrhbearers Book club Our Myrrhbearers Sisterhood continues something wonderful: a Book Club, which meets once a month. Our ladies enjoy a great potluck meal, one another, and an appointed reading. For the November meeting, the book is entitled Living in Christ: Essays on the Christian Life by an Orthodox Nun, by Mother Raphaela. The Myrrhbearers Book Club is open to all women. They meet at Holmes household (670 Gateway Dr., Merced, CA), at 6:30 p.m., and it begins with a potluck dinner. This month they meet on Nov. 9. Tuesdays at 7 pm PRAYER & STUDY The Book of Revelation Our mid-week evening worship and Bible study continues during November, with the exception of the Thanksgiving holiday. Who doesn t need a mid-week boost in Christ? All are encouraged to invite visitors to attend. Please join us for Bible Study!

3 November, 2015 Page 3 Community & Church News Sundays a Month Church School continues Will our children have faith? To address this question in part, we at St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church have church school. It will meet weekly and will be taught by Pattee Russell-Curry, Gale Boucher, and Diane Holmes. Matushka Karen Thatcher is the Church School Coordinator. The Church must do its part to help our youth in the demands of their spiritual journey. Please join us! Celebrated November 25 at 7:30 pm Akathist of Thanksgiving Akathist is a Greek word meaning, literally, not sitting ; it is a liturgical poem of thanksgiving or supplication used on special occasions. Usually it has 13 sections, each with a special hymn called a kontakion and ikos. We keep the custom using The Akathist Hymn: Glory to God for all Things as part of our Thanksgiving celebration, serving it on the eve of Thanksgiving, this year Wednesday, November 25, at 7:30 PM. We encourage everyone to make this part of their Thanksgiving festivities! This Akathist of Thanksgiving was discovered in the late 1940s in a Siberian prison camp in the belongings of Archpriest Gregory Petrov. The writer took as his inspiration the dying words of the bishopmartyr St John Chrysostom Glory to God for all things, and created within the traditional patterns of the akathist a soaring hymn of radiant faith, an icon in words which at once illustrates the mortality of mankind and the fundamental Orthodox belief that all creation, great and small, stems from God. The texts of this service contain many allusions to the various feast days of the Church, and here the appropriate tones are used from either the Russian and Byzantine systems. 3-5 p.m., Saturday, December 5 We re part of the Merced Christmas Parade St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church will participate in the City of Merced s annual Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 5, from 3 to 5 pm. The plan includes having a flatbed trailer in the parade, with our choir singing and Fr. David dressed as St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra and Lykia, the Wonderworker, who is so deeply identified with the Christmas season in popular culture was our inaugural year of participating in the Christmas Parade an idea that emerged out of our Evangelism Outreach Ministry. There will be many opportunities for helping this effort in the days to come. If you would like to assist our church s efforts, please contact Father David ( ). The 2 nd and 3 rd Sundays in November Food Drive for the Rescue Mission Our church will be collecting non-perishable food items for the Merced County Rescue Mission. We will have a barrell available for the drop off of donations on the second and third weekends of November. Please note that we always also try to donate turkeys for the Resue Mission s program for families as well as their dinners for the homeless. Please contact Matushka Karen ( ) to donate a turkey!

4 November, 2015 Page 4 Community & Church News THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING The annual Thanksgiving Offering of St. Mary Magdalene Mission is a special opportunity for God s people to express their personal gratitude to God for all His good gifts. TWO TYPES OF GIVING This special Thanksgiving Offering is designed for gifts over and above our regular tithing and pledges as members of this church community. The Holy Scriptures in fact describe two types of giving by God s people: our regular tithes and proportional giving, and then our special offerings to God. Both kinds of giving are important, and both are a part of our overall faithfulness to God as stewards of our time, talents, and treasures. The parish council has not yet considered how the gifts received from this year s Thanksgiving Offering will be used. If you have a good idea, let us know! Special offerings received will be reviewed by The Holy Scriptures in fact describe two types of giving by God s people: our regular tithes and proportional giving, and then our special offerings to God. our Parish Council and applied to whatever financial needs deemed worthy. Let us give thanks unto the Lord out of the abundance of our hearts, in response to the great outpouring of His blessing upon us! Please use the enclosed special Thanksgiving Offering envelope when giving this year s gift. These envelopes may either be mailed in to St. Mary Magdalene Church, or brought to the Divine Liturgy on Sundays. Plan Ahead for December Events: 1. Merced Christmas Parade Church Float Saturday, Dec. 5 th 3:00 5:00 p.m. 2. St. Nicholas Luncheon & Celebration After Services: Sunday, Dec Myrrhbearers Christmas Ornament Party Vespers: Monday, Dec. 14: 6:30 pm 3. Pre-Feast Services: Compline & Canon 7:00 pm SUNDAY-TUESDAY Dec Christmas ROYAL HOURS: Wednesday, Dec. 23: 7 pm VIGIL: Thursday, Dec. 24: 6:30 pm LITURGY: Friday, December 25: 10 am

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6 November, 2015 Page 6 The Proclaimer OUR MISSION Coincidence or God speaking? MIRACLES OF RAIN The Story Continues By Fr. Martin Ritsi Will it really happen again, I wondered? Will God reveal Himself again to these people through a miraculous event? We have been ministering in the Turkana region of Kenya. One of our goals is to reach peoples that have not yet heard the Gospel. There are still scattered pockets of villages that have remained isolated in this semi-arid desert. Reaching them involves driving for hours on faint dirt roads and then leaving these tracks to wind even deeper into the desert between the scattered trees and over the sandy terrain into virgin territories. The first village we approached, six years ago, eventually received the Orthodox Faith. Led by their Shaman, they accepted the Faith. God worked miracles by sending prophecies of our coming, in advance and then three years in a row sending rain, during a time of drought, upon our arrival. On the third visit, the people were baptized in a river that had actually filled the night we arrived. After these baptisms, we learned of four other villages that had no Christian presence. Meetings were arranged. We travelled with an OCMC team of Holy Cross Seminary 1 On a recent visit to the Turkana of northern Kenya, OCMC Executive Director Fr. Martin Ritsi visited four communities that are for the firsttime exposed to the Orthodox Christian Faith. As with previous visits, the miracle of rain followed the team in this drought stricken region. students to present the Gospel message. Our first visit, though, began with strong resistance. There was a heated debate among the village elders. They argued for over an hour. Some were in favor. Others were strongly against allowing foreigners to speak in their village. God opened the doors again. They allowed us to share the message we brought. We slept next to the elders that night on the dry desert wash. Throughout the night, they continued their debate. In the morning, we met. They announced we could return to continue sharing this message. Following that discussion, we went on to the next of the three remaining villages on our tour, but this time the chief of the first village appeared. He spoke on our behalf, telling them to listen to us. One woman, a bit skeptical, challenged us to pray to our God for rain. Later, others with genuine hope also asked that we would pray to this God for them. The villages were suffering. Water was scarce. The animals were too thin and the people were hungry. At the end of the day, we knelt in the sands, under the stars, surrounded by the people. We asked the Lord to reveal Himself, to have compassion and to send rain. Before morning the winds picked up, the clouds rolled in, the temperature dropped and the rain began. It rained so hard that we had to leave because the dry riverbeds would flood and prevent us from getting home. The next year we returned. Again, we were asked to pray for rain. It hasn t rained since your visit last year, they said. We are hungry. Please pray to God again for rain. It rained.

7 November, 2015 Page 7 Our Worship In April of this year, we went back for our third visit. In between, the local clergy had been visiting and teaching them. This time, I travelled with a team of students from St. Vladimir s Seminary. As we drove through the bush and wound our way over the sands, the clouds were already beginning to form. Is this really happening, I wondered. Is God preparing again to send showers of compassion and a sign of His presence to validate our teaching? We gathered under the large meeting tree. There were greetings and singing. Then, a group from the village made a presentation. They had just completed our catechist training lessons in the far away town of Lodwar. They shared some of their experiences. After we left, they would continue to share what they learned. Next, our team began their presentations. I was seated with the elders on a traditional Turkana stool. By my side was the eldest son of the village chief. The winds picked up. The air was getting cooler. Then it started. Gently the rain began to fall. The young man began tapping my shoulder and pointing to the sky with a big smile on his face. I called over our translator so we could talk to each other. Fr. Martin, he said. Every time your group has visited, God has sent rain. We doubted at first. Now, the elders have decided. We see that you are good and that God is with you. We will accept your message. The elders selected a place and we want you to build a church here for us. We want to become Christian. Yes, it happened again. The first time God filled the river, I was amazed. I felt His presence, but still I wondered. Was this just a coincidence? The next time I marveled again. Then the third time when the river filled for the baptisms, I was moved. Still, I wondered. Then it happened, again, and again, and again. While I still marvel, I can no longer doubt this is more than a coincidence. Rather, my effort is now to understand what is God saying. What is He telling the people of Turkana? What is He saying to us? After this recent visit, revelation has also come in a wonderful way. I have come to understand multiple messages that our Lord is sending us. For the Turkana, it seems obvious that God is confirming our teachings. However, there is something more to ponder. God has power over all creation. He could reveal Himself in so many different ways. He could send an earthquake and shake people into fear and trembling. Powerful winds could come, maybe as a tornado, again revealing His great power and frightening people into submission. A tree could burst into flames or thunder could roar. But, out of all the ways God could mystically reveal Himself, here among the Turkana, He is doing so by addressing the people s greatest hardship and struggle. His presence is being shown by an act of love and compassion for the physical suffering of the people. In this, He reveals that He is a God of love and mercy. As Jesus 2016 Mission Team opportunities are now available through OCMC. For more information, or to apply, visit teams@ocmc.org, or call ext said, Come to Me, all of you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28). Just as the Lord has a message for the Turkana, in these manifestations, there is also a message for us. Some have questioned, Should we really be preaching the Gospel among these people who have their own religious customs? Is there anything we have to offer them? Should we even be doing foreign mission work? Each time God sends rain to validate the message to the Turkana, He also validates our act of going forth to bring His message. It is a rare occurrence when God sends a dramatic miraculous event to confirm a message to an entire group of people. By doing this, God also shows the importance of what is being done. He wants the Turkana to be reached. He wants us to carry this message. We are accepted as His ambassadors and He does want us to reach out to the ends of the earth, just as we read in the Gospel when Jesus said: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). There is one other message that God gives us through these miracles. It is not so obvious but equally important. God is revealing Himself as a God of love. He shows His concern for the suffering of the people; He does this by addressing their greatest physical needs. We are His children; we are created in His image and likeness. As we see how God responds to the pleas of the Turkana, we are given an example of how we are to respond as well. His love is in us and we are to share that love. We can t miraculously send rain, but our love can be expressed by building a well to bring water. Our love can pour out by helping build a place where they can worship God, or a school where their young can be educated. We can assist to train leaders that will guide them to grow in His ways, so that they can also become an expression of God s love to the people around them. As the last lesson of our mission team concluded, final remarks were made and we sang and danced together. We brought food so that we could all share a meal together. It was ready to be served, but rain had come and soon the dry sandy riverbeds would fill with water that would prevent us from returning for our flight home the next day. So once again, we had to leave hurriedly after presenting the message we were sent to deliver. As we bounced along the sandy road I looked back in the distance to the area where the villages were. The clouds were thick and dark and I marveled. There before my eyes was a miracle in action. The Lord was showering a people with love and mercy. I am a God of mercy and compassion, He says, now you go and do likewise.

8 November, 2015 Page 8 Our Worship Begins November 15 The Nativity Fast Preparing for Christmas As Orthodox Christians, we begin the celebration of the Nativity of Christ on December 25 with a time of preparation. Forty days before the feast of the birth of Our Lord, we enter the season of the Christmas Fast. We purify both soul and body so that we may enter properly into and partake of the great spiritual reality of Christ s Coming. This fasting season is not an intense liturgical season, like Great Lent. Rather, Christmas Lent is mostly ascetical a spiritual discipline. Nevertheless, the Christmas Fast is reflected in a number of liturgical notes that announce the feast as we approach it. While the beginning of the fast on November 15 is not marked by any hymn, five days later, on the eve of the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple, we hear the first announcement from the nine irmoi of the Christmas Canon: Christ is born, glorify Him! With such words something changes in our life, in the very air we breathe, in the entire mood of the Church s life. It is as if we behold far, far away, the first light of the greatest possible joy the coming of God into His world! Thus the Church announces the coming of Christ, the Incarnation of God, His entrance into the world for its salvation. Then, on the two Sundays preceding Christmas, the Church commemorates the Forefathers and the Fathers. These are the prophets and the saints of the Old Testament who prepared that coming who made history itself into the expectation, the waiting for, the salvation and reconciliation of mankind with God. Finally, on December 20th, the church begins the Forefeast of the Nativity, the liturgical structure of which echoes the Holy Week preceding Pascha: for the birth of the Son of God as child is the beginning of the saving ministry which will lead Him, for the sake of our salvation, to the ultimate sacrifice of the Cross. The spiritual disciplines of the Nativity Fast, or Advent, together with gradual introduction of various hymns of our worship, help us to embrace the great truth that God is with us. Let us joyfully use this time of preparation for our growth and to the glory of God! Celebrated November 21 The Entry of the Virgin into the Temple And the child [Mary] was two years old, and Joachim said: Let us take her up to the temple of the Lord, that we may fulfill the promise we have made, lest the Lord warn us, and our offering not be received. And Anna said: Let us wait a third year, in order that the child may not seek father or mother. and Joachim said: Invite the daughters of the Hebrews that are undefiled, and let them each take a lamp, and let them stand with the lamps burning, that the child may not turn back, and her heart be captivated with the temple of the Lord. The priest received her, kissed her, and blessed her, saying: The Lord has magnified your name in all generations. In you, in the last days, the Lord will manifest His redemption to the sons of Israel. And he set her down upon the third step of the altar, and the Lord God sent grace upon her. Taken from the Protevangelion of James. The main theme of the feast of Mary s entrance to the Temple, repeated many times in the liturgical services, is that she enters the temple to become herself the Living Temple of God, thus inaugurating the New Testament in which are fulfilled the prophecies of old that the dwelling of God is with man and that the human person is the sole proper dwelling place of the Divine Presence. (Ezekiel 37:27; John 14:15-23) Thus, the feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple celebrates the end of the physical temple in Jerusalem as the dwelling place of God. In this feast, we also celebrate that in the person of the Theotokos we, too, are the house and tabernacle of the Lord. In the icon of the feast, Ss. Joachim and Anna are shown as an elderly couple on the left side of the icon Joachim with white hair and beard, Anna robed in blue. The Theotokos appears as a miniature adult in the center of the icon, rather than an infant, alluding to her ultimate role. To Mary s right, the high priest, Zachariah, receives her with open arms; he too is depicted as white-haired and elderly.

9 The Proclaimer Page 9 November, 2015 OUR FAITH Being Spiritual, Being Grateful By the Late Fr. Thomas Hopko The spiritual person is the one who is grateful for everything. He is the one who receives everything with thanksgiving, and who knows that he has nothing except what he has received from God. (Cf. John 3:27) And from His fullness have we all received, grace upon grace. (John 1:16) In the Old Testament, thanksgiving was central in the life of God s people. The temple liturgy offered sacrifices of thanksgiving and praise, and psalms sang continually of thanksgiving to God. Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name. Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving. Let us enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name! It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to Thy name, O Most High; to declare Thy steadfast love in the morning, and Thy faithfulness by night. O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is gracious, for His mercy endures forever. ( The Psalms) In the New Testament, thanksgiving is the very essence of the Church s life. The word eucharist means thanksgiving, and the very center of the Church s liturgical worship of God is when, in remembrance of all His saving acts in Christ, the faithful lift up their hearts and give thanks unto the Lord. The Apostolic Scriptures and the lives of the saints abound with thanksgiving to God for all things. Let there be no filthiness, nor silly talk, nor levity, which are not fitting; but instead let there be thanksgiving always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. (Ephesians 5:4, 20) Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (I Thessalonians 5:16-18). Rejoice always in the Lord; again I say, Rejoice! (...) Have no anxiety about anything, but in The spiritual person has thanksgiving and gratitude in all circumstances, in everything and for everything. everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7) The spiritual person has thanksgiving and gratitude in all circumstances, in everything and for everything. This thanksgiving is rooted in the firm conviction of God s merciful providence and care in all things, in the steadfast faith that God works in everything for good with those who love Him or, as the passage may also be rendered, everything works together for good with those who love God. (Romans 8:28) The spiritual teachers, especially Saint John Chrysostom (4th c), are very strict in this teaching. The spiritual man does not thank God only for what he considers to be good. Rather, he thanks God for everything, even for what appears to be bad, knowing that God s tender care is over all, and that the evil in this world which is always present and inevitable (cf. John 17) can itself be the vehicle for spiritual growth and salvation if rightly understood and overcome by the grace of God. The opposite of gratitude is bitterness and complaining; it is bemoaning one s lot in life because of pride and covetousness. It is caused by the absence of humble trust in the Lord. It is rooted in an attitude of life that does not allow the person to exclaim with the righteous Job: Naked I came from my mother s womb, and naked I shall return. The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. (Job 1:21) To thank God in everything and for everything is the result of faith and faithfulness in God. It is the result of absolute trust in the Lord who knows best what we need for our salvation and does all that He can within the evil conditions of the world to bring us to eternal life, to peace and to joy. It is the product of believing, with Isaiah, the Word of the Redeemer who says: For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing wrath for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love will I have compassion on you. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher

10 Our Faith Page 10 November, 2015 than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts And you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing Keep justice and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come (Isaiah 54:7-8, 55:8-9, 56:1) A person is grateful to the extent that he trusts in the Lord and has love for God and man. Feast Day: Sunday, November 8 Celebrating Angelic Powers The Celebration of the Synaxis [i.e., Gathering ] of the Leader of the Heavenly Hosts Michael, and the Other Heavenly Bodiless Hosts is an ancient one. This feast was established at the beginning of the Fourth Century at the local Laodician Council, which occurred several years before the First Ecumenical Council in 325. The Laodician Council, in its 35th Canon, condemned and renounced as heretical the worship of angels as creators and rulers of the world and it affirmed their proper Orthodox veneration. A feastday was established in November the ninth month from March (the beginning of the year in ancient times) in accordance with the Nine Ranks of Angels. The eighth day of the month was selected for this feast because of angelic association with the Day of Last-Judgment of God, which the holy fathers called the Eighth Day. Because this age, defined by the seven days [of Creation], will be followed by the Eighth Day: and then shalt come the Son of Man in His Glory and all the holy Angels together with Him (Mt 25:31). The Angelic Ranks are divided into three Hierarchies: highest, middle, and lowest. In the Highest Hierarchy are included the three Ranks: the Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones. First stand the six-winged Seraphim (Flaming, and Fiery, (Is 6:12). They blaze with love for God and impel others to it. After the Seraphim there stand before the Lord the many-eyed Cherubim (Gen 3:24). Their name means: outpouring of wisdom, enlightenment. After the Cherubim, stand the Thrones (Col 1:16), mysteriously and incomprehensibly upholding God. They serve the uprightness of God s justice. The Middle Angelic Hierarchy consists of three Ranks: Dominions, Powers, and Authorities: Dominions (Col 1:16) hold dominion over the successive ranks of Angels. They instruct the earthly authorities, established from God, to wise governance. Powers (1 Pet 3:22) fulfill the will of God. They work the miracles and send down the grace of wonderworking and insight to saints. Authorities (1 Pet 3:22, Col 1:16) have authority to quell the power of the devil. In the Lowest Hierarchy are included the three Ranks: Principalities, Archangels, and Angels: Principalities (Col. 1:16) have command over the lower angels, instructing them in the fulfilling of Divine commands. Archangels (1 Thess. 4:16) announce and reveal the mysteries, prophecies, and will of God. Angels (1 Pet 3:22) are closest to all to people. They proclaim the intent of God, guiding people to virtuous and holy life. All the Ranks of the Heavenly Powers have in common the name Angels by virtue of their service. Over all the Nine Ranks, the Lord put the Holy Leader Michael; his name in translation from the Hebrew means who is like unto God. Michael is a faithful and powerful servant of God; he hurled down from Heaven the arrogantly proud day-star Lucifer, together with the other fallen spirits. And to the remaining Angelic powers he cried out: Let us attend! Let us stand aright before our Creator and not ponder that which is displeasing unto God! According to the church service to the Archistrategos Michael, he participated in many other Old Testament events. From ancient times the Archangel Michael was famed by his miracles in Rus, including the miraculous saving of Novgorod during the time of troubles. From Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition are likewise known the Archangels: Gabriel strength (power) of God, herald and servitor of Divine almightiness (Dan 8:16, Lk 1:26) Raphael the healing of God, the curer of human infirmities (Tobit 3:16, 12:15) Uriel the fire or light of God, enlightener (3 Ezdras 5:20) Selaphiel the prayer of God, impelling to prayer (3 Ezdras 5:16) Jehudiel the glorifying of God, encouraging exertion for the glory of the Lord and interceding about the reward of efforts Barachiel distributor of the blessing of God for good deeds, entreating the mercy of God for people Jeremiel the raising up to God (3 Ezdras 4:36)

11 NOVEMBER 2015 ST MARY MAGDALENE ORTHODOX CHURCH Merced, California VISION: "Living and sharing the Orthodox Chrisan Faith, making known that God rules in the Good News of Jesus Christ" 1 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Change Clocks 1 hr. back END Daylight Savings Time 8:00 am - Matins 9:40 am - Hours 10:00 am - Liturgy 12 Noon - Meal 2 7:00 pm Fr. David Invocation at Merced Civic Center 3 7 pm Prayer & Worship 7:45 pm Bible Study NOTE change in service time! 4:30 pm VESPERS 6:00 pm Alpha Pregnancy Help Center Banquet Ss. Cosmas & Damian Fast Fast 8 8:00 am - Matins 9:40 am - Hours 10:00 am - Liturgy 12 Noon - Meal Thanksgiving Supper 9 6:30 pm Myrrhbearers Book Club & Potluck 10 7 pm Prayer & Worship 7:45 pm Bible Study pm VESPERS & Confession Holy Archangels 15 Nativity Fast begins today 8:00 am - Matins 9:40 am - Hours 10:00 am - Liturgy 12 Noon - Meal 12:45 pm: Parish Council pm Prayer & Worship 7:45 pm Bible Study Fast St. John Chrysostom Fish, Wine & Oil :00 p.m. Festal Vespers Holy Apostle Philip 21 Entry of the Theotokos 9:30 am Divine Liturgy 5 pm VESPERS & Confession Holy Apostle Matthew Wine & Oil Wine & Oil Fish, Wine, & Oil Fish, Wine & Oil Nativity Fast Nativity Fast Nativity Fast 22 8:00 am - Matins 9:40 am - Hours 10:00 am - Liturgy 12 Noon - Meal :30 PM THANKSGIVING AKATHIST Glory to God For All Things 26 THANKSGIVING pm VESPERS & Confession Fish, Wine & Oil St. Katherine the Greatmartyr St. Katherine (Greek) Fish, Wine & Oil Wine & Oil Thanksgiving Weekend Nativity Fast Nativity Fast Nativity Fast 29 8:00 am - Matins 9:40 am - Hours 10:00 am - Liturgy 12 Noon - Meal 30 Apostle Andrew Fish, Wine & Oil Fish, Wine, & Oil Nativity Fast Nativity Fast Nov. 01: Ilse Winter's Name Day (Elizabeth) Nov. 07: Gabriella Thatcher's Birthday Nov. 08: Name Day for all Michaels/Michelles and Gabriels/Gabriellas Nov. 10: Larry Boucher's Birthday Nov. 11: Fr. George Gartelos's Birthday Nov. 20 +Alexander Magazinovich (Pete's father) Nov. 22 +C. S. Lewis (1963) Nov. 24: All Katherines/Kates Name Days (Slavic celebraon date) Nov. 25: All Katherines/Kates Name Days Greek celebraon date) 7:30 pm Wednesday, November 25 The Akathist of GLORY TO GOD FOR ALL THINGS Don't miss this beautiful hymn of praise! 10/31/2015 edition

12 The Proclaimer November, 2015 Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple Festal Vespers: Friday November 20th 7:00 p.m. Divine Liturgy: Saturday, November 21st 9:30 a.m. Location: The Chapel at Mercy Outpatient Center 2740 M Street in Merced, at Bear Creek Our Thanksgiving Service: The Akathist Glory to God for All Things Wednesday, November 25 th 7:30 p.m. ST MARY MAGDALENE ORTHODOX CHURCH P. O. Box 3704 Merced, CA Postmaster: Address Correction Requested Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary: Our Spiritual Holy of Holies