May - June 2017 HOLY PENTECOST 663
Spiritual Father: how to search, why do you need one, and what to do if you do not have one. How obligatory is the decision to become a spiritual child, does it leave us free? Which attitude towards the confessor is wrong? What to do if you do not have a spiritual father yet? Is it possible to have a "confessor by correspondence"? What if a husband and his wife have different spiritual fathers? Is it possible to change one confessor for another? What makes relationships between spiritual father and his spiritual child special? Here we are discussing these and other topics with an experienced pastor. Harmful perspectives -What kind of attitudes toward the confessor are considered to be wrong? How is it possible to understand that something goes wrong? - Suppose a person sees a priest as - I'm talking from my own personal experience - an elder and refers to him as an elder, this is the wrong approach, a misguided perception. I'm not an elder. It is not right when a person raises a common confessor and places him on a pedestal of holiness. We are people, I am a man, a sinful person, and I would like to be rid of my passions, like my spiritual children. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it does not work out, but I continually pray to God that He will free me from such passions. It is wrong to collect information about a spiritual father as a wonder-worker: that here he showed his insightfulness; and here thanks to his prayers someone has recovered. Most often it contains a rather large element of imagination, and a person - a confessor - is being worshiped. And then, when we suddenly show weakness, our failure is great in the eyes of such people and our memory dies with a sound, as the Gospel says. - Is it obligatory for a family to have a common confessor, and what if the wife has one and her husband has another confessor, what should they do? - I share this view, although I never insist on it that it is more correct to have the same confessor. Picture for a moment: now there are a lot of wonderful confessors; They are also remarkable because they have experience in communicating with the elders who have passed on to them some experience of their own - and you cannot get hold of it in any books! But nevertheless, due to the difference in characters, personal approaches, they sometimes see the problems differently as well as the means of healing from this or that mental illness. And this as a result can become a huge, insuperable stumbling point! Suppose your confessor says one thing in connection with a certain problem of family life, and your husband's confessor tells your husband another thing in connection with the same problem. And you face a choice: what to do? And you are lost, because you love your confessor and consider him as the final arbiter or the last word, and the husband believes his confessor. And thus there is a conflict. To be continued Faith, "FOMA in Ukraine", September 2016. (With the editor s changes)
PARISH LIFE: Important dates: May 10th MID PENTECOST May 24th Leave of Pascha May 25th ASCENSION June 4th HOLY PENTECOST. HOLY TRINITY th June 5 HOLY SPIRIT DAY. Sisterhood Patronal Feast day June 10th Saturday School Commecement ceremony From the Desk of Fr. Nazari. CHRIST IS RISEN! Dear brothers and sisters, Once again, I take this opportunity to greet you on the occasion of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and on the coming holidays: the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ and Holy Pentecost. I want to thank everyone who took part in cleaning and decorating of our Temple for our Paschal celebration. I express my gratitude to the Parish Council for organizing the Paschal breakfast, and all the donors for their financial assistance to our parish. As you know, your financial support is a vital necessity for our existence, growth and the development of our parish. Taking this opportunity, I want to turn to you once again, if you have not yet sent us your Paschal contributions, we would be very grateful for your prayers and for your financial support. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that this year's Orthodox children's summer camp will be held July 2nd July 8th, 2017. Registration forms are now available in the church office. Applications for financial aid are also available for those in need who cannot afford to send their children. Since this issue of the Parish Leaflet is an issue for 2 months, please note the calendar where you can find a schedule of the Divine Services for July 2017. Please feel free to contact me via my cell phone and the church office, or via e-mail. God save you all! E-mail: frnazaripolataiko@gmail.com Cell: (818) 213-7176 Office: (323) 666-4977 Archpriest Nazari Polataiko Starosta report I would like to thank everyone who wished me their best wishes on the occasion of my 95th Birthday. A special thanks is extended to Fr. Nazari for giving me such a beautiful icon, and also his Eminence Archbishop Benjamin who gave me a "Gramota". Both gifts were a total surprise to me and I was really touched when they were awarded to me in Church. I have been in this parish since I was ten years old, attended Russian School, was an Altar boy, served on the Parish Council and was elected Starosta in 1978 until now, with only a 1 year and a 2 year break when I thought we would move to Laguna Beach. I was married in this Church, to my wife, Irene, who has been in this parish since 1938. Both of our children grew up here and were also married here. Holy Virgin Mary Cathedral has been my home away from home all my life. With God's grace, I am truely blessed to have all of you as my friends. Leo Gregory Sisterhood News We had about 20 people come out and clean the Church for Pascha which made the job easier for the usual regular volunteers. Thank you very much. Our order of the red and burgundy priest vestments and vessel covers arrived from Ukraine in time for Easter and are very elegant and beautiful. At our last meeting, we voted to support the Summer Camp with one scholarship for a child from our parish. We also are sending our yearly donation to the Diocese of the West. We will celebrate our patronal Feast Day on Monday, June 5th with a Molieben in the Church at 6:30 pm, followed by dinner in the Parish Hall. Friends are invited to attend, The cost for dinner will be $10.00 per person. Make sure to make your reservations with Irene Gregory or Tamara Krupenkin. Irene Gregory Fundraising Committee Micheltorena Concert Series... Very important reminder: P.I.Tchaikovsky Concert on April 30th, 2017 at 2.00pm. Limited seating, reserve your tickets right away by calling office at (323) 666-4977. Saturday school 2016-2017 school year at Russian Saturday School is nearly over! We thank all those who supported our school and helped us with our work! Our Commencement ceremony with the rewarding of the best students will be held on June 10th after the morning moleben at the end of the school year. This year we have prepared a concert dedicated to the memory of the last Romanov family, whose members are ranked among saint royal mar-
tyrs. Russian Imperial Union-Order will also present an exposition of documents and photographs of the royal family and members of the White Movement. At the end of the concert refreshments and drinks will be offered. You are welcome! Head of Studies, Irina Usova Sunday School. Christ is Risen! Sunday School classes in May will be held on May 7 and May 21. Classes in June will be June 4 and 11. Thank you to everyone for their prayers and support. Marie McEntire, Coordinator our care packages for the needy! We were able to assemble 15 packages, which were distributed locally on Great and Glorious Pascha. Special thanks goes to the FORUM study group who assembled all the packages. Our charity collection for May will go to St. Herman's Seminary in Kodiak, Alaska. When we contribute to St. Herman's Seminary, we share in the work begun by Saint Herman himself almost 225 years ago. Please give generously. Reader George Abuelkhair Chairman Charity Committee Christ is Risen! Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to BAPTISMS: Stanislav (George) Sergeev.......April 12 th Adam Zorba.....April 20 th Nicole (Nika) Denisov.......April 22 nd Many years! FUNERALS: Galina (Goar) Grigoryan... April 4 th Memory eternal! Prayer Request list: Leonid Gregory, Irene Gregory, Chris Plourde Marina Dobis (in need of a donor kidney) Mary Kokayko, Alexander, Maria, Elena, Theodore, Ann Brown The Parish Council Would Like to Thank the Following Persons for their BUILDING Fund Contributions Norberto and Vera Pautassi in memory of Waselina... 25 Vera Chernov in memory of Anatoly Chernov... 50 Natalia Orlov in memory of mother Antonina... 100 Zinaida Shalygin for the health of all parishioners... 250 MAY 2017 2 Tue 7:00 pm movie night Address: 15799 Ojai Rd Santa Paula, CA 93060 805-921-1563 6 Sat 9:00 am Liturgy at St. Barbara s monastery (consecration of New Church) Email: 5:00 pm Vigil 7 Sun 10:00 am Liturgy 4 th Sunday in Paschal-tide Paralytic sbmonastery@gmail.com 9 Tue 7:00 pm Reader George Abuelkhair Bible study Lecture 7
10 Wed 10:00 am Liturgy MID PENTECOST 13 Sat 5:00 pm Vigil 14 Sun 10:00 am Liturgy 5 th Sunday in Paschal-tide Samaritan Woman 16 Tue 7:00 pm please see the updated information later on the website 18 Thu 10:00 am Liturgy Great Martyr Irene 20 Sat 5:00 pm Vigil 21 Sun 10:00 am Liturgy 6 th Sunday in Paschal-tide Blindman 23 Tue 7:00 pm Meeting of the youth and young adult group FORUM; youth choir practice with Serge Liberovsky 24 Wed 10:00 am 7:00 pm Liturgy Vigil Leave of Pascha 25 Thu 10:00 am Liturgy ASCENSION 27 Sat 5:00 pm Vigil 28 Sun 10:00 am Liturgy 7 th Sunday in Paschal-tide 30 Tue 7:00 pm Holy Fathers First Ecumenical Council Meeting of the youth and young adult group FORUM; presentation on iconography by Fr. Nazari JUNE 2017 3 Sat 10:00 am 5:00 pm Liturgy Vigil Soul Saturday Constantine and Helen 4 Sun 10:00 am Liturgy with kneeling prayers HOLY PENTECOST HOLY TRINITY 5 Mon 10:00 am 6:30 pm Liturgy Moleben on Sisterhood Patronal HOLY SPIRIT DAY 6 Tue 7:00 pm 10 Sat 10:00 am Feast day youth choir practice with Serge Liberovsky Saturday School Commemcement Ceremony Vigil 5:00 pm 11 Sun 10:00 am Liturgy Sunday 1 st after Pentecost Sunday of All Saints Apostles' Fast: June 12th -July 11th (Julian calendar) June 12th -June 28th (Gregorian calendar) 13 Tue 7:00 pm Reader George Abuelkhair Bible study Lecture 8 17 Sat 5:00 pm Vigil 18 Sun 10:00 am Liturgy Sunday 2 nd after Pentecost Sunday of All Saints who shone forth in America and Russia 20 Tue 7:00 pm Meeting of the youth and young adult group FORUM; for details please check our website
24 Sat 5:00 pm Vigil 25 Sun 10:00 am Liturgy Sunday 3 rd after Pentecost Ven. Onuphrius the Great (Julian calendar) Martyr Febronia (Gregorian calendar) 27 Tue 7:00 pm Meeting of the youth and young adult group FORUM; presentation on iconography by Fr. Nazari 28 Wed 7:00 pm Vigil 29 Thu 10:00 am Liturgy SS. PETER AND PAUL (Gregorian calendar) JULY 2017 1 Sat 5:00 pm Vigil 2 Sun 10:00 am Liturgy Sunday 4th after Pentecost Ap. Jude (Julian calendar) Placing of Robe of Holy Theotokos at Blacherne (Gregorian calendar) 4 Tue 7:00 pm 7 Fr 10:00 am Liturgy Birth of John Baptist (Julian calendar) 8 Sat 5:00 pm Vigil 9 Sun 10:00 am Liturgy Sunday 5 th after Pentecost Ven. David of Salonica (Julian calendar) Pancratius of Taormina (Gregorian calendar) 11 Tue 7:00 pm 12 Wed 10:00 am Liturgy SS. PETER AND PAUL (Julian calendar) 15 Sat 5:00 pm Vigil 16 Sun 10:00 am Liturgy Sunday 6 th after Pentecost Martyr Hyacinth (Julian calendar) 18 Tue 7:00 pm Meeting of the youth and young adult group FORUM 22 Sat 5:00 pm Vigil 23 Sun 10:00 am Liturgy Sunday 7 th after Pentecost Anthony of Kiev Cave (Julian calendar) Martyr Trophimus (Gregorian calendar) 25 Tue 7:00 pm Meeting of the youth and young adult group FORUM; 28 Fr 10:00 am Liturgy St. Vladimir the Great (Julian calendar) 29 Sat 5:00 pm Vigil 30 Sun 10:00 am Liturgy Sunday 8 th after Pentecost Gr. Martyr Marina (Julian calendar) Ap. Silas, Silvanus (Gregorian calendar) PLEASE CHECK SCHEDULE ON OUR WEBSITE WWW.HVMLA.ORG