The Voice Parish Newsletter: June 2017 July 2017

The Voice Parish Newsletter: June 2017 July 2017 Saint Elia the Prophet Orthodox Church A Parish of the Orthodox Church in America His Beatitude Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America & Canada His Grace, Alexander, Bishop, Bulgarian Diocese of Toledo Archpriest Father Don Anthony Freude, Parish Rector Reverend Protodeacon Joel Mark Chupp - Attached Office: (330) 724-7009 www.saintelia.com www.facebook.com/sainteliaakron www.youtube.com/sainteliaakron

2016 - Parish Council President: Subdeacon Terrence A. Bilas Vice President: Michele Lambo Secretary: Reader Aaron Gray Treasurer: Bud Graham Communications Officer: Reader Joseph Turner Members: Veronica Bilas, John Bohush, Sue Ellen Turscak CHOIR DIRECTOR: Subdeacon Terrence Bilas Assistant Directors: Anastasia Bohush, Florence Lambo, Reader Michael Luc CHURCH SCHOOL Coordinator: Popadia Donna Freude Staff: Reader Aaron Gray, Reader Joseph Turner SISTERHOOD OF ST. JULIANA President: Sandy Graham Vice President: Kathy Gray Secretary: Mary Marcin Treasurer: Mary Magensky WORKERS of ST. ELIZABETH THE NEW MARTYR Coordinators: Reader Aaron Gray, Veronica Bilas

HOURS & EPISTLE READERS: JUNE - JULY Date Hours Epistle June 4 Reader Aaron Gray Reader Aaron Gray June 11 Florence Lambo Rebeccah Di Puccio June 18 Subd Terrence Bilas Anastasia Bohush June 25 Sandy Graham Sandy Graham July 2 Sue Ellen Turscak Sue Ellen Turscak July 9 Reader Michael Luc Bud Graham July 16 Rdr. Joseph Turner Rdr. Joseph Turner July 23 Bud Graham Bud Graham July 30 Sarah Niglio Sarah Niglio REMEMBER THOSE SERVING THE ARMED FORCES Anthony Freude, son of Fr. Don and Popadia Donna Freude Egor Cravcenco, son of Serghei and Ludmila Cravcenco REMEMBER OUR SICK AND SHUT-INS Mickey Stokich Leonora Evancho Bessie Alexandrovich Larissa Freude Anastasia Haymon Connie Pysell Lisa Nastoff Reader Bill Paluch Elaine Pedder Claudia Sulin Joseph Boyle, (Kathy Gray s brother) Joseph Boyle (Kathy Gray s father) Phyllis George (sister of Rose Marie Vronick) Mary Drakage (sister-in-law of Fr. Don and Popadia Donna) Mat. Laryssa Hnntyan (St. Andrew Church, Maple Heights Sandra Dodovich (mother of Tony Dodovich) Angelo Lambo Copley Health Center Gary Turner (father of Joseph Turner)

SCHEDULE OF DIVINE SERVICES JUNE - JULY Summer Schedule Beginning Sunday, June 4, 2017 & continuing through Sunday, August 27, 2017: Divine Liturgy will begin at 9:30 am 8 th SUNDAY OF PASCHA Tone 7 - HOLY PENTECOST Saturday, June 3 5:00 pm Vigil of Pentecost Sunday, June 4 9:15 am - Hours Reader Aaron Gray 9:30 am Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom o Vespers Kneeling Prayers of Pentecost Epistle Reader Reader Aaron Gray EPISTLE: Acts 2:1-11 GOSPEL: John 7:37-52; 8:12 1 st SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Tone 8 ALL SAINTS Saturday, June 11 5:00 pm Great Vespers and Confessions Sunday, June 12 9:15 am - Hours Florence Lambo 9:30 am Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom Epistle Reader Rebeccah Di Puccio EPISTLE: Hebrews 1:33-12:2 GOSPEL: Matthew 10:32-33, 37-38; 19:27-30 THE APOSTLES FAST - JUNE 12-28 2 nd SUN AFTER PENTECOST Tone 1 ALL SAINTS OF AMERICA Saturday, June 17 5:00 pm Great Vespers and Confessions Sunday, June 18 9:15 am - Hours Subdeacon Terrence Bilas 9:30 am Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom Epistle Reader Anastasia Bohush

EPISTLE: Romans 2:10-16 GOSPEL: Matthew 4:18-23 Monday, June 19 9:30 am - Divine Liturgy and Panakhida for the 10 th Anniversary of the repose of +Archbishop Kyrill at Transfiguration Monastery, Elwood City, Pa. 3 rd SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Tone 2 Saturday, June 24 NO VESPERS SCHEDULED Sunday, June 25 9:15 am Hours Sandy Graham 9:30 am Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom Epistle Reader: Sandy Graham EPISTLE: Romans 5:1-10 GOSPEL: Matt.6:22-33 Holyday - THE HOLY GLORIOUS AND ALL-PRAISED APOSTLES, PETER AND PAUL Wednesday, June 28 6:00 pm Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom 4 th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Tone 3 Commemoration of the Holy Fathers of the First Six Ecumenical Councils Saturday, July 1 5:00 pm Great Vespers and Confessions Sunday, July 2 9:15 am - Hours Sue Ellen Turscak 9:30 am Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom Epistle Reader Sue Ellen Turscak EPISTLE: Romans 6:18-23 GOSPEL: Matt.8:5-13 5 th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Tone 4 Saturday, July 8 5:00 pm Great Vespers and Confessions Sunday, July 9 9:15 am - Hours Reader Michael Luc 9:30 am Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom

Epistle Reader Bud Graham EPISTLE: Romans 10:1-10 GOSPEL: Matt.8:28-9:1 6 th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Tone 5 Saturday, July 15 5:00 pm Great Vespers and Confessions Sunday, July 16 9:15 am - Hours Reader Joseph Turner 9:30 am Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom Epistle Reader Reader Joseph Turner EPISTLE: Romans 12:6-14 GOSPEL: Matthew 9:1-8 Holyday TEMPLE FEAST OF THE PROPHET ELIA Wednesday, July 19 6:00 pm Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom 7 th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Tone 6 Saturday, July 22 10:00 am Baptism-Chrismation of Thomas Ritzman 5:00 pm Great Vespers and Confessions Sunday, July 23 9:15 am - Hours Bud Graham 9:30 am Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom Epistle Reader Bud Graham EPISTLE: Romans 12:6-14 GOSPEL: Matthew 9:1-8 8 th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Tone 7 Saturday, July 29 5:00 pm Great Vespers and Confessions Sunday, July 30 9:15 am - Hours Sarah Niglio 9:30 am Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom Epistle Reader Sarah Niglio EPISTLE: 1 Cor. 1:10-18 GOSPEL: Matthew 14:14-22 Cross Procession and Blessing of Vehicles

GRADUATE CONGRATULATIONS Christopher Di Puccio graduated from Tallmadge High School on May 18, 2017 and is planning to attend Stark State. His field of study is 3D Motion Graphics. A graduation celebration will be held on Sunday, July 23, 2017, 3:30 pm 9:00 pm, at the Lion s Hall (Lion s Park), 245 Northeast Avenue, Tallmadge, Ohio. Please RSVP Barb Di Puccio @ 330-633-5042 PARISH COUNCIL MEETING Tuesday, June 13, at 7:00 pm SAINT ELIA BOOK STUDY You're invited: New book discussion on The Mountain of Silence. The first gathering of our new St. Elia book discussion group will take place at 6 p.m., Wednesday, June 21, in the downstairs Parish Hall. You're invited! Future gatherings may also take place in coffee shops or participants' homes stay tuned! We will be discussing chapters 1 and 2 of "The Mountain of Silence: A Search for Orthodox Spirituality," by Kyriacos C. Markides, which can be purchased through Amazon and other booksellers. The book combines elements of memoir, travelogue, and history as the author journeys to the island of Cyprus and makes the acquaintance of a monk named Fr. Maximos. Traveling and talking with Fr. Maximos as he establishes churches, convents, and monasteries in this divided land, the author receives answers to questions on topics ranging from angels and demons to the role of icons in worship and the place of hell in Christian belief, and is awakened anew to the spirituality of the Orthodox Church.

Remember: If you start your purchase at www.smile.amazon.com and select "St. Prophet Elia Macedono-Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church" as your preferred charity, Amazon will donate a percentage of your purchase back to our Parish. +ARCHBISHOP KYRILL 10 TH ANNIVERSARY On June 19 th at 9:30 am, the Divine Liturgy and Panakhida will be served at the Transfiguration Monastery in Elwood City, Pa. or the repose of the soul of +Archbishop Kyrill DIOCESAN CONFERENCE The 54 TH Annual Diocesan Conference will be hosted by Saints Cyril and Methodius Church in Lorain, Ohio on Saturday, June 24 th - beginning with the Pontifical Divine Liturgy at 9:00 am, celebrated by His Eminence Archbishop Alexander and concelebrating Diocesan Clergy The Conference Business Session will be opened at 1:00 pm Saturday afternoon at the Conference Room at the Double Tree by Hilton Cleveland, 1100 Crocker Road, Westlake, Ohio The Pontifical Divine Liturgy with Bishop Alexander and concelebrating Clergy will begin at 10:00 am on Sunday morning, June 25 th. AT ST. ELIA The Divine Liturgy will be served on Sunday, June 25 th at 9:30 am. Please welcome Father Basil Stoyka who will be celebrating the Divine Liturgy at St. Elia for the faithful of our Parish Family. BAPTISMAL CELEBRATION The Baptism and Chrismation of Thomas Carter Ritzman, son of Thomas and Haley Ritzman, grandson of Jeanette Ritman and Douglas and Kathy Godshall, will be celebrated on Saturday, July 22 nd at 10:00 am.

PARISH NAME DAY FEAST OF SAINT ELIA Our Parish Name Day falls this year on Wednesday, July 20 th and a Vesperal Divine Liturgy will be celebrated on Wednesday evening, July 19 th at 6:00 pm On Sunday, July 30 th we will celebrate the Divine Liturgy, followed by a Cross Procession with the singing of a Molieben (Prayer Service) to St. Elia, and the blessing of vehicles (cars, motorcycles, bicycles, skateboards, etc ), and Parish Picnic ST. ELIA NAME DAY PICNIC SUNDAY, JULY 30 TH DIVINE LITURGY @ 9:30 am FOLLOWED BY: BLESSING OF CARS (OR ANYTHING WITH WHEELS) EVERYONE IS TO BRING A PICNIC COVERED DISH TO SHARE!

WELCOME TO OUR PARISH FAMILY We wish to welcome our new members: Dr. Stephan and Nikki Millik, and their children Anastasio and Sofia. God has blessed us with your family in our Parish Family. Welcome to your new spiritual home. IN APPRECIATION For those who serve and those who sing Our Choir and Altar servers dedicate themselves every time we gather together to celebrate the worship services of the Holy Orthodox Church. We thank Subdeacon Terrence Bilas and all the Choir members; and our Servers: John Bohush, Reader Aaron Gray, Reader Joseph Turner, Christopher Di Puccio, and Liam Cassidy. Many Years! CHURCH SCHOOL STAFF APPRECIATION Sunday after Sunday our Church School staff is prepared to help our children grow in the knowledge of our faith and the love of our Lord. We wish to thank our dedicated Staff: Teachers: Reader Aaron Gray, Joseph Turner, and Church School Coordinator Popadia Donna Freude. Many Years! IN GRATITUDE We wish to thank those who helped in any way in our preparations for Holy Week and Pascha: Thank You! THANK YOU to those who helped to prepare the Grave with flowers on Good Friday; by bringing red eggs - THANK YOU! Thank you to all who helped for the processions and to those who assisted

on Pascha night with the grave, the candles, the lights and the bells, and to Rose Mary Vronick for baking the ARTOS that was blessed on Pascha and partaken on St. Thomas Sunday. May God bless all who attended the Services and for your spiritual witness PENTECOST SUNDAY THE EIGHTH SUNDAY OF PASCHA JUNE 4 th In the Church's annual liturgical cycle, Pentecost is "the last and great day." It is the celebration by the Church of the coming of the Holy Spirit as the end - the achievement and fulfillment - of the entire history of salvation. For the same reason, however, it is also the celebration of the beginning: it is the "birthday" of the Church as the presence among us of the Holy Spirit, of the new life in Christ, of grace, knowledge, adoption to God and holiness. This double meaning and double joy is revealed to us, first of all, in the very name of the feast. Pentecost in Greek means fifty, and in the sacred biblical symbolism of numbers, the number fifty symbolizes both the fulness of time and that which is beyond time: the Kingdom of God itself. It symbolizes the fulness of time by its first component: 49, which is the fulness of seven (7 x 7): the number of time. And, it symbolizes that which is beyond time by its second component: 49 + 1, this one being

the new day, the "day without evening" of God's eternal Kingdom. With the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Christ's disciples, the time of salvation, the Divine work of redemption has been completed, the fulness revealed, all gifts bestowed: it belongs to us now to "appropriate" these gifts, to be that which we have become in Christ: participants and citizens of His Kingdom. THE VIGIL OF PENTECOST The all-night Vigil service begins with a solemn invitation: "Let us celebrate Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit, The appointed day of promise, and the fulfillment of hope, The mystery which is as great as it is precious." In the coming of the Spirit, the very essence of the Church is revealed: "The Holy Spirit provides all, Overflows with prophecy, fulfills the priesthood, has taught wisdom to illiterates, has revealed fishermen as theologians, He brings together the whole council of the Church." In the three readings of the Old Testament (Numbers 11:16-17, 24-29; Joel 2:23-32; Ezekiel 36:24-28) we hear the prophecies concerning the Holy Spirit. We are taught that the entire history of mankind was directed towards the day on which God "would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh." This day has come! All hope, all promises, all expectations have been fulfilled. At the end of the Aposticha hymns, for the first time since Pascha, we sing the hymn: "O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth," the one with which we inaugurate all our services, all prayers, which is, as it were, the life-breath of the Church, and whose coming to us, whose "descent" upon us in this festal Vigil, is indeed the very experience of the Holy Spirit "coming and abiding in us."

Having reached its climax, the Vigil continues as an explosion of joy and light for "verily the light of the Comforter has come and illumined the world." In the Gospel reading (John 20:19-23) the feast is interpreted to us as the feast of the Church, of her divine nature, power and authority. The Lord sends His disciples into the world, as He Himself was sent by His Father. Later, in the antiphons of the Liturgy, we proclaim the universality of the apostles' preaching, the cosmical significance of the feast, the sanctification of the whole world, the true manifestation of God's Kingdom. THE VESPERS OF PENTECOST The liturgical peculiarity of Pentecost is a very special Vespers of the day itself. Usually this service follows immediately the Divine Liturgy, is "added" to it as its own fulfillment. The service begins as a solemn "summing up" of the entire celebration, as its liturgical synthesis. We hold flowers in our hands symbolizing the joy of the eternal spring, inaugurated by the coming of the Holy Spirit. After the festal Entrance, this joy reaches its climax in the singing of the Great Prokeimenon: "Who is so great a God as our God?" Then, having reached this climax, we are invited to kneel. This is our first kneeling since Pascha. It signifies that after these fifty days of Paschal joy and fullness, of experiencing the Kingdom of God, the Church now is about to begin her pilgrimage through time and history. It is evening again, and the night approaches, during which temptations and failures await us, when, more than anything else, we need Divine help, that presence and power of the Holy

Spirit, who has already revealed to us the joyful End, who now will help us in our effort towards fulfillment and salvation. All this is revealed in the three prayers which the celebrant reads now as we all kneel and listen to him. In the first prayer, we bring to God our repentance, our increased appeal for forgiveness of sins, the first condition for entering into the Kingdom of God. In the second prayer, we ask the Holy Spirit to help us, to teach us to pray and to follow the true path in the dark and difficult night of our earthly existence. Finally, in the third prayer, we remember all those who have achieved their earthly journey, but who are united with us in the eternal God of Love. The joy of Pascha has been completed and we again have to wait for the dawn of the Eternal Day. Yet, knowing our weakness, humbling ourselves by kneeling, we also know the joy and the power of the Holy Spirit who has come. We know that God is with us, that in Him is our victory. Thus is completed the feast of Pentecost and we enter "the ordinary time" of the year. Yet, every Sunday now will be called "after Pentecost" - and this means that it is from the power and light of these fifty days that we shall receive our own power, the Divine help in our daily struggle. At Pentecost we decorate our churches with flowers and green branches - for the Church "never grows old, but is always young." It is an evergreen, ever-living Tree of grace and life, of joy and comfort. For the Holy Spirit - "the Treasury of Blessings and Giver of Life - comes and abides in us, and cleanses us from all impurity," and fills our life with meaning, love, faith and hope.

Father Alexander Schmemann (1974) Troparion of Pentecost Blessed art Thou, O Christ our God, Who has revealed the fishermen as most wise by sending down upon the Holy Spirit; through them Thou didst draw the world into Thy net. O Lover of Man, glory to Thee. Kontakion of Pentecost When the Most High came down and confused the tongues, He divided the nations; but when He distributed the tongues of fire, He called all to unity. Therefore, with one voice, we glorify the all-holy Spirit, SAINTS PETER & PAUL - June 29 The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul came to be observed early in the history of the Church. Although they died at different times, their commemoration has been universally kept on the same day to highlight the central role they had in the foundation of the Church. It is for the same reason they are called the Leaders of the Apostles in the Liturgy. St. Peter whose original name was Simon, was a fisherman in Galilee when Jesus called him to be a disciple. Come after me and I will make you fishers of men. (Mt. 4:19). After Jesus Ascension, Peter was the spokesman of the Apostles, and a witness of Christ s divinity. He delivered the first sermon on Pentecost and received the first Gentiles into the Church.From Jerusalem, he went to preach the Gospel in Asia at Antioch

(Gal. 2:11), then to Cappadocia, Galatia, Pontus, and finally Rome. St. Paul, known as Saul before his conversion, was born at Tarsus in the Roman province Cilicia. As a youth he went to Jerusalem to receive his education in Judaism from the celebrated Rabbi, Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). At the time of Jesus ministry he had already left Jerusalem. Saul did not see the Lord during His earthly ministry. By the grace of God, Saul was miraculously converted on the way to Damascus around the year 34 A.D. After receiving Baptism, Paul left for a long retreat in Arabia to prepare himself for his future mission. He was most zealous to preach the Gospel of Christ to the world. He established many churches and visited many other churches. To these he wrote numerous letters which form a significant part of the New Testament canonical writings. The Icon of Peter and Paul is simple and direct, striving only to present the holiness and wisdom of the two Apostles whose lives were totally devoted to witnessing the Good News of Jesus Christ and our salvation. They stand majestically as pillars of the Church and teachers of the Lord Jesus. The Liturgy hails the chief Apostles with beautifully composed hymns. Peter is called the rock of faith and Paul the pride of the universe. Together they are celebrated as luminaries of those in darkness, two rays of the sun, pillars of divine doctrines, and friends of Christ. (Matins Hymn)

SAINT ELIA - July 20 At a most critical period in the history of the Israelite people, God sent inspired leaders to call His people back to the worship of the One True God. First and greatest among these prophets was Elia (also called Elias or Elijah) the Tishbite who enters Israelite history with a dramatic suddenness (1 Kings 17). He prized belief in the One God and there was no deviation from his total dedication. Appropriately, the name Elia means the Lord is my God.. In the Icon depicting the Prophet Elia fed by ravens shows that nature itself is governed by the will of God. The raven, a bird of prey, is chosen by God to be His instrument, God s words to Elia were: You shall drink of the stream, and I have commanded ravens to feed you there. (1 Kings 17:4) St. Basil the Great gives an interpretation of this event: The dwelling place of Elia was Mt. Carmel, a high uninhabited mountain. The wilderness received the hermit; but it was the soul that instituted all for this righteous man, and the provision for his life s journey was hope in God. Yet despite this mode of life, he did not die of hunger; on the contrary, the most rapacious birds of prey brought him food. Those whose custom was to steal the food of others became servants at his table. At the command of the Lord they changed their nature and became fruitful guardians of bread and meat. This event is a prophetic prefiguration of the coming of the Kingdom of God in power. Elias the Prophet enjoys great popularity and appreciation.

In other Icons, Elias appears as a strict ascetic full of zeal for faith in the true God, yet, afraid of the love God has for him. He is pictured as a hairy man holding an open scroll which reads: I have been most zealous for the Lord the God of hosts. (1 Kings 19:10) Elia did not die. He was carried away in a fiery chariot while yet alive. This introduced the thought that he would return to announce the Messiah. Thus, he is often mentioned in the New Testament, both in preparation for Christ and also by Christ. In fact, Christ identifies Elia and John the Baptist (Mt 11:14) and thereby announces the end of the era of waiting. Through Elia, we see God s constant faithfulness to his people. He sends prophets in every age to lead His people in the knowledge on the One True God. The Troparion of Saint Elia The glorious Elia, incarnate messenger of God, pillar of prophets and second forerunner of the coming of Christ, sent grace from on high to Elisha that he might heal sickness and purify the lepers; therefore, he intercedes on behalf of those who honor him.