SS Peter and Paul Albanian Orthodox Church

Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America ~ http://www.aoaa.org SS Peter and Paul Albanian Orthodox Church 9230 Old Bustleton Avenue ~ Philadelphia, PA 19115 ~ Church Phone: 215-676-3311 Pastor: Father Stephen Siniari ~ Phone: 609-385-3757 ~ Email: frsiniari@gmail.com FATHER STEPHEN S MESSAGE TO THE FAITHFUL When you were a child, before your feet had touched the ground, people who loved you carried you to the Church and you were Baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. You were Baptized, Chrismated, and received into the Communion of God s Love. You were Baptized into the death and resurrection of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ. But what does this mean to you now? It means you are part of a community and you have a purpose. You have been planted in the garden of the Holy Church and you will find in that Garden all that you need to work out your salvation in Christ by loving others. You were not left on the other side of the Sea when the people of God crossed over out of Egypt. Even though you couldn t walk or speak for yourself, you were not left for the pursuer to devour. You were not abandoned by the Shepherd and made prey to the wolf of souls. Someone cared for you when you could not care for yourself. And now a gradual Epiphany is occurring in your life. You are beginning to feel the weight of the words that were chanted when the Priest led your Godparents around the Baptismal fount, As many as have been baptized in Christ, have put on Jesus Christ. In another translation of these words from Saint Paul s letter to the churches in Galatia we read: All of you are God s children because of your faith in Christ Jesus. And when you were baptized, it was as though you had put on Christ in the same way you put on new clothes. And so now you are beginning to see the importance of these new clothes. You are starting to realize they are the clothes you will wear on that final journey. You now want to be a child of faith, a child of God. But you also see that you have neglected your baptismal garment. Your uniform is soiled and in tatters. You have not risen in rank. You have won no medals or commendations. By your cynicism and bitter worldly attitude, you may even have prevented others from carrying out the work to which God has called all who have been baptized. Perhaps even your own family, children, or friends. You have willfully remained uninvolved in the unseen warfare, the spiritual combat. You have not permitted yourself the truth. You have accepted something in its place and turned the eyes of your soul away from the true purpose God has intended for His community and your part in the work of His garden. You have robbed your life of meaning. What will you do? Don t be deceived into believing it s too late. But why shouldn t I despair? Because when you were a child, before you could walk or speak for yourself, before your feet touched the ground, Someone loved you... In a place before time began to measure change, in an eternity where time was not, two Theophanies were provided for, two occasions where God would reveal His goodness and His love. In the running waters of the Jordan River, on this day the Lord of all cries to John: be not afraid and hesitate not to baptize Me, for I am come to save Adam, the first-formed man. (Kontakion of the Forefeast) This is the first manifestation of God. The actions of your baptismal day have gone deep within your very being like snow melting into the earth. And now this Epiphany, this springtime of your soul is bringing forth the good fruit of repentance. Make the sign of the Cross and take up your work. Your uniform will begin to shine from within and by it He will recognize you at His second and final Theophany when He comes again in glory to judge the living and the dead.! PAGE 1

Events and Announcements LITURGICAL SCHEDULE ~ FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011 + Meeting of Christ in the Temple - Wednesday, February 2 - Divine Liturgy, 9 AM + Pre-Sanctified - Wednesday, March 9-7 PM + Sunday of Orthodoxy - March 13 - Divine Liturgy, 10 AM + Pre-Sanctifieds - Wednesday, March 16, 23-7 PM + Annunciation - Friday, March 25 - Divine Liturgy, 9 AM + Pre-Sanctified - Wednesday, March 30-7 PM SCHEDULE OF OTHER SERVICES Bible Study - Every Wednesday - 7 PM - 8:30 PM in the Church Hall - Led by Fr. Dn. Gregory. PLEASE NOTE: Last day for Bible Study during Lent is Wednesday, March 2nd CHURCH NEWS AND REMINDERS Icon Pledges Can be paid at any time to our treasurer, James Schaeffer. Please note: when returning your Icons, please return them to the Church Store. You will be given a receipt for all Icons returned. Icon Pledge Sunday is Feb. 13th. Please have all icons returned before that date. Special Services If you are planning to have a special service in the Church, please be considerate and notify either Father Stephen or the Church Committee one week in advance. When you are planning for a Baptism, Wedding, Funeral, or any other Prayer Service in the Church, please speak with Father Stephen in advance to determine if there is any way you can contribute to help the Church in helping others. Thank you. Please note: if the services of the Church Choir are required, please notify the Choir Director, Christina Murianka, as soon as possible.! Memorials: Any help in setting up and cleaning up from the families involved is truly appreciated and welcomed by the Ladies Society. No Smoking/No cell phones Please remember that SS Peter & Paul has a no smoking policy in the building and that ringers on cell phones should be off during the Divine Liturgy. Church Council Meeting - Sunday, February 6, after Divine Liturgy. All Parishioners are welcome to attend. THE JOY OF GIVING Collection Sundays - May God bless you for your generosity! 1st Sunday of each month - Collection for the Poor 2nd Sunday - Orthodox Herald 3rd Sunday - Pastoral Fund Casseroles for the Homeless - 9 Casseroles and 1 bag of toiletries were delivered to the Hospice in January. Please continue to help feed the hungry. The Church is accepting casserole donations. A donation of $10 also buys a casserole. Thank you! Other Donations: Church Library Pop Tab Collections for Ronald McDonald House Wine: Altar wine: Manischewitz Concord Grape (please do not donate any other brand of concord grape) Oil: Virgin Olive Oil LADIES SOCIETY NEWS Meeting - Sunday, February 6 - After Divine Liturgy. Please make every effort to attend. A Request... if you have borrowed any containers, trays, bowls, coffee carafes, etc. from the kitchen, please return them as soon as possible. These items are used for many of the functions held in the Church Hall and they are needed. Thank you!! PAGE 2

SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS Events and Announcements (Continued) We invite all children to attend our Sunday School, led by Rdr. Gregory Shaloka and Mrs. Rose Shaloka. Sunday School begins immediately after Holy Communion and takes place upstairs in the Church Hall. FUTURE EVENTS AT SS PETER & PAUL Icon Pledge Sunday - Sunday, February 13 - Immediately following Divine Liturgy (Inclement weather date to be announced) This is SS Peter & Paul s single largest fund-raiser of the year and is integral in funding our operating expenses. Please make every effort to attend and please bid generously. Absentee bids are gratefully accepted. Roast Pork Sandwich Fundraiser - Sunday, February 20 (held by the Ladies Society) Lenten Luncheon - Sunday, March 6 - (Hosted by the Ladies Society) The Ladies Society welcomes our Albanian, Russian, Georgian, Romanian, Greek, German, and Ukrainian members to please join them in preparing their favorite Lenten dish for the Lenten Luncheon. Please bring the dish to Church already cooked! (Please forgive the inadvertent omission of any ethnic group) Cost: $10 for Adults, $5 for Children 10 or older Thrift Sale - Saturday, May 14 - at the Church. More information to follow in future Bulletins and on the website. EVENTS OF INTEREST AT OTHER LOCATIONS Lecture on Orthodoxy and Islam - Saturday, February 5, starting at 3 PM - At St Philip Orthodox Church, 1970 Clearview Rd, Souderton, PA 18964 This will be a stimulating and informative lecture by Fr Daniel Byrantoro, who is a convert to Christ from the Muslim faith and leader of the Orthodox Church in Indonesia. Schedule: 3 PM - Lecture: The History of Islam, and its Relationship to the Orthodox Church 4:30 PM - Lecture: Teachings of Islam Compared to the Teachings of the Orthodox Church 6 PM - Great Vespers 7 PM - Potluck Dinner & Lecture: Missions: Culture & Indigenization, Methods of the Orthodox Church in Indonesia 10 AM (Sunday, Feb 6) - Fr Daniel serves and delivers the homily and will attend the coffee hour No pre-registration necessary. NO COST (free will offerings gratefully received) Contact: 215-721-4947 or http://stpocspa.orthodoxws.com/news.html Learn more about Fr Daniel and the Orthodox Church in Indonesia: www.friendsofindonesia.org Listen to Fr Daniel s powerful teaching: http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/byantoro! PAGE 3

ANNOUNCEMENTS Coffee Hour - Linda Biando is beginning a program of volunteers to sponsor the Coffee Hour. More information to follow shortly. Events and Announcements (Continued) S S P e t e r & P a u l 9 0 t h Y e a r Celebration DVD - Copies are available at the Church Store. Cost: $15 GENERAL INTEREST Ancient Faith Radio 24 hour a day internet Orthodox radio station: http://ancientfaithradio.com Perogies for Sale - St Stephen s Orthodox Cathedral at 8598 Verree Rd, Phila, PA 19111, is selling perogies for $7 a dozen. The perogies are available Saturday evenings after Vespers and Sundays following Divine Liturgy. MISCELLANEOUS New Web Page/E-mails http://sspeterpaulphila.org New Bulletins are available online by Saturday 8 PM. If you would like to be kept up-to-date by e-mail or to be removed from our paper mailing list, please send Alicia an e-mail at: aliciaj17@mac.com SS Peter & Paul Church Store - Open Sundays at 9:30 AM (1/2 hour before Divine Liturgy) Items available: Divine Liturgy Books, Icons; Crosses (Baptismal, lapel pins, Georgian style, orthodox); Prayerbooks (English); Censors; CDs and cassettes; Religious Books. Also available: In Their Own Tongue, a documentary chronicling the Albanian Archdiocese in America Daily Bread - The Church distributes a daily email entitled Daily Bread containing scripture readings for the day and the commemorated saints. To add your name (or the name of anyone who would enjoy getting it) please forward the email address to the Church email address: sspeterpaul2@verizon.net Weekly Devotional Lights - Envelopes are available at the Church Store counter for special prayers to be said during the week in conjunction with the burning of the Seven-Day Votive Light hanging above the Royal Doors. Suggested offering: $10, which will go towards building up our Pastoral Fund with the ultimate goal of supporting a full time priest. A n n o u n c e m e n t s / N e w s Parishioners a b o u t - If you have any items to include in next month s Bulletin, please see Alicia or call her at 215-742-0492 or email: aliciaj17@mac.com. The deadline for the next Bulletin is Sunday, February 20. Thank you! Parishioners will be able to pick up the December Bulletin at the Church on Sunday 2/27/11. Bulletins will be mailed to any Parishioners unable to attend. Please remember to let Alicia know the names of our members who are ill or in need of prayer so that they can be included in our Bulletins. Thank You to all members of the Parish who have helped out or volunteered in any way with their time and efforts, and a very special thank you to anyone whose name was inadvertently omitted from the Bulletin. Parishioner s Corner A Very Happy Birthday is wished to the following parishioners and friends who are celebrating February Birthdays: Edna Bachelor, Joe Bacon, Janet (Bachelor) Caparros, Margot Craig, Virginia Daka, Theodore Dementri, Ralph John, Thomas Kenny, Christine Nass, Andrew Quirias, Lilly Shallapi, Andi Steffa, Gregory Vrato, Sr. May God grant them all many, many years!! PAGE 4

Donate An Item a Month Campaign - We are still in need of the following items: Paper Towels, Ziplock Bags, Napkins, Handi-Wipes. Your continued help is truly appreciated! A sincere Thank You to all parishioners who so kindly donated any requested items. Parishioner s Corner (Continued) Non-Perishable Food Collection - RJ will be doing a collection during the month of January of nonperishable food items for a food bank as part of his Cub Scout project. There will be a box in the hall for nonperishable food items. Please donate generously! RJ will also be continuing with the pop tab collection for Ronald McDonald House. Good Company & Good Food: Help Build Up our Pastoral Fund - A new tradition has started -- serving a hot meal on most Sundays to build up our Pastoral Fund. If you have any ideas or are interested in participating or sponsoring a particular Sunday, please talk to Jim Schaeffer or Letitia Desloges. Your help and support is needed to get this project up and running! Gregory Vrato, Sr., is at the John Neumann Nursing Home, Room 726, at the intersection of Haldeman & Tomlinson Road (make a right on Tomlinson and the parking lot is immediately on your right). Visitors are welcome anytime from noon to 8 PM Please continue to keep Gregory in your prayers. May God grant him good health! A Holy Kiss by Father Frank Milano! I m looking for that kiss!! Those are the words Pani and I say with open arms to our grandchildren when they come to visit us at the rectory. Our grandchildren arrive to a kiss and they leave with one. I love to tell them: The bigger, the better!! When we hear the word kiss, what comes to mind? Of course, first, the obvious: a kiss is the universal expression of love between two people.! Here are some other kisses that come to mind: the whole world knows about the Hershey Kiss, foil-wrapped, bitesize chocolates that have been an American classic since 1907 and still are. And the unforgettable American rock band K.I.S.S. formed in New York City in 1972. And then that tearful moment we all know at the end of the funeral service when we approach the casket of our loved one for the Last Kiss.! Did you know that the first recorded kiss in the Bible involved lying and deceit? We read the story about it in the ancient book of Genesis (27:22-27): Jacob kissed his blind, dying father, Isaac and deceived his father into believing that he was his brother, Esau. Because his father was blind, Jacob got a death-bed blessing that was meant for his brother Esau. The only problem was, he got the blessing by lying. That was a fatal kiss.! The Bible also talks about other kisses: the parting kiss, the kiss of death, the idolatrous kiss, the worshipful kiss. Probably the most famous kiss was the betrayal kiss that Judas gave the Lord.! St. Paul talks about another kind of kiss. He talks about the holy kiss. He mentions it once in his Letter to the Romans (16:16). He talks about it once in his First Letter to the Thessalonians (5:26). And then he talks about it twice in his two Letters to the Corinthians (I 16:20 and II 13:12). He says, Greet one another with a holy kiss! He repeats it two times to the Christians living in Corinth. What was that kiss about?! Let us look at the Church in Corinth. That Church had problems that developed from the people s distorted understanding of what the Church really is. They thought they knew what the Church is; they didn t. St. Paul addresses those problems in his First Letter to the Corinthians. Corinth was a fragmented Church. It was a warring Church. The members were fighting with one another. Then to make matters even worse, outsiders arrived because they saw a way to take advantage of all this infighting and bitter disagreement. St. Paul facetiously called those troublemaking outsiders most eminent apostles. This was St. Paul at his best with sarcastic or tongue-in-cheek language. The New King James Version of the Orthodox Study Bible translates most eminent apostles as super apostles. Those super apostles leveled all kinds of accusations against St. Paul. They definitely tried to smear him.! St. Paul responded this way: he said that these super apostles had nothing to do with the Kingdom of God. He exposed them as agents of Satan in chapters four and six and especially in chapter eleven. In the end, St. Paul won -- he always did!! And how did he win? He wrote his thoughts down and sent those Corinthians a letter. He gave them a piece of his mind. This is what he wrote: Some of you think you are better than the rest. You re not! You re all equal! Show it: greet one another with a holy kiss!! PAGE 5

A Holy Kiss (continued)! You see, the parishioners of the Church in Corinth were carrying grudges. They were jealous. They turned against one another. St. Paul knew this. He knew they didn t want to forgive one another. In just a few verses, St. Paul told them that they needed to put things in order. They needed to learn to live along side one another peacefully. They needed to put aside their earthly cares, just as the Cherubic Hymn of the Liturgy tells us to do every Sunday. He knew that a Church community could not be a real Christian community when there is disharmony in the Church. He knew that kind of bickering community could not be an effective witness for Christ to the the world. And so he told them, Greet one another with a holy kiss.! Believe me, that message is not a worn out, old, out-of-touch, irrelevant message. It is fresh and contemporary. That message was not only for the Corinthian Church; that message was for the Church in 55 A.D. and it is for the Church today.! Here is another interesting piece of information: St. John Chrysostom preached a series of sermons in the Fourth Century based on St. Paul s two Letters to the Corinthians. St. John made this point: Christians are the temple of Christ, he said, and when they kiss each other, they are kissing the porch and the entrance to the holy temple.! That is so true! It means that we see Christ in each other. When we greet one another with a holy kiss, this is a way of kissing Christ and at the same time being kissed by Christ.! As you can see, this is all very personal. Unfortunately, these days we all get caught up in substituting technology for personal contact. We e-mail, we text message, we carry our cell phones, we fax, we send electronic greeting cards, we use our ipods and our Blackberry Smart Phones. There is not a whole lot of real, personal, touch-to-touch, eye-to-eye contact in any of that. What makes this so strange is that we are children of a personal, touchable God! When Jesus came into the world, He touched the untouchable! This is why it is all the more important to retain and practice the Biblical concept of the holy kiss. You just can t give a holy kiss over the internet.! There are two things I want us to consider: first, ask yourself this question: Is there somebody I would not want to greet with a holy kiss? If there is, that is telling you something. That means there is something between you and somebody else that must be settled at all costs! We live in a frail world and we just can t afford to carry around grudges, animosities or messed up personal relationships. We have to get rid of that heavy baggage.! Second, consider the possibility of greeting somebody this week whom you have not greeted before: somebody lonely; somebody in a nursing home; somebody ill and suffering. Your greeting could also be a good deed, a surprise gift, a card in the mail, an invitation to lunch. And if you go all the way, it could even be a holy kiss!! Let us end by asking two questions: when was the last time you received a holy kiss? when was the last time you gave one? Reprinted courtesy of Holy Myrrhbearers Monaster, Essays and Notes, Volume 16, No. 1 Let Us Keep Them in our Prayers Please continue to pray for the full and speedy recovery of: Gregory Vrato, Sr., Matthew Murianka, Joyce Dorsey, Andi Steffa, Mary Palmerick, John Palmerick, Thimi Daka, Al Rifkin, Sophie Bacon, Margot Craig, Eteri Okropiridze, Katherine Halkedis, Mary Ann Clark, Alexandra Pana, Nicholas Desloges, Steven Yarrow, Martha Murianka, Connie Douris, Anthony Sarris, Jeanie Rifkin, Nick Zeo, His Grace Bishop Nikon, Debbie Krimetz God knows the names and ages of all who need His love and mercy... Prayer for the Sick O Holy Father, heavenly Physician of our souls and bodies, Who has sent Thine Only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to heal all our ailments and deliver us from death: do Thou visit and heal Thy servant, granting him/her release from pain and restoration to health and vigor, that he/she may give thanks unto Thee and bless Thy Holy Name. of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Special Announcements from Fr. Stephen Father Stephen may be reached at 609-385-3757, Monday - Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM or by email: frsiniari@gmail.com Please remember that all confessions and consultations on Sunday mornings shall take place from 9 AM to 10 AM before the Divine Liturgy. Thank you.! PAGE 6

RJ makes Mesha with Grandpop Joe!! PAGE 7

HOLY DAYS AND NAME DAYS IN FEBRUARY February 1 February 2 February 3 February 6 February 10 February 11 February 13 February 14 February 18 February 20 February 24 February 26 February 27 February 28 - St Bridget of Ireland - Meeting of Christ in the Temple - Righteous Godbearer Simeon and Anna the Phrophetess - Zacchaeus Sunday; St Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople - St Haralambos; St Valentina - St Blaise; Righteous Theodora - Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee - St Cyril, Teacher of the Slavs - St Leo the Great, Pope of Rome - Sunday of the Prodigal Son - 1st & 2nd Finding Honorable Head of St John the Baptist - St Porphyrius, Bishop of Gaza; St Sebastian - Meatfare Sunday; Sunday of Last Judgment; St Raphael Bishop of Brooklyn - St John Cassian; SS Marana, Kyra & Domnina of Syria SUNDAY OF MEATFARE OF THE LAST JUDGMENT (Commemorated on February 27) Today's Gospel reading is Matthew 25:31-46, the parable of the Last Judgment. It reminds us that while trusting in Christ's love and mercy, we must not forget His righteous judgment when He comes again in glory. If our hearts remain hardened and unrepentant, we should not expect the Lord to overlook our transgressions simply because He is a good and loving God. Although He does not desire the death of a sinner, He also expects us to turn from our wickedness and live (Ezek. 33:11). This same idea is expressed in the prayer read by the priest after the penitent has confessed his or her sins (Slavic practice). The time for repentance and forgiveness is now, in the present life. At the Second Coming, Christ will appear as the righteous Judge, Who will render to every man according to his deeds" (Rom. 2:6). Then the time for entreating God's mercy and forgiveness will have passed. As Father Alexander Schmemann reminds us in his book GREAT LENT (Ch. 1:4), sin is the absence of love, it is separation and isolation. When Christ comes to judge the world, His criterion for judgment will be love. Christian love entails seeing Christ in other people, our family, our friends, and everyone else we may encounter in our lives. We shall be judged on whether we have loved, or not loved, our neighbor. We show Christian love when we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit those who are sick or in prison. If we did such things for the least of Christ's brethren, then we also did them for Christ (Mt.25:40). If we did not do such things for the least of the brethren, neither did we do them for Christ (Mt.25:45). Today is the last day for eating meat and meat products until Pascha, though eggs and dairy products are permitted every day during the coming week. This limited fasting prepares us gradually for the more intense fasting of Great Lent. Icon & Reading Courtesy of OCA Website! PAGE 8

Jan 1 -! (Sat) Circumcision of Our Lord; St. Basil the Great, Divine Liturgy 9 AM Jan 6 - (Thurs) Theophany of Our Lord & Great Blessing of Water, Divine Liturgy 9 AM Jan 9 - (Sun) Lesser Blessing of Water, Divine Liturgy 10 AM Feb 2! -! (Wed) Meeting of Christ in the Temple, Divine Liturgy 9 AM Mar 9 - (Wed) Pre-Sanctified, 7 PM Mar 13! -! (Sun) Sunday of Orthodoxy, Divine Liturgy 10 AM Mar 16, 23 - (Weds) Pre-Sanctifieds, 7 PM LITURGICAL SCHEDULE January 2011 - January 2012 Mar 25! -! (Fri) Annunciation, Divine Liturgy 9 AM Mar 30/Apr 6, 13 - (Weds) Pre-Sanctifieds, 7 PM Apr 16! - Lazarus Saturday, Divine Liturgy 9 AM Apr 17! - (Sun) Entry of Our Lord into Jerusalem, Divine Liturgy & Blessing of Palms, 10 AM Apr 20! - Holy Wednesday (Holy Unction) 7 PM Apr 21! - Holy Thursday (Twelve Passion Gospels) 7 PM Apr 22! - Holy Friday (Vespers, Taking Down From Cross) 3 PM;!! Lamentations at Tomb 7 PM Apr 23! -! Holy Saturday (Vesperal Liturgy of St Basil) 9 AM;!! Orthros/Pashkal Canon/Liturgy 11 PM Apr 24! -! Pascha Sunday (Agape Vespers; Gospel in many languages) Noon Jun 2! Jun 12! -! Holy Ascension Thursday, Divine Liturgy 9 AM -! Holy Pentecost Sunday, Divine Liturgy 10 AM Jun?! -! (Sat/Sun - To Be Announced) Celebration of SS Peter & Paul Feast Day with His Grace Bishop Nikon; Divine Liturgy 9 AM; Parish Meal after the Divine Liturgy Jun 29! -! (Wed) SS Peter & Paul Feast Day, Divine Liturgy 9 AM Aug 6! -! (Sat) Holy Transfiguration, Divine Liturgy 9 AM Aug 15! -! (Mon) Dormition of the Theotokos, Divine Liturgy 9 AM Sep 14! -! (Wed) Exaltation of The Holy Cross, Divine Liturgy 9 AM Nov? -! (Sat/Sun - To Be Announced) St. John Chrysostom Feast Day & His Grace Bishop Nikon s visit to our Sister Parish (*No Services at SS Peter & Paul*) Dec 25! -! (Sun) Nativity, Divine Liturgy 10 AM January 2012 Jan 1! -! (Sun) Circumcision of Our Lord; St Basil the Great, Divine Liturgy 10 AM Jan 6 - (Fri) Theophany of Our Lord & Great Blessing of Water, Divine Liturgy 9 AM! PAGE 9