St. Andrew Orthodox Church

St. Andrew Orthodox Church 1216 Greencrest Ave. East Lansing, MI 48823 (517) 351-4627 April 2007 Rev. Fr. Christopher Rozdilski, Pastor Saturday Vespers 6 pm Confessions (following) Rectory: (517) 351-4627 Cell Phone: (517) 256-7399 Sunday Liturgy 9:30 am Confessions 9:00 am Visit Our Website at: StAndrewOrthodoxChurch.US This issue of the Newsletter is sponsored by the Matta family for the health and welfare of their family Christ is Risen!! Truly He is Risen!!! PASCHAL HOMILY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM If any man be devout and loveth God, Let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast! If any man be a wise servant, Let him rejoicing enter into the joy of his Lord. If any have laboured long in fasting, Let him how receive his recompense. If any have wrought from the first hour, Let him today receive his just reward. If any have come at the third hour, Let him with thankfulness keep the feast. If any have arrived at the sixth hour, Let him have no misgivings; Because he shall in nowise be deprived therefore. If any have delayed until the ninth hour, Let him draw near, fearing nothing. And if any have tarried even until the eleventh hour, Let him, also, be not alarmed at his tardiness. Continued on pg. 4 April Highlights Please check your April Calendar for a complete listing of events. Holy Week Services: April 4 Holy Wednesday 6:00PM Holy Unction 5 Holy Thursday 11:00AM Vesperal Divine Liturgy 6:00PM Passion Gospels 6 Good Friday 3:00PM Burial Vespers 6:00PM Matins and Procession 7 Holy Saturday 11:00AM Vesperal Divine Liturgy 11:30PM Paschal Matins and Liturgy 10 6:00PM Council Meeting 15 1 3 PM Grave Blessings 18 7:00PM Sisterhood Meeting Coming Events: May 13 Mother s Day Memorial Service Great Vespers & Confessions every Saturday night at 6:00PM Divine Liturgy every Sunday at 9:30AM 8 PASCHA 11:00AM Paschal Vespers

Parish Council Denise Covell (517) 651-2682 John Johnson Chair (517) 646-8786 Maria Daly Treasurer (517) 487-9511 Jim Smalley Vice Chair (517) 664-1712 Don Beck Secretary (517) 651-6668 Don Dimitroff (517) 321-1266 Sisterhood of St. Helen Fran JohnsonVice President (517) 646-8786 Kathy Fortais Secretary (517) 694-4617 Catherine HattremTreasurer (517) 372-3154 Brotherhood of St. George Scott Pierpont President (517) 694-9144 Parish Council Report Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Sorry there was no report for February we did not have a meeting. So far the Meijer Card Contributions to date are $921.50. Please keep using the card!! The year long calendar is now posted on the downstairs hall wall. If you have something to add let a counsel member or Father Know. MSU Concessions we received a check for approximately $4,650.00. Thank you to everyone who made this possible. There is a new stall in the men s restroom. The back entrance of the church has a new threshold. Thank you John Johnson for installing those two items. Parade of Homes Samir Matta has agreed to chair this project. Please offer to help if you can. This happens in June. The choir now have seven lighted cordless music stands. The Church picnic is scheduled for August 19th. More news to follow. Please help to turn off lights, heat, or air conditioner, and water in restrooms. Grave Blessings On St. Thomas Sunday, April 15, Father Christopher will be making his annual visit to the local cemeteries to bless graves. His schedule so far is as follows: East Lawn, Okemos: 1:00pm Evergreen, Lansing: 2:00pm Deepdale: 3:00pm. There will be a sign up sheet posted in the Church hall, please sign up if you would like him to visit the graves of your loved ones. If you would like Father to visit any other local cemetery, please let him know. Newsletter Staff Fr. Christopher Catherine Hattrem kathleenh50@hotmail.com Douglas Hattrem Confessions Please note that there will be no Confessions heard on Holy Saturday. Confessions will be heard following all services during Holy Week. Please plan accordingly. A Few Good Men!! Twelve volunteers are needed on Holy Thursday evening to hold candles during the Passion Gospels. Volunteers are also needed for the processions on Holy Friday and the Paschal service on Saturday evening. This is a wonderful way to participate in Holy week services. If you would like to help, please talk to Father Christopher

Pascha The Resurection of Jesus Christ On the great and Holy Feast of Pascha, Orthodox Christians celebrate the life-giving Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This feast of feasts is the most significant day in the life of the Church. It is a celebration of the defeat of death, as neither death itself nor the power of the grave could hold our Savior captive. In this victory that came through the Cross, Christ broke the bondage of sin, and through faith offers us restoration, transformation and eternal life. Pascha Bread If you ordered bread from the Sisterhood, please remember that they will be available for pick-up on Palm Sunday, April 1. Butter Lambs will also be available for sale that day. A big thank you to all the sisterhood members who volunteered to bake the bread this year. Your hard work is very much appreciated. Christ is Risen!!! Truly he is Risen!!! Pascha Eggs Pascha Eggs are a sympol of the Resurrection, it is a tradition in the Orthodox church to pass out red eggs on Pascha. We would like to ask each family to please bring one dozen red eggs to the church anytime during Holy Week. These eggs will be blessed and distributed after the Paschal Liturgy on Saturday night. A basket for the eggs will be in the Church Narthex throughout Holy Week. Agape Meal Immediately following the Paschal services on Saturday, April 7 we will have our traditional Agape Meal. This is a tradition in the Orthodox Church where we break the fast and celebrate the Resurrection of Christ together as a Church family. In preparation for this great feast, we ask that you sign up in advance to reserve space at the table for you and your family members. Reserved places will be set up during Holy week, so please sign up by Palm Sunday, April 1. Make sure that your baskets are open and ready to be blessed by Father Christopher immediately following the service. Special Pascha Offerings In your box of offering envelopes for April, you will find 2 extra envelopes. One is marked Easter Flower Offering, and is used to help offset the cost of the Paschal flowers for the tomb of Christ. The second is your Holy Pascha Offering. Please give generously for this Great and Holy Feast. If you still have not received your envelopes, please talk to Matushka Mary Donahue. Bookstore As an alternative to candy for your Easter baskets, there are a selection of religious items and texts available at our bookstore. Pascha cards are available for $1.00 each. Childrens books and prayer books. Icons & crosses A large selection of book titles Candles & Incense If you would like to special order a particular item or Icon, please see Matushka Sarah.

Paschal Homily (continued from front page) For the Lord, who is jealous of his honor, Will accept the last even as the first. He giveth rest unto him who cometh at the eleventh hour, Even as unto him who hath wrought from the first hour. And He showeth mercy upon the last, And careth for the first; And to the one He giveth, And upon the other He bestoweth gifts. And He both accepteth the deeds, And welcometh the intention, And honoureth the acts and praises the offering. Wherefore, enter ye all into the joy of your Lord; Receive your reward, Both the first, and likewise the second. You rich and poor together, hold high festival! You sober and you heedless, honour the day! Rejoice today, both you who have fasted And you who have disregarded the fast. The table is full-laden; feast ye all sumptuously. The calf is fatted; let no one go hungry away. Enjoy ye all the feast of faith: Receive ye all the riches of loving-kindness. Let no one bewail his poverty, For the universal Kingdom has been revealed. Let no one weep for his iniquities, For pardon has shown forth from the grave. Let no one fear death, For the Saviour's death has set us free. He that was held prisoner of it has annihilated it. By descending into Hell, He made Hell captive. He embittered it when it tasted of His flesh. And Isaiah, foretelling this, did cry: Hell, said he, was embittered When it encountered Thee in the lower regions. It was embittered, for it was abolished. It was embittered, for it was mocked. It was embittered, for it was slain. It was embittered, for it was overthrown. It was embittered, for it was fettered in chains. It took a body, and met God face to face. It took earth, and encountered Heaven. It took that which was seen, and fell upon the unseen. O Death, where is thy sting? O Hell, where is thy victory? Christ is risen, and thou art overthrown! Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen! Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice! Christ is risen, and life reigns! Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave. For Christ, being risen from the dead, Is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and dominion Unto ages of ages. Amen. Paschal Greetings from around the world Russian - Христос Воскресe! Воистину Воскресe! (Christos Voskrese! Voistinu Voskres!) Macedonian - Христос Воскресе! Навистина Воскресе! (Hristos Voskrese! Navistina Voskrese!) Serbian - Христос Вaскрсе! Ваистину Вaскрсе! (Hristos Vaskrse! Vaistinu Vaskrse!) Czech - Kristus Vstal A Mrtvych! Opravdi Vstoupil! Polish - Chrystus Zmartwychwstał! Prawdziwie Zmartwychwstał! Scottish - Tha Crìosd air èiridh! Gu dearbh, tha e air èiridh! Albian - (Tosk) - Krishti u ngjall! Vërtet u ngjall! Armenian- (Christos harjav i merelotz! Orhniale harutjun Christosi! -- Greek - Χριστός ἀνέστη! Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη! (Khristós Anésti! Alithós Anésti! Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!) Arabic - حقا قام!المسيح قام! El Messieh kahm! Hakken kahm!!! Romanian- Hristos a înviat! Adevărat a înviat! German - Christus ist auferstanden! Er ist wahrhaftig auferstanden! Bulgarian- Христос Возкресе! Воистина Возкресе! (Hristos Vozkrese! Voistina Vozkrese!) Ukranian - Христос Воскрес! Воістину Воскрес! (Chrystos Voskres! Voistynu Voskres!)

Ushers, Coffee Hour Sponsors and Prosfora Donors for April Ushers Coffee Hour Prosfora April 1 Doug & Catherine Hattrem Sisterhood Fran, Kim, and Micki, for John Johnson s Birthday 8 Anna Zivic & Simo Parapovic No Coffee Hour (Pascha) Matushka Sarah Rozdilski, for the health of her sister Rebecca on her Birthday 15 Nevenka Dines & John Johnson Church School Tsveta Lambo, for Mike and Maria Daly s Anniversary 22 Denise & Steve Covell Volunteer Needed 29 Sandy Oade & Penju Miteff Volunteer Needed Doug Hattrem, for Catherine s Birthday Jim and Cindy Smalley, for the health and salvation of their family Coffee hour A big thank you to all the volunteers who have hosted coffee hour. Fellowship is an important part of our life as a Christian family. It brings us together to socialize with one another and welcome guests into our Church. For us to maintain this tradition however, we are in need of additional help. If you can, please sign up in the church hall. Some dates that are available are: April 22 & 29, all of May, June, July & August. For more information talk to Matushka Sarah. Church School-Jennifer Beck Thank you to the Church school for sponsoring coffee hour on Sunday, April 15. Parents, please let Jennifer know what you are willing to bring. Pierogi Many thanks to all those who helped make Pierogi. This event has been a great success and already we have raised over $600 for the church general fund. We are hoping to keep this as a regular fund raiser, dates to be announced. Pierogi will be on sale every Sunday during coffee hour, for $6.00 per dozen (while supplies last!). Currently we have Sauerkraut and Potato & Cheese available. If you would like more information please talk to Cathy Fortais. Church Cleaning Schedule for April Week of Upstairs Downstairs April 2-7 Poufcas Volunteer Needed 9 14 Beck Donahue & Covell 16 21 Junior FOCA, Shruti Gross, Cathy Estrada 23 28 Greve Hubinger

How to Put Together a Traditional Easter Basket PASKA - The Easter Bread (pron, paska). A sweet yeast bread, rich in eggs, butter, etc. Symbolic of Christ Himself who is our True Bread. Usually a round loaf baked with a golden crust decorated with a symbol indicative of Christ. Sometimes a cross of dough is placed on top encircled by a plait giving it a crowned effect, or Greek abbreviations for the name of Christ. The letters XB indicate the Slavonic for "Christ is Risen." CHEESE (Hrudka or Sirets, pronounced - hrood-ka or si-rets) A custard-type cheese shaped into a ball having a rather bland but sweet taste indicative of the moderation that Christians should have in all things. Also, creamed cheese is placed in a small dish and both are decorated with symbols made of cloves or pepper balls. HAM (Sunka - pronounced shoon-ka) The flesh meat popular with Slavs as the main dish because of its richness and symbolic of the great joy and abundance of Easter. Some may prefer lamb or veal. This is usually well roasted or cooked as well as other meats prepared in advance so that the festivity of the day will not be burdened with preparation and all may en- BUTTER (Maslo - pronounced ma-slo) This favorite dairy product is shaped into the figure of a lamb or small cross and decorated as the cheese. This reminds us of the goodness of Christ that we should have toward all things. SAUSAGE (Kolbasi - pronounced kol-bus-i) A spicy, garlicy sausage of pork products, indicative of God's favor and generosity BACON (Slanina - pronounced - sla-ni-na) A piece of uncooked bacon cured with spices. Symbolic of the overabundance of God's mercy to us. EGGS (Pisanki - pronounced - pi-sun-ki) Hard boiled eggs brightly decorated with symbols and markings made with beeswax. Indicative of new life and resurrection. SALT (Sol - pronounced sol') A condiment necessary for flavor reminding the Christian of his duty to others. HORSERADISH (Chrin - pronounced - khrin) Horseradish mixed with grated red beets. Symbolic of the Passion of Christ still in our minds but sweetened with some sugar because of the Resurrection. A bitter -sweet red colored mixture reminds us of the sufferings of Christ. May You Have a Happy and Blessed Easter Christ is Risen! Christos Voskrese! Indeed, He is Risen! Voistinu Voskrese! These articles are placed in a wicker basket and a ribbon or bow is tied to the handle. A decorated candle is placed in the basket and is lit at the time of blessing. A linen cover usually embroidered with a picture of the Risen Christ or symbol with the words "Christ is Risen" is placed over the foods when brought to the church. In some places a large Easter Bread (Paska) is made and brought separately in a large linen cloth. If the origin of the people was from a wine growing region, a sweet wine may be brought.

April 2007 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 PALM SUNDAY 9:00 AM Confession 9:30 AM Liturgy 2 HOLY MONDAY 3 HOLY TUESDAY 4 HOLY WEDNESDAY 6:00 PM HOLY UNCTION 5 HOLY THURSDAY 11:00 AM VESPERAL DIVINE LITURGY 6:00 PM PASSION GOSPELS 6 HOLY FRIDAY 3:00 PM BURIAL VESPERS 6:00PM MATINS & PROCESSION 7 HOLY SATURDAY 11:00 AM VESPERAL DIVINE LITURGY 11:30 PM PASCHAL MATINS & LITURGY 8 PASCHA 11:00AM PASCHAL VESPERS 9 BRIGHT MONDAY 10 BRIGHT TUESDAY 6:00 PM COUNCIL MEETING 11 BRIGHT WEDNES- DAY 12 BRIGHT THURS- DAY 13 BRIGHT FRIDAY 14 BRIGHT SATUR- DAY 6:00 PM Great Vespers/ Confessions 15 ST. THOMAS SUN- DAY 9:00 AM Confession 9:30 AM Liturgy 1:00 3:00PM GRAVE BLESSING 16 17 18 7:00 PM SISTERHOOD MEETING 19 20 21 6:00 PM Great Vespers/ Confessions 22 9:00 AM Confession 9:30 AM Liturgy 23 24 25 26 27 28 6:00 PM Great Vespers/ Confessions 29 9:00 AM Confession 9:30 AM Liturgy 30

St. Andrew Orthodox Church 1216 Greencrest Ave. East Lansing, MI 48823 (517) 351-4627 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED