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Liturgy Intentions:

January 8, 2012The members and intentions of the

Holy Dormition Franciscan Friaryin Sybertsville

E-Mail: scrantonmelkite@yahoo.comWeb: http://melkitescranton.org

Webmaster: Sal Zaydon

January 8, 2012

Tone 5 and Orthros Gospel 8Sunday after Theophany

Liturgy Schedule:Saturday Vespers 4pmCompline Weds 8:30PM

Sunday Orthros 8:55 amSunday Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

Saint Joseph Melkite Greek Catholic Church130 North Saint Francis Cabrini Avenue

Scranton, PA 18504

Rev. Protodeacon Michael JollyAdministrator pro tempore570-213-9344

Reader Michael Simon

Parish Office 570-343-6092

Parish Notes:

2012 Calendars and envelops are available in the

narthex of the church.

Parish Council meets after Divine Liturgy

Qurban today was baked by Dn Michael Deacon Michael will be out of state Jan 13th

through Jan 19th in the event of an emergency that

requires a priest contact the Holy Dormition

Manastery at 788-1212 Welcome back Father Jerome Wolbert who serves

at our altar today. The perpetual candle in the month of January

burns in thanksgiving for Dn Michaels 25 years of

service by the Patchoski familyTodays Icon: theTheophanyJesus Christ, despite being the one sub-merged in the Jordan, is shown as thoughstanding up and staring straight at us. Hisbody is depicted as strong and beautiful, as

it is understood classically, and in oldericons He is naked. Christ appears almost aswide as the river Jordan itself; indeed: it isas though it is Jesus Christ, rather than theriver, which cuts a swathe through the

rocky wilderness on either side.

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The Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom

Antiphons:First AntiphonThrough the prayers of the Mother of God... Tone 2

Second Antiphon

O Son of God, Who are risen from the dead...Hymn of incarnation Tone 4Third Antiphon Tone 5Entrance

Hymns:Resurrectional Troparion Tone 5Troparion of the Theophany Tone 1Troparion of Saint Joseph Tone 1Kontakion for the Theophany of Our Lord Tone 3

Prokiemenon (Tone 1), Ps. 32:22,1May your kindness, O Lord, be upon us, for we have hoped in You.

Stichon: Exult, you just, in the Lord; praise from the upright is fitting.

Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians 4:7-13BRETHREN, to each one of us the grace was given according to the measure of Christsbestowal. Thus it says, Ascending on high, He led away captives; He gave gifts to men(Ps.61:19). Now this ascending, what does it mean but that He also descended first into the lowerparts of the earth? He Who descended, He it is Who ascended also above all the heavens, that Hemight fill all things. And He Himself gave some men as apostles, and some as prophets, andothers as pastors and teachers, in order to perfect the saints for a work of ministry, for building upthe body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the deep knowledge of the

Son of God, to perfect manhood, to the mature measure of the fullness of Christ.

Alleluia(Tone 5) Ps.88:2,3Your favor, O Lord, I will sing forever; from generation to generation, my mouth will proclaimYour faithfulness.Stichon: For You have said, My kindness is established forever.

In heaven You have confirmed Your faithfulness.

The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke 2:20-21 & 40-52At that time, when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew to Galilee. He leftNazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, thatwhat had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: "Land of Zebulun and land ofNaphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit indarkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has

arisen." From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven isat hand."

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Lord, it is good for us to be here.

The words of the holy Apostle Peter at theTransfiguration of our Lord come to mind as wecelebrate another great feast of Light on this Sundayafter Theophany. As St. Matthew tells us today,Isaiahs prophecy was fulfilled when Jesuswithdrew into Galilee of the Gentiles, leavingNazareth and going to Capernaum. The people whowalked in darkness who sat in the region ofdarkness and the shadow of death have seen a greatlight as the public ministry of our Lord dawned withthe proclamation Repent, for the Kingdom of

Heaven is at hand.

It is good for us to be here in this holy church thismorning because, like a monastic community, it isan incarnation of the proclamation of the gospel sosuccinctly and powerfully heard today to repent forthe Kingdom is at hand. This proclamation, alongwith the instruction we will hear next Sunday to sellall, distribute the wealth to the poor and then followthe Lord Jesus are the inspirational texts ofmonasticism, drawing countless numbers of menand women throughout the world, throughoutChristian history to follow the example of our Lordand withdraw from the secular world. Jesus did notsimply move fromNazareth to Capernaum, He

withdrew from proximity to evil in the person andpower of Herod to the fringes of Galileeof theGentiles, to the people in darkness and the shadowof death. But unlike those who would follow Himin the ensuing centuries by withdrawing into thedeserts of Egypt or Syria or the dense forests ofGermany and Russia or the isolated and barrenislands off the coasts of Ireland and Scotland, Hewent into the streets of Capernaum crying out themessage of repentance proclaimed by the nowstilled voice of the Forerunner and declaring it

fulfilled in His coming.

And so today men and women have withdrawnfrom the places where the kingdom of this worldexercises its greatest influence and by their verypresence in these monastic communities, in prayerand work, continue to proclaim the gospel messageof repentance and the coming of the Kingdom as

they respond to it with their whole lives.

In a unique way, the monastic experiences the truthso simply stated by St. Isaac of Syria that this lifehas been given to us for repentance and should notbe squandered. So the monastic dedicates him orherself to such a life, together with other who haveheard this same call and seek to respond to it in thesame manner. For after Jesus began to preach, healso began to gather disciples to Himself,demonstrating the truth that it is not good for man tobe alone, even as he pursues the Kingdom inrepentance. From the outside, we witness in themonastic life the presence of the Kingdom, thepresence of Christ Himself, for just as in every

Divine Liturgy He is the Offerer and the Offered,the Receiver and the Received, so too is He always

the Kingdom and the King.

Does this mean, then, that those of us who are notmonastics should leave behind all that we are andbecome monks?No. To do so would demonstratethat we were still in darkness, that we do notunderstand the meaning of repentance, to confusethe means with eh end. Historically, monasticism isthe fruit of repentance, repentance is not necessarilythe fruit of monasticism. Like anything touched bythe hand of man, the monastic life can be

transformed into something other, an idol even, ascan ones spouse, children or priesthood, if notknown, lived and loved in and through God.

This is repentance, to turn form self to God, tochange ones mind from its focus on the here andnow, the things of this world, its wisdom andpursuits to God above all and before all else. Thegreatest commandment is to love God with all ourheart, mind, soul and strength, and our neighbor asourself. Or as the Lord also put it, love one anotheras I have loved you. The fulfillment of this

commandment is repentance.

How do we do it?Love our enemies, bless those

who persecute us, forgive everyone who offendsand harms us, bear one anothers burdens, behumble, pray unceasingly, believe, not in abstractpropositions but in the Living Word revealed in

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Holy Tradition, to have the mind of Christ, and toacquire it through prayer and study not only ofScripture but also the lives and writings of thesaints. There is also the ascetic strugglesummarized by the term fasting, the spiritual battlewith the passions, especially those of anger, lust,and greed, but also the other passions, each ofwhich exercises its sinful power over us, some orone of them more than the others. To repent is toovercome these passions, to reassert control overthem, to purify them, rather than allowing them tocorrupt us. To repent is to do all this so that Christmay come and dwell in us, that we may enter intoand remain in communion with the Most HolyTrinity, that in the words of the Forerunner seen in

the icon behind me, He must increase and I mustdecrease. To repent is to respond to the presenceof Christ, to our encounter with Him who is Risenfrom the dead, who has trampled down death bydeath and upon those in the graves bestowing life,whether those are graves of stone or clay or gravesof minds darkened by sin, or lives spent inidolatrous worship of self, money, power orsuccess. Repentance brings us into the Kingdombecause repentance allows the Kingdom to comeinto our souls. Jesus tells us the Kingdom of God iswithin us, in the presence of the Holy Spirit who ispoured out upon us in Baptism and Chrismation and

is renewed in us in every Holy Communion andConfession. And the fruits of the Spirit are love,joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and ofsuch is the Kingdom of God, not eating or drinkingor any material thing or place. Thus, we areadmonished not to be conformed to this world, buttransformed by the renewing of our mind so that wemay prove what is that good and acceptable andperfect will of God. And to offer ourselves as a

living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.

This we should do as disciples of Christ, membersof His Body, whether monastics or married, clergyor laity. Whatever our vocation, wherever we live,narrow is the way and difficult is the path and thedepth of our holiness depends on how well werespond to the call to repent. The Twelve He calledto come and follow Him, leaving all

behind. However, the Gerasene demoniac, after hisexorcism, wanted to do likewise, but Jesus sent himhome to live among his neighbors as a powerfulwitness to the saving power of God in Christ. Andso it is with us. Like the Twelve, Christians putaside the world to follow our Lord, and like thedemoniac, others of us who have been brought fromthe dark prison of sin into the Light and Life of theKingdom are sent back home to witness by our lives

to the saving power of Christ.

Lord, it is good for us to be here

Because this community and all the others like it area call to repent and manifest in the world the

Kingdom of God, living a life of love, joy, peace,patience, kindness, goodness and righteousness.

It is good for us to be here

For we are called to renew our repentance, to pursethe life in the Kingdom as does this parishcommunity through our participation in the prayersand Liturgies offered here either by our physicalpresence or spiritual communion in the love of

Christ.

It is good for us to be here

To encourage this parish community in its pursuit ofrepentance and manifestation of the Kingdom and toseek their spiritual encouragement for our ascetic

struggle.

It is good for us to be here this morning

So that the repentance to which we are called can berenewed in us, by seeing and tasting that the Lord isgood, a foretaste of the eternal Kingdom of theFather, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

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Equipping theSaintsMANYPEOPLEONLYSEETHEIRPASTORduringliturgical services. They may have no contact withany of the clergy outside of this context. The onlyother church functions they attend may be socialor athletic events where the clergy are on thesidelines. The pastors most prominent role in ourChurch today is as liturgist.

As a result, particularly in rural or village churchesof the Christian East, a mans voice was his chiefqualification for entrance into the clergy. And if hehad a nice full beard like Jesus, so much the better!Priests would often preempt deacons and deaconsthe other clergy if their rendition of the Gospel or afavorite hymn was more lyrical. The best clergymanwas a good liturgist and the best liturgist, after all,was the best virtuoso.

When parishes were established in this country theywere often organized after the model employed bythe Roman Catholic churches around them. Therethe laity had no role in the parish beyond taking upthe collection and possibly arranging flowers for thealtar. Any ministry in the parish was exercised bythe clergy and religious such as teaching sisters.

If we look to see how things were done in the NewTestament era, a very different picture emerges. Inthe Epistle to the Ephesians, for example, we find avery clear cut job description. St Paul writes, Toeach one of us grace was given according to the

measure of Christs giftHe himself gave some to

be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and

some pastors and teachers for the equipping of thesaints for the work of ministry, for building up the

body of Christ till we all come to the unity of thefaith and of the knowledge of theSon ofGod, to amature manhood, to the measure of the stature of

the fullness of Christ (Eph 4: 7, 11-13).

Those with Gifts of LeadershipSt Paul lists several types of Church leaders. TheApostles were first of all those who had beeneyewitnesses to Christ life and ministry. When areplacement for Judas was to be chosen Peteridentified the eligible candidates as being one ofthese men who have accompanied us all the timethat the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

beginning from the baptism of John to that daywhen He was taken up from us (Acts 1:21-22). Hethen went on to indicate his own understanding ofan Apostles role in the Church: one of these mustbecome a witness with us of His resurrection.

Many people think thatProphets are fortune tellers,telling how the future is to play itself out.Sometimes that is close to the truth. At other timesthe prophets gift is to speak Gods will for thepresent moment or, rather, o interpret the presentmoment in the light of Gods will for us. Thisfunction in the Church is generally found in themonastic calling. By their vows they become deadto the world in a foretaste of the common destinyof all of us. In the Kingdom of God neitherpossessions nor physical relationships will continue.There will be no ego, no pride, for all the glory willbe Gods. In addition some monastics have the gift

of discernment, reading the hearts of those whocome to them for guidance.

Evangelists are those who proclaim the Gospel farand wide. Missionaries and retreat masters haveoften shared in this gift. Today web masters andbloggers might join in this gift.Thepastor/teacheris the person at the head of thelocal Church, the bishop or his representative, thepresbyter (priest). While the others mentionedtraveled around the Mediterranean world bringingthe good news of Christ, the pastors were the peopleleft behind to shepherd the local community. Their

main role was described as equipping of the saintsfor the work of ministry, the saints being thosewho were made holy by being united to Christ inholy baptism. At every baptism we are remindedthat All of you who have been baptized into Christhave put on Christ. You cant get much holier thanthat!

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The pastor in this view is primarily an enabler,giving people the tools needed to take up their placein one of the Churchs ministries. He must see to thetraining of greeters, singers and servers, of catechistsand ministers to the sick, of church council membersand workers in any other kind of ministry that mightbe needed in the parish. And it is because he is thisenabler of the saints under his care, because he is theteacher and shepherd of the flock that the pastorpresides at liturgical services.

The Work of MinistryIn St Pauls vision of the Church, there are no

passive spectators. All are meant to be active, to beengaged in the work of ministry in one way oranother. Most parishes have their regular schedule ofprojects that mark its life during the year coffeehours, fundraisers, socials, outings and peoplework to make them happen. This is certainly onelevel of ministry, but there is more. Two suchministries which touch the heart of every parish arethose concerned with worship and catechesis.

Liturgical singing is a ministry in which allworshippers should be involved. Everyone shouldtake part in the chants appointed for the people.

Others have a more particular or specialized ministryas cantors or choir members. A cantor can make orbreak the liturgical services in the parish because thecantor is the liturgical minister most concerned withthe involvement of the people.

People have long associated ministering in the holyplace with altar boys. In fact, the role the serversplay is basically the role of subdeacons. In manyplaces the servers are actually vested as subdeacons.At least a few older teens or young adults should beinvolved in this ministry to supervise and train anyyounger servers the parish might employ. In some

Eastern Churches those senior servers who have afirm commitment to this ministry are actuallyblessed by the bishop as subdeacons.

Another essential ministry in every parish in that ofcatechist. Many people identify the term catechist

with Sunday School teacher, but those whocoordinate youth ministry, work with young adultsor conduct adult education programs are alsocatechists. In some churches people have beentrained to introduce visitors to the church or helpthem follow the Liturgy. In other places people havebeen instructed to conduct church open houses,perhaps in conjunction with a food festival. All ofthese are catechetical ministries essential for thespiritual growth of the parish.

Commitment and TrainingTaking part in many of these activities demands alevel of commitment. Cantors must plan their leisure

activities around the parishs schedule of liturgicalservices. Catechists must commit themselves to afull cycle of sessions in any given year. Thesedemands would be a real burden to anyone who wasnot convinced that ministering in this way was theirreturn to God of the gift He had given them.

Training Is a Must!One aspect of any serious ministry is the need fortraining. The twentieth-century academic MargaretMead once said in another context, Zeal withoutknowledge is a sin. This certainly applies to

ministry in the Church. The desire to serve must becomplemented by a willingness to be trained forservice. Being smarter than a child, for example,does not automatically make someone a goodcatechist! Neither does having learned onescatechism (in another age or even in anotherChurch tradition) dispense a volunteer catechist fromgoing through a training program.

The result of this interaction of ministry workers andtheir enablers is, as St Paul has it, a maturemanhood after the stature of Christ. The parishbecomes an icon of Christ and of those who

accompanied Him the apostles, the myrrhbearers,and the rest each taking up their responsibility inand for the Church according to the measure ofChrists gift.

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11/6/2011 Parish AdvisoryCouncil Meeting

Attendance: Deacon Michael, Jim Zaydon Jr., BetsyZaydon, Terri Patchoski

Deacon Michael opened the meeting with a prayerThe choosing of a Parish Council Chairman has

been postponedPriest News:

We havent heard anything relating to apriest being assigned to Saint Joseph,hoping there will be news for nextyear

Father Jerome will be celebrating theDivine Liturgy with us on Christmas

Day

We will most likely justcelebrate Great Vespers onChristmas Eve

We are currently doing OK with thevisiting clergy for now

Steeple News: (JJZ Report)The steeple has been completed and looks

wonderful10-15 year fixScreens have been installed behind the

louvers to keep birds outThe steeple has been caulked with tar

Everyone in attendance is pleased withthe results of the fix

Rectory:Bathroom floors have been tiledRugs have been removedTotal the project cost about $1400

Church:Windows still need to be done

Not enough fundingNave ceiling needs to be fixed and

paintedJJZ will be looking for benefactors to

have these repairs made

Religious Education:

Currently no familiesMelkite moms group has been proposed

by Jen Clark

Coffee Hour last weekExcellent pancakes were prepared by

John Coury and we thank himMore in attendance would be nice

Parish Trip:Some suggestions will be pursued at a

later date for parish fellowship. Planswill be made for some Saturday

Deacon Michaels 25th anniversary:Betsy Zaydon will take charge of eventKibbee and other items will be served

right after liturgyWill ask for helpers

Rummage Sale:Terri and Clarice couldnt squeeze in

during November due to thecelebrations

Terri will find a date at the end of Januaryor beginning of February

Societies and GroupsYoung adults (21+) wants to get together

as couplesYouth are all in college now

Finances:Income is small especially after all recent

expenses

New BusinessWould like more readers to come forward

to aid Deacon MichaelDetermined Dates:

December 11th 2011- Ladies HolidayParty

December 4th 2011- Childrens PartyJanuary 1st 2012- Potluck-feast of Saint

JosephNext Meeting: January

Deacon closed the meeting with a prayer

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Devotions and Readings for this week

Mon

1/9Martyr Polyeuctus Heb 11:17-31 Mk 1:9-15

Tues

1/10

Gregory of Nyssa, Marcian, Priest of the GreatChurch and Donetian, Bp of Meletine

Heb 12:25-27 Lk 3:19-22

Weds

1/11Theodosius, Foundre of Monasteries Heb 13:7-16 Mt 5:14-19

Thurs

1/12Martyr Tatiana James 1:19-27 Jn 10:39-42

Fri

1/13Martyrs Ermylus and Straconicus James 2:1-13 Lk 20:1-8

Sat

1/14Holy Fathers martyred at Sinai and Raitho Col 1:1-16 Lk 12:32-41

A Prayer- Teach Me Your Love

Your birds awaken me in the morning, and the murmurof the lake lulls me to sleep in the evening. But it is notthe birds that awaken me, nor the lake that lulls me to

sleep, but You, O Lord, Master of the voice.

You lend Your voice to the birds and the midnightmurmur to the lake. You have lent a voice to every

throat, and have put a story into every creature. I amsurrounded by Your heralds, as a student by many

teachers, and I listen to them tirelessly from day untildusk.

O Lord, Master of the voice, speak more clearly

through Your heralds!

The sun speaks to me about the radiance of Yourcountenance, and the stars about the harmony of Yourbeing. The sun speaks in one language, and the stars

speak in a different language, but all the languages flowout of the same vocal cords. The vocal cords belong to

You, and You uttered the first sound that began totremble in the deafness and formlessness of

nothingness, and it broke into countless sounds andheralds, as a thundercloud breaks into rain drops.

O Lord, Master of the voice, speak more clearly

through Your heralds!

One exclamation escaped the breast of the Bride of Godwhen She saw Your Sona voice filled with a love that

could not be contained in silence. And that exclamationechoed in the heart of Her Son, and this echothis

response to the love of His Motherthe Holy Spirit hasspread with His powerful arms throughout the entire

universe. Therefore, all the universe is filled with Yourheralds, O my Song and my Love.

O Lord, Master of the voice, speak more clearlythrough Your heralds!

For this reason You also spoke in parables, O Son ofGod, and You would explain things and events as

stories about the Most High God. You cured the sickwith words and raised the dead with words, for Yourecognized the mystery of love. And the mystery oflove is a mystery of words. Through all creatures, as

through piercing and blaring trumpets, words pour forthand throughwords, the Love

of Heaven.

O Lord,Master of the

voice, teach meYour Love

through all Yourheralds.

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The mystery

of the Holy TrinityThe concepts of the unity and the highest characteristics ofGod do not themselves exhaust the fullness of the Christianteachings about God. The Christian faith lets us in on thedeepest mystery of the inner life of God. It presents God onein essence and as a Trinity in Persons. The concept of"Person," is close to the notions of "individuality,""consciousness," personality. Since God in His essence is one,then all of Gods characteristics His immortality,omnipotence, omnipresence, and others belong in equal

measure to all Three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity. Inother words, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit are eternal

and omnipotent, as is God the Father.

The Truth of the Tri-oneness of God (Trinity) represents thedistinguishing attribute of Christianity. Not only do naturalreligions not know this truth, but there is no clear, directrevelation of it in the God-revealed Old Testament teachings.There are merely rudiments, graphic, concealed indications,which can only be understood fully in the light of the NewTestament, revealing the teaching of the triune God withcomplete clarity. Such, for example, are the Old Testamentsayings, witnessing to the plurality of Persons in the Deity:"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness"(Gen. 1:26);"Behold, the man is become as one of us"(Gen. 3:22); "Go to, let

us go down, and there confound their language"(Gen. 11:7).Here God appropriates to Himself the plural tense. There isanother Biblical example, when in the narration about Godthree appear as one. When, for example, God appears toAbraham in the form of three wanderers (angels). Abraham, inspeaking with them, uses the singular tense (Gen. 18:1-3).This appearance of God to Abraham serves as the subject for

the famous Rublev icon of the Holy Trinity.

The teaching about the Trinity is the foundation on which theChristian faith is built. All the pleasing, redeeming truths ofChristianity about salvation, consecration, bliss of a personcan be accepted only on the condition that we believe in theThree-hypostatic God, since all these great blessings are givento us through the mutual and joint activity of the DivinePersons. "The outline of our teachings is one, " teaches St.Gregory the Theologian, "and it is short. It is as a sign on a

pillar, understandable to all: These people are trueworshippers of the Trinity." The great importance and centralmeaning of the dogma of the Most Holy Trinity explains thecare with which the Church always guarded it, that vigilanceand that intense effort of thought, with which it defended its

faith from various heretics and tried to give it the most

accurate definition (1 John 5:7-8).

"One in essence, God is Trinity in Persons: the Father, the Sonand the Holy Spirit, Trinity one in essence and indivisible." Inthese few words is expressed the core of the Christianteachings of the Most Holy Trinity. But notwithstanding suchapparent conciseness, simplicity, the dogma of the Trinitycontains one of the deepest, most incomprehensible,mysterious secrets of the Revelation of God. No matter howwe exert our mind, we are completely powerless to imaginehow three independent Divine Persons (not powers, notattributes or phenomenon) completely equal in Godly dignity

can comprise one, indivisible Being.

The Holy Fathers of the Church approached thisunencompassable deep, elevated truth many times with their

God-

enlightened thoughts. In their attempts to somehowclarify it, to bring it closer to the comprehension of our limitedmind, they used different comparisons, taken either from

phenomena in surrounding nature, or from the spiritualstructure of a person. For example: 1) sun, light and warmth(from here: "Light from Light" in the Creed); 2) anunderground spring, a spring, and stream; 3) roots, trunk and

branches; 4) mind, feelings and will. The Holy Equal-to theApostles Cyril, the enlightener of the Slavs (in 869 AD, in adiscussion with Muslims about the Most Holy Trinity),

pointing to the sun, said: "See, in the sky there stands ashining circle, and from it light is born and warmth is emitted.God the Father, like the solar disk, is without beginning orend. From Him, the Son of God is born, like light from thesun, and as warmth goes from the sun together with rays of

light, proceeds the Holy Spirit. Each can distinguishseparately the solar disk, and light, and warmth, but the sun isone in the sky. So is the Holy Trinity: three Persons in Him,

but one and indivisible God."

All these and other comparisons, easing somewhat theassimilation of the mystery of the Trinity, appear, however,only the weakest hints at the nature of the Highest Being.They leave a sense of inadequacy, disparity with the highsubject for which they are used for clarification. They cannotremove that cloak of incomprehensibility, mystery, from theteachings about the Triune God, in which this teaching is

enveloped for the mind of a person.

One instructive story is preserved regarding this about thefamous western teacher of the Church the blessed

Augustine. Immersed once in thought about the mystery of theTrinity and constructing a plan for a composition on thistheme, he departed for the shore of the sea. There he saw howa boy, playing in the sand, was digging a hole. Approachingthe boy, Augustine asked him: "What are you doing?" "Iwant to pour the sea into this hole," answered the boy,smiling. Then Augustine understood: "Am I not doing the

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same thing as this boy, trying to comprehend the sea of

the infinity of God with my intellect?"

In the same manner, even that great universal saint and bishop Gregory, who, for his ability to fathom with histhoughts even the deepest mysteries of faith, is honored

by the Church with the name Theologian, wroteconcerning himself, that he speaks more often about theTrinity than he breathes, and he admits theunsatisfactoriness of all comparisons, directed to thecomprehension of the dogma of the Trinity. "No matterwhat I observed with my inquisitive mind," says he, "nomatter with what I enriched my intellect, no matter whereI searched for something resembling this, I did not find, to

what Godly essence can be worthily applied."

So, the teaching of the Most Holy Trinity is the deepest,

most incomprehensible mystery of faith. All efforts tomake it understandable, to place it in the usual frameworkof our thinking are in vain. "Here is the boundary of that"

notes St. Athanasius the Great "which the

cherubims cover with their wings."

However, notwithstanding all of its incomprehensibility,the teachings about the Holy Trinity has an importantmoral meaning for us, and, evidently, for this reason thismystery is revealed to people. Indeed, it uplifts the veryidea of monotheism, places it on firm ground andeliminates those important, unconquerable difficulties,which had earlier cropped up for human thought. Severalof the thinkers of the pre-Christian antiquity, rising to theunderstanding of oneness in the supreme Being, could notsolve the question of how in particular does the life andactivity of this Being manifest itself by Itself, outside ofits relations to the world. And so the Deity, in their minds,either identified itself with the world (pantheism), orappeared lifeless, withdrawn within itself, an immobile,isolated head (deism), or became a fearsome, inexorablefate having dominion over the world (fatalism).Christianity in the teaching about the Holy Trinityrevealed, that in the Three-hypostatic Being, and asidefrom His relations to the world, there manifests itself fromthe ages an infinite fullness of internal, mysterious life.God, to quote one ancient teacher of the Church (PeterChrisologue), is one, but not alone. In Him there is adistinction of Persons, existing in continuous associationwith each other. "God the Father is not born and does not

proceed from another Person, the Son of God is born pre-

eternally of the Father, the Holy Spirit pre-eternallyproceeds from the Father. The internal, hidden life of the

Deity is in this mutual association of the Divine Personsfrom time immemorial, which before Christ was hidden

behind an impenetrable curtain.

Through the mystery of the Trinity, Christianity taught

not only to honor God, to revere Him, but to love Him.Through this mystery in particular it gave the world that

delightful and momentous idea, that God is limitless, perfect Love. The strict, dry monotheism of otherreligious teachings (Judaism and Mohammedanism), bynot rising to the undisguised idea of Divine Trinity,cannot for this reason rise to the true understanding oflove as the ruling characteristic of God. Love by its veryessence is unthinkable without a union, association. IfGod were one Person, then in relation to whom would HisLove be revealed? To the world? But the world is noteternal. How could the Godly love be expressed in theeternity before the world? In addition, the world islimited, and the love of God cannot reveal itself in all ofits boundlessness. The highest love, for its fullestexpression, demands as high an object. But where is it?Only the mystery of the Triune God provides the answerto these indicated difficulties. It reveals that the love ofGod has never been inactive, without expression: ThePersons of the Most Holy Trinity from eternity live onewith another in continuous contact of love. The Fatherloves the Son (John 5:20, 3:35), and calls Him beloved(Mt. 3:17, 17:5 et al). The Son says of Himself: "I love the

Father"(John 14:31). Deeply true are the short, butexpressive words of the blessed Augustine: "The mysteryof the Christian Trinity is the mystery of Godly love. You

see the Trinity, if you see love."

The concept of God as Love is based the teaching aboutthe Most Holy Trinity. All the Christian moral teachingsare founded on this teaching, the essence of which

consists of the law of love.

In humble recognition of the impossibility ofunderstanding themystery of the MostHoly Trinity, we mustaccept it on full faith,and accept it so thatthis truth does notremain somethingexternal, detached inrelation to us, butwould penetrate to theinnermost recesses ofour spirit, would

become the property

of all our soul, becomethe guiding powersource of our life.Such should be inessence the acquisitionof other Christian truths. For Christianity is not an

abstract theory, but a new renaissance of life!

8/3/2019 1-8-12

12/12

Parish Calendar

January8 Parish Council Meeting After Divine

Liturgy29 Youth MeetingFebruary11 Rummage Sale

PrayerRequests

The Weekly QuizWhat was the response of thedaughter of Pharaoh when sheheard the baby Moses crying?

She wept too.She had compassion on him.She was ashamed of her father's

edict.She was furious.

Last Weeks AnswerQ. Who asked God to bless him and enlarge his

territory?A. Jabez

Rev. Father Philip Azoon

Rev. Deacon John Karam

Rev. Seraphim Michalenko

Rev. Basil Samra

Rev. Peter Boutros

Rev. Deacon Bryan McNiel

Rev. Deacon Irenaeus Dionne

Rev. Father David White

Marie Abda Margaret Dillenburg

Marie Abda Mark Dillman

Marie Barron

Karen Haddad

Joseph Barron Karen Kane

Mary Sue Betress Niko Mayashairo

Chris Carey Mary McNeilly

Nikki Boudreaux Marie Patchoski

Dr. Frances Colie Joanna Simon

John Colie William Simon

Ann Coury Dr. Thomas Zaydon

All those Serving in our Armed Forces

The Christian Community in the Middle East

Sacrificial Giving

12/25/2011

Candles $ 5.75

Weekly $ 456.00

Holyday $ 125.00