November – December 2016 A Bi-Monthly Newsletter of St. Thomas Orthodox Church In this Issue . . . Messages Pastor’s Letter 3 Chairman’s Letter 5 Spiritual Insights 6 Renewing Your Mind 7 News and Events Centennial 10 Trunk or Treat 11 Creative Cake Bake 12 Orthodox News 13 Upcoming Worship 15 Fellowship and Service 16 Calendar 17 The Messenger PO Box 1042 1100 Jones Street Sioux City, IA 51102 Office: (712) 258-7166 Fr. L’s Cell: (712) 635-7519 [email protected]www.StThomasSiouxCity.org
Transcript
November – December 2016
A Bi-Monthly Newsletter of St. Thomas Orthodox Church
Pastor: Fr. Lucas Rice Chair / Interim Treasurer: George Stickney, Sr. Vice-Chair: Jeff Stevens Secretary: Becky Suhr Ladies Club Rep: Judy Stevens
Ron Carlson Nick Corey George Stickney, Jr.
PARISH SCHEDULE
Normal Weekly Schedule
Sunday
9:00 – 10:00 am Orthros 10:00 – 11:30 am Divine Liturgy * Church School after Holy Communion Wednesday
4:00 – 6:00 pm Pastor’s Office Hours 6:00 – 6:30 pm Vespers 7:00 – 7:30 pm Family Fun Night (2nd and 4th Wednesdays) Saturday
6:00 – 6:45 pm Great Vespers Confessions
Confessions are heard after Vespers (Wed and Sat) and by appointment. Memorials
Trisagion Prayer services may be offered at any time, preferably on Friday evenings or Saturday mornings.
Please consult our Weekly Bulletin and our online Calendar for the most up-to-date information.
PARISH LEADERSHIP
Clubs, Ministries, Committees
Altar Guild Coordinator: Brenda Nelson Altar Servers Director: Mike Antonovich Cemetery Committee Chair: Pat Corey Chant Director: Denny Yanney Choir Director: De Bottei Church School Director: Erica Stickney Dinner Committee Chair: Paul Lammers Ladies Club President: Judy Stevens Maintenance Committee Chair: Nick Corey SOYO Director: Kh. Nicole Rice Visitation Ministry: Julie Kinnaman
Meetings
Ladies Club The Ladies Club meets on the first Tuesday of every other month at 6:30pm. SOYO See Calendar for quarterly events. Parish Council See Online Calendar for monthly meeting. Committees Scheduled as needed.
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PASTOR’S MESSAGE
“THE KING IS COMING”
According to most anthropologists, the human being changed significantly around 12,000 years ago. It was at that time that our ancestors stopped being hunter-gatherers put down roots, built more permanent dwellings, and began growing crops and domesticating animals. This phenomenon which we call agriculture created civilization as we know it: food became more predictable (although not necessarily healthier), people lived longer, primitive settlements became villages, and a nascent economy emerged. Soon villages linked together for trade and intermarriage. Some grew and became metropolises. As society grew, so did its leadership. As a matter of fact, it was old news by the time the first written records appeared around 3200 BC. Things had changed: now we had kings. A king, of course, is someone who is in control, someone whose power cannot only be threatened by other, exceedingly powerful people. We have political kings, financial kings, celebrity kings—kings of the heart, kings of the mind. In some ways, things really have not changed that much from ancient Mesopotamia until now. As Christians, however, we have allegiance to an ever greater kingdom than anyone in this age, whether literal or metaphorical. Our kingdom is not like historical kingdoms. Diverse peoples fly its colors. Our queen is an unwed (formerly) teen-aged mother. Our military is so rarely seen, many doubt its existence. Our nobles are often impoverished and heirless. Our king, let’s face it, is no master of diplomacy. He forbids compromise, promises only self-denial, and allows enemies to attack his subjects. He is a bad king by worldly standards but then again, his kingdom is not like other kingdoms. His kingdom is not of this world. Let’s push pause on this kingship business for a moment and talk about Christmas. For many people Christmas is all about plucking their heart strings: family traditions, favorite songs, wearing ugly sweaters, and the like. People show their holiday piety by carefully retelling memories (usually embarrassing others in the process) and by imbibing festive beverages (usually embarrassing themselves in the process). For these folk, the moral imperative is to capture the “Christmas Spirit.” Sure, they might make a few oblique references to the “reason for the season” which might mean charity, niceness, or tossing a quarter toward the Salvation Army bell ringers. Christmas, for so many people, is about sentimentality—remembering and preserving anything that makes you feel warm and fuzzy. While fine in moderation, when we indulge in sentimentality—when we spend too much time focusing on what makes us feel good and satisfying our own desires—we ignore our king. In truth, many people have no use for Jesus during Christmas time. They will feed the hungry . . . members of their family; cloth the naked . . . loved ones with designer clothes, and visit those in prison . . . as long as the prison is a den and the imprisonment is involves wings and a game on the television. While these activities may make us feel good, they do not serve our king. All peoples in all places take care of their own kind. When Christmas is only about your family, your memories, your feelings—it ceases to be about the king (and I don’t mean Elvis). We must do more than “put the CHRIST back in Christmas” we must put the KING back in kingdom and make our Christianity more about following our king and less about “holiday cheer.” We must serve our king. There are many ways to serve the Kingdom of Christ. We can buy presents and donate them to Shesler Hall or Toys for Tots. We can invite a lonely neighbor or friend to dinner. We can give money to charities: Food for Hungry People, the Food Bank, and yes, the bell ringers outside our grocery stores. We can comfort those in mourning with a card, call, or visit. We can pray for the departed—especially those whose names may be forgotten by others. We can make rapprochement to our enemies. We entreat the Lord for mercy upon those who have wounded us.
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Rather than burying the Christ child in a mountain of wrapping paper and drowning out our savior’s entreaties with “Jingle Bell Rock,” Christmas should be about doing his commandments. We should follow him with MORE vigor than normal because this is the birthday of our King and the anniversary of the founding of our kingdom. It is so easy to follow the false kings of this world. You can sing yourself to sleep with Christmas carols. You can drink yourself into a stupor with eggnog. You can stuff yourself with ham and turkey. You can lose yourself in a sea of memories and emotion. These kings—materialism, sentimentality, gluttony, self-indulgence—are the kings that most people will be following this Christmas season. They are quite common behaviors, well-befitting these worldly kingdoms. As a Christian, be different. Serve the king who loves beyond the love of self, who serves past the point of death; the king who can never die and who can never be replaced. Serve Christ the King and belong to a kingdom not of this world, but greater than anything this world has to offer. May our Gracious King bless you this Nativity season, Fr. Lucas Rice
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CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE
My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The summer and fall of 2016 has been a very busy and productive time for Saint Thomas church. Our Sunday school wrapped up a very productive year and it started our 2016- 2017 School year with even more promise. More kids more teachers more classes. They started this year with their most successful fundraiser (their Waffle Breakfast they made over $1000. great work kids!) Saint Thomas was well represented at this year's parish life conference in Tulsa Oklahoma. This summer we did an extensive cleanup and fix-up on our church—both inside and outside. We replaced the floor in our Nave and the carpets in both the front and back stairs. We painted all the walls in the church; we repaired and replaced the front steps. We scrubbed and cleaned all the walls in the main church hall and kitchen. It's like a new church! All dressed up for the big party. We held our Centennial for St. Thomas at the beginning of September it was extremely well attended and a very big success. We had in excess of 300 people attending from all over the country. We had three full days filled with church services, food, dancing, and good times, if you missed it you really missed the celebration of the century. The highlight of our Centennial was having Metropolitan Joseph as our guest of honor for all three days. He took the time to meet and greet everyone who wanted to share time with him. His message was, "I here to serve you—not for you to serve me!" Metropolitan Joseph presided at all of the services at Saint Thomas church. If you missed any of our celebration or if you want to relive some of those events that you attended, go to our website. We have hundreds and hundreds of pictures for anyone who wants to download them. In October, we had our second Mediterranean Market fund raiser; this has proved to be a good fundraiser one that we can have a couple of times each year. For Halloween our Sunday School and SOYO group hosted the neighborhood for a Trunk and Treat Halloween, where Saint Thomas provided a safe place for the neighborhood children to trick-or-treat and party in the church. We hosted over 350 children and their parents for a great party It's amazing how much a few people can get done when they make the effort. . September marked the beginning of a new Ecclesiastical Year. So we are looking at a new beginning, the opportunity to make St. Thomas Church vibrant again. Our annual meeting of the general membership will be held the second Sunday of December. This year there will be three Church Council positions up for election. We are looking for a few good men and women to serve on our committees and board. Our main goal is to get more young people involved in church. Finally stewardship! Giving statements will be sent out this month. Included with your statement will be a card. We are asking you to fill out these cards and return them to the church. We need this information to update our church records. We need everyone to reevaluate their financial situation and give as much as you can. Your pledge is very much appreciated. Your servant in Christ George Stickney Sr. 2016 Parish Council Chairman
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SPIRITUAL INSIGHT:
RECALIBRATE YOUR NATIVITY FAST
BY FR. TIMOTHY SAS
[On November 15], we begin the Lenten season preparing us for the great feast of the Birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and God who enters the world in the flesh. This is a forty-day journey to a major marker in our annual cycle of worshipping God. Distraction abounds with the secular shopping season mightily drawing us into the trap of increased spending. Distraction abounds also with the celebrations of the multiple "Holiday Parties" which seem to begin before we have even digested the Thanksgiving Dinner! Distraction abounds also with the panic or excitement of the oncoming end of the year, realizing that we have blinked and missed 2016. Distraction abounds also, this year in particular, due to the dizzying presidential campaign and election. Therefore, let's re-calibrate our minds, our souls, our hearts, and even our bodies. Firstly, please consider the distractions I have listed above and if you identify with them even in part, please take a moment to reflect how frivolous our concerns are. Much of the world beyond our national borders does not even have the luxury of such distractions because their basic life needs are severely lacking. Moreover, in our own communities and neighborhoods, people struggle daily with various afflictions. Secondly, please make an intentional decision to methodically recalibrate—remembering that every Lenten season is prescribed by our Holy Church as an opportunity to restore the self. Here are some thoughts I have for my own restoration, but I share them with you hoping that they will be helpful in your spiritual struggle.
1. Recalibrate the mind by pushing out some of the daily distractions such as excessive news watching, social media, TV, music, parties, and connectivity in general. Read a book that aids your spiritual development. (Join a spiritual book club such as ours: Winter Pascha [Ed. Note: This is a book about the Nativity Fast written by Fr. Thomas Hopko (+2015)].
2. Recalibrate the soul by pushing away both exhaustion and laziness and increase your personal prayer at home. Engage your whole family in prayer also. Attend worship services at church with more frequency and especially on days other than Sundays. Certainly, reach out to your priest or spiritual father and set time aside for Confession, and sink the entire being into this restorative mystery.
3. Recalibrate the heart by ridding the self of the temptation to dislike (or worse) people, activities, things, or ideas which are unfamiliar. Instead, gently yet quickly soften your heart and allow it to love more readily. Certainly, reach out to help those in need in a real interaction (not just by a donation).
4. Recalibrate the body by decreasing the amount, timeliness, and types of foods and drinks we consume. Keep the Lenten practices of the Church, as your health permits. Increase attentiveness to restoring and improving bodily health through attentive exercise.
Such a pursuit of mindful closeness to God does bring about the heavenly joy of the upcoming feasts and benefits us personally and communally. Let us not fall into the trap of spiritual isolation as we begin such a path. Surely each of us makes this decision and commitment alone. However, as God enters the world to restore His relationship with us, we must also restore our relationships with each other. Be sure to invite your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues, and especially seeking strangers to gather in benefits from restoring activities such as the ones above. Our congregation, as do all others, cheerfully welcome everyone to join in, even temporarily.
May the Lord God bless all of us in this process of restoration!
Fr. Timothy A. Sas IS PASTOR OF TWELVE HOLY APOSTLES ORTHODOX CHURCH IN DULUTH, MN. A ROMANIAN BY
BIRTH, HE WAS EDUCATED IN CANADA BEFORE BEING RECEIVED INTO THE GREEK ARCHDIOCESE OF NORTH AMERICA.
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RENEWING YOUR MIND:
OUR PATTERNS OF GIVING
BY RON NICOLA
THIS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED IN THE WORD, FEBRUARY 2004.
Patterns of giving in Orthodox parishes tend to be influenced by three key factors. The first one is custom and tradition. For many people, especially those who are Orthodox by birth, their approach to giving to the church is often influenced most by practices their families and their parishes have followed for years. For long-established parishes, systems of giving may have been in place for generations within the community. As much as parish councils talk about encouraging people to give more, the customs and traditions of the past work to perpetuate an ongoing mind-set. The faithful of the community become locked in to giving what they have always given, often without thinking much about the amount in relation to other considerations. Second, giving is often influenced by parish needs. The parish council builds a budget for the coming year, publicizes the information to parishioners, and encourages the faithful to offer their “fair share” for the coming year. In this same vein, a parish building program or some other special parish project can inspire parish members to give a one-time donation or a multi-year pledge toward the advertised campaign. This kind of need-based giving is a very common guideline used by individuals to decide how much to offer at a specific point in time. A third factor comes into play when giving is guided by faith, by Holy Scripture, and by the witness of the Holy Orthodox Church. Recognition by an individual that God has blessed them with everything they have results in an offering of thanksgiving for all of these precious gifts. Giving which stems from this third factor is what can motivate Orthodox Christians to give sacrificially and proportionally in relation to all the ways God has blessed them in their lives. This is also the basis upon which some give through the principles and practices commonly known as tithing. All three factors, custom and tradition, parish need, and faith-based giving, are at work to varying degrees in parishes throughout North America. In many communities with long established parishes, a dues system of some sort was used in the early days of the community to guide member giving. Each adult member or each family was asked to give a specified amount to the church per year in order to be considered a member. This system, in one form or another, became entrenched in most parishes and is still used by some to this day. It is still referred to by some as the “member dues system,” while other communities have evolved into referring to these annual offerings as “pledges.” By whatever name, if the parish advertises a specific amount it expects each adult member or each family to give per year, this is usually all it receives. To give beyond this amount is often not even considered by families and individuals. If the parish has a special need, they may solicit additional donations for this purpose, but the basic amount expected from each parishioner becomes a matter of routine repetition from year to year. Many Orthodox communities have tried to move beyond this traditional system of making an annual offering to the church based on an announced dues amount or a prescribed minimum pledge. In these cases, parishioners are asked to make their own decision about how much to give to the church each year. While this system can result in some movement toward a truly proportional or sacrificial gift, more often than not, individuals and families still give based on what they have always given and/or on what they feel the church needs. Even when parish leaders and stewardship committees produce programs that talk about the need to give based on how much we have been blessed by God, people tend to give not much beyond what they have always given. It becomes quite difficult to break these trends, so parishes are forced to rely on yet another long-standing tradition when it comes to generating the funds needed to operate the parish and to underwrite identified parish projects. Fund-raising is the other mainstay of parish life that is so entrenched that we view it as a standard and accepted part of parish operations.
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The fact that member giving programs have not traditionally generated enough money to cover the cost of parish operations and special projects has led to reliance on fund-raisers to make up the difference. Communities have, over the years, proved to be very creative, resourceful, and imaginative when it comes to planning and implementing fund-raising projects. Everything from festivals, dinners, luncheons, dances, fashion shows, cotillions, and merchandise and food sales of all types have been used to raise money for the church. Script sales, rummage sales, bake sales, toy sales, and sales of just about anything people might buy have been tried at one time or another. In recent years, it has become quite common for parishes to utilize their facilities during the weekdays for day care centers and preschool programs. These not only generate significant revenue for churches, they also give parishes a positive presence in the surrounding community by providing a much-needed service to families in the immediate vicinity of the church. There are even communities who own real estate that generates revenue in some fashion. Senior citizen housing and even businesses of one sort or another on these parcels become major and ongoing stems of income for parishes. In addition to the financial assistance parishes realize from the myriad of fund-raising endeavors they sponsor, there is a certain amount of fellowship which comes along with the planning and implementation of these projects. Members of the parish enjoy working together to make these events successful. This offering of time and talents is part of a faithful Orthodox Christian’s stewardship. After all, the giving of time, talents, and resources is what Christian stewardship means. So, this combination of giving through dues, pledges, and fund-raisers has brought parishes to where they are today. Many are doing very well by following these practices. They have solid membership cores, beautiful church buildings, social halls, and classroom facilities, and out-reach programs of various types. While some parishes struggle under the burden of financial limitations, we seldom hear, thank God, of parishes failing due to lack of funds. The dedication of our clergy and the commitment of our faithful laity give our communities throughout North America a vibrant presence in cities, states, and provinces in the north, south, east, and west. Yet, there is a major flaw in this picture. Of the three factors that influence our patterns of giving, only one is founded in scriptural teachings. Furthermore, while there is nothing inherently wrong with fundraisers, relying on their revenue to allow individual members to give less is not consistent with Church teachings. The only method of giving that is consistent with Church teachings and traditions is that which comes from the belief that all we have is a gift from God. Our offering to the church is in thanksgiving for those blessings. Through baptism we are Orthodox Christians. Paying dues or minimum pledges are not needed to establish that commitment. What is needed is to offer our time, our talents, and our resources in recognition of the fact that they are gifts from God. Looking to the money generated from fund-raisers to help cover the obligations of parish operations is not consistent with Church teachings. The Bible is clear in its guidance about how faithful Christians should give of their resources to the church. In 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 we read, “This is how one should regard us, as stewards of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.” It is not easy to be a good steward. God holds us to a high standard because He has given us so much by virtue of His faith in our ability to utilize those gifts to glorify His name. Stewardship begins with our profession of faith in God and in His teachings. Following this expression of faith, we are required to be trustworthy. This means the giving of our time, talents, and resources. Not two of the three, not a lot of our time but very little of our talent and resources, not a lot of money but none of our time. We must give generously of all three to be true to our expressed belief in God and faith in His teachings. In Genesis 2:15, it is written, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till it and keep it.” It is our responsibility to care for our churches, not the responsibility of others to fulfill our obligations. Our offerings must be sufficient to cover parish operations. Fund-raising revenue has its place, but it must never be thought of as a way of reducing the commitment God expects from us in terms of the giving of our resources to the glory of God. “Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.” This message from Proverbs 3:9-10
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reminds us that our offering to God must come first in our yearly, our monthly, or our weekly financial planning. Considering all of the blessings we have received from God and determining how to show our thanks through the offering of our time, our talent, and our resources takes careful planning and serious prayer. In terms of our resources, thinking about how we spend our money and how we allocate our resources is required. First we must decide how much we should offer the Lord to truly show our thanks and appreciation. Then we need to put our financial house in order to meet our needs and that of our families while we offer to God what we feel is right and necessary. Scriptural-based giving is very different from the practices of paying annual dues and pledges, deciding how much to give based on parish needs, and fund-raising to help pay the church’s bills. Sacrificial giving and giving in proportion to what we have received from God leads us toward the concept of tithing. In the minds of most, this means offering ten percent of our gross revenue to the glory of God. Parishes and individual Orthodox Christians who commit to begin this journey need not focus too heavily on the word “tithing” or on the ten percent level of giving right from the start. While it is clear to many that this is what the Bible and Church tradition dictates, thinking in terms of a percentage and giving 1% or 2% or 5% as a first step will mark an important break from the patterns of giving so common in many parishes. Examining the patterns of giving at work in our parishes is something parish councils and stewardship committees should do as they make plans to move their community forward toward the goal of proportional or sacrificial giving. Encouraging parishioners to give as a measure of their faith and not according to set minimums, the amounts of past pledges, or parish needs will take time to implement fully. The first step in this process, however, must be to recognize that faith-based giving is the desired goal. The patterns of giving followed by so many for years and years, while well-intentioned and based on faithful devotion, need to be changed if our churches are to grow and progress to their full potential. The time to start is now and the way to start is to launch an open-minded, patient, and loving look at what has motivated our past practices. Comparing these findings to what is really prescribed in the Bible will reveal the path we need to begin following. May God be with you on your journey.
Ron Nicola is chair of the Archdiocese Department of Stewardship. A California native, he is a founding member of St. John the Evangelist Church in Orinda, California.
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CENTENNIAL
Our Centennial was fabulously successful! Metropolitan JOSEPH presided over our daily services. Area Clergy—and beloved former pastor, Fr. Thomas Begley—concelebrated. The evenings were full of food, fellowship, and
fun! Sunday evening was crowned with a grand banquet, hafli, and meritorious service awards.
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TRUNK OR TREAT
We hosted over 350 visitors in October 30th, Trunk or Treat. We received a LOT of thanks from the attendees.
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CREATIVE CAKE BAKE
Our creative Cake Bake on November 6th raised over $650 for the Warming Shelter.
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ORTHODOX NEWS
The Assembly of Bishops Annual Meeting
The Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States
of America convened their 7th Annual General
Assembly Meeting in Detroit on October 4, 2016 with
the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at the Antiochian
Basilica of Saint Mary in Livonia, Michigan.
The first working session of the day commenced with
the participation of 41 hierarchs of the Church. In
brotherly love, and with responsibility and hopes for a
fruitful meeting, the bishops approved the minutes of
the 2015 General Assembly Meeting, the agenda of
their present work, and the financial report from the
treasurer. The bishops also heard the reports of the
work of the Assembly Secretariat and Committees.
A substantial amount of time during the day was dedicated to hearing and discussing the reports from five of the
Assembly Agencies:
Fr. Steven Powley, Executive Director of Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry (OCPM), presented a new
promotional video that describes the work of this ministry in fulfilling the call to minister to those in prisons
through thousands of personal letters written to prisoners, as well as the distribution of Bibles and books, icons,
pamphlets and spiritual works.
Mr. Dean Triantafilou, Executive Director of the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC)—the
humanitarian arm of the Assembly of Bishops—shared details on IOCC’s work since its inception. IOCC has
delivered nearly $600 million of assistance worldwide in some 50 countries during its 25-year existence. In 2015,
IOCC provided program services of $55 million. This year to date, IOCC has provided program services of $21
million and looks forward to celebrating its 25th Anniversary.
Fr. Martin Ritsi, Executive Director of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC), reported on the ministry
which focuses on evangelization and re-evangelization of people. In 2015, 29 people served as OCMC
missionaries whose assignments in 6 countries involved catechism, theological and seminary teaching, youth
work, primary and secondary teaching, counseling, translations and various outreach ministries. Fr. Martin also
described the SAMP (Support a Mission Priest) program, which continues to subsidize the support of almost 400
clergymen in 16 countries. OCMC currently contributes to theological training and mission projects in the over
30 countries.
Fr. Gregory Joyce, Board member, Mr. Charles Lelon, Vice Chairman, and Ms. Eleni Alexiou, Managing Director
of Orthodox Christian Network (OCN), each highlighted details of this effective media witness around the world.
OCN now offers a suite of Orthodox mobile apps, which, along with other multimedia methods, now reaches as
many as 5.7 million people per week.
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Mr. James Giannakis, of Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF), presented ways OCF strives to be the loving
presence of Christ and the Orthodox Church on college campuses. OCF is an integral part of students’ spiritual
formation and challenges them to explore and to life their Faith on a daily basis. OCF currently has more than
320 campus chapters throughout the country.
The first day’s work concluded with a meaningful discussion and some clarification on the Assembly’s mandate
following the Council in Crete. Following this discussion, the Hierarchs recommitted to their common work as
members of the Assembly of Canonical Bishops of the United States.
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Online Shopping Rewards Program
This is an online shopping rewards program connecting individuals and their businesses to their favorite retailers. It also provides the ability to order gift cards from a large selection through the Gift Card Mall including Visa, American Express, Target, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Itunes, restaurants, department stores and more. Program Overview
What is it? A free Antiochian Orthodox online shopping rewards program connecting you to your favorite retailers, as well as the ability to order from the Gift Card Mall which includes vendors such as Visa, American Express, Target, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Itunes, restaurants, department stores, and many more. Why join? Program creates an automatic monetary contribution back to the church which will help fund your individual parish and contribute to the clergy retirement fund. How Do I Sign Up?
Go online to antiochian.org/rewardsprogram and register with your email. Each family member who shops online should register. The program creates an automatic monetary contribution that will go directly to each individual parish as well as a portion being contributed to the clergy retirement fund. We believe that this is a great way for parishioners to earn money for their parish on everyday purchases while finding deals and exclusive discounts from thousands of retailers. Remember to visit the site prior to making online purchases to enable a contribution to your ministry, and discover savings offers.....and optionally.... Install the "Support Button" on your Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer browser to automatically support our ministry every time you shop on an approved site. Email all questions to [email protected]. And YES in-store purchasing can be included. Please support this and let's take advantage of Christmas shopping. This is the perfect time!
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UPCOMING
Worship
Sabbas the Sanctified
Dec 5th – Divine Liturgy at 9:00am This Saint was born in 439 in Moutalaska, a small village of Cappadocia. He entered the arena of the monastic life from childhood and was under that master trainer of monastics, Euthymius, the Great, the teacher of the desert. He became the spiritual Father of many monks and an instructor for the monasteries in Palestine, and was appointed leader (archimandrite) of the desert-dwellers of Palestine by the Patriarch of Jerusalem. In his old age he went to Constantinople, to the Emperors Anastasius and Saint Justinian the Great, in behalf of the Orthodox Faith and the dogmas of the Council of Chalcedon. Having lived ninety-four years, he
reposed in 533. The Typicon for the ecclesiastical services had its beginning in the monastery established by this righteous one. Spyridon of Trymithous the Wonderworker
Dec 12th – Divine Liturgy at 9:00am at Holy Trinity Spyridon, the God-bearing Father of the Church, the great defender of Corfu and the boast of all the Orthodox, had Cyprus as his homeland. He was simple in manner and humble of heart, and was a shepherd of sheep. When he was joined to a wife, he begat of her a daughter whom they named Irene. After his wife's departure from this life, he was appointed Bishop of Trimythus, and thus he became also a shepherd of rational sheep. When the First Ecumenical Council was assembled in Nicaea, he also was present, and by means of his most simple words stopped the
mouths of the Arians who were wise in their own conceit. By the divine grace which dwelt in him, he wrought such great wonders that he received the surname 'Wonderworker." So it is that, having tended his flock piously and in a manner pleasing to God, he reposed in the Lord about the year 350, leaving to his country his sacred relics as a consolation and source of healing for the faithful. Ignatius the God-Bearer of Antioch
Dec 20th – Divine Liturgy at 9:00am Saint Ignatius was a disciple of Saint John the Theologian, and a successor of the Apostles, and he became the second Bishop of Antioch, after Evodus. He wrote many epistles to the faithful, strengthening them in their confession, and preserving for us the teachings of the holy Apostles. Brought to Rome under Trajan, he was surrendered to lions to be eaten, and so finished the course of martyrdom about the year 107. The remnants of his bones were carefully gathered by the faithful and brought to Antioch. He is called God-bearer, as one who bare God within himself and was aflame in heart with love for Him. Therefore, in his Epistle to the Romans (ch. 4),
imploring their love not to attempt to deliver him from his longed-for martyrdom, he said, "I am the wheat of God, and am ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, that I may be found to be the pure bread of God."
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Protomartyr Stephen the Archdeacon
Dec 27th – Divine Liturgy at Holy Trinity at 9:00am Saint Stephen was a Jew, by race, and, as some say, a disciple of Gamaliel, the teacher of the Law mentioned in Acts 5:34 and 22:3. He was the first of the seven deacons whom the Apostles established in Jerusalem to care for the poor, and to distribute alms to them. Being a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, he performed great signs and wonders among the people. While disputing with the Jews concerning Jesus, and wisely refuting their every contradiction, so that no one was able to withstand the wisdom and the spirit whereby he spake, he was slandered as a blasphemer and was dragged off to the Sanhedrin of the elders. There with boldness he proved
from the divine Scriptures the coming of the Just One (Jesus), of Whom they had become the betrayers and murderers, and he reproved their faithless and hardheartedness. And finally, gazing into Heaven and beholding the divine glory, he said: "Lo, I see the Heavens opened and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God." But when they heard this, they stopped up their ears, and with anger cast him out of the city and stoned him, while he was calling out and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then, imitating the long-suffering of the Master, he bent his knees and prayed in a loud voice for them that were stoning him, and he said, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge," And saying this, he fell asleep (Acts 6, 7), thus becoming the first among the Martyrs of the Church of Christ.
