ORTHODOX LIFE The Feast of the Dormition August 15 On August 15 the Church commemorates the Dormition of the Theotokos, a traditional and family-oriented feast of great signifi- cance. The first known records about the celebration of the Virgin Mary appear in the 5th century AD, around the time of the Third Ecu- menical Council of Ephesus, which established the Virgin Mary doctrine. The first celebration took place in Jerusalem on August 13, while later it was moved to August 15. Originally, the church did not mention the Dormition of Virgin Mary, and on that day they cele- brated in honor of the Mother of Christ. The connection of this feast with the Dormition, first happened in the church of Panagia in Gethsemane, where her tomb was located. According to tradition, the Dormition celebration is preceded by a two-week fast, referred to as the Dormition Fast, which was estab- lished in the 7th century AD. In the 10th century it was decided that the fast would take place from August 1 to August 14 and it would include fasting and abstinence from red meat, poultry, meat products, dairy products, fish, oil, and wine. During the Fast either the Great Paraklesis (Supplicatory Canon) or the Small Paraklesis is celebrated every evening except Saturday evening and the Eves of the Transfiguration and the Dormition. August 2017 The Official Publication of Saint Sophia Hellenic Orthodox Church You are the Voice of Christ in a Changing World As the Father has sent me, so I send you! John 20:21
Transcript
ORTHODOX LIFE
The Feast of the Dormition
August 15
On August 15 the Church commemorates the Dormition of the Theotokos, a traditional and family-oriented feast of great signifi-cance.
The first known records about the celebration of the Virgin Mary appear in the 5th century AD, around the time of the Third Ecu-menical Council of Ephesus, which established the Virgin Mary doctrine.
The first celebration took place in Jerusalem on August 13, while later it was moved to August 15. Originally, the church did not mention the Dormition of Virgin Mary, and on that day they cele-brated in honor of the Mother of Christ. The connection of this feast with the Dormition, first happened in the church of Panagia in Gethsemane, where her tomb was located.
According to tradition, the Dormition celebration is preceded by a two-week fast, referred to as the Dormition Fast, which was estab-lished in the 7th century AD. In the 10th century it was decided that the fast would take place from August 1 to August 14 and it would include fasting and abstinence from red meat, poultry, meat products, dairy products, fish, oil, and wine. During the Fast either the Great Paraklesis (Supplicatory Canon) or the Small Paraklesis is celebrated every evening except Saturday evening and the Eves of the Transfiguration and the Dormition.
August 2017 The Official Publication of
Saint Sophia Hellenic Orthodox Church
You are the Voice of Christ in a Changing World
As the Father has sent me, so I send you! John 20:21
Parish Council President Terry Mitchell (860-460-1286) Vice President Peter Kehayias Secretary Richard Semon Treasurer James Maistros Asst. Treasurer Paula Dart Demetrius Tasoulas Gus Andreopoulos Ted Lanis Chris Limberakis Church Office Tracey St. Louis-Harris
Sunday School Elsa Galetsa - Director
Choir John Fakis - Director Magdalene Santos - Organist
Cantor George Papadopoulos & Aleksander Filip
Altar Boys Michael Sergakis
Philoptochos President - JoAnn Ballassi Visitations - Alice Poulios Soup Kitchen - Irene Synodi College Outreach - Stephanie Panagos
Great Vespers and Lamentations 7:00 pm Hymns of Lamentations
Tuesday, August 15
Matins at 8:30 am Divine Liturgy 9:30 am
Reception hosted by the Philoptochos will follow the service
SUNDAY, 8/20 Samuel the Prophet SUNDAY, 8/27 St. Phanourios the Great Martyr Blessings of the Phanouropitas Tuesday, 8/29 Beheading of the Forerunner St. John the Baptist Strict fast day
Mary, Jenny, Michael, George , Mary, Peter, Amos, Peter, George, Freida, Voula, Sophia, Christos and Maria,
Thomas and Kiveli, Georgia, Elias, Hel-en, Despina, Vasilios, Helen,
Alexandra, Katherine, Athena, James
FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION
In Orthodox tradition the fruit of the first harvest, particularly grapes, are brought to the church and blessed on the Feast of the Transfiguration and then distributed amongst the parishioners.
Grapes are brought to church because they are directly related to the Eucharistic sacrament; that is why in the prayer for con-secration of grapes the priest says, "Bless, Lord, this new fruit of vine which reached ripeness because You kindly provided good weather, drops of rain and stillness. Let eating this fruit of vine make us joyful. And give us the honor of offering this fruit to Thee, as the gift of purging of sins, alto-gether with the Holy Body of Thy Christ."
All parishioners are invited to bring fruits and vegetables from their gardens to be blessed at the conclusion of the Divine Litur-gy on August 6th.
FEAST OF THE DORMITION
The word “paraklesis” has two different meanings: the first is “Consolation,” from which the Holy Spirit is called the “Paraclete,” or “Counselor”, the second is “supplication” or “petition.”
We will be celebrating this service during the two weeks prior to the Feast of the Dormition. Please bring to these services the names of the living that you would like prayers offered for.
ORTHODOX
STUDIES IN
THE FAITH
To know God is to study
the Word of God
Every year books are published having titles with the same first two words: “How to…” By reading these book we can learn how to get a job, a federal grant, a divorce, free publicity or even safe thou-sands on a European vacation. Experts out there will make you an expert at just about anything these days. All these books offer wisdom – skill in one area or another. We all need wisdom to live successfully. Wisdom brings success and prosperity in our work, in dealings with family and friends, and in our rela-tionship with God. One book of the Bible – the Proverbs of Solomon – specializes in wisdom. It gives us direction and guidance that is practical, concrete, reasonable, wholesome, understandable, shrewd and fruitful.
Wednesdays in the Vallas Building
Study will resume
Wednesday, September 20
Morning Study - 10:00 am Evening Study - 7:00 pm The Study lasts one hour
Proverbs Learning to Live Wisely
September 20 - Introduction to Proverbs
September 27 - The Choice
October 4 – The Simple October 11 – Avoiding the Fool October 18 - Finding Wisdom
October 25 – Bad Words
November 1 – Good Words November 15 – The Sluggard
November 29 – Wealth and Poverty
December 6 – Giving December 13 - Planning the Future
My Life In Christ
NEWS FROM OUR BOOKSTORE /GIFT SHOP & LIBRARY
The sunny, relaxing days of summer are a perfect time to begin a new book and enhance our knowledge of our Orthodox faith and/or our Hellenic heritage. We have dozens of enriching selections on a variety of topics - History, Iconography, Spirituality, Orthodox Studies, Memoirs, Poetry and Fic-tion. Please stop in at our St. Sophia Bookstore/Gift Shop or Lending Library for a first - hand look and choose one of our many selections. Among those you might want to consider:
1. Scattered Leaves, Coming to America, or The Whispering Voices of Smyrna all by author Dr. Niki Karavasilis 2. The Jesus Prayer, Facing East, At the Corner of East and Now, by Frederica Mathewes-Green 3. Fiction such as Falling in Love with Sophia, Agape, & The Immigrant 4. Inspirational writings such as Lynette’s Hope, Encountering Women of Faith, & Orthodox Women Speak. We also have a large selection of books on many topics of interest to children and teens for their summer reading. MANY NEW ITEMS HAVE BEEN ADDED RECENTLY – TAPESTRY PURSES, WOODEN CROSS-ES, WRIST PRAYER BRACLETS, GOLDLEAF ICONS, & MUCH MORE
PLEASE COME IN FOR A CLOSER LOOK!!!!
August Activities July 31—August 6 Parish Week at MBC Tues, Aug 8th Parish Council Mtg 6pm Thurs, Aug. 10th GOYA Day trip to NYC Fri, Aug 11th Soup Kitchen, 4pm Mon—Tues, Aug 14-15 GOYA Lock in Retreat Sat, Aug 19th Family Fishing Trip, 6am—11am Sun, Aug 27th Blessing of the Backpacks
Please Consider Sponsoring The Fellowship Hour
Fellowship Hours may be sponsored in memory of a loved one, to celebrate a birthday, etc.
The Parish Council will make the coffee and assist the hosts as needed.
The following Sundays are available
August 6,13,20,27
We thank the following for hosting past Fellowships
Savas & Helen Synodi & Family
Parish Outreach
On Friday, August 11th we will serve at the New London Community Meal Center (Soup Kitchen). We will need 6 to 8 volunteers at the soup kitchen to do prep work, serve, do dishes and clean up. We start at 4:00 pm and finish about 6:30 pm. Please see or call Eleni Mosher at 860-443-2569, Irene Synodi at 860-464-7429 or call the Church Office at 860-442-2377 to volunteer your time.
Sacramental Life
Funeral
Kaliope “Kay” (Lanides) Tsouris, 90 yrs old of Westerly, RI passed away on Thurs-day, June 22. She is survived by her two children Thomas (Mary) Tsouris and Hel-en (Savas) Synodi.
The Funeral service was held on Tuesday, June 27. May her memory be eternal and may our loving and compassionate God be with the family.
A big thank you to the Galipis Family who provided the June Soup Kitchen meal, for the health and welfare of their family.
Saint Sophia Thursday Social Luncheon Senior Ministry
A good time was had by all at our Summer Picnic! George Dallas Jr. celebrated his birthday and won the raffle!
Themis and George Papadopoulos celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary. We voted to donate $100 in September to the Basket raffle for the 65th Food Festival in November.
The Pharmacist from Shoprite helped to answer our drug questions and expanded on the importance of vaccines. Soula Pappas and her mother sent word from Greece expressing how they are
missing St. Sophia Church.
There will be NO meeting in August. See you all on September 14
Time From the time we are born till we die we live by time. Time to eat, sleep, work, play, talk….our life is often dictated by time. Time is also a tool God uses to mold us into the vessels He wants us to be - His agents here on earth. Our spiritual maturity over the passage of time enables us, by His grace, to do His will, for His glory. I remember as a child vising Greece on August 15
th. Everything was closed. It was a national
holiday. Churches were filled, followed by an atmosphere of great joy. For Roman Catholics, it is the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrating her entrance into heaven. Most Protestants abolished the feast because it is not directly mentioned in Scripture and for fear that devotion to Mary would overtake devotion to her son. For the Orthodox, it is her Dormition, meaning ‘falling asleep’ or death. (we also profess through the hymnology of the Church that in-deed Mary is in heaven near the throne of God.) ‘Assumption’ (in Greek, analepsis) means ‘taking up’. It is an act of God, in which the person as-sumed remains passive. It’s not the same as ascension (in Greek, anabasis) ‘going up’ which gives an active role to the person who goes up. The only person who ascended to God the Father, that is to say, went up to God by right, as it were, was the Son, Jesus Christ. John’s gospel tells us, ‘No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man’ (Jn. 3:13). Our Theology teaches that any teaching of the role of Mary must not obscure the unique media-tion of Christ…we recognize Mary as a model of holiness, faith and obedience for all Christians …the teaching that God has taken the Blessed Virgin Mary in the fullness of her person into His glo-ry is consonant with Scripture, and only to be understood in the light of Scripture The Virgin Mary marks the beginning of the church, when she makes the first response to God’s saving act in Christ. Her praise recorded in Luke 1:49-55 summarizes and anticipates the central message of her Son about the Kingdom of God. In summary she speaks that the lowly are raised, the hungry are filled. Mary is the image of a redeemed humanity. Her place in heaven is the place that God has pre-pared for all who do His will, bear His word and open themselves to the possibilities of His grace. This feast is not really about Mary. It is about the destiny of all of us, when the time has fully come. If God has promised us a place in heaven, then why not Mary, the first to trust and obey the Lord? The Holy Tradition of the Church teaches us that there can be no doubt that the Virgin Mary is in heaven. Thus it is pleasing for us to know that she lives in Christ. The Evangelist John writes in chapter 17 22, 24: “The glory which thou hast given to me, I have given to them . . . Father, I desire that they also, whom thou hast given to me, may be with me where I am.” St. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:6 (God) raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heav-enly places in Christ Jesus, What about us? Colossians 3:1 - So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Time - our time is well spent when we abide by the words found in the Liturgy…”Remembering our most holy, pure, blessed and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another, and our whole life to Christ our God.
The Holy Martyr Phanourios Sunday, August 27
Matins - 8:00 am — Divine Liturgy - 9:00 am On Aug 27
th we remember the Holy Martyr Phanourios. He appeared to people
on the island of Rhodes around 1500. Several people had a vision of the saint and then his icon was discovered. The icon depicted a young soldier holding a
sword in one hand and a cross in the other. There is a tradition concerning he and his mother, who was a great sinner. His love for his mother caused him to pray for her incessantly. At the time of his death by stoning, he could not even then forget his mother, and with the boldness that is peculiar to athletes of Christ, prayed: "For the sake of these my sufferings, Lord, help all those who will pray to Thee for the salvation of Phanourios' sinful mother". On the day of the Saint, there is a tradition that the faithful bake a special bread, and according to some accounts, give it to the poor in the name of his mother, and others, share it with at least sev-en other people. St Phanourios' name gives a hint about another tradition concerning the Saint. "Phanourios" comes from the Greek word, "phanerono", meaning "I reveal". He is known to help people find lost things. Some have therefore also referred to him as "Saint lost and found"! After the lost item is found, one should bake a Phanouropita, (basically a loaf of sweet bread) in memory of St. Phanourios' mother, and give to the poor or share it amongst friends.
St. Phanourios Bread Preheat oven to 350 Grease and lightly flour a 9” round or Bundt pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, sift four cups flour, 1 ½ t baking soda, 1 ½ t baking powder, 1 t cinnamon and 1 t pumpkin spice. For a stronger flavor, add ¼ t ground clove. In another bowl, whisk 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup orange juice, ¼ cup water, brandy or whiskey and 1 cup sugar until combined. Mix in 1 cup chopped walnuts and 1 cup chopped raisins. In small batches, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Tradition says to whisk 7-9 minutes as you incorporate the flour – a good time to thank St. Phourious for his assistance. It’s also allowing the batter to rise and create a fluffier cake. Batter will be thick and gooey. Place batter in pan, baking about 40 minutes or until top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove, cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire cooling rack. When cooled, dust with powdered sugar. The cake will dry quickly, so store in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap.
St. Sophia Financial Report
June 30, 2017 Income Stewardship $ 9,558.00 Candles, tray, adopt-a-bill 2,279.00 Memorial Donations 440.00 Holiday Donations 0.00 General Donations 0.00 Supplementary Income 4.41 Religious/Cultural 993.84 Fundraisers 86,227.72 Hall Rental 300.00 Other Income 61.25 Capital Campaign 0.00
Total Inflow $ 99,864.25
Expenses
Archdiocese $ 4,341.67 Wages 22,417.20 Auto Expense 311.96 Insurance 3,697.00 Telephone 355.47 Utilities 2,043.68 Supplies 82.97 Maintenance 1,786.17 Postage 300.00 General Expenses 516.92 Religious/Cultural 5,512.97 Church Holidays 0.00 Fundraisers 23,912.88 Fellowship 253.26 Capital Expenses 0.00
Total Outflow $ 65,532.15 Net Profit $ 34,332.07
7Operating Fund as of 06/30/2017 Checking Account/Money Market $ 58,877.91
Restricted Funds as of 06/30/2017 Endowment Fund Assets $ 639,117.01 Principle is $582,000 Market Gain and Gifts - $57,117.01 Capital Campaign Account 14,925.53 Designated Donation/ Maintenance Account 24,063.17
Outstanding Commitments
Chelsea Groton loan 163,169.10
Have You Made Your 2017 Stewardship Pledge?
If Not - Please Do So Today!
Parish Council News
SUMMER HOURS
Matins at 8:00 am Divine Liturgy at 9:00 am
The sermon is given at the conclusion
of the Gospel Reading
From the Council President:
Dear Parishioners,
I take this opportunity to thank you for your love and support of the parish. I would like to bring you up-to-date on several items.
1. Some people have approached me about the confidentiality of their stewardship offer-ings. Please be assured that your financial offer-ings to the church are completely confidential. The software system we use is password protected and only the parish secretary has the password.
2. We still have an vacant position on the Par-ish Council, the term of which is up at the end of the current year. If you are interested in filling this seat please contact me at 860- 460– 1286. The respon-sibilities include attending the monthly Council meetings (Second Tuesday of the month) Narthex duty every other Sunday and to assist the Council in the various events the Council sponsors.
3. This fall brings the 65th Anniversary of the Greek Festival, (November 7- 11) the longest run-ning ethnic festival in New London County. From the first festival held in the lower level of the Church to today where we serve thousands of meals and as we entertain our guests with a taste of Greece and raise vital money for the parish ministries this event is eagerly awaited by all!
We are looking for pictures and news articles through the years of the festival. Please look through your scrap books and send to the church office any and all pictures you may have. We will photocopy them and return them to you.
4. We are currently collecting estimates for re-pairing, or if need be, due to the current condition, replacing the floor in the Community Center.
On behalf of the Parish Council we wish you all a great summer!
Terry Mitchell , Parish Council President
Welcome
Sunday
We welcome you to come
and worship
with us!
Experience the
One, Holy, Catholic and
Apostolic Church
SUNDAY
September 10 9:30 am
We Welcome You to Join us in Worship at Saint Sophia Orthodox Church
You may know us for our great Greek food!
But we are about more than food!
By the grace of God, we have been serving the greater New London area since 1930’s. During these years, we have been able to offer the same faith, worship, and love of God that the Apostles shared on the day of Pentecost
more than 2000 years ago.
We invite you to come and experience our faith and our community and to see what ministries our parish offers.
Vacation Bible School 2017!
August Events
July 31– Aug. 6 - Parish week @ MBC
Thursday 10th - GOYA Day trip to NYC*
Mon. - Tues. 14-15 - GOYA Lock-In Retreat*
Saturday 19th - 6am-11am Fishing Trip*
August 27th - Blessing of the Backpacks in Church
Bring your backpacks for a back to school blessings
*Thursday, August 10th — Trip to NYC - $61.00 (Train & Subway) + Lunch & Shopping You MUST RSVP to Michael for this event by August 3rd.
7:30am— Meet at Old Saybrook Train Station
7:50am—Train Leaves for NYC - $55.50 round trip cost of train.
10:40am— Arrival at Grand Central
11:00am— St. Patrick’s Cathedral
11:30am— Times Square - (shopping & walking around)
12:45pm— Lunch
1:30pm— Central Park (walk around, sit, & relax)
2:20pm— Catch Subway to St. Nicholas @ Ground Zero
3:00pm— Private tour of St. Nicholas and visit 9/11 Memorial
4:50pm— Catch Subway to Grand Central Station
5:22pm— Train Leaves for return trip
7:56pm— Arrival back at Old Saybrook Train Station
*Monday-Tuesday, August 14th-15th — GOYA Lock-In Retreat
Monday August 14
5pm— GOYA Drop-off & Lock-In Begins!
7pm— Vespers for Panagia’s
Tuesday August 15
9am—Divine Liturgy for Panagia’s
Pick-up - Immediately following Liturgy
*Saturday, August 9th — Fishing Day Trip - $69 Adults $37 for 12 & under (includes pole rental)
This is a trip for anyone who would like to come. Please RSVP to Nico Condulis at (860) 227-3137 by August 1st.
5:30am—Meet at Mijoy Deep Sea Fishing @ 12 River St, Waterford, CT
6:00am—Boat Leaves
11:00am—Boat Returns
To fulfill our Church’s mission, we pray for everyone’s participation in supporting our 2017
Stewardship Program
Please take the time today to fill out your 2017 Stewardship Commitment Card…
Stewardship Pledge Cards for 2017 are available from the Church office
The base from which we serve as the Voice of Christ in a Changing World is the parish. A strong parish provides opportunities for sharing the Good News of Christ, for welcoming those that are searching for a spiritual home, and a base from which we are sent out into the world. The parish also provides a place for worship, community and education in the faith. To be stewards of the Gospel, we need to be stewards of our parish. This requires the vision and inspiration to see the parish, not as it is, but as it could be. We are called to offer ourselves and our treasure to make our local church all that is can be.
Please remember that St. Sophia is uniquely our responsibility and we need to help today for our Future !
Be a Steward of Saint Sophia in 2017!
Stewardship 2017
I don’t think my Yiayia would believe that in order to enjoy a movie today it would cost almost $15.00. We don’t have to go that far back to appre-ciate cost of living rises daily. It’s almost comical to see that thirty years ago, a loaf of bread cost 87¢, a gallon of gasoline was $1.25 and the average price of a movie ticket was $3.00.
I recently came across an acronym - “COLA.” for Cost of Living Adjustment. This is a yearly percent-age increase to meet the very real increase in the cost of living.
But why do we need a yearly small percentage in-crease to our pay? Is inflation to blame? Do things just cost more money over time? There’s no doubt over time the cost of “living” here in the United States becomes more and more expensive.
So, isn’t it also true that the cost of maintaining and supporting our very own St. Sophia Church campus would inevitably increase over time? The answer is a resounding YES. Stewardship seeks to meet those very needs. The very intent of stewardship is to pay for the basic operating expenses of the church, including the Archdiocese assessment and all that is required to keep the doors open for Sun-day Liturgy and Sacraments; and by close exten-sion, Sunday School, GOYA, Greek Dance and all the ministries that our church provides.
Just as the cost of movies and food goes up over time, so too does gas, electricity, insurance, sala-ries, and everything associated with keeping the lights on and the church ministries alive and well.
It is a fact that if we as stewards of our community fail to make ourselves aware of the needs of our church, we could lose the very ministries that we hold dear.
It is a gift to become a steward of our beloved St. Sophia Church in order to maintain its very exist-ence. In looking at some definitions of what it means to be a steward, one that caught my eye was, “the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.” Let us be aware and mind-ful that over time we too must rise to the occasion in giving as stewards of our church. She is a living, breathing part of our lives and as we move forward in time Her needs do not diminish, they expand.
ENOSIS PHILOPTOCHOS The newly elected Philoptochos Board members met on Tuesday, July 18th for election of officers and to review a tentative calendar of events for the September 2017-2018 year. Officers and Board mem-bers for 2017-2019 took the oath of office on Sunday, July 23rd. President JoAnn Ballassi Vice President MarciaWenzel Recording Secretary Julie Vangel Corresponding Secretary Dora Goergeady Treasurer Penny Maistros Assistant Treasurer Marianne Semon Advisor Mary Peteros Helen Bousios Paulette Sferrazza Thelma Hunter Tamam Smith Alice Poulios Irene Synodi
CONGRATULATIONS To all our high school graduates and recipi-ents of the Philoptochos Memorial Scholar-ships – Sarah Billis, Athena Mustakis, Olivia Podeszwa, and Lillian Whittaker. The fellow-ship hour, hosted by the Philoptochos, was given in honor of the graduates. All of the graduates were presented with a prayer book and bookmark. We wish them success in all their future endeavors. Many thanks to the scholarship committee - Jeanne Fakis, Eva Manthous, Emily Mitchell, and Helen Synodi for reviewing the applications and Irene Synodi for attending to the graduation de-tails.
OUTREACH - Members wishing to help with the meal preparation for the New London soup kitchen will meet at 7:30 a.m. on August 11
th at the church. Thank you to all
who have helped and/or donated the meals. Please call Irene Synodi if you would like to help with the preparation or
with the serving at the New London Food Center.
A BIG THANK YOU to all the hard-working, dedicated ladies of the Philoptochos Society who raised approximately $16,000 and donated over $16,500 to various national and local minis-tries during this year (September 2016 thru June 2017). The focus was: (1) the educational and medical needs of children & families -over $5,800 (2) outreach to the community – approxi-mately $4,600, and (3) the church and clergy – over $4,900. In addition, the members spon-sored the Christmas “Angel Tree”, prepared & served meals at the local soup kitchens, visited the shut-ins, and mailed gifts & cards to our college students. The Philoptochos women also give of their time and energy chairing the Pascha preparations, and hosting fellowship hours. The many events and activities needed to raise the funds for the above donations was possible because of the dedication and hard work of our Philoptochos ladies, their families and friends. A “BIG THANK YOU TO ALL.” We also “Thank Father Dean” for his guidance, patience, and support. We extend our wishes to all our parishioners for a healthy, safe, and restful summer. We will be looking forward to seeing new faces at our first meeting on September19
th. Your talents, energies, and input are
very important to us, so please consider making a commitment to the Philoptochos Society this fall.
UPCOMING EVENTS
8/11/17 - Soup Kitchen Outreach 8/14/17 – Decorating the Kouvouklion – 10:00 am 8/15/17 – Fellowship Hour following the Divine Liturgy 9/10/17 – Ministry Sunday 9/17/17 - Holy Cross/ Picnic 9/19/17 – Opening Meeting/Membership Event
Ο Χρόνος
Απο την ημέρα που γεννιόμαστε μέχρι την ημέρα που πεθαίνουμε ζούμε με τον χρόνο.
Χρόνο για να κοιμηθούμε, να φάμε, να δουλέψουμε, να παίξουμε, να μιλήσουμε...η ζωή μας προσδιορίζεται από τον χρόνο. Ο χρονος είναι και το εργαλείο που χρησιμοποιεί ο Θεός για να μας μετατρέψει στα όντα που χρειάζεται, για να γίνουμε οι κυρηκές Του πάνω στη γη. Η πνευματική μας ωριμότητα στο πέραςμα του χρόνου μας επιτρέπει με την χάρη Του, να εκπληρώνουμε το έργο Του, για την δόξα Του.
Θυμάμαι την επίσκεψη μου στην Ελλάδα το Δεκαπενταύγουστο, όλα ήταν κλειστά. Ήταν μεγάλη γιορτή. Οι Εκκλησίες ήταν γεμάτες κόσμο, και η ατμόσφαιρα ήταν πανηγυρική. Για τους Ρωμαιοκαθολικούς, είναι η γιορτή της Ευλογημένης Παρθένας Μαρίας, της εισόδου της στον παράδεισο. Οι περισότεροι Προτεστάντες δεν αναγνωρίζουν το γεγονός φοβούμενοι ότι αν το εορτάσουν θα πάρουν από την δόξα του Υιού. Για τους Ορθόδοξους, είναι η Κοίμησις της Θεοτόκου, που σημαίνει ότι εκοιμήθη, ή τον θάνατο της. ( στην υμνολογία της ημέρας αναφέρεται ότι η Θεοτόκος βρίσκεται στον ουρανό δίπλα στο θρόνο του Θεού.)
Στα Ελληνικά η λέξη σημαίνει ´ανάληψις ´, φέρω προς τα επάνω. Είναι μια πράξη του Θεού, όπου το άτομο μένει ανενεργό. Δεν είναι το ίδιο με την ´ανάβασις ´ όπου το άτομο που συμμετέχει είναι ενεργό. Ο μόνος που αναλήφθηκε εις ουρανούς και καθισε εκ δεξιών του Πατρός, ήταν ο Υιός του Θεού. Στο Ευαγγέλιο του Ιωάννη αναφέρεται ότι " κανένας άλλος δεν αναλήφθηκε στους ουρανούς παρά μόνο αυτός που κατέβηκε απο τους ουρανούς ο Υιός του Θεού".
Η Θεολογία μας, μας διδάσκει ότι οι διδασκαλίες για τον ρόλο της Παναγίας στην εκκλησία μας, δεν θα πρέπει να σκιάζουν το έργο του Χριστού.....ότι αναγνωρίζουμε το ρολο της Παναγίας ως παράδειγμα προς μίμηση για την ζωή που πρέπει να ζούμε ως πιστοί....η διδασκαλία ότι ο Θέος χρησιμοποίησε την οντότητα της Αγίας Παρθένας κατα τας γραφάς, και σύμφωνα με τις γραφές θα πρέπει να μεταφράζουμε το ρόλο της Αγίας Παρθένας στην Εκκλησία μας.
Η Αγία Παρθένα σηματοδοτεί την αρχή της εκκλησίας, όταν εκπληρώνει το έργο του Θεού, με τον Ιησού Χριστό. Στο κατα Λουκάν 1:49-55 υμνείτε για το έργο της, και προσδοκεί το έργο του Υιού της στην Βασιλεία των Ουρανών.
Η Αγία Παρθένα, πήρε την θέση της στους Ουρανούς, την θεση που έχει ετοιμάσει ο Θεός για όλους όσους θα διδάξουν το έργο Του, θα δοξάσουν το όνομα Του και θα είναι έτοιμοι για όλες τις δυνατότητες που θα τους προσφέρει η χάρις Του. Η γιορτή δεν είναι μόνο για την Αγία Παρθένα. Είναι και για όλους εμάς όταν θα έρθει το πλήρωμα του χρόνου. Εάν ο Θεός υποσχέθηκε σε εμάς τον επουράνιο παράδεισο, τότε γιατί όχι και στην Αγία Παρθένα, που είναι η πρώτη που τον εμπιστεύθηκε και τον υπάκουσε;
Η Αγία Παράδοση μας διδάσκει ότι δεν δεν υπάρχει καμμία αμφιβολία ότι η Αγία Παρθένα είναι στον επουράνιο παράδεισο. Έτσι είναι ευχάριστο για εμάς να γνωρίζουμε ότι ζει ένα Χριστώ.
Ο Ευαγγελιστής Ιώαννης γράφει στο κεφάλαιο 17 22,24: ¨την δόξα που μου έχεις δώσει την έχω δώσει εις αυτούς...Πατέρα, επιθυμώ το ίδιο και για αυτούς που έχουν δώσει σε εμένα, να είναι μαζί μου, όπου είμαι και εγώ¨.
Ο Απόστολος Παύλος γράφει στο Προς Εφεσίους 2:6, ¨ και μας αν/εστησε μαζί με τον Χριστό και μας έβαλε να καθισουμεν μαζί του εις τη επουράνιας δόξα δια του Ιησού Χριστού¨.
Τι συμβαίνει με εμάς;
Προς Κολοσσαείς 3:1 ¨ Εάν λοιπόν είμαστε αναστημένοι με τον Χριστό, ας σκεφτόμαστε για τα Ουράνια πράγματα, ας εφαρμόζουμε τις αρχές του, όπου ο Χριστός είναι καθήμενος εκ δεξιών του Πατρός¨.
Ο Χρόνος- ο χρόνος μας έχει σημασία όταν τον χρησιμοποιούμε σύμφωνα με τις παραινέσεις που βρίσκονται στην Λειτουργία......Της Παναγίας Αχράντου, Υπερευλογημένης, Ενδόξου Δεσποίνης ημών Θεοτόκου και αειπαρθένου Μαρίας, μετά πάντων των Αγίων μνημονεύσαντες, εαυτούς και αλλήλους και πάσας την ζώην ημών Χριστώ τω Θεώ παραθώμεθα.
Λειτουργίες του Αυγουστου
Ακολουθίες τις Κυριακές ‘Όρθρος 8:00πμ Θεία Λειτουργία 9:00πμ
Καθημερινές Ακολουθίες Όρθρος/ Θεία Λειτουργία 8:30 π.μ.
Π) στό Παρεκκλήσιον μας
Αρχή Νηστείας για την Κοίμηση της Θεοτόκου - 1η Αυγούστου Τρίτη 1/8, Παράκληση στις 7μμ Τετάρτη 2/8, Παράκληση στις 7μμ Πέμπτη 3/8, Παράκληση στις 7 μμ Παρασκευή 4/8, Παράκληση στις 7μμ
ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ 6/8, Η Μεταμόρφωσις του Σωτήρος
Δευτέρα 7/8, Παράκληση στις 7μμ Τρίτη 8/8, Παράκληση στις 7μμ Τετάρτη 9/8, Παράκληση στις 7μμ Πέμπτη, 10/8, Παράκληση στις 7μμ Παρασκευή 11/8, Παράκληση στις 7μμ
ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ, 13/8, Μαξίμου όμολογητού Η Κόιμησις της Υπεραγίας Θεοτόκου Δευτέρα 14 Αυγούστου Πανηγυρικός Εσπερινός Τρίτη 15 Αυγούστου Όρθρος στις 8:30 πμ Θεία Λειτουργία στις 9:30πμ Η Φιλόπτωχος θα προσφέρει εδέσματα μετά την Θεία Λειτουργία ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ 20/8, Σαμουήλ προφήτου ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ 27/8, Φανουρίου Μεγαλομαρτύρου Θα ευλογήσουμε τις Φανουρόπιτες
Στην Ορθόδοξη παράδοση τους καρπούς της πρώτης σοδειάς και ιδιάιτερα τα πρώτα σταφύλια τα φέρνουμε στην Εκκλησία όπου ευλογούνται και κατόπιν τα
μοιραζόμαστε με τους ενορίτες μας. Τα σταφύλια τα φρένουμε στην Εκκλησία καθώς συνδέονται άμεσα με το μυστήριο της Θείας Ευχαριστίας. Ο Ιερέας αναφέρει στην ευλογία των σταφυλιών, " Ευλόγησε Κύριε, τον νέο αυτό καρπό της αμπέλου που έχει ωριμάσει αφού εσύ μερίμνησες για τις καλές καιρικές συνθήκες και την βροχή. Η βρώση των σταφυλιών ας μας γεμίσει αγαλλίαση. Αξιωσέ μας να σου προσφερουμε αυτό τον καρπό, ως δώρο της άφεσης των αμαρτίων, μαζί με το Άγιο Σώμα του Κυρίου." Όλοι οι πιστοί καλούνται να φέρουν φρούτα και λαχανικά από τον κήπο τους για να τα ευλογήσουμε μετά το τέλος της Θείας Λειτουργίας.
Η ΚΟΙΜΗΣΙΣ ΤΗΣ ΥΠΕΡΑΓΙΑΣ ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΥ
Η λέξη "παράκλησις" έχει δύο διαφορετικές σημασίες: η πρώτη είναι "η παρηγορία" κατά την οποία καλείται το Άγιο Πνεύμα, ο "παρηγορητής", ο "Σύμβουλος", και η δέυτερη είναι η "αίτηση", η "ικεσία". Τελούμε τις παρακλήσεις για δύο εβδομάδες πριν την Κόιμηση της Θεοτόκου. Σας παρακαλόυμε να φέρεται τα ονόματα των Ζώντων που επιθυμείτε να διαβαστούν κατά την διάρκεια των παρακλήσεων
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AHEPA Scholarship Program
Children and Grandchildren of AHEPA members are eligible for scholarships at the local, district
and national level. (Find out more at our next meeting!)
Have you joined AHEPA yet? Come to our September meeting as our guest.
[Next Meeting - September 18th at 6:00 pm]
Complimentary Dinner for Potential New Members (please let us know if you would like to join us)
The service of Paraklesis will be celebrated on the following dates:
Monday, August 1 through Friday, August 4 Monday, August 7 through Friday, August 11
7:00 pm in the Annunciation Chapel
Ή Παράκλησις είναι μιά ακολουθία όπου προσευχόμεθα καί ικετεύομεν τήν Παναγίαν νά μάς βοηθήση είς τήν ζωήν μας. Πιστεύομεν ότι ή Αειπάρθενος Μαρία κάθεται στό πρώτο θρανίον τής Εκκλησίας συμπροσευχόμενη πρός τόν Υιόν της. Ολόκληρη ή ζωή της καί ό σκοπός της είναι νά μάς φέρη κοντά στόν Υιόν της. Επομένως, ή Θεοτόκος, έχουσα περάσει όλες τές πειό σκληρές δυσκολίες τής επιγείου ζωής βλέπει κάθε δάκρυ καί πόνο πού μάς πληγώνει είς τόν κόσμον αυτόν. Ή Παναγία ευρίσκεται ιδίως κοντά σ’ αυτούς πού προσπαθούν νά ζήσουν μιά ζωή κοντά στόν Θεόν. Ή Ακολουθία τής Παρακλήσεως εκφράζει τές ταραχές τής ψυχής μας πού μάς φέρνει ή αμαρτία. Αυτή ή ακολουθία προσπαθεί νά μάς επαναφέρη στήν φυσικήν καί πνευματικήν υγείαν πού θέλει ό Θεός διά τόν καθέναν μας.
The Paraklesis is a service of supplication and prayer. We believe that the Virgin Mary sits in the first pew leading us in our prayers to her Son. Her whole life and purpose is simply to bring us to Him. Thus, the Theotokos, having experienced all the difficulties of earthly life, sees every tear, hears every groan of mankind. Especially near to her are all those who strive to live a God-pleasing life. The service of Paraklesis expresses the troubles of the soul surrounded by Sin, and asks for help in being restored both physically and spiritually to original health and beauty.
Great Vespers and the Hymns of Lamentation will be celebrated on Monday, August 14th, at 7:00 pm.
Please use this form to list the names of those living whom you wish to be remembered in
prayer during the Paraklesis Services
PLEASE DELIVER PROMPTLY – TIME VALUED MATERIAL
St. Sophia Hellenic Orthodox Church 200 Hempstead Street, New London, Connecticut 06320 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage
PAID New London, CT Permit No. 272
Liturgy at the Beach
September 17
McCook Point Park
in Niantic
Matins
at 9:00 am
Liturgy at 9:30 am
There will be 3 age groups of swimmers:
Ages 8—12 Ages 13—17
Adults
Chicken kabobs, Hamburgers, Hot Dogs and Soda will be provided
Please bring side dishes, salads, desserts
and lawn chairs.
September 10
Help create a life-giving parish that points people to Christ and releases
them to share His message of love and grace with the world!
We INVITE you to view the ministries of the parish
We encourage you to INVEST your time, talent
and treasures in ministry
We strive to IMPACT our lives, our parish and the community by being the voice of Christ in an ever-
changing world
Saint Sophia Returns to Fields of Fire!
September 9th - 7:00 $42/climber* *Payment for climbers will be given to Michael
