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Saint Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church and Shrine

 

THE VOICE

 

A Web version of the

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF

Saint Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church & Shrine

20340 E. Covina Blvd. Covina, CA 91724-1608

PHONE: (626) 967-5524 FAX: (626) 967-0655

WEB SITE: www.saintnectariosshrine.org

Email: stnectarioschurch@gmail.com

 

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Parish Council Board Members

Parish Priest

:

Reverend Konstantinos Douvikas

President

:

Yaffa Mary Iacobsohn

Vice President

:

Christos Theoharatos

Secretary

:

Christiann Siatras

Treasurer

:

Rebecca Lawdis

Asst. Treasurer

:

Panayiotis Klentos

Member

:

Eleni Kalivas

Member

:

Anastasios Pallas

Member

:

Penny Kloutsiniotis

Member

:

Jesus Eugenio

 

 

Philoptochos Society - St. Nectarios Chapter

Board Members 2017-2019

President

:

Adrianna Bonorris

Vice President

:

Kim Pollalis

Secretary

:

Yaffa Mary Iacobsohn

Treasurer

:

Rebecca Lawdis

Member

:

Erasmia Ioannou

Member

:

Eleni Kalivas

Member

:

Penny Kloutsiniotis

 

 

Religious Education

·         Peter (Panayiotis) Klentos

·         Alexander Kyriakides

·         Katel Kyriakides

·         Christos Siatras

 

Greek Dancing

·         Alicia Boukas

·         Vivi Lane

·         Soula Papantonpoulos

·         Flora Holguin

 

Chanters

·         John Michaelides

·         Dr. Steve Monacos

·         Christos Siatras

 

 

 

Greek School 

·         Katia Drakou

 

 

 

 

 

Αγαπητοί ενορίτες

Χριστός Ανέστη

Πάλιν εφέτος γιορτάσαμε με μεγαλοπρέπεια την Ανάσταση του Κυρίου μας, ακούσαμε τους καταπληκτικούς σε μελωδία και νόημα ύμνους της Εκκλησίας μας κατά την Μεγάλη Εβδομάδα, νοιώσαμε την αγωνία και τον πόνο του Θεανθρώπου για τη δική μας σωτηρία αλλά και την χαρά και την ελπίδα της ενδόξου Αναστάσεώς  του με όλες τις προεκτάσεις στη δική μας ζωή.

Διανύουμε τώρα την περίοδο του Πεντηκοσταρίου με γεγονότα που έχουν σχέση με την Ανάσταση και τη ζωή του Κυρίου μας, την Ανάληψη, με αποκορύφωση την μεγάλη εορτή της Πεντηκοστής, όπου με την κάθοδο του Αγίου Πνεύματος τελειούται το απολυτρωτικό έργο του φιλανθρώπου Θεού και Σωτήρος.

Καλούμεθα λοιπόν όλοι να συμμετέχουμε στις εορτές του Πεντηκοσταρίου, και γενικά στη λατρευτική ζωή της Εκκλησίας, η οποία μας οδηγεί με ασφάλεια στην σωτηρία μας, αφού μας αγιάζει με τα αγιαστικά της μυστήρια και μας παρέχει τα δώρα του   Αγίου Πνεύματος.

Εμπρός λοιπόν, ακολουθήσατε την ζωή της εκκλησίας μας, που σκοπό έχει τον αγιασμό της δικής σας ζωής.

 

Με αγάπη Χριστού

 

π. Κων/νος

 

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Dear Parishioners,

 

Christ is Risen!

Again, this year we majestically celebrated the Resurrection of Our Lord, we heard the amazing melody and meaningful hymns of our Church during Holy Week, we felt the agony and suffering of Christ for our salvation and the joy and hope of the glorious Resurrection with all its implications in our lives.

 

Now we travelling the period of Pentecost through the events associated with the resurrection and the life of our Lord, the Ascension, culminating in the great feast of Pentecost where the descent of the Holy Spirit perfected the redemptive work of merciful God and Savior.

 

We are called to participate in the festive occasions of   Pentecost, and in the devotional life of the Church. This will lead us safely to our salvation, through the Holy     Sacraments, and provide us with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, which sanctifies us.

 

So, let us follow the life of our church whose goal is the sanctification of your own life.

 

With Christ’s Love,

 

 Father Konstantinos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Open Letter from Our Parish Council’s President

 

 

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

I would like to thank you all for joining us in the Fund Raising for the Annual Financial Support of the Holy Monastery of Theotokos. It was a successful event that combined fun with delicious food cooked by our wonderful cooks Eleni Kalivas, Penny Kloutsiniotis, Father Kostas, Presv. Konstantina, Demitra Klentos, and others, live and silent auction were held, and some prizes for the raffle tickets. It was an evening of great success that we had afforded to support the daily needs of the Holy Monastery of Theotokos to keep it operating and open the    welcoming door to all of us.

We had guests from various parishes from all over Southern   California, and we enjoyed having them with us.

Now, we are back on our daily routine, and starting to plan for the Festival 2019 which will take place in the 23rd, 24th, and 25th of August, 2019. Every year we start early to make sure we are ready, and I thank you in advance for your continuous help and support.


With Love in Christ,
 

Mary Yaffa Iacobsohn 
Parish council President 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The summer is here again, and so being our annual

Covina Greek Festival

Our Church’s Greek Festival has been a long tradition to celebrate the Greek culture as well as being our main fund raiser to keep the doors of our church open.

 

 

Sunday, June 16th, 2019

FATHER’S DAY

LET’S ALL JOIN FOR A LUNCHEON HONORING OUR

        FATHERS AT THE CHURCH’S HALL DURING 

COFFEE HOUR.

A DELICIOUS LUNCH WILL BE SERVED.

DONATION OF $10 PER PERSON, HOWEVER,

All Fathers are free!!

All proceeds go to church.

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YOUR HELP IS NEEDED FOR OUR GREEK FESTIVAL

 

THE TIME OF OUR FESTIVAL IS QUICKLY APPROACHING.

PLEASE VOLUNTEER YOUR HELP IN ANY WAY YOU CAN.

DONATIONS AND HELP ARE NEEDED IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

o    DISTRIBUTING FLYERS

o    DONATING NEEDED FOOD ITEMS

o    HELP WITH PREPARING AND BAKING FOODS

o    SOLICITING ADVERTISING

o    HELPING WITH FESTIVAL SET-UP

o    HELPING IN ONE OF OUR CHURCH BOOTHS

o   SELLING RAFFLE TICKETS

 

 

 

Our Greek Festival 2019

Donations Need

 

Description

Amount

Description

Amount

White wine

$200.00

Gyro

$6,000.00

Red Wine

$300.00

Top Sirloin (For Souvlakia)

$600.00

Ouzo

$500.00

Pork Souvlakia

$1,000.00

Retsina

$500.00

Posters and Flyers

$700.00

Beer

$1,500.00

Roads

$400.00

Soda

$1,200.00

Printing of Festival ADS BOOK

$4,000.00

Bottled Water

$300.00

Raffle Ticket Printing

$1,000.00

Ice

$650.00

Greek Band

$4,000.00

Paper Goods

$ 3,000,00

Security

$1,800.00

American Coffee

$200.00

Church Bookstore

$3,000.00

Greek Coffee

$200.00

Tenting

$15,000.00

Cooking Oil

$100.00

Newspaper Advertising

$6,000.00

Olive Oil

$200.00

Grand Prize

$1,000.00

Greek Olives

$100.00

Second Prize

$500.00

French Fries

$280.00

Third Prize

$500.00

Grated Parmesan Cheese

$100.00

Postage Mailing Raffle Tickets

$750.00

Butter

$500.00

Sugar

$100.00

Flour

$200.00

Honey

$500.00

Eggs

$200.00

Oregano

$30.00

Walnuts

$800.00

Rice Uncle Bens

$150.00

Spaghetti/Macaroni

$100.00

Charcoal

$300.00

Ground beef

$500.00

Trash

$1,000.00

Feta Cheese

$200.00

Lamb

$1,200.00

Green Beans

$100.00

Radio/TV Ads

$2,500.00

Produce

$3,000.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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WeShare

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You can donate an item or money to buy the item(s).

Please note:

It is not necessary to cover the entire amount of any one item. You may make partial donations toward one (or several) categories.

Thank you for your generosity and sincere consideration and help!

 

Parish Council 

 

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PLEASE OFFER YOUR HELPING HANDS WHEREVER YOU CAN. THERE ARE MANY AREAS IN WHICH YOU CAN VOLUNTEER. CLICK THIS LINK TO DOWNLOAD THE FORM AND FILL IT UP WHERE YOU ARE ABLE TO

VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME

 

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HELP BY SPONSORING ONE OF OUR CHURCH BOOTHS. YOUR NAME, OR THE NAME OF YOUR BUSINESS WILL BE PLACED ON THE FESTIVAL BOOTH OF YOUR CHOICE.

A BOOTH MAY BE SPONSORED FOR A DONATION OF $400.00

 

PLEASE CLICK THIS LINK TO DOWNLOAD THE FORM AND FILL IT UP. YOU CAN MAIL IT TO OUR OFFICE                              ALONG WITH YOUR DONATION(S).

 

Below is the Web Page Ads Program Form for our upcoming GREEK FESTIVAL to be held on the weekend of August 23rd, 24th, to 25th, 2019. Your Web Page Ads are to be placed on our website for a period of 10 months.  

 

Please click this link and fill up the form and enclosed your type written messages, business cards, along with pictures, images, business logo, if you have one, which will be parts of your advertisement design and placement into our website and send them via email attachments on or before June 30th, 2019 at:

joey.eugenio@gmail.com

stnectarioschurch@gmail.com

 

ADVERTISEMENT COST AS A DONATION TO US FOR

ANNUAL COVINA GREEK FESTIVAL 2019

FULL WEB PAGE ADS …………. $200.00

HALF WEB PAGE ADS …………. $100.00

                                                                                         BUSINESS CARD ADS ………….  $100.00

 

 

We look forward to your participation at our GREEK FESTIVAL PROGRAM 2019!

 

 

Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society

 

 

 

The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, is the philanthropic arm of the Greek Orthodox       Archdiocese of America that has offered eighty years of philanthropy through a multitude of programs that make a difference in the lives of people in the United States and throughout the world.  The Society was established in November 1931, by the late Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I.

Philoptochos fulfills its mission to “help the poor, the destitute, the hungry, the aged, the sick, the unemployed, the orphaned, the         imprisoned, the widowed, those with disabilities and the victims of disasters through its National and Metropolis Boards and its 26,000 members and more than 400 active chapters, nationwide.

 LADIES PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY

St. Nectarios Local Chapter

-   Chapter Number: 4030

-   Address:  20340 E. Covina Blvd. Covina CA 91724

-   Telephone Number:  626-967-5524

 

The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, Inc., is the duly     accredited women's philanthropic society of the Greek Orthodox   Archdiocese of America. 

We invite all ladies of our Church to come and join our Ladies Philoptochos Society.  Dues are $50 . Husband as well as their teenage kids are welcome to join too, but they would not have voting privilege.

 

 

Greek School

 

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We are pleased to announce that in our church we will offer Greek language classes for children and adults, once again this year. Let's seize this unique opportunity, especially for our children and grandchildren, to learn to speak, read and write Greek and to discover the thousands of Greek words hidden in the English language.

THE STUDENTS LEARN:

o    VOCABULARY

o    GRAMMAR

o    COMMUNICATION

o    DIALOGUES

o    EXPRESSIONS

 

 

We follow modern methods of tutoring according to the instructional tutorial program of the Holy Archdiocese of the U.S.A. Starting this year; students will receive additional educational materials for their better practice and learning of Greek language. Students who are interested will be offered the opportunity to prepare for the annual examination leading to the Certificates of Competence in Modern Greek.

Schedule of Classes

o   No Classes during Summer season

o   For up-to-date schedule during regular season, please see our weekly bulletin.

o      Every Friday during regular season:

§  5:30 PM Greek School (Elementary)

§  6:30 PM Greek School (Intermediate)

§  7:30 PM Greek Dance Lesson

Location

 Location at the back of the property in the last two modular buildings.

 Contact Info:

-          Mrs. Becky Lawdis

TEL: (909) 367 - 6651

email: rlawdis@hotmail.com

 

Sunday School (Religious Education)

 

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We invite your children to participate in Sunday School each Sunday during the regular school year. All families are strongly encouraged to participate. Come learn, grow, and worship with us. The Sunday School year starts in September and ends in June each year. 

 

Mission Statement

The mission of Saint Nectarios Religious Education program is to mold the lives of our students in the Orthodox Christian way of life by proclaiming the teaching of Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition and to develop each student spiritually to live a Christ-centered life, to worship and serve the Lord and His Holy Orthodox Church. Support this mission by:

o   Valuing religious education

o   Regular attendance

o   Be on time

o   Bring needed materials to class

o   Support enrichment programs

o   Know the teacher

o   Communicate when problems arise

o   Respect and follow rules of courtesy

o   Participate in enrichment activities

o   Notify when address, phone or email changes

Through our religious education program, we hope our children will not only make new, long lasting friendships, have fun but they will fundamentally build a moral compass that will guide them in later years to what is right and what is true.

            Schedule of Classes

Classes start in September of the current year and end in June of the following year.

Classes during regular season, always start right after Holy Communion.

Location

 Location at the back of the property in the last two modular buildings.

Contact Info:

-          Mrs. Rebecca Lawdis

TEL: (909) 367 - 6651

email: rlawdis@hotmail.com

 

-          Church office

TEL: (626) 967 - 5524

To enroll your kid(s), please click here to download the Registration Form.

If you don’t have installed Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, you may download it for free by clicking on this link.

To join with our Sunday school (Religious Education) program as a teacher, you must download and fill up the Commitment Form and mark your entry for the Sunday School Teacher column on the Time and Talents Commitment Form

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACOLYTES OR ALTAR BOYS NEEDED!

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Acolytes are the altar server. With priest approval and blessing, and if they wish, boys may begin serving on the Holy Altar as young as age eight depending on maturity. The priest generally conducts an initial orientation session for new boys, and then the boys receive ongoing on the job training.

The fact that we as a congregation are standing in the presence of God within His Holy Sanctuary, we have to reflect our behavior and attitude as expected:

Expectations:

·         As an Acolyte you are expected to be prayerful and reverent.

·         Always pay attention to what is taking place around us.

·         Respect the concerns and directions of the Parish Priest or Acolyte Leader

·         Arrive on time at least 10 minutes before the service.

·         Keep the Sanctuary clean and neat and in order at all times.

·         Prepare to receive the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ by:

o   Participate in Holy Confession specially during the Advent Fast and Great Lenten Fast

o   Fast on appropriate days Wednesdays and Fridays and throughout t other fast periods

o   Limiting your thoughts, words, and actions to those things that glorify God.

·         Show your reverence to the Lord by:

o   Crossing ourselves at the moment we enter the Sanctuary,

o   Crossing ourselves whenever we walk behind the altar or observe Father crossing himself

o   Crossing ourselves whenever the Holy Trinity is commemorated during divine services.

 

 

To join with our Acolytes Program you must download and fill up the Commitment Form and mark your entry for the Acolytes column

 

 

 

 

 

Myrrh Bearers

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The Myrrh Bearers traditionally refers to the women with myrrh who came to the tomb of Christ early in the morning to find it empty.

 

” Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.  (Mark 16:1-2)

 

To be a Myrrh Bearer she must:

o   Eight-year old girl

o   She attends St. Nectarios religious education program

o   Attends Myrrh Bearer practices

o   Commit to active in life of the Church

 

Duties and Responsibilities of a Myrrh Bearer

o   Help during Great lent and Holy Week.

o   Meet on the 3rd Sunday after Pascha, the Sunday of the Myrrh Bearing Women, and share experience during Great Lent.

o   Attend, tentatively, meeting of Myrrh Bearers at least once a month to discuss future outreach projects, with a special activity.

o    Help in the Narthex at least once a year.

o   Help in Sunday school class at least once a year and begin receiving training to become a future teacher of religious education.

o   Mentor future Myrrh Bearers by teaching the eighteenth lamentation stanza.

o   Be a "prayer pal" with each other.

o   Help, if when needed, organize the narthex, nave, and solea (elevated place of sanctuary platform).

o   Organize and serve during coffee refreshment time following Divine Liturgy.

 

To join with our Myrrh Bearers Program you must download and fill up the Commitment Form and mark your entry on the Myrrh Bearers column.

 

 

SUNDAY, JUNE 16th, 2019

HOLY PENTECOST

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After the Saviour's Ascension into the Heavens, the eleven Apostles and the rest of His disciples, the God-loving women who followed after Him from the beginning, His Mother, the most holy Virgin Mary, and His brethren-all together about 120 souls returned from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem. Entering into the house where they gathered, they went into the upper room, and there they persevered in prayer and supplication, awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit, as their Divine Teacher had promised them. In the meanwhile, they chose Matthias, who was elected to take the place of Judas among the Apostles.

 

Thus, on this day, the seventh Sunday of Pascha, the tenth day after the Ascension and the fiftieth day after Pascha, at the third hour of the day from the rising of the sun, there suddenly came a sound from Heaven, as when a mighty wind blows, and it filled the whole house where the Apostles and the rest with them were gathered. Immediately after the sound, there appeared tongues of fire that divided and rested upon the head of each one. Filled with the Spirit, all those present began speaking not in their native tongue, but in other tongues and dialects, as the Holy Spirit instructed them.

 

The multitudes that had come together from various places for the feast, most of whom were Jews by race and religion, were called Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and so forth, according to the places where they dwelt. Though they spoke many different tongues, they were present in Jerusalem by divine dispensation. When they heard that sound that came down from Heaven to the place where the disciples of Christ were gathered, all ran together to learn what had taken place. But they were confounded when they came and heard the Apostles speaking in their own tongues. Marveling at this, they said one to another, "Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?" But others, because of their foolishness and excess of evil, mocked the wonder and said that the Apostles were drunken.

 

Then Peter stood up with the eleven, and raising his voice, spoke to all the people, proving that that which had taken place was not drunkenness, but the fulfilment of God's promise that had been spoken by the Prophet Joel: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that I shall pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy" (Joel 2:28), and he preached Jesus of Nazareth unto them, proving in many ways that He is Christ the Lord, Whom the Jews crucified but God raised from the dead. On hearing Peter's teaching, many were smitten with compunction and received the word. Thus, they were baptized, and on that day about three thousand souls were added to the Faith of Christ.

 

Such, therefore, are the reasons for today's feast: the coming of the All-holy Spirit into the world, the completion of the Lord Jesus Christ's promise, and the fulfilment of the hope of the sacred disciples, which we celebrate today. This is the final feast of the great mystery and dispensation of God's incarnation. On this last, and great, and saving day of Pentecost, the Apostles of the Saviour, who were unlearned fishermen, made wise now of a sudden by the Holy Spirit, clearly and with divine authority spoke the heavenly doctrines. They became heralds of the truth and teachers of the whole world. On this day they were ordained and began their apostleship, of which the salvation of those three thousand souls in one day was the comely and marvelous first fruit.

 

Some erroneously hold that Pentecost is the "birthday of the Church." But this is not true, for the teaching of the holy Fathers is that the Church existed before all other things. In the second vision of The Shepherd of Hermas we read: "Now brethren, a revelation was made unto me in my sleep by a youth of exceeding fair form, who said to me, 'Whom thinkest thou the aged woman, from whom thou receivedst the book, to be?' I say, 'The Sibyl.' 'Thou art wrong,' saith he, 'she is not.' 'Who then is she?' I say. 'The Church,' saith he. I said unto him, 'Wherefore then is she aged?' 'Because,' saith he, 'she was created before all things; therefore, is she aged, and for her sake the world was framed."' Saint Gregory the Theologian also speaks of "the Church of Christ ... both before Christ and after Christ" (PG 35:1108-9). Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus writes, "The Catholic Church, which exists from the ages, is revealed most clearly in the incarnate advent of Christ" (PG 42:640). Saint John Damascene observes, "The Holy Catholic Church of God, therefore, is the assembly of the holy Fathers, Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Evangelists, and Martyrs who have been from the very beginning, to whom were added all the nations who believed with one accord" (PG 96, 1357c). According to Saint Gregory the Theologian, "The Prophets established the Church, the Apostles conjoined it, and the Evangelists set it in order" (PG 35, 589 A). The Church existed from the creation of the Angels, for the Angels came into existence before the creation of the world, and they have always been members of the Church. Saint Clement, Bishop of Rome, says in his second epistle to the Corinthians, the Church "was created before the sun and moon"; and a little further on, "The Church existeth not now for the first time, but hath been from the beginning" (II Cor. 14).

 

That which came to pass at Pentecost, then, was the ordination of the Apostles, the commencement of the apostolic preaching to the nations, and the inauguration of the priesthood of the new Israel. Saint Cyril of Alexandria says that "Our Lord Jesus Christ herein ordained the instructors and teachers of the world and the stewards of His divine Mysteries ... showing together with the dignity of Apostleship, the incomparable glory of the authority given them ... Revealing them to be splendid with the great dignity of the Apostleship and showing them forth as both stewards and priests of the divine altars . . . they became fit to initiate others through the enlightening guidance of the Holy Spirit" (PG 74, 708-712). Saint Gregory Palamas says, "Now, therefore ... the Holy Spirit descended ... showing the Disciples to be supernal luminaries ... and the distributed grace of the Divine Spirit came through the ordination of the Apostles upon their successors" (Homily 24, 10). And Saint Sophronius, Bishop of Jerusalem, writes, "After the visitation of the Comforter, the Apostles became high priests" (PG 87, 3981B). Therefore, together with the baptism of the Holy Spirit which came upon them who were present in the upper chamber, which the Lord had foretold as recorded in the Acts, "ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence" (Acts 1:5), the Apostles were also appointed and raised to the high priestly rank, according to Saint John Chrysostom (PG 60, 21). On this day commenced the celebration of the Holy Eucharist by which we become "partakers of the Divine Nature" (II Peter 1:4). For before Pentecost, it is said of the Apostles and disciples only that they abode in "prayer and supplication" (Acts 1:14); it is only after the coming of the Holy Spirit that they persevered in the "breaking of bread, “that is, the communion of the Holy Mysteries-"and in prayer" (Acts 2:42).

 

The feast of holy Pentecost, therefore, determined the beginning of the priesthood of grace, not the beginning of the Church. Henceforth, the Apostles proclaimed the good tidings "in country and town," preaching and baptizing and appointing shepherds, imparting the priesthood to them whom they judged were worthy to minister, as Saint Clement writes in his first Epistle to the Corinthians (I Cor. 42).

All foods allowed during the week following Pentecost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SATURDAY, JUNE 29th, 2019

PETER & PAUL, THE HOLY APOSTLES

 

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The divinely-blessed Peter was from Bethsaida of Galilee. He was the son of Jonas and the brother of Andrew the First-called. He was a fisherman by trade, unlearned and poor, and was called Simon; later he was renamed Peter by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who looked at him and said, "Thou art Simon the son of Jonas; thou shalt be called Cephas (which is by interpretation, Peter)" (John 1:42). On being raised by the Lord to the dignity of an Apostle and becoming inseparable from Him as His zealous disciple, he followed Him from the beginning of His preaching of salvation up until the very Passion, when, in the court of Caiaphas the high priest, he denied Him thrice because of his fear of the Jews and of the danger at hand. But again, after many bitter tears, he received complete forgiveness of his transgression. After the Resurrection of Christ and the descent of the Holy Spirit, he preached in Judea, Antioch, and certain parts of Asia, and finally came to Rome, where he was crucified upside down by Nero, and thus he ascended to the eternal habitations about the year 66 or 68, leaving two Catholic (General) Epistles to the Church of Christ.

 

Paul, the chosen vessel of Christ, the glory of the Church, the Apostle of the Nations and teacher of the whole world, was a Jew by race, of the tribe of Benjamin, having Tarsus as his homeland. He was a Roman citizen, fluent in the Greek language, an expert in knowledge of the Law, a Pharisee, born of a Pharisee, and a disciple of Gamaliel, a Pharisee and notable teacher of the Law in Jerusalem. For this cause, from the beginning, Paul was a most fervent zealot for the traditions of the Jews and a great persecutor of the Church of Christ; at that time, his name was Saul (Acts 22:3-4). In his great passion of rage and fury against the disciples of the Lord, he went to Damascus bearing letters of introduction from the high priest. His intention was to bring the disciples of Christ back to Jerusalem in bonds. As he was approaching Damascus, about midday there suddenly shone upon him a light from Heaven. Falling on the earth, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?" And he asked, "Who art Thou, Lord?" And the Lord said, "I am Jesus Whom thou persecutest; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." And that heavenly voice and brilliance made him tremble, and he was blinded for a time. He was led by the hand into the city, and on account of a divine revelation to the Apostle Ananias (see Oct. 1), he was baptized by him, and both his bodily and spiritual eyes were opened to the knowledge of the Sun of Righteousness. And straightway- O wondrous transformation! - beyond all expectation, he spoke with boldness in the synagogues, proclaiming that "Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 9:1-21). As for his zeal in preaching the Gospel after these things had come to pass, as for his unabating labors and afflictions of diverse kinds, the wounds, the prisons, the bonds, the beatings, the stonings, the shipwrecks, the journeys, the perils on land, on sea, in cities, in wildernesses, the continual vigils, the daily fasting, the hunger, the thirst, the nakedness, and all those other things that he endured for the Name of Christ, and which he underwent before nations and kings and the Israelites, and above all, his care for all the churches, his fiery longing for the salvation of all, whereby he became all things to all men, that he might save them all if possible, and because of which, with his heart aflame, he continuously traveled throughout all parts, visiting them all, and like a bird of heaven flying from Asia and Europe, the West and East, neither staying nor abiding in any one place - all these things are related incident by incident in the Book of the Acts, and as he himself tells them in his Epistles. His Epistles, being fourteen in number, are explained in 250 homilies by the divine Chrysostom and make manifest the loftiness of his thoughts, the abundance of the revelations made to him, the wisdom given to him from God, wherewith he brings together in a wondrous manner the Old with the New Testaments, and expounds the mysteries thereof which had been concealed under types; he confirms the doctrines of the Faith, expounds the ethical teaching of the Gospel, and demonstrates with exactness the duties incumbent upon every rank, age, and order of man. In all these things his teaching proved to be a spiritual trumpet, and his speech was seen to be more radiant than the sun, and by these means he clearly sounded forth the word of truth and illumined the ends of the world. Having completed the work of his ministry, he likewise ended his life in martyrdom when he was beheaded in Rome during the reign of Nero, at the same time, some say, when Peter was crucified.

 

 

 

 

IMAGES FROM 2019 FUND RAISING EVENT FOR

THE HOLY MONASTERY OF THE THEOTOKOS

THE LIFE-GIVING SPRING

DURING VESPERS

 

DURING DINNER

 

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STEWARDSHIP 2019

 

Stewardship is a way of life, which acknowledges accountability, reverence, and responsibility before God. A primary goal of Stewardship is to promote spiritual growth and strengthen faith. Becoming a Steward begins when we believe in God, to whom we give our love, loyalty and trust and act on those beliefs. As Stewards, we affirm that every aspect of our lives comes as a gift from Him. Stewardship calls on the faithful to cheerfully offer back to God a portion of the gifts with which they have been blessed.

An Orthodox Christian Steward is an active participant in the life of the Church. The parish encourages all who accept the Orthodox Faith to become practicing Stewards. Each year the Steward is expected to carefully review his or her personal circumstances and make a commitment of time, talent, and treasure to support the Parish and her Ministries, which in turn support the National Ministries of our Archdiocese, Metropolises, and institutions.

Effective stewardship ministry is not a single event or project. Rather, it is going out to our people wherever they are in their walk with Christ, listening to their concerns, helping them to realize their importance as branches of the True Vine and encouraging them to offer their gifts in His service. We use various resources to support our efforts, but unless we meet with our people personally, sincerely listen to their ideas and concerns, and share a vision for the future of the parish, our efforts will not reach their full potential.

In Oriented Leadership their book on Orthodox Christian leadership, Williams and McKibben define stewardship as the call of the faithful to share willingly the gifts that God has bestowed on them, including sharing these gifts for God’s work. Stewardship is devotion and service to God and His Church as persons, as families, as a Parish, as a Metropolis, as a National Church, and as the Church Universal. Stewardship is our active commitment to use ALL our time, talent and treasure for the benefit of humankind in grateful acknowledgement of Christ’s redeeming love.

In the words of Fr. William Chiganos of Holy Apostles Church in Westchester, Illinois, “…people don’t give to need; they give to vision…. Church people don’t stretch their giving because of need to meet the budget; they give more because they are able to see a vision of people being reached and God’s purposes being accomplished in the life of the church and its ministry.” Parishes with successful Orthodox Christian Stewardship Programs have found that incredible support is unleashed from Stewards who unselfishly and joyfully offer their time, talent and treasures, which in turn enhances the spirituality and ministry of the local parish.