THE MOSAIC
This Issue
A Monthly Newsletter of Holy Apostles Orthodox Church
PAGE 2 News & Events PAGE 3 Calendar & Spotlight PAGE 4 Practicing the Faith & World News PAGE 5 Liturgics 101 & Sophia
November 2016 Konevets Quartet Returns to Holy Apostles Two years ago, June 2014, Holy Apostles hosted the Konevets Quartet and offered a concert open to the public. Again this past October the parish again hosted this phenomenal quartet. The concert drew faithful from several surrounding parishes and contained two segments music: sacred and folk. Afterwards refreshments were offered and many gathered in the parish hall to talk with the singers and purchase their music.
Thanks to This Month’s Newsletter Sponsor:
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This concert was part of the quartet’s east coast tour in the United States which they organize every other year. Several other parishes from the diocese including Holy Trinity in Randolph, NJ and The Mother of God parish in Princeton, NJ, also held concerts with the quartet.
All the proceeds from the concert and ...
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...CD sales go to support the Konevets Monastery in Russia. Konevets is a Russian Orthodox monastery that occupies the Konevets Island in the western part of the Lake Ladoga. It is often regarded as the twin monastery of the Valaam Monastery, also located on an island group in the same lake and the monastery Valaam is where the first missionaries to Alaska came from, including St. Hermen. For more information about the quartet go to www.konevetsquartet.com
PARISH NEWS Help Needy Families for Thanksgiving Donate to your local food bank by bringing in nonperishable food items to church.
October was designated as Stewardship month. Father Matthew gave a homily series on stewardship and concluded the series by talking about proportional giving and pledging as the best way spiritually and practically to support the parish. Former members, Jim and Iryna Mckenna, paid a visit to Holy Apostles this month. Mary Zizik had a successful procedure to treat her heart condition and is now recovering at the Helen Hayes Rehabilitation Center. Father Matthew began the fall bible study series on the readings for the Christmas and Theophany season and Archbishop Michael joined the discussion for our first meeting. A public concert featuring the Konevets Quartet was held at Holy Apostles at the beginning of October with faithful from several area parishes. Again the music was wonderful and was enjoyed by all. Father has started meeting with the OCF students at Montclair State for the fall semester. On Sunday the 2nd Choir appreciation day was celebrated with special prayers in the service for the singers of the choir and a presentation of certificates from the Diocese to singers who have served for over 25 years. College Student Sunday was held on Sunday the 9th of October. All of our college students were blessed and given a gift in love and support from the parish.
Most Needed Foods Are: Canned Yams Canned Cranberry Sauce Canned Gravy Canned Fruit Canned Vegetables Hearty Soup Stuffing Rice Coffee, Tea and Sugar
UPCOMING EVENTS
Veterans Day: On Sunday the 13th Holy Apostles will honor our veterans at the conclusion of the liturgy and will offer a memorial for all departed veterans. Handmaidens of the Lord, a new ministry for the young girls of our parish will be instituted on Sunday the 20th in honor of the feast of the Presentation of the Virgin. Nativity Fast begins on Novem ber 15th! Presentation of the Virgin: Ves pers in conjunction with Liturgy on Sunday the 20th and the Litur gy for the feast will be held on Mon day the 21st at 9 AM. Cleaning Night on Wed. the 16th at 6 PM Parish Council Wed. the 30th at 6 PM
Remember to Make your Confession during the Nativity Fast Father Matthew is available 1/2 hour before Liturgy, before or after Vespers, or by appointment. If you see someone else for confession just let Father know. 2
THE SPOTLIGHT
N OVEMBER 2016
THE EMMAUS HOUSE IN HARLEM Emmaus House in Harlem is an ecumenical organization that welcomes all among the homeless and poor who seek assistance and empowerment. It was the first organization to offer a Department of Education-funded school inside a homeless shelter, to provide housing for the poor with AIDS, while also providing a job-training cabinetry factory, a chefs' school and 5 other job-training projects plus more resources including a soup kitchen RUN by the homeless that served 12,000 per month. With the lengthy illness and passing of our founder, Fr. David Kirk, its services are reduced but we carry on his vision of empowering the poor to suc- Empowering the poor to help ceed in their themselves & others own lives to then help others in need. Emmaus House also works to change systems that keep the poor entrapped in poverty. Currently Emmaus provides food, clothing, resources, and a listening ear and caring heart from someone who has also known difficulty.
On this he writes: "Even as a little boy I had eyes that could see and I saw deeply: racism, sharecropping, nigger shacks, lynching before the Courthouse square, hound dogs, white citizens council.” His early experience with racism and poverty led him on a path that would bring about his conversion to Christianity, his involvement in the civil rights movement, and the eventual founding of the Emmaus House, which even after his death continues its mission of caring for the poor and dismantling the structures which perpetuate poverty.
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Tue 1 Diocesan Assembly, Yonkers NY
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2 3 Diocesan Assembly, Yonkers, NY
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Sat 5 Demaj Anniversary Vespers 6 PM
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Daylight Savings
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NO BIBLE Church School 9:15 AM STUDY Divine Liturgy 10 AM Coffee Hour Afterwards
Today people of many Christian backgrounds volunteer and give to Emmaus House but Orthodox Christians and their churches in the Greater New York City area have in recent years shown significant involvement and support of its ministry. The House includes a small Orthodox style chapel and has regular visits from Orthodox priests to hold services there. Consider giving financially or volunteering your time to help this important ministry of the Church.
13 Service in Honor of Veterans
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Church School 9:15 AM Divine Liturgy & Veter- Bible Study ans Memorial 10 AM 7 PM Coffee Hour Afterwards 20
Its founder Fr. David Kirk was inspired by Jesus' inclusion, joy, love, mercy, and by His breaking bread with those of many colors, creeds, social standings, and political ideologies. Fr. David converted to Eastern Rite Catholicism in the early 1950’s among the Melkites. Born in Mississippi Fr. Kirk saw first hand growing up the mistreatment of blacks and the extreme racism of the south.
Vespers 6 PM 15 NATIVITY FAST BEGINS
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Len Davis’ Birthday (on the 21st)
Peter Eagler’s Birthday
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Ben Kalemba’s Birthday
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Work Night 6 PM
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Church School 9:15 AM Divine Liturgy 10 AM Bible Study Coffee Hour Afterwards 7 PM
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Ann Motacki’s Birthday
21 Institution of the Presentation Handmaidens of the Virgin Church School 9:15 AM Divine Liturgy & Festal Divine Liturgy Vespers 10 AM 9 AM Coffee Hour Afterwards Bible Study 7 PM 28
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Vespers 6 PM 24 25 Thanksgiving
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Vespers 6 PM 30
Parish Council 6 PM
Orthodox World News
PRACTICING THE FAITH: SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES & SACRAMENTS
Edited by Sub-Deacon Peter Eagler
Communion Of all the sacraments, or mysteries as they are called in the Orthodox Church, Holy Communion is the most central. It embodies what it means to be a Christian: Oneness with God and with others. It is important to make communion a regular part of our spiritual lives. It strengthens and reinforces our love towards God and our commitment to a spiritual way of living. Peacocks are a common motif in iconography because they symbolize immortality. The ancients believed that the flesh of peacocks did not decay. These symbolic birds can often be found drinking from a communion chalice in iconography. The use of this symbol is meant to teach us that holy Communion is the ‘medicine of immortality’ and by drinking from the holy cup we gain eternal life. Holy Communion gives us an abundant life now and in the age to come because it is a means of grace by which we are united in love to our Lord Jesus. He is the cure for our spiritual sickness. But before we drink this medicine we should prepare, like a patient before a surgery, or an athlete before a game. We should attend Vespers the night before, saying pre-communion prayers at home before Liturgy, keep a fast before Liturgy, go to confession regularly, show up on time to church,. But above all we should make peace with family and friends, especially if we are sharing the chalice with them since we make a mockery of the sacrament and make our selves guilt of hypocrisy.
Hagia Sophia, Turkey’s former cathedral, to appoint full-time Muslim Cleric According to Turkish news agency Anadolu Agency, an Imam has been appointed to the Hagia Sopha for the first time in over 80 years . The post of a permanent Imam had been vacant since 1935, but the Religious Affairs services, along with the Mufti of the Fatih region reached a decision to place a permanent Imam who will be responsible for the 5 Muslim prayers a day. The Turkish press covered the news in a celebratory tone reporting that the Muslim prayers will be heard from al four minarets 5 times a day from now on, instead of only twice. In July an Imam had recited passages of the Quran from inside the Hagia Sophia for the first time The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I was the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site, the previous two having both been destroyed by rioters. The church was dedicated to the Wisdom of God, the Logos, the second per person of the Holy Trinity , it feast day taking place on 25 December, the commemoration of the birth of the incarnation of the Logos in Christ. Although sometimes referred to as Sancta Sophia sophia being the phonetic spelling in Latin of the Greek word for wisdom, its full name in Greek is "Shrine of the Holy Wisdom of God". In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks under Sultan Mehmed II who ordered this main church of Orthodox Christianity converted into a mosque. Nevertheless, the Christian cathedral made a strong impression on the new Ottoman rulers and they decided to convert it into a mosque. The bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels and other relics were removed and the mosaics depicting Jesus, his Mother Mary, Christian saints and angels were also removed or plastered over. It remained a mosque until 1931, when it was closed to the public for four years.
PREPARATIONS FOR CHRISTMAS BAKE SALE TO START IN NOVEMBER
It was re-opened in 1935 as a museum by the Republic of Turkey. Hagia Sophia was, as of 2014, the secondmost visited museum in Turkey, attracting almost 3.3 million visitors annually and was Turkey’s most visited tourist attraction in 2015 What this means for the Orthodox Christians in Turkey at this time is unsure. What is does mean that is we must pray for all persecuted Christians in all countries and that this Christmas Day attend Church to celebrate this feast of the Incarnation of the Logos in Christ. In addition during this Christmas / Advent season do all we can to remind people that it is about the Birth of Christ.
Speak with Peter Eagler if you are interested in helping with this fundraiser and make sure to encourage family and friends to purchase our baked goods!
BUY GROCERY CARDS AND SUPPORT
YOUR CHURCH
Holy Apostles earns 5% of every dollar you buy in grocery cards. The cards work like any gift card. Cards for Stop & Shop and Shop Rite are available. Purchase cards at the candle desk. 4
Liturgics 101
Sophia
By Sub-deacon Ben Kalemba
Practical Wisdom for Everyday Life Vespers – Part 9
Temperance and Enjoyment
After the singing of the Apostikha, the choir sings the Prayer of Saint Simeon: Lord, now let Your servant depart in peace according to Your word. For my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all people: a light for revelation to the gentiles and for the glory of Your people Israel.
If you feel the itch of intemperance, nourish yourself with the Flesh and Blood of Christ, Who practiced heroic self-control during His earthly life; and you will become temperate. ~ St. Cyril of Alexandria
The reader then chants the Trisagion prayers. Reader: Holy God! Holy Mighty! Holy Immortal! Have mercy on us. (3x) Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. O most-holy Trinity, have mercy on us! O Lord, cleanse us from our sins! O Master, pardon our transgressions! O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Your name’s sake! Lord, have mercy. (3x) Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. All: Our Father, Who are in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Priest: For Yours’ is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Choir: Amen. The choir now sings the Troparion. The order of singing the Troparia can get quite complicated depending on the commemoration(s) for the day, so, the Typikon should always be consulted. In parish usage the Troparion (Tropria) is/are sung as follows: On Great Feasts, the Troparion for the feast is sung three times. For Vespers on the eve of a lesser Holy Day or Saint’s commemoration on which a Litya is celebrated, the Troparion for the Holy Day or the Saint would be sung twice and Virgin Mother of God rejoice is sung once. For the above 2 scenarios, since a Litya was celebrated, the priest will cense around the Tetrapod on which are the icon of the feast and the Litya Tray. For Sunday Vespers (sung on Saturday evening) or for Vespers on the eve of a lesser Holy Day or Saint’s commemoration (no Litya), the Troparion (for Sunday in the Tone of the week) would be sung; Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit…the second Troparion (if any) would be sung next; Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen; and then the Theotokion sung (in the Tone of the previous Troparion) last.
“Never go to excess, but let moderation be your guide” (Cicero). Do you remember when you first got that new car you wanted? Or that new CD that you loved? Or maybe that crush you had in high school? And do you remember what happened a few months later? That initial high subsided, what was extraordinary soon became common place, and maybe you lost interest all together. In our culture the answer to such experiences is often MORE. We become numb to those new thrills and seek ever larger ones. We grow bored, anxious, depressed, restless and the answer seems to be more. More of everything.
cold water taste like after hours of hard work in the hot sun? The enjoyment of these everyday pleasures was greatly intensified. Like everything in life there are natural rhythms and cycles. In the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon reminds us: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build.” So also in our life there are appropriate times, measures, and amounts for everything: for work, for rest, for entertainment, for talking, for keeping quiet, for eating, for fasting, for being alone, for being with others.
In stark contrast the life with Christ offers less. It says, ‘less of everything, not more’. Or rather everything in its right proportion. The Christian life offers to us something greatly missing in most of our lives: Balance. The virtue of Temperance doesn’t get much attention but it has been upheld as a virtue of prime importance across cultures, religions, and philosophies. It was one of Plato’s core virtues, is advocated in the Ten Commandments, and is one of St. Paul’s Fruits of the Spirit. Temperance, also known as moderation, is the avoidance of excess by means of self-restraint. It therefore has many expressions: modesty, abstinence, chastity, forgiveness, prudence, and many more. Its absence is also seen in many unrestrained impulses: vanity, pride, anger, sloth, gluttony, drunkenness, and sensual addiction.
But temperance is not just striking the mean of everything. It is not just avoiding extremes. True temperance requires insight and wisdom to know what is best. Sometimes extremes are called for as in the pursuit of virtue, or in love, and faith. We ought to have moderation in everything, including moderation. It will take a life that knows the good, that knows God, to judge what is an excess, when enough has been reached, and what the right proportion and measure for something is. But if we don’t always have this wisdom we ought to seek out those who do, and surround ourselves with friends and mentors who possess wisdom and virtue. We need friends who can correct us and remind us. “Temperance puts wood on the fire, meal in the barrel, flour in the tub, money in the purse, credit in the country, contentment in the house, clothes on the back, and vigor in the body” (Benjamin Franklin). Surely we are lacking this virtue today, in our own lives, and as a society. Moderation leads to the good life, a life with God, a life that is balanced, healthy, and full of the deep pleasures: friendship, love, family, faith, and wisdom.
The Taoist philosopher Lao-Tzu, writing on moderation, teaches: “He who becomes excessive with wealth and sex . . . sows the seeds of his own misfortune.” This is because our own desires can easily become a wild beast that when fed without control and wisdom devours us, usually in the form of addictions and self-destructive behavior. Furthermore, our desires, if unrestrained and fulfilled to excess, have a damaging effect on others. And if we are wise, we will see that hurt- The ascetic and liturgical life of the Church has the patterns, rituals, and practices that can help reinforce this virtue in our ing another is hurting oneself because all life is connected lives. Participating in what the Church has to offer us can be a and made one in Christ. first step in building up temperance as part of our character. Greater stimulation will only serve to increase our desire and We might also want to try fasting. Not just from food but not necessarily our pleasure. Though it might seem counterin- from any stimuli that might be in excess in our life. We should tuitive, moderation actually serves to increase our enjoyment also consciously and intentionally try to delay our gratification of things. Even the philosophy of Epicureanism taught mod- for the purpose of sweetening the reward and to train oureration, because it knew that it was the key to greater pleasure. selves in self-restraint. We never know when life will require Think of a time when you hadn’t seen a loved one in a long us to practice this virtue. Our enjoyment, and the achievement time. What was that encounter like? Or what did that glass of of the good life, might just be counting on it.
During weekdays of Lent, the following Troparia would be sung: Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, Mary full of grace; the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, for you have borne the Savior of our souls. (prostration), Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit… O Baptizer of Christ, remember us all, that we may be delivered from our iniquities, for to you is given grace to intercede fo (prostration), Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. O pure apostles, and all you saints, pray for our sakes, that we escape tribulations and sorrows, for we have taken you as fervent intercessors with the Savior. (prostration) We have taken refuge under the wing of your compassion, O Theotokos. Turn not away from our prayers in our trouble, but deliver us from harm, O only pure, only blessed one. (no prostration) (To be continued…) 5