The Orthodox Vision December 2024 Vol. 34 No. 10 by Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

Pastoral Perspective

Father Georgios Livaditis

My brothers and sisters in Christ,

As we gather to celebrate the joyous season of Christmas, let us take a moment to reflect on the true meaning of this blessed time. The birth of our Savior brings hope, love, and joy into our lives and reminds us of the importance of community and faith.

May this Christmas fill your hearts with peace and your homes with warmth. As we share in the spirit of giving, let us also remember those in need and extend our hands in kindness and generosity.

Wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with blessings, health, and happiness. Together, let us continue to grow in faith and love within our Holy Trinity family.

In Christ's love, +Fr. Georgios Livaditis

Here are some key aspects of the meaning of Christmas in the Orthodox Church:

In the Orthodox Church, Christmas, also

known as the Nativity of Christ, holds profound spiritual significance and is celebrated with a rich tapestry of traditions and liturgical practices.

Celebration of the Incarnation

Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who took on human flesh to bring salvation to humanity. The Incarnation is central to Orthodox theology, emphasizing that God became man in the person of Jesus Christ.

Theological Significance

The Nativity signifies God’s love for humanity and His willingness to dwell among us. It marks the beginning of Christ's earthly ministry and His ultimate sacrifice for the redemption of sins.

Liturgical Observance

The celebration begins with a period of preparation known as Advent or the Nativity Fast, which lasts for 40 days. This time is dedicated to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, helping the faithful to spiritually prepare for the feast.

On Christmas Eve, the Orthodox Church holds a Divine Liturgy, often featuring the singing of hymns, readings from Scripture, and the proclamation of the Nativity story.

Iconography and Traditions

Icons of the Nativity are prominently displayed, depicting the birth of Christ in the manger, surrounded by the Virgin Mary, Joseph, angels, and shepherds. These icons serve as visual reminders of the event's significance.

Many Orthodox Christians participate in caroling, known as "Kalada," which involves singing songs that celebrate the Nativity and sharing joy within the community.

Joy and Hope

Christmas is a time of joy and hope for Orthodox Christians, as it symbolizes the light of Christ entering a dark world. The message of peace and goodwill is emphasized during this season, encouraging acts of charity and compassion.

al foods vary by region but often include special dishes that are prepared for the occasion.

The emphasis on community and togetherness reflects the Orthodox understanding of the Church as a family of believers united in faith.

Family and Community

Christmas is often celebrated with family gatherings and communal meals. Tradition-

Continuing Celebration

The Christmas season in the Orthodox Church extends beyond December 25, conting until the Feast of the Theophany (Epiphany) on Jany 6 This period includes various feast days and celations that highlight the significance of Christ’s birth and baptism.

In summary, Christmas in the Orthodox Church is a deeply spiritual and joyous celebration that emphasizes the mystery of the Incarnation, encourages communal and familial bonds, and calls the faithful to reflect on the love and light that Christ brings into the world.

Walt Disney

The pages required to accurately describe the contributions of our elders could easily fill a few books. The impact of their work and dedication continues to ripple through our community, and their influences can be seen at every turn and in every organization, project, and committee. They have shaped our Holy Trinity family with their commitment to the preservation of our traditions and cultural values that we’ll carry with us for generations to come.

For the wisdom and experiences that you continue to share, and for your ongoing dedication to our Church, we thank you!

Vicky Andriotis, Editor

The Senior Citizens group was organized in 1978, under the leadership of the Reverend Father Constantine Eliades, with Stella Capiris as cofounder and Advisor.

The first meeting of the Seniors took place on February 2, 1978, with a luncheon provided by the Parish Council. Father Eliades outlined future goals and activities and they were received by the members with much enthusiasm. Angelo Pappas was elected temporary Chairman, and Elizabeth Argeropoulos was elected temporary Secretary.

A generous donation was made by Anastasios Kaklamanos to cover the cost of a bus for the group’s first trip, which was to Washington, D.C. Since then, the group has

taken many trips including those to Hellenic College/ Holy Cross, the Catskills, The United Nations, Montreal-Quebec, Niagra Falls, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Amish Country, Hershey Park, Sturbridge Village, and Philadelphia’s Independence Hall.

The Seniors group continues to meet, and enjoys its various activities, but has not forgotten that it is also blessed to give, donates to various philanthropic causes, and tends to the various needs and requests made by the Church.

What is your organization’s most successful program/ project and why?

The most successful program that the Seniors offered was, in fact, the program itself. It is well known among most communities that as people age, they become less attached to their social

There are a variety of reasons why this happens, infirm, lack of transportation when

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driving must cease as well as loss of ability of some of their faculties. Seniors can find it difficult to be part of normal social environments with less patience for their aging consequences. This is why having a Senior social group becomes most important. It not only connects our Seniors to each other, this becomes a place where they can share their concerns and issues to an audience who can share with empathy what the aging process entails.

How do you fund your missions and projects?

Our projects are mainly funded from the Seniors themselves. We work on a narrow budget presently which does not allow us to expand at this time. However, we are thinking of ways that we can, perhaps, fundraise in various ways to support our group. There have been donations made to our group when the passing of one of our members happens. This, although, is not the usual way we accumulate funds and happens more infrequently.

What do you want people to know the most about your organization?

The most prevalent thing to know about our group is that we are here for our Seniors. We want to welcome them into our Senior community and share being together and doing things that are considered fun. When we meet, we share a luncheon and then we play Bingo.

During this time we also enjoy camaraderie with our peers and can discuss our joys and concerns. Friendship bonds enhance and we find that we have a sounding board among our members. Although, many times we say that we are “playing Bingo,” that is a small part of the interaction, love and connection we feel with one another.

What are your organization’s goals for this year?

The most outstanding things that our organization needs currently, is (1) more members, (2) transportation for those who cannot drive (3) a permanent place to hold our meetings that could accommodate more members if we were to acquire them.

This upcoming Ecclesiastical year, we are focused on a membership drive to increase our members. We also want to spread among our Parishioners that our Senior group is the wisdom of our community and shall be cherished by all within our Parish. Recalling Timothy “5:1-2 “Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; 2 The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.”

Another goal is to find ways that our Senior group can help our Parish more so than we already do.

Hello everyone. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family. It has been a busy couple of months with lots of activities and events. The Philoptochos ladies have been busy as always this time of the year. The baking started in early November. We had a successful Thanksgiving bake sale and now we are heading towards our Christmas one , which will be on December 21st and 22nd. You still have time to place your orders!

On October 20th, we were able to deliver 25 blankets to John Street. The people who received them were extremely grateful. I wish I had more to give. Thank you to those of you who donated your blankets. We are still collecting if you didn’t bring yours in yet. Additionally, we are starting our Christmas Food Drive. Look for details in the flyer in this issue. Those food items will also be distributed to John street before Christmas.

Philoptochos will provide 10 gift bags with baked goods and $100 Shop Rite gift cards to be given by Father George to individuals and families he feels need some assistance for the Holidays. Father is also visiting our Shut-Ins with gift bags that tsourekia and koulourakia. If you know of any elderly who are shut-ins, please let Father or myself know so we can put them on our visitation

We had our annual Pot Luck dinner on November 4th. It was a great night for all who attended. Thank you to all who attended and brought in

your delicious dishes! We were honored and grateful to have Deacon Anastasios as our guest speaker to speak about the role of women in the church. It was an inspirational night! It was great to see and speak with Deacon for the last time before his ordination to the priesthood on December 4th. We all wish him God’s Grace to be with him and

On behalf of myself and the Philoptochos board we wish everyone a Blessed Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New

Greek School:

Celebrating Culture and Tradition

This year, we proudly celebrated the 110th Anniversary of our Greek School, a milestone that reflects our commitment to preserving our heritage. Our students beautifully honored OXI Day, singing, reciting, and even performing traditional dances with the GOYA group, creating a vibrant display of our culture. A heartfelt thank you goes to Joanna Bogardus for her dedication and hard work in making these moments possible.

We also had the privilege of honoring Kyria Eleni, whose tireless devotion to our children and school was recognized by all church organizations.

Kyria Eleni’s message to our community

“ Dear Father George, Dr. Rountos, Parish Council, teachers, students, parents and organizations of our beloved Holy Trinity,

Thank you so very much for your kindness, love and support throughout the years. I am very grateful and honored to work and be a part of our Holy Trinity Parish and our wonderful Greek School. The best in the area! Thank you! Thank you!”

In class, our students are thriving as they dive into the Greek language, traditional dances, and, most recently, the art of reading Byzantine notation. This unique skill enriches their understanding of church hymns an experience that will stay with them for years to come. The children are also enjoying their lessons on Greek mythology, bringing ancient stories to life in a fun and engaging way.

Father George visited our Greek School classes to discuss the significance of Advent, emphasizing the importance of prayer, repentance, and sacrifice as we prepare for the Feast of the Nativity. Families are encouraged to carve out time to reflect and engage in these spiritual practices together.

Looking ahead, December promises to be a month filled with fun events for our children. Stay tuned for updates on these exciting activities!

Sunday School: Building Faith and Community

W e invite all families with schoolaged children to join us in the Sunday School pews during Divine Liturgy. Our kid-friendly books and Gospel readings make the service engaging and accessible for younger participants.

Donations Needed:

Help us make Sunday School even more welcoming and fun! We’re looking for gently used toys, puzzles, board games, craft supplies, and healthy snacks. Your generosity helps create a warm and joyful space where our children can grow in faith and community.

Christmas Concert:

Our beloved annual Christmas Concert is just around the corner. Stay tuned for details as we prepare to celebrate the season with music and joy!

Service Projects:

Our recent “Teens and Tech” initiative was a resounding success! Teens taught seniors the basics of internet use and technology, fostering an incredible sense of community and bridging generational gaps. Stay tuned for updates on our next service projects—we have more meaningful opportunities to give back in the works!

Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO): Strengthening Bonds

The PTO and GOYA recently hosted a delightful Friendsgiving celebration, bringing families and friends together to share in the spirit of love and community.

Looking ahead, we’re thrilled to announce a December outing for our children to see “Santa Story 2” at the Bridgeport Downtown Cabaret! Tickets will be available soon this festive event promises to be a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season.

GOYA: Leadership, Service, and Fun

Congratulations to our new GOYA leadership team! We wish them success as they guide us through an exciting year ahead:

President: Evan Kelmenidis

Vice President: Sophia Vancho

Secretary: Eleni Roussas

Treasurer: Evangelos Gountas

Sunshine: Elliot Nakos

GOYA is in full swing with several initiatives, including:

Christmas Card Fundraiser: Share in the joy of the season by participating in this wonderful parish tradition.

Giving Tree: Select a red tag from our tree and fulfill the wish of a child in need at St. Basil’s Orphanage.

Christmas Ornament Fundraiser: Beautiful ornaments are available for $10, with proceeds supporting youth events.

We’ve also enjoyed some fantastic activities, including a lively dance night in Waterbury. Upcoming events include a day of fun in New York City on December 7th. For details, contact any GOYAN or Maria Gountas.

Thank you for your continued support and participation in these youth programs. Together, we’re building a vibrant, faithfilled community for our children and families!

Osan District of Greek Orthodox Church musicians, on November 1-3 at the St. George Cathedral in Hartford. Holy Trinity Bridgeport was well represented at the conference with senior and junior choir members. Senior choir attended workshops in Composition Software & AI for Choirs, Vocal Health and Singing Techniques, as well as the zoom conference call with Dr. Tikey Zes whose first arrangement of the Divine Liturgy was sung Sunday morning.

The Youth participated in a workshop where they learned about the St. Romanos Church Music Oratorical festival which will begin in our church this Spring! They learned a hymn in Greek, its meaning and when it is sung in the Liturgy. They also reviewed “Is Agios” and “Receive Me To-

ite hymns will be heard in the church for Christmas.

Your birth, O Christ, our Lord, has shined unto the world the light of true knowledge: those worshipping the stars were taught by a star to bow before You in worship and to know that You are the Dawn of Righteousness that comes from Heaven. Glory be to You, Lord.

On a sad note, we are broken hearted to have lost one of our beloved choir members, Van Hatzis, this past month. He was a member of our Choir family as long as any of us can remember – over 75 years! He was a gifted bass singer, and wholly devoted to our group. We will always remember him with fondness and love. We will remember his common sense, commitment, willingness to help in any way, his humor, and his utmost devotion to our entire community. He kept us in line when we got off track more times than we can recount! Memory Eternal!

We are also sad to report the passing of our dear, Phoebe Leask’s husband, and our Director Joanna’s step-father, Mac Leask. (As most of you know, Phoebe was our choir director for many years, and Joanna’s mom.) We send our deepest condolences to them on their loss. He was a devoted family man and his life was steeped in service to others. He was loved by our choir family and we have fond memories of him at many a choir gathering!

We all join in wishing another choir mem-

er to her family. She has been a devoted member of our choir for 50 years, and has enhanced our soprano section with her beautiful voice, that we will miss greatly. We wish her health, love and happiness in her new home and we will miss her so very much! Please visit us often Miranda and God bless you!

As we head into the holiday season, we send our best wishes to all of our Holy Trinity community, as we also urge you to consider joining our choir family. We practice on Monday evenings and no experience singing in a choir is needed. Please reach out to Joanna or just come on up to the loft on any Sunday. Together let’s #filltheloft!

Have a very happy and

Written by:

A fond farewell: A gathering for Miranda from her choir family and friends

Daughters of Penelope hopes your Thanksgiving was a happy and joyous holiday. Christmas is fast approaching, and DOP has been very busy working on a few projects to bring a little joy to those around us.

As you may be aware during the year we hold drives in which we collect several items to be handed out to local shelters, as well as Under the Bridge. October was our sock drive. We collected well over 500 socks! The outpouring of donated items exceeded anything we had ever imagined. Thank you to all who were generous and donated. We will be meeting December 4 to package socks to be distributed.

Daughters of Penelope members and to a few people who are always thinking of us and our causes.

Our Christmas raffle started mid November and will continue until December 1. That Sunday we will pick 10 lucky winners to receive beautiful Christmas planters. If you’ve purchased a raffle(s), we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. The proceeds from this fundraiser goes towards the Daughters of Penelope scholarship.

On the same date, December 4, DOP, along with the knitting club, will also arrange gift bags with many food items and gift cards to be given to a few in our community to make this Christmas a happy one.

We put together a list of food items, collected grocery store gift cards and filled festive gift bags to be happily handed out, with the help of Father George. Our sisters are always amazing when it comes to donating items for a worthy cause. Thank you

Our knitting club has added a few new members, and we continue to meet every other Wednesday to knit away. Some seasoned knitters, others just beginning. Please join us.

Thank you to all of you who continue to support us and give us encouragement to continue doing what we do! God bless you and your families, and a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year. See you in 2025!

All the best in theta pi, Theodora Fatibene and the Daughters of Penelope

Written by: THEODORA FATIBENE

DOP PRESIDENT

Fast Foods

Fast Day Recipes

Vegan Apple Cake

A wholesome vegan apple cake which is fat free and sweetened with maple syrup.

Prep Time: 25 min

Cook Time: 1 hr

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American, Greek

Servings: 1 loaf

Equipment: stand mixer or hand held mixer, optional Parchment paper

Ingredients

3 cups (525 grams) finely diced apple, peeled about 3 apples

2 tbsp ground flax seeds

4 tbsp (60 mL) water

3/4 cup (110 grams) all-purpose flour

3/4 cup (90 grams) whole wheat flour

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla powder or 1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup (83 grams) applesauce unsweetened

1/3 cup (80 mL) maple syrup

vegetable oil or coconut oil for greasing pan

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

• In a small bowl combine the ground flax and the water. Stir and set aside.

• In the bowl of your stand mixer or another large bowl combine the flours, cinnamon, vanilla powder (note, if using vanilla extract do not add it at this point), baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk or stir well to combine.

• Add the applesauce, maple syrup and flax with water mixture, (the vanilla extract is added here, if you're using that) and using the paddle attachment of your mixer, mix to combine.

• Next, add the apples. Use the paddle attachment of your mixture to combine the apples into the dough. You can also do this by hand using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.

• Line your loaf pan with parchment paper and grease all sides of the pan.

• Transfer the dough to your loaf pan and use the back of a spoon to press the dough down into the pan. The dough will be quite thick and will not easily fill your loaf pan - you need to spread it around to ensure that it is easily distributed in the pan.

• Bake in the middle rack of your oven for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the loaf pan and then carefully transfer it onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Submitted by Vicky Andriotis.

M“Glory On!” ...the story of the angel's appearance to the shepherds, from the perspective of a young angel.

ain Hall at Angel Academy was rustling with thousands of young wings as students waited for the guest speaker who would bring the Christmastide Lecture. It was always a well-known Academy alum.

The headmaster delivered a flowery introduction, praising the speaker for his service at Bethlehem and standing guard at the Empty Tomb. On and on he went. Finally, he motioned to the speaker. Nervously, the angel cleared his throat and then began.

Thank you, headmaster, for that gracious introduction. But really! All the glory should go to our God, not to his servants! Nevertheless, young angels, I have a great story to tell about His glory. I know you've all studied about it in your classes, but I want you to hear it from an eyewitness. I was there.

It began when I was a junior, away from the Academy on an internship with a Mentor Angel. Suddenly, my Mentor was summoned to travel by swift flight to a dark hillside just a mile south of Bethlehem, and I went along. The hillside was still, except for a few sheep moving about on the ground below us. Some shepherds were talking quietly.

But when we got there, we all waited in the darkness, "glory off." Someone was giving instructions. "Arrange yourselves in ranks of hundreds, shortest in front, tallest in the rear. And quietly! You don't want to mess up what God has planned for the occasion."

Actually, I was too young for such an important event, but my Mentor motioned me to take a place in the front row, and put his

finger over his lips to remind me to maintain silence.

Now Gabriel was brought out. Even in those days, he was famous because of his work with Daniel many centuries before. And then it began.

Gabriel went from "glory off" to "full glory" in a split second. The effect was stunning! He stood at full height, shining in all the Father's glory -- and the poor shepherds looked like they had been struck down. The official account read: "The glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid."

Young angels, that's an understatement. Those shepherds thought the end of the world had come! It took Gabriel several minutes to calm them down. You know, humans have an iris in their eyes that gets large in the dark. But when a bright light suddenly comes on, it can actually cause them pain. I think that's what happened.

We were all standing silently in the ranks, "glory off" for the moment, when Gabriel began to speak:

"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

At first, I really didn't know what was going on. But then I realized what all the hubbub in heaven these last few weeks had been about. God's Son was coming to earth. And not in all his regal splendor, but as a tiny human Child. My dear angels, he went through all the compression and rigors

and indignity of human birth. God's Son, mind you!

And the manger part ... you really need to understand! You'd expect God's Son to come to the palace of a king. But, no, in all the Father's wisdom, His Son was born as the humblest of the humble, not even in a house, but in a stable. You don't find mangers in king's houses; only in barns. I could see that the shepherds were puzzled too.

But now it was our time. The conductor tapped his baton on a rock to get our attention, lifted his arms, and at the downstroke, tens of thousands of us went "FULL GLORY" all at once. Instantly, the hillside was flooded with brilliance like thousands of arc lights. The hills rang as we sang at the top of our voices:

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

The words were simple, but the song went on for several minutes, the lines repeating as the melody carried the wonderful words of praise. Like a waterfall, it began high up. The sopranos would trill their lines, then the altos would join in. The tenors would pick it up, finally down to the great bass angel voices of heaven -- all in glorious harmony.

When it was finally over, the conductor motioned for "dim," and gradually we turned down "glory" until it went off completely.

The shepherds seemed stunned, unable to speak. Finally, the boldest of them said, "I don't know about you, but I'm going to find that manger, that Child." He scrambled up and began to run pell-mell down the hillsides to the town below -- followed by the rest of the rag-tag band.

In the meantime, the Mentor Angel motioned for me to come with him. He had been designated as the Witness Angel.

We got there just before the first shepherd peered in the door. A low lamp burned. There was a manger, a cattle trough. And in it was the tiniest Child, all wrapped up snug. And his mother was there. You've seen

Mary around heaven, of course. She was looking over the sleeping child, clearly exhausted by her ordeal, but the warmth of her smile beaming. And behind her was her husband Joseph, on his feet, staff in hand, as if standing guard over the Child.

When the shepherds entered the stable, you could see him raise his staff, but as the shepherds explained what they had seen and began to kneel around the manger, he seemed to relax.

Mary asked the shepherds to tell her again what they had seen. And as they recounted the glory on the hillside and Gabriel's message, I could see her smile and her head nod. She said nothing, but I could see it all in her shining eyes. Yes, she was thinking, it was as Gabriel had told her when it began nine months before. Yes, it was true. Yes, it was worth all the struggle and shame and uncertainty and hardship -- all that was past, and all the agony that was yet to come. For she had brought God's Child into His desperately needy world.

Eventually, the shepherds bowed low and then, one by one, got up and left the barn after paying their respects to Mary and Joseph. The Christ Child slept through it all.

Before I close, I need to set the record straight. You've doubtless seen reenactments with angels hovering near the ceiling of the stable. It wasn't that way at all! Oh, we were there all right -- as Witnesses. But we were invisible. Angels on the hillside were visible, but not in the stable!

My Mentor and I were set for "glory off." For now, all the glory in that stable shone from the Child, who would someday save his people from their sins. And for Him it was always "glory on." As one of his followers wrote later,

"We have seen His glory, glory as of the Only Begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Weekday and Weekend Liturgies: Orthros 8:30am Divine Liturgy 9:30 am

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

4070 Park Avenue

Bridgeport, CT 06604

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