Voice of St George Winter 2014 by Marsha Jovanović

THE SV OICE .G OF

EORGE

WINTER 2014

St. George Serbian Orthodox Church

Western American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North & South America

A Long Winter—The holidays are over, a new church board has been elected, and we are thinking of Spring and the returning of light and life. In a few weeks, it will be the beginning of Great Lent, when we prepare ourselves for the most important Christian feast day—Great and Holy Pascha, April 12, 2015. In this issue, we review and remind you of our full church program and its costs both financial and time wise. As Christians, we are called to be a people of prayer, of courage and strength, a holy people separate from the pagan rituals of this world, a humble people acknowledging not only God as Father, but God as Lord. This means that we are called to willingly submit to His will, not arrogantly fight His discipline and order. Are we big enough to swallow our pride and follow God? The question that faced Adam and Eve is facing us. May we always say yes to God and no to sin. God bless you all and know that your priest loves you and is thankful for you and your family.—Father Bratso Krsic

3025 Denver Street • San Diego, CA 92117 telephone: (619)276-5827 web: http://stgeorgeinsd.com

Church Officers & Staff PARISH PRIEST

V. Rev. Protopresbyter Bratislav Krsic email: frbratso@sbcglobal.net PARISH DEACON

Rev. Deacon Paul Germain CHURCH OFFICE VOLUNTEER

Dorothy Vukotich PRESIDENT

Nemanja Selezan VICE PRESIDENT

Vladan Trifunovic TREASURER

Linda Alemany SECRETARY

Ana Miletic-Sedy MEMBERS-AT-LARGE

Toma Jovanovic, Vojkan Popovic, Jeffrey Wilgus, Dusan Selezan STEWARDSHIP MINISTRY

Toma Jovanovic AUDITING BOARD

Miro Copic, President; Sean Wright, Dusanka Urosevic TUTORS/VESTRYMEN

Mico Lukic, Jeffrey Wilgus, George Skaljac, Vojkan Popovich, Miro Copic, Milan Miljkovic S.S.S. ST. GEORGE CHOIR

Velimir Jovanovic, President CIRCLE OF SERBIAN SISTERS (KOLO Sestara)

Snezana Pantovich and Bojana Rajkovic Co-Presidents CHURCH SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT

Mira Jovanovic MORAVA FOLKLORE ENSEMBLE (SENIOR)

Dobrila Undheim, Director ADULT ORTHODOX FELLOWSHIP

Nemanja Selezan VOICE OF ST. GEORGE

Marsha Jovanovic, Editor (619)988-0650 • FAX (619)588-5767 email: marsha@marshaj.com Srdjan Dragic, Cover

In this issue... The Serbian Orthodox Church to her spiritual children at Christmas Српска Православrна Црква својој духовној деци о Божићу. A Conversation with Archimandrite Metodije (Markovic) Fr. Bratso’s Annual Report for the Year of our Lord, 2014 Deacon Paul Germain’s Sabbatical Review Your Will Is a Way to Help Your Church Why Get Married in The Church? CHURCH CALENDAR 2015 Changing of the “Guard”—New Church Officers St. George Kolo recap for 2014 St George Choir St. Paisius Monastery in Arizona The Blessing of Homes with Holy Water Освећење Домова са Богојављенском Водицом Stewardship List—as of January 2015 Message from Stewardship Chairman MORAVA! Scriptural and Theological Explanation of the Frescos in Our Church Church Family News

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The Serbian Orthodox Church to her spiritual children at Christmas +IRINEJ By the Grace of God Orthodox Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch, with all the Hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church to all the clergy, monastics, and all the sons and daughters of our Holy Church: grace, mercy and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, with the joyous Christmas greeting: Peace from God! Christ is Born! Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory. (I Tim. 3:16)

We are celebrating once again in this year of the Lord, brothers and sisters, the day of Christ’s Nativity, the day on which God descended to earth, the day on which the Only-begotten Son of God became incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary in order to grant us, mortal and transitory people, eternal life. The Nativity of our Lord is the day on which God became man, so men could become gods by grace; the Lord’s Nativity is the day of the revelation of the eternal truth about God, man and the world; the Nativity is the day on which heaven was united with earth; the day on which the eternal light of the knowledge of God shown forth; the Nativity is the day on which mankind is reconciled with God and people recognize that they are children of God – that all people are and will eternally be brothers, called to mutual love, reconciliation, and forgiveness.

The joyous news of the birth of the Son of God first of all announces to us a twofold truth: the truth about the God-Man Christ, true God and true Man, the Son of man Who is the one and self-same Onlybegotten Son of the Father, whose lineage cannot be expressed and Who, at the same time, is from the royal lineage of David. Similarly, according to the divinely inspired words of Holy Bishop Nicholai of Zicha: In Him both commandments of God are fulfilled: whoever loves Him loves the perfect God; whoever loves Him, loves the perfect Man, and in Him primordial humanity, all people and all creatures of God. On the day of the Nativity, three basic, sacred realities of humanity and overall existence were revealed and given to us: the sanctity of the father and fatherhood, the sanctity of the mother and motherhood, and the sanctity of the child and childhood. That is why the Church, in preparing herself for the Nativity of Christ, prior to the Nativity, celebrates Children’s Day, Mothers’ Day, and Fathers’ Day. Thus, in Christ as a Young Child Who is the Divine Child and Preeternal God – as we sing on Christmas – every conception in the mother’s womb and every birth is given an eternal meaning; every newborn child becomes holy. Likewise, motherhood is also holy, being sanctified by the Godly-motherhood of the Most Holy Theotokos, for a mother’s womb no longer gives birth to children for death and transitoriness. After the birth of Christ, every birth of a new child becomes a birth unto eternity; and with that earthly fatherhood becomes sacred, because its roots are in the heavenly fatherhood of God the Father, Christ’s and our eternal Parent. With the birth of Christ, then, the glorious and indescribable Mystery of the heavenly Communion of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit, One God of love glorified in the Trinity, is made manifest and given to us. Though Him an earthly father, mother, and child become a mirror of that mystery beyond comprehension, as the Church of God and as a family – a Church in miniature. The unity of the world and the unity of mankind, their oneness and indestructible communion,

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are established in the unity of God and the eternal Communion of love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. By creating the visible and invisible world, God fills it with His love and calls it to grow in that love and perfection, especially when taking into account rational beings: Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48) By creating the world, God even then begins to create the Church as the community of everything that exists. And the fullness of that creation and the entire work of God is represented precisely by Christ’s Birth – the day on which God became man so that man and creation may become Godlike, deified. That is why the Church as the Body of Christ is the place and the community of the fulfillment of that fullness, the place of growth and perfection “til we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13) The family is the basic cell of such a Church of God, an image of God’s Trinitarian love. That is why Paul, the apostle to the nations, when he speaks about the sanctity of marriage, compares it with the love with which Christ loves the Church, offering and sacrificing Himself for her, and ends with the divinely inspired words: This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church. (cf. Ephesians 5:25-32) When people deny and forget God’s love, then the family as its earthly realization and manifestation — that is, the community between male and female as the Holy Mystery of love and birth unto eternal life — falls apart. The less faith in God there is, the less there is of God and God’s love among people. There is less and less love in human relationships, and the less there is of true love in marriage, family, and society, the more there is of false love. Self-love reigns among people and in people. The human being is by nature and calling created for love. Just as a human organism has a need for healthy food, a man likewise, by losing true love and healthy food, replaces them with surrogates of love and food. Such a man becomes incapable of comprehending and accepting Continued on page 4

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eternal Truth, to Which we sing at Christmas: Thy Nativity O Christ our God, has shown to the world the Light of Wisdom”; such a man is even less capable of comprehending and accepting the words of God Who has appeared in flesh: “I am the living Bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread, he will live forever; and the Bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world. (John 6:51)

Has not our age once again turned to the path of death, the path that replaces God’s truth with lies, the path of serving creation rather than Creator? Truly, man today is in danger of replacing God with Satan, with false divinity and false knowledge, true love with that which St. John the God-seer calls “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”. (I John 2:16) And whenever mankind has followed that path in history, it has subsequently found itself at the entryway to its own catastrophe and before the fall of its own civilization. Our celebration of Christmas as the celebration of God’s love and of true human love, as well as of the holiness of birth into eternal life, takes place in a time of man’s use and misuse of God’s giving and gifts. That misuse consequently causes a disruption of the basic order and rules of living, it is a cause of evil and many diseases, it endangers the health of both man and nature, and it leads to the loss of life's meaning. The rejection and trampling upon the ancient Christian and general human moral foundations of life, and of the true human existence and dignity built upon them, leads to an to a disruption of our very nature and life. Christ’s Birth calls us to return to those enduring moral values, to self-restraint, to chastity and discernment for the young, to holiness in marriage, to ascetic effort, fasting and prayer. So then, in this, our time when everything is for sale — especially the sanctity

of love and the meaning of life — the Divine Infant by His Nativity invites all people of all times to receive eternal divine love, immortal health and fullness of life, in communion with God the Father together with the Son and the Holy Spirit, One God glorified in Trinity. On this Christmas as well we are with our brothers and sisters in Kosovo and Metohija, urging them to remain there and to live among their holy shrines We prayerfully remember our brother and concelebrant, the Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skoplje Jovan, unjustly sentenced and now serving that sentence only because he chose unity with the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We, likewise, remember all those who unjustly suffer and are being persecuted. We pray to the New-Born Christ that in the upcoming year there will be less unrest but more peace, less hate but more love, less discord but more unity, and we call down God’s blessing upon all of you, our dear spiritual children, wherever you might be in this world, that in peace and love for God and man you may celebrate Christmas, greeting each other with the joyous and ancient greeting: PEACE FROM GOD - CHRIST IS BORN! INDEED HE IS BORN! A BLESSED NEW YEAR OF OUR LORD 2015! Given at the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade at Christmas, 2015. Your intercessors before the cradle of the divine Christ-Child: Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch IRINEJ Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Coastlands AMPHILOHIJE Metropolitan of Dabro-Bosna NIKOLAJ Metropolitan of Zagreb and Ljubljana PORFIRIJE Bishop of Sabac LAVRENTIJE Bishop of Srem VASILIJE

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Bishop of Banja Luka JEFREM Bishop of Budim LUKIJAN Bishop of Canada GEORGIJE Bishop of Banat NIKANOR Bishop of New Gracanica-Midwestern America LONGIN Bishop of Eastern America MITROPHAN Bishop of Backa IRINEJ Bishop of Great Britain and Scandinavia DOSITEJ Bishop of Zvornik-Tuzla CHRYSOSTOM Bishop of Osijek and Baranja LUKIJAN Bishop of Western Europe LUKA Bishop of Zicha JUSTIN Bishop of Vranje PAHOMIJE Bishop of Sumadija JOVAN Bishop of Branicevo IGNATIJE Bishop of Milesevo FILARET Bishop of Dalmatia FOTIJE Bishop of Bihac and Petrovac ATANASIJE Bishop of Budimlje and Niksic JOANIKIJE Bishop of Zahumlje and Hercegovina GRIGORIJE Bishop of Valjevo MILUTIN Bishop of Ras and Prizren TEODOSIJE Bishop of Nis JOVAN Bishop of Western America MAXIM Bishop of Gornji Karlovac GERASIM Bishop of Australia and New Zealand IRINEJ Bishop of Krusevac DAVID Bishop of Slavonia JOVAN Bishop of Austria and Switzerland ANDREJ Bishop of Central Europe SERGIJE Bishop of Timok ILARION Retired Bishop of Zvornik-Tuzla VASILIJE Retired Bishop of Zahumlje and Hercegovina ATANASIJE Retired Bishop of Central Europe CONSTANTINE Retired Bishop of Slavonia SAVA Vicar Bishop of Moravica ANTONIJE Vicar Bishop of Toplica ARSENIJE Vicar Bishop of Jegar JERONIM THE ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF OCHRID: Archbishop of Ochrid and Metropolitan of Skoplje JOVAN Bishop of Polos and Kumanovo JOAKIM/ Bishop of Bregal MARKO/Vicar Bishop of Stobija DAVID

Path of Orthodoxy translation

Српска Православна Црква својој духовној деци о Божићу 2014. године Иринеј по милости Божјој православни Архиепископ пећки, Митрополит београдско-карловачки и Патријарх српски, са свим Архијерејима Српске Православне Цркве – свештенству, монаштву и свим синовима и кћерима наше свете Цркве: благодат, милост и мир од Бога Оца, и Господа нашега Исуса Христа, и Духа Светога, уз радосни божићни поздрав: Мир Божји! Христос се роди! Заиста, велика је тајна побожности: Бог се јави у телу, оправда се у Духу, показа се анђелима, проповеди се незнабошцима, верова се у свету, вазнесе се у слави (1. Тим 3,16)

Прослављамо, браћо и сестре, и ове године Господње дан Христовог Рождества, дан у који је Бог сишао на земљу, у који се Јединородни Син Божји оваплотио од Духа Светога и Марије Дјеве да би нас људе, смртне и пролазне, обдарио животом вечним. Божић је дан у који је Бог постао човек, да би људи постали богови по благодати; Божић је дан откривања вечне истине о Богу, човеку и свету; Божић је дан у који се сјединило Небо и Земља, у који је засијала свету вечна светлост богопознања; Божић је дан у који су се људи измирили са Богом и познали да су синови Божји – да су сви људи браћа и вечна сабраћа, призвана на узајамну љубав, мирење и праштање. Радосна вест о рођењу Сина Божјег благовести нам најпре двоједну истину: истину о Христу Богочовеку, истинитом Богу и истинитом Човеку, Сину човечјем, једноме и истоме Јединородном Сину Очевом чији је род неизразив и Који је истовремено из царскога рода Давидова. Тако, по богонадахнутим речима Светог Владике Жичког: на Њему се испуњавају обадве заповести Божје: ко воли Њега, воли савршеног Бога; ко

љуби Њега, љуби савршеног Човека, и у Њему исконску човечност, све људе и сва створења Божја. На Божић нам се јављају, откривају и дарују три основне светиње људског и свеукупног постојања: светиња оца и очинства, светиња мајке и материнства, светиња детета и детињства. Управо зато Црква, припремајући се за Христово Рождество, слави пред Божић: Детинце, Материце и Оце. Тако, у Христу као Детету младом, Богомладенцу, Предвечном Богу – како Му на Божић певамо – свако зачеће у утроби мајке и свако рођење задобија вечни смисао; свако новорођено дете постаје светиња. Исто тако је светиња и материнство, освештано богоматеринством Пресвете Богородице, јер утроба матере не рађа више децу за смрт и пролазност: Свако рођење новог детета после Христовог рођења постаје рођење за вечност. Тако је тиме и земаљско очинство постало светиња, зато што су му корени у небеском очинству Бога Оца, Христовог и нашег вечног Родитеља. Рождеством Христовим, дакле, јавља нам се и дарује величанствена и неизрецива Тајна небеске Заједнице Оца и Сина и Светога Духа, Једнога Бога љубави у Тројици прослављенога. Њиме земни отац, мајка и дете постају огледало те надумне тајне, као Црква Божја и као породица – Црква у маломе. Јединство света и јединство људског рода, јединство и неуништиво заједништво утемељени су у јединству Божјем и вечној Заједници љубави Оца и Сина и Духа Светога. Стварајући видљиви и невидљиви свет, Бог га испуњује Својом љубављу и призива на узрастање у тој љубави и савршенству, по мери Божјег савршенства, нарочито када се тиче разумних бића: „Будите ви, дакле, савршени, као што је савршен Отац ваш небески“ (Мт 5,48). Тако стварајући свет, Бог већ тада почиње да ствара Цркву као заједницу свега постојећег. А пуноћу тог стварања и свеукупног дела Божјег управо

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представља Христово Рождество – дан у који се Бог очовечио да би се човек и творевина обожили. Зато је Црква Божја, као тело Христово, место и заједница остваривања те пуноће, место узрастања и усавршавања „док не достигнемо сви у јединство вере и познања Сина Божјега, у човека савршена, у меру раста пуноће Христове“ (Еф 4,13). Породица је основна ћелија те и такве Цркве Божје, слика Божје тројичне љубави. Зато Апостол народâ Павле, кад говори о светињи брака, исту упоређује са љубављу којом је Христос заволео Цркву, приносећи и жртвујући Себе за њу, и завршава богонадахнутим речима: „Тајна је ово велика, а ја говорим о Христу и о Цркви“ (в. Еф 5,25-32). Када људи поричу и заборављају Бога љубави, распада се породица као њено земно остварење и јављање – то јест, заједница мушког и женског као Света Тајна љубави и рађања за живот вечни. Што је мање вере у Бога, што је мање Бога и Божје љубави у људима, то је све мање љубави у људским односима; све је мање истинске љубави у браку, породици, друштву – то све више међу људима и у људима царује лажна љубав и самољубље. Људско биће је по природи и призвању створено за љубав. А као што људски организам потребује здраву храну, то човек, губећи праву љубав и здраву храну, замењује их сурогатима љубави и хране. Такав човек постаје неспособан да схвати и прихвати вечну Истину, Којој певамо на Божић: Рождество Твоје, Христе Боже наш, обасја свет светлошћу богопознања; још мање може такав човек да схвати и прихвати речи Бога Који се јавио у телу: „Ја сам хлеб живи који сиђе с неба; ако ко једе од овога хлеба живеће вавек; и хлеб који ћу Ја дати Тело је Моје, које ћу Ја дати за живот света“ (Јн 6,51). Није ли наше доба поново кренуло путем смрти, путем замењивања Continued on page 6.

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Метохији, и поручујемо им да остану и да живе са својим светињама.

истине Божје лажју, путем служења твари уместо Творцу? Заиста, човек је данас у опасности више него икада да замени Бога сатаном, лажним божанством и лажним знањем, истинску љубав оним што Свети Јован Боговидац назива „похот телесна, и похот очију и надменост живљења“ (1. Јн 2,16). А када год је човечанство у историји кретало тим путем, неминовно се налазило у предворју своје катастрофе и пред пропашћу своје цивилизације.

Молитвено се сећамо и нашег брата и саслужитеља, Архиепископа охридског и митрополита скопског Јована, који у тамници неправедно издржава казну само зато што се определио за јединство Једине, Свете, Саборне и Апостолске Цркве. Такође се молитвено сећамо и свих оних који било где у свету невино пате и страдају.

Наше слављење Божића, као слављење Бога љубави и истинске човечје љубави, као и светиње рађања за вечни живот, догађа се у времену човекове употребе али и злоупотребе Божјег давања и дарова. Та злоупотреба неминовно изазива поремећај основног поретка и правила живљења, узрок је зла и многих болести, угрожава здравље како човека тако и природе, и доводи до губљења смисла живота. Одбацивање и гажење древних хришћанских и свечовечанских моралних основа живота, и на њима грађеног истинског људског постојања и достојанства, води поремећају саме наше природе и живота. Христово Рождество позива на повратак исконским моралним вредностима, на уздржање, на целомудреност живота младих, на светињу брака, подвиг, пост и молитву. У овом, дакле, нашем времену, у којем је све на продају – нарочито светиња љубави и смисла живота, Богомладенац Својим Рождеством позива све људе свих времена на задобијање вечне божанске љубави, бесмртног здравља и пуноће живота, у заједници Бога Оца и Сина и Духа Светога, Једног Бога у Тројици слављенога. И овога Божића смо заједно са својом браћом и сестрама на Косову и

Молимо се новорођеном Христу да у години која долази буде мање немира а више мира, мање мржње а више љубави, мање неслоге а више слоге, и призивамо благослов Божји на вас, децо наша духовна, ма где да сте у свету, да у миру и љубави са Богом и људима прославите Божић, поздрављајући једни друге радосним и древним поздравом: Мир Божји – Христос се роди! Ваистину се роди! Благословена нова 2015. година! Дано у Патријаршији српској у Београду, о Божићу 2014. године. Ваши молитвеници пред Богомладенцем Христом:

Архиепископ пећки, Митрополит београдско-карловачки и Патријарх српски ИРИНЕЈ Митрополит црногорско–приморски АМФИЛОХИЈЕ Митрополит дабробосански НИКОЛАЈ Митрополит загребачко–љубљански ПОРФИРИЈЕ Епископ шабачки ЛАВРЕНТИЈЕ Епископ сремски ВАСИЛИЈЕ Епископ бањалучки ЈЕФРЕМ Епископ будимски ЛУКИЈАН Епископ канадски ГЕОРГИЈЕ Епископ банатски НИКАНОР Епископ новограчаничкосредњезападноамерички ЛОНГИН Епископ источноамерички МИТРОФАН Епископ бачки ИРИНЕЈ Епископ британско–скандинавски ДОСИТЕJ Епископ зворничко-тузлански ХРИЗОСТОМ

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 6

Епископ осечко–пољски и барањски ЛУКИЈАН Епископ западноевропски ЛУКА Епископ жички ЈУСТИН Епископ врањски ПАХОМИЈЕ Епископ шумадијски ЈОВАН Епископ браничевски ИГЊАТИЈЕ Епископ милешевски ФИЛАРЕТ Епископ далматински ФОТИЈЕ Епископ бихаћко-петровачки АТАНАСИЈЕ Епископ будимљанско-никшићки ЈОАНИКИЈЕ Епископ захумско-херцеговачки ГРИГОРИЈЕ Епископ ваљевски МИЛУТИН Епископ рашко–призренски ТЕОДОСИЈЕ Епископ нишки ЈОВАН Епископ западноамерички МАКСИМ Епископ горњокарловачки ГЕРАСИМ Епископ аустралијско-новозеландски ИРИНЕЈ Епископ крушевачки ДАВИД Епископ славонски ЈОВАН Епископ аустријско-швајцарски АНДРЕЈ Епископ средњоевропски СЕРГИЈЕ Епископ тимочки ИЛАРИОН Епископ умировљени зворничко– тузлански ВАСИЛИЈЕ Епископ умировљени захумско– херцеговачки АТАНАСИЈЕ Епископ умировљени средњоевропски КОНСТАНТИН Епископ умировљени-славонски САВА Викарни Епископ моравички АНТОНИЈЕ Викарни Епископ топлички АРСЕНИЈЕ Викарни Епископ јегарски ЈЕРОНИМ ОХРИДСКА АРХИЕПИСКОПИЈА Архиепископ охридски и Митрополит скопски ЈОВАН Епископ полошко-кумановски ЈОАКИМ Епископ брегалнички МАРКО Викарни Епископ стобијски ДАВИД

A Conversation with Archimandrite Metodije (Markovic)â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Abbot of the Royal Serbian Lavra Monastery Hilandar

Bratso Krsic, we present some of his spiritual wisdom:

For over eight centuries Monastery Hilandar has represented the spiritual hearth and sanctuary of the ecclesiastical and educational foundation and building up of the Serbian people. Its history begins with the holy Nemanjas, Sts. Simeon and Sava, and has been led by the Holy Spirit throughout the centuries, as the Hilandar brotherhood faithfully and with the blessings of the Holy Theotokos of Hilandar, renovate the monastery and gather them for the angelic podvig and the fulfilling of Christ's law.

Certainly, we can speak for days and days about prayer and only yet touch upon this topic...

In April of 2010 the brotherhood of Monastery Hilandar, in accordance with the constitution of Mount Athos, elected Hieromonk Metodije as their abbot. Fr. Metodije was born in Cacak on January 7, 1970 of parents Momcilo and Milka. Before his monastic tonsure he studied electrical engineering at the University of Belgrade and has been at Monastery Hilandar since 1994. With the invitation of His Grace Bishop Maxim of Western America, Abbot Metodije visited the west coast and, among other celebrations and solemnities, participated in the Diocesan days which took place on the church property in Jackson, California, which bears the name of the first archbishop of Serbia and one of the founders of Hilandar, Saint Sava. During his visit Fr. Metodije personally delivered letters of gratitude of the monastic brotherhood and Hilandar Foundation to the Circle of 100 who selflessly helped the renovations, which are still taking place, after the fire in March 2004. Fr. Metodije shared with the faithful of the Diocese of Western America the Athonite, patristic, and his personal experience, permeated by spiritual wisdom. In the following Question and Answer session conducted by Father

Father, can you share with us your monastic experience of prayer and its significance?

Since we are celebrating the feast of the Most Holy Theotokos during these days and, similarly, as we come from the Holy Mountain, where the garden of the Most Holy Theotokos is, where she is the Abbess, I think it is best to speak of prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos. First of all, we must have the awareness that the Most Holy Theotokos, even though she surrendered her spirit to her Son and is now in heaven, is at the same time very close to us and every time someone asks for help in a true and sincere manner, she hears it, but we must have the awareness and faith that it is truly so. We can pray to the Most Holy Theotokos with long prayers, there are Akathists and Canons in the Prayer books, but we can also pray to her with the shortest prayer, which is: Most Holy Theotokos, save us. But I would share with you my personal experience with prayer, that is, with the tropar: 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.

When I came to Mount Athos 20 years ago, I had the desire to visit as many monasteries and for the most part I walked from one monastery to the other. The paths on Mount Athos are often unmarked so if someone doesn't know the way well enough and comes to a crossroad, he will not be certain which path leads to which monastery. I don't know how I came to that good idea that each time I come to such a crossroad to recite that prayer: Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos... and that in my heart I could VOICE OF ST. GEORGE â&#x20AC;˘ WINTER 2014 7

sense which way I should go. It was probably my Guardian Angel that placed that good idea within my heart. And truly, each time I recited this tropar I somehow felt in my being which path I should take and each time I took a certain path I ended up reaching the monastery of my intention. But, it happened one time that I found myself at such an intersection of a number of Athonite paths, and I felt certain that only one of the paths led to the monastery I wanted and I didn't need to recite the prayer so I headed down that way without prayer. I soon realized my mistake, however, because that path led to some woods, and I had to return again to the intersection. Then I realized reading the prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos was necessary, which I said to myself, crossed myself, and felt the need to go down the other way which before didn't look like the right way to me; however, it was truly the right path for I arrived at the monastery I was seeking. In that way I had the fortune to feel in my own personal experience and to come to know the power of this prayer even before I officially became, first a novice Continued on page 8.

Continued from page 7. and later as a monk, a member of the brotherhood of monastery Hilandar. Of course, I did not forget this experience but later when the elders at the monastery gave me difficult tasks in managing the monastery jobs, I always used this prayer when situations were difficult, and I realized how the Most Holy Theotokos always helps me do that which is best. In the end, this is the message, therefore, not only my personal one, but the message of the Holy Mountain: first, I hope everyone knows the aforementioned tropar by heart, and those who don't know it, should learn it and use it in their lives whenever it is necessary. Of course, the Most Holy Theotokos knows we are praying to her even at times we are surrounded by many people. We can pray in our minds and recite it in our hearts, and she will hear it and come to our aid, and no one around us at that moment will know that we are praying. Each time we are to have an important conversation, one that might be sensitive, and we are not certain that we will complete it, or when we are to complete a task that we think surpasses our capabilities, we feel that we are not capable on our own to complete it, but need help from nigh, and for all other difficult situations in our lives, we should always pray beforehand. And you will seeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; soon I hopeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;that a small miracle will occur.

we will be convinced of the little miracles that occur all around us. Many know that all the daily church services are served at the Athonite monasteries, and beside that, the monks read prayers in their cells and have their obediences that must be carried out during the day. Can you describe for us a daily cycle at Monastery Hilandar?

Divine services on Mount Athos begin very early, that is, during the night. During the summer months according to (Byzantine) Greek time, services begin at 4AM, while in the spring and fall months, as a transition time, they begin at 3AM, and the earliest is in the winter when they begin at 2AM. However, it should be known that monastics should not go straight to prayer without their own personal prayer, their prayer rules, since they are obliged to complete their personal prayer rules in their cells before the services. Monastics, therefore, are obliged to get up at least an hour before services, while some who are more zealous will get up even two or three hours before services. Matins together with the Divine Liturgy, when served daily, lasts four hours. And after the Divine Liturgy we have our first meal, the first trapeza, which we call lunch since we only have two meals. After our meal the majority of the monks have time to rest which lasts two or three hours and afterward they all begin work on that which they have been assigned, or, that which we in the monastery call

obediences, for example: working in the garden, receiving guests, etc. These obediences last three or four hours and afterward the monks go to their cells and prepare themselves for Vespers, the beginning of which depends on when Matins began, for instance, in the winter when Matins was at 2AM, Vespers will begin at 3PM, while in the summer it begins at 5PM. Vespers lasts an hour and immediately afterward is dinner since the other service, which is called Compline, will last about two hours. After that, if any of the other jobs need to be completed that had not been done during the day, one to two hours is allowed for work after Compline. After that we go to sleep because we must wake early. In the event that the next day is a major feast day, then this schedule is slightly changed. Vespers is shortened and together with dinner it lasts an hour while Compline is not served; instead, we rest, and after two hours we begin Great Vigil. This Vigil usually lasts six hours and ends sometime after midnight and then we have approximately three hours to rest, after which the Divine Liturgy is served. After the Divine Liturgy of course we have a festal meal and no obediences are done then since it is a feast day, instead the monks use that time for reading, prayer, rest, etc. More of this interview will be published in future issues of the Voice.

People nowadays are scattered and are oftentimes distant from their faith. They deny themselves the possibility of seeing how the Lord, or the Most Holy Theotokos, act daily for our well being. Instead of this spiritual scarcity, we need to be courageous, to seek a personal touch that without restraint and with all honesty we experience the grace of prayer and pay attention, spiritually, on ourselves and our actions. Being open in this manner Hilandar Monastery VOICE OF ST. GEORGE â&#x20AC;˘ WINTER 2014 8

C E L E B R AT I O N * D E D I C AT I O N * P R O G R E S S * V I S I O N Let me share with you words of Presbytera (Popadija) Frederica MathewesGreen who said: Even for us worshippers, the focus is still on God, not each other. It is like a circle of friends who make up a string quartet. The four of them might come together in a living room for an evening to play the music they love. The bond between them is strong, and their community is a beautiful thing. But they don’t focus on each other, or the community they share, and there is no outside audience. They are focused on the music; they are trying to make the most beautiful music they can.

Fr. Bratso’s Annual Report for the Year of our Lord, 2014 My dear fellow co-workers in Jesus Christ, Greetings to you on this Feast Day of the Holy Cross of our Lord. I pray that the new year of our Lord, 2015, is a blessed and fruitful time for all of us and our entire St. George parish family! As we look ahead at our ministry opportunities in the months and years ahead, let us first of all express our gratefulness to our Lord and his continued guidance and grace for continued work here at our cherished St. George parish. My appreciation of your work and ministry here are expressed, first, at the Altar of our beloved St. George church by offering my prayers for each of you and your families. Secondly, by writing these words, which by no means can adequately express my gratitude for the many wonderful things that you do, your important understanding that it is God who works through and in us, and that it is His ministry that we carry out in this world, is demonstrated. Liturgical Life. The Divine Liturgy is, and always has been, the central act of our worship because it focuses on God.

It is so with us, when we gather in our beautiful St. George Church, that we do not focus on each other, but draw our attention to God. That is, entering into an intimate communion with God and abiding in His grace. This then reflects on our relationship with others. It overflows, if you will, from our own lives into the lives of others. We are so mentally saturated in advertising that we have come to think of ourselves and our faith as products that need to be persuasively sold. That’s how worship gets redirected from the Lord to outsiders, who have no ability yet to understand or respect Him. Sunday is a day of Liturgical gathering and a family day. Let us make the commitment this year to make this a reality in our lives. This way we will have a greater chance to see the transcendent meaning of our lives for ourselves. Frequent attendance at the Church services, participation in the sacramental life of the Church, reading of the Scriptures and the Lives of Saints, making a pilgrimage to a monastery, etc. These are Orthodox Christian ways to improve our own lives and our parish community.

his education in Orthodox liturgical and theological praxis and theory. Our St. George choir continues to lead us in singing and beautifying our services. What would we do without them? My sincere appreciation and prayers to all the members and especially our choir directors: Kate Thickstun, Pam Naughton, Dobrila Undheim, and Rankin Fisher. Orthodox Christian Education is an ongoing activity in our parish. I am grateful to our Sunday school teachers and parents for their support and regular participation. Our Sunday school teachers for this school year are: Lizzy Kasic, Joanna Aud, Anastasija Krsic, and Protinica Lisa Krsic. I thank them for their love and dedication to our parish education program. Holy Land pilgrimage planned for February 2015 has been postponed until 2016. Though pilgrimage from Serbia to the Holy Land is made every month and the safety of pilgrims is rather high, I have decided to take an extra precautionary measure and postpone our pilgrimage until 2016. I am happy to say that we had well over 15 people ready to go. Please, mark your calendars for the February 2016 pilgrimage. Culture and Heritage Programs (Folkfest; Concerts). Our folklore groups: Morava Sr., Morava Jr., and PeeWees continue to promote a part of our Serbian culture and heritage through folk songs and dance. I am especially grateful to the Morava seniors for having me visit them occasionally for a fifteen minute spiritual reflection (questions and answers with Fr. Bratso). They have my full support and I am grateful to all directors, choreographers, and parents for their active participation. Projects/Ministries Completed in 2014

Deacon Paul Germain is back from his extended sabbatical with the blessing of His Grace, our Bishop Maxim. He is a man of faith and many talents. I am happy that he had the opportunity to continue

• Served regular Liturgical services; home blessings and pastoral visits to the sick and hospitalized. • Sunday Matins/Jutrenje is now served regularly.

Continued on page 10.

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 9

Continued from page 9. • Voice of St George published quarterly (Thank you to Marsha Jovanovic and Srdan Dragic) and weekly bulletins. • Regular e-newsletters sent every Monday morning at 5:30AM. • New parish website regularly updated: www.StGeorgeInSD.com. Parishioners and supporters can now make a donation online through a secured account. • Participated in the Diocesan Summer camp in Jackson, CA, July 21–26, 2014. • Offered two more semesters of Serbian language. • Served meals to the homeless on the third Wednesday of each month at God’s Extended Hand in downtown San Diego. • Sunday School related activities: Vrbica, Field trips, etc. • Book Review Group meets on Tuesday of each week. Everyone is welcome to join us for an evening of fellowship and informal conversation about one chapter per week from a book chosen for that particular month. • Fr. Bratso frequently hosted regular San Diego Orthodox clergy meetings. • Participation on the diocesan and the Central Church level: Fr. Bratso is Director of the Education Department of our diocese, member of Liturgics, Sacred Music and Translation committee, PanOrthodox and Interfaith Liaison of our diocese; National committees: Editor of the Path of Orthodoxy, Communication Committee and Education Committee.

Scholarships and Endowments. During the Vidovdan celebration on Sunday, June 29, 2014, we awarded three $1,000 scholarships to graduating high school students. The first scholarship, the St George Scholarship was initiated by St. George Church Board president

Vladan Trifunovic. This scholarship is awarded to a graduating high school student from St George parish whose family is a regular steward. The second one is the Prof. Srbich Annual Scholarship, awarded to a graduating high school student of Serbian descent in the San Diego County area. The scholarship is awarded by the Prof. Srbich Endowment, established in his memory by his beloved family. Miro Copic continues to oversee this and other endowments of St. George parish. Endowments are a great way to build a legacy for our parishioners and provide perpetual care for our parish. It is suggested that families consider their participation in establishing a legacy of their own by setting up an endowment with their family name. The third scholarship was a one-time scholarship made possible through a generous donation of one parish supporter. Stole Report 2014 • Baptisms: 33 • Weddings: 3 • Funerals: 5 • Slavas: 79 • Pastoral/hospital visitations: 39 • Home blessing with TheophanyBogojavljenskom vodicom/Holy Water (some homes are blessed during a family’s slava celebrations) outside of slava celebration: 37.

Thank you. It is always a privilege and a blessing doing the work of God with all of you, my beloved parishioners, as we strive together to serve our Lord within our personal and corporate life, through humility, obedience, peace, patience, friendship, fellowship, and love for all. May the Lord bless our endeavors! I conclude by thanking God for blessing me with all of you.

Deacon Paul Germain’s Sabbatical Review The spiritual life should be marked by the intensity of its seeking for Christ. We must constantly think of Him and seek Him, and then we will know joy.

These beautiful words of Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra Monastery, Mt Athos, are something to live by. For if we seek the world, what do we gain when our time has come? As one of our own beloved Fathers would always say, “You can’t rent a U-Haul when you depart from this life.” What possessions will we have when Christ passes judgment upon our soul? Will we suffer the fate of the Rich Man, or be blessed with eternal rest like Lazarus the beggar (Luke 16:19)? Or how about that Rich Man who filled up his barns, whom God called a fool (Luke 12:13)? Our most prized possession should be our relationship with Jesus Christ. This relationship should last our whole life, should never be strained or forgotten, should not be taken advantage of, should be strengthened every day and become our refuge, our joy amidst all our earthly struggles. “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). How do we seek the way, the truth and the life of Christ? There are many answers to this, but which way our antennas are pointing makes a big impact on how well our reception is. Sometimes we need to move the wires a little so we can catch the signal. Spiritually thinking, we need to be receptive to God’s calling, or we will miss the message. What if that message was important, and necessary for our spiritual growth? We could lose the potential to learn and grow in our relationship with the Lord, which in turn can strengthen us in many ways. In the end, it is our willingness to make the effort that paves the way for that much needed clarity in our life.

In prayer for all of you, Fr. Bratso Krsic

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 10

So it was the case with my family when we asked our beloved Father in Christ, His Grace Bishop MAXIM, for his blessing to experience an extended sabbatical at what might be considered a mega Church for Orthodoxy. With about 600

cycle of services is Vespers for the Saint of the day almost every day of the week with a Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning and of course Sunday. During Great and Holy Lent, the 40 Divine Liturgies are served for the edification of all the people. There are many ministries for teens, for women, the homeless; the most profound is the Burial Society, which ministers to reposed parishioners and their families in a very unique way. These are just some of the regular activities one can experience at St. Andrew Church, and it is especially rewarding to see the many young families with multiple children striving to live their lives according to Holy Orthodox Tradition. When evaluating their diversity, this community embraces any and all; Arabic, Serbian, Russian, Ethiopian, American, Romanian, Polish, Egyptian, Asian . . . It is quite clear they are committed to spreading the Good News.

active parishioners, St Andrew Orthodox Church is well known in the city of Riverside as a unique community. With its diversity, outreach programs and community service, the people of St Andrew are dedicated to serving God and neighbor to the best of their ability. Here are some interesting facts about the parish. Along with the Parish Priest, there are regularly 1-3 additional priests who serve every Sunday. There is one Proto Deacon, 3 subdeacons, 5 readers and 20-30 Altar servers who serve on a rotation. On any given Sunday, depending on the number of clergy, there are 4 chalices for Holy Communion and it still takes 15 or more minutes. Sunday School consists of about 100 children ranging from toddler to teen, filling three modified trailers and a classroom above the hall. There are currently about 35 catechumens, with new additions coming in almost every other week. Classes are held on Wednesday evenings and Saturday before Vespers year round. On Holy Saturday, the day before Pascha, there are usually 15-20 baptisms of adults according to traditional practice. The

This leads to what the Germain family in particular was blessed to learn and how that contributed to our personal quest to seek Christ. The children in particular were able to participate in a thought provoking Teen Sunday School program of about 30 youth. They learned a lot from peers who are facing the same challenges, but at the same time are striving to live a Christ centered life. Through the many activities, trips and programs, they were able to make lifelong friends. In addition, their participation in learning Byzantine chant and choir afforded them a new worship experience steeped in the vast hymnology of the Church in the English language. These are very valuable gifts and ones that they will hold fast as they continue their lifelong journey. I was able to observe what it takes to administer a large parish. It is a herculean task indeed, but I confess they make it look extremely easy. When the people are all engaged in the same goal, that which Elder Aimilianos illustrated for us so clearly, then all that has to be accomplished is done so with joy. Joy in Christ. When that joy is shared amidst the entire community, beautiful and great things happen, with a blessing from God. I was VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 11

also able to attend some very edifying presentations given by esteemed Orthodox scholars Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, Archimandrite Irinei (Steenberg), Fr. Maximos (Constas) and Fr Chad Hatfield. In the end, I pray that I can become a better servant through the many experiences I have had at St. Andrew. Fr. John Krestiankin, a famous contemporary Russian Elder from the PskovCaves Monastery of the Dormition once said, “God’s Providence rules the world throughout all times; shall we pronounce judgment upon it”? By God’s Providence we spent some time away from St George Parish, and by that same Providence we now return. God’s ways are a mystery, and we must strive to accept what has been provided to us with as much humility as that which Christ Himself showed us as He hung on the Cross. I sincerely and humbly thank His Grace Bishop MAXIM and our pastor Fr. Bratso for their unlimited patience and love for our family during our time away. We also thank the Church Council and the entire St. George family for all their support and kind thoughts. Most importantly, it is everyone’s prayers that keep us striving to seek that which is most pleasing to God. Glory to God for all things! Amen. Deacon Paul Germain, January, 2015

Wisdom from the pulpit of Orthodox clergy • Spiritual advancement requires that we do not neglect the lower steps that lead us to the higher level.

• As St. Kosmas Aitolos said, man needs two wings to fly and make it to Paradise; these are humility and love.

• Kindness can always replace the absence of beauty, but beauty can never be a substitute for kindness.

• Holy water dissolves sins and prevents illness.

• Honesty is the face of our soul while hypocrisy is its mask.

• Sorrow is the school that helps us attain great virtues and shapes great characters.

• If our actions cause us to be shameful in front of others, we should feel greater shame for God because He knows and examines all that takes place, even in the dark.

• Temperance is the daughter of prudence, the sister of abstinence and the mother of freedom.

• Blood washes away with water and not with more blood.

• God created us without our will but he cannot save us without it.

• Withstanding temptations allows us to recognize our week nature, become humble and thus attract God’s Grace.

• The devil closes one door and God opens ten. • Spring is a natural renewal, and indication of immortality. • God always protects the widow and the orphan and He destroys the plans of sinful people wishing to harm them. • The fire lit by our sins must be extinguished not with water but with our tears. • Daily study of Holy Scripture makes us invulnerable to the attacks of sin.

• God has riches, He loves us but we do not listen to Him. The devil is bankrupt, he hates us, but we give him our love. • Know thyself! Practice abstinence and temperance. Avoid obscene things. • Courage is to not carelessly jeopardize oneself but to instead march decisively towards the just struggle.

• It is not sufficient to only praise virtuous people; you must also imitate them! • A person that speaks without thinking is like a man who shoots a gun without aiming. • Christian hope refers to the anticipation and waiting for God and an eternal life near Christ. • If we have to choose between committing or accepting an unjust act, we must always be willing to be the recipients of injustice!

• A cave provides us with as much space for God’s grace as a palace. • One can hide himself of his actions from other people but not from God.

• When you stop pleasing yourself you start pleasing God.

Your Will Is a Way to Help Your Church Taking on the tough task of estate planning can be a gift to your family and church

The planning and writing of a will is both a civic obligation and a personal privilege. We live in a nation of laws. During all of our lifetime, different laws apply to our living. When we are born, our birth is registered as required by law. When we are alive, we comply with legal requirements when purchasing a home, making loans, securing a passport and in many more of life's activities. When we die, our life's passing is noted in securing a death certificate and in the probate process. In all of life's activities, the law is there. One of the most important legal activities that we each, individually, face is to decide how that which we have acquired is used and who will benefit from those possessions. While living, we are present to make those decisions. Before we die, we can determine who will receive our estate with a will. Should we not make that determination with our own will, then the State or others will decide for us, often ignoring our important preferences. Deciding not to write a will reflects a lack of civic responsibility and compliance, and a last opportunity to demonstrate our love to those whom we cherish.

There are some vital details we each are allowed in writing our will. Each person on his or her own have the legal right to write a will. Additional details include the naming of a personal representative, deciding who will serve as guardians of our minor children, proving guidelines concerning how they will be raised, and expressing gratitude for all of life's blessings. Life involves a string of choices, and the most important choices we make involve the use and disposition of what we have. This is called stewardship, the management of our resources. Our acts during our lifetime become a statement of faith. Our last act, our will, serves as a final testimony of our faith journey in life. We exercise a spiritual privilege when we plan and write our own will. Before putting together your will, ask each primary beneficiary (spouse, children, your church) to express their preferences on personal treasures; it will help you decide who gets what. If you have your will made out, ask your attorney to add a line stating that you bequeath to the Saint George Serbian Orthodox Church, 3025 Denver Street, San Diego, CA, 92117. If you have planned a future gift to our parish, let us know so that we can express our gratitude. If you have some questions and concerns, please contact your financial advisor, or attorney, or our church office at 619-276-5827.

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 12

Why Get Married in The Church? The answer to this question is quite simple. Getting married in the Church means that we are asking God to join us together. The priest does not marry us, the public official does not marry us, and we are not marrying each other. God through the priest is joining us together. That is the theology of marriage in the Orthodox Church. The priest never says, “I pronounce you man and wife.” He has not power to marry. It is the power of God who joins two people in the sacrament (mystery) of Marriage that is the important element. We come to God’s Church in front of God’s People to ask God to bless our union and to make us one. This indeed is a mystery, how two people with all their peculiarities, and differences, their disparate wants and sometimes conflicting needs can live together as one in harmony and peace, in fulfillment and in growth, just like the miracle that occurs when all elements that compose our bodies are joined together by God to form the one person that is us, that can function, grow and create. To get married outside the Church means that we do not acknowledge that we need God, and Author of our being, as the One who will bless us. It is saying I will marry whomever I want and I don’t need God or His blessings. I don’t need a religious ceremony to show my deep religious convictions. This is both arrogance and foolishness. Not only do we need God, we need to humble ourselves to accept His will. His Kingdom comes when His will is done on earth as it is done in Heaven.

Christ is in the ORTHODOX CHURCH, if the ORTHODOX CHURCH has been given the privilege of being that one Church that has carried on the Apostolic teachings and practices inviolate through the centuries in an unbroken succession because of the presence of the Holy Spirit within the Church that has safeguarded it from error, why should one go elsewhere? Elements of the truth of Christ are in all Christian churches, but the fullness of Christ is the ORTHODOX CHURCH. By not submitting ourselves to the rule of the Church, which is Christ and those that are joined with Him in Faith and in Baptism, then we are falling prey to the sin of pride and arrogance that separated Adam and Eve from their pristine existence and oneness with God. It is not easy to humble oneself to anyone, even to God. More often than not we think we know better than God and laugh at His laws and ridicule those who preach His ways. It takes a man of strength to acknowledge his weaknesses. It takes a man of courage to withstand the tyranny of pride. It takes a man of prayer to counteract the Babylonian confusion of the sinful society that surrounds us. Getting married in the Church serves another purpose. It acknowledges that our betrothed is a gift from God. He or she is

Do we have to get married in the ORTHODOX Christian Church, or can we get married in another Christian Church? Of course you can get married in another Christian Church, but why? If the fullness of

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 13

that special person God cultivated to be our partner, to grow together in love, to experience the fullness of life together, to provide that depth of vision whereby the whole of life is experienced through the eyes and experiences of another. Our personality and our personhood find their completion in the other that God has given. We come to thank God for the precious gift. We are called to be a people of prayer, of courage and strength, a holy people separate from the paganistic rituals of this world, a humble people acknowledging not only God as Father, but God as Lord. This means that we are called to willingly submit to His will, not arrogantly fight His discipline and order. Are we big enough to swallow our pride and follow God? The question that faced Adam and Eve is facing us. May we always say yes to God and no to sin. Let us make marriage a statement of acknowledging our dependence on God and an expression of our willingness to do His will. May marriage in the Orthodox Church be a grateful acceptance of the great gift God has given us.

CHURCH CALENDAR 2015 FEBRUARY 14

MORAVA fund-raiser - PIG GIG (roasted pig), 7PM

Meeting of Our Lord Feast Day (Meatfare Sunday)

Cheesefare Sunday

First Day of Great and Holy Lent

MARCH 1

Sunday of Orthodoxy

Second Sunday of Great Lent

Third Sunday of Great Lent

Fourth Sunday of Great Lent

Fifth Sunday of Great Lent

APRIL 4

Lazarus Saturday (Vrbica) and Diocean KSS Women’s Retreat

Palm Sunday

Annunciation

Great and Holy Thursday

Great and Holy Friday

Great and Holy Saturday / Midnight Matins

Pascha/Vaskrs

MAY 3

Church Slava

St George Feast Day

Bacon and Wine Tasting

Ascension of Our Lord - Spasovdan

Pentecost

JUNE 8

Apostles Fast begins

MORAVA Folkfest

Vidovdan Celebration and Honoring of Graduates

JULY 12

Diocesan Summer Camp (http://www.campstsava.org - First week

Diocesan Summer Camp (http://www.campstsava.org - Second week

Diocesan Summer Camp (http://www.campstsava.org - Third week

AUGUST 14

Dormition Fast begins

Dormition Feast Day

29-31

Diocesan Days Weekend at St Sava Church in Jackson, CA (church closed)

SEPTEMBER 13

Sunday Church School begins

Kolo Slava

OCTOBER TBA

SERBFEST

16-17

Opolo Wine Harvest Festival in Paso Robles, CA

17 TBA

St Stefan and Jelena (Stiljanovic) Cevap Challenge

For more information call Fr. Bratso Krsic at 619-276-5827 or visit www.SaintGeorgeInSD.org

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 14

On Fasting Fasting is a medicine. But medicine, as beneficial as it is, becomes useless because of the inexperience of the user. He has to know the appropriate time that the medicine should be taken and the right amount of medicine and the condition of the body which is to take it, the weather conditions and the season of the year and the appropriate diet of the sick and many other things. If any of these things are overlooked, the medicine will do more harm than good. So, if one who is going to heal the body needs so much accuracy, when we care for the soul and are concerned about healing it from bad thoughts, it is necessary to examine and observe everything with every possible detail. Fasting is the change of every part of our life, because the sacrifice of the fast is not the abstinence but the distancing from sins. Therefore, whoever limits the fast to the deprivation of food, he is the one who, in reality, abhors and ridicules the fast. Are you fasting? Show me your fast with your works. Which works? If you see someone who is poor, show him mercy. If you see an enemy, reconcile with him. If you see a friend who is becoming successful, do not be jealous of him! If you see a beautiful woman on the street, pass her by. In other words, not only should the mouth fast, but the eyes and the legs and the arms and all the other parts of the body should fast as well. Let the hands fast, remaining clean from stealing and greediness. Let the legs fast, avoiding roads which lead to single sights. Let the eyes fast by not fixing themselves on beautiful faces and by not observing the beauty of others. You are not eating mean, are you? You should not eat debauchery with your eyes as well. Let your hearing also fast. The fast of hearing is not to accept bad talk against others and sly defamations. Let the mouth fast from disgraceful and abusive words, because, what gain is there when, on the one hand we avoid eating chicken and fish and, on the other, we chew up and consume our brothers? He who condemns and blasphemes is as if he has eaten brotherly meat, as if he has bitten into the flesh of his fellow man. It is because of this that Paul frightened us, saying: “If you chew up and consume one another be careful that you do not annihilate yourselves.” You did not thrust your teeth into the flesh (of your neighbor) but you thrust bad talk in his soul; you wounded it by spreading dishonor, causing inestimable damage both to yourself, to him, and to many others… St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople

Changing of the “Guard”—New Church Officers Along with lots of old business and some new business, a new church board was elected at the January 18th St George annual meeting. Most officers from the 2014 board chose not to continue their service in 2015. The friends and stewards of St George Church thank the outgoing board for all their work, which included many challenges. We also thank the new board for accepting their positions. We know this takes much commitment, and we will be remembering you in prayer as you take up your tasks to keep our church running smoothly. Members of 2015 Church Board/Parish Council

Clergy: •Fr. Bratso Krsic •Deacon Paul Germain

Lay members: •Kate Thickstun, President •Dusan Selezan, 1st V. President •Velimir Jovanovic, 2nd V. President4 •Bojana Rajkovic, Treasurer •Jeff Nicholas Schrandt, Secretary

Members at large: •Tomas Jovanovic, Stewardship chairman •Vojkan Popovic •Nebojsa Rajkovic, •Vladimir Kezic •Radovan Borovic,

Auditing Committee: •Miro Copic •Vesna Jovanovic •Dusanka Klacar

Tutors: •Milos Lukic •George Skaljac •Nebojsa Rajkovic •Miro Copic •Radovan Borovic

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 15

St. George Kolo recap for 2014 Mir Božji! Hristos se rodi! Srećna nova 2015 godina! Happy new year to all of our Voice readers!

The St. George Kolo (or “Sisters” as many of you know us) wants to thank you for all the help and support in 2014, whether it was monetary, physical, or moral. We had a fruitful year, and the fruits of our labor helped provide many things for our beloved parish of St George. I did not work alone, and I want to thank the entire board and all of our Kolo members, as well as the ladies and gents of our parish who came forward to help with cooking Sunday lunches and working on the various projects we coordinated and completed. We would have not been able to achieve all that we did without all the fundraising that was done through Sunday lunches. From the bottom of my heart, HVALA! Not only do the lunches provide us with the means to better our parish, but also they continue to bring us together after the Divine Liturgy to socialize and grow friendships. Sometimes, these lunches even save you cooking a meal the next day, when there are leftovers for purchase. In 2014, Kolo purchased 100 “everyday use” (plastic) chairs, in addition to the 300 padded red chairs for special occasions, which most of you saw last Easter! Those chairs will make our hall more viable for rentals in 2015, which will help us continue to build and do new projects and help the less fortunate. We also purchased 22 rectangular tables to replace many of the old pressed wood tables we have been nursing for years. The plan is to buy another 20 round tables this year. Our kitchen renovation was completed with quartz countertops and all new cabinets. A big HVALA to Stevo Basich for donating his time for the cabinetry, as well as Nešo Rajković, who donated his time for installation of the quartz countertops and who always makes himself available when there is something to be fixed or done.

The Kolo, through our balance from 2013 and our fundraising through Sunday lunches in 2014, contributed $500 to the bar to help with necessary items. We donated $5000 for the front door of our holy church to be completed. When our motherland was flooded, we sent $1000 to flood victims at that time. We spent a total of over $28,000 on all of the projects and donations in 2014, which is quite a feat for any auxiliary group.

our group. (A warm welcome to Jovana Tvrdišić as a new member of Kolo and already an integral part of our group.) We hope that 2015 will be equally fruitful in terms of our work and in our relationships with each other and our parish of St George.

Snežana Pantović (outgoing President and new 1st Vice President for 2015)

The Kolo does not just work together; we also SOCIALIZE together! We organized a dinner in downtown San Diego at a wine bar. A few members got together and visited Glen Ivy Hot Springs for a day of R&R…events and trips like these will definitely be planned again this year! We held our annual meeting on Friday, January 23, 2015. Please welcome your new Kolo board: • President: Ljubinka Plavšić • 1st Vice-President: Snežana Pantović • 2nd Vice-President: Mira Jovanović • 3rd Vice-President: protinica Lisa Kršić • Treasurer: Nada Miličević • Secretary & Sunshine committee: Marija Milašinović

We will continue to work towards moving our parish forward, fundraising to repair, maintain, and develop our parish, and help those less fortunate in 2015, but we need your help. We are always welcoming new members to the Kolo. If you are an 18 or older parishioner of St George, you are welcome to join and be a part of a dynamic group of ladies! All interested can provide their contact details to any of our board members or to fr. Bratso, so we can add you to the list and invite you to our next meeting. There are a few of the major events we are responsible for, and we all know that many hands make the load lighter. Please join us! There are still plenty of opportunities to prepare a Sunday lunch, so please make yourself known to a Kolo board member if you would like to sign up and cook. In conclusion, 2014 was a bountiful year and one that brought some new faces to VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 16

As its name suggests, the work of the Circle of Serbian Sisters— Kolo Srpski Sestara—flows like an unending circle.

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 17

St George Choir The St. George Choir has been busy rehearsing the Christmas songs for the Badnje Vece and Bozic services. In addition to our regular duties of singing during the liturgies on every Sunday and major holidays, our choir sang at the funeral services for Dr. Ratibor Pantovich. His widow Lili sent the choir a generous donation. We also received a generous donation from the Purlia family for singing at the funeral of Sam (Savo) Purlia. The choir is going to have its annual meeting in February, and we are always looking for new members. Velimir Jovanovic, Choir President

Sunday of Orthodoxy 2014 Choir Singing during Worship Words not chanted in Orthodox worship are sung by the choir. The Church uses eight tones or modes, which are broad categories of melodies. Within each of these tones are many small more precise melodies. All of these tones and their melodies rotate weekly so that during each

Archimandrite Metodije —Abbot of the Royal Serbian Lavra Monastery Hilandar visits St. Paisius Monastery in Arizona with His Grace Bishop MAXIM St. Paisius Orthodox Monastery is a women’s community that follows the traditional rule of monastic life. The monastery was founded in 1993 and is dedicated to St. Paisius Velichkovsky, who dedicated his life to collecting and translating the texts of the Philokalia as a means of preserving the teachings of the Holy Fathers on the hesychastic way of life. The sisterhood is currently composed of about 20 sisters. The Holy Liturgy is served daily in the monastery, and the daily cycle of services is conducted primarily in English. To support themselves, the sisters publish spiritual texts, make prayer ropes, and offer to over 1000 guests who visit the monastery each year a fully stocked bookstore. They also labor in cultivating the earth and tending the monastery’s flock of purebred milk goats and other animals in order to be as self-sufficient as possible. Since 1995, the sisterhood has welcomed teenage girls who wish to live and study at the monastery. The monastery home school is dedicated to the Protection of the Theotokos. The sisters tutor the girls in their studies and offer supplementary classes. Some of the students have chosen to remain as nuns in the monastery, while others have married and started their own families. St. Paisius is situated in the High Sonoran Desert at the base of Mount Graham. VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 18

week a particular tone is used for singing music. Singing in an Orthodox service is as varied and multi-faceted in its forms as chanting and vestments, it changes with the Church seasons of commemoration. The power of music is used to its full effect to bring about spiritual renewal in the listeners during an Orthodox service.

The Blessing of Homes with Holy Water To schedule the blessing of your home with the holy water, contact Proto Bratso at frbratso@sbcglobal.net or 619-276-5827 or cell phone 619-316-2362. Q. Why are the homes of Orthodox Christians sprinkled with the Holy Water?

A. In one of the prayers we use during the blessing of water, we hear the following words: For those who will take of this holy water for the blessing of their homes, let us pray to the Lord that this water might be for the cleansing of the souls and bodies of those who, with faith, will take of it and will drink of it, let us pray to the Lord. The blessing of the water and sprinkling of our homes therewith and drinking thereof is neither just a tradition nor a superstition, but rather a living and visible sign of God’s presence among us. The drawing and keeping of Holy Water, the sprinkling therewith and drinking thereof, is one part of our response to God’s goodness to us. Every time during the year when we feel the

Освећење Домова са Богојављенском Водицом Позовите проту Брацу да закажете термин за освећење вашег дома Богојављенском водицом, frbratso@sbcglobal.net , 619-276-5827, мобилни 619-3162362. Питање: Зашто се Светом Богојављенском Водом кропе домови православних хришћана и уопште, како се и зашто она користи?

Одговор: У једној од молитава које се читају на Великом водоосвећењу чујемо и ове речи: ``За оне који је (Свету воду) захватају и црпе ради освећења својих домова, Господу се помолимо. Да она буде на очишћење душа и тела свима који је вером захватају и пију, Господу се помолимо.`` Освећење воде и кропљење наших домова том освећеном водом и пијење Свете воде није тек само једна у низу многих традиција, или нешто што се `ваља`,

need (not just during illness), we should draw from the holy water and use it, for that is why we keep it in our homes. Q. In what way and how long do we keep Holy Water?

A. Every home should have a specific glass container that is used only for the preservation of Holy Water. Holy Water cannot spoil nor change in any way and could be preserved and used during an unlimited period of time. If we still have Holy Water left over from the previous year, we can simply add the new Holy Water to it, and continue to do so from year to year. Holy Water should not be thrown out! Q. Why does the priest visit the home and bring Holy Water with him?

A. Entering the homes of Orthodox Christians, the priest first of all brings God’s blessing. The priest never goes anywhere in his own behalf, but is always on a mission; for with his words, deeds, and especially with the Holy Rites, he preaches Him Who has said: Go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). Visiting the homes of

већ је то пре свега живи и видљиви знак Божијег присуства међу нама; то је примање Божије благодати која нам се даје у Светој води. Питање: Како се и колико дуго чува Света Вода?

Одговор: Сваки дом би требало да има једну посебну стаклену и пластичну посуду (флашу) која ће се користити само за чување Свете воде. Света вода није подложна кварењу нити ма каквим променама и може се чувати и користити неограничено дуго. Ако нам је преостало свете воде од претходне године, њој се само додаје новоосвећена вода и тако из године у годину. Света вода се не сме бацити нити просути. Питање: Зашто свештеник долази у дом и доноси свету водицу?

Одговор: Улазећи у домове православних хришћана свештеник, пре свега, доноси Божији благослов. Свештеник никада и никуда не иде у своје име. Он је увек у мисији, јер VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 19

his parishioners, the priest, as an instrument of God’s grace and as a spiritual father, brings Christ’s peace with him. Visiting every home in his parish, the priest, in fact visits the home church, for every home is “called” to be a small church. Receiving the priest in their homes, the Orthodox Christians receive God’s grace, which the priest brings to them, the grace that is given through Holy Water as well as the saving power of the Holy and Precious and Life-giving Cross. Q. What all needs to be prepared for the priest’s coming to our home?

A. It is important that on a clean table we prepare the following: a bowl of water (into which the priest will pour Holy Water), a candle, an icon (of Lord Jesus Christ, or Blessed Mother of God, or your Slava Icon), and a list of names (of the living and deceased family members). Father Bratso Krsic

речју, делима и нарочито свештеним радњама проповеда Онога који је рекао: ``Идите и начините све народе мојим ученицима`` (Матеј 28:19). Посећујући домове својих парохијана, свештеник, као инструмент Божије благодати и као духовни отац, доноси Христов мир са собом, док пак парохијани примају благодат која се даје кроз Свету воду и благодатну силу Часнога Крста. Питање: Шта треба спремити за долазак свештеника у дом?

Одговор: Потребно је, на чистом столу, припремити, суд са водом, свећу, икону и мали поменик (списак живих и у Господу уснулих чланова породице). Father Bratso Krsic

Stewardship List—as of January 2015 • Alemany, Linda • Allen, Mike & Markay • Aud, Matthew, Laurie & Family • Belcevich, Milos • Borojevich, Mildred & Wally • Bradic, Aleksandar & Jelena & Family • Copic, Miro, Laura & Family • Denton, Natalie • Drakulich, Persida • Draskovic, Proto Bozidar & Protinica Bozana

• Kezic, Vladimir, Ivana & Family

• Raicevic, Vladimir, Silvana & Family

• Kinach, Alex & Seka

• Rakich, Danielle

• Kostic, Tordis

• Rhoads, Howard & Lydia

• Krsic, Proto Bratso & Protinica Lisa & Family

• Rutherford, Kathleen

• Kurkuian, Robert & Ann • Leff, Dylan • Lopez-Anthofer, Alex & Kira • Markley, Scott & Nada • Markovic, Predrag & Maja & Family • Melnick, Stanley & Pauline • Miladinovic, Miroslav & Radmila • Milovancev, Miroslav, Mira & family • Mitrovich, Predrag

• Ducich, Nick & Tia & Family

• Mitrovich, Risto & Linda

• Dukovich, Mitch & Marie

• Mitrovich, Helen

• Elez, Sladjana

• Mrja, Millie

• Freeman, Lillian

• Nedic, Sava & Spomenka

• Fulton, Radmila & Jeff & Family

• Pantic, Tomislav & Jelena

• Galashty, Natalia

• Papac, Wayne and Sandie

• Germain, Deacon Paul, Natalija & Family

• Petakovich, Proto Velimir & Protinica Ljubinka

• Groza, Horia & Joanna • Hyduke, David • Jojic, Dobrinka • Jovanovic, Mira & Velimir • Jovanovic, Misha and Marsha • Jovanovic, Toma, Vesna & Family • Kalfas, Peter • Kasic, Rade and Radmila

• Petric, Alex, Shari & Family • Petric, Milan & Jelena • Petrovic, Djordje and Marija • Plavsic, Milan, Ljubica & Family • Potkonjak, Michael, Sheila & Family

• Saathoff, Stephanie & Ron • Schrandt, Jeff • Sedy-Miletic, John & Ana & Family • Selezan, Dusan • Selezan, Nemanja & Jelena • Serebryakova, Elena • Skaljac, George & Bernadette • Starr, Tatyana • Thickstun, Kathryn • Topalovic, Vojkan, Maja & Family • Undheim, Robert & Dobrila • Urosevic, Branislav & Elaine • Vlasovich, Milanka • Vukotich, John & Jean & Family • Vuksanovic, Dusan Attention:

Many of you long-time stewards are not on this list because the Stewardship Chairman did not receive your pledge card. So please fill it out and return to the church office as soon as possible. It is important for the church to have your pledge for budget and planning.

• Pugh, Zachary & Milica • Radosavljevic, Mika • Radovanovic, Dragoslav & Ljiljana

Otherwise, if you’re sure you returned your card, and you are not on this list, it is possible we have lost your card, in which case, you should also inform the Stewardship Chairman immediately. And if we have misspelled your name, also inform the church office (619-2765827), and we will immediately make the necessary corrections. Thank you!

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 20

Message from Stewardship Chairman Mir Bozji, Hristos se Rodi!

The new year is upon us and with it comes numerous opportunities to renew your commitment as active Stewards of St. George Serbian Orthodox Church. While your continued monetary donations are critical to St. George, it is your time and talent commitment that really makes us a vibrant community. The last three months of 2014 and the beginning of January 2015 were full of events that would not have been possible without the dedication of everyone who volunteered to help out, and everyone that supported with their attendance. As the year goes on, there will be many more opportunities for you to help out, so if you haven’t volunteered at, or chaired an event for a while, please consider doing so. I know that everyone is extremely busy, but the burden shouldn’t fall on the same core group of Stewards for every event that the Church puts on. Thank you to everyone who has turned in their Stewardship Pledge Card for 2015. To date our 2015 pledge total is down about 15% from what was pledged in 2014. As you can see from the list on the previous page, the number of Stewards is significantly fewer than in past years. I am hoping is because many of you have simply forgotten to turn in your pledge cards, and I wanted to remind you that it is not too late to do so (use the card below and turn it in to either me or Father Bratso). However, if you have turned in your pledge card already and your name is not on the list, please let me know as soon as possible so I can look into the matter and update the list.

I also wanted to call out one of our Stewards for special recognition — Dylan Leff, our only young person who has filled out a pledge card separately from his or her parents for 2015. Many of us sign our pledge cards as a family, Dylan Leff and his mother, Kate Thickstun, and that is fine. I Choir Director and new St George Church don’t expect huge Board President contributions from minors and students. But what Dylan has done is commendable—he has taken the time to think about and write down his time, talent, and treasure contribution to St. George. It is never too early (or too late) to teach your children about stewardship and the principle of donating back what ultimately all belongs to God. I guarantee you that most of your non-Serbian friends instill this in their children’s minds at a young age. If your child receives an allowance, you should talk with them about filling out a pledge card. Dylan, thank you for setting an example for all of us. Toma Jovanovic, Stewardship Chairman, tomasjovanovic@hotmail.com

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 21

where in this 2014/2015 dance season in order to save money for the 2016 international trip.

MORAVA! Dear Friends and Supporters,

Morava Senior Ensemble is growing! Welcome to new members Ariana Pantovic, Silvija Poletto-Boskovich, and Marko Plavsic. Ariana was moved up from Morava Juniors. Silvija and her husband are newcomers to San Diego via the U.S. Navy. While Silvija is new to folk dance, she comes to Morava as a violin musician from Belgrade. We hope to get her husband, Ivan, a trumpet player for the Navy, to join Morava as a musician as well! Marko moved to San Diego coming from New York. While in Belgrade, he danced with Stari Dusanovac “Sane.” We are so excited to have new members and wish them all well in their first season with Morava. We are honored to have been invited to perform for Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander Karadjordjevic and Crown Princess Katherine Karadjordjevic at a Gala Fund raiser, February 21, 2015, at St. Petka. The proceeds will go to the aid of children with special needs and prenatal care in Serbia. Laki Ruzicic, instructor from Talija Belgrade, is coming at the end of January for a couple of months to teach a new choreography, Tabor. Morava is excited to have him back and to learn a new choreography. Of course, this means new costumes will be necessary! Mark Your Calendars! February 14, 2015, 7pm, Pig Gig on Valentine's Day 2015! Miodrag Miljkovic and Sava Ninkovic will be barbecuing pigs on the patio. Boban Marjanovic will be entertaining you with his one-man musical show! It is going to be a casual and fun evening. More info will be coming soon! Aside from our busy winter and spring schedule, Morava is excited to announce that TRIO BALKAN STRINGS from Serbia will be holding a concert at St. George on August 15, 2015. This is a first-class guitar trio that has played to international audiences all over the world. Their sound of world fusion and jazz is spectacular. A show you do not want to miss!

Please come and support the upcoming fund raisers. When Morava travels, it represents not only St. George, but also Serbian people in the diaspora as well. As goodwill ambassadors of St. George, these trips raise cultural awareness and create a positive impression of the Serbian people. The young adults in Morava Seniors are an incredible group of people who represent St. George in such a beautiful manner. Please consider making a donation or help underwrite this huge undertaking. If you or anyone you know is 16 years of age or older and is interested in joining, please have them contact me. Morava Seniors rehearse on Thursdays at 7pm at St. George. All the best in 2015! Dobrila Undheim Director, Morava Senior Ensemble 760-2125891, Dobrila@cox.net

August 15, 2015 at St George Church

Morava will be upgrading the stage with new paint and lighting. As Morava and St. George are bringing bigger and better concerts to St. George, the stage needs to be upgraded to be able to handle these concerts and have them presented well. The upgrades will done from Morava's budget, and we are soliciting donations to complete this project. Morava will be participating in an International Festival in Costa Brava, Spain, in June of 2016. We will be adding France to this journey as well. Funding for this trip will be astronomical. As such, Morava has made a decision to not travel any-

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 22

MORAVA SENIOR CALENDAR 2015 Sat

Feb 14

Valentine’s Day Pig Gig

7:00pm

St. George

Sat

Feb 21

Gala with Prince Alexander & Princess Katherine Karadjordjevic

6pm

St. Petka

Mar 20-22

Nations of SD

Spreckles Theater

Sat/Sun

Apr 25/26

The PGK Project SD ArtWalk

Little Italy, SD

Sat

May 2

Kolobration – St. Stevens

6pm

Alhambra

Sun

May 3

St. George Slava

1pm

St. George

May 9

Bacon and Wine Tasting Fundraiser

7 – 11pm

St. George

Sat

May 16

Avala Kolofest

St. Petka, San Marcos

Sat

Jun 20

28th Annual Summer Folkfest

St. George

Sun

Jun 28

Vidovdan Program

1pm

St. George

Sat

Aug 15

Trio Balkan Strings Concert

6pm – 11pm

St. George

MORAVA means friends, good exercise, and a challenge for both feet and mind. It can mean travel to other cities or countries. It can mean a new interest in music or costume. It will mean an introduction to a whole network of dance. International folk dancing provides the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and to be a good ambassador for your church and country.

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 23

MORAVA Junior

Junior Morava is in full swing after our holiday break, and we are looking forward to an exciting Spring season. We are happy to announce that we will have a guest instructor, Lazar Ruzicic from Talija Art Co. in Belgrade, teaching both Senior and Junior Morava for the two months that he will be in San Diego. Lazar taught our group last year and I know the kids will be excited to have him back. Junior Morava is always accepting new members. We rehearse Friday at St George Church Hall from 7-8pm. Please join us at a practice if your children are interested or contact Cristina Dukovich at cristina.dukovich@gmail.com.

Come grow with us! Practice and one day you may become one of the world-traveling MORAVA Seniors!

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE â&#x20AC;˘ WINTER 2014 24

Scriptural and Theological Explanation of the Frescos in Our Church Pantocrator – The Ruler of all (The Lord Almighty); Exodus 3:14; Revelation 1:8; 4:8 And God said unto Moses, I am that I am: and he said, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you. (Exodus 3:14) I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. (Revelation 1:8) Holy, holy, holy, Lord God the Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. (Revelation 4:8)

When one enters an Orthodox Church, the immediate message conveyed is: God is with us. This is communicated by the fresco or image of Christ written inside the very top of the dome. In this image, Christ looks down on the faithful gathered in the church and blesses them with His right hand. In His left hand he holds the Scriptures opened with words: I am the light of the world. John 8:12 In this fresco, Jesus Christ is depicted frontally as a half figure. His face is authoritative, but also compassionate with his eyes opened looking directly at the faithful gathered in the church. The outer robe is a blue (himation) and the inner one is a red (chiton) color symbolizing his humanity and divinity. The broad band over his right shoulder called clavus, is a remnant from the Roman imperial court that indicates high official status. On the right side of Christ’s figure is the Greek abbreviation for Jesus Christ, IC XC, Ιησους Χριστός.

A halo enclosing a cross has the Greek words Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν (Exodus 3:13) in the abbreviated form ΟΩΝ, translated: I am who I am, or The existing One. He is the perfect, indescribable, and absolutely transcendent God. In this icon, Jesus Christ is shown in glory to represent His Second coming. It shows Him as the Light-giver, the Divine Teacher, instructing His followers in the word of Truth. Having in mind the oval shape of the domes in Orthodox Churches, it appears that Christ embraces the faithful gathered in the church. This is another reality conveyed to us: Christ embraces the whole creation. He is the Creator of the Universe. He is the Redeemer of the Universe. To face our Creator means to repent and find out who we are. When we look at His image, we see what we were made to be, bearers of the divine image. This lifelong process is called theosis (deification), becoming Christlike by grace, not nature.

A . nnunciation: Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:21; Isaiah 7:14 St. Archangel Gabriel was sent to Nazareth to announce the Good News, the Incarnation, to Mary. He greeted her with the words: Fear not, Mary: For thou hast found favor with God, and behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. (St. Luke 1:30-31) During her conversation with Archangel Gabriel, Mary favorably responded by accepting God’s will: And Mary said, behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. (St. Luke 1:38) By accepting God’s will, Mary becomes a mediator between heaven and earth; she has done what Eve of old failed to do, therefore, Mary is referred to as the New Eve

Continued on page 27.

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 25

Nativity of our Lord: Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1:7; John 1:1-18 In this fresco, the Holy Mother of God is depicted half sitting, leaning over her newborn child, Emanuel. The child is wrapped in the swaddling cloths lying in the crib that looks more like a grave. In this, we see the mystery of Incarnation, but also the mystery of sacrifice, i.e. Christ’s death on the cross. Above Mary are angels singing: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:14) Below Mary and the Child is Joseph resting his chin in his arm. On the top left side are the three wise men offering their gifts to the new Born King: And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11)

Theophany of our Lord: Matthew 3: 13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22, John 1:32-34, Psalm 2:7; Isaiah 42:1; 2 Peter 1:17 The Theophany or Epiphany is another major Feast day in the Liturgical calendar of the Orthodox Church. Theophany (manifestation or revelation of God) or Epiphany (revelation) is celebrated on January 6 (Julian calendar). In this fresco, we see Christ standing in the Jordan River having St. John the Baptist on his left and angels on the right side assisting Christ. The Holy Trinity is manifested on this Feast day, Christ was in the Jordan River, and the Holy Spirit was descending upon him, and God the Father spoke. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway, out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And a voice from heaven, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:16-17) By descending into water, Christ sanctifies it, but immediately comes out for he had no need for cleansing. Transfiguration of our Lord: Matthew 17:1-9; Mark 9:2-10; Luke 9:28-36, 2 Peter 1:1-21 The Transfiguration is one of twelve major Feast days; it is celebrated on August 6. From the synoptic Gospels we learn that Christ took his three disciples, Peter, James, and John to Tabor Mountain, and surrounded with Moses and Elijah, he transfigured. Prophets Elijah and Moses where present, because the former stands for all the prophets, while the latter stands for the law.They were conversing about the forthcoming events in Jerusalem. The Greek word for transfiguration is metamorphosis, meaning to progress from one state of being into another. Here too, as in the Theophany, the voice of the God Father was heard: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. (Matthew 17:5) The transfiguration feast is the revelation of Christ’s Divine nature, manifestation of the Trinity, and the confirmation of the continuity between the Old and New Testament.

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 26

Entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-19; Psalm 118:25-26; Zechariah 9:9, 14:4; 2 Kings 9:13 The entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, or Palm Sunday, is one of the twelve major Feast days. It was foretold by Prophet Zechariah: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. (Zechariah 9:9) This fresco, according to St John Cassian (365-435) can be interpreted on four different levels. The first level is literal, referring to the historic event; Christ entered a Jewish capital, Jerusalem, riding a donkey. The second level is allegorical or typological in which Jerusalem stands for the Church that Christ established by his death and resurrection. On the moral or tropological level, Jerusalem stands for the individual soul that received Christ in baptism. The last analogical level, Jerusalem refers to the eternal abodes in the world to come—the heavenly Jerusalem.

Resurrection of Jesus Christ-The Descent into Hades: Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-10; Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:27-32, 33-35, Psalm 56:13, 116:8, 1 Peter 3:19; 4:6 The Resurrection of Christ or Pascha is the Feast of Feasts. Christ is depicted in white clothes pulling our ancestors, Adam and Eve, out of Hades. Beneath him, the gates of hell are shattered and nails and locks are clearly visible. Death could not have kept Christ captive. On either side of Christ, we can see the righteous from the Old Testament who also heard the Good News preached to them by Christ. By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison. (1 Peter 3:19)

Ascension of our Lord: Mark 16:19-20; Luke 24: 50-53; Acts: 1:9-11; John 20:17; Ephesians 4:8 In this icon, Jesus Christ is depicted above his disciples and his holy mother. He is being carried by one angel on either side. He is surrounded with mandorla, which stands for his divinity and glorified state. His disciples below are looking up and two angels speak to them: Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:11) The Ascension Feast day marks the end of Christ’s earthly life, beginning of the Church epoch, and the expectation of Christ’s second glorious coming. Continued on page page 28

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 27

Our Church Is a Holy Place This place of ours also has its own heaven. It is this holy church. For every holy church is also a piece of heaven on earth. And whenever you are in a church, behold, you are already in heaven! And what is a church for? It is for the sake of prayer to God, for serving God in justice and in the light of truth. In the Church of Christ, we entrust ourselves to God through prayer and He teaches us His eternal Justice, His eternal Divine Truth, His eternal Goodness. And this comes about because, through prayer, a man grows more and more in every Divine goodness, in every Divine truth and justice, and in every spiritual joy. And this joy of his, this blessing, no one can take away from him either in this world or in the other.—St. Justin (Popovich)

Church Family News January 2015 gave us a month of Holy Feast days and festivities, even our own Serbian New Year celebration. And capping off the month on the 31st, was a special concert by one of Serbia’s most wellknown pop stars, Marija Serifovic, who recently moved to Los Angeles!

Our Orthodox Christmas holidays were managed handily by the Circle of Serbian Sisters with their usual love and efficiency. The crowd for both Banje Vece and Bozic celebrations was filled with joy upon the celebration of Our Lord’s birth. Please thank our faithful sisters for their care in supporting us with traditional ethnic and appropriately lenten foods. (I just love our Serbian Sisters! The world’s greatest cooks).

God is With Us The church is oriented toward the East, according to the Apostolic canon: The house of the Lord should be oriented towards the sunrise, with annexes on both sides corresponding to the nave (1, II, 57). The church is entered from the West and the faithful, standing in prayer, face the East—the altar, the symbol of heaven, spiritual light and Christ—the Sun of Righteousness—who shall appear as lightning form the East at His second coming (Matthew 24:27). The Interior of an Orthodox Church… The interior of the Church is designed to speak to the worshipper, to establish the mood for worship, to preach the Gospel through architecture and icons, to elevate one’s mind and heart to the God one comes to praise and worship. Father Bratso Krsic

Serbian New Year. Maja Markovic forwarded me a message she received (along with pictures) from a CzechAmerican, James Zapalac, whom she had invited along with another friend, Radmila Runic, to our Serbian New Year’s celebration. I include his message here because I thought you might like to see how another Slav views Serbian style: Radmila asked me to be her dance partner in the competition at St George Serbian Church [during your New Year’s celebration]. [For those who do not know], St George is an Eastern Rite Church (as opposed to a Latin or Western Rite church), and they celebrate the New Year using the Julian calendar (everything occurs 13 days later). This was a church festival principally for the members. It was a banquet—a nice Serbian-specialty meal, served with salad, main course, and desert (they call their pastries kolaches, but they are different from our Czech kolaches). We sat at a table with other friends of Radmila (see photo 1). The Serbian language has a lot of commonality with the Czech language as you would

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 28

expect. Serbia is a Southern Slav (or Yugo Slav) country while our Moravia is a Northern Slav country. They say Dobro vece for Good Evening while we say Dobr vecer. When visiting Cousin Frantisek Vykoukal in Zlin, Czech Republic, Becky and I had a toast of his homemade plum vodka, or a na zdravi of Slivovitz Vodka. (Serbians call it Slivovica.) Frantisek has a grove of slivovitz trees (plum trees) in his backyard and picks very ripe plums and puts them into a fermenting container during the season, his fermented plum juice is kept cold as he gathers the crop, and then it is distilled to vodka using a service that transits through Zlin. These Serbian folks love their folk dances, the one performed almost all evening when I was there is called the Kolo (translates to round in Serbian or Czech), see photo 2. The dancers go in a circle, first in one direction then another, as in a Bohemian Schottische or a Israeli Hora dance.

Thanks for sharing, Maja. Maja was the featured singer for the evening for those of you who missed this successful money-making Kolo-sponsored event. Marija Serifovic Concert. Is it hard to imagine the ever-evolving St George social hall morphing into a Serbian Kafana (or disco)? Well, think again! That is just how some of us older folks felt as we arrived at a punctual 8PM for this special pop concert event. There were no chairs to speak of, only a couple of big round tables, and lots of small round, standingonly bar tables. Although we eventually did find chairs, there were very few people still sitting when the pop-rock concert started. Food and drink were available (profits going to St George Church), and everyone (even the oldsters) seemed to be having a very good time. Around 9:20PM, the star finally made her stage appearance in front of the audience of 200 or so enthusiastic fans. Ms Serifovic then sang nearly non-stop for

almost an hour and a half. Backed by a competent sound man and the magical Dusan Simonovic, whose sound synthesizer accompanied her voice with whatever instrument the music required, giving it a true Balkan-influenced flavor. Now I could hear what all the fuss has been about—simply magnificent sound. Ms Serifovic, was followed by a miniconcert from her well-known singermother Verica Serifovic. All-in-all the music was still going at 11PM. Oh, what a night!

So how did St George happen to be Marija Serifovic’s first American venue in 2015? New church vice president, Dusan Selezan (brother of former church president Nemanja Selezan), invited her. Now that is a super way to start your new tenure! Hvala, Dusan!

Marriages and more. Love is in the air! The following couples have married or are planning to:

• Congratulations to Dr. Anastasia Kunac and Brian Milhorn upon their December wedding in New Jersey. Stacy is the daughter of Maria and Dusan Kunac. • Congratulations to Nemanja Selezan and his wife Jelena upon their recent marriage. • Congratulations to Elizabeth Kasic upon her graduation from nursing school. She and her fiance Nemanja Zdralo will be married in May.

1. Table of guests at Serbian New Year 2. Serbian New Year dance & concert

Church News is Always Needed. Remember, Voice readers! If you don’t send me your news, it probably won’t get mentioned in any of our quarterly newsletters. PLEASE, send me anything you have (kids, grand kids, parents, international news of interest, travel, etc.). Reading the church family news is what most everyone reads first. So let us know what’s happening in your world. No news is too small to include.

3. Dusan & Nemanja Selezen 4. Marija Serifovic with Nemanja Zdralo and Elizabeth Kasic 5. The star—Marija Serifovic, 2007 Eurovision winner

6. Ms Serifovic and her mother Verica Serifovic in Los Angeles

VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 29

Marsha Jovanovic, Voice editor. Send news to either Prota Bratso or me: marsha@marshaj.com or FAX to 619-588-5767.

In the Green: St George Recycling Program In an effort to gain much needed revenue and to help the environment, we are actively recycling at St. George. Did you know that every time you throw a water bottle, aluminum can, or glass beer bottle into the garbage instead of recycling it, you are throwing money away? Each can or bottle that is not recycled equals five cents gone forever. While five cents may not seem like much, every can and bottle quickly adds up.

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Please remember to put all plastic and glass bottles and aluminum cans into the blue recycling containers that are located both inside the hall as well as outside. In 2012, over 17.2 billion containers were recycled in California, saving natural resources, conserving energy, extending the life of our landfills, and helping to reduce emissions of harmful greenhouse

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VOICE OF ST. GEORGE â&#x20AC;˘ WINTER 2014 30

Happy New Year 2015! Srećna Nova Godina 2015!

Misha Tours / Firstworld Travel

619-588-5811 / 619-588-4644 misha@mishatours.com

MORAVA! Your Ambassadors for Serbian Culture VOICE OF ST. GEORGE • WINTER 2014 31