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S PECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST :
WE RELIGIOUS OR ARE WE FAITHFUL ?
I read a very interesting article a few weeks ago that caught my undivided attention. The title was very daring to begin with: “Religious people are dangerous” and, on top of that, it was written by an Orthodox Bishop so that made it even more thought-provoking. The following passage summarizes it best: “You who go to church, how has the Church benefitted you? As we said yesterday, we went to the shrines, you saw the fathers, you saw the holy relics, you saw Mount Athos, you saw the Panagia in Tinos, you saw everything, and now we have returned. Ultimately of what benefit will all these things be? Have our hearts transformed? Have we become more humble people? Are we sweeter people? Have we become more meek people in our homes and with our families and in our monasteries, where we work?”
Are we religious or are we faithful?
New Articles on Charity on our New Stewardship page
The Stewardship program 2014 needs your attention
Planning Commitee News
Foodfest 2014
The Ethos of Holy Week
The Pascha baskets (on our Music ministry page)
Wow! This struck me like a brick, because it is very easy to say “I am churchgoing, I follow this and that father, I say all the prayers required”, but does it really matter if my churchgo(Continued on page 3)
C OUNCIL C APSULE I hope that each of you is having a beneficial Great Lent. Holy Pascha is just around the corner and there is still time for each of us to dedicate ourselves to the work of preparation that this time is set aside for. We held our Spring General Assembly on March 16th, and I appreciate all of our members who joined us to participate. We covered a number of important topics that I would like revisit. Regarding the Citi of Euless’ Fire Inspection, I am happy to report that the corrective items have been completed and we have passed our follow-up inspection. This was a great effort of work, and even though our follow-up inspection did identify a few additional items that need to be addressed, we can now breathe easy on this account. We elected the Nominating Committee and the Board of Elections. Your 2014 Nominating Committee members are Barbara Vittas, Nancy Medvic, & Allison Medvic; your 2014 Board of Elections Leo Alexander, Lenny Gigliotta, & Alexsanda Geil. On a side note at the March Parish Council meeting the vacancies of the Board of Auditors were also filled; your 2014 Board of Auditors is Corey Ellis, Terri Poriotis, & Peter Taleos. These committees are organizing and will start to mobilize in due time. Each of these individuals volunteered, and we all greatly appreciate your enthusiastic services! (Continued on page 2)
I NSIDE THIS ISSUE :
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C OUNCIL ’ S C APSULE (Continued from page 1)
T HE P ARISH C OUNCIL HAS UNDERTAKEN AN EFFORT WHEREBY EACH COMMITTEE WILL BE EVALUATED TO DEFINE ITS GOALS , MISSIONS , NEEDS , AND EXPECTED PROCESSES FOR ACHIEVEING ITS GOALS
I made a vague comment regarding some future reorganization of our Committees/Ministries, and this may have left some of you wondering what I meant. I intentionally kept my comments vague because the Council has yet to finalize how the Committee structure will look. However, I would like to elaborate on this a bit so that you may understand our intentions in approaching this subject. Our Parish has experienced some significant growing pains recently leading to a number of unintended consequences. As our Parish grows the administrative function must operate with greater responsiveness and efficiency than in previous years. This means that new
committees will need to be created, some old ones must be resurrected, and existing ones may need to be unified where duplication of efforts can be reduced or eliminated. This endeavor is essential to successfully take on current and expected work load while maintaining, or reducing, our expenses. We have identified a primary list of committees that encompass the workflows required based on our current Parish bylaws, plus some additional workflows. The Parish Council has undertaken an effort whereby each committee will be evaluated to define its goals, missions, needs, and expected processes for achieving its stated goals & missions. Once this has been completed the Parish Council
will share this information in an official manner. Secondary to this effort, is a project of discovery towards a new line of committees of workflow that has either never previously been defined or addressed, or has only been accomplished as part of ad-hoc tasks. However, key to all of this is the expectation that our call for greater parishioner involvement will be received with excitement and willingness to serve. I look forward to sharing with each of you the results of our work, and truly hope and expect that you will each be pleased with results and future outcome of these efforts. Jeremy Ellis, Council President
P LANNING C OMMITEE U PDATE The Planning Committee met early in 2014 to finalize participation by various members of the Parish and to discuss the approach to preparation of a Strategic Plan for the continued growth of the Parish and its Ministries. The Planning Committee consists of 12 persons with representation of each Ministry or major parish activity by at least one parishioner, as follows:
FoodFest - Jeremy Ellis; Ageless Wonders - Margaret Chokas; and, Philoptochos - Joanie Ruppel.
Music - Sandra Geil;
In addition, the Parish Council is represented by Harry Karegeannes and site planning, architectural, facilities development and cost estimation guidance is provided by Presvytera Mirela Tudora and Stacia L. Dube. Joe Sullivan and George Vittas are serving as co-chairs and Father Vasile is providing overall guidance to the effort.
Adult Education - Serban Morcovescu;
The next meeting of the Planning Committee will be held
Youth Ministries - George Moutafis;
on Thursday, May 8th at 6:30 PM in the “Paulos Addition” Conference Room of the “Damianos Peters Parish Center”. At that time, the Committee members will discuss the summarized results of the Questionnaires completed and submitted by each Ministry representative. If you, as a member of the Parish, have any comments or inputs you desire to make with regard to current and future needs of the Parish, you are encouraged to please be sure to contact or see the most appropriate Ministry representative listed above, or any member of the Planning Committee…
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A RE WE RELIGIOUS OR ARE WE FAITHFUL ? (C ONT .) (Continued from page 1)
ing activities are not matched by my behavior and attitude towards God and others at all times? If I fast and this is making me bitter, lustful and angry, maybe this is not beneficial to me. If I pray more and my frequent church attendance elevates my mind into judgment and self-praise, maybe it does not serve me well. If I give more to the poor and I do it half-willingly or showing superiority, maybe I am not doing the right deeds. Been there? I know I have, but why is this happening? How come that doing something that God wants us to do does not benefit us? Shall we just stop doing them, because they are not good for us then? All these works are beneficial to us, no question; there is however a fine print at the bottom that has to do with our own willingness to be transformed by them. Just as the external accomplishments alone cannot justify us, we cannot expect either that God will do everything for us. The true transfiguration of fallen Man can only happen as a common work between the transforming Grace of God and the willingness of Man to let himself be transformed. As we move towards Pascha with rapid steps and we are get ready to embark in the great spirituality of Holy
Week, maybe is a good time now to stop for a minute and reflect on the transforming power that all the efforts of Great Lent: the fasting, the extended prayers, the almsgiving , should have on all of us who strive to achieve them. The soul moving hymns of this amazing period need to change us in ways that will make us more accepting of the people around us, at church and everywhere else, more attentive towards the need of others, more willing to step up when our community needs us. We should be transformed as to become willing to joyfully share more of our time, talent and treasure with our Church, for the greater purpose of salvation, not just as individuals, but as a holy community of brothers and sisters in Christ. If this is not happening, if we are not transformed by what we do, if we don’t become more humble, more accepting, more involved and more loving, then we should probably consider not necessarily what we are doing but why we are doing it. It could mean that we might be following the Orthodox Church as an ordinary outward religion and not as an actual way of life. It may be that we have not yet internalized the purpose and intent of our Faith. It might be time to reexamine ourselves with great care and honesty and consider the help of a Spiritual Father to receive
tailored help to diagnose and heal what is keeping us from being transformed from an outwardly religious person into a true faithful person. The Church, as the Fathers describe it, is a hospital for all of us, who, inheriting a fallen nature, are suffering from various spiritual diseases that keep us from being who God wants us to become . The Church provides the place, the means and the doctors to help us heal, overcoming the shortcomings of our fallenness. The fasting, prayer, almsgiving and everything else that the Church brings to our attention are not a purpose in themselves but healing and transforming tools to achieve the likeness of God, the only doctor of our souls and bodies. May all these efforts that in these holy days we are all trying to achieve, according to our strength, be rewarded by the glorious sight of the un -waning Light of the Resurrection of Christ. May that Light shine in the deepest corners of our souls transforming us also into light and bringing us all in Communion with Christ, the Sun of righteousness. A blessed Pascha to everyone!
T HE
FASTING , PRAYER , ALMSGIVING AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT THE C HURCH BRINGS TO OUR ATTENTION ARE NOT A PURPOSE IN THEMSELVES BUT HEALING AND TRANSFORMING TOOLS TO ACHIEVE THE LIKENESS OF G OD
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2014 S TEWARDSHIP - S TEWARDSHIP AND F ASTING Great Lent is a time for prayer and reflection. Words I recently came across are a wonderful reminder of where our hearts should be during Lent and how we should focus on fasting and prayer. Commit to becoming a Steward if you haven’t already done so. What better time than the present? We’re off to a great start. To date we have 91 Stewards and $186,642 pledged toward our goal of $278,000. Fast from judging others; feast on the Christ dwelling in us.
F AST FROM SELF - CONCERN ; FEAST ON COMPASSION FOR OTHERS .
Fast from emphasis on differences; feast on the unity of life.
feast on the reality of light.
Fast from hostility; feast on non-resistance.
Fast from thoughts of illness; feast on the healing power of Fast from bitterness; feast on God. forgiveness. Fast from words that pollute; Fast from self-concern; feast feast on phrases that purify. on compassion for others. Fast from discontent; feast on Fast from personal anxiety; gratitude. feast on eternal truth. Fast from pessimism; feast on Fast from discouragements; optimism. feast on hope. Fast from worry; feast on Fast from lethargy; feast on divine order. enthusiasm. Fast from complaining; feast Fast from thoughts that weakon appreciation. en; feast on promises that inspire. Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives. Fast from idle gossip; feast on purposeful silence. Fast from unrelenting pressures; feast on unceasing Your Stewardship Ministry prayer. Hope File and Time Cline
Fast from apparent darkness;
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LINK BETWEEN MATERIAL AND
The brothers said, "Why is it that the monks are obliged to go around begging for the food and clothes they need, like those who are in the world, although our Lord promised them, saying, ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and that of which ye have need shall be given to you’ (Matt. 6:23)?"
S PIRITUAL
dren of this world consists of alms and compassion; but the children of light are righteous people and monks who, in their persons, and in their bodies, and in their thoughts, serve our Lord. And God has made the monks to have need of the children of this world because of His love, so that they may care for each other, and may pray for each other; that is to say, the children of the world must care for the monks and the monks must pray in love for them.
The old man said, "This saying is a proof of the wisdom and grace of God toward those who are in the world, for in the majority of cases, the righteousness of the chil- "And as the children of the world make the monks associ-
IS
S HARING
ates with them in the corporeal things of the world, the monks must make the children of the world to be associates with them in the things of heaven, for our Lord spoke to the children of the world, saying, ‘Make ye to yourselves friends of this mammon of iniquity so that when they have become perfect they may receive you into their tabernacles which are forever.’ (Luke 16:9)" E. A. Wallis Budge, "The Paradise of the Holy Fathers," (Seattle, St. Nectarios Press, 1984), p.304
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F OOD F EST 2014 This year’s Greek FoodFest will be held on October 10, 11 and 12, 2014… Taverna Night will open the FoodFest on the evening of Thursday, October 9th… All parishioners are respectfully urged to kindly note these dates and to please make plans to be available during those days. As was began and successfully tested last year, this year we will continue the “Distributed Chairmanship” concept in the organization and management of FoodFest. The FoodFest 2014 Kickoff Meeting will be held on May 1st at 6:30 PM in the conference room of the Paulos Addition to the Damianos Peters Parish Center, to be attended by last year’s Chairpersons and key managers. Any and all interested members of the Parish desiring to offer and share their
S TEWARDSHIP
time with fellow parishioners in this critically important annual endeavor are invited to attend the kickoff meeting. Last year’s Chairpersons were as follows: Taverna Night - Joanie Ruppel (Philoptochos) Procurement - Larry Leeders assisted by Terry Poriotis Site and Facilities - Jeremy Ellis Food Services - Raj Shah (and a supreme cooking crew)
The first order of business at the kickoff meeting will be to confirm the Chairpersons and Retail - Margaret Chokas make use of lessons learned Entertainment - Joanie Rup- from FoodFest 2013 to refine pel (also, Security) the duties and responsibilities of the various Chairpersons After more than a decade of and the Key Manager posidevoted service to the Parish tions. Beverages - Joe Sullivan
PROGRAM
2014
dedicated people, overflowing with joy, peace and love in the Lord, a place where everyone is welcomed. We want everyone to start living now as responsible citizens of the Kingdom; we want you to become active members at St. Our intent is to develop a John's. culture at St. John's that emulates the Kingdom of God, The Commitment Card you here and now. We want it to are asked to bring is a visible be a place populated with sign of the beginning of your We encourage you all to actively participate in our Stewardship Program in 2014 by prayerfully considering your contribution in our 2014 stewardship program and beyond.
as past Festival Chairman and Procurement Manager, Larry Leeders will be stepping down from active management involvement in FoodFest 2014. The Parish owes Larry a great deal of gratitude for the sacrifices he has made in assuring the successes of the FoodFest over these many past years. Larry will continue as a volunteer FoodFest worker and advisor to the FoodFest Coordinator and the Purchasing Chairperson (to be named). A heartfelt thank you, Larry.
involvement. Before completing it, please give prayerful consideration to the commitment you are making. Giving is not a substitute for commitment - it is an expression of your commitment. The question is not, "How much do I give to say that I am a Steward?" but "How can I thank God for my many blessings?"
T HIS YEAR ’ S G REEK F OOD F EST WILL BE HELD ON
O CTOBER 10, 11 AND 12, 2014
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Y OUTH M INISTRIES N EWS Our spring Youth Ministries meeting will be held Sunday, April 6, following church services. The committee is made up of all those interested in the welfare of our parish kids. If you are looking for a way to get involved at St. John's, we welcome you! Youth Ministries’ annual luncheon recognizing our
high school and college graduates will be held April 27. Please let us know if you have a graduating student – we don’t want to miss anyone! As most of you know, The St. John’s Oratorical Festival was held earlier this month and once again, Alex Shah, is our winner. He will represent our parish at the Metropolis
regional tournament at St. Catherine’s in Denver, the last weekend in March. If he wins, he will proceed to the national competition in Cleveland, June 13-15. We also want to congratulate our other competitors: Joe Berca, Katarina Genovezos, Zoe Georgulas, Alex Genovezos, (Continued on page 7)
C HURCH S CHOOL N EWS Church School Families,
PARENTS: P LEASE ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILDREN TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR L ENTEN S ERVICES BY USING THE L ENTEN P ASSPORT P ROGRAM .
***we need all the volunteers Church School. We appreciwe can get to help make Palm ate your kindness. Welcome to Spring!!! We Crosses. have been enjoying our LenIf you are currently visiting or ten Passport Program. Father April 20--- No Church School spend time with us occasionVasile introduced this Pro- --- Great and Holy Pascha ally, please fill out a registragram last year and it is a tertion form and allow your rific opportunity to learn May 19---End of Church child to have some time to more about the season of Lent School Awards and Picnic have fellowship with other and all of the beautiful serchildren their age and to be vices and traditions that sur- June 9 – 12--- 9:00 a.m. to exposed to the teaching of round the mystery and beauty 1:00 p.m. --- Vacation Bible our Orthodox faith. We are of Pascha. There is a Passport School happy to have children join Office in the Narthex. In case us, if only for a short time. you miss getting your stamp Thank you to Corey and Daon Sundays, they will be vid Ellis and Melissa and Jere- If you have any questions, available there. Stamps are my Ellis for hosting Coffee comments or suggestions, available for the Sundays of Hour in March. you can contact me any time Lent and Compline, Pre- Upcoming Coffee Hour at veronicafisherps50@gmail.com Sanctified Liturgy, Akathist Hosts: Hymns and Special Destina- April 6th--- The Arapis famitions such as Confession and ly, Aimee and Thomas Fox, Thanks again for joining us Pan Orthodox Vespers and John and Maria Panagopoulos this year for Church School. saying the Jesus Prayer. May 4th –Maretta and Mitch Veronica Fisher Here are some upcoming Chokas and the Maayeh fami- Church School Coordinator important dates to mark on ly your calendar: Thank you to all of the famiApril 12--- Saturday--- Len- lies who have volunteered to ten Retreat –10:00 to 1:00— host Coffee Hour on the beAll Church School students half of welcome
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HIGHLIGHTS FOR MARCH Chapter News help place the flowers on the Orthodox Christian Family: A kouvouklion. Dwelling of Christ and a Witness Our membership drive continues through the end of this A repast will be held after the of His Gospel. We are hoping month. Please consider beResurrection Service to cele- to send a delegate to the convention. coming a member of St. Irene brate the Risen Christ. So if you find yourself asking Philoptochos. We INVITE National News the question, “What is the you to become a member and mission of Philoptochos?”, EMBRACE the spirit of help- At the recent gathering in NYC to celebrate the thyrox- here is the answer: ing others live better lives. nia of the new Philoptochos Become INVOLVED! To aid the poor, the destitute, the Center for Philanthropy, nahungry, the aged, the sick, the We will be awarding the tional president Aphrodite unemployed, the orphaned, the $1000 St. Irene Scholarship to Skeadas announced that “In imprisoned, the widowed, the a worthy high school senior at the last two years, an unprec- disabled, the victims of disasters, the end of April. edented amount of $3.1 mil- to undertake the burial of impovAlso in April, in the 3 weeks lion was given in grant distri- erished persons and to offer assisprior to Holy Pascha, we will butions, an amount greater tance to anyone who may need be collecting for Easter flow- than any previous two year the help of the church through ers to decorate the kouvoukli- period.” fundraising efforts. on on Good Friday. We are just the vessel for this project, The Philoptochos Biennial Thank you for supporting St. you the parishioners have Convention will take place in Irene Philoptochos! always been generous and are Philadelphia July 6-9, 2014, responsible for the beautiful in conjunction with the 42nd decorations. Please join us Biennial Clergy/Laity Conafter the morning service to gress. The theme will be The
Y OUTH M INISTRIES N EWS (Continued from page 6)
Alex Shah, and Luca and Maria Tudora. You were all terrific. Many thanks, too, to our coaches -- Athena Pachares and Connie Rafailedes -and to our judges, Aaron Barnes, Olga Papadopoulou and Pete Talleos. The GOYA has been invited to the annual Southern GOYAN Lenten Retreat, which is being held April 46, 2014, at the Sky Ranch Retreat Center in Van, Texas (about 1½ hours from Euless in East Texas). GOYAns, ages 11-18, are invited. Reg-
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istration is $125 and is due by March 27. Camp Emmanuel will be held June 14-18 (junior level, for kids ages 11 to 14 years) and June 15-21 (senior level for kids ages 15 to 18 years). Fourteen-year-old campers who will be 15 before Oct, 1, 2014, are considered eligible to participate in the Senior session of Camp Emmanuel. The camp is held at the Manzano Mountain Retreat in Torreon, New Mexico, outside of Albuquerque. Registration fee of $340 is due May 10 (cost for families with more than one child
attending is $320); those who register before April 5, receive a 10% discount. Reminder: Gina Poulakos has taken the initiative – due to popular demand – to offer once-a-month dance practice for the members of our senior dance troupe, the Olympian Dancers – as well as older GOYANs and teens new to dance. They are meeting in the parish hall one Sunday a month until the end of summer. God Bless. Harriet Blake
H IGH S CHOOL AND C OLLEGE G RADUATION L UNCHEON ON A PRIL 27.
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C HOIR N OTES
The Resurrection
M USIC M INISTRY , C HOIR AND C HANTERS P AGE
Pascha, the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ, is appropriately known as "the Feast of Feasts" in Orthodox Christian tradition. The hymns of Pascha are among the most beautiful and vibrant in the Orthodox musical tradition, filling all who hear them with a profound sense of joy and excitement. The Resurrection is proclaimed in song and triumphant procession! This day is a day of celebration, of the end of lent, of the resurrection of Christ and of life itself! Tradition of " Pascha Baskets" by Choir MemberDorothy Dempsey I'm not the authority on
T HE
Pascha baskets to be blessed after Great Resurrection Liturgy, but from my experience, foods not eaten Great Lent make up the contents: an eggy, buttery sweet bread which goes by different names, Easter cheese, sausage, butter and at least one hard-boiled egg. Others add more foods, liquor, etc., but this was what my mother, whose background was Byelorus did. A blessed candle is stuck in the bread or next to it and lit as the basket was being blessed. In my family the basket came to church covered with a hand embroidered scarf my grandmother Matrona wove and sewed back in Europe.
CELEBRATION OF PASCHA IN THE
Before midnight on Saturday evening, the Odes of Lamentation of the previous day are repeated. The Orthros of the Resurrection begins in complete darkness. The priest takes light from the vigil light and gives it to the faithful, who are holding candles. The priest sings: "Come ye and receive light from the unwaning light, and. glorify Christ, who arose from the dead", and all the people join him in singing this hymn again and again. From this moment, every Christian holds the Easter candle as a symbol of his vivid, deep faith in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ as Savior. In many churches the priest leads the people outside the church, where he reads the Gospel which refers to the Angels statement: "He is Risen; He is not here," (Mark 16:1-8).
The basic tradition of blessing baskets at Pascha is the same in the content of food not eaten during Great Lent. but the recipes vary. The Slavic area is enormous. One thanks Prince Vladimir of Kiev for bringing Orthodoxy to our people, Little Russians and Great Russians alike... (The names Little and Great refer to the distance from Constantinople.) “Do not turn aside too readily from the ancient traditions you have received from the elders, which they in turn learned at their forefathers' feet...(for) they may still prove profitable to you and yours in your times of need." Wisdom of Sirach
O RTHODOX C HURCH
Then comes the breathless moment as the people wait for the priest to start the hymn of Resurrection, which they join him in singing, repeatedly: "Christ has Risen from the dead, by death trampling upon Death, and has bestowed life upon those in the tombs". From this moment the entire service takes on a joyous Easter atmosphere. The hymns of the Odes and Praises of Resurrection which follow are of superb meaning and expression. The people confess, "It is the Day of Resurrection, let us be glorious, let us embrace one another and speak to those that hate us; let us forgive all things and so let us cry, Christ has arisen from the dead". By this hymn they admit that love of one's fellowman is the solid foundation of the faith in the Resurrection of Christ.
The Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom is then officiated. At the end of the Liturgy, a part of the marvelous festival sermon of Saint Chrysostom is read, which calls upon the people to "Take part in this fair and radiant festival. Let no one be fearful of death, for the death of the Savior has set us free . . . O Death, where is thy sting? O Hades, where is Thy victory? Christ is Risen and Thou art overthrown. To Him be glory and power from all ages to all ages." A blessed Resurrection to all!! - See more at: http:// lent.goarch.org/holy_pascha/ learn/
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THE ETHOS OF GREAT WEEK By Rev. Alkiviades Kalivas The salvific events, which the Church remembers and celebrates in Great Week, are rooted in the inexhaustible mystery of God's ineffable love for the world that culminated in the incar-nation, the death and resurrection of His onlybegotten Son and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The solemnities of Great Week help us to enter and penetrate the depths of this mystery. Each day has a particular theme, focus and story. Each story is linked to the other; and all together, they are bound up in the central event: the Pascha of the cross and the resurrection. Everything converges on the person of Jesus Christ, who was betrayed, crucified and buried; and who rose on the third day. These events are the keystones of the structure of Great Week. Through them we embrace the mystery of our salvation. Their radiance helps us to see again more clearly the depth of our sins, both personal and collective. Their power bursts upon us to re-mind us again of God's immeasurable love, mercy and power. Their truth confronts us again with the most crucial challenge: "to dare to be saints by the power of God ... To dare to have holy respect and reverence for ourselves, as we are redeemed and sanctified by the blood of Christ . . . To dare to have the courage to grasp the great power that has been given to us, at the same time realiz-ing that this power is always made perfect in infirmity, and that it is not a possession. Great Week brings us before
two realities. On the one hand we are made aware of the dreadful blight of human sin, issuing from the rebellion against God that resides in us and around us; on the other hand, we experience anew the omnipotent, transfor-ming power of God's love and holiness. From the beginning, Jesus and His gospel were met by a twofold response: some believed and became His disciples; others re-jected Him and came to hate him, and to despise and scorn His Gospel. These opposing attitudes towards the person and the message are especially evident in the events of Great Week. As the events unfold, false religiosity is unmasked (Mt 23.2-38); and the hellish bowels of the power of darkness are laid bare (Lk 22.53). Ensconced in the hearts of evil men - demonic, malignant and odious - the darkness seethes with deception, slander, devious-ness, greed, cowardice, treachery, betrayal, perfidy, rejection, hatred and aggressive hostility. Evil, in all its absurdity and fury, explodes on the Cross. But it is rendered powerless by the love of God (Lk 23.34). Christ is victor. Death is swallowed up. The tombs are emptied (Mt 27.52-53). Life is liberated. God and not man controls the destiny of the world. In the course of the events of Great Week we encounter many contrasting figures and faces that call to judgment our own dispositions towards Christ. Great Week is not simply a time to remember; it
is a time for repentance, for a greater and deeper conversion of the heart. Two hymns from the Orthros of Great Tuesday say it best: “O Bridegroom, surpassing all in beauty, Thou hast called us to the spiritual feast of Thy bridal chamber. Strip from me the disfigurement of sin, through participation in Thy sufferings; clothe me in the glorious robe of Thy beauty, and in Thy com-passion make me feast with joy at Thy Kingdom.” “Come ye faithful, and let us serve the Master eagerly, for He gives riches to His servants. Each of us according to the measure that we have received, let us increase the talent of grace. Let one gain wisdom through good deeds; let another celebrate the Liturgy with beauty; let another share his faith by preaching to the uninstructed; let another give his wealth to the poor. So shall we increase what is entrusted to us, and as faithful stewards of His grace we shall be counted worthy of the Master's joy. Bestow this joy upon us, Christ our God, in Thy love for mankind.” In the solemnities of Great Week we experience afresh the embrace of God's love and forgiveness; the gift and promise of eternity and plenitude. Quickened and energized by the experience, we continue by faith to climb the ladder of divine ascent. Certain of His love, we live in the saving tension of joyous-sorrow until He comes. With a repentant heart we live the joy of hope and the rapture of expectation for things to come (I Cor 2.9).
IN
THE SOLEMNITIES OF G REAT W EEK WE EXPERIENCE AFRESH THE EMBRACE OF G OD ' S LOVE AND FORGIVENESS ;
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S ACRAMENTS
IN THE
PAST MONTH
Chrismations: Monica Morcovescu Funerals: Eleni Plock, Sharie Beebe
C ATECHISM C LASSES AND G LADSOME L IGHT D IALOGUES The Spring Catechism Semester will soon come to an end. We’ll take a break for the Summer and we’ll be back in first Sunday in September with our 2014-2015 Fall Semester Inquirers into the Orthodox faith as well as Orthodox people that would like to enrich their faith are encouraged to attend. Gladsome Light Dialogues will start with a new program led by Nick Stanosheck. Details to follow.
P LEA S E S UPPORT OUR C OFEE H OUR F ELLOWSHIP BY SIGNING UP TO SPONSOR A S UNDAY WITH YOUR FAVOURITE M INISTRY G ROUP
U SHER S CHEDULE 1st Sunday: Tim Cline, Nik Stanosheck 2nd Sunday: Hope File, Michael Eftimie 3rd Sunday: Chris Geil, Olympia Genovezos 4th Sunday: Olga Papadopoulou, Jeremy Ellis 5th Sunday: Kirsten Shah, Harry Karegeannes Fill In: Harry Karegeannes
C OFFEE H OUR D UTIES SETUP Arrange pastries/food in a desirable manner on the appropriate tables in the parish hall. You are responsible for making the coffee. Make two pots: one regular, one decaf. Plug in be-
A COLYTE S CHEDULE
A GELESS W ONDERS
For the Forerunner: The Ageless Wonders will meet on Friday, April 25, 2014, at 10:30 a.m. at the church hall. to car pool to have lunch at "BooRays" restaurant and then we will go to Tony and Athena Pachares' house for dessert and coffee. This should be a fun day and an opportunity for us to relax and enjoy getting together. So, save the date and I'll be calling for reservations the last week of April. Don't forget that’s Bright Week so no fasting !!! Questions ??? Call me ..........Margaret....817 354 7731
1st Sunday: Jackson Wright, Alex Genovezos, Caleb Ellis, Luca Tudora 2nd Sunday: Michael Beebe, John Molhoek, Alex Shah, Chris Eftimie, Joseph Berca 3rd Sunday: James Seals, Alex Genovezos, Caleb Ellis, Luca Tudora, Matei Tudora
C OFFEE H OUR H OST
4th Sunday: Michael Beebe, John Molhoek, Alex Shah, Chris Eftimie, George Manos
2nd Sun: Parish Council
5th Sunday: Michael Beebe, James Seals, Alex Genovezos, Alex Shah , Luca Tudora
4th Sun: Philoptochos
fore going into church. The instructions are in the kitchen. Prepare a tray with sugar, creamer, sugar substitute, mixing straws, a few spoons. Set with trash bucket. Put donation basket out with appropriate sign.
1st Sun: Sunday School 3rd Sun: GOYA 5th Sun: Parish Council (if applicable) CLEAN UP Wash all dishes soiled, including coffee pots. Return sugar tray to kitchen and replenish it. Wash off hall tables and kitchen counters. Thank-You
St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church April 2 0 1 4 SUN
MON
TUE 1
WED 2
THU 3
FRI 4
SAT 5
Fasting Symbols: Fast Free
Fish allowed
Wine/oil allowed Southern Region GOYA Lenten Retreat (Apr 4-6)
Strict Fast Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 6pm
6
7
8
9
Great Compline w. Great Canon of St. Andrew 6:pm
Akathist Hymn 6pm
10
11
Great Vespers 5pm
Lenten Soup Supper 7pm
12
Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt
Orthros 8:00am
Orthros 8:30am
Divine Liturgy 9:00am
Divine Liturgy 9:30am
Sunday School Lenten Retreat
Bake Sale Order Deadline (forms in Narthex) Catechsim Class
Great Compline 6pm
Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 6pm
Greek Dance Practice
10am-1pm
Small Compline w. Canon of St. Lazarus 6pm
Great Vespers 5pm
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Palm Sunday
Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 6am
Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 6am
Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 6am
Holy Supper Liturgy 10am
Royal Hours 9am
Baptisms/Chrismations
Bridegroom Service 7pm
Bridegroom Service 7pm
Washing of the Feet of the Disciples Service 11:30am
Apokathelosis Service 3pm
9am
Holy Unction 6pm
Orthros 8:30am Divine Liturgy 9:30am Bake Sale Pickup
Holy Supper Matins Service 7:30pm
Catechism Class Bridegroom Service 7pm
20
21
22
23
Holy Passion Service 7pm
24
Lamentations Service 7pm
25
Pre-Resurrectional Liturgy 10am Resurrection Services 11:30pm
26
GREAT & HOLY PASCHA Anastasi Reception 2am
Holy Great Martyr George
Agape Vespers 12pm Agape Luncheon 1pm
Vespers 6pm
Divine Liturgy 6am
29
30
Easter Egg Hunt No Church School
27
28
Sunday of St. Thomas Orthros 8:30 am Divine Liturgy 9:30 am Catechism Class Scholarship Presentations Philoptochos Meeting
Paraklesis 6pm
Theotokos of the Lifegiving Font Vespers 6pm
Divine Liturgy & Blessing of the Water 6am
Great Vespers 5pm
S T . J OHN
THE
NONPROFIT
B APTIST
G REEK O RTHODOX C HURCH
303 Cullum Dr. Euless, TX 76040 Tel 817 283-2291 Return Service Requested
Sponsorship for This Month’s Forerunner
W E ’ R E O N T H E W E B AT HTTP:/ / STJOHNDFW. INFO
THE FORERUNNER
Vol. XXX No. 4 April 2014
April 20, 2014 The Resurrection of Our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ