S T . J OHN
THE
B APTIST G REEK O RTHODOX C HURCH
T HE F ORERUNNER V OLUME XXXV
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S PECIAL
POINTS OF INTEREST :
B URSTING B UBBLES —T HE O RTHODOX W AY An old Russian joke recounts the stupefaction of a simple Orthodox babushka, when she found out that Jesus Christ was actually a Jew. She thought all her life that He could not have been anything else but a faithful Russian Orthodox. Under the superficial hilarity of the joke, we have to recognize that from her perspective, in genuine simplicity, Christ was obviously the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, so, for her, Jesus being anything else but Russian would have been unthinkable. The same joke can probably be repeated just by changing the nationality, with the same effect. Jesus Christ can indeed be Russian, Greek, Romanian, Arab, African or Japanese. He can be all for us as long as this helps us become all one for Him.
Bursting Bubbles
Parish Council Capsule
Stewardship still needs help!
Youth Ministries News
Philoptochos News
The Nativity of the Theotokos
Making the Sign of the Cross Properly
The Finding of the True Cross
The Celebration of the Elevation of the Cross
September-October Calendar
When one lives in a “bubble” of any kind, ethnic, social, cultural etc, like our dumbfounded Russian orthodox babushka, is difficult to realize that you are in one. All your peers have the (Continued on page 2)
I NSIDE THIS ISSUE :
C OUNCIL C APSULE Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
C OUNCIL C APSULE
I hope everyone has had a wonderful summer & is ready to kick off the new school year! The council is marching in stride with each committee to keep up with our big plans for the year. Our planning committee has followed through with producing our new storage solution in the promised time. The shed building materials are on-site & ground breaking will begin shortly. Thank you to everyone that joined in clearing out the existing sheds. It was great to be able to combine this project with the recent Men’s Fellowship BBQ – Synergia Cookout. The great men of our parish showed up to help & then enjoyed some great food & spiritual stories with Father. We hope to see more & more great men of our parish participate as this group continues to grow. (Continued on page 2)
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C HURCH S CHOOL 8 N EWS Y OUTH M INISTRIES
8
P HILOPTOCHOS
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MUSIC
M INISTRIES
C ALENDAR
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C OUNCIL ’ S C APSULE (Continued from page 1)
WE
ALL HAVE A PASSION FOR OUR FAITH & FOR OUR CHURCH .
J OIN US IN THE PARISH C OUNCIL 2019!
The festival is ready to kick off. We are already ordering, baking, & practicing our dances. I look forward to seeing everyone at the festival & working side by side with you all weekend. Our hard work is the investment in our future. It is for the growth of the church & for the Lord. Thank you to everyone in the parish that has & plans to participate. We will need every hand we can get. Let’s make
this the best Food Fest we have ever had.
sion with us and let’s see where it leads us.
This group of council members makes up an EXCELLENT team. Each member has dedicated themselves to representing all our parishioner’s interests in the spiritual & physical growth of our community. We are at the time of the year again where we will need new members for our team. Please consider joining us. We all have a passion for our faith & for our church. Come share this pas-
God Bless, Michael Poriotis
A GELESS W ONDERS Greetings, The ageless wonders will meet on Monday, September 24 for a potluck luncheon. More details will follow. I am encouraging all of our members to volunteer at the food festival on October 12, 13th and 14th. We need people to volunteer as greeters on Friday October
12th for our senior luncheon day and also the 13th and 14th. Check with me for further details. Working the festival will take the place of our October meeting. As an additional note please put December 9 on your calendar for our annual Christmas dinner. I also want to thank Linda
Harris and Alfredo Flores for the wonderful job they did on our senior bulletin board. If you haven’t checked out the photos please do so! They are so fun. Hope you all had a great summer! Margaret
B URSTING B UBBLES —T HE O RTHODOX W AY ( CONT ) (Continued from page1)
Orthodox Church in Tokyo, Japan
same world view that wraps around all like a protective cocoon. Your bubble is your universe. In a place like America, however, made of many bubbles very close to each other, it is very likely that your bubble will eventually burst and, suddenly, your universe will be vastly ex-
panded, leaving you exposed to the unknown. Orthodox parishes used to be bubbles like this. Most of them were founded by emigrants that knew only their national version of Orthodoxy and nothing else. At the beginning it was a great comfort to leave in a protected universe like this. But as soon as someone leaves the uni-
verse and comes back with a different world view, fractures start to appear in the monolithical status quo. Eventually, when a critical mass is achieved, the bubble bursts and everyone, ready or not, is thrown out into the big, bad world. The children of the first immigrants were the first to leave the bubble. They went
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B URSTING B UBBLES —T HE O RTHODOX W AY ( CONT ) (Continued from page 2)
to learn English, to get jobs outside of the family business, to befriend people of other nationalities, to marry even outside their faith. After all, once you’re out the bubble, all bets are off. These children did not break the ties with their families though, but many came back at some point. Their different worldview however, allowed them to see some of the fallacies of their respective bubbles and they demanded change upon their return, change that proved difficult for many that have never left the bubble. Of course, not all the change is warranted, but some is. I would like to bring to attention first the importance of introducing English as the main language of worship that boosted our faith from the (in)famous status of “best kept secret” in American Christianity to something easily accessible to all who want to come to the knowledge of the Truth. Also, moving from a system of parish “dues” to the scripture-based concepts of stewardship and tithing is another example of positive change that would not have been possible if we would have insisted to do things according to “bubble” wisdom. Just these two changes allowed many parishes to became more welcoming, more interested in sharing their faith, more invested in the future of their communities. This brought new life in many Orthodox parishes that
moved from dwindling membership and aging populations to flourishing centers of Orthodoxy that burst of new life. There are other aspects where our communities should not change. Our faith, our services, our churches should continue to reflect who we are. The collective illumined wisdom of the Church demands that they stay the same. We should therefore build churches that are erected in a way that allows Liturgy to flow freely in them; we should continue to adorn them with icons that make the Kingdom of God transparent to us; we should continue to rise our voices in psalms and chant as it was handed down to us. But we can still do all this and yet be welcoming to the change in our hearts that allows us to share what we have with the entire world. After all, we are here not just for ourselves, but to be beacons of the True Faith, “a royal priesrhood, a holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9). Our faith should not become just “the way things are” or just a “comfortable place” that we don’t understand anymore. This can perverse the purpose of our communities and transform them from nurseries of saints into social gatherings devoid of purpose and direction. Our ethnic, cultural and social background plays an important role in who we are and how we see the world, but it should not let us forget that
we are also from the same country: the Jerusalem from above. In everything we do, Christ has to become apparent, has to rise above all our differences and direct us all on the path to Himself. Every community of faith is in a different place. There is no uniform solution and frankly, I don’t think we want one. All I know is that we have to navigate together the waters of change, to make sure that our Orthodox Way stays the same while the people that are joining the Orthodox Church may be more diverse. Culture, ethnicity, social life are very dear to all of us, and we should continue to enjoy all of these without concern, all we have to do is make sure that they lead us to Christ, not away from Him. He said: “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)
Russian Orthodox Church
C ULTURE , ETHNICITY , SOCIAL LIFE ARE VERY DEAR TO ALL OF US , AND WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO ENJOY THEM WITHOUT CONCERN , ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT THEY LEAD US TO C HRIST
We can still be who we are, but we have to let our bubbles burst. We should not be surprised by it, but work towards opening up with purpose. We have to offer ourselves to Him in One Holy Nation, with all our minds, all our souls and all our lives. We may be temporary citizens of the countries of the world, yet, we are all eternal citizens of the Kingdom. Amen.
Agia Sophia Church
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E NCOURAGED TO T ITHE – S TEWARDSHIP 2018
F OR 2018 P LEASE CONSIDER A
10% INCREASE OVER YOUR CURRENT YEAR 2017 S TEWARDSHIP P LEDGE .
Many wonderful events have occurred within St. John the Baptist Church in recent years. It is amazing to see how God continues to bless us, as well as challenge us to do more with the resources He has provided. Our Church offers our parishioners wonderful opportunities for spiritual growth and fulfillment through its numerous ministries. St. John’s desire to strengthen our faith, our families and our community is made possible only through a vibrant Stewardship Program, which fosters a personal relationship with Christ of all its members. The call to increase the talents God has placed in our care, is for all to “work with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Col 3:23). As our parish and ministries continue to grow, we thank you for your continuing support and we ask you to prayerfully establish your Stewardship support by completing the 2018 Stewardship Pledge Card in the following manner: The Lord speaks through this Scriptures and encourages us to tithe (which is
the first 10% of what we have received as our treasure) and in exchange He promises us all the heavenly blessings: “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.” (Malachi 3:10). If you are not there yet, prayerfully consider an increase from year to year, in attempt reach this goal.
of these ministries include:
Feeding, visiting and praying with the poor/homeless
AGAPE Fund (outreach for parishioners in need)
Visitation Ministry (home/facility visits, small gifts, cards/ phone calls, prayer)
Gladsome Light Dialogues and other Adult Faith Enrichment opportunities
GOYA/JOY/HOPE Youth Ministries and Summer Camps
Sunday School and many more
Please reflect and con-
sider your 2018 Stewardship Pledge at 10% of family income. Please consider an in-
crease in your 2018 Stewardship Pledge according to the following measures: Percentage-based
- Please consider a 10% increase over your current year 2017 Stewardship Pledge. Dollar-based -
Please consider a $5 or $10/week over your 2017 Stewardship Pledge. Actively participate in at
least one or two ministries of the Church. Your increased Stewardship support and ministry participation will help us expand existing ministries and develop new one as the needs are identified. Some
With the continued support of the entire St. John the Baptist community, we will strive to fulfill God’s mission and calling to true Christian Stewardship as a reflection of our complete Thanksgiving to God…”for where your treasure is, there will your heart be” (Matthew 6:21). In Christ’s service, Rev. Protopresbyter Vasile Tudora Chrysanthi Andromalos, Stewardship Chairwoman Florentina Constantineanu, Stewardship CoChairwoman
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C HURCH IS YOUR FAMILY : B E PART OF IT ! St Paul writes in Colossians 3:23:
that they do not have enough money to be as generous as they would like. However, “Whatever you do, with such events as the Food work at it with all your heart, Festival, we all have an opas working for the Lord, not portunity to show God our for men, since you know that generosity and our heart! you will receive an inheritance “Work with all your heart as from the Lord as a reward. It is for the Lord, not men” This the Lord Christ you are servis an opportunity to give our ing” Time and Talents. God is the only one that we should care This is the Stewardship about seeing our generosity theme for this year. (and He will)! Speaking of WORK! This statement is never more appropriate than at this time of year when we are preparing for our food festival and all of its requirements. It takes ALL of us to be generous towards our Church at such an important time. Focusing on financial Stewardship can feel discouraging for parishioners who may feel
Remember, sign-up and volunteer, donate your time and know that the Lord see’s all that you do in His name... “It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
and I would like to invite those who provide financial donations on a regular basis to please fill out a pledge card since you are already providing support. This helps the Church tremendously to know the total finances available. Don’t forget, if your personal situation changes, you can always contact the office or Stewardship Committee of any changes you need to make to your pledge. With love of Christ, Chrysanthi Andromalos – Stewardship Chair
Although we have made some progress since last month, THANK YOU, we are currently a little over $81,000 behind the needed amount for our parish to meet our 2018 budget. There are however several ways in which you could help us:
TITHING WHICH IS THE FIRST 10% OF OUR TREASURE
Here is to a successful Food Festival!!! On a side note: I want to thank all who participate in a Stewardship Financial Pledge
AND PROMISES AN ABUNDANCE OF HEAVENLY BLESSINGS
(M ALACHI 3:10)
H ELP IS S TILL NEEDED ! The Stewardship Committee would like to thank everyone that has committed a pledge to our 2018 Stewardship. However, as you already know, our Stewardship Commitments for 2018 are still behind our needs.
T HE B IBLE STRONGLY ENCOURAGES
If you have already pledged, thank you! Here is how you can still contribute: You may consider a small increase that will bring us closer to our goal. We recommend everyone to increase at least 10% vs last year. Make sure you stay current with your payments. The best way is to submit to the office a credit card with automatic monthly or weekly deductions. If you have not committed yet his year, please do so now. Every dollar counts for
the mission of the Church. Thank God for what you have received by giving some back. Remember, time and talent commitments are needed as well. If you are unable to support us in any way listed, we kindly ask for your prayers! We assure you that we will pray for you as well! We are stronger together! Your Stewardship Committee
N EWSLETTER T ITLE
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T HE N ATIVITY OF THE T HEOTOKOS –S EPTEMBER 8 Homily by St. John of Kronstadt
The Nativity of the Theotokos icon
T HROUGH
THE BIRTH OF THE E VER -V IRGIN , THROUGH H ER ONLY - BEGOTTEN S ON AND G OD , CURSED AND OUTCAST MANKIND MAKES PEACE WITH G OD
St. john of Kronstadt
We solemnly celebrate, dear brothers and sisters, the Nativity of the Most Holy Virgin Mary from her barren parents, pious Joachim and Anna. The Holy Church established this feast during the first centuries of the Christian Faith. The event that we celebrate—the birth of the GodChosen maiden—brought joy to all the world, for the Godman, Jesus Christ, Who shone forth from Her, destroyed God’s curse which weighed heavily upon the transgressing and accursed human race, and brought God’s blessing upon it; having trampled down inherent death, He gave people eternal life. Thus the Holy Church explains the cause of the present joy. The parents of the EverVirgin sorrowed long over their barrenness; they prayed long and fervently to the Lord that He loose this barrenness, which was considered a punishment from God for sins. They gave much alms in order to incline the mercy of the All -Merciful, endured the reproach of their countrymen, and through this sorrow and ceaseless prayer and good works, they gradually purified their spirits, and burned ever greater with love and dedication to God, thus being prepared by God’s Providence to give blessed birth to the Most Blessed Daughter, chosen out
of all people to be the Mother of the Incarnate Word. The Lord leads His chosen ones to glory by a narrow and sorrowful path; for even She, the Mother of God according
to the flesh, received the prophecy of Symeon that a sword shall pierce Her soul, and She will experience heavy sorrows in her soul during Her Son’s suffering life, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed (Lk. 2:34– 35). The path of all God’s chosen is thus sorrowful and narrow, for the world and the prince of this world—that is, the enemy of God and people, extremely presses the people of God. The Lord Himself allows them to go by the narrow way, inasmuch as He enables them to strive for God and put all their hope in Him. But let us turn our gaze from the sorrow to the joy. What joy does the Nativity of the Mother of God bring us? Let
us explain in more detail the Church hymn which explains the meaning of this feast’s joy. Through the birth of the Ever-Virgin, through Her only-begotten Son and God, cursed and outcast mankind makes peace with God Who is immeasurably offended by man’s sins, for Christ became the mediator of this peace (cf. Rom. 5:10-11). Man is freed from the curse and eternal death, made worthy of the blessing of the Heavenly Father; he is united and comingled with the Divine nature; he is raised to his first inheritance by this comingling, according to the Church hymn. Mankind, once an outcast, has been made worthy of sonship to the Heavenly Father, received the promise of the glorious resurrection and eternal life in the heavens together with the angels. Read more here
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M AKING THE S IGN OF THE C ROSS PROPERLY By Fr. Seraphim Holland Why do Orthodox Christians "cross themselves" different than Roman Catholics? They touch their right shoulder first, then their left, whereas the Roman Catholics first touch their left shoulder. Is this difference important? Does it make any difference? Orthodox cross themselves from right to left. first we will describe the mechanics of making the cross, then explain why it is indeed important that we make the sign of the cross correctly.
The act of "Placing the cross on oneself" is a request for a blessing from God. We make if from right to left to mirror the actions of the priest when he blesses us. The priest, looking at the parishioners, blesses from left to right. Therefore, the parishioners, putting on the sign of the cross on themselves, do it from right to left. Because the Lord separated the sheep from the goats,
"Placing the cross on oneself" We place our thumb and first two fingers together in a point, and our last we fingers flat against our palm. The three fingers together represent the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the two fingers in the palm represent the two natures of Christ. We touch our forehead, then our belly, tracing the vertical part of the cross. From our belly, we bring our hand up to our right shoulder, touching it. We finish placing the cross on ourself by touching our left shoulder. All of this should be done reverently, without rushing or skewing the sign of the Cross.
putting the faithful sheep on His right side, and the goats on the left, the Church always treats the right side as the preferred side. We only cross ourselves with our RIGHT hand. The priest, when blessing a person, first touches or points to their RIGHT side, then their left. Also the censing of the Holy Table in the Altar is always done from the RIGHT side first; censing of the Ikonostasis, the Congregation and of the Church itself always begins with the right side. The priest always gives communion with his RIGHT
hand, even if he is left handed. There are other examples of this right side preference. When a parent makes the sign of the cross over a child, they will cross them from left to right, just as the priest blesses. When they make the sign of the cross over themselves, they would do it, logically, the other way. The Catholic Encyclopedia states that in the Roman Catholic Church, the faithful crossed themselves from right to left, just as the Orthodox do, until the 15th or 16th century. They must explain why they have changed an ancient and apostolic tradition. We cannot answer for them. Is it important to cross ourselves a particular way? In a word, YES. We do not have the authority to choose willy-nilly what parts of the Christina Tradition we want to follow. Our fathers, and countless saints crossed themselves from right to left. Ancient icons show Christ or bishops beginning a blessing from right to left. the right side is referred to in a preferential way many times in scripture and our sacred hymns What should we want to change? Thanks to Fr Alexander Lebedev for providing the majority of the ideas in this answer. Text found here
Christ blessing the people
AS
PART OF OUR H OLY T RADITION IT IS IMPORTANT TO C ROSS OURSELVES IN THE O RTHODOX WAY , FROM R IGHT TO L EFT
Young girl crossing herself the Orthodox way
T HE F ORERUNNER
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Y OUTH M INISTRIES R EPORT The Youth Ministries fall planning session was August 26. Among the items discussed:
S EPTEMBER 16 TH IS THE F IRST D AY OF C HURCH S CHOOL !
St. John’s Dance Troupe: Festival Dance practice began Aug. 12. Allison Medvic Reimer is teaching the OPA dancers; Gina and Elizabeth Seals will teach Young Athenians. Gina also will handle Hellenic and Olympians. Sandra Geil is assisting w/ costumes with help from Melissa Barnes on Opa costumes. Special performances are planned from previous dance troupes for the Festival. GOYA: The 2018 - 2019 GOYA officers are: Luca Tudora - President; Penelopi Yiantsou - Vice President; Carla Sidhom Secretary; Vivian Geil Treasurer. Advisors:
Maria Tudora, Alex Genovezos, Elizabeth Seals, Daniel Bishop & Allyson Davis. Earlier this summer, GOYA had a fun event at ITZ in Euless. Plans for the new school year include: Babysitting in September. A prayer walk will be held in the fall. Running the frappé booth at the Greek festival.
Church School: The Back-to-School Burgers, Brats & Beans Luncheon kicks off the new school year Sunday, Sept. 9. Church School begins Sept. 16. Halloween Hideaway: takes place Wednesday, Oct. 31. Betsy Hayes will coordinate. Christmas Pageant: will be held Sunday, Dec. 16.
Oratorical Festival: Also: The GOYA basketTopics will be announced ball tournament takes place later this fall. St. John’s again in Dallas, Jan. 18-21. will tentatively host its It is the largest Orthodox Oratorical Festival on Sungathering of any kind in the day, Feb. 10. Denver Metropolis. Registration opens Sept. 17 Here’s to a fruitful new the deadline for regular school year! registration is Oct. 14 ($270); final registration is Harriet Blake Nov. 18 ($310). Youth Ministries Coordinator
C HURCH S CHOOL Greetings to All! Welcome to September and October. I hope your Summer Break was fabulous. It is almost back to school time here at St. John the Baptist GOC, Church School. September 9th is Meet the Teacher & Burgers and Brats. We welcome every family to come to the classrooms and meet, chat and
ask questions. Registration forms will be available and may be turned in on that day. Calendars will be available. September 16th is the First Day of Church School! We have lots planned for your students this year. Families are always welcome to attend each day classes are held or as they are able, we know that sometimes folks visit. Visitors are always welcome. We will not hold class on October 14th due to our Greek Food
Festival. October 21st we will begin collecting items for our Thanksgiving Harvest baskets. I will put out a list of items in the Church Hall, for your convenience. I look forward to another terrific Church School year! Veronica Fisher, Church School Coordinator
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PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS Hello All — Happy September and October! Our new Ecclesiastical year has begun and so has a new year of important work for our St. Irene Philoptochos Chapter. Thanks to so many of you, our fundraiser for Ami Nicole was a great success. Together with our parish community, we can do amazing things. Our annual Rummage Sale was very successful. We raised just over $2,000. We have been working steadily on Taverna Night and we’re getting ready for our Festival. Tickets are $45 per person or $360 for a table of 8. Please help our Silent Auction by donating items or working
with someone to create a themed basket. I will be sending out examples of past items and giving ideas for ways to put together a donated item. If you can help set-up on Thursday, October 11th, we need your help. It is a fun way to meet new folks, enjoy fellowship and lend your helping hands. We will be putting a list of volunteers for that day. Please consider volunteering at least part of that day. There are lots of tasks to do, and a variety of ways to help make that evening fabulous. Please help October 11th if you can. Don’t forget to check the Sunday Bulletin for our upcoming Baking Days. We
love to visit and bake yummy goods. Our next Union Gospel Mission Sandwich Making Night is coming up on Wednesday, September 5th and October 3rd. Please join us if you can. Lots of folks making sandwiches and packing sacks helps the work go quickly.
nity through various outreaches throughout the 2018 - 2019 year. Some of our plans for the next few months include: Babysitting in September to (date is to be decided and announced next month) A prayer walk will be held in the fall (date is to be decided and announced) GOYA will again be running the frappé booth at the Greek festival. We would like to thank the festival committee for making it possible for us to sell the frappes at the GOYA booth. Recently, GOYA had a fun event at iT’Z in Euless. It is always nice to incorporate fun in our Christian fellowships… On behalf of all GOYA members and officers, I would like to thank all church organizations again for
allowing our ministry to remain possible. Without the financial aid that you all provide us so generously, our youth group would not be as successful as it is today. I look forward to what this coming year has in store for us! We are extremely blessed to be part of such an amazing parish that touches the lives of not only those in the church, but also the lives of so many others in the community and beyond. Also: The GOYA basketball tournament takes place again in Dallas, Jan. 18-21. It is the largest Orthodox gathering of any kind in the Denver Metropolis. Registration opens Sept. 17 - the deadline for regular registration is Oct. 14 ($270); final registration is Nov. 18 ($310).
I continue to be proud and thankful to be associated with this fabulous group of ladies; locally and nation-wide. I invite each Orthodox woman to consider joining us this year; this group of amazing ladies of the St. Irene Philoptochos Society. Veronica Fisher President, St. Irene Philoptochos
GOYA This year, GOYA plans to implement its purpose of Christian fellowship, worship, service, and witness through not only remaining focused on the faithbased (and most important) aspect of our group, but also through demonstrating gratefulness through our actions to other organizations present in the church. To elaborate more on the devotion of GOYA, at each monthly meetings, a member of GOYA will read and reflect on a Bible verse of their choosing. Further, discussion, analysis, and application of the verse to our daily life will be encouraged. This activity already in effect has already proven to be extremely instrumental in our personal and Christian lives as Orthodox youth. Additionally, our growing group plans on involving ourselves more fully in the commu-
Peneolpi Yiantsou
GOYA PLANS TO IMPLEMENT ITS PURPOSE OF C HRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP , WORSHIP , SERVICE , AND F AITH WITNESS THROUGHOUT ALL THEIR ACTIVITIES
T HE F ORERUNNER
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T HE F INDING
OF THE
In 312, on the eve of a battle against his brother-in-law, Maxentius, Constantine encamped with his army before the walls of Rome, where he had a vision of a fiery cross superimposed against the sun and the Saviour Himself commanding him to bear into battle banners depicting the Holy Cross, with the words, “By this The biggest piece of the Holy Cross sign thou shalt conquer.” in existence at the Holy Monastery of Xiropotamou, Mt. Athos
B ISHOP M ACARIUS RAISED THE C ROSS ON HIGH . T HAT DAY , S EPTEMBER 14, 326, WAS THE FIRST “E XALTATION OF THE C ROSS OF THE L ORD ,”
A cross containing a couple of fragments from the Holy Cross we venerate in our Parish
The next morning Maxentius’ troops met Constantine’s near the Malvern Bridge and were defeated. Constantine became the sole emperor and within the year proclaimed Christianity a lawful religion, bringing the long years of Roman persecution to a close. The second event was of even greater importance. From the time of Jerusalem’s destruction by the Romans in ad 70, the physical history of the Hebrew people had been wiped from the earth. Solomon’s temple had been leveled by Hadrian’s troops and the Roman town of Aelia Capitolina erected over the ruins of Jerusalem. Over Christian Golgotha stood a temple dedicated to Venus. With the accession of her son as sole emperor, the seventyeight-year-old Empress Helen departed for Palestine to rededicate the holy places to Christ. When she arrived in the Holy Land in 326, Bishop Macarius had already begun razing the temple of Venus, but the Christians did not know where to begin searching for the Cross and the Cave
T RUE C ROSS
BY
of the Resurrection under the immense pile of earth, stone and rubble covering the site. After Bishop Macarius led a supplicatory prayer service on the hill, the laborers began to smell a fragrant odor coming from under the earth. In this way the Lord’s Tomb was found. The Cross of Christ, along with those of the two thieves, was found with the help of a Jew named Judas who knew the ancient tradition concerning its location in the rock cistern. According to Church tradition, Judas was subsequently baptized with the name Cyriacus and became Patriarch of Jerusalem, suffering a martyr’s death in 363 under Julian the Apostate. He is commemorated on October 28. Following the directions of Judas, three crosses were found to the east of the Cave of the Holy Sepulchre, along with some of the inscriptions and nails. The inscriptions [titles], however, had come apart from the crosses, and it was unknown which cross was the Lord’s. Bishop Macarius stopped a passing funeral procession and ordered that the three crosses be touched, one after another, to the corpse. As the Lord’s Cross was laid on him, the dead man resurrected. The empress was the first to prostrate herself
ST.
HELLEN
before the Holy Cross and kiss it. The eager crowd pushed forward, and amid shouts of “Lord, have mercy,” Bishop Macarius raised the Cross on high. That day, September 14, 326, was the first “Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord,” and until now the feast is faithfully kept as one of the Twelve Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church. The relics of the True Cross have since spread throughout the Christian world. In 1870, an ambitious French historian, Rohault de Fleury, refuted the often repeated allegation of both the iconoclasts and later Protestant and non-Christian writers that, “if the ‘relics’ of the Cross were all brought together they would be comparable in bulk to a battleship.” Cataloging all of the known fragments of the Cross, de Fleury found that they would not reach onethird “of that of a cross which has been supposed to have been three or four meters in height, with a transverse branch of two meters.” There remain hundreds, perhaps thousands, of fragments of the True Cross kept in personal reliquaries, monasteries, and churches throughout the world. From the monastic enclave of Mount Athos to the Middle East, from Russia to Africa, Europe and the Americas, fragments of the Holy Cross rest enshrined and treasured: of all relics the most precious. Excerpts from a full article that you can read here
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2018 F OOD F ESTIVAL D ATES 2018 FoodFest - Hold the Dates!
continue facilities development.
activities in any way you can.
This year's FoodFest will be held on October 12th-14th !!!
Aristoteles Gonzales Karras is FoodFest Coordinating Chairman this year, he deserves our gratitude for stepping up to assume this major responsibility. As in past years, Ari will be ably assisted by venue chairpersons responsible for organizing and managing the operations of a specific activity, as well as other key parishioners for purchasing, advertising and scheduling entertainment and security.
Stop by the volunteer sign-up desk at the hall entrance during coffee hour or go online to:
The Ladies Philoptochos Taverna Night will be held on October 11th. Our annual FoodFest benefits the parish in at least four ways: Promotes parish identity and the Orthodox Christian faith; Provides funds for charitable works by the Ladies Philoptochos; Unites our parishioners in a common, bonding effort; and Provides capital resources needed to
http:// midcitiesgreekfest.info/ and click on the sign up button to select and schedule your support activities.
T HIS YEAR ' S F OOD F EST WILL BE
FoodFest planning and baking/cooking activities have begun, Ari earnestly urges all parishioners to save the FoodFest dates in your calendars. Plan to assist the parish
HELD ON
O CTOBER 12 TH -14 TH , WITH
T HE C ROSS OF THE Y OUTHFUL S T . N ECTARIOS A miracle of the Cross related with St. Nektarios of Egina happened as such: St. Nectarios (baptized Anastasios) was born in 1846 in Thrace. When the boy was thirteen, his family’s extreme poverty and his own desire to study led him to board a frigate bound for Constantinople, where he could find work. As the boat sailed towards Constantinople a violent storm blew up off the Thracian coast. The crew worked frantically to keep the ship afloat and the captain, as he hurried past An-
astasios, huddled in a corner of the deck, shouted at him to pray harder if he wanted to stay alive.
tain and crew, seeing the storm abate, gave thanks to God, but Anastasios was inconsolable over his loss.
Inside Anastasios’ cross was a small piece of the Cross of the Lord, given him by his grandmother who had told him that if he was ever in danger of drowning at sea, to tie the cross on a string, lower it into the water, and he would be saved.
As they entered the harbor at Constantinople, the sailors repeatedly heard loud knocking at the end of the ship’s hold.
The child remembered her advice and lowered his cross into the water. In a short time the waves became calm, but when he pulled up the string, the cross was gone. The cap-
Midcities GreekFest
T AVERNA N IGHT ON O CTOBER 11 TH .
One of the crew climbed overboard to investigate the mysterious sound and found Anastasios’ little cross wedged between two outer beams of the hull.
St. Nektarios of Egina
V OLUME XXXV
N UMBER 05 T HE C ELEBRATION
AT
THE CONCLUSION OF THE M ATINS ( OR OF THE D IVINE L ITURGY ), A SPECIAL SERVICE FOR THE H OLY C ROSS IS HELD .
P AGE 12
OF THE
On the eve of the feast, Great Vespers is served and contains three Old Testament readings. The first, from Exodus 15:22-16:1, tells of the "tree" which made the bitter waters sweet, the symbol of the Tree of the Cross. The second reading is from Proverbs 3:11-18, which reminds us that the Lord chastens and corrects those whom he loves and that Divine Wisdom is "a Tree of life to those who lay hold upon her and trust in her, as in the Lord." The third reading is from the Prophecy of Isaiah 60:1116; it tells of the "city of the Lord" where both Jews and Gentiles will live together and shall prostrate themselves at the place of God's feet and "shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob." On the Day of the feast Orthros (Matins) is served followed by the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom. At the conclusion of the Matins (or of the Divine Liturgy), a special service for the Holy Cross is held. The Cross is placed on a tray surrounded by branches of basil and is taken in solemn procession through the church to the chanting of the Hymn of the Feast. The tray is placed on a table, and the priest takes the Cross and offers petitions from each
E LEVATION
OF THE
C ROSS
side of the table, the four directions of the compass. This represents the universal nature of the offering of Christ upon the Cross. As the people respond by chanting "Lord have mercy", the priest raises and lowers the cross, a commemoration of its finding and exaltation. At the conclusion of the service, the people come and venerate the cross and receive
The epistle reading is from I Corinthians 1:18-24, and says that "the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." The gospel reading is taken from John 19:6-11, 13-20, 25 -28, and 30-35 together. This long reading is the passion account. Hymns for the Feast
the basil from the priest. The basil is used and offered, as it was the fragrant flower growing where the Cross was found. In the Divine Liturgy that is served on the day on the feast, the normal antiphons are replaced by special verses from the psalms 22, 74, and 99, which have direct reference to Christ's crucifixion on the Cross. A special hymn replaces the Trisagion hymn, as it is sung, the faithful prostrate.
Apolytikion (First Tone) Save, O Lord, Your people and bless Your inheritance; grant victory to the faithful over their adversaries. And protect Your commonwealth, by the power of Your Cross. Kontakion (Fourth Tone) You who were lifted upon the Cross of Your own will, O Christ our God, bestow Your compassions upon the commonwealth that bears Your Name. By Your power, gladden our faithful rulers, giving them victory over their adversaries. May your alliance be for them a weapon for peace, an invincible standard.
T HE F ORERUNNER
P AGE 13 G LADSOME L IGHT D IALOGUES
The Gladsome Light Dialogues will resume in September with exciting new series. Gladsome Light Dialogues are an Adult Education Ministry that takes Wednesday nights after the Paraklesis service. It is an interactive dialogues on Orthodoxy applied to our practical life.
PARISH W EBSITE AND S OCIAL MEDIA
Please join us at http:// stjohndfw.info for the latest news and information about your parish. We are also present on Facebook https:// www.facebook.com/ stjohndfw/ and Tweeter https://twitter.com/stjohndfw. If you like something share it on your favorite social media, send it to your friends and family, get the word out!
We are welcoming suggestions on themes to be discussed during our meetings. For any questions contact Fr. Vasile.
C ATECHISM 2017-2018
Our Catechism / Faith Enrichment class is getting rady for new start in September. The class welcomes inquirers in the Orthodox Faith as well as Orthodox Christians that would like to deepen their knowledge of our wonderful faith. Classes are held every Sunday (with exceptions) after Divine Liturgy. Our new session for 20182019 will start on September 16 ,2018.
A COLYTE S CHEDULE U SHER S CHEDULE 1st Sunday: Bill Coltrin/ Florentina Constantine 2nd Sunday: Steven Killfoil/ Zachary Reimer 3rd Sunday: Michael Poriotis / Ivo Ivanov 4th Sunday: Chrisanti Andromalou / Margo Yiantsou 5th Sunday: Michael Poriotis/ Larry Leeders
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-
1st Sunday: Alex Genovezos, Caleb Ellis, Luca Tudora, Matei Tudora 2nd Sunday: Dimitri Rodgers, Alex Shah, Chris Eftimie, Joseph Berca, Noah Ellis 3rd Sunday: Alex Genovezos, Caleb Ellis, Luca Tudora, Matei Tudora 4th Sunday: Noah Ellis, Alex Shah, Chris Eftimie, Dimitri Rodgers
C OFFEE H OUR H OST
As you probably know already , we have recently switched to a new Coffee hour system where every family will host a coffee hour per year. Please see Cristina Korzun to schedule Your Sunday.
5th Sunday: Matei Tudora, Alex Genovezos, Alex Shah, Luca Tudora 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.
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
T HE C ATECHSIM C LASS WILL RESUME ON S EPTEMBER 16. J OIN US !
St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church September 2018 SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT 1 Beginning of the Ecclesiastical Year Simeon the Stylite 40 Women Martyrs of Thrace Orthros 8am Divine Liturgy 9am Vespers 5pm
2 14th. Sunday of Mathew Mammas the Martyr John, Patriarch of Constan. 8:30 am Orthros 9:30 am Divine Liturgy
9 Sunday before Holy Cross Joachim and Anna Severianos of Sebaste
3
4
5
6
7
8
Anthimos of Nicomedea Theoctistus and Euthymius
Babylas the Hieromartyr Moses the Prophet & Godseer
Zacharias & Elizabeth Urban, Theodore, & Medimnos
Miracle at Colassai Martyr Calodote
Forefeast Nativity of Theotokos Sozon the Martyr
Nativity of Theotokos Sophronios, Bishop of Iberia
Vespers 6pm
Orthros 8am Divine Litrgy 9am Vespers 5pm
Paraklesis 6 pm
10
11
12
13
14
15
Menodora, Metrodora, Nymphodora, Poulcheria the Empress
Theodora of Alexandria Euphrosynos the Cook
Autonomos the Hieromartyr Cournoutos, Bishop of Iconium
Forefeast of Elevation of Cross Memorial of Founding Holy Resurrection of Christ Church
EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS
Nikitas the Great Martyr Philotheos the Righteous
8:30 am Orthros 9:30 am Divine Liturgy
16 Sunday after Holy Cross Euphemia the Great Martyr Melitina the Martyr 8:30 am Orthros 9:30 am Divine Liturgy Catechism Class
Divine Liturgy 6am Paraklesis 6 pm
Vigil and Procession with True Cross 6pm
Vespers 5pm
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18
19
20
21
22
Sophia, Faith, Hope, Love Herakleides & Myron
Eumenios, Bishop of Gortyna Ariadne the Martyr
Trophimos, Sabbatios & Dorymedon
Eustathios and Family Eustathios, Arb. Of Thessolonica
Apodosis of the Elevation Quadratus the Apostle
Phocas, Bishop of Sinope Phocas the Gardener
Vespers 5pm Paraklesis 6 pm
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24
25
26
27
28
29
1st. Sunday of Luke Conception of John the Baptist Xanthippe & Polyxene 8:30 am Orthros 9:30 am Divine Liturgy Catechism Class
Tekla the Equal-to-theApostles Silouan of Athos
Euphrosyne of Alexandria Paphnoutios & his 546 Companions
Falling Asleep of John the Evangelist and Theologian
Kallistratos & his 49 Companions Mark, Aristarchos, & Zenon
Chariton the Confessor Alkison of Nicopolis
Kyriakos of Palestine Martyr Petronia
Vespers 6pm
Parish Council Meeting 6:30pm
Vespers 5pm
30 Fasting Symbols 2nd. Sunday of Luke Gregory, Bishop of Armenia Mardonios & Stratonikos 8:30 am Orthros 9:30 am Divine Liturgy Catechism Class
Strict Fast Wine/Oil Allowed Fish Allowed Fast Free
St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church October 2018 SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
1
2
3
4
FRI
SAT
5
6
Charitina the Martyr Methodia of Kimolos
Thomas the Apostle Eroteis of Cappadocia
Fasting Symbols Strict Fast Wine/oil allowed Fast Free
Holy Protection of Theotokos Ananias, Apostle of the 70 Romanos the Melodist
Cyprian and Justina Eleutherios and Roustikos
8
9
Dionysios of Areopagite John the Chozebite
Hierotheos, Bishop of Athens Domnina and her daughters
Paraklesis 6 pm
Vespers 5pm
Fish Allowed Dairy Allowed
7
10
11
12
13
Symeon the New Theologian Provos, Andronicus, & Tarachos
Carpos, Papylos, Agathodoros, & Agathoniki, Benjamin the Deacon
\ 3rd. Sunday Of Luke Sergius & Bacchus of Syria Polychronios the Hieromartyr
Pelagia the Righteous Pelagia of Antioch
James the son of Alphaeus Andronicus & Athanasia of Egypt
8:30 am Orthos 9:30 am Divine Liturgy Catechism Class
Eulampios & Eulampia Theophilus the Confessor
Philip the Apostle of the 70 Theophanes, Bishop of Nicaea
Vespers 6pm Paraklesis 6 pm Food Festival
Food Festival
Food Festival
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Sunday of the 7th . Ecumenical Council Nazarios, Gervasios, Protasios, & Celsius, Kosmas the Hagiopolite
Loukianos of Antioch Savinos, Bishop of Catania
Longinos the Centurion
Hosea the Prophet Cosmas and Damian of Arabia
Luke the Evangelist Marinos the Martyr
Joel the Prophet Varys the Martyr
Artemios of Antioch Gerasimos of Cephalonia
Vespers 6pm
Divine Liturgy 6am
Vespers 5pm
8:30 am Orthos 9:30 am Divine Liturgy Food Festival No Catechism Class
21 6th. Sunday of Luke Hilarion the Great Christodoulos of Patmos 8:30 am Orthos 9:30 am Divine Liturgy Catechism Class
28 7th. Sunday Of Luke Holy Protection of the Theotokos OXI Day 8:30 am Orthos 9:30 am Divine Liturgy Catechism Class
22
23
24
25
26
27
Averkios of Hierapolis Righteous Rufus
James the Apostle Ignatius, Pat. Of Constan.
Arethas the Great Martyr Sebastiane the Martyr
Marcianos & Martirios Tabitha, raised by Peter
Great Earthquake Constantinople Demetrios the Myrrh-Streamer
Nestor of Thessaloniki Kyriakos, Pat. Of Constan.
Paraklesis 6 pm
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30
31
1
Anastasia of Rome Avramios & Maria
Cleopas of the 70 Zenobios & Zenobia
Stachys of the 70 Nicholas the New Martyr
Cosmas and Damianos
Vespers 6 pm
Divine Liturgy 6am
Haloween Hideway 7pm
Vespers 5pm
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September-October 2018
THE FORERUNNER
Vol. XXXV No. 05
The Universal Exaltation of the Holy Cross September 14