Cathy: Lead article

Destination: The Kingdom

    We have taken the first steps of Great Lent, and already we can anticipate the things to come—the Cross, and then the Resurrection.

    Through these special moments we have the opportunity, in unity with Christ, to share in eternal life in His Kingdom.

     As we continue on our Lenten journey we would do well if we renew ourselves.

    This renewal calls on us to plan, to work and to interrupt many of our normal routines and focus on our life in Christ.

     That life when lived humbly, reverently and obediently is a life offered to us by God as a great gift. And while we are not deserving of gifts from Him, in His love, He offers them to us, and strengthens us to struggle to share with Him in attaining a new life.

     It was God Who out of His love, seeing us fallen, who came to us, Christ the Son and our Savior, and made possible the unity of our human nature with the divine. It is Christ who shows the way, uniting the human and divine as He submitted the human nature, which He took, with the divine nature of which He was a part. Even the Cross and death could not divide that unity.

     Each one of us enjoys that special calling and each of us is called to be like Him. We will advance in this through increasing our prayers, our participation in worship, in the holy mysteries, in doing charitable works, in reading the Bible, in meditating on the lives of saints, in fasting as health permits. And we gain too in spending some quiet moments contemplating God and all the good He has created for us, and our special relationship to Him.        

    We are made in His image and likeness of God. May we project that image, which may have become clouded since our last Confession, since last Pascha, since our Baptism, so that Christ’s light shines in us, through us and from us.

     Let us again ready ourselves for Pascha.

     May the Lord God bless each of you in this important effort this Great Lenten season.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. William

   Why Donate?

     There are many reasons to donate to the Church.

     What are some of them?

     We at All Saints  do not often speak or write about the many needs for funds facing the Church, or about the broader implications of giving.

    In fact if one visited many Churches in the region after having been a member of All Saints, one would be surprised at the pleas for contributions and the positive responses, heard regularly.  

     Why then do we give? We give first of all to pay expenses.

      Simply put without sufficient donations we would not have the things that go into being a parish. Electricity, water, heat, candles, incense,  maintenance, a priest.

    We simply need to meet the costs of being a Church.

     But giving goes beyond this.

     We give because throughout the Bible we are taught the importance of giving—in both the Old and New Testaments are many examples offered us about giving.

     St. Paul speaks of us as being good stewards of the mysteries of God—and those mysteries are found in His Church.

     Being good stewards calls us to give.

     The Lord Himself speaks of giving in several ways.

     He cites the example of the widow who gave all she had in donating two mites to the Church.

    And our Lord teaches that her gift is greater than all others as she gave from the heart, she made  a sacrifice to do this, and she did not give from what was left over—nor should we, and that  is the example He gives.

    This in itself needs to inspire us in our attitude toward giving.

    We also know from the Bible and teachings of the Church that we are made in the image and likeness of God.

    And, that part of our effort in this earthly life is to grow in that likeness...

    God loves, and so we love...

     God is merciful and so we show mercy.

    God is compassionate and so are we.

    And God gives and so we give.

     This giving brings us closer to God allowing us to share in yet another of His actions. And giving reflects God in our lives.

     Also, it is in  giving that we show thanks to God, acknowledging that all that we have is a gift from Him, and offering back a portion of all that is His.

     And another wonderful aspect of giving, is that in giving to God and His Church, we in fact benefit from the act. It feels good to give. We have a sense of accomplishment, and a feeling of commitment and dedication to the Lord.  . And the Lord pours His blessings upon those who do give as we read in the Bible.

     Finally, too, in giving we find that rather than being deprived, we are enriched and even have more to share with others and the Church.

Preparing Through Vespers

     In the Orthodox Church the liturgical day begins in the evening with the setting of the sun. This practice follows the Biblical account of creation: "And there was evening and there was morning, one day" (Gen 1:5).
     The Vesper service in the Church always begins with the chanting of the evening psalm: "...the sun knows it's time for setting, Thou makest darkness and it is night...." (Psalm 104: 19-20) This psalm, which glorifies God's creation of the world, is man's very first act of worship, for man first of all meets God as Creator.

Bless the Lord, oh my soul, 0 Lord my God, Thou art very great ...
     O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all. The earth is full of Thy creatures (Ps 104:24).

     Following the psalm, the Great Litany, the opening petition of all liturgical services of the Church is intoned. In it we pray to the Lord for everyone and everything.
     Following this litany a number of psalms are chanted, a different group each evening. These psalms normally are omitted in parish churches though they are done in monasteries. On the eve of Sunday, however, sections of the first psalm and the other psalms which are chanted to begin the week are usually sung even in parish churches.
     Psalm 141 is always sung at Vespers. During this psalm the evening incense is offered:

Lord, I call upon Thee, hear me. Hear me, O Lord.
Let my prayer arise in Thy sight as incense.
And let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice. Hear me, O Lord.
(Psalm 141:1-2).

     At this point special hymns are sung for the particular day. If it be a Church feast: songs in honor of the celebration are sung. On Saturday evenings, the eve of the Lord's Day, these hymns always praise Christ's resurrection from the dead.
     The special hymns normally end with a song called a Theotokion which honors Mary, the Mother of Christ. Following this, the vesperal hymn is sung. If it be a special feast or the eve of Sunday, the celebrant will come to the center or the church building with lighted candles and incense. This hymn belongs to every Vesper service.

     O Gladsome Light of the holy glory of the Immortal Father, heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ. Now we have come to the setting of the sun and behold the light of evening. We praise God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For it is right at all times to worship Thee with voices of praise, O Son of God and Giver of Life, therefore all the world glorifies Thee.

Christ is praised as the Light which illumines man's darkness, the Light of the world and of the Kingdom of God which shall have no evening (Isa 60:20, Rev 21:25).
     A verse from the Psalms, the prokeimenon, follows -- a different one for each day, announcing the day's spiritual theme. If it be a special day, three readings from the Old Testament are included. Then more evening prayers and petitions follow with additional hymns for the particular day, all of which end with the chanting of the Song of St Simeon:

     Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation: which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people. A light for revelation to the Gentiles, and to be the glory of Thy people Israel (Lk 1:29-32).

     After proclaiming our own vision of Christ, the Light and Salvation of the world, we say the prayers of the Thrice-Holy (trisagion) through to the Our Father. We sing the main theme song of the day, called the Troparion, and we are dismissed with the usual benediction.
    The service of Vespers takes us through creation, sin, and salvation in Christ. It leads us to the meditation of God's word and the glorification of his love for men. It instructs us and allows us to praise God for the particular events or persons whose memory is celebrated and made present to us in the Church. It prepares us for the sleep of the night and the dawn of the new day to come. On the eves of the Divine Liturgy, it begins our movement into the most perfect communion with God in the sacramental mysteries.

(From Fr. Thomas Hopko's Rainbow Series.)

Activating Membership

     All persons are encouraged to activate or renew their membership and support of All Saints Church.

     God has called us to be stewards of the Church and that is what we must be giving of our money, time, talent and energy. We need to be communicants of the Church to which He has called us and we need to follow the teachings of the Church. All of these needs originated from God’s call to us as we read in the Bible.

     The by-laws provide the following for those 18 and older: “The religious and moral obligations of the parishioners shall be attendance at Sunday and Holy Divine Services, observance of the Church Statutes, to be at yearly confession and to receive the Holy Mysteries, to educate and instruct their children in the spirit of the Orthodox Faith, to honor their priest and in all ways to cooperate with him in his good understandings for the benefit of the Church and parish, and guide their personal activities for the good and welfare of the parish.”

     The Bylaws also provide that “Participants of parish meetings, with a right to vote, may be all competent members of the corporation and those who are 18 years of age and over, who are, participants in the pledge system...”

     Accordingly and always keeping in mind God’s Word, we ask all persons 18 and older to complete a membership form and return it to Fr. William. Also, to complete a pledge form and submit it to the treasurer.  We ask them to come to Church to participate in the life-saving Sacraments of Confession and Communion. (Remember that once a year is only a minimum…try eating just once a year.)  We ask all as best as they are able, mindful of the Lord’s admonitions and teachings on giving, to try and share in that joy of being a cheerful giver, of participating in the giving through which God has so blessed us, and continues to reward us. Giving does feel good if we have the right spirit, the right state of mind.  (Read Malachi, Chapter 3, to hear His clear words on this subject). We ask persons to be supportive of the Church, her clergy and hierarchs; and to live in a spirit of Christian love with each other. We ask too that persons remember the poor, the ill, the suffering among us and try our best to make their lives a bit better, bringing some of Christ’s love to them.

    We ask all thus to always strive to be followers of our Lord, and to be willing to make the sacrifices that such a life entails.

Coming To Confession? Let’s Get Ready!

     We all by now should be following the teachings of the Church in preparing to receive Communion. But, how do we prepare for Confession?

     Let us, though, first review our preparation for Communion: Those who do not regularly participate in Communion, that is coming more than once a month, have a need to participate in individual Confession before approaching the Chalice. Those who are or wish to participate in Communion regularly, as our Lord invites each of us to regularly participate in individual Confession. Regular does not mean once every few months or even more infrequent. If we have not been to Confession in the last two months we should not approach the Chalice before we do Confess.

     These teachings are for our salvation. To ignore them risks condemnation of our soul.   Having said that we turn to the truth that no one lives without sinning. It is sad, but true. We may be so cold spiritually that we are indifferent to sin. Some, though sincere, may not recognize sin to the delight of Satan. Others may be confused. It is through God’s Grace, and we must open ourselves to that Grace, that we come to know our sins.

     And, as in all things we do or try to accomplish, we need to pray.  We benefit in our preparation by using the Trisagion Prayers, as well as reading and praying some of the Psalms, especially Psalm 51. (After Confession we benefit from Psalms 23, 24 and 116 as well as others.), and the Canons.

     We need to examine ourselves, which we should do each day, before our participation in individual Confession. We need to ask God to open us up to our weaknesses and guide us through His strength. We need to look at our attitudes, words, thoughts, actions toward each others; toward our Church and her clergy and hierarchs; and first and foremost toward God. When we come to Confession we come to be forgiven by God of our sins, the authority for which He exercises through His priests.

     From there we can work on our repentance—that is the changing of our minds and hearts, our directions, so that we may live a life more closely united with God, and thus find true fulfillment in this world that will carry us into eternity.

     What are some areas in which we need to examine ourselves? Here are some questions to assist us:

1.      Do I pray mornings and evenings?

2.      Do I attend and am I attentive at Church Services Sundays, evenings,  Feasts?

3.      Do I thank God for all things?

4.      Do I use God’s name in vain? Swear?

5.      Do I wish harm on others?

6.      Do I judge persons, or been harshly critical of others?

7.      Am I envious of others?

8.      Do I rejoice in the good fortune of others?

9.      Have I engaged in gossip?

10.  Have I shown respect to my children and to my parents?

11.  Have I been obedient to the Church and supportive of her? Her hierarchs? Her clergy?

12.  Have I shown respect toward the bishops, priests and deacons of the Church?

13.  Have I helped others in need?

14.  Have I prayed for those who need God’s mercy?

15.  Do I regularly read God’s word in the Bible?

16.  Have I given joyfully to the Church?

17.  Is there anything or anyone that I cannot give up for Christ?

18.  Do I try to see Christ in each person that I meet?

19.  If I had the opportunity, would I physically care for another?

20.  Have I physically or mentally hurt my spouse?

21.  Have I supported and shown love to my husband or wife?

22.  Have I mistreated animals or anything living in God’s Kingdom on earth?

23.  Have I been a good steward of the earth?

24.  Have I forsaken my faith and the teachings of the Church to please another or to fit in with others?

25.  Have I participated in abortion or encouraged someone to do so?

26.  Is God and His Church truly the priority in my life? Do I come to Church to worship and to pray?

27.  Have I hurt myself or another physically or spiritually?

28.  Do I doubt God in any situation?

29.  Am I sorry for my sins?

30.  Do I truly desire to be a better Orthodox Christian?

Reaching Father

     If someone is entering the hospital and would like communion or for Father to visit, please call him.  Hospitals do not inform priests of admissions. Likewise, if someone who is totally confined to their home and wants a visit or communion, please call. Father visits persons in convalescent homes without being called if he knows the person is there. Also, Father is accessible by telephone and sometimes by email. However, the Church does not provide Father with a beeper service, cell phone or answering service. Therefore, Father cannot respond to calls, even in an emergency, until he is back in his office. He is at times out for Church-related activities as well as for other reasons.

Scheduling Activities, Requesting Services

     As our new year continues we are reminded that all activities in the parish or of organizations affiliated with the parish need the approval and blessing of the pastor/rector, and must not be conducted without the knowledge of the Council president and council nor without its approval. Also, no one should select a date for a wedding, baptism or other service without first meeting with the pastor. These practices keep order in the Church and are consistent with our past practices, as well as the OCA Statute, Guidelines for Clergy, and bylaws of the parish.

New Church Council

     The following persons were elected to the Church Council at our annual parish meeting:

President: Joan Holobinko

First Vice President: Phyllis Sturtevant

Second Vice President: Gregory Belekewicz

Recording Secretary: Thomas Denisky

Financial Secretary: Mark Ranstead

Treasurer: David Vargas

Immediate Past President: Catherine Vargas

Trustees: Catherine Vargas, Linda Kolios, Chester Andrzejewski, Nicholas Medynski, Phillip Hritcko, Christoperh Evans

Auditors: Michael Danchak and Anita Karsky

Requesting A  Panikhida

    When requesting a Panikhida on a Sunday, please remember that Panikhidas are served on the last Sunday of the month. Father has made an exception and served on another Sunday when the date of the first  40 days or one year anniversary of passing coincided with the date  on a different  Sunday. Otherwise the last Sunday schedule is used. During Great Lent we serve Panikhidas on certain Fridays as listed in the schedule. For a Sunday Panikhida, please give Father names at least one week in advance.

On Approaching The Chalice

When coming to Confession for the first time this year, please fill out a Confession card and give it to Fr. William. Please remember some sound practices for receiving Communion: One comes with right arm folded over left, thus forming a Cross. There is no need to bless oneself while at the Chalice as it is easy to bump it. Also one simply tilts their head back and opens their mouth. The celebrant will then turn the spoon over in the mouth thus giving the precious Body and Blood. There is no need to clamp down on the spoon; thus no particles are on one's lips and nothing enters the chalice. Also, there is no need to kneel or crouch to receive. Father’s  chair allows him to give Communion, but he can reach persons as they stand upright.  Kissing the chalice is not done in all places; if it is done, it must be done with great care. Finally, and most importantly, we come to the Chalice prayerfully, with reverence, and humility.

Additional items as needed:

Pledge Forms Now Due

Thank you to all who have returned their pledge form for 2010. However, there are still a few persons who have not done so and we ask that you complete a form available at the candle desk and return it to Tom Denisky at your earliest convenience.

OCMC Collection

Our Church School will again be participating in and sponsoring the collection of coins during Lent  for donation to the Orthodox Christian Mission Center. We invite persons to pick up a collection box in the vestibule and return them after Pascha. Thank you for your support of this very worthwhile cause.

Fellowship Hour

Our Fellowship Teams need volunteers, both men and women, to join a fellowship team or begin a new one. And even if you cannot work at one of the “hours,” you can help by donating a food item for all to enjoy. If you are able to do either, please see Sam Wecal, coordinator. And remember your monetary donations purchase items for the fellowship hour.  Thank you for your cooperation.