ISSUE

27
April 2013

Monthly Newsletter for Stewards of Holy Anargyroi Sts. Kosmas & Damianos Greek Orthodox Church

Box & Spoon

2013 Standing Committees

PARISH COUNCIL Aaron Biedermann-President Halina WoroncowVice Pres. Tim Kelly Andru Peters-Secretary Dan JerghiuTreasurer Don Jenkins Tia Maragos Erline Holman Robert Lytle STEWARDSHIP / OUTREACH John Maragos Chair Halina Woroncow Ari Kolas Mark Smith Diana Orbelo ICONOGRAPHY Diana Orbelo Chair Tia Maragos Andru Peters Fr. Mark Muoz BUILDING Tim Kelly- Chair Ari Kolas BUDGET Dan Jerghiu Chair Fr. Mark Muoz AUDIT Jacob Peterson Mark Smith John Maragos PHILOXENIA HOUSE Brad Holman Chair GREEK FESTIVAL Dan Jerghiu Chair Lorenda Jerghiu Silent auction Joe Ferrer Set-up/Teardown Tim Kelly Outdoor Cooks Johnny Mangouras Marketing Ari Kolas Marketing Penny Kolas Pastries Maria Thomas Pastries Denise Mangouras Pastries

My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me. - Mahew 26:38
For weeks we have as Orthodox Christians been on an important Lenten journey. We are traveling the arduous road of fasting, prayer, almsgiving, and repentance in search of the small and narrow gate that leads to life (Matt. 7:13,14) which is the Resurrection of the God-man Jesus Christ. Perhaps I speak for many of you by saying that I am on many levels maxed out and I feel myself being tempted more and more to relax the fast, drop my prayer rule, and cry out in indignation, ENOUGH! However, were half way theretake a deep spiritual breath, gather yourself, and lets ponder the words of Christ cited from St. Matthews Gospel above. The very night Christ was to be betrayed into the hands of lawless men He gathered His disciples around Him in the Garden of Gethsemane to keep a vigil. He singled out Saints Peter, James, and John to accompany Him further into the Garden where He was going to pray. At this very moment the human nature of Christ was in agony. He knew exactly what awaited Him: the ridicule before Pilate, the flaying at the scourging pillar, the difficult road to Golgotha, and the barbaric experience of crucifixion itself. Within this emotional and physical gut wrenching condition Christ invites His closest friends and followers to be with Him and watch. The original Greek verb connotes the idea of being alert, vigilant, and watching diligently over someone/thing as opposed to being a mere sideline spectator. This invitation, lamentably, the disciples were unable to entertain for they quickly feel asleep and thereby abandoned their Master. Christ returned, found them asleep, woke them, and chided them for their despondency and again commanded them, Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak. Christ is actually instructing them in spiritual warfare as opposed to merely requesting company during this difficult hour. He is reminding them and us that at all times it is necessary for a follower of Christ to be on guard against the passions and temptations recognizing our own human frailties and how suddenly and unexpectedly we can fall. Holy Week is imminent. Soon we will all be given the same invitation to stay with Christ and watch together with Him as He accomplishes the restoration and salvation of humanity and all of creation. Will we rsvp to this invitation? Will we faithfully attend the services wherein we walk together with the Theotokos and the Disciples and participate in Christs last moments on earth? Or, will we allow mundane worldly excuses to shut our spiritual eyes and lull us into spiritual death? Watch with me Yes, Lord, we are here. Wishing you all a moving and prayerful Holy Week, I remainIn His, and your, service.

Martha Voytovich Market place

Andru Peters Beverages Mike Brekke Beer Garden Larissa Osfeld Children Area

+ Fr. Mark

Lord, save Your people and bless Your inheritance, granting our rulers to prevail over adversaries, and protecting Your commonwealth by Your Cross.

Calendar for April 2013

Great Compline 6pm Building Committee Meeting 7pm Wednesday April 10th Presanctified Liturgy 6pm Thursday April 11th AC/DC Religious Ed 6pm Friday April 12th Akathist Hymn 6pm Great Vespers 6pm GOYA Lock-in Saturday April 13th Great Vespers 6pm Monday April 15th Great Compline 6pm AC/DC Religious Ed 7pm Wednesday April 17th Presanctified Liturgy 6pm Parish Council Meeting after Presanctified Thursday April 18th St. Philothei Project 6pm Friday April 19th Final Akathist Hymn 6pm Saturday April 20th Great Vespers 6pm Sunday April 21st Spring General Assembly after Divine Liturgy Monday April 22nd Great Compline 6pm AC/DC Religious Ed 7pm Wednesday April 24th Presanctified Liturgy **9am** Philoxenia Meeting 6pm Thursday April 25th JOY Faith Night 5:30pm 6pm Friday April 26th Presanctified Liturgy Saturday April 27th Saturday of Lazarus- Orthros/Divine Liturgy 8:30am Church Clean-Up & Decorating for Palm Sunday *volunteers needed* 11am Great Vespers for Palm Sunday 6pm Sunday April 28th Palm Sunday 8:30am Palm Sunday Fish Luncheon after Liturgy Decorating for Holy Week after Luncheon **volunteers needed** 1st Bridegroom Service 7pm Holy Monday April 29th Bridegroom Service 7pm Holy Tuesday April 30th Bridegroom Service 7pm Holy Wednesday May 1st Holy Unction Service 3:30pm Orthros for Holy Thursday 7pm ** those who cannot be present at 3:30pm Unction Service may be anointed after the 7pm Service ** Holy Thursday May 2nd Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil 8:30am Holy Passion Service/12 Gospels 7pm Holy Friday May 3rd Royal Hours 9am GOYA Holy Friday Retreat after Royal Hours Apokathilosis/Taking down from Cross 3pm Lamentations 7pm Holy Saturday May 4th Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil 8:30am His Grace Bishop +DEMETRIOS will be celebrating the Vesperal Liturgy w/full Choir **Decorating for Pascha after Liturgy** ANASTASIS/RESURRECTION 11pm Parish-wide Paschal Dinner and celebration after Liturgy PASCHA May 5th Agape Vespers 11am Bright Monday May 6th 8:30am St. George the Great Martyr Orthros/Divine Liturgy Monday April 8th

The Lord has worked power. He trampled death by means of death, and He became the firstborn from the dead

Sunday of the Holy Cross, April 7th

Philoxenia House News

Who is Joel? I wondered to myself. It was my first meeting of the Philoxenia House Committee, and I kept hearing everyone talking about Joel doing this and Joel doing that at the Philoxenia Houses. Later in the meeting, when the finances were being discussed, the name Joe came up again. Too embarrassed to ask the committee who Joel was, I decided that I would wait until the end of the meeting and ask Chamaidi Belanger in private. As it turned out, I was still embarrassed when Chamaidi answered, Joel is my husband, Of course I knew Joel. I greeted him almost every Sunday to church. It was just the fact that quiet, humble Joel did not and would not ever talk about all that he did behind the scenes of the operations of the Philoxenia House. I then wondered how many other Joels were out there that I was ignorant of. My inquiry would reveal that Joel is not the only person that gives so generously of their time and energy to this ministry. There is Angie Chafos who diligently takes meeting notes while many times during the meetings several conversations are going on simultaneously. Soula Pampori has served the Philoxenia House as committee treasurer, vice president and now as a valuable advisor. Johnny Mangouros travels hundreds of miles soliciting donors to help keep the ministry going while helping manage several house remodeling projects. Yianni Kaloumenos forfeits his time and convenience admitting and attending to the needs of the house guests. Trevor Hamlen spends hours during the week and many of his weekends as the ministrys head carpenter with the help of Ghazwan Mirza. Kathy Lytle, Anna Pecheski and Dinia Mirza clean both of the houses when we have guests. Calli Kelly uses her creativity writing the Philoxenia House newsletter. Chamaidi Belanger, who with her husband Joel, has lived and breathed the Philoxenia House over the last several years. Finally, volunteers young and old from the Chicago area drive all the way to Rochester to help with work projects that beautify the houses and the properties. I am sure that there are many examples that I have missed, so please forgive me. I do not mention these things to glorify the works of these individuals, because I would not want to jeopardize the rewards that they will receive some day from our Lord. I do it to reveal their hearts of love, concern and generosity for their needy brothers and sisters in Christ and their obedience to our Lords command to care for the needy. They are, as their name reveals, the true friends of the stranger. In Christ, Bradley Holman

An Afternoon in Paris Fashion Show

Hosted by the Holy Anargyroi Philoptochos Society on Sunday March 10th

Lord, save Your people and bless Your inheritance, granting our rulers to prevail over adversaries, and protecting Your commonwealth by Your Cross.

Youth Team Report

The Lenten season is a gift to every Orthodox Christian; a reminder to return our busy lives to God by increasing our prayer life at home and at church, by fasting from foods and unholy behavior thereby developing discipline, and by reaching out to serve those less fortunate than ourselves, as in so doing we serve Christ. We are encouraged and enabled to listen for God as our navigation system in life. These Lenten themes are reflected in our work with the youth. The children are reminded of our traditions and Gods call to clear a path to holiness. The beautiful Lenten services are encouraged, our youth participate actively as readers, and come forward to participate in the Sacrament of Repentance. Service to others and to the Church is underscored. What an incredible opportunity for spiritual growth for each of our families! GOYA met for Faith Night and considered how we package ourselves to the outside world (i.e. in a Facebook profile) versus our real life profile. We are created in the image of God, and the choices we make dictate how close or far we allow ourselves to reflect His likeness. If we recognize that our reflection is soiled, we can repent, enact and continue working on change in our constant struggle to grow. Each of us is unique in our reflection of the image of God, each has unique talents and gifts to develop and offer in our lifes goal to become holy. Our unique, individual real life profile is the way in which we reveal these blessings to the world and let the world know who we really are. After Faith Night, we celebrated a couple of GOYA birthdays that fell on that day with pizza, cake, ice cream, and karaoke.

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Our JOY Children worked hard to understand Jobs ultimate challenge of faith through extreme adversity, suffering, and loss during our March JOY Faith Night. They learned about how he was blessed by the Lord for His continuous faith. By virtue of their willingness to push forward with the weight, they have already proven it weightless. Just as the winters cold and bitterness eventually find springs renewal, so too did Jobs meeting the challenges of faith result in a restoration and renewal of life. If we have patience and faith God will reveal to us great blessings. Our challenge today is to live faithfully like the Prophet Job, to try to follow Gods will no matter what the sacrifice, and to remember Blessed be the name of the Lord. Holy Anargyrois Oratorical Festival took place on the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. After participating in the procession of icons at Liturgy, youth from every class gathered in the Fellowship Hall to offer something for the event: a hymn, stories of their Saints, an essay, and original psalms. The students enjoyed a distinctive opportunity to explore, deepen, and proclaim elements of their faith within the bosom of the church. As we proceed through this profound liturgical period of Great Lent, may we all, with our families, strive to allow God to be witnessed and reflected in all we do. We wish all a fruitful Lenten journey. Youth Team Coordinators: JOY - Loredana Jerghiuta GOYA - Halina Woroncow & Mike Brekke

The Lord has worked power. He trampled death by means of death, and He became the firstborn from the dead

Sunday of the Holy Cross, April 7th

Stewardship & Outreach

Placing God First

By Rev. Peter J. Orfanakos - A Time for You to Bear Testimony (Luke 21:12-19) There is an exercise that is used many times to begin retreats or seminars during which the participants are asked to form a list of the ten relationships that are most important to them. Each participant tends to react differently to this request as they begin to formulate their list. Some worry that they will not be able to produce a list of ten, others insist that it will be difficult for them to limit the list to just ten. So they begin their list: Parents, Friends, Brother, Sister, Teacher, Co-worker. Hopefully God has also made the list although many times he is not in the top four. In the tenth chapter of the Gospel According to Matthew, Jesus calls our attention to this list by presenting us with the following statement, that whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. (Matthew 10:32 33; 37-38) Through these statements, Jesus is forcing us to take a more in-depth look at our list and to see how high we have placed our relationship with God. We are called to first list these relationships by order of importance and then, Christ reminds us that he who loves mother, father, wife, husband, son, and daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. In many ways he causes us to take pause and reflect on our answer. Perhaps we require more time to reflect on the awesomeness of the question being asked. There are some who will state that it is difficult to put God ahead of our spouse, or our parents, or even our children. Why does God need to be first anyway? Why is He making us question our priorities? The answer to these questions are simple and quite unique. Christ reminds us that if we love Him first, if we place God first in order of priority that our experience on this world will be intensified. Christ reminds us that our love for God will be overshadowed by Gods Love for us and it is through Gods over-whelming Love and Forgiveness that we have the ability to be His Children and follow His Example. Let us not forget that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16) God gives us many examples, and has placed Himself as the supreme example. He sent Christ to live among us, to teach us how we were supposed to follow His commandments; to teach us how to love each other and God. We are called to remember that just in the same way as Christ was wedded to the church, just in the same way as Christ gave up His life for the church, in that same sense we are called to offer our lives to God first. And when we offer our lives to God in such a manner then all of our relationships, all of our experiences in this world, take on a different meaning and take on much greater importance. It is no coincidence that we read this Gospel lesson the Sunday following the great Feast of Pentecost, the Sunday in which we celebrate All Saints Day. The reason that we read this gospel is because placing God as the priority in their life is exactly what the saints did. That is why we honor them, that is why we look to them and to the Theotokos as examples to us as humans, of how to place God first. When we do that, all of our other relationships are filled with heavenly blessings and they become more powerful, more intense, more rewarding and more fulfilling. Because they are not being energized by human emotions and human frailties, they are being energized with heavenly strength, they are being charged with divine intervention and they are being infused with Gods power. We are called to look at our list and re-prioritize. We are called to try to comprehend what it means to put God first and to live as if God is in fact the priority in our life. When we do this we will be able to do exactly what the saints were able to do, for as Saint Paul reminds us, through faith the saints conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness (Hebrews 11: 33 34). As we continue through Great Lent, let us refocus ourselves, and reprioritize our lives, placing God first and further enhancing the life that we live in this world. This is my prayer, that we each take the time to stop, reflect, reprioritize and grow; and if I may borrow the beautiful words of Saint Paul, bring strength out of weakness.

Lord, save Your people and bless Your inheritance, granting our rulers to prevail over adversaries, and protecting Your commonwealth by Your Cross.

Philoptochos Society
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Our Fashion Show Fundraiser on March 10th was a wonderful event as we raised 2,200 for charity and shared our Philoptochos spirit with the Rochester community. Thank you to Mando Katselis and Hannys stores, Denise and Johnny Mangouras of Johnny Mangos, the Kolas family and Apollo Liquors, Jacob Petersen of My Clue Accounting, Dr. Nick and Effie Psimos, Steve and Angie Davis of Steves Pizza, the Pasalis family, Jordan Glynn, Maria Boosalis, the Barbes family, and Tammie Parrish of Eye-Q Design Wear for their donations. Our Cheesefare Luncheon on March 17th was also a good fundraiser for us as we sent $400 to Hellenic College/Holy Cross School of Theology. Thank you to all who worked the event and contributed in donations for the college. Our next fundraiser is the Palm Sunday Luncheon on April 28th. The proceeds from this luncheon will go directly to our chapter to be distributed to local, national and international charities. Please attend and support our efforts to assist philanthropic charities around the world. Thank you. Our next meeting is on Tuesday April 2nd at 6pm in the Church library. We will be planning the Palm Sunday Luncheon and discussing the upcoming Philoptochos Board elections that will take place in May. On the fifth Sunday of Lent, April 21st this year, we pay reverence to the story of St Mary of Egypt. Her story is a hopeful reminder that through true conversion, with the power of personal repentance and Gods mercy, salvation is available to all who genuinely seek God. The Church places her story on this fifth Sunday, the last Sunday leading us into Holy Week to give us encouragement to our fasting by reminding us of the example of St. Marys ascetic life which lasted 47 years in the dessert in addition to the meaning of a genuine conversion. A conversion with true repentance is what leads us closer to God. To read the story of St. Mary of Egypt in its entirety as written by St. Sophronios, Patriarch of Jerusalem is such a heavenly jewel as there are many different spiritual understandings to be gained from the story. Personally, it is a source of inspiration in the reminder that God seems to work in the most unexpected ways in our lives. Initially, when St. Mary, then a prostitute, followed pilgrims going to Jerusalem to venerate the Holy Life Giving Cross at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; she went along to participate in her lustful passions on her journey and to see the Cross out of curiosity and nothing more. Imagine her surprise when she reached the Churchs doors and was held back by an unseen force and thus coming to the understanding that it was her sinfulness that kept her from entering the Church! She immediately experienced a conversion on her knees, before the icon of the Virgin Mary, begging forgiveness and promising our Holy Mother a life renouncing worldly desires if the Theotokos would lead her. St. Mary left Jerusalem and journeyed into the dessert in which she lived a difficult life of extreme asceticism: a life so extreme that for 47 years she devoted her life to prayer, did not encounter man or beast, went without shelter or clothes with no protection against heat or cold, and ate only three loaves of bread, and a few plants and herbs. In St. Mary of Egypts story there is also St. Zosimas, a very pious priest who lived a long life, since childhood, of strict prayer, fasting and devotion to God. In his old age, he wondered Is there a man who has surpassed me (in asceticism)? He was then sent to a monastery next to the Jordan River. There he participated in the ascetic traditions of the monks which included fasting alone in the dessert during Great Lent. As Father Zosimas travelled far into the dessert, imagine his surprise when he did not come across a deeply ascetic man, as he thought, but a woman! Once the pair got over their initial shock of encountering each other, of St. Marys knowledge of who the Priest was by her gift of clairvoyance, of arguing over which one should pay reverence to the other as they both felt they are less worthy, Father Zosimas learns, by imploring St. Mary to tell him her story, that this ascetic woman comes with a horridly sinful past which preceded to her current holy and spiritual state. She was a prostitute who participated in her sin, often without pay; just for pleasure and once she had her repentant conversion; she was without human contact and yet she possessed great spiritual knowledge, had the gift of clairvoyance and recited Scripture without ever having a Bible! What an astronomical shock it must have been for this holy and pious Priest to meet this woman with such a past, conversion and life story, who has surpassed him in asceticism! As the long story unravels; it is filled with unexpected surprises of Gods Holy Presence in the lives of the individuals in the story. To me, the story gives spiritual hope that God may manifest His presence in our lives, in unexpected ways, as we seek a closer relationship with Him on our spiritual journey. May St. Mary of Egypts story be a reminder to genuinely seek God with a repentant heart and to be open to the possible lessons for us to learn from the individuals and experiences that we encounter in our lives. With sisterly love, Calli Kelly Philoptochos President

The Lord has worked power. He trampled death by means of death, and He became the firstborn from the dead

Sunday of the Holy Cross, April 7th

Treasurers Report
Jan - Feb 2013 Actual Total Income Total Expenses Net Income $32,503.75 $47,749.75 ($15,246.00) Jan - Feb 2012 Actual $30,176.47 $38,698.47 ($8,522.00) 2013 vs 2012 Difference $2,327.28 $9,051.28 ($6,724.00) Jan - Feb 2013 Budget $31,060.00 $38,573.00 ($7,513.00) Actual vs. Budget Difference $1,443.75 $9,176.75 ($7,733.00)

ETHNIC POTLUCK

PROSPHORA AND KOLYVA WORKSHOPS

2013 Holy Week Schedule

Palm Sunday Eve: 1st Bridegroom Service- 7pm Holy Monday: 2nd Bridegroom Service-7pm Holy Tuesday: 3rd Bridegroom Service (Hymn of Kassiane)-7pm Holy Wednesday: Holy Unction-3:30pm & Orthros of Holy Thursday-7pm Holy Thursday: Vesperal Liturgy-8:30am & Holy Passion Service (12 Gospels)-7pm Holy Friday: Royal Hours-9am - Apokathilosis-3pm & Lamentations-7pm
Wailing bitter tears Word of God Your Spotless Mother mourned You when she saw that You were laid in a grave O Ineffable and Everlasting God. - Holy Friday Lamentations

Holy Saturday: Vesperal Liturgy-His Grace Bishop +Demetrios ofciating-8:30am HOLY PASCHA/ANASTASIS-11pm* * PASCHA/ANASTASIS Holy PASCHA: Agapi Vespers-11am *Paschal Dinner to follow service in church hall.

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VENERATION OF THE HOLY CROSS: 3RD SUNDAY OF THE FAST

-by Fr. Alexander Schmemeann ...Lent is our self crucifixion, our experience, limited as it is, of Christs commandment heard in the Gospel lesson of that Sunday:

If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (Mark 8:34).
But we can not take up our cross and follow Christ unless we have His Cross which He took up in order to save us. It is His Cross, not ours, that saves us. It is His Cross that gives not only meaning but also power to others. This is explained to us in the synaxarion of the Sunday of the Cross: On this Sunday, the third Sunday of Lent, we celebrate the veneration of the honorable and Life -Giving Cross, and for this reason: inasmuch as in the forty days of fasting we in a way crucify ourselvesand become bitter and despondent and failing, the Life -Giving Cross is presented to us for refreshment and assurance, for remembrance of our Lords Passion, and for comfortWe are like those following a long and cruel path who become tired, see a beautiful tree and many leaves, sit in its shadow and rest for a while and then, as if rejuvenated, continue their journey; likewise today, in the time of fasting and difficult journey and effort, the Life Giving Cross was planted in our midst by the holy fathers to give us rest and refreshment, to make us light and courageous for the remaining taskOr, to give another example: when a king is coming, at first his banner and symbols appear, then he himself comes glad and rejoicing about his victory and filling with joy those under him; likewise, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is about to show us His victory over death, and appear to us in the glory of the Resurrection Day, is sending to us in advance His scepter, the royal symbol the Life Giving Cross and it fills us with joy and makes us ready to meet, inasmuch as it is possible for us, the King himself, and to render glory to His victoryAll this in the midst of Lent which is like a bitter source because of its tears, because also of its efforts and despondencybut Christ comforts us who are as it were in a desert until He shall lead us up to the spiritual Jerusalem by His Resurrectionfor the Cross is called the Tree of Life, it is the tree that was planted in Paradise, and for this reason our fathers have planted it in the midst of Holy Lent, remembering both Adams bliss and how he was deprived of it, remembering also that partaking of this Tree we no longer die but are kept alive