The Basil Leaf. zoi, the former is earthly life and it is given to us on our birthdays and the latter a spiritual and stronger life,

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1 A M o n t h l y P u b l i c a t i o n o f H o l y C r o s s G r e e k O r t h o d o x C h u r c h o f J u s t i c e, I L C h u r c h S t a f f Parish Priest, Editor: Fr. Demetrios Kounavis Parish Council President: Eustratios Margaritis The Basil Leaf I am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25) A Sweet scent of spiritual Fragrance A p r i l Secretary: Rebecca Mallios Chanter: Athanasios Hatzis George Villis Evangelos Pagunas Taso Tsiganos Philoptochos President: Helen Katsoudas Church School: Chrisanthe Litsogiannis Greek School: Maria Poulos The Light of Christ brings a New Life. The Light of Christ is the peace of a lost soul, the rest from an illness, the end of a bad dream, and the way out of hopelessness. The Light of Christ is knowledge and understanding of a new dimension---god s. So, where is this Light today? The Light began to shine from Jesus Christ at the Empty Tomb, and this Light is our Life. It is perfect knowledge of a future forevermore. God promised this Gift to Adam, and then to Abraham, way back in time, as a way out of mortality and an answer to sin, suffering and loss of love. It has been the dream of every society and civilization. In Greek, there are two words for life, GR vios and zoi, the former is earthly life and it is given to us on our birthdays and the latter a spiritual and stronger life, and it is given to us on our baptisms. Can you guess which one is greater? However, don t be fooled, and think of Zoi, as afterlife only! I n s i d e t h i s i s s u e : Monthly Outreach 2 Christians have always believed the Light of Christ to be a Fountain of Life, that enlivens us with the Spirit of God, like rivers flowing from within us. (John 7.38). It is a fullness of life that can and does continue beyond the Calendar 3 Articles 6-7 grave for it is the energy and power of God infused into our miserable lives. This power has to be acquired somehow? Where is the Source of Life? The first life is the Source, and it is the life of Jesus Christ, who died and entered into the tomb, and we must believe! He showed that the human who has the Spirit of God cannot be held down by death! They will only radiate Light, which is the Life of the Holy Trinity. I want this Light! Where is it? Lenten & Holy Week Needs 9 It has been in the hearts of those who have believed in the Resurrection of Christ, from that very first early morning, when the Apostles to the Apostles the Holy Myrrh-bearing Women came to the tomb, and found it empty, with the head covering rolled up. Angels from heaven told of His Resurrection! Then, He Himself appeared and Kid s Page 10 Ad Page 11 Check out our website: holycrossil.org breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit John (20.22)and through them to all who would follow after, and believe in the Power of the Gospel! Therefore, from that time until now, this story has been the power of God to save and heal and enliven those who have a desire to receive! (Romans 1.16) (Adapted from The Messenger)

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3 7 Church School 14 Church School 29 8:30am: Feast of 30 8:30am: Sts. Raph- 10 9am: Presanctified 18 10am: HOPE 25 9am: Divine Litur- 19 9am-4pm: Philopto- 26 9am: Royal Hours 6 10am: Greek School 20 8:30am: Saturday 27 9am: First Resur- Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sunday Service: 8am - Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy Please check weekly bulletin for updates 6pm: Southside Solemn Vespers HERE 6pm: Southside Solemn Vespers at St. Nicholas 21Palm Sunday Plaki Luncheon Philoptochos Bake Sale 7pm: Nymphios Service 28 10:30am: Agape Vespers followed by Easter egg hunt 1 6pm: Great Compline 8 6pm: Great Compline 2 7pm: Philoptochos Mtg. 9 7pm: Parish Council Mtg 3 6pm: Pre-Sanctified Liturgy with Orthodoxi Zoe and Lenten Meal Liturgy pm: Nymphios Service St. George 23 April pm: Nymphios Service ael, Nicholas and Irene 6pm: Canon of St. Andrew 6pm: Pre-Sanctified Liturgy with Orthodoxi Zoe and Lenten Meal 24 3pm: Holy Unction 7pm: Matins of Holy Thursday Group gy of the Mystical Supper 7pm: 12 Gospels 6:30pm: 4th Salutations to the Theotokos 6pm: Akathist Hymn chos Easter Bake Sale 6pm: Southside Presanctified at St. Spyridon 3pm: Apokathelosis 7pm: Service of the Lamentations 1310am: Greek School of Lazarus Children s Retreat Church Cleaning Philoptochos Bake Sale rection 10:45pm: Anastasi Service with Paschal Meal

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6 ΧΑΙΡΕ ΔΙ ΗΣ ΝΕΟΥΡΓΕΙΤΑΙ Η ΚΤΙΣΙΣ, ΧΑΙΡΕ ΔΙ ΗΣ ΒΡΕΦΟΥΡΓΕΙΤΑΙ Ο ΚΤΙΣΤΗΣ Μία γέννηση είναι ένα καινούργιο ξεκίνημα της ζωής. Είναι χαρά και ελπίδα. Μπορεί ποσοτικά να είναι ασήμαντη, διότι τα κοσμικά μεγέθη δεν επηρεάζονται ουσιαστικά, όμως, στην πράξη, μία γέννηση είναι ένα «σημείο», ένα σημάδι ότι υπάρχει συνέχεια, ότι ο νέος άνθρωπος μπορεί να φέρει κάτι διαφορετικό, ότι θα έχει τα δικά του χαρίσματα, την δική του ιστορία, θα δώσει χαρά στους οικείους του, θα τους καταξιώσει, θα τους διδάξει ευθύνες, θα γίνει αφορμή και ίσως και αιτία αγάπης, θα δείξει ότι η ζωή έχει νόημα, καθώς, ενώ πολεμήσετέ από τον χρόνο και τη φθορά, βγάζει νέα βλαστάρια, αντιστέκεται και θα συνεχίσει να παλεύει εναντίον του εκμηδενισμού του σωματικού, του εν χρόνω θανάτου. «Νεουργείται η κτίσις». Εν σοφία εποίησε τα πάντα ο Θεός. Όσοι πιστεύουμε, δεν μένουμε στο κατά φύσιν, ότι δηλαδή φέρουμε εντός μας την δίψα για το καινούργιο, για την γέννα, την δημιουργία. Για τα ζώα είναι ένστικτο. Για μας, εκτός από ένστικτο, είναι και έλλογη επιλογή. Γνωρίζουμε ότι θα γεννήσουμε έναν νέο άνθρωπο. Επιλέγουμε αν θα το πράξουμε, αν θα κρατήσουμε ένα παιδί, αν θα χαρούμε που θα γεννηθεί, αν θα το μεγαλώσουμε με αυταπάρνηση ή αν θα το θεωρήσουμε βάρος. Πάντως, τίποτε στην ζωή δεν είναι ίδιο όταν ένας νέος άνθρωπος γεννιέται. «Τα πάντα γίνονται καινά»! Εκτός όμως από το κατά φύσιν, στην ιστορία της ανθρωπότητας ήρθε η ώρα κάποτε να συμβεί και το «υπέρ την φύσιν». Η ενανθρώπηση του Θεού, η πρόσληψη από τον Χριστό, το δεύτερο πρόσωπο της Αγίας Τριάδος, της ανθρώπινης φύσης με τρόπο που ξεπερνά τα όρια του νου μας, με τρόπο υπέρ την φύσιν και με εμφάνισή Του «κατά φύσιν», δηλαδή μέσω της Γεννήσεώς Του διά της Υπεραγίας Θεοτόκου, είναι ένα «σημείο» μιας άλλης χαράς, μιας άλλης ελπίδας. Αυτή η γέννα δεν είναι όπως όλες. Ο Χριστός δεν γεννήθηκε για να δώσει χαρά σε λίγους, σε οικείους, αλλά γεννήθηκε για να αγκαλιάσει και να δώσει χαρά σε όλη την ανθρωπότητα, και του καιρού Του και κάθε εποχής. Ήρθε αφήνοντας κατά μέρος την όποια φθορά της έλλογης σχέσης δύο προσώπων, καθώς δεν γεννήθηκε ως αποτέλεσμα επιλογής ενός άνδρα και μιας γυναίκας, εφόσον η σύλληψή Του νίκησε την τάξη της φύσεως. «Εκ Πνεύματος Αγίου και Μαρίας της Παρθένου». Τη επιλογή την κάνει μία γυναίκα, η κατεξοχήν εκφράζουσα την φύση, για να νικήσει και να υπερβεί την φύση. Η γυναίκα, η οποία στην μήτρα της παρατείνει την ζωή, τώρα την ανα-νοηματοδοτεί και της δίνει περιεχόμενο αιωνιότητας. Η γυναίκα, η οποία αναστέλλει την κυριαρχία του θανάτου, γεννά Αυτόν που θα τον καταργήσει. Η γυναίκα, η οποία αφού κάνει το χρέος της, θα φύγει με τη σειρά της από την ζωή, αφήνοντας στις επόμενες το χρέος της διαιώνισης και της συνέχειας, τώρα θα φύγει από την ζωή και θα παραμείνει, όχι μόνο στις καρδιές μας, αλλά και δίπλα στον Υιό και Θεό της μεσιτεύοντας για μας να ζήσουμε αναζητώντας και κοινωνώντας Αυτόν που η ίδια γέννησε, για να την συναντούμε δι Αυτού τόσο στην παρούσα ζωή εν τη Εκκλησία, όσο και στην αιώνια, εν τη κοινωνία της Βασιλείας, δηλαδή στην Εκκλησία όπου αναπαύεται ο Θεός των Ζώντων και όχι των νεκρών. Η γυναίκα που με την γέννα της νικά το μηδέν του σωματικού θανάτου, καθώς φέρνει τον τρόπο της Αναστάσεως! «Βρεφουργείται ο Κτίστης και νεουργείται η κτίσις». Στην ακολουθία των Χαιρετισμών στην Υπεραγία Θεοτόκο βιώνουμε την κλήση και για την δική μας «νεούργηση». Μας καλεί η Εκκλησία, με την Παναγία ως πρότυπο, να πούμε ΝΑΙ στον Χριστό του Ευαγγελίου. ΝΑΙ στην αγάπη. ΝΑΙ στην υπέρβαση της φύσης, δηλαδή στην απόφαση να μη μείνουμε στην επιβίωση, να μη μείνουμε στο δίκιο μας, να μη μείνουμε στα δικαιώματα του εγώ, να μη μείνουμε στην σχέση εξάρτησης με έναν κόσμο που ζητά κατανάλωση, όχι όμως κίνηση προς τον πλησίον, έξοδο από την αυτάρκεια, εγώ που μοιράζεται πρωτίστως, πρόσωπο που ελπίζει. ΝΑΙ στα χαρίσματά μας ως αρχή κοινωνίας με τον πλησίον. ΝΑΙ στην θέαση των παθών μας, όχι για να τραφούμε από αυτά ή για να τα αποθεώσουμε, αλλά για να τα εμπιστευθούμε στον Δωρεοδότη της μετανοίας και της αφέσεως, για να γίνουμε κι εμείς νέοι στην καρδιά. ΝΑΙ στην κοινωνία με τον Θεάνθρωπο, στο μυστήριο της ευχαριστίας, στην ζωή της χαράς ότι ο θάνατος είναι ένα επεισόδιο στην ζωή μας, όχι το τέλος της. Ας κοιτάξουμε την Υπεραγία Θεοτόκο και ας την παρακαλέσουμε. Δεν είναι ο κόσμος μόνο ό,τι βλέπουμε! ***************************************************** A Paschal Homily by St. Justin Popovich Man sentenced God to death; by His Resurrection, He sentenced man to immortality. In return for a beating, He gives an embrace; for abuse, a blessing; for death, immortality. Man never showed so much hate for God as when he crucified Him; and God never showed more love for man than when He arose. Man even wanted to reduce God to a mortal, but God by His Resurrection made man immortal. The crucified God is Risen and has killed death. Death is no more. Immortality has surrounded man and all the world. By the Resurrection of the God-Man, human nature has been led irreversibly onto the path of immortality, and has become dreadful to death itself. For before the Resurrection of Christ, death was dreadful to man, but after the Resurrection of Christ, man has become more dreadful to death. When man lives by faith in the Risen God-Man, he lives above death, out of its reach; it is a footstool for his feet: O Death, where is thy sting? O Hades, where is thy victory? (I Cor. 15:55). When a man belonging to Christ dies, he simply sets aside his body like clothing, in which he will again be vested on the day of Dread Judgement. Before the Resurrection of the God-Man, death was the second nature of man: life first, death second. But by His Resurrection, the Lord has changed everything: immortality has become the second nature of man, it has become natural for man; and death unnatural. As before the Resurrection of Christ, it was natural for men to be mortal, so after the Resurrection of Christ, it was natural for men to be immortal. By sin, man became mortal and transient; by the Resurrection of the God-Man, he became immortal and perpetual. In this is the power, the might, the all-mightiness of the Resurrection of Christ. Without it, there would have been no Christianity. Of all miracles, this is the greatest miracle. All other miracles have it as their source and lead to it. From it grow faith, love, hope, prayer, and love for God. Behold: the fugitive disciples, having run away from Jesus when He died, return to Him because He is risen. Behold: the Centurion confessed Christ as the Son of God when he saw the Resurrection from the grave. Behold: all the first Christians be-

7 came Christian because the Lord Jesus is risen, because death was vanquished. This is what no other faith has; this is what lifts the Lord Christ above all other gods and men; this is what, in the most undoubted manner, shows and demonstrates that Jesus Christ is the One True God and Lord in all the world. Because of the Resurrection of Christ, because of His victory over death, men have become, continue to become, and will continue becoming Christians. The entire history of Christianity is nothing other than the history of a unique miracle, namely, the Resurrection of Christ, which is unbrokenly threaded through the hearts of Christians form one day to the next, from year to year, across the centuries, until the Dread Judgment. Man is born, in fact, not when his mother bring him into the world, but when he comes to believe in the Risen Christ, for then he is born to life eternal, whereas a mother bears children for death, for the grave. The Resurrection of Christ is the mother of us all, all Christians, the mother of immortals. By faith in the Resurrection, man is born anew, born for eternity. That is impossible! says the skeptic. But you listen to what the Risen God-Man says: All things are possible to him that believeth! (Mark 9:23). The believer is he who lives, with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his being, according to the Gospel of the Risen Lord Jesus. Faith is our victory, by which we conquer death; faith in the Risen Lord Jesus. Death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin. The Lord has removed the sting of death. Death is a serpent; sin is its fangs. By sin, death puts its poison into the soul and into the body of man. The more sins a man has, the more bites, through which death puts its poison in him. When a wasp stings a man, he uses all his strength to remove the sting. But when sin wounds him, this sting of death, what should be done? One must call upon the Risen Lord Jesus in faith and prayer, that He may remove the sting of death from the soul. He, in His great loving-kindness, will do this, for He is overflowing with mercy and love. When many wasps attack a man s body and wound it with many stings, that man is poisoned and dies. The same happens with a man s soul, when many sins wound it with their stings: it is poisoned and dies a death with no resurrection. Conquering sin in himself through Christ, man overcomes death. If you have lived the day without vanquishing a single sin of yours, know that you have become deadened. Vanquish one, two, or three of your sins, and behold: you have become younger than the youth which does not age, young in immortality and eternity. Never forget that to believe in the Resurrection of the Lord Christ means to carry out a continuous fight with sins, with evil, with death. If a man fights with sins and passions, this demonstrates that he indeed believes in the Risen Lord; if the fights with them, he fights for life eternal. If he does not fight, his faith is in vain. If man s faith is not a fight for immortality and eternity, than tell me, what is it? If faith in Christ does not bring us to resurrection and life eternal, than what use is it to us? If Christ is not risen, that meant that neither sin nor death has been vanquished, than why believe in Christ? For the one who by faith in the Risen Lord fights with each of his sins there will be affirmed in him gradually the feeling that Christ is indeed risen, has indeed vanquished the sting of sin, has indeed vanquished death on all the fronts of combat. Sin gradually diminishes the soul in man, driving it into death, transforming it from immortality to mortality, from incorruption to corruption. The more the sins, the more the mortal man. If man does not feel immortality in himself, know that he is in sins, in bad thoughts, in languid feelings. Christianity is an appeal: Fight with death until the last breath, fight until a final victory has been reached. Every sin is a desertion; every passion is a retreat; every vice is a defeat. One need not be surprised that Christians also die bodily. This is because the death of the body is sowing. The mortal body is sown, says the Apostle Paul, and it grows, and is raised in an immortal body (I Corinthians 15:42-44). The body dissolves, like a sown seed, that the Holy Spirit may quicken and perfect it. If the Lord Christ had not been risen in body, what use would it have for Him? He would not have saved the entire man. If His body did not rise, then why was He incarnate? Why did He take on Himself flesh, if He gave it nothing of His Divinity? If Christ is not risen, then why believe in Him? To be honest, I would never have believed in Him had He not risen and had not therefore vanquished death. Our greatest enemy was killed and we were given immortality. Without this, our world is a noisy display of revolting stupidity and despair, for neither in Heaven nor under Heaven is there a greater stupidity than this world without the Resurrection; and there is not a greater despair than this life without immortality. There is no being in a single world more miserable than man who does not believe in the resurrection of the dead. It would have been better for such a man never to have been born. In our human world, death is the greatest torment and inhumane horror. Freedom from this torment and horror is salvation. Such a salvation was given the race of man by the Vanquisher of death the Risen God-Man. He related to us all the mystery of salvation by His Resurrection. To be saved means to assure our body and soul of immortality and life eternal. How do we attain this? By no other way than by a theanthropic life, a new life, a life in the Risen Lord, in and by the Lord s Resurrection. For us Christians, our life on earth is a school in which we learn how to assure ourselves of resurrection and life eternal. For what use is this life if we cannot acquire by it life eternal? But, in order to be resurrected with the Lord Christ, man must first suffer with Him, and live His life as his own. If he does this, then on Pascha he can say with Saint Gregory the Theologian: Yesterday I was crucified with Him, today I live with Him; yesterday I was buried with Him, today I rise with Him (Troparion 2, Ode 3, Matins, Pascha). Christ s Four Gospels are summed up in only four words. They are: Christ is Risen! Indeed He is risen! In each of these words is a Gospel, and in the Four Gospels is all the meaning of all God s world, visible and invisible. When all knowledge and all the thoughts of men are concentrated in the cry of the Paschal salutation, Christ is Risen!, then immortal joy embraces all beings and in joy responds: Indeed He is risen!

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9 Lenten and Holy Week Needs 2019 Flowers for the Panagia Icon (4 Salutations Services) - $ each Flowers for the Panagia Icon (Akathist Hymn Service) - $ Flowers for Sunday of the Holy Cross (Processional Icon) Daffodils for Sunday of the Holy Cross Dikerotrikera Candles for Sunday of the Holy Cross Lambathes for Vespers of the Holy Cross - $ Palms and Bay Leaves for Palm Sunday - $ Palm Sunday Decor - $ Flowers for the Palm Sunday Icon Flowers for the Nymphios Icon Flowers for the Last Supper Icon - $ Wreath for the Cross of Christ Candles for the 12 Gospels Flowers for the Crucifixion Icon Flowers for the Kouvouklion (Christ s Tomb) Rose Petals for Myrophores Rose Water Gardenias for the Epitaphio Priest Paschal Candle Flowers for the Lavaron Easter Lilies - $ Altar Candles - $ Anastasi Icon 1000 white cups for Anastasi 1000 red cups for Good Friday - $ cases of white candles - $60 per case 4 cases donated Thank you for helping us bring the proper dignity to our services during this holy season. Ευχαριστούμε δια την υποστήριξή σας και ιερά προσφορά σας ώστε να καλυπτούν οι ανάγκες προς τις Άγιες αυτές ημέρες της Μεγάλης Τεσσαρακοστής και Άγιον Πάσχα. STEWARDSHIP 2019 Stewardship pledge cards can be picked up at the church office; we ask that you prayerfully consider what you will offer to our beloved parish of Holy Cross in Our beloved parish requires approximately $915 per day to operate or an annual pledge average of $1670 per family. As always, we remain appreciative for all that you lovingly give. CHURCH REGISTRY March 21: Funeral of Bertha Tagalos CALLING ALL READERS! Any parishioners who are able to read a foreign language and would enjoy reading the Gospel at the AGAPE Vespers on Pascha, April 28th, please contact the Church office. Thank you!!

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11 Holy Cross Philoptochos Society The Holy Cross Ladies Philoptochos Society is the philanthropic arm of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago and Archdiocese of America that has offered many years of philanthropy through a multitude of programs that make a difference in the lives of people in the United States and throughout the world. Come help us in our many philanthropic activities! By placing an ad in our newsletter, you help defray the cost of all the church s printing needs and mailings in the year. Please call the Church office for more information.

12 Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church 7560 South Archer Road Justice, IL Phone: Fax: Wheelchair Accessible Entrance and Restroom Available Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church of Justice Greek Food Festival Friday, June 21 - Sunday, June 23 Delicious Greek Food and pastries, Games and Rides for the Kids, Greek Dancing, Music, kafeneio, Raffle, And Church Guided Tours