July 4th INDEPENDENCE DAY

Transcript

1 ST NICHOLAS MONTHLY BULLENTIN ST NICHOLAS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 4967 FOREST PARK AVENUE ST LOUIS, MO Proistamenos: Fr Douglas Papulis (636) Parish Priest: Fr Michael Arbanas (314) Office: (314) Fax: (314) Website: wwwsngocorg July 2014 Volume 18 - Number 7 July 4th INDEPENDENCE DAY Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As we commemorate Independence Day and its significance for this nation, for our American Heritage, and for the quality of our lives, we must also affirm and share the truth our Orthodox faith offers concerning freedom In our contemporary world, many people understand freedom in a very individualistic way For example, some emphasize freedom as an individual right in terms of speech, movement, belief, or behavior Others speak of freedom from the arbitrary use of the power of government Many affirm the liberty to have or to pursue a wide range of economic and social opportunities Certainly, these are aspects of the classical understanding of liberty in a free society in which government is of and for the people and their freedom is protected through various limitations on political authority However, as Orthodox Christians, we understand that freedom is much more than this We know that the blessing of a free society is that we are free to live and experience freedom in the fullest possible way This is freedom that is not limited to our individual rights and opportunities, but freedom to move beyond ourselves to what we can do for and offer to others Yes, we are free to say, do, move, and believe; but in the context of our faith and our communion with God, we are free to share a Gospel of love and hope We are free to give and serve so that others might find healing and peace We are free to respond to the needs of those around us We are free to act on our beliefs and offer a witness of the power and grace of God On this Independence Day, may we join with our fellow citizens of the United States of America in a celebration of our freedom May we continue to be champions of freedom for all people throughout the world May we also offer a witness of how true and enduring freedom is much more than the rights, equality and opportunities that we have individually Let us show that the experience of freedom is much greater when we use it as an opportunity to bring life and hope to others and honor and glory to God -Archbishop Demetrios of America 1

2 St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Monthly Bulletin July 2014 St Nicholas Servants 2014 Parish Council Dr Andrew Galakatos, President Steve Ott, Vice-President Demetrios Tsikalas, Treasurer Michael Ferretti, Secretary Nicky Antoniou George Bude Yemane Habtu Marilynn Jemas Alexandra Kavourinos Mary Ann Mastorakos Dr William Mastorakos Pete Papadopoulos Saki Salas Peter Takes Peter Vaccaro Audit Committee Roxana Couternais Peter Lemakis Janet Papageorge Mark Vleisides Stewardship Committee Fr Douglas Papulis Teddy Hart, Chairperson Michael Ferretti John Koch Mary Ann Mastorakos Steve Ott Michael Pappas Michael Tsichlis Demetrios Tsikalas Chris Varvares Cemetery Committee Pat Johnson William Karides Irene Schildroth Election Committee Roxana Couteranis Lee Hartley Helen Leara Christina Lemakis 314- Tina Paradowski 314- Library Committee Elaine Coulson Michael Kontominas Michael Tsichlis Physical Facilities Paul Efthim Pat Johnson Leo C Pashos Physical Facilities Family Life Center Mike Kamburis Robert Meyer Sam Mezines Nick Tharenos Planned Giving John Koch, Chairman Voula Francis Sakis Salas Dan Tarlas Peter Vaccaro Scholarship Committee Barbara Corrigan Tina Fakonas Denise Karras Philoptochos Georgia Ferretti, President St Irenaeus Orthodox Theological Institute Michael G Tsichlis, PhD x330 Church School Co-Director Bess Fitzmaurice Despina Hartley Handmaidens Rosie Hartley Dance Troupe Georgia Johnson GOYA Helen Carey Mark & Renee Vleisides JR GOYA Mimi Davis Debbie Palazzola HOPE Presvytera Caroline Arbanas OUR LITTLE ANGELS/CHERUBS -Presvytera Caroline Arbanas Women s Faith Group There will be no gathering for this group from July Sept 15th Announcements Festival Workdays This month s information Parish Council Information Michael Doran Appreciation Philoptochos Corner Very Rev Anthony M Coniaris speaking Greek Festival Guest Check request Sunday School registration form Family Life Center usage opportunities Calendar Save The Date Annual Banquet for International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) Sunday, Nov 9, 2014 at St Thomas the Apostle Romanian Orthodox Church Vespers - 5:00pm Banquet - 6:00pm Festival preparation days are: Mon July 7th Thurs July 10th Mon July 14th Thurs July 17th Thurs July 24th Please see calendar for more details Please submit all articles by the 10th of month jenniferengish5674@gmailcom Thank You Jennifer English, Editor 2

3 St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Monthly Bulletin July 2014 Parish Council Update PRESIDENT S REPORT Andrew E Galakatos MD Galakatos@wudosiswustledu PHONE: (314) Recently Andrew Efthim had donated PRECIOUS COINS to St Nicholas (valued close to $14,000) as he has done before in addition to other significant monetary contributions that he has quietly made to our Church We wish to acknowledge these generous offerings that exemplify various ways in which Parishioners may monetarily support our Church Also relative to the Church Bulletin series on METHODS of PLANNED GIVING, Mrs Alexandra Papanicolaou recently bequeathed in her WILL (through her son Ted Pappas) the sum of $20,000 for which we are most grateful and wish that may her memory be eternal Questions have been asked about the necessity of POLICE SECURITY services primarily for our Forest Park Ave Church This was initiated last year as a result of strangers entering our Church premises during Sunday services and stole money and purses Board member Sakis Salas now heads a SECURITY COMMITTEE who will eventually give an expanded Bulletin report In essence, we have 3 individuals who are employed to open and close the Church; and professional security (off-duty police) to cover specific dates and times for many of our Church Services Unfortunately we live in a time when such actions and precautions must be taken for the safety of our Parishioners In 2017, our St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church of St Louis will be celebrating its CENTENNIAL Fr Doug, Fr Michael and Nicky Antoniou are the Tri Chairmen of the CHURCH CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE and will be seeking & requesting your thoughts, ideas and volunteerism for a planned yearlong celebration Finally, please let me know if the MONTHLY BULLETIN contains the information that you wish to have and anything more The Bulletin is in a constant state of change and will eventually include an electronic form as well Πρόσφατα Andrew Ευθύμ είχε δωρίσει ΠΟΛΥΤΙΜΩΝ ΝΟΜΙΣΜΑΤΑ στον Άγιο Νικόλαο (αξίας κοντά στα δολάρια), όπως έχει κάνει στο παρελθόν εκτός από άλλες σημαντικές χρηματικές εισφορές που έχει κάνει αθόρυβα στην Εκκλησία μας Θέλουμε να αναγνωρίσουμε αυτές τις γενναιόδωρες προσφορές που εξηγούν διάφορους τρόπους με τους οποίους μπορεί να Ενορίτες χρηματικά υποστήριξη της Εκκλησίας μας Επίσης, σε σχέση με την σειρά Εκκλησία Δελτίο για ΜΕΘΟΔΟΥΣ Προγραμματισμένες Δίνοντας ΓΡΑΦΕΙΟ, κα Αλεξάνδρα Παπανικολάου πρόσφατα κληροδότησε στη διαθήκη της (μέσω του γιου της, Τεντ Παππάς) το ποσό των $ για το οποίο είμαστε ιδιαίτερα ευγνώμονες και εύχομαι ότι μπορεί η μνήμη της είναι αιώνια Οι ερωτήσεις έχουν ζητηθεί σχετικά με την αναγκαιότητα των υπηρεσιών SECURITY POLICE κυρίως για μας Forest Park Ave Εκκλησία Αυτό ξεκίνησε το περασμένο έτος, ως αποτέλεσμα των ξένων που εισέρχονται στις εγκαταστάσεις της Εκκλησίας μας κατά τη διάρκεια υπηρεσίες της Κυριακής και έκλεψαν χρήματα και πορτοφόλια Μέλος του Διοικητικού Συμβουλίου του Σάκη Salas πλέον ηγείται ΕΠΙΤΡΟΠΗ ΑΣΦΑΛΕΙΑΣ που θα δώσει τελικά μια εκτεταμένη έκθεση Δελτίου Στην ουσία, έχουμε 3 άτομα που απασχολούνται για να ανοίξει και να κλείσει την Εκκλησία? και την επαγγελματική ασφάλεια (off-καθήκον της αστυνομίας) για να καλύψει συγκεκριμένες ημερομηνίες και οι ώρες για πολλές υπηρεσίες της Εκκλησίας μας Δυστυχώς, ζούμε σε μια εποχή που θα πρέπει να λάβει τέτοια μέτρα και προφυλάξεις για την ασφάλεια των Ενορίτες μας Το 2017, του Αγίου Νικολάου μας Ελληνική Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία του St Louis θα γιορτάσει CENTENNIAL του Fr Doug, ο π Μιχαήλ και Nicky Αντωνίου είναι οι Πρόεδροι Tri της ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣ CENTENNIAL ΕΠΙΤΡΟΠΗΣ και θα πρέπει να αναζητούν και ζητώντας τις σκέψεις σας, τις ιδέες και τον εθελοντισμό για μια προγραμματισμένη "πολυετή" γιορτή Τέλος, παρακαλώ επιτρέψτε μου να ξέρω αν το μηνιαίο δελτίο περιέχει τις πληροφορίες που θέλετε να έχετε και τίποτα περισσότερο Το Δελτίο είναι σε μια συνεχή κατάσταση αλλαγής και θα περιλαμβάνει τελικά μια ηλεκτρονική μορφή, καθώς και 3

4 St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Monthly Bulletin July 2014 Planned Gifts to Our Church J R Koch, Chairman, Planned Giving Committee Within the recent month, two of our parishioners have made Planned Gifts to the St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church As you read in the President s Report, each of these parishioners decided, in advance, to make their gifts but in different ways Continuing a pattern of earlier planned gifts to the Church, Andrew Efthim s recent gift of APPRECIATED COLLECTABLE COINS (similar to appreciated securities or any gift of an asset whose value has increased over time) was graciously accepted by our Church Mr Efthim s planned gifts illustrate charitable planned gifting of appreciated assets, which was covered in an article in last month s Bulletin, penned by Voula Salas Francis Such gifts are presented to our Church while the Donor is living, being able to witness how his or her gifts benefit our beloved Church Community The second gift was made by Mrs Alexandra Papanicolaou, who recently fell asleep in the Lord Through the planned generosity of Mrs Papanicolaou, she decided (planned) to leave a gift of $20,000 cash to the Church through her WILL This is the more commonly accepted manner of delivering a planned gift to a charitable organization like St Nicholas Both of these generous parishioners are blessings to our Church Community I have heard from a number of parishioners that they have already included St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in their wills and trusts for similar gifts If you are creating and/or updating your WILL or TRUST, please remember to include our beloved St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church as a beneficiary of your thoughtful, planned charitable gifts Should you be able to provide gifts of appreciated assets (securities, property, valuables), we will be grateful for such charitable kindness Μέσα στο τελευταίο μήνα, δύο από τους ενορίτες μας έχουν κάνει Προγραμματισμένες δώρα στην Αγίου Νικολάου Ελληνική Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία Όπως μπορείτε να διαβάσετε στην έκθεση του Προέδρου, κάθε ένα από αυτά ενορίτες αποφάσισε, εκ των προτέρων, για να κάνουν δώρα τους, αλλά με διαφορετικούς τρόπους Συνεχίζοντας ένα μοτίβο των προηγούμενων προγραμματισμένων δώρα στην Εκκλησία, πρόσφατη δωρεά Andrew Ευθύμ της εκτίμησα ΣΥΛΛΕΚΤΙΚΑ ΝΟΜΙΣΜΑΤΑ (παρόμοιο με εκτιμάται τίτλων ή οποιοδήποτε δώρο ενός περιουσιακού στοιχείου του οποίου η αξία αυξήθηκε με την πάροδο του χρόνου) ευγενικά αποδεκτή από την Εκκλησία μας Προγραμματισμένη δώρα κ Ευθύμ του απεικονίζουν φιλανθρωπικές προγραμματισμένη gifting των περιουσιακών στοιχείων εκτιμάται, η οποία καλύφθηκε σε ένα άρθρο στο δελτίο του περασμένου μήνα, ακινητοποιήθηκαν από Βούλα Salas Francis Τέτοια δώρα που παρουσιάζονται στην Εκκλησία μας, ενώ ο δότης είναι ζωντανός, είναι σε θέση να παρακολουθήσουν τον τρόπο χαρίσματα ωφελήσει την αγαπημένη μας Community Church Η δεύτερη δωρεά έγινε από την κα Αλεξάνδρα Παπανικολάου, ο οποίος πρόσφατα αποκοιμήθηκε στον Κύριο Μέσα από την προγραμματισμένη γενναιοδωρία της κας Παπανικολάου, αποφάσισε (προγραμματισμένη) για να αφήσει ένα δώρο $ σε μετρητά στην Εκκλησία WILL της Αυτή είναι η πιο κοινώς αποδεκτό τρόπο παρέχοντας μια προγραμματισμένη δώρο σε μια φιλανθρωπική οργάνωση, όπως του Αγίου Νικολάου Και οι δύο από αυτές τις γενναιόδωρες ενορίτες είναι ευλογία στην εκκλησία της Κοινότητας μας Έχω ακούσει από έναν αριθμό των ενοριτών που έχουν ήδη συμπεριληφθεί Αγίου Νικολάου Ελληνική Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία στην διαθήκες και καταπιστεύματα για παρόμοιες δώρα τους Αν είστε δημιουργία ή / και την ενημέρωση θέληση ή την εμπιστοσύνη σας, παρακαλούμε να θυμηθείτε να συμπεριλάβετε την αγαπημένη μας Αγίου Νικολάου Ελληνική Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία ως δικαιούχος της στοχαστικοί, προγραμματισμένη φιλανθρωπικές δωρεές σας Θα πρέπει να είστε σε θέση να παρέχουν δώρα εκτιμάται περιουσιακών στοιχείων (τίτλοι, ακίνητα, τιμαλφή), θα είμαστε ευγνώμονες για τέτοιου είδους φιλανθρωπικά καλοσύνη 4

5 St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Monthly Bulletin July 2014 LABOR DAY FESTIVAL PREPARATION Michael Ferretti and Nicholas Tharenos Co-Chair, Festival Committee With two-months to go, preparation for this year s annual St Nicholas Festival is on schedule with thousands of food items already made and frozen Volunteers are encouraged to help this month and in August on the dates sent to the parish in Fr Michael s While our operations have continued to be smooth and efficient, because of bad weather over the last two years, our financial success has been disappointing Therefore, the Festival Committee has been concentrating on several ways to be more successful to justify the hard work of our volunteers We will be judicious in our hiring and relying more on church volunteers trim expenses by working hard to get the best costs from our suppliers / purveyors and encourage more sponsors to help underwrite costs Volunteers for both food preparation this month and next as well as during the actual festival can do so by calling Mrs Katherine Ellis in the Church Με δύο μήνες για να πάει, η προετοιμασία για το φετινό ετήσιο Φεστιβάλ Αγίου Νικολάου είναι εντός του χρονοδιαγράμματος με χιλιάδες είδη τροφίμων που έχουν ήδη γίνει και κατεψυγμένα Οι εθελοντές μπορούν να βοηθήσουν αυτό το μήνα και τον Αύγουστο κατά τις ημερομηνίες που αποστέλλονται στην ενορία Fr Μιχαήλ Ενώ οι πράξεις μας συνέχισε να είναι ομαλή και αποτελεσματική, λόγω των κακών καιρικών συνθηκών κατά τη διάρκεια των δύο τελευταίων ετών, η οικονομική επιτυχία μας ήταν απογοητευτική Ως εκ τούτου, η Επιτροπή του Φεστιβάλ έχει επικεντρωθεί σε διάφορους τρόπους για να είναι πιο επιτυχής για να δικαιολογήσει τη σκληρή δουλειά των εθελοντών μας Θα είναι συνετή για την πρόσληψη μας και στηρίζονται περισσότερο στην εκκλησία εθελοντές τακτοποιήσει τις δαπάνες της δουλεύοντας σκληρά για να πάρει το καλύτερο κόστος από τους προμηθευτές / προμηθευτές μας και ενθαρρύνει περισσότερους χορηγούς για να βοηθήσει εγγυηθεί το κόστος MANY THANKS To all the parishioners who generously donated to Pretty the Patio We received flowers, herbs, pots, large planters, hanging baskets, patio furniture, potting soil, and two monetary gifts We encourage adults and children to enjoy the patio during the summer Thank You Everyone Mary Ann Mastorakos Becky Liringis Marilynn Jemas 5

6 St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Monthly Bulletin July 2014 New Plaques! Have you seen the new plaques installed at the Family Life Center? What a wonderful way to honor loved ones or to show your support for the St Nicholas Parish community! If you would like to discuss Plaque Naming Opportunities, please contact Teddy Hart at We also thank Rip Kastaris for his amazing talent and never-ending support of St Nicholas Philoptochos Corner July & August 2014 We wish to thank our wonderful parishioners for their support and generosity May we encourage you to continue supporting our Philanthropy and Outreach endeavors throughout the year -- Thank you for continuing to fill the Food Bags We are grateful to you for your loyal support of this ministry Please look for our Philanthropy Report found on the back page of the Bulletin throughout the year The Corner returns in September -- Have a safe and wonderful summer Your Philoptochos Corner Reporters: Georgia Ferretti, Carol Kamburis, Bess Millonas, Jeanne Tompras & Dianne Zotos 6

7 St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Monthly Bulletin July 2014 In Appreciation Michael Doran The Adult Choir and Youth Choir of St Nicholas invite you to join us after Divine Liturgy on Sunday, July 20 for a reception luncheon in appreciation of our beloved organist and director, Michael Doran, who will retire from his positions at St Nicholas in August in order to pursue an advanced degree in Applied Music/Piano Performance from the University of Missouri-Columbia With that in mind, Michael set about the enormous task of transcribing the hymns of Orthos into Western notation, along with the original Greek text and phonetics By 2001, Michael had created and published Selected Hymns from the Sunday Orthos in all eight tones -- which, at that time, was the only published version of the hymns of Orthos available in Western notation Not only our choirs but our entire St Nicholas parish have benefited from Michael s love of the Orthodox Church and its music, as well as his immense talent and constant willingness to help others David Alan Michael Doran was born in Mamaroneck, NY in 1946 He began studying the piano as a young child, and went on to major in music at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa After earning his bachelor s degree, he went on to attain a Master of Music degree in Applied Music (Organ) from Drake Michael was chrismated into the Holy Orthodox Church in April 1989, after having taken instruction in the faith from Fr Paul Kaplanis He took an immediate interest in the music of the Orthodox Church especially in the previously unfamiliar area of Byzantine chant Though his own in-depth knowledge of music theory helped him to understand the relationship between the Byzantine neumes and Western notation fairly rapidly, Michael quickly saw that there was a need for a tool to help budding psaltai who wished to learn to chant, but who could not read the Byzantine notation He has served as organist of the Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas since February 1990 and was named choir director in addition to his duties as organist in February 2004 Michael also serves as a regular psalti for Resurrectional Vespers and Orthos In addition to his extensive musical duties at St Nicholas, Michael has been the staff secretary for the Music Department at UM-St Louis since 2008 Also at UM- St Louis, Michael studied piano with Alla Voskoboynikova, and participated in a number of international competitions for amateur pianists Michael has performed in Fort Worth, TX, Washington DC, Paris, and Berlin It is truly difficult to imagine the musical life of our church without Michael and his willingness to give so freely of his time and of his great musical talents We know you will want to join us on July 20 to express your appreciation to Michael as well, and to wish him the best in his future endeavors 7

8 St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Monthly Bulletin July 2014 Parish Life BAPTISMS All you who have been baptized in Christ NIKOLAS MICHAEL Son of Nicholas & Alexandra Pizzo Godparent: Paul Pappas COLTEN GREGORY Son of Sean & Stephanie Gallagher Godparent: Pete Stavrides NIKOLAS CHRISTOPHER Son of Alexander and Lauren Polezogopoulos Godparent: Tiffany Yiatras MEMORIALS July 13 th 40 Day Michael D Kalamitsiotis 1 Year Christos J Benos July 20 th 1 Year Pete Athanas 5 Year Robert Rutter July 27 th 1 Year Mary S Bude FUNERALS Where the Righteous Rest May 22 nd Mary Lou Kujawa May 31 st Michael D Kalamitsiotis Memorial Donations May 10th thru June 10th CHURCH FUND In Memory of George Pathenos Edward Ferretti In Memory of Maria Karagiannis Patricia AHaigh Gus, Maria, Jerry, Corie & Anthony Arvanitakis Cosmas Family Liana & George Jorgji Nick Stratos Penny & Mark Aegerter Harriet Liontos In Memory of William Passel Mr & Mrs William T Dunlap In Memory of Betty Brown Mr & Mrs William T Dunlap CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FUND In Memory of George Pathenos Katherine Ellis & Family In Memory of Mary Lou Kujawa Steve Chalmers In Memory of Maria Karagiannis Dr & Mrs Bill Shisko Voula Stratos SUNDAY SCHOOL FUND In Memory of Maria Karagiannis Evangelia Halastanis Panagiota Christakis FAMILY LIFE CENTER In Memory of Mary S Bude Steve & Lucia Bailey 8

9 St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Monthly Bulletin July 2014 A Homily on Prayer by St Theophany the Recluse No one should think: Labor in prayer, and that is enough No; one must work and be zealous for all things together, both praying and working at all the virtues It is true that it is impossible to succeed in virtues without prayer, but it is also necessary to work at the virtues while praying, so that the prayer can show its cooperation in these virtues In order to succeed in prayer, one must pray, but the labor of prayer should be used as the means to virtues One must be concerned about all things, and always strive to be on the right side The same thing happens in a clock A clock works properly and shows the correct time only when all of the gears and other parts inside are completed and in their correct place, and joined together properly This is the same in our inner spiritual mechanism: the striving of the soul will be true like an arrow, directed straight toward God, when all other parts of the soul are whole and are established in their correct places, so to speak, put in place by virtue DAILY BIBLE READING GUIDE July T 1 Cor 12:27-31;13:1-8 Mt 10:1-8 2 W Heb 9:1-7 Lk 1:39-49,56 3 T Rom 11:13-24 Mt 11: F Rom 11:25-36 Mt 12:1-8 5 S Gal 5:22-6:2 Mt 11:27-30 Sun 6 Rom 6:18-23 Mt 8:5-13 Sun 7 M Rom 12:4-5,15-21 Mt 12: T 1 Tim 4:9-15 Mt 12: W Rom 15:7-16 Mt 12: T Rom 15:17-29 Mt 12:46-50;13: F 2 Cor 6:1-10 Lk 7: S Rom 8:14-21 Mt 9: Titus 3:18-15 Mt 5: M Rom 16:1-16 Mt 13:10-23,43 15 T 1 Cor 13:11-14; 14:1-5 Mt 13: W 1 Cor 2:9-16;3:1-8 Mt 13: T Gal 3:23-4:5 Mk 5: F 1 Cor 4:5-8 Mt 13: S Rom 9:1-5 Mt 9:18-26 Sun 20 James 5:10-20 Mt 9: M 1 Cor 5:9-13;6:1-11 Mt 13: T 1 Cor 6:20-7:12 Lk 8: W 1 Cor 7:12-24 Mt 14:35-36;15: T 1 Cor 7:24-35 Mt 15: F Gal 4:22-27 Lk8: S Gal 3:23-4:5 Mk 5:24-34 Sun 27 2 Tim 2:1-10 Mt 9: M Acts 6:1-17 Mt 16: T 1 Cor 10:5-12 Mt 16: W Acts 15:35-41 Mt 16: T 1 Cor 10:28-33;11:1-8 Mt 16:

10 St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Monthly Bulletin July 2014 On Condemnation From Counsels from the Holy Mountain: From the Letters and Homilies of Elder Ephraim Be attentive, my child, that you not judge any soul For God permits the one who judges his neighbor to fall, so that he learns to have sympathy for his weak brother The mercy of God supports all of us, but if we become proud, God will remove His grace and we shall became worse than the others Each person must bear the weaknesses of others Who is perfect? Who can boast that he has kept his heart undefiled? Hence, we are all sick, and whoever condemns his brother does not perceive that he himself is sick, because a sick person does not condemn another sick person Love, endure, overlook, do not get angry, do not flare up, forgive one another, so that you resemble our Christ and are counted worthy to be near Him in His Kingdom My child, avoid condemnation it is a very great sin God is greatly saddened when we condemn and loathe people Let us concern ourselves only with our own faults for these we should feel pain Let us condemn ourselves and then we shall find mercy and grace from god Love one another, and do not be embittered out of egotism Humility is a sure guide; it does not let the one who possess it hit the reefs of carelessness and be shipwrecked, but as luminous guide it leads him faultlessly on sure ground We Read the Scriptures as Part of the Larger Tradition It is just here that the Protestant principle of sola Scriptura utterly betrays For the Scriptura was not written sola as if it stood alone, but as part of the larger whole; and the Tradition predates the writing of the New Testament itself The apostles told stories about Jesus and gave instruction to the churches before they wrote the Gospels and Epistles The Gospels and Epistles form a part of this over-arching Tradition This means that if we read anything in the New Testament that seems to contradict the Tradition, we know that we are actually misreading it, and missing its true meaning We need therefore to immerse ourselves in the larger Tradition, feeding upon the liturgical hymns and the writings of the Fathers Foremost in this is our experience of the Tradition in the Divine Liturgy For in the Liturgy we do not just read the words of Christ (as if He were absent), but rather hear His living voice, since He is present That is why we stand when the Gospel is read, to greet the living Lord who abides in our midst As St John Chrysostom writes, The reading out of the Scriptures [in church] is the opening of the heavens There Christ reveals Himself to us, and this liturgical encounter with Him forms the foundation for our private reading -Fr Lawrence Farley Egotism is the most evil of evils; it causes all our lapses through non-submissive thoughts Fear this and strive to get rid of it, for the more it remains within us, the more it will wound us with the proportionate pain I beg that you not criticize one another, for this downright egotism Excuse your brother s fault; this is evidence of humility and love The brother who acts thus will find much grace from God, but he who judges and scandalizes his neighbor should know that not only will he not find grace, but even if he has something he will lose it, so that he may learn the lesson of humility through suffering If I do not feel a sense of joy in God s creation, if I forget to offer the world back to God with thankfulness, I have advanced very little upon the Way -Metropolitan Kallistos Ware 10

11 St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Monthly Bulletin July 2014 THROUGH CREATION TO THE CREATOR We are not to restrict God s presence in the world to a limited range of pious objects and situations, while labeling everything else as secular ; but we are to see all things as essentially sacred, as a gift from God and a means of communion with him It does not, however, follow that we are to accept the fallen world on its own terms This is the unhappy mistake of much secular Christianity in the contemporary west All things are indeed sacred in their true being, according to their innermost essence; but our relationship to God s creation has been distorted by sin, original and personal, and we shall not rediscover this intrinsic sacredness unless our heart is purified Without self-denial, without ascetic discipline, we cannot affirm the true beauty of the world That is why there can be no genuine contemplation without repentance Natural contemplation signifies finding God not only in all things but equally in all persons When reverencing the holy icons in church or at home, we are to reflect that each man and woman is a living icon of God Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me (Matt 25:40) In order to find God, we do not have to leave the world, to isolate ourselves from our fellow humans, and to plunge into some of mystical void On the contrary, Christ is looking at us through the eyes of all those whom we meet Once we recognize his universal presence, all out acts of practical service to others become acts of prayer It is common to regard contemplation as a rare and exalted gift, so no doubt it is in it plenitude Yet the seeds of a contemplative attitude exist in all of us From this hour and moment I can start to walk through the world, conscious that it is God s world, that he is near me in everyone whom I encounter However spasmodically and incompletely I do this, I have already set foot upon the contemplative path Many people who find the imageless prayer of silence altogether beyond their present capacity, and for whom the familiar phrases written in Scripture or in the books of prayer have grown dull and dry, can renew their inward life through the practice of natural contemplation Learning to read God s word in the book of creation, discovering his signature in all things, I then find when I return to read his word in Scripture and the books of prayer that the well-known phrases have a fresh depth of meaning So nature and Scripture complement each other In the words of St Ephrem the Syrian: Wherever you turn your eyes, there is God s symbol; Wherever you read, you will find there his types Look and see how Nature and Scripture are linked together Praise for the Lord of Nature, Glory for the Lord of Scripture From The Orthodox Way Archimandrite Kallistos Ware St Vladimir s Seminary Press, Crestwood, New York Sunday s Coffee Hour Thank you to the Ladies Alexander the Great serving coffee, tea, and snacks for the month of June Also a great big Thank you to Ed Ferretti and Jim English for making the coffee and tea Ahepa 53 members will be serving during the month of July Roxana will be asking Ladies of the community to volunteer for the month of August Roxana Couteranis 11

12 St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Monthly Bulletin July 2014 Makaria Meals at Family Life Center The Family Life Center will offer Makaria s to our parish Traditional Makaria Menu Appetizers Greek salad Choice of Sautéed Grouper or Red snapper with either white wine caper sauce or a roasted red pepper coulis Choice of Pan roasted potatoes or blended rice Pilaf Choice of green beans with dill butter or mixed fresh broccoli, cauliflower carrots with shallot butter Bread/butter 1 glass of wine per person Dessert provided by family Includes china, glassware, silverware and base linens 3 hours service Cost: $40 per person (50 person minimum) Plus tax and gratuity service provided by Butler s Pantry Caterer The Atrium and Philoptochos Room are available for rent Rental Cost $500 (includes table and chair set up) 12

13 St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Monthly Bulletin July 2014 Family Life Center Rental Services Check out our Event Center on the St Nicholas web site wwwsngocorg Select Event Center on the menu The Rental Committee has completed all the work necessary to rent the FLC to nonparishioners This will offer us an outside source of revenue to help pay down the mortgage Our beautiful building is perfect for weddings, business conference, small and large parties, cocktail receptions, trivia nights and much more So if you have friends, neighbors, or business associates looking for a venue, please send them our way We will provide a tour of the facility, an information packet, and availability For all information call the church office Rental fees for non-parishioners: Cultural Center/Atrium (seats 500) $2500 Atrium Only (seats 125) $750 Philoptochos Room (seats 100) $500 Rental includes: Chair, table set up Carpet in Cultural Center Sound system Podium/Microphone Complimentary Parking Exclusive Caterer Butler s Pantry wwwbutlerspantrycom Click Venues We are excited and hope you are too Mary Ann Mastorakos, chairperson Nicky Antoniou Janet Papageorge Carol Kamburis Lauren Rowe 13

14 St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Monthly Bulletin July 2014 GREEK FESTIVAL GUEST CHECK REQUEST FORM Name Address City/State/Zip Please Print No of Checks Name Address City/State/Zip Please Print Name Address City/State/Zip Name Address City/State/Zip Name Address City/State/Zip Name Address City/State/Zip Name Address City/State/Zip Please Print Please Print Please Print Please Print Please Print Name Address City/State/Zip Please Print With the understanding that I will be billed for each dinner check redeemed, please send the number of checks specified in my name to the individuals listed above Your Signature Print your name clearly 14

15 St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Monthly Bulletin July 2014 St Irenaeus Orthodox Theological Institute Presents The 3rd Anniversary Feast of St Irenaeus Celebration, featuring VERY REV ANTHONY M CONIARIS Author of over 50 books on the Orthodox faith and founder of Light and Life Publishing Saturday, August 23, 2014 St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Family Life Center S Outer 40 Road, St Louis, MO (From East: Hwy 64 to Mason Rd, left across 64, take SECOND left onto Outer 40, follow road 1/2 mile to FLC From West: 64 to Mason, go right and take immediate left to Outer 40, 1/2 mile to FLC) Free parking on the FLC lot This is a FREE event (donations accepted) Includes hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and dessert Please pre-register by contacting Dr Michael Tsichlis at mtsichlisphd@yahoocom or call Fr Anthony M Coniaris served at St Mary's Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis, MN from 1948 until his retirement in 1993 Ordained a Deacon in 1950 and a Priest in 1953, he is a native of Boston, MA A graduate of the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Theological Seminary in Brookline, MA (Bachelor of Theology), he received a Master of Divinity at the Northwestern Theological Seminary in Minneapolis (since merged with Luther Seminary) He attended post-graduate studies in the field of religion and psychiatry at the University of Minnesota and at St John's University in Collegeville, MN Fr Anthony has authored over fifty books on the Orthodox faith, most of which were written for lay people and those inquiring into the Orthodox Church He also founded Light and Life Publishing Company, which became the largest distributor of Orthodox books in the English language For these efforts he received the Three Hierarchs Medal for outstanding service from Holy Cross School of Theology Fr Coniaris has served on the Standing Committee of Liturgical Translations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and was also Adjunct Professor of the Homiletics at Holy Cross Seminary He served for several years on the Archdiocese Board and Missions as well as on the Presbyter's Council A scholarship to aid needy students at Holy Cross Seminary was named after Fr Anthony and his late wife, Presbytera Mary Coniaris 15 SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY PROGRAM SCHEDULE: 6:00-6:30 am Sign-In/Reception 6:45-7:10 pm Annual St Irenaeus Institute Director s Report to the Community 7:10 pm Remarks by Fr Anthony with Question/Answer Follow-up via live Skype link 8:00 pm Special Presentation & Dismissal Prayer Note that some of Fr Anthony s books will be available for purchase

16 St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Monthly Bulletin July 2014 ST NICHOLAS CHURCH SCHOOL REGISTRATION Parents: Address: City: Zip: Telephone: (mandatory): Cell: Children must be 3 years of age by August 1, 2014, to enter the 3 year old class Church school follows the age limits of St Louis School Districts Use the back of the form for more than 4 children Child: Grade - Fall 2014: Child: Grade - Fall 2014: Child: Grade - Fall 2014: Baptismal Name: DOB: Baptismal Name: DOB: Baptismal Name: DOB: Parents! We need your continued support to make Church school and all of its extra-curricular activities run smoothly Please help us by volunteering for any of the events below This is a great way for parents to make a contribution to Church School and take the burden off of our hardworking and dedicated teachers! Please circle below: September: First Day Treats/Teacher Appreciation - Ice Cream Social November: Meal a month food drive December: St Nicholas Day Gift Bags Christmas Pageant May: End of Year Picnic Substitute/Assistant Teacher Decorating Committee: Help decorate halls and bulletin boards and maintain decorating materials Registration will run from April 27 th May 18 th Registration fees are $10/child until May 18 th After May 18 th, late registrations will be $20/child Make checks payable to St Nicholas Church and drop them by the Church School Office or send them in to: St Nicholas Church, 4967 Forest Park Blvd, St Louis, MO Please register early! 16

17 St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Monthly Bulletin July 2014 St Nicholas Vacation Bible School July 14 to 18-9 am to Noon Family Life Center - $25 To register, or for more info: frmarbanas@gmailcom or

18 JULY 2014 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY :00 am-orthos 9:30 am-divine Liturgy Greeter: 8:00 am-orthos 9:30 am-divine Liturgy Greeter: Nick & Liz Perkins 8:00 am-orthos 9:30 am-divine Liturgy Greeter: Mary Volas 8:00 am-orthos 9:30 am-divine Liturgy Greeter: Leo & Dessie Pashos 7am Men s Fellowship Family Life Center Καφενείοv 9-12 Family Life Center Have a safe and Happy Independence Day am Festival Koulouria (6,000) 10am Mom s & Tot s Bible Study at SNC 7am Men s Fellowship Family Life Center 8am Festival Shish-kbobs (4,200) Καφενείοv 9-12 Family Life Center am Festival Koulouria (6,000) 9a-12p Vacation Bible FLC 7pm Book Group at FLC 9a-12p Vacation Bible FLC 7am Men s Fellowship Family Life Center 9a-12p Vacation Bible FLC 8am Festival Shish-kbobs (4,200) 9a-12p Vacation Bible FLC Καφενείοv 9-12 Family Life Center 9a-12p Vacation Bible FLC am Mom s & Tot s Bible Study at SNC 7am Men s Fellowship Family Life Center ) 8am Festival Shish-kbobs (4,200) Καφενείοv 9-12 Family Life Center AUG 1 9a-3p Hellenic FLC 9a-3p Hellenic FLC 9a-3p Hellenic FLC 9a-3p Hellenic FLC 9a-12p Hellenic Vetta Sports Manchester 18

19 St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church 4967 Forest Park Avenue St Louis, MO RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED NON-PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID ST LOUIS, MO PERMIT NO 1029 Please visit us at wwwsngocorg FOOD BAGS for the HUNGRY JULY Chicken Chow Mein Brown Rice Turnip Green Chunky Fruit Mix Powdered Milk (optional) Shampoo (optional) AUGUST Tuna Macaroni and Cheese Beets Plums Whole Wheat Crackers Powdered Milk (optional) Hand Lotion (optional) Thanks to Barbara Mavromatis and Mary Mezines, co-chairs Philoptochos Philanthropy We hope you and your family will have a wonderful and safe summer filled with the joys of family, friends, and the Blessings of our St Nicholas Clergy and Parish Thank you for continuing to fill the FOOD BAGS -- they are needed and appreciated as never before by FOCUS (Orthodox Food Bank) & The HAVEN OF GRACE ( ministering to infants, children and their families) We thank the Sunday School for supporting this wonderful ministry We continue to need the following: small microwave,, ping pong accessory kit, metal horse shoes game set, student chairs with fold away table arms gently used children/infant clothing - all sizes -, men's, women's & children's shoes and boots& any gently used furniture If your items can be brought to church, please do so If you have large items, please contact Jeanne or Johanna and we will arrange to place them with a charity and to pick them up We have several ladies who are seeking part time employment in home care & light cleaning -- They speak both Greek and English & can provide their own transportation For further information please contact Johanna or Jeanne to arrange an interview If you have any questions, please contact Johanna Spanos (314) or Jeanne Tompras (314)