"Unless the LORD BUILDS THE HOUSE, they labor in vain who build it" (Psalm 127:1)

On behalf of Rev. Fr. Elias Ayoub and St. Mary's Antiochian Orthodox Church in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, we are honoured and excited to announce the first-time visit of His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, along with our diocesan Bishop, His Grace Alexander, over the Victoria Day weekend (May 16–17). This hierarchical honour is scheduled especially for the Ground-Breaking Ceremony and the Fundraising Gala.

Twenty years ago, our parish purchased a 3.2-acre property, centrally located in Mississauga, just west of Toronto. We continued to rent a local church, and were permitted to offer our Divine Liturgies on Sunday evenings only. We had to endure extra rental fees for all other liturgical ceremonies, and spiritual and social activities. Our parishioners always say "al kaneesa mesh men hajjar, al kaneesa men basher," an Arabic saying that translates roughly to "the Church is not made out of stones; the Church is made out of people." How true that is! While we firmly believe that we are His Church, all members of Christ's Body, we also recognize the practical needs of our community here in Mississauga. Every parish needs a physical church in which to carry out its liturgical, pastoral, educational, and social activities. Therefore we have been working very hard, determined to realize our community's dream: building our own St. Mary's Church.

Our late beloved Metropolitan, His Eminence Philip (of thrice-blessed memory) visited us over two decades ago, when we initially purchased the land, to grant us his paternal blessing and to encourage us at the beginning of our endeavour. Now His Eminence Joseph will carry on the task of guiding and supporting us to see our dream become reality.

Now that we are ready to build our beloved St. Mary's church, we take this opportunity to invite our sister churches throughout North America to join us in this wonderful event. We are reaching out as far as we can, gathering as many supporters as possible to come and lend a helping hand to St. Mary's Church. We want to be what we are all called to be: a true witness for Christ, and of Orthodoxy in Mississauga. Your much-appreciated support and contributions will help us reach our goal!

Most events, including the Ground-Breaking Ceremony, the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy and the Fund-raising Gala, will take place on May 16 and 17.

For further information, please contact Anna Haddad (416-522-7910) or Ayed Ballan (416-989-1501), or e-mail events@saintmarysmississauga.com. See, too, saintmarysmississauga.com/event/fundraising-gala/ on the Web.

St. Mary's Ground-Breaking Committee
The Word, May 2015

Dear friend of St. Athanasius Academy:

JESUS, BEING OUR CHRIST, IS THE I AM – OUR PASSOVER

From in the beginning, our Lord continuously interacts with the entirety of His creation, promising to be with us always. He will not forsake or abandon us to the fears or empty promises of any dominion of death. Why? Because He is the "I AM" and Pantocrator, Jesus our Christ. He made us whole, molding our person-ness in His image and likeness. And as Pantocrator, He loves us with the understanding patience of a loving Father. And in times of stress, He provides us the comforting grace of His Spirit and newness of life. Why would He allow us to remain in subjection to a domain of bondage, especially if based upon the foolish wisdom of man, not His own?

Yes, we do such things to ourselves. And yes, the Lord allows us the consequences of poor choosing. But not to abandonment or total hopelessness. For our Lord of Lords, our Passover and Father, led His children out of the bondage of Egypt. He later liberated all from subjection to the dominion of death and Satan. Such is the wonder of a caring and watchful Father to His prodigal children.

See the attached PDF files for this month's full teaching and to order the study booklets.

The feast of Mid-Pentecost, and indeed the whole season of the Pentecostarion, is a period of joy and brightness, and yet the Pentecostarion is not without hymns of compunction. Just as the period of Great Lent is not void of the light of the Resurrection, so too the period of Pascha is not void of the theme of repentance. The light of Pascha and Pentecost compels us to recognize the darkness within us and to seek purity and renewal that we may be able to fully share in the joy and holiness of the Spirit:

As we come together on the mid-feast between Your Resurrection and the divine descent of Your Holy Spirit, O Christ, we praise the mysteries of Your wonders. Wherefore, on this day send down upon us Your great mercy.
(Vespers for the Wednesday of Mid-Pentecost, doxastikon of the stichera)

Mid-Pentecost strengthens our preparation for Pentecost— a preparation which requires a renewal of faith and an intensified effort to ascend the heights of righteousness and purity to which we were called when we became members of Christ's Body. The joy of Pascha lies in a vigorous response to the Resurrection and the presence of the Holy Spirit within us and around us. The more sensitive to His presence we become, the more aware we become of our own sins. And our response to this sinfulness is not a paralyzing despair, but a renewed hope and desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit:

Since we have learned from Christ a new and unprecedented way of life, let us all be especially diligent to preserve it until the end, that we may enjoy the presence of the Holy Spirit.
(Canon of Matins for the Wednesday of Mid-Pentecost, first troparion of the ninth ode)

by Papavassiliou, Vassilios (2015-02-22). Meditations for Pascha: Reflections on the Pentecostarion (Kindle Locations 301-309). Ancient Faith Publishing. Kindle Edition.

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Midfeast of Pentecost

Troparion, Tone 8

In the middle of the Feast, O Savior, fill my thirsting soul with the waters of godliness, as You did cry to all: If anyone thirst let him come to me and drink! O Christ God, Fountain of our life, glory to You!

Kontakion, Tone 4

Christ God, the Creator and Master of all cried to all in the midst of the Feast of the law: Come and draw the water of immortality! We fall before You and faithfully cry: Grant us Your bounties, for You are the Fountain of our life!

O Thou Who holdest the ends of the earth in the palm of Thy hand, O Jesus our God, Who art co-beginningless with the Father, and Who, together with the Holy Spirit dost rule over all things: Thou didst appear in the flesh, healing infirmities, driving away passions, and giving sight to the blind. And, by a divine word, Thou didst raise up the paralytic, commanding him to walk straightway and to take up upon his shoulders his bed, which had carried him. Wherefore, together with him we all praise Thee and cry: O Compassionate Christ, glory to Thy dominion and might.

--Oikos of the Feast

On this, the fourth Sunday of Pascha, we make commemoration of the Paralytic and, as is meet, we celebrate the miracle wrought for him.

The word of Christ was strength for the paralytic;
And thus this word alone was his healing.

Jesus healed the Paralytic at the Sheep’s Pool, located near the Sheep’s Gate of Jerusalem, where people sacrificed their beasts and washed their insides. The pool had five sides, with a porch and arch on each. A number of people, afflicted with various diseases, passed through them, waiting at the water for an angel to come down and stir it. Once it moved, whoever stepped into the water first was instantly healed. One poor man, whose story is recounted in today’s Gospel lection in the Divine Liturgy, waited 38 years for someone to lower him into the water, because he was unable to move into the water himself. However, the Savior merely commanded the man to get up and walk, and he was healed.

By Thy boundless mercy, O Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

His Eminence, Metropolitan Joseph reads the “Kneeling Prayers” of Pentecost at Holy Virgin Mary Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church, Yonkers, NY in 2010.The Liturgical Texts for May, blessed by His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, are now ready for clergy and laity to download from the Online Liturgical Guide.

Starting Sunday, May 3, 2015, Sayidna Joseph has authorized a correction at the singing of "God is the Lord" in every Orthros service. The refrain will now properly read "God is the Lord and hath appeared unto us. Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord." This matches the refrain as sung in Arabic, Greek and all other languages. The Department of Sacred Music has begun to provide compositions to reflect this correction. Parishes are to download them and print them for their books. (Visit Sacred Music's page weekly to collect all eight tones.) This change will also be reflected in all future Archdiocesan service books and publications.

The Liturgical Texts now utilize prosomia ("model hymns") as set by Holy Transfiguration Monastery of Brookline, Mass. Chanters can take the verses marked with asterisks and set them to the music syllable by syllable. Click the links either for books with lyrics or without lyrics.

In May, the Orthodox Church continues the celebration of "Bright Season" of Great and All-Holy Pascha. Parishes are still brightly-decorated and the clergy and faithful continue to sing "Christ is Risen." In the Church of Antioch, there is a dispensation from all fasting, even on Wednesdays and Fridays, as we still celebrate our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ in our midst.

This all continues until the leave-taking of the Feast of Feasts, which this year falls on Wednesday, May 20. On Thursday, May 21, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Great Feast of the Ascension of our Lord into Heaven. This year, the Ascension coincides with the commemoration of Saints Constantine and Helen, and so, the Typikon prescribes that we celebrate them together. The Liturgical Texts reflect this combination.

On Sunday, May 31 we celebrate another of the Twelve Great Feasts, Pentecost, on which the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles, giving them new languages so that they could proclaim the resurrected Christ to the entire world. Immediately following Divine Liturgy, or later that evening, parishes must celebrate Vespers with the "Kneeling Prayers" in which we invoke the Holy Spirit to descend upon us as well.

The Online Liturgical Guide, produced by the Department of Liturgics and Translations, provides the official, uniform word-for-word texts to be used for the divine services in all parishes across the Archdiocese. Should you have any questions, please email Subdeacon Peter Samore at service_texts@antiochianladiocese.org.

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! !المسيح قام! حقا قام

His Grace Bishop Anthony led all of the attending clergy at the Funeral Services for Wade George Abraham of St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church, Grand Rapids, MI: the Trisagion Service on April 29th and the Funeral Service on April 30th.

His Grace was received by our gracious host V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Daly, pastor of St. Nicholas-Grand Rapids, MI, V. Rev. Elias Mitchell, retired pastor of St. Nicholas, V. Rev. George Alberts, former pastor of St. Nicholas, V. Rev. Fr. Nicholas Dahdal, pastor of St. George-Cicero, IL, V. Rev. Fr. Joseph Abud, pastor of St. George-Flint, MI, V. Rev. Fr. John Winfrey, pastor of St. George-Grand Rapids, Rev. Fr. Charles Hogg, pastor of Holy Cross-Dorr, MI, Rev. Fr. John Hogg, assistant pastor of Holy Cross, along with Archdeacon David Khorey, Dn. Clement Nicoloff, and Dn. Justin Adolphson all of St. Nicholas-Grand Rapids, MI.

His Grace spoke beautifully at both the Trisagion and the Funeral and also read a comforting letter from Eminence Metropolitan Joseph. Fr. Daly gave an inspired sermon reflecting on his friendship with Wade and how much he and all the faithful of St. Nicholas will miss him.

May Wade's memory be eternal with all of the saints.

Read the obituary for Wade George Abraham.

May 1, 2015

On his Ancient Faith Radio podcast, "Becoming a Healing Presence," host Dr. Albert Rossi recently interviewed Fr. Joseph Purpura, the Archdiocese's chairman of the Department of Youth and Parish Ministries. The podcast, titled"Reaching Our Young Adults," discusses how to best communicate with and serve the Church's teens and young people.  

"In the Antiochian Archdiocese, we are serious about raising up a generation of disciples and leaders. Our goal in everything we do, is to move our young people closer and closer to Christ. It's always a joy to work with young people; the questions that they have are very deep and serious questions." 

He added, "My experience over the past 34 years of doing youth work, is that young people want to do what's right. We see our young people doing really beautiful things, in the name of Jesus Christ....I can't tell you the power, when an adult ask one of our kids to help. They need to know there is a purpose for them there (in the Church)."

Listen to the full podcast.

by Fr. George Morelli

When encountering fearsome situations some people have an automatic appraisal that they must flee from them at all costs and that they should continue to keep such dangers in mind - and even "keep dwelling on the possibility of such events occurring" again. This is described by clinical cognitive psychologist Albert Ellis, (1962)¹ as being "terribly concerned about" them. Another possible common reaction is to 'freeze in place.' Granted, there are some dangerous events in which it may, in fact, be appropriate to flee or freeze. To run and call attention from someone threatening harm would be functional in some situations; naturalists, however, would advise that when coming upon a harmful animal in the wild many times it is best to immediately stop, and not move to prevent calling attention to yourself. Most common everyday situations are not this extreme, and for our well-being it behooves us to deal with them.

When I was in post-graduate clinical training under Ellis, I was instructed in the technique of performing a public "shame exercise' and then teaching the technique and encourage its use by patients who were adversely affected with fear in their daily lives. One example suggested (and that I practiced) was to go into a large department store and shout out the time of day every 10 seconds while riding up and down the escalator for a few minutes. I quickly learned that I could get through such shameful and potentially fearsome situations. The "shame exercises" given to patients as psychotherapy 'homework' are related to their particular feared circumstances. To this day, I tell patients that they are capable of carrying fears with them as they journey through their various life activities.

Such counsel was not lost on some of our brave military individuals. Former U.S. Navy aviator, POW and Silver Star recipient John McCain has said: "We are taught to understand, correctly, that courage is not the absence of fear, but the capacity for action despite our fears. Courage is fear holding on a minute longer."² World War II General George S Patton, commented: "If we take the generally accepted definition of bravery as a quality which knows no fear, I have never seen a brave man. All men are frightened." He further went on to say: "The time to take counsel of your fears is before you make an important battle decision. That's the time to listen to every fear you can imagine. When you have collected all the facts and fears and made your decision, turn off all your fears and go ahead!"³

A spiritual perception when confronting life's vicissitudes can aid us in persevering in fearsome situations. The Buddhist tradition would have us focus on detaching ourselves from our attachments: "From what is dear, grief is born, from what is dear, fear is born. For someone freed from what is dear there is no grief-- so why fear? (Dhammapada 212). Judeo-Christian teachings would encourage us to see God accompanying us in frightening times. As we read in Psalm 90 1-5, "He that dwelleth in the aid of the most High, shall abide under the protection of the God of Jacob. He shall say to the Lord: Thou art my protector, and my refuge: my God, in him will I trust. For he hath delivered me from the snare of the hunters: and from the sharp word. He will overshadow thee with his shoulders: and under his wings thou shalt trust. His truth shall compass thee with a shield: thou shalt not be afraid of the terror of the night." Thus, as Eastern Church Father, St. John Karpathos summarizes, "With our whole soul we must trust in God: as one of our Fathers said, 'Entrust yourself to the Lord, and all will be entrusted to you.'" (Philokalia I, p. 308)⁴. While carrying our fears with us we can be assured that God is accompanying us as well, as our buckler, our shield, our protector.

1 Ellis, A. (1962). Reason and Emotion in Psychotherapy. Secaucus NJ: Lyle Stuart.

2 [http://www.transcendingfear.com/quotes.php]

3 [http://www.transcendingfear.com/quotes.php]

4 Palmer, G.E.H.; Sherrard, P.; and Ware, K. (Trans.) (1971, 1981, 1988, 1990). Philokalia, IIV. London: Faber and Faber.

The 2015 Dioceses of Charleston and New York Parish Life Conference will be hosted by St. John the Baptist Church of Levittown, New York. Dates are Thursday to Sunday, July 1-5, 2015.

Early bird registration deadline: Extended to May 13th!

stjohnorthodoxchurch.com/plc
Download Flyer (PDF, Rev. 4-15)
2015 Diocese of NY PLC on Facebook

Accomodations are at:
Upsky Long Island Hotel
110 Motor Parkway
Happauge, NY
877-736-4313
Deadline for group rate reservations is May 20th.

To register for the PLC, purchase PLC event tickets, to place a message in the Souvenir Journal and for Sponsorship any of the events go to www.stjohnorthodoxchurch.com/plc.

For more information, please contact Father Boulos 516-457-5451, Chairperson Ramzi Kaywood 631-796-3844 or Vice Chairperson Imad Farhat 516-984-9047 or email: Stjohn2015plc@gmail.com.

In the midst of this Feast, O Savior, give Thou my thirsty soul to drink of the waters of true worship; for Thou didst call out to all, saying: Whosoever is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Wherefore, O Christ our God, Fountain of life, glory to Thee. (Apolytikion of the Feast, Tone 8)

On the Wednesday of the Paralytic, we celebrate the Feast of Mid-Pentecost.

Standing in the midst of the teachers, Christ the Messiah teacheth at Mid-Feast.

Mid-Pentecost is the midpoint of the fifty days between the Feasts of Pascha and Pentecost. In the Divine Liturgy Gospel passage, we read that “in the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the Temple, and taught” (John 7:14).

The feast in question is the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles which commemorates the Israelites wandering in the desert for forty years, when they lived under tents and tabernacles. “Tabernacles” served as the middle link between the Jewish Passover, which recalls God’s deliverance of His people from the Egyptian pharaoh, and the Jewish Pentecost, which remembers Old Israel’s entry into the “promised land” of Mount Sinai. The risen Christ is the link for New Israel as it celebrates the New Passover (Pascha, the Resurrection) and the New Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples and apostles. When Jesus had preached in the temple, he had just healed the Paralytic Man—which the Orthodox Church recalled on the previous Sunday—and was about to give sight to the Blind Man—which the Orthodox Church will recall in ten days. The apolytikion of Mid-Pentecost announces the “waters of true worship”, which Christ will give us to drink, just as He gave the Samaritan Woman to drink; we commemorate that event on the coming Sunday. Thus, Mid-Pentecost reveals to the world that Christ will heal all of its infirmities, both physical and spiritual.

By Thy boundless mercy, O Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

O Sovereign Master and Creator of all things, O Christ our God, Thou didst cry unto those present at the Judaic Mid-feast and address forth immortality’s water. Wherefore, we fall down before Thee and faithfully cry out: Grant Thy compassions unto us, O Lord, for Thou art truly the Well-spring of life for all.

With the streams of Thy Blood do Thou water my soul, which is grown dry and barren because of mine iniquities and offences, and show it forth to be fruitful in virtues. For Thou didst tell all to draw nigh Thee, O all-holy Word of God, and to draw forth the water of incorruption, which is living and which washeth away the sins of them that praise Thy glorious and divine arising. Unto them that know Thee as God, O good One, grant from on high the strength of the Spirit, which verily was borne by Thy disciples, for Thou are truly the Well-spring of life for all.

--Kontakion and Oikos of the Feast

The Living Waters of Mid-Pentecost by Fr. Stephen Rogers
Reflections on Mid-Pentecost by Vassilios Papavassiliou
St. Theophan the Recluse on Mid-Pentecost

The St. Stephen's Program is a graduate-level directed-reading course of studies in Applied Orthodox Theology. Successful completion of the program leads to a Diploma in Applied Orthodox Theology. Applicants from the Antiochian Archdiocese may be eligible for the SOYO Metropolitan Philip Youth Worker Scholarship.

Youth Ministry Concentration Overview

The Youth Ministry concentration in the St Stephen's Program comprises 15 directed-reading courses, three projects, and three weeks of residency (one week each year). Each entering Class completes the coursework, projects, and residency on the same trimester schedule (two long sessions and one residency) during the course of the Program. Each Fall session includes three directed-reading courses; each Spring session includes two reading courses and one directed- project course; and each Summer session includes one week of residency in the Antiochian House of Studies.

Directed-Reading Courses

The directed-reading courses for the Youth Ministry concentration are identical to those in the standard Applied Theology concentration of the St. Stephen's program, with the exception of four courses, which specifically focus on preparing the student for Youth Ministry. The directed-reading courses are offered in the Fall and Spring trimesters. In general, the coursework includes:

• Reading the Required Texts for each course and additional recommended reading, which often is relevant across multiple courses.
• Successful completion of the required Exam Papers (typically three for each course) at the end of the semester.
• Students without sufficient background in the subject may find it necessary to undertake some amount of remedial reading in order to establish an appropriate basis and context in which to understand the required readings.

Directed-Project Courses

The St. Stephen's Program directed-project courses are offered in the Spring trimesters (Sessions II, IV, and VI). The directed-project courses for the Youth Ministry concentration are to focus on and area of Youth Ministry. They generally will address a particular need in this area. The Youth Ministry Project courses include:

• A Project Proposal (abstract)
  Submitted at the beginning of the Spring trimester before undertaking the project to 1) the Chair of the Department of Youth Ministry for acceptance of relevancy and 2) the Project Mentor for approval upon acceptance by the Chair of the Department of Youth Ministry
• The directed Project itself
• A Project Paper with supporting detail

Residency

The required residency courses are offered in the Summer trimesters (the last week of August or the first week of September). All students in the St. Stephen's Program are required to attend one week of residency in the Antiochian House of Studies each year (alternating week one or week two). Students in the Youth Ministry concentration will attend the second week of the House of Studies each year and will also attend an intensive Saturday session at the beginning of the week.

Master's Degree Program

Students who successfully complete the St. Stephen's Diploma program and who satisfy the other prerequisites, may apply to enter the Master's Degree Program, leading to a Master of Arts in Applied Orthodox Theology. Upon successful completion of the Youth Ministry concentration of the St Stephen's Diploma program, students may apply for acceptance into the Masters of Art Degree Program in Applied Orthodox Theology with an emphasis on Youth Ministry. This accredited degree is offered by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch through partnership with St. John of Damascus School of Theology, Balamand University.

The Master's Degree Program with the Youth Ministry concentration focuses on a practical need in Youth Ministry and, in general, includes:

• Presentation of a Thesis Proposal (abstract)
• Two Trimesters (Fall and Spring) of thesis research and preparation.
• Completion and defense of the Master's Thesis.

In the Master's Degree program, the Thesis must be focused on Youth Ministry and the Thesis topic must be approved by the Chair of the Department of Youth Ministry before it is submitted to the Thesis Committee.

Examples of Youth Ministry Projects

• Extended Teen Ministry Outreach project, including preparing teens, implementing project and debriefing teens
• Designing, building and training a Parish Youth Ministry Team
• Developing and implementing a Teen Weekend Retreat
• Developing and teaching a Semester Course in Moral and Ethical Issues Confronting Orthodox Youth to teens (for at least a 4 month period)
• Designing, implementing and evaluating a Youth Group Calendar of Events (for at least a 6 month period)
• Teaching teens Orthodox Liturgical Music, performed and useable in an Orthodox setting (quality recording of the event required)
• Developing a web-based Youth Ministry Program
• Developing a CD-based Youth Ministry Teaching Tool for teens
• Developing and implementing a Teen Bible Study Program

Course Requirements for the Youth Ministry Concentration
For course descriptions, please see the 2014 House of Studies Youth Ministry Catalog (PDF)

UNIT I:

• Fundamentals of Orthodoxy
• Church History I
• Liturgical Theology I

UNIT II:

• Church History II
• Fundamentals of Youth Ministry
• Youth Ministry Project 1

UNIT III:

• Relational Ministry and Spiritual Development in Youth
• Holy Scripture II: New Testament
• Patristics

UNIT IV:

• Holy Scripture III
• Doctrine I
• Youth Ministry Project 2

UNIT V:

• Doctrine II
• Moral and Ethical Issues Confronting Orthodox Youth
• Pastoral Theology I

UNIT VI:

• Pastoral Theology II
• Designing and Building a Parish Youth Ministry
• Youth Ministry Project 3

Research Component for the Master of Arts Program:

UNIT VII:

• Guided Research

UNIT VIII:

• Research Paper Composition

Listen to the homily here.

On Wednesday, April 22, 2015, the community of St. George Orthodox Christian Church of Fishers, IN, hosted His Grace Bishop Anthony and area clergy for a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in honor of the Feast of the Holy Great-Martyr George. Bishop Anthony offered an inspiring homily explaining the meaning of the life of St. George, and how we can draw lessons from his life today. "My brothers and sisters, the Church is a military unit," exhorted His Grace. "We have to bivouac in the world, we have to travel in the desert...we have to fire with faith. 

"As St. George did when he confessed Christ before the soldiers—he showed them the courage of goodness and the morality of lasting love—that's what the world needs. Unless we face the fact that Christ is risen from the dead, we will never have the courage to live up to the possiblities of our own life. Each of us has a center and gift and unique talent to offer the world."

In an effort to educate Antiochian parish youth workers, the Society of Orthodox Youth Organizations (SOYO) is pleased to announce that with the blessing of Metropolitan Joseph, SOYO will award the first scholarships to Antiochian Archdiocese parish youth workers this fall, specifically for those registered in the St. Stephen Youth Ministry Concentration.The Scholarship Application and Policy statement are available online; the deadline to apply for the scholarship is July 31, 2015.

Currently the Scholarship Fund has $217,095.87 invested (as of April 30, 2015). Teen SOYO raised and gifted $200,000 to establish this Youth Worker Scholarship during the 2013 Archdiocese Convention.

Download the application here.
View all scholarships available through the Antiochian Archdiocese.

by St. Justin Popovich

The Unity and Uniqueness of the Church

The attributes of the Church are innumerable because her attributes are actually the attributes of the Lord Christ, the Godman, and, through Him, those of the Triune Godhead. However, the holy and divinely wise fathers of the Second Ecumenical Council, guided and instructed by the Holy Spirit, reduced them in the ninth article of the Symbol of Faith to four—I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. These attributes of the Church—unity, holiness, catholicity (sobornost), and apostolicity—are derived from the very nature of the Church and of her purpose. They clearly and accurately define the character of the Orthodox Church of Christ whereby, as a theanthropic institution and community, she is distinguishable from any institution or community of the human sort.

Just as the Person of Christ the God-man is one and unique, so is the Church founded by Him, in Him, and upon Him. The unity of the Church follows necessarily from the unity of the Person of the Lord Christ, the God-man. Being an organically integral and theanthropic organism unique in all the worlds, the Church, according to all the laws of Heaven and earth, is indivisible. Any division would signify her death. Immersed in the God-man, she is first and foremost a theanthropic organism, and only then a theanthropic organization. In her, everything is theanthropic: nature, faith, love, baptism, the Eucharist, all the holy mysteries and all the holy virtues, her teaching, her entire life, her immortality, her eternity, and her structure. Yes, yes, yes; in her, everything is theanthropically integral and indivisible Christification, sanctification, deification, Trinitarianism, salvation. In her everything is fused organically and by grace into a single theanthropic body, under a single Head—the God-man, the Lord Christ. All her members, though as persons always whole and inviolate, yet united by the same grace of the Holy Spirit through the holy mysteries and the holy virtues into an organic unity, comprise one body and confess the one faith, which unites them to each other and to the Lord Christ.

The Christ-bearing apostles are divinely inspired as they announce the unity and the uniqueness of the Church, based upon the unity and uniqueness of her Founder—the God-man, the Lord Christ, and His theanthropic personality: "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (I Cor. 3:11).

Like the holy apostles, the holy fathers and the teachers of the Church confess the unity and uniqueness of the Orthodox Church with the divine wisdom of the cherubim and the zeal of the seraphim. Understandable, therefore, is the fiery zeal which animated the holy fathers of the Church in all cases of division and falling away and the stern attitude toward heresies and schisms. In that regard, the holy ecumenical and holy local councils are preeminently important. According to their spirit and attitude, wise in those things pertaining to Christ, the Church is not only one but also unique. Just as the Lord Christ cannot have several bodies, so He cannot have several Churches. According to her theanthropic nature, the Church is one and unique, just as Christ the God-man is one and unique.

Hence, a division, a splitting up of the Church is ontologically and essentially impossible. A division within the Church has never occurred, nor indeed can one take place, while apostasy from the Church has and will continue to occur after the manner of those voluntarily fruitless branches which, having withered, fall away from the eternally living theanthropic Vine —the Lord Christ (John 15:1-6). From time to time, heretics and schismatics have cut themselves off and have fallen away from the one and indivisible Church of Christ, whereby they ceased to be members of the Church and parts of her theanthropic body. The first to fall away thus were the gnostics, then the Arians, then the Macedonians, then the Monophysites, then the Iconoclasts, then the Roman Catholics, then the Protestants, then the Uniates, and so on—all the other members of the legion of heretics and schismatics.

http://archangelsbooks.com/articles/church/AttributesofChurch.asp, accessed May 6th, 2015. Originally published in Orthodox Life, vol. 31, no. 1 (Jan.-Feb., 1981), pp. 28-33. Translated by Stephen Karganovic from: The Orthodox Church & Ecumenism (in Serbian), by Archimandrite Justin (Popovich) (Thessalonica: Chilandar Monastery, 1974), pp. 64-74.

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Virginmartyr Glyceria at Heraclea

Troparion, Tone 4

Your lamb Glyceria, calls out to You, O Jesus, in a loud voice: "I love You, my Bridegroom, and in seeking You I endure suffering. In baptism I was crucified so that I might reign in You, and I died so that I might live with You. Accept me as a pure sacrifice, for I have offered myself in love." Through her prayers save our souls, since You are merciful.

Kontakion, Tone 3

Through your love for Mary, the Virgin Theotokos, you preserved your virginity, O Glyceria. You surrendered your heart to the Lord and bravely fought until your death. Therefore, Christ God has granted you a double crown.

St. Mary Orthodox Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts is proud to host this year's biennial National Convention from July 19 through July 26, 2015, in beautiful Boston, Massachusetts. This historic city's significance in American history is a fitting backdrop as we celebrate our own history of Orthodoxy in America, the 100th anniversary of the falling asleep of St. Raphael of Brooklyn. Making this event even more historic will be the presence of his Beatitude John X, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, presiding, and the first North American Convention under his Eminence Metropolitan Joseph.

For nearly two years, committees have been hard at work to make Boston 2015 one of the most memorable in recent history with something for everyone. Events planned include: An Enchanting Evening Over Boston, Enliven to Christ, a Night to Celebrate our Archdiocese, the Hafli, Teen Banquet, the Grand Banquet and more — culminating in the Hierarchical Liturgy celebrated by His Beatitude John X, His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, and our Diocesan Bishops!

Summertime in Boston is especially ideal for kids and families. The Kids Club and Tween Club will have daily activities on and off site, including trips to renowned local museums (registration is required). Young adult events are being coordinated for those interested in exploring the city. If you're a sports fan, the hotel is within short walking distance to world famous Fenway Park. If you'd rather stay and reconnect with friends and family, the hotel has the perfect amenities to enjoy fellowship and fun as well.

Rooms at the Boston Sheraton are nearly sold out, so book your reservation quickly! Registration for many events is also limited, and early-bird pricing ends soon, so we encourage you to register online today! For more information on events, schedules, hotel and travel arrangements and to register, visit the Convention website.

Festal Icon Timeline: Click image to enlarge

By Shelley Pituch

Materials

• Piece of poster board, cut into a 7” wide strip that is the length of the longer edge
• Pencil
• Marker
• Glue
• Clothespin
• Small brown piece of construction paper
• Pictures of icons portraying Pascha and the 12 Great Feasts of the church year:
  

1. September 8, the Nativity of the Theotokos
2. September 14, the Exaltation of the Cross
3. November 21, the Presentation of the Theotokos
4. December 25, the Nativity of Christ/Christmas
5. January 6, the Baptism of Christ -- Theophany, also called Epiphany
6. February 2, the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
7. March 25, the Annunciation
8. The Sunday before Pascha (Easter)-- the Entry into Jerusalem or Flowery/Willow/Palm Sunday
9. Forty Days after Pascha (Easter) -- the Ascension of Christ
10. Fifty Days after Pascha (Easter) -- Pentecost
11. August 6, the Transfiguration
12. August 15, the Dormition (Falling Asleep) of the Theotokos

Directions

1. With pencil, draw a line toward the bottom of the strip of poster board.
2. Equally space out and make 13 marks on the line, for Pascha and the 12 Great Feasts.
3. Trace over the lines and marks with black permanent marker.
4. Using the order listed above, glue the appropriate icon picture above each mark on the timeline. You will need to check on the date for Pascha.
5. Identify each icon, briefly discussing the feast that it represents.
6. Write the name of the Feast and the correct date above the corresponding mark and icon.
7. Using the piece of construction paper, draw and cut out a small cross.
8. Glue the cross to the clothespin.
9. To mark the progression through the church year, simply move the clothespin along the timeline.

For more information about the Liturgical Year of the Orthodox Church, read the following article by the Greek Archdiocese: www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith7118.

Many of our parishes invent their own vacation church school programs. Some have vacation church school every day, some have three days in a week, others set aside two week nights. Why have Vacation Church School? From the GOA Catalog:

Summer vacation’s slower pace and mild weather make it the best time to schedule a camp-like program. In addition, most Orthodox parishes suspend their church school activities for the summer, so VCS provides a summertime “boost.” VCS is the perfect way to bring together Orthodox children, parents, grandparents, teachers and others in an intensive environment for a total immersion experience in Orthodox faith, learning and fun. It’s also a good way to work with neighboring Orthodox parishes, planning one area-wide VCS program.

Please see pages 24-25 of the GOA catalog (PDF) for vacation church school resources. And check out the new vacation church school program, “Behold the Light” by the authors of “The Ark of Salvation: Feasts of the Theotokos” at www.goarch.org/archdiocese/departments/religioused.

O almighty Savior, Who didst pour forth water for the Hebrews from a solid rock, Thou didst come to the land of Samaria, and addressed a woman, seeking of her water to drink, whom Thou didst attract to faith in Thee, and who hath now attained life in the heavens everlastingly.

--Exaposteilarion of the Feast, Tone 2

On this day, the fifth Sunday of Pascha, we celebrate the feast of the Samaritan Woman.              
When thou camest to obtain corruptible water, O woman,
Thou didst draw forth living water that washeth away the soul’s stains.

The Samaritan woman—the holy, glorious Great-martyr Photeini—met Jesus at midday at Jacob’s Well, which was located in the city of Sychar. And being tired from travel and the heat, Jesus sat at Jacob’s Well. A little after, the Samaritan woman came to draw water, and had a long conversation with Him (it is the longest recorded discourse between Christ and a human in the entire Bible). Photeini did not want to talk to Jesus, because the Samaritans did not have any dealings with Jews; Jews considered her people heretics because Samaritans kept only the first five books of the Old Testament. However, the Lord talked with her anyway, read her heart, revealed her secrets and gave her the “Living Water”—the grace of the Holy Spirit that leads to eternal life and flows to all humanity—to drink. Photeini immediately ran throughout the city to proclaim Christ. Through her, many other Samaritans believed in Jesus.

By the intercessions of Thy Martyr, Photeini, O Christ God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Having come to the well in faith, the Samaritan woman beheld Thee, the Water of Wisdom; whereof having drunk abundantly, she, the renowned one, inherited the Kingdom on high forever.

Let us hear of the august mysteries, as John teacheth us what cometh to pass in Samaria: how the Lord speaketh unto a woman, asking water of her, even He that gathered the waters into the places where they are gathered, and Who is of one throne with the Father and the Spirit; for He, the renowned One, came, seeking out His image forever.

--Kontakion and Oikos of the Feast

Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry Awareness Sunday is almost here! This year the date is May 17, 2015. Please join in raising awareness and support of the Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry (OCPM), an Agency of the Assembly of Bishops, on this day.

Jesus told His sheep: "I was in prison and you came to Me" (Matthew 25:36). Not all of us can go into the prisons directly, but we can all support those who do this work.

What can you do?

·Volunteer to promote OCPM on May 17 in your parish, with the blessing of your parish priest. Your parish should have recently received a packet of OCPM materials.

·Print OCPM materials to hand out to parishioners after the Divine Liturgy. 

·Share the Prison Ministry Awareness Sunday Encyclical, written by Archbishop Mark and Fr Stephen Powley.

·Make a secure donation to OCPM in any amount.

·Tell a friend about OCPM.

Thank you for helping us grow this vital ministry of the Church!