St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I pray all is well on this cloudy and blustery day. Stay warm and comfortable. 

Tomorrow when you arrive in the Fellowship Hall after the Divine Liturgy, you will notice a couple “Christmas Trees” that are set up along the south side of the room. It’s that time of year, once again, when we can assist St. Nicholas in his desire to bring joy to every child. Our Sub for Santa project, Operation Chimney Drop is all set and ready to go. Thank you to Kathy Shand and AnnaSophia Clark for organizing and setting up their elaborate and beautiful display. 

As in past years, please pick an ornament from the tree and purchase the desired item listed by a child in our greater community. Our organizers have also made it easier to participate this year. In the past, you were asked to provide the entire wish list of a child – both wanted toys and needed clothes. Kathy has split up the lists of individual children and will consolidate them afterwards. In other words, she divided the lists so that multiple people can provide for each individual recipient. So, the good news is that participating will not be as daunting. The challenge, of course, is that there are obviously more ornaments on the trees than year’s past. 

Of course, that is a challenge that we are prepared to tackle. I would still hope, just like in years past, we will have an empty tree by tomorrow afternoon. I pray that we can add to our holiday excitement by helping those in need. I cannot think of a better way to head into the week of Thanksgiving than acknowledging our gratitude for the gifts we’ve been given, and to share those blessings with others. Please participate and please participate generously. 

Speaking of the Thanksgiving Holiday, while it is true that we enjoy a special dispensation from the Nativity Fast on Thanksgiving Day, please be prayerfully reminded that we are in the midst of a major fasting period in the life of the church. I remind you that while the Fast should be obviously maintained at home, but there should especially be no meat or dairy products served at church functions until after Christmas.  This practice will only get more difficult as the Nativity draws nearer. The western model of preparing for Christmas is party after party. The Orthodox preparation for the Incarnation of God is to approach this great mystery with awe, prayer, and fasting. It’s not too late to take up this mantle and begin.

Lastly, please place in your calendar Great Vespers for St. Nicholas on Thursday, 5th at 6:00 pm. Right afterwards, our Philoptochos will host an evening of lighting our Christmas Tree, singing carols, enjoying each other’s company and decorating our gingerbread houses. This will be a lovely tradition to literally begin the Christmas season with commemorating the actual St. Nicholas.

I also wish to congratulate our parish’s own Lynne Roberts for being named the head coach of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks. I pray that this new adventure proves a blessing for her, her family and her new team. No doubt, she’ll successfully right that ship just like she did for the University of Utah Women’s Team.

Please enjoy the blessings of the day and I look forward to worshiping with you tomorrow. I remain,

In Christ’s Love, 

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Last Sunday, we welcomed His Eminence Metropolitan Constantine of Denver to celebrate the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy with a combined Metropolis Choir of over 60 people. Our parish hosted the Metropolis of Denver Church Musicians Conference and had a wonderful time doing so. The love, energy, hospitality and creative energies of our welcoming community was acknowledged by all of our visiting friends. I am so proud of, and thankful for this loving parish who always exhibits open arms. God bless you for your gracious and benevolent hearts. And first among you, I thank our dedicated St. Anna Choir for your example of sacrifice and love. You are all so lovely and our parish is blessed with your sacred ministry. 

Now that this Conference is in the rear-view mirror, I wish to call your attention to another Metropolis Ministry; one that will benefit the growth and development of our spiritual wellness for generations to come. I am referring to our Metropolis of Denver Retreat Center in Golden, Colorado. 

Our Metropolis recently purchased and began the herculean task of renovating and updating the facilities on 58 beautiful acres. This camp and retreat center is available now for small retreats and will be housing our Metropolis Camp Emmanuel by the summer of 2026. There is endless potential, and much has already been done (recall, our parish pledged $30,000 over three years to assist in this effort) to move the Retreat Center in the right direction. But the assistance of every parish in our Metropolis is greatly needed.

Tomorrow is the designated Camp for the Future Sunday throughout our great and expansive Metropolis. There will be brochures available tomorrow in the narthex to learn more about this vital and vibrant ministry of the Metropolis of Denver. And there will be opportunities to contribute to the Retreat Center. As you depart from the Divine Liturgy, there will be a collection basket in the foyer of the building, and there are QR Codes placed around to make direct contributions if you so desire. I personally look forward to leading retreats there and participating in summer camp on these beautiful grounds. Please, support this new and worthy effort. Ours is the last Metropolis to obtain its own retreat center. Let’s invest in the spirituality of our young people and provide them a camp that reflects our commitment to them. But also remember, this facility is not just a youth camp. It is a place for all of us to gather, to grow, to commit, and to engage. 

Camp for the Future is now! 

Also, please remember that tomorrow is our Fall Parish Assembly. Come with your comments and questions and be prepared to fulfil your responsibility as the governing voice of our parish. As I always remind you, the bishop is not the voice of the parish. The priest is not the voice of the parish. The parish council is not the voice of the parish. You, the collective general assembly of parishioners in good standing is the voice of the parish. We have accomplished a great deal in a very short amount of time. Now, to the glory of God, we will continue down a path of service, witness, worship and fellowship. God bless you and keep you in His mercy. I remain,

With Much Love in XC,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

The world has found in you a great champion in time of peril, as you emerged the victor in routing the barbarians. For as you brought to naught the boasts of Lyaios, imparting courage to Nestor in the stadium, in like manner, holy one, great Martyr Demetrios, invoke Christ God for us, that He may grant us His great mercy.

Apolytikion of St. Demetrios the Great Martyr

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Through the intercessions and prayers of St. Demetrios the Great Martyr, may he find you in God’s comfort and favor.

Tomorrow morning we will be celebrating the divine services of the Church to honor this magnificent saint. The Orthros is at 9:00 am followed by the Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am.

Saint Demetrios suffered in Thessalonica during the reign of Galerius Maximian (c. 306). He belonged to one of the most distinguished families of the province of Macedonia and was widely admired not only because of his noble ancestry and grace of bearing, but also for virtue, wisdom and goodness of heart surpassing that of his elders.

The military expertise of Saint Demetrios led Galerius, as Caesar of the Eastern Empire, to appoint him commander of the Roman forces in Thessaly and Proconsul for Hellas. But for all this, Demetrios remained ever aware of the underlying realities of life. Since faith in Christ had touched his heart, all the glory of this world meant nothing to him, and there was nothing he preferred to teaching and preaching the word of God.

Despite the persecution directed against Christians by the Emperor, Saint Demetrios brought a large number of pagans to the faith. His words convinced them because they saw in the righteousness, peace and brotherly love that marked his life an illustration of the truth of which he spoke.

The Emperor Maximian had just won a series of brilliant victories over the Scythians and was on his way back to Rome when he halted at Thessalonica to receive the acclamations of the populace and to offer sacrifices in thanksgiving to the idols. A number of pagans, envious of the success of the Saint, took advantage of the Emperor’s presence in the city to denounce Demetrios as a Christian. Maximian’s astonishment gave way to violent indignation when he was told that Demetrios’ was making use of his official position to spread the faith. Demetrios was summoned and confined in a cell, located in the basement of nearby baths.

Maximian arranged for games and gladiatorial combats to take place in the amphitheater of the city. He had brought with him a man of gigantic stature and Herculean strength called Lyaios, a Vandal by origin. Such was this man’s strength and skill in single combat that no one could withstand him. There was in the city a young Christian called Nestor, who observing the empty pride of the Emperor in the victories of his champion, made up his mind to show him that real power belongs to Christ alone. He ran to the baths where Demetrios was imprisoned and asked for the protection of his prayer in going to confront the giant. The Martyr made the sign of the Cross on the brow and the heart of the boy, and sent him like David before Goliath. He reached the amphitheater just as the heralds were crying out on all sides for any who would stand against Lyaios. Advancing towards the Emperor, Nestor threw his tunic to the ground and shouted, “God of Demetrios, help me!” In the first encounter, at the very moment the giant rushed upon him, Nestor slipped aside and stabbed him to the heart with his dagger. There was uproar and amazement at the marvel, and people asked themselves how a mere child, relying neither on strength nor weapons, could so suddenly have brought down the barbarian.

Rather than yield to the sign of the sovereign power of God, the Emperor flew into a rage and ordered the immediate arrest of Nestor and his beheading outside the city. He had heard Nestor calling upon the God of Demetrios and, supposing the Saint had used some kind of witchcraft, Maximian ordered his soldiers to go and thrust Demetrios through with their lances, without trial, in the depths of his prison cell. There were some Christians, including Demetrios’ servant Lupus, present at his martyrdom, and when the soldiers had gone, they reverently buried the Saint’s body.

It was God’s will that the grace with which He filled Saint Demetrios should remain active even after his death. This is why He caused to flow from his body a myron with a delightful scent, which had the property of healing all who took it as an unction, with faith in the intercession of the Saint. Time and again, during sixteen hundred years, Saint Demetrios has given proof of his benevolent care for the city of Thessalonica and its inhabitants. He has defended them from the attacks of barbarians, he has preserved them from plague and famine, healed the sick and comforted the afflicted.

Adapted from The Synaxarion: The Lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church, Vol. 1, compiled by Hieromonk Makarios of Simonos Petra and translated from the French by Christopher Hookway (Chalkidike, Greece: Holy Convent of the Annunciation of Our Lady, 1998)

With Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas