First day of Sunday School.
“On Sundays and feast days come to church, and falling down with reverence before God, be mindful of all the mercies you may ever have received from Him. Thank Him for them with all your heart, and as a sign of your thankfulness, promise to live as He has commanded you. This is a sacrifice most pleasing to God.” – St. Theophan the Recluse
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I love the above quote by St. Theophan in that he calls the faithful to action in our walk with Christ. Be mindful of God’s blessings, be thankful for His mercies, be attentive to His actions and fulfil your promises towards Him. And how do we accomplish this? Come to church!
“On Sundays and on feast days, come to church…”
Our divine services, most especially the Liturgy, are our blessed opportunities to encounter the living God who continually pours out His indescribable mercies upon us. Our very salvation was earned on the Cross of Christ, and sacredly perpetuates in the bloodless sacrifice of each Eucharistic celebration. And it is a celebration.
As Orthodox Christians, we mark time and construct the actions of our faith around a sacred calendar. Time is divided into hours, days, festal periods, seasons and annual commemorations. In God’s time (Kairos) there is no confined understanding of time. There is no past, present, or future, just…God. In our time (Chronos) we look back on the past, realize the present and contemplate the future. Our understanding of time is circular, yet linear. It operates in cycles, yet races past us, as a speeding train on an infinitely long, straight track. A mystery to be sure.
Although that speeding train never slows, it does have stops along the way. In the Orthodox Calendar, all expressions of the human condition are exercised and piqued along the way. The sorrows and the joys; the fasting and the feasting; sunrise and sunset; death and life. We live these realities simply by observing our Sacred Calendar, and actualizing what the calendar says on any particular day. How?
“On Sundays and on feast days, come to church…”
Consider the events of this week’s end and the beginning of the next. This Sunday afternoon, we will come together as a Christian family in celebration of our parish Name Day and Matron Saint Anna, the mother of the most holy Theotokos. As you’ve heard me mention several times before, it is a unique set of circumstances (all involving the calendar) that requires us to celebrate our parish Feast a month after the actual day. Between Pioneer Day (the secular calendar) and the fast/feast of the Theotokos in August (the sacred calendar) the scheduling of our events, and the living of our lives are affected.
And when we do come together for our parish picnic, the calendar says it’s a day of celebration. Fried chicken, carnival games, laughter, social interaction and multiple family gatherings will define the day. I am so looking forward to an afternoon in honor of St. Anna and the Greek Orthodox parish which God established in her name. Joy. Happiness. Fun.
Then, my Beloved in the Lord, the calendar flips – the page is torn off; the new day is tapped. It’s no longer August 28th. It’s August 29th. The church picnic is wrapped up, and we move onto one of the most sorrowful days in the course of the year. The calendar informs us of this day, the Beheading of St. John the Baptist.
“On Sundays and on feast days, come to church…”
Phyllis Meshel Onest thusly describes this solemn day: “In Matthew 14:1-12 we read about the cruel death of John the Baptist. John had publicly reprimanded Herod for taking his brother’s wife as his own, so Herod had him imprisoned. Although Herod really wanted John dead, he feared the many people who believed John to be a prophet. [Indeed, we in the Orthodox Church consider him to be the last of the Old Testament prophets.]
During his riotous birthday party, Herod was so pleased with the dancing of his wife’s daughter Salome that he promised her anything she wanted. Her mother prompted her to say, “the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” Even though Herod regretted his promise, he had to abide by it because his guests had heard him. So he commanded that John be beheaded and that the head be given to Salome, who in turn, gave it to her mother.”
On Sunday morning, the Day of the Lord, we will celebrate the Divine Liturgy commemoration of the Resurrection. A heavenly Banquet.
On Sunday afternoon, still the Day of the Lord, we will joyfully gather at Canyon Rim Park at 3:00 pm for our Name Day Picnic. Please don’t miss out on this opportunity to participate in our family day.
The calendar, the Sacred Calendar turns.
On Monday, August 29th, Orthros is at 9:30 am and the Divine Liturgy is at 10:30 am. We remember the unjust and violent death of the Baptizer. One of the three, strictest fast days of the Orthodox Church. How do we know this?
Check your calendar.
With Love in Christ,
Fr. Anthony
“For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” 2 Corinthians 4:5
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
By God’s grace and generosity, it has already been one year since I, together with our family, arrived in Salt Lake City to be with you, not as a visiting, home-town priest, but assigned to pastor the most dynamic and Spirit-filled community under His creation.
Two years ago, the Lord planted a Vineyard that would become St. Anna’s. We have been on a steady process of growth, ministry and service ever since. The Lord, through your diligent and prayerful efforts, has accomplished wondrous things through the establishment of this faithful parish – a parish which I feel will always be defined by…
The love of Christ and the love to others;
The service of Christ and the service to others;
The witness of Christ, and the witness to others;
The ministry of Christ and the ministry to others.
With these precepts as the backdrop of our collective purpose, I would like to highlight, as I’ve also presented within our Weekly Bulletin, the ministerial activities of our parish, as we begin the New Ecclesiastical Year in September.
As mentioned elsewhere, this list is not meant to be representative of all activities, ministries and organizations, here at St. Anna’s. It’s really a reminder of the ministries that we began a year ago, and went mostly dormant during the summer, has begun again in earnest. Take a look at what’s coming up on the St. Anna Calendar:
Altar Server Retreat (Boys in 3rd Grade through 12th Grade): An altar server retreat will be held on Saturday, September 17, 2016, beginning at 2:00 p.m. Join us for service training, altar server Olympics, dinner and an evening at the Rocky Mountain Raceway. Further details to come. Please contact Fr. Anthony if your son, who is of proper age, is interested in altar service.
St. Anna Youth Ministry Kick-Off Celebration: The St. Anna Youth Ministry Kick-Off Celebration will be held on Sunday, September 25, 2016, at 3:00 p.m., at the home of the Zoumadakis/Savas family, 2009 Waldo Drive, Holladay. Join us for a BBQ dinner, fun and planning for the 2016-17 activities!
JOY Ministry (1st Grade – 5th Grade): Our first JOY meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 25, 2016, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., in the fellowship hall. Remember that JOY generally meets the last Tuesday of the month, with additional service projects, parties, and outings.
GOYA Ministry (Jr. GOYA, 6th Grade – 9th Grade, Sr. GOYA, 10th Grade – 12th Grade): Please watch for announcements concerning the GOYA calendar and activities. GOYA will consist of home Bible Studies, service projects, outings, retreats and parties.
Sunday School: As previously noted, Sunday School classes begin Sunday, September 11, 2016. Please note, however, that students will remain in the church following Communion for the Appreciation Acknowledgement of our Teachers and the Blessing of the New School Year and the Sunday School Classrooms. Contact Fr. Anthony at franthony@stannagocutah.org or Kim Mallas at kmallas22@gmail.com with questions.
Orthodox Married Life (OML): The first meeting of OML of the 2016-17 season will be held on Friday, September 9, 2016, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall. OML generally meets the second Friday of each month.
Parish Family Nights: The first Parish Family Night of the 2016-17 season will be held on Friday, September 23, 2016, at 7:00 p.m. Details to come. Parish Family Nights are generally held the fourth Friday of the month.
Adult Bible Study: The first Adult Bible Study class of the 2016-2017 season will be held on Wednesday, September 21, 2016, at 7:00 p.m., in classrooms 8 and 9. Watch for further announcements.
Orthodox Christian Men’s Morning Prayer Breakfasts (OCM): The inaugural meeting of OCM will be held on Thursday, September 8, 2016, from 7:00-8:00 a.m. This group will generally meet the second Thursday morning of each month for prayer, inspiration, fellowship, spiritual growth and heightened awareness of leading the families of Orthodox Christian homes. We will soon announce the location, as we are identifying a facility located in the central Salt Lake Valley. This group will be the gathering point and communications hub for our St. Anna Men’s Ministry.
In the coming days, I will be meeting with the leadership of our Young Adult Ministry in order to further-develop our purpose, goals and objectives. Please know that we will be working conscientiously to:
Create a Seniors Ministry at St. Anna’s
Create a Byzantine Youth Choir
Redesign our Parish Website
Redefine, Repurpose and Energize our Men’s Ministry Group
There is something for everyone at St. Anna’s Greek Orthodox Church.
Get involved!
With Love in Christ,
Fr. Anthony Savas
“Most Holy Theotokos Save Us.”
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we find ourselves towards the end of the fasting period which precedes the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, our minds and hearts often turn to what troubles the mind and what pains the heart. Though suffering is not the entirety of the Christian experience, it certainly plays a key role in how our souls are sharpened, how our resolve is exercised and how our character is built.
Jesus Christ suffered on the Cross. Mary, His mother suffered as she endured the Cross. The Disciples suffered and were martyred for the sake of the Cross. Though our lives follow the same pattern, it is the Cross and glory which defines us; not the suffering or the anguish.
As we participate in the Paraklesis, this evening being the last of the season, we are called to identify the origin and purpose of our suffering. Where do we hurt? Why do we hurt? What hurt have we caused in others? Panagia removes these points of suffering from us through her tender prayers and intersessions before Christ.
I experienced pain, mostly physical, following what turned out to be a pretty serious cycling accident a couple of years ago. I didn’t think my fall was too bad at first, but reality soon set in. I spent numerous hours in prayer and contemplation searching for a reason for my fall. What lessons must I take from it? What message is being sent? Why this suffering and why now?
The answers to my questions were found in this season. During these days.
“Most Holy Theotokos Save Us.”
We repeat it over and over again.
The Theotokos does not save us from damnation. She does not, and cannot offer salvation. But her prayers, above all others’ are heard and answered. When we invite her into our most intimate and vulnerable spaces – where we hurt and where we suffer – our pains become her pains. Our anxieties, weaknesses, deficits, holes and wounds become her own, just as any good mother suffers the ills of her children. After three months, I eventually began walking again and getting back to a routine. I was grateful to have fallen during a time when I could attend the Paraklesis as part of my spiritual healing and inspiration.
And when we finally approach the occasion of commemorating her falling asleep on the 15th of August, we as Christians, receive the blessed assurance that a life lived in faith, patience, perseverance and steadfastness is rewarded in the end. Can we ever imagine how much hurt and pain she endured in this life?
She was a young maiden, given the most perplexing news from an angel sent by God. She was doubted and nearly rejected by the man who was betrothed to be her husband. On the occasion of dedicating her holy Child to the Temple as was accustomed in the Law, her pain and future agony was prophesized. She saw her Son’s life in danger from the moment He was born; being forced to flee into Egypt. She saw her Son grow and mature, only to be despised by the very children He created. She saw Him mocked, stripped, beaten, scourged, spat upon and hung on the Cross.
She buried her only Son.
And after a lifetime of pious obedience, she departed this world in peace. We honor this blessed repose on Monday as we celebrate the Dormition of the Theotokos. We come together as her faithful children, and give thanks to our Father above who rewarded her faith with her body’s assumption into the heavens.
I’ve written this before. And I’ll write it again. We all suffer. We all feel pain. We all experience loss.
And so did she, the Mother of our God. She teaches us that suffering is strength, pain is an opportunity to bless, and losses in this world can lift up gains in the world to come.
Most Holy Theotokos Save Us.
In His Love,
Fr. Anthony