“For You are the resurrection, the life and the repose of your departed, servant Matthew the Presbyter, our Erstwhile Brother and Co-Celebrant, O Christ our God, and to You we give glory, as to Your Father Who is Everlasting, and Your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.”
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Today, my message to you is a message of hope in a world filled with questions. Questions without answers, mysteries without discoveries and puzzles without solutions. It’s a message of joy in the face of sorrow. It’s a message of love because “love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (I Corinthians 13:4-7). Love never ends.
Love does not end when we breath our last breath. It does not cease when our heart pumps its final beat. It does not fade with time. It cannot just disappear.
And through Christ and the glory of His resurrection, and through the power of His redemption and by the gift of His forgiveness, we, like love, do not disappear. At the conclusion of this earthly life, we proceed, transfigure, await and glorify. Those of us left behind feel a void or absence when our loved ones depart this world. But please remember that the souls of those who return to the hands of their Maker, are active, vibrant, and, well…alive. They are alive!
The above, italicized caption from the Orthodox Funeral Service is in reference to Fr. Matthew Gilbert. But I also call your prayerful attention to Fr. Vasilios Thanos, a priest, friend, mentor and affectionate father-figure I enjoyed working with for nearly a decade, while ministering to the flock of St. Nicholas in Northridge, CA. Fr. Thanos passed away only days before Fr. Matthew. Their funerals will be celebrated simultaneously though one service is in California while the other in Arizona.
One priest lived a long, rich life. The other was taken from this world, far too soon. Fr. Thanos was born in Greece while Fr. Matthew was an American-born convert to Orthodoxy. Fr. Thanos was a priest for nearly as many years as Fr. Matthew lived, though Fr. Matthew was able to know the joy of grandchildren. Neither of Fr. Thanos’ lovely daughters are married. Fr. Thanos spent his entire, 50-year, priestly ministry in one parish while Fr. Matthew and his family were able to explore and meet amazing, new people through the course of his ministry.
Different lives. Different circumstances. Different departures. Both, however departed this world having preached the same Gospel, partaken from the same chalice and ministering to the one, same, Body of Christ. His Bride. His Church.
Please pray for the comfort of their families. Please pray for the salvation of their souls. Please recognize in their sudden deaths (yes, even at age 85, death can befall us suddenly) that life, though cliché, is short. Forgiveness is imperative; that is to say, giving and receiving it. Being thoughtful, gracious, generous and kind is the pattern of a joyful tenure. Minister to others. It’s not only the privilege of the priest to serve, for we are all ministers. We are all Christ-like servants.
The reason the Weekly Bulletin and this message is coming to you a day early, is because tomorrow evening, I will be at the viewing and Trisagion Service for Fr. Thanos, then participating in his funeral on Friday morning. How I wish I could be in two places at one time.
I suppose, in the end, I’m asking for your prayers, not only for the priest you know, but also for the one that you don’t.
May Their Memories be Eternal.
With Blessings of Love and Life,
Fr. Anthony
And always remember…that is, to never forget…the victims and families of the tragedy of September 11th, 2001.
“The Priest asked, ‘Teddy, do you say prayers before eating?’
‘No Father,’ little Teddy replied, ‘I don’t have to. My mom is a good cook.’”
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I know, I know. But I couldn’t resist.
I am dedicating this message, completely to last week’s celebration of our Parish Name Day Picnic, so why not begin with a prayerful tribute to good cooks? It is no small or insignificant feat to bring together, provide for, and entertain a couple hundred people on a Sunday afternoon.
But that is exactly what happened when we departed from a beautiful Divine Liturgy and drove to Canyon Rim Park to honor our Matron St. Anna, give thanks to God for the goodness He has showered upon our parish, and to spend some more time together. The afternoon was a true testament to the love we have for each other and the presence of the Holy Spirit Who binds us together. Really, is there a more beautiful community of which to belong?
Of course the hundreds of people who attended the Picnic would just be standing in a park were it not for the many people who assisted and provided in several ways to the success of our gathering. I would love to gratefully identify the following people for their acts of generosity in time, talents and donations.
Our Picnic Leaders are as follows:
Elaina Simos was the Picnic Chair and she did a remarkable job.
Our Food Co-chairs were – Mary Feotis & Sophie Wondolowski. Thanks, ladies!
Kids Games Chair – Pres. Andrea Savas. Fun was had by all!
Pilafi – Chuck Karpakis. Have Dutch ovens, will travel!
Salads and baked beans Chair – Pat Daskalas. Thanks, Pat!
Cookies – Donated by Phil & Liberty Mudrock. As if the dinner wasn’t good enough!
Melons – Donated by Gerard & Klea Gallegos. Nothing better on a warm summer afternoon.
Rolls – Donated by Barb & Harry Hillas. Good carbs, not bad carbs!
Music – Donated by Mike Varanakis. Also provided the microphone for a pre-meal prayer!
Drinks Chair- Carolyn Leitko. Thank you, Carolyn!
Soft Drinks – Donated by Beverly Bartell. “Bev,” short for beverage and you provided tons!
“Other” Drinks– Donated by and provided from his home barrels, Chuck Karpakis. Cheers!
Set up/clean up – Men’s Ministry team. No easy task, but it’s gotta get done. Thanks, guys!
Who brought salads? I’ll tell you, who brought salads: Connie Floor, Mae Georgelas, Denise Hoyle, Colette Khoury, Penny Mills, Elaine Petrogeorge, Tanya Smirnov, Elaine Zambos and Sandra Zoolakis. Thank you!
And who brought beans? Saunee Cairo, AnnaSophia Clark, Pauline Jensen, Liberty Mudrock, Bunnie Varanakis and Heidi Varechok brought beans! Tons and tons of beans!
Joanne Dokos picked up the chicken. Can’t have a fried chicken picnic without fried chicken, so much appreciated!
Sports equipment provided by Gerard Gallegos. Actually, Gerard provides smiles and laughter above everything else.
If there is anyone else who contributed in any way, I humbly ask your forgiveness for not mentioning you. Thank you for all you’ve done in secret.
The picnic was a tremendous opportunity to celebrate the end of the summer and bring us back into the fold of our church community. You may recall, a few months ago I gave you my “Top Ten Reasons not to come to Church during the Summer.” I think my flippant point was made in that last week, and for the past three months, our church has been nearly full almost every Sunday. You are a faithful people who don’t just come together for picnics and parties.
I am humbled by your desire to draw near to the Lord, feast at His heavenly Banquet and partake of His Mysteries. Though the timing may not have been intentional, our Name Day Picnic yielded the perfect opportunity to close out our vacation season and time of rest so that we can return, full-force, back to church and resume our normal schedule of ministries and activities.
Please pay attention to the accompanying flyers that will be distributed in the coming days which concern our calendar and schedule of events.
If you are out of town during this long Labor Day Weekend, please return safely to your homes, places of work and place of worship – St. Anna’s! If you are home this weekend, I trust we’ll see each other on Sunday. Where else would you possibly be?
And once again, thank you Picnic People! You truly gave us a day to remember.
With Love in Christ,
Fr. Anthony
(I was the chairman of just showing up, eating too much, walking around and talking to people)
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