St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

A couple of years ago, our parish enjoyed attending a wonderful movie entitled “The Man of God,” based on the life of St. Nektarios. The same producers have created what I think will be an even better film about the incredible story of St. Moses the Black.

St. Moses was a4th Century Ethiopian by birth and lived in Egypt. He was a violent criminal and the leader of a band of robbers before allowing Christ to reverse the course of his life, eventually becoming a penitent and great ascetic. Once the slave of a master, Moses escaped and joined a gang of petty thieves and robbers. Because of his great physical strength, arrogance, and actually his great intelligence, the gang chose him as their leader. After several divinely guided and incredible events, St. Moses was overcome with pangs of conscience and repentance for the misdeeds, which he had committed. He left the group, entered a monastery and gave himself completely in obedience to his spiritual father and to the monastic rule.

He benefited much from the teachings of Saints Makarios, Arsenios and Isidore. Later, he withdrew to solitude in a cell where he dedicated himself completely to physical labor, prayer, vigils and godly thoughts. Tormented by the demons, Moses confessed to Isidore, his spiritual father, and from him, received counsel to fast even more and never to eat to full satisfaction. When even this did not help he, at the counsel of the elder, began to keep vigil at night and to pray standing; after that, he began the practice of bringing water to the elderly monks from a distant well all night long. After six years of terrible struggles, St. Isidore finally miraculously healed him of sinful thoughts, fantasies and dreams.

St. Moses was ordained a priest in old age. He founded his own monastery and had seventy-five disciples and lived in this life for seventy-five years. He foresaw his death and, one day, he told his disciples to flee for the barbarians were going to attack the monastery. When the disciples also urged him to flee with them, St. Moses said that he must die by violence for, at one time, he himself committed violence and, according to the words: “For all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword” (St. Matthew 26:52). He remained there with six brethren and the barbarians came and slew them. One of the brethren, hidden in the vicinity, beheld and saw seven shining wreaths as they descended upon the seven martyrs. 

His conversion in the Egyptian desert is inspirational and piercing. Unlike the movie about St. Nektarios, which was placed in his contemporary and historic setting, “Moses the Black” is told through a contemporary lens in modern day Chicago. It seems riveting.  

I have purchased an entire theater for an evening’s showing so that we as a community can share in this incredible experience together. Though the tickets are $12.50, we will be selling them as a church group for $15.00 to benefit our youth ministries. Here are the details:

“MOSES the Black”

Written and directed by Yelena Popovic

Wednesday, February 4th

7:00 pm

Cinemark Theater at Jordan Landing in West Jordan, Utah

Please see Fr. Anthony for tickets.

$15.00 

There are only about 45 tickets available for our group. Tickets will go quickly. If you are not able to be with us on February 4th, I encourage you to still see the film. Popovic does great work. Glory be to God!

With Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas

Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We are nearing the conclusion of the “Dothekaeimeron” or Twelve Days of Christmas with the celebration of what is known in a few different ways: The Baptism of Christ, Epiphany (The Enlightening), and Theophany (The Revelation of God). Monday Morning, we will celebrate the Orthros and Royal Hours. Monday early evening we will celebrate the Vesperal Liturgy of the Eve of Theophany and the Lesser Blessing of the Waters. Tuesday morning, January 6th, we celebrate Orthros, the Divine Liturgy an the Great Blessing of the Waters. 

Theophany is the Feast which reveals the Most Holy Trinity to the world through the Baptism of the Lord (Mt.3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22). God the Father spoke from Heaven about the Son, the Son was baptized by Saint John the Forerunner, and the Holy Spirit descended upon the Son in the form of a dove. From ancient times this Feast was called the Day of Illumination and the Feast of Lights, since God is Light and has appeared to illumine “those who sat in darkness,” and “in the region of the shadow of death” (Mt.4:16), and to save the fallen race of mankind by grace.

In the ancient Church it was the custom to baptize catechumens at the Vespers of Theophany, so that Baptism also is revealed as the spiritual illumination of mankind.

The origin of the Feast of Theophany goes back to Apostolic times, and it is mentioned in The Apostolic Constitutions (Book V:13). From the second century we have the testimony of Saint Clement of Alexandria concerning the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, and the night vigil before this Feast.

There is a third century dialogue about the services for Theophany between the holy martyr Hippolytus and Saint Gregory the Wonderworker. In the following centuries, from the fourth to ninth century, all the great Fathers of the Church: Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom, Ambrose of Milan, John of Damascus, commented on the Feast of Theophany.

The monks Joseph the Studite, Theophanes and Byzantios composed much liturgical music for this Feast, which is sung at Orthodox services even today. Saint John of Damascus said that the Lord was baptized, not because He Himself had need for cleansing, but “to bury human sin by water,” to fulfill the Law, to reveal the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and finally, to sanctify “the nature of water” and to offer us the form and example of Baptism.

On the Feast of the Baptism of Christ, the Holy Church proclaims our faith in the most sublime mystery, incomprehensible to human intellect, of one God in three Persons. It teaches us to confess and glorify the Holy Trinity, one in Essence and Undivided. It exposes and overthrows the errors of ancient teachings which attempted to explain the Creator of the world by reason, and in human terms.

The Church shows the necessity of Baptism for believers in Christ, and it inspires us with a sense of deep gratitude for the illumination and purification of our sinful nature. The Church teaches that our salvation and cleansing from sin is possible only by the power of the grace of the Holy Spirit, therefore it is necessary to preserve worthily these gifts of the grace of holy Baptism, keeping clean this priceless garb, for “As many as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ” (Gal 3:27).

Please join us for this most significant commemoration of the Church: the humility of the Savior as demonstrated by His bowing down before the Baptist to receive Baptism in the Jordan. The revelation of the Triune God Whose entire presence was experienced at this sacred moment in time. The sanctification of creation, form, and the natural world as Christ enters the stream of living waters. The opening of our collective eye of God’s overwhelming love for His creation. The fulfilling of prophecy. The inauguration of Jesus’ earthly ministry. The blueprint for our path towards eternal life: to be born of water and the Spirit. I pray you a blessed Feast of Theophany. And abundant joy in the New Year. I remain,

With Much Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Tomorrow, November 30th is the Feast of St. Andrew the First Called Apostle. As his missionary journeys led him to a fishing town known as Byzantium, he laid the foundation for the epicenter of Eastern Christendom. He was the first bishop of that which would become Constantinople, the capital of the Roman Empire under Emperor Constantine, once he relocated the imperial city, and named it after himself. Therefore, St. Andrew is the patron saint of Constantinople and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Itself.

Here in America, there is a distinguished group of Greek Orthodox Christians known as Archons; those who’s ministry it is to support, witness, educate about, and help sustain the Ecumenical Patriarchate in modern day Istanbul. Our Church does not enjoy the protections, the wealth, the comforts of the Vatican. Every day, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Bartholomew lives very precariously in nothing less than hostile surroundings. The support received through the Archons, both financially and in terms of awareness is invaluable to the existence of the Mother Church in a less than friendly, anti-Christian country. 

Last Sunday was designated by our Archdiocese as “Archon Sunday,” an opportunity to bring awareness…to those who bring awareness.

As a parish, because of my accident side-lining me for a few weeks, we have fallen behind on a few of these special Sundays (look for a makeup “Church Musicians Sunday” and “Camp for the Future Sunday”). Since we celebrate St. Andrew tomorrow, it is most appropriate that we observe the work of the Archons on this day. 

I wish to offer my sincere appreciation and respect to our parish’s lone Archon, Dr. Charles Beck, MD. Thank you, Charles, for your distinguished support of the Mother Church and Her mission in the world.

Since I cannot possibly articulate the value of this group and bring a proper perspective on the impact of Archon Sunday, please enjoy the following Encyclical from His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America that was to be read in church last Sunday. 

Archiepiscopal Encyclical for Archon Sunday

Unto the Most Reverend and Right Reverend Hierarchs, Pious Priests and Deacons, Presvyteres and Diakonisses, the Monks and Nuns, Presidents and Members of Parish Councils, Honorable Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Members of Leadership 100, the Day and Afternoon Schools, Philoptochos Societies, the Youth, Greek Orthodox Organizations, and the entirety of the Christ-named Plenitude of the Sacred Archdiocese of America:

Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, one of the two who had heard what John said, followed Jesus. First, he went and found his brother, the aforementioned Simon. (John 1:41-42) Beloved Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, Last year, the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Sacred Archdiocese of America inaugurated “Archon Sunday,” in order to recognize the esteemed Order of Saint Andrew the First Called Disciple, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and to honor the Feast of their Heavenly Patron.

In the days preceding the Feast of Saint Andrew on Sunday, November 30th, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV will visit Nicaea (modern İznik), the site of the First Ecumenical Council, together with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Their Beatitudes of the Elder Patriarchates – the full complement of the ancient Pentarchy – in order to commemorate the 1700th Anniversary of the Three Hundred and Eighteen Fathers gathered in Nicaea and the Creed, and their declaration of the Faith of the Apostles, which we recite at every Divine Service.

Following the Nicaean event, the Pope will be present for the Feastday Liturgy of Saint Andrew in the Patriarchal Cathedral of Holy Great-Martyr George the Trophy Bearer, bearing witness to the enduring ecumenical progress that has been made over the last fifty years. There will be a special pilgrimage with many Archons for these most significant events, which signal real progress in the goal of a unified Christendom.

Throughout, we shall manifest the love of Andrew for his brother Simon, who went first out of love to share with his brother (renamed Peter by the Lord), the good news of finding the Messiah. Therefore, all parishes are urged to take time on this Sunday, November 23rd, to acknowledge the Archons of the Great Church of Christ, and to take full advantage of the many initiatives of the Order of Saint Andrew, which can be found on their website, https://archons.org. As children of the Mother Church of Constantinople, we all – Archon or no – have a responsibility to Her and Her spiritual mission, to share the Gospel of the Messiah, Who was found first by Saint Andrew, with all our brothers and sisters throughout the world.

With Blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,

†ELPIDOPHOROS Archbishop of America

To all who celebrate their Name Day tomorrow, the Andrews and Andreas, Chronia Polla! Many Years!

With Much Love in Christ

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter