St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church

“O Holy Master, Almighty Father and Pre-Eternal God, Who alone made and directed all things; Who rises up quickly against the evil of the impious ones; Who, by Providence, teaches Your people preservation of Justice and the obliteration of the sword on earth; Who condescend to raise up military columns to help the people: O God, Who commanded the Forerunner John to say to the soldiers coming to him in the desert, “Do not intimidate anyone … and be content with your wages:” We entreat You with compunction, that You gave Your child David the power to defeat Goliath, and as You condescended, through Judas Maccabeus, to seize victory from the arrogant pagans who would not call on Your Name; so too, grant protection in righteousness and truth to these Your servants against the enemies rising against them, and by Your heavenly loving-kindness, strength and might for the preservation of faith and truth. Condescend, out of Your mercy, O Master, to grant them the fear of You, together with humility, obedience and good endurance; that they kill no one unrighteously, but rather preserve all righteousness and truth; that they may fear You and honor Justice; that they run in friendship to those who are scattered, extending Your love to those near them, serving the elderly with justice; and that their ranks fulfill all things righteously; For You are our God, and to You do we ascribe glory; to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.”
– Orthodox Prayer for a Soldier in Time of War

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Several years ago, once when Veterans Day fell on a Sunday, my parish sponsored a program where our Vets displayed memorabilia from their time in the military, wore their uniforms, and introduced us, and most profoundly our children, to the realities of their time in various combat arenas. It was a beautiful sight; the men who took pride in their service to Country, and the grateful citizens who offered sentiments of profound thanksgiving.
One man particularly, a gentle, elderly man by the name of Athanasios (Tom) captivated our son’s attention. Damian was only a small boy at the time, and he couldn’t remove himself from looking at the pictures displayed, which featured the plane Tom flew in World War II. He was utterly captivated. Those aerial shots of his massive bomber were impressive to say the least. But it was more than pictures of old airplanes that drew him to Tom’s table. This veteran took the time to offer details about life as a WWII pilot. He was inviting and engaging. He drew in a little boy without romanticizing the violence of war, but making us all feel proud of his accomplishments and those of his fellow service men and women.
Our son walked away that day, having met a real hero, and carrying with him, his own pictures of Tom’s plane, together with the gift of his Captain’s Bars. What a treasure for a little boy!
This circumstance involved one child and one veteran. There are countless opportunities for such instances to occur because of the great number of people who have given their time and their very lives to the high purpose of defending our country. Veterans Day, occurring tomorrow, November 11th, is that special time when we can pray for and reach out to the sacrificial souls who commit themselves to our freedoms. I found what is the most concise and clear explanation about Veteran’s Day, of which I will share with you. It reads:
“On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in the First World War, then known as “the Great War.” Commemorated as Armistice Day beginning the following year, November 11th became a legal federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, a holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars.”
It introduced a brief video on the history of this special day and why we need to be ever mindful.

War is not to be celebrated, only lamented. But the people who fight the war: those who pay the costs, suffer the losses, make the critical decisions and face the dangers are to be thanked and blessed. For all of you who have served in the American Armed Forces, I, on behalf of our loving community, extend our prayerful sentiments, sincere gratitude and profound appreciation. If you have served in times of war, thank you for placing yourselves in the face of grave danger, so that we may live in freedom. And to the men and women who were blessed to serve in times of peace, I am profoundly grateful that your skills, preparation and training proved to be weapons of deterrent, not catastrophe.
God bless our veterans. God bless our country. God bless our freedom. God bless you.
With Gratitude and Love in XC,
Fr. Anthony

“Even if we have thousands of acts of great virtue to our credit, our confidence in being heard must be based on God’s mercy and love for men. Even if we stand at the very summit of virtue, it is by mercy that we shall he saved.” – St. John Chrysostom

Dearly Beloved in the Lord,
My Thursday “work day” is almost over. Each week, I consider the writing of this message to be either the last thing I do today, or the first thing I’ll do tomorrow. Most weeks it is actually both! Thursdays are typically very busy days for me. Today was no exception.
Just to walk you through the course of my day, I want to share with you, the three main items that were on my mind, in my prayers, and on my list of things to do.
On Friday evening, I am participating in a very special occasion. Catholic Community Services of Salt Lake City is hosting their annual Humanitarian Awards Dinner. Having been asked to deliver the Invocation at this amazing event, I’ve been thinking and praying throughout the day, what it means to offer one’s services to God, through the least of His people. What motivates us to dedicate time and resources to the crestfallen and needy? How does God, not man, recognize such virtue?
For the many of us who offer some measure of assistance to those less fortunate, there are a precious few, who, like tomorrow’s Recipients, stand out through their dynamic and prolific works. We all want to lend a helping hand. But to some, their desire to change the world for the better, is taken to new heights and exalted realms.
I am deeply honored to pray for the blessing upon such an occasion; the celebration of humanitarian efforts. Earlier today I prayed, thought, jotted down some ideas, wrote and rewrote some phrases that I hope will bring glory to God.
Let’s see. What else did I do today/yesterday?
As I’m sure you’re aware, we have an election just around the corner. This election will define the course of our future, further establish our goals, and grant us the opportunity to lift up leaders from amongst the best of ourselves.
No, I’m not speaking of next Tuesday’s election. I’m writing about our parish election on December 4th, where we will elect a new Parish Council for the next year, and look to the coming months for further growth through God’s blessings, and through the proper fidelity and direction of St. Anna’s new and continuing leadership.
Now is the time of year, and today was the day, to prepare election packets, organize the forms, gather the Committee and pave the way for a smooth and well-executed Parish Council Election. But no matter how organized the committee, or how accurately prepared are the forms, there can be no election, without faithful and capable candidates.
I am continually impressed and humbled by the sacrificial service and continued levels of enthusiasm, demonstrated by our Parish Council. And to think of the new people who, perhaps for the first time, will respond to the Call, and enter a life of steadfast service to the church as future members of the Parish Council.
My I say parenthetically, that if you have any desire to run for the Parish Council, please contact me immediately. I would love to discuss your wish to serve the Lord through the people of our community.
Hmm.. Busy, busy…What else?
I starting jotting down notes about each of the Divine Liturgies that will be celebrated in the month of November. Ideas for little sermons. Besides Sunday mornings, there are still FIVE other Feasts to celebrate this month. They are as follows:
The Synaxis of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, November 8th
St. Nektarios the Wonderworker, November 9th
The Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple, November 21st
St. Katherine the Great Martyr, November 25th
St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle, November 30th
Each of these saints, including the Heavenly, Bodiless Powers; the Archangels, are lifted up, so that we can prayerfully contemplate their service to God. Through their unique ministries and personal acts of devotion to Christ, we have luminaries in our midst, of whom we can emulate and follow. Their stories should blend into our own paths towards salvation as we incorporate their zeal for Christ into our daily living. Today, I began to organize the rest of this month around these great and holy days.
And so it is, that with these completed tasks, and a few others, this day comes to an end. It was a lovely day. And it was lovely because my “to-do list” revolved completely around one, simple concept; service to God who is merciful towards us.
Philanthropists and Humanitarian leaders who are recognized for their contributions; future Parish Council Members who will one day soon, be spending hours, resources and energies towards the administration of our parish, and the Saints -recognized and honored- for their crowns of glory, all embody, in various degrees and through differing expressions, what St. John Chrysostom had to share in the above-referenced quote.
We can receive awards. We can serve on councils and boards. We can even be glorified and sanctified as saints!
But what does any of it matter, if God is not merciful towards us? Salvation is not gained through the work of our hands, if not by the saving nature of our Saving Lord. It is good to serve Him in any capacity. At all times and in every way.
Well what do you know, in the time it took to share these pastoral thoughts, today became yesterday, and it’s already tomorrow. I’ll be sending this message to you shortly.
With Much Love in the Service of Christ,
Fr. Anthony

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” – Psalm 32:8

Dearly Beloved in the Lord,

Very recently I was visiting someone in the hospital and as I was leaving, the patient’s grandchild was just coming into the lobby, there to visit their grandparent with a package of Oreos in hand. Though the person in the hospital had not eaten in a few days, Oreo cookies were all that sounded good. And what’s wrong with an Oreo Diet, right?

Though there are countless varieties of cookies, Oreos sort of stand alone in their own category. The way that these delights are eaten, says a lot about the person who is consuming it at the moment. Some people take little nibbles from it; others pop the entire thing with one bite. Some twist them apart, eating the filling first on both sides, while still, others perform the same ritual with the only difference being that the practice is completely repeated with each side.

However you may eat them, the basic truth is that an Oreo has two sides and middle. This, I believe is a metaphor for life. We enjoy our youth, we live life as it comes to us in the vast space of the “middle,” then if blessed, we live our senior years.

Of course, there is no precise definition for these life-categories. There are individuals who take a long time to grow up. Some people “become older” sooner than others. And finally: the shifting, “middle years,” or filling, that we all experience between childhood and retirement.

The Church has a great interest in serving our spiritual needs, and piquing our sacred interests, no matter our individual ages. As listed in this week’s Bulletin, I highlight for you, the coming events of our St. Anna’s youth Ministry:

JOY Ministry (K-5th Grade): Following the fellowship hour today, Sunday, October 30, 2016, the children of our JOY Ministry will gather in Classroom 9 for a brief meeting before we depart for an afternoon at the Wheeler Historic Farm located at 6351 South 900 East, Murray. This will be a fun and beautiful autumn activity. Please bring $10.00 for the corn maze, hay ride, outdoor activities and a pumpkin. Fun with JOY!

GOYA Meeting (6th-12th Grade): Our First GOYA Meeting will take place on Tuesday, November 15, 2016, at 7:00 p.m. at the home of Mitchell and Matthew Mallas, 8373 South Stonefield Road, Sandy. Although their parents won’t allow another shaving cream fight in their living room, we will have just as much fun and will learn some things about our precious Faith and our love for Christ! Please join us.

GOYA Outing – Utes Basketball: On Monday, November 28, 2016, we will be going to see the Utah Runnin’ Utes play Butler University at the Huntsman Center, 1825 South Campus Drive, Salt Lake City. Tip-off is at 7:00 p.m. Admission is free with a “Pass of all Passes.” Look for more information about where we’ll meet and how to get tickets if you don’t have the “Pass.”

The activities for our youth can be considered one side of the Oreo. But the other side of the cookie, the part of life which comes after many years have been lived, countless memories have been banked, and wisdom has been gained, are our senior years.

As I stated above, the middle years of our life, our “filling” if you will, is different for everyone. There are those who live as an “Oreo Thin cookie, with not much happening in the middle, and others lead the lives of Double Stuff! Exciting. But eventually, if God wills it, we reach our senior years. AARP defines these years starting at 50. Myself, reaching the half-century mark in a few months, kindly disagree.

Never the less, God, as the Psalmist writes, instruct us and teaches us in the way we should go; and will counsel us with His eye upon us for our entire lives. He does not stop guiding us at puberty or cease to teach us after high school. We are all his children. We are all children in His eyes. We are ever-youthful and in need of guidance from Him.

Therefore, we have established a Senior’s Ministry at St. Anna’s in the interest of serving the needs of those who may have some time during the day to come together in fellowship, faith and love. We are defining “Senior” any way you wish; supposing that if you think you are a senior, as early as 50, then come join us.

Our First Meeting will take place on Tuesday, November 15th at 12:00 pm

If you consider yourself a Senior and would like to come and help plan our activities, set some goals, define our purpose and plot our course, please join us in the Fellowship Hall. Lunch will be provided.

I envision this as an opportunity to listen to speakers, plan fun field trips, engage in spiritual discussion and learning, and glorify our God who has allowed His children to reach the golden years of their lives. Carolyn Leitko has graciously offered to serve as the coordinating chairman of this group. I am ever-appreciative of her willingness to serve.

St. Anna Youth Ministry, St. Anna Senior’s Ministry and everything in-between. That’s a cookie we can all enjoy! Taste and see that the LORD is good (Psalm 34:8).

With Love in XC,
Fr. Anthony

REMEMBER THAT JOY WILL MEET AFTER THE FELLOWSHIP HOUR, THEN PROCEED TO WHEELER HISTORIC FARM FOR OUR FALL ACTIVITY. ALL CHILDREN IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, PLEASE JOIN US!

“We may study as much as we will, but we shall still not come to know the Lord unless we live according to His commandments, for the Lord is not made known through learning but by the Holy Spirit.”
– St. Silouan the Athonite

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The other day, I was following, then driving alongside a car marked “STUDENT DRIVER.” This proclamation, or perhaps warning was prominently placed on the back and both sides of the car. I am not sure whether this sign is placed there to caution other drivers, or to put us on our best behavior, as to not introduce bad road habits to the nervous driver behind the wheel of his or her mobile, teaching laboratory.

This young person was driving very slowly and very deliberately. I caught myself counting the seconds between his signal, and the actual lane change. He looked both directions before entering into the intersection with a clear and obvious green light. He did not go a hair over the speed limit and stopped at the next yellow light. I impatiently thought to myself, “I don’t remember driving that slow. “C’mon. Move!”

Isn’t that a shame on my part?

Why should years of driving erode my attention to detail, commitment to caution and unhurried movement? To be sure, human nature contributes to the differing behaviors of those who possess a license to operate a vehicle, and those who are still in the process of obtaining one. Sad, right?

Traffic laws are the same for all people who use the roads. There are not two sets of rules: strict guidelines for new drivers and diluted, casual suggestions for experienced drivers. This is not the case at all. So why are there two sets of rules in my mind? Shouldn’t I observe the strict letter of every law just as the new driver?

Bright red stop signs are not invitations to slow down and proceed. Rather, they are commands to do what is plainly and clearly stated: stop. Something my kids are continually reminding me as I drive in our neighborhood. The information that the new motorist receives before beginning to drive, is the same information I must recall, process and put into use today and every day.

But becoming a bit lax in that which is common, comfortable or familiar is not limited to our driving habits. Often times, we can also take our spiritual lives for granted. We begin to cut corners in our prayers, fasting, readings and church attendance so slowly, that we don’t even realize what we are doing. The knowledge we gained in Sunday School, sitting around our grandmother’s table, or listening to the sermons of our childhood are relegated to distant memories, rather than active contributions to the well-being of our souls. Therefore, I thoroughly enjoy people who are active learners in matters of faith. Especially those who are new to Orthodoxy; approaching every detail like a student driver mastering the art of parallel parking.

Just this evening, we began our fall session of Orthodox Spirituality Classes. The class was filled with cradle Orthodox Christians, who have been exposed to our church for their entire lives; and people who have only, recently been introduced to the tenants, practices, traditions and teachings of the world’s most ancient, Christian Confession.

Just like driving, there are things to learn before we “hit the road” of practicing our faith. Where are the boundaries? What are safe practices? How fast should we move? And in in what direction?!? The Faithful who take the time to learn good habits from the beginning, and who develop the strength and maturity to maintain them, are those who will share in the Kingdom. Of course, let’s also celebrate those who have been raised in the Faith, but who are aware that it’s good to refresh, renew and re-acquaint.

Please pray for the students of our Spirituality Class. Pray that the information they receive will help them acquire the blessedness of the saints, and that they will always hold dear, even years from now, the enthusiasm and fervor they now feel. While the Gospel is new to them today, let it breathe new life into them tomorrow. And also, pray for yourselves, that you may approach the Altar, the Chalice, and your personal place of devotion with the same commitment and conviction.

Keep, always in your hearts, the words of St. Silouan, reminding us that no matter how much we study, no matter how much information we receive or how many books we read, it is the Holy spirit that keeps us in the presence of the Lord. It is one thing to read about God. It is yet another to experience Him. Those who study the Faith for the first time are simultaneously accomplishing both. Let us be led by their example. Even if it is a bit more deliberate than we are accustomed to moving. Because that’s a good thing!

With Love in Christ,
Fr. Anthony