From Glory to Glory

The monthly newsletter of the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church

January 2021

Important Dates

January 1 Circumcision of Christ

St. Basil the Great

January 5 Eve of Theophany

January 6 Theophany

January 7 St. John the Baptist

January 11 Righteous Theodosios

January 17 St. Anthony the Great

January 18 Saints Athanasios and Cyril

Patriarch of Alexandria

January 20 Efthymios the Great

January 25 St. Gregory the Theologian

January 30 Three Hierarchs

January 31 Wonderworking Unmerceneries

Cyrus & John

Fr. Joseph Strzelecki Parish Priest

Assumption Greek Orthodox Church

1755 Des Peres Road Town & Country, MO 63131

Phone: 314-966-2255 Kitchen: 314-966-6720

www.assumptiongoc.org

Office Manager: Diane Sieckmann

diane@assumptiongoc.org

Saint Nikephoros the Leper Nikephoros the Leper, who reposed on 4 January 1964, was officially numbered among the canonized Saints of the Orthodox Church by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on Saturday, December 1, 2012. Below is a brief life of the newly-glorified Saint Nikephoros written by Monk Simon in the book Nikephoros the Leper: The Radiant Athlete of Patience (Athens, 2007 [Greek]): Fr. Nikephoros (in the world, Nicholas) was born in a village of Chania, [Crete] in Serikari. His parents were simple and pious villagers, who while he was still a small child, died and left him an orphan. Thus, at the age of thirteen he left his home, traveled to Chania and began to work in a barbershop. There he started to show the first signs of Hansen’s disease (i.e. leprosy). At that time, lepers were exiled to the island of Spinaloga, because leprosy was a transmissible disease and was treated with fear and horror. Nicholas, when he was sixteen years old and when the signs of his disease began to be more visible, to flee from enclosure on Spinaloga fled with a boat

for Egypt. There he remained working in Alexandria, again in a barbershop, however the signs of his disease became even more evident, especially on his hands and face. Due to the suggestions of a cleric he fled to Chios where there was a home for lepers, in which was a priest, Fr. Anthimos Vagianos, later St. Anthimos of Chios. Nicholas reached Chios in 1914 at the age of 24. At the leper home in Chios, where there was a grouping of many beautiful little homes, was a chapel of St. Lazaros, where was preserved the wonder-working icon of Panagia of Ypakoe (Obedience). In that place was opened the stadium of virtues for Nicholas. Within two years St. Anthimos discerned that he was ready for the angelic schema and tonsured him a monk with the name Nikephoros. The disease progressed and evolved in the absence of suitable medicines, and brought many great changes (the medicine was found later, in 1947).

Fr. Nikephoros lived with indiscriminate, genuine obedience, with austere fasting, working in gardens. He also compiled in a catalogue the miracles of St. Anthimos, which he had seen with his own eyes (many took the place of healing of the demon-possessed). There was a unique spiritual relationship between St. Anthimos and monk Nikephoros, who “did not separate himself from him by even a step”, as mentioned by Fr. Theoklitos of Dionysiou in his book “St. Anthimos of Chios”. Fr. Nikephoros prayed for endless hours at night, performing countless prostrations, not offering a word to anyone nor spoiling his heart on anyone, and was the head chanter of the church. Because of his illness, however, slowly he lost his eyesight and most of the hymns were chanted by others. In 1957 the Lovokomeio of Chios was closed and the remaining patients, along with Fr. Nikephoros, were sent to the Anti-Leper Station of St. Barbara in Athens, in Aigaleo. At that time Fr. Nikephoros was about 67 years old. His body parts and his eyes had been totally affected and transformed from the illness.

2

2020 Parish Council

Fr. Joseph Strzelecki, Parish Priest Scott Thompson, President, Gus Harris, Vice President Elefteria Marcou, Secretary, James Cawood, Treasurer

Peter Regopoulos, Assistant Treasurer Daniel Gantner, Maria Afentoullis Humphrey, Amy Kirkou Pam Martin, Samia Rabie, Greg Simos, Eugenia Kardaris,

Tom Stamos, Nick Tsoubanos, Tonis Zafiropoulos

Pastoral Ministries Acolytes John Nicholas Adult Orthodox Christians (18 years +): Diane Sieckmann Bible Study Fr. Daniel Morton Bookstore Christos Tsiaklides Chanters Thomas Carroll Dr. Steve Leon Choir Stephanie Saunders Church Tours Janice Hazeltine Greek School Savas Kyramarios Greek Dancers Kyklos & Armonia Stella Afentoullis Ta Paidakia, Neo Kyma Aliki Malek GOYA (9th -12th Grade) Alki & Mike Case Greeters Mary Pitliangas, Kelli Baer JOY (K - 4th Grade) Maria Tsiaklides Ibrahim Chalbhob Jr. GOYA (5th - 8th Grades) Stacy Kourinos Deborah Cosmopoulos Kafenio Art Liyeos Hope (infant - 5 years) Christos & Rachel Tsiaklides Orthodox Faith & Life: Dr. Farid & Anna Sadaka Philoptochos Flora Dimitriou, President Prison Ministry Bill Goranitis Sunday School Diane Sieckmann Vacation Church Camp Anna Sadaka Women’s Book Study Presvytera Laura Morton Young Adult Ministry (YAL) (18-35 years) James Murphy

Committees Friday Luncheon Art Liyeos Greek Festival Greg Simos Phase III Fr. Joseph Strzelecki Planned Giving Committee Amy Johnson Publicity Committee Rentals & Contracts Helena Brown Vision/Long Range Planning Scott Thompson Finance James Cawood Pete Regopoulos Cemetery Diane Sieckmann Call-a-Ride (Uber) Jim Hoekel Insurance Carol Marshall IT/Phone/Internet Steve Sarris Maintenance/Facilities Art Liyeos Personnel Scott Thompson Gus Harris Special Events Tom Stamos Stewardship Michael Afentoullis Health Committee Laurie Zafiropoulos Hellenic Events Bill Simos Recycling Carol Marshall Youth Protection Soula Marcou

Going on vacation? Won’t be here on Sunday? Consider using the mobile app Give Plus to still con-tribute with an offering or stewardship. It’s safe and secure.

There, in the Anti-Leper station lived Fr. Eumenios, who also had Hansen’s disease, but because of medical advances was totally cured. He decided however to remain for the rest of his life in the Anti-leper station near his fellow patients, who he treated with much love. Thus he became a spiritual child of Fr. Nikephoros, to whom as a reward for his patience, the Lord had granted many gifts. Many people flocked to the humble cell of the leper monk Nikephoros, at St. Barbara of Aigaleo, to receive his blessing. Those who met him mention that: Though he was confined to bed, with wounds and pains, he did not murmur but showed great patience. He had the grace of comforting the troubled. His eyes were constantly irritated, his vision was minimal, and he had hooked hands and paralyzed lower extremities. Besides all of these he was most sweet, mild, greatly smiling, relating grace-filled stories, he was enjoyable, lovable. He said: “My children, do you pray? And how do you pray? …with the prayer of Jesus you should pray, with the “LORD JESUS CHRIST, HAVE MERCY ON ME”. Thus you should pray. This way is good.” His face, which was eaten by the signs of his sickness and wounds, shone and imparted joy to all who saw this totally poor and phenomenally sick man who said: “Let His holy Name be glorified.” At the age of 74, on Janu-ary 4, 1964, Fr. Nikephoros reposed in the Lord. His holy relics were fragrant when they were later uncovered. Fr. Eu-menios, and other pious people offered many occasions when miracles occurred at the intercessions of Fr. Nikephoros. http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2012/12/saint-nikephoros-leper-is-canonized-by.html

3

No matter how much we may study, it is not possible to come to know God unless we live according to His commandments, for God is not known by science, but by the Holy Spirit. Many philosophers and learned men came to the belief that God exists, but they did not know God. It is one thing to believe that God exists, but then did not know God. It is on thing to belief that God exists and another to know Him. If someone has come to know God by the Holy Spirit, his soul will burn with love for God day and nights, and his soul cannot be bound to any earthly thing. St. Silouan the Athonite.

Spiritual Reading Athonite Flowers is a small collection of short, insightful, and well written essays on modern life by Hieromonk Moses of the Koutloumoussiou monastery on Mt. Athos. Highly recommended, it is available on Amazon and would make an excellent gift.

St. Michael Orthodox Church

Dear Parishioners & Friends, St. Michael Orthodox Church at Gravois and Ann Avenue in St. Louis is a small parish with very limited financial resources. They are trying to put in a new exhaust hood in their Kitchen. This is required by the fire department in order to cook in the kitchen. Unfortunately, until this new hood is installed, no one is allowed to cook in this kitchen. This includes the parish and any organization which use this kitchen. The cost of the hood is $13,800.00. They already have a donation for $6,700.00 toward the project, but because St. Michael's is such a small parish, it will be difficult for them to raise this amount of money from within their parish, so they asked us if we know of any donors who may be willing to help with this project. If you wish to donate to this project, please send a donation to St. Michael's Church. Checks should be made payable to "St. Michael's Orthodox Church," and in the memo line, please write "for the exhaust hood," The donations can be mailed to Fr. Christopher Phillips St. Michael's Orthodox Church 1901 Ann Ave St. Louis, MO 63104

Assumption Christmas Giving Tree I wanted to let everyone know that once again the

wonderful families of Assumption showed their love and generosity! As you know every Christmas I host the "Giving Tree"

where our families pick a needy family to "adopt" for Christmas and make their Christmas a little brighter. With the Pandemic this year and the fact that we don't get together after Divine Liturgy, I couldn't figure out a way to set up the "Giving Tree" so we were not having one this year. But yes, there are many families out there in need, this year especially. One of our parishioners contacted me to adopt a family, and suggested that I email our parishioners that have given before and see if they would like to give again this year. Not sure why I didn't think of this! LOL. Anyway, I sent an email to a few of our parishioners that had participated in the past. Everyone of them wanted to participate! I even have had a few others call me saying they just realized something was missing this year (the Giving Tree) and asked for a family! I contacted the St. Louis county Children's Division and we adopted 10 families! My car was full of wonderful presents that I delivered to the workers to give to their families. As a result of the love and generosity of our Assumption families, 22 children and their parents will have a little brighter Christmas! So, “Thank you” Assumption families for once again stepping up and helping others, even when I knew each of you were having your own struggles with this Pandemic! I really appreciate all of you! I sincerely pray you have a blessed New Year! Soula Marcou

4

Παπα-Δημήτρης Γκαγκαστάθης (Στυλ. Κεμεντζετζίδη, Θεολόγου-Συγγραφέα)

Ο π. Δημήτριος γεννήθηκε το 1902 στο χωριό Πλάτανος των Τρικάλων, όπου αργότερα, επί 42 συναπτά έτη, εχρημάτισε ο καλός ποιμήν των λογικών προβάτων. Εκοιμήθη το 1975, στις 29 Ιανουαρίου εν ειρήνη. Πρόκειται για μια οσιακή μορφή, καίτοι

έζησε ως έγγαμος (με εννέα παιδιά) στον κόσμο. Υπήρξε προικισμένος με πολλά χαρίσματα, με πολλή επιμέλεια, καθαρότητα συνειδήσεως, άλαλο πίστη, βαθειά ταπείνωση και με πληρότητα αγάπης στο Θεό και τον πλησίον. Δεν έτυχε σπουδών. Με δυσκολίες ετελείωσε το δημοτικό στο χωριό του. Ήταν βοσκός προβάτων. Όπου κι αν βρισκόταν είχε μνήμη Θεού, μνήμη θανάτου και έκλεινε τα πρόβατα στη στάνη και πήγαινε με δάκρυα και εκκλησιαζόταν. Όταν αυτό δεν μπορούσε να το κάνει, γονάτιζε εκεί που ήταν στα βουνά και έκλαιγε, ζητώντας το έλεος του Θεού, διότι βρισκόταν μακράν του οίκου του Θεού. Διάβαζε με πολλή κατάνυξη βίους αγίων και τους αισθανόταν φύλακες, ευεργέτες και προστάτες. Είχε αίσθηση ζώσα της παρουσίας των. Τους κρατούσε κοντά του η καθαρότης του βίου του. Και όπως ετόνιζε, η εργασία φέρνει την αξία. Αισθανόταν πως θα πρέπει να τον προστατεύουν οι άγιοι και δεν έκανε τίποτε εάν δεν ξεκινούσε από το Θεό κι εάν δεν κατέληγε στο Θεό. Το πρωί θα περνούσε πρώτα από τους Ταξιάρχες, ένα ναό του 1600, κατανυκτικό, με τοιχογραφίες, που βρισκόταν κοντά στο σπίτι του. Εκεί, έμαθε για το Θεό και από την ευλαβέστατη γιαγιά του και τους ευσεβείς γονείς του τα ιερά γράμματα. Έλεγε: «να με προστατεύετε, να με φυλάξετε, να γυρίσω και πάλιν στον οίκο σας, να σας πω το ευχαριστώ». Πρώτα στον οίκο του Θεού και μετά στις δουλειές και πάλιν στον οίκο του Θεού και μετά στο σπίτι. Αυτό ήταν το πρόγραμμα της ζωής του. Ένα βράδυ ενώ αναπαυόταν στο φτωχό σπίτι του ήρθε ένας γέροντας και τον ξύπνησε, λέγοντας του: «σήκω παιδί μου γρήγορα, το σπίτι θα πέσει».

Ξανά, δεύτερη φορά, τον ξύπνησε. Και στο τέλος, τον ξύπνησε κανονικά. Ο γέροντας ήταν ο άγιος Νικόλαος. Είχαν στο χωριό ναό αφιερωμένο στον άγιο Νικόλαο. Αυτός ήρθε και τον προστάτευσε. Μόλις βγήκε ο παπα-Δημήτρης, αμέσως το σπίτι κατέρρευσε. Οταν ήταν να πάει στην επιστράτευση για τη Μικρά Ασία το 1922 επήγε στους Ταξιάρχες, προσκύνησε και έκανε συμφωνητικό λέγοντας: «Σας ζητώ μια χάρη. Εγώ σας υπηρετώ από μικρό παιδί. Καθαρίζω καντήλια, κάνω ό,τι μπορώ. Θέλω να με φέρετε πίσω χωρίς να με αγγίξει κανένα κακό. Είστε υποχρεωμένοι. Ζητώ κι’ εγώ ένα ρουσφέτι!». Και οι Αρχάγγελοι σε όλους τους κινδύνους που αντιμετώπιζε, τον έσωζαν. Έλεγε: «Στη Σμύρνη σφάζουν, κάνουν, εμένα έρχονται, μου δίνουν ένα άλογο, και μου λένε: φύγε στον Τζεσμέ. Βρίσκομαι στο τάδε μέρος με τρεις άλλους, σκοτώνονται δύο από 150 Τούρκους ιππείς. Εμένα μου λένε, μη φοβάσαι, εμείς είμαστε μαζί σου. Θα πας εννιά παρά τέταρτο στο τάδε μέρος να προλάβεις το τελευταίο πλοίο για να πας για τη Χίο. Κι όπως είπαν, ούτε ένα μπάτσο δεν πήρα από πουθενά».

Αργότερα πέρασε ισχυρές δοκιμασίες, στην εποχή του εμφυλίου πολέμου, επειδή αυτός μιλούσε για Χριστό, πατρίδα, οικογένεια, τον έβαλαν στο στόχαστρο, τον απείλησαν, και πολλές φορές αποπειράθηκαν να τον σκοτώσουν, και όλο σωζόταν. Αναφέρω, μια από τις πολλές (πάρα πολλές) θαυμαστές περιπτώσεις. «Ήρθα, λέει, Κυριακή πρωί. Μόλις πρόλαβα και βγήκα από την εκκλησία. Ήταν 11 ιππείς και με κυνηγούσαν στον κάμπο. Με έβριζαν ελεεινά και τρισάθλια, και πυροβολούσαν. Οι σφαίρες μου τρυπάγανε τα ράσα, δεν με τσίμπαγε καμιά. Με περικύκλωσαν, σήκωσα τα χέρια στον ουρανό και φώναξα από το βάθος της ψυχής μου. Μιχαήλ αρχιστράτηγε, κινδυνεύω, βοηθήσατε με. Αυτοστιγμεί και οι 11 έγιναν κόκκαλο και άγαλμα. Τους ευλόγησα -χωρίς να με πειράξουν- πήγα απέναντι, όπου περίμενε το χωριό και μπήκα με όλο το λαό μέσα στην εκκλησία και δώσαμε δόξα στο Θεό που έκανε σήμερα θαύμα». Όλη η ζωή του ήταν μέσα σε τέτοια γεγονότα χωρίς να έχει καθόλου ιδέα για τον εαυτό του. Υπέγραφε ως ο τελευταίος, ο μικρός παπαδάκος, το σκύβαλο της γης. Το πίστευε, το αισθανόταν. Σε κάθε δυσκολία δεν τάχανε. Όταν του έλεγε η πρεσβυτέρα: «Δεν νοιάζεσαι; τι θα γίνουν αυτά τα κορίτσια; οι άλλοι κάνουν αυτό». «Θα πεθάνω παπάς, όχι μασκαράς. Για το Χριστό θυσιάζομαι, υπέρ των προβάτων. Τί σήμερα, τί αύριο. Μια ψυχή έχουμε. Θα την παραδώσω στα χέρια του Δημιουργού μου». «Εγώ έχω τον Χριστό κυβερνήτη στη ζωή μου. Δεν τον βαλαν οι άνθρωποι καλά στην καρδιά τους για να

5

νιώσουν το μεγαλείο του. Είναι γλυκύς. Δεν τον αλλάζω με τίποτα. Μια ζωή τον παρακαλώ να με αξιώσει κι’ εγώ να χύσω το αίμα μου γι’ Αυτόν. Κοιμάμαι τόσο αμέριμνα, όπως το πουλί στο αγκάθι και τα ρυθμίζει όλα Αυτός καλύτερα από οποιονδήποτε άλλο».

Οι άνθρωποι του Θεού που γνώρισαν τον π. Δημήτριο τον θεωρούσαν ως σύγχρονο ζώντα άγιο. Μεταξύ αυτών των προσωπικοτήτων που σήμερα λάμπουν στο χώρο της Ορθοδοξίας με την ακτινοβόλο κατά Θεόν πολιτεία τους υπήρξε ο Αγιος Πορφύριος, ο Αγιος Αμφιλόχιος της Πάτμου, ο π. Φιλόθεος Ζερβάκος, και ο Ηγουμενος Ι.Μ Σιμωνος Πέτρας Αιμιλιανός Για την αντιγραφή: Δημήτρης Κάγκαρης

Papa Dimitri Gagastathis: Life and Teaching

Fr. Dimitrios was born in the village of Platanos in the prefecture of Trikala, Greece, on August 1, 1902. His parents Chrerstos and Catherine Gagastathis were pious men. On April 10, 1921, he was drafted into the army in Asia Minor. He also served in several places in Macedonia. On June 18, 1924, he was discharged from the army. In February 1928, he married Elisabeth Koutsimpiris from Platanos. The same year he was ordained reader by the Bishop of Trikki Polycarp. On Mary 24, 1931, he was ordained deacon, and on the 26th of the same month he was ordained priest by the same bishop. From his marriage he had nine daughters. Five of the six that live today are married, while the youngest one became a nun, consecrated to the worship of God. For forty-two whole consecutive years, he served as the par-ish priest of his village. On October 1, 1973, he resigned for reason of health. Since then, he remained confined at home, living as a saint with incessant prayer, glorifying and thanking God for the trail of his illness. He delivered his holy soul to the hands of the living God on January 29, 1975, in peace. Throughout his life, he was pious, just, simple, hum-ble, merciful, industrious, full of faith and love for God and for his neighbor, praying incessantly for the sake of the whole world. He tended his rational sheep as a good shepherd and became a teacher to everyone, instructing by his words, his letters and, above all by his holy life.

The ever-memorable Fr. Dimitrios worked for the Holy Church of Christ withal his strength. We believe that the Good God, Whom he unselfishly oved and self-denyingly served, and Whose infinite mercy he constantly begged for, has already taken him in the joyous dwellings of Paradise, to rejoice eternally in the blessedness of His Kingdom, through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Queen of all the Holy Archangels, his protectors, and all the Saints. https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/search?q=papa+dimitri+gagastathis

Gleanings From Papa Dimitri’s Writings Prayer is a telephone, a wireless, by which one communicates directly with God. You dial the number on the telephone of prayer to speak with God and He answers. You hear Him clearly, you feel Him very close. Fasting is a great thing. Adam was expelled for not keeping it. We must love fasting, because through it the passions go away, the heart and body are purified, and once we are made thus free, we can pray better. Our fasting must be accompanied with a lot of obedience and humility. We must do whatever God wants. We must have a lot of humility. We are nothing in the sea of God’s love and goodness. What does God say? “upon whom shall I look, except upon the meek and humble and the one who fears my words?” The great virtues are three: humility, obedience, and love. Have love among you, humility and obedience. God and the Angels rejoice in these… Love all the Most Holy Theotokos, Her who so much helps out human and sinful race. Miracles happen every minute, but we don’t perceive them because we are stone hearted. Soft-heartedness and simplicity are what’s needed. When chanting, you must understand and feel what you say. Don’t get proud that you supposedly chant beautifully. You must live what you say. Once I was chanting a hymn f Apostle Peter that was about his denial. When I said “...and he cried bitterly,” I saw tears coming out from his icon. The saint must have been pleased. I never worried anxiously about anything. I cared for my children without weariness and anxiety. God Who gave them to me took also care of everything. I have seen many things in my life, one of hem being that prayers, supplications and Divine Liturgies have caused many to return to the Church’s fold.

6

His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago Visits the Assumption On Sunday, December 13, 2020 the Assumption was honored to receive His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael. He

was greeted upon his arrival by Tzion Tsiaklides who presented His Eminence with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. His Eminence was very happy to be with us , served as the priest and later said he enjoyed it. The service was beautiful and solemn. His Eminence gave a beautiful homily on the Gospel reading of the day asking us to find humility and not to do things for just for ourselves, but for others. Unfortunately, due to Covid restrictions we were unable to host a reception in the church hall where all could meet and greet His Eminence. He confirmed that he would come again. We thank His Eminence very much for visiting us and we look forward to his return.

Eiς πολλὰ ἔτη, Δέσποτα!

7

Servant Leadership Award His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael created the Servant Leadership Awards as a way to honor lay stewards from within our Metropolis who have demonstrated exceptional and innovative servant leadership and in so doing, inspire others to get involved in the life of the Church. The Bronze Crosses were to have been bestowed on the recipients by the Metropolitan at the Inaugural the Servant Leadership Awards Banquet, scheduled for May 1, 2020. However, the COVID-19 physical distancing restrictions imposed by the State of Illinois prevented that Banquet from being held. The Metropolitan decided to bring the Bronze Cross to them instead. On Sunday, December 13, 2020, His Eminence, following the Divine Services, His Eminence did bestow upon our receipt Art Liyeos the Bronze Cross. His Eminence asked Mr. Liyeos to join him in front of the iconostasis, gave him a blessing and then presented him with the award. Needless to say, a wonderful honor. Congratulations Art!

8

Philoptochos Corner The Assumption Ladies Philoptochos Society

HAPPY 2021!!!! We made it! Wishing everyone a Happy, Healthy and

Prosperous New Year!

As you know, every January Philoptochos cuts a Vasilopita for St. Basil’s Academy on Vasilopita Sunday. On March 15, 1944, the National Philoptochos Society purchased a 400-acre estate in Garrison, New York, for only $55,000. The Philoptochos Society purchased the estate from the proceeds of two years of Vasilopita celebrations. The Academy was named for Saint Basil, who was the founder of many orphanages, hospitals, and homes for the elderly. He is considered one of the greatest philanthropists of the Church and founder of the modern-day hospital & hospice concept. The National Philoptochos has responded to the needs of the Academy and its resident children for almost 77 years. Its mission statement: St. Basil’s Academy provides love, shelter, food, education, protection and a home for her orphans, children of chronically ill or destitute parents or children from broken homes. The Academy ministers to the whole child: mind, body, and spirit. Its mission is to facilitate shelter, protection, love, and education in youth, so they grow up to be healthy, wholesome, well-rounded Orthodox Christians, as well as productive members of society with vision and hope. Please consider donating to St. Basil’s Academy as it is still in need of our support. Your check should be made payable to the Assumption Philoptochos with St. Basil’s Academy in the memo. Thank you in advance for your support. Chapter News: - Thank you to everyone who supported our Holiday Sales, Community Christmas Card Sales & Vasilopita Sales! -Thank you to Diane Sieckmann chairing this year’s holiday baking and to Angie Koulouriotis and Stacy Neeser for packing all the orders so nicely. -Thank you to Bessie Theodorou for chairing this year’s Vasilopita baking and her crew, Eugenia Kirkou, Valerie Kopecky, Angie Koulouriotis, Christ Scott and Toots Zavradinos. In order to adhere to Covid protocols we limited the people who baked. A personal thank you to Diane Sieckmann & Thalia Dimitriou who helped me bake 300+ kourambedies and 700+ koulourakia. Και του χρόνου! -The Philoptochos Board had a ZOOM Christmas get together this year. We missed having our annual luncheon and look forward to seeing everyone in person December 2021!!

Metropolis News: January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. With your generous support we will be able to make a donation to The Covenant House, which is located here in St. Louis. Please see our flyer for the list of items we are collecting. January National Commitments: Saint Basil Academy – Vasilopita Fund Total amount disbursed 1998 – 2019: $8,470,443.00 Saint Basil Academy is owned by National Philoptochos and serves as the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese home for children in need. The Academy provides a loving Christian environment where resident children are nurtured to adulthood. The Vasilopita commitment provides funding for the Academy’s operating expenses. Social Services - Cancer and Other Major Illnesses Fund Total amount disbursed from 1998 – 2019 / Social Services: $1,904,726.00/ Cancer & Other Major Illness Fund: $1,129,159.34 The Social Services Department of Philoptochos provides outreach, support and financial assistance to those in need. The Cancer and Other Major Illnesses Fund provides finan-cial support to people undergoing treatment for cancer and other critical illnesses. Evelyn’s House – BJC Hospice: The hospice house recently asked for more blankets and snacks for their pantry. Charlton and I went shopping and dropped off the snacks and the blankets that were donated to us for them. They are grateful for our continued support. *If you would like any more information about the hospice house please contact Flora Dimitriou or Diane Sieckmann. 2021 General Meeting Dates: *ALL MEETINGS ARE POSTPONED UNTIL THE CO-RONA VIRUS RESTRICTIONS ARE LIFTED. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Flora Dimitriou, Philoptochos President fedimitriou@gmail.com 636-795-4602

9

What is Covenant House? Covenant House Missouri welcomes youth who are runaway, trafficked, at-risk, or experiencing homelessness with unconditional love, absolute respect and a place to call home. Beyond shelter and basic needs, we deliver transformative solutions to help young people ages 16 to 24 build productive, independent and sustainable lives. Every night, hundreds of unaccompanied youth are homeless in the state of Missouri. As the only nonprofit organization dedicated to serving homeless, runaway, and at-risk youth in the city of St. Louis, Covenant House Missouri works every day to be a place of unconditional love, hope, and support for our community’s most vulnerable youth. Covenant House Missouri openly accepts youth experiencing homelessness between the ages of 16-24. We provide transformative solutions to guide them from homelessness to hope through outreach, residential services, educational programs, job training and placement, medical services, and mental health counseling. Ultimately, Covenant House Missouri’s goal is that every youth finds stable housing and moves towards an independent, sustainable future. What is Human Trafficking? Human trafficking is a crime that forcefully exploits women, men, and children. According to the United Nations, human trafficking affects every country in the world, but it’s not talked about enough. Trafficking involves transporting someone into a situation of exploitation. This can include forced labor, marriage, prostitution, and organ removal. This kind of exploitation is known by a few different names -- “human trafficking,” “trafficking of persons,” and “modern slavery” are the ones accepted by the US Department of State. Globally, an estimated 71% of enslaved people are women and girls, while men and boys account for 29%

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. With your generous support, Philoptochos will be able to make a donation to The Covenant House, which is located here in St. Louis.

To say human trafficking is a huge problem, would be an understatement. We can all help in a small ways which is why Philoptochos has been supporting Convenant House Missouri for 2 years now. We received an extensive list of items on the wish list and we would like to enlist your help. We’ve narrowed it down. We would be grateful for any of the items listed her. We will collect for the month of January 2021. You may drop off your donations in the church office Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. If you have any questions, please contact Flora Di-mitriou at 636-795-4602 or Diane Sieckmann in the church office at 314-966-2255. For Fun Food/Drink Gift Cards (Target, Walmart, Visa, gas station, grocery, etc.) Candy, Chips, Granola Bars, etc. Colored Pencils/Markers Reusable Water Bottles Nail Polish Notebook/Journal/Planner Body Care Items Housewares Full Size Shampoo & Conditioner Backpacks (for all ethnicities and hair types) Blanket/Fuzzy Throw Hair Care Styling Products Collapsible Laundry Baskets (including some for textured/natural hair) Bath Towel Full Size Body Wash (no bars of soap) Hair combs & Brushes Lotion Nail Clippers Loofah

10

Stewardship Corner In Memory of George C. Kantis

It is with great sadness that the Stewardship Commit-tee of our beloved Assumption Greek Orthodox Church lost with his passing to Christ its true leader and true innovator and founder, Mr George Kantis. Mr Kantis embodied and will continue to embody so much of what we should be or strive to be as Stewards of our community. He was the founding member of our committee and instituted the idea of stewardship over dues long before many churches in the Archdiocese or Metropolis adopted Stewardship. Due to George’s efforts, our church was one of the first in 1990’s to adopt a true stewardship program. He was an innovator and implemented the program with such grace and organization. George’s family were founding members of the Assumption and a near and dear relative to me. George and Mary were close friends to my parents who gave my parents so much love and friendship and company during their retired and golden years here in St Louis. George grew up in the Assumption, loved the Assumption, was a multiple year member of the parish council and he was very involved in the move of our church from University City to Town and Country in the 1970’s and 1980’s. His children Kelly, Daphne, Christine, and Felicia and sons-in-law have all helped the stewardship committee both during and after Mr. Kantis ended his chairmanship of it. Our church for years had a dues mentality but due to George’s efforts of creating our committee he transformed us into a stewardship mentality parish focused on time, talent and treasures towards the church’s ministries by asking us to give from our hearts and with prayer not just with what was convenient or what was proposed on us as being enough by the parish council or church administrators. Instead, he made us change our thinking that our beloved Assumption is an extension of our homes, our families, our hearts and the gifts given to us by God. He took away predetermined prescriptions or dollar amounts and put our giving and dedication in our own hands and into our own consciousness. It is no coincidence that in his career he also sold insurance and financial products. He knew that like his clients, each and every steward was important and each had to take care of his family financially for a family’s future and like stewardship the concept was the same, you gave and invested as much to your family as you could from your heart and the resources given to you by God so that you could sustain them and watch them grow. Stewardship for the church is no different. I cannot tell you the multiple times he visited me with my father at high school events, or college football games, my college graduation, and even when I worked in a different city. He was a friend to my family and to this community. He was an uncle to me. He was a fellow steward and a mentor.

I hope that while he is with Christ he can ask him to forgive me for my sins for I am an unworthy servant and team leader of this committee compared to him. I am sure along the way I upset him about something I did, said or the way I acted to him or anyone else, but I hope he can forgive and watch over me and continue to help this committee while he is close to Christ. Mr. Kantis you will be missed and always loved. Your legacy for this committee and this church is forever. I will be asking the parish council if we can create the George Kantis Stewardship plaque honoring him for his dedication and leadership to the creation and continuation of our stewardship committee and his dedication and service to Assumption. I am forever your unworthy servant. Yours in Christ, Michael Afentoullis Team Leader Assumption Stewardship Committee

11

Slouching Toward the Kingdom Luke 14:16 - 24

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Today salvation has come to pass in the world. We hear a parable in the gospel about a dinner party. Only it’s not an ordinary kind of dinner party. In our day, when you get invited to a dinner party typically you just show up. You might inquire as to the occasion so that you know how to dress properly. The banquet in the Gospel today is unique. Though everyone made the cut on the guest list, one didn’t just show up. It was understood that the host expected something of his guests. All were given plenty of notice. It’s true; the RSVP was a little different. There was-n’t a card to fill out and return. There wasn’t a website to log into for reply. This banquet is categorically different. No one knew the date of the banquet. The guests had to be ready. They had to be attentive, watchful, alert, and ready every day − anticipating the call. The parable is of course an analogy. The banquet represents the Kingdom of God. The host of the banquet is God the Father. The servant sent out at supper time is our Lord Jesus. The invitation is the offer of eternal life. The time of waiting is the span of your lifetime. The obedience of the servant indicates the soul awakened from spiritual slumber. The preparation of the people called to attend denotes wakefulness in the spiritual life in obedience to Christ. The excuses offered represent our entanglements in the cares and concerns of life that distract us, pulling us away from God. Indifference to the invitation signifies the will of the human being in a state of spiritual slumber. There are two groups of people in the parable. Those on the “A List” blew off the invitation. They didn’t value the offer. They were looking for a different offer, one more suited to their desires. Historically, the “A List” are the Jewish people. Then, there was the “B List,” that’s everybody else, the gentiles. That’s you and me. The master of the feast compelled everyone on the “B List” to come which is an image of the great love that Lord of Glory has for you, and all of mankind, no matter where you are, no matter the circumstance, no matter how far you’ve strayed. Whether you’re on the “A List” or the “B List,” you’re expected to prepare yourself for the banquet and be ready. Yes, God loves you. Yes, you’ve been invited. You won’t be disappointed. Yet, this is a special kind of feast. You’re a child of the Light. You don’t just show up. You’re a child of the Great King. You don’t slouch toward the Kingdom. You’re an intimate friend of Christ. You don’t ignore the details contained in the invitation and presume everything is fine. Sadly, in our human weakness this great and holy invitation from heaven can be misunderstood, or neglected, or disregarded, and carelessly tossed into the recycle bin. Yet, this invitation isn’t a piece of junk mail. This is a personal invitation given to you by the Holy God to partake of His light and love for all eternity. The Banquet Table to which you’re called stretches across all of time and eternity. One end of the grand and mystical table is set before the throne of God in heaven. The other end reaches down to the Holy Altar right here in front of you, where Jesus offers Himself to you as food.

Let’s look at this all-holy and spiritual table. We’ll start with the end of it that we can see. The invitations have been sent. During pre-Communion prayers and Orthros the banquet is prepared. All is made ready. The doors of the church open. The call goes out. All that remains is for the guests to arrive. Are they watchful and attentive? The Lord Jesus calls them his brethren. Will they be diligent? They are children of the Holy God. Will they come prepared? It is the heavenly banquet of the Great King, the Lord of Light, in which He shares His Holy Body and precious Blood that they may live forever. And so, all preparations for the banquet have conclude. Yet, where are they? The Great Doxology begins. Why have the guests not come? The prayers of peace, hymns, the entrance, the reading the epistle, the Holy Gospel, but where those whom He loves? Brethren, may God have mercy on us, for we do not know what we’re doing. Maybe it’s time for a little bit of self-reproach. Maybe a divine ray of humility will open a way for the light of Christ to shine on our behavior. Like everyone in the parable today, you’re required to prepare yourself and be ready, so to speak, at the drop of a hat. You’re expected to be diligent. Today is the day of salvation, not tomorrow. Now is the acceptable time, not later. St. Paul reminds us today if you will hear my voice, do not harden your hearts. If we make light of our human condition, or make excuses for our delay −while yet standing on this side of the Great Banquet Table − what defense will you possibly give when you pass from this life and wish to have a place reserved for you on the other side of the Great Banquet Table in heaven? Let us be attentive. Maybe our excuses aren’t the same as the ones we heard in the Gospel. But make no mistake. When we stop our ears or stiffen our necks, when we harden our heart or make light of our salvation, we’re no different than the people on the “A List” in the parable. Here’s your challenge Do something about your invitation this week. Humble yourself now. Deny yourself now. Confess your sins now. Forgive your brother now. Love your enemy now. Come to church now. Learn obedience now. Do these things now because that’s how you fill out your RSVP for the Kingdom of Heaven. Then, approach the Holy Chalice sitting here at the end of the mystical Banquet Table that you see in front of you. Prepare yourself now that you may enter in to life. Glory to You, O Christ our God and our hope, glory to You. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

12

In Our Prayers Nora (Elaine) Bangert, Seraphima Henderson

Thekla (Rebecca) Kagaris, Dean Kases, George Lambos, Diane Munsterman

Parish News Trisagia

Αἰωνία ἡ μνήμη November 15 40 day trisagion for Dr. George Christakis 15 year trisagion for Konstantinos “Gus” Siotos

9 year trisagion for Helen Siotos 40 day prayer for Irene Siotos November 22 His Holiness IRINEJ (Gavrilovic), Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Patriarch of Serbia Bishop Lazar (Samadbegishvili) of Borjomi and Bakuriani, Georgia 2 year trisagion George Leonstinis December 27 40 days Pete Georges 2.5 years Jimmie Georges 4 year trisagion for Ollie Aslan

Baptisms Congratulations

Να ζήσει Congratulations to Brian & Kristen (Gibbs) Inkley on the baptism of their son, James, on December 12, 2020. James’s godfather is Joseph Gibbs.

Check the Web

www.assumptiongoc.org www.goarch.org Our Archdiocese website www.chicago.goarch.org Metropolis of Chicago website www.orthodox heritage.org Lives of saints, edification, contemporary issues www.ancientfaithradio.com 24 hour orthodox music, teaching, etc. www.johnsanidopoulos.com Mystagogy ~ the intersection of contemporary culture and Holy Orthodoxy

Funerals Καλό παράδεισο

Peter Georges reposed on Sunday, November 22, 2020, husband of Aristea Georges. Funeral at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church on Friday, November 27th, with inter-ment St. Matthew Cemetery. George Kantis reposed on Wednesday, November 25, 2020,. husband of Maria Kantis. Funeral at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church on tuesday, December 1with in-terment at Bellerive Gardens Cemetery. Maria Dubis reposed on Friday November 27, 2020. Funeral and Interment at the chapel at St. Matthew Cemetery on Monday, November 30, 2020.

James Gramates, husband of Elizabeth Gramates, reposed on November 30, 2020 in Portland, Oregon . Funeral services were held December 8, 2020 at Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, 405 Huntwood Road, Swansea, IL 62226. Interment with military honors will follow at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Abdul Aldahhak, father of Dr. Roula (Sami) Bishara reposed on Monday, December 7, 2020. He was buried in Syria.

All live streaming for the Assumption church services can be found at www.youtube.com. Here is a direct link to the As-sumption YouTube page: Youtube.com/assumptiongocstl

Don’t forget to click on “subscribe.”

Important

Please inform Fr. Joseph immediately when you or any member of your family is sick or hospitalized, so that appropriate prayer and visitation may be scheduled. Hospitals do not notify clergy of patients even if you list yourself as a Church member.

13

We all face various trials and challenges in our lives. Some of these trials threaten to overwhelm us, unless we learn to see each one as an opportunity to learn and grow, trusting that God is ultimately in control. This is the advice from St. James today – “Whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.” Trials of every kind can remind us to turn to God, trust in His loving care even when the severe trials seem too great, and realize that as we struggle forward through the darkness, His light will eventually shine forth. We must endure and even carry a spirit of joy and hope in the midst of any and every challenge. Fr. Luke Veronis

Let's Change the St. Louis Community Together With Humanity My name is Vasilios Sahinidis, a member of the Asssuption Greek Orthodox Church, and I recently launched a nonprofit organization called We Care STL, Inc. We Care STL was created to raise donations and create care packages and donate them to patients who don't have medical insurance or are underinsured here in St. Louis. Most of these individuals are patients of medical clinics that provide primary care and domestic abuse services to people who don't

have or can't afford health insurance. Our goal is to put a smile on the faces of those who may belong to the underprivileged and underrepresented communities in St. Louis and who may have been impacted by the recent pandemic. Our care packages cost less than $7 each and include personal hand sanitizer, a personal first aid kit, a stress ball with our logo on it, omega 3 juice powder, cough drops and bags of tea, and more all assembled in a customized mailer box. We buy everything in bulk of 100 so every time we raise $700, we are able to place orders and have everything shipped to our address and we assemble the care packages and will drop them off to a clinic. So far we have a website (https://www.wecarestl.org), incorporated and filed as a charitable organization under the Missouri Attorney General's Office and opened up a bank account/EIN and have synced with PayPal to accept donations. Our board is compromised of the co-founders, Gus Harris, Zaid Khashram, Carlen Hite, and myself. We have held our first board meeting and our next step is to raise more donations to file as a 501(c)(3) entity and to help us with assembling our care packages. So far we have raised about $900 and are getting ready to distribute our first batch of care packages to our community! We would like to ask anyone who would be interested in donating a small amount to help our local St. Louis community. If we can get 40 donors to donate just $20 over the next couple of months, that should cover our remaining one-time, initial registration fees and operating fees for the entire year as well as allow us to donate an additional 100 care packages to our local community. Even just $5 from a donor would be greatly appreciated. Slow and steady wins the race! Please visit our website and remember you may make your donations through PayPal on our website. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions at 412- 801-1791 or by email to contact@wecarestl.org.

14

Level 3 Reuniting Our People with Their Parish Homes

Guidelines for Attending Divine Services Please remember that you should not attend services if you have signs or symptoms of COVID 19 as outlined by the CDC or have come in contact with anyone who has COVID 19 or suspected of having COVID 19. Please remember to call the church office to make a reservation to attend services. All services will continue to be live streamed on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/assumptiongocstl Please remember to arrive on time. A facemask must be worn at all times, except when receiving Holy Communion. In order for masks to work properly, the mask must cover both your mouth and nose. Please provide your own mask. Maintain social distance of at least 6 feet. Upon entering the church you will be checked in by a volunteer and temperature will be taken. You may light candles which will be given to you by a Parish Council member or other volunteer. Please have exact change. Hands sanitizer is available at designated arears in the Narthex and Nave. Although we can not venerate icons by the time honored tradition of making the sign of the cross and kissing we may still honor the icons with a bow and making the sign of the cross. You will be ushered to your assigned seat. Families will be seated together. You are able to follow along with the services at the AGES digital chant stand app at https://agesinitiatives.com/ or you can find the link for each service on the email sent with the schedule of services. Please follow the directions for receiving Holy Communion. You will be released from the pew by the usher. There are no collection baskets passed. However, at the end of liturgy there will be a basket placed in the back where you may leave a donation as you leave. At the conclusion of the service, you will be released by the ushers to receive antidoron and leave. The faithful are to be instructed not to reverence the clergyman’s hand when receiving antidoron. There is no congregating in the Narthex There is no fellowship coffee hour. All non-liturgical services continue to be suspended.

15

As always, please feel free to contact Rosie Hartley, 618-447-9688, if you have any questions, would like to be part of the Mission Team St. Louis, or if you would like to help our missionaries. Thank you for your continued support!

Mission Team

St. Louis

"The Orthodox Mission Team of St. Louis works to nurture an awareness within our local churches of the need to evangelize, catechize, and support missionary efforts and programs globally."

Historic Ghana Clergy Stewardship Retreat Andrew J. Lekos

Over a period of three days, from Nov. 19-21, history was made in Ghana when eleven local clergy gathered at the Archdiocese center in the capital city of Accra to participate in a virtual retreat on Stewardship conducted by OCMC team members in the United States. His Eminence Metropolitan Petros of Accra noted that this retreat was so important because it supports his clergy, who are on the “frontline” of leading their communities. In his welcoming address His Eminence stated, “The birth of our Lord celebrates stewardship,” reminding the participants of the greatest of all gifts that we receive – our Lord’s birth. While the COVID-19 restrictions have temporarily halted in-person teams, including an earlier summer Ghana clergy retreat, OCMC has adapted by conducting virtual teams with members from the United States engaging in online instruction with Orthodox faithful overseas through video conferencing platforms. The US team consisted of Fr. Jerome Cwiklinski of Oceanside, CA, Fr. Robert Holet of Troy, VA, and Fr. Paul Jannakos of Orland Park, IL, who presented on the priestly role in Orthodox stewardship. The concept of stewardship is relatively new to the clergy in Ghana. Fr. Joseph Kwame Labi, the event coordinator, noted, “The clergy need to be informed and motivated regarding stewardship and their role in this ministry. The Church cannot depend solely on external support. The clergy need to understand, ‘Why should parishes support ministers, ministry, administration, projects, etc.?’” His Eminence also referenced the "gospel of prosperity," acknowledging that “Ghana is very "charismatic" and that certain “prosperity gospel” preachers make a lot of money by preying on the gullibility of poor and naïve people. His Eminence encouraged his clergy, saying that the motives of stewardship should always be gratitude for the gifts God has given us and using those gifts for His work, always with love, compassion and joy. In Ghana many Orthodox feel isolated because the Orthodox Church is a minority religion, but the presentations reminded the clergy to apply their limited resources to continue offering a witness of the Orthodox Faith. They were reminded that their priestly witness is “in communion” with the Saints and rooted in Scripture. One participant shared that “stewardship is a gift from God and must be used well, and it is not just for the priest, but for everyone.” Another shared how he now sees stewardship as a “mission of service,” and that he needs to always be ready to offer his service. Mission Team Director Andrew Lekos joined with Fr. Kwame and thanked the Team members and all the clergy Ghana clergy who participated. Lekos also acknowledged other past team members who donated funds to help pay for the costs associated with this virtual event. This Virtual Team, and the many others that are taking place around the world, are OCMC’s response to the needs that exist. Contact the OCMC Teams Department for more information about how you can partici-pate on a Virtual Team. (904) 829 5132 ext. 141 or email teams@ocmc.org Note the Holy Metropolis of Accra includes in its jurisdiction the countries of Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali and Burkina Faso.

16

17

Church Entrance Enhancement Program The Consecration “Godparent “Program” commitment of 51 donated pavers was accomplished early in this program in October 2018, by surrounding the ornamental fountain and along the stone seating benches. To date, we have engraved a total of 183 donated pavers. Phase One of the landscaping program has been accomplish with the addition of the present shrubbery. At this time, we have only 5 donor pavers available to be engraved to complete the entire project. If one wishes to donation a paver in their family name or in memory of a loved one, space is available, but limited. Order forms are available in the church office or contact Diane Sieckmann at 314-966-2255 or Tony Tharenos at 636-537-9835. On behalf of the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, we wish to thank all of you who have participated in this program. We hope that you will take the time to explore and appreciate your kind contribution.

Sincerely, Anthony Tharenos

Deification Deification is the ancient theological word used to de-scribe the process by which a Christian becomes more like God. St Peter speaks of this process when he writes, “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness… you may be partak-ers of the divine nature: (1:3,4).

What does it mean to partake of the divine nature, and how do we experience this? To give an answer, let us first address what deification is not, and then describe what it is. What deification is not. When the Church calls us to pursue godliness, to be more like God, this does not mean that human beings become divine. We do not become like God in His nature. That would not only be heresy, it would be impossible. For we are human, always have been human, and always will be human. We cannot take on the nature of God. St. John of Damascus makes a remarkable observa-tion. The word “God” in the Scriptures refers not to the divine nature or essence, for that is unknowable. “God” refers rather to the divine energies-the power and grace of God that we can perceive in this world. The Greek word for God, theos, comes from the verb meaning “run,” “see,” or “burn.” These are energy words, so to speak, not essence words. In John 10:34, Jesus, quoting Psalm 81:6, repeats the passage, “You are gods.” The fact that He was speaking to a group of hypocritical religious leaders who were accus-ing Him of blasphemy makes the meaning doubly clear: Jesus is not using “god” to refer to divine nature. We are gods in we bear His image, not His nature. What deification is. Deification means we are to become more like God through His grace or divine energies. In creation, humans were made in the image and likeness of God (Gn. 1:26) according to human nature. In other words, humanity by nature is an icon or image of deity: The divine image is in all humanity. Through sin, however, this image and likeness of God was marred, and we fell. When the Son of God assumed our humanity in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary, the process of our being renewed in God’s image and likeness was begun. Thus, those who are joined to Christ, through faith, in Holy Baptism begin a process of re-creation, being renewed in God’s image and likeness. We become, as St. Peter writes, “partakers of the divine nature” (1:4) Because of the Incarnation of the Son of God, because the fullness of God has inhabited human flesh, being joined to Christ means that it is again possible to experience deification, the fulfillment of our human destiny. That is, through union with Christ, we become by grace what God is by nature-we “become children of God” (Jn1:12). His deity interpenetrates our humanity. Historically, deification has often been illustrated by the example of a sword in the fire. A steel sword is thrust into a hot fire until the sword takes on a red glow. The

energy of the fire interpenetrates the sword. The sword nev-er becomes fire, but picks up the properties of fire. By application, the divine energies interpenetrate the human nature of Christ. When we are joined to Christ, our humani-ty is interpenetrated the energies of God through Christ’s glorified flesh. Nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ, we partake of the grace of God-His strength, His righteous-ness, His love-and are enabled to serve Him and glorify Him. Thus we, being human, are being deified. From the Orthodox Study Bible, page1692

18

Su

n

Mo

n

Tu

e W

ed

Th

u

Fri

S

at

Div

ine

Lit

urg

y T

imes

are

Ap

pro

xim

ate

F

ast

Days

are

Sh

ad

ed

Fea

st D

ays

are

Bo

xed

1 C

ircu

mcis

ion

of

Ch

ris

t -

St.

Ba

sil

the G

rea

t 8:4

5 a

m O

rthro

s 10:0

0 a

m D

ivin

e L

iturg

y &

D

oxolo

gy

2

5:0

0 p

m G

reat

Ves

per

s

3

8:3

0 a

m O

rth

ros

9:4

5 a

m D

ivin

e L

itu

rgy

4

5 E

ve o

f T

heo

ph

an

y

9:0

0 a

m G

reat

Hou

rs a

nd

Typ

ica

5:3

0 p

m V

esp

eral

Div

ine

Lit

urg

y &

Gre

at

B

less

ing o

f th

e W

ater

s

6 T

heo

ph

an

y

8:4

5 a

m O

rth

ros

10

:00

am

Div

ine

Lit

urg

y

and

Gre

at B

less

ing o

f th

e W

ater

s 1

:30 p

m P

an-O

rth

od

ox

Ble

ssin

g o

f th

e W

ater

s

7 S

t. J

oh

n t

he

Bap

tist

8:4

5 a

m O

rth

ros

10

:00

am

Div

ine

Lit

urg

y

8

9

5:0

0 p

m G

reat

Ves

per

s

10

8:3

0 a

m O

rth

ros

10

:00

am

Div

ine

Lit

urg

y

6:3

0 p

m G

reat

Ves

per

s

11 R

igh

teo

us

Th

eod

osi

os

8:4

5 a

m O

rth

ros

10

:00

am

Div

ine

Lit

urg

y

12

1

3

6:3

0 p

m V

esp

ers

7:3

0 p

m O

rth

od

ox S

tudie

s C

lass

14

8:4

5 a

m O

rth

ros

10

:00

am

Div

ine

Lit

urg

y

15

1

6

5:0

0 p

m G

reat

Ves

per

s

17

St.

An

tho

ny

th

e

Gre

at

8:3

0 a

m O

rth

ros

10

:00

am

Div

ine

Lit

urg

y

6:3

0 p

m G

reat

Ves

per

s

18

Sain

ts A

tha

na

sio

s

an

d C

yril

, P

atr

iarch

s of

Ale

xa

nd

ria

8:4

5 a

m O

rth

ros

10

:00am

Div

ine

Lit

urg

y

19

6:3

0 p

m G

reat

Ves

per

s

20

Eft

hy

mio

s th

e G

rea

t

8:4

5 a

m O

rth

ros

10

:00

am

Div

ine

Lit

urg

y

7:3

0 p

m O

rth

od

ox S

tudie

s

Cla

ss

21

2

2

23

5:0

0 p

m G

reat

Ves

per

s

24

8:3

0 a

m O

rth

ros

10

:00

am

Div

ine

Lit

urg

y

6:3

0 p

m G

reat

Ves

per

s

25

St.

Greg

ory t

he

Th

eolo

gia

n

8:4

5 a

m O

rth

ros

10

:00am

Div

ine

Lit

urg

y

26

2

7

6:3

0 p

m V

esp

ers

7:3

0 p

m O

rth

od

ox S

tudie

s C

lass

28

8:4

5 a

m O

rth

ros

10

:00

am

Div

ine

Lit

urg

y

29

6:3

0 p

m G

reat

Ves

per

s

30

Th

ree

Hie

rarc

hs

8:4

5 a

m O

rth

ros

10

:00

am

Div

ine

Lit

urg

y

5:0

0 p

m G

reat

Ves

per

s

31

Wo

nd

erw

ork

ing

Un

mercen

erie

s C

yru

s &

J

oh

n

8:3

0 a

m O

rth

ros

10

:00

am

Div

ine

Lit

urg

y

Januar

y 2

021

A

ssu

mp

tio

n G

reek

Ort

ho

do

x C

hurc

h

Th

e th

ree

Hie

rarc

hs—

an e

arth

ly t

rinit

y a

s th

ey a

re c

alle

d i

n s

om

e of

the

wonder

ful

tro

par

ia o

f th

eir

serv

ice—

hav

e ta

ugh

t u

s in

th

eir

wri

tin

gs

and

eq

ual

ly b

y t

hei

r li

ves

, to

wors

hip

and t

o g

lori

fy t

he

Holy

Tri

nit

y, th

e O

ne

Go

d i

n t

hre

e P

erso

ns.

Th

ese

thre

e lu

min

arie

s of

the

Ch

urc

h h

ave

shed

the

light

of

the

true

Fai

th a

ll o

ver

the

worl

d,

scorn

ing d

anger

s an

d p

erse

cuti

on

s, a

nd

th

ey h

ave

left

us,

th

eir

de-

scen

dan

ts, th

is s

acre

d i

nher

itan

ce b

y w

hic

h w

e to

o c

an a

ttai

n t

o u

tmost

ble

ssed

nes

s an

d e

ver

last

ing l

ife

in t

he

pre

sen

ce o

f G

od

an

d o

f al

l th

e S

ain

ts

20

Assumption Greek Orthodox Church 1755 Des Peres Road Town and Country, MO 63131-1405 Address Service Requested

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. Postage

PAID St. Louis, MO

Permit No. 4628

20

From the Orthodox Study Bible

Matthew 5:43-48 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and per-secute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax col-lectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. 5:44-47 Freed from hate, sadness, and anger, we are able to receive the greatest virtue: perfect love. The love of enemies is not merely an emotion, but includes decision and action. It is to treat and see our enemies as the closest members of our own family. (See 1Jn 4:7-21.) 5:48 The summary statement of all that has preceded. The Christian can indeed grow in the perfection of the Father (Eph 4:13; see also the article, “Deification,” at 2Pt 1),[reprinted on page 16 of this edition of this newsletter], which is shown by imitating His love and mercy (compare Lk6:36).

Reflection

St. Anthony teaches: "Learn to love humility, for it will cover all your sins. All sins are repulsive before God, but the most repulsive of all is pride of the heart. Do not consider yourself learned and wise; otherwise, all your effort will be destroyed, and your boat will reach the harbor empty. If you have great authority, do not threaten anyone with death. Know that, ac-cording to nature, you too are susceptible to death, and that every soul sheds its body as its final garment." In Byzantium there existed an unusual and instructive custom during the crowning of the emperors in the Church of the Divine Wis-dom [Hagia Sophia]. The custom was that, when the patriarch placed the crown on the emperor's head, he also handed him a silk purse filled with earth from a grave, so that even the emperor would recall death, avoid all pride and become humble

https://web.archive.org/web/20170502033646/http://westserbdio.org/en/prologue/479-january-17