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The Newsletter of Saints Constantine & Helen

Greek Orthodox Church

August—September 2014

Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church

501 West 27th

St Cheyenne WY, 82001

(307) 635-5929 office@cheyennegoc.org

www.orthodoxcheyenne.org

Father Jason Dickey

In This Issue:

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From our Archbishop

The Upbringing of

Children

Stewardship

THE IMPORTANCE

OF THE ELDERLY

Community Snaphots

The life and Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos offers a

genuine and faithful testimony of how the family should be a

witness of the Gospel

By. Archbishop DEMETRIOS

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We commemorate this blessed Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy

Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, honoring and celebrating her faith in

God and the witness of the miraculous power of grace in her life through

her willing obedience to His will. As a result of the amazing level of per-

sonal holiness and the abundance of grace, the Theotokos offers us a su-

perb example of a relationship with God and a deep connection with Him

that is essential for our lives and the sacred institution of the family.

In addition to the impact of the power and presence of Christ on her as a

person, the transformative influence of the grace of God guided the The-

otokos as a Mother and in building and nurturing a family in which her Son

was also the Son of God. Through faith and grace, she was instrumental in

creating the perfect family, the Holy Family, from the birth of Christ and

His perfection as an infant through His thirty years with His family in Naz-

areth.

The person of the Theotokos as a superb model in creating a family as a

holy institution is important for families today when faith and grace are

essential in the midst of so many challenges. With this in mind, we cele-

brate the Feast of the Dormition following our 42nd Biennial Clergy-Laity

Congress. A blessing that continues from the Congress is the ongoing re-

flection and emphasis of our theme, “The Orthodox Christian Family: a

Dwelling of Christ and a Witness of His Gospel.” As we are seriously en-

gaged in applying this theme in our homes and ministry, we are guided by

the example of the Theotokos.

Our focus on the family and the priority of ministry to the family has

abundantly shown that its true identity and character is known when the

family is connected to God. In the life and witness of the Theotokos and

through the Incarnation, we are shown the necessity of this relation-

ship. Certainly, the importance of the family is affirmed in that God, when

He became man, was born as a baby in a family and was nurtured as an

infant within a family under the holy care of the Theotokos.

Continued on page 12.

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Office Hours

Fr. Jason’s Office Hours will be back to

the normal time: Mon—Thurs (9am—4pm)

Father Jason can be reached on his cell phone (219) 895-0626 after business

hours in the event of a pastoral emergency. Please call the church for

all other matters.

Pastoral Visits

“I didn’t want to bother the Priest” is never a valid excuse for not calling Fr. Jason for a pastoral emergency! Did you ever think that it might bother the priest when you don’t call when you don’t call?

Pastoral visits and phone calls are not only vital to those who are in need of pastoral care, but they are vital to the life of our parish.

Call the Church Office or call Fr. Jason’s emergency cell phone number and let him know! You can also ask your family members, a social worker, or your Hospital’s Chaplain services to notify the Church so that they can inform Father Jason that you are in need of pastoral care.

We must pray and support one another in every way possible. If you know of someone who is in need of pastoral care, please en-courage them (or their designated caregiver to call the Church office or Fr. Jason’s emergen-cy cell phone number).

Also, if you have a scheduled surgery or Dr’s appointment, please ask Fr. Jason for the sacrament of Holy Unction following Divine Liturgy or after one of our services throughout the week!

Home Visits

The Sacrament of Confession

Confession is a necessary element of our personal healing, and for the repentance and forgiveness of sins. It’s also a vital element of our Lord’s Commission to us as Orthodox Christians for the life and growth of the Church. Please speak to Fr. Jason in order to make the necessary arrangements for the sacrament of con-fession.

Do you or anyone else know of someone who needs a home due to health reasons, or just because

they need someone to talk to? Please call Fr. Jason or ask our Ladies Philoptochos in order to

schedule a pastoral visit.

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St. Macrina’s Academy Presents "The Upbringing of Children According to the

Holy Fathers of the Church"

By Fr. Hector Firoglanis “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

-Proverbs 22:6

If someone told you that you would have no problems with your children if you raised them a certain way, would you be interested in learning more? Who wouldn’t? For parents, the up-bringing of children is the most important and sacred duty in life. And if we carry out that duty according to the teachings of the Church Fathers, God will help us to raise up Christian chil-dren who will be a joy to behold.

Our Number One Priority to Our Children: Raising Them Close to God Of course, as Orthodox Christian parents, we all want to raise children who will grow to be-

come good, responsible and faithful Orthodox Christians. That is why most of us have our children baptized, bring them to church on Sundays, take them to Sunday School, and have them receive holy communion regularly. Many of us might think that is the extent of our pa-rental responsibility for raising up a child close to God, but is it?

While it’s a good start, the Fathers of the Church say that it’s not enough. They say that the

spiritual well-being of our children should take priority over their material needs, their secular education and their preparation for worldly success, as St. John Chrysostom explains: “We are so concerned with our children’s schooling [and worldly success]; if only we were equally zealous in bringing them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord… This, then, is our task: to educate both ourselves and our children in godliness; otherwise what answer will we have before Christ’s judgment-seat?”

A recurring theme in the writings of the Fathers is that the upbringing of our children in godli-ness is the most important task of parents, a 24/7 job. It is a responsibility with eternal impli-cations which requires our utmost personal discipline, vigilance, effort, and dependence on God’s grace.

The Example of the Parents During a pilgrimage to the Monastery of Saint Arsenios the Cappadocian my wife and I went

on when we lived in Greece for a year, we sat down to speak with Father Theoklytos, a very gentle, humble and surprisingly humorous elder of the monastery.

Although we did not yet have children at the time, my wife asked the elder how we could be good parents if, God willing, we were to have children one day. The Elder paused, then looked up at us with his gentle and disarming gaze and said, “To raise good children, you need to love each other.” We will never forget the simplicity and conviction with which he answered a question we thought would require a complicated answer.

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The Elder’s simple response reinforced a foundational teaching of the Church regarding child rearing: If husband and wife truly love each other, as the Fathers of the Church teach, then the children will have an ideal model of how to love God and their fellow man.

Saint John Chrysostom, in a more general sense, speaks about the centrality of the parents’ example for molding multiple facets of the child’s development: “For generally the children ac-quire the character of their parents, are formed in the mold of their parents’ tempera-ment, love the same things their parents love, talk in the same fashion, and work for the same ends” (St. John Chrysostom, On Marriage and Family Life, SVS Press, 1986, p. 64).

Molding the Will of the Child What most of us will discover when we view our child-rearing methods through an Orthodox

Patristic perspective is that we are faced with the risk of allowing the child to develop a power-ful self-will. A strong self-will, which develops very early in life in the absence of proper pa-rental direction, renders spiritual growth much more difficult.

What does this mean? It means that later in life it will be very challenging—in some instanc-es impossible—to get the self-willed child to voluntarily be attentive during church services, to fast, to respect parental authority, and to grow in the image and likeness of Christ as a kind, gentle and forgiving child of God.

The words of St. Theophan the Recluse impress upon us the importance of molding the will of a child: “The will of the parents should be imprinted upon each step – of course in a gen-eral way. Without this, the behavior of the child can easily become corrupted.” (St. The-ophan the Recluse, Raising Them Right, Conciliar Press, 1989, p. 34).

Without getting angry when the child tests his limits and without putting excessive pressure on the child, parents can do much good for the child’s soul by setting clear and pronounced boundaries around the child’s self-will. Of course, the parents need to consistently maintain and remind the child of those boundaries in a loving and gentle way.

By molding and directing the will of a child, especially at the early stages of development, the parent is teaching the child that he is not the center of the world. Only as such will a child learn later in life to do the will of God (to obey His commandments) and to put the needs of others before his own.

Our Ultimate Purpose The successful upbringing of children is in no way disconnected from our ultimate purpose

as Orthodox Christians, which is the process of deification, or to become like God – to be-come saints! It may sound like a lofty and unrealistic goal, but it is nevertheless our ultimate purpose, and if we at least orient ourselves towards that goal, we’ll be on the right track to-wards becoming the parents God wants us to be.

The Orthodox Way according to the Church Fathers is a difficult path which requires continu-

ous effort, prayer, self-sacrifice and repentance. Christ Himself said that “The gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matt. 7:13). Being a good parent and raising virtuous, loving Christian children is also hard, especially in today’s world.

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In order to make our job as parents a little easier, we can begin by repenting, orienting our lives towards Christ, and making ourselves a little more Christ-like. As a contemporary elder of the Church, Elder Porphyrios, says, “Become saints and you will have no problems with your children” (Wounded By Love, p. 198).

Prioritizing our children’s spiritual well-being over their worldly success, offering them a Christ-like example of love and harmony within the home, molding the child’s self -will, and striving continuously to become like Christ – to become saints: This is a brief glimpse into raising our children according the teachings of the Fathers and Holy Elders of the Church. It is a difficult path, but it is the surest way we have of raising children who will grow to love God and their fellow man, and who will be a joy for all of us to behold.

Reminder: Classes begin in church at 9:30AM with the Divine Liturgy. Students are encour-aged to sit together as a class with their teacher in the front of the church. After Holy Com-munion, classes continues in our Church’s prayer corner where they will be given a general lesson about the hymns of the Church, Church etiquette, etc. before going to their designat-ed class rooms.

Don’t forget about our Open House, Agiasmo, and Registra-

tion on Sunday, August 31 after Liturgy!

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YOUR THREE BUCKET LIST By Bill Marianes

Maybe we can’t change the world. If you figured that out already, congratulations, you may be ahead of

the game and me. I have a theory called the “Three Bucket List.” It’s not a list of the things to do before you

pass from this earth.

Guru of management and non-profit entities, Peter Drucker, taught the rule of twos and threes. It has differ-

ent applications, including we should never make more than two or three points if we want to communicate

effectively. Following this advice, I believe all opportunities, issues and problems that we all face fit into one

of three “buckets:”

Bucket 1: The things we control;

Bucket 2: The things we influence; and

Bucket 3: The things we really can’t do anything about.

Most of us spend an inordinate amount of time and energy fretting about that 3rd bucket of things we really

can’t do anything about. It is frustrating, unproductive, unhealthy, and does little to improve the world or ad-

vance our journey toward theosis and salvation. But boy do we know how to rant and rave about those 3rd

bucket issues.

Don’t get me wrong, into which bucket any particular issue belongs depends on who you are. Our Lord and

Savior Jesus Christ did not have any 3rd bucket issues. If you are the President of the U.S.A., world peace may

be in bucket 2 for you; but for most of us, it is a goal beyond our wingspan. Even the Apostles sometimes

struggled with into which bucket a particular person, problem or issue should go. So it’s OK if we don’t al-

ways get it right at first.

My previous stewardship messages focused almost exclusively on the 1st bucket, namely, your ability to

control living a life of a true Christian steward and making a difference in what you do. That is a paramount

part of each of our own, unique stewardship callings. We must make a difference where we can since steward-

ship is what we do with the gifts God gave us. That is uniquely personal because your gifts were given unique-

ly to you by your Father. And what you do with all those gifts is your gift back to Him and the others whom

your gifts benefit. It doesn’t get more personal that that.

So no excuses for 1st bucket issues. As the old Nike ad said: “Just Do It.” Welcome to my “no whining”

zone. If it’s a 1st bucket issue, the only thing preventing you from dealing with it is you. Give thanks every day.

Give back every day. Pay it forward everyday. Do the right thing every day. Fix what you can fix every day.

Enjoy your life, and live your own unique stewardship calling every day.

As to bucket 3, give it a rest. Isometrics may improve your body strength, but worrying and fussing about

the things you can’t do anything about will only weaken you. How many Parish meetings have been derailed

by obsessing about things we can’t solve or the mistakes others made? I believe you can’t change how you got

to where you are, but you can change where you’re going and how you will get there. I have wasted countless

hours, energies and lack of productivity ranting and raving about things (and some people) I really can’t do

anything about. No more. I’m not getting any younger, and it isn’t helping my soul.

For one moment, please imagine how your Parish would change if we all stopped complaining about 3rd

bucket issues we can’t do anything about and learned to be more positive, productive and encouraging to those

around us. By the way, learning to stop fretting about 3rd bucket issues is a 1st bucket opportunity because you

can do that for yourself immediately. It really does make you feel better and brings you more peace. It doesn’t

mean you shouldn’t pray about those important, but seemingly impossible, issues. Just stop obsessing and wor-

rying about them.

We should spend more time on the 2nd bucket things we can influence. Because of the unique gifts God

has given you, you are inalienably able to influence an amazing number of people and things in your Parish/

Metropolis/Archdiocese and you must focus on those things you can influence. We need to create a culture of

stewardship over our gifts in our communities and uplift everyone with whom we interact.

In Luke 10:1, a holy charge was given to make 70 disciples. That is your 2nd bucket charge also. As a part

of your unique stewardship calling, who will you recruit to the cause and what will you do to make your

Parish/Metropolis/Archdiocese better? Into which Parish/Metropolis/Archdiocese ministry will you pour your

enormous talents and energy? It doesn’t matter where you are in life.

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With God’s help we can... Take time to participate in the ministries

of the Church that we are interested in Learn about the ministries that are tak-

ing place at our Church—even if we do not have time to participate in them

Invite people to Church!!! Take time to introduce your self to new-

comers Attend services at Saints Constantine

and Helen that you don’t normally at-tend.

Learn more about and participate in the

Stewardship Program at Saints Constan-tine and Helen

Learn more about our investment port-

folios from our financial advisors Contribute to our All Saints Foundation Find out more about our planned giving

program from the Department of Stew-ardship, Outreach, and Evangelism

Learn more about our parish’s financial

assets from our parish council and fi-nance committee

The Numbers are Coming in

The annual amount budgeted for steward-ship is $100,000.00.

As of June a total of 97 families (152 stewards) have pledged $96,110.00 for the year 2014, just a bit short of our budg-et.

We have collected $66,731.50 in steward-ship pledges to date. We have done so be-

cause of those who love and dedicate them-

selves to our parish family!

The life and ministries of Saints Constantine and

Helen Greek Orthodox Church depends on God.

However, we need to cooperate with God in or-

der for His purpose in our lives to be fulfilled

here in Cheyenne, and throughout the world.

If you have not yet pledged for 2014, please take the time to prayerfully do so.

You have gifts that can be used for God’s greater glory and your salvation. As my Holy Cross Seminary

graduate son-in-law Paul (www.withpurposeofheart.net) reminded me that one of the hymns of Holy Tuesday

admonishes us: “Come, O believers, let us labor with zeal for the Master. Since He distributes the wealth to

His servants, let each of us correspondingly increase the talent of grace that we received. Let one acquire wis-

dom by means of good deeds….and let another disperse his wealth to the poor. And so let us increase that

which was lent to us, so that as faithful stewards of grace we may be counted worthy of the Master’s joy.”

That hymn says it all. It’s about taking the gifts that God has given us and focusing our energies on the

things we can control or influence for God’s greater glory and for the achievement of our unique stewardship

calling and our salvation.

You are called to fix 1st bucket issues which you control, and work diligently on the things you can influ-

ence in the 2nd bucket. Instead of wasting any energy griping about 3rd bucket issues you can’t do anything

about, save your breath for prayer and cooling soup. Do something today in gratitude for Christ’s redeeming

love and to help prepare your soul for salvation! May God bless you as you pursue your own unique steward-

ship calling.

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The Importance of the Elderly

By John Papson

I remember the years my grandfather lived with my family. In fact, my earliest memory is from the time he

came to live with us when I was just 3½ years old. He was stout and strong. In his curious mixture of Greek

and English, he told wild and fanciful tales of his youth on the island of Lesbos while it was still part of the

Ottoman Empire. Even now, he still seems larger than life. There was many a time—thinking I might be in

trouble—that I would run to hide behind his wide shoulders. Before my sisters and I were to receive Holy

Communion, we would first have to go to him, kneel down, kiss his hand, and ask for his blessing. Of

course, he always seemed to know this was to occur and would have a quarter ready for each of us. What I

wouldn’t give today for the opportunity to have an afternoon alone with him conversing, reminiscing, and

most assuredly sharing some of the wonderful ouzo he so expertly made.

Space permits us but a brief mention of the role and stature of elderly in our faith and culture. The Old and

New Testaments are replete with examples of honor and respect given to the elderly. The patriarchs and

prophets lived deep into old age. Abraham and Sarah brought forth a son, Isaac, when they were advanced in

years, as did Zachariah and Elizabeth, the parents of the Baptist and Forerunner John. St. John the Evange-

list, the only one of our Lord’s apostles not to be martyred, lived into his nineties.

In church, we chant ‘eis polla eti despota’ (many years) to the bishop. On holidays, birthdays, and

namedays we wish each other ‘chronia polla’ (many years). We are praying and wishing for a long life. As

we do this, we remind ourselves of the blessings that can come when a long life is well lived. And how do

we know about these blessings? We know from the memories we have of our elders who handed down the

faith and culture to us. In return, we give them our respect in a variety of ways.

There can be little doubt that many of the traditions of our faith and culture face much pressure in our con-

temporary society. An example of this is the role and function of the elderly in the family and community.

Our society today is youth oriented. Value is connected to productivity and the elderly oftentimes are seen as

a burden. But how do we define productivity? Does it mean having a job and bringing home a paycheck? Is

there value in being rather than doing?

Many of us have had the experience of having an elderly parent or grandparent live with our families. In

this experience, we can see the value of old age. Value comes from the presence of someone who has had a

lifetime of experiences, who has gained wisdom from their life, and who displays a perseverance that is wor-

thy of emulation. The opportunity exists for the old to give to the young a taste of a lifetime of living within

a cultural and spiritual milieu that is, to a great extent, unlike one they are likely to come in contact with dur-

ing everyday life. To this day, one can still see in church elderly Greek widows dressed entirely in black. To

study them carefully is to recognize in them a real certainty of Christ as Lord and Savior. As an example to

their family and the community of believers, the elderly become cultural transmitters and beacons of faith.

The community of faith can contribute much to efforts to support families and their elderly, not just in cas-

es of illness, but also where the elderly have no close social or family support. Many communities have or-

ganizations for the elderly which help to ensure an ongoing connection with faith and culture. But what is

also needed is outreach—support in many ways—to those who are shut in, those without family nearby,

those with no family at all, or those who might be in a rest home or a nursing home. This type of philanthro-

py is at the core of Christian belief of community; an expression of love that helps to bind together the com-

munity of faith.

Not that someone could actually replace my grandfather, but there have been many elderly men and wom-

en who became ‘papoudes’ and ‘yiayiades’ to me, enriching my life as examples of faith and models of in-

spiration, who lived lives worthy of imitation. There is little doubt in my mind and heart that I received in

return for my work at least as much as I gave over the many years I have worked with the elderly. This

idea—this act of loving, losing, and loving again—is an expression of philanthropy at a very deep and mean-

ingful level. This opportunity to give back to and nourish the segment of the community that preserved,

propagated, and transmitted our faith and culture to future generations. Continued on page 12...

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...Continued from page 1

The life and repose of the Theotokos also reveal to us and to our families the power of the presence of

Christ. This power, the result of her response of faith to the grace of God, was shown through her life-long

commitment to His will and in the miracles associated with her repose. Through faith and grace she experi-

enced the true and abundant life free from corruption and death, and through her witness we can see the power

that is offered to the family. When the family is also a dwelling of Christ, the family has the power of His

Resurrection and finds true life. Then, the love of Christ is felt and shared, and each member rejoices in the

fact of being a dwelling of Christ.

Finally, the life and Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos offer a genuine and faithful testimony of how

the family should be a witness of the Gospel. The power that she has been given by God to accomplish mighty

acts, the heights of holiness that she has attained in which she intercedes on our behalf, are due to her tremen-

dous faith in the power and promise of the Gospel. Her life was dedicated to truth and to sharing the love of

God with others, and her Dormition affirms that her hope in salvation and assurance in the promises of God

were fulfilled. Through her life we can see that when the family is connected to God, and the lives and home

of the family are filled with the presence of Christ, the family offers a true and beautiful witness of the grace,

life, joy, and love that is presented in the Gospel.

On this blessed Feast of the Dormition as we reflect on the beautiful and holy witness of the Theotokos to

each of us and to the family, may we seek her supplications and intercessions on behalf of families. May we

prayerfully ask for her compassion for our families. As she has been a refuge and shelter for so many down

through the ages, may we also affirm her protection for families so that they can overcome the challenges and

burdens of this life and be a dwelling of Christ and a witness of His Gospel. And may we offer thanksgiving

and praise to God for her life and service as we commemorate her Dormition and honor her as the blessed

Mother of our God.

With paternal love in Christ,

†DEMETRIOS

Archbishop of America

...Continued from page 9

We suffer many types of losses as we age. These might be physical in nature, but they are also losses of re-

lationship such as the death of a spouse, siblings, friends, and—in some cases—an adult child. Isolation can

come about when someone can no longer drive, which limits socialization. Intimacy is achieved through rela-

tionships, either ongoing or new. Generativity, the process of literally being creative and thus engaged, can be

achieved by such methods as mentoring, sharing experiences, or being part of outreach to other elderly. Conti-

nuity is the fruit of intimacy and generativity. All of this contributes to successful aging. The community must

enable and encourage its elderly members to continue to participate in it life of the community, and provide the

ways to do so. This idea of service to the community of faith does not exclude the elderly from participation.

We have inherited a precious legacy of spiritual and cultural values. Our parents and grandparents incorpo-

rated those values into their lives and community so that we would benefit from them. It is now our turn to

make sure this legacy is passed on to future generations

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VACATION CHURCH SCHOOL

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Presenting Sponsor

PLATINUM Sponsors

Buckeye Ranch

Gold Sponsors

Wyoming Bank & Trust Kosta and Nancy Tsandes

Anna Barker in Memory of David Barker and The Lepas Family

Silver Sponsors

Holiday Inn KIA of Cheyenne

Pappas & Pappas Architects Freudenthal & Bonds, PC American National Bank

Wyoming State Bank AHEPA

Jim E. Conine, Wyoming Armored Service Schrader Funeral Home

Town & Country Pharmacy Mousa and Aida Fino

Gust and Dawn Hatanelas in Memory of John G. Hatanelas and Hatanelas Family

Bronze Sponsors

Alpine Dental, PC William C. Beaman

Wyoming ATM & Courier Service Flyte Sanitation, Inc.

Recco, Inc. dba Five-R Company Deluxe Cleaners & Taylors Harold F. Johnson Masonry

Vaugt Frye Larson Architects Cheyenne Frontier Days™

Pete and Liz Contos Spradley Barr Motors, Inc.

James Hunter - In Memory of Alexandra Hunter

Warren Federal Credit Union Pain Consultants of the Rockies

Marianne Bouris in Memory of Anna Kar-amigios

Schmidt Family Dentistry

Other Sponsors

Carol Popoff - In Memory of Mark Popoff

Irene H. Panos Mike and Maria Mores - In Memory of Koula Mores

Barry and Georgia Sigmon - In Memory of Tome and Katherine Ketcios Alexandra Blooding - In Memory of Alexandra Hunter

Dr. and Mrs. Rodney A. Anderson Marv's Place

Cheyenne Moms Club Dr. Peter Perakos in Memory of Edith c. Perakos

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O You Apostles from far off,

Being gathered together

in the village of Gethsemane,

Lay my body in burial,

And You, my Son, and my God,

Receive now my spirit from me.

You are the sweetness of Angels,

The gladness of the afflicted ones,

A protection of all Christians,

O Virgin Mother of our Lord;

Grant me now help and save me

From the eternal torments.

I have you as Mediator

Before God who loves mankind;

May He not question my action

Before the hosts of the Angels,

I ask of you, O Virgin,

Hasten now quickly to my aid.

You are a tower adorned with gold,

A city surrounded by twelve walls,

A shining throne touched by the sun,

A royal seat for the King,

O unexplainable wonder,

How do you nurse the Master?