the angel of light 08/2009

8/14/2019 The Angel of Light 08/2009

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August; 2009/Monthly Bulletin of the Orthodox V Charitable AssociationEditorAlona Sergeeva

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THE HOLY TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD, GOD AND

SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.

The event of the Transfiguration is recorded in three of the fourGospels: Matthew 17:1-9 , Mark 9:2-8 , and Luke 9:28-36 .

Jesus took the Apostles Peter, James, and John with Him up upona mountain, and while they were on the mountain Jesus wastransfigured. His face shone like the sun, and His garments be-came glistening white.

Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ, talking to Him. Peter de-

clared how good it was for them to be there and expressed thedesire to build three booths for Moses, Elijah, and Christ. Thisreference to the booths could imply that this occurred during thetime of the Feast of Tabernacles when the Jews would be campingout in the fields for the grape harvest; for this Feast had acquiredother associations in the course of its history, including the mem-ory of the wanderings in the wilderness recorded in the Old Testament book of Exodus.

While Peter was speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them. A voice came from the cloud say-ing, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him." When the disciplesheard this they fell on their faces filled with awe. Jesus came to them and told them to not beafraid. When the three looked up they saw only Jesus.

As Jesus and His disciples came down the mountain, He told them not to speak of what they hadseen until He had risen from the dead.

This feast commemorates the transfiguration or metamorphosis of Christ on Mount Tabor, whenour Lord appeared in His divine glory before the Apostles Peter, James, and John is celebratedeach year on August 6(19) and is one of the Twelve Great Orthodox Feasts. goarch.org

Hymns of the Feast

Troparion, Tone 7

You were transfigured on the Mount, Christ God revealing Your glory to Your disciples, insofar asthey could comprehend. Illuminate us sinners also with Your everlasting light, through the inter-cessions of the Theotokos. Giver of light, glory to You.

Kontakion, Tone 7

You were transfigured upon the mount, O Christ our God, and Your disciples, insofar as theycould bear, beheld Your glory. Thus, when they see You crucified, they may understand Your

voluntary passion, and proclaim to the world that You are truly the effulgence of the Father.
http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=NKJV&passage=Matthew%2B17%3A1-9&x=0&y=0http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=NKJV&passage=Mark%2B9%3A2-8&x=0&y=0http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=NKJV&passage=Luke%2B9%3A28-36&x=0&y=0http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=NKJV&passage=Luke%2B9%3A28-36&x=0&y=0http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=NKJV&passage=Mark%2B9%3A2-8&x=0&y=0http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=NKJV&passage=Matthew%2B17%3A1-9&x=0&y=0


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Patriarch Kirill and Barack Obama to fosterfriendship among Christians of Russia andthe USA

Dialogue between the Christianpopulations of Russia and theUnited States is important forthe development of relations

between the two countries,Patriarch Kirill of Moscow andAll Russia said at a meeting with U.S. President BarackObama in Moscow in July."The fact that the American and Russian people havepreserved their common, Christian, system of values isincreasingly important. We are the most religious coun-tries, and it is crucial to maintain dialogue between ourcountries' Christians because our people need to befriends," Patriarch Kirill said."It is necessary to appeal to the hearts of the people inorder to stem anti-American sentiments in Russia, and

anti-Russian sentiments in America," he said.Russian missionaries brought the Christian faith to theAmerican continent, he added."We have a history of kind communication with ourAmerican Christian brothers. We tried to keep thesegood relations even during the most difficult years ofthe Cold War," the head of the Russian OrthodoxChurch said.Religious institutions, particularly the Russian OrthodoxChurch, play a special role in Russian society's life,U.S. President Obama said.The U.S. president welcomed Patriarch Kirill's contribu-

tion to the strengthening of Christian unity and ex-pressed readiness to cooperate with the Russian Church.Patriarch Kirill, for his part, gave Obama an icon ofthe Virgin Mary as a memorable present. Interfax

Patriarch Kirill has consecrated the first Russian church in Turkey

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has consecrated a church of Sts Konstantin and Elena insummer residence of Russian consulate in a place of Buyukdere near Istanbul.

According to correspondent of Interfax-Religion, members of the Russian Church delegation accompa-nying Patriarch in the trip to Turkey have taken part in consecration and in the subsequent Divine Liturgy. The

chorus of the Moscow Sretensky monastery sang during the service, and some employees of Russian embassyalso assisted on the Liturgy.

The church consecration has opened the third day of Patriarch Kirill's visit to Turkey. His visiting of Constantin-ople Patriarchate was made in accordance with Orthodox tradition as the new-elected Patriarch visited tobrotherly Orthodox Churches.

The church of Sts Konstantin and Elena has been built in summer residence in Buyukdere in 1832. In a Sovietperiod divine services were not made, and only recently the church has been restored.

After the consecration, the church in territory of Russian consulate became the first church of the Moscow Patri-archate in Turkey. Interfax

On July 5 Holy Ascensionchurch in Skaro celebratedthe 111 anniversary of itsfoundation. After the Divine

Liturgy the minister of Ortho-dox V Patriarchal Parishes in

Canada father George Sergeev pre-sented the President of the parishRaimond Lopushinsky the blessed let-ter missive in memory of the parishanniversary. After that there was me-morial service in the church cemeteryin memory of the founders and firstparishioners of the Holy Church.

Orthodox chapel will be open atthe oldest Nikolayevsky (former Lenin-gradsky) railway station of the Russiancapital in Moscow."Besides the decision to rename the sta-tion from the Leningradsky to Niko-layevsky, Russian Railways PresidentVladimir Yakunin also decided to organ-ize there a long awaited St. Nicholaschurch," Head of the Moscow Patriar-chate Publishing Council Archpriest Vladi-mir Silovyev has told Interfax.He stated that the chapel would be set

on the right from the entry to the station"instead of one-armed bandits." "I thinkwe will consecrate it in December on St.Nicholas Day," Fr. Vladimir believes.


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Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos Holy Queen of All (Pantanassa, Vsetsaritsa )

is a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary from the holy and great Mon-astery ofVatopedi,Mount Athos, Greece.The Monastery of Vatopedi (or Vatopaidi) is one of twenty monasterieson the Mount Athos peninsula (Greece) and is located on the northeast-ern side of the peninsula. It was founded in 972 by three monks: Atha-nasius, Nicholas, and Antonius, who were students of St. Anthanasius of

Lavra. It operates as a coenobitic monastery (a communal monastic com-munity) and is inhabited by 80 monks and is second in hierarchicalrank among the monasteries of the mountain.

Some sources associate the name of "Vatopedi" with the flora of the surrounding countryside (vatos =shrub, pedion = plain or ground);[2]others point to a traditional story in which Emperor Arcadius builtthe monastery to honor the saving of his son from shipwreck by the Theotokos; the child was foundin a bush (vato = brier, paidi = child).[1]

The major parts of the monastery were constructed either during the Byzantine period or later, duringthe eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when building reached its peak. Themonastery is monumental in size, with a tall wall in which the buildings areplaced in triangular form.

The first record of the Pantanassa icon's miraculous powers is from the wit-ness of Elder Joseph Isihast, which lived in 17 century. One day a strange

young man from Cyprus went to visit and entered into the church. At thatpoint, the elder witnessed a glowing light radiating from the face of the The-otokos and an invisible power pushed the young man down to the ground.When the man had recovered from his fall, he began to repent and weepand confessed that he did not believe and was a participant in the black artsand came to practice his arts in the church. After that miracle, he changed

his life, became an Orthodox Christian and stayed to live at monastery.

This icon is also known for working many miracles, especially healing people with cancer. There aremany recent records of people who have been healed from cancer after participating in the Supplica-tory Canon to the Pantanassa at the monastery.

There are many miracles also occurring in Russia, where two identical copies of the Vatopedi iconwere sent at the request of the Patriarch of Moscow. [1] One of these copies is at the Church of AllSaints in Krasnoe Selo of Moscow and the other copy was sent to the monastery of the Metamorpho-sis of Christ in Novospaski.

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Somebody has said there are only two kinds of people in the world.

There are those who wake up in the morning and say, 'Good morning, Lord,'and there are those who wake up in the morning and say, 'Good Lord, it's morning.'

A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone in a large city because he was short of time andcouldn't find a space with a meter. Then he put a note under the windshield wiper that read: 'I have circled

the block 10 times. If I don't park here, I'll miss my appointment. Forgive us our trespasses.'When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note 'I've circled this block for

10 years. If I don't give you a ticket I'll lose my job. Lead us not into temptation.'

There is the story of a pastor who got up one Sunday and announced to his congregation: 'I have good newsand bad news. The good news is, we have enough money to pay for our new building program. The bad news is,

it's still out there in your pockets.'

HUMOUR
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Russian Center to open at Large Hadron Collider with the MoscowPatriarchate participating

Acting representative of the Russian Church at the European Interna-World) foundation Archpriest Antony Ilyin held discussions withleaders of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)on a possibility of opening a Russian center there.

and members of their families, but will become an important com-munication platform for intercultural dialogue attractive to all re-searchers interested in Russia, Russian culture and learning Russian

-.

The priest made a presentation of the Russky Mir Foundation with some dozens of Russian scientistsparticipating. Following its results, participants prepared an inquiry to allot premises to the RussianCenter. Nicholas Kullberg, French scientist of Russian origin, who had been responsible for develop-ing relations between CERN and the Soviet Union and Russia, will coordinate the project.

On basis of CERN is the largest scientific center in High Energy Physics and develops a leading

global research project the Large Hadron Collider, which is to be launched in fall 2009. Today,about twenty states participate in CERN, though countries-observers including Russia, actively partici-pate in various projects.

Orthodox priest Andrey Ostapchuk, physicist and nuclear engineer, professor of the Aachen Universityand Rector of St. Panteleimon parish in Cologne, works for CERN as one of its leading researchers.

Geneva , Interfax

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THE PROCESSION OF THE PRECIOUS WOOD OF THE LIFE-GIVING CROSS OF THE LORD is commemorated by the Church on August1(14) It is the first of the three "Feasts of the Savior" in August. The second be-

ing the great feast day of the Transfiguration. The third being the Translation ofthe Image Not-Made-by-Hands..During the month of August, as diseases were particularly frequent, it was formerlythe custom in Constantinople for the precious Wood of the Cross to be carriedthrough the streets and squares of the city during these days to sanctify the placeand to drive away diseases. On the thirty first of July they brought the Cross from the royal treas-ury and placed it on the Holy Table of the Great Church of Hagia Sophia. On the next day andon each subsequent day until the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God they processed withit throughout the whole city and exposed it for the veneration of the people. This is what is called

Troparion, Tone 1

O Lord, save Your people, And bless Your inheritance! Grant victories to the Orthodox ChristiansOver their adversaries. And by virtue of the Cross, Preserve Your habitation!
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The Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimonwas born in the city of Nicomedia into the family of the illustrious pagan Eustor-gius, and he was named Pantoleon. His mother St Euboula (March 30) was aChristian. She wanted to raise her son in the Christian Faith, but she died whenthe future martyr was just a young child. His father sent Pantoleon to a paganschool, after which the young man studied medicine at Nicomedia under the re-nowned physician Euphrosynus. Pantoleon came to the attention of the emperorMaximian (284-305), who wished to appoint him as royal physician when he fin-ished his schooling.

The hieromartyrs Hermolaus, Hermippus and Hermocrates, survivors of the massa-cre of 20,000 Christians in 303 (December 28), were living secretly in Nicomediaat that time. St Hermolaus saw Pantoleon time and again when he came to thehouse where they were hiding. Once, the priest invited the youth to the house andspoke about the Christian Faith. After this Pantoleon visited St Hermolaus every day.

One day the saint found a dead child on the street. He had been bitten by a great snake, which was stillbeside the child's body. Pantoleon began to pray to the Lord Jesus Christ to revive the dead child and to de-stroy the venomous reptile. He firmly resolved that if his prayer were fulfilled, he would become a follower ofChrist and receive Baptism. The child rose up alive, and the snake died before Pantoleon's eyes.

After this miracle, Pantoleon was baptized by St Hermolaus with the name Panteleimon (meaning "all-merciful").Speaking with Eustorgius, St Panteleimon prepared him to accept Christianity. When the father saw how his sonhealed a blind man by invoking Jesus Christ, he then believed in Christ and was baptized by St Hermolaustogether with the man whose sight was restored.

After the death of his father, St Panteleimon dedicated his life to the suffering, the sick, the unfortunate andthe needy. He treated all those who turned to him without charge, healing them in the name of Jesus Christ. Hevisited those held captive in prison. These were usually Christians, and he healed them of their wounds. In ashort time, reports of the charitable physician spread throughout the city. Forsaking the other doctors, the inhabi-tants began to turn only to St Panteleimon.

The envious doctors told the emperor that St Panteleimon was healing Christian prisoners. Maximian urged thesaint to refute the charge by offering sacrifice to idols. St Panteleimon confessed himself a Christian, and sug-gested that a sick person, for whom the doctors held out no hope, should be brought before the emperor. Thenthe doctors could invoke their gods, and Panteleimon would pray to his God to heal the man. A man paralyzedfor many years was brought in, and pagan priests who knew the art of medicine invoked their gods withoutsuccess. Then, before the very eyes of the emperor, the saint healed the paralytic by calling on the name of

Jesus Christ. The ferocious Maximian executed the healed man, and gave St Panteleimon over to fierce torture.The Lord appeared to the saint and strengthened him before his sufferings. They suspended the Great Martyr

Panteleimon from a tree and scraped him with iron hooks, burned him with fire and then stretched him on the

rack, threw him into a cauldron of boiling tar, and cast him into the sea with a stone around his neck. Through-out these tortures the martyr remained unhurt, and denounced the emperor.

At this time the priests Hermolaus, Hermippus and Hermocrates were brought before the court of the pagans.All three confessed their faith in the Savior and were beheaded (July 26).

By order of the emperor they brought the Great Martyr Panteleimon to the circus to be devoured by wildbeasts. The animals, however, came up to him and licked his feet. The spectators began to shout, "Great is theGod of the Christians!" The enraged Maximian ordered the soldiers to stab with the sword anyone who glorifiedChrist, and to cut off the head of the Great Martyr Panteleimon.

They led the saint to the place of execution and tied him to an olive tree. While the martyr prayed, one ofthe soldiers struck him with a sword, but the sword became soft like wax and inflicted no wound. The saintcompleted his prayer, and a Voice was heard from Heaven, calling the passion-bearer by his new name andsummoning him to the heavenly Kingdom.

Hearing the Voice, the soldiers fell down on their knees before the holy martyr and begged forgiveness. They

refused to continue with the execution, but St Panteleimon told them to fulfill the emperor's command, becauseotherwise they would have no share with him in the future life. The soldiers tearfully took their leave of the saintwith a kiss.

When the saint was beheaded, the olive tree to which the saint was tied became covered with fruit. Manywho were present at the execution believed in Christ. The saint's body was thrown into a fire, but remainedunharmed, and was buried by Christians . St Panteleimon's servants Laurence, Bassos and Probus witnessed hisexecution and heard the Voice from Heaven. They recorded the life, the sufferings and death of the saint.Portions of the holy relics of the Great Martyr Panteleimon were distributed throughout all the Christian world.His venerable head is now located at the Russian monastery of St Panteleimon on Mt. Athos.

The veneration of the holy martyr in the Russian Orthodox Church was already known in the twelfth century.Prince Izyaslav ( in Baptism Panteleimon), the son of St Mstislav the Great, had an image of St Panteleimon onhis helmet. The holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon is invoked in the Mystery of Anointing theSick and in the special Prayers for the Sick.

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Schedule of Services

For August 2009

02 SundayTone 7 -ST. Elias - Chipman 10:AM

09 Sunday - Tone 8 - Skaro 10:AM

16 Sunday - Tone 1Farusi 10:AM

18 Tuesday - Lodge (9:30 AM)Auxillary(10:15 AM)

23 Sunday - Tone 2 - Mundare 10:AM

30 Sunday - Tone 3 - Shishkovtzi 10:AM

Orthodox feasts (prazdniki)

in August

If you have any questions or proposals, please, Contact us:Priest Father George Sergeev 780-895-21-49Email: [email protected]. / PO Box 483 Lamont Alberta TOB 2R0

President Yakim Lopushinsky (780-895-26-67Vice -President Jim Nemirsky 780-896-23-47Secretary John Tkachuk 780-576-30-73Treasurer Fred Pewarchuk 780-895-21-59Or visit our websitewww.orthodoxfive.org

4 August - Holy Myrrh-bearer and Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalen

5 August - Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos - Pochaevskaya

9 August - Holy Great-martyr and Healer Panteleimon

14 August- Procession of the Precious Wood of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord

19 August - THE HOLY TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD, GOD AND SAVIOR JESUSCHRIST.

28 August - THE DORMITION OF OUR MOST HOLY LADY THE THEOTOKOS AND EVER-VIRGIN MARY

29 August - Translation of the Image Not-made-by-hands of our Lord Jesus Christ

31 August - Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos - Most-Holy Queen of All ( Vsetsaritsa )

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the angel of light 08/2009

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