From Glory to Glory The monthly newsletter of the

Assumption Greek Orthodox Church

Fr. Joseph Strzelecki

February 2020

Dates to Remember

February 2 Meeting of the Lord

February 9

Triodion Begins Publican and Pharisee

February 10

Hieromartyr Haralambos

February 16 Prodigal Son

February 22

First Saturday of Souls

February 23 Meatfare Sunday

February 29

Second Saturday of Souls

1755 Des Peres Road Town & Country, MO 63131-1405

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

Web Site: www.assumptiongoc.org

Office@assumptiongoc.org

Office Manager: Diane Sieckmann Email: diane@assumptiongoc.org

RoseMarie Harpole office@assumptiongoc.org

The Presentation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Temple

T oday the Church commemorates an important event in the earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 2:22-40). Forty days after His birth the God-Infant was taken to the Jerusalem Temple, the center of the nation’s religious life. According to the Law of Moses (Lev. 12:2-8),

a woman who gave birth to a male child was forbidden to enter the Temple of God for forty days. At the end of this time the mother came to the Temple with the child, to offer a young lamb or pigeon to the Lord as a purification sacrifice. The Most Holy Virgin, the Mother of God, had no need of purification, since she had given birth to the Source of purity and sanctity without defilement. However, she humbly fulfilled the requirements of the Law. At this time the righteous Elder Simeon (February 3) was living in Jerusalem. It had been revealed to him that he would not die until he should behold the promised Messiah. By inspiration from above, Saint Simeon went to the Temple at the very moment when the Most Holy Theotokos and Saint Joseph had brought the Infant Jesus to fulfill the Law. The God-Receiver Simeon took the divine Child in his arms, and giving thanks to God, he spoke the words repeated by the Church each evening at Vespers: “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32). Saint Simeon said to the Most Holy Virgin: “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against. Yea, a sword shall pierce through your own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34-35). At the Temple was the 84-year-old widow Anna the Prophetess, daughter of Phanuel (February 3), “who did not leave the temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day. She arrived just when Saint Simeon met the divine Child. She also gave thanks to the Lord and spoke of Him to all those who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem” (Luke 2:37-38). In the icon of the Feast she holds a scroll which reads: “This Child has established Heaven and earth.” Before Christ was born, righteous men and women lived by faith in the promised Messiah, and awaited His coming. The Righteous Simeon and the Prophetess Anna, the last righteous people of the Old Testament, were deemed worthy to meet the Savior in the Temple. The Feast of the Meeting of the Lord is among the most ancient feasts of the Christian Church. We have sermons on the Feast by the holy bishops Methodius of Patara (+ 312), Cyril of Jerusalem (+ 360), Gregory the Theologian (+ 389), Amphilocius of Iconium (+ 394), Gregory of Nyssa (+ 400), and John Chrysostom (+ 407). Despite its early origin, this Feast was not celebrated so splendidly until the sixth century. In 528, during the reign of Justinian, an earthquake killed many people in Antioch. Oth-er misfortunes followed this one. In 541 a terrible plague broke out in Constanti-nople, carrying off several thousand people each day. During this time of wide-spread suffering, a solemn prayer service (Litia) for deliverance from evils was

2

2020 Parish Council

Congratulations to our 2020 Parish Council who were installed on Sunday, January 12, 2020. First Row: Fr. Joseph Strzelecki, Second Row: Scott Thompson Greg Simos, Gus Harris, Third Row: Maria Afentoullis Humphrey, Jenny Kardaris Stamos, Soula Marcou Forth Row: Amy Kirkou, Tom Stamos, Samia Rabie Tony Zafiropoulos; Top Row, James Cawood, Pete Regopoulos, Dan Gantner. Not Pictured Nick Tsoubanos, Pam Martin. After the oath of office was administered, they retired to parish council room to elect the executive officers. Congratulations to

Scott Thompson, President Gus Harris, Vice President Soula Marcou, Secretary James Cawood, Treasurer

Pete Regopoulos, Assist, Treasurer

2020 Parish Council

Fr. Joseph Strzelecki Scott Thompson, President Gus Harris, Vice President Elefteria Marcou, Secretary James Cawood, Treasurer Peter Regopoulos, Assistant Treasuer James Cawood Daniel Gantner Maria Afentoullis Humphrey Amy Kirkou Pam Martin Samia Rabie Greg Simos Eugenia Kardaris Stamos Tom Stamos Nick Tsoubanos Tonis Zafiropoulos

Acolytes John Nicholas Adult Orthodox Christians (18 years +): Diane Sieckmann Bible Study Fr. Daniel Morton Bookstore Christos Tsiaklides, Diakonissa Kristen Vogt Chanters Thomas Carroll, Dr. Steve Leon Choir Stephanie Saunders Church Tours Janice Hazeltine Friday Luncheon Art Liyeos Greek Festival Greg Simos, Art Liyeos Greek School Savas Kyramarios Greek Dancers Kyklos: & Armonia Stella Afentoullis Ta Paidakia, Neo Kyma: Aliki Malek GOYA (9th -12th Grade) Yvonne Alexopoulos, Dr. Jenny Kardaris, Alki Lappas Case Greeters Mary Pitliangas, Kelli Baer JOY (Kindergarten - 4th Grade) Jr. GOYA (5th - 8th Grades) Dr. Debbie Cosmopoulos Kafenio Art Liyeos Hope (infant - 5 years) Christos & Rachel Tsiaklides, Orthodox Faith & Life: Dr. Farid Sadaka, Anna Sadaka Philoptochos Flora Dimitriou, President Planned Giving Committee Amy Johnson Prison Ministry Bill Goranitis Stewardship Michael Afentoullis Sunday School Diane Sieckmann Vacation Church Camp (VCC) Anna Sadaka Women’s Bookstudy Presvytera Laura Morton Young Adult Ministry (18-30 yrs) James Murphy

celebrated on the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, and the plague ceased. In thanksgiving to God, the Church established a more solemn celebration of this Feast. Church hymnographers have adorned this Feast with their hymns: Saint Andrew of Crete in the seventh century; Saint Cosmas Bishop of Maium, Saint John of Damascus, and Saint Germanus Patriarch of Constantinople in the eighth century; and Saint Joseph, Archbishop of Thessalonica in the ninth cen-tury. On this day we also commemorate the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos known as “the Softening of Evil Hearts” or “Simeon’s Prophecy.” The Mother of God is depicted without Her Child, with seven swords piercing her breast: three from the left side, three from the right, and one from below. A similar icon, “Of the Seven Swords” (August 13) shows three swords on the left side and four from the right. The icon “Simeon’s Prophecy” symbolizes the fulfill-ment of the prophecy of the righteous Elder Simeon: “a sword shall pierce through your own soul” (Luke 2:35). www.oca.org

3

The Historical and Orthodox Saint Valentine

Now a commercialized holiday celebrating modern Western courtship and romance, the ancient Christian origins of Saint Valentine’s Day are largely forgotten. The actual Orthodox liturgical Feast Days of Valentinos (Greek)/Valentinus (Latin) commemorate two Early Christian saints, Saint Valentine the Presbyter of Rome (July 6) and Hieromartyr Valentine the Bishop of Intermna (Terni), Italy (July 30). Although the historical records for these two saints are not complete, and what we do know about their lives has often been subjected to considerable confusion, their martyrdoms are well known to us. Because of their refusal to renounce their faith in Christ, both Valentines were imprisoned, tortured, and executed around 270, during the persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor, Claudius II. Because they shared the same name, were contemporaries, resided near each other in central Italy, and ultimately, shared similar fates, the two Valentines’ personal histories were intermingled and conflated over the centuries, producing inconsistencies and puzzlement in many accounts of their lives. What most sources indicate, however, is that Bishop Valentine was renowned during his lifetime as a healer of the sick and blind, while Valentine the Presbyter would become notable in the historical memory of Christians, originally both Eastern and Western, as a courageous steward of marriage. Indeed, because of his connection to the sacrament of marriage, it would be the latter Valentine, the Presbyter from Rome, who would serve as the inspiration for the Late Medieval Western literary foundations for what would by the nineteenth century evolve into today’s popular, secular Valentine’s Day. According to the most common narrative, Presbyter Valentine, a priest in Rome, drew the ire of Emperor Claudius by ignoring the imperial ban against allowing men who had not fulfilled their military obligations to the Empire to marry. Remaining loyal to his moral commitment and beliefs as a Christian priest, Valentine refused to compromise the sanctity of marriage to the will of the state. In defiance of imperial edict, Valentine continued to unite and bless Christian couples, which were legally barred from marrying. This association with young Christian beloveds became the muse over several centuries for an increasingly fictionalized, romantic expropriation and reconstruction of Saint Valentine in the West, one that has led to the modern Saint Valentine’s Day. Indeed, the memory of Saint Valentine became so distorted and uncertain over the centuries, that the Roman Catholic Church ended its commemoration and veneration—traditionally associated with mid-February in the West—of him as a calendar saint in 1969, effectively surrendering the historical Valentine to his appropriation and exploitation by Western popular culture. As in other matters of reverence and faith, the Orthodox Church’s veneration of Saint Valentine remains immutable. Secularization in the West accounts in large part for the Papacy’s move to discard the memory of Saint Valentine’s martyrdom in the face of commerce and

frivolity, but Orthodoxy still honors Saint Valentine, the Presbyter from Rome, for his martyrdom—and as for all its saints, the Orthodox Church honors St. Valentine as a model of the life in Christ. For Orthodox Christians, Saint Valentine’s Day is most fully understood as a celebration of romantic love and of God’s love. Indeed, Valentine was willing to sacrifice his life not for Eros but in order to sanctify and make whole the union of young couples through the blessing of God’s love. Demonstrating our love for God and reaching our fulfillment in Christ through our relationships with our spouses, families, and communities, is a way of life that is at the heart of Orthodoxy. By living a life in emulation of Christ, Saint Valentine shared this fundamental truth of Orthodox Christianity with the world, one that is more beautiful and lasts longer than flowers and cards—it is eternal. Dr. Alexandros K. Kyrou is Professor of History at Salem State University, where he teaches on the Balkans, Byzantium, and the Ottoman Empire. https://blogs.goarch.org/blog/-/blogs/the-historical-and-orthodox-saint-valentine

Stelios Petrakis was born in 1975 and grew up in Sitia,

Crete. In 1983 he joined the Sitia School of Music, where

he learned to play the lyra. He completed his “official” lyra

studies in 1993. From 1993 onwards, based in Athens un-

der the guidance of Ross Daly, he continued to study the

lyra and also became interested in related musical tradi-

tions (Anatolian folk music, classical, secular and religious

music of Istanbul, traditional Greek music) and instruments

(saz, Politiko and Cretan laouto, bulgari, Politiki lyra). For

the past seven years, Stelios Petrakis has performed with

the Cretan Quartet, a group that performs Cretan music and

dance at some of the most prestigious festivals Worldwide

(India, Malaysia, USA , Marocco, Switzerland, France,

Belgium).

• Date: February 8, 2020

• Ticket Prices:$20

• Seniors (65+): $10 | Students: $10

• Please note that ticket prices are subject to change

without notice. Ticket prices increase closer to show

date. Buy early to save!

4

Experience

Super Bowl LIV in

Miami 02/02/2020 . . .

. . .and if Miami doesn’t work out then experience it with us

in Ballwin

02/02/2020 (Sunday, February 2, 2020)

4:00 pm

Hosted by

Pete & Joan Regopoulos 996 Kiefer Trails Dr.

Ballwin MO 63021

Please call Pete Regopoulos at

314-348-8616 to RSVP and coordinate a dish to bring

for the Potluck meal.

Dan Viehmann A Friday Luncheon Special Patron It is an honor for me to share with all of you some thoughts about our special Friday Luncheon patron Mr. Dan Viehmann. Dan started coming to our luncheons about 25 years ago and has been one of our biggest supporters. He has brought many of his friends here to share his experience. Dan took an interest in our Orthodox Church, our Greek culture, customs and the Macedonian style church iconography. Dan monitored the iconography progress and often after having lunch with friend he would take his friend upstairs to the church and share his admiration of the iconography. His interest was so strong that he wanted to become a donor. He donated the icon of St. Theodora. That wasn’t his only donation. In 2015 Dan was a Godparent of our Church’s Consecration and this past summer he donated the Icon of Pentecost. Dan, please accept our appreciation and sincere thanks for all the support you have offered our Church and please consider yourself as a member of the Assumption family. Mr. Veihmann is a very private person and before publishing this I asked him for his permission and I was happy he agreed to having this picture taken.

Art Liyeos

5

Ο νοσταλγός Αρχιμ. Μελετίου Κατσουρού.

Ήταν απόγευμα και ο φιλόσοφος Σοπενχάουερ

περιδιάβαινε κάποιο κήπο στη Γερμανία. Είχε από μικρός

το ελάττωμα να απασχολεί τη σκέψη του με τα μεγάλα

ζητήματα της ύπαρξης. Μέσα λοιπόν στη βαθύσκια σιωπή

της φύσης, δόθηκε ολόψυχα πάλι στους συλλογισμούς

του. Σε μια στιγμή –είχε πια σουρουπώσει- φάνηκε ο

φύλακας του κήπου, που τον ρώτησε απότομα:– Ποιος

είσαι συ και τι γυρεύεις τέτοια ώρα εδώ;Ο φιλόσοφος

πετάχθηκε σαν ηλεκτρισμένος κι αναφώνησε:– Αλήθεια,

ποιος είμαι εγώ και γιατί ζω; Και έφυγε για το σπίτι του,

βυθισμένος περισσότερο τώρα στους στοχασμούς του.

Ο άνθρωπος είναι το μόνο ον επί γης που δε μπορεί να

αναπαυθεί σε μία ζωή ζώου: Γέννα, φαγητό, ύπνος,

αναπαραγωγή. Μόνο αυτός θέτει οξύαιχμα και αμείλικτα

ερωτήματα: Τι είμαι; Γιατί είμαι; Ποιο το νόημα; Ποιος ο

σκοπός; Υπάρχει μακρόπνοη προοπτική; Μπορώ να

ιχνηλατήσω την ευτυχία; Σύμφωνα με την Παλαιά

Διαθήκη, ο άνθρωπος είναι το κομψοτέχνημα του Θεού

στη Γη. Το κορυφαίο δημιούργημα, το ποιο αγαπημένο. Η

κατακλείδα και η κορωνίδα της Δημιουργίας. Δεν υπήρχε

πάντοτε. Δεν υπάρχει εξ’ ανάγκης. Θεμελιώθηκε στην

αμετάθετη βουλή του Θεού, στην ασύνορη αγάπη Του. Ο

άνθρωπος πλάσθηκε εκ του μηδενός κατά την έκτη

δημιουργική ημέρα, όταν όλα τα άλλα όντα είχαν ήδη

διαβεί το κατώφλι της ύπαρξης.«Και είπεν ο Θεός:

ποιήσωμεν άνθρωπον κατ΄εικόνα ημετέραν και καθ’

ομοίωσιν.» (Γεν. α’ 26). «Ποιήσωμεν». Ήδη από το

πρώτο κεφάλαιο της Παλαιάς Διαθήκης αχνοφέγγει το

μυστήριο της Αγίας Τριάδος.

«Ποιήσωμεν άνθρωπον καt’ εικόναν ημετέραν και καθ’

ομοίωσιν». Βρισκόμαστε μπροστά στο ιδρυτικό πρακτικό

της δημιουργίας του ανθρώπου. Απειράριθμες ώρες

σκέψης, μυριάδες βιβλία γραμμένα για να ρίξουν φως στα

πρωταρχικά ερωτήματα: Τι είναι ο άνθρωπος; Ποιος ο

σκοπός του; Και όμως η Παλαιά Διαθήκη, απλά και

δωρικά είχε διαλευκάνει το μυστήριο. Ο άνθρωπος είναι

εικόνα του Θεού. Σκοπός του Να μοιάσει στο Θεό,

ευρισκόμενος σε κοινωνία αγάπης μαζί Του. Το κατ’

εικόνα και το καθ’ ομοίωσιν αποτελούν τους

θεμελιωδέστερους όρους ανθρωπογνωσίας.

Στη Διακήρυξη των Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων, ο

άνθρωπος αναγνωρίζεται ως απόλυτη αξία. Αλλά κάτι

τέτοιο θα αποτελούσε μια μεγαλομανιακή αυθαιρεσία, αν

δεν αλήθευε το κατ’ εικόνα Θεού. Για παράδειγμα, το

αθεϊστικό νεοδαρβινικό μοντέλο για τον άνθρωπο δε

δύναται να του κατοχυρώσει αξία πολύ μεγαλύτερη από

αυτήν της κατσαρίδας. Ο άνθρωπος λοιπόν ως εικόνα

Θεού είναι υπεραξία. Eπιπλέον: το κατ’ εικόνα και το

καθ’ ομοίωσιν αφορούν κάθε άνθρωπο ανεξαιρέτως. Ο

Θεός «εποίησεν εξ’ ενός αίματος παν έθνος

ανθρώπων» (Πράξ. ιζ’ 26). Το θεόπνευστο αυτό κείμενο

συντρίβει αβίαστα και ολοκληρωτικά όλες τις διακρίσεις

ανισότητας φυλής, φύλου και κοινωνικής

διαστρωμάτωσης, την ευλογοφάνεια κάθε ευγονικής, κάθε

στρατηγική «αναπόφευκτου» αποκλεισμού. Και να

σκεφθούμε ότι η Γένεση έχει γραφεί περί το 1500 π.Χ.,

όταν ολόκληρη η ανθρωπότητα αγνοούσε και θεωρητικά

ακόμη την έννοια της ισότητας, αλλά και ήταν βυθισμένη

σε αβυσσαλέα ανισότητα στον καθ’ ημέρα βίο: δουλεία,

ρατσισμός, υποτίμηση της γυναίκας. Πόσο αδαείς

αποδεικνύονται όσοι περιφρονούν την Παλαιά Διαθήκη ή

τη συκοφαντούν ως μυθολογία των Εβραίων. Τη βάζουν

έτσι δίπλα-δίπλα με τις μυθολογίες των λαών, στις οποίες,

κατά το δη λεγόμενον, το παραμύθι πάει σύννεφο.

Αποδεικνύουν ότι ούτε την Παλαιά Διαθήκη έχουν

μελετήσει, ούτε μυθολογίες. «Ποιήσωμεν άνθρωπον κατ’

εικόνα ημετέραν και καθ’ ομοίωσιν».

Αλλά τι σημαίνει κατ’ εικόνα Θεού; Ο Θεός είναι

προσωπικός. Και ο άνθρωπος είναι πρόσωπο. Έχει

αυτοσυνειδησία. Μπορεί να πει «εγώ». Ο Θεός είναι

ελεύθερος. Ο άνθρωπος είναι αυτεξούσιος. Δύναται να

επιλέγει το καλό ή το κακό. Ο Θεός είναι ο Δημιουργός.

Και ο άνθρωπος μπορεί να δημιουργεί και να φιλοτεχνεί

αλλά από προϋπάρχουσα ύλη. Ο Θεός είναι Κύριος,

κυβερνήτης του κόσμου. Αλά και ο άνθρωπος έλαβε το

χάρισμα να κυριαρχεί στη φύση και στον εαυτό του. Ο

Θεός είναι κοινωνία αγάπης. Αλλά και ο άνθρωπος έλαβε

το δώρο να κοινωνεί με άλλα πρόσωπα και με τον ίδιο το

Θεό. Αυτεξουσιότητα, δημιουργικότητα, κυριαρχικότητα

και κοινωνικότητα, τα γνωρίσματα του ανθρωπίνου

προσώπου. Τον διαφοροποιούν πλήρως από τα άλογα ζώα

που κυβερνώνται από τα ένστικτά τους κυρίως.

Ο άνθρωπος πλάσθηκε διφυής. Σώμα και ψυχή. Για να

μετέχει και να ενώνει τους δύο κόσμους, τον υλικό και τον

πνευματικό. Πλάσθηκε από το Θεό. Για να ζει με το Θεό

και για το Θεό. Όταν ξεμακραίνει από Αυτόν πονά. Όταν

δεν Τον νιώθει πεινά. Η νοσταλγία του Απείρου σε ένα ον

πεπερασμένο, να τι είναι ο άνθρωπος!

Για την αντιγραφή: Δημήτρης Κάγκαρης

Pray persistently about everything, and then

you will never do anything

without God's help.

St Mark the Ascetic

6

7

Email Scams On several different occasions people have notified Fr. Joseph that they have received suspicious emails from him asking for gift cards. This has been happening around the country and to such a degree that the Archdiocese Internet Ministries Department has published the following article:

No, Your Priest Does Not Want You To Buy

Gift Cards for a Parishioner in Need

Stop! I need your attention for a moment. Stop everything you are doing right now and read this article. I promise you and your parishioners will be glad you did. Cyber crime has been infiltrating our lives and our homes for years. It is now knocking at the door of our parishes. Parishes and religious communities are being targeted by a phishing scam where the attacker poses falsely as the priest and asks the recipient for money. It often begins like this. An email arrives in an unsuspecting person's inbox from an email address that is similar to but different than the priest's email address, something like orthodoxpreist@gmail.com (notice the typo!) or frpeter.stgeorgenh@gmail.com. The email might read something like: Have you got a minute? I need you to complete a task for me discreetly. P.S: I'm going into a meeting now and can't talk, so just reply. The parishioner then might respond saying that he's willing to help. If your priest asked you to help him with something, of course you would say yes, right? The attacker is leveraging the trust that exists in parish communities between the priest and the parishioner. He then replies: Okay good. I need you to get me some gift cards, I have a few people I want to send gifts to. Let me know if it's possible for you to do get them right now so I can tell you which product we would need and the amount, you will be reimbursed. Does it sound suspicious? Yes! Is it possible this is legitimate? Absolutely not! I can guarantee that your priest will never ask you to do something like this. If you receive something out of the ordinary, be sure to ask! Call your priest or the church office to find out more. Or contact us (see below)! So, the scam continues like this: What I need is an iTunes gift card of $400 face value (200 x 2). You'll get the physical cards at the store, scratch the back out and send me the pictures of the back of the cards revealing the pin here, you can keep the physical cards for me. Once the parishioner sends the photos of the cards to the attacker, the money has now been transferred to their control. Some parishioners across the Archdiocese have already been tricked into giving away hundreds of dollars!

What Can We Do About this? The most important thing that can be done is education. Educate yourself and your parishioners about emails and phone scams like this.

A clergyman will never reach out to his parishioners via email to request financial assistance, or in this case, gift cards. If email requests ever seems questionable, first and foremost, do not reply to the message, click on any links, or download any attachments. Try to verify the email by contacting the person or business directly via phone. Do not use contact information provided in an email or a website connected to the request; instead, check your personal records or contact lists, or for a business, a previous statement or bill, for contact information. Check out the links below for more information.

How to Report a Cyber Crime If you or your parishioners have become victims of a cyber crime, be sure to report it immediately to us and the following Federal agencies: Federal Trade Commission: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/07/worshipers-targeted-gift-card-scam

FBI: https://www.fbi.gov/tips

Archdiocese Tech Support System: https://www.goarch.org/contact/helpdesk

Additional Articles to Learn More What is a Phishing Attack and Tips for Protecting Yourself: https://blogs.goarch.org/blog/-/blogs/what-is-a-phishing-attack-and-tips-for-protecting-yourself New phishing scam uses church pastors’ names as bait: https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/new-phishing-scam-uses-church-pastors-names-as-bait-031919.html Scammers pose as pastors in email, ask faithful to buy gift cards: https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2019/04/21/scammers-pose-as-pastors-in-email-ask-faithful-to-buy-gift-cards/

For More Questions: Contact the Department of Internet Ministries or Department of Information Technology should you or your parishioners have any questions or require any further assistance from us. Jamil Samara https://blogs.goarch.org/blog/-/blogs/no-your-priest-does-not-want-you-to-buy-gift-cards-for-a-parishioner-in-need?fbclid=IwAR06y3XVu6tlvkFHFuUAM0c3P7L76DT_qTO-z5LYvUaEoE4vI36iYoYBapk

8

Assumption Ladies Philoptochos Society Lenten Food and Pascha Food Sales

Lenten Items All orders must be placed by February 22, 2020

for pick up Sunday, March 2, 2020 during coffee hour

Lagana Bread _________ (# of breads) x $6.00 = ____________ Lagana (sometimes called Clean Monday Bread )is a traditional flatbread usually baked for Clean Monday, the first day of Great Lent before Easter. For those fasting most strictly, lagana is made without oil. Taramasalta ________ (# of jars) x $5.00 = ___________ In Greece, taramasalata is associated with Clean Monday (Καθαρά Δευτέρα), the first day of Great Lent.

To Place Your Order for Lagana or Taramasalta: Please Contact Georgia Antonopoulos at 314-638-2835

_________________________________________________________________________________________

The Assumption Philoptochos

invites everyone

to begin Great Lent together

10:30 am Great Compline

immediately followed by

Clean Monday (Kathara Deftera) Lenten Luncheon

$5.00 per person

Monday, March 2, 2020

Pascha Items All orders must be placed by Sunday, March 29, 2020

Pick up on Sunday, April 12, 2020 in the Philoptochos room

Tsoureka _______ (# of breads) x $15 = ______________ Traditional Greek Easter Bread

Tiropita or Spanakopita _______ (# of ½ pans) x $25 = _________ ½ pan cheese pie or spinach & cheese pie, frozen and ready to bake

Baklava ______(# of pieces) x $3 = __________

Koulourakia _______ (# of cookies ) x 0.25 = _________

Red Eggs ________ (no of dozen) x $5.00 = ___________ To place your order for the Pascha Items, please contact Diane Sieckmann at 314-966-2255, 314-412-3476 or diane@assumptiongoc.org …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Total Amount Due _______________ Paid ___________ Check # _______ Cash______

Credit Card ___________________________________________________Exp _________ CVV_____ Name________________________________________________________________________________

Phone Number___________________________________________

9

Memorials/Trisagia

January 12 40 day Memorial for Elder Ephraim of Arizona

January 19

10 year Memorial for Steve (Stergios) Evangelopoulos, 4 year Memorial for Evangelos “Angelo” Palladino 20 year Memorial for George Palladino

January 26 40 day Prayer service for Steve Dellas 5-year Memorial for Katherine Dubis, Trisagon for Androniki Harisis, Christos Harisis, Theodosios Dubis, and Eftalia Dubis

Feburary 9 40 day Memorial for Zafera “Janie” Kyramarios 9 mo Memorial for Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra

February 16 40 day Memorial for Dimitirios Karagiannis 1 year Memorial for Theoni Yeonas 3 year Memorial for Peter Ellis

February 23 40 day Memorial for Christos Grigoriou 3 year Memorial for Dean Bellos

In Our Prayers Nora (Elaine) Bangert, Seraphima Henderson

Thekla (Rebecca) Kagaris, Dean Kases, George Lambos

Baptisms/Chrismations

Adaline Anne Hopkins, daughter of Jared Johnson and Katherine Hopkins, received the sacrament of Holy Baptism on Sunday, December 22, 2019. Her godfather is Alexander Hopkins. Emma Victoria Schafbuch, daughter of Thomas and Lena Schafbuch, received the sacrament of Holy Baptism on Saturday, January 11, 2020. Her godmother is Anna Marenko. Ellie Grace Tzianos, daughter of Michael and Emily Tzianos, received the sacrament of Holy Baptism on Sunday, January 19, 2020. Her godfather is Nicholas Tzianos.

Funerals

Vasiliki “Jean” Hendershot, of St. Clair, Missouri, sister of John (Koula) Psara and Dina (Gus) Iakovidis passed away on November 20, 2019. Gloria Netheron, mother of Dana Netherton, passed away on December 22, 2019.

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 sched-uled. Hospitals do not notify clergy of patients, even if

you list yourself as a Church member.

Parish News Holy Water Bottles and Old Calendar Icon Please return empty holy water bottles to the church for reuse. This helps us reduce some of the expense of ordering new bottles and your old calendars so that we may properly recycle or dispose of the icon. Thank you.

Internet Orthodoxy The Ascetic Experience is a web site maintained (and frequently updated) by the Holy Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos. Take your time, relax, and dig deep. You will encounter unique photos from the Mount Athos, spiritual counsel and advice of the Holy Fathers and Mothers, wisdom from ancient and contemporary sag-es giving answers to your everyday problems. At: asceticexperience.com.

Adult Orthodox Christian (AOC) Evening of Fellowship

Join us for a potluck dinner & discussion

Saturday, February 22, 2019

6:00 pm

Hosted by Samia Rabie.

819 Crescent Oaks Ct.

Valley Park MO 63088-1165

Please call Samia at 636-825-0899 or samiar98@aol.com to RSVP

and coordinate a dish to bring.

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Daughters of Epirus Invite You to Attend The

Annual Apokreatiko Glendi

[fundraiser for Dourahani Orphange in Epirus Greece]

Assumption Greek Orthodox Church

Saturday, February 29, 2020

5:30 pm

Admission: $35

Children 12 and under: $5.00

Live Music Provided by: Kostas Kastanis

Exciting Raffle Prizes

Fun for all ages! All are encouraged to wear their costumes

…we look forward to seeing you there! Proceeds to benefit the Dourahani Orphanage in Epirus, Greece

For tickets/table reservations or additional information please contact:

Eleni Schmidt 314.249.7350

elenischmidt@att.net

11

Philoptochos Corner The Assumption Ladies Philoptochos Society

Happy February! I’m personally ready for spring and the 70 degree weather. Those 3 lovely days we had before Christmas have me yearning to be able to open my house windows again! We have a lot going on the first half of the year. Look at our Chapter News section to see how you can get involved

Metropolis News In December Charlton & I traveled to Chicago. On Saturday, December 14, I attended the Metropolis Philopto-chos Christmas Party. It was a wonderful event where I again had the opportunity to mingle with my new “sisters”. After the luncheon His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael swore the new board in. We then held our Metropolis Executive Board Elections and had our first official “board meeting”. It was a great day! It was our intentions to attend the Metropolis Christmas Open House at the Hellenic Museum in Greek Town but unfortunately the weather did not cooperate. We made the smart decision to leave early and head home. We ran into the snow so it took us 7 hours to get home from Joliet. I’ll have to wait till December to attend this year’s event.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” Eisenstein

Chapter News Look for your 2020 Stewardship Letter in the mail. Please consider becoming a member of our chapter. We would love to hear your ideas. What are you passionate about? How can we support you?

Believe it or not we are already into the second month of 2020. We are actually going to start our Easter projects!! We will start taking orders for Easter pastries & pites. We have our Clean Monday Luncheon on March 2, 2020. We will celebrate the Sunday of Orthodoxy on March 8, 2020.

And finally we have Holy Week; Saturday of Lazarus April 11, Palm Sunday April 12, Holy Friday April 17, & Easter Sunday April 19. It gets really busy for us and we can honestly use your help. Find us at coffee hour and let’s see how we can help each other out.

Acknowledgements We would like to thank Board Member Keve Gialouris and friends for serving coffee hour for the month of December.

February National Commitments Autism Assistance Fund - Heightens awareness of Autism with assistance and support Saint Photios Shrine - Provides assistance to preserve the Saint Photios National Shrine

Evelyn’s House – BJC Hospice We are stocking the snack pantry at the hospice house. If you would like to make a donation please see Flora Dimitriou for a list of items needed. Evelyn’s House is in need of more crocheted lap blankets. If you have any interest in making a blanket please let us know. There is a size requirement for these lap blankets. **If you would like any more information on this project please see Flora Dimitriou or Diane Sieckmann.

2020 General Meeting Dates: February 9 – March 8 – April 4 (Saturday 10am) – May 17

2020 Board Meeting Dates: Saturday, June 13 at 10am

There are 8760 hours in a year and we would like you to give us 15. Please consider coming to our next meeting and hearing about the great things our chapter is planning for 2020. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Flora Dimitriou Philoptochos President fedimitriou@gmail.com 636-795-4602

Chicago Metropolis Philoptochos Board Installation On Saturday, December 14, the Metropolis of Chicago Philoptochos Board was installed by His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael. We are extremely proud that our President, Flora Dimitirou, was elected to the Metropolis Board. The Board ended the event with their Christmas Party at Carlucci Italian res-taurant, Rosemont, Illinois. Congratulations to our 2019-2021 Board.

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Save the Date for these Orthodox Camps

At Hellenic College, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (Brookline, MA) June 13 - 23 or June 30 - July 10

At North Park University (Chicago, IL) July 20 - 30

Ages: Currently in Grades 11 and 12 Cost: $850 + Travel to Boston or Chicago Apply at: www.crossroadinstitute.org Application Deadline: February 1st

Ionian Village Campgrounds (Bartholomeo, Greece)

Dates: June 22 – July 11 or July 21 - August 9

Ages: Entering 9th Grade, to Graduating Seniors Cost: 5000 + Travel to New York (Scholarships are available)

Apply at: www.ionianvillage.org/summer-camp Application Opens March 1st at 12:00 noon and usually fills within 1 Hour!

Assumption Church Camp

Dates July 24-22 Preschool to 5th Grade

Special program for 6th—9th grade More Information to Follow

Ss. Constantine & Hellen Greek Orthodox Church, Palos Hills, IL (bus transportation provided)

Dates: Memorial Day weekend (May 22-25)

Ages: 8-18 Years Old

Cost: $170 for the first Child $150 for additional Application packet coming soon!

St. Louis Hellenic Camp!

At the St. Nicholas Family Life Center

July 13 -17

St. Iakovos Retreat Center (Kansasville, WI)

Dates: Session 1: June 14-20 (Transportation will be provided from St. Louis only this week) Session 2: June 21-27 Session 3: June 28-July 4 Session 4: July 5-11 Session 5: July 12 18

Entering 6th -12th Grade: This year, Fanari Summer Camp will be allowing 11th grade graduates to come back as campers)

Cost: $525 Registration Opens: February 12 at 11:00 am (Central Time) at fanari.org

If you have questions please contact the church office at 314-966-2255

or any of the Youth Advisors

13

January is off to a fun start. Thank you for David and Elizabeth Safarian for hosting a great house party potluck. Fr. Joseph had a great discussion with them on prayer after watching a Be the Bee video. then it was time for some fun and a game of Headbanz. Looking forward to seeing what our Goyans are up to next.

GOYA had a great December. They helped decorate our Christmas tree, they went to St. Louis Foodbank to help prepare food for shipping for those in need, and had their Christmas Party Thank you to George and Amy Kirkou for hosting the Christmas Party

14

Friday Luncheon and Festival Baking

It’s time again to prepare delicious foods and desserts for our Friday Luncheons and soon for the Festival.

You can find a kitchen full of our dedicated bakers every Wednesday. There is a lot to be done and we need your help.

If you are interested and have some free time, please come and join the fun.

If you have any questions, please call Amalia Karakasis at 314-495-0305.

Spiritual pride manifests itself by the fact that a proud man dares to make himself a judge of

religion and of the Church, and says: “ I do not believe in this, and I do not acknowledge this; this I find superfluous, that unnecessary, and

this strange or absurd.”

Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt

GOYA Luncheon Fundraiser

Sunday

February 9

$10 - adults

$6 - kids 12 and under

Come support our hardworking GOYAns

and

enjoy a wonderful light lunch.

“Baptized in the Holy Spirit”

Join us as we celebrate

Godparent & Godchild

Sunday, February 9

Please share a Sunday of celebration with your

Godchild or Godparent. Come to the Divine

Liturgy together, receive Holy Communion

together and honor the special relationship of

love and faith.

After Divine Liturgy, spend some time together

and help support our GOYAns at their luncheon

fundraiser in the Church Hall.

It is the customary practice in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese to celebrate Godparent Sunday on the Sunday after the Feast of the Presentation of Christ. The church as a community calls to mind the im-portance of this bond in Christ, and encourages the development of the relationship. One way the church can do this is by honoring and fostering this relation-ship is by hosting a Godparent/Godchild Sunday.

15

The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago and Young Adult League Chicago announced today that Chicago will be the host city for the Young Adult League nationwide conference (YAL). The conference will be held on President’s Day weekend, February 14-17, 2020, in Rosemont, Illinois. The theme of the conference is “Orthodox on Purpose” with speakers to be announced soon. Geared toward Orthodox Christians between the ages of 18-35, the YAL conference will provide an opportunity for young adults from across the country gathering to worship as one Church, serve the local community, and bear witness to the light of Christ in each person. Attendees will explore, share, and live their faith in an immersive experience which will include workshops, keynote speakers, liturgical services, outreach projects, and social events. “I’m delighted to see our young adults coming together under one roof in Chicago to connect with each other and with Christ,” said His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael. “Many parents have fond memories of these conferences and the impact that they had on their faith. Now, the next generation has the opportunity to be the change they want to see in the world as part of Christ’s Church.” A nationwide ministry of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, YAL has been experiencing a resurgence of interest and involvement among Orthodox young adults. The YAL Chicago chapter is especially active with thousands of young adults participating in retreats, social gatherings, educational forums and service projects. Registration for YAL Conference Chicago is now open atYALChicago.com. For questions and more information, please email YAL Chicago at YALChicago@gmail.com. Please follow YAL Chicago Conference on Instagram and Facebook @YALChicagoConference.

Metropolis of Chicago Launches New Ministry for High School Graduates

Lighthouse Camp

The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago announced a new ministry for high school graduates called Lighthouse. Lighthouse aims to prepare campers for the social, emotional, practical, and spiritual challenges they will encounter in their college experience and beyond.

Named “Lighthouse,” the ministry was developed through the Metropolis’ Office of Youth & Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM Chicago) and is intended to be the natural next step for campers who attended both St. Mary’s Orthodox Camp and Fanari Camp. The ministry was created to address and respond to the troubling reality that approximately 60 percent of youth are leaving Christianity (including the Orthodox Church) in America today. The Metropolis’ Summer Camp programs accepts campers between their 6th grade and 11th grade years in middle school and high school but does not accept high-school seniors. Currently, there is no ministry serving high-school seniors with the aim of preparing them for college. Lighthouse will be that ministry. Specifically, Lighthouse will organize, promote, and execute an annual camp staffed with clergy and laity trained to proactively engage the age group and foster an authentic sense of community among campers as Orthodox Christians. The first Lighthouse camp will run from June 7 - 14 at Carthage College. “As the Light of the world, it is Christ who shines within us,” said His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael. “Through Lighthouse, our emerging adults will learn how to kindle that same Light as they enter the rough waters of adulthood." Registration for Lighthouse is available at www.chicago.goarch.org/lighthouse-camp. For questions and more information, please email Y2AM Chicago at y2am@chicago.goarch.org. Please follow Lighthouse on Instagram and Facebook @lighthousechicago.

If you have questions regarding either of these events, please call the church office or email diane@assumptiongoc.org.

16

Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) Corner The Orthodox Mission Team of 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."

As always, 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, please feel free to contact Rosie Hartley, 618-447-9688.

Thank you for your continued support!

Travel the World

Youth on a Mission For children in grades K - 6

Sign up to get your travelling papers and “fly” to five

missionary countries/areas where the

Orthodox Church is growing through the efforts of

missionaries and the support of

OCMC (Orthodox Christian Mission Center)

See, Taste and Feel what it is like to live in

Albania, Alaska, Guatemala, Kenya and Romania

as an Orthodox Christian

Saturday, February 1, 2020 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. St. Nicholas Family Life Center

12550 South Forty Drive

St. Louis, MO 63141

For registration and questions, please contact Simona Kacso

at ocmcyouthretreat@gmail.com Pre-registration by January 17, 2020

There is no charge but a free-will offering will be accepted

Pan-Orthodox youth retreat

sponsored by Mission Team St. Louis

From Acts 15:36…. “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where

we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.”

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Assumption Greek Orthodox Church 1755 Des Peres Rd., Town & Country, MO 63131

(Just north of Des Peres 14 Cine)

February 2020 FRIDAY LUNCHEONS

Menu subject to change 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Kitchen Phone: 314-966-6720 Web Site: http://www.assumptiongoc.org/friday-lunch

Cash, Checks and Credit Cards accepted: Master Card, VISA, Discover, American Express

February 7

Shrimp Saganaki over Rice ...........................................$9 Baked Fish with Mixed Vegetables ...............................$8 Pastitsio (ground beef, macaroni casserole) .................$8 Gyro Sandwich ..............................................................$5

(seasoned beef and lamb served on pita bread with tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce)

Lobster Bisque…………………….……...Sm. $4...Lg. $6

2 Dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves)………..………2 for $3 Spanakopita (spinach pita) ............................................$3 Tyropita (cheese pita) ....................................................$3 Greek Salad with olive oil dressing ...............................$5

Dessert ...........................................................................$3 (Baklava, Galatobouriko, Kataifi, Walnut Cake, Cheesecake)

February 14

Hellenic Tri-Pepper Beef Tenderloin with Baked Potato & Artesian Garlic Bread .................... $10 Baked Fish with Sugar Snap Pea & Corn Medley ........ $8 Pastitsio (ground beef, macaroni casserole) ................. $8 Gyro Sandwich.............................................................. $5

(seasoned beef and lamb served on pita bread with tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce)

Vegetable Beef Soup…………...……….Sm. $3....Lg. $5

2 Dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves)………..………2 for $3 Spanakopita (spinach pita) ............................................ $3 Tyropita (cheese pita) ................................................... $3 Greek Salad with olive oil dressing .............................. $5

Dessert .......................................................................... $3 (Baklava, Galatobouriko, Kataifi, Walnut Cake, Cheesecake)

February 21

Roasted Honey 1/2 Chicken over Rice ......................... $8 Pastitsio (ground beef, macaroni casserole) ................. $8 Gyro Sandwich .............................................................. $5

(seasoned beef and lamb served on pita bread with tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce)

Chicken Noodle Soup………….……...Sm. $3....Lg. $5

2 Dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves)………..………2 for $3 Spanakopita (spinach pita) ............................................ $3 Tyropita (cheese pita) .................................................... $3 Greek Salad with olive oil dressing .............................. $5

Dessert ........................................................................... $3 (Baklava, Galatobouriko, Kataifi, Walnut Cake, Cheesecake)

February 28

Fish & Chips Platter .................................................... $10 (Cod, Hush Pupppies, Sweet Potato Fries, Slaw) Baked Fish with Spinach & Rice .................................. $8 Pastitsio (ground beef, macaroni casserole) ................. $8 Gyro Sandwich ............................................................. $5

(seasoned beef and lamb served on pita bread with tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce)

Butternut Squash Soup…………….…….Sm. $3....Lg. $5

2 Dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves)………..………2 for $3 Spanakopita (spinach pita) ............................................ $3 Tyropita (cheese pita) ................................................... $3 Greek Salad with olive oil dressing .............................. $5

Dessert .......................................................................... $3 (Baklava, Galatobouriko, Kataifi, Walnut Cake, Cheesecake)

19

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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

Hebrews 13 1-3 Let brother love continue. 2Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing sosome have unwittingly entertained angels. 3Reember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also. Practical brotherly love is to be shown toward all Christians, but especially for the lowly, the powerless, and the victims of injustice. Strangers (v. 2) are travelers in need of hospitality. Abraham’s hospitality is recalled (Gn 18:1-8; also 19:1-3). Prisoners (v.3) are to be prayed for and aided if possible ,for all those in the body of Christ, the Church, are members of one another (1Co 121:12-27).

For Consideration Concerning uninterrupted abiding with God, St. Anthony teaches: "Let your soul abide with the Lord at all times, and let your body abide on earth like a statue. Always stand upright before the face of the Lord. Let the fear of God remain constantly before your eyes, as well as the remembrance of death and the repulsion of everything worldly. Die every day that you may live, for whoever fears God will live forever. Be constantly vigilant, so as not to fall into laziness and idleness. Abhor all that is worldly and distance yourself from it, or else it will distance you from God. Abhor all that will bring ruin to your soul. Do not stray from God for the sake of transient things. Do not take the example of one weaker than yourself, but emulate the one who is more perfect. Attend to the example of those who have loved the Lord with all their hearts and have done good works. Before all else, continually pour out prayer, give thanks to God for all that befalls you. If you fulfill all that is commanded, you will receive the inheritance that eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man (1 Corinthians 2:9)." https://web.archive.org/web/20170503214536/http://westserbdio.org/en/prologue/467-february-22