this issue BOX & SPOON - December 2010 MONTHLY

Letter from Fr. Mark

December
2010
Newsletter for Stewards of Holy Anargyroi
Sts. Kosmas & Damianos Greek Orthodox Church Box & Spoon
Liturgical/Organization Calendar for December 2010

Philoxenia News

Youth Team

Stewardship Sunday

Parish Ethnic Potluck

Philoptochos

AHEPA

The Sermon on the Mount - Part 2

Rev. George Mastrantonis

Treasurer’s Report

Guidelines for the Nativity Fast

Parish Council

Saint Nicholas
The Wonderworker and Archbishop of Myra

“The Nativity Icon”

If there‟s one thing we as Orthodox Christians are familiar and comfortable with its icons. We
see them in churches, in our homes, in restaurants, hanging from rear-view mirrors, and we
even find them in rather peculiar unexpected places! Because of this fact it is easy at times for
us to take them for granted and simply acknowledge them without allowing ourselves to truly
experience and be drawn into a relationship with the person/event that is being presented to us.
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED As we are now preparing to celebrate the holy Feast of Christ‟s birth let us behold the icon of
the Nativity and enter into a deeper spiritual understanding of this truly miraculous and cosmic
holyanargyroi@gmail.com event.
http://www.holyanargyroi.org
(507) 282-1253 fax It was once said that “icons are the words of the Gospels painted on canvas” and rightfully so.
(507) 282-1529 phone The holy icons reveal to us the theological, historical, and spiritual truths that have been re-
Permit No. 278
Rochester, MN 55902 vealed to the Church by God‟s Holy Spirit. Specifically, the icon of the Nativity is a witness to
the single most important event in history: the divine Incarnation of God in the person of Jesus
Rochester, MN
U.S. Postage Paid 703 West Center Street
Non-Profit Org. Greek Orthodox Church Christ. This icon is unique in that many different, yet connected, events are iconographically
Holy Anargyroi/Sts. Kosmas & Damianos depicted as occurring simultaneously. Let us begin from the top of the icon and work down.
<<continued on page 3>>
The Nativity of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ December 25th, 2010 Your Nativity, O Christ, has shined the Light of knowledge upon the world; For today the Virgin bears Him who is transcendent

2010 Standing Committees

PARISH COUNCIL
Tim Kelly - President
Liturgical and Organizational Calendar Parish Council
Johnny Mangouras - Vice President
Andru Peters - Secretary December 2010 Dear Fellow Parishioners,
Dan Jerghiuțǎ - Treasurer
Diana Orbelo
Tia Maragos Saturday December 4th Great Vespers 6pm A reminder of who are the members of your parish council for the 2010 year:Tim Kelly, President; Johnny Mangouras, Vice
Nick Maragos President; Dan Jerghiuta, Treasurer; Andru Peters, Secretary; Ionel Dumitrascu; Nick Maragos; Diana Orbelo; Tia Marago;
Halina Woroncow Saturday December 4th St. Nonna's Women's Group and Halina Woroncow.
Ionel Dumitrascu after Vespers at Catherine Weiler's residence
We have an upcoming parish council election scheduled for December 5, 2010, where we will elect three suitable candidates
STEWARDSHIP
John Maragos – Chair Sunday December 5th Stewardship Sunday: Please bring your for the parish council of 2011. The audit committee has filed their report for 2009 and (3) volunteers were assigned the task
Ari Kolas 2011 Stewardship Packets to Church for col- to audit the books for the 2010.
Johnny Mangouras lection, or mail them back asap.
Mark Smith Halina and Diana have volunteered to lead our parish outreach efforts, and will be sending a survey out to a number of pa-
Sunday December 5th GOYA Outing to Mall of America rishioners for feedback. They also initiated the ethnic potluck dinner on November 13, 2010, that was well attended and a
OUTREACH bounty of delicious food was enjoyed by all. If you are interested in participating in the outreach effort please discuss with
Diana Orbelo after coffee hour
Halina Woroncow these two ladies how you might be able to contribute.
Sunday December 5th Sunday School practice Christmas Program
ICONOGRAPHY after lessons in Church The parish council voted to include in our operating budget money for the coffee during our fellowship hour. The service is
Diana Orbelo – Chair being provided by D&R through our association with the Tradition III Group. Thank you to all parishioners who sponsor the
Tia Maragos
Sunday December 5th Parish Council Elections coffee hour during the year, as this is one effort that helps us as a church community.
Andru Peters
Fr. Mark Muñoz after Liturgy in Hall Our stewardship of the church is growing in many ways. Financially we are still struggling during the summer months (mid-
BUILDING Monday December 6th St. Nicholas the Wonderworker year), and every effort you can make to help us with your support on a regular basis will help alleviate the financial pinch we
Dr. Nick Maragos – Chair experience during this time. Overall our stewardship is strong and we thank you for your support of the church. We are see-
Orthros and Divine Liturgy 8:30am
Ari Kolas– Treasurer ing stewardship of our church in the number of volunteers who are participating in important areas of the operation of the
Monday December 6th Adult Religious Education 6pm church. Our Stewardship Committee has reformed with new leadership in the form of John Maragos, who is giving an out-
BUDGET
Dan Jerghiuțǎ – Chair standing effort to bring this crucial support into focus for the community.
Monday December 6th Building Committee 7pm
Johnny Mangouras
Fr. Mark Muñoz Saturday December 11th Great Vespers 6pm Thank you,
Tim Kelly
AUDIT Sunday December 12th Toy Drive: Last day to drop off items Parish Council President
Aaron Biedermann
Mark Smith Sunday December 12th Sunday School practice Christmas Program;
John Maragos
after lessons in Church
ELECTION BOARD
Presbytera Michelle
Chris Brekke
Chamaidi Belanger
Wednesday December 15th Parish Council Meeting
Saturday December 18th St. Sebastian the Martyr
7pm
Saint Nicholas
PHILOXENIA HOUSE
Orthros and Divine Liturgy 8:30am The Wonderworker and Archbishop of Myra
Chamaidi Belanger– Chair Saturday December 18th Philoptochos Meeting after Liturgy
Beth Lechner – Treasurer December 6th
Packaging for Bake Sale
GREEK FESTIVAL
This Saint lived during the reign of Saint Constantine the Great, and reposed in 330, As a
Dan Jerghiuțǎ – Chair Saturday December 18th GOYA Caroling TBA young man, he desired to espouse the solitary life. He made a pilgrimage to the holy city
Steve Kereakos – Treasurer Jerusalem, where he found a place to withdraw to devote himself to prayer. It was made
Lorenda Jerghiuțǎ – Silent auction Saturday December 18th Great Vespers 6pm known to him, however, that this was not the will of God for him, but that he should return
Joe Ferrer – Set-up/Teardown
Tim Kelly – Outdoor Cooks Sunday December 19th Christmas Program after Liturgy to his homeland to be a cause of salvation for many. He returned to Myra, and was ordained
Johnny Mangouras – Marketing bishop. He became known for his abundant mercy, providing for the poor and needy, and
Ari Kolas – Marketing Sunday December 19th Philoptochos Bake Sale Pick-up after Liturgy delivering those who had been unjustly accused. No less was he known for his zeal for the
Penny Kolas – Pastries
Maria Thomas – Pastries Friday December 24th Nativity Royal Hours with the truth. He was present at the First Ecumenical Council of the 318 Fathers at Nicaea in 325;
Denise Mangouras – Pastries Vesperal Liturgy of St Basil 9am upon hearing the blasphemies that Arius brazenly uttered against the Son of God, Saint
Presbytera Michelle – Volunteers Nicholas struck him on the face. Since the canons of the Church forbid the clergy to strike
Martha Voytovich – Market place Friday December 24th Nativity of Our Lord & Savior Jesus any man at all, his fellow bishops were in perplexity what disciplinary action was to be tak-
Andru Peters – Beverages
Mike Brekke – Beer Garden
ChristOrthros at 9pm / Liturgy at 10pm 9pm en against this hierarch whom all revered. In the night our Lord Jesus Christ and our Lady
Larissa Osfeld – Children Area Theotokos appeared to certain of the bishops, informing them that no action was to be taken
Mrs. Mangouras – Inside Kitchen Saturday December 25th Christmas Day **NO SERVICES** against him, since he had acted not out of passion, but extreme love and piety. The Dismis-
Sunday December 26th No Sunday School sal Hymn for holy hierarchs, The truth of things hath revealed thee to thy flock ... was writ-
ten originally for Saint Nicholas. He is the patron of all travellers, and of sea-farers in par-
ticular; he is one of the best known and best loved Saints of all time.
The Nativity of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ December 25th, 2010
On the Night of Nativity
St. Ephraim the Syrian
 Pure is the present night, in which the Pure One appeared, Who came to purify us! Let our hearing be pure, and the
sight of our eyes chaste, and the feeling of the heart holy, and the speech of the mouth sincere!
 The present night is the night of reconciliation; therefore, let no one be wroth against his brother and offend him!
 This night gave peace to the whole world, and so, let no one threaten. This is the night of the Most Meek One; let no
one be cruel!
 This is the night of the Humble One; let no one be proud!
 Now is the day of joy; let us not take revenge for offences! Now is the day of good
will; let us not be harsh. On this day of tranquility, let us not become agitated by an-
ger!
 Today God came unto sinners; let not the righteous exalt himself over sinners!
 Today the Most Rich One became poor for our sake; let the rich man invite the poor
to his table!
 Today we received a gift which we did not ask for; let us bestow alms to those who
cry out to us and beg!
 The present day has opened the door of heaven to our prayers; let us also open our
door to those who ask of us forgiveness!
 Today the Godhead placed upon Himself the seal of humanity, and humanity has
been adorned with the seal of the Godhead!
From Children of the Church Vol I, Is I
Guidelines for the Nativity Fast
We are well aware that our Holy Church provides the faithful with a pe-
riod of spiritual preparation in anticipation of the Lord‟s Holy Nativi-
ty. This period begins on November 15th every year with the com-
mencement of the Nativity Fast. As this fast is a „modified‟ one I
thought it helpful to remind us all exactly what is prescribed:
From Nov. 15th-Dec. 12th the following is observed:
Fish/wine/oil are allowed every day except Wednesdays and Fridays
which are observed as strict fast days (no meat, fish, dairy, wine, oil).
From Dec. 12th-Dec. 25th the following is observed:
A strict fast is observed every day except Saturdays and Sundays.
Your Nativity, O Christ, has shined the Light of knowledge upon the world; For today the Virgin bears Him who is transcendent
Letter from Fr. Mark
<<continued from page 1>>
At the apex of the icon we observe the angels of God glorifying in awe-
some wonder the divine condescension. We also witness a single angel
announcing the glad tidings of joy to the simple shepherds, the first to hear
of the birth of the Messiah. To the left we see the three Magi with their
gifts approaching the cave to worship the Christ-child. The center of the
icon is dominated by the “manger” scene itself with Christ wrapped “in
swaddling clothes” and His mother, the Holy Theotokos, reclining on a
bed. Finally the bottom left of the icon is dominated by a rather curious
scene. We observe Joseph the Betrothed sitting with a look of serious per-
plexity while an old man seems to be conversing with him. This is the tra-
ditional layout of the icon of the Nativity which has changed little over the
centuries. However, if we examine the icon closer each scene reveals the
inner spiritual and theological essence of the Nativity event.
First and foremost, the icon stands in stark contrast to the traditional West-
ern depiction of the charming sweet barn scene that commonly adorns
children‟s books and greeting cards. The Orthodox icon reveals a stark
desert landscape with little life present. In essence, we encounter a barren
wasteland. The icon is revealing the sad reality of the fallen world into
which Jesus Christ was born to renew. We also notice that Christ is born
in a cave in accordance with the ancient tradition of the Church. Why is this point significant? If we turn our atten-
tion to the Christ-child we notice that His “swaddling clothes” are actually burial garments and that His crib is in re-
ality a tomb! By extension the cave represents the dark and abysmal reality of Hades where Christ descended after
His crucifixion and death. All of these factors remind us why God Himself became man: to restore humanity to its
original glory by destroying the power of death and sin through His own death.
We observe that the largest and central figure within the icon is not Christ but rather His Virgin Mother, the Holy
Theotokos. Why? Because in this event she is essential figure being the catalyst of her Son‟s incarnation and ap-
pearing on earth as a man. Through her sacred person we receive the pre-eternal Logos; we receive the Incarnate
God. For this reason the holy and illumined iconographers have placed her in such a conspicuous place. If we ob-
serve her closely we discover that her loving gaze is not directed to her beloved Son but rather on her guardian and
protector, Joseph, and rightfully so.
As we saw previously, Joseph is relegated to the outskirts of the scene seated with a look of doubt all the while con-
versing with an old man. He is physically separated from the cave to reveal the fact that he was not involved in the
conception of Jesus Christ or His incarnation. Tradition tells us that the Evil One, Satan himself, appeared to Joseph
and tried to sow seeds of doubt in Joseph‟s heart. He attempted to make Joseph believe that there was nothing mirac-
ulous about this birth and that his betrothed was guilty of adultery. For this reason the Panagia looks at her betrothed
with love, purity, and reassurance. As we know from Holy Scripture an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a
dream and tells him to take the holy family and depart to Egypt for the child‟s safety and thereby eradicating any
remnant of doubt.
Finally on a lighter note, next to the Christ-child we see an ox and a donkey. They are depicted not to simply recall
the fact that He was born in a stable but rather to fulfill an Old Testament prophecy. In the book of Isaiah (1:3) we
read, “The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master’s crib”. This underscores the fact that Christ‟s Incarnation
renews all of creation not just the human race.
Through this one iconic example from the Spirit-guided Holy Tradition of our Church the entire historical and spir-
itual reality of God becoming man is made manifest. As we enter into the Church this Christmas season and behold
the icon of Christ‟s birth let us call to mind His immeasurable love, compassion, and mercy that He has for us and
the entire world. Christ is born! Glorify Him! +Fr. Mark
The Nativity of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ December 25th, 2010
The Goya Youth Group at St. John the Baptist the Forerunner Church in Las Vegas Nevada held a fundraiser to benefit
the Philoxenia House. This fall they held a cookie auction and a fasolada (traditional Greek bean soup) dinner for their
Parish.
Under the leadership of Effie E. and Tammy K. the children planned, organized and worked very hard, but with great
enthusiasm, to successfully accomplish their goal. They started planning this event shortly after Effie and Tammy re-
turned to Las Vegas from a short visit to the Mayo Clinic and to our Church and Philoxenia House. They were stirred
to compassion and carried their feelings to Las Vegas to inspire their Church to assist us.
Their generous contribution of $972 was received with gratitude and touched us very deeply. They are an inspiration to
all of us.
Effie called me the other night and reassured me that she and the others will continue to speak out for the Philoxenia
House and to support us with future events.
On October 1st, 2010, Apollo Liquor and the Kolas family held an upscale wine tasting at the Oakwood Broadway
Plaza penthouse for the customers to benefit the Philoxenia House.
The Philoxenia House Committee would like to express our gratitude to the Kolas family for the great wines, to John-
ny Mangouras for the great food, and their generosity and contribution to the Philoxenia House. We really appreciate
it.
They say...that pain is a river and you need to cross it in order to arrive at the shore of a new
hope. Also, they say....that even if your destiny has filled your path with unclear bends from
the mist and your tears..there are angels.
Angels remote from common conventions with solid love, pure, self-growing like wild vegeta-
tion, persuade...your psyche to dress in her finest-even for a short time- and manage in the
solitude and silence like barbed wire, to cut through and graciously give you a ray of sun-
shine.
Philoxenia House-Rochester, Minnesota
The phrase was contained in one breath; My psyche has recorded it.
“George Kritikos, November 9, 2010. His son Antonis is a guest at the Philoxenia House and
a patient at the Mayo Clinic. This poetic article was translated from the Greek.”
Thank you and God bless you,
Chamaidi Belanger and the Philoxenia House Committee
Your Nativity, O Christ, has shined the Light of knowledge upon the world; For today the Virgin bears Him who is transcendent
The Sermon On The Mount
PART 2: continued
Rev. George Mastrantonis
THE BEATITUDES
"'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be
comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst
after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the
pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are
ye, when men shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for
great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.'"
The Sermon on the Mount begins with the utterance of "moving lyrical strains of the Beatitudes." They constitute "the string of
pearls" which adorn the crowning of Christian ethics. The Beatitudes are independent exhortations of blessedness to mold the
character of the Christian believer.
Blessed is the translation of the original Greek word, makarios, which means much more than happy or fortunate. "Blessedness
implies a feeling of being highly favored, especially by the Supreme Being, and often a deep joy arising from the present do-
mestic, benevolent or religious affection" (Webster's Dictionary of Synonyms) (See Ps. 1:1; 2:12; 65:4, etc.)
The Beatitudes provide the specifications for the architecture of Christian character. Accepted as a whole, they provide the in-
gredients for the upright Christian character:
1. Blessed is the man who is poor in spirit, that is, one who feels so-the humble one, because humbleness is the gate which
leads to the kingdom of heaven.
2. Blessed are the mourners, who long to enter the kingdom of God, but who face many difficulties, such as sin and other im-
pediments which block the way to the kingdom of God. Our merciful God will comfort them.
3. Blessed are the meek, the people who are not disturbed by their own desires, but trust in the Lord (cf. Ps. 37:11, LXX).
Their attitude will be rewarded with the inheritance of the earth, which means through their convictions and trust in God
they will inherit the age to come.
4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. They feel the impulse and desire to fulfill the Will of God by
their worship of and obedience to God.
5. Blessed are the merciful not only for giving alms, but especially for giving of themselves in helping others, who in turn
obtain mercy (cf. 6:14; 18:33).
6. Blessed are the pure in heart, the upright, the sincere, the honest in every thought and activity (Ps. 24:4). They will feel the
abiding companionship of God.
7. Blessed are the peacemakers, between neighbors and between nations, who have a peaceful mind to resolve human dis-
crepancies. They should be the treasurers of divine peace from above in order to provide this peace for others who shall be
sons of God.
8. Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness' sake. People who are armed with virtues of the previous beatitudes are well
shielded to face persecutions for the establishment of divine principles of life. The kingdom of God is expanded to their
hearts.
9. Blessed are ye (my Disciples) who resist evil and undergo persecutions by words and acts for My sake.
10. The blessedness of God is the source of men's rejoicing and gladness not only in themselves but also for the reward in
heaven, as it happened to the persecuted prophets (cf 23:20; Lk 11:33-38).
Site of the Sermon On The Mount, Galilee, Israel
The Nativity of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ December 25th, 2010 Your Nativity, O Christ, has shined the Light of knowledge upon the world; For today the Virgin bears Him who is transcendent

Philoptochos
Holiday Bake Sale!!! It‟s that time of year again and Holiday baking is coming. So make it easier on yourselves and order
pastries from Philoptochos. We are offering something new this year: tradition American cookies. Of course, we will have the
usual Greek pastries that have become so popular in Rochester.
Church School is flying by for the JOY and GOYA children!
We will also change the date our meetings are held. In the past, we have always, or at least tried, to have our meetings every As the Nativity Fast commenced on November 15th, the JOY group had their first Faith Night: The Nativity Fast and the
second Sunday of the month. Since September, we have been unable to make that date work. Too much is happening on Sun- making of Advent Wreaths. Father Mark explained the Nativity Icon to the children and they learned about the saints that
days and our meetings continue to get pushed aside. These meetings are too important and also mandated by Philoptochos to we are also commemorating during the Nativity lent. They learned the importance of prayers and fasting during the Nativ-
continue to push aside. We have only had one meeting and we should have had three. In order to be a ratified chapter we have ity lent and that this is also a time to remember those in need.
to have a meeting every month until May.
GOYA enjoyed an introduction to archery for their fellowship event this month. Several bulls eyes were accomplished by
th
We will be packaging pastries on Saturday, Dec 18 . We will also take the time to have a Philoptochos meeting that the end of our hour. Great fun was followed by great pizza, making for some more great memories!
day. GOYA is also participating in Project Mexico's "Santa's Helpers" program for the third straight year. JOY is joining us
this year as we purchase and send an article of clothing, and maybe a toy, to each boy at St. Innocent Orphanage. The
So far this year we have contributed to Hellenic College Holy Cross Scholarship Program, Retired Clergy Benevolent Fund boys are always grateful and overwhelmed by the generosity of those gifts. Thanks to all who participated!
(provide support for retired clergy), Cancer Fund, National Philoptochos Emergency Fund (for national or international disas-
ters), Ecumenical Patriarchate‟s programs and charities, and the National Sisterhood of Presbyteres Benevolent Fund. In the
month of December we will donate to UNICEF and General Medical Fund. Philoptochos has always been a strong contributor
to the UNICEF organization. Philoptochos has also set up a General Medical Fund. It‟s a separate fund by Philoptochos that
covers the financial costs associated by medical reasons the other programs do not cover.

Thanks to everyone who supports Philoptochos. It‟s a wonderful organization that has helped so many in need.

Denise Mangouras
Philoptochos President

AHEPA
(American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association)
Pictures from the October 28th AHEPA Party

AHEPA
John Sakellariou – President
Sam Kolas – Vice President
Brad Holman – Treasurer
George Margellos – Secretary
The Nativity of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ December 25th, 2010 Your Nativity, O Christ, has shined the Light of knowledge upon the world; For today the Virgin bears Him who is transcendent

Stewardship Sunday PARISH ETHNIC POTLUCK

Dear Parishioners,

Sunday, December 5th, is Stewardship Sunday.

You should‟ve received your 2011 Stewardship Packets by now. If you haven‟t received yours, please let us know immediately so
we can send one to you, or please pick one up the next time you visit the Church Narthex (entryway). We ask you to read through
the materials that we've diligently prepared for you, and then spend some time in thought and prayer by yourself - or with your
spouse - before deciding how much, and how you will give next year. If you have children, please also consider how they too can
begin to learn how to give back to the Church, and really, what it means to be a good and faithful steward in Christ. I'm not refer-
ring only to the giving of money, but also to the giving of your time and other gifted abilities. Each family member is invited to
participate.
On November 13th, our multicultural parish family celebrated our
What is your expertise? diverse ethnicities by sharing a favorite dish from each heritage.
What are you passionate about?
How can you offer your gifts back to Christ and His community?

We're prepared to help you in this endeavor by offering you both guidance and tools for true success:

GUIDANCE
Leading up to Stewardship Sunday, each member of the committee will give a talk after Liturgy on the following topics:

11/07/10 1st Speech Intro to stewardship Johnny Mangouras

11/14/10 2nd Speech Monthly giving and budgeting Ari Kolas
11/21/10 3rd Speech Matching talents with needs John Maragos
11/28/10 4th Speech Growing in stewardship Mark Smith
12/05/10 Stewardship Sunday: A special tray will be passed to collect your 2011 Time & Talents Questionnaire /
Stewardship Commitment.

TOOLS
Your Stewardship Packet includes the following:

1) 2011 Percentage Giving Worksheets for Adults, Students, and Children. This is to be used as a guideline in determine
how much you will give next year.
2) 2011 Time & Talents Questionnaire / Stewardship Commitment. This is where you tell us what your unique gifts are (i.e.
your vocation and expertise), and how you'd like to get more involved within the growing fabric of our community. You
will also make your Stewardship Commitment in this section.
3) 2011 Stewardship Brochures. Further information on how to become a good steward in Christ.

On December 5th, Stewardship Sunday, please bring your completed 2011 Time & Talents Questionnaire / Stewardship Commit-
ment to Church for collection. If you are unable to attend, please mail your forms back to us ASAP. I look forward to a very suc-
cessful upcoming year for our Parish as we continue to grow together in Christ.

John Maragos
Stewardship Chair

And before all things have fervent love among yourselves, for “love shall cover a multitude of sins.” Be hospitable to one another,
without murmurings. According as each one received a free gift, minister the same to one another, as good stewards of the diver-
sified grace of God. [1 Peter. 4:8-10]