Box & Spoon

April

this issue 2011

BOX & SPOON - April 2011 MONTHLY

Letter from Fr. Mark Newsletter for Stewards of
Holy Anargyroi Sts. Kosmas & Damianos
Liturgical/Organization Calendar for April 2011
Greek Orthodox Church
The Great Lent: a week by week meaning
Rev. George Mastrantonis

Easter or Pascha?

Proper Confession

Resentment
Homily by Hieromonk Damascene

Youth Team: JOY and GOYA

Stewardship
My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.
Philoptochos
Stay here and watch with Me.
AHEPA
“περιλυπος εστιν η ψυχη μου εως θανατου, μεινατε ωδε και γρηγορειτε μετ εμου”
The Church is a Therapeutic Center - Part 4 -Matthew 26:38
Fr. Emmanuel Hatzidakis For the past several weeks we have as Orthodox Christians been on an important Lenten journey. We are traveling the arduous
road of fasting, prayer, almsgiving, and repentance in search of the “small and narrow gate that leads to life” (Matt. 7:13,14)
The Sermon on the Mount - Part 6 which is the Resurrection of the God-man Jesus Christ. I‘m confident that I speak for many of you by saying that I am on many
Rev. George Mastrantonis The Tomb of Lazarus: Bethany, Israel levels ―maxed out‖ and I feel myself being tempted more and more to relax the fast, drop my prayer rule, and cry out in indigna-
tion, ―ENOUGH!‖ However, we‘re half way there…take a deep spiritual breath, gather yourself, and let‘s ponder the words of
Christ cited from St. Matthew‘s Gospel above.
The very night Christ was to be betrayed into the hands of lawless men He gathered His disciples around Him in the Garden of
Gethsemane to keep a vigil. He singled out Saints Peter, James, and John to accompany Him further into the Garden where He
was going to pray. At this very moment the human nature of Christ was in agony. He knew exactly what awaited Him: the ridi-
cule before Pilate, the flaying at the scourging pillar, the difficult road to Golgotha, and the barbaric experience of crucifixion it-
self. Within this emotional and physical gut wrenching condition Christ invites His closest friends and followers to be with Him
and ―watch‖. The original Greek verb γρηγορω connotes the idea of being alert, vigilant, and watching diligently over someone/
thing as opposed to being a mere sideline spectator. This invitation, lamentably, the disciples were unable to entertain for they
quickly feel asleep and thereby abandoned their Master.
Christ returned, found them asleep, woke them, and chided them for their despondency and again commanded them, “Watch and
pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak.” Christ is actually instructing them in spir-
itual warfare as opposed to merely requesting company during this difficult hour. He is reminding them and us that at all times it
is necessary for a follower of Christ to be on guard against the passions and temptations recognizing our own human frailties and
how suddenly and unexpectedly we can fall.
Holy Week is imminent. Soon we will all be given the same invitation to ―stay‖ with Christ and ―watch‖ together with Him as
He accomplishes the restoration and salvation of humanity and all of creation. One very beautiful opportunity to accomplish this
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED ‗vigilance‘ will occur on Holy Thursday night after the service of the 12 Gospels where the entire Book of Psalms will be read
before the Crucified Christ…accompanying Him in His suffering and humiliation as did His All Holy Mother and the other cou-
holyanargyroi@gmail.com rageous women disciples.
http://www.holyanargyroi.org Will we rsvp to this invitation? Will we faithfully attend the services wherein
(507) 282-1253 fax we walk together with Panagia and the Disciples and participate in Christ‘s last
(507) 282-1529 phone moments on earth? Or, will we allow mundane worldly excuses shut our spir-
itual eyes and lull us into spiritual death?
Permit No. 278 Rochester, MN 55902
Rochester, MN 703 West Center Street
U.S. Postage Paid
Greek Orthodox Church “Watch with me…” Yes, Lord, we are here.
Non-Profit Org.
Holy Anargyroi/Sts. Kosmas & Damianos Wishing you all a moving and prayerful Holy Week, I remain…
In His service, +Fr. Mark
The Garden of Gethsemane, Jerusalem Israel
“Christ our God, before Your Passion, You raised Lazarus from the dead to confirm the common Resurrection for All.” April 16th, 2011 “Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Liturgical and Organizational Calendar The Sermon On The Mount

2011 Standing Committees April 2011 Part 6: continued
Rev. George Mastrantonis
PARISH COUNCIL
Tim Kelly - President
Saturday April 2nd Great Vespers 6pm
Johnny Mangouras - Vice President Monday April 4th Great Compline 6pm TRUE DEVOTION, 6:19-24 AND TRUST IN GOD, 6:25-34
Andru Peters - Secretary Treasures In Heaven, 6:19-21
Dan Jerghiuțǎ - Treasurer Wednesday April 6th Presanctified Liturgy 6pm "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal, but lay up for
Diana Orbelo
Tia Maragos Friday April 8th Akathist Hymn 6pm yourself treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your
Nick Maragos treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Halina Woroncow
Saturday April 9th Great Vespers 6pm
Aaron Biedermann Philoptochos Meeting: Time TBD Riches and treasures on earth are corrupted by moth and worm in the hands of an owner who has made them his goal on earth. In
their desires to gather wealth for the sake of wealth, as an objective of life, many men have made wealth an idol. Treasures and
STEWARDSHIP Sunday April 10th 5th Sunday of Holy Lent: 8:30am riches can be handled by a Christian as a steward, as an instrument for progress and work, for charity and help, transferring
John Maragos – Chair St. Mary the Egyptian
Ari Kolas earthly wealth into treasures in heaven. The human heart belongs either to earthly wealth or to treasures in heaven.
Johnny Mangouras Monday April 11th Philoxenia Meeting 5pm
Mark Smith Clear Sight, 6:22-23
Tuesday April 12th JOY Faith Night: Holy Week 5:30pm
OUTREACH "The light of the body is the eye. If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light; but if thine eye be evil, thy whole body
Wednesday April 13th Choir Practice 7pm shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!"
Diana Orbelo
Halina Woroncow **important preparation for Holy Week**
What the lamp is to the house, the eye is to the body. If the eye is sound and healthy, it provides happiness; if the eye is diseased
ICONOGRAPHY Saturday April 16th Saturday of Lazarus, Orthros/Divine Liturgy 8:30am (evil), it is blind and brings darkness to human life. By obeying the principles of the Gospel, the Christian clarifies his sight and
Diana Orbelo – Chair Church Cleanup & Decorating for Palm Sunday 11am insight in order to serve his mission in bringing the Light to the world.
Tia Maragos
Andru Peters *volunteers needed*
Fr. Mark Muñoz
Great Vespers for Palm Sunday 6pm True Loyalty, 6:24
"No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye
BUILDING Sunday April 17th Palm Sunday 8:30am cannot serve God and mammon."
Dr. Nick Maragos – Chair
Ari Kolas– Treasurer Palm Sunday Fish Luncheon after Liturgy There is no neutral position for the Christian. He is exhorted to oust evil from his heart and at the same time act ceaselessly for
BUDGET Decorating for Holy Week after Luncheon the development of his Christian character. God and mammon (wealth, property, possessions, etc.) should not be placed on the
Dan Jerghiuțǎ – Chair **volunteers needed** same level by compromising and exchanging their influence. Mammon should always serve God's Will so the Christian may
Johnny Mangouras keep his loyalty to God undefiled.
Fr. Mark Muñoz 1st Bridegroom Service 7pm
AUDIT Holy Monday April 18th Bridegroom Service 7pm Faith In God - Against Anxiety, 6:25-34
Aaron Biedermann Holy Tuesday April 19th Bridegroom Service 7pm "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.
Mark Smith Is not the life more than the meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather
John Maragos Holy Wednesday April 20th Holy Unction Service 3pm into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto
ELECTION BOARD Orthros for Holy Thursday 7pm his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin. And yet I
Presbytera Michelle say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which
Chris Brekke ** those who cannot be present at 3pm Unction Service may today and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? "Therefore take no thought, saying, 'What
Chamaidi Belanger be anointed after the 7pm Service ** shall we eat? or, 'What shall we drink? or, 'What withal shall we be clothed?' For after all these things do the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly
Father Knoweth that ye have need of all these things. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall
PHILOXENIA HOUSE Holy Thursday April 21st Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil 8:30am
be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the
Chamaidi Belanger– Chair
Beth Lechner – Treasurer Holy Passion Service/12 Gospels 7pm day is the evil thereof."
Holy Friday April 22nd Royal Hours 9am Verses 6:25 to 34 (cf. Lk. 12:22-31) are an analysis of verse 24, which deals with the overwhelming feeling of anxiety. Men of
GREEK FESTIVAL
Dan Jerghiuțǎ – Chair Apokathilosis/Taking down from the Cross 3pm every generation, regardless of the progress of civilization, feel anxiety if they are not careful to trust in God. The desire for se-
Steve Kereakos – Treasurer curity for the future is very strong, not only in the underprivileged one, but to anyone, regardless of wealth.
Lorenda Jerghiuțǎ – Silent auction Lamentations 7pm
Joe Ferrer – Set-up/Teardown The only way to overcome anxiety ("anguish or fear coupled with uncertainty, or of the anticipation of impending misfortune,
Holy Saturday April 23rd Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil 8:30am
Tim Kelly – Outdoor Cooks disaster or the like") is to dedicate oneself without any reservation to the providence of God and His loving care. Here our Lord
Johnny Mangouras – Marketing ANASTASIS 11pm
Ari Kolas – Marketing
Jesus Christ presents God acting and caring for the individual believer and for the betterment of mankind. God shapes the history
Penny Kolas – Pastries Parish-wide Paschal Dinner and celebration after Liturgy of human activities for the benefit and salvation of the individual and the world.
Maria Thomas – Pastries
Denise Mangouras – Pastries PASCHA April 24th Agape Vespers 11am The Christian is urged to have confidence in himself, working and acting according to the principles of the Gospel, and to entrust
Presbytera Michelle – Volunteers his future to Almighty and Loving God, Whom he praises and worships. The opening sentence of this paragraph starts with the
Martha Voytovich – Market place Bright Wednesday April 27th Parish Council Meeting 7pm
admonition, "Take no thought for your life" (v. 25), and ends, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow". Our Lord summa-
Andru Peters – Beverages Bright Friday April 29th Zoodochos Pigi/Life-Giving Fount, 8:30am
Mike Brekke – Beer Garden
rized His utterances saying, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto
Larissa Osfeld – Children Area Orthros/Divine Liturgy you." Whoever shall seek it "first" will search for it, and only it - the Kingdom of God.
Mrs. Mangouras – Inside Kitchen
Bright Saturday April 30th Great Vespers 6pm continued in the May edition
“Christ our God, before Your Passion, You raised Lazarus from the dead to confirm the common Resurrection for All.” April 16th, 2011 “Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

THE GREAT LENT

The Church is a Therapeutic Center A Week by Week Meaning
Rev. George Mastrantonis
by Fr. Emmanuel Hatzidakis
FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT - ST. MARY OF EGYPT (Mark 10:32-45)
Part 4
This Sunday commemorates the life of St. Mary of Egypt, who is a shining example of repentance from sin through

=
The Church is a Hospital
Orthodox people view the Church as a spiritual hospital, a clinic, a hospice, a therapeutic center, and a
fitness center—all combined in one! The aim of the treatment is to provide spiritual cure, maintain well-
ness for its patients (faithful members) and lead them to eternal life!
prayer and fasting. She lived a sinful life for many years, but was converted to a Christian life. She went into the wilder-
ness to live an ascetic life for many years, praying and fasting in repentance of her previous sinful life, and dying there.
St. Mary's life exemplifies her conviction about Christ, which motivated the changing of her life from sin to holiness
through repentance. Her understanding of repentance involved not a mere change from small things in her life, but an
extreme change of her entire attitude and thoughts. The Church commemorates St. Mary for her recognition of her own
sins as an example of how one can free oneself from the slavery and burden of wrongdoings. This recognition of sin is
imperative during Lent for the faithful as a means of self examination and preparation for a more virtuous life in antici-
pation of the Crucifixion
and the Resurrection of Christ.

If the parishes are the hospitals and clinics of the soul, the monasteries are the "intensive care units" of Orthodoxy! If the priests are the doc- Prayer for Lent
tors, the monks are the specialists! In order, however, to see another therapist we should first obtain our personal therapist's referral. Psalm 50 (51)
Have mercy upon me, 0 God, according to Your great mercy;
We should approach our therapist with full confidence and develop a close, trusting relationship with him. He has been certified by the high-
est medical authority (Christ) to practice everywhere (Church).
The Parable of and according to the multitude of Your compassion, blot out my
transgression. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and
cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my iniquity, and my
the Ten Virgins sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and
done evil in Your sight, that You may be found just when You
Consultation On Holy Tuesday we speak, and victorious when You are judged. For behold, I was
+ Make an appointment to see our spiritual therapist (priest). born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. For behold,
bring to mind the You have loved truth; You have made known to me the secret
+ Decide when to start therapy.
parable of the ten virgins, and hidden things of Your wisdom. You shall sprinkle me with
+ Determine what overall treatment strategy we will pursue. hyssop, and I shall be made clean; You shall wash me, and I
which our Saviour related as He was coming to shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness,
+ Request all the information we need. It is provided free-of-charge.
His Passion. This parable teaches us that the that the afflicted bones may rejoice. Turn Your face away from
+ Learn everything about the sickness and its treatment. my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean
accomplishment of the great work of virginity heart, 0 God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Cast me not
+ Develop a good relationship with therapist (priest).
should not make us careless in other matters, away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from
especially in almsgiving, wherewith the lamp of me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and establish me
Treatment Strategy virginity is made radiant. Furthermore, it teaches
with Your governing Spirit. I shall teach transgressors Your
ways, and the ungodly shall turn back to You. Deliver me from
+ Keep a diary of all the symptoms (sins) of our sickness. We should discuss them with our therapist at the next visit (confession/spiritual
us that we should not be remiss about the end of blood guiltiness, 0 God, the God of my salvation, my tongue
direction). shall joyfully declare Your righteousness. Lord, open my lips,
our life, but should be prepared for it at every and my mouth shall declare Your praise. For if You had desired
+ Monitor whether or not the therapy is working.
moment, like the wise virgins, so that we may sacrifice, I would give it; you do not delight in burnt offerings. A
+ Watch for side effects of therapy. sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God will not despise a broken
meet the Bridegroom, lest He come suddenly and and a humbled heart. Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
+ Be ready to switch therapy and sequence the available therapies.
the doors of the heavenly bride chamber be shut, and let the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then You shall be
+ Study the case history of others who had the same sickness as we have and who became well (Read the lives of saints and try to imitate pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with oblation and
and we also, like the foolish virgins, hear that
them). whole burnt offerings. Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.
dread sentence: "Amen, I say unto you, I know
+ Work hard for the cure of the illness.
you not" (Matt. 25:1-13).
+ Consult frequently (go to confession) on a regular basis (about four times annually) with our therapist (priest).

The Physician and the Medications HOLY UNCTION

Any physician (priest) is equipped to provide basic treatment: the holy mysteries (sacraments), particularly holy Confession, holy Commun-
ion and holy Unction; the various services of the Church, Supplication Canon, prayer and anointing, spiritual direction, etc.
Under the therapist's direction other remedies may be prescribed: reading the lives of Saints and their writings, reading prayerfully the holy
scripture, studying theology (which is a therapeutic science), getting involved in works of charity, outreach, etc.
The Holy Eucharist: The Medicine par Excellence
The main medication the Church provides for our cure will always remain holy Communion. The holy Eucharist is the par excellence medica-
tion, the "medicine of immortality." But like any medication it carries its own warning labels:
+ It can be administered only by an authorized physician (canonical bishop/priest).
+ We must first be admitted (baptism) to the hospital (Church).
+ We must have forgiveness towards everyone, especially towards those who have offended us.
+ We must approach with fear of God, faith and love.
+ Just like certain other medications, we must take it on an empty stomach.
+ If we live in sin there are extremely adverse reactions, and we should never take this medicine without a thorough confession.
+ We must have a strong desire to change (repentance).
+ We must have cleansed our heart from evil desires, through prayer, fasting, charity, ascetical life and the practicing of virtues.
(For more information contact the nearest Orthodox Christian church or monastery.)
Continued in the May Edition
The Mystery of holy unction or anointing, as called in the sacred books, was introduced by the Lord, Jesus Christ. When
reading Mathew‘s Gospel we learn that the Apostles preaching in Palestine, anointed the sick with oil and healed them.
The essence of this mystery is most completely disclosed by the Apostle James: "Is any one of you sick? He should call
the presbyters of the church and pray over him and anoint him and with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of-
fered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven" (Jas 5:14-
15).
So, the holy unction is the Mystery of healing. An Orthodox writer of the 19th century E. Poselyanin wrote: "It was not mentioned anywhere
that a person should be terminally sick or helpless. We should remember that in Christianity the suffering of the soul is also considered to be
an ailment...Thus, if I am suffering spiritually because some one in the family died, if I am sorrowful, if I need some good impulse to pull
myself together and shake the shackles of despair from myself, — I can resort to the holy unction." But in physical illnesses a person should
also turn to God with prayer, not relying on the physician alone, as the latter is just a tool in the hands of God. Usually the holy unction is
performed in the house at the bed of a sick person, but during the Great Lent holy unction is exercised in churches too. In the course of the
Mystery performed by several priests ("Sobor" — congregation), unction — plant oil — is blessed; 7 Apostles and Gospels are read, 7 pray-
ers. After reading each of them Father anoints heads, chests, hands and feet of those receiving the holy unction. The holy unction is the image
of God‘s mercy, love and compassion (remember the parable of the good Samaritan).
Besides healing from diseases the holy unction grants us forgiveness of the forgotten sins (but not those that were concealed on purpose). Due
to weakness of our memory we can remember not all of our sins during confession, that is why it is understood without saying that anointing
is of great value to us. Physically healthy people can resort to the mystery of holy unction only if permitted by the priest.
“Christ our God, before Your Passion, You raised Lazarus from the dead to confirm the common Resurrection for All.” April 16th, 2011
Easter or Pascha?
With the Feast of feasts and Festival of festivals drawing near, it seems to be a good time to take a look at our terminology for the holiest sea-
son. Out of convenience and habit, we hear Orthodox Christians speak of an ―Orthodox‖ versus a ―Western‖ Easter (―Eastern Easter‖ would
sound difficult indeed!). We sometimes hear ―Greek‖ versus ―American‖ Easter. The emphasis in these expressions seems to be as if we were
saying: ―Well, we are celebrating the same thing, we just do it in different ways and on (usually) different days.‖ If this were true, we would
be justified in our modern practice, but we ought to take a closer look at the word ―Easter‖.
According to Webster‘s, the word ―Easter‖ is the ―name of the old Teutonic goddess of spring!‖ (1961 edition). Millions of English-speaking
Christians extol the emancipation of humanity in Christ with the name of some pagan goddess. For we who are Orthodox (right-believing)
Christians, this should be something of an issue. You may be saying to yourselves, ―Come on, Father, aren‘t we being too much?‖ If you
think so, let me give you the example of what Greek-speaking Christians have done in the past. The Greek word Pascha is not Greek at all! It
comes from the Hebrew word ―Passover‖ and is borrowed by means of transliteration. In the Greek language, the Jewish Passover is no long-
er described by the word Pascha; rather, they use the expression Nomikon Faska (literally, legal Passover or Passover of the ‗Old‘ Law). No-
tice how the Greek language has borrowed a Hebrew word, Pascha, deprived it of its old meaning and clothed it with a new one - the glorious
Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. What‘s more, the Greek language has slightly altered the word (Pascha becomes Faska) in order that
there be no confusion. And so the Feast of the Resurrection retains all of the symbolism of the Old Covenant with all the reality of the New.
Compare this with ―Easter.‖ The goddess of spring symbolizes the Resurrection of our Saviour? We do not believe in myths, but in the reve-
lation of God (and even if we did, shouldn‘t we call it ―Greek Persephone‖ rather than ―Greek Easter‖?).
Take a close look at the symbols surrounding Easter, see if they correspond to the Orthodox Faith of Christ. Butterflies, bunnies, candy, bal-
loons, flowers, sunrise services and day-glow colors; are these the symbols of the Church?
I do not list these to poke fun at them; there are those who take them very seriously, but I do think we should consider their content. For Or-
thodox Christians, symbols are not empty, rather they are full. Our faith is revealed in symbols, much as Christ revealed Himself and His
Kingdom in parables. We need to take them seriously, probably more seriously than they were ever intended. The sappy, flowery, commer-
cialized Easter of our modern world may describe the faith of many ‗Christians‘ today, but it in no way even caricatures the Orthodox Pascha.
I use the word Pascha because it is our word, given from the Holy Scriptures themselves. I use the word Pascha much the same way I use
―Amen.‖ ―Amen‖ is not English, much less Greek; it is another example of a borrowed Hebrew word, which was transliterated into Greek,
and means ―So be it‖. So there is plenty of precedent for using Pascha! With the word ―Pascha‖ we retain our faith, we even preach it. For
you will not find theologians and professors in the Orthodox Church (much less hierarchs) who deny the bodily Resurrection of our Lord Je-
sus Christ. You will not find a cheap sentimentality about the Risen Lord in our Paschal Services, but you will find the deepest understanding
of the ―Light that shineth on the darkness.‖
To be frank, its fine with me if the world
wants to celebrate Easter every year with
shopping specials and gifts and business as
usual (maybe better). Making money off the
Passion of our Savior is nothing new. For we
who are Orthodox, let the difference in days
also be a difference in expression and in atti-
tude. Let the slight inconvenience be counted
as a blessing. Let us be thankful for the return
of spring, but let us not celebrate it as did the The Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem, Israel
pagans!
Let us celebrate the Holy Pascha, ever thankful to our merciful Lord
Who gave Himself up for the life of the world, once for all, and Who is risen from the dead in His glorious Resurrection!
“Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”
PHILOPTOCHOS
Thanks to everyone that came and supported our lunch on Cheesefare. All proceeds went to Holy Cross. Thank you to all the Philoptochos
members that came and helped prepare the meal and get everything ready.
Our next lunch will be Palm Sunday on April 17th. All proceeds will go to the various organizations we donate to.
We have started excepting donations for Pascha flowers. We will be in the narthex every Sunday until Palm Sunday.
With this time of the year, we will be dying eggs for Pacha. As we have done in the past, we will be dying eggs on Holy Thursday after the
morning service. After church, come to the church hall kitchen to dye and wrap the eggs.
This month we are donating to the organizations Sisterhood of Saint Basil Academy and IOCC. Sisterhood of Saint Basil Academy provides
for the physical needs of the children of Saint Basil Academy as well as the graduation costs, awards and gifts. International Orthodox Chris-
tian Charities (IOCC) provides food, shelter and economic self sufficiency to those in need.
A reminder that we will be having elections at our May meeting.
Our next meeting will be on Saturday, April 9th at 10 am in the church hall. I have found the paradox that if I love until it
hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love.
Denise Mangouras ~Mother Teresa
Philoptochos President
th
AHEPA
Thank you to all who attended the March 25 Independence Day dinner and celebration of the Annunciation! It was a great night and Fun
for all ages! Mayor Ardell Brede was in attendance and read the Presidential Proclamation made by President Barack Obama in celebration
of Greek Independence day.
Father Mark gave a magnificent (and reasonably short!!!) speech on the Greek Independence Day and the significance of March 25th both
from an Orthodox and National Perspective. Thank you for all you do Father—it was an honor to have you speak!
AHEPA has the biggest Scholarship fund in Minnesota for Greek and Orthodox Youth. Please see George Margellos or Ari Kolas for appli-
cation and information. In the past 20 years AHEPA has given more than a Quarter of a Million Dollars to deserving Students!! Get your
share for you, your kids or Grandkids!!
The Minneapolis Chapter of AHEPA Is having a Region wide Volleyball tournament in conjunction with their District Convention. It will be
held June 25th in Minneapolis. It is open to one and all. No membership in AHEPA is needed to participate. It is a Co-Ed tournament with
cash prizes totaling $1000!! The Cash will be donated to the respective churches of the winning teams. More details forthcoming. Ask Ari
Kolas for more details!!
Please talk to Ari Kolas 507-361-1222 if you are interested in Joining AHEPA. It is a growing and great organization for local, national and
International Philanthropic and Educational Projects!!
How to Save the Soul
by St. Theophan the Recluse
What does one say to the person who asks: "How can I save my soul?"
This: Repent, and being strengthened by the power of grace in the Holy Mysteries, walk in the path of God's com-
mandments, under the direction which the Holy Church gives you through its God given priesthood. All of this
must be done in a spirit of sincere faith which has no reservations.
What then is faith? Faith is the sincere confession that God, Who is worshipped in, the Trinity, Who created all
things and provides for all, saves us who are fallen, through the power of the death on the Cross of the incarnate
Son of God, by the grace of the Most Holy Spirit in His Holy Church. The beginnings of renewal, which are estab-
lished in this. life, will appear in all their glory in the future age, in a way that the mind cannot comprehend nor the
tongue express.
O our God, how great are Thy promises!
“Christ our God, before Your Passion, You raised Lazarus from the dead to confirm the common Resurrection for All.” April 16th, 2011 “Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

STEWARDSHIP
We would like to thank the 67 Stewards who have returned their stewardship packets. It is truly a blessing to witness firsthand the support
our parish receives from her parishioners. The information provided in the time and talent portion of the stewardship packet has been record-
ed and we are in the process of making sure the information gets used and distributed effectively. In the coming month we
will disseminate this information to its proper committee, provide additional information about a ministry organization, or
facilitate the creation of a new team or committee to match the interest and talents of our parishioners.
That being said, we are still 63 pledges short of our goal for 2011. If you have not made yet made a pledge, we ask that
you pick up a stewardship packet from the narthex and prayerfully consider what you can give back to God through His
parish this year.
Proper Confession
Prayerful Preparation for Confession
Before confession one should attempt to recall all the sins which one has committed voluntarily
or involuntarily. One must attentively reexamine one's life in order to recall not only those sins
committed since the last confession, but also those which have not been confessed through for-
getfulness. Then, with compunction and a contrite heart, approach the Cross and the Gospel and
begin the confession of your sins.
1. Confess your sins honestly, remembering that you open them not to a man, but to God Him-
self. God knows your sins already and only wants your admission of them. You should not be
embarrassed before your spiritual father: he is a person just as you are. He knows human short-
comings well, man's tendency towards sin. For this reason your spiritual father cannot be your
terrible judge at confession. Is the reason that you are embarrassed before your spiritual father
that you are afraid to lose his good opinion of you? On the contrary, your spiritual father will

Church Needs Board have all the more love for you when he sees your open, honest confession. Furthermore, if you
are afraid to reveal your sins before just one person, your spiritual father, how will you overcome your embarrassment when you appear at God's Last
The Stewardship committee will be hanging a white-erase board this month in the hallway outside of the Parish Office. On the board will be Judgment? There, all your sins which you have not confessed will be opened before God Himself, the Angels and all the people.
posted many of the miscellaneous and ongoing needs of our Parish in the hopes that a member of our congregation will volunteer to help. 2. Be specific when you confess, listing all your sins separately. St. John Chrysostom says: "One must not only say: I have sinned, or I am sinful, but
Jackie (our Secretary) will be monitoring and updating the board to keep it current. She will also make sure that any volunteers are recog- one must declare each type of sin." "The revelation of sins," says St. Basil the Great, "is subject to the same law as the Declaration of physical ills..."
nized and attended to properly. This is an excellent way for you to share your time and match your talents to the immediate needs of our Par- The sinner is spiritually ill, and the spiritual father is the physician or healer. It stands to reason that one must confess or tell about one's sins in the
ish. We may also continue to post requests here, and as of the first of this month, the needs of our Parish are: same way as one who is physically ill describes the symptoms of his illness to a physician from whom he expects to receive healing.
3. Do not mention anyone else during confession, i.e. do not complain about anyone - what sort of confession is this? It is not confession, but judg-
Holy Week Wish List ment and a new sin.
1 - 10 lb bag flour 4. Do not attempt to justify yourself in any way during confession: blaming weakness, custom, etc. The more one justifies himself during confession,
the less one is justified by God. The more one denounces, judges and accuses oneself, the more one is justified in the eyes of God.
1 - twin sheet
3 - bottles rose water (Cortas brand) 5. When questioned by your spiritual father, do not say: "I can't remember, maybe I committed that sin." God commanded us to always remember our
sins. In order not to justify ourselves with not remembering, we must confess our sins as often as possible. Those who, because of carelessness, con-
5 - 3 liter bottles olive oil fess and take communion infrequently, and because of this forget their sins, have no one to blame but themselves. They cannot hope for remission of
1 - box charcoal ($25 donation is requested) the sins which they failed to confess. Thus, it is imperative that we try to recall all our sins. When someone owes us something we are sure to remem-
1 lb livani/incense ($40 donation is requested) ber this. Yet we forget our own debts before God! Does this not reveal an utter absence of concern for our soul on our part?
Floral decorations for Iconostasis/ Icon Screen ($200 donation requested) 6. Unless asked by your spiritual father, do not list the sins you have not committed or things you have not done. Doing this, you liken yourself to the
Bay Leaves for Holy Saturday morning ($50 donation requested) Pharisee of the Gospel. You do not confess your sins, but boast, thereby increasing your judgment.
7. Finally, confess your sins with faith in Jesus Christ, with hope in His mercy. Only with faith in Jesus Christ and hope in Him can we receive for-
giveness of our sins. Without faith, we cannot receive remission. An example of this is Judas the traitor—who was remorseful of what he did, but did
not have faith in Jesus, no hope in His mercy, and thus ended his own life. This then, is how we must confess in order to receive remission of our sins
2011 Current List of Pledging Members from our Lord God. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9)
Note: this list is not synonymous, nor does it indicate, members in “good spiritual and/or financial” standing with the parish.
Mary Beth Abraham Kyle Hafar Tony & Nereida Lecakis Dr. Nick & Effie Psimos
Portions of a Homily by Hieromonk Damascene
Resentment
Andrew Barbes Trevor & Laura Hamlen Beth Lechner Nicholas Psimos If left unchecked, anger and judgment will pass into what the Holy Fathers call "secret anger," "remembrance of wrongs," or
Gust & Jackie Barbes Viorel & Simona Hodis Kula Magaritsidis Angie Rustad "resentment." Resentment—prolonged anger—is deadly to the soul. St. Tikhon of Zadonsk says: "Just as fire if it is not extin-
Joel & Chamaidi Belanger Bradley & Erline Holman Johnny & Denise Mangouras John & Jennifer Sakellarou guished quickly will swallow many houses, so anger if it is not stopped right away will do great harm and will Cause many trou-
Marie T. Bellabe Gordy & Connie Jelatis-Hoke Dr. Nick and Connie Maragos Helen Santrizos bles. The Holy Apostle Paul tells us: Do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil (Eph. 4:26–7).
Samuel Benjamin Donald Jenkins John Maragos John Schur "If we take St. Paul's saying literally," writes St. John Cassian, "it does not permit us to keep our anger even until sunset. What then shall we say
Costa & Maria Boosalis Dan & Loredana Jerghiuta Tia Maragos Elilta Sebhatu about those who, because of the harshness and fury of their impassioned state, not only maintain their anger until the setting of this day's sun, but
Lexie & Aaron Biedermann Carolyn Jukich George & Linda Margellos Mogib & Seham Salama prolong it for many days? Or about others who do not express their anger, but keep silent and increase the poison of their anger to their own destruc-
Mike & Kris Brekke Tom Kapellas Jason & Daniela Meier Mary Shabestari tion? They are unaware that we must avoid anger not only in what we do but also in our thoughts; otherwise our mind will be darkened by our anger,
Gus & Kathy Chafos Phyllis Kapenis George & Cathy Murak Ian De Silva cut off from the light of spiritual knowledge and discrimination, and deprived of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Why is resentment such a deadly
Peter & Angie Chafos Dino & Tricia Kasdagly Diana Orbelo Mark Smith sin? The Holy Scriptures tell us that God is love. Therefore, explains the Russian Holy Father St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, "Resentment or rejection of
Rebeca Chery Martha Karakelides Soula Pampori George & Maria Thomas love is rejection of God. God withdraws from a resentful person, deprives him of His Grace, and gives him up to spiritual death, unless the person
Fr. Anthony Coniaris Michael & Mondo Katselis Maria Pasalis Carl & Olga Voss repents in good time so as to be healed of that deadly moral poison, resentment. If for whatever reason we do not forgive someone and hold onto our
Ionel and Lucia Dumitrascu Tim & Calli Kelly Andi Pathoulas Martha Voytovich anger, it will truly be to our own destruction. It can poison our entire lives, make us the captives of the devil, and eventually prevent us from entering
Joe & Cindy Forrer Steve Kereakos Andru Peters Troy & Stephanie Miller the Kingdom of Heaven. To help us not to lose our salvation due to resentment, God allows us to feel inward conflict. This inward conflict helps us
Judy Gale Peter Kolas Maria Peterson Ray Ostfeld & Dr. Halina Woroncrow to become aware of the fatal danger of the malady of resentment, and to seek to be cured by the Supreme Physician, Jesus Christ. The inward conflict
may take many forms. We may feel weighed down, unable to breathe lightly or freely, as if we are captives. We may experience irrational fear, com-
monly known as anxiety. We may become susceptible to physical ailments. In most cases, we will feel an inward emptiness. That emptiness comes
Jan - Feb 2011 Jan - Feb 2010 2011 vs 2010 February 2011 Actual vs. Budget from the fact that, by holding onto our anger and judgment, we have separated ourselves from God. We no longer have His Grace, His Life, inside us,
Actual Actual Difference Budget Difference and without that we are just hollow vessels. Our spiritual emptiness may express itself in a generally dissatisfied and cynical attitude, in which we're
always attracted to negative thoughts and words about others. We may try to fill the void with drugs or the excessive use of alcohol. Interestingly, the
Total Income $17,908.55 $17,253.00 $655.55 $20,470.00 ($2,561.45) Alcoholics Anonymous "Big Book" says: "Resentment is the ‗number one' offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else. From it stems all
forms of spiritual disease, for we have been not only mentally and physically ill, we have been spiritually sick. When the spiritual malady is over-
Total Expenses $19,848.44 $18,191.94 $1,656.50 $24,385.00 ($4,536.56)
come, we straighten out mentally and physically. Sometimes our resentment hurts the person we are resenting, sometimes it does not. However, in
($1,939.89) ($938.94) $1,000.95 ($3,915.00) $1,975.11 either case we gain nothing; we only lose, for in either case we are the ones who are hurt the most. Let's say someone has actually wronged us. If that
Net Income
person repents, he will be forgiven by God. But if we hold onto our anger, we will not be forgiven and will suffer the consequences.
“Christ our God, before Your Passion, You raised Lazarus from the dead to confirm the common Resurrection for All.” April 16th, 2011 “Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Our children had a busy March. Several, from a variety of class levels, greeted Lent and the Sunday of Orthodoxy by participating in the St.
John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival after the icon procession. A number of JOY students chose to get some preliminary experience in front
of the podium to warm up the audience. In the formal presentations, first and second place winners in the different GOYA divisions were:
Zach Brekke, Alexei Lattner, Jacob Brekke, Shireene Mirza, and Theoni Kolas. Thanks to the students, their parents, and Presbytera
Michelle for their hard work in continuing the tradition of the Oratorical Festival at Holy Anargyroi.
GOYA held their first ever lock-in as their Lenten Retreat this year. We started with a Lenten potluck, participated in the readings of the
Salutations Service, went to confession, played games, had a nice discussion on the challenges of being an athlete for Christ, participated in
the service of the Midnight Office at church, and even produced an original Orthodox rap song! The GOYAns were up to the wee hours en-
joying each other‘s company. Many thanks to our guest assistant for the retreat, Denise Hahn, who was visiting from Holy Cross Seminary.

JOY FAITH NIGHT

APRIL FAITH NIGHT

For the JOY group we will have our
April Faith Night on April 12 at 5:30
PM, meet in the church's Library. And
the Myrrh Bearers will have our first
practice after the Liturgy on Palm Sun-
day, April 17 and the second practice
along with the decoration of the Kou-
vouklion on Friday morning, April 22nd.

FOCUS
March closed with a GOYA trip to FOCUS (Fellowship of Orthodox Christians United to Serve) in Minneapolis. We transported bags and
bags of clothing donated by the parish for the FOCUS clothes closet. Johnny Mangouras whipped up a delicious salad which was part of the
menu for the meal we helped to serve that evening. Approximately 80 people in need of a nutritious, hot meal were served. How good it was
to share God‘s gifts with those in need.
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM ORATORICAL FESTIVAL