Christmas 2015 Truly a Reason to be of Good Cheer!

Transcription

1 December 2015 Today the Virgin comes to the cave to give birth ineffably to the pre-eternal Word. Hearing this, be of good cheer, O inhabited earth, and with the angels and the shepherds glorify Him whose will it was to be made manifest a young Child, the pre-eternal God. ~ Kontakion Hymn of the Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ Be of good cheer! The entire earth is called by the Church to rejoice and be happy because of the reality that Jesus Christ is born, and He has saved our souls! It is frustrating that Christianity is often perceived as a joyless experience, where our lives are called to constructed ritual and judgment. The good news is that this is not the experience of the Orthodox Christian Church! The Church engages and embraces our total being, the good the bad and the ugly, in the effort to cultivate a better being by joining it to Christ! The Church invites and offers us to the experience of God, Christmas 2015 Truly a Reason to be of Good Cheer! which brings us peace and makes our lives better. Through Christ s birth, God has become tangibly present, and this experience to sustained through the sacramental life of the Church. Therefore, as Christians we have great reason to be of good cheer, God has made Himself available to us and with Him we experience bliss! When one comes to trust in the reality that God has sacrificially made Himself available to them, life becomes brighter as the Light of God can be recognized when we look in the mirror. The next step in spiritual maturity is when that same individual begins to recognize that God has also made Himself available to every other person on the face of the earth when we recognize that universal reality we see the Light of God in every person and the world becomes brighter, more optimistic and compassionate. If you wish to make the world a better place, recognize the available presence of God in your life and in the lives of all those around you. The trust that God loves us all to such a phenomenal extent (that He was willing to be born into this world, teach, be crucified and resurrected all for our salvation) we cannot help but teach ourselves and others with a more patience, kindness and compassion. With this experience the world improves! Truly the Church invites us an experience of good cheer! The Lord has made Himself available to us, with our decision to claim our given identity in Christ we are empowered to radically transform ourselves, our families, our neighborhoods, our communities, towns, cities, countries and this entire world with the Light and Love of Jesus Christ! Rejoice with the angels and the shepherds this Christmas season! Through the birth of Jesus Christ the world has been changed, and we have the power to express that beautiful reality! Christ is born! Glorify Him!

2 Father Luke s Desk Still Axios After One Year! In November 2014 Deacon Iakovos Varcados was ordained by His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver at Saint Basil the Great Greek Orthodox Church. The Diaconate has been a part of Christian experience since the time of the Apostles, as we see the ordination of the first seven deacons in the Book of Acts, chapter 6. Due to the severe shortage of priests in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, few clergy are given the opportunity to remain deacons beyond a week or two before they are ordained priests. As a result, the faithful of our Holy Archdiocese have never been given the opportunity to know or experience the ministry of the diaconate with any consistency. In response to common understaffing, including clergy, in parishes, the Archdiocese brought forth the experience of the diaconate by making ordination to the diaconate possible to non- Seminary graduates who had the support of their hierarch, parish priest, and completed a program of study blessed by the Church. During the years that this experience was available, many faithful men answered the calling that God placed inside of their hearts. Saint Basil s is blessed to have Deacon Jack! Most predominately in his liturgical role as a deacon of the Orthodox Church, and now assigned to further cultivate the experience of our acolyte ministry, Deacon Jack is serving diligently in his new life as an Orthodox clergyman. As our parish experience continues to evolve, the deacon s role at Saint Basil s will continually develop as well. This integral addition to our Ministry Team is profound! One year ago at Deacon Jack s ordination the community responded to the bishop s call and proclaimed the new deacon as Axios! Worthy! Today he is still Axios and I invite our entire community to consistently pray for Deacon Jack and all our clergy that we may always engage the struggle to be Worthy in service to the Lord.

3 President s Corner The holidays! They are upon us. Just a mere utterance of the word holidays conjures up feelings of joy, happiness, family, food, laughter, presents, decorations, preparation and perhaps a little travel. Unfortunately, for some it can also mean a time of loneliness, depression, and perhaps a stirring of bad memories. Regardless, during this time of year the word, holidays, is a word that does affect us, either good or bad. So how should we, as Orthodox Christians and members of the St. Basil family, react to this word? Surprisingly, the answer is buried in the dictionary. The dictionary tells us that the origin of the word is actually a combination of two words holy and days holy days. If we view this time of year as Holy Days, we begin to focus on what truly is important. First and foremost, these days are made holy because we celebrate the birth of our savior Jesus Christ. We celebrate the time that God, through his never ending love of us, became man and dwelt among us. Holy days! While Christ was in our midst He taught us to love one another. He taught us to pray. He taught us to be charitable. He taught us how to be thankful. He was the ultimate example of how we should strive to live our lives. Holy days! So during this time of year, when we are inundated with commercialism. When we feel the pressures of the holidays, let s remember the Holy Days, when Christ was in our midst. Then maybe we can focus on what is important during these Holy Days, and that is being a Christian, in the image of Christ. We at St. Basils are truly blessed. We have an abundance of gifts that God has given us both individually, and as a community. Let us be thankful! Let us help and pray for those in this world who are not as fortunate as we are. Let us preserve His teachings as we celebrate the Holy days. May God grant everyone peace, health, happiness, and an abundance of love during these Holy days! Parish Council John Rigas President Jerome Burbridge Vice President Spiro Petritsis Treasurer Manny Pollos Secretary Andrew Constantinou Elias Haddad Luke Stellakis George Koucouthakis Gus Taxiarchou Andrew Robison Yours in Christ, John Rigas Parish Council President.

4 Sunday school will present our Nativity play on December 13 in the sanctuary immediately following Divine Liturgy. This is always a highlight of the Holiday for the kiddos and helps to keep them focused on the true Reason for the Christmas season. To assure participation of your child, Please be sure to have them at church for class on the 6th, the Sunday s prior to the play. Here s a snapshot into two of our classes and what they do each week. Enjoy. PreK & Kinder is always a blessing to teach. We typically average 6-10 students every Sunday in class. Our curriculum is based on familiarizing the children with the basics of Orthodoxy. We learn the Lords prayer at the beginning and end of every class. We learn how to properly do our cross and the meaning behind it, Saints and feast days within the church. It is always a blessing to watch them grow and understand more Elaine Merianos

5 1ST & 2ND GRADE: In our Sunday School class we use the prescribed curriculum from the Archdiocese and supplement the curriculum with lessons about saints, most recently St. Nektarios, the Archangel Michael, and St. Catherine. This year we have also started to learn church hymns, starting with the Trisagion hymn. We often hear children say that they don t understand what is happening in the Divine Liturgy, so we teach that enjoyment and understanding comes from active participation in our church services. By teaching children the hymns of the church, they will be able to connect with the Divine Liturgy when they hear the choir sing a hymn they know. That is active participation and, by definition, the work of the people. We strive to make our classroom environment mimic that to which the children are accustomed in their elementary schools. Literacy and spelling are major target skills for first and second grades, so this year we added a library nook to our classroom that doubles as a prayer corner. The children have used this area when we have extra time at the end of class. Now that the Nativity Fast has begun, we will focus on the Nativity of Christ throughout the next month. We urge parents to ask their children about what they are learning in Sunday School as it is important that the lessons and conversations continue outside of the classroom. We have enjoyed teaching your children who, in return, have taught us so much and continue to challenge us. Irene Giannakakis Miriam Merianos Pavlina Tsorbatzoglou

6 The GOYA group at St. Basil s continues to grow and remain very active. We have 23 GOYANs who attended the Metropolis Southern Region Fall Retreat in November and many more who plan to attend the Metropolis Basketball Tournament in January. The group is now meeting monthly on the first Wednesday of the month for Orthodox Life with Father Luke as well as holding our monthly meeting and sharing a meal. A fun and rewarding GOYA girls night was held in November at the home of Becky Rigas. On November 22nd, the HOPE/ JOY youth group joined the GOYANs at basketball practice to work on some basketball skills and experience some of what they have to look forward to as a future GOYAN. The group is looking forward to preparing and serving our church members breakfast on Stewardship Sunday, December 13th. This is an amazing opportunity to plant the seeds of stewardship and giving in our youth. Please support us by attending and sharing in fellowship on that Sunday. In December we plan to help the Philophtochos with their service project to provide food and gifts to the needy as well as work on an additional holiday service project making cards and gifts for those in need. We will end the month and celebrate the holiday season with our annual Christmas Party. Please help GOYA raise funds to attend retreats and the basketball tournament by recycling your used printer and toner cartridges. A collection basket is located near the welcome table in the Kostas Hall. You can also help by using GoodSearch and GoodShop and selecting St. Basil GOYA Houston as your charity of choice. Details are included in the weekly church . We appreciate everyone s ongoing support. GOYA

7 Christmas Movie Day Saturday, December 5th 10:00 AM 12:30 PM Kostas Hall, 1st/2nd grade classroom Children come dressed in your holiday PJ s, slippers, robes, or anything else you d like to wear. Also, bring your pillow, blanket, or sleeping bag, and your favorite toy to snuggle with. We will have a special day filled with Elves, hot cocoa and light breakfast refreshments, reading of a short story, enjoy a movie, then well wish all with a special treat. St. Basil s: The Polar Express is on its way to entertain and excite. We look forward to sharing this wonderful day with you and your children. Philoptochos: Breakfast with Santa - Ho, Ho, Ho! Sunday, December 6th After Divine Liturgy; Kostas Hall We would like to encourage all to come worship with us, then stay to enjoy another wonderful festivity and support our Philoptochos. Hope & Joy Christmas Caroling Sunday, December 13th After Divine Liturgy; Kostas Hall After enjoying the Sunday School s program Christmas Play, and following right after the GOYANS have served coffee hour breakfast, we ll gather together on the old marble top altar area. We ll sing just a few carols, then have all in attendance sing along with a Greek Carol. Sunday, December 13th - Caroling continued Please also plan to stay and attend caroling at The Heights on Parkway assisted living home close by to the church. We ll get together at 1:30 PM in the hall, then follow one another to the home. Caroling will be from 2:00 3:00 PM. With warmest wishes May the Spirit of this blessed time be with all and may the birth of our Savior bring much joy, happiness, and Love!

8 Students of the Greek School of St. Basil filled us with pride and joy last month, as they recited their poems during the celebration of October 28th. Here in Houston, far from the mother land, the children s voices honored the 1940 s heroes and sang the Greek National Anthem flooding the room with emotion! The activities at the Greek school remain on going. The students are currently rehearsing for the Christmas celebration, which will be held on Monday December 21st at 6:15pm. Everyone is invited to attend! On December 21, regular courses will be held for one hour, from 5.15 pm to 6.15 pm, after which the Christmas celebration will follow. On Sunday December 20th, following the Divine Liturgy, our Greek school students will be waiting for you in the courtyard, singing traditional Greek carols and other Christmas songs! Greek school lessons will resume on Monday 4 January Περηφάνεια και χαρά μας γέμισαν οι μαθητές του Ελληνικού Σχολείου του Αγίου Βασιλείου που γιόρτασαν, απαγγέλλοντας ποιήματα, την επέτειο της 28ης Οκτωβρίου! Εδώ, στο μακρινό από την πατρίδα, Χιούστον, οι παιδικές φωνούλες τους τίμησαν τους ήρωες του '40 και έψαλλαν τον Εθνικό μας Ύμνο πλημμυρίζοντας τον χώρο με συγκίνηση! >Όμως οι δραστηριότητές τους δεν σταματούν εδώ! Παράλληλα με την κανονική ροή των μαθημάτων τους, τα παιδιά μας ξεκίνηςαν τις προβες για την Χριστουγεννιάτικη γιορτή του σχολείου που θα γίνει τη Δευτέρα 21 Δεκεμβριου στις 6.15 και στην οποία βέβαια είςτε όλοι προσκεκλημένοι. Την ίδια ημέρα που είναι και η τελευταία πριν τις διακοπές των εορτών, το μάθημα στην τάξη θα διαρκέσει μία ώρα, από τις 5.15 μ.μ. έως τις 6.15 μ.μ. για να ακολουθήσει κατόπιν η γιορτή. > Την προηγούμενη, Κυριακή 20 Δεκεμβρίου, μετά το πέρας της Θείας Λειτουργίας, οι μαθητές του ελληνικού σχολείου θα σας περιμένουν με τα παραδοςιακά τριαγωνάκια τους στον προαύλιο χώρο για να σας πουν τα κάλαντα αλλά και άλλα χριστουγεννιάτικα τραγούδια! > Τα μαθήματα του σχολείου θα ξεκινήσουν και πάλι τη Δευτέρα, 4 Ιανουαρίου > Η διεύθυνςη, οι δασκάλες και οι μαθητές του Ελληνικού Σχολείου του Αγίου Βασιλείου, εύχονται ολόψυχα σε όλους σας, Καλά Χριστούγεννα και Καλή Χρονιά!

9 We look forward to more fun events in 2016 Awesome night at Charlies BBQ. Thanks Nick Demeris for helping us plan this event! The food was awesome!!! H3O gathered to cheer on the Texans. Thanks Nick Burbridge for helping us plan this event. H3O gathered to cheer on the Houston Dynamo and we won!. Thanks Jonathan Likakis for helping us plan this event. Salsa, Salsa We learned how to Salsa dance thanks to Bill Lardas for teaching us to Salsa and John Papasideris for coordinating the dinner. Great time! H3O is a St. Basil fellowship based ministry open to all Orthodox and non-orthodox ages year olds. We strive to provide opportunities for young adults to come together in fellowship to connect to one another, the Orthodox Church, and to Christ. For more information contact Manny or Jody Pollos at h3orthodox@gmail.com or like us on FB

10 In the Orthodox Baptism service, the new Christian and the community of faithful who surround them are called to listen to the words of Jesus Christ. In the Gospel reading taken from Matthew 28, we hear Christ s directive to His disciples as he ascends to heaven by Christ s command, the Church is called to focused on the mission of baptizing new Christians and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ both grow the Church! In our society many have been exposed to a knowledge of God or even some sort of church experience. In our society very few have been exposed to the Orthodox Church, which we recognize and affirm as maintaining the fullness of the Truth as It has been revealed to us. December 5th we will offer a seminar to expose the Orthodox Christian Church to those who may know something of the Church or perhaps even nothing at all. Perhaps you have grown up in the Orthodox Church but have never really thought about what It is? Perhaps you married an Orthodox Christian and are still curious? Perhaps you have a friend that you would like to expose to the Orthodox Christian Church? Perhaps you are just curious? Regardless of who you are, you are invited to attend the Why the Orthodox Christian Church? Seminar hosted by Saint Basil the Great Greek Orthodox Church on December 5th.

11 You Are Already A Steward! The 2016 Saint Basil the Great Stewardship ministry has already begun! Our faithful have all received stewardship materials in the mail articulating the experience of being a Christian steward of our time, talents, and treasures, accompanied by a commitment card that invites each member of our spiritual family to make a commitment to be the best steward they can be in The stewardship ministry of Saint Basil s is intended to invite, educate and cultivate the Christian pilgrimage of every member of our spiritual family! December 13th will be a day of beautiful celebration at Saint Basil s it is Stewardship Sunday! December 13th will be a day of beautiful celebration at Saint Basil s - it is Stewardship Sunday! The Saint Basil faithful and friends will have the opportunity to pray the Divine Liturgy together, to witness the stewardship of our Sunday School students time and talents as they perform the Christmas play. Immediately following the play we will all gather in the community hall to experience the stewardship of our Saint Basil GOYAans time, talents, and treasures as they are offering a free luncheon to the community in celebration of our opportunity to be good stewards in the Vineyard of the Lord! p Liturgy Christmas Play & Brunch! P All Saint Basil s faithful and friends are invited and encouraged to return completed 2016 Saint Basil Stewardship Cards at the free brunch following the Christmas Play. Let us celebrate the opportunity that God has provided us to be good stewards of His Kingdom!

12 Reverend Father Luke Palumbis Presbytera Eleni Palumbis Reverend Deacon Iakovos Varcados Diakonissa Maria Varcados To hear Fr Luke's Podcast go to Eldridge Parkway Houston, Texas Fax On Facebook StBasiltheGreatHoustonTX