THE LIGHT JANUARY 2014 VOLUME 3 ISSUE 32

The Nativity of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church 12326 Spotswood Furnace Road Fredericksburg, VA 22407 540-548-2665 www.nativity.va.goarch.org Office Email - nativityofthetheotokos@verizon.net

FROM THE DESK OF FATHER JOHN

Why Do We Have Our Homes Blessed?

Back to "The Fall"

From Scripture we know that whatever God created was good, but with "the Fall", evil entered the world, corrupting the

creation. God the Father sent His Son Jesus to save it by effecting a "new creation". This is celebrated at Theophany, specif-

ically with the Great Blessing of Water. "The consecration of the waters on this feast places the entire world - through its

'prime element' of water - in the perspective of the cosmic creation, sanctification, and glorification of the Kingdom of God

in Christ and the Spirit." (The Orthodox Faith, Vol. II, Worship, by Fr. Thomas Hopko, p.127.) All the readings, hymns,

prayers, and actions of the day speak of God's presence in our entire world and universe, His creation.

Through water all of the creation is once again sanctified by God, becoming good again, the way God had intended.

The Feast of Theophany

The Feast of Theophany (or Epiphany) commemorates the Baptism of our Lord in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. We

know from the troparion of the day that "the Trinity was made manifest" to us. But there's more to it than this. "When Jesus

descends into the depths of the river, there occurs a profound upheaval. It is not the one baptized who is purified, for he is

spotless; but it is the water that is transfigured and illumined. This water, which was believed to be transparent and purify-

ing, is in fact polluted, inhabited by evil spirits, servants of the old gods. … By purifying the elements, by sanctifying mat-

ter, Jesus frees the cosmos from the powers of evil." (The Incarnate God, Vol. I, Catherine Aslanoff, French edition editor,

translated by Paul Meyendorff, p.163.)

The Great Blessing of Water and the Home

There are few things more vital to our lives than our homes. In our homes we pray, we work, we talk to others, we order our

lives, we work out our marriages, etc. What more important place to reclaim for the Kingdom of God - or is it better to con-

tinue living in a place which is occupied by the enemy. For the most effective working out of our salvation, we must drive

the enemy out of our homes, and keep him at bay by our prayers, our righteous life, and the annual sprinkling by Holy Wa-

ter at Theophany.

The Great Blessing of Water takes place at the end of that day's Liturgy. Since our homes cannot be brought to the Church,

the Church - through the priest - goes to the homes. There the service of blessing, which began in the church, is finished

with the sprinkling of water in the home. Traditionally, in most Orthodox parishes, the priest personally visits all his parish-

ioners to pray with them in the place where they live, and to bless their surroundings with the newly sanctified water of

Theophany (January 6/13). By sanctifying our living quarters, our private place, we extend the grace of God to our individ-

ual dwellings.

See Father, page 6

P a g e 2 T h e L i g h t

Father John C. Katsoulis, Parish Priest 540-645-1427 fr.john_katsoulis@verizon.net FATHER’S OFFICE HOURS—TUESDAY—FRIDAY 9 A.M.—3 P.M. OTHER HOURS BY APPOINTMENT

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: nativityofthetheotokos@verizon.net OFFICE HOURS: TUES. & THURS. 9 A.M.—3 P.M. TREASURER: pctreasure@verizon.net WEBSITE: www.nativity.va.goarch.org FACEBOOK: NTGOC Friends

PARISH COUNCIL PHILOPTOCHOS AHEPA Carl Fulmore, President Maria Yiasemides, President John Manolis, President Dr. Bill Kaltsounis, Vice President Dr. Paul Fallon, Secretary SUNDAY SCHOOL GOYA Jim Malamas, Treasurer Yvonne Rigopoulos, Director Christine Fulmore, Advisor Maxine Calamos, Assistant Treasurer Anthony Hatzis FUND RAISING COMMITTEE DANCE Dennis Makrinos Judy Marrs, Chair Danny Kartoudi, Judy Marrs Kiki Georges STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE BUILDING/MAINTENANCE CHOIR Michael Euripides, Chair Harry Yiasemides, Chair Mary Moody

SACRAMENTS IN DECEMBER

MEMORIALS Georgia Kapataidakis, wife of George Kapataidakis

Metropolitan Silas, beloved Hierarch of New Jersey

Rita Marie Rafael, beloved sister of Fr. Nicholas Rafael, Jr.

Theodore Guvelis, beloved cousin of James Malamas

PASTORAL GUIDELINES

WEDDING Marriages are not performed on fast days, during fasting seasons, or on the feasts of the church, spe-

cifically September 14 (Exaltation of the Holy Cross), December 13-25 (Nativity), January 5 & 6 (Theophany),

Great Lent and Holy Week, Pascha (Easter), Pentecost, August 1-15 (Dormition Fast and Feast), and August 29

(Beheading of St. John the Baptist) Exceptions can only be made with the permission of the respective hierarch.

BAPTISM A person who wishes to sponsor a candidate for Baptism or Christmation must be an Orthodox

Christian in good standing and a supporting member of an Orthodox parish. A person may not serve as a godpar-

ent if the Church has not blessed his or her marriage, or, if civilly divorced, he or she has not been granted an ec-

clesiastical divorce, or for any other reason he or she is not in communion with the Orthodox Church. Baptisms

may not be performed from Christmas Day through the Feast of Theophany (December 25-January 6), during

Holy Week, or any of the great feast days of the Lord.

FUNERAL Funeral services are permitted on any day of the year, except for Sundays, and Holy Friday, unless

permission is granted by the Archbishop or Metropolitan.

MEMORIAL Memorial services may not be chanted from the Saturday of Lazarus through the Sunday of

Thomas, or any Feast days of the Lord or the Theotokos.

Please contact Father if you wish to schedule a sacrament, or know of a parishioner who is sick or in the hospital.

THE LIGHT PAGE 3

In case of inclement weather announcements will be posted on the website, email, NTGOC Facebook page, the church phone, & B101.5.

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4

9 A.M.

Liturgy

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

9 A.M.

ORTHOS

10 A.M.

LITURGY

PHILOPTOCHOS

MTG.

9 A.M.

Liturgy

9 A.M.

Liturgy

11 A.M.

FRC MTG.

10 A.M.

ZUMBA

11 A.M.

ATHENIAN

DANCE

12 P.M.

GOYA

DANCE

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ORTHOS

10 A.M.

LITURGY

GOYA MTG.

BUDGET

GEN. ASSEM.

PHIL. LUNCH

7 P.M.

SPIRITUAL

DISCUSSION

GROUP

7 P.M.

Festival

Committee

Mtg.

9 A.M.

Liturgy 10 A.M.

ZUMBA

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NIAN DANCE

12 P.M. GOYA

DANCE

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LITURGY

AHEPA MTG.

Stewardship

Sunday

7:30 P.M.

PC MTG.

9 A.M.

Liturgy 10 A.M.

ZUMBA

11 A.M. ATHE-

NIAN DANCE

12 P.M. GOYA

DANCE

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Page 4 the light

ATTENTION STUDENTS

Mathematics, French, Greek tutors for middle, high school,

and college students. Cost: free will offering to benefit

AHEPA. Contact: Demetrios Serakos, Ph.D. 540.663.2523,

for math, and Dr. John Manolis, 540-373-0808 for Greek or

French.

ZUMBA

Beginning Saturday, January 4, Zumba exercise classes will

be held at 10 A.M. Lisa Skinner is the instructor, and the

cost is $5 per class. A portion of the class fee will be donat-

ed to the church. Start the New Year with a new you! Ages

11 and over.

DANCE NEWS

Coming soon to a stage near you! GOYA age danse troupe!

At present, the Athenian Danse Troupe is for ages 5—12,

and the Omogenia Danse Troupe is for college age and

adult dancers. Beginning January 11, 2014, children ages

13—18 will have the opportunity to learn Greek dance and

prepare for community and festival performances. Classes

will be held on Saturdays at noon. Please contact Danny

Kartoudi or Judy Marrs for more information.

2014 St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival

Junior Division (Grades 7–9)

1. St. Paul writes, “God is faithful, and He will not let you be

tempted beyond your strength” (1 Corinthians 10:13,

NRSV). What are some times in your life in which you have

experienced the truthfulness of St. Paul’s statements?

2. The Artoklasia service concludes with the hymn Plousioi

eptohefsan, “Rich men turned poor and went hungry; but

those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good

thing” (Psalm 33/34, verse 11, from the Orthodox Study Bi-

ble, SAAS). Discuss the meaning of this hymn for our con-

temporary world.

3. “I am an Orthodox Christian living in the 21st century.”

What does this phrase mean to you?

4. Select one of the Gospel readings of the Sundays of the

Pentecostarion, between Pascha and the Feast of All Saints,

and discuss its connection to you and your life.

5. Why are the martyrs of the Church characterized as great

athletes?

Senior Division (Grades 10–12)

1. When you participate in a sacrament, you are called “the

servant of God” (doulos tou Theou). What does it mean to be

a servant of God today?

2. Discuss a time when you experienced the presence of God,

whether in church, in nature, or in other circumstances.

3. Jesus said, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every

word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4,

Deuteronomy 8:3, NRSV). Discuss the relevance

of this teaching for Christians today.

4. Fifty years after some of the landmark events of the Amer-

ican Civil Rights movement, racism and discrimination per-

sist in American life. How should an Orthodox Christian

respond?

5. Some people support, others criticize the public declara-

tions of faith of celebrities, athletes, and actors, such as Tim

Tebow, Jonathan Jackson, and Troy Polamalu. How do their

acts affect your attitude toward being open about your faith?

See Christy Katsourakis for more information!

Shown below is a list of families & indi-

viduals who are participating in The

Nativity of the Theotokos Stewardship

Program as of December 25, 2013. We

would like to thank all of these families

and individuals for responding to the

needs of our parish. If your name does

not appear, and you have filled out a

stewardship card, please see Maxine

Calamos or Jim Malamas.

Fr. John & Pres. Stacy Katsoulis

Ladies Philoptochos Society

Kyriacos & Yiannoulla Adamou

Daniel & Yvonne Athanasaw

Anastasia Atsiknoudos

Paul & Helen Bardis

Richard & Angela Beamer

Michael & Ornela Bizhyt i

Mary Booth

Nancy Costas Breckinridge

K e vi n & Ch r ys o u l a B r i c ke y

Maxine N. Calamos

Mike & Angelina Campbell

Ri c h a r d & M ar i a Cen t e r s

M a r ia Ch r i s t o f e r a t o s

Costas & Sophia Constantine

A my Co r r i ve a u

Markella Countouroudas

Leonard Cowherd

Victoria Dobrescu

Lucretia Edreos

Michael and Evanthia Euripides

Paul & Hannah Fallon

Lucas & Nina Frank

Helen Frazier

Carl & Christine Fulmore

Angela & Maria Galatis

Eric & Maria Garecht

Kiki Georges

Julia Getsos

Jim & Katherine Giannopoulos

Theofilos Giannopoulos

Pauline Gorton

Thomas Harris

Anthony & Kai Hatzis

Phillip & Monica Hicks

Bill & Stella Kaltsounis

George Kapataidakis

Paraskevi Kapataidakis

Anastasios & Lorraine Karamanis

Jim & Bessie Karellas

Kosta & Chryse Kartoudi

Loui Kartoudi

George Kartoudi

Helen Katsarelis

George & Chrissy Katsourakis

Michael Kavros

Maria Kipreos

Michael & Kathy Klezaras

Angela & Joseph LaRubbio

Dennis & Anthoula Makrinos

James & Koula Malamas

John & Maria Manolis

Gino & Marika Marchica

Peter & Jennifer Margaros

Judy Marrs

Efthalia Martin

Cynthia & Daniel Miller

Da wn M i l l e r

David & Mary Moody

Phil & Jane Moore

Robert and Barbara Morrison

Ioanna Nicholas

Bil l & Dorothy Nosal

Elena O’Donaghue

Chr is tos Papanas tas iou

Aslanis Pappas

George & Sarah Parent

Jason & Sara Pol la rd

Stamo Poulos

Georgia Pournaras

Emanuel & Sophia Psaras

Mitchel & Georgia Raftelis

Chris & Yvonne Rigopoulos

Nicholas & Melissa Roman

Ste l i os Sa laga ras

Page 5 the light

STEWARDSHIP HONOR ROLL

Gamal & Verilee Salama

Halina Schreckinger

Di mi t r i Se rakos

Wayne & Liz Skinner

J im & Chr i s t i na Smi t h

Alin and Andrea Son

Michael & Mar i a S taf fo rd

Mary Stram

Carrie K. Swann

Stefan & Niki Theodore

Georgia L. Tidler

Vasilios & Helen Troupos

Bill & Sandy Winkler

Joe & Mar ia Wins low

John & Ellen Xydias

Chris & Darlene Yiasemides

Eleni Yiasemides

Harry & Maria Yiasemides

Vicki Yiasemides

Paul and Martha Ziegenfuss

PAGE 6 THE LIGHT

DANCE— The Kouklas and Athenians performed at the

Senior Citizen luncheon and the Christmas Pageant.

Beginning January 11, 2014: Koukla & Athenian practice at

11 A.M., GOYA practice at noon.

FUND RAISING— 2013 Report:

Nia Vardalos $1206

Crab Feast $4085

Hall Rentals $6836

TOTAL INCOME $12127

Upcoming events for the Fund Raising Committee include

Zumba classes on Saturdays in January and February and

the annual crab feast in August.

AHEPA—The Christmas Basket Raffle, which raised over

$500 for their scholarship fund, was won by George

Kapataidakis.

From Father, page 1 We also bring the blessed water to our homes to use throughout

the year to bless our homes and to drink whether we are ill or as

part of our daily prayer life. "There are many occasions in family

life when a sip of holy water can help to remind us of the bless-

ing that was given 'to bestow sanctification', 'unto healing of soul

and body', 'to be a fountain welling forth unto life eternal', as the

priest prayed in the litany of Epiphany day." (Little Falcons:

Water, Vol. 5, No. 2, 1998, p.33.)

Weaving Christ into Our Lives The blessing of homes by these holy waters maintains the spir-

itual association between the 'family church' and the parish, as

well as again providing for the sharing of God's spiritual gifts.

… This annual blessing is not as elaborate as the blessing of the

new dwelling, but because of this it should not be overlooked,

for it is in this way that the grace of God is extended to individu-

al dwellings." (Marriage and the Christian Home, p.25.)

If the priest comes to bless the home when the children are pre-

sent, they have the opportunity to see the parish priest in a differ-

ent and personal situation. If the priest permits, they can lead the

way through the house, or hold a candle. They can show him

their rooms or pets or favorite toys. They receive a blessing with

water. For children, the house blessing shows the connection of

the Church to the home.

In Summary What does it mean to ask God to bless something? All things in

the world have been spoiled right along with us. God must bless

His world again in order for it to be the way that He wants it to

be. For this reason God sent His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit to

the world: to bless everyone and everything that He made, to

make all things good again. When the priest comes to bless our

homes, he asks God to have mercy on the house, to rid it of eve-

ry evil and to fill it with every blessing. What a wonderful way

to begin the New Year! Some tips on preparing for the priest’s visit:

Clean your house. Everyone in the family should help. We’ve

just spent Nativity Lent decluttering our hearts; now

let’s clean up the house. Does it have to be perfect – no.

But you should make an effort to avoid a ‘bless this

mess’ scenario for the blessing. Because your home,

your sanctuary from the world is about to be blessed, it

deserves to be tidied. Just as you wouldn’t show up in

church in your bathrobe, unshowered, unkempt, and

dirty, you wouldn’t have a dirty, messy house presented

for blessing either.

Decide on a place that will be your starting and stopping

point for the house blessing. For some it is their icon

corner, others may choose their dining room or kitchen

table. In this place, put a medium sized bowl half full of

tap water, a bundle of greens for sprinkling, ( can be

basil, rosemary, pine or something like that.) a censer

and an icon(s).

After the initial prayers are said the priest will go

through the entire house singing the Troparion of The-

ophany. Including the bathrooms, closet areas, garage,

basement, and store rooms. I promise you with the bless-

ings, the prayers, the movement through the house, the

priest will not stand agape at what your garage or store

room look like. With the number of rooms and the num-

ber of houses blessed, he won’t remember the details.

Soak in the blessing – don’t miss it with fretting.

The day of: make sure the lights are on in each room and

hallway; turn off stereos, TVs, computer games, cell

phones – anything that is a distraction to the holy pro-

cess happening in your house.

Most priests will bless the pets as they move through the

house although most (especially cats for some reason)

tend to flee. Just make sure they are not under foot.

Plan to visit with the priest afterwards in a pastoral visit.

Depending on the time of day, it is appropriate to put out

some refreshments. Check with your priest beforehand.

And yes, while not required, it is customary to offer the

priest a little something after the house blessing. No it is

not required, no he isn’t doing it for the money, but do

consider his gas expenses and so forth. It is an uncom-

fortable subject for many a clergyman. Yes you may

give him a small offering and if you want to know what

is customary in your parish, ask some of the long time

faithful to get an idea of amounts. And then decide

freely on your own. Please understand there is no pres-

sure here.

Nichola Krause writes that the house blessing rids the

house of every evil and fills it with every blessing. How

does that evil get there? We bring it in. Just like we track

dirt in on our shoes, so we allow the demons to ride in

on our shoulders into our very homes. We invite it in

with our choices. When we let the sun set on our anger,

when we choose in ways that fall short of the glory of

God, we bring in the dust, dirt of this world into our

home. Just like our home needs a physical cleaning, so it

needs a spiritual cleansing too. Not only should your

home blessed this season, but keep holy water in your

home to bless rooms. Consider this your home’s spiritu-

al restoration that you will maintain throughout the year.

THE ORIGINAL DANCE-FITNESS PARTY

Are you ready to party yourself into

shape? Forget the work-out, just lose

yourself in the music and find yourself!

Zumba classes feature exotic rhythms set

to high-energy Latin and international

beats. Before you know it, you’ll be soar-

ing! It’s easy to do, effective, and totally

exhilarating. Founded in 2001, Zumba

Fitness is a global lifestyle brand that

fuses fitness, entertainment and culture

into an exhilarating dance-fitness sensa-

tion! Zumba® exercise classes are " fitness

-parties " that blend upbeat world

rhythms with easy-to-follow choreography,

for a total-body workout that feels like a

celebration.

WHEN? Saturdays, 10 A.M.

January 11—March 1

WHERE? NTGOC Fellowship Hall

WHO? Ages 11 and up

WHY? Fun, fitness, & fellowship

WHAT? $5 per class, walk-in fee

HOW? Certified instructor,

Lisa Skinner

SPREAD THE WORD! BRING A FRIEND!

PAGE 7 THE LIGHT

Page 8 THE LIGHT

GREEK ARCHDIOCESE, ST.

NICHOLAS CHURCH

ESTABLISH NATIONAL

SHRINE AT GROUND ZERO NEW YORK, NY [Greek Orthodox Archdio-

cese Press Office]

On Sunday, November 10, 2013, at a duly

called parish assembly meeting of the Saint

Nicholas Church at Ground Zero, a major step

forward was taken. Under the leadership of His

Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios of America,

and with the full support of the parish priest, the

Rev. Fr. John Romas, and the Parish Council,

the community unanimously approved a resolu-

tion to make the community a national shrine of

the Holy Archdiocese of America.

This advance in the nature of the only House of

Worship that was destroyed by the terrorist at-

tacks of September 11, 2001 has momentous

consequences for the parish both in the near and

long term.

The resolution that was unanimously passed

provided for the parish, known until now as the

Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at

Ground Zero, to become a National Shrine of

the Holy Archdiocese of America while main-

taining its status as a parish of the Archdiocese.

The parish would continue to function as such,

but the Board of Trustees would have a national

as well as local presence. The resolution also

included the final agreement of the parish to

exchange its land at 155 Cedar Street (including

air and ground rights) for 130 Liberty Street.

The new parcel, although less than fifty yards

from the previous location, is more than three

times larger.

The Archdiocese and the Parish had always

seen that such an evolution for this historic par-

ish of Manhattan was the logical next step. Not

only is the mission and presence of Saint Nich-

olas at Ground Zero a national undertaking, but

also likewise are the costs and responsibilities.

In his exhortation to the community, Archbish-

op Demetrios stressed the enormous visibility

of the rebuilt Church, adding that more than 10

million visitors to the World Trade Center site

per year would see and perhaps enter the new

Artist’s rendering of proposed site

Sanctuary. He noted that as a National Shrine,

Saint Nicholas would welcome all and be a

House of Prayer for all people. The Archbishop

said, “This church will not be just a national

shrine, but also an international shrine. It will

show the will of all people to rebuild and resur-

rect from the ashes of 9/11. This will be a

church for all to light a candle for the beloved

that were lost on September 11th. This church

will be a Greek Orthodox National Shrine on

Hallowed, Sacred Ground.”

The members of the community expressed

great satisfaction and relief that the Archbishop

led the process of rebuilding from the begin-

ning, and they expressed their appreciation to

His Eminence for shepherding the project. Con-

struction for the Saint Nicholas Greek Ortho-

dox Shrine will begin early next year.