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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 - [email protected]
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 [email protected] FATHER’S OFFICE HOURS—TUESDAY—FRIDAY 9 A.M.—3 P.M. OTHER HOURS BY APPOINTMENT
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: [email protected] OFFICE HOURS: TUES. & THURS. 9 A.M.—3 P.M. TREASURER: [email protected] 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
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 9 A.M.
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
11 A.M. ATHE-
NIAN DANCE
12 P.M. GOYA
DANCE
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
9 A.M.
ORTHOS
10 A.M.
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
26 27 28 29 30 31
9 A.M.
ORTHOS
10 A.M.
LITURGY
7 P.M.
SPIRITUAL
DISCUSSION
GROUP
9 A.M.
Liturgy
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.