CHURCH SERVICES: JANUARY
Saturday Vespers: 6:00pm
Sunday Matins: 8:30 am
SUNDAY DIVINE LITURGY: 9:30 am
Early Risers Bible Study
Every Saturday 6:30am - 7:30am
Studying the Gospel of Matthew
"Purpose Driven Life" Study
Every Wednesday 12:00 noon starting on Jan 18th
Jan 1 - 9:00 Matins 10:00 Divine Liturgy for St. Basil
Jan 4 - 11:30 Hosting Local Clergy Luncheon
Jan 6 - 9:30 Divine Liturgy for the Feast of Theophany and the Blessing of the Waters
Jan 6-22 House Blessings. Look at Schedule Below, or call Fr. Luke to arrange time.
Jan 8 - Sunday School resumes
Jan 9 - Parish Council Meeting
Jan 15 - VASILOPITA LUNCHEON following the Divine Liturgy at 11:30
Jan 16 - JOY Snow Tubing at Ward Hill
Jan 17 - 9:30 Divine Liturgy for St. Anthony the Great
Jan 18 - 12:00 noon "Purpose Driven Life" Study
Jan 22 - Youth Choir Practice after Divine Liturgy
Jan 25 - 9:30 Divine Liturgy for St. Gregory the Theologian
Jan 25 - 12:00 "Purpose Driven Life" Study
Jan 25 - 6:30pm Paraclesis Service to the Virgin Mary
Jan 28 - 8:30 am Women's Book Group
Jan 29 - Youth Choir Singing Divine Liturgy
Jan 29 - 5:00pm GOYA Dinner Dialogue
Jan 30 - 9:30am Divine Liturgy for Three Hierarchs
Feb 1 - 12:00 Purpose Driven Life Study
Feb 1 - 6:30pm Paraclesis Service
House Blessings:
Jan 6-9: Webster
Jan 10-11: Dudley
Jan 12: Oxford
Jan 13: Thompson, Putnam, N. Grosvernordale
Jan 14: Quinebaug, Fabyan
Jan 15: Other Areas
Fr. Luke's Monthly Message:
Come O Divine Light!
“You appeared to the world today, and Your light, O Lord, has left its mark upon us.”
We hear these words in one of the hymns we sing on the feast of Epiphany, which we celebrate on January 6. “Your light, O Lord, has left its mark upon us.”
Is this a true statement? Have each one of us allowed the light of Jesus Christ to leave His mark on our lives? And what does it actually mean to have the light of Christ shine upon us? What impact should His divine light have in our lives?
These are some questions to reflect upon as we begin a new year. Any serious Orthodox Christian should longingly desire to have the divine light of our Lord shine within our hearts!
There is a beautiful prayer of the Church that can help us understand the impact of Christ’s light dwelling within us. Each of us should memorize this prayer, and say it throughout the New Year:
Shine within our hearts, Loving Master, the pure light of Your divine knowledge and open our eyes that we may understand the message of your divine Gospel. Instill in us also reverence for Your blessed commandments, so that having conquered sinful desires, we may pursue a spiritual way of life, thinking and doing all those things that are pleasing to You. For You are the light of our souls and bodies, and to You do we offer up all glory, honor and worship, to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
We say this prayer at every Divine Liturgy. It teaches us that the light of Christ opens up our minds to the holy mysteries of God. Too often our eyes are focused solely on superficial and worldly things, instead of on meaningful and eternal precepts. We fill our minds daily with the mundane we hear on radio, TV, and the internet. Yet the light of Christ opens our minds to what is pure, holy and truly good in the world around us. This light then gives us a positive perspective through which to see the world, for by it we learn to see the good instead of the bad!
We also hear in this prayer how the light of Christ guides us to respect the commandments of God. How often do people look at God’s Commandments as some unwanted burden? Too many dread God’s Commandments as some laborious rules that hinder us from enjoying ourselves.
Well, the light of Christ opens up our eyes to understand that these commandments our Creator gave us are guidelines which will bless us and help us get the most out of life. Doesn’t it make sense that the One who created us knows what is best for His creation? Living under the light of Christ helps us appreciate and even love God’s Commandments. They will not be seen as a burden, but as a true blessing that enriches our lives!
A third fruit coming from the light of Christ is help to conquer our sinful desires. When we live under the light of God, we no longer live under the delusions of this world. We see our sinful ways more clearly - as habits that hurt our soul, and separate us from our loving Father. At the second coming of Jesus, we want to stand in front of Him with white robes of purity and love, not covered with the filth of sin. The light of Christ helps us see clearly, and not be deceived.
Ultimately, the light of God is the light of divine love. Divine light does not allow the darkness of hatred, anger, hurt, bitterness, resentment, guilt, greed, or impurity to reside in us. The light of Christ reflects the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control.
As we begin a new year, may we all seek out, and pray for this divine light. I wish you all a most blessed and enlightening New Year!
With love in Christ our Lord,
+ Luke
BOOK REVIEW
GO FORTH:
Stories of Mission and Resurrection in Albania
by Fr. Luke A. Veronis
Here you will find one of the most interesting and engaging collections of real life personal experiences ! The stories engage you with all of the drama and pathos of a contemporary struggle against the real and violent forces of evil and for the astounding rebirth of an almost extinguished Christian community in a small nation of southeastern Europe - Albania.
Most Orthodox Christians are unaware of the rich history of missions in their Church. An even more closed door is the actual life of Orthodox missionaries. What in fact do Orthodox missionaries do? Well, if you are curious enough to find out, I heartily recommend to you this book, which is a collection of very human, very inspiring, very interesting, and very attention- grabbing missionary stories. After reading this book, you will have most of your questions answered, and will have entered into the real life experiences and reflections of a modern day Orthodox missionary.
Perhaps the reason for most Orthodox Christian indifference to Orthodox Christian missions , is that following the fifteenth century, most Orthodox Churches found it almost impossible to do what Jesus Christ told us to do: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15). The reason for this lack of mission sensitivity was the stifling conditions of the Muslim oppression of the Church that reached to the beginnings of the 19th century . When, at long last the Ottoman Empire came to an end, there was, with the exception of Orthodox Russia, an almost total lack of comprehension of anything related to missions by Orthodox Christians. Four centuries in the self-preservation mode had left the Orthodox, clergy and laity, without a missionary consciousness.
All this began to change radically about 50 years ago in the minds and hearts of a small number of clergy and laity in Greece . One of the leading figures in this tiny movement was a young Greek clergyman, Anastasios Yannoulatos. He and his associates began a revival of Orthodox mission consciousness with the publication (at first mimeographed and only later printed) of a magazine titled “ Porefthendes .” The periodical was also issued in English, with the title, “ Go Ye!” which essentially is also the title of this book, “Go Forth!” In one sense, Fr. Veronis’ book is a fruition of the aspirations of that first effort in re-kindling Orthodox interest in mission.
Fr. Luke Veronis, the son of one of the most distinguished missionary minded Priests of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese , Fr. Alexander Veronis, has moved forward in advancing the sense of mission in the Orthodox Church in the United States and Canada . In Go Forth he has provided a beautiful, moving and truly inspiring collection of personal stories describing both the triumphs and successes, as well as the painful failures and disappointments of a modern day missionary. It is almost impossible to stop reading these stories, one after another, that describe realistically his missionary experiences. Page after page describes real life efforts, real human encounters, real suffering, real victories and real experiences of God in the mundane realities of a dirt poor nation struggling to overcome and realize a spiritual reawakening.
Fr. Luke became interested in Orthodox missions as a student at Holy Cross School of Theology in Brookline , MA . Soon after graduation he responded to the missionary calling by serving as a missionary in Africa where he got to know Archbishop Anastasios. Later, in 1994 he followed Anastasios to Albania . The Albanian Orthodox Church , along with all religious expression had been almost exterminated by the four decade ruthless, atheistic communist rule of Enver Hoxha . With the end of the communist rule in 1992, the resurrection of the church commenced, hence, the sub-title of this engaging book “Stories of Mission and Resurrection in Albania .
One of the most inspiring characteristics of this volume is how effortlessly and unobtrusively Fr. Luke garners spiritual lessons from the multitude of authentic stories of the struggles and ordinary yet courageous and uplifting relationships of his and his family’s life as missionaries.
You will not be able to put this book down easily once you start reading. A goodly number of photographs adorn the volume giving it a concrete and human context. On the cover of the book is a photograph of Fr. Luke offering the Paschal light at a Resurrection Service held outdoors at one of the main boulevards of the capital city of Tirana with 20,000 people joyfully receiving the light of the resurrection with the candles in their hands.
If you look very carefully at the front cover, pictured in the bottom corner there is a woman receiving the light, She is smiling with radient joy in sharing in Christ’s Resurrection. I predict if you read this book, you will share in that same joy!
(order at http://www.conciliarpress.com/go-forth.html or www.amazon.com)
Review by Fr. Stanley S. Harakas
Archbishop Iakovos Professor of Orthodox Theology, Emeritus
Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Brookline , MA
