Holy Ghost Orthodox Christian Church A Church of the Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese 249 South Seventh Avenue Manville, N.J. 08835 Phone: 908-725-3385 Glory be to Jesus Christ! Glory be Forever! Reverend Father Matthew D. Moriak, Pastor Read Father Matthew's Welcome Letter Here Cantor and Choir Director: Pani Jodi Moriak E-mail Father Matthew - FrMatthew@holyghostoc.org Church President churchpresident@holyghostoc.org Church Webmaster webmaster@holyghostoc.org Schedule of Services for the Week Sunday, August 1st 10th Sunday after Pentecost Reading of the Hours 9:15 AM Divine Liturgy 9:30 AM Blessing of Vehicles Monday, August 2nd Liturgy; Prophet Elisha 9:00 AM "Breakfast Club" Meeting Sunday, August 8th 11th Sunday after Pentecost Deacon's Service 9:30 AM Monthly Parish Council Meeting Daily Scripture Readings For the Week Monday, July 26th 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 Matthew 21:18-22 Tuesday, July 27th 1 Corinthians 15:29-38 Matthew 21:23-27 Wed., July 28th 1 Corinthians 16:4-12 Matthew 21:28-32 Thursday, July 29th 2 Corinthians 1:1-7 Matthew 21:43-46 Friday, July 30th Galatians 3:23-4:5 Mark 5:24-34 Saturday, July 31st Romans 15:30-33 Matthew 17:24-18:4 Sunday, August 1st 1 Corinthians 4:9-16 Matthew 17:14-23 Monday, August 2nd James 5:10-20 Luke 4:22-30 Tuesday, August 3rd 2 Corinthians 2:14-3:3 Matthew 23:23-38 Wednesday, August 4th 2 Corinthians 3:4-11 Matthew 23:29-39 Thursday, August 5th 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 Matthew 24:13-28 Friday, August 6th 2 Corinthians 4:13-18 Mt. 24:27-33, 42-51 Saturday, August 7th 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Matthew 19:3-12 ____________________________________ Quote of the Week from the Fathers of the Church "Leave all human injustices to the Lord, for God is the Judge, but as to yourself, be diligent in loving everybody with a pure heart..." "The longer we remain without confessing, the worse it is for us, the more entangled we become in the bonds of sin, and therefore, the more difficult it is to give an account." St. John of Kronstadt ____________________________________ Psalm of the Week Psalm 99 (98, LXX) "The Lord reigns; Let the peoples tremble!" "The footstool of the Lord is seen by most patristic and liturgical sources as His Cross. Thus, this psalm, highlighted by v. 5, is sung at the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. Verses 1-4 refer to the Kingdom of God. Them in v. 8 refers to the high priests." Psalm 100 (99, LXX) "The closing psalm of the series of five on the theme of praise is an OT processional hymn. A popular psalm for devotional reading, it has no special liturgical use apart from its place in the weekly psalm cycle. All those who embrace the faith are exhorted to give thanks and praises to God for everything accomplished on their behalf." Taken from the Orthodox Study Bible, p. 715-716. __________________________________________________ Michael Lehmacher We extend our deepest sympathies and prayers this morning to Will and Margaret Lehmacher, Marsha Lehmacher and all the members of the family for the loss of their beloved Michael. Eternal memory! Benefit for Mikey Spaghetti Dinner This afternoon, there will be a benefit dinner at the Manville Elks Lodge located at 1500 Brooks Blvd. in Manville. The dinner will run from 2-6 PM. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. Entertainment will be provided by the Hit N Run Band. Raffles and a 50/50 will also take place. Service at Holy Ghost Fr. Matthew will be serving a Parastas with a Panachida for Michael's family Monday, July 26th at 9 AM. Anyone from the parish who wishes to attend is more than welcome. ___________________________________________________ Summer Breakfast Club Following Holy Day Divine Liturgies, we'll head out to a local diner or restaurant for breakfast. It's a great way to celebrate the feast, as well as to enjoy each other's company. Here's a list of feasts for this summer: Monday, August 2nd-Feast of the Prophet Elijah Thursday, August 19th-Transfiguration Saturday, August 28th-Dormition of the Theotokos The Feast of the Dormition-Parish Event for the young women of the parish On Friday, August 27th Great Vespers will be held at 6:30 PM., including the procession with the shroud of the Theotokos and the laying of rose petals before the shroud by the young girls of the parish. This year, for the first time since we've had the shroud, we have a female high school graduate, Alyson Furda, who will have a special role during the service and prayers offered for her as she heads off to college. ________________________________________ 1st Annual Holy Ghost Community Food Festival Plans continue to develop for this important fund-raising event in the parish. Here are things stand so far: -Saturday, September 18th will be the community portion of the event. We hope to attract a large number of people from the Manville and surrounding communities to attend, and enjoy a day of food, fellowship…and more food! We are scheduled to run from 11 AM to 6 PM, with additional clean-up time to follow. \ In addition to selling food, there will be a 50/50, basket raffle, Church tours and games for the children. Obviously, there will be a lot of work in the weeks leading up and on the day of the event itself. A work schedule will be posted soon. -Sunday, September 19th will be a parish fellowship day (closer to what our normal picnic is). We will have the opportunity to enjoy the company of our parish family in a more low-key setting. Certainly, if people from the community come, we will feed them! Scheduled so far: Pirohi making Potato and Cheese: Sunday, August 15th, Monday, Aug. 16th, Tuesday, Aug. 17th Prune & Saurkraut: Sunday, August 22nd As with our normal picnic, anyone wishing to purchase items for the menu, or make a donation to offset costs can do so. It will be greatly appreciated. More information will be made available in the weeks ahead. ________________________________________ Updated Meeting Schedule Sun., August 1st-SUnday, School Meeting Sunday, August 8th- Parish Council Meeting Sunday, August 15th-Community Food Festival Meeting (EVERYONE is encouraged to attend). Sunday, September 26th-"Annual Parish Meeting" (this will mark a permanent switch to our annual meeting being held every September) Upcoming Softball Games Friday, July 30th, Friday, August 6th, Wednesday, August 11th, Friday, Aug. 20th ________________________________________ Sunday School The 2009-2010 Church school year has come to an end. Thanks to the children for their participation in the program, as well as to their parents for their support. Special thanks is extended to all of our teachers, substitutes teachers and aides, including: Marion Furda, Alyson Furda, Donna Provel, John Provel, Pani Jodi Moriak, Betty Drenchko, Nicholas Furda and Katarina Petrik. On Sunday, July 18th, following Liturgy, we will be having a meeting to discuss this past school year as well as to plan ahead for the 2010-2011 Church School year. Father would like all teachers from this past year, as well as anyone who has an interest in teaching for the coming year to attend. Any and all parents who will have children in Sunday school this fall are also invited and encouraged to attend. The more people and feedback we have, the better for the Sunday School program! ________________________________________ Blessing of Vehicles Fr. Matthew will be blessing vehicles on Sunday, August 1st following Divine Liturgy. This is in conjunction with the feast of the Prophet Elijjah, celebrated on August 2nd. ________________________________________ 2010 New Jersey Deanery Softball This summer, we will once again be playing a little softball! The following dates have already been reserved at Thomas Edison Park Field (all games are Fridays) Friday, July 30th, Friday, August 6th, Wednesday, August 11th, Friday, Aug. 20th There is a sign-up sheet available on the bulletin board downstairs in the hall. Please sign up if you are interested in playing this year (even if you can't make every game). Please see Steve or Andy Wythe if you have any questions. ________________________________________ Re-Convened Sobor Update Last month, the 2009 Diocesan Sobor was re-convened and officially concluded. Here are some highlights of the event: -A revised Distinguished Diocesan Donor program was introduced with level of giving to address the fact that the $100 level has not changed since the inception of the program over 30 years ago. (Father Matthew will provide details soon) -First reports of the Diocesan Missions Commission and the Diocesan Stewardship Commission were presented. The Missions Commission report included updates from various mission parishes, including our newest parish in Farmville, Virginia. We received excellent materials from the stewardship commission which Father will be sharing over the next number of months. Just because we are on a pledge program does not mean that we have even scratched the surface of our education in Orthodox Stewardship. -A proposal was passed concerning the Diocesan Priest's Pension Fund. I am to ask every adult member of the parish to consider making a voluntary donation of $15 per year over the next five years (2010-2014), for a total of $75. Please keep in mind that this is a voluntary donation. No one is required to participate and it is NOT an addition to our Diocesan assessment. Please direct any questions to Fr. Matthew. A date will be selected in the fall for those who wish to participate to make their initial $15 donation for this year (2010). ________________________________________ Attention Prayer Intercessors! If you signed up to be a prayer intercessor on the 2010 Holy Ghost pledge form, you may have been wondering, what is a prayer intercessor? We are called to a life of prayer, and we all have specific needs and intentions and people in our lives we pray for. As a prayer intercessor, it is hoped that your prayer will include on a daily basis, prayers for entire parish, and especially for those listed on our prayer list in each Sunday's bulletin. Hopefully, many of us already are doing that. You may have already been a prayer intercessor and not even known it! ________________________________________ Pirohi Available Pirohi are still available for sale. Cost is six dollars per dozen. We have potato and cheese, prune and saurkraut. Please let family, friends and co-workers know that they are available and that orders can be placed by calling Fr. Matthew at 908-725-3385. ________________________________________ NEW CDs for sale! Vychodna Dolina of St. Nicholas Church, NYC (who sang at our 75th anniversary last November) is proud to announce the completion of their 2 new CDs - Christos Raždajetsja - Christ is Born and Sohlasno Zašpivajme - Let us sing in Unison, which includes: Marian, Communion, Lenten, and Easter hymns. The CDs will be available for purchase by Easter. The proceeds from the sale of these CDs will go to the extensive renovation projects presently taking place at St. Nicholas. The cost of each CD is $15. Please inform Sharon Kechula if you are interested in purchasing one or both of these CDs. ____________________________________ ______________________________________ Camp Nazareth Info. Our Diocesan camping session is Sunday, July 25th-Saturday, July 31st. ___________________________________________________ A Prayer Before the Icon of Christ We reverence Your spotless icon, O gracious Lord, and ask forgiveness of our transgressions, O Christ our God: for of Your own good will You were pleased to be nailed to the Cross in the flesh, that You might deliver from bondage to the enemy those whom You had fashioned. Wherefore, we cry out to You with praise: You have filled all things with joy, O Savior, for You came to save the world. ____________________________________ Anniversary Items For Sale There are also a number of items that were made during the process of planning this event that can still be purchased: Photo CDs-$5-This includes all of the photos that were collected for use 75th Anniversary DVDs-$10-This is a DVD of the video presentation that was running during the banquet Photo Books-soft cover($25); hard cover($30)-This is a photo book highlighting some of the photos that were collected for the anniversary ____________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Memorial Fund to be Established At the annual parish meeting in late February, it was proposed and unanimously agreed upon to establish a memorial fund for our parish. The memorial fund would be used to pay for certain projects that would otherwise need fund raisers and/or donations in order for them to be done. The memorial fund will be built up from monies given to the Church when a parish member falls asleep in the Lord. Many times, when someone passes away, if there is no specific designation, people will either ther donate money directly to the Church, or they will donate money for Panachidas or memorial Divine Liturgies. The money for these services goes to the priest, and more often than not, especially in the case of weekday Divine Liturgies, it is difficult for the family to attend and rare for the donor to be able to attend. When someone falls asleep in the Lord, Father will always serve a Panachida on the Sunday following as well as a Divine Liturgy on or near the 40th day of their repose. There is no charge to the family for these services. In order to establish the memorial fund, we are asking our parish family to consider asking that donations made in memory of their departed family members be given directly to Holy Ghost Church. This money can then be used to purchase something in memory of that person, or if it stays in the fund longer, can be used towards a larger project down the line. When we have projects that we would like to do, without donations, fundraising is always an issue and requires a lot of work. With the memorial fund, we will have money set aside when projects arise. Examples of potential projects would be things like re-painting the Church domes or building a bell tower for the old bell. The memorial fund would not be used for projects like tree removals or paving of driveways, etc. As for Panachidas or memorial liturgies besides the aforementioned ones Father will automatically serve on the Sunday following and the 40th day, Father is more than happy to serve additional services at any time. People will often ask for a Panachida or Liturgy on or around the date the person fell asleep in the Lord, or on or around their birthday. The establishment of this memorial fund in no way means that Panachidas and memorial Liturgies cannot be served. It is simply being done to have a set place for monies donated in memory of someone to go. If there are any questions about the memorial fund, please don't hesitate to ask. You can direct your questions to Father Matthew or to any member of the parish board and they will be happy to give you more details __________________ Regular Services Divine Liturgy is celebrated at 9:30AM Father Matthew is holding a monthly Panachida in memory of the departed faithful of our parish family. As has been done in the past, the Panachida will be held the last Sunday of each month. Father Matthew is also holding a monthly Moleben the first Sunday of each month. During this Moleben, we pray for all of those who are celebrating birthdays and wedding anniversaries for the month ahead. As we hold these Molebens, please inform Father of any birthdays or anniversaries he might miss. St. Nectarios Moleben St. Nectarios is a healing saint and the patron saint of cancer victims. The highlight of this beautiful service is the anointing with the blessed oil from the shrine of this saint. All are welcome to attend. Monthly Panachida Prayer for the departed is a beautiful part of the Orthodox tradition. Many of our parishioners offer Panachidas to be sung in memory of their loved ones, and we as a parish family pray for those people together. With that in mind, Father will reserve the last Sunday of each month to have a Panachida in memory of all the departed of our parish family who reposed that given month. The names of those remembered will be printed in the bulletin for that Sunday, and if anyone wishes to add names that are not already included, please let Father know. _______________________________________________ Holy Ghost Community Service Canned Goods Drive The Holy Ghost canned goods drive is now underway. Items can be dropped off in the vestibule at any time, and will be distributed as needed. Anyone who is aware of food drives where items can be distributed should let Fr. Matthew know. This could include projects done through work or school. Holy Ghost Community Charities (HGCC) A reminder that our community charities bucket is also available in the vestibule. Money collected is deposited in its own account so when there is a need in the community, we can make a donation without having to do separate fundraising. We have already been able to use money collected to support the Somerset County Interfaith Hospitality Network. Thus far, we have collected just over $700! Thank you to everyone for their continued support of our parish's active involvement in the community! __________________ What's the Response? I was recently asked what all of the responses were to the various greetings we may give to each other throughout the year as Orthodox Christians. It seemed like a good idea to print them all here as a reminder of each response. Glory be to Jesus Christ-Glory be Forever Christ is Among us or Christ is in our Midst-He is and always shall be During the Nativity Season: Christ is Born-Glorify Him During the Paschal Season: Christ is Risen!-Indeed He is Risen! For the Feast of Theophany: Christ is Baptized-In the Jordan _______________________________________________ ___________________________________ Ordering Orthodox Books/Materials. The following are excellent websites if you are looking to order Orthodox books or materials, either for yourself or to donate to the Church libary: http://www.conciliarpress.com http://www.light-n-life.com "Daylight" Available for Everyone It has been brought to Father's attention from other priests in the Diocese that adults are enjoying reading the new youth newsletter, Daylight. Anyone interested in seeing the publication can view it on the Diocesan website here. If you would like a hard copy of the newsletter, please let Father Matthew know and he will provide it for you. _____________________________________________________ LIVING CHURCH A Living Church always has parking problems; a dead church doesn't. A Living Church has lots of "noisy" children; a dead church doesn't. A Living Church often changes the way things are done; a dead church, NEVER! A Living Church often asks for money for the missions and the poor; a dead church tries to keep plenty of money in the treasury. A Living Church asks people to "open up" and risk involvement; a dead church plays it safe and never takes risks. A Living Church sees challenges and opportunities; a dead church sees only problems and dangers. A Living Church often apologizes, forgives and seeks forgiveness; a dead church never makes mistakes. A Living Church uses its traditions and facilities to serve people; a dead church uses people to preserve facilities and traditions. A Living Church believes in God's guiding Spirit and "let's go with faith"; a dead church believes only in the past and is satisfied merely to "hold on". A Living Church is filled with committed givers; a dead church is filled with "tippers". A Living Church dares to dream - great dreams for God's Kingdom; a dead church has only nightmares. How do you see yourself? Your vision of "self" effects what you are and what you will become. How do you see Church? Your answer effects our relationship with God and one another. In either case, it's truly a matter of Life and Death. Above all else, the real Life and Death question is: HOW DOES GOD SEE US! Hopefully, each of us will hear those wonderful words from our Father; "Well done, In you I take delight. Welcome home. I'm happy you are here". ________________________________________ Closer Look at the Lord's Prayer The Lord's Prayer is one of the first prayers we all learn as a child. We know it so well that we may be tempted to say it without thinking of its meaning. It is a soimple prayer, but with a great deal of spiritual depth behind it. After all, it is this prayer Jesus told to His disciples when they asked Him to teach them how to pray. The Lord's Prayer consists of seven petitions, and these are things that we should ask of our Heavenly Father. 1 - Our Father Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. In the first petition, we should beseech our Heavenly Father that His name, which is always holy in itself, be hallowed, with His blessing, both in us and through us (Matthew 5:16). The Lord is fullness and perfection of sanctity but, by glorifying Him, we sanctify ourselves and the surrounding world. 2 - Thy Kingdom come. In the second petition, we ask the Lord to help us make us worthy, through His grace, of the Kingdom of Heaven, which begins, as Christ Himself said, here on earth, within us. But it will only come to us in the fullness of its power when Sin ceases to hold undivided sway in us and righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:17) abide in us. 3 - Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven In the third petition, we beseech God the Father that He not allow us to live our earthly lives axxording to our sinful ways, but according to His will, which is always good, and acceptable, and perfect (Romans 12:2). By obeying the will of God, we begin to establish the Kingdom of God within ourselves. 4 - Give us this day our daily bread; In the fourth petition we beseech God to give us our daily bread - everything we need in life, spiritual as well as physical. Our spiritual bread is the grace-bestowing Sacraments of the Church, instituted for our salvation. First and foremost, our daily bread means Holy Communion, of which the Lord said: I am the bread of life...and the bread which I shall give for life of the world is My Flesh (John 6:48,51). Material bread means all that is necessary for hu,an existence, directly associated with the surrounding world. The words "this day" warns us against too many cares, and teaches us to ask only for what is most essential, because the Lord says: But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own troubles be sufficient for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day (Matthew 6:33-34). 5 - And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. In the fifth petition the Lord teaches us how to ask forgiveness for our sins from the Heavenly Father. and how they may be forgiven. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father also Who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father Who is in heaven forgive your trespasses (Mark 11:25-26). Man's sins are called trespasses against God in this petition and here we beg for God's mercy. This is our confession, asking for His forgiveness. Whoever seeks forgiveness should resort to the healing power of repentance and forgive his neighbor, the trespasser. When we forgive our tresspassers, then God will also forgive our sins (Mark 4:24). 6 - And lead us not into temptation In the sixth petition we ask the Lord that He not allow us to fall into sin. We ask Him to preserve us from all that confuses our spirit and from temptations that are beyond our strength to reject. If we encounter on our earthly path trials and temptations sent for our purification from sin and spiritual fortification, then we ask God to send us His timely help. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it (1 Cor. 10:13). For because He Himself has suffered and been tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted (Heb. 2:18), St. Paul says, indicating the Helper and Accomplisher of our salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ. 7- But deliver us from evil. In the seventh and final petition, we ask that we be protected against and saved from Evil and the Devil, who is a murderer from the beginning and works for our destruction. As St. Peter says, the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Remembering the Enemy of our salvation, the Lord urges us to be vigilant and sobor of spirit, to have courage to accomplish a feat, teaches us to pray for one another, and by prayer to the Heavenly Father, to fortify ourseleves spiritually and free ourseleves from misfortune and disaster. Final Thoughts Thus the Lord's Prayer is the unfailing model and rule for all prayers. The Church uses it in all the sacramental orders, and in all the Divine Services. As St. John Chrysostom says, it is the "crown of all prayers". The above information taken from the book " These TruthsWe Hold." ____________________________________ RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION Below are a few directions on receiving Holy Communion. The Body and Blood of Christ is the most precious treasure and it must be protected from harm. Following these directions will help to limit the possibility of dropping the Holy Eucharist, and to give it the proper reverence. 1 - When coming forward to receive Communion, please cross your hands across your chest, right hand over left. This symbolizes the wings of the angels as they offer worship to the Lord. In the practical sense, it limits your hands from interfering with the distribution of the Holy Eucharist. Keep your hands that way while receiving Communion and as you walk away from the Chalice. The reason: there is no way that the Chalice will be hit. You should never make the sign of the Cross while you are near the Chalice. Many times, the Chalice has been hit when someone immediately makes the sign of the Cross by the Chalice. Also, do not grab the Chalice in your hand to bring it forward to venerate. Father will offer the Chalice to venerate. 2 - Do not feel the need to grab the cloth, either to hold it, or to wipe your lips. Those who hold the cloth will wipe your lips for you, if need be. The cloth will be held open directly under your chin to catch the Eucharist if it should fall from the spoon. If the cloth is held correctly, and not touched by the communicant, the Eucharist will never fall on the ground. 3 - Come close to the Chalice when you receive the Eucharist. The less distance Father has to bring the spoon from the Chalice to you, the less chance of it falling off. You may receive it two ways: you may simply take it off the spoon as you would when you eat; or you may open your mouth so that Father can drop it into your mouth. If you receive it the 2nd way (as most do) please open your mouth widely and be sure to tilt your head back. If your head is facing forward, it is hard to control whether or not the Communion will roll forward and out of your mouth. 4 - Gum should not be chewed right after Holy Communion. Be sure to eat or drink something first. Hopefully, these helpful hints will protect the Eucharist and help Father to fulfill his responsibility in doing the same.