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 Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! Reverend Father Matthew 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 Wednesday, May 14th Moleben to St. Nectarios - 7:00 P.M. Saturday, May 17th Resurrection Matins - 6:00 P.M. Sunday, May 18th Sunday of the Paralytic Reading of the Hours - 9:15 A.M. Divine Liturgy - 9:30 A.M. Monthly Parish Meeting Link to Daily Scripture Readings ____________________________________ _____________________________ Parish Council Meeting Our monthly parish council meeting will be held Sunday, May 18th. All parish council members are asked to attend. All parish members are invited to attend if they so desire. _______________________________________________ __________________ Tastefully Simple Fundraiser We will be hosting a Tastefully Simple fundraiser on Satrurday, June 7th. The fundraiser will begin at 12:30 P.M. If you've ever attended one of these fundraisers, you know that there will be many delicious food items available to sample and purchase. Make plans now to attend! __________________ Weekly Reflection 5/7/08 Membership has its privileges. We've all heard the quote before. Certainly, no one would argue that the privileges associated with being a member of Christ's Church are great indeed. The question we might have to ask ourselves from time to time is "what makes me a member of my Church?" In this country, we are used to paying bills. If you don't pay the water bill or the cable bill or the phone bill over a long period of time, you might find yourself staring at a blank tv screen, unable to call the cable company and badly in need of a shower. People pay money to belong to clubs of all kinds, be they country clubs or gyms, etc. It's a very clear cut way to know who belongs and who doesn't. The same holds true in the Church, does it not? Sure it does. We pay dues every year to show that we belong to the Church. If we don't pay, how can we say we're a member? Does this sound a little strange to you? If it does than maybe you are forgetting Christ's great commission in the Gospel of St. Matthew. "..make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (so long as they've paid their dues first)." Wait, that's not how that verse goes? Yes, I'm being very tongue and cheek, but in many places in Orthodoxy in this country, we have come to see our Churches as "clubs" or "organizations" where you are entitled to certain things so long as you are paid in full. In reality, this couldn't be further away from what membership in the Church really is. Membership is about being a part of the Body of Christ. That means we pray together, we share fellowship together and we participate in the sacraments. That is what makes us members of not just a single Church like Holy Ghost, but of the Orthodox Church at large. This may seem like common sense, and yet we hear of instances where people try to argue that "parishonor A" who has languished in a nursing home the last few years of her life and has no other family in the Church can't be buried in the cemetary unless she pays two years of "back dues." All the while, the priest is bringing her the sacraments. Sound crazy? It happens. It's all about a mind set. Yes, the Church needs funds to function and to certain parts of our boroughs and communities we may be classified and treated as if we are a business. But the only business we are truly in is the business of trying to bring souls to Christ. It's important that we keep that distinction in mind. As we approach our parish's 75th anniversary, it behooves us to take serious looks at the way we view membership in the Church, as individuals and as a parish family. Fr. M ___________________________________________ No Fasting or Kneeling A reminder that Bright Week is a period of no fasting. We are not required to fast from meat on Wednesday and Friday of this week. Also, there is no kneeling in the Church or in your private home until Penetecost (June 15th). ___________________________________________ Media Coverage Be sure to pick up a copy of the Courier News from April 27 for an article about the twoOrthodox Churches in Manville and our celebration of Pascha. For an extended version of the article, visit the following link: www.c-n.com/faith. PLEASE NOTE: on tuesday, April 29th, the website link will change to the following: www.MyCentralJersey.com/faith. ___________________________________________ 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. _______________________________________________ Spirit of Orthodoxy Choir The Spirit of Orthodoxy Choir will be perfdorming at the State Theatre of New Jersey in New Brunswick on Wednesday, May 21st in a concert with the world-famous Russian-born baritone, Anton Belov. The concert is free to the public, but tickets must be reserved by calling 732-246-7469. The spirit of Orthodoxy was established in 1997 under the direction of Alexei Shipovalnikov and consists of singers from Orthodox parishes and jurisdictions in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York. The choir sings Orthodox Christian Liturgical music in a professional and prayerful manner. For more information, go to www.spiritoforthodoxy.com. In addition Anton Belov will perform Friday, May 16th at 7:30 P.M. at SS. Peter and Paul Parish Center right here in Manville. Again, admission is free and a community reception will follow the performance. ____________________________________ For update on the condition of the Church following the April 15th, 2007 nor'easter click here Work Days There will be a church basement work day this Saturday, May 17th, at 9 A.M. Any time that anyone can offer is greatly appreciated. _______________________________________________________ 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 _______________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Adult Education Note: If you attended one of the adult classes and have purchased a new Orthodox Study Bible, please use that for class, so we will all be using the same source ____________________________________ Sunday School Classes Held following Divine Liturgy ____________________________________ Iconography Project - UPATES! Iconographer Austin Kachek is finishing up some projects and within a week or two will be able to meet with Father to measure exact dimensions on the choir loft section. This will determine how many prophets we will best be able to fit on our wall. His sketch showed six, but it is possible we may only do four. So,until the exact number is known, Father will hold off on listing the names of these prophets. In regards to the male and female saints on the side walls, the following is a list of saints that could be used. Over time, Father will detail why each saint was chosen. Female 1&2 - St. Anna & St. Elizabeth (already donated), 3 - St Mary Magdalene (already donated), 4 - Proto-martyr and equal to the Apostles, Thekla 5 - Empress Theodora, 6 - St. Katherine of Alexandria (already donated), 7 - St. Mary of Egypt (already donated) Male 1&2 - Sts. Cyril & Methodius, 3 - St. Stephen, 4 - St. Ignatius, 5 - St. John of Damascus (already donated), 6 - St. Gregory of Palamas (tentatively donated), 7 - St. Nectarios ____________________________________ Holy Ghost Community Charities (H.G.C.C.) The purpose of the H.G.C.C. is to allow us to respond to our community in times of need. By simply dropping in loose change or our spare dollars on a weekly basis, we hope to build up this charities fund. This way, if a need arises, rather than to take the time to plan a fundraiser or other such plan, we can respond immediately where there is a need. Thank you and God bless you for your contributions! ____________________________________ Camp Nazareth Information Registration forms are available for the 2008 Camp Nazareth summer camping sessions. Our Deanery youth will be attending Camp from Sunday, July 27th - Saturday, August 2nd. Deadline for a fully completed Camper Registration Form is July 1st. ************************************************** Camp Nazareth Staff application forms are also available. All applications must be postmarked by May 1st. Job opportunities are available in the roles of: kitchen, maintenance, lifeguard and counselor. ************************************************** Family Day Tickets Tickets for the annual Camp Nazareth Family Day raffle are also available. Donation for one ticket is $20. The grand prize is $10,000. All proceeds benefit the Camp and allow it to continue to serve our Diocesan youth in the best way possible. ____________________________________ Collecting Pictures and other Anniversary News and Notes As we prepare for our paish's 75th Anniversary next year, we are asking if anyone has any pictures detailing the history of the parish, to please bring them in to the Church. We will be using pictures for a commemorative booklet to this event. We will be in need of volunteers to help in the planning of this event as well. Please consider giving of your time and talents to ensure that this is a memorable event. Anniversary Committee Chairperson We are also currently looking for someone to head up our 75th Anniversary Committee. Please let Father Matthew or one of the parish council members know if you are interested. ____________________________________ Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian The next film in C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia saga is being released this Friday, May 16th. As with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe a couple of years ago, Fr. Matthew would like to organize an outing to see the film with the youth of our parish and anyone else who might be interested. Father is tentatively planning on doing this on Saturday, June 14th. Please sign up on the day that would be best for you, and we will pick the best day accordingly. Tickets for the children will be paid for. ____________________________________ Soup Kitchen St. John's in Perth Amboy runs a soup kitchen in their parish hall every Monday evening between 5 and 6 P.M. Fr. Michael Rosco has informed Fr. Matthew that anyone wishing to volunteer and help is more than welcome to join them at any time. If anyone has any questions about this community service opportunity, please direct them to Fr. Matthew. ___________________________________________ IMPORTANT REMINDER!! Please remember to ALWAYS contact me if you or someone from the parish are admitted to the hospital, even if you feel it is something minor. I want to be able to administer to the sick of the parish in as timely a fashion as possible, and, at the very least, to offer my prayers, but I need everyone's help to be able to do so. Thank you so much for your cooperation! - Fr. Matthew _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Interested in Mission Work? A living witness of pur Orthodox Christian faith is one of the greatest gifts we can share. The witness often comes through an expression of service, which feeds the hungry, heals the sick, builds churches and cares for children. The Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) is offering several 2-4 week Mission Team opportunities this year that will allow you to share the faith with communities in need around the world. All Orthodox Christians over the age of 18 are asked to prayerfully consider applying for an Orthodox Mission Team. For more information or to apply, contact Andrew Lekos at teams@ocmc.org. Information and applications can also be found at the OCMC website by visiting www.ocmc.org/teams. _____________________________________________________ "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. _____________________________________________________ Church Library As you probably have noticed already, the books in our new parish library are now available. If you wish to borrow a book, all you have to do is take an index card, fill out your name, the title of the book, and the date, and place the card in the box on the table. There is no "due date" for any borrowed books. All we ask is that you try to borrow books at a time when you will have time to read them, so they are not out for too long. There are still donated monies which will be used to purchase more books as we expand over the coming weeks. Thank you all have made donations, and please, enjoy! _____________________________________________________ A 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". ____________________________________ A 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.