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 Born! Glorify Him! Christos Razdajatsja! Slavite Jeho! Pastor: Reverand Father Kenneth E. Ellis KEllis919@aol.com Church Webmaster webmaster@holyghostoc.org Divine Liturgy Schedule this week: Thursday, January 19 at 7:00 PM Solemn Feast of Theophany and the Great Blessing of Water Sunday, January 22 Divine Liturgy 9:30 AM _______________________________________ Have you heard???? We have a Facebook page!!! ______________________________________ Daily Scripture Readings For the Week ____________________________________ A Sign up sheet is in the church foyer for those who would like to have their house blessed. ___________________________________ Food Collection next Sunday…Please bring in whatever canned or dry food you can spare for our monthly collection. A bin will be placed in the church foyer for easy deposit. Thank you for your support to the local food pantry. ________________________________________ Sponsors are needed…for a new set of gold altar boy dalmatics to replace the set that is currently being used. If you look at them closely, they are ripped, faded and generally tired looking. We would like to get 8-10 in assorted sizes to accommodate all of the boys, both now, and as they grow. Please see Fr. Ken if you would like to help. ____________________________________ Let's get on the same page...50 new blue Divine Liturgy books have been ordered, so everyone will have the ability to sing and pray with the same words and prayers on the same page. You can buy your own copy to bring with you, or make a general donation for the cost of all of the books. Once received, the red books will be collected, as they have been outdated for several years. ________________________________________ Plans are in the works…for our first annual parish blood drive. Cyndi is coordinating with NJ Blood Services to set up a drive in our hall, not just for our parishioners, but for the community at large. Hopefully there will be the ability to donate not only whole blood, but platelets too. As soon as we get a date, likely on a Saturday, it will be announced. This is another opportunity to let others in our area see the progress made with our cleanup and renovations. __________________________________________________ Volunteers are needed for a Parish fundraiser breakfast…to be held on an upcoming Saturday at Applebees in Bridgewater on Route 28. We will need volunteers to sell tickets, greet and seat patrons, serve, dispense beverages and bus tables. Applebees provides and cooks a pancake breakfast with sausage and coffee/tea/juice. We provide the workers for a two hour event 8-10 AM when the restaurant is open exclusively for our use. The more tickets we sell, the better our fundraising efforts ________________________________________ Lenten Soup/Halushki Sale…will start on Friday, February 24, and run every Friday until April 6. We will need several meatless soups and other Lenten foods each Friday. We'll also need some helping hands to cook and serve in our hall. More details will follow as they become available. ________________________________________ If you would like to have a Panachida for a loved one after Divine Liturgy either in the Chapel or at our Parish Cemetery, please let Fr. Ken know which Sunday is best for you. If you would like to go to confession, Fr. Ken is available either before or after Divine Liturgy. If needed, an appointment can be made for a convenient time for you. If you have a loved one in the hospital, nursing home, or homebound, please let Fr. Ken know, so a visit can be made to them. If they are unable to come to church, Father will gladly go to them to pray with them. _______________________________________________ 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. ____________________________________ __________________ 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 _______________________________________________ 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.