DO WE WEAR THE CROSS OR DO WE BEAR THE CROSS

          On the day of our baptism, our Godparents gifted us one of the most precious and significant presents we will ever receive: our baptismal Cross. Since that day, we wear our Cross everywhere. Right next to it, our heart beats every second of our lives, receiving the Lord’s blessings, Whose heart stopped beating on the Cross we venerate and honor. His love is manifested with His precious blood on the Cross of Golgotha, His sacrifice is an eternal gateway to Heaven, since the Cross became the key that unlocked the Gates to Paradise; His death opened the road to the Resurrection, the common Resurrection – τὴν κοινὴν Ἀνάστασιν.

          September 14th is the day that we commemorate the Universal Exaltation of the Precious Cross in Jerusalem, unearthed by Saint Helen, Mother of Saint Constantine the Great. On September 14th 335 A.D., in the great Church of the Holy Resurrection in Jerusalem, the Precious Cross of the Lord was exalted up high, venerated by thousands of faithful. Centuries later, the Cross was stolen by the Persians; it was retrieved by Emperor Herakleios who returned the Precious Cross with a festive procession reaching Constantinople in the year 628 A.D.

          As we all pray for the blessing of our Crucified and Risen Lord, we ought to ask ourselves: do we wear the Cross our bear the Cross? Is the Cross a piece of jewelry or a way of life? The Cross is the symbol of sacrificial love. What do we sacrifice for our faith? Do we pray enough, study the faith enough, do we receive the sacraments frequently and well prepared? Do we love God with all our hearts and our neighbor as ourselves? Do we observe the commandments unequivocally or selectively? Do we wear our Cross or bear our Cross?

Protopresbyter Nikiforos Fakinos

KNOWLEDGE & WISDOM

          Most of us have invested a good portion of our lives (and wealth) in education. Education is the foundation of character building, cultivating work-ethic, developing skills and talents and preparing for careers and life accomplishments. We are blessed in our area with exceptional schools and universities. There is abundance of knowledge awaiting to be discovered. When I was a student, my family had to buy expensive encyclopedias and multiple books. I enjoyed reading literature, astronomy, theology, geography and history. I had even subscribed to periodicals about Physics, Religion and Engineering. Nowadays, we can access all that information (and more) from our phones and electronic devices. We can educate ourselves everyday of our lives. Yet, as much as we love to read about medicine and watch Dr. House on the tube, when we have a real health issue, we go to our trusted doctor who has a diploma and a license to practice medical procedures. Education is the foundation for society to work harmoniously and for all of us to cultivate our talents, realizing our aspirations.

          The abundance of knowledge does not ensure success and happiness. One can have the knowledge and use it for evil or for crimes and atrocities. This is where the faith and the Church plays the most important role. In Church, we teach values; we have a soul, a precious and eternal soul that needs nourishment and spirituality. We have Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, who guides us and inspires us. I never used my high school chemistry or complex algebraic calculations. There is an app for that. But we all implement our faith as spouses, parents, children, relatives and members of society. I recall my good English teacher from Greece explaining to us the difference between the words “complete” and “finished.” She told us: “If you find a good spouse, you are complete. If you find a bad one, you are finished!”

          We navigate through life using the map of knowledge, and the compass of wisdom. Wisdom inspires us with discernment, love, patience, resilience, care and empathy. Knowledge is the tool. Wisdom is the hand that holds the tool. Take the example of the amazing Regents students of our School:

Sophia Ragusano, Spiro Menegatos, Nicholas Brienza, Anna Konstantinopoulos, Vasssia Efstathiou, Vasiliki Katsamanis, Eftihis Bakaloudis and Elizabeth Nikiforidis. They all completed successfully their Regents Examinations with the highest accolades and great scores. They have their Greek Language certification, their first of many diplomas in their lives, and they worked extra hard to complete, not just finish, their Regents classes. Kyria Panagiota, the Teachers, the Parents and the Clergy invested so much in order to instill knowledge and wisdom, as our School forms and informs “complete education.” We inspire values, starting from the home, with parents who place a priority on education, faith and heritage. We find like-minded people, our Community, and we create the support system for the youth to advance and prosper.

          Church School, Hellenic School, youth programs, athletics, Agape group, Philoptochos and, most importantly, our Church services and Orthodox Study discussions all work together to that end. We value knowledge, we love wisdom!

Protopresbyter Nikiforos Fakinos

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

September 1st is the beginning of the New Ecclesiastical Year. The new Church year (which is also the new School, Academic and Agricultural year) marks a festive beginning in the history of Saint Demetrios Church. This is the first full year that we will enjoy all the brand new facilities, the classrooms, the athletic equipment and the social halls, adjacent to our marvelous Saint Demetrios Church. As I am typing these lines, dozens of children are practicing right next to the Church offices for the Basketball clinics. A rainy day outdoors, full of sunshine and laughter indoors. We are blessed.

Thanks very generous and faithful families, all the classroom floors are waxed clean and we can see our reflection on them. Please, remind all children (and all of us) to treat our beautiful Saint Demetrios as a sacred ground, because it is. Protect it, keep it clean, neat and orderly. It makes no difference if one is entering the Church Nave, or the bathroom; everything is under the same roof, under the dome of God’s protection. Every flower in the yard was planted by people who love the Church. Every wall was painted in memory of a loved parent. Every picture and every icon are donated for someone we miss and someone we love with all our hearts.

We teach our youth, and ourselves, that all these gorgeous facilities are not free. They are built with sacrifice, hard work, faith and love. And it takes much more love and sacrifice to maintain them. This is our home. In a few weeks, on Sunday, September 20th, we will have Ministries Sunday. We will receive all the events for every group, every team and every organization of Saint Demetrios Church. Our faithful have so much to gain in participating in these events. We do not promote wasting our talents with mundane and vain activities. We come to Church to play, to pray, to learn, to give, to receive and to save our souls. We are a family and this is our home.

September 1st is also marked by the celebration of the MOST NAMEDAYS of any other day of the year in the Orthodox calendar. Look at all the names of Saints we commemorate on September 1st and do not forget to extend your wishes to all your friends and relatives who have their name-day celebrations, many of whom we have in our beautiful Parish:

SAINTS CELEBRATED ON SEPTEMBER 1st
Symeon Stylites, Righteous Joshua, Saint Meletios the Younger, Holy New Martyr Angelis, Saint Ammoun the Deacon and the Women Philosophers and Martyrs:

Among the saints commemorated on SEPTEMBER 1 are the FORTY WOMEN MARTYRS of Thrace (+305 AD). Many Orthodox women with unusual names may not be aware that they do have patron saints. Check and see if you or a loved one are one of them:

Adamantine,
Athena,
Akrive,
Antigone,
Arivea,
Aspasia,
Aphrodite,
Dione,
Dodone,
Elpinike,
Erasmia,
Erato,
Ermeneia,
Evterpe,
Thaleia,
Theanoe,
Theano,
Theonymphe,
Theophane,
Kalliroe,
Kalliste,
Kleio,
Kleonike,
Kleopatra,
Koralia,
Lambro,
Margarita,
Marianthe,
Melpomene,
Moscho,
Ourania,
Pandora,
Penelope,
Polymnia,
Polynike,
Sapfo,
Terpsichore,
Troada,
Haido,
and Harikleia.

Χρόνια πολλά and best wishes to all of you who celebrate!

The Saint Who Will Help You Find What You Are Looking For

Dear friends and supporters of our beautiful Church,

On Wednesday evening, August 26, we celebrate the Vespers of Saint Phanourios (at 7 pm), a miraculous and newly revealed Martyr of the early Church. I will speak in detail about the Saint at the service in his honor. You may bring the pies of the Saint – φανουρόπιτες - and the names of your loved ones, so that we pray for health, salvation and divine protection for our families and friends.

In life, we all search for something. Sometimes we even stress about it. Stress is the dialogue with our own selves for the things we cannot change. Prayer is the dialogue with God for the things that are entirely in His control. Pray to Saint Phanourios to find what you are looking for in life. Sometimes, he even helps you find what you were not even looking for, because only God knows what you really need. It is the fulfillment of the prayer “thy will be done” instead of “my will be done.” And Saint Phanourios has manifested the grace of God with many miracles and amazing blessings.

May we all find what we seek; through the intercessions of Saint Phanourios, we receive the Lord’s revelation, illuminating the path of salvation. Tuesday is also the feast of Saints Andrianos and Natalia. I would like to wish a very happy name-day to all the Natalias in the Parish (we have 3!). And to my beautiful daughter Natalia, we send best wishes as well: «χρόνια πολλά κι ευλογημένα αγάπη μου!» Below, is the summary of the life of the Saints, a great and inspirational example of love between a husband and a wife.

Saints Adrianos and Natalia

The holy Martyrs Adrian and Natalia confessed the Christian Faith during the reign of Maximian, in Nicomedia, in the year 298. Adrian was a pagan; witnessing the valor of the Martyrs, and the fervent faith with which they suffered their torments, he also declared himself a Christian and was imprisoned. When this was told to his wife Natalia, who was secretly a believer, she visited him in prison and encouraged him in his sufferings. Saint Adrian's hands and feet were placed on an anvil and broken off with a hammer; he died in his torments. His blessed wife recovered part of his holy relics and took it to Argyropolis near Byzantium. She reposed in peace soon after. (from the Synaxarion, or lives of Saints, in the Orthodox Calendar of the Archdiocese Website: www.goarch.org )

Saints Adrian (in Greek Adrianos) and Natalia are an example of Christian faith, self-denial and sacrificial love.  The word love is thrown around a lot (use more than any other concept in poems, songs, movies and the arts). Nevertheless, the example of Adrian, who endured severe martyrdom for his love of Christ is admirable. Most Christians do not even participate in a weekly Sunday service, let alone give their whole life to Christ.

Saint Natalia, on the other hand, is an inspiring wife, who risked her life to support her suffering husband. Furthermore, she walked a long journey, just to offer her husband a proper burial and the honor of a Christian martyr. Her love for him is in antithesis of many contemporary couples, who hardly do anything for each other, who hurt each other and commit acts that break the unity of their matrimony. Like a Christian version of Romeo and Juliet, Saint Natalia died as soon as she fulfilled her mission, after a long trip and many tribulations. Her death was not in vain, since it was thanks to her that we know of the Saints who became an eternal symbol of self-sacrifice and true love!

Apolytikion in the Third Tone

“You did deem that Faith, which has salvation to its wealth, never lost or plundered. You had forsaken your father's impiety, and you did follow your Lord, becoming rich in His divine gifts, O glorious Adrian. With the godly-minded Natalia, who emboldened you, entreat Christ our God, O Martyr, that our souls be saved.”

Kontakion in the Fourth Tone

“Having wisely laid to heart all the divine words of your godly-minded wife, Adrian, Martyr of Christ God, in torments you persevered ardently; and with your yoke-mate you now have received your crown.”

Άγιοι Ανδριανός και Ναταλία

Οι Άγιοι Ανδριανός και Ναταλία ήταν έγγαμοι μάρτυρες της πρωτοχριστιανικής εκκλησίας. Ζούσαν στη Νικομήδια και μαρτύρησαν την πίστη στο Χριστό κατά το έτος 298 μ.Χ. Ο Άγιος Ανδριανός εγκατέλειψε την ειδωλολατρεία βλέποντας το θάρρος, την πίστη και την αγάπη των μαρτύρων. Φυλακίστηκε εξ’ αιτίας της Χριστιανικής του ταυτότητος και βασανίστηκε οικτρά. Η σύζυγός του, η Αγία Ναταλία, και η ίδια κρυπτοχριστιανή, του έδινε θάρρος κατά τη διάρκεια των βασανιστηρίων. Του μιλούσε για το στεφάνι της Αγιότητος που περιμένει και να μην προδώσει την πίστη του. Όταν του έσπασαν τα άκρα με σφυριά και του άνοιγαν τις πληγές, εκείνη ερχόταν στη φυλακή για να τον περιποιηθεί, χωρίς να φοβάται αν την συλλάβουν.

Όταν εκδήμησε ο Άγιος Ανδριανός, η Αγία Ναταλία, έλαβε το σκήνωμά του (τα λείψανα που είχαν απομείνει μετά τα οικτρά βασανηστήρια) και τα μετέφερε στην Αργυρόπολη, κοντά στο Βυζάντιο. Μετά το μακρύ ταξίδι και αφού εκπλήρωσε την αποστολή της να διαφυλάξει το σεπτό σκήνωμα με τιμή, η Αγία Ναταλία εξεδήμησε εν Κυρίω. Αποτελεί υπόδειγμα αγάπης και αυτοπροσφοράς. Το μαρτύριο των Αγίων θυμίζει σε εμάς, τους σύγχρονους Χριστιανούς που οι περισσότεροι δεν θυσιάζουμε ούτε μία ώρα την εβδομάδα για εκλησιασμό, να δίνουμε τη ζωή μας και να προσφέρουμε για τον Θεό, τον συνάνθρωπο και αυτούς που μάς εμπιστεύεται ο Κύριος, την οικογένειά μας.

Η σύγχρονη οικογένεια πάσχει γιατί λείπει το πνεύμα θυσίας και προσφοράς. Ζητάμε αλλά δεν δίνουμε. Οι σχέσεις γίνονται μονόδρομες και όχι αμφίδρομες. Οι σύζυγοι δεν παραμένουν σύζυγοι, να σηκώνουν μαζί το ζυγό με ισορροπία, αρμονία και αγάπη. Μεγαλώνουν τα ποσσοστά συζύγουν που απατούν ο ένας τον άλλο, που τους κακομεταχειρίζονται και υβρίζονται ακόμη και μπροστά στα αθώα και ανήμπορα παιδιά τους. Έτσι μεγαλώνουν και οι παιδικές ψυχασθένειες και τα παιδιά είναι τα θύματα ενός πολέμουν που δεν προκάλεσαν. Ο Θεός μάς τα δίνει ως αγγελούδια και εμείς τους δίνουμε μια κόλαση.

Η Χριστιανική οικογένεια είναι το μόνο λιμάνι σωτηρίας στο οποίο οι αρχές και τα ηθικά ιδανικά του Ευαγγελίου καλλιεργούν αληθινή και καρδιακή αγάπη, ειρηνική συμβίωση και αγαλλίαση. Για το λόγο αυτό, πρέπει να βλέπουμε στους Αγίους μας υποδείγματα και παραδείγματα ήθους και συμπεριφοράς. Παραδείγματα αληθινής αγάπης!

Πρωτοπρεσβύτερος Νικηφόρος Φακίνος