St. ’s Orthodox Christian Church 1182 Ashland St., Greensburg, PA 15601 Diocese of Charleston, Oakland and the Mid-Atlantic Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. (See the back cover for detailed contact information.)

Sunday, August 21, 2016 To all who are present with us this morning, Welcome! Thank you for being here. Please join us for coffee and… in the Fellowship Hall following Divine Liturgy.

You May Find the Text of the Divine Liturgy beginning on the bottom of page 91 of the Service Book (gold embossed cross on the reddish brown cover) or in the green-spiral-bound book; sheet music can be found in the 8.5” x 11” large, spiral-bound booklet. At the Kiss of Peace our practice is for each of us to greet the person to our right and left with the bowing of our head, hands held in a prayerful clasp or crossed on the chest, while offering each other the seasonal Christian greeting, “Christ is in our midst!” and responding, “He is and shall be!” Please remember that Holy Communion is reserved for those Chrismated Orthodox Christians who have appropriately prepared themselves through prayer, fasting and Confession to receive the Holy Mysteries of the Church. The bread (anti’doron, which means ‘in place’ of the gifts) which we share after Communion and at the end of the Liturgy is for all. Being mindful we are in church, let us always remember to… ...be quiet and attentive. Let us sing, pray, stand, sit, kneel and respond where responses are indicated. Let us not talk, look around, text message, play games, etc. Especially let us work at this in the Communion line and when in line to venerate the Cross and depart. If we cannot hear the post- Communion prayers being chanted during our church departure, we are way too noisy. ...refrain from eating, drinking or chewing gum. (most obviously and especially if you will be receiving Holy Communion). ...stay put. Except in rare cases, there are few of us who cannot stay in one location for two hours (actually less, for most of us). The Mission of Our Church The mission of St Michael’s Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church is to tend the flock of our Lord Jesus Christ and to spread the Good News of Christ to those outside the flock. This mission is to be accomplished by a) living a full liturgical and sacramental life, b) proclaiming the Orthodox Christian faith to all people, c) providing effective charitable and social programs, and d) establishing strong spiritual leadership and resources. ______

SYRIAN CHRISTIAN RELIEF As the Syrian crisis continues, we continue to accept donations to do what we can to help ease the suffering there. Checks may be written to “St. Michael’s” with the note “Syrian Relief.” The following is a link to International Orthodox Christian Charities ((IOCC) “Response to the Crisis in Syria” page with more information on what you can do to help: http://www.iocc.org/countries/countries_syria.aspx Sunday, August 21, 2016

Greeting: Christ is in our midst! Response: He is and shall be! Tone: 8 Eothinon: 9 Ninth Sunday after Pentecost and Ninth Sunday of Matthew. After- feast of the Dormition of the . Apostle Thaddeus of the Seventy; Martyrs Bassa, Theognios, Agapios and Pistos of Edessa; Venerable of Smolensk and his , Ven. Ephraim ______

THE EPISTLE READING St. Paul to the Corinthians (3:9-17) RETHREN, we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another manB is building upon it. Let each man take care how he builds upon it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay or straw, each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. THE HOLY GOSPEL According to St. Matthew (14:22-34) T THAT TIME, Jesus made the Disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds. And after He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on theA mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone, but the Disciples’ boat by this time was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. But when the Disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately He spoke to them, saying, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.” And Peter answered Him, “Lord, if it is Thee, bid me come to Thee on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out His hand and caught him, saying to him, “O man of little faith, why did you doubt? ” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “Truly, Thou art the Son of God.” And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. ______SCHOOL KITS The Antiochian Women are once again gathering school sup- plies for the orphans living in refuge camps in Syria. Connie Volchko will be distributing TOTE BAGS for you to fill with supplies on Sunday, August 28th. Return to her or to the church office by September 11th. Now is an especially great time to buy the needed supplies as the prices are great for Back to School. So, if you are out shopping…. HERE IS LIST OF TOTE BAG SUPPLIES: 1 - pair of blunt tip scissors 1 - 30cm/12 inch ruler 1 - pencil sharpener 6 - new pencils with erasers 1 - large eraser 1 - box of 24 crayons 12 - sheets of colored construction paper - - pads/notebooks of ruled paper, approx. 8.5 x 11 inch, containing 150-200 sheets of paper Any questions, please call the office. Thanks for supporting this worthwhile project! ______

“Food on the Hill” Lunch Ministry “Food on the Hill” is the name that has been attached to the lunch for those in need that will be prepared and served free of charge on the first Tuesday of each month . Our Men’s Fellowship has continued to take on the work of providing a bit of “daily” bread to those who can benefit from it. At the most recent luncheon, we served 22 meals to members of the community. The next “Food on the Hill” lunch is scheduled for Tuesday, September 6, 2016 from 12:00 to 1:00 PM. Anyone who would like to support “Food on the Hill” in any capacity you would like, should contact Gus Flizanes. Please make checks out to “St. Michael’s Churc h” with “Food on the Hill” on the memo line. If you can possibly also help provide transportation on the day of the luncheon, please contact Gus. HAVE YOU NOTICED the TREE in the hallway decorated with WHITE TAGS? (Have you done anything about it yet?) Please stop by and take a tag (or two) as a reminder of what you can buy as a way of supporting the St. Michael’s Shish-Kabob Dinner, which is planned for Sunday, September 18th. It will be greatly appreciated by the cooks and bakers of St. Michael’s, as they prepare the food for the community fundraising event. Bring your items (please pay attention to brand names) and place them under the “Food Tree”! ______

The Theology of Hieromartyr of Lyons (c. 130-202) (from orthodoxwiki.org; Divine Liturgy at 9 AM on Tuesday, August, 23) The central point of Irenaeus’ theology is the unity of God, in opposition to the Gnostics’ division of God into a number of divine “Aeons”, and their distinction between the “High God” and the wicked “Demiurge” who created the world. Irenaeus uses the Logos theology he inherited from St. Justin Martyr, but prefers to speak of the Son and the Spirit as the “hands of God,” using figures for the Trinity which antedate the more precise language of the Cappadocians. Christ, for him, is the invisible Father made visible. His emphasis on the unity of God is reflected in his corresponding emphasis on the unity of salvation history. Irenaeus repeatedly insists that God created the world and has been overseeing it ever since. Everything that has happened is part of his plan for humanity. The essence of this plan is maturation: Irenaeus believes that humanity was created immature, and God intended his creatures to take time to grow into his likeness. Thus, and Eve were created as children. Their Fall was thus not a full-blown rebellion but a childish spat, a desire to grow up before their time and have everything now. Everything that has happened since has therefore been directed by God to help humanity overcome this and grow up. The world has been designed by God as a difficult place, where human beings are forced to make moral decisions - only in this way can they mature. Irenaeus likens death to the whale that swallowed : it was only in the depths of the whale’s belly that Jonah could turn to God and do his will. Similarly, death and suffering appear evil, but without them we could never come to know God. The high point in salvation history is Jesus Christ. Irenaeus believes that Christ would always have been sent, even if humanity had never sinned; but the fact that they did sin determines his role as a saviour. He sees Christ as the new Adam, who systematically undoes what Adam did: thus, where Adam was disobedient about the fruit of a tree, Christ was obedient even to death on the wood of a tree. Irenaeus is the first to draw comparisons between Eve and the Theotokos, contrasting the faithlessness of the former with the faithfulness of the latter. In addition to reversing the wrongs done by Adam, Irenaeus thinks of Christ as “recapitulating” or “summing up” human life. This means that Christ goes through every stage of human life, from infancy to old age, and simply by living it, sanctifies it with his divinity. Irenaeus thus thinks that our salvation comes about, essentially, through the incarnation of God as man. He characterizes the penalty for sin as death and corruption. God, however, is immortal and incorruptible, and simply by becoming united to human nature in Christ he conveys those qualities to us: they spread, as it were, like a benign infection. Irenaeus therefore understands the atonement of Christ as happening through his incarnation rather than his crucifixion, although the latter is an integral part of the former. ______St. Michael’s St. Michael’s Shish-Kebab Shish-Kebab Dinner Reminders (Dinner Day—Sunday, September 18) Dinner Reminders (Dinner Day—Sunday, September 18) Every part in the machine that is your car 1) Indoor set-up will take place on is essential to the good running of that Saturday, September 3. vehicle. In like fashion, every person who will be part of our Shish-Kabob 2) Outdoor set-up will take place on Dinner Volunteer Team is important to Saturday, September 17. our being a “well-oiled machine” on 3) On the day of the Dinner, we ask Sunday, September 18, the day of the that no one who is a church Dinner. member park in the parking lot. That being the case, however, we might Plan on parking on the grassy acknowledge that some systems of the island at the bottom of the entry to car take on added importance because of our lot. their particular function — like the 4) The next planning meeting will brakes. Not to many of us would hop in be Monday evening, August 22 at our ride and go for a spin if we knew the 6:30 PM. (What will make our brakes weren’t working. Shish-Kabob Dinner financially Likewise, for our upcoming Shish- successful, socially enjoyable and logistically manageable will be Kabob Dinner, one aspect of our YOU. Volunteer today on the sign planning is showing up as particularly up sheets at the main entrance.) important and challenging as we prepare for our guests’ arrival — the Server ______Team. We know how to make all the food — Planning Meeting #5 and that is happening. We know how to for the St. Michael’s sell the tickets and do adequate publicity. Shish-Kabob Dinner That will be accomplished. But it has been quite a while since we’ve done a “sit-down dinner” for our food event. will be held on Monday, Hence, our Server Team is a high priority; and getting names on paper for August 22 at 6:30pm that Team is fearfully important. Multipurpose Room Thank you to Barli Ross (410-924- Please join us and bring your 6284) for stepping up to lead our talents, your ideas, Server Team. Any and all able bodied your energy!!! and cheerfully disposed who would ______like to work on the Team that is the place where the face of our church meets the faces of our community, sign up to be a server on September 18, at our Shish-Kabob Dinner. ______Have you returned your Shish-Kabob Dinner ticket sales yet? Do you need additional tickets to sell? Call Debbie in the church office at 724-834-1311. ______

At 9:00 AM Monday morning, THANK YOU ALL!!!! August 29, the newly ordained Valerie Flizanes and Mary , Fr. Paul Abernathy will Haiden, co-chairs of the recent be celebrating Divine Liturgy Flea Market, want to thank eve- here at St. Michael’s. Bishop ryone who helped to make it THOMAS will also be here. It is such a successful event. Many said that the prayers of a person are thanks to all of you that contrib- most efficacious at times like their uted your valuable time, donated ordination or monastic tonsure as items, homemade baked goods, their inner fire is alive in a organizational skills and energy particularly fervid fashion. Let us (especially in carrying all of avail ourselves of the newly poured those books!) Everyone’s sup- Grace of the Spirit by coming and praying the Divine Liturgy lead by port of the Flea Market, Frozen Fr. Paul. Food/Bake Sale and Book Sale is ______what made it such a success!!! and while we are on the Today we will bless a new icon of subject… Since the recent bake the Three Holy Youths in the sale and flea market were such a Fiery Furnace which now adorns the narthex of our success (and we are so grateful church. Thank you to Tom for all of you that contributed to Roberts for his commissioning of it), the Bake Sale at our Shish this icon in loving memory of his Kabob dinners has always been a wife Diana Roberts, and to huge success as well. iconographer Nick Papas who Let’s maintain that tradition by accomplished this work, likewise, in his sister Diana’s memory. contributing as many baked ______goods as you can for the upcom- ing Shish Kabob Dinner Bake FOOD FAIR Sale. Please bring in your baked St. John the Baptish Church goods (prepackaged and ready Wilpen (Ligonier), PA for sale) by Saturday, Septem- Sunday, August 28, 2016 ber 17th at 3PM to the church 12:00 noon to 5:00 PM hall. If you plan on donating (Pulled Pork, Chicken, Haluski, baked items, please contact Halupki, Pierogi, Keilbasa, Hot Joanne at 724-600-0524 dogs, Baked goods —Bingo, games, (or 724-309-1957) and/or other fun) Bonnie at 724-516-2971. More info - Stevi - 724-238-2286 ______REMEMBER, the Second Week on this schedule May Change: ALWAYS USE THE MOST CURRENT BULLETIN!

Secretary Debbie will be in the office August 28 thru September 3 this week on M-W-F from 9-2. Sunday, August 28 August 21 thru August 27 - 8:45 AM - MATINS - 10:00 AM - DIVINE LITURGY Sunday, August 21 - AntiochianMEN’s Meeting - 8:45 AM - MATINS - 10:00 AM - DIVINE LITURGY Monday, August 29 (Strict Fast) - Bless 3 Holy Youths Icon - 9:00 AM - DIVINE LITURGY - 12:00 PM - Abortion Prayers Beheading of St. Newly-Ordained Fr. Paul Abernathy Monday, August 22 will be the ‘main’ celebrant - 6:30 PM - “Shish-Kabob” Meeting Bishop THOMAS will be in attendance Tuesday, August 23 - 6:30 PM - “Shish-Kabob” Meeting - 9:00 AM - DIVINE LITURGY Wednesday, August 31 Ireneaus of Lyons - 6:00 PM - VESP. DIV. LIT’RGY - 7:00 PM - Meeting with Fr. Ken Liturgical New Year Saturday, August 27 Saturday, September 3 - Ordination of Dn. Paul Abernathy - 8:00 AM (flex start) - Indoor (Kristina ‘Elias’’ husband) Set-Up for Shish-Kabob Dinner to the Holy Priesthood) (let Gust Flizanes know you’re coming) SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS - 6:00 PM - GREAT VESPERS - 6:00 PM - GREAT VESPERS ______

On Saturday morning, August 27, at A Luncheon will follow the services St. George Church, Bridgeville, at 1:15 PM in the Banquet Hall of: Dn. Paul Abernathy, husband of a daughter of our church, Kristina Holy Cross Greek Elias Abernathy, will be ordained to Orthodox Church the Holy Priesthood. Dn. Paul is the 123 Gilkeson Road, director of FOCUS Pittsburgh Pittsburgh (Fellowship of Orthodox Christians (Mt. Lebanon) PA 115228 United for Service). By the Grace Bridgeville, PA 15017 of God and the hard work of Saturday, August 27 Dn. Paul and the FOCUS Mission of 1:15 PM - Luncheon St. the Black, the lives of If you will be attending the many who live in the Hill District Luncheon at Holy Cross Church, are being transformed. please RSVP Fr. Jason, pastor of The schedule for the ordination day St. George Church, at is as follows: [email protected], or call and leave a message at this number — St. George Orthodox Church (412) 221-2277. (or tell Fr. John, or 610 Dewey Ave. Marilyn Elias today). Bridgeville, PA 15017 Saturday, August 27 Please RSVP no later than 9:30 AM - Matins Monday (TOMORROW), 10:30 AM - Divine Liturgy August 22. & Ordination >>> ______Some words about our new icons…

The Three Holy Youths Mural at Michael Church Greensburg By Nick Papas

Why is “The Three Youths” mural appropriate for Saint Michael Church and for this space above the Baptismal font specifically?

Actually, I believe it is not merely appropriate, but perfect. It is perfect where it is and why it is. It’s where it is because of The Three Youths’ story’s relationship to Baptism. Its reason for being is perfect because of its relationship to being a memorial for Diana Roberts. The story of this mural comes from The Book of Daniel. It tells of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (The Three Holy Youths) and their sure-thing deaths, wherein they are thrown into a furnace to be killed for not submitting to an earthly king. the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. Orthodox Christians hear this story retold every Holy Saturday. It is one of the special, once-a-year, 15 Old Testament readings that are read just hours before, liturgically, the triumphant words “Christ is Risen!” are shouted with unfettered joy! The 15 readings set the stage for what will be experienced liturgically which is a thing which people of faith have experienced throughout the ages... that death is not what it appears to be! Mankind has had this inkling, even to its bones, from the time of the fall in the Garden of Eden. And so often when this inkling proves or reveals itself it gets retold and em- phasized by things such as Holy Scripture. So, the “stage is set” with all of the lessons of the prophets and all of the stories of the Old Testament, such as the story of “The Three Youths”. It is set for that which Jesus will do, which is to completely annihilate death. Mankind’s conscience also has awareness that the key to this life and death thing was and is faith in God. Just as faith was a key to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Faith, also, is what is expressed and fulfilled when followers of Christ enter into Baptism. They enter into life, a new life, eternal life. The Three Holy Youths escaped death be- cause of faith and we do the same when, through faith, we enter into Christ’s death and resurrection via our personal Baptism. In all these things we don’t learn that death is escapable. We DO learn that death is a conduit or passageway... to true life. Jesus didn’t escape death. He showed us that the Cross is not the end of the story.

Which is to say, “appearances can be deceiving,” even when or especially when it comes to death! The Three Holy Youths APPEARED to die. Jesus APPEARED to die. The APPEAR to die. Our loved ones APPEAR to die It APPEARS that Diana has died. This message, sacrament and reality about life, death, false appearances, eternity and vic- tory over death are the things Christians enter into when they enter into the waters of Baptism.

So there it is! Jesus reveals that Baptism is, for us, eternal life, by way of faith. This pas- sageway into eternal life and this glorious news were foretold to us in stories like that of The Three Holy Youths.

Not that it’s easy to accept the loss of the ones we love. It’s not easy accepting our loss of Diana.

Even in this we aren’t alone though! The Three Youths prayed in the midst of their flames! Jesus prayed with blood and sweat in His desire to not have to take up the Cross and death, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me.

Perhaps, though, our greatest peace-giving lesson comes from Jesus when He prays, at the same moment He asked for His “cup” to be removed, nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

By grace let it be that we too can pray... Not our will... but God’s will be done... even unto death.

______

The “Made Without Hands” Icon at Saint Michael, Greensburg By Nick Papas

The icon titled “Made Without Hands” or “Made Without Human Hands” is, essentially, an icon of an icon.

It is an icon of one (or ANY) of the images of Christ that were made inexplicably. They are known as “Acheiropoieta” (Greek, meaning “made without hands”). The list of these miraculous images includes King Abgar’s “Image of Edessa”, Veronica’s Veil, The Shroud of Turin and more.

The original “Made without Hands” images brought healing and faith-strengthening to those that saw and touched them. They are a testament to Jesus’ incarnation, divinity and resurrection from the dead, and they are a proof of God’s ability to heal.

It seems that it has been a holy coincidence that at the same time when Greensburg’s icon of “Made Without Hands” was being painted and installed that many within Saint Michael’s community were feeling the loss of Norma Gammill (Kh. Juliana’s mother) and Thomas G. Roberts (Tommy Robert’s father). It only makes sense that this icon is of- fered in their memory, praying:

+Memory Eternal, God’s children, Norma and Thomas+ +Peace and consolation to those who miss them+ ______