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+ = = p^fkqp=mbqbo=^ka=m^ri=loqelalu=`ero`e NEWSLETTER February, 2012 Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church A Parish of the Orthodox Church in America Archpriest John Udics, Rector 305 Main Road, Herkimer, New York, 13350 Parish Web Page: www.cnyorthodoxchurch.org Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church Newsletter, February, 2012 This month’s Newsletter is in memory of Tillie Leve donated by Steve Leve. Parish Officer Contact Information Rector: Archpriest John Udics: (315) 866-3272 - [email protected] Committee President and Cemetery Director: John Ciko: (315) 866-5825 - [email protected] Committee Secretary: Subdeacon Demetrios Richards (315) 865-5382 – [email protected] Sisterhood President: Rebecca Hawranick: (315) 822-6517 – [email protected] Choir Director: Reader John Hawranick: (315) 822-6517 – [email protected] Birthdays in February – God Grant You Many Years! 8 – Audrey Gale 20 – Wayne Nuzum 10 – Larissa Lyszczarz 22 – Martha Mamrosch 11 – Eileen Brinck 27 – Marilyn Stevens 13 – Emilee Penree Memory Eternal. 1 Julia Hladysz (1981) 13 Helen Brown (1993) 1 Leonard Corman (1991) 14 Julia Bruska (2000) 1 Dorothy Quackenbusg (2005) 15 Owen Dulak 2 John Garbera (1988) 16 John Yaworski (1977) 2 Helen Woods (1998) 16 Anna Kuzenech (1996) 4 Andrew Keblish (1975) 17 Andrew Yaneshak (1984) 4 Paul Shust Jr (2008) 18 Michael Kuncik (1980) 5 Stephen Sleciak Sr (1972) 21 Peter Slenska (1986) 5 Efrosina Krenichyn (1977) 22 Julia Hudyncia (1983) 5 Olga Nichols (1994) 23 Mary Mezick )2000) 8 Antonina Steckler (2007) 24 John Hubiak 10 Harry Hardish (1975) 26 Helen Pelko (2005) 10 Helen Halkovitch (1989) 28 Andrew Homyk (1984) 10 Theodosia Jago (2007) 28 Cornelius Mamrosch (1995) 13 Natalie Raspey (1973) 28 Louis Brelinsky (2004 13 Andrew Bobak (1978) + Questions and Answers 75. "Dear Father, We must strenuously refute... one of the answers given in your Questions and Answers. You wrote 'Tradition tells us that Mary of Magdala was a prostitute.' According to our research, through Greek sources, Saint Mary lived and died a pure virgin." A letter with the comment above came to us from Holy Apostles Convent, Buena Vista, Colorado. It included a brief biographical sketch of Saint Mary Magdalene from “The Life of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God,” from the series of books these sisters publish (and which we recommend). We hope the sisters don't mind if we quote the biography in its entirety. 2 Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church Newsletter, February, 2012 A Few Words about Saint Mary Magdalene, Equal-to-the-Apostles A virgin until her repose, Mary Magdalene, of the town of Magdala, situated on the west side of the Sea of Galilee, was raised and thoroughly educated in the law and prophets by her parents, especially her father. Although she was orphaned at ten, she lived an exemplary life before God. She was virtuous, prayed continually, and was like a bee collecting the honey of virtues. From her adolescence, she could be found either at home or in the synagogue. She never spoke to men. She did, however, have female companions of like mind, who would visit and minister to the infirm and sick. Her manner of life was ascetical. She never laughed in a disorderly manner, but would just smile modestly when the occasion demanded it. "Was she the Virgin that Isaias spoke of?" wondered Satan. Believing her to be, she was assailed by seven evil spirits that they might cause her to fall into grievous sin and destroy her virginity. Therefore, her early life was one of fierce struggle and spiritual warfare. Seven demons assailed her: those of pride, fornication, judging others, lying, stealing, murder and unbelief. But she valiantly withstood them and never opened the door to any of them that they might take her captive, until Christ came and cast them away [Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2]. Therefore, the ‘casting out of seven demons’ does not mean that Christ had rescued a social derelict. There is no evidence that she was promiscuous, much less a harlot for hire; that she was a woman of means is evident from her ability to support Jesus from her means [Matthew.27:56]. Her obvious leadership and prominence among the women is seen in the fact that her name is mentioned more often than most, and usually first; this hardly reflects a scarlet past. There is a tradition which says that Saint Mary Magdalene was a prostitute, but it is not the Holy Tradition of the Orthodox Church. The Penguin Dictionary of Saints (D. Attwater, ed., Baltimore, 1965.) says: ...Among other women mentioned in the gospels are the unnamed woman 'who was a sinner', and Mary of Bethany, Martha's sister. These are not further identified, and in Eastern tradition they and the Magdalen are usually treated as three different persons. But the West, following Saint Gregory the Great, regards them as one and the same.... This Western tradition has resulted in Saint Mary Magdalen being considered as an outstanding type of the penitent and the contemplative. The Eastern tradition is the more probable. In the Orthodox Church, the Lives of the Saints teach us that Saint Mary was a virtuous woman until her death. They state that she was sickly all her life and that she was possessed by demons, though not as a result of her sins, or the sins of her parents, but only that the glory of God might be revealed, when Jesus cast out those demons. The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible speculates that the reason Saint Mary obtained a bad reputation is only that she is from Magdala, a city reputed to be a center of sinful entertainment. The confusion of the three women in the gospels by the Western Church perpetuated that idea. To Saint Mary Magdalene, Myrrhbearer, Equal to the Apostles, and to everyone misled by Answer 59, the author apologizes. Holy Apostles Convent, P.O. Box 3118, Buena Vista, Colorado, 81211. 3 Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church Newsletter, February, 2012 78. 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth' was explained to me as not from the Old Testament, but from the Mediterranean way of thinking about money. It means, for example, that if I break something of yours you can only get the equivalent value for what I broke. It didn't have anything to do with revenge, and is not a Jewish custom. Is that true? Too often we misinterpret the expression 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth' to mean that God permits us to take vengeance for evils done to us by another person. In fact, this is an Old Testament expression which limits the amount of punishment that should be meted out to someone. It means 'let the punishment fit the crime, and not exceed it.' The saying is given in Exodus 21.22-24: When men strive together and hurt a woman with child, so that there is a miscarriage, and yet no harm follows, the one who hurt her shall be fined, according as the woman's husband shall lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. And again in Leviticus 24.17-20: He who kills a man shall be put to death. He who kills a beast shall make it good, life for life. When a man causes a disfigurement in his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has disfigured a man, he shall be disfigured. But Jesus teaches the New Commandment in Matthew 5.38-41 and 43-48 and refers to the old: You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. The Old Testament law controlled retaliation, but it did not sanction it. Instead of retaliation, Jesus teaches us to be like God, His Father, who blesses everyone, including his enemies. As for the origin of the 'law of retaliation' or 'lex talionis,' "the principle of punishing a wrongdoer with exactly those injuries or damages he has inflicted upon someone else is known in a number of ancient and primitive laws. It is most often - but not exclusively - applied to cases of bodily injury."* It's listed in the Roman law called the Twelve Tables (450 BC), the Code of Hammurabi and in pre- Islamic Arabic tribal laws.