SOURCE October 2018 Issue #10-18

THE SOURCE October 2018 Issue #10-18 HOLY TRINITY GREEK ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL CAMP HILL, PA Iconography in the Church Inside This Issue: pg. 2 - 5: Remarks from Fr. Michael Inserts for October: October 2018 Calendars pg. 8: Parish Council October Metropolis Newsletter pg. 12: Events and Activities Dance Registration Form & Bylaws THE SOURCE OCTOBER 2018 Page 2 Remarks from Fr. Michael New Saint, Saint Amphilochios of Patmos (1889-1970) Two weeks ago, our Mother Holy Church of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople officially proclaimed from the Synod the recording of the name of Father Amphilochios Makris, of Patmos, in the diptychs of the Saints of our Holy Orthodox Church. The classification of Saint Amphilochios in the Holy Church gives us the opportunity briefly to touch upon certain facts from his life. He was born in 1889 by Emmanuel and Irene Makris. His parents were religious people as any islander of that time. Saint Amphilochios was honest with himself. The vigil light in front of the icons was always lit and his prayer was unceasing. The Services of the Church were always in his life. In the evening he always did the Small Compline and very early in the morning offered the morning prayers. He was saying, "the teachings are good, but the monk is fed by the Prayers. In the space of prayer, he breathes freely”. He believed that studying the books of the Church (Holy Bible; Life and Teachings of the Saints) with prayer are the keys to eternal life. Everyone who wanted to see him was welcomed with a pleasant face and with a real smile even those who had hurt him. He loved the other one, whether they fell into sin or got back up. Candles, incense, bread, kolliva and the vigil light were in use at home. Generally, Patmos had a tradition of piety that Saint Christodoulos brought from Latros when he came to Patmos. This tradition has been molded into their lives, and since then it has characterized the life of the Monks and the laity who lived on the island. Thus, Saint Amphilochios grew up in a great environment and his heart was full of love for all creation. When he was a one-year-old on Good Friday, he closed his eyes and did not ask to be breastfeed all day long. Only after midnight he woke up and nursed. In March 1901 he became a Novice monk and five months later, in August he was tonsured as a monk. From Athanasius, he received the name Amphilochios for his Godfather and Bishop of Pelousion, Amphilochios Kappos. It is said that his food was a few spoonfuls of food and he did not eat any more. In 1911 he came to Mount Athos to learn a trade so that he could have a source of income. He went to many of the Monasteries and observed that many monks were standing and they did not move from their place during the many hours of Services. This practice he kept in his own life. He stayed for a long time in the cell (Monastery) of the Elder Daniel Koutounakiotis, where he learned to carve wooden spoons and other items. He returned to Patmos and to avoid his ordination in 1913 he went to Alexandria of Egypt and then to the Holy Land. He was baptized in the Jordan River and told about the Grace of the blessed Jordan River that even today, when pious priests descend into the waters of being baptized, they see the waters reversing. He went back to Patmos, at Apollo's seat with elder Makarios Antoniadis where he received the Great Schema and was taught spiritually. Elder Makarios was the descendant of the family of the Kollivades. From the rigorous disciplines he became sick and was hemorrhaging. They advised him to go to Smyrna to a doctor. "The ship arrived in Smyrna at dusk. My soul was full of joy and yearning that I would see the Church of the Revelation. Unfortunately, the beaches were full of people inappropriately dressed. I asked if they were Turks or Greeks and they answered - Greeks and even Christians! I got off the ship with a heavy heart and walked around the city and wondered. Is this the Church of Saint Polycarp and the THE SOURCE OCTOBER 2018 Page 3 Church of so many other Martyrs and Saints? So suddenly an elder clergyman appeared in front of me and said: “Amphilochios, do not worry. There will come a time when the fire will burn everything you see. It will come from one side of the city and it will go to the other. The old man disappeared. Indeed, my children many years did not pass and it was heard everywhere: The Turks burnt the beautiful and famous city of Smyrna!! " His relationship with the people was always very careful. They wondered how the peasant of Patmos had so much courtesy and aristocracy. He had a close relationship and acquaintance with Metropolitan of Pentapolis, Saint Nektarios. He met St. Nektarios in 1914. As a monk and later as a deacon, Father Amphilochios visited and co- celebrated Liturgy and other Services with him. Father Amphilochios felt alive with the presence of Saint Nektarios in his life. Every Sunday he placed on the Bishop’s throne a piece of Saint Nektarios’ relic to feel that the Saint was present. In 1968 he went to Aegina to the Monastery of Saint Nektarios and they told him to sit at the place where the Saint used to stay, he replied: "No, because the Saint is sitting there" He met many people and his concern was that people lived and died without confession, without Holy Communion. He would pray entire nights mentioning names for people so they would find the way of salvation. Also he wished for Monasteries to perform missionary work in the surrounding area offering help, charity, confession. First, take care of the human needs and then talk about Christ. Saint Amphilochios cared for the dignity of the Holy Cave of the Revelation. He Iconographed the chapel of St. Anna with scenes from the Revelation and renovated the floor of the Church. He planted pine trees, cypress trees and eucalyptus trees around the Holy Cave, and watered them by himself, carrying water throughout the summer. With this way he also defeated the temptations of the flesh. He was saying about the Holy Cave that the Theologian still walked in the Cave. Indeed, after a vision from a small child he placed a railing in the place where the Apostle John was resting to avoid being stepped on by the people. In the middle of the cave he placed a stand where the book of the Revelation was always open so that every pilgrim could read a piece of the prophetic book in this miraculous place He was elected as an Abbot in 1935. In 1938 the Italians exiled him and then he went to Athens. The brotherhood of Zoe accepted and gave him the assignment of Father Confessor. Then he went and was hearing confessions in Giannena, Thessaloniki, Crete, Athens, and Aegina. The people of Aegina received him with much love while the Elder also embraced them in a similar way. In 1968 he confessed to Father Gregory that in Aegina he found comfort and warmth in the difficult days of his exile. Concerning Patriarch Bartholomew in 1958 said: "This is the future patriarch of Constantinople”. After his death, with the invocations of his name, he healed a blind child. He also healed a child who suffered from leukemia, and many other miraculous events were accomplished by His intercessions. In 1969, in a Divine Liturgy, Father Gregory recalled, a bright light came all over his face and to his entire body! He quietly died on Thursday of Lazarus on April 16, 1970. Through our intercessions of our Holy Father Amphilochios may the Lord bless all of us. Amen. In Christ's love, Rev. Michael Varvarelis THE SOURCE OCTOBER 2018 Page 4 Νέος Αγιος, Ο Αγιος Αμφιλόχιος τού Πάτμου (1889-1970) Πριν δύο εβδομάδες η Αγία τού Θεού Μεγάλη Εκκλησία τού Γένους, τό Οικουμενικό μας Πατριαρχείον στήν Κων/νούπολι επισήμως ανεκήρυξε από Συνόδου τήν εγγραφή τού Ονόματος τού πατρός Αμφιλοχίου Μακρή, του εν Πάτμω είς τήν χορείαν τών Αγίων τής Αγίας μας Εκκλησίας. Η κατάταξη τού Αγίου Αμφιλοχίου είς τό Αγιολόγιον τής Εκκλησίας μάς προσφέρει τήν ευκαιρία εν συντομία να αναφέρουμε ορισμένα γεγονότα απο τόν βίο καί τήν πολιτεία Του. Γεννήθηκε τό 1889 από τόν Εμμανουήλ καί τήν Ειρήνη Μακρή. Οι γονείς του ήταν άνθρωποι θρησκευάμενοι όπως καί κάθε νησιώτης της εποχής εκείνης. Ο Αγιος Αμφιλόχιος ήταν τίμιος μέ τόν εαυτόν του. Τό κανδήλι στίς εικόνες ήταν πάντα αναμμένο καί η προσευχή ασταμάτητη. Η εκκλησιαστική ακολουθία ήταν η ζωή του. Τό βράδυ πάντα έκανε τό Απόδειπνο καί πολύ ενωρίς τό πρωί τήν ακολουθία. Ελεγε «καλές είναι οι διδαχές αλλά ο μοναχός τρέφεται μέ τήν ακολουθία. Στό χώρο τής προσευχής αναπνέει ελεύθερα.» Πίστευε ότι η μελέτη στά βιβλία τής Εκκλησίας (Αγία Γραφή καί η ζωή καί διδασκαλία τών αγίων) μέ τήν προσευχή είναι τά κλειδιά τής αιωνίας ζωής. Ολους πού ήθελαν νά τόν ιδούν τούς δεχόταν μέ ευχάριστο πρόσωπο καί μέ αληθινό χαμόγελο ακόμη καί αυτούς πού τόν είχαν πικράνει. Τόν άλλον τόν αγαπούσε, είτε έπεφτε στήν αμαρτία είτε σηκωνότανε. Κεριά, λιβάνι, άρτοι, κόλλυβα καί κανδήλι ήταν σέ χρήση στό σπίτι του. Γενικά η Πάτμος είχε παράδοση ευσέβειας πού ο Οσιος Χριστόδουλος τήν έφερε από τό Λάτρος όταν ήλθε στήν Πάτμο. Αυτή η παράδοση ζυμώθηκε καί έκτοτε χαρακτήριζε τήν ζωήν τών Μοναχών καί τών λαϊκών πού ζούσαν στό νησί.

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