St. Nicholas Orthodox

Monthly Parish Bulletin Orthodox Church in America 2143 S. Center Road – Burton, Michigan 48519 Served by: Fr. Matthew-Peter Butrie – Rector Kerry Luke Gonser & Esteban Vázquez

Email: [email protected] Website: www.saintnicholasburton.org Fr. Matthew’s Email: [email protected]

Cell: 810-247-4265 Church: 810-744-0070

Services: Wednesday- 9 am Adult Education-11 am Sunday - 9:30 a.m. Third Hour 10:00 a.m. Holydays, Vigil and Vespers as announced Confessions are heard before all morning services and after all evening services.

“But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; wait for the mercy of our Lord Christ unto eternal life.” St. Jude 1:20 April 1-30, 2016

FROM FATHER’S DESK Dearly faithful and friends of St. Nicholas, On the Fourth Sunday of , this year April 10, we will hear the gospel passage Mark 9:17-31 where a man confesses to Jesus, “I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief!” (9:24) This is a powerful confession. This cry today of the father in the gospel reveals his own brokenness, the brokenness of our human nature. How can one be at the same time both believing and yet unbelieving? How can we have faith and yet not have faith? The fact is our hearts can be given over to holding two contradictory things. There’s a word for it: double-minded. In the case of faith we can find ourselves of two minds. When we were joined to Jesus Christ at our baptism, we first rejected the devil and all his works and all his service and all his pride. We turned from sin so that we may face our Lord Jesus Christ and become his sisters and brothers through the Holy Spirit. Yet we all know that we do not stay true to that profession of faith. We take turns here and there to go back to a life of sin. Falling into temptation. The image of the Israelites is a good picture of this. After their deliverance from slavery to Pharaoh and their travels in hunger through the desert of Sinai, the Israelites murmured “Better we had died in Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill us with hunger.” (Exodus 16:3) They were freed from whippings, punishments and death. But their hungry stomachs made them wish they could be back in chains in Egypt where at least they were fed. The tax collector in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is another image for us of a struggling faith. The tax collector comes into the temple to pray to God. He believes, but not yet totally or fully enough. He easily knows in his mind that he is a son of Abraham, but in his heart, this richness has not yet been fully accepted and lived. He comes to God in the temple like the father of the boy in St. Mark’s gospel, “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!” “Lord, have mercy on me a sinner.” The tax collector struggles to fully accept that he is loved by God and can live a holier life through God. Even the saints struggled with living a new life in Christ Jesus. St. Augustine in his youth was given over to lust. In his autobiography he wrote that he prayed to God, “Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet. For I was afraid that You would hear me too soon, and too soon cure me of my disease of lust which I desired to have satisfied rather than extinguished.” (The Confessions, Book VIII) St. Augustine wanted to make the leap to leave behind his sins but a part of him wanted to cling to his familiar sinful habits and passions. He turned from his former way of life by praying not only that he would change but that he will want to change. The change in Augustine had to go down to his very core, not only his mind (intellect) but his heart. He finally submitted himself to God, giving up on wanting to keep a door open to his sinful ways. And by God’s grace Augustine was baptized as an adult by St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan. We, like Augustine and all the saints, have been freed from the tyranny of sin and death by our Lord Jesus Christ through His death upon the Cross. Though we have been made alive in Christ yet, if we are honest with ourselves, yet we struggle to live that reality in the depths of our being. So, too, did the saints. They still fell into sin. Read the “Sayings of the Desert Fathers.” Every one of them prayed for the forgiveness of their sins. They still got up and asked God to forgive them and began again their life of repentance. We come to Confession to tell God our sins and ask Him to forgive us. We resolve that we will work with God’s grace to do better than we did before; that we’ll seek to live in His life rather than according to our selfish desires. And we will sin again, we will fail again. So we must come again in humility to God and ask His forgiveness which He pours out on us in abundance. It is good for us to come to Confession, especially during Lent, that we may unburden ourselves of sin and the guilt of sin. In doing so we seek to live life in Christ more deeply than we did the month before, the week before, the day before. By coming to God and confessing, “I believe, Lord; help my unbelief!” we are honest with God and show to him our heart broken by sin. And the Lord heals us with His forgiveness, Who forgives sins even seventy times seven which means He forgives us as often as we ask His forgiveness with sorrow for our sins. “A broken and humbled heart God will not despise.” (Psalm 50) Jesus came to heal our bruises and bind up our wounds, to heal also the wounds that we inflict on ourselves through sin. And He does this by His precious Blood poured out for us and through Confession and Holy Anointing. Jesus ascended the Cross for us to give us healing salvation, to heal and cleanse us so that we may join the saints who are in heaven. During the weeks that remain in Lent, if we haven’t already, let us go to Confession that God may heal us of our sins, that He may heal us of our unbelief so that we may believe not only in our mind but in our heart, in our thoughts and words and deeds so that we may rejoice in the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ on the great and glorious Pascha of the Lord. With love in Christ,

Schedule for , Pascha & , APRIL 23 9:30 AM Divine Liturgy at Assumption with preparation of the Gifts beforehand followed by lenten breakfast 5:00 PM Great Vespers w/Litiya

PALM SUNDAY, APRIL 24 8:00 AM Matins 10:00 AM Divine Liturgy w/ 7:00 PM Bridegroom Matins

GREAT & , APRIL 25 9:00 AM Presanctified at St. George 7:00 PM Bridegroom Matins

GREAT & , APRIL 26 9:00 AM Presanctified at St. George 7:00 PM Bridegroom Matins

GREAT & , APRIL 27 9:00 AM Presanctified at St. George 7:00 PM Holy Unction / Matins of Holy Thursday Last day for Confessions before Pascha

GREAT & HOLY THURSDAY, APRIL 28 9:00 AM Vesperal Liturgy 7:00 PM Passion Matins

GREAT & HOLY FRIDAY, APRIL 29 9:00 AM Royal Hours 3:00 PM Vespers 7:00 PM Jerusalem Matins

GREAT & , APRIL 30 10:00 AM Vesperal Liturgy 12:00 PM Simple Blessing of Paschal Foods 10:30 PM Nocturnes 11:00 PM ’ Rush Procession Matins of the Resurrection 12:00 AM Divine Liturgy followed by the blessing of Paschal eggs, food and fellowship

HOLY PASCHA, MAY 1 10:30 AM Paschal Hours 11:00 AM Paschal Vespers

BRIGHT MONDAY, MAY 2 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy with procession and Gospels Paschal brunch by Fr. Matthew & Matushka Lisa

BRIGHT TUESDAY, MAY 3 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy

BRIGHT WEDNESDAY, MAY 4 6:00 PM Divine Liturgy @ St. George

BRIGHT FRIDAY, MAY 6 10:30 AM Divine Liturgy @ Assumption

BRIGHT SATURDAY, MAY 7 5:00 PM Vespers

THOMAS SUNDAY, MAY 8 9:30 AM Third Hour 10:00 AM Divine Liturgy 3:00 PM Paschal Commemoration of the Departed at St. Nicholas Cemetery

ORDER OF PROCESSION FOR GREAT FRIDAY AND PASCHA

Matins on Great Friday Processional Cross Subdeacon Processional Fans 2 Altar Servers Torches Altar Servers Instruments of the Passion Church School Students Wooden Clappers Subdeacon Girls with flower petals Church School Students Incense Altar Servers Censer Holy Tomb of our Lord 8 men- George Jonascu, Calvin Conrad Steve Nikoloff, Jim Binelli, Nicholas Nicoloff, Paul Brayan, Jordan Abu-Aita, Jacob Abu-Aita Gospel Priest Procession Wardens Bob Russell, Dave Houser, Bob Steiner

Resurrection Procession on Pascha Processional Cross Subdeacon Processional Fans 2 Altar Servers Torches Altar Servers Holy Pam Pitlanish Myrrhbearers Icon Ruth Conrad St. Catherine Icon Stephanie Stikovich St. Juliana Icon Stephanie Price Resurrection Icon Michael Steiner Gospel Sharon Jernigan Assistants to Priest Subdeacon Censer Deacon Resurrection Candle Priest Choir and People follow Procession Wardens Bob Russell, Bob Steiner, Tim Seeley Church Set-Up Dave Houser, Dennis Jernigan & Dennis Goodman

PLEASE inform the office if you are unable to participate in the .

Third Hour Schedule Reader Schedule April May June April May June 3 Angelo 1 Pascha 5 Angelo 3 Amir 1 Pascha 5 Amir 10 Lucy 8 Reggie 12 Lucy 10 Taras 8 Johnny 12 Taras 17 Reggie 15 Angelo 19 Reggie 17 Kathy 15 Amir 19 Johnny 24 Angelo 22 Lucy 26 Angelo 24 Johnny 22 Taras 26 Kathy 29 Reggie 29 Kathy If you are unable to make your assigned If you are unable to make your assigned reading date, you must find a replacement. reading date, you must find a replacement.

VIGIL AT THE TOMB OF THE LORD It is traditional to keep a vigil at the Tomb of our Lord from Great Friday evening until the Great Saturday’s Liturgy and then until the midnight service. The Vigil is from Friday, April 29 at 10:00 pm until Saturday, April 30 at 10:00 am and then from 1:00 pm until 10:30 pm. If you are interested, please email [email protected], call the office at 744-0070 or sign your name to the sign-up sheet in the hall.

ALL PARISHIONERS Your help will be needed as we get closer to Pascha. Your help will also be needed twice on Great and Holy Friday. First, after the morning Royal Hours your help will be needed to set up and decorate the Tomb of our Lord for Vespers. Second, after the Lamentations that evening your help will be needed to change over all the candles from purple to white. Please stay and lend a hand!

PASCHAL VESPERS It is customary at this service to read the Gospel in various languages. If anyone would like to read the Gospel in a language other than English at this service, please contact the office as soon as possible.

PASCHAL GREETING When we greet on another we usually say “Hello” or “How are you”. For the celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection we have a special greeting t offer on another: “Christ is Risen!” and we respond with “Indeed, He is Risen!” When we come to venerate the Cross after the Divine Services Father Matthew will offer this greeting and we respond: “Indeed, He is Risen!”

The parish council will not meet in April. The next council meeting is scheduled for May, 10 @ 6:45 pm

COMING EVENTS  Backpacks for the Homeless  Bake Sale- April, 24  East - May, 8

ST. CATHERINE’S NEWS As a reminder St. Catherine’s Women’s League meets on the first Sunday of each month during coffee hour.  Next meeting date: April, 3. Upcoming Events  Palm Sunday Bake Sale-Sunday, April 24. Orders are due April, 17.

The Orthodox Book Club will meet on Monday, April 18 following the Compline service at St. George. We will continue or book "The Ladder of Divine Ascent". For more information please contact Deacon Michael Bassett at [email protected]

EASTER EGG HUNT we are in need of wrapped candies for our Egg Hunt to be held on Sunday, May 8. All money donations and candy can be dropped off at the church office by Wednesday, May 4. Any and all donations are appreciated.

April Coffee Hour Volunteers HOPE IN A BOX 3 10 17 Batcos & Bakousidis Families-1yr Evangalia Bakousidis April Deodorant

24 St. Catherine’s/Palm Sunday Bake Sale May Bar & Hand Soap June Laundry Soap

BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES BIRTHDAYS NAMESDAYS 7 Danni Burns 10 Alex Georgopoulos George Jonascu Kris George Alex Karayanis George Popoff David Houser Alex Karayanis 23 Georgiana Adkisson Nancy Krigner Alex Nedanis Roseanne (Alexandra) Bagale Aretoula Nedanis Alex Popoff Richard (George) Elieff Nancy Tasevski Alexander Ahejew Sandra Ahejew 11 Majd Helal Alexander Gonser Sandra Grossi 12 Helen Popoff Alexander Grossi Sandy Spankie 13 Amanda Vázquez Alexander Naum 24 Brian (Branko) Mitevski 14 Irina Sivergina 14 Tammy Adkisson 25 Marc Ethington 16 Mia Jonascu Tammy Sapardanis Mark Houser Dimitrios (Jimmy) Nedanis Thomka Brayanis 30 Jacob Abu-Aita Bob Steiner 16 Shari Nicoloff James Binelli 22 Jenna Paul 22 Nathan Nicevski James Grossi 24 Sharon George 23 Alexa Isabelle Stevens James Hart 26 George Jonascu Carli Alexa Nicoloff 28 George Brown Fred (George) Paul Timothy Seeley George Brown 29 Tammy Sapardanis 30 Vickie Borkovich Les Ford ANNIVERSARIES Fred Paul 21 Germanos & Lena Bakousidis

KROGER COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM Our Organization Number is: 85687. We currently have 8 households signed up for the rewards program. If you haven’t COMMUNITY REWARDS already signed up please do so. It is quick and easy. If you have signed up previously, remember to reenroll. KROGER MEIJER $34.03 $0.00 MANY THANKS from the family of Anne Smith- Thank you to everyone who sent cards, lit candles, said prayers, visited and YTD Total: YTD Total: baked for the mercy meal during the loss of our mother. $192.74 $0.00

VISITATION TO THE SICK Fr. Matthew brings Holy Communion to the shut-ins on Mondays. If you would like to be added to this list, please contact the office. Presently, those receiving weekly visits are: Thomka Brayanis, Mary Ann Brayan, Gloria Zelenko, Aspasia Stathopoulos, Helen Ashmun, and Fred Oginsky. Monthly Fr. Matthew visits Larry Bladecki (Bay City) and Peter and Olga Samaras (Caro) and Lydia Keeler (Flushing).

DAILY INTERCESSION FOR OUR SICK AND HOMEBOUND The following are our brothers and sisters of St. Nicholas who are currently homebound, suffering from chronic illness, in recovery or in need of special prayers. Please remember them in your prayers and reach out to them with a card, a phone call or a visit! Please call the office to schedule a visit for Holy Communion.

Josephine Baker Gladys Edwards Mary Karayanis Larry Bladecki Susan Goodman Lydia Keeler Olga Samaras John Bocek Jo Ann Havens Macy Lemmen Aspasia Stathopoulos Anna Branoff Bill Haw Pauline Nenoff Bill Tadrick Linda Branoff Helen Iwanoff Fred Oginsky Wendy Tadrick Mary Ann Brayan Goldie Johnson Ron Salhany Ron Waskerwitz Thomka Brayanis Nick Karayanis Peter Samaras Gloria Zelenko

To aid in your outreach, here is a listing of the addresses and phone numbers of our Homebound:

Larry Bladecki 409 15th Street Bay City, MI 48708 Mary Ann Brayan 5130 Baldwin Rd #A5 Holly, MI 48442 Thomka Brayanis 11941 S. Belsay Rd #223B Grand Blanc, MI 48439 Gladys Edwards 2 Harbor Dr. St. Clair, MO 63077 Goldie Johnson 310 E. Willard Ave Lansing, MI 48910 Lydia Keeler 4104 Squire Hill Dr. Flushing, MI 48433 733-8053 Pete & Olga Samaras 1285 Cleaver Rd. Caro, MI 48723-9241 989-673-0821 Aspasia Stathopoulos 4064 Sheraton Dr. Flint, MI 48532 Gloria Zelenko 5370 E. Baldwin Rd. #520 Grand Blanc, MI 48439

1. Flowers for the Cross-Third Sunday of Lent -Donated 2. Palms-Palm Strips -Donated 3. Palms-Fan Palms -$60.00-$30.00 still available to donate toward 4. Flowers for the Cross- -Donated 5. Flowers for the Priest’s Cross-Pascha -Donated 6. Priest Ornamented -Donated 7. 2 large ornamented Paschal Candles for the Altar -Donated 8. 10 large candles for the Holy Grave -Donated 9. Flowers for the Holy Tomb ()-Market Value 10. Incense- ½ lb -Donated ½ lb -$40.00 11. Rose Water-$25.00 12. Eggs for Pasch (14 dozen)-Market Value 13. Red Dye for Eggs-30 packets-$50.00

Please contact the parish office at 744-0070 as soon as possible if you would like to donate one of the items listed above for Holy week and Pascha

$36.00 Single Space Last for 6 months month

$50.00 Double Space for 6 months ?

$65.00 Triple Space for 6 months

Flowers for Great Friday & Pascha

Dear Faithful of St. Nicholas,

Because our Pascha is much later this year, May 1. We are limited on the variety of flowers available to us. We will have this year 12 Geraniums in a large flower pot for $30 and 4 extra large ferns for $30.

Please fill out the form below as soon as possible. There are a limited number of plants available. We will be ordering 12 Geraniums and 4 ferns. Donations will be taken on a first come, first served basis. Return the form to the office, give it to a council member, or put it in the collection basket on Sunday. The names of those honored or memorialized will be published on a later date.

Dear Father Matthew

I wish to donate:

Geraniums ($30.00) 12 available (How many)

Extra large green ferns ($30.00) 4 available (How many)

In honor of (for the living)

Or, in memory of (departed)

Your Name:

$ Amount:

St. Nicholas Orthodox Church

th 1916 100 Anniversary 2016

Booklet

ALL ADS IN COLOR

INSIDE FRONT OR BACK COVER $1,500.00

INSIDE ADS

FULL PAGE 8X11 $500.00

HALF PAGE 8X5 $250.00

QUARTER PAGE 4X5 $125.00

BUSINESS CARD SIZE $100.00

LISTINGS

MEMORIALS $20.00

FRIENDS $20.00

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR ADVERTISEMENT AS A PDF FILE ELECTRONICALLY TO

ST. NICHOLAS ORTHODOX CHURCH AT: [email protected] OR HAND SUBMIT TO CATHY STEINER, EILEEN BRANOFF, LUCY HOGG, PAUL BRAYAN, DOROTHY GOODMAN, LINDA BRANOFF OR SHARON JERNIGAN

SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT ONE OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY COMMITTEE MEMBERS

St. Nicholas Orthodox Church th 1916 100 Anniversary 2016

Booklet Ad Form

Name: Phone #:

Type of Ad: (Circle One) Inside Front Cover Memorials Back Cover Friends Full Page Half Page Picture Attached Quarter Page Yes or No Business Card Size

Paid: Check, Credit Card, Cash

PLEASE PRINT ______

______

______

______

______

______

______

Information taken by: ______St. Nicholas Orthodox Church 2143 S. Center Rd. Burton, MI 48519 810-744-0070 April 2016 Email: [email protected] Website: www.saintnicholasburton.org

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

Fast 1 2 MEMORIAL SATURDAY Dairy Permitted (no meat) 4:45 pm Trisagion for

Wine & Oil Permitted (no meat) all the departed 5 pm Vespers Fish Permitted (no other meat)

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 VENERATION OF THE 9 am Lenten Hours MEMORIAL SATURDAY CROSS 6:30 Compline at Fr. in Toledo 11 am Adult Ed. 4:45 pm Trisagion for 9:30 Third Hour St. George all the departed 6 PM Combined 10 am Divine Liturgy Presanctified followed 5 pm Vespers St. Catherine’s Meeting by Lenten potluck @ Office Closed Church School St. Nicholas 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 ST. 9 am Lenten Hours 6:30 Compline at Fr. in Toledo 11 am Adult Ed 6:30 pm to 5 pm Vespers 9:30 Third Hour St. George the Theotokos 6 PM Presanctified 10 am Divine Liturgy followed by Church School Lenten potluck Office Closed 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 ST. MARY OF EGYPT 9 am Lenten Hours LAZARUS SATURDAY 6:30 Compline at Fr. in Toledo 11 am Adult Ed. 9:30 AM Combined 9:30 Third Hour Liturgy @ Assumption St. George 6 PM Combined 10 am Divine Liturgy Presanctified followed 5 pm Vespers with Book Club Church School by Lenten potluck @ Litya @ St. George St. Office Closed

24 25 HOLY MONDAY 26 HOLY TUESDAY 27 HOLY WEDNESDAY 28 HOLY THURSDAY 29 Strict Fast 30 HOLY SATURDAY PALM SUNDAY GREAT & HOLY FRIDAY 9:30 Third Hour 9 am Presanctified @ 9 am Presanctified @ 9 am Presanctified @ 9 am Vesperal Liturgy 9 am Royal Hours 10 am Vesperal Liturgy/ St. George 10 am Divine Liturgy St. George St. George Set up the Tomb Blessing of Foods 7 pm Unction / Matins 7 pm Passion Matins 3 pm Vespers Church School Last Confessions before 7 pm Bridegroom Matins 7 pm Bridegroom Matins 7 pm Jerusalem Matins 10:30 pm Nocturnes/ 7 pm Bridegroom Matins Pascha Office Closed Office Closed Matins/Liturgy

St. Nicholas Orthodox Church 2143 S. Center Rd. Burton, MI 48519 810-744-0070 May 2016 Email: [email protected] Website: www.saintnicholasburton.org

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 Fast Free 2 Fast Free 3 Fast Free 4 Fast Free 5 Fast Free 6 Fast Free 7 Fast Free PASCHA BRIGHT MONDAY BRIGHT TUESDAY BRIGHT WEDNESDAY BRIGHT THURSDAY BRIGHT FRIDAY BRIGHT SATURDAY Father. In Toledo 9 am Pan Orthodox 9 am Divine Liturgy 10:30 am Divine Liturgy at in 6pm Liturgy Liturgy at Assumption 5 pm Vespers St. Nicholas followed at St. George Office Closed followed by luncheon by Paschal breakfast

8 ST. THOMAS 9 10 11 12 13 14 9:30 Third Hour Father in Toledo Ss. Cyril & 10 am Divine Liturgy 5:45 pm Methodius 5 pm Vespers 100th Anniversary Hunt 3pm Grave Blessings Committee Meeting 9 am Divine Liturgy at St. Nicholas Cemetery 6:45 pm Parish Council 11 am Adult Ed. No Church School Office Closed 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 MYRRHBEARING WOMEN 9:30 Third Hour 9 am Divine Liturgy 5 pm Vespers 10 am Divine Liturgy 11 am Adult Ed. Church School Office Closed 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 SUNDAY OF THE PARALYTIC 9 am Evergreen inside 9:30 Third Hour 9 am Divine Liturgy the chapel Trisagion 10 am Divine Liturgy then to graves 11 am Adult Ed. 12:30 pm Crestwood Church School 1:30 pm Sunset Hills 1yr Parastas Office Closed 2:30 pm New Calvary +Evanka Elieff 5 pm Vespers

29 SAMARITAN WOMAN 30 31 Fast

9:30 Third Hour MEMORIAL DAY Dairy Permitted (no meat) 10 am Divine Liturgy Church School Wine & Oil Permitted (no meat)

3 pm St. Nicholas Office Closed Cemetery Fish Permitted (no other meat)