St. Innocent Orthodox Church Z 50th Anniversary:1967-2017 Z Moscow Patriarchal Parishes Z 23300 W. Chicago _ Redford, MI 48239 _ 313-538-1142 _ Fax: 313-538-8126 Church Website: www.stinnocentchurch.com _ E-Mail: [email protected] St. Innocent Monastic Community: 9452 Hazelton, Redford, MI 48239 _ 313-535-9080 PASTOR: Rt. Rev. Mitered Archpriest ROMAN STAR _ Cell: 313-319-0590 Dean, Central States Deanery, Patriarchal Parishes JULY 9, 2017 ASSISTANT PRIESTS: Rev. DANEIL SHIRAK _ 313-295-3073 Rev. Dr. JOSHUA GENIG EPISTLE: Romans 10:1 - 10 (#103) DEACON: Dn. Michael Comerford, Attached GOSPEL: Matthew 8:28 - 9:1 (#28) ATTACHED: Sister Ioanna TONE: 4 CHOIR DIRECTOR: Elizabeth Star Hatfield READERS: George Hanoian; William Davis St. Anthony of the Kiev Caves, Feast 7/10

Z 5th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Z

COMMEMORATED TODAY: Hieromartyr Pancratius, Bishop of Taormina in Sicily (1st c.). Hieromartyr Cyril, Bishop of Gortyna in Crete (3rd-4th c.). Martyrs Patermuthius, , Coprius, and Alexander the Soldier, in Egypt (4th c.). St. Theodore, Bishop of Edessa (9th c.). Ven. Patermuthius and Coprius, Ascetics, of Egypt (4th c.). Ven. Dionysius the Orator of St. Anne Skete (Mt. Athos—1606). Ven. Metrophanes, disciple of Ven. Dionysius

FOR THE REPOSE OF: Estelle & Joseph Star; Anna & John Witkowski; Michael Sr. & Margaret Rusko; Mary, Andrew, Daniel, Michael & Lottie Yakuber; Ross & Margaret Falsetti; Helen, John & Carole Andrayko; Peter & Theresa Harvilla; Betty Martell; Frances, Todd & John Smoly; Peter Glover; Irene Adams; Ethel Elizabeth & Wayne Joshua deVyver, David Horka; Michael Rusko; Anna Lichagina, Yelena & Zinaïda Korniyevskaya; Joseph Nossal; Michelle Tucker; Todd Comerford, John Manier, Jr. MEMORY Patricia Comerford Suttleman (40th Day, last Friday, 7/7), by brother, Deacon Michael Comerford ETERNAL! Michael Rusko, whose anniversary of his repose is Wednesday, 12 July Ross Falsetti, whose anniversary of his repose is Wednesday, 12 July Marie Gruza, whose anniversary of her repose is Tuesday, 11 July Michael Latsko, whose anniversary of his repose is Saturday, 15 July

FOR THE HEALTH OF: Archimandrite Seraphim; Priest Daneil, Mat. Debra & Corrina Shirak; Priest Joshua, Mat. Abigail, Emma, Clare, Rose & Anna Genig; Deacon Michael, Mat. Mary Ellen & Julius Comerford; Matushka Mary Donahue; Reader Robert Latsko, Reader George & Betty Hanoian, William Basil Davis, Rose Nossal, Mary Glover, Nancy Cupp, Vasiliki Stamoulis, Gerald Martell, Azbehat, Donald Yakuber, Carl deVyver, Jo Anne Nicholas, Joan Rusko, Daria, Joseph Nossal, Ed Manier, Pat Harbut, Mark Hancock (broken hand); Fr. Leo Copacia ALSO FOR: Reader George Hanoian, who is in rehab, recuperating from back surgery Rose Ann Everhardt, who celebrates her birthday on Wednesday, 12 July Jordan Manier, who celebrates his birthday on Thursday, 13 July Š MAY GOD GRANT THEM MANY YEARS! Š

SCHEDULE FOR THE COMING WEEK (Regular fasting on Wednesday and Friday) Thursday 7/13 10am DIVINE LITURGY for the FEAST OF THE SYNAXIS OF ARCHANGEL GABRIEL Saturday 7/15 4pm GREAT VESPERS & CONFESSIONS Sunday 7/16 6th Sunday After Pentecost 9:15am Hours & Akathist &/or Canon; Confessions 10am DIVINE LITURGY, Followed by Coffee Hour Feast days this week: Mon: St. Anthony of the Kiev Caves; Tues: Grand Princess St. Olga; Sat: Equal to the Apostles, Prince St. Vladimir

PROSPHORA FOR TODAY IS OFFERED BY: Matushka Rose Marie & Father Roman In Memory Eternal of: Joseph & Estelle, John & Anna, Paul & Alexandra, Basil & Ellen, Samuel & Mary, Joseph & Olga, Richard & Marsha, Tom, Margaret; & all other family members; and for the Health of: Elizabeth & Lawrence, Caitlin, Zachary; Gregory & Tamiko; Thomas; Barbara & Harold; & all other family members.

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! Z HE IS NOW & ALWAYS SHALL BE! Z CANDLES FOR LAST SUNDAY, 2 JULY YEARLY CHURCH VIGIL LAMPS: Royal Doors Lamp: In Memory of Husband, Joseph; Son, Kenneth; parents, Michael & Margaret Rusko, & John & Martha Nossal, by Rose Nossal Altar Candelabra: In Memory of Parents, Nicholas and Susan Yakuber, by son, Donald Yakuber Altar Candles (2): In Memory of Irene Adams, by Goddaughter, Rose Ann Everhardt Iconostasis Lamps: In Memory of departed family & friends; & Health of family & friends, by Fr. Protodeacon Daniel & Mat. Irene Sudol Candles on the Solea: In Memory of Peter & Theresa Harvilla, Norman & Monica Holst, & Ricky Ellis, by Jason & Debra Truskowski Table of Oblation Lamp: In Memory of Parents, Helen & John Andrayko, Sr. & sister, Carole Andrayko, by John Andrayko, Jr. Reliquary-Icon Lamps: Sts. Innocent, Tikhon & Herman: Health of Joseph/Sue; Robert/Diane; Pat/John; Joseph B., Jared, Jay; Rachelle/Aaron, Gabriel; Tricia, Lindsey; & In Memory of sisters, Anna, Margaret, Theresa & Irene; & brothers, John, Edwin & Michael by Rose Nossal Reliquary-Icon Lamps: Sts. Elizabeth & Raphael: Health of the Genig and the Just Families, by Fr. Deacon Joshua & Abigail Genig Reliquary-Icon Lamps: St. Seraphim & St. Alexis: In Memory of Ross & Margaret Falsetti, by daughters, Rose Ann Everhardt & Margie Martell Reliquary-Icon Lamps: St. Nestor & St. Gerontius: In Memory of Rusko Family: Grandparents, Anna, Alexandra, Mike, Margaret, John, Mary, George, Pauline, Pete, Irene, Andrew, Anna, Grandparents Nickolas & Anna Schulik, by Rose Nossal Reliquary-Icon Lamps: St. Hilarion & Sts. Alexandra & Martha: In Memory of Parents, Ethel Elizabeth & Wayne Joshua; Robert David H; // IN MEMORY OF (MEMORY ETERNAL!) //& Health of brother, Carl, by Sister Ioanna Joseph & Estelle Star, by son Father Roman and family Paul & Alexandra Yupco, Basil & Ellen Starinshak, by grandson, Father Roman and family John & Anna Witkowski, by daughter, Matushka Rose Marie and family Samuel & Mary Kupec, by granddaughter, Matushka Rose Marie and family Parents, Helen & John Andrayko, and sister, Carole Andrayko, by John Andrayko + + + My husband, Michael Rusko, by Joan Rusko My husband, Joe; my sisters, Margaret & Ross Falsetti, Anna & Mike Elaschat, Theresa & Pete Harvilla, Irene, & brothers, Michael, John & Edwin Rusko; niece, Rose Mary & Dean Hough; Joe’s brothers, Raymond & Walter Nossal, & sisters, Theresa, Florence & Helen Nossal, by Rose Nossal ++ + Pete & Theresa Harvilla, by Mary Ann Harvilla & Kay Truskowski + + + Jaimie Truskowski, by daughter Kay T. Parents, Ethel Elizabeth & Wayne Joshua; David H; Nina I; Marion P; Fr. Photius; Archm. Roman; Mo. Benedicta; Sally & Edward, by Sr.Ioanna Child Lana, Shirley, Betty, Marsha, Paul, by Becky Jurczyszyn + + + Annette B. Mycek, by Frances Roy + + + John G. Petz, by Frances Roy FOR THE HEALTH OF: (MANY YEARS!) Elizabeth & Lawrence, Caitlin & Zachary, by parents & grandparents, Father Roman & Matushka Rose Marie Gregory & Tamiko Star, by parents, Father Roman & Matushka Rose Marie Children, Grandchildren & Great-grandchildren; Monk Fr. Sdn. Tikhon (Dade); by Rose Nossal Father Roman & Matushka & family; Sister Ioanna; John Andrayko; Nancy; Mary G; Jo Anne N; Grandson Joey (in the Navy Reserves) & all people in the Armed Forces; & all St. Innocent Church parishioners, by Rose Nossal + + + Family & Friends, by Mary Ann Harvilla & Kay Brother, Greg & Donna; nephew, Gregory & Liz; & nephew, Alex, by Mary Ann Harvilla & Kay + + + Ed Manier, by Mary Ann Harvilla&Kay Archimandrites Nafanail, Gregory & Seraphim; Fr. Roman & Mat. Rose Marie; Fr. Lawrence B & fam; Fr. Laurence L & fam; Fr. Daneil & fam; Fr. Joshua & fam; Fr. Dcn. Michael & fam; Mat. Mary D; Carl; Monk Fr. Tikhon; Sdn Andrew; Rdr Robert; Robert M; David Samuel/Sky & Avi; JoAnne/Nick; Athanasius; John A; Ed/Tiffany & fam; Kim/Mark & fam; Frances/Ken; Vasiliki; Rose; Emil; Billy/Fonda; by Sr Ioanna Rose Nossal, by John Andrayko + + + John Andrayko (May God watch over him), by Rose Nossal + + + Leia, Mike, Reece & Wyatt Wilson; Bob/Joan Jurczyszyn; Toni /Richard Bussen; Pete, Krista, Jacob, Clair, Matt & Paul Stelmaszek; Damon Trestain, Levi Troyer, Briana Saylor, by Becky Jurczyszyn + + + Alice & Autumn, by grandmother, Frances Roy + + + Anastasia (Ana) & John (Jasiu), by mother, Frances Jason, Marianna, Amilia, Liliana, Andrew Wess + + + Galina, Oleg, Sophia Chernuhin + + + Vitaliy, Agatha, Paul, John, by Wess family

ANNOUNCEMENTS (1) PLEASE KEEP OUR READER, GEORGE HANOIAN, IN YOUR PRAYERS, FOR HIS RECUPERATION FROM BACK SURGERY. He had the successful surgery on Sat. June 24th, and is improving little by little. Finally, the incision healed sufficiently so that he could be released from the hospital last Tuesday, and he is recuperating & receiving daily therapy at a rehab center in Riverview, as of Thurs. 7/6. (2) SOUP & SANDWICH PARISH LUNCHEON, SUNDAY, JULY 30th. Adults, $5 and children, $2. Our monthly luncheons are so successful, and the fellowship with our parish family so enjoyable, we are continuing to have a luncheon each month, while at the same time we are raising money for the parish & its 50th anniversary expenses. Please mark your calendars & plan to attend. Last Sunday before Dormition Fast. (3) 25th ANNUAL OCW RETREAT: NEXT Saturday, July 15th, 9am-3pm at Dormition Monastery in Rives Junction. Topic: “A Road Less Traveled: Why I Went to Seminary;” Speaker, Christina Stavros Kidonakis (Master of Divinity; plus a Certificate in Byzantine Music from Holy Cross Seminary). Includes Liturgy & lunch. Pre-Registration required by July 8th. Call Loretta Gates, 248-689-9721. See flyer. (4) CATECHUMENS INSTRUCTION for Frances & Ken Roy, Tuesdays, at 7pm; with Sister Ioanna. (5) ST. INNOCENT STUDY GROUP, With Fr. Joshua, on most Wednesdays, at 6:30 – 7:30 pm. (6) UP-COMING SERVICES: DIVINE LITURGY will be served to commemorate special saints once a week during July: on Wed. the 5th, and Thursdays the 13th, 20th & 27th. Please view & print out our calendar for the month of July at http://stinnocentchurch.com/calendar.html (8) PLEASE DONATE AN AD FOR OUR 50th ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE BOOK. See/print PDF form with info on our website, on our Home Page (http://stinnocentchurch.com/) or on the 50th Anniversary page (http://stinnocentchurch.com/50th_anniversary.html). Deadline: August 1st. (9) LATEST “GOOD WORKS” RECENTLY RELEASED, MAY-JUNE ISSUE. Full-color, on-line at: http://coccdetroit.com/ goodworks.html. We should have the 2-color printed version available at church, if not this Sunday, then very soon. VENERABLE ANTHONY OF THE KIEV FAR CAVES, FOUNDER OF MONASTICISM IN RUSSIA Feastday: July 10th Saint Anthony of the Kiev Caves was born in the year 983 at Liubech, not far from Chernigov, and was named Antipas in Baptism. Possessing the fear of God from his youth, he desired to be clothed in the monastic schema. When he reached a mature age, he wandered until he arrived on Mt. Athos, burning with the desire to emulate the deeds of its holy inhabitants. Here he received monastic tonsure, and the young monk pleased God in every aspect of his spiritual struggles on the path of virtue. He particularly excelled in humility and obedience, so that all the monks rejoiced to see his holy life. The igumen [abbot] saw in St Anthony the great future ascetic, and inspired by God, he sent him back to his native land, saying, “Anthony, it is time for you to guide others in holiness. Return to your own Russian land, and be an example for others. May the blessing of the Holy Mountain be with you.” Returning to the land of Rus, Anthony began to make the rounds of the monasteries about Kiev, but nowhere did he find that strict life which had drawn him to Mt. Athos. Through the Providence of God, Anthony came to the hills of Kiev by the banks of the River Dnieper. The forested area near the village of Berestovo reminded him of his beloved Athos. There he found a cave which had been dug out by the Priest Hilarion, who later became Metropolitan of Kiev (October 21). Since he liked the spot, Anthony prayed with tears, “Lord, let the blessing of Mt. Athos be upon this spot, and strengthen me to remain here.” He began to struggle in prayer, fasting, vigil and physical labor. Every other day, or every third day, he would eat only dry bread and a little water. Sometimes he did not eat for a week. People began to come to the ascetic for his blessing and counsel, and some decided to remain with the saint. Among Anthony’s first disciples was St Nikon (March 23), who tonsured St Theodosius of the Caves (May 3) at the monastery in the year 1032. The virtuous life of St Anthony illumined the Russian land with the beauty of monasticism. St Anthony lovingly received those who yearned for the monastic life. After instructing them how to follow Christ, he asked St Nikon to tonsure them. When twelve disciples had gathered about St Anthony, the brethren dug a large cave and built a church and cells for the monks within it. After he appointed Igumen [Abbot] Barlaam to guide the brethren, St Anthony withdrew from the monastery. He dug a new cave for himself, then hid himself within it. There too, monks began to settle around him. Afterwards, the saint built a small wooden church in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God over the Far Caves. At the insistence of Prince Izyaslav, the Igumen Barlaam withdrew to the Dimitriev monastery. With the blessing of St Anthony and with the general agreement of the brethren, the meek and humble Theodosius was chosen as Igumen. By this time, the number of brethren had already reached a hundred men. The Kiev Great Prince Izyaslav (+1078) gave the monks the hill on which the large church and cells were built, with a palisade all around. Thus, the renowned monastery over the caves was established. Describing this, the chronicler remarks that while many monasteries were built by emperors and nobles, they could not compare with those which are built with holy prayers and tears, and by fasting and vigil. Although St Anthony had no gold, he built a monastery which became the first spiritual center of Rus. For his holiness of life, God glorified St Anthony with the gift of clairvoyance and wonderworking. One example of this occurred during the construction of the Great Caves church. The Most Holy Theotokos Herself stood before him and St Theodosius in the Blachernae Church in Constantinople, where they had been miraculously transported without leaving their own monastery. Actually, two angels appeared in Constantinople in their forms (See May 3, the account of the Kiev Caves Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos). Having received gold from the Mother of God, the saints commissioned master architects, who came from Constantinople to the Russian land on the command of the Queen of Heaven to build the church at the Monastery of the Caves. During this appearance, the Mother of God foretold the impending death of St Anthony, which occurred on July 10, 1073. Through Divine Providence, the relics of St Anthony remain hidden. Source: https://oca.org THE HEALING OF THE MEN OF GERGESENE By Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh A Sermon delivered on June 30, 1991; St. Matthew 8:28-9:1

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. How familiar is this story to us. Yet every time we read it we rediscover something in it which touches our heart, or gives a new light to our mind. And today I would like to attract your attention to three features of this passage. The first is the attitude of the devils, of the powers of evil, to their victims. The powers of evil have no other intention or desire than to take possession of a living creature and to make it both a sufferer and one that will fulfill their will. The Fathers of the Church teach us that the devils can have no direct action in this world; all they can do is enslave human beings and through them work the evil within them. So this is what these powers of evil had intended: to enslave these men and to make them instruments of destruction, but at the same time to make them suffer for it. When Christ commanded them to leave their victims they cried, shall I say, for a place of refuge, a place where they could dwell and work destruction. And Christ allowed them to in-dwell the pigs. Pigs, in the eyes of Jews, were a symbol of impurity; the request to be lodged in their bodies was a sign for all who could understand — and every Jew could — that they were as impure as the impurest of the animals. But what happened next was a demonstration to people of what happens when we allow ourselves to be possessed of evil, when we allow passions to have power over us — hatred, lust, jealousy, and all the passions of body and soul. Being possessed by them we are doomed to destruction, as this herd ended in death. We should remember this because we do not always realize how much we are in the grip, in the power of those things which rule our life: likes and dislikes, hatreds, resentments and so on. We are not only possessed, but we are also working evil through our subjection to the power of evil. And the warning is clear: if we only allow evil to take possession of us completely, it will mean death; not physical death, but a total, tragic alienation from all that is life: from God, from love, from beauty, from meaning. We cannot fall out of existence but we can be possessed of an existence which is a ghostly one, an existence without life, without content — a shell that is empty, and yet a torment. And in contrast to this we see the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God become Man. He is the Creator, He is the Lord, He is the Savior of the whole world; and He forgets everything, as it were, the whole of creation to pay attention to nothing but these two men who are in need of salvation, indeed He is prepared to leave ninety-nine righteous, whole people who do not need Him at that moment, alone, in order to give all His attention, all His life, indeed all His power to save these two men. In the face of all the need of the world He can see every individual need and respond to it with all His love, all His compassion, all His understanding and all His divine power to save and to heal. There is a third group of people whom we see in action in this Gospel story; it is the inhabitants of the country. They had known of the desperate condition of these two men; they were told of what Christ did for them; they were told who their master was, who was their tormentor; should they not have come to give glory to God and thank Him for delivering the two men from the power of evil? NO! All they saw in the act of Christ was that they were deprived of their herd of swine. What did the wholeness and the life and the salvation of these two men matter to them? They were deprived of what was important to them, what mattered to them more than a human life, and they asked Christ to leave their borders, to go because they did not want to risk another miracle that would be costly to them. What a tragic — not monstrous, but just tragic contrast between the attitude of God and the attitude of these people. Let us give thought and ask ourselves, where do we stand? Of course, the first movement we shall have is to say, 'On God's side' — it is not true. When there is a tragic need, and the cost of helping would be perhaps not a disaster but a pain or loss to us, what would we choose? Let us reflect on this: are we really on the side of Christ Who can forget the whole world because His Heart is pierced, transfixed with compassion, or — do we allow our heart to be moved one moment, and then recalculate the cost and turn away from the need? Let us reflect — because every one of these stories, every parable, every image, every act of God is challenging us: Where do you stand? Who are you? The person possessed, to whatever extent? A disciple of Christ ready to forget everything for the sake of a desperate need? Or rather one of those who say to Christ: Go, go away — you are disturbing our peace, the harmony of our life and our security? Let us reflect deeply; but not only reflect, but make a decision and act. Amen. A MEETING WAS HELD BETWEEN METROPOLITAN HILARION OF VOLOKOLAMSK AND THE PRIMATE OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA

On Saturday, May 13, 2017, while leading a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church to the World Summit in Defense of Persecuted Christians in Washington DC, the Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk met with the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of all America and Canada. Attending the meeting on the side of the Russian Orthodox was His Grace Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk, Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA; Archpriest Yaroslav Lutoshkin and F.V. Champion, member of the DECR secretariet for inter-Christian relations. Attending the meeting on the side of the Orthodox Church in America was His Grace Bishop Daniel of Santa-Rosa; OCA Chancellor, Archpriest John Jillions; OCA Secretary, Archpriest Eric Tosi and Archdeacon Joseph Matusiak. During the conversation, the parties discussed the ongoing persecution of Christians in the Middle East as well as in a number of countries in Africa and Asia, stressing the need to consolidate the actions of the world community in combating extremism and terrorism. Metropolitan Hilarion noted that "as long as there are several anti-terrorist coalitions that do not coordinate actions with each other, the war will continue. It is possible to defeat extremists only if such countries as the United States and Russia unite in developing a common strategy and will postpone political differences and jointly fight terrorism in the Middle East. " His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon also pointed to the importance of covering the tragedy of the persecution of Christians in the media, which has almost completely ignored the issue — which is why many people are unaware of the events taking place in the Middle East, Africa and other regions of the world where Christians are being persecuted. In addition, a wide range of issues related to bilateral relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church in America took place, in particular, the development of cooperation in the academic sphere. At the end of the meeting, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk and His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon exchanged memorable gifts. Source: mospatusa.com + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + METROPOLITAN HILARION OF VOLOKOLAMSK MET WITH THE HEAD OF ANGLICAN CHURCH OF NORTH AMERICA On May 13, 2017, the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk met with the with the head of the Anglican Church of North America, Archbishop Foley Beach. Also attending the meeting was Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk, Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA; Archimandrite Filaret (Bulekov, Vice-chairman of DECR); F.V. Champion, member of the DECR secretariet for inter-Christian relations as well as Bishop Kevin Bond Allen of the Anglican Church. During the meeting, the main topics of the Summit for Defense of Persecuted Christians was discussed. There was also discussion on the processes taking place in recent years in the Anglican community, and the prospects for an Orthodox-Anglican dialogue. Archbishop Foley Beach confirmed the firm commitment of the Anglican Church in North America to evangelical moral standards. The Anglican Church in North America was formed in 2009 consisting of dioceses and parishes of the Episcopal Church of the United States, which did not accept the liberal line of its leadership. It includes 32 dioceses and more than 1000 parishes. In 2006, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate (currently the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia), wrote a letter of support to the Bishop Duncan of Pittsburgh, former head of the Anglican Church in North America, and those bishops with him and supported their desire to remain faithful to Christian moral principles. In 2015, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia received the delegation of the Anglican Church in North America in his working residence in the St. Daniel Monastery in Moscow. Source: mospatusa.com AM I ALLOWED TO BE ANGRY? Mother Siluana Responds Mother Siluana, Am I allowed to be angry? …because I lived surrounded by lies, gossip, scandal and beatings. …because my biological parents left me in the care of my grandparents immediately after my birth. …because one day, someone put their hand on me in an inappropriate place. …because my whole interior universe has broken down, and it has never been rebuilt. …because people laugh at me because of my parents’ actions. …because for years I wandered the streets searching for some mirages. …because I’m not able to forgive those who made the abuses possible. Mother – am I allowed to be angry? Yes, dear child! You are allowed to be angry and to express your anger! Do not suffocate under phony restraint! But do not lower yourself in sinful works, thoughts or words! God has given us this power of anger, and we are permitted to use it for the protection of our integrity or for its rehabilitation if we were wronged. Moreover, He comes with His grace through our anger in order to purify us from the stains of bad thoughts. You will be astonished to see what happens with this anger when we live with the Lord! Yes, be careful to not use it against yourself and your neighbors! This is the suggestion of the enemy, and this is how evil was born and grew in the world! Gather these waves of anger in your heart and give them a voice, not in the form of curses or bad language, but rather in prayer! Put all of these before God and call upon Him across the whirling waters, and He will calm them with His mercy! This calming will not erase your pain, but it will transform it into birth pangs. You are allowed to be angry, but do not forget that you also are allowed to be happy, and for this reason, you are permitted to refuse the offers of the enemy that accompany the anger of a wounded soul. Show your wound to the Lord and ask Him to heal it, and rejoice! With love, respect and prayers, Mother Siluana (Translated from Romanian from APOSTOLIA, nr.106-107, January – February, 2017. Pages 16-17.) Source: ROEA SOLIA, Jan-Feb 2017, page 8 Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z FR. ROMAN PARTICIPATES IN ANNUAL REDFORD INTERFAITH RELIEF VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION LUNCHEON ON MAY 4th Every year the Redford Interfaith Relief (RIR) honors all their volunteers at their Annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon held on the first Thursday of May (May 4th this year), the National Day of Prayer. There are over 100 RIR volunteers who donated over 15,000 documented volunteer hours of service, doing a wide variety of activities, from unloading and sorting clothes and organizing food, to helping clients in the food pantry and clothing programs, to cooking classes, and to various aspects of the physical cleaning and maintenance of the building and grounds. Twelve of the churches in Redford actively support the RIR, including St. Innocent Orthodox Church, through the dedicated work of Fr. Roman, who is himself a volunteer, by means of serving on the Executive Board that directs and oversees the RIR. The July issue of the “Redford Neighborhood Connection” monthly newspaper highlighted the 2017 RIR Volunteer Recognition and included this group photo of Fr. Roman with other Redford clergy and church leaders. To learn more about the work of the RIR, and volunteer opportunities, visit their website: www.redfordinterfaithrelief.org