From Glory to Glory The monthly newsletter of the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church Fr. Joseph Strzelecki February 2020 1755 Des Peres Road The Presentation of our Lord and Savior Town & Country, MO 63131-1405 Jesus Christ in the Temple Phone: 314-966-2255 Kitchen: 314-966-6720 oday the Church commemorates an important event in the earthly life Web Site: www.assumptiongoc.org of our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 2:22-40). Forty days after His birth the God-Infant was taken to the Jerusalem Temple, the center of the [email protected] nation’s religious life. According to the Law of Moses (Lev. 12:2-8), T Office Manager: Diane Sieckmann a woman who gave birth to a male child was forbidden to enter the Temple of Email: [email protected] God for forty days. At the end of this time the mother came to the Temple with the child, to offer a young lamb or pigeon to the Lord as a purification sacrifice. RoseMarie Harpole The Most Holy Virgin, the Mother of God, had no need of purification, since [email protected] she had given birth to the Source of purity and sanctity without defilement. However, she humbly fulfilled the requirements of the Law. At this time the righteous Elder Simeon (February 3) was living in Jerusalem. It had been Dates to Remember revealed to him that he would not die until he should behold the promised Messiah. By inspiration from above, Saint Simeon went to the Temple at the very moment when the Most Holy Theotokos and Saint Joseph had brought the February 2 Infant Jesus to fulfill the Law. The God-Receiver Simeon took the divine Child Meeting of the Lord in his arms, and giving thanks to God, he spoke the words repeated by the Church each evening at Vespers: “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which February 9 Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to enlighten the Triodion Begins Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32). Saint Simeon said Publican and Pharisee to the Most Holy Virgin: “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against. Yea, a sword shall pierce through your own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be February 10 revealed” (Luke 2:34-35). At the Temple was the 84-year-old widow Anna the Hieromartyr Haralambos Prophetess, daughter of Phanuel (February 3), “who did not leave the temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day. She arrived just when Saint Simeon met the divine Child. She also gave thanks to the Lord and spoke February 16 of Him to all those who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem” (Luke 2:37- Prodigal Son 38). In the icon of the Feast she holds a scroll which reads: “This Child has established Heaven and earth.” Before Christ was born, righteous men and women lived by faith in the February 22 promised Messiah, and awaited His coming. The Righteous Simeon and the First Saturday of Souls Prophetess Anna, the last righteous people of the Old Testament, were deemed worthy to meet the Savior in the Temple. The Feast of the Meeting of the Lord is among the most ancient feasts of the Christian Church. We have sermons on February 23 the Feast by the holy bishops Methodius of Patara (+ 312), Cyril of Jerusalem Meatfare Sunday (+ 360), Gregory the Theologian (+ 389), Amphilocius of Iconium (+ 394), Gregory of Nyssa (+ 400), and John Chrysostom (+ 407). Despite its early origin, this Feast was not celebrated so splendidly until the sixth century. In 528, February 29 during the reign of Justinian, an earthquake killed many people in Antioch. Oth- er misfortunes followed this one. In 541 a terrible plague broke out in Constanti- Second Saturday of Souls nople, carrying off several thousand people each day. During this time of wide- spread suffering, a solemn prayer service (Litia) for deliverance from evils was 2020 Parish Council celebrated on the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, and the plague ceased. In thanksgiving to God, the Church established a more solemn celebration of this Fr. Joseph Strzelecki Feast. Church hymnographers have adorned this Feast with their hymns: Saint Scott Thompson, President Gus Harris, Vice President Andrew of Crete in the seventh century; Saint Cosmas Bishop of Maium, Saint Elefteria Marcou, Secretary John of Damascus, and Saint Germanus Patriarch of Constantinople in the James Cawood, Treasurer eighth century; and Saint Joseph, Archbishop of Thessalonica in the ninth cen- Peter Regopoulos, Assistant Treasuer tury. On this day we also commemorate the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos James Cawood Daniel Gantner known as “the Softening of Evil Hearts” or “Simeon’s Prophecy.” The Mother Maria Afentoullis Humphrey of God is depicted without Her Child, with seven swords piercing her breast: Amy Kirkou three from the left side, three from the right, and one from below. A similar Pam Martin icon, “Of the Seven Swords” (August 13) shows three swords on the left side Samia Rabie and four from the right. The icon “Simeon’s Prophecy” symbolizes the fulfill- Greg Simos Eugenia Kardaris Stamos ment of the prophecy of the righteous Elder Simeon: “a sword shall pierce Tom Stamos through your own soul” (Luke 2:35). Nick Tsoubanos www.oca.org Tonis Zafiropoulos Acolytes John Nicholas Adult Orthodox Christians (18 years +): Diane Sieckmann Bible Study Fr. Daniel Morton 2020 Parish Council Bookstore Christos Tsiaklides, Diakonissa Kristen Vogt Chanters Thomas Carroll, Dr. Steve Leon Choir Stephanie Saunders Church Tours Janice Hazeltine Friday Luncheon Art Liyeos Greek Festival Greg Simos, Art Liyeos Greek School Savas Kyramarios Greek Dancers Kyklos: & Armonia Stella Afentoullis Ta Paidakia, Neo Kyma: Aliki Malek GOYA (9th -12th Grade) Yvonne Alexopoulos, Dr. Jenny Kardaris, Alki Lappas Case Greeters Mary Pitliangas, Kelli Baer JOY (Kindergarten - 4th Grade) Jr. GOYA (5th - 8th Grades) Dr. Debbie Cosmopoulos Kafenio Art Liyeos Hope (infant - 5 years) Christos & Rachel Tsiaklides, Orthodox Faith & Life: Congratulations to our 2020 Parish Council who were installed on Sunday, Dr. Farid Sadaka, Anna Sadaka Philoptochos January 12, 2020. First Row: Fr. Joseph Strzelecki, Second Row: Scott Flora Dimitriou, President Thompson Greg Simos, Gus Harris, Third Row: Maria Afentoullis Humphrey, Planned Giving Committee Jenny Kardaris Stamos, Soula Marcou Forth Row: Amy Kirkou, Tom Stamos, Amy Johnson Samia Rabie Tony Zafiropoulos; Top Row, James Cawood, Pete Regopoulos, Prison Ministry Bill Goranitis Dan Gantner. Not Pictured Nick Tsoubanos, Pam Martin. Stewardship Michael Afentoullis After the oath of office was administered, they retired to parish council room Sunday School to elect the executive officers. Congratulations to Diane Sieckmann Vacation Church Camp (VCC) Scott Thompson, President Anna Sadaka Gus Harris, Vice President Women’s Bookstudy Soula Marcou, Secretary Presvytera Laura Morton James Cawood, Treasurer Young Adult Ministry (18-30 yrs) Pete Regopoulos, Assist, Treasurer James Murphy 2 The Historical and Orthodox Saint frivolity, but Orthodoxy still honors Saint Valentine, the Presbyter from Rome, for his martyrdom—and as for all its Valentine saints, the Orthodox Church honors St. Valentine as a model of the life in Christ. Now a commercialized holiday celebrating modern For Orthodox Christians, Saint Valentine’s Day is most Western courtship and romance, the ancient Christian fully understood as a celebration of romantic love and of origins of Saint Valentine’s Day are largely forgotten. The God’s love. Indeed, Valentine was willing to sacrifice his actual Orthodox liturgical Feast Days of Valentinos (Greek)/ life not for Eros but in order to sanctify and make whole Valentinus (Latin) commemorate two Early Christian saints, the union of young couples through the blessing of God’s Saint Valentine the Presbyter of Rome (July 6) and love. Demonstrating our love for God and reaching our Hieromartyr Valentine the Bishop of Intermna (Terni), Italy fulfillment in Christ through our relationships with our (July 30). Although the historical records for these two spouses, families, and communities, is a way of life that is saints are not complete, and what we do know about their at the heart of Orthodoxy. By living a life in emulation of lives has often been subjected to considerable confusion, Christ, Saint Valentine shared this fundamental truth of their martyrdoms are well known to us. Because of their Orthodox Christianity with the world, one that is more refusal to renounce their faith in Christ, both Valentines beautiful and lasts longer than flowers and cards—it is were imprisoned, tortured, and executed around 270, during eternal. the persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor, Dr. Alexandros K. Kyrou is Professor of History at Salem State Claudius II. University, where he teaches on the Balkans, Byzantium, and the Because they shared the same name, were Ottoman Empire. contemporaries, resided near each other in central Italy, and https://blogs.goarch.org/blog/-/blogs/the-historical-and-orthodox-saint- ultimately, shared similar fates, the two Valentines’ personal valentine histories were intermingled and conflated over the centuries, producing inconsistencies and puzzlement in many accounts of their lives. What most sources indicate, however, is that Bishop Valentine was renowned during his lifetime as a healer of the sick and blind, while Valentine the Presbyter would become notable in the historical memory of Christians, originally both Eastern and Western, as a courageous steward of marriage. Indeed, because of his connection to the sacrament of marriage, it would be the latter Valentine, the Presbyter from Rome, who would serve as the inspiration for the Late Medieval Western literary foundations for what would by the nineteenth century evolve into today’s popular, secular Valentine’s Day.