JUNE IOYN.π.O™ 2014 A Monthly E-Publication of the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. 520 S. Ponca Street, Baltimore, MD 21224 GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA METROPOLIS OF NEW JERSEY Message from Fr. Michael L. Pastrikos, Protopresbyter CHURCH PARTICIPATION How often it happens in life that a person has roof for money, a new home, a new car, a big one thing in his/her heart and another upon their party or a wedding, for tickets to a ball game, a lips and wears two faces at the same time. concert or a new job. How many of us are willing As your parish priest, I’ve encountered untold to raise the roof to come to church? We have numbers of people who proven this throughout the years that our concen- say “I am not in church, tration or focus is not on but my heart is with you Christ but for the sinful and the church and if I can world that is out there do anything for you just ready to destroy and kill call me, because I am so us. busy with my work”. How many of us are Sadly these individuals ready to raise the roof to are fooling themselves! If hear the word of God? their heart is in church, How many are ready to their body should also be worship Him and to be in too. People who posses the presence of Him, His saving faith, find a way to angels, and the Holy be with Christ, we cannot Saints of the church? separate our faith from Year after year, we see our body and mind. that in all denominations There are others who of churches that the per- faithfully participate in centage of church partici- church regularly with pation is dropping. We their children and fami- see the lack of faith in par- lies. To give you a vivid ents who don’t care for picture of what is happen- their children’s spiritual ing in our parish, we are welfare; they basically still lacking in participa- only care for themselves. tion; slowly but surely we That’s why, so many will get there. But we can Apostles Peter and Paul holding the Church. live a life of superficial only do this together as a faith, a faith that shows family. little or no enthusiasm. I would like to ask our In the Gospel, according to St. Mark, we read readers a few simple questions. When was the last the account of men who took their friend who was time you attended church? When was the last a paralytic up on the roof of a crowded house. time you received the Holy Sacraments of the They removed a portion of the roof and lowered church? When was the last time you participated their friend to be in the presence of Christ, who in an important meeting or function of the healed the man of his infirmity. church? When was the last time you helped a less fortunate person come to church? When was the Where is our zeal and our enthusiasm to be in last time you involved yourself in the life of the the presence of Christ. Are we ready to forfeit church? and sacrifice certain things in our lives to pay more attention to the needs of our spiritual soul? Take a few moments and think about these Today, we are too busy doing other things that we questions, because this is the only way we can forget our responsibilities to Christ. Are we will- measure where our faith is with God. Yes, one ing to raise the roof to be with Christ and to bring may claim to be religious, live a life of outward others with us? Most people are ready to raise the KOINONIA CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 2 K O I N ø N I ∞ JUNE 2014 ª‹Ó˘Ì· ·Ô ÙÔÓ ¶·Ù¤Ú· ªÈ¯·‹Ï §. ¶·ÛÙÚÈÎfi, ¶ÚˆÙÔÚÂÛ‚‡ÙÂÚÔ EÎÎÏËÛÈ·ÛÌfi˜ ¶fiÛ˜ ÊÔÚ¤˜ ÛÙË ˙ˆ‹ ¤¯ÂÈ Û˘Ì‚Â›, Ô˘ οÔÈÔ˘, ¿ÏÏ· ¿ÏÏÔ˘˜; ¶ÔÏÏÔ› ¿ÓıÚˆÔÈ ÚÔı˘ÌÔÔÈÔ‡ÓÙ·È Ó· ϤÂÈ Ë Î·Ú‰È¿ ÙÔ˘, Î·È ¿ÏÏ· ϤÓ ٷ ¯Â›ÏË ÙÔ˘, Î·È ¤¯ÂÈ ÛËÎÒÛÔ˘Ó ÙËÓ ÔÚÔÊ‹ ÁÈ· ¯Ú‹Ì·Ù·, ÁÈ· ¤Ó· ηÈÓÔ‡ÚÁÈÔ Ù·˘Ùfi¯ÚÔÓ· ‰‡Ô ÚfiÛˆ·; Û›ÙÈ, ÁÈ· ¤Ó· ηÈÓÔ‡ÚÁÈÔ ·˘ÙÔΛÓËÙÔ, ÁÈ· ÌÈ· ÌÂÁ¿ÏË ™·Ó πÂÚ¤·˜ Û·˜, ¤¯ˆ ·ÎÔ‡ÛÂÈ ·fi ÔÏÏ¿ ¿ÙÔÌ· Ó· ϤÓ ‰È·ÛΤ‰·ÛË, ¤Ó· Á¿ÌÔ, ‰‡Ô ÂÈÛÈÙ‹ÚÈ· ÁÈ· ¤Ó· ·ıÏËÙÈÎfi «¢ÂÓ ¤Ú¯ÔÌ·È ÛÙËÓ ∂ÎÎÏËÛ›·, ·ÏÏ¿ Ë Î·Ú‰È¿ ÌÔ˘ Â›Ó·È ÛÙËÓ ·È¯Ó›‰È, Ì›· Û˘Ó·˘Ï›·, ‹ ÌÈ· ηÈÓÔ‡ÚÁÈ· ÂÚÁ·Û›·. ¶fiÛÔÈ ÂÎÎÏËÛ›·, Î·È ·Ó ÌÔÚÒ Ó· οӈ οÙÈ ÁÈ· Û·˜ ÙËÏÂʈÓ›ÛÙ ·fi ÂÌ¿˜ Â›Ó·È Úfiı˘ÌÔÈ Ó· ÛËÎÒÛÔ˘Ó ÙËÓ ÔÚÔÊ‹ ÁÈ· Ó· ÌÔ˘, ÁÈ·Ù› Â›Ì·È Ôχ ·ËÛ¯ÔÏË̤ÓÔ˜ Ì ÙË ‰Ô˘ÏÂÈ¿ ÌÔ˘. 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ÔıÔ‡ÌÂÓÔ. ªfiÓÔ Ô˘ Ú¤ÂÈ Ó· ÙÔ ÂÚÁ·ÛÙԇ̠fiÏÔÈ Ì·˙› ¶·Ú·ÙËÚԇ̠ÙËÓ ¤ÏÏÂÈ„Ë ›ÛÙ˘ ÙˆÓ ÁÔÓ¤ˆÓ, Ô˘ ‰ÂÓ Û·Ó ÔÈÎÔÁ¤ÓÂÈ·. ÂÓ‰ÂȷʤÚÔÓÙ·È ÁÈ· ÙËÓ ÓÂ˘Ì·ÙÈ΋ ·Ó¿Ù˘ÍË ÙˆÓ ·È‰ÈÒÓ ÙÔ˘˜, Î·È ‚·ÛÈο ÂӉȷʤÚÔÓÙ·È ÌfiÓÔÓ ÁÈ· ÙÔ˘˜ ·˘ÙÔ‡˜ ™ÙÔ ∂˘·ÁÁ¤ÏÈÔ, Û‡Ìʈӷ Ì ÙÔÓ ∂˘·ÁÁÂÏÈÛÙ‹ ª¿ÚÎÔ, ÙÔ˘˜. ∞˘Ùfi˜ Â›Ó·È Ô ÏfiÁÔ˜, Ô˘ ÔÏÏÔ› ¤¯Ô˘Ó ÂÊ·ÚÌfiÛÂÈ ‰È·‚¿˙Ô˘Ì ÙËÓ ÂÚÈÎÔ‹ ÙˆÓ ·Ó‰ÚÒÓ Ô˘ ‹Ú·Ó ÙÔÓ ÌÈ· ˙ˆ‹ ÂÈfiÏ·È·˜ ›ÛÙ˘, ÌÈ·˜ ›ÛÙ˘ Ô˘ ‰ÂÓ ¤¯ÂÈ ·Ú¿Ï˘ÙÔ Ê›ÏÔ ÙÔ˘˜, ÙÔÓ ·Ó¤‚·Û·Ó ÛÙËÓ ÔÚÔÊ‹ÙÔ˘ ÛÈÙÈÔ‡, ηӤӷ ÂӉȷʤÚÔÓ Î·È Î·Ó¤Ó·Ó ÂÓıÔ˘ÛÈ·ÛÌfi. £¿ıÂÏ· Ó· Ô˘ ‹Ù·Ó ÁÂÌ¿ÙÔ Ì ÎfiÛÌÔ, ¤Î·Ó·Ó ¤Ó· ¿ÓÔÈÁÌ· ÛÙËÓ Î¿Óˆ ÌÂÚÈΤ˜ ·Ï¤˜ ÂÚˆÙ‹ÛÂȘ ÛÙÔ˘˜ ·Ó·ÁÓÒÛÙ˜ Ì·˜. ÔÚÔÊ‹, Î·È ÙÔÓ Î·Ù¤‚·Û·Ó ̤۷ ÛÙÔ Û›ÙÈ, Ó· Â›Ó·È ·ÚÒÓ ¶fiÙ ‹Ù·Ó Ë ÙÂÏÂ˘Ù·›· ÊÔÚ¿ Ô˘ ‹Ïı·Ù ÛÙËÓ ÂÎÎÏËÛ›·; Ì ÙÔ ÃÚÈÛÙfi, Ô ÔÔ›Ô˜ ÙÔÓ ÂıÂÚ¿Â˘ÛÂ. ¶fiÙ ‹Ù·Ó Ë ÙÂÏÂ˘Ù·›· ÊÔÚ¿ Ô˘ ÎÔÈÓˆÓ‹Û·ÙÂ; ¶fiÙ ‹Ù·Ó ¶Ô˘ Â›Ó·È Ô ˙‹ÏÔ˜ Ì·˜ Î·È Ô ÂÓıÔ˘ÛÈ·ÛÌfi˜ Ì·˜ ÁÈ· ÙËÓ Ë ÙÂÏÂ˘Ù·›· ÊÔÚ¿ Ô˘ Û˘ÌÌÂÙ›¯·Ù Û οÔÈ· ·ÚÔ˘Û›· ÙÔ˘ ÃÚÈÛÙÔ‡; ∂›Ì·ÛÙ ¤ÙÔÈÌÔÈ Ó· ÛÙÂÚËıÔ‡ÌÂ Î·È ÂÎÎÏËÛÈ·ÛÙÈ΋ ÂΉ‹ÏˆÛË ‹ Û οÔÈ· ÛËÌ·ÓÙÈ΋ Ó· ı˘ÛÈ¿ÛÔ˘Ì ÔÚÈṲ̂ӷ Ú¿ÁÌ·Ù· Ù˘ ˙ˆ‹ Ì·˜ ÁÈ· Ó· Û˘Ó‰ڛ·ÛË; ¶fiÙ ‹Ù·Ó Ë ÙÂÏÂ˘Ù·›· ÊÔÚ¿ Ô˘ ‚ÔËı‹Û·Ù ‰ÒÛÔ˘Ì ÌÂÁ·Ï‡ÙÂÚË ÚÔÛÔ¯‹ ÛÙȘ ÓÂ˘Ì·ÙÈΤ˜ Ì·˜ οÔÈÔÓ ·Ó‹ÌÔÚÔ Ó· ¤ÏıÂÈ Ó· ÂÎÎÏËÛÈ·ÛÙ›; ¶fiÙ ‹Ù·Ó Ë ·Ó¿ÁΘ; ™‹ÌÂÚ· ›̷ÛÙ Ôχ ·ËÛ¯ÔÏË̤ÓÔÈ Î¿ÓÔÓÙ·˜ ÙÂÏÂ˘Ù·›· ÊÔÚ¿ Ô˘ Ï¿‚·Ù ÂÓÂÚÁfi ̤ÚÔ˜ ÛÙË ˙ˆ‹ Ù˘ ¿ÏÏ· ¤ÚÁ· Ô˘ Ì·˜ οÓÔ˘Ó Ó· ͯӿÌ ÙȘ ˘Ô¯ÚÂÒÛÂȘ Ì·˜ ÂÎÎÏËÛ›·˜; μÚ›Ù ϛÁÔ ¯ÚfiÓÔ Î·È ÛÎÂÊı›Ù ·˘Ù¤˜ ÙȘ ÛÙÔ ÃÚÈÛÙfi. ∂›Ì·ÛÙ Úfiı˘ÌÔÈ Ó· ÛËÎÒÛÔ˘Ì ÙËÓ ÔÚÔÊ‹ ÁÈ· Ó· ‚ÚÂıԇ̠̠ÙÔ ÃÚÈÛÙfi, Î·È Ó· ʤÚÔ˘Ì ̷˙› Ì·˜ Î·È ™˘Ó¤¯ÂÈ· ÛÙËÓ ÛÂÏ›‰· 4 PROTOPRESBYTER FR. MICHAEL PASTRIKOS, PASTOR CHURCH OFFICE TELEPHONE: 410-633-5020 – CHURCH FAX: 410-633-4352 – CELL: 443-742-8314 www.stnicholasmd.org CHURCH SECRETARY ORGANIST SUNDAY SCHOOL MARIA SALPEAS PETE BISBIKIS KYRA KONDUDIS, NURSERY & PRE-K SEXTON LIA KARAGIANOPOULOS, NURSERY & PRE-K PARISH COUNCIL STANLEY CAVOURAS YANA KARABELAS & NIKI CANNING, KINDERGARTEN DEMOS ANASTASIADES, PRESIDENT DIAMONDS PENNY GERAPETRITIS, FIRST GRADE GUS KARAGIANNOPOULOS, VICE PRESIDENT ANTONIA SFIRIOU, SECOND GRADE ROSE TSAKALOS, PRESIDENT PHAEDRA AVGERINOS, THIRD GRADE STAMATIA IEROMONAHOS, RECORDING SECRETARY ROSE CORNIAS, VICE PRESIDENT CONSTANTINE FRANGOS, CORRESP’NG SECRETARY GEORGE KARAGIANOPOULOS, FOURTH GRADE ANASTASIA HATZIEFTHIMIOU, SECRETARY CHRISTINA ARAVIAKIS, FOURTH GRADE POPI PARAGIOS, TREASURER MARY SERAFIS, TREASURER EMMANUEL DIACOGIANNIS, ASST. TREASURER VOULA G.