Issue 26 | Volume VII, Number 1 GOOD WORKS Bi-monthly Publication of The Council of Orthodox Christian Churches of Metropolitan Detroit GOD IS WITH US! We pray for a peaceful and Happy New Year! JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2019 Happy New Year! We are back! You never know If you listen to Detroit’s Own Or- Blessed are You O Christ God, who has revealed the how much impact you make until thodox Radio program (Sundays fishermen to be most wise; by sending the Holy Spirit something interrupts your work from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. on down on them You drew the world into Your net and people start asking you WNZK 690AM) you know that through them, O Lover of mankind glory to You! “Where have you been?” The every month we do a roundup of (Tropar of Pentecost) same is true of our publication - major events from the 40 Ortho- The Council of Orthodox Christian Churches of Metro- the Good Works magazine, the dox parishes in the area. Origi- politan Detroit (COCC) is a cooperative organization of official publication of the Council nally, we had hoped that parishes clergy and laity, established in 1957. Its mission is to of Orthodox Christian Churches and outreach organizations would promote the Orthodox Christian Faith across the region (COCC). Quite honestly printing contact us with updates, but we of Detroit and southeast lower Michigan through worship a magazine of this caliber is ex- still must hunt out the information and fellowship, as well as to develop and facilitate chari- pensive and we need your support. every month. Often after learning table, educational and outreach programs. We strive to As of this issue, we are only able about an interesting event or aid our sister parishes toward success in their endeav- ors, and bring our community into greater cooperation. to offer Good Works electroni- speaker your parish may be spon- cally until we can secure a printer soring, we reach out to your parish We invite YOU to be an active part of the COCC! All who is willing to work with us and directly or to the speaker to invite Orthodox parishes are sincerely encouraged to join us, and volunteer representatives are very much needed to also find solid sponsors. them for an interview. It would be bring new ideas and new life to our family so that we can great if you could let us know, continue to bring greater witness to our city as Orthodox There is no way around it, we we’d be happy to publicize your Christians of various ethnic and jurisdictional back- can’t keep publishing this maga- event on the radio or in print. Let’s grounds, united in our Faith. zine or funding the weekly DOOR work together. We are here to co- program WITHOUT YOU. If operate with local parishes. you’re not able to sponsor a pro- gram or an advertisement, then In the next few days, your parish perhaps there is someone in your will be receiving a direct appeal parish who would be interested in from the COCC to your pastor and OLGA (LISS) LISKIWSKYI, President the exposure that our Media Min- the parish council to continue to St Mary the Protectress Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral istry can offer. We would appre- be a member of the COCC and to phone 248 252-8184 | [email protected] ciate the contact information and consider contributing to our Media JOHN E LAZAR, Vice President & Publications an introduction, if possible. Ministry. In addition, and this is St George Romanian Orthodox Cathedral vital, each member parish has the phone 734 646-6420 | [email protected] We are all recipients of different right to have two lay persons en- gifts. Take an honest look at your dorsed by their priest, who will MARY STANESA, Secretary God given talents and think about join him as representatives to the Sts Peter & Paul Romanian Orthodox Church phone 313 562-1341 | [email protected] how you can use them best to help COCC. Come join us at the us grow awareness of the Ortho- monthly meetings, learn about the PAULA KALEVAS, Treasurer dox Christian Faith in our area. life of the Orthodox faithful in the St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church You know yourselves, from your area, bring your ideas and help us phone 248 227-9343 | [email protected] parish life, that participation from help you. V REV FR LAURENCE LAZAR, Spiritual Advisor members is vital for growth and St George Romanian Orthodox Cathedral sustainability. Having the same phone 248 569-4833 | [email protected] people doing all the events or In Him, tasks, all the time gets stale MARY ANN DADICH, Good Works Liaison quickly. Not to mention the fact Holy Trinity Orthodox Church that these folks become weary of Olga Liskiwskyi phone 586 775 4799 | [email protected] COCC President their workload while others stay TOM ROSCO, COCC & DOOR Web-editor on the sidelines. Sts Peter & Paul Romanian Orthodox Church [email protected] GOOD WORKS (John E Lazar, graphic designer / editor) is the official publication of The Council of Orthodox Christian Churches of Metropolitan Detroit (COCC). All artwork and original content is not to be reproduced without prior written permission of the COCC. All rights reserved. © 2019. 2 An Inspiration at the New Year... is a fire that warms and kindles the heart and inward parts. Hence, if we feel in our hearts the cold which comes “Godfrom the devil - for the devil is cold - let us call on the Lord. He will come to warm our hearts with perfect love, not only for Him but also for our neighbor, and the cold of him who hates the good will flee before the heat of His countenance.” - St Seraphim of Sarov Beloved Faithful, Beloved, the beautiful feasts of the Church, her celebrations of the lives of the saints, His Mother, of Christ Himself, mark It has become kind of a fun annual tradition of my oldest child incredibly wonderful events. Miraculous events in ancient his- – and we join him (!) in watching the 1989 Chevy Chase tory and current times that involve people just like us, but we movie “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”. We laugh wouldn’t know of them, we wouldn’t have any joy to celebrate hysterically together hearing the same silly dialogue year after and share with our families and friends, to pass to future gen- erations if we didn’t gather together at Christmas every year to year, as if it’s our first time. hear the wonderful words that the baby’s name is Emanuel, Well, maybe that’s true, in a “God is with us!”. way, of how many of us act as Orthodox Christians when it comes to hearing the Church’s And yes, we are and we need to joyful message about Christ- encourage everyone (…) to gather mas. Celebrating the nativity of Jesus Christ is an annual event. together to experience the work of our We know the story. We know loving and merciful Lord in our lives. the words spoken by the angels, by Herod, the Magi, etc. We’ve all heard it before but do we In that silly Christmas movie, Clark Griswold says at one point really listen as if it was the first when everyone thinks it’s useless to continue trying to cele- time? Do we take the words in? brate, “Oh, no! We’re all in this together!” And yes, we are Is it all just an annual event or and we need to encourage everyone (including, as in the movie do we look forward to the occa- our “Eddie’s, Mr Shirley’s, Aunt Bethany’s” etc.) to gather sion as something new and life- together to experience the work of our loving and merciful giving each year, as something that will renew us and fill us, Lord in our lives. our spouses, our children, our parish family, our friends and neighbors with real joy if we share it with them? If we all sit I hope you had a blessed Christmas and a wonderful down and watch and listen. Theophany… the shining forth of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the joyful news that He fills the world, OUR world, our Believe it or not, we’ll start our journey to Pascha in March, Orthodox Detroit world with light. Have a “Hap, Hap, Happy just a matter of weeks from now. Our Savior, while remaining New Year!” God, was just born as one of us, a human being, and we’re already moving toward His Cross! With love and joy, Ah, but His birth is a happy event that brings joy into the world. We celebrate His Nativity, Christmas, and try to share Fr Laurence Lazar the good news with those around us. And isn’t that also true of President of the Detroit Orthodox Clergy Brotherhood His death and resurrection. Did He not bring joy into the world Spiritual Advisor to the COCC by enduring the Cross? Do we not want the whole world to know that joy? 3 SAINTS & FEASTS OF THE SEASON The primary feast day of St John the Baptist is cele- brated on January 7. St John was the son of the Prophet Zacharias and Elizabeth, who was a kinswoman of the Virgin Mary. John is known as the “Forerunner” and “Baptist.” He is known as the Forerunner because he preceded Christ and taught repentance, which prepared men for Jesus’ teaching and His ministry. He even rec- ognized Christ as the Messiah as early as when they were both still in their mothers’ wombs.