ST. ELIA’S NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2018 CONTACTS СЛАВА ІСУСУ ХРИСТУ! СЛАВА НАВІКИ! Ukrainian Orthodox Church of St. Elia 11833 – 66 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5B 1J2 GLORY BE TO JESUS CHRIST! Office:780-471-2288 / Kitchen: 780-479-8824 GLORY FOREVER! Kitchen Contact: Donna Marianych 587-784-7082 Websites St. Elia: www.uocc-stelia.ca Sunday Worship Hours: Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada: www.uocc.ca 9:30 AM CONFESSIONS Western Eparchy: www.uocc-we.ca 10:00 AM DIVINE LITURGY St. Elias 2018 AGM Meeting: CLERGY Sunday, December 2nd, 2018 Priest: Very Rev. Mitred Archpriest Fr. Georg Podtepa Home:780-477-2583 / Cell: 780-984-6290 [email protected] Rev. Fr. Dr. Roman Shiyan SHUMKA’s Nutcracker Home:780-439-7217 / Cell: 780-994-8721 with guests from Ukraine’s Kyiv Ballet [email protected] December 22 at 7:30 pm December 22 & 23 at 2:00 pm COUNCIL at Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium Tickets at www.shumka.com President: Rev. Fr. Dr. Roman Shiyan 1st Vice-President: Alex Werstiuk 780-462-6468 / [email protected] 2nd Vice-President: Tammy Ewanec 780-474-4867 / [email protected] Secretary: Sub Dcn. Evan Panchuk “Come, let us wonder at the virgin most 780-203-3439 / [email protected] pure, wondrous in herself, unique in Treasurer: Walter Marcenuik 780-463-9646 / [email protected] creation, she gave birth, yet knew no Hospodar: Al Hayduk 780-476-1115 / [email protected] man; her pure soul with wonder was filled, Directors: Bill Ewanec 780-474-4867 / [email protected] daily her mind gave praise in joy at the Helen Hayduk 780-476-1115 / [email protected] twofold wonder: her virginity preserved, Dan Kobasiuk 780-473-4081 / [email protected] her child most dear. Blessed is He who Orest Macyk 780-417-5294 / [email protected] shone forth from her!” Club Trident President: Ivan Sawchuk 780-988-5862 / [email protected] UWAC President: Donna Marianych St. Ephraim the Syrian, Songs of Praise 587-784-7082 / [email protected] Mission Outreach: Myrna Kostash [email protected] Newsletter submitions ~ feel free! Sunday Bulletin and Newsletter Contacts: Myrna Kostash 780-433-0710 / [email protected] * If you want to share an event, story, or photos with Barbara Panchuk 780-710-5052 / [email protected] our Ukrainian Orthodox community, please send the information to [email protected] Message from Parish President, Rev. Father Roman Shiyan Glory to Jesus Christ! Very Reverend Father, fellow parishioners, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I would like to extend my sincerest greetings to you with the fast-approaching Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord God and Saviour Jesus, and to wish all of you the blessed time of celebrations, spiritual reflections, joy, spiritual uplifting, and peace, both on earth and in your hearts. It has been truly a blessing and a privilege serving you as parish president for these past years. You have always presented me with an example, inspiration, and a reminder of what it takes living one’s life as an Orthodox Christian, a priest, in an Orthodox Christian community. Even though I am no longer discharging my responsibility as parish president, I look forward to continuing our spiritual journey together for the years to come. May our faith guide us every step of our way. And may the blessings of Our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ be upon all of you! Thank you for your invaluable support during my years of service as president of our parish. With Christian greetings, Rev. Fr. Dr. Roman I. Shiyan, Parish President (outgoing) DECEMBER FEASTS AND SAINTS December 4: Entry of the Theotokos The Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple, also called The Presentation, is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church.. Among those Orthodox Christians who use the “Old” (Julian) calendar as their Church calendar, the date of this feast corresponds to December 4 in the secular calendar. According to Tradition, the Theotokos was taken - presented - by her parents Joachim and Anna into the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem as a young girl, where she lived and served as a Temple virgin until her betrothal to St. Joseph. One of the earliest sources of this tradition is the non-canonical Protoevangelion of James, also called the Infancy Gospel of James. Mary was solemnly received by the temple community which was headed by the priest Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. She was led to the holy place to become herself the “holy of holies” of God, the living sanctuary and temple of the Divine child who was to be born in her. 3 Tropar: Today is the preview of the good will of God, Of the preaching of the salvation of mankind. The Virgin appears in the temple of God, In anticipation proclaiming Christ to all. Let us rejoice and sing to her: Rejoice, O Divine Fulfillment of the Creator’s dispensation. DECEMBER 13: APOSTLE ANDREW, FIRST-CALLED This Saint was from Bethsaida of Galilee; he was the son of Jonas and the brother of Peter, the chief of the Apostles. He had first been a disciple of John the Baptist; afterwards, on hearing the Baptist’s witness concerning Jesus, when he pointed Him out with his finger and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, Which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1.29,36), he straightway followed Christ, and became His first disciple; wherefore he is called the First-called of the Apostles. After the Ascension of the Saviour, he preached in various lands; and having suffered many things for His Name’s sake, he died in Patras of Achaia, where he was crucified on a cross in the shape of an “X,” the first letter of “Christ” in Greek; this cross is also the symbol of Saint Andrew. Legend has it that he preached in the lands of Rus. Once, before reaching a mountain, he placed a cross and prophesied great glory the city which arises at this point. Later, there was formed the city of Kiev - Ukraine`s heart. St. Andrew the Apostle: 4 things to know and share 1) He was the brother of St. Peter, who was also known as Simon bar-Jonah. He and Andrew shared the same father, so the latter would have been known as Andrew bar- Jonah. Like his brother Peter, and their partners James and John, Andrew was initially a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee. 2) What is significant about his name? The name Andrew (Greek, Andreas) is related to the Greek word for “man” (Aner). It originally meant something like “Manly,” expressing the parents’ hopes for their baby boy. It is interesting that Andrew’s name is of Greek origin, not Aramaic. The fact that their father—Jonah (or Jonas)—gave his elder son (Simon) an Aramaic name and his younger son (Andrew) a Greek name reflects the mixed Jewish-Gentile environment of Galilee. 3) How close was Andrew to Jesus? In the synoptic Gospels and Acts, the twelve apostles are always listed in three group of four individuals. The first of these groups indicates those who were the closest to Jesus. It includes the two pairs of brothers: (1) Peter and Andrew, the sons of Jonah, and (2) James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Andrew was thus one of the four disciples closest to Jesus, but he seems to have been the least close of the four. This is reflected in the fact that, several times, Peter, James, and John seem to have privileged access to Jesus, while Andrew is not present. For example, Peter, James, and John were those present for the Transfiguration, but Andrew was not present. They were the closest three, while Andrew was a distant fourth. 4) What happened to Andrew in later years? Peter, his brother, travelled from Jerusalem through Antioch and reached Rome to exercise his universal mission; Andrew, instead, was the Apostle of the Greek world. So it is that in life and in death they appear as true brothers -- a brotherhood that is symbolically expressed in the special reciprocal relations of the See of Rome and of Constantinople. As the successor of St. Peter, Pope Francis noted the role of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as the successor of St. Andrew and referred to him as “my brother, Andrew,” casting the two of them in the roles of the original brother apostles. http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jimmy-akin/st.-andrew-the-apostle-11-things-to-know-and-share DECEMBER 19: WONDERWORKER NICHOLAS Our father among the saints Nicholas of Myra, Wonder-worker, was the archbishop of Myra in southern Asia Minor in the fourth century and is also the basis for the Santa Claus legends and imagery which accompany Christmas celebrations in much of the world. While widely honored and venerated, not only in the Orthodox Church, but throughout most Christian groups, little is known historically of the life of Nicholas. He is the patron of many occupational groups, most notably of sea-farers. By tradition, Nicholas born in the province of Lycia in the southern part of Asia Minor in the city of Patara to well-to-do parents. The date of his birth is not known. Having inherited his parents’ estate, he became known for his generous gifts to those in need. As a youth, he made pilgrimages to Palestine and Egypt. He was subsequently consecrated Archbishop of Myra as the fourth century began. Nicholas was noted for his defense of Orthodoxy against the Arians. He died in Myra on December 6 in a year uncertain, but between 342 and 352. Many of the details of his life that we have appeared during medieval times.