The Messenger
“The world is passing away, and the desires of it; but the one doing the will of God abides forever."
1 John 2:17
The True Purpose of Things
Fr. Dimitru Staniloe
"The world of things and of persons is thus meant to be a ladder to God, the support in the ascent to Him. But by the passions man takes the brilliant depth, this transparence, which reaches the infinite, from the world. Instead of being 'the horizon of mystery' the world becomes a consumable material content, an impenetrable wall, unpierced by any light from above. In fact, the fleshly passions– gluttony, the love of money, licentiousness– no longer retain anything but the material from the things and persons, only what can satisfy our bodily appetites; and anger, dejection, vainglory are explained as well by this reduction of things to the aspects of theirs of being useful to the body and limited. Things are no longer but to eat, or give other comforts and pleasures to the body; they make it move, they give it pleasant aromas and tastes, they present it with a shiny material aspect, they offer it an easy rest, so our neighbor's person is only a body, which can arouse pleasures in our body, or so much manpower, usable as a tool for the production of goods pleasant to the body. Things and persons no longer contain anything but what falls immediately under the senses and nothing beyond the senses. Things and persons have become opaque. The world is one sided, poor without any dimensions except the perceptible. The sin against God, the creative Spirit, is also a sin against the world.
But this change into simple consumer goods and this reduction of persons to the aspects of objects, instead of making man freer, more sovereign in the midst of the world, makes him a slave of bodily passions grown beyond all limits. So, the self-restraint which Christianity urges man to exercise is for man's spirit to claim its rights from the lower impulses which have overwhelmed him. By the self-control which limits the passions, man reestablishes the limits and freedom of the spirit in himself. But in so doing, he awakens with himself the factor which sees in the world something else besides objects to satisfy these passions. By self-control man removes from the world the wave of darkness and gives it once again the attribute of making it transparent for the infinite. So disrespect for the world isn't shown in self-control, but rather the will to discover the entire majesty of the world; self-control isn't a complete turning away from the world, to see God, but a turning away from a world narrow and exaggerated by the passions, to find a transparent world which itself becomes a mirror of God and a ladder to Him.”
Set Service Schedule:
Weekend schedule
- Every Saturday, Great Vespers 5:30 pm.
- Every Sunday, Hours at 9:10 am & Divine Liturgy at 9:30 am.
See the calendar below for more service times.
Coffee fellowship:
Bible Study / Orthodox Education: see calendar for details
Upcoming Major & Great Feasts: Nativity of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Women's group: Saturday the 25th
Men's Group: Mon's hike on Saturday the 25th
“Ours must be the Orthodoxy of the heart, not just the mind … And this is the symptom of the great conflict of our times: the Orthodoxy of the head vs. the Orthodoxy of the heart.”
Ven. Fr. Seraphim (Rose).
Parish notes
A church cleaning list is now in the Narthex, please consider signing up to clean the Church nave for a month.
Confession is an integral part of true Christian living. An Orthodox Christian who is regularly partaking of Holy Communion needs, for the health of their soul, to be partaking of Holy Confession at least on a monthly basis. This practice of true Christian living should be respected and practiced by all responsible members of the Church who are approaching the Chalice frequently.
Library note: if you have had a library book for a while please remember to return it. Remember the library is an honor system.
A note on Prosphora bread: Prosphora is blessed bread partaken of after Holy Communion and at the conclusion of the Div. Liturgy. Please be mindful of crumbs, it is important to instruct children to eat it with reverence. If you share with a member of the congregation who has not partaken of Holy Communion, please only give one or two pieces. If you notice a number of crumbs on the floor, please pick them up and deposit them outside. Prosphora should never be thrown in the trash.
Parents: please make sure that your children do not go to the restroom unattended. This is for the greater safety of our community and children.
Another reminder: There should be no unnecessary moving about during the Div. Liturgy; specifically, during the reading of the Gospel, the Anaphora, and the Our Father all moving about should cease, unless it is an emergency. Parents are encouraged to help their children focus during these times.
Diapers and wipes: we are partnering with a Caring Pregnancy Center through supplying diapers and wipes. Please bring donations to the church. This is an ongoing ministry. A Caring Pregnancy Center helps woman make an informed choice for life. Protecting life at every stage is the job of every Christian.
Coffee Hour: Please be mindful which group you belong to and please be diligent in bringing food. This is in fact a ministry. It is the listed group's responsibility to make sure the coffee is made, please communicate with your group members as to who will do this. Thank you for all your hard work!
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Archangel Michael Orthodox Church Newsletter and Calendar
Set Weekend Service Schedule:
Every Sat/ Great Vespers 5:30pm
Sun/ Hours 9:10 & Divine Liturgy 9:30am
For other service times please see the calendar
See the calendar below to view our monthly calendar; it includes weekday services, Bible studies, fellowships and more!
