Notes and Details

TODAY...We continue in the festal season of the Meeting of Our Lord in the Temple, celebrated Feb 2, highlighted in the poignant prayer of the Righteous Elder Simeon so prominent in our Orthodox services.  If you missed it, read the Gospel account from Luke 2:22-40.  We also continue the wonderful progression of pre-lenten Sundays with the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee, teaching us of the humility inherent in true prayer.  And to remind us that the fasting to which we are specially called during Lent is not an end in itself, the Church gives us the coming week as fast-free; we can have meat even Wednesday and Friday -- enjoy!  We also join thousands today to prayerfully and actively consider the hungry on this annual "SouperBowl of Caring Sunday"; receiving offerings of canned goods and cash as part of a national effort.  Our youth will tally our offerings and report them to the national organization.  Canned goods will be delivered to St Anthony's Center in downtown Williamsport and cash donations forwarded to IOCC.  Thanks for YOUR support!  Finally, we're missing some of our teens today.  Five of them are attending the annual Diocesan Winter Teen Retreat at the Fatima Renewal Center in Dalton, PA.  We hope they're having an edifying and enjoyable experience.

 

STUDY GROUP:  Our weekly study group will meet tomorrow, Feb 6, beginning with Daily Vespers at 7 pm. Consider joining us for these additional weekday opportunities for prayer, fellowship, Q and A, and discussion.  We had an enlightening session last week covering a range of issues and topics.  Bring YOUR questions and join us!

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS:  As promised at last Sunday's Parish Meeting, official statements of envelope offerings for 2011 have been generated and are available today at Coffee Hour (and mailed to those absent).  If you feel discrepancies exist, contact the parish office for any necessary adjustments before they're permanently filed in our parish records.  The statements may be used to document charitable contributions for income tax purposes.  Please remember to indicate an amount enclosed in each envelope submitted to receive proper credit (there were a number without amounts submitted in 2011 that couldn't be tallied).  Our parish was truly blessed by your generous regular offerings this past year so again we say "Thanks for your faithful stewardship!" 

 

AUXILIARY NEWS:  Thanks again to our ambitious perogi crew that generated another 152 dozen on Friday, completing the effort by 11 am (with another hour for clean-up)!  There're NO extras available. Our next Perogi Project will be held during the first week of Great Lent -- on Friday, March 2.  Sign-ups will be available as always.  Order early; business picks up during Lent!  We appreciate your efforts!  Also, a word of thanks to our Coffee Hour hosts who've been providing weekly refreshments and more -- and actually signing-up in advance!  Keep it up!  Remember on Sunday, Feb 19, our youth will hold another of their popular Hot Dog and Sundae Hours to raise funds for their designated charity.  

 

HOME BLESSINGS:  Fr Dan hopes this week to conclude his rounds for the annual home blessings for any parishioner households desiring same.  Contact the office to arrange a convenient date/time.

 

LOVE OFFERING: Our February LOVE offering is designated for seminaries.  Please use your monthly LOVE offering envelope for this purpose.

 

NEWSLETTER:  February's edition of our monthly newsletter was mailed last week.  Thanks to those who stepped-up to sponsor the next two issues.  We could use additional sponsors to underwrite the mailing costs thereafter.  Please consider it and see Fr Dan if interested. 

 

ANNUAL MEETING: Our 2012 Annual Parish Meeting was held in our Fellowship Center last Sunday.  Thanks to all who attended and participated!  Printed reports were distributed (and are available in the office for those absent). The proposed 2012 operating budget was adopted and elections of parish leadership for the coming year resulted in the following: Executive Board: Parish Warden: Dylan Jenkins / Ass't Warden: Randy Shatto / Secretary: Daniel Thetford / Treasurer: Cally Herman.  Council Members: Eric Affsprung, Ed Almasy, Donna Kadenas, Elsie Nierle, Gary Summers.  Administrative Aids: Auditors: Doug Brown, John Hranitz.  Financial Secretary: Daria Fish.  Those elected will take the oath of office pending the blessing of Bishop Tikhon.  There was a good spirit and momentum apparent at the meeting.  Let's keep it going as we celebrate our 35th parish anniversary year!

 

FAMILY NIGHT! Join us for our next monthly Family Night -- on Saturday, February 18 -- with the usual Potluck (with meat!) at 5 and Vespers at 6:30. Plan on it!

 

GREAT LENT, 2012 begins with the Vespers of Forgiveness Sunday on February 26 at 6 pm.  Daily services will be held during the first week at 7 pm with Tuesday’s service (2/28) being held in Bucknell Hall in Lewisburg for the benefit of the campus community and local parishioners.

The Holy Fathers of the First Six Ecumenical Councils

     In the Ninth Article of the Nicea-Constantinople Symbol of Faith proclaimed by the holy Fathers of the First and Second Ecumenical Councils, we confess our faith in "One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church." By virtue of the catholic nature of the Church, an Ecumenical Council is the Church's supreme authority, and possesses the competence to resolve major questions of church life. An Ecumenical Council is comprised of archpastors and pastors of the Church, and representatives of all the local Churches, from every land of the "oikumene" (i.e. from all the whole inhabited world).
     The Orthodox Church acknowledges Seven Holy Ecumenical Councils: The First Ecumenical Council (Nicea I) (May 29, and also on seventh Sunday after Pascha) was convened in the year 325 against the heresy of Arius, in the city of Nicea in Bithynia under StConstantine the Great, Equal of the Apostles.
     The Second Ecumenical Council (Constantinople I) (May 22) was convened in the year 381 against the heresy of Macedonias, by the emperor Theodosius the Great.
     The Third Ecumenical Council (Ephesus) (September 9) was convened in the year 431 against the heresy of Nestorius, in the city of Ephesus by the emperor Theodosius the Younger.
     The Fourth Ecumenical Council (Chalcedon) (July 16) was convened in the year 451, against the Monophysite heresy, in the city of Chalcedon under the emperor Marcian.
     The Fifth Ecumenical Council (Constnatinople II) (July 25) "Concerning the Three Chapters," was convened in the year 553, under the emperor Justinian the Great.
     The Sixth Ecumenical Council (Constantinople III) (January 23) met during the years 680-681, to fight the Monothelite heresy, under the emperor Constantine Pogonatos.
     The fact that the Seventh Ecumenical Council (Nicea II) is not commemorated today testifies to the antiquity of today's celebration. The Seventh Council, commemorated on the Sunday nearest to October 11, was convened at Nicea in the year 787 against the Iconoclast heresy, under the emperor Constantine and his mother Irene.
     The Church venerates the Holy Fathers of the Ecumenical Councils because Christ has established them as "lights upon the earth," guiding us to the true Faith. "Adorned with the robe of truth," the doctrine of the Fathers, based upon the preaching of the Apostles, has established one faith for the Church. The Ecumenical Councils, are the highest authority in the Church. Such Councils, guided by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and accepted by the Church, are infallible.
     The Orthodox Church's conciliar definitions of dogma have the highest authority, and such definitions always begin with the Apostolic formula: "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us..." (Acts 15: 28).
     The Ecumenical Councils were always convened for a specific reason: to combat false opinions and heresies, and to clarify the Orthodox Church's teaching. But the Holy Spirit has thus seen fit, that the dogmas, the truths of faith, immutable in their content and scope, constantly and consequently are revealed by the conciliar mind of the Church, and are given precision by the holy Fathers within theological concepts and terms in exactly such measure as is needed by the Church itself for its economy of salvation. The Church, in expounding its dogmas, is dealing with the concerns of a given historical moment, "not revealing everything in haste and thoughtlessly, nor indeed, ultimately hiding something" (St Gregory the Theologian).
     A brief summary of the dogmatic theology of the First Six Ecumenical Councils is formulated and contained in the First Canon of the Council of Trullo (also known as Quinisext), held in the year 692. The 318 Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council are spoken of in this Canon I of Trullo as having: "with unanimity of faith revealed and declared to us the consubstantiality of the three Persons of the Divine nature and, ... instructing the faithful to adore the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with one worship, they cast down and dispelled the false teaching about different degrees of Divinity."
     The 150 Holy Fathers of the Second Ecumenical Council left their mark on the theology of the Church concerning the Holy Spirit, "repudiating the teaching of Macedonius, as one who wished to divide the inseparable Unity, so that there might be no perfect mystery of our hope."
     The 200 God-bearing Fathers of the Third Ecumenical Council expounded the teaching that "Christ, the Incarnate Son of God is One." They also confessed that "she who bore Him without seed was the spotless Ever-Virgin, glorifying her as truly the Mother of God.
     The 630 Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council decreed that "the One Christ, the Son of God... must be glorified in two natures."
     The 165 God-bearing Holy Fathers of the Fifth Ecumenical Council "in synod anathematized and repudiated Theodore of Mopsuestia (the teacher of Nestorius), and Origen, and Didymus, and Evagrius, renovators of the Hellenic teaching about the transmigration of souls and the transmutation of bodies and the impieties they raised against the resurrection of the dead."
     The 170 Holy Fathers of the Sixth Ecumenical Council "taught that we ought to confess two natural volitions, or two wills [trans. note: one divine, and the other human], and two natural operations (energies) in Him Who was incarnate for our salvation, Jesus Christ, our true God."
     In decisive moments of Church history, the holy Ecumenical Councils promulgated their dogmatic definitions, as trustworthy delimitations in the spiritual battle for the purity of Orthodoxy, which will last until such time, as "all shall come into the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God" (Eph. 4: 13). In the struggle with new heresies, the Church does not abandon its former dogmatic concepts nor replace them with some sort of new formulations. The dogmatic formulae of the Holy Ecumenical Councils need never be superseded, they remain always contemporary to the living Tradition of the Church. Therefore the Church proclaims:
     "The faith of all in the Church of God hath been glorified by men, which were luminaries in the world, cleaving to the Word of Life, so that it be observed firmly, and that it dwell unshakably until the end of the ages, conjointly with their God-bestown writings and dogmas. We reject and we anathematize all whom they have rejected and anathematized, as being enemies of Truth. And if anyone does not cleave to nor admit the aforementioned pious dogmas, and does not teach or preach accordingly, let him be anathema" (Canon I of the Council of Trullo).
     In addition to their dogmatic definitions, the Holy Fathers of the Ecumenical Councils exerted great efforts towards the strengthening of church discipline. Local Councils promulgated their disciplinary canons according to the circumstances of the time and place, frequently differing among themselves in various particulars.
     The universal unity of the Orthodox Church required unity also in canonical practice, i.e. a conciliar deliberation and affirmation of the most important canonical norms by the Fathers of the Ecumenical Councils. Thus, according to conciliar judgment, the Church has accepted: 20 Canons from the First, 7 Canons from the Second, 8 Canons from the Third, and 30 Canons from the Fourth Ecumenical Synods. The Fifth and the Sixth Councils concerned themselves only with resolving dogmatic questions, and did not leave behind any disciplinary canons.
     The need to establish in codified form the customary practices during the years 451-680, and ultimately to compile a canonical codex for the Orthodox Church, occasioned the convening of a special Council, which was wholly devoted to the general application of churchly rules. This was convened in the year 692. The Council "in the Imperial Palace" or "Under the Arches" (in Greek "en trullo"), came to be called the Council in Trullo. It is also called the "Quinisext" [meaning the "fifth and sixth"], because it is considered to have completed the activities of the Fifth and Sixth Councils, or rather that it was simply a direct continuation of the Sixth Ecumenical Council itself, separated by just a few years.
     The Council in Trullo, with its 102 Canons (more than of all the Ecumenical Synods combined), had a tremendous significance in the history of the canonical theology of the Orthodox Church. It might be said that the Fathers of this Council produced a complete compilation of the basic codex from the relevant sources for the Orthodox Church's canons. Listing through in chronological order, and having been accepted by the Church the Canons of the Holy Apostles, and the Canons of the Holy Ecumenical and the Local Councils and of the holy Fathers, the Trullo Council declared: "Let no one be permitted to alter or to annul the aforementioned canons, nor in place of these put forth, or to accept others, made of spurious inscription" (2nd Canon of the Council in Trullo).
     Church canons, sanctified by the authority of the first Six Ecumenical Councils (including the rules of the Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787, and the Constantinople Councils of 861 and 879, which were added later under the holy Patriarch Photius), form the basis of THE RUDDER, or KORMCHAYA KNIGA (a canon law codex known as "Syntagma" or "Nomokanon" in 14 titles). In its repository of grace is expressed a canonical norm, a connection to every era, and a guide for all the local Orthodox Churches in churchly practice.
     New historical conditions can lead to the change of some particular external aspect of the life of the Church. This makes creative canonical activity necessary in the conciliar reasoning of the Church, in order to reconcile the external norms of churchly life with historical circumstances. The details of canonical regulation are not fully developed for the various eras of churchly organization at all once. With every push to either forsake the literal meaning of a canon, or to fulfill and develop it, the Church again and again turns for reasoning and guidance to the eternal legacy of the Holy Ecumenical Councils, to the inexhaustable treasury of dogmatic and canonical truths.

--- from oca.org

Ancient Wisdom -- with Contemporary Relevance!

from St John Chrysostom (4th century)

Should we look to kings and princes to put right the inequalities between rich and poor?  Should we require soldiers to come and seize the rich person's gold and distribute it among his destitute neighbors?  Should we beg the emperor to impose a tax on the rich so great that it reduces them to the level of the poor and then to share the proceeds of that tax among everyone?

Equality imposed by force would achieve nothing, and do much harm.  Those who combined both cruel hearts and sharp minds would soon find ways of making themselves rich again.

Worse still, the rich whose gold was taken away would feel bitter and resentful; while the poor who received the gold from the hands of soldiers would feel no gratitude, because no generosity would have prompted the gift.  Far from bringing moral benefit to society, it would actually do moral harm. 

Material justice cannot be accomplished by compulsion, a change of heart will not follow.  The only way to achieve true justice is to change people's hearts first and then they will joyfully share their wealth.

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