August; 2009/Monthly Bulletin of the Orthodox V Charitable Association
EditorÛAlona Sergeeva
THE HOLY TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD, GOD AND
SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.
The event of the Transfiguration is recorded in three of the four
Gospels: Matthew 17:1-9 , Mark 9:2-8 , and Luke 9:28-36 .
Jesus took the Apostles Peter, James, and John with Him up upon
a mountain, and while they were on the mountain Jesus was
transfigured. His face shone like the sun, and His garments be-
came glistening white.
Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ, talking to Him. Peter de-
clared how good it was for them to be there and expressed the
desire to build three booths for Moses, Elijah, and Christ. This
reference to the booths could imply that this occurred during the
time of the Feast of Tabernacles when the Jews would be camping
out in the fields for the grape harvest; for this Feast had acquired
other associations in the course of its history, including the mem-
ory of the wanderings in the wilderness recorded in the Old Testament book of Exodus.
While Peter was speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them. A voice came from the cloud say-
ing, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him." When the disciples
heard this they fell on their faces filled with awe. Jesus came to them and told them to not be
afraid. When the three looked up they saw only Jesus.
As Jesus and His disciples came down the mountain, He told them not to speak of what they had
seen until He had risen from the dead.
This feast commemorates the transfiguration or metamorphosis of Christ on Mount Tabor, when
our Lord appeared in His divine glory before the Apostles Peter, James, and John is celebrated
each year on August 6(19) and is one of the Twelve Great Orthodox Feasts. goarch.org
Hymns of the Feast
Troparion, Tone 7
You were transfigured on the Mount, Christ God revealing Your glory to Your disciples, insofar as
they could comprehend. Illuminate us sinners also with Your everlasting light, through the inter-
cessions of the Theotokos. Giver of light, glory to You.
Kontakion, Tone 7
You were transfigured upon the mount, O Christ our God, and Your disciples, insofar as they
could bear, beheld Your glory. Thus, when they see You crucified, they may understand Your
voluntary passion, and proclaim to the world that You are truly the effulgence of the Father.
1
Patriarch Kirill and Barack Obama to foster
friendship among Christians of Russia and
the USA
On July 5 Holy Ascension Dialogue between the Christian
church in Skaro celebrated populations of Russia and the
the 111 anniversary of its United States is important for
foundation. After the Divine the development of relations
Liturgy the minister of Ortho- between the two countries,
dox V Patriarchal Parishes in Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and
Canada father George Sergeev pre- All Russia said at a meeting with U.S. President Barack
sented the President of the parish Obama in Moscow in July.
Raimond Lopushinsky the blessed let- "The fact that the American and Russian people have
ter missive in memory of the parish preserved their common, Christian, system of values is
anniversary. After that there was me- increasingly important. We are the most religious coun-
morial service in the church cemetery tries, and it is crucial to maintain dialogue between our
in memory of the founders and first countries' Christians because our people need to be
parishioners of the Holy Church. friends," Patriarch Kirill said.
"It is necessary to appeal to the hearts of the people in
order to stem anti-American sentiments in Russia, and
anti-Russian sentiments in America," he said.
Orthodox chapel will be open at Russian missionaries brought the Christian faith to the
the oldest Nikolayevsky (former Lenin- American continent, he added.
gradsky) railway station of the Russian
"We have a history of kind communication with our
capital in Moscow.
"Besides the decision to rename the sta-
American Christian brothers. We tried to keep these
tion from the Leningradsky to Niko- good relations even during the most difficult years of
layevsky, Russian Railways President the Cold War," the head of the Russian Orthodox
Vladimir Yakunin also decided to organ- Church said.
ize there a long awaited St. Nicholas Religious institutions, particularly the Russian Orthodox
church," Head of the Moscow Patriar- Church, play a special role in Russian society's life,
chate Publishing Council Archpriest Vladi- U.S. President Obama said.
mir Silovyev has told Interfax. The U.S. president welcomed Patriarch Kirill's contribu-
He stated that the chapel would be set
tion to the strengthening of Christian unity and ex-
on the right from the entry to the station
"instead of one-armed bandits." "I think pressed readiness to cooperate with the Russian Church.
we will consecrate it in December on St. Patriarch Kirill, for his part, gave Obama an icon of
Nicholas Day," Fr. Vladimir believes. the Virgin Mary as a memorable present. Interfax
Patriarch Kirill has consecrated the first Russian church in Turkey
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has consecrated a church of Sts Konstantin and Elena in
summer residence of Russian consulate in a place of Buyukdere near Istanbul.
According to correspondent of Interfax-Religion, members of the Russian Church delegation accompa-
nying Patriarch in the trip to Turkey have taken part in consecration and in the subsequent Divine Liturgy. The
chorus of the Moscow Sretensky monastery sang during the service, and some employees of Russian embassy
also assisted on the Liturgy.
The church consecration has opened the third day of Patriarch Kirill's visit to Turkey. His visiting of Constantin-
ople Patriarchate was made in accordance with Orthodox tradition as the new-elected Patriarch visited to
brotherly Orthodox Churches.
The church of Sts Konstantin and Elena has been built in summer residence in Buyukdere in 1832. In a Soviet
period divine services were not made, and only recently the church has been restored.
After the consecration, the church in territory of Russian consulate became the first church of the Moscow Patri-
archate in Turkey. Interfax
2
Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos Holy Queen of All (Pantanassa, Vsetsaritsa )
is a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary from the holy and great Mon-
astery of Vatopedi, Mount Athos, Greece.
The Monastery of Vatopedi (or Vatopaidi) is one of twenty monasteries
on the Mount Athos peninsula (Greece) and is located on the northeast-
ern side of the peninsula. It was founded in 972 by three monks: Atha-
nasius, Nicholas, and Antonius, who were students of St. Anthanasius of
Lavra. It operates as a coenobitic monastery (a communal monastic com-
munity) and is inhabited by 80 monks and is second in hierarchical
rank among the monasteries of the mountain.
Some sources associate the name of "Vatopedi" with the flora of the surrounding countryside ( vatos =
shrub, pedion = plain or ground);[2] others point to a traditional story in which Emperor Arcadius built
the monastery to honor the saving of his son from shipwreck by the Theotokos; the child was found
in a bush (vato = brier, paidi = child).[1]
The major parts of the monastery were constructed either during the Byzantine period or later, during
the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when building reached its peak. The
monastery is monumental in size, with a tall wall in which the buildings are
placed in triangular form.
The first record of the Pantanassa icon's miraculous powers is from the wit-
ness of Elder Joseph Isihast, which lived in 17 century. One day a strange
young man from Cyprus went to visit and entered into the church. At that
point, the elder witnessed a glowing light radiating from the face of the The-
otokos and an invisible power pushed the young man down to the ground.
When the man had recovered from his fall, he began to repent and weep
and confessed that he did not believe and was a participant in the black arts
and came to practice his arts in the church. After that miracle, he changed
his life, became an Orthodox Christian and stayed to live at monastery.
This icon is also known for working many miracles, especially healing people with cancer. There are
many recent records of people who have been healed from cancer after participating in the Supplica-
tory Canon to the Pantanassa at the monastery.
There are many miracles also occurring in Russia, where two identical copies of the Vatopedi icon
were sent at the request of the Patriarch of Moscow. [1] One of these copies is at the Church of All
Saints in Krasnoe Selo of Moscow and the other copy was sent to the monastery of the Metamorpho-
sis of Christ in Novospaski.
HUMOUR
'
Somebody has said there are only two kinds of people in the world.
There are those who wake up in the morning and say, 'Good morning, Lord,'
and there are those who wake up in the morning and say, 'Good Lord, it's morning.'
A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone in a large city because he was short of time and
couldn't find a space with a meter. Then he put a note under the windshield wiper that read: 'I have circled
the block 10 times. If I don't park here, I'll miss my appointment. Forgive us our trespasses.'
When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note 'I've circled this block for
10 years. If I don't give you a ticket I'll lose my job. Lead us not into temptation.'
There is the story of a pastor who got up one Sunday and announced to his congregation: 'I have good news
and bad news. The good news is, we have enough money to pay for our new building program. The bad news is,
it's still out there in your pockets.'
3
Russian Center to open at Large Hadron Collider with the Moscow
Patriarchate participating
Acting representative of the Russian Church at the European Interna-
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World) foundation Archpriest Antony Ilyin held discussions with
leaders of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)
on a possibility of opening a Russian center there.
k7KH5XVVLDQFHQWHUFDQQRWRQO\PHHWQHHGVRI5XVVLDQVFLHQWLVWV
and members of their families, but will become an important com-
munication platform for intercultural dialogue attractive to all re-
searchers interested in Russia, Russian culture and learning Russian
ODQJXDJHl)U$QWRQ\WROG,QWHUID[-.
The priest made a presentation of the Russky Mir Foundation with some dozens of Russian scientists
participating. Following its results, participants prepared an inquiry to allot premises to the Russian
Center. Nicholas Kullberg, French scientist of Russian origin, who had been responsible for develop-
ing relations between CERN and the Soviet Union and Russia, will coordinate the project.
On basis of CERN is the largest scientific center in High Energy Physics and develops a leading
global research project n the Large Hadron Collider, which is to be launched in fall 2009. Today,
about twenty states participate in CERN, though countries-observers including Russia, actively partici-
pate in various projects.
Orthodox priest Andrey Ostapchuk, physicist and nuclear engineer, professor of the Aachen University
and Rector of St. Panteleimon parish in Cologne, works for CERN as one of its leading researchers.
Geneva , Interfax
TtHhEe PpRrOoCcEeSsSsIiOoNn OoFf TtHhEe PpRrEeCcIiOoUuSs WwOoOoDd OoFf TtHhEe LlIiFfEe-
GgIiVvIiNnGg CcRrOoSsSs OoFf TtHhEe LlOoRrDd is commemorated by the Church on August
1(14) It is the first of the three "Feasts of the Savior" in August. The second be-
ing the great feast day of the Transfiguration. The third being the Translation of
the Image Not-Made-by-Hands..
During the month of August, as diseases were particularly frequent, it was formerly
the custom in Constantinople for the precious Wood of the Cross to be carried
through the streets and squares of the city during these days to sanctify the place
and to drive away diseases. On the thirty first of July they brought the Cross from the royal treas-
ury and placed it on the Holy Table of the Great Church of Hagia Sophia. On the next day and
on each subsequent day until the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God they processed with
it throughout the whole city and exposed it for the veneration of the people. This is what is called
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Troparion, Tone 1
O Lord, save Your people, And bless Your inheritance! Grant victories to the Orthodox Christians
Over their adversaries. And by virtue of the Cross, Preserve Your habitation!
4
The Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon
was born in the city of Nicomedia into the family of the illustrious pagan Eustor-
gius, and he was named Pantoleon. His mother St Euboula (March 30) was a
Christian. She wanted to raise her son in the Christian Faith, but she died when
the future martyr was just a young child. His father sent Pantoleon to a pagan
school, after which the young man studied medicine at Nicomedia under the re-
nowned physician Euphrosynus. Pantoleon came to the attention of the emperor
Maximian (284-305), who wished to appoint him as royal physician when he fin-
ished his schooling.
The hieromartyrs Hermolaus, Hermippus and Hermocrates, survivors of the massa-
cre of 20,000 Christians in 303 (December 28), were living secretly in Nicomedia
at that time. St Hermolaus saw Pantoleon time and again when he came to the
house where they were hiding. Once, the priest invited the youth to the house and
spoke about the Christian Faith. After this Pantoleon visited St Hermolaus every day.
One day the saint found a dead child on the street. He had been bitten by a great snake, which was still
beside the child's body. Pantoleon began to pray to the Lord Jesus Christ to revive the dead child and to de-
stroy the venomous reptile. He firmly resolved that if his prayer were fulfilled, he would become a follower of
Christ and receive Baptism. The child rose up alive, and the snake died before Pantoleon's eyes.
After this miracle, Pantoleon was baptized by St Hermolaus with the name Panteleimon (meaning "all-merciful").
Speaking with Eustorgius, St Panteleimon prepared him to accept Christianity. When the father saw how his son
healed a blind man by invoking Jesus Christ, he then believed in Christ and was baptized by St Hermolaus
together with the man whose sight was restored.
After the death of his father, St Panteleimon dedicated his life to the suffering, the sick, the unfortunate and
the needy. He treated all those who turned to him without charge, healing them in the name of Jesus Christ. He
visited those held captive in prison. These were usually Christians, and he healed them of their wounds. In a
short time, reports of the charitable physician spread throughout the city. Forsaking the other doctors, the inhabi-
tants began to turn only to St Panteleimon.
The envious doctors told the emperor that St Panteleimon was healing Christian prisoners. Maximian urged the
saint to refute the charge by offering sacrifice to idols. St Panteleimon confessed himself a Christian, and sug-
gested that a sick person, for whom the doctors held out no hope, should be brought before the emperor. Then
the doctors could invoke their gods, and Panteleimon would pray to his God to heal the man. A man paralyzed
for many years was brought in, and pagan priests who knew the art of medicine invoked their gods without
success. Then, before the very eyes of the emperor, the saint healed the paralytic by calling on the name of
Jesus Christ. The ferocious Maximian executed the healed man, and gave St Panteleimon over to fierce torture.
The Lord appeared to the saint and strengthened him before his sufferings. They suspended the Great Martyr
Panteleimon from a tree and scraped him with iron hooks, burned him with fire and then stretched him on the
rack, threw him into a cauldron of boiling tar, and cast him into the sea with a stone around his neck. Through-
out these tortures the martyr remained unhurt, and denounced the emperor.
At this time the priests Hermolaus, Hermippus and Hermocrates were brought before the court of the pagans.
All three confessed their faith in the Savior and were beheaded (July 26).
By order of the emperor they brought the Great Martyr Panteleimon to the circus to be devoured by wild
beasts. The animals, however, came up to him and licked his feet. The spectators began to shout, "Great is the
God of the Christians!" The enraged Maximian ordered the soldiers to stab with the sword anyone who glorified
Christ, and to cut off the head of the Great Martyr Panteleimon.
They led the saint to the place of execution and tied him to an olive tree. While the martyr prayed, one of
the soldiers struck him with a sword, but the sword became soft like wax and inflicted no wound. The saint
completed his prayer, and a Voice was heard from Heaven, calling the passion-bearer by his new name and
summoning him to the heavenly Kingdom.
Hearing the Voice, the soldiers fell down on their knees before the holy martyr and begged forgiveness. They
refused to continue with the execution, but St Panteleimon told them to fulfill the emperor's command, because
otherwise they would have no share with him in the future life. The soldiers tearfully took their leave of the saint
with a kiss.
When the saint was beheaded, the olive tree to which the saint was tied became covered with fruit. Many
who were present at the execution believed in Christ. The saint's body was thrown into a fire, but remained
unharmed, and was buried by Christians . St Panteleimon's servants Laurence, Bassos and Probus witnessed his
execution and heard the Voice from Heaven. They recorded the life, the sufferings and death of the saint.
Portions of the holy relics of the Great Martyr Panteleimon were distributed throughout all the Christian world.
His venerable head is now located at the Russian monastery of St Panteleimon on Mt. Athos.
The veneration of the holy martyr in the Russian Orthodox Church was already known in the twelfth century.
Prince Izyaslav ( in Baptism Panteleimon), the son of St Mstislav the Great, had an image of St Panteleimon on
his helmet. The holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon is invoked in the Mystery of Anointing the
Sick and in the special Prayers for the Sick.
5
Schedule of Services
For August 2009
02 Sunday n Tone 7 -ST. Elias - Chipman 10:AM
09 Sunday - Tone 8 - Skaro 10:AM
16 Sunday - Tone 1 nFarusi 10:AM
18 Tuesday - Lodge (9:30 AM) Auxillary (10:15 AM)
23 Sunday - Tone 2 - Mundare 10:AM
30 Sunday - Tone 3 - Shishkovtzi 10:AM
Orthodox feasts (prazdniki)
in August
4 August - Holy Myrrh-bearer and Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalen
5 August - Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos - Pochaevskaya
9 August - Holy Great-martyr and Healer Panteleimon
14 August- Procession of the Precious Wood of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord
19 August - THE HOLY TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD, GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS
CHRIST.
28 August - THE DORMITION OF OUR MOST HOLY LADY THE THEOTOKOS AND EVER-
VIRGIN MARY
29 August - Translation of the Image Not-made-by-hands of our Lord Jesus Christ
31 August - Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos - Most-Holy Queen of All ( Vsetsaritsa )
If you have any questions or proposals, please, Contact us:
Priest Father George Sergeev 780-895-21-49
Email:
[email protected]. / PO Box 483 Lamont Alberta TOB 2R0
President Yakim Lopushinsky (780-895-26-67
Vice -ăPresident Jim Nemirsky 780-896-23-47
Secretary John Tkachuk 780-576-30-73
Treasurer Fred Pewarchuk 780-895-21-59
Or visit our website²www.orthodoxfive.org
6
