WEEKDAY SERVICES

Wednesday, August 29TH

THE BEHEADING OF ST. JOHN THE FORERUNNER- 

Orthros at 8:30  a.m. 

STRICT FAST

Also a  PARAKLESIS to the Most Holy Theotokos at 6 p.m. 

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 CENTENNIAL ALBUM RECEPTION

           We are pleased to advise that the Centennial Album Editorial Board will host a Reception for the Dormition Centennial Commemorative Album on Sunday, August 26, 2018, immediately following the Divine Liturgy.  Those who have purchased or are due an album will be able to receive it at that time.  Albums will also be available for purchase for $50. 

We are making every effort to reach out to all who would have interest in attending. Please pass along the good news to those who might not regularly receive the Koinotis or who may not be on the church’s various electronic communications.

We originally committed to an April 1 release date. It was not due to lack of effort that we missed this and subsequent targets. The Editorial Board needed to take the extra time and especially the care necessary to publish this album consistent with the love and dedication that our parishioners and contributors put into this effort over the past couple of years. 

We look forward to celebrating with you our colorful history. Come and join us!

Anargyros Sparages

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FESTIVAL

     Once again our festival is fast approaching.  Before you know it, the festival weekend of September 7, 8 and 9th will be upon us.  So, now is the time to think how you are going to help your church.  

     You can help in many ways, you all know the drill by now.  You can either help us during the week of the festival by skewing kabobs, cutting vegetables or putting the final touches together that will help this year's festival be another success.  Most help will be needed during the 3 day weekend in various areas!  

     You can also donate items from the festival item list or by putting an ad in our festival ad book, as soon as possible. Whatever you decide to do, it would be greatly appreciated, but you need to decide.  It's your choice as to how you want to help your church.  

     We are currently asking you to please call and let the church office know, so we can mark you down.   As always, thank you in advance.  If you have any questions, please ask our festival co-chair people, Andy Galbadis and/or Diane Karavitis.

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THE DORMITION FAMILY TABLE

          The next Dormition Family Table will be served on Wednesday, September 19th, 2018 from

4 p.m.—6 p.m. We are looking for volunteers to help cook and serve. 

 Cooking starts at 2:00 p.m.

SEPTEMBER 1ST

BEGINNING OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL YEAR

              On September 1^st, we celebrate the Indiktos, the beginning of the new ecclesiastical year. The word Indiktos is derived from the Latin indiktio, which means decree. The term originated from the decision of Roman emperors to appoint by decree for a period of fifteen years, the amount of the annual tax, which they received for the maintenance of the army. The first fifteen year cycle was initiated under Caesar Augustus, three years before the birth of Christ, when he issued orders for a general census of the inhabitants of the Roman Empire and the collection of taxes.  In the Eastern part of the Empire, the New Year was celebrated on September 24, the day of the autumn equinox. However, since the 23rd coincided with the birthday of the Emperor of Rome Octavian, the new year was transferred to September 23, which was defined as the beginning of Indiktion. Since the reign of Constantine the Great, the Indiktion was formally used as calendar date.

So Indiktos ended up meaning the year, and the beginning of New Year was called Indiktion. The Church had to use the New Year, and attribute to it a Christian character, therefore it decided to celebrate the feast of the conception of Saint John the Baptist, which is the first event in the history of the Gospel.   Later, in 462 AD, for practical reasons, in order to match the first day of the  ecclesiastical New Year with the first day of the month the Indiktion was celebrated on the 1^st of September. Since that time the Church of Constantinople keeps celebrating Sept. 1st as the beginning of the new ecclesiastical year. The celebration of the New Year on January 1st has Roman origins and was introduced to the Orthodox East in recent times, coming from the West. The Roman pagans were celebrating the god Janus, from whose name the month of January was derived. The church of Rome tried to counteract the pagan celebration of Janus, and decided to celebrate the new Christian year on January 1^st.

Because September is a harvest season for fruits and the earth is preparing for a new cycle of vegetation, it was fit for the Christians to celebrate the beginning of another agricultural season, yielding thanks to God for his sustaining of the creation. The Jews were already doing this according to the teaching of the Mosaic law ; the first day of the seventh Jewish month, in the beginning of September, they celebrated a memorial proclaimed with the blast of trumpets, a day of solemn rest, without laborious work, presenting an offering by fire to the Lord ( Lev. 23:18 ) .

Christ, the Son and Word of God, the Creator of time and the universe, who became incarnate and took human nature upon Him in order to unite Jews and Gentiles in one church, wanted to recap on Himself the created world and the written Law. Therefore on this day, when nature prepares to start a new cycle of seasons, we celebrate the event, during which our Lord Jesus Christ entered the synagogue in Nazareth, and, opening the book of Isaiah, read the passage where the prophet speaks on behalf of the Lord: "the spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. To bring good tidings to the afflicted, he has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn "(Isa. 61:1-2).

            The Lord wanted to reveal Himself to the Jewish people and to prove that he was the Chosen Son of the Father who came to save everyone on earth. Even the way He chose to reveal Himself to us causes admiration. When he was given the Bible, He opened it, not at random, but in the paragraph of the Prophet Isaiah which was written about Him. What was written there? "The spirit of the Lord anointed me", selected me, to bring good news to the poor, the gospel to the Gentiles, who have neither the law nor the prophets and suffer from great spiritual poverty. "To bind up the broken hearted" and offer to those spiritually blind, Jews and Gentiles alike, those who were made subservient to Satan, spiritual vision and health. Included there were also the dead whom Hades had made his own, but were liberated after the Resurrection of our Lord. At the end of the paragraph He announced the joyful event that will occur, when the righteous will give thanks to Christ at His Second Coming, on the day that He will avenge the enemies of mankind, the demons. By reading this passage from Isaiah, the Lord revealed to the people that day, that this prophecy had came true.

Beloved, those who know that the only truth existing is our Lord Jesus Christ, celebrate the start of the New Ecclesiastical Year chanting the Church’s beautiful hymns. However this thanksgiving and worship must not be limited only to this day, but also continue during the week, during the rest of the year. We are asked to pray and praise the Most Merciful God for the goods that He provides us with, asking His protection for the whole world from the effects of the evil one. Our prayer must embrace all humanity, those who are in danger, suffering, hurt or starving. We must ask Him to guide us to live on earth according to His will, and to strengthen us when we are overcome from temptations and tribulations.

PROTOPRESBYTER FR. KONSTANTINOS MANETAS