Holy Cross Mission Bulletin January 1, 2011

Posted on December 30, 2011 by bobk

Glory be to Jesus Christ!

Just a few things:

1. No Great Vespers this Saturday. Divine Liturgy this Sunday. Confessions and the reading of the Hours is at 9:30 a.m.

2. Christmas Hampers. Thank you to everyone who donated towards our two Christmas hampers. The two families that received them were very appreciative. God bless them and God bless you all for your generosity.

3. Upcoming schedule of services:
January 6 – Great Compline – 10:00 p.m.
January 7 – Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Divine Liturgy – 10:00 a.m.
January 15 – Divine Liturgy – 10:00 a.m.
January 18 – Theophany, Great Blessing of Water – 6:30 p.m.
January 29 – Divine Liturgy – 10:00 a.m.

Those wishing to have their homes blessed by Fr. Evan please be advised that I will be starting to bless homes starting January 24th.

4. I was wondering what I was going to write about in this week’s bulletin. So I thought, “I don’t want to talk about the commercialism. I don’t want to talk anymore about Santa vs. St. Nicholas. I don’t want to talk about the big mob fight in the Mall of America on Boxing Day. (talk about living up to the moniker)” So I thought, that now that we are past all of the stuff of the 25th and 26th, maybe this would be a good time to remind us all of what we are getting ready for. So, I would like to share with you one of my favorite Ukrainian Christmas Carols, translated of course.

There Was Great Rejoicing

There was great rejoicing on that Christmas morning
O’er the manger, softly glowing the bright star was shining.

Christ was born in glory, of the Virgin Mary
Let us humbly like the shephers, kneel in adoration.

Angels softly singing, glory praise proclaiming.
From the heavens to the manger, praising our Lord and Saviour.

O great Lord God above, O Christ, infant Love.
Give us our needs daily measure, You are our only treasure.

I miss Christmas carolling. When I was younger, living in the booming metropolis of Yorkton, our church youth group would go out and visit the parishoners. Going out and sharing the joy of the newly born Christ-child. Singing about how salvation has come into the world. Best memory I had was going to the house of a parishoner, knocking on the door and asking them if we could come in and sing for them. The people there welcomed us in. We sang our carols. My sister did the traditional greeting in Ukrainian. She was so awesome at. If we go carolling we still make her do it. Heh heh heh. The people then said, “We didn’t understand a word you sang, but we really appreciated that you came.” Turns out the parishoner whom we had come to carol for had passed away and the people we did carol for had bought the house. Note to those that go out and carol: Make sure the list of people you are visiting is current.

That is the difference between Orthodoxy and the rest of the Christian world. You see it at Holy Pascha as well. There is this period of preparation. And then when the joyous celebration comes, it isn’t done on that day. The joy carries over. The happiness continues. You often see the slogan, “Keep Christmas in your heart all year long.” The joy of the event does not end when the tree is taken down. It continues from the Nativity, through the Circumcision of the Lord, through Theophany, to the Meeting of the Lord, to the Annunciation, to Holy Pascha and then this cycle of joy takes on an even greater dimension.

Some people find it hard to explain what is so appealing about Holy Orthodoxy. For me, and hopefully for others, it comes down to this:
constant joy.

Holy Orthodoxy is constant joy. There was great rejoicing on that Christmas morning!

On behalf of myself, Matushka Lisa, and Sanchira, we want to wish our Holy Cross family and all of you who read this horribly written email bulletin a very blessed and joyous 2012. It is my hope and prayer that for all of you the great rejoicing never ends.

This week’s question:
What were the three gifts the Wise Men gave to Jesus?

Answer to last week’s question:
Who said, to whom, “Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord?” The Angel, to the shepherds

See you in church,

Fr. Evan

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Holy Cross Mission Bulletin December 18, 2011

Posted on December 15, 2011 by bobk

Glory be to Jesus Christ!

Just a few things:

1. Great Vespers 5:00 p.m. this Saturday. Divine Liturgy this Sunday. Confessions and the reading of the Hours is at 9:30 a.m.

2. Christmas Dainties Platters. Thank you to everyone who donated baking, got orders, assembled the trays. I even did my part. Did I bake? Heavens no, but my wife got me to turn on the ovens. Now some of you may think, “Father, that is not that big of a deal.” But think for a moment, no turning on of the oven… nothing gets baked. So yes, the success of the dainty platters was in my hands. It was an awesome responsibility but I stepped up and handled the heat in the kitchen. Get it? If you can’t stand the heat get out…of…the… Look, this is some funny stuff.

We sold 37 platters and raised $1110.00. Thanks again to everyone who had a part to play. A big shoutout to our fundraising committee who between our perogy sales and Christmas dainty platters we have raised well over $4000 for the mission. As Sylvia Kitzul keeps reminding me, we are the little parish that could.

3. Christmas Hampers. Holy Cross will be collecting items for two Christmas hampers. Sylvia Kitzul will be sending out an email listing the items needed for the hampers. Those wishing to donate money towards the purchase of items may do so as well. All items will need to be at Holy Cross by December 18th. The hampers will be assembled and delivered on that date.

4. Fr. Evan was on vacation from December 3 to December 13. Did everyone will play nice with one another while I was gone? I missed you all.

5. This coming Monday will be December 19th. On this day we will commemorate St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. In the world of today, we Orthodox face a bit of challenge regarding the guy dressed in red and white, big beard and the belly that jiggles like a bowlful of jelly and our revered St. Nicholas. We, as Orthodox, know who the real “St. Nick” is. A bishop of the fourth century, a wonder-working ascetic and generous philanthropist. He is a man to be admired, imitated and to be called upon in our hours of need. The tradition of St. Nicholas as a patron saint of children and secret gift-giver goes back to three bags of gold he is said to have thrown into the window of a poor father, whose daughters were in need of dowries.

Sadly, in the materialistic culture we live in, the image of St. Nicholas has become distorted. This saintly man has been transformed into a figure that encourages greed and gluttony, all under the pretense that he is somehow doing good by making us feel good about being consumed about getting that perfect gift for someone or how our Christmas will be miserable if we don’t get the gift we truly want. If we get the person we love the perfect gift then all the mistakes we made, the harsh words, the times we never said, “I love you. You are a blessing in my life”, all will be forgiven because somehow, magically, that gift will give us a clean slate, a new start.

St. Nicholas is commemorated not only on December 19th, but on every Thursday of the year, sharing this day of commemoration with the Apostles. That is how high the Orthodox Church reveres St. Nicholas. We have placed him alongside the Apostles. No other saint shares this weekly honour. His troparion is a weekly reminder that we are called to share our goods with others in need: “Because of your lowliness heaven was opened to you; because of your povertry riches were granted to you.”

St. Nicholas was able to give so abundantly of himself not because he was magical. Not because he had an army of elves working all year round for him. Not because he had a magical sleigh and eight tiny reindeer that could pull it. St. Nicholas was able to give so abundanlty because he ascetically denied himself.

That is what we lose sight of during this holiday season and there are some that may think it is wrong to have a lenten period during this time of excess.

If you are looking for the perfect gift to give someone this year, give yourself. Give your love, give your compassion, give your patience, give that to the person you love and care about. You know what? Give all that to someone you don’t particularily care for. Give the message of Christ’s love to the world around you by giving yourself to the world around you. That will require sacrifice and denial not just for one day of the year, but for every day of your life and yet in the life of St. Nicholas we see the reward for selfless denial.

The rest of the world can have jolly old St. Nick. I will take St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

This week’s question:
Who said, to whom, “Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord?”

Answer to last week’s question:
When the disciples argued about which of them was the greatest whom did Jesus stand beside him as he taught his disciples about true greatness? A child.

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Holy Cross Mission Bulletin November 20, 2011

Posted on November 17, 2011 by bobk
Glory be to Jesus Christ!

Just a few things:

1.  Great Vespers  5:00 p.m. this Saturday.  Divine Liturgy this Sunday.  Confessions and the reading of the Hours is at 9:30 a.m.  Please remember that the Annual General Meeting of our parish is right after Divine Liturgy.  RIGHT AFTER!  It will not be a long meeting because:

a.  we are a small group with not a lot of stuff to talk about
b.  Fr. Evan will want to get to Wendy’s to get his 3 baconators for 6 hours of football.

2.  Christmas Dainties Platters. Orders need to be in by November 15th.  We deliver the platters on December 3rd and 4th. That is right.  We will deliver them to you.  That is the personal service you get from Holy Cross.  We bring the goodness to you.

40 pieces for the low low price of $30.00. Please contact Sylvia Kitzul at 256-8370.
3.  Christmas Hampers. Holy Cross will be collecting items for two Christmas hampers.  Sylvia Kitzul will be sending out an email listing the items needed for the hampers.  Those wishing to donate money towards the purchase of items may do so as well.  All items will need to be at Holy Cross by December 18th.  The hampers will be assembled and delivered on that date.
4.  Fr. Evan will be on vacation from December 3 to December 13.  Everyone will play nice with one another while I am gone.  Right?
5.  Congratulations to the Ti-cats for beating the Als this past Sunday.  I managed to catch a little bit of the first half before I had to drive back from Fort Frances.  Seems like I missed a not too bad game judging by the final score.  So since my cantor is ti-cats fan, his super awesome dad is a ti-cats fan and well, being from Saskatchewan it is just in my blood to dislike the Bombers…
Go Ti-Cats!!!

4.  Ephesians 2:4-7  4.  But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love for us 5.  even when we were dead because of our offenses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6.  raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavenly realm in Christ Jesus, 7.  so that in the coming ages he might display the limitless riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
During his championship years with the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan was motivated by many things.  One motivation most people did not hear about was his desire to win for the sake of the new players and coaches who had never been on a championship team.
So it was in 1997 when the Bulls pursued their fifth championship.  Assistant coach Frank Hamblen was new to the team that season.  Before coming to the Bulls he had been an assistant coach on vaious teams for 25 years, but did not own a championship ring.  He was now 50 years old.
Jordan told a writer, “He’s been around the league for so long, on a lot of teams and made some great contributions… and then not to be on a championship team… That will be my gift to Hamblen.  That’s part of my motivation.
Hamblen said, “Michael came to me early in the season and told me it was a big motivation for him to win so that I can get a ring.  When the best basketball player in the world tells you that, well, it certainly made me feel special.”
The Bulls did win it all in 1997, and Frank Hamblen got his ring.
Our Lord God has a similar desire for us.  Through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ we are carried to victory.  We are glorified with Him.  Our Saviour wants us to share in the glory of His triumphant kingdom.  If you have ever questioned whether or not you are special, whether or not you matter, just remember that through Christ we know God’s love for us.
This week’s question:
When the disciples argued about which of them was the greatest whom did Jesus stand beside him as he taught his disciples about true greatness?
Answer to last week’s question:

Fill in the missing word:  “His face shone like the________.”  Sun

See you in church,

Fr. Evan

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Holy Cross Mission Bulletin November 6, 2011

Posted on November 3, 2011 by bobk
Glory be to Jesus Christ!

Just a few things:

1.  Great Vespers  5:00 p.m. this Saturday.  Divine Liturgy this Sunday.  Confessions and the reading of the Hours is at 9:30 a.m.

2.  Christmas Dainties Platters. Orders need to be in by November 15th.  We deliver the platters on December 3rd and 4th. That is right.  We will deliver them to you.  That is the personal service you get from Holy Cross.  We bring the goodness to you.  You will get your dainties and for no extra charge, our delivery people will sing a Christmas carol or two for you.  Now tell me, where in the city will find a better deal than that?  I defy you to come up with something better.  You want to know how popular this offer is?  Not to brag or anything but we are up to 2784 platter orders.  That is right.  What is that Sylvia?  I may have inflated the numbers a bit?  Are you sure?  Hmmm.  I better go back and check my figures.

40 pieces for the low low price of $30.00.
Please contact Sylvia Kitzul at 256-8370.
3.  Thank you to everyone who made our perogy sales so successful.  I know for sure that our factory produced 770 dozen for a total of    $3096.00.  First and foremost, thank you to our workers.  Your efforts are so greatly appreciated.  Thank you to everyone who purchased, got their friends/family/co-workers to purchase.  Holy Cross appreciates all of your efforts.

4.  Is Salvation an Instant Occurence?
Holy Scripture and the Fathers of the Church are in complete agreement; salvation is a process that is, at the same time PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE.  There is nothing Holy Scripture, or the earliest witness of the Church to defend the idea that all one has to do to be saved is to profess that “Jesus is Lord: and your salvation is assured.  Salvation is not momentary; it is a life-long process.  Christ Himself says, “Not those who say Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom, but those who do the Will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Also, St. Paul states that, “We work out our salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). This is complete contradiction to those who would have you believe that mere statement of belief, or “holy moment,” will assure a heavenly home forever.
I WAS SAVED when Jesus dies on the Cross for me.
I AM SAVED because I accept redemption as part and parcel of my Baptism into the very life of Christ.  Christ is my Saviour.  There is no doubt about this; but I must prove that I believe He is my Lord by my life-long actions as a faithful Christian.
I WILL BE SAVED when my life is over here on earth and I will be judged as to whether my actions supported my word of faith in Christ as Lord and Saviour.
In answering the qustion then, “Are you saved?” the Fathers respond “I am being saved.” Anything orther than this is sheer presumption on our part, and against the teachings of the Church.
This week’s question:
Fill in the missing word:  “His face shone like the________.”
Answer to last week’s question:

Which two people from the Old Testament were seen at Jesus’ transfiguration?  Moses and Elijah.

See you in church,

Fr. Evan

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Holy Cross Mission Bulletin October 30, 2011

Posted on October 27, 2011 by bobk
Glory be to Jesus Christ!

Just a few things:

1.  Great Vespers  5:00 p.m. this Saturday.  Divine Liturgy this Sunday.  Confessions and the reading of the Hours is at 9:30 a.m.

2.  12th Annual Halleluja Night. October 31, 2011. Location: All Saints Ukr. Orthodox Church. 15 Day Street. 6:00—8:30 p.m. Cost: Children — $5.00. Please bring a donation of candy for the children.  Please let Fr. Evan know ias soon as possible if you are planning to attend so we can plan accordingly for the meal.

3.  Christmas Dainties Platters. Not only does Holy Cross feed the soul.  Not only does Holy Cross feed the body with it’s delicious perogies.  We have got your sweet tooth covered as well.  Holy Cross is now taking orders for their super delicious 40 piece platters.  How do I know they are delicious?  Because I am not allowed to contribute any baking to them.  Now how much would think one of these platters would go for?  $40.00?  $50.00?  $357.93?  You would be wrong.  You will get 40 pieces for the low low price of $30.00. That works out to….wait a minute…. don’t rush me….. 40 goes into 30…. um…. I am going to need more fingers and toes…. Sanchira sit nice for tato…. no Sanchira we are not going to play “This little piggy went to…”…it works out to $0.75 a piece.
And because we want to make your Christmas party or get together that you will be having truly special Fr. Evan, Dave, Subdeacon Dennis and Lyle will be dressed as elves when we deliver the platters on December 3rd and 4th.  Not going to lie to you folks, we have the legs to pull off the green tights look.
Orders need to be in by November 15th.

4.   About two weeks ago a parishoner of mine, fell asleep in the Lord.  To be honest with you I did not have the opportunity to get to really know her being that I was newly assigned to the parish.  She was in a personal care home, dealing with cancer and I only got to visit her twice.  The first time I visited her, she was in her bed, resting and she apologized to me for “not being at my best”.  I told her that it was okay.  We talked for a bit but I knew she was tired and I told her I would visit again.  The next day after the Divine Liturgy I was asked to come see her again because her time was growing short.  I went and saw her and she was slipping in and out of consciousness.  I was able to ask her if she wanted to pray and she said yes and we began.  Even in her weakened state she still managed to make the sign of the cross.  It was really quite amazing.  Humbling in fact.
She slipped back into unconsciousness and I sat there and held her hand for a while and prayed with her.  I don’t know if she heard my prayers or not.  I would like to think she did.
Sadly, a few days later she was called home by our loving God.
I received the phone call and began making preparations with the family for the funeral.  Everything was going great until the children realized that the casket, in the Orthodox funeral service, remains open.  The family was not comfortable with that.  I explained to them the reasons behind this.  That our prayers are addressed to the person in the casket, that psychologically it helps to visually see the body, it aids in the grieving process, that by having the casket open it gives dignity and respect to the person, and finally, because the priest needs the casket open for certain prayers and blessing of the body.
The family said that their mother wanted the casket closed.  I told them that certain accomodations could be made but that I would need to have the casket opened for a small portion of the service.  The family once again stated that the casket was to remain closed as per their mother’s wishes and after discussing amongst themselves decided to have her funeral be celebrated/conducted by a non-Orthodox minister.
I don’t begrude the family their choice.  If they truly believe that this was what she wanted so be it.
Here is my problem.
What is frustrating for any priest is having to defend our Orthodox practices to those outside of the Church when they come into our church.  Especially when it comes such things as funerals.  We do things for a reason.  Holy Orthodoxy treats the death of one its members with great sorrow, with great hope, and with great respect.  We do not take the death of one of our own lightly.  The funeral service we serve is, more than anything else, a service of love and of hope.
We do not cremate because we love and respect the person who has fallen asleep in the Lord.
We do not close the casket because we respect the person.  But we will close it in the most extreme circumstances because we love and respect the person who has fallen asleep in the Lord.
Clergy try to be understanding and compassionate because the family is dealing with a tragedy.  We will explain the service and be as accomodating as possible.  But if the deceased wanted to have an Orthodox funeral, let the funeral be an Orthodox funeral.
The point I am trying to make is this:  If you have family members or friends that are not Orthodox and will be encountering the Holy Orthodox Faith through a wedding, a baptism, an ordination, a healing service, a Divine Liturgy, or a funeral, please explain to them that we do things for a reason.  The best way for a person to come to understand and appreciate Holy Orthodoxy is by experiencing it and that can only happen if the priest is given the chance to do his job.
My job is not to make the Holy Orthodox Church conform to the world around it.  My job, and the job of every Orthodox Christian is to encourage the world to conform to the Gospel of Christ given to us through the Holy Orthodox Church.
May her memory be eternal.
This week’s question:
Which two people from the Old Testament were seen at Jesus’ transfiguration?
Answer to last week’s question:

How may of Jesus’ disciples witnessed His transfiguration?  3 disciples.  Peter, James and John.

See you in church,

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Holy Cross Mission Bulletin October 2, 2011

Posted on September 2, 2011 by bobk

Glory be to Jesus Christ!

Just a few things:

1.  Great Vespers  5:00 p.m. this Saturday.  Divine Liturgy this Sunday.  Confessions and the reading of the Hours is at 9:30 a.m.

2.  Holy Cross has its world famous perogies for sale again.  We are taking orders.  The dough mixer is ready to go.  The rolling pins have been tuned up.  Sylvia and Lyle have been out buying potatoes and flour.  Now they are just sitting by the phone, waiting for those orders to come.  Please call them.  They are really nice people.  They love to chat.  But don’t get them started on the wonders of Theodore and Sheho.  You will not get them off the phone.  They will be all, “Sheho is awesome.  No, Theodore is more awesome!”
Potato/cheddar – $4.00 a dozen
Sauerkraut – $4.50 a dozen
Orders are to be in by October 30, 2011.
3. Altar Servers Appreciation Banquet. October 10, 2011. Holy Trinity Cathedral. Moleben: 5:00 p.m. Banquet and presentation of certificates: 6:00 p.m. Cost: Altar servers free. $5.00 for guests. Please let Fr. Evan know if you and your family are planning to attend so that the cooks can prepare accordingly.
4. 12th Annual Halleluja Night. October 31, 2011. Location: All Saints Ukr. Orthodox Church. 15 Day Street. 6:00—8:30 p.m. Cost: Child are free. Adults and guests—$5.00. Please bring a donation of candy for the children.  Please let Fr. Evan know if you are planning to attend.
5.
Martyr Sophia and her three daughters at Rome
Commemorated on September 30
The Holy Martyrs Saint Sophia and her Daughters Faith, Hope and Love were born in Italy. Their mother was a pious Christian widow who named her daughters for the three Christian virtues. Faith was twelve, Hope was ten, and Love was nine. St Sophia raised them in the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. St Sophia and her daughters did not hide their faith in Christ, but openly confessed it before everyone.

An official named Antiochus denounced them to the emperor Hadrian (117-138), who ordered that they be brought to Rome. Realizing that they would be taken before the emperor, the holy virgins prayed fervently to the Lord Jesus Christ, asking that He give them the strength not to fear torture and death. When the holy virgins and their mother came before the emperor, everyone present was amazed at their composure. They looked as though they had been brought to some happy festival, rather than to torture. Summoning each of the sisters in turn, Hadrian urged them to offer sacrifice to the goddess Artemis. The young girls remained unyielding.

Then the emperor ordered them to be tortured. They burned the holy virgins over an iron grating, then threw them into a red-hot oven, and finally into a cauldron with boiling tar, but the Lord preserved them.

The youngest child, Love, was tied to a wheel and they beat her with rods until her body was covered all over with bloody welts. After undergoing unspeakable torments, the holy virgins glorified their Heavenly Bridegroom and remained steadfast in the Faith.

They subjected St Sophia to another grievous torture: the mother was forced to watch the suffering of her daughters. She displayed adamant courage, and urged her daughters to endure their torments for the sake of the Heavenly Bridegroom. All three maidens were beheaded, and joyfully bent their necks beneath the sword.

In order to intensify St Sophia’s inner suffering, the emperor permitted her to take the bodies of her daughters. She placed their remains in coffins and loaded them on a wagon. She drove beyond the city limits and reverently buried them on a high hill. St Sophia sat there by the graves of her daughters for three days, and finally she gave up her soul to the Lord. Even though she did not suffer for Christ in the flesh, she was not deprived of a martyr’s crown. Instead, she suffered in her heart. Believers buried her body there beside her daughters.

The relics of the holy martyrs have rested at El’zasa, in the church of Esho since the year 777.

This week’s question:

Just after Peter’s declaration, to whom did Jesus say, “Get behind me, Satan!”?

Answer to last week’s question:Fill in the missing words spoken by Jesus to Peter.  “I will give the keys of the _____ of ________.”  Kingdom of Heaven.

See you in church,

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Holy Cross Mission Bulletin August 21, 2011

Posted on August 18, 2011 by bobk
Glory be to Jesus Christ!

Just a few things:

1.  Great Vespers are back!  5:00 p.m. this Saturday.  Divine Liturgy this Sunday.  Confessions and the reading of the Hours is at 9:30 a.m.

2.  Where is the Kingdom?  Fr. Anthony Conairis
Whever a person is baptized in the name of the Trinity and recieves the Holy Spirit through the sacrament of Chrismation (Confirmation), there the seed of the Kingdom is sown.
Whenever a sinner comes to himself and decides to return to his Father as did the prodigal son, there is the Kingdom of God.
Whenever you kneel in prayer to pour your heart out to God, there is the Kingdom.
Whenever you see someone caressing the deformed and caring for the sick in the name of Jesus, there is the Kingdom.
Wherever the Divine Liturgy is celebrated where Christ is present as the Word of God and the Bread of Life, there is the Kingdom.
Let me emphasize one thing at this point:  If the Kingdom of God is in you, no one will ever have to get you to the liturgy or to a Bible study group.  You will come!  You cannot even imagine not coming, because you are in the Kingdom and the Kingdom is in you.

This week’s question:

When Peter said to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” what question had Jesus just asked His disciples?

Answer to last week’s question:After everyone had eaten, how many baskets full of leftovers were there?  12 baskets.

See you in church,

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Holy Cross Mission Bulletin July 17, 2011

Posted on July 14, 2011 by bobk

Glory be to Jesus Christ!

Just a few things:

1.   This is to remind you that the Divine Liturgy this Sunday will be out at Camp Veselka in Gimli MB this Sunday.
Confessions and the reading of the Hours is at 9:30 a.m.

Now, for directions to Camp Veselka:

Drive north to Gimli, MB. You can go up either Hwy. 9 or Hwy. 8. Hwy 8 is a bit faster.

If coming up on Hwy 8 you will need to turn right onto 231 towards Gimli. You will drive until you come to the Hwy 9- 231 junction. There will be two gas stations. Turn left and head north until you see the Camp Veselka sign. You will then turn right and just follow the road. Be careful of the speed bumps.

It is supposed to be 36 degrees on Sunday. Just thought I would warn you.

2.  Some friends were hanging out one day, and the conversation grimly turned to the issue of death. One of the friends asked the others, “What would you like people to say about you at your funeral?”

One friend answered, “I would want people to say, ‘He was a great humanitarian who cared about his community.’”

A second replied, “I would want people to say, ‘He was a great husband and father, an example for many to follow.’”

The third friend gave it some thought and answered, “I would hope someone says, ‘Look, he’s moving!’”

At the U of M, in their religious studies program there is a professor who in one of his classes gives his students the assignment to prepare their own funeral according to their religious/cultural background and to also write up their own obituary.

Now the reason I bring this up is based upon the last two lines of this Sunday’s epistle reading from Romans 10:1-10.  9.  If you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  10.  For a person believes with his heart and is justified, and a person declares with his mouth and is saved.

Have you ever thought about what might be said at your funeral?  Now I know that is a morbid thought and that we really don’t want to dwell on something like that but it is a reality that we all face.  Someone will get up and talk about us.  Could be the priest.  Could be a family member.  Could be a friend.  What would you want them to say?  What do you want to be remembered for?  Did you love your spouse, your family?  Were you a good friend?  Kind?  Compassionate?  Caring?  Helpful?  Honourable?  Respected and respectful?  These are just some of the things we hope would be said about us.

But in the epistle lesson we find out what we hope will be the first thing said about us because it will be a true .  “He/she declared with his/her mouth that Jesus is Lord and believed it in his/her heart.” It is this declaration of belief that will inspire all of those other qualities.

The life we have is finite.  Even if we are blessed to live to an old age we will still die.  We don’t have a choice in the matter.  But we do have a choice in how we live our lives, by what principles our lives will be guided.  At the end of your journey in this life what will be said about you?

This week’s question:

Which group of people were furious with Jesus when he healed a man with a shriveled arm on the Sabbath?

Answer to last week’s question:When Jesus told the people not to worry, what did he tell people to look at?  “Look at the birds of the air.”

See you in church,

Fr. Evan

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Holy Cross Mission Bulletin July 10, 2011

Posted on July 7, 2011 by bobk

Glory be to Jesus Christ!

Just a few things:

1.   Divine Liturgy:  Reading of the Hours and hearing of confessions – 9:30 a.m.  Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.

2.  Just a reminder that next Sunday we will celebrating the Divine Liturgy out at Camp Veselka out at Gimli.  Divine Liturgy is at 10:00 a.m.  Should be awesome.  Afterwards we can all go down to the beach.  Dave, Lyle and Subdeacon Dennis are going to do the slow motion Baywatch run on the beach.  Sanchira is going to go around and kick sand in people’s faces and try and pick fights.  Fr. Evan is bringing his sand pail and shovel and will make an Orthodox sandcastle.  I have no idea what an Orthodox sandcastle is.  Might just be me making a cross out of a few popsicle sticks and putting in on the sandcastle.  It is going to be fun.

3.  Father’s Day Building Fund Collection.  Holy Cross raised $850.00 towards our building fund.  Thank you to all that donated.  God bless you for your kind generosity.

4.  My niece graduated a few weeks ago.  I am very proud of her.  I don’t know if I got the chance to say that to her at her graduation party, but I hope she knows it.  So now she begins the next step in her life.  Adulthood.  I am the last person to give advice on adulthood because I am the guy who squealed with joy when he got his classic Atari 2600 with the original Donkey Kong.  (Have I mentioned how cool it is enough times yet?)
My niece and her fellow graduates are now going to be spending quite a bit of time figuring out what to do with their lives, where they fit in the grand scheme of things, what they want to be when they “grow up”.  So in doing a little bit of research I came across this that might be of a bit of interest not just for my niece, but for all of us when we ask ourselves, “What is the meaning of life”?

Four psychologists did a study of notable quotations from famous people around the world about the meaning of life. The study analyzed the quotes of 195 men and women who lived within the past few hundred years. Here’s a summary of the major themes and some of the people representing each theme:

  1. Life is primarily to be enjoyed and experienced. Enjoy the moment and the journey.
    17 percent of the famous people in the study endorsed this theme (Ralph Waldo Emerson, Cary Grant, Janis Joplin, and Sinclair Lewis). Janis Joplin is best known for her lyric: “You got to get it while you can.”

  1. We live to express compassion to others, to love, to serve.
    13 percent endorsed this theme (Albert Einstein, Mohandas Gandhi, and the Dalai Lama). Albert Einstein stated: “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.”

  1. Life is unknowable, a mystery.
    13 percent endorsed this theme (Albert Camus, Bob Dylan, and Stephen Hawking). Hawking wrote, “If we find an answer to that (why we and the universe exist), it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason—for then we would know the mind of God.”

  1. Life has no meaning.
    11 percent endorsed this theme (novelist Joseph Conrad, Sigmund Freud, Franz Kafka, Bertrand Russell, Jean Paul Sartre, and Clarence Darrow). Darrow compared life to a ship that is “tossed by every wave and by every wind; a ship headed to no port and no harbor, with no rudder, no compass, no pilot, simply floating for a time, then lost in the waves.”

  1. We are to worship God and prepare for the afterlife.
    11 percent endorsed this theme (Desmond Tutu, Billy Graham, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mother Teresa). Desmond Tutu said, “[We should] give God glory by reflecting his beauty and his love. That is why we are here, and that is the purpose of our lives.”

  1. Life is a struggle.
    8 percent endorsed this theme (Charles Dickens, Benjamin Disraeli, and Jonathan Swift). Swift wrote that life is a “tragedy wherein we sit as spectators for awhile and then act our part in it.”

  1. We are to create our own meaning of life.
    5 percent endorsed this theme (Carl Sagan, Simone DeBeauvoir, and Carl Jung). Carl Sagan wrote: “We live in a vast and awesome universe in which, daily, suns are made and worlds destroyed, where humanity clings to an obscure clod of rock. The significance of our lives and our fragile realm derives from our own wisdom and courage. We are the custodians of life’s meaning.”

  1. Life is a joke.
    4 percent endorsed this theme (Albert Camus, Charlie Chaplin, Lou Reed, and Oscar Wilde). Charlie Chaplin described life as “a tragedy when seen in close-up but a comedy in the long shot.” The rock star Lou Reed said “Life is like Sanskrit read to a pony.”
Eight different understandings of the meaning of life.  And yet not one of them really captures what I think is the meaning of life.  So to my niece and to anyone out there that might be wondering what my opinion is on the meaning of life, it is this, “To know God”.
To know God, even in our limited capacity is know love, to compassion, to know patience, to know justice, to know integrity, to know joy, to know sacrifice, and the list goes on.
That, at least for me, is the meaning of life and if my niece ever asks me that is what I will tell her.  “If you have questions, if you are searching, if you wonder what it is all about, do you matter, are you important, get to know God and you will find out just how much you matter.”
To my niece Alexis, congratulations on your graduation.  I am proud of you.

This week’s question:

When Jesus told the people not to worry, what did he tell people to look at?

Answer to last week’s question:Are there 6, 8, or 12 beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount?  8

See you in church,

Fr. Evan

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Holy Cross Mission Bulletin May 15, 2011

Posted on May 12, 2011 by bobk

Christ is Risen!

Just a few things:

1.   Great Vespers this Saturday 5:00 p.m.  Divine Liturgy:  Reading of the Hours and hearing of confessions – 9:30 a.m.  Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.

2. Get your valuables ready and priced for a Garage Sale this spring.  May 19th;  20th;  21st;   9a.m. – 5 p.m. (all 3 days)    198 Hazelwood Crescent.  Treasures for the garage sale, could be dropped here starting Monday May 16th.  Just give Lyle and Sylvia a phone call in advance.

3. In honor Mother’s day we will be collecting Baby items to take to Winnipeg Harvest.  Items needed are formula, baby food, diapers and wipes. The items may be brought  this Sunday, May 8 and next Sunday, May 15. Cash donations will also be accepted and used to purchase items.

4.  Came across this and I thought it was kinda neat.  Thought I would share it with you.
As humans we all share the image of God planted in us from our creation. We all share in fact this divine identity but, under sin, God’s face is covered in us and we become, at least outwardly, someone else. Through sin we lose our resemblance with God and we take the appearance that the godless world around has painted on us.

The world itself has long lost its identity. It ceased to be a vehicle for man’s edification in God and was transformed in a purpose to itself, an apple of discord and enmity between people. The devil, the greatest identity thief, diabolos, the deceiver, has succeeded to sell us, starting with Adam and Eve a reality that has nothing to do with the true reality of God, but it pleases the senses and promises everything and beyond. We got hooked by his promises and now we live in this world with the illusion that it can fulfill us, we struggle everyday to achieve meaningless goals, missing completely our true purpose and destiny.

A saint on the other hand is a person that has uncovered the image of God in him and has found his place in the world by acting according to His likeness. A saint shows to the world his true identity, imitating Christ almost to the point of confusion. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”. (Gal 2:20). A saint is a person that has renounced to himself and yet his identity and alterity have been fulfilled above any imagination.

This is not, however, limited only to the saints. After all we are “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” (1 Pet. 2:5-9). But, paradoxically, in order for us to become who we really are, we should let Christ take over. “He must increase, but [we] must decrease.” (John 3:30) until we reach the “measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:13). We might seem to live plentifully in this world, but it is only an illusion “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” (Col 3:3)

We are not ourselves and we are not truly living until we are with Christ. Don’t let the world tell you otherwise; our true identity is fulfilled only by being Christians. Christians don’t just believe differently than others, they exist in a different reality; a genuine reality in which God becomes man and man becomes god. This is God’s edition of reality, the only one true and original.

I am Christian therefore I exist!  (Fr. Vasile Tudora)
Answer to last week’s question:
Who was the high priest who condemned Jesus?  Caiaphas

This week’s question:

The Sanhedrin found Jesus guilty of what crime?

See you in church,

Fr. Evan

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