Taxiarchai News

 

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 3 APRIL 2025

Message from Father Mike

 Following Saint Mary of Egypt into Jerusalem

   At the end of the day on Friday, April 11, our Great Lenten journey will be over. The next day is Lazarus Saturday, which is followed by Palm Sunday, the Entry of our Lord into Jerusalem, and then by Holy Week. However, the week before, on the fifth Sunday of Great Lent, April 6, we commemorate another entry into Jerusalem, not the Entry into Jerusalem of our Lord, but the entry into Jerusalem of Mary of Egypt. Who was she and what is her significance today?

   Born in Alexandria in Egypt in the middle of the fifth century, as a young girl Mary fell into the vice of prostitution. For seventeen years, from the age of 12 until the age of 29, she lived the life of a harlot. However, once finding herself in Jerusalem, out of curiosity, she went to see the Precious Cross of Christ. She found that she was unable to enter the church where St Helen had placed the Cross, for some invisible force prevented her from entering in. So frightened was she at this that she asked the Mother of God through an icon at the entrance to the church, why this was. The Mother of God replied to her that Mary first needed to repent and obey her. Only after promising to do this was Mary allowed to enter the church in Jerusalem. After then entering and venerating the Cross, Mary heard the Mother of God telling her: 'If you cross the Jordan, you will find true peace'.

   So shaken was Mary by these events that she did indeed forsake all her old life and, having taken communion, she crossed the Jordan, and went to live there in the desert. We do not know the exact details of her day-to-day life, but we do know that she dwelt there as a recluse, eating plants, living in torments and struggle with passionate thoughts, and eventually obtaining the grace to work miracles, crossing the Jordan as if on dry land. She lived naked and became withered and emaciated, as we can see in the icon of her, but nevertheless she survived there for some forty-eight years. Then she was discovered by a pious monk, Zosimas, who is portrayed in the icon together with her. It was to him that she related her life which we have today.

   The example of St Mary teaches us many things. Perhaps the first and most obvious lesson we can learn from her is that we should never judge, never pre-judge. Who will be saved? It is impossible to answer this question, for it is never too late to repent, even for us. Humanly speaking, when we consider the life of Mary until her twenty-ninth year, we might think that salvation had become impossible for her. And yet the service to her calls her 'the greatest of saints'. Humanly speaking, we are condemned; but by the grace of God everything, including the height of repentance, is possible. No man has the right to judge another.

   The example of St Mary of Egypt also teaches us something about human nature. In each of us there is the desire for worldly pleasures, for amusement and entertainment, for food and drink, for the pleasures of the senses. But there is also the desire for pleasures of a higher sort, pleasures that are lasting, which we may call joys. Those joys are so much higher than the fleeting pleasures of the senses that they alone constitute the path to lasting happiness.

   The example of St Mary teaches us that the values of the Church are quite different from those of the world. She went out into the desert and had nothing, no friends, no home, no possessions, no clothes and hardly any food and drink. The world looked for pleasure, the satisfaction of the senses, money and power, but St Mary was moneyless and powerless in the world. The Gospel on this day confirms the choice of St Mary, for it says that those who wish to be great must be servants. This is upside down from all the ways of this world. But our Lord preached this and like Him St Mary lived this.

   Indeed, as we have already said, the Church calls St Mary 'the greatest of saints'. The use of this word 'great' may surprise many of us. In everyday life, we use 'great' in other meanings. The world speaks of 'great leaders', 'great soldiers', great film-stars', 'great performances by sports stars', 'a great holiday', 'a great car', 'a great amount of money'. But the Church calls St Mary 'great' and about fifteen hundred years after she lived we ask for her prayers, but not for those of any leader or soldier or film-star or sports star. Let us think more carefully before next we utter this word 'great'.

   And as we approach the last week of Great Lent, let us also ponder on the words of the Mother of God, which led St Mary of Egypt to her salvation through repentance and her greatness: 'If you cross the Jordan, you will find true peace'.  These mysterious words are today also addressed to each of us; the interpretation of their mystery is open to the souls of each of us, but only if we ask the Mother of God and St Mary to guide us. And then we shall find our own 'entry into Jerusalem'. 

   It is with great hope that your Great Lenten Journey is filled with the joy of the anticipation of the Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  May the remaining days of your Great Lenten Journey be most blessed and may your Holy Week experience be a positive one and Spirit filled. Blessed Resurrection!  Kali Anastasi!

With my paternal love in Our Risen Lord,

  +Father Mike

+Very Rev. Archimandrite Agathonikos M. Wilson (Father Mike)

Feast Days April – June 2025

 

Please feel welcome to come and participate in church liturgy, on Sunday mornings.  Father Mike is available to discuss any needs you may have, Baptisms, Weddings, House Blessings, Funerals, please feel free to ask on Sunday.

Services start promptly at 10:00 AM., combining both Greek and English. We welcome you to stay after service to share in fellowship with coffee hour.  In June we will move to summer hours at 9:00 AM.  We look forward to seeing you!

Calculating the date for Pascha

 The time of Great Lent is dependent on the date of Pascha, which varies from year to year.  According to a Canon of the First Ecumenical Council, Holy Pascha is the first Sunday after the first Full Moon which falls upon or immediately after the Spring Equinox (according to ancient reckoning is March 21).  In addition, this Council decreed that Pascha cannot precede or fall on the Jewish Passover.  The Full Moon used for the purposes of calculating the date of Pascha is the fourteenth day of a Lunar Month reckoned according to ancient ecclesiastical computation and is not the actual astronomical Full Moon.

   The number of days between each Full Moon (the Lunar Month) is not exact according to the Solar Calendar.  Ancient calendars added or subtracted a period called an epact to harmonize the Lunar and Solar Calendars.  These epacts as calculated by the Orthodox Church, vary from those calculated by the Western Churches.  In addition, the Western Churches do not follow the Nicean Council’s decree that Pascha must not precede or fall on the Jewish Passover, and it is for these reasons that there is often a great variance from one year to the next between the Orthodox Church and the Western Churches concerning the date of Holy Pascha. This year, however, the Orthodox Church and the Western Churches celebrate Pascha together on Sunday, April 20 because the Jewish Passover begins at sundown on April 12.

 

 

Message from the parish council president, Christopher Tsakiris

Hello everyone.

Since starting our Lenten season (MAR 3-APR 19), we have been enjoying those familiar parables and teachings that only Fr. Mike can provide in his warm, inviting, and introspective way that he does. Thanks Father!

Lately I have noticed not only new faces but more familiar faces appearing on Sundays. It has been quite enjoyable catching up with old friends, reminiscing about growing up together in this little parish, and sharing those stories about our parents and grandparents with fresh faces, at times, to their disbelief and sometimes even horror! It kind of gives us a chuckle.

In any event, on behalf of Fr. Mike and the Parish Council, we look forward to seeing you all on any given Sunday as we make our way through the Lenten journey. And of course, during Holy Week. Please be well.

Sincerely

Christopher Tsakiris

Philoptochos news

The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, Inc. is the duly accredited charitable arm of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

For many years the Philoptochos has been an integral part of our community supporting the needs of the church as well as charitable work.   We are looking for members to develop and participate in Philoptochos activities, please contact Susan Harris by email (ssharris76@hotmail.com) if you are interested in becoming a member.

Happenings

On January 5 Father Mike held the Blessing of the Water for the Feast of Epiphany

Due to cancelations due to snow storms , On January 30 we celebrated the “Cutting of the Vasilopita” for the the New Year.

Taxiarchai held the General Assembly on February 23 and plan to induct the board members on Palm Sunday.

On March 9 Procession of the Icons

 

Let us know if you are not receiving emails, weather cancellations and updates are typically sent by email, and are listed on the church website.

CONTACT US:

Email: info@taxiarchainh.org 

Online Chapel