ПАСТИРСКО КАНОНСКА ПОСЕТА ЕПИСКОПА ЗАПАДНОАМЕРИЧКОГ МАКСИМА
ВЕРНИЦИМА У СОЛТ ЛЕЈК СИТИЈУ
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Парохија Светог Архангела Божијега Михаила у Солт Лејк Ситију свечано је прославила своју Славу – Михаила, вођу небеских и бестелесних Сила. Сходно једној библијско-типолошкој слици, Архангел Михаило, чије име значи „нико као Бог“, устаје против побуњеног Луцифера, и тим ставом открива све знање које је о Богу имао. „Он Бога не описује, не објашњава Га, он устаје и сведочи. То име израз је Арханђелове приопштености сијању Божанства, у њему је мера у којој овај Арханђео пројављује то сијање“, вели на једном месту митрополит Антоније Блум.
Синаксис верних Солт Лејк Ситија и околине је поводом прославе парохијског патрона Светог Архистратига Божијег Михаила био обрадован љубављу, старањем и посетом предстојатеља Цркве Божије на западном делу америчког континента, нашег епископа Максима.
Епископ Максим је свештеноначалствовао евхаристијским сабрањем на којем се окупило око сто педесет верника, припадника различитих како народа тако и канонских јурисдикција са ових простора. Било је ту поред Срба и браће и сестара: Грка, Руса, као и Православних Американаца, који су Литургијским заједничарем показали и доказали всељенскост и свеобухватност Православне Цркве, која надилази све етничко-географске поделе овога света, а при том спасава народе и сву творевину. Тако је ова Крсна слава и прослава нашег патрона заиста и испунила свој смисао, да окупи-сабере сву децу Божију у братску Христову заједницу љубави – Свету Цркву Његову коју је Он стекао крвљу својом. Радост у Солт Лејк Ситију је увеличана и увођењем у породицу православних, дакле крштењем и миропомазањем унутар Литургије, малога Лиама Портера који је као најсвежији војник Христов, први међу многима, заједничарио у Причастној чаши Живота.
После литије, благосиљања и резања славског колача, као и доделе захвалница заслужним члановима наше парохије, сатрудницима у делу Господњем , уследила је богата славска трпеза за коју се постарао локални огранак Кола Српских Сестара.
На крају своје посете наш Владика Максим је искористио прилику да са о.Предрагом и неколико чланова Црквеног Одбора посети Парк Сити, најпознатији зимски центар на овим просторима, где су се, дочекани љубављу Цвјетина Маиновића, на висини од 9000 стопа дивили лепоти Божије творевине.
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The Feast of St. Archangel Michael and the Bodiless Powers
St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church
Saratoga, California
Krsna Slava - Црквена Слава у Саратоги
November 18, 2012
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У недељу 18. новембра, парохијани Цркве Св. Архистратига Михаила у Саратоги, заједно са својим Епископом Максимом, својим свештеником о. Слободаном Јовићем, гостујућим свештеницима и бројним народом прославили су своју храмовну Славу. После неколико кишних дана освануо је сунчан и за ово доба године топао дан. Ова слава била је карактеристична и у неколико важних момената. Већ у девет ујутро почело је јутарњим Богослужењем у храму који је још у изградњи, па је и то био посебан доживљај за рано пристигле вернике. Током Јутрења и свете Литургије, обављено је и крштење и миропомазање девојке Јозефине (будуће српске снајке, ако Бог да) на традиционалан и прелеп начин како се то некад у нашим црквама чинило. Све је то давало један величанствен осећај свим присутним у храму. У дест часова звона на нашем храму означила су почетак свете Литургије. Већ је и доста верног народа пристигло и Црква је доста попуњена, па је и то утисак чинило још снажнијим и лепшим. Владика је одржао дивну беседу која је с пажњом одслушана. На крају Литургије Владика је уз асистенцију свештенства пререзао славски колач и благословио славско жито. Прелепу слику употпунила су и деца наше Недељне Школе, који су својим присуством дали још један немерљив допринос храмовној слави показујући да је Црква жива и да има наде за будућност. Део њих био је обучен у српску ношњу и они су по завшетку свете Архијерејске Литургије сачекали на излазу из храма и учинили добродошлицу нашем Владици Максиму традиционалним послужењем хлебом, сољу и медом. Наравно, Владика није крио своје одушевљење па је сву децу благословио својим Архијерејским благословом. Негде иза дванаест часова, деца наше Недељне Школе одржали су пригодни програм који је укључивао и неколико српских кола. По том се прешло за традиционалну Трпезу Љубави која је богато припремљњна и која је угостила преко три стотине присутних. Ручак су послужила опет ко други него деца наше Недељне Школе. У току славског ручка било је још говора који су охрабривали парохијане да наставе с вредним радом на довршетку нашег новог храма. Наш Владика Максим, пре завршног благослова, позвао је све верне да се уче Црквеном начину живљења, да своју Децу уче у вери Православној и да никад не забораве своје порекло и призвање. Имао се утисак да су речи нашег Владике примљене к срцу и да ће се потругити у том правцу а громогласни аплауз је то све потврдио. |
A sunny morning greeted the early arrivals for Matins, and the Baptism of a young non-Serbian student from the University of California in Berkeley. To Robe Bishop Maxim in addition to our Father Slobodan Jovich were Fathers Dushan Bunjevic, Vasilije Cvijanovic, Djurica Gordic and Zoran Savic. And for the second time since our Cornerstone ceremony, our new bells were rung to everyone’s joy, and a few tears. A delicious banquet was prepared by Nenad Nikolic and his staff. And under the direction of Dr. Jelena Vukicevic, our teenagers and Kolo members served the filled-to-capacity hall with speed and efficiency. The hall was beautifully decorated in autumn colors and flowers. Adding to the festive mood was a recital and kolo dancing by our young Sunday School students. Also to everyone’s pleasant surprise, a trio of students from the University gave an impromptu performance of a few songs which were enthusiastically received by all, particularly by Bishop Maxim who joined in the singing. Our Opstina president Chris Milosovich welcomed the guests and thanked all those whose time and hard work created a successful and memorable Slava. He also gave a brief update on the Church construction. |
         
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His Grace, Bishop Maxim
& Professor Yannaras visit Eugene Parish
His Grace Bishop Maxim visited the parish of St. John the Wonderworker Serbian Orthodox Church in Eugene, Oregon on Sunday, November 11th, bringing Professor Christos Yannaras with him during his archpastoral visit. This was Professor Yannaras’s first visit to Eugene, Oregon, and the faithful were treated to a contemplative talk and insightful question and answer session following the Hierarchical Liturgy and banquet.
The morning began with the faithful of the community from St. John’s, as well as those of its sister churches St. Stephen Serbian Orthodox Church (Milwaukie, Oregon) and St. Martin the Merciful Russian Orthodox Church (Corvallis, Oregon) gathering at the gate to welcome the bishop. With bells, singing, and loving joy the bishop was greeted on his return to Eugene.
Preceding the Liturgy, Bishop Maxim tonsured Professor Alexander Polishchuk a reader. Professor Polishchuk is a mathematics professor of the University of Oregon and has faithfully served as St. John’s choir director for six years. He is the husband of Dr. Maria Nemirovskaya, the president of St. John’s Executive Board. They are the parents of three children. The parish rejoiced to witness the solemn tonsuring and prayers of the Bishop for its new reader.
Concelebrating with Bishop Maxim were Protopresbyter David Lubliner, Protopresbyter Nikola Todorovic (St. Stephen’s, Milwaukie), Priest James Baglien (St. Martin the Merciful, Corvallis), Priest Daniel Mackay, and Deacon Stephen Dyer.
During the Liturgy, the Bishop expounded upon the appointed reading of the day, Luke 8:26-39, about Christ’s appearance among the Gadarenes and His excoricism of the demon-possessed man. Vladika noted that the possessed man dwelt in the unsanitary tombs because evil and the demons are connected with death and they want nothing less than to destroy human beings and God’s gift of life to this world. Yet Christ, the God-man, wants to separate evil from existence. This is why His Church is here to unite the world: it is the place of therapy where evil is abolished for it has nothing to do with Christ, which the demons reveal when they ask, “What do I have to do with Thee Jesus, the Son of the Most High God” through the possessed man. Bishop Maxim declared: the presence of the Lord is a torment and punishment for everyone opposed to God’s will. So, faith is not just a condition that there is the Lord, but Faith is Trust. If we do not have trust, we do not have a relation with the One who has saved us. The Bishop then made the penetrating observation that the demons asked to enter into the swine because man is the cause of evil in the entire creation and evil is always transferred to other beings like animals and the world. Through this observation, he related the passage to today’s crisis of the natural environment, which is a moment for us to understand how responsible we are for everything in this world. The Bishop concluded by offering the way to healing: by sanctifying this world through the offering of the Eucharist, whereby we move toward the Kingdom of God. Those who are negative want to postpone the Lord’s coming. Yet His Grace declared that our hope is that the Lord is close: “May this Truth be realized and may the Lord come as soon as possible.”
After a celebratory banquet welcoming the Bishop and the Professor, Yannaras spoke to those gathered. The worship space of the church’s nave was transformed from a place of offering and prayer to a “level plain” where the teacher could seat instructing those gathered in love and warmth that was apparent to all. His opening remarks were directed toward the situation in this country, where we can observe that the Orthodox Christian Church is different from the rest of the “churches,” who also speak about family and communion. He notes that when someone, such as himself, comes to the States from another continent, what impresses one is the large number of churches. If everyone uses the term “church,” how can one know that the Orthodox Church is truly different? What is the true reality that establishes the Church? The answer that Professor Yannaras offered is that the true Church safeguards the experience of the Truth. It is not an ideology or administrative reality, but it is a mode of existence that is revealed as freedom from any necessity. Christ is God freed of his Divinity, which is why He could assume human nature. For us, He is God because He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is not God because He is predetermined to be God like we are predetermined to be humans.
The remarkable Truth that the Professor here revealed is that God is what He is because He loves. In this love we are freed from individuality, which separates. How familiar are we Americans with the celebration of individuality? When this individuality approaches the Body of Christ, it is our ego that seeks to fulfill requirements that reduces the Church to an ideology to which one can adhere. Yet, our life should become a participation in communion, wherein we assume life as relationship by taking Bread and Wine not in order to survive, but to be in communion with the Bestower of Life and with our brethren. To the Lord, the repentant Thief exclaimed, “Please remember me in Thy Kingdom.” Christ didn’t say, Professor Yannaras reflects, “first you should do some good deeds and then I will receive you.” His answer was, “Today you will be with me.” It is the love of the Church that saves us.
Strengthened and emboldened by this love. The faithful continued in fellowship throughout the day, rejoicing in their bonds of love strengthened in Christ.
                
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Professor Christos Yannaras Visits USA
In the month of November the Serbian Western Diocese had an honor of hosting one of the most renowned Orthodox theologians and philosophers of our time, professor Christo Yannaras from Athens, Greece, author of more than 50 books and Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences in Athens,
Professor Yannaras' visit in USA began in Washington D.C., and continued with his meeting with Serbian, Greek, and American communities in which he delivered several important lectures. The visit filled with illuminating presentations, lively discussions, and thought-provoking interviews included Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, Monastery of St Herman in Platina, Sacramento, San Francisco, Berkeley, New York, and other places.
All those who attended were enriched by his thoughts on the following topics: Crisis of Economy, crisis of Policy: Is there a cultural alternative? (San Francisco), Does Science Today Make Philosophy Superfluous? (San Diego), Religion and Church: Two Incompatible Realities? (Los Angeles), and other contemporary themes. The bulk of Professor Yannaras' work has been in studying and researching the differences between the Hellenic-Christian and Western European philosophical traditions. Yannaras is interested not in theoretical differences, but as these define praxis, that is, a mode of life. He "has been for several decades one of the most prolific, original, and contemporary Orthodox writers in Greece... and perhaps one of the most significant Christian philosophers in Europe," according to Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Christos Yannaras is an important Greek philosopher and author of more than 50 books, many of which have been translated into multiple languages. He was born in Athens in 1935. He is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences. He studied Theology at the University of Athens and Philosophy at the Universities of Bonn and Paris. He holds a doctorate from the Faculty of Theology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He also holds a Ph.D. from the Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines of the Sorbonne. He has been nominated Doctor of Philosophy, honoris causa, by the University of Belgrade, St. Vladimir's Seminary and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. Professor Yannaras has served as visiting professor at the Universities of Paris, Geneva, Lausanne and Crete.
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