On Sunday, December 18 following the Divine Liturgy, our children will once again act in a play presenting the story of our Lord’s birth. Those interested in participating should attend the “rehearsal” on Saturday, December 17, at 4:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to see and hear the telling of Christ’s birth.
Holy Trinity to Sponsor Trip to 2012 March for Life
Several ministries at Holy Trinity—including the Church School and the Penn State Orthodox Christian Fellowship—are making arrangements for a Monday, January 23, 2012, pilgrimage to our nation’s capital. We will stand in support of the millions of innocent unborn children lost to abortion each year. Next year’s March For Life marks the 25th anniversary of the event.
More details will be forthcoming in the coming weeks, but please mark your calenders now and begin making the necessary arrangements for as many members of your family to attend.
Women’s Ministry to Host Cookie Exchange
The Women’s Ministry is hosting a Cookie Exchange on Friday, December 16 at 11:30 a.m. To participate, bring a minimum of three dozen homemade holiday cookies and the recipe. A light lenten lunch will be provided.
See the sign up sheet in the Parish Hall to participate or email women@holytrinity-oca.org — the more that do, the greater the variety of cookies/recipes to take home and less holiday baking!
Have to work that day? Join us during your lunch break.
It will be festive with fellow-“ette”-ship!
The Incarnate Christ in Embryo
Today the Virgin cometh to the cave, to give birth to the Pre-eternal Word…
— Kontakion Hymn of the Forefeast
In our Nativity hymns, the constant theme is that the Virgin carries within her womb God in the flesh. From mid-November onward, our expectations are heightened as the approach of the Feast draws near: The Theotokos draws near to Bethlehem bearing “Christ in embryo.”
“Christ in embryo”: This emphasis on the “contents” of the Virgin’s womb bears scrutiny as we not only prepare to celebrate our Lord’s birth but as we look at the Church’s moral teaching on the contents of every woman’s womb: the humanity of every unborn child, its innate dignity and worth.
We cannot celebrate the Virgin’s bearing Christ in her womb without relating our celebration to that of the Church’s moral teaching in regard to abortion. In fact, from the first century the Church’s opposition to abortion was seen as paramount to belief in the Incarnation of Christ. To believe that the One carried in Mary’s womb was fully God and fully Man would be contradicted if moral practice allowed for termination of pre-born life on the grounds that “it” isn’t human or that “it” isn’t a person. Theologically this is untenable.
For those moderns who have deviated from traditional morality, it is telling that those most supportive of abortion are those least likely to see Christ as Divine: God and Man, as we believe.
Related:
Holy Trinity to Sponsor Trip to 2012 March for Life
Our theology always has moral consequences. To believe otherwise is to disconnect what we believe from how we are called to act. As we prepare for our Lord’s Nativity in the Flesh, listen closely to the hymns of the Feast. They prepare us not only for a celebration on Christmas Day but also for the ongoing celebration of human life in the unborn, whose author is always God and which gift is always precious to him. – Fr. John
Our Sunday Best (Part IV)
We conclude this series with some practical considerations for parents with young children. The most essential thing you can do is to simply bring your children to church to get them familiar and comfortable with being in the presence of God. Certainly, there are many excuses we as parents can make for keeping our kids away, such as, “I don’t want my children to bother others”, “my children are too young to understand what is going on”, or “all they want to do is walk around; I’ll bring them when they get a little older”. In the end, however, there is almost no excuse (save perhaps sickness) that is justifiable for keeping your children away from church. Bring your children and let God open their hearts to Him.
Very small children can be allowed some latitude in their movements (though they should not wander around aimlessly), but parents should set some very specific boundaries—perhaps keeping them at an arms length or two so that these boundaries can be enforced. Without a doubt this will be tested (many times) and each time our child wanders we must bring him back. Consistency is essential here.
Next, try sitting as close to the front as possible (if you arrive late this may not be possible). When our daughter Hannah began walking and talking it became obvious that she wanted to see what was happening. It became quite difficult to explain and show her from behind a forest of people. Being in the front of the church was uncomfortable at first for us but we got used to it and so did our children. (Think of it from a child’s perspective: how would you like it if all you saw were people’s legs and back? That would get boring real fast!)
Parents may find it is necessary at times to leave the church to give their children a break for a while. If this happens, do not feel embarrassed, but simply carry your child or hold his hand as you leave. Always keep the break to a minimum and use it to refocus and “refresh” your child—and not as a “recess” time (kids are smart: they will quickly figure out that by misbehaving they will go to the back of the church or downstairs for some “fun”).
While you are removed from the service, talk with your child and let him know that it is important for him and you to return to the church as soon as possible. Explain what is happening in age appro-priate language and set their expectations as to what’s going to happen next
For example, when it is time for the gospel tell your child it is now Jesus’ “story” time and we have to listen carefully to what He said. During the Great Entrance, explain that the gifts of bread and wine (under the fancy covers) are being brought to the altar table to be consecrated by God for our food.
As a final point, a few words should be said about our dress—adults and children alike. Though God does not demand us to “dress up” for Him, the fact is, as followers of Christ in all areas of our life, we should offer Christ our “best” and not just our “leftovers” (e.g., Cain and Abel). Our dress should always, especially at church, be becoming of a Christian. We should dress modestly, not in a flashy way that brings attention to ourselves. We should dress with respect for God, for others, and for ourselves.
I offer this to you for your personal reflection, and not to be a means to judge others. Hopefully, we all will wear our “Sunday best” every day!
Special Prayer Service Scheduled
Holy Trinity will be conducting a special prayer service (molieben) on Friday, November 11 at 5 p.m. on behalf of and for the entire Penn State community severely shaken by recent events. The service entreats God to send down His mercy in times of trouble and despair through the singing of specific supplications and Scripture. It is open to all members of our community.
The Penn State Orthodox Christian Fellowship, the campus ministry of Holy Trinity, will also devote its regular Thursday evening “dinner and discussion” to address this time of crisis. The meeting, which takes place tonight in 212 Pasquerilla at 6 p.m., is open to all students. RSVPs for the meal can be made here.
Please reply to this email for directions or more information.
Announcing the Arrival of Luke Theodore Stevens!
We are pleased to announce the arrival of Luke Theodore Stevens, newborn son of Shane and Maria Stevens, and newborn grandson of Ellen George. He was born earlier today, Tuesday, November 8, at home, weighing 8 lbs. 9.5 oz. and measuring 20½ inches long. Both mother and baby are doing well. Many years!
New Pantocrator Icon Showcased at Council
BELLEVUE, WA — At the Sixteenth All-American Council here, iconographer Dmitry Skholnik is showcasing the Christ Pantocrator icon he wrote for the ceiling of Holy Trinity’s Nave. Mr. Skholnik, who wrote the Playtera and the icons of the new iconostasis installed last summer, will install the Pantocrator on Thursday, December 8.
TLC-2 Ministry to Expand; Participate on Panel
As the TLC-2 ministry gears up this Fall to assist more mothers of newborn babies with prepared meals, the group is now partnering with Students for Life and the Orthodox Christian Fellowship to support Penn Staters who make the right choice to keep their infants. This month, representatives from TLC-2 will participate on a panel at the Penn State Pregnancy Resource Forum on campus to offer prolife solutions to pregnant students. The forum takes place on Wednesday, October 26 at 7:30 p.m. at 129A HUB.
For more information on TLC-2 or to join the mailing list, email tlc-2@holytrinity-oca.org.
My Mission Trip to Ukraine
by Christopher McNulty
On August 4 through August 21 I was blessed with the opportunity to go on the 2011 Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) of the USA Mission Trip to Ukraine. We traveled to two orphanages outside of Kiev: one in Puhachiv which houses around 90 girls, most with mental disabilities, and the other in Znamyanka which houses over 100 orphans, most with either physical or mental disabilities.
The mission trip is held twice a year, once in the summer and once over the winter holidays, and the missionaries who go help by engaging in projects to improve the facilities, aiding the staff with physical and massage therapy for the children, and, most importantly, spending time playing with and caring for the children.
This year we were able to accomplish several things in the two orphanages we visited. Besides the important time we were able to spend playing with and working with the children, we were able to be a part of the opening of a Montessori Center in Puhachiv, to take girls from Puhachiv outside of the orphanage to a local park, to paint a mural outside of the children’s rooms in Znamyanka, and to take several physically disabled kids from the orphanage in Znamyanka into the town.
My experience in Ukraine was unforgettable: from the moment we arrived at an orphanage to the moment we left, each and every child showed unconditional love for everyone who visited. It was unbelievable that the simple act of holding hands, sitting next to, or even just smiling at a child brought so much excitement and happiness to them.
The children of these orphanages don’t usually get the opportunity to get outside of the complexes and they don’t get to experience life outside of the orphanage. The work done on these mission trips is invaluable to these children, and the help of Children of Chornobyl Relief and Development Fund (CCRDF) and UOC of USA has been integral to the improvement of these orphanages from the condition they were in.
The conditions of most of the orphanages in Ukraine were, and some continue to be, poor. Many of the orphanages built under Soviet reign were not built to last and are falling apart, and many of the orphanages obtain minimal amounts of funding from the government. Some orphanages are flooded with large numbers of mentally or physically handicapped orphans that were left there either because their parents couldn’t afford to take care of them or because it was recommended by a physician. Because many of the orphanages are understaffed, the living conditions in these places were horrendous: many of the children were given minimal amounts of care, there was little to no sanitary measures taken, and many children died.
However, with the aid of the CCRDF and the UOC of USA, living conditions have improved greatly. In Znamyanka alone, the death rate has declined from 20 children in 2000, to none this year. Money goes toward improving facilities and funding necessities like diapers and baby wipes. It is also is used for emergency situations: for instance, funds paid to heat an orphanage during a particularly harsh win-ter, which most likely saved many children’s lives.
With the help of those who support this cause, the living conditions in these orphanages will continue to improve, and the lives of the children who live there will greatly improve as well. Thanks to everyone at Holy Trinity who helped make my trip to Ukraine possible!
