Monthly Newsletter of Saint Anthony Greek Orthodox Church

AUGUST EVENTS
Aug 1-15: Dormition Fast.
On Mon.-Wed.-Fri. the
Service of Paraklesis is at
6pm.
Aug. 6: Feast of the
Transfiguration
Aug. 15: Feast of the
Dormition
Sun.-Mon.- Thurs.:
Greek Dance Practice
(everyday the week
before festival)
Inside this issue:
Parish Contact
Info
2
Calendar 3
Selection in
Greek
Festival
Happenings
7
8
Know Your Faith 10
Know Your Bible:
James 1
From the
Orthodox
Observer
Into to
Orthodoxy
This Fall
Aug. 17-19:
25th Annual
Reno Greek
Festival
11
12
13
voice
Monthly Newsletter of Saint Anthony
Greek Orthodox Church
Special August 2012 Festival Issue
Give Me Heaven -- But Not Yet
John Kapsalis
Paradise delighted me as much by its peacefulness as by its beauty: in it there
resides a beauty that has no spot; in it exists a peacefulness that knows no fear.
How blessed is that person accounted worthy to receive it, if not by right, yet at
least by grace; if not because of good works, yet at least through mercy. St.
Ephrem the Syrian, "The Hymns on Paradise"
F
rench scientist and philosopher Blaise Pascal believed that there is
a God-shaped vacuum in all of us that can only be filled by God. In
other words, there exists at the very core of our being a sense of
eternity, (cf. Ecclesiastes 3:11) a yearning for something that will
last beyond our temporary life here on earth. But what is it? We all talk
about living forever and going to heaven, but most of us hardly know how
to get there. All we know is that there has to be more to our existence
than the daily troubles and anxieties of living. If we are hardwired to need
God and to long for the eternal, how does that help us get through the
mundane duties of our life now. Can heaven help us?
Clinging to the Old, Hoping for the New
We are anchored to the earth beneath our feet. We come from it and it
cannot be any other way. Most us want to get to heaven, but not yet.
Even with all its miseries, this life is hard to let go of. Life is like that. We
know of the awesome promises of God for a life that will have
indescribable and eternal joy, yet we hang on to any shred of happiness
here on earth. We tend to forget God and rely too heavily on a life that is
only fading away. But God wants us to ache for the permanent, unseen
hope of life to come. You see, once Adam and Eve messed everything up
by their disobedience, God allowed things to deteriorate. Pain, suffering
and death seeped into our world, not because God is some sadistic being,
but because He wants us to desire a better life-a new home, the one He
intended for us from the beginning. But this is so hard to do.
The ancient Church writers often spoke of the need for detachment from
this life. We need to be weaned off of life on earth, so that we can begin
to savor life in God's kingdom. The setbacks we face are a reminder for us
not to store up treasures here on earth. God allows things to go wrong
so that we can remove ourselves from our attachment even to life itself.
Otherwise we would be content to spend eternity separated from God in
a decaying world. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Page 2 thevoice
Saint Anthony Greek Orthodox
Church is dedicated to the
continuation, proclamation and
teaching of the Gospel, and loving
service to God and to mankind. We
strive to provide a loving,
caring and welcoming environment
where all belong and grow in the faith
through worship, service, witness, and
fellowship.
Weekly Schedule
of Services
Saturday
Great Vespers 6pm
Sunday
Orthros 8:45am
Divine Liturgy,10am
Wednesday
Paraklesis 6pm
Articles and photos for THE VOICE of
St Anthony are due on the 19th of the
month prior to the month of desired
publication.
THE VOICE is the monthly newsletter
of St. Anthony Greek Orthodox Church,
and aims not only to provide news and
information about our community
activities and events but seeks also to
educate and encourage our readers to
become intentional and knowledgeable
Greek Orthodox Christians.
REV. FR. STEPHEN KARCHER
PARISH PRIEST
fatherstephen@att.net
Fr. Stephen is available for Confession on
Saturdays after Vespers or
by appointment.
Pastoral Emergencies
In case of an emergency,
Fr. Stephen may be reached
at home (775) 622-0623
or on his cell phone (775) 815-4050
PARISH COUNCIL
Jim Phillips, President
jimphillipsreno@yahoo.com
George Anastassatos, VP
ganastassatos@yahoo.com
Scott Estes, Treasurer
scottandtami@charter.net
Lena Van Asdale, Secretary
lena.vanasdale@sbcglobal.net
Elaine Bontempo
Trevor Bullock
Althea Cladianos
Robert Lindsey
Christine Stollings
PARISH DIRECTORY
SAINT ANTHONY
GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
4795 Lakeside Drive, Reno, Nevada 89509
Office: 775.825.5365 Fax:775.825.2442
Office Hours: M-F 9am – 2:30pm
Parish Council
Meetings every
second Thursday
of the month
at 6pm.
PARISH
ORGANIZATIONS &
MINISTRY LEADERS
Church Choir Director
Popi Anastassatos
Asst. Choir Director
Harriet Ellis
Church Organists
Katrina Copoulos
Linda Eliopulos
Camille Sakelaris
Philoptochos President
Esther Brunswig
AHEPA President
Dr. John Lagios
DOP President
Stephanie Tsanas
Catechesis for Children
Celeste Prisock
Halie Zimmerman
Dance Coordinators
Stacie Eliopulos
Anna Maria Desipris
Dance Instructors
Aleana Desipris
Beryl Love
Greek School
Aria Bebis
Nick Tsoulfanidis
Hall Rental
Maria Borrego
Greek Festival Chair
Lena Van Asdale
Stewardship Admin.
George Anastassatos
Christine Stollings
Facilities Maintenance
Mike Stollings
Office Administrator
Maria Borrego

Page 3
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
5
Orthros 8:45am
Divine Liturgy
10am
Dance Practice
after Church
Great Vespers for
Transfiguration,
6pm
12
Orthros 8:45am
Divine Liturgy
10am
Dance Practice
after Church
19
Orthros 8am
Divine Liturgy
9am
PLEASE NOTE
TIME CHANGE!
GREEK
FESTIVAL
11a-3p
26
Orthros 8:45am
Divine Liturgy
10am
6
Transfiguration/
Orthros 9am
Divine Liturgy
10am
Paraklesis 6p
Dance Practice
6p
13
Paraklesis 6p
Dance Practice
6p
20
7
August 2012
14
Great Vespers
for Dormition +
Artoklasia, 6pm
1
Paraklesis 6p
8
Paraklesis 6p
15
Dormition/
Orthros 9am
Divine Liturgy
10am
Paraklesis 6p
21 22
Paraklesis 6p
27 28 29
Paraklesis 6p
2
Dance Practice
6:30p
9
Dance Practice
6:30p
16
Dance Practice
6:30p
23
30 31
Shading indicates days on which we Fast.
3
Paraklesis 6p
10
Paraklesis 6p
17
GREEK
FESTIVAL
5p-10p
4
Vespers 6p
11
Vespers 6p
18
GREEK
FESTIVAL
Noon-10p
Vespers 6p
24 25
Vespers 6p

Page 4
4
CONT’D FROM FIRST PAGE St. Theognostos writes "the longing for transient things will not drag you
earthwards if you keep your mind on the things in heaven; but when you are shackled by an
attachment to earthly things you are like an eagle caught in a trap by its claw and prevented from
flying. Regard all you possess as trash in the hope of better things. Shake off even your body when the
time comes, and follow the angel of God that takes you from it."
Weaning ourselves off this life though isn't easy. Unfortunately, most of the time we can't even
handle the minor inconveniences of life. We throw our hands in the air and wonder why God
allowed us to have a fender-bender or why our vacation plans were ruined or how come we
lost out on yet another promotion. How hypocritical we have become! God has to pry our
tight grip off the stuff of this life to bring us to His kingdom. Our faith is nothing more than an
opiate to quench our selfish wants. Our desire is not for God but for what He can do for us.
And so until our love for God is more valuable than everything else, we will continue to fight
to the death to remain in this life and let heaven wait.
So does this mean that we forget about our families, our jobs, the mortgage and the roof that
needs repairing? No, of course not. We can't sit around with Bibles in our hands, being
busybodies and lazy waiting for God to bring us home. We are expected to work for the
kingdom come and for food to put on the table, providing not only for our families but also for
those in need. God created the heavens and earth for our enjoyment. God gives us life to
savor His great glory now. It is the way we live our lives faithfully and in obedience to God
now that glorifies God's kingdom come.
Never Satisfied, Always Hopeful
This life is designed in such a way not to satisfy. Perfect security and peace of mind cannot be
found on this earth. We expect to receive everything we long for now. But we don't. We still
get sick, everything still breaks down when we can least afford it, and anything that can go
wrong usually does. Frustration seems permanent at times. The good news is that none of
these things, not even death, can keep us from God when we live according to His will.
The amazing irony is that the moment we learn to leave this life is when we begin to actually
enjoy it and live it to the fullest. St. Maximos the Confessor says that when we understand that
this life is nothing but a rehearsal for death, we stop being greedy for the things of this life and
start tasting the blessings of eternal life now.
Paradise Lost, Eternity Found
We live our lives always thinking of the future and it is no different with our belief in a heaven.
Except God wants us to be heavenly-minded while we are still on earth because the Kingdom
of God begins now. God wants us to know the life-giving Christ while we are still alive because
it is in Christ that the Kingdom is revealed: "This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only
true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (John 17:3 NASB).
Heaven is where we get to see God face to face and that is the most awesome treasure we
could ever find. Christ compared the kingdom of heaven to a treasure hidden in a field, which
a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field
(cf. Matthew 13:44). The joy of knowing we will be in God's kingdom should trump anything
and everything else in this life. Everything else should be counted as a loss compared to the
knowledge that we will be with Christ in his kingdom forever. Heaven can help us.
John Kapsalis has an M.T.S from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.

The Canonization of St. Sophia of Kleisoura
On July 1, 2012 Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew arrived at the Holy
Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos in Kleisoura (Kastoria) to
officially list St. Sophia of Kleisoura (1887 - 1974) among the saints of the
Orthodox Church.
The canonization and lighting of the unwaning flame took place at the
tomb of the Saint, which was consecrated, amidst other hierarchs, clergy
and hundreds of faithful. They then proceeded to the Katholikon of the
Monastery where a Doxology took place.
Page 5
The abbess of the Monastery, Ephraimia, gifted the Ecumenical Patriarch with an icon of the Saint, and
the Ecumenical Patriarch in return gifted the Monastery with an oil lamp.
Patriarch Bartholomew ended the ceremony by venerating
the place of asceticism of St. Sophia inside the monastery,
where she reposed.
SOURCE: WWW.JOHNSANIDOPOULOS.COM
ACOLYTES
Thank you for helping in the Holy Altar:
Dion Copoulos, Alex Mathew, Athanasios Karcher,
Gabriel Martin, Ilia Katre, Matthew, John & Daniel
Gordon, Diego Anastassatos & Sava Karcher.
Want to Serve?
Serving in God's temple is a privilege. Divine
services require self-discipline and dedication.
Orthodox Christian boys, aged 8 years and above,
may practice diakonia (service) and assist at St.
Anthony Church. The Altar Servers (Acolytes) are
trained by the church clergy and the senior members
of the Altar Servers to fulfill their ministry in a spirit
of reverence and worship. All those interested in
becoming an acolyte please talk to Fr. Stephen or contact
him at: fatherstephen@att.net
New Acolytes will be welcomed to begin
serving this September.

Regular Meetings on
the Third Thursday of
the Month.
2012
Sept 16 Sunday Reg. Mtg.-
Initiations
Oct 21 Sunday Reg. Mtg.-Bakesale
discussion
Nov 18 Sunday Reg. Mtg.
Dec 11 Tuesday Ahepa –
Christmas Dinner
Dec 4 ? Bakesale baking dates TBA
Dec 15 Sat DOP Bakesale pick up
Dec 16 Sunday DOP Bakesale
pick up
CHOIR CORNER
The AHEPA & DAUGHTERS FAMILY PICNIC
Took place on Saturday July 14th at Davis
Creek Park . We had a great time and
look forward to next year!
Upcoming Events
Sunday Choir
President: Cliff Jones
Vice President: Deborah Marche
Secretary: Kirsti Settas
Treasurer: Elaine Kanellos
For information about joining, see Popi after
Church or talk to any choir member.
2013
Jan 15 Tues. Reg. Mtg.–Fashion
Show discussion
Feb 17 Sunday Reg. Mtg.–Lenten
Luncheon, Fashion Show,
Scholarship discussion
Feb 23 Saturday Fashion Show
Officers
MINISTRY & ORGANIZATION
LEADERS
Please attend a special planning meeting on
Saturday, Sept. 1 at 11:30am in the Small Hall.
We‟ll work together to coordinate our calendar for
the upcoming year. Lunch will be provided.
Weekday Choir You are welcome to join
our weekday choir and practice for upcoming
feastday liturgies:
Transfiguration, Mon., Aug. 6; Dormition,
Wed., Aug. 15; Birth of the Theotokos, Sat.,
Sept. 8; Holy Cross, Fri., Sept. 14. Vespers &
Orthros Services too! For more info or to
find out about rehearsal times contact Fr.
Stephen or Tami Estes.

The Church
is like a ship.
One
person is
sleeping,
while
another is
just
hanging
around.
The ship
proceeds on
its course.
Another
person is
struggling,
fighting
above with
the waves.
All together
they move
forward.
It is enough
that you are
within the
Church.
For this
reason see
that you are
at the
services.
Do not be
absent.
-Elder
Paisios of
the Holy
Mountain
1924-1993
Page 7
Selection in Greek: Νέο θαύμα τοσ Γέροντος Παϊσίοσ πριν λίγες μέρες
Σε καιροφσ πλζον που οι άνκρωποι, ακόμθ και Χριςτιανοί, αποψυχοφν από φόβου και
προςδοκίασ των επερχομζνων τθ οικουμζνθ (Λουκ,21,26), και μία βακιά αγωνία και απελπιςία
ςυνταράςςει τισ ψυχζσ τουσ, μόλισ πριν δφο μζρεσ περνϊντασ από τθν Κόνιτςα και ςυηθτϊντασ
με ςυγγενείσ του Γζροντοσ Παίςίου ζμακα για ζνα πρόςφατο και ςυγκλονιςτικό καφμα που
ζλαβε χϊρα ςτθν Ι.Μονι Σουρωτισ από τον Γζροντα Παίςιο.
Κςωσ μου ξεφεφγουν πολλζσ λεπτομζριεσ αλλά κα παραμείνω
με λίγα λόγια ςτθν ουςία των πραγμάτων ωσ εξισ. Πρίν λίγο
καιρό αςκζνθςε ςοβαρά ζνα μικρό παιδί ςτθν βόρεια Ελλάδα.
Οι ειδιμονεσ γιατροί αμζςωσ ζςτειλαν τθν οικογζνεια και το
παιδί ςτο διαβαλκανικό κζντρο ςτθν Θεςςαλονίκθ για να
γίνουν οι απαραίτθτεσ εξετάςεισ. Φκάνοντασ (πριν 15 θμζρεσ
περίπου) λοιπόν απελπιςμζνοι οι γονείσ ςτθν κεςςαλονίκθ για
να επιςκεφκοφν τθν επόμενθ μζρα το αναφερόμενο κζντρο
ςκζφκθκαν να περάςουν τθν παραμονι το απόγευμα από τθν
Ι.Μονι Σουρωτισ προκειμζνου να προςκυνιςουν τα Ιερά
Λείψανα του Οςίου Αρςενίου και τον τάφο του π.Παϊςίου.
Όμωσ εκείνθ τθν θμζρα, μάλλον Τετάρτθ, το Μοναςτιρι μζνει πλεον κλειςτό για περιςςότερθ
προςευχι, και ζτςι θ δοκιμαηόμενθ οικογζνεια βρικε κλειςτι τθν κφρα. Δεν πζραςαν λίγα
δευτερόλεπτα και ζνασ θλικιωμζνοσ Μοναχόσ με τθν μαγκουρίτςα του κατζβαινε από πάνω από
τα δζντρα του πάρκιν τθσ Μονισ.
-Γιά ςασ ευλογημζνα!τουσ χαιρζτιςε .Γιατί δεν μπαίνετε μζςα ςτο μοναςτήρι;
-Μα είναι η πόρτα κλειςτή.
-Όχι βρε παιδιά, ανοιχτά είναι! άντε ανοίχτε.
Και τοφτθ τθν φορά το πόμολο γφριςε και ειςιλκαν ζκπλθκτοι και χαροφμενοι ςτθν αυλι τθσ
Μονισ.
Ύςτερα από λίγα δευτερόλεπτα και αφοφ ανζβαιναν ςτα ςκαλοπάτια κάτω από το κωδονοςτάςι,
τουσ ςυνάντθςε με απορία μία Μοναχι όπου και τουσ ρϊτθςε με ζκπλθξθ¨ καλά πωσ μπήκατε
μζςα;δεν είναι κλειςτά;
-’Οχι !ζνασ μοναχόσ μασ άνοιξε και μασ είπε να ζρθουμε εδώ!
-Ποιοσ Μοναχόσ; ρώτηςε η Καλόγρια.
-Ένασ ηλικιωμζνοσ.
Τότε δείχνοντάσ τουσ θ ευλαβισ Μοναχι τθν φωτογραφία του π.Παίςίου ζμειναν με το ςτόμα
ανοικτό διαπιςτϊνοντασ πωσ αυτόσ ο Μοναχόσ ιταν που πριν λίγο τουσ προςιγαγε με
βεβαιότθτα μζςα ςτο θςυχαςτιριο , όπωσ κάποιοσ βάηει τουσ καλεςμζνουσ του ςτο δικό του
ςπίτι.
Τθν επομζνθ θμζρα και αφοφ ζγιναν οι ςχετικζσ εξετάςεισ ςτο διαβαλκανικό διαβεβαίωςαν οι
γιατροί πωσ το παιδάκι είναι τελείωσ κακαρό και υγιι από κάκε αρρϊςτια!!!
“ΘΑΥΜΑΣΤΟΣ Ο ΘΕΟΣ ΕΝ ΤΟΙΣ ΑΓΙΟΙΣ ΑΥΤΟΥ”
Πρεςβφτεροσ Διονφςιοσ Ταμπάκθσ- Ιερόσ Ναόσ Παναγίασ Ναυπλίου.9-7-2012
pentapostagma.gr

.
Page 8
A special thank you to
those who have already
been working hard to
make sure our
25th Festival Anniversary
is a great success!
It is fun and fulfilling to
see what goes on behind
the scenes. Check the
bulletin board in the
small hall for cooking
dates and times. Lend a
helping hand in what
draws thousands of
people to our village
each year!
Message from the Festival Chair
The Greek Festival is quickly approaching. If you haven't already done so,
please consider volunteering to help that weekend. If you would like to
volunteer, please contact Lena Van Asdale either via email at
Lena.vanasdale@sbcglobal.net or via cell phone at 775-843-7470.
Please keep your eyes open for a set up schedule in the next few weeks.
Greek Festival Advance Tickets on Sale Now!
The price of each ticket is $12.
The ticket covers $10 worth of food and a discounted $2 admission fee.
(As compared to the $5 admission fee for those who don't purchase advance tickets.)
Sweets baking dates
Sign up sheets are located in the Small Hall. Come join us!
Aug. 4, Saturday, 8am: Koulourakia
Aug. 9, Thursday, 8am: Baklava
Aug 15, Wednesday, 8am: Galaktobouriko
Aug 16, Thursday 8am: Dipping/Cupping Mellomakarona, Baklava & Kataifi
If you are unable to come at 8am, please come later.
We appreciate any giving of your time!
Greek Dance Practice
Monday’s at 6pm; Thursday’s at 6:30pm, and Sunday’s after church.
There will be dance practice every day the week before festival.
Tax-deductible Silent Auction Donation Items
Gift certificates, gift cards, tickets, stints at time shares, etc.,
are still needed. It will be greatly appreciated if items could be
returned to church as soon as possible!
Thank you for your anticipated generosity!
Reno’s Greek Festival 2012 Celebrating our 25th Anniversary!
Friday August 17th 5pm - 10pm
Saturday August 18th Noon - 10pm
Sunday August 19th 11am - 3pm
ADVANCED TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR $12 ADVANCE TICKETS INCLUDE $10 IN FOOD & REDUCED ADMISSION
Admission at Door will be $5 call (775) 825.5365
Or purchase in-person 9am - 2pm at 4795 Lakeside Dr. Reno, NV
www.renogreekfest.com

The Feast of the Transfiguration
Page 9
The Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ is celebrated
each year on August 6. The feast commemorates the transfiguration or metamorphosis of
Christ on Mount Tabor, when our Lord appeared in His divine glory before the Apostles Peter,
James, and John. This Feast of our Lord is celebrated with the Divine Liturgy of Saint John
Chrysostom, which is conducted on the day of the feast and preceded by the Matins service. This
includes a blessing of grapes or other fruit. A Great Vespers is conducted on the evening before the day of the feast.
Questions About the Transfiguration Answered by St. Nikolai Velimirovich
In the third year of His preaching, the Lord Jesus often spoke to His disciples
of His approaching passion but at the same time of His glory following His
suffering on the Cross. So that His impending passion would not totally
weaken His disciples and that no one would fall away from Him, He, the Allwise,
wanted to partially show them His divine glory before His passion. For
that reason, He took Peter, James and John with Him and, with them, went
out at night to Mt. Tabor and there was transfigured before them: "And His
face shone as the sun and His garments became white as snow" (Matthew 17:2).
There appeared alongside Him, Moses and Elijah, the great Old Testament
prophets. And, seeing this, His disciples were amazed. Peter said: "Lord, it is
good for us to be here: if You will, let us make here three tabernacles; one for You,
one for Moses and one for Elijah" (Matthew 17:4). While Peter still spoke, Moses
and Elijah departed and a bright cloud overshadowed the Lord and His
disciples and there came a voice from the cloud saying: "This is my beloved Son
in whom I am well pleased; hear Him" (Matthew 17:5). Hearing the voice, the
disciples fell to the ground on their faces as though dead and remained that
way, lying in fear, until the Lord came near to them and said: "Arise and be not
afraid" (Matthew 17:7).
Why did the Lord take only three disciples on Tabor and not all? Because Judas was not worthy to behold the
divine glory of the Teacher, Whom he will betray and the Lord did not want to leave him [Judas] alone at the foot of the
mountain so that the betrayer would not, by that, justify his betrayal.
Why was our Lord transfigured on a mountain and not in a valley? So as to teach us two virtues: love of labor and
godly-thoughts. For, climbing to the heights required labor and height represents the heights of our thoughts, i.e., godlythoughts.
Why was our Lord transfigured at night? Because, the night rather than the day is more suitable for prayer and godlythoughts
and because the night, by its darkness, conceals all the beauty of the earth and reveals the beauty of the starry
heavens.
Why did Moses and Elijah appear? In order to destroy the error of the Judeans, as though Christ is one of the
prophets; Elijah or Jeremiah or some other that is why He appears as a King above the prophets and that is why Moses
and Elijah appear as His servants. Until then, our Lord manifested His divine power many times to the disciples but, on
Mt. Tabor, He manifested His divine nature. This vision of His Divinity and the hearing of the heavenly witness about
Him as the Son of God, should serve the disciples in the days of the Lord's passion, in strengthening of an unwavering
faith in Him and His final victory.
Why did our Lord not manifest His divine glory on Tabor before all the disciples instead of before three of
them? First, because He Himself gave the Law through the mouth of Moses: "At the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth
of three witnesses, shall the matter be established" (Deuteronomy 19:15). Therefore, three witnesses are sufficient. These
three witnesses represent three main virtues: Peter Faith, for he was the first to confess his faith in Christ as the Son of
God; James Hope, for, with faith in the promise of Christ, he was the first who laid down his life for the Lord, being the
first to be slain by the Jews; John Love, for he reclined on the bosom of the Lord and remained beneath the Cross of the
Lord until the end. God is not called the God of many but rather the God of the chosen. "I am the God of Abraham, the
God of Isaac and the God of Jacob" (Exodus 3:6). God often valued a faithful man more than an entire nation. Thus, on
many occasions, He wanted to destroy the entire Jewish nation, but because of the prayers of righteous Moses, spared
that nation to live. God listened more to the faithful Prophet Elijah than to the entire unbelieving kingdom of Ahab.
Because of the prayers of one man, God saves towns and people. Thus, the sinful town of Ustiug was to be destroyed by
fire and hail had it not been saved by the prayers of the one and only righteous man in it, St. Procopius, the "fool for
Christ" (July 8). SOURCE: WWW.JOHNSANIDOPOULOS.COM/2010/08/QUESTIONS-ABOUT-TRANSFIGURATION.HTML

Page 10
Landscape/Roses Project
Thank You to the following parishioner for your generous donation to buy a rose bush, or make a
monetary contribution to the landscape beautification for the front entry of the church:
Effie Lampros-Sechen in memory of the Lampros-Sechen families.
In preparation for the Greek Festival, the final landscape efforts for 2012 will be completed the
week of 29 July! And a heartfelt thank you to Kathy Nicholson for spending countless hours in the
heat during the past weeks, hand-cleaning the two landscaped areas in front of the church!
Exterior Painting
Thank you to George Desipris, Bill Galiotos & Nikos Floutsis for painting the front exterior of the
church in preparation for the festival.
THE PARISH COUNCIL & MIKE STOLLINGS THANKS EVERYONE FOR THEIR EFFORTS ON THESE PROJECTS!
Know Your Faith: MAKING THE SIGN OF THE CROSS
Orthodox Christians make the sign of the cross. We join the two index fingers and the
thumb of the right hand to show that we believe in :
God the Father who loves us,
God the Son (Jesus) who saves us,
God the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
The three fingers are joined together to show that we believe in one God, not three. The
other two fingers remind us that Jesus is both God and man at the same time. We drop the
two fingers into the palm of the hand to show that Jesus ―came down from heaven‖ to save
us.
Making the sign of the cross reminds us of the great price Jesus paid to save us from sin. It
tells of his great love for us.
When making the sign of the cross, we pray: ―In the name of the Father (as we touch our
forehead) and of the Son (as we touch our chest) and of the Holy Spirit (as we touch first
our right and then our left shoulder).
When we make the sign of the cross, we are also telling God that we love Him ―with all our
mind‖ as we touch our forehead; ―with all our strength‖ as we touch our shoulders; and
―with all our heart‖ as we touch our chest.
When we make the sign of the cross, we are praying not only with our mind and heart, but
also with our body.
“...and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your
might.” (Deut. 6:4)
Orthodox Christians pray with their bodies as they cross themselves.
―LET’S TAKE A WALK THROUGH OUR ORTHODOX CHURCH‖, ANTHONY CONIARIS, P. 12

Know Your Bible: JAMES 1 OVERVIEW
How to deal with trials and temptations. The writer of the epistle of James is traditionally understood
to be St. James the Just, the brother of our Lord (Galatians 1:19) and St. Jude (Jude 1), and the
first bishop of Jerusalem (Acts 12:17; 15:13-21). Proclaiming himself to be a bondservant of God, rather
than exalting himself as a bishop, St. James tells us he is writing to a Jewish audience (James 1:1).
He begins with what might initially seem an odd statement: be joyful when you suffer trials, because
such trials help you develop patience (1:2-3). This patience will lead to spiritual maturity because, St.
Peter of Damascus teaches, “Patient endurance is the consolidation of all the virtues, because without it not
one of them can subsist” (1:4).
But how, you might wonder, can we see the value in patiently enduring trials? St. James explains that
we can only do this when we have true wisdom—in fact, we need to faithfully ask for this
wisdom if we lack it (1:5-6). Why is this wisdom important? Because “when we have been strengthened
by it,” Blessed Theophylact says, “we can do anything perfectly.”
Page 11
A key to receiving this spiritual wisdom is to avoid being ―double-minded‖—or as Fr. Lawrence Farley
puts it, “doublesouled”—by faithlessly attempting to live by both Christian and non-Christian (really anti
-Christian) standards (1:6-7); such double-minded living shows that we do not put our full faith in God.
As an example of how we can wisely respond to trials, St. James presents both poor and rich people
(1:9-11): the poor can rejoice that they are rich in being saved (see Matthew 5:3; Luke 6:20), while the
rich can rejoice that their suffering shows them the importance of trusting in God rather than material
riches. The person who can joyfully hold on to this understanding of life—both in poverty and
wealth—will be given the ―crown of life‖ (1:12).
St. James goes on to talk about withstanding temptation (1:13-15). Orthodox teachers see two possible
meanings for the word ―temptation‖ in this passage: being tempted to renounce God when undergoing
trials, or being tempted to give in to such sins as greed or lust. In either case,
it is important to remember that the temptation to sin does not come from God Himself; instead,
such temptations arise from our sinful desires for comfort and illicit pleasures. As. St. Cyril of Alexandria
says, “If we ever find ourselves afflicted by illness, grief or trouble, let us not blame God, for God cannot
be tempted by evil and does not tempt anyone. Each of us is scourged with the ropes of our own sins.”
Instead of temptation, God is the source of every good and perfect gift (1:17; this verse is prayed by
the priest in the dismissal during every Divine Liturgy). Christians should therefore live like this: being
slow to wrath, avoiding filthiness and wickedness, and instead receiving the teaching of Christ and His
Church (which St. James calls “the implanted word”) (1:19-21).
This means more than simply listening to what is said during Church services, because doing nothing
more than listening almost guarantees that you will forget what you’ve heard (1:22-24). Instead, it
means incorporating these teachings into your life—being a “doer of the work” (1:25)—through assisting
the troubled and “keep(ing) oneself unspotted from the world” (1:26). This, St. James says,
is “pure and undefiled religion before God” (1:26).
Next Month: JAMES 2 OVERVIEW - What is entailed in true faith?
COURTESY OF JASON J. BARKER AND THE ANTIOCHIAN DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH MINISTRY

Page 12

I am the way, the truth and the life. (John 14.6) I worship the
God of our fathers as a follower of the Way.... (Acts 24.14)
About THE WAY - What is it?
This program is called The Way and is based on the outreach
program of the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies (IOCS,
Cambridge University, UK). It is a course of 12 sessions.
What does the course do and who is the course for?
The course aims to present the basics of Orthodox Christian faith
and was initially designed for people between 18 and 45. In practice, it
has been enjoyed by those of all ages and educational backgrounds,
people with considerable Christian knowledge or very little, those
from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, by Orthodox wanting to better
understand their faith, by other Christians seeking to know more, and
by those of goodwill who have a curiosity as to what Christians
believe.
Who will be giving the talks? The twelve DVD presentations are
delivered by:
»Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia is a titular
metropolitan of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Great Britain. From
1966-2001, he was Spalding Lecturer of Eastern Orthodox Studies at
Oxford University, An internationally recognized Orthodox scholar,
he is best known as author of The Orthodox Church, The Orthodox Way,
translations of liturgy and the Philokalia. He is a former Chairman of
the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies (IOCS) and remains one
of its Directors.
»Professor David Frost is Principal of the Institute for Orthodox
Christian Studies, Cambridge, he is a literary and liturgical scholar and
Director of THE WAY.
»Fr. Raphael Armour After a career in the marine industry in
London and New York, he became priest of the Russian
Orthodox congregation in Cambridge.
»Fr. Demetrios Bathrellos Received his doctorate in Systematic
Theology from King’s College, London. He was a priest at the Greek
Cathedral of Agia Sophia in London.
»Fr. Michael Harper A key leader of the British charismatic
movement of the 60’s – 80’s, was received in the Orthodox Church
in 1995. He was a Director of the IOCS from its beginning.
»Gladys Bland She was for almost 40 years a history teacher and
Headmistress of a major independent school for girls, and currently
Chairman of the IOCS Board of Directors.
»Dr. Christine Mangala Frost was born in India and received her
doctorate from the University of Cambridge. She lectures and
publishes on literature, theology and inter-faith questions.
»John Bazlinton was one of the initial inspirers and a chief organizer
for THE WAY. He aimed to give the Orthodox Church a
contemporary means of communicating the faith.
Page 13
What is Orthodox
Christianity?
This program, called The Way, includes a light
snack, a talk presented on DVD, group
discussion, a question-and-answer session, and
the opportunity for friendship with others.
The Schedule 7pm Refreshments
● 7:20pm DVD Presentation of the Talk
● 8:10pm Group Discussion
● 8:30pm Q & A ● 9pm Close
27 September „The Search for Faith‟
4 October „God, the Lover of Mankind‟
11 October NO MEETING
18 October „Being Human: Fully Alive‟
25 October „Why Did Jesus Come to Us?‟
1 November „The Person of Christ‟
8 November NO MEETING
15 November „The Holy Spirit‟:
22 November NO MEETING
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
**********************************
24 January „Why on Earth the Church?
Isn‟t God Enough?‟
31 January „Living the Faith (1): The
Liturgy‟
7 February „Living the Faith (2): The Holy
Mysteries‟
14 February NO MEETING
21 February „Living the Faith (3): Bible,
Prayer and Fasting‟
28 February „Living the Faith (4): Christian
Behavior‟
7 March „Heaven on Earth: Members of
the Church and Citizens of the World‟

Page 14
The Feast of the Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady
This Feast is celebrated on August 15 each year, and commemorates the repose
(dormition and in Greek kimisis) or "falling-asleep" of the Mother of Jesus Christ, our
Lord. This great Feast celebrates a fundamental teaching of our faith—the Resurrection
of the body. In the case of the Theotokos, this has been accomplished by the divine will
of God. Thus, this Feast is a feast of hope, hope in Resurrection and life eternal. Like
those who gathered around the body of the Virgin Mary, we gather around our
departed loved ones and commend their souls into the hands of Christ. As we
remember those who have reposed in the faith before us and have passed on into the communion of the
Saints, we prepare ourselves to one day be received into the new life of the age to come. We also affirm
through this Feast as we journey toward our heavenly abode that the Mother of God intercedes for us.
Through Christ she has become the mother of all of the children of God, embracing us with divine love.
Fast & Service Schedule: The preparation for the Feast begin on
Wednesday, August 1st, with a period of fasting. A strict fast is followed on
most of the days (no meat, dairy, oil, or wine), with the exceptions of fish
on Transfiguration (Aug 6) and on Dormition (Aug 15). Oil/wine allowed on
Sat- Sun. On weekdays before the Feast, Paraklesis services are held in
most parishes. These consist of supplication and prayer for the intercessions
of the Theotokos.
Feast of Dormition Divine Liturgy Wednesday, Aug 15th at 10am.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Elizabeth Matsukas fell asleep in the
Lord on Wednesday evening, the 25th
of July. She is survived by her sister,
Yiota Matsukas Funeral services and
burial will take place on Tues, July 31.
May her memory be eternal!
VIGIL LIGHTS
In Memory Of:
7/1-7/29: Susanna, offered by Nina
Schweiss; 7/9: John, offered by Olga
Hubiak; 7/12: Tony Vagelatos,
offered by Zoe Asimakis; 7/23: Mike
Whiting, victims of Aurora CO,
offered by Lagios Family; Charles
Joannou, offered by Woods Family; 7-
29– 8/12: Mindy Schwartz, offered by
John & Joan Lagios.
For the Health & Well Being Of:
7/1: Al Wards, offered by Joan & John
Lagios; 7/4: Penelope, offered by
Christina Bortolin; 7/8: Anastania
Chase, offered by Chris Rores Family;
7/9: Metro, Basil, Helen, Olga, offered
by Olga Hubiak; 7/10: Strati Tsanas,
offered by John & Joan Lagios.
If you would like to request a vigil light lasting
7 days to be lit in the Altar, and/or have a
prayer offered at Liturgy, please contact the
church office, or fill out a Vigil Light Request
Form, which are available in the Narthex.
PROSPHORO
Please bring FOUR prosphora on each
designated Sunday.
Aug 5: Astrid Sady
Aug 12:
Aug 19: Kathy Nicholson
Aug 26: Caroline Moassessi
EPISTLE READERS
Aug 5: Kathy Nicholson
Aug 12: Alex Karcher
Aug 19: Jim Hubbard
Aug 26: Beryl Love
MINISTRY &
ORGANIZATION
LEADERS
Please attend a special planning
meeting on Saturday, Sept. 1 at
11:30am in the Small Hall. We’ll
work together to set our calendar
for the upcoming year. Lunch will
be provided.
BIBLE STUDY
Wednesday evenings and Thursday
mornings beginning again in September.
For more info, contact Fr. Stephen.
SUNDAY SCHOOL
This September! Please see page 15 for
updated information.
SAINT ANTHONY
BOOKSTORE
Help us get our Bookstore up and
running. If you’re interested in helping
to fund this project after the festival,
contact Fr. Stephen or Stephanie Rossi.
PILGRIMAGE TO
ST. JOHN IN SAN
FRANCISCO
If you’re interested in helping to
organize this parish event, contact Fr.
Stephen or Pres. Olga.
APPLE HILL FIELD
TRIP Coming in October!
Can you help fill a need? Hosting coffee hour with a couple
friends/relatives is an easy way to help our parish offer hospitality after liturgy on
Sunday. Maybe consider doing it on a regular basis every other month or so,
Please sign-up on the schedule in the small hall, or call Maria at 825-5365.

SUNDAY SCHOOL RETURNS SEPTEMBER 2ND THROUGH OCTOBER 28
Ron & Tania Abdo
George & Jacqueline Anastassatos
Popi Anastassatos
Catherine Andrews
Chris & Pam Andrews
Maria & Virgil Aramini
Chris Argeres
Wilma Bennett
Ricky Bilyeu
Elaine Bontempo
John & Maria Borrego
Christina Bortolin
Alexia Bratiotis
Fr. George & Presb. Gloria Bratiotis
Esther Brunswig
Trevor Bullock
Richard & Lyubov Burleson
Renie Carr
Stacey Cherup-Leslie
Pete & Althea Cladianos
Mary Clifford
Radu & Victoria Conelea
Gus & Barbara Contos
Susan Copeland
John Copoulos
Douglas Crumley & Ann Brewer
2012 Pledging Stewards of Saint Anthony
Richard & Patricia DeLeon
Dorothy Delianides
Alexandra Demetras
Katherine Dermitzakis
Sofia Ahtipis Diotallevi
Charles & Elaine Drakos
Joanna & Peter Drakos
Chris Eliopulos
George & Linda Eliopulos
Harriet Ellis
Scott & Tami Estes
Mike Evasovic
Nikki & Frank Feister
Bernice Kosturos Ferrall
Gus Flangas
Mike & Irene Frow
Antonios & Voula Gamilis
Scott & Patricia Gordon
Irene & Jerry Graham
Monica Grecu
Despina Hatjopoulos
Maria Hatjopoulos
Jim & Sojin Hubbard
Zachary Jarvie
Danica & Cliff Jones
Elaine Kanellos
Chrisoula Karapondo
Fr. Stephen & Presv. Olga Karcher
Nadia & Basil Khoshaba
Gregory Knapp
Constance Kotsios
John & Joan Lagios
Katherene Latham
Lynn LeGoy
Nickolas & Beth Linardos
Robert & Georgene Lindsey
Denise LoGiurato
Beryl & Wendy Love
Dimitrios & Olga Makris
Marlys Mandelos
Agnes & Tom Mannos
Emanuel & Mary Maragakis
Deborah & George Marche
Shaji & Vijna Mathew
James & Kathy Nicholson
Eleni Oikonomidoy
Constance Pacini
Harry & Stella Pappas
Nick & Christine Pappas
Arene & Christine Pavlakis
Jim & Eileen Phillips
Andreia & Ciprian Pop
Page 15
YOUNGER children (roughly 2 to 4) and MIDDLE AGED children (roughly 5 to 10) are invited to enjoy a small
snack, craft, and lesson geared towards their age group.
Older children through high school are always welcome. Most Sundays a teacher is available to teach a lesson
for their age group, so please feel free to come along.
All children receive Holy Communion and immediately meet in The Large hall for Sunday School. We ask that
children younger than six be accompanied by a parent. Parents are welcome to return to church for the end of
service once they have connected with the teacher--and return to pick up their children after service.
During November and December, we will be rehearsing the Christmas Pageant and using the Nativity story as
our Sunday School.
Regular Sunday School will return again January 13 and run through May.
Please pick up a Weekly Sunday Gospel Youth Packet from the table in the Narthex (starting in September) to
enjoy during and after church.
Thank you and love in Christ,
The Sunday School team.
(For more information and ways to help, please contact celeste4475@gmail.com )
We list those Stewards who have submitted their Stewardship Commitment Card for 2012, and thank you for responding to the
needs of the Church. When you give to our Parish, you share and support in making the Orthodox Christian Faith accessible to all who enter
our Church‟s doors. Thank you for joining our Parish ministry!
Christine Poulakidas
Jean Pritsos
Iulia & Raul Ramirez
Ann Risovich
Sam & Elizabeth Risovich
Michael & Olga Roche
Christopher & Rene Rores
Rebecca Rores
Stephanie Rossi
Angelo & Camille Sakelaris
Michael & Astrid Sady
Dean & Linda Settas
Danilo & Carmen Simich
Renee Soumbeniotis
Tom Stamos
Mike & Christine Stollings
Kosta & Niki Strataras
Vassilios & Patricia Titus
Stratos & Stephanie Tsanas
Tom & Chris Vallas
Lena & Shawn Van Asdale
Al & Margie Victors
Amelia Wassner
Masha & Ed Wilson
Stel & Robert Woods
Tom Young

SAINT ANTHONY
GREEK ORTHODOX
CHURCH
4795 Lakeside Dr.
Reno, NV 89509
Phone: 775-825-5365
Fax: 775-825-2442
E-mail:
saintanthonychurch@sbcglobal.net
www.saintanthonyreno.org
The Voice
August 2012
Weekly Schedule of Services
Wednesday: Paraklesis 6pm
Saturday: Great Vespers 6pm
Sunday: Orthros 8:45am/Divine Liturgy, 10am
Reno’s Greek Festival
Celebrating our 25th Anniversary
Friday August 17th 5pm - 10pm
Saturday August 18th Noon - 10pm
Sunday August 19th 11am - 3pm
Advanced Tickets Available for $12
advance tickets include $10 in food & reduced admission
Admission at Door will be $5
Call (775) 825.5365
Or purchase in-person 9am - 2pm at 4795 Lakeside Dr. Reno, NV
www.renogreekfest.com
Church Office Hours Mon – Fri: 9am-1pm
For setting dates and sacraments, memorial
services, and for personal counseling, confessions,
sick calls and personal visitations please call the
church office and speak with Father Stephen or
e-mail him at: 775.825.5365
fatherstephen@att.net You may also contact
Maria Borrego at the church office
775.825.5365 or
saintanthonychurch@sbcglobal.net