From the Pastor’s Desk

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

It won’t be long now until we will be exchanging the wonderful Paschal greeting — Christ is

Risen! Truly, He is risen! — w with each other.

The Resurrection of Christ, which we proclaim with this greeting, is the central mys-

tery of our Orthodox Christian Faith. In fact, without this mystery, we have no faith at

all.

The Apostle Paul put it this way in his first letter to the Church in Corinth:

…if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; if

Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in

vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of

God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise if it is true that the dead are

not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If

Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.

Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If for this life

only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

(1 Corinthians 15:13-19)

Thus, every time we exchange the Paschal Greeting — Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!

— we make a profound statement about ourselves and about the God who saves us.

We make a statement about ourselves, because in the Paschal Greeting, we proclaim

our belief that Jesus Christ died and rose again from the tomb.

We make a statement about God, because it tells the world that His love for the world

is so great that He was willing to send His Son into the world in order to die in the flesh

and rise again giving the human race eternal life.

Since the Greeting is so important and so meaningful, I urge you all to make it your

usual greeting with each other during this Easter season and let it resound — shout it

out — as we exchange it during the services of the season.

In Christ,

Saint George Orthodox Church Second Quarter, 2014

Page 2 The Wonderworker Second Quarter 2014

Fr. Dennis to go on

Mission Trip to Albania

During the second half of June this year, Father

Dennis will be in Shen Vlash, near Durres,

Albania.

Shen Vlash is the site of the Shen Vlash

Monastery and the Resurrection of Christ

Theological Academy, as well as the Children’s

Home of Hope, an orphanage that provides a

home to more than 40 children under the age of

16. Under the direction of the Orthodox

Christian Mission Center (OCMC), Father will

be helping to conduct a summer camp program

for the children.

Anyone who would like to help Father

Dennis finance his trip, which will cost around

$3,500.00, can visit http://bit.ly/1gWsGRP to

make a donation or contact him directly. Any

checks should be made out to the OCMC.

2014 Relay for Life

The Wonderworkers of St George will be

walking in the 2014 Relay for Life of Monroe/

Trumbull, which will be held from 6:00 p.m. on

Friday, June 6th through 6:00 a.m. on Saturday,

June 7th at Trumbull High School in Trumbull. All proceeds from this event go to the

American Cancer Society for research and also

to help families dealing with cancer.

For more information, to make a donation or

to join the team, go to www.RelayForLife.org.

In the box marked “Find Event,” enter the

Trumbull Zip Code (06611) and then click on

the link marked “2014 Relay for Life of Monroe/

Trumbull CT.” Then where it says “Top

Teams,” click on “View all” and you will find

our team. (I know it sounds complicated, but

it’s easier than it sounds!)

Team Captains Sharon Buzi and Sue Galich

will be giving more information and

conducting various fund-raising activities.

All are welcome to participate!

Second Quarter 2014 The Wonderworker Page 3

Page 4 The Wonderworker Second Quarter 2014

In the scriptures and in the spiritual tradition of

the Church, the expression “the world” has two

different meanings. In the first, “the world” is

the expression of all of God’s creation. As such

it is the product of God’s goodness and the ob-

ject of His love.

According to the scriptures, God creates the

world and all that is in it. He creates the heav-

ens and the earth as the declaration of His glo-

ry. (Psalm 19:1) He creates all living things,

crowned by the formation of man in His own

image and likeness. According to the scriptural

record, God called His creation good… very

good.” (Genesis 1:12,18, 25, 31) And according

to the Gospel, Christ has come as the “Savior of

the world.” (Luke 2:11, John 4:42)

For God so loved the world that He gave His

only Son, that whoever believes in Him should

not perish but have eternal life. For God sent

His Son into the world, not to condemn the

world, but that the world might be saved

through Him. (John 3:16-17)

In addition to this positive scriptural under-

standing of “the world,” there is also a negative

use of the expression which has caused confu-

sion about the proper understanding of Chris-

tian faith and life. This negative use of the term

“the world” is presented not as God’s object of

love, but as creation in rebellion against God.

Thus Christ spoke:

If the world hates you, know that it has hated

me before it hated you. If you were of the

world, the world would love its own; but be-

cause you are not of the world, but I chose you

out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

(John 15: 18-19; Cf, James 4:4)

Saint John continues to speak of the enmity

between Christ and “the world” in his first

letter where he gives the following command-

ment to Christians:

Do not love the world or the things in the

world. If anyone loves the world, love for the

Father is not in him. For all that is in the world,

the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the

pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the

world. And the world passes away and the lust

of it; but he who does the will of God abides

forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

The same ambiguity has that concerning “the

world” exists with the expression “the flesh.” In

some instances the term “flesh” is used in a

positive sense meaning the fullness of human

existence, man himself. Thus it is written about

the incarnation of Christ that the “Word be-

came flesh and dwelt among us; full of grace

and truth.” (John 1:14) It is also written that on

the day of Pentecost, God poured out His Holy

Spirit “on all flesh.” (Acts 2:17, Joel 2:28) The

word “flesh” in this sense carries no negative

meaning at all. Rather it is the affirmation of the

positive character of created material and phys-

ical being, exemplified by Christ who “became

flesh” and commands men to “eat of my

flesh.” (John 6:53-56)

In the scriptures again, particularly in the

writings of Saint Paul, the expression “the

flesh” is used in the same negative way as “the

world.” It is employed as the catchword for

godless and unspiritual existence.

For those who live according to the flesh set

their minds on the things of the flesh, but those

who live according to the Spirit set their minds

on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on

the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the

Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set

on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit

to God’s Law, indeed it cannot please God.

(Romans 8:5-8)

Here, for Saint Paul, the term “flesh” is not a

synonym for man’s body which is good, and

the apostle makes this perfectly clear in his

writings.

The body is not meant for immorality, but for

the Lord, and the Lord for the body. (…) Do

you not know that your bodies are members of

The World and the Flesh

continued on page 7, column 1…

Second Quarter 2014 The Wonderworker Page 5

Në shkrimet dhe në traditën shpirtërore të

Kishës, shprehja “bota” ka dy kuptime të

ndryshme. Në të parin, “bota” është shprehja e

të gjithë krijimit të Perëndisë. Si e tillë ajo është

fryt i mirësisë së Perëndisë dhe objekt i

dashurisë së Tij.

Sipas shkrimeve, Perëndia e krijoi botën dhe

gjithçka që është në atë. Ai krijoi qiejt dhe tokën

si shpallje e lavdisë së Tij (Psalmi 19:1). Ai i

krijoi të gjitha gjërat e gjalla, kurorëzuar nga

krijimi i njeriut në shëmbëlltyrën dhe

ngjashmërinë e Tij. Sipas tregimit të shkrimit,

Perëndia e quajti krijimin e Tij “të mirë . . .

shumë të mirë” (Zanafilla 1:12, 18, 25, 31). Dhe

sipas Ungjillit, Krishti ka ardhur si “Shpëtimtari

i botës”. (Lluka 2:11, Joani 4:42).

Sepse Perëndia e deshi aq botën, sa dha Birin

e tij të vetëmlindurin, që, kushdo që beson në

të, të mos humbasë, por të ketë jetë të

përjetshme. Sepse Perëndia nuk e dërgoi Birin e

vet në botë që ta dënojë botën, por që bota të

shpëtohet prej tij (Joani 3:16-17).

Përveç këtij kuptimi skriptural pozitiv të

“botës”, është, gjithashtu, edhe një përdorim

negativ i shprehjes, që ka shkaktuar një

pështjellim për kuptimin e duhur të besimit dhe

të jetës së krishterë. Ky përdorim negativ i

termit “botë” është paraqitur jo si objekt i

dashurisë së Perëndisë, por si krijimi në rebelim

kundër Perëndisë. Kështu foli Krishti:

Nëse bota ju urren, ta dini se më ka urryer mua

para jush. Po të ishit nga bota, bota do të donte

të vetët; por, sepse nuk jeni nga bota, por unë ju

kam zgjedhur nga bota, prandaj bota ju urren

(Joani 15:18-19; Kr. Jakovi 4:4).

Shën Joani vazhdon të flasë për armiqësinë

ndërmjet Krishtit dhe “botës” në letrën e tij të

parë, ku ai i jep të krishterëve porositë e

mëposhtme.

Mos e doni botën, as gjërat që janë në botë. Ne

qoftë se ndokush do botën, dashuria e Atit nuk

është në të, sepse gjithçka që është në botë,

Bota dhe Mishi

lakmia e mishit, lakmia e syve dhe krenaria e

jetës, nuk vjen nga Ati, por nga bota. Dhe bota

kalon me lakminë e saj; por ai që bën vullnetin

e Perëndisë mbetet përjetë (1 Joani 2:15-17).

E njëjta dykuptimësi në lidhje me “botë”

ekziston edhe në shprehjen “mish”. Në disa raste

termi “mish” është përdorur në një sens pozitiv,

duke kuptuar plotësinë e ekzistencës njerëzore,

vetë njeriun. Kështu shkruhet rreth mishërimit të

Krishtit se “Fjala u bë mish dhe banoi ndër ne,

plot me hir e të vërtetë” (Joani 1:14). Shkruhet,

gjithashtu, se në ditën e Rushajeve, Perëndia

derdhi Shpirtin e Tij të Shenjtë “mbi çdo

mish” (Veprat 2:17, Joeli 2:28). Fjala “mish” në këtë

sens nuk mbart asnjë kuptim negativ. Por më

tepër është pohim i karakterit pozitiv të qenies së

krijuar materiale dhe fizike, ilustruar nga Krishti

që “u bë mish” dhe i urdhëron njerëzit “hani nga

mishi im” (Joani 6:53-56).

Përsëri në shkrimet, veçanërisht në shkrimet

e Shën Pavlit, shprehja “mish” përdoret në të

njëjtën mënyrë negative si “botë”. Ajo është

përdorur si moto për ekzistencën e pabesë dhe

joshpirtërore.

Sepse ata që rrojnë sipas mishit e çojnë mendjen

në gjërat e mishit, por ata që rrojnë sipas

Frymës në gjërat e Frymës. Në fakt, mendja e

kontrolluar nga mishi sjell vdekje, por mendja e

kontrolluar nga Fryma sjell jetë dhe paqe. Në

fakt mendja e kontrolluar nga mishi është

armiqësi kundër Perëndisë, sepse nuk i

nënshtrohet ligjit të Perëndisë dhe as nuk

mundet. Prandaj ata që janë në mish nuk mund

t’i pëlqejnë Perëndisë (Romanët 8:5-8).

Këtu, për Shën Pavlin, termi “mish” nuk

është sinonim për trupin e njeriut, i cili është i

mirë, dhe apostulli e bën këtë të qartë në

shkrimet e tij.

Trupi nuk është për kurvëri, po për Zotin, dhe

Zoti për trupin. (…) A nuk e dini ju se trupat

tuaj janë gjymtyrë të Krishtit? (…) A nuk e dini

se trupi juaj është tempulli i Frymës së Shenjtë

që është në ju, të cilin e keni nga Perëndia, dhe

se nuk i përkitni vetvetes? Sepse u bletë me një

continued on page 7, column 2…

Page 6 The Wonderworker Second Quarter 2014

Coming Events

April

May

June

Looking ahead…

July 20: Prophet Elijah

August 1: Dormition Fast begins

August 6: Transfiguration of our Lord

August 9: Saint Herman of Alaska

August 11-16: New England Youth Rally

August 15: Dormition of the Virgin Mary

August 24: Saint Kozma of Berat

August 29: Beheading of Saint John the

Baptist

September 1: Church New Year

September 4: Prophet Moses

September 8: Nativity of the Virgin Mary

September 14: Elevation of the Holy Cross

September 26/27: Archdiocesan Assembly,

SS. Peter & Paul Church,

Philadelphia, PA.

7: St. Tikhon of Moscow & North America

12: Lazarus Saturday

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

4:00 p.m. — Great Vespers

13: Palm Sunday

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

Beginning of Holy Week.

See page 3 for complete schedule

20: Pascha — The Resurrection of Christ

11:00 a.m. — Paschal Vespers & Egg Hunt

21: Bright Monday

10:00 a.m. — Paschal Divine Liturgy

23: Bright Wednesday

Great Martyr George

10:00 a.m. — Paschal Divine Liturgy

27: Saint Thomas Sunday

11: Sunday of the Paralytic

Mother’s Day

21: Saints Constantine & Helen

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

26: Memorial Day

29: The Ascension of our Lord

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

7: Memorial Saturday

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

8: Pentecost

15: Sunday of All Saints

Father’s Day

24: Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

29: Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

Food Festival planned

Plans are being made for our fourth annual

Food Festival, featuring ethnic food, baked

goods, and a “Take-a Chance” raffle table.

We are looking for volunteers to help out on

the day of the event.

A flyer with details and forms for placing an

advertisement in the Program Book will be sent

out in the near future.

If you would like further details, please speak

with Jim Bowe (203-261-3175).

Second Quarter 2014 The Wonderworker Page 7

Coffee Hour Sign-up Poster

Hanging on the bulletin board in the Church Hall again this year is a poster where people can sign

up to host Coffee Hour on Sunday mornings.

This is a way for us all to see if there are available Sundays and to plan ahead for any special

occasions we might want to share with our Parish family: birthdays, namedays, memorials, etc.

Be sure to take a look at it and put your name down to host in the near future.

Christ? (…) Do you not know that your body is

a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which

you have from God? You are not your own;

you were bought with a price. So glorify God in

your body. (1 Corinthians 6:13-20)

In the spiritual tradition of the Church the

ambiguity about “the world” and “the flesh” is

treated carefully. It has been explained without

confusion by the spiritual teachers and pro-

claimed clearly in the Church’s sacraments.

God’s good creation is not evil. Material exist-

ence is not evil. Man’s fleshly body is not evil.

Only sinful passions and lusts are evil. They are

evil because they treat the created world and

the fleshly body of man as ends in themselves,

as objects of idolatrous adoration and godless

desire. They are evil because, as St. Augustine

put it, they express the “worship of the creature

rather than the Creator.”

By nature the soul is without sinful passion.

Passions are something added to the soul by its

fault… The natural state of the soul is luminous

and pure through absorbing the divine light….

The state contrary to nature…is found in pas-

sionate men who serve passions.

When you hear that it is necessary to withdraw

from the world…to purify yourself from what

is of the world, you must understand the term

world. “World” is a collective name embracing

what are called passions. When we speak of

passions collectively, we call them the world….

the world is carnal life and minding of the

flesh. (St. Isaac of Syria, 6th c., Spiritual Training)

from The Orthodox Faith,

by Fr. Thomas Hopko

…continued from page 4

çmim! Përlëvdoni Perëndinë, pra, në trupin tuaj

dhe në frymën tuaj, që i përkasin Perëndisë (1

Korinthianët 6:13-20).

Në traditën shpirtërore të Kishës dykup-

timësia rreth shprehjeve “botë” dhe “mish”

është trajtuar me kujdes. Ajo është shpjeguar pa

u ngatërruar nga mësuesit shpirtëror dhe është

shpallur qartë në misteret e Kishës. Krijimi i

mirë i Perëndisë nuk është i keq. Ekzistenca

materiale nuk është e keqe. Trupi mishor i

njeriut nuk është i keq. Vetëm pasionet

mëkatare dhe epshet janë të këqia. Ato janë të

këqia, sepse ato e trajtojnë botën e krijuar dhe

trupin mishor të njeriut si qëllime në vetvete, si

objekte adhurimi idhujtar dhe dëshira të

paudha. Ato janë të këqia, sepse, siç e shpjegon

Shën Agustini, ato shprehin “adhurimin e

krijesës më tepër se të Krijuesit”.

Nga natyra shpirti është pa pasione të

mëkatshme. Pasionet janë diçka e shtuar te

shpirti nga gabimet e tij . . . Gjendja natyrale e

shpirtit është e ndritshme dhe e pastër

nëpërmjet absorbimit të dritës hyjnore . . .

Gjendja e kundërt me natyrën . . . gjendet në

njerëzit e pasionuar që i shërbejnë pasioneve.

Kur ju dëgjoni se është e nevojshme për t’u

tërhequr nga bota . . . për të pastruar veten nga

ajo që është nga bota, ju duhet të kuptoni

termin botë. “Botë” është një emër kolektiv që

përfshin ato që janë quajtur pasione. Kur ne

flasim për pasionet në mënyrë kolektive, ne i

quajmë ato botë . . . bota është jeta mishore dhe

përkujdesja për mishin (Shën Isaku i Sirisë, shek.

6, Stërvitja Shpirtërore).

nga Besimi Ortodoks (The Orthodox Faith)

i At Thomas Hopko

…continued from page 5

Saint George Orthodox Church

5490 Main Street

Trumbull, Connecticut 06611-2932

FORWARD AND ADDRESS CORRECTION

The Wonderworker

is a quarterly publication of

Saint George Orthodox Church,

Trumbull, Connecticut

a parish of the

Albanian Archdiocese

of the

Orthodox Church in America

Archpriest Dennis R. Rhodes,

Rector

James Bowe

Council President