S A I N T P E T E R T H E A P O S T L E C H U R C H

January 2018 "1

MessengerJanuary Calendar

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January 2018

Stewardship 2018 Stewardship Sunday for 2018 on November 12...

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VBS 9:00 AM - Noon

Vespers 7:00 PM

No Liturgy

Liturgy - 10:00 AM

Church School registration!

Church Meeting - Noon

Liturgy / C.S. 10:00 AM

40 Day Memorial for

gDebra Lombard

Church School Opening Day!

Liturgy / C.S. 10:00 AM

No Vespers

Altar Servers Training

Session at 3:45 PM

Vespers 5:00 PM

Vespers 5:00 PM

Vespers 7:00 PMLiturgy 9:00 AM

6th Hour Prayers - Noon

6th Hour Prayers - Noon

Vespers 7:00 PM

Liturgy 9:00 AM

Liturgy 9:00 AM

Vespers 7:00 PM

Elevation of

the Cross

Labor Day

Nativity of the

Theotokos

Beheading of

St. John

Diocese Days Weekend

St. Steven's Cathedral in Alhambra

Between Christmas and… Fr. Stephen FreemanPage 1

Monthly Newsletter of St. Peter the Apostle Church. Fresno California Issue No. 01 / Vol. 31/ January 2018Parish Activities… Amazon Smile, Annual Meeting…

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Bulletin Board… Fence Appeal…

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Between Christmas And… ByFatherStephenFreeman

TheFeastofChristmashas,formany,comeandgone.Theeagernessofchildrenforthedayoftheirpresentshasnowpassedand,withit,someoftheiranxieties.FarfrommarkingChristmasas“TwelveDays”(astheoldEnglishChristmascarolnotes)manypartsoftheculturehurryforward,eagertoputChristmasinthepast.Inmychild-hood,itwasgenerallyheldwithinthesurroundingProtestantcul-turethataChristmasTreehadtoberemovedbeforeNewYear’sDay,ortheresultwouldbe“badluck.”ThiseagernesstoberidofthefeastissomewhatcomicallycelebratedintheElvisCostello/PaddyMaloneysong,“TheSt.Stephen’sDayMurders”:

IknewoftwosisterswhosenameitwasChristmas

AndonewasnamedDawnofcourse,theotheronewasnamedEve

Iwonderiftheygrewuphatingtheseason

OfthegoodwillthatlaststilltheFeastofSt.Stephen

Forthatisthetimetoeat,drinkandbemerry

‘TilthebeerisallspilledandthewhiskeyisDlowed

Andthewholefamilytreeyouneglectedtobury

Arefeedingtheirfacesuntiltheyexplode

There’llbelaughterandtearsoverTiaMarias

Mixedupwiththatdrinkmadefromgirders

Andit’sallwe’vegotleftastheydrawtheirlastbreath

Andit’sniceforthekidsasyouDinallygetridofthem

IntheStStephen’sDayMurdersThenextgreatfeastontheChurch’scalendarisTheo-phany,thecelebrationofChrist’sBaptismintheJor-dan.Foralargeportionofmodernculture–thefeastwillpasswithoutnotice.HavingleftChristmas,theworldmovesbacktoitscomfortablepositionof“ordinarytime.”TheChristianyear,inourmodernexperience,isRilledwithsuchstretchesofordi-narytime–thetimebe-tweenthefeasts.Itisnotuncommontoheartheolo-

giansandclergycompareourlivestothoseofthe“Church-in-waiting.”Itispointedoutthatwelive“in-be-tween”Christ’sRirstandsecondcoming,andthereforeliveinanin-betweenperiod.Theconclusionofsuchser-monsistospeakaboutvariousstrategiesofwaiting.TheconclusionalsocarriesaninherentsenseoftheabsenceofGod.

From the Parish Records…

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SuchconclusionsRitwellinasecularizedworldandap-pealtothemodernsenseofGod’sabsence.TheheartofthesecularworldisnotabeliefthatthereisnoGod,butratherthesensethatGodissomewhereelse.Ourworldisa“no-man’sland,”inwhichallthingsworkaccordingto“naturallaws,”independentofGod.Ihavepreviouslywrit-tenaboutthisinarticlesonthe“two-storeyuniverse.”Living“in-between”addsatwisttothetwo-storeyexperi-ence:itisrootedinourmodernunderstandingofhistoryandtime.Itiseasy,almostobvious,tothinkofourselvesaslivingbetweenmajoreventsintheChristianstory.Two-thousandyearshavepassedsincetheresurrectionofChrist.ChristianscontinuetowaitforHissecond-coming.Howdowenotperceiveourselvesaslivingin-between?St.GregoryPalamas(14thCentury)usesaninterestingexamplefromtheScripturesthatdismantlesthe“in-be-tween”modelthatissocommoninourmodernworld.HisexamplecomesinasermonontheCross(HomilyXI).HebeginswiththeassertionthattheCross,thoughmanifestinhistoryatChrist’sCruciRixion,hasalwaysbeenGod’smeansofsalvation–atalltimesandplaces.Hisexampleisquiteillumining:Althoughthemanofthesin,thesonoflawlessness(cf.2Thess.2:3),bywhichImeantheAntichrist,hasnotyetcome,thetheologianwhomChristlovedsays,“Evennow,beloved,thereisantichrist”(cf.1John2:18).Inthesameway,theCrossexistedinthetimeofourancestors,evenbe-foreitwasaccomplished.ThegreatPaulteachesusabso-lutelyclearlythatAntichristisamongus,eventhoughhehasnotyetcome,saying,“Hismysterydothalreadyworkinyou”(cf.2Thess.2:7).InexactlythesamewayChrist’sCrosswasamongourforefathersbeforeitcameintobeing,be-causeitsmysterywasworkinginthem.(QuotationfromTheHomilies).St.Gregorygoesonwithinthishomilytoillustrate(gener-allywithtypologicalinterpretation)howtheCrosswaspresentinthelivesofthePatriarchsandotherrighteous“friendsofGod”withintheOldTestamentperiod.Hissenseoftimerecognizesarealityofhistory,“eventhoughhehasnotyetcome,”buttranscendsthatlimita-tioninrecognizingthat“hismysterydothalreadyworkinyou.”AndoftheCross“[it]wasamongourforefathersbe-foreitcameintobeing,becauseitsmysterywasworkinginthem.”Thisunderstandingoftimeandhistoryplacesthesecategoriesinasubsidiaryposition–theyarenotthefrozen,solidstuffofanempty,empiricalworld.Theyareaplaceinwhichwelive–butalsoaplacethatispermeatedbythingsthathavenoteven“comeintoexistence.”St.Gregory’streatmentofthesethingsisrootedintheclassicalOrthodoxunderstandingoftherelationbetweenearthandheaven;past,presentandfuture;andthemys-teryoftheKingdomofGodatworkintheworld.Hisuni-verseisdistinctly“one-storey.”ThisunderstandingalsoundergirdstheOrthodoxunderstandingofeschatology(thestudyofthe“lastthings”).St.JohnChrysostom,inhiseucharisticprayer,givesthanksfortheSecondComingof

Christinthepasttense–notthatheissayingthattheSecondCominghasalreadyoccurredinhistory–butthattheEucharisticcelebrationstandswithintheKingdomofGod,suchthattheSecondComingcanbedescribedinthepasttense.TheEucharististhe“MarriageFeastoftheLamb,”the“BanquetattheEndoftheAge.”Tospeakofourselvesasliving“in-between”istoplacehistoryintheprimaryposition,relegatingtheKingdomofGodtoalowerstatus.Itistheessenceofsecularism.TheKingdomofGodisnotdenied–itissimplyplacedbeyondourreach(asweareplacedbeyonditsreach).TheKing-dom,likeGodHimself,isreducedtoanidea. Living“in-between”ispartofthelonelinessandalienationofthemodernChristian.Thingsaremerelythings,timeisinexorableandimpenetrable.Thereisananxietythataccompaniesallofthisthatismarkedbydoubt,argumentandopinion.Faithisdirectedtowardsthingspastorthingsthathavenotyethappened.ThisstandsinsharpcontrasttoSt.Paul’sstatementinHebrews:“Faithisthesubstance(hypostasis)ofthingshopedfor,theevidenceofthingsnotseen”(11:1).There-lationshipoffaithwiththings“hopedforandnotseen”ismorethanatrustthattheywillbe,morethanalongingforwhatisnot.Faithistheverysubstanceofsuchthings.Inearlierpostingsonfaith,Ihavenotedthatfaithismorethananintellectualorvolitionalexercise.Itisanactualparticipation(koinonia)withtheobject(orsubject)offaith.Todescribefaithasthesubstanceofthingsistograntakindofexistencetothem.AndsoinHebrews11,St.Pauldescribesthefaithofourforefathers(OldTesta-ment)andtheimpactthatthesubstanceoffaithhadintheirlivesandworld.St.Gregory’shomilyechoesthisverysamephenomenon(indeedhequotesextensivelyfromthischapterinHebrews).Byfaith,wedonotlivein-between.Byfaith,weliveinaone-storyuniverseinwhichtherealitiesofGod’sKingdommaypermeateourexistence.Wearenotalonenorneedwebealienated.Theanxietythathauntsoureverystepisproducedbyafalseperception–adelusion.Ofcourse,thisisaneasythingtoassert,butadifRicultthingtolive:itisthegreatstruggleofourtimes.Butwith-outthisstruggle,faithwillremainalientousandwewillremainlost“in-between”theworlds,trappedwithinthosethingsthat“arepassingaway.”Christhasgivenussome-thinggreater.St.Paulsays,“Butnowwedonotyetseeallthingsputun-derhim.ButweseeJesus…”(Heb.2:8-9).Itisthepres-enceofChristintheHolySpiritthatismademanifestinourfeasts–butthisisthesameChristwhoismademani-festinourheartsandwhopromisedto“abidewithus.”WedonotseeJesus“in-between”butratherasthe“au-thorandRinisherofourfaith”(Heb.12:2).HeisAlphaandOmega,thebeginningandtheend.Indeed,HeistheFeastoffeasts.

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From the parish records… Funeral:

Katarina Kril, 95 on December 22, 2017.

Memory Eternal!

Baptisms: Oliver James, son of David and Jenna Wisar on December 17, 2017.

Conrad Oliver George, son of Vincent and Allyson Wall on December 19, 2017

Many Years!

THE BLESSING OF HOMES THECUSTOMOFBLESSINGhomesduringtheTheophanyseasonisofspecialbeautyandsigniR-icance.Itisnotsimplyasentimentaltraditionwithoutmeaning,norisitacustomwhosemean-

ing wehaveforgotten,likeanoldfriendwhosefaceweremember,butwhoseimpactonourlifehasbeenforgotten. WhenanOrthodoxChristianbelievermovesintoanewhome,hededicateshisnewhomeastheabodeofafollowerofChrist.HeasksthatGod,thesourceofallgood-nessandtheGiverofeveryperfectgift,toblesshishouseandallthatiswithinit;

he recallsthatJesusChrist,HisSon,cametobringSalvationtoit,evenasHebroughtSalva- tiontothehouseofZacchaeus;hepraysthattheHolySpiritmayabideinit,guiding

thosewhodwellinitinthePathsofrighteousness.

OntheFeastofTheophanywerededicateourhomeforitsoriginalpurpose,justaswemustperiodicallyrededicateourlifetoChrist.WedoitespeciallyonthisFeastbecausethisisthedayonwhichwerememberintheChurchYearthecom-ingofChristwhobeganHisMinistrywhenHedescendedintoJordantobeBaptizedbySt.JohntheForerunnerandBap-tist.Heentersagainintoourlivesremindingusthatwemust“repent,fortheKingdomofGodisathand.” AnOrthodoxChristianmustdedicatenotonlyhimselfandhishousetotheLord,buthisdailyworkandallhiseffortsaswell.AllthingsaretobedonetothegloryofGod.ThatiswhyintheOrthodoxChurch,notonlyreligiousobjects,suchasicons,crosses,churchesandvestments,areblessed,butalsohomes,Rields,animalsandallobjectswhichareusedinourdailylifeforthegoodofman.InthistheChurchexpressesitsfaiththattheHolySpirit’ssanctifyingactionextendsoverthewholeCreation.Whenthepriestcomestoblessthefamilyanditshouse,thefollowingrulesshouldbeobserved:

• Alightedcandle,anicon,andawidebowlforHolyWatershouldbeplacedonthetable.• Allradios,televisions,etc.shouldbeturnedoff.• Allpresentinthehouseshouldcometogetherandstandatthetable.• Thosewhoareableshouldjoininthesinging.• TheRirstnamesofthoseforwhomspecialprayersaretobeoffered,includingallthemembersofthefamilyand

especiallythoselivinginthehouse,shouldbeclearlyprintedonasheetofpaperwithacleardistinctionbetweenthelivingandthedead.

Church School News Hey Kids, it's time to get ready for our Church School St. Sava Day Pro-gram!

On Saturday, January 13 we will have our first St. Sava program rehearsal and a bowling out-ing! All Church School students will meet at the Education Building at 1:00 p.m. for our St. Sava program rehearsal. At 2:30 we will go bowling at Fresno State Lanes located at the Stu-dent Union. We will bowl until 4:00 p.m. There will be no cost for the bowling. Parental super-vision is needed for the outing. If you cannot go to the bowling lanes, you must arrange for your child's transportation and supervision with another family from church. Questions? Call Father George at 696-7015.

We will also have practice on Saturday, January 27 from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The St. Sava Program will be on January 28 beginning with Liturgy at 9:30 a.m. followed by the Luncheon. We will start the Program promptly after lunch!

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Parish activities... S.H.A.R.E.S. Program:To enroll, go to Save Mart’s website www.savemart.-com/shares/   and select St. Peter Serbian Orthodox Church as your charity. You will have an option of a phone number, credit/debit card or both.  If you pay cash or by check for your groceries, you can type in your phone number or give it to the cashier.  If you buy your groceries using credit cards you can add your card number as well as a phone number.  Your purchase is automatically credited to St. Peter’s.  Once you sign up with e-Scrip though Save Mart then you are automatically registered with all of the e-Scrip par-ticipating merchants and online stores.Another way to support our Scholarship Fund is through Amazon Smile. Remember, always start at smile.ama-zon.com and Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. Select “Serbian Orthodox Church of St Peter” as your charity. It is very simple and easy!

Also, remember that you can donate directly to the Scholarship Fund at any time. All donations are great-ly appreciated!

Friendly reminder...We remind everyone to send in the balance of your pledge commitment for 2017. You can contact financial secretary Janice McAtee at 447-9665 or by email: jan-icemcatee@hotmail.com to check on your 2012 balance. 2012 donation statements will only be mailed out by request. Contact Janice if you would like to receive a copy for income tax purposes.

Annual Assembly…Our Annual Assembly was held on Sunday, December 10, 2017. There were 44 Stewards in attendance. Fr. George, the Parish Council officers, committee chair-persons and the parish auxiliary organizations, pre-sented reports. The budget for 2018 was also ap-proved.

Elected to serve in 2018 are:President: Anthony Olivo1st Vice-president: Jim Ward2nd Vice-president: David WisarRecording Secretary: Charyce HatlerTreasurer: Marilyn Jurkovich

Financial Secretary: Janice McAteeMembers-at-large: Jason Epperson, Michael Castro, Ron Tarailo, Andrej RomanenkoAuditors: Eric Miller, chairperson; Christopher Bun-dros, Tim Penny.

Tutors: Bill Cucuk, Vera Naden, Tim Penny, Andrej Romanenko, John Baziuk, Jonathan Hart, Jim Ward

Congratulations to our newly elected officers! We encourage all parishioners to assist them in their work in the year ahead. Many thanks also to our stewards that stayed and participated in the Annual Assembly! We are awaiting ap-proval of our annual election from the Diocesan Administra-tive Board and plan to have the Oath of Office administered on Sunday, January 14 at the end of the Divine Liturgy

Theophany House Blessings: The traditional blessing of homes will begin after the Feast of the Bap-tism of our Lord on January 19.

If you would like to have your home blessed, please contact Fa-ther George by email: stpeter@me.com or call him at 696-7015 to schedule an appointment. When Father arrives, please have the following ready: a bowl for holy water, an icon of Theophany or of Christ, a can-dle, and separate lists of living and departed loved ones for remembrance. Radios, televisions, and other electronic devices should be turned off.. Anyone wish-ing to have the house blessed will be accommodated.

We will have the annual blessing of water at the Ves-peral Liturgy on the eve of Theophany (Holy Cross Day) January 18 at 9:30 and at the Theophany Liturgy on January 19 at 9:30 a.m. Please bring your own clean bottles or containers if you wish to take Holy Water home.

Need help preparing your taxes? Edison May (Luda May’s husband) has extended an opportu-nity to our parishioners and their friends to pro-fessionally prepare their 2017 state and federal taxes at a 30% discounted rate well below the fees of H&R Block or Liberty Tax Service. Plus, he will donate $50.00 to St. Peter Church for each tax re-turn completed. For more information call Ed at (559) 493-8567 and take advantage of his generous offer!

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B U L L E T I N B O A R D

VeraCoffeen(IMORademirStijovic)MimaStijovich(IMOSavoSjekloca)LillianDutraNadejaBrountchenkoRonald&RadmilaTarailoDanDakovichJesusandYvonneDuranLjubomirandLindyGligorijevicAngelaSmith(IMOTomo&DanicaPes-

tich)DarinkaSpadierRebeccaCastroRoweAlisaRakichBrooksJoseph&LilyaSteeleOlegandElenaChernMariaKrilJim&SvetlanaWardEleanorChristensenChristian&NataliePoulsenAnthony&CicilyOlivoRandy&JaniceMcAteeLyudmylaMayFr.Jim&DonnaPappas

Harry&MarnieButtsMatthew&SherylImfeldRon&MarjorieWoolleyMichael&AnnabelleCastroGeorge&DianeChrismanVeraStanovichCreechMaryRagenovichVeraNadenMike&DonaPestorichLouieObradovichMike&SuzieSpadierFrancesRadoicichDianeMilutinovichMarciaTaylorPamelaSagardiaSethGregoryJacobOwensJonathan&DeborahHartJohn&LizaPetrosianZorkaTarailoDale&BettyAnneHadley(andfriend

Robert)

NadaRadojkovich&HunterRadich(IMOofRitaWachter)

MauraChaplainNatalieSidelSandraSidelVeraDeheferMarilynJurkovichVeraPestorich(IMORistoPestorich)LarryPestorich(IMORistoPestorich)AllisonSpolsdoffKatherineSpolsdoffJim&AlaSpolsdoffTerrence&StacySmithSavo&MilkaRadovichCircleofSistersAnnMikitishMichael&JeanetteJurkovichStephen&KellyVucovichBryn&PhilForhanJohn&CharlenePestorichBrankaRistic(IMODarinkaPerovic)Scamagas,Peter&KatinaGrow,Forrest&Dr.Holly

Church Fence Fundraising Appeal… $50,000!

$5,000

$45,000

$40,000

$35,000

$30,000

$25,000

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

TotaldonatedasofDecember30th:$30,161.00

Please Help us to reach our goal to raise $50,000!Thank you to the following parishioners and friends who have generously donated to our Church fence appeal…

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Bahn, MarilynBooks, Alisa RakichBukilica, SallyBundros, Christopher/ShirleyByers, AndrewCastro, Mike/AnnabelleChaplain, MauraChern, Oleg/ElenaChristensen, EleanorClemensen, Wayne/LisaCoffeen, VeraContreras, Alexander/FrancineCucuk, BarbaraCucuk, BrankoDakovich, DanDeYoung, J. Ryan/CarrieDuran, Jesus/YvonneEpperson, Jason/LamiaFoley, John/HeidiGligich, Fr. George/ElenaGranado, OlgaHart, Jonathon/DeborahHatler, Charyce

Klingel, Friedhelm/TatianaKojovich, HelenKril, MariaLivanis, PeterLobkowski, Vladimir/DarleneMarinovich, BrankoMay, LyudmylaMcAtee, Randy/JaniceMcAtee, TimothyMikitish, AnneMiller, Eric/YolyMilovich, RobertMilutinovich, George/CathyNaden, VeraOlivo, Anthony/CicilyOwens, JacobOxford, Tom/LynnPavic, DejanPavlovich, GeorgePestich Smith, AngelaPestorich, John/CharlenePestorich, John/StaciPestorich, Mark/Kristen

Petrosian, John/LizaPoulsen, Christian/NatalieRadoicich, FrancesRadojkovich, NadaRadovich, Savo/MilkaRistic, BrankaRomanenko, Andrej/CarolynSidel, NatalieSidel, SandraSkochko, Steve/AllisonSpadier, DarinkaSpolsdoff, James/AlaStanovich-Creech, VeraStijovic, MimaTarailo, Ron/RadmilaTarailo, ZorkaWard, Jim/SvetlanaWesseler, Dn. Joseph/StaciaWoolley, James/MarjorieWoolsey, KathrynZenovich, Vera

December Altar Servers, Epistle Readers and Tutors Schedule: Epistle:

January 7 Lazarus McAteeJanuary 14 Joseph AlsobrookJanuary 21 Jonathan Hart January 28 Jacob Pruse

Team 1January 7 & 21Braeden EppersonMason EppersonJoseph HartIsaac Byers

Team 2January 14 & 28Luke AlsobrookCaleb AlsobrookLance VukajovićNickolas Vukajlović

Tutors:January 7 & 28 Jim Ward / Vera NadenJanuary 14 Andrej Romanenko / Tim Penny January 21 Jonathan Hart / John Baziuk

Stewardship 2018 …

November 12 was the start of our stewardship campaign for 2018. All households in the parish should have received our stewardship mailer along with a pledge card. If you did not receive this mailer please contact the church office at stpeter@me.com or pick one up a the candle counter in the narthex. Please read through all of the information and prayerfully consider what your financial commitment to our St. Peter Church will be for the coming year. We thank the following parishioners listed who have submitted their pledge commitment for 2018. Thank you and God bless you!

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Parish DirectoryContact Information: Phone: (559) 227-5565 Email: stpeter@me.com Website: www.stpeterfresno.com

Parish Clergy: V. Rev. George Gligich (559) 696-7015Protodeacon Brad Matthews (Retired)Deacon Joseph Wesseler (559) 936-6838

Choir Director: Peggy Matthews (559) 960-2151

Parish Council: Anthony Olivo (559) 360-7115

Church School: Lamia Epperson (559) 430-9186

Circle of Sisters: Shirley Bundros (559) 940-9216

Men’s Club: Jonathan Hart (559 447-3079

Worship Services: Saturday Vespers at 5:00 p.m.Confessions on Saturdays after vespers or during the week by appointment.

Sunday Liturgy at 9:30 a.m.Church School on Sundays from September through May following Holy Communion.

Weeknight Vespers at 7:00 p.m.

Weekday Liturgy (Holy Days) at 9:00 a.m.

C A L E N D A R

M E S S E N G E R

St. Peter Serbian Orthodox Church3502 N. First Street

Fresno, CA 93726-6802

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St. Peter the Apostle Church Monthly Newsletter January 2018

Christ is born!

God is revealed!