كنيسة مار نقوال االنطاكية االثوذكسيةSt. Nicholas Weekly Bulletin Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church Antiochian Archdiocese of North America

Diocese of Los Angeles and the West 5200 Diamond Hts. Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94131

Tel: (415) 648-5200 Email: stnicksf@msn.com--website:stnicholas-sf.com

Pastor, V. Rev. Fr. George Baalbaki (586) 214-4428- revbaalbaki@yahoo.com

Pastor Emeritus, V. Rev. Fr. Gregory Ofiesh

Rev. Deacon Niphon Sweiss

Sub-Dn. Michel Khoury

Parish Council Chairman: Salim Qaru

Sunday, March 2nd

, 2014

THE EPISTLE St. Paul to the Romans. (13:11-14:4) Brethren, salvation is nearer to us now than when

we first believed; the night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and

put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and

drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord

Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. As for the man who is weak in

faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions. One believes he may eat anything, while the weak

man eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains

pass judgment on him who eats; for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the

servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the

Master is able to make him stand.

قد تناهى الليل واقتـرب النهـار فلندع عنا أعمال . منايا إخـوة إن خالصنا اآلن أقـرب مما كـان حين آ--4:14-11:11رومية : الرسالة

كـر وال بالمضاجع والعهـر وال بالخصام والحسد. الظلمة ونلـبس أسلحـة النـور بل . لنسلكـن سلـوكـا الئقـا كما في النهـار ال بالقصـوف والس

من . ـان ضعيفـا في اإليمـان فاتخـذوه بغيـر مباحثـة في اآلراءمن ك. البسوا الرب يسوع المسيح وال تهتمـوا بأجسـادكـم لقضـاء شهـواتها

فال يزدر الذي يأكـل من ال يأكل، وال يدن الذي ال يأكـل مـن يأكل، . النـاس من يعتقـد أن لـه أن يأكـل كـل شيء، أمـا الضعيـف فيـأكل بقوال

.واله يثبت أو يسقط، لكنه سيثبت ألن هللا قادر أن يثبتـهمن أنت يا مـن تدين عبدا أجنبيا؟ إنه لم. فإن الـله قد اتخذه

Sunday March 2nd

, 1 year Memorial for the Servant of God

David Habash.

Offered by his family May his memory be eternal!

THE GOSPEL St. Matthew. (6:14-21) The Lord said to His Disciples: If you forgive men their trespasses, your

heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father

forgive your trespasses. And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces

that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast,

anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father Who is in

secret; and your Father Who sees in secret will reward you. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where

moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where

neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will

your heart be also.

Sunday March 2nd

, 1 year Memorial for the Handmaiden of God

Nada Dabit. Offered by her family May her memory be eternal!

Men’s Fellowship Annual

Crab Feed

Saturday, March 22nd, 2014 Church Hall

5200 Diamond Heights Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94131

More information to follow…..

House Blessing continues If you have not heard from us regarding blessing of your

house, please contact the church office to schedule a visit from the priest "ما يزال مستمرا منازلالتكريس

الرجاء االتصال بمكتب الكنيسة لترتيب زيارة الكاهن. اذا لم نتصل بكم بعد من أجل تكريس منزلكم

إن غفـرتم للنـاس زالتهـم يغـفر لكم أبوكـم السماوي أيضا، وإن لم تغـفـروا للنـاس زالتهم : قـال الـرب--11-14:1متى : اإلنجيل

ومتى صمتم فال تكـونـوا معبسيـن كالمـرائىـن فإنهـم ينكـرون وجـوههم ليظهـروا للناس . ال يغفر لكم زالتكمفأبوكم أيضا

لئال تظهـر للناس صائما أما أنت فإذا صمـت فادهن رأسـك واغسل وجهـك. الحـق أقـول لكـم إنهم قد استوفـوا أجرهم. صائمين

ال تكنـزوا لكم كنـوزا على األرض حيـث يفسـد . الذي يـرى في الخـفـية يجـازيـك عالنيـة بل ألبيـك الذي فـي الخفيـة، وأبـوك

السـوس واآلكلـة وينقـب السارقون ويسرقـون، لكـن اكنـزوا لكـم كنـوزا فـي السمـاء حيث ال يفسـد سـوس وال آكلـة وال ينقـب

.ك تكـون قلـوبكمالسارقـون وال يسرقـون، ألنه حيـث تكـون كنـوزكم هنا

Altar Candles & Coffee Hour قناديل الهيكل

Ajia, Khalil, Monica and Amir in loving memory of David Habash. May his memory be eternal!

Sponsors for Sunday’s are needed. Please make checks payable St. Nicholas Church in the amount of $25.00 or more.

Sunday, February 23rd

, Holy Bread of Oblation will be offered by: Sahouria family in loving memory of beloved mother, grandmother, and great grandmother Nimeh Saba

Sahouria (9 years remembrance). May her blessed memory be eternal!

Jeries and Janet Azar for the good health of their children: Hanna, Shadi and Ramzi. Many years!

Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad, for the Lord hath

done a mighty act with His own arm. He hath trampled down death

by death, and became the first-born from the dead. He hath

delivered us from the depths of Hades, granting the world the

Great Mercy.

Thy work of justice did reveal Thee to Thy community as a Canon

of faith. The likeness of humility and the teacher of abstinence. O,

Thou Father and great Bishop Nicholas. Wherefore by humility

thou didst achieve exaltation, by Thy meekness wealth, intercede

therefore, intercede with Christ that He will save our souls.

O Thou Who guidest to wisdom, and givest understanding and

intelligence, the Instructor of the ignorant, and Helper of the poor,

strengthen my heart and grant it understanding, O Master. Give me

word, O Word of the Father; for behold, I shall not refrain my lips

from crying to Thee, O merciful One, have mercy upon me who

am fallen.

ألن األرضيات، ولتبتهج السماويات لتفرح

بالموت الموت ووطئ بساعده عزا صنع الرب

جوف من وأنقذنا األموات، بكر وصار

.العظمى الرحمة العالم ومنح الجحيم،

قانونا لرعيتك، الحق أفعال أظهرتك لقد

لالمساك، ومعلما للوداعة وصورة لإليمان،

فلذلك نيقوالوس، الكهنة رئيس األب أيها

الغنى، الرفعة وبالمسكنة بالتواضع أحرزت

.نفوسنا خالص في اإلله المسيح إلى فتشفع

والرازق الفهم أيها الهادي الى الحكمة

والفطنة والمؤدب الجهال والعاضد المساكين،

شدد قلبي وامنحه فهما ايها السيد، واعطني

كلمة يا كلمة االب، فها اني ال امنع شفتي من

.يا رحيم ارحمني انا الواقع: الهتاف اليك

Sunday, March 2nd

: Sermonette: Suhaila Sweis

Epistle Readers: - Sana Jada--English, Rozanna Maayeh - Arabic

Join us downstairs for a Cheese

Fare Luncheon sponsored by

Sawsan Rantisi and

Ghadeer Hanhan. God Bless!

Our First Bible Bowl Study Session starts this Thursday, Feb 27th

, at 7:00 pm at Fr. George's House.

2014 Bible Bowl: The Gospel of Luke

For those who would like to participate in this year Bible Bowl and be part of the St. Nicholas team, please

come, have read, and ready to discuss Luke CH 1 & 2.

For more resources, please visit http://www.antiochian.org/festivals/oratorical

Luke 24 Chapters QUIZZES : http://www.orthodoxyouth.org/luke/

Please email for any further questions, Tariq

Change your CLOCKS FORWARD

March 9th

, 2014

GREAT LENT SCHEDULE 2014: Cheese Fare, Sunday, March 2

Great Lent begins, Monday, March 3

Every Wednesday is the Great Compline /pre-Sanctified Service at 7:00 pm starting March 5

Every Friday is the Akathist Service at 7:00 pm starting March 7

Palm Sunday, April 13

Pascha, April 20

Creative Arts Festival

Attention Parents and Sunday School Students: This Sunday, we will start preparing

submissions for the Creative Arts Festival for the 2014 Parish Life Conference, which we're

hosting. It is important that ALL students are in Church every Sunday during the month of

March to participate.

MARCH IS LADIES’ MONTH In keeping with the tradition in our Archdiocese, ladies will show their involvement in the life of the

church in the most visible way during the month of March.

They will usher, collect trays, read the Epistle and deliver sermonette…

Our ladies Auxiliary usually prepare a Lenten Luncheon on Sundays. This year they are

asking of your help by Donating or preparing food for that purpose.

For more information see Suheila Sweis…

Save the date!! MARCH 1st

Grand Opening for Maher Aljada Hair Salon

753-Kains Ave. Mills Park Shopping Center San Bruno CA 94066

(415)424-5353

Excerpts from the Orthodox Church by Bishop Kallistos Ware

Orthodox worship: fasts:

The Orthodox Church, regarding man as a unity of soul and body, has always

insisted that the body must be trained and disciplined as well as the soul. ‘Fasting

and self-control are the first virtue, the mother, root, source, and foundation of

all. There are four main periods of fasting during the year:

1) The Great Fast (Lent) — begins seven weeks before Easter.

2) The Fast of the Apostles — starts on the Monday eight days after Pentecost,

and ends on 28 June, the eve of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul; in length

varies between one and six weeks.

3) The Assumption Fast — lasts two weeks, from 1 to 14 August.

4) The Christmas Fast — lasts forty days, from 15 November to 24 December.

In addition to these four chief periods, all Wednesdays and Fridays — and in

some monasteries Mondays as well — are fast days (except between Christmas and Epiphany, during Easter week,

and during the week after Pentecost). The Exaltation of the Cross, the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, and the

eve of Epiphany are also fasts.

The rules of fasting in the Orthodox Church are of a rigour which will astonish and appal many western Christians.

On most days in Great Lent and Holy Week, for example, not only is meat forbidden, but also fish and all animal

products (lard, eggs, butter, milk, cheese), together with wine and oil. In practice, however, many Orthodox —

particularly in the diaspora — find that under the conditions of modern life it is no longer practicable to follow

exactly the traditional rules, devised with a very different outward situation in mind; and so certain dispensations are

granted. Yet even so the Great Lent — especially the first week and Holy Week itself — is still, for devout

Orthodox, a period of genuine austerity and serious physical hardship. When all relaxations and dispensations are

taken into account, it remains true that Orthodox Christians in the twentieth century — laymen as well as monks —

fast with a severity for which there is no parallel in western Christendom, except perhaps in the strictest Religious

Orders.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Reflection Saint Pelagia the Righteous: A Repentant Sinner

Oh, if only we would invest as much effort in our souls as we invest in our bodies!

Oh, if only we could become as desirous of adorning ourselves with virtue before God and His

glorious angels, as we do with the vain, transitory, external displays of appearances!

At first, both Pelagia and Thais were only aware of theier bodies, while their souls were slaves

bound in the prison of the body. Both were adorned with nothing but vanity: clothed in vanity,

arrayed with vanity, surrounded by vanity, and flattered by vanity. But what a sudden change! What

a divine turn of events in their lives! More wondrous than if a wild apple were to be grafted and

begin to bring forth sweet fruits; or if a turgid, fetid swamp were suddenly to become clear, pure

potable water.

When Bishop Nonnus, in the company of other bishops, first saw the sinner Pelagia in her outward

splendor - clothed in the most expensive garments, adorned and bedecked with rings, necklaces and

baubles, perfumed, and surrounded by slaves - Bishop Nonnus began to weep, and said to his

companions: "In truth, I have learned much from this woman. The Lord will set her before His

Dread Judgment and will rebuke us through her. How many hours does this woman spend in her

room bathing herself, clothing herself, adorning herself, and looking at herself in the mirror - and

for what? Only to appear more beautiful to men. And we, who have the immortal Bridegroom in

heaven, do not strive to adorn our souls with repentance; we do not hasten to bathe them with the

tears of repentance and clothe them in the beauty of the virtues, that they might appear more

beautiful before the eyes of God!"

http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2010/10/saint-pelagia-righteous-repentant.html

Forgiveness (Cheese-Fare Sunday) The Following is an excerpt from Great Lent, by Alexander Schmemann

From Chapter 2: Preparation for Lent

Finally comes the last day [of preparation for Lent], usually called "Forgiveness

Sunday," but whose other liturgical name must also be remembered:

the "Expulsion of Adam from the Paradise of Bliss." This name summarizes

indeed the entire preparation for Lent. By now we know that man was created

for paradise, for knowledge of God and communion with Him. Man's sin has

deprived him of that blessed life and his existence on earth is exile. Christ, the

Savior of the world, opens the door of paradise to everyone who follows Him,

and the Church, by revealing to us the beauty of the Kingdom, makes our life a

pilgrimage toward our heavenly fatherland. Thus, at the beginning of Lent, we

are like Adam:

Adam was expelled form paradise through food; Sitting, therefore, in front of it he cried: "Woe to me....

One commandment of God have I transgressed, depriving myself of all that is good; Paradise holy! Planted for

me, And now because of Eve closed to me; Pray to thy Creator and mine that I may be filled again by thy blossom."

Then answered the Savior to him: "I wish not my creation to perish; I desire it to be saved and to know the

truth; For I will not turn away him who comes to Me....

Lent is the liberation of our enslavement to sin, from the prison of "this world." And the Gspel lesson of this last

Sunday (Matt. 6:14-21) sets the conditions for that liberation. The first one is fasting-- the refusal to accept the

desires and urges of our fallen nature as normal, the effort to free ourselves from the dictatorship of flesh and matter

over the spirit. To be effective, however, our fast must not be hypocritical, a "showing off." We must "appear not

unto men to fast but to our Father who is in secret." The second condition is forgiveness-- "If you forgive men their

trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you." The triumph of sin, the main sign of its rule over the world,

is division, opposition, separation, hatred. Therefore, the first break through this fortress of sin is forgiveness: the

return to unity, solidarity, love. To forgive is to put between me and my "enemy" the radiant forgiveness of God

Himself. To forgive is to reject the hopeless "dead-ends" of human relations and to refer them to Christ. Forgiveness

is truly a "breakthrough" of the Kingdom into this sinful and fallen world.

Lent actually begins at Vespers of that Sunday. This unique service, so deep and beautiful, is absent from so many of

our churches! Yet nothing reveals better the "tonality" of Great Lent in the Orthodox Church; nowhere is better

manifested its profound appeal to man. The service begins as solemn Vespers with clergy in bright vestments. The

hymns (stichira) which follow the Psalm "Lord, I have cried..." announce the coming of Lent and, beyond Lent, the

approach of Pascha!

Let us begin the time of fasting in light! Preparing ourselves for the spiritual efforts. Let us purify our soul; let us

purify our body. As from food, let us abstain from all passion And enjoy the virtues of the spirit, So that perfected in

time by love We may all be made worthy to see The Passion of Christ and the Holy Pascha In spiritual joy!

Then comes, as usual, the Entrance with the evening hymn: "O Gladsome radiance of the holy glory...." The

celebrant then proceeds to the "high place" behind the altar for the proclamation of the evening Prokeimenon which

always announces the end of one and the beginning of another day. This day's Great Prokeimenon announces thus

the beginning of Lent:

Turn not away Thy face from Thy servant for I am afflicted! Hear me speedily. Attend to my soul and deliver it!

Listen to the unique melody of this verse-- to this cry that suddenly fills the church: "...for I am afflicted!"-- and you

will understand this starting point of Lent: the mysterious mixture of despair and hope, of darkness and light. All

preparation has now come to an end. I stand before God, before the glory and the beauty of His Kingdom. I realize

that I belong to it, that I have no other home, no other joy, no other goal; I also realize that I am exiled from it into

the darkness and sadness of sin, "for I am afflicted!" And finally, I realize that only God can help in that affliction,

that only He can "attend to my soul." Repentance is, above everything else, a desperate call for that divine help.

Five times we repeat the Prokeimenon. And then, Lent is here! Bright vestments are put aside; lights are

extinguished. When the celebrant intones the petitions for the evening litany, the choir responds in the lenten "key."

For the first time the lenten prayer of St. Ephraim accompanied by prostrations is read. At the end of the service all

the faithful approach the priest and one another asking for mutual forgiveness. But as they perform this rite of

reconciliation, as Lent is inaugurated by this movement of love, reunion and brotherhood, the choir sings the Paschal

hymns. We will have to wander forty days through the desert of Lent. Yet at the end shines already the light of

Easter, the light of the Kingdom.

طعام الصوم. ال يكفي أن نبتعد عن المأكوالت فقط لكي يكون الصوم أهال للمديح، بل علينا أن نمارس صوما مقبوال ومرضيا هلل"

االغتياب، : لتغرب عن الشر، وضبط اللسان، واالبتعاد عن الغضب، واالنفصال عن الشهواتفالصوم الحقيقي هو في ا

(.القديس باسيليوس الكبير، في الصوم" )حفظ النفس من هذه األمور هو الصوم الحقيقي . الكذب ويمين الزور

هذا االمتناع هو عنصر ضروري للتعبير ال يكفي، إذا، االمتناع عن بعض المأكوالت المحددة لكي يبلغ الصوم غايته، لكن

فاإلنسان كله يصوم وال تفصل الكنيسة بين الجسد والروح، ألن الصوم ليس ضد الجسد، . عن المضمون الروحي للصوم

.بل من أجل قداسة الجسد والروح معا، وغلبتهما على الشيطان

المسلك في الفردوس هو : "باسيليوس الكبير في حديثه عن الصومبالنسبة للمأكوالت المسموح بها في الصوم، يذكر القديس

صورة عن الصوم ال ألن اإلنسان شارك المالئكة نمط حياتهم ويمكن تاليا أن يطمح، بفضل زهده، إلى التشبه بهم أكثر

لم يكن ثمة بعد . ردوسفأكثر، فحسب، بل ألن كل ما أبدع، في ما بعد، بمهارة اإلنسان، لم يكن معروفا بعد لسكان الف

."استهالك للخمر وال ذبيحة حيوانية وال ما يغشي روح اإلنسان

يجب أن نصوم كل فصل الصيام الكبير وال نتناول فيه "على أنه ( القرن الرابع)من مجمع الالذقية 05كما ينص القانون

ال يعني فقط نوع الطعام بل عدد الوجبات أيضا، " الجافة األطعمة"إن التعبير اليوناني الذي ترجم ". إال األطعمة الجافة

.فمعناه الدقيق هو أن يتناول المرء طعاما جافا مرة واحدة في اليوم عند الساعة الثالثة بعد الظهر

ندما ع( 354)+طبق هذا النظام أيضا في ما يختص بصوم يومي األربعاء والجمعة كما يوضح القديس إبيفانيوس القبرصي

لم يمارس فقط في فترة الصوم الكبير بل طيلة السنة أيضا، وأقصد هنا كل أربعاء واليوم الذي يسبق "يذكر أن هذا الصوم

."السبت إلى الساعة التاسعة

ب المنسو" التقليد الرسولي "يدعم هذا القول ما نقرأه في كتاب . كان منذ البدء أكثر صرامة( األسبوع العظيم)صوم الفصح

ال يؤكل شيء في الفصح قبل تقديم القرابين، ألنه من يتصرف بخالف ذلك فال يحسب له (: "642)+إلى هيبوليتس

الصيام؛ على أنه إذا كانت هناك امرأة حبلى ومريضة، وال يمكنها أن تصوم يومين فلتصم يوم السبت مكتفية بالخبز والماء

قوانين "سموحا أكل الخبز وحده والملح والخضار والماء، بحسب كتاب باقي األسبوع العظيم كان م". بحكم الضرورة

."الرسل القديسين

من الممكن وجود أناس : "تحدث المؤرخ الكنسي سقراط عن اختالفات في موضوع ما يسمح أكله في الصوم الكبير، إذ قال

ألنه يوجد من يمسكون، . لطعام بطريقة واحدةيختلفون حول قضية عدد فترات الصوم وكذلك أناس ال يقبلون االمتناع عن ا

نهائيا، عن اللحم وكل ما هو حيواني، وبعضهم يستهلكون، من بين كل الحيوانات، السمك وحده، وآخرون يأكلون، إلى

م ثمة من يمتنعون عن البلوط والبيض وبعضه. جانب السمك، الطيور مدعين بأنها هي أيضا برزت من الماء حسب موسى

يختلفون بالنسبة ( أي يصومون بال ماء)بعضهم ممن يطيلون صومهم حتى الساعة التاسعة . يقتاتون بالخبز الناشف وحده

أناستاسيوس االنطاكي يذكر أيضا، في القرن السابع، فروقات في ما يختص بموضوع االنقطاع عن ". إلى نوع الطعام

فيبدو أنه كان يوجد بعض االتجاهات الرهبانية الداعية إلى . هبانية المختلفةالجبن والبيض، وذلك حتى بين الممارسات الر

ففي األديار، فسر . اعتماد نظام األسبوع العظيم طيلة الصوم الكبير، مما أوجد وجهات نظر مختلفة في هذا الموضوع

، وإما ...(جبن، حليب، بيض)وعما ينتج منها االمتناع عن اللحم كمن ينقطع إما عن الحيوانات والطيور وحدها، وإما عنها

بصورة عامة، اعتبر أكل السمك خرقا بسيطا للصوم . عن هذه كلها يضاف إليها السمك، أو أخيرا كل المخلوقات الحية

.بالمقارنة مع استهالك الجبن والبيض والحليب

نستنتج ذلك من . بما فيها منتوجاته( لحم الحيوانات والطيور)م القاعدة العامة التي سادت في الكنيسة كانت االمتناع عن اللح

علمنا أيضا أنه في مقاطعات أرمينيا وفي أماكن أخرى يأكل بعض الناس : "الذي يقول( 296)من مجمع ترولو 02القانون

سة هللا في كل أنحاء العالم بيضا وجبنا في سبوت الصوم المقدس وآحاده، فيلوح لنا أنه يحسن أن يسود نظام واحد في كني

وكما يمتنع الناس عن أكل ما ذبح، هكذا يجب أن يمتنعوا عن أكل البيض والجبن وهما من . وأن يحفظ الصوم حفظا دقيقا

."وكل من ال يحفظ هذه الشريعة فليسقط إن كان إكليركيا وإن كان عاميا فليقطع. نتاج الحيوانات الممنوع أكل لحمها

إننا نعرف، بحسب تقليد الكنيسة غير : "قديس يوحنا الدمشقي أيضا نظام الكنيسة العام في القرن الثامن، حين يقوليوضح ال

... يتم فيه اإلمساك عن اللحم وحده ويصام فيه حتى المساء( مرفع اللحم)المكتوب، أسبوعا واحدا من الصوم التمهيدي

أما في أسبوع اآلالم . نمتنع أثناءها عن البيض والجبن وما يشبههما، وعن اللحم أيضا... يعوالتقليد يشير أيضا إلى ستة أساب

والجمعة العظيم، هذا . ثم إن الخميس العظيم هو بدء االحتفال باألسرار المقدسة... فقد حدد نظام صارم من األكل الجاف

مساء السبت فمن يريد يستطيع أن يأكل كل شيء ما عدا أما. اليوم الرهيب، يفرض فيه صوم كامل حتى مساء السبت

اللحم، بينما يوم أحد القيامة المقدس فمن يريد يستطيع أن يأكل لحما أيضا

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