September Newsletter & calendar

finally I have uploaded the September newsletter. Don't forget to check out the online calendar as well.

How to Raise an Orthodox Child

An old adage says, “It takes an entire village to raise a child”. The point of this saying, of course, is a child needs more than the influence of immediate family to develop into a well-rounded citizen. The child also needs the good influence and example of all the people in his local world, his village.

At St. Herman’s, we are blessed with a great many children, and especially babies. And of course while the piety, zeal and faith of the parents are crucial and paramount, it is also true that “It takes an entire parish to raise an Orthodox child.” That is, as the baby becomes a toddler and the toddler a youngster and as the youngster discovers the big world beyond the walls of his (or her) own home, the influence of Christians in that world is crucial. A child’s spiritual formation and decision to embrace the faith which was given at Holy Baptism in infancy involves a strange and wonderful alchemy, and it includes such elements as his free will, the prayers of family, parish, the heavenly saints, and the teaching and example of Mom and Dad (especially Dad). It also involves interaction with adults—both young adults and not-so-young ones—in the parish.

As a child grows, a primary task is the development of a sense of self-identity. Increasingly a child asks, “Who am I? Where do I belong? What is my real home?”, and his adolescent behaviour will reflect how he has answered these questions. The odds are stacked against an Orthodox Christian child in this dark and secular world, and he has little chance of embracing a real and lasting faith in Jesus Christ if he has not first identified himself with the local Christian community. In this he is not really different from the adults. Regardless of the choices that led us to the fullness of Orthodoxy, the real reason we adults rouse ourselves and come to Liturgy every Sunday morning (often from quite a distance) is because we have come to identify ourselves with a specific community. Christians who “float” from place to place never really mature spiritually, and endanger their faith.

This means that all of us at St. Herman’s—whether young adult or somewhat older, whether married or single, whether having children of our own or not—have the God-given task of raising the children of the parish. The parents, obviously, bear most of the weight. But all of us are privileged to make our contribution. We do more good than we might imagine simply by coming to Liturgy, on time, every week, and by being a presence of prayerfulness and cheer. Hugs and smiles never fail to bear fruit. On the Last Day, we shall find out just how much fruit our faithfulness has borne in the lives of our parish children.

All my love in the Lord,

Fr. Lawrence

Fasting Rules for September 2006

All Wednesdays and Fridays this month we abstain as usual from meat, fish and dairy , with these exceptions:

Sept. 1—St. Symeon—wine & oil allowed

Sept. 8—Nativity of the Theotokos—fish, wine & oil allowed

Sept. 13 –forefeast of Holy Cross—wine & oil allowed

Sept. 14- Holy Cross--no meat, fish, dairy, but wine & oil allowed

Special events & services this month:

Sat. Sept. 2, following regular 7 pm vespers:

Molieben for Church New Year

Thurs. Sept. 7, 7 pm, Eve of Nativity of the Theotokos:

Vesperal Liturgy & Festal meal

Wed. Sept. 13, 7 pm, Holy Cross

Vesperal Liturgy & Lenten meal

with HG Bp. SERAPHIM

Many Years! and prayers for blessings...

To James Hartley and Rowena Scott, to be married Sat. Sept. 9

To Jesse Butler as he embarks this fall on his internship service w. HG Bishop Seraphim

To the newly-enlightened servants of God :

Abigail (Mary of Egypt) Fernandes

(sponsors: Judy & Peter Choi)

Aaron (Prophet Isaiah) Huizenga (Sponsor: Jesse Butler)

And please continue to pray for our catechumens:

Jennifer (& Gabriel), Stacy, Edmund

Please pray for these mothers-in-waiting and their little ones:

Mat. Sarah Hewlett

(almost there at press time Sarah!)

Stacey Parson

Mat. Jaime Rene

Rhiannon Gascoigne

Cheryl Zacharias

Sunday Sept. 24^th

After lunch FUN! at the CORN MAZE

St. Herman’s YOUTH GROUP

Volunteer drivers call

Magdalen 778-898-0013 or

David Pasivirta 778-888-4717