Need To Turn Over A New Leaf?
The year 2009 starts at 12:00 am, on January 1, 2009.
The Stockton Unified School District begins High School classes at 7:25 am.
The New York Stock Exchange begins trading at 6:30 am PST.
The 2009 NFL Super Bowl begins at 3:00 pm PST.
The Michael Savage Radio Program begins at 3:00 pm, PST.
The Stockton Thunder evening home games begin at 7:30 pm.
The average work day begins at 9:00 am.
The Hannity & Colmes Television Show begins at 6:00 pm PST.
California State Hunting Regulations allow shooting to begin 1/2 hour before sunrise.
Monday Night Football begins at 5:30 pm PST.
Stockton City Council Meetings begin on Tuesdays at 5:30 pm.
Stockton Lightning evening home games begin at 7:00 pm.
The Farmer’s Market @ the Weberstown Mall begins at 8:00 am.
The Dr. Laura Radio Show begins at 12:00 noon.
At Holy Cross Seminary, the Fall 2009 semester begins September 10.
The Haggin Museum Jazz exhibit begins each Wed-Sat at 1:30 pm.
The City of Stockton Planning Commission meeting on 1/15 begins at 5:58 pm.
Lincoln High School Football games begin at 7:00 pm.
The Rush Limbaugh Radio Program begins at 9:00 am PST.
The 2009 USA Presidential Inauguration Ceremony begins 1/20 at 12:00 noon.
The Saint Basil Preschool program begins at 7:30 am.
Black Friday shopping begins at 6:00 am.
The Laura Ingraham Radio Show begins at 6:00 pm PST.
The Divine Liturgy at Saint Basil Greek Orthodox Christian Church begins each Sunday at 10:00 am.
Please join your brothers and sisters-in-Christ at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy each Sunday morning, so that we may pray together as a family of faithful. If you have been vigilant…continue the journey! If you have been disconnected…turn over this new leaf and come home to your family at Saint Basil’s—we love you!
A friend and brother priest once told me, ‘It’s all about transformation.” That statement has helped my individual Christian pilgrimage and ministry as a priest on more that one occasion! If we understand that we are all sinners, and continually ‘miss the mark’ of Christian living to one degree or another, then an easy connection is made to our need for repentance, which is a continual process of transformation as we strive to ‘hit the mark’ in relation to Christian living. The blessing is that our Lord will continue to accept us when we authentically seek and experience this transformation. However, the blessing of this repentant transformation can never take place without first having ‘missed the mark!’
The experience of disappointment often leads us to frustration, anger, and even despair! We experience this in our relation to ourselves as individuals, and we experience it in our relation with others. Have you ever been disappointed with a relative, a friend, a co-workers, a fellow student, a fellow parishioner, or a stranger? In response to this disappointment, did you begin to feel frustrated or angry? Although it is tempting, our challenge as people of faith is to not dwell on the problem, or our disappointment that is derived from it—our opportunity is to look beyond what we perceive as the problem, and see what fruit it may produce. ...and yes, it will only produce fruit when it is responded to with repentance. Our greatest challenges are our greatest opportunities—as individuals and as communities!
Do not ever feel despair in response to disappointment! With hope in Jesus Christ, transformation is always an option, no matter what the circumstance! Maintain this hope and our ability to progress through the challenges of life becomes stronger! God loves you, and if you allow Him, He is with you…“If God is with us, who is against us?” Romans 8:31
All are welcomed to join our early morning Bible Study, beginning Tuesday, Dec 2, 7 am, at The Reserve at Spanos Park Golf Course. This off-site Bible Study will continue each Tuesday morning, as we move through one of the most dynamic books of the New Testament, Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians! The Bible Study will be held in a conference room off the main restaurant in the club house. God Bless you, and I pray that you join our early morning fellowship. +Fr Luke
The celebration of our Lord’s Nativity appropriately calls us to recognize and appreciate the great number of blessings in our lives; our health, families, friends, church communities, etc. Although the blessings are worthy of recognition and appreciation through out the year, the Nativity season affords us a particular opportunity by serving as a catalyst evoking a great consciousness toward God’s love for us, and the blessings He has given us. Yet during the Christmas season, after a moment of reflection and perhaps nostalgia, our minds often turn to another track, full of stress and anxiety—leading away from a greater sense of gratefulness, toward varied forms of despair or even resentment!
In this Nativity season of 2008, how much more pronounced is this track of melancholy and misery, in light of the current economic recession impacting our great nation and the globalized economy. Retailers have already expressed their woes at the prospect and experience of a weak consumer showing, and the superficial phenomena known as “consumer Christmas” will seemingly have a much more humble expression in the year 2008. Yet perhaps this material experience of humility holds the particular blessing of this year’s Nativity season?
Saint Athanasios the Great wrote extensively concerning the reality that God became man! It is unfathomable to comprehend the love God possesses for us as His children, which would provoke Him to such an extreme act of humility; whereby the Creator becomes His very creation! This is precisely what took place when the eternal Word of God (reference John 1:1) became man (reference Luke 2:1-7), and was born in a Bethlehem manger. Humility beyond measure!
This Nativity season a more financially humble expression of Christmas celebration may be the greatest blessing we receive. By celebrating with material humility we may begin celebrating and living with a greater sense of internal humility—a virtue which ultimately honors the humility of our Lord to have become man. Saint Athanasios the Great expands that, God became man, so that man could become like god. God’s act of loving humility, to have become man, suffer crucifixion and be resurrected for our salvation, demands our honor and respect—manifest powerfully when we strive to live our lives with humility of divine standards. Through humility we place ourselves in a position to receive God’s mercy, and ultimately our salvation, which affords us the experience of being god-like, as Saint Athanasios the Great explains, when we share in the life and energies of our Father who is in Heaven! ...when we enter into the Kingdom of God!
This Nativity season, let us embrace a humble expression of celebration at it’s most appropriate time—as we honor the humility of God manifest in the incarnation of His Word! May the blessings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who condescended to be born in a cave, be upon us all as we strive toward the divine virtue of humility this Christmas season!
Christ is Born! Glorify him!
A Statement of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN BISHOPS OF CALIFORNIA in Support of Proposition 8:
A Constitutional Amendment to Restore the Definition of Marriage
The decision of the California Supreme Court on May 15, 2008, unilaterally redefines the sacred institution of marriage in a manner unprecedented in human history — and alien to our Christian tradition. We, the Orthodox Christian bishops of California, were saddened by this decision which constitutes a direct attack upon the longstanding role and freedom of religion in American life. A majority of the justices declared not only that same-sex couplings must be allowed to exist at those couples’ discretion as “marriages,” but that the state of California is forbidden to refer to these couplings as anything but “marriages.”
Read the entire statment
After arriving early to San Francisco for a set of clergy meetings, I spent some time sitting in a local coffee shop, located in the Mission District. The majority of the patrons and employees would be the object of conversation and recipient of stares in most districts of ‘Anytown, USA.’ Yet in the Mission District, in this coffee shop, dressed in clergy attire and polished shoes – I was the square in this gathering of circles. The stares were abundant, and for some reason the eclectic music was turned substantially louder after I sat down and opened a book. I felt almost as if I was being looked at in a suspicious fashion. I was definitely an outsider to say the very least. My initial reaction was one of discomfort and I began searching for the door until I saw a new patron enter with a large dog, not just any kind of a dog, but a Bull Mastiff (the same breed I own)! I walked over to the owner and began talking to him about his dog, and then started playing with the stocky canine. The looks were priceless as the patrons and employees saw a 6’9” priest in a black clergy suit wrestling around on the ground with a slobbery hulk of a dog! As I gathered my belongings and walked out the door, a table of patrons smiled at me and said, ‘Hey, come back again Father, you seem normal.’ What a compliment!
It occurred to me that this brief setting, and interaction, is not dissimilar to the way Christians are received by the societies we live in. The Christian message of a self-sacrificial lifestyle offered for the glorification of God, is not one commonly lived, promoted, or witnessed in the world around us. When we strive to actively live our lives in this fashion, the world tends to look at us in a strange way – perhaps even as outsiders. Suspicions mount, and often times this leads to an ‘underground expression’ of our Christianity. The dynamic lifestyle of love many times is then relegated to a “private expression of spirituality,” perhaps isolated from all other facets of our lives. The bright light of Christ is sadly tucked away under the table of seclusion – perhaps instigated by an uneasiness and sense of discomfort.
However, in any situation you never know when a Bull Mastiff might walk through the door! Common ground always exists! Whether consciously or unconsciously, all people yearn to have a closeness with God, as each and every one of us were created in the image and likeness of God and were given a soul, which naturally desires union with the Lord. Recognizing this God-given foundation, we may build an edifying relationship with the societies around us; the society of our local town, the society of our workplace, the society of our schools, the society of our neighborhood, and the society of our own families! Offering God’s love to the societies around us displays Christianity rather than hiding it, delivering the bright light of Christ to the top of the table, and shining light unto the whole room of the society.
With faith and courage, together and one-at-a-time, we will bring our Christian lifestyle out of the isolation of private expression and pronounce it to the world around us. As we continue to express the love of God to our neighbors, the suspicion and strange looks will begin to fade. Societies will continue to invite Christianity, making it the norm, and ultimately recognize that it is what all our souls desire!
+Fr Luke Palumbis
Prayer of Stewardship
“Lord Jesus Christ, Thou art the good steward, who redeemed Adam and Eve of their failed stewardship by offering Thyself for the life of the world. Thou didst teach us in the feeding of the multitudes that whatever we give to God is returned to us multiplied. Thou didst praise those good and faithful servants in the parable of the talents who returned to the Master their gifts. So help us to learn the joy of stewardship, remembering that everything we have comes from Thee and belongs to Thee. We know, Lord, that we often live in fear of the future and insecurity. Help us to remember the lilies of the field and so to trust in Thy providence. Grant to us a cheerful
and generous spirit. Enkindle in the hearts of all Thy people a zealous love for Thee. For Thou art the Good Steward, and to Thee we give thanks, praise and glory, together with Thy Father who is from everlasting and Thine all holy good and life-giving Spirit now and ever and onto the ages of ages. Amen”
How blessed we truly are to have received so much from our Lord. Our families, friends, possessions, the ability to do and, of course, the very air we breath are just a handful of the infinite blessings that our Father in Heaven has given to us freely — to have received so much undeservingly, we truly may consider ourselves ‘beloved’ in the eyes of God!
As recipients of this great love, we must strive to prayerfully find ways to honor the One who has given us so much. We attempt to offer the same love we receive by selflessly giving, as Christ selflessly gave. Through this giving of our time, talent, and treasure, we transcend the lonely and misleading title of individual, and become stewards in the Lord’s vineyard, maturing as members of the Body of Christ. The honor of being a steward in The Vineyard, and members of the Body, necessitates that we offer of our time, talents and treasures to our brothers and sisters in Christ, and the Church, which Christ Himself has established upon this earth as the hospital which heals through the sanctification of souls and bodies.
Now almost two-thirds through 2008, let us prayerfully and authentically examine our commitment to be stewards in the Vineyard of the Lord by asking ourselves if we have offered the best we have to the Lord by means of our time, talent, and treasure. Praying with your spiritual family in the context of the Divine LIturgy, uplifting and supporting the community through individual prayers, volunteering at the church through the numerous ministry programs, filling out and fulfilling a stewardship pledge card on an annual basis, etc.
As spiritual pilgrims, now at the beginning of a new Ecclesiastical year (September 1), let us mature as stewards of the House of God, and (re)commit ourselves to an active life in the Church at Saint Basil’s. The church office can provide information on various forums through which you may continue or establish your involvement in the life of the Church, and/or provide stewardship pledge cards to be filled out. If we approach this stewardship journey with prayer, then to God will be all the glory!
Please read the stewardship prayer on the top of this page to establish the next step forward on your spiritual pilgrimage!
+ Fr Luke Palumbis
The 2008 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America’s Clergy-Laity Congress uttered a profound and urgent theme: “Gather My People Home.” The impact of this theme is felt when we understand the ‘who,’ ‘how,’ and ‘what’ involved. Let’s examine this simple, yet powerful theme one word at a time. . .
“MY” – it is inferred in this statement that God Himself is the speaker (reference Zephaniah 3:20), therefore, ‘my’ is a reference to God.
“PEOPLE” – grammatically, the people referred to are God’s people, not a segmented, or selected group of individuals, but all of mankind.
“HOME” – eschatologically this refers to the Kingdom of God (reference John 14:2), and in the present time in which we live, it refers to the Church (reference 1 Timothy 3:15), which is a manifestation and experience of the heavenly Kingdom on earth, through the sacraments.
“GATHER” – Initiating this theme is the verb ‘gather,’ which commands an action to take place. The action is to go out and bring together God’s people by leading them to His Church.
“My People Home” is relatively easy to understand, however, the true dynamism of the statement is found in the initial verb, ‘Gather.’ In this statement, God is commanding whoever hears the statement. Therefore, the thousands in attendance at the Clergy-Laity Congress, together with the hundreds of Basilian readers, the thousands of Saint Basil website viewers, and all those who have read scripture have been commanded by God Himself to “gather,”— go out and inspire others to come to the House of the Lord…Church!
His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios highlighted four distinct groupings of God’s people who need special attention in our effort of gathering:
1) Non-Practicing Orthodox Christians
2) Those who intermarried into the Orthodox Christian Church and are not engaged.
3) Youth
4) The Un-Churched; those who do not attend any church and have no particular religious affiliation
Think for a moment…do you know anyone in any of these four categories?…perhaps even yourself? Now think of yourself as an instrument and tool of God, whose purpose is to “gather God’s people to Church.”
There are many aspects of community life at Saint Basil’s, which you may use to (re)introduce one of God’s children to His Home: Saint Basil Family Night, Bible Study, Catechism Classes, 20’s/30’s, 40’s/50’s, Youth Programs to name of a few — not to mention the Divine Liturgy itself!
As a community of faithful, let us not simply allow this theme application to the 2008 Archdiocese Clergy-Laity Congress, but let us apply it to the life of the Saint Basil community and the life of each and every one of us as individual Christian pilgrims!
God has commanded you, will you respond?
+Fr Luke Palumbis
I recently attended our 2008 Archdiocese Clergy-Laity Congress in Washington D.C. The event was successful, and provided many avenues for growth in the Christian sense - both as communities and individuals. However, the most exciting part of the congress, in my opinion, was the opening address by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios. In his opening address, aimed at exploring the congress theme: ‘Gather My People Home,” His Eminence made a powerful statement about the modern Church in America: “The Church is no longer an immigrant church, or an ecclesiastical entity of the diaspora—it is firmly rooted in American soil.” I was pleased to hear our ArchShepherd addressing dynamics of the present day Church in our country of the United States of America.
I am curious to hear your thoughts as readers of this blog. After receiving some of your comments, I will compile a report of reader’s thoughts in a future blog…all anonymous of course.
May our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ bless us on our Christian pilgrimage of illuminating the world around us with the Light of God!
“O Holy God, Who created man from the dust and fashioned woman from his rib
and joined her to him as a helpmate, for it so pleased Your Majesty that man should not be alone on the earth. Do You now, O Master, send down Your hand from your holy dwelling-place and join this your servant (Bridegroom) and this Your servant (Bride) for by You woman is brought into union with man. Join them together in harmony, crown them in one flesh, grant to them the enjoyment of fair children.”
— From the Orthodox Christian Wedding Service
Healthy marriages must have commitment and connections between the spouses, ultimately bringing offerings of love that we as people can offer to one another. The connection typically leads to the commitment — and seemingly many believe this commitment, after some form of religious or civil ceremony, produces a marriage. Although this process appears convenient, it ultimately builds upon a foundation which is weak in nature, as it was produced by man. Unfortunately this has been witnessed time and time again, with a lamentable divorce rate of almost 50% in the United States alone!
Christians view this process as temporary; this process leads us toward marriage, and is termed as engagement. Christian marriage is something beyond this process, as it is something beyond what we can build alone and offer to one another. Marriage is only established by God Himself, and it is a great mystery as God, through His Church, joins two people together — placing their souls in union with one
another for all of eternity. Despite legislation or any false sense of egotism, this is something that man can not establish. The foundation is strong, without fault, as it is built by God. God establishes this union only when He may be present and bless all aspects of the union; spiritual, emotional, and physical. After this foundation is built by establishing a marriage, the man and woman build their unified life together, with God’s help, as He heals any faulty building through the couple’s commitment to a process of forgiveness and repentance.
Perhaps if individuals understood this Christian experience of marriage, sad statistics of divorce would begin to be undone with healthy experiences of marriage. When a marriage is reduced to simply the commitment that two people offer to one another, then when the terms of that commitment are no longer exciting, the marriage may easily be abandoned. However, when a marriage is understood and experienced as a mystery that God has established for all of eternity; something beyond human capacity to regulate and control — we become participants in something divine, not easily abandoned.
Please include in your daily prayers all those in the union of marriage, asking the Lord to strengthen the understanding and experience of that which God has established. To God be all Glory!!!
+ Fr. Luke Palumbis
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