Holy Theophany: The Baptism Christ

At a time when many of our neighbors begin throwing away their Christmas trees and the rest of the population prepares to "move on," Orthodox Christians anticipate the celebration of the next Great Feast of the liturgical year: Holy Theophany, the Baptism of Christ. This feast is quite mysterious when we contrast the meaning of baptism with the identity of Christ. Baptism is a sacrament given to us for the remission of sins. Christ is the only sinless one. Why on earth would Christ need to be baptized? John the Baptist himself is perplexed by such a strange mystery: "John would have prevented him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?'" (Mat 3.14) To this our Lord responds, "'Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.'" (Mat 3.15) What does Christ mean by this?

Is he demonstrating his human nature through this act of humility? Is he, as the footnote in the RSV indicates, recognizing John's authority (or, better put, function) and identifying himself with those who in faith respond to John's call? Perhaps the best or even only way to understand Christ's Theophany is in light of his coming death and resurrection. Christ did not need to be baptized any more than he was naturally subject to death. And yet, just as he will soon be given up - or, rather, give himself up for the life of the world, so now he enters into the waters of baptism in order that that world might be sanctified. Christ's baptism and death are twin mysterious of the Incarnation. There is a time to delve into the meaning of the mystery. There is also a time simply to give thanks to God for our salvation, which he has wrought through all his marvelous deeds. Let us not forget to give thanks!

There are a number of services associated with the Feast. The Typikon calls for Royal Hours, Vesperal Liturgy with a water blessing, and Vigil on the Eve. Another Liturgy and water blessing are to be served on the Feast itself. Our own celebration this year will be more modest, leaving plenty of room for expansion in the years to come as we also grow as a parish. On the Eve of Theophany, we will celebrate Royal Hours at 8:45 am and Vespers at 6:00 pm (combining the Vesperal portions of the Vesperal Divine Liturgy with the Vesperal portions of Compline). There will be one blessing of water, at the Divine Liturgy on the day of the Feast. If you are able to take off work, Theophany is a day to do so.

House Blessings

In conjunction with the Feast of Theophany and the Blessing of Water, this is the time of year when homes are also blessed. Please be sure to make your appointment with Father. It is best to call him during the week when he is in his office, rather than simply mentioning it when you see him. Also, please warn Father if you have cats so he can take an allergy suppressant before he comes!

Blessing of Water at Continental Divide

In keeping with a local tradition, the clergy and faithful of the Rocky Mountain Deanery of the OCA will come together for the Blessing of Waters at Monarch Pass on Jan. 9. As the snow begins to melt, it will carry the blessing of the Lord to all parts of our land. Father has fours spaces in his car for anyone interested in taking part in this celebration with our brethren from Denver, Littleton, Colorado Springs, Calhan and Delta.

Other Special Services This Month

+Jan 2: St. Seraphim of Sarov
+Jan 7: Synaxis of St. John the Baptist (at St. John's)
+Jan 12: St. Sava of Serbia
+Jan 17: St. Anthony the Great.
+Jan 30: Synaxis of the Three Hierarchs - Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom
**On Jan 20-21, the new temple of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Santa Fe, NM, will be consecrated. Father and Popadija plan to attend. Due to the distance of the trip, there will be no Vespers that Saturday evening.

Annual Parish Meeting

The Annual Parish Meeting will be held Sunday, Jan. 8 after Liturgy. There are no positions available on Parish Council and no members up for re-election this year, but we still need to pass a budget for the coming year and select a lay delegate to the Diocesan Assembly. In order for the meeting to take place, at least 25% of the members in good standing need to be present. In the interest of avoiding any misunderstandings, the names of members in good standing at St. Michael's for the coming year are provided below:

If your name is not listed and you feel this is a mistake, please don't get upset. Get on the phone. Call either John Kuzmiak (561-8132) or Fr. Barnabas (544-8423) before the end of 2005.

A member in good standing is defined by our bylaws (Section 5b) as follows: "the member must be 18 years of age or older, the member must at least annually partake of the Mysteries of Penance and Holy Communion in this Parish, and the member must regularly fulfill his or her financial obligations as established by the All American Council, the Diocese and the Parish." It is good to see the number of worshippers on Sunday morning increasing. Most of those present receive Holy Communion and many also come to Confession in this parish. As far as fulfilling "financial obligations," or stewardship, as it is more properly termed, we could do better. It is easy to criticize pledge cards and the concept of "members in good standing," but until a better system comes along, this is what we have to work with. Hopefully, more parishioners will choose to become members in good standing in the coming year.

Parishioner Profile: Gabriel Wilson

Catechizing Gabriel Wilson has been a highlight of my short time at St. Michael's. Gabriel was born in Albuquerque in 1980. He grew up in various forms of Charismatic Protestantism and attended CCU in Denver. It was in a class on Evangelical Theology that he first heard of the Orthodox faith. Though intrigued, he had not time to explore this interest right away, though several of his classmates who had converted to Orthodoxy encouraged him to do so.

After moving to Pueblo about a year ago, Gabriel was very excited when he happened (or rather, God led him) to drive by St. Michael's and learn there was an Orthodox church in town. Determined, he walked into church one Sunday for Liturgy basically out of the blue. "This is what I've been looking for," he thought, "I think I even cried a little. It was awesome." There was a potluck that day, so Gabriel stuck around afterwards and talked with Zachary Lynch for several hours. After a few more visits, he spent some time in Thailand, came back and left again. When he returned to Pueblo for good, Gabriel knew he had to become an Orthodox Christian. It was time to begin catechism. It soon became clear that though quite self-effacing, Gabriel is sharp as a whip and eager to learn about the faith.

After months of instruction, he feels he is only now starting to grasp the depth of Orthodoxy. Asked about approaching baptism he reflects, "Maybe we could extend catechism, but on the other hand I've got this whole life in the church ahead of me to grow." Gabriel will be baptized Jan 28.

St. John the Baptist

On the day after Theophany, we celebrate the memory of the one who baptized Christ in the Jordan, St. John. This is also the Altar Feast of our sister parish in Pueblo two blocks hence. Let us join with them in this celebration of their feast. The Divine Liturgy on Jan 7 at St. John's begins at 10:00 am.

Fellowship Breakfast

The wisdom of our ancestors in the faith has left us many profound axioms, among them: solus cristianus, nullus cristianus est - a Christian alone is no Christian. As you go out to face a new workday at the office or in the shop, why not fortify yourself by having breakfast with your brothers and sisters in Christ? Let's get together Thursday, Jan 26 around 7:30 am for a fellowship breakfast at The Pantry (107 E. Abriendo across from the library). Who knows, perhaps this will become a tradition!

Windows

Equipped with a beautiful, new design, the process of replacing the windows in our temple continues. Nine have been sponsored overall and a total of six installed, with several more still needing to be replaced. These stained glass windows are being sponsored in memory of your departed loved ones. Please speak with Father or John Kuzmiak if you would like to sponsor a window, whether on your own or in conjunction with someone else. The cost of a window is $800, which includes a plaque bearing the name of the one whose memory you wish preserved.

Reader Schedule

Sat 12/31 Vespers & Sun 1/1 Liturgy: Tom
Theophany: To be determined
Sat 1/7 Vespers & Sun 1/8 Liturgy: Zachariah, Pavel
Sat 1/14 Vespers & Sun 1/15 Liturgy: John
Sat 1/21 Vespers & Sun 1/22 Liturgy: Zachariah
Sat 1/28 Vespers & Sun 1/29 Liturgy: Tom