Great Lent Begins

Throughout the season of Great Lent our attention tends to be drawn in two, distinct directions. Perhaps our first gaze is an inward one. We look into our own lives and take stock of just where we are at spiritually. We examine how we treat others, we pray more, fast more intently, and confess our sins. All of these things are important. Yet we have to understand that the focus of this season is not first and foremost on us. It is on Christ. Only when we look first to Christ as our Redeemer and our model do we have any hope of our introspection being a truly fruitful one. Introspection for its own sake, without any objective reference, can lead to grave error. We can either decide that we are completely wretched people, devoid of any shred of decency and not even worthy of God's time or interest, or, on the opposite extreme, we can decide that we are actually pretty great people after all and if someone else disagrees, too bad for them!

Only by keeping Christ at the center of our lives, only by looking first to Him, do we have any hope of understanding who we are and who God wants us to be. We are in a continuous procession from sin to redemption. The third bar of the Russian-style cross must be for us a signpost. It points the way from where we now stand, along with that criminal who reviled our Lord, to the place where we are headed, to the Kingdom where that good thief was the first to enter. It is true that we are sinners. It is also true that the Lord is merciful. Let our first gaze be to Him, and only then let us gaze upon ourselves. Let us resolve, finally, not simply to lead our lives in imitation of Christ, but to have our lives in Him.

Great Lent begins with the Vespers of Forgiveness on Sunday, March 5. All who plan to receive communion on Pascha ought to make an effort to come give and receive the peace of forgiveness.

Services This Month

A number of services are appointed for the season of Lent. Monasteries serve all or nearly all of them. Cathedrals and large parishes serve most or many. This year at St. Michael's we will set modest and realistic goals, leaving room for liturgical growth as the parish grows in the years to come.

+The Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifs will be celebrated on each Wednesday of Lent at 5:15 pm. Begin fasting at noon to prepare for receiving communion. This means eating either no lunch, or if you must have something, eating early and light. After the Liturgy we will have a Lenten supper in the parish hall. There is a sign up sheet in the narthex to host the meal. Consider these suppers to also be potluck, so bring a dish if you can. Since we will have been fasting all afternoon, a soup or pasta dish would be better than cookies. Please also be sure not to bring meat or dairy products.

+Memorial Saturday Divine Liturgies will be celebrated each Saturday of Lent, beginning with the Hours at 8:45 am. There is a sign up sheet in the narthex to bring the kolivo, the boiled wheat that is blessed and eaten in memory of our departed loved ones. Kolivo should not be disregarded as a "small t" tradition, since it is in fact our affirmation of Christ's parable about the grain of wheat that dies to give birth to new life. Popadija will host a kolivo-making session at the rectory Friday, March 10 at 7 pm.

+The Great Feast of the Annunciation falls on a Saturday this year, thus replacing a Memorial Saturday. There will be a Vigil consisting of Matins and Compline the preceding evening at 6:30 pm.

+Pan Orthodox Vespers will be celebrated each Sunday evening at 5 pm. These services will take place at a different Orthodox church each time, serving to manifest our unity as the one body of Christ. Father is planning to attend all of them and will have spaces in his car for anyone interested in coming along. The schedule is as follows:

*Sunday of Orthodoxy (Mar. 12): Holy Assumption Cathedral, 4610 E. Alameda Ave. in Denver. Homilist: Fr. Martin Ritsi of OCMC.
*St. Gregory Palamas (Mar. 19): Archangel Michael GOC, 2215 Paseo Rd. in Colorado Springs. Homilist: Fr. Barnabas Powell.
*Veneration of the Cross (Mar. 26): Sts. Constantine and Helen Church, 2770 N. Chestnut St. in Colorado Springs. Homilist: Fr. Dennis Schutte.
*St. John of the Ladder (Apr. 2): St. Mary's Holy Dormition Church, 19485 N. Calhan Hwy. in Calhan. Homilist: Fr. Anthony Karbo.
*St. Mary of Egypt (Apr. 9): St. Michael's in Pueblo (that's us). Homilist: Fr. Lawrence Gaudreau.

It's A Girl!

Father and Popadija are very happy to announce the birth of their daughter, Milica Leona Powell, born February 17th. Milica is their first child and they look forward to her baptism on Lazarus Saturday. Thanks once again for the baby shower, for all the cards and presents, and especially for all the prayers. You can see pictures of Mila here.

Bible Study

The first section of our parish Bible Study will conclude Wednesday, March 1, with Genesis 3.14-24. This will bring us roughly to the end of the lectionary readings for the first week of Lent, when Genesis is read in the life of the Church (in monasteries and other communities that observe the daily cycle of services). We've had anywhere from 3-12 people at these first classes. This may seem like a low turnout, but it is actually pretty good when considered as a percentage of parishioners (anywhere from 7% to 30%). The class will resume again after Pascha, as will the Fellowship Breakfasts.

Police Chaplaincy

Father has become a volunteer chaplain for the Pueblo Police Department, following in the footsteps of Fr. John (now Fr. Joseph) Hoffman. This position will give Father Barnabas and St. Michael's greater exposure in the community. Please keep Fr. in your prayers as he begins what may be a difficult ministry.

Featured Bookstore Item

We've all noticed how beautiful our parish choir has begun to sound. This month's featured items are two outstanding, new ensembles of Orthodox liturgical music in the English language. Vigil and Chant were recorded last year at St. Vladimir's Seminary while Fr. and Popadija were students. In fact, a number of pieces on both discs contain 'solos' by Popadija Elizabeth as well as her brother, Peter, whom you met last Nativity. Fortunately, though Fr. was part of the choir for both albums, his voice cannot be heard. These albums contain beautiful selections that we may begin to hear in our own church in years to come. The cost of each album is $15. They may be purchased together or separately and the bookstore has two of each.

Parishioner Profile: The Ortons of Aguilar

We've all seen Philip and Katrina (Susana) Orton. She's the only remaining woman who is large with child. And Philip…well, Philip is large with beard. Who are these members of St. Michael's growing, young adult cohort? They were both born in 1976; Philip in Ogden, UT, and Katrina in Alpena, MI. Were it not for the Church, they would never have met. Providence brought them to the Orthodox parish in Gillette, WY on the same day a few years back. For Philip it was love at first sight - "Six months later I started hunting her down." Fortunately for him, the interest was mutual. The thing that most attracted Katrina "was his strong Orthodox faith." Both had chosen to become Orthodox Christians some time earlier, Katrina with her family and Philip as a college-aged seeker of the truth. Philip aggressively pursued his quarry and within months they were married on July 4, 2004.

The following month the newly-married couple moved to Aguilar, where Philip is a schoolteacher and Katrina is a licensed acupuncturist. Being so far away, "You feel distant from the faith. By the end of the week it's a struggle." Though they would never brag about it, Philip and Katrina are almost always in church and this faithfulness of theirs is an example to us all. The next time we wake up Sunday morning and think to ourselves, 'I don't know if I can make it to church today,' let us think of Philip and Katrina driving an hour to get here (that is, if the knowledge that the Son of God was nailed to a cross for our salvation is not sufficient enough to motivate us to give thanks).

Much to their joy and to that of our entire parish, the Ortons are expecting an impending addition to their family, a girl who is due March 2nd and whom they will name Kyria Irene Orton. If God wills, they hope to move closer to church in the near future. Let us remember them in our prayers. What are their hopes for the future of St. Michaels? "A giant Byzantine cathedral," quipped Philip, producing great laughter. But then he went on to add a sobering caveat - "full of spiritually minded people." Katrina would like to see more families in the church, especially the other family members of our present parishioners. Pueblo has a great many lapsed Orthodox Christians. She would like to see them come home. As the descendants of Philip and Katrina are baptized into the faith, as the Ortons become a "cradle Orthodox" family in generations to come, may the Lord grant that their seed always be people of the true faith.

Olive Oil

We are in need of more donations of olive oil to burn in the lampadas. Remember that the cheaper, lower-grade oil burns better.

Windows

There are four windows still available for memorial sponsorship. Please speak to John Kuzmiak if you are interested: 561-8132.

Keys

The lock that was on the front gate has been moved to the back gate, so if you had a key for the front, you now have a key to the back, where the dumpster is located. Remember this when taking out the garbage.

Reader Schedule
Sat 3/4 & Sun 2/5: Zachariah, Pavel
Sat 3/11 & Sun 3/12: John
Sat 3/18 & Sun 2/19: Zachariah
Sat 3/25 Sun 2/26: Tom

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