January 2016

Join us this Thursday, Jan. 28 at 6:00 p.m. at St. Sava Church in Merrillville, Indiana for our weekly Akathist prayers (Click here to learn more about the Akathist prayer services at St. Sava Church).

This week we offer praises for The Icon of the Mother of God.

The Icon of the Mother of God, “She who gives suck”

This week’s Akathist is dedicated to The Icon of the Mother of God, “She who gives suck.” This is the name given to the Icon of the Mother of God that St. Sava of Serbia brought from the monastery of St. Sava the Sanctified near Jerusalem and placed in his hermitage at Karyes on the Holy Mountain.

In that way the prophecy, made 800 years previously by St. Sava the Sanctified, was fulfilled – that one day a Serbian priest called Sava would come and would be given the Icon and his staff. When Sava of Serbia visited the community of St. Sava the Sanctified, the monks called to mind the prophecy of their founder and gave the icon and the staff to Sava.

vThe icon was placed at the right – hand of the Royal Doors in the hermitage, and the staff in a cell which receive the name “Pateritsa” (the name used for a bishop’s staff, the fathers rod”, also situated at Karyes.

It is the time of the year where members of St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in Merrillville, Indiana may have homes blessed by Father Marko. The 2016 Schedule for Blessing of Homes is now available for download in both Serbian and English languages.

• Click to download the Blessing of Homes – Schedule 2016 in English and Serbian

Blessing of Homes – Schedule 2016

Dear Members and Parishioners,

It is time for the blessing of homes. The following schedule will inform you as to when I will be in your area.

• Chesterton, Valparaiso
  • From Thursday, January 21st  to Thursday, January 28th
• Portage, Ogden Dunes
  • From Friday, January 29th to Tuesday, February 2nd
• Hobart
  • From Wednesday, February 3rd to Sunday, February 7th
• Hebron, Kouts, La Crosse, Demotte,
  • From Monday, February 8th to Wednesday, February 10th
• Crown Point
  • From Thursday, February 11th to Thursday, February 18th
• Gary, Merrillville
  • From Friday, February 19th to Sunday, February 21st
• Schererville, Dyer, St. John, Cedar Lake, Lowell
  • From Monday, February 22nd  to Friday, February 26th
• Hammond, Munster, Highland, Griffith
  • From Saturday, February 27th to Wednesday, March 2nd
• Chicago
  • From Thursday, March 3rd to Sunday, March 13th

With God`s blessing,

Father Marko Matic

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Драги наши чланови и парохијани,

Време је благосиљања и освећења домова. Распоред који шаљем, помоћи ће вам да знате када намеравам да будем у вашем месту.

• Chesterton, Valparaiso
  • Од четвртка, 21. јануара до четвртка, 28. јануара
• Portage, Ogden Dunes
  • Од петка, 29. јануара до уторка, 2. фебруара
• Hobart
  • Од среде, 3. фебруара до недеље, 7. фебруара
• Hebron, Kouts, La Crosse, Demotte
  • Од понедељка, 8.фебруара до среде, 10. фебруара
• Crown Point
  • Од четвртка, 11. фебруара до четвртка, 18. фебруара
• Gary, Merrillville
  • Од петка, 19. фебруара до недеље, 21. фебруара
• Schererville, Dyer, St. John, Cedar Lake, Lowell
  • Од понедељка, 22. фебруара до петка, 26. фебруара
• Hammond, Munster, Highland, Griffith
  • Од суботе, 27. фебруара до среде, 2. марта
• Chicago
  • Од четвртка, 3. марта до недеље, 13. марта

С Божијим благословом,

Отац Марко Матић

About Blessing of Homes and Preparation

It is an Orthodox Tradition for the priest to visit his parishioners at their homes and performs the lesser blessing of water.

The purposes of this Holy Tradition are:

• That God will mercifully hear the prayers which are offered by the family.
• That the Almighty and Eternal Lord will send His holy angels to protect, save, watch, visit and safeguard the family members from evil powers.
• That the faithful who are sprinkled with Holy Water may be free from every unclean and satanic action.
• That the air in the home may be clean and healthy.
• That all strange powers which may create insecurity to the family will be removed by the grace of God.

When the priest comes to a home to perform such a service, it is appropriate for the host family to be prepared in the following manner:

• The house should be clean and in order.
• The vigil, if there is one, before the icon should be lit.
• There should be a candle with matches beside it.
• A plate or bowl with a little water should be placed on the table, turn toward the east and the icon.
• A list of names of the living members.
• Doors of the rooms where you wish the priest to enter and sprinkle the Holy Water should be kept open.

After the blessing, if the family does not wish to keep the holy water, it is appropriate to pour it over a plant, flower, under a tree, or any place where it will not be stepped on.

• Click to download the Blessing of Homes – Schedule 2016 in English and Serbian

Join us this Thursday, Jan. 21 at 6:00 p.m. at St. Sava Church in Merrillville, Indiana for our weekly Akathist prayers (Click here to learn more about the Akathist prayer services at St. Sava Church).

This week we offer praises for St. John the Baptist.

St. John the Baptist

This week’s Akathist is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. St. John’s greatest role during his life was enacted on the day of the Theophany, and because of this the Church has, from the earliest times, dedicated the day following that feast to his memory.

St. John is commemorated several times during the year, but his greatest feast is on January 20/7 (January 20 according to Gregorian Calendar and January 7 according to Julian Calendar). Among the Gospel-figures surrounding the Saviour, the person of John the Baptist holds a very special place, by the manner of his birth in this world and of his earthly life, by his role of baptizer of men to repentance and his baptism of the Messiah, and lastly, by the tragic manner of his departure from this world.

He was of such moral purity that he indeed deserved the name “angel” as he was named in the scriptures, rather than  being thought of as just a mortal man. St. John differs from all the other prophets in that he had the joy of showing forth to the world the One Whom he had foretold, Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Where is St. John the Baptist in St. Sava Church

The icon of St. John the Baptist is an icon that you can more closely examine for yourself inside the St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in Merrillville, Indiana. The icon of St. John can be found immediately to the right of the South Doors, also called the Deacon Doors, of the iconostasis that separates the nave from the sanctuary inside the Church.

Join us for Divine Liturgy beginning at 9:00 a.m. and Great Blessing of Water celebrating Holy Theophany at St. Sava Church, Merrillville, Indiana.

This observance commemorates Christ’s baptism by John the Forerunner in the River Jordan, and the beginning of Christ’s earthly ministry. The Feast of Theophany is the culmination of the Christmas Season. In mystic commemoration of this event, the Great Blessing of Water is performed on this day, and the holy water so blessed is used by the local priest to bless the homes of the faithful.

This image depicts the baptismal font used in St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, Merrillville, Indiana. Etched on one side is the scene commemorating Christ’s baptism by John the Forerunner in the River Jordan, and the beginning of Christ’s earthly ministry.

The feast is called Theophany because at the baptism of Christ the Holy Trinity appeared clearly to mankind for the first time—the Father’s voice is heard from Heaven, the Son of God is incarnate and standing physically in the Jordan, and the Holy Spirit descends on Him in the form of a dove.

The services of Theophany are arranged similarly to those of the Nativity (Historically the Christmas services were established later).

On the morning of the feast, the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is served. The Liturgy of the feast begins with psalms of glorification and praise instead of the three normal Antiphons. And the baptismal line from Galatians 3:27 replaces the Thrice-Holy.

For as many as been baptized into Christ have put on Christ: Alleluia.

The Gospel readings of the services tell of the Lord’s baptism by John in the Jordan River. The epistle reading of the Divine Liturgy tells of the consequences of the Lord’s appearing which is the divine epiphany.

Since the main feature of the feast is the blessing of water. It is prescribed to follow both the Divine Liturgy of the eve of the feast and the Divine Liturgy of the day itself. But most local parishes do it only once when most of the parishioners can be present. The blessing verifies that mankind, and all of creation, were created to be filled with the sanctifying presence of God.

In connection with the feast, it is traditional for the priest to visit all the homes of the faithful for their annual house blessing using the water that has been blessed at the Theophany services.