2009 FDF TO BE HELD IN SAN JOSE

The Metropolis of San Francisco has announced that the Greek Orthodox Folk Dance and Choral Festival, a ministry of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco, will be held in San Jose, CA over the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend, January 14-18, 2010. This will be the 34th annual FDF. Typically, the event, which draws over 2,500 young people and their families and friends, is held over the Presidents’ Day weekend. However, because Pascha in 2010 will fall on April 4, FDF will be held approximately one month earlier. Parents, dancers and directors should plan accordingly. For us at the Cathedral, it means dance practice will be held during much of the summer months.

DANCE PRACTICE DURING THE SUMMER

We have wasted no time. In view of the earlier date of the 2010 FDF, dance practice resumed on Tuesday of Bright Week, namely, on April 21, and will continue through much of the summer. Parents and advisors will be busy making costumes, as dancers learn new steps and new songs. Also, new this season, is the formation of an adult group, being directed by Deacon Nikos Bekris. The adult group practices at the Cathedral Wednesday evenings, at 7:30 p.m. Those interested in participating in the adult group are asked to contact Deacon Nikos at deacon@annunciation.org.

Meanwhile, Ekrixi and Erini practice on Tuesday evenings, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Ekrixi (jr. high school) is being directed by Michael Garibaldi. Erini (ages 7-10) is being directed by Katerina Loufas, Alyssa Obester, Jimmie Stavrakaras, and Arianna Stratakis.

Seizmos practices on Tuesday evenings, 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. Seizmos (high school/adult), is being directed by Leah Stavrakaras.

Spithes (ages 5-10) practices on Sundays, following the Divine Liturgy. Spithes (ages 4 to 7), is being directed by Irene Kyriacou, Lea Lyberopoulos, Lea Papavasiliou and Nicholas Balian.

A new group for three to four year olds has been formed and practices on Sundays, following the Divine Liturgy. It is taught by Irene Kyriacou, Lea Lyberopoulos and Shareen Saddick.

YOUNG ADULT SUMMER RETREAT: THIS SUMMER…TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE

The Young Adult Ministry of our Metropolis of San Francisco announces its first annual young adult summer retreat, which will take place at Saint Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center, June 12-14, 2009. Open to youth, ages 18 through 30, the retreat will be led by Deacon Niko Bekris, who may be contacted (415 814-1186 (office), or sfyouth@sanfran.goarch.org) for further information. The fee of $135 includes one night stay at the Saint Nicholas Ranch lodge rooms and one night at the Hilton Hotel, Stockton, CA, all meals at St. Nicholas Ranch, and a T shirt w/retreat logo. Checks should be made payable to Metropolis Youth Fund, and sent to 245 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94103.

BASKETBALL CLINIC JUNE 15-19

The Annunciation Cathedral is pleased to offer a summer basketball clinic for its youth. The purpose of the clinic is to teach younger children the basics of basketball as well as to improve the skills of our more accomplished players. It is the Cathedral’s 5th annual clinic and it will be held in its Korinthias Gym, at 245 Valencia Street, San Francisco, from Monday, June 15 through Friday, June 19, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., all five days. All youth, ages 7 to 14, are cordially invited to participate in this worthwhile instructional program. Snacks and lunch will be provided, along with instruction by former players from the Cathedral’s various championship teams. Basketball shoes, shorts and/or sweats are required. Registration forms are available at the Cathedral office. If one prefers, a form may be requested by calling the Cathedral, 415 864-8000. The course is complimentary for children of Cathedral members. A fee of $50 is applicable for children whose parents are not pledged members of the Cathedral.

Rev. Deacon Niko Bekris writes: I have a confession to make. I love comic books. I love stories about superheroes, about the struggle between good and evil, about people striving to do what’s right, to do justice. Whether they’re in the format of a comic book, TV show, movie, you name it, I’ve been a fan since I was a kid. Apparently I’m not the only one, either. This last May saw the premiere of the newest superhero movie based on a Marvel comic, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” The movie had all the action and special effects that Americans want in a summer blockbuster, certainly, and was a smash hit, like most superhero movies today. What I liked most about this movie when I saw it, though, wasn’t the incredible fight scenes and motorcycle chases (although those weren’t bad, either), but the inner struggle that Wolverine went through- trying to find a place for himself, looking for peace, acceptance, and justice.

Towards the beginning of the movie, government agents find Wolverine living and working in his new home in Canada and ask him to accept a dangerous mission. He refuses, because he no longer wants any part of violence and killing, and simply wants to live a quiet life in the wilderness. The agents don’t accept this answer, and trouble follows Wolverine as he tries to follow his own mind, rather than what evil people want him to do. Eventually he finds himself desperately trying to find his bearings, where to go and who he is. No one in this movie tells Wolverine to follow the right path, or asks what he wants to do with his life and helps guide him that direction. Instead, he is called upon- forced- to move his life in a direction involving violence, greed, and hatred. He is not left to follow the path that fulfills him, but a path that others selfishly want to put before him.

This seeking and soul-searching reminded me of a story in the book of Genesis about a forefather of the church named Abraham. Abraham was a wealthy man who lived a quiet life with his wife, and both of them were elderly. One day, he received a message from God telling him to take all his belongings and his wife and move to a land that the Lord would give them (Gen 12:1). He was not told how or why, or even where they were going, only that it was the Lord God who was calling him. He had every reason to refuse the Lord’s invitation, given the fact that he had settled, had become wealthy, and was old, but he said no such thing. He simply had a faith in the Lord that that would lead him to this new land called Canaan, trusting that God’s purpose was for the good of Abraham, his family, and the world. And indeed it was. God made Abraham the “father of many nations,” and in this nation, all of Abraham’s descendents had a special relationship with God, who watched over them and their every path. When I read Abraham’s response to God’s call in chapter 22, I loved Abraham’s typical willingness, as he simply replies with “Here I am.”

What a beautiful response! What a willing spirit Abraham truly had! How many of us could respond this way? When God calls us to something, we often hesitate and then go, or even refuse. Unlike Abraham, we don’t trust God enough to simply give our whole lives to his service, even though we in turn are rewarded and fulfilled in this life and the next. I myself have not just hesitated, but run from what God was calling me to! Like Wolverine, I refused someone’s invitation to do something in my life, and was disoriented and needed to find myself. However, unlike Wolverine, the person who invited me, and the person who calls each of us, has no sinister agenda or anything else in mind other than our well-being and the good of the world. We don’t need to hesitate like Wolverine did, otherwise we, too, will surely lose ourselves and try to find our path in life somewhere that is not as good for us. We do not need to have any hesitations. Like Abraham, we need to say, “Here I am, Lord,” and God will lead us. None of us know to what land or for what purpose we’ll be called, but we do know that the Lord will be with us to guide us, because He loves us. Let us say “yes” to the Lord, so that we too, may find our new home with Him in our hearts, and allow Him to have that same special, loving relationship with us as He has always wanted.

GOYA BEAUTIFIES CATHEDRAL GROUNDS

On Saturday, May 16th, the Annunciation Cathedral GOYA offered its second community service project of the year to the Cathedral community. For the first service project, held December 22nd, the GOYAns put together bags with basic supplies for the homeless and sang Christmas carols at a senior center. This most recent service project consisted of beautifying the Cathedral garden boxes (on the Valencia Street side of the church)- weeding them, planting flowers, and adding bark. We would like to thank all of our GOYAns for coming and offering this wonderful service to their community, and encourage all our parishioners to stop by the garden boxes and take a look at the fruits of their labor. Thank you! For more information on future GOYA events, contact Deacon Niko at (415) 864-8000 or deacon@annunciation.org, or visit the “Youth of Annunciation Cathedral San Francisco” Facebook Group page.

Participants in the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival, held April 26, Nardos Brhane, Dean and Daniel Cusulos, shown with their teacher, Maria Allen, Deacon Niko Bekris, and Father Gregory Ofiesh.

CATHEDRAL YOUNG ADULT GROUP NEWS

May was another active month for our Annunciation Cathedral Young Adults. On May 28th, our young adults enjoyed their third dinner together, this time savoring delicious Italian food in North Beach. The month also saw the formation of a Cathedral Young Adult dance group, which is currently meeting on Wednesday nights at 7:30 pm. A reminder that all young adults (ages 18-35) are welcome to dance with us every Wednesday, and young adult dinners are the last Thursday of every month at a different restaurant in San Francisco. The next young adult dinner take place on June 25th at a location TBD. For more information on young adult events each month, contact Deacon Niko at (415) 864-8000 or deacon@annunciation.org, or visit the “Youth of Annunciation Cathedral San Francisco” Facebook Group page.

The Cathedral’s Young Adult Group, at their April 9 dinner.

ANNUNCIATION CATHEDRAL SUMMER CAMP

Once again, Annunciation Cathedral will sponsor a Family Summer Camp. Our 9th Annual Family Camp will take place August 7 through August 12 (six nights, five days), at the Casini Ranch Family Campground, along the Russian River. We invite you to experience the beauty of California’s North Coast by participating in the Cathedral’s summer camp program. The Campground consists of 120 acres, and includes a mile of sandy waterfront. Enjoy hiking, bicycling, volleyball, softball, horseshoes, fishing, Bible study and morning and evening prayer services, not to mention campfire, drifting along the river in a canoe, or just relaxing on the beach. Space is limited, and reservations are on a first come first serve basis. The Cost of $370 for a family of 2 persons, $390 for a family of 3 persons, $410 for a family of 4 persons, and $430 for a family of 5 persons includes all meals, but does not include the cost of a tent. Reservations and fees are due by July 11, 2009. For reservations and additional information, please call Patty Rally.

ST. NICHOLAS RANCH SUMMER CAMP

The Saint Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center has announced its 2009 Summer Camp dates. They are: Session I: July 12-18; Session II: July 19-25; and Session III: July 26-August 1. Age requirements for camp are 8 years of age (or entering the 3rd grade in September, 2009) to 17 years of age (or Spring 2009 high school graduates). Keep in mind the registration deadlines. Regular registration must be postmarked by May 31. Late registration is anything postmarked after May 31. Additional information and forms may be obtained from the St. Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center office (559 338-2103 or info@stnicholasranch.org), or on their web site, www.stnicholasranch.org.

POP-CULTURE SPOTLIGHT ON X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE

I have a confession to make: I’m a huge comic book fan. Ever since I was a kid I have loved stories about superheroes, whether in comic books, TV shows, movies, you name it. In fact, if you take a look at box office ticket sales and the highest-grossing movies of the last decade, it seems that all of America shares the same love of these stories I do. The newest big-budget Marvel Comics adaptation is “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” the fourth movie about X-Men characters in the last nine years (and first prequel), and one of the sure-fire smash hits of this summer.

Strengths: This movie has all that you would want from a fun summer movie- big special effects, lots of action and explosions, etc. While it definitely succeeds at all of the above, the core of the movie is still the character of Wolverine (superbly played once again by Hugh Jackman)- his inner struggle at finding peace, acceptance, and his own way in life. For me, this is what sets it apart from other pointless action movies- the character and heart of Wolverine himself. In addition, when you add a great villain to the mix, and both the hero and villain know how to act, you have a very enjoyable film. It flowed nicely as a story, and had a good mix of soap-opera moments and action to please both men and women.

Weaknesses: Hollywood continues to flirt with the boundaries of violence in action movies, and I would say there were a few moments when the violence is too much, certainly for children under 13 (and so the movie deservedly has a PG-13 rating). Also, from the standpoint of how well the movie adapted itself from the book, the last half hour strayed a great deal from the source material, providing an awfully ridiculous way to conclude the story, in my opinion. I’m sure I wasn’t the only comic book fan who found the last five minutes odd, to say the least…

Orthodox Christian Outlook: There is something so intrinsic to our nature about the struggle of good versus evil. All human beings, whether they believe in a God or not, believe in the existence of good and evil. Perhaps our love for stories about this struggle stems from this. “Wolverine” certainly is no exception. We are inspired when we see people fighting for justice, for peace, for freedom, all of which are goals we should strive to attain in our lives.

Also, a lot of this movie is about Wolverine trying to find where he belongs, trying to find a path in life not knowing where to go. When I reflect on this, I feel thankful that in our faith, we know in a God who wants to guide us and do what’s best for us, participating in our struggles and hardships as well as our joy. We believe in a personal God, and we know that we are never alone. The story even calls to mind God’s calling Abraham in the book of Genesis, guiding Abraham wherever he went, even though he was a stranger in a strange land. As I mentioned in my youth bulletin this month, we sometimes feel like Wolverine- alone and scared, without a direction- but we don’t need to. I suggest that the next time you see “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” try reading Genesis chapter 12, verses 1-9 before watching the movie. The let me know what you think of it. You might be surprised… Rev. Deacon Niko Bekris

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Jun 2009 Herald
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral