NO BULLETIN THE NEXT TWO SUNDAYS because Fr Paul & Mother Nancy travel to Arkansas to help their daughter and son-in-law move from Fort Smith to Little Rock where they begin their last year in medical school. Fr Paul and Presbytera are ‘on the road again’ this Sunday, July 3 and Sunday, July 10. On July 2 & 3, Fr John Schroedel will serve Saturday Vespers (5 pm) and Sunday Divine Liturgy (9 am) at St Herman’s. On Saturday and Sunday, July 9&10, Fr Christopher Maciolek, whose family will be in town, will serve Vespers and Divine Liturgy.

FEAST OF STS PETER AND PAUL is this Wednesday, June 29. (The Apostles’ Fast ends with the Feast; however, because the Feast is on Wednesday, we observe the Wed fast, although fish, wine and oil are allowed for the Feast.) We serve Great Vespers on Tuesday, June 28, at 7 pm, and the Divine Liturgy on Wednesday, June 29, at 630 am.

ALL AMERICAN COUNCIL is in Baltimore, July 18-22. Fr Paul & Mother Nancy hope to fly to Baltimore on Sunday afternoon, July 17. An abbreviated Diocesan Assembly will be held on Monday afternoon, July 18. There will follow a special session at which WE WILL VOTE ON BISHOP DANIEL, our Locum Tenens, as bishop of the Midwest Diocese. A biography of His Grace is on the bulletin board downstairs. Our parish delegate is Ann Knocke. One may register as an observer. Fee is $275. Go to oca.org and to the relevant link for the AAC.

PARISH ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE TO HOLY DORMITION MONASTERY in Rives Junction, MI, is scheduled for Mon July 25 – Thurs, July 28. Please read the instructions for travel and staying at the monastery that are at the end of the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board downstairs, and then sign your name as directed if you plan to go. Talk to Fr Paul or Rachel for more details.

WE LOOK FORWARD to enrolling Katie Garrett officially into the catechumenate as soon as Fr Paul’s schedule (and hers) allows.

FOCUS Minnesota celebrates 12 years of service at its annual Festive Event, held at St Mary’s Greek on August 18. All are invited to come celebrate this milestone with FOCUS!  

THE ASSEMBLY OF CANONICAL ORTHODOX BISHOPS of the USA has published a statement (June 19, 2022) on the Sacredness of Life and its Untimely Termination. Go to ‘assemblyofbishops.org’ and click on the link under ‘Latest News.’ This Sunday is our last Sunday of the 2^nd Quarter when we are collecting donations for ZOE for Life, an Orthodox ministry for unwed mothers.

IN PREPARATION FOR CATECHETICAL AND BIBLE STUDY classes (open to everyone) beginning late Summer or early Fall, please read the Old Testament book of Exodus, the first three chapters of Genesis, and Deuteronomy.

THE RETURN OF THE PAN-O-DANCE! This event is for all; parents, kids, young adults, babushkas, taetas, papous, etc. This year’s Pan-O dance will be on July 23rd at 6 pm outside at the St. George Antiochian pavilion. Address: 1250 Oakdale Avenue West St. Paul. Drinks will be provided by the Twin Cities YAL! Please bring a snack or appetizer to share! We look forward to seeing you all there! Questions? Contact Francine Perry: fsperry1@comcast.net

CHURCH SCHOOL RESUMES this Fall under the direction of Corinne. We are contemplating the best time to hold our Church School. Please share your thoughts about holding the Church School (and the Adult Ed/Bible Study) on a weekday or Saturday afternoon before or after Vespers, or at 830 am on Sunday, and serving the Divine Liturgy at 930 am with Corinne and/or Fr Paul.

Archimandrite Athanasios Mitilinaios on Rev 18.2: ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! It has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt of every foul spirit, a haunt of every foul and hateful bird.’

….’This fall refers to historical Rome, but it also includes and expands to the empire of the Antichrist which will also crumble, fall and be utterly destroyed. The double ‘fallen’ points out that God’s judgment in history is progressive. A fall is never sudden but progressive. The old Babylon fell in one night, yet her fall was inevitable due to the widespread corruption that was specified and pre-announced by the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah long before her fall. The same thing happened in the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great, the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire. Corruption is the common denominator that preannounces the fall of every empire.

The fall of Constantinople during the fifteenth century did not take place overnight. The Christian Roman Empire, which is the true name of the Byzantine Empire, was undermined for decades if not centuries before. It was not hard to foresee the fall of Constantinople because for centuries it was progressively losing its territories and the once great empire was reduced to the perimeters of the city. The fall of a city or nation is nothing sudden. Similarly, the fall of the European Union has already been forecasted a century ago. Oswald M Spengler (The Decline of the West), for example, writes that Europe is in a state of decadence, soaked in alcohol and immorality. He preannounces the fall of the European nations. In our days, it is not difficult to see that Europe is facing great challenges. American writers and wise citizens are already foretelling the fall of the USA, as it is full of corruption.

I remember reading an article years ago how a senator fainted while speaking at a podium about the obvious decay of the American youth. He was overcome by pain and agony while contemplating the self-destruction of his country’s youth. We could easily say that today this corruption is threatening the fall of the entire world. East and West have adopted immorality and corruption. Humanity is beginning to rot to the core, preparing itself to be conquered by the Antichrist.

The obvious criteria that specify the fall of old nations such as Babylon and Rome are atheism and immorality. The loss of the meaning of ethics caused by the abundance of luxury is the criteria of decadence, when the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of the luxury of Babylon the Great Harlot. The words ‘abundant luxury’ are used to translate the word strinos, a very rare and difficult word in New Testament Greek. This word most accurately expresses the state of today’s humanity. It refers to the luxurious arrogant lifestyle, the abundance of material goods, and the wasting of God’s resources.

The second meaning of the word strinos refers to drunkenness from sexual immorality, lust of the flesh, hedonism, and a burning desire to gratify the lower instincts of the flesh.

So the elements that determine the fall of all nations are running rampant in today’s international community: atheism, immorality, the absence of all ethics and the general drunkenness, the need to consume everything in sight and possess every luxury, from the latest model luxury automobile, to a vacation home, fine cigars, etc. it is manifest in the constant need to spend, to taste, to feel, to purchase, to discard, or to hoard. The age of consumerism, abundant goods and services, preannounce the fall of today’s world communities.’

 Revelation. The Seven Angels, Vol. IV, pp. 201-204.

Archimandrite Athanasios delivered this homily on March 13, 1983