Saints Mary and Martha, Orthodox Monastery, Wagener, SC

After Pilgrimage and some God-given rest, the month of May had its usual activities – Saturday Liturgy, prayers, guests, flea market, and daily work. May was also the month that Roman Meleck, a forester and a member of St. John of the Ladder Orthodox Church in Greenville, South Carolina suddenly died and was buried here. On Monday morning, May 28th, we received the news that a long-time friend of the monastery, Mary Ann Rankin had reposed and, on Thursday, we along with relatives and many friends attended her funeral and buried her beside her husband in the Aiken Cemetery. May their memories be eternal.

Over the years, this monastery, like any monastery, has its favorite sayings, one of which is, "God is full of surprises." As of June 1st, we are three again for as long as God allows. At this time, we can simply say that her being here is a "God Thing".

The picture above shows us at St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Mission in Rincon (near Savannah), Georgia. We are standing behind the choir, which was well rehearsed and sang beautifully under the direction of Denise Norman. The picture to the right is a happy Fr. James Bohlman giving an icon pin (the church's souvenir) of St. Mary Magdalene to Mother Thecla. This was truly a great day for this mission, as Archbishop Dmitri consecrated the altar and the church. The prayer, love, and hard work that the priest and parishioners put into building this church and preparing for this day was wonderfully evident. May they grow and flourish in God's vineyard.

June is youth retreat time. From June 13-16 we hosted Saints Moses and Miriam Youth Retreat for 12-14 year olds. Thirteen young teens from Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee attended. With Fr. Peter Smith, who has been at every youth retreat since it began, not being able to come because he is recovering from back surgery, Fr. Stephen Freeman from St. Anne Orthodox Church in Oakridge, Tennessee led this retreat with the help of Seminarian Intern Kyrill Williams from St. Tikhon Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania. Fr. Stephen used the Biblical accounts of Moses, Joseph, Daniel, and the Three Young Men as the basis for the retreat theme – "Who Am I?" He used these examples to help them to understand that none of us knows who we are until we know and find ourselves in God. Rosina Elizabeth Simpson, from Aiken, South Carolina, helped with the craft project and took pictures of both retreats, some of which are in this newsletter.

Corelli, the tri-tone collie, was a big hit with both groups and they with him. He just couldn't believe there was this much cuddling in the whole world.

Saints Niketas and Eleni Youth Retreat for 15-17 year olds was held the following week from June 20-23. Fifteen teenagers from Georgia, Kansas, South Carolina, and Virginia attended. Fr. John Parker from Holy Ascension Mission in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina and Fr. David Arnold from St. Cyprian of Carthage Orthodox Church in Richmond, Virginia led this retreat and spoke on "Chastity and Purity – The Transformation of Cultural Imagery into Holy Icons." Fr. John Parker took picture advertisements that we would see in magazines at a doctor's office and helped them to understand what the worldly view wanted them to see, then, later showed pictures of icons with the same physical poses and helped them to understand the Godliness of Chastity and Purity.




	Saints Moses & Miriam Youth Retreat

Saints
Niketas
&Eleni
Youth
Retreat

Both groups prayed the daily services of Vespers, Matins, Sixth Hour, and Compline. This is time that gives many of the young people a chance to read and sing. Some of them are quite good. The outdoor activity was a Canoe Trip on the South Congaree River. Two years ago, one of the priests wanted his group to spend one hour helping with work around the monastery as a service project. This year both groups were involved with service projects. Now that there are three of us, we divided them into three groups. The younger group helped with weeding around the ramp, mulching strawberries and spreading peat moss, and filling in the gaps of the stone walkway to hermitage as well as picking up fallen branches on and beside the path to the hermitage. The second group continued the weeding around the ramp, mulching the area previously weeded by the first group as well as under the bushes in front of the monastery, and cutting down the small trees and bushes that were killed when the electric company sprayed an herbicide last fall. If you think about it, that's a goodly number of worker hours. All this made the monastery look better and was a big help to the nuns.

As always, each retreat ended with Saturday Morning Liturgy and brunch. Although we have hosted these retreats for nine years, no two are ever the same, but we always find God's grace in being part of it no matter how noisy it gets!!!!!

During the last week of June, we were blessed with a visit from Fr. John and Matushka Deborah Maxwell from Saints George and Alexandra Mission in Ft. Smith, Arkansas.

Fr. John Maxwell
standing among
the bird feeders

In closing, may our good God give you safe travels, rest, fruitful labors, and spiritual growth.

I pray that this faith will give rise to a sense of fellowship that will show you all the good things that we are able to do for Christ. – Philemon 6

We recently celebrated the feasts of Saints Peter and Paul and that of the Holy Apostles, preceded by a fast which begins the Monday of the first Sunday after Pentecost. The time is filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit (as is each moment of time).

The Matins gospel for the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul presents the question "Lovest thou Me?" with the injunction "Feed My lambs." Our good God calls us to the same love and service as He called Peter and the apostles. The early Christians followed the example.

What about us? Is our primary focus the Lord Jesus Christ? Do we live in Him so that others may know Him by our actions or have we become so part of our society that Christ is not recognizable in us?

We have been so gifted with faith – the church steeps us in the scriptures, the life of Christ and the lives of the saints. The saints are different yet all preached Christ by their lives. Each of us needs to do that. Each of us, as individuals and as institutions (monasteries, parishes, jurisdictions, denominations), needs to preach Christ – crucified and resurrected – by our actions as well as by our words.

We are all unique (look at Saints Peter and Paul!) yet if we truly preach Christ, then there can be no harsh competitiveness, no vying for numbers, no judgmental statements. There needs to be love which is visible in our cooperating with each other for the one goal – Jesus Christ. He asks us to care for His people. We are all His people, the work of His hands.

May we have the strength as did Saints Peter and Paul, the apostles and all the saints to follow Jesus Christ in our daily circumstances.

Although St. Bassa was born in Larisa, Greece in the third century, her difficulties mirror those of many Christian mothers of the 21st century. She was recruited into the burgeoning ranks of the Christian faithful who struggled mightily against the ancient darkness of disobedience looming against the backdrop of imperial domination, that menacing abyss of evil that wrecks havoc even to this day, whether in the form of paganism, witchcraft, magic or satanism. For truly, "we wrestle . . . against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12.)

St. Bassa kept aloft the high Gospel standard and took a heroic stance which ultimately cost the life of her sons, as well as her own.

The third century was a time of intense persecution of Christians by the Roman government. St. Bassa had been raised by Christian parents so this persecution affected her most intimately, especially since she was given in marriage to Valerius, a pagan priest of the official state religion. The main reason for the persecution of Christians was that they refused to take part in the authorized Roman worship. Since Christians separated themselves from pagan society, Roman authorities assumed they were involved in something illegal, inciting acts and teaching beliefs contrary to Roman citizenship and worship. Thus, they became "enemies of the state".

A loving mother, St. Bassa was entirely devoted to her three sons. Steeped from the womb in the Christian faith, she also taught them the pitfalls of idolatry and its cunning. She must have lived in an atmosphere of suspicion, always being watched and baited by Valerius. Those who have truly given their hearts to Christ cannot pretend to be anything other than what they are, "children of light and of the day". (I Thessalonians 2:5.) She bore the burden of having been "unequally yoked" and fully understood St. Paul's admonition: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? . . . what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God . . ." (II Corinthians 6:14,16.)

As if in fulfillment of St. Paul's warning, Valerius finally reached his limit of toleration. Certain that his wife had brainwashed his sons, he demanded, as head of the household, that his entire family sacrifice to idols. St. Bassa knew that if she were to compromise her faith and give in to her husband even on the seemingly innocuous issue of idol worship, she would lose the battle. His dictates then would only increase until he had completely subjugated the family. She would not do anything that might cause her children to lose their souls. Indeed, she had taught her sons well and they unanimously refused to concede to their father's demand. Insanely furious, Valerius denounced his wife to the governor, knowing very well that this would implicate his three sons. He hoped that if they could be persuaded through fear and torture to sacrifice to idols, the constancy of their mother would wane, and he would gain the domination he sought.

When brought before the governor, the sons were urged to pay homage to the lifeless idols, but they refused. Valerius had not counted on the steadfastness of his sons. Because of their fervent confession of faith, his entire family was imprisoned. St. Bassa never ceased to speak to her sons of eternal life in Christ. When the torturers burst into the cell, the boys were brave and did not fear martyrdom. Their mother was forced to witness the torture and beheading of her three sons. Although to those without faith this seems horrific, St. Bassa considered the martyrdom of her sons a cause for joy in that they had grown to full stature in Christ and would receive eternal life in heaven. She longed to receive the same martyric end.

The governor transported St. Bassa to Macedonia where he again tried to compel her to sacrifice to the idols, but without success. Various forms of torture were implemented, but she was protected from them all. Her torturers tried to drown her, but she escaped unharmed. They cast her into a furnace, but she was preserved. She was stoned, but not injured. After shattering an idol of Zeus, she was thrown to wild animals, but was not harmed. Finally, they flung her into the sea, far from land. God preserved his faithful saint once more and brought her to the island of Alonnisos. The consul of the area discovered her whereabouts, and she was quickly seized and tortured. Again refusing to deny Christ, she was beheaded. She joyfully surrendered her soul to God and entered heaven to abide with Christ and her sons forever.

2 pounds cream cheese
3 egg yokes
2 cups confectionary sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
2 sticks (quarters) butter

Have all ingredients at room temperature. Using a hand beater, cream the cheese and the butter till well-blended. Add egg yolks one at a time, and blend. Add sugar and blend. Add vanilla and blend. Then fold in toasted almonds slices using a spatula.

Great served with big fat fresh strawberries on which you put a dollop of the cheese.

Recipe graciously provided by Fr. James Bohlman