docHOLY PENTECOST (Sunday June 19, 2016)
download 
Report Transcription
HOLY PENTECOST (Sunday June 19, 2016)
June 2016 HOLY PENTECOST (Sunday June 19, 2016) After the Saviour's Ascension into the Heavens, the eleven Apostles and the rest of His disciples, the Godloving women who followed after Him from the beginning, His Mother, the most holy Virgin Mary, and His brethren-all together about 120 souls returned from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem. Entering into the house where they gathered, they went into the upper room, and there they persevered in prayer and supplication, awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit, as their Divine Teacher had promised them. In the meanwhile, they chose Matthias, who was elected to take the place of Judas among the Apostles.Thus, on this day, the seventh Sunday of Pascha, the tenth day after the Ascension and the fiftieth day after Pascha, at the third hour of the day from the rising of the sun, there suddenly came a sound from Heaven, as when a mighty wind blows, and it filled the whole house where the Apostles and the rest with them were gathered. Immediately after the sound, there appeared tongues of fire that divided and rested upon the head of each one. Filled with the Spirit, all those present began speaking not in their native tongue, but in other tongues and dialects, as the Holy Spirit instructed them. The multitudes that had come together from various places for the feast, most of whom were Jews by race and religion, were called Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and so forth, according to the places where they dwelt. Though they spoke many different tongues, they were present in Jerusalem by divine dispensation. When they heard that sound that came down from Heaven to the place where the disciples of Christ were gathered, all ran together to learn what had taken place. But they were confounded when they came and heard the Apostles speaking in their own tongues. Marvelling at this, they said one to another, "Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?" But others, because of their foolishness and excess of evil, mocked the wonder and said that the Apostles were drunken. Then Peter stood up with the eleven, and raising his voice, spoke to all the people, proving that that which 4 Appleton Street ■ Arlington, MA 02476 ■ church 781.646.0705 continued on Next Page Fr. Kastanas Emergency Voicemail Pager 781.673.2002 ■ fax 781.641.4700 ■ www.saint athanasius.org Office E-Mail Address: [email protected] “ASKISIS” OFFICIAL Publication of the Saint Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church 4 Appleton Street, Arlington, MA 02476 Sunday Worship Schedule Winter: Orthros 8:45 AM Divine Liturgy 10:00 AM Summer: Orthros 8:00 AM Divine Liturgy 9:15 AM Rev. Fr. Nicholas M. Kastanas Parish Council Officers Dean Ioakimidis -----------------------------------------President Bill Karras ------------------------------------ 1st Vice President Paul Tsitsopoulos ---------------------------- 2nd Vice President S. Nicholas Kriketos ------------------------------------Secretary Maria Tsaousidis -----------------------Associate Secretary #1 Stefanos Bouboulis--------------------------------------Treasurer Nikitas Splagounias---------------------Associate Treasurer #1 Emmanuel Meimaris------------------- Associate Treasurer #2 Vassilios Pantazopoulos--------------- Associate Treasurer #3 Parish Council Members Publication is the first of each month. Twelve issues are published yearly. Deadline for notices is the 15 th of the prior month. Saint Athanasius the Great is a parish under the spiritual and ecclesial oversight of His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of the Metropolis of Boston of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America under the jurisdiction of The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church in Arlington, Massachusetts strives to be a living witness of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Our mission as a Parish is to "Practice Hospitality" (Romans 12:13), as St. Paul so exhorts...... Thus, it is our rich blessing to strive and bring the Light of Christ to all of God's people, through Orthodox Christian tradition, education, and philanthropy. We seek to serve the spiritual needs of our faithful parishioners through the sacramental life of the Church. By means of outreach and faith in God, we continue our growth as a living Church by inviting others into the Orthodox faith through Baptism and/or Chrismation, and educating them through the establishment of our Christian ministries, programs, schools, and philanthropic activities. Church Directory Parish Office Hours: Monday-Thursday: 9:00 A.M. – 7:00 P.M. Friday: 9:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. Parish Administrative Assistant…..Stella Kazantzas & Dimitrios Loucagos Parish Office……...................................781-646-0705 Fax:........................................................781-641-4700 [email protected] Website:................................www.saintathanasius.org Fr. Nick Kastanas (Emergency Pager).781-673-2002 Metropolis of Boston...........................617-277-4742 Metropolis Website..............www.boston.goarch.org Archdiocese Website........................www.goarch.org 1 David Bowling, Antonios Dakopoulos, George Katsarakes, Peter Ladas, Charles Pappas, Eleanor Profis, Ted Speros, Mark Ypsilantis Parish Ministries and Organizations Altar Boys (Acolytes):-----------------------Fr. Nicholas Kastanas Parish Council: Stewardship Chair--------------Maria Tsaousidis Philoptochos: President-----------------------------Irene Kalogeris Choir Director:-----------------------------------------Stella Pathiakis Cantors:---------------------------------Dimitrios Manolakis, Spyros Prois, Vasilios Meimaris, Dimitrios Loucagos Sunday School Directors------------------ Ioannis Moutstatsos & Cassandra Chamallas (Associate) Sunday School Teachers----Charles Chamallas, Pat Magoufis, Loula Boretos, Despina Bouboulis, Eleni Terzakis, Marianna Terzakis, Popi Moustakas, Eleftheria Horiatis, Alex Athanasiou, Mary Kandaras, Ioannis Moutsatsos, Harry Kandaras, Maria Anamateros, Valerie Relias, Mary Tsihlis, Cassandra Chamallas, Demi Tsitsopoulos, Nick Pantazopoulos, Philip Halikias, Katerina Ioakimidis, George Makredes, Annalise Paganis Greek School Director-------------------Fr. Nicholas M. Kastanas Greek School Teachers --- Popi Moustakas, Vaia Palla-Siarkos, Eleni Kosmidis, Evi Sotiropoulos Little Halos Day School Director------------Kaiti Galanopoulos Little Halos Day School Teachers-------Argiro Nikoletos, Eleni MalliouTrihakis, Despina Bouboulis, Alexandra Gerouki, Vaia Palla-Siarkos, Evi Sotiropoulos, Nektaria Boustris, Ronni Olitsky, Stelios Karaminas, Voula Manousos Little Halos Day School Parent/Teacher Consultant-----------Dr. Anastasia Galanopoulos Greek School PTO---Doxy Stefanidis, Betty Dakopoulos, Tanya Stamoulis, Tina Christodouleas G.O.Y.A.: President-------------------------------Demi Tsitsopoulos J.O.Y. & H.O.P.E: --------------------Athina Reisopoulos & Sophia Loyack Young Adults---------------------------------------Dimitrios Loucagos Fifties Plus: Committee-------------------------------Tina Caramanis, Aphrodite Darris, Katina Ioakimidis, Irene Paleologos, Dorothy Zevitas, Katherine Zevitas, Crystal Roussos, Elaine Dalaklis Pine Street Inn---Randy Fassas, Merope Kapetanakis, Irene Paleologos Gardening Ministry ----------------------------- S. Nicholas Kriketos had taken place was not drunkenness, but the fulfilment of God's promise that had been spoken by the Prophet Joel: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that I shall pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy" (Joel 2:28), and he preached Jesus of Nazareth unto them, proving in many ways that He is Christ the Lord, Whom the Jews crucified but God raised from the dead. On hearing Peter's teaching, many were smitten with compunction and received the word. Thus, they were baptized, and on that day about three thousand souls were added to the Faith of Christ. Such, therefore, are the reasons for today's feast: the coming of the All-holy Spirit into the world, the completion of the Lord Jesus Christ's promise, and the fulfilment of the hope of the sacred disciples, which we celebrate today. This is the final feast of the great mystery and dispensation of God's incarnation. On this last, and great, and saving day of Pentecost, the Apostles of the Saviour, who were unlearned fishermen, made wise now of a sudden by the Holy Spirit, clearly and with divine authority spoke the heavenly doctrines. They became heralds of the truth and teachers of the whole world. On this day they were ordained and began their apostleship, of which the salvation of those three thousand souls in one day was the comely and marvellous first fruit. Some erroneously hold that Pentecost is the "birthday of the Church." But this is not true, for the teaching of the holy Fathers is that the Church existed before all other things. In the second vision of The Shepherd of Hermas we read: "Now brethren, a revelation was made unto me in my sleep by a youth of exceeding fair form, who said to me, 'Whom thinkest thou the aged woman, from whom thou receivedst the book, to be?' I say, 'The Sibyl.' 'Thou art wrong,' saith he, 'she is not.' 'Who then is she?' I say. 'The Church,' saith he. I said unto him, 'Wherefore then is she aged?' 'Because,' saith he, 'she was created before all things; therefore is she aged, and for her sake the world was framed."' Saint Gregory the Theologian also speaks of "the Church of Christ ... both before Christ and after Christ" (PG 35:1108-9). Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus writes, "The Catholic Church, which exists from the ages, is revealed most clearly in the incarnate advent of Christ" (PG 42:640). Saint John Damascene observes, "The Holy Catholic Church of God, therefore, is the assembly of the holy Fathers, Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Evangelists, and Martyrs who have been from the very beginning, to whom were added all the nations who believed with one accord" (PG 96, 1357c). According to Saint Gregory the Theologian, "The Prophets established the Church, the Apostles conjoined it, and the Evangelists set it in order" (PG 35, 589 A). The Church existed from the creation of the Angels, for the Angels came into existence before the creation of the world, and they have always been members of the Church. Saint Clement, Bishop of Rome, says in his second epistle to the Corinthians, the Church "was created before the sun and moon"; and a little further on, "The Church existeth not now for the first time, but hath been from the beginning" (II Cor. 14).That which came to pass at Pentecost, then, was the ordination of the Apostles, the commencement of the apostolic preaching to the nations, and the inauguration of the priesthood of the new Israel. Saint Cyril of Alexandria says that "Our Lord Jesus Christ herein ordained the instructors and teachers of the world and the stewards of His divine Mysteries ... showing together with the dignity of Apostleship, the incomparable glory of the authority given them ... Revealing them to be splendid with the great dignity of the Apostleship and showing them forth as both stewards and priests of the divine altars . . . they became fit to initiate others through the enlightening guidance of the Holy Spirit" (PG 74, 708-712). Saint Gregory Palamas says, "Now, therefore ... the Holy Spirit descended ... showing the Disciples to be supernal luminaries ... and the distributed grace of the Divine Spirit came through the ordination of the Apostles upon their successors" (Homily 24, 10). And Saint Sophronius, Bishop of 2 Jerusalem, writes, "After the visitation of the Comforter, the Apostles became high priests" (PG 87, 3981B). Therefore, together with the baptism of the Holy Spirit which came upon them who were present in the upper chamber, which the Lord had foretold as recorded in the Acts, "ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence" (Acts 1:5), the Apostles were also appointed and raised to the high priestly rank, according to Saint John Chrysostom (PG 60, 21). On this day commenced the celebration of the Holy Eucharist by which we become "partakers of the Divine Nature" (II Peter 1:4). For before Pentecost, it is said of the Apostles and disciples only that they abode in "prayer and supplication" (Acts 1:14); it is only after the coming of the Holy Spirit that they persevered in the "breaking of bread,"that is, the communion of the Holy Mysteries-"and in prayer" (Acts 2:42). The feast of holy Pentecost, therefore, determined the beginning of the priesthood of grace, not the beginning of the Church. Henceforth, the Apostles proclaimed the good tidings "in country and town," preaching and baptizing and appointing shepherds, imparting the priesthood to them whom they judged were worthy to minister, as Saint Clement writes in his first Epistle to the Corinthians (I Cor. 42) (From the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America) Discipleship On the 29th of June, we celebrate the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul in the Greek Orthodox Church. This ecclesiastical and liturgical celebration recognizes the spiritual leadership of two disciples and apostles: St. Peter, the leader of the twelve original leaders, and St. Paul, the great Hebrew statesman who initially persecuted Christians, yet, through a direct encounter with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, he becomes the “Great Apostle to the Gentiles” (the idol worshipping Greeks) St. Peter was a fisherman by trade who went on to be “a fisherman of men’s souls.” He was married and was also known as Simon and, or, Cephas. The New Testament word for disciple is “mathitis.” The Greek term for Apostle is apostolos. Mathitis literally means student; someone who learns from someone else. “Apostolos” references a person who is sent out into the world by someone, and is on a mission. Thus, we come to the fuller understanding that the 11 (minus Judas who betrayed Christ) followed Christ, learned from Him, were nurtured by our Lord, and, inevitably, were strengthened and empowered to go out into the world Baptizing all people in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The message for us, of discipleship is strong and true. We are to learn from our Lord’s teachings as an ongoing testimony of faith and education. Like the Disciples themselves, we are invited and challenged to learn and “grow in the Spirit” so that we too may accept and act (faith and works) on the guidance of Christ: “When I was hungry, you fed, me; when I was naked, you clothed me; when I was homeless, you sheltered me; when I was lonely, you visited me; when I was sick, you comforted me; when I was in prison, you visited me.” Everything is a choice: We should not act passively when it comes to discipleship. We must take up the charge to be proactive in our response to the Lord. As we celebrate the Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul, as well as the Feast of the Convocation of all the Apostles on June 30th, let us fast and pray. Let us “fight the good fight” as St. Paul writes warding off the “forces of evil”… Let us in every way become the “laos tou Theou,” “the people of God.” May our actions reflect our words in every way. Amin Fr. Nicholas M. Kastanas 3 News and Announcements Sunday Catechetical Church School Our Church is made of ‘Living Stones’. What does this mean? I explore this topic every year with my 5th grade students as we build our final class room project, a Church made of pictures of students, parents, Fr. Nick, and the people that are our Church family. Once we finish the project, I ask them what do they think would happen if we were to start removing each of their faces from the Church. They understand that the Church would crumble and fall. Let us also reflect on this topic as our children and children of all ages make life transitions. Some will get promoted to the next grade level, some will graduate highschool or college, some will just get their driver’s license, some will go out into the world, to learn, perform community service, train and start discovering the world on their own. Our St. Athanasius Orthodox Church family prays that even after these transitions, our children continue to be a vibrant part of the living structure that we call Church. Even when they are away they can remain spiritually vibrant and alive by remaining connected to Christ and His Church, in the same way that the branches of the vine in my yard can reach far away and cover my entire deck and still be vibrant because they all still connect to the same vine. There is no better way to reinforce this message than us parents staying a ‘living stone’ in our Church. The Catechetical Sunday School Commencement Sunday was celebrated on May 22nd, the last Sunday before the Memorial day holiday. We congratulate our tenth grade graduates and the children who were recognized for their exceptional Divine Liturgy and Catechetical School attendance. Marc, Lily, William and Alex and their families are an inspiration for us all young and old! Finally, please, join me in extending a heartfelt THANK YOU to the over twenty individuals that served our Catechetical Sunday School as teachers and assistants this past year. They represent one of the most faithful and dedicated group of people I have ever worked with. Our children are blessed to be guided in their Christian Orthodox journey by them. We pray that God keeps students, teachers, our beloved Fr. Nick and all you in His care through the summer months. Relax, recharge and enjoy! 4 News and Announcements ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The 2016 Metropolis of Boston Laity Awards Honoree from our St. Athanasius Parish We are blessed this year to have as the honoree from our Parish Dr. Ioannis Moutsatsos who will be feted on Sunday, June 12th, 2016 at the annual Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston Laity Awards Banquet to be held at Lombardo's (700+ people). AXIOS! AXIOS! AXIOS! 5 News and Announcements GOYA Hello GOYAns! Xristos Anesti! This month we partook in a Lock-In where members of our GOYA joined together with Father Nick for a Holy Week Bible Session. We also played games and ate Lenten Food, and afterwords had a church sleepover! In the morning we woke up and attended church service for the Saturday of Lazarus, and shortly after made palms for Palm Sunday. This was truly an empowering and bonding experience that we all thoroughly enjoyed. We would like to thank all of the chaperones as well as Borislav who attends Hellenic College and assisted in our wonderful activities.Furthermore, we handed out beautiful roses to all of the wonderful mothers of our parish for Mothers Day. We are all blessed to have such wonderful people in our community and we can all attest to how much we appreciate all that our mothers do for us. We also participated in a Spy Pond Clean Up! Many members of our GOYA came together to beautify Spy Pond and help recycle and clean up garbage. We also hosted coffee hour this month! As the year is coming to a close, we are looking forward to all of our end of the year activities! Thank you, Mary Kandaras 6 News and Announcements 7 Philoptochos Congratulations to all of our graduates! High School: Yiannis Bouboulis, Marina Dardati, Eleftheria Horiatis, Katerina Ioakimidis, Eleni Anastasia Kanellias, Sophia Kyrou, Annalise Paganis, Kimonas Pagounes, Othanas Pagounes, Demetri Stefanidis, Dimitra Tsitsopoulos. College: Helena Awad, Yianni Dres, Irene Maradianos, Demetri Sotiropoulos. The Philoptochos is proud to say we have met all of our National and Metropolis obligations for the year. We thank all of you for your generosity and kind hearts for helping us to fulfill our mission. We welcome all of you to participate in any way than you can in this philanthropic organization. We look forward to seeing you at our next general assembly this Fall. Feel free to contact me with any question or suggestions Irene Kalogeris, president [email protected] The Philoptochos wishes you and your family a wonderful and safe Summer! Please consider donating a $10 Stop & Shop gift card for the homeless and needy. The cards can be dropped off in the church office. 8 Day Trip to Plimoth Plantation Sponsored by the Fifties Plus Ministry Tuesday, June 21, 2016 $50 per person includes Transportation to Plymouth Admission to Plimoth Plantation Lunch not included Bus leaves at 9:00am 10:30am tour of Plymouth Plantation 1:00pm lunch at Anna's Harborside Grille on Plymouth Harbor 2:30pm free time to visit Plymouth Rock and The Mayflower 4:00pm Leave Plymouth 5:00pm Arrive in Arlington For Reservations please call: Irene Paleologos - 781.396.3755 Katherine Zevitas - 617.484.6817 Space is limited (27 passengers) 9 10 TRADITION: 50-year Greek recipes unite generations Last Updated: Sunday, 29 May 2016 07:31 | Published: Saturday, 28 May 2016 10:04 | | | Hits: 654 How St. Athanasius' women prepare for annual festival Members of the Philoptochos Society work together to bring you kalourakia. Story, photos: Aileen Maroney Buttery scents of pastry wafted from the St. Athanasius Hall in late May, signaling the arrival of the annual Greek festival. For the four-day festival, the church's St. Barbara's Philoptochos "friends of the poor" Society will bake more than 1,200 pastries. Earlier in the week, the society's older members invited younger ones to gather in the church basement and help organize and prepare the delectable desserts for this year's celebratory fund-raiser. "The young mothers are here to help, and we are having a mentoring session," said Stella Kazantzas, a society member and the parish secretary. "We are getting older, and there is a great need in the Greek church across the U.S. for young people to be involved. "It is about mothers and grandmas learning in a cooperative environment. We would like to show them how to organize, bake and cook on a grand scale, how to mass-produce and the division of labor that goes into it when we work together." The scene as women work More than a dozen women gathered around a huge bowl working in rhythm to the nearby strum of an instructor's guitar and the patter of afternoon Greek school students practicing a circle dance. Late-afternoon sun seeped through stained-glass windows illuminating the women, sleeves rolled, filling multiple greased cookie sheets with koulourakia, orange-flavored butter cookies. The younger society members participate in the church's various ministries and educational divisions: Greek school PTO mothers, the Little Halo preschool program mothers and Greek Orthodox of Youth America mothers. While kneading dough, Tanya Stamoulis, a Greek school PTO mother of a 7-year-old shared her reason for participating in the mentoring session. "I came out of Greek guilt," she joked, smiling at the surrounding women before sharing. "The ladies here have worked so many years at the festival. If we don’t learn now, we never will." 11 The women stretched and sculpted the dough into braids and circles. They brushed the pastry with egg wash to ensure a shiny golden brown finish before popping the cookies into the oven. Here or there, they spoke a sentence in Greek. The women joked over the varied family recipes for koulourakia -- whether the cookies tasted better seasoned with orange or lemon and whether a sesame seed garnish enhanced the cookie. "Everyone has their own twist on the recipe," said Kazantzas, laughing. Perfect dunking She noted that the baking soda gives the koulourakia an airy and fluffy texture, making for a perfect dunking cookie. In Kazantzas' household, the koulourakia are made for special occasions, including Easter and Thanksgiving. Once baked, they are kept out of reach and sight so as to deter the sweet tooths in the family from feasting before the holidays. "We would keep these cookies on a high shelf," she said, laughing. The generational ties are important. And grandmas are important in Greek culture. My grandma helped in raising us." - Stella Kazantzas Kazantzas, who grew up in Cambridge and Arlington, said food plays a big role in Greek culture and family. She remembers she and her four siblings helping her mom and grandmother make roast chicken, egg lemon soup and stuffed grape leaves for Sunday afternoon dinners that would feed an extended family of 14. "The generational ties are important," she said. "And grandmas are important in Greek culture. My grandma helped in raising us." Grandmothers will be among those serving Greek delicacies at this weekend's festival. The home-cooked menu features pastitsio, moussaka, dolmathes, spanakopita, Greek salad as well as gyros and souvlaki wraps from the grill that can be paired with Greek wines and beers from the bar and soft drinks. While dining, attendees can tune into the disk jockey's Greek playlists and live music from a weekend lineup of Greek bands, featuring the native beats of the clarinet, drums, bouzouki and mandolin. Festivalgoers of all ages can watch or join the lively kalamatiano, Greek circle dancing happening center stage. Those interested in a sweet ending can venture to the pastry table for a koulourakia and a cup of coffee or other dessert. Besides koulourakia, the Philoptochos Society will also serve homemade melomakarona (honey-cake cookies), kourambiedes (butter cookies with powdered sugar), baklava and more, available singly or packaged. 50th-anniversary cookbook For those who want to try their hand at Greek cooking and baking, the St. Athanasius 50th-anniversary cookbook, Manna from Heaven, contains parishioner’s recipes and will also be available for sale. Taking a break from mixing eggs and sugar in the kitchen, Katina Ioakimidis unfolded and shared the typewritten recipe for koulourakia that the church has used for more than 50 years. Ioakimidis immigrated to Arlington from Salonia, north of Athens, and joined St. Athanasius Church and the Philoptochos Society in the 1960s. She is looking forward to hosting the festival this weekend alongside parishioners. "We would like to show the community our hospitality and friendliness," she said. The St. Athanasius Greek Orthodox Church Greek Festival will take place in the big tent along Appleton Place from Thursday, June 2, through Sunday, June 5. For more information, visit http://arlingtonfestival.com/. This feature story was published Saturday, May 28, 2016. 12 The Arlington Advocate PHOTOS: Making baklava for the St. Athanasius Greek Festival Congregation members make baklava on Tuesday, May 24, 2016 for the St. Athanasius Greek Festival. 13 14 June 2016 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday 1 Wine/Oil Allowed Thursday 2 Fast Free Greek Festival! Fish Allowed………………. 6 12 Summer Hours 13 26 Summer Hours Orthros 8 Divine Liturgy 27 9:15-10:30 Adult Greek Dancing:8pm Memorial: +Maria Koufos Baptism 1:30 Dimitri John (Ioannis) Bouboulis 15 14 GREEK FESTIVAL 2016! GREEK FESTIVAL 2016! 11am-10pm 8 Apodosis of PaschaTaking Leave of the Easter Celebration Orthros 8 Divine Liturgy 9-10 9 THE ASCENSION Orthros 8 Divine Liturgy 9-10am 10 Festival Appreciation Dinner 6 pm 15 11am-10pm 11 11am Baptism Baby Athanasios McCloskey 3pm Baptism Ioannis Giorgios Robinson 16 17 18 Saturday of the Souls Psychosavvato Orthros 8 Divine Liturgy 9-10:15 Great Vespers 4:30-5 23 Iconography General Assembly 7pm 24 Wedding Rehearsal at the Seminary 3pm 25 12 pm Memorial: +Constantina Kasfikis Philoptochos Going to Vin Bin…leaving Church 5 pm Adult Greek Dancing:8pm 20 Monday of the Holy Spirit Orthros 8 Divine Liturgy 9-10am Memorial:+Helen Ziavras 4 No Vespers Service 19 HOLY PENTECOST! Happy Father’s Day! Summer Hours Orthros 8 Divine Liturgy 9:15-10:50 Dimitrakis Scholarship Award Baptism 2pm Pine St. Inn 5pm Memorial:+Nicholas Pithis 7 Bible Study in English 7:15-8:30pm Saturday 3 5-9pm 5 Summer Hours Orthros 8 Divine Liturgy 9:15-10:30 GREEK FESTIVAL 2016! 11-8PM Wedding in Nashua, NH 3pm (Karafotias) Orthros 8 Divine Liturgy 9:15-10:30 Memorial: +Panagiotis Karidis Memorial: +Kyriaki Stratakis Baptism 1pm Baby Ioannis Magoufis Baptism 2 children 3:30 Laity Awards Banquet 5:30 Friday 21 Fifties Plus Day trip to Plymouth 9-5 22 Parish Council Meeting 7pm Adult Greek Dancing:8pm 3pm Wedding @ the Seminary Spiros Kesaris & Jessica Weisberger No Vespers Service 28 29Saints Peter and Paul Orthros 8 Divine Liturgy 9-10 30The SyanaxisCelebration of all the Apostles Orthros 8 Divine Liturgy 9-10 Ιούνιος 2016 Κυριακή Δευτέρα Τρίτη Τετάρτη Πέμπτη Παρασκευή Σάββατο Δείπνο Εκτίμηση για το Πανηγύρι 6μμ Φιλοπτοχου Εκδρομη στο Βιν Μνιν…Φευγουμε από Εκκλησια 5μμ Ανω Πενηντα Ταξιδι στο Πληνοθ: 9πμ – 5μμ Εικονογραφία Προβα Γαμου: 3μμ Μνημόσυνο: 12μμ Κωνσταντίνα Κασφικης ΚυριακήΣτρατάκης Μνημόσυνο: + Ελένη Ζιάβρας Μνημόσυνο: + Μαρία Κουφός 16 St. Athanasius Stewardship Roll of Honor for 2016 Contributions as of May 15, 2016 THANK YOU! Your continued Love and Support make our many ministries possible ΣΑΣ ΕΥΧΑΡΙΣΤΟΥΜΕ! Η αγάπη και η υποστήριξη σας στηρίζουν τις πολλές διακονίες της εκκλησίας μας George & Sophia Afouxenides Mr. Nicholas Afouxenides Mr. Peter Afouxenides Evgenia Aggouras Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Aggouras Elaine M. Alexis Mr. & Mrs. Charles Anamateros Mr. & Mrs. Harry Anamateros Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Anargirou Joseph & Potoula Angelakis Sotirios & Constantina Angelakis Mr. & Mrs. Peter Antonakas Mr. & Mrs. George Antonopoulos Athanasios & Angela Arvanitis Jonathan & Thea Athanas George & Lena Athanasiadis Pavlos & Danielle Athanasiadis Mr. & Mrs. Alexander Athanasiou Karim & Jane Awad Mr. & Mrs. George Baltatzidis Ms. Maria Bandouveres Mr. & Mrs. Drew Bililies Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Bilis Mr. & Mrs. Stefanos Bilis Mrs. Eleftheria Bolanos Mrs. Kyriaki Bolender Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Bonos Ekaterini Bouboulis Mihail S. Bouboulis Mr. & Mrs. Stefanos Bouboulis Mr. Georgios I. Bouboulis I.Bouboulis & A. Giakoumis Mrs. Irene Boulas Mrs. Nicole Boulas Konstadinos & Gina Bourikas Mr. & Mrs. Vassilios Bourikas Dr.David & Tina Bowling Stella and Richard Cahn Ms. Katina Caramanis Mr. & Mrs. Paul Cardarelli Steven & Fatima Ceppi Mr. & Mrs. James Chalapatas Cassandra Chamallas Charles & Lynne Chamallas Christina Chamallas Diamond Chamallas Mr. David Charpie Neil & Maria Kleftis Chesler Mrs. Kiki Chrisafis Nicholas & Betsy Christinakis Anastasios & Eleni Christophilos 17 Mr. & Mrs. Elias Christopoulos Mr. & Mrs. Alex Chrysanthopoulos Mrs. Jean Cicalis Mrs. Zoe Colt Ms. Georgia Contes Mr & Mrs C. Courduvelis Mr. & Mrs. Konstantinos & Leah Dafoulas Mr. & Mrs. Roger Daigel Mr. & Mrs. Menelaos Dalaklis Mrs. Elaine Dalaklis Mr. & Mrs. George Dardonis Ms. Katherine Darris Nicholas & Aphrodite Darris Mr. Vasileios Daskalopoulos Mr. & Mrs. Dorothy & Gioseppe Deblasi Adam & Mercy Deleidi Ms. Christiana Dellellis George & Joanne Delyani Athanasios & Voula Demopoulos Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Dennison Robert & Stephanie Devasto Mr. & Mrs. Robert & Thespena Devito Andrea & Aikaterini Dinis Brian & Dede Downey Maria Dubrowski Stephen& Kim Edmonds George & Thea Eliopoulos Mr. & Mrs. Alex & Jilliane Eliopoulos Mr. & Mrs. Theodore Eliopoulos Kathryn G. Elios Demetre Evangelinellis Mr. & Mrs. Gregory Evangelis Ms. Christine Fassas Mr. & Mrs. Steve Fell Mr. Justin Fico Andrew & Pelagia Fotopulos John & Joanne Francis Mr. John Gagalis Mr. & Mrs. Vasilios Galanopoulos H. Galanopoulos & M. Dardati Kosta and Fotini Gavrielidis Mr. & Mrs. James Geanakos Mr. & Mrs. Harry Gennis Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Gennis Mr. & Mrs. Costas Georgacopoulos Mr. Taso & Tamara Georgacopoulos Irene Georgakoudi Mr. & Mrs. Gregory Georgelis Mr. & Mrs. Steven Georgopoulos Mrs. Garyfallia Georgoulis Mrs. Evangeline Gianocostas James & Victoria Giosmas Mr. & Mrs. James Gogos Mr. & Mrs. Martin Gorman III Mr. & Mrs. Margaritta Grimes Mr. & Mrs. George Hatziconstani Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Hatzikostanti Mrs. Maria Hatziliadis Mr. & Mrs. Demetrios Hatziyannis Barbara & Leonard J. Henson Crystal Iakovou Yianni & Tanya Iliadis Haralambos& Eleni Iliopoulos Christos Ioakimidis John & Althea Ioakimidis Mr. & Mrs. Constantinos Ioakimidis Stavros & Katina Ioakimidis Mr. & Mrs. Nelson & Corry Irias John & Martha Jefferson Constantine & Susanna Joannidis Mr. & Mrs. Christos Kakambouras John & Irene Kalogeris James & Courtney Kaloyanidis Gregory & Helen Kandaras Mr. & Mrs. Michael Kanellias Corina Kapetanakis Mr.& Mrs. Constantine Kapetanakis Mr. & Mrs. George Kapodistrias Mrs. Katherine Karagianis Atha & Stephanie Karasoulos Anna Karelas Bill & Jessica Karras Mr. & Mrs. Nick Karras Fr. Nicholas and Presv.Litsa Kastanas Mr. Mikael Kastanas Mr. & Mrs. Elias Katsos Steven & Shara Katsos Alice Kefalas Jaime M. (Speros) & David Kelly Mr. & Mrs. Stavros Kesaris Spiros Kesaris Stathis & Angela Kesaris Mrs. Aphrodite Kleftis Christopher & Nicky Kokoras Vihren & Rositsa Kolev Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas J. Kolias Mr. & Mrs. George Kolokithas Mr. Dimitrios Kolokithas Mr. & Mrs. George Kombouras Mrs. Katherine Kombouras Mr. & Mrs. Konstantina Kondilis Nick & Vicki Konstandakis Ms. Vasiliki Kontakos Mr. & Mrs. Perikles Kontalipos Ms. Katerina Korfias Mr. & Mrs. John Korifas John & Evdoxia Korovilas Mr. & Mrs. Demetrios & Eleni Kosmidis Mr. & Mrs. Michail Kosmidis Alexandria Kostopoulos Paula Kostopoulos Fico Costas & Eleni Koudanis Ms Jenny Koulouris Ms Susan L. Koulouris Evangelos & Athena Koutroukas Katherine Kriketos Mr. S. Nicholas Kriketos II Evmorfilli Kyridis Nicholas Lambrou Mrs. Effie Legatos Mr. & Mrs. Gregory Leonardos N. Leonardos & R. Chandonnet Ellen Leotsakos Mr. & Mrs. Efstratios Liakos Alexander & Loula Loukeris John Macaris & Fotini Patsiocostas Mr. & Mrs. Macleod Mr. & Mrs. Vasilios Makrakis Charles & Despina Makredes George & Leona Makredes Mr. Gary & Tatiana Makredes Panagiotis & Kalliopi Mamounas Zannis & Angeliki Mamounas Peter & Elaine Manners Dimitris & Anna Manolakis Vasiliki Manousos Evangelos & Despina Maradianos Melanie I. Marken Demitrios & Pauline Mastorakos Sandra Mastorakos Mr. & Mrs. Maria Matos Mr. & Mrs. John McCloskey Anthoula & Georgio Meimaris Emmanuel & Eleni Meimaris Pavlos & Eleni Meimaris Dennis & Elaine Melahouris Nicholas Melahouris Mark & Carolyn Miminos Peter & Kathy Mirogiannis Margaret Mitropoulos Tessie Mitropoulos Anastasios Moshonisiou Mr. & Mrs. Leo & Niki Mourmoutis Mr. & Mrs. George Moustakas Dr.Ioannis & Angela Moutsatsos Mrs. Katina Muksuris Robert & Marea Mullen Thomas Nanopoulos Kalliope Nicholas Hope Orfanos Theofanis & Christine Orfanos James & Joanne Pagounes Mrs. Irene Paleologos William Pananos Mr.Costa Papadimitris Arthur Papas Mary Pappas Mr. & Mrs. John Pappas Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Pappas George & Panagiota Paras Elias & Olga Patoucheas John & Maria Pavlidis Nicolaos & Evangelia Perhanidis Mr. Patrick Shaugnnessy & Mrs. Erica Petnes Mr. Philip Petrides Constantinos Philips Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Phillips Haralambos & Panagiota Phillos Joanne E. Piandes Mr. & Mrs. Eleftherios Piandes Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Pithis Ms. Florence Pollock Charles & Jeannie Poulakidas Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Pourakis Mrs. Eleanor Profis Mr. Steven Prois Spyridon Prois Mr. & Mrs. Paul Protopapas Ms Valerie Relias Anastasia Roache Mr. Jorge E. Rodriguez Peter & Soula Rogaris Crystal Roussos Mr. & Mrs. James Sakorafos John & Joanne Salogiannis Michael Savas Joseph and Maryanne Senna Anthony & Elaine Sgouros Mr. & Mrs. Harry Shuris Mrs. Betty Shushan Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Skambas Paul & Maria Skambas Mr. & Mrs. Dimitrios Skourides Costas & Gianoula Skouridis Mr. & Mrs. Panagiotis Sofronas Anthony & Despina Speros Mr.&Mrs. N. Splagounias Family Mrs. Angelina Stamas Mr. & Mrs. Stefanos Stamides Mr. & Mrs. Michael Stangas Mr. & Mrs. Peter Stanitsas Ms. Georgia Stathopoulos Dimitrios & Fotini Stefanis George & Rodanthi Stratakis Irini Stylianou Mr. & Mrs. Giannis Suitlitsas Mr. & Mrs. Alex & Heather Taoultsides Mary Tashjian Ms Diane M. Tashjian Christos Terzakis Mr. & Mrs. Michael Terzakis Mr. & Mrs. Michael Theodore Mr. & Mrs. Paul Theodoulou Emmanuel & Argie Tiliakos Paul & Elaine Tilly Perry A. & Vicky Tingos John W Toulopoulos Stefanos & Maria Tourkomanolis Mr. & Mrs. George Tsakirgis Maria Tsaousidis Mr. & Mrs. Anastasios Tserkonis Vasilios & Argyro Tsiaras Mr. & Mrs. James Tsihlis Mr. & Mrs. Apostolos Tsitsopoulos Mr. & Mrs. George Tsitsopoulos Mr. & Mrs. Theophilos Vallas Mr. & Mrs. John Vankuilenburg Mr. & Mrs. Steven J. Venizelos Ms.Sultana Volaitis Fotini Vosnakis Steven & Kelly Vosnakis Andrew & Anna Voyatzakis Maria & Steven Vasilakis Walker Lazaros & Voula Xanthopoulos Homer & Georgia Ypsilantis Mr. & Mrs. Evan Ypsilantis Ms. Christina Ypsilantis Demetra Zacharakis Mr. & Mrs. Gregory Zacharakis Amalia Zanakos Dorothy Zevitas Mrs. Katherine Zevitas Nickolas Ziavras Menelaos & Elsa Zotos 18 News and Announcements Little Halos During the month of May, Little Halos students were very interested to learn more about farm animals and explore their characteristics. In relation to this unit we visited Drumlin Farm and enjoyed the outdoors as we took a hay ride and observed how farm animals, birds and insects live. We practiced reading and singing many nursery rhymes that involved farm animals and our theme of the great outdoors. The children are practicing for their graduation that will take place on Friday, May 27th at 10am and are very excited! Our Field Day, filled with outdoor games and fun, will be on Monday, May 31st at Kelwyn Manor Park. Many thanks to Mr. Frank Ceppi who invites us to use this private space every year. Our St. Athanasius Little Halos Preschool provides a three-fold program of the English/Greek Language, Hellenic culture, and Greek Orthodox Faith, within a developmental framework of playbased learning for children 2.9-5 years old. Little Halos is licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. For more information and to schedule a tour, please contact: Kaiti Galanopoulos, Director [email protected] – 781-354-9232 19 News and Announcements All aboard and ready for the hayride! Watching the piglets eat and play. Having a chance to play with a real tractor! Trying to get a closer look at the birds! 20 LITTLE HALOS GREEK BILINGUAL DAY PRESCHOOL JOB DESCRIPTION Wanted: Preschool Lead Teacher Little Halos Preschool -- Arlington, MA Do you believe that bilingualism grows smarter and more flexible brains? Do you love inspiring a lifelong love for learning in young children? Then we're looking for you! Little Halos is a growing Greek bilingual preschool program serving children ages 2:9-5. We are looking for educators who speak Greek and are comfortable teaching children Greek Orthodox traditions as well as Hellenic customs, all in the context of developmentally appropriate practice. Requirements Responsible for the care, supervision, and well-being of preschoolers Responsible for lesson planning, curriculum implementation, observation/documentation, parent engagement and communication BA/BS/AAS degree in Early Childhood or related field required; graduate degree preferred Previous experience working with this age group strongly preferred Dedication to the philosophy and goals of the school Dependability and ownership of your role with provision of work-related references Fluency in Greek and English School Operating hours are 8:30am - 3:00pm Benefits Compensation based on experience and educational background Paid school vacations during the academic year; summers off This is an exciting time for Little Halos as our program is flourishing. We are looking to hire teachers and assistants for the upcoming school year 2016-2017. If you are interested in applying for a teaching or an assistant position, please send your CV to [email protected] 21 FELLOWSHIP HOUR Saint Athanasius The Great Faithful parishioners, please come and join us in being a part of our Fellowship Hour, by participating in the process. Bring in a sweet of your choice, a juice of your choice, a can of coffee or coffee cups. I look forward to hearing from you. For further information, please call Eleanor Profis at 781-775-7143. On behalf of our Stewardship Committee, thank you for your love and kind generosity! 22 ΝΥΝ ΤΟ ΠΑΡΑΚΛΗΤΟΝ ΠΝΕΥΜΑ ΕΠΙ ΠΑΣΑΝ ΣΑΡΚΑ ΕΚΚΕΧΥΤΑΙ» Κείμενο: ΛΑΜΠΡΟΣ ΣΚΟΝΤΖΟΣ Θεολόγος – Καθηγητής Η μεγάλη εορτή της Πεντηκοστής, την οποία η Εκκλησία μας εορτάζει και πανηγυρίζει λαμπρά, φέρνει στη σκέψη όλων ημών των πιστών το τρίτο Πρόσωπο της Τριαδικής Θεότητας, το Πνεύμα το Άγιο, τον Παράκλητο κι' αυτό διότι, το Θείο Αυτό Πρόσωπο είναι ο πρωτοστάτης αυτής της εορτής. Η κάθοδός Του στον κόσμο την ευλογημένη εκείνη ημέρα της Πεντηκοστής, στο υπερώο της Ιερουσαλήμ (Πράξ.2:1) σήμανε μια νέα εποχή για την πορεία του κόσμου και την ιστορία της σωτηρίας του ανθρωπίνου γένους. Για τον πολύ κόσμο και δυστυχώς και για πολλούς πιστούς ο Κύριος και Θεός μας Άγιον Πνεύμα είναι o «μεγάλος άγνωστος» και λίαν δυσχερής η κατανόησή Του. Δεν είναι άμοιρη ευθυνών, βεβαίως, η δυτικής εμπνεύσεως εικονογραφία της Αγίας Τριάδος, η οποία παρουσιάζει τον Θεό Παράκλητο με τη απαράδεκτη πτηνομορφική παράσταση, με συνέπεια να μην εκλαμβάνεται Αυτός, από τους μη έχοντας θεολογική παιδεία και εκκλησιαστική συνείδηση, ως θείον Πρόσωπο, αλλά ως μια απλή συμβολική παράσταση κάποιας αφηρημένης δυνάμεως του Θεού. Επί τη ευκαιρία είναι ανάγκη, η εν λόγω εικονική παράσταση της Αγίας Τριάδος να αποσυρθεί από την ορθόδοξο λατρεία και να αντικατασταθεί από την συμβολική παράσταση των τριών αγγελικών μορφών, της Φιλοξενίας του Αβραάμ. Αυτή είναι η γνήσια ορθόδοξη εικονογράφηση του Τριαδικού Θεού. Το Άγιον Πνεύμα δεν είναι κάποια απρόσωπη δύναμη του Θεού, όπως βλάσφημα δίδασκαν και διδάσκουν οι ανά τους αιώνες πνευματομάχοι αιρετικοί. Είναι το τρίτο πρόσωπο της Αγίας Τριάδος, Θεός αληθινός, διότι μετέχει της θείας ουσίας ισότιμα με τον Πατέρα και τον Υιό. Είναι επίσης πρόσωπο αληθινό, προσωπικότητα ενσυνείδητη, έχοντας τη δική Του υποστατική ιδιότητα, η οποία Τον καθιστά ξεχωριστή και μοναδική προσωπικότητα, χωρίς να συγχέεται με τα άλλα πρόσωπα της Θεότητος. Σύμφωνα με την βιβλική διδασκαλία, η οποία κατανοήθηκε ορθώς μόνο μέσα στην Εκκλησία, το προσωπικό υποστατικό ιδίωμα του Κυρίου Παρακλήτου, τον Οποίο τον καθιστά μοναδικό, είναι η αϊδια εκπόρευσή Του από τον Πατέρα. Η αιρετική προσθήκη από την παπική ετεροδοξία της διδασκαλίας της εκ και του Υιού εκπορεύσεώς Του (Filioque), αποτελεί σοβαρή εκτροπή από την βιβλική και αγιοπατερική διδασκαλία της αρχέγονης Εκκλησίας και ανατροπή της χριστιανικής πίστεως περί υποστατικών ιδιωμάτων των Θείων Προσώπων της Αγίας Τριάδος. Η φράγκικη αυτή σοβαρή κακοδοξία, η οποία ενσωματώθηκε αυθαίρετα στο Σύμβολο της Πίστεως το 1019, από την παπική εκκλησία και έγινε πίστη της, αποτελεί την κυριότερη αιτία του σχίσματος του 1054 και το σοβαρότερο σημείο τριβής των σχέσεων της Ανατολικής Ορθοδόξου Εκκλησίας και του παπισμού. Δεν θα πρέπει να ξεχνάμε πως οι Δυτικοί εμάς τους ορθοδόξους μας θεωρούν αιρετικούς, διότι απορρίπτουμε την διδασκαλία του Filioque! Οι μετά το σχίσμα Πατέρες, Ομολογητές και Διδάσκαλοι της Εκκλησίας μας, με προεξάρχοντες τον Άγιο Γρηγόριο τον Παλαμά, τον Άγιο Μάρκο Εφέσου τον Ευγενικό, τον Γεώργιο Σχολάριο και άλλους πολλούς, έδωσαν τιτάνιους αγώνες κατά αυτής της αιρετικής διδασκαλίας, διότι θεωρήθηκε ως μια ακόμα σοβαρή τριαδολογική κακοδοξία, η οποία βεβηλώνει (το σχετικώς αποκεκαλυμένο) μυστήριο της υπάρξεως του Τριαδικού Θεού. Επιγραμματικά αναφέρουμε ότι η αιρετική πίστη του Filioque καταργεί την μοναρχία της Θεότητος και δημιουργεί δύο αρχές στην Αγία Τριάδα. Συγχέει το προσωπικό υποστατικό ιδίωμα του Πατρός, περί της εκπορεύσεως του Πνεύματος, με αυτό του Υιού και υποβιβάζει τη θέση του Αγίου Πνεύματος, ως προς την ισότιμη ύπαρξή Του στη Θεότητα, ως δήθεν πρόσωπο υπηρετούντος την θέληση του Πατρός και του Υιού! Αυτό σημαίνει ότι η κακοδοξία αυτή, η οποία δυστυχώς συντηρείται επιδεικτικά από τους παπικούς, έχει τεράστιες σωτηριολογικές επιπτώσεις στο ανθρώπινο γένος και αποτελεί το σημαντικότερο εμπόδιο επαναπροσέγγισης Ορθοδοξίας και δυτικών ετεροδόξων. Το Άγιον Πνεύμα ήταν πάντοτε παρόν, μαζί με τα άλλα δύο Θεία Πρόσωπα της Τριάδος, στην διαδικασία της δημιουργίας του κόσμου και την επεργασία της σωτηρίας του ανθρωπίνου γένους. « Πνεύμα Κυρίου πεπλήρωκε την οικουμένην» (Σοφ.Σολ.1:7). Είναι το Πνεύμα του Θεού (Ματθ.12:28), το Οποίο επισκιάζει, διαπερνά και ζωογονεί τα πάντα. Τακτοποιεί και ωραιοποιεί την δημιουργία του Θεού. «Εξαποστελείς το πνεύμα σου, και κτισθήσονται, και ανακαινιείς το πρόσωπον της γης» αναφωνεί ο ψαλμωδός (Ψαλμ.103:30). Το « Πνεύμα του Κυρίου» (Πράξ.5:9) μεταμορφώνει ανθρώπινες προσωπικότητες της προχριστιανικής αρχαιότητος ώστε να γίνουν όργανα της θείας βουλήσεως για την σωτηρία του ανθρωπίνου γένους, όπως οι 23 προφήτες, οι οποίοι έγιναν οι διαμηνυτές του θελήματος του Θεού στον κόσμο (Πράξ.28:25,Εβρ.1:1). Η ενανθρώπιση του Υιού και Λόγου του Θεού έγινε τη συνεργεία του Αγίου Πνεύματος. « Πνεύμα Άγιον επελεύσεται επί σε και δύναμις υψίστου επισκιάσει σοι» (Λουκ.1:35) ανήγγειλε ο αρχάγγελος Γαβριήλ στην Θεοτόκο τη στιγμή του Ευαγγελισμού Της και « Το γαρ εν αυτή (τη Παρθένω) γεννηθέν εκ Πνεύματος εστίν Αγίου» (Ματθ.1:20) διαβεβαίωσε ο άγγελος Κυρίου στον Ιωσήφ. Το Άγιον Πνεύμα αναπαύεται στο Χριστό (Ησ.61:1), παρίσταται στην Βάπτισή Του για την επιβεβαίωση της μεσσιανικής Του ιδιότητος (Ματθ.3:15). Τον στηρίζει ως άνθρωπο στο έργο της σωτηρίας του κόσμου (Ματθ.4:1). Μέσω του Πνεύματος του Κυρίου ευαγγελίζεται τους πτωχούς, ιατρεύει τους ασθενείς, κηρύσσει την ελευθερία στους αιχμαλώτους και δίνει την ανάβλεψη των τυφλών (Λουκ.4:18). « Εν Πνεύματι Θεού» διώχνει τα δαιμόνια (Ματθ.12:28). Το Άγιο Πνεύμα είναι ο σύνδεσμός Του με τον Πατέρα (Λουκ.10:21). Ο Παράκλητος, « το Πνεύμα της αληθείας», θα γίνει ο συνεχιστής του απολυτρωτικού έργου του Χριστού « εις τον αιώνα» (Ιωάν.14:15). Αυτός θα πάρει τη θέση Του στο έργο της σωτηρίας, « εάν δε πορευθώ, πέμψω αυτόν (τον Παράκλητον) προς ημάς και ελθών εκείνος ελέγξει τον κόσμον περί αμαρτίας και περί δικαιοσύνης και περί κρίσεως . όταν έλθη εκείνος, το Πνεύμα της αληθείας, οδηγήσει υμάς εις πάσαν την αλήθειαν» (Ιωάν.16:7,13) διαβεβαίωσε ο Χριστός τους μαθητές Του, λίγο πριν το εκούσιο πάθος Του. Σε ερώτηση των μαθητών προς τον Κύριο Ιησού Χριστό, μετά την ανάστασή Του: « Κύριε εν τω χρόνω τούτω αποκαθιστάνεις την βασιλείαν τω Ισραήλ;», τους απάντησε πως « ουχ υμών γνώναι χρόνους ή καιρούς ους ο πατήρ έθετο εν τη ιδία εξουσία, αλλά λήψεσθε δύναμιν επελθόντος του Αγίου Πνεύματος εφ' υμάς, και έσεσθέ μοι μάρτυρες εν τε Ιερουσαλήμ και εν πάση τη Ιουδαία και Σαμαρεία και έως εσχάτου της γης» (Πράξ.1:6-8-). Με την έμμεση αυτή απάντησή Του ο Κύριος δήλωνε πως η Βασιλεία του Θεού είναι η παρουσία του Αγίου Πνεύματος στην Εκκλησία Του. Η αγία ημέρα της Πεντηκοστής είναι η απαρχή μιας νέας εποχής, της εσχατολογικής, η οποία θα περατωθεί με το τέλος της ανθρώπινης ιστορίας. Η ευλογημένη επαγγελία του Χριστού πραγματοποιήθηκε την αγία αυτή ημέρα. Πενήντα ημέρες μετά τη λαμπροφόρο Ανάστασή Του, το Πανάγιο Πνεύμα κατήλθε στο υπερώο της Ιερουσαλήμ, όπου « ήσαν άπαντες ομοθυμαδόν επί το αυτό» συνηγμένοι οι άγιοι Απόστολοι (Πράξ.2:1). Ο ερχομός Του ήταν κάτι σαν « εκ του ουρανού ήχος ώσπερ φερομένης πνοής βιαίας» και η ορατή παρουσία Του ήταν ως « γλώσσαι ωσεί πυρός», το Οποίον « εκάθισέ τε εφ' ένα έκαστον αυτών (των μαθητών)» (Πράξ.2:3-4). Σύμφωνα με τον θεόπνευστο συγγραφέα του βιβλίου των Πράξεων των Αποστόλων, το « Ευαγγέλιον του Πνεύματος», όπως αποκαλείται αυτό, μεταμόρφωσε κυριολεκτικά τους αγράμματους μαθητές σε νέες δυναμικές προσωπικότητες, με πρώτο ορατό σημείο το φαινόμενο του « λαλείν ετέραις γλώσσες καθώς το Πνεύμα εδίδου αυτοίς αποφθέγγεσθαι» (Πράξ.2:4), εκπληρώνοντας την θαυμαστή προφητεία του Ιωήλ, πως στους έσχατους καιρούς θα γίνει η έκχυσις των δωρεών του Αγίου Πνεύματος « επί πάσαν σάρκαν» σε ολόκληρη την ανθρωπότητα, υπερνικώντας το εμπόδιο της γλωσσικής και οποιασδήποτε άλλης διαφοράς (Ιωήλ,3:1). Έτερο απτό φαινόμενο της προσωπικής μεταμορφώσεως των Αποστόλων υπήρξε η θαρραλέα ομιλία του Πέτρου προς τους εκστατικούς, μπροστά στο παράδοξο φαινόμενο, όχλους της Ιερουσαλήμ (Πραξ.2:1436). Το αποτέλεσμα ήταν συγκλονιστικό. Ο εμπνευσμένος από το Πνεύμα του Θεού λόγος του κορυφαίου αποστόλου « κατενύγησε την καρδίαν» των όχλων (Πράξ.2:37) με αποτέλεσμα ευθύς αμέσως να ζητούν από τους αποστόλους: « τι ποιήσομεν άνδρες αδελφοί;». Ο Πέτρος τους προέτρεψε: « μετανοήσατε, και βαπτισθήτω έκαστος υμών επί το ονόματι Ιησού Χριστού εις άφεσιν αμαρτιών, και λήψεσθε την δωρεάν του Αγίου Πνεύματος». Εκείνοι « ασμένως αποδεξάμενοι τον λόγον αυτού εβαπτίσθησαν, και προσετέθησαν τη ημέρα εκείνη ψυχαί ωσεί τρισχίλιαι» (Πράξ.2:37-41). Έτσι γεννήθηκε το ορατό επί γης στρατευόμενο μέρος της Εκκλησίας του Θεού. Η αγία Πεντηκοστή θεωρείται ως η εν Αγίω Πνεύματι γενέθλιος ημέρα της Εκκλησίας μας! Η Αγία μας Εκκλησία είναι, σύμφωνα με την βιβλική θεολογία, το σώμα του Χριστού και Αυτός η κεφαλή του σώματος (Εφεσ.5:23) Το Άγιο Πνεύμα είναι η ψυχή του εκκλησιαστικού αυτού σώματος. Όπως στο φυσικό ανθρώπινο σώμα η ψυχή ζωοποιεί το σώμα, τι ίδιο και η παρουσία του Παρακλήτου ζωοποιεί την Εκκλησία, κάνει το εκκλησιαστικό σώμα εύρωστο, δυνατό και αθάνατο. Αυτό σημαίνει ότι τα μέλη του σώματος, οι πιστοί (Α΄Κορ.12:12), ζούμε, μέσα στην Εκκλησία, χάρις στο ενοικούν σε Αυτή Πνεύμα του Θεού, την όντως ζωή. Μέσα σε αυτή υπάρχουμε, τρεφόμαστε με ουράνια τροφή, κεχαριτωνόμαστε, αγιαζόμαστε, σωζόμαστε και θεωνόμαστε. « Η αγάπη του Θεού εκκέχυται εν ταις καρδίαις ημών δια Πνεύματος Αγίου του δοθέντος ημίν» (Ρωμ5:5) διακηρύττει ο απόστολος Παύλος. Ο απόστολος των Εθνών τονίζει επίσης κατηγορηματικά πως «Ουδείς δύναται ειπείν Κύριον Ιησούν ει μη'ν Πνεύματι Αγίω» 24 (Α'Κορ.12:3). Αυτό σημαίνει πως ο Θεός Παράκλητος είναι πλέον ο κύριος της Εκκλησίας και του κόσμου, μετά την Ανάληψη του Χριστού. Αυτός μας κάνει γνωστό τον Λυτρωτή μας Ιησού Χριστό και ενεργοποιεί το σωτήριο έργο Του σε κάθε άνθρωπο, που θέλει να σωθεί. Κατά συνέπεια, όχι μόνο η άρνηση του απολυτρωτικού έργου του Χριστού, αλλά και η άρνηση της συμμετοχής του Αγίου Πνεύματος στη λυτρωτική διαδικασία του κόσμου, αποτελεί πρωταρχική αιτία απώλειας της σωτηρίας πολλών. Η παρουσία του Αγίου Πνεύματος στον κόσμο εκδηλώνεται ποικιλότροπα, με «διαιρέσεις χαρισμάτων», με «διαιρέσεις διακονιών», με «διαιρέσεις ενεργημάτων» (Α'Κορ.12:4-6), με καρποφορία πνευματικών καρπών (Γαλ.5:22). Κάθε αγαθό και δωρεά που δίνεται στους ανθρώπους είναι προϊόν του Αγίου Πνεύματος. Σε κάθε άνθρωπο «δίδεται η φανέρωσις του Πνεύματος προς το συμφέρον» αυτού (Α'Κορ.12:7) Το Άγιο Πνεύμα μοιράζει χαρίσματα στους πιστούς τα οποία είναι χρήσιμα για τη σωτηρία τη δική τους, αλλά και για το σωστικό έργο της Εκκλησίας. Σε άλλον «δίδοται λόγος σοφίας, άλλω δε λόγος γνώσεως κατά το αυτό Πνεύμα, ετέρω δε πίστις εν τω αυτώ Πνεύματι, άλλω δε χαρίσματα ιαμάτων εν τω αυτώ Πνεύματι, άλλω δε ενεργήματα δυνάμεων, άλλω δε προφητεία, άλλω δε διακρίσεις πνευμάτων, ετέρω δε γένη γλωσσών, άλλω δε ερμηνεία γλωσσών. Πάντα δε ταύτα ενεργεί το εν και το αυτό Πνεύμα, διαιρούν ιδία εκάστω καθώς βούλεται» (Α'Κορ.12:8-11). Το Άγιο Πνεύμα μοιράζει διακονίες στο λαό του Θεού, οι οποίες υπάρχουν για να διακονούν καθολικά τις πνευματικές και υλικές ανάγκες του, εις τρόπον ώστε να ζει ο πιστός αποκλειστικά μέσα στην χάρη του Θεού και να μην έχει ανάγκη από τα «σκύβαλα» του κόσμου (Φιλιπ.3:8). Η Εκκλησία του Θεού υπάρχει για να μεταλλάσσει ολοκληρωτικά και καθολικά τον άνθρωπο της αμαρτίας και της φθοράς σε νέα αναγεννημένη και χαριτωμένη ύπαρξη. Πρώτ' απ' όλα το «Πνεύμα το Άγιον έθετο επισκόπους ποιμαίνειν την Εκκλησίαν του Κυρίου και Θεού» (Πραξ.20:28). Ακολούθως όρισε «εν τη Εκκλησία πρώτον αποστόλους, δεύτερον προφήτας, τρίτον διδασκάλους, έπειτα δυνάμεις, είτα χαρίσματα ιαμάτων, αντιλήψεις, κυβερνήσεις, γένη γλωσσών» (Α'Κορ.12:28). Επίσης το Πνεύμα του Θεού «έδωκε τους μεν τους μεν αποστόλους, τους δε προφήτας, τους δε ευαγγελιστάς, τους δε ποιμένας και διδασκάλους, προς καταρτισμόν των αγίων εις έργον διακονίας, εις οικοδομήν του σώματος του Χριστού» (Εφ. 4:11-12). Το Άγιο Πνεύμα καρποφορεί στις καρδιές των πιστών υπέροχους και σπανίους πνευματικούς καρπούς, ως αποτέλεσμα επίπονης καλλιέργειας. Ο θεόπνευστος απόστολος αφού αναφέρει τα βδελυρά έργα τη σαρκός, τα οποία είναι οι καρποί της αμαρτίας, παραθέτει στη συνέχεια του καρπούς του Πνεύματος, οι οποίοι είναι «αγάπη, χαρά, ειρήνη, μακροθυμία, χρηστότης, αγαθοσύνη, πίστις, πραότης, εγκράτεια» (Γαλ.5:22-23). Οι καρποί της σαρκός καταδεικνύουν τον άνθρωπο της πτώσεως, της αμαρτίας και της φθοράς, οι δε καρποί του Πνεύματος φανερώνουν, «ως πόλις επάνω όρους κειμένη» (Ματθ.5:14), τον αναγεννημένο εν Χριστώ άνθρωπο της χάριτος και της σωτηρίας. Ο Κύριος Ιησούς Χριστός μας είχε πει πως «εκ γαρ του καρπού το δένδρον γινώσκεται» (Ματθ.12:33), έτσι και ο πνευματικός αναγεννημένος άνθρωπος ξεχωρίζει από τους καρπούς του Αγίου Πνεύματος, που είναι στολισμένος. Το Άγιο Πνεύμα συνεχίζει το απολυτρωτικό έργο του Χριστού μας μετά την εις Ουρανούς Ανάληψή Του. Αυτός διαχέει τις άκτιστες δωρεές του Θεού στους ανθρώπους και ολόκληρη τη δημιουργία. Αυτός είναι ο πραγματικός τελετουργός των Ιερών Μυστηρίων της Εκκλησίας μας, μέσω των οποίων οι πιστοί αγιαζόμαστε και σωζόμαστε. Αυτός καθιστά τους λειτουργούς της Εκκλησίας μας κεχαριτωμένα όργανά Του, για την επιτέλεση του σωστικού έργου του λαού του Θεού. Αυτός εμπνέει πνεύματα προφητείας και σοφίας. Αυτός διαφυλάσσει την Εκκλησία από τις επιβουλές των οργάνων της πλάνης και του ψεύδους (Ιωάν.16:13). Αυτός μοιράζει χαρίσματα στους πιστούς (Α΄Κορ.12:4) και πραγματοποιεί την υιοθεσία μας στο Θεό (Γαλ.4:6). Αυτός συγκροτεί όλον τον θεσμό της Εκκλησίας (Λουκ.24:49). Η παρουσία λοιπόν του Κυρίου μας Παρακλήτου στην Εκκλησία είναι τόσο σημαντική ώστε « Ει μη Πνεύμα παρήν, ουκ αν συνέστη η Εκκλησία» τονίζει ο ιερός Χρυσόστομος (Ε.Π.50,459). Χάρις στην παρουσία Εκείνου βιώνουμε το μυστήριο της Βασιλείας του Θεού και γευόμαστε τις ακένωτες σωτήριες δωρεές Του. «Είδομεν το φως το αληθινόν, ελάβομεν Πνεύμα επουράνιον, εύρομεν πίστιν αληθή, αδιαίρετον Τριάδα προσκυνούντες΄ αύτη γαρ ημάς έσωσεν». Δεν έχουμε παρά να κλείνουμε γόνυ λατρείας και προσκυνήσεως προς Αυτόν και να Του ζητήσουμε έτι φωτισμό γνώσεως και ψυχοσωματική κάθαρση από κάθε ρύπο αμαρτίας. 25 The Holy and Great Council PENTECOST 2016 History of the Holy and Great Council By Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis, Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate The Orthodox Church is the church of the apostles, the church of the martyrs, the church of the fathers, the church of the councils. Through the centuries, the Orthodox Church convened local and regional, great and greater, as well as universal or ecumenical councils. Just as every celebration of the holy Eucharist is a confirmation of the communion between each person with his or her community, and that local community with the universal Church, so too, every council is a reaffirmation of the unity between each local and self-governing Orthodox church with the universal Church. In fact, St. John Chrysostom – the renowned fourth-century archbishop of Constantinople – boldly states that His All-Holiness Bartholomew, Ecumenical “council” is another name Patriarch. Photo: Nikolaos Manginas for “church.” In this spirit and from its responsibility and privilege to ensure inter-Orthodox unity and facilitate inter-Orthodox cooperation, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has tirelessly labored to convene a Pan-Orthodox Council since the early 1900s. Preparations for this council began in earnest in 1961 and continued through the 1960s, while pre-conciliar conferences, tasked with forming the council’s agenda and its rules of operation, met in 1976 through 1986. After a long hiatus created by immense political and ideological changes, as well as the unprecedented social and religious challenges resulting from the collapse of the Iron Curtain, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew revived the process in 2008. A publication of the Press Office of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. This material may be reproduced or translated by Orthodox churches worldwide. For more information, visit www.orthodoxcouncil.org or email [email protected]. So, after almost a century, the agenda was finalized, the documents were edited, and the process was completed in January 2016. The Holy and Great Council is assembling on the feast of Pentecost. Never before in the history of the Orthodox Church have so many Orthodox churches – fourteen from around the world – assembled in one and the same place. Yet, despite hesitation and apprehension, despite reservation and even resistance, the Holy and Great Council is being convened at the Orthodox Academy of Crete—steps from a ninth-century Monastery of the Virgin Mary—from June 16 to June 27, 2016. He called all to unity. May we respond with charity and generosity. We fervently ask the plenitude of the Church – clergy and laity, men and women, old and young – to pray for this unique and historical event. We especially ask that you implore God to strengthen and inspire the leaders of the Church to manifest their unity in a world afflicted by conflict and division. May God bless the Holy and Great Council. And May His abundant grace be with all of you. - His All-Holiness Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarch 26 Towards the Holy and Great Council: A Comprehensive Timeline Forthefirsttimein1200years,thefourteenautocephalousOrthodoxChurcheswillmeet,withacommon desiretoreinforcetheirrelationsandaddresscontemporaryspiritualandsocialchallengesintheworld. 1961 Sept. 24 - Oct.1 First Pan-Orthodox Conference, Rhodes 1962 Sept 26-29 1986 Feb 15-23 Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission, Chambésy Third Pan-Orthodox Conference, Rhodes 1968 June 8-15 Fourth Pan-Orthodox Conference, Chambésy 1971 July 15-28 Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission, Chambésy Fourth Synaxis of Primates, Istanbul 1986 Oct 28 - Nov 6 Third Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference, Chambésy • Adaptationofordinancesforfasting • ThemissionoftheOrthodoxChurchinthe world 1990 Nov 10-17 Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission, Chambésy • OrthodoxDiaspora 1992 First Synaxis of Primates, Istanbul 2009 June 8-12 Fourth Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference, Chambésy • EpiscopalAssemblies 2009 Dec. 10-17 Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission, Chambésy • AutocephalyandAutonomy • Diptychs 2014 Fifth Synaxis of Primates, Istanbul 2015 Oct. 10-17 Fifth Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference, Chambésy 1976 Nov. 21-28 First Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference, Chambésy • MethodologyandthemesfortheHolyand Great Council • TheOrthodoxChurch’srelationswithother Christian churches • Discussiononthecommoncelebrationof Easter by all Christians 1977 June 28 - July 3 CongressontheCommonCelebrationofthe Easter by all Christians on a Fixed Sunday 1982 Sept 3-12 Third Synaxis of Primates, Jerusalem/ Bethlehem and Istanbul/Nicaea 2008 Second Pan-Orthodox Conference, Rhodes 1963 Nov 1-15 2000 Second Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference, Chambésy • Impedimentstomarriage • Adaptationoftheordinancesregardingfasting 2016 Jan. 21-28 Sixth Synaxis of Primates, Chambésy 2016 June 16-27 TheHolyandGreatCounciloftheOrthodox Church, Crete 1993 Nov 7-13 Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission, Chambésy • Autocephaly 1995 April 10-13 CanonLawCongressonRegulationfor EpiscopalAssemblies,Chambésy 1995 Second Synaxis of Primates, Patmos For the first time in 1200 years... Photos courtesy Archon Dimitrios Panagos and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. Official channels of communications The Holy and Great Council will be held June 16-27 in Crete. For the first time in 1200 years, the primates of all 14 Orthodox autocephalous (or self-governed) Churches, along with more than 300 bishops and others, will meet to pray and discuss issues of common concern. Keep up-to-date by visiting www.orthodoxcouncil.org for daily briefings, and by using the communication channels of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Website: www.orthodoxcouncil.org Facebook: @ecumenicalpatriarchate Twitter: @EcPatrPress Flickr: @patriarchate YouTube: @Patriarchate 27 The Holy and Great Council PENTECOST 2016 How does the Holy and Great Council impact the parish? By Rev. Dr. Nicholas G. Louh, Parish Priest: St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Parish, Jacksonville, FL After decades of preparation and discussion, and now with the leadership of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the Holy and Great Council will at last take place on the island of Crete on the feast of Pentecost. The Council is certainly an important global ecclesial event; however, many of us might be wondering how it will affect the lives of our local parishes. How will the council’s decisions and statements be relevant to the everyday Orthodox believer? Every day of our lives each of us is confronted with pressing social and moral issues such as marriage and family; war, discrimination and inequality; as well as bioethics and the environment. Think about how many of our families include members who are Roman Catholics and Protestants. Many of our loved ones are married to non-Orthodox Christians, which means that the discussion related to the dialogue between the Orthodox Church and other Christians Churches directly impacts our lives. Finally, let us commit ourselves to prayer, to pray for our Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and all the patriarchs and archbishops of the autocephalous Churches; let us pray for the hierarch-delegates, the advisors, and stewards, who will attend the Holy and Great Council. The voice of the Holy and Great Council will be heard throughout the world. I encourage each of you to follow closely via the web and social media. His All-Holiness Bartholomew greets children. The Holy and Great Council will address how Orthodox Christians can be “a message of hope and love to a world that longs for the joy and life of the Gospel of Christ.” Photo: Nikolaos Manginas As the hierarchs discuss various ecclesiastical matters, they will also address their impact on the lives of all Orthodox Christians. For example, the Council will not only promote fasting as a religious disciple, but as a means by which Orthodox Christians can show their love and care for their neighbor as they resist the selfish ways of the world. A publication of the Press Office of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. This material may be reproduced or translated by Orthodox churches worldwide. For more information, visit www.orthodoxcouncil.org or email [email protected]. We fervently ask the plenitude of the Church – clergy and laity, men and women, old and young – to pray for this unique and historical event. We especially ask that you implore God to strengthen and inspire the leaders of the Church to manifest their unity in a world afflicted by conflict and division. May God bless the Holy and Great Council. And may His abundant grace be with all of you. - His All-Holiness Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarch 28 The agenda of the Holy and Great Council By Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis, Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Councils are a natural process of the Church. That means they are an ordinary (neither extraordinary nor exceptional) expression of the Church. Although some councils – especially the ecumenical councils – formulated and defined theological doctrine, most councils did not focus on theological disputes. Instead, they settled matters The agenda of the Holy and Great Council has been set by a series of meetings, including the First Synaxis of Primates in 1992 in Istanbul. Photo: Archon Dimitrius Panagos of internal governance and administration. This is why one of the most important results of a church council is always a set of rules and regulations – what are known as the canons – and not necessarily any doctrines that it defined. Contrary to popular perception, bishops did not assemble in council primarily to define church doctrine or defend against heresy. They gathered together – “in one and the same place” – because councils are among the most essential and vital obligations of a bishop: • for the governance of the church • for the peace of the church • and for the unity of the church. The formulation of doctrine does not determine the importance of a council. In fact, many councils proposed dogmas and were rejected by the church. While it may be seductive, even compulsive to look for heretics in today’s world, perhaps, instead, consideration should be given to “iconoclasts” and “idolaters” in areas of church life where Orthodox Christians ignore the gospel message of compassion toward other human beings created in the image of God, or where we place nationalistic, imperialistic and sectarian interests above the way of the gospel. Thus, in broad terms the agenda for this council includes: “The mission of the Orthodox Church in the contemporary world,” “the Orthodox diaspora,” “autonomy,” “the sacrament of marriage,” “the significance of fasting,” and “relations with the rest of the Christian world.” To some, these topics may seem prosaic, even esoteric. However, they in fact deal with matters pertaining: 1) to the internal life of the church, 2) relations among the Orthodox Churches themselves, as well as 3) their role and responsibility of Orthodox Christianity in the contemporary world. So the significance of the Holy and Great Council cannot be overstated. The fact that all the autocephalous Churches have agreed to meet and dialogue is itself an accomplishment of historic proportions. As long as the local, autocephalous Churches remain isolated from one another and the world, their mission and ministry are inevitably limited and limiting. Their bishops must be in dialogue with one another in order to perceive the world from other perspectives and respond to the needs of their faithful in a meaningful way, visibly demonstrating that the Holy Spirit lives and breathes today. As such, the agenda too provides a means for Orthodox Christians to respond with charity and generosity to God’s call for unity. Agenda • The mission of the Orthodox Church in the contemporary world • Orthodox diaspora • Autonomy Photo: Nikolaos Manginas • Sacrament of marriage • Significance of fasting • Relations with the rest of the Christian world Official channels of communications The Holy and Great Council will be held June 16-27 in Crete. For the first time in 1200 years, the primates of all 14 Orthodox autocephalous (or self-governed) Churches, along with more than 300 bishops and others, will meet to pray and discuss issues of common concern. Keep up-to-date by visiting www.orthodoxcouncil.org for daily briefings, and by using the communication channels of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Website: www.orthodoxcouncil.org • Facebook: @ecumenicalpatriarchate Twitter: @EcPatrPress • Flickr: @patriarchate • YouTube: @Patriarchate 29 SAINT ATHANASIUS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH CONFIDENTIAL FAMILY INFORMATION FORM Please complete and return this form to the Church Office 4 Appleton Street, Arlington, MA 02476 Name: Address: City: State: Zip: Home Telephone: I would like to receive my month bulletin via US post mail ____ via email Member Spouse Children / Age Name: / Mobile Tel: / E‐mail: / Occupation: / Work Tel: / 2016 STEWARDSHIP PLEDGE / DONATION Family Name ________________ I understand it takes approximately $1,000 per active Stewardship family to operate and support the ministries and facility of the St. Athanasius Parish in 2016. We would like to pledge $ Weekly (approx. $20/week) We would like to pledge $ Monthly (approximately $85/month) We would like to pledge $ Yearly You can also pledge at http://www.saintathanasius.org/stewardship/ Please check those items in which you or a member of your family has some expertise or interest. Place name or initials of the specific family member after each item checked. Bible Study Teaching Greek School/Little Halos Visitation of Elderly/Infirm Philoptochos Festival Outreach to Community Soup Kitchen Computer – Hardware/Systems Computer ‐ software Web Design Youth Ministry Sunday School Church Choir Reader (in liturgy) Ushering / Welcome Evangelism New parents Scouting Youth Work Gardening PR / Marketing Office Work Medical/Nurse Art/Design Services Legal Finance Architecture Real Estate Management Electrical Construction Mechanical / Plumbing Other _____________ Ver. 01-2016 30 FOOD FOR THOUGHT The degree of loving is measured by the degree of giving. — Edwin Louis Cole "Nothing is impossible to the willing heart." ~Thomas Heywood In many ways, the world is always only what it is, good and bad. It doesn't change. What changes is the way you look at the world, the way you choose to interact with it. Recognizing gives you amazing power. IF you can change yourself - and you can - you can change your relationship with the world. –Anonymous "Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact." ~William James If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self. — Napoleon Hill "You don't necessarily have to be in love with this weather to get through it well. It's about attitude. Instead of seeing a gray sky and thinking gray equals bleak and sad and depressing, try something else. Try, when the skies are gray, there's a somber beauty to the landscape. Put a positive spin on it." ~ Dan Weiner Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience. — Paulo Coelho "We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons."~ Jim Rohn Perfection itself is imperfection. — Vladimir Horowitz The years teach much which the days never know. — Ralph Waldo Emerson "Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them."~ W. Clement Stone Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. — Henry Ford Volume Twenty-Seven, Number Ten, June 2016
