October Schedule of Services. Prosphoro Schedule. Community News

Transcription

1 Saint George Greek Orthodox Church of Oklahoma City Rev. John D. Tsaras, Proistamenos Lili Lambakis, Administrative Assistant Parish Office (M-F) Hours 9:00am-3:00pm Phone Fax Website Services Sunday Orthros Sunday Divine Liturgy Weekday Services Saturday Vespers Deadlines The Life 8:50am 10:00am 9:00am 6:00pm 15 th of each month October Schedule of Services Each Saturday: (unless there is a sacrament): Great Vespers 6:00. Each Sunday: Orthros 8:50 a.m., Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m. Weekday services: 9:00 a.m. Orthros, Divine Liturgy following Fri., Oct 18: St. Luke the Apostle Wed., Oct 23: St. James the Brother of the Lord Sat., Oct 26: St. Demetrios the Great Martyr Prosphoro Schedule October 6 th Vana Economopoulos October 13 th Tasia Vrentas October 20 th Tasia Smirlis October 27 th Open Prosforo Bakers Needed The making of Prosforo is an honor and gift we offer to Christ and His Church, thus the name, Prosforo, which means offering. We are in need of a few people to join the list of bakers. Please call the office if you would like to have your name added to the list. Thank you! Community News your calendars: the festivities are planned for the weekend of May 3 rd. Saint&George&Centennial&& We re gearing up to celebrate our 100 th year in Oklahoma City! Mark Correction& Our apologies to the Gianos and Downey families. We incorrectly listed the names of Miss Elizabeth Gianos s maternal grandparents in last month s The Life. The proud grandparents are Terry and Shirley Downey. Saint&Elijah&Food&Festival& The Saint Elijah Food Festival is scheduled for November 1-2. Saint&Elijah&to&Attend&Liturgy&at&Saint&George&& While the sanctuary at Saint Elijah is being cleaned and repaired due to water damage, the parishioners of Saint Elijah will join us for Divine Liturgy. Please welcome our brothers and sisters in Christ as they attend worship services with us on October 27 and November 3. Consider coming early to Liturgy those days if sitting in your usual place in the church is important to you. Chronia&Polla!& Many years to those celebrating namedays this month, including those named Demetra, Dimitrios, Dionisios, Dionissia, Florentia, Florentios, Ignatios, and Socrates. October((2013(

2 Stewardship News Thank you to our pledged stewards! This list is complete as of October Scot'&'Christie'Akins' 2. Howard7John'&'Harriett'Anderson' 3. John'&'Litsa'Angelidis' 4. Dr.'Mike'&'Tarah'Angelidis' 5. Anonymous' 6. Patricia'Antonopoulos'Parker' 7. Chrysanthe'Arthur' 8. Foti'&'Fofo'Bargeliotes' 9. Kosta'Bargeliotes' 10. Tasia'Bargeliotes' 11. Irene'Barlas' 12. Nick'Barlas' 13. Mike'&'Diane'Bishard' 14. Barry'&'Joyce'Bollenbach' 15. Bob'&'Deborah'Bozarth' 16. Brannon'&'Sophia'Brewer' 17. Greg'&'Eugenia'Britt' 18. Toula'Caporal' 19. Mary'Chalos' 20. Anastasia'Chehak' 21. Jimmy'&'Kim'Chiconas' 22. Dr.'Steve'&'Dr.'Catherine'Chrysant' 23. Irene'Conkling' 24. Will'Crowe' 25. Andrew'&'Connie'Dantes' 26. Sophia'Dantes' 27. Vana'Economopoulos' 28. Thomas'&'Jane'French' 29. Evangelos'Gardikas' 30. Anna'Gianos' 31. Chris'&'Lynette'Gianos' 32. Gus'&'Margo'Gianos' 33. Peter'&'Irene'Gianos' 34. Cecil'J.'Graham' V.I.P. News 35. Haldor'&'Xana'Howard' 36. Patrick'Ingle' 37. Loretta'Kapurani' 38. Paul'&'Loula'Karountzos' 39. Dr.'Demo'&'Demee'Klonis' 40. Michael'&'Patricia'Komis' 41. Alex'Kondanassis' 42. Gina'Kostiuk' 43. Stephanie'Kuzydym' 44. Lili'Lambakis' 45. Mary'Limber' 46. Patrick'&'Terry'Lippmann' 47. Calliroy'Locke' 48. Pete'Marianos' 49. Dr.'Medhat'Michael' 50. Radu'&'Theodora'Nicolescu' 51. James'&'Maria'Pagonis' 52. Lela'Pagonis' 53. Mike'&'Jo'Ann'Pagonis' 54. Nick'&'Darlene'Pagonis' 55. Chris'Papahronis' 56. Frank'Papahronis' 57. John'&'Eleni'Papahronis' 58. Sophia'Paparonis' 59. Dr.'James'&'Peggy'Pappas' 60. Dr.'Nick'&'Dr.'Sonya'Pappas' 61. Mary'Pappas' 62. James'&'Barbara'Patry' 63. Alex'&'Katherine'Perakis' 64. Jennie'Phillips' 65. Dr.'Leon'&'Nancy'Pontikes' 66. Lewis'&'Linda'Pontikos' 67. Dr.'Eric'&'Dr.'Stacie'Rougas'Reding' 68. Patricia'Rigler' Please save the following dates. More information will be given at a later date: Tuesday, October 29th, A Holiday Bingo Party Tuesday, November 12th, Breakfast & a speaker from the Sheriff's office Tuesday, December 10th, V.I.P. Christmas party Sunday School Sunday School is offered for all children Pre-K through high school and for adults as well at 9:15 each Sunday morning. After Sunday School, the children sit together in the front of the church for Liturgy. 69. John'&'Joanne'Samaras' 70. Jason'Sarakatsannis' 71. George'&'Alice'Sarinopoulos' 72. Dr.'Andrea'Scopelitis/Ostas' 73. George'&'Mary'Soter' 74. Jim'&'Dottie'Soter' 75. Andrew'&'Ellen'Spiropoulos' 76. Roger'&'Amy'Spring' 77. Chris'&'Meg'Stamatis' 78. Dr.'Stavros'&'Dr.'Katerina'Stavrakis' 79. Jim'&'Sue'Stavros' 80. Reba'Steiner' 81. Mark'&'Sherri'Swank' 82. Ryan'&'Kimberly'Temple' 83. Kesete'&'Zigo'Tesfai' 84. Bill'Theodoridis' 85. Yeota'Theodoridis' 86. Jake'&'Rachel'Trotter' 87. Fr.'John'&'Pres.'Vicky'Tsaras' 88. Dr.'Panayiotis'&'Anthy'Tsitouras' 89. Troy'Vance' 90. Dean'&'Susan'Vassilakos' 91. Nikie'Vassilopoulos' 92. Sophia'Vassilopoulos' 93. Crystal'Vaughn7Robertson' 94. Bill'&'Tasia'Vrentas' 95. Elmer'&'Marianna'Wells' 96. Ed'&'Shirley'Wengier' 97. Terry'&'Angela'Willis' 98. Elaine'Woosley' 99. Ted'&'Mary'Zaemes'

3 Our teachers have reported some disappointing turnout for many grades following the Festival. We know how busy it gets at this time of year with homework and sports and other obligations. Your child only spends about 20 hours of time in Sunday School classes each year. Compare that with the time spent in sports, music, and other extracurricular activities! We don t have much time with your children to help them learn about a centuries-old faith; we hope that you can make it a priority in your family. Festival News Reminder& & Please turn in your money and/or unsold festival tickets immediately! Thank&you!& The 2013 Greek Festival of Oklahoma City has come to an end. But, not before we had the opportunity to give back to our city as a thank you for its many years of support. Together, we also gave back to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for all that he has bestowed upon us. Congratulations to each and every one that participated in the preparations and commencement of this year's Festival. The Festival Committee would also like to thank everyone for their support and volunteering. A Greek Festival is not a part of every parish and we must consider ourselves fortunate that we have the facilities to put on such an event as our Festival; a family atmosphere, an incredible taste of Grecian cuisine, hundreds of years of Greek traditions in music, dance, and hospitality. In short, our Festival is a small-extended part of Greece. The only other aspect of our Festival that I haven t mentioned is that none of this would be possible without our faith. The church tours that are offered at the Festival are not selling our faith to the public but are explanations for them and a reminder for us. They are explanations of how anything can be accomplished with God's love and the Festival being the evidence of that love. The motto "Come be Greek for a day" commonly used for the Festival, extends its meaning beyond the cultural aspect. I would like to think of it as to come be Greek culturally but also think of it in a spiritual sense. We are inviting people to come be in Christian Fellowship while indulging in the Hellenistic Heritage that we all know and love. Again, as the Greek Festival Chairman, I would like to thank everyone for their help and support. I would like to offer a special thanks to my Festival Committee and also extend it to their families for their patience. I look forward to seeing your ongoing support in the weeks to come as we wrap up this year's Festival and also as we gear up for our 30th Anniversary of the Greek Festival of Oklahoma City. Thank you, Chris K. Gianos Greek Festival Chairman After&Festival&Sale& Quantities are limited. Please check with Bill Vrentas to place your order Gyro meat - 5 lbs. box - $20.00 Pita Bread, bundle of 10 - $2.50 Sausage, box of 10 lbs. - $30.00 Souvlaki, box of 30 pieces - $50.00 Spanakopita, box of 20 large pieces - $40.00 Tiropitas, box of 24 large pieces - $40.00 Baklava Cheese Cake, box of 16 pieces - $30.00 Pastitsio, large pan - $40.00 Pastitsio, small pan - $20.00 Chicken 20 lb. container - $30.00 Olives, Jar - $6.75 Kefalograviera - $9.00 per pound

4 OKC$Greek$Festival$2013

5 Philoptochos Corner Sundae&Sunday!& Thank you so much for supporting our Philoptochos on Sundae Sunday. We had a great time serving up ice cream sundaes to our community and raising some money through our raffle for our charitable works! Christmas&Cookie&Swap& & Save the date! We re planning a Christmas party and cookie swap at Chris and Lynette Gianos s home on December 7. Details will be announced next month, but start thinking of your favorite holiday cookie recipe now! If you d like to serve on the Christmas party committee, please contact Lynette. It s&your&turn&to&join&philoptochos!&& The Saint George Philoptochos represents all the women of Saint George. We are often the only face of Saint George OKC to our community at large and to women at the Metropolis and National levels. We need your help to fulfill the mission given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ and reiterated by our Metropolitan and by Father John: to aid the poor, the hungry, lonely, the sick, the victims of disasters, to undertake the burial of impoverished persons and to assist anyone who may need the help of the Church. This mission is the responsibility of all the women of the Church. Come and join your Philoptochos sisters as your mother and yiayias did before you. There s no excuse to leave the work for others! We have all kinds of women working women and homemakers, moms, yiayias, single women, students, young, and old and each of us is busy, busy, busy already, just like you. Together we can build an amazing Philoptochos that offers fun, fellowship, and the opportunity to serve! Let's show Oklahoma City and our larger Greek Orthodox community what a vibrant, caring group of women we have here! All ladies 18 and older are encouraged to join us in doing the work of the Church. Ronald&McDonald&House& Thanks to Harriet and Howard-John Anderson who facilitated our delivery of a meal to Ronald McDonald House during the Greek Festival. We donated a full Greek meal to the families there, who were very appreciative. October&Donations& This month, our national donation is toward the National Philoptochos Emergency Fund. This fund enables the National Philoptochos to respond immediately to national and international disasters. Upcoming&Meetings&& Join us for our upcoming meetings: October 20th and November 10th.

6 Bible Belt Questions: Is the Orthodox Church a Full Gospel Church? In this part of the country, the buckle of the Bible Belt, it s not unusual for Orthodox, Catholic, and other traditional, conservative Christian churches to get a number of questions from evangelical and liberal Christians that can seem puzzling for those outside that Christian subculture. Have you ever wondered how to answer them? First, let them know they can ask a priest. Then, if you re comfortable with the subject, you can give a brief answer without engaging in a theological debate. Here s the first question in our recurring series: Bible Belt Questions. Some people contend that "Bible churches," Bible-believing churches, or "Full-Gospel churches," a certain subset of Protestant churches, are the only Christian churches that really use the Holy Scriptures in their services. They generally maintain that Catholic and Orthodox churches use man-made liturgies and empty rituals rather than using the Bible. The idea that we have less respect for or place less importance on the Bible than certain other Christian churches is false. We treat the Bible with great respect. It is an integral part of our Holy Tradition. We place the Gospel book in a place of honor on the altar in every Orthodox Church. Our wedding service places the Gospel book in the center of the circle that the newly married couple walks, making it the center of the marriage. We carry it in processions. Worshippers and clergy even kiss the book out of our love and respect for it. This demonstration of our reverence toward Scripture is nothing compared to how we use the Bible in worship. Most Bible Church members have never attended a Catholic Mass or Orthodox Liturgy. They have different opinions on the origins of the Bible as well, so take care how you even discuss the topic of what is Biblical with them. That, however, is a topic for another article. What you should know is that we Orthodox base our divine services on the Bible. You are familiar with the Epistle and Gospels readings that we do each week, but the Liturgy contains much, much more of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. A nice outline of how much Scripture goes into each Liturgy is outlined below. That s just in the Divine Liturgy. If you attended every service available each day (at a monastery, for example), you would hear much, much more at Orthros, Vespers, and the other services that happen throughout the day. Almost the entire Bible is used, bit by bit, in these services as they cycle through each day and season. You may also be asked why we don t bring a Bible to church with us. This is simply because we don t need to. We hear the Gospel and Epistle readings out loud. We hear the other pieces of Scripture in the services and we experience these pieces of the Bible in the beautiful context of the Church. We are not at Liturgy to study the Bible academically; we are there to live it. We do often bring or use a Bible at Sunday School or Bible study in which we are studying the Bible. & It s a common misconception that the Orthodox are not encouraged to read and study the Bible on our own. Many of your evangelical Protestant friends have been taught that we are only allowed to hear the Bible through a priest so that he can control what we believe about the Bible and so he can act as a kind of middleman between us and God. Of course this is a silly misconception that you can correct for your friends if you are asked. However, it s important to note that the Bible cannot be properly understood outside of the context of the Church. Many Protestant denominations believe in the doctrine of sola scriptura, that is scripture alone. They reject the idea that the Church has anything to say about Scripture and it is completely sufficient unto itself. The Orthodox Church does not subscribe to this idea and we can discuss it further in another article. Consider that Protestant churches, basing their beliefs on just what the Bible says, have split into tens of thousands of denominations, many of which disagree vehemently about interpretations of the

7 Bible. Additionally, it s evident to us as Orthodox Christians that the people most able to understand writings are the people who wrote them or who lived near the time and place they were written. Is it more likely that the proper meaning and intention of, say, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, would be understood by an American woman in the 1990s or by the Chinese 1000 years from now? The Bible tells us "stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle" (2 Th 2:15). We listen to the traditions passed down from the people that were closest to the writing of the Bible: the Apostles and Church Fathers who delivered the Church faithfully to the next generation and eventually to us. The Scripture in the Divine Liturgy Opening Doxology [ Blessed in the Kingdom...] Mark: 11:10; Luke: 22:29-30, Matthew: 28:19; Revelation: 7:12. The Great Litany Philippians: 4:6-7; Psalm 51:1 Luke: 18:13; John: 14:27; 1 Timothy: 2:1-2; 1 Hebrews: 13:7; Psalm 109:26; Luke: 1:42. The First Antiphon [ Bless the Lord, O my soul ]. Selected verses from Psalm 103. The Second Antiphon [ Praise the Lord, O my soul ]. Psalm 103. The Hymn to Christ Incarnate [ Only- begotten Son..., ]. John: 1:1, 3:16, 17:5, 19:18; Luke: 1:35; Hebrews: 2:14; Matthew: 8:25. The Third Antiphon [The Beatitudes] Matthew: 5:3-12. The Little Entrance [ Come let us worship..,] Psalm 95:1-6; Revelation: 7: The Trisagion [ Holy God, Holy Mighty..., ] Isaiah: 6:1-5; Revelation: 8:8. Prokeimenon Psalms 12:7,1; 28:9,1; 29:11,1; 33:22,1; 47:6,1; 76:11,1; 104:24,1; 118:14,18. The Epistle readings change daily, from the Epistles or Acts of the Apostles. The Allelulia Psalms 113:1; 135:1; 146:1; Revelation: 19: 1-6. The Gospel readings change daily. The Sermon 1 Timothy: 4:13. The Cherubic Hymn [ Let us who mystically.. ] Colossians: 3:12; Pslam 24; Revelations: 19:1-6. The Great Entrance Psalm 43:4; Matthew: 5: 23-24; Hebrews: 5:1. The Peace [ Peace be unto all... ]. John: 20: 9,21,26. 1 John 4:7; 1 Peter: 3:8; Philippians:2-2. The Eucharistic Canon [ Let us stand aright ] Leviticus: 3:1; Hebrews: 13:14-15; Hosea: 6:6; Psalm 49:19; Matthew: 9:13; Corinthians: 13:14; 2 Timothy: 4:22; Lamentations: 3:41. The Eucharistic Prayer [ Holy, Holy, Holy... through the Consecration]. Isaiah: 6:3; Mark: 11:10; Matthew: 21:9; Corinthians: 11:23-24; Matthew: 26:26-28; John: 6:51; Luke: 22:20; Mark: 14: 23-24; Corinthians: 29: 14, 16; Romans: 21:1. Hymn to the Theotokos [ It is truly right... ]. Luke: 1:28, 42, 48. The Concluding Eucharistic Prayers 2 Maccabees: 12:44-45; 1 Timothy: 2:2; 2 Timothy: 2:15; Romans: 15:6; Titus: 2:13; Revelations:22:21 The Litany before the Lord s Prayer - Ephesians: 5:2; Philippians: 4:18; 1 Peter: 3:15; Corinthians: 5:10; Ephesians: 4:13; Philippians: 2:1.

8 Scripture in the Divine Liturgy (cont.) The Lord s Prayer Matthew: 6:9-13; Corinthians 29:11. The Elevation of the Holy Gifts [ Holy things are for the Holy. ] Leviticus: 11:44; Philippians: 2: The Communion Hymn [ Praise the Lord... ] Psalm 148:1. The Eucharist 1 Corinthians: 11:27-29; Matthew: 16:16; 1 Timothy: 1:15; Mark: 14:45; Luke: 23:42-43; Isaiah: 6:7; 1 Timothy: 1:14; James: 4:8; Psalm 118: 26-27; Psalm: 34:8; 1 Peter: 1:19; John: 6: 32-35, 48-58; Psalm 116:13; Psalm 28:0. -compiled by V. Rev. John J. Matusiak St. Joseph Russian Orthodox Church, OCA, Wheaton, IL Hymns after Holy Communion [ We have received the true Light.. ]. John: 1:9; Rev.: 3-14; Psalm 71:8; Chronicles: 16:9; Ephesians: 3:9. Litany after Communion Judges 18:6; Colossians: 3:17; Mark: 11:9. Prayer behind the Ambo [ O Lord, who blesses those who... ]. Genesis 12:3; Psalm 28:9, Psalm 26.8; Psalm 138:81, 1 Timothy: 2:2; James: 1:17. Blessed be the name of the Lord, from this time forth and for evermore! Psalm 113:2. The blessing of the Lord. Psalm 129:8; 2 Corinthians 13:14. The Dismisal 1 Timothy: 1:1. Who s Afraid of Halloween? By Fr. Mark Sietsema, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Lansing, MI I have a confession to make. And it s a bad one. When I was a kid I used to get dressed up for Halloween! And it was not always something innocent either, like an astronaut or a cowboy. Once I was even a ghost! Worse yet, I would go door-to-door with my brothers and say Trick or treat! Idolatrous! Occultic! Satanic! Over time, of course this demon-glorifying activity caught up with me. Look at me now. I dress in black almost every day Of course you see the problem here. If not, you will very soon start reading about it in the paper again. Many people of churchy persuasions object strenuously to the observance of Halloween. Every year we read letters to the editor that run as follows: Halloween is the worship of the devil! Halloween comes from heathen roots! Trick or Treat comes from an ancient pagan custom: the Druids would go from house to house seeking a virgin to sacrifice! If you complied and handed over your family s virgin, they left outside your door a jack-o-lantern with a candle inside fueled by human fat! If you did not comply, a terrible trick would be played on you! The Catholic Church perpetuated the pagan legends with its Feast of All Saints. If you let your kids celebrate Halloween, you expose them to the possibility of demonic possession! Well, good Orthodox Christian, what should our Church make of this controversy? Is Halloween something we Christians should shun like the Black Mass? Don t the facts about Halloween s origins prove that it is an abomination? No. First of all, none of these facts are true. It s all fiction. We know almost nothing about the culture and practices of the ancient Druids, except what little the Romans had to say. (Mind you, these are the same Romans who also used to say that Christians hold secret orgies where they sacrifice babies and eat them so let s be careful about how

9 much credence we give them.) The Romans invaded Britain in 43 B.C. There they found a number of Celtic tribes, which the Roman legions subjugated with relative ease. Now, you need to know that the Romans were not what you would call culturally curious. They had little interest in the ways of the conquered Britons. Generally, when there is interaction between conqueror and subject, the conqueror picks up and uses the local names for rivers, hills, and the like. However, we find almost no use of the Celtic place names by the Romans. The Romans did not come to Britain for kaffee-klatsches, but for plundering and pillaging. Under the Roman sword the Celtic place-names perished with the Celts, as did any certain knowledge of Celtic or Druidic customs (like what kind of fat they used in their candles). But what if the stories about pagan Halloween were true? Does that prevent us from making a fun day out of the Thirty-First of October? Or do pagan 0origins damn a thing forever? I would hope that as Orthodox Christians we would know better than to say that. We borrowed an awful lot of useful things from ancient pagan cultures. Our musical system of eight tones? From the pagan Greeks. (Next time you hear a dismissal hymn in the Third Tone, picture a phalanx of Lacedaemonian warriors marching into an attack: they liked Third Tone for their battle hymns.) And our iconography is an obvious adaptation of Egyptian funerary art: the portraits painted on Egyptian coffins look just like the faces in our icons. Christmas, we all know, is a retooling of the Roman celebration of the winter solstice, the Feast of Sol Invictus (the Invincible Sun-god). And many, many Christian churches were built atop pagan shrines and holy places, the most famous example being the conversion of the Parthenon (a temple built in honor of Athena the Virgin Warrior) to a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Even Protestants with their Puritan impulses and their just the Bible mentality have to contend with borrowings from pagan sources in the Scriptures. For example, chapters of the Book of Proverbs are almost certainly a translation of the older Egyptian advice guide The Instruction of Amen-em-Opet. And elsewhere in the Bible different titles given to God such as El Elyon God Most High and the one who rides on the clouds like a chariot (Psalm 104:3) are originally epithets for the pagan storm-god Baal. What s my point? You can t judge a custom by its origins. What counts is one s intention in the here and now. And let s be honest: modern Halloween for you and me and even the Wiccans down the street has nothing to do with virgin sacrifice or black magic. It s about having fun in a costume and eating things your dentist wouldn t approve of. Well! the anti-halloween crowd would reply, Halloween teaches kids that they can get something for nothing!! But is that so bad? To my ears that sounds awfully close to the Christian idea of grace! Again, let s be honest: no one was ever possessed by the devil because he or she dressed up for Halloween or passed out licorice or read a Harry Potter book. Our modern lives have way too many other avenues for temptation to enter, and these things are the real cause of our spiritual problems: pride, gluttony, hatred, materialism, and ignorance. This may be the only pro-halloween article by a clergyman you read this year. Actually, this piece isn t so much pro-halloween as it is antisuperstition and anti-paranoia. American Christianity is too much titillated by thoughts of demons, based on a mythology of evil that has more to do with pagan folklore than the sober statements of Scripture. Such superstition gives all Christians a bad name. That s why I m not afraid of Halloween, and I see no problem with Orthodox Christians having fun at costume parties. After all, why would anyone want to learn more about Jesus Christ and his message, if being a Christian means forever being a spoilsport and a killjoy? If you believe in one God, if you trust Him, then accept his protection and don t live in fear of demonic bogeymen. The real battle with the

10 devil is fought in the heart, not in front of the Harry Potter bookstore. Some people drink too much on New Year s Eve. Should that stop you and me from enjoying a glass of champagne? Some people eat too much at Thanksgiving. Should that stop us from having our turkey with all the trimmings? Some people spend too much at Christmas. Should that stop us from exchanging gifts? practices But don t be paranoid or superstitious either! And have a Happy Halloween! Some people go overboard on the spooky side of Halloween. It s not too hard to avoid that for your family. Skip the horror movies. Don t revel in gore. Don t profane death. Don t indulge in occult St. Demetrius The Myrrh-streamer: October 26 Saint Demetrius was a Thessalonian, a most pious son of pious and noble parents, and a teacher of the Faith of Christ. When Maximian first came to Thessalonica in 290, he raised the Saint to the rank of Duke of Thessaly. But when it was discovered that the Saint was a Christian, he was arrested and kept bound in a bath-house. While the games were under way in the city, Maximian was a spectator there. A certain friend of his, a barbarian who was a notable wrestler, Lyaeus by name, waxing haughty because of the height and strength of his body, boasted in the stadium and challenged the citizens to a contest with him. All that fought with him were defeated. Seeing this, a certain youth named Nestor, acquaintance of Demetrius's, came to the Saint in the bath-house and asked his blessing to fight Lyaeus single-handed. Receiving this blessing and sealing himself with the sign of the precious Cross, he presented himself in the stadium, and said, "O God of Demetrius, help me!" and straightway he engaged Lyaeus in combat and smote him with a mortal blow to the heart, leaving the former boaster lifeless upon the earth. Maximian was sorely grieved over this, and when he learned who was the cause of this defeat, he commanded straightway and Demetrius was pierced with lances while he was yet in the bath-house, As for Nestor, Maximian commanded that he be slain with his own sword. Apolytikion&in&the&Third&Tone& The world has found in you a great champion in time of peril, as you emerged the victor in routing the barbarians. For as you brought to naught the boasts of Lyaios, imparting courage to Nestor in the stadium, in like manner, holy one, great Martyr Dimitrios, invoke Christ God for us, that He may grant us His great mercy. Kontakion&in&the&Second&Tone& God, who gave you invincible power and with care kept your city invulnerable, royally clothed the Church in purple with the streams of your blood, for you are her strength, O Dimitrios.

11 October 2013 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Every Saturday Vespers 6p Every Sunday Orthros 8:50am Liturgy 10am Bible study 10a 4 5 JOY/Lambs Vespers 6p 6 (Vana Economopoulos) Sunday School 9:15 Sunday School Picnic 12: Elder Paisios Class 7p 9 GOYA 10 Bible study 10a 11! 12 Vespers 6p 13 (Tasia Vrentas) Church Music Appreciation Sunday! Sunday School 9:15 14 Columbus Day 15 Elder Paisios Class 7p Bible study 10a 18 St. Luke, Orthros 9a, Divine Liturgy to follow! 19 Vespers 6p 20 (Tasia Smirlis) Philoptochos St. James, Orthros 9a, Divine Liturgy to follow 24 Bible study 10a St. Demetrios, Orthros 9a, Divine Liturgy to follow Elder Paisios Class 7p GOYA 27 (Prosfora OPEN) Sunday School 9:15 28 Oxi Day 29 V.I.P. Holiday Bingo Halloween Bible study 10a St Elijah attending Divine Liturgy at St George Elder Paisios Class 7p Strict Fast Fish Allowed Wine and Oil Allowed Dairy, Eggs, and Fish Allowed Fast Free