St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church Venerable Euthymios the Great Serving the Orthodox Christian Community of Greater Cleveland

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1 St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church Venerable Euthymios the Great Serving the Orthodox Christian Community of Greater Cleveland

2 St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church V. Rev Father John Ojaimi, Pastor Office: (216) Fax: (216) Cellular: (440) Archdeacon Yarid Sahley Subdeacons Sam Elias & George Simon Pastor s frjojaimi@msn.com Parish office@stgeorgecleveland.com Sunday January 20, 2013 Tone 8 / Eothinon 11 Venerable Euthymios the Great & Twelfth Sunday of Luke New-martyr Zachariah of Morea Faith is obedience to God s word regardless of whether the consequences are good or bad WELCOME The mission of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church is to serve God and the community by commitment to the Gospel s command to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ through faith, hope, and love. It is a parish of the Self Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. The Orthodox Church follows the faith and practice of the apostles and disciples of Christ handed down by the ancient Christian fathers and twenty centuries of Church tradition. Genuine Christian life nurtures and stimulates our spiritual and moral development. The liturgical life of the Orthodox Church has been developing over the last 2000 years. By taking part in the mysteries of Christ s life, death and resurrection at the liturgical services, the community members are drawn to repentance and the gradual change of their inner selves. To join the community of St. George or to find out more information, please fill out the Guest Book in the Narthex. We hope this day will be spiritually rewarding for you. Fr John will be happy to answer any questions. Join us in the hall after Liturgy for our Coffee Hour and Fellowship.

3 Bread of oblation is offered in memory of Linda Simon by the St. George's Family Candles are offered for the Health, Safety & Spiritual Welfare of: Elias Aftim and family and the Tabanji family Lucy Aboid and Selma Sharpe by Barb Aboid My whole family by Yacoub and Nuha Karsheh For a Peaceful year to all by Ragda Harb Family & Friends by Hal & Louise Bouhasin Our family & friends by George & Joie Haddad Akel S. Akel & family by Akel Akel Candles are offered in Beloved Memory of: Linda Simon by Barb Aboid Camille Chamoun & Linda Simon by Samir and Clara Nader Wadia Ameen by his wife Mary & family Edward Fadel by his wife Rita and Family Edward Haddad by his wife Evelyn Leo & Christine George by their family Prayers for the Health & Spiritual Welfare of:olivia Abdallah, Houda Abdelkarim, Melissa Aboid, Mary Assad, Evelyn Baldassari, Naissef & Rita Courey, Shirly Courey, Olga Courey, Ann Deeb, Emilie Easa, James Eassey, Helena Elias, Sarah Elias, Vera Elias, Dani Fadel, Minerva Gantose, Peter George, Elias Ghazal, Odeh Hanna, Pauline Hanna, Samia Harb, Corrine Khouri, Hanadi Khouri, Helen Lambert, Becky Magas, Joyce Nader, Kaukab Nader, Virginia Nader, Jennie Sadallah, Christopher Fadel-Samuel, George Sarkes, Selma Sharpe, Alvera Shiekh, Christine Simon, Asma Zaboura. Rudy Zaboura. UPCOMING DIVINE SERVICES Sunday, January 27, :30 am, 10:30 am Confessions will be heard on Sunday Mornings before Liturgy starts or by appointment. Sign up and take your turn in offering a Coffee Hour. Lots of dates for 2013 are open. Pick a birthday, memorial, anniversary, or just a day that no one has sponsored.

4 Divine Liturgy Variables Sunday January 20, 2013 Tone 8/ Eothinon 11; Venerable Euthymios the Great & Twelfth Sunday of Luke New-martyr Zachariah of Morea RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE EIGHT From the heights Thou didst descend, O compassionate One, and Thou didst submit to the three-day burial, that Thou might deliver us from passion; Thou art our life and our Resurrection, O Lord, glory to Thee. THE EISODIKON (ENTRANCE HYMN) OF ORDINARY SUNDAYS Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ. Save us, O Son of God, Who art risen from the dead; who sing to Thee. Alleluia. RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE EIGHT From the heights Thou didst descend, O compassionate One, and Thou didst submit to the three-day burial, that Thou might deliver us from passion; Thou art our life and our Resurrection, O Lord, glory to Thee. APOLYTIKION OF ST. EUTHYMIOS IN TONE FOUR Be glad, O barren one that hast not given birth; be of good cheer, thou that hast not travailed; for a man of desires hath multiplied thy children of the Spirit, having planted in them piety and reared them in continence to the perfection of the virtues. By the prayers of Euthymios, O Christ God, make our lives peaceful. TROPARION OF ST. GEORGE TONE 4 As deliver of captives and defender of the poor, healer of the infirm, champion of kings, victorious Great martyr George, intercede with Christ our God, for our souls salvation.. KONTAKION OF THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN TONE ONE Thou, O Christ God, Who by Thy Birth, didst sanctify the Virgin s womb, and, as is meet, didst bless Simeon s arms, and didst also come to save us; preserve Thy fold in wars, and confirm them whom Thou didst love, for Thou alone art the Lover of mankind. The Trisagion Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit: both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us. Dynamis! (With Strength) Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us

5 THE EPISTLE (For St. Euthymios) The saints shall be joyful in glory. Sing unto the Lord a new song. The Reading from the Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. (4:6-15) Brethren, it is the God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, Who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. While we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. Since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, I believed, and so I spoke, we too believe, and so we speak, knowing that He Who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into His presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. THE GOSPEL (For the Twelfth Sunday of Luke) The reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (17:12-19) At that time, as Jesus entered a village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. When He saw them He said to them, Go and show yourselves to the priests. And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus feet, giving Him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus said, Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner? And He said to him, Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well. الر سال ة 4 ال ذ ین ف یھ م إ لھ ھذ ا ال دھ ر ق د أ ع م ى أ ذ ھ ان غ ی ر ال م و م ن ین ل ي لا ت ض يء ل ھ م إ ن ار ة إ ن ج ی ل م ج د ال م س یح ال ذ ي ھ و 6 5 ص ور ة الله. ف ا ن ن ا ل س ن ا ن ك ر ز ب ا ن ف س ن ا ب ل ب ال م س یح ی س وع ر ب ا و لك ن ب ا ن ف س ن ا ع ب ید ا ل ك م م ن أ ج ل ی س وع. لا ن الله ال ذ ي ق ال :«أ ن ی ش ر ق ن ور م ن ظ ل م ة» ھ و ال ذ ي أ ش ر ق ف ي ق ل وب ن ا لا ن ار ة م ع ر ف ة م ج د الله ف ي و ج ھ ی س وع ال م س یح. 8.Ύ Ϩ ϣ ϻ Γ Ϯ Ϙ ϟ Ϟ π ϓ ϥϯ Ϝ ϴ ϟˬ Δ ϴ ϓ ΰ Χ ϥ ϭ ϲ ϓ ΰ Ϩ Ϝ ϟ άϫύ Ϩ ϟ Ϧ Ϝϟ ϭ م ك ت ي ب ین ف ي ك ل ش ي ء لك ن غ ی ر م ت ض ای ق ین م ت ح ی ر ین لك ن غ ی ر ی اي س ین. م ض ط ھ د ین لك ن غ ی ر م ت ر وك ین. م ط ر وح ین لك ن غ ی ر ھ ال ك ین. ح ام ل ین ف ي ال ج س د ك ل ح ین إ م ات ة ال ر ب ی س وع ل ك ي ت ظ ھ ر ح ی اة ی س وع أ ی ض ا ف ي ج س د ن ا. 11 لا ن ن ا ن ح ن الا ح ی اء ن س ل م د اي م ا ل ل م و ت م ن أ ج ل ی س وع ل ك ي ت ظ ھ ر ح ی اة ی س وع أ ی ض ا ف ي ج س د ن ا ال م اي ت. إ ذ ا ال م و ت ی ع م ل ف ین ا و لك ن ال ح ی اة ف یك م. ف ا ذ ل ن ا 14 ر وح الا یم ان ع ی ن ھ ح س ب ال م ك ت وب:«آم ن ت ل ذل ك ت ك ل م ت» ن ح ن أ ی ض ا ن و م ن و ل ذل ك ن ت ك ل م أ ی ض ا. ع ال م ین أ ن ال ذ ي 7

6 أ ق ام ال ر ب ی س وع س ی ق یم ن ا ن ح ن أ ی ض ا ب ی س وع و ی ح ض ر ن ا م ع ك م. الن ع م ة و ھ ي ق د ك ث ر ت ب الا ك ث ر ین ت ز ید ال شك ر ل م ج د الله. 15 لا ن ج م یع الا ش ی اء ھ ي م ن أ ج ل ك م ل ك ي ت ك ون إ لان ج یل 13 و ف یم ا ھ و د اخ ل إ ل ى ق ر ی ة اس ت ق ب ل ھ ع ش ر ة ر ج ال ب ر ص ف و ق ف وا م ن ب ع ید و ر ف عو ا ص و ت ا ق اي ل ین :«ی ا 14 ی س وع ی ا م ع ل م ار ح م ن ا!». ف ن ظ ر و ق ال ل ھ م :«اذ ھ ب وا و أ ر وا أ ن ف س ك م ل ل ك ھ ن ة». و ف یم ا ھ م م ن ط ل ق ون ط ھ ر وا ف و اح د م ن ھ م ل ما ر أ ى أ ن ھ ش ف ي ر ج ع ی م جد الله ب ص و ت ع ظ یم و خ ر ع ل ى و ج ھ ھ ع ن د ر ج ل ی ھ ش اك ر ا ل ھ و ك ان س ام ر ی ا. ف ا ج اب ی س وع و ق ال :«أ ل ی س ال ع ش ر ة ق د ط ھ ر وا ف ا ی ن الت س ع ة Ϊ Π ϣ ϲ τ ό ϴ ϟ ϊ Ο ή ϳ Ϧ ϣ Ϊ ΟϮ ϳ Ϣ ϟ 19 غ ی ر ھذ ا ال غ ر یب ال ج ن س» ث م ق ال ل ھ :«ق م و ام ض إ یم ان ك خ ل ص ك». Megalynarion: It is truly meet to call thee Blessed, Lady Theotokos; Lady ever greatly blessed, and most perfect in innocence, and the Mother of our God. Lady more precious than the Cherubim andmore glorious beyond all measure than the Seraphim. That without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, and art truly Theotokos. We magnify thee. KOINONIKON (COMMUNION HYMN) OF SAINT JOHN S LITURGY Post-Communion Hymn: We have seen the true light. PROPER CHURCH ETIQUETTE There are certain times during the Divine Liturgy when one should refrain from entering the Church out of respect for God and the worship of His people. They are: During the Trisagion Hymn During the Epistle and Gospel readings During the Cherubic Hymn and Great Entrance - During the Creed During The Anaphora ( Let us stand aright through Especially our all-holy Lady. ) During Holy Communion one should remain standing throughout the distribution of the gifts. If you have already received Holy Communion, please avail yourself of the Prayers of Thanksgiving which begin on Page 128 of the red prayer book while you wait for everyone else to receive. Bible Study Join us at Church Monday January 28, 6:30 pm to pray and study together the words of God. With fear of God, faith And love draw near. Come to Church, Jesus loves you, we love you we are waiting for you.

7 Commemorated on January 20 Saint Euthymius the Great came from the city of Melitene in Armenia, near the River Euphrates. His parents, Paul and Dionysia, were pious Christians of noble birth. After many years of marriage they remained childless, and in their sorrow they entreated God to give them offspring. Finally, they had a vision and heard a voice saying, "Be of good cheer! God will grant you a son, who will bring joy to the churches." The child was named Euthymius ("good cheer"). St Euthymius' father died soon after this, and his mother, fulfilling her vow to dedicate her son to God, gave him to her brother, the priest Eudoxius, to be educated. He presented the chid to Bishop Eutroius of Melitene, who accepted him with love. Seeing his good conduct, the bishop soon made him a Reader. St Euthymius later became a monk and was ordained to the holy priesthood. At the same time, he was entrusted with the supervision of all the city monasteries. St Euthymius often visited the monastery of St Polyeuctus, and during Great Lent he withdrew into the wilderness. His responsibility for the monasteries weighed heavily upon the ascetic, and conflicted with his desire for stillness, so he secretly left the city and headed to Jerusalem. After venerating the holy shrines, he visited the Fathers in the desert. Since there was a solitary cell in the Tharan lavra, he settled into it, earning his living by weaving baskets. Nearby, his neighbor St Theoctistus (September 3) also lived in asceticism. They shared the same zeal for God and for spiritual struggles, and each strove to attain what the other desired. They had such love for one another that they seemed to share one soul and one will. Every year, after the Feast of Theophany, they withdrew into the desert of Coutila (not far from Jericho). One day, they entered a steep and terrifying gorge with a stream running through it. They saw a cave upon a cliff, and settled there. The Lord, however, soon revealed their solitary place for the benefit of many people. Shepherds driving their flocks came upon the cave and saw the monks. They went back to the village and told people about the ascetics living there. People seeking spiritual benefit began to visit the hermits and brought them food. Gradually, a monastic community grew up around them. Several monks came from the Tharan monastery, among them Marinus and Luke. St Euthymius entrusted the supervision of the growing monastery to his friend Theoctistus. St Euthymius exhorted the brethren to guard their thoughts. "Whoever desires to lead the monastic life should not follow his own will. He should be obedient and humble, and be mindful of the hour of death. He should fear the judgment and eternal fire, and seek the heavenly Kingdom." The saint taught young monks to fix their thoughts on God while engaging in physical labor. "If laymen work in order to feed themselves and their families, and to give alms and offer sacrifice to God, then are not we as monks obliged to work to sustain ourselves and to avoid idleness? We should not depend on strangers." The saint demanded that the monks keep silence in church during services and at meals. When he saw

8 young monks fasting more than others, he told them to cut off their own will, and to follow the appointed rule and times for fasting. He urged them not to attract attention to their fasting, but to eat in moderation. In these years St Euthymius converted and baptized many Arabs. Among them were the Saracen leaders Aspebet and his son Terebon, both of whom St Euthymius healed of sickness. Aspebet received the name Peter in Baptism and afterwards he was a bishop among the Arabs. Word of the miracles performed by St Euthymius spread quickly. People came from everywhere to be healed of their ailments, and he cured them. Unable to bear human fame and glory, the monk secretly left the monastery, taking only his closest disciple Dometian with him. He withdrew into the Rouba desert and settled on Mt. Marda, near the Dead Sea. In his quest for solitude, the saint explored the wilderness of Ziph and settled in the cave where David once hid from King Saul. St Euthymius founded a monastery beside David's cave, and built a church. During this time St Euthymius converted many monks from the Manichean heresy, he also healed the sick and cast out devils. Visitors disturbed the tranquillity of the wilderness. Since he loved silence, the saint decided to return to the monastery of St Theoctistus. Along the way they found a quiet level place on a hill, and he remained there. This would become the site of St Euthymius' lavra, and a little cave served as his cell, and then as his grave. St Theoctistus went with his brethren to St Euthymius and requested him to return to the monastery, but the monk did not agree to this. However, he did promise to attend Sunday services at the monastery. St Euthymius did not wish to have anyone nearby, nor to organize a cenobium or a lavra. The Lord commanded him in a vision not to drive away those who came to him for the salvation of their souls. After some time brethren again gathered around him, and he organized a lavra, on the pattern of the Tharan Lavra. In the year 429, when St Euthymius was fifty-two years old, Patriarch Juvenal of Jerusalem consecrated the lavra church and supplied it with presbyters and deacons. The lavra was poor at first, but the saint believed that God would provide for His servants. Once, about 400 Armenians on their way to the Jordan came to the lavra. Seeing this, St Euthymius called the steward and ordered him to feed the pilgrims. The steward said that there was not enough food in the monastery. St Euthymius, however, insisted. Going to the storeroom where the bread was kept, the steward found a large quantity of bread, and the wine casks and oil jars were also filled. The pilgrims ate their fill, and for three months afterwards the door of the storeroom could not be shut because of the abundace of bread. The food remained undiminished, just like the widow of Zarephath's barrel of meal and cruse of oil (1/3 Kings 17:8-16). Once, the monk Auxentius refused to carry out his assigned obedience. Despite the fact that St Euthymius summoned him and urged him to comply, he remained obstinate. The saint then shouted loudly, "You will be rewarded for your insubordination." A demon seized Auxentius and threw him to the ground. The brethren asked Abba Euthymius to help him, and then the saint healed the unfortunate one, who came to himself, asked forgiveness and promised to correct himself. "Obedience," said St Euthymius, "is a great virtue. The Lord loves obedience more than sacrifice, but disobedience leads to death."

9 Two of the brethren became overwhelmed by the austere life in the monastery of St Euthymius, and they resolved to flee. St Euthymius saw in a vision that they would be ensnared by the devil. He summoned them and admonished them to abandon their destructive intention. He said, "We must never admit evil thoughts that fill us with sorrow and hatred for the place in which we live, and suggest that we go somewhere else. If someone tries to do something good in the place where he lives but fails to complete it, he should not think that he will accomplish it elsewhere. It is not the place that produces success, but faith and a firm will. A tree which is often transplanted does not bear fruit." In the year 431, the Third Ecumenical Council was convened in Ephesus to combat the Nestorian heresy. St Euthymius rejoiced over the affirmation of Orthodoxy, but was grieved about Archbishop John of Antioch who defended Nestorius. In the year 451 the Fourth Ecumenical Council met in Chalcedon to condemn the heresy of Dioscorus who, in contrast to Nestorius, asserted that in the Lord Jesus Christ there is only one nature, the divine (thus the heresy was called Monophysite). He taught that in the Incarnation, Christ's human nature is swallowed up by the divine nature. St Euthymius accepted the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon and he acknowledged it as Orthodox. News of this spread quickly among the monks and hermits. Many of them, who had previously believed wrongly, accepted the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon because of the example of St Euthymius. Because of his ascetic life and firm confession of the Orthodox Faith, St Euthymius is called "the Great." Wearied by contact with the world, the holy abba went for a time into the inner desert. After his return to the lavra some of the brethren saw that when he celebrated the Divine Liturgy, fire descended from Heaven and encircled the saint. St Euthymius himself revealed to several of the monks that often he saw an angel celebrating the Holy Liturgy with him. The saint had the gift of clairvoyance, and he could discern a person's thoughts and spiritual state from his outward appearance. When the monks received the Holy Mysteries, the saint knew who approached worthily, and who received unworthily. When St Euthymius was 82 years old, the young Sava (the future St Sava the Sanctified, December 5), came to his lavra. The Elder received him with love and sent him to the monastery of St Theoctistus. He foretold that St Sava would outshine all his other disciples in virtue. When the saint was ninety years of age, his companion and fellow monk Theoctistus became grievously ill. St Euthymius went to visit his friend and remained at the monastery for several days. He took leave of him and was present at his end. After burying his body in a grave, he returned to the lavra. God revealed to St Euthymius the time of his death. On the eve of the Feast of St Anthony the Great (January 17) St Euthymius gave the blessing to serve the all-night Vigil. When the service ended, he took the priests aside and told them that he would never serve another Vigil with them, because the Lord was calling him from this earthly life. All were filled with great sadness, but the saint asked the brethren to meet him in church in the morning. He began to instruct them, "If you love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15). Love is the highest virtue, and the bond of perfectness (Col. 3:14). Every virtue is made secure by love and humility. The Lord humbled Himself because of His Love for us and became man. Therefore, we ought to praise Him unceasingly, especially since we monks have escaped worldly distractions and concerns." "Look to yourselves, and preserve your souls and bodies in purity. Do not fail to attend the church services, and keep the traditions and rules of our community. If one of the brethren struggles with unclean thoughts, correct, console, and instruct him, so that he does not fall into the devil's snares. Never refuse hospitality to

10 visitors. Offer a bed to every stranger. Give whatever you can to help the poor in their misfortune." Afterwards, having given instructions for the guidance of the brethren, the saint promised always to remain in spirit with them and with those who followed them in his monastery.st Euthymius then dismissed everyone but his disciple Dometian. He remained in the altar for three days, then died on January 20, 473 at the age of ninety-seven. A multitude of monks from all the monasteries and from the desert came to the lavra for the holy abba's burial, among whom was St Gerasimus. The Patriarch Anastasius also came with his clergy, as well as the Nitrian monks Martyrius and Elias, who later became Patriarchs of Jerusalem, as St Euthymius had foretold. Dometian remained by the grave of his Elder for six days. On the seventh day, he saw the holy abba in glory, beckoning to his disciple."come, my child, the Lord Jesus Christ wants you to be with me." After telling the brethren about the vision, Dometian went to church and joyfully surrendered his soul to God. He was buried beside St Euthymius. The relics of St Euthymius remained at his monastery in Palestine, and the Russian pilgrim igumen Daniel saw them in the twelfth century. Blessed Name's Days to Bishops Antoun and Anthony! January 17th is the celebration of St. Anthony the Great and the name's days of His Grace Bishop Antoun of the Diocese of Miami and of His Grace Bishop Anthony of the Diocese of Toledo. May God grant them many years! APOLYTIKION OF ST. ANTHONY THE GREAT, TONE 4 Thou didst become like the zealous Elijah in his condition, and followed John the Baptist in his upright ways, becoming a dweller in the wilderness and an establisher of the universe by thy prayer, O Father Anthony. Wherefore, intercede thou with Christ God to save our souls.

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12 The Saints and the Church speak out on abortion! The following represents the teaching of the Church from the [early] second century through to the fifth century... Note that penalties, when they are given, are neither civil nor criminal, but ecclesiastical and pastoral (excommunication for the purpose of inducing repentance). Also note that the these quotes deal with both surgical and chemically induced abortion, both pre- and post-quickening. All quotes are from "The Church Fathers on Social Issues", Department of youth Ministry of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America. From the Letter to Diognetus (speaking of what distinguishes Christians from pagans): "They marry, as do all others; they beget children but they do not destroy their offspring" (literally 'cast away fetuses'). From the Didache "You shall not slay the child by abortions". From the Letter of Barnabus "You shall not destroy your conceptions before they are brought forth; nor kill them after they are born". From St. Clement "Those who use abortificants commit homicide". From Tertullian "The mold in the womb may not be destroyed". From St. Basil the Great "The woman who purposely destroys her unborn child is guilty of murder. The hair-splitting difference between formed and unformed makes no difference to us". From St. Augustine "Sometimes their sadistic licentiousness goes so far that they procure poison to produce infertility, and when this is of no avail, they find one means or another to destroy the unborn and flush it from the mother's womb. For they desire to see their offspring perish before it is alive or, if it has already been granted life, they seek to kill it within the mother's body before it is born". From St. John Chrysostom "Why do you sow where the field is eager to destroy the fruit? Where there are medicines of sterility? Where there is murder before birth? You do not even let a harlot remain only a harlot, but you make her a murderess as well. Indeed, it is something worse than murder and I do not know what to call it; for she does not kill what is formed but prevents its formation. What then? Do you condemn the gifts of God, and fight with His laws? What is a curse you seek as though it were a blessing. Do you make the anteroom of slaughter?

13 Do you teach the women who are given to you for a procreation of offspring to perpetuate killing?" Canon XCI of the Orthodox Church As for women who furnish drugs for the purpose of procuring abortions, and those who take fetus-killing poisons, they are made subject to penalty for murderers. Canon II of the Orthodox Church "A woman who aborts deliberately is liable to trial as a murderess. This is not a precise assertion of some figurative and inexpressible conception that passes current among us. For here there is involved the queston of providing for the infants to be born, but also for the woman who has plotted against her own self. For in most cases the women die in the course of such operations, But besides this there is to be noted the fact that the destruction of the embryo constitutes another murder... It behooves us, however, not to extend their confessions to the extreme limit of death, but to admit them at the end of the moderate period of ten years, without specifying a definite time, but adjusting the cure to the manner of penitence". Canon XXI of the Orthodox Church "Regarding women who become prostitutes and kill their babies, and who make it their business to concoct abortives, the former rule barred them for life from communion, and they are left without resource. But having found a more philanthropic alternative, we have fixed the penalty at ten years, in accordance with the fixed degrees...". "As for women who destroy embryos professionally, and those (non-prostitutes) who give or take poisons with the object of aborting babies and dropping them prematurely, we prescribe the rule that they, by economy, be treated up to five years at most". In Cuyahoga County in 2011 nearly 9,000 babies lost their lives to abortion. MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE ETERNAL AKATHIST SERVICE TO OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WITH PRAYERS FOR THE VICTIMS OF ABORTION A PAN-ORTHODOX GATHERING IN COLLABORATION WITH ZOE FOR LIFE SUNDAY, JANUARY 20, 6:00 PM ST. MATTHEW S ORTHODOX CHURCH ALBION RD., NORTH ROYALTON PLEASE JOIN US IN THIS AKATHIST WITH PRAYERS FOR ALL THE VICTIMS OF ABORTION SPEAKER AND COFFEE TIME FOLLOWING THE SERVICE

14 **ATTENTION GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS** The Lebanese Syrian American Junior League will again be awarding scholarships to young men and women of Lebanese and Syrian descent residing in the greater Cleveland area. The application process begins on January 31st. High school seniors should request applications from their guidance counselors. College students can request applications by contacting Scholarship Chair Amber (Joseph) Wiesner at or (216) All applications MUST be received by March 31, FOOD FOR HUNGRY PEOPLE ALMS BOXES Please Take your Alms Boxe home, fill it and bring it Back To church.

15 THE PARISH COUNCI OF ST. GEORGE ORTHODOX CHURCH 2587 West 14 th Street, Cleveland, Ohio PRESENTS THE POOR MAN S REVERSE RAFFLE AND DINNER SATURDAY, February 23, 2013 Doors Open 6:30 P.M - Dinner 7:30 P.M. MAIN DRAWING $1, SIDEBOARDS!!! ONLY 200 TICKETS WILL BE SOLD $30.00 PER PERSON Get your lucky number now! Chairpersons Ted & Karen Ziton

16 What is Orthodoxy? First of all, Orthodoxy is right faith in God; it is that mighty power which makes each truly believing Orthodox Christian unwavering on the righteous and pious path of his life. To be Orthodox means to know correctly with the mind, to believe correctly with the heart, and to confess correctly with the lips all that God Himself has revealed to us about Himself, about the world and man, and about the tasks and aims of our life in the teaching on the attaining of our spiritual union with Him and our eternal salvation. Without such right faith, according to the word of the Apostle Paul, it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). Orthodoxy is not only right faith and a right confession of the fundamental truths and dogmas of the Church of Christ, but also a right and virtuous life, founded on an unshakable law: the fulfilling of God s commandments, the permeating of the heart with humility, meekness and love for one s neighbor, the rendering of help to the needy and unfortunate, and the serving of one s church. The Apostle James teaches: Faith without works is dead (James 2:26). The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the future Judge of the whole world, promises to reward every man according to his works (Matt. 16:27). The Apostle Paul testifies that every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor (1Cor. 3:8). Here is the Orthodox point of view. Right faith must be expressed in deeds, and deeds must serve as a manifestation of faith. One must be closely united with the other indissolubly, like soul and body. This only, then, is the Orthodox, the correct way leading us to God. Orthodoxy is not only right faith and a life according to faith, but also correct service to God. Our Lord Jesus Christ expressed the essence of the right worship of God in these brief but profound words: God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Only the inspired divine service of the Holy Orthodox Church, which is permeated by prayer, has realized this sacred worship of God in truth. Moreover, Orthodoxy is strict proportionality and correctness in the manifestations of all the powers of soul and body. In Orthodoxy, a proper place is allotted to everything: to the intellect, to the wants and needs of the heart, to the manifestations of man s free will, to labor and prayer, to abstinence and watchfulness, in a word, to everything of which man s life consists.