The CATHEDRAL MESSENGER. Dates to Remember

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1 ST. GEORGE ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL 3400 DAWSON STREET PITTSBURGH, PA Return Service Requested Non-profit. Org. US Postage PAID Pittsburgh, PA Permit No. 822 October 2018 Volume: 17 Issue: 1 The CATHEDRAL MESSENGER Dates to Remember November 2, Friday: 10:00-1:00PM Orthros and Mom s Ministry Lunch (childcare and food provided). November 3, Saturday: 6:00PM-8:00PM Teen SOYO Fellowship and Meeting November 9-11th, Friday-Sunday: Retreat with Maria Kratsios: Dare I show myself To God? Emotional Awareness as a Spiritual Discipline and a Healing Way December 1, Saturday: 6:00PM-8:00PM Teen SOYO Fellowship and Meeting December 14, Friday: 10:00-1:00PM Orthros and Mom s Ministry Lunch (childcare and lunch provided). SAINT GEORGE ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL Rev. Fr. Joshua Makoul, Dean 3400 Dawson Street * Pittsburgh, PA Office: Fr. Joshua: Fx:

2 Stepping out of Time: A Daily Requirement By Father Joshua Makoul One of the inevitable phenomena that we experience when the pace of our life gradually becomes too fast is that we drift from the place that we need to be in; from simplicity and from a feeling of being grounded and on firm footing. The pace of our life today very subtly carries us away from that place. Before we know it, we have been dropped off at an inner place we don t recognize and are not quite sure how we arrived there. Some might even describe it as being on an amusement park ride that never ends and never stops. We keep waiting for it to stop but it never seems to. This is because on this particular ride, we are the ride operator. No one is going to stop it for us, it is up to us to manage the pace of our life in this world. One of the basics we have gotten away from during this busy age in which we live is scripture. In this discussion we need to look no further than the interaction between Mary and Martha. Jesus was speaking at their home. There was much work to be done. Mary sat and listened while Martha was consumed with work and tasks that needed to be completed. Inevitably Martha became aggravated and complained that she was left alone to do all the work. Jesus then presented a powerful reality to Martha, that her sister Mary chose the more important task- to take time to sit and listen despite many things needing to be done. In other words, Jesus tells us we have a choice, it is us who controls the pace of our life. Jesus told Martha, your sister has chosen that one thing that is needful, which will not be taken away from her. In our society we tend to view downtime or moments of relaxation as weakness or laziness. Yes we must work, but we must stop working at some point and need to do so on a daily basis. We forget the one thing that is needful...to sit and listen. We tell ourselves one day we will get to that, but the days turn to weeks, and then to months, and then to years, as we allow ourselves to be carried away on a current of things that are not as needful. Yet it seems so counter-intuitive to us today to not do work when there is work to be done. Yet Jesus tells us in the gospel to do precisely that on a regular basis. In our society there is a great self-importance that exists. We perceive ourselves as very important people with very important things to do. Indeed, what we have to do is more important than what other people have to do and inevitably we become irritated having to wait in line or having to tolerate a car in front of us on the road! Truly, we need to learn to laugh at ourselves. In this world there will always be a lot to do. If we wait till we are all done to take a break and pause time it may never happen. We must learn to pause our business to tend to the one thing that is needful; Silence, simplicity, prayer, introspection, and engaging others about things that are not work related. We learn to master time and not let the world get us on our heels. Some may even ridicule or mock us for this, having fallen into a state of resignation, they have given up hope that they can slow the pace that this world dictates to us and create these pauses. We are speaking of moments of timelessness. Where time stops and we engage God, ourselves, and one another. In the midst of a hurricane is the eye of the hurricane. It is a place of calm where the winds are still, perhaps only a gentle breeze. We must make our hearts like the eye of the hurricane, despite the destructive winds outside of us. No matter how much others might ridicule that, deem it unrealistic, or even perceive it as weakness. We create these moments, when despite how much we have to do, we set time aside and sit quietly, talk to another, listen to another, pray to God, or even listen to ourselves. It is these moments that keep us grounded and that create that place of calm inside of us. We venture out into the busy world daily but we learn to come home daily to that calm place where time ceases and only the present moment matters.

3 St. George Homeless Dinner

4 Teen SOYO

5 Children s Ministry Event Divine Liturgy with Metropolitan JOSEPH Fr. Maximos Nnachette of Nigeria Speaks to Church School Children

6 November Calendar Departed Anniversary List Friday 02 Orthros 10:00 AM OCTOBER By Father Joshua Makoul Saturday 03 Great 5:00 PM Sunday 04 SOYO Meeting Tuesday 06 Pre-School Group 9:30 AM 12:30 PM Wednesday 07 Vespers@ 7:00 PM Friday 09 Feast of St. Nektarios the Wonderworker Orthros 9:30AM and Liturgy 10:30AM (Mom s Ministry Potluck lunch after service) Saturday 10 Great 5:00 PM Monday 12 Parish Council 6:30 PM Wednesday 14 Vespers@ 7:00 PM Friday 16 Orthros 10:00 AM Saturday 17 Great 5:00 PM Sunday 18 Fall General Parish Meeting following Liturgy Wednesday 21 Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple Orthros 9:30AM and Liturgy 10:30AM Friday 23 Orthros 10:00 AM Saturday 24 Great 5:00 PM Sunday 25 St. George Lighthouse Ministry Meeting Wednesday 28 Vespers@ 7:00 PM October 7, 2018: Sadie Abraham-1953, Madeline Baraket-1978, James W. Davis-1989, Nazara Jacobs Shaheen-1980, Anna Abraham-1981, Katherine Ward-1965, Nadia Rizk-1974, John Albert- 1969, Lucia (Lucy) Ayoub-2003, Nabe B. Jacob, Sr.-1979, Julia Fedwa Fraed-1993, and Edward M. Albert October 14, 2018: Joan (Thomas) Edmonds-2011, Michael Cory-1971, Sameera Thomas-1997, George A. George-2003, Sam S. Bazari-1962, Elma H. Khalil-2001, George Deep Thomas-1959, George D. George-2004, Badr Domat-2014, Michael Albert Haddad-1956, Mildred Hadad-1995, and Amelia Kronstein October 21, 2018: Abraham Thomas-1954, Albert George-1972, Sophie Aber-2009, Virginia Sadie Hadad-1998, Minnie Abraham-1987, Charles Davis-1990, Andrew Albert-1963, Rahme Roy-1968, Anthony Joseph-1982, James E. Khalil-1996, Mitchell Abraham-1981, and Anna Salem October 28, 2018: Virginia Roy Harris-1969, William J. Albert-1970, Les T. Dayoub (Davis)-1978, Mike Deep-1968, Minerva Thomas-2000, Shafeka Ristom-1955, Leslie Joseph-1989, George Hanna- 2000, Catherine Ann George-2003, David C. Thomas, Sr-2004, Abraham Shaheen-1965, Joan E. Filby -1966, Minnie Abraham-1969, Louis Jabbour-1975, Miro Michael Serafy-1995, and Robert E. Abraham NOVEMBER November 4, 2018: George Esper-1979, Leo Solomon-2004, and Richard Tony-2008, Z. Anthony (a.k.a.: Michael George)-1964, Mitchell Haddad-1979, and Brian Caputo November 11, 2018: Henry Haddad-2002, Louise K. Lesoon-1986, Sophie Salem-1996, Isa Esper- 2007, David Ayoub-1985, and Amanda Esper November 18, 2018: Rose Joseph Khoury-1968, Mary Zanich-1986, John Esper Joseph-1972, Samuel T. Roy-1976, Dush Kosanovich-1990, Melvin T. Marshall-1996, Esper Yousef-1968, Nellie A. Abraham -1988, Samuel J. Tomassi-2005, Harriet Marion Shogry-1960, Harry Koury-1983, Daniel Khalil Jr , and Charles Dayieb November 25, 2018: William Khalil-1972, Mary Simon-1973, Richard Eassa-1971, Jacob David-1977, Edward Lesoon, Sr.-1986, Samuel Ames-1989, Helen Davis-1977, Leslie George, Sr.-1998, Joseph Davis-1968, Mary C. Solomon-2003, Peter Cardone-1969, Albert R. Sunner-1971.