Bulletin Deadline is NOON

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1 St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church سينيكيدرألا ةيألاطلألن سيدقرواسنكيدقلا ةسينك / Fax REVEREND FATHER GEORGE M. AL-DEHNEH, PASTOR Very Reverend Father Jehad T. Michael, Pastor Emeritus Very Reverend Father Bob Bethoney, Attached A warm welcome to our visitors and guests St. George is an Eastern Orthodox Church of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America We are glad to have you worshipping with us today. We minister to Orthodox Christians of all backgrounds. Holy Communion is a sign of our full unity of faith. Therefore, only Baptized and Confirmed Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves through prayer and Sacramental Confession may partake of this Sacrament. However, all are welcome to partake of the Blessed Bread of Fellowship and receive a Priest blessing at the end of the Divine Liturgy. We also in vite you to join us for light refreshments and coffee following the Service, where we will be happy to meet with you and answer any question you may have about the Orthodox Faith. OCTOBER 20, 2013 Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost & Sixth Sunday of Luke Tone 8 Eothinon 6 Sunday Service: Orthros 9:20 AM, Followed by the Divine Liturgy Confessions by Appointment Only On this day, we commemorate: Great-Martyr Artemios at Antioch, Venerable Gerasimos the New Ascetic of Kephallenia; Venerable Matrona of Chios. Epistle: David Dayoub. Sermonette: Jonathan Jarjour. Ushers: Ashly Daioub, Johnny Odeh, Michelle Shaheen, David Dayoub (Special Olympics Awareness Day Tray). Altar Boys: All are encouraged and welcome to serve. RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION (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. ARTEMIOS THE GREAT-MARTYR (TONE FOUR) Thy martyr, Artemios, O Lord, in his courageous contest for Thee received as the prize the crown of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal God. For since he possessed Thy strength, he cast down the tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons strengthless presumption. O Christ God, by his prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful. TROPARION OF ST. GEORGE (TONE FOUR) As the deliverer of captives and defender of the poor, healer of the infirm and champion of kings, victorious great martyr George intercede with Christ our God for our souls salvation. KONTAKION FOR ORDINARY SUNDAYS (TONE FOUR) O Undisputed intercessor of Christians, the mediatrix unrejected by the Creator, turn not away from the voice of our petitions, though we be sinners. Come to us in time, who cry to thee in faith, with assistance; for thou art good. Hasten to us with intercessions O Theotokos, who dost ever intercede for those who honor thee. Holy Bread will be offered by: Allen & Patricia Borschow: For Phillip's birthday and the good health of the Borschow, Madsen, Diaz & Davis families. Bulletin Deadline is NOON Please remember that any announcement received after the above time and day will be published in the following week s bulletin.

2 THE EPISTLE (For the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost) Make your vows to the Lord our God and perform them. God is known in Judah; His Name is great in Israel. The Reading from the Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. (6:16-7:1) Brethren, we are the temple of the living God; as God said, I will live in them and move among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore come out from them, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfect in the fear of God. THE GOSPEL (For the Sixth Sunday of Luke) The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (8:26-39) At that time, Jesus arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. And as He stepped out on land, there met Him a man from the city who had demons; for a long time he had worn no clothes, and he lived not in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, What hast Thou to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beseech Thee, do not torment me. For Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. [For many a time it had seized him; he was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters, but he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the desert.] Jesus then asked him, What is your name? And he said, Legion ; for many demons had entered him. And they begged Jesus not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside; and they begged Jesus to let them enter these. So He gave them leave. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how he who had been possessed with demons was healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked Jesus to depart from them; for they were seized with great fear; so He got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with Jesus; but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to your home, and declare all that God has done for you. And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city all that Jesus had done for him. Donations Tony Dayoub: For the health of Bill Aziz. Sami & Antoinette Esper: To honor Joseph Kalifeh & Annette Esper and to thank God for His Blessings. Bryan & Annette Haddad: For the health of Sudie Nasser & family. Sada Vaughan: For the good health of Georgette & Mitchell Abraham, Fr. Michael & Kh. Salwa, Sudie Nasser, Bill Aziz and Richard Salem. Dr. Sandra Edwards: For the health of Bill & Nada. Dr. Sandra Edwards: For the health of Sudie, Deanna and Memory of Dale. Dr. Sandra Edwards: For the health of Virginia and Skee / Memory George and Pete. Allen & Patricia Borschow: For the good health of Sudie Nasser. Jamie Isaac: In Memory of Tom & Regina Jacobs, Peter Rizk. Salma Isaac & family: In Memory of Bill Salem. In Memory of Martha Amparo Sainz David & Dalal Young Tony Dayoub Dr. Raed & Sylvana Aldouri Constantine & Jeanne Papas Yousuf & Hend Odeh Sada Vaughan Bryan & Annette Haddad Nabil & Doris Shaheen Seamone Haddad Allen & Patricia Borschow

3 Donations (Cont.) In Memory of Naeem Tannous Sami & Antoinette Esper Dr. Raed & Sylvana Aldouri Sada Vaughan Ward & Nancy Esper Salma Isaac & family Jamie Isaac Nabil & Doris Shaheen Seamone Haddad In Memory of Mike Slaman Sada Vaughan Salma Isaac & family Allen & Patricia Borschow In Memory of Domiana Sadoo Jamie Isaac Salma Isaac& family In Memory of Charlotte Rotche Jamie Isaac Salma Isaac & family Altar Boys Robe s Donations Mary Esther Salom: For the health of George Salom Sr. and George Jr. & Wendy Salom. James & Joseph Isaac: For the health of their families. Anonymous: For her good health and the health of her Children. Bryan & Annette Haddad MANY THANKS To Demetrios & Kimberly Anaipakos (from Houston, TX) for their very generous & gracious donation in Memory of their beloved grandmother Martha Amparo Sainz to help in completing and concluding the fundraising for Altar Boy s Robes. May God bless them with their children & grant their mother Blanca Anaipakos who raised faithful and God loving children to the One and Holy Orthodox Church many healthy & prosper years. The Ladies Society Will be meeting this Sunday, October 20, 2013 after the Divine Liturgy to discuss important issues and future events. Please attend the meeting. Thank you Sylvana Aldouri May Festival Committee Planning Meeting There will be a meeting of the May Festival Committee on Wednesday, November 6, at 7:00 PM in the Mini-Hall. Everyone on the committee try to attend. Please let Father George or Nahed know if you will not be present. Thank you May Festival Chairpersons COMING Soon ST. GEORGE LADIES SOCIETY ANNUAL THANKSGIVING LUNCHEON, HOLIDAY BAKE TABLE ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2013 AFTER THE DIVINE LITURGY. Please see Sylvana Aldouri, if you would like to donate towards the luncheon or the bake table. Virginia Aziz as well will be taking donations for the Bake Table. Thanksgiving Donations Nahed & Marie Khouri Blanca Gottfried

4 CONGRATULATIONS To St. George Teens for winning the third place in the basketball tournament which was held in Oklahoma City October 04-06, They also won the best design for the T-Shirt contest. May God grant you all many years. T E E N M O N T H October 20: Sermonette- Jonathan Jarjour. Epistle- David Dayoub. Ushers- Ashly Daioub, Johnny Odeh, Michelle Shaheen, David Dayoub. Refreshments- Ashly Daioub, Johnny Odeh, Michelle Shaheen, David Dayoub. October 27: Sermonette- David Dayoub. Epistle- Sam Salloum. Ushers- George Haddad, Sam Salloum, Jonathan Jarjour, Christian Khouri. Refreshments- George Haddad, Sam Salloum, Jonathan Jarjour, Christian Khouri. OCTOBER IS TEEN SOYO MONTH Designated by our Archdiocese for our teens to usher, read Epistles, give sermonettes and offer refreshments for the whole month (unless is provided by a St. George family). Remember our Abducted Syrian Hierarchs St. George Church Sunday School We are very proud of the following students who were in attendance at this past Sunday s Church School: Pre-School Malik Thomas. Grades Kinder/1 Kendall Olivas, Amira Thomas. Grades 2/3 Emma Isaac, Sami Odeh, Alyssa Elias, Jude Naddour. Grades 4/5 Rylee Isaac, James Elias, Boris Salinas, Jad Yacoub, Anthony Jarjour. Grades 6/7 Joseph Odeh. Grades Christian Khouri, Johnny Odeh, William Shaghoury, James Shaheen, George Haddad, Rose Barakat, Ashly Daioub, Sarah Daioub. Parents & Students, please remember that Sunday School begins at 9:15 AM with opening prayer from Fr. George. Its important for us to be on time, to pray together, and learn about our faith.

5 Special Olympics Awareness Day As NAC Teen SOYO prepares to sponsor the 33 rd Annual Special Olympics Sports Camp; we ask that you be generous in helping our teens in this ministry. Approximately 300 athletes and coaches participated in our camp last summer. Teen SOYO members come from all over North America to volunteer their time, to reach out to others, and fulfill the Gospel: Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me. (Matthew 25:40) Special Olympics Awareness Day is your opportunity to support this ministry and enrich the lives of our teens who participate in helping others. Your generosity makes this ministry possible. Today, our teens will solicit your financial donations to enable them to run and sponsor the 33 rd Annual Special Olympics Sports Camp at the Antiochian Village in the summer of Please be generous as our teens need to raise in excess of $60,000 to run this worthwhile program. As an expression of our teens gratitude for your support of this important project, you will receive an icon of Saint George. Thank you for your help! Please make checks payable to your local teen group.

6 The Orthodox Church and Tithing What obligation do the members have to the Church? Since each of us has a unique and essential part to play in the life-saving work of the Church, we are obliged to discover the unique gifts that God has given to each of us and use them for the health and growth of the Body of Christ. This process is called Stewardship. Why do we talk about stewardship and tithing? A Steward is a person who has temporary custody of a particular item or piece of property until the owner asks that person to give an accounting for the way that item was used. We are all Stewards. God has given us our Time, Talents, and Treasures so that we might invest them wisely as we work together as agents in His plan for the salvation of the universe. Like all Stewards, we will one day have to give an accounting for the way we used these precious gifts. Tithing is only one element of our responsibilities as members of the Body of Christ. Tithing (or committing 10% of our income to the work of the Church) is the biblical minimum standard of giving for all Christians, first stated in the Old Testament and explicitly called for in our own Archdiocesan regulations. But Jesus calls us to commit 100% of ourselves to Him. When we fill out our pledge cards, we should budget to follow the biblically mandated minimum of the tithe; but when we plan our day, do we plan to live as Christians only 10% of the time? God forbid! WHY SHOULD I TITHE? Many people are surprised to know that this Holy Church is entirely funded by donations from its members of the Church. All Church daily expenses are increasing every year. Unfortunately, those who have contributed the majority of our funds are beginning to find it impossible to continue at the rate they have in the past. The Orthodox Church encourages tithing and we ask you to prayerfully consider a regular tithe to this Church. We have so many needs and there are endless ways you can help! Please consider us as you create your personal budget plans! All of that being said, Church s all over the country rely on the good will of those who attend and their giving. There are many ways that a person can give to the Church. People not only give financially, but they can also give of their time and talents. This can be in things like helping in bringing food for coffee hours, etc. When speaking strictly on the matter of how a Church is supported financially, there are really two methods that have come to be in use in the United States. The first system, is the dues system. Effectively this boils down to giving a set amount of money every year, based on the number of people in your family, etc. Unfortunately this system has proven to be extremely ineffective. Many Churches who operate under this system do not do nearly as well as Churches which encourage tithing. What exactly is tithing? The word itself is a reference to 1/10th of whatever a person receives. Tithing was not the most a person should give either. In the Old Covenant it was the minimum! Throughout the New Testament the teaching of giving is clear. Christ uses the example of a widow who although she is only able to give two small coins gave much more than those who were rich and gave larger amounts. This is because as Christ says, For all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had. (Luke 21:4) In consideration of all of this, when looking at bills we all have, it s hard to find money to give to the Church. Giving to the Church starts in small amounts. Please prayerfully consider giving a monthly tithe to the Church. Do your best to be consistent by committing your first fruits to God, not your leftovers. Make a point to give to the Church. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7). Thank you for your continuing support of your St. George Church.

7 Instructions for Christians from St. Isaac the Syrian Let yourself be persecuted, but do not persecute others. Be crucified, but do not crucify others. Be slandered, but do not slander others. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep: such is the sign of purity. Suffer with the sick. Be afflicted with sinners. Exult with those who repent. Be the friend of all, but in your spirit remain alone. Be a partaker of the sufferings of all, but keep your body distant from all. Rebuke no one, revile no one, not even those who live very wickedly. Spread your cloak over those who fall into sin, each and every one, and shield them. And if you cannot take the fault on yourself and accept punishment in their place, do not destroy their character. What is a merciful heart? It is a heart on fire for the whole of creation, for humanity, for the birds, for the animals, for demons, and for all that exists. By the recollection of them the eyes of a merciful person pour forth tears in abundance. By the strong and vehement mercy that grips such a person s heart, and by such great compassion, the heart is humbled and one cannot bear to hear or to see any injury or slight sorrow in any in creation. For this reason, such a person offers up tearful prayer continually even for irrational beasts, for the enemies of the truth, and for those who harm her or him, that they be protected and receive mercy. And in like manner such a person prays for the family of reptiles because of the great compassion that burns without measure in a heart that is in the likeness of God. The person who is genuinely charitable not only gives charity out of his own possessions, but gladly tolerates injustice from others and forgives them. Whoever lays down his soul for his brother acts generously, rather than the person who demonstrates his generosity by his gifts. God is not One who requites evil, but who sets evil right. Paradise is the love of God, wherein is the enjoyment of all blessedness. - St. Isaac the Syrian

8 OCTOBER 2013 SUNDAY ORTHROS 9:20 AM Followed by the DIVINE LITURGY SUN MON TUES WED THU FRI SAT RD SUNDAY OF LUKE 7 Sergius & Bacchus Chanters Practice: 6:00 PM Choir Practice: 7:00 PM 8 Righteous Pelagia 9 Parish Council 7:00 PM Apostle James Philip of the 7 Deacons 12 Simon the New- Theologian 13 Sunday of the 7th Ecumenical Councils 14 Chanters Practice: 6:00 PM Choir Practice: 7:00 PM Prophet Hosea 18 Luke the Evangelist th Sunday of Luke 21 Chanters Practice: 6:00 PM Choir Practice: 7:00 PM 22 7 Youths of Ephesus Martyr Sebastian Demetrius the Myrrh-Streamer 27 7th Sunday of Luke 28 Holy Protection of the Theotokos Chanters Practice: 6:00 PM Choir Practice: 7:00 PM Cleopas & Artemas of the To request a Dome Lighting, please contact Fr The donation is $ per lighting For Pastoral Emergencies, or to notify the Clergy of ill or hospitalized parishioners, please call: Fr. George Al-Dehneh: Fr. Jehad Michael: MAY DINNER TICKETS & EXPENSES Please turn in your receipts and money for the tickets that you have bought or sold to the Church office ASAP. Thank you REMINDER Parishioners, please remember to use your COMMUNITY card at Albertsons, because we get 1% donation to the Church. (That is easy fundraising)