Se rvin g the Orthodo x Christian Co m m un ity o f Gre ate r Cle ve lan d. St. Ge o rge An tio chian Orthodo x Christian Church

Transcription

1 St Ge o rge An tio chian Orthodo x Christian Church Athanasius and Cyril, Patriarchs of Alexandria Se rvin g the Orthodo x Christian Co m m un ity o f Gre ate r Cle ve lan d

2 St George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church 2587 West 14 th Street Cleveland, OH Metropolitan Arch-Bishop PHILIP SALIBA, Primate His Grace, Bishop MARK, Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest Very Rev Fr John Ojaimi, Pastor Home: (440) Cellular: (440) Rev Archdeacon Yarid Sahley Sub-Deacons: Sam Elias, & Labib El-Bardawil Website: stgeorgeclevelandcom Sunday, January 18, 2009 Commemoration of Athanasius and Cyril, Patriarchs of Alexandria TONE 6 Eothinon 9 On this day, we commemorate: Athanasius and Cyril, patriarchs of Alexandria; Martyr Theodoulis; Maximos, Serbian Despot We welcome our visitors and guests! Please let us know who you are! While only Orthodox Christians prepared through confession & fasting may come for Holy Communion, everyone is welcome to partake of the Holy Bread after Liturgy Bread of Oblation is offered for the Health and Spiritual Welfare of Claude, Michael, Ameed, Basseem, Hannan & Rana Nseir and of Dr Bachar & Rana Dergham and Family by Dr & Mrs Bachar Dergham Bread of Oblation is offered for the repose of the soul & in memory of Wadie and Fouad Nseir by Dr & Mrs Bachar Dergham Bread of Oblation is offered for the repose of the soul & in memory of Minor George by his wife, Alsace George & family and of Frieda George by her family and of Kalil Haddad by the Kalil Haddad family Prayers for the Health & Spiritual Welfare of: Houda Abdelkarim, Melissa Blank Aboid, Tommy Amato, Mary Assad, Naissef & Rita Courey, George & Mary Dawed, Dee DeGeorge, Ann Deeb, Emilie Easa, James Eassey, Helena Elias, Sarah Elias, Vera Elias, Norman Fadil, Peter Farage, AnneMarie, Dave & Altair Gann, Minerva Gantose, Leo & Christine George, Peter George, Pauline Hanna, Ava Harb, Samia Harb, Yasmine Harb, Lauren Ameen Hayek, George Karim, Marwan Karim, Hanadi Khouri, Helen Lambert, Eleanor McKibben, Joyce & Marie Nader, Kaukab Nader, Virginia Nader, Mary Namy, Nijmeh Rafeedie, Paul Saba, Jennie Sadallah, Christopher Fadel-Samuel, George Sarkes, Betty Selby, Alice Shiekh, Alvera Shiekh, Linda Simon, Helen Thomas, Georgine Trombetto, & Asma Zaboura

3 Candles are offered for the Health, Safety & Spiritual Welfare of: Dee DeGeorge by her sister, Beverly George Alexis & Mike by Hal & Loouise Bouhasin Our family in Lebanon by Ghassan & Ghada Karim & family Children of Gaza by Ghassan & Ghada Karim & family Joan Haddad by Tony & Mireille Abdulkarim, by Leo & Lila Koury and by Linda Simon Candles offered for the Repose of the Servants of God: Laila Nader by her children and grandchildren Edward Fadel by his wife, Rita & family Wadia Ameen by his wife Mary & family Mounir Nader by Hani & Marie Nader & family Maggie, Edma & Elias Aboumrad by George & Nayla Aboumrad & family UPCOMING DIVINE SERVICE Sunday, January 25, :30AM Divine 10:30AM Announcements The new website for St George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church of Cleveland, Ohio it now available for stgeorgeclevelandcom Our Annual Parish Meeting was cancelled last Sunday and moved to Sunday February 08, 2009 after Church St George Liturgical Choir PLEASE join us in singing praises to God Contact Milan, the choir director, Charlie Haddad, Choir Chairman or George Shiekh if interested in joining Rehearsals are on Tuesday evenings from 7-8:30PM St George Teens & Sunday School children will meet each Sunday following Communion also our TEENS have a Bowling Night at Buckeye Lanes Lorain Rd North Olmsted on Friday, January 23rd from 8-10 pm Wall of Remembrances: There are still spaces available for you to remember someone in your family or a good friend It may be a wish for health & safety, someone who has gone to eternal rest, or just a wish of love Let us complete this wall as a tribute to our families Please see Deacon Yarid for details

4 Liturgical Page for Sunday, January 18, 2009 Little Entrance TROPARION Tone 6 When Mary stood at thy grave looking for thy sacred body, angelic powers shone above thy revered tomb, and the soldiers who were to keep guard became as dead men Thou led hades captive and wast not tempted thereby Thou didst meet the Virgin and didst give life to the world Thou who art risen from the dead, O Lord, glory to Thee The Entrance Hymn(Eisodikon): O come let us worship and fall down before Christ, O Son of God, who art risen from the dead, save us who sing unto thee: Alleluia After the Entrance we chant: TROPARION Tone 6 When Mary stood at thy grave looking for thy sacred body, angelic powers shone above thy revered tomb, and the soldiers who were to keep guard became as dead men Thou led hades captive and wast not tempted thereby Thou didst meet the Virgin and didst give life to the world Thou who art risen from the dead, O Lord, glory to Thee Sts Athanasius & Cyril Tone 3 With work of Orthodoxy, ye shone forth and extinguished wicked opinion, becoming triumphant and clothed with victory And having enriched all with true worship, and adorned the Church with great adornment, ye worthily found Christ God, granting to all, through your prayers, the Great Mercy Troparion of St George Tone 4 As deliver of captives and defender of the poor, healer of the infirm, champion of kings, victorius great martyr George, intercede with Christ our God, for our souls salvation Kontakion of the Theotokos for the Presentation Tone 1 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 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 and more glorious beyond all measure than the Seraphim That without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, and art truly Theotokos We magnify thee The Koinonikon Praise ye the Lord from the Heavens; praise ye Him in the highest Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia Post-Communion We have seen the true light; we have received the heavenly Spirit We have found the true Faith Worshipping the undivided Trinity; for he hath saved us Great Dismissal "May He Who rose again from the dead, Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His allimmaculate and all-blameless holy Mother, Through the prayers" The Life of the Saints Cyril of Alexandria Our father among the saints Cyril of Alexandria was the Pope of Alexandria at the time Alexandria was at its height in influence and power within the Roman Empire Cyril wrote extensively and was a leading protagonist in the Christological controversies of the 4th and 5th centuries He was a central figure in the Council of Ephesus in 431 which led to the deposition of Nestorius as Archbishop of Constantinople Cyril is among the patristic fathers, and his reputation within the Orthodox Christian world has led to his acquiring the title "Seal of all the Fathers" His feast day is celebrated on June 9 and, with St Athanasius of Alexandria, on January 18 Cyril was born about 378 in the small town of Theodosios, Egypt, near modern day Malalla el Kobra His mother's brother, Theophilus, was a priest who rose to the powerful position of Pope of Alexandria His mother remained close to her brother and under his guidance Cyril was well educated His education showed through his knowledge, in his writings, of Christian writers of his day, including Eusebius, Origen, Didymus, and writers of the Alexandrian church He showed a knowledge of Latin through his extensive correspondence with the Bishop of Rome, Pope Celestine His formal education appeared normal for his day: grammatical studies at ages 12 to 14, Rhetoric/Humanities at ages 15 to 20, and Christian theology and biblical studies

6 He was tonsured a reader by his uncle, Theophilus, in the Church of Alexandria and under his uncle's guidance advanced in knowledge and position He supported his uncle in the removal of St John Chrysostom as archbishop of Constantinople, although this was justified as an administrative, not doctrinal, issue, as later Cyril supported John's return as when he contrasted Nestorius' unorthodoxy to Chrysostom's purity of doctrine to the imperial court Theophilus died on October 15, 412, and Cyril was made pope on October 18, 412, over stiff opposition by the party for the incumbent Archdeacon Timothy in a volatile Alexandrian atmosphere Thus, Cyril followed first Athanasius and then Theophilus as the Pope of Alexandria in the position that had become powerful and influential, rivaling that of the city Prefect His early years as pope were caught up in the problems of a cosmopolitan city where the animosities among the various Christian factions, Jews, and pagans brought frequent violence In addition, there was the rivalry between Alexandria and Constantinople and a clash between Alexandrian and Antiochian schools of ecclesiastical reflection, piety, and discourse These issues came to a head in 428 when the see of Constantinople became vacant Nestorius, from the Antiochian party, was made Archbishop of Constantinople on April 10, 428, and stoked the fires by denouncing the use of the term Theotokos as not a proper rendition of Mary's position in relation to Christ Thus, Cyril and the Alexandrian party crossed swords with those of the Antiochian party in the imperial home court After much in-fighting, Augusta Pulcheria, older sister of the Emperor Theodosius II, sided with Cyril against Nestorius To rid himself of Cyril, Nestorius recommended to the emperor a council in Constantinople But, when Theodosius called the council it was in Ephesus, an area friendly to Cyril After months of manuevering the Council of 431 ended with Nestorius being removed from office and sent into exile Cyril died on June 27, 444, but the controversies were to continue for decades, from the Robber Council of Ephesus in 449 to the Council of Chalcedon in 451 and beyond Athanasius of Alexandria He was born to pagan parents When he was in school he saw a group of Christians acting out services and when he asked to join them, they refused From then on he declared himself Christian The patriarch at that time, Pope Alexander, predicted that he would eventually hold a great position Before reaching the age of 20, Athanasius wrote a treatise entitled On the Incarnation, affirming and explaining that Jesus Christ was both God and Man In about 319, when Athanasius was a deacon, a presbyter named Arius began teaching that there was a time before God the Father begat Jesus when the latter did not exist Athanasius responded that the Father's begetting of the Son, or uttering of the Word, was an eternal relationship between them, not an event that took place within time Thus began catholic Christianity's fight against the heresy of Arianism

7 Athanasius fought consistently against Arianism all his life As a deacon, he accompanied Alexander of Alexandria to the First Council of Nicea in 325, which produced the Nicene Creed and anathematized Arius and his followers The Coptic church maintains a tradition that Athanasius was the main author of the Nicene Creed, and has therefore given him the title of Defender of the Faith On May 9, 328, he succeeded Alexander as bishop of Alexandria, becoming the 20th Patriarch of the Church of Alexandria, a position which he held for 45 years, 16 of which he spent in exile As a result of rises and falls in Arianism's influence, he was banished from Alexandria only to be later restored on at least five separate occasions, perhaps as many as seven This gave rise to the expression Athanasius contra mundum or "Athanasius against the world" During some of his exiles, he spent time with the Desert Fathers, monks and hermits who lived in remote areas of Egypt Athanasius is also the first person to identify the same 27 books of the New Testament that are in use today; up until his Easter letter, various similar lists were in use However, his list was the one that was eventually ratified by a series of synods and came to be universally recognized as the New Testament canon He also wrote a biography of Anthony the Great that later served as an inspiration to Christian monastics in both the East and the West The Athanasian Creed is traditionally ascribed to him, though it is likely not his work St Athanasius Shrine (where the saint's relics are preserved) under St Mark's Cathedral, Cairo The saint was originally buried in Alexandria His holy body was later transferred to Italy Pope Shenouda III restored the relics of St Athanasius to Egypt on 15 May 1973, [1] after his historical visit to the Vatican and meeting with Pope Paul VI The relics of St Athanasius the Great of Alexandria are currently preserved under the new St Mark Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Deir El-Anba Rowais, Abbassiya, Cairo, Egypt The following is a troparion (hymn) to St Athanasius sung in some Orthodox churches: O holy father Athanasius, like a pillar of orthodoxy you refuted the heretical nonsense of Arius by insisting that the Father and the Son are equal in essence O venerable father, beg Christ our God to save our souls

8 Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our Fathers for you are just in all you have done Epistle Hebrew 13:7-16 (Sts Athanasius & Cyril) The reading is from Saint Paul s Letter to the Hebrews Brethren, remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever Do not be lead away by diverse and strange teachings; for it is well that the heart be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited their adherents We have an alter from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood Therefore let us go forth to him outside the camp and bear the abuse he endured For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is to come Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God Gospel Luke 17:12-19 (12th Sunday of Luke) The Reading of the Holy Gospel according to St Luke At that time: As he 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 said Jesus, "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"

9 Hebrew 13:7-16 (Sts Athanasius & Cyril) «14» Luke 17:12-19 (12th Sunday of Luke) «17»: 18»: 14 «! «16»: :

10 IT IS STRANGE ISN'T IT? how a 20 dollar bill seems like such a large amount when you donate it to church, but such a small amount when you go shopping? how 2 hours seem so long when you're at church, and how short they seem when you're watching a good movie? that you can't find a word to say when you're praying but you have no trouble thinking what to talk about with a friend? how difficult and boring it is to read one chapter of the Bible but how easy it is to read 100 pages of a popular novel or ZANE GREY book? how everyone wants front-row-tickets to concerts or games but they do whatever is possible to sit at the last row in Church? how we need to know about an event for Church 2-3 weeks before the day so we can include it in our agenda, but we can adjust it for other events in the last minute? how difficult it is to learn a fact about God to share it with others; but how easy it is to learn, understand, extend and repeat gossip? how we believe everything that magazines and newspapers say but we question the words in the Bible? how everyone wants a place in heaven but they don't want to believe, do, or say anything to get there? how we send jokes in s and they are forwarded right away but when we are going to send messages about God, we think about it twice before we share it with others? IT'S STRANGE ISN'T IT?

11 Sacred Gift of Life Sunday + January 18, 2009 Several years after the momentous Supreme Court decision Roe v Wade overturned the laws of all fifty states and essentially legalized abortion on demand throughout the US, churches everywhere began observing Sacred Gift of Life Sunday This event, which always precedes the anniversary of this misguided decision, is a call for Christians everywhere to prayers and activism on behalf of women and their unborn children In the Antiochian Archdiocese, our teens are leading the way in asking our parishes to observe Sacred Gift of Life Sunday With the blessing of Metropolitan Philip, Teen SOYO has mailed a packet of resource materials to every parish in the archdiocese to help the faithful memorialize the 43 million lives lost to abortion in the last 35 years In the article Where Do You Stand? in the January 2009 issue of The Word, Fr Anthony Yazge, spiritual director to Teen SOYO, writes, our teens recognize that the issue we face with unwanted pregnancy is symptomatic of a greater problem the lack of purity, chastity, and holiness in our society January 18, 2009, is the Sunday that precedes the 35th anniversary of the tragic Supreme Court Decision of Roe v Wade, which legalized abortion in the United States This Supreme Court decision overturned all moral and logical reasoning that most citizens of our society held and practiced Since 1973, over 43 million lives have been aborted Approximately 93% of the women who have had abortions cited they did so for social reasons (ie unready for responsibility, can t afford the baby, concern over how baby would change her life, etc) as opposed to issues regarding the mother s health, the baby s health, rape or incest These few facts are very alarming for us as Orthodox Christians who hold all life as sacred and holy The teens of our archdiocese are very concerned about this issue and desire to do whatever is in their ability to help bring about change that leads to godliness and holiness The members of the North American Council (NAC) of SOYO, with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Philip, are leading our Archdiocese in observing Sunday, January 20, 2008, as the Sacred Gift of Life Sunday: Protecting the Life of the Unborn Our teens, as part of the celebration of January as

12 Orthodox Education Month, are furthering their education, understanding and commitment regarding the Orthodox Church s teaching on the sacred gift of life and abortion In turn, they are helping to bring a greater awareness to the faithful of our parishes and throughout their local communities The teens are mailing to every Antiochian Archdiocese parish a packet of resource materials including a bulletin insert, an article written by Christopher Shadid, the NAC SOYO President, that is a synopsis of related issues discussed in Fr John Breck's book, God With Us: Critical Issues in Christian Life and Faith, and a Feedback Form The article by Chris Shadid will provide our teens with a starting point for discussion on these important issues There are a number of other resources which have links to them below Local Teen SOYO chapters and High School Christian Education classes are encouraged to check out our resources page for materials Some of the materials include a case study on abortion and the sacred gift of life that was developed by Dr H Tristram Engelhardt, an Orthodox Christian and leading Bio-Ethicist The teens, under the leadership of the pastors and advisors, will have the material necessary to have discussions and further their belief and commitment to the sacred gift of life Please join our teens as we recognized the sacred gift of life on Sunday, January 20, 2008 throughout the parishes of the Antiochian Archdiocese ABORTION An Orthodox Statement By V Rev Timothy Baclig Abortion means the intentional removal of an embryo or fetus from the womb of a pregnant woman as a result of chemical agents or surgical procedure The Orthodox Church has always opposed the practice of abortion and condemnations have been recorded in the writings of Church Fathers from apostolic times In the second Century, Tertullian (2c) stated that prevention of birth is precipitation of murder; it does not matter whether one takes away a life when formed, or drive it away while forming He also is a man who is about to be one Even every fruit already exists in its seed (Apology 9) St Basil the Great (4c) who also wrote on the subject, addresses abortion as premeditated murder He writes in canons 2 and 8: She who purposely destroys the fetus shall suffer the punishment of murder He goes on to elaborate that there is no distinction between a fetus that is formed or unformed The earliest Synodal decision on abortion was the 63 rd canon of the Synod of Elvira in The Synod restricts the Holy Eucharist from women guilty of abortion until on their deathbed The 21 st canon of the regional Synod of Ankara (314 AD) decreed that offenders be given a penance of abstinence from Holy Communion for a long period of time and be permitted to attend the Divine Liturgy in contrition and only from the exterior of the church Abortion is clearly condemned as murder, and consenting pregnant mothers and

13 abortionists as murderers in Canon 91 of the Quinisext Ecumenical Council In practice, it must be noted that the Orthodox Church has been compassionate to mothers whose lives were jeopardized without an abortion St Gregory of Nyssa (4c) formulated a theory based on the principle that an organism is given life and grows from the moment of its existence The mind of the Church on the subject of abortion, it must be noted, is rooted in an understanding which is implicit in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, and celebrated within the full context of the liturgical life of the Church The Feasts which bring focus to the subject include: the Conception of St John the Baptist (Sept 24), of the Holy Virgin Mother of God (Dec 8), and of our Lord Himself (Mar 25) Among the references of scripture the Psalmist records: For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother s womb (Psalm 139:13) In conclusion, it can be said that: human beings are first conceived, receive life at inception, develop and grow as persons created in the image and likeness of God For further reading see: Breck, John; The Sacred Gift of Life; Orthodox Christianity and Bioethics; St Vladimir s Seminary Press, Crestwood; 1998 ST GEORGE PARISH COMMUNITY CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR DATE & TIME SPONSORED BY EVENT Jan Antiochian Women POOR MAN S REVERSE RAFFLE Jan Teens Bowling Night at Buckeye Lanes Lorain Rd North Olmsted Feb 14 Church School VALENTINE PARTY Feb 21 Church School PREPARATION OF FOOD/ /CARDS FOR SHUT-INS Month of March Antiochian Women LADIES MONTH/USHER & READ EPISTLE February Antiochian Women meeting April 12 Church School PALM SUNDAY PROCESSION W/BANNERS April 16@6:30pm Church School HOLY THURSDAY WASHING OF THE FEET April Parish Council SAINT GEORGE WEEKEND April 25 Church School PLAY /PRESENTATION St George Weekend May Antiochian Women HOLY CHEFS COOK OFF August Antiochian Women ST MARY S DAY DINNER June 6 Church School HUNTINGTON BEACH PARK July Midwest Diocese Parish Life Conference, is hosted by St James Antiochian Orthodox Sheraton Cincinnati North Hotel, Chester Rd Cincinnati, Ohio, To reserve call the or log on wwwstjameslovelandorg

14 THE ANTIOCHIAN WOMEN OF ST GEORGE ORTHODOX CHURCH PRESENTS THE ORIGINAL REVERSE RAFFLE AND DINNER SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 Doors Open 6:30 PM - Dinner 7:30 PM MAIN DRAWING $1,00000 SIDEBOARDS!!! LIMITED NUMBER OF TICKETS $3000 PER PERSON CALL CAMILIA SALIBA or LINDA SIMON or ST GEORGE CHURCH West 14 th Street, Cleveland, Ohio

15 REGISTRATION Room Rate: $99 with FREE parking H OT EL Chester Road Cincinnati, Ohio USA Special offers reservations: Phone: Fax:

16 ZOE for Life! Who we are Many Orthodox Christian women are fortunate to have the love and support structure to lead them to marriage, children, and a meaningful life Others, however, are not as fortunate They find themselves in a crisis pregnancy They have made the wrong choices and are in turmoil They're not thinking, they're panicking So few women are well versed on the various services and support groups available to them The overwhelming concern is "What am I going to do now?" Many wrestle with abortion, some with adoption, some with suicide It is disturbing that most of the Orthodox Christian women who are in trouble do not turn to their church for guidance; perhaps because there are so very few places to turn to within the Orthodox community These women need emotional support, confidential access to professional agencies, and access to potential adoptive Orthodox families to encourage them to carry their infants to term ZOE serves as a conduit, guiding women to a wider range of support organizations, providing them with a more attractive set of options and hopefully a more promising outlook on their situation For example, there is financial assistance, housing assistance, medical assistance, prenatal care, adoption services and other services available that are usually unknown to most women in crisis pregnancies It is ZOE's goal to connect these women with these services If you know someone who would benefit by an understanding "ear," please pass this along and encourage them to call National Office 3352 Mayfield Road Cleveland Hts, OH hotline LIFE (5433)