St. George Orthodox Christian Church 5311 Mercer Street Houston, TX (713)

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1 MARCH 2018 I t is always a joy to witness an ordination to the Holy Orders, but it is a very special blessing when the man being ordained is a well-known and loved faithful son of our community. On Sunday, January 28 our beloved parish youth director George Katrib was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph. Deacon George was brought into this world by faithful parents Gabra and Joan Katrib. He was baptized in the font at St. George and was raised in and by this parish. He was active in Church School, Teen SOYO, the Antiochian Village and Camp St. Raphael, In the fall of 2011, George entered St. Vladimir s Seminary in New York where he recieved his Masters of Divinity in In the fall of 2015, George accepted the ministry of Youth Director here at St. George. Under his leadership, our youth program has flourished as he continues to contact our young people to the Fatih. May GOD grant Deaon George and Shamassy Miray many years as they continue serving Christ and His Holy Church. St. George Orthodox Christian Church 5311 Mercer Street Houston, TX (713)

2 Visit Of Metropolitan Joseph T he faithful of Houston were blessed to receive His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph the week of January to celebrate the 90th Anniversary of St. George Houston. Deaner y Clergy greeted Sayyidna Joseph and Deacon John El Massih and welcomed them at the airport. On Thursday evening, His Eminence had dinner and spent the evening with the St. George Parish Council. At the dinner, attendees were blessed to hear Sayyidna's visions and inspired by his words of wisdom. We were delighted that Archdiocese Vice-Chairman Fawaz El Khoury and CFO Salim Abboud accompanied Sayyidna as well. Friday morning Sayyidna made his first visit to the St. Constantine School, an Orthodox Classical School which opened its doors to students in August The School offers Pre-K through 12th Grade and has college courses as well. The St. Constantine School currently has over 130 students and continues to grow. His Eminence was greeted by the whole school to the to the Troparion of St. Constantine. S a y y i d n a addressed all the students, toured the facilities and had a lunch meeting with the School Board. Friday evening, His Eminence prayed Great Vespers at St. Joseph Church. Following Vespers and Dinner, he met in the sanctuary with area teens. On Saturday, Sayyidna met with the St. George Church School students and their families. He allowed to children to ask questions and offer their thoughts. After being served a delicious brunch by the St. George Ladies Altar Society, His Eminence addressed the Ladies, the men's philanthropic group and the Church School. Page 2

3 Visit Of Metropolitan Joseph Saturday evening, Great Vespers was prayed at St. George. After prayers, over 450 attendees came together for the joyful St. George 90th Anniversary Gala. Highlights of the evening were the presentation of $25,000 to the St. Constantine School by St. George to celebrate our 90th Anniversary. His Eminence presented the St. George Ladies Altar Society with the Silver Order of St. Raphael for their continuous labor and efforts for the Church. At the Gala His Eminence addressed the attendees with inspiring and heartfelt words. The St. George Dabke Troupe performed, and the night continued with live entertainment. On Sunday morning the faithful poured into St. George to pray Orthros and the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. His Eminence made St. George Parish Council President Dr. James Anton a Subdeacon and ordained St. George son and Youth Director George Katrib to the Holy Diaconate. On Monday, His Eminence prayed the Paraklesis to the Theotokos in the chapel at St. George with the Deanery Clergy. After addressing the clergy, the group were treated to lunch at the Cleburne Cafeteria. Sayyidna continued his visit to St. George by visiting parishioners in their homes. He visited St. Paul Church in Katy, TX and celebrated the Feast of the Three Hierarchs at St. Anthony in Spring, TX. The faithful of Houston were truly blessed to receive this week-long visit from His Eminence and look forward to welcoming him back into our midst. Many Years Master! Page 3

4 St. George Tea Party Page 4

5 St. John Climacus/Akathist Service To The Theotokos St. John Climacus commemorated 4th Sundayof Lent t. John Climacus is honored by the Church Sas a great ascetic and as the author of a remarkable work entitled The Ladder of Divine Ascent, and therefore he has been named Climacus, or of the Ladder. There has been very little information preserved about his origin. Tradition tells us that he was born in around the year 570, and was the son of Sts. Xenophon and Maria. St. John came to the monastery on Mt. Sinai at age sixteen. Abba Martyrius became his spiritual father and mentor. After four years of living on Mt. Sinai, John was tonsured a monk. One of the fathers present at his tonsure foretold that John would become a great luminary of Christ's Church. St. John labored in asceticism for nineteen years in obedience to his spiritual father. After the death of Abba Martyrius, St. John chose the life of reclusion, departing to a desert place called Thola, where he lived forty years in silence, fasting, prayer, and repentant tears. It is not by chance that St. John speaks so much of repentant tears in The Ladder. "As fire burns and destroys dead wood, so do pure tears cleanse all impurity, both inwardly and outwardly." The abbot of Raithu Monastery asked St. John to write the famous Ladder instructions for the ascent to spiritual perfection. Knowing of the saint's wisdom and spiritual gifts, the abbot of Raithu asked on behalf of all the monks of his monastery for "true instruction for those who seek unwaveringly, and a kind of steadfast ladder that will take those who desire it to the Heavenly gates." St. John humbly set about writing out of obedience to the request. The aim of this treatise was to teach that the attainment of salvation requires difficult self-denial and intense ascetical labor. The Ladder first suggests the cleansing of sinful impurity, the uprooting of vices and passions of the "old man"; second, it shows the restoration of God's image in man. Although the book was written for monks, any Christian who lives in the world will find it a reliable guide on the ascent to God. Page 5

6 Sacraments baptisms Weddings December 17 Antonella Khoury daughter of Raja & Yineth Khoury December 20 Maha Gabriella Mubarak December 23 Christian Elzakhem son of Bassem & Cherine Elzakhem December 30 Elaine Araj daughter of Michael & Amanda Araj December 30 Alexander Hurbs son of Marzel & Melissa Hurbs January 7 Jason Samo son of Simon & Hanan Samo January 13 Matthew Ballout son of Maurice & Suzin Ballout February 24 Matthew Castro son of Aaron & Natasha Castro February 24 Lily Zaid daughter of Randy & Elian Zaid January 6 Charles Pustejovsky & Catherine McCluney January 13 Tamer Tannous & Hala Naser February 10 Aaron Steichen & Dalia Rihani funerals December 8 Farha Khalil Eadeh December 23 Samir Mina Mukhar February 1 Yusra Sami Zanayed O LORD and Master of my life take from me the spirit of sloth, meddling, lust of power and idle talk. But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Thy servant. Yea O LORD and King, grant me to see my own sins and not to judge my brother. For Thou art blessed unto ages of ages. Amen

7 Lazarus Saturday/Palm Sunday Fish Fry Page 7

8 St. George Orthodox Christian Church 5311 Mercer Street Houston, TX (713) CHURCH STAFF Pastor V. Rev. Fr. James Shadid Associate Pastor Rev. Fr. Symeon Kees Pastor Emeritus V. Rev. Fr. Joseph Shahda Youth Director George Katrib Secretary Octavia Odom H O L Y W E E K Schedule of Services