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

Similar documents
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

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

St. Ge o rge An tio chian Orthodo x Christian Church

St. Ge o rge An tio chian Orthodo x Christian Church

St. George. Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church W. 14th Street, Cleveland OH The Publican And The Pharisee

website:

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

St. George. Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church W. 14th Street, Cleveland OH Sunday before Theophany of Christ

The Divine Liturgy of our Father among the Saints John Chrysostom

300 West Street, Dedham, Massachusetts ;

THE DIVINE LITURGY OF SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

St. George. Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church W. 14th Street, Cleveland OH Sunday After Theophany of Christ

Sixth Sunday of Pascha: Sunday of the Blind Man; Equals-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helen

St. Basil Antiochian Orthodox Church 3916 Hudson Street Metairie, LA 70006

St. George. Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church W. 14th Street, Cleveland OH Sunday before Theophany of Christ

Today s Services April 13, 2014 Palm Sunday: Entrance of Our Lord into Jerusalem. Today s Divine Services

Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom

Upcoming Services. Today s Divine Services. 6:00 PM (Saturday) Great Vespers 9:30 AM (Sunday) Divine Liturgy. Today s Liturgy Readings

Service of the Krsna Slava, in English

Sunday, June 4, Pentecost Sunday

CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED, HE IS RISEN!

Sunday after the Nativity of our Lord

Thy Cross, Protect all those who follow Thee. all Orthodox Christians, And by the power of. inheritance, Grant victory over all enemies to

Now lettest Thou Thy servant through Our Father (Vigil Book)

Memoriam: His Holiness, Patriarch Aleksy II of Moscow and All Russia

A Service of Prayer to Jesus, The Lover of Mankind Mount Saint Macrina Uniontown, Pennsylvania

The First Antiphon I will give thanks to You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will make all Your wonders known.

Serving the Orthodox Christian Community of Greater Cleveland. St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church. Sunday of the.

St. Anthony The Great Antiochian Orthodox Church

St. George. Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church W. 14th Street, Cleveland OH St. Nicholas The Wonderworker

St. George. Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church W. 14th Street, Cleveland OH Sunday of the Pharisee and Publican

St. Christopher Hellenic Orthodox Church

Today s Services December 29, th Sunday after Pentecost (Tone 2) Today s Saints

The Ninth Hour. Priest: Blessed is our God, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Reader: Amen. Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Epistle: Ephesians 4:7-13 (Sunday after Theophany)

St. George. Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church W. 14th Street, Cleveland OH Venerable Maximos the Confessor

Sunday, June 19th, 2016

Sunday of the Prodigal Son & After-feast of Presentation (Meeting) of our Lord

Festal Divine Liturgy Variables on January 06 The Theophany of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. **Divine Liturgy of St.

SAINT ANTHONY ORTHODOX CHURCH

SAINT HERMAN ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH. Zacchaeus Sunday. January 22, 2017

The Services of Christmas in the Orthodox Church

Prayer: After Pascha. Source: Christ the Savior Orthodox Christian Church. Christ is Risen!!! Indeed He is Risen!!!

St. George. Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church W. 14th Street, Cleveland OH Exaltation (Elevation) of the Holy Cross September 14

Festal Divine Liturgy Variables on December 25 The Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ** Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great **

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost & Eighth Sunday of Matthew Mary Magdalene, myrrh-bearer and equal-to-the-apostles

Weekly Bulletin Sunday, January 22, 2017

Fifth Sunday of Pascha: Sunday of the Samaritan Woman & After-feast of Mid-Pentecost

LEAVE-TAKING OF & SUNDAY AFTER THE THEOPHANY OF CHRIST

Moleben to the Holy and Righteous Joachim & Anna

St. George. Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church W. 14th Street, Cleveland OH Dormition of the Theotokos

Rite I Sample Liturgy. In Celebration and Thanksgiving for the Life of. John J. Smith. Birth Date Death Date

The Prayer Rule of St. Pachomius. Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.

Who is Macedonius? He is known as the ENEMY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT He was a follower of Arius and because of that the Arians managed to make him Bishop of

COMMON PRAYERS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

St. Anthony The Great Antiochian Orthodox Church

Divine Liturgy Variables on the Saturday of the Raising of Lazarus the Righteous. **Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom** FIRST ANTIPHON

Sunday, January 22 nd, nd Sunday after Pentecost SUNDAY OF ZACCHAEUS TONE 7 Eothinon 10

Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican

THE DIVINE LITURGY SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM SAINT PAUL S GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH IRVINE, CA CHOIR VERSION

A Molieben of Thanksgiving for Receiving a Petition and for Every Gift from God. St. Herman Orthodox Church 991 W. Prentice Ave. Littleton, CO 80120

His Eminence Metropolitan JOSEPH, Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America

Priest: For this holy house and for those who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.

THE NINTH HOUR for SATURDAY (Plain Reading)

THE DISMISSAL. (Epistle reading?, censer, heat water-put in thermos, prepare bowl, pitcher, towel for hand-washing, get pre-blessed bread or cut new)

August 18, Our Future Altar. Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

Service Of Supplication

INTRODUCTORY NOTES TO THE ORDER OF THE DAILY SERVICES FOR REGIONAL AND NATIONAL CONFERENCES I. PLACEMENT OF THE "THRONES" OF THE HIERARCHY

**Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom**

Daily vespers, compline, and daily matins are served at the usual times. No Divine Liturgy on this day.

St. Anthony The Great Antiochian Orthodox Church

The Burial of the Dead: Rite Two

St. Christopher Hellenic Orthodox Church 313 Dividend Drive, Suite 210

Annunciation 2016 FIRST HOUR ЧАС ПЕРВЫЙ

Saintly Notes Theophany (January 6)

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost & Eleventh Sunday of Matthew After-feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos

Commons for Classes of Saints

Instructing us to preserve firmly in every respect all that the Orthodox. The Thyateira Confession*

The Order for the Administration of. The Lord s Supper or Holy Communion commonly called The Holy Eucharist

THE SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION Easter Day

123 Gilkeson Road Fr. Dan Korba. (412) Weekly Bulletin Sunday, February 5, 2017

Feast of Palm Sunday:

October 6, 2013 Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Holy Trinity Orthodox Church ~ a Pan-Orthodox parish of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese ~

THE DIVINE LITURGY OF SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

Jesse Lawrence English III

THE DIVINE LITURGY OF OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

St. Demetrios. Champion. Celebrating Vasilopita. Upcoming Coffee Hosts. Apolytikion of St. Basil the Great:

Still the Only Solution to the World s Problems Part Eight of Ten by Dennis Prager -

St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church

St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church 125 Kohanza Street Danbury, CT 06811

St. Basil Antiochian Orthodox Church 3916 Hudson Street Metairie, LA 70006

A MOLIEBEN FOR THE SALVATION OF OUR CHURCH AND THE APPEASING IN IT OF DISCORD AND STRIFE

St. Christopher Hellenic Orthodox Church

The Order of Daily Vespers

The Holy Epiphany of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. LITURGY

For Personal Preparation The president and people receive communion. Collect for Purity Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known,

Feast of Theophany Thursday, Jan. 4 Royal Hours - 9:00 am Friday, Jan. 5 Great Vespers - 6:00 pm Saturday, Jan. 6 Orthros - 8:30 am

A PRAYER SERVICE FOR THE BEGINNING OF INSTRUCTION OF CHILDREN

St. George Orthodox Church of Spring Valley

Transcription:

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

St George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church 2587 West 14 th Street Cleveland, OH 44113-4408 216-781-9020 office@stgeorgeclevelandorg Metropolitan Arch-Bishop PHILIP SALIBA, Primate His Grace, Bishop MARK, Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest Very Rev Fr John Ojaimi, Pastor Home: (440) 846-1590 Cellular: (440) 665 6724 frjojaimi@msncom Rev Archdeacon Yarid Sahley Sub-Deacons: Sam Elias, & Labib El-Bardawil Website: stgeorgeclevelandcom Sunday, January 25, 2009 Commemoration of St Gregory the Theologian TONE 7 Eothinon 10 On this day, we commemorate: Gregory the Theologian, archbishop of Constantinople; Venerable Demetrios; New-martyr Auxentios of Constantinople 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 Trisagion Bread is offered for the repose of the soul & in memory of Hanny Khoury of Syria (40 days) by her son, Dr Fahed Sabagh and his wife Rita Bread of Oblation is offered for the repose of the soul and in memory of Fred & Helen Hanna by the Cole Family Bread of Oblation is offered for the health, safety & spiritual welfare of Rita Chaccour by Fady & Tamara Jo Chaccour Next Week Bread of Oblation, Trisagion Wheat & Coffee Hour will be offered for the repose of the soul of Marie El Richani (40 days) by her Sons Souheil &Nagi El Richani and their families Next Week Bread of Oblation and Trisagion Wheat will be offered for the repose of the soul and in memory of Wadad Seoud (40 days) by George Seoud and 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

Candles are offered for the Health, Safety & Spiritual Welfare of: Dee DeGeorge by Barbara Aboid Jimmy Ameen, Jr by Barbara Aboid Rita Chaccour by Fady & Tamara Jo Chaccour 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, February 1, 2009 Matins @ 9:30AM Divine Liturgy @ 10:30AM Announcements The new website for St George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church of Cleveland, Ohio it now available for viewing @ stgeorgeclevelandcom Our Annual Parish Meeting was postponed to Sunday February 08, 2009 following Divine Liturgy 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 The Teens Retreat & Basketball Tournament Feb 6 8 2009 1118 Cherry Ave NE Canton, Ohio 44704 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

Liturgical Page for Sunday, January 25, 2009 Little Entrance TROPARION Tone 7 Thou didst shatter death by thy Cross; thou didst open paradise to the thief; thou didst turn the mourning of the ointment-bearing women into joy, and didst bid thine Apostles proclaimwarning that thou hast risen, O Christ, granting the world Great Mercy 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 7 Thou didst shatter death by thy Cross; thou didst open paradise to the thief; thou didst turn the mourning of the ointment-bearing women into joy, and didst bid thine Apostles proclaimwarning that thou hast risen, O Christ, granting the world Great Mercy St Gregory Tone 1 The pastoral psalter of thy discourse in theology triumphed over the trumpets of orators and overcame it; for having sought the depth of the Spirit, there was vouchsafed to thee also excellence of speech, O Father Gregory Wherefore, intercede thou with Christ God to save our souls 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 Presentation of our Lord 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

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 Saint Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople, a great Father and teacher of the Church, was born into a Christian family of eminent lineage in the year 329, at Arianzos (not far from the city of Cappadocian Nazianzos) His father, also named Gregory (January 1), was Bishop of Nazianzus The son is the St Gregory Nazianzus encountered in Patristic theology His pious mother, St Nonna (August 5), prayed to God for a son, vowing to dedicate him to the Lord Her prayer was answered, and she named her child Gregory When the child learned to read, his mother presented him with the Holy Scripture St Gregory received a complete and extensive education: after working at home with his uncle St Amphilochius (November 23), an experienced teacher of rhetoric, he then studied in the schools of Nazianzos, Caesarea in Cappadocia, and Alexandria Then the saint decided to go to Athens to complete his education On the way from Alexandria to Greece, a terrible storm raged for many days St Gregory, who was just a catechumen at that time, feared that he would perish in the sea before being cleansed in the waters of Baptism St Gregory lay in the ship s stern for twenty days, beseeching the merciful God for salvation He vowed to dedicate himself to God, and was saved when he invoked the name of the Lord St Gregory spent six years in Athens studying rhetoric, poetry, geometry, and astronomy His teachers were the renowned pagan rhetoricians Gymorias and Proeresias St Basil, the future Archbishop of Caesarea (January 1) also studied in Athens with St Gregory They were such close friends that they seemed to be one soul in two bodies Julian, the future emperor (361-363) and apostate from the Christian Faith, was studying philosophy in Athens at the same time Upon completing his education, St Gregory remained for a certain while at Athens as a teacher of rhetoric He was also familiar with pagan philosophy and literature In 358 St Gregory quietly left Athens and returned to his parents at Nazianzus At thirty-three years of age, he received Baptism from his father, who had been appointed Bishop of Nazianzus Against his will, St Gregory

was ordained to the holy priesthood by his father However, when the elder Gregory wished to make him a bishop, he fled to join his friend Basil in Pontus St Basil had organized a monastery in Pontus and had written to Gregory inviting him to come St Gregory remained with St Basil for several years When his brother St Caesarius (March 9) died, he returned home to help his father administer his diocese The local church was also in turmoil because of the Arian heresy St Gregory had the difficult task of reconciling the bishop with his flock, who condemned their pastor for signing an ambiguous interpretation of the dogmas of the faith St Gregory convinced his father of the pernicious nature of Arianism, and strengthened him in Orthodoxy At this time, Bishop Anthimus, who pretended to be Orthodox but was really a heretic, became Metropolitan of Tyana St Basil had been consecrated as the Archbishop of Caesarea, Cappadocia Anthimus wished to separate from St Basil and to divide the province of Cappadocia St Basil the Great made St Gregory bishop of the city of Sasima, a small town between Caesarea and Tyana However, St Gregory remained at Nazianzos in order to assist his dying father, and he guided the flock of this city for a while after the death of his father in 374 Upon the death of Patriarch Valentus of Constantinople in the year 378, a council of bishops invited St Gregory to help the Church of Constantinople, which at this time was ravaged by heretics Obtaining the consent of St Basil the Great, St Gregory came to Constantinople to combat heresy In the year 379 he began to serve and preach in a small church called Anastasis ( Resurrection ) Like David fighting the Philistines with a sling, St Gregory battled against impossible odds to defeat false doctrine Heretics were in the majority in the capital, Arians, Macedonians, and Appolinarians The more he preached, the more did the number of heretics decrease, and the number of the Orthodox increased On the night of Pascha (April 21, 379) when St Gregory was baptizing catechumens, a mob of armed heretics burst into the church and cast stones at the Orthodox, killing one bishop and wounding St Gregory But the fortitude and mildness of the saint were his armor, and his words converted many to the Orthodox Church St Gregory s literary works (orations, letters, poems) show him as a worthy preacher of the truth of Christ He had a literary gift, and the saint sought to offer his talent to God the Word: I offer this gift to my God, I dedicate this gift to Him Only this remains to me as my treasure I gave up everything else at the command of the Spirit I gave all that I had to obtain the pearl of great price Only in words do I master it, as a servant of the Word I would never intentionally wish to disdain this wealth I esteem it, I set value by it, I am comforted by it more than others are comforted by all the treasures of the world It is the companion of all my life, a good counselor and converser; a guide on the way to Heaven and a fervent co-ascetic In order to preach the Word of God properly, the saint carefully prepared and revised his works In five sermons, or Theological Orations, St Gregory first of all defines the characteristics of a theologian, and who may theologize Only those who are experienced can properly reason about God, those who are successful at contemplation and, most importantly, who are pure in soul and body, and utterly selfless To reason about God properly is possible only for one who enters into it with fervor and reverence Explaining that God has concealed His Essence from mankind, St Gregory demonstrates that it is impossible for those in the flesh to view mental objects without a mixture of the corporeal Talking about God in a positive sense is possible only when we become free from the external impressions of things and from their effects, when

our guide, the mind, does not adhere to impure transitory images Answering the Eunomians, who would presume to grasp God s Essence through logical speculation, the saint declared that man perceives God when the mind and reason become godlike and divine, ie when the image ascends to its Archetype (Or 28:17) Furthermore, the example of the Old Testament patriarchs and prophets and also the Apostles has demonstrated, that the Essence of God is incomprehensible for mortal man St Gregory cited the futile sophistry of Eunomios: God begat the Son either through His will, or contrary to will If He begat contrary to will, then He underwent constraint If by His will, then the Son is the Son of His intent Confuting such reasoning, St Gregory points out the harm it does to man: You yourself, who speak so thoughtlessly, were you begotten voluntarily or involuntarily by your father? If involuntarily, then your father was under the sway of some tyrant Who? You can hardly say it was nature, for nature is tolerant of chastity If it was voluntarily, then by a few syllables you deprive yourself of your father, for thus you are shown to be the son of Will, and not of your father (Or 29:6) St Gregory then turns to Holy Scripture, with particular attention examining a place where it points out the Divine Nature of the Son of God St Gregory s interpretations of Holy Scripture are devoted to revealing that the divine power of the Savior was actualized even when He assumed an impaired human nature for the salvation of mankind The first of St Gregory s Five Theological Orations is devoted to arguments against the Eunomians for their blasphemy of the Holy Spirit Closely examining everything that is said in the Gospel about the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity, the saint refutes the heresy of Eunomios, which rejected the divinity of the Holy Spirit He comes to two fundamental conclusions First, in reading Holy Scripture, it is necessary to reject blind literalism and to try and understand its spiritual sense Second, in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit operated in a hidden way Now the Spirit Himself dwells among us and makes the manifestation of Himself more certain It was not safe, as long as they did not acknowledge the divinity of the Father, to proclaim openly that of the Son; and as long as the divinity of the Son was not accepted, they could not, to express it somewhat boldly, impose on us the burden of the Holy Spirit (Or 31:26) The divinity of the Holy Spirit is a sublime subject Look at these facts: Christ is born, the Holy Spirit is His Forerunner Christ is baptized, the Spirit bears witness to this Christ works miracles, the Spirit accompanies them Christ ascends, the Spirit takes His place What great things are there in the idea of God which are not in His power? What titles appertaining to God do not apply also to Him, except for Unbegotten and Begotten? I tremble when I think of such an abundance of titles, and how many Names they blaspheme, those who revolt against the Spirit! (Or 31:29) The Orations of St Gregory are not limited only to this topic He also wrote Panegyrics on Saints, Festal Orations, two invectives against Julian the Apostate, two pillars, on which the impiety of Julian is indelibly written for posterity, and various orations on other topics In all, forty-five of St Gregory s orations have been preserved The letters of the saint compare favorably with his best theological works All of them are clear, yet concise In his poems as in all things, St Gregory focused on Christ If the lengthy tracts of the heretics are new Psalters at variance with David, and the pretty verses they honor are like a third testament, then we also shall sing Psalms, and begin to write much and compose poetic meters, said the saint Of his poetic gift the saint wrote: I am an organ of the Lord, and sweetly do I glorify the King, all atremble before Him

The fame of the Orthodox preacher spread through East and West But the saint lived in the capital as though he still lived in the wilderness: his food was food of the wilderness; his clothing was whatever necessary He made visitations without pretense, and though in proximity of the court, he sought nothing from the court The saint received a shock when he was ill One whom he considered as his friend, the philosopher Maximus, was consecrated at Constantinople in St Gregory s place Struck by the ingratitude of Maximus, the saint decided to resign the cathedra, but his faithful flock restrained him from it The people threw the usurper out of the city On November 24, 380 the holy emperor Theodosius arrived in the capital and, in enforcing his decree against the heretics, the main church was returned to the Orthodox, with St Gregory making a solemn entrance An attempt on the life of St Gregory was planned, but instead the assassin appeared before the saint with tears of repentance At the Second Ecumenical Council in 381, St Gregory was chosen as Patriarch of Constantinople After the death of Patriarch Meletius of Antioch, St Gregory presided at the Council Hoping to reconcile the West with the East, he offered to recognize Paulinus as Patriarch of Antioch Those who had acted against St Gregory on behalf of Maximus, particularly Egyptian and Macedonian bishops, arrived late for the Council They did not want to acknowledge the saint as Patriarch of Constantinople, since he was elected in their absence St Gregory decided to resign his office for the sake of peace in the Church: Let me be as the Prophet Jonah! I was responsible for the storm, but I would sacrifice myself for the salvation of the ship Seize me and throw me I was not happy when I ascended the throne, and gladly would I descend it After telling the emperor of his desire to quit the capital, St Gregory appeared again at the Council to deliver a farewell address (Or 42) asking to be allowed to depart in peace Upon his return to his native region, St Gregory turned his attention to the incursion of Appolinarian heretics into the flock of Nazianzus, and he established the pious Eulalius there as bishop, while he himself withdrew into the solitude of Arianzos so dear to his heart The saint, zealous for the truth of Christ continued to affirm Orthodoxy through his letters and poems, while remaining in the wilderness He died on January 25, 389, and is honored with the title Theologian, also given to the holy Apostle and Evangelist John In his works St Gregory, like that other Theologian St John, directs everything toward the Pre-eternal Word St John of Damascus (December 4), in the first part of his book AN EXACT EXPOSITION OF THE ORTHODOX FAITH, followed the lead of St Gregory the Theologian St Gregory was buried at Nazianzos In the year 950, his holy relics were transferred to Constantinople into the church of the Holy Apostles Later on, a portion of his relics was transferred to Rome In appearance, the saint was of medium height and somewhat pale He had thick eyebrows, and a short beard His contemporaries already called the archpastor a saint The Orthodox Church, honors St Gregory as a second Theologian and insightful writer on the Holy Trinity

Epistle Heb 7:26-8:2 (St Gregory the Theologian Same as Nov 13) My mouth shall speak wisdom and meditation of my heart shall bring forth understanding Hear this all you nations The Reading is from St Paul's Letter to the Hebrews BRETHREN, it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did this once for all when he offered up himself Indeed, the law appoints men in their weakness as high priest, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect for ever Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the sanctuary and the true tent which is set up not by man but by the Lord Gospel Luke 19:1-10 (15th Sunday of Luke) The Reading of the Holy Gospel according to St Luke At that time: He entered Jericho and was passing through And there was a man named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector, and rich And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd because he was small of stature So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today" So he made haste and came down and received him joyfully And when they saw it they all murmured, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner" And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold" And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham For the son of man came to seek and to save the lost"

27 : 2 28 1» : 4 9 «5 10»: 7»: «8 2 «6 : 1 3

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 e-mails 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?

PROPER CHURCH ETIQUETTE Enter into His sanctuary with thanksgiving and into His Courts with praise (Psalm 100) We respectfully request that there be no unnecessary talking or noise during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy This is the House of God and it is incumbent upon every one of us to show all due respect to the One we have gathered to worship and for whom the Church exists Please make an effort to clean up after yourselves following Divine Liturgy Do not leave bulletins and bread in your seat or on the floor 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 Thank you for your cooperation and may God bless you richly during our liturgical celebration today and throughout the year **ATTENTION GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS** The Lebanese-Syrian Junior Women's League will again be awarding scholarships to young men and women of Lebanese & 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 Antoinette Wendzicki at LSJWLscholarship@gmailcom or 330-225-1575 All applications MUST be received by March 31st ATTENTION OUR YOUNG ADULT GROUP** Below is information is regarding an opportunity for a pilgrimage to Russia Registration is now open for the National Young Adult Pilgrimage to Russia! Space is limited to 35 young adults and will be on a first-come, first-served basis The registration

package price of $302500 (plus $22500 air taxes) includes round trip international airfare to/from New York's JFK Airport to Moscow, train from Moscow to St Petersburg, airfare from St Petersburg to Moscow, six full days of sightseeing, all bus trips, transfers, entrance fees, hotels (double occupancy), and daily breakfasts and lunches Deposit must be received by February 13, 2009! For more information please visit wwwyouthgoarchorgor contact us at 646-519-6180 Join other young adults from across the country in this unique spiritual and educational journey! Stroll down timeless roads and explore ancient locales of Russia, land of striking beauty, diversity, and magnificent capitals The journey begins with the historic city of Moscow, the heartland of former Imperial Russia, ancient Russian churches and the beautiful Kremlin, and continues on to St Petersburg, the most European of all Russian cities, today one of the most important cultural, scientific, and industrial cities in Russia Today Russia is a nation of diversity and tremendous vitality Cultural traditions of a great country have re-awakened with a newfound strength Ancient architectural monuments and cathedrals neglected and ruined in Soviet times are being rebuilt and restored Come and see what this incredible country has to offer! = ST GEORGE PARISH COMMUNITY CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR 2008-2009 DATE & TIME SPONSORED BY EVENT Jan 31 @6:30PM Antiochian Women POOR MAN S REVERSE RAFFLE Jan 23 @8:00PM Teens Bowling Night at Buckeye Lanes 24488 Lorain Rd North Olmsted Feb 12 @ 7:00PM Antiochian Women monthly meeting at Church, The Crepe Party 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 12 @7PM 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 24-26 Parish Council SAINT GEORGE WEEKEND April 25 Church School PLAY /PRESENTATION St George Weekend May 9 @7:00 Antiochian Women HOLY CHEFS COOK OFF August 14 @7:00 Antiochian Women ST MARY S DAY DINNER June 6 Church School PICNIC/ @ HUNTINGTON BEACH PARK July 1-5 2009 Midwest Diocese Parish Life Conference, is hosted by St James Antiochian Orthodox Church @The Sheraton Cincinnati North Hotel, 11320 Chester Rd Cincinnati, Ohio, To reserve call the hotel @ 1-866-716-8103 or log on wwwstjameslovelandorg

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 440-333-3703 or LINDA SIMON 440-777-1136 or ST GEORGE CHURCH 216-781-9020 2587 West 14 th Street, Cleveland, Ohio

REGISTRATION Room Rate: $99 with FREE parking H OT EL 11320 Chester Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45246 USA Special offers reservations: 1-866-716-8103 Phone: 1-513-771-2080 Fax: 1-513-771-2312