St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church 2587 W. 14th Street, Cleveland OH 44113 Exaltation (Elevation) of the Holy Cross September 14 Serving the Orthodox Christian Community of Greater Cleveland
St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church V. Rev Father John Ojaimi, Pastor Office: (216) 781-9020 Fax: (216) 781-9545 Cellular: (440) 665-6724 Archdeacon Yarid Sahley Subdeacon Sam Elias www.stgeorgecleveland.com Pastor s E-Mail: frjojaimi@msn.com Parish E-Mail: office@stgeorgecleveland.com Sunday September 13, 2015 Moving & Celebrating The Exaltation of The Holy Cross WELCOME TO OUR GUESTS We are glad you are worshiping with us today. There are Service Books in the pews. Orthodox Christians must be prepared for Holy Communion through Confession, Fasting, Prayer and by being at peace with others. Please seek and give forgiveness before receiving Holy Communion. At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, please join us for coffee hour in the Parish Hall. t ½Êà The mission of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church Is to serve God and the community by commitment to the Gospel s command to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ through faith, hope, and love. It is a parish of the Self Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. The Orthodox Church follows the faith and practice of the apostles and disciples of Christ handed down by the ancient Christian fathers and twenty centuries of Church tradition. Genuine Christian life nurtures and stimulates our spiritual and moral development. The liturgical life of the Orthodox Church has been developing over the last 2000 years. By taking part in the mysteries of Christ s life, death and resurrection at the liturgical services, the community members are drawn to repentance and the gradual change of their inner selves. To join the community of St. George or to find out more information, please fill out the Guest Book in the Narthex. We hope this day will be spiritually rewarding for you. Fr John will be happy to answer any questions. Join us in the hall after Liturgy for our Coffee Hour and Fellowship.
Bread of Oblation and Coffee Hour are offered in memory of the Dawed & Agopian departed families members and friends. by Hala Dawed Candles are offered for the Health, Safety & Spiritual Welfare of: St. George Parish Council Members Our Sunday School Teachers and Students Our Teen Soyo and Their Advisors Children & Grandchildren of the Karsheh Family by Nuha Karsheh Family & Friends by George & Joie Haddad Family & Friends by Hal & Louise Bouhasin Candles are offered in Beloved Memory of: Samir Abdelkarim by Fida Abdelkarim & Family Souad Al Haddad by George & Esmiralda Almaz & Family My Beloved, Mother Mary, Father Abraham, Brothers Emile and James, Sitteh Zaineh & Uncle Kaiser by Emilie L. Easa Wadia Ameen by his wife Mary & Family Edward Haddad by his wife Edward Fadel by his wife & family Prayers for the Health & Spiritual Welfare of our parishioners: Olivia Abdallah, Melissa Aboid, Evelyn Baldassari, Shirley Courey, Ann Deeb, Emilie Easa, James Eassey, Helena Elias, Dani Fadel, Minerva Gantose, Peter George, Odeh Hanna, Pauline Hanna, Samia Harb, Baby Alma Maria Issa, Corrine Khouri, Hanadi Khouri, Becky Magas, Joyce Nader, Kaukab Nader, Virginia Nader, Jennie Sadallah, Christopher Fadel-Samuel, Norma Shami, Alvera Shiekh, Christine Simon, Asma Zaboura. UPCOMING DIVINE SERVICES Sunday September 20, 2015 Matins Service @ 9:30 am, Divine Liturgy @ 10.30 am Confessions will be heard on Sundays Morning before Liturgy starts or by appointment. Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, How can this man give us His flesh to eat? So Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:52-54 With fear of God, faith And love draw near. Come to Church, Jesus loves you, we love you we are waiting for you. Sign up and take your turn in offering a Coffee Hour. Pick a birthday, memorial, anniversary etc.. or just a day that no one has sponsored.
The Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross Commemorated September 14 The Elevation of the Venerable and Life-Creating Cross of the Lord: The pagan Roman emperors tried to completely eradicate from human memory the holy places where our Lord Jesus Christ suffered and was resurrected for mankind. The Emperor Hadrian (117-138) gave orders to cover over the ground of Golgotha and the Sepulchre of the Lord, and to build a temple of the pagan goddess Venus and a statue of Jupiter. Pagans gathered at this place and offered sacrifice to idols there. Eventually after 300 years, by Divine Providence, the great Christian sacred remains, the Sepulchre of the Lord and the Life-Creating Cross were again discovered and opened for veneration. This took place under the Emperor Constantine the Great (306337) after his victory in the year 312 over Maxentius, ruler of the Western part of the Roman empire, and over Licinius, ruler of its Eastern part. In the year 323 Constantine became the sole ruler of the vast Roman Empire. In 313 he had issued the Edict of Milan, by which the Christian religion was legalized and the persecutions against Christians in the Western half of the empire were stopped. The ruler Licinius, although he had signed the Edict of Milan to oblige Constantine, still fanatically continued the persecutions against Christians. Only after his conclusive defeat did the 313 Edict of toleration extend also to the Eastern part of the empire. The Holy Equal of the Apostles Emperor Constantine, having gained victory over his enemies in three wars with God s assistance, had seen in the heavens the Sign of the Cross, and written beneath: By this you shall conquer. Ardently desiring to find the Cross on which our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, St Constantine sent his mother, the pious Empress Helen (May 21), to Jerusalem, providing her with a letter to St Macarius, Patriarch of Jerusalem. Although the holy empress Helen was already in her declining years, she set about completing the task with enthusiasm. The empress gave orders to destroy the pagan temple and the statues in Jerusalem. Searching for the Life-Creating Cross, she made inquiry of Christians and Jews, but for a long time her search remained unsuccessful. Finally, they directed her to a certain elderly Hebrew by the name of Jude who stated that the Cross was buried where the temple of Venus stood. They demolished the pagan temple and, after praying, they began to excavate the ground. Soon the Tomb of the Lord was uncovered. Not far from it were three crosses, a board with the inscription ordered by Pilate, and four nails which had pierced the Lord s Body (March 6). In order to discern on which of the three crosses the Savior was crucified, Patriarch Macarius alternately touched the crosses to a corpse. When the Cross of the Lord touched the dead one, he came to life. Having beheld the raising of the dead man, everyone was convinced that the Life-Creating Cross was found.
Christians came in a huge throng to venerate the Holy Cross, beseeching St Macarius to elevate the Cross, so that even those far off might reverently contemplate it. Then the Patriarch and other spiritual leaders raised up the Holy Cross, and the people, saying Lord have mercy, reverently prostrated before the Venerable Wood. This solemn event occurred in the year 326. During the discovery of the Life-Creating Cross another miracle took place: a grievously sick woman, beneath the shadow of the Holy Cross, was healed instantly. The elder Jude and other Jews there believed in Christ and accepted Holy Baptism. Jude received the name Cyriacus and afterwards was consecrated Bishop of Jerusalem. During the reign of Julian the Apostate (361-363) he accepted a martyr s death for Christ (see October 28). The holy empress Helen journeyed to the holy places connected with the earthly life of the Savior, building more than 80 churches, at Bethlehem the birthplace of Christ, and on the Mount of Olives where the Lord ascended to Heaven, and at Gethsemane where the Savior prayed before His sufferings and where the Mother of God was buried after her death. St Helen took part of the Life-Creating Wood and nails with her to Constantinople. The holy emperor Constantine gave orders to build at Jerusalem a majestic and spacious church in honor of the Resurrection of Christ, also including under its roof the Life-Giving Tomb of the Lord and Golgotha. The temple was constructed in about ten years. St Helen did not survive until the dedication of the temple, she died in the year 327. The church was consecrated on September 13, 335. On the following day, September 14, the festal celebration of the Exaltation of the Venerable and Life-Creating Cross was established. Another event connected to the Cross of the Lord is remembered also on this day: its return to Jerusalem from Persia after a fourteen year captivity. During the reign of the Byzantine emperor Phocas (602-610) the Persian emperor Khozroes II in a war against the Greeks defeated the Greek army, plundered Jerusalem and captured both the Life-Creating Cross of the Lord and the Holy Patriarch Zachariah (609-633). The Cross remained in Persia for fourteen years and only under the emperor Heraclius (610641), who with the help of God defeated Khozroes and concluded peace with his successor and son Syroes, was the Cross of the Lord returned to the Christians. With great solemnity the Life-creating Cross was transferred to Jerusalem. Emperor Heraclius in imperial crown and royal purple carried the Cross of Christ into the temple of the Resurrection. With the emperor went Patriarch Zacharios. At the gates by which they ascended Golgotha, the emperor suddenly stopped and was not able to proceed farther. The holy Patriarch explained to the emperor that an angel of the Lord was blocking his way. The emperor was told to remove his royal trappings and to walk barefoot, since He Who bore the Cross for the salvation of the world from sin had made His way to Golgotha in all humility. Then Heraclius donned plain garb, and without further hindrance, carried the Cross of Christ into the church.
BAPTISMS Child s Name Yasmeen Maria Estfan Mario Anthony Estfan Maria Mouded Eliza Marie Slife Samuel Thomas Bendetta Timothy Michel Chapman Isabella Haddad Rami Yacoub Karsheh Jr. Naya Oubeid Gabriella Sunnaa Bassam Dayoub Lucas Karadsheh Michael Rinehart Parents Name Date of Baptism Mr. & Mrs. Bassam & Rouba Mouded Mr. & Mrs. Bassam & Rouba Mouded Dr. & Mrs. Rami & Line Mouded Mr. & Mrs. Daniel & Natalie Slite Mr. & Mrs. Jared & Alana Bendetta Mr. & Mrs. David & Claude Chapman Mr. & Mrs. Charlie & Jacqueline Haddad Mr. & Mrs. Rami & Ashley Karsheh Mr. & Mrs. Ayham & Hanan Oubeid Mr. & Mrs. William & Roula Sunnaa Mr. & Mrs. Iyad and Mona Dayoub Mr. & Mrs. Yazan & Baraa Karadsheh Mr. & Mrs. Eric & Samer Rinehart January 17, 2015 January 17, 2015 January 17, 2015 March 22, 2015 April 18, 2015 May 15, 2015 May 17, 2015 May 17, 2015 May 24, 2015 May 24, 2015 June 07,2015 June 13, 2015 August 15, 2015 MARRIAGES Married Couples Names Date of Marriage Omar & Sandy (Eid) Haddad DEATHS Names George Harb Yacoub Karsheh Rita Courey Elaine ( Harb) Sheheen Michel Hayek Issa Harb Roudi Zaboura May 2, 2015 Date of burial January 02, 2015 February 25, 2015 April 10, 2015 May 27, 2015 June 05, 2015 June 25, 2015 June 29, 2015
Lea for being a great Teens Advisor, you ll be missed in the Teens room. We welcome you Dr. Bassam, Nareen And Dr Ahed, we are looking forward for a great and fruitful year together.
For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. (Luke 12:48) Thank you to previous years wish list contributors. 2015 List Two Cases of Orthodox Liturgical Wine for Holy Communion $240 by William Tegreen 800 Plastic Holy Water Bottles for Epiphany (2 years supplies) $675 Paid by Emilie Easa Nine Large Refiliable Oil Candles $1008 paid by Nuha Karsheh Copying and Binding 150 Holy Friday Service Books $600 by James Hussney. Six cases of Taper Candles $385 Paid by an Anonymous Donor & $145 by William Tegreen Twenty Four Altar Pure Liquid Paraffin Quarts $312 paid by Samir & Clara Nader Replace the walk-in cooler evaporator and condenser $5676 Donated by George & Carol Sarkes Eleven large Refillable Oil Candles $112 each Sell the rest of the memorial tiles at the entrance of the office area. $150 each Replace The Metropolitan Hall Light Bulbs to LED Replace the Yarid Light Hall Bulbs to LED Replace the Aluminum Entry Door, back entrance to the Sunday school $4690 Move the Church Power Switch Box from the Cry Room to inside the Altar Thank you. RESERVE THESE DATES ON YOUR CALENDER Saturday October 3, 2015 Clam Bake Sunday November 22, 2015 Thanksgiving Banquet Thursday December 31, 2015 New Years Eve. January 22-25 His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph visits St. George January 30, 2016 A Magical Feast
What is Orthodoxy? First of all, Orthodoxy is right faith in God; it is that mighty power which makes each truly believing Orthodox Christian unwavering on the righteous and pious path of his life. To be Orthodox means to know correctly with the mind, to believe correctly with the heart, and to confess correctly with the lips all that God Himself has revealed to us about Himself, about the world and man, and about the tasks and aims of our life in the teaching on the attaining of our spiritual union with Him and our eternal salvation. Without such right faith, according to the word of the Apostle Paul, it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). Orthodoxy is not only right faith and a right confession of the fundamental truths and dogmas of the Church of Christ, but also a right and virtuous life, founded on an unshakable law: the fulfilling of God s commandments, the permeating of the heart with humility, meekness and love for one s neighbor, the rendering of help to the needy and unfortunate, and the serving of one s church. The Apostle James teaches: Faith without works is dead (James 2:26). The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the future Judge of the whole world, promises to reward every man according to his works (Matt. 16:27). The Apostle Paul testifies that every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor (1Cor. 3:8). Here is the Orthodox point of view. Right faith must be expressed in deeds, and deeds must serve as a manifestation of faith. One must be closely united with the other indissolubly, like soul and body. This only, then, is the Orthodox, the correct way leading us to God. Orthodoxy is not only right faith and a life according to faith, but also correct service to God. Our Lord Jesus Christ expressed the essence of the right worship of God in these brief but profound words: God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Only the inspired divine service of the Holy Orthodox Church, which is permeated by prayer, has realized this sacred worship of God in truth. Moreover, Orthodoxy is strict proportionality and correctness in the manifestations of all the powers of soul and body. In Orthodoxy, a proper place is allotted to everything: to the intellect, to the wants and needs of the heart, to the manifestations of man s free will, to labor and prayer, to abstinence and watchfulness, in a word, to everything of which man s life consists.