Saint Sophia Axiologa worth mentioning JULY 24, 2016 5 th Sunday of St. Matthew
FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES EXECUTIVE OFFICERS George E. Preonas, President; James A. Demetriou, PhD, Vice President; Constantine M. Boukidis, Secretary; Tina Callas, Treasurer MEMBERS V. Rev. Fr. John S. Bakas; Timi Loomos Freshman; Alek Haidos; Steven C. Hanna; Gig Kyriacou; Brent A. Noyes; John T. Pappas; Jim Zaferis PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS Anthony A. Demetriou, Presidential Assistant; John G. Marakas III, Sr. V.P. of Wells Fargo, Advisor to the Board; Andrew J. Demetriou, Foundation General Counsel PARISH COUNCIL BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE OFFICERS Brent A. Noyes, President; Dean Peratsakis, Vice President; Jeanine Hanna, Treasurer; Karen Sarames, Recording Secretary; Dinah Wellington, Corresponding Secretary MEMBERS Bertha Angels; Maria Baltazzi; Jonas Metin; Costa Bargeliotes; Peter Cosfol; Mauro Metini; George Rizkalla; William Bill Striglos; Anna Yallourakis; Paris Yatskar; Chris Stavaridis BOARD OF AUDITORS: Jim Ananias; Anthony A. Demetriou; Tom Moore Saint Sophia Cathedral 1324 S. Normandie Ave Los Angeles, CA 90006 Office: 323.737.2424 Fax: 323.737.7029 www.stsophia.org/bulletin When you write your will or update it, won t you please remember Saint Sophia Cathedral? Such a gift will live forever as our church ministers to our spiritual needs. It s an investment in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
MINISTRY NEWS 1. Sunday, July 31: Pack A Backpack for Children Lunch LIFE IN FAITH STUDIES Fr. John S. Bakas Our weekly Bible study class will resume in the fall. Have a blessed and safe summer. HUFFINGTON CENTER AT SAINT SOPHIA CATHEDRAL Are you looking to impress your guests? With beautiful rooms, ample parking and a state-of-the-art kitchen, Saint Sophia Cathedral s Huffington Center is well equipped to host your next big event. Our eloquent and spacious Maniatakos Ballroom is a perfect fit for wedding receptions, family reunions, business meetings, or fundraisers! For a more intimate setting the Maria Maniatakos Pavilion is a beautiful setting to create wonderful memories. Share the word with friends and associates. Please call the office or send an email to events@huffingtoncenter.org to schedule a tour and set the date for your event. THE ART OF THE GREEK DANCE WHEN: Saturday, June 4 to August 13, 2016 WHERE: St. Sophia Huffington Community Center TIME: 10 AM 11:45 AM FEE: $140 First Time / $120 Returning / $100 Students INSTRUCTOR: Ramsay Seikaly, ramdonseik@hotmail.com CONTACT: Ramsay Seikaly 818-929-1180 2
OUR 18TH ANNUAL GREEK FESTIVAL NEW DATE RENEWED CONCEPT MORE FUN 3
PHILOPTOHOS \ Dear Philoptochos Sisters and Saint Sophia Community, We hope you are all having a wonderful and relaxing summer a time to enjoy the beauty in our surroundings and of far away places and all that God has given us. Our delegates came back refreshed from our biennial Clergy- Laity Convention held at Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee on July 3-8. The National Philoptochos gave us much food for thought and many good ideas to recharge our chapters. The national goal of Feeding the Hungry by serving over 250,000 meals was surpassed. We actually served over 650,000! We hope you will join us in September for even a more exciting year of service, fellowship and fun! Everyone is welcome bring your husbands too! Please stay for lunch after church service on SUNDAY, JULY 31st for our BACKPACK LUNCHEON. We have a delicious lunch planned. All that we ask is that you bring a new backpack for a less fortunate student you can also fill it with school supplies. Please see the flyer enclosed for more information. Wishing many blessings, Saint Sophia Philoptochos Board 4
SAINT SOPHIA BOOKSTORE The Holy Monastery of the Ascension lies on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, across from the actual place where Christ Ascended, a place which has been held by Muslims since the 7th century to the present moment. Monk Achillios is the Abbot of the Monastery. He has been living in the Monastery since 2009, with a small communal sisterhood of 10 nuns, coming from Greece and other Orthodox countries. Monk Achillios visited Saint Sophia Cathedral recently and brought with him prayer ropes (Greek: κομποσκοίνι), olive wood crosses, and infused vigil lamp oil from the Monastery. These items are for sale in the Saint Sophia Bookstore at reasonable prices. It takes a nun 6 hours to make a 100-knot prayer rope. More important though, they are continually reciting prayers while they are working in any of their crafts. The sisterhood of the Ascension Monastery is self sustaining and they depend on donations. Please support them by purchasing the items for sale from the Monastery of the Ascension. 5
The Purpose of Shining The purpose of our shining for Christ is not that the world may see our good works and praise us, but that it may see God in and through our good works and fall down before His presence in our midst. Jesus is not promoting here a theology of good works, but a theology of the glory of God. That is why He says, Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. All of our good works are not to get us glory, but to get God glory. Jesus urges us not to hide our light under a bushel but to place it on a stand where we can give light to all. There are many kinds of bushels under which we hide the light and they are all bad. There is the bushel of shyness, There is the bushel of pride. There is the bushel of indifference, the bushel of a cold heart, the bushel of a love that has died, the bushel of false humility. All these bushels are condemned by Jesus. They not only hide the light but they also extinguish it. The light is to be placed on top of the bushel were it can be seen by all. St. Paul pleads with us: Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord: walk as children of light and try to learn what is pleasing the Lord (Eph. 5:8-10). If there is darkness in the world, it begins with me. If there is to be light in the world, it must begin with me. 6
The Mission of Saint Sophia Cathedral 1. Proclaim and teach the Gospel according to the Orthodox Christian Faith 2. Sanctify and enhance the spiritual life of the faithful through Orthodox Christian worship. 3. Receive persons into the Church through instruction, baptism and/or chrismation. 7