ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

THE MESSENGER“Behold I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of

the Lord; make His paths straight.” Mark 1:2-3

November 2011

St. Nektarios, the Wonderworker, November 9

Rev. Fr. Stavros N. Akrotirianakis, Priest2418 W. Swann Avenue, Tampa, FL 33609-4712Office Phone: (813)876-8830 Fax (813) 873-1107

E-mail: stjohntampa@stjohntampa.comWebsite: http://www.StJohnGreekOrthodoxTampa.com

2

St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox ChurchTimetable of Services

Sundays: Orthros 8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy: 10:00 a.m. Weekdays: Orthros 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy: 10:00 a.m.Parish Priest: Rev. Fr. Stavros N. Akrotirianakis813-876-8830 (office) 394-1038 (cell)frstav@gmail.comParish Council:Katherine Sakkis, President 813-309-1073Bill Manikas V. President 813-716-8185Diane Trimis, Secretary 813-968-9038Skip Higdon, Treasurer 813-831-9021 Diane Norcross, Stewardship 813-846-3780Alexandra De Maio 813-340-9668Maria Gorter 813-841-1883Byron Nenos 813-789-0729Despina Sibley 813-251-5384David Voykin 727-415-5603Maria Zabetakis 813-831-9303

St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church is a parish under the spiritual and ecclesiastical oversight of His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios of the Metropolis of Atlanta, of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America in the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.The Messenger of St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church is published on a monthly basis. Publication is the first of each month. Deadline for notices and announcements for the Messenger is the 10th of each month. You may send announcements to the church office or through email to:

stjohntampa@ stjohntampa.com “May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father and the Communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.” --From the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

Office Staff:Nick Andreadakis, Office Admin. 813-876-8830Demi Elliott, Bookkeeper 813-258-5646~Choir: Artie Palios, Director 813-831-1294

Jim Leone, Organist 813-254-7844~Chanter: Nick Andreadakis 813-876-8830~Sunday Sch.: Jenny Paloumpis 813-265-2702 Victoria Peckham 813-406-5626~Finance Committee: Mike Xenick 813-340-8737 ~Adult Greek School: Magda Myer 813-909-2327~AGAPE Group: Chairperson Michael Palios, Chair 813-232-7862~AHEPA: Gus Paras, President 813-254-6980~Community Outreach: Chairperson Betty Katherine Palios 813-215-9862~Daughters: Ourania Stephanides, Pres. 813-961-0309~GOYA Adv. Elaine Halkias 813-968-9129 Byron Nenos 813-789-0729~JOY/HOPE: Maria Xenick 813- 839-9897~Philoptochos: JoAnn Hartung, Pres. 727-432-0228~Oratorical Festival Chairperson Peggy Bradshaw: 727-244-1374~Young at Heart: Ron Myer 813-909-2327~Jr Olympics: Byron Nenos 813-789-0729 ~Ushers: Tom Georgas 813-985-0236~Stewardship Chairperson:

Diane Norcross 813-846-3780~Altar Angels: Engie Halkias & Viorica Kirby 813-932-5859 ~Bookstore: Jon & Pamela Irwin 813-237-5537~ Dance Group: Alex De Maio 813-340-9668 ~Glendi Dancers:Jenna Mingledorff 813-610-7365 ~Panigyri Dancers: Kristina Galouzis 813-751-9336~Website: www.stjohngreekorthodoxtampa.com~Head of School: Cindy Strickland 813-258-5646 ~School Provost: Demi Elliott 813-258- 5646 ~School Office: Sue Terebecki 813-258-5646

~School Website: www.stjohngreekorthodox.comST. JOHN THE BAPTIST GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

Mission Statement:St. John Greek Orthodox Church is dedicated to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.

3

Vision:The church shall seek to fulfill its mission by:

1. Embracing the Spiritual Life of the Orthodox Church through regular prayer, worship, and frequent participation in the sacraments.

2. Supporting the Church through stewardship of time and talent and sacrificial giving.3. Providing a welcoming, caring, loving environment.4. Having its members exemplify Orthodox Christian character and morals.5. Supporting ministries that facilitate the overall mission of the Church6. Exemplifying commitment to community service and charitable outreach.7. Creating an environment which encourages members to grow in their faith.

PASTORAL VISIT OF HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN ALEXIOS OF ATLANTANOVEMBER 6

His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta will visit our parish on Sunday, November 6 and Celebrate the Divine Liturgy, assisted by Fr. Stavros, on that day. The schedule is as follows:

Orthros 8:30 a.m.

Hierarchical Divine Liturgy 9:45 a.m.

Please plan to be in church on Sunday, November 6, to receive the blessings of our Metropolitan!

Fr. Stavros’ Message“I want to be able to understand the magnitude of how the Lord died for our sins. Like, I don’t know how to see it as just another death, and just understand that to me, religion is a thought, the Bible is a story and Jesus was just a man.”

I recently received this email from a teenager, not in our parish. And this email probably speaks to a concern that lots of teens (and adults) have. How is Christianity not just another moral code, the story of Jesus is just a nice story, religion is not just a club that makes us feel good especially in bad times, and the Bible is a fascinating story.

What are the basic tenets of our faith?

To answer this question, let’s make it BASIC

1. God created the heavens and the earth—Genesis 1:1SOMETHING GREATER THAN US CREATED US. We call that “something” God. The first step in understanding Christianity is to accept that something greater than us created us. God created us. We live in a world filled with man-made things—in my office, everything I see was made by a human being—from the computer I am typing on, to the pad of paper beside my computer, the cell phone on my belt and the chair that I am sitting on. The building was built by people too, same with my car. But let’s look at the origin of some of the parts of these things—where does the asphalt on the road come from? A combination of oil, rocks and coal. And where to these come from—they come naturally, from the earth. Someone other than us put them there—God put them there. We may grow wheat, but who put the first stalk of wheat in the ground. We may grow fruit trees but who planted the first fruit tree? Biologically, human beings begat other human beings but who made the first human being? At the beginning of the very long sequence of events that brings

4

us to where we are now, there was God. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the waters, and the Spirit of moved over the waters, and God said, ‘Let there be Light.’” (Genesis 1:1) Now scientists will argue that a big bang started it all. Ironically, this bang involved light. But what caused the big band to happen? Gasses came together. And what caused that? Going back far enough on the cause and effect relationship of things, we will never be able to quantify scientifically what caused the first thing to happen. Theologically, we answer that this is the hand of God. And once we believe and accept that God created the first thing, whatever that was, then we accept that God is the Creator of all things, He is the hand behind the Creation of all things. So while the construction worker may gather the rocks, the coal and the oil to make the road I drive on each morning, God created the rocks, the coal and the oil that make up the road.

Another analogy is the game of dominoes. Line up 100 dominoes on a table. Push down the first domino. And all the other dominoes quickly fall. What causes domino #100 to fall? Is it #99 or #1? The answer is both. Number 99 falls and causes number 100 to fall. But if there was no one to push down number 1, then number 2, 3, 99 or 100 would not fall. So, the evolutionary process is not in disagreement with the story of creation—animals came before human beings, plants came before animals, and the first thing created was light, both Genesis and evolution support this. And whether God pushed each domino down, or just the first one and everything else evolved from that, what started the process was God, something greater than us. And this is the first thing a person must believe in order to believe in God.

One thing that strengthens our belief in God is to go out in nature to experience the natural, rather than the man-made. Gaze at the stars, go into a forest and listen to the sounds of nature (without an i-pod on), watch the waves at the beach, or listen to the roar of a waterfall—be around what is natural and it will be easier to see our place in nature.

2. The world is not perfect—we live in a fallen world—Genesis 3God is perfect—He is not flawed like us. He is greater than us, as has just been pointed out. God created the world perfect. God created everything in the world perfect. But God did not create a world of robots, who had no choice but to love God. Because God is love, and love is a choice. God was so filled with love that He created the world. But God gave that world a choice—to love back or not. And thus in the Paradise He created, there was a tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which is actually better translated the union between good and evil. One choice that humanity needed to make in order to live in Paradise—choose good, do not choose evil.

The first sin of the human being was not disobedience, it was ego. Our ego is what causes us to make ourselves the center of our own world, rather than keeping God at the center of the world. So the ego of the human being caused him to make a decision to go against God’s commandment, and thus he partook of the forbidden tree, and in that moment, united with evil. And this opened a Pandora’s box, so to speak. Now evil entered into the world, and the consequences of evil. The perfect nature was now imperfect. There were and still are natural disasters—hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc. The human being was now imperfect—he made mistakes, hurt others, felt hurt and pain, got sick, and eventually died. And in death, the ultimate indignity, the human being was assigned a place outside of God’s creation, away from God—Hades, or hell.

So, the first sin was a statement, “I am above God,” which violates the First Commandment that God would later give His people. The second sin was disobedience. And the third sin was lying about being disobedient. Instead of coming to God in repentance, mankind came to God offering excuses.

5

The world today suffers the consequence of the first sin. Our world is still imperfect, no matter how perfect we try to be. There are still natural disasters which still reek havoc on people. There are evil people who do evil things. And at times, we are all doing evil things.

So, after believing that God created the world, and created it perfect; and that the world fell through the sin of mankind, we now come to the third tenet of Christianity. . .

3. God offers the world a chance at redemption through the saving work of Jesus Christ.We are all familiar with how credit cards work. You use a credit card to charge expenses and you incur a debt. At the end of each month, the credit card company sends us a statement of all charges we’ve incurred. There is a total amount of what is owed. And there is a perforated portion on the bottom of the bill which can be separated and sent in with the check. And along the perforation is often times printed “please remit”. To remit is to basically pay what is owed to square the debt that has been incurred. Here’s the thing with the credit card company—the credit card company doesn’t care who remits your bill, so long as your bill is paid—If Suzie owes $100 to Mastercard and Bobby pays the bill for her, the credit card company is fine with that.

Because the human race collectively went away from God at the Fall, and because the human race was sent away from Paradise because of the Fall, and as a result, the human race now experienced death as one of the consequences, you can say, in the words of St. Paul to the Romans, 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The debt for sin is death. But because God loves us so much that He could not stand to see His creation owe a debt it could not possibly pay, He sent His Only-Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to pay that debt for us, to remit our debt, to remit our sins. This is where the phrase “remission of sins” comes from. It is the idea that Jesus is going to pay the price for our sins, so that we do not have to pay it, the same say that Bobby paid the credit card bill for Suzy. In John 3:16, we read, “For God so loved the world that He gave His Only-Begotten Son, so that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish (meaning shall not suffer estrangement from God in death) but have everlasting life.” Jesus suffers and dies in our place. He goes to Hades, to the devil and evil, to the place of estrangement from God, and He does this in our place.

So, how is the death of Jesus unlike any other death? One answer to this comes from your high school science class, where we learn that oil and water do not mix. When you pour water into water, the old water just “swallows up” the new water. When you pour oil into water, the oil penetrates the water for a brief amount of time, then rises to the top, separating from the water. For those who came before Christ, who were consigned to Hades at the end of life, their life was like water, and at the end of life, they were swallowed up by Hades, a place of evil, absorbing people who were evil by their association to the evil world. The death of Jesus Christ not only remitted the sins of those who were alive, but in death, Jesus Christ descended into Hades, but like oil touching water, the evil Hades could not hold the perfect God. So, Christ penetrated death and rose from the dead, raising with Him all those who believed in Him upon His appearing in Hades. That is why the icon of the Resurrection in our church depicts Jesus in Hades, raising up Adam and Eve, and appearing in the icon are St. John the Baptist and figures from the Old Testament.

The magnitude of our Lord’s death is that it remits our sins, it essentially tears up that debt of death that we all owe as the consequence of our sins, and offers a chance for those who want to live with God, to live in this life in unity with God, so that in the next life we will live in union, oneness, with God.

6

Jesus was not just another man. Historians verify that he indeed lived 2,000 years ago. Non-Christians call a prophet, a healer and a moral teacher. But for Orthodox Christians, He is the incarnate Son of God, perfect God, perfect man, as we confess in the Creed, “Light of Light, True God of True God, begotten, not Created, of one essence with the Father, through whom all things were made. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate (establishing a time in history, 2,000 years ago when Pilate was governor), and He suffered (as a human being, fully man) and was buried. And on the third day, He rose (from the dead) according to the Scriptures, and He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. And He shall come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, His kingdom shall have no end.”

The Bible is not just a story of these events. It is written in a narrative, much like a story, so that even children can understand “the story.” But the Bible is God’s word revealed to us through the holy people who wrote it, many of whom were eyewitnesses to the events they recounted.

4. The ChurchAnd as for the comment, religion is a thought, here is the answer. Faith is the substance of what we believe. We believe in God as Trinity, confessed in the Creed. We believe in the saving work of Jesus Christ, as told to us in the Bible. Religion is not a thought, but rather a way to express our faith—and a way to grow in our faith. Our religion is Greek Orthodox, our faith is Christian. And in the Greek Orthodox Church, we express our faith through prayer, worship, the sacraments, scripture, works of charity, fasting and other forms of Orthodox spirituality. The church is God’s Kingdom present on earth at PRESENT, not just a vehicle to some future reality. We believe that in our church, we pray together with the saints and the angels and all the righteous people who have ever lived. The Church was established by the Holy Spirit on Pentecost as a way to sustain, explain, maintain, teach and grow the words of Jesus Christ. The Orthodox Church expresses itself universally in the same way—doctrine and practice are universally nearly the same. The Church is supposed to be a base to help us, guide us and encourage us—to guide us to a present encounter with Jesus Christ, to help us understand the faith, and to encourage us around the obstacles of life which make faith difficult to maintain. Is the church perfect? No, absolutely not. That’s because the church, while founded by God, is administered by human beings, none of whom are perfect. God is perfect. The faith is perfect. The human expression of faith and the institution that leads us in our faith are imperfect. They are always a work in progress (hopefully in progress rather than regression).

During this month of November, we are offered many opportunities to express our faith.

NOVEMBER 6—Visit of His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios—In the Orthodox Church, one of our Traditions is Apostolic Succession of our Bishops. That means that our Bishops trace their episcopacy back to the time of the Apostles. In order for one to be a Bishop, there has to be an unbroken line back to the time of the Apostles. The visit of our Metropolitan reminds us that our church dates back to the time of the Apostles. It is not an invention of a later century or of modern times.

THE CHURCH FESTIVAL—NOVEMBER 11-13—Ostensibly this is a fundraiser for our church and an opportunity to share elements of our Greek culture. But it is also an opportunity to witness for our faith. This is done in two ways: 1)By opening up our church for prayer and offering tours of the church with an explanation of Orthodox belief and practice. So, please encourage our visitors to take a tour of the church and 2)most importantly, by representing ourselves in a Christian manner at all times. Whether that means smiling and greeting our guests, or working together with our fellow parishioners to build a sense of comraderie, and to

7

be careful to avoid enmity and frustration. We don’t just preach Christ, we are supposed to live Christ.

THANKSGIVING—This American holiday has become a day of gluttony and football, rather than giving thanks. Everyone has a reason to be thankful—if for nothing else, for life itself. And then there are the other blessings—health, family, a home, friends. And there is the greatest blessing of all—hope, the hope that comes from God, the hope and the faith that this life is a road to an even greater life, the comfort that that hope is available to ANYONE, of any background. Again, our church will offer a Divine Liturgy for Thanksgiving on Wednesday, November 23, at 6:00 p.m., so that we can offer thanks to God in prayer and worship for all of His blessings on us.

STEWARDSHIP—The Stewardship packets will be mailed out in late November and we’ll be discussing this more in December. But stewardship is the means by which we support the work of the church—it’s not just how we pay bills, nor it is a tax on parishioners. Stewardship is a gift we offer to the church, so that the church can have the resources to minister to us—to teach us, to guide us, to comfort us, to pray with us and for us. And so that the church has the resources also to spread the faith and hope of God to others. We can’t think of growing if we struggle to maintain. Your stewardship of time, talent and treasure is your expression of your desire for the church to grow and spread God’s word. It’s your expression of faith in God. It’s your expression of your commitment to God’s church.

As you can see, November will be a busy month in the life of the church. May we pass through this month with a greater sense of community (festival), appreciation of our timeless Tradition (visit of the Metropolitan), gratitude (Thanksgiving) and commitment (stewardship).

With love in Christ,+Fr. Stavros

Katherine Sakkis, CRS, PMN, SFR, SAMFine Homes Specialist

Short Sale & REO Specialist

Direct 813-309-1073 Fax 813-251-112ksakkis@gmail.com BestTampaRealEstate.com

An independently owned and operatedmember of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc.

Tropical Realty1529 S. Dale Mabry Hwy

Tampa, FL 33629

8

Liturgical Schedule for NovemberTuesday, November 1 Feast of Sts. Cosmas and Damian the Unmercenaries

Orthros 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.Sunday, November 6 Pastoral Visit of His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios

Orthros 8:30 a.m. Hierarchical Divine Liturgy 9:45 a.m.Altar Boys:Captains and St. Matthew (Nicholas Kavouklis, Gregory Koutroumanis, Harry Koutroumanis, Karter Lenardos, George Hambos, Joseph Hambos)Ushers: Peter Theophanous, James Apockotos, John AlexanderCoffee Hour: Sunday SchoolTuesday, November 8 Feast of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel

Orthros 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.

Wednesday, November 9 Feast of St. NectariosOrthros 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.

At the conclusion of the service, Fr. Stavros will anoint the faithful with oil from the tomb of St. NectariosSunday, November 13 Feast of St. John Chrysostom

Orthros 7:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy 9:00 a.m.Note: Divine Liturgy will begin one hour earlier because of the Greek FestivalAltar Boys: Anyone attending may serveUshers: Chris Kavouklis, George Fellios, Florin PatrasciouCoffee Hour: No Coffee Hour—Greek Festival

Sunday, November 20 Orthros 8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.Altar Boys: Captains and St. Mark (John Karamitsanis, Lukas Karamitsanis, Matthew Tsokos, Jonathan Tsokos, Michael Evdemon, Nicholas Katzaras)Ushers: Brett Mourer, Kevin Fentress, Ron MyerCoffee Hour: AHEPA Luncheon

Monday, November 21 Entrance of the Virgin Mary in the Temple (Ta Eisodia)Orthros 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.

Wednesday, November 23 Evening Divine Liturgy for ThanksgivingOrthros 5:00 p.m. Divine Liturgy 6:00 p.m.

Friday, November 25 Feast of St. KatherineOrthros 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.

Sunday, November 27 Orthros 8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.Altar Boys: Anyone attending may serveUshers: John Tsibris, Gregory Tisdale, David VoykinCoffee Hour: Young at Heart

Wednesday, November 30 Feast of St. AndrewOrthros 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.

Sunday, December 4 Feast of St. BarbaraOrthros 8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.

Altar Boys: Captains and St. Luke (Christopher Scarfogliero, Christos Nenos, Peter Makrides, Yonathan Alem, Andrew Mellon-Lynn, Nicholas Alsina)Ushers: Pete Trakas, Jason Pill, Mike ConnerCoffee Hour: TBATuesday, December 6 Feast of St. Nicholas

Orthros 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.

9

Feastdays in November-Why we are celebrating Liturgy on these weekdaysNovember 1 Feast of Sts. Cosmas and Damian, the Unmercenary Healers-Sts. Cosmas and Damian are the Patron Saints of the Philoptochos, as they went from place to place healing people and not taking any money for their services. Sts. Cosmas and Damian (called the Agioi Anargyroi) are also saints we pray for intercession to when we are sick, and also are patron saints of doctors.

November 8 Feast of the Archangels-This feast commemorates the Archangels Michael and Gabriel and all of the “bodiless powers” of heaven, all of the angels.

November 9 Feast of St. Nectarios-St. Nectarios is a “modern day” saint, a saint of the 20th Century, (Died in 1920, Canonized as a Saint in 1960), who was a bishop in Greece. St. Nectarios is the patron saint of cancer patients and is considered one of our “healing” saints, meaning that we invoke his intercessions when we are praying for those who are sick. Cancer sufferers and survivors are urged to attend this Liturgy in order to pray for continued healing through the Intercessions of St. Nectarios. Father Stavros has oil from the tomb of St. Nectarios in Aegina, Greece, with which he will anoint the faithful in attendance at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy on November 9

November 21 Feast of the Entrance of the Virgin Mary in the Temple-Commemorates when the Virgin Mary entered into the Temple at age two to begin a life of service to God, in preparation for the awesome role she would play in the history of humanity as the Theotokos. This is one of the 12 Major Feastdays of the Orthodox Liturgical Year.

Evening Liturgy for Thanksgiving- In Greek the word for Thanksgiving is “Eucharistia,” so the Holy Eucharist is the “Holy Thanksgiving.” As we celebrate Thanksgiving with turkey and the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, set aside Wednesday to receive the Holy Thanksgiving. As is our custom at St. John, we will celebrate Divine Liturgy for Thanksgiving on Wednesday, November 23 at 6:00 p.m.

November 25 Feast of St. Katherine the Great Martyr- St. Katherine was born in Alexandria, Egypt in the third century. She was very wise and eloquent, successfully arguing for Christianity in the face of tyrannical rulers and philosophers. She was martyred in the year 305 and her relics were taken by Angels to Mount Sinai where they were discovered many years later. St. Katherine has the title “Pansophou” the “All-Wise.”

November 30 Feast of St. Andrew-St. Andrew is the first-called of the Apostles. He is also the patron saint of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

RegistryBaptism-Philip Charles Kane, son of Lance and Georgia (Laliotis) Kane, was baptized on Sunday, October 9. Joanna Vourloumis was the Godmother. Na sas zisi!Wedding-Alexander Calamunci and Sarah Amat were married on Sunday, October 9. Christopher Calamunci was the Koumbaro. Congratulations!Trisagion-A Trisagion was held for Alex Philips, on October 3. May his memory be eternal!Condolences to Tom Georgas and family on the passing away of Tom’s mother, Bess, in Chicago, on September 28. May her memory be eternal!

Community News

10

Greek Festival-Volunteers Needed-As we all know, the Annual St. John Greek festival will be held November 11-13. Everyone’s help is needed to make this festival a success. The festival hours are Friday, November 11 from 11:00 a.m.-midnight; Saturday, November 12 from 11:00 a.m.-midnight and Sunday, November 13, from 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Please note that Divine Liturgy will be held from 9:00-10:15 a.m. on Sunday, November 13. Help is also needed on November 9 and 10 for festival set-up and on November 14 for clean-up. A final sign-up day will be on Sunday, November 6, so please sign up to work at the festival on that day if you haven’t already. If for some reason, you do not sign up to work at the festival, just ask for Diane Norcross and she will direct you where to work.

Chrysanthemum Ball-Were you there? Nearly 200 people came to dance on a rainy night. Inside our hall, the room glistened with high energy. People came from Spring Hill, New Port Richey, Clearwater, Tarpon Springs, and of course, Tampa. Olympia Catering provided great mezze platters, with live music provided by Demetri and the Islanders. Event organizers included Engie Halkias, Jeanie Nenos, Lisa Alsina, Edie Kavouklis and HoAnn Hartung. A big thank you to all who decorated on Friday, and to Byron Nenos and Mark Hartung for tending bar and keeping spirits high. Proceeds from all 3 years are being banked for future hall improvements. Generous donations were made by: ABC Pizza, Bath and Body Works, Fresh Market, Home Depot, Land and Sea, Lowe’s, Mary Nenos, Publix, Ranch House, Sam’s Club, Several Anonymous donors, Sweet Bay, Southern Wine and Spirits, and Winn-Dixie.

Parish Assembly-The Fall Parish Assembly will be held on Sunday, November 27, following Divine Liturgy. An agenda will be mailed in advance to all members in good standing. Primary topics include the 20112 budget as well as nominations for Parish Council and Audit Committee and Election of an Election Committee. Parish Council Elections are Sunday, December 11.

Advent Adult Retreat—For the past six years, we have held Advent Retreats for adults in December. Our seventh annual adult Advent retreat will be held on Saturday, December 3, from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. (Please see attached flyer) The Theme is “Where did we Come From and How are We different? A Concise History of the Orthodox Church and what is the Difference between Orthodoxy and other Christian Denominations.” In addition to the subject material related to the theme, there will be ample opportunity for general questions about our faith. Please sign up by sending the attachment from the flyer to the church office by November 28. This event is open to all adults in our parish, as well as surrounding Orthodox parishes of the area. Non-Orthodox friends and friends from other churches are certainly welcome.

Office Closed for Thanksgiving-The Church office will be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25.

Meeting Schedule for NovemberTuesday November 1 Young at Heart 11:00 a.m. TBATuesday November 1 Parish Council 6:15 p.m. Meeting RoomSunday November 6 GOYA 5:00 p.m. Kourmolis CenterSunday November 6 Philoptochos After Liturgy Zaharias RoomSunday November 20 AHEPA/Daughters After Liturgy Zaharias RoomSunday November 27 Parish Assembly After Liturgy Kourmolis Center

Ministries

11

Bible StudyBible Study will is held on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the new meeting room on the 1st Floor of the day School Building. The class is led by Dr. Bill Manikas. This year we are be studying the Gospel of St. Mark. All are welcome to join us. Just bring a Bible with you. Bible Study will meet in November on November 8, 15, 22 and 29.

GOYANovember Meeting-The GOYA Meeting for November will be held on Sunday, November 6 from 5:00-7:30 p.m. in the Kourmolis Center. Dinner, as always, will be provided.

HOPE/JOYHOPE/JOY Thanksgiving Food Drive-“Boxes of Hope”—Our Hope/Joy is sponsoring a food collection drive during this Thanksgiving season. Please bring donations on November 6, 13 or 20 so they can be delivered before Thanksgiving. (See enclosed flyer)

PhiloptochosThe Philoptochos meeting for November will be Sunday, November 6, following the Divine Liturgy in the Zaharias Room.

Community OutreachNext month, we will have 2 community outreach opportunities. On November 19, we need 10-12 volunteers to serve breakfast from 8:00am-10:30am at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Tampa as we do each month.

We will also need 20 volunteers to help distribute food to families in need for Thanksgiving in the Metropolitan Ministries Holiday Tent from 3:30-6:30pm.  Volunteers in the Holiday Tent do a wide variety of tasks, including sorting canned goods, assisting families with registration on the computer, or walking families through the food shopping area.  Families with children over the age of 8 are welcome to join us in the Holiday Tent.  Please contact Betty Palios at bettypalios@gmail.com to sign up.  

Stewardship (as of October 15)Number of Steward Families 310Total Pledged $290,150Total Collected $235,571

For those who have pledged this year, thank you for your generous support of St. John Greek Orthodox Church. For those who have not pledged, please send in your pledge form today. Extra forms are available in the church office. Remember, the church relies on your generosity to not only keep its doors open, but to offer its many ministries. We all benefit from the church. We must all do our part in support of our church!THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF ST. JOHN GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

Looking ahead, stewardship packets for 2012 will be mailed towards the end of November. Stewardship Sunday is December 18.

12

SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS:

The Sunday School Faculty would like to thank the parents and their children for making the start of the 2011-2012 School year such a success. We feel bless to serve the children of St. John’s Greek Orthodox Church. Attendance is very important and we want to acknowledge the following children from pre-school through sixth grade who were in attendance every Sunday during the month of September. They are:

Pre-School: Maria Palios, Ariana Choundas Thatcher, Maria Nicklow, Nicholas Akrotirianakis, Ava Andrejkanic, Emily Nicklow, George Xenick, and Katrina TsillasKindergarten: Toula Trakas, Eleni Katzaras, Demetri Passalaris, and John Nicholas KrinosFirst Grade: John Palios, Gennaro Scarfogliero, Andrew Patrascolu, Andrew Choundas Thatcher, Vasili Stiropoulis, and Yanni TrimikliniotisSecond and Third Grade: Hannah Passalaris, Hannah Holmes, Angelina Krinos, Sophia Garcia,Ethan Tsillas, James Kavouklis, and Elizabeth XenickFourth Grade: Dominic Garcia, Maria Tsokos, Nicholas Yotis, James Katzaras, Alexandra Patrascolu, George Tsillas, and Artemis XenickFifth and Sixth Grade: Christina Apockotos, Savvas Ferekides, Sophia Krinos, Jonathan Tsokos, Nicholas Katzaras, and Brigham Sibley

We also want you to understand that our precious time in Sunday School is spent wisely. Here is a recap of what we accomplish in class.

CLASS UPDATES FOR SEPTEMBER 11, 2011:MUSIC:  Liturgical HymnsPRE-SCHOOL:  God created everything, even us.  The class decorated a flag and made badges saying "God Loves Me!"KINDERGARTEN:  The class discussed the importance of prayer.  (How to pray, when to pray, and why do we pray?)  They were encouraged not only to pray at night, but also in the morning.  The students practiced making the sign of the cross and were introduce to their theme: KINDNESS.FIRST GRADE:  God made every person special.  The teachers took individual pictures of the students and the students decorated beautiful frames.  These photos will be on display in the hall for a few weeks.SECOND AND THIRD GRADE:  The students shared what they would like to learn about this school year.  Each student created questions they would like to learn about.FOURTH GRADE:  Introductions and the class discussed the Orthodox calendar year including the major feast days.FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE:  The two grade levels paired up to interview each other and share what they learned about their new classmates.  We discussed 9/11 and recited the prayer that Fr. Stavros wrote. We also discussed the importance of pray.  The students made a foldable of a church and when you open it there is an icon of Jesus.  The students are encouraged to pray in front of this icon.  The children also learned to venerate (not kiss) icons only on the hands or feet of the saint/s.SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE:  Stayed in church for the 9/11 Memorial and Sermon.HIGH SCHOOL:  Stayed in church for the 9/11 Memorial and Sermon.

CLASS UPDATES FOR SEPTEMBER 18, 2011:MUSIC:  Liturgical HymnsPRE-SCHOOL:  The class read a story about how God created all things in the world.  The students made a rainbow card craft.KINDERGARTEN:  Lesson-God made everything.  The students draw pictures of things God made.  The children discussed the meaning of kindness and how they were kind to others this past week.  The class heard a story about the Elevation of the Cross.  The children went on a "hunt" for crosses.FIRST GRADE:  God helps us to learn.SECOND AND THIRD GRADE:  Lesson-We all need love.  The students discussed the Gospel lesson: Follow Jesus.FOURTH GRADE:  Discussed the Holy Trinity and the Feast Day of the Elevation of the Cross.

13

FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE:  The class discussed the Feast Day of the Elevation of the Cross. The students made a foldable of a cross and discussed the parts the Divine Liturgy they were familiar with.SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE:  Getting to know you, interview question game.HIGH SCHOOL:  Introductions and expectations for the year.  What do you hope for in Sunday School this year?

CLASS UPDATES FOR SEPTEMBER 25, 2011:MUSIC:  Liturgical HymnsPRE-SCHOOL:  The students learned about Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden.KINDERGARTEN:  Lesson: Happy with our families.  The class learned about the story of baby Moses and made a craft related to this story.  The students practiced making the sign of the cross and reviewed their theme:  KINDNESS.FIRST GRADE:  The students learned about the Gospel Lesson for the week.SECOND AND THIRD GRADE:  The students discussed the Gospel Lesson:  Jesus and His first followers.FOURTH GRADE:  Divine Liturgy - The class discussed ways that the Divine Liturgy helps us.  What we can learn from it and how we should actively participate.FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE:  Fr. Stavros vs. our preparation for the Divine Liturgy.  Fr. Stavros lent us his vestments.  The students learned what each piece of the vestment represents and the order they are put on.SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE:  The students learned about the Gospel Lesson for the week.HIGH SCHOOL:  "Catcher of Men" - Discussion of the Gospel reading.  Introduction to Bible Study.

CLASS UPDATES FOR OCTOBER 2, 2011:MUSIC:  Liturgical HymnsPRE-SCHOOL:  The students learned the story of Noah's Ark and how Noah saved the animals.  The children also made a craft related to this lesson.KINDERGARTEN:  The students learned that God loves animals.  The class studied the story of Noah's Ark and also made a Noah's Ark craft.FIRST GRADE:  Lesson:  God cares how we feel.SECOND AND THIRD GRADE:  Lesson:  God loves us and Why?.FOURTH GRADE:  Lesson:  We offer ourselves to God through gifts.  The class discussed how we offer bread and wine to God in the liturgy and it's significance.  They also discussed ways we can offer ourselves to God.FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE:  The class reviewed the priest's vestments and what each part represents. Discussed the seven sacraments and the Gospel Lesson.  Also discussed that fact that Moses was a very quiet man, yet he followed God's command and became a leader.SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE:  The students discussed the Liturgy in the ancient church.  They also talked about Hagia Sophia and the significance of the church in the Byzantine Empire.HIGH SCHOOL:  The students discussed: How to love their enemies.

The Holy Priesthood and Grace

(This) grace is so exceeding great that were men able to see the glory of this grace, the whole world would wonder at it; but the Lord has veiled it that His servants should not be puffed up but find salvation in humility...Truly noble is a priest - the minister at God's altar. Whoever gives offense to him offends the Holy Spirit who lives in him... If People could behold in what glory a priest celebrates the divine office they would swoon at the sight; and if the priest could see himself, could see the celestial glory surrounding him as he officiates, he would become a great warrior and devote himself to feats of spiritual endurance, that he might not offend in any way the grace of the Holy Spirit living in him. - St. Silouan of Mount Athos

14

Parish Council ElectionsAs the month of November rolls around, it will be time to start thinking about Parish Council Elections. On November 27 we will hold our fall Parish Assembly and open up nominations for the Parish Council. This year, there are five (5) positions coming up for election for a two-year term. According to the Parish By-laws which were updated this past spring, nominations for the Parish Council will be closed following the Parish Assembly Meeting on Sunday, November 27. If you wish to be nominated for the Parish Council, please plan to attend the meeting on Sunday, November 27 and have someone nominate you, or send a letter to Fr. Stavros by November 23 stating your wish to be nominated for the Parish Council and he will read it at the meeting and have someone nominate you. Parish Council Elections will be held on Sunday, December 11, following Divine Liturgy. A mailing to all eligible voters will occur following the close of the nominations period which will have the names of the candidates, a picture of each candidate and a statement by each candidate.

In preparation for nominations and elections, please keep in mind the following: 1)Regarding eligibility to be a candidate for the Parish Council: Uniform Parish Regulations (UPR) Article 18, Section 1:

PARISHIONERSSection 1: Every person who is baptized and chrismated according to the rites of the Orthodox Church is a parishioner. The religious, moral and social duties of a parishioner are to apply the tenets of the Orthodox Faith to his/her life and to: adhere to and live according to the tenets of the Orthodox faith; faithfully attend the Divine Liturgy and other worship services; participate regularly in the holy sacraments; respect all ecclesiastical authority and all governing bodies of the Church; be obedient in matters of the Faith, practice and ecclesiastical order; contribute towards the progress of the Church's sacred mission; and be an effective witness and example of the Orthodox Faith and Traditions to all people.

A parishioner in good standing practices all the religious and moral duties as described in this Section 1. At a minimum, a parishioner in good standing must: be eighteen years of age or over; be current in his or her stewardship and other financial obligations to the Parish, abide by all the regulations herein stated and the Parish Bylaws; and cooperate in every way towards the welfare and well being of the Parish. (Stewardship is recommended to be ten percent (10%) of one’s annual income as stated in Holy Scripture to help meet the financial obligations of the Parish, the Metropolis and the Archdiocese.)

2)Regarding Election of Parish Council: UPR Article 25, Section TwoSection 2: A candidate for the Parish Council must be a parishioner in good standing of the Parish for at least one (1) year immediately preceding the date of the election and must live his or her life in accordance with the Faith and canons of the Church. The Priest determines whether the Parishioners are in canonical and financial good standing as specified in Article 18, Sections 1 through 3.

Section 3: Candidates for election to the Parish Council shall be nominated in accordance with the provisions of the Parish Bylaws.

A. All candidates shall attend a seminar conducted by the Priest prior to the election at which the Priest shall discuss and explain to the candidates the Uniform Parish Regulations, and the significance of the affirmation of office.

B. At the discretion of the respective Hierarch, such seminar may be held locally or regionally, provided that candidates are given appropriate advance notice and more than one reasonable opportunity to attend the seminar in a location within close proximity to the applicable Parish. A seminar for Parish Council Candidates will be held on Saturday, November 19, at Holy Trinity in Clearwater.

C. In the event that an otherwise eligible candidate(s) cannot attend the scheduled seminar(s) for justifiable cause, the Priest shall meet privately with such individual(s) to provide the seminar.

D. At the conclusion of the seminar all candidates must sign a statement acknowledging that they understand the Regulations and will abide by them and the affirmation of office. If a candidate for the

15

Parish Council does not attend a seminar and sign the statement, his/her name shall be deleted from the list of candidates.

~ AS WE HAVE DONE IN YEAR’S PAST, ALL PARISH COUNCIL CANDIDATES, regardless of whether they have served before or not, will be required to meet with Father Stavros prior to November 30, for a one hour meeting at the office at a time of their choosing. Any candidate who does not attend this one–hour appointment will be taken off of the ballot. There will be no exceptions. The reason for this is to establish a good working relationship between priest and potential parish council member, and to understand what is involved in being a Parish Council member at St. John. This meeting with Fr. Stavros will address the particular needs and expectations of a Parish Council member at St. John.

~Each candidate is asked to write a half a page on why they want to run for the Parish Council and to supply a recent photograph that is able to be photocopied well. The statement and photo need to be to the church office no later than Wednesday, November 29.

Thank you for your interest in being a Parish Council candidate. If you have any questions on any of the above, please feel free to contact me at any time. +FR. STAVROS

Two Scholarship Opportunities—The AFGLC/PETER & SOPHIA KOURMOLIS Scholarship (2 each) and the AFGLC/DR. DEMETRIOS HALKIAS Scholarship (2 Each) are being awarded to graduate and undergraduate students. The Dr. Halkias Scholarship is specifically for those majoring in the sciences or in Pre-Med. Applicants for both scholarships will be evaluated based on the following:

1. Course work during the semester PRIOR to the Application2. Complexity of courses taken3. Grade point average, for the course work completed and overall4. Time spent outside the classroom, working to pay for own expenses5. Membership and time spent in school-related organizations6. Volunteer work in school or church activities7. Commitment to and participation in Church organizations8. Proof of financial need (if appropriate)

Applicants will be required to fill out an application (available in the church office), and provide

1. Official transcripts of academic work from high school and college/university.2. A letter of recommendation from candidate’s parish priest3. A letter of character reference from a competent authority4. A paragraph in which the candidate explains why he/she should be awarded

the scholarship.

The deadline for both scholarships is November 30, 2011. Please call the church office for an application or pick up one in the church.

16

The Water is Getting HotterBy His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of Boston

The story is told about a number of frogs which were placed by scientists in a tub of water whose temperature was exactly the same as the pond from which they were taken. The scientists slowly increased the temperature and were soon astonished to see that, even though the water gradually became warmer, the frogs did not react. It was only when the temperatures were increased to a boiling point that the frogs reacted. It was too late. Before they knew it, they burned to death. Had they realized the slow increase in the water temperature, they would have reacted and thus spared their lives. The frogs grew accustomed to the slow rise in temperature and adapted. The change in water temperature occurred slowly but deliberately, and because of this process, the frogs failed to pay attention.

For us Orthodox Christians, the changes in the moral standards in our society have occurred so slowly that they have become imperceptible. We have adapted to the slow deterioration of moral life in society to the point where we have adapted to the moral decay in our midst and have taken it for granted. Sadly we live in a world of moral and ethical relativism, hedonism and selfishness; in a world in desperate need of spiritual renewal. Sunday is no longer the day that we worship Almighty God and then sit at our dinner table to enjoy fellowship. Rarely do we read the Bible. Prayers are no longer offered in our schools. The Ten Commandments have been removed from our civil courts. Lifestyles previously kept in the closet are now championed as reputable and worthy of emulation. The other day while driving to a liturgical service, a fellow priest pointed to a decal placed prominently on the bumper of the car in front of us. It was the symbol of a new atheist group in America.

The admonition of Saint Paul addressed to the Ephesians should echo in our hearts, "no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds." (Eph.4:17) We need to re evaluate our lives and ask ourselves how the way we live differs from the way others live who have no faith. Do we differ as Orthodox Christians from our secular and oftentimes atheist neighbors? How do we live our Orthodox Faith?

I am concerned that we have become so accustomed to sin and immoral behavior, that we do not notice it. We must not accept the prevailing permissive immoral and unethical standards of modern day society which are clearly at odds with the tenets of Holy Scripture and the teachings of the Fathers of the Church.

Remember the frogs in the experiment, and be wary of their mistake of growing accustomed to an environment which eventually caused their demise.

+ Metropolitan Methodios of BostonOctober 2011

St John ChrysostomBy Dr. Bill Manikas

St. John was a famed preacher and theologian who is called Golden Mouth (in Greek Chrysostom). He is considered by theologians to be the foremost orator and preacher for the Orthodox Church. Orthodox Christians worldwide follow his words as they participate in the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. John was born in Antioch, Syria in the year 344 or 347; his pious parents were called Secundus and Anthusa. After his mother was widowed at the age of twenty, she devoted herself to bringing up John and his elder sister

17

in the nurture and love of the Lord. John received his literary training under Anthragathius the philosopher, and Libanius the sophist, who was the greatest Greek scholar and rhetorician of his day. Libanius was a pagan, and when asked before his death whom he wished to have for his successor, he said, "John, had not the Christians stolen him from us" (www.goarch.org). With such training, and with such gifts as he had by nature, John had before him a brilliant career as a rhetorician, statesman and lawgiver.

John, however, desired to live as a hermit, but Patriarch Melitus, who had baptized him, refused to give him his blessing. So John served as an acolyte and then as a reader. After three years of John’s urgings, the Patriarch relented and allowed him to live as a hermit. John lived a very austere life. He lived in a cave, denying himself proper food, constantly reading the Scriptures and for two years did not lie down. The austerity of life ruined his health, and his kidneys were damaged from the cold. He returned home and received medical care under the supervision of the Patriarch. During that time, John served as a deacon (ordained in 381), a period of six years, and then was ordained priest in 386 by Patriarch Flavian. He preached in the common language of the people and lived what he preached. His sermons touched the hearts of everyone who heard them. Because of his eloquence he earned the name “Golden Mouth.”

In 397 John was elevated to Patriarch of Constantinople. Whereas the previous patriarch was lax and easy going, John insisted on holiness from his clergy. He preached against greed and luxury. He did not give lavish social parties, and he sold some of the new furniture in the patriarchal residence to raise money to build a hospital. His crusade against excessiveness and extreme wealth won him some powerful enemies. The Empress Eudoxia, married to Emperor Arcadius, found his sermons to be an affront to her and the royal court. The Patriarch of Alexandria, Theophilus, resented John and convoked a synod. Found guilty of false charges, and refusing to defend himself, John went into exile to Pontus (in Asia Minor).

The next day there was an earthquake which frightened the Empress and caused her to think that the banishment of John was wrong and he was restored. John still preached against sin and vanity. When the Empress had a silver statute of herself erected and placed in the forum before the Church of Holy Wisdom (Agia Sophia), John again preached against vanity. Angry, Eudoxia again convinced Emperor Arcadius to banish John. He begged his clergy to obey his successor for the sake of peace. Old and ill, he was banished to the Caucasus in Armenia in 404 and fell asleep on September 14, 407.St. John left behind a treasure of treatises and letters, more than any other Church Father. He has left us complete commentaries on the Book of Genesis, the Gospels of Saints Matthew and John, the Acts, and all the Epistles of Saint Paul. His works include 1,447 sermons and 240 epistles. One is heard during the Easter services. St. John is one of the three Hierarchs (St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory the Theologian) of the Orthodox Church who are commemorated on January 31st. We celebrate his liturgy every Sunday. St. John Chrysostom is commemorated on November 13 th. Dr. Manikas is the Vice-President of our Parish Council, teaches our Bible Study class and sings in the choir.

18

When God Rains, He Rains on EveryoneBy Charlie Hambos

Probably one of my most exciting and practical classes this semester is Gospel of Matthew. In this class we are systematically learning how to look at the text of the Gospel and begin to interpret what it says. We are doing this by looking for parallel texts in the scriptures, looking at other commentaries that the church fathers or contemporary scholars have written and most importantly by looking at the original text which was written in Ancient Greek (New Testament, specifically). So far I have only done a few but I wanted to share what I found when I analyzed Matthew 5:42-48 which says:

42Give to anyone who asks you, and if anyone wants to borrow, do not turn away. 43'You have heard how it was said, You will love your neighbour and hate your enemy. 44 But I say this to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; 45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on the bad as well as the good, and sends down rain to fall on the upright and the wicked alike. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even the tax collectors do as much? 47And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? 48Do not even the gentiles do as much? You must therefore be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.'

Basically, earlier in Chapter 5, Christ establishes his roll as the fulfillment of the law and not the abolisher of the law. So this passage starts with “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy” which is found in Leviticus. Christ, however, reconciles this statement and says that we should not only love our enemy but we should pray for the ones that persecute us. We should do this so that we may become children of our Father in heaven.

There is a statement in this passage when Christ says that he sends down rain to fall on the upright and the wicked alike and this was my focus. Immediately, several stories of rain in the scriptures came into my head when I read this statement. The first example is the Great Flood in Genesis 7:4, “For in seven days' time I shall make it rain on earth for forty days and forty nights, and I shall wipe every creature I have made off the face of the earth (New Jerusalem Bible).” Another example of raining on the wicked is found in Genesis 19:24, “Then Yahweh rained down on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire of his own sending (NJB).” The final example of God raining down on the wicked is found in Exodus 9:18, “very well, at about this time tomorrow, I shall cause so severe a hail to fall as was never known in Egypt from the day of its foundation until now (NJB).” All of these Biblical examples are forms of rain from God which are a punishment on wicked people. Before the time of the flood, fallen angels were mingling with humans destroying the order that God wanted for us. Therefore, God needed to end that. Sodom and Gomorrah, of course, were two extremely wicked cities that needed to removed from the face of the earth. Less than a handful of people actually got something out of the destruction like Noah and his family who survived the flood and Lot and his family (except for his wife who turned back and became a pillar of salt) who escaped from Sodom and Gomorrah.

There are examples in the scriptures of things raining from God which acted in a very positive manner. As the Israelites were on their journey in the wilderness, God provided for them. In Exodus 16:4, “Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Look, I shall rain down bread for you from the heavens. Each day the people must go out and collect their ration for the day; I propose to test them in this way to see whether they will follow my law or not (NJB).” This is an extremely interesting comparison to the rain that Christ speaks about in Matthew 5:45. God provides the food for them regardless of if they are following his law or not and in Matthew, Christ said that it

19

would rain on both the upright and the wicked. I believe that the food that is provided for the Israelites in the desert is more than just sustaining their health; it is both filling the soul and the body. It is therefore a blessing and we find an example of this in Hebrews 6:7, “A field that drinks up the rain that has fallen frequently on it, and yields the crops that are wanted by the owners who grew them, receives God's blessing (NJB).” Here, I believe that it is not only the rain which is the blessing but also how the rain was used and the results of their labor. Therefore, if the rain was used properly, the blessing was an abundant harvest. We can apply this even to our life. God will shower blessings upon us but if we do not use them or realize that they are blessings from God, we will bear no fruit.

We have seen both positive and negative forms of rain. Some cause destruction and others are blessings depending on how they use what has fallen down from heaven. What can we take away from all of this raining? We see that God gives everything to everyone. We are all his children, both the upright and the wicked. God’s love is not strictly for the ones that follow his commandments. We saw a good example of this is Exodus 16:4 where he rained bread upon all of the Israelites, both the ones who observed the law and the ones who did not observe the law. However, to refer to any of the Biblical references that I found in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, it is not necessarily the physical act of raining. It is anything that falls from heaven. The most important thing that falls from heaven is the grace of God. Salvation is for everyone. He sends only good things to both the just and the unjust and it depends on how they use it. For the sinners they may see it as a punishment but for the righteous they see it as a blessing. The bottom line is that despite one’s adherence to the law he will rain on both the just and the unjust, the righteous and the unrighteous and the sinner and the repentant. He treats us all the same. Then you can say just as Christ did, what good is it to love the ones who love you? The real test is loving our enemies and even praying for them because they are children of God just as we are children of God.

I hope and pray that what I have written here gives you a perspective of how we should treat one another. Who are our enemies? For example, the enemies of the United States are the terrorists. Should we pray for them? Should we pray for the terrorists who crashed the planes into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania? According to the passage in Matthew, yes we should. Just because they are not Christians and especially because of their persecution of Christians around the world does not mean that they are not God’s children. They are and God will rain down on them as much as he will rain down on us. Again, it is up to Him. The previous examples were harsh and very clear enemies to our country. Perhaps, we see someone in the workplace or a family member or a church leader or someone in church as a enemy. We must love them and pray for them regardless. It’s hard, I am the first one to admit that I would rather condemn the terrorists to death. I would also be the first one to not talk or give the time of day to the person that crosses my path in the wrong way on a day to day basis. However, I have to work on it. Instead of saying something stupid and hateful, I will lift them up to God because he is going to rain on the both of us. And instead of only talking to the ones who I know and I like, I will muster the strength to care for someone who I do not like. We are all children of God and God wants us all to be perfect like Him and we can only do this by loving our enemy and praying for the ones who persecute us.

If anybody would like to reach me, my e-mail is Charlie.hambos@gmail.com and my address is Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, 50 Goddard Avenue, Box 101, Brookline, MA 02445.

20

My Mission Trip to AlbaniaDearest Family and Friends,

I am back from Albania and it was by far the most uplifting and most beautiful journey I have ever been on. I wanted to write you something to explain a little about my experience. There are many things I wish I could share with you. I find it extremely difficult to put into words the impact this trip has made but I will do my best to touch upon the points that meant the most to me.

The purpose of our mission was to host a family camp for Orthodox parents and their children that took place for a total of 5 days, for 16 families in all. In Albania, Communism ended in 1990, so most of the adults attending the camp had lived a life absent of the Christian faith due to the fact that religion was outlawed all together in Albania in 1967. This family camp we facilitated was the very first of its kind and was used to teach parents and their children how to incorporate the Orthodox Christian faith into their daily family lives, how to share this knowledge with others, and most importantly was used to strengthen their faith as well as ours, through fellowship. I specifically worked with the children’s program. My teammate Elena and I created detailed lesson plans that included stories and crafts that we used each day in our class of 4-8 year old children.

I will first start off by sharing my favorite part of the whole trip, a question I was asked several times on the last day of our stay in Albania. My favorite part of the trip wasn’t the gorgeous mountain top views; it wasn’t our beach day excursions, or the festivities we had filled with dancing, music and ice-cream. It wasn’t traveling to all the beautiful places of Albania with its busy cities, mountain–side villages and scenic countryside. It was meeting the families and getting to know each and everyone of them, and listening and seeing what they each had to offer. It was the kind and humbled hearts of each parent, and the innocent joy and laughter that came from the children every day. At the end of the day perspectives were changed and relationships were stronger because of the personal and spiritual input each person was willing to give. Their strengths, weaknesses, growth and faith were a blessing to hear and witness. Each family was supportive of one another and because of them, our American team grew and strengthened in our faith each day. Meeting them, spending time with them, worshipping with them and learning from them were the greatest and most fulfilling parts of my whole trip.

We were all impressed with their passion and enthusiasm for growing in their faith. With most of us having been born into our Orthodox faith, we all, in some way or another, take our faith and the fact that we can freely practice our religion for granted. These families had lived through a time where religion was outlawed completely. So they all practice their Orthodox faith as if it is the most important thing they have to hold on to. And, it is. They were so obviously thirsty for spiritual growth and knowledge, even though I can confidently say that they knew more about our faith then I do. We must all practice and participate in our faith with the same vigor and urgency that these families do. None of us will ever reach are full spiritual potential so that means we must strive every single day until the day we die, to grow and learn in our faith. It takes more than just attending church on Sunday mornings. Even if just means talking about God, listening about God, thinking about God and praying to God every chance we get. These families inspired me to do that, just by watching them every day. If God determines where we will spend eternity in our life after death then why would we ever take that part of our lives so lightly? We should make it the most important, above everything and anyone else.

21

The saddest thing that I witnessed in Albania happened on our very last night in the busy capital of Tirana, after a wonderful evening of eating delicious ice-cream in a café in a nice hotel. As we were all on the side of the street laughing and talking while we waited for our bus to take us back to our comfortable beds at camp, I looked down to see a small boy lying on the sidewalk. His skinny arm was folded under his head taking the place of a pillow and he mumbled in his sleep, as if he were having a bad dream, as people and stray dogs casually walked past him. He did not look like he could be older than 7 or 8 years old and looked like he had not eaten in days. All I wanted to do in that moment was gather him in my arms and give him a bed more comfortable than the concrete he laid on. There were many hard things that I witnessed and heard in Albania during those 2 weeks. But I learned something valuable: that although people live oceans apart, we are all faced with the same struggles and fears.

From the parents I heard stories of failing marriages, sickness, financial struggle, and getting proper affordable education for the children. But as my teammate Nicole once said, witnessing that we all struggle no matter where we live and who we are helped us to understand that that is what binds us together in humanity: that we each struggle with something and it’s what can bring us together and have compassion for one another. I remember being in a church service one night surrounded by all the families, all them participating from where they stood and being just completely entranced by their chanting. When I looked at them they were all so focused, lost in another world we cannot see, God’s perfect world. In that moment I felt completely detached from the outside materialistic lifestyle that consumes me in America and completely at peace as I stood with the families unified in worship and love for God. The languages of the chanting would change periodically from Albania, Greek and English and even though three different languages were alternated through out we were all united in Christ.

Before I say good-bye I want to share with you the most important lesson that I learned from a very wise man that I had the blessing of meeting and getting to know during our time in Albania. In a discussion I had with my mother and two other girls on the team, our teammate Nicole expressed that she does not know whether it right to pray to God for things that we need and want when we already have so much. She did not know if it was right to except the many blessings in our lives with happiness because of how many people in this world were suffering and had so little. The wise man we asked was Bishop Nikolla, and I could feel in my heart that whenever he talked with us, it was the Holy Spirit speaking through him and providing him with the wisdom we needed. To answer this question he said we are never to be afraid to ask God for things as long as we are ready and willing give back to others. He told us the most important thing to remember through out our lives is to always give because we are given many things by God and that those who are blessed with many things have the most responsibility to give to others. He said it is the most important thing to help and support our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, whether we know them or not, with our talents, time, and treasure. We should all ask ourselves what right we have to ask God of anything if we are not willing to give back.

Over the course of my journey I came to terms with the fact that God has a plan for all of us that we may not understand or agree with at certain moments in our lives. As Bishop Nikolla taught us, God will do things or allow things to happen for our own good and the benefit our souls and salvation. Many of us have trouble accepting the turns in our lives that God influences us to take because it is not what we wanted for ourselves in the beginning. But if we just have unconditional trust in God we can find peace in our struggles. One thing I learned in Albania is that bad things happen to good people for the sole purpose that glory be brought to God. I had a hard time understanding this concept until I heard inspiring stories of tragic experiences that resulted in someone or many people being led to God because of the hardships they faced. Bishop Nikolla said that the only reason people fall into despair is simply because we lose faith

22

in God. If you have faith and trust there is nothing to be afraid of even when tragedy and hardship hits at unexpected times. I know this will be one of the hardest tasks we will face on this earth, is to have trust in God, especially when disasters and tragedies happen, but this is one of the most important things we must work on

I thank you all for what you did for me. You were a part of a domino effect that first started with your support in monetary giving and prayers. You helped others in another country grow and learn in their faith and only because of you, was I able to witness that. Thank you to all of my sponsors for being part of the team. You gave me the most incredible opportunity to represent and partner with you in this amazing journey of faith. It is very important that we all remember to keep missionaries, wherever they may be, in our hearts and prayers each day. They do great things for our faith. More specifically please keep my American team members and all the Albanian family members in your prayers. Thank you all again from the bottom of my heart for your support, love and prayers. It really does mean the world to me.

With love and in Christ,Elefteria Garos

Elefteria Garos is a junior at the University of Central Florida (UCF). She is from Clearwater where she attends Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. She has frequently visited our church for GOYA retreats in years past, attends college retreats at present when she is home, and worships in our church occasionally when she is home from school.

The Divine Liturgy: Part XV: The Anaphora (Part 3)By Fr. Christos Mars

The Priest having said, “And the mercies of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ be with all of you.” As he says this petition he turns and blesses the people. The people sing the response, “And with your spirit.”

Following this blessing comes a litany which was talked about in article XI. This litany that follows, in most Greek Orthodox Parishes, is not said on a regular Sunday. In fact in most

cases the only time that it is heard is at the Ordination of a Deacon.

The reason for this, as was discussed in article XI is the fact that this litany has migrated from its original position (which is here) to right after the Great Entrance. (See article XI for a full explanation on the Completion Litany).

Therefore in its place, we have four different petitions than those in the Completion Litany. These four petitions in combination with those of the Completion Litany, give us a fuller picture of what we need to be praying for right before we are to receive the body and blood of Christ.

We begin with the petition: “Having remembered all the saints, let us again, and again in peace pray to the Lord.” The people respond to all the following petitions with “Lord, have mercy.” The petition is making reference to all those saints, who we have commemorated during the consecration of the Holy Gifts (see articles XIII, and XIV) and having remembered all of them,

23

let us once again turn our prayers to Christ. The next petition says, “For the precious Gifts here offered and consecrated, let us pray to the Lord.” This petition is for us to pray and thank God that once again He sent the Holy Spirit to change the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. The next petition says, “That our loving God, who has received them at His holy, heavenly, and spiritual Altar as an offering of spiritual fragrance, may in return send down upon us divine grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit, let us pray.” This petition is an interesting one as it is out of place in reference to the Divine Liturgy, because it refers to the previous petition and we pray that Christ will receive our offering of bread and wine, as a spiritual sacrifice, and will in turn change them into His body and blood and will send down the Holy Spirit upon them. This petition, like many others, has changed over time. Its correct place is with the Completion Litany. Following this petition comes, “Help us, save us, have mercy upon us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.” This petition is asking Christ for His help, mercy, protection and grace so that we can all be saved.

The remaining petitions that are said by the priest or deacon, have a different response from the people. The response changes to “Grant this, O Lord.” The response changes because we are no longer asking for God’s mercy, but rather we are asking Christ to take action on our petitions. The first one says, “For a perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless day, let us ask the Lord.” We are asking for Christ to grant us a day that is perfect, Holy, peaceful and sinless! Why do we ask this, so that we can focus on Him. The next petition says, “For an angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies, let us ask the Lord.” We are asking for our guardian angel to guide and protect not only our bodies but our souls as well. The next petition says, “For forgiveness and remission of our sins and transgressions, let us ask the Lord.” We want our sins to be forgiven and thus we ask this of Christ. The next petition says, “For all that is good and beneficial to our souls, and for peace in the world, let us ask the Lord.” We want only what is good and can benefit our souls to come from Christ, and to also have peace in the world. The next petition says, “For the completion of our life in peace and repentance, let us ask the Lord.” Since we have asked for peace in the world, let us also ask for a peaceful end to our life in repentance for what we have done, so that we can be with Christ in His heavenly Kingdom. The next petition says, “For a Christian end to our life, peaceful, without shame and suffering, and for a good account before the awesome judgment seat of Christ, let us ask.” This petition builds off the previous one and asks that at the end of our life here on earth, be one that is based on a Christian way of life, that it is peaceful, shameless, and without suffering. It also goes on to ask that we have a good account, or rather that we be found worthy to enter God’s Kingdom when we are before Him. The final petition before the prayer of this section reads, “Having prayed for the unity of the faith and the communion of the Holy Spirit, let us commit ourselves and one another, and our whole life to Christ our God.” To which the people respond, “To You, O Lord.” This petition summarizes this section of petitions, and says that since we have prayed for the unity of the faith, i.e. for all the parts of the faith, (saints, parents, relatives, ourselves) we be found worthy to partake of and be in Communion with Christ, let us therefore commit not only ourselves, but commit to each other, i.e. take care to make sure that we dedicate our whole life to Christ.

24

Following this is a prayer that the priest reads. “We entrust to You, loving Master, our whole life and hope, and we ask, pray, and entreat: make us worthy to partake of your heavenly and awesome Mysteries from this holy and spiritual Table with a clear conscience; for the remission of sins, forgiveness of transgressions, communion of the Holy Spirit, inheritance of the kingdom of heaven, confidence before You, and not in judgment or condemnation.” The prayer reaffirms all that we have been praying for, and asks Christ to make us worthy to partake of the body and blood of Christ.

Following this prayer, we proclaim and ask Christ once again to “Make us worthy, Master, with confidence and without fear of condemnation, to dare call You, the heavenly God, FATHER, and to say:” We ask this right before reciting the Lord’s Prayer, because it is through this prayer that we find the means in which to partake of the sacrament of Holy Communion. The Lord’s Prayer is the chief prayer that Christ taught us. It is recided every time we are to receive Holy Communion as a way to reaffirm our faith in Him. We recite the exact words of Christ, taken from the Gospel of St. Matthew 6:9-13 as we are about to receive

our “daily bread” in the form of Holy Communion. We must remember one very important part of this magnificent prayer, and that is the phrase, “Thy will be done…” “Genethi to telima sou…” it is not our will, but Christ’s that we are here, praying and moving one step closer to our salvation.

Following this is the exclamation of the priest that also comes from the Gospel of St. Matthew, with the addition of the mentioning of the Holy Trinity. “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.” The people respond with the “Amen.”

With this we conclude with the Anaphora section, in Part XVI we will look at the prayers and the receiving of Holy Communion, continuing our journey through the Divine Liturgy, shedding light on the most important Sacrament of our Orthodox Church.Fr. Christos Mars is the Assistant Priest at the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Atlanta, GA. In his theological studies, he specialized in the study of liturgics, the history and theology behind our services. His series on the Divine Liturgy will be part of our monthly Messenger for the next several months as he walks us through the Divine Liturgy, both from the standpoint of what goes on, as well as its theological meaning and historical development.

25

INFORMATION  EVERYONE  SHOULD KNOW ABOUT STROKESNow there is a fourth indicator, the tongue.

    STROKE   IDENTIFICATION: During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall. She assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics). She said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid’s husband called later, telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital. At 6:00 p.m., Ingrid passed away. She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don’t die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

A neurologist says that  if he can get to a  stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally  reverse the effects of a stroke. . .totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed and then getting the patient medically care for within three hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKEThank God for the sense to remember the 3 steps, STR. Read and learn:Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

STROKE: Remember the 1st three letters—S T R

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:S Ask the individual to SMILE.T Ask the person to TALK and speak a complete sentence (coherently), like “It is sunny out today.R Ask him or her to RAISE both arms.If he or she has trouble ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

NEW SIGN OF A STROKE—Ask the person to stick out his/her tongue. If the tongue is “crooked”, if is goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.

26

27

Please join us for the Seventh Annual Advent Retreat

Where did we Come From and How are We Different?A Concise History of the Orthodox Church

And What is the Difference Between Orthodoxy and other Christian Denominations

Do you feel like your spiritual life suffers during the hectic holiday season?

Come join us in reviving your spirit as a community just in time for Christmas!

Saturday, December 3rd 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

St. John Greek Orthodox Church2418 W. Swann Avenue~Tampa, FL~33609-4712

813-876-8830Retreat Leader: Father Stavros Akrotirianakis

9:00 a.m. Registration/Coffee-Refreshments9:30 a.m. Opening Prayer in Church10:00 a.m. Session One A Basic History of the Orthodox Church11:15 a.m. Session Two The Difference Between Orthodoxy and other Christian Denominations12:30 p.m. Lunch1:30 p.m. Session Three The Questions I’ve always had about our church—This will be an open session To ask whatever questions you want about our faith and our church.2:30 p.m. Closing Prayer in the Church

Cost is $15 per person. Lunch will be provided.Adults only please.

****************************************************************************************************Please return this registration form by mail or take it to the Church

Office byNovember 28! We look forward to seeing you there!

Name: _______________________________________________________________________

Home Phone: _________________________ Cell Phone: _______________________

28

Email: _____-__________________________________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________________________Will you be attending with other family members? ________ If yes, please list:

______________________________________________________________________________Hope/Joy November Project - Fall Food drive for needy families

Won’t you join us in providing food this holiday season to families in need? Please see the list below of items that are needed to fill a complete box for a family. Last year we filled 40 boxes. This year, we will be providing food for our newly formed St. John food pantry as well as for the Tampa Bay community. Our goal this year is to fill 50!

How can you help?? You may choose to participate in any number of ways: Take an empty box home with you on Sunday November 6 and bring it back

November 20 filled with all of the items on the list. Pick up any amount of items over the next few weeks and bring them on

Sunday November 20 and we will sort them and fill the boxes for you. Donate a grocery store gift card in the amount of $15 for a family to purchase a

turkey or ham. Donate any amount of cash you would like and we will purchase the gift card or any

other items needed to completely fill our boxes. Stay on Sunday, November 20 and help fill the boxes – every age is welcome –

even the smallest child can help us sort cans! Please involve your children. They can help you check off the list, sort or count

items, even make a Happy Thanksgiving card.

Any size donation is acceptable – Our goal this year is to fill 50 boxes . Please help us reach that goal! Empty boxes will be available on Sunday, November 6. Items will be accepted any time during the month of November through Sunday November 20. Items will be delivered on Monday, November 21.

Collect all of the items below for a full Box of Hope: (Bold items are needed most)

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

29

1 turkey or gift certificate1 box of cereal (hot or cold)1 can of fruit1 loaf of fresh bread4 cans of vegetables2 cans of yams1 bag or box of dried beans1 bag of rice

1 bag 1 bag or box of stuffing mix1 can or box of potatoes3 cans of black beans2 cans of cranberry sauce1 can or packet of gravy1 box of dessert mix1 package of cookies or pastries1 family box of Jell-O or pudding

“'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink,” Matthew 25: 34-35

Thanksgiving for FriendsPeople come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.

30

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a Godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace of make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.