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

June/July 2012

SAINT PARASKEVI, THE HOLY MARTYR, JULY 26

Rev. Fr. Stavros N. Akrotirianakis, Protopresbyter2418 W. Swann Avenue, Tampa, FL 33609-4712Office Phone: (813)876-8830 Fax (813) 873-1107E-mail stjohntampa@stjohntampa.com

Website: http://www.greekorthodoxchurchtampa.com

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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 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 813-340-9668John Kokkas 1-727-992-4165 Byron Nenos 813-789-0729Despina Sibley 813-251-5384David Voykin 727-415-5603Maria Zabetakis 813-831-9303St. 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. 813-876-8830Tammy Trimikliniotis, 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~AHEPA: Gus Paras, President 813-254-6980~Community Outreach: Chairperson Betty Katherine Palios 813-215-9862~Daughters: Ourania Stephanides, Pres.813-961-0309~Food Pantry, Anetta Alexander 863-224-3001~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 & Sia Blankenship 813-932-5859 ~Bookstore: Jon & Pamela Irwin 813-237-5537~ Dance Group: Alex De Maio & 813-340-9668 Marina Choundas 813-877-6136~Glendi Dancers:Jenna Mingledorff 813-610-7365 ~Panigyri Dancers: Vanessa Aviles 813-221-2194 ~Website: www.greekorthodoxchurchtampa.com-------------------------------------------------------------~School Office: Sue Terebecki 813-258-5646~School Website: www.stjohngreekorthodox.com

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

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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.

DOUBLE ISSUE OF THE MESSENGER—JUNE/JULYThis is our one double-issue of the Messenger that we put out every year, covering June and July. The priest’s message this month is a lengthy one, and there are several articles to read as well. I am encouraged by the many people who comment on how much they enjoy the Messenger and I wish you not only “Happy Reading” but also a great summer. Remember, God doesn’t take a vacation from Church and I hope you won’t either. If you are visiting another town, please look up and see if there is an Orthodox Church there, as most major cities in our country have one. God bless you all! +Fr. Stavros

Celebrating our ChildrenThis month, a lot of The Messenger will be devoted to celebrating our children at St. John. I am so proud of 8 young people who have contributed to this issue. Peter Hanhan was the grand prize winner in the Scholastic/Jackie Robinson Breaking Barriers Essay Contest. He won a trip to the World Series, a laptop computer for both him and his teacher and a visit from Jackie Robinson’s daughter, Sharon, on Tuesday, April 24. He also made the front page of the “Tampa Bay Times.” His award-winning essay is printed following my message. Angelina Bartucci, another one of our GOYAns, represented our church for the second year in a row at the Metropolis level of the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival. Angelina, along with Andy Paloumpis, Nedi Ferekides and Arianna Krinos, competed in the District level competition. Mihail Kaburis, Larissa Krinos and Christopher Scarfogliero all participated in the Parish Level of competition. All seven of their speeches are also printed in this issue of The Messenger for you to enjoy.

Fr. Stavros’ MessageThe “Dog days of summer” is a phrase used by baseball players to describe the summer months of the baseball season. For those who are fans of major league baseball, the regular season in baseball is 162 games long. You add about 30 pre-season games, and that means that by the time the regular season ends at the end of September, the baseball players will have been playing ball since mid-February. When spring training starts, there is an air of excitement because players have been away from the game for several months and they are eager to join their team-mates. As Spring training begins, there isn’t a lot of fanfare, just lots of repetition and drills. By the end of February and early March, the spring training “games” begin, so there is some competition rather than just practice, even though the games don’t count. The beginning of April brings about the beginning of the “regular season” and there is excitement—who made the team, getting off to a strong start, the games now count. And in September, as the regular season winds down, the pennant races heat up. All the games seem to count for more, there seems to be more at stake to each team, as they battle it out who will make the playoffs.

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So, what about the summer? Well in spring, the temperatures are cool and the season is new. In September, the weather starts to cool down and the races heat up. In summer, it is just HOT and the schedule seems never-ending, grueling, even monotonous, just the same and the same, day after day. Many times, it seems that teams (and fans) don’t have as much enthusiasm as they did at the beginning of the season, and don’t have the urgency that they have at the end. That’s why they call it the dog days of summer—the teams just kind of drag themselves through the middle part of the season, endure the hot weather and look forward to the pennant races of September.

I’m not sure the origin of the phrase “dog” days of summer comes from. I believe it comes from a dog who lopes around without any sense of purpose or urgency. And from this, you get the phrase “dogging it,” which is the phrase that is used by coaches and fans when a player is playing without any sense of urgency or hustle or enthusiasm.

There are two very important things about the dog days of summer. One, if you don’t play well in July and August, we then you won’t be in the pennant race in September. And MOST IMPORTANT, a win counts just the same in June as it does in September. So for those who think that the only meaningful games are in April and September, well, if at the end of September, a team is ONE game away from the playoffs, and misses the playoffs by one game, well, that loss in June or July or August is going to have been pretty important.

On the liturgical calendar, the summer months are like the dog days of church. There isn’t the pomp and circumstance of the major feastdays, or the urgency of Lent, or the joy of Christmas. There are fewer feastdays on the weekdays, some weekends there are fewer people in church. Many of our programs are on break for the summer. And just like the baseball players in the long season, in summer, many parishioners find it hard to stay motivated, or as the athletes say “hard to stay hungry.” Well, just like the baseball season, receiving Communion, coming to Liturgy, offering a prayer, staying faithful to God’s commandments and helping your fellow man are worth the same in summer as they are during Lent. You can just as easily make an appointment for confession in summer as you can during Lent. You can just as easily make a renewed effort in your Christian walk in summer as you can during Lent. Unfortunately, lots of Christians are guilty of “doggin’ it” with their Christianity each summer.

Now, if you looked at your whole life as if it were a calendar year, the spring of your life would be its youth. Middle age would be like summer and your senior years would be like the fall. In our youth, there is enthusiasm and resiliency. In old age there is urgency. But in middle age, there is often complacency. Where we would “go get it” in youth, and where we would “hold onto it” in old age, many times gets replaced with “taking it for granted” in middle age. And this is true for many parts of life, including our spirituality. It is also true in marriage. We need to have enthusiasm and urgency in all facets of our lives and must struggle and strive to not be complacent.

So, one thing to keep in mind this summer is to resist the temptation to “dog it” with your Christian life. Why? Because you never know if you will make it to the fall of your life. And because a good deed in the middle of life is worth the same as a good deed at the end of life. Because you can put treasure in heaven equally as well at any age. The teams that are in the pennant races in the fall are usually there not because of a strong start but because of persistent endurance through the dog days of summer. And likewise, the people who are ready to enter God’s kingdom at the end of our lives are usually this way not because they were enthusiastic in their youth, or motivated in their old age, but because they were consistent in middle age, in the “dog days” of their lives.

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Since I started off with the baseball analogy, let me continue on another avenue. When you watch a baseball game, there are 9 people in the starting line-up for a game, 9 people who are on the field at any one time. But same 9 people cannot play every inning of every game. Pitchers cannot throw every day. So, on the team there are not 9 players, but 25. Even though only 9 are going to play at any given time, there are 25 players who are all necessary to keep the team competitive. And while there are 25 players on the team at one time, there are 40 players on a big league roster. Why is that? Because some players will get hurt over the course of the 162 game season. Some players will break down. And so even though only 9 play, and 25 are on the team, there are 40 people who will probably contribute to each team during the course of the season.

But wait, there is even more people than that involved with a major league team. There are several minor league teams training players to one day be in the major leagues. Because some players on the major league team will retire, will burn out, will have career ending injuries, or will see their skills erode and in order to field the most competitive team, you have to have the best 9, backed up by the best 25, backed up by the best 40, backed up with the best minor league system.

But wait, there is even more people involved with the successful team, many of who don’t even play the game. Managers and coaches coach the players on each team. General managers trade and draft players to add to the team. Scouts give reports on the strengths and weaknesses of opponents. Trainers keep the players healthy and in good condition. Owners invest and spend money. And executives market the team, sell the tickets and fill the stands, which brings in the money, which allows the best players to be put under contract with the team. All of these are necessary to have a competitive team.

You can’t just take 9 good or even great baseball players and think you are going to have a championship team. You need a “deep” team—a strong 25, a strong 40, a strong minor leagues, strong coaches and a strong front office if you are going to survive the “dog days of summer” and complete for the playoffs come the fall.

There is a saying in our church, that one Christian is no Christian. A Christian exists in relation to other Christians. A Christian exists in “community,” and in “communion” with other Christians. And that’s a good thing. It is good that we don’t have to play the game of life all alone, unsupported. Because all Christians go through the “dog days of summer” when it is hard to get motivated to continue in our Christian walk. All of us get injured by the difficulties of our world and need the support of others to help nurse us back to health, to back us up when we are hurt. We need good coaches to teach us about our faith, good scouts to warn us of the obstacles ahead, and a good church community from which to base our learning, our worship, and our practice of the faith.

Ironically, in Tampa Bay, we read that our hometown Rays have an ugly stadium. We read that it has been voted one of the ugliest sports venues. Yet, the essence of a baseball team is not its stadium, but the product on the field. If the stadium is great but the team is terrible, of what use is the stadium. Just ask the Pittsburgh Pirates or the Houston Astros. People go to games to root on the team, to see a winning product, a competitive game.

And in the same way, people come to church to worship God, not to worship the building. We have a beautiful church. If there was a national vote on beautiful churches in which to worship, ours would be one of the most beautiful. But the mark of the good church community is not the

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building that the community worships in, but the community that worships in the building. Is worship done with reverend enthusiasm or relaxed complacency? Does the church community reach out and recruit others, or is it content with what it has? Does the church community go out into the secular community to minister to those who need help, or is all effort insular?

Remember from the baseball season that the “dog days” of summer are just as important as opening day and the stretch run in September. Because a win is a win and a loss is a loss on any day of the season, and wins count the same in the win column no matter when they are achieved. And if a team is one win short of the playoffs, they can look to any loss in the “dog days” and say THAT loss cost them the playoffs.

One thing about our life and about the baseball season that differ is that we know the length of the baseball season. It is 162 games long. And you have a general idea of how hard you need to play based on the competition in your division.

No one knows the length of his life—we might get 9 decades, or we might get 6 or we might get 3. So you never know really if you are in the dog days or the stretch run. Just remember that all the days are important. All the days should be lived to their maximum, whether you are referring to friendships, professional life, or (most especially) the spiritual life. Your relationship with God can take an upturn or a step backward on any given day. And because God will judge the totality of our lives, it is important not to take a season of them off, or consider any of the time to be unimportant.

So, as you travel through the days of summer this year, relax, take a vacation if you can from the work and struggle of life, but don’t take a vacation from God. Continue to worship, continue to pray, continue to strive, continue to serve. If you are vacationing in a natural setting like the beach or a national park, read Genesis 1 about the creation of the world, or Psalm 104, the Psalm of Creation, and remember that it was God who made the ocean, created the sand, planted the first trees, and placed the stars in the heavens.

The mark of the best baseball player is that he treats each at bat in a game as a crucial moment. He doesn’t take any of them off. He hustles on each play, whether the team is winning or losing. The mark of a good player is not how he plays when his team is ahead by a lot. It’s how he plays when the team is behind. And while everyone would like the title of “Mr. October,” to be the star in the playoffs, you can’t be “Mr. October” if you aren’t “Mr. July” or “Mr. August.” Because the team that makes the playoffs in October not only excels in September but all season long.

Similarly, as Christians, it’s not the effort one makes in Holy Week that gets one to heaven. It’s the effort one makes all year round—it is the praying, the worshipping, the learning and the serving that goes on all year long and all life long that makes on a solid Christian and advance one in his or her journey to salvation.

I am grateful to the people of our church for your efforts in building a winning team. For its’ not just the priest that makes the church move forward successfully, but the work of many others. I am thankful to the Parish Council, to the many ministries of this church—the Philoptochos, the altar boys, the choir, the chanters, the Sunday School, the Greek School, the Bible Study group, the GOYA, JOY, the Outreach Ministry, and all of the other ministries of our church—and to the faithful people who worship here each week, and who offer their daily prayers because this is what makes for a winning church, a church that grows and thrives and a church that joyfully spread the word of God far beyond its walls.

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So, with this I wish you all a blessed summer, safe travels in your journeys. I’m looking forward to a vacation as well. But I will not be taking the entire summer off from church or from prayer, or even most of it. And that’s because the joy of worship and the joy of this ministry is not just something I cherish during Lent and Holy Week, but something that I cherish every week, every month, every day that I am privileged to be alive and to do the ministry that God has blessed me with, even during the “dog days of summer.”

With love in Christ,+Fr. Stavros

The Scholastic/Jackie Robinson Breaking Barriers Essay ContestNational Award Winning Essay by Peter Hanhan

Breaking BarriersNote: Sentence fragments are purposely used to dramatize statements, this is a true story.

Nearly everyone in the United States knows the Middle East is an extremely volatile place. People always discuss the economy, the natural resources, the dominating religions, but what about the people? What about the innocent families torn to pieces by these forces? It was nine years ago, I was only five. The year being 2002, the Middle East was still being impacted by the recovering America. I woke up and climbed off the top bunk, setting my oversized Tweety Bird aside so I could glance out the window. As I peeked my little brown eyes over the window sill, they were filled with the image of a gorgeous spring day in the West Bank. My brother woke up not much later, and although he had just completed third grade, he held a mature role in my life because my parents were often at work. I sat in the living room, sinking into the violet cloth of our sofa and adjusting my pillow onto the wooden armrest so I could lie down and comfortably watch Looney Toons for the rest of the day, while my brother intricately prepared our breakfast. Just a normal, school-free day.

I stared out my window, into the darkness of the Arabian Night. I shivered slightly and pulled my covers up over me a tad more, squeezed my Tweety Bird a bit tighter. Finally, the door to my room opened, and I felt my mother’s lips kiss me on the forehead. She obviously thought I was asleep, because she jumped when I peeped out “Bakeer!” My brother chuckled at my sarcastic comment that one-in-the-morning is too early for a goodnight kiss. She gracefully left and closed the door, engulfing my brother and me in darkness. It was nearly an hour later and I was finally starting to drift off. It was something about tonight. Maybe it was the sound of activity outside my window. It was probably the tanks; they’ve been here ever since the war started three weeks ago. They’re usually quiet, but when they do move, disruptive is an understatement. They don’t do much except block the roadways to my grandparent’s house. They almost always just silently watched, like a dormant volcano; it does nothing, but it can do so, so much, and you can’t change a thing about that. Finally, my eyes were beginning to close. My memory about to recede for the night. My heart about to rest.

It was a domino reaction. My mom, being the lightest sleeper in the family, first heard the thundering knock; she woke my father, he woke my brother, then Imad woke me. I scoped out the window. The fires so bright I had to squint. The screams so loud my ears needed covering. The sights so frightening my heart needed mending. I couldn’t take this view of hell anymore; I tore my eyes away and ran into the hallway outside my room, only to find Imad crying on the floor. I clung onto my brother and wept into his sweater. Hearing our cries, my mother ran to us and, without hesitation, hysterically yelled at us to hush. My father finally responded to the

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deafening knocks that seemed to be endless. The instant he opened our door, my heart sank. The dark green paint of our door had been beaten off with butt of a gun, revealing the blood-red wooden underlayer. In our doorway stood a small group of armed soldiers. They began yelling and cussing at my father. My mother began to cry. I ran to his side and grabbed onto his leg, screaming at the evil men to leave my family be. The next thing I saw was a rectangular piece of gunmetal hit the right side of my head, directly on my temple, and I passed out.

When I woke up, I thought I was dead, until I was rocked by a shaking floor. My eyes adjusted to the low light, and I recognized the building. Everyone who lived in the thirteen-floor apartment complex was packed into the basement garage. My mother held me tight to her chest and explained what had happened. What I thought to be abeyant volcanoes, had been spewing smoke for weeks, and had finally exploded. The bomb, which had been bluntly ticking in front of our eyes, had finally reached 00:00. We had been the frogs in their slow-cooker, and hadn’t even realized it.

The soldiers are heard screaming orders through the garage door. The families had only been given five minutes to collect everything they wanted and report to the basement, stay out after that, and you were shot…I never saw my neighbor, Maha, again. You were allowed out once-a-week for grocery shopping; you only had an hour outside before they shot those remaining. Try to escape or rebel, you were shot. Do something disrespectful, you were shot. The possessions people brought from their homes varied. Some people only brought money and food while those on the higher floors only had time to bring the clothes on their backs. My family lived on the third floor; we brought clothes, passports, and gold jewelry to sell. Little did we know, we weren’t only being kicked out of our homes, we were being held hostage.

We couldn’t take it anymore; it was too much. It had been three weeks and my father had been yelling through the garage door at the soldiers for two of them. Tonight was quiet though, even those heartless, gun-bearing maniacs and their massive metal monsters needed rest. It was time.

After crawling under the pried-open door with my family (and my Tweety), we came to a taxi we had called secretly earlier that night during roam hour. Others prayed that god have mercy on us. I slid into the back seat with my brother and mom, dad sat in front. The man drove us over grass and dirt; we obviously couldn’t use the roads without dying, We finally reached the airport. It was crawling with people like an ant pile that had been stepped on. We quickly bought our tickets, boarded, and I instantly fell asleep. Next, we were in my uncle’s house in Tampa, Florida, in America. Something I do remember clearly however, is that I could not bring Tweety on the plane. My Tweety, my plush yellow bird that had gotten me through everything, could not fly far away with me.

Courage. It is courage that allowed my family and me to escape death, it is courage that gave me my life today, and it is courage that encouraged Jackie Robinson to achieve his baseball dream. Both Jackie and I realized that life, no matter the challenges, requires strength, determination, and courage to be lived. Life really is a gift. Every experience is a lesson, and every day, every smile and hug, every laugh, every tear, every morning sun, every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every life needs to be faced with courage and cherished with a smile.Peter Hanhan is a Sophomore in High School.

SPEECHES for the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical FestivalGiven by our Sunday School Students

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Orthodoxy and the DisabledBy Nedi Ferekides

Healing the sick, curing the blind, casting out demons. We hear these stories time and time again in the New Testament. Who were these people Jesus was helping? One might say they were the disabled, but what does Christ say about the disabled? We see in the Gospel very clearly that Jesus was willing to heal; he had compassion. In Matthew 8:1-4, Jesus heals a leper. Back in bible times lepers were banished from the temple courts and all of society. The priests were the only ones who were able to heal them, but they couldn’t because it was forbidden under Mosaic Law to touch an unclean person. Jesus didn’t care about breaking these laws; he is the new covenant. Instead, He had compassion on the leper.

But what bridged the gap between Christ’s compassion and the people that were healed? It was their faith. In Matthew 8:5-13, a Centurion comes to Jesus asking for his servant to be healed. Jesus says he will come to his house, but the Centurion humbles himself and says he is not worthy to have Jesus come to his house. He believes that Jesus can heal by word of mouth. Jesus marvels at the Centurion’s faith and immediately says his servant is healed. This is very significant for several reasons. First, the Centurion was a Gentile and yet he still believed that Jesus could heal his servant. Secondly, Jesus was willing to go to the Centurion’s house even though that was against Mosaic Law. Despite being a Gentile, the Centurion’s unwavering faith healed his servant.

Today, God is still bridging the gap for the disabled. I have a friend who has a twin, named Jonathan, who is severely autistic. When Jonathan was younger, he was able to go to church. He would listen in amazement to the choir and the church accepted him despite his disabilities. As he got older, though, he began having violent fits. If anything upset him, he would cry, scream, hit, and try to run away. His parents made the decision to stop bringing him to church because things became unpredictable. Instead, they made the decision to watch the Christian video series, Veggie Tales. Jonathan loved to watch them and memorized all of the songs. He fell in love with the bible story of David and Goliath. Through Veggie Tales, Jonathan has faith. When it is his time to go to heaven, God will have compassion on him. Jonathan only has the brain capacity of a five year old, everything he does is innocent. Because of this, I do not believe God will judge him the same way as with people with a full mental capacity. In our church we hold a special funeral service for young children who would be considered innocent. In that service we reference when Jesus asked for the little children to come to him. The Gospel for the service is from Luke 18: 15-17, 26-27. It again refers to Jesus calling the little children to him. Also it says that whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter heaven. This service shows how compassionate Jesus is to children during judgment because compared to this the funeral service for adults is much harsher.

So who would you rather be at your time of judgment? The person who was able to help others and know when they did things wrong, or the person who was innocent? Most would probably want to be the innocent one, but in society being disabled isn’t as accepting as when God accepts you. As a nine-year-old boy, John O’Leary was burned on 100% of his body and given less than one percent chance of surviving the first night. He endured months in the hospital, years in therapy, dozens of surgeries, and lost all of his fingers to amputation. He overcame all odds to become a college graduate, business owner, husband, philanthropist, and a very well known public speaker for many corporations, who now hire him to speak and inspire their employees. Society didn’t think it was possible for John O’ Leary to make it this far in life. John O’ Leary is one exception, but most with disabilities don’t get as far as he did. Most have trouble

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finding a job and getting an education. My friend Jonathan is thirteen years old and living at Carlton Palms Residential Facility. Who knows what he will do in life? He is still young, but society doesn’t think he can get far.

Despite this, the disabled can still get help from society. There are organizations such as United Way, who work to help people become more aware of health risks and the potential effects they have on themselves and others, starting from before birth. They work to change policies and practices, such as extending health care coverage, which will enable more people to live healthier lives. Another organization is the Muscular Dystrophy Association. As one of the world’s greatest humanitarians, Jerry Lewis spent over 900 hours hosting the MDA telethon since 1966encouraging Americans to fuel funding for worldwide research for MDA. This also enabled the provision of medical and health care services. You can really see how much Jerry loves “his kids”.

Even though the disabled can get help, there are some who want to take away benefits that will help them. Lots of politicians want to take away benefits for the disabled. If that did happen then the disabled would only get help from the private sector. The private sector does a lot to help, but the disabled need more help than just from the private sector. I believe that in a way the private sector is like Jesus and the politicians can sometimes act like the Pharisees. The Pharisees wanted nothing to do with the disabled and they wouldn’t help others on the Sabbath. They even attacked Jesus with false claims of being the devil in Matthew 9:32-34 when he healed a demon-possessed.

I think the disabled would benefit the most if the church, private sector, and government all worked and helped together. It is with this statement, where I would like to encourage myself and others to help the disabled. There are many ways to do so, such as volunteering, raising money, spreading awareness, and even just spending time with a disabled person. When I turn fourteen in a couple of months, I will be able to start volunteering at the V.A. hospital, where there are many young disabled people. I am very excited that I will be able to help those in need. As a church we can follow the example of Jerry Lewis. We don’t have to run a telethon, but maybe as a church collect money once a month for a disability program and donate. Then as a whole we could go visit with those of that disability. In doing so we would we would be helping those in need just as God calls us to. In Matthew 25:35-40 Jesus says that if we help a fellow brother in need, it is like helping Jesus himself. In your time of judgment don’t you want to be able to say you helped?Nedi Ferekides is in 9th grade.

How are we as Christians supposed to act in times of worry and uncertainty?By Angelina Bartucci

Fear of the unknown. Feeling powerless or not in control of any given situation. We all know this feeling of stress or anxiety and have felt it in our mind, body, or spirit at some point. Our whole body feels overwhelmed with the enormous weight of stress and worry. Thankfully, our Lord understands this, and he is there to help us. God has helped me so much in my life, and I hope that after this speech you will be able to trust in God so that he can help you too.

Philippians 4:6 tell us, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” St. Paul is telling us to relax and tell God our problems. In fact, praying to God relieves a great deal of stress. I like it because I can talk God just like I talk to anyone else. He is always there to listen.

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Now, God knows we have a natural tendency to worry, but he doesn’t want us to obsess about insignificant matters. Mathew 6:25 says, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” Despite this, we continue to stress! So Jesus offers us comfort in Matthew 11:28. He says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

When I attend the Divine Liturgy each Sunday, the Cherubic Hymn really speaks to me. It says, “Let us put away all worldly care, that we may receive the King of All.” It reminds me to put away all my worries. When I sit in church, I can really relax and focus on God. But when I am at home, I like to pray the Jesus Prayer with the breathing exercise that my priest taught me. It actually helps me relieve my anxiety. I often pray this at night. I feel freed by the power of this prayer, and I am always filled with peace and finally able to get to sleep, no matter how worried I am about the next day.

I admit, I’m a control freak. I want everything to be perfect at all times. That includes everything from my grades to my athletics all- all the way down to my wardrobe. So when things don’t work out, I get stressed out! I just need to keep in mind that God is in control. This past year, when going out for the volleyball team at my school, I got cut from the team after playing for 5 years. I was devastated! I prayed to God because I felt helpless. I ended up joining the cross country team, and I loved it even more than volleyball! There was no need for me to stress because God knew what was best for me.

There is one person in my life that has always been there for me. My mom. My mother is the hardest working, most tenacious and loving person I have ever known. However, the recent economic downturn has not been so easy on my mom since she is a single mother. I see everyday how her faith in the Lord has helped her to overcome fear and anxiety even when she was unemployed at times. She struggles to do what is best for us. Even to the degree of keeping me in a very expensive private school when all logic seemed that it was too expensive. She refused to give up on my dream of attending the Academy of the Holy Names, where I am currently enrolled. In turn she knows that I will maintain a perfect straight A average and excel in all I do. My mom knows the meaning of Psalm 46:1 which says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

What I really want to share with you today is that you shouldn’t stress. I feel I have experienced stress on many different levels and learned that it does not help the situation. Praying to God helps! He is there for you and in the end, it will all work out. Whenever you feel overwhelmed remember Proverbs 3: 5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.”Angelina Bartucci is in the 11th grade.

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Conditioning by Christopher Scarfogliero

Brothers and sisters in Christ. Today I am here to talk to about how, in our over scheduled lives, we make it hard for ourselves to do more that just our daily routines. Therefore, it makes additional commitments, like attending church even more difficult. In Exodus 20 verse 8 , were the 10 commandments are written, it states “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” When one hears this law given to us by God, most think, we shouldn’t do anything wrong, unjust, or unholy. I believe we should take this day out of your week and make it God’s. Come to church and joyfully worship the one true God.

During the week my schedule is very busy. I wake up at 6:30 and immediately put on my shorts and t-shirt and run about a mile. I’m doing this because I am a swimmer and my goal is to one day try out for the Olympics. You see , this is part of my conditioning and my commitment to my sport. After my morning run, I get ready for school, which ends at 2:50. Then I go to the Y.M.C.A. where I work-out for about an hour, then swim for an hour. Combined with guitar lessons, homework, and dinner, and the occasional bathroom break, I am left with little time for much else.

The weekends are the only time I get to relax, which I think naturally makes me a lazy person. In Hebrews 6, verse 12 it says, “ We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through the faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” I personal feel prone to be lazy and want to sleep in on Sundays. Because of that, I occasionally don’t want to come to church, but thankfully my mom is a Sunday school teacher and always brings me. Now, I’m not saying that I never want to come to church, and I only come because I have to, believe me I love coming to church it’s just that some Sunday morning are harder then others I’m sure we can all relate. Truthfully, I wish I was more like Father Stavros. He’s here every Sunday with a smile on his face ready to go.

Prayer, with our scheduled lives, how many of us really take time out for prayer? Honestly, I don’t take enough time. I pray at church and some times that’s it for the week. Now this isn’t typical, this is a “once in a blue moon” sort of thing. Prayer can do just about anything, if its Gods will. In Psalm 107 verses 28-29, it says “Then they cried out to the Lord in there troubles, and He brings them out of distress, He calms the storm, so that it’s waves are still.” Think about it. God did that for them, and He could do it for us if we just stop and make time for him. You know its funny, I wasn’t going to do this speech because I had too many other things I had to do. But finally I buckled down and did it.

Today I have told you my struggles in the way of the Lord, but I want you to know that I have made a mental note to make time for God, to take the time out of my busy day for prayer and praise him.

In St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, chapter nine, verse 24, he says, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” This is what I want to do as a Christian. I know I need to better condition for my faith, just like I do for swimming. In swimming we do drills, in the faith we read the bible. In swimming we do laps, in the faith we pray. In swimming we go to competition, in the faith we go to church. There’s a direct correlation between the two. I want to do what it takes to be both a strong swimmer and a strong Christian and let God be my coach. Christopher Scarfogliero is in 10th grade.

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SiblingsBy Larissa Krinos

Every day, we encounter problems with our siblings, whether you’re an adult or an adolescent, most siblings argue and occasionally fight. I know firsthand, about sibling rivalry, since I have four siblings. One older sister, two younger sisters, and a younger brother. Yes, we fight, but we always make up. Sometimes we say we will never talk to each other again, we always forgive and talk once more. Siblings have always fought, ever since the beginning of human times.

In the Old Testament Genesis 2, Abel and Cain, sons of Adam and Eve, both made offerings to God. Both Cain and Abel’s offerings were based on their respected trades, Cain, a farmer, offering fruit from his land, and Abel a shepherd, offering the firstborn of his sheep.

The Lord accepted and respected Abel’s offering but did not respect Cain’s offering. Cain was angry at God, and jealous of his brother since he won God’s praise before him. Therefore, Cain’s countenance, or loyalty, towards God dissipated. The Lord tried to reason with Cain, yet he could not.

So Cain, responding to his jealously of his brother, killed Abel. The Lord was infuriated at this and cursed Cain. He said “When you till the ground it shall no longer yield to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on Earth!” Cain complained to the Lord “My punishment is too great for me to bear! Surely you have driven me out this day from the face of the ground: I shall be hidden from your face. I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on Earth and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me!” But the Lord said “anyone who kills you shall be taken vengeance on seven fold!” Meaning if anyone ever killed Cain, therefore relieving him of his punishment, they would receive Cain’s punishment seven times worse.

It was told in Matthew 5:23-24 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause will be in danger of the judgment.” Therefore it is a sin to be angry with your sibling without a cause. But does that mean it was justifiable for Cain to murder Abel, since he had a cause? I don’t believe so considering it was not Abel’s fault he received God’s praise before Cain.

But what happens if the sibling rivalry was not started by the siblings, but someone else? That happened in Genesis 27, the story of Jacob and Esau. Jacob and Esau’s father Isaac, was at death’s door. He was so old and sick he could not see. He called Esau, his eldest son and said “Behold now, I am old. I do not know the day of my death. Now therefore, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me. Then make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul can bless you before I die. Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, heard this and told Jacob to retrieve sheep from the farm, bring them to her and she would cook them for him to give to Isaac so he could receive his blessing. Rebekhah, knowing the difference of skin texture between boys, disguised Jacob. Jacob went, and received his father’s blessings. Esau was enraged at that and he begged his father for a blessing. His father blessed him, by bounding him to be Jacob’s servant. Esau went to kill Jacob but his mother hid him. If Rebekhah had not hidden him would he be dead? Most likely, Esau wreaked vengeance by taking one of Jacob’s possible wives in addition to the ones he already had.

In John 13:34, Jesus said to his disciples, “Love one another as I have loved you that you also love one another. By this all will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

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Did Cain and Abel have love for each other? How about Esau and Jacob? The probably did but their jealously overcame that love. Jealously ruined their sibling relationships.

So therefore sibling rivalry has strengthened families today. Families can overcome their jealously and their hatred. If Jesus saw two siblings fighting he might disapprove. But he would not be angry unless it droned on or, in Cain and Abel’s case, someone is murdered. Jesus sees siblings fighting hundreds of times a day, as it happens hundreds of times a day, but he will forgive all of those mistakes, he probably wouldn’t give two siblings fighting a second look. But we learned from those mistakes, we don’t fight like that anymore, at least most don’t. My sisters and I don’t remember half the fights we’ve encountered we forgive and move on, unlike Esau and Jacob. So past sibling mistakes, have very much affected siblings today in a good way.Larissa Krinos is in 8th grade.

St. PaulBy Andy Paloumpis

Acts 1722 Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus, and said, “You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things. 23 For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I announce to you. 24 The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands,25 neither is he served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things. 26 He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live, and move, and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’ 29 Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man. 30 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained.

To the Athenians, St. Paul is saying, where we are in ignorance of our true god, he has come to bring the word to us. St. Paul references the "altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’" This god, who created all things, living and nonliving, who "made from one blood every nation of men" exist everywhere. This god does not live within temples, he does not need sacrifices, "though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things". This god is not, "like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man" he is the giver of life, the true god. And now, the time of ignorance is over, he has overlooked it before, but no longer. He has chosen a day when one will judge us, and we must prepare. We must repent for this day, since it is now ordained. This is what St. Paul was saying to the Athenians. Today, this speech still carries meaning full words. We cannot live in ignorance, we must repent. For "he is not far from each one of us" and we must seek him. God is everywhere, and always there for those who reach out to seek him. As St. Paul did, it is our responsibility to go out and enlighten those who live in ignorance, thus we show those who do not know god that he is never far. We are not supposed to worship him with idols or sacrifices, but in our hearts and through payer. Thus we can repent and hopefully spread our knowledge to those who live in ignorance. Andy Paloumpis is a senior in high school.

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The Reality of Sunday’s by Mihail Kaburis

We live our lives in the essence of the careers bestowed upon us. Our lives become more entwined with avocations than our spiritual beliefs. In fact God said to his people (in Exodus 20; 8-11) “Remember to observe the Sabbath as a holy day. Six days a week are for your daily duties and your regular work, but the seventh day is a day of rest before the Lord your God. On that day you are to do no work of any kind, nor shall your son, daughter. For in six days the Lord made the heaven, earth, and sea, and everything in them, and rested on the seventh day; he blessed the Sabbath day and set it aside for rest.” What does this mean to us in 2012? Well the typical Sunday routine for most may consist of watching football, going out to eat, enjoying a film, or for some, going to work. However, we need to remember that this is a day of the Lord which should be meant for rest and gratitude towards God. Maybe it’s right for the world to take a break?

Initially, it is important to understand the reasons why God wanted a day of rest. For instance, everyone needs to relax both their mental and physical bodies to make them function properly. In the Orthodox Church every Sunday the priest recites in the petitions “For this whole day, may it be peaceful and without sin…” These words may sound familiar to most, yet what do they really mean? The answer could be as simple as God intended for us to have a day of rest and peace. Nevertheless, in today’s day and age Sunday is just like every other day of the week. Shops are open, people are going about like it’s just another ordinary day, and no one really takes the time to thank the lord even if they have had a wonderful or stressful week. Sunday’s are not just about going to church. The Sabbath day is also about doing what Jesus tried to explain to the Pharisees as in Mark 3: 1-6, “Jesus was in the synagogue, healing the man’s hand. He asked the Pharisees if “is it all right to do kind deeds on Sabbath days? Or is this a day for doing harm? Is it a day to save lives or to destroy them?” Looking around at them angrily, for he was deeply disturbed by their indifference to human need, prior to healing the man’s hand.” Another example can be found in Matthew 23: 17-31 when Jesus says “Render unto Caesar” to his people. This simple statement can be interpreted as that Jesus wanted people to follow the laws and make a difference in society. Therefore, in my opinion the Lamb of God thought that working to survive was righteous in order to succeed in our world. There are those who cannot attend church on Sundays due to a job. What if Sunday is the only choice for some people to go to work? Yet, these people do not have to miss out on their religious pilgrimage. They could attend a weekday liturgy, bible studies, or undergo confessions.

Furthermore, what would be the most beneficial way to use the day set aside for the Sabbath? The proper answer to this question is going to church. Our Greek Orthodox Church is meant to give us a blanket of tranquility with the hymns, music, and the word of the All-Mighty touching our souls. We inhale the pleasurable aroma of incense and are carried away to a place that cannot possibly be like anything that we have on Earth. The arch angels and angels completely captivate our eyes through the iconography surrounding us. We must be close to the unknown realms of Heaven. When the music slowly fades away, the scents of incense begin to dissipate, the voices start silencing, and the security blanket shatters as we are thrust back down into a world filled with doubt and fear. The real world comes back in hard time and immerses our eyes.

As indicated above, the day of the Lord represents a spiritual moral for all of us. Nevertheless, most of us will not ever appreciate the moral values of Sunday. When this festival is over we will all go back to our ordinary jobs and lives. But it’s the spiritual enlightenment that we gain in the moment; maybe from this very message, which depicts a more different characteristic. Why not just add a little bit of a spiritual boost to your life? Take the time to do something different,

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redeem yourself of the stress and worries that our world forces upon us. For just a few mere minutes a week take the weight of the Earth off your shoulders. Experience the innumerable awe and power as the Lord himself enriches your life, soul, and mind. You will have truly discovered the spiritual moment that can only be gained on Sunday’s. Why not give it a try?Mihail Kaburis is in 10th grade.

Discuss the lives of Sts. Cyril and Methodius and their missionary work. How can we follow their example by responding to Christ’s commandment to “go forth” (Matthew

28:19)? By Arianna Krinos, 9th grade

He was a Church Librarian, his brother a member of the militia. Together, they made an invulnerable team—they became missionaries for Christianity that helped to spread the word of faith. They are Saints Cyril and Methodius, admirable Christian evangelists who utilized their talents to make a difference. In Matthew Chapter 28, verse 19, Christ instructs us to “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Throughout the history of our faith, there have been many tenacious people of God who have responded to the call that resounds within the minds of each of us, tenacious people like Cyril and Methodius who take initiative in going forth.

Methodius and his brother Cyril were born in Thessalonica. The two brothers were sent by Emperor Michael to the Khazars, the Turkish royals, to inquire upon becoming a part of the Church. Many people sought justice at the place of the Khazars, as they were prominent people who practiced religious tolerance. After much persistence, their prayers were answered, and they became members of the Church. Further on in their lives, they were chosen by the Patriarch Photius for a mission to teach the Slavs Christianity in Morovia. They were especially ideal for selection, knowing the Slavic languages as well as Greek, in addition to their passion for the faith. After being sent out of the country once, they were finally made able to do their work. There they translated Greek Christian books into a new alphabet, which they called Cyrillic, a medial language. The Slavs received the faith with joy, it becoming understandable for them, as illiterate people. It would later become Slavonic, a language still used by some Orthodox churches today. The second Pope Adrian was thoroughly joyful as well as impressed at the news of their translations, unlike many members of the Latin clergy. Many of these clergymen felt threatened at the news of the translations—as it could take away from Latin influence. Saint Cyril passed away two years later on February 14, 869. Methodius continued to fight, becoming first a Bishop of Morovia before being sent to prison by a Latin clergy, where he remained for three years in constant torture. He was again freed, becoming the Archbishop but forbidden to celebrate a Slavonic liturgy, before finally this was lifted. He was at peace for the 6 years preceding his death in 885.

Each of us, in life, is called by both our community and by our Lord to “go forth” and to improve the world’s condition. It is important to call attention, first, to the simple fact that, though there are many of us, the world would not be the same without each person. Our sibling may not have been a sibling; our mother may not have ever received a gift on Mother’s Day. We must determine the weight of the imprint we have upon the world—will the world perceive us as a burden or a relief? As Christians we must become relief. For us to take example in people akin to Cyril and Methodius is imperative. Especially as youths, maintaining focus on our personal concerns and requirements is wholly socially advocated. But the Bible teaches us to “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit,” in 1 Timothy Chapter 5, verse 12. To be a passionate Christian is to break the bonds that our society

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often urges us to adhere to, in a positive way. Thus, going forth can be supposed as a form of resistance to temptation. It is certainly comparable in terms of magnitude of importance.

We are not all called to be the missionaries who travel across Siberia, nor the medics who tend to at-risk African children. The fact that everyone is born with varying talents must also be recognized. If everyone took it upon themselves to diverge to an area of relief in which we were not specialized, things might very well fail to run as smoothly as our Creator intended. 1 Timothy Chapter 4, verse 14 says, “Do not neglect the gift in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.” Our faith allows us to be who we were meant to be. This is how a peaceful community is established. We are to go forth and share our talents, for each of us cannot find success in everything. We require the assistance of others. It is certainly true that some of our brethren are found in a situation in which they require more assistance than others.

Many have heard of Saint Patrick, the man for whom St. Patrick’s Day was organized. Saint Patrick did work similar to that of Cyril and Methodius—he brought Christianity to Ireland. He went forth; he responded to the call. Modernly most every American has heard his name. In much the same way, St. John Chrysostom, for whom we commemorate the Oratorical Festival, has also been celebrated. He was a gifted public speaker, also a vessel for the diffusion of the Word. Truly whichever talent you possess becomes influential if you should choose to go forth. Mark Chapter 16, verse 15, states, “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” We are all called to be missionaries in this respect.

Each of us must do as Cyril and Methodius did. They combined their strength and wit to persevere in bringing Christianity to a place where it was often ill-received. We must merge with our peers to produce an unstoppable force of talent, as was God’s will in providing us with those aptitudes. We are called to, “Preach the word! [To] be ready in season and out of season. [To] convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching,” in 2 Timothy Chapter 4, verse 2. Throughout the history of our faith, there have been many tenacious people of God who have responded to the call that resounds within the minds of each of us, tenacious people like Cyril and Methodius who take initiative in going forth. It is our responsibility to be placed among them. For Psalm 95, verse 3 proclaims it; we must, “Declare His glory among the Gentiles, His wonders among all peoples.”Arianna Krinos is in 10th grade.

Liturgical Schedule for June/JulySaturday, June 2 Saturday of the Souls

Orthros 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.Memorial Service to follow the Divine Liturgy

Sunday, June 3 PentecostOrthros 8:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy 9:45 a.m.Kneeling Vespers (Descent of the Holy Spirit) 11:00 a.m.

Ushers: Ippokratis Kantzios, Ed Gerecke, Brett MourerAltar Boys: Captains and St. Matthew (Nicholas Kavouklis, Gregory Koutroumanis, Harry Koutroumanis, Karter Lenardos, George Hambos, Joseph Hambos)Coffee Hour: Young at Heart

Monday, June 4 Feast of the Holy Trinity (Services to be held at Holy Trinity, Clearwater)Orthros 8:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy 9:30 a.m.

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Sunday, June 10 All Saints DayOrthros 8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.

Ushers: Nick Kavouklis, George Fellios, Pete TrakasAltar Boys: Captains and St. Mark (John Karamitsanis, Lukas Karamitsanis, Matthew Tsokos, Jonathan Tsokos, Nicholas Katzaras, George Tsillas)Coffee Hour: Community Outreach

Sunday, June 17 Orthros 8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.Ushers: Amin Hanhan, David Voykin, Kevin FentressAltar Boys: Captains and St. Luke (Christopher Scarfogliero, Christos Nenos, Peter Makrides, Yonathan Alem, Andrew Mellon-Lynn, Nicholas Alsina)Coffee Hour: Junior Olympics Luncheon

Sunday, June 24 Feast of the Nativity of St. John the BaptistOrthros 8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.Fr. Michael Petrides, Guest Celebrant

Ushers: Peter Theophanous, James Apockotos, John AlexanderAltar Boys: Captains and St. John (Mihail Kaburis, Savvas Ferekides, Michael James, Alexios Diniaco, Dominic Garcia, Dean Mitseas)Coffee Hour: Philoptochos

Sunday, July 1 Orthros 8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.Fr. Michael Petrides, Guest Celebrant

Ushers:Chris Kavouklis, Mike Trimis, Florin PatrasciouAltar Boys: Anyone Attending may Serve Coffee Hour: TBA

Sunday, July 8 Orthros 8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.Ushers:Brett Mourer, Kevin Fentress, David VoykinAltar Boys: Anyone Attending may ServeCoffee Hour: TBA

Sunday, July 15 Orthros 8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.Ushers: Amin Hanhan, Jason Pill, Florian RoyackAltar Boys: Anyone Attending may ServeCoffee Hour: Community Outreach

Tuesday, July 17 Feast of St. MarinaOrthros 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.

Sunday, July 22 Orthros 8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.Ushers: Ippokratis Kantzios, Ed Gerecke, Demetrios HalkiasAltar Boys: Anyone Attending may ServeCoffee Hour: Glendi Dancers

Thursday, July 26 Feast of St. ParaskeviOrthros 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.

Sunday, July 29 Orthros 8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.Ushers:Pete Trakas, Gregory Tisdale, Ron MyerAltar Boys: Anyone Attending may ServeCoffee Hour: AHEPA

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Wednesday, August 1Paraklesis Service of Supplication to the Virgin Mary 6:00 p.m.

Friday, August 3 Paraklesis Service of Supplication to the Virgin Mary 6:00 p.m.

Sunday, August 5 Orthros 8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.Ushers: Nick Kavouklis, George Fellios, John AlexanderAltar Boys: Anyone Attending may ServeCoffee Hour: Young at HeartMonday, August 6 Transfiguration of our Savior

Orthros 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.Paraklesis Service of Supplication to the Virgin Mary 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, August 8Paraklesis Service of Supplication to the Virgin Mary 10:00 a.m.

Saturday of the Souls-There are four Saturdays set aside during the year for us to honor our loved ones who have fallen asleep. One of them is the Saturday before Pentecost, this year, June 2. We will have Liturgy and a memorial service that day. Please bring Kolyva (boiled wheat) along with a list of names of those whom you would like to have commemorated (separate sheet provided).

Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles fifty days after Pascha. A special Vespers Service will be held after Liturgy on Pentecost (June 3), where three prayers will be offered, asking for the Holy Spirit to descend upon us as we mark this feastday. As a reminder, we do NOT kneel in church until AFTER the Liturgy on Pentecost (we do not kneel at the Liturgy on Pentecost) at the Vespers of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, when the priest says “Again and again ON BENDED KNEES let us pray to the Lord.”

Nativity of St. John the Baptist (June 24)-This marks the feastday of the Nativity (birth) of St. John the Baptist, the Forerunner of the Lord and patron saint of our parish.

Fast for the Holy Apostles-There are four “fast periods” of the church and this is the least well-known of them. Most of us are familiar with the Great Lent, which includes Holy Week plus the 40 days before Holy Week in anticipation of Pascha. Then there is the 40 day fast for Advent—November 15-December 24. There is a 14 day fast for the Dormition of the Virgin Mary (August 1-14). And then there is the fast of the Holy Apostles, which length varies. It begins on the Monday after All Saints Day and ends on June 28, making its duration anywhere from 0-32 days. This year, All Saints is June 10, so the fast for the Holy Apostles begins June 11 and ends June 28.

Feast of St. Marina (July 17)St. Marina lived in the late third century. A devout Christian in her childhood, she refused to marry a pagan prefect who was courting her. She was tortured and eventually martyred for her faith at the age of 17.

Feast of St. Paraskevi (July 26)-St. Paraskevi lived in the second century. She was a great orator and defender of the faith. The Emperor Antonius singled her out for punishment since she was a Christian and ordered her boiled in oil. When the oil did not kill her, he said that perhaps the oil was not hot enough. St. Paraskevi dipper her hand in the oil and threw it in the face of the emperor who went blind. St. Paraskevi then healed the emperor’s eyes. She was later beheaded by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. St. Paraskevi is the patron saint of the blind and anyone with eye problems.

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Parish RegistryBaptism-Ashley Anne Korakis, daughter of Alexander and Margaret Ann Korakis, was baptized on Saturday, April 28. Godparents were Robert Giles and Tina Korakis. Na Sas Zisi!Baptism-Evie (Eugenia) Conner, daughter of Michael and Artemis Conner, was baptized on Saturday, May 5 at the Transfiguration of our Savior Greek Orthodox Church in Corona, New York. V. Rev. Fr. Cleopas Strongylis and Rev. Fr. George Anastasiou officiated. Godparents were Pres. Lisa Akrotirianakis and Charlie Hambos. Na Sas Zisi!Baptism-Elisabeth Slater, daughter of Sam and Joanna Slater, was baptized on Sunday, May 6. Godmother was Maria Kontaridis. Na Sas Zisi!Baptism-Maria Phelps, daughter of Debbie Phelps, was baptized on Sunday, May 20. Godmother was Maria Gorter. Na Sas Zisi!Wedding-John William York and Julie Anthousis were married on Sunday, May 6. Emon Anthousis was the Koumbaro. Congratulations!Wedding-Keith Howard and Katina Karagiannakis were married on Saturday, May 19. Koumbaro was Jon Karagiannakis. Congratulations!Funeral-Freda (Aphrodite) Kladis passed away on May 2. Funeral services were held on Saturday, May 5. Her 40 day memorial is scheduled for Sunday, June 10. May her memory be eternal!Funeral-Andreas Koudouna passed away on May 16. Funeral services were held on Monday, May 21. His 40 days memorial is scheduled for Sunday, July 8. May his memory be eternal!

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GRADUATES!!!HIGH SCHOOLKatina Georgas-graduating from Blake High School-will be attending Savannah School of Art and Design in Savannah, GA.George Zabetakis-graduating from Plant High School-will be going to HCC Honors Institute to major in Mechanical Engineering.Alexandra Rowe-graduating from Bloomingdale High School-will be going to HCC with major in business.Allie Hartung-graduating from Palm Harbor University High School-will be going to the University of West Florida (Pensacola) to study cinematography.Kyra Frey-graduating from Plant High School-going to the University of Florida.Chair Main-graduating Plant High School-will be going to Tallahassee Community College with a business major.John Kavouklis-graduating from Plant High School-will be going to Florida State University.Peter Apockotos-graduating from Plant High School-will be going to Florida State University.Deanna Bousalis-graduating from Alonso High School, as the Salutatorian-will be going to Florida State University, where she will be in the Honors Program.

COLLEGEKaterina Zabetakis graduated from the University of Chicago with a Biology Major and will be going to Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine.Aris Rogers graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic University with a Bachelor of Science in Finance.If you forgot to get us the name of your graduate, please contact the church office and we’ll include your graduate in the next issue of the Messenger.

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Community NewsAn Explanation of the Discretionary Fund and of the Emergency Fund-There are two funds in the church which people have asked about recently. The Discretionary Fund is a fund managed by Fr. Stavros “at his discretion.” This fund has been used, among other things, to help people who are a little short on funds to pay a bill, to send someone to summer camp who couldn’t afford it, and occasionally to buy something for the altar. Last month, because we needed to raise funds to cover medical kits to be sent to Greece (see below), Father wrote a check from this account to pay for the funds, and people donated money that went back into this fund. This fund is confidential and the people who are helped through the fund remain confidential. The Emergency Fund is money that is accumulated each month on the last Sunday through the passing of a second tray. The Emergency Fund is for something “catastrophic”, like if a young child or a baby dies, this would help pay for the funeral. If someone needed an operation and didn’t have enough money, etc. The idea with the Emergency Fund is that money is held there in the hope that it will not be used. If used, it would be a large sum of money going out to pay for a catastrophe. While the monies paid out of the discretionary fund tend to be small, say $50 at a time, the idea with the emergency fund is to accumulate money so that if we needed to pay a few thousand dollars for a funeral, the money would be there. The money in these two funds is not used for general operating expenses or if the church is short on funds. These monies are used to help people of the church who have challenging or dire financial circumstances as described above. If you have any questions, please see Father Stavros. A donation to the Emergency Fund can be made out to St. John Greek Orthodox Church and designated “Emergency Fund” on the memo line. A donation to the “Discretionary Fund” can be done with either a check made out to “Fr. Stavros” with “Discretionary Fund” on the memo line, or can be made to St. John Greek Orthodox Church, with a note stipulating that it is to go to the discretionary fund.

Send us Your Email for Community Email Blasts-We send out email blasts with news, announcements (especially funeral announcements) that are either not in the Messenger or need to be disseminated quickly. If you are not on our Email list, please send Nick your current email in the office. If you change your email address, please don’t forget to let us know.

Junior Olympics-Volunteers Needed-St. John’s will be hosting our annual Sunshine State Junior Olympics on June 15-17. This event brings over 200 GOYAns (teenagers) from all over Florida to our parish for a weekend of athletics and spirituality. Byron Nenos (969-2468, nenoslaw@aol.com) serves as the chairperson for this event. But in order for the event to be a success, we need many other volunteers to assist him in many capacities, including working at various athletic venues, cooking and serving at the church, and some administrative jobs, such as entering data as to who won various contests while the event is going on. This event is a chance to not only showcase our community and to do something meaningful for our young people, it is also a chance for us to work together on something and get to know one another better. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Byron Nenos. Thank you.

Get Acquainted Sunday-June 3—In an effort to get to know one another better, we are going to continue our “get acquainted Sundays” the first Sunday of each month. We will have nametags and markers in the entry way of the Kourmolis Center and will ask that each person put one on during coffee hour and introduce yourself to at least one person that you do not know. This will serve to help us increase our fellowship and sense of community. Our “Get Acquainted Sunday” for June will be Sunday, June 3.

A call to all young men interested in serving in the altar-Any young men who are entering fourth grade (or older) who are interested in serving in the altar for next year should contact Fr.

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Stavros in the church office to be added to a team. All returning altar boys will be put on a new schedule to take effect September 1, so current altar boys need not sign up again. This is for NEW altar boys. Please contact Fr. Stavros by June 30 to be added to the list for the fall. If for some reason, you do not wish to continue to serve in the altar, please let Father know and he will remove you from the list.

Anyone interested in being an usher-Tom Georgas, our head usher, is always looking for people to assist him as ushers of our church on Sundays. Those who serve as ushers are assigned a Sunday to serve every 5-6 weeks and also during Holy Week. The ushers insure that we continue to have good order in our services by directing us to empty seats, answering questions, welcoming new people, and guiding people at Communion and after church. You can find Tom at Georgas@verizon.net.

A Note of Thanks—Dear Friends, On behalf of our mother, Freda Kladis, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for your kind expressions of sympathy and love for all who attended her funeral on May 5th. Thank you for the lovely cards, food, donations nad flowers sent to our families. May she rest in peace with our Lord and may her memory be eternal. The Kladis, Stavrakos and Xenick families.

Medical Kits sent for Greece Relief—Thanks to your generosity for the Greece relief project, we were able to send 28 medical kits to Greece to help in the economic crisis over there. Thank you to everyone who donated. Special thanks for JoAnn Hartung for organizing the effort to purchase, put together and ship these supplies.

Fr. Stavros to be out of town for vacation-Fr. Stavros will be taking vacation time as follows this summer: June 11-13; June 19-July 10; August 9-11. Father Michael Petrides will celebrate the Liturgy with us on June 24 and July 1. Father Stavros will celebrate all the other Sundays of June and July. Also, if you have a pastoral emergency while Father is out of town, please contact Nick in the church office. Father will not be answering his cell phone while on vacation, so please call the office with any pastoral issues.

Don’t take a vacation from Church this summer! If you are in town, church continues all summer long. If you are traveling, there are Orthodox Church is all major cities in the United States. Call the office and we’ll be happy to let you know of Orthodox Churches in areas to which you are travelling.

Meeting Schedule for June/JulyTuesday, June 5 Young at Heart 11:00 a.m. TBAJune Parish Council Meeting TBATuesday, July 17 Parish Council 6:15 p.m. Multi-Purpose Room

Stewardship Update May 15, 2012 May 15, 2011

Pledged Families 270 270Amount Pledged $259,197 $257,857Average Pledge $960 $955

Prof.Tsokos with Rep. at the State Capital

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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.

MinistriesCollege Student Retreat-CALLING ALL COLLEGE STUDENTS! We will be having an end of summer college program following Divine Liturgy on Sunday, August 5. We will have lunch at noon and then discussions and presentations until approximately 3:00 p.m. Please RSVP to Fr. Stavros at frstav@gmail.com if you are interested in attending by August 1.And to our High School Grads headed off to college, please send Fr. Stavros your new mailing address so we can add you to the Messenger list and keep you up to date with the goings on at St. John.

Community Outreach InitiativeThank you to all of our dedicated volunteers who have faithfully dedicated their Saturday morning to feeding the homeless at the First Presbyterian Soup Kitchen, which is a partnership with Metropolitan Ministries.  In May we fed over 120 guests.  We will continue volunteering through the summer on the third Saturday of the month (June 16, July 21, August 18).  With travel and vacation schedules, we will need new volunteers to jump on board to fill our volunteer slots.  Please consider getting involved this summer!  Contact Betty Katherine Palios at bettypalios@gmail.com or 813-468-1596 to get on the e-mail listserver to sign up.

Philoptochos—Baking Brings Happiness

To prepare for a church bake sale our ministry moves into a giving frame of mind. You give your time, talent and love as you meet in the kitchen.  Everyone finds their mission.  Some measure and calculate, and run the huge mixer. Others man the ovens.  The experienced roll and shape the dough with care. And always, we find the lady to “keep count” with the pad and paper.  No one wants to go home without knowing the exact number of cookies baked and bagged. And if you’re lucky, an elder will share her recipe and trust the next generation to carry on when her legs and arms are too tired to repeat the beautiful bake sale tradition. But more than the logistics, the aroma begins.  You can close your eyes, and remember your Yiayia’s kitchen; the precise way she stored them in her cabinet or Tupperware; the holidays with platters a plenty. And the memory of your Mother spending time showing you “her way” to roll koulouria or shape a loaf of paximathia. Yes, Philoptochos is known for taking care of the community needs, but when you give of yourself; the return is priceless.

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Chapter President JoAnn HartungChapter 5011, Tampa, FL

SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS

Our last day of Sunday School was on May 20th. All the teachers would like to thank everyone for supporting our efforts in Sunday School. We are blessed with wonderful children, great parents, and a priest who is always there to guide and support us.

That Sunday we sang with the choir and participated in the Sunday School graduation ceremony.  Each student received a certificate and a small gift.  We ended the day with a End of the Year Party for all our Sunday School students, GOYANS, and our HOPE/JOY children.

We hope your were inspired by our students' Oratorical Speeches on Sunday, May 6th.  We are blessed with such devoted Sunday School students. We would like to CONGRATULATE ANGELINA BARTUCCI FOR REPRESENTING ST. JOHN'S AT THE SOUTHEASTERN ORATORICAL FESTIVAL, IN BOCA RATON, on Saturday, May 12th.

WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO CONGRATULATE OUR STUDENTS WHO HAD PERFECT ATTENDANCE FOR APRIL. THEY ARE:Pre-School: Nicholas Akrotirianakis, Maria Palios, Maria Nicklow, Emily Nicklow, Katrina Tsillas, and George XenickKindergarten: John Nicholas Krinos, Eleni Katzaras, and Stefanos TsillasFirst Grade: Gennaro Scarfogliero, John Palios, and Yanni TrimikliniotisSecond and Third Grade: Ethan Tsillas and Elizabeth XenickFourth Grade: Artemis Xenick, James Katzaras, and George TsillasFifth and Sixth Grade: Savvas Ferekides, Brigham Sibley, Dean Mitseas, and Nicholas Katzaras Seventh and Eighth Grade: Nedi FerekidesHigh School: Arianna Krinos and Angelina Bertucci

CLASS UPDATES FOR April 22, 2012:  PRE-SCHOOL:  The class discussed the reason we celebrate Easter.  The students learned and sang Christos Anesti and it's response.  They also made an Easter craft. KINDERGARTEN:  St. Mark - Happy on EasterFIRST GRADE:  Easter Sunday - Christ is RisenSECOND AND THIRD GRADE:  The Holy Week Experience FOURTH GRADE:  God unites people in the Sacrament of Marriage.FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE:  Review of Holy Week and Pascha.  Discussion of Jesus' 40 Days on earth before the Ascension.  Also discussed how the Holy Spirit was sent to earth 10 days later, Pentecost.SEVENTH, EIGHTH GRADE, and HIGH SCHOOL:  Review of Holy Week and Pascha.

CLASS UPDATES FOR April 29, 2012:  PRE-SCHOOL:  Lesson: Myrhh Bearers - The class learned about Jesus Rising from the tomb and the Myrhh Bearing Women.  The children made a craft to represent the myrrh that the women brought.KINDERGARTEN:  The class learned to recognize that all people are different and to respect everyones differences.  The students completed a stained glass window craft about God's blessings.

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FIRST GRADE:  God wants us to receive and give in church.SECOND AND THIRD GRADE:  Jesus wants us to serve all people.  Love means to serve others.  The class discussed the different ways to show that we care and serve those around us in need.FOURTH GRADE:  Children are gifts from God.  The class learned about the birth and life of St. John the Baptist and the feast day of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE:  Lesson:  Parts of the Divine Liturgy:  The Anaphora, The Lord's Prayer, the Communion Prayer, Receiving Holy Communion, and the Dismissal. SEVENTH, EIGHTH GRADE, and HIGH SCHOOL:  Lesson - Books of the New Testament and the significance of each.  The class discussed the fact that everyone may have a different perspective on things.  Each of the four Apostles had a different viewpoint on the works of Christ and this is reflected in the four books of the Gospel.  The class also discussed the Acts and the book of Revelations.  Afterwards the students broke up into small groups to discuss specific Bible verses and their significance.

CLASS UPDATES FOR May 6, 2012:  PRE-SCHOOL: Jesus healed the paralyzed man in the pool of water.KINDERGARTEN:  Happy to be thankful.  Read about the ten lepers.FIRST GRADE:  Jesus came for all people.SECOND AND THIRD GRADE:  The class discussed the story of the Good Samaritan. Also discussed how our church serves people in need that may not be from our parish.  Our church serves ALL people.   FOURTH GRADE:  The Sacrament of Baptism and Chrismation.FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE: The parts of the Divine Liturgy;  Liturgy of the Preparation, Liturgy of the Word, and Liturgy of the Faithful.  The order of the service and the purpose of the Sermon. Discussed what Prosphora and Eucharist means.SEVENTH, EIGHTH GRADE, and HIGH SCHOOL:  Stayed in church for the Oratorical speeches.

CLASS UPDATES FOR May 13, 2012:  PRE-SCHOOL: The Samaritan Woman - It is important to lead others to Jesus.  The students made a Mother's Day craft.KINDERGARTEN:  Mother's Day - Panagia is our Mother in heaven.  Honor your father and mother is one of the Ten Commandments.FIRST GRADE:  Jesus taught us to love all people.SECOND AND THIRD GRADE:  The class discussed how important our mothers are to us.  The children made Mother's Day cards for their moms.  FOURTH GRADE:  The students played a Jeopardy Game to review all the lessons taught in Sunday School this year.FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE:  For Mother's Day we discussed the Mother of God, which is the meaning of Theotokos.  Jesus loves His Mother and all mothers.  We also discussed why we pray and prayers to the Holy Trinity,  We also learned about the Kingdom of God.  We are living in His Kingdom now and we should behave accordingly.  SEVENTH, EIGHTH GRADE, and HIGH SCHOOL:  Review this year's lessons and the Gospel Lesson for Sunday.

WE WOULD LIKE TO WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY SUMMER. SINCERELY,

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THE SUNDAY SCHOOL STAFF

Canon Law – The Code for Our SalvationBy Charlie Hambos

Now, before I begin talking about the Canonical Tradition of the Orthodox Church, I want to tell you about my perspective on Canon Law before my class this semester. Before I went to Holy Cross, I did not know anything about canon law. I heard about the canons but only in a negative way. I thought they were only used by the monks and I didn’t need to worry or understand them. It turns out, that I was wrong.

A first and very basic definition of Canon Law is the set of rules governing the “Ekklesia.” Now, what is the “Ekklesia?” The “Ekklesia” is many things. First, it is a mystery. Second, it is the Communion of the elect with God. Third, it is the mystical body of which Christ is the head. Fourth, it is the reflection of Christ’s human divine nature (it is a divine-human organization). Fifth, it is the visible organization of the Kingdom of God. It was necessary to fully encompass the definition of “Ekklesia” so that way we know why we need something like canon law. The “Ekklesia” needs laws to help ensure harmonious relationships and the realization of its purpose which is salvation. Now, canon law is the combinations of laws which the “Ekklesia” has done by their own authority. The laws govern the life of the “Ekklesia,” it’s organization, relation to members and relations to those outside the “Ekklesia.” The most important goal of canon law is for the members of the “Ekklesia” to achieve salvation. We must keep in mind when learning about canon law.

The sources of canon law are broken down into four periods. The first period starts at the institution of the “Ekklesia” by Jesus Christ himself to the First Ecumenical Synod. Sources from this period include Holy Scripture, Holy Tradition, Custom which is something that has continued to be in use for a long time, Anonymous codified works like the Didache and Didaskalia, some regional synods and some early church fathers. The second period begins at the First Ecumenical to the Schism of the Western to the Eastern Church (867 A.D.) Sources from this period include all 8 Ecumenical Synods, several more regional synods, several more church fathers, some more codified works, sources emanating from the State. The third period is from the Schism to the Fall of Constantinople in 1453. Sources from this period include both regional councils of Constantinople, the Patriarchal Synod of Constantinople, more sources emanating from the state as well as works interpreting the canons of the church. The Fourth Period is from the Fall of Constantinople to the present. Sources of the Fourth Period include happenings during the Ottoman occupation and other major events during this time continuing to the present day.

Now an important note, above was a very brief but dense introduction to what the canons of the church are. There are canons about everything. There are canons that speak about the role of a bishop, if he should own property, his relationship with other bishops. There are canons about priests and the members of the church. There are several canons which help us determine the date of Pascha.

I would now like to talk about two canons which I studies this semester from my canon law class. The first is Canon 3 of the Third Ecumenical Council which says, “Let the rights of each province be preserved pure and inviolate. No attempt to introduce any form contrary to these shall be of any avail.” This is the abridged version or the epitome of the canon. Basically, this

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canon did two things. First, it says that no metropolitan bishop is allowed to meddle in the fairs of other metropolitans and their areas. Second, it gave Cyprus the right to be an Autocephalous church. The background story of this canon is that Bishops from Antioch (Modern day Asia-minor) were ordaining priests on the Island of Cyprus in the jurisdiction of bishops from Cyprus. The bishops of Cyprus began writing letters and to make a long story short no bishops anywhere are allowed to meddle in the jurisdiction of other metropolitans without their permition. Today in the U.S. we are breaking this canon. Several Orthodox jurisdictions have their own metropolitans in the same geographical areas of other metropolitans. So we have some work to do.

The second canon I worked on was Canon 87 of the Sixth Ecumenical Council also called the Council of Trullo, also called the Fifth/Sixth Council. It says, “She who goes from her husband to another man is an adulteress. And he who from his wife goes to another woman is an adulterer according to the word of the Lord.” This canon is a combination of three canons by St. Basil the Great who takes the commandment directly from the mouth of Jesus Christ from the Gospel of Matthew 19:9. There is a 7 year penance for this person. They are to weep for a year, listen on the side for two years, kneel for three years, in the seventh year co-stand together with the faithful, and then they can be worthy to participate in the sacraments only if they shed tears of repentance. Obviously, this is not done today but it gives a good perspective.

Now, before I conclude there is one concept which I need to mention which is the backbone of the application of canon law. It is the term “Economia.” This is the term described as the way in which the spiritual father confessor shows leniency and compassion in order to prevent any ill feeling from following the law strictly. This can and should only be used when the penitent shows true repentance.

Again as I close, I want to say that this was a very brief and dense look at the canons of our church. Many years of study has been done by Canonists around the world and there is still a lot of work to be done. I hope and pray that this article sparked some curiosity and deeper yearning for knowledge about our faith.

Please let me know if you have any questions and I will do my best to answer them. You may contact me at Charlie.hambos@gmail.com. Have a safe summer!(The information in this article was taken from The Canon Law of the Orthodox Catholic Church Textbook by Dr. Lewis J. Patsavos, Professor of Canon Law at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.Charlie Hambos is finishing his second year of studies at Holy Cross School of Theology in Brookline, MA. He will be visiting us for part of the summer and will give a couple of sermons while he is home.

The PriesthoodBy Dr. Manikas

In the Book of Mark, chapter 16, verse 15 Christ commissioned his apostle to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” In Acts (6:4) the Apostle Peter speaking to the multitude tells the believers that the apostles must continuously focus on prayer and the ministry of the word (teachings of Christ). Our priests receive their authority to preach and to celebrate the sacred ministries (sacraments) from Jesus Christ who ordained the first bishops (the apostles), who in turn ordained other bishops and through the centuries to the present bishops in turn ordained men into the priesthood. Thus, it is the mission of the parish priest to teach the Word of God, administer the holy mysteries and guide the members to salvation. He is

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the shepherd of his flock and responsible for their salvation. As the spiritual leader, he sets an example to the congregation on how one strives for salvation.

When celebrating the sacred ministries such as the liturgy, baptism, etc. the priest is communicating with God. His attention is on God. His spirituality should be reflected in his genuineness and humility. He must feel the presence of God. His demeanor must not be mechanical. I have heard from various priests, that the most joyful moment of their lives is when they celebrate the liturgy. While living in Charlotte, N.C. I had the pleasure of participating in the pastoral duties of Father Nicholas Triantafilou (current President of Holy Cross College and Theological School in Boston). As we rode in his car on the way to a parishioner’s home he would play his religious CD’s and he would sing the sacred hymns of our faith. His demeanor was one of joy and humility.

Under the guidance of the priests, church members are given many opportunities to learn the teachings of Jesus Christ, our Lord and to develop a spiritual life. This is accomplished through the different ministries available at the church and through the many services during the week (in addition to Sunday). And during Lent many services are offered on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings to elevate our spirituality.

Unfortunately, this is not done in every Orthodox community.

Through the different ministries and church services, the laity is given many opportunities to serve God and His flock, and to learn the true and correct faith. I am sure you have heard of the “Gospel of Yiayia.” These are teachings given to us by our Greek grandmothers. Often they were incorrect but our Yiayia’s were infusing in us our Orthodox Faith. One of the corrections made by my priest in Charlotte is that we should receive Holy Communion as often as possible, of course after a period of fasting.

I have been fortunate to live in many parts of the U.S. east of the Mississippi River from Massachusetts to Florida. Consequently, I have been a member of different Orthodox communities. Because of my seminary background I have had close relationships with my priests. Some were very spiritual and others lacked that quality. One priest, who served his community for many, many years, was considered successful because he was a good fund raiser. It was a community where my father was one of the founders of the church. Unfortunately, my wife and I joined another Orthodox community because the “successful fund-raising” priest was deficient in his spirituality.

As a member of Charlotte’s Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, our priest, Father Constantinides, did not concern himself with fund raising or the finances of the church. As he told the parish council, it was the parish council’s responsibility to raise funds for the church. His concern was the spiritual mission of his priesthood.

Today, we live in a world where Orthodoxy is under attack. After the fall of President Mubarak of Egypt, Coptic Christians have been persecuted. With the rise of the fundamentalist Muslims in Syria, there too, Orthodox Christians are being persecuted. Here in our own country, secularism has taken a big jump forward. The government has tried to influence Roman Catholic health centers in regards to abortion. Another example is that more states are recognizing gay marriages.

Yes, we need more priests who can lead us into a more spiritual life.

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Dr. Bill Manikas is the Vice-President of our Parish Council, conducts our adult Bible Study, and sings in the choir.

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The Divine Liturgy: Part XX: The Artoclasia by Fr. Christos Mars

The Artoclasia (Blessing of the Loaves) is a service full of meaning and symbolism taken out of the Gospel of St. Matthew and the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand that takes place in

it.

The Artoclasia is a service that can be held at the end of the Vespers service, at the end of Orthros, or even at the end of the Divine Liturgy. It is traditional to have the Artoclasia service at the Vespers service rather than the other two; however the Church, in its infinite wisdom, allows it to follow the others so that the faithful may experience this great and wonderful service. Five round loaves of bread are offered by faithful individuals as a sign of devotion for personal or family anniversaries such as name days and other occasions bearing close connection with the experience of the Orthodox faith. It is also offered by organizations for the same reasons. The Artoclasia should NEVER be offered in memory of someone or on the occasion or commemoration of the death of someone or a group of people. For this, our faith has the Memorial Service, (see Part XIX). The five loaves are reminiscent of the five loaves and two fishes that Jesus Christ blessed in the desert and by which five thousand men were fed. (By men I mean males, as in the ancient days women and children were not counted. When it says five thousand men, it means five thousand men, not including women

and children.) The Artoclasia also symbolizes and brings into practice the Agape meals for the very early Christian communities. In the early church, after the faithful received the Body and Blood of Christ, they would gather in a common meal, thus signifying the brotherly association established between them by their common faith and by their receiving the same sacramental Lord. This meal was known as the Agape Meal. Later, the Agape meals served a charitable purpose by providing meals to the poorer among them. It was soon after that the Agape meal was removed from the sacrament of Holy Communion, as the sacrament itself migrated to the morning rather than the evening.

The significance behind the Artoclasia service includes also the fact that, among the Orthodox, bread continues to be highly valued not only as a basic food but also as the supreme symbol of the Body of Christ; for it is the bread which consecrated through the Holy Spirit in the Divine Liturgy into the Body of Christ. Christ has been repeatedly designated as the Bread of Life, and also as ‘the Bread which came from heaven.’ Bread does also symbolize the Church of Christ, which has spread all over ‘as the wheat on the mountains and which was gathered by Christ into one body.’ Thus, bread has been given a mystical meaning according to which it constitutes the essence of the spiritual life of the Christian.

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The blessed bread of the Artoclasia service has been from ancient times considered to effect personal sanctification and to help the individual against bodily infirmities and illness ‘if taken with faith.’ The Greek term “Artoclasia” derives from the very words used by the Evangelists in describing the Mystical (Last) Supper at which Christ ‘broke bread’ and offered it to His disciples as His own Body. Also, ‘bread is broken’ in the Artoclasia service, signifying not only and identity in term but a far more significant affinity between the Lord’s and His Church’s breaking of bread.

The service begins with petitions for those who the Artoclasia service is being held for. I will focus on the prayers, as the petitions put us in the correct mindset to pray. The first prayer reads as follows, “Most merciful Master, Lord Jesus Christ our God, through the intercession of our most pure Lady, the Theotokos and ever virgin Mary; the power of the precious life-giving Cross; the protection of the honorable heavenly bodiless powers; the supplications of the honorable, glorious, prophet and forerunner John the Baptist; the holy, glorious and praiseworthy apostles; our fathers among the saints, the great hierarchs and ecumenical teachers, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom; Athanasios, Cyril, and John the Merciful, patriarchs of Alexandria; Nicholas, bishop of Myra in Lycia, Spyridon, bishop of Trimythous, the wonderworkers; the holy, glorious, great martyrs, George the victorious, Demetrios the myrobletes, Theodore Teron and Theodore Stratelates; Menas the wonderworker; Charalambos and Eleutherios, the hieromartyrs; our venerable and God-bearing fathers; the holy and righteous ancestors Joachim and Anna (the saint of the day) whose memory we commemorate today; and all your saints; accept our prayer; grant us forgiveness of our transgressions; protect us under the shelter of your wings; drive away from us every enemy and adversary; grant peace to our life; Lord, have mercy on us and on your world; and save our souls as a good and loving God.” This prayer asks us to bring to mind Christ, through the help and intercessions of various saints. We are asking Christ to grant us our prayers, to forgive us, to protect us, to drive away from us enemies, to grant peace to our life and to all the world, and finally to save our souls. These are all things that each of us would like throughout our lives, and is a great way to focus our minds on what is taking place.

Following this a wonderful hymn is chanted, usually by the clergy, as they cense the loaves. The hymn reads, “Hail, most blessed, Mary, Virgin Theotokos, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, for you have given birth to the Savior of our souls.” The hymn comes from scripture at the account of where the Archangel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she will bear Christ. (The Annunciation) What follows next is the prayer for the actual blessing of the five loaves, which is taken from the scripture account in the Gospel of St. Matthew Chapter 14. The prayer reads “Lord, Jesus Christ our God, You blessed the five loaves in the wilderness and from

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them five thousand men were filled. Bless now these loaves the wheat, the wine and oil and multiply them in this holy church, this city, in the homes of those who celebrate today, and in your whole world. And sanctify Your faithful servants who partake of them.” The prayer concludes with an exclamation, “For You are He who blesses and sanctifies all things, Christ our God, and to You we give glory together with Your eternal Father and Your holy, good, and life giving Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.” The people respond with the “Amen.”

Following the blessing of the loaves, the priest, chanters and choir sing the following verse from Psalm 33, “Wealthy people have become impoverished and have hungered, but they who seek the Lord, shall not lack any good thing.” This shows the continuity between the Old Testament and New Testament in terms of Christ and His ministry.

The Artoclasia is then taken away, cut, and distributed to the people, so they too can be filled with the Love of Christ.

With this explanation of the Artoclasia, we conclude our series on the Divine Liturgy. I pray that it has been enlightening to all who have read these articles, and that we have a better understanding of one of the most important sacraments of our Orthodox Faith.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.

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Short Sale & REO Specialist

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

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A Message by George Carlin(a comedian of the 70s and 80s, who died in 2008, only a few months after his wife)

The paradox of our time in  history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways ,but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when  technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe,  because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only  treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

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AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

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FINAL THOUGHT

When I say that “I am a Christian,” I am not shouting that “I am clean living.”I’m whispering “I was lost, but now I’m found and forgiven.”

When I say “I am a Christian,” I don’t speak of this with pride.I’m confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say “I am a Christian,” I’m not trying to be strong. I’m professing that I’m weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say “I am a Christian,” I’m not bragging of success.I’m admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say “I am a Christian,” I’m not claiming to be perfect.My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I’m worth it.

When I say “I am a Christian,” I still feel the sting of pain.I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say “I am a Christian,” I’m not holier than thou,I’m just a simple sinner who received God’s good grace, somehow.