The Voice of Saint George

Transcript

1 September/October 2010 Volume 8 Issue 5 A publication of the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint George The Voice of Saint George The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the LORD. (Matt.3:3) «Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου» A Message from our Pastor In This Issue PTO News Community Dinner Dance Greek Night General Assembly In Every Issue Pastor s Message President s Message Church Calendar Sunday School News G.O.Y.A. News Philoptochos News Voice of St. George Submission Dates Dear Parishioners and Friends, With the blessings of our Lord, on September 1 st we started a new ecclesiastical year and on September 19 th we will be celebrating the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Asbury Park, NJ with Metropolitan Evangelos officiating. It is a new season of activities in our beloved community. People returned from their vacations, families with young children prepare for the school year and the extracurricular activities. For us here at Saint George, the month of September is also a month of beginnings. Our GOYA first meeting will be held on September 12 th. We will begin the first day of Greek School on September 13 th with Agiasmo and our Sunday School on September 26 th. All the organizations of our church like Moms and Tots, Senior Citizens, Philoptochos and Joy and Hope groups are starting their regular meetings this month as well. I invite all of you to participate in these organizations according to your interests and time, and to offer your support and help. I would like to ask all those who still did not send their pledges for the year 2010, to please do so as soon as possible. We need everyone s support in order to continue our productive and rich ministry here at our beautiful Parish of Saint George. This community of love, faith and dedication has accomplished so much, but we still have a lot to do. Working together with our dedicated men and women of our Parish Council we try to fulfill all the needs of our Holy Faith, our treasured youth programs and the spiritual guidance of all our parishioners. All our work here is for the Glory of our Triune God, for our Holy Faith and to keep alive the legacy of our One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church in our times, in our families and especially here at Saint George which is my humble mission. May our Good Lord bless you and your families during this new ecclesiastical year and grant you health, strength in prayer and abundant blessings from above. With love always in the service of the Lord Your Pastor V. Rev. Alexander Kile Archimandrite Αγαπητοί μου Ενορίτες και Φίλοι, Με τις ευλογίες του Κυρίου, την 1 η Σεπτεμβρίου αρχίσαμε το νέο εκκλησιαστικό έτος και στις 19 Σεπτεμβρίου θα εορτάσουμε την Ύψωση του Τιμίου Σταυρού με την τελετή Αγιασμού των Υδάτων στο Asbury Park NJ χοροστατούντος του Μητροπολίτου Νέας Ιερσέης Ευαγγέλου. Είναι καινούργια χρονιά εκδηλώσεων της αγαπητής μας κοινότητας. Όλοι έχουν επιστρέψει από τις διακοπές τους, οι οικογένειες με μικρά παιδιά ετοιμάστηκαν για το σχολείο, αλλά οργανώνουν και τις εξωσχολικές τους δραστηριό-τητες. Για μας εδώ στην εκκλησία του Αγίου Γεωργίου, ο Σεπτέμβριος είναι ο μήνας που αρχίζουν τα περισσότερα προγράμματά μας. Η πρώτη συνεδρίαση της νεολαίας θα γίνει στις 12 Σεπτεμβρίου, ο Αγιασμός και η έναρξη του Ελλη-νικού Σχολείου στις 13 Σεπτεμβρίου και η έναρξη του Κατηχητικού Σχολείου θα γίνει στις 26 Σεπτεμβρίου. Όλοι οι οργανισμοί της εκκλησίας μας, η Φιλόπτωχος Αδελφότητα, τα παιδικά γκρουπ, και ο Σύλλογος ηλικιωμένων αρχίζουν τις τακτικές τους συνεδριάσεις αυτόν τον μήνα. Σας παροτρύνω να συμμετέχετε στις οργανώσεις της εκκλησίας μας ανάλογα με τα ενδιαφέροντά σας και να προσφέρετε την υποστήριξη και την βοήθειά σας οσο μπορείτε. Θα ήθελα να ζητήσω από όλους αυτούς που δεν έστειλαν τις συνδρομές τους για το 2010, να τις στείλουν το συντομότερο δυνατόν. Χρειαζόμαστε την υποστήριξη όλων ώστε να συνεχίσουμε την διακονία στην όμορφη κοινότητα του Αγίου Γεωργίου. Η κοινότητα αυτή με την αγάπη, πίστη και αφοσίωση που την διακρίνουν έχει πετύχει τόσα πολλά, αλλά υπάρχει ακόμη πολλή δουλειά που πρέπει να γίνει. Το εκκλησιαστικό συμβούλιο και ο Ιερέας σας συνεργάζονται ώστε να πληρούνται όλες οι πνευματικές ανάγκες των πιστών της ενορίας μας, της νεολαίας μας και των παιδιών μας. Προτεραιότητά μας είναι η διαφύλαξη της Μίας, Αγίας, Καθολικής και Αποστολικής Εκκλησίας για την δόξα του Τριαδικού Θεού και η διατήρηση της Αγίας Πίστης μας στις ζωές μας, στις οικογένειές μας και ιδιαίτερα εδώ στην κοινότητά μας, την εκκλησία του Αγίου Γεωργίου. Καθώς αρχίζουμε την καινούργια χρονιά, σας εύχομαι ο Θεός να φυλάγει εσάς και τις οικογένειές σας και να σας δίνει υγεία, δύναμη εν προσευχή και άφθονες ευλογίες εξ ουρανού. Με αγάπη στην υπηρεσία του Κυρίου ημών Ο Ιερατικώς Προϊστάμενος Αρχιμ. Αλέξανδρος Κιλέ

2 September/October 2010 Page 2 GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAINT GEORGE Parish Ministries The Very Reverend Alexander Kile, Pastor Parish Council President Emanuel Manioudakis Vice President / Administration Vassilis Keramidas Vice President / Operations George Athanasopoulos Evangeline Emanuel, Secretary Michael Sirimis, Treasurer Katerina Leftheris, Comptroller Members Lampros Bourodimos Katherine Catanzaro James Exarchakis Nick Manikopoulos Peter Manikopoulos George Petrantonakis Perry Petsanas George Rodoussakis Peter Sirimis Special Thanks to the Voice of St. George Volunteers Very Rev. Alexander Kile Board of Trustees Arete Bouhlas Vasilios Chatzigiannis Daughters of Penelope Evie Georgopoulos Eftihia Karayiannidis Kay Kehayas Georgia Peterson Polly Ploussiou Evellyn Tsiadis, Editor Church Organizations Philoptochos Society - St. Barbara Pegi Zajac, President Cantors and Choir Yiorgos Bilalis, Director Sunday School Lemonia Malahias Miko, Paul Stevens, Maggie Stavrianidis Greek School Panos Georgopoulos, Superintendent Toula Karamarkos, Principal Sofia Amaxopoulos, Katerina Kourti, Angeliki Papasavas, Chrisoula Plias, Iro Mavrianos, Teachers Parent Teacher Organization Eftychia Mattas, President Helen Sirimis, Vice President Nicki Makrelis, Secretary Kathy Catanzaro, Treasurer GOYA Dimitri Frangos, President Advisors George Hadjiloucas, Jim Exarchakis, Evie Georgopoulos, Costas Makrelis, Fotini Mangafas, Roseanne Rexines, Mike Sirimis, Annie Sullivan, Nellie Tsipoura JOY/HOPE Helen Sirimis Moms & Tots Sonia Petinatos Senior Citizens Nicki Kopanakis, President Focus Nicholas Kambitsis Church Committees Festival John Lyssikatos Mike Dimitrakis House and Grounds George Athanasopoulos Memorial John Stroumtsos New Parking Lot Nicholas Kambitsis Lampros Bourodimos Parking/Rutgers Peter Manis Stewardship Katerina Leftheris Web-Site Jim Exarchakis Peter Sirimis To Our St. George Parishioners The above ministries are the lifeblood of our parish and perform many activities to promote the growth of our church. Your participation in these organizations makes our community more spiritually complete. Very Rev. Alexander Kile St. George Parish Council

3 The Voice of St. George Page 3 ECCLESIASTICAL SCHEDULE OF SERVICES Sunday Summer Hours Matins 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m. Winter Hours Begin Sunday, September 12th Matins 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy 10:15 a.m. Weekday Services 9 a.m. SEPTEMBER Wednesday 1 st Beginning of the New Ecclesiastical Year Sunday 5 th 15 th Sunday of Matthew Epistle: 2 Corinthians 4:6-15, Gospel: Matthew 22:35-46 Wednesday 8 th Nativity of the Theotokos Thursday 9 th Sts. Joakim and Anna Sunday 12 th Sunday before the Holy Cross Epistle: Galatians 6:11-18, Gospel: John 3:13-17 Monday 13 th Great Vespers for Holy Cross 7 p.m. Tuesday 14 th Exaltation of the Holy Cross (one day strict fast) Procession and Exaltation of the Holy Cross Friday 17 th Sts. Sophia, Faith, Hope and Love Sunday 19 th Sunday after Holy Cross No Liturgy in our Parish Common Divine Liturgy by all parishes of New Jersey Paramount Theater Asbury Park, NJ Sunday 26 th Saint John the Theologian Epistle: 1 John 4:12-19, Gospel: John 19:25-27; 21:24-25 OCTOBER Sunday 3 rd 2 nd Sunday of Luke Epistle: II Corinthians 11:31-12:9, Gospel: Luke 6:31-36 Sunday 10 th 3 rd Sunday of Luke Epistle: Galatians 1:11-19, Gospel: Luke 7:11-16 Sunday 17 th 4 th Sunday of Luke Epistle: Titus 3:8-15, Gospel: Luke 8:5-15 Monday 18 th Evangelist Luke Tuesday 19 th Great Vespers for Saint Gerasimos of Cephalonia 7 p.m. Wednesday 20 th Saint Gerasimos of Cephalonia Saturday 23 rd St. James the Apostle, Brother of the Lord Sunday 24 th 6 th Sunday of Luke Epistle: Galatians 6:11-18, Gospel: Luke 8:26-39 Tuesday 26 th Saint Demetrios the Myrrhbearer Thursday 28 th Holy Protection of the Theotokos Great Doxology for OXI Day of Remembrance of October 28, 1940 EΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣΤΙΚΟ ΕΟΡΤΟΛΟΓΙΟ Κυριακές: Όρθρος 9 π.μ. Θ. Λειτουργία 10:00 π.μ. Οι Χειμερινές ώρες αρχίζουν την Κυριακή 12 Σεπτεμβρίου Όρθρος 9 π.μ. Θεία Λειτουργία 10:15 π.μ. Καθημερινές 9 π.μ. ΣΕΠΤΕΜΒΡΙΟΣ Τετάρτη 1 Αρχή Ινδίκτου Κυριακή 5 ΙΕ Κυριακή Ματθαίου Απόστ. ΙΙ Κορ. 4:6-15,Ευαγγέλιο Ματθ. 22:35-46 Τετάρτη 8 Το Γενέσιον της Θεοτόκου Πέπμτη 9 Συναξις Ιωακείμ και Άννης Κυριακή 12 Κυριακή προ Ύψωσις του Τιμίου Σταυρού Απλοστ. Γαλ. 6:11-18, Ευαγγέλιο Ιωάν. 3:13-17 Δευτέρα 13 Εσπερινός Προεότια του Σταυρού 7 μ.μ. Τρίτη 14 Ύψωσις του Τιμίου Σταυρού Παρασκευή 17 Αγίων Σοφίας, Πίστεως, Ελπίδος και Αγάπης των Μαρτύρων Κυριακή 19 Κυριακή μετά την Ύψωση του Τιμίου Σταυρού Δεν θα γίνει Θεία Λειτουργία στην Εκκλησία μας λόγω της Πανηγυρικής Λειτουργίας στο Asbury Park με συμμετοχή όλων των Ενοριών της Νέας Ιερσέης Κυριακή 26 Αγίου Ιωάννου του Θεολόγου Απόστ Ι - Ιωάν. 4:21-19 Ευαγγέλιο Ιωάν. 19:25-27; 21:24-25 ΟΚΤΩΒΡΙΟΣ Κυριακή 3 Β Κυριακή Λουκά Απόστ. ΙΙ Κορ. 11:31-12:9, Ευαγγέλιο Λουκά 6:31-36 Κυριακή 10 Γ Κυριακή Λουκά Απόστ. Γαλ. 1:11-19, Ευαγγέλιο Λουκά 7:11-16 Κυριακή 17 Δ Κυριακή Λουκά Απόστ. Τίτου 3:8-15, Ευαγγέλιο Λουκά 8:5-15 Δευτέρα 18 Αποστόλου Λουκά Τριτή 19 Εσπερινός Αγίου Γερασίμου 7 μ.μ Τετάρτη 20 Αγίου Γερασίμου του εν Κεφαλληνία Σάββατο 23 Αγίου Ιακώβου του Αδελφοθέου Κυριακή 24 Ζ Κυριακή Λουκά Απλοστ. Γαλ. 6:11-18, Ευαγγέλιο Ιωάν.8:26-39 Τρίτη 26 Αγίου Δημητρίου του Μεγαλομάρτυρος Πέπμτη 28 Αγίας Σκέπης Ημέρα Εθνικής Εορτής (28ης Οκτωβρίου 1940)

4 September/October 2010 Page 4 President s Message Dear Parishioners, By the time you receive this message, most of you will have returned from your vacation. Welcome back. Personally, I didn t have the time to take a vacation; I remained here, busily working on the many projects that we are involved with, notably the rehabilitation of the home that we have purchased on 7 Kroeger Lane, which is strategically located between two pieces of property that we already own. We have been trying to buy this property for many years, but the owner didn t want to sell it to us. Luckily, Nick Kambitsis introduced the owner to an independent third party, and the purchase was consummated with interim funding being provided by the Kambitsis brothers, Nick and Demetri, at no cost to the church. I sincerely thank both Nick and Demetri for the work and personal expense they encountered to acquire this house for us. After the deal closed with this third party, the property was then turned over to the church. We put some money down, and $210,000 was borrowed via promissory notes from sixteen different parishioners at a rate of 4.00% for 5 years. The notes were in $10,000 increments with a handful of parishioners purchasing more than one note. When all is said and done, the final cost to the Church will be $378, With the addition of this property, we now own approximately eight acres of land that includes two houses on Kroeger Lane, which is right across the gully from our parking lot. Now that we own 7 Kroeger, we must get it ready to rent so that we can start paying it off. The property looked like a jungle; you could barely see the house! The land was cleared, a new macadam driveway and sidewalk were installed and soon it will be seeded and landscaped. We installed a new kitchen with new appliances and the house will be painted, inside and out. All of the hardwood floors will also be refinished. Basically, this is a very good house but it suffered from many years of neglect. The church now owns a total of six houses; just taking care of them is a full time job. Festival Sign Tickets: As reported previously, we were issued two tickets by Piscataway for putting up signs for the festival. The initial court appearance was in June. A group of us went to court on that day only to hear that the case was adjourned to 22 July. On 16 July, our attorney, Frank Araps met with the Township attorney and they decided to again postpone the court date. The new court date is now 26 August. I ll remind you again via e mail, but we want as many parishioners in court as possible on that day to show the court that we re united and that we re here to stay! We ve been putting up signs for 37 years and now they re telling us we can t? No way! I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Frank Araps for all of the legal work that he has donated, pro bono, to our church. Frank s roots are deep in this community; his maternal grandfather, Nick Junjulas, was a founding member of this community. Frank is carrying the torch that has been passed on to him. Bravo, and thank you, Frank. Emergency Response: We have purchased an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) and an emergency oxygen tank to have on hand just in case of an emergency. This equipment can very well save someone s life until the ambulance arrives. A group of our parishioners will be trained in their use. Annual Dinner Dance: Our annual dinner dance, celebrating 94 years as a vibrant Greek Orthodox community will be held on 23 October. Please come out as a family and lets all enjoy ourselves like one big happy family. In addition we ask you to support the souvenir journal that will be published. Those of you who have businesses should try to get an ad or two from the vendors with whom you do business. We desperately need the income from this event to fund the many projects that we have planned.

5 The Voice of St. George Page 5 Roof Fund: As I have voiced in previous issues of this publication, I am very disappointed in the response that we have received in the funding of this undertaking. Only one third of the families of our parish have seen fit to contribute to this very worthwhile project. I just can t seem to convince the two thirds of our members that did not contribute that this is YOUR church and we just replaced the roof on YOUR church at a cost of $82,000. Please tell me who did you expect was going to pay for it; H Мαρίκα? We only asked you to contribute $125; do you think that this was too much? If you could not afford to contribute $2.40 per week, then contribute whatever you re able to afford, just as a good will gesture and to show us that you re part of the St. George family. Where s your φιλότιμο? Gold Dome: Hopefully, by the time you receive this newsletter, the dome on the bell tower will be completed. This copper dome and cross have not been touched since the church was built. They will be gold leafed by skilled artisans from Pennsylvania who have been in business for 69 years. I sincerely hope that you will be satisfied with what you will see. Good Bye, George: I would like to take this opportunity to thank George Papagrigorakis for all of the work that he has done for the church. As you may know, George lived in one of our houses, and part of his rent was to perform mechanical and electrical services, as needed, on the church and any of our properties. George also made sure that the church was locked every night, he made sure that all of the lights were turned off and that the security system was armed. Effective the end of July, George decided that he wasn t satisfied with this arrangement, and he has departed. George, we sincerely thank you for all of the work that you have done over the years. You will be missed. God Bless you and good luck in your future endeavors. Farewell John, Welcome Jerry: In my previous message, I bade farewell to John Kehayas who was the papa s assistant for many years. When John retired, I didn t know how we were going to fill his shoes. Lo and behold, the skies opened up and Jerry Moschonas came forth and volunteered to accept John s position. Jerry knows that he has a Herculean job ahead of him, but we re confident that he will be up to the task. Thank you Jerry and we wish you well in your new position. In case you re ever stuck, I m sure that John will provide you with any assistance that you may ask of him. We re very blessed to have volunteers like John and Jerry who give of their valuable time to be of service to St. George. May God Bless you! Emanuel Manioudakis President United We Stand Αγαπήσωμεν Αλλήλους

6 September 2008 Page 6 September/October 2010 Μήνυμα του Προέδρου Αγαπητοί Ενορίτες, Μέχρι να λάβετε αυτό το μήνυμα, οι περισσότεροι από εσάς θα έχετε γυρίσει από τις θερινές διακοπές σας. Καλώς ορίσατε πίσω στην κοινότητα μας. Προσωπικά, δεν είχα χρόνο να για θερινές διακοπές μιας και παρέμεινα εδώ εργαζόμενος σε διάφορα εγχειρήματα στα οποία η κοινότητα μας έχει επενδύσει. Επιγραμματικά αναφέρω το οίκημα της οδού 7 Kroeger Lane, το οποίο είναι κάτω από την ιδιοκτησία μας και βρίσκεται στρατηγικά τοποθετημένο μεταξύ δύο οικοπέδων τα οποία ήδη μας ανήκουν. Προσπαθούσαμε να αγοράσουμε το συγκεκριμένο οίκημα για αρκετά χρόνια αλλά δυστυχώς ο ιδιοκτήτης δεν ήθελε να μας το πουλήσει. Ευτυχώς ο Νίκος Καμπίτσης σύστησε τον συγκεκριμένο ιδιοκτήτη σε ένα τρίτο πρόσωπο και το οίκημα αγοράστηκε με προσωρινή χρηματοδότηση από το Νίκο και το Δημήτρη Καμπίτση με μηδενικό κόστος για την εκκλησία μας. Με τα καρδίας θέλω να ευχαριστήσω τον Νίκο και τον Δημήτρη για όλη τους την εργασία έτσι ώστε να μπορέσουμε να αποκτήσουμε αυτό το οίκημα. Αμέσως μετά την αγοραπωλησία τού οικήματος, το τρίτο πρόσωπο μεταβίβασε τους τίτλους ιδιοκτησίας σε εμάς. Εν συνεχεία δώσαμε προκαταβολή καθώς και 210,000 δολάρια, τα οποία δανειστήκαμε μέσω δανειακών γραμματίων από δεκαέξι μέλη της εκκλησίας μας με επιτόκιο 4.00% για πέντε χρόνια. Οι γραμματειακοί τίτλοι ήταν της τάξεως των $10,000, με ολίγα μέλη της εκκλησίας μας να αγοράζουν παραπάνω από δύο τίτλους. Συνολικά και αφού ολοκληρώθηκαν όλες οι διαδικασίες το συνολικό κόστος για την εκκλησία θα είναι $378, Συμπεραλαμβανομένου και αυτής της ιδιοκτησίας, η εκκλησίας μας τώρα είναι ιδιοκτήτρια οκτώ άκρες γης τα οποία περιλαμβάνουν δύο σπίτια στην Kroeger Lane τα οποία βρίσκονται απέναντι από το χαντάκι δίπλα στο πάρκινγκ μας. Τώρα που πέρασε στην ιδιοκτησία μας το σπίτι στην 7 Kroeger, πρέπει να το ανακαινίσουμε έτσι ώστε να μπορέσουμε επιτυχώς να το ενοικιάσουμε και να ξεκινήσουμε την αποπληρωμή του. Το οικόπεδο ήταν σε κακή κατάσταση σε σημείο που δεν μπορούσαμε να δούμε ούτε το σπίτι. Καθαρίσαμε την γη, βάλαμε σκυρόστρωτο δρόμο για το γκαράζ και νέο πεζόδρομο για το σπίτι. Στην συνέχεια θα φυτευτεί ο κήπος και οι κηπουροί θα προχωρήσουν με την αρχιτεκτονική του κήπου και του εξωτερικού χώρου. Εγκαταστήσαμε καινούργια κουζίνα και ηλεκτρικές συσκευές και στα ακόλουθα βήματα συγκαταλέγονται το βάψιμο εσωτερικά και εξωτερικά του σπιτιού. Όλα τα ξύλινα πατώματα θα περαστούν με βερνίκι και θα ανακαινιστούν πλήρως. Σε τελική ανάλυση το οίκημα είναι αρκετά καλό και το μοναδικό μειονέκτημα που είχε ήταν ότι είχε παραμεληθεί για αρκετά χρόνια. Η εκκλησία είναι τώρα ιδιοκτήτρια έξη οικημάτων και η συντήρηση και η διοίκηση τους είναι εργασία πλήρους απασχόλησης. Πρόστιμα από τις εκδηλώσεις του Φεστιβάλ: Όπως σας αναφέραμε και στο παρελθόν, η δημαρχία του Piscataway μας εξέδωσε δύο πρόστιμα για τις διαφημιστικές πινακίδες που βάλαμε σχετικά με το φεστιβάλ. Το αρχικό δικαστήριο ήταν τον Ιούνιο. Μία ομάδα από εμάς πήγαμε στο δικαστήριο το οποίο αναβλήθηκε για τις 22 Ιουλίου. Στις 16 Ιουλίου ο δικηγόρος μας, Φώτης Αραπάκης, συναντήθηκε με τους δικηγόρους του Piscataway και αποφασίσανε από κοινού να ξανά αναβάλουν την δίκη. Το νέο δικαστήριο είναι τώρα στις 26 Αυγούστου. Θα σας το ξανά θυμίσω και πάλι διαμέσου ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου, αλλά χρειαζόμαστε όσο το δυνατό περισσότερους από τους ενορίτες μας στο δικαστήριο, έτσι ώστε να έχουμε μια δυνατή παρουσία και να τους υπενθυμίσουμε ότι είμαστε ενωμένοι και ότι είμαστε εδώ για να μείνουμε. Βάζουμε εδώ και 37 χρόνια πινακίδες και τώρα μας λένε ότι δεν μπορούμε πια. Με τίποτα δεν πρέπει να το δεχτούμε αυτό. Επί της ευκαιρίας θα ήθελα να ευχαριστήσω τον Φώτης Αραπάκης για όλη την εργασία που έχει καταβάλει δωρεάν για την ενορία μας. Οι δεσμός του Φώτη με την ενορία μας είναι πολύ στενός μιας και ο παππούς του ήταν ένα από τα ιδρυτικά μέλη της κοινότητας μας. Ο Φώτης συνεχίζει περήφανα την οικογενειακή του παράδοση. Μπράβο Φώτη και σε ευχαριστούμε.

7 The Voice of St. George Page 7 Επείγουσα Αντίδραση: Αγοράσαμε ένα αυτόματο εξωτερικό απινιδιστή και μια επείγουσας ανάγκης μπουκάλα οξυγόνου, τα οποία μπορούν να χρησιμοποιηθούν σε περίπτωση ανάγκης. Οι συγκεκριμένες συσκευές μπορούν να σώσουν τη ζωή κάποιου συνανθρώπου μας μέχρι να έρθει το ασθενοφόρο. Μία ομάδα από μέλη της ενορίας μας θα εκπαιδευτούν στην χρήση τους. Ετήσιος Χορός: Ο ετήσιος χορός μας, στον οποίο θα γιορτάσουμε τα 94 χρόνια μας σαν Ελληνική Ορθόδοξη κοινότητα, θα πραγματοποιηθεί στις 23 Οκτωβρίου. Ελάτε με την οικογένεια σας έτσι ώστε να μπορέσουμε να γιορτάσουμε όλοι μαζί σαν μια μεγάλη οικογένεια. Επιπλέον σας ζητάμε να ενισχύσετε το σουβενίρ λεύκωμα που θα δημοσιευθεί. Όσοι από εσάς έχετε τις δικές σας επιχειρήσεις προσπαθήστε να πάρετε μία ή δύο διαφημίσεις από τους προμηθευτές με τους οποίους έχετε συνεργασία. Επειγόντως χρειαζόμαστε τα χρήματα για να μπορέσουν να υποστηρίξουμε τα διάφορα εγχειρήματα τα οποία έχουμε αναλάβει. Χρηματοδότηση της Στέγης: Όπως έχω υποστηρίξει και σε προηγούμενες εκδόσεις του ενημερωτικού μας είμαι αρκετά απογοητευμένος με την υποστήριξη που έχουμε λάβει στην χρηματοδοτήση αυτού του εγχειρήματος. Μόνο το ένα τρίτο από τα μέλη της ενορίας μας έχουν συνδράμει στην χρηματοδότηση αυτού του σημαντικού εγχειρήματος. Δεν μπορούμε με τίποτα να πείσουμε τα υπόλοιπα δύο τρίτα της ενορία μας ότι αυτή είναι η εκκλησία ΣΑΣ και μόλις πρόσφατα επισκευάσαμε την οροφή της εκκλησίας ΜΑΣ με κόστος $82,000. Σας παρακαλώ πείτε μου ποιος περιμένετε να πληρώσει αυτές τις επισκευές; Η Μαρίκα; Σας ζητήσαμε να συνδράμετε με μόνο $125, πιστεύτε ότι αυτά είναι πολλά; Εάν δεν μπορείτε να συνδράμετε με $2,40 την εβδομάδα, τότε σας παρακαλούμε δώστε ότι μπορείτε ως ένδειξη καλής θέλησης και να δείξετε ότι είστε μέλη της οικογένειας του Αγίου Γεωργίου. Πού είναι το φιλότιμο σας; Χρυσός Τρούλος: Έως ότου να λάβετε αυτό το ενημερωτικό, ο θόλος στο καμπαναριό θα έχει τελειώσει. Ο χάλκινος θόλος και σταυρός δεν έχουν συντηρηθεί από την κατασκευή της εκκλησίας. Θα επιχρυσωθούν από έμπειρους τεχνικούς και καλλιτέχνες, από την Πενσιλβανία, οι οποίοι κάνουν αυτήν την δουλειά τα τελευταία 69 χρόνια. Ειλικρινά πιστεύω ότι θα ικανοποιηθείτε από το αποτέλεσμα. Έχε Γειά Γιώργo: Με αυτήν την ευκαιρία θα ήθελα να ευχαριστήσω τον Γιώργο Παπαγρηγοράκη για όλη την εργασία και προσφορά που έχει δώσει σε αυτήν την εκκλησία και την κοινότητα μας. Όπως ξέρετε ο Γιώργος έμενε σε ένα από τα σπίτια μας και σαν μέρος του ενοικίου ήταν να πραγματοποιεί όπως απαιτηθεί μηχανολογικές και ηλεκτρολογικές εργασίες στα σπίτια και στην εκκλησία. Ένα από τα πολλά καθήκοντα το Γιώργου ήταν να κλειδώνει την εκκλησία κάθε βράδυ, να κλείνει τα φώτα και να ενεργοποιεί το συναγερμό. Από τα τέλη Ιουλίου ο Γιώργος αποφάσισε ότι πλέον αυτή η συνεργασία δεν τον ικανοποιούσε και αναχώρησε από τους επαγγελματικούς χώρους της εκκλησίας μας. Γιώργο ειλικρινέστατα σε ευχαριστούμε για όλη την προσφορά σου όλα αυτά τα χρόνια στην κοινότητα μας και στην εκκλησία μας. Θα μας λείψεις. Ο Θεός να σε έχει καλά και καλή τύχη στα μελλοντικά σου σχέδια. Στο Καλό Γιάννη, Καλός Ήρθες Γεράσιμε: Στο προηγούμενο μήνυμα μου αποχαιρέτησα τον Γιάννη Κεχαγιά που ήταν ο βοηθός του ιερέα για πολλά χρόνια. Όταν ο Γιάννης συνταξιοδοτήθηκε δεν ήξερα ποιος θα αναπληρώσει την θέση του. Στην συνέχεια σε μεγάλη μας έκπληξη και τύχη ο Γεράσιμος Μοσχονάς προσφέρθηκε και αποδέχτηκε την θέση του Γιάννη Κεχαγιά. Ο Γεράσιμος γνωρίζει ότι έχει έναν Ηράκλειο άθλο μπροστά του, αλλά έχουμε εμπιστοσύνη στις ικανότητες ότι θα μπορέσει να εκπληρώσει τα καθήκοντα του στο έπακρο. Σε ευχαριστούμε Γεράσιμε και σου ευχόμαστε καλή τύχη στα καινούργια σου καθήκοντα. Εάν ποτέ βρεθείς σε αξεπέραστες δυσκολίες, να είσαι σίγουρος ότι ο Γιάννης θα σου προσφέρει όλη την βοήθεια και γνώση που χρειάζεσαι. Είμαστε πολύ τυχερή που έχουμε εθελοντές σαν το Γιάννη και τον Γεράσιμο που απαρνιούνται μέρος από τον ελεύθερο τους χρόνο για να προσφέρουν τις υπηρεσίες τους στον Άγιο Γεώργιο. Ο Θεός να τους έχει καλά. Ενωμένοι επιβιώνουμε Αγαπήσωμεν Αλλήλους Μανώλης Μανιουδάκης Πρόεδρος

8 September/October 2010 Page 8 Ladies Philoptochos Society St. Barbara St. Barbara s Luncheon, December 5, We hope that everyone in our St. George community had an enjoyable summer; and now all together, let s to begin our new ecclesiastical year. With that in mind, we invite all the ladies of our community who are not yet members of our Ladies Philoptochos Society St. Barbara to come and join us. We look forward to a busy and exciting year. The following listing summarizes our schedule of activities for the remainder of the year 2010: Cooking for the Homeless and Warming of America throughout the year. Baby blankets will be sewn in October. Visitation to the shut ins throughout the year and, in particular, prior to the holidays. Preparation and sale of Baklava and Kourambiedes in November. Community Christmas Card preparation, assembling and mailing in November and December. Celebrating our patron saint St. Barbara s holiday with a liturgy and artoklasia, December 4, Sale of Christmas Bread and Vasilopites on December 18 and 19. Fulfilling all our National and Metropolis Philoptochos obligations. Our meetings are scheduled to take place at 11:00 a.m. on the last Saturday of the month unless noted differently because of a holiday or because of football parking. We encourage all our members to attend all our meetings! ************************************************************************************************* B A K L A V A S A L E The Ladies Philoptochos Society will be selling baklava and Kourambiedes for the holidays. All baklava must be preordered by November 14, 2010; it will be sold November 21, 2010 Baklava=$30.00; Kourambiedes=$8.00. Place your order early! Call Nickie Gerondelis, or Pegi Zajac, ************************************************************************************************* >>>>Christmas Bread and Vasilopites will be sold December 18 and 19<<<<

9 The Voice of St. George Page 9 CONGRATULATIONS, PHILOPTOCHOS! Yes, Congratulations to our Philoptochos for the award received from National Philoptochos on July 7, 2010 at the Clergy/Laity Conference in Atlanta, GA. This was an award of Excellence in Recognition of Most Notable Project: The Philoptochos United Way Program and was signed by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, and National Philoptochos President Aphrodite Skeadas. We recognize, of course, that this award would not have been possible if it weren t for our members and our parishioners who have participated in the United Way program and continue to support our efforts. Our many thanks and appreciation to all. In that regard, we want to remind our parishioners that it s that time of the year when corporate management will be asking their employees to participate in the 2010/2011 United Way program. Consequently, since our parishioners are participants in that program, we ask that they and their many friends consider our St. George Needy Cases Fund be earmarked for their contribution. In the past several years the St. George Needy Cases Fund has benefited dramatically and this has allowed the Philoptochos to assist those in need. The Ladies Philoptochos Society extends its appreciation and thanks to our many St. George parishioners who have taken the initiative to arrange for their United Way deductions to be sent to the St. George Needy Cases Fund. We are most grateful to all for their continued support. Once again, we are reminding all our parishioners who are asked to contribute to the United Way Fund at their place of employment to direct their donation to our Philoptochos St. George Needy Cases Fund. Our United Way Reference Number is ! ************************************************************************************************* The Ladies Philoptochos Society Invites you to attend ST. BARBARA S LUNCHEON Sunday, December 5, 2010 (More information will follow!)

10 September/October 2010 Page 10 Community Christmas Card Dear St. George Parishioners: We are rapidly approaching that time of the year when the Philoptochos will prepare the St. George Community Christmas Card which will be mailed to every member of our parish and which will carry our holiday greetings to all our parishioners. This Community Christmas Card becomes possible through your donations. However, not only does your donation extend holiday greetings to all but, more importantly, it is used for the much needed assistance to the needy of our community. Your contribution truly represents the Christian spirit of helping those in need. And so we ask you, once again, to give your donation to the Needy Cases Fund. In so doing you will be helping those in need and you will be assuring that your name will be included on the Community Christmas Card. You may give your donation by filling in the form below and bringing it to the church or by mailing it to PHILOPTOCHOS, c/o St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1101 River Road, Piscataway, NJ Please make checks payable to the ST. GEORGE NEEDY CASES FUND. To assure that your name is included on the Christmas Card, your contribution must be received no later that November 28, The names of contributors received after November 28 will be listed in the January church bulletin. In addition, if you are employed by a company that participates in a Gift Matching Program, please bring the necessary forms so we may benefit from this program. Obtain a gift matching form from your personnel office, complete the employee s section and bring the form to us. We ll do the rest. God Bless you always, NEEDY FUND COMMITTEE Detach and return the form below with your donation no later than Sunday, November 28, I would like to participate in the ST. GEORGE NEEDY CASES FUND. Enclosed you will find my donation for $. Please list my name on the Christmas Card as follows: Name: Address: Telephone Number:

11 The Voice of St. George Page 11 Stewardship Qualifications for Running and Voting Recently, the Board of Trustees adopted Stewardship qualifications for running and voting for the Board of Trustees. To run for the Board of Trustees, a parishioner must be in good standing both ecclesiastically and financially. Ecclesiastical Good Standing: Every person who is baptized, married (if applicable) and chrismated according to the rites of the Orthodox Church is considered in Ecclesiastical good standing. A member is considered to be in financial good standing if: Person has been a member of the community less than one year: Must be paid in full 6 months prior to election (i.e. by May 1 st ) Person has been a member of the community for one year or more: Member must be paid in full though the previous year; A Stewardship card must be filled out 6 months prior to the election (i.e. by May 1 st ); The Stewardship should be paid in full at least one month prior to the election (i.e. by Nov 1 st ). Parishioners in good standing ecclesiastically can vote if they are paid in full by the day of the election and can pay the day of the election. However, a husband/wife who each want to vote separately must have notified the Church office at least two weeks prior to the election that this is their intention. The minimum Stewardship in order to vote for Board of Trustee elections is: $350 for a married couple, $350 for a single adult 18 to 64, $250 for married seniors age 65 and over and $200 for single seniors and college students. In order for both a husband and wife of a married couple to vote, they each must contribute the minimum stewardship of $350 and be paid in full at the time of the election. In order for both a senior husband and wife to vote, they each must contribute a minimum of $200 and be paid I full at the time of the election.

12 September/October 2010 Page 12 St. George Greek Orthodox Church 94th Annual Community Dinner Dance Saturday, October 23, :30 pm to 12:00 am in the AHEPA Hall of St. George, Piscataway Please join us with your family and friends for a great night of dinner, dancing, music by George Manioudakis and the Apollonia Band, and a special performance by our GOYA dancers. Donation is $45 for adults, $20 for children 18 & under, and children under 5 are free. Reservations must be made and paid in advance. Seating will be limited. The evening will consist of mezedakia, a full sit down prime rib dinner with 2 complimentary bottles of wine per table, dessert and coffee, cash bar, and fabulous door prizes. Come celebrate our community as one family and please consider placing a family photo in the Ad Journal as a family keepsake and as an addition to our community s history. **This year we will be honoring Mr. Titus Tarnovetchi** For more information, please call Katerina Leftheris (908) or Kathy Catanzaro (908)

13 The Voice of St. George Page 13 St. George Greek Orthodox Church 94 th Annual Community Church Dance Saturday, October 23, 2010 (AHEPA Hall, Piscataway, NJ) ***This year we will be honoring Mr. Titus Tarnovetchi*** Ad Journal Contract Name Address Phone No. Please specify the page you wish to purchase: Gold Page $200 Silver Page $150 Full Page $100 Half Page $50 Quarter Page $25 Total Amount Check # Please place your message in the space provided and attach your picture or business card, or you may e mail your message along with your business card (as a pdf file) or your picture (as a jpg file) to Mrs. Eleni Banis at magaritsidis@comcast.net. If you have any questions please call the church office Please note the deadline for Ads is October 11, 2010 All donations are Tax Deductible Tax ID# Make checks payable to: St. George Greek Orthodox Church Mail to: 1101 River Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854

14 September/October 2010 Page 14 ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΑΠΟΓΕΥΜΑΤΙΝΟ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟ ΑΓ. ΓΕΩΡΓΙΟΥ ΠΡΟΓΡΑΜΜΑ ΣΧΟΛΙΚΟΥ ΕΤΟΥΣ ΠΑΡΑΚΑΛΟΥΝΤΑΙ ΟΙ ΓΟΝΕΙΣ ΝΑ ΚΡΑΤΗΣΟΥΝ ΑΥΤΟ ΤΟ ΠΡΟΓΡΑΜΜΑ ΓΙΑ ΟΛΟ ΤΟ ΣΧΟΛΙΚΟ ΕΤΟΣ Πρώτη ημέρα του Σχολείου Δευτέρα, 13 Σεπτεμβρίου 2010 ΔΙΑΓΩΝΙΣΜΟΙ 1 ο Δίμηνο: Διαγωνισμοί 6-10 Δεκεμβρίου Έλεγχοι Δεκεμβρίου 2 ο Δίμηνο: Διαγωνισμοί 7-11 Μαρτίου Έλεγχοι Μαρτίου 3 ο Δίμηνο: Διαγωνισμοί Μαΐου Έλεγχοι 6-10 Ιουνίου ΤΟ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟ ΘΑ ΠΑΡΑΜΕΙΝΕΙ ΚΛΕΙΣΤΟ: 8 Οκτωβρίου Παιχνίδι στο Rutgers Νοεμβρίου: Ημέρα των Ευχαριστιών 24 Δεκεμβρίου μέχρι 2 Ιανουαρίου: Διακοπές Χριστουγέννων(το σχολείο ανοίγει 3 Ιανουαρίου) 18 Απριλίου μέχρι 25 Απριλίου: Μεγάλη Εβδομάδα (Το σχολείο ανοίγει 26 Απριλίου) Μαΐου: Φεστιβάλ 30 Μαΐου: Ημέρα των Ψυχών ΣΧΟΛΙΚΕΣ ΓΙΟΡΤΕΣ: Γιορτή της 25 ης Μαρτίου, Σάββατο 26 Μαρτίου στις 11:00 π.μ. Γιορτή Εξετάσεων, Σάββατο, 11 Ιουνίου 12:00 μ.μ. ΥΠΕΝΘΥΜΙΣΕΙΣ: Οι έλεγχοι και τα διαγωνίσματα θα δίδονται στους γονείς την επόμενη εβδομάδα των διαγωνισμών ώστε οι δασκάλες και οι γονείς να έχουν την ευκαιρία να συζητήσουν την πρόοδο και εξέλιξη των παιδιών. Την εβδομάδα που θα δίδονται οι έλεγχοι, η διδασκαλία τελειώνει 30 λεπτά νωρίτερα (6:00 μ.μ.) Σας παρακαλούμε να τηλεφωνείτε στο γραφείο της εκκλησίας (732) (ή στις δασκάλες των παιδιών σας) όταν είναι ημέρα με κακοκαιρία, για να μάθετε αν το σχολείο θα λειτουργήσει. Με απόφαση της Σχολικής Επιτροπής, τα παιδιά του Ελληνικού σχολείου είναι υποχρεωμένα να λαμβάνουν μέρος στις Σχολικές Γιορτές της 25 ης Μαρτίου και στη Γιορτή των Εξετάσεων. Το σχολείο αρχίζει τα μαθήματα στις 4:30 μ.μ. ακριβώς. Όλοι οι μαθητές πρέπει να είναι στην τάξη τους το αργότερο στις 4:25 μ.μ. Τελευταία ημέρα του Σχολείου θα είναι η 10 η Ιουνίου ΚΑΛΗ ΧΡΟΝΙΑ

15 The Voice of St. George Page 15 ST. GEORGE GREEK AFTERNOON SCHOOL SCHEDULE FOR TESTS REPORT CARDS AND HOLIDAYS SCHOOL YEAR PLEASE KEEP THIS CALENDAR UNTIL THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR First day of school Monday, September 13, 2010 TESTS First Bimester: December 6 10 Report Cards: December Second Bimester: March 7 11 Report Cards: March Third Bimester: May Report Cards: June 6 10 THE SCHOOL WILL REMAIN CLOSED THE FOLLOWING DAYS: October 8: Rutgers Home Game November 24 26: Thanksgiving Day December 24 until January 2: Christmas Holidays (School reopens on January 3) April : Holy Week (School reopens on April 26) May 10 13: Greek Festival Week May 30: Memorial Day Saturday, March 26: Saturday, June 11: SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAMS: Celebration of Greek Independence Day, 11:00 a.m. Graduation Exercises, 12 p.m. PLEASE NOTE: The report cards and tests will be given to the parents the week following the tests so that the teachers and the parents have the opportunity to discuss the progress of their children. During conference week the school will dismiss its students 30 minutes earlier (6:00 p.m.) You are kindly requested to call the church office (732) or your child s teacher during bad weather so you can be informed if classes will be held. As a result of the decision of the Greek School Committee, all Greek School children are required to attend the March 25th and the Graduation programs. Greek School begins at 4:30 sharp. We ask that all children be in class by 4:25, so that class is not interrupted. Your cooperation will be appreciated. Last day of school will be June 10, 2011 HAVE A GOOD YEAR

16 September/October 2010 Page 16 Religious Education Dear Parents and Members of our St. George Community, We hope that everyone had a pleasant and relaxing summer with time for reflection on all the gifts God is providing us. On behalf of Father Alex, the teachers and staff, we welcome all the children and their families back to our Religious Education program on the 26 th of September for the ecclesiastical year. We have an exciting program scheduled for this year that will provide a solid foundation of our Greek Orthodox faith and of leading a true Christian life. As always, our goal is to improve upon the past; details of upcoming changes will be communicated to the parents of our students by mid September. We encourage all parents to please bring your children to us each Sunday. Each lesson of a given week builds on that of the following week, and thus the importance of your childrenʹs presence must be noted. The set curricula and the many projects carried out throughout the year, under the leadership and spiritual guidance of Father Alex, provide a complete picture of our Religious Education Program. As mentioned in the last issue of the Voice of St. George, one of the most spiritually fulfilling events that we hold each year is the St John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival where members of our youth (grades 7 th through 12 th ) research, write and present to the community on subjects of our Orthodox Faith, Church and Heritage. This year the event was held in April and twelve of our students participated (Junior Division Demetrios Apostolakis, Dionisios Bourodimos, Dimitri Demos, Nicole Demos, Ioanna Kantilierakis, Alexandra Koutsoubis, Zoe Makropoulos, Stephanie Priete and George Stavrianidis; Senior Division George Banis, Elena Georgopoulos and Demetris Koutsoubis). Two students (Elena Georgopoulos and Zoe Makropoulos) proceeded to the District level. In this issue and in the following two, we share with you these outstanding and inspiring speeches. We begin with the essays of Elena Georgopoulos, Zoe Makropoulos, George Banis and Nicole Demos. We are very proud of our religious education program and of our commitment to your children. We pray that we see you on the 26 th of September. For any questions or concerns, please contact me at lmalahias@yahoo.com. May God Bless, St. George Religious Education Staff

17 The Voice of St. George Page 17 Elena J. Georgopoulos Senior Division Topic #5 Aristotle, the great philosopher, in speaking about virtue as a superb human characteristic, calls it heroic and divine in the Nicomachean Ethics, Book 7, and 1145a20. Explain why human virtue is something truly heroic and divine, especially in our days and in our world. The Ancient Greeks believed that the life of a human being was poised between two tendencies : [ἀρετὴ]/virtue and [κακία]/vice. The way of vice was easy. The path to virtue, or excellence of character, was a heroic struggle requiring constant vigilance and effort, often compared to the military training of the soldiers. The ultimate reward of virtue for the Greeks was nothing less than godliness. Saint Basil, in his Address to the Youth, which advices how to use Greek literature in the pursuit of virtue, retells the mythical story of the Choice of Hercules. In this story two women were offering the young hero two different paths. One woman was Vice, who exhaled charms, and a multitude of delights. The other woman, wasted and squalid, was Virtue, who promised nothing easy or engaging, but rather infinite toils and hardships with the ultimate reward of the hero becoming a god... Aristotle, in his Nicomachean Ethics states that there are three kinds of moral states to be avoided -[κακία]/vice, [ἀκρασία]/lack of self-control, [θηριότης]/brutality. The opposites of the first two are evident, Aristotle says, one we call [ἀρετὴν]/virtue, the other [ἐγκράτειαν]/self-control. But as opposite to brutality the philosopher poses an above human,... a heroic and divine kind of virtue. So, Aristotle identifies two kinds of virtue and states that: if, as they say, men become gods by excess of virtue, that has to be of the heroic and divine kind. The above statements bring directly to mind the biblical passage that relates virtue to the promise of us becoming partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1: 3-4): 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us [δόξῃ καὶ ἀρετῇ] by glory and virtue, 4 that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature,.... Orthodox theologians have often related this New Testament passage to the description of human nature in the Old Testament (Genesis 1:26): Then God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness According to the Church Fathers, the image reflects the characteristics that form the foundations of human existence: rationality, free choice, the perception and capacity for virtue. By choosing to use these characteristics wisely, we can eventually acquire the divine likeness: achievement of virtue, communion with God, and eternal life. The divine likeness is the final aim of human existence. While the image is static, the likeness is dynamic: We may achieve God s likeness over time, by choosing and consistently staying on the path of virtue, constantly living our faith to God. But, how do we get and stay on this path? While Greek moral philosophy also identified heroic and divine virtue as the path to godliness, it did not give us an answer to this critical question. The Church Fathers found the answer - a truth that was divinely revealed in the New Testament: They identified Christ as the supreme virtue - not just as the highest example of a virtuous life, but rather as the embodiment of virtue itself. Therefore, the life of virtue became synonymous with the life in Christ, or Christ living within us, to use the words of Saint Paul (Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 3:17). Union with Christ was identified as the goal and fulfillment of the moral life. This is a Mystical Union that was achieved by thousands of Saints during the twenty centuries of existence of the Christian Church - the Body of Christ, on Earth. Their lives in Christ, always filled with and guided by their faith and their love, whether resulting in wonderful acts of compassion and charity or in heroic acts of sacrifice and often martyrdom, provide the ultimate real-life guides of how to achieve virtue and the likeness of God. A quote from a contemporary Orthodox theologian, Sister Nonna Harrison, is appropriate here: When we imitate Christ and the Saints and are united with them, we acquire God s likeness, since virtues are originally divine attributes such as wisdom, justice, humility, forbearance, compassion and love; by grace God shares them with us. The Choice of Hercules is something every young person has to face, again and again in his or her life. Though Vice has always been seductive, today it seems that it is all around us, all the time. However, now we are not alone: living our life in Christ, within His Church, provides both the right choice and the way to fulfill it.

18 September/October 2010 Page 18 Zoe Makropoulos Junior Division Topic 4: St. John of Damascus wrote many hymns for the major feast days of the Church. Tell us about St. John and his contributions to Orthodox hymnography. «Ανοίξω το στόμα μου, και πληρωθήσεται Πνεύματος». My mouth shall I open wide, and it will thus be with Spirit filled. A word shall I then pour out unto the Mother and Queen. I will joyously attend the celebration and sing to her merrily, lauding her miracles. The Church is the body of Christ and when we are here, we are in the divine presence of God offering Him worship and prayer. Worship is a service that through words, music and movement transcends us to a spiritual experience. Spiritual hymns played an important role in the Christian worship since its beginning. The Fathers of the Church and especially St. John of Damascus brought the so-called Byzantine music into existence, shaping it to fit the needs of our Orthodox faith and the character of our religious poetry and hymnography. St. John was born to a prominent Arab Christian family in 675 AD and was highly educated by a Christian monk, Kosmas Maioumas. During this time in Constantinople there was an uprising of iconoclasts, wanting to condemn the veneration of icons and Emperor Leo issued an edict against this. Able to write freely in the Arab courts, John wrote three Apologetic Treatises against those Decrying the Holy Images and went as far as attacking the emperor himself. In an act of punishment the Caliph ordered St. John s hand to be cutoff. John prayed before an icon of the Virgin Mary and his hand was miraculously restored. In return for this miracle John gave up his position and his worldly possessions and retreated to the monastery of St. Savvas in Jerusalem. He devoted the remainder of his life on apologetic writings, hymnography and summarizing the doctrines of the Christian faith. St. John Damascene s writing brought formality and structure to divine worship. He renewed the religious music, chanting and its writing system by taking away the modern musical influence introduced to the Church during the 4 th Century. He preserved though, the religious songs that were passed on since antiquity. With his renewed hymnography Christians were uplifted during worship, as it mirrored their faith and provoked their awe in God. St. John created the systematic order of hymns in the services of our Church. In his hymnography he describes events related to the Holy Gospel especially Christ s Passions and Anastasis, Ecclesiastic History, the torments of Saints and Martyrs and the Theotokos. His highest achievement was however the Octoechos. The Octoechos was a creation of eight tones taken from melodies that existed in the Greek music. He used only those melodies whose character matched the glorification of God and created a music grammar applying music theory to the tones and an order to the melodies. St John's «Music Grammar», or Canonion, is written and still preserved onto membranes. The Octoechos, in which the whole Christian dogmatic doctrine is encoded, was accepted in all the Churches of the East and West, by command of the Frank King Carlomagnus, while Damascene was still alive. His hymns have had a great influence on me. The hymn I read earlier was the part of the 9 Odes written by St. John that so beautifully captures the dialogue between Archangel Gabriel and the Theotokos Maria during the Evangelismos. Through his divine gift of writing we are taken back to this moving exchange, to be present when the Virgin Mary is told she will be the Mother of our Savior Lord Jesus Christ. It is only through the divine grace and illumination from God that words can offer such glory. I can relate to St. John of Damascus because I have held my faith close to my heart from a young age. I have also been blessed with having a great Byzantine music teacher, Dr. Demetrios Fousteris that taught me the greatness of liturgical music and its significance to my faith and my church. As Christians we are greatly indebted to St John both for defending the veneration of sacred images, as his writings played a key role in resolving the issue during the 2 nd Ecumenical council but also for his many contributions to hymnography and as the greatest writer of ecclesiastical chants. If music is the word of the heart, then St. John of Damascus hymns are the words of the Christian soul.

19 The Voice of St. George Page 19 George Banis Senior Division Topic #5 Aristotle, the great philosopher, in speaking about virtue as a superb human characteristic, calls it heroic and divine in the Nicomachean Ethics, Book 7, and 1145a20. Explain why human virtue is something truly heroic and divine, especially in our days and in our world. When one thinks of heroes, what is the first image to come to mind? Unfortunately, because of the media, many would answer such figures as Superman or Spiderman, who are recognized mostly by their transcendent abilities. Though they are of fictional tales, these super heroes all have one thing in common that separate them from their enemies and help them overcome obstacles: they have virtues. A virtue is defined as moral excellence or righteousness; in simple terms, if one is virtuous, then they will always do the right thing. What exactly is the right thing? In Christianity, Jesus has taught his followers several guidelines that will lead them through the path of virtuosity. They include forgiveness, honesty, humility, pure thinking, and selflessness. These guidelines were set and followed by Jesus Christ, and as our savior, He is considered the greatest hero who has ever walked this Earth. The Evangelist, Mark, even states in the New Testament, Whenever you stand up to pray, you must forgive what others have done to you. Then, your Father in heaven will forgive your sins (Mark 11:25). Here, forgiveness is set as one of Christianity s key virtues. As our hero, Christ has set the standard for other heroes to arise, passing these virtues on to the saints, and even later to the super heroes of today, who fight selflessly for the well-being of others without the need for personal glory. In order to have become our hero, Christ, as the Bible tells us in numerous areas, has had to suffer several strenuous obstacles to prove himself to the people of Jerusalem and to spread the virtues of God. One of the greatest obstacles that Christ experienced was the 40-day fast and prayer in the desert before his public ministry. During this time, he was intensely tempted by Satan, who told Christ that if he would worship him, then he would give Him all the kingdoms on earth and their power, as told by Matthew, Mark, and Luke in the parables Jesus and the Devil. However, our savior stood His ground, Go away Satan! The Scripture says: Worship the Lord your God and serve only Him. Due to his failed attempts to tempt Christ, Satan fled, and then the angels, seeing Jesus strong faith in the Lord, came to His aid and nourished him. Using God s virtue of worship, Christ was able to overcome this obstacle and strive for a virtuous life through God. For us humans, Satan can be compared to the people in society and the evils that our culture may spread, since we do not isolate ourselves like Christ had done. Through parables like this in the Bible, we as Christians can learn through Christ s example by relying on our faith in God to help us in striving for the same virtuous life that He strove for. Basically, in order to lead a virtuous life, one must rise above the evils that persist in our society and constantly follow the Word of God. Unfortunately, due to human nature, this feat is a challenge to uphold. There is an innate animalism in human beings, and there are urges that arise beyond our control that can take us through the wicked path to damnation. When we ignore this animalism and instead put our faith in God, then we have expressed an element of virtue and heroism. For instance, idle hands are considered the devil s workshop. Many people vacillate between the idea of just relaxing in front of the TV and of taking a ten-mile run, as achieved by the athletes of the Olympics in ancient Greece. Christ overcame this appeal with his work as a carpenter. In my experience, when I have seen my grandmother, an 81 year old woman of virtue, working in the garden with tools that I do not even recognize or sewing in her workshop in her spare time. I am amazed with every visit, for her body is progressively aging, but her spirit is full of youth and the virtue of labor. Another example of overcoming obstacles is the concept of abstinence. God created us with a fully functional endocrine system, with hormones that can ravage our emotions and cause our minds to form unholy thoughts; these thoughts are very powerful in controlling our actions, and thus abstinence is an efficient method in maintaining the purity of our bodies and souls until marriage in a church before God, for purity is another virtue that Christ affirmed during his life. In present society, however, the media has done well in appealing to our animalism, and many have cared more for serving the immediate pleasures in the mind and take advantage of their bodies without the patience for the pleasures that the afterlife shall uphold to those who are loyal to God and his teachings. In general, virtue is a difficult concept to assert in the current world. The fact that it is so rare and impressive, though, is what makes virtue in life so heroic. A hero is determined by his distinguishable courage and abilities, and what more of a brave task is there in life than of opposing the devil s temptation? Just as Christ had done in his time, we as human beings can heed God s virtues that he has set for us in order to help us defeat our own worst enemy that is ourselves. Until everyone can achieve this goal, than we can look toward our heroes as examples for a virtuous lifestyle, especially our most prominent hero of all, Jesus Christ.

20 September/October 2010 Page 20 Nicole Demos Junior Division Topic #5 In the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee (Luke 18:9-14) we see that the prayer of the Publican was pleasing to God. Discuss the importance of humility in our prayers and in our daily lives God, I thank You that I am not like other men- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector <Luke 18:11>. This is what the Pharisee had said to God as he was praying. The tax collector, on the other hand, would not even turn his head towards the sky and instead exclaimed: God, be merciful to me a sinner! <Luke 18:13>. God found the tax collector s prayer to be more pleasing. How can this be when Pharisees were well respected for how they observed God and tax collectors were hated for cheating people? What was Jesus trying to teach us through this parable? The Pharisee and the tax collector were both praying in different ways. Praying is a duty for orthodox Christians. It is a way for us to connect and communicate with God so we should try to keep prayer in our lives. I try to pray every night because I find that not only does it help me feel closer to God, but less alone. Whenever something is going wrong I can turn to God for help and guidance. The relationship you have with God is a relationship that you will have with you forever. It is not always enough to pray though, the way you pray also make a difference. It is important to be humble as we pray. This is what set apart the tax collector from the Pharisee. The Pharisee was praying to himself, bragging about what a great person he was, instead of praying to God. The tax collector was instead being humble and asking God for forgiveness. The humility that the tax collector showed, is an important part of prayer that we all should follow. Not only must we be humble in our prayers, but also when we fast. You should not brag to people about when and how we are fasting, but instead keep it to ourselves. When I was younger I used to complain about fasting to my friends during lunch time, but after I read in Matthew 6:18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father which seethe in secret shall reward thee openly, Now I try to do my best to keep my fasting complaints to myself. The New Testament gave many examples of humility apart from the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee. When Jesus was asked by His disciples, who was the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, He pointed to a little child as the model of true discipline. Little children have the attitudes required to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Humility is a great virtue, is the acknowledgement of divine grace and mercy. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom heaven. <Matthew 18:4>. There are many humble people in this world. It is hard to give examples because I believe that the most humble people are the ones you do not know about. The people in this world who donate anonymously are very humble, for instance. They are not looking for acknowledgement or the appreciation of others. Instead they want to contribute to a cause without being praised. Every year my school has a fundraiser for the Meghan Rose Bradley Foundation which supports pediatric brain cancer research. An anonymous donor called in and pledged to match the amount of money our school was able to raise. This man or woman performed the most humble gesture. Jesus Himself showed the greatest humility. He is the son of God; He could have had complete power and control. Instead He had worked as a carpenter at His young age, and a preacher to the people. Jesus expressed His humility to His disciples when He washed their feet. At the Last Supper, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. <John 13:5> So why is it again that the tax collector s prayer was more pleasing to God? Through his humility he gave us an example of how we should pray, acknowledging our sins and asking God for forgiveness.