ΛΥΧΝΟΣ «Λύχνος τοῖς ποσί μου ὁ νόμος σου καὶ φῶς ταῖς τρίβοις μου» Ψαλμ 118, 105 A GREEK ORTHODOX PERIODICAL FOR YOUNG PEOPLE Volume 25, Issue 6 OCTOBER 2010 NOVEMBER 2010 What is the Church? here are many ways of describing the Church of T Christ. The most powerful, however, is probably that of St Paul: For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body Jews or Greeks, slaves or free and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. (1 Cor. 12:12-14, 27) Christ is the head of the Church, and we are its members, like members of a body. That is how close the relationship is between us and Christ and with each other. This teaches us much about how our relationships with our fellow Orthodox Christians should be. The members of the body have no ego. They do not consider themselves more important than each other. Each one performs its function selflessly for the good of the whole body. Likewise, our head directs the body for its own good. But how can we be so close, when we are separate human beings with egos, weaknesses and sins? The answer is that we are joined by the body and blood of Christ in Holy Communion. The focus of our relationship with each other and with Christ is the Divine Liturgy. That is why "going to church" is so important. It is not just a routine; it is the highlight of our whole lives. In the Divine Liturgy we experience the kingdom of God. We come face-to-face with Christ. We hear His Word, we forgive each other, and with fear and trembling we approach to partake of the body and blood which Christ himself has offered to us through His eternal sacrifice so that we can offer it back to Him (Yours of Your own we offer to You ). We do this with fear and trembling because we are not dealing with flesh and blood, but with the awesome God. When we have all partaken of the life-giving body and blood of Christ, so that we are in communion with Him, how can we not then be united with each other? Indeed, we are one. Our bond cannot be broken. This is true love. This is the Church. Elementary Orthodox Theology - The Recreation and Restoration of man (A)... 2 Questions and Answers - Evil Eye and Astrology... 5 From the Saints of our Church - St Arsenios the Cappadocian... 2 What we Hear in Church - From the Paraklesis Service... 6 Στη Σύναξη των Ταξιαρχών... 3 Book Review - We Shall See Him as He Is.. 6 From the Holy Fathers - Elder Paisios on Correcting Others. 4 Ευθανασία - Αθανασία. 7 From the Scriptures - Feast of the Holy Protection of the Theotokos... 4 News and Views - Spiritual Retreat, Sunday School Camp, New Premises... 8 Inside this issue
Page 2 ΛΥΧΝΟΣ 29. THE RECREATION & RESTORATION OF MAN (A) St Arsenios the Cappadocian Commemorated November 10 th he return of man to his original purpose and T glory, required an enormous degree of effort on behalf of God. And yet, it was undertaken with the aim to be completely successful. This was achieved by the following means: - 1. The transplantation The meaning of this is that God would give man a new heart And I will give them one new heart, and I will put a new spirit within them; And I will take the stony heart out of their body, and will give them a heart of flesh (Ezek. 11 19). This was the method used by Jesus, as the divine surgeon! He removed all sin (stony heart) from man, and transplanted into him the divine nature (heart of flesh). By replacing the stony heart of the original Adam and replacing it with a fleshy heart, in the person of Jesus Christ, there now was the soft, tender and loving heart for God and man. This was the first step for the re-creation of man. 2. The dressing up of the naked human nature Man was created naked by God (St.Basil the Great), as the final form of man s dress would depend upon his behaviour in the time to come. However, though naked, man during the time before the Fall, was covered by the God-created dress of divine Grace, which was covering his nakedness. It was after the Fall and the loss of divine Grace, that original man realised that they were naked. So God in His love dressed them up with heavy animal skins. This solution was temporary, because Adam and Eve, as princesses of Heavens, were destined to once again get dressed up with the dress that befitted them. The new dress was provided by Jesus Christ Himself, as during His Transfiguration, His clothes became white like the light, signifying that human nature was finally dressed up once again with the dress of divine Grace. t Arsenios was born in 1840 in one of the six S Christian villages of Farasa in Cappadocia. When he was 20 years old, he joined the Holy Monastery of the Precious Forerunner and later was tonsured a monk with the name Arsenios (his baptismal name was Theodore). At the age of 30 he was ordained a priest in Caesarea with the title of Archimandrite and the blessing to be a Spiritual Father. His cell, small and bare, was located in the world, but he established to live outside the world. Soon he became known as a great intercessor before God: he had so much love towards God and man that he healed indiscriminately the human pain of those he met, Christians and Muslims. The Saint read the Gospel over the blind, mute, lame, paralytics and demon-possessed, and they were healed as soon as he finished. Many people were also healed after taking soil from the doorstep of his cell, mixing it with some water and drinking it. He naturally never accepted money or help: he would say continually Our faith is not for sale. He became known as Hadjiefendis, a Muslim term of honour for pilgrims, because he made pilgrimage to the Holy Land every ten years on foot. He concealed his holiness as much as he could beneath a rough and sharptempered exterior. If anyone expressed admiration for him, he would reply "So you think I'm a saint? I'm only a sinner worse than you. Don't you see that I even lose my temper? The miracles you see are done by Christ. I do no more than lift up my hands and pray to Him". St Arsenios predicted the expulsion of the Greeks from Asia Minor and organised his flock for departure. When the expulsion order came in 1924, the Saint led his faithful on a 400-mile journey across Turkey on foot. He had foretold that he would only live forty days after reaching Greece, and this came to pass. His last words were "The soul, the soul, take care of it more than the flesh, which will return to earth and be eaten by worms"! Two days later, on November 10, 1924, he died in peace.
ΛΥΧΝΟΣ Page 3 Στη Σύναξη Των Ταξιαρχών άποτε ο Χριστός έστειλε τους εβδομήντα μαθητές Κ του σε διάφορα μέρη της Ιουδαίας. Η αποστολή τους ήταν να προετοιμάσουν τον ερχομό του Κυρίου σ αυτά τα μέρη. Να μιλήσουν στους ανθρώπους για την πνευματική βασιλεία του Θεού που θα ρχόταν. Να κάνουν και θαύματα ακόμη στο Όνομά Του. Όταν επέστρεψαν από την περιοδεία αυτή έλεγαν με χαρά οι εβδομήντα: «Κύριε και αυτά τα δαιμόνια υποτάσσονται σε μας με την επίκληση του Ονόματός Σου.» Για απάντηση ο Κύριος τους λέει: «Έβλεπα το Σατανά να πέφτει από τον ουρανό όπως η αστραπή» - δηλ. τόσο γρήγορα και φανερά. Τα λόγια αυτά του Κυρίου αναφέρονται σε κείνη την πανάρχαια κρίση, την επανάσταση, που συνέβη μεταξύ του Αγγελικού κόσμου όταν έπεσε ο Εωσφόρος από τις ανώτερες τάξεις των Αγγέλων και έγινε δαίμων, Σατανάς. Η κρίση αυτή δοκίμασε όλους τους Αγίους Αγγέλους και είναι θέμα διδακτικότατο για όλους μας. Οι Άγιοι Άγγελοι μπροστά στην αμαρτία που ο Σατανάς τους υποβάλλει στέκονται σταθεροί και αμετακίνητοι στην υποταγή τους στο Θεό και την αφοσίωση τους στο θέλημα του ημιουργού τους και με αυτό τον τρόπο μονιμοποιούν την κλίση τους προς το αγαθό. Αντίθετα ο άνθρωπος όταν ο Σατανάς προτείνει σ αυτόν την α- μαρτία, την ανυπακοή στο θέλημα του Θεού, παρασύρεται και γι αυτό χάνει και τον Παράδεισο και την ε- παφή του με τον Ζωοδότη ημιουργό του. Αν ο άνθρωπος απέκρουε τον Σατανά, όχι μόνο δεν θα παρασυρόταν αλλά και θα πετύχαινε την οριστική του στροφή προς την αρετή και την αγιότητα. Η αμαρτία θα ήταν ξένη προς τη φύση μας όπως είναι και για τους Αγίους Αγγέλους. Υπάρχει όμως ένας τρόπος και για μας να σταθεροποιήσουμε τη θέση μας και μέχρι ένα σημείο και αυτήν ακόμη τη φύση μας να μεταβάλλουμε και να προσανατολισθούμε προς την αρετή. Αυτός είναι ο αγώνας του εν Χριστώ αναγεννημένου ανθρώπου. Ο χριστιανός που αγωνίζεται πνευματικά εναντίον της αμαρτίας, με τη βοήθεια της θείας Χάριτος τελειοποιείται σιγά σιγά και φθάνει στο σημείο που δύσκολα πέφτει σε αμαρτία. Λέγει ο Άγ. Ιωάννης «Πας ο γεγεννημένος εκ του Θεού αμαρτίαν ου ποιεί». ο Θεολόγος: «Πας ο γεγεννημένος εκ του Θεού αμαρτίαν ου ποιεί». εν εννοεί βέβαια ο Ευαγγελιστής ότι είναι φύσει αδύνατο ο άνθρωπος αυτός να αμαρτήσει, γιατί η πτώση δεν είναι δύσκολη. Αλλά θέλει να πει ότι όταν ο άνθρωπος παραδώσει την καρδιά του στο Θεό, ο Θεός με το έλεός Του και τη Χάρη Του θα τον αναγεννήσει ώστε πάντα να κάνει το θέλημα του Θεού. Κάθε φορά που βλέπουμε πως δεν αποστρεφόμαστε αμέσως μια κακή σκέψη ή τάση, σημαίνει πως δεν έχουμε ακόμη α- ναγεννηθεί. Να καταφεύγουμε πρέπει τότε στο έλεος και τη Χάρη του Θεού. Να αυξήσουμε την προσευχή μας, το θρησκευτικό μας ζήλο, τη συμμετοχή μας στα αγιαστικά μυστήρια της Εκκλησίας μας. Μ αυτό το τρόπο θα στεριώσουμε τη ζωή του Χριστού στη ζωή μας. Είθε οι Άγιοι Άγγελοι και ιδιαίτερα ο προσωπικός μας φύλακας άγγελος να μας καθοδηγούν σ αυτό το δρόμο.
Page 4 ΛΥΧΝΟΣ Elder Paisios on Correcting Others ne day, a monk asked elder Paisios: O Geronda, when we see someone behaving badly, should we try to tell him something? Elder Paisios replied: It depends on what kind of person he is. It requires great discernment and divine enlightenment in our time. It is not easy to tell you exactly. In a given case, as I have seen, there can be five hundred variables. There are some who can be corrected and others who cannot, and may even react badly to one of our remarks. Especially if someone is an egoist and you offend him, he will react badly. While often realizing he is wrong, he won t give in because of his egoism. When our motives are not pure, when our concern for others is tainted with pride and our love for them is not pure, then those we try to help will react badly. When we censure someone with love, with pain, whether he understands our love or not, the transformation can take place in his heart simply because we are motivated out of pure love. But, censuring someone without love, with animosity, will infuriate him, because our malice collides with his pride and causes sparks to fly, just like when the steel strikes the flint. When we endure our brother out of love, he understands it. Even when our evilness is not revealed but is kept inside, he can feel it because it agitates him. This is like the appearance of the devil in the form of an angel, which causes agitation and fear, while the real Angel brings a peaceful, inexpressible exultation. October 28 th Gospel Reading, (Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28) Feast of the Holy Protection of the Theotokos n this passage Jesus visits the home of Martha and I Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. Two opposites are presented to us. On the one hand we have Martha, who takes upon herself the responsibility of serving the honoured guest and all those who had accompanied Him. Mary, on the other hand, sits at the feet of Jesus and carefully listens to His every word. Martha is troubled by the weight of her responsibility and asks Jesus to direct Mary to provide assistance. Jesus, however, refuses to do so and confirms that Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her. Martha is not rebuked for serving, but for complaining and for being distracted, worried and troubled. This raises the question are we like Martha or Mary? Do we, like Martha, allow our daily responsibilities and tasks to generate so much worry and anxiety that we are distracted from focusing on the spiritual cultivation of our soul? Or do we, like Mary, entrust the challenges of our everyday life to the hands of God and focus all our energy on taking advantage of each opportunity which He gives us to come closer to Him? This passage is read on most feast days of the Virgin Mary. In the second part of the passage we have Jesus interesting response to the woman who called from the crowd, blessing the womb that bore Jesus and the breasts which nursed Him. Jesus responds by saying More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!. Some protestant Christians misinterpret this response. They argue that Jesus response suggests that no special honour should be given to the Virgin Mary, the woman who bore and nursed Jesus. In fact, Jesus response suggests quite the opposite. Jesus corrects the woman from the crowd, not by denouncing his mother, but by emphasizing her faith. People are blessed in God s eyes if, like the Virgin Mary, they hear the word of God and keep it. It is not the mere fact that the Virgin Mary bore and nursed Jesus which makes her worthy of honour. It is the fact that throughout her life she heard and kept the word of God which makes her truly special!
ΛΥΧΝΟΣ Page 5 W hat does the Church teach about the 'evil eye' and astrology? I am glad when people ask such questions, because I feel a need for our people to be cleansed from certain beliefs that are not authentically Christian and Orthodox. Our people need to be educated and guided to a healthy spirituality, based on the teachings of Christ, the Apostles and Church Fathers. It is a problem if people see themselves as religious simply because they follow certain rituals, adhere to superstitions, and are not striving to be Christ-like. The evil eye is defined as a look or a stare that can bring injury or bad luck to others. It is usually related to people who look jealously on a person who is beautiful or handsome, or enjoys some particular good fortune. It is a very ancient belief that probably arose in ancient Persia. Its origins are not Christian. You can become convinced of this by talking to Moslem people from the Middle East, they also believe in the evil eye. St. John Chrysostom, one of the great Fathers of our Church, challenged the popular view of the evil eye that existed at his time and said: And when you hear of jealousy - of an evil eye - you must not suppose that the glance of the eye has any natural power to injure those who look upon it Nevertheless, some people believe so strongly in the evil eye that they suffer greatly. If they ask the Church for prayers, the Church is prepared to pray for them. Our Church has set prayers for this situation. If you are worried that someone has tried to harm you by the evil eye, we suggest you read Psalm 56 in your Bible. If you are still troubled, you can see your priest and ask him to offer the prayer for the evil eye on your behalf. But perhaps the best thing for you to do is to strengthen your faith in the Lord s loving care for you: then there will be no need for you to be concerned about the so called evil eye, for His presence will be all that you need. Astrology is an attempt to describe the future of an individual based on the position of certain stars relative to the period of the year when that person was born. At the basis of this astrological prediction making are some presuppositions. One is that the position of the stars at birth control the destiny of every person born on earth. The stars determine what kind of personality I have, what will happen to me, how my life shall be lived. Another is that a person cannot escape from the determining influences which arise from the fact that he or she is an Aries, or a Sagittarius, etc. Once we understand that Astrology has these basic underlying assumptions, it is not difficult to realize what the Orthodox Christian view of Astrology is. In effect, Astrology denies the loving and gracious Lordship of God. One of the most basic teachings of our faith is that we were created with a glorious freedom. Astrology denies the responsibility of our own freedom, and implies we cannot escape what is inevitable, no matter how hard we try. Horoscopes need to be seen as a denial of the love of God and of man s moral and spiritual freedom! No matter what the stars say about us, with the help of God and with our sincere and persistent effort we can change our destiny. We should not read horoscopes, instead we should trust in God s great love for all of us. Adapted from the books by Stanley Harakas: Contemporary Moral Issues and 455 Questions and Answers. Fr D. K.
Page 6 ΛΥΧΝΟΣ From the Paraklesis Service to the Most Holy Mother of God Ὑπεραγία Θεοτόκε, σῶσον ἡμᾶς. Most Holy Mother of God, save us n some ecclesiastical circles this well-known refrain I is considered to be theologically unsound. One asks, How can anyone but God save us? However, the Greek word σώζειν, to save, in the New Testament context, does not just mean our salvation from eternal death. It also entails the meaning of keeping us out of harm s way, whether the danger be to the body or to the soul. God is the giver of grace but the Theotokos acts of her own choice to pass our pleas on to God. However, for the Orthodox faithful, the Mother of God is not just an intercessor between Man and God. St Nicholas Kavasilas in his sermon on the Annunciation, contrasts the creation of man with the Incarnation of God. When God created a companion for Adam He did not forewarn him or try to convince him to give his rib so that Eve could be created. He simply put him asleep and took the necessary part. However, when God was to fashion Jesus, the New Adam, He awaited Mary's acceptance. The Creation of Man would not happen without the mutual agreement of all members of the Holy Trinity. Likewise, the Incarnation would not happen without the will and faith of the All-Pure Theotokos. God does not simply take Mary's body to become a surrogate for mankind. For our salvation to be realised, the purest creation of God freely accepted without argument to become the Mother of God. She gave flesh to the Divine Nature inside her. This role could not be taken by any other created being, human or angelic. This is why Most Holy does not exactly translate well from Ὑπεραγία, which means Above Holy. In this unique way, the Theotokos has saved us in an eternal sense by allowing God to enter her and become Incarnate. However, she is not holier than God ( One is Holy, One is Lord ) so in specific situations where we are threatened by our passions, difficult circumstances or physical illness, she intercedes for us to God. Our tradition tells us these intercessions are especially powerful, full of great boldness and assurance, just like a mother would have with her son. Therefore, it is correct to say, Most-Holy Theotokos save us, because she is the means by which God saves us. It is her hand that reaches out, with God s power, to grip ours and save us from drowning in the stormy seas of this life. We Shall See Him as He Is By Archimandrite Sophrony Sakharov Published by St Herman Press, 2006. ISBN: 1887904131. (248 pages) lder Sophrony was a E Russian Orthodox Priest- Monk who reposed in the Lord, at the age of 97 in 1993. He is most well remembered as the spiritual child of Saint Silouan the Athonite. His spiritual biography of this contemporary Orthodox saint, entitled Saint Silouan the Athonite was most influential in leading to the canonisation of Elder Silouan in 1988. Elder Sophrony established the Monastic Community of St John the Baptist in Essex, England, in 1959 and served as its Abbot until his death. This present book, which takes its title from the First Letter of St John was Elder Sophrony's last formally published written work. It is a highly personal, unpretentious, honest and yet humble recapitulation of his many long years of living the life in Christ. As he writes in the prologue, So perhaps this, my confession - or, more accurately, maybe, my spiritual autobiography - will help others to interpret their own ordeals. Elder Sophrony's writings, although highly personal and confessional in tone, are harnessed together with a granitic intellectual rigor. He was highly educated, however his writings are not merely theological in a dry academic or scholastic fashion but represent the gleanings of a deeply spiritual life steeped in the traditional Orthodox precepts of hesychasm, ascesis and prayer. A variety of themes are covered in this book, however they are all bound together within the overarching theme of experiencing the Grace of the Holy Spirit. A revealing part of this book is where Elder Sophrony recounts his experience of the uncreated light, a very rare recollection in recent Orthodox literature. However in his recalling of this experience, one can see how Elder Sophrony is firmly established in the spiritual tradition of all the Holy Fathers, from the Cappadocians right through to St Gregory Palamas and beyond. A wide range of Orthodox Christian books in Greek and English is available from The Orthodox Bookstore, 31A Enmore Rd, Enmore, NSW, 2042. Ph: (02) 9519 6245 E-mail: editor@lychnos.org Internet: www.lychnos.org
ΛΥΧΝΟΣ Page 7 Ευθανασία - Αθανασία Η λέξη ευθανασία στην Ορθόδοξη Χριστιανική της έννοια περιγράφεται στην τέλεια μορφή της στις δύο αιτήσεις κατά διάρκεια της Θείας Λειτουργίας. Στο: «Τον υπόλοιπον χρόνον της ζωής ημών εν ειρήνη και μετανοία εκτελέσαι παρά του Κυρίου αιτησώμεθα» και στο: «Χριστιανά τα τέλη της ζωής ημών ανώδυνα, ανεπαίσχηντα, ειρινικά και καλήν απολογίαν την επί του φοβερού Βήματος παρά του Κυρίου αιτησώμεθα». Όχι όπως κατάντησε στις άθεες ημέρες μας να εννοεί την εθελοντική αφαίρεση μιας ζωής με την βοήθεια κάποιου άλλου: «Voluntary assisted suicide». ηλαδή ο χριστιανός γνωρίζει ότι είναι αθάνατος και ότι στα πλαίσια της χριστιανικής του Πίστης και Βιωτής την ζει και την γεύεται από τώρα. Η εν Χριστώ ζωή του αρχίζει με το Βάπτισμα και το Χρίσμα και συνεχίζεται συνειδητά και βιωματικά μέσα στα Μυστήρια της Εκκλησίας. ηλαδή με την Μετάνοια, με το να ανορθώνεται κάθετα από το οριζόντιο πέσιμο των αμαρτιών του. Με την Εξομολόγηση, όπου η συγχωρητική Θεία Βακτηρία (στήριγμα) κρατάει τον πιστό όρθιο, υπεύθυνο, υπόλογο και με την υπόσχεση της συνεχούς προσπάθειάς του για διόρθωση. Με την Θεία Κοινωνία, την Μυστική ένωσή του με Τον Χριστό με την Ενέργεια του Αγίου Πνεύματος στο Μυστήριο Του Τριαδικού Θεού. Σ αυτήν την συνεχή του προσπάθεια ο πιστός έχει βοηθό «Άγγελον ειρήνης, πιστόν οδηγόν, φύλακα των ψυχών και των σωμάτων ημών». Έχει την Αγία Γραφή και την Πατερική Παράδοση, που με την μελέτη των οργώνει χριστιανικό χαρακτήρα και Θεοπνευματικό Ήθος. Έχει την Νηστεία από ορισμένα φαγητά κατά καιρούς για να χαλιναγωγεί και να καταπαύει τα πάθη του σαν καλός οδηγός και κηπουρός της ψυχής του. Τέλος και προ πάντων έχει την Προσευχή. Την απ ευθείας και συνεχή επικοινωνία του με τον Θεό. Μπορεί να γίνεται αυτό είτε σε ώρες περισυλλογής μόνος του πρόσωπο με πρόσωπο με τον Θεό (Τι μεγάλη Εύνοια και προτέρημα και προνόμιο μοναδικό!). Είτε να γίνεται σε κοινές λατρευτικές εκδηλώσεις και σαν αποκορύφωμα όλων κατά την διάρκεια της Θείας Λειτουργίας. Έτσι η ζωή του πιστού γίνεται μια συνεχής Λατρεία του Τριαδικού Θεού. ιότι η απόλυτη Θεία Αγάπη γεννάει στην ψυχή του αισθήματα ευγνωμοσύνης που τον κάνει κι αυτόν να λιώνει κυριολεκτικά από αγάπη για τον ημιουργό του. Η αγάπη αυτή όσο περισσότερο ω- ριμάζει μέσα του τόσο πιο πολύ τον σπρώχνει κοντά Του. Τόσο πιο πολύ ζητάει να Τον ευαρεστήσει. Με την φιλότιμη υπακοή του τώρα δεν τηρεί εντολές και καθήκοντα πια. Γίνεται επέκταση των Θείων Άκτιστων Ενεργειών Του και οικονόμος της «Θείας Οικονομίας» στον «Οίκον του Θεού». «Οίκος του Θεού» είναι η ψυχή κάθε πιστού και όχι μόνο. ιότι τώρα η ψυχή του πιστού δημιουργεί αγαπητική επικοινωνία με τον συνάνθρωπόν του και με όλην την «Οικουμένην». Γίνεται ο αγαπημένος «οικονόμος» της «Οικολογίας» του Σύμπαντος. Είναι πλέον ο κατά το δυνατόν «κατ Εικόναν Θεού και καθ Ομοίωσιν» Άνθρωπος. Orthodox Youth Groups ( Ορθόδοξες Χριστιανικές Ομάδες ) Dear Teenager, Come to fellowship Ομάδα and you will find a Person who loves you more than anybody else - a Person who is a father, brother, and a good friend to you - all at once. That Person is our Lord Jesus Christ. At Ομάδα you find friends whom you can trust and who have the same goals in life as you. Learn all about your Church at Ομάδα and how to live your Orthodox Faith. Ομάδα organises two major camps per year, sporting activities, bush walks and other fun activities. Even if you receive religious education at School or attend our Greek Orthodox Colleges, you will still benefit enormously from being at Ομάδα. Christian Youth Groups for young people aged 14-18 are held in the following Parishes: For Boys Transfiguration, Earlwood (Saturdays 4 6:30 pm) All Saints, Belmore (Fridays 6 8 pm) St Euphemia, Bankstown (Saturdays 4 6:30 pm) Resurrection, Kogarah (Fridays 6:30 8 pm) For Girls Transfiguration, Earlwood (Fridays 6:30 8 pm) All Saints, Belmore (Fridays 6:30 8 pm)
Page 8 ΛΥΧΝΟΣ NEWS and VIEWS Spiritual Retreat O n the weekend of the 24th-26th September, the Orthodox Ladies Fellowships of Sydney held their annual Retreat south of Sydney in the Royal National Park. The year s theme was Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you (James 4:8). Activities of the Retreat included group prayers, Bible studies, talks, and recreation. The Retreat culminated in the Divine Liturgy Service officiated by Fr Eusebios from the Monastery of the Holy Mother of God, Pantanassa. Sunday School Camp O n the 5-7th October, around 65 Sunday School children aged 10-13 participated in a special Camp held at Challenge Range, Sommersby, about one hour north of Sydney. The children took part in a series of organized activities, games, group time, prayers and talks centred on our Orthodox Christian Faith. The Camp culminated in a Divine Liturgy Service officiated by Fr Eusebios from the Monastery of the Holy Mother of God, Pantanassa. From all accounts, the children were very pleased and excited by this experience, aptly titled An Orthodox Christian Adventure! With God s grace, another Camp will hopefully be organised for next year. Ask your local parish Priest or Sunday School teachers for more information. New Premises for Greek Orthodox Christian Society O n Saturday 30th October, the regular Saturday meeting of the Greek Orthodox Christian Society took place at its new premises on the corner of Bexley Rd and Homer St, Clemton Park. The former St Marks Anglican Church will now serve as the regular meeting venue for the Men s and Ladies Fellowships. The Orthodox Bookstore will remain at its present address of 31a Enmore Rd, Newtown. The new Premises for the Greek Orthodox Christian Society, (interior). Participants at this year s Orthodox Ladies Fellowship Retreat. Participants of this year s Sunday School Camp with Fr Eusebios and Fr Nectarios from Pantanassa Monastery. From the Divine Liturgy Service officiated by Fr Eusebios. New Premises for the Greek Orthodox Christian Society, located on the corner of Bexley Road and Homer Street, Clemton Park, Sydney. Ακούτε το ραδιοφωνικό πρόγραμμα «Η ΦΩΝΗ ΤΗΣ ΟΡΘΟ ΟΞΙΑΣ» κάθε Κυριακή 10:45 π.μ. στο 2MM-ΑΜ 1665 11:00 π.μ. στο 2ΕRΑ-FΜ 151.675 (scanner) 5:30 μ.μ. στο Galaxia FM 151.850 (scanner) κάθε Πέμπτη 3:30 μ.μ. στο Radio Club AM 1683 «ΛΥΧΝΟΣ» is a bimonthly publication of the Greek Orthodox Christian Society, 31a Enmore Rd, Newtown, NSW, 2042, under the auspices of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. Phone: (02) 9567 3542. E-mail: editor@lychnos.org Internet: www.lychnos.org