"O Forerunner, thou hast proved to be truly even more venerable than the Prophets, since thou wast granted to baptize in running waters Him who was proclaimed."

In This Issue

• Informative

• Keynote Address of His Eminence

• President's Message

• Free Stuff

• Congratulations

• The crisis is a spiritual one

• St. Makarios the Great

Click Here to view the calendar

PANGARI
July 5  - Nick Katsanos
July 12 - Sam Stathos
July 19 - George Spirakis
July 26 - Tim Vaughan

COFFEE HOUR
July 5   - Elaine Karavan & Linda Moustakis
July 12 - Lorraine Kachulis, Stacy Kachulis and Adrianne Finn
July 19 - Nina Smith, Mary Vaughan & Kalla Szostek
July 26 - Cassandra Beale & Amy Castanes

PROSFORON
July 5  - Linda Moustakis
July 12 - Dena Platingos
July 19 - Loretta Siotka
July 26 - Mary Vaughan


SUNDAY GREETERS
July 5   - Chris & Amy Castanes
July 12 - Peter Yahnis & Andrianne Finn
July 19 - Tim Groza & Anna Kouis
July 26 - Tim & Mary Vaughan

MEALS ON WHEELS
July 6  - Elaine Karavan / Demitrios Tselides
July 7  - Linda Moustakis / Dena Platingos
July 8   - Ed & Mary Vaughan
July 9   - Kalla Szostek / Maria Veselinovich
July 10  - Demitrios Tselides / John Popa

If you are unable to attend on the day you are assigned, please contact Linda Moustakis at 238-1473 as soon as possible.

THEE HOLY NOOK Offers imported Greek items including hand painted ceramic tiles and jewelry boxes, greeting cards, beautiful icon bracelets, pure olive oil soap, Greek coffee, "brikia" and delicious halva, as well as "A Voyage in Greek Cooking," St. John's parish cookbook. Please stop by, or you may contact Adrianne Finn at 903-1901. If you don't see what you're looking for, ask a Board member.

OUR LADIES PHILOPTOCHOS will celebrate the Feast Day of PATRON SAINT PARASKEVI, at a brunch at the Omega Pancake & Omelet House, 2800 N. Kings Highway, immediately after The Divine Liturgy. ALL MEMBERS ARE INVITED to join in the Saint Paraskevi Celebration at Omega and a loving tribute to Linda Moustakis. Contact Maria Veselinovich at 910-579-1624 no later than July 20th to make your reservation. This invitation is open to ALL members and their spouses, and to those who would like to join the membership and be a part of our Ministry to serve.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! to Sam and Ashley Stathos, who welcomed son Constantine Samuel on June 5th. Constantine weighed 7 lb 9 oz, and was 19 ½" long.

HOSPITAL VISITS: If someone from your family is sick or in the hospital and desires a visitation, please notify Fr. Konstantine at 843-448-3773.

THE SERVANT OF GOD Dr. Crist Strovilas, fell asleep in the Lord on June 20th. Our prayers go out to his wife, Jackie, and his family. May his memory be eternal.
You can read more here.

CASA: CITIZENS AGAINST SPOUSE ABUSE Is in need of paper products for the safe houses this month including paper plates, cups, towels and toilet paper. Any other items, new or used, you are able to donate are always welcome for either the safe houses or for sale at their store, "Used But Not Abused". Thank you for your generosity. ~ Mary C. Vaughan

ATTN: COLLEGE STUDENTS
If you are a college student, or the parent of a college student, please click here

There is an old desk and a computer table in the church kitchen that are no longer being used. These items are free to a parishioner if you will remove them. Call Donna at 448-3773 if you'd like to see them.

Selections from the Keynote Address of His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta

On the occasion of the 2009 Clergy/Laity Conference in Tampa Bay, Florida
(edited for length)
 

"…Now let me enter into the spirit of today's gathering. This is where the theme of our Assembly. 'The Day After Tomorrow: Our Youth', will help us understand not only our responsibilities but more importantly our opportunities, enabling us to create ways to serve our Lord and our precious children, according to the Prophet Jeremiah, "There is hope in your future, says the LORD, that your children will return to their own land."

…Many times we have said that the youth are the future of the Church, and of course they are, but more importantly I believe that the future of our youth is the Church. For this reason, our responsibility to our children takes on a different and Biblical spirit, with the admonition from Holy Scripture to "train up a child in the way that he should go."That way is of course the Orthodox Christian way, and we can only succeed in this momentous task if we devote our time, energy and resources to shape the right character in the hearts of our children: 1) respect for God and for parents, 2) love for others, and 3) respect for life. Unfortunately this is something that we seldom see anymore in today's life.

To understand this idea, we must start thinking not only about our immediate families but also about our Parish families. This is especially important because when children are growing up, the Parish community helps the family by providing discipline, encouragement, education, friends, fellowship, and spiritual nurture, which cannot be gotten anywhere else. All this together forms a kind of temporary scaffold or support around the child in order to protect them as they grow up, like the scaffolding put up around buildings during construction or repair to provide temporary stability. All aspects of our lives - our character, sense of responsibility, good and bad habits, ability to cope with difficulties, and piety - are shaped by our early experiences. We know that what a child learns and practices early on in life will stay with him for the rest of his life.

The lack of such a loving spiritual and moral foundation offered by the family and the community always shows in a person's character throughout their life. If we fail to pass on this precious gift to our children, they will almost certainly lose their way in our challenging and difficult world. This is why it is so important to make every effort to lay a spiritual foundation in our community life for our children.

Furthermore, as responsible and concerned adults, our priority must be first, to educate ourselves about the culture our children are immersed in, and secondly, know what our children are being taught – not just their studies, which are offered only for knowledge, but also the values and attitudes that are being taught through movies, television, technology and the Internet, and even in the schools. We can no longer take for granted that our children are only being exposed to ideas and knowledge that are compatible with our Orthodox Christians values and beliefs. We say that [in these time] we are facing temptations and difficulties that our parents never faced. Yet if we are honest with ourselves we will realize that our ancestors faced the same kind of problems and temptations, and tomorrow our children and their children will face the same. If we are confused and feel as if we have lost our way, it is because we allow the world and its values to define our lives, rather than our Orthodox Christian faith.

Youth Ministry specifically allows our young people to learn about our faith, and to live it by contributing to their community and world through various activities and programs. In the process, they develop a personal, vital and living faith, a sense of responsibility and purpose, which helps to protect them against worldly dangers and snares. It is our God-given privilege and responsibility to teach our children what is right and wrong in the eyes of God, to teach and model love and respect for ourselves and for each other, because this leads to true Christian love. We must promote and strengthen authentic Orthodox Christian spirituality and guide each young person to become an active member of the Church so that they experience our Orthodox Faith through participation in the ecclesiastical and sacramental life of the Church. This is also the message again from our beloved Archbishop Demetrios, in his address "Gather My People to My Home," where His Eminence affirmed that the Greek Orthodox Church is called by God to "gather His people … to go out, to look for them, to start gathering the souls who are looking for a spiritual home, for a living community and ultimately for communion with God."
 
Our youth (and everyone else) are in desperate need of this – in fact, that should be the primary goal of Orthodox youth ministry: the nurturing of a Christ-centered life, the acquisition of the Holy Spirit … in a word, theosis. Now, you understand that this nurturing of Orthodox spirituality is the highest priority of our youth ministry, so if we are not doing that, then ministry is not occurring – neither, for that matter, is Orthodoxy. The spiritual practices of fasting, prayer, Lenten disciplines, Confession and attending services should not only be discussed, but should be practiced as a group, and as part of the life of the parish community. Encouraging our children to have contact with God's spiritual grace in prayer and worship, in the Divine Liturgy, is the greatest gift that we can give to them.

...My beloved ones, never forget as Orthodox Faithful, we are the most blessed people on earth, because we are heirs to a great, beautiful and worthwhile tradition. When we speak of "tradition" we are of course not referring to archives, museums or relics of the past. Our Orthodox tradition, along with the Holy Scriptures, is the source of the living Church, and the living Church is all the Faithful. The Ecumenical Patriarchate goes out of its way to maintain us in the right path, never forgetting the teachings of Christ handed down to us by His Apostles and explained to us by the Holy Fathers of the Church. With this kind of tradition, we now, the Eastern Orthodox Church, understand the Divine message in the right way, completely differently from the Western Christianity, because we believe that our Christian faith cannot be separated from the way that we are living.

This way of understanding makes us different from the other because we have faith in the hope of our Lord's Resurrection, as St. Paul says to the Thessalonians, "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work."

For you to understand that, in contrast, you must understand that the Western Church is based on the authenticity and correctness of thoughts. That's why the Pope exercises the power of papal infallibility, meaning that takes care of everything and can never be mistaken, to the point that even the message of the Gospel can be interpreted and "corrected." Thus we see through the ages, the tendency of Western Christianity to punish unbelievers who do not follow the Vatican, in order to maintain authenticity, leading to the events of the Renaissance and the Reformation, with an often secular philosophy and understanding, through the French Revolution, with anti-clericalism and atheism. Today, people have directed themselves far away from Christianity to the point that, in the European Union, they even don't want to their constitutions to acknowledge that European civilization is based on Christian ideas and faith.

Of course this is not our Orthodox understanding of Christianity, because for us, our God is a loving Father, Who does not punish His children or threaten them in order to force them to follow Him. Our Lord has told us "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." God is the source and fount of love and compassion, and is waiting with open arms in order to receive even His prodigal children.

And now, with this understanding of Hellenic Orthodox Christianity, our faith, we should begin thinking about our responsibilities toward others, beginning with our own families and Parish communities. We are responsible for the well-being of our precious children, but not just in a material sense. The society we have created does not help us advance in our spiritual life, and indeed is often destructive. I have known wealthy, successful individuals, who indeed have "everything that money can buy," confess that they are not happy with their lives. As I tried to find reasons for this unhappiness, I would meet their sons or daughters, who even though blessed with every material advantage, were also unhappy. What is happening? If we were created by God to be happy, and when most of us today, even in these difficult economic times, are blessed with material abundance that people even 50 or 60 years ago would not even dream of such wealth! And yet we are unhappy and feel that we have lost our way somewhere. This means that happiness is spiritual, not material, and we find that happiness in the Orthodox faith, in fullness and in truth, in purity and love. That is why we are so blessed to be members of the Orthodox faith, to have the opportunity to gain this kind of joy given to us by God, and transform our lives through His love.

President's Message

Dear Parishioners,

I hope this letter finds you well, and that you are enjoying your summer. At the General Assembly meeting, the Parish Council discussed three things that we, as a Parish, would like to implement this year.

The first thing we discussed was setting up a medical fund for our parishioners in need. It was decided that we would take one (1) percent from all fund raisers and put that money into a fund to help parishioners who need financial help with obtaining their medicine/prescriptions. The General Assembly approved our idea, and we are now ready to implement the fund. I have asked Dr. Victoria Moshoures and Dr. James Kontos to help oversee this fund. Should you need help, please contact myself or Father Konstantine so we can inform the doctors that you will be calling upon them for help. All of this will be kept confidential, so please -- if you need help-- let us know. I would also like to ask anyone who would like to donate to this fund to please contact me.

 
The second matter we discussed at the General Assembly meeting was helping others in our surrounding community that are not as fortunate as we are. It was decided that helping the American Red Cross feed the poor at Christmas would be our outreach mission. At this time, I would like to inform everyone that the American Red Cross will be using our facility for their Christmas dinner. They came and spoke to the Parish Council, and told us that at this point they needed a facility that could feed about four (4,000) thousand people. Some of the meals will be served at our hall, and some of the meals will be taken off site to other locations and dispersed from there. They have a network of volunteers to help with this project, but should anyone like to help, please contact Anastasia Spirakis. If you would like to make a donation to help offset the costs, please let me know.

The third matter brought before the General Assembly was the matter of the usage of the church for baptisms and weddings. The General Assembly agreed that a usage fee should be given to people who are either not a parishioner in good standing, or an individual who is coming from another church. This is not being done to punish anyone or to offend anyone. We have in the past allowed individuals who have not been stewards in good standing or persons from another Church to use our facility by making a donation. This has been a disaster. There was one incident where someone put fifty ($50.00) dollars in the tray and proceeded to have their wedding. We need to be Christians and help those in need, but we do not need to be taken advantage of. Should anyone have a problem with the usage fee, please take the time to call me so we can discuss the matter. I would like everyone to be informed about this change so there is no one who is hurt or offended by it.

Again I hope you have a wonderful and prosperous summer. As always, I wish everyone well, much health and love in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Respectively,

George N. Spirakis
 

Graduates receiving icon of St. John the Baptist from Fr. Konstantine and the parish: Alex Merisotis, Amalia Willett, Callie Burgess, Nicholas Rierson.
Not pictured: Maggie Dunn

Mike Dunn accepting St. Loukia Scholarship (Patrons: M/M Nicholas Siotka) scholarship on behalf of daughter, Maggie Dunn. Maggie also received the "Mr. Mike" Tsagatos Memorial AHEPA Scholarship

Tammy, Andrea, Alexandra and Mike Merisotis. Alex is holding an Orthodox Study Bible, which was given to each of the graduates by the Ladies Philoptochos.
Alex also received AHEPA's "Mr. Mike" Tsagatos Memorial Scholarship.

Nicholas and Alexandra Rierson
Nicholas was also the recipient of AHEPA's

"Mr. Mike" Tsagatos Memorial Scholarship
 

Amalia Willett was also a recipient of AHEPA's

"Mr. Mike" Tsagatos Memorial Scholarship

Robin Arakas and Callie Burgess – Callie was also a recipient of

AHEPA's "Mr. Mike" Tsagatos Memorial Scholarship.

Congratulations!!! to Drew Kiser, who graduated from Clemson University in May
with a degree in Biomedical Engineering.

The crisis is a spiritual one

By Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos of Nafpaktos

Everyone is recently talking about the 'economic crisis' that has befallen America and Europe and is expected to eventually affect our Homeland [Greece] and furthermore, that the 'political crisis' is one of its consequences. No-one can deny that all of mankind - and each one of us personally - is currently plagued by the crisis in the economy, given that it has repercussions on our way of life and our livelihoods. That is the reason various economists are striving to find solutions to counter it - with economist methods and political means. And yet, it is my opinion that the crisis we are going through is not simply an economical and political one; in fact, it is a deep-seated spiritual crisis. I could highlight many aspects of this matter and point out that when a person distances himself from God, he inevitably suffers and is tormented in all areas of his life - including the financial one. Furthermore, if one were to examine the matter theologically, they would likewise discern that when Man loses the grace of God, inevitably there will be anthropological, social, political and financial problems. However, I will focus here on the practical dimensions of the spiritual crisis.

Let's examine the issue, from the way that a financially 'average' person lives. He tries to live his life the way that the rich do; his personal lifestyle is the pursuit of bliss, and with an excess of entertainment; he strives to become a large-scale merchant, without having the necessary potentials and charismas - all of which result in financial impasses. Then, in his attempt to solve the problem with loans, he collapses financially and occupationally and finally becomes bankrupt. The same thing is observed in society, but also worldwide. People simply aren't living with self-restraint and prudence any more. They have not learnt to place limits on their sensations and their desires; instead, they pursue a bliss-seeking lifestyle, they overspend in order to satisfy their senses and their desires, they resort to borrowing, even for things like luxurious vacations, and the consequences of all of the above are inevitably a financial, occupational, family and personal debacle.

It is in this sense that we say the crisis in essence is not a financial one, but chiefly and above all a spiritual one, which is the underlying cause of financial and political crises. This indicates that the current crisis cannot be confronted with financial means and political practices, but only with a change in our lifestyle, by our return to frugality, to self-restraint, to prudence, and by abjuring greed and superfluity. Ascesis is thus regarded today as an imperative - an attempt to cure the passion of self-love, from which are born the passions of sensualism, ambition and avarice. John the Evangelist describes it very clearly: "Everything that is in the world, the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance of life, are not from the Father, but they are all of this world." (1 John 2:16). Consequently, the crisis of our time is a spiritual crisis, attributable to the desires of the flesh, the desires of everything our eyes behold, and the arrogance that prevails in our lives. Confronting it mainly requires spiritual means - and in fact by Christians living in the so-called Christian countries. If this is not done, then others will be justified in claiming that the Western world which projects itself as Christian is in fact betraying Christ and Christianity, given that it is not in the least reminiscent of the Christian way of life that Christ had designated and His Apostles and Saints had pursued through the ages.

St. Makarios the Great

On the Struggle with passions, humility, and circumspection

- After a person had turned away from God's commandments and became subject to His condemnation, sin had enslaved him and like a narrow and deep abyss of bitterness, having pervaded inside, captured the soul to its very deepest recesses. Likewise, we can compare the sin within us as a large and leafy tree, whose roots stretch deep into the soil. Thus having entered our soul, sin had overwhelmed it to its deepest recesses, becoming a habit that begins in our childhood and with the years, grows ever stronger leads us toward the vile.

- Sometimes, good intentions are performed for the sake of self-glorification and public acclaim. But before God it is as same as a lie, a theft and similar sins, as it is said: "For God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you" (Psalm 53:5). The sly one seeks a gain for himself even in our good deeds. He is very inventive in order to deceive us with worldly desires. When a person becomes attached to someone through physical love, the sin then snares him, binding him with shackles and dragging him down with his heavy burden, not allowing him to gather his strength to return to God. Whatever a person loves in this world is what burdens his mind and will not give him an opportunity to gather his strength and return to God. The level of our physical attachment determines the strength of the passion that wars with us. This is how the whole human race is tested…When a person is caught by his own self-willfulness and begins to love something, this love shackles him and he is incapable of striving totally toward God. Thus, for example, one might love his house, another — wealth, another — highly complex earthly scholarship to secure public acclaim; another loves power while another — fame; another loves entertaining parties, another to spend his time in "wool gathering" and pleasures; another deludes himself with idle thoughts; another, because of ambition seeks to sermonize; another takes pleasure in laziness and idleness while another is attached to elegant apparel; another gives in to earthly concerns; another loves to sleep, or joke, or swear. Whatever attaches a person to the worldly, large or small, it restrains him and does not allow him to collect his strength.

- If you see someone exalting himself and is arrogant about his abilities, know that even if he created great signs and resurrected the dead….he is being robbed by an evil spirit without realizing it. Even if he performs miracles — do not believe him because the sign of a Christian is to hide from others any gifts that God have deemed him worthy to receive. Having the riches of a king, the Christian hides them as though to say: "These are not my riches, someone else put them there." If someone says "What I have acquired is sufficient for me, I don't need any more," — he is already not a Christian but is in a state of delusion and has become an instrument of the devil. Because rapture in God is insatiable, the extent of one's savoring it and partaking of spiritual blessings is the measure by which the hunger for it is increased. Such people have a fervent and unstoppable love for God. The more they succeed and acquire, the more they acknowledge themselves as beggars.

- Like traders sailing on a ship during fair winds and a calm sea fear that sudden strong winds and turbulent waters may place their ship in danger before they reach port, so do Christians, even though they feel benevolent winnowing of the Holy Spirit, , fear that an ill-wind may arouse a turbulence of passions. Consequently, it is essential to take great care in order to reach the tranquil port of eternal life and eternal joy — the cities of Saints, Heavenly Jerusalem and the Churches of the firstborn. (Hebr. 12:23).