Η κατά Χριστόν Μαθητεία.

Στο κατά Ματθαίον Ευαγγέλιο διαβάζουμε ότι ο Κύριος αποχαιρετά τους Αποστόλους δίνοντας ταυτόχρονα την εντολή να κάνουν όλα τα έθνη μαθητές τους. “Πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα τα Έθνη.” Δεν τους ζητάει απλώς να πάνε σε όλα τα έθνη και να κηρύξουν. Ο Κύριος περιμένει από τον άνθρωπο πνεύμα Μαθητείας. Η κατά Χριστόν ζωή είναι η υιοθέτηση της διδασκαλίας του Χριστού σε κάθε πτυχή της ζωής μας και όχι απλώς η ανάγνωση και αφομοίωση κάποιας διδασκαλίας. Είναι η ζωή που έζησαν και ζουν οι Άγιοι, οι οποίοι είναι οι κατεξοχήν Μαθητές του Χριστού.

“Γίνεσθε δὲ ποιηταὶ λόγου καὶ µὴ µόνον ἀκροαταὶ παραλογιζόµενοι ἑαυτούς” παρακινεί ο Απόστολος Ιάκωβος στην Καθολική του επιστολή. Το μεγάλο λάθος του ανθρώπου, όχι μόνο σήμερα αλλά σε κάθε εποχή, είναι ότι νομίζει ότι γνωρίζει, ερμηνεύει, ή καταλαβαίνει όλα όσα αφορούν τη σχέση του με τον Θεό και την σωτηρία της ψυχής. Ακόμα και όταν καταλαβαίνει ότι η πνευματική του προσπάθεια αποτυγχάνει, τα ελαττώματα και τα πάθη παραμένουν, δεν ταπεινώνεται. Νομίζει ότι απλώς έκανε λάθη στον χειρισμό κάποιων καταστάσεων και βαθύτερα λέει: “Έκανα λάθος, τώρα όμως ξέρω τι θα κάνω.” Ο Χριστός, καυτηριάζει αυτή τη στάση και λέει: “Επειδή λέτε ότι βλέπετε, γιαυτό η αμαρτία σας παραμένει.” Με άλλα λόγια, δεν μπορείτε να απαλλαγείτε από την αμαρτία. 

Η Μαθητεία είναι η πνευματική αναγέννηση του ανθρώπου. Ας πάρουμε παράδειγμα από τα υλικά που ανακυκλώνονται. Χωρίς να καταστρέφεται ό,τι καλό υπάρχει στο υλικό, αυτό που στο τέλος θα προκύψει είναι καινούργιο. Η αλλαγή δεν περιορίζεται στην επιφάνεια του υλικού, στο σχήμα ή στο χρώμα.  Δεν θα μείνει τίποτα που να θυμίζει το παλιό υλικό. Κατ’ αναλογία θα λέγαμε ότι μέσα στο πνεύμα της Μαθητείας ο άνθρωπος γίνεται καινούργιος. Όπως λένε οι ύμνοι της εορτής των Θεοφανείων, “δίχα πυρός αναχωνεύει, και αναπλάττει άνευ συντρίψεως.” Ο Θεός αναπλάθει τον άνθρωπο χωρίς ούτε να τον καίει ούτε και να τον συντρίβει.

Τι είναι τελικά πνεύμα Μαθητείας; Είναι αυτό που ένας από τους κορυφαίους σοφούς όλων των εποχών, ο Σωκράτης, διδάσκει: «Ἕν οἶδα, ὅτι οὐδέν οἶδα.» Όλοι έχουμε την εικόνα των γονέων οι οποίοι πηγαίνουν τα παιδιά τους στο σχολείο για πρώτη φορά. Τα ενθαρρύνουν να ακούνε τον δάσκαλο και με εμπιστοσύνη να κάνουν αυτό που θα τα διδάξει. Ο Θεός ξέρει αυτό που μας χρειάζεται, ξέρει τα μαθήματα που πρέπει να πάρουμε. Ας μάθουμε λοιπόν να αφήνουμε την ψυχή μας στα χέρια του Θεού σύμφωνα με αυτό που ακούμε πάλι και πάλι στην εκκλησία.  “Και πάσαν την ζωήν ημών Χριστώ τω Θεώ παραθώμεθα.”

Discipleship in Christ

In the Gospel according to St. Matthew we read that the Lord bids farewell to the Apostles while giving the command to make all the nations their disciples. "Go then and make disciples of all the nations."

He does not simply ask them to go to all the nations and preach. The Lord expects from man the spirit of Discipleship. Life in Christ is the adoption of the teaching of Christ in every aspect of our lives and not just the reading and assimilation of a teaching. It is the life that was lived and still is lived by the Saints, who are the foremost Disciples of Christ.

"But be you doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves", Apostle James urges us in his Catholic letter. The great mistake of man, not only today but in every age, is that he thinks he knows, interprets, or understands everything that concerns his relationship with God and the salvation of the soul. Even when he realizes that his spiritual endeavor is failing, flaws and passions remain, he is not humbled. He thinks he just made mistakes in handling some situations and says: "I was wrong, but now I know what I have to do." Christ rebukes this attitude and says, "Because you say that you see, therefore your sin remains." In other words, you cannot get rid of sin.

Discipleship is the spiritual rebirth of man. Take the example of recycled materials. Without being destroyed what is good in the material, what will emerge in the end is new. The change is not limited to the surface of the material, the shape, or the color. There will be nothing left reminiscent of the old material. By analogy we would say that in the spirit of Discipleship man becomes new. As the hymns of the feast of the Epiphany say, “Without fire He casts anew? and without shattering He refashions.” God regenerates man without burning or crushing him.

What is the spirit of Discipleship? It is what one of the greatest sages of all time, Socrates, teaches: "One I know, that I know nothing." We all have the image of parents going to school with their children for the first time. The parents encourage them to listen to the teacher and to do with confidence what he will teach them. God knows what we need, He knows the lessons we need to learn. So let us learn to leave our souls in the hands of God according to what we hear again and again in the church. "Let us commit ourselves and our whole life to Christ of God."

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Liturgical Services: Welcome parishioners and visitors for on-site services. We continue Live Stream Services on Facebook, please visit our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/HolyTrinityGOC/)

On August 19, 2021, His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta wrote: "it is important to consider that late last week, the CDC published its latest guidelines which reads: “Use masks to slow the spread of COVID-19 in which they state that masks should be worn by those, “including children older than 2, who are not fully vaccinated [and] fully vaccinated people with weakened immune systems.”  Finally, the CDC writes “To maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others, fully vaccinated people should wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission."

In accordance with the wishes of our Metropolitan, we encourage all parishioners to resume wearing masks to slow the spread of the Delta variant.  Whether one chooses to wear a mask or not, all are welcome!

"...the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14

November Fall General Assembly Zoom Meeting:  Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church will hold a scheduled Fall General Assembly Zoom meeting on November 7, 2021 11:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada).

Collection for St. Demiana Coptic Orthodox Church:  It is with great sadness that we learned that St. Demiana Coptic Orthodox Church in Jacksonville was involved in a fire on Monday morning and is a complete loss.  We ask that we all offer prayers that God gives the Clergy and parishioners strength, hope and peace during this difficult time.

To show our support to their community, we took up a collection for them last coming Sunday, and also through our on-line donation portal. The collection will be matched from our outreach funds as well.

Special Prayer Requests: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  (Phil. 4:6-7)

We pray for mercy, life, peace, and healing of all parishioners, Michael and Ingrid Fotianos, Bill Duddy-ankle, Susan Stone - surgery, Margo Kelley's mother, Maria, Ruza Basimamovic, Mikae Gaetanos, Chresanthe Lemieux, Zoe Kauttu, Maryann Bolt, James Day, Kostas Lantzounis (is at Bayview Rehab Center and welcomes visitors); Fr. Nikitas and Pres. Mary Theodosion, His Grace Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos, Margaret, James, Kyriake, Joseph, Alex Aclim, Irene Hastalis, Jane Anderson, Gwen H., Thanos Nikolopoulos and prayers for George Ritsi who fell asleep in the Lord,  Remember also our missionary families: Fr. Stephanos, Pr. Alexandria, Moses & Athan Ritsi serving in Albania.

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Stewardship:  

Stewardship is an important part of our future as a family of faith. It is also a spiritual growth opportunity grounded in God's provision for all our needs.

Please review the year-to-date stewardship contribution statements you recently received, recognizing that you are helping achieve our financial goals for the year.  If you have not already done so, it is never too late to offer stewardship contributions as a reflection of your support for this parish.

To all our Stewards, thank you for your involvement and your financial support.

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Sunday School News:  Classes are in session.  Join us this week.  St. Paul writes: "Fathers [parents], bring them [your children] up with the training and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4) Our goal is that Holy Trinity Sunday School be an encouragement to your child's spiritual life and growth and a supplement to what you as a parent are trying to accomplish at home as you educate your child in the Faith, "bringing them up with the training and instruction of the Lord.” For parents and students that may prefer a zoom alternative, please contact Presbytera Renee Ritsi at 904 377-2591.

Thursday Night Bible Study:  Starting September 30, the adult Bible Study occurs each Thursday from 8 to 9 PM online through Zoom.  The meeting can be accessed by going to https://classes.theColburns.us. Click on the menu item that says “Online”. You can also click on the name of the class to view videos of past sessions and bibliography information. The meeting passcode is 030927

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Greek Fest To-Go Cooking:   The Countdown is On!   Our Greek Fest To-Go is less than 2 weeks away!  We will be cooking moussaka this Friday and Saturday.  Please come and help as many hands will make this an easy task. 

• We will begin on Friday, October 1st @ 2:00 by prepping the eggplant, potatoes and making the meat sauce. 
• We will continue on Saturday, October 2nd @ 10:00 by putting it all together and making the bechamel and cooking and storing the moussaka. 

No experience necessary - we will show you what to do.  The more hands we have, the quicker we can get cleaned up and done.  

Thank you to all who have helped with our various tasks the last few weeks and who continue to help!  We will need all your help the weekend of the To-Go Fest.  Be on the look out for the Sign-Up Genius to see how you can help, or simply show up on Friday, October 8th and Saturday October 9th and offer your help.  Everyone is welcome!  Any questions, please call Carman 904-540-0367.     

ORDER GREEK FEST TO-GO FOODS ONLINE AT:  staugustinegreekfest.com.   PICK UP OCT. 8TH AND 9TH AT HOLY TRINITY GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH.

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COFFEE HOUR DATES AVAILABLE 

We are in need of parishioners to offer Coffee Hour on these upcoming dates:

• October 10, 17, 24
• November 7, 21, 28

What to bring?

• refreshments for 30-35 persons,  pre-wrapped or pre-plated makes clean up easier
• paper goods, coffee, and condiments provided
• help will be available to make the coffee

How to sign up?

• go to https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0c44aeac2ba0fec25-coffee 
• click the blue box that says SIGN UP, then the brown box at the bottom of the page that says SUBMIT AND SIGN UP
• it will take you to the next screen, click on SIGN UP NOW

Questions ? don’t want to sign up online?

• contact Carmela ctardo@gmail.com or 904 687-5433

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SERVICE/EVENT SCHEDULE (Sunday Orthros 9am, Divine Liturgy 10am)

Sept

29       Small vespers with newcomers reception - 6 p.m. (small Lenten potluck after vespers)

30       Thursday Night Bible Study 8 to 9 PM online through Zoom

Oct:

8-9     Greek Fest To Go  (Order on line now and pick up on Oct 8 & 9)

18      Parish Council (3rd Monday, monthly)

26      St. Demetrios

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Giving:

• On-Line Giving:  Click “Donate Now” on our Church’s web page www.HolyTrinityGOC.com to make a gift. Giving categories – stewardship, memorials, etc. – have been set up to allow giving to specific funds.
• Our “Light a Candle & Say a Prayer” ministry lets you to light a candle during divine services on-line.  Your request will be forwarded to a Council member in the Narthex to light your candle.  Also, if you wish to provide names of loved ones to be prayed for, those will be provided to Fr. Maximos. Give via credit card, PayPal, or set up recurrent giving through your bank.  Please be sure a specific notation (ex: stewardship) is included for each transaction. 
• Giving by Check:  When contributing by check, the notation on the memo line allows us to identify your intentions (i.e. stewardship, candles, trays, memorials, etc.).

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Ministry Needed - Parish Webmaster and FaceBook:  We are searching for someone who may have the talent and desire to post news onto the church website and Facebook pages.  This may be a once or twice a week activity.  If you have the talent and wish to give of your time in this way, please let the church office know. This is a very important and needful ministry for the life of our Parish.

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Contact Information: Please call (904 829-0504) or email (holy3goc@gmail.com) Nelda to update your contact information.  Also, if you know of anyone who doesn’t receive parish emails but would like to, please encourage them to contact the parish office with their contact information.

Parish Announcements:  If you are not receiving your electronic church bulletin or notices ... or you know of someone who has not received theirs ... PLEASE CONTACT THE CHURCH OFFICE DIRECTLY via email <holy3goc@gmail.com> with your correct email so it can be corrected on listserv.  Thank you.

• If you have a request for a special service such as a memorial, please email the church office at holy3goc@gmail.com or call 904 829-0504 (if you do not have access to email) in advance of requested date with details.

• If you would like any of the following, please contact Fr. Maximos  via email at fathermaximusa7@gmail.com or text him at 347 500-8176: 
• To receive a phone message from Father Maximos about services, special events or other subjects.
• To arrange an appointment for a House Blessing.
• To offer Holy Communion to someone in need at a hospital, nursing home, in hospice care, or at home.       

•  The normal deadline for the Church bulletin e-mail articles is before 12pm on Wednesday weekly.

If you want your announcements on the master calendar, please remember to e-mail them to the office at holy3goc@gmail.com.