Message from Metropolitan Alexios
My Beloved Ones,
I am so pleased that I am now able to greet you with that most beautiful and joyous of greetings,
Χριστὸς ἀνέστη
Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!
Having celebrated the highest feast of our liturgical year, I pray that we were all able to experience the brightness that the feast of Pascha brings to all our lives. The Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ plays the most important role in our relationship with our God. This personal relationship between man and God is explained further in the Gospel for the first week after Pascha, Thomas Sunday; which we read, in part, on the Agape Vespers of Pascha: when, after His Resurrection, the Lord appears to His Disciples—even from behind the door they themselves locked out of fear of the Scribes and Elders.
Our Lord says, “‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’” (John 20:21-23) In this way, our Lord prefigures the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Helper who will come to the Apostles ten days after our Lord’s Ascension, at the Feast of Pentecost.
Now Thomas was not there to witness this blessed event, and so he remains skeptical, saying to the other ten Disciples, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25).
The aspect of humanity that separates us from the rest creation, is God’s gift of the rational mind. We live our lives able to understand the wonders of God’s creation, because we can think and analyze those moments which other created beings simply experience; and this is indeed, a blessing. However, a negative aspect of this Gift is skepticism, which prioritizes proof over Faith, as Thomas has done. In spite of the fact that he heard Jesus explaining the Messiah’s self-sacrifice, and even after he witnessed countless miracles—including the raising of Lazarus—Thomas is a man who has come to rely on his own understanding, rather than simple belief, which as Lord says, can move mountains.
Eight days later, therefore, the Lord appears to all His Disciples, fulfilling Thomas’ request. Thomas, amazed, becomes the first to proclaim our Lord’s human and divine nature when He exclaims, ““My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). In Christ’s dialogue with the Apostle Thomas, we witness the historical reality of our Lord’s bodily Resurrection from the Dead, the proof for which Thomas asked. However, our Lord does this, not to simply grant Thomas’ wish, but rather, to create an important distinction, saying, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (John 20:29).
As today’s Disciples, who were not blessed to live with Christ on this earth, this message is even more important. One could say that because we cannot see Him, it is not enough to simply believe in His Presence: we must truly engage in a spiritual relationship with our Lord, putting our trust, not in eyes which can deceive us, but in our immortal souls. For as St. Paul says, “…Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures… he was buried… he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures… Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5; 20-22).
Therefore, as we continue to honor our Lord’s Resurrection during this period of Paschal joy, we must never forget that it is through this miraculous event that we have been given the promise of our eternal life after our immortal soul shall be separated from its earthly body. As Orthodox Christians, may we continue to strengthen our spiritual relationship with our Lord, so that, having lived as He wishes us too, we may see Him, face-to-face in Paradise.
+ALEXIOS
Metropolitan of Atlanta
Youth, Education & Hellenic Culture
St. Stephen’s Summer Camp 2019 Summer 2019 Dates are:
Week 1: June 23 -June 29
Week 2: June 30 - July 6
Week 3: July 7 - July 13
Week 4: July 14 - July 20
Week 5: July 21 - July 27
For more news, activities, and upcoming events, please click this link!
2019 OCAMPR Conference
"The Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology and Religion, an international, pan-Orthodox organization endorsed by the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America, welcomes presentations of Workshops and Papers at its Annual Conference, " Isolation. Violence. Hope and Communion" which will be held November 7 -9 at Saints Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church in Glenview, IL (Chicago area).
The Annual Conference offers a unique opportunity for Orthodox clergy, theologians, and healthcare professionals to come together for fellowship and to engage in interdisciplinary dialogue. OCAMPR requests that proposals for presentations reflect professional, academic discussion on critical issues regarding the helping professions and pastoral care, specifically as it relates to our Orthodox Christian faith."
For more submission infornation please click here.
Family Life Ministry
A growing branch of Family Life Ministry and generously powered by Leadership 100, Engage Orthodoxy is a place for anyone to find Orthodox Christian Content curated by a thoughtful and intentional administrative team.
“Engage Orthodoxy” is not only the name of this new site, but it is also the name of a movement away from division and towards unity. Engage Orthodoxy is a movement towards community, involvement, Orthodox friendships, and relationships. EO seeks to bring the the faithful, the curious, the lost, and the searching TOWARDS their faith and Christ and in turn, towards each other. Engage Orthodoxy is a movement forward into the future of the faith. Join us as we move toward Christ, toward each other, and toward the church.
For more information, or to order “Woven: An Interactive Book for the Modern Teenage Girl on Orthodox Christianity” please visit, woveninhislove.org
We also share with you helpful links from the OCN and the Family Life Ministry of the Metropolis of Atlanta.
Journey of Marriage (Pre-Marital Seminar)
All couples marrying in the Metropolis must attend a Metropolis-sponsored Journey of Marriage seminar prior to their wedding. The couple will present their certificate of completion to their parish priest after the seminar.
- May 18, 2019 - St. George, New Port Richey, FL
- Sep 07, 2019 - St. George, Hollywood, FL
To see the full list of seminars in Florida and in our entire Metropolis please visit: http://www.familylifeministry.atlanta.goarch.org/upcoming-events-2/
Registration is online. Materials costs are included in the registration.
The Strategic Plan
Clergy-Laity Workshops (6/27 & 6/28/19)
Want to learn the latest best practices on how to grow your parish?
How about learning to create a plan for the future of your parish?
How do I fund the essential ministries of my parish and become less dependent on fund raisers?
Have I covered all the significant risks to my parish and what risks go beyond insurance coverage?
Are my religious education programs covering all that they should and are they effective? Is leadership training important to my role in the parish?
If you and your fellow parishioners have ever discussed these topics and you want to learn more, then …
PLAN TO PARTICIPATE AT THIS YEAR'S METROPOLIS CLERGY-LAITY ASSEMBLY, THURSDAY JUNE 27 and FRIDAY JUNE 28.
MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW - Click here for the online portal.
Visit Click here to view a list of the completed goals.
Shop with Amazon, donate to the DRC
Amazon Smile is a program that allows for 0.5% of your eligible Amazon purchase to be donated to the Diakonia Retreat Center (No Added Cost To You). To find our Amazon Smile page, visit https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-2187047.