Message from Metropolitan Alexios
My Beloved Ones,
The Gospel of the Sunday before Christ’s Nativity is a very interesting one, as well as being very complex. In it, the Evangelist Matthew discusses the genealogy, or the family tree of our Lord. This is the reading which begins, “Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers…” (Mathew 1:2) From there, the list grows and grows—from the foundation of the Covenant, to the deportation into Babylon—before finally ending with God’s Messiah: “…Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. (Matthew 1:15-16)
Two thousand years later, many who are not as intimately familiar with the Scriptures might say that the passage is dull, and perhaps even very difficult to read. Obviously, the Evangelist seeks to connect the Old and New Testaments by showing how Christ’s human nature is the perfection of the Covenant promised to Abraham and his descendants—but the Evangelist is also making a much quieter point about the nature of families.
Whether we are Hellenes, or simply Orthodox, we, as members of this Metropolis, place a great emphasis on the importance of the family. Parents are expected to raise their children in a way that helps them on their journey toward theosis, and children are called to love and honor their parents. However, this does not mean that families are in any way perfect; as long as there is sin on earth, no one who lives is perfect, save God. We may be painfully aware of this fact when holidays approach; for even as we try to exhibit the true Christian spirit of the Nativity season, there will be disagreements, or family members whose ways are so different from our own, that conflict can happen.
The beautiful thing about this Gospel passage, is that St. Matthew knows this as well. Within his genealogy, Matthew includes four women of the Old Testament who were by no means perfect individuals. We are told that “…Judah [was] the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar…” (Matthew 1:3) but what Matthew leaves unsaid is that Tamar was Judah’s own daughter-in-law. Of course, better known to most is the fact that “…David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah…” (Matthew 1:6) after God’s anointed King sent Uriah into battle to be killed, to have Bathsheba for himself.
The point Matthew raises, is not to dwell upon the sins of these individuals, but to demonstrate that human weakness is a part of everyone’s family—even Christ’s. No one can achieve the image frequently shown to us of a “perfect family”. Matthew asks us instead to consider that what we need are spirits of patience and humility—as well as a sincere desire to repent; as David does in many of the Psalms which Tradition attributes to him.
So, as we prepare to gather with family—whether they might argue, boast, or show some other form of sin, let us rest in the fact that God knows our weaknesses. After all, He brought his Son forth from descendants who were less than Godly too. All we can do, is demonstrate Christ’s love and patience, and trust that He understands our hearts and intentions, even when we ourselves also fall short of His Word.
+ALEXIOS
Metropolitan of Atlanta
Youth, Education and Hellenic Culture
For information on Policies for the Safety of Youth and Children, please click this link! Please remember that all parishes must comply and sign their parish contracts by December 1 to host any youth ministry programs or events on the parish level (Sunday School) or to participate on a District or Metropolis Level Events (Retreats, WYR & HDF).
For Youth activities like Winter Youth Rally, HDF, or the Connect Conference, click this link!
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.
- Jan 18, 2020 - Annunciation, Ft Myers, 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)
FOUR OF THE WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS WERE TAPED AND WILL BE PUT IN THE COMPLETED MATERIALS SECTION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN WEBSITE IN THE COMING WEEKS.
STAY TUNED
Take a look at the online portal.
Vist www.atlstrategicplan.org/portal to view a list of the several goals completed in 2017.