Message from Metropolitan Alexios
My Beloved Ones,
Χριστὸς ἀνέστη! Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη! Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!
The readings for this Sunday of the Blind Man give us two important examples of the strength that comes from true belief in God.
In the Gospel, the Disciples encounter a blind beggar, for whom Jesus anoints his eyes, telling him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. After he receives his sight, the blind man’s neighbors do not believe, and the Pharisees wish to use his own words against Christ. Though the man is cast out from the synagogue, Jesus approaches him, asking, “Do you believe in the Son of man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who speaks to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe”; and he worshiped him (John 9:35-38).
Let us now look at this Sunday’s reading from the Book of Acts Paul and Silas encounter a slave who performs fortune telling. The demon that gives her this power is greatly disturbed by Paul and Silas, and so, the girl follows them, proclaiming that they are the Lord’s Apostles. Troubled, Paul expels the demon, but this infuriates the pagans, who deliver the Apostles to the governor, for punishment and imprisonment. Throughout their torments, Paul and Silas remain faithful, even singing hymns in their jail cell.
The reading then tells us that there is then an earthquake so strong, that the Apostles’ bonds are broken, and the doors opened. When the jailer wakes, he assumes that the prisoners escaped, and so he draws his sword to kill himself. Paul, however, stops him. The jailer, asking that light be brought in to see them, falls down before them, afraid, asking, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God” (Acts 16:30-34).
We could say much about the patience of the Apostles: who remain faithful, even as they are harassed, beaten, and chained—but let us look at the jailer. He is doing his job, and then there is a violent earthquake. He is so terrified at the thought of a prisoner escape, that he is willing to take his own life. Instead, look at what he does when Paul tells him they are still in the jail. We read that, “…the jailer called for lights…” (Acts 16:29).
“I am the light of the world,” Jesus says. “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” The Fathers of the Church take St. John’s statement that the Blind Man was blind at birth to mean that he was born without eyes. Here, we have two examples of men, one Jewish and pagan, who understood that they were in the presence of something greater than themselves, and so surrendered their lives to Christ.
Hopefully, we too ask ourselves every day what we must do to be saved. And I pray that we also have the strength to do what both these men did: ask for light.
+ALEXIOS Metropolitan of Atlanta
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COVID-19 Resources |
New OCAMPR website and COVID-19 Resources
Supplemental letter for re-opening churches
May 22, 2020
I greet you my beloved with love and joy in the name of our Resurrected Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I pray that this message finds you well, as we prepare to re-open our churches.
This past week we hosted conference calls via Zoom with all the parishes in our God protected Metropolis. I offer my sincere gratitude to all who participated in these meetings as they were very beneficial, not only for those who attended, but for myself as well. In those meetings, we were able to review, assess the regulations of each State and see how we can best celebrate our Church Services in each location. From our discussions, we received valuable information to share with all of you.
Therefore, in addition to the guidelines stated in the letter dated May 13, 2020, please consider these supplementary guidelines as well.
To read the rest of His Eminence's letter and review the Metropolis protocols, please click here.
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Christ is in our midst! In response to the challenges we are facing in our communities, country, and worldwide, OCAMPR is reaching out to provide assistance to care professionals at this time. Please visit the new OCAMPR website and our COVID-19 Resources page: https://www.ocampr.org/covid-19-resources.html It contains links to the best resources for healthcare professionals as we serve our clients, patients, and parishes. Consider contributing useful information that you have found or developed. We are in the process of developing additional resources that might be useful.
We’re particularly interested in supporting the professionals on the frontlines, many of whom are carrying additional risks and burdens. It is easy to be overworked and isolated specifically as the stresses and complexities of care-providing increase.
Visit our Support for Frontline Professionals page:
https://www.ocampr.org/support-for-frontline-healthcare-professionals.html Here you may sign up for prayer support, receive a daily quote and reflection, or share your work experiences. Please share these resources with anyone whom you think might benefit.
We know that these are unique times for all of us, and we also know that we have been invited to provide important care at this time. OCAMPR seeks to support each healthcare professional because we do not need to respond alone. If you have any questions, comments, or specific needs that OCAMPR can assist you with at this time, do not hesitate to reach out to us at ocamprinfo@gmail.com. We seek to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2) at this time as we offer our skills and services in faith and in love.
May our God of mercy, compassion, and love, through the prayers of His Most Holy Mother, Sts. Kosmas and Damian, St. Luke the Physician, and all the Saints be with all of you in the Lenten Season.
in Christ,
OCAMPR Executive Board
Stewardship Calling in the era of COVID-19
I just wanted to make available to you a very extensive set of resources I offered on my last AFR podcast with a lot of specific suggestions for parishes to consider in 10 strategic areas as a result of COVID-19 as well as a lot of other online resources they could access.
The podcast was over 2 hours given all of the content and resources, and I have also provided two written transcripts, once of the entire show, and a second one that just featured all of the ideas in the 10 areas and resources. I also encouraged those people who can afford to do so to accept the Coronavirus Contribution Challenge by taking their government check they will receive and contributing it to their local church, ministry or charity.
The podcast is free and can be shared and used with no conditions or restrictions. The specific podcast “Spread The Word Not The Virus” can be accessed here: https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/stewardshipcalling/spread_the_word_not_the_virus
The printed resources can be downloaded here https://stewardshipcalling.com/internet-radio/, by scrolling down to the April 1, 2020 program notes.
Feel free to use or share what you want on the Metropolis communications or wherever. Thanks again for all you do and stay safe.
Have a blessed day.
Bill Marianes
www.stewardshipcalling.com
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).
May 4, 2020
To the faithful of the Metropolis of Atlanta:
My Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!
I greet you with love and joy in the name of our Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Having been found worthy to once again witness our Lord’s life-giving Resurrection, I pray that you and your families are healthy and safe during this holy season.
I come to you all today with an important announcement for the life of our Metropolis. Our Diakonia Retreat Center (DRC) is a special place where we all find God’s presence, and where our lives, both young and old, are transformed as we grow in our Orthodox faith. Though I know how much we look forward to the opportunities that our DRC gives to all of us, I regret to inform you that, due to the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the DRC shall remain closed until further notice.
This careful decision was agreed upon by the DRC Board, the Executive Committee of the DRC, and our clergy, who considered not only the directives given to us by our Archdiocese and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, but also contemplated the different States orders from across our Metropolis, including that of the State of South Carolina. Of course, when the CDC and the State of South Carolina determine that it is safe to reopen such spaces, we shall comply with proper processes and procedures to ensure the safety of our faithful.
Following this, the closure of our beloved Retreat Center also means the cancellation of this year's St. Stephen's Summer Camp,which is a decision that was not made lightly.
I would like to speak now directly to our young people. Over the last months, you have seen so many changes to your life, that this decision to forego St. Stephen's is surely a disappointment. Even so, I hope you understand that this was done for the health and safety of yourselves, your families, and your peers. However, even with this precaution in place, know that your Metropolis will continue to minister to you. We are currently creating a variety of virtual opportunities that will allow you to come together with your fellow campers, counselors and clergy during summer 2020. Please continue to await further emails from the Youth Department as details are finalized.
Allow me to commend you all--grandparents, parents and children--for your continued patience and faithfulness as we navigate through these uncertain times. Continuing to pray for that day when we shall be able to gather together once more in our beloved Diakonia Retreat Center, I remain, Paternally yours with love in the Risen Lord, + A L E X I O S Metropolitan of Atlanta |
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April 24, 2020
Christ is Risen! Truly, He is Risen!
"Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted."
– Matthew 5:4
The American Red Cross states that, " Stress is a normal response to a challenging physical or emotional situation. It can come from an event that makes you feel frustrated, angry or nervous. It is your body’s reaction to a challenge or demand. Toxic stress occurs when demands are out of balance with our resources for coping."Ask yourself something, are you stressed? The world is shut down, you have been in quarantine for over a month. You cannot go into work, school, your friend’s house or even church. You cannot enter a grocery store without the fear of getting a loved one sick, or becoming sick yourself. You might even be one of the heroes working in the medical field, a first responder, a member of a delivery service, a grocery store worker, or, in our world, our clergy. Church communities especially are looking to clergy for guidance, live streams and answers to difficult questions, as we all mourn the lives we had just months ago.The better question is, how are you handling your stress? Did you know that some people are better at handling stress than others? There is no right or wrong way to handle stress, which comes in all shapes and sizes. Stress does not have an age requirement, and it affects everyone’s physical and mental health. We need to bring a mental health conversation into our communities, and more importantly into our households. For the past few months, Metropolises across the Archdiocese have been researching resources to bring Mental Health awareness to our youth. We have found a great resource in the American Red Cross, whose class Mental Health First Aid, has now added models about COVID- 19. The class is currently FREE and is accessible by clicking the link here. Please remember, that your personal mental health is truly the most important aspect of daily life. If you can recognize your own thoughts and feelings, you will be better equipped to help others, especially during events such as the pandemic. I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity, by also taking this class, and sharing this information with your local community.In His Service,Monica GjerdeYouth, Education & Hellenic Culture CoordinatorMetropolis of Atlanta
New Video from Trisagion Films
NEW RELEASE: “ St. Joseph the Hesychast and the Jesus Prayer” is the latest episode in our “Chronicles of the Desert” series. In this episode, we learn about the saint’s earliest days on Mount Athos and the numerous ascetics he met in his search to find a spiritual father who could teach him the Jesus Prayer and watchfulness, or inner wakefulness. St. Joseph not only discovered the prayer of the heart, but eventually became a great teacher of noetic prayer. His wisdom and practical experience can be found in the collection of his letters, Monastic Wisdom, one of the sources for this video. In it, he also recommends the classic book, The Way of a Pilgrim as a good starting point for anyone wanting to learn about the prayer. This is of course best practiced under the guidance of a spiritual father and within the sacramental life of the church. But for those who pray with humility and sincere repentance, they will find themselves more open to the presence of God, as St. Joseph the Hesychast writes:
“God continuously sees you. Why don’t you see Him? Entreat Him and endure your temptations, and your eyes will open to see Him, and then together with Job you will cry out, ‘I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear: but now my eye sees You. Wherefore I abhor myself, and reckon myself as dust and ashes.’”
In the future, we plan to release a full length video about St. Joseph the Hesychast, which will include more about his co-struggler of close to forty years, Fr. Arsenios the Cave-Dweller. Of both it can be said that they followed the same words that Christ spoke to St. Arsenios the Great, “flee, be silent, pray always.”
If you enjoy our work, please consider contributing to our effort. We use donations to support our artists, upgrade equipment, and maintain our website and domain name. One option is the crowdfunding site Patreon, where your monthly donation will go a long way in helping us share the Orthodox faith with the world. You can also make donations via PayPal. Contact us directly if you would like to donate via other methods. We greatly appreciate any help you can give!
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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.
To see the full list of seminars in Florida and in our entire Metropolis for 2020 and beyond, and to register, please visit: http://www.familylifeministry.atlanta.goarch.org/upcoming-events-2/
Registration is online. Materials costs are included in the registration.
The Strategic Plan
Have you gone to the atlstrategicplan.org website to find completed materials covering Stewardship or Outreach, Best Educational Materials or Youth Worker Training?
Now you can watch videos in each of these 4 areas to learn from the experts!
Workshops at the 2019 Metropolis Clergy-Laity Assembly in Jacksonville, Florida on these topics were videotaped to provide additional materials to help parishes in these areas.
The Stewardship Training video can be found here: https://atlstrategicplan.org/home/completed-goal-materials/9-1-comprehensive-stewardship-program
The Best Education Materials Training video can be found here: https://atlstrategicplan.org/home/completed-goal-materials/4-1-best-education-materials/
The Outreach, Evangelism, and Philanthropy Training video can be found here: https://atlstrategicplan.org/home/completed-goal-materials/7-1-outreach-evangelism-and-philanthropy
The Youth Worker Program Training Video can be found here: https://atlstrategicplan.org/home/completed-goal-materials/11-2-youth-worker-program/
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Take a look at the online portal.
Vist www.atlstrategicplan.org/portal to view a list of the completed goals.