Message from Metropolitan Alexios
My Beloved Ones,
Have you ever imagined how St. Paul felt after he found Christ? We know that he began as a persecutor of Christians; and that on the road to Damascus, he was blinded by a great light, before giving his life to the service of the Lord. Even so, his life did not become easier. Instead, he suffered from both Roman authorities, and from his fellow Israelites, who now gave him the same kind of treatment he gave St. Stephen.
We cannot be surprised then when he writes in this week’s Epistle to the Romans, “Brothers and sisters, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them [Israel] is that they may be saved.” (Romans 10:1) Having received the light of Christ Resurrected, St. Paul earnestly wishes that his brothers and sisters would also join him in the worship of God’s Messiah; but he grieves that they are still unmoved. He knows also that their belief is true, “…but it is not enlightened.” (Romans 10:2)
St. Paul himself understands how zealousness for the Law can harden hearts. As he says, “…being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they have not submitted to God's righteousness.” (Romans 10:3) Mosaic Law was given as a guide to live righteously, but, “…Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:4) Truly righteous faith, according to St. Paul does not say, “… ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down) or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” (Romans 10:6-7) Christ has already descended into Hades and He has risen from the dead for our sakes’.
Knowing the Truth of salvation, righteous Christian faith requires only that we say: “…‘The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart’… because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.” (Romans 10:8-10) In times such as ours, such a message is a beautiful reminder that Christ has already accomplished the impossible—and because He loves us.
Even amid pandemics and unrest, St. Paul proves that all that is required, is to profess our belief in God, and then to demonstrate it to our family and our neighbor. Though the brokenness of our world does not make these tasks easy, it is a comfort to know that we can rest fully in Christ, knowing “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)
+ALEXIOS
Metropolitan of Atlanta
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.
New OCAMPR website
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 https://atlmetropolis.org/policies-for-the-safety-of-youth-and-children! 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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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!
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: https://atlmetropolis.org/pre-marital-seminars-journey-of-marriage
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.
M
The 45th Biennial Virtual Clergy-Laity Congress will be held on September 9 & 10 beginning at 12:00 p.m. EST. Parishes that have not already responded are kindly asked to name their delegates to the Congress by visiting https://j.mp/parish2020.
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America announces a new website offering critical resources for "virtual" Summer Camp and Vacation Church School programs.
The Spring 2020 edition of PRAXIS magazine is now fully available online. The topic of Orthodox Youth around the World was selected to honor the Christmas 2019 declaration of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew that 2020 would be the “year of pastoral renewal and due concern for the youth.”
As the country begins to open up, should we be living in fear and anxiety or should we continue to trust that God is in control? Tune in to the last Comfort Food for Families video from the GOA Center for Family Care to hear more.