Metropolitan Alexios' Message
My Beloved Ones,
Χριστὸς ἀνέστη! Christ is Risen!
I give thanks to our Lord, for having allowed us to celebrate Mid-Pentecost this week, as we continue to observe our Lord’s Resurrection, while looking ahead to His Ascension, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. This week’s Gospel offers a unique glimpse, as our Lord shares the reality of the Holy Spirit with the Samaritan Woman.
For us to understand the importance of this event, we must first remember the difference between Jews and Samaritans during Christ’s ministry. Each group thought about and worshiped God in different ways. Jews, of course, worshiped Him in the Temple, but Samaritans worshiped Him on Mount Gerizrim. It is for this reason, and many others, that the Jews and Samaritans considered each other an anathema. This is why the Parable of the Good Samaritan makes such a strong point: Jesus uses the Levite and the Priest as examples of Jewish people who fail to demonstrate God’s mercy to the wounded man; while an enemy of this individual, a Samaritan, shows us how to act towards our brothers and sisters in need.
Jesus demonstrates this openness personally, when, sitting alone at midday near a Samaritan well, he greets a passing woman, by asking her for a drink. Knowing only that He is a Jewish stranger, she answers, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (John 4:9) Jesus responds that He is the living water, and “…whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14)
Now, thinking as a person, she asks, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” (John 4:15). He reveals His knowledge of her life as a sinner, but speaks His Word to her compassionately, “The hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:21; 23-24).
Here we have a woman, who, like the Myrrh Bearers and so many saints throughout the ages, believes in our Lord, and testifies to the Truth of the Divine Law, rather than the earthly Law. She returns to her home, and to her village, enthusiastically preaching His Gospel. The people were so moved and amazed, that they forget about her sinful life, and instead came to Him. Here we are shown yet another group of people, strangers, and outcasts, who are brought together as one by the Word of God.
I hope and pray that this message serves as an example that we as believers, also have an obligation to share the Good News with others; and not only our non-Orthodox brothers and sisters, but even our Orthodox friends who need understanding and support as well. I greet you once again with Χριστὸς ἀνέστη! wishing you all health, peace, and safety, during the happiest time of our Ecclesiastical year!
+ALEXIOS
Metropolitan of Atlanta
Youth, Education and Hellenic Culture
St. Stephen's Summer Camp has a rich tradition, dating back to the 1980's, and is grounded on the principals of living a true Orthodox lifestyle. There are liturgical services twice a day, opportunities for reflection, team building activities, community living and meals, athletics, arts & crafts, and nightly social activities.
Summer 2022
Week 1: June 26 - July 2
Week 2: July 3 - July 9
Week 3: July 10 - July 16
Week 4: July 17 - July 23
Week 5: July 24 - July 30
Camper Registration will open Tuesday, April 12 at 12:00 p.m. ET
Camper Registration Cost is $450.00 per camper.
$200.00 deposit upon registration and the remainder will be due by June 15, 2022.
Amazon Wishlist
We have put together an Amazon Wish List of items to assist in making St. Stephen's Summer Camp the best week of the year. Please take a moment and see if you can help in any way. All items will be shipped directly to the Metropolis in Atlanta.
If you do give us a gift, please let us know who you are so we can Thank You! Click Here!
On Youth Safety Protocols
From Father George Tsahakis, Chancellor: On behalf of His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios and Monica Gjerde, our Metropolis Youth Coordinator, I commend you for working to achieve the ongoing safety and protection of our youth. Please review the following:
Login in to Armatus Administration to see your Parish Summary Now!*
https://armatus2.praesidiuminc.com/armatusUser/login
In closing, we understand this effort requires 100 percent compliance. The parish I serve, St. Christopher Church is 100 percent compliant with the above protocol. If your parish is at 100 percent, email me so I can add you to the listing for His Eminence's review. He is both supportive and has completed his background check, the 2-part Youth Safety and 1-part youth worker regulations online training. This is an ongoing responsibility for all our clergy and their youth workers... we support your efforts to guide your parish to 100 percent compliance. Thank you.
*If you misplaced your password, contact your Parish Youth Safety Admin to get it.
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 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).
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 2022 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 seminars are currently being conducted by Zoom meeting.
New Release from Trisagion Films: Saint Ignatius the God-bearer
Today, we released the latest video in our series about the lives of Orthodox Saints. St. Ignatius the God-bearer is about the life and martyrdom of the third bishop of Antioch. St. Ignatius was a disciple of the St. John the Theologian and, according to Orthodox tradition, was the little boy that Jesus Christ sat in the midst of the disciples when He said, "Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). St. Ignatius was also known as the "God-bearer" (Theophoros), because he bore God in His heart and prayed to Him unceasingly. He was also given this name because he was held in the arms of Christ, the incarnate Son of God. As bishop of Antioch, St. Ignatius led the church with courage during a difficult time of persecution. He strengthened the flock through his willingness to suffer for Christ. This comes through in the letters St. Ignatius wrote to various churches on his way to martyrdom. We hope you enjoy this video about his life and about the history of that era.
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!