Metropolitan Alexios' Message
My Beloved Ones,
Χριστὸς ἀνέστη! Christ is Risen!
As we approach the coming of our Lord’s Ascension, and thus the end of the Paschal season, this Sunday’s readings offer us a reminder of that hymn we heard in our darkened parishes during the Orthros Service before the Anastasi: “Come receive the light, from the never-setting light; and glorify Christ who has risen from the dead.” Both the readings from the Acts of the Apostles & the Gospel give us important witnesses to men who encountered the light of Christ and were changed forever.
In the Gospel, the Disciples encounter a blind beggar, for whom Jesus anoints his eyes before 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’ chains 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 to save himself and his family the world’s shame. 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” (John 8:12). 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
A Special Message from Metropolitan Alexios
May 25, 2022
Beloved in the Lord,
Χριστὸς ἀνέστη. Christ is Risen.
It is with a troubled and sorrowful heart that I greet you today in the name of our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Like each of you, I was shocked and grieved to hear of the horrifying attack in Uvalde, Texas, which has resulted in the deaths of 19 elementary school students and 2 teachers.
In the face of such a cruel attack, there is not only shock and sadness, but also numbness. In just the last month our country has also seen attacks in Buffalo, New York, and at a church in Southern California. And after each event of terrible loss, it is only human to feel tired, distressed and hopeless.
On the Cross, when Jesus cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" He was quoting the 22nd Psalm, in which the Psalmist calls on God to save him. After describing his ill health, and how the world surrounds him, the Psalmist ends his prayer by saying, "For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him" (Psalm 22:24). In this season of the Resurrection, we recall not only the joy that our Lord has brought to us by trampling down on Death, but we can also find comfort that from the Cross, He understands our pain, our struggles, our doubts, and our fears.
So now, let us each pray that our Lord give rest to the souls of those innocent children, that He comfort their grieving families, and that He bring renewed hope to as the survivors. Though they may have been unknown to us, all those affected are made in the image and likeness of God, and so we are called to remember them in our personal prayers. Truly, as we continue to experience events of this magnitude and sobering character, it is both good and proper to turn to God. The only other choice—continuing to drive ourselves and our society away from our Creator—is what produces such feelings of terror and helplessness, which in turn lead to horrific actions.
May our Lord bestow upon us the hope and strength to minister and support our grieving brothers and sisters. As we chant during the Great Compline,“Lord of the Powers be with us, for in times of distress we have no other help but You. Lord of the Powers, have mercy on us.”
May their memories be eternal!
+ A L E X I O S
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!