May the Name of the Lord be blessed!

On October 15/28, the Holy Orthodox Church commemorates St. Euthymios the New of Thessaloniki, monk of Mt. Athos; Martyr Lucian the Presbyter of Antoich; St. Sabinus, Bishop of Catania; Martyrs Sarbelius and Bebaia of Edessa; St. Dionysios, Archbishop of Suzdal; Holy Martyr Kallistos; and the Icon of the Holy Theotokos “She Who Ripens the Grain.”  Through the prayers of Thy Saints, O God, save, have mercy upon, and protect Thy people. Amen!

FOR REFLECTION…
 

‘When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the paralytic, son, your sins be forgiven you.’ (Mark 2:5)

Christ, the Physician and Healer of our souls and bodies, out of love for the paralytic providentially blessed him with loving friends that would bring him before the Lord in order that he may be healed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he healed the man of his spiritual and his physical paralysis. Our Lord, who is plenteous in compassion, is moved to show mercy on account of the faith and virtue of others. So when sin brings us to a standstill, crippling us and confining us to our stretcher, we must quickly turn to our closest confidants for help. And who cares for our spiritual wellbeing more than our Mother, the Church, whom the Lord has preordained to carry us through our infirmities and our sinfulness to bring us to the meeting with our Physician in order that He may rid us of our sins that have the potential to hold us in eternal bondage. No matter what the paralysis, Christ stands ready to heal.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, may your healing power and love touch every area of my life, bringing healing and restoration to my soul, mind and body. Amen

2018-2019 BIBLE STUDY:   “The Gospel of St. John: Beholding the Glory” This year’s Scripture study focuses on the fourth Gospel, composed by St. John the Theologian. Join us every Thursday at 10:30 AM or 7:00 PM in the Church library to explore the depths of the Gospel written by “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”
 
LIVE ADULT EDUCATION 2018-2019: Each Sunday at 11:30 AM, the St. George Adult Education program meets in the Church library and is live streamed to a global audience through the Orthodox Christian Network Facebook page. This year’s theme is “The Shared Experience of the Orthodox Christian Faith.” People all over the world listen to our class, write in their comments, and interact with your fellow parishioners in real-time. On Oct 14, our class on “Experiencing the ‘Light and Dark Sides’ of Grace” was connected to thousands of the Orthodox faithful across the U.S. including Alaska, the United Kingdom, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Germany, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates, among other countries. Since we began these classes in Jan 2016, they have reached over 1.25 million people worldwide. Click this link watch it using Facebook or click this link to watch from any device now and share with your family and friends!

ADULT INQUIRY CLASS: For adults interested in joining the Orthodox Church. Through discussion, speakers, and personal sharing, adults will be preparing to receive Baptism or Chrismation.  Sessions will be held at 7:30 PM on Wednesdays (except October 31 and November 21) in the Church Library. Contact Fr. Dimitrios for more information or to sign up at 301-469-7990

GREEK SCHOOL: Adult classes are in session. Register at https://stgeorge.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/238/responses/new – Beginning Oct. 16, a conversational class to supplement Greek School instruction is offered every Tuesday for free to all students five years and older. Register online at:
https://stgeorge.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/247/responses/new – For information, please contact Eirini Iatrou at eirini.iatrou@gmail.com
  
USHERS NEEDED: Please consider serving our faith community by helping keep our Divine Liturgy prayerful, beautiful and well-ordered, while caring for the Narthex. We welcome all men and women to serve as ushers. Please sign up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0D4AAAAB2EA4FA7-ecclesiastical
 
ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN MISSION TEAM: St. George GOYANs and adult leaders are forming an Orthodox Youth Mission Team to participate July 7-13, 2019 in the Appalachian Service Project, working with families in this very poor region of the United States to help make their homes “warmer, safer and drier.” Registration deadline will be in November – contact Athena Kaiser for information at 240-498-0870 or avkmail@verizon.net