FROM THE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ST. GEORGE

On September 16/29, the Holy Orthodox Church commemorates the Great Martyr Euphemia the All-Praised; Martyrs Victor and Sisthenes at Chalcedon; St. Sebastiana the Disciple of St. Paul martyred at Heraclea; Martyr Melitina at Marcianopolis; St. Dorotheos the Hermit of Egypt; Martyr Ludmilla, grandmother of St. Wenceslaus, Prince of the Czechs; St. Procopius, Abbor of Sazava in Bohemia; St. Joseph of Georgia,; and the New Martyr John of Crete. Through the prayers of Thy Saints, O God, save, have mercy upon and protect Thy people. Amen!

September 26: Commemoration of the Falling Asleep of St. John the Theologian   Orthros 8:30 AM   Divine Liturgy  9:30 AM

BIBLE STUDY 2019-2020:  “The Prison Epistles of St. Paul”  From the depths of a Roman prison, words of encouragement and instruction from the great Apostle Paul were sent in a series of letters to communities throughout the Roman Empire. St. Paul may have been fettered and shackled to a series of Roman guards, but the Word he preached remained unfettered and free. This Bible Study will focus on the epistles that St. Paul wrote while in prison to the Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon.  Hedl Thursdays,, 10:30 AM and 7:00 PM. Join us for this exploration of God’s Word through the voice of St. Paul.

ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: Adult Religious Education for 2019-2020 will begin Sunday, September 15, at 11:30 am in the Church library. The theme for this year is :\”Forming Christian Culture”. The class format is a round-table discussion format and the atmosphere is casual and relaxed so feel free to join and participate. These are not classes on high theology that are intimidating or difficult to understand. We focus on the “down to earth” and practical ways we should understand and live our faith. In His parables to the masses, Christ always used practical examples from everyday life to help people understand and draw near to God. We use the same model and spirit in this class.

JOURNEY TO ORTHODOXY: Is God Calling You to Holy Orthodoxy? A new inquiry class begins Oct. 2, designed for adults who want to become members of the Orthodox Church. Through discussions and personal sharing, the path to the ancient faith of the Apostles will be taught clearly and enthusiastically, culminating in the Holy Mysteries of Baptism or Chrismation in December. Sessions will be held at 7:00 PM on Oct. 2, 9, 16, and 23; Nov. 6, 13, and 20; and Dec. 11, in the Church Library. If the Holy Spirit is prompting you to join the Orthodox faith community, or you are already Orthodox and want to learn more about the faith that you hold, please attend these sessions. It could be the most important decision of your life! For more information or to sign up for the class, contact Fr. Dimitrios at FrAntokas@stgeorge.org

WORDS FROM ST. JEROME:
One of the earliest biblical scholars in the Patristic era, St. Jerome, was known at birth as Ε?σ?βιος Σωφρ?νιος ?ερ?νυμος; (c. 347 – 420) was an Orthodox priest, Confessor, theologian, and historian, commonly known as Saint Jerome. He was born at Stridion, a village near Emona on the border of Dalmatia. He is best known for his translation of most of the Sacred Scripture into into the Vulgate edition, and his commentaries on the Gospels were rich and extensive. Throughout his scholarly wor in Scripture, St. Jerome was guided by a single principle, one he repeated often: “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”  His lesson was simple — unless a Christian read and study Scripture everyday, prayerfully, and with heartfelt devotion — Christ will remain a stranger to him. Jerome went on to say that the Sacred Scripture is the “gate of Heaven” through which the Christian passes in his journey to come to the Lord.  Do you take Jerome’s words to heart? Is there a Bible in your house?  Do you and your family read it daily? Take the words of St. Jerome to heart and come to know Jesus through His Holy Word!
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SUNDAY SCHOOL: “Being a Family in Church, Parenting in the Pews project”has begun. There will also be a second orientation day for parents, following Divine Liturgy for parents of students 3 rd -12 th grades TODAY. We urge all Sunday School parents to join us.
 
UNIFIED YOUTH MINISTRIES REGISTRATION: Please register for all St. George Youth Ministries at https://stgeorge.org/ministries/youth-ministries-registration/ – this includes Sunday School and its Choir, Altar Boys, Hope/Joy, GOYA and the St. George Counselors-in-Training (C.I.T.s).
 
GREEK SCHOOL: Children’s registration for 2019-2020 school year has begun. Conversational Greek classes begin in October, Wednesday evenings for ages 5-7, and for 7 and up. Adult Greek classes begin in October, Monday and Tuesday evenings, for beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Please visit https://stgeorge.org/education/greek-school/ for all registrations. Contact Greek School Director Eirini Iatrou at eirini.iatrou@gmail.com for additional information.
 
PHILOPTOCHOS:  25th annual Agape Tea to benefit the Children’s Agape Foundation which assists children who are sick and needy. On Saturday, October 5, 2019, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM at St. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church of Washington DC, 701 Norwood Road, Silver Spring, MD 20902. Guest speaker for the event will be Dr. Andrea Liacouras, AUD, who will address the topic: “Your Hearing and Balance—Systems at Work.”  For more information, contact Nikki Pappas at 301-949-0035 or Penny Strats at 301-434-0456  There are still a few seats remaining for the St. Michael’s trip. Get them while they last!
 
IOCC RACE TO RESPOND: Oct. 19. International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is sponsoring the 7th Baltimore Running Festival to raise funds for those in need in places such as Ethiopia, Syria, Greece, the Holy Land, Haiti, Uganda and Nepal. All abilities of walkers and runners are welcome as there is a range of participants options: 5K, Team Relay, Half Marathon, and Full Marathon. Please register at www.iocc.org/baltimore
 

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”  (II TImothy 3:16-17)