September Schedule of Services Each Saturday: (unless there is a sacrament): Great Vespers 6:00. Each Sunday: Orthros 8:50 a.m., Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m. Weekday services: 9:00 a.m. Orthros, Divine Liturgy following Sept. 13: Exaltation of the Precious and Lifegiving Cross, 7:00 p.m. Vespers followed by Orthros, and Divine Liturgy

September Prosphoro Schedule September 1st – Kitty Perakis September 22nd – Open September 8th – Patricia Rigler September 29th – Open September 15th – Patrick Ingle Prosforo Bakers Needed – The making of Prosforo is an honor and gift we offer to Christ and His Church, thus the name, Prosforo, which means “offering”. We are in need of a few people to join the list of bakers. Please call the office if you would like to have your name added to the list. Thank you!

Community News A lot of things have happened in our community over the summer!

Scholarship  Congratulations  Congratulations to Nikki Sambol on being awarded the Paleologos Graduate Scholarship for the 2013-2014 academic year. Nikki is the daughter of Don and Patricia Sambol of Kansas City, Kansas, granddaughter of Jennie Phillips and niece of Patrick and Terry Lippmann and Mike and Diane Bishard.

Baby  News  Congratulations to Chris and Lynette Gianos on the birth of their daughter Elizabeth Zoe on May 3rd. Proud grandparents are Gus and Margo Gianos and Terry and Shirley Downing. Na sas zisi! Congratulations also to Drs. Stavros and Katerina Stavrakis on the birth of their first son. George was born August 25th, weighing 7lbs 7oz. Na sas zisi!

Wedding  Congratulations to Andrew Pontikes and Madeline Williams who were united in Holy Matrimony at St. George on Saturday, June 8th. Mitchell Pontikes, brother of the groom, served as Koumbaro. We wish Andrew and Madeline a long and happy life! Congratulations are also in order for Yonas Tesfai and his beautiful bride, Sofia, who were married August 3 in Dallas, Texas. Parents of the couple are Mr. and Mrs. Kesete Tesfai and Mr. Russom Ghebrekidan and Ms. Asmeret Yohannes.

September    2013  

Saint George Greek Orthodox Church of Oklahoma City

Rev. John D. Tsaras, Proistamenos Lili Lambakis, Administrative Assistant

Parish Office (M-F) Hours 9:00am-3:00pm Phone 751-1885 Fax 751-1889 Email st.george.church@sbcglobal.net Website www.saintgeorgeokc.org

Services Sunday Orthros 8:50am Sunday Divine Liturgy 10:00am Weekday Services 9:00am Saturday Vespers 6:00pm

Deadlines The Life 15th of each month

Anniversary  Our very best wishes to Ioakim and Vivan Laguros who celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary and Vivian’s 92nd birthday on August 4th. They celebrated with a surprise party at their retirement center in Houston hosted by their son and daughter-in-law. Rev. Fathers Anastasios Raptis from St. Basil and Michael Lambakis from Annunciation Cathedral attended.

Thank  You!  Thank you to the following people who volunteered to be there while painters and workmen were in the church: Patrick Ingle, Chris Papahronis, Chris Stamatis, Bill Vrentas, Foti Bargeliotes, Jim Soter, and Mike Komis. Kevin, Jeremiah, and Christian Jump wish to thank the community of St. George for their support and donations following the May Moore tornado.

Condolences  Our deepest condolences to Maria and Leon Reisman and their family for the loss of their daughter Deborah Clemons on July 28th. Eternal be her memory. Donations can be made at Midfirst Bank to a savings account for the education of Deborah’s sons Kamron and Mason. Our deepest sympathies to Eleni and John Papahronis and their family for the loss of her beloved mother Voula Babali on July 22. Eternal be her memory.

Chronia  Polla!  Many years to those celebrating namedays this month, including those named Agapi, Anthemos, Aphrodite, Athena, Casiani, Elpida, Ioakim, Kyriakos, Marianthi, Nikitas, Polykseni, Sophia, Stavros, Stavroula, and Thekla!

Who are you? Who are you? That is an interesting question. How do we identify ourselves? An American? Greek? Greek-American? Republican? Democrat? Sooner? Cowboy? The list goes on. What about Orthodox Christian? What does it mean to be an Orthodox Christian? What distinguishes us from other Christian groups? Have you ever stopped to think about that? As our festival is upon us, we will be talking and describing ourselves. I hear people proudly proclaim that our faith hasn’t changed; is this a true statement? I submit to you that our faith has not changed, however, the practice, unfortunately, has. The Church Fathers and Martyrs have fought and struggled to keep the faith pure, however, over time we have passed on erroneous practices. One such practice is the infrequent partaking of communion. I remember begin told, as a child, that we receive communion at most 4 times a year (Christmas, Easter, Dormition of the Theotokos, and your name-day). I know some were told to receive twice a year. Where did this come from? What do the Bible and the Church Fathers say about this? In the Gospel according to Saint John, we hear (Chapter 6):

30Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”

32Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” 35And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. ....” 41The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43Jesus therefore answered and said to them, .... “47Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” 52The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” 53Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”

Nelson, Thomas (2008-06-17). The Orthodox Study Bible: Ancient Christianity Speaks to Today's World (pp. 1435-1436). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. First and foremost, we receive Holy Communion and other sacraments for the sanctification of our souls and bodies. As our Lord states, “He who eats this bread will live forever.” (v. 58) So why would one refrain from the sacrament? There can be a few answers to this question. One of which is, “I am not truly prepared; I haven’t fasted all week.” Now we will debunk another false belief. Did you know there is only one prescribed fast for Holy Communion? Canonically, we are not to eat or drink anything from the time we retire in the evening until we receive Holy Communion in the service. That’s it. Wait a minute, Father, you forgot about fasting Wednesdays and Fridays. Actually, NO! Wednesdays and Fridays are fast days (because of the betrayal of Christ on Wednesday and His Crucifixion on Friday), REGARDLESS if you are receiving Holy Communion. Every Orthodox Christian is supposed to

fast on these days. The practice of fasting for an entire week came about with infrequent Communion. Again, when I was a child we fasted from meat beginning Monday and from dairy beginning Wednesday. There is nothing in the Church Canons about this practice. Another issue is that a person does not feel worthy to receive Holy Communion. That is fine, there are times which we should not receive, however, we need to take action to correct the situation: Confession! Confession is a vital part of our spiritual growth. It allows us to reestablish our relationship with our Savior. At seminary Fr. Calivas used to like to call the sacrament of Confession the sacrament of Reconciliation. That is exactly what is happening, we are reconciling—healing— the separation we have introduced in our lives. This issue of how frequent one should receive Holy Communion is not new. Saint Basil the Great addressed the question in his letters. In Letter #93, addressed to the Patrician Ceasaria in 372 A.D., he states:

Now, to receive Communion daily, thus to partake of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ, is an excellent and advantageous practice; for Christ Himself says clearly: ‘He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has life everlasting.’ (John 6:55) Who doubts that to share continually in the life is nothing else than to have a manifold life? We ourselves, of course receive Communion four times a week, on Sundays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays; also on other days, if there is a commemoration of some saint.

Now having spoken about the need for frequent Holy Communion, let me briefly address the proper manner. As we have mentioned proper fasting (along with the major fasts of Great Lent, Apostles, Panagia’s and Nativity) is very important. Regular Confession, helps keep us clean and focused. Is that it? Oh yeah, Church attendance! I am not speaking about walking in and lighting a candle and leaving. As you have heard me say before, the ENTIRE Divine Liturgy is a preparation to receive the Holy Sacrament. Never, Never, Never ever walk into Church and come receive Holy Communion, if you have not been there from the BEGINNING. The very first proclamation in the Divine Liturgy establishes what we are there for: “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever unto the ages of ages.” And the people proclaim, “AMEN!” Many of you have asked me to say a prayer for a member of your family or a friend; that is wonderful. But right here, right after this initial proclamation is where we as a community pray for everyone: family, friends, those we know, those we do not—the entire world. We start with praying for PEACE. For THE peace of God... You get the idea! This is serious. Church is not something we go to for entertainment. We go to be fed, fed spiritually. We are not coming for dance practice, or to be seen. We are coming to praise, give thanks, and beseech, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So, who are you? An American? Greek? Greek-American? Republican? Democrat? All of these titles and labels are superfluous. They are all human-defined labels and they mean NOTHING! The only label that matters, is the one we received at our Baptism, it is the only one that matters for eternity—it is Christian. Fr. John

Festival News Our 29th Annual Greek Festival is almost here! Please mark your calendars for the following:

Tuesday,  Wednesday  and  Thursday,  September  17–19    10:00: We need people to cut and cup the pastries. Please bring your own small spatulas, if you have one.

Wednesday,  September  18  After 3 pm, is the day for the major setup under the tent. We need people to help move equipment to their respective booths and set them up. We need help cleaning up the garage so that we can do projects such as grease trap cleaning, rack installation and partition construction. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY.

Thursday,  September  19  After 3 pm, is the most important day where we need people to do the detail work. The more people that are there on these days, the quicker everyone involved can go home each day.

Friday  through    Sunday,  September  20–22        We need many workers to make this event possible. There will be sign up opportunities in the church hall or by phone. Plan to work as many hours as you can. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY.

What  goes  up  must  come  down.  This task usually falls on the shoulders of less than 10 people. We need many helpers to tear down the booths and put things away before we leave for the night. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY.

We  Need  You  Thank you in advance to all who volunteer. Your time and talents are greatly appreciated. “Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something.” To volunteer, please contact Terry Lippmann at 285-0112 or tlippmann@cox.net. Or, call the church office (751-1885) to find out what you can do.

Festival Preparation Schedule at a Glance Tuesday, September 17 Pastry setup 10 a.m. Wednesday, September 18 Pastry setup 10 a.m., Festival setup 3 p.m. Thursday, September 19 Pastry setup 10 a.m., Festival setup 3 p.m. Friday, September 20 Festival all day Saturday, September 21 Festival all day Sunday, September 22 Festival all day, Festival tear-down 4 p.m.

Festival Baking Schedule September 3&4 Pastitsio 5:00 p.m. September 7 Melomakarona 9:00 a.m. September 11 Kourambiedes 9:00 a.m. September 14 Pasta Flora After church

Our Festival Charity A portion of the proceeds from our 29th Annual Greek Festival will benefit the Bethel Foundation. The Bethel Foundation reaches out to one single mom at a time -- giving a ray of sunshine at the end of the tunnel by providing team support with mentoring, rehabilitation and quality housing. Bethel takes pride in helping mothers get on their feet!

Stewardship News Thank you to our pledged stewards! This list is complete as of August 25.

1. Akins,  Scot  &  Christie  2. Anderson,  Howard-­‐John  &  Harriett  3. Angelidis,  John  &  Litsa  4. Angelidis,  Mike  5. Antonopoulos  Parker,  Patricia  6. Arthur,  Chrysanthe  7. Bargeliotes,  Foti  &  Fofo  8. Bargeliotes,  Kosta  9. Bargeliotes,  Tasia  10. Barlas,  Irene  11. Barlas,  Nick  12. Bishard,  Mike  and  Diane  13. Bollenbach,  Barry  &  Joyce  14. Bozarth,  Bob  and  Deborah  15. Brewer,  Brannon  and  Sophia  16. Britt,  Greg  &  Eugenia  17. Caporal,  Pauline  (Toula)  18. Chalos,  Mary  19. Chehak,  Anastasia  

20. Chiconas,  Jimmy  &  Kim  21. Chrysant,  Dr.  Steve  &  Dr.  Catherine  22. Conkling,  Irene  23. Crowe,  Will  24. Dantes,  Andrew  &  Connie  25. Dantes,  Sophia  26. Economopoulos,  Vana  27. French,  Thomas  &  Jane  28. Gardikas,  Evangelos  29. Gianos,  Anna  30. GIANOS,  Chris  &  Lynette  31. GIANOS,  Gus  &  Margo  32. GIANOS,  Peter  &  Irene  33. Graham,  Cecil  J.  34. Howard,  Haldor  &  Xana  35. INGLE,  Patrick  36. Kapurani,  Loretta  37. Karountzos,  Paul  and  Loula  38. Klonis,  Dr.  Demo  and  Demee  

39. Komis,  Michael  &  Patricia  40. Kondanassis,  Alex  41. Kostiuk,  Gina  M.  42. Kuzydym,  Stephanie  43. Limber,  Mary  44. Lippmann,  Patrick  &  Terry  45. Locke,  Calliroy  46. Marianos,  Pete  47. Michael,  Medhat  48. Nicolescu,  Radu  and  Theodora  49. PAGONIS,  James  &  Maria  50. Pagonis,  Marcella  (Lela)  51. PAGONIS,  Mike  &  Jo  Ann  52. Pagonis,  Nick  &  Darlene  53. Papahronis,  Chris  54. Papahronis,  Frank  55. Papahronis,  John  &  Eleni  56. Paparonis,    Sophia  57. Pappas,  Mary  

58. Pappas,  Nick  &  Sonya  59. Patry,  James  &  Barbara  60. Perakis,  Alex  &  Katherine  61. Phillips,  Jennie  62. Pontikes,  Dr.  Leon  &  Nancy  63. Pontikos,  Lewis  &  Linda  64. Reding,  Eric  and  Stacie  65. Rigler,  Patricia  66. Sarakatsannis,  Jason  67. Sarinopoulos,  George  &  Alice  68. Scopelitis/Ostas,  Andrea  69. Soter,  Jim  &  Dottie  70. Spiropoulos,  Andrew  &  Ellen  71. Spring,  Roger  &  Amy  72. Stamatis,  Chris  &  Meg  73. Stavrakis,  Stavros  &  Katerina  

74. Stavros,  Jim  and  Sue  75. Steiner,  Reba  76. Swank,  Mark  and  Sherri  77. Temple,  Ryan  &  Kimberly  78. Tesfai,  Kesete  &  Zigo  79. Theodoridis,  Bill  80. Theodoridis,  Yeota  81. Trotter,  Jake  &  Rachel  82. Tsaras,  Fr.  John  &  Pres.  Vicky  83. Tsitouras,  Panayiotis  and  Anthy  84. Tsegay,  Tekleab  &  Elsa  85. Tsitouras,  Panayiotis  &  Anthy  86. Vance,  Troy  87. Vassilakos,    Dean  &  Susan  88. Vassilopoulos,  Nikie  89. Vassilopoulos,  Sophia  

90. Vaughn,  Crystal  91. Vrentas,  Bill  &  Tasia  92. Wells,  Elmer  &  Marianna  93. Wengier,  Ed  and  Shirley  94. Willis,  Terry  &  Angela  95. Woosley,  Elaine  96. Zames,  Ted  &  Mary  

Philoptochos Corner Sundae  Sunday!  Please join us for a Sundae Sunday on Sunday, September 15. It’s the week before the Festival,

so we’ll all need a sweet break from the hard work. We’ll be accepting new members (remember, all women aged 18 and over are represented by Philoptochos!). Membership gives you a say in how we serve the Church and what image we’re creating for others about what a Greek Orthodox woman is. Come for fellowship, fun, and to serve your Church! We have plenty of new, fun, exciting ideas for this year, so come see how your Philoptochos is growing! All women who pay dues at the Sundae Sunday will be entered to win a prize!

Congratulations  to  New  Officers!  Congratulations and best wishes to our new Philoptochos officers. Serving the 2013–2015 term are Lynette Gianos, President Harriett Anderson, 1st Vice President Jo Ann Pagonis, 2nd Vice President Jane French, Treasurer Susan Vassilakos, Recording Secretary Terry Lippmann, Corresponding Secretary Kim Temple, Advisor

Choir Notes The choir is seeking new members willing to serve the Church with their voices! If you are interested in participating please contact Crystal Vaughan.

Sunday School News Sunday School is ready to begin again and we welcome all the children of our parish with open arms...

Calendar  of  Events  for  the  Fall  Semster  • Sunday, September 8, 2013, 9:15 a.m.

First day of Sunday School Please register your child in each classroom, forms available in church or on internet. This helps us plan our class supplies and lessons for the year. At the end of Liturgy, the children will stand in front of their classrooms and Father will bless each room and the children. There will be a luncheon donated by the Akins, Chris Gianos, Lippmann and Vassilakos families to welcome back the kids. There will also be a Festival information meeting.

• Sunday, September 15, 2013, 9:15 a.m. Group Sunday School session

• Sunday, September 22 No Sunday School- Greek Festival

• Sunday, October 6th

Sunday School Picnic at Mitch Park, Edmond Hamburgers and hot dogs provided, families bring pot luck item More details coming soon

• Sunday, December 1- no Sunday School- Thanksgiving weekend

• Sunday, December 22–29 no Sunday School- Christmas break

• Sunday, January 5, 2014- Sunday School resumes, 9:15 a.m.

Resources for the Feast of the Elevation of the Life-Giving Cross: Celebrated September 14th by Nichola Toda Krause

The  Sign  of  the  Cross “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.’“ (Luke 9:23-24) But what is our cross? What is the Cross of Christ to us Orthodox Christians today?

• A constant reminder of God’s boundless love for us, and what He was willing to suffer for us and all mankind: worldly shame and humiliation, boundless sorrow at being betrayed by His own creation, physical pain, and finally mortal death!

• A reminder that our salvation depends on cooperation with God. Bishop Kallistos (Ware) explains that “without God’s grace, we can do nothing, but without our voluntary cooperation, God will do nothing.” The Cross teaches us that we must freely make the decision to follow Him, then persevere throughout the difficult journey toward salvation with His help and grace. The Church celebrates the Sunday of the Cross mid-way through the Great Fast for just this reason: to strengthen us in our spiritual journey when we begin to despair and stumble. The Cross reminds us to depend on God’s grace rather than our own efforts, which are necessary but never sufficient.

• An outward mark or sign of our beliefs, which sets us apart. Because we are distinguished by the Cross from non-believers, we may have to bear their ridicule, scorn, and hatred just as He did, in addition to the cross of our own sins.

• A protective armor we put on to face adversity, and a weapon we use to drive away “every enemy and adversary.” We turn to the Cross in times of trouble, and make the sign of the Cross when we encounter danger or difficulty, sickness, or despair.

• The means by which creation is “sweetened” and brought again to God. On the Feast of Theophany and on Holy Thursday, the Church reads about the bitter, undrinkable waters of Merrha (Exodus 15:22-16:1): “And Moses cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree, and He cast it into the water, and it was sweetened.” This water quenched the thirst of the Israelites in the desert, but now Living Water quenches our spiritual thirst. The Cross of Christ is the Tree used to bring forth both! Water is blessed in the Church for liturgical use when a bishop or priest traces the sign of the Cross in a font filled with “ordinary” water - God uses the Cross to make part of creation useful to Him and His people. Large bodies of water - like oceans, lakes, and rivers - are blessed in this way, too, especially at Theophany in warm-weather climates. The bishop or priest of the local parish throws a hand cross (usually attached to a floating wreath) into the water from the shore or the back of a boat; it is retrieved by a diver several times with great flourish and celebration.

• A warning to the enemies of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ warns those who know of Him but decline to follow Him, or follow Him half-heartedly, that they will not see the kingdom of God. “And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me, is not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10:38)

Using  the  Sign  of  the  Cross  Every  Day The sign of the Cross is a great way to sanctify or bring to God every part of your busy day - whether good or bad! Here are just a few times during the day when you might want to make the sign of the Cross:

• Before you get out of bed, to thank God for protecting you through the night.

• Before you prepare a meal for your family, to thank God for His bounty. (My grandmother Mary said a prayer and traced the sign of the Cross with the tip of her spoon whenever she opened a new sack of flour or sugar, opened a jar of jam or peanut butter, etc.)

• Before and after meals, to thank God for the bounty He provides. • As you leave your home, to ask God to protect you on your journey and watch over your house or

apartment while you are gone. • When you pass an Orthodox church building or monastery, to

ask God to preserve it and guide its leaders. • As you bandage a “boo-boo” or take any kind of medicine, to

ask that God will heal you both in body and spirit. • Over any new piece of equipment, tool, book, art supply, or toy,

to ask God to guide you in using it wisely in His service. • Before, during and after any meeting or conversation you have

- especially with someone you know to be “difficult” - that God will help you to approach them with Christian love and understanding.

• As you begin any project, and before and after working or studying, to ask God to guide your efforts.

• As you sign a contract, lease, or any other legal agreement - or even when you make a promise to someone - that God will protect and guide all involved.

• As you mail or fax an important letter, that God will see it quickly to its destination and allow the reader to understand/not misinterpret its contents.

• When you hear news of something wonderful (to thank God), or of something terrible (to ask for His mercy and protection).

• When you witness any accident - big or small - to thank God for his protection, and ask His help in “setting things to rights” and recovering from it.

• When you pass a cemetery, or are reminded of departed loved ones during the day, to ask God to forgive their sins and welcome them into His kingdom.

• As you come through the door at night, to thank God for His protection and bounty. • Before reading the Bible, the writings of the Church Fathers, or the lives of the saints, to ask God for

enlightenment. • Over your bed, before you get into it at night, to ask God to protect you as you sleep. • If you wake up in the middle of the night, after hearing a bump or screech, or having a bad dream.

Hymnography  of  the  Church The following hymn or troparion is sung with great joy for the Feast of the Elevation of the Life-Giving Cross (September 14th) and the Sunday of the Cross during the Great Fast. It is also sung on Wednesdays and Fridays - the days of the week on which the Church remembers the betrayal and crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Cross He took up for our sake.

O Lord, save Your people and bless Your inheritance. Grant victory to the Orthodox Christians over their adversaries, and by the virtue of Your Cross, preserve Your habitation! © 1999 by Orthodox Family Life and the original author(s).