THE TRIUMPHANT Saint George Greek Orthodox Church Father Neofitos Sarigiannis [email protected] www.saintgeorgegoc.com July / August 2021 The Many Celebrations, Holidays, and Saints of the Summer (Icons above- June 29 Peter and Paul, the Holy Apostles, June 30 Synaxis of the Twelve Holy Apostles, August 6 Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, August 15 The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary) Please join us for service and discussion. Welcome to St. George Greek Orthodox Church ◄ June July 2021 August ► Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 2nd Sunday of 5 6 7 8 9 10 Matthew Parish Office Closed 8:30 am Orthros 5:30 pm Youth Greek 6:30 pm Festival 9:30 am Divine Dance Class Meeting Liturgy 6pm Teen Greek Dance Class 11 3rd Sunday of 12 13 14 15 16 17 Feastday of The Matthew Great Martyr Marina 5:30 pm Youth Greek 8:30 am Orthros Dance Class 6:30 pm Parish 8:30 am Orthros 9:30 am Divine Council Meeting 9:30 am Divine Liturgy 6pm Teen Greek Liturgy Dance Class 18 Sunday of the 19 20 21 22 23 24 Holy Fathers 5:30 pm Youth Greek 8:30 am Orthros Dance Class 9:30 am Divine Liturgy 6pm Teen Greek Dance Class 25 5th Sunday of 26 27 28 29 30 31 Matthew St. Anna 5:30 pm Youth Greek Dance Class 8:30 am Orthros 9:30 am Divine 6pm Teen Greek Liturgy Dance Class *The Sacrament of Holy Confession maybe requested and ministered after any service. Contact Fr. Neofitos at 347-256-6723 or the church office at 518-393-0742. Welcome to St. George Greek Orthodox Church August 2021 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 6th Sunday of 2 3 4 5 6 Transfiguration 7 Matthew 5:30 pm Youth Greek of Christ Dance Class 8:30 am Orthros 8:30 am Orthros 6:30 pm Great 6:30 pm Small 6:30 pm Vespers for 9:30 am Divine 9:30 am Divine 6pm Teen Greek Paraklesis to the Paraklesis to the Transfiguration of Liturgy Liturgy Dance Class Virgin Mary Virgin Mary Christ 6:30 pm Small 6:30 pm Great 6:30 pm Small Paraklesis to the Paraklesis to the Paraklesis to the Virgin Mary Virgin Mary Virgin Mary 8 7th Sunday of 9 10 11 12 13 14 Matthew 5:30 pm Youth Greek 8:30 am Orthros Dance Class 6:30 pm Great 6:30 pm Small 6:30 pm Great 7:00 pm Great 9:30 am Divine Vespers for the Paraklesis to the Paraklesis to the Paraklesis to the Liturgy Dormition of The 6pm Teen Greek Virgin Mary Virgin Mary Virgin Mary Virgin Mary Dance Class Location: Assumption Windham, NY 15 Dormition of 16 The Image of 17 18 19 20 21 The Virgin Mary Christ Made- Without-Hands 8:30 am Orthros 9:30 am Divine 6:30 pm Parish * 9:10 am Hours and Liturgy Council Meeting Divine Liturgy Location: Christ the Savior in Ballston Lake, NY 5:30 pm Youth Greek Dance Class 6pm Teen Greek Dance Class 22 9th Sunday of 23 24 25 26 27 Feastday of 28 Matthew St. Phanourios 5:30 pm Youth Greek 8:30 am Orthros Dance Class 8:30 am Orthros 9:30 am Divine 9:30 am Divine Liturgy Liturgy 6pm Teen Greek & Dance Class Phanouropita Blessing 29 Beheading of 30 31 St. John the Baptist 5:30 pm Youth Greek 8:30 am Orthros Dance Class 9:30 am Divine Liturgy 6:00pm Teen Greek Dance Class *The Sacrament of Holy Confession may be requested and ministered after any service. Contact Fr. Neofitos at 347-256-6723 or the church office at 518-393-0742. Welcome to St. George Greek Orthodox Church From the desk of Fr. Neofitos On Sunday, June 13 we celebrated our first Ministry and Church leadership Appreciation Day. We honored our many ministry leaders and program heads. To these individuals is due credit and gratitude from all of us. For me, these individuals represent model Christians in the struggle to live a spiritual life. These individuals offer their time, talents, and treasure without hesitation for their own spiritual enrichment and for their church. In considering what small appreciation we can give back to them, we could think of nothing better than a small certificate of appreciation and a small series of icons whish are depicted on these pages. First, we call these individuals trophy bearers as to mirror our patron Saint, Saint George the Trophy Bearer. According to history, the spoils of war were given to the victor and they stood proudly on the pile of their spoils while others honored them. In the life of the church, we have turned this Glorification of self into an icon of salvation. Our Saints, through their spiritual and physical struggles were granted a place in God’s Eternal Kingdom. This is depicted in our iconography through the blessed Halo. The true spoils of our spiritual struggles are inheriting the Eternal Kingdom for our Lord. Our Saints represent the true victors in our life in the church and as a trophy, we offer to these individuals the following icons which are steeped with meaning. The icon of St. George. The icon of Moses and the burning bush. The icon and story of Moses receiving the advice to delegate his lesser duties to “able men from all the people, such as fear God, men who are trustworthy and who hate a bribe…”. Welcome to St. George Greek Orthodox Church Exodus 18:13–27 12 And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, offered a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God. 13 On the morrow Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from morning till evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand about you from morning till evening?” 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; 16 when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God and his decisions.” 17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it alone. 19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God; 20 and you shall teach them the statutes and the decisions and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 21 Moreover choose able men from all the people, such as fear God, men who are trustworthy and who hate a bribe; and place such men over the people as rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times; every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves; so it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.” 24 So Moses gave heed to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 26 And they judged the people at all times; hard cases they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. 27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own country. As Jethro instructed Moses, so the hierarchy of our Holy Church runs today. These “able men” for us here in St. George are the foundation of Christ’s work within the stewardship we have been entrusted with by God. They are my right and my left hand, and I could not do anything without them. Furthermore, our families could not find a home in this communal family without their presence and blessed offering. We thank them, we honor them, and we encourage others to join them if they are inspired to. May God continue to bless us all. “Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God be with you!” Welcome to St. George Greek Orthodox Church Philoptochos News By Olga Delorey As Philoptochos winds down for the summer break, we thank everyone who has supported our philanthropic efforts so generously. We truly could not do this without each and every one of you helping us fulfill our mission as “friend of the poor”. We are slowly recovering from this past year’s pandemic lockdowns. While we still should remain vigilant, we look forward to gathering together in our beautiful house of worship to pray and thank God for our many blessings. Congratulations to the incoming Board of Directors for 2021-2023: Jan Gallas, President; Olga Delorey and Eliana Georgelos, Co-Vice Presidents; Antonia Kananis, Treasurer; Zanetta Laskaris, Assistant Treasurer; Elaine Euripidou, Secretary; Cathy Contompasis, Assistant Secretary; Lucy Brady, Joanne Diamantis, Alice Giakoumis and Aleka Menagias.