May 15, 2009
HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN ALEXIOS` REFLECTIONS ON THE SAMARITAN WOMAN
My dearly beloved in the Lord,

“The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship Him.” (John 4:23).

As we have said before, the Sundays after Pascha, like the Sundays of Great Lent, have an important lesson to teach us. The Gospel story of the Samaritan Woman is significant because it tells us many important things about the transformative power of repentance, our salvation, a living encounter with Christ and even His two natures.

In the Gospel, we see that our Lord is a human being, like all of us, and that at the sixth hour, or midday, when the disciples left to get food in a nearby town, He is tired, thirsty and hungry. At the well, our Lord asked the Samaritan Woman for drink. As a man and a Jew, it was scandalous for Him to speak with a woman, especially a woman like her, a Samaritan with a questionable reputation.

Because, as God, our Lord also knows the present, past and future, so He knew that the Samaritan Woman had already been married five times and that at present she is living in sin with yet another man. Their conversation becomes spiritual, as He tells her of the "living water" that He can offer her, which will satisfy all her spiritual needs, and then He reveals to her that He is the promised Messiah. It is through Jesus Christ that, like her, we receive what is necessary for our salvation and for eternal life.

We may think of her as the first "evangelist," for the Gospel tells us that "... many of the Samaritans in that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman, who testified `He told me all that I ever did.` " (John 4:39) In Greek sermons from the fourth to the fourteenth centuries she is called "apostle" and "evangelist."

After our Lord`s Resurrection, she was baptized and given the name Photini, which means "the enlightened one" and continued her apostolic ministry begun on the day she met the Lord. She preached in many places, including Carthage and Smyrna in Asia Minor, where she was martyred. She had five daughters and two sons, all of whom also became martyrs.

I pray that we too like the Samaritan Woman may bring others to encounter Christ in His Holy Church and receive the Living Water of salvation and eternal life!

ALEXIOS
Metropolitan of Atlanta



May 15, 2009
REQUEST FOR PARISH DIRECTORIES
Reverend Clergy, Presidents and esteemed Parish Council members of the Holy and God-protected Metropolis of Atlanta

“Behold, now is the accepted time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.”
2nd Corinthians 6:2

I greet you today with love in the Name of our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with those beautiful words, “Χριστός ἀνέστη! Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη!” Christ Is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!” While we continue to celebrate and proclaim His glorious Resurrection, I pray our Lord will bless you always, bestowing upon you good health, wisdom, patience and abundant joy!

As you know, we are always striving to enhance and improve communications throughout our Metropolis. To avoid duplications, I am requesting that you send copies of your current Parish directory, in any format, including email addresses, and to send us the updates and corrections at least once a year. If you have the directory in an Excel document, we can import it directly into our database. Our hope is that eventually we will be able to mail copies of Diakonia Magazine and send the Metropolis Messenger to all our Metropolis family. Thank you for your cooperation and support in our effort to further develop our communications ministry in our Metropolis.
          
May the joy of His Resurrection fill your heart, brighten your life with hope and bless all your days with peace! With love in the Risen Lord and wishing you a safe and blessed summer, I remain,

Paternally yours

+ALEXIOS
Metropolitan of Atlanta


May 14, 2009
HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN ALEXIOS CONGRATULATES OUR GRADUATES
May 2009

My dear Spiritual Children,

“Grow in Grace and Knowledge of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”
(2 Peter 3:18)

I wanted to take this opportunity to convey my personal congratulations with paternal love and my hierarchal blessings to all our graduates. As your Hierarch and Spiritual Father, I am full of pride for your accomplishments and I congratulate you on achieving this milestone in your life. I know that your families and your Parish communities are also very proud of you and I share in the pride and the excitement of your achievement. I am confident that all of you will certainly succeed in whatever you undertake because God has given you the gifts and talents necessary for success. Moreover you have learned from your parents and your Parish family the foundation of Christian understanding and Truth as taught by our Holy Orthodox Church.

So I pray that you will enjoy the spiritual riches of God’s Grace and Love always, as you enter a new chapter of your life in Christ! While you continue your life’s journey, may God keep you under His Divine Providence and Protection always!

ALEXIOS
Metropolitan of Atlanta


May 14, 2009
HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN ALEXIOS MESSAGE ON THE NEW MILITARY ORTHODOX BIBLE
Reverend Clergy, Monks and Nuns and the Faithful of the Holy and God-protected Metropolis of Atlanta

My dearly beloved in the Lord,

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3

I greet you today with love and joy in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, giving thanks to Almighty God for all His abundant blessings, with that glorious greeting: “Χριστός ἀνέστη! Christ Is Risen!”

As Metropolitan of the Metropolis of Atlanta, of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, a participant in the Standing Commission of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), I am pleased to inform you that, through the efforts of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios and His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit, the Bible Society has published the New Testament and Psalms for Orthodox Christians serving in military. This compact, pocket-sized book, which conforms to military specifications and can be easily carried in a pocket or backpack, also contains icons, morning and evening prayers, guidance for the Holy Scriptures and Orthodox living and other resources. It is aimed at ministering to our Orthodox Christian service men and women who are serving in the United States Armed Forces. The cost of producing the Bible has been paid in full by the members of the Holy Synod.

I pray that you will help us find the names of our brothers and sisters serving in the military so that we can send them these Bibles for their spiritual comfort and edification, providing the means by which they can become closer to God. What better thing could we do than provide them with the “word of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”? Please go out of your way to find their names and addresses and invite all the Armed Forces members who belong to your parish to attend the Divine Liturgy on May 31, where a special prayer may be offered for them, and/or a Trisagion may be offered for those who have died in service or as Veterans. Veterans can be encouraged to attend as well.

Additional copies of the Military New Testament and Psalms to distribute to the members of the Armed Forces may be obtained from the SCOBA web site at: http://www.scoba.us/military.

As His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios said, “Ministering to the men and women who selflessly protect and defend our Nation is an essential part of the Church’s work. During the Divine Liturgy, we do not only pray for peace in the world, but we also pray for those who serve in the Armed Forces and risk their lives to protect that peace.”

May God continue to bless you and keep you in His loving care! Praying for your good health, and wishing you a blessed and safe summer, I remain,

With paternal love in our Risen Lord,
+ALEXIOS
Metropolitan of Atlanta


May 14, 2009
HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN ALEXIOS on AHEPA SUNDAY
This Sunday May 17 has been designated by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios to honor the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), the largest and oldest American-based, Greek heritage organization. As you know, AHEPA was founded on July 26, 1922 in Atlanta, to combat the evils of bigotry and racism that in American society in the early 20th century. AHEPA also assisted Greek immigrants to assimilate into the mainstream of American society.

Today, AHEPA carries the torch of our Hellenic Orthodox principles of philanthropy, education, responsibility, and dedication to family and to individual excellence into our modern society. A half-million dollars in scholarships is awarded annually, so that many young men and women have benefited from this commitment to education. Their commitment to philanthropy is no less generous, as they have participated in the restoration of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, support St. Basil Academy, the USO, housing for the elderly, medical research, healthcare facilities in Greece, and many other community charitable programs.

These magnificent accomplishments of AHEPA in promoting not only Greek culture, but the universal principals of freedom, justice and faith should make us all proud to be associated with such an organization. I pray that the dedicated and selfless members of AHEPA will continue their sacred mission of service to the community into the future. I extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all our AHEPA family, and I proudly proclaim “AXIOS!” to each and every one of you.

ALEXIOS
Metropolitan of Atlanta