FROM THE CHANCELLOR`S DESK Thank you, God, that I can see. There are thousands who cannot see. For them, there is no sunrise or sunset; no autumn colors, no rainbow-tinted flowers, no movies, no delights of the eye.
Thank you, God, that I can hear. There are thousands who cannot hear the voice of their own mother, nor the singing of the birds, nor the radio, nor the laughter of children.
Thank you, God, that I can walk. How brave are those who live life without the use of their legs and are confined to a wheel chair, or even paralyzed from the waist down.
Thank you, God, that I can work. Look at the many who can do nothing with “brain or brawn or hands.” There are so many who have been laid off due to the economy and the fear of uncertain times.
Thank you, God, that I have something to eat. Millions as good as I, maybe even better, have little or nothing to eat. Thousands are dying of hunger, while I never miss a meal and enjoy the comforts of my home and family.
Thank you, God, for my Orthodox Faith, which teaches me to be thankful and to seek Your will in all that I do each day.
Thank you, God, for the freedom to worship You as You wish to be worshipped.
Thank you, God, for our beautiful Church and our comfortable home.
Thank you, God, for the privilege of attending the Divine Liturgy every Sunday and on special Feast Days.
Thank you, God, for permitting me to confess my sins and receive Your Divine Gifts, the Body and Blood of Your only Begotten Son and our Lord Jesus Christ.
For all these and more, O Lord, I thank You!

With prayers and best wishes for a blessed, healthy and joyous Thanksgiving to all the Clergy and Faithful of our Metropolis and their friends and family!

V. Rev. Fr. George Tsahakis
Chancellor

PATRIARCHAL VISIT Video from the Ecumenical Gathering of Peace is on YouTube. We also have loaded a number of photographs on our website, along with the program, news release, and YouTube link:

www.atlmetropolis.org (Metropolis website)



YouTube - Full Service at the Annunciation Cathedral in Atlanta go to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0zGkB7cgFw&feature=channel

For photo gallery of Atlanta visit
go to http://www.patriarchate.org/multimedia/photos

Charlie Rose interview with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

go to: http://www.charlierose.com/


ON THIS THANKSGIVING DAY….
is there room at your table for one more?
On this Thanksgiving,beyond the laughter, the turkey and the trimmings, there is silence for
so many in our community.
Laughter stilled by poverty and hunger, silenced by emptiness and loss of hope.
Poverty haunts thousands of our neighbors every
day, even during the holidays when life feels so festive and secure.
Hunger knows no season. It feels no joy.

Please remember those in need.

from the ST. BARBARA, Sarasota, FL newsletter


THE ORIGIN OF THANKSGIVING Pilgrim William Brewster holds a Bible as the Pilgrims pray for a safe journey as they leave for America from Delft Haven, Holland, on July 22, 1620.The Pilgrims left Plymouth, England, on September 6, 1620. Their destination? The New World. Although filled with uncertainty and peril, it offered both civil and religious liberty.

For over two months, the 102 passengers braved the harsh elements of a vast storm-tossed sea. Finally, with firm purpose and a reliance on Divine Providence, the cry of "Land!" was heard. Arriving in Massachusetts in late November, the Pilgrims sought a suitable landing place. On December 11, just before disembarking at Plymouth Rock, they signed the "Mayflower Compact" - America`s first document of civil government and the first to introduce self-government.

After a prayer service, the Pilgrims began building hasty shelters. However, unprepared for the starvation and sickness of a harsh New England winter, nearly half died before spring. Yet, persevering in prayer, and assisted by helpful Indians, they reaped a bountiful harvest the following summer.

The grateful Pilgrims then declared a three-day feast, starting on December 13, 1621, to thank God and to celebrate with their Indian friends. While this was not the first Thanksgiving in America (thanksgiving services were held in Virginia as early as 1607), it was America`s first Thanksgiving Festival.

Pilgrim Edward Winslow described the Pilgrims` Thanksgiving in these words:
"Our harvest being gotten in, our Governor sent four men on fowling [bird hunting] so that we might, after a special manner, rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as...served the company almost a week...Many of the Indians [came] amongst us and...their greatest King, Massasoit, with some 90 men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted; and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought...And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet BY THE GOODNESS OF GOD WE ARE...FAR FROM WANT."

In 1789, following a proclamation issued by President George Washington, America celebrated its first Day of Thanksgiving to God under its new constitution. That same year, the Protestant Episcopal Church, of which President Washington was a member, announced that the first Thursday in November would become its regular day for giving thanks, "unless another day be appointed by the civil authorities."


ORIGINS OF THANKSGIVING, con`t Yet, despite these early national proclamations, official Thanksgiving observances usually occurred only at the State level.
Much of the credit for the adoption of a later ANNUAL national Thanksgiving Day may be attributed to Mrs. Sarah Joseph Hale, the editor of Godey`s Lady`s Book. For thirty years, she promoted the idea of a national Thanksgiving Day, contacting President after President until President Abraham Lincoln responded in 1863 by setting aside the last Thursday of Nov. as a national Day of Thanksgiving. Over the next seventy-five years, Presidents followed Lincoln`s precedent, annually declaring a national Thanksgiving Day. Then, in 1941, Congress permanently established the fourth Thursday of each Nov. as a national holiday.

Lincoln`s original 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation came - spiritually speaking - at a pivotal point in his life. During the first week of July of that year, the Battle of Gettysburg occurred, resulting in the loss of some 60,000 American lives. Four months later in Nov., Lincoln delivered his famous "Gettsysburg Address." It was while Lincoln was walking among the thousands of graves there at Gettysburg that he committed his life to Christ. As he explained to a friend:

"When I left Springfield [to assume the Presidency] I asked the people to pray for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son, the severest trial of my life, I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ."

As Americans celebrate Thanksgiving each year, we hope they will retain the original gratefulness to God displayed by the Pilgrims and many other founding fathers , and remember that it is to those early and courageous Pilgrims that they owe not only the traditional Thanksgiving holiday but also the concepts of self-government, the "hard-work" ethic, self-reliant communities, and devout religious faith.

Fr. Stavroforos Mamaies, ST. SOPHIA, Miami, FL


FEAST DAYS and NAME DAYS FOR THE COMING WEEK Nov. 22
9th Sunday of Luke
Archippus the Apostles,Philemon the Apostle & his wife, Apphia, Onesimos the Disciple of Paul
Holy Martyr Cecilia and Those with Her
Afterfeast of the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple

Nov. 23
Monday of the 10th Week
Amphilochios, Bishop of Iconium
Gregory, Bishop of Agrigentum
Ischyrion, Bishop of Egypt
Afterfeast of the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple

Nov. 24
Tuesday of the 10th Week
Our Holy Father Clement, Pope of Rome
Peter, Archbishop of Alexandria
Hermogenes, the Martyr
Afterfeast of the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple

Nov. 25
Wednesday of the 10th Week
Apodosis of the Presentation of the Theotokos into the Temple
Katherine the Great Martyr of Alexandria
Mercurios the Great Martyr of Caesarea in Cappadocia

Nov. 26
Thursday of the 10th Week
Alypios the Stylite of Adrianopolis
St. Nicon Metanoeite
Stylianos the Monk of Paphlagonia
George the New Martyr of Chios
Innocent of Irkutsk

Nov. 27
Friday of the 10th Week
James the Great Martyr of Persia
Nathaniel of Nitria & Pinouphrios of Egypt, the Righteous
James the Wonderworker, Bishop of Rostov

Nov. 28
Saturday of the 10th Week
Stephen the New
Irenarchos & his Companion Martyrs at Sebaste
Auxentius, 16 Martyrs of Tiberioupolis



















































































































PARISH BULLETIN BOARD HOLY APOSTLES, Winterville, NC will be hosting Philoptochos representatives from HOLY TRINITY, Raleigh, NC Sunday, Nov. 22 for a special presentation on the wonderful work of the Philoptochos

Congratulations to Phillip Chaltis, ST. BARBARA, Sarasota, FL, Wisconsin Lutheran College freshman kicker who was named Northern Athletics Conference Football Special Teams Student Athlete of the Week Nov. 2nd. At the Oct. 31st game vs. Aurora University, Phillip had a perfect performance, going 4-for-4 on extra point tries and 2-for-2 on field goal attempts.

ST. NICHOLAS, Wilmington, NC GOYAns are selling wreaths ($15) to be placed at the Wilmington National Cemetery Dec 12, in honor of all fallen veterans. They will receive $5 for every wreath sold through a program called “WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA” with remembrance ceremonies world wide. For more information see www.wreathsacrossamerica.org. The national goal is place a wreath on every grave.

TRANSFIGURATION, Florence, SC Philoptochos is sponsoring a Food Basket for the people in need of help during these tough economic times. For every 100 pounds of food collected, Harvest Hope Food Bank can feed 1 person for an entire year. They have been challenged to collect enough food to feed 100 people, or about as many people as they have in Church every Sunday.

CHRIST THE SAVIOR, Spring Hill, FL donated unsold items from their recent garage sale to a local charity for sale in their store to benefit the poor and the needy.

HOLY TRINITY, Augusta, GA Philoptochos is collecting canned goods, nonperishable food items, monetary donations/gift cards to purchase turkeys for Thanksgiving baskets for needy families.

HOLY TRINITY, Raleigh, NC Friday, Nov. 20, 7-9 pm, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2-4pm, Dr. Kyriacos C. Markides, professor of sociology from University of Maine lecture and onslide show presentation on his research in the field of Orthodox Christian monasticism

HOLY TRANSFIGURATION, Marietta, GA Nov. 22, 6pm Special Presentation by Father Nicholas Kasemeotes, Philanthropy Coordinator of FOCUS (Fellowship of Orthodox Christians United to Serve), a new group organized by Orthodox Christian Clergy and Lay Leaders to help the poor and needy here in America

ST. JOHN, Jacksonville, FL, along with AHEPA will be participating in the Salvation Army’s ringing of the bells community outreach program beginning Nov. 23

HOLY TRANSFIGURATION, Marietta, GA Dec. 12, 5pm, Healing Unction Service for all Orthodox

ST. NEKTARIOS, Charlotte, NC Zoe Ministry special Memorial service Sunday, Dec. 13, to honor the lives of our babies which were lost through miscarriage, stillbirth or neo-natal loss. The Zoe Ministry is designed to provide spiritual support for families who have experienced such a loss.













SAVE THE DATE - Nov. - Dec. ST. GEORGE, Greenville,SC Philoptochos Bake Sale Nov. 19

HOLY TRINITY, Clearwater, FL THANKSGIVING HARVEST, traditional Thanksgiving meal, sponsored by Philoptochos. Donations Adults/$10 Students/$5 Thursday, Nov. 19,4-7pm

ANNUNCIATION, Winston-Salem, NC GOYA Advent Retreat Nov. 20-22

ST. GEORGE, New Port Richey,FL Nov. 21 Golf Tournament

ST CATHERINE PANIYIRI Saturday,11am-11pm,Sunday noon-8pm, Nov. 21-22

ST. BARBARA, Sarasota, FL Godparents’ Sunday Nov. 22

HOLY TRINITY, Raleigh, NC Sunday, Nov. 22, GOYA Annual Luncheon, chicken breast tenders wrapped in a GYRO, french fries, dessert & drink,$7

HOLY CROSS/STS. CONSTANTINE & HELEN, Huntsville, AL Stewardship Luncheon, Nov. 22

ST. PAUL, Savannah, GA Stewardship Sunday & luncheon, Nov. 22

ST. MARK, Boca Raton, FL Stewardship Sunday & brunch, Nov. 22

ST. KATHERINE, Burlington, NC Feast Day celebration, Tuesday, Nov. 24,7pm. Great Vespers Service with Artoclasia followed by Fellowship hour, Wednesday, Nov. 25, Orthros 9am, Divine Liturgy 9:45am. Official celebration of St. Katherine’s Nameday Sunday, Nov. 29, 9:15 Orthros, 10:30 Divine Liturgy. Community Luncheon to follow

ST. JOHN, Jacksonville, FL Thanksgiving Day Divine Liturgy, Nov. 26, 9am followed by Community Thanksgiving Breakfast

HOLY TRINITY, Clearwater, FL Hellas Dancers “Steps & Notes,” Nov. 28, 6:30pm, performance 8pm, $20 donation includes mezethes, show & dancing

ST. MARK, Boca Raton, FL 14th Annual Dinner Dance Fashion Show, “A Fairy Tale” Sunday Nov. 29,5pm.Donations $35

ANNUNCIATION, Atlanta,GA PAREA Dec. 1, noon,MEZZA,2751 LaVista Rd,Decatur,GA

HOLY APOSTLES, Winterville, NC Holiday Pastry Sale Wed., Dec.2, Thurs.Dec. 3

ST. BARBARA, Sarasota, FL Feast Day Dec. 3 Great Vespers, Dec. 4 Divine Liturgy

HOLY TRINITY, Raleigh, NC Holiday Gift Shoppe & Cafe, Thursday, Dec. 3, 4-8 pm
Friday, Dec. 4, 11 am-8 pm, Saturday, Dec. 5, 11 am-3 pm

ST. MARK, Boca Raton, FL Philoptochos Dec. 5, Annual Dinner Dance Auction,

ANNUNCIATION, Mobile, AL St. Nicholas Dinner-Dance hosted by “All the Nicks,” Sat. Dec. 5, 5:30pm

HOLY TRINITY, Columbia, SC Prosphoro Pilgrimage to Paracletos Monastery, Dec. 5, 10:30am

ANNUNCIATION, Atlanta, GA 2nd Annual Breakfast with St. Nicholas Saturday, Dec. 5

ST. NICHOLAS, Wilmington, NC Feast Day celebration, Great Vespers Saturday, Dec. 5, 5pm. Divine Liturgy Sunday, Dec. 6, 10:30am

ST. GEORGE, Greenville, SC Santa’s Luncheon Sunday, Dec. 6

ST. BARBARA, Sarasota, FL Dec. 6 Home for Christmas Holiday Dinner Dance
$50/person,$10/Children 12 & under

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, Tallahassee, FL Feast Day of St. Nicholas Family Pancake Breakfast Sunday,Dec. 6,crafts & surprise visit by St. Nicholas

HOLY CROSS/STS. CONSTANTINE & HELEN, Huntsville, AL Philoptochos Holiday Tea Sunday, Dec. 6,

HOLY TRINITY, St. Augustine, FL Philoptochos Luncheon, Dec. 6

ST. MARK, Boca Raton, FL Nova Singers Fall Concert, Sunday Dec. 6, 4pm, $10 donation

HOLY TRANSFIGURATION, Marietta, GA HOPE/JOY Dec. 6, Mellow Mushroom 5:30pm, Bethlehem Walk






SAVE THE DATE - Dec.
ST. CATHERINE, W. Palm Beach, FL Senior’s Annual Christmas Party Tuesday, Dec. 8, noon, Benvenuto’s

HOLY TRINITY, Orlando, FL Philoptochos annual Christmas Party Thursday
Dec. 10, 6:30pm

HOLY TRANSFIGURATION, Marietta, GA Philoptochos Christmas Party: Thurs., Dec. 10, 6pm

ST. NEKTARIOS, Charlotte, NC Young at Heart annual Christmas Dinner, Thursday, Dec. 10, 6pm, Jonathan’s, Mint Hill. $14/person; RSVP

ST. NEKTARIOS, Charlotte, NC Philoptochos Annual Christmas Brunch, Dec. 12, 11am, Providence CC, fashions by Go Fish,$35/Adult,$20/Child under 10

ST. JOHN, Jacksonville, FL GOYA annual Kallanda Saturday, Dec.12

ST. NEKTARIOS, Charlotte, NC GOYA Deck the Halls & Progressive Dinner, Saturday, Dec. 12, 4:30pm

ST. NEKTARIOS, Charlotte, NC Parish Bonfire & Caroling,Saturday,Dec.12,7pm

SS. RAPHAEL, NICHOLAS & IRENE, Cumming, GA Dec. 12, Blessing of the Animals & visit from St. Nicholas

ST. SOPHIA, Winter Haven, FL 5th Anniversary Thyranoixia Celebration Weekend, Dec. 12-13

ST. NICHOLAS, Ft. Pierce, FL Dinner Dance, Dec. 12

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, Tallahassee, FL Sunday, Dec. 13 GOYA Christmas Caroling to homebound parishioners

ST. NEKTARIOS, Charlotte, NC Zoe Ministry special Memorial service Sunday, Dec. 13

ST. NEKTARIOS, Charlotte, NC “Holiday Family Night Special,“ Wed., Dec. 16, Fellowship Dinner, 6pm, activities for JOY-HOPE following dinner

ST. BARBARA, Sarasota, FL Florida Voices Christmas carol concert, with TOYS for TOTS & Ringling Museum Fri., Dec. 18, 7pm, reception following

SS. RAPHAEL, NICHOLAS & IRENE, Cumming, GA Dec. 19 Family Night Christmas Celebration, caroling & fellowship

ST. JOHN, Jacksonville, FL annual Church Christmas Party Saturday Dec. 19, 4:30 pm children’s visit with Santa, Christmas Program 6pm

ANNUNCIATION, Atlanta, GA Annual Christmas Dinner & Concert, Dec. 20

ST. NEKTARIOS, Charlotte, NC “The Lord Has Come,” sacred and seasonal music and drama in anticipation of the Feast of the Nativity, by Fr. Seraphim Dedes, Sunday Dec. 20 6pm

HOLY TRINITY, St. Augustine, FL Potluck Christmas Luncheon, Dec. 20

ST. DEMETRIOS, Ft. Lauderdale, FL PAN-ORTHODOX COLLEGE STUDENT NIGHT free dinner & talk Dec. 29, 7-9pm, speaker Fr. Philip Reese

ST. GEORGE, New Port Richey, FL Annual New Year’s Eve Dinner Dance, Dec. 31

HOLY TRINITY, Orlando, FL New Year’s Party, Appetizers, dinner, dessert, music, $35/Adults $25/Children 4-9 yr, 8pm-1am



DATES TO REMEMBER - 2010 HOLY TRINITY, Birmingham, AL January 29-31 GOYA Volleyball Tournament

STS. MARKELLA & DEMETRIOS, Ft. Walton, FL Western Conference Youth Rally & Cross Dive, Jan. 15-18, 2010

ST. MARK, Boca Raton, FL Greek Festival January 21-24, 2010

ST. SOPHIA, Miami, FL Festival Feb. 19-21, 2010

Metropolis of Atlanta Philoptochos 4th Annual Spiritual Retreat, Diakonia Retreat Center Salem, South Carolina, March 12 – 14, 2010

ST. SOPHIA, Miami, FL Saturday, April 10, S. FL GOYA District Family Night


YOUTH NEWS by Presbytera Mari NEWS FROM THE YOUTH OFFICE...

WINTER YOUTH RALLY INFORMATION WINTER YOUTH RALLY REGISTRATION IS STILL OPEN!
A big thank you to everyone who has already registered for Winter Youth Rally! We are so excited about this year's Rally! Please note a couple of things:

1. We're continuing to accept registrations until the deadline of November 15th. After the 15th, you may register until the 20th of November, but the late fee of $25 will apply from the 16th-20th, after which time we will not be accepting any more registrations. We are asking everyone to be patient with our new online registration system, the link for which can be found on our metropolis website (http://www.atlmetropolis.org/index.php?pr=Online_Registration). A quick step by step guide is below.

If you have any problems with the online registration process, or any general questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact me at youth@atlmetropolis.org or call me at 404.634.9345 ext 19.


FOR ADVISORS ONLY:
2. There are two forms this year (both are attached) that need to be filled out by all ADULTS attending the rally. ONLY adults need to be filling out these forms. They are the Code of Conduct for the protection of Children and Youth, and the Background Check consent form. Both must be submitted with all other paperwork for the adults, as the background checks must be completed before the rally.



ONLINE REGISTRATION QUICK USE GUIDE:
Step 1 - ACS Login

https://secure.accessacs.com/access/memberlogin.aspx?sn=101244

New User Login:
- Enter your name (anyone in your family)
- Enter your e-mail address

If you have been entered into the Metropolis data base you will receive an e-mail message with your new login.

If there is an error with your user name or e-mail address, you will need to contact Presbytera Mari Mars at youth@atlmetropolis.org to receive your new login.

Step 2 - My Complete Profile

Please review your personal information. Make changes as necessary.

Step 3 - Available Upcoming Events

Enter: Winter Youth Rally

Step 4 - Register

Step 5 - Payment

Online Payment: Credit Card and Check
Offline Payment: Parish Submitting

Step 6 - Paper Forms Needed

Go to the following web-site: http://www.atlanta.goarch.org/index.php?pr=WYRFormsRegistration

Print and fill out the following forms:
#7 - Medical History, including a copy of insurance card
#8 - Metropolis Waiver
#9 - Oath of conduct (priest signature required)

Step 7 - Give all completed forms to your WYR Lead Advisor

ADVENT RETREAT IS FULL!!!!!*********
Thank you to everyone who sent in registration forms for Advent Retreat this year! We are thrilled to announce that Advent Retreat is full and cannot accept any more registrants! For those of you who were not able to come this year, please mark your calendars now for the Metropolis of Atlanta GOYA Lenten Retreat, which will be held in two sessions this year. Session one will be February 19-21, 2010, and session two will be February 26-28, 2010. PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW so that you can attend! We look forward to having a great Advent Retreat this year by God's grace, and to two wonderful weekends of Lenten Retreat in February!

N. FL GOYA ADVENT RETREAT
“Fruit of the Spirit”
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control” Galatians 5:22-23
Nov. 20 - 22
Lake Yale Conference Center
39034 CR 452
Leesburg, FL 34788
Download forms from our Website
www.htgocorlando.org



ST. BARBARA, Sarasota, FL Philoptochos Bake Sale ST. BARBARA, Sarasota, FL Philoptochos is accepting orders for homemade pastries for the Holidays. Orders should be placed no later than Sunday, Dec. 13. Completed orders available for pick up at the Church hall Sunday, Dec. 20 after church or any other pre-arranged time.
Galaktoboureko * $2/ea.
Kourabiethes $1/ea.
Melomakarouna $1/ea.
Baklava $2/ea.
Koulouria $ .50 ea $6/doz.



BEING THANKFUL God created us to be people that would continually praise Him and thank Him. We should not forget to do this as an ongoing part of our daily lives. In the Old Testament, it says in Psalm 103:2: “Bless the Lord O my soul, and forget not all His rewards.”
St. Paul tells us many times in his letters to thank God which includes the following:
_ “Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ” (Ephesians 5:20)
_ “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”
(I Thessalonians 5:18)
_ “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2)
_ “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of our Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God” (Colossians 3:17).
During this month, we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday in our country. It is a time to reflect on the many blessings of our lives even during these uncertain and difficult economic times. When we reflect upon our family, friends and our faith, we can remember many things to be thankful for. We are to remember that everything we have is from God and everything we have is God’s and
not ours. In our daily prayer lives we should be thankful for all that we have and give thanks to God. Sometimes the circumstances of our lives are not always the best but
still, we are to look for something to be thankful for. Being a grateful person can let the light of Christ shine forth to others. Certainly our relationships with each other can be
enhanced if we express our thanks to each other from time to time instead of picking at each others faults.
The best thanksgiving we can bring to God is to participate in His creation by assisting Him in His mission on earth. We are to be an example to all around us of His Gospel
message. Our Church family may take action to support its mission in the Tallahassee area by supporting the ministries of the church with our time,
talents and treasures and living our faith.
Now is also a time to thank God for those things he has allowed us to accomplish. God wants us to celebrate His love. God wants us to give thanks in everything. He wants us to remember
what He has done and give thanks to Him, and to those around us so that our lives will be full of light and hope and our actions full of compassion and love.
With much love in Christ,
Fr. Rob O’Loughlin, HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, Tallahassee, FL


"IN EVERYTHING, GIVE THANKS!" “Rejoice evermore, Pray without ceasing.
In everything give thanks!”
I Thessalonians 5:16-18
The Day of Thanksgiving is a beautiful and unique American tradition. It affords us the opportunity to thank God, in much the same manner and for the same reasons that the first Pilgrims did following the trials and tribulations they experienced shortly after their arrival to the new world. It was absolute faith and trust in Divine Providence that enabled the Pilgrims, the first Europeans who disembarked in Plymouth, Massachusetts, to survive.
The first Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Pilgrims in 1621, and since then this holiday has been traditionally an occasion of feasting and abundance, as the heaping tables on this day reveal. However, we should never forget that there are always, and especially during these difficult times, homes where the tables are never heaped, and that there are always the homeless, who have no tables at all and who are faced daily with want and starvation.
Too often during the year our thoughts are concentrated on those things which
we do no have—the unfulfilled dreams, the unattainable ambitions, the unreachable
goals. Thanksgiving day affords us a reminder to take a positive look at our lives and
to be grateful for all that we do have.
We have many reasons for being thankful, for He so willed that in the New World the
spiritual tree of Orthodoxy should be transplanted and nurtured to full bloom. Thanks
should be offered for the Orthodox Pilgrims, our forefathers, who like the Puritan fathers,
established communities, build churches and spread Orthodoxy with great courage and
personal sacrifice.
Let us give thanks to God for the moral and spiritual blessings which supersede
the material blessings and for sustaining this great country as a guardian of peace in
this troubled world. For these reasons and an abundance of others, let us open our
hearts and ponder the blessings which we have received—make a matter of conscience
the fact that we are “stewards of God”, and consequently have a further obligation to
share our blessings with those who suffer and are deprived. This year on Thanksgiving
Day, let us devote the day with gratitude to Him Who is our very reason for being.
As we commemorate the birth of America’s soul, let us celebrate anew the birth
of our own soul, which is and ought to be even more sensitive, more grateful, more
compassionate, more charitable in a word—more CHRISTIAN. May our Lord, the
Giver of all good things, bless you in abundance so that this day and every day be a
time of thanksgiving. May He inspire you to reach out and serve others. Amen.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Fr. Frank Kirlingitis, ST. BARBARA, Sarasota, FL


THANKSGIVING Most of us have been conditioned to respond quickly to other people's kindness with the word "thank you", almost automatically, without thinking about it. This is why it is not a bad idea to stop for moment (and even better, a day) and ponder over what things we should be really thankful about and who we should be thanking and for what. "Thanksgiving Day" every year on the last Thursday of Nov. offers us this opportunity. The early pilgrims established this day as a time of thanksgiving to God for the blessings of freedom and the abundance of material things which they were enjoying in the "New World".
The Orthodox immigrants to this country (Russians, Greeks and others) from the very beginning embraced this feast because it reflected their own ethos. As Orthodox Christians we are accustomed to offering thanks to God, not just once a year, but every Sunday. Another term
for the "Liturgy" is "Eucharist", from the Greek word "Euxaristia", which means Thanksgiving". We gather together around the "Eucharistic Table" every Sunday to offer thanks to God for His Spiritual Blessings. Right before the consecration of the Gifts, the priest speaking on
behalf of the people, says:
“It is proper and right to sing to You, to bless You, to praise You, to give thanks to You, and to worship You in all places of Your dominion; for You are God ineffable, beyond comprehension, invisible, beyond understanding, existing forever and always the same; You and Your only begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit. You brought us into being out of nothing, and when we fell, You raised us up again. You did not cease doing everything until You led us to heaven and granted us Your kingdom to come. For all these things we thank You and Your only begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit; for all things that we know and do not know, for blessings seen and unseen that have been bestowed upon us. We also thank You for this liturgy which You are pleased to accept from our hands, even though You are surrounded by thousands of Archangels and tens of thousands of Angels, by the Cherubim and Seraphim, six-winged, many-eyed,
soaring with their wings singing the victory hymn, proclaiming, crying out, and saying, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of angelic hosts. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna, in the highest!’”
We are thankful to God and we rejoice because, “We have seen the True Light; we have received the Heavenly Spirit; we have found the True Faith, worshipping the undivided Trinity, Who has saved us.”
The early Greek Orthodox immigrants to America saw the feast of Thanksgiving also as a celebration of family and togetherness. As Greeks, they treasured the closeness of family and would not pass on an opportunity to come together for a family meal.
Today, when family has scattered and Faith in God is battered, the feast of Thanksgiving has become even of greater importance in forging back into our lives these ideals established by the early pilgrims and cherished by the later immigrants.
As we gather again around the family table, let us ponder over all these things, the love of God for us and His Kingdom that He has opened up for our sake.
Let us give thanks to God for all things again and again!
Fr. Panayiotis Papageorgiou, HOLY TRANSFIGURATION, Marietta, GA


SEASONS The beautiful array of colors adorn the trees once again and we are reminded of the wonderful season of the liturgical year which is almost here. Advent, Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. We prepare for winter and we also prepare as Orthodox Christians for
our personal and corporate renewal in Christ.
Even though each Divine Liturgy is a thanksgiving to God, we emphasize our gratitude to God as a nation at Thanksgiving. We thank Him for His abundant love and blessings which He gives every moment of our life.
I pray that this season of thanksgiving and anticipation of Christmas will bring us closer give us a certainty of God's limitless love and abundant mercy. May we all be thankful for our religious freedom and may God's blessings be upon our nation.
God bless you and your family in all things!

Fr. Felix Miles, HOLY CROSS/SS. CONSTANTINE & HELEN, Huntsville, AL


TODAY! November, being the month of Thanksgiving, gives us the opportunity to thank the Lord for all His gifts, material and spiritual. As we reflect upon His bounty, let it be the time to thank Him for TODAY! Every Sunday, every hour, and every moment of our life should and must be a time for us to be ready to move on to something spiritually new and transfiguring. A priest shared with me an important lesson, the unadulterated wisdom of his mother of blessed memory. She used to say that the Lord gave us TODAY as a gift. So if we hang on to yesterday, we are being selfish and we are not trusting God. If we keep thinking about tomorrow, we are greedy, because we never really know if tomorrow is ours. All we can be sure of is what God is giving us right now, TODAY!
The Fathers and the liturgical life of the Church have always emphasized the eternity of the now moment. They encourage us to experience more fully the transfigured power of Christ within each specific moment of the present. The now of God’s love has an abundant dose of the age to come. Eternity is to be found in each moment we breathe the breath of life. That is why every event in the history of salvation is not left in the past in the liturgical life of the Orthodox Church, but is recalled and celebrated in the present. The Greek word “semeron” or today abounds in the hymnology of the Church.
So what can be said about our life now?
TODAY—I must do my best for my Church. Do I give my time and talent and treasure to His work?
TODAY—I must allow Christ to set up His Throne in my heart. If I am involved as a steward, He will use me for His work.
TODAY—Christ must speak to me. Am I listening? Am I His steward?
TODAY—Christ is present with me at the Last Supper given to me through His Church, by His priest.
TODAY—I must make this day the day of my salvation, and work for Him through my Church.
TODAY—I must carry only the burdens of TODAY!
How many times have you said to yourself “if only I could live life again”? Just don’t forget that each day is a new life and a new opportunity given by God to live life again better than before with His help and grace.
I invite you during the Thanksgiving season, to begin turning your life around and making each day a time of passing from the old you to a new you in Christ. The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time and it is God’s plan that we meet it TODAY.
Fr. James Rousakis, HOLY TRINITY, Clearwater, FL


"KNOCKING AT THE DOOR" We must remember that all we possess is a gift. The first Beatitude is one of poverty, and only if we live according to the Beatitude can we enter into the kingdom of God. This Beatitude has two aspects. First, there is the very clear fact that we possess nothing which we can keep, whether we want to or not; it is the discovery that I am nothing and that I have nothing - total, irremediable, hopeless poverty. We exist because we have been willed into existence and brought into existence. We have done nothing for it, it was not an act of our free will. We do not possess life in such a way that it is impossible for anyone to take it away from us, and all that we are and all that we possess is ephemeral in this way. We have a body - it will die. We have a mind - yet it is enough for one minute vessel to burst in a brain for the greatest mind to be suddenly extinguished. We have a heart, sensitive and alive - and yet a moment comes when we would like to pour out all our sympathy, all our understanding for someone who is in need, and at that moment there is nothing but a stone in our breast.
So, in a way, we can say that we possess nothing because we are masters of nothing which is in our possession. And this could lead us, not to the sense of belonging to the kingdom of God and rejoicing in it, but to despair - if we did not remember that although none of these things are ours in such a way that they cannot be taken away from us, yet we are in possession of them.
This is the second aspect of the Beatitude. We are rich, and everything which we possess is a gift and a sign of the love of God and the love of men, it is a continuous gift of divine love; and as long as we possess nothing, love divine is manifested continuously and fully. But everything we take into our own hands to possess is taken out of the realm of love. Certainly it becomes ours, but love is lost. And it is only those who give everything away who become aware of true, total, final, irremediable, spiritual poverty, and who possess the love of God expressed in all His gifts. One of our theologians has said, ‘All the food of this world is divine love made edible.’ I think this is true and the moment we try to be rich by keeping something safely in our hands, we are the losers, because as long as we have nothing in our hands, we can take, leave, do whatever we want.
This is the Kingdom the sense that we are free from possession, and this freedom establishes us in a relationship where everything is love - human love and love divine.
We cannot live a life of prayer, we cannot go ahead God-ward, unless we are free from possession in order to have two hands to offer and a heart absolutely open - not like a purse which we are afraid of keeping open because our money will drop out of it, but like an open and empty purse - and an intelligence completely open to the unknown and the unexpected. This is the way in which we are rich and yet totally free from richness. And this is the point at which we can speak of being outside the Kingdom and yet be so rich inside and yet also so free.
- Taken from Beginning to Pray by Metropolitan Anthony Bloom


FASTING When we fast we are more conscious
of ourselves. Awareness of vigilance
over our bodies is followed by a
greater perception of the state of our
spirit. During fasting periods, we ask
the Holy Spirit to show us what is
causing us to go off the path of
salvation, so that we can repent. Our
sins forgiven, we can then join in the
joy of the feast for which we have
prepared.

ST. BARBARA, Sarasota, FL newsletter