Message from Metropolitan Alexios
My Beloved Ones,
We have been blessed to experience our Lord’s Passion, His life-saving Resurrection, and this past Thursday, His glorious Ascension. Far from this feast representing an ending, it is the beginning: the beginning of the apostolic age, through the coming of the Holy Spirit, as well as the continuation of our unification with our Creator in Heaven.
Before we can celebrate the coming of Holy Spirt at Pentecost next Sunday, the Church in its wisdom has seen fit to honor on this Sunday, the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council of 325; holy and great men whose determination to put to rest the Arian heresies produced the Nicaean Creed, a statement of faith and belief common to all Christians, Eastern and Western (no matter what centuries may have changed).
These Fathers, at the instigation of the Emperor and Equal to the Apostles St. Constantine the Great, are also responsible for assembling the canons of the Bible, selecting the Gospel accounts that make up the New Testament.
In a predominantly Western Christian society, which often elevates the Bible to a place of supremacy above all else, this is another important reason to remember the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council. They themselves understood the value of these texts as divinely inspired accounts of Christ’s ministry, teachings and Messianic mission—but not as the sole teacher and authority. Holy Tradition, the sacraments, the writings of the Fathers, are also a large part of our faith, and act as an important complement to Scripture.
However, I do not wish for you to believe that Holy Tradition is something which exists solely in the past. Holy Tradition, has been active force in the life of the Church since the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and even into the present; a recent example would be the discussions had, and the documents thereafter signed at last year’s Holy and Great Council on the island of Crete.
In this way, we honor the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council by continuing to follow their example: we profess the Symbol of the Nicaean Creed; we nurture our spiritual lives through not only the Holy Bible, but Holy Tradition as well; and we trust that the Holy Spirit will continue to inspire us as individuals, and as the collective Body of Christ.
Therefore, my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, this Sunday, do not think of these men as distant and remote; for through the gift of the Holy Spirit that is to come with Pentecost, past, present and future are all connected in our Holy Orthodox Church.
+ALEXIOS
Metropolitan of Atlanta
The Panagia Chapel Roof Tiles Campaign: Our opportunity to place the names of our loved ones in the Holy Altar of the Panagia Chapel.
April 24, 2017
My Beloved Brothers and Sisters in our Resurrected Lord
I greet you all with a joyful heart as we live in the renewal of our Lord’s Resurrection. I come before you today, to encourage all of us to work together hand in hand for the completion of the Panagia Chapel, which is the jewel of our Metropolis at the Diakonia Retreat Center in Salem, SC, through the Roof Tiles Campaign.
As someone who fervently prays for the spiritual lives of all our faithful, I believe that the Panagia Chapel allows all of us—including our young people—to feel inspired, as we work towards that common goal when we are able to gather together and worship as the Body of Christ.
I am asking each faithful household of our Holy Metropolis to participate by submitting names of both living and departed loved ones (even if you are not financially able to contribute to the Roof Tiles Campaign). I do not want anyone to miss the blessing to submit names, for it is a great one; because not only will the list of names be sealed within the Holy Altar and with Holy Relics during the consecration of our Chapel, but the names will be commemorated at all the services throughout the year and the years to come.
I thank you for your continued support. I pray that during this season of renewal, we will all be uplifted by our communal vision, as we seek to create an environment which will ensure that our children, grandchildren, and countless future generations always have a place which reflects God’s glory and the living presence of the Saints. On behalf of the faithful souls in our Metropolis, I remain,
With paternal blessings and with much love in our Risen Lord,
+ALEXIOS
Metropolitan of Atlanta
The Strategic Plan
Strategic Plan Updates
After many months of hard work and much anticipation, the first goals of the Metropolis of Atlanta Strategic Plan are complete and there is content on the Web Portal for download. Parishioners are invited to use the new content found at www.atlstrategicplan.org/portal to enhance their efforts working for the Church and its many ministries. The completed Goals include: 1.1 Parish Strategic Planning, 3.3 Communications Director, 5.4 Seniors Program, 10.1 Metropolis Website and 10.3 Best Practices Metropolis Resource Center Portal. In addition to the first content, the website has been redesigned for ease of use. For more information please visit www.atlstrategicplan.org. If you have questions, contact your Parish Champion or communications@atlmetropolis.org.
Family Life Ministry
The Metropolis of Atlanta’s Family Life Ministry (www.familylifeministry.atlanta.goarch.org) strengthens individuals, families and church families through adaptable programs, blogs and educational materials as a means of fostering connection within our homes and our parishes.
In this third episode of the “Family Insights” Podcast , Paula Marchman (Managing Director of FLM) and Eleni Alexiou (Managing Director of OCN) continue the discussion of how we all make mistakes and how struggles can be good. Together these counselors will walk you through the important topics so that you can gain insight into your family. Sit back today, listen, and find your deep breathe.
To listen, visit the podcast’s page HERE.
Journey of Marriage (Pre-Marital Seminar)
All couples marrying in the Metropolis must attend a Metropolis-sponsored Journey of Marriage seminar prior to their wedding. The couple will present their certificate of completion to their parish priest after the seminar.
Saint Catherine hosted a Jouney of Marriage Seminar on Saturday, May 6th.
To see the full list of seminars through 2017, and to register, please visit: http://www.familylifeministry.atlanta.goarch.org/upcoming-events-2/
When you shop with Amazon, you can donate to the Diakonia Retreat Center
Amazon Smile is a program that allows for 0.5% of your eligible Amazon purchase to be donated to the Diakonia Retreat Center. To find our Amazon Smile page, visit https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-2187047.