News, Events and Announcements

TODAY, SUN OCT 6 - SERVICE STARTS AT 10AM WITH THE DIVINE LITURGY There will be no Orthros service today, but Divine Liturgy will start at 10. Fr. is still recovering from the recent bout with cellulitis and is being careful not to stress his leg too much. He is glad to be able to celebrate the Divine Liturgy at St. George today. He's grateful for all the prayers that have been and, still are, directed toward his recovery--thank you!

A PRAYER FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY HURRICANE HELENE

Almighty God, we pray for victims of this hurricane disaster, that you would comfort the lives of those spared, O Lord.

We also ask Your mercy and forgiveness for all the souls who have been called from this life through this tragedy. May compassionate persons take on the duty of giving respectful burial to those who've perished.

Lord bless those who are doing everything they can to help the afflicted. Overshadow and empower all operations underway for rescue and restoration in all regions damaged by Hurricane Helene. Let the victims feel Your love and care through those bringing relief.

Help the victims to have patience, O Lord. Sustain them during this great sorrow! Bless family members to be reunited.

Guard those victimized by the storm to resist all manner of illness that may come against them. Ensure O Lord that provisions designated for victims reach them with haste. May there be enough clean water, food and shelter for all. Remove any roadblocks to the distribution of aid.

O Lord, touch the hearts of the world to continue to pray for these people and to donate whatever they can to help stabilize and rebuild these devastated areas and those traumatized by this event.

Dear Lord, soften the intense grief people are feeling over the loss of loved ones, property, pets, livestock, and more. Give them beauty for ashes, O Lord!

Lord, only You can make miracles happen and we are asking for one for all victims of Hurricane Helene.

May the Name of the Lord be glorified throughout this land--Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

A VERY GREAT MERCY TO OUR PARISH FAMILIES A check in with our parish families with out-of-town family members revealed that either they had been by-passed by the Hurricane or saved in the midst of it. This is tremendous news and a great mercy! Pat E's son, Benjamin, was saved in the midst of the storm's path, still has a residence with working utilities--amazing! We are grateful to You, O Lord!

SUNDAY SCHOOL IS IN SESSION Please join Mrs. Bucklin for another session of Sunday School this academic year. She is teaching from the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles--the theme is "Salvation to the Ends of the Earth." If you are ages 6+, this class is for you! We're learning together about the beautiful life of our Lord Jesus and how the Good News is spread to the ends of the Earth! Thank you, Mrs. Bucklin!

SINCERE THANKS to all who bring food dishes to share during fellowship hour, your kind generosity is always appreciated!

AN INVITATION TO JOIN the Akathist a Day for 30 Days Prayer Group Join in a prayer discipline that is edifying and allows us to develop friendship with God's holy ones--the Saints! Each day for 30 days a group of Orthodox Christians from around the world offer an akathist from a selection of akathists to various Saints. By doing so, we get to know more about their lives and miracles and more so, they get to know us, too. How can they not know us since we honor them regularly and ask their intercessions? Yes, the Saints are available to us, even if we seldom recognize it. One of the things they do is intercede before God's throne, so let us ask their kind assistance for ourselves and our loved ones. Want to know more? Contact Pres. Candace (doxa141@gmail dot com or 949.2913, area code 207) and she'll provide detail. Our next 30 days cycle starts on Thursday, October 10.

PRAYER REQUESTS For Fr. Leo to fully recover from a case of cellulitis in the leg. For Patty M who is suffering with intense headaches, waiting for results from an MRI. For Patrick K who received a good response from his recent CT scan (praise!). Please continue to remember two Orthodox sisters in Christ recovering from strokes (slow, but sure), Panagiota (Jaye) and Seraphima (Linnea). Also, please remember Pat Egan whose eyesight is limiting her options, but not her enthusiasm for serving the Christ and the Church--thank God! Your prayers for these these brothers and sisters in Christ will be of great assistance.

YES! THE GREEK DANCE IS ON THE HORIZON Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 2. Our annual Greek Dance will be held once again at Wellman Commons, 300 Union Street, Bangor (our usual location) from 7-11PM. Enjoy great Greek food including gyro bar, baklava, wine & beer. LIVE Greek dance music! $40 in advance, $45 at the door. $10 for 17 and under, must be accompanied by an adult. Advance tickets available at Angelo's Pizza in Bangor. Free Greek dance lessons on two week nights preceding the dance--WEDNESDAY October 23 and note day/date change: TUESDAY October 29 from 7-8PM, here at St. George, 90 Sanford Street in Bangor. Sorry, no Silent Auction this year. All proceeds benefit the mission of St. George Greek Orthodox Church (founded in 1926).

GETTING READY FOR THE GREEK DANCE Help us stuff some envelopes after service THIS MORNING Sunday, October 6. Take some Greek Dance announcement flyers home with you and post at local businesses and/or work place to get the word out. Invite a friend or friends to attend the dance and bring them along for free dance lessons to get in the groove. Sell tickets or buy them as gifts for others. The energy and commraderie at the dance is always wonderful! Be willing to prepare dishes for the buffet table on the night of the dance. Cynthia will be asking for donations of prepared dishes to make the buffet bountiful that night. Please be generous inasmuch as you're able. This event has always been very well received by our community and friends. So, don't hesitate to get involved and invite others for an enjoyable night together--live music, great food, fun on othe dance floor. See you there!

THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH JUDGMENT Fr. Earl Cantos (Greek Orthodox presbyter of the Orthodox Mission Church of AZ) has offered an edifying on-line seminar on this topic which is excellent in content. You can access it here: https://www.youtube.com/live/I_4qs63N5og

IT'S TIME TO SAY THANKS AGAIN AND ASK FOR A LEG UP Our stewardship chair wants to express a sincere thank you for the stewards and other givers who help keep us going financially throughout the year. We couldn't function well without you! At this point in time, funds are running low and we're facing the fall/winter seasons. We respectfully ask that pledges be faithfully fulfilled so we can make it through the seasons and end the year in the black and not in the red. We're a modest sized congregation in a cold part of the country so let us pull together and help make sure bills will be covered as have been in the past. We are grateful to each and every one of you and how you are motivated for love of God and St. George who watches and prays for us all. Thanks so much! Donna Walter

FINANCIALS Recently our Stewardship Chair reported that we were currently at -$9467. We will update the figure again soon. Again we seek your generosity and pledge fulfillment so that we can reasonably manage the finances through the end of this year. Thanks in advance!

LOOKING FOR A MEAL COORDINATOR Is there anyone among us who would like to work with our parish community and the Bangor Salvation Army to coordinate preparation of occasional hot casseroles to feed our city's homeless? If so, please contact Susan Brountas for details: 207.745.9167.

PROSFORA BAKING IS A MINISTRY For an Orthodox Christian, baking the Bread of Offering which becomes the Body of Christ for Holy Communion is a sacred offering. In Greek a single loaf of this bread is called " prosforo." Multiples loaves are "prosfora." Our church is always benefitted by receiving these breads--any excess loaves go into the freezer for future use. Please if you can and are willing, become a baker of this sacred bread for love of Christ and the ministry of our Holy Church. Loaves are always welcome and needed. If you have not already ordered a bread stamp and want to be a baker, let Presbytera know. A bread stamp costs $20 and is continually re-usable. Please let Fr. know if you plan to bake prosfora occasionally ([email protected] or 207.385.3000). If you've already ordered a seal, you can pick it up today.

BE THE BEST STEWARD OF WHAT GOD'S ENTRUSTED TO YOU -- KEEP PRODUCE FRESH Many individuals and families buy fresh produce regularly only to find a good bit of it relegated to the trash because of improper storage. This is a real waste and an increasingly costly one. Is there a way to keep this from happening? Yes, there is! Learn and become a better steward of the resources God has entrusted to you. Meet Amy Cross who teaches people how to keep produce fresh and usable for 3 weeks or longer. This is quite impressive and likely all our families will find the info useful. Have fun, learn lots! Start here with her first "viral" video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yVKejGcg4s. And, keep salad toppings fresh for weeks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3PpUcjT6I0.

FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE - Donations can be made online.

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Saints and Feasts

October 06

3rd Sunday of Luke

October 06

The Holy and Glorious Apostle Thomas

The name Thomas means, "twin." He was one of the Twelve, a Galilean by birth. Sophroneus (not the famous Patriarch of Jerusalem [7th Century, celebrated March 11], but a friend of Jerome's), quoted also by Jerome, says that Saint Thomas preached to the Parthians, Pesians, Medes, Hyrcanians, Bactrians, and neighbouring nations. According to Heracleon, the Apostle died a natural death; according to other accounts, he was martyred at Meliapur His tomb was known by Saint John Chrysostom to be at Edessa in Syria, to which city his holy relics may have been translated from India in the fourth century.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Προκείμενον. Sixth Tone. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 27.9,1.
Σῶσον, Κύριε τὸν λαὸν σου καὶ εὐλόγησον τὴν κληρονομίαν σου.
Στίχ. Πρὸς σἐ, Κύριε, κεκράξομαι ὁ Θεός μου.

τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Κορινθίους β' 4:6-15.

Ἀδελφοί, ὁ θεὸς ὁ εἰπὼν ἐκ σκότους φῶς λάμψαι, ὃς ἔλαμψεν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν πρὸς φωτισμὸν τῆς γνώσεως τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν προσώπῳ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἔχομεν δὲ τὸν θησαυρὸν τοῦτον ἐν ὀστρακίνοις σκεύεσιν, ἵνα ἡ ὑπερβολὴ τῆς δυνάμεως ᾖ τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ μὴ ἐξ ἡμῶν· ἐν παντὶ θλιβόμενοι, ἀλλʼ οὐ στενοχωρούμενοι· ἀπορούμενοι, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐξαπορούμενοι· διωκόμενοι, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐγκαταλειπόμενοι· καταβαλλόμενοι, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἀπολλύμενοι· πάντοτε τὴν νέκρωσιν τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι περιφέροντες, ἵνα καὶ ἡ ζωὴ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι ἡμῶν φανερωθῇ. Ἀεὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες εἰς θάνατον παραδιδόμεθα διὰ Ἰησοῦν, ἵνα καὶ ἡ ζωὴ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ φανερωθῇ ἐν τῇ θνητῇ σαρκὶ ἡμῶν. Ὥστε ὁ μὲν θάνατος ἐν ἡμῖν ἐνεργεῖται, ἡ δὲ ζωὴ ἐν ὑμῖν. Ἔχοντες δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα τῆς πίστεως, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, Ἐπίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα, καὶ ἡμεῖς πιστεύομεν, διὸ καὶ λαλοῦμεν· εἰδότες ὅτι ὁ ἐγείρας τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν καὶ ἡμᾶς διὰ Ἰησοῦ ἐγερεῖ, καὶ παραστήσει σὺν ὑμῖν. Τὰ γὰρ πάντα διʼ ὑμᾶς, ἵνα ἡ χάρις πλεονάσασα διὰ τῶν πλειόνων τὴν εὐχαριστίαν περισσεύσῃ εἰς τὴν δόξαν τοῦ θεοῦ.

Prokeimenon. Sixth Tone. Psalm 27.9,1.
O Lord, save your people and bless your inheritance.
Verse: To you, O Lord, I have cried, O my God.

The reading is from St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians 4:6-15.

Brethren, it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, "I believed, and so I spoke," we too believe, and so we speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

Gospel Reading

3rd Sunday of Luke
Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 7:11-16

Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἐπορεύετο εἰς πόλιν καλουμένην Ναΐν· καὶ συνεπορεύοντο αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἱκανοὶ καὶ ὄχλος πολύς. ὡς δὲ ἤγγισε τῇ πύλῃ τῆς πόλεως, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐξεκομίζετο τεθνηκὼς υἱὸς μονογενὴς τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὕτη ἦν χήρα, καὶ ὄχλος τῆς πόλεως ἱκανὸς ἦν σὺν αὐτῇ. καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὴν ὁ Κύριος ἐσπλαγχνίσθη ἐπ᾿ αὐτῇ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ· μὴ κλαῖε· καὶ προσελθὼν ἥψατο τῆς σοροῦ, οἱ δὲ βαστάζοντες ἔστησαν, καὶ εἶπε· νεανίσκε, σοὶ λέγω, ἐγέρθητι. καὶ ἀνεκάθισεν ὁ νεκρὸς καὶ ἤρξατο λαλεῖν, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὸν τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ. ἔλαβε δὲ φόβος πάντας καὶ ἐδόξαζον τὸν Θεόν, λέγοντες ὅτι προφήτης μέγας ἐγήγερται ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ὅτι ἐπεσκέψατο ὁ Θεὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ.

3rd Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 7:11-16

At that time, Jesus went to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large crowd from the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." And he came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all; and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and "God has visited his people!"