ORTHROS BEGINS AT 8:30AM & THE DIVINE LITURGY BEGINS AT 9:30AM
Website Links: Visit the church's website at www.stgeorgeclifton.org for our online streaming links.
To find the prayers for each service and to follow along, visit the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America’s Digital Chant Stand at https://digitalchantstand.goarch.org.
WE WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR CHURCH COMMUNITY!
We are grateful that you have joined us for prayer and worship. Please join us after the Divine Services in our Downstairs Hall for our Hospitality Hour sponsored by the Orthodox Life Institute.
The Artoclasia Service today is offered by the Orthodox Life Institute in honor of the feast day of Mother Maria of Paris, its patron Saint.
Liturgical Schedule:
Monday, August 5th – Paraklesis ………………………….......7:00PM
Tuesday, August 6th – Transfiguration of Our Lord……Orthros & Divine Lit. 8:30AM
Wednesday, August 7th – Paraklesis……………………………12:00PM
Friday, August 9th – Paraklesis……………………………………7:00PM
Monday, August 12th – Paraklesis………………………………7:00PM
Wed., August 14th – Great Vespers at Kimisis Tis Theotokou in Holmdel, NJ……7:00PM
Thursday, August 15th – Kimisis Tis Theotokou…………Orthros & Div. Lit. 8:30AM
Sunday Sermon:
Please note, that going forward, the sermon will be delivered right after the Gospel reading which means at about 10:00AM. The Divine Liturgy, as you know, begins at 9:30AM and this is the time when all the faithful are called to be in Church. It is an appointment with the most Holy One, will you keep it? Put your best effort forward!
Holy Communion Line:
We remind everyone that the Communion line is to be formed in the center aisle, and once you receive, depart to the right or to the left to return to your seat. When Sunday School is in session, children and their teachers will come up first. Infants may be brought up to the front of the line at any time. Please remain at your seat, (you may sit if you need to), and enter the center aisle once the Parish Council members indicate that it is time for people in your pew to come up. While you are waiting, you may read the prayers for before Holy Communion on page 76. Once you return to your seat, please read the thanksgiving prayers for after Holy Communion on page 90. This is one of the most sacred moments of the service, so please treat it accordingly, refrain from talking and be respectful and prayerful. Also, please wipe any excess lipstick from your lips before coming to the Holy Chalice and no chewing gum during services. Thank you.
On July 20th, the church commemorates a 20th century martyr and theologian:
Mother Maria of Paris, a French Orthodox Nun, sought to apply the gospel to everyday life. She was zealous in her attempt to restore the Christian Life to the Orthodox Christians of France. Her writings reflected a deep love for the church and also included a deep love for Jesus Christ. In the 1930's in Paris, she established a convent whose nuns would serve in the rehabilitation of prostitutes, battered women and neglected children. She also established a soup kitchen for anyone in need and helped everyone who came to the door regardless of their creed. After the Nazis invaded France in 1940, Mother Maria built a network of doctors, firemen, policemen and sanitation workers that helped her rescue 1200 Jewish children from deportation to concentration camps. These children were sent over the mountains to Spain and eventually to Palestine which is now Israel. Mother Maria was betrayed to the Nazis by an informer, and along with her nuns and her chaplain, was eventually sent to Ravensbrook, a concentration camp for women. After many sufferings Mother Maria and her nuns were murdered in the gas chambers in August of 1944. Her chaplain was sent to Auschwitz Concentration Camp and was murdered there. In 1996, Mother Maria, her nuns and her chaplain were canonized by the Orthodox Church. She is a patron Saint of the poor, the afflicted, the neglected and those seeking a deeper spiritual life. Mother Maria is the patron Saint of the Orthodox Life Institute because of her devotion to truth and the church.
Sponsor A Day Program:
One way to help the church is through our “Sponsor A Day” program. We encourage our parishioners to select a day that has special meaning to them like a birthday, feast day, anniversary or a memorial and make a suggested donation of $250. We would like to thank The Orthodox Life Institute for sponsoring July 20th, the feast day of Mother Maria of Paris. For more information about the program please call the church office.
The Orthodox Life Institute would like to extend our prayers and gratitude to all who have participated and supported our ministry throughout the year. We hope that you continue your studies of our Holy Orthodox faith.
Hosting of Summer Coffee Hour:
During the months of July and August we can all share the responsibility of bringing food for our coffee hour. Please bring pastries, cookies, fruit, etc. to church with you from time to time to add to our coffee hour table. Or, arrange to host a coffee hour by contacting the church office. Additionally, our coffee hour will take place in the downstairs hall during the summer months. Thank you in advance for your participation this summer.
Feast Day Flower and Icon Donations:
During the Ecclesiastical year, our Church comes alive with many Liturgical services. It is customary in our faith to decorate icons used during special Feast Day services with flowers. We encourage our parishioners to offer this special donation as a unique and appropriate way to remember departed friends and relatives, as well as an expression of love on behalf of their family and prayers for their loved ones. Donations are now being accepted for the following Feast Day celebrations:
- August 6 – Transfiguration of our Lord $150
- August 15 – Kimisis Tis Theotokou $150
- September 14 – Elevation of the Holy Cross $150
- November 9 – St. Nectarios the Wonderworker $500
Rummage Sale:
Will take place on September 6, 7 & 8. Collections begin Sunday, August 25th through Thursday, September 5th. Please drop off donations in the GYM ONLY. DO NOT leave any donations outside or in the lower hallway. For any questions on donations please contact Kathy at [email protected]; or Elaine at [email protected].
Greek School Registration:
Classes begin on Tuesday, September 10, 2024 with an Agiasmo blessing at 4:00pm. For registration forms, please contact the church office at 973-779-2626 and provide your email address or email the school at [email protected]. We are all looking forward to welcoming all of our returning and new students!
P.G.E.I. Scholarship:
Eligibility for Foundation scholarships this year is limited to 2024 graduates of New Jersey high schools who are of Greek descent. Candidates must have been admitted to a college or university that they will actually attend beginning in the Fall of 2024. In 2024, the Foundation aims to grant seven (7) scholarships, totaling $20,000. These scholarships are intended for a one-year duration only. Submit your application online by September 30, 2024 at www.pge-nj.com.
Stewardship Report:
We invite you and your family to participate in our spiritual, outreach, social and youth ministries. For those that have never given an annual gift, we need your help. Our community has nearly $40K in monthly expenses and the annual stewardship is the primary program that raises funds for us to meet our obligations. You can make a difference today with your participation. We understand that philanthropy is something very personal. Each person is invited to give according to their ability. If you are able, please consider joining one of the following giving levels this year: ($5,000 or more – Grand Benefactors, $2500 – $4,999 – Benefactors, $1,200 – $2,499 – House of Stewards, $800 – $1,199 – Patrons). Of course, whatever you decide to give please know that you have our utmost gratitude and appreciation, and please know our Church is here to serve your each and every need. The important thing to keep in mind is that we need everyone to do something. Sincere thanks to those who have already made their Stewardship Commitment for 2024!
Offering Our Blessings:
The God who came to us at Bethlehem continues to come to us today. In every liturgy He comes to us as the Word of God, bringing words of eternal life through the Scripture readings and the sermon. Through the Sacrament of Communion, He comes to be born again and again in the shabby stables of our hearts. He comes constantly through prayer. He blesses our marriages as He did that in Cana of Galilee. He stands by our sick bed, laying His healing hand upon us through the prayers of the priest. He comes again and again in so many, many ways through the many ministries of His Church. He comes with healing and forgiveness; He comes with strength and guidance. He comes and when He comes, as the Bible says, “the blind see, the lame walk, and the prisoners are set free.” It is by offering our blessings back to God that He will be able to continue His forgiving, healing, liberating, empowering, transfiguring, loving ministry through the Church. For God, Infinite though He be, has chosen to work through us, through our gifts, to continue His saving work in the world today. ~ Father Anthony M. Coniaris