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Welcome HTGOC Parishioners & Guests!

My Beloved Ones,

In this Sunday’s Gospel, a wealthy young ruler approaches Christ, “…kneeling and saying, ‘Good Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?’" (Matthew 19:16) Jesus encourages him in the commandments: “You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 19:18-19).

It is here that we see the man’s pride: "All these I have observed; what do I still lack?" (Matthew 19:20) Our Lord knows that his wealth has fed his ego, and so, answers him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me" (Matthew 19:21). The young man leaves, saddened at the idea of losing his possessions. Christ does not condemn wealth, but this young ruler allowed money to distort his sense of reality. When Christ tells the disciples that “…it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:23), He speaks knowing the true purpose of money: for our needs, and for the benefit of others; not to become greedy, or to spend to excess.

In the Gospel for next Sunday, the Sunday before Holy Cross, we learn the greatness of God's selfless love. In speaking with Nicodemus, Christ reveals the true purpose of His destiny to ascend the Cross: “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:14-17).

My beloved, as we prepare to start the New Ecclesiastical Year, this coming Monday, September 1st , let us meditate on what we are called to do in imitation of Christ: freely give of our time, talents and treasures to serve others. And as we struggle to accomplish this journey to become more like our loving God every day, let us remember Christ’s words to the disciples that “For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). So long as we approach everything in our lives with the same kind of humility, charity and love, then we will be better able to overcome our flawed natures, and truly focus on Christ, who loves us so much, that He gave Himself up for our sakes.

+SEVASTIANOS
Metropolitan of Atlanta

Greek Orthodox Nun Elucidates the Plight of Christians in the Holy Land

Dear Brother Archons and friends of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,

Mother Agapia Stephanopoulos, a Greek Orthodox nun who has lived in the Holy Land for many years, recently granted a lengthy and detailed interview to journalist Tucker Carlson on the persecution of Christians in the Holy Land. If you have not watched this interview in its entirety already, I strongly urge you to do so, as Mother Agapia provides a uniquely illuminating perspective on the difficulties that our sister and brothers in the faith face on a daily basis.

As you watch this revealing and often shocking interview, please remain in prayer for the Greek Orthodox Christians of Israel and its environs, and for all the embattled Christians of that war-torn region.

Watch the interview here, and see a full transcript here.

Yours in the service of our Holy Mother Church,

Anthony J. Limberakis, MD

Archon Grand Aktouarios
National Commander

Homily Two for the Twelfth Sunday of Matthew - Eternal Life (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

Homily for the Twelfth Sunday of Matthew

Eternal Life

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

A young man, as today's Gospel reading told us, approached Christ and asked him what he must do to obtain eternal life. Christ initially pointed out to him the observance of the commandments, which He Himself gave to Moses, and then urged him to sell his existing possessions and give the money he will collect to the poor and thus acquire treasures in heaven. This is because, as He said, it is very difficult for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God.

Reading this text carefully, one notices that eternal life is closely connected with heaven and the Kingdom of God. Eternal life is not simply the end of biological life and the life of the created world, heaven is not the atmosphere surrounding the earth or space, and the Kingdom of God is not some created reality, but life with God, the vision of and the participation in the Light of God. I have underlined in one of the previous sermons that the Kingdom of God is the glory of God, His Light, and this Light is called heaven. Participating in this Light is called eternal life, since there will be no end.

The Apostle Paul writes to the Christians of Corinth that if our earthly house, that is, our body, is destroyed, then we have a building from God, an eternal house not made by hands in the heavens (2 Cor. 5:1). The eternal house in the heavens is not made by hands, in other words, it has not been built by human hands, but it is the glory of God. This spiritual meaning can be seen in another passage of the Apostle Paul to Timothy, in which he writes that he endures all things for the sake of God's elect "so that they too may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus in eternal glory" (2 Tim. 2:10). In this passage, salvation in Christ is closely connected with eternal glory.

The Apostle Peter, the other Foremost Apostle, teaches the same. In his Second Catholic Epistle he exhorts Christians to show greater zeal and to make their calling and election certain, because then they will never sin. In this way they will be richly granted "entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 1:11).

Thus, eternal life, heaven, the Kingdom of God, eternal glory are identical concepts and basically identical realities. The rich young man asked Christ to show him the way to enter this life. But, unfortunately, he could not free himself from the shackles of wealth and in general the pull exerted by the present life with its charms and challenges. Thus, he refused to obey Christ and accept the way to inherit eternal goods.

This means that we too can have great goals, high expectations, great desires in order to fulfill the purpose for which we have been created, so that from the "in the image" we reach the "according to the likeness", but this is not enough, instead we must accept the ways that Christ indicates. We should free ourselves from dependence and enslavement to created things and above all to the passions. Creation is a gift from God, but at the same time it is also a deception of the devil. After all, the devil through creation, through the eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, deceived the Forefathers and they lost the life of Paradise.

If we have such high desires that are natural, because they correspond to the purpose of our existence, we should apply the commandments of Christ, as taught by our Orthodox Church.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

https://youtu.be/HrPN3YQICAc

In the video above the Hellenic Byzantine Choir lead by Protopsaltis Lykourgos Aggelopoulos chant the Megalynaria of the Reception of Christ in a version composed by Peter Lambadarios (1730-1815).

Below is the original Greek text together with an English translation under it:

Ωδή θ’. Εν ή ψάλλονται τα επόμενα Μεγαλυνάρια. (Ήχος γ΄.)

Ακατάληπτον εστί, το τελούμενον εν σοί, και αγγέλοις και βροτοίς, Μητροπάρθενε αγνή.

Αγκαλίζεται χερσίν, ο πρεσβύτης Συμεών, τον του νόμου Ποιητήν, και Δεσπότην του παντός.

Βουληθείς ο Πλαστουργός, ίνα σὠση τον Αδάμ, μήτραν ώκησε την σήν, της Παρθένου και αγνής.

Γένος άπαν των βροτών, μακαρίζει σε Αγνή, και δοξάζει σε πιστώς, ως Μητέρα του Θεού.

Δεύτε, ίδετε Χριστόν, τον Δεσπότην του παντός, όν βαστάζει Συμεών, σήμερον εν τω ναώ.

Επιβλέπεις προς την γην, και ποιείς τρέμειν αυτήν, και πώς γέρων κεκμηκώς, σε κατέχει εν χερσί;

Ζήσας έτη Συμεών, έως είδε τον Χριστόν, και εβόα προς αυτόν· Νυν απόλυσιν ζητώ.

Η λαβίς η μυστική, η τον άνθρακα Χριστόν, συλλαβούσα εν γαστρί, συ υπάρχεις Μαριάμ.

Θέλων ενηνθρώπησας, ο προάναρχος Θεός, και ναώ προσφέρεσαι, τεσσαρακονθήμερος.

Κατελθόντ’ εξ ουρανού, τον Δεσπότην του παντός, υπεδέξατο αυτόν, Συμεών ο ιερεύς.

Λάμπρυνόν μου την ψυχήν, και το φως το αισθητόν, όπως ίδω καθαρώς, και κηρύξω σε Θεόν.

Ο Ειρμός

Εν νόμω σκιά και γράμματι, τύπον κατίδωμεν οι πιστοί· πάν άρσεν το την μήτραν διανοίγον, άγιον Θεω· διό πρωτότοκον Λόγον, Πατρός Ανάρχου Υιόν, πρωτοτοκούμενον Μητρί, απειράνδρω μεγαλύνωμεν.

Μητροπάρθενε αγνή, τί προσφέρεις τω ναώ, νέον βρέφος αποδούσ’ εν αγκάλαις Συμεών;

Εν νόμω σκιά και γράμματι…

Νυν απόλυσιν ζητώ, από σού του Πλαστουργού, ότι είδον σε Χριστέ, το σωτήριόν μου φως.

Τοις πριν νεογνών τρυγόνων ζεύγος, δυάς τε ην νεοσσών, ανθ’ ών ο θείος Πρέσβυς, και σώφρων Άννα προφήτις, τω εκ Παρθένου τεχθέντι, και οίω γόνω Πατρός, εν τω ναώ προσιόντι, λειτουργούντες εμεγάλυνον.

Όν οι άνω λειτουργοί, τρόμω λιτανεύουσι, κάτω νυν ο Συμεών, αγκαλίζεται χερσί.

Τοις πριν νεογνών τρυγόνων ζεύγος…

Δόξα Πατρί και Υιώ και Αγίω Πνεύματι.

Η τη φύσει μεν Μονάς, τοις προσώποις δε Τριάς, φύλαττε τους δούλους σου, τους πιστεύοντας εις σε.

Απέδωκάς μοι εβόα Συμεών, του Σωτηρίου σου Χριστέ αγαλλίασιν, απόλαβέ σου τον λάτριν, τον τη σκιά κεκμηκότα, νέον της χάριτος, ιεροκήρυκα μύστην, εν αινέσει μεγαλύνοντα.

Και νυν και αεί, και εις τους αιώνας των αιώνων· αμήν.

Θεοτόκε η ελπίς, πάντων των Χριστιανών, σκέπε φρούρει φύλαττε, τους ελπίζοντας εις σέ.

Ιεροπρεπώς ανθωμολογείτο, Άννα υποφητεύουσα, η σώφρων και Οσία, και πρέσβυρα τω Δεσπότη, εν τω ναώ διαρρήδην, την Θεοτόκον δε ανακηρύττουσα, πάσι τοις παρούσιν εμεγάλυνεν.

Ode 9 in Tone 3 From Matins For the Feast of the Presentation of Christ

That which was fulfilled in thee is beyond the understanding of Angels and mortal men, O Pure Virgin Mother.

Symeon the Elder takes in his arms the Maker of the Law and Master of all.

The Creator, wishing to save Adam, took up His dwelling in thy pure and virgin womb.

All mankind blesses thee, O Pure Virgin, and in faith glorifies thee as Theotokos.

Come ye and behold Christ the Master of all, Whom Symeon carries today in the Temple.

Thou looketh down upon the earth and maketh it tremble: how then can I, aged and weary, hold Thee in mine arms?

Symeon had lived for many years when he beheld Christ and cried aloud to him: "Now do I seek my release."

Mary, thou art the mystic tongs, who hast conceived in thy womb Christ the live Coal.

O God Who wast before all things began, of Thine own will hast Thou become man and art carried, a Child forty days old, into the Temple.

Symeon the Priest received the Lord of all, come down from heaven.

Illuminate my soul and the light of my senses, that I may see Thee in purity: and I will proclaim that Thou art God.

Eirmos

In the shadow and the letter of the Law, let us, the faithful, discern a figure: every male child that opens the womb shall be sanctified to God. Therefore do we magnify the First Born Word and Son of the Father without beginning, the First Born Child of a mother who had not known man.

O Pure Virgin Mother, why dost thou bring into the Temple a Newborn Babe and commit Him into the hands of Symeon?

From thee, the Creator, I now see release: for I have seen Thee, O Christ, my Salvation and my Light.

Of old the people offered a pair of doves and two young pigeons. In their stead the godly Elder and Anna the Prophetess, sober in spirit, ministered and gave glory to the Child of the Virgin, the Only Begotten Son of the Father, as He was brought into the Temple.

Him Whom the Ministers at the Liturgy on High entreat with trembling, here below Symeon now takes in his arms.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O Thou by Nature One but in Persons Three, watch over Thy servants who put their faith in Thee.

"Thou hast committed to me the exceeding joy of Thy salvation, O Christ," cried Symeon. "Take Thy servant, who is weary of the shadow, and make him a new preacher of the mystery of Grace, as he magnifies Thee in praise!"

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Theotokos, thou hope of all Christians, protect, watch over and guard all those who put their hope in thee.

Holy Anna, sober in spirit and venerable in years, with reverence confessed the Master freely and openly in the Temple; and proclaiming the Theotokos, she magnified her before all who were present.

Protopresbyter Michael A. Platanis, Dean

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral

1900 Main Street - Columbia, SC 29201

Mailing Address:

1931 Sumter Street

803-252-6758 Church Office

803-403-7557 Cell

803-254-6197 Facsimile

NewSmyrna@gmail.com

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