St. George Orthodox Christian Church (Antiochian)

03/06/2019

MeatFare Sunday Brunch. The Parish held a brunch on March 3 and asked all to make a "free-will offering" that would be used for charity efforts during the coming months. This was done to emphasize what we heard in the Gospel reading of this Sunday - to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, ........ (Matthew 25: 31-46)

03/06/2019

Holy Theophany 2019

05/01/2017

Saying farewell to Fr. Sujit Thomas, as he departs from St. Paul Indian Orthodox Parish in Niskayuna.

01/22/2016

Last Sunday I included in the sermon the "first installment" concerning some matters of our behavior in church when we come to attend the Divine Liturgy. This article by Fr. Dimitri Cozby will add some thoughts to those already discussed, and also give us some advance notice on things to be presented.

"Every priest is asked questions about behavior during worship, both what should be done to show proper respect in the Lord’s temple and what can be done to achieve more meaningful participation in the services. This article will attempt to address some of the more common questions and concerns; it draws on a variety of sources. These should not be taken as laws to be obeyed, but as aids to an attitude or frame of mind which will make our parish’s worship more meaningful to each of us.

Whenever we enter or leave the temple we should do so as quietly as possible, so as not to disturb the prayers of our brothers and sisters.
As we enter or leave the temple, we should first face the altar and cross ourselves. Before going to our place, we should venerate the icon of the Patron Saint or of current Feast in the center of the temple and the icons of our Lord and the Theotokos (after buying and lighting candles, if we so desire).

It is best to avoid traffic in and out of the church during services. Especially do not enter or leave during a censing, an entrance, the Scripture readings, or the sermon; coming and going is especially distracting at these times. Being late for services is a common failing among Orthodox of all sorts, but it is not something we should be proud of. Leaving services early without a very good reason is just as bad.

While in the temple we should try to maintain an attitude of prayer and a spirit of humility, like the tax collector of the Gospels (Luke 18:10-14). Our purpose for coming is to approach our Lord and King in company with our brothers and sisters; we come together to constitute God¹s Church. These facts should govern our attitudes and behavior.
We should avoid conversation in the church even if the service has not yet begun. We should spend the time before services preparing for worship; necessary conversation should be conducted quietly so as not to disturb the meditations of others.

We will get more out of the services if we pray rather than merely attend them. Allow the hymns to enter your heart, and make their words your own. (This can be accomplished by joining in the singing of the music of the Liturgy when possible. ed. note) Remember that the services are not a time for private prayers but for sharing in the common worship of the Church.

Follow the service with your body as well as your mind. Orthodox piety is rich in actions which enable the whole person to worship. We should cross ourselves at the proper times (on hearing an invocation of the Trinity, and at any prayer or petition which personally affects you). At censings and blessings the proper response is to bow to the priest (crossing oneself is not necessary). During Great Lent there are times when we kneel or do prostrations; follow the priest and altar servers in this matter. Kneeling is not proper on Sundays, since each Sunday is a feast of the Resurrection, a weekly Pascha. (The reader or choir is exempted from certain actions if performing them disrupts the service.)
Let us remember above all that the temple must be filled with an attitude of mutual love and respect. We have assembled to share in the Church’s worship, to unite with each other and our Lord, to anticipate the joyful time when we are gathered into His Kingdom. Our attitude toward one another should reflect that of the Lord, who loves us all and desires nothing more than our spiritual growth and our salvation.

01/08/2016

This morning I received a private message from someone expressing their appreciation & joy for all the FB posts of the recent Holy Feasts during these past days, concerning the festive Liturgical celebrations from around the world.The message also expressed a hint of dismay by saying; "Although it is a joy to see these photos, it also makes me wonder why we don't have the same spirit of celebration, and the crowds of people attending the Services."

That's a very good question. I suppose the answers - and perhaps the excuses - are numerous, and many are right and just in character. But I know from personal experience that many of these faithful have made it a commitment to be present at these Services; changing their normal daily schedules, taking time off from work & school, dedicating their day to fulfilling what is the given and expected practice for all Orthodox Christians.

The answer to the question posed really amounts to commitment and sacrifice. As I expressed in a previous message, we have to be convinced that the events of these days require something other than a "business as usual" or "take it or leave it" approach to our Faith. Orthodox Christians throughout the ages, and around the world, have given us the example; especially in the wintry climate like that of Northern Europe and Japan, or in the war affected regions of the Middle East & Africa, and in regions where wealth and comfort are minimal.

These days are days of witness and joy. May we always be ready and willing to share these gifts, as many have during these past days. We greet each other at this time with "Christ is baptized by John in the Jordan," or for some, "Christ is born." May we live this greeting in our hearts and in our way of life, especially in our worship!

01/08/2016

Holy Theophany 2016 - reflections from your Parish priest.

As the evening ends on this great Feast - one of the three great Feasts of the Orthodox Christian faith - I could not but help thinking as I ended Vespers that we are truly "strangers in a strange land." Yes, all Christians are called to be "sojourners," that is to "stay for a time in a place, a strange place." But Orthodox Christians in 21st century America have an even greater challenge. And that challenge is "to be in the world, but not of the world."

A day like January 6 brings to the forefront this great and wonderful calling. Our society no longer, and perhaps really never did, celebrate the great events of our faith which we honor today; whether it be the visit by the Magi to Bethlehem or the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan. Our religious and cultural heritage, unlike many others in the world, never really placed these events in the forefront of our heritage. And because of this it has been so easy to slide into an apathetic, consumer oriented, "religionless" society. Our heritage of "homo-religiosis" - the calling to be "religious man" is not a very important part of our life. And unfortunately, everything which we find necessary in life works against this effort; family, school, work, social associations. We are truly "sojourners."

Or are we? Yes, we are presented with many "distractions." But so were the Christians of the first centuries. However, we presented with a greater challenge; one of comfortable living, desire to be accepted, the "comfortable pew" which makes our religious practice a social event instead of a struggle, and a "take it or leave it" approach to practicing the faith.

So a day like January 6, the day in which we celebrate the manifestation of God in the flesh, either in Bethlehem or in the Jordan, becomes just like any other day. We miss the call to "live liturgically" as Fr. Alexander Schmemann invited us to do. Our churches are empty, even the most active. We miss the opportunity to put "earthly things aside" and to enter into the fullness of what our Orthodox tradition invites us to share, to live.

May the glory of this day shed a light on our path, and may the waters which we blessed in the Services of this day, water our parched soil, and quench the thirst of our arid hearts.

12/17/2015

The first of the series of Advent Prayer & Scripture Services for the days before the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) will be held at St. George Orthodox Church on Thursday evening, Dec. 17 @ 6:30 PM.

The half hour Service consists of Psalms, hymns, & readings from Scripture in honor of the coming Messiah. Each evening a different "Divine Name" from the Old Testament is used for prayer & reflection. The title addressed the Lord on Dec. 17 is "O WISDOM from on high," based on the reading from the book of Wisdom 7: 15 - 8:1.

": O WISDOM, coming from the mouth of the Most High and reaching from one end of the earth to the other, disposing all things with power and gentleness: Come and do not delay, come to show us the path of prudence and love of your beauty."

This Service will be held in different locations throughout the 7 days before Dec. 24. It will be held at St. George again on Friday at 6:30 PM.

08/31/2015

Fr. Gregory at the Troy Armenian Festival. (courtesy of Michel Boutros)

08/26/2015

Thank you Fr. Stephen Ziton!! It should be a photo of one of our churches and read, "You know you're in an Antiochian Orthodox church when you arrive on time for Liturgy and you're alone with the icons!!"

Do you want some Bebsi?