The Philoxenia The Hospitality of Abraham
The Monthly Newsletter of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity † Volume 9 Issue 10 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 30 Race Street Charleston, SC 29403 Phone (843) 577-2063 Fax (843) 722-2331 Parish Website www.gocharleston.org Email office@gocharleston.org Philoxenia Email newsletter@gocharleston.org Sunday Services Orthros 8:45 am Divine Liturgy 10:00 am Youth Catechism/Sunday School After Holy Communion Adult Catechism Following Divine Liturgy Weekday Divine Liturgy Orthros 9:00 am Divine Liturgy 9:45 am Clergy Rev. Fr. Aristotle W. Damaskos (843) 577-2063 Rev. Deacon George E. Malanos (843) 729-0055 Support Staff Cleo Stoucker, Administrative Assistant Alvin Richardson, Custodian Michael Gates, Grounds The Parish Council Members
June/July2017 November ~ Pastor’s Message ~
On the 4th Thursday of November we will all be gathering together with our families and hopefully we will remember to do more than eat a meal, watch football or make a mad dash for the mall. The Thanksgiving Holiday gives us the perfect opportunity to transform our lives from those of griping and dissatisfaction to lives of joy and gratitude. Thanksgiving is a good holiday for us to turn the corner to try to become grateful people. God wants nothing more than for us to be people of thanksgiving and gratitude. Alan Perkins says, “A thankful spirit is one of the key distinguishing marks of a Christian. It sets us apart from the world, it makes us different.” Psalm 118:1 says, “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love endures forever.” Likewise, praise expresses admiration, appreciation, and thanks which, is found in the Book of Psalms and should often be directed to God, considering all that He has done for us. What then can be more natural than heartfelt praise? When we offer praise to God we do so to glorify and give thanks to Him as it relates to God’s character. In many of our hymns, we sing about His great mercies and about His grace. Praise is expressing back to God our appreciation and understanding of His worth. It is saying thank you for each aspect of His Divine nature. Through praise, our inward attitude becomes an outward expression of Thanksgiving. St. Augustine wrote: “Alleluia, Let us praise God with our life, with our lips, with our heart, with our mouth, with our voice, with our example. God wants us to sing Alleluia without any inconsistency in us. Let us take care that our life agrees with our voice, because otherwise alleluia will be to our condemnation.”
President Susan Zakis Vice-President George Stamatiades, Jr. Secretary Effie Meletis Treasurer Margie Petko Asst. Treasurer Joey Hammond Phillip Carson Lou Chambers Bernard Ferrara Mary Lee Lavelle Peter Lempesis Rene Mueller
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