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GREEK ORTHODOX COMMUNITY & PARISH

OF PROPHET ELIAS NORWOOD & EASTERN

SUBURBS INC.

87 BEULAH RD. NORWOOD SA 5067 P.O. BOX 277, KENT TOWN SA 5071
ALL CORRESPONDENCE TO THE HON. SECRETARY

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: 8362 4139 . 8431 7789 . 0412 710 037

29-04-12
27 . 1397

WEEKLY MAGAZINE

THE WORD OF GOD

PHONES: 8362 4139 H. 8431 7789 M. 0412 710 037

DATE 29-04-12
YEAR 27 TH NUMBER 1397
WEB PAGE: WWW.PROPHETELIAS.ORG.AU
ONLINE MAGAZINE & RADIO PROGRAM: WWW.PROPHETELIAS.BLOGSPOT.COM
EMAIL: PROPHETELIAS@ESC.NET.AU

(. 6:1-7) 29 2012
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SUNDAY OF THE MYRRHBEARERS (Acts 6:1-7) 29th April 2012
The theme that we will seek to analyse today has a direct relationship with
the lives of all human societies in the world. We will examine this same
problem faced by the first Christian community and the effective way that
the problem was solved. Similar problems are faced by communities today,
but unfortunately the same solution is not used. It is useful to closely
examine the problems faced by the first church and if in reality there are
any similarities with the problems we face. Only in this way will we be able

to judge fairly and unbiased. Through the preaching of the Apostles,

multitudes of people from all over the known world believed in Christ and
had gathered in Jerusalem. They had all embraced Christianity and lived
as an autonomous and self-reliant group of people. Within this group there
were people with more goods and wealth than others who would help as
much as possible to provide food for the faithful. The distribution of goods
and the feeding of the poor, to ensure that it was equitable, were overseen
by the apostles themselves. For this reason the people were not satisfied,
and they official put their complaints to the Apostles. The Apostles listened
to their complaints with interest and told them to find from amongst
themselves faithful young men who would serve them and take
responsibility for the equitable distribution of their common goods. Up to
here we see the problems that arose out of human weakness, and then
following the wise suggestion of the Apostles. seek out from among you
seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit. Next the crowds
chose the seven youths full of wisdom and discernment, faith and fear of
God, and brought them before the Apostles.

The Apostles prayed and

ordained them to the rank of Deacon; they prayed that they serve the
crowds of people with fear of God. Following this todays gospel reading
confirms for us that the problem was solved and everything ran like
clockwork. and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem,
and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. If we read the
rest of the book of Acts we will see that those people who made the
complaints were the Hellenists. They had come from abroad and spoke
Greek. Furthermore we will see that the names of the seven Deacons were
also Greek. This gives us cause even if we are not correct- to say that the
election of the seven Deacons was made by the Hellenists and not the

inhabitants. In reality there was no cause for complaint, not because they
had gotten their own way, but because their choice was enlightened by the
Holy Spirit. Now that we have clarified the events that the apostolic reading
is reminding us of today, it is good that we continue on to make the
comparison as promised. If we take a look at the events that are occurring
daily and reported in the media, we can be assure that their cause is
through the unjust distribution of goods through society. And in reality there
is just cause for complaint. The problem is real. There is not even the
slightest agreement about how to tackle the problem that occupies and
continues to occupy the entire world. Therefore it is certain that this issue
has a direct relationship with the problems faced today. This is not just our
opinion but is more widely spread, and so the question easily arises: Why
arent the well educated people of today able to solve this common
problem? And since they have employed thousands of methods and have
been unsuccessful, why do they not gather a few people of good
reputation, full of the Holy Spirit to solve the problem. We understand that
in the case presented in the book of Acts of the Apostles, the Deacons had
to deal with people from many different nations; however they were all of
the same faith. They all believed in the one true God. Today however in
this era of globalisation, we have to deal with not only an assortment of
different languages and nations but also religions who propose solutions
based upon their system of beliefs. Today we are not proposing to solve
the problems of people of different nationalities and religions, since as
Greek-Orthodox we face our own problems, threatening our GreekOrthodox nation, the nation of Martyrs and Saints.

It is for Greece

especially that we are making this comparison today.

And so we ask:

Since the Churches all over Greece are even at this time doing a wondrous

job of feeding the poor, why dont we elect these people of God to guide the
nation? Perhaps people of God- people full of faith and the Holy Spirit as
existed in the first Christian times- no longer exist? Many centuries have
passed since the cynical philosopher Diogenes searched the streets of
Athens in broad daylight, with his lantern lit looking for a person. In the
same way I think that this shortage continues even today. I imagine that
the Greeks are carefully searching to find the people who will be able, with
fear of God, to govern in a Christian way our Nation, lets hope that they are
more successful than Diogenes. You see even today in our nation, people
offering from their excess and others form the little that they have to the
Church, to be distributed in the best method by the Deacons of God. And
they are obligated with fear of God to distribute to their fellow man who is
suffering.

No matter what message we circulate through our humble

Magazine we are always left with the same burning question: Are those
who have undertaken the fair distribution of the goods of Greece filled with
the Holy Spirit?

And if not, then how do we expect there to be a fair

distribution of the goods that God has open-handedly given?

With the

experience of a long history with philanthropic groups and brotherhoods,

and having seen the sacrifices made by their members we believe that
something similar is needed to guide our Nation.

Because we either

believe that God offers us everything that is needed and only the people of
God are empowered to help us, or we dont believe in God and we wait for
the other one (the cunning one) to help us. The aim of our Magazine is to
educate our pious parishioners about religious issues rather than political
ones. However when our brothers are searching through the trash to find
their food, while another sleeps in the bushes because he has lost his
home, another collects rags to keep from freezing to death, and another in

hopelessness does not know what to do , we ask: What person of God can
remain apathetic and unemotional?

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DVD (Film Night)

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News from our Community-Parish

Renewal Week
We thank the Risen Lord who has granted us yet again to celebrate daily
Divine Liturgy and to chant the most beautiful resurrection hymns during the
week after Pascha. We thank the ladies of the Philoptohos for the daily
morning coffee and sweets with red eggs. It was a lovely Bright Week.

Church Services
Timothy and Mavra
In the third century AD during the reign of Diocletian, in Komopolis,
Panapeon in , a young couple named Timothy and Mavra. When the pagan
eparch asked Timothy to hand over the religious books he was reading,
Timothy refused. He was put through various tortures, but Christ healed
him. Then they brought his young wife, whom he had wed but twenty days
previously, to persuade him to renounce the Christian faith and save his life.

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Mavra, however, preferred to suffer along with her husband. So the

executioner killed them both. God gave them His grace to work miracles.
On Thursday 3rd May, Matins and Divine Liturgy will be celebrated in their
honour, 8 am 9.30 am.

Irene the Great Martyr

Irene was the only daughter of Likinios and Likinia, from the town of
Mageddo and lived around 315 AD. She was initially named by her parents
Penelope on account of her beauty, which was so great, that her parents
kept her in a tall tower built by her father. Until the age of sixteen, she was
alone, seen only by her father and taught by a certain monk, Apellianos by
name. One day, the saint saw a dove enter the tower with an olive-branch
in its beak; it dropped it on the golden table. Other birds came: an eagle
holding a crown adorned with flowers, a raven with serpentine. The girl
gazed in awe, wondering what the meaning could be. Then the elder
Apellianos explained to her: the dove with the olive-branch meant miracles
and was a type of baptism; the eagle, as king of the birds, depicted the
future victory of her special and pure deeds; and the crow foretold of her
future grief and misery. On Friday 4th May, a night Vigil service will be
celebrated in her honour from 8:30 pm 11:30 pm.

Death-Funeral
Last Tuesday afternoon 24th April 2012, Nikolaos Tsimouris of Kalymnos
passed away, aged 80 years. His funeral will be held tomorrow Monday,
10.30 am. The late Nikolaos Tsimouris made the first chanters stands of
our Church. He always marvelled at the progress of our Community-Parish.
Following their own preference, his family encourages people to donate to
the Church in lieu of wreaths, if they would like, in memory of the late
Nikolaos Tsimouris. The Priest, President, Executive Committee and
Philoptohos extend their sincere sympathy to the widow, children,

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grandchildren and relatives, and pray they may have strength and comfort
from above. More details in the next Newsletter.

Meeting of the Executive Committee

Last Wednesday evening 18th April, the regular monthly meeting of the
Executive Committee was held in the Museum. Fr Stavros congratulated
and thanked the President and the members for their faultless execution of
serving our devout congregation during these holy days. He thanked them
on behalf of the Church and prayed that the risen Lord grant them health
and many years of working in His vineyard. The members reviewed the
past events of March and April and especially the functions of the great
days of Holy Week and the Resurrection; and, with earnestness,
responsibility and attention to detail, discussed the various ongoing matters
of our Community-Parish and future functions. The detailed financial report
was received very well. Finally our priest closed the meeting with prayer
and the hope that next year also, God will grant us to serve our devoted
parishioners.

Film Night
Last Wednesday evening 18th April, there was a film night on the big screen
in the Community Centre, showing Holy Week and Pascha in Jerusalem.
We saw up close the Divine services taking place where Christ walked in
those days. It was very impressive, for example, to see the Patriarch wash
the feet of the Priests; the Last Supper, the scourging, the procession to
Golgotha, the Crucifixion, Burial etc. The moment when the Holy Light was
lit and transmitted was unforgettable, as the light flashed around and lit the
candles of the faithful. We saw our Patriarch enter the Holy Sepulchre,
accompanied cautiously by the Armenian Dragoman; what if God did not
allow the Light to shine, on account of our sins? What would the nonOrthodox say? This miraculous transfer of light has only ever happened

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with the Orthodox Patriarch. Eventually, we saw the Patriarch emerge from
the Holy Sepulchre, literally within flames but not burning. Despite the crush
and thousands of hand-held candles, there was no accident. Unfortunately,
although the screening had been well-publicized in two languages since
January, many people did not come to see this timely and superb film
because they could not rouse themselves from their usual habits.

Bible Study
Brothers and sisters, do you sincerely desire to learn more about your faith?
The topics are always informative and relate to every Orthodox Christian.
Please take a program from the front counter. Everyone is welcome. This
Wednesday, we shall be examining the subject: Cataphatic and Apophatic

Theology.
Greek School
The doors of our Greek school opened wide to welcome students to the
second term. May the students be enlightened by God and good
cooperation with parents and teachers. May the Risen Lord help them in
their spiritual and social progress.

THE DIVINE LITURGY IN ENGLISH WILL BE OFFICIATED IN OUR

CHURCH ON SATURDAY 12TH MAY 2012 FROM 6PM TO 7PM.