The Hierarchs of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas

To all the Clergy and the Laity of the Holy Orthodox Church in the Americas

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We greet you in the strength and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as we begin the Lenten Season, knowing that He will guide you in prayer, fasting, and worship unto Pascha, the great and glorious celebration of salvation and life.

In the Gospel of Matthew we read that as Christ traveled through the cities and villages teaching, preaching, and healing, "He saw the crowds, and He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:35-36). He saw the genuine physical and spiritual needs of people who were burdened and struggling in the midst of an altered world. He saw human beings, created in the image of God, who needed love, peace, and truth from above. He saw persons who needed acceptance, assurance, and guidance.

In our modern era where advanced technology has facilitated global communication, we do not have to travel through every city and village to see physical suffering, spiritual depravity, and the helplessness of those harassed by evil. However, in our contemporary world where many choose to ignore or isolate themselves from the tremendous needs of others, we are called as Orthodox Christians to see as Christ saw during His earthly ministry with awareness, with compassion, and with commitment. First, we must always be aware of the true condition of our world, a world where many have not heard the Gospel message of love and transformation. Second, we must look upon others and their needs with eyes of deep compassion, knowing that we have much to offer. Third, we must remain committed to missions and ministry because truly "the harvest is plentiful".

This commitment to missions in response to the call of our Lord leads us beyond only knowing the needs of others, to participating in and assisting ministries of teaching, preaching, and healing throughout the world. As Orthodox Christians and parishes in America, we are able to do this through the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC), the foreign missionary agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA). Located in Saint Augustine, Florida, the Mission Center continues to support, expand, and develop vital ministries that are reaching people all over the globe. Orthodox missionaries and mission teams travel to distant lands to preach the Gospel, teach the faith, and provide medical care and philanthropic assistance. Indigenous clergy are being assisted, leaders and teachers are being trained, and churches, orphanages, and clinics are being built.

In support of this sacred work, this Sunday of Cheese-fare has been designated as Mission Sunday, a day on which we ask all of our parishes to take a special offering for the Mission Center. As we give generously, we must hear the words Jesus Christ spoke to His disciples: "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest" (Matthew 9:37-38). As Orthodox Christians we must not only ensure that the resources are available to send laborers throughout the world, but we must also answer the call to be laborers ourselves. The harvest is plentiful in cities, villages, and distant lands, and certainly in the fields around us.

In this time of Great Lent, may God uplift your spiritual awareness, deepen your compassion, and strengthen your commitment to His saving work in your life and in the lives of others.

With paternal blessings and love in Christ, The Hierarchs of SCOBA

+Archbishop DEMETRIOS, Chairman +Metropolitan THEODOSIUS

+Metropolitan PHILIP, Vice Chairman +Metropolitan JOSEPH

+Metropolitan JOSEPH +Metropolitan CHRISTOPHER, Secretary

-----Original Message----- Subject: The Bloodiest Week in the Holy Land

From: Maria Khoury [mailto:khourymaria@hotmail.com]

Sent: Saturday, March 09, 2002 3:42 AM

Greetings from the Holy Land! Please share and help make a difference for peace, thank you and have a blessed day, maria

Maria C. Khoury is a Greek Orthodox Christian, an American-born wife of a Palestinian Orthodox, living there. An alumna of Hellenic College/Holy Cross, she is the author of four Orthodox Christian Children’s books published in Jerusalem. She has written over forty articles helping bring awareness to the Christian presence in the Holy Land.

As more Palestinian and Israeli blood waters this precious land, the international community continues their silence while the Israeli forces totally destroy the West Bank and Gaza killing as many innocent people as possible. More than 1400 people have died in the last 18 months because peace does not exist in the land of Christ’s Birth. Fifty Palestinians were killed in just 24 hours, it’s a massacre, and the worst week (March 9, 2002) we have ever experienced. The Israeli army began attacking the refugee camps and causing more than 150 people to die within approximately one week while denying entry to ambulances to help people that might be saved.

The refugees are already victims of 1948 and it’s a disaster to see them die so brutality as if human life has no value. It’s a shame to be abused, traumatized and invaded when they are already the poorest of the poor. Fr. Majdi Siryanni, the new Director of the Latin Patriarchate Schools of Jerusalem and legal advisor for the patriarchate seemed frustrated at the Israelis as the tanks rolled in front of his office in Beit Jala and as he heard nightly shooting from his convent in Beit Sahour. "They are out of their minds…they are not complying with international laws, humanitarian laws, they are no complying with any laws…they are on top of the world, better than most people… they are above the law," he told me as I called to find out if the bombing in his area had stopped. Mindful and thoughtful people across the world today should contact their government officials to help stop this bloodshed and cycle of violence that has its roots in the military occupation of the Palestinian people and the confiscation of Palestinian land.

We thought we could live with the violence and the bloodshed by putting our life in God’s hands but this policy of getting the terrorists is getting so many people dead. The fear is so intense sometimes it just keeps me home. I’m so scared to leave my house, if I drive the van registered under the Palestinian Authority holding a white plate, the Israeli settlers might attack in revenge. If I drive the black car registered inside Israel holding a yellow plate, the Palestinian gunmen might shoot at random. Forgiveness and reconciliation is not in anyone’s book. Psalm 23 somehow takes a deeper meaning in my life as I drive down the Biblical valley of Judea to take the children to school daily: "The Lord is my Shepherd…though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." But, then again, it is faith that gets you killed in this country. A young boy was crossing the military checkpoint with his school bag and out of fear or faith cried out: "God is great" in Arabic, the soldiers shot him to death thinking he might be a suicide bomber only to find books when they opened his backpack.

As my children saw the Israeli settler holding a gun to the Palestinian taxi driver’s head probably telling him never to use that road again, they asked: "Mom, what gives them more rights to use the roads, why are the roads just for them?" This simple question open’s a Pandora’s box of the perplexing democracy of Israel. And I must tell you it is not the same democracy that my Greek culture contributed to humanity. The only thing I understand living in the Holy Land as a witness for Christ is that you can not have peace and occupation at the same time.

Sharon’s policy of political assassinations or as he calls them "target killings" blew five children to so many pieces on Monday in Ramallah that their bodies could not be appropriately identified. The first missile hit the mother and her three children and the second missile hit a sixteen year old picking up his small preschool cousin from school. Five children buried in one funeral. The Israeli government declared that it would continue the massive military assault on the Palestinian people as if 54 years of denying them a homeland has not been enough assault and humiliation. On the Palestinian side, especially the militant groups will continue the suicide bombings that tragically harm innocent civilians as a response to the military invasions. We are stuck with these insane people. The cycle of violence has reached its climax. Mr. Maher Al Atrash, managing the Latin Patriarchate Schools from Beit Jala, informed me that all Bethlehem area schools are closed today until further notice because of the great danger in the streets: "This is the mentality of Sharon…50 people dead in 24 hours, it’s never happened…it’s a real war...I have been experiencing the Intifada for 18 months…these past few days has been the most bloodshed...we are now entering a real war."

Please help stop this war on the Palestinian people by contacting your government officials. As a concerned human being, show outrage that medical personnel like Dr. Khalil Suleiman would be shot and killed by Israeli tank fire as he tried to enter Jenin camp this week with his ambulance to help the wounded following a massive Israeli invasion and attack. "Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God. Defend me from them that rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity and save me from bloody men (Psalm 59)".

Hear our prayer for mercy, peace and justice, O Lord. Bless and guide us all to find our way to repentance, forgiveness, mercy and love.

president@whitehouse.gov 202-456-1414

President George W. Bush 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500

On a bright clear Sunday morning I stared at the beautiful hills and countryside of Biblical Judea and Samaria right outside my huge bay kitchen window. Many Sundays especially during these last 18 months of the Palestinian Uprising, we had to get ready for church listening to the horrid news that another bomb has gone off in Israel. There was a period of time where Sunday after Sunday an attack would take place that continues to brand the Palestinians as "terrorists." And there’s nothing you can do with such news except go to church with a heavy heart and a very sick feeling in your stomach and pray to God for peace to come in the Land of Christ’s birth. I screamed at my children to hurry up since church attendance in our little Christian village of Taybeh is a number one priority and was quite relieved that Hamas (the Islamic Resistance Movement) took a day off.

But still the thought crossed my mind that in a land full of violence and bloodshed what kind of future do my children really have as part of the Christian minority? Little did I know a psychological bomb was about to explode in the Khoury family. Every parent’s nightmare was about to happen following a Saturday night party in Miami. Our twenty-one year old cousin Ibrahim George Khoury tragically lost his life to a bullet that ripped through his heart. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time for a nice altar boy born in the village of Taybeh. As Palestine empties out of its Christian population, many families search for the "American Dream" of better education, better living conditions and better job opportunities. But, prosperity and success sometimes have a very high price. This family tragedy and shocking death made us re-evaluate our values, traditions and reasons for returning to the land of promise after twenty-four years of middle class America.

The current unemployment of over 60% in the village and the awful closure and terrible checkpoints still make every young man want to leave this Biblical town of Efraim. The new modern name "Taybeh" was given to the village during Salahdin’s visit in the late 12th century but our location is mentioned in the New Testament: "Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim..." (John 11:54). Therefore, the Christian presence in this village dates back to the time of Christ. The archeological ruins of the first St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church in Taybeh date back to the fourth century built by St. Helen when the Nativity Church was constructed in Bethlehem.

A mere ten to fifteen minutes drive from the village to the city of Ramallah takes over two to three hours depending on the checkpoints. I can almost handle one checkpoint with patience but when you stop three times on your way to school to show your identification traveling from a Palestinian village to a Palestinian city, it is frustrating because you are not going anywhere near Israel or threatening the security of Israel. The most aggravating feeling is when the soldiers deny you the right to pass. I JUST WANT TO BLOW UP!!!

The worst I have experienced with the checkpoint phenomenon on more than one occasion is sitting at the Qalandia checkpoint for four hours following a tiring school day in a van with nine children, only three of which are my own. During the whole time, I kept yelling at all the young boys that came to hide behind my van and throw rocks at the soldiers. I kept screaming "Why do you want to die today, can you please go home." In the meantime my sons were staring out the van window as soldiers were shooting more Palestinian boys hiding behind trashcans. We watch the violence as we watch a movie and ask for the Grace of God to keep us safe.

By the time we get home some days, it is completely dark out and we get up the next morning at 6 am to go through the same miserable way because it is the only way to get to school in Palestine. All the main roads have been blocked for such a long time. Money can buy you solutions, so we took an apartment in the city of Ramallah to avoid these checkpoints but when the Israeli tanks invaded and the noise of shooting was constant, my children wished to sleep in the village where they had less fear and anxiety.

Following the Oslo Peace Agreement, the picturesque Taybeh village was not a bad place to raise children. We would avoid the Saturday night parties because everyone just visits their grandmother. We would not have teenage peer pressure for drugs because they were simply not available in a little village on the West Bank. We would avoid the malls and being spoiled with too much materialism because we would see so many people that don’t even have food to eat. We would easily go to church on Sundays because there would be no hockey conflicts or soccer games at the same time. Raising children in a small Christian village in the Holy Land appeared like an innocent and wholesome upbringing. There was only one small problem. As an American of Greek descent, I did not have any connection to this land. However, with time and with personal and psychological suffering, the land of Christ’s birth gave me a deep spiritual awakening as an Orthodox Christian.

I felt it was the legacy of my children to experience their Palestinian Christian roots since their father, a Palestinian Orthodox Christian had grown up in this tiny village where everyone is related. I thought my children would know themselves deeply if they developed a strong sense of cultural identity and experienced the richness of the Palestinian culture. I even firmly believed the love of a close-knit extended family would help my children be good human beings. When I met my husband at Hellenic College in Boston in the late 70’s, I must admit I did not know anything about Palestinians and truthfully speaking I did not even know there were any Christians in the Holy Land. However, being an obedient wife, I followed him to the land of promise. His personal promises that it was the best place in the world to raise responsible children. It has been a long, painful and rewarding six-year learning adventure.

My husband had a dream to return to his homeland, to be an obedient son who travels to the West for education and money and brings back the skills and the knowledge to help Palestine. It’s the ultimate dream of every Palestinian father. It’s sort of a noble thing to do and being an entrepreneur, he talked the family into building a microbrewery in the village of Taybeh that would boost the Palestinian economy.

The Oslo Peace Agreement gave many people a false promise of peace and prosperity that led into over five years of frozen negotiations where people continued to invest in Palestine. "Taybeh Beer" was launched in the market in the summer of l995 as the first Palestinian beer and the only microbrewery in the Middle East.

We also spent five years out of suitcases building a huge stone mansion that now we pray the apache helicopters will not see if they decide to bomb Taybeh. The new beer was so successful that it made history in Palestine by being the first and only Palestinian product to be franchised and brewed in Germany under the Taybeh Beer license. Hundreds of newspapers articles were written because reporters were so curious who are these people who invest millions of dollars to produce beer in a 98% Muslim population. These brave and loyal men are my husband David C. Khoury and my ingenious brother-in-law Nadim. They invested their heart, soul and money to help build Palestine. Receiving Arafat’s blessing for the brewery was also a test when there would be a democratic Palestinian state, there would be a place for the Christian minority.

Then came Sharon and September 28, 2000 and all the dreams of Palestinians that had returned to their homeland following the Oslo Agreement were shattered. Slowly but surely, destruction took place each day with bombings, shootings, assassinations and outright massacres of unarmed civilians. The Israelis have destroyed lives, houses, businesses, roads, olive trees, the economy and education. Everything that was built following Oslo and any progress made was completely ruined. The list of destruction is far too long. There is nothing left to destroy except the peoples’ will power to be free and to seek their human rights and independence.

We watched as many families picked up their belongings and returned to their previous lives. They all gave up the hotels they built, the battery factories they created, the health clinics they established. These Palestinians tried to invest and live in Palestine but could not handle the harsh conditions imposed by the Israelis. They gave up the dream to help their homeland and to live in the land of promise. Sometimes I just can’t understand my husband’s decision to stay especially when the imported bottles that he needs so desperately to fill with "Taybeh Beer" are stuck at the Israeli port due to red tape. The fees and storage costs are far beyond what the bottles are worth themselves. I feel it is such a high price to pay, financially and psychologically, to be a Palestinian businessman. Not to mention a 40% production tax that basically cripples you as a new business. The war against the Palestinian economy is an entire story by itself.

When the Palestinian Intifada first broke out, we would usually wake up every morning not knowing if we were going to school or not. You must get up, get dressed and try to go to school before you discover the road situation. There is nothing more frustrating than going through all the preparations and not being able to have a school day. Sometimes the road was open, sometimes the road was closed. Sometimes you make it all the way to school passing many checkpoints just to find the school was cancelled because of a funeral or protest. Sometimes while in school, a bomb would go off in Israel and we couldn’t get back home. This anxiety was unbearable and drove me crazy. Not knowing day to day what will happen. In the fall of 2000, it was so common to hear "they’re bombing Ramallah." I would drop everything, try to get my children out of school as fast as possible and get back to the village where it was perceived safer. So, you have hundreds of parents doing the same thing. There was panic in the streets and in the schools. The constant fear was very nerve racking.

To top off this instability, constant attacks were happening on the roads because we have hundreds of illegal Israeli settlements choking us up in the West Bank. Israeli settlers killing Palestinians and Palestinian gunman killing Israeli settlers back and forth until the violence escalates so much that it’s totally out of control and takes on a life by itself.

Then we would observe an abnormal kind of quiet, which is the type of quiet before a heavy storm. There is so much anxiety and confusion, you can’t decide what scares you the most, the violence itself or the silence before the bloodshed occurs. Driving down these roads where innocent people were killed every day was not the easiest thing in the world. The only comfort I could possibly give my children was explaining to them that if it was God’s Will for us to die, we would die no matter where we live.

For the first three months, I would physically shake driving to school every day. Now, I have somewhat adjusted myself. I just do my cross and say my prayers. I have gained a type of inner peace that allows me to live here and see devastation all around me. I must admit, I owe this inner peace to each and every person that prays for me. May God be with you.

What really amazes me the most is day in and day out, I see and experience the suffering of the Palestinian people and the world continues to support Israel and allow them to get away with human rights violations. I am amazed at how people survive on such low incomes and under such awful conditions. Any human being living under these harsh conditions of Israeli Military Occupation would turn into a terrorist because you reach a mental point of either "freedom or death." My children keep reminding me of the license plate they saw in New Hampshire on their summer vacation stating "live free or die." I can’t remember this plate myself because they say I have lived four decades. But my children insist that if Americans can make such statements why can’t Palestinians have the same rights. The struggle for freedom has taken more than fifty years. In this new millennium we must give Palestinians their full human rights and treat them as part of humanity not creatures of a lesser God. For the love of humanity, peace should come to this region where the Prince of Peace lived.

It is important to keep a Christian presence in the Holy Land because it is the land of Christ’s Birth. The Holy Land being the "mother church" of Western Christianity stands proud to have so many brothers and sisters in Christ. Together we can work for a great awareness of the Palestinian struggle so that congress can have real names and real faces of how the American support to Israel affects over three million Palestinians in negative way and cheats them from their basic rights. We need many prayers to live together as Christians, Muslims and Jews in this precious land. We need people to make their government officials aware of the atrocities that occur in the Holy Land. We need people who can see the human suffering that the Zionist movement created since l948. We need the occupation to end. We need the world to see the suffering and humiliation the Palestinians face every day. We need the world to understand the cause of terrorism is the Israeli occupation itself and America’s policy in the Middle East.

Living in the land of promise may be full of bloodshed, violence and deep anxiety but also it has been the place where I have grown very close to God. I literally must live each day as if it is the last day of my life. Praying more, going to confession and fasting help me realize our final destiny is the kingdom of God. I truly believe God gives us every blessing and every suffering so that we may come to know Him who gives us eternal life. All the riches and the materialism in this world will not provide a place for us in God’s kingdom. It is only our good works on earth that will count and the firm belief that Christ is our Savior. When Christ is in your heart you do love your neighbor as yourself and forgiveness becomes essential. As Christians our ultimate goal is to give glory to God. We are called to see God in each and every human being. Let us pray these Christian values and principles can be practiced in the land of promise, in the land of Canaan as is my first born son’s name who as a young Palestinian Christian proudly carries his grandfather’s name "Canaan."

A young lady named Sally, relates an experience she had in a Seminary Class, given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. She says Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons. One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day. On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts.

Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person(s) picture.

Sally's girlfriend drew a picture of a girl who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased at the overall effect she had achieved.

The class lined up and began throwing darts, with much laughter and hilarity. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn,and was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits,asked the students to return to their seats.

As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn't have a chance to throw any darts at her target. Dr. Smith began removing the target from the wall.

Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus.....

A complete hush fell over theroom as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced.

Dr. Smith said only these words... "In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me." Matthew 25:40

No other words were necessary; the tear-filled eyes of each student focused only on the picture of Christ.

Today's Proverb... Injure others, injure yourself. -- Chinese Proverb

And Then There's... Curses, like chickens, come home to roost.

In 2002, the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) in St. Augustine, Florida, plans to sponsor Orthodox Mission Teams to Alaska, Albania, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Romania, and Tanzania. OCMC sends Mission Teams to assist Orthodox communities with various projects, including building, teaching, medical, and outreach.

The Alaska Mission Team will travel to remote villages in Alaska offering seminars and retreats on the Church and Faith. Local priests and a counterpart team from within the Diocese of Alaska will accompany the Team. This eight-member team will travel for three weeks July through August 2002.

The Albania Mission Team will travel to different regions offering catechism through preaching and small group outreach. The Team is to be accompanied by OCMC missionaries and Albanian seminarians. They will help encourage and teach local communities about the Faith. The small five to eight member team will travel to Albania for three weeks in June 2002.

Two Guatemala Orthodox Mission Teams will continue assisting with various projects at the Hogar Rafael Ayau orphanage, including youth ministry, teaching, outreach and other projects. The two three-week teams of twelve will travel in July and August 2002.

The India Mission Team will lead seminars and offer catechism on the Orthodox Faith; assist with daily mission outreach to needy children and adults; and other projects to be determined. This small six-member team will assist in Calcutta for three weeks in September 2002.

The Kenya Orthodox Mission Team will return to Chavogere in western Kenya to help construct an eight-room secondary school. Medical personnel are also requested to participate and offer medical outreach at Chavogere Orthodox Medical Clinic. This twelve-member team will travel in June 2002.

The first OCMC youth team will assist OCMC missionaries with a camp program in Romania. The Romania Mission Team will travel to Diocese of Cluj and offer a youth camping program. The twelve-member team will travel in July, and will be accompanied by adult leadership from their local community.

The Tanzania Mission Team has been invited by Bishop Ieronymous of Bukoba to assist with the construction of a new church outside of the Diocese center in western Tanzania. This twelve-member team will travel for up to four weeks July through August 2002.

First, plant three rows of peas:

Purity

Politeness

Perseverance

Next, plant four rows of squash:

Squash gossip

Squash faultfinding

Squash indifference

Squash anger

Then, plant five rows of lettuce:

Let us be faithful

Let us be unselfish

Let us be truthful

Let us love one another

Let us follow our values

Finally, no garden is complete without turnips:

Turn up with a smile

Turn up with new ideas

Turn up with determination

Turn up with someone you invite to share with you

Just imagine the "fruits" of this garden!

God bless all of you. . . May this Great Lent be a time of rededication to our life in/with God. Talk to your spiritual father. Set up a spiritual regimen for Great Lent -- fasting, prayer, alms, Bible reading, spiritual readings, liturgical services, Holy Confession, etc. By working on our own spirituality, our own relationship with God, all those around us - all the world - are blessed. See/call your spiritual father.

There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter:

I’m going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit.

I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer."

With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. "Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner." She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents. "Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least." She threw on her coat and hurried out the door.

A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving Ruth with grand total twelve cents to last her until Monday.

Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.

"Hey lady, can you help us, lady?"

Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags

"Look lady, I ain't got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting ‘kinda’ hungry and, well, if you could help us. Lady, we'd really appreciate it."

Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to.

"Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him."

"Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway."

The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart.

"Sir, wait!" The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. "Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest."

She handed the man her grocery bag. "Thank you lady. Thank you very much!" "Yes, thank you!" It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering. "You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one." Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street...without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest.

"Thank you lady! Thank you very much!"

Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him.

She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox. "That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day." She took the envelope out of the box and opened it.

Dear Ruth:

It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you, too,

for the beautiful coat.

Love Always, Jesus

The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.

" OFFERING OUR ORTHODOX FAITH TO CONTEMPORARY AMERICA"

36TH BIENNIAL ARCHDIOCESE CLERGY-LAITY CONGRESS THEME

PARISHES URGED TO SEND FULL SLATE OF DELEGATES

NEW YORK, NY - The Diocese of San Francisco will host the Thirty-Sixth Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress and National Philoptochos Convention of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The Congress will convene from June 30-July 4th in Los Angeles with headquarters at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel. The National Young Adult League Conference will be held in conjunction with the Congress from June 27-July 1st.

His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, spiritual leader of 1.5 million Greek Orthodox Christians in America, will preside at the Congress, which is expected to attract 3,000 total participants including some 1,500 registered delegates from more than 550 parishes.

In reflecting on the theme of the Congress, "Offering Our Orthodox Faith to Contemporary America", Archbishop Demetrios recalled the tragic events of September 11th, noting that their unprecedented concentration in one day led many to consider the status of their relationships with God and with their fellow human beings. He concludes:

" As Orthodox Christians we know that our faith in God and our presence and labors in this world as the Church are what is needed to address adequately the challenge of contemporary life and to bring healing, meaning, and direction to lives of those around us. In the midst of a world of challenge, our task is to equip ourselves properly so that we are able to minister faithfully in truth and love. ? In our willingness to be sent by our Lord Jesus Christ as He was sent by God the Father, in our deep commitment to sharing the Gospel with others, and in our affirmation that we have a sacred mission to bear witness to the truth, we will be Offering Our Orthodox Faith to Contemporary America.

The Clergy-Laity Congress is convened biennially and is concerned with all matters, other than doctrinal or canonical, affecting the life, growth and unity of the Church, her institutions, her finances, her administration, educational and philanthropic concerns and her growing role in the religious life of the nation.

Also meeting during the Congress will be the Archdiocesan Presbyters Council, National Sisterhood of Presvyteras, Retired Greek Orthodox Clergy of America, the National Forum of Church Musicians, Leadership 100 and the Order of St. Andrew.

In an urgent directive to the faithful, His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony, Presiding Hierarch of the Diocese of San Francisco and Chairman of the Congress stated: Within the life of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, the Clergy-Laity Congress is a unique instrument whereby Orthodox laypeople and ordained clergy come together to learn from one another, to be encouraged by each other, and to discover together the future of our Church within God's design and providence. It is therefore essential that both elements, clergy and laity, be fully represented at the Congress. Unfortunately, although the Archdiocese Special Regulations instruct each parish to send three lay representatives in addition to its clergy, in the past the lay component has been consistently under-represented. I therefore take this opportunity to urge each parish to strive for full representation at the Congress, so that every voice, clergy and lay alike, may be clearly heard."

Under the guidance of Archbishop Demetrios, the staff and Departments of the Archdiocese are preparing an extensive educational program that will seek to build and expand on previous presentations. The topics and sessions that will be offered will be a coordinated effort on the part of the Archdiocese to provide the faithful practical guidance and resources for establishing and/or enhancing various programs, ministries, and activities in the life of the parish.

Thousands of faithful from throughout the United States will participate in the Divine Archierarchical Liturgy opening the Congress on Sunday, June 30th. Opening ceremonies will be held on Monday, July 1 highlighted by the Keynote Address of Archbishop Demetrios. Earlier that morning, the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated in Spanish by Father John Bakas, Dean of St. Sophia Cathedral assisted by the Young Boys Choir of St. Innocent Orphanage of Tijuana, Mexico. A celebration of Greek folk heritage in music and dance is scheduled for July 2nd, an Ecumenical Doxology on the Fourth of July and the closing banquet that evening.

Protocol Number 27/02, March 25, 2002, Feast of the Annunciation

"But when the time had fully come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman." (Galatians 4:4)

To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Day and Afternoon Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On the Feast of the Annunciation we sing with fervor, "Today is the summation of our salvation and the manifestation of the mystery from all eternity." With the proclamation by the holy Archangel Gabriel that "The Lord is with you," with the humble, obedient response by the most holy Theotokos, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38), the workings of our salvation today are set in motion. God's plan of action, having been prepared from the foundation of the world, comes to fruition in the union of divine and human natures in the person of Jesus Christ, conceived through the cooperation of the heavenly and the human, the collaboration of transcendent power and humble free-will.

Just as the seed contains in potential the entire tree that will one day tower over the place of its planting, so too in the event of the Annunciation is wrapped up the entire history of salvation. The Virgin Mary's overshadowing by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35) portends the day of Pentecost, when the Church will be baptized in the Spirit of holiness, power, wisdom, and love. The consecration of her womb anticipates the redemption of the human race and the sanctification of all creation. Her gracious answer, "Be it done unto me according to your word," foretells the free acceptance of the will of God by millions of people and the readiness of the martyrs to suffer for Christ and His Gospel.

But above all, the Feast of the Annunciation epitomizes the condescending love of our God who is with us. We see in this event the will of the Infinite One to appear in the form of finite flesh. The One whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain (1 Kings 8:27) chooses to be encompassed by the body of the Virgin. There, the Perfect and Unchangeable One knows growth, change, and neediness, which are but the first steps of lowliness and pain leading to the Cross. The Annunciation is the inauguration of the Ultimate Humility: it begins with the Word of God enveloped in the virginal womb and ends with the Life of All enclosed within a tomb.

Within the germinative potential of the Annunciation existed another event of salvation: the Day of Greek Independence, declared most appropriately on March 25 in 1821. Before time the Archangel gave encouragement to the Theotokos through the declaration, "The Lord is with you!" This same message of grace and favor gave courage to the citizens of Greece; oppressed for four centuries under the Ottoman dominion; filling them with strength from on high to accept their calling to freedom and dignity; their consecration to a special role and mission as a nation and a people in the divine economy. They were absolutely convinced that in His mercy God had regard for the lowliness of His people and scattered the proud, put down the mighty from their thrones, and caused those who were hungry for the sweetness of liberty to be filled with every good and perfect gift from above.

We have a twofold gift in the Feast of the Annunciation through the promise of the Lord who is with us: on this day we receive in principle both our redemption from sin and death and our salvation from the oppression of violent and haughty men and nations. This double blessing fills our hearts with ineffable joy and deep gratefulness. It makes us more resolute in giving ourselves to the noble effort of promoting freedom and dignity, of eliminating everything that prevents the people from reaching the salvation announced to us on the day of the original Annunciation.

May God bless such a noble effort and grant the grace of His presence to all celebrations of the Feast of the Annunciation and the Day of Greek Independence in every parish and city of our Archdiocese.

With paternal love in Christ, +DEMETRIOS, Archbishop of America

Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children. Eighteen! In order merely to keep food on the table for this mob, the father and head of the household, a goldsmith by profession, worked almost eighteen hours a day at his trade and any other paying chore he could find in the neighborhood.

Despite their seemingly hopeless condition, two of Albrecht Durer the Elder's children had a dream. They both wanted to pursue their talent for art, but they knew full well that their father would never be financially able to send either of them to Nuremberg to study at the Academy. After many long discussions at night in their crowded bed, the two boys finally worked out a pact. They would toss a coin. The loser would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother while he attended the academy. Then, when that brother who won the toss completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy, either with sales of his artwork or, if necessary, also by laboring in the mines. They tossed a coin on a Sunday morning after church. Albrecht Durer won the toss and went off to Nuremberg. Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, financed his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation. Albrecht's etchings, his woodcuts, and his oils were far better than those of most of his professors, and by the time he graduated, he was beginning to earn considerable fees for his commissioned works. When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive dinner on their lawn to celebrate Albrecht's triumphant homecoming. After a long and memorable meal, punctuated with music and laughter, Albrecht rose from his honored position at the head of the table to drink a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled Albrecht to fulfill his ambition. His closing words were, "And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and I will take care of you." All heads turned in eager expectation to the far end of the table where Albert sat, tears streaming down his pale face, shaking his lowered head from side to side while he sobbed and repeated, over and over, "No ...no ...no ...no." Finally, Albert rose and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He glanced down the long table at the faces he loved, and then, holding his hands close to his right cheek, he said softly, "No, brother. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too late for me. Look ... look what four years in the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger have been smashed at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less make delicate lines on parchment or canvas with a pen or a brush. No, brother ... for me it is too late." More than 450 years have passed. By now, Albrecht Durer's hundreds of masterful portraits, pen and silver-point sketches, watercolors, charcoals, woodcuts, and copper engravings hang in every great museum in the world, but the odds are great that you, like most people, are familiar with only one of Albrecht Durer's works. More than merely being familiar with it, you very well may have a reproduction hanging in your home or office. One day, to pay homage to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother's abused hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward. He called his powerful drawing simply "Hands," but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed his tribute of love :

Contact: Michael Tsakalos at IOCC. Email: racetorespond@iocc.org Phone: 1-877-803-4622