GREEK ORTHODOX COMMUNITY OF SA ST NICHOLAS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH THEBARTON

You are invited to a two day feast to celebrate ST IRENE CHRYSOVALANTOU NAME DAY to be held on Wednesday 27 and Tursday 28 July, including the Great vesper (Wednesday 6.30 p.m.) and the divine Liturgy with the blessing of the bread ceremony (Thursday from 8:30 a.m.) followed by a procession of the holy icon of St irene Chrysovalantou inside the church, the two day religious event will conclude with lunch prepared by the ladies of the women's fellowship. So come join us on 65 George st Thebarton and receive blessings from the holy icon.

St Prokopios, Great MartyrTheodosia, the fanatical pagan mother of Prokopios, who loathed Christians, did all in her power to raise her son a pagan, and she was successful.
In his youth, Prokopios was a typical pagan. Yet, God had other plans for this young man. His daily contact with Christians, from whom he heard many astonishingly beautiful things about Christ and His Holy Apostles, slowly interested him in the faith he up to then had despised. He began to see that the Christians, though lacking beautiful temples embellished with statues and decorous splendour, possessed another kind of beauty not to be found in any other religion or philosophical system.
They possessed the truth, indeed, the ultimate truth about God, man, salvation, and eternal life.
With the passing of time, he was baptised to live ever after as a very devout Christian. Thus, by the grace of Almighty God, a former typical pagan had now been transformed to an ideal Christian. In fact, this is how Eusebios, a noted church historian and contemporary of Prokopios, described the saint and his martyrdom.
"He was a man so filled with divine grace that he had devoted himself to chastity and the practice of all virtues. He had reduced his body until he had given it, so speak, the appearance of a corpse, but his soul drew from the word of God so great a vigour that the body itself was refreshed by it."
Studying on the Divine Word so filled his being that he remained absorbed in it day and night without fatigue. Filled with goodness and gentleness, regarding himself as the least of men, he edified everyone by his discourses. The Word of God was his sole study, and he had but little knowledge of profane science, Born at Aelia (the pagan name of Jerusalem), he had taken up his residence at Scythopolis to Caesarea.
He had scarcely passed the city gates when he was conducted into the presence of the governor, and even before he had had a taste of chains or prison walls, he was urged by the judge, Flavian, to sacrifice to the gods.
But he, in a loud voice, proclaimed that there were not several gods, but one alone, the creator and author of all things.
This answer made a vivid impression on the judge. Finding nothing to say in reply, he tried to persuade Prokopios, at least, to sacrifice to the emperors. This martyr of God spurned his entreaties. 'Listen," he said, 'it is not good to have several masters; let there be one chief, one king"'. At these words, as though he had uttered insults against the emperors, the judge ordered him to be executed.
They cut off his head, and he passed happily to eternal life on the eighth day in the month of July. This was the first martyrdom that took place in Caesarea. And so a beautiful soul, that for years served as an ideal example of Christian virtue, through a tragic death, inherited the Kingdom of God's elect in A.D. 303.

Sts Peter and Paul (June 29)

Saints Peter and Paul are the principle pillars of the Church founded by Christ. Saint Peter was chosen by Christ to be his first Vicar on earth; he was endowed with powers ofthe keys of the kingdom of heaven (Mt 16:13-19) and charged with the role of Shepherd of Christ's flock (Jn 21:15-17). In St. Peter and his sucessors, we have a visible sign of unity and communion in faith and charity. Divine grace led St. Peter to profess Christ's divinity.

St. Peter suffered martyrdom under Nero, in about the year 64 AD. He was buried at the hill of the Vatican; recent excavations have revealed his tomb on the very site of St. Peter's Basilica.

Saint Paul was chosen to form part of the apostolic college by Christ himself on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-16). Selected to bring Christ's name to all peoples (Acts 9:15), he is the greatest missionary of all time, the advocate of pagans, the Apostle of the Gentiles. St. Paul was beheadedd in the Tre Fontane along the Via Ostiense and buried nearby, on the site where the basilica bearing his name now stands.

Saints Peter and Paul are the principle pillars of the Church founded by Christ. Saint Peter was chosen by Christ to be his first Vicar on earth; he was endowed with powers ofthe keys of the kingdom of heaven (Mt 16:13-19) and charged with the role of Shepherd of Christ's flock (Jn 21:15-17). In St. Peter and his sucessors, we have a visible sign of unity and communion in faith and charity. Divine grace led St. Peter to profess Christ's divinity.

St. Peter suffered martyrdom under Nero, in about the year 64 AD. He was buried at the hill of the Vatican; recent excavations have revealed his tomb on the very site of St. Peter's Basilica.

Saint Paul was chosen to form part of the apostolic college by Christ himself on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-16). Selected to bring Christ's name to all peoples (Acts 9:15), he is the greatest missionary of all time, the advocate of pagans, the Apostle of the Gentiles. St. Paul was beheadedd in the Tre Fontane along the Via Ostiense and buried nearby, on the site where the basilica bearing his name now stands.

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Every Wednesday night at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox church 65 George st Thebarton we have the english service for the young people English service means the Sunday  Liturgy but in English Language.The pray starts from 7-8:00 p.m.

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 "What is Pentecost Sunday?"
Pentecost Sunday is a commemoration and celebration of the receiving of the Holy Spirit by the early church. John the Baptist prophesied of the first Pentecost where Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:11). Jesus confirmed this prophesy with the promise of the Holy Spirit to the disciples in John 14:26. He showed Himself to these men after His death on the cross and His Resurrection, giving convincing proofs that He was alive. Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Father’s gift of the Holy Spirit, from whom they would receive power to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:3-8). After Jesus’ ascension to heaven, the men returned to Jerusalem and joined together in prayer in an upper room. On the Day of Pentecost, just as promised, a violent wind filled the house and tongues of fire came to rest on each of them and all were filled with the Holy Spirit. They were given the power of communication which Peter used to begin the ministry for which Jesus had prepared him. After the coming of the Holy Spirit, the disciples did not stay in the room basking in God’s glory but burst out to tell the world. This was the beginning of the Church as we know it.

Marriage

The family is the basic unit or 'cell' of society, and the Christian family is also a major building block of the Orthodox Church. The Church places greet importance on the family to fulfil its role as a small church, as expressed by the Apostle Paul. When St. Paul greeted Priscilla and Aquila, his "fellow workers in Christ Jesus" he also greeted "the church that is in their house" (Romans 16:3, 5). He also greeted "Nymphas and the church that is in his house" (Col 4:15).
Monasticism is also another major Christian social unit. The Church places this unit above married life as monasticism has played an important role as the guiding element in Her history. Monasticism supports the Church, preserves Her dogmas and keeps the Divine Liturgy Orthodox. While the Church blesses the monastic life, She also blesses marriage knowing that not all can take on the responsibility and commitment that comes with celibacy and living a monastic life. This blessing is acknowledged as a Mystery (Sacrament) of the Church.

The Sacrament (Mystery) of Marriage

In the Mystery of Marriage the Church asks God to help the couple being married understand, fulfil and establish a 'church' at home, i.e. to establish Christian relationships within the family, to raise children in the faith and life according to the Scriptures, to be an example of humility and patience for your children to follow.
The Christian family begins with the Mystery of Marriage, and specifically with the exchange of rings and placing of the wedding crowns (wreaths) upon those being married. This is accompanied with the words, "The servant of God N____ is married to the servant of God N____ in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit", and then, "O Lord our God, crown them with glory and honour". The rings have a deep symbolic meaning. This symbolism is indicated with the words, from the Service of Betrothal, "Through a ring the authority was given to Joseph in Egypt; through a ring Daniel was glorified in the land of Babylon; through a ring the true identity of Thamar was discovered; through a ring our heavenly Father showed mercy on the prodigal son; for he said, Put a ring on his fingerÉ". The crowns and their exchange symbolise the couple's citizenship in the Kingdom of God, where "there is neither male nor female" (Gal. 3:28), and of their dying to each other (c.f. Rev. 2:10).
The Holy Scriptures tell us that God "blessed" marriage from the beginning of time saying "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth" (Gen. 1:27-28), showing that marriage is part of God's eternal purpose for humanity. Further on, in Genesis 2:24, we read, "Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh". Our Lord Jesus Christ reiterated these words when asked if it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife. He continued, "So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate" (Matt. 19:4-6).
Christ forever sanctified marriage by His presence at the marriage in Cana of Galilee (John 2:1-11). This was the first time Christ performed a miracle, and the first time the Theotokos interceded with Christ on behalf of others saying, "They have no wine", and then instructs all humanity, "Whatever He say to you, do it".
The Apostle Paul compares the Mystery of Marriage with the Church in these words, recited during the Crowning Service, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for her", and "for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church" (Eph. 5:25, 31-32). In 1 Corinthians 7, St. Paul gives detailed guidance on virginity and marriage. He also commands that marriage should be preserved.