ΙΕΡΑ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΗ

ΑΜΕΡΙΚΗΣ

                                       Thanksgiving 2006

The Reverend Clergy

Esteemed Members of the Parish Councils, Philoptochos Societies,

Faculty & Students of the Catechetical and Greek Afternoon Schools,

Directors and Participants of all Youth Organizations, and all devout

Orthodox Christians of the Greek Orthodox Communities of our Holy Metropolis of New Jersey

My beloved in the Lord,

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” Psalm 101, 4

      As your Spiritual Father and Arch-pastor, I greet you warmly, and with great joy, on this National celebration of Thanksgiving Day. For it is without question incumbent upon each one of us to always give thanks and praise to our benevolent and loving God for the manifold blessings which our Lord bestows upon each one of us, our families, and our nation, all according to His limitless wisdom and unbounded goodness.

      Therefore, in accordance with this long-established national tradition of offering thanks, I have asked that this Divine Liturgy be offered in all of the parishes within our Sacred Metropolis. It is my fervent prayer that, in this way, through Divine worship, in accordance with our tradition and custom, we might join in this national celebration in a way most appropriate and befitting our Greek Orthodox faith. Let us begin our familial celebration on this day by joining together, the entire Metropolis family, by first entering into the courts of the Lord, as one body in faith. May the words of that sacred hymn of the Divine Liturgy,  “We praise You, we bless You, we give thanks to You, and we pray to You, Lord our God,” reign in our hearts, and in our lives.

      My beloved, while the uncertainties of this fleeting world often times weighs heavily upon our hearts, we must continually be re-affirmed in our faith which assuredly teaches and proclaims that our God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, upholds and guides all things for the good of all. Therefore, “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (Phil. 4, 6)

      For all of you, the faithful of the Sacred Metropolis of New Jersey, I give thanks to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and ask that through the intercessions of His holy and blameless Mother, the Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary, all of you be every kept under the shadow of His wings.  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

With Love in the Lord and paternal blessings,

†E V A N G E L O S

Metropolitan of New Jersey

HAPPY THANKSGIVING AND MAY THE ABUNDANT BLESSINGS OF OUR LORD BE WITH YOU AND MAY WE MAY CONTINUE TO PRAISE AND THANK HIM ALL THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES!

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