THE PROMISE

APRIL 2010

Christ is Risen!

Truly He is Risen!

DATES TO REMEMBER: INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

APRIL 25 A Message from Our Pastor.....................2
AHEPA LUNCHEON
News & Notes...........................................5
MAY 9 Thoughts on Stewardship........................6
MOTHER’S DAY
Our Festival..............................................7
MAY 13
ASCENSION THURSDAY Mindless Helping.....................................8
DIVINE LITURGY 9:30AM
Birthdays..................................................9
MAY 14 The Gospel of the Resurrection............10
TASTE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN
Book Review..........................................10
MAY 16
SUNDAY SCHOOL GRADUATION & LUNCHEON Cooking Up A Storm.............................12
MAY 17 News & Notes.........................................18
GREEK FEST GOLF CLASSIC
Thank You!............................................19
MAY 21 - 23
INTERNATIONAL GREEK FOOD FESTIVAL April Calendar.......................................24
PAGE 1
THE PROMISE
PASTORAL MESSAGE
This month we celebrate the single most seminal
moment in our Christian life - the Resurrection of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. An event upon which
our life and salvation hinges. Hence, it cannot be
vaguely remembered or remotely observed. It alone
dynamically defines who we are and help us understand
our role as Orthodox Christians. Nevertheless,
knowing Jesus Christ risen from the dead does not
always guarantee that we completely understand our
place in His light or His
Kingdom. And this is not
an altogether uncommon
dilemma. Many Christians
have struggled with this
issue. It is in fact at the very
who we are, but how willing we are to follow and serve
Him.
Obviously, in an age consumed with fame and the exercise
of naked power, the idea of service and obedience does
not glitter or shine on the stage of public opinion. But
the fact of the matter is that the Lord has always done
great things with the most humble of servants. The
Virgin Mary was not a renowned princess, none of the
Apostles held great office, the
Church has never been the
sole domain of the especially
gifted and affluent. Instead,
throughout the history of
Christianity, the people who

MAKING A
root of a conversation the have made a difference in the
Lord has with His Apostles sight of God, have not been
in the Gospel according to “superstars” but simple followers.
Mark chapter 10, vs. 32-45.
In the account, the Lord
foretells of His impending
passion and resurrection
DIFFERENCE God does not ask us to lift up
the Cross instead of Christ.
Our Heavenly Father does

FOR GOD
but the apostles want to
almost immediately clarify
their position when He
come into His glory. In
other words, they want to
better grasp exactly how will
they will make a difference?
And whether Holy Apostles
or blessed members of the Annunciation in Little
Rock, the Lord makes it abundantly clear that being
valuable to the risen Christ is NOT centered on WHO
we are but HOW we serve. This credo clearly runs
counter to the mindset of modern man. Society tends
lead us all to falsely concluded that if only we were
more important, could we make a difference; if only
we were in a position of greater power, could we be
valuable to the Lord or if only we were especially
talented could we be useful to God.
look to us to be crucified for
the sins of the world nor does
He expect us to do what only
the Son of God can do.
Instead, each and every one
of us is asked to follow Him
and to serve Him - in all
things, great and small.
Our quest as Orthodox Christians is NOT the attainment
of titles, privileges or power. Our role, let alone our
worth in the Kingdom of God is not determined by what
we have, who we know or what we alone are capable of
doing. As followers of Christ, each and every one of us
is called to follow Him in humble obscurity and thereby
glorify God; rather then to do nothing for God and
enjoy meaningless celebrity. Faithful servants follow
Christ and His teachings even when it seems long, hard
or that nobody in the world cares.

But this is NOT what our Lord and Savior teaches. For regardless of whether we are privileged to see or
Time after time, He makes it abundantly clear that understand the "big picture", the fact of the matter is
our innate value and calling is not in correlation to (Continued on page 4)
PAGE 2
 THE PROMISE
FEAST DAY ICONS
It is was with great joy that during the month of March the Annunciation formally received the first of the feast-
day icons that have been commissioned for the spiritual edification and inspiration of all the faithful in Little Rock.
With the generosity of very kind benefactors, our parish will for generations have beautiful “windows into heaven”
to inspire us as we celebrate the great hallmarks of our Orthodox Christian faith as a Church family. Having
recently been blessed in the Church, we welcome these new guideposts to the faith in the service of the
Annunciation in Little Rock.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT!

Sunday is the Lord’s Day! It is therefore incumbent
on us as not to allow the stress, distractions and
temptations of life to interfere with our punctual and
faithful attendance of the Liturgy. If the Lord our God
is not a top priority NOW, when will He be? Because
Christ IS Risen!
our time is precious and life is all too short,, let us all
redouble our efforts to gather at the Church at

Truly He IS Risen!
10:00am at the latest in order to worship Him. Let us
attend the Divine Liturgy together on Sunday as if it
were our first or last.

SUNDAY SERVICES:
MATINS, 9:00AM / DIVINE LITURGY, 10:00AM
PAGE 3
THE PROMISE
PASTORAL MESSAGE terms of our role as Christians and how we can make a dif-
(Continued from page 2) ference for Christ. Working on and for the Festival con-
sumes vast amounts of time and energy - but it is a vehicle
by which we support the ministries of the parish, help oth-
that we indeed have a role to play in serving Christ that
ers and present Orthodox Christianity to Little Rock. We
has profound value and meaning in the Kingdom of God.
may be accustomed to thinking of the Festival in terms of
baking pastries, making gyros, cooking chicken, frying
Prayer, fasting, faithful worship (before, during and after
falafel, roasting lamb, preparing pastichio, entertaining
Pascha) are not “busy work”, the arbitrary invitations of
people with dance, and selling elements of our diverse
mortals or the creation of a manmade institution. These
cultures. But in the caring and smiling manner by which
are the tasks dispensed unto us by the Risen Lord.
we attend to this project, along with the hospitable
These are some of the important tasks of all those who
atmosphere that we create when we ALL work the Festival,
intend to follow and please Him.
we fulfill our role in presenting the face of Christ to our
friends and neighbors in the Little Rock area.
And if we are wondering exactly how we impact the
Kingdom of God by following His commandments and
The truth of the matter is that every time we contact long
faithfully worshipping Him in the Church we begin to
lost or struggling Church members, make the time to greet
recognize how these are the ways by which Christ will
friends and strangers alike (over and over again), as well as
save the world. Case in point, at a time we will never
generously give a fair share of our treasure to the
know in advance, lost souls and searching families will
Annunciation week after week without having to be
find their way to the Annunciation for a service. They
reminded or asked - we are fulfilling our role as Orthodox
will either see a Church full of worshipping servants of
Christians and advancing the Kingdom of God. Such
the Lord and realize that something holy is happening
things may not seem very exciting, they may not appear to
here, or they will find it half empty, with people strolling
be noteworthy and they may not always be easy to do, but
in late and casually chatting to one another; thereby con-
these are but a few very real ways by which we play our
cluding that the Orthodox Christian faith is not all that
part in manifesting the Kingdom of God in Christ Jesus.
important. The matter will not hinge on the message or
the messenger, but on all of the followers. In order for
There is no special title to give, there is no committee to
us to appreciate our role as Christians and our value to
be formed or officers to elect. Neither special talents nor
the Kingdom of God, we must pray, fast and regularly
a particular net worth is required. ALL those who are
(as well as punctually) attend to the work of worshiping
willing to serve Christ our God here and now are welcomed!
the Lord our God - because in so doing we play our part
ALL those who are willing to follow the Lord today and
in the salvation of the world.
everyday are welcomed! ALL those who understand their
role as Orthodox Christians in things great and small, are
Consider another example of how every task done at
welcomed! As St. Paul writes in Ephesians Chapter 2:
the Church and for the Church makes a blessed
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for
difference. Maintaining the Church and its grounds is
good works, which God prepared beforehand that we
not always thought of as a vital ministry and yet it is no
should walk in them… So then you are no longer strangers
less important form of outreach and evangelism. When
and sojourners but you are fellow citizens with the saints
people pass by or come inside the facilities of the
and members of the household of God.” Fellow
Annunciation, they are able to determine in an instant
Christians, let us accept the invitation, embrace the duties,
how well we take care of God's things. It becomes a
manifest the Truth, never doubt our value or the impact
testimony to the fact that our faith is so focused and
of the task and say with one voice: CHRIST IS RISEN!
so dynamic that we take care of the smallest details.
TRULY HE IS RISEN!
Let us also bear in mind the work of our Festival in Rev. Dr. Nicholas J. Verdaris

PAGE 4
 THE PROMISE
THE ANNUNCIATION
BOOKSTORE IS OPEN!
A VERY SPECIAL
The Parish bookstore is INVITATION
open during the Fellowship
hour every Sunday after the
TO THE
Divine Liturgy or by special ANNUNCIATION
appointment.
CHURCH FAMILY
WE ARE A ONE STOP SOURCE FOR ANY OF YOUR CHURCH
RELATED NEEDS. We can special order icons for specific
saints, events, or feast days. We can help with finding On SUNDAY, MAY 16TH
assistance in preparing kolyva for Memorial services or immediately following the Divine Liturgy,
in obtaining wedding crowns or baptismal items. We in the Cultural Center
can also help to find and order specific books or A Luncheon Honoring our Graduating Sunday
Orthodox related gift items. Please refer any questions or School Seniors!
needs to Christopher Huckabay at 501-563-8726 or at
chiros116@hotmail.com. Perfect Attendance Awards and
Class Promotion Certificates

HOMERUN FUN! Teacher Recognition and Appreciation!

Annunciation GOYA & Jr.

GOYA lets go to an
Arkansas Travelers Baseball
Game!!!
YOU ARE INVITED
WHEN: Sunday, June 27
On
WHERE: Dickey-
Stephens Park, NLR SUNDAY,
The "Club Car" Private APRIL
Picnic Area
25TH,
TIME: 5:00 PM
the
DINNER: All-You-Can-Eat Buffet: Hamburgers, Annunciation’s
Hot Dogs, Baked Beans, Chips, Popcorn, and chapter of the
Drinks American Hellenic Educational Progressive
Association (AHEPA)
PRICE: $10.00 will sponsoring a luncheon and everyone is
(Which includes your ticket into the game) invited to attend.

SIGN-UP IS A MUST: See Jana Hunter SEE YOU THERE!!!

during the Fellowship Hour starting April
11th!
PAGE 5
THE PROMISE
THOUGHTS
OUR STEWARDSHIP
ON ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN
STEWARDSHIP

A little girl noticed that after the collection was taken

in a certain church, the ushers brought it up to the
altar. She whispered to her mother, "Mommy, how do
they get the money up to heaven?" The mother
replied, "The church doesn't send money to heaven,
but uses it to bring heaven down to us."

God, infinite though He is, has chosen to work

through us, through our gifts, to continue His work in
the world today.

"It does not matter how much we give," said Mother

Teresa, "but rather how much love we put into our
giving."
"A rich man is not one who has much, but one who
gives much. For what he gives away remains his forever."
-St John Chrysostom
There is a legend about Zacchaeus the dishonest tax
collector whom Jesus called down from a sycamore
tree one day to have dinner with him. Zacchaeus, you
recall, was converted as a result of this personal
encounter with Jesus. In later years, the legend says,
Zacchaeus used to rise early every morning, carry a
bucket of water to this tree and carefully water its
roots. On one occasion his wife followed him and
when asked the reason for this strange concern over
an old sycamore tree, Zacchaeus replied, "This is
where I found Christ."
The Church is where we find Christ. This is where we
are baptized. This is where we hear His word. This is
where He comes to dwell in our hearts when we
receive Him in the Holy Eucharist. This is why we
love the Church. This is why we support it. This is why
we work for it. It is the Body of Christ where we find
forgiveness, peace and eternal salvation.
As we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and
Savior, let us continue to remember the House
that the Lord has entrusted unto us - the
Annunciation in Little Rock. Through our
prayers, our presence, our generosity and our
service to the Church, together we can lift up the
Resurrected Light of Christ before the world.
These are indeed challenging times, but inspired
by the love that the Lord shows us every day, let
us generously contribute to the well being of
Christ’s Church here in Little Rock with our
faithful Stewardship.
We thank all those who faithfully submitted their
2010 Stewardship Card and hope that those who
have not yet done so, will please respond back soon.
With everyone’s Stewardship commitment to the
Annunciation we can truly help our corner of the
world “COME & SEE” Christ in action at our parish.
With every Church family member joyously sharing
their time, talent and treasure with Christ at the
Annunciation, we all can honor the Lord and keep
the doors of His House open unto the world.

PAGE 6
 THE PROMISE
In order to make our Festival an even greater success,
our Church family is asked to consider the following:

1) Make a contribution of any amount towards lowering

the costs of any of our booths.

2) HELP SPREAD THE WORD!!! We all have to do our

part in making sure that all of the Little Rock area
knows that our Festival will take place soon, rain or
shine. YOU are our best source of promotion!!!

3) IT NEVER TOO LATE TO VOLUNTEER AND GET

IS
INVOLVED. If you have any free time during the day or
As we prepare this parish-wide herculean effort, everyone night please contact a chairperson or help pack pastries for
in our Church family is urged to get involved in this sale.
dynamic and powerful ministry tool! With YOUR HELP,
our Church is going to have another outstanding Let us ALL help the Church prepare for this massive
International Greek Food Festival!! undertaking! Our Festival works best, when WE WORK
TOGETHER. For more information or questions please
As we all know, this grand project is a critical component see Raouf Kassissieh or Tina Alley
in the financial wellbeing of our parish. The proceeds of
our annual Festival help ensure that our parish is able to
share the Good News of Christ by helping to meet some MAY 21 - 23, 2010
of the financial obligations necessary for continued growth.
By VOLUNTEERING AT THE FESTIVAL we ensure that the
ministries of the Annunciation are never stunted by a
lack of funds. And because our Church is always mindful
THE TIME FOR THE
of the broader community which we endeavor to minister ANNUNCIATION CHURCH FAMILY
to, every year through the grace of God we highlight the
TO SHINE!
work of local non-denominational charities and share a
portion of our bounty from the Festival with them.
In addition to the ANNUNCIATION SCHOLARSHIP
FOUNDATION, this year we as a parish have selected the
following charities to support and increase the awareness
of their good works:

ARKANSAS FOOD BANK

LOVE TRUTH CARE MINISTRIES
CENTERS FOR YOUTH & FAMILY
EASTER SEALS
HARMONY HEALTH CLINIC
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
YOUTH HOME

PAGE 7
THE PROMISE
ENSNARED BY MINDLESS
HELPING
by Fr. George Morelli
The fear of man lays a snare,, but he who trusts in the
Lord is safe.(Pv 29: 25)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,, and do not rely
on your own insight.(Pv 3:5)
For Christians, help is a problematic concept. As an
abstract construct help is ambiguous and open to multiple
interpretations. The American Heritage Dictionary
defines help as "to give assistance to." This definition
lacks, however, an interpretation of the effect of help
on others, as well as the motive for giving assistance, to
name two important criteria. This essay explores the
scriptural, patristic and spiritual dimensions of help,
offering a rich matrix for behavioral evaluation.
Consider some examples of what has been called help
that may occur in family situations.
SITUATION I: A TOILETING SITUATION
Example I. A newborn infant has soiled itself and the
baby's parents help by changing the dirty diaper and
cleaning their infant.
Example II. A real help problem brought to me in
counseling several years ago: A physically and psycho-
logically healthy 7-year old is helped by his mother to
wipe himself after toileting.
SITUATION II: REQUEST FOR A DRINK OR SNACK
Example I. A 2-year old is thirsty and asks his mother's
help to get him some juice from the top shelf of the
refrigerator which is out of his reach.
Example II. Another veridical family interaction: A
mother, 16-year old son and 13-year old daughter are
in the upstairs family room watching television. The
daughter asks her mother: "what snacks are in the
kitchen cabinet?" The mother helps by going down
and reporting back to her daughter. The teenage girl
then tells her mother which snack she wants and her
mother goes back to the kitchen to retrieve the snack
she wants and brings it back to her daughter.
PAGE 8
SITUATION III: PICKING UP THE CHILD AFTER AN
AFTER -SCHOOL EVENT
Example I. A working couple has a school-age child
who needs a ride home after a school event. The child's
mother is extremely stressed and tired after a grueling
day at work. She would have to go out of her way and be
stuck in traffic to pick their child up. The father, who
had the day off, is quite relaxed sitting around the house
and playing videos. The wife calls her husband and asks
him to pick up their son.
Example II. A working couple has a school-age child
who needs a ride home after a school event. The child's
mother is extremely stressed after a grueling day at
work. The father had the day off, is quite relaxed sitting
around the house and is playing videos. She thinks calling
her husband would be inappropriate. He would be dis-
pleased and she would not be fulfilling her obligation as
wife and mother. Tired and stressed as she is, she heads
toward the child's school, in traffic jams, for the pickup.
EVALUATING THE SITUATIONAL EXAMPLES
I believe the reader will note the second example in
each of the situations above is dysfunctional and thus an
illustration of mindless helping which engenders some
harm to one or more of the family members. They are
thus examples of hurting, doing wrong, and thus evil.
They are detrimental to the spouse or parent as givers of
the mindless help as well as to the spouse and children
as recipients of the mindless help.
Here are a few other examples of mindless helping in
marriage. I am sure you can add many others.
•A husband helping his wife who is eager to
learn household financing by doing all the
domestic bookkeeping himself.
•A wife who insists on helping her husband,
who really enjoys cooking, to help the marriage
by not allowing him in the kitchen.
•A husband who helps his wife by picking out
the clothes she buys and wears.
(Continued on page 11)
 THE PROMISE

OUTREACH COMMITTEE
Happy Birthday MEET & GREET SCHEDULE
to our parishioners
April 4th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeannie Newton
celebrating during the month of
April 11th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rick Newton
April! April 18th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Weatherly
April 25th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Hunter
April 1st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Liz Masching
May 2nd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robin Jones
April 3rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lisa Alley May 9th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sharon Johnson
Katherine Verdaris May 16th . . . . . . . . . . Christopher Huckabay
April 4th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kerri Moutos May 23rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carole Hawkins
May 30th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeannie Newton
April 5th . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oleksandra Pavliv
Kaitlyn Zraick
Brooklyn Zraick
 FELLOWSHIP HOUR 
April 10th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Linda Haycook
Sultaneh Kassissieh WE NEED SPONSORS FOR
THE COMING MONTHS ! ! !
April 11th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joseph Alley
If you or your family would like to commemorate
a special event, honor the memory of a loved one
April 13th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ana Stathakis
or would simply like to offer a gift to the
Annunciation family. . . you too can sponsor a
April 14th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jessica Alley
Fellowship Hour!
Jerry Melnyk
Grace Rutter PLEASE CHECK THE BULLETIN
B O A R D A N D S I G N U P T O D A Y!
April 15th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin Wilcox

April 19th . . . . . . . . . . . . Graham Campbell

April 24th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Will Ramser

April 25th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Janet Miron

April 26th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sam Cimino

Diana Mann
Roxana Terlea

April 29th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Madeleine Gess

PAGE 9
THE PROMISE
THE GOSPEL OF
RESURRECTION
by Fr. Georges Florovsky
Death is a catastrophe for man; this is the basic principle
of the whole of Christian anthropology. Man is an
amphibious being, both spiritual and corporeal, and so
he was created by God. Body belongs organically to the
unity of human existence. And this was perhaps the
most striking novelty in the original Christian message.
The preaching of the Resurrection as well as the preaching
of the Cross was foolishness and a stumbling-block to
Gentiles. St. Paul had already been called a "babbler" by
the Athenian philosophers just "because he proclaimed
to them Jesus and the resurrection" (Acts 17:18, cf. v.32).
The Greek mind was always rather disgusted by the
body. The attitude of an average Greek in early Christian
times was strongly influenced by Platonic or Orphic
ideas, and it was a common opinion that the body was a
kind of a "prison", in which the fallen soul was incarcerated
and confined. The Greeks dreamt rather of a complete
and final disincarnation. And the Christian belief in a
coming Resurrection could only confuse and frighten
the Gentile mind. It meant simply that the prison will be
everlasting, that the imprisonment will be renewed again
and for ever. The expectation of a bodily resurrection
would befit rather an earthworm suggested Celsus, and
he jeered in the name of common sense. He nicknamed
Christians a "philosomaton genos", a "flesh-loving crew".
The great Plotinus was of the same opinion. "The true
awakening is the true resurrection from the body, not
with the body. For resurrection with the body would be
simply a passage from one sleep to another, to some
other dwelling. The only true awakening is an escape
from all bodies, since they are by nature opposite to the
nature of the soul. Both the origin, and the life and the
decay of bodies show that they do not correspond to the
nature of the souls". With all Greek philosophers the
fear of impurity was much stronger than the dread of sin.
Indeed, sin to them just meant impurity. This "lower
nature", body and flesh, a corporeal and gross substance,
was utterly resented as the source and vehicle of evil. Evil
comes from pollution, not from the perversion of the
will. One must be liberated and cleansed front this filth.
(Continued on page 14)
PAGE 10
BOOK REVIEW:
A JEALOUS GOD
BY PAMELA R. WINNICK
by Chris Banescu
The Galileo prototype of
the scientist martyred by
religion is now purely a
myth. Science long ago
won its war against
religion, not just traditional
religion, but any faith in a
power outside the human
mind. Now it wants
more.
In A Jealous God, award-winning journalist Pamela R.
Winnick exposes some of the more unsavory and
dangerous characteristics of the scientific establishment
that have contributed to the erosion of human dignity and
led to the abuse of individuals for the sake of science. She
presents countless examples where unethical and borderline
criminal conduct by scientists and researchers has been
rationalized and excused away in their zealous pursuit of
selfish promotion and personal financial gain. Driven
many times by blind ambition and sheer greed, many of
these individuals have willingly compromised the sacred
status of human life and embraced a perilous relativistic
moral stance that establishes a dangerous precedent in
science's pursuit of progress.
Winnick tackles the controversial aspects of abortion
head on. She challenges the rationalizations and arguments
used by pro-abortionists that claim a fetus is just another
appendage of the mother's body and only has "potential"
life, not worthy of the same protections afforded to all
human life: "The fetus had to be kept down in order to
prop up a woman's right to abortion. If the fetus is given
status as a human, then obviously its intentional destruction
could not be permitted any more than the destruction of
a fully formed life."
(Continued on page 16)

MINDLESS HELPING
(Continued from page 8)
CRITERION FOR JUDGING
MINDFUL HELPING VS. MINDLESS HELPING:
GOD'S LOVE AND GOODNESS
GOD IS LOVE
St John tells us: "So we know and believe the love God
has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides
in God, and God abides in him." (1Jn 4:16) Furthermore,
we are not only to love God as He loves us, but to love
our brothers as well. St. John continues: "We love,
because he first loved us. If any one says, "I love God,"
and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not
love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God
whom he has not seen. And this commandment we
have from him, that he who loves God should love his
brother also." (1Jn 4: 19-21).
GODLY LOVE IS GOOD
Consider the words of Jesus: "No one is good but God
alone." (Mk 10:18). What follows from this is that God
loves us and we are to love Him and all mankind. Love
is only Godly if it is good, and is for good. The true
meaning of love and its application help as a "good" is
given in St. Paul's well-known definition of love. Love
" … does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right."
(1Cor 13: 6). What is good is right, what is bad is wrong
A knife, such as a scalpel a surgeon uses to remove a
tumor, heals the patient. This would be doing a good. A
knife used to inflict injury on an innocent person would
doing wrong, an evil.
The concept help, which is the application of love, must
be evaluated in the same way. If it is for the good and
welfare of self and others, physically, psychologically and
spiritually, then it is Godly. If it brings about harm to self
and others it is wrong and un-Godly.
PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS
Mindless helping broadcasts a psychological need to
nurture. In part this may be related to a mindset of the
THE PROMISE
spouse that unless helping they are not living up to their
marital and/or parental obligations. This behavior takes on
compulsive qualities so that if nurturing or giving care is
impeded, anxiety, guilt or dejection is elicited. Each time
mindless helping occurs the doers' behavior is rewarded
(negative reinforcement of inappropriate behavior) by the
attenuated dysfunctional emotion. And the repetition of
mindless helping behaviors strengthens the behaviors, thus
making the inappropriate behavior more likely to occur in
the future. On the other hand, the recipient of mindless
helping is rewarded for dependency on others (Positive
reinforcement of inappropriate behavior).1 Dependent
individuals are also not provided with the opportunity to
learn functional behaviors that they are capable of learning.
Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain describes the deleterious
effect of mindless helping on contemporary youth: "In our
days, many young people have a strange attitude: they want
to study without attending school (they often participate in
school strikes, etc.), they want to have good grades without
studying hard, and they want their graduation diplomas
brought to them at the cafeteria where they are sitting hav-
ing fun." Such a situation could only occur if the students
are rewarded for their laziness rather than held to account
for their studies.
In addition, a pattern if mindless helping can, lead to marital
and family discord. If helping behavior is denied, a spouse
or child may react by criticism or anger. For instance, in
Situation II, above, Request for a drink or snack: once
when the mother told her young teen daughter to find out
what snacks were in the house herself, the teen responded
in a huffed tone: "You just don't know how to be a good
mother."
Mindless helping can also lead to lack of self-respect and
the respect of others, who may be viewed, and perceive
themselves as being viewed as subservient pawns. They
become mere instruments, slaves to the beck and call of
others. In such cases it behooves the mindless helper to
engage in an assertive training program.
SPIRITUAL FACTORS
Spiritually, mindless helping stems from the passion of
pride, a mistaken understanding of the virtue of love, and
(Continued on page 15)
PAGE 11
THE PROMISE

PAGE 12
 THE PROMISE

Our Youth Cooking for the Needy

& The Festival

PAGE 13
THE PROMISE
GOSPEL OF RESURRECTION
(Continued from page 10)
And at this point Christianity brings a new conception of
the body as well. From the very beginning Docetism was
rejected as the most destructive of temptations, a sort of
dark anti-gospel, proceeding from the Anti-Christ (I
John 4: 2-3). And St. Paul emphatically preaches "the
redemption of our body" (Romans 8:23). And again:
"not for that we would be unclothed, but that we would
be clothed, that what is mortal may he swallowed up by
life" (2 Cor. 5:4). This is just an antithesis to Plotinus'
thesis.
St. John Chrysostom commented: "He deals a death-
blow here to those who depreciate the physical nature
and revile our flesh. It is not flesh, as he would say, that
we put off from ourselves, but corruption. the body is
one thing, corruption is another. Nor is the body
corruption, nor corruption the body. True, the body is
corrupt, but it is not corruption. The body dies, but it is
not death. The body is the work of God, but death and
corruption entered in by sin. Therefore, he says, I
would put off from myself that strange thing which is not
proper to me. And that strange thing is not the body, but
corruption. The future life shatters and abolishes not
the body, but that which clings to it, corruption and
death". St. Chrysostom, no doubt, gives here the
common feeling of the Church. "We must also wait for
the spring of the body", as a Latin apologist of the 2nd
century put it, "expectandum nobis etiam et corporis ver
est". One Russian writer, speaking of the catacombs,
aptly recalls these words. "There are no words which
could better render the impression of jubilant serenity,
the feeling of rest and unbound peacefulness of the
early Christian burial place. Here the body lies, like
wheat under the winter shroud, awaiting, anticipating
and foretelling the otherworldly eternal Spring". This
was the simile used by St. Paul. "So also is the resurrection
of the dead. It is sown in corruption: it is raised in
incorruption" (I Cor. 14:42). The earth, as it were, is
sown with human ashes in order that it may bring forth
fruit, by the power of God, on the Great Day. "Like seed
cast on the earth, we do not perish when we die, but
PAGE 14
having been sown, we rise". Each grave is already the
shrine of incorruption.
The resurrection, however, is no mere return or repetition.
The Christian dogma of the General Resurrection is not
that eternal return which was professed by the Stoics. The
resurrection is the true renewal, the transfiguration, the
reformation of the whole creation. Not just a return of
what had passed away, but a heightening, a fulfillment of
something better and more perfect. "And that which thou
sowest, thou sowest not that body which shall be, but bare
grain… It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual
body" (1 Cor. 14:37, 44). A profound change will take
place. And yet the individual identity will be preserved. St.
Paul's distinction between the "natural" body ("soma
physikon") and the "spiritual" body ("soma pneumatikon")
obviously calls for a further interpretation. And probably
we have to collate it with another distinction he makes in
Phil. 3:21: the body "of our humiliation and the body of
His glory"... Yet the mystery passes our knowledge and
imagination. "It has not yet appeared what we shall be" (I
John 3:2).
But as it is, Christ has risen from the dead, the first-fruits
of those who have fallen asleep (I Cor. 15:20). The great
"three days of death", triduum mortis, were the mysterious
days of the Resurrection. As it is explained in the
Synaxarion of that day. "on Great and Holy Saturday do
we celebrate the divine - bodily burial of Our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ and His descent into Hades, by
which, being called from corruption, our race passed to
life eternal. This was not merely the eve of salvation. It
was already the very day of salvation. "This is the blessed
Sabbath, this is the day of rest, whereon the only Begotten
Son of God has, rested from all His deeds" (Matins of
Good Saturday). In His flesh the Lord is resting in the
grave, and His flesh is not abandoned by his Divinity.
"Though Thy Temple was destroyed in the hour of the
Passion, yet even then one was the Hypostasis of Thy
Divinity and Thy flesh" (Matins of Good Saturday,
Canon, 6th canticle, 1st troparion; the canon is by Cosmas
of Maioum). The Lord's flesh does not therefore suffer
corruption, for it abides in the very bosom of the Life, in
the Hypostasis of the Word, Who is Life. And in this
incorruption the Body has been transfigured into a state
(Continued on page 17)

MINDLESS HELPING
(Continued from page 11)
not recognizing that all family members have free will
and thus have responsibility for their own lives. St. John
of the Ladder tells us: "Pride is a denial of God, an
invention of the devil, contempt for men." The writer of
the Ladder of Divine Ascent goes on to tell us: The
proud man [male and female] wants to be in charge of
things." This is one of the features of mindless helping.
One member of the domestic church, husband, wife,
offspring, wants to be in charge of what they think the
other should be doing or not doing.
CHRIST'S TEACHINGS
Let us consider Our Lord's parable of the ten bridesmaids:
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to
ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet
the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five
were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they
took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil
with their lamps. Then all those maidens rose and
trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise,
'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'
But the wise replied, 'Perhaps there will not be
enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers
and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy,
the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went
in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was
shut. Afterward the other maidens came also, saying,
'Lord, lord, open to us.' But he replied, 'Truly, I say to
you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you
know neither the day nor the hour."” (Mt 25: 1-4, 7-13).
This parable is about being prepared, taking responsibility
for doing what one is capable of doing and the dire con-
sequences of not taking responsibility. This parable is
usually interpreted by our holy Church Fathers as the
personal obligation to be ready for entrance into the
Kingdom of Heaven.
APPLYING THE PARABLE'S LESSONS
But surely it can be applied to the obligation for individuals
to take responsibility to do anything they are capable of
THE PROMISE
doing. The wise virgins did not mindlessly help the foolish
ones, rather they assertively and mindfully told them to
procure their own oil. This understanding of the parable
of the ten bridesmaids is supported by the words of Jesus
in the next parable (The Talents), described by St.
Matthew (25: 14-30). Jesus said to the servant who buried
his talent: "…You wicked and slothful servant!" Blessed
Theophylact comments: "But if you should see an intelli-
gent and skilled man misusing his intelligence in various
pursuits ….you may say that such a man has buried his tal-
ent in the earth…" What would Jesus say to the mother
who toileted her competent, healthy 7- year old, or what
would Jesus say to the mother who servilely complied with
her capable teen daughter's requests, or what would Jesus
say to the tired, stressed wife-mother, whose child needed
a ride home after school while letting her relaxed but qual-
ified husband continue to "lay around the house."
JESUS HIMSELF AS OUR MODEL
Jesus himself did not shirk responsibly and work. It was he
who was nailed to the cross and died for our salvation. No
one took his place. This was to fulfill what was spoken by
the prophet Isaiah, "He took our infirmities and bore our
diseases." (Mt 8: 17). As St. Paul told the Philippians about
Jesus: "And being found in human form he humbled himself
and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on
him the name which is above every name, that at the name
of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth
and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore,
my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only
as in my presence but much more in my absence work out
your own salvation…" (2:8-12).
THE WITNESS AND TEACHING OF THE HOLY
APOSTLES
St. Paul himself sets the standard. He tells the Colossians:
"Him we proclaim, warning every man and teaching every
man in all wisdom, that we may present every man mature
in Christ. For this I toil, striving with all the energy which
he mightily inspires within me." (Col 1: 28-29 ) The
Apostle to the Gentiles himself toiled, not in mindless
helping, but that others might attain maturity. What is
maturity? This is another way of saying we encourage all
(Continued on page 22)
PAGE 15
THE PROMISE
BOOK REVIEW
(Continued from page 10)
Amazingly, the book reveals that in a friend-of-the-court
brief in Roe v. Wade, more than two hundred doctors
from institutions like Harvard Medical School and the
Mayo Clinic concluded that "modern obstetrics has
discarded as unscientific the concept that the child in
the womb is but tissue of the mother. [ ...] From
conception the child is a complex, dynamic, rapidly
growing organism."
Relying on Dr. Liley's observations, Winnick debunks
the myth that an embryo is just a clump of cells and not
really a person before reaching three months of life. "By
25 days [of life] the developing heart starts beating [...]
By 30 days the baby has a brain of unmistakable human
proportions, eyes, ears, mouth, kidneys, liver, [...] and a
heart pumping blood." Such obvious medical facts are
important, because many in the scientific community,
in their obsessive pursuit of experimentation on human
embryos and fetuses, often rely on the "potential life"
argument to justify just about any kind of experimentation
on and destruction of embryos and fetuses. By
de-personalizing the subjects of their experiments, these
scientists are able to divert attention from the human
lives they are abusing and killing and shield themselves
from the moral responsibilities and ethical implications
of their actions.
A Jealous God exposes many instances where similar
excuses have been used by scientists and academics in
aggressively pursuing dangerous and deadly experi-
ments on human subjects, fetuses, and embryos,
forcibly mandating "fertility control" for "undesirables,"
and promoting eugenics, infanticide, and even euthanasia.
Winnick comments:
Most secular bioethicists, joined by liberal theologians,
believed that not everyone should live; not everyone
should receive medical care; not everyone was worthy
of life. In pushing religion aside, they argued that anti-
quated beliefs could not address the complexities of
modern medicine and needed to be displaced by
more 'flexible' rules.
PAGE 16
A glaring example of a scientist without a moral or ethical
compass is Garrett Hardin, "a biology professor, population
zealot, and eugenicist." Harding loved the idea of having
procreation regulated and controlled by the government
and using infanticide as an "accepted means of limiting
family size." He proposed a rather sick and perverse solution
to overpopulation: "Teach little girls, fresh out of
kindergarten, that promiscuity is much more fun than
motherhood."
Hardin also believed that overpopulation would eventually
require society to euthanatize children en masse. His
solutions are indeed ominous and chilling: "Either there
must be a relatively painless weeding out before birth or a
more painful and wasteful elimination of individuals after
birth."
Winnick also addresses critical ethical issues that are often
ignored by secular scientists when dealing with embryonic
stem cell experimentation. Such research raises profound
ethical concerns, because a live embryo has to be
destroyed each time stem cells are extracted. Despite such
serious moral implications, scientists are fighting to remove
most government regulations and ethical restrictions on
their work, many times attacking any restrictions as
"religiously inspired."
Religion serves as a favorite scapegoat for the scientific
community and is frequently blamed for "blocking medical
progress, literally 'killing' millions of Americans," especially
with regards to embryonic experimentation, despite the
lack of proof to support such unjustified claims. Winnick
observes, "No matter how unlikely it was that fetal-tissue
research could produce the 'cure,' the government and the
religious [are] characterized as evil forces directly
responsible for the death of millions, if not the disease
itself."
Such underhanded tactics effectively demonize and silence
most critics and help sidestep any substantive discussions
of the ethical issues regarding the value of human life.
Sadly, "lost in the stereotype were the human rights impli-
cations of unhindered science: the use of human subjects,
the exploitation of women, and the commercialization of
human parts." As a Cambridge law professor observed,
"[M]ost of modern bioethics is clearly subversive of this
Continued on page 20)

GOSPEL OF RESURRECTION
(Continued from page 14)
of glory. The body of humiliation has been buried, and
the body of the glory rose from the grave. In the death
of Jesus the powerlessness of death over Him was
revealed. In the fullness of His human nature Our Lord
was mortal. And He actually died. Yet death did not
hold Him. "It was not possible that He should be holden
of it" (Acts 2:24) As St. John Chrysostom puts it, "death
itself in holding Him pangs as in travail, and was sore
beset..., and He so rose as never to die" (cf. the
Consecration - Prayer in the Liturgy of St. Basil). He is
Life Everlasting, and by the very fact of His death He
destroys death. His very descent into Hades, into the
realm of death, is the mighty manifestation of Life. By
the descent into Hades He, as it were, quickens death
itself. In the first Adam the inherent potentiality of
death by disobedience and fall was actualized and
disclosed. In the second Adam the potentiality of
immortality by obedience was sublimated and actualized
into the impossibility of death "for as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (I Cor. 15:2).
The whole fabric of human nature in Christ proved to
be stable and strong. The disembodiment of the soul
was not consummated into a rupture. Even in common
death of man, as St. Gregory of Nyssa pointed out, the
separation of soul and body is never absolute: a certain
connection is still there. In the death of Christ this
connection proved to be not only a "connection of
knowledge": His soul never ceased to be the "vital
power" of the body. Thus this death in all its reality, as
a true separation and disembodiment, was rather like a
sleep. "Then was man's death shown to be but a sleep"
as St. John of Damascus says (Office for the Burial of a
Priest, Stikhira idiomela by St. John of Damascus). The
reality of death is not yet abolished, but its powerlessness
is revealed. The Lord really and truly died. But in His
death in an eminent measure the "dynamis of the
resurrection" was manifest, which is latent in every
death. To His death the glorious simile of the corn of
wheat can be applied to its full extent (John 12:24). In
the body of the Incarnate One the interim between
death and resurrection is foreshortened. "It is sown in
dishonor: it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness: it
THE PROMISE
is raised in power; it is sown a natural body: it is raised a
spiritual body" (I Cor. 15: 43-44). In the death of the
Incarnate One this mysterious growth of the seed was
consummated in three days: Triduum mortis. "He
suffered not the temple of His body to remain long dead,
but just having shown it dead by the contact of death,
straightway raised it in the third day, and raised with it
also the sigh of victory over death, that is, the incorruption
and impassibility manifested in the body". In these words
St. Athanasius brings forward the victorious and
resurrecting character of the death of Christ. In this
mysterious "triduum mortis", the body of Our Lord has
been transfigured into a body of glory, and has been
clothed in power and light. The seed matures. And the
Lord rises from the dead, as a Bridegroom comes forth
from the chamber. This was accomplished by the power
of God, as also the General Resurrection will in the last
day be accomplished by the power of God. And in the
Resurrection the Incarnation is completed and
consummated a victorious manifestation of Life within
human nature, a grafting of immortality into the human
composition.
The Resurrection of Christ was a victory not over His
death only, but over death in general. "We celebrate the
death of death, the downfall of Hades, and the beginning
of a life new and everlasting" (Easter Canon 2nd canticle,
2nd troparion). In His resurrection the whole of humanity,
all human nature, is co-resurrected with Him: "the
human race is clothed in incorruption". Co-resurrected -
not indeed in the sense that all are actually raised from
the grave: men do still die. But the hopelessness of dying
is abolished: death is rendered powerless. St. Paul is
quite emphatic on this point. "But if there be no
resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen… For if
the dead rise not, then is not Christ risen" (I Cor. 15: 13,
16). St. Paul obviously meant to say that the Resurrection
of Christ would become meaningless if it were not a
universal accomplishment, if the whole Body were not
implicitly "pre-resurrected" with the Head. And faith in
Christ itself would lose any sense and become empty and
vain: there would be nothing to believe in. "And if Christ
be not risen, your faith is vain" (v. 17). Apart from the
hope of the General Resurrection, belief in Christ itself
would be vain and to no purpose; it would only be vain-
glory. "But now is Christ risen"… and herein lies the
(Continued on page 19)
PAGE 17
THE PROMISE
If you are passionate about Golf and want to help
the Annunciation along with a super charity like
Easter Seals, consider participating in the 2010
GREEKFEST GOLF CLASSIC ON MAY 17TH! It is a
fantastic time that does great things for a player’s
body and soul. In these troubled financial times,
our participation and sponsorship are needed now
more than ever!

In addition, mark your calendars for Friday, May
14th, and the TASTE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN
BASH! This is going to be a “tasty” evening that you
will not want to miss. This annual event is not only
delicious and fun, but it also goes a long way towards
helping support the work of Easter Seals and the min-
istries of the Annunciation. Tickets go on sale soon!
THE 2010 ANNUNCIATION
GOYA
CHRIST ENCOUNTER RETREAT
O CTOBER 2, 2 010
PAGE 22
OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHIES
The Annunciation Church family notes with deep
sadness the passing of ANDIGONI PAPPAS, a long
time member and mother to Eva, Pat & Christopher
Pappas.
As our heavenly Father receives the soul of this His
servant, let us continue to pray that all those who
mourn will be comforted by the bountiful love of
our Savior.
“May her memory be eternal!”

The Annunciation Church family notes with deep
sadness the passing of EDWARD FUGATE, a long time
hardworking member of our parish and husband to
our very own Medina Fugate.
As our heavenly Father receives the soul of this His
servant, let us continue to pray that all those who
mourn will be comforted by the bountiful love of
our Savior.
“May his memory be eternal!”

GOSPEL OF RESURRECTION
(Continued from page 17)
victory of Life. "It is true, we still die as before, says St.
John Chrysostom, but we do not remain in death; and
this is not to die... The power and very reality of death
is just this, that a dead man has no possibility of return-
ing to life… But if after death he is to be quickened and
moreover to be given a better life, then this is no longer
death, but a falling asleep". The same conception is
found in St. Athanasius. The "condemnation of death"
is abolished. "Corruption ceasing and being put away by
the grace of Resurrection, we are henceforth dissolved
for a time only, according to our bodies' mortal nature;
like seeds cast into the earth, we do not perish, but sown
in the earth we shall rise again, death being brought to
nought by the grace of the Saviour". All will rise. From
henceforth every disembodiment is but temporary. The
dark vale of Hades is abolished by the power of the
life-giving Cross.
St. Gregory of Nyssa strongly stresses time organic
interdependence of the Cross and the Resurrection. He
makes two points especially: the unity of the Divine
Hypostasis, in which the soul and body of Christ are
linked together even in their mortal separation and the
utter sinlessness of Christ. And then he proceeds:
"When our nature following its proper course, had even
in Him been advanced to the separation of soul and
body, He knitted together again the disconnected
elements, cementing them together, as it were, with a
cement of His Divine power, and recombining what was
severed in a union never to be broken. And this is the
Resurrection, namely the return, after they have been
dissolved, of those elements that have been before
linked together, into an indissoluble union through a
mutual incorporation; in order that thus the primal
grace which invested humanity might be recalled, and
we restored to the everlasting life, when the vice that has
been mixed up with our kind has evaporated through
our dissolution… For as the principle of death took its
rise in one person and passed on in succession through
the whole of human kind, in like manner the principle
of the Resurrection extends from one person to the
THE PROMISE
whole of humanity… For when, in that concrete humanity
which He had taken to Himself, the soul after the
dissolution returned to the body, then this uniting of the
several portions passes, as by a new principle, in equal
force upon the whole human race. This then is the
mystery of God's plan with regard to His death and His
resurrection from the dead". In other words, Christ's
resurrection is a restoration of the fullness and wholeness
of human existence, a re-creation of the whole human
race, a "new creation". St. Gregory follows here faithfully
in the steps of St. Paul. There is the same contrast and
parallelism of the two Adams.
The General Resurrection is the consummation of the
Resurrection of Our Lord, the consummation of His
victory over death and corruption. And beyond the
historical time there will be the future Kingdom, "the life
of the age to come". Then, at the close, for the whole cre-
ation the "Blessed Sabbath", the very "day of rest", the
mysterious "Seventh day of Creation", will be inaugurated
for ever. The expected is as yet inconceivable. But the
pledge is given. Christ is risen.
TO HIS GLORY
The Annunciation family must pause and thank all those
men and women in our Church family, young and old
alike, who labored long and hard to ensure that our
Pascha celebrations were a beautiful. Through the efforts
of many, our Church family was able to joyously herald
the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior.We must recognize
with deep appreciate the dedication of our flower girls, the
acolytes, chantors & readers, and choir who served so
faithfully throughout Great Lent & Holy Week. In addition,
we are indebted to all those faithful stewards of our Church
that helped prepare and decorate the Church & Ballroom
on Good Friday; along with all those who put together the
Easter Egg Hunt, Communion Breakfast and Holy Friday
Retreat for our youngest members. Finally we are thankful
to all of those dedicated souls that helped prepare our
wonderful Easter Morning Brunch; with special recognition
to Mrs. Naimeh Alley and her family for underwriting
the Brunch. It never ceases to amaze the things that
Annunciation is able to accomplish to the glory of God
when we work together as Christ intends.
Thank You!!!
PAGE 19
THE PROMISE
Let s Dance!
ATTENTION MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN
OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS :
The time has come to begin practicing for the
Festival! No previous experience is needed; just
a willing heart and a smile. Everyone is welcome!
Adult Greek Dancers
Practices take place after church on Sundays.
Contact: Christina Martin (vrat@swbell.net)
Middle Eastern (Dabkeh) Dancers
Practices take place after church on Sundays.
Contact: Raeda Alley (raalley4@aol.com)
Micro Greek (Children s) Dancers
Practices take place after church on Sundays.
Contact: Presv. Maria Verdaris
PAGE 20
2010 FOOD FESTIVAL
FESTIVAL CHAIRS . . . . . . . . . . . . Raouf Kassissieh
Tina Alley
ADVERTISING/MEDIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tina Alley
BANKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Raouf Kassissieh
BOOKSTORE . . . . . . . . . . . Christopher Huckabay
CHICKEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Philip Miron
COFFEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eva Sargent
COKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Haitham Alley
DRIVE-THRU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wayne Alley
ENTERTAINMENT . . . . . . . . Peter & Jennifer Gess
GROCERY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pete Vratsinas
GROUNDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Haitham Alley
GYROS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adam Khamis
ICE CREAM/HOT DOGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOYA
KABOBS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Randy Akel
LAMB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brock Martin
LOGISTICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Harb
MIDDLE EASTERN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clair Alley
PASTITSO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dean Moutos
PASTRIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anna Clift
Pat Diggins
PROGRAM BOOK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Bailey
VENDORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joyce Harb
VOLUNTEERS/CHARITIES . . . . . . Stephanie Wilcox
 THE PROMISE
BOOK REVIEW arbitrary and biased fashion. The lion's share of the funds
often goes to the most politically correct diseases, the
(Continued from page 16)
strongest and most vocal lobbying groups, and the best
politically or celebrity-connected organizations, not to
those afflicted by the most common illnesses or who need
tradition of common morality. Rather than promote
the most help. Ironically, if scientific and ethical principles
respect for universal human values and rights, it
were being applied, "the allocation or research money
systematically seeks to subvert them. In modern
should be fair, based on objective, non-political criteria,
bioethics, nothing is, in itself, either valuable or inviolable,
including the number of deaths from a particular disease,
except utility."
the severity of the disease, the numbers of Americans
afflicted with the disease." Unfortunately, such ethical and
Many embryonic stem cell research advocates have
reasonable approaches are not followed.
sought support from Hollywood celebrities afflicted by
incurable diseases or medical conditions. Together, they
The results of such misguided policies are tragic. While
have lobbied politicians and promised unsubstantiated
the most publicized and best-lobbied diseases received
"miracle cures" that were "just around the corner" to
enormous amounts of funding, "other fatal diseases affecting
many suffering, disabled, paralyzed, or terminally ill
larger numbers of Americans were neglected in favor of
patients. This only raised false hopes for them and their
"celebrity" diseases, generally whatever disease affected the
families:
most visible and wealthy Americans, particularly
With all the hype, all the promise, all the raised
Hollywood stars."
expectations, there was an insurmountable problem
with fetal-tissue implants: They didn't work.
What makes this book so effective is Winnick's balanced
and objective writing, which is further strengthened by her
Such cruel and unethical tactics and promises do not
journalistic style and solid documentation. Interestingly
help alleviate the suffering of these individuals and will
enough, the book uses scientific evidence and truth to
not bring about any meaningful cures for years to come,
debunk the lies and myths perpetuated by unethical sci-
if ever. However, the hype did work magnificently to
entists. Winnick relies on facts, ethics, common sense,
enrich many unethical scientists and researchers looking
and reason to present an honest, objective, and bal-
to fool taxpayers into financing their risky and unsub-
anced perspective. In doing so, she effectively brings a
stantiated pet projects.
solid dose of reality and a great deal of credibility and
weight to an important debate.
The effectiveness and success of such strategies was
regrettably evidenced by California's passage of Chris Banescu is an attorney, entrepreneur, and university
Proposition 71, which authorized billions of state professor. His business, ethics, and
taxpayer dollars for embryonic stem cell research and management articles and podcasts can be found on
established an unprecedented state constitutional "right" www.ChrisBanescu.com.
to conduct such experimentation. Even worse, the wording
of Prop. 71 allows for little oversight of the process by
state officials or taxpayers, empowering only the
scientists with setting the standards of their own research.

A similar tragedy has also been unfolding on a national

level. Succumbing to intense lobbying efforts from the
research community and the outcries from patient advo-
cacy groups, federal funding of medical research has bal-
looned from a mere $700,000 in the 1940s to nearly $30
billion in 2005. This money is allocated in a rather

PAGE 11
THE PROMISE
MINDLESS HELPING
(Continued from page 15)
those around us to do all that they are capable of doing
and developing fully. No one in the domestic church
(the home) should enable dysfunctional behavior, or
spiritual sloth or laziness, either within the household or
in those encountered outside the home. Can this be
more clearly and emphatically stated than the words of
St. Paul to the Thessalonians? "For even when we were
with you, we gave you this command: If any one will not
work, let him not eat." (2Thes 3: 10 ).
ST. PAUL AS OUR MODEL
St. Paul practiced what he preached. He himself worked
and did help those who were "in need", that is "the weak."
St. Luke records the words of St. Paul in the Acts of the
Apostles (20: 33-35): "I coveted no one's silver or gold or
apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered
to my necessities, and to those who were with me. In all
things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help
the weak..."
A BLESSED MARRIAGE IMITATING CHRIST
AND ST. P AUL
A couple in a blessed marriage should follow the exam-
ple of St. Paul and in turn model it for their children:
"For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us;
we were not idle when we were with you, we did not eat
any one's bread without paying, but with toil and labor
we worked night and day, that we might not burden any
of you. It was not because we have not that right, but to
give you in our conduct an example to imitate." (2Thes 3:
7-9). And most important, spouses should apply these
words of St. Paul not only to themselves but also to their
children.
St. Paul's counsel is strong: "Now we command you,
brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you
keep away from any brother who is living in idleness …"
(2Thes 3:6). I am not suggesting spouses abandon one
another or their children. I am suggesting that we work
toward overcoming idleness by anyone in the family.
Thus, it behooves skillful family members to help one
PAGE 22
another in situations where someone is incapable of some
task, and promote by word and action appropriate behaviors
(and Godly spiritual practices) that they are capable of
doing. This same helping principle applies when encountering
non-family members as well.
THE TEACHINGS OF OUR HOLY SPIRITUAL
FATHERS
While not using the term mindful help, St Isaac the
Syrian's words counsel the same theme: "The desire of the
Sprit for those in whom the Spirit dwells is not to let them
grow accustomed to laziness, or to invite them to a life of
ease, but rather to one of labors…" Add to St. Isaac's writing
the wisdom of St. Peter of Damaskos: "For every action
must be done at the right time and with discrimination
[diakrisis], so that it is not inopportune or detrimental"
(Philokalia III p.97).
HELPING GUIDELINE REMINDER
As discussed above, the criterion for guiding helping was
that it be for the good and welfare of the individual. Just as
Love and Goodness are found in God, these same quali-
ties should be found in our interactions with others. The
Church Fathers teach us knowledge of love and goodness
may be acquired through discrimination. Once again, to
quote St. Peter of Damaskos: "[d]iscrimination is
characterized by an unerring recognition of what is good
and what is not, and the knowledge of the will of God in
all that one does." (Philokalia III). Discrimination, "…the
ability to distinguish between spirits…" (1Cor 12:10), is
considered by the holy spiritual Church Fathers to be a gift
of the Holy Spirit. St. Paul tells the Ephesians (6: 17) and
us that discrimination is a "…helmet of salvation, and the
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
ACQUIRING DISCRIMINATION (DIAKRISIS)
St. Paul goes on to tell us one way discrimination can be
acquired: "Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and
supplication." (Eph 6: 18). St. Gregory of Sinai counsels:
we should put ourselves under the direction of a someone
holy and experienced and go "… to one, to someone who
has been entrusted with the guidance of others as well,

who is radiant alike in his life and in his words, and who
although poor makes many rich (c.f. 2Cor 6:10)."
This advice is in the spirit of Solomon, "Where there is
no guidance, a people falls; but in an abundance of
counselors there is safety." (Pv 11: 14) This is summarized
in St. Paul's letter to the Hebrews (5: 12-14): "…you
need some one to teach you again the first principles of
God's word. You need milk, not solid food; for every
one who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of right-
eousness, for he is a child. But solid food is for the
mature, for those who have their faculties trained by
practice to distinguish good from evil." We are to use
our God-given gift of intelligence in this process. As St.
Maximus the Confessor tells us: "[t]he Lord's
commandments teach us to use neutral things intelligently."
(Philokalia, II). This is done in union with the mind of,
and in communion with, the Church founded by
Christ by the descent of the Holy Spirit on His apostles
at Pentecost, and passed to the bishops and priests of
today. It done is by receiving her holy mysteries, and
understanding the holy traditions and scriptures of the
Church, as taught by the Holy Spirit-inspired Church.
A spiritual consequence of fostering dependency by
mindless helping is keenly seen by St. Mark the Acetic:
: "…laziness, which weaves the dark shroud enveloping
the soul in murk. The third vice supports and strengthens
the other two [forgetfulness and ignorance], consolidating
them so that evil becomes deep-rooted and persistent
in the negligent soul. … and through your true ardor for
all that is good you will drive out the godless laziness
that enables evil to root itself in the soul." (Philokalia I,)
While St. Mark is concerned with actualizing spiritual
knowledge, his words can be applied to the learning
and performance of any activity before God that
enhances personal function in the family and society.
SPIRITUAL CAVEAT:
ALL FOR CHRIST AND CHRIST FOR ALL
Spiritually, there is also the problem of purity of
motive. One can administer aid for self-glorification
rather than our of a genuine love for the good and
welfare of the other. For a Christian, self-glorification is
a vice while genuine love is Godly virtue. Consider the
THE PROMISE
words of Christ: "But Jesus said, ' … no one who does a
mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak
evil of me. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup
of water to drink [as discussed above, to someone in real
need] because you bear the name of Christ, will by no
means lose his reward." (Mk 9: 39, 41). As discussed
above, the help must be for someone in real need.
We can also recall Our Lord's own warning: "Not every
one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom
of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is
in heaven." (Mt 7:21) Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain
caught the possible trap: "It is very egotistical to believe
that you are able to correct other people." Applying this
wisdom to those in blessed marriage, the Church in the
Home, it means that husband-father, wife-mother, and
children, have to make all family decisions based on
Christ and His teaching. This is to say, love of God and
neighbor, as Christ Himself told us: "And he said to him,
'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and
with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great
and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall
love your neighbor as yourself'." (Mt 22: 37-39). Applying
this counsel to family and all mankind means mindful
helping for the good and welfare of the other, in the name
of Christ.
Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers
an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith,
in purity. (1Tim 4: 12).
REMEMBER
MOTHER’S DAY
SUNDAY, MAY 9, 2010
PAGE 23
THE PROMISE
ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
1100 NAPA VALLEY DRIVE, LITTLE ROCK, AR 72211
REV. DR. NICHOLAS J. VERDARIS, PASTOR

APRIL 2010
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Great & Holy
Pascha

11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Sunday of St. Thomas
Matins 9:00 am
Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

ParishOratorical Festival

18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Sunday of the Myrrhbearers
Matins 9:00 am
Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

Philoptochos Spring Lunch

25 26 27 28 29 30 May 1
Sunday of the Paralytic
Matins 9:00 am
Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

AHEPA Luncheon

2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Sunday of the Samaritan
Matins 9:00 am
Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

PAGE 24