This week we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-giving Cross of the Lord.

On Forgetting Ourselves and Being Remembered by God

"Whoever has faith in God and a sacrificial spirit does not consider himself. When someone does not cultivate the spirit of sacrifice, he thinks only of himself and wants everybody else to sacrifice themselves for him. But whoever thinks only of himself is isolated from others as well as from God – a double isolation – in which case he cannot receive divine grace. He becomes a useless person. One can readily see that he who thinks constantly of himself, his difficulties and troubles, and so on, will not find even human assistance when a need arises. Not having divine assistance is one thin, but not having even human assitance is quite another. Then he will struggle one way or another to find some help. He will torment himself trying to find some help from men, but he will not find such help. On the contrary, someone who does not think of himself but thinks constantly of others, in the good sense, will be thought of constantly by God, and then others will also think of him. The more one forgets himself, the more God remembers him.”
-Elder Paisios the Athonite 
 
Services this week
Tonight (Wed.) 6pm - Vespers - feast of St. Euphemia
Friday, 7:15am - 1st Hour and Men's Meeting
Saturday, 5:45 - 9th Hour; 6pm - Great Vespers
Sunday services as usual
 
Announcements
-The Race for the Cure is this Saturday, Sept. 18; please contact Mary Blanchard with any questions about participating.
-The SOYO will meet this Sunday, September 19. 
-Ladies' Book Club: the first meeting will be on Tuesday, September 21 at 6pm at the church.  The reading is the first part of the book Steps of Transformation.
-Orthodoxy 101: A new catechism class will begin on Wednesday, Sept. 22, following Vespers (6:45pm).  An introduction for those who are new to the Orthodox Church, and a refresher for anyone else who'd like to join us!
-THE 2010 PILGRIMAGE to the shrine church of Our Lady of Walsingham/Mesquite, TX will be held on Saturday, October 16th. Schedule posted at church; more details to follow.
-THE 2010 DOWAMA FALL GATHERING & RETREAT will be hosted at St Elijah/Oklahoma City, OK on Friday and Saturday, October 22nd & 23rd (ending in the afternoon).  Featured speaker will be KHOURIYA SUSAN WALLACE of St Andrew/Oklahoma City, OK.