port.

We need to thank Him for the good news in the Gospel, the Holy Bible, His work, and His holy aributes. Thank God for the great redempon He oered to us. There is something more important than all the previous things, for which we ought to give thanks all day and night. It is the great redempon oered to us on the cross. Without it, we all would have perished. No one could have been saved from the sentence of death without the incarnaon of the Son, His crucixion, His death, and His Resurrecon.

I know we are all red, and some drive such long distances to aend church, but nothing can make up for the spiritual food and blessing you get from church. We need to be connually taught ourselves in order to best teach our children. God does not change, and neither does His Word. The world is changing every day and we need to be connually refreshed and renewed by hearing the Word of God. We need to be present in church because it is there we nd new strength from being taught how to live Gods way in the devils world. Do not separate yourselves from the blessing and protecon that comes from aending church. Set the example for your children of how important being in church is, and how important it is to receive its blessings and partake of its sacraments. Our children will do what you do, so show them how important Gods house is. Show them how to approach it with reverence, to honor it, and to be thankful they have it. The best way you can do this is to join them in church as oen as you can. Get involved; know what they are learning so you can strengthen the lessons at home. Make God the most important thing in all your lives.

THEOTOKOS
VIRGIN MARY AND ARCHANGEL MICHAEL COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH November 2013 Newsletter
thanksgiving reflects that life in whom he/ she serves. For example, we should not ask, Why dont the Sunday School kids appreciate anything we do? Do we live a life of thanksgiving? Do we pass on this way of life to whom we serve? Thanksgiving is a critical aspect of our spiritual lives. Jesus tells us in the Bible to be thankful. In Luke 17:15-18, only one of the ten lepers Jesus healed returned to thank Jesus, and Jesus asked, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? The life of thanksgiving is not thanking God for a specific event, an occasion, or a gift, but rather it is a life of thanking God for all things and in all circumstances, always. Saint Paul said, Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) This is why the Prayer of Thanksgiving in the Coptic Church precedes all prayers. It is the first prayer in each hour of the Agpeya. It is the first prayer in the Matins, Vespers, and the Divine Liturgy. It is even the first prayer at funerals. We give thanks to God at all times of the day. As David the Psalmist says, At midnight I will rise and give thanks to You, because of Your righteous judgments. (Psalm 119:62)

SPIRITUAL FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Most parents understand that they have an obligaon to raise their children to be producve members of society. We as Chrisan parents also recognize our responsibility to raise our children in the fear of God and to be good Chrisans, in addion to being good cizens. So, we buy our kids good Chrisan books, and movies, we take them to church on Sunday, and many even do well to drop them o for Bible study on Saturdays. But what do we do to nourish our own faith? Do we take me read our Bible every day? Do we aend Bible study at church? There are many ways to teach children, but nothing is beer than being a Godly example. By aending church with your children, and going to adult Bible classes while they are in childrens classes, you set an example of what is important.

LITURGY SCHEDULE
Sunday Liturgy 8:30 AM11:30 AM Wednesday Liturgy 6:00 AM 7:30 AM Friday Liturgy 9:00 AM10:30 AM Saturday Vesper 6:00 PM 8:00 PM

Have something to say? Want to share a story or a good message? Anyone wishing to add, request, or comment on the newsleer can do so by contacng Ann at agiardino2001@yahoo.com. God bless you all!

LIFE OF THANKSGIVING
Thanksgiving is a way of lifea noble way of life. Thankful people acknowledge goodness and never forget the goodness and love of God. As servants, this must be our way of life. The servant who does not live a life of

Virgin Mary and Archangel Michael Copc Orthodox Church 87 Benham Street, Hamden, CT 06514 Fr. Abraham Azmy (203) 887-8865 Fr. Isaac Salib (203) 999-5043 Archdeacon Ibrahim Hefzallah (203) 258-1906

ANNUAL THANKSGIVING DINNER

Each Thanksgiving, our church looks forward to serving the homeless in our community. Please join us November 28th in preparing food for our guests, singing hymns, praying, and of course, a turkey dinner. All are encouraged to join, parcularly those who would like to join their church family for the fesvies and give thanks. The service starts at 12:00 PM aer the Liturgy.

incenve for work, and whether it is producve to do this or not. Join us as we read this book and discuss it in detail. Contact Mena Shehata for the book at 347-527 -8510. Discussion date TBA.

Thank God for the religious environment we were brought up in. The Copc Church is based on the early Church and its teachings are those of the apostles. We should thank God that we are raised in the straight and right faith. Thank God because He did not deal with us according to our sins. This is what David the Prophet said in Psalm 103 which begins, Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benets. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He has not dealt with us according to our sins nor punished us according to our iniquies. Thank God for His loving kindness and care. How many mes has God rescued us in mes of trouble? How many mes has He forgiven us for our sins? How many mes has He given us grace in the eyes of others? Thank God for good health. We take our good health for granted and never take me to thank God for it. Thank God for sickness. Sickness in itself is not bad. Poor Lazarus was full of sores that were licked by dogs. All this did not separate him from God. On the contrary, it was for his own good. The Apostle St. Paul was given a thorn in the esh for spiritual benet. Lest he should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelaons. He pleaded with the Lord three mes that it might depart from him. (2 Corinthians 12:8). But God answered his prayer by saying to him, My grace is sucient for you. Naturally, in our human weakness, we seek good health but we do not know what is benecial to us. Perhaps sickness makes us weary, but it helps us enter the

kingdom of Heaven. Thank God because He has protected, assisted, preserved, accepted us, had compassion on us, supported us and brought us to this hour. This is what the church teaches us in the Prayer of Thanksgiving, which we repeat many mes in the Prayers of the Hours (Agpeya). Thank God for the good you see and the good you cannot see. We thank him for the good we observe by sight, and the good we see by faith. God calls us to do good in secret, and He will reward us openly for what we do in secret (Mahew 6:4-6). He also does many good things in secret for us in which we must thank Him openly. Many good things we now enjoy have been prepared for us by God many, many, years ago. We did not know at the me that He was planning such things. Thank God for the grace working in us. Grace is a principal maer which we must put at the top of our thanksgiving list . The Apostle Saint Paul says, But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace towards me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I but the grace of God which was with me! (1 Corinthians 15:10) We then thank Him for the communion of the Holy Spirit in our lives, which is a part of the blessing given to us. We thank Him because He made us temples of His Holy Spirit, as the Apostle St. Paul said, Do you know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you. (1 Corinthians 3:16) Thank God for giving us the ability to know Him. In the prayers of the Liturgy of Saint Gregory, the priest says, You gave me your knowledge and You sent me the law for sup-

NEW ENGLISH CHOIR

The church is beginning a new English Choir for middle school and high school aged church members. If you are interested in joining and singing praises to God, contact Nagwa at nnassif@comcast.net, or call 203-435-6522.

SANDWICH RUN
The Sandwich Run has grown tremendously this past year. Each week more and more people come to receive the blessing of a hot meal. Recently we started purchasing clothing items to help some in their eorts to regain employment. With winter rapidly approaching, we are aempng to gather certain items to aid our less fortunate brothers and sisters in surviving the cold weather ahead. If anyone would like to make or donate wool/knit hats, scarves, gloves, it would be appreciated. It is our hope to distribute these items during our Thanksgiving Dinner for the Homeless. See George Keryakos with donaons. Volunteers are always appreciated.

THANKING GOD
Thank God for He created us out of the dust of the ground. David the Psalmist said, Behold children are a heritage from the Lord. (Psalm 127:3). Thank God for the nature around us. God created man on the sixth day aer He created nature to surround and comfort man. Thank God for the talents He gives us. Wisdom and knowledge were placed before healing and miracles (1 Corinthians 12:8-10). Thank God for being born in the Chrisan faith. Many people search and toil for Chrisanity but cannot nd it. Thank God for life. We thank God for life in the Thanksgiving Prayer when we say He brought us to this hour. We should thank God for the me He gives us on earth to repent and to lay up our treasure in heaven. (Mahew 6:20)

BOOK CLUB
The church book club will be meeng to discuss the book Drive, by Daniel H. Pink. The book is the basis of a discussion on the topic of giving rewards as