His Eminence Metropolitan SABA Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America His Grace Bishop Alexander
Pastor: Fr John Vazquez| fatherjohnvazquez@gmail.com | stgeorgealbany.org | 1 St George's Pl Albany
Office Hours: Mon/Fri 10am-5pm/Confessions: After weekly services or by appointment
Parish Council Leadership: Chair—Michella Rizk, Treasurer—Ranya Palmer, Secretary—Daniel Palmer, Vice Chair—Linda Grady
Beloved,
If you were to ask me what my hope is for every one of you—one of the answers I would give is that each of you would be able to say a line from St Paul's epistle to the Galatians that we will hear this Sunday. In verse 20 from his letter to the Galatians—chapter two—St Paul says these amazing words—It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. It is my heartfelt desire that each of you (and me too) will be able, at some point, to make this statement in truth. Why?
If we can one day make this statement it will mean that each of us is so fully committed to a life in Christ and with Christ that all of our hopes and desires are the hopes and desires of God—that we have no ego left to get in the way of God working in our lives and in the world. A logical question might be, “does this mean that there is no room for me to be myself if I am a Christian?”
The answer is actually that the more we assert what we call our own desires and will the more banal, bland and boring we become and that the more we align our will to Christ the more unique, influential and extraordinary we become. We are so shortsighted as human beings. Often, we think that we understand circumstances, people and the reasons for things when in actuality we don’t have a full picture or understanding. Insisting on our shortsighted solutions and views of things is one way that we assert our ego or will and instead of making a situation better we often make it worse.
On the other hand, we see, when we read the lives of the Saints of the Church, how they help bring healing, light, joy and Christ’s victory to the world. The Saints make their unique circumstances a means for God to work in them and in the world and through this setting aside of ego and personal will they shine more brightly than any human conception of light that we can imagine. We have this great treasure in our Church—the lives of the Saints—that we can avail ourselves of. Try to read the life of the Saint of the day everyday as part of your prayers. You can find these lives on our website when you scroll to the bottom of the front page and click on the link under Saints and Feasts Commemorated. My prayer is that through reading these lives you will be inspired to commit to the desire to have Christ dwell within you.
With love in Christ,
Fr John
Services and Events
Friday, September 19th—8am—Orthros
Saturday, September 20th—5pm—Great Vespers w/Bible Study to follow (Psalms)
Sunday, September 21st—9am—Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy BARBECUE AND PICNIC sponsored by Maria and Norma Rezek to follow—Bring a friend—$15 Suggested Donation
Monday, September 22nd—8:15am—Coffee with the Fathers join us at Alias Coffee as on Pearl St in Albany as we work through Hymns on Paradise by St Ephrem the Syrian
Monday, September 22nd—12pm—Paraklesis of the Theotokos
Wednesday, September 24th—8am—Divine Liturgy
Wednesday, September 24th—6pm—Paraklesis of St George
Friday, September 26th—8am—Orthros
Saturday, September 27th—5pm—Great Vespers w/Bible Study to follow (Psalms)
Sunday, September 28th—9am—Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy
Click to view our Upcoming Schedule
Did You Know...that Christ is Risen!...and...
*We will be making a trip to St Dumitru Monastery in Middletown, NY the weekend of October 10th and 11th. Let me know if you are interested in coming.
*We are having a clothes drive for those in need. We will be taking clothes donations and passing them along to the Albany City Rescue Mission down the street from us. Contribute if you are able.
*Our sister parish St Nicholas in Cohoes will be hosting their annual Flea Market tomorrow, Saturday, September 20th from 9am-4pm (1077 Loudon Rd. Latham)
*Our Diocesan Fall Retreat will be in Montreal October 24th-26th with guest speaker Fr Michael Gillis. Learn more HERE.
*Our Nativity Retreat this year will be November 15th and 16th with Fr Anthony Gilbert who is a PHD in Literature. He will be looking at St Gregory the Theologian's Oration 38—On the Nativity of Christ. More details to come but mark your calendars.
Eduction at St George
But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 2 Pet 3.1
*Read Metropolitan SABA's weekly teaching—The Little Churches
*Sunday Education for kids ages 10 and up has started. Bring you children as they work through the Curriculum from the Archdiocese A People Set Apart—The Book of Exodus
*Get some caffeine for the soul with Coffee with the Fathers. Join us at ALIAS COFFEE on N. Pearl St in Albany as we study Hymns on Paradise by St Ephraim the Syrian.
*Study the Scriptures with us—Bible Study Saturday evenings at 6pm after vespers. We also are doing localized bible studies in peoples homes on Friday afternoons and evenings—in an attempt to provide an opportunity for as many people as possible to attend. Check the calendar for locations.
*Click HERE for a great YouTube channel with Orthodox kids songs.
*You can view the WORD magazine online. Click HERE.
*Metropolitan SABA has an Instagram account to connect with youth and young adults—@AskSayidna.
*We plan to have a "Youth Day" at the Church once a month which will include kids of all ages. The purpose of these days is to offer education, fellowship, wholesome fun and a chance for the kids to "ask Abouna." Dates for the fall are October 25th, November 22nd and December 13th—mark your calendars.
Parish Prayer List
"Remember Me O Lord When You Come Into Your Kingdom." Lk 23.42
Please include in your daily prayers the following. Contact me to have someone added to the list. These are the names that will be remembered during the Divine Liturgy.
Living:
Bishop Alexander, Fr Gregory Potter, Fr Joseph, Fr Andrew, Fr Pat, Fr Meletios, Fr Terrance, Fr Michael, Dn Jorge, Dn Horia, Leila, Helen, Lew, Marsha, Mary, Anastasia, Hassib, Callie, Shannon, Jennifer, Samantha, Schuyler, Raphael and Kelly, Fayez, Kent, Rose, Justin, Anne, George, Nektaria, Matushka Margaret, William, Chris, Noah, Sophia and our catechumens: Max, Ryan, Kathryn and Henry. All those traveling, those suffering from illness, violence and want in this country and throughout the world and especially those in Ukraine, Russia, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and the middle east
Departed:
Fr Gregory DesMarais, Fr Alvian, Fr John, Fr Steven, Will, Camile, Raymond, Ruth, Dolores, Agnes, Ed, Bassir, Chris, Scott, Charles, Iryna, The New Martyrs of Syria those who have lost their lives and who have no one to pray for them, those who have passed in the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
"Beauty Will Save the World"
My favorite author—Fyodor Dostoyevsky—has a quote, "Beauty will save the world!" What in the world could this mean?! Well, this could be quite a big discussion but I think part of the answer is that as human beings we delight in what is beautiful and not only take delight in but find healing when we encounter something beautiful. Beauty is such a big part of our worship as Orthodox Christians. Orthodox worship engages our senses with beautiful smells, sights and sounds and this matters because God's creation is good and beauty helps us to understand this reality.
Have you ever wondered what you could do to help beautify our church. Here are some ideas:
*15-20 Icons (16”x24” $400 per icon) Pick your Saint!—https://legacyicons.com/saint-paisios-of-athos-icon-s184/
*Curtain for Holy Doors ($850) https://www.churchembroidery.net/product-page/holy-door-curtains-katapetasma
*Curtains for Deacons Doors ($1500 each) churchembroidery.net (custom order)
*Epitaphios of Panaghia ($1800) https://www.churchembroidery.net/product-page/fully-embroidered-orthodox-epitaphios-shroud-of-the-most-holy-theotokos-3
*Two Mosaic’s for outside ($5000 each—is my best guess) (Theotokos and St George)
*Chandelier for above Altar ($500) https://nioras.com/product/church-chandelier-frames-with-orthodox-icons-13-electric-lights/
*Three Mount-Athos style Chandeliers for the nave (the space where the people stand during the service)
Sunday, September 21, 2025
THE SYNAXARION
On September 21 in the Holy Orthodox Church, we take leave of the celebration of the Elevation of the Holy Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. On this day, we commemorate the holy, glorious and all-laudable Apostle Quadratos of the Seventy.
Verses
Since in no wise would he offer stones his worship,
The unwise cast stones at worshipful Quadratos.
On the twenty-first Quadratos found a crown in contests.
He preached the Gospel in Athens, and was at first bishop in Athens after St. Publius, and then in the city of Magnesia. Quadratos was considered a “morning star among the clouds,” shining forth the light of Christ to the Hellenes in the midst of their dark paganism and evil practices. But darkness always hates the light, and the pagans hated holy Quadratos. They first stoned him, and then imprisoned him, leaving him without bread until his holy soul left his body and entered into the Kingdom of Christ his God in 130. Before that, Quadratos wrote a defense of Christianity and gave it to the pagan Emperor Hadrian, who was so moved that he decreed that Christians should not be persecuted without special cause.
On this day, we also commemorate the Prophet Jonah. By the intercessions of Thy saints, O Christ God, have mercy upon us. Amen.
Parish Financial Summary—Fiscal Year 2024/25
Help us Reach our Goal of $132,000—Our estimated budget for the 2024-25 Fiscal Year
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF ST GEORGE!
Giving for Week of 9.14.25—$854
Online Donations for Week of 9.14.25—$100
Falafel Fundraiser 3.30.25—$1054
Parish Halfi 4.25.25—$9087.95
Broadview Bank Balance as of end of August: $43,6059.62: $35,023.23 (Operating Fund); $7160.78 (Memorial Fund); $1,136.10 (Charity Fund)
Merrill Lynch Mutual Fund as of end of August 31st, 2025: $402,398.04
Merrill Lynch Money Market Account as of end of August 31st, 2025: $36,912.86
Total Giving for fiscal year to date (October 24–September 25)—$86,338.29
Families who have contributed for fiscal year to date (October 24–September 25)—71
Families who have contributed over $5,000 for fiscal year to date (October 24–September 25)—3
Families who have contributed over $1,000 for fiscal year to date (October 24–September 25)—28
A Note to our Visitors
WELCOME!
We are blessed by your presence! Join us for fellowship after. Please note, in the Orthodox Church only baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians who have properly prepared with confession, fasting (no food from the night before until communion), prayer and forgiveness can partake of the Holy Eucharist. All others may come forward for a blessing and receive a piece of blessed bread from the altar servers.
A Word From the Fathers
St Maximus the Confessor
82nd saying of the 3rd Century (100 Sayings) on Love
The person who truly wishes to be healed is he who does not refuse treatment. This treatment consists of the pain and distress brought on by various misfortunes. He who refuses them does not realize what they accomplish in this world or what he will gain from them when he departs this life.
