ARCHIEPISCOPAL ENCYCLICAL FOR THANKSGIVING (gr-en)

Greek-English

ARCHIEPISCOPAL ENCYCLICAL FOR THANKSGIVING

November 26, 2020

Ἐξομολογεῖσθε τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὅτι ἀγαθός, ὅτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ. Ἀλληλούϊα. (Ψαλμός 135:1)
O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever. Alleluia. (Psalm 135:1)

To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America,

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Let us give thanks unto the Lord! Let us celebrate this National Day of Thanksgiving, a time when we remember that the opposite of scarcity is not abundance, but gratitude. President John F. Kennedy’s words ring as true today as they did in his Proclamation of 1963: “Over three centuries ago, our forefathers in Virginia and in Massachusetts, far from home in a lonely wilderness, set aside a time of thanksgiving. On the appointed day, they gave reverent thanks for their safety, for the health of their children, for the fertility of their fields, for the love which bound them together, and for the faith which united them with their God.” This National Holiday has become associated with a time of feasting and family gatherings, but in this year of pandemic, the feasting of many is threatened by food insecurity, and the gathering of families is in question, as we try to keep those we love healthy and safe.

Therefore, I beseech all of you, as you are able, give thanks in your communities by your generosity to those less fortunate than you. Share your blessings, for they are from God Who shines His sun upon all people, just as the rain falls upon the just and the unjust alike (cf. Matthew 5:45). Look into your abundance and see more than the result of of your hard work and natural advantages. See the treasury of God’s blessings that he has gifted to you for you to bestow on others, remembering the word of the Lord: “generously you have received, generously give” (Matthew 10:8).

And if you are unable to gather with your loved ones and families, hold the space in your hearts wide and open for them and all people. There is need in our world for love to be manifest, and your openness to others is a good first step. At every Divine Liturgy, we express our gratitude to God, and we can show that thankfulness by our love for and generosity to others.

Εὐχαριστήσωμεν τῷ Κυρίῳ!

With paternal love in our Lord Jesus Christ,

† ELPIDOPHOROS
Archbishop of America

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ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΙΚΗ ΕΓΚΥΚΛΙΟΣ
Ἡμέρα τῶν Εὐχαριστιῶν

26 Νοεμβρίου 2020

«Ἐξομολογεῖσθε τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὅτι ἀγαθός, ὅτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ. Ἀλληλούϊα»
(Ψαλμὸς 135:1).

Πρὸς τοὺς Σεβασμιωτάτους καὶ Θεοφιλεστάτους Ἀρχιερεῖς, τοὺς Εὐλαβεστάτους Ἱερεῖς καὶ Διακόνους, τοὺς Μοναχοὺς καὶ τὶς Μοναχές, τοὺς Προέδρους καὶ τὰ Μέλη τῶν Κοινοτικῶν Συμβουλίων, τοὺς Ἐντιμολογιωτάτους Ἄρχοντες τοῦ Οἰκουμενικοῦ Πατριαρχείου, τὰ Ἡμερήσια καὶ Ἀπογευματινὰ Σχολεῖα, τὶς Φιλοπτώχους Ἀδελφότητες, τὴν Νεολαία, τὶς Ἑλληνορθόδοξες Ὀργανώσεις καὶ ὁλόκληρο τὸ Χριστεπώνυμο πλήρωμα τῆς Ἱερᾶς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς Ἀμερικῆς.

Προσφιλεῖς ἀδελφοὶ καὶ ἀδελφὲς ἐν Χριστῷ,

Ἂς εὐχαριστήσουμε τὸ Θεὸ! Ἂς ἑορτάσουμε τὴν ἐθνικὴ ἑορτὴ τῶν Εὐχαριστιῶν, μία ἡμέρα μοναδική, κατὰ τὴν ὁποία ἀντιλαμβανόμαστε ὅτι τὸ ἀντίθετο τῆς ἔλλειψης δὲν εἶναι ἡ πληρότητα, ἀλλὰ ἡ εὐχαριστία. Τὰ λόγια τοῦ Προέδρου John F. Kennedy, κατὰ τὴν διακήρυξη τοῦ ἔτους 1963 γιὰ τὴν ἡμέρα τῶν Εὐχαριστιῶν, εἶναι πράγματι ἀκριβή: Πρὶν ἀπὸ τρεῖς αἰῶνες, οἱ πατέρες μας στὴ Virginia καὶ στὴ Μασσαχουσέτη, μακριὰ ἀπὸ τὴν πατρίδα τους, στὴ μοναξιὰ τῆς ἐρημιᾶς, ἀφιέρωσαν κάποιο χρόνο γιὰ εὐχαριστία. Κατὰ τὴν ἡμέρα αὐτὴ εὐχαρίστησαν θερμὰ τὸ Θεὸ γιὰ τὴν ἀσφάλεια, τὴν ὑγεία τῶν παιδιῶν τους, τὴν εὐφορία τῆς γῆς, τὴν ἀγάπη ποὺ τοὺς συνδέει μεταξύ τους καὶ τὴν πίστη ποὺ τοὺς ἑνώνει μὲ τὸ Θεό. Ἡ ἐθνική μας αὐτὴ ἑορτὴ εἶναι συνυφασμένη μὲ τὶς οἰκογενειακὲς συγκεντρώσεις ποὺ πραγματοποιοῦμε γιὰ τὸ δεῖπνο τῶν εὐχαριστιῶν, ἀλλὰ αὐτὴ ἡ χρονιὰ τῆς πανδημίας εἶναι διαφορετικὴ ἀπὸ τὶς ἄλλες. Οἱ οἰκογενειακὲς συγκεντρώσεις εἶναι ἀμφίβολες λόγῳ τῆς ἀνάγκης νὰ προστατέψουμε τὴν ὑγεία τῶν ἀνθρώπων ποὺ ἀγαπᾶμε. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ ἀφθονία γιὰ πολλοὺς ἀπὸ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς μας δὲν εἶναι αὐτονόητη, λόγῳ τῆς οἰκονομικῆς ἀνασφάλειας ποὺ προκάλεσε ἡ πανδημία.

Γιὰ τὸ λόγο αὐτὸ σᾶς καλῶ γιὰ μία προσφορὰ εὐχαριστίας, κατὰ τὴ δύναμή τοῦ καθενός, μέσα στὶς κοινότητές σας, μὲ γενναιοδωρία, πρὸς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ποὺ εἶναι λιγότερο προνομιοῦχοι ἀπὸ ἐμᾶς. Ἂς μοιραστοῦμε μὲ τοὺς ἄλλους κάποιες ἀπὸ τὶς εὐλογίες ποὺ μᾶς δίνει ἄφθονα ὁ Θεός, κατὰ τὸ παράδειγμά του, «ὅτι τὸν ἥλιον αὐτοῦ ἀνατέλλει ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς καὶ βρέχει ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους» (Ματθ. 5:45). Νὰ δεχθοῦμε τὴν εὐημερία καὶ τὴν ἀφθονία στὴ ζωή μας ὄχι μόνο ὡς ἀποτελέσμα τῆς σκληρῆς ἐργασίας μας καὶ ἄλλων εὐτυχῶν συγκυριῶν, ἀλλὰ κυρίως ὡς τὸν μοναδικὸ ἀνεκτίμητο θησαυρὸ τῶν δωρεῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ στὴ ζωή μας καὶ ὡς εὐκαιρία προσφορᾶς στὸ συνάνθρωπό μας, ἐνθυμούμενοι τὰ λόγια τοῦ Κυρίου: «δωρεὰν ἐλάβετε, δωρεὰν δότε» (Ματθ. 10:8).

Καὶ ἂν αὐτὴ τὴ χρονιὰ δὲ μπορέσουμε νὰ γιορτάσουμε τὴν ἑορτὴ τῶν Εὐχαριστιῶν μαζὶ μὲ ἀγαπημένα πρόσωπα τῆς οἰκογένειάς μας, ἄς κρατήσουμε αὐτὸ τὸ χῶρο ἀνοιχτὸ στὴν καρδιά μας γιὰ ὅλους τοὺς ἀνθρώπους. Ὁ κόσμος γύρω μας ἔχει ἀνάγκη νὰ νιώσει αὐτὴ τὴν ἀγάπη καὶ τὴν ἀποδοχὴ τοῦ ἄλλου, ὅποιος καὶ νὰ εἶναι αὐτός, σὰν ἕνα πρῶτο βῆμα.

Σὲ κάθε Θεία Λειτουργία, εὐχαριστοῦμε καὶ δοξολογοῦμε τὸ Θεό, ὅμως ἐλᾶτε νὰ δείξουμε ἔμπρακτα αὐτὴ τὴν εὐχαριστία με ἀγάπη καὶ γενναιοδωρία πρὸς τοὺς συνανθρώπους μας. Εὐχαριστήσωμεν τῷ Κυρίῳ!

Μετὰ πατρικῶν εὐχῶν καὶ τῆς ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀγάπης,

† ὁ Ἀμερικῆς Ἐλπιδοφόρος

 Orthodox Observer