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KOINWNIA GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE HOLY RESURRECTION 1400 Cedar Swamp Road • Brookville, New York 11545 • Phone 516-671-5200 www.resurrectiongoc.org AUGUST 2011
VOLUME 31
NUMBER 3
Making Good out of Evil b) The interview on Primetime of Jaycee Dugard, the young lady who was found 18 years after her kidnapper had abducted her, rapped her and impregnated her twice: c) The release from prison of Casey Anthony, the mother, who reportedly killed her nearly three year old daughter, Caylee Anthony. Events such as these thrust us into spiritual crisis mode, forcing us to make sense out of some-
thing so irrational, so wrong. We are confronted with the presence of evil and we rely on the Church to guide us through this struggle. The first two weeks of July Generally speaking, evil is that 2011 have been both emotionally which ought not to be, which charged and heart-wrenchingly ought not to exist or if it does difficult to process. In the span of exist, it should not continue to do two weeks, national media has so. It is the teaching of the focused on: Church that what God created, a) The brutal and senseless He created good, since nothing murder of Leiby Kletzky, the 8 evil can come from the good year old boy from Brooklyn who God. God is not the author of was abducted and ultimately disevil. Insofar as everything was membered; created by God, evil was not created by Our Parish to Celebrate 35 Years this October with Gala Concert Featuring God at the outset, Top Greek Singers and Honoring Hellenic Times Scholarship Fund nor does it exist within Him, nor is it Mark Your Calendar on Oct. 8, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. some kind of October promises to be a "kefi" Vandoros by calling 516-652-4210. essence. Rather it is filled month of philanthropy and cel- These will not be sold by outside venby necessity characebration! The Fall is the time that we dors. General admission tickets are terized as meonic, come together and celebrate all our already on sale and can be purchased which men, instiaccomplishments as a parish by at- through Ticketmaster.com and at the gated by the devil, tending our annual dinner dance. This Tilles Center Box Office. Tickets are “began to conceive year marks our 35th as a Parish fam- available at $125, $100 and at $75. of themselves, havily and we have planned a birthday Lisa DiPinto has worked for ing lost the vision bash fit for Hollywood!! Join us as months coordinating this effort with of the good” (St. we honor and pay tribute to the Hel- the entertainers. It has been a HerAthanasios.) lenic Times Scholarship Fund whose culean task! But such dreams can St. John of Damfounders, John and Margo Catsima- only become reality with a great team ascus defines the tidis and Nick Katsoris, celebrate effort! Join the Kefi Express along essence of evil this their own anniversary as well: 20 with Kathy Costas, Nickie Demos, years of helping our youth realize John Koufakis, Stella Hetzer, Zefy their dreams!! Christopoulos, Spyro Poulos, John On October 8, 2011 our Parish is Panagopoulos, Anne Vandoros and holding a Gala Concert at the Tilles Peter Pappas ...clap your hands and Center featuring multi-platinum dance in the aisles!! It is going to be Greek recording artist Thanos Petrelis a great star studded affair with and YouTube sensation SoTiri! There celebrity surprises! So--don't miss out will be a pre-performance cocktail on the fun! party, open bar and an after party with Tell your friends and bring your live music. All this and the best seats koumbari and let's dance the night in the House for just $300!!! Don't away! Don't miss this exciting wait too long as there are a limited evening of Greek song and music that number of tickets at this price. Pur- will support our Parish. A portion of chase limited edition tickets that in- the proceeds will be donated to the clude the cocktail and after parties Hellenic Times Scholarship Fund. from either Kathy Costas or Anne by Father John Vlahos
way: “Virtue was given by God to nature and He is the beginning and cause of every good,” but “evil is nothing other than the withdrawal for the good, just as darkness is the withdrawal for the light,” or in other terms, “it is not in man’s nature to sin, but rather, in his choice.” A question then arises. Since evil does not have its source in God, nor does it have its source in human existence, where does it come from? The traditional answer is that the source of evil is the Devil, the first and chief fallen angel and those angels who followed him. The Devil is presented as the first creature who rebelled in pride against God. Thus St. Gregory of Nyssa refers to the Devil as the “inventor of evil” (kakias euretinI). But more philosophically, the source of evil is not primarily the Angel gone bad, but the misuse of the freedom given to the Angel. That misuse originated in the desire to rule which was not quashed but fanned so that it led to rebellion. The source of evil, then, in both men and angels is the misuse of our freedom, an improper use of (Continued on page 5)