SAINT JAMES ORTHODOX w CHURCH

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1 SAINT JAMES ORTHODOX w CHURCH 195 N. Main Street Milpitas, Ca Sundays Matins 8:00 a.m. Sundays Liturgy 10:30 a.m. The Very Reverend Fr. Jiris Hanna (408) Fr. Dcn. Joseph Kawar (408) Issue No. 672 Sunday December 25 (12/12), th Sunday after Pentecost Sunday of the Holy Fathers St. Spyridon the Wonderworker, of Tremithus (348) األحد السابع والعشرون بعد العنصرة احد األجداد القديسين تذكار ابينا البار القديس الجليل اسبيريدونس اسقف تريميثوس العجائبي Matins (Eothina V): Luke 24:12 35 Epistle: Ephesians 5:8 19 Gospel: Luke 14:16 24 Services This Week Monday 12/19 at 10am St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, archbishop of Myra in Lycia (345) Thursday 12/22 at 10am The Conception by St. Anna of the Most Holy Theotokos Friday 12/23 at 10am Martyr Menas of Alexandria The Christmas Traps It seems that we all have a tendency to build up to Christmas as a climax anticipating the feast with all sorts of observances and celebrations and then, as soon as the day is past, forget all about it. At this time of the year, we should consider the importance of reordering our priorities of putting first things first, Godly things above earthly consideration. Most of us fall into several traps as we approach the celebration of this feast day and the Lord knows that Satan lays many snares for us, intellectual, emotional, sensual, anything by which he might trap us and make us a part of his kingdom instead of the Kingdom of God. Satan, at this time of the year, succeeds a great deal more than he ought to and he succeeds because he has been able to convince us that we should give priority to less important things and put the most important things of spiritual value somewhere down the list in our evaluation of what is important and what is not. For example, when we put secular consideration before worship we fall into a Christmas trap. When the giving of gifts over the

2 giving of ourselves in repentance and recommitment to God is more important, we have fallen into a Christmas trap. When we place secular observances over the receiving of the Body and Blood of Christ, over confession and spiritual preparation for the observance of the Birth of Christ we have fallen into a Christmas trap. Using Christmas Eve as an excuse to have a party for the family rather than as an opportunity for the family to worship together at the Divine Liturgy then we have fallen into a Christmas trap. When on Christmas Day itself we emphasize feasting and celebrating without offering sincere thanks to God for His bounties we have fallen into a Christmas trap. When we enter into the season of the Nativity of Christ still bearing grudges and retaining hard feelings against others rather than forgiving them in the spirit of the forgiving God who was incarnate for us at this time we have fallen into a Christmas trap. The many snares that Satan lays for us now are even greater than those that he normally lays for us throughout the year and it is necessary that we be aware of those snares. He encourages us to make Christmas merely a secular rather than a spiritual feast in order to lure us away from Christ. Oh well, we're still observing Christmas but what is Christmas without a conscious awareness of the reason and the meaning of the feast? He causes us to become so busy that we have no time to consider enhancing our spirituality... busy... busy... busy! Satan helps us to work so hard at our jobs, at coming to get the house ready for the celebration of the feast, at buying gifts and at doing all of the little important yet mundane things that our society requires of us that we have no desire to put out the extra effort needed to grow in the Word of God. Even we who are the faithful fall short of the glory of God. While the Lord may not condemn secular observances, He may not condemn the idea that we still retain a fantasy of Santa Claus and that we buy gifts for our children and exchange gifts with one another and that we spend a lot of time shopping and preparing for a jovial feast day celebration, He may not object to any of these things. What He objects to, is when we allow these things to minimize or totally diminish our dedication to Him and to the principles that He has set forth for us in His life. Why was Jesus born in the first place? Was it not in order that the world might be saved through Him? Was it not in order that some thirty years later He might preach to us the Gospel of Peace, the Gospel of Repentance, the Gospel of Forgiveness, the Gospel of Salvation, the Gospel of Reconciliation with God? Surely Christ was not born merely to give us an excuse to have another holiday celebration. Surely He was not born in the humble way in which He came into this world in order that we might feast royally and forget why He was born in the first place! We need to be keenly aware that we are ultimately destroying any possibility that we might have of union with Christ so long as we allow ourselves to forget about Christ at these most important times of the year and allow ourselves to be seduced into falling into the many Christmas traps that Satan lays for us. Beware, for we know not the hour or the day in which the Lord shall come and require of us a full accounting of our stewardship. When we talk about stewardship we're not only talking about our worldly possessions and our money, we are talking about the stewardship of our lives. How have we taken care of our lives and what priorities have we established and maintained by which our lives may be ordered. If our first priority is Christ and our commitment to Him then all these things will be added unto us but if our priorities are disorganized and we put shopping and gift giving and feasting before our commitment to Him then Christmas has no meaning whatsoever. It's just another pagan feast day among the many pagan feasts that we observe Sunday 12/25 (12/12) St. Spyridon the Wonderworker Wounded by the love of Christ, all-holy one, your mind was given wings through the light of the Spirit, you found work in active contemplation, Godpleasing Spyridon, becoming a divine sacrifice, and imploring divine illumination for all. ايها الكلي الشرف لما جرحت بمحبة المسيح مرتقيا بعقلك نحو شعاع الروح. وجدت العمل ايها المعتصم باهلل بالنظر العقلي صائرا مذبحا الهيا مستمدا للجميع األنارة األلهية.

3 The Conception by Righteous Anna of the Most Holy Mother of God Thursday 12/22 (12/9) St Anna, the mother of the Virgin Mary, was the youngest daughter of the priest Nathan from Bethlehem, descended from the tribe of Levi. She married St Joachim, who was a native of Galilee. For a long time St Anna was childless, but after twenty years, through the fervent prayer of both spouses, an angel of the Lord announced to them that they would be the parents of a daughter, Who would bring blessings to the whole human race. The Orthodox Church does not accept the teaching that the Mother of God was exempted from the consequences of ancestral sin (death, corruption, sin, etc.) at the moment of her conception by virtue of the future merits of Her Son. Only Christ was born perfectly holy and sinless, as St Ambrose of Milan teaches in Chapter Two of his Commentary on Luke. The Holy Virgin was like everyone else in Her mortality, and in being subject to temptation, although She committed no personal sins. She was not a deified creature removed from the rest of humanity. If this were the case, She would not have been truly human, and the nature that Christ took from Her would not have been truly human either. If Christ does not truly share our human nature, then the possibility of our salvation is in doubt. The Conception of the Virgin Mary by St Anna took place at Jerusalem. The many icons depicting the Conception by St Anna show the Most Holy Theotokos trampling the serpent underfoot. "In the icon Sts Joachim and Anna are usually depicted with hands folded in prayer; their eyes are also directed upward and they contemplate the Mother of God, Who stands in the air with outstretched hands; under Her feet is an orb encircled by a serpent (symbolizing the devil), which strives to conquer all the universe by its power." There are also icons in which St Anna holds the Most Holy Virgin on her left arm as an infant. On St Anna's face is a look of reverence. عيد حبل القديسة حنة بمريم والدة اإلله الصورة المتداولة في التراث الكنسي عن يواكيم وحنة أنهما كانا زوجين تقيين مباركين سالكين بمخافة هللا. ولكن لم يكن لهما ولد ألن حنة كانت عاقرا. هذا النقص في حياة يواكيم وحنة كان لهما سبب حزن وضيق ليس فقط ألنه من المفترض أن يتكم ل الزواج باإلنجاب بل كذلك ألن العقم في تلك األيام كان الناس يعتبرونه عارا وفي نظر الكثيرين من اليهود لعنة أو تخليا من هللا. لهذا كان هذان الزوجان الفاضالن ال يكف ان عن الصالة بحرارة إلى الرب اإلله ليفتح رحم حنة ويمن عليهما بثمرة البطن.ولكن لم يشأ الرب اإلله أن يلبي رغبة قلبيهما حتى جاوزت حنة سن اإلنجاب. لم يكن هذا إعراضا من هللا عنهما بل تدبيرا ألن قصده كما ظهر فيما بعد كان أن يعطيهما ويعطي البشرية من خاللهما أعظم عطية ولكي ال يشك أحد في أن ما حدث هو من هللا ترك حنة تتجاوز سن اإلنجاب. استمر يواكيم وحنة في الصالة إلى العلي حتى بعد فوات األوان على حنة. وكان هذا تعبيرا عن ثقتهما الكاملة باهلل أنه قادر على كل شيء.فلما حان زمان افتقاد يواكيم وحنة أرسل الرب اإلله مالكه إلى حنة وبش رها بأن صالتها وصالة زوجها قد استجيبت وأن العلي سوف ينعم عليهما بمولود يكون بركة عظيمة لكل المسكونة. وآمن يواكيم وحنة بكالم المالك. وحبلت حنة وأنجبت في زمن الوالدة مولودا أنثى مريم المباركة والدة اإلله. فبشفاعة والدتك الفائقة القداسة وقديس يك يواكيم وحنة أيها الرب يسوع المسيح إلهنا ارحمنا وخلصنا. آمين.

4 St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Monday 12/19 (12/ 6) by Metropolitan Augoustinos Kantiotis of Florina "Some say: At that time! You make us crazy with this. We constantly hear at that time, at that time, at that time [a miracle occurred]. These are not correct, however. It was not only back then that miracles occurred. The power of Christ remains inexhaustible; yesterday and today and tomorrow, and until the close of the age, until the setting of the sun and the rivers cease to flow and the stars cease to shine in the heavens, the power of Christ and of His Saints will work wonders. Do you want an example? From I was in Kozani, the capital of Western Macedonia. Those were terrible days for our nation. The rebels seized over 300 people from Kozani, innocent people, and they locked them in prison in Kozani, where they were awaiting their fate. There was great agony throughout the city. The morning of December 6th was the day on which Kozani celebrates St. Nicholas as their patron in their beautiful and historic church of St. Nicholas, Kozani. It was a feast day therefore in Kozani, but the Christians however were so saddened and worried, that that day tears were running from their eyes. Then I was a preacher of the city, and so I ascended the ambo [the elevated walkway in front of the Iconostasis], and moved by sacred emotion, I said the following few words: Today St. Nicholas of Kozani celebrates. Today St. Nicholas is in mourning and weeps, for innocent men are in the prisons. As those glorious soldiers were in the prisons and were saved by Nicholas, thus today also, in the prison of Kozani there are these innocent men. Continuing, in danger of my life, I called out dramatically to the rebels, towards the Captain Marko Vafeiadi, who ruled the region during that time and was an untamed terror. I told them: In the name of the Nazarene, in the name of the righteous one, in the name of humanity, you must, on this holy day of St. Nicholas, free these innocent men. Thus I spoke. And though I was addressing hard hearts, through these the Saint appeased the most relentless characters. As the sun melts wax, thus his intervention melted the hearts of those men. The same evening, before the sun set, the 300 people of Kozani were freed and on the streets of Kozani! And no wonder why the miracle with the three soldiers is especially moving. He saved the three soldiers when he was in Lycia bodily, he saved the three in Constantinople when he was in heaven, and he saved 300 people of Kozani in our days. You revealed yourself, O saint, in Myra as a priest, For you fulfilled the Gospel of Christ By giving up your soul for your people, And saving the innocent from death. Therefore you are blessed as one become wise in the grace of God. قد ظهرت كاهنا في ميرا ايها القديس. ألنك لما اتممت انجيل المسيح ايها البار وضعت نفسك عن شعبك. وخلصت االبرياء من الموت. فلذلك تقدست بما انك مسار عظيم لنعمة هللا.

5 December 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 7:30pm Bible Study The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple pm St. Catherine of Alexandria 8 7:30 pm Board of Trustees Meeting Family Giving Tree Deadline am St. Andrew the First Called :30pm Bible Study 16 7pm St. Barbara St. Sabbas the Sanctified Christmas Bake Sale Visit by Santa Claus 19 10am St. Nicholas the Wonderworker am The Conception by St. Anna of the Most Holy Theotokos 23 10am St. Menas of Alexandria St. Spyridon the Wonderworker

6 Are you up-to-date with your 2016 pledge? It is almost end of 2016! Time flies, and with the busy Christmas season we tend to forget our dues to our church. If your 2016 pledge is falling behind, this is the time to make it up-to-date and get tax breaks Please talk to the treasurer Samer Aboujudom for any questions about your pledges. Confessions Thank You! A BIG Thank You to the Asfour family for providing all the nice gifts for Santa who visited the church and greeted the kids on Sunday. May God bless you all. ing November 28 January 6 Fish, Wine, and Oil allowed on all Saturdays and Sundays Wine and Oil allowed on all Tuesdays and Thursdays Strict Fast (No Oil or Wine Allowed) on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays Fathers Giris is available for pre-nativity Confessions. As essential preparation of our hearts, minds, and souls for the beloved feast of Christ s mystical Birth, we fulfill our duty to confess at least four times a year during the seasonal fasts of Nativity, Pascha, Apostles, and the Dormition. The therapeutic reality of Confession is the more often the better. Let s clean out the stall of our crowded hearts that there may be room to receive Christ. Fasting is more relaxed on certain days with major feasts. Will be announced every week. Fish is allowed this Monday 12/19 & Thursday 12/22 Please talk to the priest if you cannot fast for health reasons or for other reasons. Have a Blessed Fast! TEMPTATIONS Do not despair when you experience severe trials: these are necessary for instruction in the spiritual life. Strive to find blame in yourself, but do not blame any of your neighbors. - St. Macarius Happy Birthdays Tamer Ajrab 12/19 Samiha Samawi 12/20 Anestasia Khoury 12/21 Ebba Khoury 12/21 Marcella Khoury 12/21 Rafi Sarsam 12/22 Majdi Aboujudom 12/23 Sylvia Michael 12/24 عقبال المئة سنة!!! sjoc@earthlink.net for your bulletin personal announcements, comments, or feedback Board of Trustees Nominations Nominations for 2017 Board of Trustees have started. If you are interested in joining the church board in 2017 please talk to Nomination Committee members: George Swaiss, Samer Aboujudom, Georgette Isied, or Ghada Khoury before January 5 th The board will evaluate each candidate per the church by-laws. Thank you in advance for your help and support to your church.

7 St. Spyridon the Wonderworker and Bishop of Tremithus Sunday 12/25 (12/12) Saint Spyridon of Tremithus was born towards the end of the third century on the island of Cyprus. He was a shepherd, and had a wife and children. He used all his substance for the needs of his neighbors and the homeless, for which the Lord rewarded him with a gift of wonderworking. He healed those who were incurably sick, and cast out demons. After the death of his wife, during the reign of Constantine the Great ( ), he was made Bishop of Tremithus, Cyprus. As a bishop, the saint did not alter his manner of life, but combined pastoral service with deeds of charity. According to the witness of Church historians, St Spyridon participated in the sessions of the First Ecumenical Council in the year 325. At the Council, the saint entered into a dispute with a Greek philosopher who was defending the Arian heresy. The power of St Spyridon s plain, direct speech showed everyone the importance of human wisdom before God s Wisdom: Listen, philosopher, to what I tell you. There is one God Who created man from dust. He has ordered all things, both visible and invisible, by His Word and His Spirit. The Word is the Son of God, Who came down upon the earth on account of our sins. He was born of a Virgin, He lived among men, and suffered and died for our salvation, and then He arose from the dead, and He has resurrected the human race with Him. We believe that He is one in essence (consubstantial) with the Father, and equal to Him in authority and honor. We believe this without any sly rationalizations, for it is impossible to grasp this mystery by human reason. As a result of their discussion, the opponent of Christianity became the saint s zealous defender and later received holy Baptism. After his conversation with St Spyridon, the philosopher turned to his companions and said, Listen! Until now my rivals have presented their arguments, and I was able to refute their proofs with other proofs. But instead of proofs from reason, the words of this Elder are filled with some sort of special power, and no one can refute them, since it is impossible for man to oppose God. If any of you thinks as I do now, let him believe in Christ and join me in following this man, for God Himself speaks through his lips. At this Council, St Spyridon displayed the unity of the Holy Trinity in a remarkable way. He took a brick in his hand and squeezed it. At that instant fire shot up from it, water dripped on the ground, and only dust remained in the hands of the wonderworker. There was only one brick, St Spyridon said, but it was composed of three elements. In the Holy Trinity there are three Persons, but only one God. The saint cared for his flock with great love. Through his prayer, drought was replaced by abundant rains, and incessant rains were replaced by fair weather. Through his prayers the sick were healed and demons cast out. A woman once came up to him with a dead child in her arms, imploring the intercession of the saint. He prayed, and the infant was restored to life. The mother, overcome with joy, collapsed lifeless. Through the prayer of the saint of God the mother was restored to life. Another time, hastening to save his friend, who had been falsely accused and sentenced to death, the saint was hindered on his way by the unanticipated flooding of a stream. The saint commanded the water: Halt! For the Lord

8 of all the world commands that you permit me to cross so that a man may be saved. The will of the saint was fulfilled, and he crossed over happily to the other shore. The judge, apprised of the miracle that had occurred, received St Spyridon with esteem and set his friend free. Similar instances are known from the life of the saint. Once, he went into an empty church, and ordered that the lampadas and candles be lit, and then he began the service. When he said, Peace be unto all, both he and the deacon heard from above the resounding of a great multitude of voices saying, And with thy spirit. This choir was majestic and more sweetly melodious than any human choir. To each petition of the litanies, the invisible choir sang, Lord, have mercy. Attracted by the church singing, the people who lived nearby hastened towards it. As they got closer and closer to the church, the wondrous singing filled their ears and gladdened their hearts. But when they entered into the church, they saw no one but the bishop and several church servers, and they no longer heard the singing which had greatly astonished them. St Simeon Metaphrastes, the author of his Life, likened St Spyridon to the Patriarch Abraham in his hospitality. Sozomen, in his CHURCH HISTORY, offers an amazing example from the life of the saint of how he received strangers. One time, at the start of the Forty-day Fast, a stranger knocked at his door. Seeing that the traveler was very exhausted, St Spyridon said to his daughter, Wash the feet of this man, so he may recline to dine. But since it was Lent there were none of the necessary provisions, for the saint partook of food only on certain days, and on other days he went without food. His daughter replied that there was no bread or flour in the house. Then St Spyridon, apologizing to his guest, ordered his daughter to cook a salted ham from their larder. After seating the stranger at table, he began to eat, urging that man to do the same. When the latter refused, calling himself a Christian, the saint rejoined, It is not proper to refuse this, for the Word of God proclaims, Unto the pure all things are pure (Titus 1:15). Another historical detail reported by Sozomen, was characteristic of the saint. It was his custom to distribute one part of the gathered harvest to the destitute, and another portion to those having need while in debt. He did not take a portion for himself, but simply showed them the entrance to his store room, where each could take as much as was needed, and could later pay it back in the same way, without records or accountings. There is also the tale by Socrates Scholasticus about how robbers planned to steal the sheep of St Spyridon. They broke into the sheepfold at night, but here they found themselves all tied up by some invisible power. When morning came the saint went to his flock, and seeing the tied-up robbers, he prayed and released them. For a long while he advised them to leave their path of iniquity and earn their livelihood by respectable work. Then he made them a gift of a sheep and sending them off, the saint said kindly, Take this for your trouble, so that you did not spend a sleepless night in vain. All the Lives of the saint speak of the amazing simplicity and the gift of wonderworking granted him by God. Through a word of the saint the dead were awakened, the elements of nature tamed, the idols smashed. At one point, a Council had been convened at Alexandria by the Patriarch to discuss what to do about the idols and pagan temples there. Through the prayers of the Fathers of the Council all the idols fell down except one, which was very much revered. It was revealed to the Patriarch in a vision that this idol had to be shattered by St Spyridon of Tremithus. Invited by the Council, the saint set sail on a ship, and at the moment the ship touched shore and the saint stepped out on land, the idol in Alexandria with all its offerings turned to dust, which then was reported to the Patriarch and all the bishops. St Spyridon lived his earthly life in righteousness and sanctity, and prayerfully surrendered his soul to the Lord. His relics repose on the island of Corfu (Kerkyra), in a church named after him (His right hand, however, is located in Rome). His memory is also celebrated on Cheesefare Saturday.

9 General Parish Meeting Sunday January 29, 2017 Immediately after liturgy in the church to present the Budget Forecast for 2017, and to present the 2017 Board of Trustees. Please do your very best to stay in the church and listen to the latest updates about the church and meet the new Board Members. Mark Your Calendar Saturday February 11 th St. James Annual Crab Feed dinner. More details coming soon! Sunday School angels watching The Promise About The Nativity movie right before Santa came in Santa made a nice visit and greeted the kids with Christmas presents. Many thanks to all the Sunday School teachers for raising up great kids and many thanks to all the parents for your love and support. Have a Merry Christmas and joyous Nativity. We were blessed to have the Clergy and Parish of the Holy Cross Romanian Orthodox church to come and chant Nativity Hymns and Christmas carols at St James Orthodox Church on Friday. Many thanks to Fr. Constantine, Fr. Florin, and Dcn. Nickolas Lapustea and their parish for their love.

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