SAINT JAMES ORTHODOX CHURCH

Transcription

1 SAINT JAMES ORTHODOX CHURCH 195 N. Main Street Milpitas, Ca Saturdays Vespers 5:00 p.m. 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. 618 Sunday November 29 (11/16), th Sunday after Pentecost Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew األحد السادس والعشرون بعد العنصرة - تذكار القديس الرسول متى األنجيلي Matins (Eothina IV): Luke 24:1 12 Epistle: I Corinthians 4:9 16 Gospel: Matthew 9:9 13 Services This Week Tuesday 11/24 at 10am Liturgy Service Celebrating the feasts of St. John Chrysostom Wednesday 11/25 at 7pm Liturgy Service In Thanksgiving to Almighty God for all the blessings and love He gives us every day. Celebrating the feasts of Holy Apostle Philip and St. Herman of Alaska. Saturday 11/28 at 5pm - Vespers Service Fr. Giris will be available for confessions after the service Beginning of Nativity Fast Saturday 11/28 November 28 January 6 بدء صوم الميالد يوم السبت 28 تشرين الثاني 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 Fasting is more relaxed on certain days with major feasts. Will be announced every week. Please talk to the priest if you cannot fast for health reasons or for other reasons. Have a Blessed Fast!

2 Saints Feasts This Week Thursday November 26 (11/13) St. John Chrysostom, archbishop of Constantinople Having received divine grace from heaven, with your mouth you teach all men to worship the Triune God. All-blest and venerable John Chrysostom, we worthily praise you, for you are our teacher, revealing things divine! يا يوحنا الذهبي الفم البار الكلي الغبطة. قد نلت النعمة األلهية من السماء وعلمتنا بشفتيك ان نسجد جميعا ألله واحد بثالثة اقانيم. لذلك نمدحك بحسب الواجب بما انك التزال معلما موضحا لأللهيات Friday November 27 (11/14) Holy and All-praised Apostle Philip Fish, Wine and Oil Allowed Your disciple, friend and imitator of Your passion, the Godpreaching Philip, proclaimed You to the universe! By his prayers deliver Your Church from her enemies; through the Theotokos protect every city, most merciful Christ! ايها الجزيل الرحمة ان فيلبس الالهج باهلل تلميذك وصفيك ومماثلك باالالم قد كرز بك في المسكونة انك اله. فبتوسالته وألجل والدة األله صن كنيستك من األعداء الملحدين Saturday November 28 (11/15) Repose of St. Herman, Wonderworker of Alaska Fish, Wine and Oil Allowed The eternal light of Christ our Savior, Guided you, O blessed father Herman, On your evangelical journey to America, Proclaiming the Gospel of peace. Now you stand before the throne of Glory; Intercede for your land and its people Peace for the world and salvation for our souls!

3 Apostle and Evangelist Matthew Sunday 11/29 (11/16) The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew, was also named Levi (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27); he was one of the Twelve Apostles, and was brother of the Apostle James Alphaeus. He was a publican, or tax-collector for Rome, in a time when the Jews were under the rule of the Roman Empire. He lived in the Galilean city of Capernaum. When Matthew heard the voice of Jesus Christ: "Come, follow Me" (Mt. 9:9), left everything and followed the Savior. Christ and His disciples did not refuse Matthew's invitation and they visited his house, where they shared table with the publican's friends and acquaintances. Like the host, they were also publicans and known sinners. This event disturbed the pharisees and scribes a great deal. Publicans who collected taxes from their countrymen did this with great profit for themselves. Usually greedy and cruel people, the Jews considered them pernicious betrayers of their country and religion. The word "publican" for the Jews had the connotation of "public sinner" and "idol-worshipper." To even speak with a tax-collector was considered a sin, and to associate with one was defilement. But the Jewish teachers were not able to comprehend that the Lord had "come to call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Mt. 9:13). Matthew, acknowledging his sinfulness, repaid fourfold anyone he had cheated, and he distributed his remaining possessions to the poor, and he followed after Christ with the other apostles. St Matthew was attentive to the instructions of the Divine Teacher, he beheld His innumerable miracles, he went together with the Twelve Apostles preaching to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Mt. 10:6). He was a witness to the suffering, death, and Resurrection of the Savior, and of His glorious Ascension into Heaven. Having received the grace of the Holy Spirit, which descended upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost, St Matthew preached in Palestine for several years. At the request of the Jewish converts at Jerusalem, the holy Apostle Matthew wrote his Gospel describing the earthly life of the Savior, before leaving to preach the Gospel in faraway lands. In the order of the books of the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew comes first. Palestine is said to be the place where the Gospel was written. St Matthew wrote in Aramaic, and then it was translated into Greek. The Aramaic text has not survived, but many of the linguistic and cultural-historical peculiarities of the Greek translation give indications of it. The Apostle Matthew preached among people who were awaiting the Messiah. His Gospel manifests itself as a vivid proof that Jesus Christ is the Messiah foretold by the prophets, and that there would not be another (Mt. 11:3). The preaching and deeds of the Savior are presented by the evangelist in three divisions, constituting three aspects of the service of the Messiah: as Prophet and Law-Giver (Ch. 5-7), Lord over the world both visible and invisible (Ch. 8-25), and finally as High Priest offered as Sacrifice for the sins of all mankind (Ch ). The theological content of the Gospel, besides the Christological themes, includes also the teaching about the Kingdom of God and about the Church, which the Lord sets forth in parables about the inner preparation for entering into the Kingdom (Ch. 5-7), about the worthiness of servers of the Church in the world (Ch ), about the signs of the Kingdom and its growth in the souls of mankind (Ch. 13), about the humility and simplicity of the inheritors of the Kingdom (Mt. 18:1-35; ; 20:1-16; 25-27; 23:1-28), and about the eschatological revelations of the Kingdom in the Second Coming of Christ within the daily spiritual life of the Church (Ch ).

4 The holy Apostle brought the Gospel of Christ to Syria, Media, Persia, Parthia, and finishing his preaching in Ethiopia with a martyr's death. This land was inhabited by tribes of cannibals with primitive customs and beliefs. The holy Apostle Matthew converted some of the idol-worshippers to faith in Christ. He founded the Church and built a temple in the city of Mirmena, establishing there his companion Platon as bishop. When the holy apostle was fervently entreating God for the conversion of the Ethiopians the Lord Himself appeared to him in the form of a youth. He gave him a staff, and commanded him to plant it at the doors of the church. The Lord said that a tree would grow from this staff and it would bear fruit, and from its roots would flow a stream of water. When the Ethiopians washed themselves in the water and ate the fruit, they lost their wild ways and became gentle and good. When the holy apostle carried the staff towards the church, he was met by the wife and son of the ruler of the land, Fulvian, who were afflicted by unclean spirits. In the Name of Christ the holy apostle healed them. This miracle converted a number of the pagans to the Lord. But the ruler did not want his subjects to become Christians and cease worshiping the pagan gods. He accused the apostle of sorcery and gave orders to execute him. They put St Matthew head downwards, piled up brushwood and ignited it. When the fire flared up, everyone then saw that the fire did not harm St Matthew. Then Fulvian gave orders to add more wood to the fire, and frenzied with boldness, he commanded to set up twelve idols around the fire. But the flames melted the idols and flared up toward Fulvian. The frightened Ethiopian turned to the saint with an entreaty for mercy, and by the prayer of the martyr the flame went out. The body of the holy apostle remained unharmed, and he departed to the Lord. The ruler Fulvian deeply repented of his deed, but still he had doubts. By his command, they put the body of St Matthew into an iron coffin and threw it into the sea. In doing this Fulvian said that if the God of Matthew would preserve the body of the apostle in the water as He preserved him in the fire, then this would be proper reason to worship this One True God. That night the Apostle Matthew appeared to Bishop Platon in a dream, and commanded him to go with clergy to the shore of the sea and to find his body there. The righteous Fulvian and his retinue went with the bishop to the shore of the sea. The coffin carried by the waves was taken to the church built by the apostle. Then Fulvian begged forgiveness of the holy Apostle Matthew, after which Bishop Platon baptized him, giving him the name Matthew in obedience to a command of God. Soon St Fulvian-Matthew abdicated his rule and became a presbyter. Upon the death of Bishop Platon, the Apostle Matthew appeared to him and exhorted him to head the Ethiopian Church. Having become a bishop, St Fulvian-Matthew toiled at preaching the Word of God, continuing the work of his heavenly patron To Eternal Life The Parish of St. James Orthodox Church is deeply saddened and extends its deepest condolence to all the Khoury and Kfouf families in the US and Jordan for the passing into eternal life of the servant of God, our brother in Christ Father Deacon Basilios Ghanim Khoury Who passed away in Los Angeles on Saturday 11/21. Services will be announced as they become available. May his memory be eternal.

5 A SPIRITUAL FATHER Why is it necessary to have a spiritual father? In order that you may make your journey and not get lost and may be able to reach the heavenly kingdom. For this, it is necessary, chiefly, to perform in deed the instructions, advice, and directions of the spiritual father, and to piously conduct one s life. There were examples where some were able to visit their elder often, and others continually sat next to their elder, unceasingly heard his instructions, and even lived with him, and yet they remained without fruit. While others had rare opportunity to visit their elder and were granted brief instruction, but they prospered. So in order not to remain fruitless, it is not essential to visit one s spiritual father often, but rather to fulfill his instructions. - St. Nikon Fasting Lunch This Sunday November 29 will be provided by Issa & Nisreen Saydawi and Ffamily Thank you and God bless you. Are you up-to-date with your 2015 pledge? It is almost end of 2015! Time flies, and being busy with so many other things, we tend to forget our dues to our church. If your 2015 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. Scrip For Your Christmas Shopping *** Food for the Soul *** For The Youth Group Every 1 st & 3 rd Thursday of the month at 7pm Next Session Thursday 12/4 at 7pm Please come for some food for the soul. Fr. Moen would like to have all the youth come for this Bible Study. sjoc@earthlink.net for your bulletin personal announcements, comments, or feedback. Using Scrip gift cards is a great way to benefit your church without spending an extra dollar! It is a very convenient way too for your Christmas shopping. Please stop by the Scrip table on Sundays, or call Lilian (408) to see how you can help. Complete list of Scrip vendors is attached within this bulletin . Happy Birthdays Sabrina Nijmeh 11/23 Raed Al Twal 11/23 Amanda Khoury 11/24 Steve Zeidan 11/25 Tamy Shatara 11/25 Heba Khoury 11/28 Sammy Khadder 11/28 Mousa Jasser 11/28 Maia Tamanakis 11/28 Tawfiq Asfour 11/29 Natalie Mansour 11/29 Crystal Seoud 11/29 عقبال المئة سنة!!!

6 St. James Upcoming Events Nativity Fasting Begins This Saturday 11/28/ Project Mexico & St. Innocent Orthodox Orphanage Sponsoring an orphan for Christmas St. James Orthodox Church is sponsoring Irwin an orphan from Mexico to our St. James family with his Christmas list of basic needs. Please see Irwin s wish list in this bulletin. Please call Heba Khoury (714) for questions or information. More details coming soon. Deadline - Sunday 11/29/ Sunday School Kids Christmas Show St. James Sunday School kids will wish you a Merry Christmas when performing a beautiful show and Christmas chanting. Sunday 12/20/ Nativity Potluck Dinner In celebration of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Wednesday 1/6/14 صالة إلى والدة اإلله الفائقة القداسة تأليف القديس ذيمتريوس متروبوليت روستوف والتي كان يقولها كل يوم أيتها العذراء الفائقة القداسة والدة اإلله ظللي وأحفظي عبدك من كل شرور النفس والجسد ومن كل عدو منظور وغير منظور... افرحي يا مريم الممتلئة نعمة. الرب معك. مباركة أنت في النساء ومباركة هي ثمرة بطنك ألنك ولدت مخلص نفوسنا. افرحي وابتهجي يا والدة اإلله العذراء وتشف عي من أجل عبدك. يا سيدة المالئكة وأم المسيحيين ساعديني أنا عبدك. يا مريم البريئة من العيوب افرحي يا عروسا ال عروس لها. افرحي يا فرح المحزونين وتعزية الحزانى. افرحي يا غذاء الجياع وميناء المع ذ بين. افرحي يا أقدس من كل القديسين وأكرم من كل الخالئق. افرحي يا بالطا مبهجا للمسيح اإلله ملك الكل افرحي يا أم األيتام وعكاز العميان افرحي يا فخر المسيحيين ومساعدة مستعدة للذين يدعونك. أيتها الفائقة القداسة سيدتي احفظيني تحت سترك. ألني استودع روحي بين يديك الكليتا الطهارة. فكوني عونا وسترا لنفسي في يوم الدينونه الرهيب وتضر عي من أجلي أنا الخاطئ ألدخل طاهرا ونقيا إلى الفردوس. يا سيدتي ال ترفضيني أنا عبدك بل أعينيني وأعطيني كل ما هو صالح لنفسي. أنقذيني من كل خطر ومكيدة وشدة ومرض وامنحيني التوبة قبل النهاية. حتى إذا خل صت بشفاعاتك وعونك ا حفظ في هذه الحياة من كل عدو منظور وغير منظور سائرا برضا في مشيئة ابنك وإلهنا المحبوب. وأما في يوم الدينونة الرهيب فنجيني من الجحيم األبدي الرهيب. حتى أسجد وأشك ر وأمج د اسمك الكلي القداسة إلى دهر الداهرين. آمين St. John رستوف Chrysostom, للقديس ذيمتريوس archbishop المبادئ الروحية of Constantinople من كتاب تعريب دير السيدة العذراء ينبوع الحياة -دبين

7 Thursday November 26 (11/13) Divine Inspiration and St. John Chrysostom Saint John Chrysostom was renowned for his explanations of the Holy Scriptures. He also interpreted the Epistles of Saint Paul, whom he admired greatly. In order to assure himself that the interpretation of the Epistles were correct, he asked God to offer him a sign. Icon depicting the Divine inspiration of St. John Chrysostom: St. Proclos his disciple witnessing St. Paul speaking into St. John's ear. At that same time, a nobleman had risen against Emperor Arcadius. The Emperor, in turn, confiscated all of the man's possessions and threatened to execute him. The nobleman became desperate and decided to ask for Saint John's assistance. When he arrived at the Patriarchate, Saint John could not offer him an audience immediately, but instructed him to return that evening. Saint John told the assistant priest, Proclos (who later succeeded Saint John as Patriarch), to show the nobleman to the Saint's room when he arrived. That evening, the nobleman returned and Proclos went to inform the Patriarch of his arrival. The door to the room was shut, so Proclos looked through the keyhole. He saw Saint John sitting at his desk writing, with a baldheaded man, slightly bent, looking over his shoulder. Seeing this, Proclos returned to the nobleman and told him that the Patriarch was in conference. Proclos returned to the Patriarch's room several times during the night, but the man was still talking with John. Thus the nobleman waited the entire night to see Saint John. Morning came and the Patriarch prepared to perform the Matin, realizing neither that the nobleman had waited all night for him, nor that Proclos had seen the vision. That morning the nobleman returned to the Patriarchate since it was of the utmost importance for him to see the Patriarch. Proclos went again to inform John of the nobleman's arrival, but again saw the same man in the Patriarch s room. John looked extremely interested in what the man was telling him. Proclos was bewildered on how the man was entering, since everyone had to come by him. The nobleman returned for the fourth time and Proclos assured him that the Patriarch was alone, for he had made certain that no one passed without his knowledge. When Proclos went to the Patriarch's room, he was shocked to find the same man still there. He returned to the nobleman and told him to go to his home for it was impossible for him to see John. That third day, the Saint had remembered the nobleman and inquired about him. Proclos told John that the man had come three times, but each time, the Patriarch was busy talking to the same man. John asked Proclos whom he had seen in the room. Proclos told him that it looked as if it were the Apostle Paul, whose icon sat on the Saint's desk. Joyously, Saint John realized that this was the sign he had asked for from God concerning his interpretations of the Apostle's epistles. Thus, Saint John wrote The Fourteen Epistles of the Apostle Paul containing the explanation of the letters. This book is one of the greatest works in the writings of the Orthodox Church. After conferring with the nobleman, the Patriarch agreed to act as mediator between the nobleman and the Emperor. Within a short time, the differences were settled and the nobleman was again granted his confiscated property. A real photograph of the Holy Skull of St. John Chrysostom, treasured by the Holy Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos. It is clear that St. John's ear is incorrupt after 1600 years by the Grace of the Holy Spirit, as a testament to the miracle related above

8 Dear Family & Friends of St. James, This year St. James Orthodox Church will be sponsoring an Orthodox orphan boy through Project Mexico & St. Innocent Orphanage located in Rosarito, Mexico. Through their Santa s Helpers program & generous donors like you, they are able to make Christmas the joyful, magical, love-filled and holy feast it should be for every child. Simply put your name & phone number next to any item(s) on the wish list and bring it back to church on or before December 1 st. Since this project is not local we will need to ship the items. This deadline ensures that the child will receive their gifts in time for Christmas. Please DO NOT BE LATE! Please DO NOT WRAP THE GIFTS. The items on the wish list must be exact, of quality & in new condition, (do not need to be expensive brand name clothes). If you are unable to find them please let us know ahead of time. Special wish list items are online only please allow yourself enough time for shipping (to yourself) and the deadline of December 1 st. We thank you in advance for your participation in this program. Your Christmas gift will surely create warm memories in the hearts of the boys of St. Innocent s. If you have any questions, please contact Heba Khoury (510) or hhkhoury05@yahoo.com

9 Irwin Favorite: Color: Red Subject: English Sport: Soccer Activity: Soccer Tournaments Likes to: Play Soccer He wants to be a: Soccer Player

10 Christmas Trees Downtown Felton Get 10% off if you Pre-Order Your Christmas Tree at stnicholaschristmastrees.com Benefitting St. Lawrence Academy and Valley Churches United Missions St. Lawrence Orthodox Church 6192 Hwy 9 Felton, Ca Please see Yousef Moheen Hanna for Christmas tree order forms on Nov 22 & Nov 29. Trees will be delivered and tied to your car on Dec 6. All proceeds go to St. Lawrence Orthodox Academy. Thanks for your support!! Have a Merry Christmas Medical Team Needed Serving in Medan, Indonesia, in May 2016! Pediatricians, gynecologists, dentists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals are needed for an upcoming OCMC short-term mission team that will be offering healthcare and helping to train staff at an Orthodox hospital in Medan, Indonesia, from May 9th to the 21st, If you, or anyone you know, would be able to serve on this team, please visit teams@ocmc.org, or call ext. 141 for more information or to apply. Thank You! Many thanks to every one for all your food donations to the needy families and homeless shelters. We collected three large over-filled containers of canned food and frozen Turkeys and Ham that will be delivered this week in time for Thanksgiving. May God bless you all!

11 Guidelines for the Nativity Fast (November 28 through January 6) The Nativity Fast is one of the four Canonical Fasting Seasons in the Church year. This is a joyous fast in anticipation of the Nativity of Christ. That is the reason it is less strict than other fasting periods. Abstinence includes refraining from the food and drink, as well as from smoking. The Purpose of Fasting The purpose of fasting is to focus on the things that are above, the Kingdom of God. It is a means of putting on virtue in reality, here and now. Through it we are freed from dependence on worldly things. We fast faithfully and in secret, not judging others, and not holding ourselves up as an example. Fasting in itself is not a means of pleasing God. Fasting is not a punishment for our sins. Nor is fasting a means of suffering and pain to be undertaken as some kind of atonement. Christ already redeemed us on His Cross. Salvation is a gift from God that is not bought by our hunger or thirst. We fast to be delivered from carnal passions so that God s gift of Salvation may bear fruit in us. We fast and turn our eyes toward God in His Holy Church. Fasting and prayer go together. Fasting is not irrelevant. Fasting is not obsolete, and it is not something for someone else. Fasting is from God, for us, right here and right now. Most of all, we should not devour each other. We ask God to set a watch and keep the door of our lips. Do Not Fast Without prayer; Without alms-giving; According to your own will without guidance from your spiritual father Christmas Gift Drives Join the season of Alms Giving The Tree Is Up St. James Orthodox Church is sponsoring another drive to collect Christmas gifts and donations for the poor and needy families in the community. A Christmas tree is setup with cards on it for gifts requests from poor and needy children of different ages. Please take one or more cards from the tree and follow the simple instructions on the card. Vigils and fasts and acts of mercy are the methods advocated by the saints to attain the spiritual life... But they must not stand alone, nor must the Christian put his trust in them. Humility must have faith for its principle, and fasting be combined with charity, that is, feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked. - St. Basil the Great Last day to bring your gifts is Sunday 12/6 Thank you to the Youth Group for sponsoring this event

12 St. John Chrysostom: Let everything take second place to our care of our children... Let everything take second place to our care of our children, our bringing them up to the discipline and instruction of the Lord. If from the beginning we teach them to love true wisdom, they will have great wealth and glory than riches can provide. If a child learns a trade, or is highly educated for a lucrative profession, all this is nothing compared to the art of detachment from riches; if you want to make your child rich, teach him this. He is truly rich who does not desire great possessions, or surround himself with wealth, but who requires nothing Don t think that only monks need to learn the Bible; Children about to go out into the world stand in greater need of Scriptural knowledge. + St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Ephesians, Homily Happy Thanksgiving Wishing you and your loved ones a Happy Thanksgiving HEY KIDS 12 & Under Be Good!!! SANTA is Coming to Town He will ring his bell and give out Christmas Presents. Bring your camera and take a picture with Santa! And don t forget to bring your parents with you!!! Contacts Update If you are not, or know someone who is not on our Bulletin list, or not on our Parish e- mail list, or not on our Phone messaging system, and would like to be added, please send a request to sjoc@earthlink.net or contact Fr. Giris or Dcn. Joseph or Hanan Aboujudom. We only add your contact information if you request it. If you change your home address, or your address, or your phone number, please let us know so we can update our records.