SAINT JAMES ORTHODOX CHURCH

Transcription

1 SAINT JAMES ORTHODOX CHURCH 195 N. Main Street Milpitas, Ca Matins 8:00 a.m. The Very Reverend Fr. Jiris Hanna (408) Liturgy 10:30 a.m. Sunday June 21 (6/8), rd Sunday after Pentecost Translation of the relics of Great-martyr Theodore Stratelates األحد الثالث بعد العنصرة - نقل عظام القديس المعظم في الشهداء ثاودورس (وهبة هللا) قائد الجيش Matins (Eothina III): Mark 16:9-20 Epistle: Romans 5:1 10 Gospel: Matthew 6:22 33 Apostles Fasting: June 8 July 11 About the 12 Apostles As we honor the Apostles during this Apostle s Fast season, it is worth while to explore the life of each of the twelve Apostles over the next four weeks and learn more about their Holy Life. The Holy Glorious and All-Praised Leader of the Apostles, Peter Simon, the fisherman, received a new name. He became known as Peter after confessing Jesus as the Son of God. St Peter, the brother of St Andrew was married, and Christ healed his motherin-law of a fever. Despite his earlier recognition of Christ as the Son of God, he denied Him three times on the night before the Crucifixion. Therefore, after His Resurrection, the Lord asked Peter three times if he loved Him. Then He told Peter to feed His sheep. After the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, St Peter performed many miracles in Christ's name. He also traveled to many places in order to proclaim the Gospel message. He wrote two Epistles, which are part of the New Testament. St Peter was put to death in Rome. He asked to be crucified upside down, since he did not feel worthy to die in the same manner as his Lord. The Holy Glorious and All-Praised Leader of the Apostles, Paul St Paul lived in Tarsus. He once described himself as a Hebrew, an Israelite of the seed of Abraham. He was also a Pharisee and a tent-maker who had studied the Law in Jerusalem. At first, he was called Saul, and had persecuted the Church. He was present at the stoning of St Stephen. Then, on the road to Damascus, he was converted when Christ appeared to him. Blinded by the vision, he was healed when Ananias laid his hands on him. After his cure, he was baptized. St Paul preached the Gospel in Greece, Asia Minor, and in Rome, and wrote fourteen Epistles. Tradition says that he was martyred in Rome about the year 68.

2 Apostle Andrew, the Holy and All-Praised First-Called The Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called was the first of the Apostles to follow Christ, and he later brought his own brother, the holy Apostle Peter, to Christ. From his youth he turned with all his soul to God. He did not enter into marriage, and he worked with his brother as a fisherman. When the holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John began to preach, St Andrew became his closest disciple. He was ordered to be executed in the city of Patra by Aegeatos. In order to prolong the suffering of the saint, Aegeatos gave orders not to nail the saint's hands and feet, but to tie them to the cross. After two days the crucified apostle, said: "Lord Jesus Christ, receive my spirit." Then a blazing ray of divine light illumined the cross and the martyr crucified upon it. When the light faded, the holy Apostle Andrew had already given up his holy soul to the Lord. Services This Week Wednesday 6/17 at 10am Friday 6/19 at 7pm Celebrating all saints of the week Translation of the relics of the Greatmartyr Theodore Stratelates (The General) Sunday June 21 (6/8) The Holy Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates suffered for Christ in Heraklea on February 8, 319. At the time of his sufferings the holy Great Martyr Theodore ordered his servant Varus to bury his body on the estate of his parents in Euchaita. The transfer of the relics of the Great Martyr Theodore took place on June 8, 319. On this day we also recall a miracle of the icon of the Great Martyr Theodore in a church dedicated to him at a place called Karsat, near Damascus. A group of Saracens had turned this church into their residence. There was a fresco on the wall depicting Theodore. One of the Saracens shot an arrow into the icon of the Great Martyr. From the saint s face, where the arrow had stuck into the wall, blood flowed before the eyes of everyone. A short while later, the Saracens who had settled in the church killed each other. Accounts of this miracle are given by the Anastasius of Mt. Sinai and John of Damascus. With the word of God as a spear in your hand, in courage of soul and armed with faith, you vanquished the enemy, O Theodore, glory of martyrs; with them you unceasingly pray to Christ God for us all. لقد تحصنت باأليمان بشجاعة نفسك. وتقلدت بكالم هللا بمثابة حربة. فجرحت العدو ايها المعظم في الشهداء ثاودوروس. فال تزل متشفعا معهم بغير فتور الى المسيح األله. من اجلنا جميعا.

3 Apostles Fast June 8 July 11 صوم الرسل General Apostles Fasting Rules 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 all Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Exceptions to fasting rules will be announced as they occur Have a Blessed Fast! Attention Parents and Friends of 2015 Graduates! May her memory be eternal The parish of St. James Orthodox Church extends its deepest condolences to Archimandrite Damaskinos Alazrai and all the Alzarai family in Jordan for the passing into eternal life, his mother, the handmaid of God بان توما - Toma Ban Who passed away in Jordan on Friday 6/12 at age 49. فليكن ذكرها مؤبدا Congratulations Michael & Christina Khoury For presenting their new-born baby-girl *** Final Week *** Please Don t Miss Sharing Your Good News With Us Any College or School Level Graduates: Please your graduation or regular pictures to sjoc@earthlink.net to be posted in the bulletin. Juliana Khoury To the Holy Altar on Sunday June 14. Congratulations also to grandparents Fr. Giris & Khourieh Najwa May our Lord grant Juliana and family with His blessings and grace for a holy life and good health. Mark Your Calendars All graduates pictures and greetings will be posted NEXT WEEK. Scrip Scrip Scrip For Dads & Grads Father s Day and Graduations are just around the corner. Please consider buying Scrip gift cards for dads and your graduates. Big variety of restaurants and department stores. Complete list of retailers at Please allow one week for delivery. See or call Lilian (408) to place your order early. Saturday July 18, 2014 St. James Summer Picnic Ed Levin Park Please see flyer for details

4 If you cannot be merciful, at least speak as though you are a sinner. If you are not a peacemaker, at least do not be a troublemaker. If you cannot be assiduous, at least in your thought be unlike a sluggard. If you are not victorious, do not exalt yourself over the vanquished. If you cannot close the mouth of a man who disparages his companion, at least refrain from joining him in this. - Saint Isaac the Syrian (of Nineveh) - 7 th century Dunlap / Hume Lake Trip August 5 8, 2015 Deadline to Sign-up July 26 We plan to have a short trip, 3-nights/4-days, to visit the Life Giving Spring monastery and also head to the summit to Hume Lake and enjoy a day at the lake and beautiful nature. We need a minimum of 15 people to book St. Nicholas Ranch Retreat Center. Please sjoc@earthlink.net or contact Amal Khoury for details or to sign-up if interested St. James Youth Mark Your Calendar Saturday June 27 th at noon SHARP! Youth Group Retreat to venerate St. John Maximovitch of San Francisco and get his blessings at the Holy Virgin Cathedral in San Francisco and the Old Cathedral tour with Fr. Sergei Kotar followed by lunch in SF and spending quality time together. Youth Please call or txt Fouad Dahdah at (510) or e- mail fouaddahdah@yahoo.com to sign-up and for details. Please let Fouad know if you need a ride.

5 Wisdom from Holy Abba Alonios Holy Abba Alonios was an early desert father of Egypt from the fourth century who reposed in peace. The following sayings are attributed to him: - Abba Alonios said: "If a man does not say with his heart, 'only God and I exist in this world,' he finds no peace." - Abba Alonios said: "If a man but so desires, he can return to the divine standard and repent anytime, whether early or late." - Abba Alonios said: "If I had not destroyed my whole self, I would not have been able to rebuild myself; that is, if I had not forsaken everything deriving from my own will that appeared good to me, I would not have been able to acquire the virtues." - Abba Agathon one day questioned Abba Alonios, saying, "How can I control my tongue so as to tell no more lies?" And Abba Alonios said to him, "If you do not tell a lie you are set to commit many sins." "How is that?" he asked. And the old man replied, "Suppose a man has committed murder before your eyes and fled into your cell. The authorities looking for the man ask you, 'Has a murder been committed in your sight?' If you do not tell a lie, you are delivering the man to death. It is better that you should hand him over to God unbound, for God knows all things." - Abba Poemen said that a brother asked Abba Alonios, "What is belittlement?" and the elder said, "To be below the beasts and to know that they are free from condemnation." - Abba Poemen said that one day the elders were sitting down eating, and the same Abba Alonios was in attendance to serve. They praised him when they noticed him, but he gave no response whatsoever. One of them said to him in private, "Why do you not respond to the elders when they praise you?" Abba Alonios said to him, "Had I responded to them, I would have been found to be as one who had accepted praise." The following question was asked of St. Paisios the Athonite (+ 1994): - Elder, Abba Alonios says: "If a man but so desires, he can return to the divine standard and repent anytime, whether early or late." What does he mean? The spiritual life does not desire time. In one second, a person can be found in Paradise from hell, if he repents. Man is responsible. He can become an angel, he can become a devil. My, my, my, what power repentance has! It attracts divine Grace. A humble thought that a man brings to mind can save him. A prideful thought can come to his mind, and if he does not repent, death will find him, he is gone, he is lost. Of course, the humble thought must be followed by internal groaning, by internal contrition. Because the thought is a thought, but there is also the heart. The hymn says: "With all my soul and mind and heart..." I think, however, that the Abba here is thinking of a more permanent state. It requires some time in order for one to reach a good state. I err, I repent, and I am forgiven that instant. If I have a struggling spirit, slowly I will achieve a more stable situation, but until then, I can be swayed.

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7 GOOD VIRTUES Will our insignificant virtues really save us? Do you not remember the words of God? All our righteousness is as a filthy rug. (Isaiah, 64:6) Seek rather, the mercy of our Master, not payment for your labors; and you will be saved sooner than thoughtless laborers. - St. Anatoly Happy Father s Day Fasting Lunch This Sunday June 21 will be provided by Husam & Hutaf Shuhaiber & family Saeda Saoud & family Thank you and God bless you. Best Wishes and God Bless all the fathers for their Father s Day this Sunday. sjoc@earthlink.net for your bulletin personal announcements, comments, or feedback. Happy Birthdays Siham Sousou 6/15 Luma Akkawi 6/15 Deanna Zeidan 6/16 Elias B. Khoury 6/16 Tamara Saba 6/16 Jizelle Shehadeh 6/16 Jamieleh Saoud 6/18 George Mihaila 6/18 Cristian Toma 6/20 عقبال المئة سنة!!! St. James Orthodox Church 195 N. Main Street Milpitas, CA Wednesday 6/17 (6/4) Righteous Martha Sister Of Lazarus

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