SAINT JAMES ORTHODOX CHURCH 195 N. Main Street Milpitas, Ca 95035 www.sjorthodox.org Saturdays Vespers 5:00 p.m. Sundays Matins 8:00 a.m. Sundays 10:30 a.m. The Very Reverend Fr. Jiris Hanna (408) 509-8802 Fr. Dcn. Joseph Kawar (408) 398-6357 Issue No. 636 Sunday April 3 (3/21), 2016 Third Sunday of Great Lent Adoration of the Holy Cross St. James the Confessor bishop of the Studion األحد الثالث من الصوم - نعيد فيه للسجود للصليب الكريم - تذكار ابينا البار يعقوب األسقف المعترف Matins (Eothina XI): John 21:15 25 Epistle: Hebrews 4:14 5:6 Gospel: Mark 8:34 9:1 Adoration of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross Third Sunday of Great Lent This Sunday is the halfway point in Lent. Midway on our journey to Holy Week and Pascha, many of us are tiring of our spiritual disciplines. What we approached with joy the first week has now turned into a chore. We become aware how little love we have in our hearts, which can be very discouraging. For this reason, the Church uses this Sunday to direct our attention to the Cross. The Cross is our strength and our salvation. We look to it and pray to Christ to give us strength to complete this journey. The Gospel passage for this Sunday challenges us again to commit our whole lives to Christ. As Christ was crucified for our salvation, we are called to take up our meager cross and follow Christ by crucifying our sinful desires and surrendering our will to His. The cross first speaks to us about ourselves and our existence. It tells us what a mess we are all in. It puts death before our eyes, and dramatically demonstrates to us what humankind has created: sin, misery, and death. This is the fruit of our works. The Cross of Christ did not appear out of a spiritual vacuum. The Tree- Cross was preceded by the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. It was through that tree that our first parents brought sin and death into the world. It was through that tree that the devil and the demons first tricked our race into bondage and disgrace. Thus, when the Tree of the Cross of Christ appears it does so with reference to that first tree in the Garden. All the havoc, despair, and destruction brought upon the world and our race by the first Adam's relationship to the tree in the Garden has been overthrown and reversed by the Second Adam's (Christ himself) relationship with the Cross-Tree. At the Cross of Christ death has been swallowed up, the principalities and powers of this evil world have been crushed, our sins have been atoned for, and the perfect sacrifice has been offered and accepted. Why is it- that which we love, venerate, and adore in the life of our Savior we so often despise, abhor and seek to avoid in our own lives? Is it not true that often at the same time that we are venerating our Lord's Precious and Life-Giving Cross we are working like beavers to build a dam in our own lives against every form of suffering and cross-bearing? Does our Lord not teach us that our suffering and cross-bearing is something to be voluntarily embraced by each one of us? Does He not teach us that this is the very means of following Him? Does He not say that it is through the Cross that we obtain our life and procure eternal salvation? As we bow down before Christ s cross this Sunday let us also bow before our own crosses, whatever they may be,
knowing that since they come from His hands and are connected to His Cross, they too are working salvation! They are not to be avoided but joyfully carried! Glory to Thy Precious Cross O Christ!. A young man was at the end of his rope. Seeing no way out, he dropped to his knees in prayer. Lord, I can t go on, he said My cross is too heavy to bear. The Lord replied, My son, if you cannot bear its weight, just place your cross inside this room. Then open another door and pick out any cross you wish. The man was filled with relief. Thank you, Lord, he sighed, and did as he was told. As he looked around the room, he saw many different crosses, some so large the tops were not visible. Then he spotted a tiny cross leaning against a wall. I d like that one, Lord, he whispered. And the Lord replied, My son, that s the cross you came in with. Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit both now and forever. Amen. Shine, Cross of the Lord, shine with the light of your grace upon the hearts of those who honor you. With love inspired by God, we embrace you, O desire of all the world. Through you our tears of sorrow have been wiped away; we have been delivered from the snares of death and have passed over to unending joy. Show us the glory of your beauty and grant to us, your servants, the reward of our abstinence, for we entreat with faith your rich protection and great mercy. from the Vespers of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross ٣ نيسان االحد الثالث من الصوم وهو األحد الرابع قبل الفصح في هذا اليوم الذي هو األحد الثالث من الصوم وهو الرابع قبل الفصح نعيد للسجود للصليب الكريم المحيي. وقد رسم اآلباء القد يسون إقامة هذا العيد لكي يذكرونا بآالم رب نا وإلهنا ومخل صنا يسوع المسيح. فصليب يسوع يعز ينا ويشج عنا ويخفف أتعابنا وأوجاعنا وأحزاننا. وكما مجد المسيح بالصليب كذلك نحن أيض ا نتمج د معه. وكما أن الذين يسيرون في طريق شاسعة وعرة عندما ي عييهم السير يجلسون قليال تحت شجرة وريفة الظل هكذا يعمل المؤمن أثناء مسيرة الصوم الطويلة المتعبة. إنه يستظل تحت راية الصليب المقد س الحامل الحياة الذي يريحنا وينشطنا ويخفف أعباء المسيرة. وهكذا يوضع الصليب في وسط الصيام ليشج ع المؤمنين على متابعة الجهاد للبلوغ إلى فرح القيامة. ويطاف به محاط ا بالزهور والرياحين التي توزع على المؤمنين. ولهذا دعي هذا األحد أحد الزهور. فبقوة صليبك أيها المسيح إلهنا صن ا من أضرار الشرير. وأهلنا أن نجوز ميدان الصيام األربعيني بسالمة. ونسجد آلالمك اإللهي ة ولقيامتك المجيدة. وارحمنا بما أنك صالح وحدك ومحب البشر. آمين. Flowers this Sunday This Sunday is the Veneration of the Cross. Please feel free to bring flowers for this occasion. Just deliver them to the altar as early as possible. Thank you. Palms For Palm Sunday *** Food for the Soul *** For The Whole Parish Palm Sunday is approaching soon. If you like to order handmade palms, please contact Amal Khoury (408) 229-2595. Deadline to order is April 20 but the sooner the better. Will be suspended during Great Lent. Bible Study sessions will resume after Pascha.
Services This Week Tuesday 3/29 Presanctified 11am Wednesday 3/30 Presanctified 11am Great Compline يا رب القوات 7pm Thursday 3/31 Presanctified 11am Friday 4/1 Presanctified 11am Small Compline مدائح العذراء 7pm Saturday 4/2 Vespers 5pm Altar Servers This Sunday 4/3 Iskandar Wahhab Laith Theodossy Lutfi Theodossy Names for Great Entrance It is the Orthodox tradition to write the names of the Living and the Departed when an offering is made to the altar (bread offering, wine, olive oil, etc..). These names will be commemorated and read during the Great Entrance. Any other names brought to the altar without an offering, will be commemorated inside the altar when preparing the Proskomedia during Matins and not during Great Entrance. All names are usually kept and commemorated during Proskomedia for 40 days. E-mail sjoc@earthlink.net for your bulletin personal announcements, comments, or feedback. Oasis In The Desert We got the blessings to plan our annual pilgrimage church trip to St. Anthony s Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, Arizona the week after the Bright Week God willing. Wednesday May 11 Saturday May 14 of 2016 Book your own flights. Please contact Dn. Joseph (408) 398-6357 to sign-up. Southwest Airlines Departure Wednesday May 11, 2016 Return: Saturday May 14, 2016 San Jose Airport 5/11: San Jose Phoenix, Flight # 1912 (10:30am) 5/14: Phoenix San Jose, Flight # 2959 (8:30pm) Oakland Airport 5/11: Oakland Phoenix, Flight # 4061 (8:10am) 5/14: Phoenix Oakland, Flight # 3029 (7:10pm) Room For Rent Room available in a very nice 2bed/1bath condo in Sunnyvale. Excellent location at Wolfe and El Camino with easy access to 280 and 101 freeways as well as Central Expressway. Nice neighborhood near golf course and within walking distance to park and all shopping areas. Peaceful, private. Considerate, quiet, female preferred. Commuter and short term ok. No smoking, pets, or overnight guests. Furnished or unfurnished. Rent including utilities is $1000. Call 617-803-9933 for inquiries.
THE PATH OF LIFE On the path of life, one unfailingly meets sorrows and temptations. One must be ready for them. Our human weakness does not want them and often forgets that they are inevitable, and wants only earthly happiness. - St. Nikon We Are Accepting Donations For The Flowers For The Bier Of Christ In Memory Of And/Or For The Good Health Of Your Loved Ones To Make A Donation Please Fill Out This Form By:... For The Good Health Of: And/Or In Blessed Memory Of:.... Please give the form back to Treasurer Samer Aboujudom All names of the Living and the Departed will be prayed for during the Holy Week Happy Birthdays Diana Gharfa 3/28 Amanda Khoury 3/29 Amanda Bateh 3/29 Alexandra Bateh 3/29 Omar Kawar 3/30 Maher Saba 3/31 Stephen Twigg 3/31 عقبال المئة سنة!!! Lenten Lunch This Sunday April 3 will be provided by Nick & Lena Khoury and family Thank you and God bless you.
6 Meat-fare Sunday Judgment Sunday 1:30pm All Ladies Meeting March 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 7:30pm Parish Bible Study 13 Cheese-fare Sunday Forgiveness Sunday Daylight Savings 20 1 st Sunday of Great Lent Sunday of Orthodoxy Bring your icons 1-year Trisagion service (Samer Shahin) 27 2 nd Sunday of Great Lent Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas 1-year Trisagion service (Ghasoub Shehab) 7 8 10am Divine 1 st & 2 nd Finding of the Head of St. John the Baptist 14 Beginning of Great Lent 21 10am Bake Sale Prep 9 10 7:30pm Board of Trustees Meeting 15 16 7pm Pre-sanctified Gifts 22 28 29 23 7pm Great Compline 30 7pm Great Compline 17 7:30pm Parish Bible Study 24 7pm Pre-sanctified Gifts 31 4 5 10am Divine Commemoration of the Dead 6:30pm Annual Crab Feed Homeless donated Care Packages due 11 12 10am Divine Commemoration of the Dead 10am Assembly of Care Packages for the Homeless 18 7pm Small Compline / 1 st Salutation 19 10am Divine Commemoration of the Dead 25 26 7pm Small Compline / 2 nd Salutation Notes:
April 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 7pm Small Compline/ 3 rd Salutation 3 4 3 rd Sunday of Great Lent Adoration of the Holy Cross 1:30pm Ladies Meeting 5 6 7pm Great Compline 7 7pm Divine - Anunciation of the Theotokos (Bshara) 8 7pm Small Compline/ 4 th Salutation 8pm Youth Movie Night Passion of the Christ 9 10 4 th Sunday of Great Lent St. John of the Ladder 11 12 13 7pm Great Compline 14 7pm Board Meeting 15 7pm Small Compline/ 5 th Salutation 16 5pm- Great Vespers 17 5 th Sunday of Great Lent St. Mary of Egypt 1pm Spring Bazar & Egg Hunt 18 19 20 7pm Great Compline 21 22 23 10am Lazarus Saturday 24 Palm Sunday Ladies Bake Sale 7pm 1 st Bridegroom Service 25 7pm 2 nd Bridegroom Service 26 7pm 3 rd Bridegroom Service 27 7pm Holy Unction Service 28 10am Service of the Mystical Supper 7pm The 12 Passion Gospels & Crucifixion 29 30 4pm Taking Down Christ from the Cross 7:30pm Lamentations & Burial Procession 12:00am Divine of Holy Saturday 8:30pm Matin Service, Rush Service (Hajmeh), & Divine of Pascha Potluck Dinner
Looking For A Camel On The Roof? by Fr. Allan Boyd There is a great old story about a Middle Eastern sheikh named Ibrahim. Sheikh Ibrahim was on a quest to find God. So, whenever he heard rumors of some wise teacher in some distant land, or some magnificent library of scrolls that boasted the greatest wisdom known to man, Sheikh Ibrahim would gather together his entourage made up of servants and noblemen from his royal court; his fancy tent, made of fine tapestries; and his golden bed frame, with its down mattress and silk sheets, and he would set off on a luxurious search where his comforts were always the center of his attention. But for some reason his spirit always felt as dry as the desert, and he never seemed to find what he was looking for. After just such a journey, he returned home to his palace, where he was fearfully awakened one night by the sound of someone kicking over roof tiles, directly over his bed. Alarmed, he shouted out the window: Who s there? And why are you on my roof? From his roof came a voice saying, It s merely a friendly neighbor. I ve lost my camel and thought it might be up here on your roof. Agitated at being awakened over such ridiculousness, Sheikh Ibrahim thundered back: Only a complete fool would look for a camel on the roof of a palace! Immediately, the voice above him laughingly retorted, Yes and only a complete fool would think that he could discover God where his own comforts are always the center of his attention. Has your search for God been the foolish kind, where it s really just your own comforts and desires that are the center of your attention? Do you arrive late to Church on Sunday morning so that you can get that extra bit of sleep? Does attending Church every Sunday conflict too heavily with your own personal types of recreation? Do you keep from immersing yourself in parish ministries to protect your comfortable lifestyle? Is your devotion to God slipping off more and more into mere lip service? Has it left your experience of God feeling dry as the desert? Lent is your opportunity to partner up with God to turn that desert into a lush spiritual oasis. Put your comforts aside and enter the struggle of attending the various services faithfully purposefully working to engage the prayers of the Church so that they make the long journey from your head to make their home in the deepest part of your heart allowing God to begin transforming your life in meaningful, impactful, lovingly fruitful ways. Begin to look for Jesus in the eyes of those around you who are in desperate need and enter the struggle to offer them alms and tangible love as though you were offering to Jesus Christ Himself. In the challenges that Lent offers, I pray that you may begin to experience the joy of the Kingdom of Heaven as the Lord s Day begins to affect every other day of your week. Don t waste any more time on the foolish notion of looking for a camel on the roof!
Egg Hunt Easter Bunny Pictures Arts and Crafts Lenten Food, Drinks & Vendor Booths Face Painting 195 N Main St Milpitas, CA 95035
For Tickets call or text: Anna Keilo (650) 921-2977 or Heba Khoury (714) 458-7910 Join the St. James Family for a special dinner honoring all Mothers! Saturday May 7, 2016 at 6:30pm St. James Orthodox Church 195 N. Main St. Milpitas Adults $35 Kids Menu $15 (10 & under)