ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Diocese of Los Angeles and the West

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Diocese of Los Angeles and the West

St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Diocese of Los Angeles and the West Mailing Address: 4718 Horsehaven, Post Falls, Idaho 83854-6668 - Church Phone: (208) 777-1128 Fr. Basil Caldaroni: (208) 818-2646 Email: frbasil@caldaroni.net Church Website: http://www.stjohnorthodox.org Send announcements to bulletin@stjohnorthodox.org January 6, 2013 THEOPHANY OF THE LORD Theophany is the Feast which reveals the Most Holy Trinity to the world through the Baptism of the Lord (Mt.3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22). God the Father spoke from Heaven about the Son, the Son was baptized by the St John the Forerunner, and the Holy Spirit descended upon the Son in the form of a dove. From ancient times this Feast was called the Day of Illumination and the Feast of Lights, since God is Light and has appeared to illumine "those who sat in darkness," and "in the region of the shadow of death" (Mt.4:16), and to save the fallen race of mankind by grace. In the ancient Church it was the custom to baptize catechumens at the Vespers of Theophany, so that Baptism also is revealed as the spiritual illumination of mankind. The origin of the Feast of Theophany goes back to Apostolic times, and it is mentioned in The Apostolic Constitutions (Book V:13). From the second century we have the testimony of St Clement of Alexandria concerning the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, and the night vigil before this Feast. There is a third century dialogue about the services for Theophany between the holy martyr Hippolytus and St Gregory the Wonderworker. In the following centuries, from the fourth to ninth century, all the great Fathers of the Church: Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom, Ambrose of Milan, John of Damascus, commented on the Feast of Theophany. The monks Joseph the Studite, Theophanes and Byzantios composed much liturgical music for this Feast, which is sung at Orthodox services even today. St John of Damascus said that the Lord was baptized, not because He Himself had need for cleansing, but "to bury human sin by water," to fulfill the Law, to reveal the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and finally, to sanctify "the nature of water" and to offer us the form and example of Baptism. On the Feast of the Baptism of Christ, the Holy Church proclaims our faith in the most sublime mystery, incomprehensible to human intellect, of one God in three Persons. It teaches us to confess and glorify the Holy Trinity, one in Essence and Indivisible. It exposes and overthrows the errors of ancient teachings which attempted to explain the Creator of the world by reason, and in human terms. The Church shows the necessity of Baptism for believers in Christ, and it inspires us with a sense of

deep gratitude for the illumination and purification of our sinful nature. The Church teaches that our salvation and cleansing from sin is possible only by the power of the grace of the Holy Spirit, therefore it is necessary to preserve worthily these gifts of the grace of holy Baptism, keeping clean this priceless garb, for "As many as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ" (Gal 3:27). On the day of Theophany, all foods are permitted, even if the Feast falls on a Wednesday or Friday. Lo, the Star of Jacob is risen on the whole world; taking on Himself the fiery sin of mankind, He straightway doth now bury it in Jordan s swift-flowing streams, shining with the brightness of the Godhead and giving light unto the nations that they might know God. Blessed art Thou Who hast appeared, our God, glory be to Thee Orthros for January 3 St. Nikolai Velimirovich On the Holy Theophany When our Lord reached thirty years from His physical birth, He began His teaching and salvific work. He Himself signified this "beginning of the beginning" by His baptism in the Jordan river. St. Cyril of Jerusalem says, "The beginning of the world - water; the beginning of the Good News - Jordan." At the time of the baptism of the Lord in water, that mystery was declared to the world: that mystery which was prophesied in the Old Testament; the mystery about which in ancient Egypt and India was only fabled; i.e., the mystery of the Divine Holy Trinity. The Father was revealed to the sense of hearing; the Spirit was revealed to the sense of sight, and in addition to these, the Son was revealed to the sense of touch. The Father uttered His witness about the Son, the Son was baptized in the water, and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove hovered above the water. When John the Baptist witnessed and said about Christ, "Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29), and when John immersed and baptized the Lord in the Jordan, the mission of Christ in the world and the path of our salvation was shown. That is to say: The Lord took upon Himself the sins of mankind and died under them [immersion] and became alive again [the coming out of the water]; and we must die as the old sinful man and become alive again as cleansed, renewed and regenerated. This is the Savior and this is the path of salvation. The Feast of the Epiphany [Theophany in Greek] is also called the Feast of Illumination. For us, the event in the Jordan river illuminates, by manifesting to us God as Trinity, consubstantial and undivided. That is one way. And, the second: everyone of us through baptism in water is illumined by this, that we become adopted by the Father of Lights through the merits of the Son and the power of the Holy Spirit.

APOLYTIKION OF THE THEOPHANY OF CHRIST IN TONE ONE When Thou, O Lord, wast baptized in the Jordan, worship of the Trinity wast made manifest; for the voice of the Father bore witness to Thee, calling Thee His beloved Son. And the Spirit in the form of a dove confirmed the truth of His word. O Christ our God, Who hath appeared and enlightened the world, glory to Thee. KONTAKION OF THE THEOPHANY OF CHRIST IN TONE FOUR Today Thou hast appeared to the universe, O Lord, and Thy light hath been shed upon us, who praise Thee with knowledge, saying, Thou hast come and appeared, O unapproachable Light. THE ANTI-TRISAGION HYMN (Sung in place of Holy God ) As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia. (THRICE) Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Have put on Christ. Alleluia. Dynamis! As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia. THE EPISTLE Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever. The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to Titus. (2:11-15; 3:4-7) My son Titus, the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world; awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for Himself a people of His own who are zealous for good deeds. Declare these things; exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you. When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit, which He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we might be justified by His grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life. THE GOSPEL The reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (3:13-17) At that time, Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented Him, saying, I need to be baptized by Thee, and Thou dost come to me? But Jesus answered him, Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on Him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased.

Letter to The Teens of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America from Fr. Joseph F. Purpura As we enter the year of our Lord 2013, a flood of thoughts flow through my mind concerning you the young people of this great archdiocese. For many years I have been blessed to lead the youth efforts across this North American Archdiocese. First as a Regional Spiritual Advisor from 1981-1985, then as the North American Council of SOYO Spiritual Advisor from 1985-1991 and then as Chairman of the Department of Youth and Parish Ministry from 1990 to present. In each of these thirty-five years of priesthood and youth work, I have been keenly aware of three things: First that our task is to pass the faith down to each of you. Second, to instill in you a love for Christ and His Holy Orthodox Church and to enable you to live a righteous life in Jesus Christ. Third, to raise generations of disciples and leaders for Christ's Holy Orthodox Church and these North American nations in which we reside. With each passing year and with each successive generation of young persons placed before us, I continue to be amazed and filled with joy at just how blessed our Archdiocese and Holy Orthodox Church here in North America is to have so many dedicated, loving, and Christ-centered young persons in our midst. So often the media is filled with all that is wrong in our society, especially among young people, yet all we need to do is look at you, the youth of this Archdiocese, and know that God is present and working in you. I commend all of you, to continue to seek Christ in all that you do, each day and each year of your life. In my years of life, while I like you were clearly taught, I now fully believe, that real life, the joyous life, life that has meaning and purpose can only be found through Jesus Christ. If our efforts are Christcentered - Christ grounded - Christ filled, they will ultimately lead to life and joy so great that it cannot be expressed on paper or in words. My prayer for you, the youth of this archdiocese, as we plunge into 2013 is that this year will bring you one step closer to that eternal joy found only through Jesus Christ. As St Paul writes, "Let no one despise your youth." (1 Timothy 4:12) Be strong, be courageous, stand up for your Orthodox Faith, even if it is a silent and firm stand for what is right, what is good, and what is profitable for salvation. Let no one take away from you that which God has given you as one of the "people of God." Many will try to take this gift from you. Stand firm in your faith and trust in God and your Orthodox Faith will serve you well towards your salvation and the salvation of those around you. May our Good, Loving, Kind, and Merciful God bring you great joy, great peace, strength, and the abundance of all good things in this year of our Lord 2013. Yours in our Loving and Merciful Christ, Fr Joseph F Purpura, Chairman Department of Youth and Parish Ministry Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

ANNOUNCEMENTS Pan-Orthodox Theophany Outdoor Blessing of Water Today is the Great Feast of Theophany (meaning appearance of God ), and we have scheduled our Pan-Orthodox Outdoor Blessing of the Waters. The three parishes of St. John the Baptist, Christ the Savior and Holy Trinity will be together for the blessing of the Spokane River at 1:30 PM. We will meet on the north side of the river on Upriver Drive, 1.2 miles west of Argonne Road. (Roughly 7100 E. Upriver Drive - Milepost 16 on the Centennial Trail look for the park benches overlooking the river.) There is plenty of parking and easy access to the river, so dress warmly and come help extend the blessing of the Jordan to our own part of God s creation! House Blessings Dear Brethren, Christ is in our midst! Now that we are celebrating the Great Feast of Theophany we will be blessing the water today and then the annual time for house-blessings will be upon us. I will start doing house-blessings next week and can hopefully get them completed before the beginning of February. If you would like your house blessed this year, please contact me to set a time. You can either email me at: frbill@caldaroni.net or call me at: (208) 818-2646. God bless you! Love in Christ, +Fr. basil Birthday List Fr. Basil is trying to gather a list of the birthdays of all the brothers and sisters and their children who are members and friends of St. John so he can call with birthday blessings every year. If you would like to be on that list please drop Father an email with your birthday noted or call him at: 208-818- 2646. Thank you!

SCHEDULE OF SERVICES & EVENTS Saturday, January 5 Orthros & Divine Liturgy of the Paramon of the Feast of Theophany 9:00am; Vespers and Litya for the Feast of Theophany 6:00pm Sunday, January 6 - THEOPHANY OF THE LORD - Festal Orthros & Divine Liturgy for Theophany with the Great Blessing of the Water 9:00am; Lunch following; Pan-Orthodox Outdoor Blessing of the Waters (Spokane Valley) 1:30pm; Vespers of the Synaxis of St. John the Baptist (Our Parish Feast Day) 6:00pm Monday, January 7 Synaxis of the Baptist - Orthros & Divine Liturgy of the Synaxis of St. John the Baptist (Our Parish Feast Day) 9:00am Wednesday, January 9 Vespers 6:00pm Friday, January 11 Spiritual Circle 9:30am Saturday, January 12 Great Vespers 6:00pm Sunday, January 13 - Orthros 9:00am; Divine Liturgy 10:00am; Sunday School and Lunch following EPISTLE READERS Jan 6 - Reader Mark Fellegy Jan 13 - Owen Rush Jan 20 - Andrew Schaefer LUNCHEON & CLEANUP Jan 6 - Team 1: ALTAR SERVERS Jan 6 Seraphim Jan 13 - Cherubim Jan 20 Cherubim Molly Tsalaky, Gus & Helen Vlahos, Dale Ayoub, Ken & Nanette Sanman Jan 13 - Team 2: Joy Corey, Morey Ranson, John & Piama Holmen, Adam & Mary Claire Roth, Jeff & Jenny Tecca Jan 20 - Team 3: Barbara Garbinski, Norman O'Daniel, Joey Molloy, Shirley, Helen Weddle PRAYERS FOR THE LIVING: David and Suzanne Sanman (Ken s parents), Michael Ingram s grandfather, Shane Weaver & Family, Aaron (Bartimaeus cousin), John Sandford (Mark Sanford s father), Dale and his family (friend of the Nolan s), Del Polikretis (Helen Vlahos brother in law), Chet Sapalio (Fr. Basil s cousin), Damion (Tim Peterson's cousin), Jean (Fr. Basil's mother), Nikolai Kupcow, George Kucera. PRAYERS FOR THE DEPARTED: Patriarch IGNATIUS IV, Patriarch MAXIM of Bulgaria, Fr. Polycarp, Fr. Anthony, Fr. Fadi Haddad, Fr. Peter Gilquist, Dcn. Howard Shannon, Mike Bolek (friend of Owen and Bryne), Bob (Tim Peterson s grandfather), Mary Ann (Barbara Garbinski's sister-in-law), Kh. Terry Beck, Lee Schrom, Paula Sanford (Mark's mother), James (grandfather of Bryne Rush), Nancy Corey, John Mattmiller, Paul Truebenbach, Mike Kerr, Shirley Jenkin, Diantha Ebert, Hieromonk Basilios Nassar, Fr. Michael Lewis, Fr Basil Steiger, Fr. Thomas O'Dea COMMUNION - Since we understand Communion to mean that we have all things in common, sharing an identical Faith, only those who are members of the Orthodox Church who have prepared themselves through prayer, fasting and recent confession may participate in Holy Communion. (We invite all, however, to partake of the blessed bread which is distributed at the dismissal.) Please see the pastor for inquiries on how to become a member.