ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE Vicariate of the Palestinian & Jordanian Orthodox Communities in the U.S. ST. JAMES ORTHODOX CHURCH 195 N. Main Street; Milpitas, CA 95035 sjorthodox.org 408.934.1794 (Office) Very Rev. Fr. Jeries Hanna 408.509.8802 Fr. Dcn. Joseph Kawar 408.398.6357 UPCOMING SERVICES Tuesday, August 14 Paraklesis Service with The Very Rev. Archimandrite Damaskinos Alazari 7:00pm Paraklesis Service Wednesday, August 15 St. Solomonia 10:00 am Divine Liturgy Friday, August 17 Paraklesis Service 7:00pm Paraklesis Service Sunday, August 19 Transfiguration of Our Lord 8:00 am Matins 10:30 am Divine Liturgy FASTING SCHEDULE Aug 14-26 Dormition Fast 8/14-8/17 Strict Fasting 8/18/18 Oil Allowed 8/19/18 Fish Allowed COFFEE & LUNCH HOUR Lunch this Sunday will be provided by Emad and Badea Zureik. May God Bless them and their family! LOOKING AHEAD Sept. 14-16 Nov. 24 Annual Food Festival Christmas Dinner Bulletin for August 13 - August 19 Issue No. 756 St. Solomonia the Mother of the Great Holy Seven Maccabee Martyrs Saint Solomonia was the mother of the seven Maccabee brothers. She encouraged her sons to remain faithful to the Law of God even when threatened with death. This admirable mother is honored and remembered for her great courage, for she watched all seven of her sons die in a single day. May we also be faithful to God s commandments and the traditions of the Church. Transfiguration of Our Lord - 8/19 In celebration of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, it is customary to bring grapes and fruits to the church to have them blessed. Thanks to all who help and support the church! Thank you all who helped organize our festival kick-off lunch at Benihana and for all who supported by attending the lunch this past Sunday. May God bless you and your family. Food Festival Planning Our 13th Annual Food Festival will be on September 14-16th. As many of you know, it takes a lot of planning and resources to make our event successful. If you would like to help in any way, please contact Yousef Hanna by emailing him at yockey99@hotmail.com. Mark your Calendars Our Annual Christmas party will be on Saturday, November 24 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Milpitas. More details coming soon! Scrip Program A large variety of scrip (gift) cards are available at the church hall following the liturgy. We have Amazon, Gas, Visa cards, your favorite restaurants and much more! By purchasing scrip cards, our church will receive a percentage or kick-back from the company. Please help your church by supporting the scrip program.
Dormition of the of the Most Holy Theotokos The feast of the Dormition or Falling-asleep of the Theotokos is celebrated on the fifteenth of August, preceded by a two-week fast. This feast, which is also sometimes called the Assumption, commemorates the death, resurrection and glorification of Christ s mother. It proclaims that Mary has been assumed by God into the heavenly kingdom of Christ in the fullness of her spiritual and bodily existence. As with the nativity of the Virgin and the feast of her entrance to the temple, there are no biblical or historical sources for this feast. The Tradition of the Church is that Mary died as all people die, not voluntarily as her Son, but by the necessity of her mortal human nature which is indivisibly bound up with the corruption of this world. The Orthodox Church teaches that Mary is without personal sins. In the Gospel of the feast, however, in the liturgical services and in the Dormition icon, the Church proclaims as well that Mary truly needed to be saved by Christ as all human persons are saved from the trials, sufferings and death of this world; and that having truly died, she was raised up by her Son as the Mother of Life and participates already in the eternal life of paradise which is prepared and promised to all who hear the word of God and keep it (Lk11.27 28). The services of the feast repeat the main theme, that the Mother of Life has passed over into the heavenly joy, into the divine gladness and unending delight of the Kingdom of her Son (Vesperal hymn). The Old Testament readings, as well as the gospel readings for the Vigil and the Divine Liturgy, are exactly the same as those for the feast of the Virgin s nativity and her entrance into the Temple. Thus, at the Vigil we again hear Mary say: My soul magnifies the Lord and my Spirit rejoices in God my Saviour (Lk 1.47). At the Divine Liturgy we hear the letter to the Philippians where Saint Paul speaks of the self-emptying of Christ who condescends to human servitude and ignoble death in order to be highly exalted by God his Father (Phil 2.5 11). And once again we hear in the Gospel that Mary s blessedness belongs to all who hear the word of God and keep it (Lk 11.27 28). Thus, the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos is the celebration of the fact that all men are highly exalted in the blessedness of the victorious Christ, and that this high exaltation has already been accomplished in Mary the Theotokos. The feast of the Dormition is the sign, the guarantee, and the celebration that Mary s fate is, the destiny of all those of low estate whose souls magnify the Lord, whose spirits rejoice in God the Saviour, whose lives are totally dedicated to hearing and keeping the Word of God which is given to men in Mary s child, the Saviour and Redeemer of the world. Finally it must be stressed that, in all of the feasts of the Virgin Mother of God in the Church, the Orthodox Christians celebrate facts of their own lives in Christ and the Holy Spirit. What happens to Mary happens to all who imitate her holy life of humility, obedience, and love. With her all people will be blessed to be more honorable than the cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim if they follow her example. All will have Christ born in them by the Holy Spirit. All will become temples of the living God. All will share in the eternal life of His Kingdom who live the life that Mary lived. In this sense everything that is praised and glorified in Mary is a sign of what is offered to all persons in the life of the Church. It is for this reason that Mary, with the divine child Jesus within her, is called in the Orthodox Tradition the Image of the Church. For the assembly of the saved is those in whom Christ dwells. 0It is the custom in some churches to bless flowers on the feast of the Dormition of the Holy Theotokos.
The Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary - Sunday 8/26 We will have Burial and Lamentation Processions similar to the service we have on Great Friday before Easter, with a processions around the church with the Bier of The Theotokos. We Are Accepting Donations For The Flowers For The Bier of the Theotokos Please Fill This Form And Give To Treasurer Samer Aboujudom All the names of your loved ones will be remembered during the matin service of the feast By: For the continued good health of: In blessed memory of:
1 3 S A A N N UA T I P L I M L EE K F E AS STIVAL MILPIT kfestmilp r as Cmilpit JO @g stivalm kfe s ita DA ACCO RD itas ilp ON #GR @S H A BRAND N EW @gree W IN Calaveras Blvd. Abel St. Hwy 680 237 Weller Ln. N. Main St. Hwy 880 St. James Orthodox Church 195 North Main Street, Milpitas 95035 (Across from the Milpitas Public Library) SEPT. 14, 15 & 16 friday 6pm-10pm, saturday 12pm-10pm, sunday 12pm-8pm www.sjorthodox.org/festival
ST. JAMES ORTHODOX CHURCH PRESENTS Dear Friends of St. James Orthodox Church, The preparation of our 13th Annual Food Festival on September 14 September 16 has begun. As you all know, the expenses of running a festival for 3 days can be costly. For this reason, we are looking for support and donations for general items such as; food, drinks, rental fees for chairs, tables, games and other necessary items. I would like to donate the following: $25 $50 $75 $100 Other Please make all checks payable to: St. James Orthodox Church. You may also make a donation via Paypal by visitng our website at www.sjorthodox.org, or by using our credit card machine located in the church office. If you would like to donate supplies; including food, please contact one fo our board members. Please send all sponsor donations to address below or visit www.sjorthodox.org to donate online: St. James Orthodox Church 195 N. Main Street Milpitas, CA. 95035 Thank you so much for your support. It is the help of supporters like you that enables St. James Orthodox Church to make a difference and to exhibit the beautiful traditions of our cultures. All donations are tax deductible.
Item Amount Donated By Chicken Shawarma $450 Gyro $400 Kefta Meat A $350 Kefta Meat B $350 Chicken Kabob $500 Pork Souvlaki $200 Lamb Shanks $400 Falafel/Hummus $400 Rice & Salad $200 Utensils A $250 Already Donated Utensils B $250 Water $300 Already Donated Soda A $150 Already Donated Soda B $150 Already Donated Beer & Wine $500 Kanefeh $1300 Already Donated Ice cream/ice $300 Chairs, Tables, Dance Floor $1500 Games (Youth Section) $1500 Permits & Fees $3000 Advertising, Marketing, Prints $6000 Festival Wish-List Below is a list of only half of the expected expenses for our next festival, please help if you can. Thank you and God Bless! Festival this year will be on Sept. 14-16
Sponsored by St. James Orthodox Church 195 North Main Street Milpitas, California 95035 FESTIVAL AD BOOK FORM Please circle one of the following: 1/3 PAGE AD $50.00 MIDDLE 2 PAGES $800.00 1/2 PAGE AD $100.00 BACK COVER $1000 FULL PAGE AD $200.00 Ads may be for a business or personal (ex. In memory of, best wishes, good health or congratulations, etc ) NAME: TYPE OF AD PLEASE CHECK BOX: Business Personal Use my ad from last year MESSAGE: (If you would like a picture or a business card printed with your message below, please email it to festival@sjorthodox.org/) PHONE NUMBER: EMAIL ADDRESS: The application deadline is SEPTEMBER 4, 2018. But we suggest submitting it much sooner to allow time required to proof read and print. Please submit the application and your check, payable to St. James Orthodox Church. You may also make a payment on our website http://www.sjorthodox.org/festival AD BOOK COMMITTEE 195 N. MAIN ST. MILPITAS, CA 95035 For and questions, please call Joseph at (408) 449-7534 or email festival@sjorthodox.org 195 North Main Street, Milpitas, CA 95035 phone: (408) 934-1794 website: www.sjorthodox.org
VENDOR BOOTH APPLICATION BUSINESS NAME: OWNER/AGENT: CELL ( ) EMAIL ADDRESS: BUSINESS TYPE: (JEWELRY,BOOKS,TRAVEL,CANDLES,ETC.) I/WE HEREBY AGREE TO PAY IN ADVANCE A BOOTH FEE OF $250.00 FOR EACH BOOTH, WHICH IS COMPRISED OF 2 TABLES AND 2 CHAIRS UNDER A 10 X 10 CANOPY. A CHECK OR MONEY ORDER FOR THE AMOUNT, PAYABLE TO ST. JAMES ORTHODOX CHURCH, IS ENCLOSED WITH THIS APPLICATION. SIGNED DATE THE APPLICATION DEADLINE IS SEPTEMBER 9, 2018. BUT WE SUGGEST SUBMITTING YOUR PROPOSAL MUCH SOONER AS SPACE IS LIMITED. WE REQUIRE ALL VENDORS TO STAY OPEN FOR THE ENTIRE THREE DAYS. Festival will be open to the public at 6:00pm on Friday, September 14, so please provide yourself the necessary time to set up prior to opening. The event will conclude on Sunday, September 16 at 8pm. Visit www.sjorthodox.org/festival for more information. PLEASE SUBMIT THE SIGNED APPLICATION AND CHECK BY MAIL: ST. JAMES ORTHODOX CHURCH FOOD FESTIVAL 195 N. MAIN ST. MILPITAS, CA 95035 A California nonprofit organization tax id no. 91 2053330