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St. George Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2017-05-14
Bulletin Contents
Hymns of the Day
Saints and Feasts
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Wisdom of the Fathers
Parish News and Events
Therapon
Organization Icon
St. George Greek Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (661) 325-8694
  • Fax:
  • (661)325-8694
  • Street Address:

  • 401 Truxtun Avenue

  • Bakersfield, CA 93301
  • Mailing Address:

  • 401 Truxtun Avenue

  • Bakersfield, CA 93301

Contact Information

Website / Email Editor

editor@ourparish.us | 661-325-8694

Services Schedule

Sundays:

Orthros - 9:00 a.m.

Divine Liturgy - 10:00 a.m.

Weekdays:

Evening Vespers - 6:30 p.m.

Calendar

Past Bulletins


Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion of Great and Holy Pascha in the Plagal First Mode

Christ is risen from the dead, by death, trampling down upon death, and to those in the tombs He has granted life.

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Fourth Mode

Having learned the joyful proclamation of the Resurrection from the Angel, and having cast off the ancestral condemnation, the women disciples of the Lord spake to the Apostles exultantly: Death is despoiled and Christ God is risen, granting great mercy to the world.

Apolytikion for Mid-Pentecost in the Plagal Fourth Mode

At Mid-feast give Thou my thirsty soul to drink of the waters of piety; for Thou, O Saviour, didst cry out to all: Whosoever is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Wherefore, O Well-spring of life, Christ our God, glory be to Thee.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal Fourth Mode

Though You went down into the tomb, You destroyed Hades' power, and You rose the victor, Christ God, saying to the myrrh-bearing women, "Hail!" and granting peace to Your disciples, You who raise up the fallen.
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Saints and Feasts

Therapon
May 14

Holy Hieromartyr Therapontus

Jcsamwom
May 14

Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

One of the most ancient cities of the Promised Land was Shechem, also called Sikima, located at the foot of Mount Gerazim. There the Israelites had heard the blessings in the days of Moses and Jesus of Navi. Near to this town, Jacob, who had come from Mesopotamia in the nineteenth century before Christ, bought a piece of land where there was a well. This well, preserved even until the time of Christ, was known as Jacob's Well. Later, before he died in Egypt, he left that piece of land as a special inheritance to his son Joseph (Gen. 49:22). This town, before it was taken into possession by Samaria, was also the leading city of the kingdom of the ten tribes. In the time of the Romans it was called Neapolis, and at present Nablus. It was the first city in Canaan visited by the Patriarch Abraham. Here also, Jesus of Navi (Joshua) addressed the tribes of Israel for the last time. Almost three hundred years later, all Israel assembled there to make Roboam (Rehoboam) king.

When our Lord Jesus Christ, then, came at midday to this city, which is also called Sychar (John 4:5), He was wearied from the journey and the heat, and He sat down at this well. After a little while the Samaritan woman mentioned in today's Gospel passage came to draw water. As she conversed at some length with the Lord and heard from Him secret things concerning herself, she believed in Him; through her many other Samaritans also believed.

Concerning the Samaritans we know the following: In the year 721 before Christ, Salmanasar (Shalmaneser), King of the Assyrians, took the ten tribes of the kingdom of Israel into captivity, and relocated all these people to Babylon and the land of the Medes. From there he gathered various nations and sent them to Samaria. These nations had been idolaters from before. Although they were later instructed in the Jewish faith and believed in the one God, they worshipped the idols also. Furthermore, they accepted only the Pentateuch of Moses, and rejected the other books of Holy Scripture. Nonetheless, they thought themselves to be descendants of Abraham and Jacob. Therefore, the pious Jews named these Judaizing and idolatrous peoples Samaritans, since they lived in Samaria, the former leading city of the Israelites, as well as in the other towns thereabout. The Jews rejected them as heathen and foreigners, and had no communion with them at all, as the Samaritan woman observed, "the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans" (John 4:9). Therefore, the name Samaritan is used derisively many times in the Gospel narrations. After the Ascension of the Lord, and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the woman of Samaria was baptized by the holy Apostles and became a great preacher and Martyr of Christ; she was called Photine, and her feast is kept on February 26.

Allsaint
May 14

Holy New Martyrs Mark and John

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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Fourth Mode. Psalm 103.24,1.
O Lord, how manifold are your works. You have made all things in wisdom.
Verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 11:19-30.

IN THOSE DAYS, those apostles who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to none except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number that believed turned to the Lord. News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad; and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a large company was added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church, and taught a large company of people; and in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians. Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabos stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world; and this took place in the days of Claudius. And the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brethren who lived in Judea, and they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

Gospel Reading

Sunday of the Samaritan Woman
The Reading is from John 4:5-42

At that time, Jesus came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as he was with his journey, sat down beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.

There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?" Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."

Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband; this you said truly." The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain; and you say that Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that the Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he."

Just then his disciples came. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but none said, "What do you wish?" or, "Why are you talking with her?" So the woman left her water jar, and went away into the city and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" They went out of the city and were coming to him.

Meanwhile the disciples besought him, saying "Rabbi, eat." But he said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." So the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought him food?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for harvest. He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."

Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony. "He told me all that I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard ourselves, and we know that this is indeed Christ the Savior of the world."

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Wisdom of the Fathers

THE persecution turned out to be no slight benefit as "to them that love God all things work together for good." (Rom. viii. 28.) If they had made it their express study how best to establish the Church, they would have done no other thing than this--they dispersed the teachers.[*] Mark in what quarters the preaching was extended. "They travelled," it says, "as far as Phenice and Cyprus and Antioch; to none however did they preach the word but to Jews only." Dost thou mark with what wise purposes of Providence so much was done in the case of Cornelius? This serves both to justify Christ, and to impeach the Jews. When Stephen was slain, when Paul was twice in danger, when the Apostles were scourged, then the Gentiles received the word, then the Samaritans. Which Paul also declares: "To you it was necessary that the Word of God should first be spoken; but since ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy, lo, we turn unto the Gentiles." (ch. xiii. 46.)..."And the hand of the Lord," it says, "was with them," that is, they wrought miracles; "and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord." (v. 21.) Do you mark why now also there was heed of miracles (namely) that they might believe? "Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch." (v. 22.) What may be the reason that, when such a city received the word, they did not come themselves? Because of the Jews. But they send Barnabas. However, it is no small part of the providential management even so that Paul comes to be there. It is both natural, and it is wisely ordered, that they are averse to him, and (so) that Voice of the Gospel, that Trumpet of heaven, is not shut up in Jerusalem..."And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch." (v. 26.) Verily this is the reason why it was there they were appointed to be called Christians, because Paul there spent so long time!
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 25 on Acts 11, 4th Century

The example of the good Samaritan shows that we must not abandon those in whom even the faintest amount of faith is still alive.
St. Ambrose of Milan
Two Books of St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, Concerning Repentance, Chapter 11

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Parish News and Events

Follow us on:

Facebook Link 

 

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Sunday School

Thank you teachers! Graduation May 21st followed by fun activities in the park after lunch.

Hope & Joy

Will be celebrating the end of the year with Sunday School on may 21st. 

Save the date

Spring General Assembly May 21st.  Please plan on attending.

Handicap Parking

New blue painted Handicap parking space on U street:  You must have either a Special Handicap Placard on display or a Handicap License Plate 

Drivers needed to take parishioners to church and return them home.  Fr. Joseph has contact information of our beloved shut-ins. 

One Open Seat on Parish Council:  If you are interested in serving on the Parish Council this year please see Fr. Joseph or Danny.

Next Parish Council Meeting is May 25th  at 7 p.m.

Other News

Mochas for Missions is continuing! Please pick up a marked container (yes, it's a coffee cup) and consider forgoing your coffee at least once each week (or other drink if you do not drink coffee) and placing that money in the container. All money collected goes to our Metropolis Missions and Evangelism programs to help beginning parishes. It is estimated that if every family in our community participates in the program and places $5 a week into the cup - by Pentecost that family will have collected at least $60 if not more. Multiply that by the number of families we have and we could generate $6000 for Missions - not bad from the little community of Bakersfield. Please consider Mochas for Missions as part of your alms-giving for the Pentecostal Seasons. 

Coffee Hour Opportunities

The new calendar for coffee hour schedule is up in the hall. Each family please sign up for a Sunday. 

Philoptochos News 

The new Philoptochos newsletter is available! You can find it on our church website or you can pick up a copy at church. It covers our latest news and events for the coming months.

New Narthex Policy

Please enter the church and find a seat to hear the sermon rather than waiting in the Narthex.

Bookstore

Come by and check out the new merchandise that just arrived from the Holy Land.

Faith Tree Lion Heart

Mens focus group will be at Evangelos Demestihas’ house. Dates are TBA. Please RSVP in order to attend. Meetings will be at 1710 Greenhaven, 93312. Contact Evangelos if interested in attending.  

Parishioner Visits

Helen Kemper is currently at Hallmark Homes, 2001 Akers, Room 223. Please find some time to go and visit her. The facility number is 831-7147.

Bakersfield Homeless Center Volunteers

The third Monday of each month, we as a community under the direction of the Philoptochos, will be volunteering to serve on the dinner line at the Bakersfield Homeless Center. This will be a coordinated effort and we ask you to sign up with Elaine Dorlis so we know that enough volunteers will be there. We need 6-8 volunteers each month.
In order to serve, you will need to sign a liability form from BHC (Elaine will have these - 1 per family is all that is needed), volunteers must be 12 years of age or older and our service hours are 4:00-6:00.
We ask that you arrive between 3:45 and 4:00 if possible as the first service is at 4:00 for single men, followed by a 4:30 service for single women, a short 30 min break followed by the family service at 5:30.  This is a wonderful opportunity to show service to our greater community at large and help those who are less fortunate just down the street from our church. You can also email Elaine at elainedorlis1@gmail.com. Please sign up for May 15th  & June 19th CURRENTLY NO ONE IS SIGNED UP.

Dear Parishioners

Sundays should be set aside for quality time with God, our Church and Family.  This is true for the Priest, Parish Secretary and Parish Council.  Please let us try to address church business and make appointments during the week during office hours, and not wait until Sunday to address these matters.  For the generous providers of Coffee Hour, please arrange all meal preparation so that everyone is attending Divine Liturgy. The hall will always be open at least one hour before Divine Liturgy begins, as well as the evening before from 6:30 to 7:30.

Hall Reservation System

There will be a new system to reserve the hall for any church functions or activities. Everyone must communicate with Annette 599-5455 or Sahar if you will be using the hall anytime to be placed on the calendar. This includes groups that meet on a regular basis or for any event. Thank you for your cooperation.

Anyone using the hall during the week, please make sure you turn off all lights, coffee maker and the hall is left clean.

Prosphora Offering

When making the Prosphora, please make 1 large for the Sunday service and 2 small loaves for mid week. Please make arrangements with Sahar or Despina to bring the offering Saturday night.

Prosphora Schedule 

5/14 Mary Mekhel, 5/21 Olympia Hackleman, 5/28 Basema Madain, 6/4 Nahla Demestihas, 6/11 Sahar Ayoub, 6/18 Elaine Dorlis, 6/25 Basema Madain.

Narthex Ushers

5/14 Osama & Michael, 5/21 Youth Group, 5/28 Manny, 6/4 Danny & Ken, 6/11 James & Mary, 6/18 Tom, 6/25 Vago & Annette. Thank you. 

 Endowment

Honor your loved ones birthday and or anniversary by making a contribution to the Endowment Fund in their name. Make checks payable to St. George Church and write Endowment Fund on the memo line. Distributions from the fund will benefit the youth and maintenance needs of the Parish. For more information contact a Parish Council Member. 
Thank you.

Services this Week

SUN- 8:30 a.m. Orthros, 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy

MON  -Office Closed

TUES-6:30Vespers

WED- 6:30 Vespers, Faith Class immediately to follow.
THURS- 6:30 p.m. Vespers

FRI- 6:30 p.m. Vespers

SAT- 6:30 p.m. Vespers

 

Father Joseph's Office Hours

Tuesday-Thursday from 1:30-7:30

About Communion

If you are a visitor and planning to take Holy Communion, please inform one of our ushers ahead of time. During Communion, parents with infants, and Sunday School Teachers should be first in line to receive Communion. All Christians Orthodox and Non-Orthodox are invited to come up to receive Blessed Bread (Antidoron) at the end of the service. However, present Church guidelines allow that only baptized and confirmed Eastern Orthodox Christians (who have properly prepared) may approach to receive Holy Communion. Thank you.

Religious Education

Sunday School

Sunday school lesson 21. Final Lesson of the year.

Youth Group/GOYA

If you have any questions about youth group please contact Stephen and Nicole Strategos.

Greek School

Greek School, with focus on conversational Greek, Greek orthodox hymns, and the Greek culture, held on Sundays will continue through the Summer.   Books endorsed by the Metropolis are available but not necessary.  Come and join us for fellowship while learning the Greek language.   Contact Olympia at 972-0411 with any questions. 

Friday Greek school hours are 4:30-6:30. Please contact Kathy Exarchoulakos if interested. 

HOPE/JOY 

This group is for kindergartners (5 years old and up) to 6th graders. Contact Jenny or James Dean for more information.

Theft of Locks

To avoid ongoing theft of our locks on the gates and trash bins, please do not leave them in the unlocked open position hanging on the hook or gate.

Welcome New Parish Members

Prayers/Thanksgiving

Glory to God for His Bountiful Blessings

Prayers needed.  Please add to your daily prayers for:

Our brothers & sisters unable to attend: 

Marika Psihoundas, Mary Valos, Maria Sporaa.Healing: Michael George, Marika, Victor, Helen K., Irene, Mary, Mary, Gus, Serephima, and others in our parish.

Those who are traveling

Orthodox-Dan S., Monica, Yorgos K, Giorgos, Anna,Angela, Antonia, Stelios, Petros, Anne, Anna, Leonid, Mariyka, Archalia,Natalie, Eva,Eleni K.,Efstratios, Ourania, Christopher, Alice, Suha,Abla, Jennifer, Tom, Gabriela,Ion,Danny,Nadia, Niko, Musa Daoud, Vasiliki, Theodore, Achilles, Vasiliki, Elizabeth, Labrini, Bert & Louise Moosios,Olympia,Margarita, Seraphim, Mary, Tika,Maria Sporaa, Athina, Helen, Gerry Collis, Nektarios,Marika, Louis Strousos,Bessie Mattly, Noah A., Nick A.,Nick K., Kyriaki,Gus Huntalas, Fred, Hannah, Irene Sinopole, Helen Protopapas, Candess Strategos,Gene, Kathy, Sofia, Clemy (Clementina), Jane, and Matthew.

Non-Orthodox -Pamela Y., Debbie, Emmitt, Donna,Steve, Richard,Donald, Christina, Eva, Dominic,Gaby Garcia,Romona, Elea, Graysen Astumian, Marie,Michelle, Irma,  Julie, Greg, Allyson, Eric, Margaret, Valerie, Martha Rogers, Helen Kemper, Joseph, Stephen, Elizabeth,Ellen, Ling, Richard, Christine & David, Debby.

Catechumen: Paul & Kyriaki.

 

Anniversaries             

  • 5/4 Luis & Angela Becerra 
  • 5/9 John & Anna Vlahos
  • 5/20 Yohannes Mesfin & Fantanesh Birehanu
  • 5/31 Stephen & Nicole Strategos 

Birthdays 

  • 4/27Evanthia Chaffee
  • 4/28 Mark Pearse
  • 4/29 Cahon Grens
  • 5/1 Georgia Drulias
  • 5/2 Eva Lance
  • 5/3 Dimitri Dorlis
  • 5/8 Amy Murray
  • 5/8 Savannah Hansen
  • 5/9 Shea Saunders
  • 5/12 Christina Thabit
  • 5/12 Nahom George
  • 5/12 Zachary Ryan
  • 5/12 Elyse Bychek
  • 5/17 Yannis Exarchoulakos
  • 5/18 Eleni Southerd
  • 5/19 Elpida Chaffee
  • 5/25 Lorece Cisneros
  • 5/26 Elaine Dorlis
  • 5/26 Mattie Saunders
  • 5/26 Samuel Mesfin
  • 5/27 Anne Drulias
  • 5/29 Tanya Al-Sheikh
  • 5/29 Loula Koutroulis
  • 5/31 Zoe Cornett

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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