APRIL 14, WE WILL BE MARCHING IN THE GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE, PLEASE JOIN US!
SAVE THE DATE! MAY 18, 2019
ST. JOHN'S IS PREPARING AN 80TH ANNIVERSARY JOURNAL AND AN EVENING GALA AT THALASSA RESTAURANT ON MAY 18, 2019 TO COMMEMORATE THIS GREAT ACHIEVEMENT AND TO HELP DEFRAY SOME OF THE COSTS OF THE RENOVATIONS WE PLAN TO DO THIS SUMMER. SO PLEASE BE PART OF THIS MONUMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT BY TAKING A PAGE IN OUR JOURNAL AND ATTENDING THE GALA.
THE GREEK DANCE CLASS ON WEDNESDAY AND BIBLE STUDY ON THURSDAY ARE IN SESSION. PLEASE CALL THE CHURCH OR ASK ANYONE AT THE CANDLE STAND FOR INFORMATION.
IF YOU HAVE NOT SENT IN THIS YEAR'S STEWARDSHIP PLEASE DO THAT TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!
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A MONK'S ADVENTURE
The blessings that the saint of our Church have bestowed upon us are infinite, and continually edify the Church. This is the message that St. Paul declares in his letters to the Churches he communicates with, that every gift from God to humanity is for the edification of the Church. One such gifted saint is chronicled in a book written by Archimandrite Vassilios Bakoyiannis entitled, "A MONK'S ADVENTURE: St. Symeon the Barefoot." The following is an excerpt taken from this excellent book. Enjoy!
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"St. Symeon's life was unique - even when compared to other saints. Truly 'God is wondrous in His saints' (Ps. 67:36). He was born in 1486, in one of the worst periods of Greek history It was the beginning of the Ottoman occupation, and shortly after the fall of the Constantinople in 1453. His presence was a divine gift to the enslaved Church.
PART ΙΙΙ
5. Symeon’s Death. His Miracles (...)
In early April of 1594 he was once again in Constantinople. His skeletal body could not endure any longer and a few days later (April 19th) he peacefully gave up his spirit, 'departing' in full radiance for the Heavens, to be there in eternal joy. Patriarch Jeremiah II (1586-1595), the clergy, and the people buried him in the church of the Theotokos, in Chalke. His tomb (yes, his tomb!) gave strength and life to the multitudes that ran to it (to his grave!) like bees to their bee-hive!
Two years after his death (1596) two to three monks from the monastery travelled to Constantinople to exhume his body and transport his holy relics to the place of his asceticism. During the exhumation, one of the technicians (tent maker), suffered from a very serious illness. Because of his illness, every time he coughed, he spit out phlegm that smelled incredibly awful! He ran and venerated the saint’s skull and he was immediately healed! The people seeing with their own eyes the miracle, started chanting 'Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.' (...).
When the relics were finally placed at the monastery, the fathers took his finger and went to Evia. They went to the town Oreon, where there was a very sick man. He could not digest his food! Because of this his face, stomach, hands and feet were all bloated. You could not tell that he was a human being. With all the strength he had, he went and venerated the relic of the saint, imploring the fathers of the monastery to come with the holy relic to his lowly home and to perform the holy water service (agiasmos). The fathers listened and went to his home. They placed the holy relic in the holy water. The sick man drank of the holy water and venerated the relic.
Immediately the miracle happened...! From the sick man’s body water, like a stream, began to pour forth and the smell was unbearable! His face, stomach, hands and feet began to deflate, taking on their original form. After this miracle the sick man gave all his money to the monastery. And not only that, but he also gave himself, becoming a monk at the Monastery!
Even the locals, when they saw with their own eyes the miracle that took place, with faith and reverence to the saint, gave from their poor livelihood whatever they could! Also, in memory of the miracle, in the city of Oreon, where the miracle took place, was founded a metochi of the Holy Monastery of Flamouri, which one can visit up to present day. (...) He loved the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his strength (Mk 12:30), and the Lord glorified him on earth and in Heaven. 'Saint of God intercede for us”' AMEN.