Welcome to our Parish

Welcome to St. John Chrysostome Greek Orthodox Church

We are a thriving community of 65 families, working to share the Orthodox Faith with the South Florida area. We try to balance our lives with both corporate and personal prayer, philanthropic works to our greater community and common meals together. Our goal is the progression towards the kingdom of God in this life, in loving our fellow man and seeing Christ in the person sitting next to us.

We are pleased that you have joined us today for worship. To receive Communion in the Orthodox Church, one must be Baptized and/or Chrismated in the Orthodox Faith. The Orthodox Church understands Holy Communion as the sign of unity. If you are interested in learning more about the Orthodox Faith, please contact Father Andrew. Whether you are an Orthodox Christian or not, please come forward at the dismissal to receive the blessed bread which is offered to everyone as you leave. May Christ's blessings be with all of you.

Dear Parishioners,

Christos Anesti!

I am pleased to share with you the attached correspondence from our Metropolitan Alexios describing the steps we should take to re-open our churches next weekend Sunday May 31st.

The Parish Council is working diligently to comply with all the requirements and recommendations which will make this a safe well-reasoned action. We will post signs at the church entrance reminding everyone who enters what they must do to remain safe. We will also follow up next week with a more abbreviated requirement list to make it as clear as we are able and as easy as possible to afford you the opportunity to get back into worship.

His Eminence has asked us to share with you these important guidelines so you will understand that the safety measures are for EVERYONE’S safety. He also asks us to explain to you that if you are in a high risk group or have someone at home that is in a high risk group, it is probably wiser and more prudent for you to remain home until everyone is more confident that everyone will be safe by our presence at worship.

I continue to pray for each one of you at every Divine Liturgy. Be assured that I am sincerely concerned for you and your well-being.

If you know of someone who needs help getting to the grocery store or to pick a prescription, please let us know. Also, there are many who are struggling at this time to make ends meet. If you know of someone in our Saint John’s Parish Family who needs financial assistance or groceries to get thru this, please let me know. I assure you that we will do everything in our power to help.

Truly He Is Risen!

+Father Andrew

May 13, 2020

My Beloved co-celebrants in the Lord, esteemed Parish council Presidents and members, Philoptochos Presidents and members, Reverend Monastics and faithful,

Χριστός ἀνέστη! Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη!
Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!

I greet you my beloved with love and joy in the name of our Resurrected Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I pray that this message finds you well, as we arrive to the mid-point of Pentecost!

Our society today is dealing with the pandemic of COVID-19, which is an infectious and deadly virus. We must consistently think about other people: relatives, co-workers, strangers--as well as ourselves, in order to create a safe society. In our great country, it is impossible for us all to be the same, for even the land, that we live in has mountains, valleys, small and large cities. Each place has different requirements and different rules to live by, for all to be safe...

To read the rest of His Eminence's letter and review the Metropolis protocols, please Ctrl +Click here.

***THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU ! TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN SENDING IN YOUR STEWARDSHIP, CANDLE MONEY AND DONATIONS BY REGULAR MAIL AND THROUGH THE DONATION BUTTONS ON OUR WEBSITE. YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT IS SINCERELY APPRECIATED AND VERY MUCH NEEDED, ESPECIALLY AT THIS TIME OF THE PANDEMIC CRISES. I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MUCH I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING ALL OF YOU AGAIN IN WORSHIP. YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT, MORAL AND FINANCIAL CONTINUES TO LIFT US UP, DESPITE THIS TRIALS CREATED BY THIS PANDEMIC. THANK YOU, AGAIN!

***IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO DO THAT YET, PLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO COMPLETE YOU STWARDSHIP PLEDGE, SUNDAY TRAY OFFEREINGS AND CANDLE MONEY TO THE CHURCH.

AN UPDATED STEWARDSHIP LIST IS INCLUDED BELOW. IN ORDER TO SEE YOUR NAME ON THE LIST OF STEWARDS, YOU MUST HAVE COMPLETED A STEWARDSHIP PLEDGE CARD AND WE MUST HAVE RECEIVED IT AT THE CHURCH TO INCLUDE YOU NAME ON THE LIST. WE THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND GENEROSITY. BASED ON OUR MOST CURRENT INFORMATION (FRIDAY, MAY 1st). THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE ARE PLEDGED STEWARDS OF SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM CHURCH:

STEWARDSHIP 2020

Alexandrou, Anna & Lazarus

Bakas, Pericles & Panagiota (Toula)

Bourlas, Manuel

Coury, Katherine

Dionisopoulos, Nick & Athanasia (Mimi)

Fitzer, Pamela (Tseklenis) & Peter

Ioannides, Nina Marie

Laskaris, John & Joanna

Lefco, Evelyn & Michael

King, Stephanie

Kokenos, Pericles

Denise Koltis & Sotiri Dushas

Koumas, Chrysanthe

Kuzemka, Nick & Carole

Lena, Joanne

Loizos, Helen

Mahalares, Father Andrew

Malliaroudakis, George & Doria

Manos, George

Menexis, Michael and Doris

Mihaltse, William & Diana

Monsma, Joel & Constance

Moulis, Peter & Helene

Moulis, Stephanie

Nakos, Peter & Anastasia (Annie)

Neamonitis, Nicholas & Thomae

Nickas, Aristides (Steve) & Barbara

Papadopoulos, Demetrios & Vie

Pappaconstantinou, Cynthia

Pappas, Steve & Rose Marie (Posie)

Pantazopoulos, Anthony & Katherine

Parasco, Odessefs & Mary

Petrides, Pat (Kyriaki)

Reams, Bill & Jodie

Siggelakis, Nikitas and Leona

Tambakis, John and JoAnn

Theodorakis, Marika

Tzellas, Chris

Wilshire, Maria & Alfred

Zafiropoulos, Despina (Debbie)

Zaimes, George & Dena

Saints and Feasts

May 24

Sunday of the Blind Man

The Lord Jesus was coming from the Temple on the Sabbath, when, while walking in the way, He saw the blind man mentioned in today's Gospel. This man had been born thus from his mother's womb, that is, he had been born without eyes (see Saint John Chrysostom, Homily LVI on Matthew; Saint Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book V:15; and the second Exorcism of Saint Basil the Great). When the disciples saw this, they asked their Teacher, "Who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?" They asked this because when the Lord had healed the paralytic at the Sheep's Pool, He had told him, "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee" (John 5:14); so they wondered, if sickness was caused by sin, what sin could have been the cause of his being born without eyes. But the Lord answered that this was for the glory of God. Then the God-man spat on the ground and made clay with the spittle. He anointed the eyes of the blind man and said to him, "Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam." Siloam (which means "sent") was a well-known spring in Jerusalem used by the inhabitants for its waters, which flowed to the eastern side of the city and collected in a large pool called "the Pool of Siloam."

Therefore, the Saviour sent the blind man to this pool that he might wash his eyes, which had been anointed with the clay-not that the pool's water had such power, but that the faith and obedience of the one sent might be made manifest, and that the miracle might become more remarkable and known to all, and leave no room for doubt. Thus, the blind man believed in Jesus' words, obeyed His command, went and washed himself, and returned, no longer blind, but having eyes and seeing. This was the greatest miracle that our Lord had yet worked; as the man healed of his blindness himself testified, "Since time began, never was it heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind," although the Lord had already healed the blind eyes of many. Because he now had eyes, some even doubted that he was the same person (John 9:8-9); and it was still lively in their remembrance when Christ came to the tomb of Lazarus, for they said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have caused that even this man should not have died?" Saint John Chrysostom gives a thorough and brilliant exposition of our Lord's meeting with the woman of Samaria, the healing of the paralytic, and the miracle of the blind man in his commentaries on the Gospel of Saint John.

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 Plagal First Mode

Let us worship the Word who is unoriginate * with the Father and the Spirit, and from a Virgin was born * for our salvation, O believers, and let us sing His praise. * For in His goodness He was pleased * to ascend the Cross in the flesh, and to undergo death, * and to raise up those who had died, * by His glorious Resurrection.

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.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Eighth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 20:11-18

At that time, Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that He had said these things to her.

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Plagal First Mode. Psalm 11.7,1.
You, O Lord, shall keep us and preserve us.
Verse: Save me, O Lord, for the godly man has failed.

The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 16:16-34.

IN THOSE DAYS, as we apostles were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by soothsaying. She followed Paul and us, crying, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation." And this she did for many days. But Paul was annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the rulers; and when they had brought them to the magistrates they said, "These men are Jews and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs which it is not lawful for us Romans to accept or practice." The crowd joined in attacking them; and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and every one's fetters were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out and said, "Men, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, with all his family. Then he brought them up into his house, and set food before them; and he rejoiced with all his household that he had believed in God.

Gospel Reading

Sunday of the Blind Man
The Reading is from John 9:1-38

At that time, as Jesus passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. We must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day; night comes, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." As he said this, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and anointed the man's eyes with the clay, saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar, said, "Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?" Some said, "It is he"; others said, "No, but he is like him." He said, "I am the man." They said to him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" He answered, "The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash'; so I went and washed and received my sight." They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know."

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. The Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, "He put clay on my eyes and I washed, and I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" There was a division among them. So they again said to the blind man, "What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet."

The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight, and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself." His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess him to be Christ he was to be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, "He is of age, ask him."

So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, "Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner." He answered, "Whether he is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see." They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" He answered them, "I have told you already and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you too want to become his disciples?" And they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." The man answered, "Why, this is a marvel! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." They answered him, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" And they cast him out.

Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, "Do you believe in the Son of man?" He answered, "And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?" Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and it is he who speaks to you." He said, "Lord, I believe"; and he worshiped him.

Wisdom of the Fathers

What could equal these souls? These men had been scourged, had received many, stripes, they had been misused, were in peril of their lives, were thrust into the inner prison, and set fast in the stocks: and for all this they did not suffer themselves to sleep, but kept vigil all the night. Do you mark what a blessing tribulation is? ...That the earthquake should not seem to have come of itself, there was this concurrent circumstance, bearing witness to it: "the doors were opened, and all their bonds were loosed." And it appears in the night-time; for the Apostles did not work for display, but for men's salvation...Here, they did but show the doors standing open, and it opened the doors of his heart, it loosed two sorts of chains; that (prisoner) kindled the (true) light; for the light in his heart was shining. "And he sprang in, and fell before them;" and he does not ask, How is this? What is this? but straightway he says, "What must I do to be saved?" What then answers Paul? "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thine house." (v. 31.) For this above all, wins men: that one's house also should be saved.

St. John Chrysostom

Homily 36 on Acts 16, 4th Century

But I assert that he even received benefit from his blindness: since he recovered the sight of the eyes within.

St. John Chrysostom

Homily 56 on John 9, 4th Century

St John's Prayer Circle

Please pray for our brothers and sisters in our Community and their families, and all those who are in need of our prayers.

William (Bill), Evangelos, Katherine (Dr. Mary's mother) Harry, Mirsini, Peter, Helen, Eleni, Becky, Mary D’Jay, Presbytera Helen, Fr. Constantine, Fr. Demetri Tsigas (Melbourne Priest), SAVAS, Kosta, Demetrios, Mary, Evangelia, Kyriakos (Charley), Danny, Peter, Kay, Linda, Chris, Diana, Tom and Family, Nick K, Maggie, Helen, Gena Mildner, Joanna, Constantina, Mimi, Virginia, Apostolos, Sophie, Joshua, Despina, Thomas, Jan, Aristides, Lucas, Baby Paul, Leona, Mary, Toula, Eleni, Phylitsa, George Edward, Efrosini, George, Stella, Phyllis, Irene, Georgia, Marcia, Sheila and Maureen, Laura, Sophia.

Liturgical Services

ALL SUNDAY SERVICES 9– 11:15 AM

MAY & JUNE SCHEDULE OF SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES

Thur. May 28th, ASCENSION THURSDAY, Orthros & Divine Liturgy, 9-11:30AM

Sun. May 31st Sunday, of Memorial Day Weekend, Orthros & Divine Liturgy, 9-11:30AM

( Hopefully, our first Sunday back in the church with participation by a limited number of our parishioners)

Sat. June 6th, SATURDAY OF SOULS Othros & Divine LIturgy, 9-11:30AM

(Names of deceased loved ones may be submitted to Father Andrew but Only ONE tray of Kolyva and NO KOLYVA may be distributed after services.)

Sun. June 7th, PENTECOST, Orthros and Divine Liturgy, 9-11:30AM; Kneeling prayers following Div. Liturgy

(The week following Pentecost is fast free...no fasting is required.)

Sun. June 14th, OF All Saints, Orthros and Divine Liturgy, 9-11:30AM

Sun. June 21st, Sunday, Orthros & Divine Liturgy, 9-11:30AM

Sun. June 28th, Sunday, Orthros & Divine LIturgy, 9-11:30AM

Mon. June 29th, Monday, Saints Peter & Paul, Orthros & Divine Liturgy, 9-11:30am

Stewardship

Stewardship is our response to God’s grace and moves us from grace to gratitude. Just as we love because God first loved us (John 4:14), we give because God first gave to us. The question of the Psalmist “What shall I give to the Lord in return for all His benefits towards me?” (Ps 116:2), is answered in every liturgy when the celebrant calls us to “offer ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.”

As Orthodox Christians, we see the world as God’s gift, as a sacrament of God’s presence and a means of communion with Him. And so we are able to offer the world back to God in thanksgiving as we say in every Divine Liturgy “Thine own of Thine own we offer to thee…”

In II Corinthians 9:7 we read “Each person should give what he/she has decided in his/her heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Consider your weekly expenditures on entertainment, coffee, etc. Keep in mind that the expenses of the Church increase every year. In order to grow our ministries and meet our expenses, stewardship contributions must also increase each year.

If you haven't yet completed your 2019 Pledge yet, please make every effort to do so before we bigne the task of encouraging you to make your pledge for 2020 and remind you to complete your pledge form and begin the fulfillment of the pledge you make (i.e. paying it all at one time or quarterly, monthly or weekly thoughout the coming the year).

You must have completed a Stewardship form and submitted it to be considered a Steward of Saint John's.

Please complete your Stewardship form for 2020

General Information

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