Welcome to our Parish

Welcome to St. John Chrysostome Greek Orthodox Church

We are a thriving community of 70 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.

IF YOU WISH TO HELP SAINT JOHN'S, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DO SO AS YOUR HEART DICTATES AFTER PERSONAL PRAYER AND REFLECTION, ACCORDING TO THE BLESSINGS WHICH GOD HAS BESTOWED UPON YOU. You may do so in person at a worship service, on line through out website, or by mailing your contribution to the church.

I am sure you realize that the current pandemic has created a reduction in our income. We require $10.5-12,000 to meet our monthly expenses, including the mortgage and priest. Any extra help you can provide at this time will be greatly appreciated.

The Parish Leadership (Parish Council and Priest) thanks you in advance for your love, thoughtfulness and continued generosity.

ON THE HUMOROUS SIDE ?!

Senior Citizens are constantly being criticized for every conceivable deficiency of the modern world, real or imaginary. We know we take responsibility for all we have done and do not try to blame others.

HOWEVER, upon reflection, we would like to point out that it was NOT senior citizens who took:

The melody out of music, The pride out of appearance,

The courtesy out of driving, The romance out of love,

The togetherness out of the family, The learning out of education,

The Golden Rule from rulers, The Nativity Scene out of cities,

The civility out of behavior, The refinement out of language,

The dedication out of employment, The prudence out of spending,

The ambition out of achievement or GOD out of government and School

And we cerertainly are NOT the ones who elimindated PATIENCE and

TOLERANCE from personal relationships and interactions with others.

We DO understand the meaningof Patriotism, and we remember

those who have fought...and died for our country.

YES, I'M A SENIOR CITIZEN!

I'm the life of the party....Even if it only lasts until 8pm.

I'm very good at opening childproof caps...with a hammer.

I'm awake many hours before my body allows me to get up.

I'm smiling all the time.........because I can't hear a thing you're saying.

I'm sure everything I can't find is in a safe, secure place.....somewhere.

I'm wrinkled, saggy, lumpy,

And that's just my left leg.

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

Yes, I'm a SENIOR CITIZEN and I think I am having the time of my life!

Now, if I could only remember who sent this to me, I wouldn't send it back to them.

Or, maybe I should send it to all my friends anyway. They won't remember, even if they did send it.

SPREAD THE LAUGHTER AND SHARE THE CHEER;

LET'S BE HAPPY, WHILE WE'RE HERE!

(PS I received this thru Facebook from a former parishioner of mine in Manchester, NH. I thought it was great! Unfortunately, she couldn't remember who sent it to her.)

Saints and Feasts

September 27

Mark, Aristarchos, and Zenon, Apostles of the 70

September 27

Callistratus the Martyr & his 49 Companions

These Martyrs contested for the Faith during the reign of Diocletian, in the year 288. Saint Callistratus was arrested as a Christian, and after being tormented, was enclosed in a sack and cast into the sea. The sack burst, and the Saint came to dry land safe and sound. Forty-nine soldiers, seeing this, also confessed Christ, and with him were cast into prison, then beheaded.

Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Grave Mode

By means of Your Cross, O Lord, You abolished death. * To the robber You opened Paradise. * The lamentation of the myrrhbearing women You transformed, * and You gave Your Apostles the order to proclaim to all * that You had risen, O Christ our God, * and granted the world Your great mercy.

Apolytikion for Martyr Callistratus & his Companions in the Fourth Mode

Thy Martyrs, O Lord, in their courageous contest for Thee received as the prize the crowns of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal God. For since they possessed Thy strength, they cast down the tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons' strengthless presumption. O Christ God, by their prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Second Mode

O Protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, mediation unto the creator most constant: O despise not the voices of those who have sinned; but be quick, O good one, to come unto our aid, who in faith cry unto thee: Hasten to intercession and speed thou to make supplication, O thou who dost ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honor thee.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Fifth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Luke 24:13-35

At that time, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see." And he said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, but they constrained him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?" And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, who said, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Grave Mode. Psalm 28.11,1.
The Lord will give strength to his people.
Verse: Bring to the Lord, O sons of God, bring to the Lord honor and glory.

The reading is from St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians 6:1-10.

Brethren, working together with him, we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, "At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation." Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in any one's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watching, hunger; by purity, knowledge, forbearance, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Gospel Reading

1st Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 5:1-11

At that time, as Jesus was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." For he was astonished, and all who were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men." And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Wisdom of the Fathers

There is an old saying: 'Excesses meet.' Too much fasting and too much eating come to the same end. Keeping too long a vigil brings the same disastrous cost as ... sluggishness... Too much self-denial brings weakness and induces the same condition as carelessness. Often I have seen men who would not be snared by gluttony fall, nevertheless, through immoderate fasting and tumble in weakness into the very urge which they had overcome. Unmeasured vigils and foolish denial of rest overcame those whom sleep could not overcome. Therefore, 'fortified to right and to left in the armor of justice,' as the apostle says (2 Cor. 6:7), life must be lived with due measure and, with discernment for a guide, the road must be traveled between the two kinds of excess so that in the end we may not allow ourselves to be diverted from the pathway of restraint which has been laid down for us nor fall through dangerous carelessness into the urgings of gluttony and self-indulgence.

St. John Cassian

Conferences, Conference Two: On Discernment no. 16; Paulist Press pg. 76, 5th 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.

Mary P.,Yianni T., Joel M., William (Bill), Evangelos, Harry, Mirsini, Peter, Helen, Eleni, Becky, Mary D’Jay, Presbytera Helen, Fr. Constantine, 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, 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

(Unless otherwise noted)

SEPTEMBER SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES

Sept. 27th, Sun., Orthros and Divine LIturgy, 9-11AM

HOLY COMMUNION

We will continue to administer Holy Communion as we had been doing, with a single spoon. You will come up to the Chalice, keeping your 6 feet distancing ( there will be tape on the floor to assist you. You should not touch the spoon or the cloth. You will tilt your head back and Father Andrew will tip the spoon to empty the Body and Blood of Christ from the spoon into your mouth. Those who are unable to come up to the Chalice, should remain in their seats and Father Andrew will come to you.

"I'M QUITTING THIS CHURCH.....IT'S FULL OF SINNERS"

There was a young man who approached the priest and said: "Father, i don't think I'll be coming to this church again."

The priest was a little taken aback. He asked the young man why he had made this decision.

The young man replied, "When I come here to this church, I see women gossiping, the one next to me is sleeping, another one doesn't read well and the chanters sometimes argue amongst themselves. And, during the service, someone else is fiddling with their phone, not to mention the selfish behavior when they leave the church and race for the coffee hour."

-"You're right" said the priest. "But before you finally leave church, please do me a favor. Take this votive candle and circle the temple three times phone, not to mention without spilling a single drop of oil. Then you can leave"

"Only that? Okay!" said the young man.

He did three rounds as requested by the priest. After circling the three times with the oil candle in his hand, he said: "Father, I completed the task you gave me."

The priest then asked him: "When you were circling the church, did you notice anyone gossiping?" "Nope", replied the young man.

The priest then said, "Do you know why?....You were focused on the candle so you wouldn't spill the oil. It's also that way in our lives. When our hearts gather in Christ, we don't have time to look at other people's mistakes or "sins" Those who leave the Church because of their sins or of their brothers and sisters, surely did NOT enter in for Christ"

"For those who have ears to hear, let them hear!"

MOST CURRENT STEWARDSHIP LIST WILL BE INCLUDED IN NEXT WEEK'S BULLETIN

General Information

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