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Saint John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2023-12-03
Bulletin Contents
Schedule of Services
Stewardship News
News & Events
Assembly of Bishops News
Saints and Feasts
Gospel and Epistle Readings
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Saint John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • 408.605.0621
  • Street Address:

  • 9th and Lincoln

  • Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
  • Mailing Address:

  • PO Box 5808

  • Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921

Contact Information

Priest: Father Ion Coman


fatherion@gmail.com | 408.605.0621

Services Schedule

 

Weekend services: the weekend schedule is fixed for most of the year. The services take place in Carmel-by-the-Sea, at All Saints Church, lower level, 9th and Lincoln.

Saturdays: 5:00pm Vespers

Sundays:   8:30am Matins

                   9:45am Liturgy

Week-day services: during the week we may celebrate the major feast days of the Church either in Carmel or in Salinas. Please check the calendar! The schedule pattern is:

Wednesdays:  6:00pm Paraklesis

Eve of feasts: 6:00pm Vespers

Feast days:    8:30am Matins

                       9:45am Liturgy

Past Bulletins


Schedule of Services

Note: our services are posted on Zoom unless specified otherwise.       

Friday, December 1
    6:00pm  Vespers + Liturgy
Saturday, December 2   Saint Porphyrios (since 2013)
    5:00pm  Vespers
Sunday, December 3   Parish Assembly/  PC Elections
    8:30am  Matins
    9:45am  Liturgy
    12:15 Parish Assembly and Parish Council Elections
    11:30am  Angel Tags, Tree Trim...
Monday, December 4   Saint Barbara the Great Martyr
    9:00am  Church University: Prayers and Bible Study (online)
    12:00pm  PPE meeting
    7:00pm  Missions and Evangelism Committee
Tuesday, December 5
    9:00am  Church University: Prayers and Bible Study (online)
    10:00am  Book Forum
    4:00pm  IHELP - Ladies
    6:00pm  Vespers + Liturgy
    7:00pm  Vespers at St. Nicholas Church in San Jose
Wednesday, December 6   Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker
    8:30am  Orthros + Liturgy @ St. Nicholas Church in San Jose
    9:00am  Church University: Prayers and Bible Study (online)
    6:00pm  Akathist to Saint Nicholas
    6:45pm  Catechism Class
Thursday, December 7
    9:00am  Church University: Prayers and Bible Study (online)
    7:00pm  Orthodoxy 101: Journey to Fullness
Friday, December 8
    9:00am  Church University: Prayers and Bible Study (online)
    6:00pm  Vespers + Liturgy
Saturday, December 9  Conception by Saint Anna of the Mother of God
    5:00pm  Vespers
Sunday, December 10
    8:30am  Matins
    9:45am  Liturgy

For more information, go to  //www.stjohn-monterey.org/parish-calendar

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News & Events

FALL PARISH ASSEMBLY/ ELECTION OF PC MEMBERS THIS SUNDAY

This Sunday will be our Fall Parish Assembly beginning immediately following the Liturgy and  Fellowship Lunch. Among the exciting things to be presented are:

+ Election of 2024 Parish Council Members

+ Proposed Budget for 2024

+ 2023 Stewardship Report

+ Progress in Developing the Updated Strategic Plan

+ Update on Selling the Park Street Property

There will also be an opportunity for open discussion and asking your questions.

We will also hold election of our 2024 Parish Council members. 

Please join us as we learn more about our parish endeavors.


ORTHODOXY 101: A JOURNEY TO FULLNESS - DATE CHANGE

A ministry led by Angela Wagoner

JOURNEY TO FULLNESS: An Introduction to the Fullness of the Original Christian Faith

The Journey to Fullness presentations and small group discussions are offered via Zoom on Fridays from 7pm. Always check the schedule online for this week.

Our next class will meet on Monday, November27.

This Friday, Episode 9:

When We Say God (Part 1)

Adult Education


WELCOMING AND HOSPITALITY: SERVING THIS SUNDAY

A Ministry led by Angelina Taylor

Thank you for your effort and participation in bringing a dish to share for our Agape Meal. If you cannot participate when it is your turn, kindly let Angelina know in advance so she can make other arrangements.  

December 3
   Parish Council: Dr. Michael Bachik
   Greeter: Sherri Darpinian
   Fellowship Gratitude Meal: PINK TEAM- Thank you to Maria, Rania, Nadia, Tana, and Presbytera Ana

December 10
   Parish Council: Mary Kanalakis
   Greeter: Elaine Hustedt
   Fellowship Gratitude Meal: ORANGE TEAM - Thank you to Mimi, Mary, Marissa, and Melanie

Community


OUTREACH MINISTRIES

FOOD BANK:

 A Ministry led by Despina Hatton

We serve on the SECOND Tuesday of each month, 9:30 -10:30am. Our next turn is on Tuesday, December 12. Location: St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Seaside. Sign up HERE

                    +   +   +

LADIES I-HELP

A Ministry led by Despina Hatton and sponsored by our Stewardship

We are blessed to offer dinner and hospitality to the ladies. Our next dinner is on Tuesday, December 5. Please Sign up HERE to take this opportunity to serve: Cooking - 4-5pm, Dinner with the ladies - 5-6pm. Plan to stay for prayers in the chapel after dinner

We are also adding a meal preparation on the fifth Thursday of the month (which will happen only 4 times in 2024). We will make a meal and take it to the iHelp ladies in Seaside. If you can help, the next preparation will be Thursday, November 30. Please contact Despina for serving on that day.

Community


FELLOWSHIP MINISTRIES: LADIES' NIGHT OUT THIS WEEK

A Ministry led by Ali and Marissa Castaneda

  • Men's Night Out: Thursday, December 14. 

  • Women's Night Out: Thursday, TBD.

Community


CHURCH UNIVERSITY: STUDY of the BOOK of PSALMS

A Ministry led by Father Ion

This week: Psalm 50, verse by verse.

Worship, Education, Community


ADULT EDUCATION/CATECHISM CLASS

A Ministry led by Father Ion

All are invited to deepen the knowledge of the Orthodox faith. We meet in person from 6:45pm, after the 6pm service on Wednesdays, subject to other events in our community. Join the class for learning and fellowship! The class is also posted on Zoom unless otherwise specified in the community schedule/ calendar.

Living the Gospel, Community


BOOK FORUM

A Ministry Led by Kathy Shaw

Meeting every Wednesdays, 10 am, Zoom only.

NOTE: Next week's meeting has been moved to Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 10. 

We will be discussing  Living According to God's Will, a rich, stimulating and edifying short text. Order your copy online from HERE.

Brief review: "The task of man’s earthly life is preparing himself for eternal salvation and blessedness. To attain this, a man must live in a holy and pure manner - that is, according to God’s will." In this short but incisive treatise the reader is guided on a spiritual journey that begins with the awakening of conscience and the realization of the presence of both sin and virtue in the world, culminating in a union with God: that is “a living, personal relationship with the one we love.” In following the path of this ascent, the author delineates many of its markers and stresses that these have both personal and societal aspects. This book is suitable for both private reading and group study. Questions for discussion or contemplation are interspersed throughout this edition. A short biography of the author is also included.

Adult Education, Community


ONLINE RESOURCES

Most of our services and some ministry meetings are available online.
Witness remotely:
  1. Zoom with video here.
  2. By phone dial - add the following string to your address book: 16699006833,,9475885646#,,,,*871732#
Liturgical texts at Ages Initiatives here. Select the date and the service of interest. Then, choose pdf if you want to print, or DCS for viewing on the screen (which also has a night mode).
Lighting Candles remotely is possible through our Light a Candle website. Click this link: Light a Candle

 


OUR AUDIO AND VIDEO ARCHIVES

The Audio/Video Ministry is led by Hussam Ibrahim

  • Daily services, reflections and homilies video.
  • Sunday homilies video and archives prior to June 1, 2020 audio.
  • Sunday homilies audio.

Organization and Leadership 


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Saints and Feasts

Blindboy
December 03

14th Sunday of Luke

Zephania
December 03

The Holy Prophet Sophonias (Zephaniah)

This Prophet, who is ninth in order among the minor Prophets, was the son of Chusi (Cushi), from the tribe of Levi, or according to some, the great-grandson of King Hezekias. He prophesied in the years of Josias, who reigned in the years 641-610 before Christ. His book of prophecy is divided into three chapters. His name means "Yah has concealed."

Barbara1
December 04

Barbara the Great Martyr

Saint Barbara was from Heliopolis of Phoenicia and lived during the reign of Maximian.

She was the daughter of a certain idolater named Dioscorus. When Barbara came of age, she was enlightened in her pure heart and secretly believed in the Holy Trinity. About this time Dioscorus began building a bath-house; before it was finished he was required to go away to attend to certain matters, and in his absence Barbara directed the workmen to build a third window in addition to the two her Father had commanded. She also inscribed the sign of the Cross with her finger upon the marble of the bath-house, leaving the saving sign cut as deeply into the marble as if it had been done with an iron tool. (When the Synaxarion of Saint Barbara was written, the marble of the bath-house and the cross inscribed by Saint Barbara were still preserved, and many healings were worked there.) When Dioscorus returned, he asked why the third window had been added; Barbara began to declare to him the mystery of the Trinity. Because she refused to renounce her faith, Dioscorus tortured Barbara inhumanely, and after subjecting her to many sufferings he beheaded her with his own hands, in the year 290.

Nicholas
December 06

Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra

This Saint lived during the reign of Saint Constantine the Great, and reposed in 330, As a young man, he desired to espouse the solitary life. He made a pilgrimage to the holy city Jerusalem, where he found a place to withdraw to devote himself to prayer. It was made known to him, however, that this was not the will of God for him, but that he should return to his homeland to be a cause of salvation for many. He returned to Myra, and was ordained bishop. He became known for his abundant mercy, providing for the poor and needy, and delivering those who had been unjustly accused. No less was he known for his zeal for the truth. He was present at the First Ecumenical Council of the 318 Fathers at Nicaea in 325; upon hearing the blasphemies that Arius brazenly uttered against the Son of God, Saint Nicholas struck him on the face. Since the canons of the Church forbid the clergy to strike any man at all, his fellow bishops were in perplexity what disciplinary action was to be taken against this hierarch whom all revered. In the night our Lord Jesus Christ and our Lady Theotokos appeared to certain of the bishops, informing them that no action was to be taken against him, since he had acted not out of passion, but extreme love and piety. The Dismissal Hymn for holy hierarchs, The truth of things hath revealed thee to thy flock ... was written originally for Saint Nicholas. He is the patron of all travellers, and of sea-farers in particular; he is one of the best known and best loved Saints of all time.

Anna
December 09

The Conception by St. Anna of the Most Holy Theotokos

According to the ancient tradition of the Church, since Saint Anna, the Ancestor of God, was barren, she and her husband Joachim remained without children until old age. Therefore, sorrowing over their childlessness, they besought God with a promise that, if He were to grant them the fruit of the womb, they would offer their offspring to Him as a gift. And God, hearkening to their supplication, informed them through an Angel concerning the birth of the Virgin. And thus, through God's promise, Anna conceived according to the laws of nature, and was deemed worthy to become the mother of the Mother of our Lord (see also Sept. 8).

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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Fourth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Luke 24:1-12

On the first day of the week at early dawn, the women went to the tomb, taking spices, which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel; and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise." And they remembered His words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told this to the Apostles; but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home wondering at what had happened.

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 1st Mode. Psalm 32.22,1.
Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us.
Verse: Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 5:8-19.

Brethren, walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret; but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it is said, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light." Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart.

Gospel Reading

14th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 18:35-43

At that time, as Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging; and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." And he cried, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" And Jesus stopped, and commanded him to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, let me receive my sight." And Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

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