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Saint John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2019-06-02
Bulletin Contents
Schedule of Services
Community Calendar
News & Events
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese News
Assembly of Bishops News
Hymns of the Day
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Wisdom of the Fathers
Saints and Feasts
Prayer Requests
Jcblind1
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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

  • 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

Saturday, June 1
    5:00pm  Vespers
    5:45pm  Blessing of the Water for the new month
Sunday, June 2 Sunday of the Blind Man
    8:30am  Matins
    9:45am  Liturgy
    12:00pm  Sunday School + Orthodoxy 101/ Catechism
Tuesday, June 4
    10:00am  Congregational Chanting - CANCELLED
    11:00am  Faith and Fellowship
    12:00pm  Prayer With Purpose: the suffering and the estranged
      8:00pm  Faith and Fellowship (Salinas)
Wednesday, June 5   Apododis (Leave-take) of Pascha
    6:00pm  Vespers
Thursday, June 6   HOLY ASCENSION
    6:00pm  Matins + Liturgy
Saturday, June 8
    5:00pm  Vespers
Sunday, June 9
    8:30am  Matins
    9:45am  Liturgy
    12:00pm  Sunday School + Orthodoxy 101/ Catechism
Tuesday, June 11
    11:00am  Faith and Fellowship
    12:00pm  Prayer With Purpose: our church
    8:00pm  Faith and Fellowship (Salinas)
Wednesday, June 12
    6:00pm  Paraklesis
    7:00pm  Dinner, Lecture and Discussion Time
Saturday, June 15
    5:00pm  Vespers
Sunday, June 16   HOLY PENTECOST
    8:30am  Matins
    9:45am  Liturgy
  11:15am  Kneeling Vespers

 

See the whole calendar at http://www.stjohn-monterey.org/parish-calendar

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Community Calendar

June 3 - Greek Festival Planning Meeting
June 4 - Ladies iHelp
June 9 - Philoptochos Meeting
June 9 - Monastery Benefit Dinner at  St. Lawrence Church
June 16 - Holy Pentecost and Father's Day
June 30 - Lunch with ASC (the fifth Sunday of the month).
July 7 - Kids n' Cancer BBQ
August 31 - September 2 - The 33rd Monterey Bay Greek Festival.
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News & Events

ORTHODOXY 101: THE 2019 (RE)CATECHISM CLASS

The Catechism/ Orthodoxy 101 Class will meet again on June 2 to address  Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving and the Church Calendar. The newly revised curriculum including audio resources can be found at our web site under Adult Education.

Our visitors and newcomers are encouraged to attend and participate. The class is also offered as RECATECHISM to all for their own benefit, for connecting with our visitors and catechumens and for strengthening our community. No asked questions are silly. Come, ask, learn, change and be transformed!


SUNDAY SCHOOL

The Sunday School class will meet from 12 noon in parallel with the Orthodoxy 101/ Catechism class. The children of our guest's families are invited to attend.


FESTIVAL MEETING

It must be spring! The next festival meeting is this Monday, June 3rd at 6:30 pm at the Salinas church. All booth chairs are asked to attend. Pizza to be provided. Save the date! Thimi Saites will send more information by email prior to the meeting. See you there!


WOMEN I-HELP NEXT TUESDAY - SIGN UP!

By God's grace and with the help and support of All Saints Church, we are blessed to own the responsibility of hosting the ladies members of the I-HELP program once a month, on the first Tuesday of the month. We will be providing a delicious dinner and fellowship on Tuesday evening and a bagged breakfast for the next day in the morning. This is a great opportunity to serve and to offer from the heart. We thank the ministry leaders Corkey and Despina for pursuing the project and the ASC leadership for making it possible. So, see you at our first visit on Tuesday, June 4. You may sign up for the few items still needed here. Thank you to all who have already signed up!


NEW: FAITH AND FELLOWSHIP ADDS A SECOND VENUE AND TIME

Our new Small Group ministry will be meeting both in Carmel and Salinas! A HOUSE BUILT ON ROCK - A Four Week Foundational Program for Small Groups. The remaining sessions will take place on Tuesdays, June 4 and 11 from 11a.m. in Carmel and from 8p.m. in Salinas (Ledo's residence). Please sign up with Father Ion who will be leading this first cycle. Bring a friend or two!

The FAITH AND FELLOWSHIP ministry is inspired by its very successful incarnation at one of our sister churches (thank you Father Aris!) and it will be brought to us in its first cycle with the Book Forum group. The topics that will be covered make it easy to invite friends, neighbors and acquaintances as an introduction to Christian fellowship, and Orthodoxy in general. They are easy, fun and instructive, most of them requiring no prior preparation but yet enabling us to make more friends and share in FELLOWSHIP and FAITH.


NEW: RESUMING CONGREGATIONAL CHANTING WORKSHOP

The Congregational Chanting Workshop has resumed its practices on Tuesdays from 10am (before Faith and Fellowship). We will work on the Doxology and hymns from the Divine Liturgy. Join us!


TUESDAY PRAYER SERVICES

The Tuesday prayer service begins around 12 noon after Faith and Fellowship (in Saint Nektarios Chapel) and will be for a few purposes that will rotate monthly. The first Tuesday: Prayers for comforting of those who suffer and guidance for those estranged from the Church. Always check the schedule of services online!


SERVICE IN SALINAS

Our next service at the Salinas church will be for the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist (Monday, June 24).


NEW ELECTRONIC STEWARDSHIP PAYMENT

We are finally able to receive stewardship payments and any donation through our Facebook page. Go to our page and select the DONATE button for a free-of-charge donation (no fee to be payed). Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/SaintJohnTheBaptistGreekOrthodoxChurch/


PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS

Please help us welcome the 2019/2021 Philoptochos board of directors as they take their Oath of Office, and thank our outgoing board members:

Incoming Board Members:

Despina Hatton
Marianna Leontis
Alexandra Mouzas
Stephane Muntean
Christina Pressas
Sheila Doyle-Rickenbacker
Anne Zavitsanos
Rania Zavitsanos

Outgoing Board Members:

Chris Georgalos
Sandy Sanders

Immediately following fellowship the final board meeting of the year – all board members are asked to attend.

Please reserve the date of Sunday, July 7th for the annual Kids ‘n Cancer BBQ, benefitting Kids ‘n Cancer| Camp Agape & Philoptochos Ministries. Details to follow.


STEWARDSHIP 2019

Our 2019 stewardship budget this year is $144,000. We are now up to 63 stewards!! Thank you!! But this is a large gap from the 86 Stewards we had last year! Thank you to:  

Dr. Michael Bachik - Mr. & Mrs. Brian Balcom - Rosina Barou - Father Ion & Presbytera Ana Coman - Ted Cominos - Marie G. Cominos - Charlotte Conto - Nick and Stephanie Delis - Temia Demakopoulos - Olga Drumev - Nick & Mary Alice Fettis - Ilie Garbacea - Chrisanthi Georgalos - Constantine & Michelle Georgalos - Michael Georgariou - Michael & Maria Hahn - Hussam Ibrahim - Georgette Jabbour - Mike & Mary Kanalakis - Mr. Charles & Maria Leontis - Shirley Manis - Col. Gus & Lt. Col. Lannette Moutos - Stephanie Muntean - Milton & Joanne Pagonis - Fotis Papoulias - George & Barbara Pappas - Nicholas Parsons - Alison & Steve Parsons - Spiro Politis - Ms. Christina Pressas - Elaine Rogers - Euthimios Saites - Paraskevi Saites - Sandy Sanders - Gus & Ann Scourkes - Steve & Kathy Shaw - Jeff Silva - Darold Skerritt - Nabil & Aida Tadros - Frances Vardamis - Athanasios & Greta Vasby - Jacob and Carrie Voyce - Lisa Wespiser - Kevin and Julia Wheeler - Marc Wilemon - Jamie Wojtal - Richard Yant - Anne Zavitsanos 

As you know, this commitment helps us to continue on our own path to growing in our faith and to taking the Good News out to others through our ministries.

If we don’t have a stewardship card from you for 2019, we are praying it is just an oversight.  You can download one here from our web site. Once completed, either mail it in to the church or leave it in the offering tray on Sunday, with our gratitude.


SERVING THESE SUNDAYS

Serving this Sunday in church and at the fellowship hour following Liturgy:

June 2

Parish Council member: Jacob Voyce
Greeter: Rania Zavitsanos
Fellowship: Gold Team – Every 1st Sunday each month

June 9

Parish Council member: Euthimios Saites
Greeter: Christina Pressas
Fellowship: Pink Team – Every 2nd Sunday each month


CONFESSIONS AT SAINT JOHN’S

Father Ion is available to hear confessions after services and also by appointment at other times. If you need to do confession, please contact Father Ion ahead of time.


GREEK FESTIVAL IN SAN JOSE

This weekend, May 31 - June 2: Come and be Greek for a Day! More info at:  http://sanjosegreekfestival.org/

and https://www.facebook.com/SJGREEKFESTIVAL

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church: 1260 Davis Street, San Jose, CA 95126


BENEFIT DINNER FOR MONASTERY

Mother Markella and her sisterhood request the honor of your presence at a benefit dinner for the solar project and support of the Monastery of the Theotokos.

Sunday, June 9th, 4:30 – 7:30 pm,

Saint Lawrence Orthodox Church, 6192 Hwy 9 Felton, CA 95018

Seating is Limited

$70 Adults, $35 children (12 and under)

Monastery Goods, Dessert Auction, Raffle, Special Performance by Saint Lawrence Youth Choir

For tickets or to make a donation, please contact

Vasiliki Mendes: 831-532-5006, jorvickey@sbcglobal.net

Zenovia Flippen: 831-291-7114


FEAST DAY AT CATHEDRAL OF THE ASCENSION

The feast day of the Ascension is fast approaching. Our sister church in Oakland will celebrate their feast day:

Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension
4700 Lincoln Ave Oakland, CA 94602
Wednesday June 5
9th Hour 6pm and
Great Vespers to follow immediately and a dinner following Vespers

Thursday June 6
Matins 9am
Divine Liturgy 10am
A luncheon will follow services


METROPOLIS SUMMER CAMP

Our Metropolis Summer Camp is open to campers ages 8-18 (campers entering 3rd grade in Fall 2019, or will be graduating High School in Spring 2019). Come and experience an incredible summer at St. Nicholas Ranch in Dunlap, CA with youth and young adults from across our Metropolis as we have a blast meeting new friends, reuniting with old friends, and learning more about our beautiful Orthodox faith! Monthly payment plans are available, as this will help families spread out the cost for camp over the next 4 months. All payments are due in full by June 1, 2019. To register, a $100 non-refundable deposit is required.

2019 REGISTRATION FEE: $550 Late Registration (until May 31)

2019 SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION UPDATE:
Staff Orientation Week: July 1 – 6
Session I: July 7 – 13 (51 spots available)*
Session II: July 14 – 20 (51 spots available)*
Session III: July 21 – 27 (76 spots available)*
*Campers are limited to registering for only one session of camp
2019 STAFF APPLICATIONS: If you know of any young adults who would make a great summer camp counselor, please encourage them to apply here.

JOIN ROBERTA IN JAMAICA

       Jamaica is approximately 50% Christian.  The Orthodox Church in Jamaica, as we know it, was established in 2015 by Metropolitan Athenagoras, Archbishop of Mexico, in response to the efforts of a young Jamaican, Moses Myers, who converted to Orthodoxy (from a Pentecostal Holiness Church) in March 2014.  At this time there is no permanent priest, and the people need catechism and encouragement in the faith.  This is truly moving into mission territory! 

       Last year was the first OCMC team to Jamaica.  Twelve individuals taught vacation Bible school material and interacted in the evenings with adults; they were able to put on more than one VBS because of the team size.  This year fewer than half that number has signed up.  Join us …get your passport ready…set your sights on August 8-17 for an experience of your lifetime in serving and learning!  See the OCMC website and/or contact Roberta Sardell about more details:    r.sardell@yahoo.com


RETIREMENT DINNER FOR FR. MARIN

You are invited to celebrate and honor
Rev. Fr. Marin State.
Contra Costa Country Club
Pleasant Hill, CA
June 30, 2019, 5 PM – 10 PM
Dinner Pricing: $75 per person
RSVP by June 22nd to
HTTP://WWW.SAINTDEMETRIOSCONCORD.ORG/EVENT/RETIREMENT_DINNER
SDOFFICE@ASTOUND.NET
(925) 676- 6967


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Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion of Great and Holy Pascha in the Plagal 1st 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 1st 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 4th Mode

Though You went down into the tomb, O Immortal One, yet You brought down the dominion of Hades; and You rose as the victor, O Christ our God; and You called out "Rejoice" to the Myrrh-bearing women, and gave peace to Your Apostles, O Lord who to the fallen grant resurrection.
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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 1st 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.

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Wisdom of the Fathers

The work of God is, after all, the forming of man. He did this by an outward action, as Scripture says, 'And the Lord took clay from earth, and formed man.' Notice here too how the Lord spit on the earth, and made clay and smeared it on his eyes, showing how the ancient creation was made. He was making clear to those who can understand, that this was the [same] hand of God through which man was formed from clay.
Saint Irenaeus
Against Heresies. 5.15.2. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. Vol: John 1-10. Intervarsity Press, 2006, p. 324.

But I assert that he even received benefit from his blindness: since he recovered the sight of the eyes within.
Saint John Chrysostom
Homily 56 on John 9, 4th Century

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Saints and Feasts

Jcblind1
June 02

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.

Allsaint
June 02

Saint Nicephorus the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople

Saint Nicephorus was born in Constantinople about the year 758, of pious parents; his father Theodore endured exile and tribulation for the holy icons during the reign of Constantine Copronymus (741-775). Nicephorus served in the imperial palace as a secretary. Later, he took up the monastic life, and struggled in asceticism not far from the imperial city; he also founded monasteries on the eastern shore of the Bosphorus, among them one dedicated to the Great Martyr Theodore.

After the repose of the holy Patriarch Tarasius, he was ordained Patriarch, on April 12, 806, and in this high office led the Orthodox resistance to the Iconoclasts' war on piety, which was stirred up by Leo the Armenian. Because Nicephorus championed the veneration of the icons, Leo drove Nicephorus from his throne on March 13, 815, exiling him from one place to another, and lastly to the Monastery of Saint Theodore which Nicephorus himself had founded. It was here that, after glorifying God for nine years as Patriarch, and then for thirteen years as an exile, tormented and afflicted, he gave up his blameless soul in 828 at about the age of seventy. See also March 8.

Allsaint
June 03

Kevin, Abbot of Glendalough

Martha
June 04

Mary & Martha, the sisters of Lazarus

The Holy Myrrh-bearers Mary and Martha, together with their brother Lazarus, were especially devoted to our Savior, as we see from the accounts given in the tenth chapter of Saint Luke, and in the eleventh and twelfth chapters of Saint John. They reposed in Cyprus, where their brother became the first Bishop of Kition after his resurrection from the dead. See also the accounts on Lazarus Saturday and the Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women.

Resurect
June 05

Apodosis of Pascha

Ascension
June 06

Holy Ascension

The Lord Jesus passed forty days on earth after His Resurrection from the dead, appearing continually in various places to His disciples, with whom He also spoke, ate, and drank, thereby further demonstrating His Resurrection. On this Thursday, the fortieth day after Pascha, He appeared again in Jerusalem. After He had first spoken to the disciples about many things, He gave them His last commandment, that is, that they go forth and proclaim His Name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. But He also commanded them that for the present, they were not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait there together until they receive power from on high, when the Holy Spirit would come upon them.

Saying these things, He led them to the Mount of Olives, and raising His hands, He blessed them; and saying again the words of the Father's blessing, He was parted from them and taken up. Immediately a cloud of light, a proof of His majesty, received Him. Sitting thereon as though on a royal chariot, He was taken up into Heaven, and after a short time was concealed from the sight of the disciples, who remained where they were with their eyes fixed on Him. At this point, two Angels in the form of men in white raiment appeared to them and said, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into Heaven? This same Jesus, Who is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven" (Acts 1:11). These words, in a complete and concise manner, declare what is taught in the Symbol of Faith concerning the Son and Word of God. Therefore, having so fulfilled all His dispensation for us, our Lord Jesus Christ ascended in glory into Heaven, and sat at the right hand of God the Father. As for His sacred disciples, they returned from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem, rejoicing because Christ had promised to send them the Holy Spirit.

It should be noted that the Mount of Olives is a Sabbath's day journey from Jerusalem, that is, the distance a Jew was permitted to walk on the day of the Sabbath. Ecumenius writes, "A Sabbath day's journey is one mile in length, as Clement says in his fifth Stromatis; it is two thousand cubits, as the Interpretation of the Acts states." They draw this conclusion from the fact that, while they were in the wilderness, the Israelites of old kept within this distance from the Holy Tabernacle, whither they walked on the Sabbath day to worship God.

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Prayer Requests

Please remember in your prayers the following who are in need.

"Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on your servant (first name)."

Eleni Saites - for patience and endurance.

Vasiliki Saites - for recovery after surgery.

Olga Drumev - for strength and recovery.

Nina and George Kadiev - George going through many serious health trials.

Maria Kastros-Taubman - for health, patience and endurance.

Sky (Sergey), Kera, Mariem and Kylie (Caliope) - for guidance, patience and peace.

Kylie and her family for health, faith and hope.

And for those who are in prisons:

Constantine, Sergei and Dennis.

Father Ion is available for home visits. Please call him directly at 408.605.0621 if you would like to schedule one.

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