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Saint John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2019-12-29
Bulletin Contents
Schedule of Services
Community Calendar
News & Events
Assembly of Bishops News
Hymns of the Day
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Wisdom of the Fathers
Saints and Feasts
Prayer Requests
Nativity4
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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

Saturday, December 28
    5:00pm  Vespers
Sunday, December 29
    8:30am  Matins
    9:45am  Liturgy
    11:15am  Kids Choir Nativity Concert (3/3)
Tuesday, December 31
    5:00pm  Vespers + Liturgy at St. Basil Church in San Jose
Wednesday, January 1   The Circumcision of the Lord, Saint Basil the Great, New Year
    8:30am  Orthros + Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great
Friday, January 3, 2020
    6:00pm  Royal Hours (for Theophany)
Saturday, January 4
    5:00pm  Vespers
Sunday, January 5  -  Theophany Eve - Day of fast, wine allowed. Hosting Metropolitan Gerasimos.
    8:30am  Matins
    9:45am  Liturgy, Blessing of the Five Loaves, Great Blessing of the Water
     1:00pm  Saint John's Festal Luncheon with Metropolitan Gerasimos.
Monday, January 6 -  Theophany
    8:30am  Matins + Liturgy of St. Basil the Great + Great Blessing of the Water
    12:00pm  Blessing of the Ocean Waters (weather permitting)
    6:00pm  Vespers
Tuesday, January 7  Saint John the Baptist
    8:30am  Matins + Liturgy
    4:00pm  Ladies I-Help
    6:00pm  I-Pray
Saturday, January 11
    11:00am  Ocean Water Blessing at Rio del Mar, Capitola
    5:00pm  Vespers
Sunday, January 12
    8:30am  Matins
    9:45am  Liturgy
    12:00pm  Sunday School

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

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Community Calendar

 
December 29 - Kids Choir Nativity Concert
December 29 - Lunch with All Saints Community (the fifth Sunday of the month)
January 5 - Visit of His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos
January 6 - Blessing of the Ocean Waters after Epiphany services (Carmel Beach)
January 7 - Ladies IHelp
January 19 - COM-2 Council of Ministries: Vision and Mission
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News & Events

LUNCH WITH ALL SAINTS CHURCH

This Sunday, December 29, we will host members of the ASC for lunch. Being the fifth Sunday of the month, all food teams will be contributing. This is our opportunity to connect with our neighbors and to express gratitude to God and to them for closing our 4th year of ministry in Carmel.


STEWARDSHIP 2019

This is our last Sunday to make sure our 2019 Stewardship Budget hits its mark of $144,000. So far, we have pledges totaling $132,396.  That’s 92% of our Stewardship Goal. We thank our 79 stewards for helping us this year!! Thank you!! 

NOW is YOUR chance to jump in and make a difference. In the midst of our Nativity season, we have a $18,877 gap between what has been given so far, and our Budgeted Stewardship Goal, which would put us in the "black".

- We pray that all Stewards will complete their pledges.
- We pray that our Stewards will consider giving more.
- We pray that new Stewards will still step forward to help us grow.

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. Once we reach a point of meeting our expenses, we can shift towards building our own church.

If we don’t have a stewardship card from you for 2019, we hope that 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.

And don’t forget, while you are at it to complete a 2020 Stewardship Card. Thank you so much.


LAST WEEKS for the FIRST FRUITS

The 5 minute video below places in perspective the end of the year for our community, the last weeks of 2019. It is informative, but also calling for action from the first and the best fruits that God gives us.


VISIT BY METROPOLITAN GERASIMOS PLANNED

It is with great joy that we announce that His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos will be joining us here in Carmel-by-the-Sea on January 5th. This is very exciting, and we thank God for this great news. We pray that you will mark your calendars for the very special events that will be planned for his visit.


2020 ECCLESIASTICAL CALENDARS

The 2020 GOARCH calendars are available for pick up this Sunday, December 29. Please see Mary K to pick up yours. 


WOMEN I-HELP and I-PRAYER

Our community is blessed to host the I-Help ministry for women on the first Tuesday of every month - coming up Tuesday December 3, from 4pm! The guest ladies will be staying overnight in the hall. We are responsible for cooking a meal for them on this evening each month, and for ministering to them while they are with us (connect, encourage, pray, etc).

NEW: I-Prayer is the offering of quality time for prayer in our chapel. The Small Compline will be prayed from around 6pm, right after dinner. Plan to participate.

Ladies I-Help: enabled by ASC and made possible by the sacrifice of our generous servants!


BLESSING OF HOMES AFTER EPIPHANY

It is the tradition of the Church that during the days following Theophany we receive the visit of the priest at our homes for the short service of the blessing with Holy Water, to renew the presence of the Holy Spirit in our homes, in our families and to bring the Light in our lives. This is also a great opportunity to spend quality time with our priest, Father Ion.

Please contact Father Ion to set up a time for the blessing of your home and indicate the days and the time that would work for you the best. If you have children, plan to do the home blessing when they are present as well.


COM-2: THE NEXT COUNCIL OF MINISTRIES MEETING

Our Council of Ministries will have the second meeting (COM-2) on January 19 following the brief lunch after Liturgy. The date change was necessary to make room for the Parish Assembly on December 15. This will be a very interesting meeting as we will be resetting our mission and vision. So much has changed in the last 4-5 years! Not only have we met goals set back then, but we are now in a new setting with new parishioners and new missions and new strengths (and weaknesses)...  So let’s meet to define our path ahead and what we see for our future. Open to all.


ORTHODOXY 101/ (RE)CATECHISM CLASS

The Catechism/ Orthodoxy 101 Class is postponed to Sunday January 12 to begin topic #9 of the curriculum, Man, Sin, Salvation. The 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!


CONGREGATIONAL CHANTING WORKSHOP

The Congregational Chanting Workshop will take place this week. The next class will be on Tuesday, January 14, from 10 am (before the Book Forum). Open to all.


BOOK FORUM

The book that we are reading and discussing together  is The Gurus, the Young Man and Elder Paisios. Get your copy from our bookstore and start reading it. You will not be able to put it down... Our next class will be on January 14 when we will continue with Chapter 4.

This powerful memoir tells the story of a Greek youth who, out of a desire to know the truth empirically, began to experiment in yoga, hypnotism, and various occult techniques. Eventually drawn back to the Faith of his forefathers Orthodox Christianity he visited the ancient monastic republic of Mount Athos in his native Greece, where he was brought to a knowledge of the Truth of Jesus Christ by the saintly Elder Paisios (1924 1994). Nevertheless, believing he had only found part of the truth on the Holy Mountain, he chose to give the same opportunity to Hindu yogis that he had given to Elder Paisios and other Orthodox monks. Thus, at the age of twenty-five, he embarked on a trip to India, where he undertook his search in the ashrams of three famous gurus, one of whom was worshipped as a god. His experiences in India, along with his subsequent encounters with Elder Paisios on Mount Athos, are recounted in the present book in vivid detail. Popular in Greece since its first publication there in 2001, The Gurus, the Young Man, and Elder Paisios is a page-turning narrative of both outward adventures and inward struggles. What stands out most in this book, however, is the radiant image of Elder Paisios, possessed of divine gifts, laboring in prayer for his fellow man, and overflowing with unconditional love. Through this, one sees the uncreated Source of the elder's love and of the author's spiritual transformation: the true God-man Jesus Christ, Who honors man's personal freedom while drawing him, through love, into everlasting union with Himself.


CONTEMPORARY ASCETICS OF MOUNT ATHOS

Our Wednesday evening service and dinner have been an excellent venue for building community, growing spiritually and learning the Orthodox faith. We are enjoying a new cycle for these presentations: Contemporary Ascetics of Mount Athos. We will learn about amazing elders from Mount Athos as presented by some of our own parishioners - many thanks to Athanasios and Greta who got us started. Join us for faith, community and the delicious lenten potluck dinner! Wednesdays evening right after Paraklesis. Due to the busy liturgical calendar through Epiphany, we will resume the lectures in January.


SERVING THESE SUNDAYS

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

December 29 
Parish Council member: Euthimios Saites
Greeter: Anne Zavitsanos
Fellowship: All teams: We are hosting All Saints Visitors

January 5 – Visit by Metropolitan Gerasimos
Parish Council member: All PC Members
Greeter: Temia Demakopoulos
Fellowship: PC and all Teams 


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.


FELLOWSHIP HOUR AND WELCOME MINISTRY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Interested in joining our Fellowship Hour or Welcome Ministry Teams in 2020? There is an opportunity for you to serve! Our Welcome Ministry greeters welcome guests and parishioners with a smile as they arrive for Divine Services each Sunday. Our Fellowship Hour teams offer hospitality and refreshments following Liturgy so that Saint John’s community can join in fellowship and get to know each other better. 

If you'd like to join the Welcome Ministry, please contact Temia Demakopoulos. And if you’d like to join the Coffee Hour team, please contact Corkey Balcom.


PROPHET ELIAS BLESSING OF THE WATERS

Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Santa Cruz California invites ALL to
The Blessing of the Waters - Rio Del Mar Beach, Aptos
Saturday, January 11, 2020 - 11 am – Rain or shine
Luncheon is to follow at Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church,
223 Church Street, Santa Cruz, CA
(831) 429-6500  www.propheteliassc.org

Please call if you plan to dive for the cross.


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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 3rd Mode

Let the heavens sing for joy, and let everything on earth be glad. * For with His Arm the Lord has worked power. * He trampled death under foot by means of death; * and He became the firstborn from the dead. * From the maw of Hades He delivered us; * and He granted the world His great mercy.

Apolytikion for Afterfeast of the Nativity in the 4th Mode

Your nativity, O Christ our God, has caused the light of knowledge to rise upon the world. For therein the worshippers of the stars were by a star instructed to worship You, the Sun of Righteousness, and to know You as Orient from on high. Glory to You, O Lord.

Seasonal Kontakion in the 3rd Mode

On this day the Virgin gives * birth to the Super-essential. * To the Unapproachable, * earth is providing the grotto. * Angels sing and with the shepherds offer up glory. * Following a star the Magi are still proceeding. * He was born for our salvation, a newborn Child, the pre-eternal God.
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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Sixth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Luke 24:36-53

At that time, Jesus, having risen from the dead, stood in the midst of his disciples and said to them, "Peace to you." But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit. And he said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts? See my hands and feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have." And when he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy, and wondered, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.

Then he said to them, "These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high."

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and they returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 4th Mode. Psalm 67.35,26.
God is wonderful among his saints.
Verse: Bless God in the congregations.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 1:11-19.

Brethren, I would have you know that the gospel which was preached by me is not man's gospel. For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it; and I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother.

Gospel Reading

Sunday after Nativity
The Reading is from Matthew 2:13-23

When the wise men departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt have I called my son."

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more." But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead." And he rose and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaos reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

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Wisdom of the Fathers

At His birth [He] is laid in a manger, and abides in an inn, and takes a mother of low estate; teaching us to think no such thing a disgrace, and from the first outset trampling under foot the haughtiness of man, and bidding us give ourselves up to virtue only. For why do you pride yourself on your country, when I am commanding thee to be a stranger to the whole world?
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 9 on Matthew 2, 4th Century

The Ancient of Days, who in times past gave Moses the Law on Sinai, appears this day as a babe. As Maker of the Law He fulfills the Law, and according to the Law He is brought into the temple and given over to the Elder.
Anatolios
Festal Menaion. Great Vespers.

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Saints and Feasts

Nativity4
December 29

Afterfeast of the Nativity

Allsaint
December 29

14,000 infants (Holy Innocents) slain by Herod in Bethlehem

The infant-slaying Herod mentioned here is the same one that ruled at the time of Christ's Nativity. In those days, certain Magi, who were wise and noble men, perhaps even kings, set forth from the East, and came to Jerusalem, seeking the King of the Jews, Who had been born; and they said that in the East, where their homeland was, an unusual and strange star had appeared two years before, which, according to an ancient oracle (Num 24:17), was to signify the birth of some great king of the Jews. "For we have seen His star in the east," they said, "and have come to worship Him" (Matt. 2:2). Hearing these things, Herod was troubled, and the whole city together with him. Then, having inquired and been informed by the high priests and scribes of the people that, according to the prophecies, Christ was to be born in Bethlehem, he sent the Magi thither and ordered them that, when they would find the Child, to inform him, so that he also - as he affirmed - might go and worship Him. But the Magi, after they had worshipped, departed by another way to their own country by a divine command. Then Herod was wroth and sent men to slay all the infants of Bethlehem and the parts round about, from two years old and under, thinking that with them he would also certainly slay the King Who had been born. But this vain man who fought against God was mocked, since Jesus the Child, with Mary His Mother, under the protection of Joseph the Betrothed, fled into Egypt at the command of an Angel. As for those innocent infants, they became the first Martyrs slain in behalf of Christ. But their blood-thirsty executioner, the persecutor of Christ, came down with dropsy after a short time, with his members rotting and being eaten by worms, and he ended his life in a most wretched manner.

01_nativity5
December 31

Apodosis of the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ

Allsaint
December 31

Melania the Younger, Nun of Rome

Saint Melania the Younger, who was born in 388, was the grand-daughter of Saint Melania the Elder (see June 8). Her father Publicola was an Eparch of Rome. She was joined in wedlock to a husband and became the mother of two children, both of which she lost shortly thereafter. Thus, having agreed with her husband to pass the rest of their lives in abstinence and chastity, and taking her mother Albina with her, she went off to Africa. They ransomed 8,000 captives; furthermore, they built two monasteries - one for men and one for women - in the city of Tagaste, which was in the district of Tunis. After seven years they moved to Jerusalem. Thereafter Melania shut herself up in a small and narrow hermitage by the Mount of Olives, and wearing away her body with fasting and vigil, she reposed in 434.

Because of the Apodosis of the Feast of the Nativity on the 31st of this month, the hymns of Saint Melania the Younger are transferred to December 30th along with the Martyr Anysia.

Jcmerciful
January 01

Circumcision of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Since the Mosaic Law commands that if a woman give birth to a male child, he should be circumcised in the foreskin of his flesh on the eighth day (Lev. 12:2-3), on this, the eighth day from His Nativity, our Saviour accepted the circumcision commanded by the Law. According to the command of the Angel, He received the Name which is above every name: JESUS, which means "Saviour" (Matt. 1:21; Luke 1:31 and 2:21).

01_basil2
January 01

Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia

Saint Basil the Great was born about the end of the year 329 in Caesarea of Cappadocia, to a family renowned for their learning and holiness. His parents' names were Basil and Emily. His mother Emily (commemorated July 19) and his grandmother Macrina (Jan. 14) are Saints of the Church, together with all his brothers and sisters: Macrina, his elder sister (July 19), Gregory of Nyssa (Jan. to), Peter of Sebastia (Jan. 9), and Naucratius. Basil studied in Constantnople under the sophist Libanius, then in Athens, where also he formed a friendship with the young Gregory, a fellow Cappadocian, later called "the Theologian." Through the good influence of his sister Macrina (see July 19), he chose to embrace the ascetical life, abandoning his worldly career. He visited the monks in Egypt, in Palestine, in Syria, and in Mesopotamia, and upon returning to Caesarea, he departed to a hermitage on the Iris River in Pontus, not far from Annesi, where his mother and his sister Macrina were already treading the path of the ascetical life; here he also wrote his ascetical homilies.

About the year 370, when the bishop of his country reposed, he was elected to succeed to his throne and was entrusted with the Church of Christ, which he tended for eight years, living in voluntary poverty and strict asceticism, having no other care than to defend holy Orthodoxy as a worthy successor of the Apostles. The Emperor Valens, and Modestus, the Eparch of the East, who were of one mind with the Arians, tried with threats of exile and of torments to bend the Saint to their own confession, because he was the bastion of Orthodoxy in all Cappadocia, and preserved it from heresy when Arianism was at its strongest. But he set all their malice at nought, and in his willingness to give himself up to every suffering for the sake of the Faith, showed himself to be a martyr by volition. Modestus, amazed at Basil's fearlessness in his presence, said that no one had ever so spoken to him. "Perhaps," answered the Saint, "you have never met a bishop before." The Emperor Valens himself was almost won over by Basil's dignity and wisdom. When Valens' son fell gravely sick, he asked Saint Basil to pray for him. The Saint promised that his son would be restated if Valens agreed to have him baptized by the Orthodox; Valens agreed, Basil prayed, and the son was restored. But afterwards the Emperor had him baptized by Arians, and the child died soon after. Later, Valens, persuaded by his counsellors, decided to send the Saint into exile because he would not accept the Arians into communion; but his pen broke when he was signing the edict of banishment. He tried a second time and a third, but the same thing happened, so that the Emperor was filled with dread, and tore up the document, and Basil was not banished. The truly great Basil, spent with extreme ascetical practices and continual labours, at the helm of the church, departed to the Lord on the 1st of January, in 379. at the age of forty-nine.

His writings are replete with wisdom and erudition, and rich are these gifts he set forth the doctrines concerning the mysteries both of the creation (see his Hexaemeron) and of the Holy Trinity (see On the Holy Spirit). Because of the majesty and keenness of his eloquence, he is honoured as "the revealer of heavenly things" and "the Great."

Saint Basil is also celebrated on January 30th with Saint Gregory the Theologian and Saint John Chrysostom.

Rest from labour.

Baptisma1cp
January 02

Forefeast of the Theophany of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ

Sarov
January 02

Seraphim the Wonderworker of Sarov

Saint Seraphim was born in the town of Kursk in 1759. From tender childhood he was under the protection of the most holy Mother of God, who, when he was nine years old, appeared to him in a vision, and through her icon of Kursk, healed him from a grave sickness from which he had not been expected to recover. At the age of nineteen he entered the monastery of Sarov, where he amazed all with his obedience, his lofty asceticism, and his great humility. In 1780 the Saint was stricken with a sickness which he manfully endured for three years, until our Lady the Theotokos healed him, appearing to him with the Apostles Peter and John. He was tonsured a monk in 1786, being named for the holy Hieromartyr Seraphim, Bishop of Phanarion (Dec. 4), and was ordained deacon a year later. In his unquenchable love for God, he continually added labours to labours, increasing in virtue and prayer with titan strides. Once, during the Divine Liturgy of Holy and Great Thursday, he was counted worthy of a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who appeared encompassed by the heavenly hosts. After this dread vision, he gave himself over to greater labours.

In 1794, Saint Seraphim took up the solitary life in a cell in the forest. This period of extreme asceticism lasted some fifteen years, until 1810. It was at this time that he took upon himself one of the greatest feats of his life. Assailed with despondency and a storm of contrary thoughts raised by the enemy of our salvation, the Saint passed a thousand nights on a rock, continuing in prayer until God gave him complete victory over the enemy. On another occasion, he was assaulted by robbers, who broke his chest and his head with their blows, leaving him almost dead. Here again, he began to recover after an appearance of the most holy Theotokos, who came to him with the Apostles Peter and John, and pointing to Saint Seraphim, uttered those awesome words, "This is one of my kind."

In 1810, at the age of fifty; weakened with his more than human struggles, Saint Seraphim returned to the monastery for the third part of his ascetical labours, in which he lived as a recluse until 1825. For the first five years of his reclusion, he spoke to no one at all, and little is known of this period. After five years, he began receiving visitors little by little, giving counsel and consolation to ailing souls. In 1825, the most holy Theotokos appeared to the Saint and revealed to him that it was pleasing to God that he fully end his seclusion; from this time the number of people who came to see him grew daily. It was also at the command of the holy Virgin that he undertook the spiritual direction of the Diveyevo Convent. He healed bodily ailments, foretold things to come, brought hardened sinners to repentance, and saw clearly the secrets of the heart of those who came to him. Through his utter humility and childlike simplicity, his unrivalled ascetical travails, and his angel-like love for God, he ascended to the holiness and greatness of the ancient God-bearing Fathers and became like Anthony for Egypt, the physician for the whole Russian land. In all, the most holy Theotokos appeared to him twelve times in his life. The last was on Annunciation, 1831, to announce to him that he would soon, enter into his rest. She appeared to him accompanied by twelve virgins-martyrs and monastic saints-with Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Theologian. With a body ailing and broken from innumerable hardships, and an unspotted soul shining with the light of Heaven, the Saint lived less than two years after this, falling asleep in peace on January 2, 1833, chanting Paschal hymns. On the night of his repose, the righteous Philaret of the Glinsk Hermitage beheld his soul ascending to Heaven in light. Because of the universal testimony to the singular holiness of his life, and the seas of miracles that he performed both in life and after death, his veneration quickly spread beyond the boundaries of the Russian Empire to every corner of the earth. See also July 19.

Allsaint
January 04

Nikephoros the Leper

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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)."

Sophie Britton - for strength and recovery

Eleni Saites - for patience and endurance.

Jeanny Elliott - for recovery.

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

Kylie and her family for health, faith and hope. 

Bodie Aguirre - for protection during his military service.

Michael and Kristen - for spiritual strength and unity in Christ. 

Maribelle Alvarez - for strength and recovery

For those who are in prisons:

Theo, Constantine, Sergei and Dennis.

And for our catechumens:

      Steven, Paul, Aleksandra, Nicholas, Andrew, Michael and Andrew.

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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