Schedule of Services

Note: week-day services are posted on Zoom.

Saturday, August 7
    5:00pm Vespers
Sunday, August 8
    8:30am Matins
    9:45am Liturgy
    11:15am 40 Days Memorial Father Mark
Monday, August 9
    9:00am Matins - Church University
    6:00pm Paraklesis
Tuesday, August 10
    9:00am Matins - Church University
    6:00pm Paraklesis
Wednesday, August 11
    9:00am Matins - Church University
    10:00am Book Forum: The Mountain of Silence -the last chapter.
    6:00pm Paraklesis
Thursday, August 12
    9:00am Matins - Church University
    6:00pm Paraklesis
Friday, August 13
    9:00am Matins - Church University
    6:00pm Paraklesis
Saturday, August 14
    5:00pm Vespers + Blessing of the Five Loaves (Artoklasia)
Sunday, August 15 Dormition of Theotokos
    8:30am Matins
    9:45am Liturgy
    11:00am Festal Luncheon
    12:00pm Catechism Class

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

Special Services

The Memorial Service this Sunday is for the servants of God:

Father Mark Vinas (40 days)
Alexandra (Sandy) Sanders (2 years)

May their memory be eternal!

News & Events

GREEK FESTIVAL AUGUST 28 & 29

It’s almost here!! The Greek Festival is a welcome activity for our community and a way for Saint Johns to both thank our neighbors and share a little about us.

It is scaled down from previous years, simply because we could not meet to cook for the 4-6 months prior to the festival. But we will still have great fare for our guests.

Your help is needed!

This is typically an “all hands on deck” parishioner participation, so please consider where you can lend a hand. Areas needed are:

Friday Set up – 8:30 am laying tarps, marking booth areas, guiding support to their locations.
Friday afternoon setup – 3 pm Getting tables and chairs set up, guiding the vendors to their rented space, setting up the booth. Signs posted. Finish by 6 pm
Saturday and Sunday – beginning at 9:30 am booth set up. Man the booth s for sales. The festival begins at 11:00 am. It runs to 9 pm on Saturday, and until 4 pm on Sunday.
Sunday evening cleanup – beginning at 4 pm We must have the plaza cleared by 10 pm, so it is

This year's booths are: Gyros, Corn, Loukomadas, Greek Fries, Taverna, Pastry, and Salad.

Now is the time to let everyone you know about the Festival. It is a new date. As many people as possible need to be reminded and told when. If this is also an area you can assist further, let Simi G know.

Do let us know how/where you can help by emailing Mary K at tasktrak@hotmail.com, or St John's by responding to this bulletin, or text Thimi.

BOOK FORUM: MOUNTAIN OF SILENCE

A ministry led by Kathy Shaw.

The book group will conclude Mountain of Silence this coming week. The following week we move to your next book: Big in Heaven. But we loved this Mountain of Silence so much, that we highly recommend you find it and get a copy for yourself.

Our next meeting on Wednesday, AUGUST 11
Meeting time: from 10am, right after the Matins service.
To prepare: Please read the Final Chapters 16 - 17

Zoom in at the known link.

Adult Education

NEW BOOK FOR THE NEXT BOOK FORUM

A ministry lead by Kathy Shaw

Our next book is Big in Heaven: A Collection of Stories About Life in an American Orthodox Parish and we will begin discussing it starting Wednesday, August 18. There are still a few copies available at the bookstore.

These stories begin to paint a new kind of Icon, that of a truly American Orthodox Christian, of regular people simply trying to be or tragically rejecting being regular human beings, the kind of people perhaps never even imagined by most American readers. . . . The stories break the mold of what a religious or non-religious story ought to be. They are not moralistic, nor are they irreverent in their honest portrayal of the realities of life in the Church. Rather they are just good, honest stories, and in being this they are sacramental, conveying and holding together elements of life that are seemingly disparate. (from the Foreword) Sometimes poignant, sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes convicting, these stories of life in an inner-city immigrant Orthodox parish are guaranteed to shake your assumptions and make you see your life and faith in a new way. They are not for the faint of heart but they are very much for all who want to embrace the truth more fully.

Join the Book Forum on Wednesdays from 11am, right after the daily Matins service.

Adult Education, Community

SUNDAY CATECHISM CLASSES

A Ministry led by Father Ion

The Catechism Class will take place on August 22 following Fellowship. The topic will be The Divine Liturgy - Part 1. Please pray for our catechumens: Angelina, Mikael, Jenel and Arthur.

Education

THE CHURCH UNIVERSITY: DAILY SERVICE, PRAYER and REFLECTIONS

A ministry led by Father Ion

Every weekday morning, the Church University will offer the daily Zoom webcasting from Saint Nektarios Chapel with the short Matins Services. At the end of the service Father Ion offers a reflection, teaching on the readings and the saints of the day. Connect via Zoom to extend Matins with the study of the Scripture readings, great discussion and fellowship time.

Worship and Education

NEW: SERVING THESE SUNDAYS

A ministry led by Corkey Balcom

Serving these coming Sundays in church and at the fellowship hour following Liturgy:

August 8 - FASTING
Parish Council: Thimi Saites
Welcoming: Angelian Ruiz and Matthew
Fellowship Gratitude Luncheon: Team 2 (Pink) 2nd Sunday of the month

August 15 - FEAST DAY/NO FASTING
Parish Council: Mary Kanalakis
Welcoming: Temia Demakopoulos
Fellowship Gratitude Luncheon: Team 3 (Orange) 3rd Sunday of the month

Community

A JOURNEY TO FULLNESS - Session 12: Our Ultimate Purpose

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 groups discussions will meet again is September. Enjoy the summer time off!

Education

FAITH AND FELLOWSHIP TO BREAK DURING THE SUMMER

A ministry led by Paige Benton

The small groups Faith and Fellowship evenings will take a break for the summer. We will resume our meetings in September.

Adult Education

ONLINE RESOURCES from THE COVID ERA

Most of our services and meetings are available online.

Witness remotely:

Zoom with video here.
By phone dial - add the following string to your address book: +16699006833,,9475885646#,,1#,April2020#

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).

• Please note that our Metropolis requests compliance with the CDC regulations. This means parishioners who are not vaccinated wear masks for their own protection. It is also recommended for those who are vaccinated. Please respect the comfort level of those around you by keeping reasonable distance.

• The fellowship hour will continue as usual both inside and outside.

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 audio.
Some Sunday homilies video and archives prior to June 1 2020 audio.

Organization and Leadership

Stewardship News

SAVE THE DATE: SEPTEMBER 25

Save the Date!!

Saturday, September 25
Annual Stewardship Appreciation Dinner

We missed our annual event last year. Now, let’s make up for it! This year we will have a picnic at Indian Springs Community Picnic Area, off River Road. This will be a daytime event and children are welcome! More details will be provided as we draw closer to the date.

STEWARDS OF 2021

A Ministry Led by Mary Kanalakis

We are half way through the year. Please take a look at your Stewardship giving. It may need updating or improving as we move back into regular activities. Open your Stewardship account in Breeze here: BREEZE LOGIN

Many thanks to our 2021 Stewards. 70 families or individuals are now stewards. And thank you to the 16 (23%) of these families who have committed to percent giving. It is such a blessing for these families to lead us on the path to becoming a tithing parish.

Our pledged total so far is $132,378, or 82% of our budget goal. We are four fifths of the way there.

If you have not yet completed a 2021 pledge card, please complete the Stewardship Card ONLINE!! Just Click: I WANT TO SIGN UP NOW!

Living the Gospel

Metropolis Events

GREENING THE PARISH

“How-to” Green Your Parish

The “How-to” Green Your Parish series is an initiative of the Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations. New episodes will be released weekly featuring ideas and ways to introduce creation care and sustainability in your parish and home. Ranging from practical to theological, each three-minute video offers a unique perspective on environmental stewardship through the knowledge and expertise of Orthodox Christians across the United States.

You can see all the episodes here: “How-to” Green Your Parish. This a wonderful way to engage the whole family in Greening the Parish and your home.

Prayer Requests

Lord, Bless, strengthen, and guard, by Your grace, all those who, with love for humankind and a spirit of sacrifice, care for the sick in their homes or in hospitals.

We pray for the servants of God:

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

Michael Borgeson - for health and quick recovery after surgery.

Marlyn Anton - for comfort after losing her beloved husband, John.

Chris (Chrisanthi) Georgalos - for health, recovery, and endurance.

Sheila (Despina) Doyle-Rickenbacher - for health, recovery, and endurance.

Sophie Britton - for strength and recovery.

Eleni Saites - for patience and endurance.

Maria Kastros - for strength and endurance.

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

Kylie and her family - for health, faith and hope.

For those who are in prisons: Constantine and Sergei.

And for our catechumens: Jenel, Mikael, Angelina and Justin.

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

Saints and Feasts

August 08

7th Sunday of Matthew

August 14

Forefeast of the Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary

August 13

Maximus the Confessor

The divine Maximus, who was from Constantinople, sprang from an illustrious family. He was a lover of wisdom and an eminent theologian. At first, he was the chief private secretary of the Emperor Heraclius and his grandson Constans. But when the Monothelite heresy became predominant in the royal court, out of hatred for this error the Saint departed for the Monastery at Chrysopolis (Scutari), of which he later became the abbot. When Constans tried to constrain him either to accept the Monothelite teaching, or to stop speaking and writing against it - neither of which the Saint accepted to do - his tongue was uprooted and his right hand was cut off, and he was sent into exile, where he reposed in 662. At the time only he and his few disciples were Orthodox in the East. See also January 21.

August 13

Tikhon of Zadonsk

Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk was born in 1724 into a very poor family of the Novgorod province, and was named Timothy in holy Baptism. In his youth he was sent to seminary in Novgorod where he received a good education and later taught Greek and other subjects. Having received the monastic tonsure with the name Tikhon, in the same year he was ordained deacon and priest, and appointed two years later as rector of the Seminary in Tver. In 1761 he was consecrated Bishop of Kexholm and Ladoga, and in 1763 nominated Bishop of Voronezh, a difficult diocese to administer because of its large size and transient population, which included many schismatics. Feeling the burden of the episcopacy to be beyond his strength, the Saint resigned in 1767, retiring first to the Monastery of Tolshevo, and later to the monastery at Zadonsk, where he remained until his blessed repose. In retirement, he devoted all his time to fervent prayer and the writing of books. His treasury of books earned him the title of "the Russian Chrysostom", whose writings he employed extensively; simple in style, replete with quotes from the Holy Scriptures, they treat mostly of the duties of Christians, with many parables taken from daily life. In them the Christian is taught how to oppose the passions and cultivate the virtues. A large collection of the Saint's letters are included in his works, and these give a wealth of spiritual guidance directed both to the laity and monastics. Saint Tikhon reposed in peace in 1783, at the age of fifty-nine. Over sixty years later, in 1845, when a new church was built in Zadonsk in place of the church where he was buried, it was necessary to remove his body. Although interred in a damp place, his relics were found to be whole and incorrupt; even his vestments were untouched by decay. Many miracles were worked by Saint Tikhon after his death, and some three hundred thousand pilgrims attended his glorification on August 13, 1863. He is one of the most beloved Russian Saints, and is invoked particularly for the protection and upbringing of children.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Seventh Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 20:1-10

On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Plagal 2nd Mode. Psalm 27.9,1.
O Lord, save your people and bless your inheritance.
Verse: To you, O Lord, I have cried, O my God.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 15:1-7.

Brethren, we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves; let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to edify him. For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached thee fell on me." For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Gospel Reading

7th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 9:27-35

At that time, as Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you." And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly charged them, "See that no one knows it." But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

As they were going away, behold, a dumb demoniac was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the dumb man spoke; and the crowds marveled, saying, "Never was anything like this seen in Israel." But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the prince of demons."

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people.

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