Saturday Vespers: 6:00pm Sunday: Orthros at 9am with the Divine Liturgy following Weeknight Services (according to calendar): Vespers 5:30pm, Divine Liturgy 6:30pm (Times are approximate)
*This week’s coffee hour is sponsored by Team Green. Thank You!
* As we near the end of the year, please make sure that your 2018 stewardship is complete.
* The PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation will accept applications from eligible Greek American college students through January 31, 2019, and will distribute $250,000 in scholarship awards to exceptional undergraduates as follows:
Twenty (20) Awards of $10,000 each based on academic merit and financial need. Twenty (20) Awards of $2,500 each based solely on academic achievement
Undergraduate students of Hellenic descent from all fifty states are encouraged to apply. Applications should be submitted electronically as instructed by January 31, 2019.
For more information, go to https://www.panhellenicsf.org/
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Service Schedule for New Years:
Sunday, December 30
Sunday after Nativity
9:00 am Orthros followed by the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
Monday, December 31
Circumcision of our Lord & St. Basil the Great
5:30 pm Vespers followed by the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
Satufday, January 5
Saturday before Epiphany
9:00 am Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy and Lesser Blessing of Waters
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Do All Your Christmas Shopping through Amazon Smile!
Log into your amazon site through AmazonSmile—same products and service. You MUST use www.smile.amazon.com to have your purchases eligible. Going through the regular website will not give us credit. https://smile.amazon.com/ch/76-0424472
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In Our Prayers
** We will be clearing out the list at the New Year. If you have a loved one in need of prayer, please send a note to the office.
Merciful Lord, visit us in our time of need and affliction; Master, deliver him/her from sickness and pain. For you alone have born the sickness and affliction of our world and with you nothing is impossible (St. Luke)
Evangelia Mourtakos, Eric Richards, Sheila (Michael Savage’s sister), Robert Finch, Abigail Robertson, Alice Marinos, Colette Quinn, Eleni Safos (Maria's cousin), Gherghina, Vish, Mihaela and Dorin, Robert and Keng (friends of Andreea D.), Kathi and Niko Parris (Phyllis’s daughter and grandson), Nuvia Murillo (Irma’s sister/Athena’s Aunt), Juliana and Nicole (Creighton's mother and daughter).
COFFEE HOUR
Please join us after the Liturgy for coffee hour in the Parish Home. This week’s coffee hour is sponsored by Team Green. Thank You!
Parishioners, please allow only coffee hour team members to park in the driveway so they can have easier unloading access.
Yellow: Ashley, L. Rigas, A. & K. Tambourides
Orange: Gazis, Marinos, Sokol, Suniga
Purple: Agler, Loveless, Richards, Savage
Green: Metaxas, Saphos, Zachariades
White: Lyashman, Partlow, Ely, Mourtakos
Red: Gazaw, Padilla, Hammock, M. Tambourides, Zacharias
Blue: Patelis, Rapos, Simeon, Yunakov
Pink: Craioveanu, Quinn, Tsougarakis, Haronitis
Dec 30: Green
SUNDAY CHURCH SCHOOL
There will be no Sunday School today. Due to the different school vacations, Sunday School will resume January 13th. May you all have a blessed New Years.
BOOKSTORE/GIFT SHOP
Purchase your last minute items from our bookstore/giftshop. Featured This Week
The Taste & See Cookbooks have been created to help American cooks prepare meals that conform to traditional Orthodox fasting guidelines while appealing to an American palate. Preparing meals during the fast should be as simple and stress-free as possible to allow ourselves more time for prayer, almsgiving, and attending the services. tabbed dividers, glossary, fasting tips, mealtime prayers, edifying quotes from the Bible and the saints, fasting recipes are marked if they contain wine or oil, gluten-free recipes are marked with [GF], special chapter for “Cooking for a Crowd” and special chapter for “Our Best Feasting Foods”. Padded hardcover, three-ring format – lies flat when cooking. Easy to add your own recipes!
See Colette at the coffee hour!
Our classes have come to completion. Our next class will be in January or February, depending on interest. Many thanks to Father Florin, Angela and Michael Loveless for spearheading this valuable course.
We are looking for volunteers to help with this Ministry. This is first contact with parishioners and/or guests visiting us for the first time. You do not need to be on Parish Council to volunteer for this ministry. A smile and gentle demeanor goes a long way in welcoming a newcomer to our church. Please contact the office to volunteer.
Dec 30 Eric Richards, Ross Leo
Of the many ways of supporting our Church, there are few which stand out as uniquely personal offerings of faith. The offering of Prosforo bread for the Divine Liturgy is one of them. We are thankful to the handful of ladies who have faithfully fulfilled this responsibility over the years and we invite more of our faithful - especially young families with children - to make this a part of their lives as well. Want to be added to our Prosforo list? Please see Maria Simeon.
Please make sure that Prosforo is in church before the start of the Orthros service on Sunday. Please write the date (or put a sticker with the date) on the plastic bags with the Prosforo. That way the oldest will be used first. Thank you for your help.
Dec 30 Zaneta Rapos Jan 6 Andriana T Jan 13 Ellie Ashley Jan 20 Soula Koumbias |
Jan 27 Metaxas Family Feb 3 Maria Saphos Feb 10 Cleopatra Nelson Feb 17 Helen Gazaw |
Our Greek School ROCKS!
Adult Classes meet on Wednesday's in the Parish Home at 6:30pm. Children's classes meet on Saturday's at 10:00am
Classes will resume for adults, Wednesday, January 9th and children on Saturday, January 12th.
Wishing everyone a Joyous and Healthy New Year!
Information is on our website: http://stjohnclearlake.org/ministries/greek-language-school
Greek Language classes are open to parishioners and individuals from the surrounding community!
As we approach the end of the year, please make sure your 2018 stewardship commitment is complete. Thank you!
Whatever you do, work at it with All Your Heart as working for the Lord, not for men. ~Colossians 2:23
(once downloaded, you can fill or type in the document, then print the form and deliver to the church, or email the downloaded form directly to the church office)
To be a voting member, a stewardship card must be filled out every year. Stewardship helps defray the costs of keeping our doors open, thus spreading the word of Christian Orthodoxy throughout the Bay Area. Please support our parish by filling out a Stewardship card.
For your convenience, stewardship donations may be made securely online. All major credit/debit cards are accepted.
All things are possible to the one who believes in Christ.
Sunday after Nativity
9:00AM Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy
11:30AM Coffee: Team Green
11:30AM Memorial: Chris Patelis
Apodosis of the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
5:30PM Vespers followed by Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrystosom
Circumcision of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Forefeast of the Theophany of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
Malachi the Prophet
Synaxis of the 70 Holy Apostles
Saturday before Epiphany
9:00AM Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy and Lesser Blessing of Waters
10:00AM No Children's Greek School
5:30PM Great Vespers
The Theophany of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
9:00AM Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy
11:15AM Service of the Greater Blessing of Waters
12:00PM Coffee: Team White
Synaxis of John the Holy Glorious Prophet, Baptist, & Forerunner
9:00AM Orthros followed by the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
George of Hozeva
Polyeuctus the Martyr of Melitene in Armenia
6:30PM Adult Greek Language Class
Gregory of Nyssa
Leavetaking of the Theophany of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
Saturday after Epiphany
10:00AM Children's Greek School
Sunday after Epiphany
9:00AM Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy
11:45AM Coffee: Team Red
12:00PM AHEPA/DOP Meeting
Leavetaking of the Theophany of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
Ninth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 20:19-31
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them: "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him: "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them: "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe."
Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said: "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
Ninth Orthros Gospel
Κατὰ Ἰωάννην 20:19-31
Οὔσης ὀψίας τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ τῇ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων, καὶ τῶν θυρῶν κεκλεισμένων ὅπου ἦσαν οἱ μαθηταὶ συνηγμένοι διὰ τὸν φόβον τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἔστη εἰς τὸ μέσον, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν. Καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἔδειξεν αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τὴν πλευρὰν αὐτοῦ. Ἐχάρησαν οὖν οἱ μαθηταὶ ἰδόντες τὸν Κύριον. Εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς πάλιν· Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν. Καθὼς ἀπέσταλκέ με ὁ πατήρ, κἀγὼ πέμπω ὑμᾶς. Καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἐνεφύσησε καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Λάβετε Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον· ἄν τινων ἀφῆτε τὰς ἁμαρτίας, ἀφίενται αὐτοῖς, ἄν τινων κρατῆτε, κεκράτηνται.
Θωμᾶς δὲ εἷς ἐκ τῶν δώδεκα, ὁ λεγόμενος Δίδυμος, οὐκ ἦν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν ὅτε ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς. Ἔλεγον οὖν αὐτῷ οἱ ἄλλοι μαθηταί· Ἐωράκαμεν τὸν Κύριον. Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ἐὰν μὴ ἴδω ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ τὸν τύπον τῶν ἥλων, καὶ βάλω τὸν δάκτυλόν μου εἰς τὸν τύπον τῶν ἥλων, καὶ βάλω τὴν χεῖρά μου εἰς τὴν πλευρὰν αὐτοῦ, οὐ μὴ πιστεύσω. Καὶ μεθ᾽ ἡμέρας ὀκτὼ πάλιν ἦσαν ἔσω οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ Θωμᾶς μετ᾽ αὐτῶν. Ἔρχεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῶν θυρῶν κεκλεισμένων, καὶ ἔστη εἰς τὸ μέσον καὶ εἶπεν· Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν. Εἶτα λέγει τῷ Θωμᾷ· Φέρε τὸν δάκτυλόν σου ὧδε καὶ ἴδε τὰς χεῖράς μου, καὶ φέρε τὴν χεῖρά σου καὶ βάλε εἰς τὴν πλευράν μου, καὶ μὴ γίνου ἄπιστος, ἀλλὰ πιστός. Καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Θωμᾶς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ὁ Κύριός μου καὶ ὁ Θεός μου. Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ὅτι ἑώρακάς με, πεπίστευκας· μακάριοι οἱ μὴ ἰδόντες καὶ πιστεύσαντες. Πολλὰ μὲν οὖν καὶ ἄλλα σημεῖα ἐποίησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐνώπιον τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ, ἃ οὐκ ἔστι γεγραμμένα ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τούτῳ· ταῦτα δὲ γέγραπται ἵνα πιστεύσητε ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἵνα πιστεύοντες ζωὴν ἔχητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ.
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.
Προκείμενον. 4th Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 67.35,26.
Θαυμαστὸς ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τοῖς Ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ.
Στίχ. Ἐν Ἐκκλησίαις εὐλογεῖτε τὸν Θεὸν.
τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Γαλάτας 1:11-19.
Ἀδελφοί, γνωρίζω δὲ ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοί, τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τὸ εὐαγγελισθὲν ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν κατὰ ἄνθρωπον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐγὼ παρὰ ἀνθρώπου παρέλαβον αὐτό, οὔτε ἐδιδάχθην, ἀλλὰ διʼ ἀποκαλύψεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἠκούσατε γὰρ τὴν ἐμὴν ἀναστροφήν ποτε ἐν τῷ Ἰουδαϊσμῷ, ὅτι καθʼ ὑπερβολὴν ἐδίωκον τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ ἐπόρθουν αὐτήν· καὶ προέκοπτον ἐν τῷ Ἰουδαϊσμῷ ὑπὲρ πολλοὺς συνηλικιώτας ἐν τῷ γένει μου, περισσοτέρως ζηλωτὴς ὑπάρχων τῶν πατρικῶν μου παραδόσεων. Ὅτε δὲ εὐδόκησεν ὁ θεὸς ὁ ἀφορίσας με ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου καὶ καλέσας διὰ τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ, ἀποκαλύψαι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ ἵνα εὐαγγελίζωμαι αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, εὐθέως οὐ προσανεθέμην σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι· οὐδὲ ἀνῆλθον εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα πρὸς τοὺς πρὸ ἐμοῦ ἀποστόλους, ἀλλὰ ἀπῆλθον εἰς Ἀραβίαν, καὶ πάλιν ὑπέστρεψα εἰς Δαμασκόν. Ἔπειτα μετὰ ἔτη τρία ἀνῆλθον εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἱστορῆσαι Πέτρον, καὶ ἐπέμεινα πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡμέρας δεκαπέντε. Ἕτερον δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων οὐκ εἶδον, εἰ μὴ Ἰάκωβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν τοῦ κυρίου.
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."
Sunday after Nativity
Κατὰ Ματθαῖον 2:13-23
᾿Αναχωρησάντων δὲ αὐτῶν ἰδοὺ ἄγγελος Κυρίου φαίνεται κατ᾿ ὄναρ τῷ ᾿Ιωσὴφ λέγων· ἐγερθεὶς παράλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ φεῦγε εἰς Αἴγυπτον, καὶ ἴσθι ἐκεῖ ἕως ἂν εἴπω σοι· μέλλει γὰρ ῾Ηρῴδης ζητεῖν τὸ παιδίον τοῦ ἀπολέσαι αὐτό. ῾Ο δὲ ἐγερθεὶς παρέλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ νυκτὸς καὶ ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον, καὶ ἦν ἐκεῖ ἕως τῆς τελευτῆς ῾Ηρῴδου, ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἐκάλεσα τὸν υἱόν μου. Τότε ῾Ηρῴδης ἰδὼν ὅτι ἐνεπαίχθη ὑπὸ τῶν μάγων, ἐθυμώθη λίαν, καὶ ἀποστείλας ἀνεῖλε πάντας τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς ἐν Βηθλεὲμ καὶ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ὁρίοις αὐτῆς ἀπὸ διετοῦς καὶ κατωτέρω, κατὰ τὸν χρόνον ὃν ἠκρίβωσε παρὰ τῶν μάγων. τότε ἐπληρώθη τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ ῾Ιερεμίου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· φωνὴ ἐν ῾Ραμᾷ ἠκούσθη, θρῆνος καὶ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὀδυρμὸς πολύς· ῾Ραχὴλ κλαίουσα τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς, καὶ οὐκ ἤθελε παρακληθῆναι, ὅτι οὐκ εἰσίν. Τελευτήσαντος δὲ τοῦ ῾Ηρῴδου ἰδοὺ ἄγγελος Κυρίου κατ᾿ ὄναρ φαίνεται τῷ ᾿Ιωσὴφ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳλέγων· ἐγερθεὶς παράλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ πορεύου εἰς γῆν ᾿Ισραήλ· τεθνήκασι γὰρ οἱ ζητοῦντες τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ παιδίου. ὁ δὲ ἐγερθεὶς παρέλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς γῆν ᾿Ισραήλ. ἀκούσας δὲ ὅτι ᾿Αρχέλαος βασιλεύει ἐπὶ τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας ἀντὶ ῾Ηρῴδου τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, ἐφοβήθη ἐκεῖ ἀπελθεῖν· χρηματισθεὶς δὲ κατ᾿ ὄναρ ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς τὰ μέρη τῆς Γαλιλαίας, καὶ ἐλθὼν κατῴκησεν εἰς πόλιν λεγομένην Ναζαρέτ, ὅπως πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ τῶν προφητῶν ὅτι Ναζωραῖος κληθήσεται.