Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

Christ is Born, Glorify Him!

The twelve days of Christmas continue through January 5. On January 6, we celebrate Theophany/Epiphany.

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VASILOPITA  AUCTION

After Liturgy on Sunday, January 1, we will have an auction of Vasilopita (bread in honor of St. Basil, feastday January 1) to raise money for St. Basil Academy. This is a time-honored tradition at our parish, and we are resurrecting it this year. 

St. Basil Academy is a national not-for-profit philanthropic center for children and young adults in need. Their mission is to provide a safe and supportive environment where children and young adults are nurtured to become healthy members of society with vision and hope. Please join us in supporting this worthy organization.

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HOUSE  BLESSINGS

Fr. Nektarios will be able to offer house blessings after Liturgy on Saturday, January 7. If you are interested in receiving the traditional, yearly blessing on your home, please call Fr. Nektarios at ‭(325) 642-1340‬ or email him.

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UPCOMING  SERVICES

• Sunday, January 1: New Year's Day, St. Basil's Day, and Commemoration of the Circumcision of Christ
  9am Orthros, 10am Divine Liturgy, followed by Coffee Hour 
  Fr. Mark Lichtenstein, celebrant
  
  
• Saturday, January 7: Synaxis of St. John the Baptist, and Blessing of the Waters for Theophany
  
• 9am Orthros, 10am Divine Liturgy, followed by Coffee Hour
• Approximately 12:30pm Annual Concho River Blessing. If you arrive early, please wait for those still coming from the church service. Location: On the Bridge near the Pearl of the Conchos Mermaid statue (Map). Parking is available at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts.
  Fr. Nektarios Morrow, celebrant
  
  
• Sunday, January 8: No church services today. Please join us for the special celebrations on the day before, January 7, instead. 
  
  
• Sunday, January 15: Farewell Luncheon for Fr. Mark 
  9am Orthros, 10am Divine Liturgy, followed by a special Coffee Hour Potluck in honor of  Fr. Mark's last Sunday with us. (If you are able, bring a dish to share.) Fr. Mark has been our presiding priest since 2017. He will now serve as an adjunct priest at Holy Trinity in Dallas, while attending medical school in Fort Worth.
  Fr. Mark Lichtenstein, celebrant

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ONLINE  CATECHISM  CLASS  ON  THURSDAYS

Join us for weekly catechism classes online via Zoom. All are welcome. 

Our next catechism class will be on Thursday, January 5, at 7:00 pm.

This week's topic — The Conversion of the Slavs — Background reading: The Orthodox Church by Timothy Ware, Chapter 4.  This session is being repeated due to the technical issues we had with the last session.  

Previous classes are archived on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7ronGHeNPzEgi9mDcF0Y2A/streams

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9299265692?pwd=cytWQUQ2Z1JrdnZ5czliMTR2dktoQT09 

Meeting ID: 929 926 5692

Passcode: Grace22

Questions? Email Fr. Nektarios

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Orthodox Homeschool Mom's Luncheon

Saturday, January 28, 2023 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Registration:

• Tickets will go on sale online, December 1st, 2022. 
• Early bird pricing will end January 8th. Registration will close January 23rd.

Location:

St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church 
(held in the Parish Center/Church Hall)
303 Cullum Drive
Euless, TX 76040 

Ticket Cost:

• Early Bird Price (ends January 8)
• $23 per person includes lunch
• $12 per person no lunch (you’re welcome to bring your own food)
  
  
• Regular Price (registration closes January 23)
• $28 per person includes lunch
• $17 per person no lunch (you’re welcome to bring your own food)

More Information: https://onrealm.org/stjohndfw/PublicRegistrations/Event?linkString=NjI1YWQ0MjktZTIzYi00ZTkxLTg1OTEtYWY1YjAxMjE2YmIx

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FASTING

Question: Why do we fast? 

Answer: Because Christ did. He also said that we need to fast to increase our spiritual strength. “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:29)

Answer: Because Christ was betrayed on a Wednesday, and crucified on a Friday.

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CARING  MEALS  MINISTRY 

If you know someone who needs meals due to illness, birth, etc., please see Kathy Baughman or Noelle Bartl. Thank you to everyone who volunteers for this ministry. You are being the hands of Christ!

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BAKE  SALE  FUNDRAISER  FOR  CHURCH

We are still accepting orders for Greek Pastries. All proceeds go to supprt the operating costs of our parish. Please contact Wilma Dunias, a member of our parish, at baklavabywilma@live.com or 720-989-7928. 

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HELP  FOR  THE  GARCIA  FAMILY

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PARISH  COUNCIL

The next meeting will be in January, during Coffee Hour.

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COFFEE  HOUR

We have open slots on the sign up sheet for Coffee Hour, which can be found on the refrigerator in the church kitchen. Can you help host? It's okay to bring something simple, or even just one dish. Encourage others to sign up with you as co-hosts. "Many hands make the burden light." Thank you for your help!

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Check out the rest of the bulletin online! See below for news from the world of Orthodoxy, online concerts and lecture series, and more.

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SPECIAL  OCCASIONS  FOR  JANUARY 

Birthdays:  Joanna Garcia, Marika Harris, Amy McDaniel

Anniversaries:  Fr. Mark Lichtenstein, Ordination to the Diaconate on St. Anthony’s Day

Namedays: 

• 1/1  Tim Beys (St. Telemachos the Martyr)

• 1/2  Dustin Clopton (St. Seraphim of Sarov)

• 1/7  John Choate, Joanna Garcia, Joanna Kalaitzes, John Pete Kouvelis, John Lichtenstein, Heidi Papachristos, Joanna Weir, John Wimberley (all named after St. John the Baptist)

• 1/13  Hilary Choate (St. Hilary of Poitiers)

• 1/17 Anthony Bartl (St. Anthony) 

Memorials: none

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AFTER  CHURCH

Please join us for refreshments in the Social Hall.

** As always, see the parish website for any changes and updates. **

JOYFUL  FASTING

When you hear that Lent is coming, do you close your eyes and groan? What if I said there is a secret to not starving when you fast — would that help you fast more cheerfully?

Well, there is. Fasting is about more than just food, of course, but let's face it: It's hard to do those other things when we are low on energy due to not getting good nutrition.

So here it is: The secret to fasting without starving is eating complementary protiens, such as beans + rice.

Proteins are made of amino acids. Meats, seafood, and dairy have all the amino acids our bodies need, so they are called "complete proteins."

Most fasting foods, however, rely on "partial proteins." In a beans-and-rice dish, for example, beans have some of the amino acids our bodies need daily...and rice has the others. They are complementary to each other, meaning that they complete each other by being together.

When we pair partial proteins together, we can create a "complete protein." Instead of feeling like we are starving during Lent, we can feel light and satisfied. We just need to know there are two categories of partial proteins, and we need one from each category to create a complete, satisfying protein.

Category 1: Beans*, seeds, peas, nuts**

Category 2: Rice, potatoes, corn, grains, bread, pasta, tortillas

*See below for tips on how to avoid gassiness from beans.
**It is not recommended to bring nut dishes to public events.

Did you know that fasting foods are supposed to be simple to prepare? This is so we can have more time to spend on praying, reading our Bibles, going to weekday services, studying about saints and Church history, giving alms, and doing good deeds for others, as caring Christ-followers should.

These physical actions of devotion, alms-giving, and doing good deeds are part of fasting. Why? Because we are fasting from some of our worldly activities (such as more-elaborate meal preparation) and devoting our time and attention to Christ.

It's not that elaborate meal preparation is unholy — not at all! Fancier cooking is simply an activity we give up on Wednesdays and Fridays, and all during Lent, so we can devote more of our time and energy to Christ.

Even so, fasting food can be tasty! Here are two examples:

1. Try this Creamy Pea Pasta dish. The creamy green sauce is made using a blender to puree some of the peas, shallots (onion), and garlic. Frozen petite peas work very well in this sauce, and fresh garden mint and lemon make a delicious, aromatic flavor.
   
   
2. This vegan Louisiana Red Beans and Rice dish uses smoked paprika to give it a deep, delicious taste. Serve it with a crunchy salad or stewed greens on the side.

Tips:

Worried about gas from beans? Watch this video about proper preparation of beans to make them more digestible.

If you prefer canned beans, we recommend using Eden Organic canned beans. They are prepared with overnight soaking to avoid gassiness.

Actually, soaking is good to do for more than just beans: Soaking any partial protien before cooking improves its digestibility. In other words, soaking before cooking makes it easier for your body to break down the food, and lets you absorb more nutrients from it. For more on this, see the article, "Living with Phytic Acid."

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COOKBOOK  RECOMMENDATION

Looking for a fasting cookbook that deals with modern diets like paleo, gluten-free, and nut-free? That isn't ethnic?

• Try Fasting as a Family by Melissa Naasko, blogger and mother of 11. Available from Ancient Faith and Amazon.
  
  
• Melissa also has a useful Facebook page @FastingFamily.
  
  

Article on "Joyful Fasting" © 2022 Presvytera Suzanne Thorpe Lichtenstein, used by permission