December 20th, 2020
Stuff from the Priest: Did St. Mark “Blunder”? Click here for the Article.
If you have a question you would like to ask, e-mail frjohnwhiteford@gmail.com
Saints of the Day for Sunday and the coming week, and other edifying reading:
https://www.saintjonah.org/bltn/pent28.pdf
Requires Adobe Acrobat reader (which is free to download):
http://get.adobe.com/reader/
Propers for the Sunday Liturgy:
https://www.saintjonah.org/lit/lit_december07.htm
You can find propers for other upcoming Liturgies by clicking here, and upcoming Rubrics for services by clicking here.
Schedule of Service for the Coming Week:
| Saturday, December 26th | 5:00 p.m. Vigil
(with confessions during and following the Vigil) |
| Sunday, December 27th | 9:00 a.m. Hours and Liturgy |
Announcements
The Wall Calendars for 2021 have arrived. We ask that, if you can, you make a $5.00 donation for each calendar, but take one in any case. We have them available in English only, and in Russian and English.
Both Fr. Benigno and Fr. Vladimir are doing much better, and hopefully will be able to return to Church next weekend.
Tikhon Pino is going to teach a Greek class on Sunday afternoons (after Sunday School). If you are interested, please let Fr. John Whiteford or Tikhon Pino know.
We will take a special offering this Sunday to help the St. Nicholas parish in McKinney, Texas, with their effort to build a new parish hall.
2020 Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America Virtual Conference (for Youth age 14 & up):
Registration closes on December 23, 2020
Register: https://forms.gle/UBPaveHpVNza2rBK9
Schedule:
Tuesday, December 29th: 5pm-7pm CST / 6pm-8pm EST
Wednesday, December 30th: 5pm-7pm CST / 6pm-8pm EST
Topics and Speakers:
Abbot Tryphon: “Living an authentic Orthodox life in 21st century America.”
Deacon Nicholas Kotar: “How to use heroes from classic literature as guides to a virtuous life.”
St. Nicholas Stocking Drive: In conjunction with the Nativity fast, please consider giving alms to the Saint Nicholas stocking drive. In lieu of collecting actual stockings, we will be collecting blankets for the homeless. The blankets need new or clean-gently used and be TWIN size or larger. The blankets will be given to Hope Beyond Bridges for distribution to the homeless. There is a collection basket behind the “fireplace” in the hall. A stocking will be hung above the fireplace for every blanket donated. Our goal is to hang 24 stockings by the Sunday after Saint Nicholas day, December 20th.
Toy Drive: The Church School program is also sponsoring a toy drive to help other children in need this Nativity season. We are asking that our children bring gently used toys that they would wish to donate (board games, Legos, dolls/action figures, puzzles, art supplies, etc.). We will be collecting these items for the next two Sundays and all donations will be taken to the Northwest Assistance Ministries to support their Seasons of Blessings program.
We will have a restricted Liturgy for those who are trying to avoid large crowds or keeping quarantine due to the Coronavirus, on Saturday, January 2nd at 9:00 a.m.
We will have our next Slavonic Liturgy on Saturday, January 16th, at 9:00 a.m.
Our next Parish Council meeting will be held on Thursday, December 17th, at 7:00 p.m. Meetings are currently being held via the internet.
Youth Choir: If anyone would like to enroll their children in the youth choir, they can sign up on the paper form in trapeza hall.
You will find texts for reader services that you can do at home through the 31st Sunday after Pentecost, here:
https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2020/12/reader-services-through-31st-sunday.html
Sisterhood News: The Sisterhood Council will meet on Tuesday, January 26th, at 7:00 p.m. via the Internet.
Bookstore News: We have new Crosses and Icons of St. Paisios the Athonite that are now in stock.
Parish Finances:
Calendar year to date total (01 January thru 30th November 2020):
Tithes: $150,013.00
Building Fund: $36,649.00
For November 2020:
Tithes: $30,134.00
Building Fund: $6,275.00
Average Monthly Expenses $11,196.00
Recommended Reading for the week:
You can read the Life of St. Ambrose of Milan, here:
https://orthochristian.com/135907.html
Recommended Listening for the week:
You can also listen to the sermon “The Ten Lepers,” by Fr. John Whiteford, here:
https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/amvon/the_ten_lepers
Rotations
Trapeza:
This Sunday: 12/20/20 (Fast: fish, wine, oil permitted): Sponsors needed.
Next Sunday: 12/27/20 (Fast: fish, wine, oil permitted): Sponsors needed.
Cleaning Teams:
Currently: (Ending on): 12/27/20 – Team Cody.
Next (Ending on): 1/10/21 – Team Eugenia.
Vigil Reader:
This Saturday: 12/19/20: Rdr. Joshua Gonzales.
Next Saturday: 12/26/20: Rdr. Moses Munster.
Liturgy Reader:
This Sunday: 12/20/20: Rdr. Moses Munster.
Next Sunday: 12/27/20: Rdr. Kodratus Bornejko.
Commemorations from the past week:
Alexander & Andrew Kettner’s Birthday – Monday, December 14th.
Luciana Freda Wilkinson’s Birthday – Tuesday, December 15th.
Fr. Benigno and Matushka Margarita Pardo’s Anniversary / Rebecca Jackson’s Birthday – Wednesday, December 16th.
Gennady Ivanov & Barbara Koulikova’s Name Day – Thursday, December 17th.
Artem Chebotko’s Birthday – Friday, December 18th.
Jens (Nicholas) Yates, Nicholas Williams, Nicholas Lay, Nikolai Pino & Nicholas Bruner’s Name day – Saturday, December 19th.
If you have corrections or additions, e-mail frjohnwhiteford@gmail.com
Prayer Requests:
Orthodox:
For the Servants of God, Metropolitan Mark; Archimandrite Ioann (Magram), Archpriest Andre Papkov, Archpriest Geoffrey Korz, Archpriest Emil Hutnyan, Archpriest Anthony Nelson, Archpriest George Brooks, Archpriest Antonio Perdomo, Archpriest John Maxwell, Matushka Debra Maxwell, Priest Benigno Pardo, Matushka Tatiana Trussin, Matushka Parasceva Brooks, Matushka Olympia Sibley, Matushka Margarita Pardo, Matushka Patricia Whiteford, Thekla Podrasky, Ann (Eleanor) Wandke, Ann (Sonia) Shepherd, Elizabeth (Lori) Hritz, Zoe Wren, Denise (Leslie) Barnett, Marina Watson, Billy (Jean) Holloway, Demetra Durham, Sarah (Anna) Herzog, Cassie Hunt, Mike (Apollos) McBride, Yelena Yegorova, Galina Lay, James and Sophia (Cynthia) Hirsch, Demetra; Panagyiota; Georgia; Nathaniel Barrett Mahand; Elizabeth Kowasic; Joan Marie Pennings; Robert Carlisle; James Marsh; Katherine Garbett Casanova; Ivan Tschebotarjew; Renee (Ann) Nahlous; John Nicholas Ostis; Garrett (Maximus) and Merilee (Mary) Eidson; Georgy; Valentina Kramareva; Anna (Oksana Mahecha’s sister); Evgeny (Fr. Sergei Baranov’s father-in-law); Viacheslav Chebotko; Natalia Petrova; and the Child Irene Harrington, who are ill.
For Nikolai, who is struggling.
For the safety and salvation of those in Kiev: Vladimir, Yelena, Tatiana, Alexei, Maria, Ivan, and Artem.
For the newly reposed Patriarch Irinej, Metropolitan Artemije; Archbishop David; Innokenty Kosbruk, George Korz, and the Orthodox who have perished in the pandemic, and those slain in the violence in Syria, Lebanon, Ukraine, and the Holy Land.
Expectant Mothers:
Elizabeth de Carion
Non-Orthodox:
For the Servants of God, Aiden, Ann Kellis; Shawna Hiu; Misty; Harold Wren; Bethany; Shiela; Cecilia Beck; Rohayu; Infant Jared; Laura Odom, Leslie Swain (Ben Bryant’s mother); Melissa Munster (Moses Munster’s mother); Heather Tolliver (Melissa Holloway’s daughter); Pam Morris (Eleanor’s niece); Keaton Munster, Jeff Perkins, John Williams, William Allen (Eleanor’s adopted brother), John Ward (Rdr Demitri Likomitros’ Uncle), King Kotchavar, Debbie, Carol Schwendeman, Sergei Savitski, the Vanderhider family, Donna Beauchamp, Nicoline and Kent, John Lay, Melissa Hall, Margaret, Angelica, Luna, Chad Holloway, Bridgette Dunlap (Matrona Marsh’s cousin), and William who are ill.
For Aki and family; and Johnnie.
The Captive Gregorios.
For the safety and salvation of those in Kiev: Lubov.
For the newly reposed Shirley Burns.
If you have prayer requests you would like announced, please e-mail frjohnwhiteford@gmail.com
Sunday School:
Toddlers (2-3): Taught by Mat. Genevieve Companik and Rosa Mahand (meeting in the Narthex).
Children, Age 4-7: Taught by Iryna Chebotko and Vera Yates (meeting in the Nursery).
Children, Age 8-12: Taught by Mat. Patricia Whiteford and Laura Sanchez.
Teens 13+: Taught by Christopher Cline and Cody Bornejko (meeting in the Church).
Teens and Adults: Taught by Fr. John Whiteford.
The Schedule for November 2020 through January 2021:
https://saintjonah.org/bltn/november20-january21.htm
You can also see our online parish calendar of events and services here:
https://saintjonah.org/calendar/
Fasting in the Coming week: Monday, December 21st, is a normal fast day. On Tuesday, December 22nd; Friday, December 25th; Saturday, December 26th; and December 27th, fish, wine and oil are permitted. On Wednesday, December 23rd; and Thursday, December 24th, wine and oil are permitted.
Click here for Miscellaneous Items of Interest.
St. Jonah Orthodox Church
2910 Spring Cypress Rd, Spring, TX 77388
www.saintjonah.org
281-467-0264
