December 31st, 2023
Stuff from the Priest: The Inerrancy of Scripture. Click here for the Article.
If you have a question you would like to ask, e-mail frjohnwhiteford@gmail.com
The Word of the Week: Ode
Saints of the Day for Sunday and the coming week, and other edifying reading:
https://www.saintjonah.org/bltn/pent30.pdf
Propers for the Sunday Liturgy (Sunday, December 31st):
https://www.saintjonah.org/lit/lit_wkbfnat_december18.htm
Propers for the Christmas Eve Liturgy (Saturday, January 6th):
https://www.saintjonah.org/lit/lit_christmas_eve_sat.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:
| Friday, January 5th | 9:00 a.m. Royal Hours of Nativity
10:30 a.m. Baptism 6:30 p.m. Vigil for Christmas Eve |
| Saturday, January 6th | 9:00 a.m. Liturgy for Christmas Eve
3:00 p.m. Holy Supper 5:00 p.m. Vigil for Christmas |
| Sunday, January 7th | 9:00 a.m. Hours and Liturgy for Christmas |
Announcements
Our next Bible Study will be held on Tuesday, January 2nd at 7:00 p.m. We will be studying the Gospel of Luke, Chapters 19 and 20, beginning with Luke 19:11. For those appearing in person, we will have Small Compline at 6:15 p.m., followed by Refreshments. For those appearing via Google Meets, they can log in at https://meet.google.com/fko-wrby-mxn
2024 Calendars: The Monthly Calendars have arrived. We ask for a $5 donation for these. But if that is a problem, just take one. We want every family to have a calendar.
Parish Council Nominations: We will hold our Annual Parish Meeting on Sunday, February 18th. If you have any nominations for Parish Council, please contact Fr. John Whiteford or Michael Wilkinson, no later than January 25th.
The next Parish Council Meeting will be on Friday, January 26th, at 7:00 p.m. This meeting will be held via Google Meets:
https://meet.google.com/fyh-rhxw-gvc
The Next Slavonic Liturgy we be on Saturday, January 20th, at 9:00 a.m.
Catechumens: The next online Catechumen Meeting will be on Wednesday, January 3rd, at 7:00 p.m. and will be held via Google Meets: https://meet.google.com/gdt-evoa-icv
If you are a catechumen, or are not a catechumen, but would like to participate in classes for Catechumens, be sure to join the Catechumen io group online.
You can also join the St. Jonah Catechumen group on Telegram.
Sisterhood News: The next Sisterhood Meeting will be held on Sunday, January 14th, after Trapeza. All the women of the Sisterhood are invited to attend.
You can become a Sisterhood member by filling out membership forms online, the paper forms located in the trapeza hall bulletin board. Make sure to join Sisterhood io group online to be up-to-date with all Sisterhood news and announcements.
Brotherhood News: You can join the Brotherhood io group online to keep up with all Brotherhood news and announcements, or follow their Telegram channel.
Parish Finances:
Calendar year to date total (01 January thru 30th November 2023):
Tithes: $175,612.24
Building Fund: $21,696.94
For November 2023:
Tithes: $20,571.76
Building Fund: $5,203.00
Average Monthly Expenses $13,252.00
Recommended Reading for the week:
You can read the “Homily on the Sunday before the Nativity of Christ, the Holy Fathers: Part 1: The memory of those who served in the preparation of Christ’s human nature,” by Archimandrite John (Krestiankin), here:
https://orthochristian.com/150270.html
Recommended Listening for the week:
You can listen to the sermon “On Thy Words have I Set My Hope (Psalm 118:81-88)” by Fr. John Whiteford, here:
https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/amvon/on_thy_words_have_i_set_my_hope
Rotations
Trapeza:
This Sunday: 12/31/23 (Fast: fish, wine, and oil are permitted): The Howard, Koulikova, and Walling families.
Next Sunday: 1/7/24 (No fasting): Parish Yolka (Potluck).
Cleaning Teams:
Currently: (Ending on): 12/31/23 – Team Kara.
Next (Ending on): 1/14/24 – Team Fernando.
Vigil Readers:
This Saturday: 12/30/23: Nikolai Goldmann & Rdr. James Hall.
Next Saturday: 1/6/24: Shane Martin & Justin Wood.
Liturgy Readers:
This Sunday: 12/31/23: Nikolai Goldmann & Rdr. James Hall.
Next Sunday: 1/7/24: Shane Martin & Justin Wood.
Servers (Not including Adult Servers):
This Sunday: 12/31/23: Team B: Alex Kettner, Andrew Kettner, Ivan Kuzmin, Padraig McIsaac, Ezra Wilkinson.
Next Sunday: 1/7/24: Team C: Mathieu Powell, Seraphim Powell, Constantine Powell, William De Carion, Luka Chrisanthus, Michael Chrisanthus.
Commemorations from the past week:
Luciana Wilkinson’s Name Day; Subdeacon Romanos Wren’s Birthday – Tuesday, December 26th.
Fr. John Whiteford and Elijah West’s Birthday – Wednesday, December 27th.
Tiffany Yates’ Name day / Juliana Wilkinson’s Birthday – Friday, December 29th.
Daniel Sommer, Danielle Hirsch, Daniel Gonzalez & Daniel Companik Name day; Rdr Gabriel Peña’s Birthday – Saturday, December 30th.
Jessica Kravtsov, Levi Walling, Abigail Morgan, Esther Morgan, Maleiah Morgan, Rebekah Peña, Ezra Wilkinson, Ruth Rafaelano, Rebecca Jackson, Abby (Ruth) Hall, Rachel Sisco, Sarah Carlisle, Richard (Ibrahim) Chalhoub, Jesse Kuykendall, Matushka Sara Shephard, Jesse Mussa, Noah Charytoniuk’s Name day – Sunday, December 31st.
If you have corrections or additions, e-mail frjohnwhiteford@gmail.com
Prayer Requests:
Orthodox:
For the Servants of God, Archimandrite Benedict (Nelson); Archpriest Andre Papkov; Priest Benigno Pardo; Deacon Vladimir Trussin; Deacon Jorge Luque-Martin; Thekla Podrasky; Ann (Sonia) Shepherd; Subdeacon Romanos and Zoe Wren; Denise (Leslie) Barnett; Marina Watson; Demetra Durham; Sophia (Cynthia) Hirsch; Joan Marie Pennings; Katherine Garbett Casanova; Renee (Ann) Nahlous; Merilee (Mary) Eidson; Rozanne (Anne) and Jerry (John Herman) Spires; Michael Murphy; Valentin, Rada and Florentina, Sophia Petropoulos, Olga, Nathaniel (Barrett) Mahand, Eliasious, Rdr. John Economou, Robert McIsaac, Galina Lay, Lisa (Euphemia) Bornejko, Cosmas (Spencer) Burton, Jeffery Gallagher, Suzannah Soloviev, Savva (Tyler) Barrett, Dennis Tilley, Rdr. Gabriel Peña, Nun Barbara (Watts), John Watts, Sophia Drobot, Mikhaela (Jennifer) Diaz, Svetlana, and the children Niklaus Doucet, Caison Elisabeth Kellam, and Anna Krutova, who are ill.
For Nikolai, who is struggling.
For Justin and Nadezhda who are suffering persecution.
For the safety and salvation of those in Ukraine: Vladimir, Yelena, Tatiana, Soldier Alexei, Maria, Ivan, and Artem; and Dimitriy.
For newly reposed servants of God: Archpriest Lazar Kostur, Archpriest Michael Oleksa, Hieromonk Alexander (Lisnichuk), Anatoliy, Anne (Eleanor) Wandke, Viacheslav Chebotko, and those slain in the fighting in Ukraine, Russia, Syria, and the Holy Land.
Expectant Mothers:
Vera Yates, Rachel Sisco, and Presbytera Christina Solis.
Catechumens:
Howard Segal, Deborah and Alexander Gessell, Adriane Melnyczuk, William Chandonia, Sabina Centinia, Christine Kim; Nina and Gerasimos Spiers; Josiah Plumley; Kashif (Jude) Bhatti; Savita Bhatti; Jessica Palmer; Janos Roszik; Dennis, Angela, Torin, and Tiergan Daniel; Justin, Ashley, Caroline, and John Turner, Alex Trevino, Moses Abishai Bhatti, John Nowak, Anne Nowak; Sean Elliott Burley; Pablo Chong; Zachary, Kelly, Evyn, and Ezra Locke; and Mason Boren.
Non-Orthodox:
For the Servants of God, Aiden, Shawna Hiu; Misty; Harold Wren; Melissa Munster (Moses Munster’s mother); Heather Tolliver (Melissa Holloway’s daughter); Pam Morris (Eleanor’s niece); Zee Eidson, Michael and Brenda Eidson, for the child Mason Eidson, Gene and Beth Beggs, Scott and Carol Phillips, Jerald Spires, Shane and Tami Peacock, Larry West, Ana Crespo, Liza, Aida Diaz, Antonio, John Lay, Jennie Mobley, Linda Ballentine, Kathleen Sorrentino, Andrea Engelke, Robin Nicole Thomson McMillin and Ernest Sibley, who are ill.
For the Bruto da Costa family, Ken, Christina, Aki and family; and Johnnie, Damon and Elisabeth Myers, and their child, Dorothy, Scott and Shannon Eidson and their family, James Franklin and his family, Wayne Bo Peacock, Vince Powell and his child Rex, Richard, Teresa. Marcie Dark, Tim, Karen, Taylor, Lindsay, Jon, Alex, and Andrew Burns, and Michelle Brazzil.
For the newly reposed Jerald Vern Spires (Merilee Eidson’s grandfather).
If you have prayer requests you would like announced, please e-mail frjohnwhiteford@gmail.com
Sunday School:
Children, Ages 3-4: Taught by Mat. Genevieve Companik.
Children, Ages 5-6: Taught by Iryna Chebotko.
Children, Ages 7-9: Taught by Mat. Sara Shephard.
Children, Ages 10-12: Taught by Danny Gonzales.
Teens and Adult: Taught by Fr. John Whiteford.
Schedule of Services for November 2023 through January 2024:
https://saintjonah.org/bltn/november23-january24.htm
You can also see our online parish calendar of events and services here:
https://saintjonah.org/calendar/
Fasting in the Coming week: On Monday, January 1st; Tuesday, January 2nd; Wednesday, January 3rd; Thursday, January 4th and Saturday, January 6th, wine and oil are permitted. Friday, January 5th, is a normal fast day. On Sunday, January 7th, we break the fast, and do not fast again until the eve of Theophany, on January 18th.
Click here for Miscellaneous Items of Interest.
St. Jonah Orthodox Church
2910 Spring Cypress Rd, Spring, TX 77388
www.saintjonah.org
281-467-0264
