December 3rd, 2023
Stump the Priest: Question: “Now that the Christmas season has begun — in our secular society called the “holiday season” — there are parties held at workplaces. But we are fasting, and the celebration of the Lord’s Nativity does not comes until December 25/January 7. How would you counsel Orthodox Christians on this subject?” Click here for the Answer.
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/pent26.pdf
Propers for the Sunday Liturgy (Sunday, December 3rd):
https://www.saintjonah.org/lit/lit_november20.htm
Propers for the Feast of the Entry of the Theotokos (Monday, December 4th):
https://www.saintjonah.org/lit/lit_entry.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:
| Sunday, December 3rd | 9:00 a.m. Hours and Liturgy
1:00 p.m. Vigil for the Feast of the Entry of the Theotokos |
| Monday, December 4th | 9:00 a.m. Liturgy for the Feast of the Entry of the Theotokos |
| Saturday, December 9th | 5:00 p.m. Vigil |
| Sunday, December 10th | 9:00 a.m. Hours and Liturgy |
Announcements
We will be taking a special collection to help the suffering people of the Canonical Church in Ukraine this Sunday (and on the first Sunday of each month). If you write a check, or send in a payment electronically, please put “Ukraine” in the memo line. We will send the money to Metropolitan Onuphry.
Our next Bible Study will be held on Tuesday, December 5th at 7:00 p.m. We will be studying the Gospel of Luke, Chapters 17 and 18, beginning with Luke 17:1. 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/jya-cvkb-hui
St. Herman’s Conference: St. Herman Youth Conference will be held this year near Chicago, IL on December 26-30. The registration is open for youth ages 14 and up. There will likely be vans going to the conference from Kansas, Texas, and Cincinnati and arrangements can be made for airport pick up.
If you or your children are interested in performing at the Christmas Yolka, please speak to Svetlana Cherskaya.
The next Parish Council Meeting will be on Friday, December 29th, at 7:00 p.m. This meeting will be held via Google Meets:
https://meet.google.com/uuk-qoxx-odk
The Next Slavonic Liturgy we be on Saturday, December 23rd, at 9:00 a.m.
Catechumens: The next online Catechumen Meeting will be on Wednesday, December 6th, at 7:00 p.m. and will be held via Google Meets: https://meet.google.com/kxn-jttr-xtx
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.
As a way to honor the Mother of God leading up to the entry of the Theotokos, we will have a donation drive for the pregnancy assistance center, PACN-Conroe. Items needed include:
– Formula and baby food
– diapers and wipes
– money/gift cards
– gifts for mothers
The donation drive will be from Nov. 12th to Dec. 3rd. Please see donation board in the parish hall for what items are still needed.
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 October 2023):
Tithes: $155,040.48
Building Fund: $16,493.94
For October 2023:
Tithes: $14,254.85
Building Fund: $529.80
Average Monthly Expenses $13,252.00
Recommended Reading for the week:
You can read “Bethany School: “We Try to Maintain Normalcy Amidst the War” (A talk with Mother Maria (Wall) head of Bethany School, Israel,” here:
https://orthochristian.com/157518.html
Recommended Listening for the week:
You can listen to the sermon “Remember Thy Words to Thy Servant (Psalm 118:49-56)” by Fr. John Whiteford, here:
https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/amvon/remember_thy_words_to_thy_servant
Rotations
Trapeza:
This Sunday: 12/3/23 (Fast: fish, wine, and oil are permitted): The De Carion, Jackson, and Wood families.
Next Sunday: 12/10/23 (Fast: fish, wine, and oil are permitted): The West, Shaw, and Munster families.
Cleaning Teams:
Currently: (Ending on): 12/3/23 – Team Chebotko.
Next (Ending on): 12/17/23 – Team Eugenia.
Vigil Readers:
This Saturday: 12/2/23: Rdr. Moses Munster & Daniel Gonzalez.
Next Saturday: 12/9/23: Nikolai Goldmann & Rdr. James Hall.
Liturgy Readers:
This Sunday: 12/3/23: Rdr. Moses Munster & Daniel Gonzalez.
Next Sunday: 12/10/23: Nikolai Goldmann & Rdr. James Hall.
Servers (Not including Adult Servers):
This Sunday: 12/3/23: Team A: Jonah Companik, Daniel Companik, Jens Yates, and Levi (Nicholas) Moreno.
Next Sunday: 12/10/23: Team B: Alex Kettner, Andrew Kettner, Ivan Kuzmin, Padraig McIsaac, Ezra Wilkinson.
Commemorations from the past week:
Michael Ly’s Name day – Tuesday, November 21st (erroneously omitted last week).
Matthew (Cory) Meissner, Mathieu Powell’s Name Day; Diakonissa Michelle Morgan’s Birthday – Wednesday, November 29th.
Mikhaela Jennifer Diaz and Rdr. Kodratus Bornejko’s Birthday – Friday, December 1st.
Michael Sisco; Elena Medvedeva McCaughan; Marco Maldonado & Monique Jabbour’s Birthday – Saturday, December 2nd.
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 (Eleanor) Wandke; 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, John Watts, Sophia Drobot, Mikhaela (Jennifer) Diaz, Svetlana, Anatoliy, 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, Dmitrijs Cervjakovs, John Lambakis, and those slain in the fighting in Ukraine, Russia, Syria, and the Holy Land.
Expectant Mothers:
Emilia Mullins, 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.
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, December 4th; Thursday, December 7th; Saturday, December 9th; and Sunday, December 10th, fish, wine and oil are permitted. On Tuesday, December 5th; Wednesday, December 6th; and Friday, December 8th, 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
