January 3rd, 2021
Stump the Priest: Question: “I have heard it argued that the phrase in the Liturgy “A mercy of peace, a sacrifice of praise” is both nonsensical and a corruption of an earlier text. Is this correct, and if not, what does the phrase mean?” 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/pent30.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_wkbfnat_december21.htm
Propers for the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord (Thursday, January 7th):
https://www.saintjonah.org/lit/lit_nativity.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:
| Tuesday, January 5th | 4:30 p.m. Baptism
6:30 p.m. Vigil for Christmas Eve |
| Wednesday, January 6th | 9:00 a.m. Royal Hours and Vesperal Liturgy of Christmas Eve
5:00 p.m. Holy Supper 6:30 p.m. Vigil (Great Compline and Matins) of the Nativity of the Lord |
| Thursday, January 7th | 9:00 a.m. Hours & Liturgy of the Nativity of the Lord, followed by a festal Trapeza. |
| Saturday, January 9th | 5:00 p.m. Vigil
(with confessions during and following the Vigil) |
| Sunday, January 10th | 9:00 a.m. Hours and Liturgy, followed by the Christmas Yolka |
Announcements
The tentative House Blessing Schedule is posted here: https://www.saintjonah.org/bltn/houseblessings2021.htm Please review it, and let Fr. John Whiteford know if the day you are listed on will work. If you are not listed, but want to be, let him know that too.
Tikhon Pino is teaching a Greek class on Sunday afternoons (after Sunday School). If you are interested, please let Fr. John Whiteford or Tikhon Pino know.
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 our next Slavonic Liturgy on Saturday, January 16th, at 9:00 a.m.
Our next Parish Council meeting will be held on Thursday, January 21st, 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 about the history of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in the Holy Land, here:
http://www.synod.com/synod/engdocuments/enart_rem100yrs.html
Recommended Listening for the week:
You can also listen to the sermon “The Heart of the Righteous King Josiah – Genealogy Sunday 2020,” by Fr. Josiah Trenham, here:
Rotations
Trapeza:
This Sunday: 1/3/21 (Fast: wine, oil permitted): The Kettner Family (in honor of Alexander and Andrew Kettner’s birthday).
Next Sunday: 1/10/21 (No Fast): Parish Yolka.
Cleaning Teams:
Currently: (Ending on): 1/10/21 – Team Eugenia.
Next (Ending on): 1/24/21 – Team Rosa.
Vigil Reader:
This Saturday: 1/2/21: Rdr. Kodratus Bornejko.
Next Saturday: 1/9/21: Rdr. Moses Munster.
Liturgy Reader:
This Sunday: 1/3/20: Rdr. James Hall.
Next Sunday: 1/10/20: Shane Martin.
Commemorations from the past week:
Tiffany Yates’ Name day / Maximus Solis & Nicco (Juliana) Wilkinson’s Birthday – Tuesday, December 29th.
Danielle Hirsch & Daniel Companik Name day – Wednesday, December 30th.
Aglaya Baranov’s Name day – Friday, January 1st.
Tikhon Pino and Matushka Tatiana Trussin’s Birthday – Saturday, January 2nd.
Ezra Wilkinson, Ruth Rafaelano, Rebecca Rodionov, Benjamin Rodionov, Abigail Rodionov, Rebecca Jackson, Abby (Ruth) Hall, Rachel Gutzke, Sarah Carlisle, Sarah Solis, Jesse Kuykendall, Matushka Sara Shephard, Jesse Mussa, Noah Charytoniuk’s Name day – Sunday, January 3rd.
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 Metropolitan Artemije; Archbishop David; 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 Tikhon Pino.
The Schedule for November 2020 through January 2021:
https://saintjonah.org/bltn/november20-january21.htm
The Schedule for February 2021 and Great Lent:
https://saintjonah.org/bltn/lent2021.htm
You can also see our online parish calendar of events and services here:
https://saintjonah.org/calendar/
Fasting in the Coming week: Monday, January 4th is a normal fast day. On Tuesday January 5th; and Wednesday, January 6th, wine, and oil are permitted – though on Wednesday, it is customary to fast strictly until evening. On Thursday, January 7th, we break the fast, and do not fast again until the Eve of Theophany, which falls on Monday, 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
