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St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2017-07-30
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St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (203) 375-2564
  • Street Address:

  • 1240 Broadbridge Avenue

  • Stratford, CT 06615


Contact Information




Services Schedule


Divine Liturgy - Sundays and Feast Days : 9:00 am

Great Vespers - Saturday Evenings: 5:00 pm

Great Vespers - Eve of Great Feasts: 7:00 pm

Moleben to St. Nectarios - Second Tuesday 7:00 pm 


Past Bulletins


Lectionary & Typicon


 

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EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

The Great Martyr Marina

July 30, 2017

                                  Epistle : 1 Corinthians 1:10-18
                                     Gospel: Matthew 14:14-22


     Resurrectional  Tone 7
 



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NINTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

The Great Martyr Christina

August 6, 2017


    Ep
istle : 1 Corinthians 3:9-17
  Gospel: Matthew 14:22-34

Resurrectional  Tone 8


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Church Services and Events

  • Calendar

    July 30 to August 14, 2017

    Sunday, July 30

    NE Deanery Camp Nazareth Camping Week

    8:00AM Divine Liturgy

    Monday, July 31

    Community Supper - Calvary- St George Church, Bpt

    Sunday, August 6

    9:00AM Divine Liturgy

    Tuesday, August 8

    7:00PM Moleben to St. Nectarios

    Friday, August 11

    10:00AM Divine Liturgy - Repose - Anna Chornock - Cambridge Manor

    Saturday, August 12

    5:00PM Great Vespers

    Sunday, August 13

    9:00AM Divine Liturgy

    10:30AM Picnic Outreach Meeting

    Monday, August 14

    Lord's Kitchen - Christ Church - Stratford

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Parish Stewardship

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Date Coffee Hour  Host Hours Epistle Church Cleaner

Aug 6

Bilcheck Holly Bill Cleaning Service
Aug 13 Booth Pani Carol Matt Cleaning Service
         
2017 Parish Stewardship Offering (As of 07/23/17)
YTD: $37,010.00 Goal: $68,000.00
 
Be a Good Steward Help Your Parish Carry Out Its Vital Mission!

 

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Announcements

SCHOOL SUPPLIES COLLECTION  - We will be collecting church supplies for the needy of Stratford.  Please bring items to Church and place in bin in Vestibule.  Items will be collected thru August 6, 2017.  See Eve with any questions. 

ADULT EDUCATION DISCUSSION - Our Orthodox Boot Camp Adult Education continues. We are discussing a treatise written by St. Innocent of Alaska titled  "The Indication of The Way Into Heaven."  Please let Fr. Peter know if you are unable to physically attend the class, but would like to participate via video conferencing or by telephone. Next Class is August 16

FUND DRIVE FOR AIRCONDITIONING & PARKING LOT - At  our parish annual meeting, we decided to allocate the necessary funds to complete the Church Parking Lot  and install central airconditioning in the Church.  While there is sufficient funds in the Church Treasury to cover the costs, we have decide to have a special fund drive  to defray the cost of these projects to allow a bigger cash reserve in case of unforseen expenses or shortfalls in the parish budget.  To date,   $1985.00 has been already raised for the airconditioning and $10,000 for the  Onofrey Parking Lot.  If you would like to make a donation please see Fr. Peter or any parish council officer.  Thank you for  your consideration of this request.

COMMUNITY SUPPER - Our next meals will be  July 31 at Calvary-St George Church in Bpt and Aug 14  Christ Church in Stratford.   Please See Mary or Eve to help.

SUMMER VOLLEYBALL -   As a fun summer activity for our parish youth and adults, a  volleyball net has been set up on the Church Lawn and will remain up through  August.  All  who would like to play a few games during Coffee Hour each Sunday are encouraged to bring a change of clothes and play. . (Please do not wear your volleyball attire to Church)    Please add  your name to the sign-up  sheet in the Church Hall for the day(s)  you are interested in playing.

PICNIC OUTREACH MEETING  - We will hold an informal meeting at Coffee Hour on Sunday August 13 to discuss plans for the upcoming Picnic on Sept 24th.  Please see Fr. Peter if you are willing to assist.  Help is needed inviting lapsed parishioners, neighbors and potential seekers of faith to our picnic.

PARISH TAG SALE -  We will hold a tag sale in the Fall on our church grounds.  Help is needed at the sale.  Please add your name to the sign-up sheet in the Church Hall if you are able to help.   

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES 

July 31  Kathy Kravec Birthday
Aug 6 Marge Allisn Birthday
Aug 10 Bill Booth, Jr.  Birthday
Aug 10   Frank and Arlene Auer Anniversary
Aug 11  Tom Decerbo, Ed Booth Birthday
Aug 11  Jessica Stirna Birthday
 
FINANCIAL STATISTICS  07/23/17 -
Dues           300.00
Offering at Door           31.00 
Pew Collection          919.00
7 Day Candles            6.00
First Sunday           10.00
AC Donation - Russ Sciuto         200.00
Transfer From Scholarship Fund       7000.00
TOTAL       8,466.00
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Saints and Feasts

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July 31

The Holy Great Martyr Marina (Margaret)

This Martyr lived during the reign of Claudius II (268-270). She was from Pisidia of Cilicia and was the only daughter of a certain priest of the idols. On being orphaned by her mother, she was handed over to a certain woman who instructed her in the Faith of Christ. When she was fifteen years old, she was apprehended by the ruler of Olmbrius, and when asked her name, homeland, and faith, she answered: "My name is Marina; I am the offspring of the Pisidia; I call upon the Name of my Lord Jesus Christ." Because of this she endured bonds, imprisonment, and many whippings, and was finally beheaded in the year 270. Saint Marina is especially invoked for deliverance from demonic possession.


Christina
August 06

Christina the Great Martyr of Tyre

Saint Christina was from Tyre in Syria, the daughter of a pagan named Urban. Enlightened in her heart to believe in Christ, she broke her father's idols, made of gold and silver, and distributed the pieces to the poor. When her father learned this, he punished her ruthlessly, then cast her into prison. The rulers subjected her to imprisonments, hunger, torments, the cutting off of her breasts and tongue, and finally impalement, in the year 200, during the reign of the Emperor Septimius Severus.


Borisgleb
August 06

Boris and Gleb, the Passion-bearers

The holy Passion-bearers Boris and Gleb, named Romanus and David in sacred Baptism, were the pious sons of the holy Great Prince Vladimir. In 1015 they were slain at the command of their brother Svyatopolk-Saint Boris, on July 24 on the Alta River, near Pereyaslavl, and Saint Gleb, on September 5 on the bank of the Smyadinya River, near Smolensk. Although both had understood their brother's designs against them, they refused to take up arms against him and bring civil war upon their land, preferring to fulfill the commandment, "Resist not evil" (Matt. 5:39). The holy relics of Saint Boris were then buried in Vyshgorod, to which the holy relics of his brother were transferred five years later. Miracles were worked through the holy relics of the meek and guileless brothers during the consecration in Vyshgorod of a church in their honor on this day in 1021.


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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Readings

The Reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 1:10-17

BRETHREN, I appeal to you by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brethren. What I mean is that each one of you says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas," or "I belong to Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispos and Gaius; lest any one should say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

The Reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 3:9-17

BRETHREN, we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder. I laid a foundation, and another man is building upon it. Let each man take care how he builds upon it. For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw - each man's work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If any one destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are.


Gospel Readings

8th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 14:14-22

At that time, Jesus saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves." Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." They said to him, "We have only five loaves here and two fish." And he said, "Bring them here to me." Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. Then he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.

9th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 14:22-34

At that time, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. But immediately he spoke to them, saying "Take heart, it is I; have no fear."

And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "O man of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they entered the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.


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Wisdom of the Fathers

And another thing too we learn, the self-restraint of the disciples which they practised in necessary things, and how little they accounted of food.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 49 on Matthew 14, 4th Century

For being twelve, they had five loaves only and two fishes; so secondary to them were the things of the body: so did they cling to the things spiritual only. And not even that little did they hold fast, but gave up even it when asked.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 49 on Matthew 14, 4th Century

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Bulletin Inserts

    Diocesan Camp 2017

    Diocesan Camp 2017

    Registration Information From Camp Nazareth re: The 2017 Camping Season


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Diocesan Stewardship Blog

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On Stewardship and the Orthodox Life - Part 152: Bad Excuses (6/25/17)

05/02/2017

"Honor the Lord with your substances and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.” (Proverbs 3: 9-10 RSV)

We tend to shy away from a discussion involving money when it comes to stewardship. The reason lies in the fact that the Western church has put such an emphasis on it in America that even the Orthodox Church has adopted the “westernization of stewardship.” We have tried very hard to present the true biblical connotation of stewardship through the Diocesan Stewardship Commission. Stewardship of your treasure/wealth is an important factor in the church. Without it, the church cannot pay the mortgage, priest salary, utilities and most importantly, outreach efforts.

On Stewardship and the Orthodox Life - Part 151: Giving Away the Kingdom (6/18/17)

05/02/2017

“Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it.” (Matthew 21: 43 RSV)

The New Testament is full of parables which Christ attempts to teach us using common day examples. We see in Matthew, Chapter 21, several parables. The parable of the two sons (versus 28 -32) and the parable of the wicked tenants (versus 33- 41) both teach us that we are not guaranteed a place in the Kingdom of God. Eternal life is truly a gift that God has given us but how we experience that gift depends entirely on how we use the gifts that God has given us as well as expressing our gratitude for those gifts.

On Stewardship and the Orthodox Life - Part 150: Fairness and Credibility (6/11/17)

05/02/2017

"I see that your father does not regard me with favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me. You know that I have served your father with all my strength; yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, but God has not permitted him to harm me.”.” (Genesis 31: 5-7 RSV)

Jacob was deceived several times by La’ban. It was not fair how La’ban had treated him yet Jacob persisted until God instructed him to take his wives, children and flocks and leave. I think that most of us at one time or another and to one degree or another have had something happen to us that was just not fair. Most of us took it in stride and continued with other lives. There is an ever increasing movement in this country that there must be an equality of outcomes.
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Diocesan Resources

Diocesan Website:  http://www.acrod.org Camp:  http://www.campnazareth.org
Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/acroddiocese
 Twitter: https://twitter.com/acrodnews
You Tube: https://youtube.com/acroddiocese
 National ACRY: http://www.acry.org

 

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