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St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2017-12-10
Bulletin Contents
Lectionary & Typicon
Church Services and Events
Parish Stewardship
Announcements
Saints and Feasts
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Wisdom of the Fathers
Bulletin Inserts
Diocesan Stewardship Blog
ACROD News
Assembly of Bishops News
Diocesan Resources
Allsaint
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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

Very Rev. Protopresbyter Peter Paproski


rppaproski@gmail.com | 203-375-2564

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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TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

 Great Martyr James of Persia

December 10, 2017


    Epistle : Ephesians 6:1-10
  Gospel: Luke 13:10-17


Resurrectional  Tone 2

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Church Services and Events

  • Calendar

    December 10 to December 24, 2017

    Sunday, December 10

    9:00AM Divine Liturgy

    10:45AM Church School

    Tuesday, December 12

    7:00PM Moleben To St. Nectarios

    7:30PM Parish Council Meeting

    Wednesday, December 13

    9:00AM Pastry Roll Workshop

    7:00PM Adult Scripture Study

    Saturday, December 16

    11:00AM Christmas Bread & Pastry Roll Pickup.

    5:00PM Great Vespers

    Sunday, December 17

    10:00AM Divine Liturgy

    11:30AM St Nicholas Brunch

    Wednesday, December 20

    7:00PM Adult Scripture Study

    Saturday, December 23

    5:00PM Great Vespers

    Sunday, December 24

    9:00AM Divine Liturgy

    10:45AM Church School

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Parish Stewardship

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DATE COFFEE HOUR HOST HOURS EPISTLE
Dec 17 St Nicholas Brunch Pani Carol Cantors
Dec 24 Decerbo Holly Bilcheck Serge
       

2017 STEWARDSHIP

     YTD: $60,505.00  As of 12/3/17  Goal: $68,000.00

 

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Announcements

PRAYERS FOR PEACE - Please do not forget that Bishop Gregory has asked all of us to pray a special prayer for peace  each night during our evening prayers.  It is included in this bulletin for your convenience. 

ADULT EDUCATION - Our Orthodox Boot Camp continues this Wednesday at 7:00 pm. We are now turning our attention to Holy Scripture. Our study is of a practical nature:  we are learning about the basics of the Bible, its origin and how to  read it  with them main focus being  how the bible offers answers to the struggles we face in everyday life. Those who are interested in taking part in the class either in person or by telephone or video conferencing are kindly asked to contact Fr. Peter. 

GIVING TREE - Our annual Christmas Outreach Project involves providing personal care items for the needy of Stratford,  donating and preparing food for a Christmas Dinner at the Lord's Kitchen on  Wednesday  Dec 20th.  We will also be assisting a needy Family in the Greater Stratford Community.   To participate, please select one or more items you would like to donate from the "Giving Tree" in the Church hall. With the exception of certain items of prepared food we are asking for cash donations of varying amounts to cover the personal care items which the Church has already bought in bulk at an incredible savings.  Please be generous.  See Fr. Peter with any questions. 

COMMUNITY SUPPER - Our next meal will be  Wed Dec 20 at Christ Church in Stratford.    Please See Mary or Eve to help. Help is needed preparing some of the food at home.  See The Giving Tree. 

CHRISTMAS PASTRY ROLL WORK SESSIONS -  Help is needed making pastry rolls at our final work session: Wed Dec 13th. Please see Pani Carol to offer your help. Help is also need today after Liturgy preparing packaging for this week's final pastry roll work session.

ASP PRESENTATION:  Today, following Liturgy we will have a presentation from youth and leaders of the Orthodox Youth Mission Team. The team is forming for 2018 and will be going on a week-long mission trip to Appalachia next July. High school students (those currently in 8thgrade and up) and their parents who might be interested in this opportunity are encouraged to attend. There will be photos, a detailed outline of the project and insights from youth and leaders who have participated in the past.

LEAF RAKING SESSION -  We are asking all able body parishioners and especially our youth  to assist with clearing the Church property of leaves today, Sunday Dec 10th following Liturgy.  Many hands will make light work.  We should complete the entire property in a matter of a couple hours.  Please let Fr. Peter know if you can help. 

CHURCH SECURITY - At the November Parish Council Meeting it was decided that for security reasons the side door to the Church will be locked at all weekday services,  and at 9:15 am on Sunday Mornings.  No key is needed to exit the Church.  The front door will remain unlocked as usual.      

EMAIL ADDRESS CHANGES – We have instituted a parish email system.  For correspondence with Fr. Peter please use the following email address: priest@sjoc.org  For parish bulletin or monthly newsletter submissions or questions please use news@sjoc.org 

ST NICHOLAS BRUNCH - Our Annual St. Nicholas Brunch will take place on Sunday Dec 17, 2017 following Divine Liturgy. A visit from St. Nicholas will be the highlight of the Dinner. Cost is  $10.00 per adult; children 5  up: $4.00; children under 5: free. Please add your name to the reservation sign-up sheet in the Church Hall. Reservations must be made by Dec 10, 2017.  Parents are kindly reminded to bring a wrapped present for each of their children present.  Please mark your calendar and plan on attending.  

LOTS O LUCK CALENDARS - Now on sale in the Church hall. Cost is $25.00.  Proceeds support Diocesan Mission Fund and other charitable works of the ACRY.

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES 
Dec 12 Ryan Pierce  Birthday
Dec 13 Louis Gregory  Birthday
Dec 15 Hailey Meyernick  Birthday
Dec 15 Ken Lomme, Jr.   Birthday

 
FINANCIAL STATISTICS 12/3/17
First Sunday Collection                 262.00
7 Day Candles                  15.00 
Pew Collection              1207.00
TOTAL            $1,484.00
   
   
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Saints and Feasts

Allsaint
December 10

James the Great Martyr of Persia

This Saint was from the city of Bythlaba and was of noble birth; he was the closest and most honoured friend of Isdiger (or Yazdegerd) I, King of Persia (reigned 399-420). Though a Christian from his youth, James renounced Christ because he was allured by the King's friendship and flatteries. When his mother and his wife learned of this, they declared to him by letter that they would have nothing more to do with him, since he had preferred a glory that is temporal to the love of Christ. Wounded in soul by these words and coming to himself, the Saint wept over his error, and repudiated the worship of the idols. Therefore, becoming exceedingly wroth, the King - this was Bahram (or Varahran) V (reigned 421-438), Isdiger's son and successor - condemned him to a most bitter death, the likes of which not even a brute beast was ever condemned to: that is, his body was dismembered at every joint of his arms and legs. And so, when he had been cut asunder limb by limb to his very hips and shoulders, the courageous Martyr was finally beheaded, in the year 421.

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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 6:10-17

Brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand, therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Gospel Reading

10th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 13:10-17

At that time, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your infirmity." And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and she praised God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, said to the people, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the sabbath day." Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?" As he said this, all his adversaries were put to shame; and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

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Wisdom of the Fathers

The Savior Himself is He Whom we are asked to put on. It is one and the same thing to say, 'Put on the whole armor of God,' and 'Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.' Our belt is truth and our breastplate is righteousness. The Savior is also called both 'truth' and 'righteousness.' On this principle He is also to be understood as the 'Gospel of peace.' He is Himself the 'shield of faith' and the helmet of salvation. He is the 'sword of the Spirit,' because He is the Word of God, living and efficacious, the utterance of which is stronger than any helmet and sharp on both sides.
St. Jerome
Unknown, 5th century

The mind of a heedful man is as it were a watchman on duty, or an unsleeping guard of the inner Jerusalem. Standing at the height of spiritual contemplation, he looks with an eye of purity upon the enemy powers who go around and attack his soul, in accordance with the Psalmist: 'And my eye hath looked down upon my enemies' (Ps. 53:9). From his eye the devil is not hidden, who 'as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour' (I Pet. 5:8), nor are they who bend their bow 'to shoot in the dark the upright of heart (Ps. 10:2). And thus such a man, following the teaching of the divine Paul, receives 'the whole armor of God, that [he] may be able to withstand in the evil day (Eph. 6:13), and with this armor and with the cooperating grace of God, he repels visible attacks and vanquishes invisible warriors.
St. Seraphim of Sarov
Spiritual Instructions no. 30, Little Russian Philokalia Vol. 1; Saint Herman of Alaska Brotherhood pgs. 48-49, 19th century

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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

http://acrod.org/ministries/stewardship/stewarship-blog/stewardship-152
"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

http://acrod.org/ministries/stewardship/stewarship-blog/stewardship-151
“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

http://acrod.org/ministries/stewardship/stewarship-blog/stewardship-150
"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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