Saint John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2025-07-06
Bulletin Contents
Schedule of Services
Stewardship News
You are invited
News & Events
Assembly of Bishops News
Saints and Feasts
Gospel and Epistle Readings

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Saint John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • 408.605.0621
  • Street Address:

  • 9th and Lincoln

  • Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
  • Mailing Address:

  • PO Box 5808

  • Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921

Contact Information

Priest: Father Ion Coman


[email protected] | 408.605.0621

Services Schedule

 

Weekend services: the weekend schedule is fixed for most of the year. The services take place in Carmel-by-the-Sea, at All Saints Church, lower level, 9th and Lincoln.

Saturdays: 5:00pm Vespers

Sundays:   8:30am Matins

                   9:45am Liturgy

Week-day services: during the week we may celebrate the major feast days of the Church either in Carmel or in Salinas. Please check the calendar! The schedule pattern is:

Wednesdays:  6:00pm Paraklesis

Eve of feasts: 6:00pm Vespers

Feast days:    8:30am Matins

                       9:45am Liturgy

Past Bulletins


Schedule of Services

Note: Our services are posted on Zoom unless specified otherwise.   

Saturday, July 5
    5pm Vespers
Sunday, July 6 Fourht Sunday of Matthew
    8:30am Matins
    9:45am Liturgy
    12:30pm Catechism Class
Tuesday, July 8
    9am Food Bank Distribution - Community Service
Wednesday, July 9
    9:30am Book Forum: Everyday Saints
    6pm Paraklesis
Friday, July 11 Saint Euphemia, Saint Olga, Saint Sophrony of Essex
   6pm Vespers + Akathist to Saint Paisios + Liturgy
   8pm Basics of Orthodoxy for Explorers (Zoom)
Saturday, July 12 Saint Paisios the Athonite
    5pm Vespers
Sunday, July 13
    8:30am Matins
    9:45am Liturgy
   12:30pm Catechism Class

Zoom with video here.  For more information, go to  //www.stjohn-monterey.org/parish-calendar

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Stewardship News

THE GIFT OF STEWARDSHIP

A ministry led by Mary Kanalakis

Stewardship plays a huge role in carrying out our vision to become a community of personal transformation for ourselves and for others. Sacrificial giving is the foundation of Christianity, for God gave His only-begotten Son...

Currently we fall short of meeting our stewardship goal, but we have the remainder of the year to improve. In past years, we’ve had 55-58 Stewardship households, but half way through this year we are still missing about 10 parties. If you are not currently a steward, please reflect on what is in the way and act.

Our 2025 Stewardship budget is $199,650. The current pledges total $174,686. That is a shortage of $24,782, an opportunity for those who have not pledged yet and for those whose generous giving is not at 10% yet. It takes the whole community to make it happen! And this is a realistic estimation of our collective potential, totaly doable:

If our 48 Steward households would earn the median income for our county and tithed, then our estimated pledge would be $434,000 (not the $174,686 you see above). At this rate, we would be building, transforming, doing so much more of God’s work! 

Please pray about this and review your priorities. The condition of our heart comes to life daily in our faith and love for God which are visibly reflected on how we become a tithing people. Through this, He multiplies our offering by His grace and mercy, drawing us closer to one another and to Him.

So, make your faithful offering today. Put a plan in place to become a tithing Steward. I am here to help you draft such a plan to increase your commitment and engagement in His body, our church.

You may sign up or increase your stewardship contribution any time online: HERE.

We are Saint John's community, seeking transformation in Jesus Christ and to bring people to Christ.


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You are invited

Hike
All invited for a hike in Del Monte Forest
through Pebble Beach.
Saturday, July 12, 6:30 am
Bring water, hiking boots and sunscreen.
Expect an easy, but a bit long hike.
Bring a friend!
Meeting Point: Parking lot on Hwy. 68, uphill from PG. Map here.
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News & Events

NEW: MARRIAGE CLASS

A ministry led by Ali Castañeda

We are beginning a new cycle of the Enduring Love program. It will be taking a new format and will led by Ali, who is a licensed therapist. The targeted audience ranges from young adults to couples who have been married for decades. The classes will take place right after the Wednesday Paraklesis service from 6:45pm in the chapel of Saint Nektarios. They are also an opportunity to build community.

Enduring Love #1: God's Design for Marriage

This Wednesday, 6:45pm (after Paraklesis)

Outline:

1. God's Design for Marriage
2. Love and Expectations
3. Friendship and Goals
4. Communication and Conflict
5. Sex and Romance
6. Children and parenting
7. Roles and responsibilities
8. Finances
9. Spiritual Life
10. Enduring to the End

Living the Gospel, Community


BASICS of ORTHODOXY

A Ministry led by Edward Mar

The class is a pre-requisite for those who pursue the path towards becoming catechumens. It is meeting online in order to offer to those who inquire and explore the Orthodox faith the space to learn and find answers to their many questions. The class meets on Fridays from 8pm via Zoom.

Friday, July 11, 8pm:

Basics of Orthodoxy:

#7. The Holy Trinity

Education, Living the Gospel


ADULT SUNDAY EDUCATION/ CATECHISM

A Ministry led by Father Ion

The class will meet after the Agape meal in Saint Nektarios chapel.

Living the Gospel

 


BOOK FORUM

A Ministry led by Kathy Shaw

We continue to meet on Wednesdays, from 9:30am and we are now reading Everyday Saints and Other Stories, by Archmandrite Tikhon (Shrevkunov). It can be purchased HERE.

 Education, Community


WELCOMING AND HOSPITALITY: SERVING THIS SUNDAY

A Ministry led by Miriam Aguilar

Thank you for your effort and participation in bringing a dish to share for our Agape Meal. If you cannot participate when it is your turn, kindly make other arrangements for someone to cover for you and let your team leader know.

Sunday, July 6
  Parish Council Representative: Mary Kanalakis
  Greeter: 
  Agape Meal: ORANGE TEAM - Thank you to Melanie, Miriam, Marissa, and Irene.

Sunday, July 13
   Parish Council Representative: Ali Castaneda
   Greeter: Marissa Castaneda
   Agape Meal: PINK TEAM - Thank you to Nadia, Maria, Rania, and Christine D

Community


OUTREACH MINISTRIES

Ministries led by Despina Hatton

LADIES I-HELP: 

  • Thursday, July 31. Cooking: 4pm. Dinner with the ladies: 5:30pm.
  • Tuesday, August 5. Cooking: 4pm. Dinner with the ladies: 5:30pm.
  •  

FOOD BANK:

  • Tuesday, July 8.  9:00 -10:30am @St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Seaside.

Community


ONLINE RESOURCES

Most of our services and some ministry meetings are available online. Zoom with video here. Liturgical texts at Ages Initiatives here.


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Saints and Feasts

July 06

4th Sunday of Matthew

July 06

Saint Sisoes the Great

This Saint, great and renowned among the ascetics of Egypt, lived in the fourth century in Scete of Nitria. After the death of Saint Anthony the Great, he left Scete to live in Saint Anthony's cave; he said of this, "Thus in the cave of a lion, a fox makes his dwelling." When Sisoës was at the end of his long life of labours, as the Fathers were gathered about him, his face began to shine, and he said, "Behold, Abba Anthony is come"; then, "Behold, the choir of the Prophets is come"; his face shone yet more bright, and he said, "Behold, the choir of the Apostles is come." The light of his countenance increased, and he seemed to be talking with someone. The Fathers asked him of this; in his humility, he said he was asking the Angels for time to repent. Finally his face became as bright as the sun, so that the Fathers were filled with fear. He said, "Behold, the Lord is come, and He says, 'Bring Me the vessel of the desert,'" and as he gave up his soul into the hands of God, there was as it were a flash of lightning, and the whole dwelling was filled with a sweet fragrance.

July 11

the All-Praised Saint Olga, Equal-to-the-Apostles, Princess of Kiev

Saint Olga, renowned for her wisdom and sobriety, in her youth became the wife of Igor, Great Prince of Kiev, who ruled during the tenth century. After her husband's death, she herself ruled capably, and was finally moved to accept the Faith of Christ. She traveled to Constantinople to receive Holy Baptism. The Emperor, seeing her outward beauty and inward greatness, asked her to marry him. She said she could not do this before she was baptized; she furthermore asked him to be her Godfather at the font, which he agreed to do. After she was baptized (receiving the name of Helen), the Emperor repeated his proposal of marriage. She answered that now he was her father, through holy Baptism, and that not even among the heathen was it heard of a man marrying his daughter. Gracefully accepting to be outwitted by her, he sent her back to her land with priests and sacred texts and holy icons. Although her son Svyatoslav remained a pagan, she planted the seed of faith in her grandson Vladimir (see July 15). She reposed in peace in 969.

July 11

Saint Sophrony the Athonite of Essex

July 12

Saint Paisios the Athonite

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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Fourth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Luke 24:1-12

On the first day of the week at early dawn, the women went to the tomb, taking spices, which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel; and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise." And they remembered His words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told this to the Apostles; but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home wondering at what had happened.

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 3rd Mode. Psalm 46.6,1.
Sing praises to our God, sing praises.
Verse: Clap your hands, all you nations.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 6:18-23.

Brethren, having been set free from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once yielded your members to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness for sanctification.

When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But then what return did you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Gospel Reading

4th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 8:5-13

At that time, as Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching him and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress." And he said to him, "I will come and heal him." But the centurion answered him, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard him, he marveled, and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth." And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; be it done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed at that very moment.

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