Saint John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2025-06-01
Bulletin Contents

Organization Icon
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




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

Christ is Ascended! From Earth to Heaven!

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

Friday, May 30
    6 pm Vespers

    8 pm Basics of Orthodoxy for Explorers (Zoom)
Saturday, May 31
    5 pm Vespers

Sunday, June 1 Sunday of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council
    8:30 am Matins
    9:45 am Liturgy
    12 pm Parish Assembly
    12:15 pm Sunday School
    12:30 pm Catechism Class - CANCELLED
Tuesday, June 3 
    4 pm IHELP - Ladies
Wednesday, June 4
    9:30 am Book Forum @Saint Basil Church in San Jose

    6 pm Paraklesis
Friday, June 6
    6 pm Vespers

    8 pm Basics of Orthodoxy for Explorers
Saturday, June 7 Saturday of the Souls
   
8:30 am Matins + Liturgy + Memorial Service

    5 pm Vespers

Sunday, June 8
    8:30 am Matins

    9:45 am Liturgy
    12:15 pm Sunday School
    12:30 pm Catechism Class

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

BACK TO TOP

Special Services

Saturday of Souls: the Saturday before Pentecost is the second time of the year when the whole Church remembers all our departed (the first time is before Lent). It is a huge scale task, but many around the world will be praying. We are to participate in this act and thus accomplish the goal: being one in the living Christ and looking forward to the life to come, His Kingdom. This is how we do it:

  • we participate in and through Vespers on the eve (Friday evening)
  • we participate in and through Matins and the Divine Liturgy (Saturday morning)
  • we boil wheat and prepare the kollyva while offering quiet prayers and psalmody as we work
  • we bring the kollyva to church on Saturday morning along with the list of the names of the departed

This participation is a sacrificial offering, way more than texting names to the priest. It is an offering of love to God in worship, and to our beloved fallen asleep in Christ. It benefits not only the dead, but also ourselves, the ones struggling with our human nature and the inharitance from our ancestors. 

BACK TO TOP

BACK TO TOP

You are invited

ASCENSION
Young adults and not-so-young adults
gather for a serious ascension hike at Garland Ranch in Carmel Valley:
 
This Saturday, 6:30am
Bring water, hiking boots and sunscreen.
Expect a difficult hike up for an hour.

Meeting Point: 700 West Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley, at the vehicle bridge over Carmel River. 

Garland Ranch info: https://www.mprpd.org/garland-ranch-regional-park

 
+   +   +
 
PARISH ASSEMBLY

This Sunday

At church right after the Agape meal. 

 
 

 

BACK TO TOP

News & Events

PARISH ASSEMBLY

The Spring Parish Assembly is scheduled for this Sunday, June 1. The meeting will take place at church right after the Agape meal. All of our stewards should have recived by now the invitation package from Ali via email. Please let him know if you have not received it.

Community


NEW: BASICS of ORTHODOXY MOVES ONLINE

A Ministry led by Edward Mar

The class is a pre-requisite for those who pursue the path towrds becoming catechumens. It is moving 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 will switch to Fridays from 8pm beginning with May 30.

Basics of Orthodoxy

4. Holy Tradition

Education, Living the Gospel


ADULT SUNDAY EDUCATION/ CATECHISM

A Ministry led by Father Ion

All are invited to meet on this Sunday after lunch in the chapel of Saint Nektarios. 

Living the Gospel

 


BOOK FORUM

A Ministry led by Kathy Shaw

We continue the reading and discussion of the lives of a few saints known as "fools for Christ". This is an easy reading, yet powerful and very rewarding spiritually.

"Holy Fools"

by Oswin Craton

This Wednesday we will meet in person at Saint Basil Church in San Jose from 9:30am.

It can be purchased on Amazon or AncientFaith.com. You may check it out online here

Wednesdays, from 9:30am.

 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, June 1
   Parish Council Representative: Mary Kanalakis
   Greeter: Nadia Zajicek
   Agape Meal: 
PINK TEAM - Thank you to Nadia, Maria, Rania, and Christine D

Sunday, June 8
 Parish Council Representative: George Georgalis
   Greeter: Mary Kanalakis
   Agape Meal:
GOLD TEAM – Thank you to Christine T, Presbytera Ana, Mary, and Eleni

Community


OUTREACH MINISTRIES

Ministries led by Despina Hatton

LADIES I-HELP: 

  • Tuesday, June 3. Cooking: 4pm. Dinner with the ladies: 5:30pm.
  • Thursday, July 31. Cooking: 4pm. Dinner with the ladies: 5:30pm.
  •  

FOOD BANK:

  • Tuesday, June 10.  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.

BACK TO TOP

BACK TO TOP

Saints and Feasts

June 01

Fathers of the 1st Council

The heresiarch Arius was a Libyan by race and a protopresbyter of the Church of Alexandria. In 315, he began to blaspheme against the Son and Word of God, saying that He is not true God, consubstantial with the Father, but is rather a work and creation, alien to the essence and glory of the Father, and that there was a time when He was not. This frightful blasphemy shook the faithful of Alexandria. Alexander, his Archbishop, after trying in vain to correct him through admonitions, cut him off from communion and finally in a local council deposed him in the year 321. Yet neither did the blasphemer wish to be corrected, nor did he cease sowing the deadly tares of his heretical teachings; but writing to the bishops of other cities, Arius and his followers requested that his doctrine be examined, and if it were unsound, that the correct teaching be declared to him. By this means, his heresy became universally known and won many supporters, so that the whole Church was soon in an uproar.

Therefore, moved by divine zeal, the first Christian Sovereign, Saint Constantine the Great, the equal to the Apostles, summoned the renowned First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea, a city of Bithynia. It was there that the shepherds and teachers of the Church of Christ gathered from all regions in the year 325. All of them, with one mouth and one voice, declared that the Son and Word of God is one in essence with the Father, true God of true God, and they composed the holy Symbol of Faith up to the seventh article (since the remainder, beginning with "And in the Holy Spirit," was completed by the Second Ecumenical Council). Thus they anathematized the impious Arius of evil belief and those of like mind with him, and cut them off as rotten members from the whole body of the faithful.

Therefore, recognizing the divine Fathers as heralds of the Faith after the divine Apostles, the Church of Christ has appointed this present Sunday for their annual commemoration, in thanksgiving and unto the glory of God, unto their praise and honour, and unto the strengthening of the true Faith.


June 01

Saint Justin the Philosopher and Martyr and his Companions

This Saint, who was from Neapolis of Palestine, was a follower of Plato the philosopher. Born in 103, he came to the Faith of Christ when he was already a mature man, seeking to find God through philosophy and human reasoning. A venerable elder appeared to him and spoke to him about the Prophets who had taught of God not through their own wisdom, but by revelation; and he led him to knowledge of Christ, Who is the fulfillment of what the Prophets taught. Saint Justin soon became a fervent follower of Christ, and an illustrious apologist of the Evangelical teachings. To the end of his life, while preaching Christ in all parts, he never put off his philosopher's garb. In Rome, he gave the Emperor Antoninus Pius (reigned 138-161) an apology wherein he proved the innocence and holiness of the Christian Faith, persuading him to relieve the persecution of Christians. Through the machinations of Crescens, a Cynic philosopher who envied him, Saint Justin was beheaded in Rome in 167 under Antoninus' successor, Marcus Aurelius (reigned 161-180). Besides his defense of Christianity (First and Second Apologies), Saint Justin wrote against paganism (Discourse to the Greeks, Hortatory Address to the Greeks), and refuted Jewish objections against Christ (Dialogue with Trypho).


June 06

The Apodosis of the Feast of the Holy Ascension


June 07

The Saturday of Souls


BACK TO TOP

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Tenth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 21:1-14

At that time, Jesus revealed Himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and He revealed Himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas, called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach, yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any fish?" They answered him, "No." He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there with fish lying on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared ask Him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after He was raised from the dead. .


Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 4th Mode. Daniel 3.26,27.
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers.
Verse: For you are just in all you have done.

The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 20:16-18, 28-36.

IN THOSE DAYS, Paul had decided to sail past Ephesos, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. And from Miletos he sent to Ephesos and called to him the elders of the church. And when they came to him, he said to them: "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, 'it is more blessed to give than to receive.' " And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all.


Gospel Reading

Fathers of the 1st Council
The Reading is from John 17:1-13

At that time, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you gave me to do; and now, Father, you glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world was made.

"I have manifested your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world; yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you; for I have given them the words which you gave me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you did send me. I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are mine; all mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves."


BACK TO TOP