Newsletter May 9, 2024

Steadfastness Despite Persecution

Christ is risen! Indeed, He is risen!

My beloved, today we have a great feast and a great saint – St. George, the most popular saint in the Christian world.

St. George was a great martyr. He was persecuted so much, but he remained steadfast according to his faith.

Many of the faithful, since I came to North America, ask me about persecution. They ask how Christians can face persecution. I heard from them that there is persecution even in this society. It is not easy for Christians to face all the challenges of their society.

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Read the entire article: https://www.antiochian.org/regulararticle/2047

This Saturday after Vespers.

Christ is Risen! Thank you all for your pattendance, prayers, and help during all of out Lenten, Holy Week, and Paschal services.

I am going to take a break over the summer and postpone our Wednesday evening classes. We will still have Liturgy on Wednesdays (at 5:30) but no classes aferward.

Sunday, during fellowship

Please remember that our full calendar continues to be available at our parish web site. Here is a link:
https://stjfc.org/Pages/Calendar/calendar.php

Full schedule: https://stjfc.org/Pages/Ministries/Prosphora/Docs/prosphora sched 2024 web.pdf

Full schedule: https://stjfc.org/Pages/Ministries/Altar/Docs/epistle readers for 2024.pdf

Epistle: ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 5:12-20

In those days, many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high honor. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed. But the high priest rose up and all who were with him, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out and said, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.”

Gospel: JOHN 20:19-31

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in His side, I will not believe.” Eight days later, His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in My side; do not be faithless, but believing.” Thomas answered Him, “My Lord and My God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, you may have life in His name.

Revelation: Removing the Veil (Part 7)
John, Our Companion in Tribulation, and in the Kingdom and Patience of Jesus Christ

Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol

You see that the way of the Holy Apostles resembled the life of Christ. They weren’t successful in a worldly way, not everything went well in their lives, they had no worldly power or authority, but they were people who went through many sorrows, difficulties, trials, and exiles. And note that the Apostle John wrote Revelation at the end of his life. He was already quite old, but despite this, he was exiled to the island of Patmos. In those days of course, Patmos wasn’t like it is today, where we go for vacation. It was an arid island, unsettled. And if people were exiled there, it means it was a very difficult place to live.

He was there because he testified about Jesus Christ; he was imprisoned on Patmos for preaching Christ and for the word of God. The Apostle experienced many sorrows.

When we say “tribulations,” we don’t mean just the sorrows and strained circumstances in which the saints found themselves. The word “tribulation” (from the Greek “η θλίψη”—“to melt”) means “complete crushing” (from the Greek “λιώνω”), when a man “melts,” “is crushed.” Therefore, through tribulation, patience, and faith, the saints became partakers of the coming Kingdom of Christ.

But only the man who has faith has patience. If a man has little faith, then he’s impatient; he wants everything to happen quickly, this minute, and in the way that he wants it. He quickly loses his composure and hope and finds himself in a state of panic. A patient man believes in God and awaits a resolution of circumstances from Him.

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Read the entire article: https://orthochristian.com/159453.html