Saturday, Jan. 27 – Translation of the relics of John Chrysostom
5:00 PM Santa Paula Outreach Divine Liturgy
Sunday, Jan. 28 – Sunday of the Prodigal Son
8:30 AM Matins
9:30 AM Divine Liturgy
Monday, Jan. 29 – Translation of the Relics of Ignatius, Martyr
8:30 AM Morning Prayer
5:30 PM Vespers
6:30 PM Divine Liturgy +Brian Pouliot from Jerome Parrot
Tuesday, Jan. 30 – The Three Holy Hierarchs
5:30 PM Akathist* for those suffering Addictions & Mental Illness
Wednesday, Jan. 31 – Cyrus and John, Unmercenaries
8:30 AM Morning Prayer
6:30 PM Paraklesis (prayer service to the Theotokos)
7:30 PM Firepit Social
Thursday, Feb. 1 – Tryphon, Martyr
5:30 PM Vespers
6:30 PM Divine Liturgy Mark & Kathy from Matteo Olividarez
Friday, Feb. 2 – Meeting of Our Lord with Simeon and Anna
6:00 PM Santa Paula Outreach Divine Liturgy Bob O’Loughlin
Saturday, Feb. 3 – First All Souls Saturday
9:30 AM All Souls Saturday Divine Liturgy
5:00 PM Santa Paula Outreach Divine Liturgy
5:30 PM Reader Vespers
Sunday, Feb 4. – Sunday of Meat-fare
8:30 AM Matins
9:30 AM Divine Liturgy
*Add first names to this prayer service by emailing niemirick@gmail.com
St. Mary’s: Sundays 8:45 AM or by appointment
Santa Paula: Saturdays 4:15 PM or by appointment
(Please resubmit or submit names to admin@ByzantineLA.com)
The Carlin Family, Michael Hefferon, Shirley Kunze, Michael Mina, Peter Mina, Fr. John Mina, Mila Mina, Lana Zimmerman, Patrick Zimmerman, Shannon O’Neill, Fern Bonowicz, Carolina Chirdon, All the sick and suffering of St. Mary’s
Collection: $2,692.00; Santa Paula: $1,006.00; Online: $155.00; Candles: $85.50; Gift Shop: $50.00; Initial Offering: $10.00; Parish Socials: $35.00; Special Gift: $200.00
Total: $4,233.50 / Attendance – PSM: 77 SPO: 80
On this day we celebrate the Sunday of the Prodigal Son…There are some who recognize much in themselves that is unbecoming, who live a life of great dissipation from their youth, whose lives are full of drunkenness and immorality, who having fallen thus into the depths of evil, become despondent, giving birth to pride, from whence they have no desire to advance to any of the virtues, preferring their bondage to evil and falling ever deeper into evil. Having a fatherly love for even these individuals, and desiring to lead them out of their despair, the Holy Fathers prescribed this parable for the second preparatory Sunday in order to tear up the passion of despair by the roots, to lead them to acceptance of the virtues, and to demonstrate to sinners the abundance of God’s compassion upon sinners and prodigals in His great goodness and love for mankind. For there is no sin which cannot be overcome by the knowledge of His love for mankind, and this is what is presented in this parable of Christ…
(From the Synaxarion – Lives of the Saints and Explanation of the Feasts)
This celebration began in 1100 in the days of the Emperor Alexis Comnenus. A great quarrel arose in Constantinople as to who among Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom was the greatest theologian. They appeared in a dream to Patriarch John and told him that they were equal before God, and each had his special gifts and talents. Patriarch John chose Jan. 30 to commemorate all three of them together in addition to their individual feast days.
The Meeting of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ is described in the third Gospel (Luke 2:22-40). Forty days after His birth the Divine Child was brought to the Temple at Jerusalem to be presented to the Lord. According to the Law of Moses (Lev. 12:2-8), a woman who gave birth to a male child was forbidden to enter the Temple for forty days. At the end of the time of her purification, the mother went to the Temple with the child, to offer a young lamb, two turtledoves, or pigeons to the Lord as a sacrifice. At this time the righteous Elder Simeon was living in Jerusalem. It had been revealed to him that he would not die until he beheld the promised Messiah. By divine inspiration, Simeon went to the Temple at the very moment when the Most Holy Theotokos and St. Joseph had brought the Child Jesus to fulfill the Law. At the Temple was an 84-year-old widow, Anna the Prophetess arrived just when Simeon met the Divine Child. She also gave thanks to the Lord and spoke of Him to all those who were looking for redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38).
“All that is mine is yours.” The merciful Father welcomed the Prodigal Son and showed love to his brother when he questioned that profound love which gave all that was his to his children. Are you open to share that love of the Father by a vocation to the priesthood, diaconate, religious or monastic life? If so, contact the Vocations Office at 206-329-9219 or email: vocations@ephx.org
Saturday, January 27 –
