Sunday, Dec. 20 – Sunday of the Ancestors
8:30 AM Matins
9:30 AM Divine Liturgy
Wednesday, Dec. 23
7:30 AM Morning Prayer
8:30 AM Divine Liturgy +Scott Collier from Rick White
4:00 PM Evening Prayer
Thursday, Dec. 24 – Christmas Eve
8:30 AM Royal Hours
3:00 PM Vespers
4:00 PM Divine Liturgy – Vigil of the Nativity
Friday, Dec. 25 – Christmas
8:30 AM Matins
9:30 AM Divine Liturgy – The Nativity of our Lord
Saturday, Dec. 26
8:30 AM Divine Liturgy: Synaxis of the Theotokos Family & Friends of Scott Collier from Rick White
6:30 PM Vespers
Sunday, Dec. 27 – Sunday after the Nativity
8:30 AM Matins
9:30 AM Divine Liturgy
Please remember the following people in your prayers: Estella Biedenbender, Ken Bosak, Julie Carlin, Fletes Family: Alicia, Frankie, Layla, Lupita & Veronica, Victoria Flores, Larry Goodwin, Holly Garlow, Michelle Grana, Virginia Harrington, Jeanne Hart, Michael Hefferon, Rob Hooper, Chris Johnson, Patricia Kurczak, Irene Lehman, Elizabeth & John Mallas, Dylan Mancia, Toni Martin, Marg Mauro, Juan Gabriel Martinez, Pedro Medina, Mina family: Mila, Diana, Rev. John & Mike, Shannon O’Neill, Tanya Petach, Casandra Porch, Nicholas, Rodriguez Diane Romano, Paul Saucedo, Kathleen Savko, Robert Stamer, Leanne Steuer, Mary Washko, Dina & Matthew Wiggins, Carmen Zambrano, Lana Zimmerman, Patrick Zimmerman, Fr. Chris Zugger and all those who serve in the Armed Forces
Collection: $886.00; Candles: $53.25; Online: $85.00; Church Improvements: $20.00; Retired Religious: $1450.00; Flowers: $25.00; Ventura County Outreach collection: $11.00
Total: $2,535.25 / Attendance 65
Byzantine Catholics usually celebrate a beautiful and deeply symbolic meal on Christmas Eve called “Holy Supper”. You can find more info about this tradition in this week’s email.
St. Symeon the New Theologian (949–1022 AD) is known for his mystical piety, his explanation of the Divine Light, and his deep reverence for the Holy Eucharist. Abbott Symeon went so far as to tell his monks “Brothers, never commune without tears.” It is no wonder, for this holy Saint knew that to fully receive all of the benefits of the life giving Eucharist one must be spiritually prepared, discerning the holy from the profane. After all, if the Eucharist is spiritual, only the spiritual man can partake thereof. One might think of it this way, a virus can’t survive on pizza because pizza is just not the kind of food a virus has the nature to thrive on. Only those with a spiritual disposition can receive spiritual nourishment; otherwise, it is subjectively only wine and bread for those who don’t believe, even as when the Pharisees and Sadducees saw the Word of God incarnate they only experienced him with eyes of unbelief as a mere fishermen. This emphasis on spirituality and the spiritual nature of the Eucharist does not mean that the Eucharist is not physical! In fact, St. Symeon believed so firmly in the physical nature of the Eucharist that for him to partake of the Eucharist is not only partaking of the incarnate historical Christ, but even to receive of the flesh which gave the incarnate word flesh, the Holy Theotokos. In other words, to partake in the Eucharist is even to partake in the flesh of Mary. By extension, St. Symeon might point out that Mary is not only our adopted mother in Christ, but actually, we are her true children, even partaking of her flesh and blood. What is more, he did not see a radical distinction between physicality and spirituality. In keeping with the Biblical tradition, Christ’s resurrected body is a spiritual body. Yes, it can eat and drink, but it can also go through walls, float, and shape-shift (recall the apostles on the road to Emmaus), most of all it is an eternal and incorruptible body. The spiritual body of Christ is his resurrected body, a perfected physical body. This is the kind of Eucharistic body the believer receives when he or she partakes in faith, as a spiritual person. This is a foretaste of the good things to come, the blessed hope, the beginning of the spiritual man’s promised resurrection. -Father Nathan Symeon Adams
Fr. Michael and Fr. Nathan will be choosing monthly readings, for our edification as a community. For those who are interested, we will purchase a limited number of texts accessible at our bookstore. Join “Slack” for any questions or ideas you would like to discuss from our texts, or grab a priest in person to discuss your experience with our chosen texts. Fr. Nathan chose this month’s text; let him know what you think about it.
December Book: THE WINTER PASCHA
“When the winter begins to make way into the Northern World, the Church of Christ begins to celebrate ‘a splendid three-day Pascha.’ Thus, Father Thomas Hopko begins the first of forty meditations for the season of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, ending with the feast of the Meeting of the Lord in the Temple on the fortieth day after Christ’s birth. In the style of his popular book for the paschal fasting season, The Lenten Spring, the author again draws on the biblical readings and liturgical hymns and verses of the season to illumine the way for believers to follow the Church’s days of preparation and celebration for the Coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in human flesh. Many references are made to the writings of the saints and Church Fathers, as well as to contemporary Christian teachers and spiritual guides. All those who love the Lord’s Coming will find comfort and strength, as well as enlightenment and instruction, for having passed through the Winter Pascha with this book as their companion.”
Saturday, December 19 –
