Hi Mark,
The Weekly Word is a Nihalati youth service bringing you sayings from the desert fathers along with other church information, upcoming events and featured items in the orthodox bookstore. We hope you enjoy this service and share it with all your family and friends. If you know anyone who would like to subscribe, they can do so by signing up on our website. If you have any suggestions, email us: weeklyword@stmarystjohn.org
Tel: (925) 24-STJOHN
Tel: (925) 247-8564
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This Week at a Glance
- Wednesday, January 4th
- Prayer for Egypt 7-7:20pm
- Bible Study 7:20-7:40pm
- Kiahk Praise (7&4) 7:40-9:30pm
- Thursday, January 5th
- 3rd Annual Final Kiahk Praises 8-11:30pm
- Friday, January 6th
- Baramoun Liturgy 8-10am
- Holy Liturgy - Feast of Nativity 7pm-12am
- Saturday, January 7th
- K-College Sunday School visits Retirement Home to deliver gifts, cookies and sing Christmas Carols 11am-3pm
- Sunday, January 8th
- Holy Liturgy 8-11am
- Sunday School 11:30am-12:30pm
- Choir Practice 12:30-1:15pm
Feast of the Nativity
 The Feast of the Nativity is quickly approaching! The Liturgy for the Feast will be this Friday night, 7:30pm - 12:15am.
Liturgy will be followed by dinner to break the fast. We look forward to the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and celebrating this joyous feast with you!
On Saturday, January 7th, the Sunday School classes, grades K-12 & College, will meet at 11am to bake cookies and prepare gifts to be given to neighbors in a local elderly home. The children's choir will also sing carols at the home. We encourage all the Sunday School children and youth to join. We will be back at church by 3pm.
Other Announcements
Our annual Church Banquet will be on Sunday, January 15th, 2012 - the Feast of St. John the Beloved, our patron saint.
Seats for the banquet and raffle tickets are still available! If you are interested, email banquet@baycopts.org.
2012 Banquet Raffle Prizes
Theme for 2012: "Love"
Sermon given by Fr. Antonios Baky on 12/31/11
I would like to talk to you about the church’s goal for the New Year, When we talk about love, we find God in front of us, because God is love. So let’s see the proof of His love for us:
He created me in His image, the Holy Bible says: “So God created man in His own image.” His image in goodness and He put me in His paradise. Before He created man, he prepared a beautiful place for him. I am a source of joy for god, in proverbs God said:” Rejoicing in His inhabited world, and my delight was with the sons of Another proof, that when I sinned, God died for me And when He ascended, He went to prepare a place for me.
Therefore, the work of God’s love is to forgive my sins, strengthening me and help me in my weakness, to defend me and
Now my role towards God’s love is the following:
Loving Him: St. John the beloved said: “We love Him because Accept His commandment: “If anyone hears My voice.” Meaning if he accepts Me and accepts My commandment. Get attached to Him: through your prayer, your bible, your confession and your communion.
Love yourself:
Because you’re a divine product, in His image and because you now you are precious to Him, that’s why you must better yourself and correct your faults. Improve your way of thinking; take care of your health and your talents because they are blessings from God.
Love others: - Forgive others, forgive all those who cause you pain or insult you so He may forgive you.
- Respect others, respect old and young, rich and poor, educated and illiterate.
- Serve others, help others and serve them, because then you’re serving God Himself, to offer your service to God in form of serving others. Serve them through your position or talents or financial capacity, and if you can’t through all that make it through your smile and kind words, serve others with love and tenderness, encourage them to overcome their troubles.
Glory be to God forever and ever amen.
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