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CHURCH CALENDAR
MARCH 2024


Sunday, March 3
Divine Liturgy 10:30AM


Saturday, March 9
Divine Liturgy 10:00AM
Memorial Service in Colma 
Задушнице


Sunday, March 10
Divine Liturgy 10:30AM


Sunday, March 17
Divine Liturgy 10:30AM


Sunday, March 18
Divine Liturgy 10:30AM
Beginning of Great Lent
Почетак Великог Поста


Saturday, March 23
Divine Liturgy 10:30AM
Theodore’s Saturday


Sunday, March 24
Divine Liturgy 10:30AM
Parish Council Meeting


Sunday, March 31
Divine Liturgy 10:30AM


 

 

 

 

 

SUNDAY, JUNE 25, 2017

3rd Sunday after Pentecost  – Vidovdan Celebration

lazarTHE HOLY MARTYR LAZAR [LAZARUS], SERBIAN PRINCE Lazar was one of the Serbian noblemen who ruled the Serbian empire after the death of Tsar Dushan. After the death of Tsar Urosh, Patriarch Ephrem crowned Lazar as the Serbian king. Lazar sent a delegation to Constantinople with the monk Isaiah to implore the patriarch to lift [remove] the anathema from the Serbian people. He fought against the Turkish powers on several occasions. Finally, he clashed [fought] on the Field of Blackbirds [Kosovo Polje] on June 15, 1389 A.D. against the Turkish Emperor Amurat where he was beheaded. His body was translated and interred in Ravanica, his memorial church [Zaduzbina] near Cuprija and later was translated to Ravanica in Srem and from there, during the Second World War (1942) was translated to Belgrade and placed in the Cathedral Church of the Holy Archangel Michael where it rests today incorrupt and extends comfort and healing to all those who turn to him with prayer. [In 1989, on the occasion of the six-hundred year anniversary of his martyrdom, St. Lazar's relics were again translated to the monastery of Ravanica in Cuprija]. St. Lazar restored the monasteries of Hilendar [Mt. Athos] and Gornjak. He built Ravanica and Lazarica [in Krusevac] and was a benefactor of the Russian monastery St. Pantaleon [Mt. Athos] as well as many other churches and monasteries.

"Whoever keeps his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
Matthew 10:39

The book itself preached to the Tsar: "Tsar Lazar of noble ancestry!
Which kingdom will you choose? Will you choose the earthly kingdom?
Or will you choose the heavenly kingdom?

If you choose the earthly kingdom ...All the Turkish host will perish.
If you choose the heavenly kingdom ...All your army will perish,
And you, O Prince, will die with them."

After the Tsar heard these words, He pondered all sorts of thoughts:
"Dear God, what shall I do and how shall I? Which kingdom shall I choose?

Shall I choose the earthly kingdom? Or shall I choose the heavenly kingdom?
The earthly kingdom lasts only a brief time,But the heavenly kingdom always and forever."

So the Tsar chose the heavenly kingdom ... Then the Turks mounted their attack against Lazar.

And the Serbian Prince Lazar perished, Together with his entire army,
Seventy-seven thousand in number, And all was holy and honorable
And acceptable to gracious God ... From the epic cycle of Kosovo

THE READING FROM THE EPISTLE OF THE ST APOSTLE PAUL TO THE ROMANS  (5: 1-10) 

Brethren, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.  For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

THE GOSPEL READING FROM Saint Matthew (6: 22-33)

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!  No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon.  Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  So why do you worry about clothing?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek.  For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

COMMENTARY

Our Lord, Jesus Christ, links our anxiety and “earthly cares” to the health of our soul in this pericope. The mind is the spiritual eye of the soul; it illuminates the inner man and governs the will. Keeping the mind wholesome and pure is fundamental to living a Christian life. If the mind is impure, the darkness of our soul and the connection to the things of this world overpower us. We become caught up in the cares of this world. We forget that God  rovides us with everything we need for our salvation. The only way to keep the mind wholesome and pure is to place God above all else. May our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, enlighten our minds with the understanding that placing the Love of God before all else leads to the One, True Way, in Him to Eternal Life!

Читање из посланице Римљанима Св. Апостола Павла (5,1-10)

Браћо, оправдавши се, дакле, вером, имамо мир с Богом кроз Господа свог Исуса Христа, Кроз ког и приступ нађосмо вером у ову благодат у којој стојимо, и хвалимо се надањем славе Божије. Не само, пак, то него се хвалимо и невољама, знајући да невоља трпљење гради; А трпљење искуство, а искуство надање; А надање неће се осрамотити, јер се љубав Божија изли у срца наша Духом Светим који је дат нама. Јер Христос још кад слаби бејасмо умре у време своје за безбожнике. Јер једва ко умре за праведника; за доброга може бити да би се ко усудио умрети. Али Бог показује своју љубав к нама што Христос још кад бејасмо грешници умре за нас. Много ћемо, дакле, већма бити кроза Њ спасени од гнева кад смо се сад оправдали крвљу Његовом. Јер кад смо се помирили с Богом смрћу Сина његовог док смо још били непријатељи, много ћемо се већма спасти у животу Његовом кад смо се помирили.

Читање Светог Јеванђеља по Матеју (6, 22-33)

У време оно  рече Исус својим ученицима: Свећа је телу око. Ако дакле буде око твоје здраво, све ће тело твоје светло бити. Ако ли око твоје кварно буде, све ће тело твоје тамно бити. Ако је дакле видело што је у теби тама, а камоли тама? Нико не може два господара служити: јер или ће на једног мрзети, а другог љубити; или једном волети, а за другог не марити. Не можете Богу служити и мамони. Зато вам кажем: не брините се за живот свој, шта ћете јести, или шта ћете пити; ни за тело своје, у шта ћете се обући. Није ли живот претежнији од хране, и тело од одела? Погледајте на птице небеске како не сеју, нити жњу, ни сабирају у житнице; па Отац ваш небески храни их. Нисте ли ви много претежнији од њих? А ко од вас бринући се може примакнути расту свом лакат један? И за одело што се бринете? Погледајте на љиљане у пољу како расту; не труде се нити преду. Али ја вам кажем да ни Соломун у свој својој слави не обуче се као један од њих. А кад траву у пољу, која данас јесте, а сутра се у пећ баца, Бог тако одева, а камоли вас, маловерни? Не брините се дакле говорећи: Шта ћемо јести, или, шта ћемо пити, или, чим ћемо се оденути? Јер све ово незнабошци ишту; а зна и Отац ваш небески да вама треба све ово. Него иштите најпре царство Божје, и правду Његову, и ово ће вам се све додати.

РАСУЂИВАЊЕ Живот je овај духовно војевање. Победити или поражен бити! Ако победимо, уживаћемо плодове победе кроз сву вечност; ако ли будемо поражени, трпећемо ужасе пораза кроз сву вечност. Живот је овај двобој између човека и свега противбожанског. Бог је свемоћни савезник свакога ко Га искрено призива у помоћ. „Овај живот није шала ни играчка,” вели о. Јован Кронштатски, „но људи га обраћају у шалу и играчку. Лакомислено играју се временом, датом нам за припремање за вечност, играју се празним речима. Сабирају се у гостима, седе и празнослове, a затим седе и играју овако или онако; сабирају се у позориштима, и тамо се само забављају... Сав живот за њих је забава. Но тешко онима који се само забављају!”

2017 Dates to Remember

July 2 – 29, 2017 Summer Camp

Saint Sava Mission, Jackson, California

Registration Form available at http://www.campstsava.org

Culture Camp July 2-8, 2017

Week One beings July 9, 2017

Week Two begins July 16, 2017

Week Three begins July 23, 2017


Friday, September 1st through Sunday, September 3rd

Annual Diocesan Days Gathering

Annual Diocesan Assembly Annual

KSS Assembly

Saint Steven’s Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, Alhambra, CA

 

Contact Us

St. John the Baptist 
Serbian Orthodox Cathedral
900 Baker Street, San Francisco, CA 94115
Phone:(415) 567-5869
Fax: (415) 567-5855
EMAIL:  stjohnsoc@yahoo.com

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