Happy Mother’s Day!

To all of our mom’s, alive –Many Years! and deceased – Memory Eternal! A blessed day as we celebrate your unique and beautiful calling as co-creators with God. Moms are the most special people in everyone’s life.

New Church Phone

Number 209-617-9389 – the new church number (message) has my phone number on it. No one except outsiders need to call the church. Everyone has my number and the number of anyone else in the community. If you don’t please let me know!

Thriving Parish Project

We will most likely begin the small group discussions in June. We will have sign up near the end of May

Bookstore News  - We are possibly going to locate the bookstore in what is now “storage” across from the office. A proposal to make that happen will be presented to the parish council next Sunday. Depending of the approval of the proposal the new Grand Opening Date of Aug. 1 may be effected.

Donations for Church Camp - Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Church Camp collection. We sent a little over $1000.00 to St. Eugene’s Camp. This summer camp, at the end of June, is the only real tangible event we do for our youth in the Central Pacific Deanery and for many Orthodox youth in Northern California each year. Contributions and volunteers are necessary to run the camp.

Baptism of Natalia Hocking - We will baptize little Natalia on Sunday morning May 25th at 9am. Divine Liturgy will start following the baptism. Michelle Perez is God Mother. I encourage all to be in attendance.

Giant Thank You - To everyone who has picked up extra chores in the absence of Reader Steven and Fredia Brown.

Congratulations and Thank You! - To our newest Prosphora baker Michelle Perez (lots of good press today!). Thank you and what a wonder thing it is to offer up our labor and love in the Divine Liturgy! Open Letter from the Archbishop and the Diocesan Council I have been instructed to read this letter, instead I have made copies for all of you. I am happy to answer any questions. I will also provide you with a short autobiography of our only candidate for Bishop of San Francisco – Archimandrite Vasily (Permiakov). 

Reflection

Following Pascha itself – the Church present us with five additional Sundays in which we read form the Gospel of St. John. In the ancient Church this Gospel was not read to nor read by the Catechumens until they were baptized. All the themes have to do with baptism and healing. Today in reading the Gospel from St. John (5:1-15) we are asked “Do you want to be healed?” This seemly easy question is one in which all Christians must struggle to answer. Not all of us want to be healed – many of us desire above all else not to be healed and to remain in sickness. Indeed not all find healing in this world. This is the powerful nature of the world – in all of it allurements – we receive quick feedback and many times we enjoy the sensations of the feedback – lust, power, greed, envy, anger, gluttony, arrogance, ignorance, sloth, indifference and pride. If we choose to be healed (in time) – we will hear – “Enter ye good and faithful servant into my Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” 

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