St. John of Damascus tells us: “The Holy Virgin did not give birth to a mere man but to true God, and not to God simply, but to God made flesh.” God did not bring His body down from heaven, but assumed it from her and united Himself with this body undividedly. In the womb of the Virgin a perfect unity between divinity and humanity was accomplished. The Virgin did not give birth to a man who was later adopted by God as His Son. He who was born was truly God and truly man. This is the meaning of Theotokos. (Dr. Vaselin Kesich)

Why did God Himself come? He came because He cared. Apostle John expressed the great reason for His coming in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” St. Athanasius says: “What was God to do in the face of the dehumanizing of mankind? What else could He possibly do, being God, but renew His image in mankind so that through it man might come once more to know Him? And how could this be done except by the coming of the very Image Himself, our Savior Jesus Christ?”

Join us for our services all listed in the calendar and prepare for the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. God came because He loves you, now you have to come to show you care and give thanks.    Very importantly, bring your children to church so they may learn about the love of God for them, for as the picture tells us, the world will teach them not to love the very God that brings joy, peace and love to the world.

On December 9 at 3:00 p.m. an Akathist/Healing service will be held to the Mother of God in front of her Icon “Queen of All.” General Confession will follow the service. Take this opportunity to rejuvenate your spiritual life as we prepare to celebrate the Nativity of Our Lord. And remember that not variety, or quality, or quantity of foods that we prepare for the feast will make our celebration more joyous, but that our souls, cleansed in Confession and sanctified in Holy Communion will be immensely more joyful when prepared properly.

Following Divine Liturgy on November 12, St. John’s had a Thanksgiving Dinner enjoyed by our parishioners’ families and friends. It was truly a combined blessing of pleasant fellowship and delicious food. Pictures are in the Photo Gallery.

Sincere Sympathy to the families of Karen Sveda Frei and Daniel Beckmann who have recently fallen asleep in the Lord. May their Memory be Eternal!

The response to our appeal for gifts for the seminarian family we are sponsoring this year for Christmas has been very inspirational. Father, the Passaic “O” Club, and the trustees of St. John’s are all grateful for the loving response, and thank everyone for their participation. We wish you a blessed Christmas season and may the light of Christ’s Holy Nativity guide you throughout the coming year!

Also, Helen Baron, our coordinator for the food pantry, wants to thank everyone for their generous support in supplying food and money throughout the Thanksgiving season. Many grateful families and individuals, who otherwise would have had an empty table, sat down to a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner due to the help provided by those who care. Please continue your support and help re-stock the empty shelves especially now that we are approaching Christmas. Thank you.