2716 North Dobson Road Chandler, AZ 85224 (480) 899-3330
Rev. Fr. Philip S. Armstrong, Presbyter
2716 N. Dobson Rd.
Chandler, AZ 85224
(480) 899-3330
(Located South of Elliot Rd on Dobson Rd)
Church e-mail : office@st-katherine.org
Email Fr. Phil : priest@st-katherine.org
Summer Office hours:
Monday, Wednesday, & Friday 9:30am - 3:30pm
Closed from 12:00 to 1:00pm for lunch.
Inquirer’s Classes Offered (Contact our Church Office).
Sunday Service Schedule:
8:30 AM Orthos
9:30 AM Divine Liturgy
St. Katherine Greek Orthodox Church Chandler AZ 85224
For 1-20-19
Downloadable Flyers
Jan 17 2019
Commemorated
CHURCH EVENTS/ NEWS
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(Sunday Bulletins posted to Website by Saturday 2 PM)
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MESSAGE FROM FATHER
“2019 And Our Covenant with God “
As I commence this message, I wish each of you a blessed 2019. I pray
that it will be the harbinger of new friendships, opportunities and many
blessings for you and your family.
In order to place ourselves in a good position to greet the challenges and opportunities of
the new calendar year, on January 1st we encounter the feast day of the circumcision of our Lord
Jesus Christ. We, also, celebrate the feast of St. Basil the Great on this day. The physical act
circumcision was viewed by the Church as a precursor to what St. Paul refers to as “circumcision
of the heart (Rm. 2:29)” By this means our hearts bleed for God. This is so for St. Paul notes in
Gal. 5:6 “for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails anything, but faith working through love”.
If anything, circumcision pointed to man’s covenant with God. Whether we realize it or not, each
of us in our baptism have entered a covenant with God. A covenant, basically, is an agreement
between two or more parties (persons, corporations, countries). This agreement spells out the
terms or conditions by which we interrelate with one another. Yes, covenants have expectations.
God has already met His end of the covenant by His Son’s pouring out of His blood on the Cross.
Yes, covenants are sealed by blood. Through Christ’s sacrificial death on the Cross and third day
resurrection, man has potential access to the forgiveness of his sins, defeat of evil, and the gift
of eternal life. Yet, in order to receive these benefits, he must honor his terms of the covenant.
What are the terms? To become new creations through Holy Baptism is the first task. After our
baptisms we must prove ourselves to be followers of Christ. Reading the Holy Scriptures and the
lives of the saints provides us a roadmap of how to follow Him. Attending the Sunday and feast
day divine liturgies affords us the opportunity to worship Him. Participating in the sacramental
life of the Church, especially holy confession, holy communion and holy unction affords us the
grace of God to become His holy people. The figurative blood we offer to seal our end of the
covenant is the sweat equity of an active prayer life, being vigilant in our hearts and consciences
against sinful temptations and striving to follow God’s will for our lives. We might find ourselves
saying “but I know these things, father!” They may seem simple but often we lapse into a state of
spiritual amnesia. We lose our way. When we lose our way, this is the perfect time to reacquaint
ourselves with the reading of the Holy Scriptures. In them, we find the road map to lead us back
to God. Our success in 2019 will be dependent on how closely we resolve to follow our Lord Je-
sus. When we walk with God daily in our hearts, we can avoid many of the pitfalls of life. We are
pro-vided the protection and spiritual compass to guide our paths and decisions. It is not a
carefree road, but it is one in which we can count on His constant help and mercy.
In closing, let us determine to honor our covenants during 2019. The fringe benefits are too
numer-ous to note. Let us dedicate this year to our renewed covenant and walk with God. I will
await to hear of the blessings you will derive from inviting God more deeply into your daily living.
Love in Christ,
+Fr. Phil
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Orthodox Christian Network Radio
Monthly Calendars
For January 2019
