St. Matthew Orthodox Christian Church
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese
Torrance, CA

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Welcome to Our Parish!

Thank you for visiting the St. Matthew Orthodox Christian Church website. We invite you to join us for one of our liturgical services – services that have been part of the worshipping tradition of apostolic Christianity since the era of the “early Christian Church."

St. Matthew is a parish strongly committed to the belief that the Holy Orthodox Church is the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Apostles. Our parish is part of the ancient Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch where St. Luke in the Book of Acts tells us the believers were first called “Christians” (Acts 11:26). We are part of the global Eastern Orthodox Church community which includes national churches in traditionally Orthodox countries like Russia, Greece, Romania, Serbia, Cyprus, and the Middle East, but also in Japan, China, India, the Philippines, throughout Europe including Germany, France, Poland, Finland, across the British Isles, throughout the African continent including Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, and across North, Central and South America.  There are over 250 million Eastern Orthodox Christians in the world today and over 1 million in the United States. 

Our parish is more than just a place where people come to worship the living God (although it is first and foremost that!). St. Matthew is a vibrant faith community of people of all ages and backgrounds who are working out their faith together and raising their families in accordance with the commandments of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the sacred norms for spiritual life of the ancient Holy Eastern Orthodox Church.

Many of our congregants journeyed to the Orthodox Church from other Christian faith traditions and denominations and some non-Christian religious and spiritual traditions. Whether you are “on a journey” or just wanting to visit a local Orthodox parish you will be welcome at St. Matthew. We are always honored to have visitors join us for prayer and worship.

If you have any questions about our church, or about Eastern Orthodoxy, feel free to contact Fr. John (Mahfouz)

We are located in the South Bay area of Los Angeles county. We are close to both the 110 Harbor Freeway and the 405 San Diego Freeway. Get directions.

Come and see how the Ancient, First Church has been worshipping God for over 2,000 years! May God bless you.

 

What's Happening at St. Matthew

Daily services are offered Tuesday - Sunday. The times of these services and other special services can be found on our Services and Calendar page.

We have one of the oldest and largest Orthodox bookstores in Southern California. Stop in and find what you need.

To learn more about Orthodox Christianity and the process of becoming an Orthodox Christian, call the office for more information. 

House Blessings

If you would like Fr. John to bless your home (house, condo, apartment, etc) or business, please contact him directly.
For a description of what to expect during the house blessing, please go to our
 Activities and Ministries page. 

 

The Holy Apostle & Evangelist Matthew

St. Matthew was the son of Alpheus. From the Hebrew his name means the Gift of Jehovah. He was also known as Levi the Publican, a tax collector for the government of Rome in the Judean town of Capernaum.

St. Matthew wrote the first book of the New Testament, the Gospel According to Saint Matthew. Here he wrote of the coming of Our Lord, the birth of Jesus Christ, the years of His preaching, the story of the Sermon on the Mount and the Passion and Resurrection. It is known that St. Matthew wrote the Gospel in the last quarter of the first century.

St. Irenaeus and St. Clement of Alexandria tell us that after Our Lords Ascension, St. Matthew preached the Gospel in Judea for fifteen years. Tradition says he also preached in Persia and Ethiopia and stories of his martyrdom exist.

Troparion for St. Matthew
O Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew, intercede with our merciful God to grant our soul forgiveness of sins.

You did hear the divine voice and received the light of faith, abandoning the office of publican. You proclaimed the Good News of the ineffable Kenosis of Christ, O Apostle Matthew and now you intercede that they who praise you be granted forgiveness of offenses and great mercy.

Commemorated on November 16

Today's Commemorations
Monday of the Holy Spirit, The Holy Hieromartyr Dorotheus, Bishop of Tyre, Holy Martyrs Nicandrus, Gorgus and Apollonus and those with them, Christophoros & Konon the Martyrs of Rome
Today's Scripture Readings
ST. PAUL'S LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS 5:8-19
Brethren, walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret; but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it is said, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light." Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart.
MATTHEW 18:10-20
The Lord said, "See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. For the Son of man came to save the lost. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven, for where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Today's Thought

O heavenly King, O Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who art in all places and fillest all things, Treasury of good things and Giver of life: Come, and dwell in us, and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O good One. Hymn to the Holy Spirit