St. Matthew Orthodox Church
Antiochian Orthodox Christian
Torrance, CA

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Diocese of Los Angeles and the West | Orthodoxy in America
Rev. Fr. John Mahfouz
Parish Priest
Frjohnmahfouz@gmail.com

Fr John Mahfouz is the pastor of St. Matthew Orthodox Christian Church. He was born into an Orthodox family and has been raised since his infancy in the Faith. He is from Los Angeles, CA, where he was raised at St. Nicholas Orthodox Christian Cathedral. After finishing his undergraduate degree in Chemistry, Fr John attended Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary in Boston, MA where he received his Master of Divinity. After seminary Fr John lived and studied in the Middle East, visiting the ancient holy sites of Lebanon and Syria. It was then that he met his dear wife Khouria Lina. They were married and moved to San Diego where Fr. John was the Director of Student Life and Housing at the newly established St. Katherine College. In 2014 Fr. John was assigned as the Assistant Priest of Saints Peter & Paul Orthodox Christian Church in Salt Lake City,  UT and 2017 he was assigned as the pastor and priest of St. Matthew. Fr. John and Kh. Lina have 4 beautiful children. Fr John especially has a heart for youth ministry and is the Spiritual Advisor of our deanery camping program.


Dn. Barsoum Barsoum
Deacon
Today's Commemorations
Timothy the Apostle of the 70, The Righteous Martyr Anastasius of Persia, Joseph the Sanctified
Today's Scripture Readings
ST. PAUL'S SECOND LETTER TO TIMOTHY 1:3-8
Timothy, my son, I thank God whom I serve with a clear conscience, as did my fathers, when I remember you constantly in my prayers. As I remember your tears, I long night and day to see you, that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you. Hence I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control. Do not be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel in the power of God.
MATTHEW 10:32-33; 37-38; 19:27-30
The Lord said to his disciples, "Every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny him before my Father who is in heaven. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me." Then Peter said in reply, "Lo, we have left everything and followed you. What then shall we have?" Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many that are first will be last, and the last first."
Today's Thought

When Domentian struck him in the face, spat upon him and broke his teeth, the holy Hieromartyr Clement, Bishop of Ancyra replied, “You are doing me great honor, O Domentian, and you are not torturing me, for the mouth of my Lord Jesus Christ was also beaten and struck in like manner – and behold: I, the unworthy one, have now been made worthy of this!”