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

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Welcome!

Welcome to St. Matthew Orthodox Christian Church in Torrance, California.

We are an Eastern Orthodox Christian Church of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.

We are a warm and diverse community of serious Christians who seek to worship God faithfully and witness the Gospel through love for our neighbor. 

ALL ARE WELCOME!

If you are joining us for the first time we ask of you to:

1) Dress modestly,

2) Come without expectation and allow yourself to just be present in the worship, and

3) If you are able to, join us for a meal after the service (On Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings).

 

If you are visiting from another Orthodox Church it is helpful to let us know ahead of time, especially to let us know if you plan to approach the Chalice for Holy Communion

 

You can see our schedule of services and activities here: https://saint-matthew.net/schedule

Joining the Orthodox Christian Church

1) The first step in joining the Orthodox Christian Church is to attend services.

Services are offered daily and are open to all. The Holy Eucharist (Holy Communion) is reserved for Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves to receive Holy Communion.

2) When visiting, be sure to introduce yourself to our Priest, Father John.

When meeting Father John you can arrange with him a time to meet and talk one-on-one to share about your journey and ask any questions you may have about the Church and the process of becoming an Orthodox Christian.

3) Get involved!

You are encouraged to try to attend services as much as you are able to. It was the regular life of the first Christians to gather daily. Along with services, try to make it to the various opportunities to learn about the faith, Wednesday night Family Nights (6:30pm), Friday morning Bible Studies (7am), and Saturday after Catechism Classes (3:30pm).

The Holy Apostle & Evangelist Matthew
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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

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Today's Commemorations
The Glorious Prophet Elias (Elijah), Synaxis of the Russians who were perfected in France: Protopresbyter Alexios Medvedkov, Presbyter Dimitrii Klepinin, Mother Maria Skobtsova, her son Yuri Skobtsov, and Ilia Fondaminskii, Mother Maria Skobtsova, New-Martyr of France
Today's Scripture Readings
ST. JAMES' UNIVERSAL LETTER 5:10-20
BRETHREN, take as an example of suffering and patience the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we call those happy who were steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no be no, that you may not fall under condemnation. Is any one among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects. Elijah was a man of like nature with ourselves and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth its fruit. My brethren, if any one among you wanders from the truth and some one brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
LUKE 4:22-30
At that time, the crowd wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of the mouth of Jesus; and they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" And he said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Physician, heal yourself; what we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here also in your own country.'" And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed but only Naaman the Syrian." When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong. But passing through the midst of them he went away.
Today's Thought

"The Kingdom of Heaven is peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit. Acquire inward peace, and thousands around you will find their salvation." -- St. Seraphim of Sarov