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
Conon the Gardener, Parthenios the New Martyr who contested in Didymoteichos, Mark the Ascetic, Righteous Father Mark of Athens, John the Bulgarian, Mark the Faster, George the New-Martyr of Rapsani, Eulogios the Martyr, Eulabios the Martyr, Conon the Isaurian, Archelaos the Martyr of Egypt
Today's Scripture Readings
ISAIAH 6:1-12
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" Then flew one of the seraphim to me, having in his hand a burning coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven." And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." And he said, "Go, and say to this people: 'Hear and hear, but do not understand; see and see, but do not perceive.' Make the heart of this people fat, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed." Then I said, "How long, O Lord?" And he said: "Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without men, and the land is utterly desolate, and the LORD removes men far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
GENESIS 5:1-24
This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. When Adam had lived a hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. The days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years; and he had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died. When Seth had lived a hundred and five years, he became the father of Enosh. Seth lived after the birth of Enosh eight hundred and seven years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years; and he died. When Enosh had lived ninety years, he became the father of Kenan. Enosh lived after the birth of Kenan eight hundred and fifteen years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years; and he died. When Kenan had lived seventy years, he became the father of Mahalalel. Kenan lived after the birth of Mahalalel eight hundred and forty years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years; and he died. When Mahalalel had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Jared. Mahalalel lived after the birth of Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years; and he died. When Jared had lived a hundred and sixty-two years he became the father of Enoch. Jared lived after the birth of Enoch eight hundred years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years; and he died. When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah three hundred years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
PROVERBS 6:3-20
Then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into your neighbor's power: go, hasten, and importune your neighbor. Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler. Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer or ruler, she prepares her food in summer, and gathers her sustenance in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a vagabond, and want like an armed man. A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, scrapes with his feet, points with his finger, with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing. There are six things which the LORD hates, seven which are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and a man who sows discord among brothers. My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching.
Today's Thought

Fasting is an admirable thing, but it is more admirable to forgive insults. Through fasting a man is preparing for charity, but by forgiving insults, a man shows charity. Fasting precedes forgiveness, but fasting alone does not save without forgiveness. – St. Nicholai of Zhicha