Monthly Archives: November 2011

11/27 announcements

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November 27, 2011
Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost;
 
Ephesians 2:14-19: In our reading from Ephesians, we are reminded that Christ not only brought us into union with Himself, but also into union with each other and the faithful saints who have gone before us to be with the Lord.
 
Luke 18:18-27:   In the Gospel according to St Luke we hear our Lord tell us via an encounter with a rich, young ruler that to obtain eternal life we must be willing to  give up everything that we possess in service to the Kingdom of God.
 
Troparion of the Resurrection: Thou didst shatter death by thy Cross; thou didst open paradise to the thief; thou didst turn the mourning of the ointment-bearing women into joy, and didst bid thine Apostles proclaim warning that thou hast risen, O Christ, granting the world Great Mercy.
 
Troparion for St. James the Persian:  Thy Martyr, O Lord, in his courageous contest for Thee received as the prize the crown of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal God.  For since he possessed Thy strength, he cast down the tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons= strengthless presumption.  O Christ our God, by his prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful.
 
Troparion of the Chains of St. Peter: O Holy Apostle, Peter, thou dost preside over the Apostles by the precious chains which thou didst bear.  We venerate them with faith and beseech thee that by thine intercessions we be granted the great mercy.
 
Kontakion Preparatory for Nativity:  Today the Virgin comes unto the cave to give birth in an ineffable manner to the Word before the ages.  Rejoice, therefore, O universe, when you hear, and glorify with the angels and the shepherds him who shall appear by his own will as a new babe, being God before the ages.
 
CALENDAR
 
Sunday, November 27   (Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            1:00 p.m.         — Young Adults
 
Monday, November 28   
            Office Closed  — Father John’s Day Off
           
Tuesday, November 29   
            6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Wednesday, November 30  
5:00 p.m.         — Catechism Class
6:30 p.m.         — Advent Paraklesis
7:30 p.m.         — Parish Council Meeting
7:30 p.m.         — Choir Practice
 
Thursday, December 1   
6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
11:30 a.m.       — Men’s Lunch
 
Friday, December 2  
6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Saturday, December 3
7:30 a.m.         — Bible Study with Breakfast
5:45 p.m.         — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
 
Sunday, December 4   (Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            1:00 p.m.         — Young Adults
 
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Dansereaus for the Divine Liturgy today and the Artoklasia Bread was offered by the Katools last Sunday evening for the feast of the Presentation of the Theotokos.  
 
Please be reminded of the following:
Be very careful with the Blessed Bread when you take it after communion.  Because this bread has been blessed, we should take care not to let crumbs fall on the floor.  Parents, especially, please help your children to choose a small piece and treat it carefully.
         Also, at the end of the liturgy, maintain a prayerful disposition during the veneration of the cross as the prayers of thanksgiving after communion are still underway.  Please exchange your greetings with each other in the Fellowship Hall during Coffee Hour.
 
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                                                      Eucharist Bread                     Coffee Hour
         November 27                        Dansereaus                              Morrises
         December 4                          Fahmys                                    Joneses
         December 5 (p.m.)                Hendersons (Artoklasia Bread for St. Nicholas)
         December 11                        Bakers                                     Ellis/Zouboukos
         December 18                        Woods                                     Meadows/Lasseters/Karen
         December 24 (p.m.)              R. Roots                                   Sandi/Mary/Christina
         December 31 (p.m.)                                      (Artoklasia Bread for the Circumcision of our
                                                                                 Lord and the feast of St. Basil)
 
Schedule for Epistle Readers – Page numbers refer to the Apostolos (book of the Epistles) located on the front pew.  Please be sure to use this book when you read.
                                          Reader                                 Reading                          Page#
November 27                     Walt Wood                           Eph. 2:14 to end             207
December 4                       Brenda Baker                        Gal. 3:23; 4:1-5              160-161
December 11                     Sh. Charlotte Algood            Col. 5:4-11                     233
December 18                     Kh. Sharon Meadows           Heb. 11:9-10, 32-40       348
December 24                     Warren Strain                        Gal. 4:4-7                       351
 
Please be reminded that the Sacristy/Vestry which is adjacent to and behind the altar in our church is considered by the Orthodox Church to be part of the Sanctuary (Altar area) and should not be entered without the blessing of the priest for a specific purpose.  If you need to speak with a member of the clergy while they are in the Sanctuary, please ask them to come to you in the nave.
 
Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle and their daughter Abigail in your prayers.  Abigail, who was born prematurely and only recently came home after months in the NICU, has developed meningitis.

Please remember the following in your prayers:  Maria Costas; Amy and Michael Surratt and Amy’s family; Tom and Jennifer Skirtech and Jennifer’s mother, Jessamine Hinkson;  Warren and Sandi Strain and Warren’s mother, Ouida Strain; Fr. Leo, Kh. Be’Be’, Stephen and Amy, Justyn and Jeffrey; Steve, Sheryl and Stephen Chamblee; Amy and Brantley Oliver; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit; David Turner’s mother Mary Jean.
 
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
 
Please be sure to schedule a time for Confession with your priest during the Fast of the Nativity.
 
Congratulations to Dn. Terry and Sh. Charlotte Algood on the birth of their grandson Matthew Bradley Algood last week! Holly and Matthew are doing well.
 
Congratulations to Joanna Meadows and Jay Davis on the news of their engagement!  The wedding is tentatively scheduled for mid-May.
 
Calendar Items:
*    The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
*    During the Fast of the Nativity, as is our parish custom, we will celebrate the Advent Paraklesis in place of Daily Vespers on Wednesday evenings, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
*    We will celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord with Orthros and Divine Liturgy beginning at 10:00 p.m. Saturday, December 24th.  Royal Hours for the Feast of the Nativity will be held at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, December 23rd.
*    His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN will be at St. Andrew Orthodox Church in Pensacola the weekend of December 4th to consecrate their church.  Father John and others from our parish plan to attend.
*    As is our custom, we will have Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia to celebrate the Circumcision of our Lord and the feast of St. Basil the Great on Sunday evening, December 31st, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
*    The Annual Deanery Youth Retreat will be held on February 10-12, 2012 at John W. Kyle State Park in Sardis.  Joel and Sarah Finley will be addressing the topic of the Culture of Dating.  More information will be available as the time draws near.
*    Father Thomas Hopko will be speaking at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton February 14-16, 2012.  More information will be available at a later date.
*    His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN will be here the weekend of May 6, 2012 to help us celebrate our 25th anniversary as a parish.  The planning committee is working very hard to make our celebration a memorable one.  There will be an evening event at the MS Museum of Art on Saturday, May 6th.  Other events are being planned and more information will be available in the coming months.
 
Angel Tree:  We are again participating in the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program to provide gifts for needy children at Christmas.  The Angels are located on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall.  Families may go in together to buy gifts, if they so desire.  Please note that the gifts must be brought to the church NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 4TH.  We have to turn them in to the Salvation Army on that date.  If you would be willing to help deliver the gifts to the Salvation Army headquarters following the Liturgy on December 4th, please let Fr. John know.
 
Young Adults…Father John will be teaching on the Orthodox perspective in the rearing of children (including discipline) on Saturday, December 11th.  There is a sign-up sheet in the hall outside the nave.  Please be sure to sign-up.  The teaching is open to any who wish to attend.
 
Breakfast and Bible Study:  we are continuing to meet every 2-3 weeks for Bible Study on Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast. This is open to all who are interested.  Be sure to come and enjoy the fellowship.
 
Fasting Discipline for November/December
In November the traditional fasting (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays in the first half of the month.  Then, beginning November 15th, the first day of the Nativity Fast, the traditional fasting is observed each day of the week.  Note, however, through December 19th there is a katalysis on Tuesdays and Thursdays when wine and oil are permitted, and on Saturdays and Sundays when fish, wine and oil are permitted.
 
Major Commemorations for November/December
November 30   Apostle Andrew, the First-called
December 4     Great-martyr Barbara and Father John Damascene
December 5     Sava the Sanctified
December 6     Nicholas of Myra
December 9     Conception of the Theotokos
December 12   Spyridon the Wonder-worker
December 15   Hieromartyr Eleutherios
December 20   God-bearer Ignatius of Antioch
December 25   Nativity of our Lord
December 26   Synaxis of the Theotokos
December 27   Protomartyr Stephen
           
If you are the last to leave the building, please make sure that the heating and cooling unit in the Fellowship Hall is turned off.
 
Happy Anniversaries in November/December:
         November 26         —    Glenn and Mildred Morris (#45!)
         November 28         —    Dn. Terry and Sh. Charlotte Algood (#40!)
         December 21         —    Fr. John and Kh. Janet Henderson (#37!)
 
Happy Birthdays in November/December:
         November 29         —    Mike Pigott
         November 30         —    Peter Henderson
         December 1           —    Christina Katool
         December 2           —    Jim Roehner
         December 3           —    Stephanie Baker
                                        —    Athena Zouboukos
         December 4           —    Brenda Baker
         December 8           —    Ben Brock
                                        —    Sam Habeeb
                                        —    Michael Surratt
         December 11         —    Sh. Charlotte Algood
         December 12         —    Jenna Skirtech
         December 20         —    Steve Chamblee
                                        —    Anna Freundt
         December 21         —    Caroline Halley
         December 27         —    Ben Skirtech
                                        —    Warren Strain
                                        —    Nicholas Zouboukos (#12!)
         December 28         —    Sheryl Chamblee
 
Quotable:           “A fifth man says:  ‘I am going to the priest to have him read the prayer of absolution for me.’
                             This is the most sacrilegious abuse of Confession!  What does the ‘prayer of absolution’ mean?  It means a prayer for the absolving of sins.  The Christian goes to the priest and, without confessing his sins, asks him:  ‘Father, say the prayer of absolution for me!’ or ‘Forgiving prayer’; and the priest puts the stole on the head of the repenting man and forgives him the lawlessness which he has not confessed, but has hidden.
                              Stop, you, servant of God!  What are you doing?  Do you know what sins are hiding in this soul that you forgive them so carelessly?  What a responsibility you carry before God, too!  What if a deadly sin is being hidden from you, and you so thoughtlessly allow the Christian to partake of Holy Communion?  Will you not speed death to his soul?  Do you not know the words of the holy Apostle Paul:  Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord (I Cor. 11:27).  Why do you not test the believer?  Why do you let him east and drink his eternal condemnation?  Why do you give the Sacrament to an unrepentant sinner?  Judas, too, took Holy Communion together with the other holy Apostles at the Last Supper, but because he was an unrepentant sinner, instead of God’s grace, Satan went into him.  Do you want to make a second Judas out of the careless Christian who approaches Christ without Confession, only with an ‘absolving’ prayer?  It is better to refuse Holy Communion to the unprepared man until he repents and confesses than to give him fire and condemnation.”
                                                                        Archimandrite Seraphim Aleksiev
 
 
Worship:         Sunday, December 4, 2011 (Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost; Great-martyr Barbara and St. John of Damascus)
 
         Scripture:                                 Galatians 3:23, 4:1-5; Luke 13:10-17
         Celebrant:                                Father Leo
         Epistle Reader:                        Brenda Baker
         Prosphora:                               Fahmys
         Coffee Hour:                           Joneses

11/20 announcements

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November 20, 2011
Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost;
Forefeast of the Presentation of the Theotokos
 
Ephesians 2:4-10:  St Paul, writing to the Ephesians, encourages us by reminding us that we who    were dead in our sins are now alive in our union with Christ because of God’s mercy toward us and are now able to do the good works prepared for us.
 
Luke 12:16-21:  In the parable of the rich landowner the Lord teaches us that material possessions are worthless when valued more than knowing God.
 
Troparion of the Resurrection:  When Mary stood at thy grave looking for thy sacred body, angelic powers shone above thy revered tomb, and the soldiers who were to keep guard became as dead men.  Thou led hades captive and wast not tempted thereby.  Thou didst meet the Virgin and didst give life to the world; O thou who art risen from the dead!  O Lord, glory to thee.
 
Troparion of the Forefeast:  By blossoming forth the only Ever-virgin as fruit, today holy Anna doth betroth us all unto joy, instead of our former grief; on this day she doth fulfill her vows to the Most High, leading her with joy into the Lord=s holy temple, who truly is the temple and pure Mother of God the Word.
 
Troparion of the Chains of St. Peter: O Holy Apostle, Peter, thou dost preside over the Apostles by the precious chains which thou didst bear.  We venerate them with faith and beseech thee that by thine intercessions we be granted the great mercy.
 
Kontakion of the Presentation of the Theotokos:  The all-pure temple of the Saviour, the most precious bridal-chamber and Virgin, the treasure-house of the glory of God, today enters the Temple of the Lord, bringing with her the grace which is in the divine Spirit; whom also the angels of God do celebrate in song; for she is the heavenly tabernacle.
 
CALENDAR
 
Sunday, November 20   (Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            6:30 p.m.         — Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia
 
Monday, November 21   (Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple)
            Office Closed  — Father John’s Day Off
           
Tuesday, November 22   
            6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Wednesday, November 23  
5:00 p.m.         — Catechism Class
6:30 p.m.         — Advent Paraklesis
7:30 p.m.         — Choir Practice
 
Thursday, November 24   
NO Daily Orthros
 
Friday, November 25   (Great-martyrs Catherine and Mercurios)
NO Daily Orthros
 
Saturday, November 26   
5:45 p.m.         — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
 
Sunday, November 27   (Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            1:00 p.m.         — Young Adults
 
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Freundts for the Divine Liturgy today.  
 
Please be reminded of the following:
Be very careful with the Blessed Bread when you take it after communion.  Because this bread has been blessed, we should take care not to let crumbs fall on the floor.  Parents, especially, please help your children to choose a small piece and treat it carefully.
         Also, at the end of the liturgy, maintain a prayerful disposition during the veneration of the cross as the prayers of thanksgiving after communion are still underway.  Please exchange your greetings with each other in the Fellowship Hall during Coffee Hour.
 
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                                                      Eucharist Bread                     Coffee Hour
         November 20                        Freundts                                   D. Roots/Dansereaus
         November 20 (p.m.)             Katools (Artoklasia Bread for Nativity of the Theotokos)
         November 27                        Dansereaus                              Morrises
         December 4                          Fahmys                                    Joneses
         December 5 (p.m.)                Hendersons (Artoklasia Bread for St. Nicholas)
         December 11                        Bakers                                     Ellis/Zouboukos
         December 18                        Woods                                     Meadows/Lasseters/Karen
         December 24 (p.m.)              R. Roots                                   Sandi/Mary/Christina
         December 31 (p.m.)                                      (Artoklasia Bread for the Circumcision of our
                                                                                 Lord and the feast of St. Basil)
 
Schedule for Epistle Readers – Page numbers refer to the Apostolos (book of the Epistles) located on the front pew.  Please be sure to use this book when you read.
                                          Reader                                 Reading                          Page#
November 20                     Tom Skirtech                        Eph. 2:4-10                       202
November 27                     Walt Wood                           Eph. 2:14 to end               207
December 4                       Brenda Baker                        Gal. 3:23; 4:1-5                160-161
December 11                     Sh. Charlotte Algood             Col. 5:4-11                       233
December 18                     Kh. Sharon Meadows            Heb. 11:9-10, 32-40        348
December 24                     Warren Strain                        Gal. 4:4-7                         351
 
Please be reminded that the Sacristy/Vestry which is adjacent to and behind the altar in our church is considered by the Orthodox Church to be part of the Sanctuary (Altar area) and should not be entered without the blessing of the priest for a specific purpose.  If you need to speak with a member of the clergy while they are in the Sanctuary, please ask them to come to you in the nave.
 
Please remember the following in your prayers:  Maria Costas; Amy and Michael Surratt and Amy’s family; Tom and Jennifer Skirtech and Jennifer’s mother, Jessamine Hinkson;  Warren and Sandi Strain and Warren’s mother, Ouida Strain; Fr. Leo, Kh. Be’Be’, Stephen and Amy, Justyn and Jeffrey; Steve, Sheryl and Stephen Chamblee; Amy and Brantley Oliver; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit; David Turner’s mother Mary Jean.
 
Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle and their daughter Abigail in your prayers.  Abigail, who was born prematurely and only recently came home after months in the NICU, has developed meningitis.
 
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
 
Please be sure to schedule a time for Confession with your priest during the Fast of the Nativity.
 
Congratulations to Glenn and Mildred Morris on the birth of their grandson David Glenn Morris last week!
 
Angel Tree:  We are again participating in the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program to provide gifts for needy children at Christmas.  The Angels are located on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall.  Families may go in together to buy gifts, if they so desire.  Please note that the gifts must be brought to the church NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 4TH.  We have to turn them in to the Salvation Army on that date.  If you would be willing to help deliver the gifts to the Salvation Army headquarters following the Liturgy on December 4th, please let Fr. John know.
 
25th Anniversary Celebration:
            The Church is planning a celebration of our being received into the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese in March 1987.  The weekend of May 4th-6th, 2012, has been set aside for some special events, including visits from Bishop ANTOUN and V. Rev. Fr. Jon Braun, with a celebratory banquet planned at the Mississippi Museum of Art on Saturday evening, May 5th.
            The planning committee (composed of Dn. Terry, Kh. Janet, Sh. Charlotte, Brenda Baker, Elizabeth Root and Paul Katool) is working on some other projects and we need your help!  An “Anniversary Book” is being compiled and will be printed and made available that weekend.  It will contain, among other things, articles on the life of our church, our church’s history, and photos (new and old) of church members and activities.  We are asking you to look through your files and albums for pictures that can be included in the book and also in a special video presentation.  These photos will of course be returned to you as soon as they are scanned, etc.  We need photos of church events going back 25 years or longer – but also events and photos from recent activities – from newer church members as well as the “old heads!”  These can include our chrismation weekend in ’87, teen retreats, work-days, our renovation project, ladies’/men’s activities, feast day celebrations, etc., etc., etc.  Please put your photos in an envelope –CLEARLY LABELED WITH YOUR NAME, AND ON THE BACK OF EACH PHOTO INCLUDE YOUR NAME, DATE OF PICTURE (IF KNOWN) NAMES OF THE PEOPLE, AND WHAT THE EVENT WAS.  Give these either to Deacon Terry or Kh. Janet NO LATER THAN TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST.
            We will also need a host of volunteers to help with various things over the next several months.  If you would like to help, please contact Deacon Terry.  THANK YOU!!!
 
At the request of some of our young parents, Father John will speak on the Orthodox view of the rearing and disciplining children in the near future.  This will probably take place on a Saturday morning.  For those who are interested in participating in this forum, please let Father John know what dates would be best for you as soon as possible.
 
Breakfast and Bible Study:  we are continuing to meet every 2-3 weeks for Bible Study on Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast. This is open to all who are interested.  Be sure to come and enjoy the fellowship.
 
Calendar Items:
*    The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
*    During the Fast of the Nativity, as is our parish custom, we will celebrate the Advent Paraklesis in place of Daily Vespers on Wednesday evenings, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
*    We will celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord with Orthros and Divine Liturgy beginning at 10:00 p.m. Saturday, December 24th.  Royal Hours for the Feast of the Nativity will be held at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, December 23rd.
*    His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN will be at St. Andrew Orthodox Church in Pensacola the weekend of December 4th to consecrate their church.  Father John and others from our parish plan to attend.
*    The Annual Deanery Youth Retreat will be held on February 10-12, 2012 at John W. Kyle State Park in Sardis.  Joel and Sarah Finley will be addressing the topic of the Culture of Dating.  More information will be available as the time draws near.
*    Father Thomas Hopko will be speaking at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton February 14-16, 2012.  More information will be available at a later date.
*    His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN will be here the weekend of May 6, 2012 to help us celebrate our 25th anniversary as a parish.  The planning committee is working very hard to make our celebration a memorable one.  There will be an evening event at the MS Museum of Art on Saturday, May 6th.  Other events are being planned and more information will be available in the coming months.
 
Fasting Discipline for November
In November the traditional fasting (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays in the first half of the month.  Then, beginning November 15th, the first day of the Nativity Fast, the traditional fasting is observed each day of the week.  Note, however, through December 19th there is a katalysis on Tuesdays and Thursdays when wine and oil are permitted, and on Saturdays and Sundays when fish, wine and oil are permitted.
 
Major Commemorations for November
November 21   Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple
November 23   St. Amphilocios of Iconium
November 25   St. Catherine the Great-martyr
November 30   Apostle Andrew, the First-called
Happy Birthdays in November:
         November 5           —    Alexia Parker (#13!)
         November 11         —    Beth Ann Baker Pappas
                                       —    Lorencz Quirk
         November 13         —    Sophia Skirtech (#3!)
         November 16         —    Melissa Curtis (#18!)
         November 17         —    Karen Cooper
         November 21         —    Ken Jones
         November 24         —    Mildred Morris
         November 29         —    Mike Pigott
         November 30         —    Peter Henderson
 
Happy Anniversaries in November:
         November 26         —    Glenn and Mildred Morris (#45!)
         November 28         —    Dn. Terry and Sh. Charlotte Algood (#40!)
           
If you are the last to leave the building, please make sure that the heating and cooling unit in the Fellowship Hall is turned off.
 
Quotable:  “However, if you are shielding your name before the confessor, your authority will collapse before all.  Repent only before one man.  Your confession will teach you to struggle with your passions; and if you are really fighting against them, the multitude of people will not find out about them.  You, with God’s help, will be healed before you have shamed yourself.  But if you do not want to be healed through Confession, then you will both expose your name to abuse here and then be disgraced before the whole universe at the Last Judgment!”
                                                                        Archimandrite Seraphim Aleksiev
 
 
Worship:         Sunday, November 20, 2011 (Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost)
 
         Scripture:                               Ephesians 2:14 to end; Luke 18:18-27
         Celebrant:                              Father John
         Epistle Reader:                       Walt Wood
         Prosphora:                             Dansereaus
         Coffee Hour:                           Morrises

11/13 announcements

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November 13, 2011
Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost
St. John Chrysostom
 
Hebrews 7:26-28; 8:1-2: We read in He­brews that priests of the New Covenant serve as representatives of the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ.
 
Luke 10:25-37:  From the Gospel reading we hear the parable of the Good Samaritan in which    the Lord teaches us that to love one’s neighbor requires giving of our time and money in addition to prayers and good words.
 
Troparion of the Resurrection:  Let us believers praise and worship the Word, co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, born of the Virgin for our salvation; for he took pleasure in ascending the Cross in the flesh, to suffer death, and to raise the dead by his glorious Resurrection.
 
Troparion of St. John Chrysostom:  Grace shining forth from thy mouth like a beacon hath illumined the universe, and disclosed to the world treasures of uncovetousness, and shown us the heights of humility; but whilst instructing us by thy words, O Father John Chrysostom, intercede with the Word, Christ God, to save our souls.
 
Troparion of the Chains of St. Peter: O Holy Apostle, Peter, thou dost preside over the Apostles by the precious chains which thou didst bear.  We venerate them with faith and beseech thee that by thine intercessions we be granted the great mercy.
 
Kontakion of the Presentation of the Theotokos:  The all-pure temple of the Saviour, the most precious bridal-chamber and Virgin, the treasure-house of the glory of God, today enters the Temple of the Lord, bringing with her the grace which is in the divine Spirit; whom also the angels of God do celebrate in song; for she is the heavenly tabernacle.
 
 
CALENDAR
 
Sunday, November 13   (Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            12:00 p.m.       — Ladies of St. Peter
            5:30 p.m.         — Youth Group
 
Monday, November 14   (Apostle Philip)
            Office Closed  — Father John’s Day Off
           
Tuesday, November 15   (FAST OF THE NATIVITY BEGINS TODAY)
            6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Wednesday, November 16  (Apostle Matthew)
5:00 p.m.         — Catechism Class
6:30 p.m.         — Advent Paraklesis
7:30 p.m.         — Choir Practice
 
Thursday, November 17   
6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Friday, November 18
6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Saturday, November 19   
11:30 a.m.       — Serving Meal at the Stewpot
5:45 p.m.         — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
 
Sunday, November 20   (Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost; Forefeast
of the Presentation of the Theotokos)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            6:30 p.m.         — Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Meadows for the Divine Liturgy today.  
 
Please be reminded of the following:
Be very careful with the Blessed Bread when you take it after communion.  Because this bread has been blessed, we should take care not to let crumbs fall on the floor.  Parents, especially, please help your children to choose a small piece and treat it carefully.
         Also, at the end of the liturgy, maintain a prayerful disposition during the veneration of the cross as the prayers of thanksgiving after communion are still underway.  Please exchange your greetings with each other in the Fellowship Hall during Coffee Hour.
 
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                                                      Eucharist Bread                     Coffee Hour
         November 13                        Meadows                                 Fahmys
         November 20                        Freundts                                   D. Roots/Dansereaus
         November 20 (p.m.)             Katools (Artoklasia Bread for Nativity of the Theotokos)
         November 27                        Dansereaus                              Morrises
 
Schedule for Epistle Readers – Page numbers refer to the Apostolos (book of the Epistles) located on the front pew.  Please be sure to use this book when you read.
                                          Reader                                 Reading                          Page#
November 13                     Tom Willingham                     Heb. 7:26- 8:3                 334
November 20                     Tom Skirtech                         Eph. 2:4-10                     202
November 27                     Walt Wood                            Eph. 2:14 to end              207
 
Please be reminded that the Sacristy/Vestry which is adjacent to and behind the altar in our church is considered by the Orthodox Church to be part of the Sanctuary (Altar area) and should not be entered without the blessing of the priest for a specific purpose.  If you need to speak with a member of the clergy while they are in the Sanctuary, please ask them to come to you in the nave.
 
Please remember the following in your prayers:  Maria Costas; Amy and Michael Surratt and Amy’s family; Tom and Jennifer Skirtech and Jennifer’s mother, Jessamine Hinkson;  Warren and Sandi Strain and Warren’s mother, Ouida Strain; Fr. Leo, Kh. Be’Be’, Stephen and Amy, Justyn and Jeffrey; Steve, Sheryl and Stephen Chamblee; Amy and Brantley Oliver; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit; David Turner’s mother Mary Jean.
 
Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle and their daughter Abigail in your prayers.  Abigail, who was born prematurely and only recently came home after months in the NICU, has developed meningitis.
 
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
 
25th Anniversary Celebration:
            The Church is planning a celebration of our being received into the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese in March 1987.  The weekend of May 4th-6th, 2012, has been set aside for some special events, including visits from Bishop ANTOUN and V. Rev. Fr. Jon Braun, with a celebratory banquet planned at the Mississippi Museum of Art on Saturday evening, May 5th.
            The planning committee (composed of Dn. Terry, Kh. Janet, Sh. Charlotte, Brenda Baker, Elizabeth Root and Paul Katool) is working on some other projects and we need your help!  An “Anniversary Book” is being compiled and will be printed and made available that weekend.  It will contain, among other things, articles on the life of our church, our church’s history, and photos (new and old) of church members and activities.  We are asking you to look through your files and albums for pictures that can be included in the book and also in a special video presentation.  These photos will of course be returned to you as soon as they are scanned, etc.  We need photos of church events going back 25 years or longer – but also events and photos from recent activities – from newer church members as well as the “old heads!”  These can include our chrismation weekend in ’87, teen retreats, work-days, our renovation project, ladies’/men’s activities, feast day celebrations, etc., etc., etc.  Please put your photos in an envelope –CLEARLY LABELED WITH YOUR NAME, AND ON THE BACK OF EACH PHOTO INCLUDE YOUR NAME, DATE OF PICTURE (IF KNOWN) NAMES OF THE PEOPLE, AND WHAT THE EVENT WAS.  Give these either to Deacon Terry or Kh. Janet NO LATER THAN TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST.
            We will also need a host of volunteers to help with various things over the next several months.  If you would like to help, please contact Deacon Terry.  THANK YOU!!!
 
Calendar Items:
*    The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
*    The Fast of the Nativity will begin this Tuesday.
*    During the Fast of the Nativity, as is our parish custom, we will celebrate the Advent Paraklesis in place of Daily Vespers on Wednesday evenings, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
*    We will be serving our next meal at the Stewpot in Jackson THIS Saturday.
*    His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN will be at St. Andrew Orthodox Church in Pensacola the weekend of December 4th to consecrate their church.  Father John and others from our parish plan to attend.
*    The Annual Deanery Youth Retreat will be held on February 10-12, 2012 at John W. Kyle State Park in Sardis.  Joel and Sarah Finley will be addressing the topic of the Culture of Dating.  More information will be available as the time draws near.
*    Father Thomas Hopko will be speaking at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton February 14-16, 2012.  More information will be available at a later date.
*    His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN will be here the weekend of May 6, 2012 to help us celebrate our 25th anniversary as a parish.  The planning committee is working very hard to make our celebration a memorable one.  There will be an evening event at the MS Museum of Art on Saturday, May 6th.  Other events are being planned and more information will be available in the coming months.
 
At the request of some of our young parents, Father John will speak on the Orthodox view of the rearing and disciplining children in the near future.  This will probably take place on a Saturday morning.  For those who are interested in participating in this forum, please let Father John know what dates would be best for you as soon as possible.
 
Breakfast and Bible Study:  we are continuing to meet every 2-3 weeks for Bible Study on Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast. This is open to all who are interested.  Be sure to come and enjoy the fellowship.
 
Fasting Discipline for November
In November the traditional fasting (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays in the first half of the month.  Then, beginning November 15th, the first day of the Nativity Fast, the traditional fasting is observed each day of the week.  Note, however, through December 19th there is a katalysis on Tuesdays and Thursdays when wine and oil are permitted, and on Saturdays and Sundays when fish, wine and oil are permitted.
 
Major Commemorations for November
            November 13   St. John Chrysostom (repose)
            November 14   Apostle Philip
November 16   Apostle and Evangelist Matthew
November 21   Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple
November 23   St. Amphilocios of Iconium
November 25   St. Catherine the Great-martyr
November 30   Apostle Andrew, the First-called
 
Happy Birthdays in November:
         November 5           —    Alexia Parker (#13!)
         November 11         —    Beth Ann Baker Pappas
                                       —    Lorencz Quirk
         November 13         —    Sophia Skirtech (#3!)
         November 16         —    Melissa Curtis (#18!)
         November 17         —    Karen Cooper
         November 21         —    Ken Jones
         November 24         —    Mildred Morris
         November 29         —    Mike Pigott
         November 30         —    Peter Henderson
 
Happy Anniversaries in November:
         November 26         —    Glenn and Mildred Morris (#45!)
         November 28         —    Dn. Terry and Sh. Charlotte Algood (#40!)
 
           
If you are the last to leave the building, please make sure that the heating and cooling unit in the Fellowship Hall is turned off.
 
Quotable:       “But remember that if you avoid Confession because of zeal for your honor, you will shame yourself.  If you are ashamed to admit your weaknesses before one man, everyone will begin talking about them!  Such is the spiritual law.  People sense our weaknesses, no matter how diligently we hide them.  If you confess them before one man, God, because of your humility before this single witness, will cover you with His grace before the many.”
                                                                        Archimandrite Seraphim Aleksiev
 
 
Worship:         Sunday, November 20, 2011 (Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost; Forefeast
of the Presentation of the Theotokos in the Temple)
 
         Scripture:                                Ephesians 2:4-10; Luke 12:16-21
         Celebrant:                               Father John
         Epistle Reader:                        Tom Skirtech
         Prosphora:                              Freundts
         Coffee Hour:                           D. Roots/Dansereaus

11/6 announcements

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November 6, 2011
Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost
 
Galatians 2:16-20:  We hear from St Paul’s letter to the Galatians that we are justified by faith in Christ, not by works of the Law; and that we now live our lives by faith in the Son of God.
 
Luke 8:41-56:  From the Gospel of Luke we hear of Jesus healing a woman with a hemorrhage and rais­ing a young girl from death; showing His desire to heal suffering and to respond to the faith of those who come to Him.
 
Troparion of the Resurrection:  Having learned the joyful message of the Resurrection from the angel, the women Disciples cast from them their parental condemnation, and proudly broke the news to the Disciples, saying, Death has been spoiled.  Christ God is risen, granting the world Great Mercy.
 
Troparion of St. Paul the Confessor:  Thy confession of the one divine Faith showed thee to the Church to be a new Paul and a zealot among priests, O holy one. The righteous blood both of Abel and Zachary with thee doth cry out together unto the Lord. Righteous Father, intercede with Christ God in our behalf that His great mercy may be granted unto us.
 
Troparion of the Chains of St. Peter: O Holy Apostle, Peter, thou dost preside over the Apostles by the precious chains which thou didst bear.  We venerate them with faith and beseech thee that by thine intercessions we be granted the great mercy.
 
Kontakion of the Theotokos:  O undisputed intercessor of Christians, O mediatrix, who is unrejected by the Creator, turn not away from the voice of our petitions though we be sinners; come to us in time, who cry to thee in faith, for thou art good.  Hasten to us with intercessions, O Theotokos, who didst ever intercede for those who honor thee.
 
 
CALENDAR
 
Sunday, November 6   (Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            12:00 p.m.       — Pot Luck Meal
            1:00 p.m.         — Young Adults
 
Monday, November 7  
            Office Closed  — Father John’s Day Off
           
Tuesday, November 8   (Archangels Michael and Gabriel)
            6:00 a.m.         — Festal Orthros
 
Wednesday, November 9  (Nektarios of Aegina)
5:00 p.m.         — Catechism Class
6:30 p.m.         — Daily Vespers
7:30 p.m.         — Choir Practice
 
Thursday, November 10   
6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Friday, November 11
6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Saturday, November 12   
7:30 a.m.         — Bible Study with Breakfast
5:45 p.m.         — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
 
Sunday, November 13   (Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            5:30 p.m.         — Youth Group
 
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Daniel Roots for the feast of St. Raphael of Brooklyn yesterday morning and by Joanna Meadows for the Divine Liturgy today.  
 
Please be reminded of the following:
Be very careful with the Blessed Bread when you take it after communion.  Because this bread has been blessed, we should take care not to let crumbs fall on the floor.  Parents, especially, please help your children to choose a small piece and treat it carefully.
         Also, at the end of the liturgy, maintain a prayerful disposition during the veneration of the cross as the prayers of thanksgiving after communion are still underway.  Please exchange your greetings with each other in the Fellowship Hall during Coffee Hour.
 
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                                                      Eucharist Bread                     Coffee Hour
         November 6                          Joanna Meadows                     POT LUCK MEAL
                                                                                                            Set-up:  Pigotts
         November 13                        Meadows                                 Fahmys
         November 20                        Freundts                                   D. Roots/Dansereaus
         November 20 (p.m.)             Katools (Artoklasia Bread for Nativity of the Theotokos)
         November 27                        Dansereaus                              Morrises
 
Schedule for Epistle Readers – Page numbers refer to the Apostolos (book of the Epistles) located on the front pew.  Please be sure to use this book when you read.
                                          Reader                                 Reading                          Page#
November 6                       Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver             Gal. 2:16-20                   193
November 13                     Tom Willingham                   Heb. 7:26- 8:3                334
November 20                     Tom Skirtech                        Eph. 2:4-10                     202
November 27                     Walt Wood                           Eph. 2:14 to end             207
 
Please be reminded that the Sacristy/Vestry which is adjacent to and behind the altar in our church is considered by the Orthodox Church to be part of the Sanctuary (Altar area) and should not be entered without the blessing of the priest for a specific purpose.  If you need to speak with a member of the clergy while they are in the Sanctuary, please ask them to come to you in the nave.
 
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
 
Please continue to pray for Aidan Milnor (and his family) as he is recovering from surgery.
 
Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle and their daughter Abigail in your prayers.  Abigail, who was born prematurely and only recently came home after months in the NICU, has developed meningitis.
 
Please remember the following in your prayers:  Maria Costas; Amy and Michael Surratt and Amy’s family; Tom and Jennifer Skirtech and Jennifer’s mother, Jessamine Hinkson;  Warren and Sandi Strain and Warren’s mother, Ouida Strain; Fr. Leo, Kh. Be’Be’, Stephen and Amy, Justyn and Jeffrey; Steve, Sheryl and Stephen Chamblee; Amy and Brantley Oliver; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit; David Turner’s mother Mary Jean.
 
Congratulations to Daniel and Elizabeth Root  (and also to Simeon and his Grandparents,
Dn. Richard and Sh. Margaret) on the news of an addition to their family next summer!!
 
Breakfast and Bible Study:  we are continuing our Bible Study of  1st Peter.  The Bible Study will meet every 2-3 weeks on Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast. This is open to all who are interested.  Be sure to come and enjoy the fellowship.
 
25th Anniversary Celebration:
            The Church is planning a celebration of our being received into the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese in March 1987.  The weekend of May 4th-6th, 2012, has been set aside for some special events, including visits from Bishop ANTOUN and V. Rev. Fr. Jon Braun, with a celebratory banquet planned at the Mississippi Museum of Art on Saturday evening, May 5th.
            The planning committee (composed of Dn. Terry, Kh. Janet, Sh. Charlotte, Brenda Baker, Elizabeth Root and Paul Katool) is working on some other projects and we need your help!  An “Anniversary Book” is being compiled and will be printed and made available that weekend.  It will contain, among other things, articles on the life of our church, our church’s history, and photos (new and old) of church members and activities.  We are asking you to look through your files and albums for pictures that can be included in the book and also in a special video presentation.  These photos will of course be returned to you as soon as they are scanned, etc.  We need photos of church events going back 25 years or longer – but also events and photos from recent activities – from newer church members as well as the “old heads!”  These can include our chrismation weekend in ’87, teen retreats, work-days, our renovation project, ladies’/men’s activities, feast day celebrations, etc., etc., etc.  Please put your photos in an envelope –CLEARLY LABELED WITH YOUR NAME, AND ON THE BACK OF EACH PHOTO INCLUDE YOUR NAME, DATE OF PICTURE (IF KNOWN) NAMES OF THE PEOPLE, AND WHAT THE EVENT WAS.  Give these either to Deacon Terry or Kh. Janet NO LATER THAN TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST.
            We will also need a host of volunteers to help with various things over the next several months.  If you would like to help, please contact Deacon Terry.  THANK YOU!!!
 
At the request of some of our young parents, Father John will speak on the Orthodox view of the rearing and disciplining children in the near future.  This will probably take place on a Saturday morning.  For those who are interested in participating in this forum, please let Father John know what dates would be best for you as soon as possible.
 
Supper Clubs:  Several members of the parish have expressed interest in a supper club again this year.  If you would be interested in participating, please sign-up on the sheet available in the Fellowship Hall.
 
Calendar Items:
*    The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
*    The Fast of the Nativity will begin On November 15th.
*    During the Fast of the Nativity, as is our parish custom, we will celebrate the Advent Paraklesis in place of Daily Vespers on Wednesday evenings, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
*    We will be serving our next meal at the Stewpot in Jackson on November 19th.
*    His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN will be at St. Andrew Orthodox Church in Pensacola the weekend of December 4th to consecrate their church.  Father John and others from our parish plan to attend.
*    The Annual Deanery Youth Retreat will be held on February 10-12, 2012 at John W. Kyle State Park in Sardis.  Joel and Sarah Finley will be addressing the topic of the Culture of Dating.  More information will be available as the time draws near.
*    Father Thomas Hopko will be speaking at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton February 14-16, 2012.  More information will be available at a later date.
*    His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN will be here the weekend of May 6, 2012 to help us celebrate our 25th anniversary as a parish.  The planning committee is working very hard to make our celebration a memorable one.  There will be an evening event at the MS Museum of Art on Saturday, May 6th.  Other events are being planned and more information will be available in the coming months.
 
Fasting Discipline for November
In November the traditional fasting (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays in the first half of the month.  Then, beginning November 15th, the first day of the Nativity Fast, the traditional fasting is observed each day of the week.  Note, however, through December 19th there is a katalysis on Tuesdays and Thursdays when wine and oil are permitted, and on Saturdays and Sundays when fish, wine and oil are permitted.
 
Major Commemorations for November
            November 8     Archangels Gabriel and Michael
            November 9     St. Nektarios the Wonder-worker
            November 13   St. John Chrysostom (repose)
            November 14   Apostle Philip
November 16   Apostle and Evangelist Matthew
November 21   Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple
November 23   St. Amphilocios of Iconium
November 25   St. Catherine the Great-martyr
November 30   Apostle Andrew, the First-called
           
If you are the last to leave the building, please make sure that the heating and cooling unit in the Fellowship Hall is turned off.
 
Happy Birthdays in November:
         November 5           —    Alexia Parker (#13!)
         November 11         —    Beth Ann Baker Pappas
                                       —    Lorencz Quirk
         November 13         —    Sophia Skirtech (#3!)
         November 16         —    Melissa Curtis (#18!)
         November 17         —    Karen Cooper
         November 21         —    Ken Jones
         November 24         —    Mildred Morris
         November 29         —    Mike Pigott
         November 30         —    Peter Henderson
 
Happy Anniversaries in November:
         November 26         —    Glenn and Mildred Morris (#45!)
         November 28         —    Dn. Terry and Sh. Charlotte Algood (#40!)
 
Quotable:       “‘But how can the priest absolve sins?’ you ask.  He can, since God has ordered it so.  ‘But is the priest himself not a sinful man?’  If he is sinful, what do you lose from that?  He is sinful for himself and will answer before God for his sins.  The Holy Sacraments administered by him do not cease to be active for you because of his sinfulness if you accept them with faith and humility.  Does the sunray get dirty when it falls on mud?  In the same way, God’s grace does not lessen by being transmitted by a priest muddied with sins.  He himself may be denied grace on Judgment Day because of his sinfulness, but you, accepting through him God’s grace, will not deprive yourself of it if you show yourself to be worthy.
                       ‘But will the priest not give away the secret of my confessed sins?’  No!  No priest has the right to tell of that which he has heard during Confession.  He has to take the secret of the Confession to his grave.  So do not worry that the shame of your sinfulness may be announced to society.”
                                                                        Archimandrite Seraphim Aleksiev
 
Worship:         Sunday, November 13, 2011 (Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost;
St. John Chrysostom)
 
         Scripture:                               Hebrews 7:26-28, 8:1-2; Luke 10:25-37
         Celebrant:                              Father John
         Epistle Reader:                       Tom Willingham
         Prosphora:                             Meadows
         Coffee Hour:                          Fahmys