September 9, 2012
Sunday before the Elevation of the Cross and
Sunday after the Nativity of the Theotokos
Galatians 6:11-18: In the conclusion of his letter to the Galatians, St Paul reminds them that to be circumcised or uncircumcised is not the issue, but rather to be a new creation in Christ Jesus.
John 3:13-17: In the Gospel of John we hear Jesus speak concerning His purpose for coming into the world: to save mankind through His death and Resurrection.
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 the Nativity of the Theotokos: Thy nativity, O Theotokos, hath proclaimed joy to the whole universe; for from thee did shine forth the Sun of justice, Christ our God, annulling the curse, and bestowing the everlasting blessing, abolishing death and granting us life everlasting.
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 Nativity of the Theotokos: By thy holy birth-giving, O pure one, Joachim and Anne were delivered from the reproach of barrenness; and Adam and Eve were delivered from the corruption of death; thy people do celebrate it, having been saved from the stain of iniquity, crying unto thee, The barren doth give birth to the Theotokos, who nourisheth our life.
CALENDAR
Sunday, September 9 (Sunday before the Elevation of the Cross and
after the Nativity of the Theotokos)
8:50 a.m. — Orthros
9:00 a.m. — Christian Education
10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy
12:00 p.m. — Pot Luck Meal
5:30 p.m. — Youth Group
Monday, September 10
Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off
Tuesday, September 11
6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros
Wednesday, September 12
6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers
7:30 p.m. — Choir Practice
Thursday, September 13
6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros
6:00 p.m. — Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy
Friday, September 14 (Elevation of the Holy Cross)
NO Daily Orthros
Saturday, September 15
10:30 a.m. — Michel Root’s Baptism
5:45 p.m. — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
Sunday, September 16 (Sunday after the Elevation of the Cross)
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
1:00 p.m. — Young Adults
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Hendersons for the Divine Liturgy last Sunday, by the Algoods for the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos yesterday morning and by the Woods for the Divine Liturgy this morning.
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour
September 9 Wood POT LUCK MEAL
(set-up: Fahmy/Brock/Stephanie Baker)
September 13 Schelver
(Thurs. p.m.– Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross)
September 16 Morris Skirtech/Skirtech/Parker
September 23 Jones Strain/Dabit
September 30 Meadows D. Root/Dansereau/Dale Cooper
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#
September 9 Tom Willingham Gal. 6:11-18 198
September 13 Sh. Charlotte Algood I Cor. 1:18024 311
(Thurs. p.m. — Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross)
September 16 Tom Skirtech Gal. 2:16-20 193
September 23 Walt Wood Gal. 4:22-27 314
September 30 Warren Strain II Cor. 6:16-7:1 173
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.
Please remember the following in your prayers: Pete and Maria Costas; Steve, Sheryl and Stephen Chamblee; Amy and Brantley Oliver; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit and Sammie; David Turner’s mother Mary Jean; Georgia Buchanan, George Johns (Georgia’s grandson) and his family; Dorin and Carolina Lavric and Victor (Carolina’s brother); Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon’s sister); Fr. Stephen Tewfik; Dn. Howard and Sh. Gail Shannon.
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
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.
Fall Festival/Square Dance: We are planning a Fall Festival with Square Dancing for the month of October. The date will be Saturday, October 27th, beginning at 3:00 p.m. We will not have Ninth Hour Prayers that day and Great Vespers will begin at 6:00 p.m.
Michel Root will be baptized next Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. Please pray for her, her parents and her Godmother, Brenda Baker.
Building Fund: As we proceed with the plans for the approval by the City of Madison and Metropolitan PHILIP for our addition/renovation, we are reviewing our Building Fund. We currently have over $150,000 in the fund and are regularly adding to it. The Parish Council has decided to apply cash donations from the Sunday offering to the Building Fund – UNLESS it is specified or otherwise apparent that these are intended as a regular tithe/donation. Of course, other donations by check, etc., specified for the Building Fund are always welcome! So feel free to chip in a little (or lot!) extra as you are able. With God’s grace, we look forward to this next phase of our building program and beyond to the next phase of building a new main church building/temple.
Calendar Items:
* The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
* The Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross will be celebrated with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Thursday evening, September 13th, beginning at 6:00 p.m.
* Michel Root’s baptism – Saturday, September 15th at 10:30 a.m.
* Fall Festival and Square Dance – Saturday, October 27th, beginning at 3:00 p.m.
* Stewpot schedule (together with Holy Resurrection) – December 29th.
When you host Coffee Hour or the meal for a Feast, please make sure that the oven, warmer, and coffee maker are turned off afterwards. On several occasions in the past, the cleaning ladies have found the oven still on when they came in to clean later during the week.
Fasting Discipline for September
The traditional fasting (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays of the month. September 14th is also a strict fast day in remembrance of the Elevation of the Holy Cross.
Major Commemorations for September
September 9 Righteous Joachim and Anna
September 16 Euphemia the all-praised
September 20 Martyr Eustathios and his family
September 23 Conception of the Forerunner
September 26 Apostle John the Theologian (repose)
September 28 Venerable Chariton the Confessor
Happy Anniversaries in September:
September 4 — Ben and Jenna Skirtech (#11!)
September 6 — Richard and Vickie Curtis (#26!)
September 15 — Tom and Kathy Willingham (#22!)
September 26 — Rod and Emily Parker (#8!)
Happy Birthdays in September:
September 3 — Lee Greene
— Geraldine Quirk
September 4 — Fr. John Henderson
September 8 — Nikki Lasseter
September 9 — Rebecca Dansereau
September 10 — Dorin Lavric
September 12 — Alvin Buckles
September 15 — Lynda Costas
September 18 — Carolina Lavric
September 25 — Rick Carlton
September 30 — Laura Yeatts
Quotable: “The doings of the mind are easy to talk about. When it comes to describing the heart, words begin to fail, and the experience of silence becomes more and more important. There is no rightness or wrongness here. Here there is simply awareness.”
Archimandrite Meletios Webber, Bread and Water, Wine and
Oil: an Orthodox Christian Experience of God
Worship: Sunday, September 16, 2012 (Sunday after the Elevation of the Cross)
Scripture: Galatians 2:16-20; Mark 8:34-9:1
Celebrant: Father John
Epistle Reader: Tom Skirtech
Prosphora: Morris
Coffee Hour: Skirtech/Skirtech/Parker
Saint Peter Antiochian Orthodox Church 