Monthly Archives: February 2013

2/24 announcements

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February 24, 2013
Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee
 
    The theme of the fourth Sunday before Lent is HUMILITY and the Gospel lesson of the Publican and the Pharisee (Luke 18:10-14) is read.  Here we are taught to avoid the arrogant thoughts of the Pharisee and to emulate the humble prayer of the Publican “God be merciful to me a sinner.”
 
II Corinthians 4:6-15:  From our reading in II Corinthians we hear St Paul discuss how his and the other apostles’ sufferings have brought forth life in the people of God.
 
Luke 18:10-14:  In the parable of the Pharisee and the tax-gatherer, Jesus teaches us that justification does not come to those who are proud and arrogant, but rather to those who are humble and repen­tant.
 
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: The Forerunner=s sacred head, having dawned forth upon the earth, doth send incorruption=s rays unto the faithful, whereby they find healings of their ills.  From on high he gathereth the choirs of the Angels and on earth he summoneth the whole race of mankind, that they with one voice might send up glory to Christ our God.

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 Pharisee and the Publican:   Let us flee from the boasting of the Pharisee and learn the heights of humility from the publican’s words. Let us cry out in repentance: O Savior of the World, be gracious to thy servants.
 
CALENDAR
 
Sunday, February 24   (Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
         1:00 p.m.         — Young Adults
           
Monday, February 25   
Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off
           
Tuesday, February 26   
6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
           
Wednesday, February 27    
6:30 p.m.         — Daily Vespers
7:30 p.m.         — Choir Practice
              7:30 p.m.         — Parish Council Meeting
 
Thursday, February 28    
6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Friday, March 1    
6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Saturday, March 2   
5:45 p.m.         — Ninth Hour Prayers followed by Great Vespers
 
Sunday, March 3   (Sunday of the Prodigal Son)
            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 Hendersons for the Divine Liturgy this morning.
 
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                                         Eucharist Bread                     Coffee Hour
February 24                     Henderson                         Meadows/Lasseter/Greene
March 3                          Algood                                      Ellis/Zouboukos
March 10                        Schelver                                     Fahmy/Brock/Stephanie Baker
March 17                        Morris                                        Teens
March 24                       Jones                                          Skirtech/Skirtech/Parker
March 25 (Mon. a.m.)  Meadows                                   Meadows
         (Feast of the Annunciation)
March 31                       Davis                                          Strain/Dabit
 
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#
February 24                       Tom Skirtech                        II Cor. 4:6-15                  163
March 3                              Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver           I Cor. 6:12-20                  265
March 10                            Sh. Charlotte Algood         I Cor. 8:8-9:2                   273
March 17                            Kh. Sharon Meadows        Rom. 13:11-14:4             279
March 24                            Mildred Morris                    Heb. 11:24-26, 32-40      281
March 25 (Mon. a.m.)       Kh. Sharon Meadows        Heb. 2:11-18                  376
March 31                            Brenda Baker                        Heb. 1:10-2:3                 283
 
Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle, and their daughter Abigail, in your prayers. 
 
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
 
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:  Steve, Sheryl and Stephen Chamblee; Amy and Brantley Oliver; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit and Sammie; Georgia Buchanan, George Johns (Georgia’s grandson) and his family; Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon’s sister); Fr. Stephen Tewfik; Sh. Gail Shannon; Dn. Sidney and Sh. Mary Elliot.
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.
 
House Blessings!  A sign-up sheet is available in the Fellowship Hall to sign up for your house blessing.  Please schedule these as soon as possible.  Everyone should have their home blessed.  However, the responsibility for scheduling lies with individuals and not Father John.  No house blessings will be done once Great Lent starts (March 18th this year).
 
Quarterly Schedule Update:
1) We will not be having the Saturday of the Souls Liturgy as originally scheduled on Saturday morning, March 9th.  We will instead celebrate this liturgy at a later date that is still to be determined. 
2) Due to the Julian Dabit’s baptism to be held on Sunday March 10th, we will not have our regularly scheduled Pot Luck Meal.  Instead we have a simple Coffee Hour between the Divine Liturgy and the baptism.
 
Holy Resurrection Anniversary…Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton will be celebrating their 35th anniversary as a parish on March 1-2, 2013.  Vespers will be celebrated at Holy Resurrection at 5:30 p.m. followed by a dinner at Table 100, beginning at 7:30 p.m.   Dinner tickets are $40 per person.  They may be reserved by sending an email (as soon as possible) to office@holyres.net.  Divine Liturgy will be celebrated Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. followed by a lunch at the church.  There is no charge for the Saturday lunch.
 
Vacation Church School …The Christian Education department will hold a Vacation Church School June 27-29 from 8:30-12:30 each day.  The curriculum will be “Ark of our Salvation – Feast Days of the Theotokos.”  Parents, please be sure to mark your calendars now.
 
Calendar Items:
*    The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
*    Deanery Youth Retreat is scheduled for February 15-17, 2013.  More details later.
*    We will not be having Great Vespers on Saturday evening, March 9th, as all the clergy will be in Memphis for a wedding.
*    Julian Dabit will be baptized on Sunday afternoon, March 10th at 12:30 p.m.
*    The Youth Group will be hosting their annual Cheesefare Fundraising Luncheon on  Sunday, March 17th .
*    This year the Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers will be hosted by St. George Orthodox Church in Vicksburg on Sunday evening, March 24th, beginning at 6:00 p.m.
*    We will celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation with Divine Liturgy (only) on Monday morning, March 25th, beginning at 6:00 a.m.
 
Coffee Hour guidelines have been posted on the refrigerator in the kitchen.  These list the items to be set out for Fasting and Non-fasting Coffee Hours along with guidelines for setting out the food and for storage afterwards.  Please be sure that the power switch on the dishwasher is turned off when you are through with clean-up. 
 
Fasting Discipline for February/March
The traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine or oil) is observed on the remaining Wednesdays and Fridays of the month.  There is no fasting of any kind during the week following the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee (February 24th).   Following Meatfare Sunday (March 10th) meat will not be eaten again until Pascha.  During the week following Meatfare Sunday, dairy products (milk, cheese, eggs, etc.) are permitted , even on Wednesday and Friday.  March 17th is Cheesefare Sunday, the last day until Pascha that dairy and wine are permitted.  Monday, March 18th is Clean Monday, the first day of Great Lent when the traditional fasting discipline is observed on all days of the week until Pascha (except Annunciation on March 25th and Palm Sunday on April 28th, when fish, wine and oil are permitted).
 
Major Commemorations for February/March
February 24           The Forerunner (1st and 2nd Discoveries)
                              Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee
March 3                 Sunday of the Prodigal Son
March 9                 Forty Martyrs of Sebaste
March 10               Meatfare Sunday
March 16               Christodoulos, the Wonder-worker of Patmos
March 17               Cheesefare Sunday
March 18               Clean Monday
March 24               1st Sunday of Lent ; Sunday of Orthodoxy
March 25               Feast of the Annunciation
March 26               Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel
March 31               2nd Sunday of Lent; Gregory of Palamas
 
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.
 
Happy Anniversaries in February/March:
         February 25           —    Daniel and Elizabeth Root (#7!)
         March 10               —    Fr. James and Kh. Sharon Meadows (#40!)
         March 13               —    Warren and Sandra Strain (#19!)
         March 15               —    Dn. Richard and Sh. Margaret Root (#38!)
         March 27               —    Sam and Anne Habeeb (#9!)
 
Happy Birthdays in February/March:
         February 24           —    Nimr Fahmy
         February 28           —    Cole Parker (#8!)
         March 3                 —    Kay Carlton
         March 6                 —    Amy Surratt
         March 9                 —    Ian Jones
         March 12               —    Alexa Zouboukos (#18!)
         March 15               —    Emma Freundt
         March 17               —    Cliff Stewart
         March 20               —    Charlotte Wood
         March 24               —    Brenden Skirtech (#9!)
         March 26               —    Katherine Habeeb (#5!)
         March 29               —    Sophie Dansereau (#2!)
         March 30               —    Aidan Milnor (#7!)
 
Parish Life Conference 2013:  This year St. Basil Orthodox Church in Metairie, LA will be hosting the Parish Life Conference for our Diocese on June 13-16.  His Grace, Bishop JOHN Abdallah will be the speaker.  There will also be a special presentation by Fr. Philip Rogers on keeping our children in the church.  Parents are especially encouraged to hear his presentation.  Please mark your calendars now and make plans to attend.
 
Quotable:  “It has never been easy to hear the message of faith.  In our day we are usually so engrossed in the problems of earthly existence that we simply have no time to listen to this message and to reflect on God.  For some, religion has been reduced to celebrating Christmas and Easter and to observing a few traditions for fear of being ‘torn away from our roots.’  Others do not go to church at all because they are ‘too busy.’  ‘He is engrossed in his work’; ‘work is everything to her’; ‘he is a busy man.’  These are some of the best compliments that one can receive from friends and colleagues.  ‘Busy people’ are a breed peculiar to modern times.  Nothing exists for them other than  a preoccupation which swallows them up completely, leaving no place for that silence where the voice of God may be heard.”
                                                 The Mystery of Faith by Metropolitan HILARION Alfeyev
 
 
Worship:         Sunday, March 3, 2013 (Sunday of the Prodigal Son)
 
         Scripture:                                 I Corinthians 6:12-20; Luke 15:11-32
         Celebrant:                                Father John
         Epistle Reader:                        Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver
         Prosphora:                               Algood

       Coffee Hour:                  Ellis/Zouboukos                                   

2/17 announcements

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February 17, 2013
Sunday of the Canaanite Woman
 
II Corinthians 6:16-7:1:  St Paul reminds us that as God has promised to dwell with us, we are to be holy, cleansing ourselves from ungodliness.
 
Matthew 15:21-28:  In the passage from Matthew we see our Lord demonstrate His mercy by healing the daughter of a Canaanite woman.
 
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. Theodore: Great are the achievements of faith!  In the fountain of flame, as by the water of rest, the holy Martyr Theodore rejoiced; for having been made a whole-burnt offering in the fire, he was offered as sweet bread unto the Trinity.  By his prayers, O Christ God, 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 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, February 17   (Sunday of the Canaanite Woman)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education 
10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
           
Monday, February 18   
Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off
           
Tuesday, February 19   
6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
           
Wednesday, February 20    
6:30 p.m.         — Daily Vespers
7:30 p.m.         — Choir Practice
 
Thursday, February 21    
6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Friday, February 22    
6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Saturday, February 23   
            7:30 a.m.         — Bible Study with Breakfast
            9:30 a.m.         — Parish Creative Arts Festival followed by pizza lunch
5:45 p.m.         — Ninth Hour Prayers followed by Great Vespers
 
Sunday, February 24   (Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee)
            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 Dn. Richard Roots for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                                    Eucharist Bread                     Coffee Hour
February 17               R. Root                               Morris/Katool/Willingham
February 24               Henderson                         Meadows/Lasseter/Greene
March 3                     Algood                                      Ellis/Zouboukos
March 10                   Schelver                                    Fahmy/Brock/Stephanie Baker
March 17                   Morris                                       Teens
March 24                   Jones                                         Skirtech/Skirtech/Parker
March 25 (Mon. a.m.)  Meadows                             Meadows
         (Feast of the Annunciation)
March 31                   Davis                                       Strain/Dabit
 
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#
February 17                     Tom Willingham                 II Cor. 6:16-18, 7:1         173
February 24                     Tom Skirtech                       II Cor. 4:6-15                  163
March 3                           Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver           I Cor. 6:12-20                 265
March 10                         Sh. Charlotte Algood         I Cor. 8:8-9:2                  273
March 17                         Kh. Sharon Meadows        Rom. 13:11-14:4             279
March 24                         Mildred Morris                    Heb. 11:24-26, 32-40     281
March 25 (Mon. a.m.)    Kh. Sharon Meadows        Heb. 2:11-18                  376
March 31                         Brenda Baker                        Heb. 1:10-2:3                 283
 
Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle, and their daughter Abigail, in your prayers. 
 
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
 
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:  Steve, Sheryl and Stephen Chamblee; Amy and Brantley Oliver; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit and Sammie; Georgia Buchanan, George Johns (Georgia’s grandson) and his family; Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon’s sister); Fr. Stephen Tewfik; Sh. Gail Shannon; Dn. Sidney and Sh. Mary Elliot.
 
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.
 
Memory Eternal!  Our condolences go to Glen and Mildred Morris on the falling asleep of Mildred’s father, Dewey Myers, last week.   Please remember them in your prayers.
 
House Blessings!  A sign-up sheet is available in the Fellowship Hall to sign up for your house blessing.  Please schedule these as soon as possible.  Everyone should have their home blessed.  However, the responsibility for scheduling lies with individuals and not Father John.  No house blessings will be done once Great Lent starts (March 18th this year).
 
Quarterly Schedule Update:
1) We will not be having the Saturday of the Souls Liturgy as originally scheduled on Saturday morning, March 9th.  We will instead celebrate this liturgy at a later date that is still to be determined. 
2) Due to the Julian Dabit’s baptism to be held on Sunday March 10th, we will not have our regularly scheduled Pot Luck Meal.  Instead we have a simple Coffee Hour between the Divine Liturgy and the baptism.
 
Congratulations and Many Years!  to Cliff and Anna Kathryn Stewart (as well as grandparents Ken and Anastasia Jones) on the birth of Mary Alice (8lbs. 15oz.).  Mother and daughter are at home and doing well.
 
Congratulations to Nimr and Mona Fahmy on the recent birth of their grandson, Simon (Hany and Julie’s third son)!
 
Parish Creative Arts Festival:  The Christian Education classes will have a festival to work on their entries for this year’s Creative Arts Festival next Saturday morning, February 23rd from 9:30-12:00.  There will be teaching about this year’s conference theme and then time to work on the projects themselves.  A Pizza lunch will be provided afterwards.  Please make plans now for your children to attend.
 
Holy Resurrection Anniversary…Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton will be celebrating their 35th anniversary as a parish on March 1-2, 2013.  Vespers will be celebrated at Holy Resurrection at 5:30 p.m. followed by a dinner at Table 100, beginning at 7:30 p.m.   Dinner tickets are $40 per person.  They may be reserved by sending an email (as soon as possible) to office@holyres.net.  Divine Liturgy will be celebrated Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. followed by a lunch at the church.  There is no charge for the Saturday lunch.
 
 
Vacation Church School …The Christian Education department will hold a Vacation Church School June 27-29 from 8:30-12:30 each day.  The curriculum will be “Ark of our Salvation – Feast Days of the Theotokos.”  Parents, please be sure to mark your calendars now.
 
Calendar Items:
*    The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
*    Deanery Youth Retreat is scheduled for February 15-17, 2013.  More details later.
*    Parish Creative Arts Festival Workshop is scheduled for Saturday morning, February 23rd 9:30-12:00.
*    We will not be having Great Vespers on Saturday evening, March 9th, as all the clergy will be in Memphis for a wedding.
*    Julian Dabit will be baptized on Sunday afternoon, March 10th at 12:30 p.m.
*    The Youth Group will be hosting their annual Cheesefare Fundraising Luncheon on  Sunday, March 17th .
*    This year the Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers will be hosted by St. George Orthodox Church in Vicksburg on Sunday evening, March 24th.
 
Coffee Hour guidelines have been posted on the refrigerator in the kitchen.  These list the items to be set out for Fasting and Non-fasting Coffee Hours along with guidelines for setting out the food and for storage afterwards.  Please be sure that the power switch on the dishwasher is turned off when you are through with clean-up. 
 
Fasting Discipline for February
The traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine or oil) is observed on the remaining Wednesdays and Fridays of the month.  There is no fasting of any kind during the week following the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee (February 24th). 
 
Major Commemorations for February
February 24           The Forerunner (1st and 2nd Discoveries)
                              Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee
 
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.
 
Happy Anniversaries in February:
         February 7             —  Ben and Meghan Brock (#4!)
                                       —    Jeffrey and Anca Bassinger (#4!)
         February 18           —    David and Lou Turner (#7!)
         February 21           —    Michael and Amy Surratt (#15!)
         February 25           —    Daniel and Elizabeth Root (#7!)
 
Happy Birthdays in February:
         February 5             —    Andrei Anicescu
         February 11           —    Cassie Freundt
                                       —    Zoe Freundt
                                       —    Demetrius Zouboukos
         February 13           —    Clyde Ellis
         February 15           —    Mary Guy Lockhart
         February 17           —    Anthony Zouboukos
         February 18           —    Tom Willingham
         February 22           —    Kh. Sharon Meadows
         February 24           —    Nimr Fahmy
         February 28           —    Cole Parker (#8!)
 
Parish Life Conference 2013:  This year St. Basil Orthodox Church in Metairie, LA will be hosting the Parish Life Conference for our Diocese on June 13-16.  His Grace, Bishop JOHN Abdallah will be the speaker.  There will also be a special presentation by Fr. Philip Rogers on keeping our children in the church.  Parents are especially encouraged to hear his presentation.  Please mark your calendars now and make plans to attend.
 
Quotable:  “Each one of us has treasure on earth, whether it be in the form of money or possessions, satisfactory employment or material wellbeing.  But the Lord said, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’ (Matt. 5:3).  In St. Luke’s gospel this is put even more simply and directly:  ‘Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God’ (Luke 6:20).  Blessed are they who realize that, while they may possess many things, they in fact own nothing.  Blessed are they who realize that no earthly acquisition can substitute for God.  Blessed are they who go and sell all their wealth in order to acquire the pearl of great price.  Blessed are they who know that without God they are poor, who have thirsted and hungered after him with all their soul, mind and will.”
                                                 The Mystery of Faith by Metropolitan HILARION Alfeyev
 
 
Worship:         Sunday, February 24, 2013 (Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee)
 
         Scripture:                              II Corinthians 4:6-15; Luke 18:10-14
         Celebrant:                             Father John
         Epistle Reader:                     Tom Skirtech
         Prosphora:                            Henderson
         Coffee Hour:                         Meadows/Lasseter/Greene                                  

2/10 announcements

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February 10, 2013
Thirty-third Sunday after Pentecost
St. Haralmpus
 
II Timothy 2:1-10: Through the example of the soldier, athlete and farmer, St. Paul reminds us that faithful ministry requires discipline, obedience, self-denial and struggle.
 
Matthew 25:14-30:  From the Gospel of St Matthew we hear our Lord use a parable to describe how He will judge His servants.  Our faithful use of His gifts will result in greater blessing when His King­dom comes in its fullness.
 
Troparion of the Resurrection:  Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad; for the Lord hath done a mighty act with his own arm.  He hath trampled down death and become the First-born from the dead. He hath delivered us from the depths of hades, granting the world the Great Mercy.
 
Troparion of St. Haralampos: An unshaken pillar of the Church of Christ God art thou, an ever-resplendent lamp, O Haralampus most wise, which shineth throughout the earth; in martyric contest thou hast shined on the whole world, and thou hast dispelled the moonless night of the idols.  Now boldly intercede thou with Christ that we may all be saved.
 
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, February 10   (Thirty-third 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
         5:30 p.m.         — Youth Group
           
Monday, February 11   (Blaise, Bishop of Sebaste)
Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off
           
Tuesday, February 12   
6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
           
Wednesday, February 13    
6:30 p.m.         — Daily Vespers
7:30 p.m.         — Choir Practice
 
Thursday, February 14    
6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Friday, February 15    
6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Saturday, February 16   
5:45 p.m.         — Ninth Hour Prayers followed by Great Vespers
 
Sunday, February 17   (Sunday of the Canaanite Woman)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education 
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
 
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Woods for the Divine Liturgy this morning.
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                                    Eucharist Bread                     Coffee Hour
February 10              Wood                              POT LUCK MEAL
                                                                                     set-up: Jones/Stewart/Habeeb
February 17               R. Root                              Morris/Katool/Willingham
February 24               Henderson                        Meadows/Lasseter/Greene
 
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#
February 10                     Phillip Lasseter                   II Tim. 2:1-10                  328
February 17                     Tom Willingham                 II Cor. 6:16-18, 7:1         173
February 24                     Tom Skirtech                       II Cor. 4:6-15                  163
 
Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle, and their daughter Abigail, in your prayers. 
 
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
 
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:  Steve, Sheryl and Stephen Chamblee; Amy and Brantley Oliver; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit and Sammie; Georgia Buchanan, George Johns (Georgia’s grandson) and his family; Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon’s sister); Fr. Stephen Tewfik; Sh. Gail Shannon; Dn. Sidney and Sh. Mary Elliot.
 
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.
 
House Blessings!  A sign-up sheet is available in the Fellowship Hall to sign up for your house blessing.  Please schedule these as soon as possible.  Everyone should have their home blessed.  However, the responsibility for scheduling lies with individuals and not Father John.  No house blessings will be done once Great Lent starts (March 18th this year).
 
Quarterly Schedule Update:
1) We will not be having the Saturday of the Souls Liturgy as originally scheduled on Saturday morning, March 9th.  We will instead celebrate this liturgy at a later date that is still to be determined. 
2) Due to the Julian Dabit’s baptism to be held on Sunday March 10th, we will not have our regularly scheduled Pot Luck Meal.  Instead we have a simple Coffee Hour between the Divine Liturgy and the baptism.
 
Congratulations and Many Years!  to Cliff and Anna Kathryn Stewart (as well as grandparents Ken and Anastasia Jones) on the birth of Mary Alice (8lbs. 15oz.) last Sunday morning.  Mother and daughter are at home and doing well.
 
Congratulations to Nimr and Mona Fahmy on the recent birth of their grandson, Simon (Hany and Julie’s third son)!
 
Parish Creative Arts Festival:  The Christian Education classes will have a festival to work on their entries for this year’s Creative Arts Festival on Saturday morning, February 23rd from 9:30-12:00.  There will be teaching about this year’s conference theme and then time to work on the projects themselves.  A Pizza lunch will be provided afterwards.  Please make plans now for your children to attend.
 
Directory Update:   Dale Cooper has a new address:
                        572 Robinhood Road
                        Jackson, MS  39206
 
Ancient Faith Radio:  Ian Jones recently gave a talk at the St. Ambrose Society (a student pro-life group at St. Vladimir’s Seminary).  It is available on Ancient Faith Radio at the following link:   http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/svsvoices/st. ambrose society
 
Calendar Items:
*    The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
*    Deanery Youth Retreat is scheduled for February 15-17, 2013.  More details later.
*    Parish Creative Arts Festival Workshop is scheduled for Saturday morning, February 23rd 9:30-12:00.
*    We will not be having Great Vespers on Saturday evening, March 9th, as all the clergy will be in Memphis for a wedding.
*    Julian Dabit will be baptized on Sunday afternoon, March 10th at 12:30 p.m.
*    The Youth Group will be hosting their annual Cheesefare Fundraising Luncheon on  Sunday, March 17th .
*    This year the Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers will be hosted by St. George Orthodox Church in Vicksburg on Sunday evening, March 24th.
 
The Deanery Youth Retreat is scheduled for next weekend at Roosevelt State Park.  Sister Magdalene has had to cancel her plans to be here due to her sister’s critical illness in Australia.  Fr. John Henderson will lead the retreat instead.  More details will be available at a later date. 
 
Pledge Letters were mailed earlier.  Please fill these out and return them to office as soon as possible.  Your pledges make it possible to plan a budget for the coming fiscal year.
 
Fasting Discipline for February
The traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine or oil) is observed on the remaining Wednesdays and Fridays of the month.
 
Major Commemorations for February
February 10           Hieromartyr Haralampos
February 11           Blaise, Bishop of Sebaste
February 24           The Forerunner (1st and 2nd Discoveries)
                              Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee
 
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.
 
Happy Anniversaries in February:
         February 7             —  Ben and Meghan Brock (#4!)
                                       —    Jeffrey and Anca Bassinger (#4!)
         February 18           —    David and Lou Turner (#7!)
         February 21           —    Michael and Amy Surratt (#15!)
         February 25           —    Daniel and Elizabeth Root (#7!)
 
Happy Birthdays in February:
         February 5             —    Andrei Anicescu
         February 11           —    Cassie Freundt
                                       —    Zoe Freundt
                                       —    Demetrius Zouboukos
         February 13           —    Clyde Ellis
         February 15           —    Mary Guy Lockhart
         February 17           —    Anthony Zouboukos
         February 18           —    Tom Willingham
         February 22           —    Kh. Sharon Meadows
         February 24           —    Nimr Fahmy
         February 28           —    Cole Parker (#8!)
 
Parish Life Conference 2013:  This year St. Basil Orthodox Church in Metairie, LA will be hosting the Parish Life Conference for our Diocese on June 13-16.  His Grace, Bishop JOHN Abdallah will be the speaker.  There will also be a special presentation by Fr. Philip Rogers on keeping our children in the church.  Parents are especially encouraged to hear his presentation.  Please mark your calendars now and make plans to attend.
 
Coffee Hour guidelines have been posted on the refrigerator in the kitchen.  These list the items to be set out for Fasting and Non-fasting Coffee Hours along with guidelines for setting out the food and for storage afterwards.  Please be sure that the power switch on the dishwasher is turned off when you are through with clean-up. 
 
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.
 
 
Quotable:  “What secret hides behind the readiness of the Galilean fishermen to abandon everything and follow Jesus at first encounter?  Why, on the other hand, did the rich young man, who also heard Christ’s ‘Come and follow me’, not abandon everything for him but ‘went away sorrowful’ (Matt. 19:21-2)?  Is it perhaps because the fishermen were poor, while the young man ‘had great possessions’?  The former had nothing other than God, while the latter had ‘treasure on earth’.”
                                                 The Mystery of Faith by Metropolitan HILARION Alfeyev
 
 
Worship:         Sunday, February 17, 2013 (Sunday of the Canaanite Woman)
 
         Scripture:                          II Corinthians 6:16-18, 7:1; Matthew 15:21-28
         Celebrant:                         Father John
         Epistle Reader:                Tom Willingham
         Prosphora:                        R. Root

        Coffee Hour:                   Morris/Katool/Willingham