Monthly Archives: March 2013

3/31 announcements

March 31, 2013

Second Sunday of Lent

St. Gregory Palamas

St. Gregory Palamas (c. 1296-1359) – St. Gregory was a Greek monk and theologian and the chief exponent of Hesychasm. He was ordained a priest in the year 1326 and became Bishop of Thessalonica in 1347. The political conditions made it impossible for him to take possession of the see until 1350. He died on November 14, 1359, which is his feast day. He was canonized in 1368. St. Gregory stressed the biblical notion of man as a single and united whole, body and soul together. In virtue of this, he argued that the physical exercises used by the Hesychasts in prayer, as well as their claim to see the Divine Light with their bodily eyes, could be defended as legitimate. He distinguished between the essence and the energies of God: God’s essence remains unknowable, but his uncreated energies, which are God Himself, permeate all things and can be directly experienced by man in the form of deifying grace.

In the earlier period, there was on this day a commemoration of the Great Martyr Polycarp of Smyrna (c. 155). St. Gregory replaced St. Polycarp on the Second Sunday of Lent in the fourteenth century.

Hebrews 1:10-2:3: Writing to the Hebrews, the Apostle quotes from Scripture to proclaim the greatness of Jesus Christ as compared with the angels; for this reason we must be careful not to neglect our salvation.

Mark 2:1-12: Reading in the Gospel of Mark, we see Jesus demonstrate His authority to forgive sins by healing a paralytic.

Troparion of the Resurrection: When thou, O immortal Life, didst humble thyself unto death, then didst thou destroy death by the brightness of thy Godhead; and when thou didst raise the bowels of the earth, then all the heavenly powers exclaimed, O Christ, thou art the Giver of life! Glory to thee, O our God!

Troparion of St. Gregory Palamas: O Gregory the Wonderworker, light of Orthodoxy, support and teacher of the Church, glory of monks and invincible protector of theologians, pride of Thessalonica and preacher of grace, pray without ceasing for the salvation of 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 Annunciation: To thee the champion leader, I thy servant offer thanks for victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast delivered me from terror. As thou hast power invincible, free me from every danger that I may cry unto thee: Rejoice, O bride without bridegroom.

CALENDAR

Sunday, March 31 (Second Sunday of Lent; St. Gregory Palamas)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

5:30 p.m. — Youth Group

Monday, April 1 (St. Mary of Egypt)

Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, April 2

6:00 a.m. — Lenten Orthros

Wednesday, April 3

6:30 p.m. — Presanctified Liturgy followed by Soup Supper

Thursday, April 4

6:00 a.m. — Lenten Orthros

Friday, April 5

6:00 a.m. — Lenten Orthros

6:30 p.m. — Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos

Saturday, April 6

5:45 p.m. — Ninth Hour prayers followed by Great Vespers

Sunday, April 7 (Third Sunday of Lent; Adoration of the Cross)

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 Joneses for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

March 31 Jones Algood/Bassinger/Yeatts

April 7 Yeatts Pigott/Freundt/Turner

April 13 (Sat. a.m.) Abraham

(Saturday of the Souls)

April 14 Freundt Strain/Dabit

April 21 Bassinger R. Root/Abraham/Davis

April 27 (Sat. a.m.) Fahmy

(Lazarus Saturday)

April 28 Baker MEAL AT COCK OF THE WALK

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#

March 31 Brenda Baker Heb. 1:10-2:3 283

April 7 Walt Wood Heb. 4:14-5:6 285

April 13 (Sat. a.m.) Phillip Lasseter I Cor. 10:23-28 271

April 14 Warren Strain Heb. 6:13-20 287

April 21 Sh. Charlotte Algood Heb. 9:11-14 290

April 27 (Sat. a.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows Heb. 12:28-13:8 291

April 28 Mildred Morris Phil. 4:4-9 294

Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle, and their daughter Abigail, in your prayers.

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;

Fr. Alexander Atty, the Dean of St. Thikon’s who is battling cancer.

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 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.

Confessions: As we prepare our hearts and minds for Lent and the celebration of Holy Pascha, please be sure to schedule a time for confession.

Calendar Items:

* The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.

Saturday of the Souls: The Orthros and Divine Liturgy for Saturday of the Souls has been rescheduled for Saturday, April 13^th beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Palm Sunday Feast: Due to our construction project, we will not be able to hold our Palm Sunday Fish Fry here at the church as usual. Instead we will be going to Cock of the Walk for our meal on Sunday, April 28^th following the Divine Liturgy. A sign-up sheet will be available in the coming weeks to give the restaurant a headcount for the meal. They will be providing a separate room for us and will be offering the same menu that they give us when they serve us at the church (all-you-can-eat catfish, French fries, coleslaw, cornbread and tea). The cost of the meal with gratuities is $18.00 per adult. The restaurant has requested that we write one check. You may write your checks to St. Peter and designate them for the Palm Sunday Feast. If anyone wishes to donate extra, they may do so. If anyone has a financial difficulty with the cost of the meal, please see Fr. John. We do not want anyone to miss the meal because of financial reasons.

Paschal Feast: There will be a feast following the Pascal Liturgy on May 4. Cheryl Pigott and Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver are in charge. They have posted a sign-up sheet in the fellowship hall, and need everyone to help by bringing items. We will need some folks to help with clean up after the feast as well.

Bible Study with Breakfast: We will suspend the biweekly Bible Study with Breakfast until after Pascha.

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.

Fasting Discipline for April

The traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine or oil) is observed on all days of the week until Pascha (except Palm Sunday on April 28^th, when fish, wine and oil are permitted).

Major Commemorations for April

April 1 St. Mary of Egypt

April 7 3^rd Sunday of Lent; Adoration of the Cross

April 13 Saturday of the Souls

April 14 4^th Sunday of Lent; St. John Climacus

April 21 5^th Sunday of Lent; St. Mary of Egypt

April 23 Great-martyr George

April 25 Apostle Mark

April 27 Lazarus Saturday

April 28 Palm Sunday

April 29-May 4 Holy Week

Happy Birthdays in April:

April 4 — Denis Lavric

April 6 — John Wood (#20!)

April 11 — Brandon Strain (#11!)

April 12 — Lily Dabit

April 26 — Alexander Andrei (#1!)

Happy Anniversaries in April:

April 12 — Mike and Cheryl Piggott (#32!)

April 28 — Anthony and Athena Zouboukos (#23!)

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 12-16. 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 Orthodox Christian Church. Parents are especially encouraged to hear his presentation. Please mark your calendars now and make plans to attend.

Quotable: “Every man’s soul is one and manifold at the same time, as St. Gregory Palamas says. In another context St. Gregory Palamas teaches that as God is Trinity—Nous, Logos and Spirit—in a corresponding way man’s soul has a trintarian nature: there is the nous –the core of man’s existence–. the logos—begotten by the nous—and the spirit—’man’s noetic love.’

The soul is closely linked to man’s body. It is not located in only one part of the body.

According to Orthodox teaching God governs the world through his uncreated energies. Just as God acts in nature, so the soul moves and activates each member of the body to perform its function, according to St. Gregory of Sinai. Therefore, just as God governs the world in the same way does the soul govern the body.

As St. Gregory Palamas expresses it, the soul occupies the body with which it was created. It fills the entire body, giving life to the body, but it occupies the body to which it is attached.”

Metropolitan HIEROTHEOS, Orthodox Spirituality

Worship: Sunday, April 7, 2013 (Third Sunday of Lent; Adoration of the Cross)

Scripture: Hebrews 4:14-5:6; Mark 8:34 to end; 9:1

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Walt Wood

Prosphora: Yeatts

Coffee Hour: Pigott/Freundt/Turner

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March 24, 2013

First Sunday of Lent

Sunday of Orthodoxy

On the first Sunday of Great Lent, we celebrate the feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. This is an historical feast commemorating the restoration of the icons, which had been banned for several decades, to their rightful liturgical use in the year 843 A.D.

The major emphasis of this feast is the victory of the true faith, the victory which always ultimately triumphs. Having completed the first week of our lenten efforts, we are reminded that Christ, the perfect image of God the Father, calls us to personal victory by restoring within ourselves “the image and likeness of God” in which we were first created (Genesis 1:26).

The icons of Our Lord, the Theotokos, and all the saints are images of true humanity, signs of what our eternal calling and vocation really is. They tell us that we are all called to be living icons and imitators of Christ, bearing the likeness of God as gracious vessels of the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 11:24-26;32-40: The writer of Hebrews calls us to consider the faith of those Old Testament saints who endured hardships and death and yet still did great things because of their faith. The Apostle encourages us to lay aside the encumbrances of sin and run with endurance the race that is set before us.

John 1:43-51: From our reading in the Gospel of John we see Jesus call Philip and Nathaniel to be His disciples.

Troparion of the Resurrection: The stone being sealed by the Jews, and thy pure body being guarded by the soldiers, thou didst arise on the third day, O Saviour, granting life to the world. Wherefore, the heavenly powers acclaimed thee, O Giver of life, crying, Glory to thy Resurrection, O Christ! Glory to thy kingdom! Glory to thy gracious providence, O only Lover of mankind.

Troparion of the Sunday of Orthodoxy: Thy pure image do we venerate, O good One, asking forgiveness of our sins, O Christ our God; for by thine own will thou didst ascend the Cross in thy body, to save thy creatures from the bondage of the enemy. Thou hast truly filled all with joy, since thou didst come, O our Saviour, to save the world.

CALENDAR

Sunday, March 24 (First Sunday of Lent; Sunday of Orthodoxy)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

6:00 p.m. — Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers at St. George in Vicksburg

Monday, March 25 (Feast of the Annunciation)

THE SCRIPTURE (Luke 1:26-38): The Angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee (the northernmost district of Palestine) named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house (family) of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Rejoice, you who are full of grace, the Lord is with you! Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold you shall conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father (ancestor) David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob (the father of all the tribes of Israel) for ever; and of His kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the Angel, “How can this be, since I have no husband?” And the Angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you, therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid (servant) of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the Angel departed from her.

THE SIGNIFICANCE: This feast commemorates the day when the Archangel Gabriel announced to a young virgin named Mary that she, among all women, had found favor with the Father. She was invited to cooperate with Him for the Incarnation of His pre-eternal Son through the operation of the Holy Spirit. This, “the beginning of our salvation,” was conditioned not only by God’s will and His election of Mary, but also by Mary’s own “YES” to do God’s will – “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off

6:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy (only)

Tuesday, March 26 (Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel)

6:00 a.m. — Lenten Orthros

Wednesday, March 27

6:30 p.m. — Presanctified Liturgy followed by Soup Supper

7:30 p.m. — Parish Council Meeting

Thursday, March 28

6:00 a.m. — Lenten Orthros

Friday, March 29

6:00 a.m. — Lenten Orthros

6:30 p.m. — Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos

Saturday, March 30

5:45 p.m. — Ninth Hour prayers followed by Great Vespers

Sunday, March 31 (Second Sunday of Lent; St. Gregory Palamas)

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 Joneses for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

Fr. Alexander Atty, the Dean of St. Thikon’s who is battling cancer.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

March 24 Jones Skirtech/Skirtech/Parker

March 25 (Mon. a.m.) Meadows Meadows

(Feast of the Annunciation)

March 31 Davis Strain/Dabit

April 7 Yeatts Pigott/Freundt/Turner

April 13 (Sat. a.m.) Abraham

(Saturday of the Souls)

April 14 Freundt Algood/Bassinger/Yeatts

April 21 Bassinger R. Root/Abraham/Davis

April 27 (Sat. a.m.) Fahmy

(Lazarus Saturday)

April 28 Baker MEAL AT COCK OF THE WALK

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#

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

April 7 Walt Wood Heb. 4:14-5:6 285

April 13 (Sat. a.m.) Phillip Lasseter I Cor. 10:23-28 271

April 14 Warren Strain Heb. 6:13-20 287

April 21 Sh. Charlotte Algood Heb. 9:11-14 290

April 27 (Sat. a.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows Heb. 12:28-13:8 291

April 28 Mildred Morris Phil. 4:4-9 294

Please be reminded of the following:

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.

Confessions: As we prepare our hearts and minds for Lent and the celebration of Holy Pascha, please be sure to schedule a time for confession.

Calendar Items:

* The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.

* Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers will be hosted by St. George Orthodox Church in Vicksburg this evening, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

* We will celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation with Divine Liturgy (only) tomorrow morning, March 25^th, beginning at 6:00 a.m.

March is Ladies Month in our Archdiocese when we honor the women in our church who serve so faithfully throughout the year. This month the Ladies will be reading the Epistle during the Liturgy.

Saturday of the Souls: The Orthros and Divine Liturgy for Saturday of the Souls has been rescheduled for Saturday, April 13^th beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Bible Study with Breakfast: We will suspend the biweekly Bible Study with Breakfast until after Pascha.

Fasting Discipline for March

March 17^th is Cheesefare Sunday, the last day until Pascha that dairy and wine are permitted. Monday, March 18^th is Clean Monday, the first day of Great Lent when the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine or oil) is observed on all days of the week until Pascha (except Annunciation on March 25^th and Palm Sunday on April 28^th, when fish, wine and oil are permitted).

Major Commemorations for March

March 24 1^st Sunday of Lent ; Sunday of Orthodoxy

March 25 Feast of the Annunciation

March 26 Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel

March 31 2^nd Sunday of Lent; Gregory of Palamas

(Remaining) Happy Birthdays in March:

March 24 — Brenden Skirtech (#9!)

March 26 — Katherine Habeeb (#5!)

March 29 — Sophie Dansereau (#2!)

March 30 — Aidan Milnor (#7!)

(Remaining) Happy Anniversaries in March:

March 27 — Sam and Anne Habeeb (#9!)

Quotable: “From the narration of Genesis in the Old Testament, we know that initially God created Adam’s body and then He breathed into it and created his soul. By saying ‘He created the soul’ it is made clear that the soul is not a particle of God, the spirit of God, as some claim. But, as St. John Chrysostom says, since the inbreathing of God is the energy of the Holy Spirit, it is this energy of the Holy Spirit which created the soul, without itself being the soul. It is of vital importance to state this, for thus we understand well that the soul cannot be examined autonomously but only in connection with God.”

Metropolitan HIEROTHEOS, Orthodox Spirituality

Worship: Sunday, March 31, 2013 (Second Sunday of Lent; St. Gregory Palamas)

Scripture: Hebrews 1:10-2:3; Mark 2:1-12

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Brenda Baker

Prosphora: Davis

Coffee Hour: Strain/Dabit

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March 10, 2013

Sunday of Meatfare

The theme of the second Sunday before Lent is THE LAST JUDGEMENT (meat fare) and the Gospel lesson is Matthew 25:31-46 in which Christ describes the last judgement. It is a lesson about Christian love. For we all need love and each have been given the gift and grace of Christ’s love. Thus, on whether or not we have accepted this responsibility (of Christ’s gift), and on whether we have loved or refused to love, shall we be judged. For “inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto Me….”

I Corinthians 8:8-9:2: St Paul, writing to the Corinthians, uses the situation about eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols to encourage them and us that we should be aware of our actions and how they affect others in their quest for holiness.

Matthew 25:31-46: In describing the judgment of the nations, the Lord Jesus tells us that the righteous will receive eternal blessings, while the unrighteous shall receive eternal punishment.

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.

Kontakion of Meat Fare Sunday: When thou comest, O God, to earth with glory, and all creatures tremble before thee, and the river of fire floweth before the Altar, and the books are opened and sins revealed, deliver me then from that unquenchable fire, and make me worthy to stand at thy right hand, O righteous Judge.

CALENDAR

Sunday, March 10 (Sunday of Meatfare)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

12:30 p.m. — Baptism of Julian Dabit

Monday, March 11

Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, March 12

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

Wednesday, March 13

6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers

7:30 p.m. — Choir Practice

Thursday, March 14

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

Friday, March 15

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

Saturday, March 16 (Christodoulos, Wonder-worker of Patmos)

7:30 a.m. — Bible Study with Breakfast

5:45 p.m. — Ninth Hour prayers

Sunday, March 17 (Sunday of Cheesefare)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

12:00 p.m. — Fundraiser Luncheon for Youth Group

6:30 p.m. — Forgiveness Vespers

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Schelvers for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

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#

March 10 Kh. Sharon Meadows I Cor. 8:8-9:2 273

March 17 Sh. Charlotte Algood 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 be reminded of the following:

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.

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 18^th this year).

Due to the Julian Dabit’s baptism this afternoon, we will not have our regularly scheduled Pot Luck Meal. Instead we have a simple Coffee Hour between the Divine Liturgy and the baptism.

Calendar Items:

* The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.

* Julian Dabit will be baptized next Sunday afternoon, March 10^th at 12:30 p.m.

* The Youth Group will be hosting their annual Cheesefare Fundraising Luncheon on Sunday, March 17^th .

* The schedule for services for the First week of Lent are as follows:

Sunday, March 17^th , 6:30 p.m. Forgiveness Vespers

Monday, March 18^th, 6:30 p.m. Canon of St, Andrew of Crete (Part 1)

Tuesday, March 19^th, 6:30 p.m. Canon of St. Andrew of Crete (Part 2)

Wednesday, March 20^th, 6:30 p.m. Presanctified Liturgy followed by Soup Supper

Thursday, March 21^st, 6:30 p.m. Canon of St. Andrew of Crete (Part 4)

Friday, March 22^nd, 6:30 p.m. Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos

* This year the Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers will be hosted by St. George Orthodox Church in Vicksburg on Sunday evening, March 24^th, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

* We will celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation with Divine Liturgy (only) on Monday morning, March 25^th, beginning at 6:00 a.m.

Donation for Camp St. Thekla: We are still collecting money for Camp St. Thekla. If you would like to make a donation, please make your check out to St. Peter and mark “Camp St. Thekla” on the memo line.

March is Ladies Month in our Archdiocese when we honor the women in our church who serve so faithfully throughout the year. This month the Ladies will be reading the Epistle during the Liturgy.

Saturday of the Souls: The Orthros and Divine Liturgy for Saturday of the Souls has been rescheduled for Saturday, April 16^th beginning at 9:00 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 March

During the first part of the month the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine or oil) is observed on Wednesdays and Fridays. Following Meatfare Sunday (March 10^th) 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 17^th is Cheesefare Sunday, the last day until Pascha that dairy and wine are permitted. Monday, March 18^th 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 25^th and Palm Sunday on April 28^th, when fish, wine and oil are permitted).

Major Commemorations for March

March 16 Christodoulos, the Wonder-worker of Patmos

March 17 Cheesefare Sunday

March 18 Clean Monday

March 24 1^st Sunday of Lent ; Sunday of Orthodoxy

March 25 Feast of the Annunciation

March 26 Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel

March 31 2^nd Sunday of Lent; Gregory of Palamas

Happy Anniversaries in March:

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 March:

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!)

Bible Study with Breakfast: After this coming Saturday morning, March 16^th, we will suspend the biweekly Bible Study with Breakfast until after Pascha.

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 12-16. 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.

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.

Quotable: “The divine call may be likened to an arrow with which God, the experienced archer, wounds the human soul. Bleeding and unhealed, the wound compels the soul to forget all and to seek a doctor. St. Macarius of Egypt states that the soul which has felt this call is overcome by an attraction towards God: the soul’s thoughts burn with a spiritual love and an unrestrained pull towards the even more glorious and radiant beauty of the spirit, yearn with unrestrained love for the Heavenly Bridegroom and . . . strive for the exalted and the great which cannot be expressed in words nor comprehended by human reason . . . Through great labours, endeavours, years of asceticism and perfect combat . . . such souls are always enraptured by the heavenly spiritual mysteries and captivated by the variety of Divine beauty, seeking with a great thirst the best and the greatest. For the Divine Spirit contains the varied and the inexhaustible, the ineffable and unthinkable beauty revealing itself to worthy souls for joy and delectation, life and comfort, so that the pure soul, yearning hourly with a strong and ardent love for the heavenly Bridegroom, no longer looks earthwards, but is wholly engulfed by attraction towards him.”

The Mystery of Faith by Metropolitan HILARION Alfeyev

Worship: Sunday, March 17, 2013 (Sunday of Cheesefare)

Scripture: Romans 13:11 to 14:4; Matthew 6:14-21

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Sh. Charlotte Algood

Prosphora: Morris

Coffee Hour: Teens (Cheesefare Fund-raising Luncheon)

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March 3, 2013

Sunday of the Prodigal Son

The theme of the third Sunday before Lent is RETURN FROM EXILE and the Gospel lesson of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) is read. We are taught by this lesson that even as we stray from God, a banquet is set for our return. And we find that nothing in this fallen world truly satisfies, and thus we find ourselves on a pilgrimage of repentance – returning to God.

I Corinthians 6:12-20: In our reading from I Corinthians we hear St Paul remind us that we have been bought with a price and that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit; therefore we should turn from immorality and glorify God.

Luke 15:11-32: The parable of the prodigal son as told by our Lord serves to illustrate how precious in the sight of the Lord is one who repents from his sin and is returned to the fold.

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 Martyrs: Thy Martyrs, O Lord, in their courageous contest for Thee received as the prize the crowns of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal God. For since they possessed Thy strength, they cast down the tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons= strengthless presumption. O Christ our God, by their prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful.

Kontakion of the Prodigal Son: When I disobeyed in ignorance thy fatherly glory, I wasted in iniquities the riches that thou gavest me. Wherefore, I cry to thee with the voice of the prodigal son, saying, I have sinned before thee, O compassionate Father, receive me repentant, and make me as one of thy hired servants.

CALENDAR

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

Monday, March 4

Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, March 5

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

Wednesday, March 6

6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers

7:30 p.m. — Choir Practice

Thursday, March 7

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

11:30 a.m. — Men’s Lunch

Friday, March 8

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

Saturday, March 9 (Forty Martyrs of Sebaste)

NO Ninth Hour Prayers followed by Great Vespers

Sunday, March 10 (Sunday of Meatfare)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

12:30 p.m. — Baptism of Julian Dabit

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Algoods for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

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#

March 3 Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver I Cor. 6:12-20 265

March 10 Kh. Sharon Meadows I Cor. 8:8-9:2 273

March 17 Sh. Charlotte Algood 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:

Quarterly Schedule Update:

1) We will not be having the Saturday of the Souls Liturgy as originally scheduled on Saturday morning, March 9^th. 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 10^th, we will not have our regularly scheduled Pot Luck Meal. Instead we have a simple Coffee Hour between the Divine Liturgy and the baptism.

Calendar Items:

* The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.

* We will not be having Great Vespers next Saturday evening, March 9^th, as all the clergy will be in Memphis for a wedding.