Monthly Archives: October 2013

10/27 announcements

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October 27, 2013
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
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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 7:11-16:  In the reading from the Gospel of St Luke we see the Lord Jesus raise a woman’s son from death.
 
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 St. Demetrios, the Myrrh-streaming:  A great champion hath the whole world found thee to be when in grave perils; for thou dost put to flight the heathen, O victorious one.  As thou didst humble Lyaeus= arrogance and gavest boldness to Nestor in the stadium, thus, O holy Great Martyr Demetrios, do thou entreat Christ God that we be granted great mercy.
 
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, October 27   (Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            12:00 p.m.       — Baby Shower for Dorin and Carolina
            5:30 p.m.         — Youth Group
 
Monday, October 28   (Protection of the Theotokos)
            Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off
           
Tuesday, October 29   
            6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
                       
Wednesday, October 30    
            6:30 p.m.         — Daily Vespers
            7:30 p.m.         — Choir Practice
           
Thursday, October 31   
            NO Daily Orthros
 
Friday, November 1    (Cosmas and Damian of Asia)
            NO Daily Orthros
 
Saturday, November 2   (Raphael, Bishop of Brooklyn)
            9:00 a.m.         — Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy
            11:30 a.m.       — Serving at Stewpot Ministries
            5:45 p.m.         — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
 
Sunday, November 3   (Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost)
            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 Dn. Richard Roots for the Divine Liturgy this morning.
 
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
October 27                   R. Root                                     Baby Shower for Dorin & Carolina
November 2 (Sat. a.m.)                                                 Henderson       Christina Katool
         (St. Rapahel of Brooklyn)
November 3                 Algood                                     Ellis/Zaboukos/Fahmy
November 10               Katool                                      POT LUCK MEAL     
                                                                                       (Set-up:  Skirtech/Skirtech/Parker)
November 17               Schelver                                   Pigott/Brock/Strain
November 20 (Wed. p.m.)  Meadows (Artoklasia Bread)        No Meal
         (Presentation of the Theotokos in the Temple)
November 24               Jones                                        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#
October 27                          Sh. Charlotte Algood            II Cor. 9:6-11                  178
November 2 (Sat. a.m.)      Warren Strain                        Heb. 7:26-8:2                  334
November 3                        Kh. Sharon Meadows          II Cor. 11:31-33; 12:1-9    183
November 10                      Mildred Morris                      Gal. 1:11-19                     188
November 17                      Phillip Lasseter                      Gal 2:16-20                      193
November 20 (Wed. p.m.) NO Reading
November 24                      Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver              Gal. 6:11-18                    198
 
Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle, and their daughter Abigail, in your prayers. 
 
Continue to pray for Metropolitan Paul (who is also the brother of our Patriarch) and the Syriac Archbishop John of Aleppo who were abducted recently while on a humanitarian mission in Syria.
 
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 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.
 
Young Adults Study Group:  The Young Adults will meet once a month on Sunday evening from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. (time will be strictly adhered to) for a meal, fellowship and teaching.  The next meeting will be November 17th.  Please let Father John know by text or e-mail if you will be there, so that plans may be made for the meal.
 
Calendar Items:
*    The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
*    The Ladies of St. Peter will meet at 10:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children.  Those who are able will go out for lunch and fellowship afterwards.
*    The Youth Group will meet for a meal and Christian Education with Father John on Sunday evenings, November 10th and 24th, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
*    The Young Adults will meet at the church Sunday, November 17th from 5:00-6:30 p.m.
*    The Ladies of St. Peter will not meet for lunch and fellowship on the fourth Tuesday of November and December, due to the holiday seasons.  More information will be available once the dates for those two months have been set.
*    We will celebrate the Feast of St. Raphael of Brooklyn with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy next Saturday, November 2nd, beginning at 9:00 a.m.
*    We will also be serving at Stewpot Ministries on Saturday, November 2nd, beginning at 11:30 a.m. in conjunction with Holy Resurrection and Holy Trinity/St. John the Theologian Orthodox Churches.
*    Father John will be attending the Deanery Fall Clergy Retreat November 4th-6th.
*    The Christian Education classes will present a play during Coffee Hour on Sunday, December 22nd.  More information will be available soon.
 
Canned food drive:  The Christian Education classes are collecting canned good s for the needy. 
 
Parents, please supervise your children with food in the Fellowship Hall.  We are getting stains on the new carpet (and also the chairs in the nave).

The website of the Episcopal Assembly has recently posted important statements concerning Orthodoxy.  (Two of these statements are located on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall.  Please be sure to take a look at them.)  The website is an important source of information on the Orthodox Church.
 
Supper Clubs are being re-formed.  If you would like to participate, please sign-up on the sheet located on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall (as soon as possible).  We hope to get the groups organized in the next few weeks, so that they may begin meeting in November.
 
Amy Surratt has volunteered to be in charge of the Angel Tree here at St. Peter’s this year.  She will have more information available in the future.
 
Nativity Feast:  This year we will be doing something new for our meal following the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Nativity.  It will be a true Pot Luck Meal.  Every family is asked to bring a dish.  If your dish requires cooking, that should be done at home BEFORE you come.  The warmer will be turned on to keep casseroles warm during the service.  Please be sure to TAKE YOUR DISH home with you when you leave (even if you have to leave a little early).  No one will be staying late to wash dishes after the meal.
 
Fasting Discipline for October/November
The traditional fasting (no meat, dairy, fish, wine or oil) is observed all Wednesdays and Fridays of the month.  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 katlysis 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 October/November
October 28             Protection of the Theotokos
November 1           Sts. Cosmas and Damian of Asia
November 2           St. Raphael of Brooklyn
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. Amphiloios of Iconium
November 25         St. Catherine the Great-martyr
November 30         Apostle Andrew, the First-called
 
Camping trip for Youth Group:  The camping trip for the Teens has been moved to the week-end of November 8-9.  Please make a note of the change in dates.

Happy Anniversaries in November:
         November 26         —    Glenn and Mildred Morris (#47!)
         November 28         —    Dn. Terry and Sh. Charlotte Algood (#42!)
 
Happy Birthdays in October/November:
         October 28             —    Lamia Dabit
                                       —    Mona Fahmy
         October 29             —    Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver
         November 5           —    Alexia Parker (#16!)
         November 11         —    Beth Ann Baker
         November 13         —    Sophia Skirtech (#5!)
                                       —    Summer Goss
         November 17         —    Karen Cooper
         November 21         —    Ken Jones
         November 24         —    Mildred Morris
         November 29         —    Mike Pigott
 
Quotable:  “Prayer means simple, loving converse between the soul and God, as between a child and its father, yet it is quite obvious that certain dispositions of soul are indispensable to this holy exercise.  The Sacred Scriptures admonish us, in the first place, to prepare ourselves:  ‘Before prayer prepare your soul, and be not as a man who tempts God’ (Ecclus. 18:23).  This preparation is not difficult, consisting simply in humility, sorrow for sin, a wish to improve our lives, confidence in God and His mercy and freedom from hatred of our neighbor.  During prayer the chief things required are:  a realization of the presence of God, attention to what we are saying, sincerity and fervor.  If, while praying, we are purposely or consciously distracted we become like those irreligious worshippers, of whom our Lord said:  ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me’ (Matt. 15:8).  Finally, for good prayer it is necessary that we pray with entire submission to the Will of our Heavenly Father who knows what is best for us.  And we must pray with perseverance, which means that we should continue to implore god’s help and grace as long as we live.  Christ the Lord said:  ‘We ought always to pray’ (Luke 18:1).  Our prayers will be greatly enhanced in value and power, if we add to them works of charity and mortify ourselves with penitence and abstinence,”
                                                Rev. Fr. David F. Abramtsov, The Orthodox Companion
 

Worship:         Sunday, November 3, 2013 (Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

         Scripture:                                II Corinthians 11:31-33; 12:1-9; Luke 16:19-31
         Celebrant:                               Father John
         Epistle Reader:                       Kh. Sharon Meadows
         Prosphora:                              Algood
         Coffee Hour:                           Ellis/Zouboukos/Fahmy

10/20 announcements

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October 20, 2013
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

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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.
 
Luke 8:26-39:   From the reading in St Luke, we see Jesus heal a man possessed by demons; in   doing so, Jesus demonstrates His authority over His creation, even when it rebels against Him.
 
Troparion of the Resurrection:  O compassionate One, thou didst descend from the heights; thou didst submit to the three-day burial, that thou might deliver us from passion.  Thou art our Life and our Resurrection, O Lord, glory to thee.
 
Troparion of the Martyr Artemius:   Thy Martyr Artemius, 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 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, October 20   (Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            5:00 p.m.         — Young Adults
 
Monday, October 21   
            Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off
           
Tuesday, October 22   
            6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
            11:30 a.m.       — Ladies’ Lunch
                       
Wednesday, October 23    (Apostle James, Brother of the Lord)
            6:30 p.m.         — Daily Vespers
            7:30 p.m.         — Choir Practice
            7:30 p.m.         — Parish Council Meeting
           
Thursday, October 24   
            NO Daily Orthros
 
Friday, October 25    
            NO Daily Orthros
 
Saturday, October 26   
            7:30 a.m.         — Bible Study with Breakfast
            NONinth Hour followed by Great Vespers
            6:00 p.m.         — Church Hayride and cookout at Nichols Boyd Pumpkin Patch
 
Sunday, October 27   (Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            12:00 p.m.       — Baby Shower for Dorin and Carolina
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Woods for the Divine Liturgy this morning.
 
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
October 20                   Wood                                       Jones/Stewart/Meadows
October 27                   R. Root                                     Baby Shower for Dorin & Carolina
November 2 (Sat. a.m.)                                                 Henderson       Christina Katool
         (St. Rapahel of Brooklyn)
November 3                 Algood                                     Ellis/Zaboukos/Fahmy
November 10               Katool                                      POT LUCK MEAL     
                                                                                    (Set-up:  Skirtech/Skirtech/Parker)
November 17               Schelver                                   Pigott/Brock/Strain
November 20 (Wed. p.m.)  Meadows (Artoklasia Bread)        No Meal
         (Presentation of the Theotokos in the Temple)
November 24               Jones                                        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#
October 20                           Brenda Baker                        II Cor. 6:16-7:1               173
October 27                           Sh. Charlotte Algood          II Cor. 9:6-11                  178
November 2 (Sat. a.m.)      Warren Strain                        Heb. 7:26-8:2                  334
November 3                         Kh. Sharon Meadows         II Cor. 11:31-33; 12:1-9  183
November 10                       Mildred Morris                     Gal. 1:11-19                    188
November 17                       Phillip Lasseter                     Gal 2:16-20                     193
November 20 (Wed. p.m.) NO Reading
November 24                      Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver             Gal. 6:11-18                    198
 
Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle, and their daughter Abigail, in your prayers. 
 
Continue to pray for Metropolitan Paul (who is also the brother of our Patriarch) and the Syriac Archbishop John of Aleppo who were abducted recently while on a humanitarian mission in Syria.

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 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.
 
Young Adults Study Group:  The Young Adults will meet once a month on Sunday evening from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. (time will be strictly adhered to) for a meal, fellowship and teaching.  The next meeting will be TONIGHT.  Please let Father John know by text or e-mail if you will be there, so that plans may be made for the meal.
 
Quarterly Schedule and Meals for Feasts:  The Quarterly Schedule is available on the table in the hallway.  We need three volunteers to help with the Meal for the feast of the Nativity.  If you would like to volunteer for this or for other feasts during the coming year, please see the sign-up sheet located on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall.
 
Calendar Items:
*    The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
*    The Ladies of St. Peter will meet at 10:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children.  Those who are able will go out for lunch and fellowship afterwards.
*    Young Adults will meet at the church tonight from 5:00-6:30 p.m.
*    The Ladies of St. Peter will meet for lunch and fellowship on the fourth Tuesday of each month.  The next lunch will be Tuesday, October 22nd at 11:30 a.m. at the King Edward Hotel in downtown Jackson.  Free valet parking is available.
*    Church Hayride at Nichols-Boyd Farm on Saturday October 26th, beginning at 6:00 p.m.  Please see the sign-up sheet on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall.
*    We will celebrate the Feast of St. Raphael of Brooklyn with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Saturday, November 2nd, beginning at 9:00 a.m.
*    We will also be serving at Stewpot Ministries on Saturday, November 2nd, beginning at 11:30 a.m. in conjunction with Holy Resurrection and Holy Trinity/St. John the Theologian Orthodox Churches.
*    Father John will be attending the Deanery Fall Clergy Retreat November 4th-6th.
 
Canned food drive:  The Christian Education classes are collecting canned good s for the needy. 

Parents, please supervise your children with food in the Fellowship Hall.  We are getting stains on the new carpet (and also the chairs in the nave).
 
Church Hayride:  We will be having a church hayride on Saturday, October 26th at the Nichols-Boyd Farm on Highway 43 above the reservoir.  Cost is $12 for hayride, campfire and meal.  Marshmallows will also be provided for roasting.  You can bring ingredients for s’mores, etc. if you so desire.  Please be sure to sign up on the sheet located on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall.
 
Camping trip for Youth Group:  The camping trip for the Teens has been moved to the week-end of November 8-9.  Please make a note of the change in dates.
 
The website of the Episcopal Assembly has recently posted important statements concerning Orthodoxy.  (Two of these statements are located on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall.  Please be sure to take a look at them.)  The website is an important source of information on the Orthodox Church.
 
Supper Clubs are being re-formed.  If you would like to participate, please sign-up on the sheet located on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall (as soon as possible).  We hope to get the groups organized in the next few weeks, so that they may begin meeting in November.
 
Fasting Discipline for October
The traditional fasting (no meat, dairy, fish, wine or oil) is observed all Wednesdays and Fridays of the month. 
 
Major Commemorations for October
October 23             Apostle James Brother-of-the-Lord
October 26             Great-martyr Demetrios
October 28             Protection of the Theotokos
           
Need a bookcase or small storage cabinet??  We have recently purchased matching bookcases and storage cabinets for the Sunday School rooms.  The light-colored bookcase and small cabinet located in the St. Athanasius Sunday School room are no longer needed.  If anyone would like to have the old bookcase or cabinet, please let Father John know.  If no one wants them, they will donated to Goodwill.
 
Happy Anniversaries in October:
         October 17             —    Phillip and Nikki Lasseter (#4!)
         October 18             —    Oliver and Laura Yeatts (#5!)
         October 22             —    Walter and Charlotte Wood (#30!)
 
Happy Birthdays in October:
         October 1               —    Emily Parker
         October 3               —    Reader Basil Baker
         October 4               —    Rod Parker
         October 5               —    Antonina Karam (#1!)
         October 7               —    Glenn Morris
         October 8               —    Brantley Oliver
         October 10             —    Phillip Lasseter
         October 16             —    Jesse Milnor
                                       —    Rola Karam
         October 17             —    Max Baker
         October 20             —    Anna Kathryn Stewart
                                       —    Justyn Schelver
         October 23             —    Anne Habeeb
         October 24             —    Jean Kafoury
         October 25             —    Kathy Willingham
         October 28             —    Lamia Dabit
                                       —    Mona Fahmy
         October 29             —    Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver
 
Quotable:  “People often find it difficult to pray because they have an exaggerated notion of prayer, not really understanding what it means and erroneously believing that it consists in very lofty thoughts which must be expressed in correspondingly elevated words and sentences; whereas the very opposite is the truth.  How simple are the ‘Our Father,’ the ‘Hail Mary’ and other prayers!  How unaffected the thoughts and words of the centurion, the leper, the blind man, and others mentioned in the Gospel who sought help from Our Lord and were heard!  For our private prayer no special form is required, no particular words or expressions are necessary, although the most beautiful prayers are those which have been handed down to us from Our Lord, the Holy Scriptures and the Church.  Neither is it necessary for a prayer to be long to be perfect; it need not be said in any particular place or at any special time; nor need it be said kneeling or standing.  We may turn our hearts to God at all times, in all places, and in any posture of body, whether we be in the street, at home or abroad.”
                                                Rev. Fr. David F. Abramtsov, The Orthodox Companion
 
Worship:         Sunday, October 27, 2013 (Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost)
 
         Scripture:                               II Corinthians 6:9:6-11; Luke 8:41-56
         Celebrant:                              Father John
         Epistle Reader:                      Sh. Charlotte Algood
         Prosphora:                              R. Root
         Coffee Hour:                           Baby Shower for Dorin and Carolina

10/13 announcements

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October 13, 2013
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council
 
<!–[if supportFields]>ADVANCE \d4<![endif]–><!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>    Today the Church remembers the 350 holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council under the holy Patriarch Tarasius (February 25). The Council of 787, the second to meet at Nicea, refuted the Iconoclast heresy during the reign of Empress Irene and her son Constantine Porphyrogenitos.
    The council decreed that the veneration of icons was not idolatry (Exodus 20:4-5), because the honor shown to them is not directed to the wood or paint, but passes to the prototype (the person depicted). It also upheld the possibility of depicting Christ, Who became man and took flesh at His Incarnation. The Father, on the other hand, cannot be represented in His eternal nature, because “no man has seen God at any time” (John 1:18).
 
Titus 3:8-15:  On this Sunday we read from St. Paul’s letter to Titus, whom he warns to avoid delv­ing into unprofitable and foolish questions about doctrine, and to reject heretics after two admonitions.
 
Luke 8:5-15:  Our Lord tells the parable of the sower in which he teaches us that the believer who perseveres with honest and good hearts will bear much fruit.
 
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 of the Holy Fathers: Thou, O Christ, art our God of exceeding praise who didst establish our holy Fathers as luminous stars upon earth, and through them didst guide us unto the true Faith, O most merciful One, glory to thee.
 
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, October 13   (Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
 
Monday, October 14   
            Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off
           
Tuesday, October 15   
            NO Daily Orthros
                       
Wednesday, October 16    
            6:30 p.m.         — Daily Vespers
            7:30 p.m.         — Choir Practice
           
Thursday, October 17   
            NO Daily Orthros
 
Friday, October 18    (Apostle Luke)
            NO Daily Orthros
 
Saturday, October 19   
            5:45 p.m.         — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
 
Sunday, October 20   (Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            5:00 p.m.         — Young Adults
 
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Bakers for the Divine Liturgy this morning.
 
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
October 13                   Baker                                       Henderson/Baker/Lockhart
October 20                   Wood                                      Jones/Stewart/Meadows
October 27                   R. Root                                    Baby Shower for Dorin & Carolina
 
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#
October 13                         Walt Wood                           Titus 3:8-15                    322
October 20                         Brenda Baker                        II Cor. 6:16-7:1                173
October 27                         Sh. Charlotte Algood          II Cor. 9:6-11                   178
 
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.
 
Continue to pray for Metropolitan Paul (who is also the brother of our Patriarch) and the Syriac Archbishop John of Aleppo who were abducted recently while on a humanitarian mission in Syria.

Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
 
Our condolences go to Cheryl Pigott and their family on the death of her sister, Paula Vivona, last week.  Paula’s husband, Peter, passed away the preceding week.    Please keep their children, Meredith and Janice, in your prayers.  Please also keep Meghan, Ben and their unborn child in your prayers as they are travelling for the funeral.
 
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.
 
Young Adults Study Group:  The Young Adults will meet once a month on Sunday evening from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. (time will be strictly adhered to) for a meal, fellowship and teaching.  The next meeting will be October 20th.  Please let Father John know by text or e-mail if you will be there, so that plans may be made for the meal.
 
Quarterly Schedule and Meals for Feasts:  The Quarterly Schedule is available on the table in the hallway.  We need three volunteers to help with the Meal for the feast of the Nativity.  If you would like to volunteer for this or for other feasts during the coming year, please see the sign-up sheet located on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall.
 
Calendar Items:
*    The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
*    The Ladies of St. Peter will meet at 10:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children.  Those who are able will go out for lunch and fellowship afterwards.
*    Young Adults will meet at the church Sunday, October 20th from 5:00-6:30 p.m.
*    The Ladies of St. Peter will meet for lunch and fellowship on the fourth Tuesday of each month.  The next lunch will be Tuesday, October 22nd at 11:30 a.m. at the King Edward Hotel in downtown Jackson.  Free valet parking is available.
*    Church Hayride at Nichols-Boyd Farm on Saturday October 26th, beginning at 6:00 p.m.  Please see the sign-up sheet on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall.
*    We will celebrate the Feast of St. Raphael of Brooklyn with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Saturday, November 2nd, beginning at 9:00 a.m.
*    We will also be serving at Stewpot Ministries on Saturday, November 2nd, beginning at 11:30 a.m. in conjunction with Holy Resurrection and Holy Trinity/St. John the Theologian Orthodox Churches.
*    Father John will be attending the Deanery Fall Clergy Retreat November 4th-6th.
 
Canned food drive:  The Christian Education classes are collecting canned good s for the needy. 
 
Parents, please supervise your children with food  in the Fellowship Hall.  We are getting stains on the new carpet (and also the chairs in the nave).
 
Church Hayride:  We will be having a church hayride on Saturday, October 26th at the Nichols-Boyd Farm on Highway 43 above the reservoir.  Cost is $12 for hayride, campfire and meal.  Marshmallows will also be provided for roasting.  You can bring ingredients for s’mores, etc. if you so desire.  Please be sure to sign up on the sheet located on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall.
 
Camping trip for Youth Group:  The camping trip for the Teens has been moved to the week-end of November 8-9.  Please make a note of the change in dates.
 
The website of the Episcopal Assembly has recently posted important statements concerning Orthodoxy.  (Two of these statements are located on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall.  Please be sure to take a look at them.)  The website is an important source of information on the Orthodox Church.
 
Need a bookcase or small storage cabinet??  We have recently purchased matching bookcases and storage cabinets for the Sunday School rooms.  The light-colored bookcase and small cabinet located in the St. Athanasius Sunday School room are no longer needed.  If anyone would like to have the old bookcase or cabinet, please let Father John know.  If no one wants them, they will donated to Goodwill.
 
Supper Clubs are being re-formed.  If you would like to participate, please sign-up on the sheet located on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall (as soon as possible).  We hope to get the groups organized in the next few weeks, so that they may begin meeting in November.
 
Fasting Discipline for October
The traditional fasting (no meat, dairy, fish, wine or oil) is observed all Wednesdays and Fridays of the month. 
 
Major Commemorations for October
October 18             Apostle Luke
October 23             Apostle James Brother-of-the-Lord
October 26             Great-martyr Demetrios
October 28             Protection of the Theotokos
 
Happy Anniversaries in October:
         October 17             —    Phillip and Nikki Lasseter (#4!)
         October 18             —    Oliver and Laura Yeatts (#5!)
         October 22             —    Walter and Charlotte Wood (#30!)
 
Happy Birthdays in October:
         October 1               —    Emily Parker
         October 3               —    Reader Basil Baker
         October 4               —    Rod Parker
         October 5               —    Antonina Karam (#1!)
         October 7               —    Glenn Morris
         October 8               —    Brantley Oliver
         October 10             —    Phillip Lasseter
         October 16             —    Jesse Milnor
                                       —    Rola Karam
         October 17             —    Max Baker
         October 20             —    Anna Kathryn Stewart
                                       —    Justyn Schelver
         October 23             —    Anne Habeeb
         October 24             —    Jean Kafoury
         October 25             —    Kathy Willingham
         October 28             —    Lamia Dabit
                                       —    Mona Fahmy
         October 29             —    Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver
        
Quotable:  “God has not merely advised, but has commanded us to turn to prayer:  ‘We ought always to pray and not lose heart’ (Luke 18:1); “Ask, and it will be given to you’ (Matt. 7:7).  We are dependent creatures, and as such are bound to render honor and gratitude to the Author of our being.  We are frail creatures, subject to all kinds of infirmities and unable to do anything deserving of eternal life without God’s grace.  Since, therefore, God has decreed to give His special help only to those who seek it, prayer becomes a necessity, if we are to save our souls.  However, prayer is grounded on faith.  Where faith was lacking, Christ ‘did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief’ (Matt. 13:58).  When a suppliant besought Christ, ‘If you can do anything, have pity on us and help us,’ Jesus corrected his ‘if’ by another:  ‘If you can believe!’  It was not the power that was lacking, but faith on the part of the suppliant:  for He added, ‘All things are possible to him who believes’ (Mark 9:23).”
                                                Rev. Fr. David F. Abramtsov, The Orthodox Companion
 
 
Worship:         Sunday, October 20, 2013 (Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost)
 
         Scripture:                               II Corinthians 6:16-7:1; Luke 8:26-39
         Celebrant:                              Father John
         Epistle Reader:                     Brenda Baker
         Prosphora:                             Wood
         Coffee Hour:                         Jones/Stewart/Meadows

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October 6, 2013
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
 
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 7:11-16:  In the reading from the Gospel of St Luke we see the Lord Jesus raise a woman’s son from death.
 
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 Apostle Thomas:  O Holy Apostle Thomas, intercede with our merciful God to grant our souls forgiveness of sins.
 
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, October 6   (Apostle Thomas)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            12:00 p.m.       — POT LUCK MEAL
 
Monday, October 7   
            Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off
           
Tuesday, October 8   
            6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
                       
Wednesday, October 9    (Apostle James, Son of Alphaeus)
            6:30 p.m.         — Daily Vespers
            7:30 p.m.         — Choir Practice
           
Thursday, October 10   
            NO Daily Orthros
 
Friday, October 11    
            NO Daily Orthros
 
Saturday, October 12   
            10:00 a.m.       — Ladies meet for Akathist and lunch
            5:45 p.m.         — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
 
Sunday, October 13   (Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost)
            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 Fahmys for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

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
October 6                     Fahmy                                     POT LUCK MEAL
                                                                                        (set-up: R. Root/Abraham/Habeeb)
October 13                   Baker                                       Henderson/Baker/Lockhart
October 20                   Wood                                      Jones/Stewart/Meadows
October 27                   R. Root                                    Baby Shower for Dorin & Carolina
 
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#
October 6                           Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver             II Cor. 4:6-15                  163
October 13                         Walt Wood                           Titus 3:8-15                    322
October 20                         Brenda Baker                         II Cor. 6:16-7:1               173
October 27                         Sh. Charlotte Algood            II Cor. 9:6-11                  178
 
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 keep Tom Willingham and his wife Kathy in your prayers.  Tom is home from the hospital and continuing to recover following abdominal surgery to remove a tumor.
 
Continue to pray for Metropolitan Paul (who is also the brother of our Patriarch) and the Syriac Archbishop John of Aleppo who were abducted recently while on a humanitarian mission in Syria.
 
Our condolences go to Cheryl Pigott and their family on the death of her brother-in-law, Peter, last week.  Cheryl’s sister, Paula, is in the final stages with MS and is very sick herself.  Please keep her and their children, Meredith and Janice, in your prayers.
 
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.
 
Young Adults Study Group:  The Young Adults will meet once a month on Sunday evening from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. (time will be strictly adhered to) for a meal, fellowship and teaching.  The next meeting will be October 20th.  Please let Father John know by text or e-mail if you will be there, so that plans may be made for the meal.
 
Quarterly Schedule and Meals for Feasts:  The Quarterly Schedule is available on the table in the hallway.  We need three volunteers to help with the Meal for the feast of the Nativity.  If you would like to volunteer for this or for other feasts during the coming year, please see the sign-up sheet located on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall.
 
Calendar Items:
*    The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
*    The Ladies of St. Peter will meet at 10:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children.  Those who are able will go out for lunch and fellowship afterwards.
*    Young Adults will meet at the church Sunday, October 20th from 5:00-6:30 p.m.
*    The Ladies of St. Peter will meet for lunch and fellowship on the fourth Tuesday of each month.  The next lunch will be Tuesday, October 22nd at 11:30 a.m. at the King Edward Hotel in downtown Jackson.  Free valet parking is available.
*    Church Hayride at Nichols-Boyd Farm on Saturday October 26th, beginning at 6:00 p.m.  Please see the sign-up sheet on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall.
*    We will celebrate the Feast of St. Raphael of Brooklyn with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Saturday, November 2nd, beginning at 9:00 a.m.
*    We will also be serving at Stewpot Ministries on Saturday, November 2nd, beginning at 11:30 a.m. in conjunction with Holy Resurrection and HolyTrinity/St. John the Theologian Orthodox Churches.
*    Father John will be attending the Deanery Fall Clergy Retreat November 4th-6th.
 
Church Hayride:  We will be having a church hayride on Saturday, October 26th at the Nichols-Boyd Farm on Highway 43 above the reservoir.  Cost is $12 for hayride, campfire and meal.  Marshmallows will also be provided for roasting.  You can bring ingredients for s’mores, etc. if you so desire.  Please be sure to sign up on the sheet located on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall.
 
Canned food drive:  The Christian Education classes are collecting canned good s for the needy. 

Camping trip for Youth Group:  The camping trip for the Teens has been moved to the week-end of November 8-9.  Please make a note of the change in dates.
 
The website of the Episcopal Assembly has recently posted important statements concerning Orthodoxy.  (Two of these statements are located on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall.  Please be sure to take a look at them.)  The website is an important source of information on the Orthodox Church.
 
Need a bookcase or small storage cabinet??  We have recently purchased matching bookcases and storage cabinets for the Sunday School rooms.  The light-colored bookcase and small cabinet located in the St. Athanasius Sunday School room are no longer needed.  If anyone would like to have the old bookcase or cabinet, please let Father John know.  If no one wants them, they will donated to Goodwill.
 
Supper Clubs are being re-formed.  If you would like to participate, please sign-up on the sheet located on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall (as soon as possible).  We hope to get the groups organized in the next few weeks, so that they may begin meeting in November.
 
Happy Birthdays in October:
         October 1               —    Emily Parker
         October 3               —    Reader Basil Baker
         October 4               —    Rod Parker
         October 5               —    Antonina Karam (#1!)
         October 7               —    Glenn Morris
         October 8               —    Brantley Oliver
         October 10             —    Phillip Lasseter
         October 16             —    Jesse Milnor
                                       —    Rola Karam
         October 17             —    Max Baker
         October 20             —    Anna Kathryn Stewart
                                       —    Justyn Schelver
         October 23             —    Anne Habeeb
         October 24             —    Jean Kafoury
         October 25             —    Kathy Willingham
         October 28             —    Lamia Dabit
                                       —    Mona Fahmy
         October 29             —    Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver
 
Happy Anniversaries in October:
         October 17             —    Phillip and Nikki Lasseter (#4!)
         October 18             —    Oliver and Laura Yeatts (#5!)
         October 22             —    Walter and Charlotte Wood (#30!)

Fasting Discipline for October
The traditional fasting (no meat, dairy, fish, wine or oil) is observed all Wednesdays and Fridays of the month. 
 
Major Commemorations for October
October 6               Apostle Thomas
October 9               Apostle James of Alphaeus
October 18             Apostle Luke
October 23             Apostle James Brother-of-the-Lord
October 26             Great-martyr Demetrios
October 28             Protection of the Theotokos
        
Quotable:  “From its very nature we can understand how rich in benefits is prayer.  It honors God and helps us both in soul and body.  We are God’s children, and as a child honors its father by speaking reverently to him, by manifesting its love for him, and by showing that it depends upon him for its needs and by begging forgiveness of offenses committed, so do we in these various ways give honor to God through prayer.  Moreover, by this holy exercise we obtain for ourselves all we need both spiritually and temporally; we are strengthened against temptation and our natural weaknesses; our life is enobled and filled with virtues and we are better fitted for Heaven.  Prayer is the cure for anxiety.  With the heritage which is ours in Christ, we need no longer be concerned about lack of material things, for Christ assured us that ‘Your Father knows what you need’ (Matt, 6:8).  It has been said, ‘Why worry when you can pray?’ for ‘He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also give us all things with Him?’ (Rom. 8:32).  Therefore, the greatest part of our prayers should be for spiritual gifts that God may be glorified, for Christ said,  ‘If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?’ (Luke 11:13).  It has been said that prayer ‘pleases God, gets what it asks, overcomes enemies, changes man.’  Rightly, then, has it been called incense ascending before the Throne of God, or a golden key which unlocks for us the treasures of Heaven.”
                                                Rev. Fr. David F. Abramtsov, The Orthodox Companion
 
 
Worship:         Sunday, October 13, 2013 (Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost; Holy Fathers of
                                                the Seventh Ecumenical Council)
 
         Scripture:                               Titus 3:8-15; Luke 8:5-15
         Celebrant:                              Father John
         Epistle Reader:                     Walt Wood
         Prosphora:                             Baker
         Coffee Hour:                          Henderson/Baker/Lockhart