Monthly Archives: March 2015

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March 29, 2015

Fifth Sunday of Great Lent

Commemoration of St. Mary of Egypt

 

    The facts of the life of St. Mary of Egypt are vague and clouded by time and separation, but the spirit of her story is a clear call to repentance and devotion.  According to tradition, Mary was from Alexandria, where she was an actress and courtesan, living a life of sin and infamy.  When spiritual intervention forbade her entry to Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, she spent the night in penitent prayer.  The following morning she was able to enter, whereupon she venerated the cross and immediately removed herself to the life of a penitent and solitary in the Palestinian desert.  She remained in isolation for forty-seven years, aided only by monks of the region and God’s grace.  Only at her death was she found and given communion by the priest Zosimus.  On this last Sunday of Lent, as we prepare for Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and the Great Feast of the eighth and eternal day, we call to mind this holy woman, her fear of the all-powerful God, her recognition of her sin, her repentance, her humility, her faith, and her unwavering intent to seek righteousness and the courts of her King.

 

Hebrews 9:11-14:  In our reading from Hebrews, we hear the Apostle tell us that when Christ entered the heavenly Holy of Holies through His own blood, He obtained for us eternal redemption for our sins.

 

Mark 10:32-45:  We again hear our Lord prophesy concerning His coming death and resurrection, but, His disciples do not understand, displaying concern for personal gain as a reward.  The Lord then explains to them that greatness in the kingdom of God is attained through service to others.

 

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. Mary of Egypt:  Through thee the divine likeness was securely preserved, O Mother Mary; for thou didst carry the cross and followed Christ.  By example and precept thou didst teach us to ignore the body because it is perishable, and to attend to the concerns of the undying soul.  Therefore, doth thy soul rejoice with the angels.

 

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, March 29   (Mary of Egypt)

            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 30   

            Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off

           

Tuesday, March 31  

            6:00 a.m.         — Lenten Orthros

            6:30 p.m.         — Choir Practice

 

Wednesday, April 1   (Mary of Egypt)

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

                                                           

Thursday, April 2  

            11:30 p.m.       — Men’s Lunch

           

Friday, April 3   

            6:30 p.m.         — Small Compline with Canon of St. Lazarus 

 

Saturday, April 4   (Lazarus Saturday)

            9:00 a.m.         — Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy

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

 

Sunday, April 5   (Palm Sunday)

            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros

            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education

            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy

            12:00 p.m.       — Fish Fry Meal

            6:30 p.m.         — Bridegroom Matins

 

 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Davises for the Feast of the Annunciation this past Wednesday morning and by the Daniel Roots for the Divine Liturgy today. 

 

Please be reminded of the following:

Be very careful with the Blessed Bread when you take it after communion.  Because this bread has been blessed, we should take care not to let crumbs fall on the floor.  Parents, especially, please help your children to choose a small piece and treat it carefully.

         Also, at the end of the liturgy, maintain a prayerful disposition during the veneration of the cross as the prayers of thanksgiving after communion are still underway.  Please exchange your greetings with each other in the Fellowship Hall during Coffee Hour.

 

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

                                    Eucharist Bread                     Coffee Hour

March 29                     D. Root                                    Schelver/Lavric/Turner

April 4 (Sat. am)         Abraham                                  Sh. Margaret Root

April 5                         Karam                                      FISH FRY MEAL       

                                                                                     (set-up:  Woods)

April 9 (Thur. am)       Brock                                       Kh. Sharon Meadows

April 11 (Sat. am)        Fahmy                                     Debbie Abraham

April 11 (Sat. pm)       Wood                                       Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver and

                                                                                     Kh. Sharon Meadows

April 19                       R. Root                                    Henderson/Lockhart

April 26                       Henderson                               Karam/Stewart/Meadows

 

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 29                           Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver            Heb. 9:11-14                  290

April 4 (Sat. am)               Warren Strain                       Heb. 12:28-13:8             291

April 5                               Phillip Lasseter                    Phil. 4:4-9                       294

April 9 (Thur. am)             Kh. Sharon Meadows          I Cor. 11:23-32               295

April 11 (Sat. am)             Tom Willingham                  Rom. 6:3-11                   300

April 11 (Sat. pm)             Walt Wood                           Acts 1:1-8                       25

April 19                             Sh. Charlotte Algood           Acts 5:12-20                   32

April 26                             Warren Strain                       Acts 6:1-7                       38

 

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.

 

Continue to pray for Metropolitan Paul (who is also the brother of our Patriarch) and the Syriac Archbishop John of Aleppo who were abducted while on a humanitarian mission in Syria.

 

Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.

 

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;

Walt and Charlotte Wood and their family; Tom and Jennifer Skirtech and their family; Tom and Kathy Willingham; Athena and Anthony Zouboukos and their family.

 

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

 

Our condolences go to Tom and Kathy Willingham on the death of Tom’s daughter, Teri, this past week in Baton Rouge.  Please keep them in your prayers.

 

Confessions:  Please go ahead and schedule your confessions so we do not have so many people trying to fit it in just before Holy Week.  No confessions will be heard during Holy Week.

 

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.

 

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 the 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.  However, since Pascha falls on the second week-end this year, we will meet for the Akathist on the Third Saturday of April.

*    As is our parish custom, we will celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts on Wednesday evenings and the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos on Friday evenings during Great Lent.  Both services will begin at 6:30 p.m.

*    We will hold our annual catfish dinner on Palm Sunday, April 5^th following the Divine Liturgy.  Meals will be $10 for adults and children 12 and over, and $6 for children 5-11.  There is a sign-up sheet in the fellowship hall.  Please be sure to sign it if your family will be participating in the meal.

*    Schedule for Holy Week services are as follows:

                  Saturday, April 4^th       — Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy at 9:00 a.m.

                  Sunday, April 5^th         — Bridegroom Matins at 6:30 p.m.

                  Monday, April 6^th        — Bridegroom Matins at 6:30 p.m.

                  Tuesday, April 7^th        — Bridegroom Matins at 6:30 p.m.

                  Wednesday, April 8^th   — Service of Holy Unction at 6:30 p.m.

                  Thursday, April 9^th      — Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil at 6:00 a.m.

                                                      — Reading of the Twelve Passion Gospels at 6:30 p.m.

                  Friday, April 10^th         — Royal Hours at 6:00 a.m.

                                                      — Taking down from the Cross at 3:00 p.m.

                                                      — Lamentations Service at 6:30 p.m.

                  Saturday, April 11^th     — Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil at 9:00 a.m.

                                                      — Paschal Service at 10:30 p.m.

                  Sunday, April 12^th       — Agape Vespers at 4:00 p.m.

*    Vacation Church School will be held Thursday, July 2^nd through Saturday, July 4^th.

 

Young Adults Study Group:  The Young Adults agreed to begin meeting twice a month.  One of these meetings will feature a teaching by Fr. John on various aspects of the Orthodox Christian faith.  Topics will include education, ethics and parenting children.  The next meetings will be Sunday, April 19^th .

 

Pledge Letters have been mailed.  Please fill these out and return them to the office as soon as possible. Your pledges make it possible to plan a budget for the coming year.

 

Parish Life Conference 2015:  This year St. Ignatius Orthodox Church in Franklin, TN will be hosting the Parish Life Conference for our Diocese on June 10-14.  His Grace, Bishop JOHN Abdallah will be the speaker.  Registration forms are available in the office or you can go online at www.saint-ignatius.org to register.  The Conference will take place at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs and last day to book the special conference rate is May 20^th.

 

Fasting Discipline for March/April

During Great Lent the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all days of the week until Pascha (except Annunciation on March 25^th and Palm Sunday on April 5^th, when fish wine and oil are permitted).  During Bright Week (the week following Pascha) there is no fasting of any kind.  Following Bright Week, the traditional fasting discipline will be observed on the remaining Wednesdays and Fridays of the month.

 

Major Commemorations for April

April 1                   Mary of Egypt

April 4                   Lazarus Saturday

April 5                   Palm Sunday

April 6-11              Holy Week

April 12                 PASCHA

April 19                 Thomas Sunday

April 23                 Great-martyr George

April 25                 Apostle Mark

April 26                 Sunday of the Holy Myrrh-bearers

 

Thermostats in the Fellowship Hall:  There are two thermostats in the Fellowship Hall—one in the main room to control the air in the main room, and a second one in the Nursery room that controls the air in all four of the Sunday School rooms.  Please be sure when you leave the building that both thermostats are set to 80 degrees in warm weather or 60 degrees in cold weather.

 

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).

 

Happy Birthdays in March/April:

         March 29               —    Sophie Dansereau (#4!)

         March 30               —    Aidan Milnor (#9!)

         April 4                   —    Denis Lavric

         April 6                   —    John Wood

         April 11                 —    Brandon Strain (#13!)

         April 12                 —    Lily Dabit

         April 15                 —    Anna Grace Dansereau (#2!)

         April 26                 —    Alexander Andrei (#3!)

 

Happy Anniversaries in April:

         April 11                 —    Simon and Rola Karam (#5!)

         April 12                 —    Mike and Cheryl Pigott (#34!)

         April 28                 —    Anthony and Athena Zouboukos (#25!)

 

Suggestions on use of the Cry Room:

            — Please remember you’re in liturgy when you’re in the cry room.

            — Its main purpose should be a place for parents to take their children if they’re being disruptive during liturgy, staying for 5-10 minutes (or until the child is calmed down) and then returning to liturgy.

            — It should not be used as a main sitting area during the liturgy.

            — Children should not be eating snacks or watching electronic devices while in the cry room.

 

Quotable:  “Pride deprives us of God’s help, making us over-reliant on ourselves and arrogant towards other people.  There are two remedies for pride; and if you do not avail yourself of them you will find yourself given a third, far more painful to bear.  Prayer with tears, and having no scorn for anyone, destroy pride; but so do chastisements inflicted against our will.  Chastisement through the trials imposed on us is a spiritual rod, teaching us humility when in our foolishness we think too much of ourselves.”

                                                The Philiokalia compiled by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain

                                                            and St. Makarios of Corinth

 

 

Worship:         Sunday, April 5, 2015 (Palm Sunday)

 

         Scripture:                                Philippians 4:4-9; John 12:1-18

         Celebrant:                               Father John

         Epistle Reader:                       Phillip Lasseter

         Prosphora:                              Karam

         Coffee Hour:                          Annual Fish Fry Meal

                                                         (set-up:  Woods)

3/22 announcements

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March 22, 2015

Fourth Sunday of Great Lent

Commemoration of St. John Climacus

 

   Self-denial for self-glory is equally as vain as any endeavor not directed toward divine love and the glory of God.  In St. John Climacus, seventh-century hermit and ascetic, we have a model of sacrifice directed to the love of fellow men.  St. John knew that emptying himself of the things of this world was the act of renouncing his own efforts and accepting God’s grace and mercy as true sustenance.  The season of prayer and fasting is a time of true humility and complete submission to the Father’s will.  We proceed to the Great Feast, following a path of reconciliation and contemplation, seeking the adoration of the Son and His sacrifice, and emphasizing leaving the things of this world to attain perfect submission.

 

Hebrews 6:13-end:  In his letter to the Hebrews, the Apostle reminds us that the promise of God to Abraham was fulfilled when Jesus Christ entered through the veil as a priest according to the order of Melchizedek, and that He is our hope and the anchor of our souls.

 

Mark 9:16-30:  Our Lord casts a demon out of a young boy and in so doing show that faith is essen­tial for actions to bear good fruit.  He then gives a prophecy of His coming death and resurrection.

 

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 St. John of the Ladder:  With the rivers of thy tears thou hast made the barren desert fertile, and with the sighs of sorrow from thy heart thou hast made thy labours to bear fruit a hundredfold. With the glory of thy miracles thou hast become a light to the inhabited earth. O John our holy father, pray to Christ our God 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 Sundays of Lent:  To thee the champion leader, I thy servant offer thanks for victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast delivered me form 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 22   (John Climacus)

            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros

            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education

            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy

            5:00 p.m.         — Young Adults

 

Monday, March 23   

            Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off

            6:30 p.m.         — Canon of St. Andrew of Crete with the Life of St. Mary of Egypt

           

Tuesday, March 24  

            6:00 a.m.         — Lenten Orthros

 

Wednesday, March 25   (Feast of the Annunciation)

            6:00 a.m.         —  Divine Liturgy (only)         

                                                           

Thursday, March 26   (Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel)

           

Friday, March 27   

            6:30 p.m.         — Akathist       

 

Saturday, March 28   

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

Sunday, March 29   (Mary of Egypt)

            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 Meadows for the Divine Liturgy today. 

 

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

                                        Eucharist Bread                   Coffee Hour

March 22                       Meadows                                 R. Root/Abraham/Habeeb

March 25 (Wed. am)    Davis                                        Kh. Sharon Meadows

         (Feast of the Annunciation)

March 29                       D. Root                                     Schelver/Lavric/Turner

 

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 22                           Mildred Morris                      Heb. 6:13-20                  287

March 25 (Wed. am)       Kh. Sharon Meadows           Heb. 2:11-18                  376

March 29                           Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver             Heb. 9:11-14                  290

 

Father Leo is serving today at St. George Orthodox Church in Vicksburg on behalf of Father John Morris who is seriously ill.

 

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 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.

 

Continue to pray for Metropolitan Paul (who is also the brother of our Patriarch) and the Syriac Archbishop John of Aleppo who were abducted while on a humanitarian mission in Syria.

 

Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.

 

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;

Walt and Charlotte Wood and their family; Tom and Jennifer Skirtech and their family; Tom and Kathy Willingham; Athena and Anthony Zouboukos and their family.

 

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

 

Confessions:  Please go ahead and schedule your confessions so we do not have so many people trying to fit it in just before Holy Week.  No confessions will be heard during Holy Week.

 

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 the 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.

*    As is our parish custom, we will celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts on Wednesday evenings and the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos on Friday evenings during Great Lent.  Both services will begin at 6:30 p.m.

*    Because Wednesday, March 25^th is the Feast of the Annunciation, Little Compline with the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete and the Life of St. Mary of Egypt will be moved to Monday evening, March 23^rd, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

*    We will celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation with Divine Liturgy (only) on Wednesday morning, March 25^th, beginning at 6:00 a.m. There will be no other services that day.

*    We will hold our annual catfish dinner on Palm Sunday, April 5^th following the Divine Liturgy.  Meals will be $10 for adults and children 12 and over, and $6 for children 5-11.  There is a sign-up sheet in the fellowship hall.  Please be sure to sign it if your family will be participating in the meal.

 

Repose of Fr. Matthew Baker:  Fr. Matthew Baker (not to be confused with Bill and Brenda Baker’s son, Matthew) died on his way home from the Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers in a snow storm.  He leaves behind his wife, Presbytera Katherine and six children – Isaac (12), Elias (10), George (8), Eleftheria(6), Cyril (4) and Matthew (2). Fr. Matthew was a very good friend of Ian when Ian was in New York.  Please keep them all in your prayers and consider a gift of alms to this very urgent need.  For more information, go to:   http://www.gofundme.com/nizf2g

 

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.

 

Young Adults Study Group:  The Young Adults agreed to begin meeting twice a month.  One of these meetings will feature a teaching by Fr. John on various aspects of the Orthodox Christian faith.  Topics will include education, ethics and parenting children.  The next meetings will be Sunday, March 22^nd and April 19^th .

 

Pledge Letters have been mailed.  Please fill these out and return them to the office as soon as possible. Your pledges make it possible to plan a budget for the coming year.

 

Parish Life Conference 2015:  This year St. Ignatius Orthodox Church in Franklin, TN will be hosting the Parish Life Conference for our Diocese on June 10-14.  His Grace, Bishop JOHN Abdallah will be the speaker.  Registration forms are available in the office or you can go online at www.saint-ignatius.org to register.  The Conference will take place at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs and last day to book the special conference rate is May 20^th.

 

Fasting Discipline for March

During Great Lent the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all days of the week until Pascha (except Annunciation on March 25^th and Palm Sunday on April 5^th, when fish wine and oil are permitted).

Major Commemorations for March

March 22               4^th Sunday of Lent; John of the Ladder

March 25               Feast of the Annunciation

March 26               Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel

March 29               5^th Sunday of Lent; Mary of Egypt

 

Thermostats in the Fellowship Hall:  There are two thermostats in the Fellowship Hall—one in the main room to control the air in the main room, and a second one in the Nursery room that controls the air in all four of the Sunday School rooms.  Please be sure when you leave the building that both thermostats are set to 80 degrees in warm weather or 60 degrees in cold weather.

 

Suggestions on use of the Cry Room:

            — Please remember you’re in liturgy when you’re in the cry room.

            — Its main purpose should be a place for parents to take their children if they’re being disruptive during liturgy, staying for 5-10 minutes (or until the child is calmed down) and then returning to liturgy.

            — It should not be used as a main sitting area during the liturgy.

            — Children should not be eating snacks or watching electronic devices while in the cry room.

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).

 

Happy Birthdays in March:

         March 3                 —    Kay Carlton

         March 6                 —    Amy Surratt

         March 9                 —    Ian Jones

         March 12               —    Alexa Zouboukos (#20!)

         March 17               —    Cliff Stewart

         March 20               —    Charlotte Wood

         March 24               —    Brenden Skirtech (#11!)

         March 26               —    Katherine Habeeb (#7!)

         March 29               —    Sophie Dansereau (#4!)

         March 30               —    Aidan Milnor (#9!)

 

Happy Anniversaries in March:

         March 10               —    Fr. James and Kh. Sharon Meadows (#42!)

         March 13               —    Warren and Sandra Strain (#21!)

         March 15               —    Dn. Richard and Sh. Margaret Root (#40!)

         March 27               —    Sam and Anne Habeeb (#11!)

 

Quotable:  “Repentance is the renewal of baptism.  Repentance is a contract with God for a second life.  A penitent is a buyer of humility.  Repentance is constant distrust of bodily comfort.  Repentance is self-condemning reflection, and carefree self-care.  Repentance is the daughter of hope and the renunciation of despair.  A penitent is an undisgraced convict.  Repentance is reconciliation with the Lord by the practice of good deeds contrary to the sins.  Repentance is purification of conscience.  Repentance is the voluntary endurance of all afflictions.  A penitent is the inflicter of his own punishments.  Repentance is a mighty persecution of the stomach, and a striking of the soul into vigorous awareness.”

 

 

Worship:         Sunday, March 29, 2015 (5^th Sunday of Great Lent; Commemoration of

                                                            St. Mary of Egypt)

 

         Scripture:                               Hebrews 9:11-14; Mark 10:32-45

         Celebrant:                              Father John

         Epistle Reader:                     Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver

         Prosphora:                             D. Root

         Coffee Hour:                         Schelver/Lavric/Turner

Homily for March 15, 2015

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Here is the homily for March 15, 2015

3/15 announcements

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March 15, 2015

Third Sunday of Great Lent

Adoration of the Holy Cross

 

    In the middle of Lent, the church sets before us the Cross of Christ.  On two other occasions during the year, September 14 and August 1, the cross is presented for our remembrance and veneration.  Both these feasts link the Adoration of the Cross to historic events.  However, the remembrance of the cross on the third Sunday in Lent prepares us for the commemoration of the crucifixion which is soon to follow in Holy Week, and at the same time, it reminds us that the whole of Lent is a period when we are crucified with Christ.  The dominant note on this Sunday, as on the two Sundays preceding, is one of joy and triumph.  No separation is made between Christ’s death and His resurrection, but the cross is regarded as an emblem of victory on Calvary as seen in light of the Empty Tomb.

 

Hebrews 4:14-5:6:  After describing the all-seeing power of Jesus Christ, the writer of Hebrews re­veals Him as the great high priest who perfectly identifies with us in our weakness.

 

Mark 8:34-9:1:  In our reading from the gospel of Mark we hear our Lord tell His disciples that self-denial is required for true spirituality.

 

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 Cross:  O Lord, save thy people and bless thine inheritance, granting our believing kings victory over the Barbarians, and by the power of thy Cross preserving thy commonwealth.

 

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 Sundays of Lent:  To thee the champion leader, I thy servant offer thanks for victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast delivered me form 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 15   (Adoration of the Holy Cross)

            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 16   (Christodoulos, Wonder-worker of Patmos)

            Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off

           

Tuesday, March 17  

            6:00 a.m.         — Lenten Orthros

 

Wednesday, March 18   

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

            7:30 p.m.         — Parish Council Meeting

                                                           

Thursday, March 19  

           

Friday, March 20   

            6:30 p.m.         — Akathist       

 

Saturday, March 21   

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

 

Sunday, March 22   (John Climacus)

            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 Joneses for the Divine Liturgy today. 

 

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

                                          Eucharist Bread                   Coffee Hour

March 15                         Jones                                       Algood/Lasseter

March 22                         Meadows                                R. Root/Abraham/Habeeb

March 25 (Wed. am)      Davis                                       Kh. Sharon Meadows

         (Feast of the Annunciation)

March 29                         D. Root                                   Schelver/Lavric/Turner

 

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 15                           Sh. Charlotte Algood           Heb. 4:14-5:6                 285

March 22                           Mildred Morris                      Heb. 6:13-20                  287

March 25 (Wed. am)       Kh. Sharon Meadows           Heb. 2:11-18                  376

March 29                           Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver             Heb. 9:11-14                  290

 

Father Leo is serving today at St. George Orthodox Church in Vicksburg on behalf of Father John Morris who is seriously ill.

 

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 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.

Continue to pray for Metropolitan Paul (who is also the brother of our Patriarch) and the Syriac Archbishop John of Aleppo who were abducted while on a humanitarian mission in Syria.

 

Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.

 

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;

Walt and Charlotte Wood and their family; Tom and Jennifer Skirtech and their family; Tom and Kathy Willingham; Athena and Anthony Zouboukos and their family.

 

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

 

Confessions:  Please go ahead and schedule your confessions so we do not have so many people trying to fit it in just before Holy Week.  No confessions will be heard during Holy Week.

 

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 the 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.

*    As is our parish custom, we will celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts on Wednesday evenings and the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos on Friday evenings during Great Lent.  Both services will begin at 6:30 p.m.

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

*    We will hold our annual catfish dinner on Palm Sunday, April 5^th following the Divine Liturgy.  Meals will be $10 for adults and children 12 and over, and $6 for children 5-11.  There is a sign-up sheet in the fellowship hall.  Please be sure to sign it if your family will be participating in the meal.

 

Repose of Fr. Matthew Baker:  Fr. Matthew Baker (not to be confused with Bill and Brenda Baker’s son, Matthew) died on his way home from the Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers in a snow storm.  He leaves behind his wife, Presbytera Katherine and six children – Isaac (12), Elias (10), George (8), Eleftheria(6), Cyril (4) and Matthew (2). Fr. Matthew was a very good friend of Ian when Ian was in New York.  Please keep them all in your prayers and consider a gift of alms to this very urgent need.  For more information, go to:   http://www.gofundme.com/nizf2g

 

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.

Young Adults Study Group:  The Young Adults agreed to begin meeting twice a month.  One of these meetings will feature a teaching by Fr. John on various aspects of the Orthodox Christian faith.  Topics will include education, ethics and parenting children.  The next meetings will be Sunday, March 22^nd.

 

Pledge Letters have been mailed.  Please fill these out and return them to the office as soon as possible. Your pledges make it possible to plan a budget for the coming year.

 

Parish Life Conference 2015:  This year St. Ignatius Orthodox Church in Franklin, TN will be hosting the Parish Life Conference for our Diocese on June 10-14.  His Grace, Bishop JOHN Abdallah will be the speaker.  Registration forms are available in the office or you can go online at www.saint-ignatius.org to register.  The Conference will take place at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs and last day to book the special conference rate is May 20^th.

 

Fasting Discipline for March

During Great Lent the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all days of the week until Pascha (except Annunciation on March 25^th and Palm Sunday on April 5^th, when fish wine and oil are permitted).

 

Major Commemorations for March

March 15               3^rd Sunday of Lent; Adoration of the Cross

March 16               Christodoulos the Wonder-worker of Patmos

March 22               4^th Sunday of Lent; John of the Ladder

March 25               Feast of the Annunciation

March 26               Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel

March 29               5^th Sunday of Lent; Mary of Egypt

 

Thermostats in the Fellowship Hall:  There are two thermostats in the Fellowship Hall—one in the main room to control the air in the main room, and a second one in the Nursery room that controls the air in all four of the Sunday School rooms.  Please be sure when you leave the building that both thermostats are set to 80 degrees in warm weather or 60 degrees in cold weather.

 

Suggestions on use of the Cry Room:

            — Please remember you’re in liturgy when you’re in the cry room.

            — Its main purpose should be a place for parents to take their children if they’re being disruptive during liturgy, staying for 5-10 minutes (or until the child is calmed down) and then returning to liturgy.

            — It should not be used as a main sitting area during the liturgy.

            — Children should not be eating snacks or watching electronic devices while in the cry room.

 

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).

 

Happy Birthdays in March:

         March 3                 —    Kay Carlton

         March 6                 —    Amy Surratt

         March 9                 —    Ian Jones

         March 12               —    Alexa Zouboukos (#20!)

         March 17               —    Cliff Stewart

         March 20               —    Charlotte Wood

         March 24               —    Brenden Skirtech (#11!)

         March 26               —    Katherine Habeeb (#7!)

         March 29               —    Sophie Dansereau (#4!)

         March 30               —    Aidan Milnor (#9!)

 

Happy Anniversaries in March:

         March 10               —    Fr. James and Kh. Sharon Meadows (#42!)

         March 13               —    Warren and Sandra Strain (#21!)

         March 15               —    Dn. Richard and Sh. Margaret Root (#40!)

         March 27               —    Sam and Anne Habeeb (#11!)

 

Quotable:  “You will soon see that great modesty and deep humility resided in Fr. Isidore’s heart, attentive reader.  He seldom spoke of his own works for God, save for someone else’s edification:  he usually kept them hidden.  He never showed off, nor spoke of himself in a way that placed him higher than anyone else.  The good he would do would be kept a secret, not only from others, but from himself as well; he would do something and immediately forget about it.  In truth—in the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ—his right hand didn’t know what his left hand was doing.  Therefore, he never thought about himself, but always considered himself as nothing, and –with absolute sincerity—was convinced that no one was worse than himself.”

                                                St. Paul Florensky

                                                from Salt of the Earth:  An Encounter with a Holy Russian Elder:

                                                            Isidore of Gethsemane Hermitage

 

Worship:         Sunday, March 22, 2015 (4^th Sunday of Great Lent; Commemoration of

                                                            St. John Climacus)

 

         Scripture:                               Hebrews 6:13-20; Mark 9:17-30

         Celebrant:                              Father John

         Epistle Reader:                     Mildred Morris

         Prosphora:                              Meadows

         Coffee Hour:                          R. Root/Abraham/Habeeb

Homily for March 8, 2015

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March 8, 2015

Second Sunday of Great Lent

Commemoration of 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.

 

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 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 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 Sundays of Lent:  To thee the champion leader, I thy servant offer thanks for victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast delivered me form 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 8   (Gregory of Palamas)

            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros

            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education

            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy

            5:00 p.m.         — Young Adults

 

Monday, March 9   (Forty Martyrs of Sebaste)

            Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off

           

Tuesday, March 10  

            6:00 a.m.         — Lenten Orthros

            6:30 p.m.         — Choir Practice

 

Wednesday, March 11   

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

                                                           

Thursday, March 12  

           

Friday, March 13   

            6:30 p.m.         — Akathist       

 

 

Saturday, March 14   

            10:00 a.m.       — Ladies meet for Akathist and lunch

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

 

Sunday, March 15   (Adoration of the Holy Cross)

            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 Morrises for the Divine Liturgy today. 

 

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

                                           Eucharist Bread                    Coffee Hour

March 8                             Morris                                      D. Root/Dansereau (NO POT LUCK )

March 15                           Jones                                       Algood/Lasseter

March 22                           Meadows                                 R. Root/Abraham/Habeeb

March 25 (Wed. am)        Davis                                       Christina Katool

         (Feast of the Annunciation)

March 29                           D. Root                                    Schelver/Lavric/Turner

 

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 8                             Kh. Sharon Meadows          Heb. 1:10-2:3                 283

March 15                           Sh. Charlotte Algood           Heb. 4:14-5:6                285

March 22                           Mildred Morris                      Heb. 6:13-20                  287

March 25 (Wed. am)       Kh. Sharon Meadows           Heb. 2:11-18                  376

March 29                           Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver             Heb. 9:11-14                  290

 

Father Leo is serving today at St. George Orthodox Church in Vicksburg on behalf of Father John Morris who is seriously ill.

 

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.

 

Continue to pray for Metropolitan Paul (who is also the brother of our Patriarch) and the Syriac Archbishop John of Aleppo who were abducted while on a humanitarian mission in Syria.

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 continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.

 

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;

Walt and Charlotte Wood and their family; Tom and Jennifer Skirtech and their family; Tom and Kathy Willingham; Athena and Anthony Zouboukos and their family.

 

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

 

Fr. John and Kh. Janet will be in Kentucky March 6-10 to visit Jordan’s family.  If you need a priest during this time, please contact Fr. Leo or Fr. James.

 

Confessions:  Please go ahead and schedule your confessions so we do not have so many people trying to fit it in just before Holy Week.  No confessions will be heard during Holy Week.

 

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 the 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.

*    As is our parish custom, we will celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts on Wednesday evenings and the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos on Friday evenings during Great Lent.  Both services will begin at 6:30 p.m.

*    Sunday of Orthodoxy vespers at St. Peter – March 1^st, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

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

*    We will hold our annual catfish dinner on Palm Sunday, April 5^th following the Divine Liturgy.  Meals will be $10 for adults and children 12 and over, and $6 for children 5-11.  There is a sign-up sheet in the fellowship hall.  Please be sure to sign it if your family will be participating in the meal.

 

 

Repose of Fr. Matthew Baker:  Fr. Matthew Baker (not to be confused with Bill and Brenda Baker’s son, Matthew) died on his way home from the Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers in a snow storm.  He leaves behind his wife, Presbytera Katherine and six children – Isaac (12), Elias (10), George (8), Eleftheria(6), Cyril (4) and Matthew (2). Fr. Matthew was a very good friend of Ian when Ian was in New York.  Please keep them all in your prayers and consider a gift of alms to this very urgent need.  For more information, go to:   http://www.gofundme.com/nizf2g

 

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.

 

Young Adults Study Group:  The Young Adults agreed to begin meeting twice a month.  One of these meetings will feature a teaching by Fr. John on various aspects of the Orthodox Christian faith.  Topics will include education, ethics and parenting children.  The next meetings will be Sunday, March 22^nd.

 

Pledge Letters have been mailed.  Please fill these out and return them to the office as soon as possible. Your pledges make it possible to plan a budget for the coming year.

 

Parish Life Conference 2015:  This year St. Ignatius Orthodox Church in Franklin, TN will be hosting the Parish Life Conference for our Diocese on June 10-14.  His Grace, Bishop JOHN Abdallah will be the speaker.  Registration forms are available in the office or you can go online at www.saint-ignatius.org to register.  The Conference will take place at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs and last day to book the special conference rate is May 20^th.

 

Fasting Discipline for March

During Great Lent the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all days of the week until Pascha (except Annunciation on March 25^th and Palm Sunday on April 5^th, when fish wine and oil are permitted).

 

Major Commemorations for March

March 8                 2^nd Sunday of Lent; Gregory of Palamas

March 9                 Forty Martyrs of Sebaste

March 15               3^rd Sunday of Lent; Adoration of the Cross

March 16               Christodoulos the Wonder-worker of Patmos

March 22               4^th Sunday of Lent; John of the Ladder

March 25               Feast of the Annunciation

March 26               Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel

March 29               5^th Sunday of Lent; Mary of Egypt

 

 

Thermostats in the Fellowship Hall:  There are two thermostats in the Fellowship Hall—one in the main room to control the air in the main room, and a second one in the Nursery room that controls the air in all four of the Sunday School rooms.  Please be sure when you leave the building that both thermostats are set to 80 degrees in warm weather or 60 degrees in cold weather.

 

Suggestions on use of the Cry Room:

            — Please remember you’re in liturgy when you’re in the cry room.

            — Its main purpose should be a place for parents to take their children if they’re being disruptive during liturgy, staying for 5-10 minutes (or until the child is calmed down) and then returning to liturgy.

            — It should not be used as a main sitting area during the liturgy.

            — Children should not be eating snacks or watching electronic devices while in the cry room.

 

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).

 

Happy Birthdays in March:

         March 3                 —    Kay Carlton

         March 6                 —    Amy Surratt

         March 9                 —    Ian Jones

         March 12               —    Alexa Zouboukos (#20!)

         March 17               —    Cliff Stewart

         March 20               —    Charlotte Wood

         March 24               —    Brenden Skirtech (#11!)

         March 26               —    Katherine Habeeb (#7!)

         March 29               —    Sophie Dansereau (#4!)

         March 30               —    Aidan Milnor (#9!)

 

Happy Anniversaries in March:

         March 10               —    Fr. James and Kh. Sharon Meadows (#42!)

         March 13               —    Warren and Sandra Strain (#21!)

         March 15               —    Dn. Richard and Sh. Margaret Root (#40!)

         March 27               —    Sam and Anne Habeeb (#11!)

 

Quotable:  “Fr. Isidore was independent and free.  He was simple, gentle, forgiving and non-judgmental.  He wouldn’t judge or get angry with anyone, but would endure everything.  There was no end to his forgiveness:  if he noticed that someone had been annoyed or offended by him, he would immediately ask for forgiveness, even though he wasn’t guilty of anything.”

                                                St. Paul Florensky

                                                from Salt of the Earth:  An Encounter with a Holy Russian Elder:

                                                            Isidore of Gethsemane Hermitage

 

 

 

Worship:         Sunday, March 15, 2015 (3^rd Sunday of Great Lent; Adoration of the Holy

                                                                        Cross)

 

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

         Celebrant:                              Father John

         Epistle Reader:                     Sh. Charlotte Algood

         Prosphora:                              Jones

         Coffee Hour:                         Algood/Lasseter

Homily for Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers Mar 1, 2015

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Homily for Mar 1, 2015

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March 1, 2015

First Sunday of Great 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:  Let us believers praise and worship the Word, co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, born of the Virgin for our salvation; for he took pleasure in ascending the Cross in the flesh, to suffer death, and to raise the dead by his glorious Resurrection.

 

Troparion of the 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.

 

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 Sundays of Lent:  To thee the champion leader, I thy servant offer thanks for victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast delivered me form 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 1   (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

 

Monday, March 2   

            Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off

           

Tuesday, March 3  

            6:00 a.m.         — Lenten Orthros

 

Wednesday, March 4   

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

                                                           

Thursday, March 5  

            11:30 a.m.       — Men’s Lunch

 

Friday, March 6   

            6:30 p.m.         — Akathist       

  

Saturday, March 7   

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

 

Sunday, March 8   (Gregory of Palamas)

            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 Schelvers for the Divine Liturgy today. 

 

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.

 

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

                                            Eucharist Bread                    Coffee Hour

March 1                               Schelver                                   Skirtech/Skirtech/Parker

March 8                              Morris                                      D. Root/Dansereau (NO POT LUCK )

March 15                             Jones                                        Algood/Lasseter

March 22                             Meadows                                 R. Root/Abraham/Habeeb

March 25 (Wed. am)          Davis                                       Christina Katool

         (Feast of the Annunciation)

March 29                              D. Root                                    Schelver/Lavric/Turner

 

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 1                             Sh. Charlotte Algood          Heb. 11:24-26, 32-40     281

March 8                             Warren Strain                        Heb. 1:10-2:3                  283

March 15                           Kh. Sharon Meadows          Heb. 4:14-5:6                  285

March 22                           Mildred Morris                      Heb. 6:13-20                   287

March 25 (Wed. am)       Phillip Lasseter                      Heb. 2:11-18                   376

March 29                           Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver             Heb. 9:11-14                   290

 

Father Leo is serving today at St. George Orthodox Church in Vicksburg on behalf of Father John Morris who is seriously ill.

 

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.

 

Continue to pray for Metropolitan Paul (who is also the brother of our Patriarch) and the Syriac Archbishop John of Aleppo who were abducted while on a humanitarian mission in Syria.

 

Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.

 

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;

Walt and Charlotte Wood and their family; Tom and Jennifer Skirtech and their family; Tom and Kathy Willingham; Athena and Anthony Zouboukos and their family.

 

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

 

Fr. John and Kh. Janet will be in Kentucky March 6-10 to visit Jordan’s family.  If you need a priest during this time, please contact Fr. Leo or Fr. James.

 

Confessions:  Please go ahead and schedule your confessions so we do not have so many people trying to fit it in just before Holy Week.  No confessions will be heard after Great and Holy Wednesday.

 

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 the 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.

*    As is our parish custom, we will celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts on Wednesday evenings and the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos on Friday evenings during Great Lent.  Both services will begin at 6:30 p.m.

*    Sunday of Orthodoxy vespers at St. Peter – March 1^st, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

*    We will celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation with Divine Liturgy (only) on Wednesday 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.

 

Young Adults Study Group:  The Young Adults agreed to begin meeting twice a month.  One of these meetings will feature a teaching by Fr. John on various aspects of the Orthodox Christian faith.  Topics will include education, ethics and parenting children.  The next meetings will be Sunday, March 8^th and 22^nd.

 

Pledge Letters have been mailed.  Please fill these out and return them to the office as soon as possible. Your pledges make it possible to plan a budget for the coming year.

 

We will be hosting the Sunday of Orthodoxy vespers this evening, beginning at 6:00 p.m. St. Peter will provide Pot Luck refreshments afterwards.  As a result, we will NOT have our regularly scheduled Pot Luck Meal on March 8^th.

 

Parish Life Conference 2015:  This year St. Ignatius Orthodox Church in Franklin, TN will be hosting the Parish Life Conference for our Diocese on June 10-14.  His Grace, Bishop JOHN Abdallah will be the speaker.  Registration forms are available in the office or you can go online at www.saint-ignatius.org to register.  The Conference will take place at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs and last day to book the special conference rate is May 20^th.

 

Fasting Discipline for March

During Great Lent the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all days of the week until Pascha (except Annunciation on March 25^th and Palm Sunday on April 5^th, when fish wine and oil are permitted).

 

Major Commemorations for March

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

March 8                 2^nd Sunday of Lent; Gregory of Palamas

March 9                 Forty Martyrs of Sebaste

March 15               3^rd Sunday of Lent; Adoration of the Cross

March 16               Christodoulos the Wonder-worker of Patmos

March 22               4^th Sunday of Lent; John of the Ladder

March 25               Feast of the Annunciation

March 26               Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel

March 29               5^th Sunday of Lent; Mary of Egypt

 

Suggestions on use of the Cry Room:

            — Please remember you’re in liturgy when you’re in the cry room.

            — Its main purpose should be a place for parents to take their children if they’re being disruptive during liturgy, staying for 5-10 minutes (or until the child is calmed down) and then returning to liturgy.

            — It should not be used as a main sitting area during the liturgy.

            — Children should not be eating snacks or watching electronic devices while in the cry room.

 

Thermostats in the Fellowship Hall:  There are two thermostats in the Fellowship Hall—one in the main room to control the air in the main room, and a second one in the Nursery room that controls the air in all four of the Sunday School rooms.  Please be sure when you leave the building that both thermostats are set to 80 degrees in warm weather or 60 degrees in cold weather.

 

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).

 

Happy Birthdays in March:

         March 3                 —    Kay Carlton

         March 6                 —    Amy Surratt

         March 9                 —    Ian Jones

         March 12               —    Alexa Zouboukos (#20!)

         March 17               —    Cliff Stewart

         March 20               —    Charlotte Wood

         March 24               —    Brenden Skirtech (#11!)

         March 26               —    Katherine Habeeb (#7!)

         March 29               —    Sophie Dansereau (#4!)

         March 30               —    Aidan Milnor (#9!)

 

Happy Anniversaries in March:

         March 10               —    Fr. James and Kh. Sharon Meadows (#42!)

         March 13               —    Warren and Sandra Strain (#21!)

         March 15               —    Dn. Richard and Sh. Margaret Root (#40!)

         March 27               —    Sam and Anne Habeeb (#11!)

 

Quotable:  “Fr. Isidore was kind to all, even to the lowest of creatures.  He cared not only for those who were made in the image of God, but also had compassion for the lowest of animals.  In short, he cared for all living creatures.  He was charitable and fed wild animals and birds; he even kept reptiles, frogs, mice and rats.  Yet if the old Abba were ever ill, he never forgot his little brothers and would ask others to feed his family.  Even right before his death he asked a member of his household about the cat’s health.  ‘Well,’ he would say, ‘is the cat getting better?’  ‘Yes, it’s better.’  ‘Thank God.  Thank God.'”

                                                St. Paul Florensky

                                                from Salt of the Earth:  An Encounter with a Holy Russian Elder:

                                                            Isidore of Gethsemane Hermitage

 

 

 

Worship:         Sunday, March 8, 2015 (2^nd Sunday of Great Lent; Gregory of Palamas)

 

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

         Celebrant:                              Father John

         Epistle Reader:                     Warren Strain

         Prosphora:                              Morris

         Coffee Hour:                          D. Root/Dansereau (NO POT LUCK MEAL)