November 29, 2015
Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost
Ephesians 5:8-19: St Paul exhorts us to walk as wise men by doing the will of God and avoiding the deeds of darkness.
Luke 18:18-27: In the Gospel according to St Luke we hear our Lord tell us via an encounter with a rich, young ruler that to obtain eternal life we must be willing to give up everything that we possess in service to the Kingdom of God.
Troparion of the Resurrection: The stone being sealed by the Jews, and thy pure body being guarded by the soldiers, thou didst arise on the third day, O Saviour, granting life to the world. Wherefore, the heavenly powers acclaimed thee, O Giver of life, crying, Glory to thy Resurrection, O Christ! Glory to thy kingdom! Glory to thy gracious providence, O only Lover of mankind.
Troparion of the 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 Preparatory for Nativity: Today the Virgin comes unto the cave to give birth in an ineffable manner to the Word before the ages. Rejoice, therefore, O universe, when you hear, and glorify with the angels and the shepherds him who shall appear by his own will as a new babe, being God before the ages.
CALENDAR
Sunday, November 29 (Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost)
8:50 a.m. — Orthros
9:00 a.m. — Christian Education
10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy
12:00 p.m. — Playground Meeting with Parents
Monday, November 30 (Apostle Andrew the First-called)
Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off
Tuesday, December 1
6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros
Wednesday, December 2
6:30 p.m. — Advent Paraklesis
Thursday, December 3
6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros
11:30 a.m. — Men’s Lunch
Friday, December 4 (Great-martyr Barbara and Venerable John of Damascus)
Saturday, December 5 (Sava the Sanctified)
10:30 a.m. — Baptism of Mary Brock
5:45 p.m. — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
Sunday, December 6 (Nicholas the Wonder-worker of Myra))
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 Daniel Roots for the Divine Liturgy this morning.
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
November 29 D. Root Skirtech/Skirtech/Parker
December 6 Brock D. Root/Dansereau
December 13 Fahmy R. Root/Habeeb
December 20 Henderson Stewart/Meadows
December 24 (Thurs pm) R. Root Sh. Charlotte Algood/Cheryl Pigott
Feast of the Nativity of our Lord
December 27 Wood Henderson/Baker/Lockhart
December 31 (Thurs pm) Baker (Artoklasia Bread)
Feast of the Circumcision of our Lord and the Feast of St. Basil the Great
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#
November 29 Walt Wood Eph.5:8-19 217
December 6 Warren Strain Heb. 13:17-21 343
December 13 Kh. Sharon Meadows Col. 3:4-11 233
December 20 Mildred Morris Heb. 11:9-10, 32-40 348
December 24 (Thurs pm) Phillip Lasseter Gal. 4:4-7 351
December 27 Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver Acts 6:8-7:1-5,47-60 60
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 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;
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; Elias and Olga Karam (Simon’s parents) as well as Simon and Rola Karam.
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
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.
* The men of the parish will meet at the church once each quarter for a Saturday morning Father-Son Prayer Breakfast.
* The Fast of the Nativity began November 15th and runs through December 24th. During this time, as is our parish custom, we will celebrate the Advent Paraklesis in place of Daily Vespers on Wednesday evenings, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
* The Baptism of Mary Brock will be NEXT Saturday morning, December 5th, beginning at 10:30 a.m.
* The Ladies of St. Peter will have a brief meeting during Coffee Hour on Sunday, December 13th.
* The Christian Education classes will present their Christmas Play at Coffee Hour on Sunday, December 20th.
* The Deanery Youth Retreat is scheduled for February 12-14, 2016 at Camp Hopewell, outside of Oxford. More information TBA.
Bethany Christian Services is a new medical clinic opening across the street from the abortion clinic in Jackson. Their mission is to provide medical services and options for women who choose to not have an abortion. They are looking for volunteers to help with the tasks of running the clinic. They are especially interested in volunteers who have some medical training. If you have some time and would like to help with this worthy cause, please contact Barbara Beavers at 601-366-4282.
Due to our annual Nativity Feast, we will not have our monthly Pot Luck Meal in December.
Supper Clubs: A Sign-up sheet has been placed on the table in the Fellowship Hall for anyone wishing to participate in Supper Club this year.
Fasting Discipline for November/December
Beginning November 15th, the first day of the Nativity Fast, the traditional fasting (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish wine or oil) 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. There is no fasting from December 25th through January 4th.
Major Commemorations for November/December
November 30 Apostle Andrew, the First-called
December 4 Great-martyr Barbara and Venerable Father John of Damascus
December 5 Sava the Sanctified
December 6 Nicholas the Wonder-worker of Myra
December 9 Conception of the Theotokos
December 12 Spyridon the Wonder-worker
December 15 Hieromartyr Eleutherios
December 20 God-bearer Ignatius of Antioch
December 25 Nativity of our Lord
December 26 Synaxis of the Thetotokos
December 27 Protomartyr Stephen
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.
Quotable: “‘Repent’—that is, lay aside your pride, acknowledge yourself as a sinner, and hasten to God not with a feeling of self-satisfied superiority, but with the feeling of your spiritual poverty, your nothingness, your indecency, and pray to God for the forgiveness of your sins and for mercy. He began His Sermon on the Mount by glorifying the poor in spirit, that is, the humble: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:3). Calling to Himself in particular all that labor and are heavy laden, as being the most capable of acquiring humility, He says to them, Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matt. 11:29). He also taught His Apostles humility, cutting short in them all pretensions and strivings for precedence by saying to them more than once: Whosoever desires to be great among you, let him be your servant (Matt. 20:26).”
The Struggle for Virtue
by Archbishop AVERKY
Worship: Sunday, December 6, 2015 (St. Nicholas the Wonder-worker of Myra)
Scripture: Hebrews 13:17-21; Luke 13:10-17
Celebrant: Father John
Epistle Reader: Warren Strain
Prosphora: Brock
Coffee Hour: D. Root/Dansereau
Saint Peter Antiochian Orthodox Church 
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