April 3, 2016

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: Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad; for the Lord hath done a mighty act with his own arm. He hath trampled down death and become the First-born from the dead. He hath delivered us from the depths of hades, granting the world the Great Mercy.

Troparion of the Holy Cross: O Lord, save thy people and bless thine inheritance, granting to thy people victory over all their enemies, 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, April 3 (Adoration of the Cross)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

Monday, April 4

Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, April 5

6:00 a.m. — Lenten Orthros

Wednesday, April 6

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

Thursday, April 7

6:00 a.m. –Lenten Orthros

11:30 a.m. — Men’s Lunch

Friday, April 8

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

Saturday, April 9

10:00 a.m. — Ladies meet for the Akathist

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

Sunday, April 10 (John of the Ladder)

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 Morrises for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

April 3 Morris Schelver/Lavric/Turner

April 10 Jones Henderson/Baker/Lockhart

April 17 Meadows Stewart/Karam/Meadows

April 23 (Sat. a.m.) Davis Sh. Margaret

April 24 D. Root Charlotte Wood/Anna Kathryn Stewart

April 28 (Thurs. a.m.) Karam Kh. Sharon

April 30 (Sat. a.m.) Brock Joanna Davis/Kh. Sharon Meadows

April 30 (Sat. p.m.) Fahmy Kh. Janet /Kh. Be’Be’

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.

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#

April 3 Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver Heb. 4:14-5:6 285

April 10 Brenda Baker Heb. 6:13-20 287

April 17 David Turner Heb. 9:11-14 290

April 23 (Sat. a.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows Heb. 12:28-13:8 291

April 24 Walt Wood Phil. 4:4-9 294

April 28 (Thurs. a.m.) Sh. Charlotte Algood I Cor. 11:23-32 295

April 30 (Sat. a.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows Rom. 6:3-11 300

April 30 (Sat. p.m.) Warren Strain Acts 1:1-8 25

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.

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 the following in your prayers: Steve, Sheryl and Stephen Chamblee; 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; Walt and Charlotte Wood and their family; Lynda Costas; Kevin and Angelina Speier.

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

Jay Davis will be baptized and chrismated on the morning of Great and Holy Saturday. Please keep him and Joanna 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. Father John will not be hearing confessions during Holy Week. (Definitely no confessions during the latter half of Holy Week, and only those that are the result of extenuating circumstances during the beginning of the week.)

Palm Sunday Meal: This year Penn’s will be providing our annual catfish dinner on Palm Sunday, April 24th following the Divine Liturgy. More information will be available shortly. 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.

Fasting Discipline for 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 Pashca (except the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25th and Palm Sunday on April 24th, when fish, wine and oil are permitted).

Major Commemorations for April

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

April 10 4th Sunday of Lent; John Climacus

April 17 5th Sunday of Lent; Mary of Egypt

April 23 Lazarus Saturday; Great-martyr George

April 24-30 Holy Week

April 25 Apostle Mark

April 29 Apostle James of Zebedee

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.

* Schedule for Holy Week services are as follows:

Saturday, April 23rd — Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy at 9:00 a.m.

Sunday, April 24th — Bridegroom Matins at 6:30 p.m.

Monday, April 25th — Bridegroom Matins at 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 26th — Bridegroom Matins at 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 27th

March 27, 2016

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.

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

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

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

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

Troparion of St. Gregory Palamas: O Gregory the Wonderworker, light of Orthodoxy, support and teacher of the Church, glory of monks and invincible protector of theologians, pride of Thessalonica and preacher of grace, pray without ceasing for the salvation of our souls.

Troparion of the Chains of St. Peter: O Holy Apostle, Peter, thou dost preside over the Apostles by the precious chains which thou didst bear. We venerate them with faith and beseech thee that by thine intercessions we be granted the great mercy.

Kontakion of the 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 27 (Gregory of Palamas)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

Monday, March 28

Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, March 29

6:00 a.m. — Lenten Orthros

Wednesday, March 30

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

Thursday, March 31

6:00 a.m. –Lenten Orthros

Friday, April 1 (Venerable Mary of Egypt)

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

Saturday, April 2

7:00 a.m. — Ladies of St. Peter Garage Sale

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

Sunday, April 3 (Adoration of the Cross)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Katools for the Feast of the Annnunciation this past Thursday evening and by the Schelvers 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

March 27 Schelver R. Root/Habeeb

April 3 Morris Schelver/Lavric/Turner

April 10 Jones Henderson/Baker/Lockhart

April 17 Meadows Stewart/Karam/Meadows

April 23 (Sat. a.m.) Davis Sh. Margaret

April 24 D. Root Charlotte Wood/Anna Kathryn Stewart

April 28 (Thurs. a.m.) Karam Kh. Sharon

April 30 (Sat. a.m.) Brock Joanna Davis/Kh. Sharon Meadows

April 30 (Sat. p.m.) Fahmy Kh. Janet /Kh. Be’Be’

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.

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 20 Mildred Morris Heb. 11:24-26, 32-40 281

March 24 (Thurs. p.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows Heb. 2:11-18 376

March 27 Phillip Lasseter Heb. 1:10-2:3 283

April 3 Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver Heb. 4:14-5:6 285

April 10 Brenda Baker Heb. 6:13-20 287

April 17 David Turner Heb. 9:11-14 290

April 23 (Sat. a.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows Heb. 12:28-13:8 291

April 24 Walt Wood Phil. 4:4-9 294

April 28 (Thurs. a.m.) Sh. Charlotte Algood I Cor. 11:23-32 295

April 30 (Sat. a.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows Rom. 6:3-11 300

April 30 (Sat. p.m.) Warren Strain Acts 1:1-8 25

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 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; Lynda Costas.

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

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

Lenten Almsgiving Project: Sunnybrook Children’s Home is a residential group home for children who have been abused and neglected and, thereby, taken from their parents through the court system as well as those children whose guardians choose to place them there voluntarily. They have requested donations for their annual food drive and the Parish Council has decided to support their efforts. We will approach this in a manner similar to the Angel Tree with those wishing to participate providing items on the list they have supplied. The list and cover letter are located on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall and also may be found on our website. Donations should be brought to the church by next week-end.

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.

* On the first Saturday of April (2nd), the Ladies will hold a garage sale to raise money for their charitable projects. More information will be available in the near future.

* His Grace, Bishop THOMAS will be with us August 12-15th. Be sure to mark your calendars now.

Fasting Discipline for March/April

Monday, March 14th is Clean Monday, the first day of Great Lent when the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all days of the week until Pashca (except the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25th and Palm Sunday on April 24th, when fish, wine and oil are permitted).

Major Commemorations for March/April

March 27 2nd Sunday of Lent; Gregory of Palamas

April 1 Mary of Egypt

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

April 10 4th Sunday of Lent; John Climacus

April 17 5th Sunday of Lent; Mary of Egypt

April 23 Lazarus Saturday; Great-martyr George

April 24-30 Holy Week

April 25 Apostle Mark

April 29 Apostle James of Zebedee

Quotable: “When man falls into sin his mind moves in an outward direction and loses itself in created things, but when, conscious of his perdition, he comes to himself seeking salvation, he then moves inward as he searches for the way back to the heart. Finally, when all his being is gathered in the unity of his mind and heart, there is a third kind of movement in which he turns his whole being over to God the Father. Man’s spirit must pass through this threefold circular motion in order to reach perfection.”

The Hidden Man of the Heart

by Archimandrite Zacharias

Worship: Sunday, April 3, 2016 (Third Sunday of Great Lent; Adoration of the Cross)

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

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Kh. Be’Be; Schelver

Prosphora: Morris

Coffee Hour: Schelver/Lavric/Turner

Saint Peter is participating in this wonderful almsgiving  opportunity.   See the signup sheet at Church for how you can help those in need right around the corner from us!  
 

March 20, 2016

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

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

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 20 (Sunday of Orthodoxy)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

6:00 p.m. — Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers at Holy Resurrection

Monday, March 21

Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, March 22

6:00 a.m. — Lenten Orthros

11:30 a.m. — Ladies Lunch

Wednesday, March 23

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

7:30 p.m. — Parish Council Meeting

Thursday, March 24

6:00 a.m. –Lenten Orthros

6:00 p.m. — Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy

Friday, March 25 (Feast of the Annunciation)

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

Saturday, March 26 (Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel)

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

Sunday, March 27 (Gregory of Palamas)

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 Algoods 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

March 20 Algood Algood/Lasseter

March 24 (Thurs. p.m.) Katool Christina Katool

(Feast of the Annunciation)

March 27 Schelver R. Root/Habeeb

April 3 Morris Schelver/Lavric/Turner

April 10 Jones Henderson/Baker/Lockhart

April 17 Meadows Stewart/Karam/Meadows

April 23 (Sat. a.m.) Davis Sh. Margaret

April 24 D. Root Charlotte Wood/Anna Kathryn Stewart

April 28 (Thurs. a.m.) Karam Kh. Sharon

April 30 (Sat. a.m.) Brock Joanna Davis/Kh. Sharon Meadows

April 30 (Sat. p.m.) Fahmy Kh. Janet /Kh. Be’Be’

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.

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 20 Mildred Morris Heb. 11:24-26, 32-40 281

March 24 (Thurs. p.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows Heb. 2:11-18 376

March 27 Phillip Lasseter Heb. 1:10-2:3 283

April 3 Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver Heb. 4:14-5:6 285

April 10 Brenda Baker Heb. 6:13-20 287

April 17 David Turner Heb. 9:11-14 290

April 23 (Sat. a.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows Heb. 12:28-13:8 291

April 24 Walt Wood Phil. 4:4-9 294

April 28 (Thurs. a.m.) Sh. Charlotte Algood I Cor. 11:23-32 295

April 30 (Sat. a.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows Rom. 6:3-11 300

April 30 (Sat. p.m.) Warren Strain Acts 1:1-8 25

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 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; Lynda Costas.

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

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

Lenten Almsgiving Project: Sunnybrook Children’s Home is a residential group home for children who have been abused and neglected and, thereby, taken from their parents through the court system as well as those children whose guardians choose to place them there voluntarily. They have requested donations for their annual food drive and the Parish Council has decided to support their efforts. We will approach this in a manner similar to the Angel Tree with those wishing to participate providing items on the list they have supplied. The list and cover letter are located on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall and also may be found on our website.

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.

* Tonight we will celebrate the Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers with our sisters churches at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

* We will celebrate the feast of the Annunciation with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Thursday evening, March 24th, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

* On the first Saturday of April (2nd), the Ladies will hold a garage sale to raise money for their charitable projects. More information will be available in the near future.

* His Grace, Bishop THOMAS will be with us August 12-15th. Be sure to mark your calendars now.

Fasting Discipline for March

Monday, March 14th is Clean Monday, the first day of Great Lent when the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all days of the week until Pashca (except the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25th and Palm Sunday on April 24th, when fish, wine and oil are permitted).

Major Commemorations for March

March 20 1st Sunday of Lent; Sunday of Orthodoxy

March 25 Feast of the Annunciation

March 26 Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel

March 27 2nd Sunday of Lent; Gregory of Palamas

Quotable: “With such a lamentation of despair and, thirsting only for God’s blessed eternity, man can then turn his whole being towards the living Lord. He can cry from the depths of his heart to Him Who ‘has power of life and death: who leads to the gates of hell and brings up again’ (Wisd. 16:13). This is the turning point in our life, for God the Saviour then begins His work of refashioning man.”

The Hidden Man of the Heart

by Archimandrite Zacharias

Worship: Sunday, March 27, 2016 (Second Sunday of Great Lent; Commemoration of

St. Gregory Palamas)

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

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Phillip Lasseter

Prosphora: Schelver

Coffee Hour: R. Root/Habeeb

March 13, 2016

Cheese Fare Sunday

Forgiveness Sunday

Yes, it is that time again. Lent begins on Monday, March 14th, but we begin the preparations for the journey of “bright-sadness” by especially dealing with our hearts and our spiritual condition. In her wisdom the Church is a great aid to us, for the four Sundays before Lent carry special themes that enable us to examine ourselves.

The theme of the Sunday before Lent is FORGIVENESS (cheese fare) and the Gospel lesson is Matthew 6:14-21 which teaches us both of forgiveness and of fasting. “To forgive is to put between me and my enemy the radiant forgiveness of God Himself. To forgive is to reject the hopeless dead-ends of human relations and to refer them to Christ. Forgiveness is truly a breakthrough of the Kingdom into this sinful and fallen world” (Great Lent, Page 28). And to fast is to first fast before God and not men so as to curb the desires and cravings of our fallen nature. This effort can help free us from the dictatorship of the flesh over our spirit, so we can more fully love and forgive.

Romans 13:11-14:4: As we read from his letter to the Romans, St Paul encourages us to walk in the light and put aside the deeds of darkness, knowing that the time of salvation is near at hand. He also encourages us to accept those who are weak in faith and not to make personal judgments.

Matthew 6:14-21: The Lord Jesus in this portion of the Sermon on the Mount gives us instructions on forgiving others, on fasting, and on laying up treasures in our hearts.

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 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 Cheese Fare Sunday: O thou who guidest to wisdom, and givest understanding and intelligence, the Instructor of the ignorant and Helper of the poor, strengthen my heart and grant it understanding, O Master. Give me word, O Word of the Father; for behold, I shall not refrain my lips from crying to thee, O merciful One, have mercy upon me who am fallen.

CALENDAR

Sunday, March 13 (Cheesefare Sunday)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

12:00 p.m. — Teen’s Annual Fundraising Meal

6:30 p.m. — Forgiveness Vespers

Monday, March 14 (Clean Monday)

Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off

6:30 p.m. — Canon of St. Andrew of Crete

Tuesday, March 15

6:00 a.m. — Lenten Orthros

6:30 pm. — Canon of St. Andrew of Crete

Wednesday, March 16 (Christodoulos the Wonder-worker of Patmos)

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

Thursday, March 17

6:00 a.m. –Lenten Orthros

6:30 p.m. — Canon of St. Andrew of Crete

Friday, March 18

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

Saturday, March 19

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

Sunday, March 20 (Sunday of Orthodoxy)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

6:00 p.m. — Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers at Holy Resurrection

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Hendersons 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

March 13 Henderson TEEN’S FUNDRAISER MEAL

March 20 Algood Algood/Lasseter

March 24 (Thur. p.m.) Katool Christina Katool

(Feast of the Annunciation)

March 27 Schelver R. Root/Habeeb

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 13 Warren Strain Rom. 13:11-14:4 279

March 20 Mildred Morris Heb. 11:24-26, 32-40 281

March 24 (Thur. p.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows Heb. 2:11-18 376

March 27 Phillip Lasseter Heb. 1:10-2:3 283

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 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; Lynda Costas.

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

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

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 Teens will be hosting their annual Cheesefare Fundraising Meal following the Divine Liturgy TODAY.

* Great Lent begins on Clean Monday, March 14th. The schedule of services for the first week will be as follows:

Sunday, March 13th — Forgiveness Vespers, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Monday, March 14th — Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 15th — Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 16th — Presanctified Liturgy followed by Soup Supper, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 17th — Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, March 18th — Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 20th — Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

* On the first Saturday of April (2nd), the Ladies will hold a garage sale to raise money for their charitable projects. More information will be available in the near future.

* His Grace, Bishop THOMAS will be with us August 12-15th. Be sure to mark your calendars now.

Lenten Almsgiving Project: Sunnybrook Children’s Home is a residential group home for children who have been abused and neglected and, thereby, taken from their parents through the court system as well as those children whose guardians choose to place them there voluntarily. They have requested donations for their annual food drive and the Parish Council has decided to support their efforts. We will approach this in a manner similar to the Angel Tree with those wishing to participate providing items on the list they have supplied. The list and cover letter are located on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall and also may be found on our website.

Fasting Discipline for March

The traditional fasting (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on Wednesday and Friday this week. Following Meatfare Sunday (March 6th) meat will not be eaten again until Pascha. March 13th is Cheesefare Sunday, the last day that dairy and wine are permitted. Monday, March 14th is Clean Monday, the first day of Great Lent when the traditional fasting discipline is observed on all days of the week until Pashca (except the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25th and Palm Sunday on April 24th, when fish, wine and oil are permitted).

Major Commemorations for March

March 13 Cheesefare Sunday

March 14 Clean Monday

March 16 Christodoulos the Wonder-worker of Patmos

March 20 1st Sunday of Lent; Sunday of Orthodoxy

March 25 Feast of the Annunciation

March 26 Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel

March 27 2nd Sunday of Lent; Gregory of Palamas

Quotable: “In the Gospel of St. Luke we are told that the prodigal son ‘came to himself’ and said, ‘I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son’ (Luke 15:18-19). This is a wondrous moment, a momentous event in the spiritual world. Suffering, affliction, and the menacing famine of a ‘far country’ compel the man to look within himself. But a single movement of divine grace is enough to convert the energy of his misfortune into great boldness, and he is enabled to see his heart and all the deadness from which he is suffering. Now, with prophetic knowledge, he boldly confesses that ‘his days are consumed in vanity’ (cf. Ps. 78:33). In pain of soul, he discovers that his whole life until then consists of a series of failures and betrayals of God’s commandments, and that he has done no good deed upon earth that can withstand the unbearable gaze of the Eternal Judge. He sees his plight and, like the much-afflicted Job, cries out, ‘Hades is my house’ (cf. Job 17:13).”

The Hidden Man of the Heart

by Archimandrite Zacharias

Worship: Sunday, March 20, 2016 (Sunday of Orthodoxy; First Sunday of Great Lent)

Scripture: Hebrews 11:24-26, 32-40; John 1:43-51

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Mildred Morris

Prosphora: Algood

Coffee Hour: Algood/Lasseter