June 12, 2016
Sunday after the Ascension
Sunday of the Holy Fathers of Nicea
Today is the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of Nicea. This day commemorates the Holy Fathers who sat in council at Nicea, the first of the ecumenical councils. Through them we see the commitment to the immutable truth of God for all the faithful, especially those who lead in the faith. The men of this council bear special note by the significance of their creed, for it is the fundamental statement of orthodox Christology and an enduring guide to our faith. The events of the ascension and the scriptures of this day emphasize to us the nature and action of Christ, and the history of these fathers puts us in mind of the work of the Holy Spirit in the church, work proclaimed by the glorious events which we now anticipate in the preparation for Pentecost.
Acts 20:16-18, 28-36: In the reading from Acts, we hear St Paul speak to the elders of the church at Ephesus, encouraging them to follow his example in their shepherding, and bidding them his final farewell as he approached his imprisonment at Rome.
John 17:1-13: In the passage from John, Jesus prays for His disciples, that they would be united as one and kept from evil.
Troparion of the Resurrection: When Mary stood at thy grave looking for thy sacred body, angelic powers shone above thy revered tomb, and the soldiers who were to keep guard became as dead men. Thou led hades captive and wast not tempted thereby. Thou didst meet the Virgin and didst give life to the world; O thou who art risen from the dead! O Lord, glory to thee.
Troparion of the Ascension: Thou hast ascended in glory, O Christ our God, and gladdened thy disciples with the promise of the Holy Spirit, having become confident of the blessing. Verily, thou art the Son of God, and Deliverer of the world.
Troparion of the Holy Fathers: Thou, O Christ, art our God of exceeding praise who didst establish our holy Fathers as luminous stars upon earth, and through them didst guide us unto the true Faith, O most merciful One, glory to thee.
Troparion of the Chains of St. Peter: O Holy Apostle, Peter, thou dost preside over the Apostles by the precious chains which thou didst bear. We venerate them with faith and beseech thee that by thine intercessions we be granted the great mercy.
Kontakion of the Ascension: When thou didst fulfill thy dispensation for our sakes, uniting the terrestrials with the celestials, thou didst ascend in glory, O Christ our God, inseparable in space, but constant without separation, and crying unto thy beloved, I am with you, and no one shall be against you.
CALENDAR
Sunday, June 12 (Sunday of the Holy Fathers of Nicea)
8:50 a.m. — Orthros
10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy
Monday, June 13
Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off
Tuesday, June 14
6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros
Wednesday, June 15
6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers
Thursday, June 16
NO Daily Orthros
Friday, June 17
Saturday, June 18
5:45 p.m. — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
Sunday, June 19 (Pentecost)
8:50 a.m. — Orthros
10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy
12:00 p.m. — Pot Luck Feast
6:30 p.m. — Kneeling Vespers
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Katools for the Feast of the Ascension this past Wednesday evening and by the Schelvers for the Divine Liturgy this morning.
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour
June 12 Schelver Schelver/Lavric/Turner
June 19 Morris POT LUCK MEAL
(Feast of Pentecost) Set-up: Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver
June 26 Jones Henderson/Baker/Lockhart
June 28 (Tues. p.m.) Meadows Karen Cooper
Schedule for Epistle Readers – Page numbers refer to the Apostolos (book of the Epistles) located on the front pew. Please be sure to use this book when you read.
Reader Reading Page#
June 12 Walt Wood Acts 20:16-18, 28-36 66
June 19 Warren Strain Acts 2:1-11 77
June 26 Mildred Morris Heb. 11:33-12:2 84
June 28 (Tues. p.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows II Cor. 11:21-33, 12:6-9 389
Please be reminded of the following:
Be very careful with the Blessed Bread when you take it after communion. Because this bread has been blessed, we should take care not to let crumbs fall on the floor. Parents, especially, please help your children to choose a small piece and treat it carefully.
Also, at the end of the liturgy, maintain a prayerful disposition during the veneration of the cross as the prayers of thanksgiving after communion are still underway. Please exchange your greetings with each other in the Fellowship Hall during Coffee Hour.
Please be reminded that the Sacristy/Vestry which is adjacent to and behind the altar in our church is considered by the Orthodox Church to be part of the Sanctuary (Altar area) and should not be entered without the blessing of the priest for a specific purpose. If you need to speak with a member of the clergy while they are in the Sanctuary, please ask them to come to you in the nave.
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
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; Tom and Kathy Willingham; Demitrius Zouboukos; Fr. James and Kh. Sharon and their family.
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 keep Phillip, Nikki and Titus Lasseter in your prayers as Phillip is seeking the Metropolitan’s blessing to attend seminary in the fall.
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.
* The men of the parish will meet at the church once each quarter for a Saturday morning Father-Son Prayer Breakfast.
* Vacation Church School will be held July 14th – 16th.
* The remaining dates for serving at the Stewpot Ministries this year are September 17th and November 26th.
* His Grace, Bishop THOMAS will be with us August 12-15th. Be sure to mark your calendars now.
Burial Plots at Natchez Trace Cemetery: Mr. Michael Hudgins, the Director of the Natchez Trace Funeral Home has made a very generous offer to the members of St. Peter who wish to purchase a burial plot and pre-arrange their funeral needs. The offer will expire at the end of 2016. Copies of Mr. Hudgins letter may be found on the information table in the Fellowship Hall. If you are interested in this offer, please contact Mr. Hudgins for an appointment. (We will not have another meeting of the parish as previously announced.)
Pentecost Feast: We will have a set menu (Southern lunch) pot luck following the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, June 19th. There is a sign-up sheet in the Fellowship Hall. Anyone wanting to bring outdoor games is encouraged to do so!
Supper Club!! Supper Club is not dead—merely delayed. If you wish to participate, please sign the list located on the information table in the hallway.
Fasting Discipline for June
The traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays prior to Pentecost (June 19th). There will be no fasting of any kind during the week following Pentecost. The Apostles fast will begin on June 27th and run through June 29th this year.
Major Commemorations for June
June 12 Sunday of the Holy Fathers of Nicea
June 19 Feast of Pentecost
June 24 Nativity of the Forerunner
June 26 Sunday of All Saints
June 29 Chief Apostles Peter and Paul
June 30 Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles
Quotable: “When the heart is thus given fully to the Lord Jesus, He overshadows it with His messianic power, for He possesses the marvelous key of David, which, with a single right turn, ‘brings into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ’ (2Cor. 10:5). The humility of his thoughts generates intense spiritual energy within him, fueling the soul’s inspiration and endurance in following the good Lord ‘withersoever he goeth’ (Rev. 14:4), even to hell. Then again, a single left turn of this key opens the way for all thoughts of the enemy to return to man’s bosom. Should this happen, he will acquire spiritual watchfulness, which will be carried out with angelic precision, making the believer a sharer in the supra-cosmic victory of our God and Saviour. From this point on, his struggle is essentially positive in character longing ‘to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven. . . that mortality might be swallowed up by life’ (2 Cor. 5:2-4), and he witnesses the powerful and infinite ‘increase of God’ in himself (Col. 2:19).”
The Hidden Man of the Heart
by Archimandrite Zacharias
Worship: Sunday, June 19, 2016 (Feast of Pentecost)
Scripture: Acts 2:1-11; John 7:37-52; 8:12
Celebrant: Father John
Epistle Reader: Warren Strain
Prosphora: Morris
Coffee Hour: POT LUCK MEAL
(set-up: Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver)
