July 2, 2017

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

Romans 10:1-10: St Paul, writing to the Romans, contrasts the righteousness of the law with the righ­teousness of faith and goes on to say that if we confess with our mouth and believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord, then we shall be saved.

Matthew 8:28-34; 9:1: In the gospel reading we see the authority of Jesus over the demons, who know that they have been defeated even before the appointed time of His resurrection and later His second advent.

Troparion of the Resurrection: Having learned the joyful message of the Resurrection from the angel, the women Disciples cast from them their parental condemnation, and proudly broke the news to the Disciples, saying, Death has been spoiled. Christ God is risen, granting the world Great Mercy.

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

Kontakion of the Theotokos: O undisputed intercessor of Christians, O mediatrix, who is unrejected by the Creator, turn not away from the voice of our petitions though we be sinners; come to us in time, who cry to thee in faith, for thou art good. Hasten to us with intercessions, O Theotokos, who didst ever intercede for those who honor thee.

CALENDAR

Sunday, July 9 (Fifth Sunday after Pentecost)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

12:00 p.m. — POT LUCK MEAL

Monday, July 10

Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, July 11 (Euphemia the All-praised)

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

Wednesday, July 12

6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers

7:15 p.m. — Choir Practice

Thursday, July 13

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

Friday, July 14

Saturday, July 15

3:00 p.m. — Smith/Hood Wedding

Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers is Cancelled

Sunday, July 16 (Sixth Sunday after Pentecost)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Karams for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

July 9 Karam POT LUCK MEAL

Set –up: Schelver/Lavric/Karam

July 16 Brock Henderson/Baker/Lockhart

July 23 Baker Stewart/Turner/Waites

July 30 R. Root Ellis/Zouboukos

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#

July 9 Sh. Charlotte Algood Rom. 10:1-10 108

July 16 Warren Strain Titus 3:8-15 322

July 23 Kh. Sharon Meadows Rom. 15:1-7 119

July 30 Mildred Morris I Cor. 1:10-17 124

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 Chamblee; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit and Sammie; Georgia Buchanan, George and Michael Johns (Georgia’s grandsons) and their family; Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon’s sister); Fr. Stephen Tewfik; Sue Thayer (Charlotte Wood’s mother), Walt and Charlotte and their family; Lynda Costas; Fr. Nicholas, Kh. Jan and Angelina Speier; Tom and Kathy Willingham and Tom’s stepdaughter, Marica, who has been diagnosed with MS; Peggy (David Turner’s paternal aunt) who is suffering from cancer and related complications; Alexa (Lou Turner’s very close friend) who sustained multiple injuries in a serious car wreck; and George (Dorothea and Daniel Staursky’s uncle) who sustained injuries in a bad fall.

His Grace, Bp. ANTOUN will retire this summer. He has continuing health problems, so please keep him in your prayers. We thank God for all that he has done for us. We are especially thankful for his role in bringing us into canonical Orthodoxy. Many Years to you, Master!

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 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.

Christina Smith and Matt Hood will be married on Saturday, July 15th. Please keep them in your prayers as they prepare for this holy sacrament.

Hazel Dansereau will be baptized on Saturday morning, July 22nd. Please keep Hazel, her parents and her godmother, Charlotte Wood, in your prayers.

Dorin Lavric will be joining the Parish Council in place of Ben Skirtech. Many thanks to Ben for his service over the past years.

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 first Saturday in July to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children.

* The Ladies of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the last Tuesday of the month, beginning in September. They will still meet for lunch on the fourth Tuesday in July and August.

* Our next time to serve a meal at the Stewpot will be November 18th.

Father John and Kh. Janet will be out of town July 23-August 3rd for the Archdiocese Convention followed by vacation. If you need a priest during this time, please contact Father Leo or Father James.

Fasting Discipline for July

The traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays in July.

Major Commemorations for July

July 11 Euphemia the All-praised

July 17 Great-martyr Marina

July 20 Prophet Elias

July 25 Dormition of Righteous Anna

July 27 Great-martyr Panteleimon

Parents of Young Children: Please make sure that your children are supervised if they are in the Nursery during Coffee Hour, just as they are supervised if out on the Playground. The Nursery is being left in a mess on Sunday mornings following Coffee Hour and the clean-up is falling on the same people (i.e. those who teach Sunday School classes in that room). If you leave and there are still children using the room, please make sure that your children pick up the things with which they have been playing.

If you are the last to leave, please make sure that the doors in the Fellowship Hall, the kitchen and the hallway are all locked.

Quotable: “When concerned with high contemplative prayer, it is necessary in the first place to be cleansed of the passions. But here we are concerned with simple prayer, although this may lead to higher prayer.
If the practice of prayer is to proceed successfully, it is always essential at the outset to lay everything else aside, so that the heart is completely free of distraction. Nothing should obtrude on the mind: neither face, nor activity, nor object. At such a time all is to be driven out. Keep to this rule and there will be no need to desist from such prayer, which is to be said at any time. As soon as you are free, return to it immediately.”

St. Theophan the Recluse, The Art of Prayer

Worship: Sunday, July 16, 2017 (Fifth Sunday after Pentecost; Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council)

Scripture: Titus 3:8-15; Matthew 5:14-19

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Warren Strain

Prosphora: Brock

Coffee Hour: Henderson/Baker/Lockhart