September 3, 2017
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
I Corinthians 16:13-24: St Paul concludes his first letter to the church at Corinth with greetings
from the Christians in Asia, and encouragements to be strong in the faith and submit to their spiritual elders.
Matthew 21:33-42: From St Matthew we hear our Lord use the parable of the landowner to foretell His’ rejection by the Jews and the consequences to them for that rejection.
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 for the Hieromartyr Anthimos: O Godly-minded Anthimos, as a staunch defender of thy flock, thou eagerly sheddest thy blood for its protection. Unbending and wholly unafraid of all thine adversaries= fearful threats, thou rejoicest now in Heaven, standing before the throne of the Three-Sun Godhead. Glory to Christ Who hath given thee strength. Glory to thy manly bravery. Glory to thy patient endurance of martyrdom.
Troparion for St. Theoktistos: The barren wilderness thou didst make fertile with the streams of thy tears and by thy deep sighing thou hast given fruit through thy struggles a hundred-fold. Accordingly, thou hast become a star for the universe, sparkling with miracles. Therefore, O righteous Father Theoktistos, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.
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 Nativity of the Theotokos: By thy holy birth-giving, O pure one, Joachim and Anne were delivered from the reproach of barrenness; and Adam and Eve were delivered from the corruption of death; thy people do celebrate it, having been saved from the stain of iniquity, crying unto thee, The barren doth give birth to the Theotokos, who nourisheth our life.
CALENDAR
Sunday, September 3 (Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost)
8:50 a.m. — Orthros
10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy
Monday, September 4
Office Closed — Father John’s Day Off
Tuesday, September 5
6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros
Wednesday, September 6 (Miracle of the Archangel Gabriel)
6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers
7:15 p.m. — Choir Practice
Thursday, September 7
6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros
11:30 a.m. — Men’s Lunch
6:00 p.m. — Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia
Friday, September 8 (Nativity of the Theotokos)
The first feast of the liturgical year celebrates the birth of the Holy Virgin Mary, most blessed of women, chosen to bear God the Son, partaker in the Incarnation as the dwelling place of God. To celebrate her birth and give honor to her life is unavoidably to anticipate the coming of the Messiah and to adore His person. To remember her worthiness is to remember God’s grace. To wonder at her faith is to arouse ourselves to emulate her strength of will and her depth of trust. As we enter the cycle of the year, we turn first to honor the Holy Virgin, she who by her role in history and by her place among the saints most reminds us of the coming of the Saviour and the life He gives us, who by the Incarnation became the ladder between Heaven and Earth, who as the Mother of Christ is also the Mother of all His brethren.
Saturday, September 9 (Righteous Joachim and Anna)
10:00 a.m. — Ladies meet for Akathist
5:45 p.m. — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
Sunday, September 10 (Sunday before the Exaltation of the Cross)
8:50 a.m. — Orthros
9:00 a.m. — Christian Education
10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy
12:00 p.m. — Pot Luck Meal
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Joneses for the Divine Liturgy this morning.
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour
September 3 Jones R. Root/Habeeb/Pacurari
September 7 (Thur. p.m.) Meadows (Artoklasia) NO Meal
(Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos)
September 10 Davis POT LUCK MEAL
(set-up: Ellis/Zouboukos)
September 13 (Wed. p.m.) D. Root Kh. Sharon Meadows
(Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross)
September 17 Brock Schelver/Meadows
September 24 Baker Pigott/Alaeetawi
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#
September 3 Walt Wood I Cor. 16:13-24 152
September 10 Sh. Charlotte Algood Gal. 6:11-18 198
September 13 (Wed. p.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows I Cor. 1:18-24 311
September 17 Warren Strain Gal. 2:16-20 193
September 24 Mildred Morris II Tim. 3:10-15 258
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 Chamblee; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit and Sammie; 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; Peggy (David Turner’s paternal aunt) who is suffering from cancer and related complications; and George (Dorothea and Daniel Staursky’s uncle) who sustained injuries in a bad fall; David Morris; John Lockhart (Mary Guy’s brother) and his family in Richmond, TX.
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 remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle, and their daughter Abigail, in your prayers.
Please keep Fr. John Morris and Kh. Cheryl in your prayers. Fr. John has been ill and was recently hospitalized. He is home now but is still ill. Kh. Cheryl has also been ill.
His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN has officially retired and Metropolitan JOSEPH has appointed His Grace, Bishop NICHOLAS to oversee the Diocese of Miami and the Southeast. Father John has invited him to visit us soon and he has expressed a wish to do so. More information on His Grace is to be found in the Metropolitan’s letter which is posted on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall. Please keep him in your prayers.
Nimr Fahmy has a new cell phone number: 615-635-2223.
Indiction of the Ecclesiastical Year: We will have the Prayers for the Indiction of the Ecclesiastical Year (September 1st ) at the end of the Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning September 3rd.
Christian Education will resume on Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m., beginning Sunday, September 10th.
With the blessing of His Grace, Bishop NICHOLAS, Fr. Alex Mackoul, Camop Director for Camp St. Thekla, has requested that we take up a collection for the Camp on the feastday of St. Thekla on September 24th. Please make your checks pay to St. Peter Orthodox Church and we will write one check to send to Fr. Alex. Be sure to note that your check is for the Camp on the memo line.
Parents of Altar Servers. . . . please make sure that all of the Altar Servers see Sh. Margaret Root in the next few weeks to be measured for new vestments.
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.
* The Indicition of the Ecclesiastical Year is September 1st. We will have the prayers for the Indiction at the end of the Divine Liturgy today.
* We will celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos with Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia on Thursday evening, September 7th, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
* Christian Education resumes on Sunday mornings, beginning September 10th.
* We will celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Wednesday evening, September 13th, beginning at 6:00 p.m.
* Our next time to serve a meal at the Stewpot will be November 18th.
Fasting Discipline for September
In September the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays of the month. Thursday, September 14th is also a strict fast day for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
Major Commemorations for September
September 6 Miracle of the Archangel Michael
September 8 Nativity of the Theotokos
September 9 Righteous Joachim and Anna
September 13 Dedication of the Church of the Anastasis
September 14 Exaltation of the Holy Cross
September 23 Conception of the Forerunner
September 24 Proto-martyr Thekla
September 26 Apostle John the Theologian (repose)
September 28 Venerable Chariton
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
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.
Quotable: “The tree of life
The essential mood of the penitent is this: ‘In the way Thou knowest, O Lord, save me. For my part I will labour without hypocrisy, without deviation and misinterpretation, but according to a pure conscience, doing everything that I understand and that lies in my power.’ Whoever can truly feel this in his heart, is accepted by the Lord, who then comes to rule as king within him.
God is his teacher, God it is who prays in him, God it is who wills and acts in him, God it is who bears fruit in him. God is his ruler. Such a state is the seed and the heart of the heavenly tree of life within him.”
St. Theophan the Recluse, The Art of Prayer
Worship: Sunday, September 10, 2017 (Sunday before the Exaltation of the Cross)
Scripture: Galatians 6:11-18; John 3:13-17
Celebrant: Father John
Epistle Reader: Sh. Charlotte Algood
Prosphora: Davis
Coffee Hour: POT LUCK MEAL
(Set-up: Ellis/Zouboukos)
Saint Peter Antiochian Orthodox Church 
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