June 3, 2018

First Sunday after Pentecost

Sunday of All Saints

The Church commemorates and remembers all of its saints at three times during the year; in anticipation of Christmas, at the beginning of Lent, and immediately after Pentecost. On all three days we are reminded of the unified body of God’s people and of the holiness they have achieved and for which we strive. These two things are not abnormal and removed from us; they are truth and reality. On this day we are especially reminded of the strength of the saints and their victories, and we move from the day of Pentecost, the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, to join God’s people in our victorious procession, through purifying trial and sacrifice, to the Day of the Lord.

Hebrews 11:33-12:2: The writer of Hebrews calls us to consider the faith of those saints of the Old Testament 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.

Matthew 10:32- 33, 37-38;19:27-30: In the gospel reading we hear the Lord Jesus teach the mean­ing of discipleship, and, when asked by Peter, tells him what shall be the reward for those who truly are dis­ci­ples of His.

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 All Saints: Thy Church, O Christ God, hast regaled herself in the blood of thy Martyrs throughout all the world, as in porphyry and purple. Through them she lifts her voice, crying, Turn with thy compassion to thy people, and grant peace to thy city, and to the souls the 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 All Saints: To thee, O Lord and Author of all creation, the universe offers as first-fruits of nature the divinity-bearing Martyrs. Wherefore, by their imploring preserve thy Church in perfect safety, for the sake of the Theotokos, O most Merciful.

CALENDAR

Sunday, June 3 (Sunday of All Saints)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

Monday, June 4 (Metrophanes of Constantinople)

[FAST OF THE APOSTLES BEGINS]

Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, June 5

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

Wednesday, June 6

6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers

7:15 p.m. — Choir Practice

Thursday, June 7

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

11:30 a.m. — Men’s Lunch

Friday, June 8 (Theodore the General)

Saturday, June 9

10:00 a.m. — Ladies Meet for Akathist

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

Sunday, June 10 (Second Sunday after Pentecost)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

12:00 p.m. — Picnic Pot Luck Meal

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

June 3 Karam Ellis/Zouboukos

June 10 Brock POT LUCK MEAL

(Set-up: Pigott/Lavric/Alaeetawi)

June 17 Baker Skirtech/Parker

June 24 R. Root D. Root/Dansereau/Davis

June 28 (Thur. p.m.) Henderson 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 3 Mildred Morris Heb. 11:33-12:2 84

June 10 Sam Habeeb Rom. 2:10-16 90

June 17 Brenda Baker Rom. 5:1-10 96

June 24 Walt Wood Rom. 13:11-14:4 279

June 28 (Thur. p.m.) Sh. Charlotte Algood 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.

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 Fr. John Morris and Kh. Cheryl in your prayers. They have both been ill recently.

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; Lynda Costas; Fr. Nicholas, Kh. Jan and Angelina Speier; Peggy (David Turner’s paternal aunt) who is suffering from cancer and related complications; and David Morris and his family; Vernie Meadows, Fr. James and Kh. Sharon and their family; Walt and Charlotte Wood and their family; Dr. Herman (Tristan) Englehardt.

Please take Note that there have been several car burglaries in our neighborhood recently. These involved cars that had been left unlocked. Please be sure that your car is locked in the parking lot.

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 Ladies of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the last Tuesday of the month.

* The Fast of the Apostles begins tomorrow and will continue through June 28th.

* The Parish Life Conference will be held June 13-16 in West Palm Beach, FL.

* We will celebrate the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Thursday evening, June 28th, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

* The next date for serving meals at the Stewpot is November 10th.

Fasting Discipline for June

The Fast of the Apostles will begin on June 4th and continue through June 28th. During this time the traditional fasting discipline will be observed on all days of the week.

Major Commemorations for June

June 3 Sunday of All Saints

June 4 Metrophanes of Constantinople

June 8 Theodore the general (transfer of relics)

June 11 Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas

June 24 Nativity of the Forerunner

June 39 Chief Apostles Peter and Paul

June 30 Synaxis of the twelve Apostles

Father John and Father James will be attending the Parish Life Conference in West Palm Beach June 13-16. If you need a priest during this time, please contact Father Leo.

Vacation Church School will be held July 19-21 this year. The theme will be “Feasts of the Theotokos”. Parents, please make a note of these dates. More information will be available soon.

Karen Cooper has requested to be relieved of her duties as Choir Director due to ongoing concerns with her health. Sh. Margaret Root has agreed to be the interim Choir Director. Many Thanks to Karen for her faithful service to our parish over the years! May God grant her Many Years!

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.

For Parents: Children in the nursery during Coffee Hour MUST be supervised just as they are on the playground. This room is used for Sunday School each week. Children who are unsupervised create disarray and use materials set aside for the teaching of Christian Education. This creates extra work for the Sunday School teachers who have to come in and set the room in order before class or who find supplies depleted unexpectedly. A parent must be in the room with their children at all times. Please help us with this! — Fr. John

ead of ManHead of Maonasteries

Quotable: “Since the Fall, man has become a battle-ground for the struggle between God and the enemy.

The seed sown by Satan in the heart and intellect of Adam—i.e. the idea of becoming a god, but without God—has penetrated our being so deeply that we are unceasingly dominated by sin..”

Archimandrite Sophrony, Words of Life

Worship: Sunday, June 10, 2018 (Second Sunday after Pentecost)

Scripture: Romans 2:10-16; Matthew 4:18-23

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Sam Habeeb

Prosphora: Brock

Coffee Hour: POT LUCK MEAL

(set-up: Pigott/Lavric/Alaeetawi)

May 27, 2018

Holy Pentecost

In several senses, Pentecost marks for us the end of many months of anticipation, commemoration, and celebration and the beginning of the fullness of the life and faith we share. It is a day bringing our focus on the Holy Spirit, the embodiment of divine grace, the supreme gift, the ongoing presence of God in our lives; yet, it is a day directing us to the praise of the Trinity, the three divine persons, and the historical and spatial relationship God’s people have with Him. For the disciples, the day marks their spiritual maturity. Their faith began in their nationality, for they were of the nation that God the Father chose to glorify Him. The faith was completed in their confrontation with God the Son, through His presence and the nourishment He gave. The fullness of the faith came with the coming in power of God the Spirit. The disciples had grown in spirit and were ready for their work; the birth of the Church was imminent; the Bride was to be made ready. In the cycle of the calendar, we now stand ready to do likewise, and all weeks from now until our preparation for Advent are the weeks of Pentecost. In the picture of the birth of the Church there are symbols beyond mention here; the unity in the common tongue, the Light that shines brighter than day, the bold proclamation to all men of the Gospel. We look forward from this day to weeks without special celebrations, to days without reference to past days of enormous import–to normal, uneventful days. But these are not uneventful days; they are the days for which we have prepared, the days of the Church, the days of our maturity and growth, the days when, through the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit, we run the good race and cross the finish to bring praise and glory to our glorious God, the eternal Trinity.

Acts 2:1-11: In the reading from Acts we see the pouring out of God’s Spirit on the apostles, the ful­fillment of Joel’s prophecy, and the beginning of the Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

John 7:37-52, 8:12: Our Lord calls those thirsting for righteousness to Himself, promising to eternally quench their thirst by the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Pharisees, however, view Jesus as a threat to their authority and seek for ways to undermine His authority.

Troparion of Pentecost: Blessed art thou, O Christ our God, who hast revealed the fishermen as most wise, having sent upon them the Holy Spirit, and through them thou hast fished the universe, O Lover of mankind, glory to thee.

Kontakion of Pentecost: When the high One descended, confusing tongues, he divided the nations. And when he distributed the fiery tongues he called all to one unity. Wherefore, in unison we glorify the most Holy Spirit.

CALENDAR

Sunday, May 27 (Pentecost)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education (Last day)

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

12:00 p.m. — Picnic Pot Luck Meal

6:30 p.m. — Kneeling Vespers

Monday, May 28 [NO FASTING THIS WEEK]

Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, May 29

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

11:30 a.m. — Ladies Lunch

Wednesday, May 30

6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers

7:15 p.m. — Choir Practice

7:30 p.m. — Parish Council Meeting

Thursday, May 31

6:00 A.M. — Daily Orthros

Friday, June 1 (Justyn Martyr)

Saturday, June 2

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

Sunday, June 3 (Sunday of All Saints)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

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

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

May 27 D. Root PICNIC POT LUCK MEAL

(Set-up: Meadows/Turner/Waites)

June 3 Karam Ellis/Zouboukos

June 10 Brock POT LUCK MEAL

(Set-up: Pigott/Lavric/Alaeetawi)

June 17 Baker Skirtech/Parker

June 24 R. Root D. Root/Dansereau/Davis

June 28 (Thur. p.m.) Henderson 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#

May 27 Mildred Morris Acts 2:1-11 77

June 3 Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver Heb. 11:33-12:2 84

June 10 Sam Habeeb Rom. 2:10-16 90

June 17 Brenda Baker Rom. 5:1-10 96

June 24 Walt Wood Rom. 13:11-14:4 279

June 28 (Thur. p.m.) Sh. Charlotte Algood 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.

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 Fr. John Morris and Kh. Cheryl in your prayers. They have both been ill recently.

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; Lynda Costas; Fr. Nicholas, Kh. Jan and Angelina Speier; Peggy (David Turner’s paternal aunt) who is suffering from cancer and related complications; and David Morris and his family; Vernie Meadows, Fr. James and Kh. Sharon and their family; Walt and Charlotte Wood and their family; Dr. Herman (Tristan) Englehardt.

Please take Note that there have been several car burglaries in our neighborhood recently. These involved cars that had been left unlocked. Please be sure that your car is locked in the parking lot.

We will honor Nicholas Zouboukos our High School Graduate at the Picnic Pot Luck Meal today!

Following the Picnic Pot Luck Meal today, Father John and anyone who desires to participate will go to the Natchez Trace Cemetery to say the Trisagion Prayers for the Departed for our departed loved ones who are buried there.

Vacation Church School will be held July 19-21 this year. The theme will be “Feasts of the Theotokos”. Parents, please make a note of these dates. More information will be available soon.

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 Ladies of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the last Tuesday of the month.

* Today is the last day of Church School for this year. It will resume in September.

* The next date for serving meals at the Stewpot is November 10th.

Bookstore News: We have a new book in the bookstore! It is called Lantern of Grace by Protopresbyter Valery Lukianov. This book is about the life of St. John Maximovitch, also called St. John of San Francisco. He is an American saint, and if you don’t know much about him this book would be a wonderful opportunity to be inspired. If you do know about him, the book is beautiful and packed with stories about St. John and copies of his sermons and prayers. There are many color photographs throughout the book and it is a high quality edition.

Fasting Discipline for May/June

There will be no fasting during the week following the Feast of Pentecost (May 27th). The Fast of the Apostles will begin on June 4th and continue through June 28th. During this time the traditional fasting discipline will be observed on all days of the week.

Major Commemorations for June

June 1 Justyn Martyr

June 3 Sunday of All Saints

June 4 Metrophanes of Constantinople

June 8 Theodore the general (transfer of relics)

June 11 Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas

June 24 Nativity of the Forerunner

June 39 Chief Apostles Peter and Paul

June 30 Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles

For Parents: Children in the nursery during Coffee Hour MUST be supervised just as they are on the playground. This room is used for Sunday School each week. Children who are unsupervised create disarray and use materials set aside for the teaching of Christian Education. This creates extra work for the Sunday School teachers who have to come in and set the room in order before class or who find supplies depleted unexpectedly. A parent must be in the room with their children at all times. Please help us with this! — Fr. John

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.

ead of ManHead of Maonasteries

Quotable: “In the Orthodox Church, the salvation of man is understood as his deification.

We must learn to live the eternal life of God Himself. What does the deification of man mean? It means to live as the Lord lived, to make our own the thoughts and feelings of Christ, especially as we see Him in the last moments of His life on earth.”

Archimandrite Sophrony, Words of Life

Worship: Sunday, June 3, 2018 (Sunday of All Saints; First Sunday after Pentecost)

Scripture: Hebrews 11:33-12:2; Matthew 10:32-33, 37-38; 19:27-30

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver

Prosphora: Karam

Coffee Hour: Ellis/Zouboukos

May 20, 2018

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, May 20 (Sunday of the Holy Fathers of Nicea)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

Monday, May 21 (Constantine and Helen)

Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, May 22

No Daily Orthros

Wednesday, May 23

6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers

7:15 p.m. — Choir Practice

Thursday, May 24

No Daily Orthros

Friday, May 25

Saturday, May 26

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

Sunday, May 27 (Pentecost)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education (Last day)

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

12:00 p.m. — Picnic Pot Luck Meal

6:30 p.m. — Kneeling Vespers

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Morrises for the Divine Liturgy last Sunday, by the Jones for the Feast of the Ascension this past Wednesday evening and by the Meadows for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

May 20 Meadows Henderson/Baker/Lockhart

May 27 D. Root PICNIC POT LUCK MEAL

(Set-up: Meadows/Turner/Waites)

June 3 Karam Ellis/Zouboukos

June 10 Brock POT LUCK MEAL

(Set-up: Pigott/Lavric/Alaeetawi)

June 17 Baker Skirtech/Parker

June 24 R. Root D. Root/Dansereau/Davis

June 28 (Thur. p.m.) Henderson 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#

May 20 Warren Strain Acts 20:16-18, 28-36 66

May 27 Mildred Morris Acts 2:1-11 77

June 3 Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver Heb. 11:33-12:2 84

June 10 Sam Habeeb Rom. 2:10-16 90

June 17 Brenda Baker Rom. 5:1-10 96

June 24 Walt Wood Rom. 13:11-14:4 279

June 28 (Thur. p.m.) Sh. Charlotte Algood II Cor. 11:21-33; 12:6-9 389

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 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 keep Fr. John Morris and Kh. Cheryl in your prayers. They have both been ill recently.

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; Lynda Costas; Fr. Nicholas, Kh. Jan and Angelina Speier; Peggy (David Turner’s paternal aunt) who is suffering from cancer and related complications; and David Morris and his family; Vernie Meadows, Fr. James and Kh. Sharon and their family; Walt and Charlotte Wood and their family; Dr. Herman (Tristan) Englehardt.

Please take Note that there have been several car burglaries in our neighborhood recently. These involved cars that had been left unlocked. Please be sure that your car is locked in the parking lot.

Father John will be out from May 19-26 for family vacation. If you need a priest during this time, please contact Father Leo or Father James.

Congratulations and Many Years to all of our Graduates:

Emil Ellis on Saturday, May 5th from Delta State University

Dimitri Staursky on Saturday, May 5th from Milsaps College

Alexa Zouboukos on Saturday, May 12th from the University of Mississippi

Nicholas Zouboukos on Wednesday, May 23rd from St. Joseph High School

We will honor Nicholas Zouboukos our High School Graduate at the Picnic Pot Luck Meal next Sunday!

Following the Picnic Pot Luck Meal on Sunday, May 27th, Father John and anyone who desires to participate will go to the Natchez Trace Cemetery to say the Trisagion Prayers for the Departed for our departed loved ones who are buried there.

Vacation Church School will be held July 19-21 this year. The theme will be “Feasts of the Theotokos”. Parents, please make a note of these dates. More information will be available soon.

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 Ladies of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the last Tuesday of the month.

* We will not celebrate the Saturday of the Souls liturgy on Saturday morning, May 26th as previously noted on the monthly calendar.

* Sunday, May 27th will be the last day of Church School for this year. It will resume in September.

* We will celebrate the Feast of Pentecost with a Picnic Pot Luck Meal following the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, May 27th. Later that evening we will have Kneeling Vespers, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

* The next date for serving meals at the Stewpot is November 10th.

Bookstore News: We have a new book in the bookstore! It is called Lantern of Grace by Protopresbyter Valery Lukianov. This book is about the life of St. John Maximovitch, also called St. John of San Francisco. He is an American saint, and if you don’t know much about him this book would be a wonderful opportunity to be inspired. If you do know about him, the book is beautiful and packed with stories about St. John and copies of his sermons and prayers. There are many color photographs throughout the book and it is a high quality edition.

Fasting Discipline for May

Following Ascension, the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on the remaining Wednesdays and Fridays of the month. There will also be no fasting during the week following the Feast of Pentecost (May 27th).

Major Commemorations for May

May 20 Sunday of the Holy Fathers of Nicea

May 21 Sts. Constantine and Helen

May 25 The Forerunner (3rd Discovery)

May 26 Saturday of the Souls

May 27 Pentecost

For Parents: Children in the nursery during Coffee Hour MUST be supervised just as they are on the playground. This room is used for Sunday School each week. Children who are unsupervised create disarray and use materials set aside for the teaching of Christian Education. This creates extra work for the Sunday School teachers who have to come in and set the room in order before class or who find supplies depleted unexpectedly. A parent must be in the room with their children at all times. Please help us with this! — Fr. John

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.

ead of ManHead of Maonasteries

Quotable: “How can we ‘work out our salvation’? How can we make our bodies incorruptible? How can we free ourselves from the dominion of sin and the power of death? Such are the questions that should be our continual preoccupation, ever stronger and more intense. Life is so short and the goal is so high, and so distant.”

Archimandrite Sophrony, Words of Life

Worship: Sunday, May 27, 2018 (Pentecost)

Scripture: Acts 2:1-11; John 7:37-52; 8:12

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Mildred Morris

Prosphora: D. Root

Coffee Hour: PICNIC POT LUCK MEAL

(Set-up: Meadows/Turner/Waites)

May 6, 2018

Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

This Sunday concludes the week which includes mid-Pentecost. The scriptures for that day make reference to the great and final feast and the Lord’s words concerning fountains of living water and the nourishment of the spirit. The episode of the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well and Jesus’ further description of Himself as living water continue this theme. There are innumerable nuances to the message of this episode, ranging from the allusion to the patriarch Joseph to the faith of those who believe without seeing, but let us concentrate on the woman who comes into the presence of her God. Christ asks service of her, asks her to ignore their traditional enmity, confuses her with parables, confronts her with her sins, and claims to be her Messiah and Lord. She enters the scene with skepticism, but she does not let circumstances blind her, for the words of the man before her ring with unmistakable authority and truth. Whether she wants to or not, she must believe herself to be in the presence of the Son of God; she not only believes, but she quickly bears witness to the others of her town. We join her in her faith, and we, too, partake of the Water of Life.

Acts 11:19-30: Reading in Acts, we see the establishment of the first predominately Gentile church in Antioch under the leading of Barnabas and Saul.

John 4:5-42: In Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman we see our Lord’s concern with the truth, both in our dealings with others and in our worship of God. We also see that spreading the eternal gospel of the Kingdom is a corporate action and not that of just one or two.

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 mid-Pentecost: In the midst of this Feast, O Saviour, give my thirsty soul to drink of the waters of true worship; for thou didst call out to all, saying, Whosoever is thirsty, let him come unto me and drink. Wherefore, O Christ our God, Fountain of life, 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 Pascha: When Thou didst descend into the grave, O Immortal, Thou didst destroy the power of Hades. In victory didst Thou arise, O Christ God, proclaiming ARejoice@ to the myrrh-bearing women, granting peace to Thine apostles and bestowing resurrection on the fallen.

CALENDAR

Sunday, May 6 (Sunday of the Samaritan Woman)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

Monday, May 7

Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, May 8 (Apostle John the Theologian)

6:00 a.m. — Festal Orthros

Wednesday, May 9

6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers

7:15 p.m. — Choir Practice

Thursday, May 10

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

Friday, May 11

Saturday, May 12

10:00 a.m. — Ladies meet for Akathist

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

Sunday, May 13 (Sunday of the Blindman)

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 Schelvers for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

May 6 Schelver R. Root/Habeeb/Pacurari

May 13 Morris Schelver/Meadows/Karam

May 16 (Wed. p.m.) Jones Mary Guy Lockhart

May 20 Meadows Henderson/Baker/Lockhart

May 27 D. Root PICNIC POT LUCK MEAL

(Set-up: Stewart/Turner/Waites)

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 29 Brenda Baker Acts 9:32-42 45

May 6 Walt Wood Acts 11:19-30 52

May 13 Sh. Charlotte Algood Acts 16:16-34 58

May 16 (Wed. p.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows Acts 1:1-12 63

May 20 Warren Strain Acts 20:16-18, 28-36 66

May 27 Mildred Morris Acts 2:1-11 77

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 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.

Please keep Fr. John Morris and Kh. Cheryl in your prayers. They have both been ill recently.

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; Lynda Costas; Fr. Nicholas, Kh. Jan and Angelina Speier; Peggy (David Turner’s paternal aunt) who is suffering from cancer and related complications; and David Morris and his family; Vernie Meadows, Fr. James and Kh. Sharon and their family; Walt and Charlotte Wood and their family; Dr. Herman (Tristan) Englehardt.

Please take Note that there have been several car burglaries in our neighborhood recently. These involved cars that had been left unlocked. Please be sure that your car is locked in the parking lot.

Father John will be out from May 19-26 for family vacation. If you need a priest during this time, please contact Father Leo or Father James.

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 Ladies of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the last Tuesday of the month.

* We will have Paschal Vespers for the Leave-taking of Pascha on Tuesday evening, May 15th, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

* We will celebrate Feast of the Ascension with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Wednesday evening, May 16th, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

* We will not celebrate the Saturday of the Souls liturgy on Saturday morning as previously noted on the monthly calendar.

* Sunday, May 27th will be the last day of Church School for this year. It will resume in September.

* We will celebrate the Feast of Pentecost with a Picnic Pot Luck Meal following the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, May 27th. Later that evening we will have Kneeling Vespers, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

* The next date for serving meals at the Stewpot is November 10th.

Following the Picnic Pot Luck Meal on Sunday, May 27th, Father John and anyone who desires to participate will go to the Natchez Trace Cemetery to say the Trisagion Prayers for the Departed for our departed loved ones who are buried there.

Vacation Church School will be held July 19-21 this year. The theme will be “Feasts of the Theotokos”. Parents, please make a note of these dates. More information will be available soon.

Bookstore News: We have a new book in the bookstore! It is called Lantern of Grace by Protopresbyter Valery Lukianov. This book is about the life of St. John Maximovitch, also called St. John of San Francisco. He is an American saint, and if you don’t know much about him this book would be a wonderful opportunity to be inspired. If you do know about him, the book is beautiful and packed with stories about St. John and copies of his sermons and prayers. There are many color photographs throughout the book and it is a high quality edition.

Fasting Discipline for May

The Holy Synod of the Church of Antioch decided that there would be no fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays, not only during Bright Week but until the Feast of the Ascension (May 16th), for the whole forty days. Following Ascension, the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on the remaining Wednesdays and Fridays of the month. There will also be no fasting during the week following the Feast of Pentecost (May 27th).

Major Commemorations for May

May 8 Apostle John the Theologian

May 10 Apostle Simon the Zealot

May 13 Sunday of the Blindman

May 15 Leave-taking of Pascha

May 17 Ascension

May 20 Sunday of the Holy Fathers of Nicea

May 21 Sts. Constantine and Helen

May 25 The Forerunner (3rd Discovery)

May 26 Saturday of the Souls

May 27 Pentecost

For Parents: Children in the nursery during Coffee Hour MUST be supervised just as they are on the playground. This room is used for Sunday School each week. Children who are unsupervised create disarray and use materials set aside for the teaching of Christian Education. This creates extra work for the Sunday School teachers who have to come in and set the room in order before class or who find supplies depleted unexpectedly. A parent must be in the room with their children at all times. Please help us with this! — Fr. John

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.

ead of ManHead of Maonasteries

Quotable: “‘In the beginning was the Word.’ Without Him nothing of all that exists was made. Every day we know in our own bodies the painful experience of life, and how pitiful it is. Nonetheless, we are created in the image of Christ, of the Absolute. The problem, the mystery of our life, is to move from what is relative to the Absolute. If what exists has been created by God, it should not die. God created life; He did not create death. Our goal is life with Christ-God, immortality, eternity. According to divine revelation, God’s own eternity can be communicated to us.

We have to look towards the personal God; that is to set our sights upwards, so as to give our body (which is inclined to inertia) an eternal momentum.”

Archimandrite Sophrony, Words of Life

Worship: Sunday, May 13, 2018 (Sunday of the Blindman)

Scripture: Acts 16:16-34; John 9:1-38

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Sh. Charlotte Algood

Prosphora: Morris

Coffee Hour: Schelver/Meadows/Karam