Monthly Archives: October 2018

October 28, 2018

Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost

Galatians 6:11-18: In the conclusion of his letter to the Galatians, St Paul reminds them that to be circumcised or uncircumcised is not the issue, but rather to be a new creation in Christ Jesus.

Luke 8:41-56: From the Gospel of Luke we hear of Jesus healing a woman with a hemorrhage and raising a young girl from death; showing His desire to heal suffering and to respond to the faith of those who come to Him.

Troparion of the Resurrection: Let us believers praise and worship the Word, co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, born of the Virgin for our salvation; for he took pleasure in ascending the Cross in the flesh, to suffer death, and to raise the dead by his glorious Resurrection.

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, October 28 (Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

Monday, October 29

Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, October 30

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

12:00 p.m. — Ladies’ Lunch

Wednesday, October 31

6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers

7:15 p.m. — Choir Practice

7:30 p.m. — Parish Council Meeting

Thursday, November 1 (Cosmas and Damian of Asia)

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

11:30 a.m. — Men’s Lunch

Friday, November 2

[His
Grace, Bishop NICHOLAS arrives for arch-pastoral visit]

6:30 p.m. — Reception of the Bishop followed by Great Vespers

7:30 p.m. — Dinner with the Parish Council

Saturday, November 3 (Raphael, Bishop of Brooklyn)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy

12:00 p.m. — Ladies’ luncheon with Bishop NICHOLAS

5:00 p.m. — Young Adults dinner with Bishop NICHOLAS

6:30 p.m. — Great Vespers (No Ninth Hour)

7:45 p.m. — Reception and fellowship in the Fellowship Hall

Sunday, November 4 (Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Hierarchical Divine Liturgy

12:00 p.m. — 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

October 28 Karam Schelver/Karam/Pacurari

November 3 (Sat. a.m.) Brock Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver/Karen Cooper

(Feastday of St. Raphael of Brooklyn)

November 4 Baker POT LUCK MEAL

Set-up: Katool/Davis/Staursky

November 11 R. Root Ellis/Zouboukos/Waites

November 18 Algood Algood/Jones/Turner

November 20 (Mon. p.m.) Katool (Artoklasia Bread) No Meal

(Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple)

November 25 Schelver R. Root/Habeeb/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#

October 28 Sam Habeeb Gal. 6:11-18 198

November 3 (Sat. a.m.) Brenda Baker Heb. 7:26-8:2 334

November 4 Walt Wood Eph. 2:4-10 202

November 11 Sh. Charlotte Algood II Cor. 4:6-15 163

November 18 Warren Strain Eph. 4:1-7 212

November 25 Kh. Sharon Meadows Gal. 3:23-4:5 160

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 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); Lynda Costas; Fr. Nicholas, Kh. Jan and Angelina Speier; David Morris and his family; Vernie Meadows, Fr. James and Kh. Sharon and their family; Walt and Charlotte Wood and their family; Lou Turner’s cousin Amy and her husband John.

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.

Calendar Items:

* The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.

* The Ladies of St. Peter 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.

* His Grace, Bishop NICHOLAS will be visiting St. Peter November 2-4.

* We will celebrate the feastday of St. Raphael of Brooklyn with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning, November 3rd, beginning at 8:50 a.m.

* V. Rev. Fr. John Oliver, the pastor of St. Elizabeth the New Martyr Orthodox Church in Murfreesboro, TN, will be the speaker for the annual Women’s Retreat to be held this year at St. Peter’s on Saturday, November 10th. Fr. John will be addressing the topic: “Anxiety, Despondency, Despair: Helping Orthodox Women Cope”.

* The next date for serving meals at the Stewpot will be Saturday, November 17th.

* The Children will present their Nativity Program on Sunday, December 16th during Coffee Hour. We will also have a Pot Luck Meal that Sunday to add to the festivities.

Date change for November Pot Luck Meal: We will have our monthly Pot Luck Meal on Sunday, November 4th instead of the 11th (as listed on the Quarterly Schedule) to coincide with Bishop NICHOLAS’ visit.

Orthodox Women’s Retreat: V. Rev. Fr. John Oliver, the pastor of St. Elizabeth the New Martyr Orthodox Church in Murfreesboro, TN, will be the speaker for the annual Women’s Retreat to be held this year at St. Peter’s on Saturday, November 10th, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Fr. John will be addressing the topic: “Anxiety, Despondency, Despair: Helping Orthodox Women Cope”.

Changing of the Guard! We have new officers for the Ladies of St. Peter. Joanna Davis will serve alone as President for this year and Anna Kathryn Stewart will be her co-president beginning next year. Carolina Lavric will serve as Treasurer. Many thanks to Christina Katool, Kh. Sharon Meadows and Sandra Strain for their years of service to the Ladies!

Unsupervised children in the Kitchen: For health and safety concerns children are not to be allowed in the kitchen unless accompanied by a parent. Please get ice for your children and do NOT allow them to use the icemaker themselves.

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.

Fasting Discipline for November

In November, the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays until the 15tth of the month, when the Fast of the Nativity begins. During this fast the traditional fasting discipline is observed each day of the week. Note, however, through December 19th there is a katlysis on Tuesdays and Thursdays when wine and oil are permitted, and on Saturdays and Sundays when fish, wine and oil are permitted.

Major Commemorations for November

November 1 Cosmas and Damian of Asia

November 3 Raphael, Bishop of Brooklyn

Dedication of the Church of St. George

November 8 Archangels Michael and Gabriel

November 9 Nektarios of Pentapolis

November 13 John Chrysostom (repose)

November 16 Apostle and Evangelist Matthew

November 21 Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple

November 25 Great-martyrs Catherine and Mercurios

November 30 Apostle Andrew the First-called

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: “‘Love your enemies’. Yes, it is painful. But the moral beauty of Christ attracts us to such a degree that we are ready to bear all trials, as long as we are being raised up into His Spirit. There is no other choice.”

Archimandrite Sophrony, Words of Life

Worship: Sunday, November 4, 2018 (Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost)

Scripture: Ephesians 2:4-10; Luke 16:19-31

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Walt Wood

Prosphora: Baker

Coffee Hour: POT LUCK MEAL

Set-up: Katool/Davis/Staursky

Homily for Sunday, October 21, 2018

Here is the homily for Sunday, October 21, 2018

10/21 announcements

October 21, 2018

Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

Galatians 2:16-20: We hear from St Paul’s letter to the Galatians that we are justified by faith in Christ, not by works of the Law; and that we now live our lives by faith in the Son of God.

Luke 8:26-39: From the reading in St Luke, we see Jesus heal a man possessed by demons; in doing so, Jesus demonstrates His authority over His creation, even when it rebels against Him.

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 St. Hilarion the Great: 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 Hilarion, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

CALENDAR

Sunday, October 21 (Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

Monday, October 22

Father John’s Day Off

[MS
Valley Deanery Clergy Retreat begins]

Tuesday, October 23 (Apostle James Brother of the Lord)

9:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros (Please note change in time)

Wednesday, October 24

[MS
Valley Deanery Clergy Retreat ends]

6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers

7:15 p.m. — Choir Practice

Thursday, October 25

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

Friday, October 26 (Great-martyr Demetrios)

Saturday, October 27

4:00 p.m. — Fall Festival

[No
Ninth Hour or Great Vespers today]

Sunday, October 28 (Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost)

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 Daniel Roots for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

October 21 D. Root Pigott/Strain/Dabit/Lavric

October 28 Karam Schelver/Karam/Pacurari

November 3 (Sat. a.m.) Brock Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver/Karen Cooper

(Feastday of St. Raphael of Brooklyn)

November 4 Baker POT LUCK MEAL

Set-up: Katool/Davis/Staursky

November 11 R. Root Elli/Zouboukos/Waites

November 18 Algood Algood/Jones/Turner

November 20 (Mon. p.m.) Katool (Artoklasia Bread) No Meal

(Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple)

November 25 Schelver R. Root/Habeeb/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#

October 21 Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver Gal. 2:16-20 193

October 28 Sam Habeeb Gal. 6:11-18 198

November 3 (Sat. a.m.) Brenda Baker Heb. 7:26-8:2 334

November 4 Walt Wood Eph. 2:4-10 202

November 11 Sh. Charlotte Algood II Cor. 4:6-15 163

November 18 Warren Strain Eph. 4:1-7 212

November 25 Kh. Sharon Meadows Gal. 3:23-4:5 160

Please be reminded of the following:

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 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; David Morris and his family; Vernie Meadows, Fr. James and Kh. Sharon and their family; Walt and Charlotte Wood and their family; Lou Turner’s cousin Amy and her husband John.

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.

Our annual parish Fall Festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 27th, beginning at 4:00 p.m. We will not have 9th Hour prayers or Great Vespers that day. Please check the sign-up sheet in the Fellowship Hall for dishes for the meal.

Fr. John will be addressing the topic: “Anxiety, Despondency, Despair: Helping Orthodox Women Cope”.

Calendar Items:

* The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.

* The Ladies of St. Peter 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.

* Fall Festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 27th. More information soon.

* His Grace, Bishop NICHOLAS will be visiting St. Peter November 2-6. Please mark your calendars now.

* We will celebrate the feastday of St. Raphael of Brooklyn with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning, November 3rd, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

* The next date for serving meals at the Stewpot will be Saturday, November 17th.

* The Children will present their Nativity Program on Sunday, December 16th during Coffee Hour. We will also have a Pot Luck Meal that Sunday to add to the festivities.

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.

Fasting Discipline for October

In October, the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays of the month.

Major Commemorations for October

October 18 Apostle Luke the Evangelist

October 23 Apostle James, Brother of the Lord

October 26 Great-martyr Demetrius

ead of ManHead of Maonasteries

Quotable: “We repent personally, but our passions are also those which dominate the whole world. Thus, what we live is not separated from cosmic life. Little by little, quite naturally, we begin to live our state as a reflection of the state of all humanity. We begin to live our life as through God’s eyes, in a universal way. Through our repentance, we do not live our own individual drama; we live in ourselves the tragedy of all humanity, the drama of its history since the beginning of time.”

Archimandrite Sophrony, Words of Life

Worship: Sunday, October 28, 2018 (Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost)

Scripture: Galatians 6:11-18; Luke 8:41-56

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Sam Habeeb

Prosphora: Karam

Coffee Hour: Schelver/Karam/Pacurari

November 2018

Homily for Sunday, October 14, 2018

Here is the homily for Sunday, October 14, 2018

10/14 announcements

October 14, 2018

Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council

Todaythe Church remembers the 350 holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council under the holy Patriarch Tarasius (February 25). The Council of 787, the second to meet at Nicea, refuted the Iconoclast heresy during the reign of Empress Irene and her son Constantine Porphyrogenitos.

The council decreed that the veneration of icons was not idolatry (Exodus 20:4-5), because the honor shown to them is not directed to the wood or paint, but passes to the prototype (the person depicted). It also upheld the possibility of depicting Christ, Who became man and took flesh at His Incarnation. The Father, on the other hand, cannot be represented in His eternal nature, because “no man has seen God at any time” (John 1:18).

Titus 3:8-15: On this Sunday we read from St. Paul’s letter to Titus, whom he warns to avoid delving into unprofitable and foolish questions about doctrine, and to reject heretics after two admonitions.

Luke 8:5-15: Our Lord tells the parable of the sower in which he teaches us that the believer who perseveres with honest and good hearts will bear much fruit.

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 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.

CALENDAR

Sunday, October 14 (Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

12:00 p.m. — Pot Luck Meal

Monday, October 15

Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, October 16

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

Wednesday, October 17

6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers

7:15 p.m. — Choir Practice

Thursday, October 18 (Apostle Luke)

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

Friday, October 19

Saturday, October 20 (Apostle Thomas)

8:30 a.m. — Workday at the Church

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

Sunday, October 21 (Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost)

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 Meadows for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

October 14 Meadows POT LUCK MEAL

Set-up: Baker/D. Root/Dansereau

October 21 D. Root Pigott/Strain/Dabit/Lavric

October 28 Karam Schelver/Karam/Pacurari

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#

October 14 Mildred Morris Titus 3:8-15 322

October 21 Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver Gal. 2:16-20 193

October 28 Sam Habeeb Gal. 6:11-18 198

Please be reminded of the following:

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; David Morris and his family; Vernie Meadows, Fr. James and Kh. Sharon and their family; Walt and Charlotte Wood and their family; Lou Turner’s cousin Amy and her husband John.

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

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

St. Peter will be hosting the Lower MS Valley Deanery Clergy Retreat October 22nd-24th.