November 4, 2018

Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost

Ephesians 2:4-10: St Paul, writing to the Ephesians, encourages us by reminding us that we who were dead in our sins are now alive in our union with Christ because of God’s mercy toward us and are now able to do the good works prepared for us.

Luke 16:19-31: In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, our Lord teaches us that giving mercy to others, regardless of the form, is essential to holiness.

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 St. Ioanikios 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 Ioanikios, 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 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, 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

Monday, November 5

Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, November 6

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

Wednesday, November 7

6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers

7:15 p.m. — Choir Practice

Thursday, November 8 (Archangels Michael and Gabriel)

6:00 a.m. — Festal Orthros

Friday, November 9 (Nektarios of Pentapolis)

Saturday, November 10

9:00 a.m. — Orthodoz Women’s Retreat at St. Peter

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

Sunday, November 11 (Menas the Wonder-worker)

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 Brocks for the Feastday of St. Raphael yesterday morning and by the Bakers for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

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#

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.

Welcome and Many Years, Master! We welcome His Grace, Bishop NICHOLAS this week-end. Thank you for your care for us, Sayedna!

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.

* 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.

* We will have a Santa Lucia celebration during Coffee Hour on Sunday, December 9th.

* 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.

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.

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

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: “Christ has given His divine life to those who are created in His image, but the only response He received was hatred. Today, after two thousand years of Christianity, what do we see? The contemporary world is losing Christ, losing eternal life, more and more. The deep darkness of sinful passions, hatred, domination, wars of all kinds, are what make up our earthly existence. In this situation, Christ has given the commandment to those who decide to follow Him: ‘Love your enemies’. Why is the world afraid of such a God? Can you find a better principle than this: bless those who curse you, love your enemies.”

Archimandrite Sophrony, Words of Life

Worship: Sunday, November 11, 2018 (Menas the Wonder-worker)

Scripture: II Corinthians 4:6-15; Luke 10:25-37

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Sh. Charlotte Algood

Prosphora: R. Root

Coffee Hour: Ellis/Zouboukos/Waites