February 17 2019

Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican

The theme of the fourth Sunday before Lent is HUMILITY and the Gospel lesson of the Publican and the Pharisee (Luke 18:10-14) is read. Here we are taught to avoid the arrogant thoughts of the Pharisee and to emulate the humble prayer of the Publican “God be merciful to me a sinner.”

II Timothy 3:10-15: In St Paul’s second letter to Timothy we are reminded that godliness will bring persecutions; and we are encouraged to continue doing those things that we have been taught so as to gain the wisdom that leads to salvation in Christ.

Luke 18:10-14: In the parable of the Pharisee and the tax-gatherer, Jesus teaches us that justification does not come to those who are proud and arrogant, but rather to those who are humble and repen­tant.

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 Pharisee and the Publican: Let us flee from the boasting of the Pharisee and learn the heights of humility from the publican’s words. Let us cry out in repentance: O Savior of the World, be gracious to thy servants.

CALENDAR

Sunday, February 17 (Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican)

[NO FASTING THIS WEEK]

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

Monday, February 18

Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, February 19

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

Wednesday, February 20

6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers

7:15 p.m. — Choir Practice

7:30 p.m. — Parish Council Meeting

Thursday, February 21

6:00 a.m. — Daily Orthros

Friday, February 22

Saturday, February 23

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

Sunday, February 24 ( Sunday of the Prodigal Son)

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.

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.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

February 17 Meadows Pigott/Dabit/Strain/Lavric

February 24 Davis Baker/D. Root/Dansereau

March 2 (Sat. a.m.) D. Root Sh. Charlotte Algood

(Saturday of the Souls) Koliva: Sh. Margaret Root

March 3 Karam Katool/Davis/Staursky

March 10 Brock POT LUCK MEAL

Set-up: Schelver/Karam/Pacurari

March 17 Baker Algood/Jones/Turner

March 24 R. Root Ellis/Zouboukos/Waites

March 25 (Mon. a.m.) Henderson Kh. Sharon Meadows

(Feast of the Annunciation)

March 31 Algood 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#

February 17 Warren Strain II Tim. 3:10-15 258

February 24 Mildred Morris II Cor. 4:6-15 163

March 2 (Sat. a.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows I Thess. 4:13-17 412

March 3 Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver I Cor. 8:8-9:2 273

March 10 Brenda Baker Rom. 13:11-14:4 279

March 17 Sh. Charlotte Algood Heb. 11:24-26; 32-40 281

March 24 Mildred Morris Heb. 1:10-2:3 283

March 25 (Mon. a.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows Heb. 2:11-18 376

March 31 Kh. Sharon Meadows Heb. 4:14-5:6 285

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 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; Noah and Beth Ann (Baker) Pappas, the Reader Basil and Brenda and all of the Baker family; Chris and Rebecca Dansereau and their daughters; Fr. Leo and Kh. Be’Be’ and their family.

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.

House Blessings! A sign-up sheet is available in the Fellowship Hall to sign up for your house blessing. You may also e-mail Father John at frjohnc with 3 dates for your house blessing. Please schedule these as soon as possible. Everyone should have their home blessed. However, the responsibility for scheduling lies with individuals and not with Father John. No house blessings will be done once Great Lent starts (March 11th this year).

The Parish Council has decided to give the St. Nicholas tithe to a needy family of which Father John is personally aware. They are a large family which has undergone great personal tragedy. They have also been heavily involved in caring for foster children over the 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 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 celebrate the Saturday of the Souls liturgy on Saturday morning, March 2nd, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

* Our next date for serving at the Stewpot is Saturday, March 9th. Our remaining date for the year will be Saturday, September 28th.

* We will have Forgiveness Vespers on Sunday evening, March 10th, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

* Great Lent begins on Clean Monday, March 11th.

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 February

There is no fasting during the week following the Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican (February 17th). The traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all other Wednesdays and Fridays of February.

Major Commemorations for February

February 17 Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican

February 24 The Forerunner (1st and 2nd Discoveries)

Sunday of the Prodigal Son

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: “At this point the zealous man looks inward, and what do you think he finds there? Ceaseless wandering of thoughts, constant onslaughts from the passions, hardness and coldness of heart, obstinacy and disobedience, desire to do everything according to his own will. In a word, he finds everything within himself in a very bad state. And seeing this, his zeal is inflamed, and he now directs strenuous efforts to the development of his inner life, to controlling his thoughts and the disposition of his heart..”

St. Theophan the Recluse

Worship: Sunday, February 24, 2019 (Sunday of the Prodigal Son; Holy Forerunner John the Baptist)

Scripture: II Corinthians 4:6-15; Luke 15:11-32

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Mildred Morris

Prosphora: Davis

Coffee Hour: Baker/D. Root/Dansereau