September 29, 2019

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

II Corinthians 4:6-15: From our reading in II Corinthians we hear St Paul discuss how his and the other apostles’ sufferings have brought forth life in the people of God.

Luke 6:31-36: From St Luke’s account of the Sermon on the Mount we hear our Lord teach us to love our enemies, to be unselfish in our giving, and to have mercy upon those who do us wrong rather than condemning them.

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. Kyriakos of Palestine: Thou didst prove to be a citizen of the desert, an angel in the flesh, and a wonderworker, O Kyriakos, our God-bearing Father. By fasting, vigil, and prayer thou didst obtain heavenly gifts, and thou healest the sick and the souls of them that have recourse to thee with faith. Glory to Him that hath given thee strength; glory to Him that hath crowned thee; glory to Him that worketh healings for all through 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 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, September 29 (Sunday after the Elevation of the Cross)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

Monday, September 30

Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, October 1 (Protection of the Theotokos)

NO Daily Orthros

Wednesday, October 2

6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers

7:15 p.m. — Choir Practice

Thursday, October 3

NO Daily Orthros

11:30 a.m. — Men’s Lunch

Friday, October 4

[Knucklehead
Family Reunion begins today in Arkansas]

Saturday, October 5

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

Sunday, October 6 (Apostle Thomas)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

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

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

September 29 Henderson Habeeb/Jones/Turner

October 6 Algood Ellis/Zouboukos/Waites

October 13 Katool POT LUCK MEAL

Set-up: Henderson/Lockhart/

Allaeetawi/Cooper

October 20 Schelver Stewart/Meadows

October 27 Morris Pigott/Dabit/Strain/Lavric

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 29 Walt Wood II Cor. 4:6-15 163

October 6 Sh. Charlotte Algood II Cor. 6:1-10 168

October 13 Warren Strain Titus 3:8-15 322

October 20 Kh. Sharon Meadows II Cor. 9:6-11 178

October 27 Mildred Morris II Cor. 11:31-12:9 183

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 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); Lynda Costas; Fr. Nicholas, Kh. Jan and Angelina Speier; David Morris and his family; Vernie Meadows, Fr. James and Kh. Sharon and their family; Dn. Noah and Sh. 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; Emad and Natalia Alaeetawi and their family.

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 refrain from wearing shorts or revealing clothes to the services of the church this summer. We realize that it is hot but the church frowns on attire that is that casual for its services.

There will be no Daily Orthros on weekdays until the Fast of the Nativity, which begins on November 15th.

Our annual Fall Festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 19th. Many thanks to Anna Kathryn Stewart for agreeing to coordinate this event again! Several people have agreed to help with this as well, but we need more volunteers, including men to help cook burgers and hotdogs, etc. We will have a sign–up sheet available shortly. As in past years, we will not have Ninth Hour or Great Vespers that evening.

Calendar Items:

* The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month. However, they will meet on the third Thursday in July (only).

* 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.

* Our annual Fall Festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 19th.

* The Women’s Pan-Orthodox Retreat will be held at Holy Resurrection on Saturday, October 26th. Abbot Tryphon of All-Merciful Saviour Monastery, Vashon Island, Washington will be our speaker.

* We will celebrate the Feastday of St. Rapael, Bishop of Brooklyn with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning, November 2nd, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

* Bishop NICHOLAS will make his next arch-pastoral visit to St. Peter on the weekend of November 8-10. Please mark your calendars now.

* Daily Orthros will resume with the Fast of the Nativity, which begins on November 15th.

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 1 Protection of the Theotokos

October 6 Apostle Thomas

October 9 Apostle James, Son of Alphaeus

October 18 Apostle Luke

October 23 Apostle James, Brother of the Lord

October 26 Great-martyr Demetrios

2019 Orthodox Women’s Retreat: Plans are underway for the fifth annual Orthodox Women’s Retreat on the last weekend of October at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton, Ms. We are honored to have Abbot Tryphon of All-Merciful Saviour Monastery, Vashon Island, Washington, as our speaker. The ladies of Holy Resurrection, Holy Trinity-St. John the Theologian, and St. Peter Orthodox Churches look forward to hosting you on October 26th. Flyers and registration forms are available in the hallway outside the nave.

If severe weather is in the area please check our website or facebook page for information on services. If it is ever necessary to cancel any of our services due to severe weather conditions, this will be posted on those sites.

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

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.

ead of ManHead of Maonasteries

Quotable: “Father Sophrony says that the first decisive step in the realm of prayer is made when man receives the grace of mindfulness of death. A strange inner sense lodges in his ‘deep heart’ and informs his spirit of the utter ‘futility of any and every acquisition on earth’. At the same time, the inner eyes of his soul are tormented by a vision of his absolute nothingness, in which his whole being is condemned to annihilation. Everything that his conscience has hitherto embraced , and all that has previously inspired him and given him joy now appears as meaningless, marked by vanity, given over to mortality. In other words, the whole created world proves to be utterly incapable of relieving the soul’s deep new-found longing for life eternal. The spirit of such a man somehow develops a certain contempt for things visible, and now longs for those things which are by their very nature invisible and eternal, so that even centuries of blissful living in this world hold no attraction whatever. If he now receives Christ ‘who has the everlasting Gospel’ (Rev. 14:6) with faith, then the grace of mindfulness of death will inspire him with prayer that conquers the passions and restores him to true life.”

Archimandrite Zacharias, The Hidden Man of the Heart

Worship: Sunday, October 6, 2019 (Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

Scripture: II Corinthians 6:1-104; Luke 7:11-16

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Sh. Charlotte Algood

Prosphora: Algood

Coffee Hour: Ellis/Zouboukos/Waites

September 22, 2019

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

II Corinthians 1:21-2:1-4: St Paul, writing in II Corinthians, reminds us that we are established in God from whom we have received the Holy Spirit as a pledge of what we shall receive in the fullness of God’s kingdom.

Luke 5:1-11: In the reading from the Gospel of St Luke we see Simon Peter, James, and John become disciples of our Lord.

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 Hieromartyr Phocas: By choosing the Apostles’ way of life, thou hast succeeded to their throne. Inspired by God, thou didst find the way to divine contemplation through the practice of virtue. After teaching the Word of Truth without error, thou didst defend the Faith to the very shedding of thy blood, O Holy Martyr among bishops Phocas. Entreat the Lord our God to save our souls.

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, September 22 (Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

Monday, September 23 (Conception of the Forerunner)

Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, September 24 (Proto-martyr Thekla)

NO Daily Orthros

12:00 p.m. — Ladies’Lunch

Wednesday, September 25

6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers

7:15 p.m. — Choir Practice

Thursday, September 26 (Apostle John the Theologian)

NO Daily Orthros

Friday, September 27

Saturday, September 28 (Venerable Chariton)

8:30 a.m. — Workday at the Church

11:30 a.m. — Serving at Stewpot Ministries

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

Sunday, September 29 (Sunday after the Elevation of the Cross)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

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

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

September 22 Baker Schelver/Karam/Pacurari

September 29 Henderson Habeeb/Jones/Turner

October 6 Algood Ellis/Zouboukos/Waites

October 13 Katool POT LUCK MEAL

Set-up: Henderson/Lockhart/

Allaeetawi/Cooper

October 20 Schelver Stewart/Meadows

October 27 Morris Pigott/Dabit/Strain/Lavric

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 22 Brenda Baker II Cor. 1:21-2:4 158

September 29 Walt Wood II Cor. 4:6-15 163

October 6 Sh. Charlotte Algood II Cor. 6:1-10 168

October 13 Warren Strain Titus 3:8-15 322

October 20 Kh. Sharon Meadows II Cor. 9:6-11 178

October 27 Mildred Morris II Cor. 11:31-12:9 183

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 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); Lynda Costas; Fr. Nicholas, Kh. Jan and Angelina Speier; David Morris and his family; Vernie Meadows, Fr. James and Kh. Sharon and their family; Dn. Noah and Sh. 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; Emad and Natalia Alaeetawi and their family.

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 refrain from wearing shorts or revealing clothes to the services of the church this summer. We realize that it is hot but the church frowns on attire that is that casual for its services.

There will be no Daily Orthros on weekdays until the Fast of the Nativity, which begins on November 15th.

Our annual Fall Festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 19th. Many thanks to Anna Kathryn Stewart for agreeing to coordinate this event again! Several people have agreed to help with this as well, but we need more volunteers, including men to help cook burgers and hotdogs, etc. We will have a sign–up sheet available shortly. As in past years, we will not have Ninth Hour or Great Vespers that evening.

Calendar Items:

* The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month. However, they will meet on the third Thursday in July (only).

* 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.

* The banquet for Sunnybrook Children’s Home is Thursday, September 26th. Please see info below.

* Our next date for serving at the Stewpot is Saturday, September 28th.

* Our annual Fall Festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 19th.

* The Women’s Pan-Orthodox Retreat will be held at Holy Resurrection on Saturday, October 26th. Abbot Tryphon of All-Merciful Saviour Monastery, Vashon Island, Washington will be our speaker.

* Bishop NICHOLAS will make his next arch-pastoral visit to St. Peter on the weekend of November 8-10. Please mark your calendars now.

* Daily Orthros will resume with the Fast of the Nativity, which begins on November 15th.

The Sunnybrook “Champions for Children Dinner” will be held at the Jackson Country Club on Thursday, September 26th at 6:30 p.m. The Keynote Speaker will be First Lady Deborah Bryant. The cost of the banquet is $75 per person and the deadline for purchase is September 15th. Contact Dn. Terry if you would like to be included at a table(s) with others from St. Peter.

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.

Major Commemorations for September

September 23 Conception of the Forerunner

September 24 Proto-martyr Thekla

September 26 Apostle John the Theologian (repose)

September 28 Venerable Chariton

2019 Orthodox Women’s Retreat: Plans are underway for the fifth annual Orthodox Women’s Retreat on the last weekend of October at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton, Ms. We are honored to have Abbot Tryphon of All-Merciful Saviour Monastery, Vashon Island, Washington, as our speaker. The ladies of Holy Resurrection, Holy Trinity-St. John the Theologian, and St. Peter Orthodox Churches look forward to hosting you on October 26th. Flyers and registration forms are available in the hallway outside the nave.

If severe weather is in the area please check our website or facebook page for information on services. If it is ever necessary to cancel any of our services due to severe weather conditions, this will be posted on those sites.

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

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.

ead of ManHead of Maonasteries

Quotable: “But the Son of God, in His infinite lovingkindness, came ‘to dwell with those that had departed from his grace’, in order to renew the dialogue he had had with man in Paradise, but which had been severed by reason of Adam’s transgression. For Christ is a true Hypostasis, a perfect Divine Person, while man also bears within himself the hypostatic principle, since he is created in Christ’s image. Man’s extraordinary privilege, therefore, is that of working with God towards his perfection as a person restored. And this is undertaken through prayer, as he stands in the presence of the living God, receiving His creative energy for his renewal and perfection.”

Archimandrite Zacharias, The Hidden Man of the Heart

Worship: Sunday, September 29, 2019 (Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

Scripture: II Corinthians 4:6-15; Luke 6:31-36

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Walt Wood

Prosphora: Henderson

Coffee Hour: Habeeb/Jones/Turner

September 15, 2019

Sunday after the Elevation of the Cross

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.

Mark 8:34-9:1: In our reading from the gospel of Mark we hear our Lord tell His disciples that self-denial is required for true spirituality.

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 the Holy Cross: O Lord, save thy people and bless thine inheritance, granting to thy people victory over all their enemies, and by the power of thy Cross preserving thy kingdom.

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 Holy Cross: Do thou, who of thine own good will wast lifted up upon the Cross, O Christ our God, bestow thy bounties upon the new nation which is called by thy Name; make glad in thy might those who lawfully govern, that with them we may led to victory over our adversaries, having in thine aid a weapon of peace and a trophy invincible.

CALENDAR

Sunday, September 15 (Sunday after the Elevation of the Cross)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy

Monday, September 16

Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, September 17

NO Daily Orthros

Wednesday, September 18

6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers

7:15 p.m. — Choir Practice

7:30 p.m. — Parish Council Meeting

Thursday, September 19

NO Daily Orthros

Friday, September 20

Saturday, September 21

10:00 a.m. — Ladies meet for Akathist

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

Sunday, September 22 (Fourteenth 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 Karams for the Feast of the Elevation of the Cross yesterday morning and by the Brocks for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

September 15 Brock Katool/Davis/Baba

September 22 Baker Schelver/Karam/Pacurari

September 29 Henderson Habeeb/Jones/Turner

October 6 Algood Ellis/Zouboukos/Waites

October 13 Katool POT LUCK MEAL

Set-up: Henderson/Lockhart/

Allaeetawi/Cooper

October 20 Schelver Stewart/Meadows

October 27 Morris Pigott/Dabit/Strain/Lavric

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 15 Sam Habeeb Gal. 2:16-20 193

September 22 Brenda Baker II Cor. 1:21-2:4 158

September 29 Walt Wood II Cor. 4:6-15 163

October 6 Sh. Charlotte Algood II Cor. 6:1-10 168

October 13 Warren Strain Titus 3:8-15 322

October 20 Kh. Sharon Meadows II Cor. 9:6-11 178

October 27 Mildred Morris II Cor. 11:31-12:9 183

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 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 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 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; Dn. Noah and Sh. 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 refrain from wearing shorts or revealing clothes to the services of the church this summer. We realize that it is hot but the church frowns on attire that is that casual for its services.

There will be no Daily Orthros on weekdays until the Fast of the Nativity, which begins on November 15th.

Our annual Fall Festival is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, October 19th. Many thanks to Anna Kathryn Stewart for coordinating this event for the last few years! We are still looking for a volunteer who would be willing to take it on this year. If you would be willing to do so, please let Fr. John know. If no volunteers come forward, we will cancel the event.

Calendar Items:

* The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month. However, they will meet on the third Thursday in July (only).

* 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.

* The banquet for Sunnybrook Children’s Home is Thursday, September 26th. Please see info below.

* Our next date for serving at the Stewpot is Saturday, September 28th.

* Our annual Fall Festival is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, October 19th.

* The Women’s Pan-Orthodox Retreat will be held at Holy Resurrection on Saturday, October 26th. Abbot Tryphon of All-Merciful Saviour Monastery, Vashon Island, Washington will be our speaker. More information will be available at a later date.

* Bishop NICHOLAS will make his next arch-pastoral visit to St. Peter on the weekend of November 8-10. Please mark your calendars now.

* Daily Orthros will resume with the Fast of the Nativity, which begins on November 15th.

The Sunnybrook “Champions for Children Dinner” will be held at the Jackson Country Club on Thursday, September 26th at 6:30 p.m. The Keynote Speaker will be First Lady Deborah Bryant. The cost of the banquet is $75 per person and the deadline for purchase is September 15th. Contact Dn. Terry if you would like to be included at a table(s) with others from St. Peter.

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.

Major Commemorations for September

September 23 Conception of the Forerunner

September 24 Proto-martyr Thekla

September 26 Apostle John the Theologian (repose)

September 28 Venerable Chariton

2019 Orthodox Women’s Retreat: Plans are underway for the fifth annual Orthodox Women’s Retreat on the last weekend of October at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton, Ms. We are honored to have Abbot Tryphon of All-Merciful Saviour Monastery, Vashon Island, Washington, as our speaker. The ladies of Holy Resurrection, Holy Trinity-St. John the Theologian, and St. Peter Orthodox Churches look forward to hosting you on October 26th. Flyers and registration forms will be sent out by September 15.

If severe weather is in the area please check our website or facebook page for information on services. If it is ever necessary to cancel any of our services due to severe weather conditions, this will be posted on those sites.

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

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.

ead of ManHead of Maonasteries

Quotable: “It is normal that man should turn to God with longing. He is the source and cause of man’s being and his Fashioner—indeed, the Lord is the very principle and foundation of the whole man. God, on the other hand, approaches man out of goodness and mercy and quickens him by His presence. We reasonable creatures can find no greater blessedness than this contact with our Creator. Before the fall, this relationship was constant and intimate, luminous and direct, for man beheld the very Face of God, conversing with Him, and he was guided aright by His word alone. Man contemplated God and imitated God, and such was his life of prayer. The fall into sin, however, destroyed man’s life-giving communion with God, and he was estranged from the divine glory.”

Archimandrite Zacharias, The Hidden Man of the Heart

Worship: Sunday, September 22, 2019 (Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

Scripture: II Corinthians 1:21-2:4; Luke 5:1-11

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Brenda Baker

Prosphora: Baker

Coffee Hour: Schelver/Karam/Pacurari

September 8, 2019

Sunday before the Elevation of the Cross and

Feast of the 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.

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.

John 3:13-17: In the Gospel of John we hear Jesus speak concerning His purpose for coming into the world: to save mankind through His death and Resurrection.

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 Nativity of the Theotokos: Thy nativity, O Theotokos, hath proclaimed joy to the whole universe; for from thee did shine forth the Sun of justice, Christ our God, annulling the curse, and bestowing the everlasting blessing, abolishing death and granting us life everlasting.

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 8 (Nativity of the Theotokos)

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, September 9 (Righteous Joachim and Anna)

Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, September 10

NO Daily Orthros

Wednesday, September 11

6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers

7:15 p.m. — Choir Practice

Thursday, September 12

NO Daily Orthros

Friday, September 13 (Dedication of the Church of the Anastasis)

Saturday, September 14 (Elevation of the Holy Cross)

This feast is celebrated as one of the most important in the Church Year because it commemorates two events of great significance. After St. Helen had found at Jerusalem the cross upon which Christ was crucified, she built a Church on Mount Calvary to hold the precious relic. The Christians held the Holy Cross in such high regard that they soon began to celebrate this feast in honor of the finding of the Cross.

In the year 614, the Persians invaded the Empire and took Jerusalem, and sent the case containing the Cross back to their country. For fifteen years the Greek Emperor Heraclius waged war against the Persians, and finally in 629 defeated them, forcing them to make peace, and to restore the Holy Cross to him. It is said that the case containing the sacred relics was returned to him with the seals still unbroken. The Relics were replaced in the Church with great rejoicing, and to the original Feast in honor of the finding of the Cross was added another, in honor of its safe return to Jerusalem.

A special feature of the Church Services on this day, is the procession in which the Cross is borne aloft on a tray of flowers and placed in the midst of the Church; the Priest then elevates it to the four corners of the compass, blessing thrice with it as he does so, and praying that God will protect and preserve the President and the Civil Authorities of our country and the Armed Forces, and guard and guide the Hierarchs and clergy of the Church, and protect and preserve all His faithful people from every evil.

[STRICT
FAST DAY]

9:00 a.m. — Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy

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

Sunday, September 15 (Sunday after the Elevation of the Cross)

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

September 8 (Sun. a.m.) D. Root POT LUCK MEAL

(Nativity of the Theotokos) Set-up: Baker/D. Root/Dansereau

September 14 (Sat. a.m.) Karam Kh. Sharon Meadows

September 15 Brock Katool/Davis/Baba

September 22 Baker Schelver/Karam/Pacurari

September 29 Henderson Habeeb/Jones/Turner

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 8 Mildred Morris Phil. 2:5-11 307

September 14 (Sat. a.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows I Cor. 1:18-24 311

September 15 Sam Habeeb Gal. 2:16-20 193

September 22 Brenda Baker II Cor. 1:21-2:4 158

September 29 Walt Wood II Cor. 4:6-15 163

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 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 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); Lynda Costas; Fr. Nicholas, Kh. Jan and Angelina Speier; David Morris and his family; Vernie Meadows, Fr. James and Kh. Sharon and their family; Dn. Noah and Sh. 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 refrain from wearing shorts or revealing clothes to the services of the church this summer. We realize that it is hot but the church frowns on attire that is that casual for its services.

There will be no Daily Orthros on weekdays until the Fast of the Nativity, which begins on November 15th.

Our annual Fall Festival is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, October 19th. Many thanks to Anna Kathryn Stewart for coordinating this event for the last few years! We are still looking for a volunteer who would be willing to take it on this year. If you would be willing to do so, please let Fr. John know. If no volunteers come forward, we will cancel the event.

Christian Education Classes resumed this morning. Please be sure to have your children at church on time.

If severe weather is in the area please check our website or facebook page for information on services. If it is ever necessary to cancel any of our services due to severe weather conditions, this will be posted on those sites.

Calendar Items:

* The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month. However, they will meet on the third Thursday in July (only).

* 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 Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross THIS Saturday morning with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Please remember that this feast is also a strict fast day. (As a result of this liturgy, the Ladies will meet for their monthly Akathist on Saturday, September 21st.)

* The banquet for Sunnybrook Children’s Home is Thursday, September 26th. Please see info below.

* Our next date for serving at the Stewpot is Saturday, September 28th.

* Our annual Fall Festival is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, October 19th.

* The Women’s Pan-Orthodox Retreat will be held at Holy Resurrection on Saturday, October 26th. Abbot Tryphon of All-Merciful Saviour Monastery, Vashon Island, Washington will be our speaker. More information will be available at a later date.

* Bishop NICHOLAS will make his next arch-pastoral visit to St. Peter on the weekend of November 8-10. Please mark your calendars now.

* Daily Orthros will resume with the Fast of the Nativity, which begins on November 15th.

The Sunnybrook “Champions for Children Dinner” will be held at the Jackson Country Club on Thursday, September 26th at 6:30 p.m. The Keynote Speaker will be First Lady Deborah Bryant. The cost of the banquet is $75 per person and the deadline for purchase is September 15th. Contact Dn. Terry if you would like to be included at a table(s) with others from St. Peter.

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. The Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross on September 14th is also a strict fast day.

Major Commemorations for September

September 8 Nativity of the Theotokos

September 9 Righteous Joachim and Anna

September 13 Dedication of the Church of the Anastasis

September 14 Elevation of the Precious Cross

September 23 Conception of the Forerunner

September 24 Proto-martyr Thekla

September 26 Apostle John the Theologian (repose)

September 28 Venerable Chariton

2019 Orthodox Women’s Retreat: Plans are underway for the fifth annual Orthodox Women’s Retreat on the last weekend of October at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton, Ms. We are honored to have Abbot Tryphon of All-Merciful Saviour Monastery, Vashon Island, Washington, as our speaker. The ladies of Holy Resurrection, Holy Trinity-St. John the Theologian, and St. Peter Orthodox Churches look forward to hosting you on October 26th. Flyers and registration forms will be sent out by September 15.

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

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.

Quotable:

“If man had not been created according to God’s ‘image’ for the purpose of life in communion with the Author of his life, then prayer would not only be unnecessary and of no benefit, but also unattainable in practice. God, however, in His bountiful love, desires that man be incorruptible and eternal, and prayer is the most precious and necessary means for the fulfilment and perfection of this glorious purpose.”

Archimandrite Zacharias, The Hidden Man of the Heart

Worship: Sunday, September 15, 2019 (Sunday after the Elevation of the Cross)

Scripture: Galatians 2:16-20; Mark 8:34-9:1

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Sam Habeeb

Prosphora: Brock

Coffee Hour: Katool/Davis/Baba