March 29, 2020

Third Sunday of Great Lent

Veneration of the Precious and Life-giving Cross

In the middle of Lent, the church sets before us the Cross of Christ. On two other occasions during the year, September 14 and August 1, the cross is presented for our remembrance and veneration. Both these feasts link the Adoration of the Cross to historic events. However, the remembrance of the cross on the third Sunday in Lent prepares us for the commemoration of the crucifixion which is soon to follow in Holy Week, and at the same time, it reminds us that the whole of Lent is a period when we are crucified with Christ. The dominant note on this Sunday, as on the two Sundays preceding, is one of joy and triumph. No separation is made between Christ’s death and His resurrection, but the cross is regarded as an emblem of victory on Calvary as seen in light of the Empty Tomb.

Hebrews 4:14-5:6: After describing the all-seeing power of Jesus Christ, the writer of Hebrews re­veals Him as the great high priest who perfectly identifies with us in our weakness.

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: Thou didst shatter death by thy Cross; thou didst open paradise to the thief; thou didst turn the mourning of the ointment-bearing women into joy, and didst bid thine Apostles proclaim warning that thou hast risen, O Christ, 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 Sundays of Lent: To thee the champion leader, I thy servant offer thanks for victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast delivered me form terror. As thou hast power invincible, free me from every danger that I may cry unto thee: Rejoice, O bride without bridegroom.

CALENDAR

Sunday, March 22 (Adoration of the Holy Cross)

Orthros & Divine Liturgy available through webcast ONLY

Monday, March 23

Father John’s Day Off

Tuesday, March 24

NO Daily Orthros

Wednesday, March 25 (Feast of the Annunciation)

THE SCRIPTURE (Luke 1:26-38): The Angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee (the northernmost district of Palestine) named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house (family) of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Rejoice, you who are full of grace, the Lord is with you! Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold you shall conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father (ancestor) David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob (the father of all the tribes of Israel) for ever; and of His kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the Angel, “How can this be, since I have no husband?” And the Angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you, therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid (servant) of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the Angel departed from her.

THE SIGNIFICANCE: This feast commemorates the day when the Archangel Gabriel announced to a young virgin named Mary that she, among all women, had found favor with the Father. She was invited to cooperate with Him for the Incarnation of His pre-eternal Son through the operation

of the Holy Spirit. This, “the beginning of our salvation,” was conditioned not only by God’s will

and His election of Mary, but also by Mary’s own “YES” to do God’s will – “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

Orthros & Divine Liturgy available through webcast ONLY

Thursday, March 26 (Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel)

NO Daily Orthros

Friday, March 27

Akathist available by webcast ONLY

Saturday, March 28

NO Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers

Sunday, March 29 (Commemoration of John of the Ladder)

Orthros & Divine Liturgy available through webcast ONLY

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Please remember that the schedule for prosphora is still in place as we will continue to serve the Divine Liturgy. Also, please remember that we still need your tithes and offerings which should be sent to: St. Peter Orthodox Church, P.O. Box 2084, Madison, MS 39130-2084. If you need Father John for anything, do not hesitate to get in touch with him. If you become ill, please let him know.

Please keep Keri-Elizabeth Waites in your prayers as she has contracted the Corona-virus. Please also pray for her grandparents Bob and Georgia Buchanan since she has been living with them.

Please remember the following in your prayers: Steve, Sheryl Chamblee; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit; 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; Tom and Kathy Willingham.

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 …was offered by the Davises for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

Eucharist Bread Schedule (NO Coffee Hour):

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

March 25 (Wed. a.m.) D. Root

(Feast of the Annunciation)

March 29 Karam

April 5 Brock

April 11 (Sat. a.m.) Baker

(Lazarus Saturday)

April 12 Henderson

April 16 (Thur. a.m.) Algood

(Great and Holy Thursday)

April 18 (Sat. a.m.) Katool

(Great and Holy Saturday)

April 18 (Sat. p.m.) Schelver

April 26 Morris

May 3 Jones

May 10 Meadows

May 17 Davis

May 24 D. Root

May 27 (Wed. p.m.) Karam

(Feast of Ascension)

May 31 Brock

June 6 (Sat. a.m.) Baker

(Saturday of the Souls)

June 7 Henderson

June 14 Algood

June 21 Katool

June 28 Schelver

June 29 (Mon. a.m.) Morris

(Sts. Peter and Paul)

Please continue to pray for the following members of St. Peter:

Warren Strain and their family. Warren is hospitalized at Baptist Hospital following a stroke on December 23rd.

Nicholas Zouboukos and his family. Nicholas is back in classes at Ole Miss but continues to undergo evaluation for a GI disorder.

Aidan Milnor and his family.

Charlotte Wood and their family. Charlotte is recovering at home from spinal surgery.

All those affected by the Corona-virus Pandemic.

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

A Benevolence account has been established at St. Peter to help the Strain family deal with Warren’s medical bills and other needs. If you would like to make a donation to this fund, please note on your check that it is for the Warren Strain Benevolence Fund. 100% of these funds will go to the Strain family.

During the current COVID-19 outbreak, St. Peter’s will be using YouTube to stream services. We will post announcements about the streams to stpeterorthodox.org “Announcements” section and to our Facebook page. You should be able to go directly to the St Peter Orthodox Church YouTube channel from most mobile phones, desktops, and connected TVs. In case you need more instructions, below are details about how to watch from a variety of devices.
Apple iPhone or iPad

· Be sure you have the YouTube app from the Apple App Store.

· Sign up or login in the YouTube app if needed.

· Tap here to go to the St. Peter Orthodox Church YouTube Channel

· Tap ‘Subscribe’

· If a service is streaming, it will appear here. Tap it to watch.

· If a service is not streaming, past services will appear in the list. Tap the one you would like to watch.

Android Phone or Tablet

· Be sure you have the YouTube app from the Google Play Store

· Sign up or login in the YouTube app if needed.

· Tap here to go to the St. Peter Orthodox Church YouTube Channel

· Tap ‘Subscribe’

· If a service is streaming, it will appear here. Tap it to watch.

· If a service is not streaming, past services will appear in the list. Tap the one you would like to watch.

Desktop or Laptop computer

· Click here to go to the St. Peter Orthodox Church YouTube Channel

· Sign up or login if needed.

· Click ‘Subscribe’

· If a service is streaming, it will appear here. Click it to watch.

· If a service is not streaming, past services will appear in the list. Click the one you would like to watch.

Roku or “Smart TV”

· Be sure you have the YouTube app and have set it up on the Roku

· Saint Peter may not show up in YouTube Search yet. Instead, follow the steps above to subscribe from another device, logged in with the same username and password as you use on YouTube on your Roku.

· Open YouTube on your Roku

· Click “Subscriptions”

· Find “Saint Peter Orthodox Church”

· Select the most recent live video or a past one to watch.

Fasting Discipline for March

Beginning with Clean Monday on March 2nd, the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all days of the week until Pascha (except the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25th and Palm Sunday on April 12th, when fish, wine and oil are permitted).

Major Commemorations for March

March 22 3rd Sunday of Lent; Adoration of the Holy Cross

March 25 Feast of the Annunciation

March 26 Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel

March 29 4th Sunday of Lent; John Climacus

ead of ManHead of Maonasteries

Quotable: “Both gluttony and pride have their root in philautia, egotistic love of self as an autonomous and independent absolute. ‘It’s clear’ says Maximus the Confessor, ‘that he who is egotistic has all the passions.’ But egotism represents a rupture with God, as a center distinct from me, from my existence; and since man can’t exist by himself, no matter how much he tries to create that illusion, egotism represents a gravitation toward the world.

Thus, since the forgetting of God is the ultimate cause of passions, their healing must begin with faith: by a return to the most frequent remembrance of Him possible. By it, the first brake will be put on egotism. The former will be manifested in a practical way by restraint in a general way: the restraint of fleshly appetites and the restraint of pride, by humility.”

St. Isaac the Syrian

Worship: Sunday, March 29, 2020 (Fourth Sunday of Lent; Commemoration of John Climacus)

Scripture: Hebrews 6:13-20; Mark 9:17-31

Celebrant: Father John

Prosphora: Karam