September 26, 2021

Repose of St. John the Evangelist and Theologian

I John 4:12-19: How can we know God lives in us? St. John gives us a fourfold answer: (1) if we love one another; (2) if we have been given His Spirit; (3) if we can confess Jesus is the Son of God; and (4) if we abide in the love of God.

John 19:21-27: As we read these verses describing the Crucifixion of the Lord, we remember St. Helen’s discovery of the True Cross of Christ. We note 3 important truths concerning Jesus’ Mother: (1) In calling Mary woman, Jesus is using a term of dignity and affection; (2) in saying to the disciple whom Jesus loved, that is, John, Behold your mother, Jesus symbolically establishes Mary’s role as mother of all faithful disciples – of the entire Church; and (3) if Mary had other offspring, Jesus would not have placed her under the care of John: the Church’s teaching concerning Mary’s eternal virginity is ratified by Christ’s action.

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 St. John the Evangelist: O Apostle John, beloved of Christ our God, hasten to deliver a defenseless people. He that allowed thee to recline on His breast, receiveth thee bowing in intercession. Implore Him, O Theologian, to dispel the persistent cloud of the heathen, and ask for us His peace and great mercy.

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

UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE: All services listed on the calendar will be available through streaming and webcast.

Please continue to follow the CDC Guidelines to limit contagion and the spread of the COVID virus.

Sunday, September 26 (Repose of John the Theologian)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros (webcast)

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy (webcast)

Monday, September 27

Father Herman off

Tuesday, September 28 (Venerable Chariton)

NO Services

11:30 a.m. — Ladies meet at the Church for brown-bag lunch

Wednesday, September 29

6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers

Thursday, September 30

NO Services

Friday, October 1(Protection of the Theotokos)

NO Services

Saturday, October 2

4:45 p.m. — Choir Practice

6:00 p.m. — Great Vespers (No Ninth Hour)

Sunday, October 3 (Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros (webcast)

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy (webcast)

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Please be reminded that it is common Antiochian practice to tilt your head back and open your mouth to receive the Body and Blood. Please be aware of this when you approach the Chalice.

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

Eucharist Bread Schedule (MODIFIED Coffee Hour — Coffee only, no food**):

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

September 26 Jones Kh. Be’Be’, Sh. Charlotte

October 3 D. Root Elizabeth, Brenda

October 10 Davis Kh. Janet, Anastasia

October 16 (Sat. p.m.) Meadows (Artoklasia Bread)

(Great Vespers with Litia & Artoklasia for the Sunday of the Holy Fathers)

October 17 Karam Rebecca, Natalia, Christina

October 24 Brock Kh. Sharon, Cheryl

October 31 R. Root Kh. Be’Be’, Sh. Charlotte

Coffee Hour Going Forward: We will continue to serve coffee (and juice for the children), but no food as yet, following the Divine Liturgy on Sunday mornings. We will also continue to use disposable cups and individual sweeteners and creamers. Please use the available hand sanitizer before using the air-pots to get your coffee. Coffee will be served inside the fellowship hall and people will be free to go outside or to sit inside. For those sitting inside, we ask that you spread out and provide some space for each other. Please DO NOT congregate in front of the coffee table or in the entrance to the Fellowship Hall.

Schedule for Epistle Readers – Page numbers refer to the Apostolos (book of the Epistles) located on the Chanters’ stand at the front of the nave. Please be sure to use this book when you read.

Reader Reading Page#

September 26 Walt Wood I John 4:12-19 315

October 3 Luke Habeeb II Cor. 4:6-15 163

October 10 Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver II Cor. 6:1-10 168

October 17 Sam Habeeb Titus 3:8-15 322

October 24 Sh. Charlotte Algood II Cor. 9:6-11 178

October 31 Kh. Sharon Meadows II Cor. 11:31-12:9 183

Also, please remember that we still need your tithes and offerings which may be placed in the tithe box at the back of the nave or be mailed to: St. Peter Orthodox Church, P.O. Box 2084, Madison, MS 39130-2084.

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); Jay and Joanna; Fr. Leo and Kh. Be’Be’ and their family; Emad and Natalia Alaeetawi and their family; Tom and Kathy Willingham; Marilyn (Kyriake) Snell; Jack and Jill Weatherly; Darlene Amason and her 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 keep Lottie Dabbs (Sh. Charlotte Algood’s mother) in your prayers as she recovers from a bad fall which resulted in a fractured pelvis. Please also remember Sh. Charlotte and their family as well.

Maria Costas is currently at St. Catherine’s Village. Please keep her in your prayers as well.

From Fr. Herman, Kh. Nikki and family: “We would like to thank everyone for the warm welcome we received coming home to St. Peter’s. We have felt the prayers and love. We would also like to thank everyone who donated to our housing fund. We appreciate you all so much.”

If you are not feeling well PLEASE do not attempt to come to the services. This also includes anyone who may have been exposed to you during this time. Also, please let Fr. Herman know if you are not feeling well and have COVID like symptoms.

Father Herman’s contact information is as follows:

cell phone #- 601-573-5246

email- abounaherman

Thank you to Maria Pacurari for volunteering to serve as President of the Ladies of St. Peter. Many thanks also to Joanna Davis, our past President, and to Christina Katool, our interim President, for their service.

Decorations Volunteers: If you are interested in decorating the church and the festal icon for the major feasts during the year, please see Sh. Charlotte or Kh. Nikki.

Instructions for streaming our services can be found on the parish website.

Calendar Items:

* The Ladies will meet at the church at 10:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of the month to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children on behalf of our children. They will also enjoy a brown-bag lunch and book study afterwards.

* The Ladies will meet for a brown-bag lunch at the church on the last Tuesday of the month.

* We will have a Litia and Artoklasia with the Great Vespers service on Saturday evening, October 16th, for the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council the following day.

* We will celebrate the feastday of St. Raphael, Bishop of Brooklyn with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning, November 6th, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

* The remaining Stewpot date for this year is November 6. More information will be available closer to time.

Fasting Discipline for September/October

In September and 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 September/October

September 26 Apostle John the Theologian (repose)

October 1 Protection of the Theotokos

October 6 Apostle Thomas

October 9 Apostle James/Son of Alphaeus

October 17 Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council

October 23 Apostle James, Brother of the Lord

October 26 Great-martyr Demetrios

The Diocese of Miami and the Southeast Fall Retreat 2021 to be hosted by St. Ignatius Church in Franklin TN has been rescheduled to the weekend of October 15-17th. This will be an “IN-PERSON” Retreat. For information on registration and the hotel, go the Diocesan website at DOMSE.org. A schedule for the retreat is also available on the website. If you had already registered and booked a hotel room for the September date, please check the website for information on what you need to do.

Quotable: “Christ dwells in us from Baptism. So He guides with power not only our striving for adorning ourselves with the virtues, not only the positive work of fortifying by the will the new man in Christ. He also guides the negative work of the slaying of sin, of the weakening, also by the will, of the old man: The new man in Christ doesn’t grow and expand in us except in the measure in which the old man gives way and shrinks in us. The meaning of Baptism, as participation in the death and Resurrection of the Lord by the one who is baptized, is manifested in the nourishing with the power of this spiritual process. The mystery of Baptism isn’t only a momentary realization of a mystical death and resurrection by the one who is baptized; it is also the inauguration of a process in which this death and resurrection continue until perfection.”

Fr. Dumitru Staniloae, Orthodox Spirituality

Worship: Sunday, October 3, 2021 (Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

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

Celebrant: Father Herman

Epistle Reader: Luke Habeeb

Prosphora: D. Root

Coffee Hour: Elizabeth Root, Brenda Baker