October 3, 2021
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Hieromartyr Dionysios the Areopagite
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. Dionysios: Since thou hadst been instructed in uprightness thoroughly and wast vigilant in all things, thou wast clothed with a good conscience as befitteth one holy. Thou didst draw from the Chosen Vessel ineffable mysteries; and having kept the Faith, thou didst finish a like course, O Hieromartyr Dyonysios. 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
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, 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)
Monday, October 4
Father Herman off
Wednesday, October 6 (Apostle Thomas)
6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers
7:30 p.m. — Parish Council meeting
Thursday, October 7
NO Services
NO Services
[Knucklehead Family Reunion
begins]
Saturday, October 9(Apostle James, Son of Alphaeus)
10:00 a.m. — Ladies meet for Akathist and Brown-bag Lunch
4:45 p.m. — Choir Practice
6:00 p.m. — Great Vespers (No Ninth Hour)
Sunday, October 10 (Sixteenth 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 Daniel Roots for the Divine Liturgy this morning.
Eucharist Bread Schedule (MODIFIED Coffee Hour — Coffee only, no food**):
Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour
October 3 D. Root D. Root, Baker
October 10 Davis Henderson, Jones
October 16 (Sat. p.m.) D. Root (Artoklasia Bread)
(Great Vespers with Litia & Artoklasia for the Sunday of the Holy Fathers)
October 17 Karam Dansereau, Alaeetawi, Katool
October 24 Brock Meadows, Pigott
October 31 R. Root Schelver, Algood
We will continue to serve coffee (and juice for the children), and will now add pre-packaged snacks, following the Divine Liturgy on Sunday mornings. We will also continue to use the 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#
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; Lottie Dabbs (Sh. Charlotte Algood’s mother), Sh. Charlotte and their family; Maria Costas (currently at St. Catherine’s Village); Eugene and Bea Berry.
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.
Maria Costas’ address is listed below. She would enjoy any cards you wish to send her.
St. Catherine’s Village
200 Dominican Drive
Sienna Room 201
Madison, MS 39110
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.
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.
Fall Festival has been scheduled for Saturday, October 23rd, beginning at 4:00 p.m.!! Great Vespers will be cancelled for that day. We need a headcount for the food, so please place your name (and the number coming from your family) on the sign-up sheet in the Fellowship Hall if you plan to attend. If you have any questions, please see Anna Kathryn Stewart.
Instructions for streaming our services can be found on the parish website.
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.
We will celebrate Fr. John’s Retirement as well as our 35th Anniversary and our annual visit from His Grace, Bishop NICHOLAS on the weekend of March 5-6, 2022. More information will be coming on the festivities in the near future.
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.
* His Grace, Bishop NICHOLAS will be at St. Peter the weekend of March 5-6, 2022 to help us celebrate Fr. John’s retirement and our 35th anniversary as a parish. Please mark your calendars now.
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 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
Quotable: “This death is again the negative aspect of asceticism. It is the struggle against the old man of sin; the resurrection is the positive aspect. It is the raising of the new man of the virtues. Death is joined with suffering. We stifle and cut away from us a kind of life which has become our own. But then we realize that the Lord too died suffering and by our suffering we too take part in what He suffered. In this sense asceticism is our participation in the death and Resurrection of the Lord, in the continuation and actualization of Baptism, by our personal efforts. Christ as the source of the power which sustains the effort of asceticism is the force, the ‘nature,’ both of the virtues, as the positive side of asceticism, as well as of the struggle against the old man, of sin.”
Fr. Dumitru Staniloae, Orthodox Spirituality
Worship: Sunday, October 10, 2021 (Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost)
Scripture: II Corinthians 6:1-10; Luke 7:11-16
Celebrant: Father Herman
Epistle Reader: Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver
Prosphora: Davis
Coffee Hour: Kh. Janet Henderson, Anastasia Jones