Great-martyr Barbara and Venerable Father john of Damascus
Galatians 3:23-4:5: Brethren, before faith came, we were confined under the Law, kept under restraint until faith should be revealed. So that the Law was our custodian until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a custodian; for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no better than a slave, though he is the owner of all the estate; but he is under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. So with us; when we were children, we were slaves to the elemental spirits of the universe. But when the time had fully come, God sent forth His Son, to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
Luke 13:10-17: At that time, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. And when Jesus saw her, He called her and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and she praised God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrite! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger, and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” As Jesus said this, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by Him.
Troparion of the Resurrection: O compassionate One, thou didst descend from the heights; thou didst submit to the three-day burial, that thou might deliver us from passion. Thou art our Life and our Resurrection, O Lord, glory to thee.
Troparion of St. Barbara: Let us honor Saint Barbara; for she hath broken the snares of the enemy; and like a sparrow, she, the all-modest maiden, was delivered out of them by the help and weapon of the Cross.
Troparion of St. John of Damascus: O ye faithful come, let us on this day laud with praise the sweet-sounding nightingale that adorned and captivated the Church of Christ with his sweet songs and tuneful, heav’nly hymns, he is the all-wise and eloquent John Damascene, the utmost chief of hymnographers, and a man of God who was filled with every earthly and divine wisdom.
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 Preparatory for Nativity: Today the Virgin comes unto the cave to give birth in an ineffable manner to the Word before the ages. Rejoice, therefore, O universe, when you hear, and glorify with the angels and the shepherds him who shall appear by his own will as a new babe, being God before the ages.
CALENDAR
UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE: All services listed on the calendar will be available through streaming and webcast.
Sunday, December 4 (Great-martyr Barbara and Venerable Father John of Damascus)
8:50 a.m. — Orthros (webcast)
9:00 a.m. — Christian Education
10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy (webcast)
Monday, December 5 (Sava the Sanctified)
Father Herman off
6:30 p.m. — Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia
Tuesday, December 6 (Nicholas the Wonder-worker of Myra)
NO Services
Wednesday, December 7
6:30 p.m. — Advent Paraklesis
Thursday, December 8
NO Services
6:30 p.m. — Chanting Practice
Friday, December 9 (Conception of the Theotokos)
NO Services
Saturday, December 10
10:00 a.m. — Ladies meet for Akathist
6:00 p.m. — Great Vespers
Sunday, December 11 (Forefathers of Christ)
8:50 a.m. — Orthros (webcast)
9:00 a.m. — Christian Education
10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy (webcast)
12:00 p.m. — Santa Lucia Celebration at Coffee Hour
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Lasseters for the Divine Liturgy this morning.
Eucharist Bread Schedule:
Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour
December 4 Lasseter Dansereau/Alaeetawi
December 5 (Mon. p.m.) Henderson (Artos) No Coffee Hour
December 11 Algood Lockhart/Karam/Snell
December 18 Schelver Lavric/Skirtech/Dabit
December 24 (Sat. p.m.) Morrris Meadows/Pacurari/Cooper
Pigott/Stewart
December 31(Sat. p.m.) R. Root (Artos) No Coffee Hour
Also, please remember that we still need your tithes and offerings which may be placed in the tray that is passed during the Divine Liturgy, 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.
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 the following in your prayers: Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Lamia Dabit and her family; Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon’s sister); Jay and Joanna Davis; Fr. Leo and Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver and their family; Kathy Willingham; Marilyn (Kyriake) Snell; Jack and Jill Weatherly; Lottie Dabbs (Sh. Charlotte Algood’s mother), Sh. Charlotte and their family; Maria Costas (currently at St. Catherine’s Village); Reader Basil and Brenda Baker and their family; Buddy Cooper; Georgia and Bob Buchanan.
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#
December 4 Ian Jones Gal. 3:23-4:5 160-161
December 11 Brenda Baker Col. 3:4-11 233
December 18 Walt Wood Heb. 11:9-10, 32-40 348
December 24 (Sat. p.m.) Sam Habeeb Gal. 4:4-7 351
Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle, and their daughter Abigail, in your prayers.
Instructions for streaming our services can be found on the parish website.
Sunnybrook Children’s Home is beginning a Transitional Home for children aging out of foster care. Their goal is to make sure these children complete high school, and help them pursue further education and develop life skills to allow them to function well in their lives as adults. If you wish to make a donation to this worthwhile endeavor, please make your check out to St. Peter and be sure to mark “Sunnybrook” on the memo line. (This is separate from our annual St. Nicholas Offering.)
Time Change for Liturgy for the Feast of the Nativity: We have been given permission to celebrate the liturgy for the Feast at an earlier time instead of the late-night service we have had in the past. This year Orthros will begin at 5:30 p.m. on December 24th followed by the Divine Liturgy around 6:30 p.m. We will have our festal meal afterwards and hope to be finished around 9:00 – 9:30 p.m.
Winter Camp will be held at Camp St. Thekla on February 17-20, 2023 for ages 12-17. Registration for campers is available November 1 – December 15, 2022.
The DOMSE Annual Clergy and Winter Retreat will be held once more at St. Elias Church in Atlanta. The dates are as follows:
Clergy Retreat January 25-26, 2023
Winter Retreat January 27-28, 2023
Calendar Items:
* The men of the parish meet for lunch at 11:30 a.m. on the first Thursday of the month.
* The Ladies 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.
* The Ladies meet for lunch on the last Tuesday of the month.
* The Fast of the Nativity began on November 15th and runs through December 24th. As is our custom in the parish during this fast, we will celebrate the Advent Paraklesis service on Wednesday evenings instead of Daily Vespers.
* We will celebrate the Feastday of St. Nicholas the Wonder-worker with Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia on Monday evening, December 6th, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
* Workday at the Church on Saturday, December 17th, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
* The Feast of the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will be celebrated with Royal Hours on Friday, December 23rd, beginning at 7:00 p.m. and Festal Orthros followed by the Divine Liturgy and our festal meal, beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 24th.
Fasting Discipline for December
The Fast of the Nativity began on November 15th. During this time the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on each day of the week. Note, however, through December 19th there is a katlysis on Tuesdays and Thursdays when wine and oil are permitted, and on Saturdays and Sundays when fish, wine and oil are permitted. There is no fasting of any kind from December 25th through January 4th.
Major Commemorations for December
December 4 Great-martyr Barbara and Venerable Father John of Damascus
December 5 Sava the Sanctified
December 6 Nicholas the Wonder-worker of Myra
December 9 Conception of the Theotokos
December 12 Spyridon the Wonder-worker
December 13 Herman of Alaska
December 15 Hieromartyr Eleutherops
December 20 Ignatios the God-bearer of Antioch
December 25 The Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
December 26 Synaxis of the Theotokos
December 27 Protomartyr Stephen
PARENTS, a problem has arisen due to the nursery room being left messy after Coffee Hour. No food of any kind should be taken into that room. Also, it is necessary for a parent to be in the room whenever their children are in there playing. Thank you for your assistance with this.
Quotable: “Jesus was born in order to die. Indeed, of all humans who ever lived on earth, God’s Son is the only one who entered the world for this purpose. He came to die so that we might live in and through Him. The eternal life which He brings to the world is already present and active in those who receive Him, but it will be manifested fully and completely in a way no one can question, doubt, or resist only at the end of the ages. Christians are those who remember and celebrate the fact that God has visited His people in the person of His Son in order to be crucified and raised. And they are also those who await His Coming, believing that all of God’s promises made in and through Jesus will be actualized in the age to come.”
Father Thomas Hopko, The Winter Pascha
Worship: Sunday, December 11, 2022 (Forefathers of Christ)
Scripture: Colossians 3:4-11; Luke 14:16-24
Celebrant: Father Herman
Epistle Reader: Brenda Baker
Prosphora: Algood
Coffee Hour: Lockhart/Karam/Snell
Saint Peter Antiochian Orthodox Church 