Sunday of the Forefathers (Ancestors) of Christ
Colossians. (3:4-11) Brethren, when Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. In these you once walked, when you lived in them. But now put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator. Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all.
Luke. (14:16-24) The Lord spoke this parable: “A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for all is now ready.’ But, one by one, they all began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Troparion of the Resurrection: The stone being sealed by the Jews, and thy pure body being guarded by the soldiers, thou didst arise on the third day, O Saviour, granting life to the world. Wherefore, the heavenly powers acclaimed thee, O Giver of life, crying, Glory to thy Resurrection, O Christ! Glory to thy kingdom! Glory to thy gracious providence, O only Lover of mankind.
Troparion of the Forefathers: Thou hast justified by faith the ancient forefathers and through them thou hast gone before and betrothed unto thyself the Church of the Gentiles. Let the saints, therefore, take pride in glory; for from their seed sprouted forth a noble fruit, and she it was who gavest birth to thee without seed. Wherefore, by their pleadings, O Christ God, 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 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 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
Monday, December 12 (Spyridon the Wonder-worker)
Father Herman off
Tuesday, December 13 (Herman of Alaska)
NO Services
Wednesday, December 14
6:30 p.m. — Advent Paraklesis
Thursday, December 15 (Hieromartyr Eleftherios)
NO Services
6:30 p.m. — Chanting Practice
Friday, December 16
NO Services
Saturday, December 17
8:30 a.m. — Workday at the Church
6:00 p.m. — Great Vespers
Sunday, December 18 (Sunday before the Nativity)
8:50 a.m. — Orthros (webcast)
9:00 a.m. — Christian Education
10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy (webcast)
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Algoods for the Divine Liturgy this morning. The Artos bread for the Feast of St. Nicholas this past Monday evening was offered by the Hendersons.
Eucharist Bread Schedule:
Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour
December 11 Algood Lockhart/Karam/Snell
December 18 Schelver Lavric/Skirtech/Dabit
December 24 (Sat. p.m.) Morris 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.
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 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 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.
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.
Instructions for streaming our services can be found on the parish website.
The Special Convention for the election of the New Metropolitan is scheduled to take place in Dallas, TX, on January 13, 2023. We will hold a special meeting at St. Peter’s once the candidates have been announced to make our selection. Father Herman will be sending out information on the candidates by email, once he has received it. If you have any questions about the process or the candidates, please reach out to Father Herman. There will also be time set aside at our special parish meeting to answer any questions that you may have.
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.
* 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 morning, December 23rd, beginning at 7:00 a.m. and Festal Orthros followed by the Divine Liturgy and our festal meal, beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday evening, December 24th.
* Our festal meal for the Feast of the Nativity will once again be provided by Newk’s. A basket for donations will be placed on the serving table to cover the cost of the meal. We request that everyone please help with clean-up afterwards, just as we do with our monthly pot luck meals on Sundays.
* As is our parish custom, we will celebrate the Feast of the Circumcision of our Lord and the Feastday of St. Basil the Great with Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia on Saturday evening, December 31st, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
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.
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.)
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
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 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: “The secret essence of the soul that knows the truth is calling out to God: Beloved, strip me of the consolations of my complacent spirituality. Plunge me into the darkness where I cannot rely on any of my old tricks for maintaining my separation. Let me give up on trying to convince myself that my own spiritual deeds are bound to be pleasing to you. Take all my juicy spiritual feelings, Beloved, and dry them up, and then please light them on fire. Take my lofty spiritual concepts and plunge them into darkness, and then burn them. Let me only love you, Beloved. Let me quietly and with unutterable simplicity just love you.”
+ St. John of the Cross
Worship: Sunday, December 18, 2022 (Sunday before the Nativity; Sunday of the Genealogy)
Scripture: Hebrews 11:9-10,32-40; Matthew 1:1-25
Celebrant: Father Herman
Epistle Reader: Walt Wood
Prosphora: Schelver
Coffee Hour: Lavric/Skirtech/Dabit
Saint Peter Antiochian Orthodox Church 