January 15, 2023
The Veneration of the Precious Chains of the Apostle Peter
(transferred from January 16)
Acts 12:1-11: Herod the king laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword; and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after Passover to bring him out to the people. So Peter was kept in prison; but earnest prayer for him was made to by the Church.
The very night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison; and behold, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, “Wrap your mantle around you and follow me.” And he went out and followed him; he did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened to them of its own accord, and they went out and passed on through one street; and immediately the angel left him. And Peter came to himself, and said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
Luke 17:12-19: At that time, as Jesus entered a village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When He saw them He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus said, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
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. Paul of Thebes: The barren wilderness thou didst make fertile with the streams of thy tears and by thy deep sighing thou hast given fruit through thy struggles a hundred-fold. Accordingly, thou hast become a star for the universe, sparkling with miracles. Therefore, O righteous Father (N.), intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.
Troparion of St. John the Hut-dweller: Since thou hadst with fervor longed after the Lord from thy youth, thou leftist the world with its delights and nobly didst strive in valiant ascetic deeds. Thou didst pitch thy hut before the gates of thy parents; thou didst break the demons’ snares, O all-blessed Father. And therefore, as is meet, hath God glorified thee, O John.
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 Presentation: Thou, O Christ God, who by your Birth, didst sanctify the Virgin’s womb, and as is meet, didst bless Simeon’s arms, and didst also come to save us, preserve thy fold in wars, and confirm them whom thou didst love; for thou alone art the Lover of mankind.
CALENDAR
UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE: All services listed on the calendar will be available through streaming and webcast.
Sunday, January 15 (Chains of St. Peter)
8:50 a.m. — Orthros (webcast)
9:00 a.m. — Christian Education
10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy (webcast)
12:00 p.m. — POT LUCK MEAL
Monday, January 16 (Veneration of the Chains of the Apostle Peter)
Father Herman off
Tuesday, January 17 (Anthony the Great)
NO Services
Wednesday, January 18 (Athanasios and Cyril of Alexandria)
6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers
7:30 p.m. — Parish Council Meeting
Thursday, January 19
NO Services
Friday, January 20 (Euthymios the Great)
NO Services
Saturday, January 21
Sunday, January 22 (Thirty-second Sunday after Pentecost)
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 Daniel Roots for the Divine Liturgy this morning.
Eucharist Bread Schedule:
Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour
January 15 D. Root POT LUCK MEAL
(Chains of St. Peter) Henderson/Jones
January 22 Karam Lockhart/Karam/Snell
January 29 Brock Dansereau/Alaeetawi
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#
January 15 Brenda Baker Acts12:1-11 50-51
January 22 Walt Wood I Tim. 4:9-15 252
January 29 Sam Habeeb II Cor. 6:16-7:1 173
Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle, and their daughter Abigail, in your prayers.
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.
Instructions for streaming our services can be found on the parish website.
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.
* Our Patronal Feast falls on a Monday this year. So, we will be celebrating it on TODAY instead. We will also have a Pot Luck Meal in celebration of the feast.
* Baby Shower for Sara Miller at Coffee Hour on Sunday, January 29th.
* We will celebrate the Feast of the Entrance of the Lord into the Temple with Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia on Wednesday evening, February 1st, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
House Blessings: A sign-up sheet is located on the bureau in the hallway. Please indicate 3 dates that would work for your family and Father Herman will get back with you to schedule your house blessing. Everyone should have their house blessed, but the responsibility for scheduling lies with individuals and not Father Herman. (There will be no house blessings once Great Lent starts.)
Baby Shower for Sara Miller: We will have a Diaper/Frozen Casserole Shower for Sara Miller at Coffee Hour on Sunday, January 29, 2023. Reader Chad and Sara are expecting a new daughter in February. Please continue to keep all in your prayers!
Winter Camp will be held at Camp St. Thekla on February 17-20, 2023 for ages 12-17.
Fasting Discipline for January
The traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on the remaining Wednesdays and Fridays of the month.
Major Commemorations for January
January 16 Veneration of the Chains of St. Peter
January 17 Anthony the Great
January 18 Athansios and Cyril of Alexandria
January 20 Euthymios the great
January 25 Gregory the Theologian
January 27 John Chrysostom
January 30 The Three Hierarchs
January 31 Cyros and John the Unmercenary Healers
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.)
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: “By choosing the Devil’s suggestion to ‘become like gods’-that is, to become gods apart from God- Adam and Eve deprived themselves of grace, and from that time they lost the qualities that would have bestowed on them in some manner a supernatural condition. St. Athanasius affirms, ‘The transgression of the commandment brought them back to their own nature,’ that is, to the dust from which they were formed, according to God’s word to Adam, ‘You will return to the earth from which you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return’. The evils that Adam and Eve endured following their sin were a natural consequence of their voluntary rejection of communion with God which enabled them to participate in God’s properties. By separating themselves from the Good, they exposed human nature to all kinds of evil.”
Jean Claude Larchett, The Theology of Illness
Worship: Sunday, January 22, 2023 (Thirty-second Sunday after Pentecost)
Scripture: I Timothy 4:9-15; Luke 19: 1-10
Celebrant: Father Herman
Epistle Reader: Walt Wood
Prosphora: Karam
Coffee Hour: Lockhart/Karam/Snell
Saint Peter Antiochian Orthodox Church 