March 5, 2023

First Sunday of Great Lent

Sunday of Orthodoxy

On the first Sunday of Great Lent, we celebrate the feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. This is an historical feast commemorating the restoration of the icons, which had been banned for several decades, to their rightful liturgical use in the year 843 A.D.

The major emphasis of this feast is the victory of the true faith, the victory which always ultimately triumphs. Having completed the first week of our lenten efforts, we are reminded that Christ, the perfect image of God the Father, calls us to personal victory by restoring within ourselves “the image and likeness of God” in which we were first created (Genesis 1:26).

The icons of Our Lord, the Theotokos, and all the saints are images of true humanity, signs of what our eternal calling and vocation really is. They tell us that we are all called to be living icons and imitators of Christ, bearing the likeness of God as gracious vessels of the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 11:24-26, 32-40: Brethren, by faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of the Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the recompense of reward. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Sampson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and all the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, and turned to flight armies of the aliens. Women received their dead by resurrection, and others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. And others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tempted, they were slain with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, being destitute, afflicted, tormented (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a witness through their faith, did not receive the promise, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

John 1:43-51: At that time, Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found Him of Whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” Nathanael said to Jesus, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God! Thou art the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”

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 the Sunday of Orthodoxy: Thy pure image do we venerate, O good One, asking forgiveness of our sins, O Christ our God; for by thine own will thou didst ascend the Cross in thy body, to save thy creatures from the bondage of the enemy. Thou hast truly filled all with joy, since thou didst come, O our Saviour, to save the world.

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 Sundays of Lent: To thee the champion leader, I thy servant offer thanks for victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast delivered me form terror. As thou hast power invincible, free me from every danger that I may cry unto thee: Rejoice, O bride without bridegroom.

CALENDAR

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

Sunday, March 5 (Sunday of Orthodoxy)

8:50 a.m. — Orthros (webcast)

9:00 a.m. — Christian Education

10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy (webcast)

6:00 p.m. — Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers followed by Lenten Pot Luck Meal

Monday, March 6

Father Herman off

Tuesday, March 7

NO Services

Wednesday, March 8

6:30 p.m. — Pre-sanctified Liturgy followed by Soup Supper

Thursday, March 9 (Forty Martyrs of Sebaste)

NO Services

Friday, March 10

6:30 p.m. — Small Compline with the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos

Saturday, March 11

10:00 a.m. — Ladies meet for Akathist

4:30 p.m. — Choir Practice

6:00 p.m. — Great Vespers

Sunday, March 12 (Commemoration of Gregory Palamas)

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 Schelvers for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

Registration for the PLC is now open. An email will be sent out next week with the link for registration. This year the Parish Life Conference will hosted by St. George Cathedral in Coral Gables, FL on June 14-17.

Eucharist Bread Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

March 5 Schelver Algood/Schelver

March 12 Morris Lasseter/Miller

March 19 Jones D. Root/Baker

March 24 (Fri. p.m.) Meadows (Artos) No Meal

March 25 (Sat. a.m.) Meadows Henderson/Jones

(Feast of the Annunciation)

March 26 Davis Ellis/Zouboukos

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#

March 5 Brenda Baker Heb. 11:24-26, 32-40 281

March 12 Sh. Charlotte Algood Heb. 1:10-2:3 283

March 19 Kh. Sharon Meadows Heb. 4:14-5:6 285

March 25 (Sat. a.m.) Brenda Baker Heb. 2:11-18 376

March 26 Sh. Charlotte Algood Heb. 6:13-20 287

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; Fr. Joseph Bittle.

Tax letters were mailed out recently. If you did not receive your letter, or if your there is a discrepancy with your records concerning contributions last year, please let Kh. Sharon know.

Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers: St. Peter will be hosting the Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers TONIGHT, beginning at 6:00 p.m. We will be providing a Pot Luck Meal afterwards. As a result, we will not have a Pot Luck as we usually do on the second Sunday of the month. We will also need volunteers to help with set-up and we ask everyone to pitch in on clean-up.

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.

· As is our parish custom, during Great Lent we will celebrate the Pre-sanctified Liturgy on Wednesday evenings, beginning at 6:30 p.m., in place of Daily Vespers (except for Wednesday, March 29th, when we will instead have Compline with the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete and the Life of St. Mary of Egypt). As in the past, we will have Pot Luck Soup Suppers after the Pre-sanctified Liturgies. On Friday evenings we will pray Small Compline with the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos (except for Friday, March 24th, when we will celebrate Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia for the Feast of the Annunciation).

· The Feast of the Annunciation will be celebrated with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Saturday, March 25th, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

· Stew Pot Dates for 2023 are Saturday, May 13th and Saturday, September 9th.

Fasting Discipline for March

After Meat Fare Sunday, meat will no longer be eaten until Pascha. Beginning with Clean Monday on February 27th, the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all days of the week until Pascha (except for the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25th and Palm Sunday on April 9th, when fish, wine and oil are permitted).

Major Commemorations for March

March 5 1st Sunday of Lent; Sunday of Orthodoxy

March 9 Forty Martyrs of Sebaste

March 12 2nd Sunday of Lent; Commemoration of Gregory Palamas

March 16 Christodoulos, Wonder-worker of Patmos

March 19 3rd Sunday of Lent; Adoration of the Holy Cross

March 25 Feast of the Annunciation

March 26 4th Sunday of Lent; Commemoration of John Climacus

Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel

Parents, your help is needed! Please monitor your children with regards to the Men’s Bathroom. Recently one of the stalls was locked as a prank.

Parents! If your children plan to attend Camp St. Thekla in the summer, please let Daniel know, as we are trying to make plans for transportation.

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: “If someone wants to be protected from tricks and remain healthy in the faith, he must confine his faith first to the authority of the Holy Scriptures, and secondly to the Tradition of the Church. But someone may ask, is not the canon of Scripture sufficient for everything, and why should we add thereto the authority of Tradition? This is because not everyone understands the Scriptures in the same way, but one explains them this way and another that way, so that it is possible to get therefrom as many thoughts as there are heads. Therefore it is necessary to be guided by the understanding of the Church … What is tradition? It is that which has been understood by everyone, everywhere and at all times … that which you have received, and not that which you have thought up … So then, our job is not to lead religion where we wish it to go, but to follow it where it leads, and not to give that which is our own to our heirs, but to guard that which has been given to us.”

+ St. Vincent of Lerins

Worship: Sunday, March 12, 2023 (Second Sunday of Lent; Commemoration of Gregory Palamas)

Scripture: Hebrews 1:10-2:3; Mark 2:1-12

Celebrant: Father Herman

Epistle Reader: Sh. Charlotte Algood

Prosphora: Morris

Coffee Hour: Lasseter/Miller