Thomas Sunday
On the Sunday following Easter, we hear the story of Thomas and are reminded of the all-permeating presence of Christ and the faith of those who followed the disciples. Even as walls and doors proved no obstacle to His coming to His followers, so nothing can prevent His presence with us. Even as He commissioned them to be peaceful of themselves and to bear His peace and life to those about them, so He grants us peace for ourselves and those we touch. Even as Thomas turned from his doubt to faith, so let us bow before our Lord and God in acknowledgment and praise. With Thomas and all the faithful who sing in heavenly worship, let us raise our hymn of adoration and life to our risen Saviour.
Acts 5:12-20: In those days, many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the Apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high honor. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were healed.
But the high priest rose up and all who were with him, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and filled with jealousy they arrested the Apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out and said, Go and stand in the Temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.”
John 20:19-31: On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the Disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the Disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other Disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in His side, I will not believe.” Eight days later, His Disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.” Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.” Thomas answered Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the Disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His Name.
Troparion of Thomas Sunday: While the tomb was sealed, thou didst shine forth from it, O Light. While the doors were closed, thou didst come in to thy Disciples, O Christ God, Resurrection of all, renewing in us through them an upright spirit, according to the greatness of thy mercy.
Kontakion of Thomas Sunday: With his anxiously searching right hand, O Christ God, Thomas did probe your life-giving side; for when you did enter, the doors being shut, he shouted with the rest of the Disciples, crying, You are my Lord and my God.
CALENDAR
UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE: All services listed on the calendar will be available through streaming and webcast. (Instructions can be found on the parish website.)
Sunday, April 23 (Thomas Sunday)
8:50 a.m. — Orthros (webcast)
9:00 a.m. — Christian Education
10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy (webcast)
Monday, April 24
Father Herman off
Tuesday, April 25 (Holy Apostle Mark)
NO Services
1:00 p.m. — Ladies Lunch
Wednesday, April 26
6:30 p.m. — Daily Vespers
7:30 p.m. — Parish Council Meeting
Thursday, April 27
NO Services
Friday, April 28
NO Services
Saturday, April 29
Sunday, April 30 (Sunday of the Myrrh-bearers)
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 Hendersons for the Divine Liturgy this morning.
Eucharist Bread Schedule:
Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour
April 23 Henderson Pigott/Stewart
April 30 Algood Schelver
May 7 Schelver D. Root/Baker
May 14 Morris Henderson/Jones
May 20 (Sat. p.m.) Baker (Artos Bread for Litia/Sts. Constantine & Helen)
May 21 Jones Dansereau/Alaeetawi
(Special Coffee Hour to honor High School Graduates)
May 24 (Wed. p.m.) Meadows Lockhart/Karam/Snell
(Feast of Ascension)
May 28 Davis POT LUCK MEAL
Lavric/Skirtech/Dabit
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#
April 23 Sam Habeeb Acts 5:12-20 32
April 30 Reader Basil Baker Acts 6:1-7 38
May 7 Walt Wood Acts 9:32-42 45
May 14 Brenda Baker Acts 11:19-30 52
May 21 Sh. Charlotte Algood Acts 26:1, 12-20 384
May 24 (Wed. p.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows Acts 1:1-12 63
May 28 Ian Jones Acts 20:16-18, 28-36 66
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.
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; Anthony and Athena Zouboukos and Keri Waites.
Metropolitan SABA will be enthroned as Metropolitan of our Archdiocese on Saturday, May 13th at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY. May God grant him Many Years!
Luke Habeeb (Jackson Prep) and Cole Parker (MRA) will be graduating from high school in May. We will honor both of them with a special Coffee Hour on Sunday, May 21st. (Please disregard the notation for the Pot Luck Meal on the May calendar that was handed out previously.)
We will have our Monthly Pot Luck Meal for the month of May on Sunday, May 28th during Bishop NICHOLAS’ visit to St.Peter. (Again, please disregard the notation for the Pot Luck Meal on the May calendar that was handed out previously.)
April is Men’s Month in our Archdiocese. Please honor the men of our parish by allowing them to take communion first.
Tornado Relief: We recently raised $2,700 for the Mississippi Tornado Relief. We have rounded our contribution up to $3,000 to Mercy Chefs, an organization that travels to disaster areas and sets up kitchens to feed first responders and disaster victims.
Fasting Discipline for April
Following Bright Week, the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) will once again be observed on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Major Commemorations for April
April 23 Thomas Sunday; Great-martyr George
April 25 Holy Apostle Mark
April 27 Sunday of the Holy Myrrh-bearers
Registration for the PLC is now open. This year the Parish Life Conference will hosted by St. George Cathedral in Coral Gables, FL on June 14-17. Father Herman sent an email with the link for registration, or you may also go to the Diocesan website DOMSE.org.
PARENTS, your help is needed in the following areas:
1) 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.
2) Please see that your children do not use the Sunday school rooms with the doors closed during Coffee Hour.
3) Please ask your children to not climb the trees in the front of the church. (The playground will be available again soon.)
Archdiocese Convention: The Biennial Antiochian Archdiocese Convention is being hosted by St. George Orthodox Church in Phoenix, Az on July 23-30. Information about the convention may be found at http://www.ac2023az.org.
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.
* Stew Pot Dates for 2023 are Saturday, May 13th and Saturday, September 9th.
* Special Coffee Hour to honor High School Graduates, Luke Habeeb and Cole Parker on Sunday, May 21st.
* Mark your Calendars now! His Grace, Bishop NICHOLAS will be at St. Peter for his Archpastoral visit May 26-28. He will celebrate the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy with us on Sunday morning. We will also have our Monthly POT LUCK MEAL that Sunday.
Quotable: “The Orthodox phronema is a consistent attitude that has been known and experienced in the Church from the beginning and is unconcerned with conforming to the expectations of the world. Our phronema is the reason for the stability of Orthodoxy. It is why we are calm, confident, and comfortable with the assurance that we- as a Church and individuals- know who we are, what we believe, and where we stand. The Orthodox Church of one hundred years ago and one thousand years ago is the Orthodox Church of today. We know that it will also look, feel, and be the same Church one hundred years from now and up until Christ returns”
Dr. Eugenia Constantinou, Thinking Orthodox, Understanding and Acquiring
the Orthodox Christian Mind
Worship: Sunday, April 30, 2023 (Sunday of the Myrrh-bearers)
Scripture: Acts 6:1-7; Mark 15:43-16:8
Celebrant: Father Herman
Epistle Reader: Reader Basil Baker
Prosphora: Algood
Coffee Hour: Schelver
Saint Peter Antiochian Orthodox Church 