February 11, 2024

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

II Corinthians 6:1-10: Brethren, working together with Him, then, we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain. For He says, “At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation.” Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watching, hunger; by purity, knowledge, forbearance, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Matthew 25:14-30, + Luke 8:8: The Lord spoke this parable: A man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying: “Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.” And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying: “Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.” He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying: “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” But his master answered him, “You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.” As Jesus said these things He cried out: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Troparion of the Resurrection: Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad; for the Lord hath done a mighty act with his own arm. He hath trampled down death and become the First-born from the dead. He hath delivered us from the depths of hades, granting the world the Great Mercy.

Troparion of the Heiromartyr Blaise: As a sharer of the ways and a successor to the throne of the Apostles, O inspired of God, thou foundest discipline to be a means of ascent to divine vision. Wherefore, having rightly divided the word of the truth, thou didst also contest for the Faith even unto blood, O Hieromartyr Blaise. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls be saved.

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 Theotokos: O undisputed intercessor of Christians, O mediatrix, who is unrejected by the Creator, turn not away from the voice of our petitions though we be sinners; come to us in time, who cry to thee in faith, for thou art good. Hasten to us with intercessions, O Theotokos, who didst ever intercede for those who honor thee.

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, February 11 (Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

8:50 a.m. – Orthros

9:00 a.m. – Christian Education

10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy (webcast)

NO POT LUCK MEAL (Regular Coffee Hour)

5:30 p.m. – Book Study with Fr. John in the Fellowship Hall

Monday, February 12

Father Herman off

Tuesday, February 13

NO Services

Wednesday, February 14

6:30 p.m. – Daily Vespers

Thursday, February 15

NO Services

Friday, February 16

NO Services

Saturday, February 17

4:30 p.m. – Choir Practice

6:00 p.m. – Great Vespers

Sunday, February 18 (Seventeenth 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 Schelvers for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

Eucharist Bread Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

February 11 Schelver NO POT LUCK MEAL

(Regular Coffee Hour) Dansereau/Alaeetawi

February 18 Morris Lockhart/Karam/Snell

February 25 Jones 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#

February 11 Sam Habeeb II Cor. 6:1-10 168

February 18 Ian Jones II Cor. 6:16-7:1 173

February 25 Walt Wood II Tim. 3:10-15 258

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.

We will NOT have our usual Pot Luck Meal today due to the situation in our kitchen. We will instead have a regular Coffee Hour with Coffee and packaged food items as we have been doing for the past few weeks.

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; Reader Basil and Brenda Baker and their family; Buddy Cooper; Georgia and Bob Buchanan; Fr. Joseph Bittle; Steve and Sheryl Chamblee; Rick Carlton; Very Rev. Fr. Nicholas and Kh. Jan Speier; Dora Lambert (Dimitri Zouboukos’ fiancée); Lee Greene; Joseph, Amanda and Hunter Hines; Fr. John and Kh. Janet Henderson and their family.

Update on Kitchen Repairs: Currently all damage to the kitchen from the water break has been cleaned up. ServPro has finished everything they needed to get done. The insurance adjuster has been out to inspect the damage, and we are now waiting to hear back from contractors to come back in and repair/replace those things that were damaged. We are continuing to have Coffee Hour as we have been. The coffee machines are working and are safe to use for coffee hours. Please do not prepare any type of food in the kitchen until it can be properly sanitized. By God’s grace everything will be back to normal soon.

Camp St. Thekla registration opened on February 1st. If your children are going to camp, please register as soon as possible. If financial help is needed, please let Father Herman or Daniel know. This year the church will not be providing transportation to camp. If you have children going to camp who need a ride, please let Father Herman or Daniel know.

The new date for the Pilgrimage to Holy Dormition will be May 13-17th. A sign-up sheet has been placed on the bureau in the foyer. Please put your name on the list if you think you will be going. More details will be forthcoming.

The book study group with Father John meets every other Sunday in the Fellowship Hall at 5:30 p.m. The next meetings will be February 11th and February 25th. Of course, there may arise a need where these dates are subject to change.

Calendar Items:

* The men of the parish meet for lunch at 11:00 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 at 1:00 p.m. on the last Tuesday of the month.

* Book Study –February 11th and 25th.

* Stewpot dates for 2024 will be March 30th and November 30th.

Fasting Discipline for February

The traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays of the month. However, there is a katalysis for fish, wine and oil on Friday, February 2nd (Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple) and there will be no fasting during the week following the Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican (February 25th this year).

Major Commemorations for February

February 24 The Forerunner (1st and @nd Discoveries)

February 25 Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican

Quotable: “The Christian faith has but one object: the mystery of the dead and risen Christ. But this one mystery of the dead and risen Christ subsists in different modes: it is prefigured in the Old Testament; it is accomplished historically in the earthly life of Christ; it is contained in mystery in the sacraments; it is lived mystically in the souls; it is accomplished socially in the Church; it ends eschatologically in the heavenly kingdom”

Boris Bobrinskoy, The Mystery of the Trinity

Worship: Sunday, February 18, 2024 (Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost)

Scripture: II Corinthians 6:16-7:1; Matthew 15:21-28

Celebrant: Father Herman

Epistle Reader: Ian Jones

Prosphora: Morris

Coffee Hour: Lockhart/Karam/Snell