April 21, 2024

Fifth Sunday of Great Lent

Commemoration of Mary of Egypt

The facts of the life of St. Mary of Egypt are vague and clouded by time and separation, but the spirit of her story is a clear call to repentance and devotion. According to tradition, Mary was from Alexandria, where she was an actress and courtesan, living a life of sin and infamy. When spiritual intervention forbade her entry to Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, she spent the night in penitent prayer. The following morning she was able to enter, whereupon she venerated the cross and immediately removed herself to the life of a penitent and solitary in the Palestinian desert. She remained in isolation for forty-seven years, aided only by monks of the region and God’s grace. Only at her death was she found and given communion by the priest Zosimus. On this last Sunday of Lent, as we prepare for Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and the Great Feast of the eighth and eternal day, we call to mind this holy woman, her fear of the all-powerful God, her recognition of her sin, her repentance, her humility, her faith, and her unwavering intent to seek righteousness and the courts of her King.

Hebrews 9:11-14: Brethren, Christ having appeared a High Priest of the good things to come, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; neither through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, entered in once for all into the holy place, having found eternal redemption. For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of bulls and goats and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Mark 10:32-45: At that time, Jesus took His twelve Disciples, and began to tell them what was to happen to Him, saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles. And they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit upon Him, and kill Him; and after three days He will rise.” And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to Him, and said to Him, “Teacher, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire” And Jesus said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And they said to Him, “Grant us to sit, one at Thy right hand and one at Thy left, in Thy glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” And they said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized. But to sit at My right hand or at My left is not Mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to Him and said to them, “You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be servant of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

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 St. Mary of Egypt: Through thee the divine likeness was securely preserved, O Mother Mary; for thou didst carry the cross and followed Christ. By example and precept thou didst teach us to ignore the body because it is perishable, and to attend to the concerns of the undying soul. Therefore, doth thy soul rejoice with the angels.

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, April 21 (Fifth Sunday of Great Lent; Commemoration of Mary of Egypt)

8:50 a.m. – Orthros (webcast)

9:00 a.m. – Christian Education

10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy (webcast)

Monday, April 22

Father Herman off

Tuesday, April 23 (Great-martyr George)

NO Services

Wednesday, April 24

6:30 p.m. – Presanctified Liturgy with Soup Supper

Thursday, April 25 (Holy Apostle Mark)

NO Services

Friday, April 26

6:30 p.m. – Small Complines with Canon of St. Lazarus

Saturday, April 27 (Lazarus Saturday)

9:00 a.m. – Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy

3:30 p.m. – Choir Practice

6:00 p.m. – Great Vespers

Sunday, April 28 (Palm Sunday)

8:50 a.m. – Orthros

9:00 a.m. – Christian Education

10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy (webcast)

12:00 p.m. – Fish Fry Meal

6:30 p.m. – Bridegroom Matins

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Eucharist Bread …was offered by Hendersons for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

Eucharist Bread Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

April 21 Henderson Henderson/K. Jones/Lavric

April 27 (Sat. a.m.) Algood Ellis/Zouboukos/Waites

(Lazarus Saturday)

April 28 Schelver FISH FRY MEAL

(Palm Sunday) Meadows/Pacurari

May 2 (Thurs. a.m.) Jones Meadows

May 4 (Sat. a.m.) Meadows Pigott/Stewart

May 4 (Sat. p.m.) Davis PASCHA BASKETS

(PASCHA) Algood/Schelver/I. Jones

May 12 D. Root Henderson/K. Jones/Lavric

May 19 Karam Dansereau/Alaeetawi

May 26 Brock Lasseter/Miller

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 21 Brandon Strain Heb. 9:11-14 290

April 27 (Sat. a.m.) Ian Jones Heb. 12:28-13:8 291

April 28 Sam Habeeb Phil. 4:4-9 294

May 2 (Thurs. a.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows I Cor. 11:23-32 295

May 4 (Sat. a.m.) Brenda Baker Rom. 6:3-11 300

May 4 (Sat. p.m.) Walt Wood Acts 1:1-8 25

May 12 Brandon Strain Acts 5:12-20 32

May 19 Katie Miller Acts 6:1-7 38

May 26 Sam Habeeb Acts 9:32-42 45

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; 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.

April is Men’s Month in the Archdiocese. Please allow the men, beginning with the choir, to receive Holy Communion first. The men will also be reading the Epistle this month in the Divine Liturgy.

Kh. Janet is recovering well from surgery last week. The pathology report indicated more involvement with the breast cancer in her left breast. They also identified 6 lymph nodes and removed them. Because of the size of the cancer and the fact that it is in the lymph nodes, it is now classified as Stage 3. She is being referred to Dr. Tammy Young (oncologist) who will coordinate a plan of action to treat her. Fr. John and Kh. Janet are entrusting this situation to God, knowing that He is our great Physician. They are so appreciative of all the prayers offered by the church and thankful for your continued support and intercessions on their behalf.

Please keep in your prayers all of our catechumens who will be received into the One Holy and Apostolic Church on Great and Holy Saturday this year. Those who will be chrismated during the Vesperal Liturgy will be: Ian Walters, Jenny Jones, Jimmy and Gabrielle Jones, Will, Lisa and Rad Lively.

Please be reminded to sign up on the sheet on the bureau in the foyer if you plan to attend the Palm Sunday Fish Meal, which will be catered by Sal and Phil’s again this year. Price per person will be forthcoming.

Paschal Meal: We will bring baskets of our favorite foods that we have not enjoyed while fasting for this meal. A handout will be available in the next week or so with information about Paschal Baskets. We ask that everyone help with clean-up following the meal (just as we do for our monthly Pot Luck Meal).

The Agape Vespers for Pascha this year will be hosted by Holy Trinity/St. John the Theologian Greek Orthodox Church. Further details and information will be forthcoming.

There has arisen an issue with the large amount of trash being left in the back area of the church around and inside the playground area over the past several weeks. If everyone would please monitor this situation by making sure no trash is left around the area. Thank you for your help in this matter.

On a related note: Several of the older children have begun to drink coffee on Sunday mornings. Due to the amount of creamer they use, our supply of coffeemate pods are being used up quickly. So, we will be providing a small container of almond milk for them to use in their coffee and the coffeemate pods will be for adults only. Parents, please monitor this situation with your children who are allowed to drink coffee. Thank you.

Registration is now open for this year’s Parish Life Conference which will be held June 12-15th in Atlanta at the Hilton Peachtree City Atlanta Hotel and Conference Center and hosted by St. Stephen in Hiram. Please go to the Diocesan website (DOMSE.org) to register for the conference and for the hotel.

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.

* During Great Lent we will have the Pre-sanctified Liturgy on Wednesday evenings instead of Daily Vespers. As is our parish custom, we will have pot-luck Soup Suppers afterwards (except for Wednesday, April 17th, when we will have the complete Canon of St. Andrew of Crete with the reading of the Life of St. Mary of Egypt instead of the Pre-sanctified Liturgy).

* Small Complines with the Canon of St. Lazarus on Friday, April 26th, beginning at 6:30 p.m. (NO Akathist that evening)

* Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy for Lazarus Saturday on April 27th, at 9:00 a.m.

* The schedule of services for Holy Week are as follows:

Sunday, April 28 – Bridegroom Matins, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Monday, April 29 – Bridegroom Matins, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 30 – Bridegroom Matins, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 1 – Service of Holy Unction, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 2 – Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil, beginning at 7:00 a.m.

– Reading of the 12 Passion Gospels, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, May 3 – Royal Hours, beginning at 7:00 a.m.

– Taking down from the Cross, beginning at 3:00 p.m.

– Lamentations Service, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 4 – Vesperal Liturgy with Chrismations, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

– Paschal Service, beginning at 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 5 – Agape Vespers at Holy Trinity/St. John the Theologian Greek

Orthodox Church, time TBA

* Remaining Stewpot date for 2024 will be November 30th.

There will be an icon writing workshop at Holy Resurrection July 8-13. The iconographer who will be teaching this class is Theodoros Papadopoulos. Tuition for this class is $780. For further information and enrollment, please visit the website http://www.theodoreicons.com/clinton. Holy Resurrection is only providing space for this class.

Fasting Discipline for April

Beginning with Clean Monday on March 18th, 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 28th, when fish, wine and oil are permitted).

Major Commemorations for April

April 21 5th Sunday of Lent; Commemoration of Mary of Egypt

April 23 Great-martyr George

April 25 Holy Apostle Mark

April 27 Lazarus Saturday

April 28 Palm Sunday

April 29 Great and Holy Monday

April 30 Great and Holy Tuesday

Quotable: “I think upon that day and hour when we shall all stand naked, like men condemned, before the Judge who accepts no man’s person. Then shall the trumpet sound aloud and the foundations of the earth shall quake, the dead shall rise from the tombs and all shall be gathered together from every generation. Then each man’s secrets will be manifest before thee: and those that have never repented shall weep and lament, departing to the outer fire; but with gladness and rejoicing the company of the righteous shall enter into the heavenly bridal chamber.

How shall it be in that hour and fearful day, when the Judge shall sit on his dread throne! The books shall be opened and men’s actions shall be examined, and the secrets of darkness shall be made public. Angels shall hasten to and fro, gathering all the nations. Come ye and hearken, kings and princes, slaves and free, sinners and righteous, rich and poor: for the Judge comes to pass sentence on the whole inhabited earth. And who shall bear to stand before his face in the presence of the angels, as they call us to account for our actions and our thoughts, whether by night or by day? How shall it be then in that hour! But before the end is here, make haste, my soul, and cry: O God who only art compassionate, turn me back and save me.

Daniel the prophet, a man greatly beloved, when he saw the power of God, cried out: ‘The court sat for judgment, and the books were opened.’ Consider well, my soul: dost thou fast? Then despise not thy neighbor. Dost thou abstain from food? Condemn not thy brother, lest thou be sent away into the fire, there to burn as wax. But may Christ lead thee without stumbling into his kingdom.

Let us cleanse ourselves, brethren, with the queen of the virtues: for behold, she is come, bringing us a wealth of blessings. She quells the uprising of the passions, and reconciled sinners to the Master. Therefore let us welcome her with gladness, and cry aloud to Christ our God: O risen from the dead, who alone art free from sin, guard us uncondemned as we give thee glory.”

– Four Stichera at the Praises, Matins, Meatfare Sunday, Lenten Triodion

Worship: Sunday, April 28, 2024 (Palm Sunday)

Scripture: Phillipians 4:4-9; John 12:1-18

Celebrant: Father Herman

Epistle Reader: Sam Habeeb

Prosphora: Schelver

Coffee Hour: FISH FRY MEAL

Meadows/Pacurari