June 23, 2024

Feast of Holy Pentecost

In several senses, Pentecost marks for us the end of many months of anticipation, commemoration, and celebration and the beginning of the fullness of the life and faith we share. It is a day bringing our focus on the Holy Spirit, the embodiment of divine grace, the supreme gift, the ongoing presence of God in our lives; yet, it is a day directing us to the praise of the Trinity, the three divine persons, and the historical and spatial relationship God’s people have with Him. For the disciples, the day marks their spiritual maturity. Their faith began in their nationality, for they were of the nation that God the Father chose to glorify Him. The faith was completed in their confrontation with God the Son, through His presence and the nourishment He gave. The fullness of the faith came with the coming in power of God the Spirit. The disciples had grown in spirit and were ready for their work; the birth of the Church was imminent; the Bride was to be made ready. In the cycle of the calendar, we now stand ready to do likewise, and all weeks from now until our preparation for Advent are the weeks of Pentecost. In the picture of the birth of the Church there are symbols beyond mention here; the unity in the common tongue, the Light that shines brighter than day, the bold proclamation to all men of the Gospel. We look forward from this day to weeks without special celebrations, to days without reference to past days of enormous import–to normal, uneventful days. But these are not uneventful days; they are the days for which we have prepared, the days of the Church, the days of our maturity and growth, the days when, through the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit, we run the good race and cross the finish to bring praise and glory to our glorious God, the eternal Trinity.

Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11: When the day of Pentecost had come, the Disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondered, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

John 7:37-52; 8:12: On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.’” Now this He said about the Spirit, which those who believed in Him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. When they heard these words, many of the people said, “This is really the prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” So there was a division among the people over Him. Some of them wanted to arrest Him, but no one laid hands on Him. The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?” The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this man!” The Pharisees answered them, “Are you led astray, you also? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in Him? But this crowd, who do not know the Law, are accursed.” Nicodemus, who had gone to Him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our Law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee.” Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Troparion of Pentecost: Blessed art thou, O Christ our God, who hast revealed the fishermen as most wise, having sent upon them the Holy Spirit, and through them thou hast fished the universe, O Lover of mankind, glory to thee.

Kontakion of Pentecost: When the high One descended, confusing tongues, he divided the nations. And when he distributed the fiery tongues he called all to one unity. Wherefore, in unison we glorify the most Holy Spirit.

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, June 23 (Holy Pentecost)

8:50 a.m. – Orthros

10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy (webcast)

12:00 p.m. – PICNIC POT LUCK MEAL

6:30 p.m. – Kneeling Vespers of Pentecost

Monday, June 24 (Nativity of the Forerunner)

Father Herman off

[NO
Fasting this week]

Tuesday, June 25

NO Services

1:00 p.m. – Ladies’ Lunch

Wednesday, June 26

NO Catechism Class

6:30 p.m. – Daily Vespers

7:30 p.m. – Parish Council Meeting

Thursday, June 27

NO Services

Friday, June 28

NO Services

Saturday, June 29 (Chief Apostles Peter and Paul)

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

NO Choir Practice

5:00 p.m. – Catechumen Class

6:00 p.m. – Great Vespers

Sunday, June 30 (Sunday of All Saints; Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles)

8:50 a.m. – Orthros

10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy (webcast)

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Hendersons for Saturday of the Souls yesterday morning and by the Algoods for the Divine Liturgy this morning. The Koliva for Saturday of the Souls was offered by the Ken Joneses.

Eucharist Bread Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

June 23 Algood PICNIC POT LUCK

(Feast of Pentecost) Pigott/Stewart

June 29 (Sat. a.m.) Schelver Lasseter/Miller

(Feastday of Sts. Peter and Paul)

June 30 Jones D. Root/Baker

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#

June 23 Reader Chad Miller Acts 2:1-11 77

June 29 (Sat. a.m.) Brandon Strain II Cor. 11:21-33; 12:6-9 389

June 30 Brenda Baker Heb. 11:33-12:2 84

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; Sh. Charlotte Algood 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; Galina Singletary; Emily and Cole Parker; Dane and Stephanie Skirtech.

His Grace Bp. NICHOLAS will make his next Arch-pastoral visit August 10-12. The schedule for this visit will be forthcoming.

Father Herman will be out June 30 – July 6 for family vacation and July 22 -26 for the Clergy Symposium at the Antiochian Village. If you need a priest during this time, please contact one of the other priests.

Beginning Sunday, June 16th, we will phase out the individual snacks available at Coffee Hour and return to the way we did it prior to Co-vid. The church will provide beef sticks, cheese cubes, crackers, cookies and orange juice. Those in charge of a Coffee Hour may bring other things if they so desire, but this is NOT obligatory. Please limit these items to fruit, veggies and a cake if there is a celebration. Coffee Hour is not meant to be a meal, but a means to break the fast with a snack and visit with each other. (We will still have our Monthly Pot Luck Meals.) During Fasting seasons, the church will provide bagels, peanut butter, jams, jellies, cookies and orange juice. Since this will involve a little more with clean-up, we ask that everyone pitch in to help the families hosting Coffee Hour, just as we do with our Pot Luck Meals. Instruction sheets for set-up for both Non-fasting and Fasting Coffee Hours are located on the bureau in the foyer and also taped to the Refrigerator in the kitchen.

** We ask that families go through the Coffee Hour line together, so that children are under the supervision of their parents. **

NO children are allowed to be in the pantry or in the refrigerator and children under the age of 12 are not allowed in the kitchen without the presence of a parent or a responsible adult. Children under the age of 12 are not allowed to access the icemaker. Parents, we ask for your assistance with enforcing this policy. Thank you.

The Sacred Music Institute for the Archdiocese is scheduled for July 10-14 at the Antiochian Village. Several members of our choir will be attending.

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.

* The Feast of Holy Pentecost is TODAY. As is our parish custom, we will celebrate the Feast with a PICNIC POT LUCK meal. Vespers service with the Kneeling Prayers will be celebrated that evening, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

* We will celebrate the Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning, June 29th, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

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

Fasting Discipline for June

Following the Leave-taking of Pascha (June 12th), the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) will once again be observed on Wednesdays and Fridays. However, there is no fasting during the week following the Feast of Pentecost (June 24-28). As a result, there will not be a Fast of the Apostles this year.

Major Commemorations for June

June 23 Feast of Pentecost

June 24 Nativity of the Forerunner

June 29 Chief Apostles Peter and Paul

June 30 Sunday of All Saints

Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles

Quotable: “People offend you, irritate you, breathe contempt and malice against you; do not repay them in the same way, but be gentle, meek, and kind, respectful and loving towards those very persons who behave unworthily to you. If you are agitated yourself, and speak excitedly, rudely, contemptuously – that is, unlovingly – then you will be vanquished yourself, and those who offend you will have the right to say, ‘Physician, heal thyself’ (Lk. 4:23)…Do not wonder, then, if the affronts of those who offend you are often repeated, for they will notice your weakness and will irritate you intentionally”

+St. John of Kronstadt

Worship: Sunday, June 30, 2024 (Sunday of All Saints)

Scripture: Hebrews 11:33-12:2; Matthew 9:36-10:8

Epistle Reader: Brenda Baker

Prosphora: Jones

Coffee Hour: D. Root/Baker