August 25, 2024

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

I Corinthians 3:9-17: Brethren, we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s husbandry, God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise architect I laid a foundation, and another builds upon it. Let each one take heed how he builds upon it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; everyone’s work will become manifest; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire itself will test each one’s work of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which was built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as by fire. Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone corrupts the temple of God, God will corrupt him. For the temple of God is holy, whose temple you are.

Matthew 14:22-34: At that time, Jesus made the Disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds. And after He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone, but the Disciples’ boat by this time was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. But when the Disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately He spoke to them, saying, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.” And Peter answered Him, “Lord, if it is Thee, bid me come to Thee on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out His hand and caught him, saying to him, “O man of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “Truly, Thou art the Son of God.” And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.

Troparion of the Resurrection: O compassionate One, thou didst descend from the heights; thou didst submit to the three-day burial, that thou might deliver us from passion. Thou art our Life and our Resurrection, O Lord, glory to thee.

Troparion of the Apostles: O Holy Apostles intercede with our merciful God to grant our souls forgiveness of sins.

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 Nativity of the Theotokos: By thy holy birth-giving, O pure one, Joachim and Anne were delivered from the reproach of barrenness; and Adam and Eve were delivered from the corruption of death; thy people do celebrate it, having been saved from the stain of iniquity, crying unto thee, The barren doth give birth to the Theotokos, who nourisheth our life.

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, August 25 (Ninth Sunday after Pentecost; Apostles Bartholomew and Titus)

8:50 a.m. – Orthros

10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy (webcast)

Monday, August 26

Father Herman off

Tuesday, August 27

NO Services

1:00 p.m. – Ladies Lunch

Wednesday, August 28

5:20 p.m. – Catechism Class

6:30 p.m. – Daily Vespers

7:30 p.m. – Parish Council meeting

Thursday, August 29 (Beheading of the Forerunner)

[STRICT FAST DAY]

NO Services

Friday, August 30

NO Services

Saturday, August 31 (Deposition of the Belt of the Theotokos)

4:30 p.m. – Choir Practice

5:00 p.m. – Catechism Class

6:00 p.m. – Great Vespers

Sunday, September 1 (Indiction of the Ecclesiastical Year)

8:50 a.m. – Orthros

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

August 25 Henderson Meadows/Brock

September 1 Algood Miller/Alaeetawi

September 7 (Sat. p.m.) Meadows (Artoklasia Bread)

September 8 Schelver POT LUCK MEAL

(Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos) Ellis/Zouboukos/Waites

September 14 (Sat. a.m.) Jones D. Root/Lively

(Feast of the Elevation of the Cross)

September 15 Davis Dansereau/Weatherly

September 22 D. Root Lasseter/Pacurari/Lavric

September 29 Karam Lockhart/Karam/Snell

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; Marilyn (Kyriake) Snell; Jack and Jill Weatherly; Sh. Charlotte Algood and their family; Reader Basil and Brenda Baker and their family; Fr. Joseph Bittle; Rick Carlton; Very Rev. Fr. Nicholas and Kh. Jan Speier; 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.

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#

August 25 Brenda Baker I Cor. 3:9-17 130

September 1 Walt Wood I Tim. 2:1-7 303

September 8 Reader Basil Baker Gal. 6:11-18 198

September 14 (Sat. a.m.) Reader Chad Miller I Cor. 1:18-24 311

September 15 Brandon Strain Gal. 2:16-20 193

September 22 Katie Miller I Cor. 16:13-24 152

September 29 Mary Martha Ellis II Cor. 1:21-2:4 158

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.

Beginning September 1st, we will discontinue our parish practice of venerating the Cross during the recessional at the end of the Divine Liturgy.

Father Herman and Family will be out of town September 2-7. If you need a priest during that time, please call one of the other priests.

We will be showing the documentary film Sacred Alaska at Mississippi College on Friday Evening, October 25th, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The date was changed from the original date selected to accommodate MC’s student schedule. Further details will be available in the very near future.

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. However, we will NOT have the Akathist on September 14th due to Orthros and Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Elevation of the Cross.

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

* We will celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos with Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia on Saturday evening, beginning at 6:00 p.m. with Festal Orthros and Divine Liturgy for the feast on Sunday morning at the usual times.

* The Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross will be celebrated with Festal Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning, September 14th, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

* The Diocesan Fall Retreat will be held September 20-21 at St. Ignatius in Franklin, TN.

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

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.

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

The 2024 Fall Retreat will be held September 20-21 and will be hosted by St. Ignatius in Franklin, TN. Registration opened recently. Early Bird special will run until September 4th, after that the price for the retreat will increase. So please make sure you register before Septmber 4th! The link for registration was emailed out by Fr. Herman this past week as well. If you did not receive it, please let him know as soon as possible. Hope to see you all there!

Fasting Discipline for August

Following the 15th, the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on the remaining Wednesdays and Fridays of the month. The feast of the Beheading of the Forerunner on August 29th is also a strict fast day.

Major Commemorations for August

August 25 Apostles Bartholomew and Titus

August 29 Beheading of the Forerunner

August 31 Deposition of the Belt of the Theotokos

Happy Anniversaries in August:

August 17 — Steve and Sheryl Chamblee (#33!)

August 18 — Jesse and Sarah Milnor (#22!)

August 27 — Alfred and Christina Katool (#36!)

Happy Birthdays in August:

August 4 — Simeon Root (#15!)

August 18 — Virginia Stewart (#14!)

August 19 — Isaac Miller (#5!)

August 20 — Suzi Fino

August 24 — Anastasia Jones

August 26 — Bob Buchanan

August 31 — Elizabeth Root

— Doru Pacurari

Quotable: “As a man whose head is under water cannot inhale pure air, so a man whose thoughts are plunged into the cares of this world cannot absorb the sensation of the world to come.

St. Isaac the Syrian

Worship: Sunday, September 1, 2024 (Indiction of the Ecclesiastical Year)

Scripture: I Timothy 2:1-7; Luke 4:16-22

Epistle Reader: Walt Wood

Prosphora: Algood

Coffee Hour: Miller/Alaeetawi