September 29, 2024

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

II Corinthians 1:21-2:4: Brethren, it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has commissioned us; He has put his seal upon us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. But I call God to witness against me—it was to spare you that I refrained from coming to Corinth. Not that we lord it over your faith; we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith. For I made up my mind not to make you another painful visit. For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. For I wrote you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.

Luke 6:31-36: The Lord said: “As you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”

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. Kyriakos: Thou didst prove to be a citizen of the desert, an angel in the flesh, and a wonderworker, O Kyriakos, our God-bearing Father. By fasting, vigil, and prayer thou didst obtain heavenly gifts, and thou healest the sick and the souls of them that have recourse to thee with faith. Glory to Him that hath given thee strength. Glory to Him that hath crowned thee. Glory to Him that worketh healings for all through thee.

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, September 29 (Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

8:50 a.m. – Orthros

9:00 a.m. – Christian Education

10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy (webcast)

Monday, September 30

Father Herman off

Tuesday, October 1 (Protection of the Theotokos)

NO Services

Wednesday, October 2

6:30 p.m. – Daily Vespers

Thursday, October 3

NO Services

11:00 a.m. – Men’s Lunch

Friday, October 4

NO Services

Saturday, October 5

4:30 p.m. – Choir Practice

6:00 p.m. – Great Vespers

Sunday, October 6 (Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

8:50 a.m. – Orthros

9:00 a.m. – Christian Education

10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy (webcast)

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

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

Eucharist Bread Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

September 29 Karam Lockhart/Karam/Snell

October 6 Brock Algood/Schelver

October 13 R. Root POT LUCK MEAL

Baker/Jimmy Jones

October 20 Pacurari Pigott/Ian Jones

October 27 Lasseter Ken Jones/Stewart

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.

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#

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

October 6 Katie Miller II Cor. 4:6-15 163

October 13 Sophie Dansereau Titus 3:8-15 322

October 20 Simeon Root II Cor. 6:16-7:1 173

October 27 Michel Root II Cor. 9:6-11 178

Father Herman and his family will be out of town October 2-9th for a family vacation. If you need a priest during this time, please contact one of the other priests.

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.

Antidoron (Greek meaning “instead of the gifts”) is the blessed bread partaken of as a ‘fast breaker’ and an extra blessing after receiving Holy Communion. It is remaining bread from the loaf used in the pre-Liturgy service preparing the bread on the diskos and the wine in the chalice. This ‘extra’ bread is blessed during the hymn to the Theotokos during the Anaphora of the Divine Liturgy. Importantly, it is NOT consecrated to become the Body of Christ — and must be carefully distinguished from that — but NEVERTHELESS, we must do our best to treat it with due reverence and care.

Portions that are uneaten are disposed of by being placed outside where they are consumed by the elements or by animals. Unfortunately, we have recently been seeing an increase in crumbs being found on the nave floor after Divine Liturgy. Parents, please help the young ones to be careful to consume their pieces of antidoron completely, and, if crumbs should fall, be proactive in picking them up and placing them on the ground outside.

His Grace, Bishop NICHOLAS will be visiting St. Peter again on October 20-21st. He will be in Vicksburg earlier that week-end and will come to us following the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy there on Sunday. More details will be available in the future.

We will be showing the documentary film Sacred Alaska at Mississippi College on Friday evening, November 1st, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The date was changed from the original date selected to accommodate MC’s student schedule and also MC’s Homecoming celebration. 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.

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

* Knucklehead Family Reunion in Arkansas, October 11-17th.

* The annual Fall Festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 26th. More details later.

* MARK YOUR CALENDARS: His Grace, Bishop NICHOLAS will be visiting St. Peter October 20-21st.

* Sacred Alaska documentary showing at Mississippi College, Friday, November 1st, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

* 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. **

Fasting Discipline for October

The traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all Wednesdays and Fridays of the month.

Major Commemorations for October

October 1 Protection of the Theotokos

October 6 Holy Apostle Thomas

October 9 Holy Apostle James, Son of Alphaeus

October 18 Holy Apostle Luke

October 23 Holy Apostle James, Brother of the Lord

October 26 Great-martyr Demetrios

Fall Festival: Our annual Fall Festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 26th. We will not have Chor Practice, Catechism Class or Great Vespers that day. More details will be available shortly

Quotable: “When someone is disturbed by temptations and tribulations (which it is necessary for him to experience in order to prove his endurance), if he loses faith by forgetting the words and consolation of God and his initial zeal and fervor for asceticism begins to drown, but then he cries out to Christ like Peter, Christ’s grace reaches out to him and strangely strengthens him with his help, that is, with some divine vision, and his souls’ zeal and fervor is renewed”

-The Watchful Mind, A Monk of Mount Athos

Worship: Sunday, October 6, 2024 (Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

Scripture: II Corinthians 4:6-15; Luke 7:11-16

Epistle Reader: Katie Miller

Prosphora: Brock

Coffee Hour: Algood/Schelver