January 26, 2025

Thirty-second Sunday after Pentecost

Zacchaeus Sunday

I Timothy 4:9-15: Timothy, my son, the saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, Who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, attend to the public reading of scripture, to preaching, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophetic utterance when the council of elders laid their hands upon you. Practice these duties; devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress.

Luke 19:1-10: At that time, Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. And he sought to see Who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Jesus, for He was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. And when they saw it they all murmured, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Troparion of the Resurrection: When Mary stood at thy grave looking for thy sacred body, angelic powers shone above thy revered tomb, and the soldiers who were to keep guard became as dead men. Thou led hades captive and wast not tempted thereby. Thou didst meet the Virgin and didst give life to the world; O thou who art risen from the dead! O Lord, glory to 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 Presentation: Thou, O Christ God, who by your Birth, didst sanctify the Virgin’s womb, and as is meet, didst bless Simeon’s arms, and didst also come to save us, preserve thy fold in wars, and confirm them whom thou didst love; for thou alone art the Lover of mankind.

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.)

12:00 p.m. – Ladies of St. Peter meeting during Coffee Hour

Sunday, January 26 (Thirty-second Sunday after Pentecost)

8:50 a.m. – Orthros

9:00 a.m. – Christian Education

10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy (webcast)

12:00 p.m. – Ladies of St. Peter meeting during Coffee Hour

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

Monday, January 27 (John Chrysostom – transfer of relics)

Father Herman off

Tuesday, January 28

NO Services

1:00 p.m. – Ladies Lunch

Wednesday, January 29

6:30 p.m. – Great Vespers

Thursday, January 30 (The Three Hierarchs)

NO Services

Friday, January 31 (Cyros and John the Unmercenary Healers)

NO Services

Saturday, February 1

4:30 p.m. – Choir Practice

6:00 p.m. – Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia

Sunday, February 2 (Meeting of the Lord in the Temple)

8:50 a.m. – Orthros

9:00 a.m. – Christian Education

10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy (webcast)

12:00 p.m. – POT LUCK MEAL

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

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

Eucharist Bread Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

January 26 Algood Lasseter/Pacurari/Lavric

February 1 (Sat. p.m.) Meadows (Artos bread) NO Meal

(Feast of the Entrance of the Lord into the Temple)

February 2 Schelver POT LUCK MEAL

Lockhart/Karam/Snell

February 9 Jones Algood/Schelver

February 16 Meadows Baker/Jimmy Jones

February 22 (Sat. a.m.) Davis Pigott/Ian Jones

(Saturday of the Souls) Koliva:

February 23 D. Root Ken Jones/Stewart

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#

January 26 Katie Miller I Tim. 4:9-15 252

February 2 Mary Martha Ellis Heb. 7:7-17 371

February 9 Grady Fisher II Tim. 3:10-15 258

February 16 Ian Jones I Cor. 6:12-20 265

February 22 (Sat. a.m.) Kh. Sharon Meadows Thess. 4:13-17 412

February 23 Walt Wood I Cor. 8:8-9:2 273

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; Marilyn (Kyriake) Snell; Jack and Jill Weatherly; Dn. Terry 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.

Fr. Herman will be out of town January 28th – February 1st, attending the Winter Retreat in Atlanta and also February 14th-17th for Winter Camp St. Thekla. If you need a priest during this time, please contact one of the other priests.

The Ladies of St. Peter will have a brief meeting during Coffee Hour TODAY.

Book study group with Fr. John will meet this evening at 5:30pm in the Fellowship Hall for its next meeting. The study will focus on a 12-talk series by Fr. Thomas Hopko on the Holy Trinity.

St. Andrew’s Antiochian parish in Pensacola, Florida has invited our community to a Pre-Lenten Retreat they are hosting on Saturday, February 8. The speaker of this retreat will be Dr. Jeannie Constantinou. Further information on the retreat will be forthcoming. In the meantime, if you are interested in attending the retreat please see Fr. Herman.

Seating spaces in the Nave: As a gentle reminder, please be mindful of seating spaces in the Nave during Sunday Divine Liturgy. Due to our growth over the past few years seating has become a little more limited and there has been an overflow toward the back of the Nave near the Narthex, which makes it “tight” for the clergy to make the Great Entrance. While this is a good problem to have, and until we can begin work on the new Temple, please make sure there are enough spaces available in the “seating” area of the Nave for as many people as possible. This means we may have “squtch in” on the rows. Thank you for your help in this.

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 DOMSE Winter Retreat will be held at St. Elias Orthodox Church in Atlanta January 31-February 1.

* We will celebrate the Feast of the Entrance of the Lord into the Temple on Sunday, February 2nd with a POT LUCK MEAL following the Divine Liturgy. (We will have Litia and Artoklasia for the Feast at Great Vespers the evening before.)

Fasting Discipline for January/February

The traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on remaining Wednesdays and Fridays of January and on the first and third weeks in February. However, there is no fasting during the week following the Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican (February 9th). February 23rd is Meatfare Sunday after which meat will no longer be eaten until Pascha. During the week that follows, dairy products may be eaten on all days, including Wednesday and Friday.

Major Commemorations for January/February

January 27 John Chrysostom (transfer of relics)

January 30 (The Three Holy Hierarchs

January 31 Cyros and John the Unmercenary Healers

February 2 Meeting of the Lord in the Temple

February 3 Simeon the God-receiver

February 9 Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican

February 10 Hieromartyr Haralampos

February 16 Sunday of the Prodigal Son

February 22 Saturday of the Souls

February 23 Meatfare Sunday

February 24 The Forerunner (1st and and Discoveries)

Quotable: “Refuse to listen to the devil when he whispers to you: give me now, and you will give tomorrow to God. No, no! Spend all the hours of your life in a way pleasing to God; keep in your mind the thought that after the present hour you will not be given another and that you will have to render a strict account for every minute of this present hour.”

–Unseen Warfare, St. Theophan the Recluse and St. Nicodemus

Worship: Sunday, February 2, 2025 (Presentation of the Lord in the Temple)

Scripture: Hebrews 7:7-17; Luke 2:22-40

Epistle Reader: Mary Martha Ellis

Prosphora: Schelver

Coffee Hour: POT LUCK MEAL

Lockhart/Karam/Snell