April 6, 2025

Fifth Sunday of Great Lent

Commemoration of Mary of Egypt

Palm Sunday begins the observance of the eight days that encapsulate all of time and eternity as relates to man. The days begin with the proclamation on earth of the entry of the Messiah into Jerusalem and end with the Eternal King rising in incomprehensible victory to establish the heavenly Jerusalem and His eternal reign. On Palm Sunday, we begin the days of the full exhibition of the awful corruption sin has spread in mankind and the measureless love that heals and deifies our humanity. Today we thrill at the picture of Christ and the praises of the people, the object of adoration yet the perfection of humility. The imagery of the scene is beyond description: the King amidst His people, the palm and olive branches symbolizing His victory, His anointing, His peace; the cloaks and garments cast before Him symbolizing our complete submission to His will; the cries of adoration, of “Hosanna,” the coming of the Lord. Yet, on this day we are also near enough to feel acutely the dread of His passion, the desolation of the trial and Golgotha. This day also begins the week of the Eighth Day, the entry to eternity. As we observe Palm Sunday, we observe all history and the fulfillment of all history.

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 April 06, 2025 Liturgy Variables 2 Fifth Sunday of Lent 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: 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 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 protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, mediation unto the Creator most constant: O despise not the suppliant voices of those who have sinned; but be thou quick, O good one, to come unto our aid, who in faith cry unto thee: Hasten to intercession, and speed thou to make supplication, thou who dost ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honour 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 6 (Fifth Sunday of Lent; Commemoration of Mary of Egypt)

8:50 a.m. – Orthros

9:00 a.m. – Christian Education

10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy (webcast)

Monday, April 7

Father Herman off

Tuesday, April 8

NO Services

Wednesday, April 9

6:30 p.m. – Pre-sanctified Liturgy followed by Soup Supper

Thursday, April 10

NO Services

Friday, April 11

6:30 p.m. – Canon of St. Lazarus

Saturday, April 12 (Lazarus Saturday)

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

4:30 p.m. – Choir Practice

6:00 p.m. – Great Vespers

Sunday, April 13 (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, catered by Sal and Phil’s

6:30 p.m. – Bridegroom Matins (webcast)

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

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

Eucharist Bread Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

April 6 Milnor Algood/Schelver

April 12 (Sat. a.m.) Henderson Lockhart/Karam/Snell

(Lazarus Saturday)

April 13 Algood Lasseter/Pacurari/Lavric

(Palm Sunday) Baker/Jimmy Jones

April 17 (Thurs. a.m.) Schelver Meadows

(Great & Holy Thursday)

April 19 (Sat. a.m.) Jones Pigott/Ian Jones

(Great & Holy Saturday)

April 19 (Sat. p.m.) Meadows Ellis/Zouboukos/Waites

(PASCHA) D. Root/Meadows

Miller/Weatherly

April 27 Davis 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#

April 6 Grady Fisher Heb. 9:11-14 290

April 12 (sat. a.m.) Ian Jones Heb. 12:28-13:2 291

April 13 Walt Wood Phil. 4:4-9 294

April 17 (Thurs. a.m.) Reader Basil Baker I Cor. 11:23-32 295

April 19 (Sat. a.m.) Reader Chad Miller Rom. 6:3-11 300

April 19 (sat. p.m.) Brandon Strain Acts 1:1-8 25

April 27 Ian Jones Acts 5:12-20 32

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; Fr. John and Kh. Janet Henderson and their family; Galina Singletary; Emily and Cole Parker.

Welcome and Many Years! to Justin White who will be baptized in the context of today’s Divine Liturgy and to Meredith White who will be chrismated at the same time.

Please keep in your humble prayers Clayton Fairchild and KC Barrett who will be chrismated on Great and Holy Saturday. May God grant them Many years!

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 schedule for the services of Holy Week are as follows:

Sunday, April 13 – Bridegroom Matins, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Monday, April 14 – Bridegroom Matins, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 15 – Bridegroom Matins, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 16 – Holy Unction Service, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 17 – Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, beginning at 7:00 a.m.

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

Friday, April 18 – Royal Hours of Pascha, 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, April 19 – Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

– PASCHA Service, beginning at 10:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 20 – Agape Vespers at St. Peter’s, beginning at 4:00 p.m.

* This year’s remaining date for serving at Stewpot Ministries is Saturday, September 27th.

This year’s Palm Sunday fish meal will be catered by Sal and Phil’s, as has been done in the past. The cost for those 12 years and older will be $10.00 and $6 for those under 12 years of age.

Every year during this time of the Liturgical year, the Archdiocese has an outreach campaign for Food for Hungry People. If you would like to make a monetary donation to this campaign please mark your donation as Food for Hungry People. We will collect these donations until after Bright Week (the deadline for donations will be April 27th). The church will then write one check and send it to the appropriate location. Please consider making a donation toward this blessed cause. If you would like more information on this outreach please see Father Herman.

We are continuing the process of updating our Church directory. On the bureau in the foyer there are information sheets to be filled out by each family and individual. We are asking EVERYONE to please fill out one of these information sheets and get it back to Fr. Herman or Kh. Sharon. (Please be sure to PRINT as neatly as you can.) Thank you for your timely cooperation with this.

We will be hosting the Agape Vespers on Pascha this year with our sister churches in the area. Paschal Vespers will begin at 4:00 p.m. that afternoon.

Registration for the 2025 DOMSE Parish Life Conference has opened and was emailed out to the parish. If you did not receive this email and would like to attend, please see Father Herman for registration information. This year’s conference will be hosted by St. George Parish in Jacksonville, June 11-14th.

Registration for the Archdiocese National Convention has also opened. It is being hosted by St. George Parish in Cicero, IL (just outside of Chicago) July 20-27th. If you are interested in attending, please see Father Herman and he will get you the registration information and link.

Fasting Discipline for April

The traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all days of the week until Pascha. (except for Palm Sunday on April 13th, when fish, wine, and oil are permitted) There will be no fasting of any kind during Bright Week, April 28 thru May 3.

Major Commemorations for April

April 6 Fifth Sunday of Lent: Commemoration of St. Mary of Egypt

April 12 Lazarus Saturday

April 13 Palm Sunday

April 14-19 Holy Week

April 20 PASCHA

Quotable: “Although there are a slew of demons and all is packed with them, they cannot do anything to one who is protected by prayer and fasting.

Fasting is universal temperance, prayer is universal communication with God; the former defends from the outside, whereas the latter from within directs a fiery weapon against the enemies. The demons can sense a faster and man of prayer from a distance, and they run away from him to avoid a painful blow.

Is it feasible to think that where there is no fasting and prayer, there already is a demon? Yes, it is.

The demons lodging in a person, do not always reveal their presence, but lurk there, stealthily teaching their host every evil and turning him away from every good thig; so this person is certain he is doing everything on his own, but meanwhile he is only fulfilling the will of his enemy.

Just commence prayer and fasting and the enemy will immediately depart, then wait on the side for an opportunity to return again. And he truly will return, as soon as prayer and fasting are abandoned.

+ St. Theophan the Recluse, Thoughts for Each Day of the Year: According to the

Daily Church Readings from the Word of God

Worship: Sunday, April 13, 2025 (Palm Sunday)

Scripture: Phil. 4:4-9; John 12:1-18

Epistle Reader: Walt Wood

Prosphora: Algood

Coffee Hour: FISH FRY MEAL

Lasseter/Pacurari/Lavric

Baker/Jimmy Jones