Sunday, January 4, 2025

Forefeast of & Sunday before Theophany of Christ

II Timothy (4:5-8) Timothy, my son, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Mark (1:1-8) The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” John the Baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And there went out to him all the country of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, and had a leather girdle around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes He Who is mightier than I, the strap of Whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Troparion of the Resurrection Let us believers praise and worship the Word; coeternal 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 the Forefeast of Theophany: Be thou ready, Zabulon; prepare thyself, O Nephthalim. * River Jordan, stay thy course and skip for gladness to receive * the Sovereign Master, Who cometh now to be baptized. * O Adam, be thou glad with our first mother, Eve; * hide not as ye did of old in Paradise. * Seeing you naked, He hath appeared now * to clothe you in the first robe again. * Christ hath appeared, for He truly willeth to renew all creation.

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 Forefeast of Theophany: In the running waters of * the Jordan River, * on this day the Lord of all * crieth to John: Be not afraid * and hesitate not to baptize Me, * for I am come to save Adam, the first-formed man.

Calendar

Sunday, January 4, 2026 (Forefeast of & Sunday before Theophany of Christ )

8:50 AM – Orthros

9:00 AM – Christian Education

10:00 AM – Divine Liturgy

Monday, January 5, 2026

6:00 PM – Orthros & Divine Liturgy

8:30 PM – Potluck Meal

Tuesday, January 6, 2026 (Thophany)

No Services

Wednesday, January 7. 2026

5:30 PM – Teen Meeting

6:30 PM – Daily Vespers

Thursday, January 8, 2026 (Circumcision of the Lord & St Basil the Great)

No Service

Friday, January 9, 2026

No Service

Saturday, January 10, 2026

10:00 AM – Ladies Meet for Akathist

6:00 PM – Great Vespers

Sunday, January 11, 2026 (Sunday after the Theophany of Christ Theodosios the Great, head of monasteries (Cenobiarch))

8:50 AM – Orthros

9:00 AM – Christian Education

10:00 AM – Divine Liturgy

4:00 PM – Blessing of the Waters (@ Old Crab’s Restaurant)

Special Announcements

Please remember the following in your prayers: Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon’s sister); Jay and Joanna Davis; Fr. Leo and Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver and their family; Jack and Jill Weatherly; Dn.Terry Algood and their family; Fr. John and Kh. Janet Henderson and their family

The Blessing of the Waters will be on Sunday, January 11, 2026 at the old Crab’s restaurant at 4:00 p.m.

The Eucharist Bread was provided by the Pacuraris on Wednesday for the Circumcision of the Lord & St. Basil the Great, and by the Davises for the Divine Liturgy this morning.

Eucharist Bread Schedule:

Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour

January 4 Davis Algood/Rodriguez

January 5 (Mon p.m.) D. Root Baker/Jimmy Jones

Theophany POTLUCK

January 11 Karam Pigott/Ian Jones

January 15 ((Thurs p.m.) Brock Ken Jones/Stewart

Chains of Peter POTLUCK

January 18 R. Root Meadows/Brock

January 25 Pacurari Dansereau/Alaeetawi

Schedule for Epistle Readers – Page numbers refer to the Apostolos (book of Epistles) located on the chanters’ stand at the front of the nave. Please be sure to use book when you read.

Reader Reading Page#

January 4 Gabrielle Jones II Tim 4:5-8 354

January 5 Ian Jones Titus 2:11; 3:4-7 361

January 11 Katie Miller Heb 13:7-16 365-366

January 15 Mary Martha Ellis Acts 12:1-11 50-51

January 18 Sophie Dansereau Heb 13:7-16 365-366

January 25 Grady Fisher Heb 7:26-8:2 334

Congratulations and many years to Erik Vasquez-Diaz who will be chrismated during the Divine Liturgy for Theophany tomorrow, January 5. Please keep him and his sponsor Brandon Strain in your prayers.

Stewpot: We will be serving Stewpot on Sunday, January 17, 2026 with the other Orthodox Churches.

WAMP! Registration for winter camp has opened for ages 12-17. If your teen would like to attend, please see Fr. Herman for registration information if you do not already have it. Winter camp will be held back at Asbury Hills in Cleveland, SC again this year. Transportation to and from camp will be the responsibility of the parents as the church will not be providing vans for winter camp.

WINTER RETREAT! A Save the Date email has been sent out regarding the upcoming dates for the 2026 DOMSE Winter Retreat. The retreat will, again, be hosted by St. Elias Antiochian parish in Atlanta, GA. The dates for the retreat are January 30-31. Registration has opened and was emailed out by Fr. Herman. If you did not receive this, please see him for registration information. Hope to see you there!

Please remember that we still need your tithes and offerings which may be placed in the tray that is passed during 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

Potluck Meals: Everyone who attends the potluck meals during the month is encouraged to bring a dish to share with everyone. This is to ensure that there is enough food for all to partake. Over the past several months we have been running out of food before everyone has an opportunity to go through the line. This also applies to the Festal Liturgies that may be served during the week and the Soup Suppers after Presanctified Liturgies during Lent. Parents, please accompany your children through the line. Thank you all for your help with this.

As a friendly reminder, in regards to coffee hour, the church will provide beef sticks, cheese cubes, crackers, cookies, and orange juice. For sponsors of baptisms/chrismations a reception may be held after the service and may have whatever food the sponsors would like to provide in celebration of this occasion. If you wish to bring a snack for your children, please be responsible for the clean up of those items. Coffee hour is not meant to be a meal, but a means to break the fast with a snack and visit with each other. Also, as a friendly reminder, please make sure kids are not getting ice in the kitchen without adult supervision.

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 for dining on the last Tuesday of the month. Times will vary.

* The Ladies meet at the church at 10:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of the month to pray the

Akathist. Alternating on behalf of our children and our sick.

* The Ladies of St Peter will meet every third Sunday during Coffee Hour.

* The Young Adult Fellowship (YAF) meets on alternating Mondays for Book Study. Please see

Brandon Strain for questions.

* The Blessing of the Waters will be on January 11th at the old Crab’s restaurant at 4:00p.m.

* For Theophany, we will have Orthros and Divine Liturgy on Monday, January 5th starting at

6:00 p.m. followed by a potluck meal.

* We will have Orthros and Divine Liturgy on Thursday, January 15th followed by a potluck meal

for the Chains of Peter.

* Stewpot on January 17, May 2, and November 7

Fasting Discipline for December/ January

On Monday, January 5 and on all Wednesdays and Fridays of January the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed.

Exceptions on Monday, January 7, when we will only abstain from meat, dairy, eggs, and on Thursday, January 16 and 30 when we will only abstain from meat, dairy, eggs, fish. (Please see 2026 Fasting Calendar).

Major Commemorations for December/January

January 6 Feats of Theophany

January 7 Synaxis of the Forerunner

January 11 Theodosios the Head of Monasteries

January 16 Veneration of the Chains of Peter

January 17 Anthony the Great

January 18 Athanasios and Cyril of Alexandria

January 23 Gregory the Theologian

January 27 John Chrysostom (Transfer of Relics)

January 30 The Three Holy Hierarchs

January 31 Cyros and John the Unmercenary Healers

Quote: “Whilst still in the body, the soul passes through three stages-youth, maturity, and old age. Likewise, faith passes through three stages-the beginning of faith, success in faith, and perfection. In the first, when the should begins to believe, it is, in the words of the Gospel, born in Christ. The Apostle John showed us the signs of this new birth, and of the intermediate state and of perfection: ‘I write not you, little children…; I write unto you young men…; I write unto you fathers…’ He was writing not to physical friends, but to all the faithful, and was revealing to them the three different states through which those moving forward in the spiritual realm go in order to achieve perfection and to be made worthy of complete grace”

+ St. Anthony the Great

Worship: January 11, 2026 (Sunday after the Theophany of Christ Theodosios the Great, head of monasteries (Cenobiarch))

Scripture: Heb 13:7-16; Luke 17:12-19

Epistle Reader: Katie Miller

Prosphora: Karam

Coffee Hour: Pigott/Ian Jones