June 4, 2023

The Great Feast of Pentecost

In several senses, Pentecost marks for us the end of many months of anticipation, commem-oration, and celebration and the beginning of the fullness of the life and faith we share. It is a day bringing our focus on the Holy Spirit, the embodiment of divine grace, the supreme gift, the ongoing presence of God in our lives; yet, it is a day directing us to the praise of the Trinity, the three divine persons, and the historical and spatial relationship God’s people have with Him. For the disciples, the day marks their spiritual maturity. Their faith began in their nationality, for they were of the nation that God the Father chose to glorify Him. The faith was completed in their confrontation with God the Son, through His presence and the nourishment He gave. The fullness of the faith came with the coming in power of God the Spirit. The disciples had grown in spirit and were ready for their work; the birth of the Church was imminent; the Bride was to be made ready. In the cycle of the calendar, we now stand ready to do likewise, and all weeks from now until our preparation for Advent are the weeks of Pentecost. In the picture of the birth of the Church there are symbols beyond mention here; the unity in the common tongue, the Light that shines brighter than day, the bold proclamation to all men of the Gospel. We look forward from this day to weeks without special celebrations, to days without reference to past days of enormous import–to normal, uneventful days. But these are not uneventful days; they are the days for which we have prepared, the days of the Church, the days of our maturity and growth, the days when, through the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit, we run the good race and cross the finish to bring praise and glory to our glorious God, the eternal Trinity.

Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11: When the day of Pentecost had come, the Disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondered, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

John 7:37-52; 8:12: On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.’” Now this He said about the Spirit, which those who believed in Him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. When they heard these words, many of the people said, “This is really the prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” So there was a division among the people over Him. Some of them wanted to arrest Him, but no one laid hands on Him. The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?” The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this man!” The Pharisees answered them, “Are you led astray, you also? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in Him? But this crowd, who do not know the Law, are accursed.” Nicodemus, who had gone to Him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our Law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee.” Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

Troparion of Pentecost: Blessed art thou, O Christ our God, who hast revealed the fishermen as most wise, having sent upon them the Holy Spirit, and through them thou hast fished the universe, O Lover of mankind, glory to thee.

Kontakion of Pentecost: When the high One descended, confusing tongues, he divided the nations. And when he distributed the fiery tongues he called all to one unity. Wherefore, in unison we glorify the most Holy Spirit.

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, June 4 (Pentecost)

            8:50 a.m.          — Orthros (webcast)

10:00 a.m.        — Divine Liturgy (webcast)

12:00 p.m.        — PICNIC POT LUCK MEAL

6:30 p.m.         — Kneeling Vespers of Pentecost

Monday, June 5             

Father Herman off

[NO FASTING THIS WEEK]

Tuesday, June 6             

            NO Services

Wednesday, June 7     

            6:30 p.m.         — Daily Vespers

Thursday, June 8    (Theodore the General – transfer of relics))           

NO Services

Friday, June 9

            NO Services

Saturday, June 10         

10:00 a.m.        — Ladies Meet for Akathist

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

Sunday, June 11          (Sunday of All Saints)

10:00 a.m.        — Divine Liturgy (webcast)

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Daniel Roots for the Divine Liturgy for Saturday of the Souls yesterday morning and by the Karams for the Divine Liturgy this morning.   The Koliva for Saturday of the Souls was offered by the Meadows.

Eucharist Bread Schedule:

                                          Eucharist Bread                Coffee Hour

June 4                                Karam                                PICNIC POT LUCK MEAL

         (Feast of Pentecost)                                             Meadows/Pacurari/Cooper

June 10 (Sat. p.m.)              R. Roots    (Artos for Sunday of all Saints)

June 11                              Brock                                 Pigott/Stewart

June 18                              R. Root                              Algood/Schelver

June 25                              Pacurari                             Lasseter/Miller

June 28 (Wed. p.m.)           Lasseter                             D. Root/Baker

         (Feastday of Sts. Peter and Paul)

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#

June 4                                Sam Habeeb                          Acts 2:1-11                     77

June 11                              Ian Jones                               Heb. 11:33-12:2              84

June 18                              Walt Wood                            Rom. 2:10-16                  90

June 25                              Brenda Baker                        Rom. 5:1010                   96

June 28 (Wed. p.m.)           Kh. Sharon Meadows            II Cor. 11:21-33; 12:6-9   389

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; Kathy Willingham; Marilyn (Kyriake) Snell; Jack and Jill Weatherly; Lottie Dabbs (Sh. Charlotte Algood’s mother), Sh. Charlotte and their family; Maria Costas (currently at St. Catherine’s Village); Reader Basil and Brenda Baker and their family; Buddy Cooper; Georgia and Bob Buchanan; Fr. Joseph Bittle; Anthony and Athena Zouboukos and Keri Waites; Steve and Sheryl Chamblee; Jack and Jill Weatherly.

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.  

Father Herman will be attending the Parish Life Conference June 13-17 and will be returning home Sunday, June 18^th.

Many, many thanks to Maria Pacurari for her willingness to serve as President of the Ladies of St. Peter these past two years!  The Ladies will have a brief meeting at Coffee hour on Sunday, June 25^th to discuss future plans.

Archdiocese Convention:  The Biennial Antiochian Archdiocese Convention is being hosted by St. George Orthodox Church in Phoenix, AZ on July 23-30.  His Beatitude, Patriarch JOHN X will be in attendance.  Information about the convention may be found at www.ac2023az.org.

PARENTS, your help is needed in the following areas:

1)      A problem has arisen due to the nursery room being left messy after Coffee Hour.  No food of any kind should be taken into that room.  Also, it is necessary for a parent to be in the room whenever their children are in there playing.  Thank you for your assistance with this.

2)      Please see that your children do not use the Sunday school rooms with the doors closed during Coffee Hour.

3)      Please ask your children to not climb the trees in the front of the church.  (The playground will be available again soon.)

Calendar Items:

*    The men of the parish meet for lunch at 11:30 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. 

*    Today is the Feast of Pentecost.  As is our parish custom, we will have a PICNIC POT LUCK MEAL following the Divine Liturgy.  We will also pray the Kneeling Prayers of Pentecost at Vespers this evening, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

*    The Fast of the Apostles begins on Monday, June 12^th and runs through the 28^th.

*    The Parish Life Conference in Miami will be held on June 14-17.

*    A workday is scheduled at the church forSaturday, June 17^th, beginning at 8:30 a.m.

*    We will celebrate the Feastday of Sts. Peter and Paul with Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy on Wednesday evening, June 28^th, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

*    The remaining Stew Pot Date for 2023 isSaturday, September 9^th.

Fasting Discipline for June

There is no fasting during the week following the Feast of Pentecost (June 5-9 this year).  The Fast of the Apostles begins June 12^th and runs through the 28^th.  During this time the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all days of the week.  However, there is a katalysis for wine and oil on Tuesdays and Thursdays and for fish, wine and oil on Saturdays and Sundays during the Fast.

Major Commemorations for June

June 4              Pentecost

June 8              Theodore the General (transfer of relics)

June 11            Sunday of All Saints

                        Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas

June 24            Nativity of the Forerunner

June 29            Chief Apostles Peter and Paul

June 30            Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles

Quotable:        “When praying, keep to the rule that it is better to say five words from the depth of your heart than ten thousand words with your tongue only. When you observe that your heart is cold and prays unwillingly, stop praying and warm your heart by vividly representing to yourself either your own wickedness, your spiritual poverty, misery, and blindness, or the great benefits which God bestows every moment upon you and all mankind, especially upon Christians, and then pray slowly and fervently. If you do not have time to say all your prayers, it does not matter, and you will receive incomparably greater benefit from praying fervently and not hurriedly than if you had said all your prayers hurriedly and without feeling: ‘I had rather speak five words with my understanding than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue’…It is well to pray long and continually; but ‘All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given’.

St. John of Kronstadt

Worship:   Sunday, June 11, 2023 (First Sunday after Pentecost; Sunday of All Saints)

         Scripture:                                 Hebrews 11:33-12:2; Matthew 10:32-33, 37-38; 19:27-30

         Celebrant:                                 Father Herman

         Epistle Reader:                         Ian Jones

         Prosphora:                                Brock

         Coffee Hour:                            Pigott/Stewart

May 28, 2023

Sunday of the After-feast of Ascension

Commemoration of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council

Today is the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of Nicea. This day commemorates the Holy Fathers who sat in council at Nicea, the first of the ecumenical councils. Through them we see the commitment to the immutable truth of God for all the faithful, especially those who lead in the faith. The men of this council bear special note by the significance of their creed, for it is the fundamental statement of orthodox Christology and an enduring guide to our faith. The events of the ascension and the scriptures of this day emphasize to us the nature and action of Christ, and the history of these fathers puts us in mind of the work of the Holy Spirit in the church, work proclaimed by the glorious events which we now anticipate in the preparation for Pentecost.

Acts of the Apostles 20:16-18, 28-36: In those days, Paul was determined to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening, if possible, to be at Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the priests of the church. And when they came to him, he said to them: “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you bishops, to shepherd the church of the Lord and God, which He purchased with His own blood. For I know that after my departure ravenous wolves will enter among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore, remain watchful, remembering that for three years I did not cease to admonish every one, night and day with tears. And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by such laboring we ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down on his knees with them all, and prayed.

John 17:1-13: At that time, Jesus lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son that the Son may glorify Thee, since Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom Thou hast given Him. And this is eternal life, that they know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom Thou hast sent. I glorified Thee on earth, having accomplished the work which Thou gavest Me to do; and now, Father, glorify Thou Me in Thy own presence with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was made. I have manifested Thy Name to the men whom Thou gavest Me out of the world; Thine they were, and Thou gavest them to Me, and they have kept Thy word. Now they know that everything that Thou hast given Me is from Thee; for I have given them the words which Thou gavest Me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from Thee; and they have believed that Thou didst send Me. I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom Thou hast given Me, for they are Thine; all Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine, and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to Thee. Holy Father, keep them in Thy Name, which Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, even as We are one. While I was with them, I kept them in Thy Name, which Thou have given Me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to Thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.”

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 Ascension: Thou hast ascended in glory, O Christ our God, and gladdened thy disciples with the promise of the Holy Spirit, having become confident of the blessing. Verily, thou art the Son of God, and Deliverer of the world.

Troparion of the Holy Fathers: Thou, O Christ, art our God of exceeding praise who didst establish our holy Fathers as luminous stars upon earth, and through them didst guide us unto the true Faith, O most merciful One, 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 Ascension: When thou didst fulfill thy dispensation for our sakes, uniting the terrestrials with the celestials, thou didst ascend in glory, O Christ our God, inseparable in space, but constant without separation, and crying unto thy beloved, I am with you, and no one shall be against you.

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, May 28 (Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council)
8:50 a.m.