January 29, 2023
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
II Corinthians 6:16-7:1: Brethren, you are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will live in them and move among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore, come out from them, and be separate from them,” says the Lord, “and touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you, and I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,” says the Lord Almighty. Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfect in the fear of God.
Matthew 15:21-28: At that time, Jesus went to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.” But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
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. Ignatius of Antioch: By choosing the Apostles’ way of life, thou hast succeeded to their throne. Inspired by God, thou didst find the way to divine contemplation through the practice of virtue. After teaching the Word of Truth without error, thou didst defend the Faith to the very shedding of thy blood, O Holy Martyr among bishops Ignatius. Entreat the Lord our God to save our souls.
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.
Sunday, January 29 (Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost)
8:50 a.m. — Orthros (webcast)
9:00 a.m. — Christian Education
10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy (webcast)
12:00 p.m. — Baby Shower for Reader Chad and Sara Miller
Monday, January 30 (The Three Hierarchs)
Father Herman off
Tuesday, January 31 (Cyros and John the Unmercenary Healers)
NO Services
1:00 p.m. — Ladies’ Lunch
Wednesday, February 1
6:00 p.m. — Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia
Thursday, February 2 (Presentation of our Lord in the Temple)
Many years before the coming of Christ there lived a very pious and saintly man called Simeon. He was one of the most intelligent Jewish scholars of his day. Simeon prayed for the day that the Saviour would come and deliver all Israel (and the world) from sin. One evening while kneeling in prayer, Simeon heard the voice of God saying to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Holy Tradition tells us that Simeon waited many long years. Some Holy Fathers inform us that Simeon was over 150 years old when the Promise of God was fulfilled. The Holy Scriptures tell us that 40 days after the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ the Virgin Mary brought the Christ Child to the Temple for Presentation. It was a law that the first born son of a family should be offered to God and His service, as soon as a period of purification was past. It was here that Simeon waited patiently that day, as he had done for so many years. The Spirit of the Lord brought him to the baby Jesus. Simeon took the infant Child in his trembling hands and recited the following beautiful prayer which is recited in the Orthodox Church every evening during Vesper services:
“Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation which thou hast prepared before the
face of all peoples. A Light to enlighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of
thy people Israel.”
Thus the promise to the aged Simeon was finally fulfilled. The next day Simeon died in peace, thankful to Almighty God that he was honored to see the coming of Christ.
This custom has continued down to our own day for both male and female children, and every mother who brings her new-born child to Church on the fortieth day is remembering the Great Feast of the Presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple.
NO Services
Friday, February 3 (Simeon the God-receiver)
NO Services
Saturday, February 4
Sunday, February 5 (Pharisee and the Publican)
8:50 a.m. — Orthros (webcast)
9:00 a.m. — Christian Education
10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy (webcast)
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Brocks for the Divine Liturgy this morning.
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.
Pledge Letters were mailed out last week. Please return them as soon as possible.
Eucharist Bread Schedule:
Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour
January 29 Brock Dansereau/Alaeetawi
February 1 (Wed. p.m.) Pacurari (Artoklasia Bread) No Coffee Hour
(Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple)
February 5 R. Root Lavric/Skirtech/Dabit
February 12 Lasseter Ellis/Zouboukos/Waites
February 18 (Sat. a.m.) Baker Meadows/Pacurari/Cooper
(Saturday of the Souls) Koliva:
February 19 Henderson Pigott/Stewart
February 26 Algood FUNDRAISER (TEENS) MEAL
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 29 Sam Habeeb II Cor. 6:16-7:1 173
February 5 Brenda Baker II Tim. 3:10-15 258
February 12 Kh. Sharon Meadows I Cor. 6:12-20 265
February 18 (Sat. a.m.) Walt Wood Thess. 4:13-17 412
February 19 Walt Wood I Cor. 8:8-9:2 273
February 26 Ian Jones Rom. 13:11-14:4 279
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.
Please pray for the Holy Synod in Damascus who will meeting on February 22nd to discuss the election of the new Metropolitan.
House Blessings: A sign-up sheet is located on the bureau in the hallway. Please indicate 3 dates that would work for your family and Father Herman will get back with you to schedule your house blessing. Everyone should have their house blessed, but the responsibility for scheduling lies with individuals and not Father Herman. (There will be no house blessings once Great Lent starts.)
Parents! If your children plan to attend Camp St. Thekla in the summer, please let Daniel know.
Parents, your help is needed! Please monitor your children with regards to the Men’s Bathroom. Recently one of the stalls was locked as a prank.
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 on the last Tuesday of the month.
* We will celebrate the Entrance of the Lord into the Temple with Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia on Wednesday evening, February 1st, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
* February 27th is Clean Monday when Great Lent begins. The schedule of services during the first week of Lent are as follows:
Sunday, February 26 — Forgiveness Vespers, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Monday, February 27 — Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 28 — Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 1 — Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 2 — Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Friday, March 3 — Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Baby Shower for Reader Chad and Sara Miller: We will have a Diaper/Frozen Casserole Shower for Reader Chad and Sara Miller at Coffee Hour today. They are expecting a new daughter in February. Please continue to keep all in your prayers!
Fasting Discipline for January/February
There will be no fasting during the week following the Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican (February 5th this year). Other than that, the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on Wednesdays and Fridays of the month until Meat Fare Sunday on February 19th. After that time, meat will no longer be eaten until Pascha. During the week following Meat Fare Sunday, dairy products are permitted, even on Wednesday and Friday. Beginning with Clean Monday on February 27th, the traditional fasting discipline is observed on all days of the week until Pascha (except for the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25th and Palm Sunday on April 9th, when fish, wine and oil are permitted).
Major Commemorations for January/February
January 30 The Three Hierarchs
January 31 Cyros and John the Unmercenary Healers
February 5 Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican
February 10 Hieromartyr Haralampos
February 11 Blaise, Bishop of Sebaste
February 12 Sunday of the Prodigal Son
February 18 Saturday of the Souls
February 19 Sunday of Meat Fare
February 24 The Forerunner (1st and 2nd Discoveries)
February 26 Sunday of Cheese Fare
February 27 Clean Monday (Great Lent Begins)
Winter Camp will be held at Camp St. Thekla on February 17-20, 2023 for ages 12-17.
Instructions for streaming our services can be found on the parish website.
PARENTS, 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.
Quotable: “It is true that Christ has eliminated the necessity of sin, has put an end to the devil’s tyranny, and has removed the sting of death. But He has not ended sin, nor the actions of the devil, nor the actions of the demons, nor physical death, nor in general the consequences of sin, for He did not want to violate the freedom of the human will which is the cause of these things.”
Jean Claude Larchett, The Theology of Illness
Worship: Sunday, February 5, 2023 (Sunday of the Pharisee and Publican)
Scripture: II Timothy 3: 10-15; Luke 18:10-14
Celebrant: Father Herman
Epistle Reader: Brenda Baker
Prosphora: R. Root
Coffee Hour: Lavric/Skitech/Dabit
Saint Peter Antiochian Orthodox Church 
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