In the miracle of the healing of the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda, we see the Son's power over life and sin, power which becomes fully evident in the Resurrection. The paralytic is a man crippled in body and spirit, for, even as He heals the body, Jesus warns against results of further sin.  Christ frees us from our bodies of corruption and grants us flesh glorified in Him; He also frees us from the power of sin and grants us perfection in His Spirit.  As the man at the pool accepted God's grace and found life, so let us walk in His light and come into His presence.

 

Acts 9:32-42:  Empowered by the Holy Spirit, St Peter heals a paralyzed man and raises a woman from the dead;  both acts lead to many people believing in the Lord.

 

John 5:1-15:  Jesus demonstrates His lordship over creation and the Sabbath when He heals a sick man at the pool of Bethsaida.

 

Troparion of the Resurrection:  Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad; for the Lord hath done a mighty act with his own arm.  He hath trampled down death and become the First-born from the dead. He hath delivered us from the depths of hades, granting the world the Great Mercy.

 

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 Pascha: When Thou didst descend into the grave, O Immortal, Thou didst destroy the power of hades.  In victory didst Thou arise, O Christ God, proclaiming "Rejoice" to the myrrh-bearing women, granting peace to Thine apostles and bestowing resurrection on the fallen.

 

 

Sunday, May 18   (Sunday of the Paralytic)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy followed by fund-raising meal for Youth Group

 

Monday, May 19
 CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED – FATHER JOHN'S DAY OFF

 

Tuesday, May 20
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros
 6:30 p.m. – Choir Practice
  
Wednesday, May 21   (Sts. Constantine and Helen)
 5:00 p.m. – Catechism Class
 6:30 p.m. – Daily Vespers

 

Thursday, May 22 
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros
 12N  – Ladies Reading Group at the Algoods'
  
Friday, May 23
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros 
        
Saturday, May 24 
 5:00 p.m. – Catechism Class
 6:30 p.m. – Great Vespers

 

Sunday, May 25  (Sunday of the Samaritan Woman)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy

 

 

The Eucharist Bread was offered by Fahmys for the Divine Liturgy today.

 

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
       Eucharist Bread  Coffee Hour
May 18   Fahmys   D. Roots
May 25   Bakers    Morrises
June 1    Woods    Meadows
June 4  (Wed. evening)  Hendersons   Joneses
 (Feast of the Ascension)
June 8    R. Roots   R. Roots
June 15   Algoods          ?
 (Feast of Pentecost)
June 22   Katools   Woods
June 29   Schelvers   Algoods 

 

Congratulations to Beth Ann Baker for graduating from Millsaps College, summa cum laude, on May 10. Beth Ann also received the Founder's Medal at the graduation ceremony which is awarded to the student with the highest cumulative GPA for the four years of college. Also, congratulations to Beth Ann for her acceptance into the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

 

We welcome Father Christopher Harner as the new priest and pastor at Holy Trinity and St. John the Theologian Greek Orthodox Church.  Father Christopher will be replacing Father Theo Harris, who has retired.  Please keep him and his family in your prayers.

 

Please be careful not to spill food or drink on our new chairs.  Also, please supervise your children to avoid spills or ink stains or marks from their writing and drawing.  These chairs cost over $200 each, so we need to take care of them.  Thank you for your help with this.

 

  
 * The teens will be holding fund-raising meal following the Divine Liturgy TODAY to raise money for the Parish Life Conference.  Please stay for the fellowship and to help our teens.

 
 * This year we will celebrate the feast of Ascension with Orthros and Divine Liturgy on Wednesday evening, June 4th and the feast of Pentecost on Sunday, June 15th.  The feast of Sts. Peter and Paul falls on a Sunday this year (June 29th).

 
 * Father John will be out of town June 2-9 for a family vacation.  If you have any pastoral needs, please contact Father Leo or Father James.

 
 * The Ladies of St. Peter are planning a garage sale for the first week-end in June.

 
 * Mark your calendars now for the Parish Life Conference, June 18-22, in Raleigh, North Carolina.  The conference is a wonderful opportunity to meet and build relationships with members of other parishes in our diocese.

 
 * We are scheduled to serve at the Stewpot on July 5th.  More information will be available as the time approaches.

Fasting Discipline for May
The traditional fasting (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil) is observed on the remaining Wednesdays and Fridays of the month.

 

Major Commemorations During May
 May 18 Sunday of the Paralytic
 May 21 God-crowned Emperor Constantine and His Mother Helen
 May 25 Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

 

Quotable: "You are a portrait, O man, a portrait painted by your Lord God. Yours is a good artist and painter. Do not deface the good picture, which reflects not deceit, but truth; which expresses not guile, but grace."
      St. Ambrose of Milan

 

Weekly Quote: "Some labor and struggle hard to earn forgiveness, but better than these is the man who forgets the wrongs done to him.  Forgive quickly and you will be abundantly forgiven.  To forget wrongs is to prove oneself truly repentant, but to brood on them and at the same time to imagine one is practicing repentance is to act like the man who is convinced he is running when in fact he is asleep."

    St. John Climacus

WORSHIP: Sunday, May 25, 2008 (Sunday of the Samaritan Woman; Discovery of the Head of John the Baptist)

 

  Scripture:  II Corinthians 4:6-15 (St. John the Baptist); John 4:5-42
 Celebrant:  Father John
 Homily:  Father Leo
 Deacon:  Deacon Terry
 Acolytes:  Stephen Chamblee
 Prosphora:  Bakers
 Coffee Hour:  Morrises
 Teen Hosts:  No meeting

 

 About the beginning of His thirty-second year, when our Lord was going throughout Galilee, preaching and working miracles, many women who had received of His beneficence left their homeland and from then on followed after Him.  They ministered unto Him out of their own possessions, even until His crucifixion and entombment; and afterwards, neither losing faith in Him after His death, nor fearing the wrath of the Jewish rulers, they came to His sepulchre, bearing the myrrh-oils they had prepared to anoint His body.  It is because of the myrrh-oils that these God-loving women brought to the tomb that they are called the Myrrh-bearers.  Of those whose names are known are the following: first of all the most holy Virgin Mary, who in Matthew 27:56 and Mark 15:40 is called "the mother of James and Joses" (these are the sons of Joseph by a previous marriage, and she was therefore their step-mother); Mary Magdalene; Mary, the wife of Cleopas; Joanna, wife of Chouza, a steward of Herod Antipas; Salome, the mother of the sons of Zebedee; Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus; and Susanna.  As for the names of the rest of them, the evangelists have kept silence.
  On this day we also make commemoration of Joseph of Arimathea, who was a secret disciple, and also of Nicodemus, who was a disciple by night.  Joseph went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and together with Nicodemus, he gave Him burial out of  reverence and love.

 

Acts 6:1-7:  In the reading from Acts we see the establishment of the office of diaconate as an order of Church government with a purpose of serving the people and caring for their needs.

Mark 15:43-16:8:  St Mark describes how Joseph of Arimathea claims the body of our Lord from  Pilate to place it in his own tomb.  On the third day, the three women learn from an angel that the Lord has risen from the dead.

 

Troparion of the Resurrection:  When thou, O immortal Life, didst humble thyself unto death, then didst thou destroy death by the brightness of thy Godhead; and when thou didst raise the bowels of the earth, then all the heavenly powers exclaimed, O Christ, thou art the Giver of life!  Glory to thee, O our God!

 

Troparia of the Ointment-Bearers:  The pious Joseph, having brought down thy pure body from the Tree, wrapped it in fine linen, embalmed it with ointment, provided for it, and laid it in a new tomb.  But thou didst truly rise, after three days, O Lord, granting the world the Great Mercy.
  Verily, the angel came to the tomb and said to the ointment-bearing women, The ointment is meet for the dead, but Christ is shown to be remote from corruption.  But cry ye, The Lord is risen, granting the world the Great Mercy.

 

Kontakion of Pascha: When Thou didst descend into the grave, O Immortal, Thou didst destroy the power of hades.  In victory didst Thou arise, O Christ God, proclaiming "Rejoice" to the myrrh-bearing women, granting peace to Thine apostles and bestowing resurrection on the fallen.

 

 

Sunday, May 11   (Sunday of the Myrrh-bearers)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 6:00 p.m. – Young Adults

 

Monday, May 12
 CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED – FATHER JOHN'S DAY OFF

 

Tuesday, May 13
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros
 6:30 p.m. – Choir Practice
  
Wednesday, May 14
 5:00 p.m. – Catechism Class
 6:30 p.m. – Daily Vespers

 

Thursday, May 15   (Apostle John the Theologian)
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros
 12N  – Ladies Reading Group at the Algoods'
  
Friday, May 16
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros 
        
Saturday, May 17   (Apostle Simon the Zealot)
 5:00 p.m. – Catechism Class
 2:00-5:00 p.m. – Teens preparation for fund-raising meal
 6:30 p.m. – Great Vespers

 

Sunday, May 18  (Sunday of the Paralytic)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy followed by fund-raising meal for Teens

 

 

The Eucharist Bread was offered by Freundts for the Divine Liturgy today.

 

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
     Eucharist Bread  Coffee Hour
May 11    Freundts   Rebecca Root
May 18    Fahmys   D. Roots
May 25    Bakers    Morrises

 

GreekFest will be held Friday and Saturday, May 16-17, at our sister Church, Holy Trinity – St. John the Theologian, 1417 W. Capitol St., Jackson.  Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. Attendees will learn about Christian Orthodoxy and enjoy authentic Greek dancing, music and food. Greek grocery items will be available along with homemade Greek pastries. Drive-thru pick-up meals will be provided on Friday and eat-in meals on both days for lunch and dinner. For tickets and information call 601 355-6325, 601 918-8281, or 601-956-1450 or see www.holytrinityjackson.com.

 

Fasting Discipline for May
The traditional fasting resumes after Bright Week, which follows Great Pascha (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil)  being observed on Wednesdays and Fridays.

 

Major Commemorations During May
 May 11 Sunday of the Myrrhbearers
 May 18 Sunday of the Paralytic
 May 21 God-crowned Emperor Constantine and His Mother Helen
 May 25 Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

 

Please be careful not to spill food or drink on our new chairs.  Also, please supervise your children to avoid spills or ink stains or marks from their writing and drawing.  These chairs cost over $200 each, so we need to take care of them.  Thank you for your help with this.

 

 
 * The teens will be holding fund-raising meal following the Divine Liturgy next Sunday to raise money for the Parish Life Conference.  Please make plans to stay for the fellowship and to help our teens.

 
 * This year we will celebrate the feast of Ascension with Orthros and Divine Liturgy on Wednesday evening, June 4th and the feast of Pentecost on Sunday, June 15th.  The feast of Sts. Peter and Paul falls on a Sunday this year (June 29th).

 
 * The Ladies of St. Peter are planning a garage sale for the first week-end in June.

 
 * Mark your calendars now for the Parish Life Conference, June 18-22, in Raleigh, North Carolina.  The conference is a wonderful opportunity to meet and build relationships with members of other parishes in our diocese.

 
 * We are scheduled to serve at the Stewpot on July 5th.  More information will be available as the time approaches.

 

Quotable: "If you patiently accept whatever comes, you will always pray with joy."
     St. Evagrius the Solitary

 

Weekly Quote: "Some praise life in the desert, others life in monasteries, still others a place of authority among people, to instruct and teach them and organize churches where many may find food for body and soul.  I would not give preference to any of these, nor to say that one is worthy of praise and another of censure.  In all ways of life, blessed is the life lived for God and according to God in all actions and works."

    St. Symeon the New Theologian

WORSHIP: Sunday, May 18, 2008 (Sunday of the Paralytic)

 

  Scripture:  Acts 9:32-42; John 5:1-15
 Celebrant:  Father John
 Homily:  Father Leo
 Deacon:  Deacon Terry
 Acolytes:  Stephen Collins
 Prosphora:  Fahmys
 Coffee Hour:  Elizabeth Root
 Teen Hosts:  No meeting

 

 

On the Sunday following Easter, we hear the story of Thomas and are reminded of the all-permeating presence of Christ and the faith of those who followed the disciples.  Even as walls and doors proved no obstacle to His coming to His followers, so nothing can prevent His presence with us.  Even as He commissioned them to be peaceful of themselves and to bear His peace and life to those about them, so He grants us peace for ourselves and those we touch.  Even as Thomas turned from his doubt to faith, so let us bow before our Lord and God in acknowledgment and praise.  With Thomas and all the faithful who sing in heavenly worship, let us raise our hymn of adoration and life to our risen Saviour.

 

Acts 5:12-20:  Through healing of the sick and the addition of new believers to the Church in Jerusalem we see the power of the Holy Spirit at work with the Apostles.

 

John 20:19-31:  In our gospel reading we hear of the Apostle Thomas' doubt regarding Jesus' resurrection.  When our Lord appears to Him he immediately believes;  yet, the Lord pronounces a blessing upon those who believe without having seen Him.

 

Troparion of Thomas Sunday:  While the tomb was sealed, thou didst shine forth from it, O Light.  While the doors were closed, thou didst come in to thy Disciples, O Christ God, Resurrection of all, renewing in us through them an upright spirit, according to the greatness of thy mercy.

 

Kontakion of Thomas Sunday:  With his anxiously searching right hand, O Christ God, Thomas did probe your life-giving side; for when you did enter, the doors being shut, he shouted with the rest of the Disciples, crying, You are my Lord and my God.

 CALENDAR

 

Sunday, May 4   (Thomas Sunday)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 5:30 p.m. – Youth Group

 

Monday, May 5
 CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED – FATHER JOHN'S DAY OFF

 

Tuesday, May 6
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros
 6:30 p.m. – Choir Practice
  
Wednesday, May 7
 5:00 p.m. – Catechism Class
 6:30 p.m. – Daily Vespers

 

Thursday, May 8   (Apostle John the Theologian)
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros
 12N  – Ladies Reading Group at the Algoods'
  
Friday, May 9
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros 
        
Saturday, May 10   (Apostle Simon the Zealot)
 5:00 p.m. – Catechism Class
 6:30 p.m. – Great Vespers

 

Sunday, May 11  (Sunday of the Myrrhbearers)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 6:00 p.m. – Young Adults 

 

 

The Eucharist Bread was offered by Daniel Roots for the Divine Liturgy today.

 

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
     Eucharist Bread  Coffee Hour
May 4     D. Roots   Pigotts
May 11    Freundts   Rebecca Root
May 18    Fahmys   D. Roots
May 25    Bakers    Morrises

Please be careful not to spill food or drink on our new chairs.  Also, please supervise your children to avoid spills or ink stains or marks from their writing and drawing.  These chairs cost over $200 each, so we need to take care of them.  Thank you for your help with this.

 

 
 * The teens are hoping to hold two fund-raisers in May to raise money for the Parish Life Conference.  One will be a carwash and the other a meal (dates yet to be finalized).

 * The Ladies of St. Peter are planning a garage sale for the first week-end in June.

 * This year we will celebrate the feast of Ascension with Orthros and Divine Liturgy on Wednesday evening, June 4th and the feast of Pentecost on Sunday, June 15th.  The feast of Sts. Peter and Paul falls on a Sunday this year (June 29th).

 * Mark your calendars now for the Parish Life Conference, June 18-22, in Raleigh, North Carolina.  The conference is a wonderful opportunity to meet and build relationships with members of other parishes in our diocese.

 * We are scheduled to serve at the Stewpot on July 5th.  More information will be available as the time approaches.

 

Fasting Discipline for May
The traditional fasting resumes after Bright Week, which follows Great Pascha (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil)  being observed on Wednesdays and Fridays.

 

Major Commemorations During May
 May 4  Thomas Sunday
 May 5  Great Martyr Irene
 May 8  Repose of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian
 May 11 Sunday of the Myrrhbearers
 May 18 Sunday of the Paralytic
 May 21 God-crowned Emperor Constantine and His Mother Helen
 May 25 Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

 

Quotable: "If God is love, charity should know no limit, for God cannot be confined.  Any time is the right time for works of charity....A generous spirit is itself great wealth.  There can be no shortage of material for generosity where it is Christ who feeds and Christ who is fed."

        St. Leo of Rome

 

        St. Silouan the Athonite

 

WORSHIP: Sunday, May 11, 2008 (Sunday of the Myrrhbearers)

 

  Scripture:  Acts 6:1-7; Mark 15:43-16:8
 Celebrant:  Father John
 Homily:  Father John
 Deacon:  Deacon Terry
 Acolytes:  John Wood
 Prosphora:  Freundts
 Coffee Hour:  Rebecca Root
 Teen Hosts:  TBA