In several senses, Pentecost marks for us the end of many months of anticipation, commemoration, 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 2:1-11:  In the reading from Acts we see the pouring out of God's Spirit on the apostles, the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy, and the beginning of the Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

 

John 7:37-52, 8:12:  Our Lord calls those thirsting for righteousness to Himself, promising to eternally quench their thirst by the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The Pharisees, however, view Jesus as a threat to their authority and seek for ways to undermine His authority.

 

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.

 

 

 
Sunday, June 15    (Sunday of Pentecost)   NOTE: The week following Pentecost
   Sunday is Fast-Free.
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 6:30 p.m. – Kneeling Vespers of Pentecost
 (NOTE: No Youth Group or Young Adults Meeting)

 

Monday, June 16
 CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED – FATHER JOHN'S DAY OFF

 

Tuesday, June 17
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros
 6:30 p.m. – Choir Practice
  
Wednesday, June 18
 6:30 p.m. – Daily Vespers

 

Thursday, June 19
 NO Daily Orthros [Cancelled – Parish Life Conference]
 12N  –  NOTE: Ladies Reading Group – Only on 3rd Thursdays
  
Friday, June 20
 NO Daily Orthros [Cancelled – Parish Life Conference] 
        
Saturday, June 21
 NO Catechism Class [Cancelled – Parish Life Conference] 
 6:30 p.m. – Great Vespers

 

Sunday, June 22 (Sunday of All Saints)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 5:30 p.m. – Youth Group

 

 

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

 

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
    Eucharist Bread  Coffee Hour
June 15   Algoods   Skirtechs
June 22   Katools   Joneses
June 29   Schelvers   Algoods 

 

  
 * As is our parish custom we will have the Kneeling Vespers for Pentecost this evening at 6:30 p.m.  The feast of Sts. Peter and Paul falls on a Sunday this year (June 29th).

 
 * The Parish Life Conference will be held this week, June 18-22, in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Father John and Father James will both be attending.

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

 

Please supervise your children to avoid spills, ink stains or marks from their writing and drawing on our new chairs.  Thank you for your help with this.

 

Fasting Discipline for June
The traditional fasting continues on Wednesdays and Fridays (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil).  There is no fasting during the week following Pentecost Sunday, June 15th.  The Apostles Fast (the same as the fast on Wednesdays and Fridays) is observed from Monday, June 23rd through June 28th.  The traditional fasting is again observed on Wednesdays and Fridays in July.

 

Major Commemorations During June
 June 15 Pentecost
 June 22 Sunday of All Saints
 June 24 Nativity of the Forerunner
 June 29 Sts. Peter and Paul
 June 30 Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles

 

Quotable: "Each word and deed of our Saviour Jesus Christ is for us a lesson in virtue and piety.  For this end also did He assume our nature, so that every man and every woman, contemplating as in a picture the practice of all virtue and piety, might strive with all their hearts to imitate His example.  For this He bore our body, so that as far as we could, we might repeat within us the manner of His Life.  And so therefore, when you hear mention of some word or deed of His, take care not to receive it simply as something that incidentally happened, but raise your mind upwards towards the sublimity of what He is teaching, and strive to see what has been mystically handed down to us."
        - St. Basil the Great

 

 

  Scripture:  Hebrews 11:33-12:2; Matthew 10:32-33, 37-38, 19:27-30
 Celebrant:  Father John
 Homily:  Father Leo
 Deacon:  Deacon Terry
 Acolytes:  Stephen Collins
 Prosphora:  Katools
 Coffee Hour:  Woods
 Teen Hosts:  TBA