I Corinthians 4:9-16:  We hear St Paul speak to the Corinthians as their spiritual father and exhort them to imitate him in their actions.

 

Matthew 9:9-13: Our Lord calls the tax collector Matthew, to become one of His disciples and tells the Pharisees that He did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

 

Troparion of the Resurrection:  Let us believers praise and worship the Word, co-eternal 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 Holy Apostle Matthew:  O Holy Apostle Matthew, intercede with our merciful God to grant our souls forgiveness of sins.     

 

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 for Usual Sundays:  O undisputed intercessor of Christians, O mediatrix, who is unrejected by the Creator, turn not away from the voice of our petitions though we be sinners; come to us in time, who cry to thee in faith, for thou art good.  Hasten to us with intercessions, O Theotokos, who didst ever intercede for those who honor thee.

 

 

Sunday, November 16   (Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost, Apostle Matthew)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 6:00 p.m. – Young Adults

 

Monday, November 17
 CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED – FATHER JOHN'S DAY OFF

 

Tuesday, November 18
 6:00 a.m. – Daily Orthros
 6:30 p.m. – Choir Practice
  
Wednesday, November 19
 5:00 p.m. – Catechism Class
 6:30 p.m. – Great Vespers followed by Parish Council Meeting

 

Thursday, November 20
 6:00 a.m. – Festal Orthros
 12:00 N – Ladies Fellowship
 6:30 p.m. – Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia (Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple)

 

Friday, November 21 (Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple)
    The Presentation of the Holy Virgin into the Temple is found in the apocryphal gospels, which describe the three-year-old Mary being taken by her parents to the Temple, where she remained in a life of holiness and dedication.  Though the story be legend, as symbol it yields insight into spiritual truth.  The scriptures for vespers, matins, and the divine liturgy all speak to the relationship between man and God within the context of the Temple and emphasize two themes: holiness and the superiority of the living, eternal temple to that built of stone.  In Mary we see both.  Rather than being sanctified by the Temple, she sanctifies the Temple and all mankind by becoming herself the perfect temple in which dwelt the eternal Son.  Truly she was set apart, even as a child, and consecrated to the most glorious work God granted humanity.  Truly she is the instrument by which we, too, become living temples in which God lives and which live eternal.  Truly we, the holy, catholic church, the living Temple of God, open our doors to her, most blessed of women, the Holy Mother of God.

 

 6:00 a.m. – Festal Orthros
        
Saturday, November 22
 6:30 p.m. – Great Vespers

 

Sunday, November 23   (Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 5:30 p.m. – Youth Group

 

 

 

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

 

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                 Eucharist Bread      Coffee Hour
 November 16     Fahmys              Fahmys
 November 20 (Thurs. evening) Rebecca Root (Artoklasia Bread)     No meal
                 (Feast of the Presentation of the Theotokos in the Temple)
 November 23     Bakers               Pigotts
 November 30     Woods               Morrises

 

Schedule for Epistle Readers   –  Page numbers refer to the Apostolos (book of the Epistles) located on the front pew.  Please be sure to use this book when you read.
    Reader   Reading Page #
November 16 Walt Wood I Corinthians 4:9-16 135
November 23 Sh. Charlotte Algood Ephesians 2:4-10 202
November 30 Warren Strain I Corinthians 4:9-16 135

 

Ben Brock will be enrolled as a catechumen next Sunday.  Please keep him in your prayers.

 

Welcome to St. Peter's: We welcome Jim and Desi Roehner, their daughter Rene and her husband Mandon Brinkerhof along with their daughters Kirsten (9) and Emma Rose (3)!

 

The vestry behind the altar is considered to be part of the altar area.  As with the sanctuary per se, this area is for clergy only unless a blessing is given by the priest for a specific purpose.

 

The Lower MS Valley Deanery's annual teen retreat will be held the week-end of February 20-22, 2009 at John W. Kyle State Park.  Joel Finley, the Youth Director at St. Ignatius Orthodox Church in Franklin, will handling registration.  More details will be available at a later date.

 

Stewpot: We will be serving a meal in conjunction with Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church on Saturday, November 29th at 11:30 a.m.  Please see Cheryl Pigott for further information.

 

 

 * We will be serving meal at the Stewpot on Saturday, November 29th .

 
 * The next meeting for the PLC 2009 Planning Committee will be Thursday, December 18th at 7:00 p.m. at the church.

 
 * Annual Teen Retreat for the Lower MS Valley Deanery – February 20-22, 2009 at John W. Kyle State Park.

 
 * St. Peter's will be hosting the Parish Life Conference next year.  The dates for the conference will be June 10-14.  This will a wonderful opportunity to showcase our parish.  More information will be available in the future.

 

Ladies of St. Peter:   It's time to pay your annual dues ($20).  Please give  them to Sh. Margaret Root.  Many thanks to Charlotte Wood, Rebecca Root and Sh. Margaret Root who have graciously served as officers.  In January , Christina Katool and Sh. Charlotte Algood will take over as co-presidents.  We still need someone to fill the post of Secretary/Treasurer. Please think about volunteering for this office.

 

Fasting Discipline for November
Beginning November 15th , the first day of the Nativity Fast, the traditional fasting (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil) is observed on each day of the week.  Note, however, that through December 19th there is katalysis on Tuesdays and Thursdays when wine and oil are permitted, and on Saturdays when fish, wine and oil are permitted.

 

Major Commemorations During November
 November 15 Beginning of the fast of the Nativity
 November 16 Apostle and Evangelist Matthew
 November 21 Entrance of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple
 November 23 St. Amphilochios of Iconium
 November 25 St. Catherine the Great-martyr
 November 30 Apostle Andrew the First-called  

 

A number of videos and audiotapes belonging to the church's library have been checked out and not returned.  Please look through your belongings for any that you may have forgotten about.  We are especially looking for the copy of the presentation that was done by Father Ted Pulcini at the 1994 Parish Life Conference that was hosted here.  Thank you for your assistance in locating these items.

 

Kitchen Maintenance: We have a number of perishable items being left in the kitchen (including condiments, etc., in the refrigerator).  These tend to spoil and often attract insects.  Following any church event (feast, coffee hour, fellowship, etc.), unless specific arrange-ments are made to use left overs very soon, please take them home with you!

 

Please supervise your children to avoid spills, ink stains or marks from their writing and drawing on our new chairs.  We also ask that you not allow them to stand on the kneelers.  Thank you for your help with this.

  
Quotable: "If we are illumined by divine power, and fix our eyes on the beauty of the Image of the invisible God, and through the Image are led up to the indescribable beauty of its source, it is because we have been inseparably jointed to the Spirit of knowledge."

    - St. Basil the Great

 

    - Archimandrite Zacharias

WORSHIP: Sunday, November 23, 2008 (Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost)

 

 Scripture:  Ephesians 2:4-10; Luke 12:16-21
 Celebrant:  Father John
 Homily:  Father John
 Deacon:  Deacon Terry
 Epistle Reader  Sh. Charlotte Algood
 Acolytes:  TBA
 Prosphora:  Bakers
 Coffee Hour:  Pigotts
 Teen Hosts:  TBA